WIL Talk (Women in Leadership Talk)

When your career starts to itch, you gotta scratch it, according to Randi Roberts. After spending 30 years in the corporate world in big pharma, Randi had a variety of roles from sales representative to Executive roles. She is a hippie at heart, Ivy League education, an MBA earned from San Diego University, and is now an Executive and Career-Life coach. During her time with Big Pharma, she loved it and yet knew there was something more for her to do. 

 Randi shared some tips with us to help us start to identify when that itch begins, sometimes its subtle and other times it can be out right smack in the face, but we should pay attention when we start to feel or begin to:

• Hit the snooze button more regularly on workdays.
• Pay attention to how you are reacting to situations.
• Listen to your body talk, what is it trying to show or tell you? How and where are you out of alignment?
• More irritated by projects, team members, etc.
• Energy is low. 

These are just a few to pay attention to and recognize that often it can be situational, or maybe your focus and goals have changed. The key here is to pay attention.

 We also discuss some of the current trends happening in the workforce. It used to be known as the 7-year itch and now it’s more like every 3 years people change their jobs but remember, “no matter where you go, there you are” so figure out what is making you itchy at this time before you make a big move. And know that it’s not forever. This too shall pass but being intentional and mapping out where you want to get to, is an important exercise to go through and that is often where a coach can help you to figure that out. 

 Think about how important growth is to you and what that might look like as you navigate your map. What’s next and what is your risk tolerance in all aspects of your life?

 If you want to better understand your own leadership, visit our website at www.wilempowered.com and take our free leadership quiz. This gives insight as to where you might want to focus some of your intentions on your own development. 

 #confidence #wilempowered #careermap #wiltalk #selfawareness

Being intentional about your career roadmap is a must as a woman in today’s world. Rosie Zilinskas, Founder of  “ No Woman Left Behind”  believes wholeheartedly in the transformative power of confidence and a strategically crafted career roadmap. She experienced a rich tapestry of over thirty years in corporate leadership and shares with us about her journey and why it is imperative for women especially to craft their career roadmap. 

During our conversation, Rosie shared some of her best ideas for building your story vault and making sure you are prepared constantly with those Top 5 accomplishments. How at the age of 9, we are at our peak with confidence and the importance of building critical thinking skills, especially for our young people. In addition, she shared her latest read, “Worthy” by Jamie Kern Lima. In this new release, Jamie does an amazing analogy of how to look at confidence, her example is that your worth is like the foundation of your house where you pour the concrete, and rebar, to ensure it is strong enough to hold the house, and confidence is the house on top, and when someone throws a rock through the window it might shatter the window (confidence) but you can patch that up and yet the foundation is still solid and no harm comes to your worth. I loved this example and the simplicity of her explanation.

Rosie also explains why it is up to you to create that roadmap and to not leave it up to someone else to create it for you, you might not like the path it takes you and so when you don’t vocalize the path to others how are they to know where you want your road to take you. 

Have you built your career roadmap? Where do you want to go and how are you communicating that with confidence and clarity?

To learn more about your own leadership visit us at www.wilempowered.com and take our free leadership quiz.

#confidence #careerroadmap #selfworth #wilempowered #wiltalk

Each of us has our own individual journey to take and one woman’s journey with Celiac disease and the IVF process has led her on the path to discovering wellness products that are safe for you, your body and your family. Kori Estrada, Co-Founder of Risewell, joins us for a conversation to discuss how she and her partners are disrupting the oral care industry with an all-natural, sustainable brand that prioritizes safe ingredients and transparency.

During our conversation, Kori shared how life’s unexpected turns have prepared her for the innovation and work she does today. From investment banker to entrepreneur and how the 2008 financial crash, her experiences on her food journey to healing Celiac disease, to her experience with the IVF process to understanding what she was ingesting orally and/or topically to the impact that was having on her hormones. All of these stages have forced her to look for other ways to heal and to do so more naturally. We have an in-depth discussion around fluoride and the damage it causes, plus how “natural” doesn’t always mean good for you or truly natural. We discuss the use of hydroxyapatite, which was discovered back in the 70s by NASA when returning astronauts needed to rebuild their enamel, and the fact that 60% of the market in Japan’s oral care products use this ingredient. But why in North America do we not? Listen in to find out. And last but not least we enter the world of microbiome and the importance of what is killing it in our bodies.  You don’t want to miss this conversation especially if you have kids or have been using fluoride.

Interested in staying in touch on activities happening at WIL Empowered? Sign up for our monthly newsletters, at www.wilempowered.com, to find out what hot topics we are discussing and what podcast guest you will want to listen to. If this topic has been of interest please do share with a friend and be sure to leave us a review.

#oralcare #safeoralproducts #naturalproducts #IVF #celiacdisease #wilempowered

Imposter syndrome is a very real phenomenon that many individuals encounter so what do you do about it? Irene Sim, founder of the Coaching Alliance Group joins us to share her story where at the young age of 10 she encountered her first experience with having to speak up to the power that could change her and her family's life, then a second time when she migrated to Australia and didn’t feel like she belonged. Always struggling with this pit and ickiness in her stomach and then she realized her power when remembering the courage of her 10-year-old self. 

 She shares with us how we marinate in social expectations and tend to internalize and make these messages our realities. But we don’t have to. During our conversation, she graciously shares her 4 step method of overcoming. 1) Call it out, 2) Lean into the ABCD process 3) Marvel at what happens and then celebrate it 4) Let your inner champion rise to the call.

 You have to listen to the full episode to really capture her ABCD method and I highly encourage it. Practical and informative, a gift that she shares beautifully. Her next mission is to put full attention on the systems we have and by creating her Allies in Leadership Network we can use privilege to make great changes.

 Irene spent many years as a Senior Executive Service of Australia Treasury and Taxation Office, now turned Executive Coach supporting others of all stages on their journey to break free from societal biases, set their own terms and thrive as authentic and powerful leaders.

 If you want to know you show up as a leader, visit us at www.wilempowered.com to take our free leadership quiz, and learn things about yourself that you might not have been aware of.

 #Impostersyndrome  #leadership #exerciseyourvoice #power #wilempowered #wiltalk

Building your personal brand is not just a nice to do, it is a must-do. No matter how introverted or against social media you are -  building your personal brand is critical on so many levels. During our conversation with Kate Pozeznik, who is a personal branding expert, she shares her views on how, why, and what you need to do to build your personal brand.  One of the most important aspects of building your brand is to know that 70% of employers evaluate candidates by watching what you say and how you say it. This is one important way for employers to keep an eye on how you are being inside and outside of your place of employment. 

 We also discuss how our identity gets tied to our careers and that we are so much more than our careers. We are leaders, moms, sisters, community activists, friends, thought leaders and the list goes on and on. Our identity is not what we do but more about who we are, what are we known for, our values, and to make it personal and yet still professional. So building your brand and being authentically you is more important than ever. Kate shares wonderful tips on how to get started such as updating your LinkedIn profile and using Canva to create a banner for your backdrop.  But it’s not just about having a LI profile, it’s about setting yourself up as a thought leader and many of us think “What do I have to share that would interest others?” Chances are if you are thinking that someone else is thinking the same thing you have the opportunity to engage with other like-minded individuals. 

 She also recommends you google yourself – by conducting a social media audit you ensure that what is online is reflective of who you want the world to see and get to know. These are just a couple of her tips, have a listen to learn more and if you have questions please feel free to reach out. Or if you know someone who would gain from listening to this episode of the WIL Talk podcast please do share with them. 

Kate Pozeznik is a personal branding expert and founder of Quirk. She has been cited in Buzzfeed, AARP, and Upworthy. She is also an ADHD and mental health advocate, avid traveller, Salsa and bachata dancer and so many more interests.

 If networking is not your thing, maybe it’s time to start loving it. Visit us at www.wilempowered.com to learn about our own demand networking course and move from hating it to loving it. Monthly we host live Q&A sessions where you build your networking skills, ask questions and make new connections. 

 #personalbranding #networking #connecting #identity #wilempowered #wiltalk

How often do you think about the advertisements you receive, especially after having a conversation with someone and then suddenly you receive something on your phone? Wendy Pace, owner of Pace Setting Media joins us to share exactly why that happens. Wendy is a strategic and results-driven leader who leverages her expertise with AI, algorithms, and digital marketing, with a particular focus on platforms like LinkedIn and TikTok. She strongly advocates for businesses to explore TikTok, shedding light on the importance of AI in crafting social media marketing strategies. In an era of diminishing attention spans, Wendy emphasizes the significance of live videos and dynamic content. 

She does a great job breaking down the benefits of each platform and determining which is best depending on why you are using them, regardless if it's personal or professional. During our discussion, she talked about how AI amplifies the gold standard of data collection and that you only get out of it what you put into it. You are responsible for ensuring your input is meeting your objectives. She also stressed paying attention to the fine details which is tough as we are a society that moves at warped speed. 

Her whole philosophy is about “Answering the questions we are searching for” and that will help you connect with your audience. You should be asking the same questions in many different ways to see what resonates with different audiences. To keep in mind that AI is nothing without human interaction, it is nothing more than a powerful search engine today but in 10 years might be different. 

Thanks, Wendy – this was a highly informative conversation.

 Interested in learning more about your own leadership? Visit us at www.wilempowered.com and take our free leadership quiz.

 #AI #artificialintelligence #leaders #socialmedia #wilempowered #wiltalk 

How often do you avoid having difficult conversations? Kim Carpenter, #Founder of People at the Center joins us for a conversation to break down why so many of us struggle with difficult conversations and how we might approach differently. Having difficult conversations is not easy no matter how much experience you have and we all tend to dread or avoid it if we can but what are the costs of doing so? Join us as we unpack this and so many more reasons our connections break down.

 Kim talks about listening sessions, being intentional with creating the spaces necessary to find out if we are okay with those best practices to create psychologically safe spaces for our people and what happens neurologically when the amygdala is highjacked. We often hear how teams are struggling to get it all done and that they can’t keep up, and yet there is still more to do. This is true and we need to be ok with not getting it all done. 

 We also dive into how effective communication can support leaders, teams, and organizations in doing great things when we practice and find what’s not working. And finally, we dive into self-reflection, self-awareness, and taking ownership as key to being an effective communicator. Once we understand the gaps and start with ourselves we can make those micro changes that can lead to extensive positive impact for individuals and entire organizations.

 Interested in learning more about how you show up as a leader? Visit us at www.wilempowered.com to take our free leadership quiz.

 #difficultconversations #leadership #safespace #wilempowered #wiltalk

How does one write their way to healing? We had an incredible conversation with the founder of “ From Me to You” a global movement focused on helping others heal through writing. Sussi Mattsson shares her story of how at 8 years old her father tried to sell her to someone in Southern Europe only 6 months after her mother passed away from cancer. This is only one of a number of experiences that created trauma in her life and she shares how these traumas have helped her become the person she is today, inspiring thousands to become wisdom writers and storytellers around the globe. 

 She shares with us the importance of self-leadership the acknowledgment of what has happened on your journey of life and being able to connect and identify how these experiences might shape us. By facing the dark side of our lives we can experience another level of living. During our conversation, she shares many of her tips and techniques for leaning into writing to attain clarity and intention.

Let me know how this episode may have inspired you to begin your writing journey or if you are already writing share with us how this may have helped you gain the insight you were looking for on your journey of life.

Interested in learning more about your own leadership, visit us at www.wilempowered.com and take our free leadership quiz. 

 #writingtoheal #wilempowered #wiltalk #frommetoyou #trauma #healing 

What are the potential consequences of current DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives to both individuals and society as a whole? During our conversation with Dr. Rebekah Wanic, who has her Ph.D. with an emphasis on social psychology, we discussed the importance of mindset and the ideology that is influenced by social environments. Rebekah is a gifted speaker and university lecturer, she has appeared in academic journals and publications from around the world and is an expert in social psychology.

Rebekah dives into the pitfalls and double bind taking place currently with not allowing or encouraging critical thinking and pushing a one-sided ideology. She discusses with us how the intent is to lift others with DEI initiatives but the exact opposite is happening and when we swing the pendulum too far one way we inevitably harm the other side of things. We discuss the importance of finding a balance or harmony with any type of initiative. And how we have created this society that gives out rewards without having to work for it. I loved her quote “ Nothing of value comes without effort”. 

 We also dig into the importance of mindset and taking responsibility for yourself. What is empowering or disempowering you? It is your choice and not the responsibility of others to create the life you desire and if you don’t take responsibility there are long-term consequences, which she shares examples of with us.

Would love to hear your thoughts on DEI and how it is/isn’t working in your organization. What would you rather see happening?

Interested in learning how you show up as a leader? Then visit us at www.wilempowered.com and take our free leadership quiz. You have nothing to lose and so much to gain.

 #DEI #toxicity #mindset #wilempowered #wiltalk #womenleaders 

How often do you shy away from taking risks because you are afraid you might fail? Or you’re more concerned with not having the right knowledge to take on that next level of your career? Join us in a conversation with Lynn Herrick. Lynn is a lawyer by training but this is a woman with a career path that has led her to be an incisive, effective, and creative executive with a remarkable 20-year history of building high-growth companies. I wanted Lynn to share her success stories and how she found the confidence to make the moves that she has made. She has worked in several industries including technology, telecommunications, manufacturing, and healthcare, where she is a leader overseeing operations that extend to every corner of an enterprise.

 During our conversation, Lynn and I discussed the importance of utilizing all of your skills knowing how to transfer them to any career choice you might have, and knowing that your courage grows as your career grows. If we are open and curious we learn so much every day about what to do more of and what not to do. But it's important to set the vision you want to see, say it out loud, and then attract the right people to join you in taking action. 

 One of her most important pieces of advice is to take action, even if it is small, just do it and then take time to celebrate. Make sure you build your support system to learn and continue to grow as you go. That can be through your network, reading, mentors, hiring a coach, etc. But you owe it to yourself to invest in yourself and be the role model you want to be in this world.

What are your thoughts after listening to this episode? Ready to take more risk? Ready to speak out loud what you want? 

 If you are curious about your leadership, visit us at www.wilempowered.com and take our free leadership quiz to get a sense of how you show up as a leader and what might be holding you back from being the best version of yourself.

#womenleaders #confidence #networking #wilempowered #wiltalk #leadership