It was a typical Tuesday morning at 8:30, and I was working with my personal trainer. What I love about my trainer is that she doesn’t yell or intimidate. Instead, she has this uncanny ability to see potential in me that I often miss in myself. She shows it by making requests of me. “I
Walk into a construction site, trading floor, or engineering lab, and you'll likely notice the same thing: a sea of men with perhaps a few women navigating these professional waters like salmon swimming upstream. In these male-dominated industries, "being the only woman in the room" isn't a figure of speech but a daily reality. In
If speaking up for yourself at work feels a little awkward, you’re not alone. Maybe you’ve done something amazing but downplayed it like it was no big deal. Or you’ve needed support, but convinced yourself now wasn’t the “right time” to ask. Sound familiar? Let’s talk about two essential career skills that often get a
Have you ever found yourself saying "yes" to a project when your plate was already overflowing? Or apologizing profusely before declining a meeting? If you're nodding along (or maybe even wincing a little), welcome to the club! As women leaders, many of us have earned black belts in the martial art of stretching ourselves too
"Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes." - Oscar Wilde (who clearly made enough mistakes to know what he was talking about) Let me tell you about my recent Zoom fail. There I was, delivering what I thought was a brilliant workshop on executive presence, when a participant kindly messaged me: "Deb, we
As much as I love my job, it’s still stressful to go from a daily schedule of watching Netflix and eating cookies on the couch to coaching, speaking, consulting and writing. Lucky for me, I have a very understanding manager (also me). My manager is compassionate, empathetic, and caring while still holding me accountable for
Wendy. Leslie. The other Leslie. Michael. Ellen. Signy. Priya. Ben. Mark. Juliann. Every female leader needs a support system to thrive – and those names represent (a subset of) my support system. I'm talking about our own personal cheerleading squad - the unsung heroes who have our backs, lift us up, and help us soar
Picture this: You're about to lead a major presentation, and you're doing that thing I call the "Professional Woman's Pre-Meeting Meditation." You know the one – where you're mentally rehearsing how to sound confident (but not bossy), friendly (but not frivolous), and authoritative (but not aggressive). Oh, and don't forget to smile! But not too
You know, those gut-wrenching moments when a project flops, a promotion slips away, or a client takes their business elsewhere? I do. We all do. And bouncing back from setbacks can be extra challenging for women. No, it's not just in our heads. Research shows that we often face higher scrutiny and harsher judgment for
We've all got them: those persistent, frustrating behaviors that feel as comfortable as your favorite sweatpants and just as hard to give up. And just like those sweatpants, they're probably not serving you well in professional settings. Here's the thing about ingrained habits: They're not just behaviors – they're coping mechanisms. That late-night email checking?
