When I read the Careers After Babies report I knew we had to talk about it on the podcast.  The stories and statistics within it show the stark reality of how many women’s careers are impacted by motherhood.  It’s a must read for anyone in the workplace who has children, wants to have children or wants to be a leader or employer that supports working parents.

I’m joined by guest Jess Heagren, author of the Careers After Babies report to discuss its findings and what we can do to improve this situation.  We talk about how equal parenting and shared parental leave make a huge difference, why we see a drop in women at management level after parenthood and how long it takes careers to recover after having a child.

MORE ABOUT JESS

Jess Heagren is an ex Financial Services Director, mother of four, award-winning CEO of That Works For Me, and author of landmark report Careers After Babies. On a personal mission to keep more parents in the...

I’ve republished this episode as it is the perfect episode for International Women’s Day 2023.  It has received more feedback than any other episode and for good reason.

Mary Ann is the author of the best-selling book The Authority Gap: Why We Still Take Women Less Seriously Than Men, a BBC Radio 4 presenter, speaker and advocate for women’s equality in the workplace.

We discuss:

• The impact of the book The Authority Gap and why it’s so important that male leaders read it
• Conversational manspreading
• Whether woman need to change how they behave to be seen as more competent
• Unconscious bias about women, by women and how to be aware of it
• What men can gain by narrowing the authority gap

Mary Ann shares so many fascinating studies that demonstrate the authority gap in action which are both surprising and validating for women's experiences at work.

MORE ABOUT MARY ANN

Mary Ann Sieghart is the author of the best-selling book The Authority Gap:...

I’ve republished the most shared episode of last year for International Women’s Day 2023 and I’d encourage you to share it with your colleagues, whatever their gender.

Men can be really powerful allies for gender equality in the workplace.  This episode shares some practical ways men can support the women they work with.

Listen for:

• Why gender equality matters in the workplace
• The different stages of allyship
• What men can do as colleagues to promote gender equality in their organisation
• How managers and leaders can reduce gender inequity
• Ways men can support women at home to positively impact their careers

You can get in touch with Carla about male allyship workshops, inclusion week talks and supporting the women in your organisation at [email protected]

You can find out about the Embracing Equity Toolkit here.

WORK WITH CARLA

As well as coaching women leaders to have more influence, make more impact and be kinder to themselves in my open...

Gender bias in workplace feedback is a pervasive and often overlooked issue, with many women in the workplace receiving feedback that can hinder their professional development and advancement.

Recent studies have found that negative personality-based reviews are up to 76% more likely to occur in women's reviews, compared to only 2% in men's reviews.

In addition, men are more likely to receive actionable feedback that prepares them for leadership roles, while women tend to receive feedback that is more general and non-actionable. It is no wonder that many women struggle with confidence in the workplace due to the feedback they are receiving.

In this episode, l explored the differences between the feedback that men and women receive and the impact of that on their career development. I also covered the practical steps that can be taken to address these gender biases in the workplace and help women to succeed.

LINKS

• Women get nicer feedback and it holds then back
• ...

Really excited to share this news...

For every woman who joins an open Be Bolder course in 2023 we will be donating £47 to enable a girl to attend a session run by GFS that helps to build their confidence and self-esteem.

GFS is a charity that runs weekly groups for girls, in the most disadvantaged parts of England and Wales. A GFS girl is valued for exactly who she is, and the sessions grow her confidence to be her true self in the challenging years ahead.

So by joining or sending team members on Be Bolder you're also supporting a girl to build her confidence.

It's really important to me that if I'm spending so much of my life and energy on this business it makes as much impact as possible. I know it makes a positive impact on the women we work with but I want it to do more and this is the start of building more philanthropy into the business model.

Find out more about the brilliant GFS.

Ever sat in a meeting with a contribution to make but talked yourself out of it only to hear someone else make it later?

In this episode I explore what we can find it hard to speak up in meetings and share some practical steps you can take to contribute more confidently in meetings. 

We’ll be exploring the role your Inner Critic and unhelpful beliefs can play, how your thinking style impacts your ability to speak up and recognising that not all rooms are safe to speak up in.

Please share it with anyone else you know who would find it helpful. 

If you want the support, tools and strategies to put it into action then the Be Bolder course is perfect for you as we have a 90 minute session on exactly this!

BE BOLDER – JOIN US IN MARCH

Increase your confidence and assertiveness at work in Be Bolder, my 4 session course for women. Our next cohort begins on Tuesday 7 March.

Learn how to set healthy boundaries, say no more often, speak up more confidently...

We want to be more confident as women in the workplace yet it can be challenging, especially when we face gender bias on a daily basis.  Increasing your confidence is easier than you think and in this episode I share 7 things confident women do – and some of them might surprise you!

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Confidence and competence are often confused in the workplace which is why we are at a disadvantage if we are not confident
• The experience of gender bias causes women to doubt themselves in the workplace
• Confidence isn’t about becoming someone who never doubts themselves – self-doubt is a totally normal part of the human experience
• You don’t have to have all the answers to be confident
• Confident women support and encourage others and can also own their own strengths and achievements
• Confident women can have the courageous conversations, set boundaries and say no
• Confident women speak up when their Inner Critic is very vocal
• Confidence involves trusting...

The new year is a great opportunity to change how you approach your work life to make it work better for you. One way you can do this is by getting clear on some meaningful and realistic boundaries.

There is an art to both setting and holding boundaries, particularly when it feels uncomfortable to say no or disappoint someone else.

This episode is inspired by Beth Stallwood’s debut book - WorkJoy: A toolkit for a better working life.  The tools and practices are from her insightful and practical chapter on boundaries.

I share:

• The four signs you need to set or update your boundaries
• The three types of boundaries you should have
• How to create clear boundaries in your career and personal life
• Three steps to holding your boundaries confidently

Make sure you get your copy of WorkJoy: A toolkit for a better working life.  
You can get the Kindle version for 99p on Monday 9 January!

HELPFUL LINKS

• Find out more about Beth.
• Ep 89: Finding Your WorkJoy with...

Welcome to 2023 and a fresh new year! This mini episode is a really valuable and practical exercise that I’ll be coaching you through.   

We’ll be reflecting on the year just been, celebrating your achievements and who you’ve become, and setting your intentions for the year ahead.

Make yourself a cuppa, get your notebook and cosy up with some undisturbed time to reflect and plan for the year ahead.

BE BOLDER – JOIN US IN MARCH

Increase your confidence and assertiveness at work in Be Bolder, my 4 session course for women. Our next cohort begins on Tuesday 7 March.

Learn how to set healthy boundaries, say no more often, speak up more confidently in meetings, worry less about what others think of you, have the courage to have challenging conversations and be more assertive in your communication.

Find out more and join here.

WORK WITH ME

I coach women leaders to have more influence, make more impact and be kinder to themselves in...

Is your worry taking up too much of your mental and emotional energy, causing you to doubt yourself and stopping you from being your best in life?

You are not alone and I’m here to help you worry less in this super practical episode!

Listen for:

• Effective strategies for shifting your attention away from worrying thoughts
• How to distinguish between productive and unproductive worries
• Two ways to turn your overthinking into a positive superpower  

This episode is part 2 of my series on worry so if you missed it, listen to part 1 “Taking Control of your Worrying” here.

HELPFUL LINKS

• Ep 21 - Handling Negative Feedback Like A Pro
• Ep 56 - How To Stop Overthinking
• Blog Post - 6 Mindfulness Strategies to Reduce your Overthinking

BE BOLDER – JOIN US IN 2023

Increase your confidence and assertiveness at work in Be Bolder, my 4 session course for women.

Learn how to set healthy boundaries, say no more often, speak up more confidently in...