Brave Women at Work

Jen Pestikas

1 Creator

Leadership positions in corporations are overwhelmingly held by men. Women who want to advance their careers and have equal representation at the table face enormous obstacles in today's society. They are frequently viewed through the lens of stereotypes, making it difficult for them to demonstrate their worth. In response, it's only natural that they keep their heads down and wallow in their insecurities. Don't you wish there was a guidebook for women to use as they enter the workforce? With this, they could have a much easier time navigating the complex environment.

Since there isn't anything like it out there, Jen Pestikas created a podcast called Brave Women at Work to fill the void. This show encourages women to believe in themselves and take charge of their professional lives so that they can progress to the next level.

Each episode is devoted to a different set of issues that prevent professional women from reaching their full potential and obtaining the leadership positions they seek. Burnout and imposter syndrome are two common causes of self-sabotage. Learn to break free of the victim mentality and the distractions that prevent you from speaking up, and you will have taken the first step toward removing those obstacles. Get out of your comfort zone and into the path to achieving much larger objectives. Use the information you gain from this show to help you realize your full potential, then stand firm against the unjust demands of the business world.

Listen in on discussions that teach you how to advocate for yourself and let others recognize the value you bring to the workplace. Don't let the long hours you spend at work make you feel bored or unappreciated. Find out when it's appropriate to negotiate your salary, your hours, and your position to get the most out of your job. One should not put their professional success in the hands of others. Take advantage of your unique abilities to make significant strides in your career.

For over twenty years, Jen has worked as a Certified Career and Leadership Coach in the business world, and now she's bringing that knowledge to the podcast audience. She'll show you how to succeed professionally without sacrificing your personal life or putting on a false front. Gain self-assurance and knock down roadblocks to success with the help of Jen's insightful advice.

In addition to her extensive expertise, Jen shares uplifting takeaways from her own corporate experience. Both burnout and the "imposter syndrome" have affected her. She struggled with many self-limiting beliefs and experienced her share of professional dissatisfaction. After spending many years in the predominantly male investment services industry, Jen learned what it takes to stand out as a strong, career-focused woman. She overcame adversity and is now the Senior Vice President of Business Development at a thriving financial institution. She is a shining proof of how far one can go in their careers by playing to their strengths and removing any self-doubt that may have been holding them back.

On the podcast, Jen not only discusses her own life but also features interviews with other remarkable women. Find out how they overcame the obstacles they encountered in the business world and how they turned their setbacks into opportunities. These outstanding individuals were once in your shoes, and now you can benefit from their experiences and insights as you propel your own career to new heights.

As long as men dominate the corporate world, it will be difficult for women to advance. Don't let the gender gap stop you from pursuing your professional goals. Acquire the resources you need to fully realize your potential by following Jen's guidance and the examples of her amazing guests. Luck will not make you a good leader. Instead, make people listen to what you have to say, become your own advocate, and take bolder action in everything you do.

Listen to Brave Women at Work at https://bravewomenatwork.com/.

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Top 10 Brave Women at Work Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Brave Women at Work episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Brave Women at Work for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Brave Women at Work episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

EP: 59 The Value of Friendship with Pamela Fierst-Walsh

Brave Women at Work

02/03/22 • 35 min

I absolutely love today’s guest and she’s the closest person I have to a sister. I asked my friend, Pamela Fierst-Walsh, to come on Brave Women at Work.

Pam and I talked about how our friendship has supported us professionally over the years, what a Personal Board of Advisors is and why you may want to consider having one, and why friends often can’t be on your board because they tell you what you want to hear rather than pushing you out of your comfort zone.

Spoiler alert, I got lucky with Pam. She has no problem stretching and challenging me to use the logical part of my brain instead of my heart and intuition all of the time, for example!

This was such a fun conversation and I learned things about Pam and our friendship that were new to me. I hope you enjoy this show and reflect on your own friendships as a result!

About Pamela Fierst-Walsh:

Pamela Fierst-Walsh is the Vice President of Traceability for PVH. Before that time, she was the Senior Advisor for the U.S. Department of State’s team responsible for policy and implementation on conflict and critical minerals. She was also the U.S. representative to the Kimberley Process.

Over the course of her career, Pamela has focused on critical national security issues, including security and counterterrorism issues, atrocities prevention, and humanitarian assistance. She has extensive experience in Africa, particularly the Horn.

In her work on minerals, Pamela routinely engaged private sector counterparts on supply chain concerns and obligations under U.S. law.

She is a graduate of the Indiana University Maurer School of Law and the National Defense University’s National War College.

Resources:

Brave Women at Work: https://www.bravewomenatwork.com/

Brave Women at Work Freebie: https://www.bravewomenatwork.com/freebie

Join the Brave Women at Work Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bravewomenatwork

Pamela Fierst-Walsh LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamela-fierst-walsh-ab79415/

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EP: 52 Heart Boss with Regan Walsh

Brave Women at Work

12/16/21 • 38 min

I know that I feature a lot of books on the Brave Women at Work show, but the book Heart Boss by Regan Walsh really stole my heart. It's a great mix of Regan's personal stories and wisdom that get you thinking about how you can start trusting your intuition more.

I know that I often get caught up with being in my head instead of my heart. And while thinking logically will take us very far, sometimes you just have to go with your gut. During this conversation, Regan shares examples from her life and career when she did just that and proves that when you listen to your heart, you will always land in the right place.

Listen in to be inspired and motivated to take a deeper look at your own stories and to learn to trust yourself more than ever before.

Here’s a bit more about Regan: Regan Walsh is an NYU-certified executive and life coach who focuses on helping women who are over-programmed and underwhelmed to reclaim their lives, both personally and professionally. She contributes to Harvard Business Review and Forbes, and has been featured in Fast Company, Smart Business, NBC.com, and Today. She has coached thousands of women through her one-on-one and group coaching programs, and she is regularly asked to give keynotes, facilitate workshops, and speak on panels for Fortune 500 companies, industry associations, and foundations.

She has done so for clients like Nike, QuickBooks, JPMorgan, Nationwide Insurance, and more, for audiences ranging from 50 to 1,000.

She is also the author of Heart Boss: Trust Your Gut, Shed Your Shoulds and Create a Life You Love.

Resources:

Brave Women at Work:

https://www.bravewomenatwork.com/

Brave Women at Work Freebie: https://www.bravewomenatwork.com/freebie

Join the free Brave Women at Work Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bravewomenatwork

Heart Boss: https://reganwalsh.com/heartboss

Regan Walsh: https://reganwalsh.com/

EP6: Getting to Clarity with Debbie Peterson

Brave Women at Work

02/04/21 • 30 min

In this episode, we talk clarity with Motivational Speaker Debbie Peterson. Debbie shares how she left the corporate world after years of frustration and burnout that manifested as health issues. Debbie shares the steps she took to go from working a job that damaged her health to have clarity of direction in her career. We covered all things mindset, from releasing limiting beliefs to creating new positive thoughts.

Debbie Peterson Website

www.debbiepetersonspeaks.com/getting-to-clarity

CLARITY: How Smart Professionals Create Career Success www.debbiepetersonspeaks.com/debbies-book

EP: 37 Having a Mentor Matters with Alison Martin

Brave Women at Work

09/09/21 • 38 min

Do you have a mentor? If not, have you ever had one? Before I had a mentor, I had no idea how a mentor could benefit me personally or professionally. I thought my boss was automatically my mentor. And for those of us that have had a bad or incompetent boss, we’ve learned that this is definitely not the case. Not all managers are mentors or leaders. A mentor is a person that is there to push you and is invested in your professional growth. They are there to celebrate your wins, but they are also present to stretch you to meet your goals.

During today’s conversation, I spoke with Alison Martin of Engage Mentoring. Alison founded the company as a way to help other organizations do a better job of attracting, retaining, and developing diverse talent. After serving as Chief Mentoring Officer at Diverse Talent Strategies, a firm she started in 2011 to help companies, nonprofits, and other organizations build programs from scratch, Martin knew there had to be a better way. So she took everything she had learned from constructing programs from scratch and built it into a software platform that provides a structured and turnkey mentoring program that is scalable and easy to implement. Alison also offers individual mentoring programs for women, African Americans, and LGBTQ employees.

Brave Women at Work: https://www.bravewomenatwork.com/

Brave Women at Work Freebie: https://www.bravewomenatwork.com/freebie

Join the free, private Brave Women at Work Facebook Community: https://lnkd.in/esnSb-s

Engage Mentoring: https://engagementoring.com/

Project Lead for Women: https://engagementoring.com/mentorship-women/

EP25: Work Life Flow with Kacey Hartung

Brave Women at Work

06/17/21 • 52 min

Have you ever tried to achieve work-life balance? Spoiler alert: it's not possible. In this episode, Kacey Hartung, working mom and owner of Balanced Heart Coaching, and I talk about the concept of work-life flow and how this is much more achievable than work-life balance. Kacey also shares what led her to start her side-hustle, how she redefined success after becoming a new mom, and the one exercise she completes with her clients to help them move through work and life with more ease.

Resources:

Brave Women at Work Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bravewomenatwork

Brave Women at Work: https://www.bravewomenatwork.com/

Big Rocks Exercise with Franklin Covey: https://resources.franklincovey.com/the-8th-habit/big-rocks-stephen-r-covey

Balanced Heart Coaching: http://www.balancedheartcoaching.com/

Balance Heart Coaching Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/balancedheartcoaching/

Working Mom S.O.S. Card Deck: http://www.balancedheartcoaching.com/store/p3/Working_Mom_S._O._S._Card_Deck_-_Reminders_to_Save_Our_Sanity.html

EP 13: Kick Some Glass with Pattie Grimm

Brave Women at Work

03/25/21 • 39 min

In this episode, we talk with Pattie Grimm about kicking the glass in your career and life. Being self-aware is so important and why perfectionism could be doing you more wrong than good. Pattie is an empowerment expert for teams and women. She has over 25 years of experience working with large corporations such as Microsoft. We talk with Pattie about hitting rock bottom and how she utilized burnout leave to find herself and establish herself as an entrepreneur.

Resources mentioned:

Pattie Grimm's website: https://advantage-training.com/

Book: Quiet Women Never Changed History Be Strong, Stand Up and Stand Out: Let's Go Kick Some Glass!

Vision Statement: If you would like follow-up resources to create your personal vision statement, contact Pattie at [email protected].

EP: 45 Stay in Your Power: Avoid Weak Words

Brave Women at Work

10/28/21 • 20 min

I’m sorry for the inconvenience. Maybe that was a bad idea. Does that make sense? I was just....fill in the blank. I’m sorry I bumped into you. That was good, right? I’m still policing myself for using weak language.

Weak language takes us out of our power at work and puts us in a lower position of credibility. Weak words don't help us get our point across, present our ideas, sell the thing and help us rise up the ladder or lattice of our careers.

I welcome you to listen to the list I’ve compiled of weak words we all use and to reflect if you use any or all of these. If you recognize yourself in this list, don’t beat yourself up over it.

We are conditioned when we are little girls to use this language, whether it’s at home, school or at work. It’s cultural and environmental. All I ask is that after you listen to this show that you start to notice your language. If you start to notice your language, you’re already on the path to changing it.

When you notice you are using weak language, you can change it. And standing in your power and using powerful language are key ways to being braver at work.

Resources:

Brave Women at Work site:

https://www.bravewomenatwork.com/

Brave Women at Work freebie: https://www.bravewomenatwork.com/freebie

Join the free, Brave Women at Work Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bravewomenatwork

Sources for Podcast: https://www.careercontessa.com/advice/powerful-language-at-work/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/bonniemarcus/2011/12/09/do-you-sabotage-yourself-by-using-weak-language/?sh=2dc9f42b1987

https://www.fastcompany.com/90562682/4-words-that-make-you-sound-weak-to-your-co-workers

https://koolkanya.com/blogs/career/heres-how-you-can-avoid-using-weak-language-at-work/

EP4: Personal Planning 2021

Brave Women at Work

01/21/21 • 25 min

Welcome to 2021! It has been a whirlwind hasn't it? Even though January is flying by, I have been taking this entire month to personally plan my 2021 year. Tune in to this episode as I talk about New Year's Resolutions, personal planning, and creating a 2021 that fits you. Enjoy!

EP: 83 Negotiate like a Boss with Penny Rosema

Brave Women at Work

07/21/22 • 48 min

You all know that I love a good negotiation. I believe knowing how to ask for what you want is so critical. Today’s guest, Penny Rosema, is an expert in negotiation, so I’m excited for you to listen to our conversation.

During my discussion with Penny, we covered:

1. The components of a successful negotiation (and a not so successful one) 2. Why preparation is so important 3. The power of being quiet and listening 4. What happens when you receive a counteroffer? 5. Going beyond pay in our negotiations 6. What happens if you can’t come to agreement?

If you feel like you’re not a good negotiator or if you would like to hone your skills, this conversation is for you, so listen in!

Resources: Brave Women at Work: https://bravewomenatwork.com/ Brave Women at Work Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bravewomenatwork Penny Rosema: https://www.pennyrosema.com/ Penny's Free Negotiation Resources: https://www.pennyrosema.com/resources-2/

EP: 55 Emotional Intelligence in a Changing Workplace with Sonal Sheth Zawahri

Brave Women at Work

01/06/22 • 64 min

We’ve touched on the topic of emotional intelligence during the podcast before, but not as the depth as today’s show.

So, what is emotional intelligence or EQ for short? Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand, use, and manage your own emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges and defuse conflict.

Why should we care about emotional intelligence? If you just focus on getting tasks done without keying into your emotions or the emotions of others you can really miss the undertone of a work or personal situation, be perceived incorrectly, miss opportunities, and more. Being a good leader (whether that’s an individual employee or a leader of a group) isn’t just about completing tasks.

As we know, we can have robots complete tasks. It’s the emotional component and learning how to understand ourselves and others that set us apart. And here’s the great news! You can learn and develop your emotional intelligence skills!

During my conversation today with my guest, Sonal Sheth-Zawahri, we go into more detail on emotional intelligence, how this skill is important in today’s changing workplace, and how we can hone it to reach our goals personally and professionally.

Listen in to this show to hone your emotional intelligence muscles!

Resources:

Brave Women at Work: https://www.bravewomenatwork.com/

Join the Brave Women at Work community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bravewomenatwork

Sonal Sheth Zawahri: https://www.sonalshethzawahri.com/

The Tru You Crew: https://www.sonalshethzawahri.com/tru-you-crew

Stretching for Success Workbook: https://www.amazon.com/Stretching-Success-Workbook-STRETCH-Comfort/dp/1735134910

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