Brilliant You Podcast With Janet Zaretsky

The #MeToo and Time’s Up movements changed the dynamic at many offices in almost every industry. This is a good thing. A necessary thing. But, it’s also put men on the defensive; made them uncertain about how to speak or act towards their female colleagues. This is a fear that women know intimately (from years of dealing with it themselves) but this leveling off creates new challenges in communication. As a woman working in the Tech industry, Michelle Rice’s communication challenges require a lot of work. Michelle has been working in I.T. and software development for the past 15 years and she is often the only woman working in a non-support role. Her clients are 99% male. She also has her Masters in Psychology, which has helped her navigate her way in this male dominated industry. On this episode of the Brilliant You Podcast, we discussed the gender inequalities she sees and experiences including compensation, sexual harassment, and influence. She is confident that the tides are shifting, especially with youn

Most of us have had a bad boss. But, as we grow in our careers, how do we avoid becoming that bad boss? Leadership is a skill that you have to work at. If you want to inspire, empower, and motivate your team, you need to continuously put tools in your leadership toolbox. And, shining up old tools from time to time doesn’t hurt either. Vicki Brackett is an author, speaker, and consultant specializing in leadership, employee engagement and retention. She’s gathered 70 strategies for managers, executives, and business owners to build more resilient and successful companies through leadership skills. She shares 14 of her best in her book The Leadership Toolbox and she generously shared some with us on the latest episode of the Brilliant You Podcast. We start out by talking about one of the most obvious but often overlooked requirements for strong leadership - ensuring everyone is going in the same direction to the same goal. Vicki explains that good leaders don’t put themselves out in front. Instead, they empower

Could sharing your brilliance and educating people be the secret to your success? Serving people by providing them with information and support before they’re even customers can be an outstanding way to grow a business. By sharing what you know, you empower your potential clients. And, if in the process, you take an impossibly complex and overwhelming topic and make them feel like they understand it, you can bet they’ll start to see you as a trusted friend. Especially if the topic is daunting -- like navigating the medicare system! That’s what Danielle Roberts discovered when she started offering educational services to boomers as they neared the Medicare years. In being the source for support and information, she’s been able to grow her insurance agency to a successful business with 46 employees across 47 states in just 14 years. In this episode of the Brilliant You podcast, she shares how she got started by saying ‘yes’ to every opportunity, focused on building relationships with people, where they were (on

Picture a leader. Are they admitting they don’t know something? Are they showing emotion? Are they asking the team to help them figure out what to do? If you think these descriptions are at odds with an effective leader then you haven’t mastered the art of vulnerable leadership. You’re not alone. We’re conditioned to think that leaders have to be strong, sure, and all-knowing. We equate leader with authoritative and dominating. Is this the kind of person you’d want to work with? Or, would you rather work in a collaborative environment where the collective knowledge is used and your ideas are treated as equal. In a team where the leader can be trusted to be forthright and honest? It seems like vulnerable leadership is the obvious choice, but as my guest today on the Brilliant you podcast discovered, it’s the harder choice. Taylor Proctor is a mentor, marketing director and a the host of the Happiness Abound podcast. She shares the challenges she faced when deciding to lead a team from a position of vulnerabili

Have you ever felt like the life you’ve created is somehow limiting? Have you ever pushed down those feelings that you were meant for something different, something greater? When we do that, we dull our natural brilliance. We silence our authentic self. And, we set ourselves up for a struggle to find our happiness. The good news, it’s never too late to change course and start living an authentic life. To honor your true self and start doing what you really want with your life. My guest on this episode of the Brilliant You podcast is proof of that. She’s embraced transition in her life; each time stepping into roles she knew she was born to be in. And, happiness followed. Maura Sweeney is an author, podcaster, international speaker, and is the Ambassador of Happiness. She’s lived her life creating work that serves her brilliance. She also had the courage to recognize when her path had taken a turn toward purposelessness. Now, she helps people reconnect with their own purpose in life and gives them the inspirat

Are the rules different for women in leadership? There are two honest answers to this. Yes and there shouldn’t be. If you’re a powerhouse women in leadership or you have goals to move into leadership, you need to understand how the game works. There is the reality we deal with (that the leadership model is predominantly male) and the fact that the best way to change that is from within. If we want to change the world’s view of what a leader looks like (and this sea change is happening) then more women need to step up and challenge the status quo. But, how do you do that when the deck might be stacked against you? My guest today says that women need to walk a tightrope to make their way into leadership. In today’s world (which again, we’re in the process of changing) women need to find that fine point in the middle between being seen as too weak or soft and being too bossy (or the other b word). And while she’s excited to see the changes coming, she’s spent decades helping women navigate this challenging walk.

It happened to me. I never thought it would. I loved my job and I didn’t mind working long hours. The stress didn’t bother me. But it bothered my body. And, after I ignored the subtle warnings, it completely shut down. I suffered adrenal fatigue and it took me a year to recover. I wasn’t an entrepreneur at the time but I see so many entrepreneurs putting themselves at risk for a total body shutdown without even knowing it. Especially women. As entrepreneurs, we can be so caught up in the hustle that we lose track of our self care. And, as women, we often put others needs ahead of our own (our kids, our partners, our clients, and our spouses). We take care of them before we even think about carving out some time to take care of ourselves. And then, we say yes (when we should say no) to avoid disappointing people or out of guilt (fueled by the mind chatter or, as I call it, BS). We do all of these things and ignore the signs that we need to slow down. Until, our bodies force us to slow down. My guest today went

What would you do if your vision of the future was completely up-ended? Would you know how to access another possible future self and reinvent yourself? Anyone who has chosen to reinvent themselves or been forced to reimagine their life can tell you, it can be a long, complicated, emotional road. But, as a powerhouse woman, you probably know that it’s a necessary road from time to time. Reinvention Can Come From Necessity or Desire but Most Often, Both. We don’t always get to decide when we’re going to shift to a different possible self or set out for a new version of our future. My guest, has done it both ways. First, she chose to reinvent herself as an entrepreneur. And then, she found herself suddenly single and had to reframe what the rest of her life was going to be like. Danielle Daily knows her way around reinvention. She shifted from being a mobile yoga instructor to becoming a handbag anthropologist. And then, after her marriage broke down, she shared her experience and the self-love she developed as

Hands up if you’ve ever thought to yourself, “I’m not enough.” It can be debilitating and it can corrode your abilities as a powerhouse businesswoman. So, if you have these feelings fueling your self-doubt, it might be time for a mindset rehab. We’ve all seen those house flipping shows where renovators completely rehab a home. What if you could do the same thing to your mindset, self-confidence and sense of self worth? Your life and business completely changes when you stop buying into the belief that you’re not enough. My guest today spent over a decade building an amazing business as a real estate investor and house flipper. But despite her success in this (very male dominated) industry and her previous success in the corporate world, she still found herself fighting off thoughts of ‘I am not enough’. That’s when she said ‘Enough!’ with these feelings and got to work doing a total mindset reset. Now, she empowers others do the same. I am beyond thrilled to welcome Penni Zellinkoff to the Brilliant You Podca

You might have the most earth-shaking message to offer the world but if nobody knows about it, what’s the point? It’s no secret that to be effective and impactful, your message has to be clear and it has to be heard. This is where a lot of business women hit a roadblock. There a lot of ways to get attention. You could share it on the radio, on the stage, on a podcast, on TV or you could publish it. My guest on this episode of the Brilliant You should know - she’s done them all. Diana Page Jordan has been a television anchor, a radio host, a published author, and an accomplished ghostwriter. Not only does she know how to craft a message so that it cuts through, but she also knows how to disseminate that message through new and traditional media. In this episode, she doesn’t hold back. She shares exactly what a television or radio producer is looking for to consider someone as a guest. This information is invaluable because it also applies to new media - such as online publications, podcasts, and blogs. But, wh

There are a lot of ways our confidence can be derailed. Some of them are obvious, and some of them are tied up in our personal history and remain a mystery to us. Have you ever considered how minor traumas from your past might be interfering with your confidence and success? As you may know - I’m all about building confidence in entrepreneurs so that they can be the powerhouse women they are meant to be. But, sometimes, even when they are doing everything right - they still can’t conquer the confidence issue. It wasn’t until I met today’s guest that I realized there’s another arena where this happens. It has to do with weight, body image, and our relationship with food. Dr. Sarah Cairns is a psychologist who specializes in EMDR which is a type of therapy that looks at longstanding psychological triggers. Through her work, she’s been able to help people let go of traumas (both big and small) that have influenced their relationship with food, weight, and body image. In this episode of the Brilliant You podcast

Far too often, we fear that there is not enough room for all of us powerhouse women at the top. So, we turn on each other. Women can be competitive and still be supportive. In fact, we can lift each other up as we climb that ladder together. This is something that, perhaps, millennial women are better at. They grew up with social media so they know how to access knowledge and are more accustomed to asking for help. They work together and leverage their relationships to become the thought leaders they want to be. One of the people helping them do this is Rachel Brownlow Lund. I’m proud to be a mentor to her and thrilled to have her as a guest on this episode of the Brilliant You Podcast. Rachel is a coach, speaker and community leader working specifically with ambitious millennial women. In our conversation, we discuss how this generation of entrepreneurial women differs from others but discover that there are plenty of similarities too. She shares with us the strategies she uses with her clients to help them

Most of us have worked on projects where we’ve got our eye on the finish line from day one. But, what if the finish line is 5 years away? You’d have to adopt some strategies to ensure things stay on track and everyone stays inspired or you might not make it to that finish line. My guest on this episode of the Brilliant You Podcast knows this all too well. Her projects are usually 5 years from start to finish and they involve multiple partners, creative teams, and individuals who need to be mentored into leaders. She has to do all of this in a male dominated industry. Katie Burch is the founder and lead architect at Plan North Architectural Company. Her designs have won awards and she’s highly regarded as a powerhouse business woman in Houston. She’s also an author and TEDx speaker. She discovered early on in her career that she needed to develop some strategies if she was going to succeed. In this episode, she shares some of these strategies which turn out to be pretty universal. For example, because her proj

When you meet another woman in business, do you step on her to get ahead or lift her up as you go? Seems like the answer is obvious but sadly helping others in business isn’t quite what we’ve been taught about business. Times have changed thanks to powerhouse business women like Myrna King. Myrna believes this is our time. And as a result, she’s empowering and arming women with the tools they need to stand for themselves and get ahead. It was my pleasure to have Myrna join me on this episode of the Brilliant You Podcast. She’s a business and personal coach, a thought leader and consultant, as well as ⅓ of the 3 Belles who host female-focused events including an upcoming TEDx. She understands the challenges that business women face. She started her career in finance at a time when women were not only uncommon but treated like second-class citizens. The discrimination she endured will make your jaw drop but she managed to succeed despite it. That was where she discovered the value of learning to stand for yours

Imagine losing your house, your savings, your business, and your friends. How would you find the power to pull yourself out of that situation? You might be surprised just how resilient you are. Sometimes, it just takes a good example of some serious female badassery to help you see the way forward. And, that’s what we have on the show today - A woman who had it all, lost it all, and found a way to turn her brutal situation to her advantage so she could have it all again. And, she plans on keeping it this time! She uses the lessons she learned, and the chutzpah she mustered to be better in this iteration of entrepreneur. Heather Havenwood is a sales and business coach, a digital marketing expert, and the author of Sexy Boss. She helps coaches and consultants reach their six figure goals with her time tested strategies. She’s also a podcast producer and host, and has helped many other podcasters launch their shows and reach their potential. On this episode of the Brilliant You Podcast, she shares why she relate

Are you over 50 and feeling like you might be running out of runway on your career or lovelife? Don’t worry, you do have the power to get this thing off the ground and flying high. A lot of women face off against the change in life right around the same time they look to make massive shifts in other areas.. It might be starting a new business, taking their career in a new direction, or starting fresh in the romance department. Whatever they’re facing, my guest today on the Brilliant You Podcast is here to help them soar over the hurdles and find amazing success. Deb Boulanger spent decades putting her ambition to work in the corporate world. She helped build a multi-million dollar business and enjoyed the usual benefits of success. Then, she hit 50 and her world started to crumble around her. She started to really question what it was that she wanted. In this episode, she shares her personal story of transitioning in midlife and finding fulfilling success on the other side. Now, she helps her clients deal wit

Bad news. Neuroscience is working against you as an entrepreneur with ambition. Good news, you can overcome it. If you’re a powerhouse women in business, you know that there are times when you have to really dig deep to get your career to the next level. We’ve all come up against obstacles (big and small) that are triggered by our brain trying to get us to avoid risk. It might look like a fear, self-doubt, lack of confidence, or all of the above.   What you need in order to knock these obstacles to the side is a little bit of moxie - and my guest on this episode of the Brilliant You Podcast has it in spades. And, she’s going to help you get some too! Deb Beroset is a consultant and coach helping experts become influencers, media darlings and thought leaders. She has a background in journalism, storytelling, public relations, and is a certified neurotransformational coach. Through her company, Moxie Creative + Consulting, she helps her clients reach the top of their game. One of the things she sees her clients

There's no question that good television writers have figured out how to hold our attention. What if you could apply that magic to your speaking career? Developing a talk or presentation can be confusing, time-consuming, and, let's face it, a challenge to our overall confidence. Now imagine you have a structure to follow - a process that will lead you to your most powerful message, clarify your objective and give you the certainty you need to grab and hold an audience's attention. Sounds like a dream, right? Luckily, the structure does exist. On this episode of the Brilliant You Podcast, our guest reveals how you can use it to create a framework that will result in a presentation that has all of the elements you'd find in a compelling play or television show. She not only shares how she helps her clients find their story and voice, but also the tricks to showing up with confidence even if speaking is a brand new skill for you. Tricia Brouk is an accomplished writer, director, and producer of film, television

What if your strengths were actually your weaknesses and your weaknesses were you strengths? Would it change the way you run your business or maybe even change your business entirely? Many women create their business based on what they’re good at. And then they struggle to stay passionate about their work. If that sounds like you, then you may be misinterpreting what your strengths really are. And that may mean that you are not living in your truth. This is part of the brilliance that my guest on this episode of the Brilliant You Podcast shares with us. She helps us shift our mindset around using our true strengths and weaknesses to build a business we are truly passionate about. Carrie Roldan has been doing this as a coach by assuming the role of Business BFF (which is also the name of her podcast). She helps female entrepreneurs find themselves in their business and ensure that they are living in their truth. She does this by asking the right questions, introducing clients to their future self, and encourag

What if the most important aspect of being an entrepreneur wasn’t experience, knowledge, hustle, a great idea or even financial backing? What if the key to success as an entrepreneur is something you can just decide to be? That’s what my guest on this week’s Brilliant You Podcast discovered. When her experience and knowledge of accounting failed her. And her drive and determination fell short. Even when she had to accept bankruptcy as her only answer there was one thing that kept her on the entrepreneurial path. Bravery. I’m thrilled to have Jena Rodriguez join me on the podcast this week. Jena is a self-proclaimed ‘Brave Master’ who helps entrepreneurs access their own bravery. It something she had to learn to access after leaving her corporate job and failing at her first business. In this episode she shares the inspiring story of her bumpy journey to success and she explains how being brave got her through it all. Whether you’re still dreaming of quitting your corporate job (like Jena did) or you’re a powe