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Fierce Lab

Fierce Lab

By Tara Wilson

Fierce Lab is a podcast series for women. It’s a space to focus on our whole selves - from mental health, to career development to financial intelligence. To be fierce is to be confident, capable and strong.

Fierce Lab offers inspiration, tools, and community. It’s where we can explore new ideas and encourage discovery. Here, trying something new is celebrated. No one has it all figured out but together we can step fiercely into what’s next.
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Currently playing episode

What Would Support Look Like Here? with Jen Croneberger

Fierce LabFeb 23, 2023

00:00
51:04
Leading with Impact: Inspiring Success and Making a Difference with Mita Mallick

Leading with Impact: Inspiring Success and Making a Difference with Mita Mallick

Eager for more tools and resources to help you find your fierce? Now you can access additional content across the four content pillars using the Fierce Lab app. Premium subscribers get access to articles, guides, checklists, video content, and workshops, as well as exclusive events for members only. Become a member ⁠here.

In this episode Tara Wilson is joined by Mita Mallick, a podcaster, LinkedIn Top Voice, and soon-to-be author. Mita shares her journey and discusses her role as the Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Carta, a fintech late-stage startup. Together, they explore the importance of spreading awareness and creating opportunities for others. Tune in for inspiration, tools, and community as they discuss confidence, career development, and financial intelligence.

Mita’s new book, “Reimagine Inclusion: Debunking 13 Myths So We Can Transform Your Workplace” is a resource for self-improvement and education. It’s full of personal stories and experiences and even has introspective exercises at the end of each chapter. Mita describes it as a comprehensive handbook and reference guide for anyone committed to driving change in the workplace, regardless of their position within the organization.

In the episode, Mita and Tara delve into the emotional toll and burden that women often experience in the workplace. They share examples illustrating how women feel compelled to downplay their achievements and conceal aspects of their lives to avoid unfair treatment or judgment. Women are under constant pressure and emotional strain while navigating their careers and striving to avoid disadvantages.

Mita also discussed how the biases held by decision-makers contribute to the gender pay gap. These biases influence decisions regarding promotions and salary increases, resulting in unequal treatment based on general and personal judgments. Overall, this episode sheds light on the emotional challenges and biases that women face in the workplace, further emphasizing the urgent need for change and inclusion. FOLLOW FIERCE LAB

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Sep 28, 202338:33
Creating a Place Where Every Voice Matters: A Year of Inspiring Leadership and Inclusion with Cynt Marshall

Creating a Place Where Every Voice Matters: A Year of Inspiring Leadership and Inclusion with Cynt Marshall

Eager for more tools and resources to help you find your fierce? Now you can access additional content across the four content pillars using the Fierce Lab app. Premium subscribers get access to articles, guides, checklists, video content, and workshops, as well as exclusive events for members only. Become a member here.

In this episode we hear from Cynt Marshall and how she advocates for creating an inclusive space where every voice matters. Her goal is to establish an environment where every voice is not only heard but also respected, allowing women to thrive. Cynt firmly believe that women are natural leaders, regardless of their official titles, and that their contribution is vital to the success of any organization.

Encouraging women to support one another, Cynt shares how she promotes the practice of "HASU," meaning "hook a sister up," and emphasizes the importance of solidarity.  In this lively conversation Tara talks with her about how to avoid undermining each other and acknowledge there is ample room for all at the table, rejecting the notion that only one can succeed. Cynt’s vision is to foster an environment where women can flourish and rely on each other.

In her book, You’ve Been Chosen, Cynt details how she managed her personal and professional life while facing limited capacity during chemotherapy. Out of her illness came one of her greatest lessons and she shares, both in the book and on this episode, how valuable it is to know the difference between your crystal balls and your rubber balls.  Her circumstance compelled her to prioritize her activities and reevaluate her commitments. Thus, letting small balls drop.  Those are your rubber balls, says Cynt. Those bounce back.

Cynt Marshall is one of the most dynamic leaders in America.  She’s a friend to all and has never met a stranger.  She always has a kind word, and many times the last word, for those lucky enough to be in orbit.  This hour-long conversation touches on leadership, family, faith and the future of women in business.  Tune in to the very end for a lighting round of questions with the woman we all want to grow up to be, Cynt Marshall.

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Sep 14, 202351:50
Purpose-driven: Identify Your North Star with Sheeba Philip

Purpose-driven: Identify Your North Star with Sheeba Philip

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Eager for more tools and resources to help you find your fierce? Now you can join the club and additional content across the four content pillars using the Fierce Lab app. As a member you'll get access to articles, guides, checklists, video content, and workshops, as well as exclusive events for members only.  Don't miss out!

Sheeba Philip is a woman tremendously motivated by her faith and purpose, and her platform is business. In fact, she has spent the last 25 years across multiple industries and sectors, all with the core objective of building brands that deeply connect with consumers and create positive change in the world.

From her vast experience in the private sector working with brands like Oreo and JCPenney, as well as nonprofits and startups, Sheeba launched her own advisory consulting practice to share her wealth of knowledge, including years of wins and lessons, to empower and equip leaders building purpose-driven brands.

The keys to Sheeba’s success have been identifying her North Star (what guides her and keeps her going), defining success and failure for herself, knowing when to “move up” versus “move out” in her career, taking inventory of her gifts and joys in the workplace, reflecting on and journaling about her talents and times she’s overcome fear and doubt, taking courageous action toward what she wants, and allowing her community of trusted advisors to speak into her life. Just to name a few…

Sheeba and Tara touch on these and more in this insight-filled episode of the Fierce Lab podcast about courageous leadership. Don’t miss this one!

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Mar 09, 202350:54
Know Your Strengths and Own Them with Tami DeWeese

Know Your Strengths and Own Them with Tami DeWeese

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Eager for more tools and resources to help you find your fierce? Now you can join the club and access additional content across the four content pillars using the Fierce Lab app. As a member you'll get access to articles, guides, checklists, video content, and workshops, as well as exclusive events for members only.  Don't miss out!

Tami DeWeese, Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Samsung Electronics America, began her work in DEI during a pivotal time in 2020. Tami focuses on culture and belonging to ensure that all — not just some — Samsung employees can thrive. She even helped establish a community that creates deliberate, targeted programs designed by women, for women.

Tami has always been brave and willing to take risks, and exercising that skill has built up her confidence over more than 25 years of professional experience. In fact, it’s that coupled with self-awareness that made it easy for Tami to speak to her supervisor when she felt she was being underutilized in her role — which ultimately led her to DEI, where her true passion lies.

Confidence isn’t the only thing Tami had built up over time. As a Korean-born adoptee, she experienced bullying and discrimination, and she protected herself by donning a metaphorical suit of armor. Now, Tami works hard to remove that armor and lead by being vulnerable not only in her professional life, but her personal one, too.

Tami knows her strengths, and she owns them. Let Tami help you find your own strengths in this episode of the Fierce Lab podcast as she doles out expert advice on mapping out a career plan, writing your own story, capturing your wins and successes, investing in yourself, and more to empower the next generation of women in the workplace.

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Mar 02, 202355:17
What Would Support Look Like Here? with Jen Croneberger

What Would Support Look Like Here? with Jen Croneberger

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Eager for more tools and resources to help you find your fierce? Now you can access additional content across the four content pillars using the Fierce Lab app. Premium subscribers get access to articles, guides, checklists, video content, and workshops, as well as exclusive events for members only.

“If we really want to lead effectively, we have to be able to connect.”

You could say Jen Croneberger is an expert on what makes effective leaders. In fact, Jen has been speaking about vulnerability in the workplace “since before it was cool.”

It all began when Jen dug into what makes a culture work and discovered that leaders who can sustain that culture were paramount. So, she dug further, asking what makes that kind of leader. What she found has defined her career. Now, Jen is a leadership and culture speaker, consultant, and human performance leadership professional who advocates for B.R.A.V.E. leadership focused on belonging, resilience, authenticity, vulnerability, and empathy.

In this inspiring conversation, Jen and Tara discuss building allyships and support systems, questioning “how it’s always been done,” being curious, Maslow's hierarchy of needs and how it relates to leadership in the workplace, ditching the “lack” mentality, knowing who you are rather than what you are in relation to others, the concepts of psychological safety and belonging, and much more.

Get ready to practice some curious introspection in this stimulating episode of the Fierce Lab podcast where Jen challenges us to be B.R.A.V.E. (and fierce!) leaders in our careers and lives.

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Feb 23, 202351:04
Become the CFO of Your Life with Ramona Ortega

Become the CFO of Your Life with Ramona Ortega

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If concepts like investing, wealth building, short-and long-term financial goal-setting, and the like give you anxiety, this is the podcast episode for you.

Ramona Ortega, an attorney, tech entrepreneur, and founder of WealthBuild.ai, has made it her mission in life to create economic opportunity and stability. We’d say she’s done a capital job.

Not only that, she’s a wealth of knowledge when it comes to financial advice. Ramona attributes her rich expertise to her diverse experiences and background. After all, her career spans everything from being a journalist at 60 Minutes and working on Wall Street to practicing law focused on finance and creating tech that’s “essentially a financial advisor in your pocket.”

Per Ramona, think of wealth building as a chess board. There are many ways to win the game, and each piece represents a different tool you can use to move around the board — and move closer to your financial endgame. Ramona gives a detailed account of a wide variety of those financial tools and encourages women to, rather than feeling afraid or overwhelmed, get inspired and change their mindset around money. Take it from this financial expert. Women are investors. Women are asset builders. All you need are the right tools.

So, what are you waiting for? Get out your pen and paper, because you’ll want to write down every little tidbit Ramona drops in this episode of the Fierce Lab podcast.

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Feb 16, 202345:30
Let’s Get Technological with Bianca Jackson

Let’s Get Technological with Bianca Jackson

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Bianca Jackson has been on the cutting edge of technology for years. A self-proclaimed “tech nerd” since she was a child, Bianca is the founder and CEO of BrickRose Exchange, a physical event space in Baltimore, Maryland that evolved into a virtual event space in the Metaverse when the pandemic hit.

Bianca’s deep well of expertise stems from her work as a project manager on tech projects with Fortune 500 companies in the Washington, D.C. area. She was even on the Pulitzer Prize winning team at USA Today that created a virtual world to tell the story from the perspective of migrants, border patrol, farmers, and others about funding the U.S./Mexico border wall.

Eventually, Bianca wanted to “take her talents to the streets,” as she puts it. BrickRose Exchange continues to thrive as an event space in the Metaverse, “a digital world where commerce will happen, where connection will happen.” According to Bianca, “Any event you can do on Zoom or in person, you can do in the Metaverse.”

Tune into this conversation where Bianca and Tara discuss topics ranging from the virtual — hosting events (even concerts!) in the Metaverse, the next iteration of the internet called Web3, monetizing your content and owning your data, and cryptocurrency — to the real-life — practicing mindfulness, risk taking, building front-of-the-line skills, not fearing technology or its terminology, the importance of play and exploration to expose your passion, being open to new opportunities, and more.

You won’t want to miss this episode of the Fierce Lab podcast where Bianca breaks down high-tech innovations into terms anyone can understand.

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Feb 09, 202341:19
30 Seconds of Bravery with Rachel Mallison

30 Seconds of Bravery with Rachel Mallison

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To Rachel Mallison, fierce means “being brave for 30 seconds at a time.”

She should know a little about bravery. Rachel was working at the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2021 — and by 11:30 a.m., she knew it would be one of the worst days of her life.

At the time, Rachel was in emergency management and disaster response for the Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate. Now, she is the Senior Manager for Risks and Operations at the Aspen Institute, a nonprofit that brings people together to discuss the most pressing issues facing the world to ensure a more free, equitable, and just society.

From these and other impactful work and life experiences, Rachel takes on risk despite fear and doesn’t sweat what she can’t control. She’s the type of person who goes for it, even if she doesn’t check off each and every qualification. It’s this calculated risk-taking and scenario-planning — evaluating “What’s the worst that could happen?” — that’s gotten Rachel to where she is today.

In this episode, Rachel and Tara touch on everything from facing trauma in the moment and healing afterward to negotiating and openly discussing our salary with friends, socializing an idea up or down, making the most of situations in which we feel out of our depth, and much more.

In Rachel’s words, “You might as well take that first step, because who knows where it gets you?”

Take that first step with the support of your friends in the Fierce Lab community. Start by immersing yourself in Rachel’s incredible stories of her experiences in this episode of the Fierce Lab podcast.

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Feb 02, 202301:05:39
Making the Cut with Charlotte Cowles

Making the Cut with Charlotte Cowles

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Charlotte Cowles, freelance writer, journalist, and columnist for The Cut,​​ is no expert on money matters. How, then, did she end up writing a weekly column entitled “My Two Cents” focused on personal finance?

She took a risk and said ‘yes’ to an opportunity that scared her. It’s that simple, and it can be for you, too.

Charlotte’s career path, like many people’s, was not a straight line. The first job she booked was her dream job as a reporter for a small newspaper in New York in 2008. Sadly, the paper folded when the recession hit. Through connections, Charlotte got her foot in the door doing party reporting at New York Magazine.

Her experience taught Charlotte to better trust her instincts, recognize the value she brings to the table, and be curious and open to new experiences. So, when she was asked to create a column giving financial advice, despite the topic not being in her wheelhouse, Charlotte got to work. She didn’t shy away from asking questions, crowdsourcing ideas from people she trusted, and humbly seeking the expertise of professionals.

And that’s all she wrote — so to speak, of course. Take a page from Charlotte’s book (er, column) and even get to hear some tidbits from “My Two Cents” in this episode of the Fierce Lab podcast.

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Jan 26, 202352:28
Build a Fulfilling Career with Robin Helfer

Build a Fulfilling Career with Robin Helfer

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Career development is our own responsibility. Luckily for us, there are a multitude of resources (and people!) to help us along the journey. Robin Helfer, Chief Financial and Operations Officer, is one such person.

Robin knows a thing or two about career development and championing oneself. With a rich career of more than 25 years, in which she’s been a valued partner responsible for the operational and financial aspects of the businesses she’s impacted, Robin is uniquely positioned to give advice on how to build a fulfilling career.

From networking and making authentic connections with people within and outside of your company to pushing yourself and getting out of your comfort zone, Robin encourages others to always look for opportunities to learn and grow. That includes the more logistical tasks of knowing and staying on top of “the numbers,” professionally and personally, and setting goals that “have teeth” (S.M.A.R.T.) related to the strategy of your company. It also means making courageous moves, like showcasing your mastery over your area of the business, working cross-functionally, or volunteering for opportunities that augment your skillset and make you a better professional.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Take a listen to gain more career advice from Robin and Tara on this episode of the Fierce Lab podcast.

*Podcast Note: This episode with Robin was recorded in December 2022*

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Jan 19, 202338:40
Show Up and Surrender with Cheryl Mills Knight

Show Up and Surrender with Cheryl Mills Knight

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Cheryl Mills Knight recognizes the power of showing up and surrendering — of actively participating in creating a life you love and of surrendering one’s ego to allow the universe to conspire in your favor. She describes it as a purposeful practice of letting go of control and allowing goodness to unfold. It’s that practice that’s led Cheryl to her current position as SVP of Brand and Culture at Austin-based jewelry lifestyle brand Kendra Scott.

Cheryl’s career path and ascent at Kendra Scott was by no means a linear path. After declining to work with the company before her “gypsy years” (a period in her early twenties where she followed her creative passions and racked up some debt), Cheryl started off as Kendra Scott’s first marketing hire in 2005 and has worked there ever since. With one foot in the world of people (HR) and the other in marketing, Cheryl is a passionate advocate for human connection. She brings this to her work every day, keeping the company’s core pillars (family, fashion, and philanthropy) alive and thriving both internally and externally as the brand continues to grow.

This insightful conversation between Tara and Cheryl touches on all manner of topics, including what it means to show up and surrender, the humbling learning experience of getting fired, letting go of the weight of shame, facing fear and changing your perspective around money and debt, and more.

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Jan 12, 202350:42
Setting Meaningful Intentions with Tonia Misvaer

Setting Meaningful Intentions with Tonia Misvaer

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Setting goals and intentions has been a huge part of Tonia Misvaer’s life, especially since she developed her forward-looking “Year in Preview” method of planning for the life she wants.

You may be surprised to discover that the self-described “unlikely CEO” of Erin Condren, a lifestyle brand providing organizational products like planners, office essentials, and desk accessories, started her career as a lawyer. Yes, Tonia spent upwards of $150k on law school to become a practicing attorney — and hated it.

So, she pivoted. Tonia kept an open mind and “opted in” to new opportunities that aligned with what she wanted, even if she wasn’t fully qualified. Despite being a “perennial people-pleaser,” Tonia still takes the time to manage her schedule (so it doesn’t manage her), build the career that best suits her (while taking calculated risks), and practice her intention-setting method of self-care.

You, too, can create the life you want by taking a page from Tonia’s planner — or this one the Erin Condren team developed. Press play to learn more from this rich conversation between Tonia and Tara on this episode of the Fierce Lab podcast.

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Jan 05, 202341:39
The Power of Connection in Risk-taking and Career-building with Cata Lara

The Power of Connection in Risk-taking and Career-building with Cata Lara

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In this episode, Tara speaks with Cata Lara, director of sales for the southern region at E. & J. Gallo Winery, about taking risks, building your career, and the intersection of the two. This episode is about learning and growth, but it’s also about the importance and power of connection — whether through professional mentorships or through a tight-knit group of friends who support each other through each season of life.

Born and raised in Bogota, Colombia, Cata Lara moved to the states at 17 years old when she was recruited by Tulane University to play collegiate golf. Cata not only navigated the college experience, but also how to live, learn, and grow in a new culture and new language. With the support of close friends, family, and excellent mentors in the Tulane athletic department, Cata didn’t let adversity hold her back and boldly pursued each new chapter of her journey.

Her mentor suggested Cata apply for a position at E. & J. Gallo Winery, and the rest is history. With a virtually empty resume, Cata took a risk and applied for a full-time job in an industry she didn’t yet know. The leadership at E. & J. Gallo Winery took a chance on her, and that’s been Cata’s philosophy ever since with her own team.

Tara and Cata discuss how to approach mentorship, whether it’s a formal or informal mentor/mentee relationship, and the importance of the mentee taking the first step to initiate and nurture the relationship. From the power of mindset, identifying and communicating what you want, and accumulating knowledge slowly over time, to setting boundaries, assessing and taking risks, and handling conflict, this conversation with Cata will inspire you to take action toward the career and life you want.

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Sep 14, 202247:08
The Value of Group and Individual Therapy with Tanya Cole-Lesnick

The Value of Group and Individual Therapy with Tanya Cole-Lesnick

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Group and individual therapy can provide the support you need to navigate life’s struggles or identify how to level up and become the best version of yourself. In this episode, Tara and Tanya Cole-Lesnick, a psychotherapist and coach, discuss what it looks like to explore your mental health and self-care with the support of individual and group therapy sessions. Tanya shares how to determine which setting is best for you, identify the physical and emotional symptoms that help you understand when to seek out help, and how to find a therapist that is the perfect fit (for both your lifestyle and your bank account).

It’s about exploring your internal world.

For Tanya, becoming a psychotherapist and coach was not always part of her career plan. She decided to make the switch from graphic design to psychotherapy after experiencing individual and group therapy as a client. Tanya’s experience and transformation were so powerful that she was inspired to dedicate her career to creating a safe space for others to make connections and talk about their internal worlds.

Choosing between individual and group therapy

The therapy environment you choose can mold the experience you have. Tanya walks through the benefits of working with a professional therapist one-on-one who listens to you and understands your perspective. She also covers how group therapy can make way for really organic conversations that can present unique opportunities for self-discovery.

The signs that it’s time to seek therapy

Whether you are experiencing a time of crisis or a season of success, therapy can support you in all stages of life. In this episode, Tanya uncovers:

- the physical and emotional symptoms that help you identify when seeking therapy could be the best solution for you;

- how to sign up for sessions without feeling shame or intimidation;

- the areas of life therapy can help you work on--including relationship issues, wanting more out of life, overcoming overwhelm, and navigating life after the pandemic.

Tanya even touches on accessible self-care methods that you can start today, such as journaling and breathing techniques, to explore your emotions deeper.

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May 26, 202250:14
The Power of Planning, Positivity, and Prioritizing What Matters with Elyse Dickerson

The Power of Planning, Positivity, and Prioritizing What Matters with Elyse Dickerson

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In this episode, Tara speaks with Elyse Dickerson, Co-founder and CEO of Eosera, a biotech company that addresses underserved healthcare needs. The two touch on everything from career development and risk-taking to mental health and self-care. Elyse shares some of her tips on how she keeps her mindset positive and stays present for her family, as well as in her business; innovation as an entrepreneur and what it can mean to put people ahead of profits; and some solid advice about mentorship and the things she wished she had known when she was just starting in her career.

From corporate America to people-centric entrepreneurship

When Elyse and her co-founder created Eosera in 2015, they had both just left long stints in the healthcare industry and had seen how corporate America was failing its employees by prioritizing stakeholders. So, they set out to create a company that took care of its people first, believing and trusting that profits would follow. In fact, today, Eosera employees themselves have a hand in the generation of ideas for new products.

In their initial research, Elyse and her partner spoke to many doctors and identified a need for a product that would solve the widespread problem of earwax impaction. Thus, after doing the necessary research and preparation — rather than creating the product first and hoping there was consumer demand for it — Eosera was born.

Planning for the future

Elyse does not consider herself a huge risk-taker. However, she is a planner. At 20 years old, Elyse began planning for her future financial stability by slowly saving up. She advises young professionals looking to create a nest egg to only spend money on the things you really need and to pay yourself first. Making money doesn’t happen all at once; even if it’s $10 per paycheck, putting money aside into savings helps compound that growth.

Elyse’s two cents

From her rich and varied career and life experience, Elyse gives excellent advice on a variety of topics, including resilience, surrounding yourself with people who believe in you, shifting your mindset from “doom and gloom” to “I’ve got this!”, meditation and quieting the mind, protecting your energy, prioritizing what matters to you, the importance of physical activity to overall health, what mentorship really entails, and seizing the opportunity to ask for what you really want.

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Apr 28, 202250:13
Entrepreneurship 101 with Tara Pate

Entrepreneurship 101 with Tara Pate

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In this episode, Tara of Fierce Lab speaks with Tara Pate, the founder of Daysie, a line of certified organic, not-so-simple syrups for coffee and occasions. Tara talks openly about launching her brand during the pandemic, including all the trials, the tribulations, the ups, the downs, and the joys of being a female business owner. The two discuss mindset, having a PR agency, how to uncover white space for a business idea that you have, giving back to other women entrepreneurs, and all the hurdles that entrepreneurs go through when launching a new business.

Finding the space for a business idea

The idea for Daysie came to Tara during the height of the pandemic, when her favorite coffee shop had been closed and she was searching for a way to create her own at-home coffee bar. Tara was disappointed by the options of simple syrups available for consumer use, especially those with lots of ingredients, so she decided to take matters into her own hands. Tara saw an opportunity, and instead of waiting for someone else to solve it, she took it upon herself.

With a background in consumer packaged goods marketing and experience with start-ups in Silicon Valley, Tara embarked on this journey already having the tools and insider knowledge she needed to identify white spaces for a business idea. Tara also discusses how integral it is to take the time and mental space necessary to do the deep thinking and formulate your business idea. She was lucky, in a way, that she had been furloughed from her job, as her long walks with her dog and time away from work to think were integral to making Daysie a reality.

Giving back

Tara registered Daysie as a public benefit company, with plans to eventually become a B-Corp. Daysie is dedicated to giving back 2.1% post-tax to female entrepreneurs in the food and beverage space. This 2.1% is a symbolic gesture to say we’re moving the needle forward. 2.1% is the beginning, and as Daysie grows, that percentage giveback will, too.

The trials and triumphs of entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship requires sacrifice (especially of your time), as well as support and accountability. With those trials also come triumphs. For Tara and Daysie, that was finding the perfect beverage scientist to create flavor profiles for the syrups; conversation around the way the name inspires people and how the flavor profile transports you to a particular place or memory; the deep amount of research that went into each product and aspect of the brand. While the entire process took a year and a half, the feature of Daysie in Southern Living Magazine and her LinkedIn interaction with Sara Blakely of Spanx marked high points on her journey.

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Apr 21, 202201:03:31
Leveraging Your Skills to Switch Careers with Stephanie Hall

Leveraging Your Skills to Switch Careers with Stephanie Hall

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In this episode, Tara speaks with Stephanie Hall, founder of a luxury brand of hand-blown colored glass named after her grandmother, Estelle Colored Glass. Stephanie started her career in South Carolina as an attorney and then pivoted toward her passions as an entrepreneur. Their conversation revolves around risk taking and career development.

Shifting gears and switching careers

From the time she was in middle school, Stephanie wanted to be a lawyer. So that’s exactly what she did. It wasn’t until she had graduated from law school at University of North Carolina, participated in two clerkships, and worked as an attorney for 10 years that she realized the law was not her passion — nor was it the right environment or lifestyle for her. Facing marginalization in the legal field, exacerbated by the fact that she was a woman of color in a male-dominated field, Stephanie decided to take a risk and make moves toward a new career. Especially once she had added the title of mother to her resume, Stephanie knew this change was the right trajectory for her desired lifestyle.

Stephanie advises women who are being marginalized in the workplace to advocate for themselves, find allies, and decide for themselves what’s best for them personally: staying and enduring or leaving and charting a new course.

Applying the skills you already possess

While Stephanie had a safety net — her job as an attorney, as well as income from a successful event rental business she and her husband had created and owned — she took the risk to create a business she could call her own, bringing along the lessons she’d learned from her previous entrepreneurial ventures to establish Estelle Colored Glass. The same was true of the skills she’d learned in her decade as an attorney, including her penchant for negotiation and strong argumentation skills. She leveraged these in presenting and pitching her new business to local media, potential manufacturers and suppliers, and more.

Risk taking in entrepreneurship

Stephanie learned that entrepreneurship takes sacrifice and discipline. It’s about putting in the time. Does that mean staying up till 3 a.m. to get things done? It did for Stephanie when it came to establishing Estelle. It also meant giving up TV time and even making financial sacrifices by eschewing certain purchases in order to invest that money in her business.

Early on, Stephanie embraced a mindset of looking for opportunities, knowing that starting a business does not mean it will be an overnight success. Stephanie encourages others like her to adopt this go-getter attitude, as well as persevere and resilience when you come up against roadblocks. She speaks about leveraging the contacts you already have to increase reach, leveraging local media and influencers (including Instagram DMs, or direct messages), and the importance of doing the research.

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Apr 13, 202240:11
Overcoming the Fear Surrounding Risk Taking with Emily Bibb

Overcoming the Fear Surrounding Risk Taking with Emily Bibb

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In this episode, Tara speaks with Emily Bibb, co-founder of Breef, the first agency marketplace whose mission is to bring the world's best brands and agencies together to create better work. The two discuss how to approach and manage risk in a way that's not so scary, all through the lens of Emily's life experiences: from competitive collegiate swimming and her first jobs out of college to seizing an opportunity to create a business that addressed a prevalent need.

Emily’s background and journey to Breef

Emily’s first jobs out of college were at PopSugar, where she was an editorial assistant, and then VSCO, a photography editing company. She had been a user of both brands and was genuinely invested in each company before joining their internal teams, an example of how following and conveying your passions and interests in the hiring process pays off.

An award-winning marketer passionate about entrepreneurship, Emily saw a need for larger companies to have easier access to agencies to outsource work — and vice versa, that small businesses and agencies were struggling with the cumbersome RFP process for new business and lacked access to the bigger brands for the support and tools they needed to grow. Enter Breef, which Emily co-founded as a platform to centralize the process and provide the tools each entity needs to plan and contract projects, as well as connect with each other.

Approaching risk-taking and overcoming self-doubts and fear

Emily is no stranger to risk. She talks about facing her first risky decision in college as a competitive swimmer, when she decided to switch from UCLA to UC Berkeley, and how the desire to avoid regret and the realization that she had a finite amount of time to take advantage of the opportunity fueled her decision.

Emily likens taking risks to exercising a muscle. The practice gets easier over time and impacts how you evaluate things, better trust your gut, and pivot if something goes wrong. In fact, as a leader, being open about following your gut empowers those around you to let go of doubts and fears and creates a better environment.

Tara and Emily go on to discuss common misconceptions about taking what are perceived to be big risks, the process of considering all the “what if” scenarios, and the benefits of being open and in touch with your intuition and approaching situations from a place of learning and curiosity. Emily suggests vocalizing, externalizing, and breaking fears down into smaller bits to make the process more tangible. Personifying fear can make it more light-hearted and feel easier to solve.

The workforce today and radical transparency

67% of women are moving toward more fulfilling roles and what they’re passionate about, and communicating that passion for a particular role is important. Tara and Emily discuss how to evaluate someone’s passion versus their experience, and Emily conveys that, while experience can get you so far, passion is going to take you to the next level.

On the flip side, Emily comments on the importance of the concept of radical transparency: when a business’s communications and expectations are very clearly outlined, not just internally, but also from a brand perspective. Emily believes this transparency (on both sides of the coin) is the way of the future.

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Mar 11, 202249:17
Taking Control of Your Financial Future

Taking Control of Your Financial Future

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On this episode, Tara talks with Melissa Lilly, Director and Wealth Planning Strategist at UBS, about ways women can take control of their financial planning, including estate planning, caring for aging parents, and planning your finances with your partner.  This episode of Fierce Lab is a follow-up to a previous one with Carey Shuffman, Head of the Women’s Strategic Client Segment at UBS, who detailed the reasons women defer control of their financial decisions.

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This presentation is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice or the basis for making any investment decisions.

Neither UBS Financial Services Inc. nor its employees (including its Financial Advisors) provide tax or legal advice. You should consult with your legal counsel and/or your accountant or tax professional regarding the legal or tax implications of a particular suggestion, strategy or investment, including any estate planning strategies, before you invest or implement

Insurance products are made available by UBS Financial Services Insurance Agency Inc. or other insurance licensed subsidiaries of UBS Financial Services Inc. through third-party unaffiliated insurance companies.

As a firm providing wealth management services to clients, UBS Financial Services Inc. offers investment advisory services in its capacity as an SEC-registered investment adviser and brokerage services in its capacity as an SEC-registered broker-dealer. Investment advisory services and brokerage services are separate and distinct, differ in material ways and are governed by different laws and separate arrangements. It is important that you understand the ways in which we conduct business, and that you carefully read the agreements and disclosures that we provide to you about the products or services we offer. For more information, please review client relationship summary provided at ubs.com/relationshipsummary, or ask your UBS Financial Advisor for a copy. . In providing financial planning services, we may act as a broker-dealer or investment adviser, depending on whether we charge a fee for the service. The nature and scope of the services are detailed in the documents and reports provided to clients as part of the service. Financial planning does not alter or modify in any way a client’s existing account(s) or the terms and conditions of any account agreements they may have with UBS

UBS Financial Services Inc. and Fierce Lab are not affiliated.

UBS Financial Services Inc. is a subsidiary of UBS AG. Member FINRA. Member SIPC

Approval date: 221/2022

Expiration: 2/28/2023

Review Code: IS2200581

Feb 10, 202247:26
Finding Healing and Support From Within with Emefa Boamah

Finding Healing and Support From Within with Emefa Boamah

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Emefa Boamah, a grounded healer, embodiment coach, and mental health and radical self-care advocate, shares her mission to create a national and international movement centered on embodiment. Having immigrated to the U.S. from Ghana at 21 years old, Emefa has created a life for herself in a new country, anchored in values of abundance, integrity, and radical self-care. In this episode, Tara and Emefa discuss how trauma manifests in the body and specific ways to find healing through grounding and inner examination.

Emefa’s journey from trauma to healing and support for others
[Trigger warning: sexual abuse]

As a survivor of sexual abuse, Emefa talks about how one out of six women is sexually abused before they turn 18, and that's only the people who report it. Emefa explains that, whether it’s a “big T” or “little t” trauma, the body registers those traumatic experiences as pain, and everyone deals with healing in different ways. Emefa has made it her mission to help women heal from those traumas. She stresses that survivors of abuse are never at fault — and never alone — saying that therapy was the best decision she made for herself. Emefa identifies resources such as RAINN, DARCC in Dallas, and The Haven Retreat through Younique Foundation.

Being present and identifying stress in the body

The first thing Emefa does to help women reconnect with themselves is to bring them to the present moment and explore who they are and what they want in life. Emefa and Tara discuss how stress manifests in the body in physical ways, through clenched jaws, rapid heart rates, or anxiety and depression, as well as emotionally, such as feeling disconnected or apathetic. In a culture where hustle and burnout are prevalent, Emefa suggests learning to listen to your body’s signals, identify your stress, and fill up your metaphorical gas tank using tools from your imaginary toolkit.

Grounding exercises and other useful tools

Emefa walks us through her grounding exercise, where she firmly plants her feet on the ground, uses activating breath work, and connects with both the earth and her body. She shares about the concept of slowing down to speed up, as well as tools she encourages women to use to help identify and heal trauma in the body: breathwork, meditation/quiet time, journaling, movement, and personal rituals.

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Feb 03, 202254:02
Seeking Justice and Liberation with Brittany Barnett

Seeking Justice and Liberation with Brittany Barnett

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In this episode, Tara speaks with Brittany Barnett, an attorney and author of A Knock at Midnight: A Story of Hope, Justice, and Freedom. Brittany co-founded the Buried Alive Project and the Manifest Freedom Fund, which work to free people unjustly sentenced under outdated federal drug laws and to support justice-impacted people on their journey to becoming entrepreneurs. Tara and Brittany discuss her book, how she became a lawyer, the story of Sharanda Jones, and fighting for clemency.

A Knock at Midnight: A Story of Hope, Justice, and Freedom

At the beginning of the episode, Brittany provides a synopsis of her book, a memoir of her life story where she addresses the injustice of the courts, genius languishing behind bars, and how the definition of freedom has evolved. Brittany says writing the book was an opportunity to tell the truth about racial injustice in America’s criminal justice system as well as inspire young girls to dream their biggest dream.

Becoming a lawyer

Even growing up, Brittany had always wanted to be a lawyer, but she was discouraged by the lack of representation of women of color in the legal field. Brittany never completely forgot her dream, though. She mentioned her desire to attend law school to a mentor and friend, who encouraged her to pursue her passion. Seeking further guidance, Brittany reached out to Christa Brown-Sanford, a Black female lawyer she had never met. Christa responded, motivating and encouraging Brittany throughout her journey.

Sharanda Jones’ story

While in law school, Brittany discovered Sharanda Jones’ story of incarceration. She took a Critical Race Theory course and chose to write her paper about the disparity in sentencing between powder cocaine and crack cocaine, which has led to a disproportionate number of people of color’s incarceration in federal prison. While researching, Brittany came across Sharanda Jones, a Black, single mother from the South who was serving her tenth year of a life sentence without parole in federal prison. Sharanda had been charged with a federal drug offense, her first ever conviction, that resulted in a natural living death sentence. Sharanda’s story was reminiscent of that of Brittany’s own family, so she decided to contact Sharanda and fight for her freedom.

Clemency and Brittany’s nonprofit work

Brittany was practicing corporate law and working pro bono at night on Sharanda’s case. She eventually found that the only route to Sharanda’s freedom was through clemency granted by the President of the United States. Brittany discusses the six-year journey it took to achieve clemency for Sharanda. Since then, Brittany has left her corporate law job, launched a nonprofit, and helped ten other clients receive clemency. With Sharanda and another client, Corey Jones, she co-founded the Buried Alive Project, which works to free people unjustly sentenced under outdated federal drug laws. She also started the Manifest Freedom Fund, under the umbrella of Buried Alive, which invests in justice-impacted entrepreneurs to help build sustainable liberation.

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Jan 20, 202251:49
Taking Your Finances to the Next Level in 2022 with Maggie Klokkenga

Taking Your Finances to the Next Level in 2022 with Maggie Klokkenga

This episode is part two of the “New Year, Fiercest You” series dedicated to teaching women how to take ownership of their finances. Tara talks all things money with Maggie Klokkenga, a Financial Coach and Planner at Make A Money Mindshift. Maggie offers women advice on investing, whether they’re just starting out or considered more advanced investors.

Starting at the beginning

Just the word “investment” can elicit fear and anxiety — often, because people don’t know where to start. Tara and Maggie launch this episode with guidance for women who may be just starting to take ownership of their finances. An investment account is important to building wealth, and Maggie explains the difference between a savings account through an online bank versus an investment account within the stock market. Maggie describes investing as a way to honor your future self, talks about emergency funds, and details the difference between brick-and-mortar banks and online banks.

The next step

Once you have a savings account and emergency fund built up, you may be ready to start investing. While you may think you need a considerable amount of money to invest, that is not the case. Maggie typically recommends starting with $100, but you can start with less. Maggie walks us through the steps of investing, from finding an online brokerage account to choosing a fund or a fractional share of a stock.

Investment accounts versus funds

Maggie uses the analogy of a bag of chips to clarify the difference between an investment account and the actual funds in the account. The investment account is like the bag, and the funds in the account are like the chips within — all the chips have the same taste and texture, but are still a little different from each other. A taxable account, investment account, and 401K are all different bags containing chips. Maggie also explains the difference between a taxable investment account and a nontaxable account, such as a retirement account, and how funds are treated in each.

Leveling up

Maggie recommends several resources to women who want to learn more about investing, including specific articles, podcasts, and websites. She also discusses capital gains and doing what you can to ensure you stay in a lower tax bracket. For women who may be at a more advanced level with their finances, Maggie suggests they diversify their portfolio — balancing your portfolio with fixed income, such as bonds or CDs, in addition to mutual funds or index funds.

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Jan 13, 202238:06
Owning Your Mental Health and Self-Care in 2022 with Dr. Jamie Erwin

Owning Your Mental Health and Self-Care in 2022 with Dr. Jamie Erwin

In this episode, Tara talks with Dr. Jamie Erwin of VIVI Women's Health about the correlation between mental and physical health, as well as the different stages of womanhood. Throughout their discussion, Jamie offers advice on coping with isolation and talking to your physician.

Mental and physical health

Mental and physical health are sometimes linked. Mental health issues can manifest in physical symptoms, such as anxiety causing an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. Stress can even have an impact on a woman’s menstrual cycle. Jamie says she tends to see more adolescents seeking guidance about period abnormalities in January after final exams.

Jamie’s background and some advice on success

Jamie grew up in Fort Worth and attended the University of Arkansas. She returned to Texas to attend medical school at UT Southwestern and got married to a West Point graduate after her first year. Jamie talks about the low points, the challenges of loneliness and worrying, she went through while she was in school, and her husband was deployed. For women experiencing isolation and anxiety, Jamie suggests finding someone to talk to who either has been through something similar or is a professional, which could include an OB-GYN. The most important thing a doctor can do is listen and build trust with their patients.

Adolescence

In this episode, Jamie walks through the different stages of womanhood, from adolescence to the reproductive years to menopause. Adolescence is a challenging time, as a young woman's body is changing, and an initial visit with a gynecologist can be a scary experience. Jamie strives not only to help normalize body differences, speaking to the negative impacts of social media, but also to create a safe space for having difficult conversations.

Reproductive years

Jamie describes the reproductive years as those in which many women find themselves — many are finishing education, starting careers, looking for a potential partner, etc. Women may deviate from set expectations and are often faced with pressures about starting a family, though it’s a deeply personal choice. Jamie talks about the challenges of infertility and the courage she sees in women that decide to keep trying. She also discusses postpartum, as well as postpartum depression, and how taking care of a newborn is often the hardest thing a woman has ever done, likening it to running a race without knowing where the finish line is. Jamie compares mental health issues to a broken arm — they require care and time to heal.

Menopause

Jamie says menopause, which is defined as twelve consecutive months without having a period, is a very individualized experience unique to every woman. She explains that a woman can be perimenopausal, or experience "pre menopause," for up to 14 years, during which time she can experience hot flashes and night sweats.

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Jan 07, 202201:05:50
Creating a Gratitude Mindset Through Gardening with Donna Letier

Creating a Gratitude Mindset Through Gardening with Donna Letier

On this episode of Fierce Lab, Tara talks with Donna Letier, the co-founder and CEO of Gardenuity, a wellness company that offers personalized indoor and outdoor garden kits. Donna explains how gardening helps improve mental, physical, and social health, discusses the value of habit stacking, and gives insight into how companies are taking a more holistic approach to the health of their employees by focusing more on mental health. At the end of the episode, Donna provides some great gardening tips and tricks.

Gardenuity

Part of the wellness market, Gardenuity aims to make gardening easy. They offer outdoor and indoor desktop garden kits that are individualized to the grower, and they choose plants based on the location, season, and time to harvest. All gardens come with corresponding items, including recipes and ways to bring enjoyment and wellness into your daily life.

The founder story

Donna shares how she and co-founder Julie Eggers created Gardenuity. The two had worked together for more than 15 years and decided they wanted to grow a business together. They believe gratitude, which is found through wellness, can change the world. So, they began researching and found an opportunity to flip the 90% failure rate of first-time gardeners to a 90% success rate.

Why gardening is good for the soul

Research shows that gardening is a conduit to mental, physical, and social health. Being a part of the growth process helps people foster an appreciation for different seasons in life and change their overall outlook. Donna talks about the benefits of habit stacking — a simple 10- to 20-second add-on to your routine like checking on a garden in the morning can set the tone for the day and feed a growth mindset. Donna says when you nurture a garden, it in turn nurtures you.

Embracing gardening and mental health in the corporate world

Donna discusses how companies are increasingly evaluating the benefits of having healthy, happy employees and more holistically considering mental, physical, and social health. Gardenuity offers workshops to nurture conversation and connection within a company or between a company and its clients. The stigma around mental health issues such as depression and anxiety is decreasing, making people feel more comfortable about asking for help. In fact, some insurance companies offer wellness dollars that can be used to purchase garden kits, and some doctors prescribe gardening to their patients.

Gardening tips

Donna and Tara close the podcast with some easy gardening tips such as ensuring your plants have great drainage and the right soil. Donna also suggests using mayonnaise to dust your plant leaves to make them shiny and Instagram ready.

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Dec 09, 202135:43
Setting Yourself Up Financially for the Life You Want with Jennifer Barrett

Setting Yourself Up Financially for the Life You Want with Jennifer Barrett

In this episode of Fierce Lab, Tara talks with Jennifer Barrett, Head of Content at Fidelity Investments and author of the book Think Like a Breadwinner: A Wealth Building Manifesto for Women Who Want to Earn More and Worry Less. Jennifer discusses what it means to think like a breadwinner and explores differences in how parents teach kids about money, how credit and investing are viewed, what happens after a woman becomes a breadwinner, and her thoughts around whisper networks.

Thinking like a breadwinner and how we teach our kids

Jennifer talks about the conventional model where men are the breadwinners and women oversee the household budget. This traditional paradigm has shifted, with more women becoming the main providers. Culture, however, has not caught up with this reality, which can be reflected in the way parents teach their children about money. Generally, boys are more often taught about building credit and investing, while girls are taught about budgeting and spending smartly. This sets kids up for the previously conventional roles.

Credit and investing

Jennifer discusses the importance of having good credit.  Building credit has generally been presented to women as a way to close the gap between the life we can afford now and the life we want, rather than an important way to build wealth. She also debunks some of the myths around investing. Many believe investing is difficult and requires outside help, which leads to women investing less and later.

Gaining financial independence

The way women are culturally conditioned to think about money differs from the way men are. Women tend to take on most household responsibilities, even if they’re the primary breadwinner. Jennifer says women should start viewing themselves as wealth builders, rather than wage earners, and use every paycheck to become less dependent on the next in order to gain financial independence.

After becoming a breadwinner

Once women have shifted into the role of being the primary breadwinner, many may feel unprepared or have questions. Women are culturally conditioned to be caregivers, and they feel the pressures of motherhood. However, Jennifer says we must set our own expectations. Tara and Jennifer also discuss the tendency of women to feel the need to “do it all,” which is unrealistic. Jennifer says that we need to define our own “all” and not let others define it for us.

Whisper networks and knowing your number

Whisper networks are made up of trusted people with whom you can share earning data. Until recently, men had professional networks where they could discuss income and make connections, while women would have to discuss income on the side with friends. Through whisper networks, discussing income is normalized, and women can learn from each other about how to negotiate for more. It’s important to know your number, as well as the top of the salary scale and the lowest rate you’ll accept.

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Dec 02, 202155:53
Career: Risk, Rejection, and Reward with Sade Balogun.

Career: Risk, Rejection, and Reward with Sade Balogun.

In this podcast episode, she and Tara dive into the 3 Rs of career: risk, rejection and reward. Sade started with an early opportunity at Kohl's as a Business Analyst. After business school at NYU, a stint at Groupon, a Senior Brand Manager role at Starbucks, Sade is now a Global Product Marketer at Peloton. With each career move, Sade has honed her skills and evolved as a leader. 

Sade also shares her techniques for handling rejection and the rewards that come from going where you're valued, (hint: it involves promotion.) Respecting her mental health has also been a large component in Sade's career path. She shares about her "last straw" and when she realized it was time for her to take a break and set some boundaries during her time at Starbucks. 

If you're climbing the corporate ladder, or looking to make moves in Q1 of 2022 - Sade's encore release is for you!

Nov 25, 202150:24
How Trauma Affects the Workplace and the Body with Nicole DeKay

How Trauma Affects the Workplace and the Body with Nicole DeKay

Nicole DeKay is a researcher and PhD candidate working with the company Moving Beyond in the diversity, inclusion, and equity space, and her research and work are centered around workplace experiences. In this episode, Nicole discusses psychometrics and how her personal experiences inspired her research. She provides an overview of the book The Body Keeps the Score, which is the basis of her dissertation, describes what a trigger meter is, and details how her work at Moving Beyond and Humanalysts can help organizations better serve their employees.

Nicole’s research in psychometrics

Psychometrics, the focus of Nicole’s research, is the measurement of human emotion in the workplace. With her research, she strives to create assessment tools focusedon negative workplace experiences, especially those of diverse populations. Nicole discusses how her passion stems from a work situation where shewas getting great opportunities but not actual career growth. Nicole noticed this was not happening with her male colleagues and wondered if this was a systemic issue.

The Body Keeps the Score and workplace trauma

Nicole provides an overview of The Body Keeps the Score, the book her PhD dissertation is based on. The book  is about the body holding on to trauma in ways that people don’t realize — that stress and trauma can cause  physiological responses and drive behavior. To release trauma, Nicole says acknowledging, naming, and accepting it is a big component. She focuses on trauma in the workplace and discusses little “t”traumas, such as consistent  discrimination or a boss who bullies you, that can result in PTSD-type reactions.

Nicole’s medical journey and her current role

Nicole talks about how her medical issues, chronic pain related to breathing issues, and need for health insurance complicated her work life. She felt trapped and became complacent in her job while she was working through her healing process. This inability to leave a job due to insurance needs is also a systemic issue many  women experienced. Through her work, Nicole focuses on creating assessments to measure what is going on inside organizations and what they can do to ensure that employees can bring their full selves to work. She also discusses Humanalysts, another company that is tied to the work she is doing at Moving Beyond and whose aim is to make data and information about employee experience traditionally housed in HR departments accessible to people.

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Nov 18, 202138:04
The Importance of Gender Equality in Family Finances with Carey Shuffman

The Importance of Gender Equality in Family Finances with Carey Shuffman

On this episode of Fierce Lab, Tara talks with Carey Shuffman, Head of the Women’s Segment at UBS, a global financial services firm. Carey and her team focus specifically on women’s financial needs to increase their participation and awareness. In their discussion, Carey provides some eye-opening statistics and offers advice on how women can begin participating in their finances or level up if they are already comfortable with their financial situation. She also discusses some frequently avoided questions regarding financial matters.

Trends in the financial participation of women

In their research, UBS has highlighted some trends that impact women differently than their male counterparts. Carey says that, at some point in their lives, eight out of ten women will be solely responsible for their finances. Many women are not actively involved (or as involved as they want to be) in their finances, with many coupled women deferring long-term financial decisions to their partners and single women feeling less confident or knowledgeable in financial matters. Carey stipulates that you don’t need to become an expert and that no one knows what’s right for you better than you do.

Frequently avoided questions

It can be difficult or feel taboo to talk about your finances, no matter your wealth status. Carey brings up some frequently avoided questions addressing mortality and the difficulties of discussing finances with a partner or spouse. Being aware and participating in your finances is important in case of emergency.

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This presentation is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice or the basis for making any investment decisions.

UBS Wealth Way is an approach incorporating Liquidity. Longevity. Legacy. strategies, that UBS Financial Services Inc. and our Financial Advisors can use to assist clients in exploring and pursuing their wealth management needs and goals over different time frames. This approach is not a promise or guarantee that wealth, or any financial results, can or will be achieved. All investments involve the risk of loss, including the risk of loss of the entire investment.

As a firm providing wealth management services to clients, UBS Financial Services Inc. offers investment advisory services in its capacity as an SEC-registered investment adviser and brokerage services in its capacity as an SEC-registered broker-dealer. Investment advisory services and brokerage services are separate and distinct, differ in material ways and are governed by different laws and separate arrangements. It is important that clients understand the ways in which we conduct business, that they carefully read the agreements and disclosures that we provide to them about the products or services we offer. For more information, please review the PDF document at ubs.com/relationshipsummary.

UBS Financial Services Inc. and Fierce Lab are not affiliated.

UBS Financial Services Inc. is a subsidiary of UBS AG. Member FINRA. Member SIPC.

Nov 11, 202145:13
Advancing Your Career with Cate Luzio of Luminary

Advancing Your Career with Cate Luzio of Luminary

Encore release from 2020. 

Cate Luzio spent over 15 years in corporate banking and during that time she observed a lot of women's careers stalling - not from a lack of desire to advance but from a lack of knowledge and resources to help them advance.  As Cate learned to navigate networking, new skill development and speaking up for opportunities, others - both men and women - took notice and sought out her guidance.  Before long Cate realized she had a desire to do more; to share what she knew with more women across many industries, not just banking.  Enter her launch of Luminary, a collaboration hub for women-identified who are passionate about professional development and expanding their networks.  Just over a year in and Luminary has recruited the support of major businesses including Unilever, WW (formally Weight Watchers), JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs, to name a few.

In late February of 2020 I sat down with Cate in her New York location to chat all things women and career advancement.  Some questions we tackled for this episode include: What are the building blocks for advancement? How can women help one another succeed? Why is it imperative women get comfortable raising their hand for new opportunities, even if they don't have the experience? And my personal favorite, why must women start talking openly about money?

In mid March of 2020, with the outbreak of COVID-19, Cate was forced to pivot Luminary to a fully virtual/digital hub.  She and her team took the challenge head on and have excelled.  If you're a woman looking for resources to help you grow your career, this podcast points you in the right direction. To learn more about Cate and Luminary, visit www.Luminary-NYC.com.

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Nov 04, 202145:20
 Taking Control of Your Finances with Nicholle Overkamp

Taking Control of Your Finances with Nicholle Overkamp

On this episode of Fierce Lab, Tara talks to Nicholle Overkamp, a personal financial expert and business coach who runs the Wilcox Financial Group, which focuses on financial planning, and PowHERhouse Money Coaching, which focuses on financial coaching. She aims to help women develop positive money mindsets and get started or level up in financial planning and investing. In this episode, Nicholle discusses common reasons women feel apprehensive when it comes to financial decision-making and how to get started with planning and investing.

Nicholle’s work as a financial expert and business coach

Nicholle runs two separate companies — one for financial planning and one for financial coaching. The Wilcox Financial Group is a space for women to receive financial advice, help, and information in an understanding environment. She likens her other company, PowHERhouse Money Coaching, to a bootcamp for money and preparing for financial planning, with a focus on bettering women’s money mindsets. Their services help women become more comfortable with money by breaking down barriers and mitigating anxiety so they can take their finances to the next level.

Common barriers to financial planning

Nicholle says the biggest barriers are fear of being judged, the shame of thinking they should know more than they do, and procrastination due to anxiety and fear of the unknown. Women have also expressed that they sometimes aren’t sure where to seek help or don’t think the help they need exists.

Getting started

Nicholle offers advice for women who are getting started with financial planning. First, take inventory of what you want and what your goals are. From there, you can reverse engineer what to do and how long it will take to achieve those goals. If you don’t have any particular goals in mind, consider what you don’t want; some unrealized goals will probably come to mind. If you aren’t ready to start investing, look into your cash flow, and examine if you are being intentional with your spending. Nicholle stresses the importance of both having emergency reserve savings and simply getting started, even if it's with only a little bit of money.

Money mantras

Having a positive mindset about money is imperative. It's important to recognize the reasons behind a negative (or scarcity) mindset, as self-awareness is empowering. Money mantras are personal, based on what you want to achieve, and should be repeated daily. Nicholle gives some examples including, “I am worthy of receiving money,” and, “I am worthy of keeping money.” Tara also shares her own money mantras.

Listener questions

Tara asked listeners for their financial questions. They include topics like what to do if your employer doesn’t offer a retirement plan, but you still want to contribute; what should come first, paying down debt or saving;  and where to get started with investing once you have an emergency fund and some savings set aside.

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Oct 28, 202145:09
An Invisible Disability Leads to a Clear Mission with Keely Cat-Wells

An Invisible Disability Leads to a Clear Mission with Keely Cat-Wells

On this episode of Fierce Lab, Tara talks with Keely Cat-Wells, an entrepreneur and disability advocate who founded C Talent, a talent agency that represents deaf and disabled artists, athletes, and influencers. Keely is also on Forbes 30 under 30 and the advisory board of Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation. In their conversation, Keely discusses taking risks, handling pushback, the issues of ableism, and her inspiration for founding C Talent. She also talks about invisible disabilities, disclosure, and her mission to eliminate section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which allows companies to pay people with disabilities a subminimum wage.

Keely’s background and founding C Talent

When Keely was 17, she became disabled. After an extended hospital stay, she realized the world was no longer built with her in mind. Keely, a former dancer, began representing talent and moved to LA. At one point, she lost a job because of ableism, defined as the discrimination or prejudice against disabled people. This inspired her to found C Talent, a talent management company that represents high-profile deaf and disabled artists, athletes, and influencers, with the goal of normalizing disabled people as experts in subjects beyond disability.

Taking risk

Though Keely says her move to LA was a huge risk, she said she had nothing else to lose. As a result, Keely is more calculated in taking risks; when you know what you want, where you want to go, and what has happened in the past, you are better prepared for all the possible outcomes.

Handling pushback

Keely wishes that she initially would have been more aware that not everyone would agree with her goal of making sizable change. She's still learning how to better handle conflict and people that challenge her, including those who have made comments denying her identity by assuming she is making up her experiences of being disabled. Keely hopes that people will learn to better embrace the needs of others and be less quick to judge. C Talent is working with talent to create roles and campaigns and pitching ideas to big brands and companies. Even though some companies have a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team, often only 2% of the team include disability in their agenda.

Invisible disabilities

Keely and Tara also talk about invisible disabilities and the difficulty and importance of disclosure. Keely says that disclosing an invisible disability can be a big and scary conversation, but invisible disabilities should be recognized and properly accommodated so that people can achieve their full potential. Employers should be encouraged to ask all employees about their access requirements and establish more inclusive environments.

Section 14(c) from the Fair Labor Standards Act

Keely is working to raise awareness and challenge section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which allows companies to pay disabled people a subminimum wage. She states that due to 14(c), currently 300,000 Americans are legally being paid $3 an hour or less. She aims to eliminate this policy and to achieve equity in employment.

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Oct 22, 202136:35
How to Turn Your Passion into Success with Kathy Hines

How to Turn Your Passion into Success with Kathy Hines

On this episode of Fierce Lab, Tara talks with Kathy Hines who is the Chief Marketing Officer of Dickies. Dickies’ is a 100-year-old brand, and their purpose is to champion the dignity of work. Kathy held several international positions for the VF corporation before transitioning to her role as the CMO.  Kathy and Tara discuss personal responsibilities and creating a level playing field for all workers. Kathy also talks about taking jumps, rather than risks, how her international work has shaped her career, as well as the characteristics of leadership and the role of mentorship.

Dickies and Kathy’s role as CMO

Kathy describes the brand as humble and says that it represents people who are willing to roll up their sleeves, have grit, and are hard workers. The brand has been adopted by sub-communities such as the skate community, low-rider community, and musicians as it can serve as a blank pallet that can be personalized. Kathy discusses her international work experience for VF before moving to Texas and becoming the CMO at Dickies. As CMO, she is responsible for global marketing and has teams in North America, Shanghai, and Switzerland. 

Risks vs. Jumps

Kathy says she doesn’t consider anything as risky but rather thinks of moves or decisions as jumps. She describes risks as coming from a negative mindset, whereas jumps are seen as positive with forward momentum. With a risk, you consider what can go wrong, but Kathy prefers to think about what might go right. Kathy also talks about regrets and says she doesn’t have any as everything she’s done has fueled learning. Regret implies wishing that she hadn’t made the choice, but all her choices have led to a new or different place, and she has learned and grown from everything.

The Characteristics of Leaders

To be a leader, Kathy says you should have a heightened sense of self-awareness and empathy and that showing up with honesty and authenticity is important. Kathy tells us she is at her best when she’s 100% herself.  Good leaders support and lift those around them; doing this will only serve you well. Also, Kathy discusses focusing on being exceptional at what you currently do and not being too focused on advancing to the next position – those that are exceptional in their current position will advance.

Mentorship and making friends everywhere

Kathy has had formal mentors, but she says that the real impact has come not through a formal mentor role, but from individuals that she has a strong connection to, including bosses and peers. Throughout her career, Kathy has had people who love and support her and lift her up, and she tries to do this for others as well. For her, being a mentor happens organically. She tells us how she makes friends everywhere and has a genuine curiosity to connect with people and learn about different things. 


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Aug 05, 202135:21
How Finding The Gap Makes You a Better Leader with LaShae Baskin

How Finding The Gap Makes You a Better Leader with LaShae Baskin

LaShae Baskin is Principal and Managing Director of the Austin office of Huckabee, an architecture firm. On this episode of Fierce Lab, LaShae tells us about the risks she's taken in her career journey, offering advice on "finding the gaps" to add value and planning for problems before they come fires.  She also offers her experience and tried-and-true tips to become a successful leader.  LaShae also shares how and why she's become a relentless advocate for her son and all children, leading her to her career at Huckabee.

LaShae’s career journey and some advice

Lashae started her career in hospitality design, which provided her with a design mindset that she values today and taught her about how a person interacts with a space. In 2008, with the Great Recession, the hospitality industry was hard hit, and LaShae was forced to pivot and began her retail journey. She tells us that when facing a stumble, it is okay to be scared and to not have all the answers, and stumbles provide learning opportunities. LaShae says it is important to learn to have thick skin, be adaptable, and to know what you are great at and to recognize what you don’t know. 

Finding the gaps and planning for fires

Growing up, LaShae was taught to find more efficient ways to accomplish something, and later, she received valuable advice from a mentor who told that if she wants to grow and develop, she should "find the gaps" and solve them. In this episode she teaches us how we can do the same. In solving gaps, you look for ways to work smarter, not harder. LaShae also discusses finding problems before they become fires, which is a valuable skill to any company anywhere. 

Leadership

LaShae offers her guidance for becoming the leader people want to follow, not one that they are forced to. She believes good leaders build good followers, but great leaders build better leaders. Being a successful leader means showing up every day and creating leaders that are better than you.  To help grow leaders, LaShae teaches how to organize thoughts and speak with brevity. She tells us that as a leader, it is okay to not have all the answers, and that it is important to know when it is time to lead and when it is time to push someone else forward.


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Jul 29, 202149:59
The Art of Meditation with Andrea Paris

The Art of Meditation with Andrea Paris

Andrea Paris is an attorney who has implemented a daily meditation practice into her life. She discusses with Tara what led to her adopting this practice, including the role that the pandemic played. Andrea describes how mediation is a practice of letting go rather than of achieving emptiness in your mind. She gives us tips for getting started and covers the benefits of mediation . At the end of the conversation, Andrea shares her plans for attending a 10-day silent retreat.

Andrea’s background and why she started practicing meditation

Andrea grew up in Thailand and discusses the disparities and events she witnessed and how those led to her to practicing law. She tells us about the stress that can come with litigation and how meditation can serve as a tool to help deal with work life and how meditation has made her both a happier lawyer and a happier person. 

Changing your perception of meditation

When thinking of mediation, many people may have the preconception that the goal of mediation is to get to a point of emptiness in one’s mind. However, Andrea encourages us to reframe it as a practice of letting go. Andrea describes the mind as a house, with repetitive thoughts gathering like dust, and mediation is the practice of clearing it out. 

How to start

Getting started with mediation takes just one breath. First, you can practice giving yourself space and you can try to create a habit – it can be when waiting for your coffee to brew in the morning or anytime you have a moment to yourself. Andrea talks us through taking one intentional breath and recognizes how such a small thing can make a big difference.  She suggests the technique of heart-centered breathing and describes the practice of loving kindness.  Meditation can either be guided or self-guided, and there are several apps that you can use including Headspace and Calm.

The benefits of mediation

Our brains are wired to notice the negative more than the positive, and as such, it is important to take time to acknowledge and soak in moments of positivity – this can have a snowball effect. Andrea says mediation is like a mental muscle, and the more you work at it, the easier it gets and the faster you can get to the place of not getting distracted by your own thoughts. For Andrea, mediation has altered her emotional baseline; she is calmer and it takes more to phase her. 

The 10-day silent mediation retreat

Andrea will be attending a 10-day silent meditation retreat at the end of the year. At the retreat, there is no writing, reading, nor talking for the duration of the retreat, and mediation is practiced in one- to two-hour blocks throughout each day. Andrea anticipates the biggest challenge will be making past the hump or wall as it is unnatural to spend so much time with yourself and your own thoughts. 


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Jul 22, 202151:03
Building Your Personal Brand on LinkedIn with Mita Mallick

Building Your Personal Brand on LinkedIn with Mita Mallick

On this episode of Fierce Lab, Mita Mallick, Top LinkedIn Voice 2020 and thought leader in the diversity, inclusion, and equity space joins us to share her experience of growing her personal brand via the LinkedIn platform. Mita gives us tips on how to engage on LinkedIn and to maximize your visibility. She discusses the value of the LinkedIn community and the professional benefits. We also talk about career gaps due to caregiving and how the LinkedIn community can be an ally.

Engaging on LinkedIn

On LinkedIn, Mita puts out thought leadership with authenticity and purpose of the things that matter to her and things she’s learning about. Often, she will post her own take on others’ content, reading articles and providing a summary. She finds that she receives more resounding responses by posting things that she is authentic about, not just what she thinks people want to hear. 

Maximizing visibility

To maximize your visibility on LinkedIn, first, you should have a profile picture. Fill out your About section – Mita suggests making it personal – and you should add a strong headline. It also helps to add your experience, which isn’t a resume, rather it is a storyline of where you’ve been. Mita also suggests that you keep iterating your profile and that posting consistently is key. 

The LinkedIn community

LinkedIn is not just a place to go to find a job, it is also a place to build community and make connections. Tara and Mita share their story of how they connected over LinkedIn and how that connection has led to their friendship. If you are hoping to get on someone’s radar, you can follow that person and like and comment on their posts. For Mita, people get her attention when they reach out about something that she posted that resounded with them. 

The professional benefits of LinkedIn

Mita tells us about how she has received calls for job opportunities because of things that she has written and shared on LinkedIn. She also receives requests to do panels and keynotes. If you are hoping to find a job or to transition in your career, you can position yourself for the field that you want to be in. LinkedIn can also be a great talent tool and attraction for the company you represent.

Career gaps

Some women may be reluctant to set up a LinkedIn profile due to career gaps, usually due to care giving. Now, LinkedIn has an option to add that to your profile. With your profile, you can showcase that you are still a valuable asset. Also, you can add any volunteer work that you did, and Mita recognizes that caregiving and volunteering lends to a huge skillset that employers find valuable.


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Jul 15, 202142:20
The One Tool That Protects Both Your Health and Your Income with Alex Williamson of Asteya

The One Tool That Protects Both Your Health and Your Income with Alex Williamson of Asteya

Alex Williamson, CEO and co-founder of Asteya, and previously the Chief Brand Officer of Bumble, shares her transformative healing journey.  She started with Asteya, an insurance company that helps protect one's income, to bring income protection to the forefront.  During our conversation, Alex discusses the importance of mental and physical health as well as financial health. She tells her story of healing, explains her company’s mission and what income insurance can do for women.  Also, she speaks about the dynamic between women and men regarding family planning and their careers.

Alex’s turning point and her healing journey

Alex tells us about her passion for Bumble’s mission, yet how taxing her work and travel responsibilities were. Needing a break, and recognizing that she was a pivotal moment, she departed on an intense healing journey.  During this time Alex started to think about how she could help others find opportunities to heal from illnesses and pain as well as the role that finances play in mental and physical health and wellness. Upon her return, recognizing how beneficial her medical leave was to her, and in hopes of providing more people with access to products that could help them protect their finances while healing, she moved on from Bumble and started with Asteya.

Asteya and income insurance

Asteya is an income insurance company, and it is their mission to provide income insurance for everyone of every income bracket and every profession; they also aim to help bridge the gap and the cost difference for men and women. Asteya can help safeguard your financial future. It is the first of its kind as it is fully digital, and you can go from you quote to policy in minutes. It can be used as a supplemental policy or as sole income protection.

The name Asteya

Alex learned of the word Asteya during her wellness journey. It means non-stealing, or to not take more than you need or deserve from the earth, from others, or from yourself. Alex recognizes that you steal from your future if you're not taking care of your health today or if you're not taking care of your finances. 

Family planning

For women considering family planning, whatever you decide to do when it comes to motherhood and careers is the right choice for you. Alex suggests when family planning to manage your stress and to enjoy life as much as possible. She recognizes mothers as more tenacious in their career and as a force to be reckoned with. Alex and Tara also discuss the dynamic between men and women regarding family planning and careers, stating that if someone challenges how women are going to juggle their career and family, they should also challenge how men will show up for their family at home.


GET YOUR TICKETS NOW.  Fierce Lab, our full-day conference for women, will be live and in-person on SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2021.  Tickets are on sale now.  More details on our website.

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Jul 08, 202139:26
What Female Founders Need to Know About Outside Funding with Laura Baldwin of Golden Seeds

What Female Founders Need to Know About Outside Funding with Laura Baldwin of Golden Seeds

Laura Baldwin is the Managing Director of Golden Seeds, an angel investment network that invests in women owned and women led businesses. In our conversation she share the foundational elements that every founder should know when looking to bring on investors to their business. Laura discusses more about Golden Seeds and their office hours, the types of businesses that need outside funding, the different stages of funding, and what investors look for when looking to invest.

Golden Seeds

Golden Seeds is a national angel network that invests solely in women owned and women led companies. Laura runs the Dallas chapter.  Golden Seeds offers monthly office hours to any women owned or women led businesses. They are informal, with members and guests listening to entrepreneurs give a pitch or talk about their business. Often, the companies that attend may not be right for Gold Seeds investment, and therefore they may suggest other resources to the companies and always offers feedback and recommends that the companies stay in touch.

101 of funding

If starting a business and at the pre-revenue stage, first ask friends and family for funding. You should try to fully explore this option fully.  Next, when starting to generate revenue, you should seek outside capital in the pre-seed and seed rounds. First, seek investors who are willing to invest in riskier early-stage companies. Then, the next stage, when you have solid revenue growth, is seeking angel funding – this is where Golden Seeds comes in. Following this stage is VC funding for businesses that really want to grow and scale. VC funds make larger investments and require that you give up more control of your business, therefore you should ensure you choose a VC investor who you can have a good working relationship with.

What investors look for and what you should include in your pitch

For many investors, including Laura, it is about the jockey not the horse. They seek people who can take advice and are coachable, are willing to pivot, are confident and committed, and will do whatever it takes, not taking no for an answer.  You should know what the problem is that you are solving and how, what your product or service is, how you are generating revenue, and what the total addressable market (TAM) is. You should be aware of who your competitors are and what you company offers that others don’t. Also, you should discuss your exit strategy, whether you have patents or IP protection, who is on your team and what their background is, and you should have some idea of financial projections. Finally, you should have a specific ask.  This is an often overlooked step. 


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Jul 01, 202152:28
How to Navigate Challenging Career Conversations with Kate Tonda

How to Navigate Challenging Career Conversations with Kate Tonda

On this episode of Fierce Lab, Kate Tonda, Senior Director at Walmart, discusses how to navigate challenging career conversations, the importance of raising your hand for the right things, how to best allocate your time in professional relationships and projects, and the downside of women's desire to be liked.

Challenging conversations

Conflict and confrontation are often avoided, however, being willing to face conflict or confrontation means that you and/or the other person care enough to face the challenge.  When having a challenging conversation, realize that feedback and discomfort leads to growth and helps develop mental toughness, rather like how a sore muscle indicates you are getting stronger. Also, when having such a conversation, consider what it is that you want to achieve; have an intentional pause before responding, but don’t let too much time pass before you do. Kate uses the phrase “vent to invent,” stating that it is important to work through the emotional piece, but rather than dwelling in the negativity, turn it into something positive.

Signing up for the right things

Despite women working very hard, and even sometimes harder than their male counterparts, women tend to volunteer for activities or projects that are maybe important but less valued. Kate gives an example of how she handled being voluntold for a project and was able to segue the conversation, make the situation productive, and set a boundary. She speaks to the importance of signing up for things that give you opportunity, exposure, and experience, and states that important decisions for your career are made when you aren’t in the room.

How to allocate your time

Kate says that you say yes to something and no to something else – this goes for relationships as well as projects. Regarding relationships, it helps to prioritize where you spend your time so that you don’t overspend in one area, which can lead to unintended impacts downstream.  Establishing an emotional bank account can help free you up so that you may focus your energy elsewhere when needed.  

A desire to be liked

Tara and Kate recognize that women often exhibit a desire to be liked, however, it is more important to be respected. While being nice is not a bad thing, it is more important to demonstrate things like data-based decision-making, the ability to influence and negotiate, and being able to focus on a solution. Kate says to always try to solve for yes, but that doesn’t mean always doing whatever the ask is. It is okay to say no, but when you do, find out what is important to the person that is giving the request and use that in your positioning to make the client or partner feel like their need is served.

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW.  Fierce Lab, our full-day conference for women, will be live and in-person on SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2021.  Tickets are on sale now with early bird pricing ($100 OFF) through June 30, 2021.  More details on our website.

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Jun 24, 202101:06:50
When Risk Feels Right with Latese Hickson of Foot Locker

When Risk Feels Right with Latese Hickson of Foot Locker

Latese Hickson, a Senior Brand Marketing Manager at Foot Locker, sits down with Tara to discuss taking a risk by changing her career path.   She offers tips for owning the room, getting comfortable with being uncomfortable and how each of those can lead to success.  Also, Latese discusses being the only female voice on the Foot Locker Men’s team and her advice for leaning into that dynamic.

Taking Risk

Latese discusses the change she made from being a buyer to a marketer and the risk of changing careers and starting over.  For her, she listened to the signs and herself, the change felt like the right thing to do.  Latese believes in shooting your shot and suggests when evaluating risks, consider your passion.  She says you'll know it’s a good time to take a risk when you’ve given something your all and are no longer experiencing growth and development in return.  Latese tells us to not be afraid to raise your hand and ask for more – usually the worst that can happen is being told no.

Owning the room and learning from others

To be successful in a job, Latese says it helps if you know how to own the room. To do this, know what you know, be confident about what you know, own it, and be good at it. Also, transparency is key. Along with being confident in what you know, recognize and be honest about what you don’t know and ask for help in those areas. When asking for help, check in with those you are asking and request feedback. 

Being uncomfortable

Throughout her career, Latese has often found herself in uncomfortable positions, speaking to consumers that she doesn’t necessarily identify with. She is empowered to understand those around her, so she is always learning by consistently asking questions, listening, and trying to be a part of the different conversations. Latese states that it is good to get comfortable with being uncomfortable – you should always be looking to create passion and challenge yourself. 

Working in a male-dominated environment

Currently, Latese is working on the Foot Locker Men’s team, is the only female voice, and she owns it. In filling this role, in addition to owning the room and being confident about what she knows, she also aims to empower her team. She welcomes insight from team members, and when authentic and respectful male colleagues offer advice, she receives and applies that advice.


GET YOUR TICKETS NOW.  Fierce Lab, our full-day conference for women, will be live and in-person on SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2021.  Tickets are on sale now with early bird pricing ($100 OFF) through June 30, 2021.  More details on our website.

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Jun 17, 202144:16
Owning Your Unique Brilliance with Dee C. Marshall

Owning Your Unique Brilliance with Dee C. Marshall

Dee C. Marshall, CEO of Diverse & Engaged, is an influencer and award-winning business owner as well as a thought leader on equity, diversity, and inclusion. She is a serial curator with bright ideas that are an outgrowth of passion and her focus on women’s growth and development and not just living life by default. In this episode Dee discusses the importance of recognizing your own unique brilliance and being boldly unapologetic. Tara and Dee also discuss the necessity of having a personal brand for job success, starting your day doing something just for you and they explore what it means to be politically engaged.

Women’s growth and development

Dee wants to see women love their life and live their dreams. She describes many women as living by default – they are following the typical American story but are often left feeling unfulfilled by midlife/midcareer. To make the shift towards fulfillment, first you must gain clarity on who you want to be and what you want, and then you can work towards your goals. For Dee, Brian Moran’s The 12 Week Year has helped guide her with breaking down her goals, and she uses a breakout block, an activity scheduled midweek, to help raise her mindset and health and wealth sets.

Starting your day right

Dee and Tara, both early risers, discuss their morning routines and starting the day with time your yourself. Tara reads the Wall Street Journal in the morning, while Dee avoids news first thing and instead always reads something related to development. Dee describes starting the day with the golden hour whereby you take the first hour of the day to focus on yourself; she states that she first gives time to herself before giving herself away to others.

Owning your unique brilliance and being boldly unapologetic

To own your unique brilliance, consider what you are really good at; discovering this can come through clarity in the morning. Balance your recognition of what you are uniquely brilliant at with what you know little about – “I am uniquely brilliant at X,” and “I am completely clueless with this thing.” Dee also discusses how being unapologetic for who you are is becoming more of a norm.

Having a personal brand and Dee’s retreats

Dee and Tara discuss the importance of having a personal brand to get a job, keep a job, and to grow in a job. By having a personal brand, you highlight what you bring to the table that others don’t and what your value add and unique serving position is. In addition to running a course for personal branding for executives, Dee also offers the Win, Rock, & Rule retreat, a yearly conference in New York for midlife/midcareer corporate women and influencers, as well as the Utopia Retreat, a weekend retreat aimed at helping women do better and be better.


GET YOUR TICKETS NOW.  Fierce Lab, our full-day conference for women, will be live and in-person on SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2021.  Tickets are on sale now with early bird pricing ($100 OFF) through June 30, 2021.  More details on our website.

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Jun 10, 202153:57
How to Stand Out and Get Ahead with Lauren Hasson

How to Stand Out and Get Ahead with Lauren Hasson

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Lauren Hasson, the founder of Develop[Her], author of The Develop[Her] Playbook, and a woman on the frontlines of tech, shares the five simple steps she took to make a comeback and negotiate for higher pay. She did it by owning her outcomes and taking action, building her network before she needed it, learning new skills and building her portfolio, communicating her value, and investing in herself. You can do it, too! In this episode, Lauren discusses defining and sharing your successes, LinkedIn as a tool, and how to network, learn marketable skills, and negotiate for higher pay.

Lauren Hasson and Develop[Her]

Develop[Her] was inspired by a podcast Lauren had hosted that was centered around women on the frontlines of tech and by her own personal story. She shares her experience of hitting rock bottom and being broke, laid off, and lacking confidence. Lauren was able to make a comeback and negotiate for higher pay after following the five simple steps outlined in her book, The Develop[Her] Playbook.

Defining and sharing your success

Lauren discusses how defining success, tracking her accomplishments, and acknowledging her growth and progress helped her make her comeback. With her book, she offers the At-A-Girl journal, an editable PDF for tracking your activities. She also explains the importance of visualization, whereby you make your goals a reality in your head first and later in real life.

Networking

When it comes to networking, Lauren and Tara talk strategy, like setting a goal to meet three new people at an event or in a day. She suggests reaching out to your heroes and having a small ask and offer prepared to help create a mutually beneficial relationship. It’s important to play the numbers game when networking by reaching out to many people.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a great tool for sharing your portfolio, meeting other people, and updating your connections about your accomplishments. Lauren says it’s important to consistently post something short, have content already queued up, and space your posts out.

Learning new skills and negotiating for higher pay

To make yourself marketable, it helps to strategically learn new skills. Lauren calls these “front of the line skills,” marketable skills that every company wants. Talk to recruiters and hiring managers to learn what skills are valuable, and then set out to learn them. Lauren also offers advice on negotiating for higher pay by having multiple offers. Though, knowing how to do this properly is important; otherwise, it could backfire.

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Jun 03, 202101:13:53
The Art of Being a Generalist, a Networker, and a Goal Getter with Chelsee Adams

The Art of Being a Generalist, a Networker, and a Goal Getter with Chelsee Adams

This episode of Fierce Lab, we're trying something different, what we're calling In Conversation With.  Tara sits down with her good friend Chelsee Adams, a creative consultant to discuss Chelsee’s background and starting their own businesses.  They discuss the value of being a generalist, networking, when it is time to take a break from stressful work, and how to visualize success.  Throughout they sprinkle in questions that were culled from Chelsee's Instagram followers and friends. 


Chelsee Adams’ background and starting her own business

Chelsee discusses how she got started as a food and lifestyle blogger before Instagram was a thing. Later, she started her own business as a creative consultant. She talks about the learning curve that goes with striking out on your own, how you are your own everything, and the importance of being prepared. As a creative consultant, she aims to always give her clients a thoughtful approach to creative direction, content strategy, and brand messaging, and how she can do as much or as little as is needed.

Being a generalist

Being a generalist, or a Jack of all trades, sometimes can have a negative connotation, but it is actually an awesome skill to have. Chelsee likens someone who can do more than just their area of expertise to being a unicorn. Being able to leave your ego behind, roll up your sleeves, and to do different things can open up a different world with more opportunities.

Networking and building relationships

Tara and Chelsee discuss the importance of building relationships and staying in touch with someone in a genuine way, and not just contacting someone when in need of something. Tara tells the story of how she joined Curves in attempt to network, and they tell the story of how the two became friends over Instagram.

Time to jump back in, or time to take a break?

Tara thinks that after the pandemic, it is time to jump back into work. But it is also important to know when it is time to recharge and take time for yourself if you have a stressful job. Chelsee recommends taking yourself on a creative date, and Tara discusses how solo trips help her reset. They also discuss that you should take full advantage of your vacation days, and when it is appropriate to negotiate PTO and sick days at your workplace.

Visualizing success

To help you set and achieve goals, visualizing your success helps. For Chelsee, creating a mood board/vision board helps her manifest her goals. For Tara, the book The Secret helped inspire her to incorporate a gratitude practice in her life, and she talks about setting big, scary goals and how others’ doubt helps feed her determination.


SAVE THE DATE:  Fierce Lab, our full-day conference for women, will be live and in-person on SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2021.  Pre-sales for tickets start June 1, 2021.  More details to be released soon.

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May 27, 202154:30
Building a Community with Purpose with Lan Phan

Building a Community with Purpose with Lan Phan

The Community of SEVEN, a leadership development program, was created by Lan Pham to bring people together in a community to help change the world for the better. The pivots and risks Lan took throughout her life prepared her for her role in creating the program, and she believes that living your purpose and values will help you achieve success in your life and in bettering the world. On this episode we discuss her love of micro-learnings.  To help instigate positive change in a manageable way, Lan launched the 1% challenge whereby you improve some area of your life by 1% each day, which will in turn help you achieve your greater goals.  


What is Community of SEVEN?

The Community of SEVEN was created to bring people together to change the world for the better. It is an intersectional, purpose-driven executive leadership development program consisting of two main parts: the core community, which is an invite only membership comprised mostly of C-suite executives and founders, and the supporter membership, which is open to all growth minded individuals and is intended to be a more affordable option. Community of SEVEN aims to create a community for each other where knowledge and thought leadership can be shared.

Lan’s background and the number 7

Lan has a rather unconventional background, beginning her career as an educator, working as a serial entrepreneur, and then landing in marketing. The pivots and risks she took in her life prepared her for the creation of the Community of SEVEN. Following layoffs due to COVID of Lan and her team of five individuals, they continued to meet, and with her daughter who often joined in on calls, they formed a team of seven. The number seven is also the ideal number of people for any meeting and productivity.

Living your purpose and values

Lan stresses the importance of living your purpose and your values – for her, that is focusing on family, friends, faith, helping others, and freedom. To achieve the goal of bettering the world, you must be in alignment with your values, purpose, and personal development.

Micro-learnings and Let’s Talks

The Community of SEVEN features Let’s Talk sessions as well as micro-learnings, which are open to anyone. Let’s Talks are conversations with a guest speaker where the audience can ask questions and participate. Micro-learnings are led by subject experts or career coaches who aim to teach you something.

The 1% challenge

Lan launched the 1% challenge, a challenge whereby you improve in some area of your life by 1% each day rather than attempting to make a major change that can often lead to failure. With the 1% challenge, small success can better stick and helps you to achieve greater success in a more manageable way.


SAVE THE DATE:  Fierce Lab, our full-day conference for women, will be live and in-person on SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2021.  Pre-sales for tickets start June 1, 2021.  More details to be released soon.

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May 20, 202141:16
When To Risk It All with Channing Beumer

When To Risk It All with Channing Beumer

Channing Beumer, is the founder of CNK Daily an online community with the goal and purpose of serving, educating, and empowering women in the sneaker and streetwear space, with a focus on Black and Brown women. On this episode we discuss the how to evaluate personal and professional risk, the importance of building something greater than yourself and how putting a stake in the ground can lead you to your calling.  Channing lives by her values, leading with her "why" and shares her tips for building the life you want for yourself by never wavering.  With CNK, she and her team aim to make sure women feel seen, heard, and understood.  They are amplifying voices in a real and tangible way, having created  the CNK Marketplace, a curated collection of must-know black-owned businesses.   Channing breaks down how they built it, who she admires and even shares which sneakers are in her current rotation.


KEY TAKEAWAYS

The CNK Team

Channing discusses her business partner and friend, Cassidy, and the newest member of the team, Jacqueline, and the importance of working with people that are not only good at what they do but also bring different perspectives and elements to the table. She also discusses her struggles with micromanaging and how giving an end goal and allowing people to go and do what they do results in better content.

Advice and the Why

To build a community and/or business around a passion, you really have to love it and not just be in it for the money or prestige or attention. Being in it to help people will always supersede any other goal, and it’s important to realize that there’s something bigger than you.

Finances

Figuring out what you can do with what you have sets you up to be financially sound; when you know that you can do something with little money, when you get big money, you know you don’t have to spend it all and can better manage the big money. You should be mindful of how you are making your money work and how you are paying your people.

The CNK Marketplace and Designers and Sneakers

The CNK Marketplace features everything from beauty and clothing to photographers and graphic designers and people who are in the creative space as well as favorite Black-owned businesses. Channing lists some of the up-and-coming designers she is excited about as well as some of her current favorite sneakers.


SAVE THE DATE:  Fierce Lab, our full-day conference for women, will be live and in-person on SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2021.  Pre-sales for tickets start June 1, 2021.  More details to be released soon.

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May 13, 202152:17
Raising Teens Today with Kim Smith of Beautifully Broken

Raising Teens Today with Kim Smith of Beautifully Broken

On this episode we chat with Kim Smith about the challenges that parents face with raising teens today, how to deal with their access to technology, and we explore why kids are less interested in getting their driver’s license now. She is the founder of the ministry Beautifully Broken and author of Beautifully Broken: Forged through Fire, Up from Ashes, as well as the nonprofit she started with her best friend dedicated to kids and teens struggling with their own or a family member’s addiction. 

The challenges parents face raising teens today

It is important to give grace to others, yourself, and your kids – it is okay to make mistakes and giving grace will help you and your kids face whatever challenges arise. Kim recommends taking the time to really listen to your kids and to ensure that your kids feel safe coming to you and trust that you will be there for them, as well as setting boundaries. You should focus on and celebrate the good, while staving the bad, which kids get enough of from social media and their peers.

Teens and technology

Today’s technology presents new challenges to the parents of teens; Kim recommends that you take charge and have access to social media passwords and texts, and that you monitor your teen’s phone use. Parental control apps, such as Circle, can help limit kids’ internet and social media access. She also suggests it is important to give your kids a way out – using a phone tracking system or drug testing gives your kid a reason to turn down a friend if they are being asked to go somewhere or do something that they don’t want to do.

Depression, anxiety, and suicide

Teens can be very vulnerable to the effects of social media, and it is important that they have time away from their devices, especially at night. Make sure you know what is going on in your kids’ lives and watch for warning signs such as changes in their eating habits, sleep patterns, and grades, and if you notice anything, act on it. If something is awry, the school, or district, often has a department run by a therapist or psychiatrist who can direct you to the best resources in your community for counseling or support groups.

Why kids today aren't as interested in getting their driver's license

Kids seem to be more comfortable staying at home, perhaps due to a lack of mobility, exposure, and getting out. Encouraging your kids to stay active outside and maintaining some structured responsibility is critical for helping your child prepare for when they transition to adulthood and leave the house.

SAVE THE DATE:  Fierce Lab, our full-day conference for women, will be live and in-person on SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2021.  Pre-sales for tickets start June 1, 2021.  More details to be released soon.

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May 06, 202136:51
Money and Your Financial Building Blocks with Ashley Kilroy

Money and Your Financial Building Blocks with Ashley Kilroy

Gaining financial security can seem like an intimidating process, but the most important thing you can do is to just take the leap and get started, says Financial Content Creator, Ashley Kilroy.  On this episode of the podcast we discuss the building blocks of financial security.  From figuring out how much money you have coming in and going out to making a budget, building an emergency fund, to minimizing debt, we cover it all.  Ashley even shares her formula investing at any age and her guidance for proper insurance coverage to protect your assets.  

Whether you're just starting out, doubling down on your efforts, or looking for a refresher on the topic of money – this podcast is for you.

Recap

The starting point: the money coming in and going out

To get started on a path towards financial security, you must first understand how much money you are making and what your spending habits are. Take a look at what your fixed expenses (e.g., auto insurance or mortgage) and variable expenses (e.g., utilities) are. Once you have an idea of the money you have to work with, you can organize a budget to follow; 50% for needs, 30% for wants, and 20% for savings, debt, and investing is a good rule of thumb, but there is no one size fits all, and you can tailor your budget to your needs.

Emergency savings fund

Set aside an emergency fund for worst case scenarios such as a car accident or losing your job. Having money set aside will prevent you from having to use credit and possibly winding up in a sticky financial situation. The amount you should have set aside depends on your own situation, but generally, it’s good to have 3 to 6 months’ worth of necessary expenses (basic necessities) saved.

Minimizing debt

Debt can be challenging to get out of, especially with negative compounding interest. If you have credit card debt, student loan debt, etc., start managing your debt by first figuring out what is owed and what the payments will look like. Good communication with your lenders can be beneficial, and you can look into options for handling the payments – i.e., student loans may be deferred for a period if needed or payments can be configured based on income, or credit card interest rates may be negotiated.

Investing

There are many options for investing, and a good place to start is with your employer if they offer a 401k or other retirement savings plan; they may also offer a match program and may have a financial advisor who you can talk to for more information. With investing and saving for retirement, it makes a significant difference if you start early, even if it’s with a small amount, and to stay consistent over time. There are many apps for investing, with some offering fractional shares, and another good option to look into is a Roth IRA, which offers a tax advantage.

Insurance

It is important to have the right insurance for protecting your assets as well as yourself and your loved ones in case of catastrophe. Disasters, such as a fire or car accident, can cause you to lose everything you worked for if not properly insured. When looking into insurance options, it is important to understand what you have and what your needs are to make sure you get the best protection.

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Apr 29, 202158:58
Go from Panic to Profit in Your Business with Brooke Lively

Go from Panic to Profit in Your Business with Brooke Lively

Brooke Lively helps entrepreneurs sleep better at night.  I should know, I'm one she has helped.  Brooke is the founder and CEO of Cathedral Capital, a company that helps business owners become profitable and thriving.  Her company provides financial strategy as well as outsourced CFO, accounting and bookkeeping services.

Brooke and her team have worked with hundreds of businesses and over the course of time have identified six key numbers that every entrepreneur should actively chart in their business.  On this episode we dive into those numbers, four of which are forward looking and two help keep the finances on track.  The six include: Cash Flow Forecast, Owner Compensation, Work in Progress, Sales Calls Booked and Net New Engagements.  The principles that Brooke outlines applies to all industries and business types.  So whether you operate a retail store, sell products online, have a service based business or manage a law firm, these six numbers apply.

If you're looking to grow your business financial intelligence or improve the performance of your company, this podcast is for you.  It's full of actionable tips, spoken in easy to understand terms, and filled with extra reference resources.  

To learn more about Brooke and Cathedral Capital and to download your free copy of their Cash Flow Forecast worksheet, visit their website:  https://www.cathcap.com/fiercelab

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Apr 09, 202101:05:36
6 Common Misconceptions of Negotiation with Jacqueline Twillie

6 Common Misconceptions of Negotiation with Jacqueline Twillie

This month we're kicking off our Women and Money series.  We wanted to bring you one of our most listened to episodes with Jacqueline Twillie that originally aired December 3, 2020.

Jacqueline and her company ZeroGap are on a mission to eliminate the gender wage gap.  One way she works toward this goal is by teaching women to negotiate to increase the longevity of women in leadership roles within male-dominated industries.  The author of two books including Don't Leave Money On The Table, Jacqueline is an internationally recognized negotiation expert but she credits working in her mother's hair salon in Louisiana as a teen with learning the art of negotiation.

For this episode we sat down to lay out the steps women can take to improve their skills and to debunk the top six myths about negotiation.  From the misconception that women should never show emotion when negotiating to there's only one winner in a negotiation, Jacqueline sets the record straight about these myths.  Along with way she shares valuable tips for establishing your career goals, how to advance your career, and what you should be asking of your employer while we're in the middle of a global pandemic.

To learn more about Jacqueline and her company visit ZeroGap.co or JacquielineTwillie.com.

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Apr 01, 202154:02
Operating In The Unknown with Chelsea Cunningham

Operating In The Unknown with Chelsea Cunningham

On this episode, I sit down with Chelsea Cunningham, Founder and CEO of The Title Girl, to talk about building and scaling a business in a male dominated industry.  Chelsea started her company at 24 with limited resources and experience, yet she didn't let that stop her.  As you'll hear, she is comfortable operating in the unknown.  When I asked Chelsea about how she approaches risk, she shared that she loves solving big problems.  In her words, "The bigger the problem, the more you get paid."  

Chelsea shares her advice for women considering starting a business with limited experience, why a blank slate is the ideal starting point, and how taking the first step leads to some of the best outcomes.  She shares tips for finding outsourced resources to compliment your own skills and how doing so can give you an advantage in the startup stage.  Chelsea also talks candidly about the most painful part of her entrepreneurial journey and how she almost walked away from everything she built.  

If you're looking for insights for building a scalable business, strategies for managing relationships and tips for overcoming challenges, this podcast is for you.

Mar 25, 202139:10
Challenging Negative Self Talk with Angie Wisdom

Challenging Negative Self Talk with Angie Wisdom

Angie Wisdom is a Life and Business Coach based in LA.  We sat down to discuss her work helping women uncover their core values and how we can use them to silence our inner critic.  Angie says our work can begin by creating a Personal Success Playbook.  The playbook should contain answers to questions such as, "what do you believe and what do you stand for," as well as "what's holding you back." 

On this episode Angie gives tips for starting your day with intention and even shares her Morning Mindset Routine.  You can find her worksheet on our website, FierceLab.TaraWilson.com.  One of her guiding principles is belief is the gateway to success and offers steps for creating more positivity in our lives.  She breaks down where negative self talk emanates from and gives practical and actionable tips for eliminating it.  She urges us to follow a four-step process for creating this change and even uses my own challenges as an example to illustrate the effectiveness.  

If you're looking to move beyond negative self-talk, this podcast is for you. To learn more about Angie and her work, visits her website, AngieWisdom.com. 

Mar 18, 202154:04