From a Woman to a Leader

Limor Bergman Gross
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From a Woman to a Leader is the women in tech leadership podcast — honest conversations with senior women in tech about promotions, visibility, and leading without burning out.

  1. From Top Engineer to New Manager: Why No One Tells You the Rules Have Changed

    4d ago

    From Top Engineer to New Manager: Why No One Tells You the Rules Have Changed

    You were the best engineer on the team. So they made you a manager. And then, as Megan Robinson says, no one told you the rules had changed. If you've ever felt like you're winging it as a new manager, or you're waiting for a title before you act like a leader, or you keep doing great work hoping someone will finally notice, this episode is for you. Limor sits down with Megan Robinson, founder and CEO of eLeader Experience, who has spent her career building leadership capability for technical leaders, engineers, product people, and operations people who were promoted for their expertise and are now expected to lead. They get honest about why the move from individual contributor to manager is so hard, why "doing good work" isn't a promotion strategy, and how to build real influence before anyone hands you authority. In this conversation: Why your value completely changes the moment you become a manager, and what to measure instead of output"Leadership is influence, not a title" — what that actually looks like day to dayThe difference between waiting for things to fall into place and making them fall into placeHow to build cross-department relationships that make you more valuable (the "what's in it for them" approach)Why business acumen is the missing skill for technical leaders, and how to start thinking like the CEOThe unspoken assumptions that are quietly limiting your value, and how to name them About Megan Robinson: Megan is the founder and CEO of eLeader Experience. She helps technical and high-performing professionals make the leap from doing great work to leading people, influencing stakeholders, and driving change, without overexplaining, people-pleasing, or burning out. Connect with Megan: eLeaderExperience.com | LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tritcak Connect with Limor:Website: https://limorbergman.comPodcast: https://limorbergman.com/podcast/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/limorbergman/Substack: https://limorbergman.substack.com Resources mentioned: John Maxwell — "Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less." Maxwell's core definition of leadership, from The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. → https://www.johnmaxwell.comRobin Sharma — The Leader Who Had No Title — On the idea that you don't need a title or anyone's permission to lead. → https://www.robinsharma.com/book/the-leader-who-had-no-titleStephen Covey — Circle of Influence vs. Circle of Control — A framework from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People for focusing your energy on what you can actually affect. → https://www.franklincovey.com/the-7-habits/WIIFM / WIIFT — "What's in it for me?" / "What's in it for them?" — A classic sales and marketing lens Megan uses for building genuine, value-driven relationships at work.

    35 min
  2. "Your English Sucks, But I Like Your Energy" | Solo | My Take on flaws and gifts

    Jun 25

    "Your English Sucks, But I Like Your Energy" | Solo | My Take on flaws and gifts

    "Your English sucks, but I like your energy." A radio station manager said it to this week's guest, Lirone Glikman, when she walked in looking for a show. It sent me straight back 25 years. In this solo episode I take you to the first big tech conference I ever attended, Java One in San Francisco, where I stood at the top of an enormous escalator looking down at thousands of engineers, mostly men, and felt completely terrified. As a quiet, introverted woman, I couldn't even go to a session alone. For years, I believed something was wrong with me. What I eventually learned, and what Lirone reminded me of this week, is that it was never about changing who I am. It's about recognizing who I am, naming the things I see as flaws, and doing the thing anyway, because I bring something else to the table. In this episode: Why I didn't realize I was an introvert until years after that conferenceThe story of why I almost never started this podcastA recent room full of senior coaches where I felt like the least experienced person, and what I brought that they didn'tWhy you should focus on your gifts, not on what you think you're missingThe question to ask yourself when something is holding you backYour version of "my English sucks, but I bring..." If you've ever felt too quiet, too inexperienced, or too different to put yourself out there, this one is for you. Listen to Wednesday's full conversation with Lirone Glikman, author of The Super Connector's Playbook, wherever you get your podcasts. Connect with Limor: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/limorbergman/Coaching: https://limorbergman.com/coaching/Newsletter/Substack: https://limorbergman.substack.com/From a Woman to a Leader drops guest episodes every Wednesday and solo episodes every Friday.

    14 min
  3. How to Build a Brand When You're Shy and Introverted | Lirone Glikman, Author of The Super Connector's Playbook

    Jun 23

    How to Build a Brand When You're Shy and Introverted | Lirone Glikman, Author of The Super Connector's Playbook

    Lirone Glikman has built relationships across 28 countries, and she's convinced that showing up as yourself, accent and all, is your biggest unfair advantage. She's a global keynote speaker, personal branding expert, bestselling author of The Super Connector's Playbook, and founder of The Human Factor. In this episode, Lirone and I get practical about the two things most women in tech avoid: building a personal brand and in-person networking. You'll hear: The Bondi Beach radio manager who hired her with "your English sucks, but I like your energy," and why your vibe matters more than your accent"I'm not fearless — I just decided life is too fragile not to live it" (Lirone on losing her mom at 21 and how it shaped every bold move since)How to build a brand from five simple foundations: goal, message, strengths, values, and feelingThe "Google yourself" exercise to audit what AI and the internet say about you and how to fix itHow to use ChatGPT and Claude to create content without losing your own voice"We have no privilege not to build our brand", and how to start small in one hour a weekThe VCP model (Visibility, Connectivity, Profitability) and why women build relationships beautifully but rarely askThe Q&A hack: how introducing yourself at a conference gives people permission to approach youThe 90-list: a five-minute-a-day system for nurturing relationships before you ever need themWhy impostor syndrome quietly costs you — and how to build your own value by doing Resources mentioned: The VCP Process by Dr. Ivan Misner (founder of BNI): https://ivanmisner.com/what-is-the-vcp-process/The 90-list by Michael Port: https://www.heroicpublicspeaking.com/articles/networking-relationships-that-lead-to-gigs Guest: Lirone Glikman — keynote speaker, personal branding expert, and author of The Super Connector's Playbook Connect with Lirone: Book + workbook: https://www.lironeglikman.com/tscp-bookAmazon: https://www.amazon.com/Super-Connectors-Playbook-Authentic-Relationships/dp/1761242083LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lironeglikmanInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lirone.glikman Connect with Limor: LinkedIn: Limor Bergman GrossCoaching: https://limorbergman.com/coaching/Newsletter/Substack: https://limorbergman.substack.com/ From a Woman to a Leader drops every Wednesday. Subscribe wherever you listen.

    44 min
  4. The Power of Not Knowing | Merav Yanai, Founder of Leap

    Jun 16

    The Power of Not Knowing | Merav Yanai, Founder of Leap

    Merav Yanai spent 30 years watching companies fail their managers, and she finally did something about it. She's an HR executive who moved to operations after an acquisition, led a major merger across US and Israeli teams, then left corporate to found Leap, an AI tool that gives mid-level managers the real-time thinking partner most of them never get: private, in the flow of work, available when the actual problem shows up. In this episode, Merav and I go deep on career transitions, the psychology of leading out of your depth, and what the AI revolution is really demanding from managers right now. You'll hear: Why Merav walked into her operations team in week one and named the elephant in the room out loud — and what happened nextThe "power of not knowing" mindset she uses every time she steps into unfamiliar territoryWhat nobody warns you about when you make a career move: you lose your identity, your authority, and your confidence, and you have to rebuild all threeWhy 70% of managers still learn by trial and error — and what Merav built to change thatHow Robin (Leap's AI agent) works differently from ChatGPT, Gemini, or any general-purpose LLMThe question Robin asked her, which she couldn't answer at first, was: "How would you change your behavior to get a different result?"Early results: 12% faster decision-making, 30% improvement in strategic thinkingWhether AI will make coaching and mentoring redundant (short answer: no, but the role shifts)Guest: Merav Yanai, founder of Leap (myleap.ai), former VP HR and Operations executive Connect with Merav: https://www.linkedin.com/in/merav-yanai/ Connect with Limor: LinkedIn: Limor Bergman GrossCoaching: https://limorbergman.com/coaching/Newsletter/Substack: https://limorbergman.substack.com/ From a Woman to a Leader drops every Wednesday. Subscribe wherever you listen.

    39 min
  5. You're Not Starting From Zero: a conversation about Change Careers | Or Harel

    Jun 9

    You're Not Starting From Zero: a conversation about Change Careers | Or Harel

    You've built something you're good at. You've put in the years. And now, part of you wants to do something new, but another part whispers, "If I leave, I'm starting from zero." I'll be no one. My guest this week, Or Harel, knows that feeling, and she walked through it anyway. After 13 years in the military, including a role no woman had held before her, she left at 31 to start over. Since then, she's co-founded two startups and built a career in product, marketing, and research, all from skills she almost didn't recognize as skills. This conversation is for any woman standing on the edge of a big change and wondering whether her experience will actually count on the other side. In this episode: Why "I'm starting from zero" is usually a story, not a fact, and how to spot the experience you're discountingHow to take an honest inventory of your skills without over-selling or tearing yourself downWhy the art of asking the right questions might be the most transferable skill you haveWhat really holds women back from making a change, and the kind of support that gets you through it About Or Harel: Or Harel is a researcher and product and marketing specialist who spent 13 years in military intelligence before moving into tech and entrepreneurship. She's co-founded two startups and is passionate about helping women see that the experience they already carry is worth far more than they think. Connect with Or: https://www.linkedin.com/in/or-harel-281182196/ The NGO Or volunteers with (supporting women leaving the military): https://asur.co.il/en/home/ Listen, and if you've ever told yourself it's too late to begin a new chapter, this one's for you. Connect with Limor:Podcast: https://limorbergman.com/podcast/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/limorbergman/Substack: https://limorbergman.substack.com

    31 min
  6. The Introvert's Networking Playbook | Solo episode

    Jun 4

    The Introvert's Networking Playbook | Solo episode

    You walk into a conference. You don't know anyone. Everyone seems to already be in clusters: laughing, exchanging cards, working the room. And you're standing at the edge of it, wondering what's wrong with you. For most of my career, that's how I felt. In this solo follow-up to my conversation with Naama Nicotra, CEO of NakedPak, I'm naming the playbook Naama was running without calling it one, and the one I had to figure out for myself before I called myself a coach. Spoiler: it's three moves. One drink. One person. One question. In this episode: The first big conference I ever went to (Java One 2001), and why I was terrified to walk into a single session aloneWhy "just put yourself out there" is the wrong instruction for introverts, and what actually worksThe 1-on-1 superpower (and the paid speaking gig I got because of it)What I told a client this week, who's scared her team will leave because she's not chatty enoughWhy people actually leave their managers , and it has nothing to do with whether you're their best buddy If you've ever stood at the edge of a room thinking something was wrong with you, this episode is for you. Connect with Limor:Website: https://limorbergman.comPodcast: https://limorbergman.com/podcast/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/limorbergman/Substack: https://limorbergman.substack.com For anyone searching: networking for introverts, introvert leadership, women in tech, female leaders, how introverts make connections, conference networking tips, quiet leaders, team retention, introverted managers.

    25 min
  7. Pitch Without a Slide Deck, and Walk Into Any Room | Naama Nicotra, Naked Pak

    Jun 2

    Pitch Without a Slide Deck, and Walk Into Any Room | Naama Nicotra, Naked Pak

    Naama Nicotra is back for round two. The founder and CEO of NakedPak, the first brand making microplastic-free meals with edible, hot-water-soluble packaging, sat down with me again to talk about the things we didn't get to last time. She told me about the moment she watched two men at an event bond instantly and what it revealed about why women in tech don't form those same bonds. She walked me through how she approaches a room where she knows no one, and she gave away her real pitching playbook, the one where she throws out the slide deck and asks the investor to talk first. In this episode, we cover: Why the bonds women in tech build with each other are our real unfair advantage, and why we don't lean on them enoughHow to walk into a room of strangers and actually start talking (Naama's two best stories)The three pitch versions every founder should have, and how to know which one to useWhy she stopped showing the deck in the meeting, and what happened to her conversion rateThe fundraising advice she would give her past self: don't start raising when you need the money About Naama:Naama Nicotra is the founder and CEO of NakedPak, the first brand to create edible, hot-water-soluble food packaging that leaves no plastic, no waste, and no chemicals behind. She studied industrial design and served as the first training officer in a new IDF commando brigade. Her perspective on fundraising, pitching, and showing up in rooms where you don't belong yet is the most practical playbook I've heard from an early-stage founder. Connect with Naama:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naama-nicotra-1b9232174/NakedPak: https://www.nakedpak.com/ Connect with Limor:Website: https://limorbergman.comPodcast: https://limorbergman.com/podcast/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/limorbergman/Substack: https://limorbergman.substack.com For anyone searching: how to pitch investors without a deck, fundraising advice for first-time founders, networking for introverted founders, women in tech, female founders, how to handle rejection from VCs, and when to start fundraising.

    43 min
  8. Success Is the Journey, Not the Outcome (My Take on Failure and Rejection)


    May 28

    Success Is the Journey, Not the Outcome (My Take on Failure and Rejection)


    You look at the people you admire, and you see the finished version. The company, the title, the stage, the applause. You almost never see the years of failure and rejection it took to get there. And quietly, you start measuring yourself against their outcome instead of your own journey. In this solo episode, I share my honest take on my conversation this week with founder Naama Nicotra and what it stirred up for me about success, failure, and rejection. I talk about why I told Naama she is already successful even though she does not feel it yet, what I tell my own kids when they fail a test, the rejection folder that stuck with me, and the five to ten rejections that sit behind every talk I give. This is the companion to my conversation with Naama Nicotra. And stay close, because next week I have a second episode with her, and there is a slightly embarrassing reason there are two. Connect with Limor:Website: https://limorbergman.comPodcast: https://limorbergman.com/podcast/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/limorbergman/Substack: https://limorbergman.substack.com For anyone searching: what success really means, how to handle rejection, redefining success, failure as part of growth, women in tech, and becoming a speaker.

    11 min
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From a Woman to a Leader is the women in tech leadership podcast — honest conversations with senior women in tech about promotions, visibility, and leading without burning out.

Information

  • Creator
    Limor Bergman Gross
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    187
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Limor Bergman Gross
  • Show Website
    From a Woman to a Leader