SisterSmart Leadership

Jill Avey

Are you a woman in leadership who is tired of feeling stuck in your career? Like your work isn’t getting the recognition it deserves? Like your voice doesn’t have the influence it needs to contribute to better solutions? Like no matter what you do, you can’t get promoted? While these challenges don’t discriminate against gender, women need different solutions to overcome them. It’s not enough for women to simply get leadership training and career advice. They need to learn how to lead with their feminine energy and use it as their biggest advantage. On this show, career success coach Jill Avey and her guests explore how women can rise from director to vice president and beyond by fully leaning into their feminine energy as their biggest advantage. In each episode, you’ll understand how women need to lead differently and how by doing so, women leaders gain influence and respect among their colleagues, restore balance to their role, and receive the recognition and promotions they deserve. Each episode will highlight real-life stories, offer practical advice, and the science of feminine leadership so you can see how women are rising up as far as they want to go, without playing by the old rules that built these male-dominated industries and systems. It took Jill 10 years to get promoted from director to vice president. She’s here to extend her hand to other women leaders to move past that rung of the ladder in months — or even weeks — instead of years — so we can create more gender balance within leadership positions and feel the effects of women’s influence on the world. Jill is the founder of SisterSmart where she offers group and private coaching to help her clients find deep fulfillment in their careers, both personally and financially. You can learn more at sistersmart.com

  1. 6H AGO

    40: How to Build a Professional Network for Women Leaders

    That promotion you did not get? It was probably not decided in a performance review. It was decided on a golf course, at happy hour, or in a conversation you were never invited to. Informal networks at work are where the real career decisions get made and most women are not in those rooms. Research shows that 70 to 80 percent of promotions and high-visibility opportunities are driven by professional relationships, not performance alone. Yet women's networks are 30 percent smaller than men's, and the gap widens at every level of leadership. In this episode, SisterSmart Leadership Coaches Jill and Sara Spencer break down everything you need to know about building influential professional relationships and developing career sponsorship strategies that actually work. You will learn how to network professionally without feeling self-promotional, how to build strategic relationships when you are working remotely or in a hybrid environment, and how to identify the sponsors and senior leaders who will champion your next promotion. Whether you are trying to rise from director to VP, get noticed by senior leadership, or simply figure out how to build the kind of network that opens doors, this episode gives you a clear, practical framework to make it happen on your own terms. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE: 01:50 -- Why informal networks at work drive promotions more than performance and what you can do about it 04:30 -- The biggest misconception women have about professional relationships building (and the mindset shift that changes everything) 08:45 -- Formal vs. informal networks and which one is actually driving career advancement 11:00 -- How to build the professional networking muscle with just one hour a week 15:30 -- Creative, low-pressure ways to connect that do not require evening events or forced small talk 19:45 -- Hybrid work networking strategies, how to stay visible and build relationships when you are not always in the office 24:00 -- How to map your network and close the gaps that could be holding back your promotion 28:30 -- Career sponsorship strategies, how to identify and build relationships with the senior leaders who will advocate for you 33:00 -- Three action steps you can take this week to start building a network that moves your career forward THIS EPISODE IS FOR YOU IF: You are a woman in leadership who wants to move from director to VP or into senior executive rolesYou have been waiting for your hard work to speak for itself and it is not workingYou want professional networking tips that feel authentic, not sleazy or self-promotionalYou are looking for a career coach for women who understands the real barriers to promotionYou want to build executive presence and get noticed by the right senior leaders FREE RESOURCE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Stakeholder Mapping Guide: https://sistersmart.ck.page/fb7440c515 ALSO MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Free Passport to Promotion Private Podcast -- 7 Steps to Get Promoted from Director to VP: https://joinsistersinleadership.com/7-steps span class="ql-ui"...

    31 min
  2. FEB 12

    39: How to Decide: Should I stay or should I go?

    Should I stay or should I go? This is a question many of my clients come to me with. You've invested years at your company, built strong relationships, and know how to do your job well. But something feels off. Maybe you've gotten too comfortable in your groove. Maybe the company culture has shifted. Or maybe you know deep down that you're ready for more. Our client, Dorothy, a negotiations coach herself, found herself at this exact crossroads. She was working at a large Fortune 500 healthcare organization and knew it was time to move up—but couldn't see clearly whether that meant staying or leaving. Through our work together, Dorothy overcame her fear, activated her network, and landed a VP role at a fast-growing company where she's now building a supply chain and procurement function from the ground up. The best part? Her husband noticed she doesn't look stressed anymore—even though she has more work than before. That's the power of finding work that's truly aligned with who you are. Whether you're stuck in a comfortable groove or wrestling with the stay-or-go question yourself, you'll find inspiration in Dorothy's story. 02:42 — What was really blocking Dorothy from getting the recognition she deserved (hint: it wasn't just the company) 04:42 — The program elements that helped Dorothy get clarity, including the networking strategy that opened up multiple opportunities 09:20 — How Dorothy landed a VP role at a fast-growing company and why she feels re-energized instead of burned out 14:13 — How Dorothy balances her bigger role while staying true to her feminine leadership style 19:49 — The book Dorothy recommends that explains why women struggle with people-pleasing and boundary-setting (and how to overcome it) — Register for the Free Executive Presence for Women Masterclass: The 3 keys to Increase Authority and Influence, happening live on Thursday, August 8 at 12 PST. A replay will be available for those that register! https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAkdOsrDItGdHchQv1BXFozsGRUjL74xlK#/registration — 🌟 FREE MASTERCLASS: Achieve Your VP Promotion: 3 Steps to Success in the Next Year https://sistersmart.com/register-sil — ✈️ FREE PASSPORT TO PROMOTION PRIVATE PODCAST: 7 STEPS TO GET PROMOTED FROM DIRECTOR TO VP Get access to the Passport to Promotion Private Podcast — 👩‍💻 APPLY FOR THE SISTERS IN LEADERSHIP PROGRAM An 12-month coaching program for women leaders who want to rise up and fulfill their career potential and get promoted from director to VP Join Sisters in Leadership to Get Promoted to VP — 💻 EXPLORE OUR LEADERSHIP COURSES We offer a few leadership courses for you to begin sharpening your skills from meeting management to executive presence and productivity. Sign Up for a Leadership Course — 👋 CONNECT WITH JILL  🌐 Website: https://sistersmart.com/  🎥 YouTube: https://linktw.in/uWD3ko  💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillavey/

    23 min
  3. FEB 5

    38: The Likeability Trap: What’s Really Stopping Women from Getting Promoted

    Have you ever been told you need to be 'warmer' in a meeting... and then told you need to be 'more assertive' in your next review? This is what researchers call the 'likeability trap.' And it's one of the biggest reasons talented women get stuck in their careers. In this episode, you'll learn what the likeability trap actually looks like at work so you can spot when it's happening to you. Jill shares why traditional assertiveness training often backfires for women, and what actually works instead. By the end of this episode, you'll have a framework for leading authentically, one that honors who you are instead of asking you to become someone else. 02:45 — How the likeability trap plays out at work 4:17 — Why traditional assertiveness training often backfires for women 08:15 —How to be more authoritative without losing yourself 11:45 — Setting professional boundaries at work 14:30 — Bossy vs. confident - navigating the double standard — Register for the Free Executive Presence for Women Masterclass: The 3 keys to Increase Authority and Influence, happening live on Thursday, August 8 at 12 PST. A replay will be available for those that register! https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAkdOsrDItGdHchQv1BXFozsGRUjL74xlK#/registration — 🌟 FREE MASTERCLASS: Achieve Your VP Promotion: 3 Steps to Success in the Next Year https://sistersmart.com/register-sil — ✈️ FREE PASSPORT TO PROMOTION PRIVATE PODCAST: 7 STEPS TO GET PROMOTED FROM DIRECTOR TO VP Get access to the Passport to Promotion Private Podcast — 👩‍💻 APPLY FOR THE SISTERS IN LEADERSHIP PROGRAM An 12-month coaching program for women leaders who want to rise up and fulfill their career potential and get promoted from director to VP Join Sisters in Leadership to Get Promoted to VP — 💻 EXPLORE OUR LEADERSHIP COURSES We offer a few leadership courses for you to begin sharpening your skills from meeting management to executive presence and productivity. Sign Up for a Leadership Course — 👋 CONNECT WITH JILL  🌐 Website: https://sistersmart.com/  🎥 YouTube: https://linktw.in/uWD3ko  💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillavey/

    16 min
  4. 08/15/2024

    37: Rising Up & Creating More Gender Balance in Male-Dominated Industries with Sumi Singh of Microsoft

    How can we change the gender balance in traditionally male dominated fields?  The tech industry is one that's been known to be male dominated. I have a lot of clients in the tech industry, and some of them feel very daunted by this problem, often wondering if they'll ever get a chance to get the recognition they deserve.  So I'm so excited to have this conversation with a leader in tech that's been a change agent in this way, and to learn more about what's happened to help her be more successful in her career.  01:41 — What Sumi did to bring more gender balance to the leadership team at Microsoft  09:59 — The role Sumi’s network has played in her ability to develop a high-performing team  12:32 — How she has navigated to senior leadership levels in a competitive industry  16:20 — The biggest changes she’s had to navigate to succeed in a senior leadership role 👋 CONNECT WITH SUMI  Sumi Singh is a Corporate Vice President in the Collaborative, Applications & Platforms organization. She has over 25 years of experience as an engineer, leader, and customer advocate. She is known for creating a culture of inclusion and building resilient teams where people are able to do their best work and operates with a growth mindset. Her team is focused on delivering Microsoft Teams, the hub for collaboration in Microsoft 365 that connects people, content, and tools they need to be more engaged and effective everywhere. — Register for the Free Executive Presence for Women Masterclass: The 3 keys to Increase Authority and Influence, happening live on Thursday, August 8 at 12 PST. A replay will be available for those that register! https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAkdOsrDItGdHchQv1BXFozsGRUjL74xlK#/registration — 🌟 FREE MASTERCLASS: Achieve Your VP Promotion: 3 Steps to Success in the Next Year https://sistersmart.com/register-sil — ✈️ FREE PASSPORT TO PROMOTION PRIVATE PODCAST: 7 STEPS TO GET PROMOTED FROM DIRECTOR TO VP Get access to the Passport to Promotion Private Podcast — 👩‍💻 APPLY FOR THE SISTERS IN LEADERSHIP PROGRAM An 12-month coaching program for women leaders who want to rise up and fulfill their career potential and get promoted from director to VP Join Sisters in Leadership to Get Promoted to VP — 💻 EXPLORE OUR LEADERSHIP COURSES We offer a few leadership courses for you to begin sharpening your skills from meeting management to executive presence and productivity. Sign Up for a Leadership Course — 👋 CONNECT WITH JILL  🌐 Website: https://sistersmart.com/  🎥 YouTube: https://linktw.in/uWD3ko  💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillavey/

    26 min
  5. 08/08/2024

    36: How Leaders Network Without Being a “Taker”

    Mid-career women often have an allergic reaction to how to build their network.  They don't want to feel cheesy, sleazy, or like they're only out for themselves. They've seen others doing this and they don't want to be perceived in the same way.  But the problem with this is it holds them back in their careers because your network is more important the higher your rise. In this episode, Jill shares how you can balance giving and taking so you can build a strategic network with people you enjoy spending time with. She’ll share how she’s created a reputation as someone people can count on and who they turn to when they need an expert. So if you've been resisting the whole idea of networking or feel lost on how to do it in a way that doesn’t just feel like you’re taking, taking, taking, this episode's for you! Tune in to hear:   01:48 — Givers vs. Takers: How to find the right balance when networking  02:50 — What to do when it feels like you don’t have anything to offer others 09:26 — Who you want to focus on networking with — Register for the Free Executive Presence for Women Masterclass: The 3 keys to Increase Authority and Influence, happening live on Thursday, August 8 at 12 PST. A replay will be available for those that register! https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAkdOsrDItGdHchQv1BXFozsGRUjL74xlK#/registration — 🌟 FREE MASTERCLASS: Achieve Your VP Promotion: 3 Steps to Success in the Next Year https://sistersmart.com/register-sil — ✈️ FREE PASSPORT TO PROMOTION PRIVATE PODCAST: 7 STEPS TO GET PROMOTED FROM DIRECTOR TO VP Get access to the Passport to Promotion Private Podcast — 👩‍💻 APPLY FOR THE SISTERS IN LEADERSHIP PROGRAM An 12-month coaching program for women leaders who want to rise up and fulfill their career potential and get promoted from director to VP Join Sisters in Leadership to Get Promoted to VP — 💻 EXPLORE OUR LEADERSHIP COURSES We offer a few leadership courses for you to begin sharpening your skills from meeting management to executive presence and productivity. Sign Up for a Leadership Course — 👋 CONNECT WITH JILL  🌐 Website: https://sistersmart.com/  🎥 YouTube: https://linktw.in/uWD3ko  💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillavey/

    14 min
  6. 08/01/2024

    35: Handling Challenges as a Leader Without Getting Caught Up in Mind Drama with Wendy

    You’ve likely heard the saying, “you can’t control the situation, but you can control how you react to the situation.”  That can be easier said than done, but that’s exactly the skill great leaders are able to develop. Our client, Wendy, was initially a little resistant to the mindset work, but when she was laid off from a role she didn’t enjoy, she used that time to reflect on her unique strengths and skills that helped her land the new role she’s in now. As she transitioned into the new role, she focused on three mindsets that have helped her not only succeed in her role even when there’s conflict and challenges, but also enjoy it because her emotional response is much more balanced.  If you find yourself feeling frustrated by challenges or situations in your role, tune in to hear the mindsets Wendy has developed and how they’ve supported her! 02:20 — The mindset shift Wendy had after losing her job that helped her turn a setback into an opportunity to create a career she loves  10:28 — The importance of choosing an aligned coaching program so you’re surrounded the right types of leader to build your network  12:48 — One of the most important things you need to embrace if you want to evolve as a leader  15:49 — How practicing this one skill with yourself supports you in leading others more effectively 👋 GET TO KNOW WENDY  Wendy is a Creative Director who loves to build brands by listening to what is needed and building a strong foundation on which to develop a design system. She’s led and worked with cross-functional teams to launch and implement brands across all digital, print, social and video channels. Wendy is an engaged and enthusiastic leader unifying teams to work together through collaboration. — Register for the Free Executive Presence for Women Masterclass: The 3 keys to Increase Authority and Influence, happening live on Thursday, August 8 at 12 PST. A replay will be available for those that register! https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAkdOsrDItGdHchQv1BXFozsGRUjL74xlK#/registration — 🌟 FREE MASTERCLASS: Achieve Your VP Promotion: 3 Steps to Success in the Next Year https://sistersmart.com/register-sil — ✈️ FREE PASSPORT TO PROMOTION PRIVATE PODCAST: 7 STEPS TO GET PROMOTED FROM DIRECTOR TO VP Get access to the Passport to Promotion Private Podcast — 👩‍💻 APPLY FOR THE SISTERS IN LEADERSHIP PROGRAM An 12-month coaching program for women leaders who want to rise up and fulfill their career potential and get promoted from director to VP Join Sisters in Leadership to Get Promoted to VP — 💻 EXPLORE OUR LEADERSHIP COURSES We offer a few leadership courses for you to begin sharpening your skills from meeting management to executive presence and productivity. Sign Up for a Leadership Course — 👋 CONNECT WITH JILL  🌐 Website: https://sistersmart.com/  🎥 YouTube: https://linktw.in/uWD3ko  💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillavey/

    31 min
  7. 07/25/2024

    34: How to Find a Mentor as a Leader and Be a Great Mentee

    Every leader with an eye on a senior role needs to understand how to find a mentor.  When you seek out the right mentors, they become an advantage that will help you rise into senior leadership roles more quickly and easily.  In this episode, Jill and SisterSmart Career Success Coach, Sarah, share how to determine what you want to get out of a mentorship, find the mentors that are right for you, and nurture those relationships to position yourself in the best way. They also share a few of the traps you’ll want to avoid in a mentor relationship so you can ensure the relationship is beneficial for both you and them.  01:08 — It’s your job as the mentee to find your mentor  02:51 — How to identify what you need and want out of a mentor 07:51 — Why you want to start with an informal relationship rather than jumping into a mentorship  10:43 — How to have the conversations to get what you'd like out of the mentorship 14:20 — Understand what isn’t appropriate or ideal to bring to your mentor  16:22 — How to become the mentee that your mentor loves to support — 👩‍💼WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A MENTOR CHECKLIST: See what steps you need to take and the right questions to ask yourself to find your perfect mentor www.sistersmart.com/MentorChecklist — 🌟 FREE MASTERCLASS: Achieve Your VP Promotion: 3 Steps to Success in the Next Year https://sistersmart.com/register-sil — ✈️ FREE PASSPORT TO PROMOTION PRIVATE PODCAST: 7 STEPS TO GET PROMOTED FROM DIRECTOR TO VP Get access to the Passport to Promotion Private Podcast — 👩‍💻 APPLY FOR THE SISTERS IN LEADERSHIP PROGRAM An 12-month coaching program for women leaders who want to rise up and fulfill their career potential and get promoted from director to VP Join Sisters in Leadership to Get Promoted to VP — 💻 EXPLORE OUR LEADERSHIP COURSES We offer a few leadership courses for you to begin sharpening your skills from meeting management to executive presence and productivity. Sign Up for a Leadership Course — 👋 CONNECT WITH JILL  🌐 Website: https://sistersmart.com/  🎥 YouTube: https://linktw.in/uWD3ko  💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillavey/

    21 min
  8. 07/18/2024

    33: How to Design a Personal Board of Directors That Will Help You Rise into Senior Management

    Everyone's heard the phrase, your network is your net worth. Then why do so few mid-career women have the robust network that will get them into senior management?  According to McKinsey, even female CEOs have networks that are several times smaller than their male colleagues and the numbers get even worse the farther down the ladder you go. So if men have this all figured out, why is this still something that women shy away from?  In this episode, Jill explores the misconceptions that women have about networking and why a personal board of directors can accelerate the path for every woman who wants to rise up into senior management. She shares about the essential mindset shifts that you need to take to be able to go from nay to yay when it comes to this important work and she will help you design your own personal board of directors to save you from going to networking events and having to talk to a room full of strangers or tooting your horn around the company.   02:39 — Your "good work" isn't enough to secure a promotion into senior management 05:12 — How to design your personal advisory board so you know what seats you'd like to fill 06:57 — The types of people you can consider having on your personal board of directors Book Your Free Growth Accelerator Call: https://calendly.com/sistersmart/leader — Register for the Free Executive Presence for Women Masterclass: The 3 keys to Increase Authority and Influence, happening live on Thursday, August 8 at 12 PST. A replay will be available for those that register! https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAkdOsrDItGdHchQv1BXFozsGRUjL74xlK#/registration — 🌟 FREE MASTERCLASS: Achieve Your VP Promotion: 3 Steps to Success in the Next Year https://sistersmart.com/register-sil — ✈️ FREE PASSPORT TO PROMOTION PRIVATE PODCAST: 7 STEPS TO GET PROMOTED FROM DIRECTOR TO VP Get access to the Passport to Promotion Private Podcast — 👩‍💻 APPLY FOR THE SISTERS IN LEADERSHIP PROGRAM An 12-month coaching program for women leaders who want to rise up and fulfill their career potential and get promoted from director to VP Join Sisters in Leadership to Get Promoted to VP — 💻 EXPLORE OUR LEADERSHIP COURSES We offer a few leadership courses for you to begin sharpening your skills from meeting management to executive presence and productivity. Sign Up for a Leadership Course — 👋 CONNECT WITH JILL  🌐 Website: https://sistersmart.com/  🎥 YouTube: https://linktw.in/uWD3ko  💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillavey/

    17 min

Trailer

5
out of 5
21 Ratings

About

Are you a woman in leadership who is tired of feeling stuck in your career? Like your work isn’t getting the recognition it deserves? Like your voice doesn’t have the influence it needs to contribute to better solutions? Like no matter what you do, you can’t get promoted? While these challenges don’t discriminate against gender, women need different solutions to overcome them. It’s not enough for women to simply get leadership training and career advice. They need to learn how to lead with their feminine energy and use it as their biggest advantage. On this show, career success coach Jill Avey and her guests explore how women can rise from director to vice president and beyond by fully leaning into their feminine energy as their biggest advantage. In each episode, you’ll understand how women need to lead differently and how by doing so, women leaders gain influence and respect among their colleagues, restore balance to their role, and receive the recognition and promotions they deserve. Each episode will highlight real-life stories, offer practical advice, and the science of feminine leadership so you can see how women are rising up as far as they want to go, without playing by the old rules that built these male-dominated industries and systems. It took Jill 10 years to get promoted from director to vice president. She’s here to extend her hand to other women leaders to move past that rung of the ladder in months — or even weeks — instead of years — so we can create more gender balance within leadership positions and feel the effects of women’s influence on the world. Jill is the founder of SisterSmart where she offers group and private coaching to help her clients find deep fulfillment in their careers, both personally and financially. You can learn more at sistersmart.com