High Heels Higher Standards

Ashley Werner
  • 4.8 (18)
  • CAREERS

High Heels, Higher Standards is a bold, unfiltered podcast where two executive women get real about power, purpose, and the pressure to play small in careers, relationships and life. Ashley & Heidi blend ambition with authenticity and humor with hard-hitting advice to help high-achieving women own their voice, set the bar higher,  live unapologetically, and level up. 

  1. 4D AGO

    The Cost of Ambition for Career Women (Then vs. Today)

    What does ambition really cost women—and has anything actually changed? In this powerful episode of High Heels, Higher Standards, Ashley and Heidi unpack The Cost of Ambition for Women (Then vs. Today)—from the overt barriers women faced decades ago to the subtle, internalized pressures high-achieving women navigate now. Historically, ambition cost women likability, safety, and acceptance. Today, women have more opportunity and visibility—but still face a persistent double standard. Why is a direct man seen as decisive, while a direct woman is labeled abrasive? Why do ambitious women still feel the need to over-explain, overperform, and self-edit? This episode breaks down: The hidden double standards in leadership and the workplaceThe psychological cost of ambition for modern womenThe top traps high-achieving women fall into—like overcompensation, self-betrayal, and emotional armorHow to integrate ambition with femininity without sacrificing authenticityPractical strategies for setting boundaries, communicating with clarity, and commanding respect without losing yourselfIf you’ve ever felt the pressure to choose between being powerful and being liked, this conversation will shift how you see ambition, success, and feminine leadership. Because the truth is: you don’t have to shrink to succeed—and you don’t have to harden to be respected. ✨ Your ambition is not a liability. ✨ Your femininity is not a limitation. ✨ Together, they are your greatest advantage. 🎧 Follow High Heels, Higher Standards for more conversations on women’s leadership, ambition, confidence, and modern femininity. 📲 Share this episode with a woman who’s ready to stop playing small and start leading fully. Support the show Until next Wednesday, keep your head, heels and standards high! Please follow along for more on TikTok and Instagram: @higherheelspodcast Thank you for listening, lovelies!

    38 min

  2. MAR 11

    Women in STEM Who Changed the World | Marie Curie, Katherine Johnson & More

    This Women’s History Month, High Heels, Higher Standards honors the brilliant women whose discoveries helped build the modern world — even when history didn’t give them the credit they deserved. In Part Two of our Women’s History Month series, Ashley sits down with Heidi to explore the extraordinary female scientists, mathematicians, and innovators who reshaped medicine, space exploration, and molecular biology. From Marie Curie’s groundbreaking research in radioactivity, to Katherine Johnson’s precise NASA orbital calculations, to Rosalind Franklin’s critical contribution to discovering the structure of DNA, these women changed the course of science through mastery, discipline, and intellectual rigor. Ashley and Heidi also highlight the global scientific impact of Tu Youyou, whose discovery of artemisinin transformed malaria treatment; Virginia Apgar, whose neonatal scoring system revolutionized newborn care; and Dorothy Hodgkin, whose breakthroughs in structural chemistry reshaped modern medicine. This episode is more than a celebration of women in STEM. It’s a reminder that expertise is power, precision commands influence, and true brilliance does not wait for permission. Whether you’re building a career in science, leadership, business, or any field requiring intellectual authority, this conversation will remind you that mastery doesn’t just open doors — it changes the room. Because history proves something powerful: The women who shape the future are often the ones who quietly master the work. 📲 Follow and tag us @high.heels.higher 🎧 Share this episode with a woman who deserves to remember just how powerful she is. Support the show Until next Wednesday, keep your head, heels and standards high! Please follow along for more on TikTok and Instagram: @higherheelspodcast Thank you for listening, lovelies!

    33 min

  3. MAR 4

    Women Who Changed the Rules (and Didn’t Ask Permission)

    March is Women’s History Month — and this week on High Heels, Higher Standards, we’re moving beyond surface-level celebration and into strategy. In this powerful conversation, Heidi interviews Ashley about the women who didn’t just succeed within broken systems — they rewrote them. From Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s legal strategy to Madam C.J. Walker’s economic empire, from Katherine Johnson’s NASA calculations to Vera Wang’s bold reinvention at 40, this episode explores what it really means to change the rules without asking permission. This is not performative empowerment.  It’s disciplined ambition.  It’s structural influence.  It’s rewriting power on your terms. If you’re a woman building a career, launching a business, leading teams, or designing a life aligned with your standards — this episode is your blueprint. Next week: Part Two — Women in STEM who reshaped science, technology, and innovation. 🎧 Follow, rate, and share with a woman who is done playing small.  📲 Tag us on Instagram @high.heels.higher and tell us: What rule are you rewriting? women history month Support the show Until next Wednesday, keep your head, heels and standards high! Please follow along for more on TikTok and Instagram: @higherheelspodcast Thank you for listening, lovelies!

    35 min

  4. FEB 25

    Main Character Energy Is a Wellness Practice

    What if burnout isn’t a personal failure—but a sign you’ve been living as a supporting character in your own life? In this episode of High Heels, Higher Standards, Ashley and Heidi explore why main character energy isn’t a trend or mindset hack—it’s a legitimate wellness practice for high-achieving women. From chronic exhaustion and people-pleasing to nervous system overload and self-abandonment, they unpack how constantly prioritizing others quietly erodes your health, confidence, and vitality. You’ll learn why centering yourself is not selfish, how wellness is deeply tied to agency and identity, and what it actually looks like to design a lifestyle where your energy, pleasure, and presence matter just as much as your productivity. This conversation is for ambitious women who are tired of earning rest, postponing joy, and living in survival mode—and are ready to step into leadership from the inside out. In this episode, we cover: Why “main character energy” is about agency, not egoThe hidden health cost of people-pleasing and over-functioningHow de-centering yourself keeps your nervous system in chronic stressPractical ways to reclaim your time, energy, and self-connectionWhy pleasure, presence, and self-prioritization are essential to sustainable successIf you’re ready to stop shrinking, stop sacrificing, and start leading your life with intention—this episode is your permission slip. ✨ High heels. Higher standards. And a life that actually supports you. Support the show Until next Wednesday, keep your head, heels and standards high! Please follow along for more on TikTok and Instagram: @higherheelspodcast Thank you for listening, lovelies!

    40 min

  5. FEB 18

    The Lifestyle Audit: Designing a Life That Supports The Woman You're Becoming

    Are you actually tired… or is your lifestyle optimized for a version of you that no longer exists? In this episode of High Heels, Higher Standards, Heidi and Ashley introduce the concept of a Lifestyle Audit — a powerful personal growth tool designed to help ambitious women realign their schedule, habits, environment, and energy with the woman they’re becoming. Because wellness isn’t just about workouts, green juice, or meditation. It’s about your calendar. Your relationships. Your wardrobe. Your home. Your digital habits. Your boundaries. If you’ve been feeling low-grade dissatisfaction, burnout, resistance to your own schedule, or asking yourself “What’s wrong with me?” — this conversation reframes everything. Nothing is wrong with you. You may have simply evolved faster than your systems. In this episode, we cover: What a Lifestyle Audit actually is (and what it’s not)Signs your life is optimized for an old version of youHow misalignment shows up as fatigue, irritability, and burnoutThe six core areas to evaluate: energy, schedule, wardrobe, social life, home environment, and digital habitsWhy recalibration works better than dramatic reinventionSmall, elegant lifestyle upgrades that create outsized returnsThis episode is for high-performing women who want success without chaos, ambition without burnout, and standards without self-abandonment. If you care about personal development, mindset shifts, self-respect, productivity, feminine leadership, intentional living, and lifestyle design — this conversation will meet you exactly where you are. Power question to sit with this week: Does my life actually support the woman I say I’m becoming? High standards don’t require upheaval. They require clarity. Support the show Until next Wednesday, keep your head, heels and standards high! Please follow along for more on TikTok and Instagram: @higherheelspodcast Thank you for listening, lovelies!

    39 min

  6. FEB 11

    Wellness Isn’t Weak: The Discipline Behind Feeling Good

    Is your “self-care” actually helping… or just helping you survive burnout? In this episode of High Heels, Higher Standards, Heidi and Ashley break down the real difference between aesthetic self-care and disciplined self-respect — and why high-achieving women need to stop confusing exhaustion with ambition. If you’re a driven woman juggling career, leadership, family, and high personal standards — but still feeling tired, resentful, or constantly behind — this conversation is for you. We’re talking about: The truth about burnout in ambitious womenWhy powering through always comes with interestThe difference between indulgent self-care and real wellnessHow sleep, boundaries, nutrition, and movement directly impact leadership performanceEmotional regulation and decision-making under stressWhy feeling good is not a luxury — it’s a leadership skillHow to build stamina for ambition without self-betrayalWellness isn’t bubble baths and candles. It’s discipline. It’s systems. It’s honesty about what your life actually costs you. If you’re a woman in leadership, STEM, business, entrepreneurship, or simply someone who wants more without burning out — this episode will challenge the way you think about productivity, resilience, and work-life balance. Because the strongest women aren’t the ones who power through everything. They’re the ones who build lives they don’t constantly have to recover from. If this episode resonated, share it with a woman who needs permission to stop earning her rest. And remember, keep your heels high, and your standards higher.  Support the show Until next Wednesday, keep your head, heels and standards high! Please follow along for more on TikTok and Instagram: @higherheelspodcast Thank you for listening, lovelies!

    25 min

  7. FEB 4

    Wellness as Strategy: Designing a Life That Supports Your Ambition

    Wellness isn’t self-care. It’s strategy. In this episode of High Heels, Higher Standards, Ashley interviews Heidi to reframe wellness as a deliberate system that supports ambitious women, not a reaction to burnout. This conversation is for high-performing women who are done normalizing exhaustion and ready to design lives that actually sustain success. Together, they break down why constant recovery is a sign of a broken system, how your calendar reveals your true priorities, and why structure isn’t restrictive — it’s freeing. Heidi shares how treating wellness as infrastructure (not aesthetics) has transformed her energy, clarity, leadership, and long-term capacity. This episode explores: Why exhaustion is not the cost of ambitionHow to design a life that supports longevity, not burnoutThe role of structure, movement, and white space in executive performanceWhy your environment and relationships directly impact your nervous systemHow future-self thinking changes wellness decisions immediatelyIf you’re tired of chasing balance and ready to build a life that supports your ambition, this episode offers a smarter, more sustainable approach. Wellness isn’t something you earn after success — it’s what makes success possible. ✨ Raise your standards. Protect your energy. Support the show Until next Wednesday, keep your head, heels and standards high! Please follow along for more on TikTok and Instagram: @higherheelspodcast Thank you for listening, lovelies!

    32 min

  8. JAN 28

    Choosing Focus Over Frenzy: How We’re Thinking About Priorities This Year

    January is loud. Declarations. Reinventions. “New year, new me” energy everywhere. In this episode of High Heels, Higher Standards, we’re doing something different. Instead of chasing more goals, we’re talking about choosing wisely—and why focus, not frenzy, is the real power move this year. As we close out January, Ashley turns the mic toward co-host Heidi for a grounded, strategic conversation about priorities, restraint, and intentional ambition. This episode is for the woman who’s capable of a lot—but no longer wants to be scattered. Together, we explore: How to decide what actually matters in a given yearWhy planning from capacity, not aspiration, changes everythingWhat it looks like to intentionally deprioritize—even when something is temptingHow saying no can create more momentum than saying yesWhy focus is the highest form of self-respectYou’ll also hear a powerful affirmation you can return to throughout the year—and a reframe that releases the pressure to have everything figured out right now. This is a conversation about selection, sequencing, and restraint. About choosing depth over breadth. About honoring your energy, your nervous system, and your real life—not the noise. ✨ You don’t need ten goals. ✨ You need a few priorities you can tend to with care. If you’re craving clarity, grounded ambition, and a more intentional way forward—this episode is your January exhale. 🎧 Listen in, reflect, and step into February with focus. Keep your heels high—and your standards higher. Support the show Until next Wednesday, keep your head, heels and standards high! Please follow along for more on TikTok and Instagram: @higherheelspodcast Thank you for listening, lovelies!

    28 min
See All (36)

4.8
out of 5
18 Ratings

About

High Heels, Higher Standards is a bold, unfiltered podcast where two executive women get real about power, purpose, and the pressure to play small in careers, relationships and life. Ashley & Heidi blend ambition with authenticity and humor with hard-hitting advice to help high-achieving women own their voice, set the bar higher,  live unapologetically, and level up. 

Information

  • Creator
    Ashley Werner
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    36
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 High Heels Higher Standards
  • Show Website
    High Heels Higher Standards