Her Career Unplugged | Career Advice for Women, Leadership & Real Stories

Vimala Pydi and Joanne Skiles
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Her Career Unplugged is a podcast for women navigating career growth, leadership, and professional development. Hosted by Vimala Pydi and Joanne Skiles, the show features honest conversations with women at all stages of their careers. We talk about job searching, salary negotiation, career transitions, leadership, mentorship, impostor syndrome, burnout, and the pivots and setbacks that rarely show up on a resume. No buzzwords. No highlight reels. Just real stories and practical insights for navigating your career.

Episodes

  1. Jun 15

    Stuck or Strategic: Knowing the Difference Could Save Your Career

    You've been in your role for two years. You know the job, people respect you, nothing is on fire. But every few months, that little voice shows up and asks if you should be doing more by now. Is it right? Maybe. Or maybe it's just noise. This week, we (Joanne and Vimala) get into one of the most misunderstood moments in any career journey: the pause. Not every stall is a failure. Not every plateau means you've given up. But there's a real difference between a strategic pause and quietly coasting, and knowing which one you're in changes everything. Joanne shares the story of taking a horizontal move right after her second son was born, when everyone, including herself, expected her to push for a VP title. Vimala talks about the season she stopped chasing promotions and chose to flex instead of hustle. And together they make the case that pausing on purpose, with intention and a timeline, is not the same as getting stuck. If you've ever felt behind on someone else's timeline, turned down an opportunity because the timing was wrong, or wondered whether your LinkedIn silence is a red flag, this episode is for you. Topics covered include: What a career stall actually means (and how it changes at different life stages)The difference between a strategic pause and coastingJoanne's PhD pivot, 50% pay cut, and what happened when she came back to industryHow to stay relevant while you're in your pauseRapid fire: stuck or strategic? Eight career scenarios, one honest answer eachFollow Her Career Unplugged on LinkedIn and YouTube, and listen on your favorite platform.

    27 min

  2. Jun 1

    Start Before You Feel Ready: Building a Tech Startup in Your 20s with Natesha Mortimer

    There is no roadmap for when you decide to build something from scratch. But there are lessons that actually shape you as a founder, and they show up long before you ever write a business plan. In this episode of Her Career Unplugged, we sit down with Natesha Mortimer, Georgia Tech grad student, data entrepreneur, and founder of Data Swale, for a conversation about what building a company in your 20s actually looks like when you strip away the Instagram version. We talk about the moment you realize a need keeps finding you, why the "be your own boss" dream glosses over the part where you are also your own accountant, marketer, and calendar manager, and how showing up before you feel ready is often the only move that works. Natesha shares why she refuses to give energy to imposter syndrome, how she built a support system that followed her out of corporate into entrepreneurship, and the flywheel framework she uses to turn community into opportunity over time. She also gets real about burnout, and the triangle she draws in her planner to make sure career ambition does not quietly swallow everything else. If you have ever talked yourself out of starting something because the timing was not right, wondered how young founders actually build their networks, or felt like the only person in the room who had not figured it out yet, this one is for you. In this episode: Why starting before you feel ready is not reckless, it is the whole strategyWhat entrepreneurship actually looks like when the social media filter comes offHow to build genuine community that opens doors without feeling transactionalThe triangle method for staying grounded when you are chasing big goalsWhy refusing to give energy to imposter syndrome is itself a practiceFollow Her Career Unplugged on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. New episodes weekly.

    24 min

  3. May 18

    Nobody Told Us: The Unwritten Rules of Office Politics

    Nobody handed you a guide to office politics on your first day. But those unwritten rules? They were already shaping your career before you even knew the game existed. In this episode of Her Career Unplugged, we pull back the curtain on the workplace dynamics nobody warns you about: the decisions made in rooms you are not in, the informal power structures that run alongside the org chart, and the moment you realize you are part of the politics, whether you opted in or not. Vimala shares a raw, personal story about being labeled part of a workplace "mafia" in a group she actively disliked. Joanne opens up about her early days at Lockheed Martin, a boss who drove every woman off the team, and the advice she wishes she had taken before finally walking out. Together, we break down how to read the room, when to go to your boss's boss, when to find a mentor, and when the only smart move is to leave on your own terms. If you have ever felt blindsided by workplace dynamics, wondered why the most excellent people get passed over, or found yourself in a political situation you did not choose, this episode is for you. In this episode: Why being excellent at your job is not the same as being seen for itThe "party planning committee" rule and what it really meansHow to navigate office politics without losing yourself or your reputationWhy how you leave a job matters as much as how you show upFollow Her Career Unplugged on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. New episodes weekly.

    29 min

  4. Apr 4

    Community Growth: The Career Booster That Doesn't Go on Your Resume

    The career move that helped two introverts land jobs and find mentors had nothing to do with their resumes — and it's more accessible than you think. What if the biggest career investment you're not making costs nothing, doesn't go on your resume, and is available to you right now? In this episode of Her Career Unplugged, hosts Joanne Skiles and Vimala Pydi get honest about community building as a career growth strategy — and why most people are either skipping it entirely or doing it wrong. Both self-described introverts, Joanne and Vimala share how showing up to the right communities helped them land jobs, find mentors, and grow in ways no job application ever could. Including how Vimala built an AWS User Group from scratch and what that community gave back in return. In this episode: Why community building is one of the most underrated career growth strategiesHow to get something real out of networking — even if you hate networkingWhat it actually looks like to build a professional community from zeroThe difference between showing up to take and showing up to give (and why it matters)Career advice for introverts who want to build connections without draining themselvesRapid-fire: genuinely terrible networking opener stories you'll recognize immediatelyWhether you're early in your career or a seasoned professional who's been heads-down too long, this episode will make you want to get out of the house — and actually mean it. 🎙️ Subscribe to Her Career Unplugged for weekly conversations about career growth, leadership, and the real stories behind women's careers. What community has made the biggest difference in your career? Tell us in the comments.

    28 min

  5. Mar 21

    You’re Not Ready… Do It Anyway: Career Reinvention

    Never feel ready for your next big career move? Neither did a former Army psychologist turned CEO. Here's what she did anyway. In this episode of Her Career Unplugged, hosts Joanne Skiles and Vimala Pydi sit down with Jennifer Solberg — CEO, entrepreneur, and former U.S. Army research psychologist — to talk about career reinvention, entrepreneurship, and why waiting until you feel "ready" might be the most expensive mistake you make. Jennifer's journey takes her from developing training technology for the U.S. Army to founding Quantum Improvements Consulting and launching augmented reality company Magellan XR. Along the way, she shares what the highlight reel leaves out: the failures, the identity shifts, and the moments she had to bet on herself before she felt ready. In this episode: Why you never really feel ready for big career moves — and why that's okayThe hardest parts of entrepreneurship nobody warns you aboutHow to spot real market opportunities before launching a businessWhy separating your identity from your company is critical for long-term successCareer reinvention after you've already "made it" — and why it's never too lateRapid-fire: women role models, chaotic morning routines, and the best professional decision Jen ever madeWhether you're thinking about a career pivot, considering entrepreneurship, or just tired of waiting for the "right moment" — this conversation will push you to move. 🎙️ Subscribe to Her Career Unplugged for weekly conversations about career growth, leadership, and the real stories behind women's careers. What's the career move you've been waiting to feel ready for? Tell us in the comments.

    26 min

  6. Mar 7

    You Belong Here: Why Imposter Syndrome Lies to You

    What does imposter syndrome actually sound like — and how do you fight back? This honest conversation might change how you hear that voice in your head. In this episode of Her Career Unplugged, hosts Vimala Pydi and Joanne Skiles sit down with Betty Dannewitz, founder and CEO of If You Ask Betty, for one of the most honest conversations about imposter syndrome you'll hear. Betty shares how she personified her self-doubt as a puppet named Bernie, why high-performing women are especially vulnerable to imposter syndrome at work, and the small mindset shifts that can genuinely move the needle in your career. In this episode: What imposter syndrome actually sounds like (and why it lies to you)Why so many successful women still feel like they don't belongHow Betty stayed five years too long in a job because of self-doubtThe moment she Googled "What is augmented reality?" after volunteering to build an entire program around itPractical mindset shifts to stop self-doubt from stalling your career growthWhether you're early in your career or in a senior leadership role, this one will make you feel seen — and give you something to work with. 🎙️ Subscribe to Her Career Unplugged for weekly conversations about career growth, leadership, and the real stories behind women's careers. Have you named your inner critic? Tell us in the comments.

    23 min

  7. Jan 26

    The Paths We Took (and the Ones We Didn’t)

    Two women in tech share the unfiltered career journeys behind their titles — the pivots, doubts, and decisions that changed everything. What does a real career journey actually look like for women in tech and leadership? In this first episode of Her Career Unplugged, hosts Vimala Pydi and Joanne Skiles share their own stories — no highlight reel, no polishing the hard parts. They cover the pivots, detours, and quiet decisions that shaped their paths, plus the career myths they had to unlearn along the way. In this episode: Career myths women in tech are still told (and why they're wrong)Impostor syndrome — what it actually felt like, not the buzzword versionNavigating your career with and without a mentorThe small decisions that quietly changed everythingRapid-fire, no-filter takes on work, leadership, and work-life balanceIf you've ever felt like your career path didn't look like it was "supposed to," this one's for you. 🎙️ Subscribe to Her Career Unplugged for weekly conversations about career growth, leadership, and the real stories behind women's careers. What was your biggest career pivot moment? Drop it in the comments.

    24 min
  • 7 Episodes

About

Her Career Unplugged is a podcast for women navigating career growth, leadership, and professional development. Hosted by Vimala Pydi and Joanne Skiles, the show features honest conversations with women at all stages of their careers. We talk about job searching, salary negotiation, career transitions, leadership, mentorship, impostor syndrome, burnout, and the pivots and setbacks that rarely show up on a resume. No buzzwords. No highlight reels. Just real stories and practical insights for navigating your career.

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