Career Growth Strategies for Women: Glass Ceiling, Smashed

Lauren Erbicella, Career & Leadership Skills Coach, Small Business Consultant
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Glass Ceiling, Smashed covers variety of topics related to business, communication skills, leadership development, career growth, and more!  This podcast is geared toward (though not specific to!) women wanting to climb the corporate ladder, improve their work/life balance, and become successful and respected leaders in their field.  This podcast also talks about sales strategies, process optimization and streamlining, and topics related to small and micro business owners and entrepreneurs. Designed to educate and elevate, Glass Ceiling, Smashed puts a blunt, yet informational and supportive spin on all topics related to professional life. Our host, Lauren Erbicella, is the founder of Windrose Coaching and Consulting. She focuses her services on 1:1 coaching related to career and leadership skills development. The consulting side of her business focuses on small/micro businesses and the joys, challenges, and experiences of those business owners and employees. Lauren holds a B.A. in Organizational Development and Leadership from Widener University, as well as an M.A. in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University. Lauren enjoyed over 20 years of professional experience in legal, tech, finance, and sales before deciding to take her expertise and channel it into helping others grow.  If you're a woman (or man, any other gender!) who wants to be respected, carry yourself with confidence, and lead yourself and others toward a more fulfilling career and life, you've found the place for you. Whether you're an experienced professional or a new college grad, I guarantee you'll learn something. Everyone is welcome here, so let's go smash that glass ceiling together. ____________________________ This podcast is for you if you find yourself asking questions such as: How do I ask for a promotion? Why do high-performers fail to get promoted? How do I ask for a raise? How do I communicate better, more clearly, or more effectively? How do I bridge the gender gap at work? Do women make better leaders? How can I be a better manager? How do I get more respect at work? What is strategy? How do I become better at sales and establishing relationships? What stats do I need to pay attention to to measure business growth? What are the best leadership styles? How can I simplify my business processes? How do I give good feedback? How can I change careers? What skills do I need to become a leader? How can I develop my employees? How can I influence my coworkers when I'm not their boss? What is the difference between management and leadership? ...and many more! **If you have a request for a specific topic, please reach out at glassceilingsmashedpod@gmail.com** ____________________________ Glass Ceiling, Smashed is brought to you by Windrose Coaching and Consulting LLC. WRCC provides individual 1:1 career and leadership skills development coaching, as well as consulting services for small and micro businesses.  Visit our website (www.windrosecoachingandconsulting) to learn more about our services and pricing.

  1. 20h ago

    18 – Common Sense Isn't All That Common (and That's a Good Thing)

    "Common sense is not that common."  "No one has any common sense anymore!"  We've all heard it, and plenty of us have said it. This episode takes a closer look at what common sense actually is, and why we don't share one global version of it. We start with an idea from communication ethics scholars Arnett, Harden Fritz, and Bell McManus: common sense is a "common way of doing or knowing," which means it's only common to the people who share that way.  Then we walk through a (deliberately over-simplified) example about Jim's first day at a new job and the two office refrigerators, and why "it's common sense around here" isn't common sense to anyone who hasn't been told. From there, we get into the research on why we assume other people see the world the way we do, including the curse of knowledge, the false consensus effect, and Michael Polanyi's idea of tacit knowledge: we know more than we can tell.  We also look at how cultures differ on things as basic as how direct feedback should be, using Erin Meyer's The Culture Map, and at Duncan Watts' argument that common sense fails us more often than we think. Because a lot of this plays out at work, I close with four practical steps you can use: •  Say the unwritten rules out loud.  •  Swap "it's common sense" for "here's how we do it here." •  Ask instead of assuming.  •  When someone misses the "obvious," get curious about their experience before assuming carelessness. Finally, I close with the notion that us not sharing one globalcommon sense is a good thing, and it's something to celebrate. __________ Sources Cited in This Episode (1) Arnett, R. C., Harden Fritz, J. M., & Bell McManus, L. M. (2018). Communication ethics literacy: Dialogue and difference. Kendall Hunt Publishing Company. (2) Geertz, C. (1975). Common sense as a cultural system. The Antioch Review, 33(1), 5–26. (3) Watts, D. J. (2011). Everything is obvious: Once you know the answer. Crown Business. (4) Camerer, C., Loewenstein, G., & Weber, M. (1989). The curse of knowledge in economic settings: An experimental analysis. Journal of Political Economy, 97(5), 1232–1254. (5) Heath, C., & Heath, D. (2006, December). The curse of knowledge. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2006/12/the-curse-of-knowledge (6) Ross, L., Greene, D., & House, P. (1977). The "false consensus effect": An egocentric bias in social perception and attribution processes. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 13(3), 279–301. (7) Polanyi, M. (1966). The tacit dimension. Doubleday. (8) Meyer, E. (2014). The culture map: Breaking through the invisible boundaries of global business. PublicAffairs. Additional Resources Used to Write This Episode The Decision Lab. (n.d.). Curse of knowledge. https://www.thedecisionlab.com/reference-guide/management/curse-of-knowledge PsyBlog. (n.d.). The false consensus effect. https://www.spring.org.uk/?p=5168 Farnam Street. (2011, July 27). Is everything obvious once you know the answer? https://fs.blog/is-everything-obvious-once-you-know-the-answer/ Writing Commons. (n.d.). Tacit knowledge. https://writingcommons.org/section/research/epistemology/tacit-knowledge/ Idiomation. (2015, September 1). Common sense is not so common. https://idiomation.wordpress.com/2015/09/01/common-sense-is-not-so-common/ __________ If the information contained in this episode gave you something to think about, Windrose Coaching and Consulting offers career and leadership skills mentoring and coaching to individuals seeking self-improvement. We also offer consulting services for small and micro businesses. To learn more about how we work, see our Services page. If you want to support the show directly, you can do that here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2630991/support. This podcast is a one-woman operation recorded in a bedroom closet with a very inexpensive mic, so any support goes straight toward better gear and more content. Every bit helps, and it's genuinely appreciated. Not ready to jump into services just yet? Start with our downloadable guide Communicate with Confidence: 8 Tips to Enhance Your Communication Skills and Increase Your Credibility. AND NOW AVAILABLE!!! The Annual Review Companion 2027 The Annual Review Companion 2027 is your guide to tracking your yearly progress so you can show up to your next annual review with alllllllll the receipts. Get yourself that raise and that promotion you deserve! Find it in our store: https://glassceilingsmashedpod.myshopify.com/products/2027-annual-review-companion-spiral-bound Follow us on socials: Instagram: @windrosecoachingandconsulting Threads: @windrosecoachingandconsulting For business inquiries: GlassCeilingSmashedPod@gmail.com Send us Fan Mail Support the show

  2. Oct 27

    17 - People Don't Hate Change, They Hate BEING Changed: Where Reorgs, Pivots, and Layoffs Go Wrong

    Ask most leaders why their employees resist change and you'll hear some version of "people are creatures of habit, they'll come around." It's a convenient answer, and it lets leaders off the hook. This episode makes the case that people don't actually hate change. People change jobs, move, start businesses, and build new relationships all the time, and they do it with real energy. What they hate is having change done to them, especially when it's poorly communicated, constant, or explained in vague terms. We start with why change is hard in the first place, drawing on Ashley Goodall's Harvard Business Review argument that predictability, agency, belonging, and meaning are what people need to do good work, and that we've built a business culture that treats constant disruption as a virtue. From there we look at why change initiatives so often stall at the top, with the Harvard Business Review's May 2026 article from three Boston Consulting Group authors on "false alignment" and the three patterns it creates: paralysis, hyperactivity, and tunnel vision. Then we get into two of the most damaging habits I see in organizations: priority whiplash (the strategic focus that changes every few months) and layoff messaging that sounds like it was written by nobody. The numbers are worth hearing, including a 2025 Careerminds survey on how many people first heard about layoffs through gossip. Here are the six things leaders can do differently: •  Make sure leadership is truly aligned before you announce anything. •  Protect your teams wherever you can, because a team is the most important unit of stability for most people. •  Give people something stable to count on, like weekly check-ins and other small rituals. •  Be discerning about priorities. If everything is a top priority, nothing is. •  Communicate like a human being: say what happened, why, what comes next, and what you don't know yet. •  Acknowledge the cost. Saying "this is a hard period and we know it" builds trust. And because plenty of us are on the receiving end of change rather than leading it, I close with a short section on what you can do when you're the one being changed. __________ Sources Cited in This Episode (1) Goodall, A. (2024, July 9). Creating stability is just as important as managing change. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2024/07/creating-stability-is-just-as-important-as-managing-change (2) Dhar, J., Ellmer, K.R., & Jameson, P. (2026, May). What really gets in the way of change. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2026/05/what-really-gets-in-the-way-of-change (3) Gallup. (2024). U.S. employee engagement data, Q1 2024 [Web article]. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/643286/state-global-workplace-2024.aspx (4) Careerminds. (2025, October). Layoff communications survey (N = 1,000 full-time U.S. workers). https://careerminds.com/blog/layoff-communications (5) Trevor, C.O., & Nyberg, A.J. (2008). Keeping your headcount when all about you are losing theirs: Downsizing, voluntary turnover rates, and the moderating role of HR practices. Academy of Management Journal, 51(2). (6) O.C. Tanner. (n.d.). Preserving company culture during layoffs. https://www.octanner.com/articles/company-culture-and-layoffs (7) Staffbase & USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. (2024, September 30). Employee communication impact study 2024 [Press release]. https://staffbase.com/press/releases/employee-communication-impact-study Additional Resources Used to Write This Episode Goodall, A. (2024). The problem with change: And the essential nature of human performance. Hachette Books. Gavett, G. (2026, May 19). The Insider [Newsletter]. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2026/05/what-really-gets-in-the-way-of-change Harvard Business Review Editors. (2026, June 18). The false alignment trap. The Leader's Agenda. https://www.harvardbusiness.org/insight/june-2026-the-leaders-agenda-the-false-alignment-trap/ __________ If the information contained in this episode gave you something to think about, Windrose Coaching and Consulting offers career and leadership skills mentoring and coaching to individuals seeking self-improvement. We also offer consulting services for small and micro businesses. To learn more about how we work, see our Services page. If you want to support the show directly, you can do that here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2630991/support. This podcast is a one-woman operation recorded in a bedroom closet with a very inexpensive mic, so any support goes straight toward better gear and more content. Every bit helps, and it's genuinely appreciated. Not ready to jump into services just yet? Start with our downloadable guide Communicate with Confidence: 8 Tips to Enhance Your Communication Skills and Increase Your Credibility. AND NOW AVAILABLE!!! The Annual Review Companion 2027 The Annual Review Companion 2027 is your guide to tracking your yearly progress so you can show up to your next annual review with alllllllll the receipts. Get yourself that raise and that promotion you deserve! Find it in our store: https://glassceilingsmashedpod.myshopify.com/products/2027-annual-review-companion-spiral-bound Follow us on socials: Instagram: @windrosecoachingandconsulting Threads: @windrosecoachingandconsulting TikTok: @windrose_coaching For business inquiries: GlassCeilingSmashedPod@gmail.com Send us Fan Mail Support the show

  3. Oct 20

    Episode 16 - Silence is Not Agreement: Why Your Team Needs Disagreement (and how to do it well)

    Ever sat in a meeting, heard something you completely disagreed with, and said nothing? Made a face, typed something in the chat and deleted it, or vented to your significant other on the drive home? You're in good company. This episode is about disagreeing well, which is one of the most underrated professional skills out there. We start with why disagreement is good for teams, including economist Giampaolo Bonomi's "Disagreement Dividend" and the Harvard Business Review's take that research across every social science shows disagreement has real benefits. Then we get into the flip side: groupthink, where harmony (or the appearance of it) takes over for honest deliberation, and what that has cost organizations, including in the lead-up to the 1986 Challenger disaster. From there, we dig into why good intentions aren't enough, based on a decade of research from Julia Minson (Harvard), Hanne Collins (UCLA), and Michael Yeomans (Imperial College London). Their work points to two gaps that send disagreements sideways: the intention-behavior gap (what we plan to do vs. what we do in the heat of the moment) and the behavior-perception gap (what we do vs. how it's received). The fix is language you can actually use. Here are the five approaches we cover, with sample phrases for each: •  Indicate that you want to learn. Say out loud that you're curious about the other person's view. •  Acknowledge before you respond. Restate the core of what you heard, without pretending to agree (and without faking it). •  Find your common ground. Name the goal, value, or problem you both care about, so it becomes us-vs-the-problem instead of me-vs-you. •  Hedge your claims. A little intellectual humility makes you more credible, not less. •  Share your story. The experience behind your position can build more trust than another pile of data. We close with a section for leaders on setting the tone, because how you respond the first time someone pushes back on your idea tells your whole team whether it's safe to be honest with you. __________ Sources Cited in This Episode Minson, J.A., Collins, H.K., & Yeomans, M. (2025, November–December). A smarter way to disagree. Harvard Business Review. Reprint R2506J. https://hbr.org/2025/11/a-smarter-way-to-disagree Bonomi, G. (2024). The disagreement dividend (arXiv:2308.06607v7) [Working paper]. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2308.06607 Kawamoto, D. (2022, June 1). How to avoid groupthink: 13 tips for the workplace. Built In. https://builtin.com/articles/group-think Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident. (1986, June 6). Report to the President by the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident. NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/history/rogersrep/genindex.htm Additional Resources Used to Write This Episode Minson, J. (2025, October 6). A smarter way to disagree. Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School. https://shorensteincenter.org/resource/a-smarter-way-to-disagree/ Teitel, A.S. (2018, January 25; updated 2026, January 12). How the Challenger disaster changed NASA. History.com. https://www.history.com/articles/how-the-challenger-disaster-changed-nasa __________ If the information contained in this episode gave you something to think about, Windrose Coaching and Consulting offers career and leadership skills mentoring and coaching to individuals seeking self-improvement. We also offer consulting services for small and micro businesses. To learn more about how we work, see our Services page. If you want to support the show directly, you can do that here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2630991/support. This podcast is a one-woman operation recorded in a bedroom closet with a very inexpensive mic, so any support goes straight toward better gear and more content. Every bit helps, and it's genuinely appreciated. Not ready to jump into services just yet? Start with our downloadable guide Communicate with Confidence: 8 Tips to Enhance Your Communication Skills and Increase Your Credibility. AND NOW AVAILABLE!!! The Annual Review Companion 2027 The Annual Review Companion 2027 is your guide to tracking your yearly progress so you can show up to your next annual review with alllllllll the receipts. Get yourself that raise and that promotion you deserve! Find it in our store: https://glassceilingsmashedpod.myshopify.com/products/2027-annual-review-companion-spiral-bound Follow us on socials: Instagram: @windrosecoachingandconsulting Threads: @windrosecoachingandconsulting TikTok: @windrose_coaching For business inquiries: GlassCeilingSmashedPod@gmail.com Send us Fan Mail Support the show

  4. Oct 13

    15 - Managing Up Isn't Sucking Up: How to Lead Your Boss

    Link to Scott Mautz's Leading from the Middle: https://amzn.to/4yAicEr This episode makes the case that managing up is the skill of building a working partnership with the person above you, one based on trust, that eventually puts you in a position to influence the way they think and decide. I lean heavily on Chapter 4 of Scott Mautz's book Leading from the Middle (Wiley, 2021), “Leading Your Boss,” which lays out a seven-step plan, and I pull in the classic Harvard Business Review article on the topic, “Managing Your Boss” by John Gabarro and John Kotter, plus McKinsey research, Joseph Grenny's guidance on disagreeing with your boss, and practical tools for one-on-ones.  This isn't a data-heavy episode. It's a how-to. ___________________ Sources Cited in This Episode Mautz, S. (2021). Leading from the Middle: A Playbook for Managers to Influence Up, Down, and Across the Organization (Chapter 4, “Leading Your Boss”). Wiley. Gabarro, J.J., & Kotter, J.P. (1980, January–February). Managing your boss. Harvard Business Review. (Reprinted January 2005 as “Best of HBR 1980,” Reprint R0501J.) Barta, T., & Barwise, P. (2017, April 27). Why effective leaders must manage up, down, and sideways. McKinsey Quarterly. https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/leadership/why-effective-leaders-must-manage-up-down-and-sideways Lew, C. (2019, August 15). How to manage up effectively. Know Your Team blog (now Canopy). https://canopy.is/blog/2019/08/15/how-to-manage-up-effectively/ Grenny, J. (2014, November 25). How to disagree with your boss. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2014/11/how-to-disagree-with-your-boss Watkins, M.D. (2013). The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter (Updated and expanded ed.). Harvard Business Review Press. Rogelberg, S.G. (2022, November–December). Make the most of your one-on-one meetings. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2022/11/make-the-most-of-your-one-on-one-meetings Bowles, H.R., Babcock, L., & Lai, L. (2007). Social incentives for gender differences in the propensity to initiate negotiations: Sometimes it does hurt to ask. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 103(1), 84–103. McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.Org. (2025). Women in the Workplace 2025. Additional Resources Used to Write This Episode Atlassian. (2024). 7 tips for better 1-on-1 meetings. Inside Atlassian. https://www.atlassian.com/blog/inside-atlassian/1-on-1-meeting-tips Peter Drucker's “listeners and readers” distinction, as described in Gabarro and Kotter's article above. ___________________ If the information contained in this episode gave you something to think about, Windrose Coaching and Consulting offers career and leadership skills mentoring and coaching to individuals seeking self-improvement. We also offer consulting services for small and micro businesses. To learn more about how we work, see our Services page. If you want to support the show directly, you can do that here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2630991/support.  This podcast is a one-woman operation recorded in a bedroom closet with a very inexpensive mic, so any support goes straight toward better gear and more content. Every bit helps, and it's genuinely appreciated. Not ready to jump into services just yet? Start with our downloadable guide Communicate with Confidence: 8 Tips to Enhance Your Communication Skills and Increase Your Credibility. AND NOW AVAILABLE!!! The Annual Review Companion 2027 The Annual Review Companion 2027 is your guide to tracking your yearly progress so you can show up to your next annual review with alllllllll the receipts. Get yourself that raise and that promotion you deserve! Find it in our store: https://glassceilingsmashedpod.myshopify.com/products/2027-annual-review-companion-spiral-bound Follow us on socials: Instagram: @windrosecoachingandconsulting Threads: @windrosecoachingandconsulting For business inquiries: GlassCeilingSmashedPod@gmail.com Send us Fan Mail Support the show

  5. Oct 6

    14 - Women's Health is a Workplace Issue (and it's time we treated it like one)

    Picture a woman at her third appointment for the same health issue, doing math in her head about how many more half days she can take before her manager starts to wonder what's going on. This episode is about the connection between women's health and women's careers, built around the brand-new Gallup and Pivotal report, Women's Health: Barriers to Care, Barriers to Opportunity, a July 2026 survey of 5,232 U.S. adults, including 3,845 women.  From there, the episode goes life stage by life stage: pregnancy and postpartum care (including how women feel about returning to work, whether they go back too early, and what the research says that does to them), periods and reproductive conditions like endometriosis and PCOS, chronic pain and the years-long wait for a diagnosis, mental health, and menopause. For each one, I look at what the data says about how women feel about taking time away and how they say they're treated when they do. I also dig into whether having a female manager versus a male manager changes any of this, and I cover the legal basics around pregnancy and accommodations. Then, five things women can do: •  Keep two sets of records: health notes for your appointments, and a running record of your wins at work so a health-related absence doesn't erase your track record. •  Learn your rights before you need them, including FMLA and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. •  Make specific asks (a flexible schedule, remote days, adjusted deadlines) instead of general ones. •  Decide what you share, and with whom, and lean on a sponsor or ally to speak for you in rooms you're not in. •  Plan around leave: hand off with documentation, tell your sponsor what you want next, and ask for a re-entry conversation. And six things employers and managers can do: •  Make leave financially possible, because the number one reason women return earlier than they want to is money. •  Don't wait for women to disclose. Comfort talking about it doesn't lead to disclosure, so support has to show up proactively. •  Train managers, both on having these conversations and on their legal responsibilities. •  Make flexibility the default instead of a favor. •  Keep health out of the promotion math, and ask women what they want instead of assuming. •  Check your own habits as a manager: how you respond to the request matters as much as the policy. Sources Cited in This Episode Gallup & Pivotal. (2026, September 18). Women's health: Barriers to care, barriers to opportunity. Gallup. https://www.gallup.com/file/analytics/714584/gallup-pivotal-report.pdf Marken, S., & Kemp, A. (2026, September 18). Women's healthcare barriers extend into work and family life. Gallup. https://news.gallup.com/poll/714221/women-healthcare-barriers-extend-work-family-life.aspx Pivotal. (2026, September). New Gallup survey reveals the costs of overlooking women's health. https://www.pivotal.com/articles/gallup-survey-reveals-costs-overlooking-womens-health Dagher, R.K., McGovern, P.M., & Dowd, B.E. (2014). Maternity leave duration and postpartum mental and physical health: Implications for leave policies. Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, 39(2), 369–416. https://doi.org/10.1215/03616878-2416247 Pew Research Center. (2017, March 23). Americans widely support paid family and medical leave, but differ over specific policies. Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health. (2025, March). The interconnection of paid family and medical leave and maternal mental health [Issue brief]. The Harris Poll. (2026, March). State of Maternal Health in America survey (N = 4,154 U.S. adults, including 1,516 women who are or have been pregnant), as reported in: 60% of US women face barriers to postpartum, mental health care. American Journal of Managed Care. Schoep, M.E., Adang, E.M.M., Maas, J.W.M., De Bie, B., Aarts, J.W.M., & Nieboer, T.E. (2019). Productivity loss due to menstruation-related symptoms: A nationwide cross-sectional survey among 32,748 women. BMJ Open, 9(6), e026186. Raves, D.M., Herrera, W.D., Darnell, M.E., Rice, T., Friedman, C., Moratti, S.C., Sims, S.T., Sihanath, W.B., Ehrhardt, S.N., & Phillips, A. (2025). A survey assessing the impact of symptoms related to the menstrual cycle and perceptions of workplace productivity: Considerations for employer-sponsored menstrual health programs. BMC Women's Health, 25, 418. Nnoaham, K.E., et al. (2011). Impact of endometriosis on quality of life and work productivity: A multicenter study across ten countries. Fertility and Sterility, 96(2), 366–373. Community Union. (2026, August). Menstrual health leave survey, as reported in: Most don't disclose menstrual health leave to managers. HR Magazine (UK). https://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/content/news/most-don-t-disclose-menstrual-health-leave-to-managers The Fuchsia Tent & Society for Women's Health Research. (2026, October 1). Menopause at work: From echo chamber to mainstream practice [Survey of 1,110 U.S. employees; press release]. PR Newswire. (Peer-reviewed manuscripts in preparation.) Hardy, C., Griffiths, A., Thorne, E., & Hunter, M. (2019). Tackling the taboo: Talking menopause-related problems at work. International Journal of Workplace Health Management, 12(1), 28–38. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJWHM-03-2018-0035 Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). (2019). Majority of working women experiencing the menopause say it has a negative impact on them at work [Press release; YouGov survey]. And: CIPD. (2023). Menopause in the workplace: Employee experiences in 2023. McCann, C., & Tomaskovic-Devey, D. (2021, May). Pregnancy discrimination in the workplace. Center for Employment Equity, University of Massachusetts Amherst. https://www.umass.edu/employmentequity/pregnancy-discrimination-workplace Lyra Health. (2025). State of workforce mental health 2025. American Psychiatric Association. (2024). New polling data on workplace mental health [Morning Consult survey of 2,000+ U.S. adults]. Ipsos & National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). (2026). Workplace mental health poll: Most employees say mental health talk is work-appropriate; stigma persists. U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (2023, 2024). What you should know about the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act; EEOC issues final regulation on the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (April 2024). Additional Resources Used to Write This Episode Systematic review on return to work after giving birth and maternal mental health, Maternal and Child Health Journal  Abt Associates analysis of a 2012 U.S. Department of Labor survey, as reported by HuffPost and In These Times (2015): the source behind the “one in four new mothers return within two weeks” figure. Qualitative study, Menopause in the Workplace: Qualitative Insights from Contrasting Work Environments (Taylor & Francis, 2026). Bloomberg Law reporting (2025) and law-firm summaries (Littler, Ogletree, Fisher Phillips; May 2025) on the court ruling vacating the abortion accommodation portion of the EEOC's PWFA rule and the EEOC's signals about revisiting other parts of it.  _______________________ If the information contained in this episode gave you something to think about, Windrose Coaching and Consulting offers career and leadership skills mentoring and coaching to individuals seeking self-improvement. We also offer consulting services for small and micro businesses. To learn more about how we work, see our Services page. If you want to support the show directly, you can do that here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2630991/support. This podcast is a one-woman operation recorded in a bedroom closet with a very inexpensive mic, so any support goes straight toward better gear and more content. Every bit helps, and it's genuinely appreciated. Not ready to jump into services just yet? Start with our downloadable guide Communicate with Confidence: 8 Tips to Enhance Your Communication Skills and Increase Your Credibility. AND NOW AVAILABLE!!! The Annual Review Companion 2027 The Annual Review Companion 2027 is your guide to tracking your yearly progress so you can show up to your next annual review with alllllllll the receipts. Get yourself that raise and that promotion you deserve! Find it in our store: https://glassceilingsmashedpod.myshopify.com/products/2027-annual-review-companion-spiral-bound Follow us on socials: Instagram: @windrosecoachingandconsulting Threads: @windrosecoachingandconsulting For business inquiries: GlassCeilingSmashedPod@gmail.com Send us Fan Mail Support the show

  6. Sep 29

    13 - Overcoming Your Inner Critic: Imposter Syndrome, Self-Doubt, and Finding Your Executive Presence

    This episode covers 1978 research that coined the term “imposter phenomenon,” and the mixed evidence on whether this phenomenon is found in women more than men. Then, I'll get into a framework for recognizing which specific pattern of self-doubt shows up for you (the Perfectionist, the Expert, the Soloist, the Natural Genius, or the Superwoman), how to manage it day to day, and tactical ways to push past it (including a look at when “fake it till you make it” actually helps versus when it just adds another layer of crap on top of your exhaustion). Finally, I'll talk about executive presence: what it actually is, the three components that make it up, why women are held to a different standard, and concrete ways to build your executive presence. __________________ Sources Cited in This Episode: Clance, P.R., & Imes, S.A. (1978). The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 15(3), 241–247. Bravata, D.M., Watts, S.A., Keefer, A.L., Madhusudhan, D.K., Taylor, K.T., Clark, D.M., Nelson, R.S., Cokley, K.O., & Hagg, H.K. (2019). Prevalence, predictors, and treatment of impostor syndrome: A systematic review. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 35(4), 1252–1275. Tulshyan, R., & Burey, J. (2021, February 11). Stop telling women they have imposter syndrome. Harvard Business Review. Young, V. (2011). The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer from Impostor Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite of It. Crown Business. Patzak, A., Kollmayer, M., & Schober, B. (2017). Buffering impostor feelings with kindness: The mediating role of self-compassion between gender-role orientation and the impostor phenomenon. Frontiers in Psychology, 8. Hewlett, S.A. (2014). Executive Presence: The Missing Link Between Merit and Success. HarperBusiness. __________________ Help us continue to create content through our SUPPORT link. No amount is too small! ______________________ If the information contained in this episode gave you something to think about, Windrose Coaching and Consulting offers career and leadership skills mentoring and coaching to individuals seeking self-improvement. We also offer consulting services for small and micro businesses. To learn more about how we work, see our Services page.   Not ready to jump into services just yet? Start with our downloadable guide Communicate with Confidence: 8 Tips to Enhance Your Communication Skills and Increase Your Credibility.   AND NOW AVAILABLE!!! The Annual Review Companion 2027 The Annual Review Companion 2027 is your guide to tracking your yearly progress so you can show up to your next annual review with alllllllll the receipts. Get yourself that raise and that promotion you deserve! Find it in our store: https://glassceilingsmashedpod.myshopify.com/products/2027-annual-review-companion-spiral-bound Follow us on socials: Instagram: @windrosecoachingandconsulting Threads: @windrosecoachingandconsulting TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@glassceilingsmashedpod For business inquiries: GlassCeilingSmashedPod@gmail.com Send us Fan Mail Support the show

  7. Sep 22

    12 - Navigating Office Politics Doesn't Have to be a Scary Thing Anymore

    Office politics has a bad reputation, but avoiding it entirely is practically impossible. Trying to avoid it can also be a career limiting move. This episode defines what office politics means and what happens when it goes unmanaged: more anxiety, lower job satisfaction, and a higher chance of wanting to quit. Next, I get into some tactical advice for navigating a political environment: •  Setting firm boundaries •  Handling workplace conflict •  Speaking your mind assertively without triggering the likability penalty From there, I'll talk about how men and women tend to navigate office politics differently, and how office politics tends to be presented differently to men versus women in the first place. I also cover why getting comfortable with office politics early in a career pays off long-term, how to start building that skill before you have years of tenure or reputation to lean on, and how office politics shift once a woman is the one leading the charge, including a classic study on the specific stages women executives moved through on their way up. Sources Cited in This Episode Kacmar, K.M., & Carlson, D.S. (1997). Further validation of the perceptions of politics scale (POPS): A multiple sample investigation. Journal of Management, 23(5), 627–658. Ferris, G.R., Russ, G.S., & Fandt, P.M. (1989). Politics in organizations: The theory of political behavior in organizations. In R.A. Giacalone & P. Rosenfeld (Eds.), Impression Management in the Organization. Bower, S.A., & Bower, G.H. (1976, updated edition). Asserting Yourself: A Practical Guide for Positive Change. Da Capo Press. Bowles, H.R., Babcock, L., & Lai, L. (2007). Social incentives for gender differences in the propensity to initiate negotiations: Sometimes it does hurt to ask. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 103(1), 84–103. Moss-Racusin, C.A., & Rudman, L.A. (2010). Disruptions in women's self-promotion: The backlash avoidance model. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 34(2), 186–202. Center for Creative Leadership. (2015). White Paper: Women and Political Savvy. Massey University (Master of Science thesis). How do gender and political skill combine to influence career advancement? Ferris, G.R., Treadway, D.C., Kolodinsky, R.W., Hochwarter, W.A., Kacmar, C.J., Douglas, C., & Frink, D.D. (2005). Development and validation of the political skill inventory. Journal of Management, 31(1), 126–152. Munyon, T.P., Summers, J.K., Thompson, K.M., & Ferris, G.R. (2015). Political skill and work outcomes: A theoretical extension, meta-analytic investigation, and agenda for the future. Personnel Psychology, 68(1), 143–184. Mainiero, L.A. (1994). On breaking the glass ceiling: The political seasoning of powerful women executives. Organizational Dynamics, 22(4), 5–20. _____________________ Help us continue to create content through our SUPPORT link. No amount is too small! ______________________ If the information contained in this episode gave you something to think about, Windrose Coaching and Consulting offers career and leadership skills mentoring and coaching to individuals seeking self-improvement. We also offer consulting services for small and micro businesses. To learn more about how we work, see our Services page.   Not ready to jump into services just yet? Start with our downloadable guide Communicate with Confidence: 8 Tips to Enhance Your Communication Skills and Increase Your Credibility.   AND NOW AVAILABLE!!! The Annual Review Companion 2027 The Annual Review Companion 2027 is your guide to tracking your yearly progress so you can show up to your next annual review with alllllllll the receipts. Get yourself that raise and that promotion you deserve! Find it in our store: https://glassceilingsmashedpod.myshopify.com/products/2027-annual-review-companion-spiral-bound Follow us on socials: Instagram: @windrosecoachingandconsulting Threads: @windrosecoachingandconsulting TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@glassceilingsmashedpod For business inquiries: GlassCeilingSmashedPod@gmail.com Send us Fan Mail Support the show

  8. Sep 15

    11 – Is Gen Z Unprepared for Corporate America, or is Corporate America Failing Them?

    Gen Z gets blamed a lot for being “unprepared” for work, with some critics going as far as calling the generation “unemployable.” This episode asks a different question: is that actually a Gen Z problem, or a corporate America problem? Using the 2026 Gallup/Walton Family Foundation Voices of Gen Z study, alongside Deloitte's Global Gen Z and Millennial Survey and EY's Generation Survey, this episode breaks down what's actually going on with the generation currently entering, or about to enter, the workforce, split by age bracket rather than treated as one lump group. This covers: the actual age range of Gen Z (they actually span a full 15-year period), how the portion already employed feels about their future, what's worked for them and where they feel let down, what the portion not yet in the workforce fears and expects, whether older and younger segments of Gen Z see things differently (they do), what type of leadership styles work best for them, what accommodations they ask for, and whether they actually prefer remote or in-office work. The episode closes with what Gen Z actually needs to succeed in corporate America, based on everything covered: •  Real mentorship from someone who takes an interest in them and with whom they feel comfortable. •  Specific, frequent feedback instead of once-a-year evaluations. •  Workplace flexibility, which for most of them means hybrid, not full remote. •  A workplace culture where being honest about mental health and wellness doesn't quietly cost them. And finally, the bigger question underneath all of it: is the real issue that Gen Z needs to adapt to corporate America, or that corporate America's expectations, built for a different labor market and a different generation's life circumstances, are overdue for a rebuild? __________________________ Sources Cited in This Episode Gallup & Walton Family Foundation. (2026). Voices of Gen Z study (multiyear, ongoing series, 2024–2026 releases). Gallup & Walton Family Foundation. (2026, June). Gen Zers Missing Sense of Meaning or Purpose in Life. Gallup & Walton Family Foundation, in partnership with Making Caring Common, Harvard Graduate School of Education. Voices of Gen Z: Gen Z Wants to Do Good: How Helping Others Supports Meaning and Wellbeing. Gallup & Walton Family Foundation. (2025). Voices of Gen Z: What Helps Students Engage at School (4th annual report). Gallup. (2025). Gen Z work-location preference data (hybrid/remote/on-site). Deloitte Global. (2025). 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey. EY. (2025). EY US 2025 Generation Survey. Harris Poll & Fortune. (2024, January 23). Survey on generational power perceptions in the workplace. Kowal Smith, A. (2025, November 20). Is Gen Z Failing At Work Or Is Work Failing Them? Forbes. Additional Resources Used to Write This Episode Secondary business press and industry-survey coverage (EY, Fortune, Newsweek, Forbes contributor commentary) ______________________ Help us continue to create content through our SUPPORT link. No amount is too small! ______________________ If the information contained in this episode gave you something to think about, Windrose Coaching and Consulting offers career and leadership skills mentoring and coaching to individuals seeking self-improvement. We also offer consulting services for small and micro businesses. To learn more about how we work, see our Services page.   Not ready to jump into services just yet? Start with our downloadable guide Communicate with Confidence: 8 Tips to Enhance Your Communication Skills and Increase Your Credibility.   AND NOW AVAILABLE!!! The Annual Review Companion 2027 The Annual Review Companion 2027 is your guide to tracking your yearly progress so you can show up to your next annual review with alllllllll the receipts. Get yourself that raise and that promotion you deserve! Find it in our store: https://glassceilingsmashedpod.myshopify.com/products/2027-annual-review-companion-spiral-bound Follow us on socials: Instagram: @windrosecoachingandconsulting Threads: @windrosecoachingandconsulting TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@glassceilingsmashedpod For business inquiries: GlassCeilingSmashedPod@gmail.com Send us Fan Mail Support the show

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About

Glass Ceiling, Smashed covers variety of topics related to business, communication skills, leadership development, career growth, and more!  This podcast is geared toward (though not specific to!) women wanting to climb the corporate ladder, improve their work/life balance, and become successful and respected leaders in their field.  This podcast also talks about sales strategies, process optimization and streamlining, and topics related to small and micro business owners and entrepreneurs. Designed to educate and elevate, Glass Ceiling, Smashed puts a blunt, yet informational and supportive spin on all topics related to professional life. Our host, Lauren Erbicella, is the founder of Windrose Coaching and Consulting. She focuses her services on 1:1 coaching related to career and leadership skills development. The consulting side of her business focuses on small/micro businesses and the joys, challenges, and experiences of those business owners and employees. Lauren holds a B.A. in Organizational Development and Leadership from Widener University, as well as an M.A. in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University. Lauren enjoyed over 20 years of professional experience in legal, tech, finance, and sales before deciding to take her expertise and channel it into helping others grow.  If you're a woman (or man, any other gender!) who wants to be respected, carry yourself with confidence, and lead yourself and others toward a more fulfilling career and life, you've found the place for you. Whether you're an experienced professional or a new college grad, I guarantee you'll learn something. Everyone is welcome here, so let's go smash that glass ceiling together. ____________________________ This podcast is for you if you find yourself asking questions such as: How do I ask for a promotion? Why do high-performers fail to get promoted? How do I ask for a raise? How do I communicate better, more clearly, or more effectively? How do I bridge the gender gap at work? Do women make better leaders? How can I be a better manager? How do I get more respect at work? What is strategy? How do I become better at sales and establishing relationships? What stats do I need to pay attention to to measure business growth? What are the best leadership styles? How can I simplify my business processes? How do I give good feedback? How can I change careers? What skills do I need to become a leader? How can I develop my employees? How can I influence my coworkers when I'm not their boss? What is the difference between management and leadership? ...and many more! **If you have a request for a specific topic, please reach out at glassceilingsmashedpod@gmail.com** ____________________________ Glass Ceiling, Smashed is brought to you by Windrose Coaching and Consulting LLC. WRCC provides individual 1:1 career and leadership skills development coaching, as well as consulting services for small and micro businesses.  Visit our website (www.windrosecoachingandconsulting) to learn more about our services and pricing.

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