This Is Woman's Work with Nicole Kalil

Nicole Kalil + Airwave Media

Together, we're redefining what it means, looks and feels like, to be doing "woman's work" in the world today. From boardrooms to studios, kitchens to coding dens, we explore the multifaceted experiences of today's women, confirming that the new definition of "woman's work" is whatever feels authentic, true, and right for you. We're shedding expectations, setting aside the "shoulds", giving our finger to the "supposed tos". We're torching the old playbook and writing our own rules. Who runs the world? You decide. Because that is Woman's Work. Learn more at nicolekalil.com

  1. 1D AGO

    Stop Saying “I’m Fine”: Nervous System Regulation for High-Achieving Women with Michelle Grosser | 372

    If your default answer to “How are you?” is “I’m fine, it’s just a busy season” (and that “season” has started to feel like winter in Alaska), this one’s for you. In this episode, we’re talking nervous system regulation for high-achieving women — the ones juggling all the things, smiling through the stress, and low-key running on fumes. I’m joined by Michelle Grosser — nervous system strategist, podcast host, and former trial attorney — who now helps high-achieving women regulate from the inside out. We dig into why you can’t mindset your way out of burnout, how your body is sending four times more messages to your brain than the other way around, and what it actually means to live and lead from a grounded state instead of constant fight-or-flight chaos. In this episode, we get into: The difference between playing an outside-in game (chasing success for validation) vs. an inside-out game (being who you want to be first, then acting from that place) Why your nervous system only cares about one thing — safety — and how that impacts your ability to create success, confidence, and fulfillment What really happens in your brain when you’re in fight, flight, or freeze The three daily nervous system regulators every woman needs: movement, stillness, and play — and why “high-intensity workout” isn’t always the flex you think it is How emotional suppression, weak boundaries, and crappy coping mechanisms quietly shrink your bandwidth and fast-track you to burnout What it actually feels like to be grounded  Back-pocket, in-the-moment tools for when shit hits the fan: the physiological breath, temperature shifts, and full-body shaking (yes, like your dog) to help your system reset How to stop confusing over-functioning with being “driven,” and start leading from a regulated, resourced version of you Because you can read all the leadership books and take all the courses, but if your nervous system is fried, you’ll keep defaulting to hustle, panic, and perfectionism instead of clarity, creativity, and calm power. Thank you to our sponsors! Get 20% off your first order at curehydration.com/WOMANSWORK with code WOMANSWORK — and if you get a post-purchase survey, mention you heard about Cure here to help support the show!  Sex is a skill. Beducated is where you learn it. Visit https://beducate.me/pd2550-womanswork and use code womanswork for 50% off the annual pass. Connect with Michelle: Website: www.michellegrosser.com Nervous System Reset guide: www.michellegrosser.com/reset  IG: https://www.instagram.com/itsmichellegrosser/  FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/themotherhoodvillage  Related Podcast Episodes: Burnout 2.0: BurnBOLD with Cait Donovan | 331 The Resilience Myth with Soraya Chemaly | 249 How Our Dysregulated Nervous Systems Are Impacting Us with Victoria Albina | 244 Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    40 min
  2. 6D AGO

    Emotional Fitness for Real Life with Dr. Emily Anhalt | 371

    Friend, we obsess over steps, macros, and workout streaks… but when was the last time you checked in on your emotional fitness? In this episode, Nicole sits down with clinical psychologist, emotional fitness expert, and Coa co-founder Dr. Emily Anhalt to talk about what it actually looks like to “train your brain” — no toxic positivity, no “just meditate more,” and definitely no pretending everything’s fine when it’s very much not.  Emily breaks down her 7 traits of emotional fitness (think mindfulness, curiosity, boundaries, resilience, empathy, communication, and play) and how to build them like muscles over time — one emotional push-up at a time. We get into why empathy without boundaries will burn you all the way out, how to ask for feedback without spiraling into defensiveness, and why trusting your future self might be the most confidence-building thing you do this year.  If you’ve ever felt resentful because you said “yes” when every cell in your body wanted to say “no,” if you’re tired of carrying everyone else’s emotions like luggage, or if anxiety and uncertainty have been driving the bus lately, this one’s for you. Emotional fitness won’t stop life from throwing heavy shit your way — but it will make you strong enough to carry it, move it, and eventually put it down. We explore: What emotional fitness actually means (and how it’s different from “fixing yourself”) The 7 traits of emotional fitness — and why you don’t have to master all of them at once How to spot the cost of avoiding discomfort (hello, resentment and burnout)The “emotional push-up” exercise you can start doing today How to hold empathy and boundaries so caring for others doesn’t drain you dry The best advice Emily ever got for dealing with anxiety and uncertainty Why trusting your future self is a deeply confident way to live Because when you trust your future self, you stop living in panic about what might happen and start living with confidence in who you’re becoming — and that shifts everything.  Thank you to our sponsors! Get 20% off your first order at curehydration.com/WOMANSWORK with code WOMANSWORK — and if you get a post-purchase survey, mention you heard about Cure here to help support the show!  Sex is a skill. Beducated is where you learn it. Visit https://beducate.me/pd2550-womanswork and use code womanswork for 50% off the annual pass. Connect with Emily: Website: https://www.dremilyanhalt.com/ Book: https://a.co/d/couFOLN IG: https://www.instagram.com/dremilyanhalt/ X: https://x.com/dremilyanhalt LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dremilyanhalt/ Related Podcast Episodes Your Brain Is a Filthy Liar with Bizzie Gold | 361 How To Play: Shift Your Thinking, Inspire Connection & Spark Creativity with Cas Holman | 355 144 / Jay & Nicole Kalil on Partnership, With Guest Host Lynn Casaletto Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    38 min
  3. DEC 15

    The Activator Advantage - What Today’s Rainmakers Do Differently with Karen Freeman | 370

    If your “business development strategy” is do great work + hope clients stay loyal, I have bad news: that strategy has been officially declared dead on arrival. In this episode, Nicole sits down with Karen Freeman, Chief Product Officer at DCM Insights and co-author of The Activator Advantage, to break down why client loyalty is collapsing—and what the best “rainmakers” are doing instead. Spoiler: they’re not waiting around to be chosen. They’re activating.  What you’ll learn: Why client loyalty is shrinking (even when you are excellent at your job) The buyer behavior shift: from “we trust you” to “we’re still taking calls, though” Practical ways to build a stronger pipeline without turning into a sleazy salesperson How AI + procurement + buying committees are changing the game (and the budget) The Activator playbook (aka: stop crossing your fingers) Commit: plan BD weekly (yes, even when you’re busy) Connect: treat your network like an asset, not a dusty LinkedIn list Create value: show up before the ask with insight, context, and solutions Because “doing good work” is table stakes. Activating is how you win, retain, and grow today. Thank you to our sponsors! Get 20% off your first order at curehydration.com/WOMANSWORK with code WOMANSWORK — and if you get a post-purchase survey, mention you heard about Cure here to help support the show!  Sex is a skill. Beducated is where you learn it. Visit https://beducate.me/pd2550-womanswork and use code womanswork for 50% off the annual pass. Connect with Karen: Book: https://www.dcminsights.com/activator-advantage  Karen’s LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenefreeman/ DCM insights’s LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dcm-insights/ Related Podcast Episodes Powerfully Likeable with Dr. Kate Mason | 364  From Small Business to Big Impact: Leadership, Confidence, & Community | 362  The 3 N’s: Negotiation, Networking & No with Kathryn Valentine | 327 Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    35 min
  4. DEC 10

    How to Push Back: From People-Pleasing to Power with Tonya Lester | 369

    If you’ve ever swallowed your needs, kept the peace, and then randomly lost your shit over something tiny (hi, dirty spoon in the sink), this episode is for you. Therapist and author Tonya Lester is here to talk about conflict, boundaries, and what it really means to be “difficult” in a world that still rewards women for being nice, accommodating, and endlessly available. Tonya is the therapist women call when they’re done being walked on. A Brooklyn-based psychotherapist with decades of clinical experience, she specializes in women’s emotional health, conflict skills, and relationships. We dig into why so many women default to do nothing → do nothing → do nothing → FREAK OUT, how to stop building silent resentment brick by brick, and what it looks like to push back early and often—in love, in work, and in every relationship that actually matters. This is real-talk conflict management for women who are done disappearing to keep everyone else comfortable. In this episode, we get into: Why “being difficult” is actually a compliment when it means being honest, boundaried, and real The subtle ways women suppress their needs in relationships, families, and at work (while telling themselves “it’s not a big deal”) The do-nothing-do-nothing-freak-out pattern—and how to catch yourself before you emotionally flip a table How to say hard things clearly and calmly: phrases you can steal for your next conflict at home or in the office The difference between healthy anger and full-on rage (and why anger is often a sign you still care) When ultimatums do have a place—and when they’re just emotional terrorism How to stop over-functioning in your relationships (aka rowing both oars while the other person “rests”) What to do when your partner, boss, or friend refuses to collaborate—and how to decide if it’s time to stay, shift, or go Tiny, doable ways to practice pushing back if you’re conflict-avoidant but deeply over people-pleasing If standing up for yourself has ever been labeled “too much,” this conversation will help you see that maybe the problem isn’t you—it’s the system that benefits from you staying small. Let’s fix that. Thank you to our sponsors! Get 20% off your first order at curehydration.com/WOMANSWORK with code WOMANSWORK — and if you get a post-purchase survey, mention you heard about Cure here to help support the show!  Sex is a skill. Beducated is where you learn it. Visit https://beducate.me/pd2550-womanswork and use code womanswork for 50% off the annual pass. Connect with Tonya: Website: http://www.TonyaLester.com Book: https://www.amazon.com/Push-Back-Others-Without-Yourself/dp/1608689468. FB: https://www.facebook.com/tonya.lester.58/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/tonyalesterpsychotherapy/ LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonya-lester-b9a3ab14/  Related Podcast Episodes: How To Be Selfish with Naketa Ren Thigpen | 329 297 / Boundaries vs. Ultimatums with Jan Yuhas & Jillian Yuhas How To Find The Right Words When Creating Boundaries with Amy Green Smith | 201 Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    37 min
  5. DEC 8

    Lift Heavy, Live Long: Reclaiming Your Strength with Anne-Marie Chaker | 368

    We’re getting unapologetically muscular today. Former Wall Street Journal reporter turned professional bodybuilder Anne-Marie Chaker joins us to talk about why women’s strength training is not a vanity play—it’s a longevity strategy, a confidence accelerator, and a rebellion against “shrink yourself” culture. In this episode, we dig into: 🏋️‍♀️ Why strength training is self-care that actually works—and how lifting transforms more than your body 🧠 The mental health perks of moving heavy things (spoiler: it’s better than a bubble bath) 🚫 Breaking up with “skinny culture” and redefining beauty, power, and health on our own terms 💪 Motivation vs. discipline—how showing up matters more than feeling ready 👩‍👧 Raising the next generation to value strength over smallness and confidence over comparison 📚 Insights from Anne-Marie’s book Lift: How Women Can Reclaim Their Physical Power and Transform Their Lives—a call to take up more space, in every sense of the word. This conversation is funny, real, and a powerful reminder that stronger is better than smaller—because it’s for you, not for them. Thank you to our sponsors! Get 20% off your first order at curehydration.com/WOMANSWORK with code WOMANSWORK — and if you get a post-purchase survey, mention you heard about Cure here to help support the show!  Sex is a skill. Beducated is where you learn it. Visit https://beducate.me/pd2550-womanswork and use code womanswork for 50% off the annual pass. Connect with Anne: Website: https://annemariechaker.com/   Book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/2268426/anne-marie-chaker/ Substack: https://annemariechaker.substack.com/  Related Podcast Episodes The Stress Paradox: Why We Need Stress (and How to Make It Work for Us) with Dr. Sharon Horesh Bergquist | 294  How To Breathe: Breathwork, Intuition and Flow State with Francesca Sipma | 267 Apple Podcasts Don’t Let Your Doctor Kill You: The New Hormone Solution with Dr. Erika Schwartz | 305 Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    31 min
  6. DEC 3

    Leadership Unblocked (The Hidden Beliefs Sabotaging Your Ability To Lead) with Muriel M. Wilkins | 367

    If you’ve ever thought, “I’m not a leader, I just have 47 people depending on me and zero time to pee” — this one’s for you. In this episode, we’re pulling back the curtain on what really gets in the way of women leading at work, at home, and in our own lives. Spoiler: it’s not your title, your org chart, or your calendar. It’s the invisible beliefs, the perfectionism, the “I’ll just do it myself,” and the “if I say no everything will fall apart” stories running in the background. Executive coach, author, and Harvard Business Review podcast host Muriel Wilkins joins Nicole to unpack the seven hidden leadership blockers that quietly cap our potential — especially for women who’ve been praised their whole lives for doing it all, doing it perfectly, and never dropping a ball. Together, they dig into how to actually lead yourself first, rewrite old scripts like “I can’t make a mistake” and “I don’t belong here,” and create a version of leadership that doesn’t require burnout, over-functioning, or pretending to be someone you’re not. Because leadership isn’t just about managing people. It’s about managing you — your beliefs, your boundaries, and your response when things go sideways. We explore: Why leadership isn’t a title, it’s how you show up in every area of your life The 7 hidden leadership blockers that keep high-achieving women stuck and exhausted How “I need to be involved” and “I can’t say no” destroy your capacity and your team’s growth The quiet cost of perfectionism and the belief “I can’t make a mistake” The difference between being a leader and actually leading (yes, there’s a big one) Why real confidence isn’t knowing you’ll get it right — it’s trusting you can handle whatever happens Because at the end of the day, leadership isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about having the inner steadiness to face whatever comes next without abandoning yourself in the process. Thank you to our sponsors! Get 20% off your first order at curehydration.com/WOMANSWORK with code WOMANSWORK — and if you get a post-purchase survey, mention you heard about Cure here to help support the show!  Sex is a skill. Beducated is where you learn it. Visit https://beducate.me/pd2550-womanswork and use code womanswork for 50% off the annual pass. Connect with Muriel: Website: https://murielwilkins.com/ Book: https://www.murielwilkins.com/books Podcast: https://www.murielwilkins.com/podcast-coaching-real-leaders   Related Podcast Episodes: From Small Business to Big Impact: Leadership, Confidence, & Community at the Goldman Sachs 10K What Good Leaders Can Learn from Bad Bosses with Mita Mallick | 351 How To Build An Emotionally Intelligent Team with Dr. Vanessa Druskat | 328 Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    40 min
  7. DEC 1

    How To Be Yourself At Work: Authentic Presence Over Executive Presence with Claude Silver | 366

    We love to talk about authenticity at work… right up until someone actually shows up as their full, messy, human self and makes everyone clutch their pearls. In this episode, we unpack what it really means to be yourself at work with Claude Silver — the world’s first Chief Heart Officer at VaynerX and author of Be Yourself at Work: The Groundbreaking Power of Showing Up, Standing Out, and Leading from the Heart. We get into the difference between authentic presence vs. executive presence, why “that’s just who I am” is usually “fear” in a cute outfit, and how to stop armoring up at work without turning every meeting into group therapy. We talk about perfectionism, people-pleasing, power dynamics, calling people in (instead of just calling them out), and what it actually costs you and your company when you leave the real you at home. If you’ve ever wondered how to bring your heart into a workplace that’s still obsessed with your hustle, or how to belong without shrinking or pretending, this conversation is your permission slip to stop faking it and start leading from the heart. We Explore: What authenticity at work really means (and why it’s not “I say whatever I want, whenever I want”) The difference between confidence and authenticity – and why you need both How Claude defines authentic presence and why “executive presence” is starting to feel outdated Perfectionism as a confidence derailer and how it quietly kills trust, connection, and creativity How to share your real life (kids, chaos, hard mornings) at work without oversharing or dumping Navigating power dynamics when a client, boss, or leader says something that goes against your values How to find “your people” at work Gen Z and Gen Alpha aren’t being “difficult” — they’re just done with workplaces that value performance over personhood. They expect companies to evolve, not the other way around. If leaders want to keep and motivate this generation, they need to ditch command-and-control and lead with humanity. Authenticity isn’t a bonus anymore — it’s the baseline. Thank you to our sponsors! Get 20% off your first order at curehydration.com/WOMANSWORK with code WOMANSWORK — and if you get a post-purchase survey, mention you heard about Cure here to help support the show!  Sex is a skill. Beducated is where you learn it. Visit https://beducate.me/pd2550-womanswork and use code womanswork for 50% off the annual pass. Connect with Claude: Book Website: https://www.beyourselfbook.com/  LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/casilver/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/claudesilver/?hl=en  Related Podcast Episodes Work Shouldn’t Suck: How to Make It Good with Moe Carrick | 356 15 Lies Women Are Told At Work with Bonnie Hammer | 330 The Hard Truths Of Entrepreneurship with Dr. Darnyelle Jervey Harmon | 313 Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    36 min
  8. NOV 26

    Five Habits of Hope with Dr. Julia Garcia | 365

    Hope isn’t just a feeling. It’s a practice—especially when life feels like a dumpster fire. In this episode, we get real about how to build hope (not wait for it) with psychologist, speaker, and author Dr. Julia Garcia—the mind behind The 5 Habits of Hope. She’s a psychologist and keynote speaker who’s built crisis hotlines, coached schools and leaders worldwide, and blends lived experience with research to turn The 5 Habits of Hope into practical, everyday tools.  We unpack why hope is missing from our work, relationships, and world… and how to bring it back with five repeatable, no-BS habits: Reflect, Risk, Release, Receive, Repurpose. You’ll hear practical prompts, what “emotional risk” actually looks like, and how to rally your people when you’d rather white-knuckle it alone. Bonus: Julia lovingly drags our community (in the best way) to go hit “Subscribe” on our new YouTube. Because support is a verb. We cover: The difference between reflecting vs. ruminating—plus the prompt: “I’m struggling because…” Why emotional risk (not skydiving) is the real courage builder—and how to do it safely A body-based “release” exercise to let go of performance, perfection, and pressure Receiving support without spiraling into “I should handle this myself” Repurposing tough feelings into fuel using the reframe: “I’m hopeful for…” How to set up “tap-in” systems with your people so you’re never doing the hard alone Why hope isn’t naive—it's a discipline that accelerates healing, connection, and action Because when we choose to practice hope—even on the days it feels impossible—we don’t just change our outlook, we change what’s possible for ourselves and everyone around us. Thank you to our sponsors! Get 20% off your first order at curehydration.com/WOMANSWORK with code WOMANSWORK — and if you get a post-purchase survey, mention you heard about Cure here to help support the show!  Visit beducate.me/womanswork69 and use code womanswork69 for 65% off the annual pass.  Black Friday has come early at Cozy Earth! Right now, you can stack my code WOMANSWORK on top of their sitewide sale — giving you up to 40% off in savings. Connect with Julia: Website: drjuliagarcia.com Book:The 5 Habits of Hope Youtube: @DrJuliaGarcia IG: https://www.instagram.com/drjuliagarcia/  LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjuliagarcia/ Podcast: Journey with Dr. J on Spotify / Audible Related Podcast Episodes: 7 Questions For Living A Meaningful Life with Marni Battista | 322 How To Live A Fulfilling Life with Dr. Edith Eger | 251 Burnout 2.0: BurnBOLD with Cait Donovan | 331  Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform!🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    43 min
4.9
out of 5
451 Ratings

About

Together, we're redefining what it means, looks and feels like, to be doing "woman's work" in the world today. From boardrooms to studios, kitchens to coding dens, we explore the multifaceted experiences of today's women, confirming that the new definition of "woman's work" is whatever feels authentic, true, and right for you. We're shedding expectations, setting aside the "shoulds", giving our finger to the "supposed tos". We're torching the old playbook and writing our own rules. Who runs the world? You decide. Because that is Woman's Work. Learn more at nicolekalil.com

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