I've found your next "girl vibes" podcast
for when you need tools and inspiration to unleash your likable badass on the world
Happy new year, friends!
I have been unexpectedly silent here, I know.
As my book agent told me from the beginning, “books are babies with a very long gestation.” However, she told me nothing about what it would be like to care for my book baby after birth.
Well now I know. Books are way more demanding than human children.
I spent the fall like all new moms - very proud of this new being I’ve created, yet sleep-deprived, bleary eyed, and chronically overworked.
Generally, three months after book launch, most things in my life remain intact but there were some casualties:
My workouts (which until book launch have always been VERY consistent)
My closet swap (it’s about 8 degrees in Chicago and my winter clothes are still in my basement storage)
My concern about whether or not my kids ate vegetables (or anything nutritious)
My time with you, The Upper Hand community
Fortunately, Likeable Badass is now a toddler and I enter 2025 excited to focus on several projects to help women live their best lives and reap all the rewards they deserve—most importantly, delivering my best energy and ideas to this amazing community.
So, how did “book baby” and I spend our Fall?
Great question.
I was bringing the messages of Likeable Badass to virtual and in-person stages across the country, which may be where you and I first met. I lost count of how many events I did but it was a lot. In fact, while I was delivering a virtual presentation in October I noticed an incoming call from American Airlines on my cell phone. When I checked the message after the session I learned that I had been promoted to Concierge Key - the super secret top status level for people who fly way more than anyone ever should. It was simultaneously both a moment of pride and shame.
In addition to that, I was also creating a TON of free content for you - in the form of podcast appearances, articles, and interviews.
According to my (undoubtedly incomplete) count, I generated:
48 podcast episodes
15 articles
4 blog interviews
5 live radio interviews
3 television appearances
…all focused on the science and strategies that help women boost status, power, and influence.
If you’re wondering what all of this content is and where to find it, my web design team worked tirelessly to design my new media page on my website. There you can find the full library of past content, and new items are added weekly as I’m still generating 3-5 new pieces of content every week. So, check it out now and then again periodically going forward.
The biggest and best surprise
When I consume a book, it’s only by reading (hardcopy only, please). And until I had kids, I assumed that all intelligent people were readers. However, only one of my kids reads for fun. The other two read only when forced. They do, however, love to listen to books and music, something that has always felt like a lot of work for me.
I’ve never listened to a full audiobook or podcast episode. Ever.
So, I was a bit apprehensive and ignorant when I started appearing on podcasts to discuss Likeable Badass. What did people talk about on podcasts, anyway? It was all a mystery to me.
[Side note: If I were going to listen to a podcast, it would be “Only Murders In The Building.” That show is my happy place. Thankfully, it’s just a TV show about a podcast.]
Despite being an ignorant listener, my 48+ podcast appearances taught me something important: There is an entire ecosystem of brilliant, giving hosts putting a lot of effort into generating great information and inspiration for their audiences. I may not love listening, but I could talk with all of these hosts for days.
And judging by the size of their audiences, I realized that I am not prototypical. Chances are, you love podcasts, too.
This means you probably also know that there are a lot of podcasts that focus on content for women (another pleasant surprise for me in this process).
So, if you’re looking for a “New Year, New You” resolution that doesn’t involve an elliptical machine or giving up wine*, let me suggest finding a new source of information and inspiration to listen to while you cook dinner, sit in traffic, or take a walk.
Six Spectacular Podcasts Dedicated to Helping Women Get “The Upper Hand”
This Sh!t Works with Julie Brown
Technically, Julie’s podcast is not marketed specifically to women. But she is a woman who offers no nonsense tips and tricks to network your way to more friends, more adventures, and way more success! Given that networking is one of the topics women’s groups ask me to speak about most, I know this is an area of particular interest for women.
If your definition of a good time is listening to two edgy, bourbon-loving women giving you the tools to kick ass in any way you please, then you will love my conversation with Julie.
This is Woman’s Work with Nicole Kalil
I can’t say it better than Nicole does, so I won’t even try:
“This podcast is for the career-driven, the get-shit-done warriors, the multitaskers who've perfected the art of typing an email, sipping coffee, and planning business strategy simultaneously. You're a juggernaut in heels (or sneakers, because comfort), and you just found your hive. Who runs the world? You decide.”
Financial Feminist with Tori Dunlap
There’s a reason Tori Dunlap has 7 gazillion Instagram followers, and why we had such a blast together (as evidenced in this screen shot) - she’s funny, edgy, and is fiercely committed to helping women crush their goals. Her mission is to empower women to make more, spend less, and feel financially confident in a world run by “rich white men.” Financial freedom with a side of inspiration to “kick some patriarchal ass.”
HerMoney with Jean Chatzky
I have been a Jean Chatzky superfan since I was a young graduate student watching the TODAY show and she was their regular finance guru. It’s because of Jean that I opened a Roth IRA at age 21 and why I always have contributed the maximum to my retirement accounts, even when it felt like I couldn’t afford to.
“Fangirling” can’t adequately capture how giddy I was to get to talk with Jean live.
Although their styles are very different, Jean and Tori share a similar mission: To get more power in women’s hands by getting more money in their hands. As she says: “Money means having choice. Money means having freedom. When you know how to budget, save, invest, and achieve your financial goals, you lose your fear of the future, and gain a sense of pride and confidence.”
On Air with Ella
Do you want to live a little better every day?
Do you want wellness without obsession?
Yes, please.
“The ON AIR WITH ELLA podcast is for women 35+ who want to feel better, look better, live better - and have fun along the way. It's high-impact interviews and expert advice to help intentional women create their best life, one step at a time.”
Ella is energetic, positive, and full of “hells yes” vibes. You will love her, trust me.
Women at Work
You may already be a fan of Harvard Business Review’s premier podcast for women, but if you aren’t you need to get to this party, asap.
I can’t say enough good things about the host, Amy Gallo. She’s a conflict management expert as well as an all-around brilliant thinker, writer, and women’s advocate. I was thrilled when she wrote an endorsement for Likeable Badass—even though we didn’t yet know each other well when I asked her. Since then, I’m privileged to know Amy as a friend, advisor, and professional “other promoter” for me.
During our episode, I discussed an exercise from my book, Collecting Nos (where you try to get ten different people to try to say no to ten different requests). Amy, creative genius that she is, contacted me after our recording with an idea: We ask show listeners to volunteer to complete the Collecting Nos exercise and invite them and me to record a follow-up episode discussing what they learned. I was all in, of course. So we got to chat again and debrief the experiences of the audience volunteers.
I think the fun that Amy and I had together shines through, evidenced by the recognition that our episodes were among the most popular of all HBR podcast episodes of 2024!
I hope these spectacular women give you the boost of inspiration you need to survive the dreariest months of the year and live your best damn life, on your own terms.
Happy listening and cheers to making 2025 your most successful year yet!
*If you’re looking for a reason to resist the Dry January pressure, here it is. As a math major and mom of three, I found it compelling.