Podcast
Bossed Up
Hosted by Emilie Aries · EN
Are you ready to step up as the boss of your life? Emilie Aries breaks down career conundrums with expert interviews to help women navigate career transition and step up as the boss of their careers. Whether you're in the job search, starting a side hustle, climbing a corporate ladder, or an experienced entrepreneur, join Bossed Up's community of courageous women who lift as they climb.
34episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The Gender Wage Gap is Trending in the Wrong Direction
Dec 900:13:26Tap to summarizeWhat can you do to help turn the widening gender pay gap around? For 20 years, American workers watched as the discrepancy between men’s and women’s incomes slowly lessened. Then, this October, a new report showed that the positive trend is reversing. Women in the U.S. are now making 76 cents for every dollar men make—a difference of around $14,000 a year. In this episode, I’m breaking down why we’re seeing this shift and what we can do about it. Do your part to close the gender wage gap:Learn 3 powerful ways you can make a positive difference in the fight for pay equality;Hear which 36 million households bear the brunt of this impact;And what the data has to say about this shift in momentum.Related Links:National Partnership for Women and Families, “America’s Women and the Wage Gap” - https://nationalpartnership.org/report/americas-women-and-the-wage-gap/Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, “Executive Order 11246” - https://www.eeoc.gov/history/executive-order-no-11246\Bossed Up, “The Definitive Guide to Negotiating as a Woman” - https://www.bossedup.org/negotiationLinkedIn Learning Course, “Negotiating Your Compensation Package” - https://www.linkedin.com/learning/negotiating-your-compensation-packageEpisode 462, “Understand Pay Transparency and Your Rights as a Job Seeker” - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode462Episode 444, “Are Pay Transparency Laws Working?” - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode444Episode 422, “What Actually Creates Gender Equality at Work?” - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode422Episode 317, “Making Progress on Equal Pay Day” - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode317Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Transcribe →
Disability Accommodations: What All Leaders Need to Know
Nov 2500:39:41Tap to summarizeAs managers and employees, how can we ensure that we support equitable disability accommodations for everyone? The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) offers a wealth of protections, but many workers and leaders are unaware of what these protections entail. Luckily, there are experts like Rachel Shaw out there to shed light on their intricacies and help educate us all.Rachel is a leading strategist in workplace inclusion and disability compliance and the author of “The Disabled Workforce: What the ADA Never Anticipated.” She joins me to add clarity to the laws in place to protect people with disabilities—including mental health and pregnancy—and ensure we have access to an equitable work environment that allows us all to be productive contributors, whatever differences of ability we might experience in our lifetimes. Understand your rights and responsibilities around disability inclusion:The most proactive and effective way to ask for an accommodation;The essential accommodation process every organization needs to develop;How much it really costs companies to approve employee requests;What’s missing from the ADA and how it’s being addressed.Related Links:Connect with Rachel Shaw on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-shaw-00037745/Learn more about Rachel’s work - https://rachelshaw.com/Buy “The Disabled Workforce” - https://www.amazon.com/Disabled-Workforce-What-Never-Anticipated/dp/1544708599Episode 390, How to Manage ADHD in the Workplace - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode390Episode 460, Balancing Work with a Complicated Pregnancy - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode460Episode 123, Pursuing a Promotion While Pregnant - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode123Episode 335, What do mom-friendly Workplaces look like and how to create them - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode335 Episode 311, How to Talk About Marital Status, Parental Status, and Pregnancy in the Interview - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode311Episode 315, How to Talk About Disability or Chronic Illness in the Job Interview - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode315LEVEL UP: a Leadership Accelerator for Women on the Rise - https://www.bossedup.org/levelupBossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Transcribe →
What to Say at Work When You Truly Don’t Know
Aug 12, 202500:11:05Tap to summarizeWhen you’re hit with a daunting question in a meeting, how do you reply? In this common situation, it’s normal to panic or blurt out an uninformed answer just to have something to say. Today’s episode dives into the concept of bridging phrases, which can help you pivot professionally. Taking a beat and presenting an honest, if incomplete, response is always going to make you look more competent and confident than mumbling something inaccurate and circling back later to correct yourself. In this quick episode, I share three go-to phrases to help you navigate hard workplace questions with leadership style. It’s time to start bridging—not bluffing—with conviction:What to say when you need to fact-check yourself first;How to respond when you only know part of the answer;The perfect phrase for when you need to phone a friend for help.Related Links:SPEAK UP: an assertive communication course for women in the workplace - https://www.bossedup.org/speakup“Why You Should Pause During Presentations & 7 Ways to Master It” - https://www.maptive.com/pause-during-presentations-ways-to-master-itEpisode 417, The Truth About Women’s Communication at Work - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode417Episode 419, I Was Called “Aggressive” at Work…Now What? - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode419Episode 490, How Do We Unlearn Silence and Voice Our Worth? - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode490Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/
Transcribe →
The Power Pause: Rebranding the Stay-at-Home Mom
Aug 5, 202500:38:47Tap to summarizeLet’s explore identity and ambition through the lens of caregiving and career.I’ve talked a lot this year about settling into my “baby-making era,” working full-time while raising a toddler and an infant in this tumultuous time of trad wives and girl bosses. There’s a concerning disconnect between what women want and what society thinks of those desires. Joining me to talk about all this is Neha Ruch, founder of The Power Pause and author of the USA Today bestselling book of the same name.Neha is a marketing professional who stepped back from the corporate world to raise her son and become an advocate for women’s autonomy in work and life. We engage in a bold conversation about the problem with binary narratives around motherhood and how a shift in perspective can help us all achieve our goals, both within the home and outside it. Let Neha’s work inspire your career and caregiving journey:What’s wrong with the phrase “stay-at-home mom,”Why the binary choice of being a working or at-home mom is both unrealistic;Why stepping back from your career doesn’t mean giving up your ambition;Tangible ways companies and moms can normalize taking a “power pause”.Related Links:Connect with Neha - https://www.instagram.com/neha_ruch/Get “The Power Pause: How To Plan A Career Break After Kids” - https://www.thepowerpause.com/thepowerpauseLearn more about Neha’s organization - https://www.thepowerpause.com/The 2023 American Mothers on Pause study - https://www.thepowerpause.com/americanmothersonpauseTAKE ACTION with Bossed Up - https://www.bossedup.org/takeactionBossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/Follow Emilie on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/emiliearies/
Transcribe →
How to Re-Inspire Yourself Out of a Career Slump
Jul 29, 202500:08:49Tap to summarizeWhen inspiration slumps, how do you get it back? On those days (or weeks) where you just aren’t feeling it, you might find yourself considering a total life overhaul—I’ve been there. But before you hit send on that resignation letter, give these three simple, less extreme techniques a try.Tune in to learn how to bounce back when boredom or burnout strikes:Why literally stepping outside is key to jumpstarting your inspiration;How those non-work-related tabs open on your browser could be the answer;Why an energy audit might be the best 30 seconds of your day.Related Links:Episode 511, The Engagement Crisis Impacting Young Workers - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode511Episode 172, The Healing Power of Nature - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode172Gallup, Engagement Recedes for the First Time in Four Years - https://www.gallup.com/workplace/349484/state-of-the-global-workplace.aspxStanford Researchers Find Mental Health Prescription: Nature - https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2015/06/hiking-mental-health-063015LinkedIn Learning, Get Unstuck: Make a Plan to Move Your Career Forward - https://www.linkedin.com/learning/get-unstuck-make-a-plan-to-move-your-career-forwardNeuron, States of Curiosity Modulate Hippocampus-Dependent Learning via the Dopaminergic Circuit - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25284006/Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/
Transcribe →
Leverage Power and Pressure to Become the Leader You Want to Be
Jul 8, 202500:33:04Tap to summarizeHow do you transition from team member to team leader without letting the pressure and power turn you into a bad boss? I interact so often with well-meaning new managers suddenly discovering how different it is to lead the team than to be a member of it. Luckily, we have the wisdom of executive coach and author Sabina Nawaz to turn to!Sabina wrote her new book, “You're The Boss: Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need)” after spending more than 20 years counseling C-level executives and experiencing her own “bad boss” moment. She speaks with me about how to balance the pressure and power of management and use it to bring out the very best in your leadership journey, wherever on the corporate ladder you might be.Fine-tune your leadership with Sabina’s expertise:How to become pressure-proof so you can turn tension into teamwork;The microhabits that can help you be a compassionate leader (and partner, and parent);How to deal with the feedback distortion that occurs when you shift from team member to manager;Self-assessment questions that will identify your challenges and make you a better boss.Related Links:Order Sabina’s book, “You’re the Boss” - https://sabinanawaz.com/book/Learn more about Sabina’s work - https://sabinanawaz.com/Episode 512, The Engagement Crisis Impacting Young Workers - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode511Episode 437, The Succession Gap and the Growing Value of Your Aspirations - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode437LEVEL UP: a Leadership Accelerator for Women on the Rise - https://www.bossedup.org/levelupBossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/
Transcribe →
New Law Offers NICU Family Leave
Jul 1, 202500:12:28Tap to summarizeHow do new parents balance limited paid leave and a newborn who has to spend weeks in intensive care? Becoming a NICU family is heart-wrenching enough, but having to weigh returning to work before your newborn has come home from the hospital makes this already-stressful time even harder.Today, I’m thrilled to share some good news about a new groundbreaking law that has Colorado once again on the forefront of caring for caregivers.Whether you’re living in Colorado or wondering how to advocate for your state to take more action on this front, this episode is essential listening for anyone passionate about the infrastructure of care and gender equality in America.Learn all about the new legislation, including:How inspiring new benefits will benefit parents with babies in the NICU;How employees and businesses alike are benefiting;And how the state is reducing premiums while increasing benefits. Related Links:Episode 489, How the Cost of Childcare Has Become a Workforce Issue - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode489Episode 434, The Economic Imperative of Affordable Childcare - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode434Episode 479, America’s Parents Are Not Okay - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode479Senate Bill 25-144, “Change to Paid Family Med Leave Insurance Program” - https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2025A/bills/fn/2025a_sb144_00.pdfA Better Balance, “Colorado Expands Paid Family and Medical Leave for NICU Parents” - https://www.abetterbalance.org/colorado-expands-paid-family-and-medical-leave-for-nicu-parents/Colorado General Assembly, “Change Paid Family Medical Leave Insurance Program” - https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb25-144Colorado Politics, “Colorado governor signs bill increasing family leave for parents of NICU babies” - https://www.coloradopolitics.com/governor/colorado-governor-signs-bill-increasing-family-leave-for-parents-of-nicu-babies/article_04eeae6d-9c50-485d-bbde-9feadc2d062c.htmlDenver7, “Deductions for Colorado's paid family, medical leave program begin in 2023” - https://www.denver7.com/news/politics/deductions-for-colorados-paid-family-medical-leave-program-begin-in-2023Colorado’s Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program - https://famli.colorado.gov/TAKE ACTION with Bossed Up - https://www.bossedup.org/takeactionBossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/
Transcribe →
Your Emotions Around Money Matter More Than You Think
Jun 24, 202500:45:32Tap to summarizeWith the uncertain state of the economy right now, money is on most people’s minds. Now is the perfect time to explore why our finances are so much more than “just numbers,” and how intricately emotions and money intertwine.My guest, Aja Evans, is a financial therapist and the author of the new book, Feel Good Finance. After noticing how often people in therapy sessions breeze past their money stresses, she set out to make talking through our financial concerns more commonplace. This one is certain to resonate—Aja’s insights left me feeling like I’d just had a cathartic therapy session myself.Identify your financial priorities and values with Aja’s expert advice:Why we need to consider our childhoods when thinking about money;How we can talk about money with our kids to set them up for their own financial futures;The hefty, wide-ranging impact of financial trauma (and why we need to address it);How to start figuring out our basic needs and making brave changes to get aligned.Related Links:Learn more about Aja’s work - https://ajaevanscounseling.com/Get a copy of “Feel Good Finance” - https://bookshop.org/p/books/feel-good-finance-untangle-your-relationship-with-money-for-better-mental-emotional-and-financial-well-being-aja-evans/21301669Connect with Aja on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ajaetherapy/Listen to Hidden Brain, “Rewrite Your Money Story” - https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/money-2-0-rewrite-your-money-story/TAKE ACTION with Bossed Up - https://www.bossedup.org/takeactionBossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/
Transcribe →
The Engagement Crisis Impacting Young Workers
Jun 17, 202500:19:35Tap to summarizeAs a leader, how can you tackle disengagement on your team? Employee engagement is in crisis, and it’s costing more than just morale. According to Gallup, only 31% of the American workforce is engaged at work, while a staggering 17% are actively disengaged—cynical, vocal, and dragging others down with them. This unfortunate reality takes a toll on worker mental health, and also poses a full-blown productivity problem, with real financial consequences.In this episode, I unpack the latest findings from Gallup’s workforce engagement surveys and look at how leaders can leverage it as a blueprint for creating meaningful, motivating work environments. From setting clear expectations to building genuine connections and offering real opportunities for growth, we explore the practical ways to shift your team’s momentum.Take a deeper look at what the numbers say about leading your team to maximum impact:What the generational divide in employee engagement might reveal;Why it’s not as simple as blaming remote work for worker disengagement;How expectations create the foundation for a more engaged workforce.Related Links:Book Emilie to speak at your event - https://www.emiliearies.com/Episode 265, How to Set Clear Expectations As a Leader - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode265Episode 376, How to Make Performance Reviews More Effective as a Manager - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode376Episode 407, How to Delegate Without Feeling So Bad About It - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode407Episode 452, Redefining Success: Women and the Fight for a Fair Economy - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode452Episode 483, Can You Be Friends At Work? - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode483Episode 489 How the Cost of Childcare Has Become a Workforce Issue, https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode489Gallup, U.S. Employee Engagement Sinks to 10-Year Low - https://www.gallup.com/workplace/654911/employee-engagement-sinks-year-low.aspxGallup 2025 State of the Global Workplace Report - https://www.gallup.com/workplace/349484/state-of-the-global-workplace.aspxGallup, The Benefits of Employee Engagement - https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236927/employee-engagement-drives-growth.aspxGallup, The Q12 Employee Engagement Survey - https://www.gallup.com/q12-employee-engagement-survey/LEVEL UP: a Leadership Accelerator for Women on the Rise - https://www.bossedup.org/levelupBossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/
Transcribe →
Directional Living for Aligned Fulfillment
Jun 10, 202500:44:57Tap to summarizeWhat would happen if you stopped pursuing a career destination and focused instead on the best direction? Too often, we find ourselves checking the “right” boxes to get the best degree and climb the corporate ladder, only to find ourselves unfulfilled as we near the top. There’s something wrong with that picture.Megan Hellerer, the author of “Directional Living: A Transformational Guide to Fulfillment in Work and Life,” joins me to talk about the approach she has adopted and the one she now teaches. Directional living is about recognizing that human beings change over time. It’s about eschewing a Final Destination and the resulting roadmap and instead focusing on what aligns with our lives and goals as we go through life.Embrace Megan’s individualized approach to constructing a fulfilling life and career:Why the American Dream just isn’t serving us anymore;Why we can’t define fulfillment by society’s limiting perception of success;How recalibrating your inner thermostat can help you start living directionally;Why the idea of “failure” is overrated and what to focus on instead.Related Links:Buy “Directional Living: A Transformational Guide to Fulfillment in Work and Life” by Megan Hellerer - https://meganhellerer.com/directional-living-bookLearn more about Megan’s coaching - https://meganhellerer.com/work-with-meConnect with Megan on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/meganhellerer/LEVEL UP: a Leadership Accelerator for Women on the Rise - https://www.bossedup.org/levelupBossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/
Transcribe →