Podcast
This Is Woman's Work with Nicole Kalil
Hosted by Nicole Kalil + Airwave Media · EN
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
165episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Birth Vibes: Feeling Empowered During Childbirth with Jen Hamilton | 416
Today00:36:33Summary readyPregnancy and childbirth have somehow become competitive sports — complete with judgment, unsolicited opinions, internet “experts,” and enough mom guilt to last a lifetime before the baby even arrives. In this episode, Nicole sits down with labor and delivery nurse, viral creator, and bestselling author Jen Hamilton to unpack the unrealistic expectations women face around birth, pain management, advocacy, and motherhood itself. Jen shares why rigid birth plans often set women up for disappointment, how “birth vibes” create space for empowerment and adaptability, and what every woman deserves to feel during labor: heard, respected, informed, and safe. From epidurals and medical interventions to maternal mortality and grief after birth trauma, this conversation is equal parts practical, emotional, hilarious, and deeply validating. In This Episode, We Explore: The difference between “birth plans” and “birth vibes” How flexibility and adaptability change the birth experience Why the “perfect birth story” is mostly a myth The truth about epidurals, pain medication, and mom guilt How to advocate for yourself when you feel unheard or dismissed Why women of color face higher risks in maternal healthcare How support people can actually be supportive during labor The importance of feeling respected and emotionally safe during birth What closure and healing can look like after a traumatic birth experience Why giving yourself grace matters more than getting everything “right” A reminder that birth, motherhood, and life rarely go according to plan. Empowerment isn’t about perfection or control — it’s about trusting yourself, adapting when things change, and giving yourself grace when things get messy. Thank you to our sponsors! Become a Fora Advisor today at Foratravel.com/WOMAN - and make sure to tell them we sent you! Elevate your summer wardrobe: Go to Quince.com/tiww for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns! Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free! Families are better when they’re working together… go to myskylight.com/WOMANSWORK for $30 off your Skylight Calendar. Start your risk-free Greenlight trial today at Greenlight.com/TIWW. Don't wait to teach your kids real-world money skills! Connect with Jen: Book: https://www.jenhamilton.co/birthvibes Website: www.jenhamilton.co IG: https://www.instagram.com/_jen_hamilton_/?hl=en FB: https://www.facebook.com/jenhamiltonfacebook/ Substack: https://jenhamiltonsub.substack.com/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/jenhamilton Related Podcast Episodes: Fertility Myths, IVF & the Pressure Women Carry with Dr. Lucky Sekhon | 415 A Terrible Strength: How Medical Bias Is Costing Women Their Lives with Dr. Kemi Doll | 408 Endometriosis & Women's Health with Somer Baburek | 238 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
SummaryFertility Myths, IVF & the Pressure Women Carry with Dr. Lucky Sekhon | 415
2d ago00:34:33Summary readyOne of the most loaded, misunderstood, fear-filled topics women face is fertility. Because apparently we’ve all been sold two completely conflicting messages at the exact same time: “You have plenty of time.” AND “Your eggs are basically turning to dust after 35.” Super helpful. In this episode, Nicole sits down with Dr. Lucky Sekhon — double board-certified reproductive endocrinologist, fertility specialist, and author of The Lucky Egg — to separate actual science from internet nonsense, fearmongering, and wellness-industry garbage. This conversation is honest, nuanced, and deeply needed. Because fertility is not a morality test, a personal failure, or something you can hack with enough supplements and a promo code. In This Episode, We Explore: The biggest fertility myths women are still being told Why fertility is not a “cliff” — and what actually happens with age The truth about egg quality, IVF, and “advanced maternal age” Why so many women feel blindsided when trying to get pregnant The dangerous rise of fertility misinformation on social media What actually matters for fertility health (and what absolutely doesn’t) The role of insulin resistance, sleep, exercise, and nutrition in fertility Which supplements may help — and which are mostly expensive hope Why infertility is NOT just a woman’s issue The male fertility conversation we should’ve been having all along How to advocate for yourself without spiraling into fear Because you deserve facts, options, and support — not shame, blame, or another influencer trying to sell you something. Thank you to our sponsors! Become a Fora Advisor today at Foratravel.com/WOMAN - and make sure to tell them we sent you! Elevate your summer wardrobe: Go to Quince.com/tiww for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns! Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free! Families are better when they’re working together… go to myskylight.com/WOMANSWORK for $30 off your Skylight Calendar. Start your risk-free Greenlight trial today at Greenlight.com/TIWW. Don't wait to teach your kids real-world money skills! Connect with Dr. Lucky: Book: The Lucky Egg: https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/lucky-egg-9781250408716/ Website: https://theluckyegg.com/about-me/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/lucky.sekhon/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drluckyegg Related Podcast Episodes: A Terrible Strength: How Medical Bias Is Costing Women Their Lives with Dr. Kemi Doll | 408 152 / The Necessity Of Choice with Jacqueline Ayers Endometriosis & Women's Health with Somer Baburek | 238 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
SummaryScreen Time Isn’t the Problem—Your Attention Is (And Your Kids Know It) with Catherine Price | 414
1w ago00:46:19Summary readyLet’s cut the crap: this isn’t just about screen time. It’s about attention—yours, your kids’, and who (or what) is stealing it. In this brutally honest (and slightly uncomfortable) conversation, Nicole sits down with Catherine Price—award-winning journalist, author of How to Break Up with Your Phone, and co-author of The Amazing Generation—to unpack what screens are actually doing to our brains, our kids, and our relationships. We’re talking about: Why “screen time” is the wrong conversation—and what you should be focusing on instead How constant scrolling is literally rewiring attention spans (for you and your kids) The real cost of distraction: missed memories, weaker relationships, and a life half-lived Why your kids don’t need another app—they need your actual presence The difference between useful tech and attention-sucking garbage How to delay smartphones and social media without turning your house into a war zone What kids really notice about your phone habits (hint: everything) Practical ways to reset boundaries—even if you feel like you’ve already screwed it up This episode isn’t about perfection. It’s about awareness, intention, and making better choices—starting now. Because every time you pick up your phone, you’re choosing what (and who) gets your attention. Thank you to our sponsors! Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free! Families are better when they’re working together… go to myskylight.com/WOMANSWORK for $30 off your Skylight Calendar. Become a Fora Advisor today at Foratravel.com/woman Connect with Catherine: Substack: https://substack.com/@catherineprice Website: https://catherineprice.com/ Book: The Amazing Generation, co-authored with Jonathan Haidt. https://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Generation-Guide-Freedom-Screen-Filled/dp/B0F87C5F9G Book: How to Break Up With Your Phone https://www.amazon.com/How-Break-Up-Your-Phone/dp/039958112X IG: https://www.instagram.com/catherinepriceofficial/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@catherinepriceofficial LI: http://linkedin.com/in/catherinepriceofficial Related Podcast Episodes The Good Mother Myth with Nancy Reddy | 274 FACTS About Raising Emotionally Intelligent Kids with Alyssa Blask Campbell M.Ed | 345 How To Listen with Emily Kasriel | 321 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
SummaryWhen It’s Not About the Alcohol: Why High-Achieving Women Overdrink & What Actually Needs Fixing with Colleen Freeland | 413
1w ago00:43:28Summary readyLet’s get one thing straight: this isn’t another “just drink less” conversation. Because if it were that simple, you would’ve solved it already. In this raw, honest, and slightly uncomfortable episode, Nicole sits down with intuitive drinking coach Colleen Freeland—host of the It’s Not About the Alcohol podcast and a former high-functioning overdrinker herself—to unpack what’s really behind overdrinking, especially for high-achieving women who “have it all together”… on paper. It’s not about willpower. It’s not about discipline. And it’s definitely not just about alcohol. It’s about what you’re trying to escape. Colleen breaks down why alcohol is often just the symptom—not the problem—and how coping mechanisms like perfectionism, overworking, and even “healthy habits” can be just as numbing if we don’t address the root cause. What We Talk About: Why alcohol isn’t the problem—it’s the signal The real reason high-achieving women overdrink (hint: it’s not lack of discipline) Why removing alcohol doesn’t fix the issue—it just replaces it Nervous system regulation: the skill no one taught you (but you desperately need) How to rebuild self-trust after patterns you’re not proud of Why feeling better starts with admitting you don’t feel okay This conversation flips the script on everything we’ve been taught about drinking, self-control, and “fixing” ourselves. Because the goal may not be to eliminate the coping mechanism… maybe the goal is to build a life you don’t constantly need to escape from. Thank you to our sponsors! Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free! Families are better when they’re working together… go to myskylight.com/WOMANSWORK for $30 off your Skylight Calendar. Become a Fora Advisor today at Foratravel.com/woman Connect with Colleen: Website: https://www.emotionalsobrietycoaching.com/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/thehangoverwhisperer/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hangoverwhisperer Podcast: https://www.emotionalsobrietycoaching.com/podcast Related Podcast Episodes Stop Saying “I’m Fine”: Nervous System Regulation for High-Achieving Women with Michelle Grosser | 372 How Our Dysregulated Nervous Systems Are Impacting Us with Victoria Albina | 244 Sober Curious with Amanda Kuda | 270 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 This episode breaks down why overdrinking isn’t about alcohol—it’s about emotional regulation, stress, and self-connection, giving high-achieving women a smarter, deeper way to change their habits for good. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SummaryThought Load: Overthinking, Overfunctioning & Exhaustion with Liane Davey | 413
2w ago00:38:23Summary readyWe talk a lot about burnout, overwhelm, and productivity — but not nearly enough about the invisible mental gymnastics happening behind the scenes. The remembering, anticipating, overthinking, emotional labor, and “just handling it” that so many women carry every single day. Not just at home, but at work too. In this episode, Nicole sits down with Dr. Liane Davey — known as the Teamwork Doctor — to unpack the concept of “thought load” and why high-achieving women are especially vulnerable to carrying way too much of it. Liane is a New York Times bestselling author, leadership advisor to Fortune 500 companies, and author of the book Thought Load: Manage the Madness and Free Your Team to Do Great Work. Together, they explore how over-functioning gets rewarded in workplaces, why busyness and productivity can become traps, and how to stop becoming everyone else’s emotional support system and human reminder app. In This Episode, We Explore: What “thought load” actually is — and why it’s draining women at work Why high-achieving women often become the default problem-solvers for everyone else The difference between being busy, productive, and actually impactful How to determine what truly matters instead of trying to do everything Why managing attention matters more than managing time How to stop becoming the go-to person for everyone’s problems Boundary-setting strategies that don’t require becoming cold or unavailable Why letting go is necessary if you want to grow into leadership Because the higher you want to climb, the more willing you have to be to let go of the roles, responsibilities, and expectations that are keeping you stuck. Thank you to our sponsors! Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free! Families are better when they’re working together… go to myskylight.com/WOMANSWORK for $30 off your Skylight Calendar. Become a Fora Advisor today at Foratravel.com/woman Connect with Liane: Website: https://lianedavey.com/ Book: https://www.amazon.com/Thoughtload-Manage-Madness-Free-Great/dp/1774586517 LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lianedavey/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/drlianedavey IG: https://www.instagram.com/lianedavey Related Podcast Episodes: How To Tame Your Inner Critic (Without Gaslighting Yourself) with Megan Dalla-Camina | 354 VI4P - Head Trash and Giving Grace on the Journey (Chapter 7) Holding It Together: Women As America's Safety Net with Jessica Calarco | 215 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
SummaryWhy You’re Not Doing Your Great Work (And the Identity Saboteur Keeping You Stuck) with Dr. Amanda Crowell | 412
2w ago00:39:19Summary readySomewhere along the way, most of us got completely bamboozled about what doing “great work” actually means. It became about titles, applause, LinkedIn optics, and chasing gold stars from people who don’t even know us. Meanwhile, the work that actually lights us up? The stuff that feels like us? Yeah… that got buried under obligation, expectation, and a never-ending to-do list. In this episode, Nicole sits down with Dr. Amanda Crowell — cognitive psychologist, TEDx speaker, and author of Great Work — to unpack why so many women are stuck doing work that looks good on paper but feels like absolute garbage in real life… and how to get back to work that actually matters. We get into: What “great work” actually means (hint: it has NOTHING to do with external validation) How to identify the difference between true desire vs. insecurity-driven comparison Why your biggest clues might come from… jealousy The concept of identity saboteurs — and how they keep you playing small Why women especially struggle with choosing themselves (hello, conditioning) Why your great work doesn’t have to be big, public, or profitable to matter And how to finally stop waiting for the “right time” and start doing the damn thing Because here’s the truth: The only way to know if it’s your great work… is to actually do it. Thank you to our sponsors! Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free! Families are better when they’re working together… go to myskylight.com/WOMANSWORK for $30 off your Skylight Calendar. Become a Fora Advisor today at Foratravel.com/woman Connect with Amanda: Website: https://www.amandacrowell.com/ Book: https://www.amazon.com/Great-Work-2nd-Sacrificing-Everything/dp/B0F8QK73WK/ref LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-amanda-crowell-51188130/ TedEx: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWp87GXDvEk Related Podcast Episodes: All The Ways We Get In Our Own Way with Thais Gibson | 235 Healing Mental And Emotional Wounds with Stephanie Kwong | 234 Your Brain Is a Filthy Liar with Bizzie Gold | 361 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
SummaryOn Sabbaticals, Reinvention, and Getting Older | Unfiltered & Unhinged
3w ago00:09:11Summary readyWhat happens when a woman who’s spent her entire life optimizing, producing, planning, and performing… decides to stop? In this unfiltered solo episode, Nicole Kalil shares the real reason behind her 3-month sabbatical across Europe — and it’s about a whole lot more than travel. Nicole opens up about the fear of untethering from productivity, the discomfort of rest, aging as a woman, solo dining anxiety, motherhood, identity, and what it means to leave behind the familiar long enough to uncover who you’re becoming next. Because maybe the things that scare and excite us at the exact same time are the very things pointing us toward the life we actually want. In This Episode, Nicole Talks About: Why she’s taking an 11-week sabbatical through Europe Turning 50 and why aging feels liberating instead of limiting The pressure women face to stay small, young, and polished Why slowing down can feel terrifying The power of doing something “impractical” anyway Rediscovering yourself by leaving the familiar behind What envy and jealousy might actually be trying to tell you Thank you to our sponsors! Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free! Families are better when they’re working together… go to myskylight.com/WOMANSWORK for $30 off your Skylight Calendar. Become a Fora Advisor today at Foratravel.com/woman Connect with Nicole: Subscribe to Nicole’s Substack: https://nicolekalil.substack.com/ Related Podcast Episode: When a One-Star Review Means You’ve Officially Arrived | Unfiltered & Unhinged How To Take A Sabbatical with Katrina McGhee | 336 Solo Adventures: A Guide for Women Travelers with Megan Grant | 265 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
SummarySame Ask, Different Outcome: The Double Standard in Negotiation with Attia Qureshi | 411
3w ago00:40:07Summary readyLet’s get one thing straight: women are not bad at negotiating. They’re doing it just as often—if not more—but getting worse outcomes. So no, the wage gap isn’t because women just need to “ask better.” That’s lazy advice… and frankly, bullshit. In this episode, negotiation expert Attia Qureshi—founder of Atiya Qureshi Consulting, co-author of Never Settle, and trained in FBI-informed negotiation strategies—breaks down the uncomfortable truth: women are playing a game that wasn’t designed for them to win the same way men do. Same words, same ask… wildly different outcomes. And she’s not here with fluff—she’s here with strategies that actually work. Because here’s the deal: opting out of negotiation doesn’t protect you—it guarantees you get less. What We Cover: Why women are negotiating just as much—but still losing The double bind: too nice = weak, too assertive = “difficult” The internal negotiation happening in your own head Why relationships matter more than you think (yes, it’s annoying, but it’s real) How to use data as your secret weapon without triggering defensiveness The “we strategy” that helps women get better outcomes (even if it feels unfair) Why over-preparing can actually screw you over How to handle rejection and turn a “no” into a “not yet” At the end of the day, negotiation isn’t about becoming someone you’re not. It’s about learning how to advocate for yourself in a system that doesn’t always reward you for it—and doing it anyway. Because you don’t get what you deserve. You get what you’re willing to ask for—and hold your ground on. Thank you to our sponsors! Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free! Families are better when they’re working together… go to myskylight.com/WOMANSWORK for $30 off your Skylight Calendar. Become a Fora Advisor today at Foratravel.com/woman Connect with Attia: Website: https://www.attiaqureshi.com Book: https://www.amazon.com/Never-Settle-Persuasion-Negotiation-Skills/dp/1668070375 LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/attiaq/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/attiaq/ Substack: https://substack.com/@attiaqureshi Related Podcast Episodes: The 3 N’s - Negotiation, Networking & No with Kathryn Valentine | 327 Be A Likeable Badass with Alison Fragale | 230 162 / Compensation Myths with Kelli Thompson 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
SummaryWhy Good Leaders Are Quitting (And We’re Letting It Happen) with Melissa Doman | 410
3w ago00:36:17Summary readyLeadership is supposed to be a privilege… so why does it feel like a slow burn to the ground? In this raw, unfiltered continuation of the leadership mental health conversation, Nicole Kalil sits down again with organizational psychologist and workplace mental health expert Melissa Doman to unpack what’s really happening behind the scenes of leadership today — and why the good ones are dangerously close to walking away. Because here’s the truth no one wants to admit: we expect leaders to be everything — strong, empathetic, decisive, available, perfect — with no room for human error. And then we wonder why burnout is skyrocketing and leadership pipelines are drying up. This episode goes beyond surface-level advice and into the uncomfortable reality: Leaders are human (shocking, we know) Unrealistic expectations are breaking them And we all play a role in either making it better… or making it worse Melissa brings both expertise and real talk to the table — from leadership archetypes (hello, frustrated martyr) to the “sea otter” model of healthy leadership (yes, it’s a thing and yes, you want it). Together, they challenge the outdated narratives, call out toxic expectations, and offer a radically simple starting point: act like leaders are people. Because if we don’t figure this out? The good leaders won’t stay. And what’s left… is not a future anyone wants. Thank you to our sponsors! Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free! Families are better when they’re working together… go to myskylight.com/WOMANSWORK for $30 off your Skylight Calendar. Become a Fora Advisor today at Foratravel.com/woman Connect with Melissa: Website:https://www.melissadoman.com/ Book:https://www.amazon.com/Cornered-Office-Leadership-Mental-Health/dp/139435035X IG: https://www.instagram.com/thewanderingmel/ LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissadoman1/ Related Podcast Episodes: What Happens When Leadership Becomes Unsustainable: Leader Mental Health with Melissa Doman | 403 Leadership Unblocked (The Hidden Beliefs Sabotaging Your Ability To Lead) with Muriel M. Wilkins | 367 What Good Leaders Can Learn from Bad Bosses with Mita Mallick | 351 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
SummaryMaking It Without Losing It: The Truth About Motivation & Burnout with Jess Ekstrom | 409
4w ago00:37:13Summary readyYou hit the goal. You check the box. You reach the milestone. And instead of feeling fulfilled… you’re already onto the next thing. Yeah — that’s the problem. In this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole sits down with Jess Ekstrom — founder, bestselling author, and reformed anxious achiever — to call out the toxic relationship so many high-achieving women have with motivation, success, and self-worth. And spoiler alert: it’s not a motivation problem. It’s a meaning problem. Because somewhere along the way, ambition got tangled up with anxiety, productivity got confused with purpose, and we decided we’d finally feel good enough… later. After the next goal. The next milestone. The next arbitrary number. Sound familiar? We cover: The difference between anxious ambition vs. inspired ambition How to redefine success so it actually feels like success (not just looks good on paper) The “purpose test” that will instantly expose if you’re chasing approval or impact Why you keep moving the goalpost — and how it’s burning you out How comparison can either crush you… or prove what’s possible Because here’s the uncomfortable truth: if you keep tying your worth to what’s next, you will never feel like enough — no matter how much you accomplish. Thank you to our sponsors! Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free! Families are better when they’re working together… go to myskylight.com/WOMANSWORK for $30 off your Skylight Calendar. Become a Fora Advisor today at Foratravel.com/woman Connect with Jess: Website: https://jessekstrom.com/ Book:https://jessekstrom.com/makingit/ Workshop: https://micdropworkshop.com/ IG: www.instagram.com/jess_ekstrom FB: www.facebook.com/jessekstrom X: www.twitter.com/jess_ekstrom Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jessekstrom LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jess-ekstrom-59160342/ Related Podcast Episodes 206 / A Better Way to Define Success with Stella Grizont 7 Keys To Unlock Your Dynamic Drive with Molly Fletcher | 229 160 / Motivation with Kate Tracy 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
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