Future Female Leaders

🎙️ Episode Summary: In this candid solo episode, Nichole opens up about her own experience with imposter syndrome—including why she hesitated to hit "record" after a few months away from the mic. From putting off speaking engagements to doubting her podcasting consistency, Nichole reflects on the internal dialogue so many women face at work. You'll walk away with practical strategies for recognizing and confronting imposter syndrome, plus reminders that growth takes time—and you're not alone. 💬 What You'll Learn in This Episode: Why imposter syndrome can creep in—even when you're already successful How to reframe fear-based thoughts and stop self-sabotage Ways to reflect on and celebrate your growth The power of technical vulnerability and asking for help Why clarity from your leader can reduce self-doubt How to use your voice (literally!) to change your mindset ✨ Nichole's Top Tips: Speak truth out loud: Replace fearful thoughts with intentional affirmations. Track your growth: Write down how you've improved since starting your current role. Don't go it alone: Ask for support, guidance, or mentorship when you're feeling stuck. Connect with your leader: Clarify what success looks like in your role and what to work toward. 📥 Get the Career Growth Guide: Not sure what to focus on each month in your career? Download Nichole's Career Growth Guide—it includes two focus areas per month and video support to help you grow with purpose. 👉 Grab it here. 🔗 Let's Connect: Nichole would love to hear from you! Say hi on LinkedIn and start a genuine conversation. You're not alone in your career journey. 💛

Real quick, grab the Career Growth Guide here. Nichole Harrop chats with co-worker Lauren Cohen about her incredible journey through nearly four decades in the tech industry. From programming on mainframes in the '80s to embracing cutting-edge AI and modern workplace technologies, Lauren shares her insights on staying adaptable and thriving in an ever-changing field. Lauren discusses how she navigated major transitions in technology, overcame challenges as a woman in computer science, and continues to evolve in her role at Vasion. She offers actionable advice on managing change, collaborating across generations, and building confidence through experience. Whether you're just starting out or looking to level up in your career, this episode is packed with inspiration and practical takeaways. What You'll Learn: Strategies for staying relevant in the tech world. The value of cross-generational learning and collaboration. How to embrace change and manage frustrations when learning new skills. Tips for identifying mentors and leveraging workplace relationships. Resources Mentioned: Career Growth Guide: Plan your development with actionable monthly goals. Get your copy here. About the Guest: Lauren Cohen is a Digital Transformation Engineer at Vasion with 37 years of experience in software development. She has a passion for learning and sharing knowledge, and her ability to adapt and thrive in the fast-paced tech world makes her a leader and mentor to her peers. Connect with Nichole Visit www.hellogrowvio.com for more career resources. Follow Nichole Harrop on LinkedIn.

In this episode, Nichole Harrop chats with career coach Andrea Yacub Macek to discuss navigating career uncertainty and creating strategies for your next career move. Andrea shares her personal journey, including how she transitioned from pursuing a medical career to climbing the corporate ladder, and finally finding her passion in helping women discover career alignment. Andrea and Nichole dive into topics like: How to recognize when you're at a career crossroads Common challenges women face in their careers, like toxic bosses or feeling lost in their roles The importance of sitting with discomfort and using it to gain clarity Practical strategies for turning setbacks into growth opportunities The power of vulnerability and building trust in your decision-making process Whether you're feeling stuck in your current role or unsure of your next steps, Andrea's advice on gaining clarity and aligning your career with your purpose will give you the tools you need to move forward with confidence. Key Takeaways: Embrace Change: Career setbacks or unexpected changes can be growth opportunities if you practice resilience and trust in yourself. Clarity First: Before making any decisions, take time to clarify your vision for your life and career, and simplify it into actionable steps. Support System: It's important to build a network of supportive people around you, whether that's inside your workplace or outside. Sit in Discomfort: Growth often comes from uncomfortable emotions. Don't run from them—process them to gain deeper insight into what you truly want. Links Mentioned: Download Nichole's Career Growth Guide to focus on key areas of professional development each month. Get yours here. Connect with Andrea Yacub Macek on LinkedIn. Visit Andrea's website for more information on her coaching services.

This podcast episode with Elizabeth Lotardo dives deep into the importance of leading yourself effectively as a foundation for transitioning into leadership roles. Elizabeth shares her insights on how to shift focus from unattainable output goals to manageable input goals, empowering individuals to control what they can and improve their performance. She emphasizes that leading yourself is about identifying and maximizing what is within your control—like your mindset, emotional response, and daily actions—while recognizing the power this brings in both personal and professional growth. Key takeaways include: Celebrating Small Wins: Embrace and celebrate small achievements as they contribute to overall progress and satisfaction. Managing Unrealistic Goals: Understand the importance of setting realistic goals and how to break them down into actionable steps within your control. Leading Yourself: Leadership starts with effectively leading yourself by controlling your mindset and behaviors, which will eventually translate into successful leadership of others. Elizabeth's book, available now, offers a deeper exploration of these concepts, providing practical advice for anyone looking to enhance their leadership skills by first mastering self-leadership. Tune into the first episode with Elizabeth Lotardo here. Get your copy here. Or download on Audible here. Connect with Nichole and Elizabeth on LinkedIn. Grab your copy of the Career Growth Guide.

Connect with Nichole on LinkedIn Episode Summary: In this special milestone episode, Nichole Harrop reflects on the journey of creating and growing the Future Female Leaders podcast. Nichole shares her experiences, challenges, and accomplishments over the past five years, celebrating the podcast's 250th episode. She discusses the importance of celebrating milestones, the evolution of her podcasting skills, and the valuable lessons learned along the way. Key Points Covered: Introduction and Milestone Celebration Nichole celebrates the 250th episode and reflects on starting the podcast nearly five years ago. Emphasizes the importance of celebrating both small and large accomplishments. Starting the Podcast Journey Nichole shares how she was encouraged by a business coach to start her own podcast after not finding many relevant podcasts to guest on. Initial challenges of learning podcasting basics, including using GarageBand and creating an RSS feed. Overcoming Doubts and Initial Struggles Dealing with doubts and the desire for perfection. Early experiences of recording episodes in less-than-ideal conditions and the slow growth in the initial months. Finding a Niche and Audience Growth Nichole's goal to fill a gap in the podcasting space by focusing on career growth for future female leaders. Realizing the need to pivot content based on feedback and focusing more on career growth topics. Podcast Rebranding and Impact Changing the podcast's name from "Next Level Leaders" to "Future Female Leaders" to better align with the target audience. Celebrating the global reach of the podcast with listeners in 120 different countries. Top Podcast Episodes Highlighting the top five episodes based on listener engagement: Episode 15: Building off Strengths Episode 231: Are You Setting Boundaries at Work? Episode 49: Are You Doing the Right Things to Stand Out at Work? Episode 241: The Most Important Thing About Consistency Episode 215: An Easy Way to Approach Giving Feedback

Check out Nichole's digital resources here Connect with Nichole on LinkedIn Episode Highlights: Importance of Building a Personal Brand: Focus on LinkedIn, but also applicable in general. Creating a personal brand helps in career growth and visibility. Reminder: Check the link in the show notes for career growth resources. The Career Growth Guide is a valuable tool to complement building your brand. Personal Brand Backstory: Nichole's experience as a career job hopper and the fresh start it offers. Importance of professionalism and maintaining a positive reputation. Key Points on Building a Personal Brand: Reflect on how you make people feel and interact with others. Set personal boundaries and hold yourself to a standard. Consider how you want to be remembered after leaving a job. LinkedIn Tips: Start by engaging with content and commenting on posts. Gradually build confidence to post your own content. Share your growth journey, insights, and recommendations. Networking: The power of building a network and offering value. Consistent visibility on LinkedIn opens doors to opportunities. Practical Advice: Download the Career Growth Guide for monthly focus areas and video content. Use the guide for ideas on what to post and how to grow.

Get the Career Growth Guide here. Connect and ask any questions to Nichole on LinkedIn. Key Points: Importance of knowing your boss's expectations, especially if aiming for growth or leadership. Metrics such as customer satisfaction, quality scores, attendance, and meeting punctuality can be key. Tailor your approach to meet your leader's priorities. Ask your leader what they need from you today to endorse your future growth. Use the Career Growth Guide (in show notes) for career roadmap and growth tips.

Here's the link to grab the digital download for the Ultimate Career Growth Workbook Connect with Grace Wright on LinkedIn Episode Highlights Networking and Personal Growth: Grace shares her journey of starting to post on LinkedIn despite feeling unprepared initially. Nichole emphasizes the importance of networking and supportive connections in personal and professional growth. Overcoming Fear and Taking Action: Grace emphasizes the significance of pushing past fear by simply taking action, even if it's starting with small steps. Both hosts discuss how supportive networks contribute to building confidence and making strides in their careers. Challenging Self-Limiting Beliefs: The conversation revolves around challenging self-limiting beliefs, encouraging listeners to question why they delay their aspirations. They discuss the need to challenge one's own beliefs and surround oneself with supportive people to move forward. Benefits of Taking Risks: Grace shares her experience of stepping into roles she felt unprepared for initially and the growth that came from embracing these challenges. The conversation delves into how the discomfort of uncertainty can lead to personal and professional growth. Transition into Leadership and Self-Reflection: Grace recounts her transition from an individual contributor to a leadership role and the challenges she faced, particularly around uncertainty and self-doubt. Both hosts discuss the importance of self-reflection in career progression and the necessity of balancing feedback-seeking behavior with confidence in leadership roles.

Join the free community and check out the self-paced Future Leaders Program. 1: Deciding on Your Career Path Nichole reflects on her own experience working for a well-established company and the importance of considering long-term growth. Discusses her transition to a startup, which proved to be a better fit for her career goals. Advises listeners to think carefully about the company they work for, even in entry-level positions. 2: Learning About Leadership Roles Nichole shares her experience about not fully understanding what her team leader's role involved before her promotion. Emphasizes the importance of asking questions and gaining a clear understanding of the responsibilities of the next level of leadership. Mentions the significance of offering to take on tasks to support the team leader, demonstrating initiative and creating a mutually beneficial relationship. 3: Networking for Success Nichole discusses her early experiences with networking and the realization that she needed a more intentional approach. Encourages listeners to seek guidance from mentors and ask questions about the career path and skills they should be focusing on. Stresses the value of building meaningful relationships with the right people who can guide them towards their goals. 4: Tracking Achievements Nichole talks about the benefits of maintaining a work journal to track progress and achievements. Encourages the use of electronic tools, calendars, or handwritten notes to document accomplishments consistently. Shares how she believes that documenting achievements would have boosted her confidence and preparation for interviews. 5: The Role of Mentors Nichole expresses her wish for a more structured mentoring relationship when she was starting her leadership journey. Discusses the importance of having an external mentor who can provide neutral guidance and support. Highlights the challenge of building trust in internal relationships and the benefits of a mentor outside of the workplace.

Join Nichole's free community here Check out Elizabeth Tidwell's website MyClubRed.com 1. The Power of Cycle-Aware Scheduling:Dashboard Nichole talks about her approach to scheduling tasks based on her menstrual cycle, emphasizing the importance of self-compassion and proactive planning. The conversation touches on the shift from a reactive to a proactive mindset, giving control back to women. 2. Understanding Your Menstrual Seasons: Elizabeth introduces the concept of the Inner Seasons framework, a recent development that correlates menstrual phases with the four natural seasons. The Winter Phase: Menstruation - A time of hibernation and low energy, perfect for rest and introspection. The Spring Phase: Rising Estrogen - A period of optimism and new beginnings, ideal for initiating projects. The Summer Phase: Ovulation - High energy, increased sociality, and peak attractiveness, often referred to as the "Beyonce hormone." The Autumn Phase: Luteal Phase - A time for coziness, introspection, and preparation, offering a keen eye for detail. 3. Embracing Cycle-Aware Empowerment: Nichole reflects on the empowering nature of cycle awareness, highlighting her personal experiences at events. She discusses communicating her energy levels to others, including male colleagues, without explicitly mentioning her menstrual cycle. The duo explores how this awareness can influence decision-making, particularly avoiding significant life choices during the fall phase. 4. Breaking the Consistency Myth: The conversation revolves around how societal expectations, especially in the workplace, have led women to believe they should perform consistently like the sun or a male hormonal pattern, despite natural cyclical changes. Elizabeth highlights the importance of awareness in building self-compassion and understanding that it's not an individual problem but a shared experience. 5. Navigating Your Inner Autumn: Elizabeth sheds light on the often overlooked and misunderstood inner autumn phase of the menstrual cycle, characterized by heightened critical thinking. She explains that while the inner autumn is excellent at identifying problems, it struggles to find solutions. This phase often leads to extreme and impractical solutions. The discussion encourages embracing the inner autumn's role as a superpower for evaluation, providing valuable insights even if the delivery might be less polished. 6. Utilizing Cycle-Aware Productivity: Nichole and Elizabeth discuss practical ways to work with your menstrual cycle, such as shifting tasks to align with your energy levels. Elizabeth highlights the efficiency gained when tasks match your cycle phases, even if full scheduling around the cycle isn't always possible. They emphasize the importance of recognizing the bare minimum expectations at work and having open conversations with leaders about energy fluctuations. 7. Overcoming Challenges: Both share personal experiences of navigating the challenges of work expectations during different cycle phases, highlighting the importance of self-awareness and communication. The conversation stresses the value of understanding your unique cycle patterns and learning to adapt to them effectively. In conclusion, this episode advocates for menstrual cycle awareness as a tool for self-compassion, improved productivity, and effective communication in personal and professional settings. By embracing the natural ebb and flow of their cycles, women can achieve a healthier work-life balance and contribute to more inclusive and empathetic workplaces.

Learn more about the Future Leaders Program Connect with Nichole on LinkedIn The Future Female Leaders podcast aims to help create more female leaders in the workplace. In this episode, host Nichole Harrop talks about the CTFAR framework that changed her life. She walks the audience through this self-coaching model that helped her take control of her thoughts, feelings, and actions, and improve her response to everyday situations. Nichole shares her personal experience of feeling out of control with her thoughts and feelings, especially during her three-year-long infertility journey. She came across the CTFAR model while listening to Jody Moore's podcast, and it made a significant impact on her life. Within a week of implementing this practice, Nichole noticed a positive change in herself, and people around her could also see the difference. The CTFAR framework stands for Circumstances, Thoughts, Feelings, Actions, and Results. Everything is a circumstance, and good or bad things are only good or bad because of the thought and feeling that happens after the circumstance. Nichole believes that the model can help individuals have more control and show up in the best ways possible, even in challenging situations. Overall, this podcast episode is informative, relatable, and inspiring, and it encourages listeners to take charge of their thoughts and feelings and become more mindful in their daily lives.

Connect with Nichole on LinkedIn Check out the different career journals, helping you to grow and advance in your career: Gender Neutral Feminine Floral Episode Overview: Today's episode focuses on planning for success and celebrating milestones. Nichole shares personal updates and experiences. She encourages listeners to shift their mindset and plan for success in various areas of their lives. Planning for Success Nichole emphasizes the importance of thinking about what could go right, rather than solely focusing on backup plans. Encourages listeners to envision their future roles, positions, and phases of life in a successful scenario. Celebrating Milestones Nichole recounts her experience of surpassing 100,000 podcast downloads. Talks about attending a retreat coinciding with the milestone and the joy of building new relationships. Highlights the fun activities at the retreat: e-bike riding through Zion's National Park, repelling, and a transformative sound bath. Updates and Challenges Nichole shares her absence in June due to illness and vocal strain. Assures listeners of her return with great content while taking care of her health. Encourages listeners to plan for success in their own endeavors, setting goals and rewards for themselves. Career Journals and Entrepreneurship Nichole discusses the challenges and successes of updating her career journals available on Amazon. Introduces a more gender-neutral version of the journal. Encourages listeners to check out the career journals in the show notes to support their career growth. Embracing Change and Overcoming Insecurities Nichole talks about the discomfort and insecurities that come with pursuing entrepreneurship. Shares her journey of transitioning from a comfortable role to making a bigger impact. Encourages listeners to embrace change, face discomfort, and open doors to greater opportunities. Closing Remarks: Nichole acknowledges the unstructured nature of the episode and thanks listeners for their support. Invites listeners to share the podcast with friends and check out the career journals. Encourages connection and offers support via LinkedIn.

Book your complimentary Leadership Assessment Call. Learn more about the Future Leaders Program. Listen to Episode 125 about Office Housework In this episode, Nichole discusses the importance of setting boundaries in the workplace, offering advice on how to identify and enforce them. She encourages listeners to book a leadership assessment call to help them better understand their current situation and where they want to go. Nichole emphasizes that awareness is key to setting boundaries and that it is important to recognize what boundaries look like for you in the workplace. She also advises against feeling the need to say yes to everything and encourages listeners to understand what actually brings them joy in their role. She uses the example of delegation as a way to set boundaries, noting that just because you are good at something does not mean you enjoy doing it. Nichole also discusses "non-promotable tasks," such as note-taking and recognition efforts, that may not help listeners get promoted. To further illustrate the importance of setting boundaries, Nichole suggests thinking about how your leader sets boundaries and whether they respond to messages or emails late at night or on weekends. She notes that it is easier to enforce boundaries when you see your leader doing it. In conclusion, Nichole encourages listeners to recognize their own boundaries and to say no to certain things that are not a right fit for them, as well as to understand the importance of a healthy work-life harmony.