This Is Woman's Work with Nicole Kalil

We live in a world that talks over people instead of listening to them. Debate has replaced understanding. Volume gets rewarded over vulnerability. And somehow, we’ve confused interrupting with intelligence.

In this episode, we’re flipping the script. Because deep listening—the kind that transforms relationships, diffuses conflict, and actually builds connection—isn’t soft. It’s a power skill. A leadership skill. A humanity-saving skill.

And there’s no one better to guide us through the how than today’s guest…

Our guide today is Emily Kasriel, award-winning journalist, former BBC executive, and creator of the Deep Listening approach. With two decades of media experience, a role as Senior Visiting Research Fellow at King’s College London, and a new book (Deep Listening: Transform Your Relationships with Family, Friends and Foes), Emily is here to show us how to stop talking... and actually hear each other.

Listening—truly listening—isn’t passive. It’s active, intentional, and strong as hell. And in a culture that values being loud over being present, choosing to listen might just be the most rebellious, relationship-healing thing we can do.

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Connect with Emily: 

Website: https://www.emilykasriel.com/ 

Book: https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/deep-listening-transform-your-relationships-with-family-friends-and-foes-emily-kasriel?variant=41459770884174

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilykasriel/

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For years, conversations about gender equity at work have been framed as a women's issue. But what if that's the wrong conversation entirely? What if the real challenge isn't fixing women so they can survive outdated systems—but fixing the systems themselves?

In this episode, Nicole sits down with Dr. David Smith and Dr. Brad Johnson, co-authors of Fair Share: How Men and Women Can Create a More Equitable Workplace Together, to unpack what true gender fairness looks like in today's workplace. Together, they explore why gender equity benefits everyone, how outdated workplace norms are hurting both women and men, and what leaders can do to create workplaces where people can thrive professionally and personally.

This conversation challenges zero-sum thinking, dismantles harmful workplace myths, and offers practical strategies for building more equitable organizations—without pitting one gender against another.

In This Episode We Discuss:


What gender fairness actually means—and why it's not the same as treating everyone exactly the same


Why gender equity benefits men, women, organizations, and families


The myth that gender fairness requires men to lose in order for women to win


Why workplace equity is a leadership responsibility, not a women's initiative


How caregiving expectations impact career advancement for both women and men


Why flexibility, caregiving support, and pay transparency matter


The role leaders play in creating inclusive and equitable workplaces

Gender fairness isn't about giving one group an advantage—it's about creating workplaces that reflect how people actually live, work, lead, and care today. When organizations stop trying to fix individuals and start fixing outdated systems, everyone benefits.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Elevate your summer wardrobe: Go to Quince.com/tiww for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns!

Start your risk-free Greenlight trial today at Greenlight.com/TIWW. Don't wait to teach your kids real-world money skills!

Go to https://CovePure.com/tiww to get $250 off. Thanks to CovePure for sponsoring this episode!

Connect with David and Brad:

Book: https://a.co/d/0gnzUCWN 

Website: https://workplaceallies.com/ 

LI David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidgsmithphd/ 

LI Brad: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wbradjohnson/ 

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177 / This Is A Man’s Job with Alison Armstrong

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Why have we become so obsessed with celebrity and influence? It seems we’re infatuated with people in positions of power, with politicians, and with the uber-wealthy. Are they really the difference-makers we believe them to be?

In this episode, Sharon McMahon talks about the change-makers that she calls the “small and the mighty”. Sharon is America’s favorite government teacher and proves that the most remarkable Americans are often ordinary people who didn’t make it into the textbooks. In her book THE SMALL AND THE MIGHTY: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, Sharon discovers history’s unsung characters and brings their rich, riveting stories to light for the first time. She also hosts the award-winning podcast,  ”Here’s Where It Gets Interesting”, and is the author of The Preamble, a Substack newsletter about politics and history. 

The change agent, the innovator, the reformer, the disruptor, the mover and the shaker, the get shit done leader might not be on the ballot – it might be someone in your life, at work, in your community. You might be raising them, and it might even be you.

So be mighty – regardless of the position you’re in.

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Connect with Sharon: 

Website: https://sharonmcmahon.com/ 

Book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/709748/the-small-and-the-mighty-by-sharon-mcmahon/ 

IG: https://www.instagram.com/sharonsaysso/ 

The Preamble: https://thepreamble.com/ 

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We talk a lot about people-pleasing, perfectionism, overachieving, anxiety, and self-doubt. But what if those aren’t actually the root problem? What if they’re symptoms of something deeper, heavier, and far more hidden?

In this episode, Nicole sits down with Dr. Zoe Shaw — licensed psychotherapist, relationship coach, speaker, podcast host, and author of Stronger in the Difficult Places — to unpack the uncomfortable but life-changing topic of complex shame. Not the fleeting embarrassment kind. The deep, identity-level shame that quietly shapes how we see ourselves, what we believe we deserve, and how small or safe we allow ourselves to play in life.

Dr. Zoe shares her own deeply personal story and explains how shame develops, how it disguises itself as “normal” behavior, and why healing requires more than just positive affirmations and surface-level self-help. This conversation dives into trauma, self-worth, people-pleasing, boundaries, vulnerability, confirmation bias, and the stories we carry about ourselves — often without realizing it.

In This Episode, We Explore:


The difference between guilt, shame, and complex shame


Why people-pleasing and perfectionism may actually be rooted in shame


How shame shapes identity, relationships, and self-worth


The hidden ways women learn to hide themselves


Why overachieving can become a coping mechanism


The “phantom critic” vs. the “courageous truth teller”


Why healing starts with honesty, not toxic positivity


Practical first steps for untangling deep shame patterns


How vulnerability helps shame lose its power

Thank you to our sponsors!

Become a Fora Advisor today at Foratravel.com/WOMAN - and make sure to tell them we sent you!

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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 Zoe:

Book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/740766/stronger-in-the-difficult-places-by-dr-zoe-shaw/ 

Website: https://drzoeshaw.com/ 

IG: https://www.instagram.com/drzoeshaw/

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Resilience has become a buzzword in today’s culture, thrown around by influencers, coaches, and even bootcamp instructors, all insisting we need to “push through” no matter the cost. But is resilience always the healthiest path forward? Does mental toughness, positivity, and grit serve us in the ways we think—or is there more nuance to uncover?

In this episode, Nicole connects with Soraya Chemaly, activist and author of The Resilience Myth: New Thinking on Grit, Strength, and Growth after Trauma. Together, they challenge conventional ideas about resilience and explore a new way of thinking—one that shifts from individual grit to collective care and community connection. Soraya’s previous book, Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women’s Anger, was widely acclaimed and named one of the Best Books of 2018 by the Washington Post, NPR, and Psychology Today.

This conversation offers insight into what really matters: kindness, compassion, belonging, and care—for ourselves and each other. It’s time to rethink resilience as more than just strength in isolation and embrace what it looks like to thrive, together.

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 Our Guest: Soraya Chemaly

Website: https://www.sorayachemaly.com/ 

Book: https://www.sorayachemaly.com/books 

Simon & Schuster: https://www.simonandschuster.com/ 

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How to Ask for Help with Dr. Cynthia Bentzen-Mercer


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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!
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