This Is Woman's Work with Nicole Kalil

Let’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!

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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

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Leadership 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!

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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

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You 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 

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Let’s get something straight: women’s healthcare is broken. But not equally broken.

In this unapologetically raw and necessary conversation, Nicole Kalil sits down with Dr. Kemi Doll — physician, gynecologic oncologist, researcher, and author of A Terrible Strength — to expose the systemic failures in gynecological care, especially for Black women.

This isn’t a “wellness trends” conversation. This is about health inequity, medical bias, reproductive injustice, and the dangerous normalization of women’s pain.

Because here’s the truth: when one group of women is dismissed, denied care, and dying at higher rates… it’s not just their problem. It’s a system-wide failure that impacts all of us.

They break down:


The systemic crisis in gynecology and why womb health is massively underfunded and under-researched


Why conditions like fibroids, endometriosis, and uterine cancer are ignored 


The dangerous myth of the “strong Black woman” and how that “strength” is costing lives


How medical bias and racism show up in real diagnoses, treatment delays, and mortality rates


The difference between real health education vs. wellness industry BS


How ALL women play a role in demanding better care 

This episode will challenge you. It might piss you off. Good. It should.

Because we don’t get to claim progress for women while some of us are still being ignored, misdiagnosed, and dying from treatable conditions.

And we don’t get to call it “woman’s work” until it works for all of us.

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 Kemi:

Website: https://kemidoll.com/ 

Book: https://kemidoll.com/book/ 

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

Related Podcast Episodes

Perimenopause, HRT, and Why Women Are Being Gaslit Into Thinking It’s “Just Aging” with Dr. Sarah Daccarett | 381

Endometriosis & Women's Health with Somer Baburek | 238

Floored - Why Our Pelvic Floor Health Matters with Dr. Sara Reardon | 314

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Nicole Kalil just hit a milestone most people secretly dread… her very first one-star podcast review — and instead of spiraling, she celebrated it. Yep, you read that right.

In this unfiltered, unhinged episode, Nicole breaks down why negative feedback, criticism, and even haters might actually be the clearest sign that you’re doing something right. Because if everyone likes you? You’re probably playing it way too safe.

This episode is a masterclass in confidence, self-trust, and not shrinking yourself to make other people comfortable. It’s about choosing what opinions matter, letting the noise sort itself out, and continuing to show up boldly — even when it makes people uncomfortable.

In this episode, she explores:


Why negative reviews and criticism can actually validate your impact


How to separate useful feedback from irrelevant noise


The psychology behind why people project their opinions


Why being disliked is often the cost of being authentic


How to stop seeking approval and start trusting yourself

And the kicker? Even the haters help boost the algorithm. So technically… they’re part of the marketing team now.

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/ 

Join the Inner Circle: https://nicolekalil.myflodesk.com/newsletter 

Related Podcast Episodes:

Sequins, Miscommunication, and Marriage | Unfiltered & Unhinged

Women Are Tired — Stop Pointing It Out | Unfiltered & Unhinged

The Episode About Balls | Unfiltered & Unhinged

Share the Love:

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