This Is Woman's Work with Nicole Kalil

We’ve been taught that success means pushing harder, doing more, and staying productive at all costs. But what if the real secret to sustainable success isn’t grinding harder — it’s learning how to pace yourself?

In this episode, Nicole sits down with award-winning journalist and author Elizabeth Svoboda to unpack the science, psychology, and strategy behind pacing. From elite athletes to ambitious women juggling careers, relationships, and impossible expectations, this conversation explores why burnout isn’t proof of dedication — it’s often proof that something needs to change.

Elizabeth shares how elite performers actually use rest, recovery, flexibility, and energy management to stay at the top of their game for the long haul. Together, Nicole and Elizabeth challenge hustle culture, perfectionism, and the toxic belief that women should operate at 110% all the time.

They discuss:


Why ambitious women tend to swing between overworking and complete exhaustion


The surprising pacing lessons we can learn from Olympic athletes


How burnout impacts confidence, relationships, health, and creativity


The concept of “rigid flexibility” and why structure alone doesn’t work


Why rest should match effort — not just be treated as a reward


How to recognize your personal energy rhythms and work with them instead of against them


The connection between pacing, longevity, and sustainable success


Why slowing down can actually make you more effective, focused, and fulfilled

Because constantly running yourself into the ground isn’t strength — it’s just a socially rewarded form of self-destruction.

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Connect with Elizabeth:

Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Art-of-Pacing/Elizabeth-Svoboda/9781668022412 

Website: https://www.elizabethsvoboda.com 

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

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

Newsletter: https://elizabeth-svoboda.beehiiv.com 

Related Podcast Episodes:

Burnout 2.0: BurnBOLD with Cait Donovan | 331

How To Take A Sabbatical with Katrina McGhee | 336 

How Our Dysregulated Nervous Systems Are Impacting Us with Victoria Albina | 244

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Easing the mental load, minimizing the to-do list, letting go of the things that don’t really matter is a constant work in progress for me – but when I’m in the throes of it all, I often think “there’s got to be a better way”.

I’ve invited Sam Bennett, creativity/productivity specialist, to join us to share her 15-minute method with all of us. Sam is the author of the bestselling book Get It Done as well as Start Right Where You Are: How Little Changes Can Make a Big Difference for Overwhelmed Procrastinators, Frustrated Overachievers, and Recovering Perfectionists. Her latest book is called The 15-Minute Method: The Surprisingly Simple Art of Getting It Done. Having spent most of her life working as a professional actor and improvisor, Sam brings a quick wit to her writing and her work as a top instructor on LinkedIn Learning with over a million “learners” worldwide. 

It will all get narrowed down to those very few things that matter most at the end, so what are we waiting for? Someone else to decide what truly matters for us? A point in time where things all of a sudden get easy and simple?

No, we get to decide. And like so many things worth doing, we start small, one step at a time, 15 minutes devoted to what matters most to you. 

Thank you to our sponsors!

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Connect with Sam:

Website:  www.TheRealSamBennett.com  

Book: https://www.amazon.com/15-Minute-Method-Surprisingly-Simple-Getting/dp/1608689069 

FB: https://www.facebook.com/TheRealSamBennett  

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

X: https://twitter.com/realsambennett  

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

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SamanthaBennettCreative  

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Why do so many women immediately question themselves the moment they set a boundary, speak directly, or stop over-explaining? In this unfiltered and unhinged episode, Nicole Kalil digs into the exhausting mental spiral behind asking “Am I being a bitch?” — and why that question might actually be proof that women have been conditioned to prioritize likability over self-respect.

Nicole unpacks the difference between being cruel and simply refusing to shrink yourself to make other people comfortable. From boundary-setting and ambition to people-pleasing and over-functioning, this episode challenges the outdated expectation that women must always be agreeable, accommodating, and “nice.”

In This Episode, Nicole Talks About:


Why women disproportionately question whether they’re “too much”


The difference between being powerful and being unkind


How guilt shows up when women stop over-giving


Why boundaries trigger discomfort — and why that’s not your problem


The danger of outsourcing self-worth to other people’s opinions


How to stop confusing honesty with cruelty


Better questions to ask instead of “Am I being a bitch?”

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!

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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 Nicole:

Subscribe to Nicole’s Substack: https://nicolekalil.substack.com/ 

Related Podcast Episode:

On Sabbaticals, Reinvention, and Getting Older | Unfiltered & Unhinged

When a One-Star Review Means You’ve Officially Arrived | Unfiltered & Unhinged

Am I Being a B**ch? (…or Just Finally in My Power) with Megan Walrod | 349

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Women are constantly told to trust their bodies… right up until their bodies start telling them something medicine can’t immediately explain.

In this powerful and deeply validating conversation, Nicole sits down with Amy Kurtz — certified health coach, patient advocate, speaker, and author of But You Look Fine: Trapped in the Hell Between Sick and Well and How to Break Free — to unpack the emotional aftermath of chronic illness, medical gaslighting, invisible symptoms, and the complicated grief that comes from losing trust in your own body.

Amy shares her experience navigating late-stage Lyme disease, seeing 36 doctors before getting answers, and what she calls “medical trauma brain” — the hypervigilance, anxiety, and identity loss that can remain long after physical symptoms improve. Together, Nicole and Amy explore why so many women feel dismissed in healthcare settings, how chronic illness reshapes relationships and self-trust, and why healing is about far more than just getting a diagnosis.

This episode is for every woman who has ever walked out of a doctor’s office feeling unheard, minimized, or crazy — and for every person who’s ever been told, “But you look fine.”

We explore:


How chronic illness and invisible symptoms impact identity and self-trust


The concept of “medical trauma brain” and illness after the illness


Why healing isn’t linear — physically or emotionally


Practical nervous system regulation tools for anxiety and hypervigilance


How to support loved ones dealing with chronic illness or perimenopause


The connection between women’s health, appearance, and societal expectations


Why rebuilding agency over your body is essential to healing

This conversation is equal parts rage, relief, validation, and empowerment — the kind that makes you feel less alone and more equipped to trust yourself again.

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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Connect with Amy:

Book: https://www.amazon.com/But-You-Look-Fine-Trapped-ebook/dp/B0FPC9TV2P    

Website: https://amykurtz.com/ 

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

Publisher: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/amy-kurtz/but-you-look-fine/9781538775301/

Related Podcast Episodes

The Biology Of Trauma - And How To Heal It with Dr. Aimie Apigian | 346

Don’t Let Your Doctor Kill You: The New Hormone Solution with Dr. Erika Schwartz | 305

ADHD in Women, Nervous System Regulation & Getting Out of Fight-or-Flight with Jenna Free | 396

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We call grocery workers “essential” — right up until it’s time to pay them. In this episode, Nicole sits down with journalist, activist, and author Ann Larson to unpack the hidden realities of low-wage labor, economic inequality, and the corporate systems keeping millions of workers struggling to survive.

Drawing from her experience working as a grocery store cashier during the pandemic, Ann shares what most consumers never see: workers skipping meals, elderly employees unable to retire, women wearing diapers behind registers because breaks are denied, and employees lacking basic healthcare while generating billions for major corporations.

Ann Larson is a journalist and activist whose work on education debt and low-wage labor has appeared in The New Republic, The Nation, Fast Company, and The Chronicle of Higher Education. She’s the co-author of Can’t Pay Won’t Pay: The Case for Economic Disobedience and Debt Abolition and author of Clean Up on Aisle Five, a powerful look inside the realities of supermarket labor in America.

In this episode, Nicole and Ann discuss:


Why there’s no such thing as “unskilled labor”


The hidden emotional and technical skills required in grocery work


How corporate consolidation impacts wages, communities, and poverty rates


The connection between consumer spending and worker treatment


Why unionization and antitrust laws matter more than most people realize


How economic inequality affects all of us — not just low-wage workers


What shoppers can do to support ethical labor practices


Why voting with your dollars matters

Because if people working full-time jobs still can’t afford food, healthcare, or retirement, the system isn’t broken — it’s working exactly as designed. The question is whether we’re willing to keep funding it.

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 Ann:

Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Cleanup-on-Aisle-Five/Ann-Larson/9781668094501   

Website: https://annlarsonwrites.com/ 

Related Podcast Episodes:

Fair Shake: Women And The Fight To Build A Just Economy with June Carbone | 246

Holding It Together: Women As America's Safety Net with Jessica Calarco | 215

Wages For Housework with Emily Callici | 325

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!

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