This Is Woman's Work with Nicole Kalil

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 From boundary-setting and ambition to people-pleasing and over-functioning, this episode challenges the outdated expectation that women must always be agreeable, accommodating, and “nice.”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!

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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!

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.

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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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Pregnancy 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!

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One 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