This Is Woman's Work with Nicole Kalil

Somewhere along the way, most of us got completely bamboozled about what doing “great work” actually means.

It became about titles, applause, LinkedIn optics, and chasing gold stars from people who don’t even know us. Meanwhile, the work that actually lights us up? The stuff that feels like us? Yeah… that got buried under obligation, expectation, and a never-ending to-do list.

In this episode, Nicole sits down with Dr. Amanda Crowell — cognitive psychologist, TEDx speaker, and author of Great Work — to unpack why so many women are stuck doing work that looks good on paper but feels like absolute garbage in real life… and how to get back to work that actually matters.

We get into:


What “great work” actually means (hint: it has NOTHING to do with external validation)


How to identify the difference between true desire vs. insecurity-driven comparison


Why your biggest clues might come from… jealousy 


The concept of identity saboteurs — and how they keep you playing small


Why women especially struggle with choosing themselves (hello, conditioning)


Why your great work doesn’t have to be big, public, or profitable to matter


And how to finally stop waiting for the “right time” and start doing the damn thing

Because here’s the truth: The only way to know if it’s your great work… is to actually do it.

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 Amanda:

Website: https://www.amandacrowell.com/ 

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Great-Work-2nd-Sacrificing-Everything/dp/B0F8QK73WK/ref 

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-amanda-crowell-51188130/ 

TedEx: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWp87GXDvEk 

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What happens when a woman who’s spent her entire life optimizing, producing, planning, and performing… decides to stop?

In this unfiltered solo episode, Nicole Kalil shares the real reason behind her 3-month sabbatical across Europe — and it’s about a whole lot more than travel.

Nicole opens up about the fear of untethering from productivity, the discomfort of rest, aging as a woman, solo dining anxiety, motherhood, identity, and what it means to leave behind the familiar long enough to uncover who you’re becoming next.

Because maybe the things that scare and excite us at the exact same time are the very things pointing us toward the life we actually want.

In This Episode, Nicole Talks About:


Why she’s taking an 11-week sabbatical through Europe


Turning 50 and why aging feels liberating instead of limiting


The pressure women face to stay small, young, and polished


Why slowing down can feel terrifying


The power of doing something “impractical” anyway


Rediscovering yourself by leaving the familiar behind


What envy and jealousy might actually be trying to tell you

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/ 

Related Podcast Episode:

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

How To Take A Sabbatical with Katrina McGhee | 336


Solo Adventures: A Guide for Women Travelers with Megan Grant | 265 

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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!

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 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 

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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!

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 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:

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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/ 

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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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