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In this solo episode, host Amanda Goetz answers a question from a reader that deserved a full episode of its own: "As a middle manager, I'm struggling to find the balance between managing up to my director while also managing a team that reports to me. Help."  Drawing on her experience as a two-time founder, five-time CMO, and author, Amanda breaks down one of the most underrated (and hardest) jobs in the workforce, with real, tactical advice on managing up without people-pleasing, managing down without burning out, and proving your value at a time when middle management roles are shrinking. Hit play if you're ready to make your impact impossible to ignore! Got a question for a future episode? Send it to @girlboss or @theamandagoetz on Instagram. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 02:25 What a middle manager actually is 04:20 Why middle managers feel so much pressure right now 05:45 The most misunderstood things about middle management 07:45 Why middle management is the hardest leadership level 10:00 Three habits of the middle managers Amanda can't afford to lose 13:55 The "great flattening" of org charts 15:50 How to be seen as strategic, not administrative 17:40 How to manage up without people-pleasing 20:15 How to build trust with leadership 21:40 Managing down without micromanaging 25:30 How much to share with your team (and the KUBA framework) 28:55 Holding people accountable without feeling like a villain 30:10 How to stay visible and get promoted 31:40 What to document as a middle manager 32:30 Outro Key Takeaways  Send a "Managing Up Monday" email every week with your top two to three priorities, any blockers, and last week's big wins, and copy your boss. It gives leadership a regular line of sight into your team's work. Show up to one-on-ones with problems and potential solutions, not a list of what you're working on. Stop reporting activity and start reporting impact. "The event was amazing" says nothing to leadership. Earned media value and brand sentiment do. Manage up without people-pleasing by asking your boss to help you rank their priorities by level of impact and level of effort. Push back on blurry feedback. Ask for an example, or ask what exactly they're reacting to. Skip triangulation. If you have a problem with someone on another team, go to them directly instead of through your boss. Use KUBA to give your team a safe way to ask for context: Do you know what to do? Do you understand why? Do you believe it's the right thing? Do you have the resources to act? Hold people accountable by agreeing on KPIs and expectations up front. It takes the emotion out of hard feedback.  Guard one to two hours a day for "offense mode," strategic work you do before meetings and your inbox take over. Document the impact of your work, how your people are performing, your processes, the high-level strategy, and how it all rolls up to a KPI. GUEST LINKS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamandagoetz/ Book: https://bookshop.org/a/116169/9781464233258  https://www.amandagoetz.com/  FOLLOW THE PODCAST IG: https://www.instagram.com/girlboss/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@girlboss  Amanda Goetz: https://www.instagram.com/theamandagoetz/  https://girlboss.com/pages/ambition-2-0-podcast  SIGN UP  Subscribe to the Girlboss Daily newsletter: https://newsletter.girlboss.com/   For all other Girlboss links: https://linkin.bio/girlboss/  ABOUT AMBITION 2.0  Powered by Girlboss, Ambition 2.0 is a podcast where we'll be exploring what it really means to "have it all" in work, family, identity, and self… and if it's actually worth it. Each week, you'll hear from hardworking women who've walked the tightrope of ambition. They'll share their costly mistakes, lessons learned, and practical tips for how to have it all and actually love what you have. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you only open LinkedIn when you're job hunting (or creeping your ex's new girlfriend's profile), this episode is for you. Amanda sits down with Catherine Fisher, VP at LinkedIn and one of the most trusted career experts out there. Catherine has built brands and led teams at eBay, Netflix and now LinkedIn. She's here to tell us what we've been getting wrong about the platform (spoiler: it's kind of a lot). The biggest mistake? Treating LinkedIn like a fire extinguisher you only grab in an emergency. Your network should be working for you long before you need it. Maybe you're buried in applications and running on fumes. Maybe you're quietly wondering if it's time to leave. Or maybe you just haven't touched your profile since 2019 (no judgment). Either way, you'll leave with a real plan and fewer excuses. Catherine explains why "looking for a job is a full-time job" is terrible advice. She tells you which three profile fixes to make first, and how to send a cold DM people actually want to answer. Catherine also gets real about how ambition changes over time. She scaled her ambition back when her kids were little and is now ramping up again as she's about to become an empty nester. Proof that ambition comes in seasons, and that's okay. Key Takeaways:  Why you should be on LinkedIn all the time, not just when you're job searching. The three profile updates that do the heavy lifting: your photo, your About section and your Experience section. How skills-based hiring took off during COVID and why transferable skills matter more than big-name brands. Why AI should help "around the edges" but never write your first draft. The formula for a cold DM that gets a reply: be specific, set a time limit and offer to help. How to beat job-search burnout by applying with a plan instead of applying to everything. Catherine's biggest LinkedIn ick: being "humbled and honored." Rapid fire: the Open to Work banner, Easy Apply and the worst career advice she's ever received. 00:00 Intro 04:22 What people misunderstand about LinkedIn 07:02 The first three profile fixes to make 10:08 LinkedIn do's and don'ts 11:05 Why engaging in other people's conversations matters 12:13 Should you accept every connection request? 12:29 How to write a cold DM that gets a response 15:35 How to be authentic without throwing your boss under the bus 18:08 What's changed most about job searching 20:38 AI skills vs. creative skills 21:49 How to beat job-search burnout 23:37 Why referrals are so important 26:43 Where LinkedIn is headed next 27:14 Catherine's biggest LinkedIn ick 27:32 Advice for people early in their career 28:36 Rapid fire: Open to Work, cold DMs and Easy Apply GUEST LINKS Connect with Catherine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinefisherlinkedin/  Read the Career Companion newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/career-companion-6994037905178398720/  FOLLOW THE PODCAST IG: https://www.instagram.com/girlboss/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@girlboss  Amanda Goetz: https://www.instagram.com/theamandagoetz/  https://girlboss.com/pages/ambition-2-0-podcast  SIGN UP  Subscribe to the Girlboss Daily newsletter: https://newsletter.girlboss.com/   For all other Girlboss links: https://linkin.bio/girlboss/  ABOUT AMBITION 2.0  Powered by Girlboss, Ambition 2.0 is a podcast where we'll be exploring what it really means to "have it all" in work, family, identity, and self… and if it's actually worth it. Each week, you'll hear from hardworking women who've walked the tightrope of ambition. They'll share their costly mistakes, lessons learned, and practical tips for how to have it all and actually love what you have. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Laura Weldy was first building her coaching practice, she took a group of the most accomplished women she knew out for coffee, one by one, and asked what was standing between them and what they wanted at work. Almost every answer came back the same: “I don't have anyone advocating for me in the room.” But when she pushed further and asked what they wanted their allies to say on their behalf, nobody had an answer.  That gap—between wanting to be seen and knowing how to ask for it—became the foundation of her coaching practice and her framework, the Personal Power Code. Today, Laura is a women's leadership coach, speaker, and podcast host who helps high-achieving mid-career women build fulfilling careers and lead authentically.  On this episode, she and Amanda get into the specific phrases that undercut women before they've made their point, the difference between an ally and a sponsor, and why "just be more confident" is some of the least useful career advice out there. This episode is about what happens the moment you stop asking for permission to take up space and start deciding you already belong in the room. Key takeaways: Confidence at work is about having a clear, well-thought-out perspective, and building that perspective is most women's real growth edge. Small qualifiers like "sorry," "just," and "this might be a dumb question" undermine your authority before you've even made your point. Allies will back you up in a room, but sponsors are the ones who speak up for you in rooms you're not in—and you have to tell them exactly what you want before they can do that for you. The "likability trap" hits hardest for women who lead with connection, since softening their language and over-accommodating others can feel safer than risking being disliked. Your work cannot speak for itself: if you're not talking about your wins, nobody knows they happened. Reframing your default language—like swapping "I could be wrong, but" for "my thought is X, and here's why"—changes how people receive you before you've said anything else. Timestamps 0:00 Intro 0:47 What women deserve to know about taking up space 2:20 How ambition has changed for women 4:05 Why "just be more confident" doesn't work 6:00 The real reason women don't get promoted 8:10 How to find your professional point of view 11:21 The five traits that build a leadership brand 13:16 Why women hesitate to ask for what they want 17:34 Phrases confident communicators avoid 19:21 Breaking the "manufactured vulnerability" habit 22:48 Allies vs. sponsors 25:48 Reframing promotions as wins for your manager 28:43 Talking about your wins without feeling cringe 29:39 Rapid fire: better scripts for common powerless phrases 31:26 Laura's final word on confident communication GUEST LINKS Learn more about Laura: lauraweldy.com  Follow Laura:  instagram.com/lauraweldy  Connect with Laura: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-weldy/  Join her retreat for women in tech: https://topshelfretreat.com/  FOLLOW THE PODCAST IG: https://www.instagram.com/girlboss/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@girlboss  Amanda Goetz: https://www.instagram.com/theamandagoetz/  https://girlboss.com/pages/ambition-2-0-podcast  SIGN UP  Subscribe to the Girlboss Daily newsletter: https://newsletter.girlboss.com/   For all other Girlboss links: https://linkin.bio/girlboss/  ABOUT AMBITION 2.0  Powered by Girlboss, Ambition 2.0 is a podcast where we'll be exploring what it really means to "have it all" in work, family, identity, and self… and if it's actually worth it. Each week, you'll hear from hardworking women who've walked the tightrope of ambition. They'll share their costly mistakes, lessons learned, and practical tips for how to have it all and actually love what you have. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Neha Ruch built her career in brand strategy—an MBA from Stanford, a fast climb on the corporate ladder, and a title she loved. Then she paused her career after her second child and spent the years since rebranding what a career pause actually looks like for ambitious women.  In her book, The Power Pause, Neha makes the case that stepping back from paid work isn't the opposite of ambition. It's a chapter of it. She also reframes the “stay-at-home mom” label, citing survey results showing outdated stereotypes (like apron-clad June Cleaver from Leave It to Beaver), and argues modern parenthood is more fluid with technology, networks, and involved partners.  Whether you're actively wondering, "Do I quit my job? Do I take a pause? What should I do?", or if family planning is somewhere on your radar for the next few years, or if kids aren't even part of the picture yet—this conversation is worth having early. Neha and Amanda get into how to come out the other side of a power pause with a stronger sense of self, a real community, and clarity on what's next, well before you're right in the thick of it. Key Takeaways A "power pause" is deliberately shifting time and energy toward family for a chapter, while still holding onto a sense of self and community. The most common image people associate with "stay-at-home mom" (June Cleaver) versus "working mom" (Michelle Obama, Sheryl Sandberg, Beyoncé) shows just how outdated and polarized our cultural narrative around motherhood still is. A good partner is someone who can have difficult conversations and makes you feel safe having conflict, not someone who avoids hard topics altogether. Career pauses don't have to mean fully leaving the workforce; they can look like part-time work, consulting, freelancing, or simply deprioritizing taking on demanding projects for a season. Tracking small wins during a pause can become a real, resume-worthy experience when you're ready to return to work. How to know when it’s time to return to work and how to market your power pause on LinkedIn. Working moms, stay-at-home moms, and everyone on a power pause are part of the same ecosystem, not opposing sides, and supporting each other is what actually moves the conversation forward. Timestamps 00:00 Intro  02:07 Neha's career downshift  04:03 Dealing with judgment after pausing  06:03 The power pause framework  10:59 Why stay-at-home still feels loaded  13:09 Having money talks with your partner  17:11 Dating for shared values  21:12 Trade-offs and other options than just working or not working 24:50 Returning to work after the pause  29:57 We’re part of an ecosystem, not a divide  32:58 Rapid fire questions GUEST LINKS Follow Neha: https://www.instagram.com/neha_ruch/  Website: https://www.thepowerpause.com/ Read her book: https://bookshop.org/a/116169/9780593716182  FOLLOW THE PODCAST IG: https://www.instagram.com/girlboss/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@girlboss  Amanda Goetz: https://www.instagram.com/theamandagoetz/  https://girlboss.com/pages/ambition-2-0-podcast  SIGN UP  Subscribe to the Girlboss Daily newsletter: https://newsletter.girlboss.com/   For all other Girlboss links: https://linkin.bio/girlboss/  ABOUT AMBITION 2.0  Powered by Girlboss, Ambition 2.0 is a podcast where we'll be exploring what it really means to "have it all" in work, family, identity, and self… and if it's actually worth it. Each week, you'll hear from hardworking women who've walked the tightrope of ambition. They'll share their costly mistakes, lessons learned, and practical tips for how to have it all and actually love what you have. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At 25, Hayley Paige signed the contract of a lifetime—head designer at a major bridal house, her name on the label, a fast track to becoming a household name on TLC's Say Yes to the Dress. She went on to generate over $220 million in bridal sales and dress more than 10,000 brides. Then, in the middle of a contract renegotiation, it all fell apart. In the span of just 24 hours, a judge's ruling took away her right to use her own birth name. She couldn't use it in business, couldn't publicly identify with it, and was locked into a seven-year unpaid non-compete—all while her former company took control of the social media accounts she'd spent a decade building. This week on Ambition 2.0, Amanda Goetz sits down with Hayley to talk about the raw, deeply emotional experience of going through a public legal battle, how she rebuilt her business from the ground up, and the red flags she now tells every young creator to watch for before they sign any contract. Key Takeaways Signing a contract early in your career without a lawyer can leave you exposed for years, even after you've outgrown its original terms. Believing "if I provide enough value, anything is negotiable" is a risky mindset going into any negotiation. Once you're operating at a high level, you set your own precedent, and that gap between your value and your original terms is where disputes start. Watch for red-flag language like "perpetuity," worldwide rights, and broad name, image, and likeness clauses before signing anything. Contracts should hold up to your questions; if they can't, it might not be the right opportunity. Setting boundaries early and having difficult conversations up front creates clarity, and contracts are meant to provide clarity, not create conflict. What happened to Hayley isn't an isolated case; the same pattern shows up across industries whenever talent operates under contracts they've outgrown. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 07:48 How she lost the rights to her own name 11:42 Contract red flags to watch for 15:03 Reclaiming her name and starting her new business  17:52 Launching A Girl You Might Know Foundation 20:13 Hayley’s fave bridal trends + rapid-fire qs  GUEST LINKS Follow Hayley: https://www.instagram.com/misshayleypaige/ Visit https://hayleypaige.com/  https://www.agirlyoumightknowfoundation.org/  FOLLOW THE PODCAST IG: https://www.instagram.com/girlboss/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@girlboss  Amanda Goetz: https://www.instagram.com/theamandagoetz/  https://girlboss.com/pages/ambition-2-0-podcast  SIGN UP  Subscribe to the Girlboss Daily newsletter: https://newsletter.girlboss.com/   For all other Girlboss links: https://linkin.bio/girlboss/  ABOUT AMBITION 2.0  Powered by Girlboss, Ambition 2.0 is a podcast where we'll be exploring what it really means to "have it all" in work, family, identity, and self… and if it's actually worth it. Each week, you'll hear from hardworking women who've walked the tightrope of ambition. They'll share their costly mistakes, lessons learned, and practical tips for how to have it all and actually love what you have. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you've ever caught yourself calling your side hustle "just a little passion project" while secretly wondering if it could be your next thing—this episode is your permission slip. Amanda Goetz sits down with Stephanie Cartin and Courtney Spritzer, co-founders of Entreprenista, who quit their corporate jobs on the same day back in 2012 with zero investors, zero business plan, and one very clear number: $4,000 a month each, just to break even. Fourteen years later, they've built a +3,500-member community, scaled an agency to eight figures in cumulative revenue, and helped women found and grow thousands of businesses. We cover how they knew it was time to go all in, the real difference between a hobby and a business, whether (and when) to tell your boss about your side hustle, and why community (not funding) is what actually got them to seven figures. Key takeaways You don't need a grand plan to quit your job—you need a number: Stephanie and Courtney calculated the bare minimum they each needed to survive and used that as their revenue goal before walking away from corporate. Stephanie's litmus test: if you're already making money, you have the start of a business. But turning a hobby into a business isn't automatically the right move. Never burn a bridge, and give yourself a real timeline before walking away from a job (they gave themselves three months to prove it could work). The single biggest driver of their early growth wasn't a funding round or a growth hack. It was showing up to one random networking group and actually building relationships there. Comparing your timeline, your funding, or your exit to what you see on Instagram is a fast way to lose sight of the business you actually want to build. Both Stephanie and Courtney say if they were starting a business today, they'd go all-in on learning AI.  Timestamps  [00:00] Intro [05:05] The exact day they quit their corporate jobs [08:47] How to tell a hobby apart from a real business opportunity [10:44] The most common (and costly) mistake new founders make [11:35] Did they set out to build Socialfly to sell it? The surprising answer [14:49] How to spot your first "side hustle idea"—and use AI as a brainstorming partner [17:48] Building a business while working full-time, without burning out [20:20] Should you tell your boss about your side hustle? [23:37] Why community (not funding) is their real superpower [29:06] Rapid fire: tools, time-wasters, and the best (and worst) advice they've ever gotten GUEST LINKS Follow Entreprenista: https://www.instagram.com/entreprenistas  Join the Entreprenista League: https://www.entreprenista.com/tel-start  Follow Stephanie: https://www.instagram.com/stephjillcartin/  Follow Courtney: https://www.instagram.com/courtspritzer/  FOLLOW THE PODCAST IG: https://www.instagram.com/girlboss/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@girlboss  Amanda Goetz: https://www.instagram.com/theamandagoetz/  https://girlboss.com/pages/ambition-2-0-podcast  SIGN UP  Subscribe to the Girlboss Daily newsletter: https://newsletter.girlboss.com/   For all other Girlboss links: https://linkin.bio/girlboss/  ABOUT AMBITION 2.0  Powered by Girlboss, Ambition 2.0 is a podcast where we'll be exploring what it really means to "have it all" in work, family, identity, and self… and if it's actually worth it. Each week, you'll hear from hardworking women who've walked the tightrope of ambition. They'll share their costly mistakes, lessons learned, and practical tips for how to have it all and actually love what you have. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to our first-ever solo episode with host Amanda Goetz! With an impressive career trajectory that spans roles at big corporations, startups, and as an author, Amanda offers invaluable insights into navigating the professional world in this big-sister-style coffee chat. She pulls from her own career path (Ernst & Young → celebrity wedding planner → startup founder → The Knot → CMO at Reale Actives) to give you real, tactical advice on annual reviews, one-on-ones, burnout, job searching, and more.  Consider this your permission slip to stop white-knuckling your career on your own.  Got a question for a future episode? Send it to @girlboss or @theamandagoetz on Instagram. 00:00 Intro 01:43 Amanda’s career journey 03:46 What she'd tell herself during the hardest year of her life 04:40 Her go-to career book recommendation 05:12 How to make the most of one-on-ones with your manager 06:56 Balancing your own opinions with your team's ideas as a leader 10:04 Returning to work after a year-long maternity leave 11:22 How to prepare for your annual review 14:56 Redesigning your career mid-life 17:38 How to know when it's time to leave a job 20:25 Falling back in love with your work 22:51 How to work with someone you don't get along with 24:37 Staying organized (and sane) as a business owner 26:41 Staying motivated during a tough job search 27:36 Managing email and outreach anxiety 28:56 Getting your manager to notice how much you're doing 30:00 Balancing all the hats marketers have to wear 31:31 Outro Key Takeaways Use the "start, stop, continue" framework in every one-on-one—it turns feedback into something structured, not confrontational. Build a weekly "operating rhythm," so your team always knows when to bring you ideas. Send a "managing up Monday" email each week: top wins, focus areas, and shout-outs. Visibility trumps ability. Before an annual review, translate your work into business terms your boss can repeat to their boss. Career changes don't need to be justified in hindsight—just take the next step with the best info you have. Confront conflict directly instead of triangulating through other people. "Focus and finish": pick two priorities a day instead of running an endless to-do list. Networking should start long before you need it—keep a running list of contacts and stay in touchGUEST LINKS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamandagoetz/ Book: https://bookshop.org/a/116169/9781464233258  https://www.amandagoetz.com/  FOLLOW THE PODCAST IG: https://www.instagram.com/girlboss/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@girlboss  Amanda Goetz: https://www.instagram.com/theamandagoetz/  https://girlboss.com/pages/ambition-2-0-podcast  SIGN UP  Subscribe to the Girlboss Daily newsletter: https://newsletter.girlboss.com/   For all other Girlboss links: https://linkin.bio/girlboss/  ABOUT AMBITION 2.0  Powered by Girlboss, Ambition 2.0 is a podcast where we'll be exploring what it really means to "have it all" in work, family, identity, and self… and if it's actually worth it. Each week, you'll hear from hardworking women who've walked the tightrope of ambition. They'll share their costly mistakes, lessons learned, and practical tips for how to have it all and actually love what you have. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When's the last time you actually looked at your bank account without cringing?  Amanda Goetz sits down with Haley Sacks (a.k.a. Mrs. Dow Jones), the internet's favorite financial expert, New York Times best-selling author of Future Rich Person: The New Rules for Building Wealth, and the woman behind the over two-million-strong community Mrs. Dow Jones. Haley built her entire brand on making money feel less shameful and way more accessible. And in this conversation, she gets into exactly how she did it (and how you can too). They cover why most of us were never actually taught how to manage money (spoiler: it's not your fault), why "deprivation" is the worst financial advice, the money beliefs we absorb before we even turn seven (!!), and why looking rich and being financially powerful are two very different games. Haley also gets real about her own money trauma, her parents' complicated relationship to wealth, and the "aha money moment" that changed everything for her. Key Takeaways: People can inherit money, but nobody inherits financial literacy, which means anyone can build it from zero. There's a floor to how much you can cut from your spending, but there's no ceiling to how much you can earn. Money dates are Haley's monthly ritual of sitting down with her finances—credit card statements, invoices, upcoming spending—and it's how she stays in control. Money is a relationship like any other—and you can't grow it if you avoid it. If you never actually sit down with your finances, don't expect it to get stronger. A “future rich person” has control over their time, their relationships, their choices, and their ability to leave situations that no longer serve them.Timestamps: [00:00] Intro [04:50] The origin story of Mrs. Dow Jones [06:09] The messages girls absorb about money growing up [08:08] Frictionless finance and doom-spending [11:09] Growing up with a "Wall Street father"  [15:23] Why women still feel embarrassed talking about money [18:25] Looking rich vs. being financially powerful [20:12] What is financial helplessness [22:21] Haley's monthly "money date" and the 50/30/20 rule she swears by [25:08] Why negotiating is the most underrated money move [28:14] Where women unknowingly give away their financial power  [30:13] What to do if you feel like you're behind financially  [31:45] Rapid fire questions [36:48] What "future rich person" really means to Haley GUEST LINKS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrsdowjones/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mrsdowjones Website: https://www.mrsdowjones.com/ Book: https://bookshop.org/a/116169/9798217090907  FOLLOW THE PODCAST IG: https://www.instagram.com/girlboss/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@girlboss  Amanda Goetz: https://www.instagram.com/theamandagoetz/  https://girlboss.com/pages/ambition-2-0-podcast  SIGN UP  Subscribe to the Girlboss Daily newsletter: https://newsletter.girlboss.com/   For all other Girlboss links: https://linkin.bio/girlboss/  ABOUT AMBITION 2.0  Powered by Girlboss, Ambition 2.0 is a podcast where we'll be exploring what it really means to "have it all" in work, family, identity, and self… and if it's actually worth it. Each week, you'll hear from hardworking women who've walked the tightrope of ambition. They'll share their costly mistakes, lessons learned, and practical tips for how to have it all and actually love what you have. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if "having it all" didn't mean climbing a single corporate ladder but building a whole web of work that fits your real life? An ecosystem of offers, clients, and projects fueled by your network and reputation, where you can tap into different opportunities at different seasons of life. This week, host Amanda Goetz sits down with Anna Mackenzie, a startup advisor, writer, and author of the newsletter Anna Mack’s Stack, who traded the corporate dream for a self-designed portfolio career. They get into how to diversify your income, why articulating your value is harder (and more important) than selling it, and how to start building on the side without burning out or quitting your day job. From the sunk cost fallacy that keeps you stuck to the 30-minutes-a-day rule that changed Anna's life, this episode is your friendly reminder to stop forcing your career into a straight line. Key Takeaways: A portfolio career is multidimensional and diversified by design—many income streams, projects, and identities at once. A full-time job can absolutely be part of a portfolio. It's not all-or-nothing. Your salary can fund the experimentation. Start building on the side before you leap. Ask past bosses and colleagues what you're good at. You can't always see your set of skills or offers clearly. Break big scary goals into the smallest achievable unit of effort—what Amanda calls the “KitKat” method. Structure your portfolio career around three tiers: core, secondary, and experimental income. You don't need a perfect strategy. Experiment your way to a plan that fits your life. (00:00) Intro (02:16) How ambition changes over time (04:20) What a portfolio career actually is (06:42) Signs a portfolio career might be for you (08:55) What keeps people stuck (11:41) Why the traditional path feels narrow for women (13:42) The first step: knowing your value (16:04) Starting when you're too drained (20:04) Side hustle vs. portfolio career (21:18) Building your flywheel (24:30) Deliberate experimentation (29:16) Rapid fire GUEST LINKS Anna’s new 6-week accelerator, The Portfolio Career Build Method: https://www.annamackenzie.com.au/portfoliocareerbuildmethodSubstack: Anna Mack’s Stack  Website: https://www.annamackenzie.com.au/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annaclmack/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@annaclmack  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaclmack/  FOLLOW THE PODCAST IG: https://www.instagram.com/girlboss/ | TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@girlboss  Amanda Goetz: https://www.instagram.com/theamandagoetz/  https://girlboss.com/pages/ambition-2-0-podcast  SIGN UP  Subscribe to the Girlboss Daily newsletter: https://newsletter.girlboss.com/   For all other Girlboss links: https://linkin.bio/girlboss/  ABOUT AMBITION 2.0  Powered by Girlboss, Ambition 2.0 is a podcast where we'll be exploring what it really means to "have it all" in work, family, identity, and self… and if it's actually worth it. Each week, you'll hear from hardworking women who've walked the tightrope of ambition. They'll share their costly mistakes, lessons learned, and practical tips for how to have it all and actually love what you have. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re told that we can have it all if we time it right: build your career first, then start a family. But what does the medicine actually say? Amanda Goetz sits down with Dr. Lucky Sekhon, a double board-certified reproductive endocrinologist at RMA of New York and author of the USA Today bestseller The Lucky Egg. Dr. Lucky busts the biggest fertility myths (no, your fertility doesn't fall off a cliff at 35), explains why so-called "fertility checks" are mostly marketing, and breaks down the real difference between freezing eggs and freezing embryos. She also flips the script on a part of the story we tend to ignore—male-factor infertility, which accounts for roughly half of cases—and why family building is a team sport. Women shouldn’t carry all the burden! It's an honest, science-forward, and surprisingly reassuring conversation about the fertility knowledge gap—and how it’s okay to not have it all figured out in your 20s. . This episode gets into both the emotional and physical considerations of fertility treatment, and we think it's a worthwhile listen, regardless of what stage of life you might find yourself in—and even if you're undecided on the whole kids thing. Key Takeaways: Fertility doesn't fall off a cliff at 35. It's a gradual continuum, and many women conceive naturally into their 30s and 40s. AMH measures egg count, not fertility, and a low number shouldn't cause panic. Most pop-in or at-home "fertility checks" are marketing. No single test can predict whether you'll struggle to conceive. Start paying attention in your 20s by understanding your cycle and spotting red flags like PCOS or endometriosis. And pay attention to your family history. Freezing eggs and freezing embryos are different—eggs offer more flexibility and stay solely yours, while embryos give clearer answers but need both partners' sign-off. When choosing a clinic, ask about its actual thaw and IVF success rates, not just whether you like the doctor. Male-factor infertility is something we need to talk more about. Every day stress doesn't cause infertility, but insulin resistance is an under-recognized and treatable driver worth checking. (01:20) Intro (03:30) Dr. Lucky's personal journey (08:49) The misinformation problem and why absolutes are a red flag (10:22) The "cliff at 35" myth and the continuum of fertility (11:03) When to start paying attention (hint: your 20s) + birth control myths (15:28) Amanda's PCOS diagnosis (18:31) Family timing, privilege, and perfectionism (21:46) Feeling "behind," the knowledge gap, and giving yourself grace (24:56) Egg freezing: when it should enter the conversation (27:14) All about eggs vs. embryos  (32:12) Men and male-factor infertility (36:00) Rapid fire (44:00) Inside The Lucky Egg GUEST LINKS Read The Lucky Egg https://www.instagram.com/lucky.sekhon/  https://theluckyegg.com/  FOLLOW THE PODCAST IG: https://www.instagram.com/girlboss/ | TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@girlboss  Amanda Goetz: https://www.instagram.com/theamandagoetz/  https://girlboss.com/pages/ambition-2-0-podcast  SIGN UP  Subscribe to the Girlboss Daily newsletter: https://newsletter.girlboss.com/  For all other Girlboss links: https://linkin.bio/girlboss/ ABOUT AMBITION 2.0  Powered by Girlboss, Ambition 2.0 is a podcast where we'll be exploring what it really means to "have it all" in work, family, identity, and self… and if it's actually worth it. Each week, you'll hear from hardworking women who've walked the tightrope of ambition. They'll share their costly mistakes, lessons learned, and practical tips for how to have it all and actually love what you have. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most leadership advice was written by and for a generation that thought "work-life balance" meant leaving the office before 9 p.m. and checking emails on weekends. Amanda Litman is here to set the record straight. As co-founder of Run for Something—the organization that's helped elect over 1,600 young leaders across the U.S.—and author of When We're In Charge, Amanda has spent years studying what actually makes the next generation of leaders different. She sat down with Amanda Goetz to get into the stuff no one says out loud, like why "bring your full self to work" is actually setting you up to fail, why return-to-office mandates disproportionately push moms out of the workforce, and what it really means to lead with authenticity without accidentally trauma-dumping on your team. 🙃 Plus: the surprisingly effective thing she did every Saturday in 2025 to fight loneliness; the case for the four-day workweek; and a rapid-fire round of who’s most likely to: workplace edition (Gen Z, millennials, or Gen X). If you've ever wondered whether you can lead a team, build a career, and have a full life—without becoming the kind of boss you swore you'd never be—this one's for you. 01:17 Intro 02:37 The biggest lie in leadership 07:43 "Bring your full self to work" is setting you up to fail 10:15 The three-question framework for showing up authentically without oversharing 13:43 Personal branding for leaders who grew up online 17:11  How to use your platform without blowing up your career 19:32 Return to office, paid family leave, and why flexible work isn't a perk 25:40 The loneliness of leadership, and two solutions 32:28 The one thing first-time leaders need to let go of (hint: it's being liked) 33:18 Rapid fire who’s most likely to: Gen Z vs. millennial vs. Gen X KEY TAKEAWAYS Responsible authenticity is about bringing the best version of yourself to serve your team, not your unfiltered 3 a.m. thoughts. Your employees are not your friends. Friendship is a relationship between equals, and a boss-employee dynamic is not that.  If you can't manage a remote team, that's a “you” problem. The four-day workweek forces better prioritization, and the research backs it up. The sooner you let go of needing to be liked, the sooner you can actually lead—trying to please everyone is a fast track to pleasing no one and resenting yourself. GUEST LINKS IG: https://www.instagram.com/amandalitm/  Read When We're in Charge Learn more about Run for Something https://www.amandalitman.com/  FOLLOW THE PODCAST IG: https://www.instagram.com/girlboss/ | TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@girlboss  Amanda Goetz: https://www.instagram.com/theamandagoetz/  https://girlboss.com/pages/ambition-2-0-podcast  SIGN UP  Subscribe to the Girlboss Daily newsletter: https://newsletter.girlboss.com/  For all other Girlboss links: https://linkin.bio/girlboss/ ABOUT AMBITION 2.0  Powered by Girlboss, Ambition 2.0 is a podcast where we'll be exploring what it really means to "have it all" in work, family, identity, and self… and if it's actually worth it. Each week, you'll hear from hardworking women who've walked the tightrope of ambition. They'll share their costly mistakes, lessons learned, and practical tips for how to have it all and actually love what you have. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You've probably had one. Maybe you even have one right now. And if Glassdoor data is anything to go by, you're far from alone—mentions of "toxic boss" in workplace reviews have surged 6.7x since 2018. 🤯 This week, Amanda Goetz sits down with Mita Mallick—bestselling author, workplace culture expert, and self-described recovering people pleaser—to talk about the bad bosses we've all worked for, the ones we've quietly become, and how to tell the difference.  Mita's new book, The Devil Emails at Midnight, breaks down 13 archetypes of bad bosses (yes, they all have nicknames), and this conversation goes deep on the ones you'll recognize immediately—and the ones that are dangerously easy to miss. They get into why bad bosses are made, not born; what the midnight email really signals about a leader's psychology; and why toxic positivity might actually be the sneakiest trap for high-achieving women.  Over 70% of workers say they've quit a job because of a bad boss. This episode is for everyone who has—and everyone who's still figuring out whether they should. Key Takeaways Bad bosses are made, not born. The sneakiest toxic boss, The Cheerleader.  Demanding excellence and coaching excellence are not the same thing. Apologies are the most underutilized tool in leadership. Trauma from a bad boss follows you to the next job if you don't deal with it. Context matters. Not every bad boss is a reason to quit. Self-awareness is the non-negotiable foundation of good leadership.02:30 Intro 04:49 The 3 moments toxic leadership shows up  13:18 Why toxic positivity is the hardest boss to spot  17:25 What The Devil Emails at Midnight title really means  20:24 Why companies keep tolerating bad bosses  25:43 Mita was a micromanager too  29:08 Where to start if you have a toxic boss right now 31:14 How to survive without burning out when leaving isn't an option  33:05 The post-toxic-boss trauma nobody talks about  35:42 What the best bosses do differently  37:20 Rapid-fire questions GUEST LINKS IG: https://www.instagram.com/mita_mallick13/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mita-mallick/  Read The Devil Emails at Midnight: https://bookshop.org/a/116169/9781394316489  Read Reimagine Inclusion: https://bookshop.org/a/116169/9781394177097  FOLLOW THE PODCAST IG: https://www.instagram.com/girlboss/ | TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@girlboss  Amanda Goetz: https://www.instagram.com/theamandagoetz/  https://girlboss.com/pages/ambition-2-0-podcast  SIGN UP  Subscribe to the Girlboss Daily newsletter: https://newsletter.girlboss.com/  For all other Girlboss links: https://linkin.bio/girlboss/ ABOUT AMBITION 2.0  Powered by Girlboss, Ambition 2.0 is a podcast where we'll be exploring what it really means to "have it all" in work, family, identity, and self… and if it's actually worth it. Each week, you'll hear from hardworking women who've walked the tightrope of ambition. They'll share their costly mistakes, lessons learned, and practical tips for how to have it all and actually love what you have. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you've ever wondered what actually gets discussed behind closed doors when companies are hiring, promoting, or handing out pink slips, this episode is like a backstage pass. Amanda Goetz sits down with Deepali Vyas, a veteran executive recruiter and career coach who’s spent 25 years in the boardrooms on Wall Street. She’s also one of the most followed career experts on the internet.  She's advised Fortune 500 CEOs, hedge funds, and private equity firms on their most senior hires—and she's here to spill everything they never told you. The timing couldn't be better. Between mass layoffs, rapid AI expansion, and an unpredictable job market, navigating your career right now feels harder than ever. Deepali breaks down exactly what's changed, what still works, and what you need to stop doing right now—from the resume mistakes that get you filtered out in six seconds (!!!), to why loyalty to a company is not the flex you think it is, to the 5-5-3 networking rule that actually moves the needle when you're on the market. We're also getting into the closed-door conversations that decide who gets laid off, the one move that makes hiring managers want you more, and the corporate truth that might sting a little: your manager is not your mentor. If you've been playing checkers with your career, this is your invitation to start playing chess. Tune into the episode to find out how. Key Takeaways Talent alone won't get you promoted—visibility will.  Your manager is not your mentor.  Everyone has skills. What separates people is proximity. BLUF: Bottom line up front. Build your external brand while you're still employed.  Why you should leave your job when you’re winning.  When you're job searching, use the 5-5-3 rule: five texts to people in your network, five days a week, and aim for three meetings. 00:00 Intro 03:12 Deepali's career origin story 05:41 Being underestimated as a superpower 06:13 Talent alone isn't enough: visibility & access matter most 08:14 Managing up & the power memo 13:58 Checkers vs. chess: playing the long game 15:57 Leave when you're winning 17:30 Behind closed doors: what hiring really looks like 20:06 Resumes, layoffs & career resilience 22:54 The 5-5-3 rule 26:46 Becoming indispensable vs. high impact 32:21 Rapid fire: resumes, LinkedIn & interview tips GUEST LINKS IG: https://www.instagram.com/the_elite_recruiter/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@elite.recruiter Subscribe to Deepali's newsletter: https://eliterecruiter-newsletter.beehiiv.com/ FOLLOW THE PODCAST IG: https://www.instagram.com/girlboss/ | TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@girlboss  Amanda Goetz: https://www.instagram.com/theamandagoetz/  https://girlboss.com/pages/ambition-2-0-podcast  SIGN UP  Subscribe to the Girlboss Daily newsletter: https://newsletter.girlboss.com/  For all other Girlboss links: https://linkin.bio/girlboss/ ABOUT AMBITION 2.0  Powered by Girlboss, Ambition 2.0 is a podcast where we'll be exploring what it really means to "have it all" in work, family, identity, and self… and if it's actually worth it. Each week, you'll hear from hardworking women who've walked the tightrope of ambition. They'll share their costly mistakes, lessons learned, and practical tips for how to have it all and actually love what you have. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amanda Holden spent years working 13-hour days at a male-dominated finance firm—helping rich men get richer—before she made a bold exit. She saved aggressively, sold her car, and walked away without a plan. That scrappy chapter even earned her the cute nickname “Dumpster Doggy.” 🙃 But it also gave her something most people never get: the space to figure out what she actually wanted. The answer? Teaching women how to invest. In this episode of Ambition 2.0, Amanda Goetz sits down with Amanda Holden—financial educator, founder of Invested Development, and author of How to Be a Rich Old Lady—to unpack why investing still feels so overwhelming (even for smart, ambitious, high-earning women). Spoiler: it’s not you. The system was designed to gatekeep this information from women. Amanda breaks down the biggest lies women have been told about money, why the Roth vs. traditional debate is more distracting than helpful, and what a 401(k) actually is (hint: for our millennial listeners, think of it like Caboodles from the ‘90s). If you’ve ever looked at your retirement account and thought, “I should probably figure that out someday,” this episode is for you! In this episode: Why ambition isn't just about winning the man's game anymore How Amanda went from finance bro to financial feminist The Caboodles analogy that will change how you think about your retirement account Why the Roth vs. traditional debate is the wrong conversation What a fee-only financial planner actually does (and when you need one) The #1 first step if you feel behind on investing Why "go get your match" is the most important money advice for employees The trad wife economy and the financial risks women need to understand 00:00 Intro 03:59 What drew her to finance and what made her leave  09:29 The mindset shift that helped her walk away from her finance job 11:02 Her scrappy, "Dumpster Doggy" era (which allowed her to quit her 9-5)  13:10 The TL;DR on Invested Development, Amanda’s financial education platform  16:12 Why investing feels so hard, even for smart women  21:01 The biggest lies women have been told about investing  23:49 Roth vs. traditional: why it's the wrong debate  25:13 The Caboodles analogy that explains your 401(k) perfectly  29:28 The first step when you feel overwhelmed by money  30:39 Do you actually need a financial planner?  34:57 The beginner investing move that builds real confidence  40:05 What it actually means to be a rich old lady  43:00 Rapid fire: earning vs. investing, money myths, and more GUEST LINKS IG: https://www.instagram.com/dumpster.doggy/  Read How to Be a Rich Old Lady Check out the Invested Development course: https://amandaholden.podia.com/invested-development FOLLOW THE PODCAST IG: https://www.instagram.com/girlboss/ | TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@girlboss  Amanda Goetz: https://www.instagram.com/theamandagoetz/  https://girlboss.com/pages/ambition-2-0-podcast  SIGN UP Subscribe to the Girlboss Daily newsletter: https://newsletter.girlboss.com/ For all other Girlboss links: https://linkin.bio/girlboss/ ABOUT AMBITION 2.0 Powered by Girlboss, Ambition 2.0 is a podcast where we'll be exploring what it really means to "have it all" in work, family, identity, and self… and if it's actually worth it. Each week, you'll hear from hardworking women who've walked the tightrope of ambition. They'll share their costly mistakes, lessons learned, and practical tips for how to have it all and actually love what you have. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dating in 2026 can feel… bleak. Everyone is analyzing “red flags,” burned out on dating apps, and building emotional walls to stay safe out there. Sound relatable? In this episode of Ambition 2.0, Amanda Goetz sits down with relationship expert Amy Chan—founder of Renew Breakup Bootcamp, bestselling author of Breakup Bootcamp, and author of the upcoming book Unsingle: How to Date Smarter and Create Love That Lasts—to talk about what’s actually going wrong in modern dating (especially for ambitious women) and how to date smarter. Amy breaks down why high-achieving women can accidentally bring “CEO energy” into their love lives—turning dating into a project, over-functioning, and doing 90% of the work. You’ll learn how to stop over-giving, create space so someone can show you who they are, and why it’s not your job to coach someone out of their insecurity.  Plus, Amy shares her “dating funnel” framework (lead generation → evaluation → commitment) and the underrated stage most people skip: the evaluation phase (a.k.a.: dates 3–20, where character is revealed). If you’re dating right now—or you want a smarter path to partnership—this episode is for you. You’ll learn:  Why modern dating feels broken—and how hyper-fixating on red flags is blocking connection How “CEO energy” can sabotage dating and what to do instead Why it’s not your job to fix or coach a partner out of insecurity What emotional wealth really means (and why it matters more than money) Amy’s “dating funnel” framework and why dates 3–20 are crucial How “ick culture” keeps people single How to reopen your heart if dating has made you guarded, burned out, or distrustful  00:00 Intro 03:22 Women’s standards are rising—and “survival coupling” is over 05:04 What is the “CEO energy” problem? 07:26 How to leave space and let them show who they are 10:12 Emotional wealth > financial flex: what men can do differently now 14:50 Amy’s dating funnel framework 21:08 The internet’s worst dating advice GUEST LINKS Instagram:  www.instagram.com/missamychan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@missamychan Read Breakup Bootcamp: https://bookshop.org/a/116169/9780062914743  Pre-order Unsingle: https://bookshop.org/a/116169/9781419779848  www.renewbreakupbootcamp.com  www.missamychan.com www.hearthackersclub.com  FOLLOW THE PODCAST IG: https://www.instagram.com/girlboss/ | TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@girlboss  Amanda Goetz: https://www.instagram.com/theamandagoetz/  https://girlboss.com/pages/ambition-2-0-podcast  SIGN UP Subscribe to the Girlboss Daily newsletter: https://newsletter.girlboss.com/  For all other Girlboss links: https://linkin.bio/girlboss/  ABOUT AMBITION 2.0Powered by Girlboss, Ambition 2.0 is a podcast where we’ll be exploring what it really means to “have it all” in work, family, identity, and self… and if it’s actually worth it. Each week, you'll hear from hardworking women who’ve walked the tightrope of ambition. They'll share their costly mistakes, lessons learned, and practical tips for how to have it all and actually love what you have. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices