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On episode #155 of the 2B Bolder Podcast, I got to sit down with someone I could have honestly talked to for hours — Dr. Fern Halper. And if you've been feeling overwhelmed by all the AI noise out there, this one is for you. Fern has been working in data and AI for over 30 years — long before it was a headline — and she is the real deal. What struck me most wasn't just her brilliance or depth of knowledge; it was her warmth, her wisdom, and the genuine human kindness she brings to everything she does. It was such an honor to have her on the show, and I walked away inspired. We got into all of it — data foundations, governance, trust, and the career skills that keep you valuable as AI tools and agents move faster than most organizations can keep up with. No fluff, just real talk. Here's what we covered: Fern's unexpected path from oceanography research to data and AI leadershipThe career forks that shaped her journey and why speaking up is everythingWhat companies are actually coming to her for: strategy, starting points, and governanceThe new roles emerging around responsible AI, ethics, stewardship, and operationsWhy so many enterprises are lagging behind and what "building a foundation" really meansWhat feels genuinely different about this AI moment — and why it comes with real risksWhere agentic AI and multi-agent systems are taking businesses in the next 3 to 5 yearsThe skills that stay valuable no matter what: critical thinking, risk, communication, and literacyThe mistakes leaders keep making — skipping the business need and treating governance like a choreWhy trust isn't just technical — it's the change management your people can actually believe inWhy we need more women's voices at the table when it comes to AI governance and ethicsIf this resonates with you, please share it with a friend who needs to hear it — and don't forget to like and subscribe! Resources: 📖 Data Makes the World Go 'Round: The Data, Tech, and Trust Behind AI Success by Dr. Fern Halper🔗 Connect with Dr. Fern Halper on LinkedIn🌐 aifoundationsgroup.com

"Different is better than better." It's the belief that drove Monica Nassif to build one of the most beloved household brands in America, and in the latest episode of the 2B Bolder podcast series, she sat down with me to share exactly how she did it. And this was a conversation I didn't want to end. Monica didn't stumble into entrepreneurship. She grew up the oldest girl in a family of nine kids, all born within 10 years, running the household when her mom needed backup, holding jobs from age 10 onward, babysitting, waitressing at a truck stop (where she lied about her age at 15!), and typing in an ER at 16. Her mom's mantra? "Learn to work with people." That stuck. What I love most about Monica's story is the boldness of her strategy. She built a beautiful, high-end cleaning brand called Caldria, and then deliberately set out to compete with herself before anyone else could. That's how Mrs. Meyer's was born, inspired by her real Midwestern mom, Thelma Meyer, the original recycler who wasted absolutely nothing. We cover so much: Why she trusted trend-spotting over focus groups How packaging and fragrance turned cleaning products into something people wanted on their countertops The two "belly flops" and the financial guardrails she used to shut one down before it became a sinkhole Building an up-tempo culture with office badminton, ornament contests, and talent showsWhy authenticity and storytelling are your biggest competitive advantages right now, especially in the age of AIAnd she's got a book coming late April, I Bottled My Mother: The Mrs. Meyer Story, Grit, Grime, and Growing a Business, part love letter to her mom, part startup manual. It's the business book that's actually funny and emotionally honest. I cannot wait to get my hands on it. I'm sure it will be a very popular business book. Her advice to her younger self? Slow down and listen more. Mine too, Monica. Mine too. 😄 🎧 Please check out this episode, drop a review, and share it with a founder or dreamer in your life! Resources: I Bottled My Mother: The Mrs. Meyer Story Monica Nassif on LinkedIn

Interviews can feel overwhelming if you're not prepared, or worse, they can feel discouraging when you know you’re qualified, yet you keep hearing “we went another direction.” In episode #153 of the 2B Bolder podcast, I’m joined by Gina Riley, a former Fortune 50 HR leader turned executive career strategist and author of Qualified Isn’t Enough, to discuss what’s really happening behind the scenes in executive hiring and why great résumés still fall flat without the right story. And yes, even if you're not an executive, this show has great takeaways for you! We dig into the hiring manager’s reality: a requisition is funded to solve a specific business problem, and the candidate who wins is the one who positions themselves as the clearest solution. Gina shares how to “read the room” across every touch point, why every stakeholder is effectively a decision maker, and how to build a tight set of interview stories that prove leadership, judgment, and results without sounding like everyone else. We also talk about executive presence, including the subtle communication habits that can weaken confidence and decisiveness, especially for women navigating competitive leadership roles. Gina walks us through her Career Velocity Framework: clarifying your unique value proposition, capturing wins in a career data vault, tightening your “tell me about yourself,” then translating it all into a stronger LinkedIn profile, interview prep, and a relationship-driven job search strategy. We also get practical about today’s job market, layoffs, and how informational interviews can guide AI skill building when the landscape changes too fast for generic advice. If you’re planning a career transition or you’re in the middle of one, stop what you're doing and listen now, then subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more women in business and tech can find these career strategy tools.  Gina is amazing at knowing the ins and outs of navigating these waters, so you don't have to go it alone. Resources: Gina Riley on LinkedIn Gina Riley Consulting  

Want a masterclass in credibility, change communications, and career resilience without the fluff?  I had the opportunity to sit down with senior communications leader Elaina Dulaney to unpack how strategic storytelling, trusted relationships, and a servant leadership mindset can carry you from small software gigs to agency depth and into the halls of Big Tech on episode #152 of the 2B Bolder podcast. Elaina shares the early principle that shaped her career arc, build experience before kids to create future choice, and the unexpected phone call that turned into an agency, Microsoft work, and eventually a corporate leadership role right before the world shifted. She and I get candid about today’s market: how budgets are tighter, rates are pressured, and job boards can feel like a black hole. Elaina breaks down a practical system for job seekers, 10% applications, 25–30% AI upskilling, 25–30% brand building, and the rest on targeted networking, plus the one constant that still moves mountains: relationships. We talk through “overqualified” bias, why great managers hire strategic doers, and how to spot roles where scope expands but recognition lags. You’ll hear real tactics to surface referrals, maintain momentum, and protect your mindset when you face rejections, even though you are quite capable of the role. For leaders, we dig into the communication blind spots that quietly sink trust: last-minute reviews, skipped rehearsals, and messages that forget the audience. Elaina outlines a change comms playbook built on consistency across stakeholders, durable truth, and live Q&A that shows transparency under pressure. And because AI is changing the craft, we frame it as a copilot, not the pilot, so strategy, ethics, and empathy stay human. We also explore executive presence on LinkedIn, balancing authenticity with professionalism without slipping into performative posts. If you’re building a career in communications, marketing, or tech, or you lead teams through complexity, you’ll leave with a sharper toolkit and renewed conviction that reputation and community are your edge. If this conversation sparks ideas or you want more on these topics, connect with us on LinkedIn, share the episode with a friend, and leave a quick review so we can keep the conversations you care about coming. Tune in as Mary and Elaina talk openly about today's job market and share how they both face it with grace and optimism. Resources: Connect with Elaina Dulaney on LinkedIn

Ever feel like you did everything “right” and still got sidelined? We sit down with Andrea Mohamed, COO and co‑founder of QuantumBloom, to unpack why so many women exit tech and what it takes to build workplaces they won’t want to leave. Andrea traces her journey from first‑gen college student to strategy executive and founder, sharing how an MBA unlocked confidence and how glass-cliff roles, nitpicky performance feedback, and unspoken power dynamics still got in the way. The message is clear and practical: stop blaming individuals and start redesigning systems, while equipping women early with the skills that make influence, advocacy, and staying power feel natural. We dig into the critical inflection points where women quietly disengage: the first year after a STEM degree, the leap to management, and the jump to senior leadership, where relationships and influence matter more than output. Andrea explains why the school playbook fails at work, how to unlearn “merit-only” thinking, and what durable skills, communication, negotiation, and cross-functional trust look like in real roles. We talk about psychological safety, manager capability, and pro-family flexibility that benefits everyone, not just mothers, and how these choices change retention. The conversation turns tactical for leaders and HR. Learn to quantify turnover, model retention ROI, and speak the CFO’s language so talent programs no longer get cut. Andrea outlines how HR can evolve, as modern marketing did, moving from “arts and crafts” to a revenue partner, by connecting programs to profit. We also address DEI headwinds, the tall poppy problem, and the courage it takes to be values-aligned and visible without burning out. If you care about keeping women in STEM, building fair systems, and turning excellence into advancement, this one gives you the data, the playbook, and the push. If this resonates, follow, share with a colleague who leads teams, and leave a quick review so more people can find the show. Your feedback helps us keep these conversations bold and useful. Resources: Quantum Bloom is helping companies retain and advance women in STEM by fixing the systems that push them out Andrea Mohamed on LinkedIn

Confidence radiates from doing something you're passionate about. Doing it for a living and building talent and vision over time is magic. I had the best time sitting down with award-winning designer and Bargain Mansions TV host Tamara Day to talk about her life before stepping onto the national platform of the Magnolia Network and HGTV. The successes are only part of her story; the heart of her commitment, grassroots community, and her choice of integrity over shortcuts really make her unique. Tamara shares the unlikely chain of moments that led to television, plus the practical habits that kept her grounded once the cameras arrived. We get real about the early fear of filming, the shift from “we” to “I” without losing team spirit, and the tough but necessary rebrand from Growing Days to “Tamara Day” for SEO and discoverability. If you’re building a business around your name or wondering when to pivot a beloved label, this is a masterclass in listening to the data and keeping meaning in the details. We also dig into her love for product design as a second act: creating shallow, wide fixtures for low ceilings, weaving scallops and soft curves across categories, and maintaining a cohesive color story across multiple manufacturers. Tamara explains how she balances creative intuition with business strategy, when to pause a collaboration that doesn’t feel right, and why long-term brand trust beats short-term hype. You’ll leave with usable design ideas: set up a simple drop zone, add a front-door catchall, and try color drenching, one saturated hue across walls, trim, and even ceilings, for big impact on a budget. Tamara’s approach proves that patience compounds, partnerships multiply reach, and the best definition of success includes the freedom to step away for a month with your family. Subscribe to 2B Bolder, share this with a friend who loves design and has ever wondered what it would be like to be a designer on HGTV. See the full library of Women in Business and Tech Career podcasts Episode Title: #150 How Tamara Day Built Her Brand From Driveway Sales To HGTV Transcript

In this episode of 2B Bolder, I sit down with Sandy Carter, Chief Business Officer at Unstoppable Domains, former AWS and IBM executive, Forbes contributor, and author of AI First, Human Always. We talk about what it really means to take smart risks, build influence through visibility, and lead in fast-moving spaces like AI and Web3, even when you don’t feel 100 percent “ready.” Sandy shares pivotal career moments, including a $5 billion bet that didn’t seem obvious at the time, and the lessons she learned about arriving early, staying late, and taking ownership before permission is granted. We reframe visibility, not as self-promotion, but as credibility, narrative control, and leadership when the stakes are high. We also dig deep into what an AI-first, human-always mindset actually looks like in practice. Sandy explains why AI should start with business outcomes, not tools, and how leaders can redesign workflows, decisions, and customer experiences with AI as the lever, while keeping human judgment firmly in control. From pressure-testing arguments to accelerating research, we talk about where AI adds leverage and where humans must always own voice, values, and accountability. This conversation gets refreshingly real. Sandy shares stories about AI agents quietly changing their own limits, robots learning the wrong behaviors by watching humans, and why simple guardrails, human-in-the-loop oversight, logging, and escalation paths matter more than flashy demos. We also explore why building your own agents, not just relying on ChatGPT, is becoming essential for leaders who want real control and resilience. Finally, Sandy walks through the origin of Unstoppable Women of Web3 and AI and the powerful three-part formula behind it: education, tribe, and recognition, a model that has trained tens of thousands of women and dismantled the tired excuse of “we can’t find qualified women.” If you’re a senior leader navigating responsible innovation, or a rising builder wondering if now is the moment to step forward, this episode offers a clear message: lead while you learn, act before consensus, and put guardrails in place so innovation compounds instead of derails. If this conversation resonated, share it with someone who needs a nudge to be bolder, and leave a review telling me the bold move you’re committing to this week. Resources:  Sandy’s Profile linkedin.com/in/sandyacarterBooksBySandy.comsocialmediasandy.wordpress.com/  See the full library of Women in Business and Tech Career podcasts Sandy Carter's Career Tips for Women Transcript The 2B Bolder Podcast provides first-hand access to some amazing women. Guests will include women from leading enterprise companies to startups, women execs, coders, account execs, engineers, doctors, and innovators.

What if the fastest way to grow your career isn’t a straight climb but a series of smart, sideways moves that sharpen your empathy and judgment?  In this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Catherine Wong, COO and CPO at Entrata, to unpack how she scales products and people by shaping cultures where every voice is invited, and the best ideas surface early. From engineering during the dot-com downturn to leading global teams through acquisitions and hypergrowth, Catherine shares the habits that turn uncertainty into momentum: practice your voice, ask for real feedback, and reward behaviors that build trust. We go deep on how product and operations intersect when you’re building an operating system for real estate. Catherine explains why diverse perspectives improve outcomes and how leaders can intentionally signal what matters by recognizing thoughtful execution, not just loud opinions. Her take on the future of work is refreshingly actionable: AI changes the “how,” not the “why.” Whether you specialize or stay broad, treat curiosity like a muscle. Run small experiments, unlearn out-of-date tactics, and stay anchored to clear business outcomes. You’ll hear practical frameworks for deciding under ambiguity. widen inputs, seek data, welcome dissent, and iterate with agility. Catherine also breaks down visibility tactics for women who are competent but overlooked: volunteer for updates, lead slices of complex projects, and request precise post-meeting feedback. Her story of integrating a UK acquisition while battling imposter syndrome reveals a simple truth: courage plus clarity compounds into trust, scope, and impact. If you care about culture design, product leadership, AI fluency, and building a resilient career in tech, this conversation is a blueprint you can use today. Follow along, share it with a friend who needs a nudge, and subscribe to get more candid, practical conversations. Loved this one? Leave a review and tell us the bold step you’re taking next. Resources: Catherine Wong on LinkedIn Entrata See the full library of Women in Business and Tech Career podcasts Catherine Wong's Career Tips for Women Transcript The 2B Bolder Podcast provides first-hand access to some amazing women. Guests will include women from leading enterprise companies to startups, women execs, coders, account execs, engineers, doctors, and innovators.

What if the fastest way to grow your career is to reinvent how you work before the market forces you to? In this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Caitlin Clark-Zigmond, a two-time entrepreneur and former CMO for Intel’s global software and SaaS portfolio, to map the leap from hands-on operator to AI-powered brand builder, and why clear value translation beats clever slogans every time. Caitlin takes us from scaling a catering business to shipping Comcast Digital Voice, to leading massive B2B portfolios at Verizon and Intel. We dig into how Intel Tiber emerged to make software visible inside a hardware giant, uniting trust and security, AI and ML, edge and cloud, performance optimization, and developer workflows under a narrative customers could navigate. The result: sharper messaging, analyst clarity, and real pipeline acceleration. If your portfolio feels like a maze, her brand framework shows you how to draw a clean map. Then we get practical with AI go-to-market. Forget tool-chasing—start with painful use cases, build on clean, connected data, and let AI amplify what already moves the needle. Caitlin explains why a CDP or an MCP layer unlocks CRM, marketing automation, analytics, billing, and customer success, enabling them to communicate effectively with each other. We cover intent data for account prioritization, conversation intelligence for coaching, predictive scoring for pipeline, and agents that handle repetitive data pulls and weekly reporting so teams can focus on thinking, not tab-hopping. For leaders and modern marketers, the upskilling path is clear: achieve 30% fluency in core AI concepts, measurement, and understanding how your stack—HubSpot, Salesforce, GA, CDPs, and chat systems —actually works. You don’t need to code; you need to understand revenue mechanics. We also share Caitlin’s strategic networking system—the 5–5–5 method—that turns coffee chats into an operating system for your career, with value-first follow-ups that work even for introverts. We conclude with candid insights on the value of progress over perfection, investing in relationships before you need them, and redefining success in terms of client transformation, sustainable growth, and work-life integration. Subscribe, share with a friend, and tell us: what’s the scary move you’re finally ready to make? Resources:  Website: www.clarkgp.com  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlinclarkzigmond Upcoming LILive GTM Event: https://www.linkedin.com/events/2026gtmrealitycheck-makemisalig7393722093324107776/Monthly Blog: https://gtmmaven.substack.com/p/why-the-c-suite-must-work-together See the full library of Women in Business and Tech Career podcasts Caitlin Clark-Zigmond's Career Tips for Women Transcript The 2B Bolder Podcast provides first-hand access to some amazing women. Guests will include women from leading enterprise companies to startups, women execs, coders, account execs, engineers, doctors, and innovators.

AI only works at scale when the shiny demo meets the gritty realities of deployment, security, and change management. In episode #146 of the 2B Bolder Podcast, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Monica Livingston, AI Platform Lead for the Americas at Red Hat and a former Intel leader, to unpack how open source accelerates real outcomes, and why the “plumbing” behind enterprise AI matters more than most roadmaps admit. Monica shares a clear view of what platforms must do in production: version control, monitoring, governance, policy, and cost discipline, all while staying flexible enough to avoid stack lock-in. We get candid about the two biggest misconceptions leaders hold: AI isn’t a black box you plug in once, and the most complex variable is people, not models. Monica explains how to align teams through transparency, psychological safety, and clear KPIs so pilots survive the leap to operations. She also offers practical advice for new managers under pressure, from building trust to making recognition routine, and reflects on mentors who pushed her to trade constant breadth for deep expertise that compounds. For anyone mapping a career in AI, this conversation covers real paths forward, including accessible learning, hands-on projects, and emerging roles that are reshaping the field. We discuss early STEM exposure as a lever for agency, guidance for young women entering the tech field, and the value of calculated risk anchored in personal values such as family and health. Monica also shares her perspective on how to stand out in crowded applicant pools, the power of referrals, and why transformation often occurs on your own time before it becomes a job title. If this resonates, follow and share with a colleague who’s building AI for the real world. Subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of open technology, human leadership, and careers with purpose, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. See the full library of Women in Business and Tech Career podcasts Monica Livingston's Career Tips for Women Transcript The 2B Bolder Podcast provides first-hand access to some amazing women. Guests will include women from leading enterprise companies to startups, women execs, coders, account execs, engineers, doctors, and innovators.

Curiosity is a gift—but it only turns into momentum when it’s tied to impact. Host of the 2B Bolder Podcast, Mary Killelea, sits down with Carol Wilder, a strategic operator who helped launch the Alexa Skills Kit at Amazon, led generative AI partnerships at Dell, and now advises companies and municipalities on pragmatic AI adoption. Carol shares how aligning questions to concrete outcomes reshaped her career—and how that same shift can turn AI from a buzzword into a lever that reduces cycle time, improves resource utilization, and frees people to do higher‑order work. We trace her pivotal moments: choosing the right team under pressure to ship Alexa skills, learning to communicate with crisp, results‑first clarity, and reinventing after hard feedback by defining what to stand for. Carol explains why so many AI programs stall, starting with tools rather than business goals, and outlines a simple framework: pick the outcome, fix process debt, unify data, then layer intelligence. She also challenges the cost of mass layoffs, noting how creative friction, hallway collisions, and institutional memory are often the real engines of innovation. For women building careers in AI and product management, Carol offers direct, useful guidance: use automation to mute the noise, make impact legible, and build fundamentals in programming and model thinking through credible paths like Coursera and DeepLearning.AI. We explore mentorship as a multiplier, customer‑centricity as adopting a client’s aspirations as your own, and the underrated power of showing up prepared, questions ready, network engaged, and confidence primed. If this conversation helps you refocus on outcomes and sharpen your AI strategy, share it with a friend, subscribe for more candid career playbooks, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. Resources: Carol Wilder on LinkedIn Company websites: productmuseai.ca & www.atomic47.co See the full library of Women in Business and Tech Career podcasts Carol Wilder's Career Tips for Women Transcript The 2B Bolder Podcast provides first-hand access to some amazing women. Guests will include women from leading enterprise companies to startups, women execs, coders, account execs, engineers, doctors, and innovators.

What if the fastest way forward wasn’t pushing harder, but tuning in sharper? On episode #144 of the 2B Bolder podcast, I had the chance to sit down with Karina Marie Diaz, a trusted and sought-after leadership coach who explores how high-performing founders, CEOs, and senior executives create meaningful change by turning down the static and turning up their own signal. Karina’s journey from internationally published photographer to sought-after executive coach brings a rare blend of creativity, empathy, and strategic rigor to the conversation, proof that bold transitions can be both brave and practical. Karina breaks down her coaching philosophy as a true collaboration grounded in presence and deep curiosity. Instead of prescribing fixes, she helps clients hear their own station more clearly, unlocking decisions that bring more ease without losing ambition. We dig into vertical leadership development, the Energy Leadership Index, and the mindset shifts that move leaders from overdrive to aligned performance. Her stories, from global weddings on the Nile to boardroom breakthroughs, illustrate how seeing people clearly can change how they see themselves. You’ll learn specific strategies for navigating career pivots: how to listen for what lights you up, find the hidden map in your curiosities, and build a circle that reinforces creation over doubt. Karina shares her “Olympic-level emotional thought cardio” for designing habits backward from the future you want, plus a simple but powerful invitation: if you feel the itch to evolve, lean into it. The result is a blueprint for leadership that is clear, human, and sustainable. If this conversation sparks something, consider that a sign. Then share the episode with a friend who’s ready for growth, subscribe for more candid career insights, and leave a quick review so others can find the show. Your next small step might be the one that changes your map. Resources: Karina Marie Diaz on LinkedIn See the full library of Women in Business and Tech Career podcasts Karina Marie Diaz's Career Tips for Women Transcript The 2B Bolder Podcast provides first-hand access to some amazing women. Guests will include women from leading enterprise companies to startups, women execs, coders, account execs, engineers, doctors, and innovators.

What happens when the career you’ve chased for years stops fitting the life you’re building? We sit down with attorney and founder Miriam Airington-Fisher to explore how she transformed a courtroom-centered path into a thriving, family-first immigration practice without abandoning ambition or impact. Miriam traces her journey from legal aid and criminal defense to launching a firm as a new single mom. She breaks down the scrappy early days, the power of a 90-day startup plan, and the mindset shift from perceived job security to true entrepreneurial control. We dive into the boundary playbook she now lives by, no email on her phone, firm hours aligned to school pick-up, and a stacked team schedule that keeps clients supported while protecting deep work. If you’ve ever felt tethered to pings after dark, her approach will feel like oxygen. We also unpack the business engine behind a sustainable law firm: choosing a scalable practice area, building an org chart that blends attorney judgment with strong staff workflows, and fixing fragile margins by treating profit as a discipline. Miriam shares how a women-led immigration mastermind and a trusted CFO turned chaos into clarity, why retained earnings matter, and how daily revenue visibility guides calm decisions. Along the way, we talk personal brand, Lawyer Like A Mother, how authenticity attracts the right clients, and why creators shouldn’t fear a few stray critics. You’ll leave with actionable steps to start a firm faster, set cleaner boundaries, and scale without sacrificing family life. If you’re a woman in law or any demanding field, this conversation offers a clear path from overwhelm to ownership—proof that a values-driven practice can be both client-friendly and founder-friendly. Enjoy the story, then subscribe, share with a friend who needs it, and leave a review to tell us the boundary you’re setting this week. Resources: LinkedIn lawyer-like-a-mother Instagram: @lawyerlikeamother momsalawyer.com (Company) airingtonlaw.com (Company) See the full library of Women in Business and Tech Career podcasts Miriam Airington-Fisher's Career Tips for Women Transcript The 2B Bolder Podcast provides first-hand access to some amazing women. Guests will include women from leading enterprise companies to startups, women execs, coders, account execs, engineers, doctors, and innovators.

Want a real look at how breakthrough tech actually gets built and shipped? I had the pleasure of sitting down with Samira Naraghi, Chief Business Officer at Enovix, who has held previous roles at AWS, Meta, Qualcomm, and other notable companies, to unpack a career defined by tackling challenging problems, making significant pivots, and achieving results that speak louder than titles. From growing up in post-war Iran, where power outages made technology feel magical, to leading global go-to-market strategies and launching industry-defining products, Samira shows how adaptability, curiosity, and grit compound into leadership. We trace the through line across semiconductors, cloud, and next-gen batteries: translating deep technology into real business impact. Samira breaks down why go-to-market must start on day one, how co-building with early customers derisks product-market fit, and what it takes to prioritize nascent bets like AR when constraints around power, space, and manufacturability are unforgiving. She shares the unglamorous truth of innovation, fighting physics, supply chains, and disbelief, while still hitting commitments through decisive execution and a culture built for pressure. For women in tech navigating ceilings and seeking visibility, the guidance is clear and actionable. Choose the messy, high-impact work others avoid. Build trust by delivering under pressure. Communicate with clarity, drop the hedging, and be overprepared. We also explore becoming future-ready with AI: learn the fundamentals, speak the language, and use the tools to amplify your work. Mentorship, peer networks, and “quiet boldness” round out a candid playbook for career growth that doesn’t wait for permission. I hope this conversation gives you the nudge to take the harder path intentionally, and if so, share it with a friend who needs the encouragement. Subscribe for more honest, tactical stories from leaders building the future, and leave a review to tell us the bold move you’re making next. See the full library of Women in Business and Tech Career podcasts Samira Naraghi's Career Tips for Women Transcript The 2B Bolder Podcast provides first-hand access to some amazing women. Guests will include women from leading enterprise companies to startups, women execs, coders, account execs, engineers, doctors, and innovators.

What if the straightest line to a bigger career is choosing the uncomfortable zones? On episode #141, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Tracy Nolan, Fortune 100 executive, transformation leader, and champion of women in leadership, to unpack the choices and mindsets that turned discomfort into momentum. From retail floors to the front lines of telecom, from global negotiations to a mission-driven role in healthcare, Tracy shows how to trust your instincts, claim your seat, and bring others with you. We dig into the moment a sponsor pushed her into a stretch role and why that single act of belief changed her trajectory. Tracy breaks down the difference between mentorship and sponsorship (and how to be a great mentee), shares a simple mental model for speaking up in intimidating rooms, and explains how demanding goals can coexist with deep empathy and active listening. Her stories, like giving a CEO-ready plan just ten days into a new job, reveal how confidence is built: not by waiting to be “A+ ready,” but by acting, learning, and iterating. Tracy also opens up about why healthcare fits her purpose, the women-first culture she’s found at Humana, and the platform she’s building, Lift as They Climb, to make sponsorship among women the norm, not the exception. We talk board pathways, continuous learning, and the skill set that will outlast every tool in an AI-driven economy: leading people through change with clarity, process, and heart. If boldness has been on your list, consider this your nudge. Listen, and share this with a friend who needs a push.  Additionally, if possible, please leave a review of the show. This will help us grow and increase our visibility on the streaming channels.  Resources: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyenolan/ Website: www.tracynolan.com  See the full library of Women in Business and Tech Career podcasts Tracy Nolan's Career Tips for Women Transcript The 2B Bolder Podcast provides first-hand access to some amazing women. Guests will include women from leading enterprise companies to startups, women execs, coders, account execs, engineers, doctors, and innovators.