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Worried you’ll sound awkward if you speak up? You don’t need to feel confident first—but you do need to know how to recover and make your message land. In this episode of Loud & Lifted, Betsy talks with workplace performance expert, keynote speaker and author Henna Pryor about the awkward moments that keep us quiet, make us second-guess ourselves and leave us replaying a conversation long after everyone else has moved on. Drawing on her books Good Awkward and The Signal Gap, Henna explains how to build the confidence to speak up—and why good intentions don’t always translate into trust. We unpack the small communication habits that can make people doubt us, including overly polished messages, rushed responses and reassurance that skips over what people are actually feeling. For women navigating leadership, asking for more or having a conversation they’ve been avoiding, this episode offers practical ways to move through the discomfort and communicate with greater credibility. You’ll learn: How to stop treating awkwardness as a permanent personality trait.How to build confidence through small “social pushups” before a high-stakes conversation.How to recover from an awkward moment without making it bigger.How to spot communication habits that undermine trust, even when you mean well.How to name your intent and acknowledge difficult realities so your message lands.Chapters 00:00 Meet Henna Pryor 01:16 What Is “Good Awkward”? 05:40 Speaking Up and the Spotlight Effect 08:34 Building Your Social Muscle 11:06 Making Virtual Teams More Human 13:34 How to Recover from an Awkward Moment 19:45 The Signal Gap: Does Your Message Land? 21:35 Why We Now Verify Before We Trust 24:28 How AI Emails Can Unintentionally Break Trust 29:18 Name Your Intent and Communicate Clearly 31:32 Asking for Feedback on How You Come Across 34:35 Authenticity, Congruence, and Leading Through Change 39:14 Connect with Henna and Explore The Signal Gap 40:38 Betsy’s Takeaway: Pay Attention to What People Hear About Henna Henna Pryor, CSP, is a workplace performance expert, keynote speaker and founder of Pryority Group. She is the author of Good Awkward and The Signal Gap. Signal Gap free chapter link: https://thesignalgap.com/chapter1?utm_source=loudandlifted&utm_medium=podcast Buy the book: https://link.amazon/B09veiUwM Website: https://thesignalgap.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hennapryor/

You want to support your team—but could you be micromanaging without realizing it? Being in every meeting and making every decision might be keeping your people—and you—from growing. In this Quick Lift, Betsy shares practical takeaways from her conversation with Lia Garvin, author of The New Manager Playbook, about becoming a better manager, communicating clearly, and giving your team room to succeed. You’ll learn How to recognize micromanaging habits you might be overlooking.How to give your team more ownership without losing accountability.Why unclear expectations can look like a lack of urgency.How to lead consistently when you’re under pressure.How to make one-on-ones more useful for your team’s growth.Listen to the full conversation with Lia Garvin → Here Lia’s book: The New Manager Playbook

Spotify You don’t want to be a micromanager. But if every meeting, decision and deadline needs you, could you be getting in your team’s way? We’ve talked a lot on Loud & Lifted about dealing with bad bosses. This time, we’re flipping the conversation: how do you make sure you aren’t becoming one? Betsy sits down with team management expert and author of The New Manager Playbook, Lia Garvin, to unpack the habits that can quietly undermine your team—even when you’re trying to be helpful. From sitting in every meeting to holding onto work your best people are ready to take on, Lia shares three signs of micromanaging and what to do instead. Whether you’re managing people for the first time or have been leading for years, this conversation offers practical ways to delegate, set clear expectations and build trust without being involved in everything. Because being great at your job and helping other people succeed are two different skills. You’ll learn: How to recognize three signs you’re micromanaging without realizing it.How to help your team make decisions instead of waiting for your approval.How to give high performers meaningful opportunities so they see a future on your team.How to create a shared sense of urgency with clear deadlines, context and ownership.How to use one-on-ones to understand and develop your people—not just collect updates.Chapters 00:00 How to Avoid Becoming a Bad Boss 02:16 Why Good Employees Aren’t Automatically Good Managers 08:15 Three Signs You Might Be Micromanaging 10:29 Sign 1: You’re in Every Meeting 12:42 Sign 2: You Make Every Decision 14:25 Sign 3: You’re Holding Back Your High Performers 18:12 How Micromanaging Limits Your Own Career 19:57 What Kind of Manager Do You Want to Be? 23:50 “I Don’t Want to Micromanage, But…” 26:11 How to Create Urgency Without Chasing Your Team 28:42 Who’s Actually Accountable? 29:22 Why Clear Communication Takes More Than an Email 33:08 Are Your One-on-Ones Just Checking a Box? 34:11 Where to Start Becoming a Better Manager 37:28 Connect with Lia Garvin 38:05 One Management Habit to Change This Week About Lia Lia Garvin is a team management consultant, speaker and author of The New Manager Playbook. Her experience includes leading team operations at Google, Microsoft and Apple, and she hosts the Managing Made Simple podcast. Website: https://www.liagarvin.com/ Book: https://www.liagarvin.com/newmanagerplaybook/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liagarvin/

You got the promotion. You earned your seat. So why do you still feel like you have to prove you belong? In this Quick Lift, I’m sharing key takeaways from my conversation with Shannon Nutter, author of Walking on Broken Glass. We’ll unpack why success doesn’t erase the double standards women face—and what you can do when hard work alone isn’t moving you forward. From asking better questions about vague feedback to understanding the politics of advancement and backing other women up, this episode turns a frustrating reality into practical steps you can use this week. Listen to the full conversation with Shannon Nutter on Loud & Lifted. Links Full Episode

What happens after a woman breaks through the glass ceiling—and finds herself walking on broken glass? Shannon Nutter is a longtime financial services executive, board member and co-author of Walking on Broken Glass: Navigating the Aftermath of the Glass Ceiling. After decades of working in male-dominated industries and holding senior leadership roles, Shannon knows firsthand how quickly a successful woman can go from being valued to being viewed as a threat. In this conversation, we unpack what workplace bias actually looks like, why accomplished women often question their own experiences and how the story around a woman’s leadership can suddenly begin to change. This isn’t a conversation about blaming, complaining or telling women to fix themselves. It’s about recognizing the warning signs, understanding the dynamics happening around us and being better prepared to respond. We talk about: What happens after women break through the glass ceilingHow workplace bias and the “takedown playbook” show upWhy successful women can still be caught completely off guardHow to recognize when the problem isn’t your performanceWhy relationships and political capital matterHow to document and protect yourself when things shiftWhat meaningful support between women really looks likeWhy organizational change can’t rest solely on womenIf you’ve ever felt the narrative around you change at work—or watched it happen to another woman—this conversation will help you better understand what was happening and what to do next. Chapters 04:55 Why the glass ceiling isn’t the last barrier 06:47 Why great performance isn’t always enough 12:49 Recognizing bias in your workplace 14:45 The Goldilocks syndrome: Too much or not enough 17:26 The invisible org chart and office politics 23:28 The takedown: When high performers get pushed out 29:18 Warning signs you might be overlooking 32:59 Protecting your voice, results and network 36:13 Collaboration over competition: Supporting other women Links Purchase Walking On Broken Glass Connect with Shannon Want the 10-minute version? Listen to the Quick Lift

So many women were taught to be nice, helpful, agreeable and easy to work with. Those qualities aren’t bad—but they become a problem when they keep us quiet, overextended or afraid to disappoint anyone. In this Quick Lift, Betsy recaps her conversation with Michelle Minnikin about “Good Girl” conditioning, why people may resist when we begin to change, and how to set boundaries without believing we’ve become cold, difficult or selfish. Links Full episode with Michelle Connect with Michelle Minnikin

Were you taught to be nice, helpful, agreeable and easy to work with—only to end up overworked, undervalued and quietly resentful? In this episode, Betsy talks with psychologist, coach and Good Girl Deprogramming author Michelle Minnikin about the conditioning that teaches women to put everyone else first. They unpack how it follows us into the workplace, why traditional career advice often fails women and how being the “good girl” can eventually hold us back. Michelle also explains why resentment is one of the clearest signs that a boundary has been crossed, how to begin changing these patterns through small experiments and what it really means to enter your villain era—without becoming someone you’re not. You’ll learn: How good-girl conditioning shows up at workWhy being capable and agreeable can lead to more work, but not more opportunityHow to recognize when your boundaries are being crossedWhy resentment is an important signal instead of something to ignoreHow to practice setting boundaries in small, realistic waysWhy visibility and self-promotion aren’t selfishWhat it means to become comfortable with being disliked Learn more about Michelle and find her book, Good Girl Deprogramming, at michelleminnikin.com. Chapters 00:00 What “Good Girl” Conditioning Teaches Us 04:06 How Good Girls Show Up at Work 08:23 Deprogramming Starts with Small Steps 12:01 Resentment Is a Boundary Warning Sign 14:20 Experimenting with Boundaries 17:45 When Competence Turns You into the Worker Bee 21:10 Entering Your Villain Era 24:12 Becoming “Unfuckwithable” 25:11 Why “Let Them” Isn’t Always Enough 27:18 Who Pushes Back When Women Change 29:38 One Practice to Begin Deprogramming 31:20 Where to Connect with Michelle Want the 10-minute version? Listen to the Quick Lift

Episode Overview: If you’re the person everyone relies on, it can start to feel completely normal to carry way too much. In this Quick Lift, I’m breaking down the biggest takeaways from my conversation with Cherylanne Skolnicki about the peak of complexity, why capable women become the default person at work and at home, and how to start changing that without lowering your ambition or your standards. You’ll learn: Why your old way of managing life may not work anymoreHow to spot the invisible load taking up your time, energy and headspaceWhy “I can do this” is different from “I should do this”The four things that make letting go hard: guilt, FOMO, judgment and controlHow to think about delegation differentlyWhy a real boundary is something you can upholdThe question to ask yourself: Am I uniquely qualified to do this?The goal is not to overhaul your whole life. It’s to start getting more intentional about what actually needs to stay yours. Full episode with Cherylanne

At some point, being the woman who can handle everything stops feeling impressive and starts feeling exhausting. In this episode, I’m talking with Cherylanne Skolnicki, founder of Brilliant Balance, about what she calls the peak of complexity—that season when your career is demanding more, your family is demanding more, your ambition is still very much alive…and your available capacity is basically gone. We talk about why the same operating system that helped us climb professionally eventually stops working, why so many women become the default person for everyone and everything, and why letting go can bring up guilt, judgment, FOMO and a whole lot of control issues. Cherylanne also shares practical ways to start changing the pattern—without lowering your standards, losing your ambition or waiting for life to magically calm down. You’ll learn: Why successful women hit a “peak of complexity”How to rethink your week when there’s no time left over for youThe four emotions that make letting go so hardA better way to think about boundariesWhy delegation usually feels harder before it gets easierHow to decide what actually needs to be yoursThe question: “Am I uniquely qualified to do this?”If you’ve built the career, the family and the full life—and you’re wondering why it still feels like too much—this one is for you. Chapters 01:05 The Gen X Promise of “Having It All” 04:10 Why Cherylanne Left the Corporate Ladder 11:35 The Complexity Curve 14:30 When the Way You’ve Always Operated Stops Working 17:05 The Peak of Complexity 19:40 Why You Need a New Operating System 21:20 Treat Your Week Like Your Life in Miniature 24:15 Put Yourself Into the Week First 27:25 Becoming the Default Person for Everyone 29:15 Guilt, FOMO, Judgment and Control 31:55 Boundaries Other People May Not Like 34:25 Delegating Without Lowering Your Standards 36:25 Small Experiments That Create More Capacity 38:05 No One Is Coming to Save You Links Take this quiz: Discover What's Standing Between You and Where You Want to Be Brilliant Balance Instagram: Brilliant Balance Instagram: Cherylanne Want the 10-minute version? Listen to the Quick Lift

You are exhausted. You cannot sleep. Your anxiety feels higher. Your focus is off. And suddenly you are wondering why things that used to feel manageable now seem so much harder. It might be stress. But what if it is not just stress? In this Quick Lift, Betsy shares the key takeaways from her conversation with Dr. Caissa Troutman about perimenopause, leadership and why women can mistakenly interpret very real symptoms as a loss of capability. This is not a medical deep dive. It is the girlfriend version of what women need to know: what to pay attention to, why brain fog and poor sleep can affect confidence at work, when to seek support and why powering through is not always the answer. You’ll learn: Why perimenopause symptoms are so easily mistaken for stress or burnoutHow poor sleep, anxiety and brain fog can affect confidence and credibility at workWhy perimenopause often collides with some of women’s biggest career yearsWhy “normal” does not mean you have to sufferWhat to pay attention to when something suddenly feels differentHow to find a provider who understands perimenopauseWhy you should get curious before deciding you are losing your edgeHow to think about support at work without feeling like you need to disclose everythingPerimenopause is common. It can affect your career. And it does not mean you are becoming less capable. Links Listen to the full episode Connect with Dr. Troutman

Perimenopause often arrives during the exact years women are leading teams, running businesses, pursuing promotions and managing enormous responsibilities at work and at home. But many women do not recognize what is happening. They blame the anxiety on stress. The exhaustion on their schedule. The 3:00 a.m. wake-ups on everything running through their minds. And because they are not having hot flashes, they dismiss perimenopause as a possible explanation. In this episode, Betsy sits down with Dr. Caissa Troutman, a physician specializing in menopause and midlife health—and Betsy’s own doctor—to talk about how perimenopause can affect sleep, focus, confidence, credibility and career decisions. They explore the difference between perimenopause and menopause, the symptoms women commonly miss and why women are so often told that what they are experiencing is simply stress or aging. Dr. Troutman also shares the treatment options available, including hormone therapy, nutrition, movement, stress support and individualized medical care. This is not about women becoming less capable. It is about understanding what is happening before women—or the people around them—mistake it for decline. You’ll learn: How perimenopause differs from menopauseWhy anxiety, fatigue, sleep disruption and brain fog are commonly overlooked symptomsHow perimenopause can affect confidence and credibility at workWhy women often blame themselves and try to power throughHow untreated symptoms can influence promotions, leadership opportunities and career decisionsWhy hormone therapy may help some women but is not the only optionWhat to look for in a provider who understands menopause careWhy there is no medal for suffering through a normal biological transitionPerimenopause is common. It is okay to talk about it. And there are solutions. Chapters 0:00 — Why Perimenopause Belongs in a Leadership Conversation 1:40 — What Perimenopause Actually Is3:55 — The Symptoms Women Don’t Expect 7:55 — What’s Happening With Your Hormones 9:05 — “I Thought It Was Just Stress” 13:20 — Brain Fog, Confidence & the Career Credibility Hit 15:45 — Should You Talk About Perimenopause at Work? 19:20 — How to Know When It’s Time to Get Help 22:05 — What to Do If Your Doctor Dismisses You 24:00 — The Career Cost of Untreated Symptoms 25:45 — HRT and Other Treatment Options 27:10 — Meals, Movement, Mind & Meds 31:10 — Stop Powering Through & Start Prioritizing Yourself 33:00 — Where to Connect With Dr. Troutman Links Connect with Dr. Troutman Instagram Want the 10-minute version? Listen to the Quick Lift

Silencing yourself does not always mean staying quiet. Sometimes it means agreeing when you have a different opinion, putting everyone else’s needs ahead of your own or becoming so focused on keeping everything running that you lose touch with what you think and want. In this Quick Lift, Betsy shares the key takeaways from her conversation with Elaine Lin Hering and practical ways to begin rebuilding your voice. You’ll learn: • The subtle ways women silence themselves • Two questions that can help you reconnect with what you think and need • Why your perspective becomes more valuable as you advance in your career • How to speak up through small, low-risk experiments • A simple phrase for disagreeing without creating unnecessary conflict • How to clearly tell people what support looks like for you You do not need to change your entire life or become the loudest person in the room. You can start by no longer abandoning yourself in the small moments. Links: Elaine Lin Hering Purchase Unlearning Silence Listen to the full episode with Elaine

What if you are not struggling to speak up because you lack confidence—but because you have spent years learning to stay silent? Elaine Lin Hering, author of Unlearning Silence, joins Betsy to explore how women withhold their opinions, needs, goals and emotions to make life easier for everyone around them. That silence may earn you a reputation as agreeable, helpful and easy to work with, but it can also leave you feeling overlooked, exhausted and disconnected from who you are. Elaine shares why women often lose touch with what they think and need, how narrow expectations around leadership and executive presence silence talented people, and why your perspective becomes one of your greatest professional assets as you advance. You’ll learn: How learned silence shows up beyond simply staying quietWhy women are often rewarded for being agreeable and easy to work withHow narrow definitions of leadership and executive presence silence talented peopleWhy your perspective becomes more valuable as you advance in your careerTwo questions that can help you reconnect with what you think and needHow low-risk experiments can help you start using your voice againA simple phrase that can turn potential conflict into conversationBecause being loud is not about dominating the room. It is about having the agency to show up fully as yourself. Chapters 00:00 Why Women Learn to Stay Silent 01:50 What “Unlearning Silence” Really Means 05:05 Why We’re Rewarded for Being Easy and Agreeable 07:45 How Workplaces Silence People Without Realizing It 10:16 The Problem With “Executive Presence” 12:03 Start Speaking Up With Low-Risk Experiments 15:24 How to Help Other Women Find Their Voice 16:37 Two Questions: What Do I Think and Need? 17:25 Why Your Perspective Is Your Career Value 19:57 Sharing What You Need Isn’t Selfish 21:06 When High-Achieving Women Lose Themselves 30:31 Voice Is About Choice—not Constantly Talking 31:30 What Being “Loud” Actually Means 32:13 A Simple Phrase for Speaking Up at Work 33:53 Practical Steps to Start Unlearning Silence Links Connect with Elaine Purchase Unlearning Silence Want the 10-minute version? Listen to the Quick Lift

What should you do when another woman is excluding, undermining, or damaging your confidence at work? In this Quick Lift, Betsy shares the key takeaways and action steps from her conversation with Vanessa Vershaw, author of The Sisterhood Paradox. She explores how to tell the difference between workplace conflict and a repeated pattern of bullying, why women often minimize harmful behavior, and how to get clarity before the situation begins affecting the way you see yourself. Betsy also shares practical ways to document what is happening, seek an objective perspective, evaluate whether the workplace is likely to change, and begin building an exit strategy when necessary. And because this conversation cannot only be about the women who have hurt us, she challenges all of us to look more honestly at how we support, include, compete with, and speak about other women. Real support is not avoiding conflict. It is choosing to handle it differently. Listen to the full episode with Vanessa

We talk a lot about the boys’ club. But what happens when the person making work harder for a woman is another woman? In this honest and thought-provoking conversation, Betsy sits down with organizational psychologist, leadership expert, and author Vanessa Vershaw to explore The Sisterhood Paradox—the complicated reality of women undermining, excluding, and sometimes bullying other women at work. Vanessa explains why these experiences are often difficult to recognize and even harder to talk about. She shares the difference between a difficult colleague and a true workplace bully, why exclusion can be one of the most damaging forms of aggression, and what women can do when the person targeting them holds more power. They also discuss why “women supporting women” cannot simply be a slogan, the importance of accountability, and what it will take to build stronger and more honest support systems for women. Because the boys’ club may be real. But women still have work to do to build a stronger girls’ club. Chapters 0:00 What Is the Sisterhood Paradox? 2:10 Why Women Are Afraid to Talk About It 5:29 Why Women Tear Other Women Down 6:16 What Female Bullying Looks Like at 9:06 When “Women Supporting Women” Isn’t Real 11:05 The Personal Cost of Workplace Bullying 14:45 Collaboration Over Competition 16:13 What Drives Mean-Girl Behavior 17:43 Being Difficult vs. Being a Bully 19:25 Exclusion: The Invisible Form of Bullying 20:12 Why Women Still Need to Enter Male-Dominated Rooms 23:05 What to Do When You’re Being Bullied 24:15 When It’s Time to Leave 27:28 Can a Workplace Bully Actually Change? 28:32 The Harsh Reality of Fighting Back Links Vanessa Vershaw Purchase The Sisterhood Paradox Want the 10-minute version? Listen to the Quick Lift