What do you know about matrescence? Most people will agree that everything changes with parenthood, and that’s what this term covers: the process of becoming a mother. Yet, despite shared private understanding and a large body of recent research on all the physiological and mental effects, many policies and medical processes continue to ignore what mothers have always known.

Lucy Jones is a journalist and the author of Matrescene: On The Metamorphosis of Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Motherhood. In this episode, we delve into what’s lacking in support for matrescence and why, and how ongoing research, policy changes, and sharing information through resources like Lucy’s book can help change the conversation. Whether you’re already a mother, are considering becoming one, or support one in any way, Lucy’s insights will be enlightening and empowering.

Discover the details of matrescence and why we need to talk more about it:

• The origins and importance of having a word for this universal, natural experience;
• The impact of not having enough information in the early months and years of parenthood;
• The permanent changes the brain goes through during this period;
• The social disconnect between the expectation to give birth and the lack of support.

Related Links:

• Matrescence: On Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Motherhood by Lucy Jones - https://bookshop.org/p/books/matrescence-on-the-mind-body-spirit-transformations-of-pregnancy-childbirth-and-motherhood-lucy-jones/20398692
• Lucy’s website - https://lucyfjones.com/
• Discover all of Lucy’s books: https://lucyfjones.com/books/
• Lucy on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lucyfjones/
• Episode 333, An Honest Look Into Motherhood and Health - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode333
• Episode 488, Talking Menopause at Work - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode488
• Pregnancy leads to long-lasting changes in human brain structure, Nature Neuroscience - https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.4458
• The Birth Of A Mother by Alexandra Sacks - birth-of-a-mother.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/08/well/family/the-birth-of-a-mother.html
• Of Woman Born: Motherhood as Experience and Institution by Adrienne Rich - https://bookshop.org/p/books/of-woman-born-motherhood-as-experience-and-institution-adrienne-rich/8794956?ean=9780393541427
• LEVEL UP: a Leadership Accelerator for Women on the Rise - https://www.bossedup.org/levelup
• Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/
• Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/

Today’s episode marks my return from maternity leave, and a lot has happened in the world since I was last behind the mic! I’m kicking off my return with a recap of the past few months and sharing my future vision for the Bossed Up podcast.

Tune in to hear my thoughts on election 2024,  transitioning from one child to two, and how the many hats I wear will impact the conversations we cover here in the coming months.

Tune in for some hot takes, reflections, and my vision for the future, including:

• Two observations that stuck out to me most during this campaign cycle;
• How becoming a “girl mom” has impacted my mindset;
• And a few experiments I’ll be exploring with the podcast this year.

Related Links:

• Episode 479: America’s Parents Are Not Okay - http://bossedup.org/episode479
• Episode 477: The Impact of State Abortion Bans on HR Politics - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode477
• Episode 469: Surprising Trends Impacting Women At Work - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode469
• Episode 463: A Different Approach To My Second Maternity Leave - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode463
• Boy Mom: Reimagining Boyhood In The Age of Impossible Masculinity by Ruth Whippman - https://bookshop.org/p/books/boymom-reimagining-boyhood-in-the-age-of-impossible-masculinity-ruth-whippman/20583177?ean=9780593577639&next=t&next=t
• NYT: Masculinity is on the Ballot liberal-conservative.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/17/opinion/masculinity-liberal-conservative.html
• WTF Podcast with Marc Maron - https://www.wtfpod.com/podcast
• TAKE ACTION with Bossed Up - https://www.bossedup.org/takeaction
• Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/
• Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/

How can positive psychology help curb burnout? We’re a bunch of overachievers here in the Bossed Up community, and burnout is a pretty common thread between us. Burnout is painful, frustrating, and—as my guest on this episode explains—more avoidable than we might think if we’re willing to work on “working happier.”

Stella Grizont was named the world’s leading happiness expert by TIME Magazine. She uses her master's in Applied Positive Psychology to help leaders find career fulfillment and organizations engage their employees more deeply. We discuss her recent book and how her approach can help you help yourself, leading to more enjoyment in work and in life.

Embrace Stella’s thoughtful approach to positive psychology by uncovering:

• The impact of negativity bias and a play mindset when navigating uncertainty;
• How to practice self-compassion when waffling between anxiety and excitement;
• Learned optimism and the three Ps that can help you cultivate a brighter outlook;
• Why we should focus on “What do I want to be?” before “What do I want to do?”

Related Links:

• The Work Happiness Method: Master the 8 Skills of Career Fulfillment - https://www.stellagrizont.com/work-happiness-method-book
• Download the Vision Generator - https://stellagrizont.mykajabi.com/visiongenerator
• Sign up for Stella’s newsletter on her website - https://www.stellagrizont.com/
• Connect with Stella on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/stella-grizont-a4b7792/
• Connect with Stella on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/stellagrizont/
• Oprah speaks to finding your vision - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfrOcfc8zNs
• LEVEL UP: a Leadership Accelerator for Women on the Rise - https://www.bossedup.org/levelup
• Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/
• Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/

When did you first experience imposter syndrome? So many people resonate with feeling like frauds who sweet-talked their way into their positions and could be found out, socially ostracized, and fired at any moment. 

Imposter syndrome or impostorism is often seen as a women’s issue, and I am always quick to stress this isn’t the case—it’s a human issue. A recent report provides some new numbers that raise a different question: is impostorism a men’s issue? In this episode, I break down what these findings really reveal.

It’s time to refocus the imposter syndrome conversation:

• Why this is so often considered a women’s issue;
• What the research says about who really experiences impostorism;
• Which traits actually lead to feelings of ineptitude.

Related Links:

• The original research on imposter syndrome - https://www.paulineroseclance.com/pdf/ip_high_achieving_women.pdf
• Korn Ferry’s Workforce 2024 study - 2024-report.pdf">https://www.kornferry.com/content/dam/kornferry-v2/featured-topics/pdf/workforce-2024-report.pdf
• Fortune, The Share of Fortune 500 Businesses Run By Women Can’t Seem to Budge Beyond 10% - https://fortune.com/2024/06/04/share-of-fortune-500-businesses-run-by-women/
• Harvard Business Review, Women Rising: The Unseen Barriers - https://hbr.org/2013/09/women-rising-the-unseen-barriers
• Episode 425, The Gender Confidence Gap Myth - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode425
• LEVEL UP: a Leadership Accelerator for Women on the Rise - https://www.bossedup.org/levelup
• Emilie’s book, “Bossed Up” - https://www.bossedup.org/book
• Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/
• Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/

Why is it so hard to remember that we deserve to be heard? Staying silent in our professional lives can feel like the safe choice, but it can have unintended consequences on our overall career trajectory. 

In this episode, Elaine Lin Hering shares what her research, experience in mediation and conflict management, and new book "Unlearning Silence" have to say about why so many of us—especially women—are reticent to raise our voices. She highlights the intrinsic connection between wielding our voices—both audibly and through our actions—and recognizing our self-worth. 

Examine the ways that silence impacts your own life, including:

• Where does our tendency toward silence stem from?;
• Why we need to question and dismantle the “babble hypothesis”;
• Why just talking more isn’t the goal of unlearning silence;
• How leaders can actively push back against silencing team members.

Related Links:

• Elaine’s book, Unlearning Silence: How to Speak Your Mind, Unleash Talent, and Live More Fully - https://elainelinhering.com/book/
• Episode 428, Finding Your Voice at Work - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode428
• Episode 246, Lessons from Improv to Own Your Voice and Speak Up at Work - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode246
• Episode 377, What all women can learn from women of color in leadership with Deepa Purushothaman - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode377
• Episode 445, 3 Tips For Managing Too Many Meetings - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode445
• SPEAK UP: A Live Assertive Communication Course For Women In The Workplace - https://www.bossedup.org/speakup
• Micro Activism: How You Can Make a Difference in the World Without a Bullhorn by Omkari L. Williams - https://bookshop.org/p/books/micro-activism-how-to-use-your-unique-talents-to-make-a-difference-in-the-world-omkari-williams/19716521?ean=9781635866889
• Babble Hypothesis Research - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1048984320300369
• Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/
• Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/

We need to talk about the impact of the childcare crisis on the workforce! Some people may wonder why this topic matters beyond its impact on families of young children. The truth is, this issue has wide-reaching ramifications for the nation’s economy as a whole, and that deserves our attention whether we have children or not. In this episode, I share what the research and statistics reveal about the direct link between the exorbitant price of childcare and the labor shortage that’s crunching companies across the U.S. 

Let’s break down why this is a problem everyone should care about:

• The disproportionate impact of childcare costs on different demographics;
• The broader ramifications on the economy as a whole;
• What organizations can do to start making a difference.

Related Links:

• Episode 424, The Jobs of America’s Next Silicon Valley https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode424
• Episode 434, The Economic Imperative of Affordable Childcare - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode434
• EPIC- Executives Partnering To Invest In Children - https://www.coloradoepic.org/
• Episode 463, a Different Approach to My Second Maternity Leave - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode463
• Episode 479, America’s Parents Are Not Okay - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode479
• Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Program - https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/09/30/2016-22986/child-care-and-development-fund-ccdf-program
• How Much Childcare Costs by State in the USA in 2024 - https://illumine.app/blog/how-much-childcare-costs-by-state-in-usa/
• Economic Data Underscores the Need for Significant, Sustained Investment in Child Care and Early Learning - https://www.ffyf.org/resources/2021/12/latest-economic-data-underscores-the-need-for-significant-sustained-investment-in-child-care-and-early-learning/
• Over Half of Families are Spending More Than 20% of Income on Child Care - https://www.ffyf.org/resources/2022/06/over-half-of-families-are-spending-more-than-20--on-child-care/
• How Child Care Disruptions Hurt Parents of Color Most - https://www.americanprogress.org/article/child-care-disruptions-hurt-parents-color/
• U.S. Child Care Crisis Is Holding Back The Workforce - https://www.forbes.com/sites/mariaflynn/2023/11/02/us-child-care-crisis-is-holding-back-the-workforce/
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showing the labor force that is “Employed - With a job, not at work, Childcare problems” - https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNU02096055
• $122 Billion: The Growing, Annual Cost of the Infant-Toddler Child Care Crisis - 9618-4648-a0ee-1b35d17e2a4d.pdf?1674854626&inline;%20filename=%22%24122%20Billion:%20The%20Growing,%20Annual%20Cost%20of%20the%20Infant-Toddler%20Child%20Care%20Crisis.pdf%22">https://strongnation.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/1598/05d917e2-9618-4648-a0ee-1b35d17e2a4d.pdf?1674854626&inline;%20filename=%22$122%20Billion:%20The%20Growing,%20Annual%20Cost%20of%20the%20Infant-Toddler%20Child%20Care%20Crisis.pdf%22
• UPS Expands Emergency Day Care After Pilot Program Cuts Turnover - https://www.hrdive.com/news/ups-emergency-day-care-pilot-program-cut-turnover/697205/
• Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens Joins UPS CEO Carol B. Tomé at the 2023 UPS Impact Summit - ups-impact-summit.html">https://about.ups.com/us/en/newsroom/press-releases/our-strategy/2023-ups-impact-summit.html
• TAKE ACTION with Bossed Up - https://www.bossedup.org/takeaction
• Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/
• Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/

How much do you know about menopause? Though it’s as natural as puberty and affects almost everyone with a uterus, this life stage has long been a taboo subject in polite society. In recent years, though, the conversation has gotten a lot louder. 

Dr. Jen Gunter has been a leader in this conversation as an obstetrician and gynecologist with more than three decades of experience. Dr. Jen is the author of multiple bestsellers and a popular blog, and the host of the Body Stuff with Dr. Jen Gunter podcast. In our conversation, Dr. Jen and I dig into the myths and symptoms of menopause and how this transition affects women in the workplace.

Learn more about this critical transition and its impacts in the workplace, including: 

• Why we are only recently starting to talk about this stage of life;
• Some misconceptions debunked by the facts about menopause;
• The complicated history of menopausal hormone therapy; 
• How changes in the workplace could improve this sometimes chaotic experience.

Related Links:

• The Menopause Manifesto: Own Your Health with Facts and Feminism by Dr. Jen Gunter - https://bookshop.org/book/9780806540665
• Blood: The Science, Medicine, and Mythology of Menstruation by Dr. Jen Gunter - https://bookshop.org/book/9780806540689
• The Vagina Bible: The Vulva and the Vagina: Separating the Myth from the Medicine by Dr. Jen Gunter - https://bookshop.org/book/9780806539317
• The Vajenda, Dr. Jen’s blog - https://vajenda.substack.com/
• Jensplaining with Dr. Jen Gunter - https://www.cbc.ca/mediacentre/program/jensplaining
• The 2024 Deloitte Women @ Work Report - women-at-work-2024-a-global-outlook.pdf?dl=1">https://www.deloitte.com/content/dam/assets-shared/docs/collections/2024/deloitte-women-at-work-2024-a-global-outlook.pdf?dl=1
• Episode 469, Surprising Trends Impacting Women at Work - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode469
• Episode 414, New Rights for Pregnant Workers - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode414
• Dr. Jen on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/drjengunter
• Dr. Jen on X - https://twitter.com/DrJenGunter
• Dr. Jen on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DrJGunter/
• Take Action with Bossed Up - https://www.bossedup.org/takeaction
• Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/
• Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/
• Follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/emiliearies

What would change if you decentered your career from your identity? Decentering your work from your identity might seem a counterintuitive topic for a podcast about career development, but burnout and disillusionment are running rampant these days, so it’s not too surprising this concept is getting a lot of airtime. 

Our work should be important and provide us with purpose, but it shouldn’t become the only important and purposeful part of who we are. Taking the spotlight off the career part of your identity gives you space and permission to respect the role of work in your life without requiring you to relinquish every part of yourself to your job. In this episode, I outline three considerations to help you realize this shift.

Consider a more balanced alternative to living for your job:

• How community involvement contributes to who you are and will be;
• Why passive rest and renewal don’t cut it, and what to try instead;
• Why you need to get real about the divide between your work identity and the rest of your life.

Related Links:

• Episode 456, How Connection Can Cure What Ails Us - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode456
• Mondo, “Tips To Keep Your Job From Becoming Your Identity” - https://mondo.com/insights/tips-to-keep-your-job-from-becoming-your-identity/
• “Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career,” by Herminia Ibarras - https://herminiaibarra.com/working-identity-book/
• The Ezra Klein Show, “Tired? Distracted? Burned Out? Listen to This” with Gloria Mark - klein-podcast-gloria-mark.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/05/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-gloria-mark.html
• “Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity” by Gloria Mark - https://bookshop.org/p/books/attention-span-finding-focus-and-fighting-distraction-gloria-mark/18423478?ean=9781335449412
• LEVEL UP: a Leadership Accelerator for Women on the Rise - https://www.bossedup.org/levelup
• Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/
• Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/

How can you support the young adult in your life as they embark on the first steps of their career? Gen Z is coming of age in a strange new world, and that can make it tricky to figure out how to help them. My guest on this episode, Beth Hendler-Grunt, founded Next Great Step to help ease this transition. Using approaches grounded in psychology and her own background in sales, Beth and her team support thousands of young adults (and their parents!) to gain confidence in their skills and land their first jobs out of school.

Uncover tools to help the young adult in your life through the modern job search process, including:

• How to understand the unique challenges this generation faces in today’s job market;
• Modulate your expectations to balance patience, support, and trust;
• Understand the inextricable link between sales and the job search;
• And how to support a young adult whose career goals seem bound to fail.

Related Links:

• Learn more about Beth’s work - https://nextgreatstep.com/
• Connect with Beth on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethhendlergrunt/
• Connect with Beth on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/next_great_step/    
• The Next Great Step: The Parents' Guide to Launching Your New Grad into a Career - https://nextgreatstep.com/book/
• The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Johnathan Haidt - https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-anxious-generation-how-the-great-rewiring-of-childhood-is-causing-an-epidemic-of-mental-illness-jonathan-haidt/20144236?ean=9780593655030
• The Conscious Parent: Transforming Ourselves, Empowering Our Children by Shefali Tsabary - https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-conscious-parent-transforming-ourselves-empowering-our-children-shefali-tsabary/6995894
• Episode 106, Supporting Your Partner’s Career Conundrums - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode106
• HIRED: my Job Search Accelerator - https://www.bossedup.org/gethired
• Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/
• Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/

How do you deal with a mistake or criticism at work? If you find yourself starting to spiral into anxiety, overthinking everything you’ve ever done that might have caused the current situation, you’re far from alone. We’re all human, and, unfortunately, that means when we screw up or receive less than glowing feedback at work, we have a tendency to take it personally. 

In this episode, I explore how we can move away from shame in these situations and shore up our self-worth so that we can resiliently and proactively deal with our mistakes in ways that empower positive change and set us up to be stronger in the future—both in and beyond our careers.

Try these tricks for taking the personal out of professional missteps:

• How to make sure you’re telling yourself the actual, objective story;
• Why it’s essential to name, rather than negate, whatever you’re feeling;
• How to use that unfortunate situation to plan your confident comeback.

Related Links:

• Episode 323, How To Lead With Emotional Intelligence - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode323 book, “Permission to Feel” - https://marcbrackett.com/permission-to-feel/
• Episode 467, How To Handle Negative Reactions When You Speak Up - https://www.bossedup.com/podcast/episode467
• LEVEL UP: a Leadership Accelerator for Women on the Rise - https://www.bossedup.org/levelup
• “Bossed Up: A Grown Woman’s Guide to Getting Your Sh*t Together” by Emilie Aries - https://www.bossedup.org/book
• Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/
• Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/