This Is Woman's Work with Nicole Kalil

Latest Episodes:

On Sabbaticals, Reinvention, and Getting Older | Unfiltered & Unhinged May 15, 2026

Show notes

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

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

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

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

In This Episode, Nicole Talks About:

Why she’s taking an 11-week sabbatical through Europe
Turning 50 and why aging feels liberating instead of limiting
The pressure women face to stay small, young, and polished
Why slowing down can feel terrifying
The power of doing something “impractical” anyway
Rediscovering yourself by leaving the familiar behind
What envy and jealousy might actually be trying to tell you

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Connect with Nicole:

Subscribe to Nicole’s Substack: https://nicolekalil.substack.com/

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Same Ask, Different Outcome: The Double Standard in Negotiation with Attia Qureshi | 411 May 13, 2026

Show notes

Let’s get one thing straight: women are not bad at negotiating. They’re doing it just as often—if not more—but getting worse outcomes. So no, the wage gap isn’t because women just need to “ask better.” That’s lazy advice… and frankly, bullshit.

In this episode, negotiation expert Attia Qureshi—founder of Atiya Qureshi Consulting, co-author of Never Settle, and trained in FBI-informed negotiation strategies—breaks down the uncomfortable truth: women are playing a game that wasn’t designed for them to win the same way men do. Same words, same ask… wildly different outcomes. And she’s not here with fluff—she’s here with strategies that actually work.

Because here’s the deal: opting out of negotiation doesn’t protect you—it guarantees you get less.

What We Cover:

Why women are negotiating just as much—but still losing
The double bind: too nice = weak, too assertive = “difficult”
The internal negotiation happening in your own head
Why relationships matter more than you think (yes, it’s annoying, but it’s real)
How to use data as your secret weapon without triggering defensiveness
The “we strategy” that helps women get better outcomes (even if it feels unfair)
Why over-preparing can actually screw you over
How to handle rejection and turn a “no” into a “not yet”

At the end of the day, negotiation isn’t about becoming someone you’re not. It’s about learning how to advocate for yourself in a system that doesn’t always reward you for it—and doing it anyway. Because you don’t get what you deserve. You get what you’re willing to ask for—and hold your ground on.

Thank you to our sponsors!

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Families are better when they’re working together… go to myskylight.com/WOMANSWORK for $30 off your Skylight Calendar.

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Connect with Attia:

Website: https://www.attiaqureshi.com

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Never-Settle-Persuasion-Negotiation-Skills/dp/1668070375

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/attiaq/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/attiaq/

Substack: https://substack.com/@attiaqureshi

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Why Good Leaders Are Quitting (And We’re Letting It Happen) with Melissa Doman | 410 May 11, 2026

Show notes

Leadership is supposed to be a privilege… so why does it feel like a slow burn to the ground?

In this raw, unfiltered continuation of the leadership mental health conversation, Nicole Kalil sits down again with organizational psychologist and workplace mental health expert Melissa Doman to unpack what’s really happening behind the scenes of leadership today — and why the good ones are dangerously close to walking away.

Because here’s the truth no one wants to admit: we expect leaders to be everything — strong, empathetic, decisive, available, perfect — with no room for human error. And then we wonder why burnout is skyrocketing and leadership pipelines are drying up.

This episode goes beyond surface-level advice and into the uncomfortable reality:

Leaders are human (shocking, we know)
Unrealistic expectations are breaking them
And we all play a role in either making it better… or making it worse

Melissa brings both expertise and real talk to the table — from leadership archetypes (hello, frustrated martyr) to the “sea otter” model of healthy leadership (yes, it’s a thing and yes, you want it). Together, they challenge the outdated narratives, call out toxic expectations, and offer a radically simple starting point: act like leaders are people.

Because if we don’t figure this out? The good leaders won’t stay. And what’s left… is not a future anyone wants.

Thank you to our sponsors!

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Families are better when they’re working together… go to myskylight.com/WOMANSWORK for $30 off your Skylight Calendar.

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Connect with Melissa:

Website:https://www.melissadoman.com/

Book:https://www.amazon.com/Cornered-Office-Leadership-Mental-Health/dp/139435035X

IG: https://www.instagram.com/thewanderingmel/

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissadoman1/

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Making It Without Losing It: The Truth About Motivation & Burnout with Jess Ekstrom | 409 May 06, 2026

Show notes

You hit the goal. You check the box. You reach the milestone. And instead of feeling fulfilled… you’re already onto the next thing.

Yeah — that’s the problem.

In this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole sits down with Jess Ekstrom — founder, bestselling author, and reformed anxious achiever — to call out the toxic relationship so many high-achieving women have with motivation, success, and self-worth. And spoiler alert: it’s not a motivation problem. It’s a meaning problem.

Because somewhere along the way, ambition got tangled up with anxiety, productivity got confused with purpose, and we decided we’d finally feel good enough… later. After the next goal. The next milestone. The next arbitrary number. Sound familiar?

We cover:

The difference between anxious ambition vs. inspired ambition
How to redefine success so it actually feels like success (not just looks good on paper)
The “purpose test” that will instantly expose if you’re chasing approval or impact
Why you keep moving the goalpost — and how it’s burning you out
How comparison can either crush you… or prove what’s possible

Because here’s the uncomfortable truth: if you keep tying your worth to what’s next, you will never feel like enough — no matter how much you accomplish.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free!

Families are better when they’re working together… go to myskylight.com/WOMANSWORK for $30 off your Skylight Calendar.

Become a Fora Advisor today at Foratravel.com/woman

Connect with Jess:

Website: https://jessekstrom.com/

Book:https://jessekstrom.com/makingit/

Workshop: https://micdropworkshop.com/

IG: www.instagram.com/jess_ekstrom

FB: www.facebook.com/jessekstrom

X: www.twitter.com/jess_ekstrom

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jessekstrom

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jess-ekstrom-59160342/

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A Terrible Strength: How Medical Bias Is Costing Women Their Lives with Dr. Kemi Doll | 408 May 04, 2026

Show notes

Let’s get something straight: women’s healthcare is broken. But not equally broken.

In this unapologetically raw and necessary conversation, Nicole Kalil sits down with Dr. Kemi Doll — physician, gynecologic oncologist, researcher, and author of A Terrible Strength — to expose the systemic failures in gynecological care, especially for Black women.

This isn’t a “wellness trends” conversation. This is about health inequity, medical bias, reproductive injustice, and the dangerous normalization of women’s pain.

Because here’s the truth: when one group of women is dismissed, denied care, and dying at higher rates… it’s not just their problem. It’s a system-wide failure that impacts all of us.

They break down:

The systemic crisis in gynecology and why womb health is massively underfunded and under-researched
Why conditions like fibroids, endometriosis, and uterine cancer are ignored
The dangerous myth of the “strong Black woman” and how that “strength” is costing lives
How medical bias and racism show up in real diagnoses, treatment delays, and mortality rates
The difference between real health education vs. wellness industry BS
How ALL women play a role in demanding better care

This episode will challenge you. It might piss you off. Good. It should.

Because we don’t get to claim progress for women while some of us are still being ignored, misdiagnosed, and dying from treatable conditions.

And we don’t get to call it “woman’s work” until it works for all of us.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free!

Families are better when they’re working together… go to myskylight.com/WOMANSWORK for $30 off your Skylight Calendar.

Become a Fora Advisor today at Foratravel.com/woman

Connect with Kemi:

Website: https://kemidoll.com/

Book: https://kemidoll.com/book/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/kemidoll

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When a One-Star Review Means You’ve Officially Arrived | Unfiltered & Unhinged May 01, 2026

Show notes

Nicole Kalil just hit a milestone most people secretly dread… her very first one-star podcast review — and instead of spiraling, she celebrated it. Yep, you read that right.

In this unfiltered, unhinged episode, Nicole breaks down why negative feedback, criticism, and even haters might actually be the clearest sign that you’re doing something right. Because if everyone likes you? You’re probably playing it way too safe.

This episode is a masterclass in confidence, self-trust, and not shrinking yourself to make other people comfortable. It’s about choosing what opinions matter, letting the noise sort itself out, and continuing to show up boldly — even when it makes people uncomfortable.

In this episode, she explores:

Why negative reviews and criticism can actually validate your impact
How to separate useful feedback from irrelevant noise
The psychology behind why people project their opinions
Why being disliked is often the cost of being authentic
How to stop seeking approval and start trusting yourself

And the kicker? Even the haters help boost the algorithm. So technically… they’re part of the marketing team now.

Thank you to our sponsors!

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Families are better when they’re working together… go to myskylight.com/WOMANSWORK for $30 off your Skylight Calendar.

Become a Fora Advisor today at Foratravel.com/woman

Connect with Nicole:

Subscribe to Nicole’s Substack: https://nicolekalil.substack.com/

Join the Inner Circle: https://nicolekalil.myflodesk.com/newsletter

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The No-BS Fitness Strategy That Actually Works (That You’ve Probably Been Overlooking) with Dr. Milica McDowell | 407 Apr 29, 2026

Show notes

Let’s get one thing straight: the fitness industry has sold us a lie that if you’re not drenched in sweat, tracking every step, optimizing every metric, and borderline hating your life… it “doesn’t count.”

We’re calling bullshit.

In this episode, Nicole sits down with Dr. Milica McDowell — doctor of physical therapy, human performance expert, and co-author of Walk — to dismantle everything we’ve been taught about exercise, movement, and what it actually means to take care of our bodies.

Because walking? The thing you’ve been dismissing as “not real exercise”? It might be the most powerful, accessible, and science-backed tool for your health, longevity, and mental clarity.

In this episode, we cover:

Why walking is one of the most underrated forms of exercise for women’s health
The truth about the 10,000-step myth (and what actually matters)
How walking improves mood, creativity, and cognitive function
The shocking connection between foot health, balance, and longevity
Why your shoes might be sabotaging your body (yes, really)
The concept of “movement snacks” and how to fit walking into real life
Treadmill vs outdoor walking — what actually counts
How to build a walking habit without adding more to your already full plate

Because maybe the goal isn’t to do more, harder, faster.

Maybe the goal is to finally do what works. And that might be as simple as going for a walk.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Gusto is online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. Try Gusto today at gusto.com/TIWW, and get three months free when you run your first payroll.

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Families are better when they’re working together… go to myskylight.com/WOMANSWORK for $30 off your Skylight Calendar.

Connect with Milica:

Website: https://www.milicamcdowell.com/

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Walk-Rediscover-Natural-Health-Longevity_One/dp/0306837536

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-milica-mcdowell/

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Why Work Feels Broken (And How Attunement Can Fix It) with Nidhi Tewari | 406 Apr 27, 2026

Show notes

Let’s just say the quiet part out loud: work is broken.

Burnout is everywhere. People are disengaged. Leaders feel like they can’t win. Employees feel invisible. And somewhere along the way, work became more about transactions than human connection.

In this episode, Nicole Kalil sits down with Nidhi Tewari — licensed clinical social worker, Harvard Business Review Advisory Council member, Thinkers50 Radar Award recipient, and author of Working Well — to unpack what’s really going wrong at work… and what actually fixes it.

Thank god, it’s not another productivity hack. It’s attunement.

In this episode, we cover:

Why modern work culture is failing (and why it’s not entirely new)
The real reason burnout and disengagement are skyrocketing
What “attunement” is — and why it goes deeper than emotional intelligence
The 4 core skills of attunement: flexibility, reading cues, self-regulation, and collaboration
Simple ways to practice attunement at work — without adding more to your plate
Why asking instead of assuming is a leadership superpower
How workplace connection directly impacts performance, retention, and fulfillment

Because maybe the goal isn’t to care more. Maybe the goal is to show it — consistently, clearly, and in a way people can actually feel.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Gusto is online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. Try Gusto today at gusto.com/TIWW, and get three months free when you run your first payroll.

Refresh your spring wardrobe with Quince. Go to Quince.com/TIWW for free shipping and 365-day returns!

Shopify has everything all in one place, making your life easier and your business operations smoother. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at shopify.com/tiww

Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free!

Families are better when they’re working together… go to myskylight.com/WOMANSWORK for $30 off your Skylight Calendar.

Connect with Nidhi:

Website: https://www.nidhitewari.com/

Book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/788782/working-well-by-nidhi-tewari

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Corporate Reckoning: Why Companies Can’t Outrun Their Past (And Why You Should Care) with Sarah Federman | 405 Apr 22, 2026

Show notes

Most of us aren’t running billion-dollar corporations… we’re just trying to survive our inbox. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: whether we like it or not, we are all participants in corporate systems — where we work, what we buy, and who we support.

In this episode, Nicole Kalil sits down with Sarah Federman, author of Corporate Reckoning, to unpack what happens when companies are forced to confront their past — from ties to slavery and genocide to modern-day scandals and ethical failures. Spoiler: ignoring it doesn’t make it go away.

This conversation dives into the real work of accountability — not the PR-polished version, but the messy, necessary kind that actually builds trust, integrity, and long-term impact.

Because reckoning isn’t about guilt. It’s about responsibility. And whether you're leading a company, part of one, or just spending your hard-earned money with one… you have more power than you think.

In this episode, they cover:

What “corporate reckoning” actually means (and why it matters now more than ever)
Why “leave the past in the past” is a convenient lie
How companies benefit from confronting — not hiding — their history
The 5-step framework for meaningful accountability (and why most companies screw it up)
The role women play in driving corporate change through spending power and how to use your voice, your dollars, and your decisions to influence change

This isn’t about cancel culture. It’s about conscious participation. Because the question isn’t “Was this my fault?” — it’s “Now that I know… what am I going to do about it?”

Thank you to our sponsors!

Gusto is online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. Try Gusto today at gusto.com/TIWW, and get three months free when you run your first payroll.

Refresh your spring wardrobe with Quince. Go to Quince.com/TIWW for free shipping and 365-day returns!

Shopify has everything all in one place, making your life easier and your business operations smoother. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at shopify.com/tiww

Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free!

Connect with Sarah:

Website: https://sarahfederman.com/

Book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/814363/corporate-reckoning-by-sarah-federman/

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-federman-phd/

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You Won’t Just Cry When They Die with Liz Deacle | 404 Apr 20, 2026

Show notes

Grief is not neat, linear, inspiring, or cured by a casserole dish and a “take your time” platitude. In this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole Kalil sits down with author, podcaster, and storyteller Liz Deacle—author of You Won’t Just Cry When They Die—for an honest conversation about grief, loss, healing, identity, and the brutal reality of what happens when someone you love dies.

Liz shares what losing both of her parents taught her about the physical and emotional reality of grief—experiences she writes about in You Won’t Just Cry When They Die—including how it can dismantle identity, disrupt the body, and leave a person wondering who they even are now.

Together, they unpack why grief does not follow a timeline, why healing is not about getting back to who someone used to be, and why being “strong” often has a whole lot less to do with holding it together and a whole lot more to do with telling the truth.

They also explore the complicated overlap between grief and midlife, especially for women navigating perimenopause, parenting, caregiving, work, and all the other crap life keeps throwing on the pile. Liz offers deeply human insight into what it means to be held, heard, and supported through loss, and why sometimes the most powerful thing anyone can say is simply, “I’m here.”

This episode is for anyone grieving, anyone loving someone through grief, or anyone who needs the reminder that there is no right way to fall apart and no clean, polished way to stitch yourself back together.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Gusto is online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. Try Gusto today at gusto.com/TIWW, and get three months free when you run your first payroll.

Refresh your spring wardrobe with Quince. Go to Quince.com/TIWW for free shipping and 365-day returns!

Shopify has everything all in one place, making your life easier and your business operations smoother. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at shopify.com/tiww

Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free!

Connect with Liz:

Website/Book:https://elizabethdeacle.com

Free Meditation: https://elizabethdeacle.com/justforyou

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/its-a-drama-podcast/id1448200711

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ItsaDrama

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