This Is Woman's Work with Nicole Kalil

Latest Episodes:

Sequins, Miscommunication, and Marriage | Unfiltered & Unhinged Apr 17, 2026

Show notes

In this unfiltered and unhinged solo episode, Nicole Kalil shares a story she is absolutely still not over: The Great Sequin Debacle of 2016.

What started as a simple request — “what’s the dress code?” — turned into a full-blown miscommunication, a gold sequin gown moment, and a night she’d very much like to erase from public memory… except now it’s a podcast episode.

Because what seems obvious to you might not be obvious to someone else. And when you’re building a life, a relationship, or even just packing for a trip, assumptions can lead to some very uncomfortable (and very sparkly) consequences.

But beyond the story, this episode gets into something way more important: why miscommunication happens in relationships — and how to fix it.

This episode is equal parts relatable, hilarious, and actually useful! Nicole shares the simple tool she and her husband now use to actually get on the same page: Family Forecasting.

Nicole breaks down how to:

Stop relying on assumptions in your relationship
Get aligned on schedules, priorities, and decisions (and dress codes)
Use family forecasting to avoid unnecessary conflict
Strengthen connection through intentional conversations

Because the goal isn’t to avoid every misunderstanding — it’s to stop creating the ones you could have prevented. And if you can avoid a sequin-level crisis in the process? Even better.

Thank you to our sponsors!

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

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!

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

Connect with Nicole:

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

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

Download the Family Forecasting Agenda: https://nicolekalil.com/resources

Related Podcast Episode

Share the Love:

If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform!

🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Happens When Leadership Becomes Unsustainable: Leader Mental Health with Melissa Doman | 403 Apr 15, 2026

Show notes

Leadership gets glorified a lot and understood very little—and in this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole Kalil cuts straight to the part no one wants to talk about: leader mental health.

She’s joined by Melissa Doman, organizational psychologist, former clinical mental health therapist, founder of the Workplace Mental Health Method, and author of Yes, You Can Talk About Mental Health at Work and Cornered Office. Melissa works with global companies like Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, and Estée Lauder, helping leaders and organizations have honest, practical conversations about mental health—especially at the top.

Together, they unpack the outdated leadership norms that reward burnout and punish humanity, the real mental health toll of constant pressure and scrutiny, and what it actually looks like to lead in a way that’s both effective and human. Because if leadership becomes miserable enough, the good ones won’t stay—and that should scare all of us.

In this episode, Nicole and Melissa explore:

Why leadership mental health is still the elephant in the corner office
How outdated ideas about power, stoicism, and authority hurt leaders
Common mental health struggles leaders face, including anxiety, worry, negativity, and helplessness
Why communicating capacity is a leadership skill, not a weakness
How followers can better support leaders
What companies can do right now to make leadership more sustainable

At the end of the day, this conversation makes one thing clear: if we want better workplaces, stronger teams, and sustainable success, we have to start treating leaders like humans—not machines.

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 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/

Related Podcast Episodes:

Share the Love:

If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform!

🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What To Do When Your Brain Spirals with Diana Pagano | 403 Apr 13, 2026

Show notes

Let’s get one thing straight: mindset is not about slapping a positive quote on your anxiety and calling it growth.

In this episode, Nicole Kalil calls out the fluff and gets real about what mindset actually is - and it’s not just vision boards or pretending everything is fine while your brain is running a full-blown disaster simulation.

Joined by Diana Pagano - bestselling author, mindset coach, and expert in breaking mental limits - this conversation dives into what’s actually happening when your brain spirals… and more importantly, what to do about it.

This episode unpacks how to interrupt the spiral, regulate your nervous system, and take grounded, imperfect action anyway. No toxic positivity. No BS. Just real tools that actually work.

What You’ll Learn:

Why mindset has been oversimplified (and how that’s keeping you stuck)
The truth about overthinking, fear spirals, and “what if” thinking
How to interrupt negative thought patterns in real time

The “change the channel” method for shifting focus fast

Why confidence isn’t a feeling — it’s a choice backed by action

The role of belief systems in success, money, and opportunities

Practical tools to stop waiting for confidence and start moving anyway

The Real Talk:

You don’t need another pep talk. You don’t need to “just think positive.”

You need tools to break the loop - and the willingness to take action even while your brain is still arguing with you. Because confidence, momentum, and growth? They don’t come after the fear disappears. They come when you move anyway.

Thank you to our sponsors!

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

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!

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

Connect with Diana:

Website: https://dianapagano.com/

Book:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-more-mindset-diana-pagano/1147998644

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

Related Podcast Episodes

Share the Love:

If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform!

🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Snow White Effect: The Homemaking Myth That’s Keeping You Exhausted with Faith Roberson | 402 Apr 08, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, Nicole Kalil sits down with Faith Roberson, certified life coach, professional organizer, and founder of Organize With Faith, to rip the lid off everything we’ve been told about homemaking, clutter, and what it means to “keep a home.”

Because spoiler alert: it’s not about the damn bins.

Faith introduces a powerful reframe — that organizing isn’t about perfection, aesthetics, or even productivity. It’s about soul work. It’s about identity, values, boundaries, and the emotional baggage (yes, literally and figuratively) we carry into our spaces.

Together, they unpack:

The “Snow White Effect” and how society conditioned women to do domestic labor alone (and smile about it)
Why clutter isn’t a discipline problem — it’s an emotional processing problem
How organizing from the inside out changes everything
The truth about invisible labor, gender roles, and why you don’t have to do it all
How to set boundaries in your home without losing your mind or your relationship
The 3-step framework: Acknowledgement, Action, Alignment to create a home that actually reflects your values

This conversation isn’t about having a perfect home - it’s about creating a life that feels like yours.

Because what stays and what goes… isn’t just about your closet.

Thank you to our sponsors!

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

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!

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

Connect with Faith:

Website: https://organizewithfaith.com/

Book:https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/What-Stays-and-What-Goes/Faith-Roberson/9781668011744

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

Related Podcast Episodes

Share the Love:

If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform!

🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Collaborative Co-Parent (How To Put Your Kids First) with Gabriella Pomare | 401 Apr 06, 2026

Show notes

Let’s be clear: the idea of a “perfect family” is outdated, unrealistic, and holding onto it often causes more harm than good.

In this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole Kalil sits down with family lawyer, author, and co-parenting advocate Gabriella Pomare to dismantle the myth that staying together is always best for the kids—and to redefine what healthy, modern families can actually look like. A partner at a leading law firm in Sydney, Gabriella brings over a decade of experience navigating complex family dynamics, from high-conflict separations to international custody cases.

Because divorce isn’t the end of a family. It’s the restructuring of one.

Gabriella brings both professional expertise and lived experience to the table, sharing how parents can move from conflict to collaboration—even when emotions are high, communication is broken, and resentment is lingering just beneath the surface.

This conversation is honest, practical, and refreshingly real about what it actually takes to co-parent with intention instead of ego.

In this episode, they cover:

Why the “stay together for the kids” narrative is often more harmful than helpful
The #1 skill that can make or break your co-parenting relationship: communication
Gabriella’s 4-step communication framework
How to set boundaries with a high-conflict or difficult ex (without losing your sanity)
Tools like co-parenting apps that reduce drama and keep things child-focused
How to handle holidays, schedules, and special occasions without turning them into battlegrounds
Why kids don’t need the details—they need stability, safety, and reassurance
Navigating dating, step-parent dynamics, and blended families

Because at the end of the day, it isn’t about being right. It’s about raising humans who feel safe, loved, and supported—no matter what their family structure looks like.

Thank you to our sponsors!

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

Gusto is online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. It’s all-in-one, remote-friendly, and incredibly easy to use—so you can pay, hire, onboard, and support your team from anywhere! 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!

Connect with Gabriella:

Website: https://thecollaborativeco-parent.com.au

Book:https://www.amazon.com/Collaborative-Parent-Co-Parenting-dignified-collaborative/dp/1636987036/

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

Related Podcast Episodes:

Share the Love:

If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform!

🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Episode About Balls | Unfiltered & Unhinged Apr 03, 2026

Show notes

In this unfiltered and unhinged solo episode, Nicole Kalil gets brutally honest about something every high-achieving woman hates to admit: she’s been dropping balls. A lot of them.

From missed appointments to forgotten commitments, Nicole pulls back the curtain on what happens when even the most organized, detail-loving, color-coded-calendar kind of woman hits a breaking point. And instead of spiraling into shame (okay, maybe a little), she revisits a powerful mindset shift that changes everything.

Enter: glass balls vs. rubber balls.

Because not everything that gets dropped is a disaster — and treating it like one is exactly what’s burning women out.

This episode is a reality check and a permission slip:

Not all mistakes are catastrophic
Not everything deserves your guilt
And no, you’re not “losing it”… you’re human

Nicole breaks down how to:

Identify what actually matters (your glass balls)
Stop overreacting to the things that don’t (your rubber balls)
Give yourself grace without lowering your standards
Protect your energy, your priorities, and your sanity

Because the goal isn’t to juggle everything perfectly — it’s to know what’s worth catching.

And if a few balls bounce? Let them.

Thank you to our sponsors!

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

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

Connect with Nicole:

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

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

Related Podcast Episode:

Share the Love:

If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform!

🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Taylor Swift Teaches Us About Women, Influence, and Economic Power with Misty L. Heggeness | 400 Apr 01, 2026

Show notes

Let’s get one thing straight: this is not a fan girl episode. It’s a masterclass in women’s economic power, using one of the most undeniable case studies of our time — Taylor Swift.

In this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole Kalil sits down with economist and researcher Misty Heggeness, author of Swiftynomics, to break down what happens when women stop playing small and start reshaping entire industries.

Because whether people like Taylor Swift or not? Irrelevant. What she’s done for ownership, influence, and economic impact? Undeniable.

This conversation dives into the data behind the headlines — exposing how women have always been driving the economy… just without the credit.

In this episode, they explore:

What “Swiftynomics” actually means (and why it’s bigger than Taylor Swift)
Why traditional economic metrics undervalue women (and always have)
How women drive over 80% of consumer spending — and what that means for power
The rise of female-led content, companies, and cultural influence
Why backlash against powerful women is predictable… and irrelevant
The economic shift happening when women support women — and stop supporting what doesn’t support them
Why equity in the workplace and at home benefits everyone (yes, even men)

This isn’t about celebrity. It’s about who holds power, who gets recognized for it, and who’s done waiting for permission.

This episode reframes Taylor Swift as more than a pop icon — she’s proof of what happens when women own their work, their voice, and their value, and in doing so, redefine the entire economic landscape.

Thank you to our sponsors!

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

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

Connect with Misty:

Website: https://www.mistyheggeness.com/

Book: https://www.instagram.com/swiftynomics/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/swiftynomics.bsky.social

X: https://bsky.app/profile/swiftynomics.bsky.social

Related Podcast Episodes:

Share the Love:

If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform!

🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 6 Stages of Lasting Love with Thais Gibson | 399 Mar 30, 2026

Show notes

Romantic relationships are not supposed to stay frozen in the honeymoon phase forever. In this episode, Nicole Kalil sits down with attachment theory expert Thais Gibson—bestselling author, PhD, and founder of The Personal Development School—to break down the six stages of relationships, why the power struggle stage is where so many couples get stuck, and what it really takes to build healthy, lasting love.

Because, contrary to everything rom-coms, bad advice, and old conditioning taught women, a strong relationship is not about never changing. It is about learning how to grow, communicate, repair, and keep choosing each other when life gets messy, inconvenient, and very unsexy.

In this episode, Nicole and Thais discuss:

The 6 stages of relationships, from dating to everlasting love
Why the power struggle stage is normal, not proof something is broken
Why vulnerability is the price of deeper connection
The communication mistake couples make on repeat
Why women often overfocus on being chosen instead of doing the choosing
Why people date potential and how that blows up later
What it takes to move from stability into devotion and lasting partnership

This conversation gets into the real stuff: dating red flags, codependency, conflict resolution, self-abandonment, subconscious patterns, and the truth about what it takes to create a healthy relationship that evolves with you instead of trapping you.

Thank you to our sponsors!

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

Connect with Thais:

Website: personaldevelopmentschool.com

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

IG: https://www.instagram.com/thepersonaldevelopmentschool/?hl=en

Related Podcast Episodes:

Share the Love:

If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform!

🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

UNCOMPETE: Rejecting Competition to Unlock Success with Ruchika T. Malhotra | 398 Mar 25, 2026

Show notes

Somewhere along the way, women were sold a lie: competition is the price of ambition. Be faster. Be louder. Be better. And if someone else wins? You must lose.

In this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole Kalil sits down with Ruchika T. Malhotra—founder and CEO of Candour, a global inclusion strategy firm, and author of Uncompete: Rejecting Competition to Unlock Success—to dismantle the zero-sum mindset and replace it with something far more powerful: collaboration, abundance, and shared success.

Ruchika, a former business journalist and contributor to Harvard Business Review (including co-author of one of HBR’s most-read articles, Stop Telling Women They Have Impostor Syndrome), brings research, global perspective, and real-world strategy to challenge how we think about workplace competition, women in leadership, and ambition.

Together, they unpack:

Why competition in real life rewards conformity—not excellence
The difference between comparison (human) and competition (optional)
How social media fuels constant, low-grade competitive anxiety
What “uncompeting” looks like in promotions, leadership, and career growth
How to turn envy into data instead of self-destruction
Why competing with other women isn’t strategy—it’s conditioning

Bottom line: Uncompeting isn’t about lowering ambition. It’s about rejecting scarcity, defining success on your own terms, and building long-game leadership rooted in integrity—not insecurity.

Thank you to our sponsors!

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

Connect with Ruchika:

Website: https://www.ruchika.co/

Book: www.uncompetebook.com

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

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

Related Podcast Episodes

Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform!

🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meditation for Real Life: Presence, Mindfulness, and A Zen Mind with Jo Rose | 397 Mar 23, 2026

Show notes

What if meditation isn’t about sitting still, clearing your mind, or becoming some perfectly calm, enlightened human?

What if it’s simply about presence?

In this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole Kalil sits down with entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, and founder of the globally consumed meditation podcast A Zen Mind, Jo Rose, to talk about meditation for real life, nervous system regulation, and how cultivating presence can transform the way we work, lead, and live.

In this conversation, we explore:

The biggest myths about meditation and why so many people think they “can’t meditate”
Why meditation isn’t about silencing your mind
How presence and mindfulness can happen during conversations, movement, or everyday tasks
The connection between nervous system regulation and feeling calm, open, and grounded
Why trying to control outcomes often blocks creativity and intuition
The difference between forcing results vs. allowing flow states
How to discover routines that support your mental health and well-being (and why copying someone else’s routine rarely works)
The power of devotion over discipline when building meditation and mindfulness practices

Because meditation isn’t about perfection. It’s about noticing when your mind wanders… and bringing it back. Over and over again.

Thank you to our sponsors!

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

Listen to A Zen Mind Podcast & Connect With Jo Rose:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/69Jm0pfRlpnaBDaioynNaX?si=r9BQATHYRei2Hm0tBQ2O8w&nd=1&dlsi=dcf04fdb2d8b4ab6

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-zen-mind-guided-meditations/id1599159160

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@azenmind

IG: https://www.instagram.com/a.zen.mind

Website: https://azenmindglobal.com/

Related Podcast Episodes:

Share the Love:

If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform!

🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices