Cracking the Corporate Performance Code: Ghenn Weeks on Burnout, Bias, and Getting Your True Self Back

What if there is a secret performance code at work and in the corporate world that no one told you about? And unless you figure it out (or find the decoder ring at the bottom of a Cracker Jack box), you won’t do as well?This concept blew my mind and made me wonder, “What if the game is rigged?” “What if many work environments are not made for women to succeed?” I have told this story on the podcast a few times, but it bears repeating. Years ago, one of my male colleagues said he loved working with me. I was flattered but curious, so I asked why. He said, “Pestikas, working with you is like working with a dude.” I had contorted and twisted myself so thoroughly that I forgot I was female. I think I was learning to crack the performance code, but I lost myself in the process. The question is, “Can we succeed while rising above the performance code requirement?”My guest today, Ghenn Weeks, is the founder of the Corporate Performance Code, and she really opened my mind that there may be an undertone to all this corporate business after all. During the podcast, we also chatted about:How women know which behavior are theirs vs. what they have taught to perform in a system that wasn’t built for them?What is the Personal Adaptive Tax?How men and women are evaluated differently during performance reviews, and how we can talk more about our potential vs. just past performance?What are the costs of succeeding in the Corporate Performance CodeTM?What are the signs that we are fraying or losing ourselves inside the code? Can we get our truest selves back?Here is more about Ghenn:Ghennipher Weeks is a fractional CMO and creator of the Corporate Performance CodeTM, a system that exposes the unspoken rules shaping how success is measured and rewarded in corporate environments. With more than 25 years leading marketing strategy, building teams, and overseeing multi-million-dollar budgets, she has operated at the executive level long enough to see that what gets labeled as a “confidence problem” is often something far more systemic.She brings a sharp, experience-backed perspective on how women are conditioned to perform, why they are evaluated differently than their male counterparts, and how those patterns quietly shape leadership behavior at every level. Her work challenges high-achieving women to stop over-correcting within a system that was never designed for them and instead understand the code they’ve been operating inside.Ghennipher offers a candid, thought-provoking look at what it really takes to navigate corporate leadership without losing identity, credibility, or self-trust along the way.Before we begin, please be sure to share this show with a family member, friend or colleague. As you know, your ratings and reviews help this show to gain traction and continue to grow. Thank you if you have already left a review.Also, if you haven’t downloaded one of my freebies on my site, check them out on bravewomenatwork.com. I have 5 Ways to Managing Imposter Phenomenon, 34 Leadership and Career Affirmations, and 10 tips to Win Your Next Negotiation. Download one or them or all three!If you also have a story to share and a deep desire to become an author, please contact me at [email protected]. I am happy to share the details on the project.  Alright, let’s welcome Ghenn to the show!

When I was growing up, I didn’t see my parents have a lot of friends over at our house. We were working a lot and were a tight, insulated family unit. Also, it didn’t help that I was a bit of a misfit and a loner. I was in the “nerd herd” in middle school and was a wallflower at dances. Remember 7th and 8th grade dances? As a side bar, does anyone remember the song Lady in Red? Look it up if you don’t. It’s all cringe. The point of all of this is that I didn’t understand the power of community. I thought if I wanted to do things right, I did them on my own. It wasn’t until I was in my twenties and beyond that I realized how important friends would be in my life. After all, my friends are my chosen family. My guest today, Nida Leard, founded her company IRL or In Real Life. During our conversation, Nida told me how our relationships impact how we lead in every area of our lives.During the podcast, we also chatted about:The story behind Nida’s company, IRLHow did Nida build her network as an introvert? What tips does she have to build their tribes if it isn’t natural for them?Why do high achievers struggle building relationships, and what can they do about it?How do our relationship patterns show up in all areas of our lives?How does IRL’s work translate from the boardroom to the bedroom?How does working on our personal and professional relationships help us with our leadership skills?How is relationship building the new definition of success?Here is more about Nida:Nida Leardprasopsuk is a Master Certified Coach (ICF) and systems-oriented practitioner working at the intersection of identity, relationships, leadership, and human systems. With over two decades of experience spanning business, psychology, and personal transformation, she supports high-performing individuals, leaders, and changemakers in creating alignment across career, relationships, family, leadership, and self. Grounded in the belief that human challenges are systemic—what shows up in the boardroom often mirrors what shows up in intimacy, family dynamics, boundaries, confidence, and self-worth—Nida helps clients transform at the identity and relational level so change naturally ripples into every area of life. Her background includes executive and leadership coaching, couples and family systems work, sex therapy, identity reinvention, and organizational culture, enabling her to translate insights across contexts in a way that is both deeply practical and profoundly human. She is also the license holder and organizer of TEDxThonglorWomen, where she curates conversations on identity, relationships, power, and societal change.Before we begin, please be sure to share this show with a family member, friend or colleague. As you know, your ratings and reviews help this show to gain traction and continue to grow. Thank you if you have already left a review.Also, if you haven’t downloaded one of my freebies on my site, check them out on bravewomenatwork.com. I have 5 Ways to Managing Imposter Phenomenon, 34 Leadership and Career Affirmations, and 10 tips to Win Your Next Negotiation. Download one or them or all three!If you also have a story to share and a deep desire to become an author, please contact me at [email protected]. I am happy to share the details on the project.  Alright, let’s welcome Nida to the show!

Are you ready for a cup of espresso? My conversation with guest, Jazzlyn Feliciano, was like a strong cup of joe and a motivational shot in the arm. Jazzlyn was so inspiring to me because she has a “go for it” attitude, which I love. Our discussion also challenged me because I can often get lost in self-doubt and Imposter Syndrome, which I know so many of you and others can relate to. While Jazzlyn faces her own fair share of Imposter Syndrome, she has some wonderful wisdom to share of how to manage it. During our conversation, Jazzlyn and I also chatted about:1.What does betting on herself mean to Jazzlyn?2.How does confidence create opportunities? If you are short on confidence, how do you cultivate it?3.What is the strategic risk framework Jazzlyn has used personally and professionally?4.What are five conversations that every emerging leader needs to have?5.What is Jazzlyn’s company, Recee, and what her goal is with the fintech and app?Here is more about Jazzlyn:Jazzlyn Feliciano is an award-winning corporate leader, entrepreneur, and founder of Recee, a fintech startup reimagining how consumers understand and use their everyday purchase data. With more than a decade of experience across Wall Street and Big Four consulting, Jazzlyn has built a career at the intersection of strategy, leadership, and innovation. Beyond corporate America, she is known as “Your Corporate Big Sis,” using her platform to share the career lessons, confidence, and corporate realness she wishes she had earlier in her journey. Today, she’s bringing those same experiences into the startup world as she builds Recee from the ground up.Before we begin, please be sure to share this show with a family member, friend or colleague. As you know, your ratings and reviews help this show to gain traction and continue to grow. Thank you if you have already left a review.Also, if you haven’t downloaded one of my freebies on my site, check them out on bravewomenatwork.com. I have 5 Ways to Managing Imposter Phenomenon, 34 Leadership and Career Affirmations, and 10 tips to Win Your Next Negotiation. Download one or them or all three!If you also have a story to share and a deep desire to become an author, please contact me at [email protected]. I am happy to share the details on the project.  Alright, let’s welcome Jazzlyn to the show!

I have no idea what’s happening to me. I guess we will do anything for our kids. During our conversation, we also chatted about:The situation that drove Christina to seek change and healing in her lifeWhat contributed to her autoimmune diseases and the end of her marriageHow too much responsibility contributes to toxic work patternsWhat modalities Christina used in her healing journeyWhat EMDR is and what drove Christina to get certified in hypnotherapy?Here is more about Christina:Christina L. Woods  is an internationally recognized Clinical Hypnotherapist, subconscious transformation expert, and former corporate executive who helps high-functioning, successful individuals resolve the quiet disconnect between their outer success and inner experience. With over three decades of corporate leadership experience and a global private practice, Christina works with accomplished women and high-level professionals around the world who have done the therapy, mindset work, and personal development — yet still feel an underlying sense of restlessness, misalignment, or emotional incongruence they can’t think their way out of.Through her signature Wise Woods Method and as the Founder of Wise Woods Hypnotherapy, Christina integrates clinical hypnotherapy, subconscious reprogramming, and energy-based healing to shift the deeper patterns that insight alone doesn’t change. Her work supports clients in feeling more settled, clear, and internally aligned — not by fixing what’s “wrong,” but by completing the internal upgrades their awareness has already initiated.Known for her ability to articulate what people intuitively sense but struggle to put into words, Christina brings depth, clarity, and grounded presence to conversations around identity, self-trust, subconscious conditioning, leadership, and real life. Her approach bridges science and spirituality in a way that is practical, intelligent, and deeply human.Before we begin, please be sure to share this show with a family member, friend or colleague. As you know, your ratings and reviews help this show to gain traction and continue to grow. Thank you if you have already left a review.Also, if you haven’t downloaded one of my freebies on my site, check them out on bravewomenatwork.com. I have 5 Ways to Managing Imposter Phenomenon, 34 Leadership and Career Affirmations, and 10 tips to Win Your Next Negotiation. Download one or them or all three!If you also have a story to share and a deep desire to become an author, please contact me at [email protected]. I am happy to share the details on the project.  Alright, let’s welcome Christina to the show!

I love a good I started from one place and made my way up to the top story, and this is what I have for you today with my guest, Kelly Hiller. Kelly’s story is unique because she has been with Purdue University and Purdue Alumni Association a combined total of over 20 years! You do not hear that very often. We often hear that the employee had to leave an organization to find their next opportunity. What if you could craft it for yourself inside one organization? And better yet, what if you had the guts to let everyone know that you were the replacement and that they didn’t need to recruit to fill the role? That takes bravery and guts, and Kelly’s story inspired me deeply.During our conversation, we also chatted about:What it was like for Kelly to transition to the Chief Marketing Officer at Purdue University. How she set clear boundaries with management regarding how she was different than her predecessor, so they know what they were getting right up front.How she continually works to build relationships within her team, including having a one-on-one meeting with every person in her group once per year.How Kelly has navigated Imposter Phenomenon as she has ascended to higher roles in leadership.What perceptions Kelly and her female-leadership team have faced.And so much more.One thing among many that I love about Kelly is her refreshing honesty. It was obvious that she is authentic, and I believe that this is a sign of a true leader. Listen in for real leadership talk!Here is more about Kelly:Kelly Hiller is Chief Marketing Officer at Purdue University, where she leads the marketing strategy, brand, creative, and social teams responsible for bringing the Purdue University and Purdue Global brands to life. Overseeing a full-service in-house agency, she drives initiatives that build reputation, generate demand, and tell compelling stories across digital, social, content, and live experiences. A passionate advocate for community impact and leadership, Kelly also serves on her local school board. Before we begin, please be sure to share this show with a family member, friend or colleague. As you know, your ratings and reviews help this show to gain traction and continue to grow. Thank you if you have already left a review.Also, if you haven’t downloaded one of my freebies on my site, check them out on bravewomenatwork.com. I have 5 Ways to Managing Imposter Phenomenon, 34 Leadership and Career Affirmations, and 10 tips to Win Your Next Negotiation. Download one or them or all three!If you also have a story to share and a deep desire to become an author, please contact me at [email protected]. I am happy to share the details on the project.  Alright, let’s welcome Kelly to the show!

Superwoman alert! Or at least someone I see as a superwoman. My guest today, Maria Colacurcio, not only has 7 children (you heard that right), but she also is a top-level athlete and is the founder and leader of her own company. Woah. Maria shares with us how she doesn’t do it all, leans on her partner, and even boldly talks about how she has learned that each of her children do not need the same level of attention. Understanding that we do not need to do it all made me feel like my whole body did a deep exhale. During our conversation, we also chatted about:Maria’s company, Syndio, and the work they are doing with pay equityWhat tips Maria has for balancing a full professional and personal lifeThe seasons or rhythms she follows for making it happen and how her family is in the know with these seasonsWhat she things women should stop doingWhat HYROX is and how she trains her body to support her life and workHere is more about Maria:Maria Colacurcio is reshaping how enterprises govern their largest and most consequential investment: how they pay their people. As CEO of Syndio, she leads the company that defined the market for pay equity software and is now pioneering Decision Intelligence for Pay. Under her leadership, Syndio partners with global brands including Walmart, Microsoft, and Salesforce to make every pay decision compliant, optimized, and aligned with business strategy. Maria previously co-founded Smartsheet, which went public in 2018. She has built her career at the intersection of technology, policy, and purpose-driven leadership, earning recognition as one of the 100 most exceptional entrepreneurs by Goldman Sachs Builders+ Innovators Summit. Before we begin, please be sure to share this show with a family member, friend or colleague. As you know, your ratings and reviews help this show to gain traction and continue to grow. Thank you if you have already left a review.Also, if you haven’t downloaded one of my freebies on my site, check them out on bravewomenatwork.com. I have 5 Ways to Managing Imposter Phenomenon, 34 Leadership and Career Affirmations, and 10 tips to Win Your Next Negotiation. Download one or them or all three!If you also have a story to share and a deep desire to become an author, please contact me at [email protected]. I am happy to share the details on the project.  Alright, let’s welcome Maria to the show!

Honestly, when I started the podcast, I thought it was just that. A podcast. But it became so much more. The Brave Women at Work Podcast has been:A path to healing from burnoutA doorway to amazing friendships, business colleagues, and partnershipsA way to express myself creativelyA platform to build communityAnd a huge part of who I am and my purposeAs I reflected on my learnings, I have jotted down nine learnings. Some of them will sound familiar if you've been listening a while. Some might surprise you. Let’s get right into it!LESSON 1: SOMETIMES YOU JUST NEED TO GO FOR ITWhen I started this podcast, I didn't know how to run a podcast. I was afraid — of sounding foolish, of nobody listening, of starting something I couldn't sustain.I did it anyway.And that's the first lesson, maybe the most important one: waiting until you feel ready means you might never start. Readiness is a myth we tell ourselves to stay safe. Sometimes the only way through fear is straight through it.LESSON 2: IT TAKES DISCIPLINE — AND IT REWARDS MORE THAN JUST YOUHere's what nobody tells you about 300 episodes: inspiration will not get you there. Inspiration is unreliable. It shows up when it feels like it.Discipline is what shows up every week — whether you feel like it or not, whether the episode's easy or hard, whether you're excited or exhausted. Three hundred episodes is not a monument to motivation. It's a monument to discipline.And here's what I didn't expect: that discipline wasn't just a gift to myself. I used to think of it as a private commitment — something I owed only to my own goals. But showing up consistently became a gift to everyone who kept coming back, week after week, expecting this show to be here. Consistency isn't just self-discipline. It's a form of care for other people too.LESSON 3: YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT WILL BECOME YOUR ARTI didn't set out to make this podcast my art. It started as a project, an idea, maybe even an experiment.Somewhere along the way, it became something else. It became the thing I think about, care about, pour myself into. And I think that's true more broadly — you don't always know in advance what will become the thing that defines you. Sometimes you have to commit to something before you understand what it actually is.LESSON 4: LISTENING IS THE PATH TO LEARNINGEvery single guest on this show has taught me something I couldn't have learned by talking.The best moments in 300 episodes weren't when I had the perfect question or the sharpest insight. They were when I got out of my own way and just listened. Listening isn't passive — it's actually the harder skill. And it's the one that taught me the most.LESSON 5: THE ROAD IS LONG AND WINDING, AND THERE WILL BE POTHOLESThere was no straight line from episode 1 to episode 300. I thought there might be — a clean, upward path. That's not what happened.The road curved in directions I didn't plan for. Topics I never expected to cover. Seasons where the show changed shape entirely.And along the way — bad episodes, technical failures, weeks I wanted to quit entirely. I used to think those potholes meant I was doing something wrong. Now I know they're just part of the road, not a detour from the journey, but the journey itself. If you're doing anything long enough, you will hit potholes. The lesson isn't to avoid them. It's to keep driving.LESSON 6: MOTIVATION SHOWS UP IN THE ODDEST PLACESNot always where I expected it. A comment from a listener I'd never met. A guest's offhand remark that stuck with me for weeks. A message that arrived on exactly the day I needed it.I stopped looking for motivation in the big, obvious places. Some of the smallest, strangest moments are what kept me going.LESSON 7: HEALING COMES IN INTERESTING

It’s a special day over here at Brave Women at Work! Today marks the first show in almost 300 episodes when I have a male guest! Logan is the first!So, you may be thinking, “Why now?”First, the format of this show is not changing. Most of the guests will be female or identify as female, but I just knew in my gut that Logan had to be the first male guest because he is not only interesting and amazing at the young age of 16, but he has co-written a children’s book series, Different But the Same Game, that celebrates diversity, inclusion, and empathy, with his aunt, Mylene Barizo.Logan is a brave young man because he is smart, wise, and I love that he has amazing, strong women in his life, such as his mom, NAME, his aunt, Mylene, and also his sister Layni, who has not only beaten leukemia as a child but also has Down’s Syndrome. I have been told that Layni is a firecracker and really squeezes the juice out of life, so I hope I get to meet both Layni and Logan in-person one day.The first book in the series, Tabletop Fun, is not just a book. This book is for every child who has ever felt different, every family who has navigated tender conversations about special needs, every parent that has looked for a joyful and more natural way to teach empathy to their kids, and for every teacher that wants to celebrate diversity.Here is more about Logan:Logan Schultz was fourteen years old when he agreed to co-author a children's book celebrating his experience as the sibling to Layni, his sister with Down Syndrome.  Layni’s special needs have shaped him in many ways.  At an early age, he became very aware of how different they were.  Learning to accept and embrace their individual qualities came as he matured, a process that accelerated when he lived through Layni’s battle with cancer.  A high school student today, Logan excels in academics, competes in piano adjudications, is a sports enthusiast (go Seahawks!) and shares a love of travel and food adventures with his family.  His parents' gifts of a strong work ethic and love of music are things he will carry into college and beyond.Before we begin, please be sure to share this show with a family member, friend or colleague. As you know, your ratings and reviews help this show to gain traction and continue to grow. Thank you if you have already left a review.Also, if you haven’t downloaded one of my freebies on my site, check them out on bravewomenatwork.com. I have 5 Ways to Managing Imposter Phenomenon, 34 Leadership and Career Affirmations, and 10 tips to Win Your Next Negotiation. Download one or them or all three!If you also have a story to share and a deep desire to become an author, please contact me at [email protected]. I am happy to share the details on the project.  Alright, let’s welcome Logan to the show!

 have a wonderful repeat guest, Anna Runyan, this week on the show! I always learn something from Anna, and this show is no different. I see Anna as my brave big sister in business, and she has taken brave leaps personally, too. For example, as you will hear, she moved with her family to Europe for a year, which is on my bucket list! Either way, Anna represents not following the traditional path to me. She is someone that took an intentional look at her life and work and purposefully decided to build her personal and professional life on her own terms. When I was pregnant with my first child, like so many of us, I tried to fit my growing family into my existing work instead of the other way around. Anna was like, “Nope!” This isn’t for me. There must be a better way. And she found it and now helps others with that same dream. So, if you are a closet dreamer of a better way to live and work, this show is for you!During our podcast, Anna and I chatted about:The story behind her company Classy Career GirlHer learnings traveling nomadically as a family and when she realized she wanted to come back to the U.S. and settle in FloridaHow did Imposter Syndrome or (phenomenon) show up for Anna as she was building her businessWhat Classy Career Girl offers and what’s next for her companyHere is more about Anna:Anna is the creator of The Corporate Rescue Plan and The Classy Career Girl® Certified Career Coach Program. She is a former corporate consultant turned entrepreneur. Her website was picked as one of Forbes Top 100 Websites For Women and one of Forbes 35 Most Influential Career Sites. She’s been featured on Fox, The Wall Street Journal and People StyleWatch magazine. Anna was nominated as San Diego Magazine’s Woman of the Year and her podcast was named as Yahoo’s 10 Best Podcasts.Prior to founding Classy Career Girl in 2010, Anna worked for Booz Allen Hamilton where she spent 8 years managing a client delivery team and managed a $75M annual U.S. Navy budget. She was a Certified Adjunct Instructor at Booz Allen Hamilton and a Professor of Management at DeVry University. She received her MBA from University of California, San Diego and after a year of traveling around Europe with her husband and three daughters, she now lives in Florida.Before we begin, please be sure to share this show with a family member, friend or colleague. As you know, your ratings and reviews help this show to gain traction and continue to grow. Thank you if you have already left a review.Also, if you haven’t downloaded one of my freebies on my site, check them out on bravewomenatwork.com. I have 5 Ways to Managing Imposter Phenomenon, 34 Leadership and Career Affirmations, and 10 tips to Win Your Next Negotiation. Download one or them or all three!If you also have a story to share and a deep desire to become an author, please contact me at [email protected]. I am happy to share the details on the project.  Alright, let’s welcome Anna to the show!