Feeling empowerd and feeling supported

What happens when you stop waiting for someone to give you permission?In this episode of Own Your Impact, Marlene speaks with Amanda Pollitt about an unconventional career spanning entrepreneurship, restaurant ownership and corporate leadership - and the people who gave her opportunities to prove what she could do.Amanda shares the story of a manager who told his boss, “We picked a winner with this one,” just two weeks after she joined, and how that vote of confidence gave her the voice to take on more. They talk about leading with high standards and empathy, building strong teams, staying curious, creating visibility while working remotely, and knowing when to step back and let other people solve the problem.  Her advice for anyone sitting outside the room where opportunities are being handed out is simple: ask. The answer is always no if you don’t. 

What could change if you stopped waiting and started asking?In this episode of Own Your Impact, Marlene speaks with Kathy Barrios about a career built through curiosity, asking questions and repeatedly raising her hand for opportunities.Kathy shares her journey from PR into product marketing and tech, building teams and businesses, and eventually creating a working life on her own terms. She also talks about “Open to Help,” an initiative through which she has spoken with almost 200 people, offering questions and a different perspective rather than claiming to have all the answers. They explore why asking can change the direction of a career, why you don’t have to choose one professional lane, and the small pieces of advice that stay with us for years. Her advice for the question you’ve been afraid to ask: what’s the worst that can happen?

Who helps us grow when the people shaping us aren’t always the easy ones?In this episode of Own Your Impact, Marlene speaks with psychologist, leadership coach and Be Possible founder Gabriela “Gaby” Biscardi about the mentors, teachers and difficult experiences that have shaped her career.Gaby shares how asking a university professor “How can I support you?” opened an unexpected door, why she has learned from both supportive and challenging relationships, and how moving between countries has pushed her to rethink professional identity, power and what she wants to contribute. They also explore self-regulation, asking for support, learning to say no, and the question Gaby keeps returning to in work and life: “What really matters?” 

What happens when you stop worrying about staying in your lane?In this episode of Own Your Impact, Marlene speaks with Pippa Boothman about a career that has taken her from apparel and retail to technology, senior leadership and building MAGIC in Oslo.Pippa shares how her mother’s example taught her to have her own back, why changing industries taught her to keep asking questions, and why she has become increasingly cautious about calling anyone - including herself - an “expert.” For Pippa, experience matters, but so does staying curious enough to keep learning.  They also explore the mentorship moments that can come from unexpected places, from colleagues to a yoga teacher, why good mentors challenge us as well as support us, and the role community and physical spaces can play in helping people connect and grow.  Pippa’s advice for anyone making a change: know the value you bring, find your community, and keep going.

What happens when the experience and identity you built in one country suddenly don’t seem to count in another?Jenny Crone moved from the Netherlands to Norway after years of running a company and leading major projects. She expected to find her way quickly. Instead, she struggled to find work, build connections and understand the unwritten social rules around her.So she started figuring them out for herself.We talk about adapting without losing who you are, rebuilding confidence when nobody knows your track record, the perseverance it takes to create a new life, and how Jenny eventually turned what she had learned into Social Bridge Norway.Her experience also raises a question for those of us already living somewhere: what can we do to make it easier for someone new to belong?

What happens when you take the jump before you’re completely sure you’re ready?Tonje Steigedal never imagined herself as a founder. Her career took her from cancer research and academia to business development, and eventually to becoming a co-founder and CEO.We talk about learning to trust the skills you already have, finding people who encourage you to take a chance, mentoring others while still figuring things out yourself, and why a “no” can simply mean it’s time to try the next door.Because sometimes you don’t need a 10-year plan. You need to take the chance and make the jump.

What happens when you stop waiting for the right people to cross your path and start creating the spaces where they can?Kim Hale’s career has been shaped by people who gave her room to ask questions, make mistakes and figure out what she thought for herself. Today, as the founder of Splash, she’s creating those opportunities for others.In this episode, we talk about informal mentorship, why peers can be just as valuable as people further ahead in their careers, and what can happen when you bring people with different experiences into the same room.Kim also shares why she thinks about careers as trees rather than ladders, why asking for help works better when you know what you need, and how being useful to others has shaped her own career.Her advice for building relationships is simple: get into the room, give it a go and care a little less about getting every interaction right.

What happens when you’re used to leading people through change, and suddenly you’re the one who has to navigate it?Eirini Giannou has spent much of her career working through transformation, ambiguity and change. Then her own role was made redundant.In this episode, we talk about what happened when Eirini applied some of the same skills she had used professionally to her own transition. She shares why she approached redundancy almost like a project, what happened when the personal side caught up, and how she learned to focus her energy on the things she could influence.We also explore difficult conversations, boundaries, reinvention and the role of community when you’re figuring out what comes next. Eirini shares what happened when she reached out to people she hadn’t spoken to in a decade, and why some of those connections became an unexpected source of support.Her advice for anyone navigating an uncertain transition: give yourself time to feel it, understand what you can control, build a plan and reach out to people.

What happens to everything you’ve already built when you move somewhere nobody knows you?Katie Borroz has built her career across the US, New Zealand, and Norway. When she moved to Oslo, she arrived with years of experience, but still had to learn how to translate that experience into a new context.In this episode, Katie shares how she spent 18 months building a network before moving, why being able to clearly explain what you bring matters, and how the people around her helped shape the way she approaches work, leadership, and change.We also talk about motherhood, marathon running, the value of giving people grace, and why starting somewhere new doesn’t mean leaving your experience behind.Her practical advice for anyone preparing for a move: learn to tell your own story out loud. Know where you’ve been, what you’ve done and where you want to go.

This week’s reflection?Maybe the key to feeling empowered isn’t doing more—but feeling supported.