Unmasking: How to Step Off the Achievement Treadmill with Alicia Zielinski Straub

Let’s start with two quotes today. Honestly, I couldn’t decide between the two, so you get both.Carl Jung: "The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are."Brené Brown: "Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it's having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome."Often, we don’t let ourselves be seen as Brene Brown says. We put on masks of perfectionism, performance, people pleasing, and more. I know about these masks because I’ve done that very thing. Today, I talked with Alicia Zielinski Straub, a repeat guest about the masks that we wear and what it costs us. If you still feel like you are not fully letting your guard down and showing up as your authentic self, please listen in to this show. I think it will have something special for you.During today’s conversation, Alicia and I chatted about:Her transition from New Jersey to the Carolinas and the beautiful synchronicities all the way.Why we wear the masks we doWhat the term unmasking means to Alicia, and why she decided to offer her retreat of the same nameWhy she selected the Imiloa Institute in Costa Rica when she could have selected anywhere in the worldWhy drives us to favor old, negative patterns, even when we have the tools to unmask and heal?Here is more about Alicia:Alicia Zielinski Straub, MS, LPC, NBCC, RYT, is a licensed professional counselor, mindfulness practitioner, and somatics facilitator. Her work bridges clinical mental health with mind-body strategies. Alicia helps individuals understand and regulate stress, trauma, and overstimulation in modern life. She draws from neuroscience, translating complex concepts into accessible, experiential tools that foster balance, resilience, and emotional regulation. Alicia conducts counseling services, personalized somatic sessions, workshops, retreats, and integrative practices that support nervous system health, self-awareness, and sustainable well-being.If you haven’t downloaded one of my freebies on my site, check them out on bravewomenatwork.com. I have 5 Ways to Managing Your Imposter Syndrome, 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 Alicia to the show!

When I burned out back in 2019, I felt like I was duped. I did all the “right things” – went to college, worked very hard, climbed the ladder, got married, had kids. And then, after doing everything the way I thought I was supposed to do, I burned out anyway. During that period, I was disillusioned and felt like I had no foundation. I had to find a new foundation, and this podcast was part of it, so thank you again for being here.What I learned about in my conversation with guest, Meghan French Dunbar, is that I didn’t do it wrong. Society feeds us the idea of short-term success being the name of the game. It is more important for us to climb the ladder than listen to our intuition. It’s more important to look good on paper than to experience success deep in our souls. And guess what? That’s WRONG. During the show, Meghan and I chatted about:How we have been pursuing the wrong success targets the whole time.What the pull is to short-term success vs. long-term value creation.Her book, This Isn’t Working: How Working Women Can Overcome Stress, Guilt, and Overload to Find True Success.What soul success is and how it is different than traditional success.How we can begin pursuing more soul success in our lives and careers. Here is more about Meghan:For the last decade, Meghan has been kinda obsessed with how we can make business better for everyone. This passion has led her all over the place, from co-founding the first nationally distributed magazine about sustainable business, Conscious Company Magazine, to hosting events for hundreds of changemakers, building businesses, interviewing thousands of business leaders, consulting with major brands, and writing an entire book on the topic called This Isn’t Working: How Working Women Can Overcome Stress, Guilt, and Overload to Find True Success.If you're wondering why Meghan is so passionate about this topic, it's because business is one of the largest forces on Earth—one that can be harnessed to create tremendous progress and benefit humanity or one that can destroy lives and harm most people involved in the system. The good news is that it can be so much better and helping people understand exactly how is what her work is all about. When Meghan is not doing all that, she is with her family in the foothills of Boulder—chasing her two kids, hiking with her husband, hosting dinners for friends, and remembering that the truest version of success is one that actually feels like living.If the Brave Women at Work Podcast has helped you personally or professionally, please share it with a friend, colleague, or family member. And your ratings and reviews help the show continue to gain traction and grow. Thank you again!If you haven’t downloaded one of my freebies on my site, check them out on bravewomenatwork.com. I have 5 Ways to Managing Your Imposter Syndrome, 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 Meghan to the show!

Did you know that at one point in our lives, 70% of people experience Imposter Syndrome or now called Imposter Complex/Phenomenon. And P.S., 75% of executive women have experienced it. I’ve had many highly successful and motivated Type A female clients come to me wanting to be “fixed.” I always give them the same answer. This is not an on and off switch. There is no fixing. This is a process of unlearning and relearning, of noticing and reframing, and reconnecting to your body. It’s using your tools when the inner critic strikes, because it will. Inner critic is simply a sign that you are leveling up and facing fear. I know easier said than done, but you can manage it. As Maya Angelou says, “When we know better, we do better.”During my conversation with guest, Jessica Wright, we talk about knowledge that we can arm ourselves with when managing on our inner critics. During the show, Jessica and I chatted about:What Positive Intelligence and the Saboteurs are.The benefits of knowing our Saboteurs and how we find out ours. If the Saboteurs remain consistent or if they can change over time.We chatted about what Jessica and my top Saboteurs are and how they show up. How does all of this relate to the inner critic and why knowledge is power. Here is more about Jessica:Jessica Wright, an ACC-credentialed Life & Career Development Coach, helps new and emerging leaders build confidence, lead with purpose, and create a lasting legacy...without sacrificing their personal lives. Because leadership isn't actually about proving yourself in the hard times. It's about support. It's about clarity. It's about helping people feel seen, heard, and connected to the mission.With a Master’s degree in Transformational Leadership, Jessica helps leaders navigate the pressures of their roles, overcome burnout, and empowers them to redefine success on their own terms. Jessica is also the host of Illustrating Leadership Podcast and the creator of the Illustrating Leadership Summit.When she's not coaching or podcasting, you can find Jessica chasing down her naughty dachshund, seeking out her next cup of coffee, or starting a crafting project that she may or may not eventually finish.You can reach her at jessicawright.online.If the Brave Women at Work Podcast has helped you personally or professionally, please share it with a friend, colleague, or family member. And your ratings and reviews help the show continue to gain traction and grow. Thank you again!If you haven’t downloaded one of my freebies on my site, check them out on bravewomenatwork.com. I have 5 Ways to Managing Your Imposter Syndrome, 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.  

I’m starting today’s show with one word – WOW. Just WOW. This podcast was one of the most thought-provoking I’ve had in a while. Why? Today’s guest, Elizabeth Rosenberg, is willing to have the conversation that no one is having but everyone should be having. Here’s the question: How do we seamlessly integrate our spiritual and/or intuitive side with the professional side and not come off as a weirdo?During the show, Elizabeth and I also chatted about:The story behind her company, The Good Advice Company.What a Chief Spiritual Officer is, and why it is in all of us (and is also a growing community).How we can flex our intuition to be an authentic and powerful leader (and PS, Elizabeth thinks it’s possible for all of us).What happens when we face resistance from others who reject the idea of integration?How has living and working in this way made Elizabeth way more authentic?Whether your spiritual tradition is formal religion, meditation, prayer, or pulling a tarot card, Elizabeth believes you can integrate these pieces into cohesive leadership that serves others. And I don’t know about you, but this sounds like a world view I want to adopt and live in.Here is more about Elizabeth:Elizabeth Rosenberg is the founder of The Good Advice Company. She is a personal branding consultant and strategic communications and marketing advisor. She is passionate about driving authentic change and purposeful impact through her work. She has over 20 years of experience working with some of the most innovative brands (Apple, Nike, NFL, Clorox Company, Diageo, Cadillac) and leaders (Norman Lear, Lee Clow) in the world.Elizabeth loves PR and marketing and throughout her career has worked in almost every industry including entertainment, automotive, music, tech, sports, politics, CPG, food and beverage, health and wellness, and fashion. The key to every industry is the ability to understand people, tell a compelling story, and create, maintain and foster relationships.She is a two-time entrepreneur (not counting the thriving weekend lemonade stand she had as a kid or the Etsy shop she had in her early 30s).Elizabeth takes big leaps. She's comfortable repositioning herself and pivoting her career not only to bring her more joy, but to ensure she's offering services that are needed in the world. She gives people permission and a plan to do the same (if that's their goal!).Today, she works with creative agencies, start-ups and brands as a comms consigliere and strategic advisor — but mostly with executive leaders in all industries who are looking for a sense of purpose, a personal brand architecture, and an honest, transparent partner by their side.Elizabeth has truly never loved her job or her clients more and is grateful every day that she is making an impact and gets to connect and collaborate with such an inspired, creative and powerful community. A curious and voracious learner, she knows each day will bring something new and keep life endlessly interesting.Born, raised and based in Los Angeles (with the vibe of a New Yorker), Elizabeth is not just shaping brands — she's living hers in how she shows up every day, but also in sharing her stories and truths on a podcast or in a blog post. Most of all, she loves speaking about her health and wellness journey and truly believes there is a future where wellness, intuition and the corporate world all collide.If the Brave Women at Work Podcast has helped you personally or professionally, please share it with a friend, colleague, or family member. And your ratings and reviews help the show continue to gain traction and grow. Thank you again!

While preparing to release this week’s show, I realized I forgot to launch a show from this past February with Jenn Donahue. Jenn is an amazing leadership expert and has a ton of hard knocks experience in the military. In fact, she almost died while in Iraq, so this woman knows a thing or two about staying calm under pressure. During today’s show, Jenn and I chatted about:Jenn’s fascinating story of leadership in the militaryJenn’s connection with leadership and becoming the warriorHer warrior framework and how we can leverage it to tackle self-doubtWhy high performers are most likely to be riddled with Imposter Syndrome?How do we navigate difficult situations at work?Here is more about Jenn:Jenn Donahue’s career spans commanding over 800 troops in Afghanistan (where she had an assassination attempt on her life), building literal bridges in Iraq, and leading earthquake engineering teams in some of the world’s most high-stakes climates. In Becoming the Warrior, she shares how developing a “warrior mindset” helped her navigate high-pressure military missions and can help anyone overcome fear, self-doubt, and uncertainty to lead with confidence, whether you’re leading teams of 5 or 500.If the Brave Women at Work Podcast has helped you personally or professionally, please share it with a friend, colleague, or family member. And your ratings and reviews help the show continue to gain traction and grow. Thank you again!If you haven’t downloaded one of my freebies on my site, check them out on bravewomenatwork.com. I have 5 Ways to Managing Your Imposter Syndrome, 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 Jenn to the show!Questions (Segment 2): Can you tell us more about your background story? How have you gotten to where you are today?What was it like to lead over 800 troops in Afghanistan and navigate an assassination attempt on your life?Tell us more about your Book, Becoming the Warrior: Harnessing Your Inner Strength to Silence Self-Doubt.What does warrior mindset mean to you?How did you use your own warrior mindset during your military career?What is the Warrior Framework (Perceive, Assess, Ready, Act) and how do we apply this decision-making practice in business?How can we tackle the “mean little voice” in our own minds that fuels self-doubt?Why are top performers most saddled with Imposter Syndrome, and what is the anecdote?What advice would you give to women that work in predominantly male-dominated industries or want to rise to the top leadership seats in their organization? How do we navigate landmines and other toxic situations at work?What are 1-2 ways women can be braver at work?How can women connect with your work online?

It’s a reunion podcast! I love it when I can reconnect with prior guests. Kathy Miller and I did our first podcast together 2-3 years ago, so it’s been a hot minute!Kathy has an amazing story in manufacturing you will hear more about. She has that spine of steel and truly learned how to be a great leader from the ground up. It’s amazing that she is now paying it forward to share her leadership knowledge with others. During today’s show, Kathy and I chatted about:We caught up since it’s been a few years since we chatted last. We talked about how Kathy’s work has evolved and grown. Kathy’s book, MORE is Better: Leading Operations with Meaning, Optimism, and Relationships for Excellence.What meaningful work means to KathyWhy optimism is so important for leaders and how you can foster that quality inside yourselfHow do we build trust, safety, and accountability in our work relationshipsHere is more about Kathy:Kathy Miller guides operations leaders on how to turn culture into a competitive advantage that shows up in safety, quality, delivery, and the bottom line.A former Global Director of Manufacturing, Assembly & Test for Rolls-Royce Defense, she has led multi-billion-dollar operations across aerospace, automotive, and diversified industrials. As an independent board director and senior manufacturing executive, Kathy is known for building systems and cultures where people do their best work and results follow. She has a track record of guiding organizations through transformation by aligning leadership behavior, operational processes, and strategy.Kathy is a Women in Manufacturing Hall of Fame inductee and the Shingo Prize–winning co-author of Steel Toes and Stilettos:  A True Story of Women Manufacturing Leaders and Lean Transformation Success.  Her latest book, MORE Is Better: Leading Operations with Meaning, Optimism, and Relationships for Excellence, translates organizational research into practical tools for leaders with teams on both carpet AND concrete. Through her firm, MORE 4 Leaders, she is a keynote speaker, designs and conducts leadership workshops, and coaches leaders at all levels who want to build and sustain high performance by taking culture as seriously as any other system in the business.If the Brave Women at Work Podcast has helped you personally or professionally, please share it with a friend, colleague, or family member. And your ratings and reviews help the show continue to gain traction and grow. Thank you again!If you haven’t downloaded one of my freebies on my site, check them out on bravewomenatwork.com. I have 5 Ways to Managing Your Imposter Syndrome, 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.  

Have you heard the phase, “leadership is a big responsibility?” So many of us, including yours truly, initially got promoted because I was good at my job as an individual contributor. And no, I did not get management training. I fumbled and bumbled and was a manager, not a leader, for a long time. I didn’t delegate well and tried to do everything myself. I didn’t fully trust my people, and in return, they didn’t trust me. I didn’t believe I was strategic or had vision. And I didn’t understand the need to create paths for my employees or how to have their backs in rooms they weren’t in. Thank goodness, over time I learned. I did the internal work to forge myself into a leader. But, in my conversation with my guest today, Lisa Even, I realized that I am still learning. This is the first time that I learned about how powerful of a ripple effect leaders can have on their people and overall organizations. Also, I have never met someone until Lisa who realizes that joy is part of their jobs. Joy doesn’t just happen; we must plan for it and be present enough to fully experience it.During today’s show, Lisa and I chatted about:What is the leadership ripple effect.How leaders can happen to their teams and not the other way around.The difference between a good ripple and a bad one.Her book, Joy is My Job: A Book to Spark Joy Filled Mindset, Moments, and Experiences!Lisa’s upcoming book, What’s Your Ripple Effect? And Why it Matters More than Ever. A Leader’s Guide to Creating Lasting Impact and Influence.How Lisa finds space for joy in her life and work.Here is more about Lisa:Lisa Even (ee-ven) is on a mission to help leaders and organizations createthe Ultimate Ripple Effect, the kind that moves people and drives impact.Better leaders. Better culture. Better results.A nationally recognized keynote speaker, bestselling author of Joy Is My Job, and host of the Have Good Ripple Effect podcast, Lisa has partnered with top organizations across the world to help teams navigate change and create remarkable performance.Through her signature S.E.A. Model (Show up, Engage, Adapt), Lisa teaches that culture and performance aren’t built in meetings; they’rebuilt in the moments in between, through attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs.A former healthcare operational leader at a Fortune 500 company overseeing a multimillion-dollar budget, Lisa learned firsthand that greatleaders don’t wait for culture to happen; they build it intentionally. Drawing on more than a decade of leadership experience, she equips audiences to move from the day-to-day hustle to captaining their own ship.Her message blends strategy, science, humor, and connection, showing that when leaders focus on creating a Good Ripple Effect, resultsalways follow.If the Brave Women at Work Podcast has helped you personally or professionally, please share it with a friend, colleague, or family member. And your ratings and reviews help the show continue to gain traction and grow. Thank you again!

I call on you this week to reach out to another woman in your life. A woman that needs a good word, a in-person or virtual hug, motivation, or support. You have no idea the ripple effect it will have.Today on the show, Ashley and I dive into something so important and foundational – purpose. During today’s show, Ashley and I chatted about:The meaning behind unlimited to Ashley, especially since her company’s name is You Unlimited.Why is purpose so important, and how do you we go about finding our own purpose?How does Ashley leverage CliftonStrengths in her work with teams?What is the intersection between purpose and CliftonStrengths?What is flow state coaching?When was the last time that Ashley was in a flow state?Here is more about Ashley:Ashley Kletke is the founder of You Unlimited Coaching and Workshops. You Unlimited helps organizations uncover their purpose, elevate their strengths, and engineer their cultures. As an engineer turned performance coach and facilitator, Ashley has a unique ability to bridge the analytical and the human — helping individuals, teams, and businesses move forward with clarity and purpose.Ashley's work is rooted in the belief that when people understand their unlimited purpose and leverage their individual strengths, that's when they truly become unlimited. She uses CliftonStrengths as one of her core tools in her work with teams, helping them move beyond simply agreeing that collaboration matters to actually knowing how to do it. She also weaves wellbeing and flow state coaching into her practice, with a firm belief that wellbeing is fuel for performance — not a nice-to-have, but a necessity.Based in Mattawan, Michigan, Ashley works with people and organizations ready to get clear on the purpose behind their goals and build the tools to be their best selves — at work and in life.If the Brave Women at Work Podcast has helped you personally or professionally, please share it with a friend, colleague, or family member. And your ratings and reviews help the show continue to gain traction and grow. Thank you again!If you 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 Ashley to the show!Questions (Segment 2): Can you tell us more about your background story? How have you gotten to where you are today?What does You Unlimited mean to you? And as a follow-up, what is unlimited purpose and why is it important to you?Once you understand your unlimited purpose, what changes for you personally and professionally? (We can also talk about the quote on your site – “Your real job in life is to figure out what it is you are called to do.” – Oprah Winfrey)I have had guests on the show talk about CliftonStrengths and discovering your individual strengths. How do you use it with your work with teams? How does your purpose work and CliftonStrengths intersect?Why is wellbeing fuel for performance in teams and organizations as a whole? What is your perspective on the state of wellbeing at work today?What is flow state coaching? How do you advise your clients to get in a flow state?When was the last time you were in a flow state?What are 1-2 ways women at be braver at work?How can women connect with you and your work online?

Today on the show, I am so pleased to share that I chatted about the new rules of leadership with Selena Rezvani. Selena just gets it, and she has digestible leadership content and books that anyone can apply to their lives and careers. Selena is also widely followed on all the social platforms, so go check her out!During today’s show, Selena and I talked about:Her book, Quick Leadership: Build Trust, Navigate Change, and Cultivate Unstoppable TeamsWhy managing with heart is critical to build trust and loyalty and is a strength, not a weaknessHer book, Quick Confidence: Be Authentic, Boost Connections, and Make Bold Bets on YourselfHer TEDx talk and how it still holds the test of time, How we can move past overdoing, overthinking, and overexplaining to free up our time and energyHere is more about Selena:Selena Rezvani is an internationally known leadership speaker and author, TEDx-er, and an award-winning journalist. Forbes recently named her the premier expert on advocating for yourself at work.She trains some of the brightest minds on leadership development at places like The World Bank, Microsoft, Under Armour, Pfizer, and Nestlé—helping emerging leaders enhance their presence, self-confidence, and build trust. Selena’s advice has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Oprah.com, Today, The LA Times, and ABC and NBC television. Selena’s latest book, Quick Confidence, a Wall Street Journal bestseller, is the culmination of a viral newsletter she started on LinkedIn, where she shares bite-sized tips on boosting confidence. Her forthcoming book, Quick Leadership, comes out on November 10, 2025.Selena creates daily video content on leadership that reaches a wide audience across social media. Having amassed a following of over 500k followers across platforms, she was honored as a Fast Company Top Content Creator. In addition to coaching and consulting emerging leaders, Selena offers workshops to teams and conferences including her sought-after “How to be a Fierce Self-Advocate” and “Quick Confidence: Own Your Power” workshops. Today, she writes a column for MSNBC’s Know Your Value on the most pressing leadership and career issues.Selena has MSW and BS degrees from NYU and an MBA from Johns Hopkins University. To learn more about Selena and to book her for your next event, visit SelenaRezvani.com.If the Brave Women at Work Podcast has helped you personally or professionally, please share it with a friend, colleague, or family member. And your ratings and reviews help the show continue to gain traction and grow. Thank you again!

I’m so excited to have another Chicago gal in the house today with me, Harper A. Bailey. Harper and I discovered we had SO much in common with our stories, perspectives, etc. that I hope to meet up with her IRL (in real life) sometime soon!During today’s show, Harper and I talked about:What it felt like for her to be the first Black woman to lead a prominent national women’s healthcare nonprofit.Her burnout story and the grief of transition between who she was and who she became after the experience.The story behind her name Harper A. Bailey and what her real name is and why she decided to use it (grab a tissue).Her book, It Was Her: A Memoir.The differences between macro and micro grief.The moments of grief in corporate that no one talks about. I even share an example I have processed recently.If you are willing to dig a bit deeper on how grief touches us in unexpected ways and is related to burnout and our healing, listen to today’s conversation.Here is more about Harper:Harper A. Bailey is the pen name of Tiosha Bailey, a Chicago native,public health leader, and powerful storyteller who challenges the statusquo. She was the first Black woman to lead a prominent nationalwomen's healthcare nonprofit, where she prioritized health equity andamplified the voices of underserved communities.Her first book, It Was Her: A Memoir—featuring a foreword by renownedmotivational speaker Lisa Nichols—invites readers into a deeply personalstory shaped by loss, resilience, and transformation. Through honest andcompelling storytelling, Harper explores identity, healing, and thecourage it takes to reclaim your narrative.As a speaker, Harper brings clarity, depth, and humor to conversationsabout leadership, purpose, and the lived experiences of Black women.She connects with audiences through truth-telling and a passion forcreating spaces where people feel seen, heard, and empowered.If the Brave Women at Work Podcast has helped you personally or professionally, please share it with a friend, colleague, or family member. And your ratings and reviews help the show continue to gain traction and grow. Thank you again!I’m so pumped to let you know that the E-Book for Brave Women at Work: Lessons in Authenticity is now available on Amazon!If you 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.