Heart Over Hustle: Empathy Is the Ultimate Power Move

In this episode of Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors, Erica Rooney sits down with Claude Silver, Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia and author of Be Yourself At Work. Claude leads a global organization by proving that emotional intelligence is not a "soft skill," but a core business function that drives sustainable, high-growth culture. She shares the origin story of her unique role, revealing how to infuse empathy from the top down and why showing your full humanity is the ultimate strategy for success in a fast-paced, high-pressure world.Inside the Episode:The Chief Heart Officer (CHO) Role: Claude details the evolution of her groundbreaking role, defining it as the executive responsible for the "heartbeat" of the entire organization.Be Yourself At Work: The core message of her book, written for anyone who has felt the need to "shapeshift" or "code-switch" to survive the corporate day.The New Work Paradox: How the emerging Gen Z and Gen Alpha workforce is demanding self-awareness and mental health resources, forcing companies to move beyond toxic cultural norms.Emotional Intelligence as a Superpower: How women can reframe and own their EQ, transforming the "too emotional" label into their most valuable leadership asset.Shutting Down the Inner Critic: Claude introduces the LIE Exercise—a science-backed method for combating imposter syndrome.Fierce Empathy in Action: What kind candor looks like when delivering tough feedback, fostering "genuine care" so that hard conversations are seen as connection, not correction.The Non-Technical Skill of Tomorrow: Claude argues that empathy is the single most critical skill for future leaders.Advice for the Un-Evolved Workplace: How to continue being your authentic self and a champion for others, even in environments that don't support it.If you’re ready to stop hiding who you are and learn how to make your humanity your biggest competitive advantage, this episode is a powerful call to action.🔗 Resources:Download the first chapter of Be Yourself At Work for free at https://www.google.com/search?q=beyourselfbook.com.Visit Claude's website at claude silver.com.Connect with Claude Silver on LinkedIn. BUY THE BOOK - Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors Connect with me on LinkedInBe a Book Launch Insider!!!My FREE 5x5 Starter Kit for LinkedInFREE WEEKLY SUCCESS PLANNERJoin our Facebook Group! Find me on InstagramCheck out our PINS on PinterestAnd YES - I'm on TikTok!

What if the fear and self-doubt you feel in a toxic job are intentionally manufactured by the company—and you hold more power than you think?In this episode of Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors, Erica Rooney sits down with Dan Goodman, founder of the Dan Goodman Employment Advisory. As a corporate veteran who witnessed unfair tactics from the inside, Dan now acts as the strategic counter to HR, having helped employees negotiate over $11.4 million in severance increases in the last 27 months.Join them as they pull back the curtain on predatory PIPS, severance negotiation, and why "your employer is not your family" is the most important lesson for every high-achieving woman.Inside the Episode:The Great Severance Lie: Dan shares his origin story—a pivot from commission verification to helping employees fight back—and the staggering financial impact his advisory has had.Why the PIP is Despicable: A raw, experienced-based take on why predatory PIPS (Performance Improvement Plans) shouldn't exist, and how they are intentionally designed to blindside high-performers and make them quit.The "Gerbil Wheel" of Stress: Understanding the intentional plan to undermine your mental health, confidence, and trust, and how to stop spiraling down the "rat hole" of personalized self-doubt.HR Is Not Your Family: Why the Human Resources department is primarily there to protect the company's interests, and how to use HR only when you are ready to strategically plan your exit.Your Documentation Playbook: The three crucial buckets of information you need to gather (starting on Day One) to build your case and protect yourself before you are locked out of your systems.Severance Negotiation: Before You Arrive: Why executives should negotiate their severance and restrictive clauses before taking the job, and why a C-Suite member should expect a full year of compensation upon termination.Flipping the Script: The most powerful technique for women facing termination: moving from defending yourself against the employer's false narrative to articulating your truthful narrative, backed by their actions.If you are a high-achieving woman facing unfair treatment, a PIP, or simply want to know how to protect your career and your worth in the corporate world, this conversation is an essential guide to fighting back.🔗 Resources:Connect with Dan Goodman on LinkedIn and check out his daily content.Find his services at dangoodmanea.com.Connect with Erica Rooney on LinkedIn. BUY THE BOOK - Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors Connect with me on LinkedInBe a Book Launch Insider!!!My FREE 5x5 Starter Kit for LinkedInFREE WEEKLY SUCCESS PLANNERJoin our Facebook Group! Find me on InstagramCheck out our PINS on PinterestAnd YES - I'm on TikTok!

What if your "stress" isn't one big mess, but three distinct types of challenges that require entirely different solutions?In this episode of Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors, host Erica Rooney sits down with Allison Graham, a leading voice on strategic resilience, and author of books like Take Back Your Weekends. Driven by her own journey through chronic pain and adversity, Allison offers a science-backed framework to help high-achievers stop sacrificing their sanity and manage challenges more efficiently.Join them as they dissect the "tangled up stress mess" we all live in and learn how to separate Adversities (life-changing issues), Obstacles (repeat problems), and the endless Task Circle (the to-do list) so you can regain control and dramatically reduce unnecessary stress.Inside the Episode:The Triple Resilience Model: Allison's revolutionary framework for separating your challenges:Adversities: Catastrophic life events that require survival stress (and self-compassion).Obstacles: Repeating moments of angst that you are paid to solve (requiring problem-solving).Tasks: The endless to-do list that needs zero emotional contribution.The "Task Circle" Trap: Why expecting to ever close the loop on your to-do list is a fantasy that drains your capacity and steals your happiness.Stop the Spiral: How to use the "better word game" to neutralize your language (e.g., swapping "awful" for "mildly irritating") and reverse-engineer the emotional swirl of destructive stress.The X Then Y Fallacy: Why putting off happiness until after you get caught up or after the chaos subsides is a recipe for perpetual unhappiness.Taking Back Your Weekends: The biggest mistake high-achievers make—allowing others to control their schedule—and simple, strategic boundaries to reclaim your time.Awareness Over Judgment: Why approaching your bad habits with compassionate curiosity (e.g., "Hmm, that's interesting that I did that again") is key to creating lasting change.If you're ready to stop the overwhelm and start approaching your life with strategic calm, this episode is your essential guide to building real, practical resilience.🔗 Resources:Learn more about Allison Graham and her work, including the Live Your Best Life Club, at allisongraham.net.Connect with Erica Rooney on LinkedIn. BUY THE BOOK - Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors Connect with me on LinkedInBe a Book Launch Insider!!!My FREE 5x5 Starter Kit for LinkedInFREE WEEKLY SUCCESS PLANNERJoin our Facebook Group! Find me on InstagramCheck out our PINS on PinterestAnd YES - I'm on TikTok!

What if the biggest barrier to gender equality isn't who does the dishes, but who has to remember the dishes need doing?In this episode of Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors, host Erica Rooney sits down with Allison Daminger, a groundbreaking sociologist and author of What's On Her Mind: The Mental Workload of Family Life. Allison's viral research shines a light on the mental load—the planning, anticipating, and managing of all the things—that disproportionately falls on women.Join them as they dissect why even in "woke" partnerships with hands-on dads, women's brains never get to turn off. Allison reveals the societal structures and deep-seated norms that keep this imbalance sticky and, crucially, how we can start an honest, constructive conversation to create a more equitable home life.Inside the Episode:Defining the Invisible Labor: The difference between the physical execution of a chore and the taxing mental work of planning and anticipating that precedes it.The "Nothing" Response: Erica shares a powerful personal anecdote of asking her husband what he was thinking about, only to receive the one-word answer that perfectly summed up the mental load gap.The Next Frontier of Equality: Why sharing the mental load is the final, sticky frontier in achieving true gender parity, even as men do more physical labor than previous generations.The Policy Problem: Erica and Allison connect the mental load directly to the lack of paid parental leave in the US, arguing that early exposure to a child's needs is key to long-term equity.Superhumans vs. Bumblers: Allison’s favorite part of her research, revealing why women are overwhelmingly perceived as the "superhumans" (naturally organized) and men as the "bumblers" (go-with-the-flow)—and why this is a harmful myth.The Truth About Changing Roles: Insights into how the mental load impacts women's career progression, and why couples with higher-earning women still often see the woman carrying the mental burden.The Unjudged Reality: A liberating conclusion: it's okay if changing the load is too much work, as long as you're clear-eyed and okay with the current arrangement.If you've ever felt deeply frustrated by having to manage all the things for your family, this episode will make you feel seen, validated, and equipped to start the conversation you need to have.🔗 Resources:Find Allison Daminger's book, What's On Her Mind: The Mental Workload of Family Life, wherever books are sold.Connect with Erica Rooney on LinkedIn. BUY THE BOOK - Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors Connect with me on LinkedInBe a Book Launch Insider!!!My FREE 5x5 Starter Kit for LinkedInFREE WEEKLY SUCCESS PLANNERJoin our Facebook Group! Find me on InstagramCheck out our PINS on PinterestAnd YES - I'm on TikTok!

Finish the Year Aligned, Not Exhausted: How to Audit Your Energy and Reclaim Your FocusWhat if finishing the year strong didn’t mean doing more—but doing what actually matters?In this solo episode of Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors, host Erica Rooney flips the script on “year-end hustle.” Instead of sprinting toward burnout, she challenges listeners to pause, take stock, and finish the year in alignment with their goals and energy—not perfection or pressure.Through personal stories, humor, and actionable strategies, Erica lays out her simple yet powerful three-part year-end audit to help you separate impact from activity, identify what truly moves the needle, and stop letting busywork control your life.Inside the Episode:The Corporate Finish Line: Erica recalls her HR days—the endless reviews, budget meetings, and parties—and why women are conditioned to equate doing more with success.The Three-Part Audit: Learn how to evaluate your self, your work, and your energy to prioritize what actually matters.Evidence Over Emotion: Why “what gets measured gets managed” isn’t just a cliché—it’s the key to breaking free from hustle culture.Energy Mapping: The color-coded strategy that helps you spot what fuels you and what drains you, so you can start scheduling your days for success.Bridge vs. Cliff Activities: The powerful framework Erica uses to decide whether something propels her forward—or just keeps her spinning on the hamster wheel.Weekly Reflection Ritual: How one 15-minute end-of-week check-in can lower your stress, boost happiness, and help you start every Monday focused and fulfilled.If you’re tired of ending every year overwhelmed, this episode is your permission slip to slow down, realign, and finish strong on purpose.🔗 Resources:Connect with Erica Rooney on LinkedInBUY THE BOOK - Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors Connect with me on LinkedInBe a Book Launch Insider!!!My FREE 5x5 Starter Kit for LinkedInFREE WEEKLY SUCCESS PLANNERJoin our Facebook Group! Find me on InstagramCheck out our PINS on PinterestAnd YES - I'm on TikTok!

What if the biggest barrier to living your dream life isn't your career, but the financial confidence and literacy you still need to claim?In this episode of Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors, host Erica Rooney sits down with Steph Wagner, National Director of Women and Wealth at Northern Trust, former private equity professional, and divorce financial strategist. Steph's personal story of navigating a life-shattering financial crisis after a successful career fueled her mission to empower all women.Join them as they discuss why financial security is the bedrock of a fulfilling life, the emotional "sticky floors" that keep women from engaging with their money, and the vital steps you need to take now to ensure a prosperous future.Inside the Episode:The Wake-Up Call: Steph shares her powerful story of leaving private equity to prioritize family, falling into a false sense of security, and the devastating, eye-opening moment she realized she had no visibility into her family's finances.The Longevity Crisis: Startling statistics on why women must take financial charge, as they significantly outlive men and risk running out of money in their later decades.The Sticky Floors of Money: Unpacking the emotional barriers—like shame, avoidance, and the deep-seated belief of "I don't know enough"—that hold women back, regardless of their income level.From Scarcity to Abundance: Why a growth mindset is critical, but must be paired with the tools and literacy to grow wealth outside of your paycheck.The Core Message of Fly: Why the book is an empowerment guide disguised as a finance book, emphasizing the correlation between financial well-being and living an authentic life you love.Actionable First Steps: Steph's advice on how to start building your financial foundation today, including the need for transparency, honest self-assessment, and seeking financial literacy.The Never-Say-Never Lesson: The one crucial piece of advice Steph would give her younger self: never allow yourself to lean out or assume you're protected from life's curveballs.If you've ever felt overwhelmed, intimidated, or disconnected from your personal finances, this conversation is an inspiring and urgent call to action to claim your financial power.🔗 Resources:Find Steph Wagner's book, Fly: A Woman's Guide to Financial Freedom and Building A Life You Love, wherever books are sold (releasing November 11th).Connect with Erica Rooney on LinkedIn. BUY THE BOOK - Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors Connect with me on LinkedInBe a Book Launch Insider!!!My FREE 5x5 Starter Kit for LinkedInFREE WEEKLY SUCCESS PLANNERJoin our Facebook Group! Find me on InstagramCheck out our PINS on PinterestAnd YES - I'm on TikTok!

What if the secret to a happy life isn't about productivity, but about confronting your own mortality?In this episode of Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors, Erica Rooney sits down with Karen Salmansohn, a bestselling author, wellness expert, and the founder of NotSalmon.com. With a blend of psychology, humor, and a no-BS approach, Karen empowers women to live their happiest, most successful lives. Her new book, Your To Die for Life: How to Maximize Joy and Minimize Regret Before Your Time Runs Out, challenges us to think about life's end to get the most out of our today.Join them as they explore the power of "mortality awareness" as a motivator for change, the science behind rewiring your brain for confidence, and why humor is one of the most effective tools for managing challenging emotions.Inside the Episode:From Ad Exec to Author: Karen's fascinating journey from a high-stakes, high-stress advertising career to becoming a best-selling author and wellness guru with a book titled How to Succeed in Business Without a Penis.The Stop and Swap: A powerful behavioral change strategy rooted in neuroplasticity. Learn why you can't just stop a bad habit or a negative thought—you must replace it with a positive one.The Power of Your Eulogy: Why writing your own eulogy is a life-changing exercise for reverse-engineering your life's purpose and ensuring you live a life of meaning, not just milestones.The Top Regrets of the Dying: Karen shares how a personal tragedy—the death of her father—inspired her to confront the regrets of the dying and change her life's trajectory, leading her to have a son on the same day her father died.The Identity-Based Statement: Learn this powerful psychological tool for changing your habits by first changing how you see yourself.Core Values Over Goals: The difference between a to-do list and a "to-die list," and why living a life aligned with your core values is the only way to minimize regret.Humor as a Superpower: How to use humor as a strategic tool to navigate challenging emotions and move past self-doubt.If you're an ambitious woman who wants to live a bolder, more authentic life—one with no regrets—this episode is an urgent and inspiring wake-up call.🔗 Resources:Find Karen's new book, Your To Die for Life, wherever books are sold.Explore her work at NotSalmon.comConnect with Erica Rooney on LinkedIn BUY THE BOOK - Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors Connect with me on LinkedInBe a Book Launch Insider!!!My FREE 5x5 Starter Kit for LinkedInFREE WEEKLY SUCCESS PLANNERJoin our Facebook Group! Find me on InstagramCheck out our PINS on PinterestAnd YES - I'm on TikTok!

What if the hustle culture you've been taught to admire is actually a trap, and the constant demand for more is keeping you from true peace and happiness?In this episode of Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors, host Erica Rooney sits down with Israa Nasir, a psychotherapist, mental health advocate, and author of Toxic Productivity: Reclaim Your Time and Emotional Energy in a World that Always Demands More. Israa is a leading expert in emotional intelligence and sustainable self-care, guiding high-achieving women to dismantle the perfectionism that keeps them stuck.Israa shares her personal journey from overachiever to psychotherapist, revealing how she used psychological research to find a missing link in the self-help world: the emotional drivers behind our unhealthy behaviors. She offers powerful, actionable strategies to break free from the not-enough mindset and build a life that feels aligned and fulfilling, not just productive.Inside the Episode:The Promised Land of Happiness: Israa's personal story of hitting rock bottom despite checking off every milestone, and how it led her to question the toxic beliefs of hustle culture.Toxic Productivity Defined: Understanding this mindset as an obsession with external validation and achievement that leaves you feeling empty and disconnected.The Performance Culture of Social Media: How the pressure to perform on social media has bled into our real lives, turning our hobbies, friendships, and daily routines into performative acts.Permission to Be Mediocre: A powerful strategy for finding peace by identifying areas of your life where it's okay to be "good enough," freeing up energy for what truly matters.Rest as a Requirement: The truth about rest and why it's a fundamental part of healthy productivity, not a reward you have to earn. Israa offers tangible tools for integrating "micro-rest" into your day.The Chanel Rule for Your Calendar: A brilliant tip for the over-scheduled woman: setting a rule to take something off your calendar every time you feel overwhelmed.The Core Invitation: A call to introspection and self-reflection to redefine your values and build a life that is intentional and fulfilling, not just a series of milestones.If you've ever felt guilty for slowing down or believed that your worth is tied to your output, this conversation is a revolutionary wake-up call to reclaim your time, energy, and life.🔗 Resources:Learn more about Israa Nasir and her work at https://www.google.com/search?q=well-guide.com.Find her book, Toxic Productivity, wherever books are sold.Connect with Erica Rooney on LinkedIn. BUY THE BOOK - Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors Connect with me on LinkedInBe a Book Launch Insider!!!My FREE 5x5 Starter Kit for LinkedInFREE WEEKLY SUCCESS PLANNERJoin our Facebook Group! Find me on InstagramCheck out our PINS on PinterestAnd YES - I'm on TikTok!

What if the relentless pursuit of "more" is actually what's holding you back from true fulfillment and sustainable success?In this episode of Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors, Erica Rooney sits down with Barbara Burgess, a leader, author, and coach who is challenging the pervasive culture of "not enough." In her book, Enough: Finding Peace in a World of Distractions, Hustle, and Expectations, Barbara empowers high-achieving women to break free from the hustle culture and cultivate a deep sense of inner peace.Barbara shares her personal journey from a demanding corporate career to writing a book that came to her as "journaling with no intent." She reveals how she transformed her relationship with self-doubt by turning "not enough" into a comical character, and offers powerful, practical strategies for reclaiming your time, energy, and joy.Inside the Episode:The Not-Enough Character: A surprising and tactical tool for creating distance from your limiting beliefs by giving them a name and a personality.The Self-Improvement Trap: Why the constant hunt for certifications and new skills can be a dangerous form of the "not enough" mindset, particularly for women."I Get To" vs. "I Have To": A revolutionary mindset shift that redefines choice and liberates you from feeling obligated to do things you don't want to.Mastering Your Internal GPS: A powerful exercise using a simple notepad to retrain yourself to tune into your inner knowing and make decisions based on joy and delight.Staying in Your Energy Lane: A crucial strategy for protecting your life force by recognizing what's yours to solve and what's not.Leading with Intuition: How trusting your gut—that "full body yes"—is not a fluffy concept, but a profound and valuable skill that can lead to better outcomes for you and your organization.The Unapologetic Pep Talk: The one piece of advice Barbara would give her younger self: to be unapologetic, embrace change, and trust that she is already enough.If you're an ambitious woman who feels caught between the pressure to perform and a deep longing for peace, this episode is a compassionate and revolutionary guide.🔗 Resources:Find Barbara's book, Enough: Finding Peace in a World of Distractions, Hustle, and Expectations, wherever books are sold.Connect with Erica Rooney on LinkedIn. BUY THE BOOK - Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors Connect with me on LinkedInBe a Book Launch Insider!!!My FREE 5x5 Starter Kit for LinkedInFREE WEEKLY SUCCESS PLANNERJoin our Facebook Group! Find me on InstagramCheck out our PINS on PinterestAnd YES - I'm on TikTok!

What if AI isn't just a tool for productivity, but your secret weapon for building unshakeable confidence in the moments that matter most?In this solo episode, host Erica Rooney shares her AI-powered playbook for ambitious women. She challenges the myth that confidence is a trait you're born with and reveals a powerful truth: confidence is a skill, and like any skill, it can be built and amplified. Erica argues that in a world where time is short and the pressure is high, AI can be the strategic partner that helps you show up bolder, clearer, and more self-assured than ever.Erica dives into real-world, actionable ways you can use AI to prepare for high-stakes conversations, rehearse for critical moments, and build your professional visibility without feeling self-promotional or "salesy."Inside the Episode:Confidence is a Skill, Not a Gift: A reminder that true confidence comes from being prepared and having done the work, a process that AI can supercharge.The Power of Prepping: Learn how to use AI to organize your thoughts and prepare for tough conversations, transforming jumbled ideas into a clear, concise, and confident message in seconds.Rehearsing for the Win: The ultimate guide to using AI for risk-free role-playing. Practice for job interviews, negotiations, or presentations and get real-time feedback without the cringe of doing it with a real person.Building Your Visibility (Without the Cringe): Discover how to use AI to craft compelling stories about your achievements in a humble yet powerful tone, making self-promotion feel authentic and impactful.AI That Sounds Like YOU: A pro tip on how to train AI to match your unique voice, tone, and sentence structure, so your content is always authentic.A Call to Action: A simple, low-stakes way for anyone to get started with AI, even if you're not techy or a little "AI anxious."If you're ready to stop second-guessing yourself and start using every resource at your disposal to lead with clarity and courage, this episode is your first step.🔗 Resources:Join Erica's private community, Her Collective, for more support and tools to advance your career.Connect with Erica Rooney on LinkedIn.BUY THE BOOK - Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors Connect with me on LinkedInBe a Book Launch Insider!!!My FREE 5x5 Starter Kit for LinkedInFREE WEEKLY SUCCESS PLANNERJoin our Facebook Group! Find me on InstagramCheck out our PINS on PinterestAnd YES - I'm on TikTok!