When writing is at the center of our careers, it’s powerful. Here are 5 clues that you might not be putting the priority on writing that you think you are. We’ve talked many times about the importance of centering your writing to help build your best career. And you might want to do that… but are you really? Here are 5 clues that point to writing being on the sidelines in your life and career. Clue #1: You are doing your writing early in the morning, late at night, or on the weekends. There are ...
Feb 16, 2021•17 min•Season 5Ep. 67
I’m diving into the idea of “publications as currency” to both debunk the idea and show you how you can make it work for you and your academic mission. If you’re in academia, you’ve probably heard the idea that publications are currency. And that’s true...but what does it really mean for us as womxn academics operating in systems that are not built for us? Publications add value to the world, represent our work, and give us something tangible to take forward with us. But it’s time to reframe the...
Feb 09, 2021•25 min•Season 5Ep. 66
You know you need to schedule time to write, but keeping those dates is the key to creating a successful writing habit. I’ll show you how. We’ve probably all heard the writing advice to “make a date with your writing”, get it scheduled and on your calendar. This is great advice...as long as you keep those dates and actually get the writing done! If you consistently blow off your writing times, or find yourself filling them with other tasks, this episode is for you. I’m helping you find ways to k...
Feb 02, 2021•22 min•Season 5Ep. 65
I’m in the hot seat on this episode of The Academic Womxn Amplified! I’m sharing an interview of yours truly by Anna Clemens of Scientists Who Write. We cover everything from how (and why) to get writing done inside your work week to changing the patriarchal culture of academia to my coaching philosophy and program offerings. Key points discussed: Writing as career currency and why academics should put it at the center of their careers Why I work with womxn and non-binary folx and systemic chall...
Jan 26, 2021•43 min•Season 5Ep. 64
What is “mid-career” for academics? How long does it last and where can you go from here? The answer to that last one may surprise you. In North America, we have a 3-tiered promotion system. Your early career starts at Assistant Professor, you move to Associate Professor after you pass tenure review, and the final stage is Full Professor. (The UK system uses different terminology but is similar.) So what’s considered “mid-career” and why does it matter? How can you move forward after tenure and ...
Jan 19, 2021•30 min•Season 5Ep. 63
Don’t let the wide open schedules of a sabbatical or leave go to waste. Find out how to approach this time to get the most out of it! It’s something we all dream about—a sabbatical or research leave when you can spend all your time writing. Then you’ll really be productive! But ask anyone who has actually taken a sabbatical and you’ll soon discover that the big blocks of time that you’ve been craving can actually make you feel more guilty and less productive than you feel in a regular semester. ...
Jan 12, 2021•40 min•Season 5Ep. 62
It’s a fresh, new year and it’s time to leave all the “shoulds” in 2020 and plan to be more you in 2021. Goodbye 2020! My hopes are high for 2021. I encourage you to make this the year that you stop focusing on what you think you “should” be doing to get your writing done and advance your career and start leaning in to what works for you . I assure you that you will get more done with deeper creativity if you accept the ways that work best for you and structure everything else accordingly. Your ...
Jan 05, 2021•19 min•Season 5Ep. 61
Have you ever considered writing a book? I’m sharing the inside scoop on the process for my own book project, from idea to submission. I know many of you out there have entertained the idea of writing a book at one time or another. So I’m sharing my own experiences with the book process, from idea to proposal writing to submission. As of this writing, I am still in the process of submitting to different academic presses, so part 2 will come after I get a contract and start the next phase! For no...
Dec 22, 2020•34 min•Season 4Ep. 60
There are times, like at the end of a semester, when you might put your writing aside. How do you pick it back up again with the least amount of stress and the most creative potential? Your workload ebbs and flows, and there are times (like the end of a semester) when you may put your writing aside; in fact, I recommend it. So how do you pick it back up again? If you’re thinking you’ll get all your grades in, finish your semester tasks, then jump right into it again, I’m asking you to reconsider...
Dec 15, 2020•16 min•Season 4Ep. 59
What actually “counts” as writing? When you give yourself credit for accomplishing your writing, do you only look at the number of words on a page? I say it’s more than that. We spend a lot of time thinking “I should be writing,” as academia pulls us in a thousand directions. But we often forget all that writing really is. It is important to re-think what “counts” as writing. Acknowledging progress on a project helps us cultivate positive feelings about our writing, which propels us forward and ...
Dec 08, 2020•16 min•Season 4Ep. 58
I am joined on this episode by my fabulous writing coaches, Rocío Caballero-Gill and Gina Robinson. We are talking all about the issues and stressors that are coming up the most in working with clients in our programs right now. What are you struggling with in your career? One thing we can guarantee is that you are not alone. From motivation to time management to boundaries to finding support, we are addressing all the top-of-mind issues from the fabulous womxn in our programs. Issues discussed:...
Dec 01, 2020•39 min•Season 4Ep. 57
This is a special bonus episode to tell you all about my re-imagined Navigate: Your Writing Roadmap course, the modules, the freebies, and the sign-up bonuses! I’m giving you the lowdown on the awesome bonuses you’ll receive as one of the first 10 people to enroll when doors open on Black Friday. We’re talking about a bonus valued at $2000! And even if you don’t end being one of the first 10, the sooner you sign up, the bigger the bonuses. To get the jump on enrolling, get on the waitlist here s...
Nov 25, 2020•34 min
The pandemic didn’t change the course of academia; it has amplified the issues that were already there. As higher ed systems crumble, it’s time for you to decide your own course of action. As one of my favorite books, “The Slow Professor”, explains: the University system is deeply ingrained in the history of capitalism. The path the University is on wasn’t created by the pandemic, it simply sped up the journey down that path. More demands have been made on professors' time, more unpaid admin wor...
Nov 24, 2020•29 min•Season 4Ep. 56
We have an opportunity, at any time, but especially at this moment in time, to rise from the ashes of what has come before to remake our careers and our lives as academics. On the next few episodes of The Academic Womxn Amplified I’m talking about how to rise from the ashes of 2020 to make 2021 the year you take control and redefine your career. Why does writing often fall to the bottom of the list? How can you rethink your vision, mission and goals to help you get your work into the world in a ...
Nov 17, 2020•22 min•Season 4Ep. 55
Keeping your relationship with writing peaceful and productive means prioritizing it during your most energetic and focused times of day. I’m coining a new term for those times to get us into the right mindset for the work. Getting writing done is a key component to the academic life, but it doesn’t have to be a slog. Creating a positive relationship with your writing while also doing your best work is so much easier when you tune in to those times of your day when your energy and focus soar, an...
Nov 10, 2020•27 min•Season 4Ep. 54
Dr. Kemi Doll joins me on this episode of The Academic Womxn Amplified, sharing her expertise and advice on everything from how she balances her multidisciplinary career with joy, to power dynamics and privilege to why coaching is so helpful for academics. She shares her own journey to doctor and health academic, and why she decided to add coach to her list of titles. Key points discussed: Struggling academically through undergrad, going for med school anyway [3:30] How Kemi spends her time, wit...
Nov 03, 2020•47 min•Season 4Ep. 53
Making a change in your academic career can be scary, but is it dangerous? On this episode I’m helping you recognize when deciding not to make a change might be the danger. I’m an avid podcast listener. I recently heard a story on the How I Built This podcast about an investment banker whose doctor told her that if something didn’t change, she was going to have a stroke, or a heart attack. Staying in that job, for her, was exceedingly dangerous. This got me thinking about our careers in academia...
Oct 27, 2020•32 min•Season 4Ep. 52
Career coach Dr. Carol Parker Walsh joins us to share her path into and through academia, and to dig into something we are both passionate about: career development for women. Carol helps women figure out their next career steps, in order to make their lives and careers more individual and joyful. She shares about big moments in her own life that helped her realize she was on the wrong path, and gives us three great questions to ask ourselves to reflect on our careers. Key points discussed: Dr. ...
Oct 20, 2020•46 min•Season 4Ep. 51
Your career, your body of scholarly work, is independent of any ‘container’ through which you do that work, like a university or institution. Have you ever thought about this idea? It’s important! We often look at our career paths in terms of a certain ‘container’. We make choices based on things like which grad school has a reputation that will position us well in our fields, which institutions provide pre-tenure opportunities, etc. Much of the conversation about career paths gets steered towar...
Oct 13, 2020•29 min•Season 4Ep. 50
Are you wondering what your career will be like once you reach that ultimate milestone of tenure? I’m busting 5 myths about the post tenure experience to give you a realistic picture. Getting tenure is a goal that most academics have had throughout their entire careers. If you are in the pre-tenure process right now, you may be believing one or more of these 5 myths about what it will be like if and when you are granted tenure. I’m busting these myths to give you a clearer picture of the post te...
Oct 06, 2020•28 min•Season 4Ep. 49
We get a lot of questions about academic publishing in our 14,000 member Facebook group. On this podcast I’m sharing answers to the top 5 questions we see. Writing and publishing in academia is paramount. In our Facebook group we get lots of questions about academic publishing, so I’m breaking down answers to the 5 questions we see the most. Let’s jump right in. Question #1: How do I respond to reviewer comments if I don't agree with them? First off, I want to say that peer review is important! ...
Sep 29, 2020•35 min•Season 4Ep. 48
Do you constantly feel like there is not enough time, not enough resources, not enough publications, just not enough? This isn’t a coincidence (and it isn’t the truth). In academia we’ve been conditioned into a scarcity mindset. An abundance mindset means you feel like there is enough of something: enough time, enough resources, plenty to go around for everyone. Scarcity mindset assumes there is never enough, and you better scramble and scratch for everything you can get. We’ve been conditioned ...
Sep 22, 2020•25 min•Season 4Ep. 47
How do you keep your writing going during times of upheaval and uncertainty? It’s possible to keep making progress, but you do need to have some tools to draw on. Uncertainty is a norm in our lives. Some times are rife with upheaval on a large scale, like our current moment in 2020: unknowns and extra stressors due to Covid-19, unrest and striving for change due to a long overdue racial reckoning...it’s an uncertain moment in history. But even in our “normal” lives, uncertainty is a factor. Some...
Sep 15, 2020•29 min•Season 4Ep. 46
Have you ever looked at your writing projects through the lens of economics? I’m showing you how, and why you should on this episode of The Academic Womxn Amplified. I love listening to podcasts; they’re one of my favorite ways to give my brain a little break and think about something other than academics for awhile. This summer I stumbled on a great one that I not only found fascinating, but realized could be applied to our writing project management, so I had to share it with you all! The podc...
Sep 08, 2020•26 min•Season 4Ep. 45
It’s our one year anniversary at the Academic Womxn Amplified podcast! This calls for a giveaway. This month the Academic Womxn Amplified podcast is having it’s one year anniversary! Our fans rave about our podcast, which is chock-full of juicy writing advice for academic womxn. We currently have 80,000 lifetime downloads… but that’s not good enough! To reach more academic womxn who need our message we want to get to 100,000 downloads by September 30th. Sounds like the perfect opportunity for a ...
Sep 07, 2020•8 min
Are you believing any of these 5 myths about the tenure prep process? You could be setting yourself up for unneeded stress and worry, so let’s bust those myths. Now that you’ve landed that tenure track job, it’s essential to cut through the clutter of what you think you have to do, kick guilt and overwhelm to the curb, and create a process that works without the burnout. Consider this my permission to stop believing these 5 myths, and stop acting as if they’re true. Myth #1: You have to be quiet...
Sep 01, 2020•23 min•Season 4Ep. 44
My guest on this episode is Adrianna Santos, passionate advocate for equity for women, immigrants, and marginalized communities. She shares about many mentors and inspirational figures in her life who led her to Latinx and Chicanx studies, processing trauma through performance and embodiment exercises, having babies during dissertation, and coming full circle to teach in her hometown. Yet another example of womxn walking “non-traditional” paths, she is training to become a doula, and is followin...
Aug 25, 2020•47 min•Season 3Ep. 43
When my guest on this episode was young, she was a curious and confident learner. She started higher education in her native Peru, but had to start over in high school when she and her family moved to the United States. Dr. Rocío Caballero Gill shares her story of learning English, following her love of the sciences, and most importantly, keeping her family at the center. We talk about her setbacks and successes, and what she’s doing now with GeoLatinas, a member-driven organization whose missio...
Aug 18, 2020•55 min•Season 3Ep. 42
Dr. Sandra Soto Santiago has come full circle in her career, finding passion and purpose in helping others with similar backgrounds to access higher education. She talks about being a first generation college student and the first in her family to earn graduate degrees. She also shares her personal story, being raised by a single mother who worked hard and emphasized education for a better life for her family; moving from Puerto Rico to the US then back to Puerto Rico; the challenges she faced a...
Aug 11, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Season 3Ep. 41
Dr. Jane Jones has had the “golden ticket” job, and she will be the first to tell you: it’s not for everyone. She may have landed a tenure track job her first year on the market, but after 3 years she knew it was not for her. Racial inequity, lack of creative freedom and the constraints of academia led her away from the professor life she had always wanted, and toward her own entrepreneurial venture. As an editor and academic writing coach she is still in the world of academia, but is navigating...
Aug 04, 2020•59 min•Season 3Ep. 40
