Brave Women at Work - podcast cover

Brave Women at Work

Jen Pestikasbankonwomen.libsyn.com

Leadership positions in corporations are overwhelmingly held by men. Women who want to advance their careers and have equal representation at the table face enormous obstacles in today's society. They are frequently viewed through the lens of stereotypes, making it difficult for them to demonstrate their worth. In response, it's only natural that they keep their heads down and wallow in their insecurities. Don't you wish there was a guidebook for women to use as they enter the workforce? With this, they could have a much easier time navigating the complex environment.


Since there isn't anything like it out there, Jen Pestikas created a podcast called Brave Women at Work to fill the void. This show encourages women to believe in themselves and take charge of their professional lives so that they can progress to the next level.


Each episode is devoted to a different set of issues that prevent professional women from reaching their full potential and obtaining the leadership positions they seek. Burnout and imposter syndrome are two common causes of self-sabotage. Learn to break free of the victim mentality and the distractions that prevent you from speaking up, and you will have taken the first step toward removing those obstacles. Get out of your comfort zone and into the path to achieving much larger objectives. Use the information you gain from this show to help you realize your full potential, then stand firm against the unjust demands of the business world.


Listen in on discussions that teach you how to advocate for yourself and let others recognize the value you bring to the workplace. Don't let the long hours you spend at work make you feel bored or unappreciated. Find out when it's appropriate to negotiate your salary, your hours, and your position to get the most out of your job. One should not put their professional success in the hands of others. Take advantage of your unique abilities to make significant strides in your career.


For over twenty years, Jen has worked as a Certified Career and Leadership Coach in the business world, and now she's bringing that knowledge to the podcast audience. She'll show you how to succeed professionally without sacrificing your personal life or putting on a false front. Gain self-assurance and knock down roadblocks to success with the help of Jen's insightful advice.


In addition to her extensive expertise, Jen shares uplifting takeaways from her own corporate experience. Both burnout and the "imposter syndrome" have affected her. She struggled with many self-limiting beliefs and experienced her share of professional dissatisfaction. After spending many years in the predominantly male investment services industry, Jen learned what it takes to stand out as a strong, career-focused woman. She overcame adversity and is now the Senior Vice President of Business Development at a thriving financial institution. She is a shining proof of how far one can go in their careers by playing to their strengths and removing any self-doubt that may have been holding them back.


On the podcast, Jen not only discusses her own life but also features interviews with other remarkable women. Find out how they overcame the obstacles they encountered in the business world and how they turned their setbacks into opportunities. These outstanding individuals were once in your shoes, and now you can benefit from their experiences and insights as you propel your own career to new heights.


As long as men dominate the corporate world, it will be difficult for women to advance. Don't let the gender gap stop you from pursuing your professional goals. Acquire the resources you need to fully realize your potential by following Jen's guidance and the examples of her amazing guests. Luck will not make you a good leader. Instead, make people listen to what you have to say, become your own advocate, and take bolder action in everything you do.


Listen to Brave Women at Work at https://bravewomenatwork.com/.

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Episodes

A Life Made from Scratch with Former Congresswoman Marie Newman

As I am recording this, we are 1 week after the Thrive in ’25 Conference. Wow! Just wow! The women that attended were so powerful and wonderful to meet and get to know in-person. It was almost like an out-of-body experience to know that I helped bring this to life. And now, I am resting as much as I can. After 1 year of planning, it is wonderful to be able to know that is behind me and I can fully ease into summer and slower days and making fun memories with my family. So, what are we talking ab...

Jul 10, 20251 hr 1 minEp. 239

Why Chasing Contentment Through Overwork Is Not the Answer with Marilyn Vetter

I’d like to start by giving a warm welcome back to my wiser, older sister (well, she’s not my sister, but she feels like it), Marilyn Vetter. Marilyn and I met one another a few years ago, and our stories are so similar, it’s eerie. In Marilyn’s first chapter in Brave Women at Work: Lessons in Confidence, she talked about the question, “Why Not Me?” to a potential promotion in her career. That question stopped me in my tracks and had me wondering if I took a moment to ask, “Why not me?” to oppor...

Jul 03, 202549 minEp. 238

Inhale Faith, Exhale Fear: Embracing a New Way of Life and Work with Dr. Shawnte Elbert

Have you ever had a work situation that took you to your knees and required your faith that everything was going to be okay? I have. In one of my roles, my boss told me that I wasn’t the right fit for the role and that I was going on the dreaded performance improvement plan or PIP for short. I was typically the person that was helping others improve their performance, not the employee that was told my performance wasn’t measuring up to expectations. When my boss provided me that news, I felt lik...

Jun 26, 202559 minEp. 237

From Pantsuits to Swimsuits: Allow Yourself to Evolve with Jackie Cetera

What is your Plan A? My Plan A was to go to college, get married, have 2 kids, and have a great career. I didn’t know that I would have post-partum anxiety and secondary infertility with my family and burnout on the path to career success. As the cliché goes, life can throw us curveballs, and it up to us how we handle these challenges and pivot to Plan B. Plan B is always seen as the back-up plan or the plan that isn’t as good as Plan A. As I get older and farther along in my life and career, I ...

Jun 19, 202549 minEp. 236

No Longer Hiding Your Story: Start with Compassion with Amy Quesenberry

I am so excited for my guest today, Amy Quesenberry. Amy and I met through Shelia Higgs Burkhalter and the Infuse Compassion into Companies Conference. When we met, Amy shared her Start with Compassion model, and I was blown away. If we start with compassion with ourselves, with one another, and within companies, it truly can drive better relationships, more productivity, higher satisfaction, happiness, and so much more. As a recovering perfectionist, starting with compassion is easy to understa...

Jun 12, 202556 minEp. 235

Decoding the Workplace: Working with Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z with Meghan Grace

On this weeks episode, Meghan Grace https://www.meghanmgrace.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/genz/id1377915856 https://www.amazon.com/Generation-Goes-College-Corey-Seemiller-ebook/dp/B019YNNZAA?ref_=ast_author_dp https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K52C97N/ref=mes-dp?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=TPIuC&content-id=amzn1.sym.8572ac08-6096-4eb6-b32e-2c759cc3eb5b&pf_rd_p=8572ac08-6096-4eb6-b32e-2c759cc3eb5b&pf_rd_r=45RW287DPDEC2QRG3ZMQ&pd_rd_wg=Z91Kx&pd_rd_r=91bbc826-603f-4a8b-94...

Jun 05, 20251 hr 9 minEp. 234

Leveraging Talk Types to Maximize Personal and Professional Relationships with Amanda Kenderes

I am so excited for my conversation with my guest, Amanda Kenderes. Amanda has discovered something entirely new about communication that I am pumped to share with you. It’s called Talk Types. What if the way we talk and who we are as people are intrinsically linked? If we understand our talk type and others, we can understand how to better communicate with one another, and as a result, have better personal and professional relationships. During the podcast today, Amanda and I chatted about: Why...

May 29, 202559 minEp. 233

Breath, Sweat, and Reinvention: A Leader's inner Journey with Nicole Meline

When we grow up, we think we have it all figured out, don’t we? We believe we should go to college, get a good job, find our perfect partner, be fit, have a good circle of friends, maybe have kids, etc. All before the age of 35. We have these insane expectations for ourselves and what our lives will be. And then, we learn. Maybe the job or career path we originally selected isn’t right for us. Maybe we find ourselves without a partner or kids. Maybe life faced us with health challenges. Whatever...

May 22, 202552 minEp. 232

Release Your Corporate Baggage and Take Control of Your Career with Tamara McLemore

Have you ever thought about the concept of baggage at work? I have a dear friend, Pam, that always tells me “Wherever you go, there you are.” If you don’t do the lessons, you bring everything with you from job to job or company to company. You bring your habits, patterns, and mental and emotional baggage. The question that my guest, Tamara McLemore, and I chat about today is how can we release this baggage so we can take control of our careers? During my conversation with Tamara, we chatted abou...

May 15, 202556 minEp. 231

Drop Perfectionism and Embrace Delegation with the BIKE Method with Tonya Herb

My guest today, Tonya Herb, is welcoming me and anyone else that struggles with this, to try a new way. What if we turned to others and delegated during stressful times, and really all the time? I know, monumental for perfectionists like me. What if we engaged in kindness towards ourselves? Tonya dives into her proprietary BIKE method and how she leverages that with the work she does with her clients. During my conversation with Tonya, we chatted about: Tonya’s walk with perfectionism and how an...

May 08, 20251 hr 5 minEp. 230

Feel Good Finance: Untangle Your Relationship with Money with Aja Evans

Here’s a fact: For many years, I didn’t know that our money mindset has a direct relationship with how powerful we feel and how we move through our professional and personal lives. I didn’t get the connection, and I have been in financial services for over 25 years. After I dove into all things on leadership, self-improvement, and energetic management, I learned that there is a positive correlation between our money, speaking up, and the energy associated with feeling powerful as a woman. If we ...

May 01, 202552 minEp. 229

Be a Better Leader by Reading Fiction with Melanie Bell

Where are my readers? Or what about aspiring readers? If you are a reader, this show is for you! When I was introduced to Melanie Bell and her work with Leaders Who Fiction, I knew she had to be on Brave Women at Work. I am a non-fiction reader and often struggle with getting into a fiction book. When I heard Melanie talk about the benefits of fiction, I knew I had to give it another try. In addition, according to an article in Inc, “How Reading Fiction Can Make You a Better Leader,” “There’s a ...

Apr 24, 202539 minEp. 228

The Power of Community, Truth Telling, and Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone with Robyn Malone

“Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” — Martin Luther King Jr. If the term Brave Women at Work were in the dictionary, (why isn’t it? LOL), Robyn Malone would be part of the definition. I met Robyn through a dear friend and colleague, and we hit it off pretty quickly. As you will learn during our show today, Robyn has done some scary things, including: Following her heart and leaving her established community in New York City to be w...

Apr 17, 202557 minEp. 227

On Being a Sacred Changemaker in the Corporate World with Jayne Warrilow

On Being a Sacred Changemaker in the Corporate World with Jayne Warrilow Summary: Welcome to the Brave Women at Work podcast. This is your host, Jen Pestikas. I’m so glad you’re here. Hello everyone! How are you doing out there? Happy Spring to everyone in the Northern Hemisphere! I am so happy that we are starting to have slightly warmer and longer days. We had snow here in my area even in March, so fingers crossed that we are done with that business. Well, if you didn’t listen to one of the Ja...

Apr 10, 20251 hr 4 minEp. 226

The Journey to Leadership: How You Can Lead from the Inside Out with Dana Maor

When I was growing up in my career, I received my first management position because I was a hard worker and drove results as an individual competitor. As I have risen through the corporate ranks, no one told me that leadership is an inside job. I learned that through the school of hard knocks, many bouts of Imposter Syndrome, tough feedback, and more. This is why I wanted to talk about this very topic with my guest today, Dana Maor. Dana knows firsthand the importance of looking within to determ...

Apr 03, 202547 minEp. 225

Be a Changemaker: Say What They Can’t Unhear with Tamsen Webster

Well, I’m excited! I have a repeat guest on the podcast, Tamsen Webster. Tamsen was here the last time she wrote her first book, Find Your Red Thread, and today she is here to talk about her newest book, Say What they Can’t Unhear: The 9 Principles of Lasting Change. You know when everything is smooth sailing and you are enjoying an easy, breezy ride for a while? I know those times, and 2025 is not one of them for me. I am in a period of significant change professionally, so I was excited to tal...

Mar 27, 20251 hr 8 minEp. 224

The Unspeakable Pleasure of Entering Your Villain Era with Jenn Johnson

At the end of my first podcast with guest, ER nurse and author, Jenn Johnson, I asked her what I ask all guests. “What are 1 to 2 ways women can be braver at work?” Jen proceeded to tell me, “Enter your villain era.” I stopped in my tracks. What did that mean? It means loving yourself enough to consider your needs. It means that you are drawing and holding your boundaries. It means relishing in self-care. It means putting yourself first. I have to say that I felt guilty easing into this concept....

Mar 20, 202549 minEp. 223

Episode: Golden Scars: Finding Strength and Growth Through Life’s Challenges with Emily Zarecki

There is a book called Carry On, Warrior: The Power of Embracing Your Messy, Beautiful Life by Glennon Doyle. When I think about the concept of “carrying on, warrior,” I think of Emily Zarecki. As you will hear in today’s podcast, Emily is a warrior that has endured many trials and tribulations in her life. When I met Emily, I knew she would have a story of bravery to inspire all of us that we can do hard things. During my conversation with Emily, we chatted about: How the passing of her mom and...

Mar 13, 20251 hr 10 minEp. 222

Nursing your Intuition with Jenn Johnson

*TRIGGER WARNING - This episode discusses traumatic death Welcome to the Brave Women at Work podcast. This is your host, Jen Pestikas. I’m so glad you’re here. Hello everyone! How are you doing out there? Let’s talk about a topic that’s not talked about often: using our intuition at work. When you make key decisions at work, do you exclusively use data, research, and analysis? What about when you hire someone? Do you sole rely on a hiring assessment? Or do you use your gut or intuition too? For ...

Mar 06, 20251 hr 1 minEp. 221

9 tips to managing Shiny Object Syndrome

Today, we are chatting about shiny objective syndrome and how it hurts us. So, what is shiny object syndrome? According to Google, Shiny object syndrome (SOS) is the tendency to be distracted by new ideas or opportunities, often at the expense of current tasks. It can affect people in many contexts, including business, personal development, and relationships. It can look like this. You are working on a project and get another idea that is even better than what you are working on. You decide to p...

Feb 27, 202530 minEp. 220

Moving from #2 to #1 Mindset with Monique Helstrom

Well, I have come full circle! In 2013, I started a leadership group for my corporate organization. My CEO requested that we center the first leadership group on the book, Start with Why, by Simon Sinek. And almost 12 years later, I am still obsessed with the book. The basic premise of Start with Why is that if a person or a company starts from the point of why they do what they do and they communicate that clearly, the how and what (aka the operations or tactical pieces) will come. It all start...

Feb 20, 202547 minEp. 219

Episode: Flourishing in Your Career with HEART Centered Planning with Jenn Smith

I am so excited for my guest today, Jenn Smith. Jenn and I met in a very interesting way. Jenn was listening to the Brave Women at Work Podcast, especially the show with Heather Eck. This show was just rebroadcast as the best of 2024 episode on 12/26/2024. If you haven’t listened to that one, you must go back and check it out! Jenn was intrigued by my conversation with Heather, an artist with the amazing story of owning her gift of synesthesia, or the mixing of the senses. Heather is a former HR...

Feb 13, 202545 minEp. 218

Episode: How the Sexual Wound Imprint Can Impact Our Professional Lives with Jaitara Jayde

Over the years at Brave Women at Work, we have talked about our mindset, how we feel about our bodies, our family histories, and more and how these issues impact how we show up at work. Now, we are covering how our sexual past and potential wounds in this area can impact our ability to speak up, go for a promotion, believe we are worthy to get paid what we are worth, and more in the professional arena. At first, before Jaitara Jayde, my guest and I, hit record today, I wondered if this subject w...

Feb 06, 202555 minEp. 217

Leadership Lessons: Learning to Leverage Your Feminine and Masculine Traits with Patty Altman

My guest today - Patty Altman has over 30 years of corporate experience, and brings a wealth of knowledge, vulnerability, and fun to our conversation. Patty has an extensive work experience in the consumer and shopper insights field, starting her career in 1993 as a Sr Project Manager at NPD. Patty then worked at IRI as a Vice President, leading a team in selling and delivering syndicated and custom panel research projects. At Ipsos Connect, she held roles as Vice President and Senior Vice Presi...

Jan 30, 202556 minEp. 216

Using Storytelling to Deliver Powerful Communication with Andrea Sampson

Please join me in welcoming Andrea Sampson to today's episode! Andrea is the mastermind behind Talk Boutique and the Thought Leader Academy, joins us to unravel the profound impact of storytelling in leadership. Learn how Andrea's extensive background in advertising and her passion for simplifying complex ideas through TEDx Toronto have equipped her to guide visionaries in sharing groundbreaking work. Her journey emphasizes the transformative power of introspection and adaptability in building a...

Jan 23, 202557 minEp. 215

Somatic Breathwork with Nicole Smith Levay

I cannot wait to discuss with you this week how Nicole has helped me change how I approach my day to day. So let's meet this transformational retreat leader and energy coach, Nicole Smith-Levay, returns to illuminate the power of somatics and breathwork in both professional and personal spheres. Together, we discuss the journey of reconnecting our minds and bodies, a path that has profoundly influenced my own productivity and clarity. Nicole introduces the innovative Forward Momentum program, de...

Jan 16, 20251 hr 2 minEp. 214

Claim Your Swagger with Jennifer Mrozek Sukalo

On today's episode I am excited to have award-winning author and TEDx speaker Jennifer Mrozek-Sukalo redefine swagger, transforming it from its traditional association with arrogance to a beacon of self-confidence and authenticity. Her insights encourage us to let go of perfectionism and past mistakes, making room for vulnerability as a powerful leadership tool. Jennifer’s personal journey, combined with my background in behavioral change and leadership consulting, offers valuable lessons on ove...

Jan 09, 202552 minEp. 213

Be Brave, Be You: Taking Bolder And Braver Action This 2025!

Happy New Year! As we start 2025, I have two interesting topics to share with you during this solo episode. First, why should you consider a Word of the Year Practice? In the first portion of the show, I share how to find your word of the year and the benefits of doing this. Second, I reflect on the name of the podcast, Brave Women at Work, and the interesting juxtaposition the podcast name has between the male and female pieces of ourselves. During the show, I share the definitions of brave and...

Jan 02, 202529 minEp. 212

Best Of Brave Women At Work - The Healing Power Of Color With Heather Eck

Happy Holidays! Let me start by saying that I hope you have a wonderful holiday with your family and friends. As we end the year, I also wish you much love, health and happiness in the New Year. This week, I am replaying one of my favorite episodes from Brave Women at Work. This week, I would love for you to learn (or re-learn) about the power of color with Heather Eck . I met Heather via a podcast placement agency. The magic of podcasting is that you can make amazing connections simply by chatt...

Dec 26, 202455 minEp. 211

Looking After Your Health And Wealth With Krisstina Wise

As we get closer to the end of the year, we typically think about our New Year’s Resolutions. One resolution that ends up on many people’s lists is to get out of debt and save more money. What we don’t often talk about is the powerful connection between our wealth and our health. Like my guest today, Krissina Wise , we may take our health for granted in the pursuit of wealth and not even know we are doing it. Krisstina spent between $250,000 and $500,000 getting her health back after a major hea...

Dec 19, 202458 minEp. 210
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