Okay, I’ve just thrown my normal podcast process out the window! How can I pretend that life is normal right now? It’s NOT. Until we’re out of COVID-19 lockdown, I’ll be recording special episodes each week. I’m here to serve you, so let me have it! Send me all of your career-related questions, related to […]
Remember how much fun social media used to be? A great night out on the town with friends? Every toast & round of drinks was documented. A meme that hilariously reminded you of that one person that got on your last nerves? It had to be shared, of course! But, social media got a whole […]
Welcome to The Real-World Feminist Podcast website! How do I land my dream job? How should I ask for a promotion? When is it time to find a new boss? How do I get paid what I’m worth? How can I make networking suck less? Most importantly, how do I stand out and get recognized […]
Glory hallelujah, spring is officially here! Soon as the temperatures start going up, I start itching to throw open the windows and Marie Kondo the crap out of everything. If you are like me, why not take advantage of this seasonal energy and put it to good use for your career? Yes, my friends, it’s […]
It can’t be denied that we women have come so far in the workplace. But, it must be simply said. Until we can be assured that we are being paid equally for equal work, until sexual harassment is a thing of the past, until we have equal representation on executive boards – we have a […]
As I connect with women who are interested in building their careers, there’s a subject that seems to come up without fail. The hot topic is mentorship. Questions come up such as… How do I find a mentor? What makes a great mentor? Do you have any tips on how to ask someone to be […]
Thanks to Congressional resolutions passed back in the 1980s, here in America we celebrate Women’s History Month every March. In the simplest terms, the intent of this month-long holiday is to encourage all Americans to learn more and celebrate the role that women have had in American history. What an awesome intent! But, if we […]
Now with many years of professional experience under my belt, I often take part in mentorship events or have chats when I connect with a young woman hoping for advice. There is a common question they ask: When you look back, is there one thing you wish you did differently? They want me to unlock […]
We high-achievers tend to hang out in packs. We are simply drawn to other Type-A personalities. People who get stuff done. Hey, if it was up to us, everyone on our team would be a badass. We’d conquer the world together! But, the reality is most of us don’t have the liberty to choose everyone […]
When we think about building our professional reputation, most of us tend to think about working towards large-scale accomplishments. We plan big goals and think that our reputations will be built when we achieve them. Of course, growing our experience and skills is critical to building our career paths. But, our professional reputations are not […]
No matter how focused or productive we are, there’s one thing I know to be true. Even badasses have bad days. Days when plans go off the rails. Days when an offhand remark from a stranger feeds your worst insecurity. Days when you just wake up on the wrong side of the bed. Bad days […]
Our motivation is strong in January. We’re starting new habits and chipping away at our goals. But, I know from my own experience that you can’t count on pure motivation to keep you on track all year. I’ve tried it countless times—it doesn’t work. By springtime, my willpower and focus fade. Then all of my […]
We’re focused on our new goals and resolutions. Doing the hard work to stay consistent and true to the vision of our future selves. On top of all of the other hectic things at work and home filling our calendars! Simply put, we’re busy AF. And then that request comes in. It slides into your […]
It’s the New Year! In most of corporate America, this means annual performance review season has officially begun. No matter how driven you are in your career, there’s a very good chance that you dread this season. You are not alone in feeling this way. Why do we feel this way? It’s supposed to be […]
When I reflect on the past decade, it’s clear to me that all of the wonderful things that I’ve accomplished or manifested into my life started with a small practice. About 10 years ago, my best friend and I met up to dreamscape about the year ahead. We’d brought our notebooks to our favorite neighborhood […]
With the benefit of many years of hindsight, I can now see that there’s been one clear secret behind my professional success. The secret is a simple concept. I’ll share the secret with you, by telling you the story of my career path. I graduated from college with a film degree. I was very driven. […]
As the year winds down, the next couple of weeks tend to be quiet in corporate America. People are out of office, deadlines are relaxed, and in many ways, it feels like a wasted week. Whether you are in the office or off for some well-deserved rest and relaxation, don’t waste this moment. You can […]
You know you’ve been killing it at work. You’ve upped your game. You’re making strides towards smashing your professional goals. The results must speak for themselves, right? Not necessarily. Your stellar may be noticed by the right people, or they may not be noticed at all. You can’t trust that the right people are connecting […]
It’s the holiday season. The calendar is packed with different holidays and reasons to celebrate that serve to remind us that life is pretty darn sweet. But, sometimes navigating holiday traditions such as gift-giving can get a little tricky, especially in the workplace. I can’t promise you a drama-free holiday, but I can give you […]
That holiday spirit is contagious. It even catches all across corporate America! Your cube-mates have strung holiday lights, cookies and treats are everywhere, and even the grumpiest co-workers seem a little more pleasant this time of year. The peak of the office holiday season is the holiday party. Corporate holiday parties come in all shapes […]
It’s Thanksgiving week! Right about now, anyone with a social media feed is getting barraged by hand-lettered graphics reminding us to “be thankful” and “count our blessings.” But, let’s be honest. When these messages are being delivered by artfully curated Instagram accounts that want to sell us leather boots on Black Friday and by distant […]
Listen up, Real-World Feminists! There is a phrase that I want you to stop saying in the workplace immediately. I’m sorry. If you are a woman in the workplace, I am willing to bet that you say “I’m sorry” WAY TOO OFTEN. I’m guilty of it, too. I still need to make a conscious effort […]
Want to know the quickest way to dial up your inner critic? Feed it some nice, sugary, fatty work calories. Seriously, go ahead and challenge me on this. Say yes to your cube-mates candy jar or a slice of grocery store birthday cake. Wait 5 minutes. You regret it yet? And now for the rest […]
You just got invited to attend your first professional conference. What awesome news! A conference is a wonderful way to expand your knowledge and your network. This time away from daily routine can inspire you in many ways and put some pep back in your step. Conferences can also be overwhelming to first-time attendees. Here’s […]
One of the most effective ways to show up as a badass is to be known as someone who crushes every assignment. That might sound a little crazy. But, I assure you it is possible. It’s not all about working hard. It’s about working smart. Working smart starts with one key principle: Don’t Make Assumptions. […]
One of the most rewarding and inspiring things I’ve done in my career is leading a women’s group at my company. I never set out to lead it. My journey started with my desire to connect with other women to discuss professional challenges unique to our gender. I gratefully accepted the few invitations that came […]
There’s a powerful quote from motivational speaker Jim Rohn that I’d like to share with you. “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Jim Rohn This quote has been repeated, paraphrased and recycled many times by countless sources over the years. It’s sage advice, and words that I […]
The world is full of opportunities. Many times, your next best step can very well be available at the company where you are already employed. Internal jobs get posted on official boards, recruitment emails with lists of available positions are sent, and co-workers tip you off about new possibilities. If you are happy at your […]
Buckle up, we’re heading into a busy time. Life picks up speed as we head into the holiday season. At work, at home, everywhere! It’s easy to feel like there’s simply not enough time in the day. Especially at the workplace. I can’t give you the gift of more time. But, I can help you […]
You find yourself with a little time on your hands. Maybe a bunch of scheduled meetings disappeared. Or your project is stuck in a holding pattern. Or the rest of your team is out on holiday. You can fritter this time away on social media, online shopping, or an extra-long lunch. Or you can use […]
I’ll be blunt. Email doesn’t count as real work. If you are spending the workday in your inbox, you are wasting your day. Email is an insidious little time stealer. Email is an insidious little attention stealer. Email is an insidious little soul sucker. It’s time to stop letting email control your day. I admit. […]
It’s that big moment that you’ve been waiting for: the interview. You’ve done all the right things to get noticed to get you to this point. But, competition in this job market is tough. What can you do in your interview to stand out about the other candidates vying for the same position? Now, of […]
You have a great idea. Perhaps it’s an idea about how a process could be optimized. Or how the company could save money. Better yet, maybe it’s an idea about how you could take on a new responsibility or role. Well, don’t just sit there and think about! Do something about it! Present your idea […]
There’s a question that many people have. But are afraid to ask. I work with a lot of smart people! How do I speak up without looking stupid? If you are the quiet one in the room, people notice. Whether they mention it to you or not. You don’t want to be what I call […]
As a career-focused professional, you’ve heard countless times how important it is to network. I used to hear this and it would flat-out give me anxiety. The idea of talking to random people in a room full of strangers sounds like hell to me. At least it used to. What changed it for me was […]
I’m fond of saying that you are in the driver’s seat of your career. But there will be many people who over the course of time influence your path. Let’s talk about a key person who is currently influencing your path: your boss. Your direct boss has direct power over your career path at your […]
Meetings can really suck. Most of us simply have too many of them. How many times have you thought well, that’s an hour of my life I can never get back or how many times are we going to meet to talk about the same damn thing? But, meetings can be really useful. If there’s […]
There’s an everyday tool that frankly doesn’t get talked about enough in the workplace. It’s easy to overlook because it seems so harmless. But I assure you it’s not. It can help build your professional reputation as a leader. Or it can damage your reputation and even your job security. I’m talking about email. Hey, […]
You’ve written a kick-ass resume and have applied online for a number of positions. You have the qualifications, so why no response? I mean, WTF? They aren’t even reaching out to reject me! It’s not you. It’s the way you applied for the job. What? The job posting said I could apply on the […]
Hello, Real-World Feminists! I’m Michelle Kinsman. I’ve been ambitious to succeed since birth. I’m not going to apologize for that. When I finally got my foot in the door at the company of my dreams, I used my smarts, my unrelenting drive, and my entrepreneurial spirit to work my way from administrative assistant to top […]
I am a pod geek. I love to fill my downtime with learning and inspiration. Who has time to waste on mindless commutes, errands, house-cleaning, etc? Not me. Not you, either! I’m working on a new podcast, which will launch August 6, 2019! It’s being created with YOU in mind. It will be filled with […]