Why You're Not Getting Promoted
The Mental Offload Podcast
You’ve been angling for a promotion. And it should be yours. You’ve got strong results. Good performance reviews. You get along with your colleagues. And yet…that promotion still hasn’t come. What’s going on here? Is it bias? A boss who’s not advocating for you? Some hidden secret handshake you haven’t mastered? Let me be clear: You’re probably not imagining it. Vague, coded feedback like “be more strategic” or “your communication could be sharper” is all too common. And yes — bias exists. So do clueless (or overwhelmed) managers who don’t champion you. But,...
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Offense and Defense at Work
The Mental Offload Podcast
You’re presenting your big recommendation. You’ve prepped. You’ve practiced. You’ve got the room’s attention. And then… Someone pushes back. Challenges your approach. Questions your recommendation. Suddenly, you find yourself on the back foot. Nervous. Stammering. Feeling defensive. But unable to defend yourself well. I see this same pattern with so many brilliant women. They’re strong on offense: those moments when they’re in control of the narrative. They’ve mastered the prep, the pitch, the polish. But when the unexpected happens? When someone else takes the...
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5 Key Times to Rethink your Personal Brand and Executive Presence
The Mental Offload Podcast
Even the most capable leaders fall into this trap: You evolve professionally—get promoted, shift roles, step into a new organization—but keep showing up the same way you always have. You end up trusted for execution. Valued for your solid judgment. Respected for your work ethic. But still, something’s off. You’re not quite getting the traction you expected. You’re recommendations are getting overlooked. You’re still getting treated as a “junior”, even when your title is “senior”. It’s so frustrating—because you think you’re doing all the right things, but they’re...
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Part-Time Pitfalls
The Mental Offload Podcast
There’s no sugar-coating it. Most jobs are relentless. Even greedy. You’re not imagining it. It’s very real. (In fact, Claudia Goldin won the 2023 Nobel Prize in Economics for her work highlighting the impact of demanding jobs on the careers and earnings of women.) One potential solution: going part-time. For many women, this is the holy grail of work arrangements. A little less pressure at work, a little more space to breathe at home. It sounds so reasonable. And when you're running on fumes, it's hard not to dream about a schedule that doesn’t have...
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Power Moms with Joann Lublin
The Mental Offload Podcast
If you’re a working mother with a demanding job, you’ve probably asked yourself: Is this sustainable? Am I doing enough? How do successful moms make this all work? One journalist has some answers to share. This week, I’m joined by Joann Lublin, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Wall Street Journal contributor, and author of Power Moms: How Executive Mothers Navigate Work and Life. Joann has been studying working mothers for decades. She’s seen firsthand how the expectations, demands, and even the guilt have evolved across generations. She’s lived it, too. In fact,...
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Noble Excuses with Elizabeth Sherman
The Mental Offload Podcast
As kids finish off the school year, I’m looking back in awe how much they’ve grown and accomplished this year. And then, the proud reverie is interrupted. It’s like a split screen where I see my own stalled progress. And feel a giant ugh in the pit of my stomach. I see the goals I meant to prioritize this year — consistent exercise, healthier meals, getting to bed by 10pm. On some of them, I’m doing great. On others…it’s not pretty. When life is going at full speed — school breaks, work travel, a sudden realization that no one is available for pickup on Thursday —...
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How to Beat Burnout as a Working Mom with Lori Oberbroeckling
The Mental Offload Podcast
From the outside, it probably looks like you’re doing it all—and doing it well. You’ve checked all the boxes: crushing it at work, holding things down at home, maybe even taking on a volunteer project or two. But on the inside? You might be asking yourself: How much longer can I keep going like this? In this week’s episode of The Mental Offload, I sit down with Lori Oberbroeckling—senior corporate leader, mom of four, author of Secrets of Supermom, and someone who’s lived through the very burnout she now helps other women recover from. We’re talking about that dangerous...
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Running Behind
The Mental Offload Podcast
Go getters always manage to get it done. But for some of you, it’s often “just in the nick of time”. Are you jumping from one last-minute push to the next late-night sprint? Have you convinced yourself that this is simply the cost of being successful, high-achieving, and in demand? I know, I know. You want to focus on the result: you’re meeting deadlines. Getting s*** done. I used to tell myself I “worked best under deadline”. But, then I realized my processes were keeping the stakes high and the stress higher. “Cutting it close” isn’t a productivity strategy....
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Nervous System Regulation (Part 2), with Jane Pilger
The Mental Offload Podcast
If you've ever found yourself trying to stay calm in a heated meeting—or keeping your cool with a tantruming child—you know: try harder is not the answer. In this week’s episode of The Mental Offload, I continue my powerful conversation with nervous system expert Jane Pilger. We dive deep into how you can regulate your nervous system—and help others regulate, too—even in the midst of difficult conversations. We explore the real reason emotional spirals happen, even when we think we’re "fine." More importantly, you'll learn how to work with your body’s built-in systems to stay...
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Nervous System Regulation (Part 1), with Jane Pilger
The Mental Offload Podcast
As working mothers and high achievers, we are trained to keep pushing through—no matter the cost. On top of that, you’ve probably been told at some point that the best way to be taken seriously as a woman in leadership is not to show any emotion. That can lead you to keep pushing down your emotions. But those pesky emotions often refuse to be silenced. That’s why I recently sat down with nervous system expert Jane Pilger to demystify a topic you’ve heard about but may not fully get: nervous system regulation. No doubt, you’ve heard about the benefits of nervous system...
info_outlineIf you’re a working mother with a demanding job, you’ve probably asked yourself:
Is this sustainable?
Am I doing enough?
How do successful moms make this all work?
One journalist has some answers to share. This week, I’m joined by Joann Lublin, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Wall Street Journal contributor, and author of Power Moms: How Executive Mothers Navigate Work and Life.
Joann has been studying working mothers for decades. She’s seen firsthand how the expectations, demands, and even the guilt have evolved across generations. She’s lived it, too.
In fact, back in 1980, she wrote an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal about her experiences as a working mother. Her piece ruffled quite a few feathers – some hate mail even suggested she should never have had kids – and the blowback almost led her to quit her prestigious job.
The times have changed, but even today, the core struggle remains: How do we build meaningful careers and be present for the people who matter most?
What’s striking about Joann’s work is that she didn’t just speak to one kind of mom. She interviewed high-achieving women across a range of industries, backgrounds, and family setups—along with their adult daughters—to understand what actually helps working mothers work best.
And she’s clear: The idea of “balance” is due for an upgrade.
In this conversation, Joann shares hard-won insights and surprising findings from women who’ve made it to the top—and stayed grounded.
If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s possible to build a life that honors your ambitions for your career and your family, listen in.
What You'll Learn:
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Why “balance” is the wrong goal (and what to aim for instead)
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4 proven ways to ditch the mom guilt
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How today’s ambitious mothers differ from their trailblazing predecessors
This episode is packed with practical takeaways, while staying candid about the systems we’re working within.
For more information, visit The Mental Offload.