Future Female Leaders

The Future Female Leaders Podcast helps create more female leaders in the workplace. If you are working in an entry level role and are preparing for future growth opportunities, this podcast is for you. Future Female Leaders topics consist of building confidence, improving communication skills, becoming more self aware, learning how to proactively network, and expanding your mindset to best prepare you for that future leadership role. Let's get you promoted! Nichole Harrop is a Women's Leadership + Career Coach. She started at a call center in an entry level role and built her career from there without a college degree. Nichole was turned down for promotions many times before she was offered a leadership position and has led teams in different organizations from well established companies to new tech start ups for over 10 years.

298| How to Request the Meeting: Easy Messaging for the Ask 10/29/2026

297| Timing Your Raise Request Around Big Projects 10/28/2026

297| Timing Your Raise Request Around Big Projects Nichole answers a question many listeners are quietly asking: if you have a big project in the works, should you ask for a raise before it wraps or after? In this episode: A recap of the week so far: the best time of year to ask and how to read the room Why the honest answer is “it depends” on what the project means for your case, and an invitation to DM Nichole about your specific situation Why you should usually ask after the project wraps, or once the results are visible, if it’s one of your strongest proof points, because you can say “here’s what I delivered” instead of “I’m working on something great” Why waiting for a project to finish shouldn’t become a reason to push the whole conversation back What to do if your company’s decision window closes before the project wraps: start the conversation early, point to the result you expect and the date, and plant the seed while staying in the running Why the middle of a crunch is usually not the time to ask, and why the few days right after a project lands, when people are relieved and positive, are often the most open Why you shouldn’t hang your whole case on a project that isn’t going well or has an uncertain outcome, and how your one-pager and tracker keep you from relying on a single moment How to put it together: wait if the project is central and finishes before the window, start early if timing is tight, give it a few days if you’re in crunch mode, and lean on the rest of your proof if the outcome is uncertain Today’s task: pick one project you’re working on, write down the date you expect its results to be visible and one proof point you’ll add to your tracker, then compare that date to your target window from Monday and decide which approach fits Download the 7 Days to Ask for a Raise Challenge to help you confidently ask for a raise . Connect with Nichole on Instagram /episode/index/show/nextlevelleaders/id/43482949

296| How to Read the Room: Company Health, Layoffs, and Budget Signals 10/27/2026

296| How to Read the Room: Company Health, Layoffs, and Budget Signals Building on yesterday’s episode about the best time of year to ask, Nichole zooms in from the calendar to what’s actually happening inside your company, and how to adjust your ask based on what you see. In this episode: Why the mood of the room matters even in the right month How to read company health: what leadership is saying and not saying, whether updates are getting vague, whether projects are moving or paused, and whether the team is growing, steady, or shrinking A direct look at layoffs, especially around the holidays, and what they can signal: tight budgets and stretched managers, but also people who stepped up to carry more, which can strengthen your case How to adjust your ask: go for the direct ask if things look stable or growing, add flexibility if things look mixed, and shift your goal if things look rocky Why you should still have the conversation when things look rocky, by being transparent and asking whether it’s too much to ask for a raise given everything you’ve done What to do if the honest answer is no: ask what it would take to be positioned for the next round, get a date to revisit it, and acknowledge in the follow-up that the timing wasn’t right but you’ve been consistently adding value Reading your manager too: whether they’re stressed, buried in deadlines, or dealing with changes above them, and when to wait a week or two A quick three-question check: Is the company stable enough? Does my manager have space to really listen? Have my recent wins been seen? Why reading the room is a tool, not an excuse, and why you’re looking for a good enough moment, not a perfect one Why Nichole counts having the conversation and getting a no with next steps as a win, versus not having the conversation at all The risk of waiting: you could lose six months to a year if you’re told to revisit it later, so get a commitment sooner, and if you keep getting pushed down the road for doing great work, that’s when to consider looking for another job Today’s task: run the three questions on your own situation, write down your honest answers, and if one is a no, write down one small thing you can do this week to turn it into a yes Download the 7 Days to Ask for a Raise Challenge to help you confidently ask for a raise . Connect with Nichole on Instagram /episode/index/show/nextlevelleaders/id/43467649

295| The Best Time of Year to Ask for a Raise 10/26/2026

294| Recap and Checklist: Everything You Need Before the Ask 10/23/2026

294| Recap and Checklist: Everything You Need Before the Ask Looking back on everything since the series began on Labor Day, Nichole pulls it all into one pre-ask checklist so you can see where you stand and what’s left. In this episode: A personal update from Nichole: she’s expecting a baby girl in December, and she’s pushing through on tired days to give you the confidence to ask A welcome to new listeners, whether you’re tuning in live or months or years later, and a reminder of the mission to help 1,000 women ask for a raise before the end of the year The ten-item pre-ask checklist: Your mindset: believing your labor has value right now Your tracker: one place for your wins, with dates, results, and evidence Your research: your market range, where you fall in it, and where the numbers came from Your number: a specific ask or range, plus one sentence explaining why The type of raise: a merit increase, a promotion, or a market adjustment Your company’s timing: a best guess for when raise decisions get made Feedback: a conversation with your manager, with their words on paper Your proof points: kudos, a testimonial or two, and highlights from your last review Your one-pager: all five sections on one page, read out loud at least once Your story: where you started, what you’ve built, and where you’re headed Why a few “maybes” or “not yets” are the point of the checklist, since most people who feel unprepared are only missing one or two pieces A reminder to celebrate if you’ve checked almost everything, since you’ve done more preparation than most people do before a raise conversation A preview of next week’s timing and strategy episodes: when to ask, how to read the room, how to request the meeting, and what to avoid This weekend’s task: go through the checklist, circle the one or two gaps that matter most, spend thirty minutes on one, and use AI to help you decide what to tackle first Download the 7 Days to Ask for a Raise Challenge to help you confidently ask for a raise . Connect with Nichole on Instagram /episode/index/show/nextlevelleaders/id/43405079