27.6K
Downloads
151
Episodes
Welcome to the Advancing Women Podcast where ambitious women come together to challenge the status quo, advance their careers, and up-level their lives. The Advancing Women Podcast is hosted by Gender Equity Expert and Executive Coach Dr. Kimberly DeSimone.
Episodes
3 hours ago
3 hours ago
When we think about heroes, the names that come to mind are often male. Yes, in history books, but also in everyday pop culture.
From Neo in The Matrix to Luke Skywalker in Star Wars to Harry Potter himself, many of our most celebrated hero narratives center on a single “chosen one”. But when we look more closely at those stories, we often discover something important: heroes rarely stand alone.
In this episode of the Advancing Women Podcast, in Women’s History Month, we revisit the wizarding world of Harry Potter and shine a light on the women whose courage, intelligence, leadership, and moral conviction helped save the wizarding world.
From Lily Potter’s sacrificial love to Hermione Granger’s strategic brilliance, from Molly Weasley’s fierce protection to Minerva McGonagall’s steadfast leadership, the women of Hogwarts repeatedly demonstrate that heroism takes many forms.
We also explore the courage of Ginny Weasley, who grows into her voice and leadership, the quiet wisdom and authenticity of Luna Lovegood, and the surprising role of Narcissa Malfoy, whose love for her son leads her to defy Voldemort at a pivotal moment.
Together, these characters remind us that the most powerful acts of courage are not always the most visible.
Sometimes heroism looks like sacrifice.
Sometimes it looks like preparation.
Sometimes it looks like standing your ground.
Sometimes it looks like finding your voice.
And sometimes, it looks like simply refusing to stop being yourself.
In the end, the wizarding world may have been saved by the “chosen one”… but he was never the only hero.
Key Takeaway: There are different kinds of courage. Different kinds of leadership. Different kinds of heroism. And when we start to recognize them, we begin to see the extraordinary women who may have been saving the world all along.
Listen if you enjoy:
• Harry Potter analysis
• Women’s leadership stories
• Feminist perspectives on popular culture
• Character-driven storytelling
• Women’s History Month reflections
#HarryPotter #WomenInLeadership #WomensHistoryMonth #WomenWhoLead #advancingwomenpodcst
Let’s Connect:
· Instagram: @AdvancingWomenPodcast
Monday Feb 23, 2026
Monday Feb 23, 2026
February is Black History Month! A time to honor the leadership, scholarship, and activism of African Americans whose contributions have shaped our nation. In this episode of the Advancing Women Podcast, we center and celebrate the Black women whose intellectual and political leadership fundamentally transformed feminism and continue to shape the ongoing work of gender equity.
Too often, the history of the women’s movement highlights figures like Stanton and Anthony while overlooking the central role Black women played in abolition, suffrage, civil rights, and feminist thought. Long before the term intersectionality was coined, Black women were living and articulating the layered realities of racism, sexism, classism, and homophobia.
We begin with the powerful words of Sojourner Truth and her 1851 “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech, and we explore the evolution of the feminist movement through its three waves. We examine how Black feminist thought reshaped and expanded mainstream feminism during the 1960s and 1970s. We honor leaders such as:
- bell hooks, who defined feminism as “a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression.”
- Audre Lorde, who reminded us, “I am not free while any woman is unfree.”
- Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress, whose legacy of being “Unbought and Unbossed” redefined feminist leadership.
- Kimberlé Crenshaw, who coined the term intersectionality and warned that when movements fail to be intersectional, the most vulnerable fall through the cracks.
- Angela Davis, whose lifelong commitment to justice reminds us that equity work is not a moment…it’s a movement.
- Maya Angelou, whose words call us forward: “Take up the battle. It is yours.”
This episode examines why Black feminism is foundational to inclusive leadership, and why intersectionality is essential to advancing women. If we are not intersectional, we are not advancing all women.
If we are not advancing all women, we are not advancing women!
This conversation is about honoring legacy, not just in February, but always. It is about recognizing that the unfinished work of equity requires courage, scholarship, service, and collective responsibility.
Because together, we rise.
If this episode resonated with you, share it with a colleague, a student, or a friend. The work of advancing women requires all of us.
Let’s Connect:
· Instagram: @AdvancingWomenPodcast
Monday Feb 09, 2026
Monday Feb 09, 2026
Episode Summary:
February is the month of love. A time overflowing with hearts, flowers, and grand gestures. Reminders that our worth is somehow tied to being chosen. In this episode, we flip the script. Instead of seeking validation from the world, we explore the radical act of choosing yourself. We dive into:
- How women are conditioned to feel “not enough” and simultaneously “too much” and the toll this double bind takes on our well-being.
- Why self-love and self-acceptance are acts of resistance, not complacency.
- Practical ways to bring self-compassion into daily life, even while pursuing goals and ambitions.
- How rest, doing less, and embracing “good enough” are revolutionary acts in a culture obsessed with more.
Through personal stories, research insights, and reflection prompts, this episode invites you to stop arguing with your worth and start practicing radical self-love right now. Because your worth was never up for debate.
Key Takeaways:
- Self-love is infrastructure, not indulgence. It sustains growth rather than replacing ambition.
- Rest and self-care are revolutionary acts in a culture that equates productivity with value.
- Embracing your cracks, imperfections, and limits allows you to show up fully without sacrificing yourself.
- The mantra “I am enough. I do enough. I have enough.” is not just feel-good talk, it’s a daily practice.
Resources & Links Mentioned in This Episode:
AWP Episode: Warriors Need Love (and Self-Care Too) With Wellness Warrior Erica Golub
AWP Episode: Cracks, Courage, & The Light That Gets In
AWP Episode: Achieving Goals. Mindset, Skillset, Toolset
Quote: "You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection." ~ Budda
Let’s Connect:
Monday Jan 26, 2026
Monday Jan 26, 2026
By late January, many of us have already felt it…the quiet pressure, the creeping doubt, the sense that despite our best intentions, the year may start looking a lot like the last one. If that resonates, this episode is for you. This isn’t about trying harder or setting even bigger goals. It’s about recognizing that you’re not failing your goals…the systems you’ve been given may be failing you.
Inspired by a simple but powerful reminder “If your habits don’t change, you won’t have a new year, just another year” this conversation reframes goal-setting through a systems lens. Drawing on research, coaching practice, and lived experience, we explore why so many women are ambitious, capable, and driven, and still find themselves running into the same barriers year after year.
As James Clear reminds us, “You do not rise to the level of your goals; you fall to the level of your systems.” This episode takes that insight seriously, especially in environments shaped by gender bias, unspoken rules, and expectations that were never designed with women in mind.
In this episode, we explore:
- Why goals are rarely the issue, and why systems shape outcomes
- The difference between wanting change and building identity-based habits that sustain it
- How bias shows up in everyday interactions through tone policing, attribution, and narrative control
- Why “fix-the-women” approaches continue to miss the real problem
- How over-apologizing and deflecting credit quietly undermine women’s professional capital
- Why women’s achievements are often attributed to luck, and how to disrupt that pattern
#tunein for a systems approach designed for us
This episode builds on my Four Ps Advancement Model™ A framework I’ve shared previously on the podcast to offer a systems-based approach to women’s advancement that centers reality, not blame. The model focuses on:
- Problems – Identifying the real problem beneath biased framing
- Patterns – Recognizing recurring dynamics that limit progress
- Processes – Clarifying whether the barrier is about mindset, skillset, or toolset
- Proficiencies – Leveraging the “super skills” women develop by navigating inequity
You can hear the full breakdown of the Four Ps in a previous episode, linked here. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-4ps-advancement-model/id1569849100?i=1000525495125
Rather than asking women to adapt endlessly to broken systems, this approach helps us respond with intention, interrupt narratives that don’t serve us, and invest our time and energy where it actually leads to impact.
The takeaway: You are not behind. You are not lacking ambition. And you are not doing this alone. We don’t need to be more motivated or more polished, we need systems that acknowledge reality, interrupt bias, and support our goals.
As Admiral Grace Hopper said, “The most dangerous phrase in the English language is: ‘We’ve always done it this way.’” This episode is an invitation to question inherited advice, reject strategies that were never built for us, and design systems that help us move forward together. #tunein #advancingwomenpodcast #podcast #advancingwomen
Reference:
DeSimone 4 Ps Advancement Model™ https://advancingwomenpodcast.com/4ps-advancement-model-problem-patterns-process-proficiency/
Clear, J. (2018). Atomic habits: An easy & proven way to build good habits & break bad ones. Avery, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
Let’s Connect:
· Instagram: @AdvancingWomenPodcast https://www.instagram.com/advancingwomenpodcast/?hl=en
· Facebook: Advancing Women Podcast https://www.facebook.com/advancingwomenpodcast/
· LinkedIn: Dr. Kimberly DeSimone https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-desimone-phd-mba-ba00b88/
Monday Jan 12, 2026
Monday Jan 12, 2026
Why do so many women leave conversations feeling confused, guilty, or like everything is somehow their fault?
In this episode of the Advancing Women Podcast, we dive into the subtle but corrosive relational patterns that show up in everyday work and home dynamics. The quiet processes that shift responsibility, distort accountability, and erode self-trust over time.
We explore:
- DARVO” a defensive pattern (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender) that flips accountability and turns the person raising concerns into the “problem”
- Gaslighting: not the buzzword, but the researched process that erodes trust in your own perceptions over time, especially in unequal power dynamics
- Fragile accountability: when feedback is experienced as attack, reasonable expectations feel persecutory, and responsibility collapses under discomfort
- Invisible labor: the mental, emotional, and logistical work women disproportionately carry, and how it fuels the “nagging” trap
This episode explains why these dynamics feel so disorienting, how they thrive in gendered systems, and what changes when we finally name them clearly.
If you’ve ever wondered:
- Why you’re always apologizing
- Why accountability conversations go nowhere
- Why you feel responsible without having real authority
This episode offers language, clarity, and release from misplaced guilt.
Key takeaway: You’re not imagining it. These are known patterns. Naming them doesn’t make you difficult, it makes you awake. And clarity is where advancing begins.
Advancing Women Podcast previous episodes referenced in this episode:
Emotional Labor: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/emotional-labor/id1569849100?i=1000531515098
The 4 Ps Advancement Model: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-4ps-advancement-model/id1569849100?i=1000525495125
For more on the 4 Ps Advancement Model: https://advancingwomenpodcast.com/4ps-advancement-model-problem-patterns-process-proficiency/
Let’s Connect:
· Instagram: @AdvancingWomenPodcast https://www.instagram.com/advancingwomenpodcast/?hl=en
· Facebook: Advancing Women Podcast https://www.facebook.com/advancingwomenpodcast/
· LinkedIn: Dr. Kimberly DeSimone https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-desimone-phd-mba-ba00b88/
Monday Dec 29, 2025
Monday Dec 29, 2025
Episode Description: Welcome, warriors, to the final episode of the year! In this reflective, heart-centered conversation, we pause to honor everything this year asked of us, explore the importance of choosing ourselves, and set intentions for the year ahead, not as a “new year, new you” exercise, but as an invitation to care for and prioritize ourselves with compassion. We dive into:
- The power of choosing yourself as a practice, with intention
- Why resting, slowing down, and doing less is revolutionary for women
- How perfectionism, “prove-it-again” bias, & societal expectations shape our lives
- Reflections on community, support, and the collective wisdom of the Advancing Women Podcast
Along the way, we revisit some of the year’s most resonant AWP episodes:
- Permission to Pause: Can We Stop Doing and Just Be for a Minute?: Exploring why productivity has become a stand-in for worth and why rest is essential.
- Go Little: Comfort, Joy, and the Art of Doing Less: Redefining success and learning to embrace the meaningfulness of “small” actions and joy.
- There Is a Crack in Everything: That’s How the Light Gets In: Inspired by Leonard Cohen’s lyric and Kintsugi, exploring perfectionism, resilience, and honoring the cracks in our lives.
This episode is a reminder that choosing yourself isn’t selfish, it’s necessary. It’s about creating space, breathing room, and radical permission to prioritize your needs and growth. Thank you for walking this journey with me, for being part of our warrior community, and for showing up for yourself and each other.
Episode Highlights / Key Takeaways:
- Choosing yourself is a skill or personality trait. It’s a practice that comes from small, intentional actions.
- Reflection and pausing are just as valuable as action and productivity.
- The cracks in our lives aren’t failures; they are opportunities for growth, wisdom, and light.
- Community matters: you are not alone in navigating all the things…
- Intentions are powerful even if resolutions aren’t perfectly kept; the act of aiming toward growth is what matters.
Let’s Reflect: Take a moment to journal or reflect:
- What does “choosing yourself” look like for you right now?
- Where in your life can you create more space, permission, or breathing room?
- How can you step into the new year with intention, hope, and self-compassion?
Let’s Connect:
Instagram: @AdvancingWomenPodcast https://www.instagram.com/advancingwomenpodcast/?hl=en
Facebook: Advancing Women Podcast https://www.facebook.com/advancingwomenpodcast/
LinkedIn: Dr. Kimberly DeSimone https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-desimone-phd-mba-ba00b88/
Monday Dec 15, 2025
Monday Dec 15, 2025
Episode Description:
It’s December. Again. And the end-of-year chaos is real. This episode is your invitation to slow down, find comfort, and embrace joy through the art of going little.
In this episode, we explore the Danish concept of Hygge and I share simple, science-backed practices to help you pause, reset, and reclaim calm during the busiest season of the year. From holding a warm drink to creating a cozy nook, or winding down with an intentional end-of-day ritual, these small, intentional actions are ways to soothe your nervous system and reconnect with yourself.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- How warmth can regulate your nervous system and reduce stress
- The power of sensory anchoring to calm your mind
- The concept of environmental containment and creating a cozy sanctuary
- How to create an End-of-Day Soft Landing for better rest
- Why doing less doesn’t mean feeling less or being less
Key Takeaway: Whether it’s holding a warm drink, anchoring yourself in a favorite sensory cue, carving out a cozy nook, or gliding gently into sleep, each of these practices invites intentional ease. Go little. Comfort, joy, and presence are not indulgent; they’re essential.
Resources & References:
- The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell
- The Little Book of Hygge
- Yang, Z., Su, Q., Xie, J. et al. Music tempo modulates emotional states as revealed through EEG insights. Sci Rep 15, 8276 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-92679-1
- Yang, SY., Wang, JY., Liu, C. et al. Effects of binaural beat therapy with different frequencies on autonomic nervous system regulation among college students. BMC Complement Med Ther 25, 206 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-025-04922-x
Listen, Subscribe, Connect!
Instagram: @AdvancingWomenPodcast https://www.instagram.com/advancingwomenpodcast/?hl=en
Facebook: Advancing Women Podcast https://www.facebook.com/advancingwomenpodcast/
LinkedIn: Dr. Kimberly DeSimone https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-desimone-phd-mba-ba00b88/
Monday Dec 01, 2025
Monday Dec 01, 2025
In this powerful episode, Kimberly calls us into a deeper, more intentional approach to the holiday season; one rooted in solidarity, economic empowerment, and supporting women in every space they lead, create, and build.
As the holidays approach and our shopping lists grow, this episode challenges the default: What if your purchases, your recommendations, your shares, and your reviews became part of a larger movement? What if supporting women wasn’t just an act of generosity, but an act of cultural change?
Kimberly explores the real data on women’s economic power, the systemic gaps women entrepreneurs face, the inequities in the creator economy, and the small-but-mighty actions each of us can take to move the needle.
This episode is your guide to:
✨ Women-owned products to explore
✨ Women-led services to consider
✨ How to use directories + simple search tools
✨ Free ways to amplify women on social media
✨ How to leave meaningful reviews
✨ How to support women creators and voices
Your dollars matter, but your voice, influence, and solidarity matter just as much! Let’s make this holiday season one rooted in intention, empowerment, and the collective strength of the per-sisterhood.
Key Topics Covered
· The mental load & invisible holiday labor women carry
· Why supporting women-owned businesses creates real economic impact
· Practical ways to “vote with your wallet” this season
· How to find women-owned businesses (WBENC, W Marketplace, Etsy filters, more)
· Simple, free, high-impact ways to support women on social media
· Why reviews matter more for women founders
· How to back women in the creator economy
· Recommendations as a form of influence and solidarity
Resources Mentioned. Directories + Marketplaces:
· WBENC Women-Owned Business Directory
· SBA WOSB Resources
· NAWBO Member Lists
· The W Marketplace
· Etsy Women-Owned Filter
· Amazon Women-Owned Page
· "Women-owned businesses near me" (Google search, seriously, try it!)
If you discover a women-owned business you love, tag it on Instagram @advancingwomenpodcast so we can amplify it too!
Call to Action
· Share this episode with the women in your life who love supporting women.
· Tell a friend about your favorite women podcasters, creators, and entrepreneurs.
· Post, tag, save, review — it all matters.
· This season, let your spending, your voice, and your influence become part of a cultural shift that amplifies women everywhere.
Let’s Connect:
Instagram: @AdvancingWomenPodcast https://www.instagram.com/advancingwomenpodcast/?hl=en
Facebook: Advancing Women Podcast https://www.facebook.com/advancingwomenpodcast/
LinkedIn: Dr. Kimberly DeSimone https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-desimone-phd-mba-ba00b88/
Monday Nov 17, 2025
Monday Nov 17, 2025
As Thanksgiving approaches, we’re reclaiming the true power of gratitude. Not the polished, pressured version women are so often handed. This episode digs into how gratitude has been distorted, weaponized, or used to quiet our very real experiences, and invites you to take it back on your own terms.
In this episode, we discuss:
- How “enforced gratitude” becomes emotional dismissal and invalidation
- The gendered gratitude gap and why women often give more than they receive
- Emotional multiplicity: holding gratitude and struggle at the same time
- Reverse gratitude: being thankful for what you released or outgrew
- What healthy, self-directed, truthful gratitude actually looks like
Join me for an honest, empowering conversation about gratitude as resistance, empowerment, and restoration.
Key Takeaways:
- Gratitude should empower, not silence
- You can hold multiple feelings and emotions at once
- Letting go can be something to be grateful for
- Healthy gratitude is self-directed, grounded, and restorative
Hashtags:
#AdvancingWomenPodcast #GratitudeWithoutGuilt #WomenAndGratitude #EmotionalLabor #ReverseGratitude #WomenEmpowerment #HonestGratitude #HolidayWellness #BoundariesAreBeautiful #ReclaimYourTime #ReclaimYourPeace
Advancing Women Podcast. Spotify Weaponized Gratitude & Gratitude Shaming https://open.spotify.com/episode/1CKUwcWxCqGyuieOplP2GP?si=c7ffc86d6c8041e9
Instagram: @AdvancingWomenPodcast https://www.instagram.com/advancingwomenpodcast/?hl=en
Facebook: Advancing Women Podcast https://www.facebook.com/advancingwomenpodcast/
LinkedIn: Dr. Kimberly DeSimone https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-desimone-phd-mba-ba00b88/
Monday Nov 03, 2025
Monday Nov 03, 2025
Episode Summary:
In this episode of The Advancing Women Podcast, Dr. Kimberly DeSimone explores the science and social conditioning behind women’s emotional sensitivity, and reframes it more accurately…as a strength, not a flaw.
Research shows that women, on average, have lower baseline serotonin levels than men; but the story doesn’t end there. This biological difference interacts with hormonal cycles and cultural expectations to shape how women feel, respond, and are perceived. Dr. DeSimone reveals how emotional responsiveness, so often dismissed as being “too emotional”, is actually a powerful form of emotional intelligence, leadership, and adaptive strength. From boardrooms to families, women’s ability to read the room, sense tension, and lead with empathy is not “soft,” it’s strategic.
This episode offers both a scientific and empowering reframe that helps us honor our depth, protect our energy, and lead from emotional authenticity without apology.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why women’s serotonin levels affect emotional sensitivity — and what that means for mood and connection.
How cultural conditioning distorts emotional intelligence into “overreaction.”
The “gendered emotion hierarchy”, and how bias defines which emotions are labeled as strength or weakness.
Why empathy and sensitivity are forms of data gatheringand leadership.
How to protect your emotional energy through mindful boundaries and self-compassion.
Key Takeaways:
Sensitivity is strength. Emotional attunement is intelligence.
Emotion is data, not drama.
Boundaries protect your empathy.
Reframing emotional intelligence is revolutionary leadership.
Mentioned concepts:
#AdvancingWomenPodcast #EmotionalIntelligence #WomenInLeadership #SensitivityIsStrength #GenderBias #EmotionalIntelligenceAtWork #EmpathyInLeadership
References:
Don’t Call Them Soft Skills: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dont-call-them-soft-skills-with-communications/id1569849100?i=1000606194105
Instagram: @AdvancingWomenPodcast https://www.instagram.com/advancingwomenpodcast/?hl=en
Facebook: Advancing Women Podcast https://www.facebook.com/advancingwomenpodcast/
LinkedIn: Dr. Kimberly DeSimone https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-desimone-phd-mba-ba00b88/