Advancing Women Podcast

A New Year, or Just Another Year?

Moving from one calendar year to the next doesn't automatically result in personal growth or transformation. Without making changes to the way we think and behave, we’re unlikely to experience any significant improvement or progress, no matter how much time passes.

As author James Clear says…we  don’t rise to the level of our goals, we fall to the level of our systems. And too often, the systems we try to succeed in weren’t designed by or for us. In this Advancing Women Podcast episode we deconstruct the barriers that get in the way of our success. It’s all about what you think, what you know, and what you do, so #tunein and learn how to change the game (rather than playing their game) with strategies that better serve you.

For more about Dr. DeSimone and the Advancing Women Podcast

https://www.instagram.com/advancingwomenpodcast/

https://www.facebook.com/advancingwomenpodcast/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-desimone-phd-mba-ba00b88

https://advancingwomenpodcast.com/

Let’s Make 2025 a year for daring greatly!

We live in a world designed largely by and for men and men's pursuits. Research shows that women - even working full time - almost always take on the lion's share of home responsibilities and most of the emotional labor in our families. If you are bogged down in the unnoticed, unappreciated work and feel like your time and goals are deprioritized or derailed, you’ll want to #tunein to this episode!

It’s your time! Let's let 2025 be a year for prioritizing our bold goals. Together, let's get unstuck, start the thing, and overcome resistance! There is NOT an expiration on our goals, but we must get comfortable prioritizing our needs and goals. The Advancing Women Podcast can help! Things will NEVER not be busy. You will never likely find that elusive “more time” and there is no “perfect time.” But it can be YOUR time!

Warriors, you were meant to have bold, audacious, meaningful goals! In this episode I talk about WHY we should have BOLD, RADICAL, AUDACIOUS goals and how to recognize and overcome the internal and external barriers that keep us from moving towards our goals.

Episodes referenced in this episode:

Fear of Failure https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fear-of-failure/id1569849100?i=1000527184290

Teach Girls Bravery AND Teach Boys Empathy https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/lets-teach-girls-bravery-and-teach-boys-empathy/id1569849100?i=1000576175167

Conquering Resistance https://advancingwomenpodcast.podbean.com/e/conquering-resistance/

For more about Dr. DeSimone and the Advancing Women Podcast visit

https://www.instagram.com

https://www.facebook.com/advancingwomenpodcast/

 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-desimone-phd-mba-ba00b88/

https://advancingwomenpodcast.com/

Why you shouldn’t always give 100%

Instead of always aiming for 100%, how about focusing on balance? How about embracing progress over perfection?

The "all or nothing" mindset, always pushing to give 100%, may actually be standing in the way of living our best lives. Consider this your permission to let go of this unnecessary pressure and reject the constant brainwashing.

During this hectic time of year, it’s easy to feel like life is nothing more than an endless to-do list. This #newepisode is all about breaking that cycle. Life is messy and imperfect, and sometimes doing what we can—rather than striving for perfection—is not only enough, but it also creates the space we need to pause and prioritize. Let’s embrace progress over perfection and make room for peace, comfort, and joy.

Previous episodes referenced in this episode:

Advice to my 20-Something Self https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/advice-to-my-20-something-self/id1569849100?i=1000665941516

For more about Dr. DeSimone and the Advancing Women Podcast

https://www.instagram.com/advancingwomenpodcast/

https://www.facebook.com/advancingwomenpodcast/

https://advancingwomenpodcast.com/

Complicated Girls Suck with Dr. Tara Walker

Have you ever been written off as too complicated? Too emotional? These labels may not seem like a big deal, but they can serve as  a way to push aside our difficulties or invalidate our feelings. If you have ever felt not enough AND too much all at once, then this is the episode for you!

Having your emotions policed is not a healthy experience. Being gaslighted is not a healthy experience. In this episode of the #advancingwomenpodcast I am here with Dr. Tara Walker to detangle and deconstruct the complicated woman stereotype. #tunein

For more about Dr. DeSimone and the Advancing Women Podcast

https://www.instagram.com/advancingwomenpodcast/

https://www.facebook.com/advancingwomenpodcast/

https://advancingwomenpodcast.com/

For more about Dr. Tara Walker

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-walker-phd-2b99008

https://www.sbu.edu/academics/faculty/walker-tara-g

https://taragracewalker.com/

Supporting Women Creators This Holiday Season (and Beyond!)

As we approach the holidays, this episode is a call to action. I encourage us all to think more intentionally about the choices we make with our dollars and our time. As women, we hold a great deal of consumer power,  and this is a great time to wield that power in the support of other women.

I’m talking about women creators, entrepreneurs, women-owned businesses, and businesses that support women! The holiday season is a great time to be intentional in our actions.  It is an opportunity to #support #amplify and #investinwomen

This #newepisode is about #warriorwomen coming together to champion one another's artistic, entrepreneurial, creative projects. Let’s help increase the visibility of creators and celebrate #womensachievments #womensupportingwomen is #powerful  #tunein #advancingwomenpodcast #persisterhood #womensupportingwomen

For more on the creators highlighted in this episode:

Anna Michele Bulszewicz

AMC Weekly Newsletter https://www.annamcommunications.com/blog

3 Cs Mindfully Speaking Model https://www.annamcommunications.com/new-page-1

Jen Lefforge (Joyful Living with Jen Lefforge)

https://www.youtube.com/@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge

https://jenlefforge.com/

https://jenlefforge.com/all-of-my-posts/

Heather Lynn Harris

https://heatherlynnharris.com/

Something to Sing About https://heatherlynnharris.com/books/

Links to previous podcasts mentioned in this episode:

Mindful Communication with Anna Bulszewiczhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindful-communication/id1569849100?i=1000675707131

Delivering Big Creativity with Heather Lynn Harris https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/delivering-big-creativity-small-steps-practices/id1569849100?i=1000647147881

A Grown Up Gap Year with YouTuber Jen Lefforge https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-grown-up-gap-year-with-youtuber-jen-lefforge/id1569849100?i=1000654737177

Mindful Communication

#tunein for this dynamic and pragmatic interview on mindful communication and emotional intelligence with communications strategist Anna Bulszewicz. We dive deep into communication, community, and connection.

 

Let’s stop calling communication skills and emotional intelligence "soft skills.” These are ESSENTIAL skills that women tend to be exceptionally good at, so let’s make sure we are acknowledging, owning, honing, and touting these super skills!

 

Podcast referenced in this episode (Let’s teach girls bravery and teach boys empathy)

 

iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/lets-teach-girls-bravery-and-teach-boys-empathy/id1569849100?i=1000576175167

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/10oW7FgzU65qrJ5JAsMDrc?si=gCQUw6hxR7GtYpP_f1r2TA

For more info on Anna Bulszewicz and Anna Michele Communications (AMC):

Website: https://www.annamcommunications.com/

Blog: https://www.annamcommunications.com/blog/woman

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabulszewicz/

For more about Dr. DeSimone and the Advancing Women Podcast

https://advancingwomenpodcast.com/

https://www.instagram.com/advancingwomenpodcast/

The Season of the Witch

“We are the granddaughters of the witches you weren't able to burn”

 ~ Tish Thawer, The Witches of Blackbrook

 #tunein to this #newepisode of the Advancing Women Podcast where in this #Halloween season, we set aside our stereotypical descriptions and depictions of witches, and instead look to appreciate, how generations of activists have reclaimed the witch archetype to resist patriarchal control and stand up to injustice. Let the Season of the Witch symbolize our warrior power and resistance.

This episode explores the witch ethos, and how we can point to witch hunts as defining moments of injustice, sexism, and misogyny. It’s about the historical context of witch hunts in terms of the societal attitudes and beliefs that fueled the persecution of women. How accusations of witchcraft were used as a way to control and suppress women who defied traditional gender roles…and how we still tend to see and treat powerful women today.

References:

Joan Williams Tightrope Bias https://gender.stanford.edu/news/what-works-women-work

Tightrope Bias & the Likability Dilemma https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tightrope-bias-the-likeability-dilemma/id1569849100?i=1000570385546

In Defense of Witches: The Legacy of the Witch Hunts and Why Women Are Still on Trial by  Mona Chollet https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250272225/indefenseofwitches

The Witches of Blackbrook by Tish Thawer http://www.tishthawer.com/the-witches-of-blackbrook.html

Donovan Season of the Witch  https://youtu.be/GU35oCHGhJ0?si=F8NoU831_jbOvVJ5

Lana Del Rey Season of the Witch https://youtu.be/tQbTyeTMa4M?si=ipH-192TJ56m4gCI

Joan Jett Season of the Witch https://youtu.be/YKYcGFexI6U?si=ajHLtwfr9R7Lt7Mq

Emotional Intelligence: An Antifragility Mindset

“The wind extinguishes a candle and energizes fire.” ~Taleb (2014)

In this episode, I’m talking about Antifragility, a concept even more powerful than resiliency and grit. It’s about overcoming. Harnessing the wind and being the fire that is energized.

As Nietzsche (and Kanye) have said…that that don’t kill me…can only make me stronger…”

Antifragility, resilience, and grit are valuable tools in combating gender inequity so we can transcend and thrive. Despite the barriers that create an unlevel playing field for far too many talented, highly qualified women, it is possible that WE can have the last word in the end if we adopt an antifragility mindset.

#tunein to harness your emotional intelligence superpowers!

 #antifragility #grit #resilience #transcend #thrive

Reference

The 4Ps Advancement Model™ https://advancingwomenpodcast.com/4ps-advancement-model-problem-patterns-process-proficiency/

Nassim Nicholas Taleb (2014) Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder. Random House Publishing

For more about Dr. DeSimone and the Advancing Women Podcast

https://www.instagram.com/advancingwomenpodcast/

https://www.facebook.com/advancingwomenpodcast/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-desimone-phd-mba-ba00b88/

https://advancingwomenpodcast.com/

Weaponized Gratitude & Gratitude Shaming

Do you ever feel guilty for not feeling more grateful?  Guess what? This is a classic example of “it’s not your fault, but it is your problem.”

Have you noticed an increase in using positivity and gratitude as a means of control and superiority? A weaponizing of gratitude where it’s being wielded to minimize someone's experience? In this episode, we explore weaponized gratitude and gratitude shaming. Our feelings are valid! No problem is "too small to matter” and being told to be "grateful” when we are upset isn’t helpful or kind, it’s manipulative and invalidating.

“Enforced gratitude is weaponized gratitude. It's not helpful and, very often, it's harmful. So, let's start opting out.” ~Becky Mollenkamp

We are human beings, not squirrels. We are complex, and beautifully complicated, and can feel many things simultaneously. Gratitude is powerful, but it is a gift we give ourselves. It’s a tool for creating inner peace, not a weapon to be wielded by others to manipulate our feelings or behaviors. Let’s dive into this important and timely topic.

#newepisode #tunein #weaponizedgratitude #gratitudeshaming

Reference

https://beckymollenkamp.com/weaponized-gratitude/

https://susanarinderle.medium.com/be-grateful-but-dont-weaponize-gratitude-fe3e09157264

https://www.talklife.com/post/let-s-talk-about-gratitude-shaming

Previous podcast episode referenced in this episode

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/toxic-positivity-versus-mental-contrasting/id1569849100?i=1000577719994

For more about Dr. DeSimone and the Advancing Women Podcast

https://www.instagram.com/advancingwomenpodcast/

https://advancingwomenpodcast.com/

https://www.facebook.com/advancingwomenpodcast/

 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-desimone-phd-mba-ba00b88

Comparison is Kryptonite, Let’s Ditch It!

In this episode, we talk about social comparison and how we can fall into the trap of valuing our personal and social worth by assessing how we compare to others. Whether it is an upward or downward comparison, if we allow comparison of others to dictate how we view our own lives it can steal our joy. Comparison is a Kryptonite that often makes us want more while simultaneously seeing ourselves as less.  “A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms” ~Zen Shin

 #tunein to this episode of the #advancingwomenpodcast to learn how to ditch comparison and stop allowing it to steal our joy.

Podcast episodes referenced in this episode:

Fear of Failure https://podcasts.apple.com/gw/podcast/fear-of-failure/id1569849100?i=1000527184290&l=fr-FR

Toxic Positivity https://podcasts.apple.com/gw/podcast/toxic-positivity-versus-mental-contrasting/id1569849100?i=1000577719994&l=fr-FR

For more about Dr. DeSimone and the Advancing Women Podcast

https://www.instagram.com/advancingwomenpodcast/

https://www.facebook.com/advancingwomenpodcast/

https://advancingwomenpodcast.com/