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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
34 minutes ago
34 minutes ago
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/
Monday Oct 20, 2025
Monday Oct 20, 2025
Episode Summary:
Welcome to the Advancing Women Podcast! In this Halloween-themed episode, we reclaim the witch archetype as a symbol of female power, independence, and solidarity. Building on last year’s Season of the Witch, we explore how the witch reflects the experiences of ambitious women across history and today…from the backlash faced by independent women to the double standards confronting women leaders.
Through media, history, and lived experience, we uncover how witches (and women!) have been feared, misunderstood, and sometimes punished for asserting autonomy. But there’s a bright side: the witch is being reclaimed in fiction, in culture, and in women’s networks, offering a model for persistence, solidarity, and strategic power.
Join us as we dive into:
- The historical and modern symbolism of the witch
- How autonomy, economic independence, and ambition have provoked backlash across centuries
- The parallels between historical witch hunts and modern workplace double standards
- The power of covens—real and metaphorical—and what I call persisterhood
- Strategies for building networks of support, mentorship, and collective resilience
This episode is a call to embrace your coven, celebrate your independence, and wear your power proudly. Because we are the persisterhood, and our solidarity, creativity, and courage are our most potent magic.
“We are the granddaughters of the witches you weren’t able to burn. Let’s wear that badge proudly.” #covenofpersisterhood #seasonofthewitch #persisterhood #genderbias #leadershipbias #leadership #advancingwomenpodcast #genderequity
Resources & References:
- Mona Chollet, In Defense of Witches
- Joan Williams, research on the tightrope bias and workplace double standards
- Media examples: Wicked, Practical Magic, Marvel’s Agatha Harkness
- Historical context: Matilda Joslyn Gage on persecution of witches (Woman, Church and State, 1893)
Connect & Engage:
Subscribe, rate, and share the podcast!
Leave a review or a like on Instagram if this episode resonated with your inner witch!
Follow, and Join the Conversation on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/advancingwomenpodcast/
& Facebook https://www.facebook.com/advancingwomenpodcast/
More on Dr. DeSimone here! https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-desimone-phd-mba-ba00b88/
Monday Oct 06, 2025
Monday Oct 06, 2025
Episode Summary:
Have you ever felt like a part of yourself got lost along the way? That lighter, playful version of you—the one who laughed without thinking, chased silly ideas, or turned a rainy day into an adventure—quietly slipped away amid responsibilities, deadlines, and endless to-do lists? When was the last time you played just for the joy of it? Not for productivity, not for output…just for YOU?
In this episode of Advancing Women Podcast, I explore the lost art of playfulness and why reclaiming it matters; not just for joy, but for creativity, resilience, connection, and well-being. Drawing inspiration from childhood stories, pop culture, and science-backed research, I’ll share practical strategies to invite play back into your life. #tunein
We’ll discuss:
- Why productivity culture and societal pressures often push play aside, especially for ambitious women.
- How play actually improves brain function, problem-solving, creativity, and relationships.
- Micro-play rituals and imaginative practices you can start today.
- How reconnecting with your playful self can reduce stress, spark joy, and strengthen community.
Key Takeaways:
- Playfulness is not optional—it’s foundational to thriving.
- Shared laughter and playful interactions enhance connection and trust.
- Start small: 5 minutes of dancing, doodling, silly voice texts, or gamifying everyday tasks can reignite your playful spirit.
- Revisit childhood joys and bring them into adult life intentionally.
- Use micro-play rituals to make routine spaces and moments playful and alive.
Resources Mentioned:
Brown, Stuart. Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul.Avery.
Ware, Bronnie. The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing.Hay House.
Apps / Tools: Habitica. Habitica, https://habitica.com/ and Epic Win. Redwood Games, https://www.redwoodgames.com/epicwin
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/