The 500th Episode of Women Taking the Lead
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It’s a big day for the Women Taking the Lead podcast and it’s not just because we’re ringing in 2024. This is the 500th episode of Women Taking the Lead!!
Thank YOU for listening, cheering me on, and telling your friends about the podcast.
The first few episodes of Women Taking the Lead were released on March 25, 2015. Doing the math, this podcast will be 9 years old in a few months.
It has been quite a 500 episode journey
In the beginning I was releasing two episodes a week and my episodes were primarily interviews with women entrepreneurs. They share several pivotal moments in their development and many of them referred back to their former full-time jobs.
After a year or so I started weaving in episodes that are more of an audio blog or topical episode. I got great feedback from that and started doing them more and more.
And then I did something that was, at the time, really scary for me to do. I started releasing “On-Air” coaching episodes. On-Air is actually a misnomer because these are pre-recorded episode. It didn’t matter because it still had that feel of someone pointing a camera at you and saying, “do something impressive.”
These coaching calls felt like a lot of pressure at first but I settled into them and truly began to enjoy these conversations. In fact, I’m going to give you a list of the top 20 most downloaded episodes in a bit and 5 of them are coaching episodes, so that tells me you enjoy these episodes as well.
There have been many changes
If you’ve been listening to the podcast for five years or more you’ve been there with me through my mom’s breast cancer diagnosis in 2018 (she’s doing great, by the way), and if you started listening in the last 9 months or more you were there when my dad passed away from lung cancer.
I’ve had shifts in my geography. I started my podcast in Maine, I’m now in Virginia and the plan is to be moving back to my origins of Massachusetts in 2025.
I’ve also had shifts in my business. The Women Taking the Lead podcast turned out to be a rebranding of my entire business. Before launching the podcast I was coaching small business owners around their leadership.
I wanted to be focusing more on the unique needs of women leaders but couldn’t seem to pivot my business in that direction so the podcast was intended to be an outlet for all that energy I had building up.
Within a year it was clear I could make that pivot
The next pivot came after a break I took in 2021. I spoke about this on the podcast and the before and after of that experience is actually in the top two most downloaded episodes. During the pandemic it became clear I was holding back my potential and the potential of my business by trying to focus simultaneously on women business owners and women leaders within organizations.
That caused my message to get watered down and unclear and the proof of that was in the results I was getting. I had to choose between the two. After some reflecting and coaching I concluded my focus needed to be on women leaders within organizations.
But then it didn’t stop there. Because I’ve known something, and for some time, having coached women within organizations long before I even started the podcast.
What I know is that it’s always beneficial to give any leader the training, mentoring, coaching, and experiential learning opportunities that you can give them. However, organizations will not achieve gender parity by focusing all of the change on the women leaders.
If companies are not examining hiring practices, employee benefits, performance programs, succession planning, etc., women will be hired promoted but turnover will keep the company from achieving gender parity sustainably.
That is why you may have noticed the welcoming introduction at the beginning of each episode has morphed over time. My services have expanded and the introduction reflects that.
A little disclaimer before I get into the most popular episodes.
The industry standards for what constitutes a download have changed dramatically and now I can’t see any downloads that occurred before July 14, 2019. Even if I could the information would not be accurate.
However, even with 2019 as the cutoff date only one episode in 2021 made the cut. All the rest are from 2022 and 2023. That in and of itself is interesting feedback because it was in February of 2022 that I pivoted to focusing on women leaders within organizations.
The episode from 2021… it was the last episode I released before coming back in February of 2022. Which means it likely got so many downloads because it was the episode at the top of the list whenever someone found the podcast.
Most people listen to that first episode to check out a podcast to see if it’s worth going into the back catalogue to listen. However, it got so many downloads I can’t just chalk it up to random listens.
All that to say, the last two years have been the most popular years for my podcast and I thank you for being here and listening in each week.
Okay, rolling into the top 20 podcast of Women Taking the Lead. If you’re new to the podcast there will likely be an episode that catching your attention. Or, even if you’ve listened to all the episodes there may be one or two you want to revisit because your in a different place than you were the first time you listened. To make them easy to find, all these episodes are linked in the episode description. I’ll also state the date the episode was released.
Top 20 Most Downloaded Episodes*
1. Two Reasons You Got Tripped Up After You Started Your New Role – 2/14/2022
This episode was the comeback episode. I went over the new focus of the podcast and dove into two things that can challenge you when you take on a new role. Those are shifting your identity to being the leader needed for that role and rethinking how you provide value to your team and your organization.
2. 100% Jodi: Taking Time to Process – 5/24/2021
This was the episode I announced I was going to take some time to process everything that had happened during the pandemic. There had been some major changes in my business and I was definitely feeling like it was time to pause and think through how I wanted to move forward. It paid off. I highly recommend that if ever you can pause something going on in your life – maybe something that isn’t giving you the same energy boost it used to – do it. If it’s meant to be you’ll come back to it. I did.
3. Two “Soft” Skills That Exponentially Uplevel Your Leadership – 5/30/2022
Directing your full attention and listening deeply. I break down how these two “Soft” skills – in reality, Power skills – help you to develop more trust, stronger relationships, buy-in, and commitment. They also are fundamental skills to develop executive presence.
4. [Coaching] You Are the Leader to Develop Other Leaders – 6/27/2022
In this coaching call with a member of this community, we get to the heart of what can trip you up after a promotion. In this real-world example I’m offering some tips and perspectives and book recommendation to help make this transition easier.
5. How to Set Explicitly Clear Expectations to Prevent Disappointment – 3/8/2023
Is everyone clear on what your expectations are? And are you clear on what others are expecting from you? Are you sure? This episode breaks down how to get better at creating and honing clear expectations.
6. [Coaching] Are They Really Judging You? – 8/8/2022
This coaching call explores who is really judging you. It is them or you? We are dismantling the unrealistic expectations you have for yourself.
7. Facing Conflict Head On – 8/1/2022
I think the title is pretty clear. This episode covers facing conflict: how to address and mitigate it, and when to look to other professionals to step in.
8. Infuse Your Leadership with Bold Requests – 2/21/2022
This episode covers how to bring some boldness to your leadership and make bold requests, if this is something you shy away from. Because the reality is, being bold is more in alignment with who you are than you might think right now.
9. How to Hold Others Accountable to Lead Effectively – 7/11/2022
There’s nothing like the word accountability to divide a person or a room. My experience is we have funny notions of what it means to be accountable or to practice accountability. If you have any hesitancy around accountability, this episode will change that.
10. Carla Miller on Creating Influence – 9/19/2022
In this episode I’m joined by Carla Miller, an expert on the influence gap, to talk about how you can gain more influence so you can make a big impact at work.
11. How to Make Staying Organized Easy to Do – 9/26/2022
While being organized and staying organized sounds great, it’s not always easy to do. Especially if being organized is not your default. However, having a system in place will make it so much easier to sustain, and make you look good in the process.
12. A Model for You to Process Change and Emotions – 10/10/2022
In this episode I am joined by Joy Stickel, the Executive Director of Talent Management and Development for Sumitomo Pharma. Joy is walking us through the Emotional Change Curve, what it looks like at work, and how you as a leader can use this information to help guide your team and colleagues through each stage.
13. [Coaching] How to Turn Being the Bearer of Bad News into a Coaching Opportunity – 5/23/2022
In this coaching call we’re diving into giving a team member critical feedback. While these conversations may not always be enjoyable they are opportunities for growth and development – for us an our team members.
14. [Coaching] Do You Need to Name the Priority? – 8/29/2022
In this coaching episode we are diving in to the experience of being pulled in too many directions. We are breaking down the tasks, looking at all the resources that are available and naming what needs priority attention.
15. [Coaching] Constructively Dealing with Unconscious Bias – 7/18/2022
This coaching episode was, in my opinion, a powerful one. Being the recipient of unconscious bias can be galling, but what’s the best way to deal with it? In this coaching episode we explore how to address unconscious bias when it occurs, so that you get the result that you are looking for.
16. How to Show Your Team Your Appreciation…Especially if it Doesn’t Come Naturally to You – 5/16/2022
This episode explores why consistently taking a genuine interest in those around you is so important and how to do it effectively. Because, whether you know it or not, your people don’t all like to be appreciated in the same way.
17. How to ask Your Company to Sponsor You to be Coached – 3/7/2022
Have you been wanting to develop your leadership skills but know you need more than self-paced or classroom training? Your company may have a learning and development budget that could be used for you to work with a coach. This episode guides you through exploring your options and some things to prepare ahead of your request.
18. Avoid Being a Bargain Deal by Knowing When to Negotiate – 10/31/2022
In this episode I’ve got Anna Papalia joining me to discuss negotiating for salary and benefits. She underscores that a successful negotiation has more to do with when you negotiate rather than how you negotiate. If you’re gearing up for a negotiation now or in the future be sure to listen in to this episode.
19. Unlock Your Mindset and Reveal Your Genius – 3/1/2023
Any expert on success will tell you mindset determines what an individual will be capable of achieving. But, how do you measure it? I’ve got Stacy Harmann, and expert on unleashing creative and intuitive genius, to talk about a tool she and I both use with our clients to measure mindset and uncover untapped potential.
20. How to Keep Motivated and Moving Forward – 10/24/2022
Oomph. While this is the 20th most downloaded episode, I think I would listen (or re-listen) to this one first. This episode lists the common strategies (that work for most people) to consistently help you stay motivated. Sneak peek, the list starts with checking in with yourself and making sure you are taking breaks.
Can I ask you a favor?
Can you join in the celebration and help me expand the reach of the Women Taking the Lead podcast? Let’s help more leaders so they can advance in their career, and still enjoy their sanity and a personal life? Select from any of the gifts below!
Leave a rating or review in your preferred podcast app.
- Share the show directly with a friend, family member or colleague. Especially share a specific episode you believe they would find valuable.
- Subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app. I’ll leave some links in the comments.
- Post about the show on social media. Feel free to tag me so I can like and comment. I’m @jodiflynn on LinkedIn and @jodimflynn on Instagram.
- Do some other great thing to help me reach more women that I have not thought to ask.
Thank you SO MUCH for your generosity and support. I hope these 500 episodes are of value to you and here’s to your success!
HAPPY NEW YEAR! 🥂🎇
Resources
Leadership Coaching. Find out more about my coaching process, or how to ask your employer to pay for you to work with a coach.
Register for the How to Get Mentally Fit webinar: Learn the 3 core muscles to build to gain mental fitness.
Saboteur Assessment: Find out which Saboteurs are impacting your performance, wellness and relationships, and how they do it.
Apply to be on an “On-Air Coaching” episode. Are you a female leader who has been promoted in the last year? Apply to be on the podcast.
Leadership Operating System Inventory. Wondering what kind of Leadership traits you have? Take this FREE, FAST self-assessment and find out more about yourself as a Leader.
Accomplished: How to Go from Dreaming to Doing. The book containing a simple, step by step system that gives you the foundation and structure to take your goals and make them happen.
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