Welcome to a special two-year anniversary compilation episode of "Frustrated and Exhausted." This week, the focus is on resilience—but not in the “just carry on” sense. The conversation centers on women, career, and leadership, celebrating how real resilience is about self-knowledge, owning your experience, and resisting the urge to shrink.
Featured Guests and Themes:
- Hilary Ross: Opens the episode with an honest look at what it means to be resilient in the workplace. Hilary shares how her trigger point is not being heard, and the ways she’s reframed invisibility and setbacks through her career. She reflects on managing high-performing teams, overcoming perfectionism, and adapting to constant change.
- Monica Nangia: Offers perspective on resilience as self-advocacy, specifically for women whose identities are often overlooked or misunderstood. Monica discusses the “prove it again” bias, the exhaustion of being hyper-visible yet overlooked for promotions, and the cultural taxation faced by women of color. She stresses the need for allies in achieving meaningful change within organizations.
- Elizabeth Brower: Shares her personal journey through burnout and what it taught her about sustainable leadership. Elizabeth talks about the danger of glorifying overwork, encourages listeners to pause and reconnect with themselves, and champions the importance of rest, boundaries, and redefining success.
Key Takeaways:
- Resilience is not about being unbreakable; it’s about understanding yourself deeply, focusing on progress, and rejecting unrealistic performance standards.
- Recognizing and addressing systemic barriers (like visibility biases and unpaid labor in EDI work) is vital for creating genuinely inclusive workplaces.
- Rest isn’t a luxury—it's foundational for well-being and effective leadership. It’s time to stop glorifying constant availability and start supporting active downtime for everyone
Hilary Ross on Visibility and Resilience
- : [00:01:09 - 00:01:53] — On not being heard, invisibility, and changing perspective.
- : [00:02:21 - 00:03:10] — On setbacks, management, and resilience.
- : [00:03:11 - 00:03:57] — High achievers, perfectionism, and incremental progress.
- : [00:04:33 - 00:05:15] — Post-Covid workplace control and the importance for women.
Dr. Monica Nangia on Resilience as Self-Advocacy
- : [00:06:10 - 00:06:59] — ‘Prove it again’ bias and the burden of always having to demonstrate competence.
- : [00:07:02 - 00:07:43] — Hypervisibility vs. invisibility and challenges for women of color.
- : [00:08:08 - 00:09:31] — Cultural taxation, EDI work, and lack of representation in senior roles.
- : [00:09:31 - 00:09:58] — Broken rung theory and the impact of visible role models.
- : [00:11:07 - 00:11:29] — The need for allies and support.
Elizabeth Brauer’s Journey from Burnout to Reconnection
- : [00:12:25 - 00:13:10] — Burnout, vulnerability, and redefining success.
- : [00:14:26 - 00:14:49] — Advice for those feeling stuck in a workaholic persona.
- : [00:14:49 - 00:15:52] — Reconnecting with oneself and celebrating achievements.
- : [00:16:27 - 00:17:21] — Taking personal time and day-to-day autopilot.
- : [00:17:41 - 00:18:35] — The one piece of career advice she’d ban: “always being on.”
Thanks for listening to this episode of "Frustrated and Exhausted." Your journey of self-awareness and authentic leadership starts here.
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