This Is Woman's Work with Nicole Kalil

What Taylor Swift Teaches Us About Women, Influence, and Economic Power with Misty L. Heggeness | 400

Let’s get one thing straight: this is not a fan girl episode. It’s a masterclass in women’s economic power, using one of the most undeniable case studies of our time — Taylor Swift. In this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole Kalil sits down with economist and researcher Misty Heggeness, author of Swiftynomics, to break down what happens when women stop playing small and start reshaping entire industries. Because whether people like Taylor Swift or not? Irrelevant. What she’s done for ownership, influence, and economic impact? Undeniable. This conversation dives into the data behind the headlines — exposing how women have always been driving the economy… just without the credit. In this episode, they explore: What “Swiftynomics” actually means (and why it’s bigger than Taylor Swift) Why traditional economic metrics undervalue women (and always have) How women drive over 80% of consumer spending — and what that means for power The rise of female-led content, companies, and cultural influence Why backlash against powerful women is predictable… and irrelevant The economic shift happening when women support women — and stop supporting what doesn’t support them Why equity in the workplace and at home benefits everyone (yes, even men) This isn’t about celebrity. It’s about who holds power, who gets recognized for it, and who’s done waiting for permission. This episode reframes Taylor Swift as more than a pop icon — she’s proof of what happens when women own their work, their voice, and their value, and in doing so, redefine the entire economic landscape. Thank you to our sponsors! Shopify has everything all in one place, making your life easier and your business operations smoother. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at shopify.com/tiww  Gusto is online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. It’s all-in-one, remote-friendly, and incredibly easy to use—so you can pay, hire, onboard, and support your team from anywhere! Try Gusto today at gusto.com/TIWW, and get three months free when you run your first payroll. Refresh your spring wardrobe with Quince. Go to Quince.com/TIWW for free shipping and 365-day returns! Connect with Misty: Website: https://www.mistyheggeness.com/  Book: https://www.instagram.com/swiftynomics/  Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/swiftynomics.bsky.social  X: https://bsky.app/profile/swiftynomics.bsky.social  Related Podcast Episodes: Holding It Together: Women As America's Safety Net with Jessica Calarco | 215 How To Cultivate Audacity with Anne Marie Anderson | 276 Joan Lunden on Reinvention, Leadership & Life Beyond the Script | 392 Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 6 Stages of Lasting Love with Thais Gibson | 399

Romantic relationships are not supposed to stay frozen in the honeymoon phase forever. In this episode, Nicole Kalil sits down with attachment theory expert Thais Gibson—bestselling author, PhD, and founder of The Personal Development School—to break down the six stages of relationships, why the power struggle stage is where so many couples get stuck, and what it really takes to build healthy, lasting love. Because, contrary to everything rom-coms, bad advice, and old conditioning taught women, a strong relationship is not about never changing. It is about learning how to grow, communicate, repair, and keep choosing each other when life gets messy, inconvenient, and very unsexy. In this episode, Nicole and Thais discuss: The 6 stages of relationships, from dating to everlasting love Why the power struggle stage is normal, not proof something is broken Why vulnerability is the price of deeper connection The communication mistake couples make on repeat Why women often overfocus on being chosen instead of doing the choosing Why people date potential and how that blows up later What it takes to move from stability into devotion and lasting partnership This conversation gets into the real stuff: dating red flags, codependency, conflict resolution, self-abandonment, subconscious patterns, and the truth about what it takes to create a healthy relationship that evolves with you instead of trapping you. Thank you to our sponsors! Shopify has everything all in one place, making your life easier and your business operations smoother. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at shopify.com/tiww  Gusto is online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. It’s all-in-one, remote-friendly, and incredibly easy to use—so you can pay, hire, onboard, and support your team from anywhere! Try Gusto today at gusto.com/TIWW, and get three months free when you run your first payroll. Connect with Thais: Website: personaldevelopmentschool.com  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThePersonalDevelopmentSchoolG:  IG: https://www.instagram.com/thepersonaldevelopmentschool/?hl=en  Related Podcast Episodes: All The Ways We Get In Our Own Way with Thais Gibson | 235 Healing Relationships: The 4 Essential Pillars for Lasting Love with Dr. Rachel Glik | 283 163 / Do You Believe in Love? with Arielle Ford Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

UNCOMPETE: Rejecting Competition to Unlock Success with Ruchika T. Malhotra | 398

Somewhere along the way, women were sold a lie: competition is the price of ambition. Be faster. Be louder. Be better. And if someone else wins? You must lose. In this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole Kalil sits down with Ruchika T. Malhotra—founder and CEO of Candour, a global inclusion strategy firm, and author of Uncompete: Rejecting Competition to Unlock Success—to dismantle the zero-sum mindset and replace it with something far more powerful: collaboration, abundance, and shared success. Ruchika, a former business journalist and contributor to Harvard Business Review (including co-author of one of HBR’s most-read articles, Stop Telling Women They Have Impostor Syndrome), brings research, global perspective, and real-world strategy to challenge how we think about workplace competition, women in leadership, and ambition. Together, they unpack: Why competition in real life rewards conformity—not excellence The difference between comparison (human) and competition (optional) How social media fuels constant, low-grade competitive anxiety What “uncompeting” looks like in promotions, leadership, and career growth How to turn envy into data instead of self-destruction Why competing with other women isn’t strategy—it’s conditioning Bottom line: Uncompeting isn’t about lowering ambition. It’s about rejecting scarcity, defining success on your own terms, and building long-game leadership rooted in integrity—not insecurity. Thank you to our sponsors! Shopify has everything all in one place, making your life easier and your business operations smoother. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at shopify.com/tiww  Connect with Ruchika: Website: https://www.ruchika.co/ Book: www.uncompetebook.com LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruchikatm IG: https://www.instagram.com/rtulshyan/ Related Podcast Episodes 137 / Ampliship (Mean Girls Part 2) with Caroline Adams Miller 206 / A Better Way to Define Success with Stella Grizont How To Get What You Want with Jenny Wood | 293 Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meditation for Real Life: Presence, Mindfulness, and A Zen Mind with Jo Rose | 397

What if meditation isn’t about sitting still, clearing your mind, or becoming some perfectly calm, enlightened human? What if it’s simply about presence? In this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole Kalil sits down with entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, and founder of the globally consumed meditation podcast A Zen Mind, Jo Rose, to talk about meditation for real life, nervous system regulation, and how cultivating presence can transform the way we work, lead, and live. In this conversation, we explore: The biggest myths about meditation and why so many people think they “can’t meditate” Why meditation isn’t about silencing your mind  How presence and mindfulness can happen during conversations, movement, or everyday tasks The connection between nervous system regulation and feeling calm, open, and grounded Why trying to control outcomes often blocks creativity and intuition The difference between forcing results vs. allowing flow states How to discover routines that support your mental health and well-being (and why copying someone else’s routine rarely works) The power of devotion over discipline when building meditation and mindfulness practices Because meditation isn’t about perfection. It’s about noticing when your mind wanders… and bringing it back. Over and over again. Thank you to our sponsors! Shopify has everything all in one place, making your life easier and your business operations smoother. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at shopify.com/tiww  Listen to A Zen Mind Podcast & Connect With Jo Rose: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/69Jm0pfRlpnaBDaioynNaX?si=r9BQATHYRei2Hm0tBQ2O8w&nd=1&dlsi=dcf04fdb2d8b4ab6 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-zen-mind-guided-meditations/id1599159160 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@azenmind IG: https://www.instagram.com/a.zen.mind Website: https://azenmindglobal.com/  Related Podcast Episodes: Stop Saying “I’m Fine”: Nervous System Regulation for High-Achieving Women with Michelle Grosser | 372 How To Listen When Your Parts Speak (IFS Therapy + Ancestral Wisdom) with Tamala Floyd | 376 How Our Dysregulated Nervous Systems Are Impacting Us with Victoria Albina | 244 Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Women Are Tired — Stop Pointing It Out | Unfiltered & Unhinged

Some phrases women hear on repeat really need to be retired — permanently. In this unfiltered & unhinged short episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole Kalil revisits her earlier rant “Stop Saying That” (Episode 216) and adds another phrase to the list: “You look tired.” Nicole explains why this comment — even when it’s meant with good intentions — isn’t helpful. If someone looks exhausted, chances are they already know. Between work, family, responsibilities, and the never-ending mental load women carry, it’s no surprise so many are running on fumes. Instead of pointing it out, Nicole suggests a better approach: ask how someone is doing, offer support, or bring coffee. Because there’s a big difference between making an observation and showing actual care. And yes, women are tired — but we keep showing up anyway. Thank you to our sponsors! Shopify has everything all in one place, making your life easier and your business operations smoother. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at shopify.com/tiww  Connect with Nicole: Subscribe to Nicole’s Substack: https://nicolekalil.substack.com/  Join the Inner Circle: https://nicolekalil.myflodesk.com/newsletter  Related Podcast Episodes: Stop Saying That! (Like Right F*****g Now) | 216 Restless Life Syndrome (Why I Want 14 Different Lives) | Unfiltered & Unhinged Yell for Help | Unfiltered & Unhinged Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices