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The Art of Speaking Up is a podcast that empowers professional women to achieve their wildest career goals by helping them strengthen their voices and find their inner power. The show aims to motivate, entertain, and remind working women that no matter what they might be struggling with, anything is possible for them in their careers. In addition to providing strengths-based professional empowerment, the show curates practical career advice on topics like career advancement, goal setting, job searching, stress management, salary negotiation and more.
The Art of Speaking Up is a podcast that empowers professional women to achieve their wildest career goals by helping them strengthen their voices and find their inner power. The show aims to motivate, entertain, and remind working women that no matter what they might be struggling with, anything is possible for them in their careers. In addition to providing strengths-based professional empowerment, the show curates practical career advice on topics like career advancement, goal setting, job searching, stress management, salary negotiation and more.
Episodes

Tuesday Dec 11, 2018
Tuesday Dec 11, 2018
CEO turned life coach Brenda Baird unpacks why we feel anxiety, stress, and unhappiness at work. She talks about how our internal monologue can make difficult situations feel even harder for us, and how our fears and insecurities can catabolize challenges into stress and anxiety. We also cover:
- What burnout looks like and why it happens
- How fear and our insecurities can amplify stress and anxiety
- How self-sabotage can show up at work
- Inner critics and how they impact our work
- Why we seek external validation
You can learn more about Brenda’s work at: www.brendabairdcoaching.com
Finding Your Own North Star by Martha Beck: https://amzn.to/2FHW1pQ
Want to get in touch or submit a listener question? DM Jessica on Instagram at @theartofspeakingup or send an email to jessica@theartofspeakingup.com

Tuesday Dec 04, 2018
12 | Finding peace when work triggers negative emotions with Courtney Clifford
Tuesday Dec 04, 2018
Tuesday Dec 04, 2018
Whether it’s a frustrating project, a co-worker you don’t get along with, or just mental exhaustion – this conversation with Courtney dives into why we find ourselves feeling agitated and on edge some days at work.
Courtney Clifford is a facilitator, coach, kundalini yoga & meditation teacher based in NYC. She is the founder of TRUE, a transformative experiential development company that generates increased inner awareness through a blend of yogic science, practical energetic philosophy and techniques. Courtney is also the creator Amplified EnergyTM as a way for people of all walks of life to experience their "TRUE" selves and achieve peace from the inside out.
In this conversation we cover:
- Why emotional intelligence matters at work
- How we can examine the role we play in coworker frictions
- How to process and let go of negative emotions that we feel at work
- How to deepen our self-awareness, and
- How to stay centered when work is driving us nuts
You can learn more about Courtney’s work at www.CourtneyClifford.com and follow her on Instagram - @courtopia.
Want to submit a listener question to be answered on the show? Email jessica@theartofspeakingup.com or DM @theartofspeakingup on Instagram.

Tuesday Nov 27, 2018
Tuesday Nov 27, 2018
This episode is all about pursuing your career goals without hesitation. Britt’s story of landing a coveted tech role without an engineering degree or prior experience is proof that opportunities that might seem out of reach are often more attainable than we might think.
In this episode, Britt and I chat about:
- How Britt landed a role in tech without an engineering degree or any prior tech experience
- How Britt ramped up and built confidence in her new role, despite being less experienced than everyone else on her team
- Britt’s advice for what to do if you feel like you need to ask a ‘dumb’ question (sidenote: I don’t believe that dumb questions are a real thing)
- How Britt approaches goal-setting and how she goes after big goals and works through failure or missed opportunities
- The challenges in building the courage to speak up and believe in our own ideas, goals, and ambitions
- And LOTS more
This conversation is jam packed with honest advice and insights, as well as an answer to a listener question about what to do when you find yourself shrinking away in the presence of more senior coworkers or bosses.
I hope you enjoy – and if you’re having any challenges at work, I want to hear from you!! Submit your listener questions to jessica@theartofspeakingup.com or DM @theartofspeakingup on Instagram.
Thank you for listening! J
This episode is all about pursuing your career goals without hesitation. Britt’s story of landing a coveted tech role without an engineering degree or prior experience is proof that opportunities that might seem out of reach are often more attainable than we might think.
In this episode, Britt and I chat about:
- How Britt landed a role in tech without an engineering degree or any prior tech experience
- How Britt ramped up and built confidence in her new role, despite being less experienced than everyone else on her team
- Britt’s advice for what to do if you feel like you need to ask a ‘dumb’ question (sidenote: I don’t believe that dumb questions are a real thing)
- How Britt approaches goal-setting and how she goes after big goals and works through failure or missed opportunities
- The challenges in building the courage to speak up and believe in our own ideas, goals, and ambitions
- And LOTS more
This conversation is jam packed with honest advice and insights, as well as an answer to a listener question about what to do when you find yourself shrinking away in the presence of more senior coworkers or bosses.
I hope you enjoy – and if you’re having any challenges at work, I want to hear from you!! Submit your listener questions to jessica@theartofspeakingup.com or DM @theartofspeakingup on Instagram.
Thank you for listening!

Monday Nov 19, 2018
10 | On dreaming big: permission to set your career goals ridiculously high
Monday Nov 19, 2018
Monday Nov 19, 2018
We need more female leaders in Corporate America, which means that as women, dreaming big for ourselves is not just fun, but actually critical to closing the corporate gender gap.
In this episode, Jess discusses what it means to be ambitious and why it’s so important for ambitious women to not sell themselves short in terms of what they want for their careers. She discusses:
- Why it can feel scary and even uncomfortable to want something big for yourself
- Why we sometimes don’t allow ourselves to dream as big as we should
- Why dreaming big can be so powerful
- The relationship between female empowerment and career goals, and
- How you can start going after massive goals TODAY, no matter who you are or what you do
If you’re interested in diving deeper into the topic of female ambition and desire, check out Appetites by Caroline Knapp: https://amzn.to/2TdyOyJ
As always, please reach out if you’re enjoying the show! And feel free to submit a listener question <3
Insta: @theartofspeakingup
Email: jessica@theartofspeaking.com

Tuesday Nov 13, 2018
Tuesday Nov 13, 2018
~~ Want to submit a listener question to be answered on the show? DM @theartofspeakingup on Instagram or email jessica@theartofspeakingup.com ~~
In this conversation, Carrie covers some of the key tenets behind achieving happiness and productivity in work and in life. Carrie and I chatted about:
- Why our brains can get stuck in negative mode, and how to reorient our thinking towards the positive
- How to build confidence when we’re feeling low
- Why criticism can sting so much and leave more of a lasting impact than positive feedback
- Why we can end up feeling stuck in our jobs, and what we can do to start to feel unstuck
- How we can bring more joy into our careers and our lives by exploring new strengths and passions
- How we can make work feel more fun and playful, and
- How we can ultimately live a more happy and fulfilling life
My favorite thing about this interview was the list of techniques that Carrie suggested to help us get unstuck. They are:
- List of 100 accomplishments: list 100 things that you did well, accomplished, or that turned out well for you whenever you’re needing a boost in confidence or productivity
- Curiosity journal: spend a few days noticing everything you’re curious about and capturing it in a journal. Then reflect back and see what pops out to you, and get curious about how you can pursue it or learn more about it
- ‘What-if’ exercise: if you’re on the fence about something or feeling stuck, list out 10+ potential solutions that start with ‘what-if?’ Don’t filter out any ideas! Just list everything that comes to mind
- Physical, mental, emotional, spiritual: On a sheet of paper, draw four quadrants for each category, and list the things in that category that make you feel happy and fulfilled. Make sure you’re doing at least a few of those things every day or week
- The Unicorn hat: find an unconventional way to make a boring task more fun
To learn more about Carrie, go to www.nextlevelcoachconsult.com
Want to get in touch? Come chat with Jess on Instagram at @theartofspeakingup or email jessica@theartofspeakingup.com.

Tuesday Nov 06, 2018
Tuesday Nov 06, 2018
~~ Want to submit a listener question to be answered on the show? DM @theartofspeakingup on Instagram or email jessica@theartofspeakingup.com ~~
Job searching can be tough. It is time consuming, at times discouraging, and can often put our self-esteem to the test. This is why I was so excited to sit down and chat with job-search coach Shea O’Dell Scott – not just about the process itself, but about the difficult feelings that job searching and interviewing can often elicit.
Shea has built a successful career in the fashion (and now interior design industry), but like many, she struggled to land her very first job out of college. Now, she’s turned her own early job search struggles into a mission-driven side hustle: in addition to juggling her full-time job in interior design, Shea coaches clients with the goal of helping them land their very first job.
But Shea is so much more than a career coach. Her vision for the work that she does was built off of the internal struggles that she faced when trying to land her first job. She does more than just help her clients with their resumes, applications, and interview prep – Shea helps them stay motivated, confident, and self-assured through the interview process.
What I love so much about Shea and her work is that she takes a strengths-based, compassionate approach to working with her clients. She understands that job searching can mean so much more to us than it might appear on the surface – in many ways, the job search process can feel like it is mirroring our value and self-worth back to us as we await replies from employers, negotiate salary, and push through rounds of challenging interviews.
In this conversation, Shea and I discuss everything from feeling scared to negotiate salary, to job search tips, to staying strong and confident through the search process. Shea also answers a question from a listener who is feeling discouraged after several weeks of unsuccessful job searching. Shea shares encouragement and tactical tips to help the listener stay strong and land the job she is wanting for herself.
If you to learn more about Shea, her Instagram is @goyouguide and her website is www.goyouguide.com
Want to get in touch? Come chat with Jess on Instagram at @theartofspeakingup or email jessica@theartofspeakingup.com.

Wednesday Oct 24, 2018
Wednesday Oct 24, 2018
Once upon a time, before smartphones were the norm, my employer gave me a Blackberry phone so that I could check email on the go.
Did you know that Blackberries have a tiny little light that blinks red every time an email comes in?
And remember, this was my work phone, so in my case - the little light blinked red every time a work email came in.
My job was high-pressure, rapid-fire, and very demanding - which meant that the red blinky light blinked often, and with a distinct aura of urgency.
Over time, the red blinky light became my master and I its slave, in a bizarre Pavlovian tango in which I’d constantly check to see if it was blinking. But that wasn’t the weirdest part of things. The weirdest part is what would happen when I wasn’t checking the phone to see if the light was blinking.
Somehow, someway, by some crazy malfunction of my brain - the red blinky light began following me.
I saw it in the shower, I saw it in the subway train - I even saw it one time in a breadbasket when I was on a date with my boyfriend at an Italian Restaurant.
My mind had become completely consumed. And I felt stuck, because getting away from the red blinky light itself was not enough. The red blinky light was following me!
If I could go back and advice my 25 year old self, I’d encourage her to try something that I was unfamiliar with at the time: meditation.
Simply stated, meditation is strengthening our ability to observe our own thoughts. When we do so, we are able to identify unwanted thought patterns and disengage with them - even when we’re not meditating.
In this episode, Charlotte Myers talks about how to meditate, and shares similar stories from her own career of times when her mind became consumed with negative thoughts and stress, and when she turned to mindfulness and meditation to feel better despite her difficult work circumstances.
If you want to connect with Charlotte, her Instagram handle is @airyfairyfeminist and she hosts The Airy Fairy Feminist podcast.
Shawn Achor’s podcast on positive psychology:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLJsdqxnZb0
Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod:https://amzn.to/2R5SvGF
10% Happier by Dan Harris:https://amzn.to/2D2JJX4
The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor: https://amzn.to/2q5hfU7
Want to get in touch? Follow @theartofspeakingup on Instagram or email jessica@theartofspeakingup.com.

Tuesday Oct 23, 2018
Tuesday Oct 23, 2018
I remember getting feedback early on in my career that told me that I needed to learn to be more assertive. I also remember being confused and uncomfortable around the idea of assertiveness. What exactly did this mean? How and when was I supposed to do it? And most importantly, why did it feel so foreign and uncomfortable for me?
Assertiveness is a complex, multi-layered topic – especially for many women. In this conversation with Kourtney, we dive deep into a very important piece of the assertiveness puzzle: why it can feel uncomfortable for so many of us, and how we can learn to stay strong in our communication without feeling like we’re sacrificing our authenticity.
Kourtney is an influential leader in Corporate America, and in this episode, she shares how her voice, her presence, and her assertiveness evolved as she grew her career. Kourtney normalizes the fact that assertiveness can be very difficult – and in doing so, she enables us to breath a collective sigh of relief and know that we are not alone in our anxieties and discomfort around this topic.
Kourtney provides valuable advice on how we can tap into a modality of assertiveness that feels right for us, and shares powerful information on the intersection between assertiveness, women’s empowerment, and the connection that we have with our voices and our inner authority.
Kourtney was an inspiration to me. When I spoke with her, I felt her passion for uplifting other women, and she inspired me to continue amplifying my own strength as well as the strength of other women. I hope that she does the same for you!
Want to get in touch? Email jessica@theartofspeakingup.com & follow @theartofspeakingup on Instagram.
FREE RESOURCES
Free Ebook: https://www.assertivenessebook.com/
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theartofspeakingup/
Art of Speaking Up email newsletter signup:

Tuesday Oct 16, 2018
Tuesday Oct 16, 2018
Speaking in front of groups can be not only challenging – but for many of us, it can be extremely anxiety inducing.
I know how frustrating and debilitating it can be to feel deeply uncomfortable at the thought of getting up in front of groups – I’ve been there!
In this episode, I chat all about the fear of public speaking with Olivia Mitchell. Olivia is a speaking coach who believes that even the shyest and most afraid person can get more comfortable with this over time.
If you’re anything like I was, you are probably skeptical that this is actually true. You probably think that this works for other people, but it could never work for you.
Olivia is here to prove you wrong. Though she began her career as an attorney, she now focuses on exclusively on public speaking. Her specialty and one of her greatest gifts is helping women who are very afraid of public speaking get more comfortable in front of groups.
Her approach is one that I hadn’t heard of before, and something I wish I would have had access to in my 20s. If you struggle with speaking in front of groups, you’ll appreciate the fact that Olivia does not push people to just force themselves to get up in front of groups and ‘get over it.’ Her approach is gentle yet calculated, and one that I believe is very powerful and effective. I am so excited to bring Olivia’s ideas and point of view to listeners!
Here are links to things we mentioned in the show:
Year of Yes, By Shonda Rhimes:
You can learn more about Olivia’s work here:
www.speakingaboutpresenting.com
Want to get in touch? Email jessica@theartofspeakingup.com & follow @theartofspeakingup on Instagram.
FREE RESOURCES
Free Ebook: https://www.assertivenessebook.com/
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theartofspeakingup/
Art of Speaking Up email newsletter signup:

Tuesday Oct 09, 2018
4 | Navigating male dominated workplaces with Kaitlin Maud (Part 2)
Tuesday Oct 09, 2018
Tuesday Oct 09, 2018
In part 2 of my conversation with Kaitlin, she talks about the struggles of navigating her early career days as a young woman in the male dominated ad vertical.
Kaitlin also answers a listener question about how to build an interpersonal connection with your male manager when you're the only woman on the team.
I was blown away by Kaitlin's ability not only to share important learnings from her own experiences, but to draw important parallels to broader workplace issues such as inclusivity and diversity.
This conversation was an important reminder to me that privilege is such an important ingredient in the women's empowerment conversation, and I am so thankful to Kaitlin for delving into these important topics and sharing her insights with us.
FREE RESOURCES:
Free Ebook: https://www.assertivenessebook.com/
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theartofspeakingup/
Art of Speaking Up email newsletter signup: https://jessguzikcoaching.com/newsletter/
