More Women Promoted

I break down why the leadership playbook was built for someone who isn't us, and why leaning into how women actually lead is your biggest competitive advantage. Weekly newsletter: morewomenpromoted.com/newsletter
When you picture a leader, who comes to mind? For most of us, it's an image shaped by decades of one type of person being in charge, and that person built the whole playbook. Executive presence. Be more assertive. Project more confidence. So much of the feedback women get is really just "lead more like a man." And when we try, it doesn't work, because it isn't who we are.
In this episode, I break down the research showing women actually lead differently, why that difference is a measurable competitive advantage, and why having other women in your corner is what makes it possible to lead this way with confidence.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
The leadership style that's proven to build more trust and better performance, and why most of us were never taught it
The real data behind why companies with more women in the C-suite and boardroom significantly outperform
What the COVID crisis leadership numbers revealed about countries led by women
Why being over-mentored and under-sponsored keeps so many capable women stuck, and the difference between the two
The specific skill I teach that lets you be direct without losing what makes your leadership style work
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Stacy Sims: drstacysims.com/ 
Caroline Criado Perez’s book, Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men: https://a.co/d/05KjbMcH 
Connect with Katy on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/katy-mcfee-3880b4a 
Weekly newsletter: morewomenpromoted.com/newsletter 
Curious what it’s like to work together? Send me a message on LinkedIn or Instagram (Katy McFee) and tell me what you are working toward, and we can take it from there.
Join me live in Ottawa, Canada, on October 23rd. Save your seat at owntheroomsummit.com.
Not sure if you're ready for VP? Take the free assessment and find out at morewomenpromoted.com/quiz
Remember, there's room for all of us at the table.

I burned out in 2021, and earlier this year I felt those same warning signs creeping back in. In this episode, I break down why so many women leave senior leadership right after they get there, and what actually prevents it. Weekly newsletter: morewomenpromoted.com/newsletter
For every one woman who becomes a director, two leave. Women's representation at the VP and C-suite level has been stuck at around 30 percent for years, and it is not because women aren't getting there. It's because once they arrive, too many decide it isn't worth staying.
I know this firsthand. At the end of 2021, I hit a wall I had never experienced before: crying every day, disengaged, convinced I was losing my mind. It took me almost a year to feel like myself again. And earlier this year, I noticed those same warning signs creeping back in, so this topic is personal, not theoretical.
In this episode, I break down why women are leaving senior leadership right when they get there, what's actually driving it, and what I did differently the second time around to catch it before it became a crisis again.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
The three root causes behind burnout at the senior level, and why working fewer hours isn't automatically the fix
Why an invisible caregiving load, plus midlife changes like perimenopause, quietly compound the pressure on women executives specifically
The daily, non-negotiable habits I use to catch burnout before it becomes a crisis, not a once-a-year trip to Mexico
Why not feeling aligned causes more burnout than people realize, and how I used an energizing versus de-energizing list to find mine
The support audit I recommend before you take on, or stay in, a senior role
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Connect with Katy on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/katy-mcfee-3880b4a 
Weekly newsletter: morewomenpromoted.com/newsletter 
Curious what it’s like to work together? Send me a message on LinkedIn or Instagram (Katy McFee) and tell me what you are working toward, and we can take it from there.
Join me live in Ottawa, Canada, on October 23rd. Save your seat at owntheroomsummit.com.
Not sure if you're ready for VP? Take the free assessment and find out at morewomenpromoted.com/quiz
Remember, there's room for all of us at the table.

I once worked for a boss who couldn't stand me, and it taught me the real difference between a difficult manager and a genuinely toxic one. In this episode, I break down how to tell them apart and what to do either way. Sign up for my newsletter to keep getting weekly insights like this: morewomenpromoted.com/newsletter 
Ever been convinced your boss just doesn't like you? You're not imagining it, and you're also not stuck.
"Toxic boss" gets thrown around for almost anything now: tough feedback, a manager who plays favourites, someone who changes their mind. But a difficult manager and an actually toxic one call for completely different responses, and mixing them up can keep you stuck in a relationship that's actually worth fixing, or keep you staying somewhere you should have left a long time ago.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
The exact pattern of behaviour that separates a toxic boss from a difficult one, and why lumping them together backfires
Three ways to actually strengthen a rocky relationship with a manager who isn't your biggest fan
How to keep growing your career even when your boss isn't championing you
The clear signs it's time to stop trying and start job searching
Why building a personal relationship with a difficult manager changes everything, even if grabbing lunch with them is the last thing you want to do
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Connect with Katy on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/katy-mcfee-3880b4a 
Weekly newsletter: morewomenpromoted.com/newsletter 
Curious what it’s like to work together? Send me a message on LinkedIn or Instagram (Katy McFee) and tell me what you are working toward, and we can take it from there.
Join me live in Ottawa, Canada, on October 23rd. Save your seat at owntheroomsummit.com.
Not sure if you're ready for VP? Take the free assessment and find out at morewomenpromoted.com/quiz
Remember, there's room for all of us at the table.

I sat down with Anna Belyaeva on The Career Diet podcast to break down the mistakes that kept me stuck at director for five years, and what I'd do instead. Looking for more? One week left to join my fall cohort: https://insightstoactioncc.com/signup
I was reporting straight to the CEO, running an entire function, and there was no VP above me. I still couldn't get the title. I had no idea what I was doing wrong. I was working harder than anyone, my team loved me, I knew the leadership team well, and none of it moved the needle.
That was five years of my life as a director before I finally figured out what was actually missing, and it wasn't more hustle.
In this episode, I'm doing something a little different. Instead of a solo teaching episode, I'm sharing the conversation I had as a guest on my friend Anna Belyaeva's podcast, The Career Diet. She asked me the questions I get asked the most: what were the biggest mistakes I made trying to move from director to VP, and what would I tell a woman today who wants to make that move in the next six months.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
Why grinding harder actually works against you once you're aiming for VP, and the two-part audit (calendar and task) I use to reclaim real strategic thinking time
The exact language shift that turns "what do you think?" into "here's my recommendation, any concerns?", and why the second version gets you promoted
Why confidence gets read as competence whether you like it or not, and the Harvard Business Review research behind it
How to build a real stakeholder map instead of relying on people who just "like" you
The three moves I'd make this week if I were trying to go from director to VP in the next six months
RESOURCES MENTIONED
The Career Diet podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-career-diet-podcast/id1759430848
Own Your Seat at the Table - fall cohort (one week left to enroll): https://insightstoactioncc.com/signup
Connect with Katy on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/katy-mcfee-3880b4a 
Weekly newsletter: morewomenpromoted.com/newsletter 
Curious what it’s like to work together? Send me a message on LinkedIn or Instagram (Katy McFee) and tell me what you are working toward, and we can take it from there.
Join me live in Ottawa, Canada, on October 23rd. Save your seat at owntheroomsummit.com.
Not sure if you're ready for VP? Take the free assessment and find out at morewomenpromoted.com/quiz
Remember, there's room for all of us at the table.

You have a personal brand at work whether you're intentional about it or not. The question is whether it's working for you. Steal the playbook from brand marketing: three concepts that drive market share and apply them to your career. morewomenpromoted.com/newsletter 
Most women I know are heads-down doing good work and assuming that's enough. It's not. The women who get promoted to VP and beyond aren't just talented. They've built a career brand, and they've done it intentionally.
In this episode, I sit down with Shea Cole, CMO at Field Effect and former VP at FullScript, to break down the three brand marketing fundamentals that drive market share and show you exactly how they apply to your career. If you want to be the name that comes up when a big opportunity opens, this episode is your playbook.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
Why your personal brand is just your reputation and how to start building it intentionally, even if you have zero social media presence
How differentiation works in your career: what makes you different doesn't have to be what you're best at today; it just has to be authentic and sustainable
The two-part framework for "meaning," including the part about making people want you in the room (and what happens when strong opinions get mislabeled as difficult)
What top-of-mind awareness actually means in a workplace context and why a single standout project isn't enough to get you on the succession plan
The one habit Shea's former boss swore by: "merchandise your work" and why doing it benefits your boss as much as it benefits you
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Shea Cole on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sheacole 
Shea's brand strategy course through Electives: electives.io 
Connect with Katy on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/katy-mcfee-3880b4a 
Weekly newsletter: morewomenpromoted.com/newsletter 
Lewis Howes School of Greatness podcast: lewishowes.com/school-of-greatness 
More Women Promoted Podcast S3 Ep2: Why Your Boss Can't Promote You (Even If They Want To)
Curious what it’s like to work together? Send me a message on LinkedIn or Instagram (Katy McFee) and tell me what you are working toward, and we can take it from there.
Join me live in Ottawa, Canada, on October 23rd. Save your seat at owntheroomsummit.com.
Not sure if you're ready for VP? Take the free assessment and find out at morewomenpromoted.com/quiz
Remember, there's room for all of us at the table.