This Is Woman's Work with Nicole Kalil

Let’s be clear: the idea of a “perfect family” is outdated, unrealistic, and holding onto it often causes more harm than good.

In this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole Kalil sits down with family lawyer, author, and co-parenting advocate Gabriella Pomare to dismantle the myth that staying together is always best for the kids—and to redefine what healthy, modern families can actually look like. A partner at a leading law firm in Sydney, Gabriella brings over a decade of experience navigating complex family dynamics, from high-conflict separations to international custody cases.

Because divorce isn’t the end of a family. It’s the restructuring of one.

Gabriella brings both professional expertise and lived experience to the table, sharing how parents can move from conflict to collaboration—even when emotions are high, communication is broken, and resentment is lingering just beneath the surface.

This conversation is honest, practical, and refreshingly real about what it actually takes to co-parent with intention instead of ego.

In this episode, they cover:


Why the “stay together for the kids” narrative is often more harmful than helpful


The #1 skill that can make or break your co-parenting relationship: communication


Gabriella’s 4-step communication framework


How to set boundaries with a high-conflict or difficult ex (without losing your sanity)


Tools like co-parenting apps that reduce drama and keep things child-focused


How to handle holidays, schedules, and special occasions without turning them into battlegrounds


Why kids don’t need the details—they need stability, safety, and reassurance


Navigating dating, step-parent dynamics, and blended families 

Because at the end of the day, it isn’t about being right. It’s about raising humans who feel safe, loved, and supported—no matter what their family structure looks like.

Thank you to our sponsors!

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Refresh your spring wardrobe with Quince. Go to Quince.com/TIWW for free shipping and 365-day returns!

Connect with Gabriella:

Website: https://thecollaborativeco-parent.com.au 

Book:https://www.amazon.com/Collaborative-Parent-Co-Parenting-dignified-collaborative/dp/1636987036/ 

IG: https://www.instagram.com/collaborativecoparent/

Related Podcast Episodes:

047 / Mindset, Resilience & Divorce with Susan Tripi

198 / Repairing Damaged Relationships with Carlee Myers

204 / How To Let Go Of Your Ex with Dr. Cortney Warren

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In this unfiltered and unhinged solo episode, Nicole Kalil gets brutally honest about something every high-achieving woman hates to admit: she’s been dropping balls. A lot of them.

From missed appointments to forgotten commitments, Nicole pulls back the curtain on what happens when even the most organized, detail-loving, color-coded-calendar kind of woman hits a breaking point. And instead of spiraling into shame (okay, maybe a little), she revisits a powerful mindset shift that changes everything.

Enter: glass balls vs. rubber balls.

Because not everything that gets dropped is a disaster — and treating it like one is exactly what’s burning women out.

This episode is a reality check and a permission slip:


Not all mistakes are catastrophic


Not everything deserves your guilt


And no, you’re not “losing it”… you’re human

Nicole breaks down how to:


Identify what actually matters (your glass balls)


Stop overreacting to the things that don’t (your rubber balls)


Give yourself grace without lowering your standards


Protect your energy, your priorities, and your sanity

Because the goal isn’t to juggle everything perfectly — it’s to know what’s worth catching.

And if a few balls bounce? Let them.

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 Nicole:

Subscribe to Nicole’s Substack: https://nicolekalil.substack.com/ 

Join the Inner Circle: https://nicolekalil.myflodesk.com/newsletter 

Related Podcast Episode:

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

Restless Life Syndrome (Why I Want 14 Different Lives) | Unfiltered & Unhinged

Yell for Help | Unfiltered & Unhinged

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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

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Joan Lunden on Reinvention, Leadership & Life Beyond the Script | 392

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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

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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

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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!

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