This Is Woman's Work with Nicole Kalil

Let’s talk about the glow-up no one told you about: the one where you hit midlife and suddenly cannot be bothered with other people’s bullshit anymore.

Because somewhere between perimenopause, professional burnout, emotional labor overload, and decades of people-pleasing, something shifts. You stop cushioning your words. You stop managing everyone else’s feelings like it’s your unpaid side hustle. And when someone asks, “Are you okay?” the answer is, “Better than ever. I just ran out of estrogen—and tolerance.”

In this episode, Nicole sits down with licensed clinical therapist Ellen Scherr to unpack the neuroscience behind what she calls “aging out of f*cks.” Spoiler alert: this isn’t bitterness. It’s biology.

As estrogen declines in midlife, it impacts multiple neurochemical systems in the brain—systems tied to anxiety, people-pleasing, anger regulation, and emotional buffering. The “popular girl at the party” (aka estrogen) leaves… and suddenly the whole dynamic changes. What once felt like obligation starts to feel optional. What once felt terrifying starts to feel negotiable. And what once felt like “I should” becomes “Do I even want to?”

They dive into:


The neuroscience of perimenopause and menopause—and how hormonal changes impact confidence, risk-taking, and people-pleasing


Why women’s confidence actually increases with age (and can surpass men’s in their 60s)


The lifelong cost of emotional labor—and why it starts to break down in midlife


How negativity bias keeps women stuck in fear (and how to reframe it)


The difference between legitimate feedback and social punishment


Why so many women make bold career, relationship, and life changes in their 40s, 50s, and beyond


Whether it’s possible to “speed up” the process of caring less in your 20s and 30s

This isn’t about blowing up your life. It’s about understanding the neuroscience of midlife, reclaiming your authenticity, setting boundaries, and rewiring old people-pleasing patterns.

Aging out of f*cks isn’t decline—it’s development. It’s honesty over harmony. And if you’re suddenly “too much”? Good. You’re not here to be palatable. You’re here to be you.

Thank you to our sponsors!

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Connect with Ellen:

Website: www.lifebranches.com

Substack: https://substack.com/search/blog.lifebranches.com?utm_source=global-search 

Oprah Daily: https://substack.com/search/blog.lifebranches.com?utm_source=global-search 

Related Podcast Episodes:

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Am I Being a B**ch? (…or Just Finally in My Power) with Megan Walrod | 349

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We love a good “never quit” mantra. Hustle. Grind. Push through. Stay committed.

But what if the bravest move isn’t doubling down… it’s pivoting?

In this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole Kalil sits down with Melissa Gonzalez — principal at MG2, shareholder at Collier’s Engineering and Design, founder of The Lioness Group, and author of The Purpose of Pivot: How Dynamic Leaders Put Vulnerability and Intuition into Action — to unpack one of the hardest leadership and life questions: How do you know when it’s time to pivot?

Because staying the course can be grit… or it can be self-betrayal.And pivoting can be courage… or it can be avoidance.

The line? Blurry as hell.

Together, they explore how to tell the difference between fear and intuition, discomfort and misalignment, commitment and stuckness — and how to make intentional, purpose-driven decisions without blowing up your entire life (unless you actually need to).

They explore:


The physical and emotional signs it’s time to pivot


How to run an “energy audit” to see what fuels vs. drains you


The difference between purposeful change and running away


Why clarity about your purpose makes decisions easier


How to stop letting other people’s opinions drive your choices

Because pivoting doesn’t require certainty. It requires discernment. And staying isn’t noble if it’s shrinking you. The goal isn’t to get it perfect. It’s to stay in relationship with yourself while you decide.

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 Melissa:

Website: https://www.melissagonzalez.com/

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Purpose-Pivot-Dynamic-Vulnerability-Intuition/dp/1394329474 

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

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissagonzalezlionesque/

Related Podcast Episodes:

129 / 4 Truths of Radiant Change with Kristen Lisanti

5-Steps To Making Big Decisions with Abby Davisson | 222 

How To Rewire Patterns That No Longer Serve You with Judy Wilkins-Smith | 323

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What happens when a woman refuses to follow the script she was handed?

In this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole Kalil sits down with award-winning journalist, bestselling author, and former Good Morning America co-host Joan Lunden to talk about reinvention, leadership, pay equity, aging, caregiving, and choosing yourself — again and again.

Joan was offered the co-host role at Good Morning America the same day she found out she was pregnant. In the 1970s. When working mothers were barely visible on television, and “breastfeeding” wasn’t even a word you could say on air. She brought her baby to work anyway.

Throughout her career, she negotiated creative compensation before pay equity was a mainstream conversation, pushed back on being labeled “second banana,” navigated public scrutiny, and later reinvented herself again — this time as a fierce advocate for women’s health, breast cancer awareness, dense breast legislation, and caregiver rights.

In this conversation, she shares:


How to reinvent yourself at every stage of life


What it takes to negotiate power in male-dominated spaces


The pressure of being the “perfect working mom”


How she handled media criticism and public expectations


Why sisterhood and strong women behind the scenes mattered most

Joan’s story is proof that reinvention isn’t a phase — it’s a practice. And ambition doesn’t expire just because culture says it should.

Choosing yourself isn’t one bold move. It’s a lifetime of 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 

Connect with Joan:

Website: https://joanlunden.com/

Book: https://www.amazon.com/JOAN-Beyond-Script-Joan-Lunden/dp/1637634927/ 

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

FB: https://www.facebook.com/JoanLunden

Related Podcast Episodes:

Reinventing Your Career (Again and Again) with Ilana Golan | 374

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This podcast often explores ambition, leadership, confidence, and impact.

But sometimes? Woman’s work looks a whole lot more like survival.

Not the inspirational quote version. Not the neat-and-tidy comeback story. Not the “and then she rose” highlight reel.

This episode of This Is Woman’s Work dives into the raw, relentless, day-by-day kind of survival — the kind that asks someone to keep showing up while life is actively coming apart.

Nicole Kalil is joined by Kathy Giusti — two-time cancer survivor, healthcare entrepreneur, founder of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF), and author of Fatal to Fearless. After being diagnosed with multiple myeloma at 37 and given three years to live, Kathy turned her prognosis into a movement that helped transform cancer research and dramatically extend life expectancy for patients.

Yes. From terminal diagnosis to systemic change.

In This Episode, They Discuss:


What survival really looks like after a terminal cancer diagnosis


Why resilience isn’t pretty — and rarely feels brave in the moment


The difference between “fighting” cancer and running a marathon with it


How to advocate for yourself inside a broken healthcare system


Why women must step into the role of CEO of their own healthcare


The power (and responsibility) of using social media wisely for medical information


The hard truth about boundaries, burnout, and forgetting to live while trying to stay alive

Kathy shares what it meant to raise a family while preparing for death. To build a global research foundation while undergoing chemotherapy. To carry hope, fear, responsibility, and grief — all at once.

And perhaps most powerfully, she shares the regret she didn’t anticipate: that in trying to save her life (and so many others), she sometimes forgot to fully live it.

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 Kathy:

Website: https://www.kathygiusti.com/

Book: https://www.kathygiusti.com/book 

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathygiusti/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/kathy.giusti/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/KathyGiustiMMRF

Related Podcast Episodes:

161 / Survivorship and Breast Cancer with Virginia Carnesale 

156 / Cell Care with Dr. Monisha Bhanote

I’ve Got Beef With The Health & Wellness Industry | Unfiltered & Unhinged

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Let’s talk about the thing you replay over and over in your mind at 2 a.m.

The comment in the meeting. The story you shared. The truth that felt a little too honest.

Welcome to the oversharing hangover.

We’ve been taught that credibility requires polish and power lives in restraint. Keep it tight. Keep it tidy. Keep the messy parts to yourself.

But what if that’s wrong?

In this episode, Nicole sits down with Leslie John, Harvard Business School professor and author of Revealing: The Underrated Power of Oversharing, to unpack what the research actually says about vulnerability, trust, and credibility — and why saying less might be costing you more than you think.

In This Episode, We Explore:


Why oversharing can build trust


The difference between thoughtful revealing and emotional dumping


How admitting mistakes can increase credibility at work


The “Goldilocks rule” of vulnerability


How to weigh the cost of revealing vs. staying silent

The research is clear: we consistently trust people who reveal something real more than those who stay guarded.

And thoughtful vulnerability doesn’t weaken your credibility — it strengthens it

Thank you to our sponsors!

Sex is a skill. Beducated is where you learn it. Visit https://beducate.me/bg2602-womanswork and use code womanswork for 50% off the annual pass.

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 Leslie:

Website: https://www.lesliekjohn.com/ 

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Revealing-Underrated-Oversharing-Leslie-John/dp/0593545389

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-john-75928721/ 

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

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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

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