This Is Woman's Work with Nicole Kalil

Leadership gets glorified a lot and understood very little—and in this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole Kalil cuts straight to the part no one wants to talk about: leader mental health.

She’s joined by Melissa Doman, organizational psychologist, former clinical mental health therapist, founder of the Workplace Mental Health Method, and author of Yes, You Can Talk About Mental Health at Work and Cornered Office. Melissa works with global companies like Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, and Estée Lauder, helping leaders and organizations have honest, practical conversations about mental health—especially at the top.

Together, they unpack the outdated leadership norms that reward burnout and punish humanity, the real mental health toll of constant pressure and scrutiny, and what it actually looks like to lead in a way that’s both effective and human. Because if leadership becomes miserable enough, the good ones won’t stay—and that should scare all of us.

In this episode, Nicole and Melissa explore:


Why leadership mental health is still the elephant in the corner office


How outdated ideas about power, stoicism, and authority hurt leaders


Common mental health struggles leaders face, including anxiety, worry, negativity, and helplessness


Why communicating capacity is a leadership skill, not a weakness


How followers can better support leaders 


What companies can do right now to make leadership more sustainable

At the end of the day, this conversation makes one thing clear: if we want better workplaces, stronger teams, and sustainable success, we have to start treating leaders like humans—not machines.

Thank you to our sponsors!

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Connect with Melissa:

Website:https://www.melissadoman.com/

Book:https://www.amazon.com/Cornered-Office-Leadership-Mental-Health/dp/139435035X 

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

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissadoman1/

Related Podcast Episodes:

Leadership Unblocked (The Hidden Beliefs Sabotaging Your Ability To Lead) with Muriel M. Wilkins | 367

The Stress Paradox: Why We Need Stress (and How to Make It Work for Us) with Dr. Sharon Horesh Bergquist | 294

What Good Leaders Can Learn from Bad Bosses with Mita Mallick | 351

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Let’s get one thing straight: mindset is not about slapping a positive quote on your anxiety and calling it growth.

In this episode, Nicole Kalil calls out the fluff and gets real about what mindset actually is - and it’s not just vision boards or pretending everything is fine while your brain is running a full-blown disaster simulation.

Joined by Diana Pagano - bestselling author, mindset coach, and expert in breaking mental limits - this conversation dives into what’s actually happening when your brain spirals… and more importantly, what to do about it.

This episode unpacks how to interrupt the spiral, regulate your nervous system, and take grounded, imperfect action anyway. No toxic positivity. No BS. Just real tools that actually work.

What You’ll Learn:


Why mindset has been oversimplified (and how that’s keeping you stuck)


The truth about overthinking, fear spirals, and “what if” thinking


How to interrupt negative thought patterns in real time



The “change the channel” method for shifting focus fast



Why confidence isn’t a feeling — it’s a choice backed by action

The role of belief systems in success, money, and opportunities



Practical tools to stop waiting for confidence and start moving anyway

The Real Talk:

You don’t need another pep talk. You don’t need to “just think positive.”

You need tools to break the loop - and the willingness to take action even while your brain is still arguing with you. Because confidence, momentum, and growth? They don’t come after the fear disappears. They come when you move 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 

Gusto is online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. 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!

Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free!

Connect with Diana:

Website: https://dianapagano.com/ 

Book:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-more-mindset-diana-pagano/1147998644 

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

Related Podcast Episodes

Abundance: Secrets to Prosperity and Ease with Cathy Heller | 260

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The Power of Enough with Elizabeth Husserl | 299

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In this episode, Nicole Kalil sits down with Faith Roberson, certified life coach, professional organizer, and founder of Organize With Faith, to rip the lid off everything we’ve been told about homemaking, clutter, and what it means to “keep a home.”

Because spoiler alert: it’s not about the damn bins.

Faith introduces a powerful reframe — that organizing isn’t about perfection, aesthetics, or even productivity. It’s about soul work. It’s about identity, values, boundaries, and the emotional baggage (yes, literally and figuratively) we carry into our spaces.

Together, they unpack:


The “Snow White Effect” and how society conditioned women to do domestic labor alone (and smile about it)


Why clutter isn’t a discipline problem — it’s an emotional processing problem


How organizing from the inside out changes everything


The truth about invisible labor, gender roles, and why you don’t have to do it all


How to set boundaries in your home without losing your mind or your relationship


The 3-step framework: Acknowledgement, Action, Alignment to create a home that actually reflects your values

This conversation isn’t about having a perfect home - it’s about creating a life that feels like yours.

Because what stays and what goes… isn’t just about your closet.

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. 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!

Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free!

Connect with Faith:

Website: https://organizewithfaith.com/ 

Book:https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/What-Stays-and-What-Goes/Faith-Roberson/9781668011744  

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

Related Podcast Episodes

How To Declutter Your Life with Lisa Woodruff | 285

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Your Guide to a More Organized & Intentional Life with Shira Gill | 304

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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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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!

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 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

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!

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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

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!

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