Loud & Lifted

What happens after a woman breaks through the glass ceiling—and finds herself walking on broken glass? Shannon Nutter is a longtime financial services executive, board member and co-author of Walking on Broken Glass: Navigating the Aftermath of the Glass Ceiling. After decades of working in male-dominated industries and holding senior leadership roles, Shannon knows firsthand how quickly a successful woman can go from being valued to being viewed as a threat. In this conversation, we unpack what workplace bias actually looks like, why accomplished women often question their own experiences and how the story around a woman’s leadership can suddenly begin to change. This isn’t a conversation about blaming, complaining or telling women to fix themselves. It’s about recognizing the warning signs, understanding the dynamics happening around us and being better prepared to respond. We talk about: What happens after women break through the glass ceiling How workplace bias and the “takedown playbook” show up Why successful women can still be caught completely off guard How to recognize when the problem isn’t your performance Why relationships and political capital matter How to document and protect yourself when things shift What meaningful support between women really looks like Why organizational change can’t rest solely on women If you’ve ever felt the narrative around you change at work—or watched it happen to another woman—this conversation will help you better understand what was happening and what to do next. Chapters 04:55 Why the glass ceiling isn’t the last barrier 06:47 Why great performance isn’t always enough 12:49 Recognizing bias in your workplace 14:45 The Goldilocks syndrome: Too much or not enough 17:26 The invisible org chart and office politics 23:28 The takedown: When high performers get pushed out 29:18 Warning signs you might be overlooking 32:59 Protecting your voice, results and network 36:13 Collaboration over competition: Supporting other women Links Purchase Walking On Broken Glass Connect with Shannon

So many women were taught to be nice, helpful, agreeable and easy to work with. Those qualities aren’t bad—but they become a problem when they keep us quiet, overextended or afraid to disappoint anyone. In this Quick Lift, Betsy recaps her conversation with Michelle Minnikin about “Good Girl” conditioning, why people may resist when we begin to change, and how to set boundaries without believing we’ve become cold, difficult or selfish. Links Full episode with Michelle Connect with Michelle Minnikin

Were you taught to be nice, helpful, agreeable and easy to work with—only to end up overworked, undervalued and quietly resentful? In this episode, Betsy talks with psychologist, coach and Good Girl Deprogramming author Michelle Minnikin about the conditioning that teaches women to put everyone else first. They unpack how it follows us into the workplace, why traditional career advice often fails women and how being the “good girl” can eventually hold us back. Michelle also explains why resentment is one of the clearest signs that a boundary has been crossed, how to begin changing these patterns through small experiments and what it really means to enter your villain era—without becoming someone you’re not. You’ll learn: How good-girl conditioning shows up at work Why being capable and agreeable can lead to more work, but not more opportunity How to recognize when your boundaries are being crossed Why resentment is an important signal instead of something to ignore How to practice setting boundaries in small, realistic ways Why visibility and self-promotion aren’t selfish What it means to become comfortable with being disliked Learn more about Michelle and find her book, Good Girl Deprogramming, at michelleminnikin.com. Chapters 00:00 What “Good Girl” Conditioning Teaches Us 04:06 How Good Girls Show Up at Work 08:23 Deprogramming Starts with Small Steps 12:01 Resentment Is a Boundary Warning Sign 14:20 Experimenting with Boundaries 17:45 When Competence Turns You into the Worker Bee 21:10 Entering Your Villain Era 24:12 Becoming “Unfuckwithable” 25:11 Why “Let Them” Isn’t Always Enough 27:18 Who Pushes Back When Women Change 29:38 One Practice to Begin Deprogramming 31:20 Where to Connect with Michelle

Episode Overview: If you’re the person everyone relies on, it can start to feel completely normal to carry way too much. In this Quick Lift, I’m breaking down the biggest takeaways from my conversation with Cherylanne Skolnicki about the peak of complexity, why capable women become the default person at work and at home, and how to start changing that without lowering your ambition or your standards. You’ll learn: Why your old way of managing life may not work anymore How to spot the invisible load taking up your time, energy and headspace Why “I can do this” is different from “I should do this” The four things that make letting go hard: guilt, FOMO, judgment and control How to think about delegation differently Why a real boundary is something you can uphold The question to ask yourself: Am I uniquely qualified to do this? The goal is not to overhaul your whole life. It’s to start getting more intentional about what actually needs to stay yours. Full episode with Cherylanne

At some point, being the woman who can handle everything stops feeling impressive and starts feeling exhausting. In this episode, I’m talking with Cherylanne Skolnicki, founder of Brilliant Balance, about what she calls the peak of complexity—that season when your career is demanding more, your family is demanding more, your ambition is still very much alive…and your available capacity is basically gone. We talk about why the same operating system that helped us climb professionally eventually stops working, why so many women become the default person for everyone and everything, and why letting go can bring up guilt, judgment, FOMO and a whole lot of control issues. Cherylanne also shares practical ways to start changing the pattern—without lowering your standards, losing your ambition or waiting for life to magically calm down. You’ll learn: Why successful women hit a “peak of complexity” How to rethink your week when there’s no time left over for you The four emotions that make letting go so hard A better way to think about boundaries Why delegation usually feels harder before it gets easier How to decide what actually needs to be yours The question: “Am I uniquely qualified to do this?” If you’ve built the career, the family and the full life—and you’re wondering why it still feels like too much—this one is for you. Chapters 01:05 The Gen X Promise of “Having It All” 04:10 Why Cherylanne Left the Corporate Ladder 11:35 The Complexity Curve 14:30 When the Way You’ve Always Operated Stops Working 17:05 The Peak of Complexity 19:40 Why You Need a New Operating System 21:20 Treat Your Week Like Your Life in Miniature 24:15 Put Yourself Into the Week First 27:25 Becoming the Default Person for Everyone 29:15 Guilt, FOMO, Judgment and Control 31:55 Boundaries Other People May Not Like 34:25 Delegating Without Lowering Your Standards 36:25 Small Experiments That Create More Capacity 38:05 No One Is Coming to Save You Links Take this quiz: Discover What's Standing Between You and Where You Want to Be Brilliant Balance Instagram: Brilliant Balance Instagram: Cherylanne