This Is Woman's Work with Nicole Kalil

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!

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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/

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What if meditation isn’t about sitting still, clearing your mind, or becoming some perfectly calm, enlightened human?

What if it’s simply about presence?

In this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole Kalil sits down with entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, and founder of the globally consumed meditation podcast A Zen Mind, Jo Rose, to talk about meditation for real life, nervous system regulation, and how cultivating presence can transform the way we work, lead, and live.

In this conversation, we explore:


The biggest myths about meditation and why so many people think they “can’t meditate”


Why meditation isn’t about silencing your mind 


How presence and mindfulness can happen during conversations, movement, or everyday tasks


The connection between nervous system regulation and feeling calm, open, and grounded


Why trying to control outcomes often blocks creativity and intuition


The difference between forcing results vs. allowing flow states


How to discover routines that support your mental health and well-being (and why copying someone else’s routine rarely works)


The power of devotion over discipline when building meditation and mindfulness practices

Because meditation isn’t about perfection. It’s about noticing when your mind wanders… and bringing it back. Over and over again.

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 

Listen to A Zen Mind Podcast & Connect With Jo Rose:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/69Jm0pfRlpnaBDaioynNaX?si=r9BQATHYRei2Hm0tBQ2O8w&nd=1&dlsi=dcf04fdb2d8b4ab6

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-zen-mind-guided-meditations/id1599159160

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@azenmind

IG: https://www.instagram.com/a.zen.mind

Website: https://azenmindglobal.com/ 

Related Podcast Episodes:

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How Our Dysregulated Nervous Systems Are Impacting Us with Victoria Albina | 244

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Some phrases women hear on repeat really need to be retired — permanently.

In this unfiltered & unhinged short episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole Kalil revisits her earlier rant “Stop Saying That” (Episode 216) and adds another phrase to the list: “You look tired.”

Nicole explains why this comment — even when it’s meant with good intentions — isn’t helpful. If someone looks exhausted, chances are they already know. Between work, family, responsibilities, and the never-ending mental load women carry, it’s no surprise so many are running on fumes.

Instead of pointing it out, Nicole suggests a better approach: ask how someone is doing, offer support, or bring coffee.

Because there’s a big difference between making an observation and showing actual care. And yes, women are tired — but we keep showing up 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 

Connect with Nicole:

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

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

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For years, women have been told to just focus harder, get organized, use the planner, and stick to the system. But when those systems don’t work, the assumption is that we’re the problem.

In this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole Kalil sits down with ADHD counselor, author, and creator of the ADHD Regulation Method, Jenna Free, to challenge the idea that there’s a “right” way for our brains to function.

Jenna offers a different perspective: ADHD isn’t a defect — it’s a brain difference. And many of the struggles people associate with ADHD may actually come from something else entirely — chronic nervous system dysregulation and living in constant fight-or-flight mode.

In this conversation, Jenna breaks down why so many traditional productivity tools fail people with ADHD, how dysregulation fuels overwhelm and procrastination, and what it actually takes to create balance, focus, and sustainable productivity.

This conversation isn’t just for people with ADHD. It’s for anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed, stuck, behind, or convinced that they just need to try harder.

In this episode, we explore:


Why ADHD is considered a brain difference, not a disorder or failure


How chronic fight-or-flight dysregulation amplifies ADHD symptoms


Why rushing is one of the biggest signals of nervous system dysregulation


The difference between living in potential vs. reality (and why it matters)


The role of curiosity — instead of guilt and shame — in changing patterns


Why traditional productivity advice often backfires for ADHD brains


When medication can be helpful — and why it’s not a moral decision

If you’ve ever felt like your brain just doesn’t cooperate with the way the world expects you to work… this conversation might just change how you see yourself.

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 Jenna:

Website: https://www.adhdwithjennafree.com/

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Guide-ADHD-Regulation-Enjoying/dp/1400254698 

IG: www.instagram.com/adhdwithjennafree

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@adhdwithjennafree

Related Podcast Episodes:

Stop Saying “I’m Fine”: Nervous System Regulation for High-Achieving Women with Michelle Grosser | 372

How To Listen When Your Parts Speak (IFS Therapy + Ancestral Wisdom) with Tamala Floyd | 376

How Our Dysregulated Nervous Systems Are Impacting Us with Victoria Albina | 244

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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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AI is officially in the workplace, on the group chat, and probably drafting someone’s “thought leadership” while they’re still in the shower. In this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole Kalil goes toe-to-toe with the thing that’s equal parts fascinating and mildly rage-inducing: AI and the future of work.

Enter Katie Fortunato, Co-Founder and EVP of Platform Innovation & Strategy at Hire Innovations, a global leader in human-centered AI talent technology. Together, they unpack how to use AI as a tool (not a personality), how to avoid “automation without accountability,” and why the future belongs to humans who can still think, judge, and lead—aka the “skills” no bot can fake convincingly for long.

In this episode, they get into:


Why AI feels like cheating… and when it actually is


The difference between using AI for productivity vs. outsourcing your identity


“Brand choices” (aka: how to lose audience trust in one easy AI avatar)


How to start using AI if it’s intimidating: repeat-task lists, tiny experiments, and momentum


Picking AI tools without spiraling: ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude—and why it’s like joining a gym


AI in hiring: what “responsible AI” actually looks like in talent tech


The uncomfortable truth: there is no 100% guarantee—so you need guardrails


Vendor trust, data privacy, compliance, and why downloading random tools at work is chaos behavior


Why protecting critical thinking is urgent—especially for kids (and honestly, adults too)


The core takeaway: let AI handle repetitive work so humans can double down on context, curiosity, judgment, and care

Wrap-up (because the point is the point): Nicole and Katie land on a clear line in the sand—AI can boost productivity, but it shouldn’t replace human thinking, discernment, or authenticity. The future of work won’t just be shaped by what AI can do; it’ll be shaped by what people choose to protect while using 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 Katie:

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

     https://www.linkedin.com/company/talivitynetwork/

     https://www.linkedin.com/company/recruitics/

Jobstream (INVITE CODE FOR CREATORS & COMMUNITIES: FOUNDER) : https://bit.ly/48fneLK

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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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