Look just about anywhere these days, and it's hard to escape the tradwife-lite look. You know, the perfectly curated content that seems designed to sell us on the lie that women should be managing the home and child-rearing without any help.

Or that, if we do get some kind of support – paid or unpaid – we're lucky.

It's a narrative that's, frankly, disturbing.

And yet, it can make even most badass women believe that we're somehow shameful to need help at home.

Or that we should be grateful to get any.

No and no.

There's that old adage that "behind every successful man, stands a great woman." But behind every successful woman stands…what exactly?

In most cases, there's a team. And while more women are open about this than they were in the past, women are still absorbing messages that the "ideal" is one that leaves them doing it all.

Time to turn down that noise.

What You'll Learn:

• the trouble with the nuclear family ideal
• Math vs. drama around the mental load
• Transferring team-building skills at work to team-building at home

For more information, visit The Mental Offload.

Cinderella syndrome is the ultimate corporate fairy tale.

The belief that if you do your work perfectly, take on more responsibilities without complaint...

...one day, Prince Charming (aka a powerful leader in your company) will discover your talent and rescue you.

With the glass slipper of a promotion in hand.

Women have been fed a version of this corporate fairy tale since childhood. If you want to get ahead, you're told you should:

✳️ deliver exactly what's asked of you

✳️ keep your head down (and smile)

✳️ be lucky enough that someone notices and chooses you

This mindset has created an epidemic of strong, capable, ambitious female leaders…

...who are chronically overworked, burned out, and strung along with perpetually out-of-reach promises of promotion.

This week, I sit down with Dr. Shaheena Janjuha-Jivraj, associate professor in entrepreneurial leadership and diversity at HEC Paris in Doha to discuss these dynamics and more. One of the first to write about Cinderella Syndrome, she shares her expertise in gender dynamics, leadership, and how to escape the fate of a modern Cinderella at work.

What You'll Learn:

• How the Cinderella story keeps us waiting on "Prince Charming" in the workplace

• The double bind for female leaders, and how we're encouraged to play "nice"

• How leaders can break out of Cinderella syndrome and claim their power

I can't wait for you to hear this powerful episode.

For more information, visit The Mental Offload.

If you've ever walked into a performance review expecting a gold star, and walked out feeling rattled, or even a little angry, you're not alone.

In fact, you'd be in good company. Many highly competent women have had a review in their career that left them questioning their abilities, their reputation, or their future at the company.

Sometimes, it's a specific piece of feedback that stings. But often, it's something that cuts deeper. A sense that you're unrecognized, unseen, or unjustly targeted.

And, it can leave you panicking as you wonder: how can I defend myself, without making it worse?

You want to stand up for yourself, but not seem defensive.
You want to correct the record, without escalating the conflict.
You want to protect your career, but it's hard to trust your boss.

That tension is exactly why I recorded this week's episode.

I walk you through the immediate steps to take when you're hit with a negative review. And, more importantly, how to respond in a way that keeps your reputation intact and your leadership presence strong.

This is the guide I wish every woman had before walking into a review that goes sideways.

Because the most common advice on performance reviews is extremist:

Either you're encouraged to swallow your concerns and smile meekly as you promise to do better next time…

…Or people will tell you must draft a point-by-point rebuttal, so that "their side" doesn't stain your permanent record.

Neither approach works, when your goal is to protect your career and reputation.

In this episode of The Mental Offload Podcast, I walk you through a more strategic response to a bad annual review. One that lets you advocate for yourself, without getting labelled combative or insubordinate. One that helps you call out bias, without looking like "the enemy". One that helps you rebuild your footing quickly, even if the review wasn't fair.

In this episode, you'll learn how to move through the initial panic of a bad review, and how to respond in a way that positions you as an even stronger leader.

What You'll Learn:

• The first thing you must do after hearing a negative review, especially if it caught you off guard

• Why you need to pay attention to facts and perceptions

• Impactful scripts for correcting the record, without sounding argumentative

• What to do when the critique feels biased, vague, or rooted in the motherhood penalty

If you've ever been knocked off balance by a performance review, this episode will help you get back up stronger.

For more information, visit The Mental Offload.