Stop Waiting to Feel Ready

I wasted years waiting.

Waiting to feel more confident.

Waiting to feel more ready.

Waiting for someone to give me permission.

And while I was waiting, other people were raising their hands.

In this solo episode, I share the part of my story I didn’t always say out loud, how waiting slowed my career, what finally changed, and what I now see again and again in the women I coach.

If you are capable, responsible, and quietly frustrated that your growth isn’t matching your effort, this episode is for you.

We’ll talk about:

• The hidden cost of waiting

• Why confidence doesn’t come first

• How to know if you’re growing or just staying comfortable

• What actually creates momentum in your career

This is personal.

And it might feel uncomfortably familiar.

🎧 Listen now on your favorite platform

📩 Join my Substack for deeper reflections: https://limorbergman.substack.com/

🌐 Podcast hub: https://limorbergman.com/podcast/

You don’t need more confidence.

You need to stop waiting for it.

If you’re a high-performing woman in tech who keeps thinking,

“I’ll go for the promotion when I feel ready,”

This episode is going to challenge you.

Because confidence is not what moves your career forward.

Impact is.

In this conversation, I sit down with Lisa Zaythik, founding partner at AppsFlyer and Executive Chief of Staff at a 1,300-person global tech company. Lisa has moved across marketing, operations, HR, and the CEO office, often stepping into roles she had never done before.

She didn’t wait to feel confident.

She focused on the value she could bring.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to grow in your career when you don’t feel ready

• How to identify the value you bring, even when others seem more experienced

• How to know if it’s time to grow in your role or move on

• The difference between being assertive and being perceived as aggressive

• How to build confidence by taking action, not waiting for it

This is for you if you are competent, responsible, and quietly frustrated that your work isn’t translating into growth.

If you keep waiting to “feel ready,” someone less prepared will raise their hand before you.

Listen now and rethink how you approach career growth, leadership development, and visibility at work.

About Lisa Zaythik:

Lisa Zaythik is a founding partner at AppsFlyer and currently serves as Executive Chief of Staff. With a background in marketing, she has played a pivotal role in shaping the company’s value proposition, culture, and organizational DNA from its earliest days.

Today, at a company of approximately 1,300 employees, Lisa partners closely with the executive team to drive company-wide strategy, guide senior leadership on organizational processes, and continuously evolve AppsFlyer’s culture of “doing well by doing good.”

Follow Lisa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisazaythik/

About Limor Bergman Gross

Limor Bergman Gross is a former Director of Engineering turned executive coach for women in tech. She helps ambitious women grow their confidence, influence, and leadership without burnout or pretending to be someone they’re not.

• Podcast hub: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://limorbergman.com/podacst⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://limorbergman.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/limorbergman/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@LimorBergman⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

What if confidence in tech doesn’t have to be loud, aggressive, or look like everyone else?

In this episode of From a Woman to a Leader, Limor Bergman Gross sits down with Telle Whitney, a long-time leader and culture-shaper in the tech industry, to unpack why so many capable women still feel overlooked and what it actually takes to change that.

Together, they explore how tech culture was built on outdated myths like meritocracy and the “lone genius,” why quiet, introverted leaders are often underestimated, and how women can build confidence, visibility, and influence without pretending to be someone they’re not.

This conversation is especially for you if:

• You do great work, but still feel invisible

• You’re confident internall,y but don’t fit the loud leadership stereotype

• You’ve been told to “be more strategic” without clear guidance

• You want to grow your career without burning out or changing your personality

You’ll hear practical insights on sponsorship versus mentorship, how to speak up in loud rooms, how to respond to disrespectful behavior, and why communities like ERGs can be powerful accelerators when done right.

About Telle:

Telle Whitney is a senior executive leader, an entrepreneur, an author, and a recognized advocate and expert on women and technology. She has over 30 years of leadership experience and was named one of Fast Company’s Most Influential Women in Technology. She is a frequent speaker on the topic of Women and Technology. She is an accomplished technologist who spent twenty years in the semiconductor industry in Silicon Valley. Telle has been called “a pioneer for the promotion of women technologists” and “one of the most inspirational leaders I have ever known.”

Telle co-founded the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing Conference in 1994 and was CEO of the non-profit Anita Borg Institute from 2002 to September 2017. She transformed the Institute into a recognized world leader for women and technology.

Before that she served in leadership positions at several semiconductor startups.

She is the author of Rebooting Tech Culture, How to Ignite Innovation and Build Organizations Where Everyone Can Thrive, which explores the practices that executives use to create organizational cultures that are both innovative and inclusive.

She has won numerous awards, including the ACM Distinguished Service Award, an honorary degree from CMU, and an honorary membership of IEEE. In 2024, the REC Foundation recognized her as a STEM Hero. She co-founded the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT). In 2022, she was elected to the National Academy of Engineering.

Telle serves on the board of AI4All, CMD-IT, and Power and Systems and consults for numerous technology organizations.

Telle holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Computer Science from the California Institute of Technology and a BS in Computer Science from the University of Utah.

Website: www.TelleWhitney.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/telle-whitney/

About Limor Bergman Gross

Limor Bergman Gross is a former Director of Engineering turned executive coach for women in tech. She helps ambitious women grow their confidence, influence, and leadership without burnout or pretending to be someone they’re not.

• Podcast hub: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://limorbergman.com/podacst⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://limorbergman.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/limorbergman/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@LimorBergman⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Unlock the secret to creating workplaces where mistakes are celebrated, not punished. Discover how high psychological safety drives innovation, reduces turnover, and boosts team performance even when errors spike. If you're a leader feeling anxious about speaking up or a woman striving to foster trust in your team, this episode is your game-changer.

Dr. Amy Edmondson’s groundbreaking research reveals that environments with high psychological safety report more errors but for the right reason. Errors aren't signs of failure; they're opportunities for growth.

Francie Jain, CEO of Terawatt, breaks down how safe spaces lead to better processes, happier employees, and massively reduced turnover, saving organizations millions. She shares surprising insights from Google’s top teams, showing how trust and diversity make all the difference, and explains why women excel at fostering this kind of culture.

You'll discover:

• The counterintuitive link between error reporting and safety
• How leaders can build psychologically safe environments regardless of hierarchy
• Practical steps to assess and improve your team’s culture
• The crucial role of diversity and humility in avoiding groupthink
• Why embracing change and failure unlocks long-term success

Ignoring psychological safety risks leads to high turnover, toxic cultures, and missed opportunities for innovation. But when you prioritize trust, you open the door to breakthrough results and happier, more resilient teams. This episode is perfect for managers, founders, and women leaders ready to shift their culture and their impact.

With deep expertise at Harvard and real-world success in healthcare and tech, Francie Jain shares how to transform your leadership approach. If you're ready to turn mistakes into momentum and create a workplace where everyone can thrive, hit play now.

About Francie

Francie Jain is the founder & CEO of Terawatt, a B2B marketplace that helps healthcare organizations reduce turnover through expert-led group coaching. She is committed to transforming how employers understand the relationship between professional development and employee retention.

Before launching Terawatt, she founded West River Partners, a consultancy that raised capital for emerging markets-based equity hedge funds. Francie holds an AB from Princeton University and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where she refined her expertise in data and analytics to drive strategic decisions.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franciejain/

Terawatt: https://terawatt.co/

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

About Limor Bergman Gross

Limor Bergman Gross is a former Director of Engineering turned executive coach for women in tech. She helps ambitious women grow their confidence, influence, and leadership without burnout or pretending to be someone they’re not.

• Podcast hub: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://limorbergman.com/podacst⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://limorbergman.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/limorbergman/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@LimorBergman⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Technology doesn’t create value on its own. People do.

In this episode, Limor sits down with technology executive and fractional CTO Rose Schamberger to talk about the difference between building impressive technology and building solutions that actually matter.

They unpack why customers don’t buy tech stacks, why AI initiatives fail without a clear problem to solve, and how leaders can use technology to improve quality of life, not just productivity metrics.

This conversation is especially powerful for women in tech who are leading teams, navigating AI pressure from leadership, or trying to balance innovation with humanity.

You’ll learn:

• Why “latest and greatest” technology often misses the mark

• How to decide when AI actually makes sense and when it doesn’t

• What human-in-the-loop leadership really looks like

• How technology can better serve women, moms, and underrepresented groups

About Rose

Rose Schamberger is a seasoned technology executive with over 25 years of experience in leading global engineering, product, and technology teams across SaaS, manufacturing, and digital transformation. She has successfully driven platform modernization, cloud migrations, and AI innovations that have enhanced performance, reduced costs, and boosted revenue.Known for translating strategy into execution, Rose has managed global teams, large budgets, and navigated post-M&A integrations and growth environments. She holds a B.S. in Computer Science, an MBA, and has executive education in digital strategy, AI/ML, and board readiness. Certified in Kaizen, she is also a former professional athlete and advocates for inclusive leadership and continuous learning.

Connect with Rose on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roseschamberger/

About Limor Bergman Gross

Limor Bergman Gross is a former Director of Engineering turned executive coach for women in tech. She helps ambitious women grow their confidence, influence, and leadership without burnout or pretending to be someone they’re not.

• Podcast hub: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://limorbergman.com/podacst⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://limorbergman.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠
• LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/limorbergman/⁠⁠⁠⁠
• YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@LimorBergman⁠⁠⁠⁠

You know the move.

Something big happens in your life, and you still walk into that meeting as if nothing happened. You lead. You perform. You hold it together.

Then you crash later, alone.

In this episode, I’m joined by Megan Warren, founder and coach at Extraordinary Lives, and we break down what she calls regenerative leadership: leadership that stops extracting from you and your team, and starts building capacity, trust, and better decisions.

We talk about the real cost of “professional masking,” why teams can feel tension even when nobody says anything, and how to lead when you are not fully resourced without making it messy.

What you’ll learn:

• The difference between vulnerability and oversharing at work

• What to say when you need support mid-meeting

• How to reduce tension fast so creativity and problem-solving can happen

• A practical way to handle prioritization conflict when resources are tight

• Why self-leadership is the first lever in leadership

About Megan Warren

Megan Warren is a leadership coach and systems practitioner who helps high-achieving leaders shift from “business as usual” to a more regenerative, sustainable way of leading. Her work focuses on self-leadership, nervous system regulation, and building cultures where trust and real performance can actually grow. She supports individuals and organizations to solve complex problems without burning out in the process.

Connect with Megan:

• Website: https://meganwarrencoaching.com/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-warren-coach/

About Limor Bergman Gross

Limor Bergman Gross is a former Director of Engineering turned executive coach for women in tech. She helps ambitious women grow their confidence, influence, and leadership without burnout or pretending to be someone they’re not.

• Podcast hub: ⁠⁠⁠https://limorbergman.com/podacst⁠⁠⁠
• Substack: ⁠⁠⁠https://limorbergman.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠
• LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/limorbergman/⁠⁠⁠
• YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@LimorBergman⁠⁠⁠

A lot of women in tech hesitate to step into management for one reason: they think they need to stay the most technical person in the room.

In this episode, I’m joined by Cecilia Borg, an experienced CTO and transformation leader (Spotify, King, Oracle, and more) to break down what engineering leadership actually is and why the “manager = failed developer” myth is so damaging.

We talk about the real business value of engineering managers, why the popular “50% coding, 50% managing” model often creates mediocre outcomes on both sides, and how to navigate mismatched expectations across CEOs, product, tech leads, and teams.

If you’re a new engineering manager, a senior engineer considering the leap, or a leader who’s tired of unclear expectations, this conversation will give you language, clarity, and practical direction.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What engineering managers are really responsible for (delivery, team health, capacity, strategy)

• How to stay “technical enough” without needing to ship production code

• Why leadership can feel lonely, and what to do about it

• How to define expectations before they define you

About Cecilia:

Cecilia Borg is an experienced CTO and transformation leader with experience from Spotify, gaming company King, Oracle, and many more. She's a DevOps evangelist working with engineers, peers, and leadership to establish a tech culture and organization where people thrive and can innovate. She's on a mission to cross-pollinate the Stockholm tech scene, working as an interim product development leader, advisor, and board member.

Follow Cecilia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cecilia-borg-3a53b5/

Resources site: www.doitanyway.se

Engineering Leaders (Sweden): https://www.engineeringleaders.se/

About Limor Bergman Gross

Limor Bergman Gross is a former Director of Engineering turned executive coach for women in tech. She helps ambitious women grow their confidence, influence, and leadership without burnout or pretending to be someone they’re not.

• Podcast hub: ⁠⁠https://limorbergman.com/podacst⁠⁠
• Substack: ⁠⁠https://limorbergman.substack.com/⁠⁠
• LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/limorbergman/⁠⁠
• YouTube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@LimorBergman⁠⁠

What if the reason you’re not getting promoted isn’t your performance, but your visibility?

In this episode, I sit down with Tamara Jackson, former Vice President at a Fortune 500 financial institution, to talk about what it really takes to rise in a male-dominated environment without burning out or becoming someone you’re not.

Tam shares the career habits that helped her hold 13+ roles over 25 years, including the one word she credits most for her growth: coachability. We also talk about how women can stop over-interpreting tone, ask better clarifying questions, and build strategic relationships that create real momentum.

And in a powerful turning point, Tam shares why losing her mom in 2023 became the catalyst to leave corporate and build her next chapter.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to adapt communication without shrinking yourself

• A simple way to ask for feedback that accelerates promotions

• Why “doing great work” isn’t enough, and what to do instead

• How introverts can build visibility with one-to-one strategy

• The mindset shift that helps you stop waiting to be chosen

About Tamara:

Tamara Jackson is the visionary founder of Beaconship, a platform dedicated to equipping faith-driven leaders to transform industries and tackle global challenges through innovation.

She is also the CEO of Lead Reviver, an AI-powered sales reengagement platform that helps businesses and nonprofits unlock the hidden potential of their lead databases. Tamara merges faith, innovation, and purpose to inspire leaders to create lasting impact.

Connect with Tamara:

• LinkedIn: Tamara Jackson (Coach Tam) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachtam/

• Facebook: thebeaconship https://www.facebook.com/thebeaconship/

• • Instagram: thebeaconship https://www.instagram.com/thebeaconship/
  • Lead Reviver: https://leadreviver.pro/

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  About Limor Bergman Gross

  Limor Bergman Gross is a former Director of Engineering turned executive coach for women in tech. She helps ambitious women grow their confidence, influence, and leadership without burnout or pretending to be someone they’re not.

  
  

  • Podcast hub: ⁠https://limorbergman.com/podacst⁠
  • Substack: ⁠https://limorbergman.substack.com/⁠
  • LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/limorbergman/⁠
  • YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@LimorBergman⁠