In this episode, Cindy Esliger dives into what it’s like being the only woman in a room full of men, and the unique challenges that present to our careers. When there’s no other woman, it creates a kind of professional loneliness that’s hard to explain. But worse, with nobody like us to gauge our progress against, compare notes with, and validate our experiences, we end up isolated and self-doubting. Cindy gets into how to celebrate our own progress even when we have nobody to reflect it back to us, and why creating a community outside our work is a necessity for success.

Being the only woman, or one of very few, in a workplace often means our feedback ranges from vague to contradictory. We’re told we’re doing great, but aren’t promoted. We’re told to speak up, but when we do, we’re labeled aggressive. Without a support system to validate these experiences and help us remember our strengths, we second-guess ourselves and miss out on opportunities for growth. Cindy explores what validation really means and how to get it for ourselves when we’re alone in an organization.

There are ways to make things easier on ourselves, to focus on what we can control and define our own success. Cindy outlines them in five points: 1. Find and create community outside our organization, 2. Turn vague feedback into a growth opportunity, 3. Create our own developmental roadmap, 4. Recenter ourselves with personal metrics for success, 5. Learn from others without diminishing ourselves, 6. Build resilience by focusing on becoming stronger, and 7. Consistent actions build momentum. We have the power to define success on our own terms and make our own growth opportunities even when we’re alone.

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Guide to Thriving When You're The Only One
• Astronomic Audio
• Confidence Collective

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Contact Cindy Esliger

Career Confidence Coaching: website | instagram | facebook | linkedin | email

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Cindy Esliger addresses the reality that we often fail to recognize our own growth and why that matters to our careers. Our brains are wired to overlook wins, and Cindy explores why this is, as well as what cognitive biases are eroding our confidence. When we can’t see our own progress, we tend to focus on our perceived failures and don’t hold onto praise as long as we hold onto negativity. Why this impacts our careers and what strategies we can use to retrain our brains to notice our growth are the key things Cindy shares in this episode.

If we can’t see how much we grow, we lose faith in our own ability to take the next big step in our careers. Cindy outlines five big consequences of being blind to our progress: 1. Erosion of self-trust, 2. Being stuck in imposter syndrome, 3. Setting ourselves up for burnout and resentment, 4. Missing opportunities, and 5. Damaging our professional reputation. There is a real cost that we need to avoid by breaking the cycle of downplaying our achievements and missing our own development. Cindy shares what to look for in ourselves to identify our need to pause and take stock.

Simply identifying that we dismiss praise and compliments is not enough, however. We need to take actionable steps to retrain our brains so we can build self-trust and accept our own achievements. The practical strategies Cindy advises are: 1. Keep a progress file or brag folder, 2. Set up quarterly check-ins on our past selves versus our present selves, 3. Practice evidence-based self-talk, 4. Celebrate small wins in real time, and 5. Reframe ‘not enough’ as ‘not yet’. We’ve come farther than we think, and Cindy wants us to build up the habit of owning our accomplishments.

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Guide to Tracking Your Growth
• Astronomic Audio
• Confidence Collective

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Contact Cindy Esliger

Career Confidence Coaching: website | instagram | facebook | linkedin | email

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Cindy Esliger unpacks the reality about first impressions and how they can quietly make or break a professional trajectory at work. While we tell ourselves that what’s on the inside is what matters, the uncomfortable truth about first impressions can’t be ignored. In a work setting, the way we carry ourselves, our posture, expression, and even choice of clothing can all determine how seriously we are taken. Cindy explores the subtle cues we may send without realizing it, the consequences of neglecting our professional presence, and shares strategies for taking back control without acting.

It’s simply a fact that it takes less than 30 seconds for people to form opinions about us based solely on a first glance. That’s not enough time to say hello or learn anything about us. So neglecting how we present ourselves can have long-term consequences. Cindy outlines five of those consequences when we ignore how we are perceived: 1. We get underestimated, 2. We get overlooked, 3. We get misunderstood, 4. We send mixed signals, and 5. We miss our chance to connect if we’re closed off.

Everything from our posture and facial expressions contributes to first impressions. Body language is a key part of communication. We want to be authentic, but aware of how we are seen. Do we fidget? Avoid eye contact? Dress to hide? Cindy shares five strategies for refining our presence: 1. Start with one small change, 2. Let our clothes work for us, not against us, 3. Use eye contact, posture, and a smile as tools, 4. Use our hands with purpose, and 5. Don’t perform confidence, build it.

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Guide to Making A Powerful First Impression
• Astronomic Audio
• Confidence Collective

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Contact Cindy Esliger

Career Confidence Coaching: website | instagram | facebook | linkedin | email

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.