That’s Our Show

What It Covers

Women at Work podcast concludes after eight years. Hosts Amy Bernstein, Amy Gallo, and producer Amanda Kersey reflect on the show's impact, share listener testimonials, recount the origin story from a 2017 six-episode pop-up concept, and discuss how the podcast evolved through pandemic challenges while covering topics from career advancement to work-life balance.

Key Questions Answered

• •Asking for what you want: Modeling the behavior of directly requesting needs from credit card companies, airlines, and workplace situations teaches confidence through example. Observing someone consistently ask for accommodations and negotiate terms without fear normalizes the practice and builds courage to advocate for yourself in professional settings, from salary negotiations to project assignments and workplace flexibility arrangements.
• •Pop-up to permanent strategy: Proposing new initiatives as limited experiments rather than permanent commitments reduces organizational resistance and creates proof-of-concept opportunities. The Women at Work podcast started as a six-episode pop-up in 2017 during the Me Too movement, then expanded based on demonstrated value. This approach works for workplace projects, allowing teams to test ideas with lower stakes before full implementation.
• •Greedy work structures: Jobs requiring availability at all hours, evenings, weekends, and vacations create disproportionate rewards where doubling hours more than doubles earnings. This structure, identified by Nobel Prize winner Claudia Goldin, perpetuates workplace inequities. Organizations can address this by restructuring roles to value output over constant availability, creating more equitable advancement opportunities regardless of personal circumstances or caregiving responsibilities.
• •Learning from negative experiences: Jobs that feel wrong teach valuable lessons about career preferences and deal-breakers. When taking a less-than-ideal position, identify specifically what doesn't work—industry, role, salary, culture, or management style. Use volunteering and networking to explore alternatives while maintaining a learning mindset. Understanding what you don't want clarifies future career decisions and prevents repeating unsatisfying patterns.
• •Recognition of being set up to fail: When given tasks requiring resources or expertise you lack, with expectations of flawless completion and delayed support from leadership, you're being positioned for failure. At 57 with HR, operations, and finance experience across multiple functions, this listener possesses valuable cross-functional expertise. Testing the job market reveals actual worth rather than accepting one employer's manufactured scarcity narrative.