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Career Sisterhood

Career Sisterhood

By Rebecca Leppard, founder of Upgrading Women

Welcome to Career Sisterhood, a podcast for top female talents

I am your host, Rebecca, and together with my fellow female leaders, we will let you in on our secrets to success!
This is a must-listen podcast for career-oriented women looking to level up their professional game, featuring insightful interviews with successful women leaders, actionable career advice, and expert strategies to navigate the challenges of the modern workplace. With new episodes released weekly, subscribe now and join our community of ambitious women on the path to happiness in your own definition!
Currently playing episode

"What's going on with Black Sisters in STEM?" with Diana Nyamekye Wilson

Career SisterhoodFeb 01, 2023

00:00
40:06
What happens when you switch from government to advertising with Kimberly Williams

What happens when you switch from government to advertising with Kimberly Williams

In this episode, two amazing female entrepreneurs, Rebecca and Kimberly, talk about:

  • How Kimberly's Indiana Jones dream started her journey as a diplomat,
  • The journey of exploring the beautiful mess that is Human Resources (HR),
  • Why Kimberly jumped ship from State Department to Advertising,
  • Being an amazingly assertive candidate in today's job market,
  • Blind spots & biases that white women feminism may have missed,
  • Kimberly's experience as a white mother taking care of a black daughter,
  • Being the best version of yourself to succeed out there.

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Kimberly Williams is the Vice President of People at Walker Advertising. Instrumental in fostering Walker Advertising’s inclusive and award-winning culture, Kim is responsible for all aspects of people operations. Recognized for her integrity and interpersonal skills, she has also been acknowledged for her creative approaches to recruitment and retention. Kim has an unparalleled reputation for navigating turbulence and change, as well as nurturing positive relationships with colleagues at all levels of an organization. She began her HR career as a diplomat with the U.S. Department of State. She tackled complex personnel challenges, negotiated at the United Nations in Vienna, and received awards for her precedent-setting work in diversity and inclusion. With a passion for community service, Kim lives Walker Advertising’s unique core values that hold social responsibility and innovation as foundations for growth.

Apr 20, 202350:41
Protecting your mental health in a toxic workplace with Sophie O'Kelly

Protecting your mental health in a toxic workplace with Sophie O'Kelly

In this episode, Rebecca Leppard (founder, Upgrading Women) and Sophie O'Kelly (Head of Product, Fika) talk about:

1. Career swiching and industry switching, feeling like an imposter when being in a room full of hard core engineers

2. Being called "distracting" for wearing a low-cut top

3. Why female leadership is critical to break the vicious cycle of toxic workplace


___

Sophie O'Kelly is Head of Product at Fika, trying to forward the mission of mainstreaming mental fitness. She has background in design, product strategy, service design and innovation strategy.

Mar 26, 202359:55
Being happy at everything everywhere all at once with Soma Ghosh

Being happy at everything everywhere all at once with Soma Ghosh

In this episode, Rebecca and Soma talk about:

  • how life trajectory is different after losing a parent at 6 years old
  • changing career when you're older... is it too late?
  • that bullying happens in the business world too!


Mar 17, 202353:37
How to be a Muslim Chinese woman in America today with Kung Pik Liu

How to be a Muslim Chinese woman in America today with Kung Pik Liu

On this episode, Rebecca and Pik talk about:

- Being a foreign student in New York City

- The biases in funding female-founded businesses

- How women should concretely support other women (otherwise, who else, right?)

Mar 08, 202350:44
Not letting breastcancer kill you and still 'killing it' in your 50s with Natsuyo Lipschutz

Not letting breastcancer kill you and still 'killing it' in your 50s with Natsuyo Lipschutz

In this episode Rebecca and Natsuyo talk about

1.  Consistently preaching about intercultural communications

2. What it's like to be in an intercultural marriage

3. How to manage being a ladyboss in NYC 

Mar 03, 202301:00:52
If you have ADHD, try work as a high-paying maternity leave cover! With Charlotte Howden

If you have ADHD, try work as a high-paying maternity leave cover! With Charlotte Howden

In this episode Rebecca and Charlotte talk about

1.  When you have so many interest and want to pursue different career paths
2. The ups and downs in producing a documentary about women's health

3. Why working in projects or temporary position is great if you have ADHD 

Mar 03, 202301:03:21
So where are you REALLY from? with Mercy Abel

So where are you REALLY from? with Mercy Abel

In this episode, Rebecca and Mercy talk about:
1. Being a creative through and through: gymnast choreography to video editing

2. How we answer "WHERE ARE YOU FROM?" question from a new acquaintance 

3. Whether TV shows and movies that raises real issues (from public policies to true crimes) will desensitise our society from the issue or will it raise awareness and therefore something will be done about it

Feb 24, 202350:50
This Russian immigrant landed a big-tech job AND recently got promoted with Irina Kamalova

This Russian immigrant landed a big-tech job AND recently got promoted with Irina Kamalova

In this episode, Rebecca and Irina talk about:
1. Falling in love with math and computer language as a little kid in a little town in Russia
2. Fighting loneliness as a brand-new immigrant in the pandemic

3. The harm for staying in one company too long as a junior employee

Feb 16, 202331:20
From being homelessness to being a CEO with Sarah Eddie

From being homelessness to being a CEO with Sarah Eddie

In this episode Rebecca and Sarah talked about:

1. Mindset in making life-changing decisions

2. Recognising when we are in a toxic workplace

3. How giving value to our community is making way for good luck in your business

Feb 09, 202351:41
"What's going on with Black Sisters in STEM?" with Diana Nyamekye Wilson

"What's going on with Black Sisters in STEM?" with Diana Nyamekye Wilson

In this episode, Rebecca and Nyamekye talk about:

- How a traumatic journey can lead you to the right path

- How sexism and racism are still very THICK in Wall Street and Big Tech industries

- When to SWIPE LEFT on a dating site for a strong woman

Feb 01, 202340:06
Growth mindset is the key ingredients of positive change with Sissel Naustdal

Growth mindset is the key ingredients of positive change with Sissel Naustdal

In this episode, Rebecca and Sissel talk about

1. That it's okay to stray off the normal academic path (Sissel took a study break for 4 years!)

2. How lucky she has been, living in a society that does not see women as a second-class citizen

3. What is mindset, mindfulness, and all that jazz

Jan 25, 202344:05
Any little girls out there dream of being in HR? with Lucy Nyuke

Any little girls out there dream of being in HR? with Lucy Nyuke

Rebecca and Lucy talked about:

1. Switching career from customer service to human resources

2. What recruiters want to see in your application

3. How HR's ultimate question is how can I fit the hire into the current business needs

Jan 20, 202301:04:15
How a little island girl can break the mould of finding her own career path with Ari Krzyzek

How a little island girl can break the mould of finding her own career path with Ari Krzyzek

In this episode, Rebecca Leppard and Ari Krzyzek talk about:

1. How to follow your gut despite your circumstances

2. The struggle of entrepreneurship is real but beautiful

3. How to get out of our self-limiting beliefs as a minority

Jan 15, 202350:54
That MBA was a waste of time! with Portia Obeng

That MBA was a waste of time! with Portia Obeng

We discussed about how:

1. Personal branding is more crucial than a master's degree

2. Being active Linkedin is important even when you're an employee

3. Not having a mentor is not an excuse to rise and shine

Jan 09, 202342:16
A banker turned a Youtuber turned an actor: Diptii Shah

A banker turned a Youtuber turned an actor: Diptii Shah

In this episode, Diptii and Rebecca talked about:
- removing ego when deciding what to do next in your career when a situation disrupt your plans, like your spouse is being relocated!

- becoming an actor after a lifetime of being a banker!

- choosing a spouse that will not get in the way of our ambition :)


Jan 02, 202331:44
Navigating career change after 13 years being in the same job with Ingrid Tedjakumala

Navigating career change after 13 years being in the same job with Ingrid Tedjakumala

Today we are talking to Ingrid Tedjakumala.

Ingrid has more than 15 years of experience in the creative industries, 13 of which were with DestinAsian, the award-winning glossy travel magazine. Her remit spans from liaising with photographers, overseeing collation and the layout of all artwork, and conducting a personal press-check of the publication. After her long tenure in the publishing industry, she pursued her master’s degree in design management at Birmingham City University. She is now a doctoral candidate in communication science in Padjadjaran University. She teaches graphic design and fashion merchandising at LaSalle College Jakarta, Indonesia.

Dec 05, 202250:59
How having an MBA is not a guarantee to landing job with Steph Newton

How having an MBA is not a guarantee to landing job with Steph Newton

Today, we're having a conversation with Steph Newton.

Steph is co-founder at Ambr - a B2B solution to help organisations prevent workplace burnout using software. Prior to Ambr, Steph held senior strategy and operations roles at Accenture, Uber Eats and Spotify. Ambr was inspired by hers and her 2 co-founders' experiences working at Uber.

Dec 05, 202249:05
Hacking ADHD and freezing eggs with Maria Dakova

Hacking ADHD and freezing eggs with Maria Dakova

Today we are talking to Maria Dakova.


Maria has more than 13 years' experience in marketing and communications and has been running her own businesses for the last five years. The saying “Jack of all trades, master of none, but better than master of one!” fits her multi-passionate entrepreneurship perfectly while also describing her super-creative ADHD brain. Maria runs a boutique communications and brand Image consultancy, and creativity and movement studio where she teaches art, yoga, mindfulness and meditation. Her passion is supporting others, so she has recently started coaching fellow ADHDers on their journey of discovering their superpowers and abandoning the mindset of having to fit in. Maria has two master’s degrees, is a certified life coach and nutritionist, and a yoga teacher and mindfulness and meditation coach, in a nutshell, she is the funny and weird nerd next door.

Dec 05, 202201:10:02
A former school teacher, now building a media empire for Gen Z

A former school teacher, now building a media empire for Gen Z

I am your host, Rebecca Leppard, founder of Upgrading Women. On this episode podcast we are talking to Gaby Mendes, 27-year-old Founder and CEO of leading education platform, Talk Twenties. Our aim is to disrupt the way the world sees life skills education and this means getting the biggest educators and brands in the same room as the people who need their support. With the cost of living going up and the value of each hard-earned pound going down, it's harder than ever to be a twenty-something stepping out into the big wide world of adult life right now. But Talk Twenties is about to change all that.

Nov 16, 202247:06
More women of colour in government? What a wonderful idea!

More women of colour in government? What a wonderful idea!

I am your host, Rebecca Leppard, the founder of Upgrading Women and today I have a fellow female founder Shilpa!

Shilpa Bhim is the founder of Glowreel: a media startup dedicated to elevating the power and status of women of colour. Glowreel does this by celebrating the achievements and amplifying the stories of women of colour. Through Glowreel, Shilpa's aim is to ensure current and future generations of women of colour feel represented, empowered and inspired to blaze their own trail!

Shilpa has a background in public policy, with a focus on social policy reforms and people from vulnerable and marginalised communities. She also has experience as a lifestyle and beauty journalist. Shilpa is of Indian descent and grew up in Wellington, New Zealand. She currently calls London home. When she’s not researching stories for Glowreel you’ll probably find her chilling with a strong cappuccino or a rosé in hand - depending on the time of day!
Oct 27, 202249:55
How to manage multiple side hustles with Nissa Muluk

How to manage multiple side hustles with Nissa Muluk

I am your host, Rebecca Leppard. On this chat we are going to answer the frequently asked questions about career that only your big sister care enough to answer. I am the founder of Upgrading Women and today I have a guest speaker, Nissa Muluk who is the queen of side hustle.

From 2006 to present, she has been living her dream job as a radio broadcaster, host, and voiceover talent. In 2021, she wanted to do something more impactful on people. So she began to share her knowledge on public speaking and also her passion for parenting by speaking in several community webinars. She also started her own parenting program and public speaking class for kids and teens. She re-skilled herself and landed a job as Remote Project Manager for two different companies at the same time. Nissa is a happy-go-lucky person that would take on every challenge and conquer them no matter what.

Oct 25, 202239:22
Saying no to CV and cover letter with Tove Hernlund

Saying no to CV and cover letter with Tove Hernlund

I am, Rebecca Leppard, the founder of Upgrading Women and today I have a fellow female leader, Tove Hernlund, she is the Events & Community Manager at Alva Labs, a recruitment platform with the goal of making hiring better for everyone; candidates and recruiters alike.

Tove has both a bachelors and masters in marketing from the US, and has worked within many different areas of sales, project management, and marketing.

She has a true passion for helping others succeed, and within her current role she regularly hosts trainings and webinars on all things HR and recruitment, as well as co-hosts a podcast called How We Hire.

We discussed EVERYTHING from personality test during a job recruitment, what to do and what not to do as a candidate and as a hiring manager. We also talked about how CV and cover letter should be ELIMINATED! 

Oct 25, 202250:27
From corporate job to being a bootstrapping entrepreneur with Rachel Serwetz

From corporate job to being a bootstrapping entrepreneur with Rachel Serwetz

I am the founder of Upgrading Women and today I have a fellow female founder, Rachel. She is the CEO and Founder of online career exploration platform WOKEN, helping professionals clarify their ideal direction and then to seamlessly pursue an efficient, intentional job search to land a role they will thrive in. Rachel believes that pursuing a career path that feels innately right to you will ensure that you are productive, creative, innovative, impactful, and responsible in serving the world.
Oct 20, 202246:24
How an immigrant can use personal brand to win. With Rebecca Leppard, Upgrading Women

How an immigrant can use personal brand to win. With Rebecca Leppard, Upgrading Women

Interview with Rebecca Leppard, founder of Upgrading Women.

Rebecca Leppard is a communication strategist, a graduate from University of Indonesia who now lives and works in England.

She started her career in magazine editorial desks in 2005 and even after she took up Marketing Communications as a specialty, she always freelance or volunteer for a number of magazines internationally.

Rebecca has experience in handling private-sector clients in tourism, hospitality, technology and third-sector clients from Ford Foundation to the World Bank.

And because her childhood dream is to become a teacher, she says YES to any lecture or speaking opportunities anywhere around the globe.

Oct 06, 202230:01
Choosing a field

Choosing a field

In this episode we discuss that a few generations back the only options were to work in the public sector, private sector and if we have a progressive upbringing, we probably consider working in the third sector aka charity or non-profit sector. These days we have multiple and hybrid options like the private sector that does climate change or the public sector in tech and R&D, not to mention various global positions are open. Little sisters everywhere are overwhelmed with options.

Oct 02, 202217:52
How to stay motivated

How to stay motivated

Today’s question is about how to keep ourselves motivated at work.
The quick answer is be mindful of 10 things that will derail you from your focus.
Listen up!

Sep 23, 202212:31
School and University

School and University

Welcome to Career Sisterhood

A podcast for top female talents

I am your host, Rebecca, and this is the the second episode.

We are going to answer the frequently asked questions about career that only your big sister care enough to answer.

Question 1: What is the importance of school and university? Question 2: Rebecca, your field of work now matches what you majored in University. How did you even know how to choose your major when you were just a teenager?
Aug 16, 202220:30
Episode 1: Salary

Episode 1: Salary

Welcome to Career Sisterhood

A podcast for top female talents

I am your host, Rebecca, and this is the the first episode.

We are going to answer the frequently asked questions about career that only your big sister care enough to answer.

Question 1: Does a high salary really make you happy?
Question 2: Is it better to have a low-paying job in a small town or a high-paying job in a big city?
Question 3: What about a relatively high-paying job in a small town vs a relatively low-paying job in a big city? Many fresh grads are just another candidate in a multinational company in a big city, but can be a star in their small hometown.
Aug 12, 202207:35
Trailer

Trailer

Welcome to Career Sisterhood

A podcast for top female talents

I am your host, Rebecca, and this is the trailer.

I once saw a book entitled ‘I will teach you how to be rich’.

I did not read that book. I don’t have the time. I’m building my company and investing time in nurturing my new hires. But that book title did inspire me to write my own title, a proposition for my network here: ‘I will teach you how to be bankable.’

What do I mean by bankable?

It means people will believe in you, your ideas, your passion, your diligence, and your expertise enough that they will

  1. give you their precious time to listen
  2. give you their connection for you to grow your network
  3. give you their money (or the company’s money) to hire you, promote you and invest in you.

Stay tuned on Career Sisterhood

Aug 11, 202201:03