Rachel Feldstein Axelrod, Esq.’s Post

“I know what I want… but when I try to say it out loud, it turns to silence.” We see this with faith-anchored women all the time: the vision is *there*—just buried under soul fatigue, packed calendars, and a voice that keeps shrinking. Then your home feels it. And your community does too. This month, we’re practicing a simple reset through LEARN-SHARE-PRACTICE: Write your “why.” Name the next step. Speak it out loud—on purpose. If your vision is clear in your head but fuzzy in your hands, you don’t need more pressure. You need alignment. Schedule a Vision Alignment Call #FaithAnchoredWomen #VisionClarity #LEARNSharePractice #ChristianLeadership #RestorativeGrowth

Behind the scenes at Arnold & Porter with London Managing Partner Kathleen Harris. Thirty floors up with incredible views across London, but even more impressive was the conversation itself. We spoke about Kathleen’s journey from her first Saturday job through to becoming a barrister and now Managing Partner, the skills she’s developed in leadership, the importance of owning mistakes, calling out bad behaviour within the industry, the advancement of women in law, mentorship and the advice she would give to younger lawyers building their careers today. A thoughtful, honest and hugely insightful discussion and one we can’t wait to share soon as part of our Spotlight interview series. Watch this space for the full episode and make sure to sign up to our Spotlight newsletter so you don’t miss an edition. Thanks as always to Will Colthup.

After ten years of coaching women in business, the thing I see most experienced business owners get wrong is teach when they should be telling a story. About 80% of my TEDx talk was a story. Me, getting off a red double-decker bus in London on a rainy Tuesday, being a wing woman at a speed dating event I had no interest in being at. The framework didn't show up until the very end, and that's exactly why it worked. People don't remember the framework. They remember the rainy bus. The framework is what they take home. The story is what makes them stay long enough to hear it. If your content is all frameworks, tips, and lists, you're skipping the part that makes someone care enough to buy from you. The three story types in this carousel are what I come back to with every client I work with, your origin, your client transformations, and your everyday identity. Mix all three, and your content stops sounding like everyone else's. ✅If you want to join me live this Friday for a workshop, I'll show you how to turn your stories into sales. Link in comments. #personalbranding #womeninbusiness #storytellingforbusiness #contentstrategy #brandstrategist

The interview alone leaves the woman feeling celebrated and seen. She gets to tell her story as I listen, without interruption, because every detail matters when I sit down to write her feature. Pushing Up Women increases her visibility and is a deeply engaging editorial feature. By the time her Spotlight is live, she has a piece of content she will reference for years. It's detailed and polished in a way that positions her and her work as worth your attention. Curious what a Spotlight looks like? Link in comments. #everydayinmay #pushingupwomen #inspiredeagle

This stuff really matters Kate Jarman highlights a really key issue in a world striving for gender balance and appropriate personal recognition. I've always believed that recognition should be given when due. No caveats. Such as who you're married to or who you took the role over from. You don't see that in corporate announcements. In fact I think many HR professionals would have more than a few things to say if corporate announcements read like newspaper article openers! Diminishing the achievements of an individual is unfair and unjustified. Diminishing achievements based on gender is another level down. But I get that many will argue it may not sell or get clicks on headlines as much. Personally I think more happier unbiased news in our feeds would be beneficial. The responsibility of those informing and influencing our conscious - and subconscious - knowledge, opinion and thinking is huge. It would be wonderful if those in such positions considered they professionally had an unswerving responsibility to remove this type of bias and ensure appropriate recognition when sharing news about an individuals success. Just that. "Well done XX person on your achievement." And maybe a thank you for bringing some happy news into our feed" #bias #dei #celebrateeachother

I posted yesterday about a headline which referred to a woman (whose achievement the article was about) as her male predecessor’s heir rather than by her own name. I thought I’d post today on why I think this stuff matters. Headlines, or introductory paragraphs to articles (which are often the only parts you see when scrolling news feeds) that fail to name the woman they are about; or refer to them via their relationship or proximity to a man, help to perpetuate patriarchal systems and structures that diminish women's achievements. I've posted about this before when a broadcaster ran a story about the newly appointed Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally, which named her husband before naming her. That headline and introductory paragraph read: “Woman named as new Archbishop of Canterbury in historic first. The 63-year-old archbishop-designate is married to Eamonn Mullally, with whom she has two children.” Headlines and stand-firsts are what a publication uses to position a story. Headlines are what grab attention and draw readers and - particularly where content is behind a paywall - may also be the only narrative a reader sees of that story. Not naming women makes them disappear behind the man the publisher has chosen to name instead. These may seem like small things, but I believe they matter. Small things are part of a larger whole. As a woman, if I achieve something extraordinary I want to see my name first, not my husband's or my relative's or my colleague's. Mine. I don't think it's too much to ask. Or that it should have to be asked for. And that’s why I think this stuff matters. And why I raise my voice to draw attention to it. #NHS #equity #equality

Really value posts like this from Kate Jarman, particularly because she never shies away from difficult conversations that many people notice but few challenge publicly. The point she raises here matters far beyond headlines. How women are spoken about, recognised, represented, and positioned in public narratives directly shapes wider societal attitudes towards women including within health and care systems. When women’s identities and achievements are diminished, overlooked, or framed through proximity to men, it reinforces the same structural inequalities that continue to impact women’s experiences, outcomes, and voices across healthcare, leadership, research, and policy. These things may appear small in isolation, but collectively they shape culture and culture shapes health, opportunity, confidence, and equity. Important reflection and an important conversation to keep having.

So many women have learned to be capable, composed, and accommodating – while quietly losing touch with their own voice. Write the Wild Woman into Being is a deeply supportive online journey for women who are ready to reconnect with themselves, reclaim authentic expression, and gently uncover the stories that have shaped who they have become. Through guided writing, somatic practice, reflection, and compassionate facilitation, this two-part experience offers a safe and nurturing space to reconnect with your truth, your voice, and the woman within. If this resonates with you, we would love to welcome you.

Do you downplay your accomplishments when others notice them? When someone acknowledges your success, you may instinctively redirect. Explain it away. Credit luck. Mention timing or support. Not because it is untrue. But because fully receiving recognition can feel uncomfortable. For many women, visibility has been associated with pressure or judgment. So minimizing becomes a way to stay safe. But deflecting recognition keeps you disconnected from what you have actually done. You are allowed to let acknowledgment land without reducing it. If you want to understand those deeper questions more clearly, I’ve created a free guide: The 10 Questions Entrepreneurs Ask Themselves in the Middle of the Night It’s designed to help you make sense of what’s underneath the surface. Access it here: https://lnkd.in/g_KS_BUf #WomenInLeadership #ImposterSyndrome #EmpoweredWomen #SelfRecognition #AuthenticPresence #WomenRise #Confidence #WomensConfidence #WomensSelfTrust

Is negotiation something you do, or something you don’t even recognize in real time? That’s the question that kept coming up in our conversation with Lucy Watson. From pay and promotion discussions to the everyday interactions that quietly shape careers, we explored how much of negotiation is about whether people even see a situation as negotiable in the first place. Lucy shares an evidence-based perspective on gender dynamics in negotiation, including the backlash that can occur when women ask for themselves and why this often leads to self-doubt and self-blame rather than structural understanding. A key takeaway: it’s often not the asking that’s missing..It’s the recognition of the opportunity to ask. Thanks Lucy for sharing your perspective with us. New episode of Empathy at the Table is live 👉 https://lnkd.in/dUprAPcf