Mastermind programs for executive women

The day Kristy decided to stop fixing everyone else’s problems for $250K. She’s the person they call when directors, VPs—even the EVP—can’t untangle the mess. When a multimillion-dollar project was projected to cost $2–3M, Kristy delivered it for $250K. On time. One issue. She even negotiated with the federal government. Then she went back to her desk… at the same title. Same pay band. Same ceiling. Fourteen years without a promotion. Top-1% performance ratings. Rave reviews. A line of people applying to be on her team. And still: “We don’t see you as an executive here.” If you’ve lived it, you know exactly how corrosive that sentence feels. So she did what high performers do—she tried everything inside the lines: Went back to school. Learned AI Revamped communication style asked for feedback (and got… “you’re doing great!”) Meanwhile the goalposts moved again. Bonus slashed. “Cash payout” dangled, then crossed out. Loyalty demanded. Leadership absent. At home, her adult kids said the quiet part out loud: “Mom, we miss you.” That was the crack where the truth finally got in: This isn’t about talent. It’s about the game. High-achieving women are told, “Keep proving yourself. The right people will notice.” Reality: If they haven’t in 14 years, they’re not going to. And every year you wait, someone else cashes the check your work created. On our call, I asked, “What are you worth?” A beat. Then: “At least $400K base. I’m fixing problems directors can’t fix.” There she is. We accepted Kristy into PowHER and got to work on three levers: 1) Diagnose Not “what’s wrong with you”—what’s wrong with the playbook you were handed. In Kristy's case? The carrot on a stick. Promises masquerading as progress. The system trained her to be loyal at her own expense. 2) Strategy A precision, executive-level plan for the external market: authority-driven LinkedIn + resume, targeted outreach that opens doors above HR, interview narrative that lands like a $400K+ director, and a negotiation framework that converts respect into title, scope, and cash. 3) Execution Reps, feedback, receipts. We walk with her until the behaviors stick—especially when fear tries to drag her back to “what’s familiar.” Why now? Because Q4 is when almost everyone else coasts. Translation: the competition naps, our women win. Kristy chose the harder, braver thing: to stop subsidizing her company’s P&L and start running her own. She didn’t need more proof she’s valuable—she needed a different game plan, a room that respects her outcomes, and a team that refuses to let her settle. If you’re where Kristy was—fixing $3M problems on a $250K paycheck while someone tells you you’re “not executive material”—you don’t need another year of “maybe next cycle.” You need a playbook. Apply to PowHER. Step into rooms that match your value. Secure the title, scope, and compensation you’ve already earned.

Leave it to the only second-grade girl on her grammar school’s ice hockey team in the 1970s to figure out what women need to make it to CEO.   “All of the team meetings were in the boys’ locker room. I got treated just like a guy,” my longtime Russell Reynolds Associates colleague Margot McShane told me recently.    Along with how to handle a hockey stick, Margot learned that if you were good, you played; and if you weren’t, you sat on the bench. That was the opposite of her all-girls sports team experiences, where everyone got a turn and everyone was expected to be nice. Neither felt like the right fit.    This would be the first of Margot’s many lessons on the differences between how women and men are treated at school, at work, and at home—all of which add up to societal and personal expectations about the ways women and men are expected to act, and what they are meant to achieve.    Another was during the pandemic, as Margot watched how various presidents and prime ministers were managing their countries through the crisis. The female leaders seemed more comfortable and adept at confronting and leading through the complexity of the situation compared with their male counterparts, who saw it as a binary situation. But, of course, female heads of state were few and far between.   That’s when she got the idea for a new CEO-development program designed to unlock and amplify women's unique leadership potential. Margot and our other wonderful partner Hetty Pye are co-leading this global movement -- called Artemis -- that we launched last year. Its focus is to support women who are one to five years from being CEO. The program does many things, including pairing women with mentors and coaches—including body language experts and a Shakespearan voice coach—to help them find their own authentic voice, define their specific leadership style, and develop strong communication skills. “Women give away a lot of their power in how they communicate because they're muting themselves in small ways,” Margot explains.   While Artemis is specifically designed for women, Margot will be the first to tell you that changing the paradigm of what companies look for in leadership is good for everyone. Men can be as stymied as women by outdated norms and expectations for leadership. The Artemis initiative is not about helping women adapt to established ideas of what makes a leader—or about getting comfortable in the boys’ locker room. It’s about preparing women to be CEOs on their own terms. When we do that, we’ll not only change the face of leadership, but also the path to getting there. If your next career step is to potentially become a CEO, and this post piques your interest in Artemis, please feel free to reach out to me directly. #tothetop #artemis #rra

I decline 60% of opportunities to work together and that's what makes SheTrailblazes programs powerful. Because when I say “yes”, it is to women who are truly ready to turn ambition to tangible results. Last week, an executive VP reached out about joining my Leadership Edge Program. On paper she looked like the perfect fit. Before anyone joins us, one of the question I ask is this: What kind of change are you ready to create in the next 12 months? Her answer: I’m looking for scripts and shortcuts to use at work and hopefully get promoted. I understood. You know, at earlier stages of our career, a shortcut here and a script there might help, but at senior levels, promotions and career transformations don't come from memorizing lines. Instead, it comes from: 1. applying strategy into your unique context, whether it's politics and culture, reworks, M&A, and other chaos. 2. turning uncertainty into clarity with tools and frameworks that help you show up decisively in high stakes roles. 3. building confidence that lasts because it is grounded in doing and feeling, not just saying. 4. driving tangible outcomes, whether it is the confidence leading to getting recognized and feeling respected in the industry. I'm sharing this because as women, it is so easy to settle for surface level inspiration or quick hacks. What we truly need often at senior levels is a true transformation and that difference matters. That's why, last year inside SheTrailblazers: - 93% of our members earned multiple promotions. - women earned $1.5M+ in combined compensation. - Gained 4.8 x recognition from exec leadership team. I always tell this to women, when you invest in yourself, don't settle for just motivation. Expect transformation 🌟 What kind of change do you want to create in the next 12 mos? #noshortcuts #promotion #executive #transformation

With the successful run of PHOENIXUS’ Breakfast Club series in H1’24, curated to support the personal development of our senior women leaders through executive leadership style group coaching sessions, we had accompanied our network in their journeys to become stronger individuals & women leaders in their own right. Round 2 is coming up this Q3 & promises to be even more exciting as we put together another robust program to keep our women leaders at the top of their game, bringing in global/regional resources & expertise to dial up the learnings, so watch this space as we uncover what’s to come! Here’s a glimpse of what’s in store: 1. Hands-On Curated Activities: Expect engaging & practical activities that will help you uncover your unique leadership identity. These exercises are designed to enhance your self-awareness & articulate the values that define you. 2. In-Depth Discussions: We’ll explore thought-provoking questions about your identity beyond work. Who are you at your core? What values do you represent? How can you authentically position yourself in personal & professional settings? 3. Storytelling Workshops: Master the art of storytelling to communicate your personal & professional journey effectively. Learn how to craft compelling narratives that resonate with your audience & highlight your strengths as a leader. 4. Positioning as a Senior Woman Leader: Gain insights into positioning yourself as a senior leader in today’s dynamic workplace. We’ll cover strategies to navigate organizational complexities, build influential networks & lead with confidence. 5. Personal Branding through a variety of media platforms: take the opportunity to up your game in personal branding, & tap into the tools available to help you do so! Here, I spent an afternoon with fellow Phoenix, the incredible Emily Draycott-Jones learning about podcasting at Poddster Singapore. We have in store some exciting sessions for the PHOENIXUS network & we can’t wait to share it with you soon! Just another example of our regular sessions… So Why Join Us? Transformative Learning: Benefit from the network’s extensive experiences Collaborative Environment: Connect with like-minded leaders committed to growth & empowerment Practical Takeaways: Leave with actionable insights & strategies to enhance your leadership journey Our aim: to create a supportive space to explore your leadership potential & position yourself for success. Unlock new possibilities so you can thrive as leaders to inspire others & make a difference! We will see you at the PHOENIXUS’ Breakfast Club soon! #PHOENIXUS #BreakfastClub #PersonalDevelopment #ProfessionalGrowth

She was sharp, successful... and exhausted. A high-performing leader in a male-dominated industry. Externally confident, internally conflicted. She second-guessed herself in meetings. Held back from saying what she really thought. And cycled through overthinking and burnout while trying to keep it all together. She didn’t need more productivity tools. She needed to rebuild her confidence from the inside out. Together, we focused on what was underneath: - Practical ways to respond calmly under pressure - Tools to cut through the noise and lead with clarity - A structure to strengthen her confidence, without changing who she was And the shift? She felt calmer, more confident and people noticed. She stopped questioning whether she belonged and now she is leading not managing. If you're a leader or organisation serious about investing in the women in your business, not just ticking boxes, this is the kind of transformation that becomes possible. Women Who Lead is a three-month, science-backed leadership program that helps high-potential women build unshakeable confidence, elevate their leadership presence, and deliver measurable impact. It’s not theory. It’s not fluff. It’s what happens when you give women the tools and support to rise. Let’s build more confident, capable leaders - together. More on the program here: http://bit.ly/40oEYjC #leadershipdevelopment #confidencegap #highperformance #diversityandinclusion #womeninleadership #organisationaldevelopment

Promotions aren’t earned. They’re allocated. Succession conversations start early. Long before roles open. And if your name isn’t in those rooms yet, you have a positioning problem. Everybody tells you to perform. No one tells you how succession actually works. After 16 years in corporate leadership, here is what consistently moves names into closed-door conversations: 1️⃣ Stop managing only downward ↳ If all your influence flows to your team, you look operational → Build visibility upward and across functions 📍 Schedule strategic updates. 📍 Speak in enterprise impact. 📍 Ask what “ready for next level” actually means. 2️⃣ Make scale visible ↳ Reliability keeps you trusted → Complexity gets you promoted 📍 Lead cross-functional work. 📍 Own ambiguous projects. 📍 Present outcomes in senior forums. Leaders must see you operating one level above. 3️⃣ Build at least one sponsor ↳ Mentors guide you → Sponsors move you 📍 Identify who shapes succession decisions. 📍 Align your wins with their priorities. 📍 Have explicit advancement conversations. If no one is advocating for you, you are not in the race. 4️⃣ Control the narrative early ↳ Promotions are not decided at review → They are confirmed there 📍 Share quarterly impact summaries. 📍 Quantify outcomes in revenue, growth or risk terms. 📍 Frame your role around enterprise value. Translate your work. Do not assume it travels. 5️⃣ Signal ambition strategically ↳ Waiting to be tapped reads as comfort → Clear direction signals leadership 📍 State your next target role. 📍 Ask what gaps you must close. 📍 Build visible momentum toward it. The above moves are important because of these 10 harsh career realities that we all face today but aren't very aware of. Go through the “10 Harsh career realities” infographic below. They explain why performance alone stops working at senior levels. Most career plateaus at senior levels are not about ability. They are about leverage, perception and positioning. That is exactly why I created The Executive Edge. A private, invitation-based 6-week strategy circle for ambitious women ready to move with precision. We begin February 16. Inside, we focus on: ↳ Succession positioning ↳ Executive presence in high-stakes rooms ↳ Navigating politics without shrinking ↳ Turning credibility into visible, paid advancement So you can step into executive roles with authority, compensation and influence that match your capability. It is intentionally small. Because the right room changes trajectory. If you are ready to stop waiting and start positioning, DM me “I’m in.” I will send you the details.

I’m viewed as less fit to lead. Less likely to earn recognition. Less expected to share breakthrough ideas—simply because I’m a woman. Sounds harsh? It shouldn’t. These aren’t my thoughts. They’re the unspoken cues half the workforce absorbs every day. Here are 5 stats that expose the leadership gap women are navigating: 1/ 30 identity traits tied to women are cited as flaws in leadership reviews. For men? Barely a mention. 2/ For every woman promoted to director, two leave—citing unrelenting microaggressions. 3/ Women = 40% of the workforce. But hold just 23% of executive roles. And companies with gender-diverse leadership outperform by 21%. 4/ Men are 22% more likely to be offered formal mentorship and leadership development. 5/ Speak more in meetings? Men see a 10% boost in competence ratings. Women? Penalized 14%—by men and women. And still, women are expected to prove themselves repeatedly—while men advance on potential alone. That’s why I launched the 𝗦𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 program. It’s a 12-month development journey designed for ambitious women leaders, built on 3 strategic pillars: 🔸 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 7-𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (Foundation) A self-paced course to help you align your values and strategy—and map your next promotion. 🔸 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱 (Leverage) A proven system to help you build influence and executive presence that gets you seen—and heard. 🔸 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 & 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 (Accelerate) Monthly peer coaching + a private community of women who understand the landscape and lift each other up. 🔸 And a 4th bonus pillar: We actually have fun doing this in a space that’s refreshingly honest and supportive. Ready to grow without guesswork? DM me to learn more, I am keeping enrollment open for 4 more days. ♻️ Repost to help another woman take her seat at the table. 🔔 Follow me, Jill Avey, for actionable insights on leadership, visibility, and career growth. 📚 Research sources in comments

They tell us to "lock in" and "bet on ourselves." But nobody talks about how lonely it is to bet on yourself. When you're the only one: → Asking for the promotion → Applying to top MBA programs → Pivoting industries without a net You need more than a playbook. You need people who get it. Here's what one woman told me after joining Cohort 1: "I was spiraling at 2am, wondering if I was crazy for wanting more. Then I joined the first session and twenty other women shared their doubts too. That's when I knew I wasn't alone." That's what Her Skill Academy is. Yes, you'll build receipts, executive presence, confidence, and AI leadership skills. But what actually changes your trajectory? You stop going at it alone. You get 20 women who: → Check in on your well-being AND your promotions → Text back when you're spiraling about whether you're ready → Hold you accountable to the goals you set → Celebrate your wins like they're their own One woman joined when she hated her job. She's at Northwestern's MBA program now. Another joined feeling stuck at Big 4. She just got promoted to Senior Manager. Another was getting rejected from her dream roles. She pivoted with our playbook and landed three $100K+ offers in 6 weeks. The receipts mattered. The skills mattered. But the community made them unstoppable. ⬇️ January cohort: 20 spots Early decision closes Dec 20 If you're tired of navigating this alone, let's talk 👇 Book a strategy call: [link in bio] #WomenInLeadership #CareerGrowth #Community

After two decades of coaching high-achieving women leaders, I've observed something that rarely gets discussed in leadership circles. The higher you climb, the more isolated you become. Not by choice, but by circumstance. Recent data confirms what I see consistently: Women in top positions report 34% higher rates of workplace isolation than their male counterparts. More telling, 72% report having no safe space to process strategic challenges with peers who genuinely understand their position. This isn't about loneliness—it's about the absence of strategic thinking partners who operate at your caliber. The women who transform fastest aren't those with the most experience. They're the ones who recognize that their next breakthrough requires alliance, not just more individual effort. That's what drove me to create a space designed specifically for the unique challenges that only make sense to someone leading at the 0.5% level. I've written about this phenomenon and what becomes possible when exceptional women move from isolation to strategic alliance. The full piece explores why traditional networking falls short and how eight carefully selected women are pioneering a new leadership paradigm. Link to the full article is here below. The question isn't whether you've achieved enough to qualify for this conversation. It's whether you're ready to stop carrying the weight of leadership alone. #womeninleadership #ExecutiveCoaching #FemaleLeadership #MasterMind

🔥🔥🔥What gets 130 badass executive women locked and loaded for 6+ hours the day before Election Day? Our latest On the Business mastery day, of course!🔥🔥🔥 We have a structural problem in B2B SaaS: women are woefully underrepresented in senior leadership. In my opinion, there are five blind spots that rate-limit women's ability to become top 1% executives. I launched the On the Business program to build awareness about these pitfalls and to offer high-flying women SaaS execs a forum for leveling up in each: 💲 P&L fluency - understanding how your work directly connects to the top and bottom lines 🥇 "First Team" thinking - embracing the reality that truly work ON the business, your "first team" must be the most senior team you sit on, not your functional team/direct reports 📞 Bat phone - cultivating a strategic network of people who always call you back (h/t Shelley Perry!) 🌎 Macro trends - developing a strong command for what's happening in the macro market - in your industry, in the world, in AI(!), etc. 🌡 Thermostat, not thermometer - as Dr. Sharon Melnick would say, great leaders set the temperature, not react to it As always, yesterday's program was chock full of actionable content: 💡 Yours Truly gave a refresher on these blind spots and a deep dive into what's happening in the market / how that influences 2025 op plans 📋 Michaela Lehr offered a CFO's perspective on how an op plan comes together, the "Wiggle Room" where the bottoms-up and top-down plans meet 👩🏫 Rebecca Price offered a masterclass on how execs need to better partner with HR to understand leading and lagging indicators, and to treat their talent funnels more like commercial funnels 📈 Kristen Habacht brought the world of PLG to OtB and preached the importance data plays in PLG organizations 💻 Neetu R. talked about the CTO's perspective and offered guidance on how to educate technical leaders on the reality that "it only matters if it can be sold" 🏠 Emmanuelle Skala offered a perspective on how CS leaders can emerge as "GMs on the Customer Base," including the importance of "cleaning YOUR (functional) house" before you try to influence other functions 💫 Lisa Lewin facilitated a great panel on when/how senior women make the transition from working "in" the business to "on" it Yesterday was truly special for me. In addition to marking OtB's one-year anniversary, it was our tipping point for reaching over 500 women execs in companies that run the gamut from Series A through to public entities. Fostering this community has been a career highlight, and I know only more great things await us. Expect to hear more lots more about 2025 plans soon, including bringing on Lindsay Bleier and Carly Crittenden as formal program ambassadors and our inaugural SF event in Q1! 💪 I couldn't imagine a better place to be before Election Day, and I'll leave you with this: there's only ONE Presidential candidate who would be fired up about supporting this amazing group...💪