Career

🥊 “Jingjin, have you ever considered that women are just inferior to men?” That was her opening line. The lady who challenged me was not a traditionalist in pearls. She was one of the top investment bankers of her time, closed billion-dollar deals, led global teams, the kind of woman whose voice dropped ten degrees when money was on the line. And she meant it. “Back in my day, if I had to hire, I’d always go for the man. No pregnancy leave. No PMS. No emotional volatility. Just less… liability.” And she doesn’t believe in what I do. Helping women lead from a place of wholeness. Because to her, wholeness is a luxury. Winning requires neutrality. And neutrality means: be less female and suck it up! I’ve heard versions of this many times, and too often, from high-performing women who "made it" by suppressing. But facts are: 🧠 There are no consistent brain differences between men and women that explain men’s “logic” or women’s “emotions.” 💥 Hormones impact everyone. Men’s testosterone drops when they nurture. Women’s cortisol rises in toxic workplaces, not because they’re weak, but because they’re sane. 📉 What we call “meritocracy” is often a reward system for those who can perform like they have no body, no children, no cycles. None of those are biologically male traits. They’re artifacts of a system built around male lives. So, if you're a woman who's bought into this logic, here are some counter-strategies: 🛠 1. Study Systems Like You Studied Deals Dissect the incentives, norms, and bias loops of your workplace the same way you’d break down a P&L. Don’t internalize what’s structural. 🧭 2. Redefine Strategic Strengths Stop mirroring alpha aggression to prove you belong. Deep listening, self-regulation, and nuance reading, these are leadership assets, not soft skills. Use them ruthlessly. 💬 3. Name It, Don’t Numb It If your hormones impact you one day a month, say so, but also say what it doesn’t mean: It doesn’t cancel out 29 days of clarity, strategy, and execution. 🪩 4. Build Your Own Meritocracy Start investing in spaces, networks, and cultures where your wholeness isn’t penalized. If none exist, build them. 🧱 5. Deconstruct Before You Self-Doubt When you catch yourself thinking “maybe I’m not built for this,” pause. Ask: Whose rules am I trying to win by? Who benefits when I question myself? This post isn’t about defending women. We don’t need defending. It’s about calling out the internalised metrics we still use to measure ourselves. 👊 And choosing to rewrite them. What’s the most 'rational' reason you’ve heard for why women are a liability?

"Don't get married otherwise your career will be ruined." This was advised to me by many of my friends & acquittances 11 years ago, when I was about to start next phase of life. Today, they are willing to join my company. As a professional and a mother, I have experienced a rollercoaster of challenges and triumphs. My journey in the corporate world has been a balancing act, where every step forward has been accompanied by a juggling act of responsibilities. 🎢 🔹 The Balancing Act: Balancing the demands of a career and the joys of motherhood is no small feat. There have been days when I had to be present in important meetings while worrying about a sick child at home. Striking the right balance between work commitments and family needs has been an ongoing challenge. But it has taught me resilience and adaptability. 💪 🔹 Societal Expectations: Society often imposes unrealistic expectations on working mothers, making them feel guilty for pursuing their careers. It's crucial to challenge these stereotypes and celebrate the strength and determination of working mothers. I have learned to focus on my achievements and skills, rather than conforming to societal norms. 🌟 🔹 Facing Biases: Unfortunately, gender bias still exists in the workplace. As a working mother, I have encountered subtle prejudices that questioned my dedication and commitment. I combat these biases by proving my capabilities through hard work and determination, breaking down barriers for future generations. 🚧 🔹 Childcare Struggles: Finding reliable and suitable childcare options has been an ongoing struggle. Entrusting the care of my children to others was initially tough, but it allowed me to focus on my career knowing my children were in good hands. Building a support network of trusted caregivers and family members has been invaluable. 👶 🔹 Time Management: Managing time efficiently has been a critical skill to master. Between deadlines at work and ensuring quality time with my family, I've had to learn to prioritize effectively and delegate tasks when needed. Time management has helped me maintain productivity while also being present for my loved ones. ⏰ 🔹 Career Advancement: Advancing in my career has been an upward battle. The fear of being overlooked due to motherhood can be daunting. However, I've learned to advocate for myself, seek mentorship, and seize opportunities to showcase my capabilities, proving that motherhood is not a hindrance but a source of strength. 📈 Embracing the challenges as a working mother has enriched both my professional and personal life. Every obstacle has presented an opportunity for growth and learning. I am proud of the journey I have undertaken, and I hope my story inspires other working mothers to pursue their dreams without hesitation. Together, we can redefine success and create a more inclusive and supportive work environment for everyone. 🌈💼 #WorkingMother #CareerAndFamily #DiversityAndInclusion #SuccessStory

I was recently at Harvard Business School and learned something that really surprised me. I learned that data shows it can take up to 20 minutes for a woman to share her accomplishments or brag about her work history in a conversation, interview, or meeting. Not because we haven’t done amazing things, but because we’ve been taught not to boast. Are you interviewing for a job? Do you interview others? If so, this is something you need to know. If an interview only last 15-30 minutes women may not come off as well as other candidates being considered. We’ve been taught to downplay. Or give someone else credit. To lead with humility instead of power. But in a short interview, that can cost you the job. Women: If your interviews are shorter than 20 minutes, you may need to psych yourself up to start talking about your achievements before you walk in the room. Warm up! Remember you’re not bragging, you are sharing your impact. That’s leadership. Employers: Take a page out of Harvard Business School’s page. Once they discovered this, they made all interviews at least 30 minutes long. A small but powerful shift. This is the kind of change that matters. Bias doesn’t fix itself. The next time you’re in an interview (on either side of the table), ask yourself: Am I creating space for everyone to be seen? #leadership #interviews #bias

How do you build a long-lasting career as a freelancer, instead of it being a stopgap or short-lived side hustle? For starters, optimize for interesting, focus on financial longevity, and diversify your offerings. Passing the decade milestone as a freelancer, I’ve identified what’s helped to sustain my interest in the work, continue to drive demand from clients, and other insights that have made self-employment a viable, rewarding path. In my latest for Fast Company, I explore lessons in building a long-term practice based on what’s proven effective for myself and other freelancers. ➤ Niche down strategically so it’s clear what you offer, the types of clients you serve, and what’s unique about your expertise. You can’t be everything for everyone, get specific instead. ➤ Consistently share your ideas publicly, whether through podcasting, a newsletter, or otherwise so clients find you based on your insightful ideas and solutions. ➤ Craft a deployable network. According to Lola Bakare, build relationships with colleagues across sectors, and when the time is right, deploy their willingness to support you. “Be very willing to not just ask for help, but surround yourself in help,” she suggests. You can’t just rely on yourself to make it happen. ➤ Secure social proof. “Over-index on social proof. Early in your career, it's essential to ensure you're being taken seriously,” advises Dorie Clark. “The best way to do this is to gather as much social proof - i.e., easily understood and verifiable symbols of your competence - as quickly as possible.” ➤ Prioritize reliability. “This doesn't mean you have to perform perfectly. It means that you need to show that you value the relationship, and have appreciation and respect for clients who've hired you. That means doing what you've committed to doing, when you've committed to do it, and ensuring open communication around that process,” says Melissa Doman, M.A. ➤ Commit to yearly growth by setting aside time annually to go in-depth on a new learning opportunity that allows you to explore a new area of your business or expand upon an existing offering. ➤ Learn from missteps. “We will all make mistakes, and in my early years, I made a costly error when I relied on a verbal agreement with a friend. That experience taught me the indispensable value of contracts. By clearly defining what our services include—and do not include—we eliminate confusion and potential disputes. It's a preventive measure that has saved me from challenging clients,” added Nicte Cuevas. ➤ Pass on misaligned work. “Many freelancers burn out by working for difficult clients at low rates and then quit. They do this because they need the work — any work. If you can help it, don’t go full-time until you have enough savings to confidently turn work down. Even better, don’t go full-time until your business is threatening to interfere with your job,” suggests Josh Garofalo. Read the article below for all the lessons in more detail. ⭐

The Anti-Nice Girl's Guide to Power 9 Brutal Truths I Wish I Knew Earlier ↳ "Be patient." ↳ "Work harder." ↳ "Wait your turn." I believed that for the first 15 years of my career. What a waste! Here's what Harvard found: Women outperform men in 17 of 19 leadership skills. Yet we're still not in the corner office. Here are the unfiltered truths I wish someone had told me earlier (your shortcut to the corner office) → 1. Nice Girls Don't Get the Budget ↳ Stop asking politely. Start demanding boldly. ↳ Men negotiate 4x more often. Match that energy. 2. The "Boys Club" Isn't Your Enemy - Isolation Is ↳ Smart players build bridges, not barriers. ↳ Partner with men who champion women. 3. Permission Seeking Is Poison ↳ Nobody's coming to pick you. Pick yourself. ↳ Your boldness makes them uncomfortable? Good. 4. Real Decisions Happen Before the Meeting ↳ Build allies first, bring slides second. ↳ You’re not underestimated, you’re under-networked. 5. Explain Less, Own More ↳ Cut the justifications. They signal doubt. ↳ Authority speaks in decisions, not disclaimers. 6. Trade Likability for Impact ↳ Being respected > Being nice ↳ Make waves. The right people will notice. 7. Praise Is Nice. Promotion Is Better. ↳ Stop collecting compliments. Start collecting wins. ↳ Track results, not reassurance. 8. Action Beats Anxiety ↳ Start before you're "ready" ↳ Confidence follows courage, not the other way around 9. Balance Is Bulls**t ↳ Stop juggling. Start eliminating. ↳ Design your life. Don't just defend it. Women don’t need “empowerment.”  We need to aim for access, strategy, and leverage. Which of these hits hardest for you? Let me know in the comments. ♻️ Share with your network so more women build careers, not just resumes. ➕ Follow me (Meera Remani) for more unfiltered truths about power, strategy, and leadership.

I always used center alignment for short text. It just looks prettier! Then, in an Instructional Design course, the instructor wouldn’t allow it—except for headings. She explained how centered text hurts readability and even shared research on it. I remember thinking it was silly and only following the rule because I had to… But then I started noticing something. In other situations, centered text really was slowing me down. Not a lot, just a fraction of a second—but it was there. And that’s when it clicked: If I, as a strong reader, felt even a small delay, what about someone who doesn’t read as easily? For those with reading disabilities, low vision, or even for non-native English speakers, that tiny delay could be a much bigger barrier. Now, I think about readability first—not just what looks good. And something as simple as left-aligning text? It’s an easy way to increase accessibility. #AccessibilityInDesign #InstructionalDesign #DesignTips #InclusiveDesign #ReadabilityMatters

She said yes to every single project. Yet, she was overlooked for the promotion. They said: “She’s irreplaceable.” “We’d be lost without her.” But when it came time to lead the next big thing - She wasn’t even on the list. Over the past decade working in women’s leadership, I’ve seen this story play out far too often. Women staying in roles long past their expiration. Not because they lack clarity - But because they’ve been conditioned to confuse loyalty with worth. Loyalty to a team. To a leader. To a company culture that praises their reliability... But never promotes their vision. So how do you ensure you’re valued - not just used - for all that you bring to the table? Here are 5 practical, research-backed strategies I’ve seen top performers consistently use: ✅ Be Known for Vision, Not Just Execution ↳ “She delivers” is solid. ↳ “She sets the direction” is strategic. ↳ Build a reputation rooted in foresight - not just follow-through. ✅ Document and Distill Your Wins ↳ Don’t wait to be noticed. ↳ Capture and communicate your impact consistently. ↳ Think: outcomes, initiatives, feedback snapshots. ↳ This becomes your proof of value during reviews, promotions, or pivots. ✅ Speak the Language of Business ↳ Translate your work into metrics that matter: revenue, retention, growth, efficiency. ↳ When leaders see your contribution tied to business outcomes, you shift from “nice to have” to “can’t afford to lose.” ✅ Build Cross-Functional Credibility ↳ Influence isn’t built in silos. ↳ Make your value visible across teams. ↳ When multiple departments rely on your insight, you become a strategic connector - not just a contributor. ✅ Create Strategic Allies, Not Just Mentors ↳ Power isn’t just about performance - it’s about proximity to influence. ↳ Nurture relationships with decision-makers, peer champions, and collaborators. Influence grows through meaningful connection. The truth is - being essential isn’t the same as being seen. You can be deeply loyal to others - and still loyal to your own growth. These shifts aren’t just career strategies. They’re acts of self-respect. Because when you decide to lead from alignment, not obligation - You stop waiting to be chosen. And start choosing yourself. 💬 Which of these strategies feels most relevant to where you are right now? I’d love to hear in the comments below. ♻ Repost if you believe it’s time to stop rewarding quiet loyalty - and start recognizing conscious leadership. 🔔 Follow me, Bhavna Toor, for more. 📩 DM me to bring our holistic leadership development programs to your organization - that are a powerful combination of inner-work and real-world strategy.

Promoted but no pay raise? Let's talk about how to handle this. I received a message from somebody that had been promoted to lead analyst but had no salary increase due to budget constraints. Their workload doubled but their paycheck stayed the same. Here's what I would do: 1. Have an open conversation with HR and your manager. You need to understand the new expectations and what success will look like in this role. 2. Present clear, factual information about the increased responsibilities to show the impact of this new workload. 3. Explore options for additional support. Could you get more resources? Could you offload some tasks to make my workload manageable? Handling a promotion without a pay rise isn’t easy but it pays to communicate clearly, seek support and to be patient but proactive. By sticking to the facts, it’s much easier to make your case for additional support and make a strong case in the next review cycle. Show your value and keep the conversation going. What would you have done in this situation? #PeoplePulse #CareerGrowth #HR

The “Matilda Effect” In the late nineteen sixties at Yale University, Margaret Rossiter sat in the archives surrounded by boxes of scientific records. She was researching the history of American science for her dissertation. It was supposed to be straightforward academic work, a simple tracing of discoveries and breakthroughs. But something kept unsettling her. In photograph after photograph she saw women standing at benches, working with equipment, included on laboratory rosters. Yet when she read the papers, the award citations, and the official histories, the women were gone, names missing, contributions erased-and it had been happening a long time. Women had been doing scientific work since the earliest days of research laboratories. They had simply not been acknowledged. She found countless examples. Women who designed experiments, only to see male colleagues publish the results without giving them credit, who’s discoveries were assigned to supervisors, footnotes instead of as full authors, passed over for awards that went to male collaborators who contributed less. It was not random & not accidental. It was systemic, she needed a name for what she was documenting. She found it in the work of Matilda Joslyn Gage, a nineteenth century suffragist who had written about this exact pattern. Margaret called it the “Matilda Effect”. Her dissertation became a lifelong mission. she spent more than thirty years researching and writing a landmark three volume series titled Women Scientists in America. She read letters, examined institutional policies, followed individual careers, and gathered evidence that proved women in science had been consistently undercredited and structurally excluded. Her work faced resistance. Many scholars dismissed women’s history as political rather than academic. Others insisted she was exaggerating bias. Margaret did not argue emotionally. She simply presented data. She showed documented cases. She showed patterns repeated across decades and institutions. The evidence became undeniable. Her research helped restore recognition to scientists who had been pushed out of the story. Rosalind Franklin-X ray of DNA. Lise Meitner-nuclear fission (omitted from that Nobel Prize). Nettie Stevens- sex chromosomes. Cecilia Payne Gaposchkin-composition of stars…. The Matilda Effect became standard terminology. Scholars used it to examine how credit is assigned, how publications list authors, who receives awards, and who is left out. Universities updated curricula. Margaret received the Sarton Medal, the highest honor in the history of science field. The Matilda Effect did not end in the past. It continues today. Women scientists still receive fewer citations, fewer awards, and fewer promotions. “Margaret Rossiter AHS, Oxford Univ Press” #womeninscience #genderequity

Early in my career, I faced a moment many of us dread: A sudden, unexpected company reorganization. It seemed like overnight ➟ my role ➟ my team ➟ my daily tasks were all up in the air. I remember the anxiety. The flurry of rumors. The uncertainty. They clouded my thoughts about the future. But it was in this chaos that I found clarity. I realized that change, though daunting, also brings opportunities for growth. I wrote an article on this for Harvard Business Review. Here are 5 actions you can take when your professional life is unpredictable: 1. Embrace the Uncertainty Use periods of change as a catalyst for introspection. Reflect on what truly matters to you and your future. 2. Define Your Identity Think about who you need to be... Not just what you need to do. 3. Focus on the Process Establish and commit to positive career behaviors. It gives you a sense of control and leads to results. Examples: • Contribute in each team meeting • Expand your network every week  • Offer a strategic idea to leadership monthly • Take on a stretch opportunity once a quarter • Thank a coworker for something helpful every day 4. Cultivate Learning Agility Be ready to adapt. Stay curious. Embrace new ideas. This mindset isn't just to survive; it helps you thrive. 5. Ask for and Act on Feedback Regularly seek feedback. Take time to reflect on it. It's crucial to know where you're growing. And where you need to improve. Change can be scary. But it's also a chance to reset. To pivot. You may discover new paths you hadn't noticed before. Remember... It's not the strongest or most intelligent who survive. It's those who can best manage change. Lean into the uncertainty. Use it as a stepping stone. Build a career that's not just successful, but also aligned with who you truly are. Find this valuable? Repost ♻️ to share with others.  Thank you! P.S. What keeps you going when things get uncertain?