Confident Conversations

Many women tell me that they just can't decide whether they want to go back to a career or start a business after maternity leave or a career break.  Only you can make the decision. Join me in today's episode to discover the pros and cons of a career vs business plus get some ideas on how to start a business. Mentioned on the show and other useful links Discover your Core Values with my free download Check out my Hell Yes Hell No activity here Find out about my 1 day Career Confidence masterclass (early bird giving you £100 off expires 29 March) Ask your questions or share your feedback Comment on the show notes Tweet me @SherryRB using #ConfidentConversations Get in touch with me directly here Subscribe, rate and review in iTunes  For more Confident Conversations connect with me On Twitter @SherryRB On LinkedIn Continue the conversation about career, confidence and leadership on The Confident Mother Facebook page Get career, confidence & leadership tips direct in your Inbox every week when you sign

When you delegate effectively and with confidence, it puts you in a better position to make a bigger impact in your career because: you and your team get better results you are more productive you are making the best use of the skills and experience available you demonstrate your leadership potential The art of delegation is in how to get people to do what you ask without being too controlling or too hesitant.  Listen to today's show for top tips on how to delegate effectively.  Mentioned on the show and other useful links How to be assertive not aggressive blog post  Find out about my 1 day Career Confidence masterclass (early bird expires 29 March) Ask your questions or share your feedback Comment on the show notes Tweet me @SherryRB using #ConfidentConversations Get in touch with me directly here Subscribe, rate and review in iTunes  For more Confident Conversations connect with me On Twitter @SherryRB On LinkedIn Continue the conversation about career, confidence and leadership on The Confident Mot

Often the smart ambitious women that I talk to every week are not being assertive enough on LinkedIn. This week my theme is about being more assertive in the workplace without getting labelled as aggressive. At the same time I don’t want you to be underestimated. When I work with my clients, whether one-to-one or in a group, I notice that women who present as confident and assertive in the workplace .... well their LinkedIn profile tells a different story. If you want to make a bigger impact and attract the right career opportunities you need to be more assertive on LinkedIn too. Discover 3 smart ways that you can be more assertive on LinkedIn: Maximise your LinkedIn profile summary to 'big yourself up' Focus on the more senior roles not the junior ones from the past Add more skills to your profile Mentioned on the show and other useful links LinkedIn's profile analysis and how women present themselves Join the waitlist for my free 10 Day LinkedIn Challenge to help you make a bigger impact Find out about

  The last time I had a job interview I was a bag of nerves. And I know that's true for lots of my clients too, particularly if your last job interview was several years ago. That's why I'm delighted to pick the brains of career expert Sarah Archer. Sarah shares her best interview tips so that you can wow the interviewer and get the job! Sarah appears as a career expert for Guardian Careers and is the author of ‘Developing your Inner Coach’. Discover the secrets of success in job interviews as we explore: How to prepare for a job interview even if you've taken a career break How to answer competency based questions effectively How to make the CAR technique work for you How to deal with the questions we all dread How to cope with the inevitable nerves How to make an impact (for the right reasons) How and when to follow up Mentioned on the show and other useful links Email Sarah @careertree.org.uk Visit Sarah's website at careertree.org.uk Amy Cuddy's TED talk on body language and power posing Sarah's book D

Very often the women that I talk to about their career strategy, they hadn't even thought about using LinkedIn until they started jobhunting. But actually there are SO many reasons to get active on LinkedIn even if you're not jobhunting because it's such a powerful networking platform. And the best time to start networking is BEFORE you need to network. In this episode I share 5 powerful reasons why ambitious women need to use LinkedIn even when you are not jobhunting: Demonstrate your experience to lateral hires Set yourself up as an expert authority Get speaking opportunities Attract new clients Long-term career planning Mentioned on the show and other useful links Sign up to my free 10 Day LinkedIn Challenge  Discover top tips for networking face-to-face with expert Heather White in episode 17 Check out my City Conversations networking group Ask your questions or share your feedback Comment on the show notes Tweet me @SherryRB using #ConfidentConversations Get in touch with me directly here Subscribe

So many of the women that I often talk to or work with struggle to tame their inner critic. Those "You're not good enough" thoughts in your head. The fear of being 'found out'.  Often these thoughts stop us from doing our best work and making a bigger impact at work so that we can take our career to the next level.  Jess Baker is an independent Business Psychologist and Women's Leadership Coach. She’s worked for some impressive organisations in her career including Barclays, HSBC and Aon Consulting. I was intrigued by her 5 Day Tame Your Inner Critic Challenge that starts on 15 January. I invited Jess to give us the inside scoop on how to manage our inner critic so that we feel more confident. Jess shares three key facts to help us understand the inner critic (sometimes described as the imposter syndrome): Our brain is wired to protect us and prevent us messing up We can't 'stop' those inner critic thoughts But often those inner critic thoughts are based on lies or false evidence She then goes onto share so

Come January, everybody's turning their thoughts to New Year, New Career. But how do you go about getting that new career or new job if your CV is looking tired and jaded. Especially when you've taken a career break.  Today I talk to expert CV writer Orla Cahill. Orla has a background in HR. She is an associate member of CIPD and supports professional mums to re-launch their career after an extended period of absence from the workplace. Based in London, with clients all over the world, from Crouch End to California, Orla runs the CV Clinic.  We discuss:  The secrets to a successful CV How to target your CV for specific jobs The things you should never do on your CV The different types of CV and which works best in different situations  Specific tips for ambitious women who are returning to work after a period of absence e.g. a career break or redundancy Top tips if you are currently drafting a new CV. Mentioned on the show and other useful links Get in touch with Orla by email or by telephone 07730 488351

Research from LinkedIn tells us that men and women present themselves differently on LinkedIn and this affects your promotion prospects. Sad to say, it's not to the advantage of ambitious women.  Discover the three things you can do differently on your LinkedIn profile to improve your promotion prospects when you describe: Your experience  Your skills  Your summary  And then I'll tell you what else you need to do in the workplace to improve your promotion prospects.  Mentioned on the show and other useful links 10 Day LinkedIn Challenge - join the priority waitlist here Book your place on my 1 day live Career Confidence  masterclass Check out my career networking directory here  Listen to episode 17 with Heather White on networking with confidence Ask your questions or share your feedback Comment on the show notes Tweet me @SherryRB using #ConfidentConversations Get in touch with me directly here Subscribe, rate and review in iTunes  For more Confident Conversations connect with me On Twitter @SherryRB

Following last week's episode on beating burnout in the workplace, and given that Christmas is often a time that pushes our stress levels to the max, I invited Val Stevenson to discuss how to survive Christmas without a crisis. Val is an independent coach and consultant who specialises in building resilience in organisations and individuals. In this episode Val shares her knowledge and experience as we explore: How can we survive Christmas without a crisis? Christmas can often be a ‘groundhog’ day experience, how can we do something different but still keep the spirit of a family Christmas? And more fabulous tips for keeping well at Christmas and enjoying ourselves. GUEST: Val Stevenson HOST: Sherry Bevan Mentioned on the show and other useful links Website: VS Coaching VScoach.com and The Art of Work theartofwork.uk.com Email: vstevenson @vscoach.com Ask your questions or share your feedback Comment on the show notes Tweet me @SherryRB using #ConfidentConversations Get in touch with me directly here Sub

In this episode I explore burnout in the workplace with Sarah Sparks.  Sarah is an award winning Executive Coach, Speaker and Trainer who works with senior leaders in the Corporate World helping busy professionals have career success as well as health and wellbeing, and in particular helping them work differently so they avoid damaging stress and burn-out. Together we discuss the signs of burnout, how to avoid burnout and whose responsibility it is to spot the signs in the workplace. GUEST: Sarah Sparks HOST: Sherry Bevan Mentioned on the show and other useful links Visit Sarah's website at SarahSparks.co.uk On Twitter @ChooseToThrive Ask your questions and share your feedback Comment on the show notes below Tweet me @SherryRB using #ConfidentConversations Get in touch with me directly here Subscribe, rate and review in iTunes  For more Confident Conversations connect with me On Twitter @SherryRB On LinkedIn Like The Confident Mother Facebook page Continue the conversation on career, confidence and leade

Last year I let the imposter syndrome get the better of me in the Life Coach of the Year Awards. This year I didn't. What happened next? I was shortlisted in The Coaching Academy International Coaching Awards though I nearly talked myself out of it. But I beat the imposter syndrome and submitted the portfolio. I was gutted then delighted to make the Final 3 in the Life Coach of the Year Awards. (And I'll share a special offer to celebrate my 'win'). I share the questions you can ask yourself if you are experiencing a very noisy inner critic or you wonder if the imposter syndrome might be getting in your way. Mentioned on the show and other useful links How to negotiate a pay rise with Michelle Gyimah Episode 040 How to request flexible working with Anna Meller Episode 039 How to recognise the imposter syndrome with Rebecca Pintre Episode 009 Find out more about Sherry's special offer on the Group Confidential programme Last chance to book on City Conversations Ask your questions and share your feedback Com

Did you know that by the year 2020, it is estimated that one in three British workers will be over the age of 50? Menopause is going to become more and more prevalent in the workplace. Julie Dennis works with organisations to make it easy to introduce the right menopause policies and practices and also with individual women. Julie's on a mission to get employers and business to take menopause more seriously. Julie’s previous career was in global communications for a FTSE100 in London. After redundancy, she retrained as a personal trainer and nutrition adviser. She now works as The Menopause Coach, specialising in practical and natural solutions to controlling menopause symptoms without resorting to HRT. In this show Julie shares: the typical symptoms that women experience (and it's not just the hot flushes) how to tackle the topic with your boss what employers can do to help their female employees cope with menopausal symptoms how to look after yourself to reduce the impact of menopause symptoms GUEST: Juli

At this time of year, many women are feeling cross and frustrated with themselves because it's already November and those plans to change job, go back to work or get that promotion, have fallen by the wayside, and already we're on the run-in to Christmas. Instead of focusing on how little time you have left, I encourage you to focus on how much you can get done in the time available. And that's why I have launched #NailItNovember.  Join me to discover how you too can nail it in November and get the career success that you deserve. I'll share with you the exact same strategies that I use myself and that I share with my one-to-one clients.  Look after No 1 first so that everything you do works for you Focus on your mindset Let go of perfect Start with ‘No’ Take responsibility and ownership for the changes you want Get productive and take action Mentioned on the show and other useful links Find out more about #NailItNovember and how I can help you nail your career success Book your place at City Conversations

LinkedIn has more than 467M users; there are 6.5M active job listings; and 94% of recruiters use LinkedIn to vet candidates. The facts are hard to ignore. LinkedIn IS an essential tool in your career toolkit, whether you are looking to return to work after a career break or redundancy, thinking about your next career move or applying for promotion. To get noticed on LinkedIn to improve your career prospects, you need to: demonstrate your knowledge and expertise showcase your achievements and experience establish your personal and professional brand prove that you have the right connections provide social proof display professionalism and integrity In this episode, I share with you the practical steps that I use myself and that I share with all my one-to-one and LinkedIn Confidence clients. Mentioned on the show and other useful links Find out more about my self-paced 5 module LinkedIn Confidence course  Listen to Confident Conversations episode 13 on the 7 Essentials for your LinkedIn profile Explore how

Following on from last week's story about career change, Louisa Shepherd shares practical tips on HOW and WHAT to do to reinvent your career. Louisa is a shining example of career reinvention having started out as an orchestral clarinet player, she moved into marketing, and is now a Career Strategist and Social Innovator. Louisa now works with high performing, non-conforming individuals to design meaningful careers, foster creative entrepreneurship, and cultivate impact driven leaders. She also serves as the Innovation Director at Let’s Innovate through Education, where she designs programming for aspiring entrepreneurs. Very often the women that I talk to, don't know what career they want to go back to after a career break. Together we explore the practical steps you can take to get clear on your goal and create a strategy. We also discuss how to handle unhelpful reactions from friends or family. Mentioned on the show and other useful links Louisa Shepherd's website is louisashepherd.com Follow Louisa on Tw

Last week was about that all important pay rise negotiation but what if you don't enjoy the career you're in? This week I talk to Ali Bickers about her dramatic career change that enabled her to find work she loved. Having gone through many difficulties in her past and despite being sceptical, Ali turned to counselling for help. To her amazement, it made an incredible difference to all aspects of her life. This experience inspired her to train to be a counsellor herself so that she could help others. Despite the challenges, Ali pushed on through with grit and determination. She now has a job she'd carry on doing even if she won the lottery! Her top tips for other women considering a career change is to get clarity on: Your values (you might find my values activity helpful for this) What you want to be known for What legacy you want to leave She shares these and other super practical tips in this week's episode of #ConfidentConversations. Mentioned on the show and other useful links Ali Bickers at Worthing

Last week we explored how to negotiate a flexible work schedule. Today discover how to negotiate a pay rise. Money empowerment educator, Michelle Gyimah, shares her top tips on how to negotiate a payrise.  Very often money is an emotive subject for women however you have to stop making it personal. It's not about you. It's not about your worth. What gets overlooked so often is that it's not just your salary ... it's your benefits too. The more you get paid, the bigger your pension pot.  Listen to this #ConfidentConversations podcast episode to get clarity on when to ask for a pay rise and how to ask for a payrise.  Mentioned on the show and other useful links Michelle on Facebook: Equality Pays And on Twitter @EqualityPays The EHRC Working Forward Campaign How to negotiate a flexible work schedule with Anna Meller in episode 039 GUEST: Michelle Gyimah, Money Empowerment Educator at Equality Pays HOST: Sherry Bevan, Founder of The Confident Mother Ask your questions and share your feedback Comment on the sh

  Anna Meller is the Work ReBalance Mentor and works with ambitious professional women who want to balance their corporate career with their family life. Through her Balanced Leader group programmes and bespoke coaching/mentoring, Anna empowers women to make choices that work for them and their employers. Over the summer the EHRC was the latest body to add its voice to mounting calls for greater access to flexible working as a way of reducing pay gaps and helping women progress. Legislation already exists allowing any qualifying employee to ask for flexible working and most organisations have relevant policies. However, negotiating a flexible schedule can still be challenging – particularly as you progress up the career ladder. To celebrate #NationalWorkLifeWeek, from 2-6 October 2017,  and in the US #WorkAndFamilyMonth throughout October, Anna and I explore seven steps to confidently negotiate a flexible working arrangement that both suits you and your employer. Be very clear on what you want. Be clear on

Louise Ladbrooke, is a keynote speaker, facilitator and coach, who specialises in personal resilience. Her career has taken her from marketing milk to setting up and running her own nursery when she struggled to get childcare that worked. Louise’s business was a phenomenal success - winning prizes, accolades and living the dream, she loved her work. However the world would have been stunned to know that try as she might, she only ever felt that she wasn’t enough and spent her time wondering when she was going to be caught out. We discuss how to develop personal resilience to cope more effectively with the good times and the more challenging times. Louise shares some of her top tips on how to create that resilience that we all need to confidently develop our careers. Mentioned on the show and other useful links Louise's website LouiseLadbrooke.com On Twitter at @LouiseLadbrooke Instagram @LouiseLadbrooke For more about being ‘dealing with overwhelm’, listen to On The Tipping Point episode 1 For strategies on

Discover what it means to be "in flow" and how that benefits you, your team and ultimately your career Personal leadership coach, Sue Revell is my co-host On The Tipping Point. In this week's episode we explored "being in flow". This is a specialist area for Sue and she runs a Find Your Flow Challenge. During the recording, SO many lightbulb moments went off for me about how and when I do my best work. I knew immediately I wanted to share these insights and learnings with you too. Sue tells us what it means to be 'in flow', how you can tell when you are in flow, how to get into flow, how it helps and why it matters. Mentioned on the show and other useful links The Find Your Flow Challenge with Sue Revell Sue's website MagentaChange On Twitter at @MakeYourBigLeap The Rise of Superman by Steven Kotler The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks For more about being 'in flow', listen to On The Tipping Point episode 7 GUEST: Sue Revell, personal leadership coach HOST: Sherry Bevan, Founder of The Confident Mother Ask your qu