Podcast Episode 1 - Introduction complete
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Tabatha: [00:00:00] Welcome to Empowered Leadership Coaching with Tabatha, the podcast for ambitious female leaders like you who are ready to take control and get back into the driver's seat of your career. Whether you're shooting for a big promotion, a new job, a career transition. Or wanting to become a more influential and impactful leader.
I've got you covered. I'm Tabatha Jones, a career advancement and leadership coach, author, keynote speaker, and former corporate executive with over 20 years of leadership ladder climbing experience. I've learned some things the hard way, so you don't have to. In this podcast, I'll share strategies to help you get exactly what you desire.
and deserve. Ladies, we're rewriting the rules here. We're kicking imposter syndrome to the curb and making career advancement a fun journey. A quick heads up, some stories may be a bit sassy and some [00:01:00] a little smart ass y, so listener discretion is advised.
Today, I'm excited to share a bit about my journey with you so that you can understand my background and how I can relate so well with what you're going through. See, my story is different from many coaches. As I've actually walked in your shoes in the corporate world, I spent more than 20 years leading technical teams in the telecom industry.
And during that time, I learned a great deal about advocating for myself, pursuing promotions and demonstrating my unique value. But I'll be honest, it wasn't always easy. There was a period where I spent 10 years in a project manager role. Yes, with a project manager title, taking on more and more responsibility.
I was leading multiple teams, not associated to projects. I was leading major initiatives and I was [00:02:00] earning my degree, all while hoping that one day my leader would recognize my efforts. and magically promote me. But that day never came. What came instead, and those of you in the telecom and technical world can probably relate, what came instead was a reorganization.
And I realized at that time. When I had to reapply for my job, I realized that I was already doing more than 75 percent of the manager role that was one level up. And I decided at that point to take the leap and apply. When I was offered the manager role, it came with A huge, not really, 4 percent pay increase.
And that's when I knew I needed to advocate for myself. But I didn't really know how. I declined the offer. And very soon after, I was called into the CFO's office. During that conversation, [00:03:00] she told me that she knew about my accomplishments. She knew that the team respected me. And she shared that they really didn't have anyone else that they wanted in the role.
They wanted me. And that was when I finally recognized my true value to the company and to the team. Our CFO asked me, what will it take to make the software more palatable? Having never negotiated for myself, I said, I would like a senior manager title and 15%. She said, I assume you mean on top of the 4 percent we've already offered.
And I said, absolutely. As I was shaking my head, no, on the inside, that response and that deal was done so quickly. I wish I'd asked for 25%. But that was truly a pivotal moment for me. That was when I vowed that I would never play small or leave my career in someone else's hands. I was getting back into the driver's seat of my [00:04:00] career.
This change in mindset led to four promotions over the next 10 years. I say mindset, it was a change in mindset and strategy. As well as a huge shift in my confidence. So leading to four promotions over the next 10 years, taking me from a regional senior manager role to a division director role, then a division senior director role, and finally, where I chose to end my career, um, I left as a corporate executive director.
Now I do want to address something and recognize that I know ladies, sometimes it's really hard to ask for help. As women, we feel like asking for help might be perceived as a sign of weakness. We strive to manage everything on our own and always appear as though we're juggling all of our responsibilities so easily.
But I know that's not always true. On this podcast and in my new book, Promotion Ready [00:05:00] in Three Months, The Women's Guide to Career Advancement, we're offering you the support you might not yet feel comfortable asking for, but you absolutely deserve it. Now, despite the progress we've made in the workplace, women continue to face unique challenges from gender biases and leadership stereotypes to the constant balancing act between personal and professional responsibilities, which can hinder our growth.
My mission is to address these challenges and empower you to overcome them by offering you proven strategies that my clients and I, myself personally have used. Now the strategies and insights I'll be sharing on this podcast are drawn from my empowered leadership coaching program, which has been a transformative experience for so many women.
I designed this program to help you achieve your career advancement goals faster with practical exercises, real life success [00:06:00] stories, and a continued focus on your continuous growth. If you'd like to learn more about my program, I will share the information in the show notes. So you can take a look and see if it might be something you're interested in.
One key lesson I've learned over the years is the importance of small, consistent actions. Career advancement doesn't happen overnight. It's the result of strategic planning, ongoing learning, and resilience. This podcast will encourage you to take small steps, reflect on your progress, and celebrate your achievements, no matter how small they may seem at the time.
I do want to also discuss the common myth that if you want to advance your career, you have to keep your head down, your mouth closed, and work harder than anyone else. This is something many of us have heard throughout our lives, especially those who are part of Gen X. And while hard work is absolutely important, [00:07:00] it can also be exhausting and keep your leadership potential hidden.
The real secret to career advancement lies in working strategically, but so many of us struggle to embrace this concept, and it's really not openly discussed. I've heard many stories from women who have been overlooked for promotions, no matter how hard they've worked. They've been told they need more education, even when they've earned advanced degrees, or that they're not yet ready, despite years of proving themselves.
These stories resonate because there are stories. They reflect the challenges that so many of us have faced in our careers. So I'm going to help you overcome that and start getting yourself more powerfully positioned for career advancement. We'll also be talking a lot about leadership and leadership growth as well as job search strategies because a lot has changed in that space as well over the last couple of years.[00:08:00]
I've been asked on occasion, why did I transition from coaching? In fact, a friend of mine said, you make a lot of money and you have a really good job. Are you crazy? Why are you doing this? Well, I'll tell you, it's been a calling for me for many, many years. It's been the favorite, my most favorite part of any job I've had.
And as the oldest of four. I think the coaching was probably just part of my DNA, but the true transition, it started with a whisper. And in 2018, I was attending a women's conference focused on leading with power and authenticity. During that event, I could not shake the feeling that I should be up there leading the conference.
There was a voice that kept saying, why aren't you up there? So that voice led me to hiring a business coach, which led me to launching my own coaching practice. And eventually leaving my corporate career [00:09:00] to fully dedicate myself to helping women like you achieve your career goals. Now this podcast and my coaching programs are designed to help you achieve your career goals faster by eliminating the guesswork and frustration that often comes with career advancement.
I'll be providing some of the framework that you can implement within your current role without adding unnecessary stress and overwhelm. My strategies are straightforward. They're extremely effective and have been proven to work time and time again. I'll acknowledge that some of these strategies may feel challenging or extremely uncomfortable at first, but I encourage you to set aside your perfectionism habits.
And ladies, it's the key to achieving what you deserve. So this podcast, my coaching [00:10:00] programs were born out of my personal journey, and they're tailored to help each of you reach your career aspirations without feeling stuck. My mission is to guide you through a transformative experience that will empower you to take control of your career, And ensure that you never play small again.
Thanks for tuning in. You've probably noticed we do things a little differently here, just like our coaching programs. This podcast isn't about leadership theory or how things are supposed to be. It's about real world strategies and tools you can apply right away. We call it grow as you go, because when you start growing, people quickly take notice.
Be sure to check out our show notes to learn more about my exclusive empowered leadership coaching program and my promotion ready in three months bootcamp. Both are designed to help you elevate your career and drive toward your [00:11:00] goals. Also, if you haven't already checked out my new book, hop on over to amazon.
com and grab your copy of promotion ready in three months. The Women's Guide to Career Advancement. I'd love to hear your thoughts on our podcast. So feel free to reach out via email with your comments, questions, or topic requests. I'm here to support you. And together, we're going to crush your career goals.
Don't forget to like, download, and share this podcast. Your support helps us grow. We'll see you next time.
