Grit in the Oyster

Follow Grit in the Oyster
Share on
Copy link to clipboard

Penny de Valk specialises in helping ambitious, talented women be successful leaders. With over 20 years experience as a Chief Executive, she is a qualified coach, expert commentator and an inspiring conference speaker on topics ranging from work/life balance to leadership in the 21st century.

The Podcast Company


    • Jul 17, 2023 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 39m AVG DURATION
    • 35 EPISODES


    Search for episodes from Grit in the Oyster with a specific topic:

    Latest episodes from Grit in the Oyster

    Episode 35 - with Sally Helgeson

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 17, 2023 41:04


    Sally Helgeson's top-selling book 'Rising Together' is rich with wisdom and practical advice and here I explore with Sally some of its contents. From the impact of the pandemic on creating divisions through to how we can all be better allies helping shift the conversation to create cultures of belonging.

    Episode 34 - with Dr. Anne-Marie Imafidon

    Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2023 34:19


    Loved talking to Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon voted the most influential woman in tech about her book She's In CTRL. We talk about how women can take back tech - to communicate, solve problems and protect themselves in a digital world. She's such an inspiration!

    loved anne marie imafidon
    Episode 33 - with Mary Ann Sieghart

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2022 37:31


    Men are presumed to be competent unless proven otherwise, women are not. What are the facts to support this? And what can we do about it when leadership requires women to exercise their authority, yet authority is still associated with male. Here my conversation with Mary Ann Sieghart, author of The Authority Gap, explores this conundrum and how we might solve it.

    men mary ann sieghart
    Episode 32 - with Dr. Rebecca Newton

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 26, 2022 38:12


    Conversation with Dr Rebecca Newton author of Authentic Gravitas, who stands out and why. In this episode I speak with Rebecca Newton about the importance of gravitas in a leader and how we build it. Insightful and practical as well as myth busting, Rebecca delivers real wisdom for women leaders.

    Episode 31 - with Therese Huston

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2021 43:50


    Penny talks to Dr Therese Huston author of How Women Decide who shares insights into the decisiveness dilemma for women and offers practical strategies that lead to better decisions for both men and women.

    therese huston
    Episode 30 - with Una Jagose

    Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2021 46:20


    Female Firsts - not only the first country to give women the vote and register the first nurse and dental nurse world wide, but New Zealand has an extensive pioneering history of female firsts from Kate Edgar, the first woman in the British Empire to earn a BA, to Jacinda Adern the world's youngest female political leader. Here is the first woman Solicitor General in New Zealand, CEO of the Crown Law Office, telling us the story of her own career and personal frontiers.

    Episode 29 - with Amy Morin

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 9, 2021 18:00


    Our resilience is being tested more then ever as we head into the second year of a global pandemic. So learning everything we can about how to build it in ourselves is critical. Here I talk to Amy Morin author of 13 Things Mentally Strong Women Don’t Do about how to build our mental strength.

    amy morin things mentally strong women don
    Episode 28 - with Laura Kray

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 26, 2021 37:30


    Do men and women operate differently when they negotiate? And if so how do we level the playing field? Some great research and insights from Dr Laura Kray on how women can gain advantage.

    Episode 27 - with Shellye Arvhambeau

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2020 37:58


    Shellye’s experience as an African American woman focused on becoming a CEO at 16 is told in her book Unapologetically Ambitious in both a powerful and practical way. Listen to our great conversation bringing her and her lessons to life.

    Episode 26 - with Professor Melissa Williams

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2020 38:24


    Women leaders can experience backlash when they display assertive behaviour, paying a social penalty on the back of gender stereotypes. But there are tools to mitigate this while we change the system.

    Episode 25 - Acting with Power, with Professor Deborah Gruenfeld

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2020 37:48


    The most generous and reassuring thing you can do for your team as a leader is to act with real authority as a leader. Professor Deborah Gruenfeld takes us through how to do that in her book Acting with Power.

    Episode 24 - Become a successful negotiator with Mara Olekans

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2020 39:17


    Conversation with Professor Mara Olekans on managing ourselves as women leaders to become successful negotiators.

    Episode 23 - Learning from women leaders who are true role models with Dame Inga Beale

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2020 33:49


    In this episode I talk to Dame Inga Beale, most recently CEO of Lloyds of London, about her leadership, her learning and her legacy.

    Episode 22 - How to make female leadership work for you, with Dr Raina Brands

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2020 38:50


    In this episode I speak to Dr Raina Brands of London Business School on the power of networking and making invisible career ladders more visible. With great advice on navigating the Think Manager /Think Male stereotype for individual women leaders, and advice for organisations on how to ensure recruitment processes don’t disadvantage women aspiring to executive roles.

    Episode 21 -Building a business and a leadership self with Geeta Sidhu-Robb

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 3, 2019 34:31


    Building a business and a leadership self when you believe change is inevitable, but suffering is optional. I talk with the inspiring Geeta Sidhu-Robb CEO OF Nosh Detox. We explore what women leaders are capable of doing, and becoming, especially when you have no choice.

    Episode 20 - Confidence and Influence Strategies for Women Leaders with Natalia Karelaia

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2019 38:06


    I talk to Professor Natalia Karelaia at INSEAD about her fascinating research on leadership and how the link between confidence and influence plays out for women leaders.

    Episode 19 - Persistence and Positivity: Gladys Ngetich, from Kenyan village school to Oxford PhD.

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2019 25:51


    From village school in Kenya, when no girl had gone to university, to Oxford PhD in Aerospace engineering. Gladys Ngetich tells her inspiring story.

    Episode 18 - Building a business and leaving a legacy with Dame Stephanie Shirley

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2019 35:46


    I talk to Dame Stephanie Shirley about how she built her IT business from dining room table to become Xansa plc. Great wisdom and insight into how to make a difference in every aspect of your life and career.

    Episode 17 - Learning from Great Leaders with Dr Caroline Kisia

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2019 31:17


    I speak to Dr Caroline Kisia Executive Director of Action Africa Help International about her leadership career, the importance of mind-set and energy, and courage being at the heart of great leadership.

    Episode 16 - Young Female Voices

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2019 27:30


    Penny speaks to seven female scholars of the College of St Rose in New York about their aspirations for their lives and their careers.

    Episode 15 - Paradoxes with Professor Marianne Lewis

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2019 32:02


    I talk with Professor Marianne Lewis Dean of Cass Business School London about her career as well as her work on paradoxes. Why we should embrace them and how.

    Episode 14 - Women in the Professions: Tackling the challenges in Law

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2019 45:31


    In this episode, Penny talks to Christina Blacklaws, President of the Law Society, about her career and the challenges for women's advancement in a profession where most of the intake is female. Fabulous advice!

    Episode 13 - Paradoxes with Professor Ronit Kark

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2019 47:57


    I talk to Professor Ronit Kark on her research around the paradoxes women leaders face in organisations and what strategies to deploy to move from a dilemma to a paradox mindset.

    Episode 12 - Diversity. Inclusion. Unconscious Bias with Angela Peacock

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2019 47:09


    Diversity. Inclusion. Unconscious Bias. What it means and how to ensure it makes a difference in your organisation. l talk to Angela Peacock Chair of PDT - specialists in this field - who shares her experience and knowledge.

    Episode 11 - GirlBoss

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2019 31:34


    Penny chats with 19 year-old Alexia Hilbertidou, founder of GirlBoss New Zealand - its mission: to close the gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths, Entrepreneurship and Leadership - and to empower confident, resilient, future-ready, young women to lead and change the world.

    Episode 10 - Making families and dual careers work

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2018 46:08


    Navigating careers and caring - making families and dual careers work. I talk to two senior female executives about their experience of families and careers where both Mum and Dad work. The challenges, the joys, the frustrations and lots of great insight and advice. With Jivan Dempsey and Kerry Simmons.

    SPECIAL EPISODE: Advice to your younger self

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2018 75:17


    Three interviews in one episode as I speak to three experienced senior women leaders about their careers and what advice they would give to their younger selves. With Helen Sweeney, Patricia Taylor, Dotti Irving and Penny De Valk.

    advice younger self patricia taylor
    Episode 8 - Navigating career paths with Avivah Wittenberg-Cox

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2018 37:50


    Penny chats with Avivah Wittenberg-Cox about career paths for women, why they are different and how to navigate them for both individuals and organisations.

    navigating career path avivah wittenberg cox
    Episode 7 - Changing mindsets with Jill Flynn

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2018 49:12


    Jill Flynn, author of Break Your Own Rules, and I discuss how to change our mindsets to accelerate our success as women leaders.

    Episode 6 - How Women Rise with Sally Helgesen

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2018 40:40


    Penny de Valk speaks to world renowned leadership expert Sally Helgesen about her book, How Women Rise, exploring some of the habits that hold women back in their career and how to overcome them - from reluctance to promote themselves through to the perfection trap.

    Episode 5 - Political savvy with Bonnie Marcus

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 15, 2018 30:52


    Penny speaks to Bonnie Marcus author of The Politics of Promotion about how to change your mindset and skillset around organisational politics as a critical leadership skill.

    Episode 4 - From technical expert to leader

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2018 36:46


    Moving from being a technical expert to a leader is a challenging transition. In this podcast I talk to Dr Belinda Board, about how to approach this move to ensure we bring our existing capability to bear, while also learning new and critical leadership skills.

    Episode 3 - Making flexible working work

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2018 54:02


    Making flexible working work - for you and your organisation. Three high powered female executives, Natalie Walpole and Kerry Simmons and Uzma Hamid-Dizier, talk about how flexible working gives them the careers and the lives they want. And how to do it. Produced by The Podcast Company

    Episode 2 - Advice for women leaders

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2018 42:28


    Two executive coaches, Mary Gregory and Deena Gornick, share their insights gained from coaching women leaders - exploring both the challenges and the opportunities. Produced by The Podcast Company.

    Episode 1 - Strengths and Success

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2018 35:11


    The power of a 'strengths' approach. An interview with Sally Bibb exploring why we should focus on our strengths and how to make them work for our leadership. Produced by The Podcast Company.

    Claim Grit in the Oyster

    In order to claim this podcast we'll send an email to with a verification link. Simply click the link and you will be able to edit tags, request a refresh, and other features to take control of your podcast page!

    Claim Cancel