My name is Erin Smith and I created the Driven Women Project to shine a light on female role models who have not sacrificed their feminine identities in order to excel in male dominated careers. Together we aim to inspire more women to pursue the careers they want while remaining true to their core values, and ultimately closing the gender gap at the leadership level in male-dominated spaces. After I earned my masters degree in Sport Psychology, I transferred my expertise to the male dominated world of finance. Now I run a Performance Psychology Coaching practice called Driven Beyond Excellence where I focus on helping executive women successfully navigate male-dominated careers and rise into well-deserved leadership roles. However, most of my Executive Coaching clients are men. Why? Because there are still so few women in leadership roles which means there aren’t enough role models, or mentors, or simply peers at the highest levels of leadership for the up and coming women to lean on for support – and let’s face it, we should be surrounding ourselves with as much support as possible to help keep us going when those extra challenges try to keep us down. With so few female role models it can become difficult to know which direction to go to advance your career. If you’ve ever wondered how to best “fit in†or be accepted or feel supported in your male-dominated career, then get ready to be inspired and share in the inspiration generated by women who have struggled within these dynamics, persevered, who maybe even tried to change who they are to fit in, until they realized the power in embracing their true selves and as a result are now dominating in their male-centric careers, while being unapologetically female and making massive contributions to changing the landscape so that maybe one day, “male dominated†will no longer be the case. As you listen, keep in mind that these women did not find success overnight. It was a hard-won journey of self-discovery, building a strong support network, and taking bold action, one step at a time. To Nominate a Driven Woman please visit: https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/nominateadrivenwoman I hope you enjoy!
You don't need an Ivy League degree to rise to the top. You need clarity, courage—and the right kind of leadership.Meet Julie, a powerhouse in private equity real estate. From investment banking analyst to Chief Investment Officer at CBRE Investment Management, she now co-leads a $34B portfolio and a team of 140 professionals.She was recently named 2023 North American Industry Figure of the Year by PERE. But that's not why this episode is so special.I had the honor of being her Executive Leadership Coach in 2024—and what unfolded in our coaching sessions was nothing short of transformational.
This episode of The Driven Women Project Podcast is not just for mothers—it's for any woman who has ever questioned society's definition of success.If you've ever felt pressure to conform to someone else's definition of success, this episode will reframe everything.In this episode, I sit down with Neha Ruch, the founder of Mother Untitled, a movement redefining the way we view stay-at-home motherhood. Neha's work has caught the attention of Oprah, Drew Barrymore, Kourtney Kardashian, Mandy Moore, and more, and her new book, The Power Pause, is changing the narrative around career breaks for women.We talk about:
Jen Saarbach spent nearly a decade rising from Associate to VP on Wall Street starting with Lehman Brothers in 2008, Barclays, and then Morgan Stanley, after which she decided to leave the finance world, only to recently return with a passion for democratizing access to Wall Street for everyone. She co-founded The Wall Street Skinny which is a phenomenal platform that quickly exploded on social media, and is now offering courses to help folks competitively prepare for a career on Wall Street. Jen and her co-founder, Kristen Kelly, host a podcast of the same name absolutely loaded with information that aims to demystify the world of finance. They explain jargon, talk with experts, and straight up teach listeners everything from “what is an investment bank” to portfolio management to private equity and hedge funds – they also tackle topics like what it's like to be a woman on wall street. This has been one of my favorite conversations to date. Jen is full of incredible insights and she gets straight to the point. This episode is packed full of tips and Jen is a fast talker so you will want to listen to this episode multiple times to make sure you catch all the gems. We talk about:Quality mentorshipHow women can sometimes be harder on other women than menHow to think about leaving behind a legacy you can be proud ofMake sure you listen to the end because Jen drops some advice about how to be your authentic self in an intense environment filled with pressure to perform. IT'S EXCELLENT!Want to learn more about Jen and The Wall Street Skinny?:The Wall Street Skinny Flagship Course: https://www.thewallstreetskinny.com/investment-banking-private-equity-fundamentals.Use code “MZPDJR” at checkout and receive 20% off their flagship course.Follow The Wall Street Skinny: IG: https://www.instagram.com/thewallstreetskinny/ LinkedIn Jen Saarbach: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-saarbach/ LinkedIn The Wall Street Skinny: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-wall-street-skinny/posts/?feedView=all Schedule a complimentary strategy call with Erin: Smith:https://erinsmithexecutivecoach.youcanbook.me/Nominate a Driven Woman:https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/nominateadrivenwoman Connect with Erin Smith directly: erin@drivenbeyondexcellence.comDownload Erin's free ebook: https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/ebook
I'm excited to share this conversation with you because Dr. Gail Lebovic has an incredibly impressive background in multiple male dominated fields. Most importantly, she has committed her career to improving the delivery of healthcare for patients around the world, especially woman's health. Internationally recognized for her groundbreaking work as an Oncoplastic Surgeon, Dr. Lebovic is also highly regarded as a creative inventor and successful serial entrepreneur.Along with her highly skilled team, she has developed and brought to market numerous innovative products. The team has achieved multiple successful acquisitions totaling nearly $500M.Dr. Lebovic holds over 50 US patents, is a member of the Forbes Business Council, and currently serves as Founder and CEO of Silicon Valley Innovations. Her company is focused on bringing novel drug delivery platforms to the multi-billion dollar nasal healthcare and feminine healthcare markets. Their initial product called NasoClenz is on the market as the first intranasal antiseptic, perfect for those of us seeking nasal relief products. Dr. Lebovic told me she loves to pay attention to areas of the body that are neglected – like the nose. I tried NasoClenz, and let me tell you, it is the product I never knew I needed, and now I will not travel without it. You know how your nose gets dry on airplanes? Well this stuff was a dream. NasoClenz was also designed for patients with allergies, chronic sinus issues, CPAP users and more. She has served as director of several important clinical programs and is the Founder of the Society of Oncoplastic Surgery,Listen in to hear how Dr. Lebovic did all of this, including her take on being likable, and how she navigated being told in medical school that being a surgeon is not for women!Enjoy the show and Stay Driven!Meet Dr. Lebovic: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaillebovic/Visit Dr. Lebovic's news blog here: https://svi-inc.com/news/ Nominate a Driven Woman:https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/nominateadrivenwoman Connect with Erin Smith directly: erin@drivenbeyondexcellence.comDownload Erin's free ebook: https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/ebook
Vasanta works at the intersection of healthcare and finance as an investment banker,and she is most passionate about investing in and advancing behavioral andwomen's health. She's also on the board at Sakhi – For South Asian Women. Sakhi is a New York City-based not-for-profit that represents South Asian survivors of gender-based violence. Vasanta is a frequent panelist or moderator at various healthcare conferences orwebinars and as an avid Princeton alumnus, she is a Co-Class Agent for herclass for Annual Giving and also serves on the National Annual Giving Committee. She also has many passions beyond advancing women's healthcare, she also lovescooking, has lots of house plants, loves arts and crafts and staying healthyand fit with Orange Theory. I'm excited to share this conversation I had withVasanta, because she is fiercely authentic and has developed an admirable setof core values that guide her. Which I think we can all learn from. If you take away one thing from this episode, letit be this: As a woman in a male dominated career, and an immigrant Vasanta isa shining example of how being different has the power to drive you to want to fit in, unless you decide that being different is awesome! Show highlights:Listen all the way through because there are a lot of gems that you wouldn't expect –for example Vasanta's path from majoring in Anthropology to wanting to be a food writer to becoming an investment banker.We also talk about the difference between how men and women build trust in the workplace, and how she dealt with men in her office who didn't understand her methods. How exhausting it is to not be yourself, and how it kills trust How following your passion leads you to figure out the “how” to make it happen.Knowing how to do something is not the driver, and not knowing how to do something wont stop you if you have a passion for it. If you don't have a passion, look for your super power. What are you really good at. We also talk about how you don't have to subscribe to the belief that competition is best. A rising tide lifts all boats. You can hear this advice but u don't have to agree with it just because lots of people say it, but listen as we talk about it and decide for yourself. Helpful links:Connect with Vasanta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vasantapundarika/Nominate a Driven Woman:https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/nominateadrivenwomanConnect with Erin Smith directly: erin@drivenbeyondexcellence.comDownload Erin's free ebook: https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/ebook
BIO of Driven Woman:Dr. Elizabeth Clayborne is an Emergency Physician and the CEO & Co-Founder of NasaClip, a medical device for nosebleeds. She has raised $3.25M in funding as of December 2023 and was awarded a NSF SBIR Phase I grantfor $256K to assist with the development of her device. NasaClip launched as the “Band Aid” of nosebleeds in late 2023 on NasaClip.com. Dr. Clayborne has been featured on several national interviews on networks such as CNN, MSNBC,CBSN and TEDx discussing COVID-19, health equity, ethics and challenges faced by Black female founders. Follow her on Twitter, IG and TikTok @DrElizPC.Show highlights:We talk in depth about finding the courage to be your authentic self, how to flip adversity, and life challenges in your favor. Life is full of struggles, and it can be especially hard for women, and even harder for women of color. Dr. Lizhas mastered the art of believing in herself despite the risks she had to take to raise money and launch her innovative medical device that you and I should have as part of our regular first aid kits in our homes and schools. Why you should stay until the end:Make sure you listen all the way through only if you want to catch Liz's brilliant advice to young women – we have seen so many changes overour lifetimes, and she is realistically optimistic that if women can embrace the challenges they face, and use them to grow, the power they will feel, and the possibilities are truly endless. LINKS:Follow Dr. Liz Clayborne on Twitter, IG and TikTok @DrElizPCDr. Liz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethpclayborne/ Nominate a Driven Woman to be a guest on The Driven Women Project Podcast:https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/nominateadrivenwomanConnect with Erin Smith directly: erin@drivenbeyondexcellence.comDownload Erin's free ebook: https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/ebook Enjoy the show and Stay Driven!
"Changing the game from within — sometimes you need to create a new path to shine as a leader." Erica D'Eramo, a trailblazer in the energy sector and champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), joins us on today's episode. Founder of Two Piers Consulting, Erica is a mechanical engineer with two decades of experience in the international energy industry, now dedicated to elevating DEI in workplaces.In this episode, Erica and I talk about how she decided to become a mechanical engineer despite initially believing it sounded too boring! Because girls often look at math and science related fields and think it sounds hard or uninteresting, right?Erica also shares her thoughtful theory as to why so few women enter into male dominated fields, and why the few who do, don't always last. It isn't what you may think, and has to do with how girls and boys are socialized differently. I was most excited to learn what her life was like from being one of two women on a boat out in the ocean for 30 days at a time, to being in the board room being surrounded by men, - these are two totally different environments that she needed to navigate – listen carefully to hear her techniques and how she handled being told that swearing is not “lady-like.”Make sure you listen all the way through because Erica talks about what well intentioned organizations need in order to make their diversity equity and inclusion initiatives truly effective. - Learn more about Erica's work: https://www.twopiersconsulting.com/- Reach out to Erica: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-deramo/And don't forget to leave a review or share the episode to inspire another woman who might be on her own path in a male-dominated career!
If Maureen wants to do it, it will get done, and in HER way, no matter who tries to silence or edit her voice.Maureen Pollack, Stamford, CT city council member, inventor, and co-owner of the pleasure brand Lovability, joins us to discuss advocating for oneself and others. She delves into embracing her identity and balancing motherhood with politics, also touching on fighting stereotypes as a modern orthodox Jewish woman and entrepreneur.Maureen shares strategies from "Feminist Fight Club" for handling interruptions and mansplaining, highlighting the importance of response over silence. With her unique tale of transforming CEO of her household to a successful politician while maintaining her values, she inspires listeners to boldly own their narratives.For more inspiring interviews with women like Maureen subscribe to The Driven Women Project Podcast. Don't forget to nominate a Driven Woman here: https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/nominateadrivenwomanAn article about Maureen's Product: https://www.kveller.com/meet-the-orthodox-jewish-mom-who-invented-the-latest-pleasure-product/Maureen's Lovability Website: https://www.lovabilityinc.com/Feminist Fight Club: https://www.amazon.com/Feminist-Fight-Club-Survival-Workplace/dp/0062439782
In this episode of The Driven Women Project Podcast, host Erin Smith shares her personal journey and insights into success in male dominated fields. Join us as we explore the following key points:Here are 5 keys you'll glean from this episode:Why I went to work for Bridgewater, why I left, and the one thing that would get me to go back.What to expect from each episode and who I plan to interview.What the Co-Chief Investment Officer at Bridgewater (a woman!) inspired me to do.The one thing every successful woman I've interviewed has in common.Please help us help more women succeed in male dominated fields by giving this podcast 5 stars and subscribing on your preferred podcast platform. If you know a driven woman who needs to be a guest on this show you can nominate her here: https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/nominateadrivenwomanTo connect with Erin: https://drivenbeyondexcellence.com/
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