Build Your Brave Career for Women in Tech
Women in tech are just stressed out, overworked, overlooked, and underpaid, right.
Nicole Trick Steinbach, Certified Coach for Women in Tech, Former Global Director, & Organizational Change Management Consultant
Show overview
Build Your Brave Career for Women in Tech has been publishing since 2020, and across the 6 years since has built a catalogue of 205 episodes, alongside 3 trailers or bonus episodes. That works out to roughly 80 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a fortnightly cadence, with the show now in its 5th season.
Episodes typically run twenty to thirty-five minutes — most land between 13 min and 34 min — with run-times ranging widely across the catalogue. It is catalogued as a EN-language Business show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 3 days ago, with 7 episodes already out so far this year. The busiest year was 2024, with 56 episodes published. Published by Nicole Trick Steinbach, Certified Coach for Women in Tech, Former Global Director, & Organizational Change Management Consultant.
From the publisher
Women in tech are just stressed out, overworked, overlooked, and underpaid, right? NOPE! Not around here. Around here we build the skill of bravery to stress less, work less, and then earn more as women in tech. At this point in your career, you're more educated, skilled, and experienced than most of your colleagues, but you are also more stressed, working more, and are pretty sure you’re underpaid. And you are done accepting the status quo. You are ready to get what you’ve already earned and then grow your career even further…without burning out. You don’t know how you’re going to do it (yet!) but you suspect the process will require you to be braver. Enter the Build Your Brave Career podcast. Build Your Brave Career is the podcast to help you build the skill of bravery, one episode at a time, so you make the bold moves and big leaps required to craft a career of more impact and income... with less stress and overwork. Tune in each week for a mix of guest conversations and solo episodes to learn how to build the skill of bravery. We explore the skill of bravery and the role it plays in your career and life including, stressing less, taking decisive action, working less, career growth, relationship building for career success, crafting purpose and fulfillment, salary increases and negotiations, overcoming obstacles, and sharing concrete tips and tricks for career satisfaction. Your host, Nicole Trick Steinbach is the international bravery coach... but bravery is not something that has ever come naturally to her. Instead, she learned through success and failure how to develop and harness the skill of bravery to create an empowering, lucrative, and global career. And it worked: Nicole is a former executive in the technology industry without a background in tech, has worked in over 25 countries while running transformational change projects, and is now at home in both the US and Germany. Today Nicole is a certified and proven one-on-one coach who supports women around the world to build their brave careers, focusing on bespoke approaches for each client to stress, work less, and earn more. To learn more about how you can build your brave, connect here: • Website: https://tricksteinbach.com/ • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoletricksteinbach
Latest Episodes
View all 205 episodesWhat Now? So Many Job Postings, But Where Are the Real Jobs?
What Now? Fear of Lay-Offs - How to Build Your Brave When Everything is Uncertain
What Now? Fix Getting Passed Over in Your Career
What Now? From Exhausted to Brave — The Career Framework That Changes Everything
What Now? Solve Career Confusion with the Build Your Brave Framework
S5 Ep 202You Need Brave Feedback; Not Gentle Coddling
Listen, this episode might sting a little—and that's exactly the point. If you're a woman in tech who treats feedback like a personal attack instead of career fuel, I'm talking directly to you.I've watched with horror as more women have become timid about giving feedback and defensive about receiving it. This pattern is quietly cutting your career growth at the knees while multiplying your stress.Here's what I know: You wouldn't coddle your code, your product, or your project when it needs iteration. So why are you being so precious about feedback on your own performance?In this episode, I'm drawing a hard line between toxic workplace BS (which is NOT what we're discussing) and the constructive, developmental, growth-oriented feedback that is actual career generosity. The kind you need to actively seek out, receive with curiosity, and use strategically.Here's what I cover:Why feedback is the accelerated growth engine in tech—and why your career needs the same iterative approach as your codeThe brutal truth about how women are held to higher performance standards (backed by research since the 1970s)Why your defensiveness is far more damaging than the original feedback ever wasHow leaders are watching for your response to feedback—not your perfectionWhy you must stop optimizing for likability and start optimizing for clarity and effectivenessThe mindset shift that changes everything: feedback is data, not identityConcrete examples of professional feedback versus unhelpful criticismWhy avoiding giving feedback makes you unclear and untrustworthy (not nice)I also share real feedback my clients recently received and how they made it mean something totally different than what was actually said.The women who enjoy their careers and reach their goals aren't the ones who never get criticism. They're the ones who are seen improving over time—in line with their values, purpose, and boundaries.Bravery isn't just about bold moves. It's about sitting still in a moment of critique and choosing your growth instead of your ego.Your Next Steps:Separate the feedback from what your brain tells you. Make feedback a monthly habit. Seek feedback from your critics. Give yourself 24 hours. Stop optimizing for likability. Related Episodes Importance of Specific Feedback in Career GrowthAggressive or Just Direct? Navigating Feedback as a Woman in TechE85: How to Deal with Unspecific Career Feedback to Build Your Skills, Relationships, Career, and SalaryConnect with Me:You can be a woman in tech and enjoy your career. When you build the skill of bravery, you will stress less, work less, and then earn more. Check out the following resources designed to help you thrive in your career: Check out my websiteJoin my mailing list for more insights, opportunities, and inspirationConnection with me on LinkedIn
S5 Ep 201Listener Voices: Responding to Feedback about Women Staying vs. Leaving in Tech
Listen in as I respond to the generous and conflicting feedback that you sent about my last episode, "Bravery in the Meantime." Your feedback was the full range responses—positive, relieved, dismissive, and angry. I share your feedback and also offer my own thoughts on what comes next for us all. What You'll Hear:Four buckets of listener feedback, from validating to challengingMy vulnerable response to criticism about privilege, systemic change, and individual copingAn invitation: What can Nicole create to support you in building your brave career?Key Takeaway:What you want to reject because it threatens you might be exactly what you need to work on right now.Mentioned in This Episode:Previous episode: "Bravery in the Meantime: How to Use a Tough Career Phase for Long-Term Success"Past episodes: "The Glass Floor" and "Recognizing Toxic Career Surroundings"Connect with Nicole:You can be a woman in tech and enjoy your career. When you build the skill of bravery, you will stress less, work less, and then earn more. Check out the following resources designed to help you thrive in your career: Check out my websiteJoin my mailing list for more insights, opportunities, and inspirationConnection with me on LinkedIn
S5 Ep 200Bravery in the Meantime: how to use a tough career phase for long-term success
Building your brave career isn't always about leaping, insisting, disrupting. Sometimes it means staying with intention using. This moment to calm your nervous system, build your skills and inner strength, enhance your financial safety and deepen your real life, your hobbies and your interests, and the most important relationships.Building your brave career is sometimes about bravery in the meantime.Listen to this episode for concrete examples of how to use a difficult career phase to build your long-term career without stressing out, burning out, or limiting your goals. More Links:Check out my websiteJoin my mailing list for more insights, opportunities, and inspirationConnection with me on LinkedInDetailed TranscriptRight now, most women in tech are in a career phase that isn't quite what they expected. I mean, sure some of my clients and some fellow women in tech are moving abroad. Accepting promotions or lowering their stress by working fewer hours, traveling less, taking on less emotional labor. Yes, that is true.What is also true is that most of my clients, and many women in tech, are in a career phase that kind of sucks. They've been laid off with no warning, passed over for deserved, and sometimes even promised promotion, or they're stuck working with people they don't respect on products that aren't quality at companies that don't seem to care. They're watching executives and shareholders, and investors take far more than they could ever create.Because here's a brave truth: it's rough out there for a lot of women in tech, quite frankly, for a lot of everyone. And maybe that's you, and if it is, keep listening.By the end of this episode, you'll have a few ways to build the skill of bravery in your meantime. Even if you're in a job, that kind of sucks. Right now, you may be feeling ignored, stressed, lost, angry, stuck. You may feel held down by bad management and tough, real economic realities, but you're still showing up for work.Maybe you're biting back your sarcasm, your boredom, maybe even your hope. You are watching the cost of everything rise: food, clothing, housing, schooling, everything. It feels threatening. You're saving, but it never feels like enough. And you know that guy who does less and does it poorly is still earning more than you.You want to grow, be bold, create your next career phase, but you've also survived three layoffs in two years. Your friends are struggling, your mentors are struggling. You look around and it feels like just about everyone is struggling.You keep wondering what's right for me right now? Is there anywhere safe anymore? In the tech industry, we often celebrate the bravery of quitting, founding, leaping, reinventing. We talk about moving fast and breaking things, but sometimes the bravest thing, the best Next thing is choosing to stay. Choosing to stay at a job, that kind of sucks because it gives you the stability you need this month and the next.It helps you rest, build skills, activate your network, and deepen your personal relationships. Yeah, it kind of sucks and you can use this phase.You can use this phase to be your phase of bravery. In the meantime, crafting the foundation you need for that next clear leap. That might be exactly the type of bravery you need right now.Now, before I go any further, I wanna be really clear the rest of this episode is not for you. Or anyone. If you are in a truly unsafe environment, if you're being abused, bullied, harassed, or just frankly not paid, these tips are not for your situation. You need to protect yourself, and you need to seek support.What I'm about to share is for women in tech who are stressed, overworked, underpaid, and trying to stay afloat and craft a future in a very tough season.Today we're talking about how staying, how choosing bravery in the meantime can support your next career and life phase. None of what I'm about to say will help a toxic or abusive situation. Okay?If work feels draining. And it's impacting your life. This is your time to focus on bravery. In the meantime, it's about making conscious choices to build the habits and the skills you need for lowering your stress, for managing your time better. For most of you, that means working less. And setting yourself up in the future for greater income.Because you have built, expanded your sense of self, you've made yourself more valuable on the market. These are tiny habits that remind you of who you are, what you want, and why you matter.This might mean staying quieter in meetings, doing the minimum necessary for success in your role.Pay attention to what I just said : you're still going to meet success for your role. You're going to achieve. Not gonna overachieve you are not gonna extremely achieve. You're going to achieve and do the minimum necessary for achievement in your role.Maybe this means you're gonna be asking fewer questions and listening even more carefully to what is not being said.You're gonna be tracking your time more consciou
S5 Ep 199Shape the Future: Choose Your Boat for the River of Progress
Let's get real about the challenges we face as women in tech—especially as right-wing, anti-woman movements gain ground around the world and in our industry. I share why it’s more important than ever to speak up, get involved, and “get on a boat” toward justice—whether your boat is advocating for equal healthcare, LGBTQI rights, or community building.You matter. Your voice matters. And your bravery—at work and in life—will shape our collective future. If you’re feeling stressed, numb, or just looking for a reminder that you’re not alone in these tough times, this episode is especially for you.Call to action: After you listen, choose your “boat”—find a cause, no matter how small, and get involved. And if this episode helped you, please share it with a friend who needs a little encouragement today. Together, we’re braver.Link to We Can Do Hard Things: The New Era: LOVE, FURY, FREEDOM More Links: Check out my websiteJoin my mailing list for more insights, opportunities, and inspirationConnection with me on LinkedIn
S5 Ep 198Every Industry Is Tech Now: Building Your Brave Career Beyond Traditional Tech
I dive into how every industry is now a tech industry. We bust the myth that "tech jobs" only live inside traditional tech companies and that you are trapped in the "traditional" tech industry. I share eye-opening job growth stats across diverse sectors and offer practical steps for women in tech who want less stress, more freedom, and similar or perhaps even more pay, without sacrificing your skills or ambition.Curious about how you can use your tech talents in new industries with better working conditions and much closer to your interests and purpose? Listen in, take note of where you feel that spark of interest, and get ready to build your brave career.Call to action: If something in this episode sparks your curiosity, reach out to someone in that industry for a chat, update your materials, and start exploring your next brave move!Here are the global growth projections for tech-related jobs across industries in the next five years:Healthcare – 20%Sources: BLS, AMIA (American Medical Informatics Association)Retail – 25%Sources: Statista, BLSFinance & Insurance (FinTech) – 30%Sources: Finextra, BLSManufacturing – 22%Sources: Robotics Industries Association (RIA), BLSAerospace & Defense – 15%Sources: BLS, Aerospace Industries AssociationTelecommunications – 18%Sources: BLS, CompTIAGovernment / Public Sector – 25% (varies by country)Sources: BLS, U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)Education – 18–35% (esp. online learning)Sources: BLS, EDUCAUSEReal Estate – 30%Sources: National Association of Realtors (NAR) Extension, StatistaConstruction – 20%Sources: BLS, GlobalEnergy – 25%Sources: BLS, GlobalTransportation & Logistics – 22%Sources: StatistaHospitality & Tourism – 20%Sources: StatistaMedia & Entertainment – 25%Sources: StatistaPharmaceuticals – 18%Sources: StatistaProfessional Services – 28%Sources: StatistaAutomotive – 30%Sources: StatistaLegal Services – 22%Sources: StatistaAgriculture – 30%Sources: StatistaMining – 25%Sources: StatistaFood & Beverage – 25%Sources: Statista👉 Did you feel a spark reading through that list? That spark matters. It’s your signal to explore industries that align with your interests, values, and lifestyle while still leveraging your tech expertise.
S5 Ep 1976 Years of Bravery: Intentional Choices and Big Shifts to Build the Skill of Bravery
I'm popping back into your feed to celebrate a milestone: SIX YEARS of helping women in tech build the skill of bravery to stress less, work less, and then earn more. In this episode, I build upon the last episode (link below). Then I share how I applied the Build Your Brave framework - clarity, momentum, accountability - to make a bold move in my own career. I also talk about the opportunities that still exist for women in tech who are willing to bravely leave behind what doesn’t serve them and intentionally build the careers—and lives—they truly want.Want to take control of your career and build your bravery? Dive in, listen now, and reach out if you’re ready to work together or want to join my waiting list for coaching. Reference resources: Bravely Bejeweled: Reflections on a Year of Loss & My Choice to Allow 2025 E62: Build Your Brave Framework 2.0Join the waiting list or schedule your three hour intensive: email me at [email protected] can be a woman in tech and enjoy your career. When you build the skill of bravery, you will stress less, work less, and then earn more. Check out the following resources designed to help you thrive in your career: Check out my websiteJoin my mailing list for more insights, opportunities, and inspirationConnection with me on LinkedIn
S5 Ep 196Bravely Bejeweled: Reflections on a Year of Loss & My Choice to Allow 2025
2024 was a year of immense challenges, transformation, and growth. In this deeply personal episode of Build Your Brave Career, I reflect on the losses, lessons, and connections that defined my year—and how they’re shaping my approach to 2025.I also share two key updates for 2025: I am pausing new episodes temporarily to allow space for reflection and recalibration. I promise new episodes are coming. I will not be onboarding new coaching clients in early 2025. Join my email list to stay up-to-date. What’s Inside This Episode:A candid reflection on the highs and lows of 2024, including lessons learned from loss and transformation.My choice to focus on an intention over traditional goals, with “allow” as the guiding word for 2025.Two important updates for 2025. Questions to Reflect On:What was your most significant experience in 2024?What is your intention for 2025?To submit your question for me to answer on an upcoming episode, send me an email at [email protected] You can be a woman in tech and enjoy your career. When you build the skill of bravery, you will stress less, work less, and then earn more. Check out the following resources designed to help you thrive in your career: Check out my websiteJoin my mailing list for more insights, opportunities, and inspirationConnection with me on LinkedIn
S5 Ep 194Who Are You Making It Easy For? One Question to Transform Your Career
Do you ever feel stuck while pursuing your career goals? In this episode, I dive into a common lie we face as women in tech: the implicit or explicit responsibility to make your growth easy for everyone else. Many ambitious women in tech find themselves at a crossroads—a point where pursuing their career goals seems daunting and when met with resistance, often leads to a withdrawal from growth. Through a representative client story about asking the tough questions, facing discomfort head-on, and making powerful decisions for her career trajectory, you'll learn:The importance of prioritizing your growthThe reality that transformation always impacts others One approach to navigating important but uncomfortable conversationsSteps to stop making it easy for everyone else and start focusing on youTo submit your question for me to answer on an upcoming episode, send me an email at [email protected] can be a woman in tech and enjoy your career. When you build the skill of bravery, you will stress less, work less, and then earn more. Check out the following resources designed to help you thrive in your career: Check out my websiteJoin my mailing list for more insights, opportunities, and inspirationConnection with me on LinkedIn
S5 Ep 193Stay On the Job Market without Burning Out as a Woman in Tech
You are always on the job market. Always. Understanding and practicing is a cornerstone of building a brave career. Whether you’re thriving in your current role, facing uncertainty, or anything in between, this episode will equip you with the mindset and strategies to stay ready for any opportunity or challenge.Drawing from listener feedback on episode 126, we’re revisiting this topic with a clearer structure and actionable insights, including:Why being "on the market" doesn’t mean a full-time job hunt.How to navigate today’s dynamic tech landscape, from layoffs to AI-driven transformations.Five actionable steps to stay job-ready without burnout, including mindset shifts, keeping your collateral updated, and building authentic relationships.Tune in to discover how small, steady actions can make a big impact on your career resilience, growth, and joy.Resources Mentioned:Episode 126: The Mindset Shift: Understanding That You’re Always on the Job MarketSchedule your free consultationTo submit your question for me to answer on an upcoming episode, send me an email at [email protected] can be a woman in tech and enjoy your career. When you build the skill of bravery, you will stress less, work less, and then earn more. Check out the following resources designed to help you thrive in your career: Check out my websiteJoin my mailing list for more insights, opportunities, and inspirationConnection with me on LinkedIn
S5 Ep 192Reframing Adversity as a Woman in Tech: From Test to Confirmation
What would change if you chose to see adversities not as tests, but as confirmation of your decisions, values, and goals? This episode will help you explore an option for shifting your perception so that you stress less, work less, and then earn more as a woman in tech. I share two specific stories and one call to action to help you challenge the idea of adversity as a "test" so that you can decide if you want to shift towards perceiving adversity as an opportunity to be confirmed. 1. A personal story 2. A client’s storyKey Takeaways:Shift from "test" to "confirmation" to transform how you view adversity.Bravery isn't about being perfect—it's about being human and learning from the process.Mindset shifts can lead to better boundaries, more energy, and greater career alignment.Reframing challenges can help you stress less and create opportunities for growth.To submit your question for me to answer on an upcoming episode, send me an email at [email protected] can be a woman in tech and enjoy your career. When you build the skill of bravery, you will stress less, work less, and then earn more. Check out the following resources designed to help you thrive in your career: Check out my websiteJoin my mailing list for more insights, opportunities, and inspirationConnection with me on LinkedIn
S5 Ep 191Benefit from Every Adversity through Values with Mahua Chakravarty
Mahua Chakuvati, Sales & HR Tech Leader, dives deep into her unique definition of bravery, sharing how core values like acceptance, humility, gratitude, and honesty have propelled her forward in a remarkable career spanning sales, business applications, operations, and people management.Listen in for unique value definitions and how Mahua puts them into action: choose radical acceptance of realitypractice daily humilityshow gratitude in every situation, also adversityconsistently act with honesty. Ignoring the call to define your own values, your unique definition, and how you put them into action can lead to a growing cycles of stress, dissatisfaction, and overwork. Particularly in situations that increase your risk of adopting negative behaviors that don't align with who you want to be in your career and life. Connect with Mahua Chakuvati on LinkedIn.Related podcast episodes: Accountability: Circles of Control Career Tip: Stop Making What Other People Do & Say About YouClarity: Self-Concept Who Do I Need to Become to Enjoy My Career?To submit your question for me to answer on an upcoming episode, send me an email at [email protected] can be a woman in tech and enjoy your career. When you build the skill of bravery, you will stress less, work less, and then earn more. Check out the following resources designed to help you thrive in your career: Check out my websiteJoin my mailing list for more insights, opportunities, and inspirationConnection with me on LinkedIn
S5 Ep 190Being Strategically Disliked Will Boost Your Tech Career
We're diving into a brave, empowering topic: the strength and freedom that come with choosing to allow others to disliked you. Yes, you heard that right! As women in tech, we're often conditioned to seek approval and avoid conflict, but embracing the reality that not everyone will like us is a powerful step for our careers.In this episode, I share examples, including a personal story, to illustrate how being disliked can actually be a sign you're on the right career grwoth track. This episode is designed to challenge you and inspire self-reflection on your values and the company you keep.Take a few minutes after listening to identify who you wouldn't want to praise you because their values don't align with yours. Write it down and keep it handy for those moments of self-doubt.To submit your question for me to answer on an upcoming episode, send me an email at [email protected] can be a woman in tech and enjoy your career. When you build the skill of bravery, you will stress less, work less, and then earn more. Check out the following resources designed to help you thrive in your career: Check out my websiteJoin my mailing list for more insights, opportunities, and inspirationConnection with me on LinkedIn
S5 Ep 189How to Build a Strengths-Based Career with Kim Bennett, Founder of AtlasGuru
Kim Bennett, CEO of AtlasGuru.com joins to share a range of powerful insights relevant to those who aim to build a strengths-based career. Kim shares her journey from a comfortable corporate job in digital marketing to becoming an entrepreneur. We discuss the long road to entrepreneurship, the challenges of leaving a secure position, and the rewarding experiences of leading a strengths-focused, tech-driven business. Kim emphasizes the importance of understanding and leveraging one's strengths to make impactful career choices.We also delve into the value of tools like the Strengths Finder, the power of clarity, momentum, and accountability, and how brave decisions can shape a fulfilling career. Plus, Kim reveals her remarkable brave role model – Martha Stewart – and the profound influence Martha has had on her professional path.Learn more about Atlasguru.com Connect with Kim Bennett, CEO of Atlasguru.comTo submit your question for me to answer on an upcoming episode, send me an email at [email protected] can be a woman in tech and enjoy your career. When you build the skill of bravery, you will stress less, work less, and then earn more. Check out the following resources designed to help you thrive in your career: Check out my websiteJoin my mailing list for more insights, opportunities, and inspirationConnection with me on LinkedIn
S5 Ep 188Stop Saving the Day: Why Rescuing Isn’t Leadership and What to Do Instead
Can you love your colleagues enough to let them experience the consequences of their behavior?Women in tech are great at solving problems. But sometimes we leap in to protect others from their errors and shoulder burdens that aren’t ours. It slows down our careers and increases our stress. This episode unpacks how stepping back, setting boundaries, and trusting others to handle their responsibilities empowers not just your colleagues but also yourself. You’ll hear real-world strategies to navigate these situations with courage, kindness, and clarity.Key Takeaways:How societal conditioning impacts women in tech.Why rescuing others is not the same as being a team player or leader.The power of discomfort as a catalyst for growth.How respecting others’ growth creates space for your own.To submit your question for me to answer on an upcoming episode, send me an email at [email protected] can be a woman in tech and enjoy your career. When you build the skill of bravery, you will stress less, work less, and then earn more. Check out the following resources designed to help you thrive in your career: Check out my websiteJoin my mailing list for more insights, opportunities, and inspirationConnection with me on LinkedIn
S5 Ep 187You matter: Embrace Bravery and Resilience Through Difficult Events
You matter. Especially during difficult events: Choosing to bravely recognize and believe in your inherent worth is brave. Deciding that your voice deserves to be heard, that your dreams, goals, career, relationships, and money matter is brave. Getting and staying involved in building the community, career, life, and world you desire is brave.This week I address the emotional fallout after the most recent US elections. This is a dedicated brave space for women in tech who are grappling with emotions ranging from sadness to anger, fear, and betrayal. Wherever you are, know that your feelings are valid and that you matter.I share some of two of the quotes helping me through this time: “It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life.” -Star Trek “I never lose. I either win or I learn.” -Nelson MandelaI also share a small slice of how my family's past drives my commitment to making brave choices for a better future.This episode is a powerful reminder to embrace your inherent worth, your right to feel, and your right to take up space in the world. Remember: you matter.Call to Action: If you found this episode valuable, please share the Build Your Brave Career podcast with a friend. You can be a woman in tech and enjoy your career. When you build the skill of bravery, you will stress less, work less, and then earn more. Check out the following resources designed to help you thrive in your career: Check out my websiteJoin my mailing list for more insights, opportunities, and inspirationConnection with me on LinkedIn