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Episode Summary:

In this special milestone episode, Nichole Harrop reflects on the journey of creating and growing the Future Female Leaders podcast. Nichole shares her experiences, challenges, and accomplishments over the past five years, celebrating the podcast's 250th episode. She discusses the importance of celebrating milestones, the evolution of her podcasting skills, and the valuable lessons learned along the way.

Key Points Covered:

1. Introduction and Milestone Celebration

   • Nichole celebrates the 250th episode and reflects on starting the podcast nearly five years ago.
   • Emphasizes the importance of celebrating both small and large accomplishments.

2. Starting the Podcast Journey

   • Nichole shares how she was encouraged by a business coach to start her own podcast after not finding many relevant podcasts to guest on.
   • Initial challenges of learning podcasting basics, including using GarageBand and creating an RSS feed.

3. Overcoming Doubts and Initial Struggles

   • Dealing with doubts and the desire for perfection.
   • Early experiences of recording episodes in less-than-ideal conditions and the slow growth in the initial months.

4. Finding a Niche and Audience Growth

   • Nichole's goal to fill a gap in the podcasting space by focusing on career growth for future female leaders.
   • Realizing the need to pivot content based on feedback and focusing more on career growth topics.

5. Podcast Rebranding and Impact

   • Changing the podcast's name from "Next Level Leaders" to "Future Female Leaders" to better align with the target audience.
   • Celebrating the global reach of the podcast with listeners in 120 different countries.

6. Top Podcast Episodes

   • Highlighting the top five episodes based on listener engagement:
     1. Episode 15: Building off Strengths
     2. Episode 231: Are You Setting Boundaries at Work?
     3. Episode 49: Are You Doing the Right Things to Stand Out at Work?
     4. Episode 241: The Most Important Thing About Consistency
     5. Episode 215: An Easy Way to Approach Giving Feedback

Get the Career Growth Guide

Connect with Nichole on LinkedIn

In this episode, Nichole Harrop reflects on her past approach to career growth and shares how she wishes she had focused more on holistic growth rather than just climbing the corporate ladder. She discusses the importance of celebrating each step of the journey and offers practical advice for maintaining a balanced and fulfilling career trajectory.

Key Takeaways:

1. Career Growth Guide: Nichole introduces a helpful resource, the Career Growth Guide, to assist listeners in establishing a consistent and effective growth strategy.
2. LinkedIn Importance: She stresses the importance of having a LinkedIn profile for career development and networking, even if one is not actively posting content.
3. Ladder Growth vs. Expanded Growth:
   • Ladder Growth: Traditionally, career growth is seen as climbing a corporate ladder, focusing on achieving higher titles and positions.
   • Expanded Growth: Nichole advocates for a more rounded approach, where growth is multifaceted, similar to a garden of blooming flowers. This includes expanding skills, knowledge, and impact without necessarily moving up in title.
4. Personal Reflection: Nichole shares her experience with burnout from focusing too heavily on upward career movement and the lack of fulfillment that came with it.
5. Work Journal: Keeping a work journal to track accomplishments, projects, and impacts can help one recognize their growth and stay prepared for future opportunities.
6. Mindset Shift: Listeners are encouraged to reflect on their own growth strategies and consider adopting a more holistic view of career development.

Check out Nichole's digital resources here

Connect with Nichole on LinkedIn

Episode Highlights:

• Importance of Building a Personal Brand:

  • Focus on LinkedIn, but also applicable in general.
  • Creating a personal brand helps in career growth and visibility.

• Reminder:

  • Check the link in the show notes for career growth resources.
  • The Career Growth Guide is a valuable tool to complement building your brand.

• Personal Brand Backstory:

  • Nichole's experience as a career job hopper and the fresh start it offers.
  • Importance of professionalism and maintaining a positive reputation.

• Key Points on Building a Personal Brand:

  • Reflect on how you make people feel and interact with others.
  • Set personal boundaries and hold yourself to a standard.
  • Consider how you want to be remembered after leaving a job.

• LinkedIn Tips:

  • Start by engaging with content and commenting on posts.
  • Gradually build confidence to post your own content.
  • Share your growth journey, insights, and recommendations.

• Networking:

  • The power of building a network and offering value.
  • Consistent visibility on LinkedIn opens doors to opportunities.

• Practical Advice:

  • Download the Career Growth Guide for monthly focus areas and video content.
  • Use the guide for ideas on what to post and how to grow.