Are you struggling to find happiness at work — or in your professional life? Ashley and Sumi are here with a lot of real talk as they unpack an issue that a lot of us women face. It starts with reevaluating where you want to end up on the corporate ladder in terms of what will provide you with the most happiness. 

That can lead to questioning whether you are even on the right ladder — which may seem like a luxury of privilege you can’t afford when you’re providing for your family. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t start enjoying life now, because that is what we are fighting for, now — as our hosts so eloquently put it. It’s about equal equality, and equal opportunity, and as women rewrite the rules, they need to do with some enjoyment in their lives!

What this looks like is having a squad in the boardroom who can call out when you aren’t getting validation for your idea. It’s about transition sentences like “Building off of what So and So said” that gets you taken seriously as a woman of color in meetings where a ‘mediocre white male’ is hogging the limelight. 

Developing an authoritative voice, not second-guessing yourself, and taking yourself seriously are some of the tools that we can use to rewrite the rules of how we conduct ourselves, leading to more personal happiness and a resultant shift in the power dynamics. There’s much more inside this authoritative episode of Women Rewriting the Rules. It’s time to be unapologetically yourself!

“It might actually be more enjoyable for me to sort of ‘reset’ how I’m thinking about building my career, that would allow me to feel more happiness in that.” ~ Ashley

“Loving what you do takes effort.” ~ Sumi

In This Episode:

• How The Great Resignation is affecting women of color
• Where do you want to end up on the corporate ladder?
• Is this even the right ladder? Throwing the ladder into the trash 
• A McKinsey study that reveals less ‘psychological safety’ for women of color
• Having your own squad who will stand up for you in meetings and 
• Building confidence in the future — establishing rapport with your co-workers
• Why it’s not about learning to speak like the Old Boys Club does — owning your own energy
• The Power of Silence — as a response
• What Sumi learned from Hilary Clinton and Benghazi
• Retaining a sense of curiosity before life gets too dry
• Finding joy in the everyday little things — why it’s not all about accomplishments
• Understanding the choices you always have — is it time to leave? 
• What is ‘quiet quitting’ and is it a good, long-term solution?
• Embracing ‘quiet ambition’ to find more happiness

And more!

Connect with Sumi Krishnan:

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesumikrishnan/

Connect with Ashley Baxter:

• Website – Ashley Baxter

Are you being bombarded by people telling you to start a side hustle? How easy is it and are the coaching programs worth it? What should you really consider before investing your money in someone else's course?

Ashley and Sumi are lifting the hood on this Instagrammable world where we see influencers on holiday in exotic locations having these million-dollar earning months. They're urging us to consider whether our planned side hustle is in alignment with our values and whether the investments we are considering making are really worth it. 

There's so much to think about before you leverage your idea for true time freedom. It's worth investigating the courses and the influencers thoroughly before jumping into someone else's pyramid scheme. What is your business plan? And what is your marketing plan? How are you thinking pragmatically before buying into the 'fakery'? 

Entrepreneurship requires ruthless honesty. Ashley and Sumi are dishing up hearty dishes of honesty in this candid episode of Women Rewriting the Rules. Let's change the statistics of women being successful in business by not falling for all the flashy stuff. Please join us. 

"You really do have to think before you get started: do I have a budget? Do I have dollars? And also, realistically, how much time do I even have outside of the obligations that are already in my life." ~ Ashley

"Does your idea have leverage? Or is it solely tied to trading your time for dollars?" ~ Sumi

In This Episode:

• Are you starting a side hustle with realistic expectations?
• Addressing the myth of top-line revenue
• Why it can be disheartening if you buy the dream of magic monthly income amounts
• Understanding the difference between a quick win and long-term success
• How to investigate an influencer's credentials before buying their course
• Separating the flashy Instagram posts from the underlying reality
• Sumi's shortlived 'career' as a relationship coach
• Does your idea have leverage or is it tied to your time?

And more!

Connect with Sumi Krishnan:

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesumikrishnan/

Connect with Ashley Baxter:

• Website – Ashley Baxter

What milestones are worth celebrating? As women we celebrate getting engaged, getting married, and having babies – all things that have to do with men! It's time for a culture shift. Women Rewriting the Rules are urging us to consider what self-care looks like in terms of celebrating milestones that are important to you!

It may be a new job, a promotion – or even moving towns. Perhaps it's even just treating your 40th like a wedding, and wearing several outfits if you can't decide what to go with!  Whatever the event, if it's something you've worked hard to achieve, find a way to celebrate with friends and family and start developing a spiritual intimacy around milestones that matter. 

Ashley and Sumi gently remind us that as women we need to give ourselves credit for every little thing. So listen in to this episode of Women Rewriting the Rules and then take some time to reflect on your accomplishments over the past year, and what you want to celebrate moving forward!

"As a single woman, you can celebrate purchasing your first home. Or even just moving into your dream apartment in today's times." ~ Ashley 

"Or even moving cities... making a move that's just for yourself." ~ Sumi

In This Episode:

- Milestone events for single women that are worth celebrating

- Appreciating how times are changing

- Why we shouldn't wait for society to 'get it'

- Treating your 40th like your wedding!

- Celebrating the things that are in your life right now

- Appreciating the energy of celebration

- How to have conversations with the people around you about celebration

- Fostering spiritual intimacy through celebration

- Reflecting on your accomplishments in the past year

- Think about how you want to celebrate your milestones

Connect with Sumi Krishnan:

- Instagram

Connect with Ashley Baxter:

- Website

Ashley and Sumi are bubbling over with delight into the new year that is 2023. Women Rewriting The Rules are looking at goal setting in this episode — while the year is still young and our enthusiasm to realize our potential is still strong. 

But what if you don’t even realize your true potential? What if the goals you are setting for yourself are too easily achievable, and you’re not thinking big enough? 

Setting audacious goals while still using the SMART template is the theme of this episode. Ashley and Sumi share the times they’ve achieved meaningless goals and the times they’ve dared to dream of something bigger. 

This is inspirational, relatable podcasting at its very best with two women who have a great rapport and approach to life. We are all so much bigger than we sometimes think we are. Please join Ashley and Sumi as they rewrite more rules in 2023!

“Have you ever created a goal and then realized that maybe it was a little too small?” ~ Ashley Baxter

In This Episode:

- Reflections on the holiday season

- Paris Hilton’s business brain

- Have you set goals that are too small?

- What are SMART goals?

- That sinking feeling when you realize the goal you’ve achieved is meaningless

- Can you hack your way to happiness?

- The flea study — how high are we jumping?

- Are you assessing your own limiting beliefs?

- There’s always a way to create your year the way you want it to be!

Resources:

- The flea study - Paradigms: Are you a flea in a jar? — Unbounded

Connect with Sumi Krishnan:

- Instagram

Connect with Ashley Baxter:

- Website

New Year, New You? Heavy on the question mark. Is it actually going to happen? It’s the end of the year and people seem to have tons of energy to reclaim a new path for their life and have big audacious plans that don’t always work out.

In this episode of Season One of Women Rewriting the Rules, Sumi and Ashley are challenging our preconceived ideas around new year’s resolutions and the good that they actually do to our self-esteem. 

Sumi shares her CREW tool for auditing yourself in a new and inspiring way, and Ashley encourages us to focus on micro-goals as a way to incremental change. 

And while these two women have different ways of approaching the new year and the new you, together they combine to give us plenty to think about as they find a fresh approach that allows you to embrace who you are now, first, and seek out joy with renewed vigor thereafter. 

So ditch the resolutions that haven’t worked in years gone by, and soak into the you that already is as you plan what to do next. Sumi even shares her singing voice with us at the end in a song that could be your new mantra! This is a season finale you don’t want to miss!

"I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. I’ve found that there are so many better ways to approach new year goal setting than resolutions which are probably not going to be fulfilled."  ~  Sumi Krishnan

In This Episode:

- January 19th, Quitter’s Day

- Evaluate yourself all the time instead

- Sumi’s CREW method unpacked and explained

- Taking the time for your goals to become habitual

- Can you ever do it all? The answer is NO

- Being gracious with yourself

- Delete goals that don’t serve you

- The importance of bringing more joy to your life

Resources:

- The resolution solution: longitudinal examination of New Year's change attempts

- Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results by James Clear

- The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

Connect with Sumi Krishnan:

- Instagram

Connect with Ashley Baxter:

- Website

How do you navigate disappointments during the holidays? And how do you recover from them? Ashley and Sumi are answering your listener questions in this poignant episode of Women Rewriting the Rules as they demonstrate that there’s no one way to be a modern woman. 

There are different ways to embrace the holidays, handle conflict, and recover during the holiday season. As things start to slow down, now is the time to create opportunities for connection with yourself and appreciate that what you have is what you have. 

Glean some insights and plan your holiday season in this heartwarming fireside chat!

To celebrate the launch of the Women Rewriting the Rules podcast, we want to pamper you with the BEST holiday giveaway we could think of! Click here to join.

In This Episode:

- Avoiding malls and "frenziness" over the holidays

- There are no emergencies in yoga pants

- How do you navigate disappointments during the holidays?

- Showing up is 80% of the battle won

- How do you recover from the holidays?

- The value of a self-indulgent spa day

- Adventure travel during the holidays…

And so much more!

Connect with Sumi Krishnan:

- Instagram

Connect with Ashley Baxter:

- Website

Are you stuck in a bit of a victim mindset when it comes to the holiday season and you find yourself alone? It’s ‘ME Season’ around here, as Sumi and Ashley are Women Rewriting The Rules around the holidays. 

Why wake up to a day full of obligations when you can be a tourist and enjoy your own city on a holiday day? When you’re feeling helpless, go help somebody else! You can offer your services to the Red Cross, Meals On Wheels, or drop off hot meals as a volunteer driver.

There’s advice galore on how to plug into community to feel that togetherness and how to create intentional friendships with people that are at the same life stage as you. As always, it’s gift-wrapped with intimate personal stories of Sumi and Ashley and how they’ve learned to take on leadership roles in their private lives. 

No matter the time of year, this is an episode that will get you thinking about how you are finding your own fulfillment.  

To celebrate the launch of the Women Rewriting the Rules podcast, we want to pamper you with the BEST holiday giveaway we could think of! Click here to join.

"Not feeling lonely over the holidays cannot be dependent on me finding a partner. There are so many better ways to make myself feel more fulfilled, more enriched, more connected, and more joyous during this time than by desperately trying to ‘make my man happen.'"  ~  Sumi Krishnan

In This Episode:

- A look at eHarmony statistics on 'single women' loneliness compared to men

- Nurturing intentional friendships with people at the same life stage as you

- Taking on leadership roles in your personal life (be the connector)

- Be the master Friendsgiving host

- Waking up to obligations — not letting that be your biggest driver

- Plug into community to feel togetherness 

- Volunteer and serve a holiday meal

And more….

Resources:

The eHarmony survey Ashley mentioned -  Being single in Britain: What is the single life really like?

Connect with Sumi Krishnan:

- Instagram

Connect with Ashley Baxter:

- Website

It’s the holidays and you know what that means…Time to get your buttons pushed. I mean, if that’s not your experience, that’s AWESOME for you… Really, you should join a raffle or something because you’re definitely one of the lucky ones. 

For the rest of us, chances are that this holiday season, we will find ourselves reverting to habits we thought we had already moved past just because of the way our families get under our skin. That’s normal. And that’s where boundaries come into play.

But because the boundaries we set might be counter to our family's expectations, it can be tough to find the balance between being flexible and maintaining healthy boundaries. This holiday season, position yourself for success by listening to this episode.

To celebrate the launch of the Women Rewriting the Rules podcast, we want to pamper you with the BEST holiday giveaway we could think of! Click here to join.

"In the long run, if we allow our boundaries to be stepped on and feel bad about that, it’s going to reduce the amount of joy we feel in that experience."  ~  Ashley Baxter

In This Episode:

- Types of boundaries and their benefits

- 3 Tactical strategies to help you communicate and honor your boundaries

- Get clear on what you want ahead of time

- You can be flexible but still maintain your habits

- Avoid resentment and bitterness

- Useful tip to reset your relationship – in just one question

- Why empathy is required

- Manage expectations - It’s not one and done!

Connect with Sumi Krishnan:

- Instagram

Connect with Ashley Baxter:

- Website