Innervation (formerly Scilence): Recent Episodes
Dr. Shini Somara
Short weekly conversations on how to be badass, from Women in STEM who have learned how to survive and thrive in hostile situations. Hosted by Dr. Shini Somara.
There are very few sciences Dr. Strasser hasn't studied, from mathematics to engineering and biology. Now she is the CSO of Pepper Bio, a drug discovery company that uses AI and other clever algorithms to treat patients more effectively. In short, Dr. Strasser is using her gifts to help others and it was inspiring and right-sizing to speak with such a humble trailblazer...
Sarah Chapman is so much more than a chemist, especially thanks to her day job as an Application Engineering Technical Manager. Sarah has many strings to her bow and believes that we should all speak out, because we never know who we may inspire into STEM. Sarah's TED talk is amazing and I love her analogy that we are all streetlights and some of us stars, but we can all guide each other home..
Shireen loves learning and helping other people to learn. She does this through illustration and for me is a perfect vision of someone who applies all her skills, talents and interests into one career. She is doing what it takes to create her dream job, merging creativity and tech.
Ashley Van Bruygom is fast becoming one of the world’s experts on Hydrogen, a fuel which is set to become a major part of our future, particularly in aviation. We talk about some of the myths and hopes for hydrogen and how she has carried herself along in engineering, a discipline that is still dominated by men.
Khaoula has such a positive attitude towards equality and diversion in engineering. This comes from being in a nurturing work environment, where gender equality is encouraged and an openness to diversity is practiced. She also has healthy work/life boundaries, but this wasn't always the case. Khaoula approaches life with logic and rationality, all the things you would expect from a process engineer and she shares her wisdom with us on how to feel like and be an empowered women in STEM.
Ujjwal Chahal is a data scientist stemming from an education in software engineering in India. Having qualified from Imperial College in London, she know analyses data to improve business. I got a chance to chat to her about her south east Asian roots and how that has affected her career path in a typically male dominated industry and get to learn a thing or two about standing strong in your own skin, after having been replanted away from your cultural roots.
Chinwe Odili is originally a civil engineer now working in offshore. She has taken the time to really get to know herself and her heritage, which has given her the confidence to stand strong as an under represented person in her industry. There is clearly so much power in truly knowing yourself.
Abby is pretty outstanding. So passionate about her research with many strings to her bow! It's inspiring to hear her focus and determination. She's certainly someone who works hard and takes none of her talents and skills for granted. In today's world where everything is about the surface, she's making a point of looking beyond what's superficial - and not just with turbine blades!
Dr. Cat Gardner was a girl from Grimsby, who wasn't a straight A student, but now has a PhD in Physics and bags of experience to be able to command authority with her expertise amongst her 90% male-dominated team at Rolls-Royce. I'd say she's empowered. She opens up to us about her career journey and the personal development she has embarked upon to boost her confidence and pride in who she is today, because that didn't come with her achievements. Cat is completely lovely and really inspiring. Check this convo out!
Fiyin is just starting out on her own career journey, but she is already helping other women in Nigeria through a charity she started, which provides them with access to further education after secondary school. In her short career in Finance, she has already learned so much about resilience, self-belief and determination and she shares all of that with us in this conversation..
I speak to family friend that I haven't seen in decades. We cover a variety of topics, including allowing children to discover their purpose and how the educational system can be shaken up! We put the world to rights in this heavily abridged conversation, where you get to be a fly on the wall, as two Sri Lankan women catchup on old and new times!
Megan Pormer has worked hard on her education, her emotional well-being, her health and her inner contentment and connection to a power greater than herself.
As a strong Iranian woman, educated in the UK and currently living and working in the USA she has finally found independence.
Megan radiates beauty, not only externally but most importantly from within. She has found freedom through adversity, despite systems which tried to keep her muted for so long. Her words made me question my own inner narratives and constraints and they will do the same for you too.
We all want to live with purpose and peace and Megan shares her own roadmap in finding hers.
As a woman in STEM having completed a degree in Zoology, Laura now finds herself in the middle of a debate between government, education, industry and youth on encouraging people into STEM. It's a tough task to unite everyone in this discussion and Laura is tackling this firmly, one step at a time, by asking young people what they want!
Fran Scott is a true engineer at heart. She loves making stuff and her work is highly visual and exciting at she plays with fire and makes things explode, in order to shows audiences how fun and wondrous STEM can be! Our conversation gets really honest and heartfelt as we discuss the discuss the choices and reflections we have made as women in predominantly male-industries and celebrate the fact that we are doing exactly what we love!
Grazia Vittadini is a magnificent women and completely in her power. She's smart beyond comprehension speaking five languages with a penchant for the arts as well as the sciences. Yet her most alluring quality is her emotional intelligence. She knows exactly how to maintain her superiority when others are trying to drag her down - and she does this in the most humble, kind and fairest of ways. She is also a ballet-dancing engineer and one of my favourite role models to date. This episode can't be missed.
This conversation was more of a mentoring session for me! Judith is so accomplished yet so wise and chilled. Often as intelligent women, we want to prove our intelligence to the world and get angry when not acknowledged for our brains - Judith knows exactly how to handle such circumstances, having been in many male dominated situations with her research and them with grace, power and laughs! She is truly empowered.
Becky's journey into engineering hasn't been conventional! She didn't follow the classic maths physics route. However, she caught the F1 racing bug, ever since attending the UK Grand Prix - and now she's a design engineer working on the cars themselves! Find out how she fell into her dream job, her story is inspiring for anyone wanting to follow their own career dreams, despite the odds...
In this conversation, Dawn Bonfield, MBE and I get extremely honest about the problems that still exist in engineering. We are a long way off from being diverse and inclusive in this industry and there are still many things that need to change. We discuss why change is necessary and the small steps that can be taken to breakdown the bias that exists in the development of future technologies.
Talking to Claire Rose was up-lifting. Civil engineering finally seems to be changing for the better, to be more inclusive. Companies realise the positive impact of diverse teams on their success. Homogenous groups of engineers simply cannot not effectively design infrastructure for an entire population. Women and other underrepresented groups are essential for broadening design scopes. Claire Rose talks to us about her decade-long career in the industry and why now has been a good time to balance her career with recently becoming a first time mum.
Zainab Adigun, a structural engineer and mother of twin boys can do anything she puts her mind towards. After our conversation, it was clear that very little holds us back, other than what is between our ears. She has been through trails and challenges juggling motherhood and career, and what got her through all of it was her resilient attitude and strong and supportive inner circle. Its women like her that makes you realise, it is possible to ‘have it all’.
Dr. Leanne Armitage was recognised by HM Queen Elizabeth II for her charity, The Armitage Foundation, which aims to increase the diversity and inclusivity in medicine. She is also a very inspiring young woman who owns her underprivileged background, knowing that it gave her empathy and compassion towards others. Her work is crucial and her story is uplifting.
When Whitney Udigwe (a STEM A'Level student) reached out to me via my website asking for mentorship, she got me thinking about how mentorship might help others too. In the first of its kind, I aim to answer all questions that Whitney has about her own career direction and I'm sharing this conversation with you. Around the age of 16-18 we usually have to make big decisions about our careers. In this episode of eSTEAMd people, I aim to share my experiences so that we can be a little wiser about our own life decisions!
After we have laid our HM Queen Elizabeth II to rest, time seems to be revealing what she meant to me. She was a symbol of duty, service and purpose. I edited this conversation with Computer Engineer, Sanskriti Devi with this in mind and what I have learned from our Queen and see from Sanskriti is that knowing one’s purpose in life is key. Knowing what you were put on this Earth to do, allows you to focus and surrender to your role. It seems that Sanskriti is unravelling and following her true purpose in STEM and it’s working out for her.
Women in Innovation and Technology share their experiences and what they have learned in order to survive and thrive in a male-dominated world. In this episode, we hear from sisters Abigail (scientists) and Donna (Engineer) about the network of STEM sisters they are trying to create.
This conversation is so heart-warming because you feel the actual sisterhood between a biomedical scientist and mechanical engineer, who genuinely want to share this support and encouragement with other women in STEM.
Check out this podcast by Dr. Shini Somara, a mechanical engineer and media broadcaster, who aims to have honest and raw conversations about what it's really like being an empowered woman in today's world.
5 years later and I still have weekly conversations with incredible women in STEM. why, because it keeps me humble and grateful as a human being. This conversation was no different. It took a sudden twist when I learned that she had lost her Dad. My own Dad has been such a massive influence in my own life. He has probably been at the core of all my life decisions, some positively driven and some driven by a little bit of resentment. This conversation reminded me that we all go through challenges, but you keep fighting to help others and pursue your purpose. No matter what.
I grew up watching Maggie Philbin on Tomorrow's World, the stories she covered on this iconic BBC science and tech magazine show, were the core of many family discussion at the dinner table, about pie in the eye tech that would be part of our future. All of these ideas came true and now Maggie has turned her attention to inspiring diversity into science and technology through teenagers! She offers a fresh and alternative perspective to encouraging and supporting people into STEM, and over 40 years later, she continues to push boundaries in this male-dominated field.
In this conversation we talk about striving to achieve it all and get realistic about the challenges and sacrifices involved in ticking all of the boxes as a woman in engineering and STEM. Its amazing how the first few years of our lives shape the rest of our futures too!
UNIQ+ research internships are designed to provide students from under-represented and disadvantaged backgrounds who are ordinarily resident in the UK, with the opportunity to experience postgraduate study. Dr. Tom Crawford (mathematician/fluid dynamicist), Dr. Sagida Bibi (immunologist) and I get together on a panel to talk about our experiences doing doctorates. Its a 90-min chat, where we take questions from the audience. The sound is not great on this recording, but I wanted to be able to share this experience with you all!
This conversation gets really honest about under representation in STEM and life. We open up about cultural differences and navigating being different! This conversation offers so much solution, but also gets raw about the problems. This episode is an eye-opener to mental well-being and empowerment.
It’s so inspiring meeting young women who have a strong drive and ambition to build careers in STEM. Thendral Kamal is one of those women. She is so focussed on becoming the first Indian woman on Mars, that she is leaving no stone unturned in getting there. Not only is she an aerospace engineering student, but she is also so knowledgeable about NASA, that one would think that she already works there. If you are feeling a bit lack lustre about your own path in life, listen to this episode and it will give you the rocket boost you need to realise your own greatest potential.
She is an engineer through and through. She sees the world through an engineering lens. Totally head led, totally, rational and loving protocol, because it allows her to think outside of the box and solve problems - like all great engineers do. She’s a mechanical engineer and more, who believes in the power of repeatability. Practice is key, which she applies to all multi-dimensions of herself. Nika is such an interesting person and is a great speaker - I highly recommend this conversation, for a boost towards your own goals and dreams in life - Nika is a truly motivating force.
Watch out boys, girls are increasing in empowerment. We want independence and don’t want to have to rely or report to men. Its time to level up to what women bring to the table! Prachi Gupta was raised in India, a place where women are still assumed to have a subordinate role to men, but the young women of India are starting to find this mentality completely unacceptable to them and in this conversation, we hear what they are doing about it through STEM…
Anete Dowling is passionate about machine learning, especially when applied to social robotics. She works hard and pushes herself to be the best she can be in this field. At the same time, she has also been blessed with good looks because she is also a fashion model. I have a chat with her about doing these seemingly contrasting jobs and I find her attitude towards her work really refreshing and really current for our times. Why should any of us try and squeeze ourselves into pigeon holes, when we can enjoy all that life has to offer us instead! I’m all for the idea of being the best possible version of yourselves, however multi-dimensional that may be.
Chloe Sales is truly inspiring. Our conversation contained so many mic-drop moments because she has clearly done a lot of soul-searching. Her early 20’s were hard as she muddled around figuring out what to do. However, she has surely found her groove with work as a welder, and discovered a treasure trove of confidence, resilience and strength of character. I need to listen to the episode on a regular basis, there are so many gems of wisdom her. It really is true that out of darkness comes light.
Michi Benthaus has been through a lot and that has only made her stronger and more determined to chase after the things she really wants in life. She wants a career in space and despite not feeling like the brightest mathematician and physicist, she is nevertheless fascinated by the industry. Michi knows that successful careers are determined by hardworking and persistence and using these traits that she has in abundance combined with the fact that she is unique in the field of aerospace, she will go far. It's always great to hear other people’s stories because it helps us to carve out our own attitudes towards life.
Jessica Gagan could be my sister, in the way she thinks, the way she approaches life and how determined and focussed she is to live her best life. I learned so much from my conversation with her this week. She is so strong and confident about what she wants in life, and I think that is where I was truly inspired. Jessica doesn’t apologise for being beautiful, as well as brainy. On top of that she is so humble. Yet, her humility keeps her grounded, whilst her education in Aerospace Engineering and fashion modelling are taking off. Thanks Jess for running with the cards you have been dealt, you are a role model for many of us, because you’ve worked hard for what you have. You gave me permission today to own how hard worked for my own education. Engineering is not easy, but engineers really are the best.
Shrouk is so many things as well as being a badass electronics engineer. Before even speaking a word she inspires people by just being Shrouk. She doesn’t fit into a norm and that is was is so fascinating and empowering for others. We discuss being different. Multi-dimensional and determine to expand the public perception of engineer. We didn’t have much time to speak, but we covered a lot of revealing ground, in my my honest conversation on eSTEAMd yet.
Kristin really is the future of engineering. She has so much enthusiasm for problem solving, but more interestingly, she has so much confidence in just being herself. She doesn't have that outdated attitude of apologising for being female, awkwardness for being multi-talented or shyness for being different from her mostly male peers. With that attitude comes success. She wants others to excel, as well as herself. She wants a world that is full of equal opportunities for all, and I believe she will be leading the way, certainly within engineering.
Dr. Samanatha Micklewright is a clinical scientist and mechanical engineer. She has spent many years studying to collect 2 Masters, and a PhD, purely to secure her dream job. In now working for the NHS she gets to exercise her engineering and clinical skills simultaneously. To me, her story is one of dedication and commitment to applying her intrinsic talents and skills. She's a multi-dimensional person, who cares about helping others and every choice and decision she has made about her career has been a string to her bow. No career is ever linear - sometimes we choose things which don't seem obvious to supporting the overall end game. But no experience is wasted, if you learn from them.
Bethany Cousins forms part of the future of manufacturing. Manufacturing is an exciting industry for young, keen intelligent people like her, because we are in the midst of an Industrial Revolution 4.0. The UK once used to be global leaders in manufacturing, but in order to stay as global leaders manufacturing has to go digital. Bethany talks about her need to stay ahead of the curve and how her work is all about flipping things on their head.
Tillie works in very extreme conditions. She is a Marine engineer on board Agulhas, the research ship that found Sir Ernest Shackleton's lost Antarctic Explorer in the Weddell Sea earlier this year. The wreck was located over 3400m down on the sea floor and temperatures were harsh and bitter at almost minus 20 degrees centigrade. Tillie speaks about her marine engineering work, love of fixing things and making them work and what it is like being so far away from home and her loved ones and how it is helped her find inner strength and hope.
Kate Todd-Davis is really smart. Not because she always got great grades at school and was very academic, but because she decided to take an apprenticeship route into aerospace engineering. She is part of the future of manufacturing and now has an engineering degree, loads of industrial work experience and no student debt. It’s inspiring hearing her story and learning from someone so switched on to their future and the future of how things will be made in the UK.
Michelle Hicks in a Chartered Civil Engineer, specialising in designing and building theme parks. Theme parks have been a passion of hers ever since she was a kid. What I find inspiring about her story is a logical and rational approach to providing people with fun and unforgettable experiences. She has an incredible job of brining many talents within engineering together, with the aim of enhancing our wellbeing and ability to escape the day-to-day rigmarole of life through cutting-edge technology and engineering.
Nikita is extremely transparent and open about coming from a very orthodox South East Asia family and how that coincided with her ambitions to make an impact in the field of artificial intelligence. We talk about the dilemmas faced in pursuing an education and career as a woman, who is expected to become a wife. Its not easy coming from such a patriarchal culture - we boost each other's confidence in these matters as well as talk about Nikita's significant contributions to the field of electricity and electronics.
This week we get to hear from a woman who has many talents. Originally an athlete, Pavlina Akritas, then went on to study electrical engineering specialising in lighting design. Its wonderful to hear from a polymath, i.e. someone who uses both her left brain and right brain, whilst also managing recently having a baby and wanting to stay fit. She's passionate about her work and functions at the intersection of where art meets science and she does all of this with such poise!
Krystina R was so refreshing to listen too, because she’s achieved so much, yet isn’t someone who appears to be the martyr. She is someone who seems to take life as it comes and with everything that happens to her, she tackles it head on, with vulnerability and to the best of her capabilities. It was reassuring to know that she struggled with motherhood in the beginning only to end up finding a deeper sense of confidence than she has ever had before. She learns from everything that happens to her. A lesson that could all benefit from.
Samantha M is so lovely and so switched on. From a young age, she knew that she didn't want to follow the conventional path into academia, just for the sake of getting 'qualifications'. She wanted to start working straightaway, despite achieving highly at school. Sam is a perfect example of how apprenticeships are a golden gateway into a solid career. By starting in industry early, you clock up valuable experience and there are so many advantages to this path into industry. It's not for everyone and its certainly hard work. Sam shares her perspectives on it.
Katriya Sabin works for the UK Atomic Energy Agency combining her love of art and physics into one creative profession - nuclear fusion. She lives off grid herself and her views about sexism in engineering and the pressure schools put on youngsters is very much 'off-grid' too. She is outspoken, unconventional and uniquely gifted and smart. A conversation with her and refreshingly rebellious. Why hold back on what you truly believe, it only slows progress down..Katriya, certainly speaks the truth no one else has had the confidence to say. Maybe, it because she knows she's an asset to the nuclear fusion industry..
Anna Gates wasn’t a typical academic student. She definitely preferred to learn on the job, but also wanted a degree and found an apprenticeship in civil engineering. What is refreshing about this conversation is her genuine interest in the environment and providing power to 6 million homes through nuclear power in a sustainable way. Yet she has also thought cleverly and strategically about her career choices. With no student debt, bespoke training on the job and a guaranteed career path in an industry that she loves. It hard not to be inspired by her farsightedness. After listening to her, if I had my time all over again, I would have taken an apprenticeship route too!
This week we celebrated International Women and Girls in Science Day (Feb 11th) and to honour that, we hear from Alyssa Carson who's big is goal is to get to space as an astronaut. She is the paving the way there by focussing on the small steps, which includes research in astrobiology and lots of time spent on encouraging other girls into STEM too. How does someone who is 20 years old know so early on in life what she wants..we find out..
Lisa Cook sort-of, fell into engineering, but was also raised by two engineers. She has such an inspiring attitude of: if you want something go get it. Listening to her, gives you a boost for doing amazing things in your own life. She is driven by a genuine love for her work as an engineer and a desire to provide for her family. As a result, she appears to 'have-it-all' - check out her story!
India Lloyd-Evans reached out to me with some questions about combining her two seemingly conflicting interests in physics and design. Who am I to know what is best for her, was my first thought. Turns out that my zig-zag career and contrasting skillset can be useful to people who are both left-brain and right brain and I can certainly share my experiences. This episode is a little like a live mentoring session, where the key is in getting to know yourselves a little bit more...
Georgia Lilley is really smart. She didn't follow the herd, but chose a career path that worked for her. She is 22 and in 1 year's time, she would have clocked up five years of work experience, have a university degree in Civil Engineering and no student debt, because she chose the apprenticeship route into engineering. Despite being an all-rounder at school, with a passion for physics, she is now doing what she loves, and the company who sponsored her have a tailor-made employee! The conversation disrupts stereotypes around academia, women in engineering and the doing what you love!
Halima Bhayat is a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, maths and arts) educator and is passionate about bringing more girls into typically male-dominated fields. She talks about her own childhood and culture, which has often left her feeling dismissed. She fights hard to be seen and heard and is using her own empowerment to empower others.
Eneni Abban is a robotics engineer with an expertise in computer vision. She shares her experiences, ambition and wisdom as a black woman in the industry and explains how she is using her skills to empower her people.
Mimi Nwosu talks about the different masks she had to wear at work in Civil Engineering! Its inspiring to hear the reasons why she found her authentic self and is proud of all that she is today, despite some setbacks!
Siddhi is full and energy and bursting with confidence. Thats probably what happens when you have spent years on a trading floor. She started out in computer science and swears by the benefits to all when when the study STEM. Now an entrepreneur, all her tough experiences have given her a thick skin to run her own business.
Dr. Natalia Falagan is an Agricultural Engineer. She is passionate about improving the way we grow, harvest, store and transport food to reduce waste. She also has the most positive and uplifting attitude, without being forceful. How is it possible to be so quiet and yet so confident. She demonstrates that these things go hand in hand!
Demurrage Analyst, Annamaria Miko is not my conventional guest, but she also found herself in the male-dominated industry of shipping. She shares her own experiences and wisdom with us, and reveals how in searching for her own self, she now helps to shed light on others peoples journey.
Dr. Christina Drake is a materials engineer and CEO of her own technology company. Despite some tough experiences growing up, she has an attitude of strength, resilience and gratitude in all her experiences. Her approach to getting what she wants, sounds so easy. Dr. Drake has everything she wants, it hasn't been easy juggling so much, but fulfilling her own expectations and ignoring the expectations of others, has been key to her having it all.
This week on Innervation, I talk to Robotics Engineer Lan Pham, who focuses on using magnets to bring space debris back down to Earth. She is passionate about what she does, and feels that you won't be happy at work, unless you have a genuine interest in what you do. That said, she also prioritises a healthy work life balance for ultimate contentment.
This week I talk to Dr. Ana Cruz-Ruiz, a robotics engineer who is managing 40 other robotics engineers, as they develop technology for healthcare. She talks about being inspired by her dad and her perfectionism, and what she has learned along the way of being a highly accomplished woman in engineering; where she was regularly questioned by others, as to why she was there in the first place.
Jenny Olsen is a biomedical engineer, who genuinely cares about helping people to improve the quality of their lives, whilst combining her passion for mechanical engineering. She is the perfect example of a true engineer, because she is fundamentally a problem solver. There are many dimensions to her character and she explains how she stays balanced and content.
This week I talk to neuroscientist Yue Li, who talks about being adaptable and self-aware of our behavior and thinking. Most negativity is due to stimulating a certain type of ares in the brain, and we are somewhat in control of that - but being plastic, as in 'malleable' is key!
This week on Innervation, I talk to Eva Cheng, a Chinese Australian Telecommunications Engineer, who sees the beauty and value in human connection, despite her technical expertise in connecting people through computers. We discuss..
Michelle Bui is a gene editor. She is passionate about reducing the spread of infectious diseases via mosquitoes. Her work is badass and she is so chill, which she believes is down to living in San Diego, California. I reckon being a Vietnamese-American woman in STEM has trained her to be confident and comfortable in her own skin, especially because she does not fit convention. Be inspired by her vibe, to be the best version of yourself - that's what happened to me whilst hosting this episode!
This week I talk to Civil Engineer, Ayo Sokale. Honestly, this conversation blew me away. She is just an incredibly inspiring human being. So driven, so genuine and really wise. Ayo brings me to tears with her honesty and strength - she's just awesome and I urge you to check this episode out if you want to be uplifted and motivated to be the best version of yourself.
This week I talk to Lisa Marie Stabryla, who is doing important work in trying to outsmart smart bacteria. Bacteria has become so clever these days that our antibiotics are becoming less and less effective. We talk about her crucial research, but also what she has experienced as Woman in STEM and how developing a global perspective is essential to empowerment.
This week, Aarthi Vijayakumar talks about living in the moment and how there is no such thing as a bad choice or decision. She was part of a team that conducted one of the most sophisticated molecular biology experiments ever carried out in space, yet she takes it all in her stride, at the age of 20. She is smart, wise and chilled about her future - she knows the world is her oyster because she world hard and wants to do good in the world through her talent for STEM subjects..
As an asian woman in STEM, Jacquelin Chu, a physician has a strong sense of how to carry herself through her career, as a person in a minority. She is very determined, very self-assured and doesn't take failure personally. I'm hoping that after a conversation with her, her strength of character and resilience is infectious!
This week on Innervation, Maria Ardila, an Energy Engineer from Colombia, talks about the significance of cultural differences on success and how she deals with being unconventional as a woman in engineering..
I speak to Dr. Precious Lunga, who is Channel 4 newsreader Jon Snow's wife. I mention Jon first up because people always want headlines and we may have come across Precious through him. BUT after speaking with Precious, an impressive, uber smart and grounded Woman in STEM, it confirms that women can be all they are in their glory, without having to stand in the shadows of their men. Through this conversation you'll see how incredible Precious she is - she studied neuroscience and Epidemiology Cambridge University and turned down a full-time post doc to do field work in Africa on HIV. She's a true person of substance and has contributed vast amounts in the medical field. This episode is a 'must-listen'
Juliane Sempionatto is a nano engineer working on wearable sensors at CalTech. She describes herself when she started her career journey as a poor black woman. She knew that women like her don't choose careers such as hers. Being this rare in nano engineering has helped her develop some major life skills, of resilience, determination and she isn't afraid of hard work. This uplifting and inspiring story, is enough to make anyone question their own self-pity - how strong must you be to prove the naysayers wrong...
This week on Innervation, I speak to aerospace engineer Jenna Tiwana about the many hats she has worn in STEM and how she has coped with being judged over that. Life isn't linear, right?!? Her bubbly enthusiasm carries her through life, particularly during the times when she is the only one. Being an ethnic minority woman in engineering is rare, but it’s all about attitude and she has a very positive one, because compared what what her ancestors went through, being badass in a male-dominated field is easy!
Maryam is so inspiring as a woman of colour in engineering. She opens up about the hardships she has faced being one of few in her industry, but also describes her career journey. Being raised in a council flat in London, she had always been focused on getting out and securing a high-flying job. Having done all this, she then turned to where she is from and reveals how her processionals of self-acceptance has made her proud of who she is today. As always on Innervation, this is an uplifting, enriching and hopeful conversation.
This week on Innervation we speak to Celine Montanari, who is about to get her PhD in Biocomposite Material Engineering. We hear about what valuable life lessons she has learned along her life and career journey, including the importance of making mistakes.
This week we hear from Jo Sadler, a biotechnologist, who shares her knowledge, wisdom and experiences with us, as a Woman in STEM.
My guest this week, design engineer Esmeralda Ypsilanti talks about the importance of following your heart, as well as the rules. Her strength of character and 'don't mess with me' attitude is perfect as one of few females in her industry. I get to the root of where her resilience and confidence comes from and its inspiring, especially if you are a little unconventional, like me.
In this episode Kerrine, A Lead Systems Power Engineer, admits she has taken too much in life for granted...
Sometimes I don't think women realise how little power they have in most western societies. We truly do live in a patriarchal age, and as a result we all miss out on the power, strength and creativity that women can bring to the table. Times are getting better though, but I still think there are many things we can all do to empower ourselves, if we have fallen back into a role of being the underdog - and that doesn't just apply to women. Check out the discussion and perspectives from women in STEM on the topic of empowerment, as we increase our awareness of this important topic!
Resilient materials in engineering, are very elastic and can bounce back to their original forms after they have been subjected to stress! What a great analogy for life! I discuss this together with perspectives from women in STEM on the topic. Resilience is a super power! I want some of it for myself - its a work in progress and discussing the topic certainly helps with that.
I don't know if its a woman thing, or a minorities thing, but I've wasted so many years asking for permission just to exist; just because I felt different from everybody else. I break down this topic together with some perspectives from women in STEM, and we talk about why we seek permission and why we shouldn't have to, as empowered people.
Taking some time out to relax can be so rewarding, despite the guilt and shame of doing nothing. It's so important for our creativity and innovation. I'm usually really highly strung and can take life quite seriously sometimes, but at least I now see the importance of doing something different or nothing!! Progress!
Being vulnerable with others is so hard, but when we are able to, we give ourselves permission to be ourselves. Being vulnerable is empowering, because it means that we are not in shame about being human. We need connection, we need others and being vulnerable is beautiful.
Letting go of something can be the hardest and most empowering thing we can do for ourselves. Why hang on to all that anger, pain and resentment, when you can choose to be free. The things that really matter in life don't have to be clung. I discuss this together with my sisters of STEM..
The amount of times I hear people in minority groups, apologising for their existence! I used to be the same. In this podcast, I break down why people who are somewhat unconventional, feel the need to say sorry for just being. Together with some perspectives from Women in STEM, I try to figure out a new attitude for owning who we are, however different we may be.
When I get really honest, most of the time I am motivated by a need for connection with others. In everything I do, I seek to connect . True connection can generate such a powerful energy, which can be used to do good. Connection is about empowerment. I explore that on this week's episode.
Facing up to things can be really empowering. Owning your emotions, getting real - Its not about being perfect, its about being honest.
Hard work gets you everywhere, in fact, I think the ability to work hard is a super power. On this week's episode we hear different perspectives on this topic from successful badass women in STEM. In my opinion, it's not enough to just have talent, you have to put the effort and time in to develop your craft. I haven't met a single person who became successful without having to put the work in! Laziness isn't esteem-able either!
I discuss the importance of honouring your weirdness on this week's episode. Thankfully, through my job I get to meet all sorts of people, who are usually unconventional and astereotypical - so I've picked their brains to find out how they deal with being different.
Competition can be both good and bad. On this episode I discuss how we can stay on the right side of this double-edged sword..
On this week's episode I discuss the importance of breathing. For me, breathing is the one thing I pay least attention to when I am stressed or anxious. But in regulating our breathing and taking time out to breathe deeply, we can truly connect our hearts and minds once again and feel fully resent. It's a simple practice, yet so empowering, for remembering the importance things in life!
What are your passions? That's a question that I was asked a lot in meetings with TV broadcasters in my early days. Back then, I have to confess that I had no clue. I had many interests and ambitions, but no idea of what my passions were. So concentrated on developing my IQ, rather than my EQ. Since then, I've focussed in on discovering my passions and it's led to a life full of meaning and purpose and ultimately fulfilment. This week, I discuss passion - what it is, what it feels like and why it's essential for living a gratifying life.
There's a massive difference between doing the things you need to do in order to survive and thriving. People in minority groups are usually just surviving, even if they have all the same resources, they are also dealing with other discriminations.. I definitely got to a point where I was sick of just surviving - I had worked hard, I felt I deserved more. We hear from women in STEM about their perspectives on thriving. Thriving is easier than it seems, its all about self-belief.
I have often found myself getting stressed out and worried over things that I simply cannot do anything about. When I realise that I am wasting my precious energy on things that I cannot change, I am able to better use my time and brain power to grow from challenging times. Being able to find silver linings is a blessing. There is beauty and evolution to be had in everything. We discuss this and more on this week’s episode.
So much of our lives these days is outward facing. We can care too much about what other people think of us and make decisions based on what everybody else expects. Too little time is spent on turning inwards and asking ourselves what we like, prefer and choose for ourselves. I think it is important to listen to other people, but it is also really empowering to uncover our own truths by looking from within...on this episode we discuss exactly what that means and hear from the perspectives of women in STEM on this topic.
Honesty is so liberating. The minute we are honest with ourselves, we are the most free. That has been my experience, and is not always easy to do. It takes time and maturity to move out of denial. I discuss this and more, and as usual we hear the perspectives of Women in STEM on this topic.
I've gone through my own journey with speaking up, and am still going through one. Its takes a huge amount of genuine confidence and self-belief to stand up for what you think is right. We hear from other women in STEM about this topic. It's not easy to stand up for yourself, especially as a minority, which is why it is so important to cultivate your value system and to know what you truly stand for. That takes courage.
We do it all the time - compare ourselves to other people. It's how we evolve and grow as human beings. But there is a point at which, comparing ourselves can become quite unhealthy for us. We forget that each and every one of us are on our own individual journeys in life. I discuss comparing ourselves and how to keep it in balance, so that it works for us, rather than against us; and as always we hear perspectives from some incredible women in STEM!
So many people talk about the importance of purpose, but what exactly is it and why does it matter. To me, understanding my purpose allows me to be a human doing and a human being, but getting the balance right between the two, isn't always easy..
For really capable types, asking for help can be really diffciult. Often, if feels weak and defeated to admit that we might need a little help from others. What I've learned over the years is that actually asking for help is a sign of empowerment - because to know that you need help, is to know where you lack. We can't do everything in life, so relying on others for those things that you can't do, shows an incredible amount of self-awareness.
Compassion is so often branded is as one of those soft hippy dippy skills for weak people. Actually, experience has shown me that compassion is a characteristic, I've observed in the highly empowered among us. Compassion is something you have, when you've dealt with all your own inner turmoils - its not for the faint-hearted.
When things get tough, it can be so tempting to just flip the table on everything. But often instead of giving up, we just give in to what is and let nature take is course can be the most empowering thing of all. In this episode I talk about what giving up means to me and hear from other women in STEM on the subject.
If there is one thing that can aid self-development and evolution, its willingness. Our own personal drive to become better, is invaluable and more impactful than anyone else pushing us along. In this episode I discuss what it takes to have willingness, why its so important and how to sustain it!
Empathy was something I heard so much about, but never really understood fully. Today, I'm massively mindful of how crucial it is, not only in being able to relate to others, but for one's own personal sense of wellbeing and self-esteem. I break it down in this episode and hear the perspectives of other women in STEM on this beautiful emotion.
Emotional intelligence is vital for me. I spent a long time developing my academic intelligence and no time growing up, developing my EQ. For a few years now, I’ve been playing catch up and basically learning to understand and deal with my emotions. It’s a long journey from the head to the heart, but one certainly worth making to living a fully present and contented life.
Boundaries are so essential for preserving one's space, time, self-love and self-respect. Some people are raised to know their own boundaries, while others have to figure out their own boundaries through time and life experience. Whichever way you develop boundaries, they must be developed in order to have a happy and healthy sense of self. On this episode we discuss boundaries and find out from other women in STEM, what boundaries mean to them.
Self awareness is a super power that I didn’t even know existed until a few years ago. It’s not about being self-absorbed, but actually about being mindful about your own words and actions. Being aware about how you function in the world allows you to stand strong and empowered in your own skin.
Something I see in every talented and successful person, is a deep belief in themselves. They may not be perfect at everything, but they have a kindness and love towards themselves that empowers them in a quietly confident kind of way. This isn't arrogance, this is a profound knowing of who you are.
In my experience, anxiety is so energy draining and comes for a multitude of reasons, some past, some present and some future. In this episode, I look at some ways of how I have come to learn to cope with it. Together with some perspectives form some women in STEM, we identify some sources of anxiety and learn to deal with it, by facing it head on. Conquering anxiety is empowering and productive - this discussion tackles how.
Perfectionism has plagued me my whole life. Always believing, that once I'm perfect, life will be so much better and easier. Now, I've come to realise that, that is so not true - as as a result, I'm on a journey of learning to accept myself just as I am. Its a tricky thing, but its so liberating!
It's ok to continue to discovery things as you get older. We don't have to have all the answers as we get older. It's fine, to 'not know'. Having an inner confidence and self-esteem, allows us to feel comfortable in not knowing. Accepting the unknown. I discuss this topic and include some of my favourite sound bites on this topic from Scilence.
Its so easy to blame others for everything that's happened. It couldn't possibly have been our fault. They made me do it! One of the hardest lessons I have learned in life is that I was usually in charge of my own decisions and therefore responsible for how things turn out. I can chose my own destiny and the rest is up to the universe. For me it is an empowering attitude to take charge of my own destiny, and to not blame others for how my life is turning out.
I once heard a definition of humility as being: To remain teachable. I hope I can always keep learning, growing and evolving. I discuss my thoughts on this beautiful subject and we hear from other women in STEM who have their own perspectives on this topic. We come to the same conclusions on why it is so rewarding to have humility.
Jealousy is a waste of one's own time and energy, because it means you are comparing yourself to someone else, believing that you lack something others have. Instead, focus on the gifts you do have and work on obtaining and achieving what you think you need. Everyone is on their own individual life journey, be happy for others, and you will be happy for yourself. I've also experienced that when I'm happy for myself, I am also happy for others too!
The pursuit of being good enough can occupy most of our time and attention. Getting into a headspace where we realise that we are already enough and that ambition is something seperate to that, kept me puzzled for many years through my studies, and still baffles me today. Being good enough should be a baseline state, but it is a concept that often gets confused with goals and objectives in life. I take a look at this, on this episode, to try to figure out how to deal with it..
Its so easy to take a look, a comment, an action of other people personally. Doing that though, drains us of our power. In this episode we discuss how we hold onto our empowerment, by not taking so much to heart.
Insecurity breeds so much resentment, discomfort and fear. In this episode we discuss how to turn insecurities around to become confident, empowered and most importantly, enough!!
Sometimes, or in my case often, we are driven by a need for recognition. I break it down on this podcast to ask why we do it and whether its soul-enriching.. its a tricky subject and together with the perspectives from my women in STEM, we tackle it.
This week on Innervation, I discuss trust. It's a big topic that touches all of us. I draw upon the perspectives of some incredible women from the STEM world to find out their take on such an important subject. What is it? How do we get it? And why is it so important? We break it down.
Being judgemental doesn't feel good. Placing yourself either above or below people makes you feel either superior or inferior and neither of those things lead to any form of long term inner contentment. I take on board the perspectives of some epic women on this subject, ultimately concluding that developing compassion and kindness for yourself and others, is the key to happiness.
Whenever I'm feeling a bit low or wobbly, if I write a gratitude list, it changes how I feel. I always start the list intending to write just 10 things, but those ten things leads to so many more. By the time I'm finished, I feel empowered, strong and hopeful. I discuss gratitude in this episode and we hear from a few women who use gratitude in their lives too. It's a serious game changer for anyone who finds life a little overwhelming at times!
Empowerment - what is it? How do you get it? What does it feel like? In this episode we hear from several empowered women, to find out their perspectives on the subject. I'd love to feel empowered on a permanent basis, but sadly, it's not so easy. Instead, I listen to people who have developed their own strategies for staying strong and resilient, no matter what is thrown at them.
What is ego and what is it's purpose? On this episode, I discuss the usefulness of ego and delve into its pros and cons, according to the views and perspectives of some badass women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Stereotypes are formed at a young age, with the toys that we give girls and boys and the colours we make them wear. Stereotypes can bring people down, particularly those who are unique and conventional. Stereotypes never acknowledge the substance of a person, which is why it's important that each of us look within to discover who we really are. What makes us tick? Only then can you be bold and brave enough to be the person you want to be, in a world full of stereotypes.
This week on Innervation is all about proving ourselves, because most of us spend so much of our precious time trying to do just that. The need to prove ourselves to others can push us to make choices we actually don’t want to make. That need can start from an early age, wanting to prove to our parents, for example. On the other hand, I discuss how great things can come out of life’s difficulties and that proving oneself doesn't have to be a bad thing. Tough times can help you clarify what it is you want out of life. The truth is that life is not without its challenges, so we could use each of those challenges to learn more about ourselves, rather than proving ourselves to others. Enjoy being you - prove yourself for yourself!
Self doubt is inevitable. It can be paralysing, but it can also be the rocket fuel to launch you! I uncover the perspectives of my Scilence guests on this topic to find out how and where self doubt comes from and the best way to deal with it.
What does having it all mean to us? Is having it all different for men and women? Is it realistic to expect to have it all? Is it just material? Is it sustainable? Is it a motivator, or the source of pressure and disappointment? Who defines it? What is the healthiest approach to having it all? With all these questions addressed, we come up with ideas for avoiding the pitfalls in striving to have it all, whilst maintaining one's sense of self, staying sane and happy.
Life can get competitive, can't it?
In this episode, I break competition down to try and find a way of navigating it in a healthy way. On the one hand it can drive and motivate us, but left unmanaged, it can drag us down.
As always, I draw upon the wisdom of my inspiring guests from Scilence, who have their own perspectives They share their wisdom on how they are able to come out winning in every competition.
We may all experience bullying in one form or another, sometimes it can be subtle. In this week's episode I take a look at the bullying that Women in STEM have experienced, and more importantly how they have handled it and even used it to grow stronger and more self-assured.
My new podcast is here at last, and what better way to launch it, than on International Women in Engineering Day (23rd June)! On this series, I'll be scouring through all of the 100 past episodes of Scilence, to drill down deep into the issues that concern all of us. In this episode, we hear the perspectives of several women on the subject of self-acceptance, what is it, why is it important and how to have it!
My last and final guest on Scilence opens up about her past, present and future. We talk about childhood, menopause and having a genuine passion and interest in the technology she is involved with today.
She herself has struggled with being a woman in a very dominated industry, but she has soldiered on no matter what. Her key message breaks through all discrimination to say that whatever it is you do, no matter who you are, do it well.
My guest is a powerful woman to end this series on. Thanks for listening to the honesty and openness of this podcast - I hope people's stories have resonated and helped you to feel more empowered.
My guest this week travel to remote and extreme places for a living. When she's out doing her science, she goes into 'expedition' mode, which means she has to forget about what is going on at home. This involves a huge amount of trust and understanding, both from her partner and from her - as this is not the way stereotypical women behave. Women are expected to prioritise families.
My guest challenges these stereotypes, through her career, because she has always been so passionate and curious about the world around her. She confidently makes her own decisions based on her gut instinct and following her heart and what comes with that territory is taking responsibility for your own decisions.
My guest this week travel to remote nd extreme places for a living. When she's out doing her science, she goes into 'expedition' mode, which means she has to forget about what is going on at home. This involves a huge amount of trust and understanding, both from her partner and from her - as this is not the way stereotypical women behave. Women are expected to prioritise families.
My guest challenges these stereotypes, through her career, because she has always been so passionate and curious about the world around her. She confidently makes her own decisions based on her gut instinct and following her heart and what comes with that territory is taking responsibility for your own decisions.
This weeks guest is a Yeast geneticist, and during the lockdown, she wanted to teach herself how to mathematically model yeast?!?! Despite not coming from 'sciencey' parents, she has always been someone that has needed to understand things and ask questions. Science, for this reason was perfect for her.
Despite doing was she is passionate about, she almost quit over a bad mentor, who just wouldn't listen to or respect her. It took the support of a good friend and time to get over the subtle psychological torture of not being seen, heard or understood. This experience taught her, the significance of positive feedback. Since then, she knows exactly what she needs in a good mentor and has stopped feeling shame and guilt over needing encouragement and championing.
We discuss motherhood, role models and the importance of a supportive and encouraging life partner; which has all helped my guest to value her own opinions, above the opinions of others.
This week's guest is overwhelmingly determined and focussed on fulfilling her fullest potential. She was originally inspired by a doctor who had been treating her father and knew that if she was to have the same impact, then she would have to work really hard to get there.
My guest has always had to prove herself because she is African American and therefore a minority within her medical field. But it never dimmed her own light - in fact it motivated her.
What is clear is that her parents loved and supported her no matter what - and it seems as though they gave her a strong foundational belief in her own abilities. Challenges and adversity spurred her on and I must say the fruits of her labour are inspiring.
My guest this week, an electrical engineer confessed that working in McDonalds taught her what she really needed to know about dealing with people. We discuss the difference between introverts and extroverts and how the strength and encouragement of her mum was more inspiring than her electrical engineering Dad.
She was never raised to be stereotypical and as a result, has an attitude that the sky is the limit. She has a totally alternative view of the gender divide. Rather than feeling unique and different as a woman in STEM, she expresses compassion for the awkwardness of men around women. She describes how she learned to make the first move.
Her life hasn’t been easy, she suffered major setbacks as a result of her parents divorce, but in everything she always manages to find a silver lining..
In her experience, it’s certainly encouragement and support that keeps women in STEM..
My guest this week was originally an electrical engineer, but then followed geology because that is where her passion truly was. She combined all her skills and knowledge to create a very unusual job for herself, but to get there, she had to work in the local sandwich shop, just to pay bills. Now she operates highly technical instruments in a lab.
She admits that choosing what she loves does not guarantee that you will never have down days, but it’s far easier to get through those days knowing that she wouldn’t want to be doing anything else. Her greatest inspiration was someone who believed in her before she believed in herself.
We talk about the fine line between being heard and not coming across as aggressive. Negative feedback being useful in defining what you really want and saying know to being the trophy partner.
You don’t have to stick to the decisions you make, you just have to follow your heart.
My guest this week discusses how focussing on what other people think of you can lead to depression and anxiety. Instead, you have to do what makes you happy. There was a lot of family pressure to go into medicine, but now my guest has found what she loves. Find out how this week's Woman in STEM, a molecular biologist pulled herself out of a rut.
In this weeks episode of Scilence, my guest dispels a few myths about COVID. She was originally told that she shouldn't go into medicine, probably because she is of ethnic minority. In STEM women of colour have very few role models, s that don't help with their levels of confidence and feelings of self-worth and self-esteem.
My guest's sister was her biggest inspiration, but she also doesn't define herself by her accomplishments. We are not our grades or labels. Now she tries to have realistic expectations of herself and tries not to put other peoples opinions of her, above her own. She has been her own worst enemy in the past, but that kind of thinking led to lowered mental health.
Now my microbiologist this week truly believes that you can have it all today, unlike previous generations, but it may just take a little longer than you'd like.
This week on Scilence, my guest seems to have had all the privileges of going into science. Her parents are both neuroscientists and their parents were teachers, but it was only until she messed up one of her classes that she accidentally studied oceanography, leading her towards her passion of studying fisheries science.
She discusses how her she balances herself emotionally, by not relying too heavily on science. She likes to undertake creative and sporty pursuits too, to satisfy both sides of her brain. She has learned that science is more uncertain the higher you climb within academia, so you have to be good with failure.
This week, my guest admits to having been a B-average student. With only half an A-Level in Physics, she switched her degree to Physics because she loved it. It has been tough for her to be a minority within a minority as a young black female, but her passion for the subject has seen her through. She was inspired by TV and films and had a pushy mother that needed her to get an education, now she has ambitions make a real impact in her career, by defying all the characteristics that hold women back - such as fear of failure.
My guest this week wants to dispel the myth that you have to be a brainbox to be in science. She wasn’t good in maths, but always knew she wanted to work with ocean and environmental matters. Her parents never pushed her into the job she is doing now - what was driving her was the potential impact she could have on peoples lives.
Her work place is incredibly gender balanced and her mum was also in science - so being in STEM wasn't abnormal for her. Her mum gave her the advice not to let anyone get in the way of what she wanted.
The most striking this about my guest is that she really owns her shortcomings. She’s been lucky that she has been around a lot of supportive people. We discuss self-acceptance and mental health and she talks about the importance of mentors.
My guest this week is constantly reevaluating what she enjoys most and where she wants her career to go next, and that is what is propelling her forward.
My guest this week takes suggestions from others, but she doesn't compare herself to anyone else. She has faith in what she believes in and is driven by her gut instinct. Ever since her mother had cancer, she was determined to find solution in cancer research - and despite a lot of struggle, she is now thriving in her career; whilst also juggling two kids and a husband. It hasn't been easy spinning so many plates and she has certainly been through some hard times. But these periods of adversity have shown her that she has strength and determination to get through anything.
Amazingly, despite all her achievements and accomplishments, she still feels she has more to do...how typical of a badass woman in STEM..sometimes she's had to 'act like a man' to get what she's got, but all in all her gratitude for life is uplifting!
My guest this week is self-isolating, like the rest of us, but is really using the time to reset. Usually, she resets during her commute to work. But, whatever the situation may be, she does need that time to take stock of what she is doing and get organised. During quarantine, she wants to learn to code! Why not!?!?
She feels that failing and messing up are essential for learning. She has had to teach herself to set realistic expectations for herself. In fact, she feels that you should lean into the the things that scare you.
After an academic career in microfluidics, she has now started her own technology start-up, which has brought about some brand new challenges. My guest seems to take everything in her stride, which is remarkably calming. She's definitely one to listen to, if you're panicking about your future!
My guest this week takes all failures and adversity in her stride. She always puts efforts into learning from her mistakes and finding the silver lining in every cloud. She talks about the dangerous tipping point between too much and too little self-doubt. Self doubt is good and useful, up until a point, at which it can then become detrimental.
STM education needs to start early, which includes the toys children play with, which can massively affect their STEM interest. She believes that in going into any career, you must have a genuine passion and interest for the field.
We discuss womanhood and the coaching she received in order to carry herself confidently and assertively in the male-dominated world of Clean Tech.
This week on Scilence, my guest expert in physics, talks about how she fell into the subject. She followed her instincts and was guided by a very wise and independent mother, who raised her to believe that she could do anything she put her mind to. In following her passions and interests she ended up putting her mind to physics. And through hard work and determination, she is now a world-leading expert on one of the biggest physics experiments in the world.
One of the secrets of her success is to not care too much about what people think, but instead believe in herself and her own capabilities. Nothing has held this woman back, even being a foreigner, in a place that she now calls home. Accepting that things will be tough, but taking on the challenge is what has been the key to her accomplishments.
All this and so much more, on Scilence.
My guest this week has always been a builder and video games and computers got her into STEM - despite her dad saying that computers would never catch on.
She acknowledges that something strange happens to the confidence of girls in STEM in high school, and she herself has experienced challenges in being female at work. Despite experiencing all this herself and fighting against stereotypes and cultural expectations; self-confidence has always seen her through.
Her main message is that you should always surround yourself with supportive people. People who believe in you until you learn to believe in yourself.
All this and so much more on Scilence..
This week my guest talks about her new found freedom having newly qualified with her PhD in evolutionary biology. She knows that reputation is everything and is trying not to define herself by her qualifications. This will be a long journey of self-discovery. She has been passionate about studying animals and loves the messiness of biology, although enjoys trying to make sense of chaos. She talks about how girls aspire to be perfect and how it can lead to our unhappiness. Women have greater expectations of themselves compared to men and much of that is tied to culture. We discuss all this and so much more..
This week my guest is in STEM education and has seen positive change over the last couple of decades. Despite incremental improvements in gender parity, it is still so important for role models, women in STEM to make themselves known.
Girls have traditionally been discouraged into STEM. Maths and physics are seen as subjects for boys and it has been assumed that girls would find these subjects too difficult. My guest believes that we should stop being over-consumed with the difficulties of academia and focus more on the bigger opportunities that STEM careers can bring.
Careers in STEM allow people to contribute to solving the biggest scientific and technological challenges of our time. Engineering, is also an industry that effects absolutely everything we do. Very few people realise just how frequently engineers have influenced most aspects of our lives. We discuss how important it is to smash through stereotypes and outdated cultural expectations and educate people on the type of jobs people in STEM enjoy and how they are all making a massive positive impact on the planet!
This week's podcast is short and sweet, but we still manage to delve into the nitty gritty of how my guest became so successful so soon, in health tech. She now runs a start-up, after attending one of the most technical colleges in the world. She admits to reaching a rock bottom of mental health which helped her to put into perspective the things that are a priority in life, including maintaining balance in her work and personal life. We discuss the importance of failure and not caring too much about the opinions of others. Interestingly, being a woman in STEM hadn't occurred to her - maybe things are changing?
This week, my guest, a woman in tech came from extreme under privilege, where women in her neighbourhood had three choices; sell drugs, strip or prostitute themselves for a living. Thankfully, her struggle to climb out of this poverty came from her insatiable desire to learn and self-educate. She has always been a fighter and that has helped her so much as a successful woman in tech. She no longer takes 'no' for an answer and is proud of being unconventional. Nothing stops my guest, but she couldn't do any of it without the support of her 28-year marriage, two daughters and the acknowledgement woman helping women; more than ever before.
My guest this week, a biomedical engineer spent a year getting to know herself by spending time alone. She got comfortable with hanging with herself and it taught her so much about who she is. She chose biomedical engineering after suffering from an injury and now loves being able to help others through creative and medical means. Her class is 40% women and she feels that it is necessary to find mentors and role models who can be in your own corner. As a result, of having people who believe in er, she now has a clear sense of her own purpose. We discuss the importance of being curious, hardworking and putting yourself out there - despite all the self-doubt and over-analysis (classic female traits). She discusses how terrified she is about fitting in motherhood with career, But she hopes she will have to make the sacrifice one day, because to her, motherhood will be the biggest sacrifice and biggest reward.
My guest this week has been in technology for over 20 years, and as a result has seen a lot of change, panic and progress over the years - Y2K being an example of this. Her career has changed largely because hardware has evolved too.
Despite championing the positive impacts of technology, my guest hopes that it doesn't take over our lives. Back in her day, women were not in STEM subjects, there were either males or non-males, so she was pretty trailblazing in attending an all-girls technical college. She learned so much, including that girls could do anything.
This college was the place to smash through all stereotypes, because they all had to muck-in. In her experience, girls get far more affected by stereotyping, where we keep having to prove ourselves so much more because there are so few places for us.
My guest was raised with the message that girls can do anything boys can do, and hence she wanted a career where she could create something of her own. She wanted to cross-pollinate interests and challenge the norms. She is a real problem-solver and has always had a high level of self-esteem.
She discusses the predicaments women face after childbirth when returning to work. Her experience has been that women often come back to work ever more focussed. Thankfully, she is witnessing that younger generations will not grow up with archaic stereotypes, and there are more and more role models these days, so things are getting better. She talks about her supportive partner and how instrumental he has been to her career path.
The higher you go in seniority, the more you realise how much you don’t know. Self-doubt seems to be a necessary tool for advancement and there is nothing wrong with it, we just need to be mindful not to identify with it.
It is important for her to set the right examples for her daughter. My guest believes you are born the day your baby is born. We also discuss having it all and she describes her purpose as being, to live better than she did the day before.
My railway engineer knew she wanted to go into STEM from an early age, which meant she should follow a career in medicine. But she fell into engineering by accident instead, which was actually better suited for her. She first realised that she was not easily accepted in engineering, when it was assumed that she was the secretary when at a conference.
Standing up for your rights requires you to have a keen sense of who you are and my guest now enjoys challenging the stereotypes with her womanliness and big afro hair. Having felt a lot of academic pressure. She looks back and wishes she could have done an apprenticeship. Pressure and bullying made her drop out of school, which made her rethink her priorities. Onto of those anxieties, she was also caring for her disabled mother and all of this hardship taught her a lot about struggle and failure. She now has a good relationship with this things now. The net result is that she now takes full ownership of her life and is happy that she can represent the under represented.
She has a few mentors for the professional and emotional aspects of her life and highlights that many men have mentors too - its not just a female requirement. She has learned to have boundaries, which she exercises when at her ‘beer appreciation group’ - which she started herself in order to bond with the guys. Self-acceptance is at the root of her empowerment. It took her a while to develop that. We talk about her romantic relationship and her worry in having kids and how that will affect her career. But, she’s lucky because her partner is very supportive of having children and being a stay at home dad.
My guest believes that we should be empowering men to stay at home without being laughed at. She hopes that we are getting to a point where men can just be themselves. Let men pursue what they really want when it comes to families and let men bond with their kids, is a good way to go in the future.
My guests this week seems to take chemical engineering in her stride. Having gone to an all girls school, she had many female friends and family that ended up in STEM and they were her inspirations and role models. For her, it seems like the most impactful experience was doing a placement in a chemicals company. It was here that she realised the value of working in diverse and inclusive teams as a woman of colour.
This industrial experience allowed her to gauge what kind of career would make her happy. Fitting motherhood into her life scares her - she literally has no clue on how to negotiate her way through that, hopefully she’ll figure it out! Companies seems to be more supportive of parenthood these days.
Her attitude is straightforward and she tries to keep things simple, even when things get challenging. I guess thats why she comes across as being a truly optimistic person.
My guest, a science writer, this week always wanted to try and understand things from their roots. She is obsessed with understanding systems, but in order to do that successfully, one has to understand the smaller cogs - hence where her mathematical background came into good use.
She is very values driven, needing to understanding how science fits into the greater context of politics, philosophy and generally being human. She always had the confidence to ask questions and speak up for herself and struggled to conform or gossip. Her strong accent allowed her to get away with being aggressive, without being alienated. She speaks her mind, but she is not controversial. Fairness and justice is essential to her DNA. She doesn’t shy away from seniority.
Going to a good university was shock to her system, unlike her earlier years, she found that she wasn’t the most intelligent in her class anymore. Being made redundant was the worst thing and best thing that happened to her. We discuss the resulting humility gained from these experiences.
She cares about being seen as being worthy of an opinion. Being understood is the main thing for her. Finding your voice. In this episode we talk a lot about the differences between corporate and freelance work and the differences in personalities that are required. She wears her freelance existence with pride. She doesn't apologise for being the way she is. Life depends on choice. It depends on what you want to do - what do you want? As always, to be fulfilled, these questions need to be faced.
My guest this week admits the mistakes she's made and lessons learned in juggling motherhood and career. She is now trying to get her career back on track after taking time out to raise her two boys. She like many other women was good at the sciences, but didn’t want to do medicine and ended up in civil engineering instead - she always enjoyed being a bit different anyway. much to her dismay, she was crossed off from senior roles because she got pregnant, despite being an ambitious Cambridge graduate. On the plus side, motherhood taught her the soft skills that she never would have got anywhere else - although she highlights that nobody seems to value them. She’s slightly resentful that she had to make career choices, which didn’t allow her to progress, and advises all women to never opt for part-time work - purely because part-time ends up being full-time with less pay. She highlights that you have to be selfless for your children, which means you can’t pay yourself any attention and keys things such as networking is impossible with small kids. On the flip side, women who have achieved a lot are currently viewed as scary in society today, but attitudes must change Flexibility at work is the only way that women can have it all, so companies need to think beyond 9-5pm working. Women are needed in industry - thats a fact and men need o stop treating other men badly for wanting to take a greater role in parenting. This podcast is all about finding ways to let women have it all - it possible, but both men and women need to muck in.
This weak on Scilence, my guest is in logistics, but more importantly struggles with the fact that she deals with three ethnicities. She discusses not giving her energy away by caring what people think. She has the humility to understand her own shortcomings. She has been in the middle of discrimination, but dealt with it. We discuss how some men find it threatening that women want to build their career - but we don't let that stop us. Stay curious and keep self-reflecting with good mentors and role models.
This week on Scilence, my guest has a very unconventional perspective on a woman’s place in society, turning what most us believe to be a woman's place, on its head. Having been in STEM for three decades, she now considers herself to be in AI, but it’s an industry that did not exist at the start of her career. In terms of motherhood, she wanted to get that process started young and this allowed her to follow the career she wanted later on once the kids were independent. That's certainly one way to have it all! She believes men and women should be equal and that women can have everything they want - they just have to have a plan and believe in their goals, not letting anyone get in the way of what you want. Her attitude is eye-opening, simple and powerful - if I could start my life all over again, I'd do things her way.
This week on Scilence, I chat with an aerospace engineer, who shares her healthy attitude towards her abilities. From the beginning, my guest had always had a strong sense of determination and focus, having been born a twin. A near fatal car accident a few years ago brought her into crystal-clear clarity. As with all twins, there is often a sense of comparison between them. Her and her brother are both bright and gifted in STEM, but my guest being female, always felt a greater pressure to prove herself in mathematics. She was raised with the stigma that girls are not naturally good in this subject. Societal pressures taught her the importance of ambition, drive and hard work and her accident highlighted the importance of knowing one's purpose. This episode is enlightening and uplifting as we hear from someone so young, who has really figured out her path in life and won't let anything get in the way of what she wants.,
This week on Scilence, my guest, an aerospace engineer describes what she is going through, as a result of having recently had her first child. Before childbirth, she was managing 25 people on a multi-million pound project. As a result of getting pregnant, she feels like she’s desperately trying to hang onto her career and the reputuon and experience she so diligently built up over the years. She has a very unconventional life, with a highly supportive husband that has taken far more paternity leave than she has taken maternity leave - the results will be attitude changing for all those around her, as she refines her role as a 21st century career woman. She’s defying stereotypes and doing things differently, and what is powering her through is her self-belief. She cares more about being her best, than what other people think of her - she's empowerment on an epic scale. Find out how, this week, on Scilence.
This week, my woman in STEM chose engineering to avoid doing textiles! As a result, the 3D Printing, she was exposed to in engineering class sparked her love for technology. She was naturally good at maths and physics but she believes that it not a pre-requitse for engineering - although it helps. We are all surrounded by engineering and she loves it - there is not one thing we interact with in our average days which has not been influenced by engineering in some way.
We discuss stigmas that still linger from from the past, on the subject of gender and a woman role in society. Yet in her experience, there are so many aspects of engineering that are much better suited for women.
My guest has a very healthy and inspiring attitude towards failure. Her mother who's a lawyer was a massive inspiration because she quit her job to start her own business from scratch whilst being a single mum.
She definitely faces discrimination and judgement a a women in engineering, but she believes you have to show people what you can do. She owns her mistakes, taking full responsibility for them and powers through negativity by working hard. The way she steers clears of the negativity of others is to avoid them and be mindful of her own positive aspirations - always keeping an eye on the bigger picture.
She doesn't waste energy on trying to control what she can not control; but instead keeps a detailed plan of her future. Her plan always keep her on track, even if things don't go the way she had envisioned. This also applies to motherhood, which, she's no ruling out, but for my guest, her career and her own life comes first and everything else, she believes should fall into place.
This week on Scilence, my guest comes from a man’s world, as a construction engineer, yet she is responsible for many jobs. As a result, it took her much longer to earn resect from her team. She ignored any nasty comments, which helped her to gain resilience.
Her first job involved engineering railways, despite never having seen a train before. Originally, she came from a very patriarchal culture, yet the men in her life were extremely supportive and encouraging - which positively influenced her adult life. Its so important to have someone in your corner.
My guest describes the difficulty in balancing motherhood, especially if you’ve been really successful in your career. She talks of the self-care she has had to sacrifice for the sake of getting everything done and meeting the expectations of family and others.
My guest believes that men can be agents of change, by being there for their families. Men are shunned for putting their families before their work. Women are judged for going to work instead of staying with the family.
She feels lucky to have the support of her partner. Usually, women feel that is it their responsibility to keep a home together. She’s worked extremely hard to get to where she is career-wise, she now doesn't wan to throw it all away for motherhood - its a juggle and a struggle, and often something has to give.
She hasn’t give up on changing the corporate mentality at work. She loves challenging the naysayers. She makes the change happen, but it hasn't been smooth ride. She’ll never ever give up on what she wants. She really fights for what she believes in.
Her advice: Consider the perspectives of the majority. Listen to others and have compassion for others; and learn a lot from your mistakes. And lastly, but by no means least: Be who you are, don’t try to be anybody else..
This week on Scilence, my guest, a student in Biomedical Engineering, discusses developing confidence when you’re a new graduate. She stresses the importance of making mistakes and describes her efforts in becoming comfortable with failure. She is not so comfortable with the fact she feels that she represents all women in her field, therefore representing 20% of her class. It poses additional pressure and stress, that she doesn't enjoy. Ultimately, her answer to associate with people who are supportive.
My guest defines engineering, admitting that she struggles to know exactly what engineers do, considering that it is such a broadly defined field. Lets face it, anyone can call themselves an engineer, these days. But to her, engineering is about problem solving and getting creative.
This week we talk about wanting to be perfect, and the constant battle that it presents in terms of constantly having to prove oneself to others and to oneself. The best thing about my guest, is that she is determined to break the vague stereotype of what engineers are, just by proudly being herself and focusing on her passion of helping people with their health.
This week on scilence, a group of five mechanical engineering students, talk about their experiences in a typically unfeminine industry. We bust the myths and stereotypes about this career and confirm that the key to success in this field is genuine passion, interest and self-confidence.
My guests are early on in their Bachelors degrees and none of them willingly chose to study MechEng, but through realising that they love problem solving, creativity and found mathematics fun, they admitted that engineering was the best course to study.
Surprisingly, they seem to be in a generation, where the gender gap is closing, but there are still issues in the minds of these young women, about how to assert themselves, speak up and be heard and believe in what they can bring to the table. In an attempt to achieve this - mansplaining has never been so entertaining!
This week on Scilence, my guest has been determined to be her own self. To her, following convention would mean death. She has always followed her heart and in doing so has been true to herself. She's fought too hard and worked too hard to pander to the opinions of others, yet she has also been able to function in a corporate structure to deliver successful results. This female engineer knows how to achieve and accomplish, but does so by aligning her own passions with what is expected of her from others. This episode is packed full of wisdom and inspiration, and always a badass attitude for surviving and thriving in a male dominate world.
Its clear from my guest this week on Scilence, that she's hugely successful in cyber security because she has an abundance of inner security. She has always been oblivious to being in a minority, as a female in a male dominated world. As a result, discrimination went straight over her head and she was able to stay strong through challenges and struggle. This women has an attitude of steel, her own business and three children. She's unstoppable. Find out how her attitude made all the difference to 'having it all'.
This week on Scilence my guest has always been concerned about sustainability and regeneration, which oddly led her into a career in chemical engineering. For someone so young, she is making a big impact in the beauty industry and most recently, she has finally found the stability and strength to explore her heritage. Being mixed race, she has never felt a strong identification with either her mother's nor father's cultural heritage. Now she is starting to embrace her uniqueness, by learning about her origins.
We discuss her sources of inspiration, hope and support, and they are not STEM-related. She shares that the key to your dream job is to work in a field that you love. She's had her fair share of discrimination, but has it stopped her from pursuing her dreams? Hell, no. Its only made her fight harder.
English is not my guests first language, yet she still manages to communicate the importance of using education to escape her difficult childhood. Driven by the need to make her oppressed mother proud, she left home at 10 years old to find greener pastures. Her relationship with her father was too difficult to discuss, yet this is a woman in STEM who appears to have it all, a prosperous career, a daughter and a supportive husband. Find out how her attitude allowed her to find a achieve all this - basically it boils down to have determination and focus to leave the past behind.
This week, my guest, a software engineer is so super-chill for someone so young. She takes everything in her stride, having gone through the challenges of being a black women coder. She definitely feels the discrimination in her industry, but that doesn't stop her for striving for what she wants. In actual fact, it makes her fight harder.
In this episode we talk about self-acceptance, imposter-syndrome and the significant effects of our behaviour towards others. It's true that even our tone of voice can make people defensive towards us.
Its not easy being popular and successful when you are a minority. But we conclude that its much better to be following our passions, than following others.
This week on Scilence, my guest fell into her career thanks to curiosity and interest in physics and maths. Her path hasn't been straight, but thanks to internships and a couple of rock bottoms, she found her way to a greater self-acceptance and inner security. She speaks of the snobbery between physicists and engineers and warns that physics can be very exclusive rather than inclusive.
Unwelcoming environments stem from insecurity. In her experience it can be difficult to report the subtle harassment we receive as women in physics. But, ultimately, the anxiety of unassertiveness pushed her into letting go of what other people thought of her. She had to accept herself for who she is and believe in herself; learning to trust herself above others.
Unfortunately, women are taught to not trust themselves; not listen to their gut and ignore their intuition. But, through the power of meditation she has found an inner peace, where she embraces her imperfection and failures, rather than fearing them.
Her advice for women who are curious about STEM is to follow their interests rather than follow a person. Rolemodels are useful, but not essential for finding one's own way in life, if you truly believe in your pwn abilities.
Love yourself, be proud of who you are and blaze the trail you've always dreamed of, with or without the support of others.
Although my guest this week studied mechical engineering, she believes that there is no one set path into tech strategy. She actually works in a very diverse team, where all members share a passion and genuine interest for tech. What she has observed is that women fundamentally don’t see themselves as technologists, and therefore don’t see themselves as being in tech.
Despite attending one of the the most prestigious universities in the world, she has occasionally been intimidated by other peoples accomplishments, forgetting to acknowledge her own. Experiencing the negativity of comparing herself to others has reminded her that, it’s ok to be impressed by ourselves. We should take time to feel good and appreciate ourselves. In short she believes we should ‘own ourselves’. Owning her weirdness, is an attitude developed early on, from her very accepting parents. However, owning her weirdness has not meant that it hasn’t been difficult at times. My guest has never been able to be inauthentic. Despite always wanting to be accepted, she didn’t necessarily want to fit in either. Now she constantly evaluates whether she is happy at least 50% of the time in situations - if the answer is no, she lets the situation go. Being a female is STEM is great, apart from when she is deprived of the chance to find solutions herself. For her, and many women, often struggling with things invites people to swoop in and help. Often this robs us of the chance to fend for ourselves - a missed opportunity to strengthen ones character. Women should be allowed to fail and not be made to feel like failures. She struggles with being either on one side or the other of the gender spectrum. She likes beer so that she can be one of the guys, but with motherhood - you have to be mostly female. She believes babies are the end of ones career and that women who can have it all, have come from generations of support. Hence she stresses the importance of mentors and pushes for diversity in the workplace, because it's the right thing to do.
THIS WEEK'S EPISODE IS POWERFULLY INSPIRATIONAL. My guest loved doing maths in her spare time and knew she wanted to make an impact through science. Her mother was a nurse, so she spent many hours in hospitals. For many years it was assumed that she would be a doctor.
No one in her family went to university, but her mother always encouraged her to make her own money and have her own independence. Her parents encouraged her to make her own decisions and follow her own instincts and interests. Medical physics was where she had her lightbulb moment.
In this week's episode, we discuss self-doubt. Everyone doubts themselves, but we can’t keep doubting the path we are on. There will be uncertainties along the way and we have to be careful not to adopt the insecurities of others - but ultimately we have to be clear in our own minds about what is right for us.
Having two older brothers meant that she learned to make her voice heard. Her mum helped back her up. Coming from an all-girls school, she became self-conscious in physics, as a minority. That was her first experience in dealing with judgement, as one of few girls in physics.
You are the only person who understands your wellbeing and what you need to be aligned. Its ok to be selfish, if that enables you to be your best - to maintain boundaries.
My guest talks about motherhood and career saying that its not a balance, it's a juggle. She worked part-time and was really supported by male colleagues. You don’t always know how you're going to be received as the only woman in the room, but it is essential that egos are left at the door. With her attitude and hardwork, she is now a Professor.
My awesome guest is pushing to change male attitudes towards women - just by being herself. She believes that society has been set up by men for men. Women then try to be like men and we need to stop doing that, by facing our vulnerabilities, not hiding them.
My guest this week on Scilence admits that being a woman in tech, has its disadvantages. Overall, she does find that STEM is a very democratic environment. The challenges of being a woman in STEM has strengthened her character and taught her patience in building her reputation and pricing herself.
Looking back, she reflects that perhaps it was naivety that helped her to become an entrepreneur. She never knew her father, which is why she has always been driven by an inner need to prove her worth to herself and the world. She has learned by making lots of mistakes, including hanging onto the wrong thing for too long.
She believes that men should advocate for women in STEM, but at the same time, knows exactly how to work her femininity to get what she wants. All this and more. This week on Scilence.
This week on Scilence, my guest is passionate about encouraging people to bloom where they are planted. She uses the principles of agronomy and technology to connect and support people who live in remote areas of the world.
My guest is a total disruptor in her tech sector and has a very unconventional and refreshing approach to technology. She was never any good at maths and physics, but doesn't let that stop her. She is comfortable with her own limitations and relies on collaboration to be successful.
Our conversation is mostly about the mental traps people fall into, especially around the subjects of self-worth, self-doubt, tall-Poppy syndrome and playing the victim. She believes that people hold themselves back about their own attitudes and beliefs about themselves. Women are much more prone to this than men. We talk about the innate gifts women have and their essential use in the tech world, including the characteristics of creativity and empathy.
In her opinion, technology can be used to resurrect our feminine purpose. She observes a mass exodus of women from the corporate world because the system does not favour the interests of women.
But there is hope! Women can change their levels of success and accomplishments, by changing their story and changing the way we feel about ourselves. One thing is for sure, our negative narratives must change from within.
STEM is so important to our humanity and women can bring humanity to STEM. So, lets use technology to do good, feel safe within ourselves and be driven by our hearts rather than our heads. Lets humanise science, because its been far too ego-driven and operational for far too long!
This week on Scilence, my guest started her own technology business because of motherhood. She firmly believes that working 9-5 was never designed for a family. As a result, she is passionate about helping and supporting other women.
Working women have hidden themselves for too long and its time for them to step into their stories. Often, as women we are dealing with the negative self-talk which tries to keep them small- but this does not serve an entrepreneur. My guest has spent years building her business, and having to keep her levels of self-belief high, especially during times when friends and family worried about her.
She now sees the importance of speaking up - not just for yourselves, but to pave the way for women following in your footsteps. But trailblazing, does not have to be a lonely path. Often alpha females struggle to let go and ask for help. It requires trusting in others and accepting what happens.
Despite this, gender roles are also changing. Never has there been more support for women from men, especially at a time when women have never been more willing to work.
This week on Scilence, my guest, a Nanotechnologist admits to juggling three careers: a day job, motherhood and running a non-profit. She got into Nanotech because she couldn't decide which science discipline she enjoys most. Nanotechnolgy encompasses physics, chemistry and mathematics, which was a perfect compromise for her.
As a result of following her true passions, she exceeds at her job, but also has a son, husband and helps other women to feel supported in STEM. Its a balancing act, and she has always been guided by her heart rather than role models.
Managing so many roles means that she is always challenging stereotypical ideals of a woman place in society. Her mother was a housewife and made children her career. For my guest, her day job as a Nanotechnologist is a welcomed relief from the demands of motherhood.
Ultimately, her key to getting exactly what she wants has been to align with her true self and stay loyal to employers and people who share her same values and principles.
My guest this week is assertive, self-believing and authentic, but she also has a highly supportive husband and has learned a lot through failure, disappointment and allowing herself to be vulnerable.
My guest this week on Scilence fell into the relatively new world of Cybersecurity. From a young age, her adaptability as a character was perfectly suited for this industry, despite the fact that cybersecurity did not exist when she was a little girl. She and the industry have grown together, and she has closely observed the differences between men and women in that process.
Women have a very different perspective on their abilities. We tend to downplay our strengths, for example. Today, she realises that we have the power to choose how we see the world. Yet often women can be their own worst enemies. There was a time when women wanted to be more like men, forgetting how naturally empathetic and ethical we can be - these characteristics should be celebrated, not hidden!
Ultimately we need to ask what we want to receive out of our careers and what our goals are? For my highly ambitious and laser-sharp guest this week, her children are now her priority. She's a mum before she's an executive. She's confident about her attitude and believes there should be more women at senior level, to spread this very maternal perspective.
In this episode we get honest about self-worth, gut instincts and the dangers of saying yes, when we mean no. And by the end of the show, we come the crucial conclusion that we must all strive to be ourselves and spend time, only with those who believe in us!
My guest this week kicks off series 2 of Scilence, as a technologist having come from an economics / banking background, become a mother of 3 kids and taught herself how to code. She always had a natural fascination with STEM, which led her to create a coding school for Mums.
In this episode we hear from someone who has become most successful, as a result of being her truest authentic self, thanks to motherhood and following her genuine need to problem solve. Childbirth has been a good time for reflection, where she realised that the corporate environment is not suited to parenthood.
My guest believes mum's are perfectly suited for careers in technology start-ups. They would have built skills from their corporate days, which they can then apply in a more flexible and tolerant working environment. She taken her kids into the boardroom and found that it is boosted her authenticity and broke the ice with many male colleagues - essentially it humanised everyone present.
My guest wants to smash through the 'maternity penalty' that so many women have to endure, resulting is low self-esteem and a wastage of their skills. She believes in 'returnships' and re-skilling, since she admits that having children does change your brain and priorities significantly - your mind can turn to mush, if unattended.
The keys message of this show are that no one person has the right answer, so it important to know who you are and what you represent. Come into a state of self-acceptance and you can't go too far wrong. Celebrate your individuality and your vulnerability. In short, just be you!!
Day 6: To celebrate a whole year of Scilence, I've mashed up the best sound-bites of some 13 past-episodes. Each day for a total of six days, you'll hear a some profound wisdom emerging from Episodes 27-39.
Its ~30 minutes of truth from a variety of trailblazing #womeninstem!
Enjoy!
Day 5: To celebrate a whole year of Scilence, I've mashed up the best sound-bites of some 13 past-episodes. Each day for a total of six days, you'll hear a some profound wisdom emerging from Episodes 27-39.
Its ~30 minutes of truth from a variety of trailblazing #womeninstem!
Enjoy!
Day 4: To celebrate a whole year of Scilence, I've mashed up the best sound-bites of some 13 past-episodes. Each day for the next six days, you'll hear a compilation of some of the best sound bites from Episodes 27-39.
Its approximately 30 minutes of wisdom from a variety of inspiring #womeninstem!
Enjoy!
Happy birthday Scilence!!! This podcast turned one years old on International Women in Engineering Day!
To celebrate, I have put together 6 compilation episodes of ‘SciLence’, which feature an assortment of the best sound bites over the last quarter (episode 27-39)!
The guests you’ll hear from, over the next six days are true WONDER-WOMEN in STEM, and as with all episodes, I deliberately keep them anonymous, so that we can all enjoy some honesty, openness and a little bit of vulnerability.
This podcast is not about labels, accolades and accomplishments, that stuff can be intimidating. It’s about the wisdom gained from the experiences of some incredibly unique and trailblazing women, who are tackling the issues around gender, diversity and inclusivity, head on.
The last year of scilence has been so inspiring, thank you all for joining me on this incredibly empowering journey...Enjoy!
THIS IS A VERY SPECIAL EPISODE!!! MY LAST EPISODE OF SERIES 1!!! AND WHAT BETTER WYA TO CELEBRATE IT, THAN WITH A PROF. OF PLANETARY SCIENCE!!
This week, my amazing woman in STEM, is proud of being a science geek. Her father was a professor in engineering and so pulled some strings to get her to study STEM at university. In her day, science wasn’t offered to girls at school, so she had to play catch up, in physics at university.
My guest was driven by pure curiosity. Her first view of the planets was through a telescope that her father built. Today she is a professor in Planetary Science. Her only regret is that her parents didn’t live to see her academic success.
Women made up 5% of her physics class at university. She claims that the key to her academic success was due to standing up for herself and knowing her boundaries. She is doesn't take nonsense from anyone. Before she mastered this, she had to fake it to make it.
Its hard to comprehend this a women this eminent could also suffer from Imposter syndrome. She believes it is fundamental to take things on that excite you, but also being able to admit when you're scared and doubtful about your abilities. She discusses the importance of getting on well with others and protecting your team. She got where she is today by saying yes to things that you don’t think you can do; being honest about her capabilities and being willing to step into the unknown and accept advice. She shares the importance of quiet time for oneself. STEM is a stepping stone to self-discovery and failure can be a success if you learn why you failed.
The juggling act of family is not easy, and has affected the roles people have chosen within academia; but . maternity / paternity rules have got better. We are on a strong upward curve with that. STEM should permeate through society in many ways, as a society, we just have to get out of a constrained mindset.
All this and more on Scilence!
To celebrate another quarter year, I've mashed up some 13 episodes of Scilence..Each day for the next six days, you can hear a compilation of some of the best sound bites from Episodes 13-26.
Its approximately 30 minutes of wisdom from a variety of #womeninstem!
Enjoy!
Happy birthday Scilence!!! This podcast turned one years old today, on International Women in Engineering Day!
To celebrate, I have put together 6 compilation episodes of ‘SciLence’, which feature an assortment of the best sound bites over the last quarter (episode 27-39)!
The guests you’ll hear from, over the next six days are true WONDER-WOMEN in STEM, and as with all episodes, I deliberately keep them anonymous, so that we can all enjoy some honesty, openness and a little bit of vulnerability.
This podcast is not about labels, accolades and accomplishments, that stuff can be intimidating. It’s about the wisdom gained from the experiences of some incredibly unique and trailblazing women, who are tackling the issues around gender, diversity and inclusivity, head on.
The last year of scilence has been so inspiring, thank you all for joining me on this incredibly empowering journey...Enjoy!
My guest this week left engineering, partially because there were no women in her team. She went off to study for an MBA and ended up in FinTech.
Throughout her career she always wanted to maintain her femininity and was loud and proud about that. She didn’t want to engage in 'man-talk' during her breaks and so confidently didn't. You can be yourself around men, you just have to own it.
My guest believes that you have to respect yourself first in order to receive respect from others. Women can be vulnerable around men and Women can get triggered by working with other women. Working in industry allows us to to grow a thicker skin.
In her experience, men and women communicate differently and women should stop constantly saying sorry. Women can listen, men want to provide solutions. But women in engineering (such as my guest and I) have a very rational demeanour - the fact that we are in female bodies, makes us unique.
My guest is very positive about being in a minority. She has learned how men think, and its a great plus for her. Compared to 15-20 years ago, gender issues are actually easier today. For that reason, rolemodels don’t need to be female, but women do need to stick together.
We discuss all this and more, including the transformation of motherhood. My guest has some very interesting suggestions for mothers returning to work - but first, they need to be heard.
My guest this week is focused and driven on turning the world upside down. She was initially inspired by her parents, who dedicated their careers to biochemistry and chemical engineering.
With a deeply intuitive passion to help people and save lives, my guest turned her natural aptitude for STEM into a thriving business, entering the world of Data Science and A.I. applied to BioPharma, whereby computers can predict and recommend the best drugs for patients, thus saving billions of dollars in inappropriate drug delivery.
She describes the challenge of being the only woman in management, within her field. Many people doubted her, but she wanted to prove the naysayers wrong and eliminate her own self-doubt. Despite developing a thick skin, she enjoys helping and supporting other women that come after her.
We discuss the golden mean between aggression and being a doormat at work, given that assertiveness doesn't come naturally to women. Women need to help each other - and in her view, the best mentors are sensitive, compassionate and understand. Finding the right fit of support for oneself is crucial and can be transformational. Ultimately, my guest, believes that self-awareness is key.
This week, my guest, a Software Engineer, is highly opinionated about her job. She believes strongly in the power of diverse teams for business, where engineers can learn from the different skills and talents of each other. Software engineers seem to come from varied backgrounds, which is ideal. But industry conditions are far from this ideal, at the moment.
Due to the lack of inclusivity, there is a lot of competition amongst her co-wokers, particularly between the women. Forceful campaigns which entice girls to code, are creating a mess in the industry, according to my guest. Schools are pushing the message that 'you're disadvantaged if you can’t code' and as a result it is being taught as an essential skill, along with reading, writing and mathematics. A consequence: the software engineering job market has become saturated with low quality. Too many people now know how to code. Very few are passionate about coding.
As the world experiences a huge tech boom, more software engineers are needed. In some cases the hiring process is happening at brake-neck speed and is compromising on quality. Products need to be released faster than ever and it means that we are also compromising on security. The industry is in turmoil, and what is scary is that as we move into a technologically reliant future, we increasingly become more at the mercy of all software engineer.
Harvard once called Data Science the sexiest job of the 21st Century, which is exactly what my guest does, this week on Scilence. Having originally studied Physics, she asked herself what she wants out of life and what makes her happy and landed on this career choice, knowing that most of her time would be spent at work.
Surprisingly, she experienced very little gender discrimination during her physics degree in academia, but certainly became conscious of being female once she reached industry, with people making condescending assumptions about her, just for being female. She believes that women in STEM, 20-30 years ago, certainly needed a thicker skin. Today, she ditches the dresses for gender neutral clothing, to improve the way she is received by others.
Emotional well-being is not prioritised highly enough in the workplace, with physical ailments always taking precedence over mental illness. Even talking about it is seen to be a weakness or awkward. As women we walk a tight-rope in showing our feelings at work.
My guest observes that the most successful women in her industry have very supportive people in their lives. Men should try to be supportive towards women instead of competing with them, but it is also about finding your equals. The best leaders are the ones that create new leaders, yet women who appear to have it all make her feel guilty about her own accomplishments.
She isn’t so familiar with contentment, because she has been so ambitious in her lifetime, but she is certainly passionate about diversity and offers many suggestions in achieving more inclusive work environments.
Having grown up in an El Nino environment, the curiosity of my guest this week was sparked from an early age. She believes that growing up in a science +ve household helped to keep that spark alive - along with a fish tank in their lounge!
Climate science is a deeply complex field of study, yet there is no official qualification for the subject. It is an ever growing field needing collaborators from different academic disciplines to get creative with their perspectives and ideas.
Despite, this globally diverse team effort, 98% of scientists agree on their findings, yet the public are not fed this message. The media skews climate science to instil fear and doubt.
My guest is certainly not doubtful of her research, but her work does make her highly concerned about carbon outputs. So much so, that her views on motherhood are heavily influenced. And she's pretty outspoken on relationships too, believing that they are a source of emotional labour - perhaps it's because she has experienced that women always face resistance when they ask for things in this Patriarchal world.
My guest this week is radiant. You feel her smiles and positivity throughout this episode and it changes your attitude. By the end of the show I was full of hope and optimism for life.
As a quantitative biologist, her purpose has been to turn her love of mathematics and science into something that will help and improve peoples health. She gets so much joy from her research in healthcare - and when she actually gets to meet the patients she has helped, its instant gratification for her impactful work.
My guest grew up surrounded by scientists. Her parents are her best friends and support, always encouraging her to ask questions and think methodically. Where most people tend to be intimidated, she takes huge pride in approaching senior academics, . She believes that her courage comes from a true passion for her work.
She's figuring out her true purpose as she goes along. Always keeping her attention on fulfilling work and helping others, but she is also very humble. She believes that she couldn't have achieved the level of career success without the support and help of others.
Attitude proves itself to be powerful, as always - but in this episode is coupled closely with gratitude.
My guest, an academic and entrepreneur in Healthcare, grew up in a war zone and was heavily influenced by the selflessness of the doctors she witnessed there. She believes that healthcare should not be reserved for the wealthy, yet we take the healthcare system in the west, so much for granted.
We discuss nature vs nurture for education, admitting that she has a strong work ethic thanks to the open-minded support of her parents.
What drives her is her striving to fulfil a bigger purpose in life. In her lifetime, she wants to see the impact she is making on others. She is on a path of self-discovery, and knows what motivates her now, and appreciates that, that could change with time.
Her attitude is wise, believing that you don’t have to achieve the best, but you should allow yourself to enjoy all experiences, in the hope that they will make you a better person. She accepts that where will be dead-ends in learning about oneself, but that is what experimentation, adventuring and being open to new opportunities is all about - making mistakes. For my guest, if someone tells her she can’t do something, it drives her further.
We discuss this and so much more, this week on Scilence.
My guest this week, is small in physical stature, but has the determination and boldness of a giant. She's a mother, leader, wife and friend, who balances all those roles with such grace and optimism. She believes that we should never diminish ourselves to fit under somebody else ego. In fact, she would push herself and her abilities, in order to turn skeptics into allies.
She's a true polymath and urges us to 'find what you love'. In her case it was chemical engineering, but she was also fuelled by her willpower to prove the stereotypes wrong - she saw it as a positive challenge, rather than an unfortunate struggle! She's always had razor sharp focus to get what she wants and would never allow other peoples opinions deviate her from her own path.
Fulfilling your truest potential has been front and centre for her, and yet this week's guest is able to enrich the lives of so many others within STEM, by being a living example of kindness and service towards others through the world of engineering.
This week on Scilence, my guest confesses to being lousy at mathematics, yet her passion and enthusiasm for STEM is infectious. Despite being quite young, she talks about the importance of being talked to like an adult and the dangers of women feeling objectified.
It's all about attitude, and she conveys an attitude like Teflon. She knows herself so well, that she doesn't care what others think about her. She attributes these perspectives to her parents who have never failed to provide her with encouragement, support and love - which she believes has made all the difference to her success.
The conversation leads to topics of perfectionism, enjoying the journey and anxiety. Concluding that happiness, which is nothing to do with materialism, is her primary life aim.
This week, I'm delighted to be chatting to a fellow 'spreadsheeter'. I've never met anyone as enthusiastic about spreadsheets as me! My guest, a pure mathematician, smashes through the stereotypes that girls are not good at maths. As a result of leaky pipelines for women in mathematics, she describes the pressure placed on her to increase the visibility of women within her academic field.
She's happy to take on this additional work, she just wishes she did not have to. Nevertheless, its the abundance of creativity, beauty and support in maths that keeps her passionate. We talk about failure, the futility of competition, collaboration and finding her 'maths mom'...All essentials for surviving and thriving in such an abstract discipline.
On Scilence this week, my very young guest has complete clarity of heart and mind, on the direction of her career. Her clear direction came from exploring her passion early on, which led her to gain a strong belief in her skills and talent in chemistry.
As a result, she has the internal conviction to deflect the doubt and insecurities of others, particularly on being a young woman in STEM. She has had a natural talent for the subject, but mostly she has worked hard; been persistent and put herself out there. She has learned the art of following-up and being assertive.
For one so early on in her career, she already has a plan in her mind, as to the path her studies will take. She boils that down to the countless college Application Forms she has filled out, which forced her to think about the plan ahead.
Scientists are superheroes, she believes, but in my opinion, it's my guest's balanced, confident attitude of gratitude, that really makes her a true winner.
This week on Scilence: My badass woman in Chemistry challenges me on my use of the word 'selfish'. We discuss if it's selfish to want, have or not have children. Having been raised by her grandmother, my guest is determined to break generations worth of limitations and constraints caused by outdated attitudes towards women.
My guest arrives at her own conclusions, of focussing on what she wants out of life, working hard; living with uncertainty and enjoying what she does. My chemist admits that she is a highly emotional being, and it's her emotions that have influenced the career choices she has made. But they have also shown her that she cares very much about making an impact through STEM.
Best of Scilence Q2 - final episode:
To celebrate three quarters of a year of Scilence, I've mashed up the the most poignant sound-bites of some 13 past-episodes. Each day for the past six days, you'll hear a some profound wisdom emerging from Episodes 13-26.
Its ~30 minutes of truth from a variety of #womeninstem!
Enjoy!
Day 5: To celebrate three quarters of a year of Scilence, I've mashed up the best sound-bites of some 13 past-episodes. Each day for a total of six days, you'll hear a some profound wisdom emerging from Episodes 13-26.
Its ~30 minutes of truth from a variety of #womeninstem!
Enjoy!
Day 4: To celebrate three quarters of a year of Scilence, I've mashed up the best sound-bites of some 13 past-episodes. Each day for the next six days, you'll hear a compilation of some of the best sound bites from Episodes 13-26.
Its approximately 30 minutes of wisdom from a variety of #womeninstem!
Enjoy!
Day 3: To celebrate three quarters of a year of Scilence, I've mashed up the best sound-bites of some 13 past-episodes. Each day for the next six days, you'll hear a compilation of some of the best sound bites from Episodes 13-26.
Its approximately 30 minutes of wisdom from a variety of #womeninstem!
Enjoy!
To celebrate three quarters of a year of Scilence, I've mashed up the best sound-bites of some 13 past-episodes. Each day for the next six days, you'll hear a compilation of some of the best sound bites from Episodes 13-26.
Its approximately 30 minutes of wisdom from a variety of #womeninstem!
Enjoy!
To celebrate another quarter year, I've mashed up some 13 episodes of Scilence..Each day for the next six days, you can hear a compilation of some of the best sound bites from Episodes 13-26.
Its approximately 30 minutes of wisdom from a variety of #womeninstem!
Enjoy!
On this week's episode of Scilence: My guest's views on opportunities for women in this male-dominate field are refreshingly unusual and alternative. Her opinions on gender discrimination, societal labels, expectations and people-pleasing are confidently delivered and liberating for anyone caught up in caring too much about what others think!
Our conversation gets blunt, honest and will turn your own thinking upside down. She follows her passion, interests and curiosity and believes that we should all be driven by authenticity.
As a result, my guest is doing exactly what she wants with her life and is now at her happiest - but she has certainly had her own journey to get to this point. She takes us through its twists and turns. Having dealt with her anger in grad school and demolishes through a few out-dated beliefs and stereotypes, to now feel comfortable in her own skin.
My guest acknowledges that you can't please everyone, only yourself. But, you can get to know who you are; choosing not to self-discriminate or judge others. Everyone has a fair chance of being disadvantaged and a victim - it depends on what perspective you choose.
Engineers are problems solvers and on this episode, we look at a few problems that society creates for itself and how to adjust your own attitudes, so as not to fall prisoner to them.
This episode of Scilence contains some graphic language from a Surgical Oncologist, who is passionate about speaking her truth; having been on the receiving end of institutionalised sexual harassment in her dissection class.
Despite her frankness on the show, she regrets not being more outspoken with her colleagues. What kept her mute was self-doubt and Imposter Syndrome. She kept her opinions to herself, for fear of affecting her grades and being mom-shamed.
Shifting out of academic medial practice, allowed her to find her voice. And with hindsight, she sees that the world is not set up for mothers in STEM. But, she also acknowledges that what she has been through has made her the woman she is today.
The mission of my guest is to boldly challenge the stereotypes of a woman's role, by being an example. Having had no role models herself, she wants to shift outdated generational beliefs. She urges women in STEM to find a strong support team of men and women who are up-lifting and supportive.
Growth happens where we feel uncomfortable and this episode will certainly help you evolve. She recommends a book called The Elephant in the Lab by Emily Monosson, because she firmly believes that the world is not set up to support women in work, especially in STEM.
This week, my guest describes her long career as a chemical engineer, during which time, she also had five children! Complete with grandchildren now, she decided to embark on a second career, which would have never been possible without her stay-at-home supportive husband. In order to have it all, she believes she has compromised and wonders whether her kids feel short-changed, having had a go-getting mum.
We discuss how Alpha-females and confidence can come across as intimidating, which results in us working harder to prove people wrong. The truth is, it's not easier because you’re female, although male insecurity may state otherwise. Starting over takes a lot of courage and self-belief.
Self-learning is so much easier today, thanks to digital technology, which allows you to explore yourself and your interests. However, struggling with self-esteem because you’re not like everyone else can still be an issue. Self-esteem correlates to how much we feel we fit in, but the antidote is to follow your dreams and surround yourself with good people and put those relationships first. With my guest measuring up to less than 5’3 and weighing in 106 lbs, I'd say she knows a thing or two about holding her own.
THIS WEEK ON SCILENCE: My self-confident, self-assured Biochemist, talks about the gap-year, she spent making some big decisions. She decided against studying medicine, admitting that her skills in managing her emotions were a significant factor. The highlight of this episode is the courage she has shown in taking care of herself from an early age, including the terms of her parents divorce.
We discuss feeling intimidated by other women and how that correlates to our own levels of self-belief, i.e. the habit of comparing yourself to a role-model and feeling less than. We figure out how to own your own achievements and feel the rewards of that - something that driven capable women don't often do.
In short: This episode gives you a chance to hear what what self-love sounds like.
On Scilence this week, my guest a DevOps Engineer appears to have accumulated all the pieces of the jigsaw, and is currently figuring out how to put them together. She hasn't lived her life in a perfect straight line, and constantly finds herself in 'Yes, No, Maybe' cycles, continuously reflecting on her goals and priorities.
Its all about being adaptable to change, especially when in an industry where technology updates so fast. Continuous reflection and an openness to self-learning is key. Her consistent aim is to bring her life into alignment with her work; where she can feels that she is making a larger meaningful impact on the space in which she lives.
As ever, the diversity message rings true again: Diversity is crucial for strong teams. Her take home message is to follow your passions and interests, even if unconventional and to constantly ask 'what's next', when it comes to career.
On Scilence this week: Four high-schoolers keen on pursuing STEM, share their perspectives on the importance of being individual. We discuss what circumstances girls need to thrive at school. The girls unanimously agree that being seen and heard certainly helps them with their assertiveness and confidence, whilst encouragement will always be essential - teachers, parents, caregivers, friends take note!
Join me in this very honest and open conversation that will transport you right back to their age or will help you understand the STEM dilemmas of young girls, who have the whole world at their feet - only if they can maintain their self-belief!
This week on Scilence, my guest introduces me to the world of Palaeontology - a subject I know very little about. After chatting with her for an hour, you might get infected by her passion - I certainly did!
Science is spiritual, according to my women in STEM; who feels more connected to the Earth, having contributed to scientific progress through her research. She shares her enthusiasm about how she would like to be preserved in the after-life and tells us how Hollywood got Jurrasic Park wrong!
Studying the past, helps our present - which is good news for her, because her hobby became her career and her career is her hobby! I don't think I've met anyone so thrilled and keen with the idea of 'work'.
This weeks episode of Scilence is utterly uplifting, because my guest, a Controls Engineer and gifted mathematician, tells all about the darkest seven months of her career. This challenging time forced her towards the greatest awakening of her true self. Highly qualified, but jobless, this incredible woman of STEM had no choice but to face herself and figure out what what was meaningful.
Now she sincerely understands that knowing and believing in yourself protects you from being influenced by the impermanence of life and other peoples opinions. Her career does not define who she is today, yet she continues to flourish in her dream job.
This week's episode has got to be one of my all time favourites! My guest is a truly loveable alpha female, who's executive experience, wisdom and sensibility, will leave you wanting to strive to reach your own personal best. She appears to have it all, but shares her perspective.
Despite taking all failures personally, she also uses that negativity to drive her further. - Facing disappointment square on and shaking it off. My guest believes in staying true to herself, even if unconventional, and has the confidence to change her mind, as all women can!
In this week's episode of Scilence, my guest describes how an uncontrollable tick led her to study Psychological and Brain Sciences. Adversity has always pointed her in new directions and as a result, its taught her what she has needed to know. In listening to her, I realise the benefit of letting go of resentments. Accepting what has happened in the past helps you to move on in life without being held back. Despite everything my guest has gone through since childhood, there has always opportunities to grow. It's all about the attitude you choose to have.
On this week's episode, my guest, out numbered as a female electrical engineer has always struggled to fit in. She found herself compromising who she was as a women, in order to be seen as one of the boys. She now realises that competition makes you focus on the negative. Through sharing her stories and experiences in this episode, her message is loud and clear: Have confidence in being yourself, and what is meant for you will find you.
In this week's episode my incredible guest is part of several minorities, but that hasn't diminished her drive to achieve. She believes that success has nothing to do with grades, but is all about being a positive influence in the lives of others - helping and understanding people and giving back. For her there is no challenge too great. Attitude is everything to my guest and surrounding herself with people who want to learn; cutting out everything that prevents her from being her best self.
In this week's episode of Scilence, my youngest guest on the series reveals her back-up plan, should acting not work out. According to her, its all about having faith in being different. Inspired by her uncle, she wants to put her love of math and trigonomtery to work, by studying civil engineering.
Hear from a girl in STEM, who has learned to believe in herself when bullies won't, and is staying focused on combining her passions.
Listen to the highlights from the first 13 episodes of Scilence.
In this episode you'll hear from a physicist, aerospace engineer, planetary scientist, veterinarian, architect, epidemiologist and more; as they reveal what its really like surviving and thriving in typically male dominated environments.
The conversation gets honest, raw and vulnerable, as my incredibly accomplished guests open up about their personal experiences and what they've learned. Be inspired listening to how these women of STEM strive to make an impact with their lives.
Listen to the highlights from the first 13 episodes of Scilence.
In this episode you'll hear from a physicist, aerospace engineer, planetary scientist, veterinarian, architect, epidemiologist and more; as they reveal what its really like surviving and thriving in typically male dominated environments.
The conversation gets honest, raw and vulnerable, as my incredibly accomplished guests open up about their personal experiences and what they've learned. Be inspired listening to how these women of STEM strive to make an impact with their lives.
Listen to the highlights from the first 13 episodes of Scilence.
In this episode you'll hear from a physicist, aerospace engineer, planetary scientist, veterinarian, architect, epidemiologist and more; as they reveal what its really like surviving and thriving in typically male dominated environments.
The conversation gets honest, raw and vulnerable, as my incredibly accomplished guests open up about their personal experiences and what they've learned. Be inspired listening to how these women of STEM strive to make an impact with their lives.
Listen to the highlights from the first 13 episodes of Scilence.
In this episode you'll hear from a physicist, aerospace engineer, planetary scientist, veterinarian, architect, epidemiologist and more; as they reveal what its really like surviving and thriving in typically male dominated environments.
The conversation gets honest, raw and vulnerable, as my incredibly accomplished guests open up about their personal experiences and what they've learned. Be inspired listening to how these women of STEM strive to make an impact with their lives.
Listen to the highlights from the first 13 episodes of Scilence.
In this episode you'll hear from a physicist, aerospace engineer, planetary scientist, veterinarian, architect, epidemiologist and more; as they reveal what its really like surviving and thriving in typically male dominated environments.
The conversation gets honest, raw and vulnerable, as my incredibly accomplished guests open up about their personal experiences and what they've learned. Be inspired listening to how these women of STEM strive to make an impact with their lives.
Listen to the highlights from the first 13 episodes of Scilence.
In this episode you'll hear from a physicist, aerospace engineer, planetary scientist, veterinarian, architect, epidemiologist and more; as they reveal what its really like surviving and thriving in typically male dominated environments.
The conversation gets honest, raw and vulnerable, as my incredibly accomplished guests open up about their personal experiences and what they've learned. Be inspired listening to how these women of STEM strive to make an impact with their lives.
This week on Scilence (out 16th Dec): Driven by the need to see the Earth from a different perspective, my guest, a pilot travelled along many different paths to figure out her purpose in life, including studying astrophysics and becoming a bodyguard. Has she found it yet? Nope, but she hopes she never does, as its the ‘not knowing’, that keeps her going.
On this week's episode: My guest, an expert in Solar Science, doesn’t take well to people telling her how to live her life. Instead, she appears to have it all and achieved that in part, with compromise, but also by surrounding herself with nurturing and supportive people. She believes she has developed empathy for others, by going through similar struggles. This week's show is about enjoying your own femininity and being comfortable in your own skin. Despite what most people think: being different is NOT a weakness and there are always advantages gained from hardship.
This week on Scilence, my badass female guest escaped into video games and reading, to avoid her drug addict parents. Having faced the chauvinistic attitudes in Hollywood my guest believes that the tech industry is relatively tame towards women in STEM. Women still struggle to be heard in Tech, but that can be effectively tackled by the attitudes of women themselves. My C-Suite guest reveals her secrets on how to make empowering choices so you can be successful in a working environment and the importance of support network, no matter how small. We discuss the essential differences between mentorship and sponsorship.
You just have to show up, in spite of your fear and do it anyway. Put your feet on the road and see where the journey takes you. Play to win. Her advice is that if you really love something, you’ve got to figure out a way to make it happen. Courage and confidence are two separate things. Its not about women 'growing a pair' - as my Women in STEM points out - Balls are the weakest part of any human body, its about knowing your worth.
On this episode, my female guest is a self-confessed narcissistic extraction of her parents, having been home-schooled and determined to fulfil her fathers wishes for her education.
She believes wholeheartedly in curiosity and never could have pursued her PhD in Neuroscience without it. Her key to happiness in life, is to have other things going on besides STEM. We discuss the perils of keeping your inner artist in the closet and how she has learned to carry herself with dignity, when everybody else thought she was an upright prude!
My guest had to rebuild her self-esteem after people-pleasing for far too long; and part of that process for her, has been to redefine her understanding of failure. We've taken life far too seriously for too long, so in this episode we share a loads of giggles, an honest stream of consciousness, and so much more this week on Scilence.
This week on Scilence, my guest, talks about the long-term consequences (both good and bad) of having been bullied at school. Being unpopular when young, gave her the space and time to focus on her passion for zoology, resulting in her excelling in her field.
Today, she continues to challenge stereotypical roles, traditions and mindsets, particularly as a woman in STEM; aiming to be a leader rather than a follower. As a woman she's aware of her tendency to second-guess herself; and of her sensitivity towards what other people think. However, awareness of oneself, is the first step towards overcoming our shortcomings and hence our emotional wellbeing.
On this week's episode, my guest, a passionate physicist at heart and woman in STEM, working in emerging telecommunications technology, is completely comfortable in her own skin. After battling through some major life challenges, she is not afraid to take some time out for herself, no matter how demanding her job is. She describes how life hasn't gone according to her plan, but she has emerged stronger and more assertive in life and her workplace, as a result. She believes that some of the ultimate keys to happiness and serenity have been in truly getting to know herself. All this and more and more on Scilence.
On Scilence this week, my guest (originally qualified in accounting and finance), describes her curiosity and insatiable appetite for learning; yet was brave enough to leave university early to begin her own thriving tax business. She champions reading widely, believing it gave her the ability to establish her own values and principles and the ability to stand up for herself.
As early as she remembers, she lovingly questioned authority, following her enthusiasm to see where it took her. The success of her business was built from courage, bravery and the inspiration of others peoples triumphs. My guest mastered the art of living without the fear of failure thanks to a strong network of role models and always remains driven and hardworking to get what she wanted.
This week's woman in STEM also talks about the power and goodness of just listening to people and how pressurising women to 'have it all' is, in her opinion, a very unhealthy message. In terms of childcare, career structures and gender pay gap, my guest, believes women are completely setup to fail, firmly resolute that despite all challenges against us, we should always follow our hearts and allow our heads to plan out the destination.
All this and so much more, this week on Scilence.
On this week's episode, my guest, originally an architect has an epiphany about self-awareness. She confesses to have always grabbed inspiration from people, places and things, but has rarely spent time facing her true self. This is a person who has never cared what people think and has always focused on her own ambition and it appears to have got her very far in life. She turned her back on a prestigious conventional career route to run her own tech business; juggles three kids and a husband, but is now questioning more than ever, on what makes her happy.
This week on Scilence, my guest is an example of a lack of parental support, she explains how it shaped the course of her career and developed her amibition in software engineering. She bravely raises the issue of women keeping women out of STEM and explains her belief, that women are taught to serve rather than deserve. As the conversation strolls through the issues of self-belief, self-confidence, and assertiveness, and the dangers of seeking validation from others; my guest never fails to ask herself 'why not', when held back by fear. After arriving at her dream job, through a multiude of coloured Post-It notes, she finally feels at ease, or is it that she has less to prove to others?
This week on Scilence, my guest, an artist turned expert on Augmented and Virtual Reality through software engineering, feels that her career path unfolded, thanks to not caring what people think. A self-confessed weirdo from an early age, my incredible woman in STEM, has grown in confidence in speaking up for herself to get what she wants and what she needs; in order to maximise her contribution to the world of science. After listening to her, being different and unlike anyone else, will feel like a good thing.
On this week's episode of Scilence, my impressive female guest talks about how she saved herself from quitting physics, thanks to a male classmate's attitude towards failure. We talk about why rolemodels are vitally important in science and technology; and the guilt she occasionally feels for following her heart, rather than other peoples opinions and expecctations.
In this weeks episode of Scilence, my guest and entrepreneur in medical technology talks about the major differences ladies face, between the corporate world and the world of start-ups! The future looks exciting for women in technology, but its all about self-belief and speaking up for yourself and others (especially those who struggle to stick up for themselves). We conversate on the 'ole chesnut of 'perfectionism' and consider the gifts to our careers, having faced adversity during childhood.
In this weeks Scilence: My guest, specialising in User Experience Deaign (UX) admits thats having a voice often doesn't make you popular, but it can create an impact and help others. She raises the question of whether women are too sensitive or men are not sensitive enough; and confesses to what she learned by crying in the toilets at work!
In this weeks episode: My guest infects me with the positivity bug, as she raves on about her insaitable love of learning. Being an oblivious kid, she was always clueless about being in a minority as a female in physics. I suspect she had a huge amount of encouragement and support from friends and family to follow her passions. As a result, she built up healthy levels of self-confidence and courage to ask questions and find out more. Knowing that people-pleasing gets her nowhere and failure is useful!
This week on Scilence, my guest (a neuroscientist), discusses the importance of encouragement and support. This woman in STEM talks about the courage it took for her to get a mentor. Interestingly, she believes there are many mentors out there, but our fear of rejection stops us from seeking them. Being of ethnic minority, herself, she stresses the need for belonging. And on the subject of having it all - she feels its possible, but maybe not all at the same time.
This week’s episode of Scilence is the most honest and vulnerable yet! A fellow engineer and I talk about the isolation of being female in such a heavily male-domainted industry and how to navigate that; but also the joy of following our child-like curiosity for understanding how the world works into a career.
In this week's Scilence: A fellow mechanical engineer opens up about having to choose sides - do I follow my engineering Dad, or fulfill the expectations of my strict stay-at-home mother? She also discusses what it's like working and thriving in a 'Brotopia' and how she strives for the balance between speaking up passionately whilst staying emotionally managable. Its not easy being a woman in a man's world!
On this week's episode of Scilence: My guest shares her experiences of following her passions for travel, different cultures, language and helping people, which led her to excelling in a highly technical and female-dominated industry. Today she talks about having it all in terms of work, family, love and personal fulfilment - and how achieving this was only possible through letting go of what people expected of her and trusting the universe.
On this week's episode of Scilence: Downplaying your intelligence - how this week's woman in STEM occasioally hides her passion for biomedical engineering, in order to fit in with everyone. Dressing smart to earn resepct from her colleagues and the importance of being ok with messing up. As always, we talk openly and honestly about the joys and challenges of being female in a male-dominated world.
In this week's episode of Scilence: How to stand up for yourself, as an introvert, when you can't stand conflict. The importance of failure and the paralysis of Imposter Syndrome. My STEM guest discusses the difficulty in pursuing one's passions without self-beleif, and the over-arching joy in working on something you love, that makes the pressure of being the token woman in aerospace engineering, all worth while.
On this week's Scilence, the pressure of being the token woman in STEM, toning down our appearances to be taken seriously and how genuine love and passion can overcome all obstacles. In this weekly podcast, we let down our guards, to share what it is really like being female, in a male-dominated world.
In Scilence this week, my bad-ass woman of STEM talks about how she pushed through almost paralysing feelings of self-doubt and low-self-confidence to do what she loves. In trying out a couple of different career paths to satisfy what she thought she ought to do and in fighting against that typical 'blonde' stereotype. My guest describes how she has never been happier proving people wrong, as a women in a highly scientific field. Her mission - to continue improving the health of humanity and reduce the impact of disease and epidemics.
In this week's episode, my 'STEM sister' talks about the need for more gender balance in Architecture - afterall women occupy buildings just as much as men. We talk about what it is really like working in such a technologically creative industry, where success usually comes to those who wait - for decades. Can a woman be successful in Architecture and have it all? As ever, I aim to find out!
This week on Scilence, my 'STEM sister' is in the field of Public Health, Health Media and the promotion of Health Education. In this episode we examine the outcomes of a positive attitude, the benefits of believing in yourself and the correlation between co-ed schooling and feeling intimidated as a woman in STEM.
This week my 'STEM sister' is in the field of emerging technology and systems innovation. In this episode we discuss the importance of failure, managing family's expectations of your journey, when you have no idea of your actual destination and the upsides of traversing through uncharted STEM territory, as a minority.
This week on Scilence, my 'STEM sister' is in the field of Veterinary Science. In this episode we chat about her zig-zag journey to her dream job; what it means to 'having it all' and the importance of finding true happiness through balance.