• Vasanta’s path from majoring in Anthropology to wanting to be a food writer to becoming an investment banker.
• We also talk about the difference between how men and women build trust in the workplace, and how she dealt with men in her office who didn’t understand her methods.
• How exhausting it is to not be yourself, and how it kills trust
• How following your passion leads you to figure out the “how” to make it happen.
• Knowing how to do something is not the driver, and not knowing how to do something wont stop you if you have a passion for it.
• If you don’t have a passion, look for your super power. What are you really good at.
• We also talk about how you don’t have to subscribe to the belief that competition is best. A rising tide lifts all boats. You can hear this advice but u don’t have to agree with it just because lots of people say it, but listen as we talk about it and decide for yourself.

Helpful links:

Connect with Vasanta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vasantapundarika/

Nominate a Driven Woman:

https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/nominateadrivenwoman

Connect with Erin Smith directly: erin@drivenbeyondexcellence.com

Download Erin’s free ebook: https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/ebook

https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/nominateadrivenwoman

Connect with Erin Smith directly: erin@drivenbeyondexcellence.com

𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿-𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱, 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

Dianne Nolan, former basketball coach and current broadcaster, shares her compelling journey on our show today. With 43 years in a male-dominated field, Dianne talks about facing initial resistance in sports coaching, transitioning to broadcasting without credentials, and her passion-driven success.

Her story from coaching women's basketball to being a respected color commentator is truly inspirational.

Dianne touches on gender pay disparities in sports, the role of marketing in bridging this gap, and the importance of self-promotion for women.

Her insights are vital for anyone striving to tackle challenges and advance in their fields.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲:

𝙁𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009529504055

𝙇𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙚𝙙𝙄𝙣:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianne-nolan-2184592b/

𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙢:

https://www.instagram.com/dianne_nolan_2015/

Please help us help more women succeed in male dominated fields by giving this podcast 5 stars and subscribing on your preferred podcast platform.

If you know a driven woman who needs to be a guest on this show you can nominate her here: https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/nominateadrivenwoman

"Changing the game from within — sometimes you need to create a new path to shine as a leader."

Erica D'Eramo, a trailblazer in the energy sector and champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), joins us on today's episode. Founder of Two Piers Consulting, Erica is a mechanical engineer with two decades of experience in the international energy industry, now dedicated to elevating DEI in workplaces.

In this episode, Erica and I talk about how she decided to become a mechanical engineer despite initially believing it sounded too boring! Because girls often look at math and science related fields and think it sounds hard or uninteresting, right?

Erica also shares her thoughtful theory as to why so few women enter into male dominated fields, and why the few who do, don’t always last. It isn’t what you may think, and has to do with how girls and boys are socialized differently.

I was most excited to learn what her life was like from being one of two women on a boat out in the ocean for 30 days at a time, to being in the board room being surrounded by men, - these are two totally different environments that she needed to navigate – listen carefully to hear her techniques and how she handled being told that swearing is not “lady-like.”

Make sure you listen all the way through because Erica talks about what well intentioned organizations need in order to make their diversity equity and inclusion initiatives truly effective.

- Learn more about Erica's work: https://www.twopiersconsulting.com/

- Reach out to Erica: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-deramo/

And don't forget to leave a review or share the episode to inspire another woman who might be on her own path in a male-dominated career!

If Maureen wants to do it, it will get done, and in HER way, no matter who tries to silence or edit her voice.

Maureen Pollack, Stamford, CT city council member, inventor, and co-owner of the pleasure brand Lovability, joins us to discuss advocating for oneself and others. She delves into embracing her identity and balancing motherhood with politics, also touching on fighting stereotypes as a modern orthodox Jewish woman and entrepreneur.

Maureen shares strategies from "Feminist Fight Club" for handling interruptions and mansplaining, highlighting the importance of response over silence. With her unique tale of transforming CEO of her household to a successful politician while maintaining her values, she inspires listeners to boldly own their narratives.

For more inspiring interviews with women like Maureen subscribe to The Driven Women Project Podcast.

Don't forget to nominate a Driven Woman here: https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/nominateadrivenwoman

An article about Maureen's Product: https://www.kveller.com/meet-the-orthodox-jewish-mom-who-invented-the-latest-pleasure-product/

Maureen's Lovability Website: https://www.lovabilityinc.com/

Feminist Fight Club: https://www.amazon.com/Feminist-Fight-Club-Survival-Workplace/dp/0062439782

In this episode of The Driven Women Project Podcast, host Erin Smith shares her personal journey and insights into success in male dominated fields. Join us as we explore the following key points:

Here are 5 keys you'll glean from this episode:

• Why I went to work for Bridgewater, why I left, and the one thing that would get me to go back.
• What to expect from each episode and who I plan to interview.
• What the Co-Chief Investment Officer at Bridgewater (a woman!) inspired me to do.
• The one thing every successful woman I've interviewed has in common.

Please help us help more women succeed in male dominated fields by giving this podcast 5 stars and subscribing on your preferred podcast platform.

If you know a driven woman who needs to be a guest on this show you can nominate her here: https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/nominateadrivenwoman

To connect with Erin: https://drivenbeyondexcellence.com/