Welcome to this week's episode of The Power of Owning Your Career Podcast!

Today, Simone E. Morris is joined by the inspiring Dr. Anne Welsh—a psychologist, executive coach, and consultant dedicated to empowering women leaders and supporting working parents. With a rich background at Harvard and deep expertise in maternal mental health, Dr. Welsh shares her unique journey from early ambitions in medicine to building a multi-faceted career focused on helping working moms navigate identity, ambition, and the challenges of modern parenthood.

In this conversation, Dr. Welsh gets candid about tuning out external expectations, embracing career pivots, and redefining ambition for mothers. She offers practical strategies for integrating motherhood with career goals, overcoming shame, and staying intentional about your professional path—even when it means coloring outside the lines.
Whether you're a working parent, considering a career pause, or searching for inspiration to design your professional life, this episode is packed with wisdom, resources, and encouragement. Tune in as we explore how to own your career journey by leading with curiosity, confidence, and a healthy dash of playfulness.

✴️Episode TimeStamp:

00:00 Career Reinvention and Self-Discovery

04:31 Trusting Your Inner Voice

08:17 Discovering Career Paths Beyond Medicine

10:42 Identity Struggles in Motherhood

14:21 Redefining Ambition Through Parenthood

18:04 "Challenging Biases Against Working Parents"

22:22 Caregiving Pauses and Career Strategies

24:07 Curiosity-Driven Career Growth

✴️Resources:

• 52 Tips for Owning Your Career Book by Simone E. Morris
  
  
• Book recommendation: The Power Pause by Neha Rouch

✴️Connect with our guest, Dr. Anne Welsh, at

https://www.linkedin.com/in/drannewelsh

✴️Connect with the show's host, Simone E. Morris, at https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonemorris/.

✴️To apply to be a guest or recommend guests for the show, visit

bit.ly/pooycshowguest.

✴️ Get More Support for Your Career:

🟢 Book a complimentary 30-minute coaching exploration call with Simone at https://www.careerbreakthroughcall.com. There you can share your career status, challenges, and learn how coaching can help you take ownership of your career.

🟢 Get Simone's Book, 52 Tips for Owning Your Career (https://bit.ly/43JTV03)

🟢 Get Simone's Book, The Power of Owning Your Career (https://bit.ly/3xlYyl6)

🟢 Get Simone's Book, Achievement Unlocked: Strategies to Set Goals and Manifest Them (https://bit.ly/3TD8rlD)

Welcome back to The Power of Owning Your Career Podcast!

In this episode, host Simone Morris sits down with technology executive Irina Dymarsky, a trailblazer known for leading complex, transformative initiatives and currently serving as the head of IT at Avixa. Irina opens up about her career journey—from a childhood ambition of becoming a business executive to navigating the zigzags of corporate life and embracing each new opportunity as a chance to grow. Together, Simone and Irina dive deep into what it really means to be in the driver's seat of your own career, sharing actionable insights on intentionality, the importance of having a North Star, building your "board of directors," and how to manifest your professional goals. Whether you're aiming for your next promotion or reimagining your path at the top, this episode offers strategies, real stories, and inspiration to help you own your journey and design your career for impact. Don't miss Irina's practical tips—from leveraging project management skills for personal growth to the magic of putting your ambitions out into the universe!

Let’s dive in!

✴️Episode TimeStamp:

00:00 Success: No One-Size-Fits-All Path

05:58 "CIO Journey Realization"

09:06 Evaluating Progress Toward Your Goals

13:12 Project Planning and Career Resilience

14:47 Career Planning and Promotion Tips

18:46 Continuous Growth and Good Deeds

23:13 "Range: AI's Limitations"

25:17 "Designing for Impact"

✴️Resources:

• 52 Tips for Owning Your Career Book by Simone E. Morris
  Leverage online resources: Social media, LinkedIn, podcasts
• Networking and asking peers for recommendations
• Continuous learning through books and connecting with industry peers (i.e., Podcast “Acquired,” book “Range”)

✴️Connect with our guest, Irina Dymarsky, at

https://www.linkedin.com/in/irinadymarsky/.

✴️Connect with the show's host, Simone E. Morris, at https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonemorris/.

✴️To apply to be a guest or recommend guests for the show, visit

bit.ly/pooycshowguest.

✴️ Get More Support for Your Career:

🟢 Get Simone's Book, The Power of Owning Your Career (https://bit.ly/3xlYyl6)

🟢 Get Simone's Book, 52 Tips for Owning Your Career (https://bit.ly/43JTV03)

🟢 Get Simone's Book, Achievement Unlocked: Strategies to Set Goals and Manifest Them (https://bit.ly/3TD8rlD)

🟢 Book a complimentary coaching exploration call with Simone at https://www.careerbreakthroughcall.com

Welcome back to The Power of Owning Your Career Podcast! In this special encore episode, host Simone Morris revisits a powerful conversation with Bhavna Bartholf, a trailblazing leader who spent over two decades at Microsoft and is now Executive Vice President of Commercial Sales and Strategy at another top organization.

Bhavna takes us on an inspiring journey from her upbringing in India, where she came from a family of doctors but chose to forge her own path, to her impressive rise in tech leadership. She opens up about the challenges of staying with one organization for over 20 years, the pivotal moments that shaped her, and the importance of taking the driver’s seat in your career. Bhavna shares illuminating insights on self-advocacy, knowing your worth, and overcoming the internal and external barriers that keep us from confidently pursuing what we deserve—especially as women in the workforce.

Get ready for actionable takeaways, game-changing mindset shifts, and a reminder of your power. Whether feeling stuck or looking to level up your career ownership journey, this episode contains wisdom and inspiration you won’t want to miss.

Let’s dive in!

Episode TimeStamp:

00:00 Top Career Podcast Honors/Bhavana Bartholf Introduction
03:27 "Bhavana Bartholf: Career Growth Insights"
07:18 Driven by Purposeful Giving
11:40 Unexpected Career Start at Microsoft
15:53 Career Growth During Pandemic Reorganization
19:23 "The Power of Saying No"
21:30 Cultivating Confidence and Self-Advocacy
25:01 Rediscovering Purpose Through Self-Reflection
29:21 "Secrets to Self-Advocacy Revealed"
31:31 Overcoming Fear Through Preparation
33:53 Forge Your Own Path
37:50 "Gratitude for Bhavana's Impact"

Resources:

52 Tips for Owning Your Career Book by Simone E. Morris
Self-assessment tools (for understanding strengths, motivators, and drivers)
TEDx Talk by Bhavana Bartholf (on self-advocacy and career ownership)
LinkedIn (as a platform for connection and career networking)

Connect with our guest, Bhavana Bartholf, at

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bhavanabartholf/.

Connect with the show's host, Simone E. Morris, at https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonemorris/.

To apply to be a guest or recommend guests for the show, visit

bit.ly/pooycshowguest.

✴️ Get More Support for Your Career:

🟢 Get Simone's Book, The Power of Owning Your Career (https://bit.ly/3xlYyl6)

🟢 Get Simone's Book, 52 Tips for Owning Your Career (https://bit.ly/43JTV03)

🟢 Get Simone's Book, Achievement Unlocked: Strategies to Set Goals and Manifest Them (https://bit.ly/3TD8rlD)

🟢 Book a complimentary coaching exploration call with Simone at https://www.careerbreakthroughcall.com