In this Wild Woman Spotlight episode, Sarah sits down with Edith Wolek to talk about women in leadership, authentic personal branding and the power of women supporting women. Edith shares her personal journey from overcoming a lifetime fear of public speaking to becoming a CEO, mentor, and the founder of the Women of Expansion and Impact international networking group.
Together, they explore:
- Why women often feel pressure to shrink or stay small and how to break that pattern
- The difference between "doing" and "being" in business and life
- Why personal branding works best when your business reflects your whole self (mother, entrepreneur, friend, wild woman)
- How women can move past plateau phases after launching a business
- The power of all-women spaces for honest conversation and support
- The importance of having a soundboard for your ideas as an entrepreneur
Edith also shares details about her 12-week She Leads: Brand Mastery program and her 90-minute Brand Impact Mastery session for women who need clarity on their next step.
Connect with Edith Wolek
- Book a 20-minute consultation for the She Leads program
- 90-minute Brand Impact Mastery session
- Courage Magazine Global & Taking a Leap (Amazon Best-Seller)
- Emperors Media
Connect with all guests and past episodes at:
sarahdeop.com (visit the Wild Women page)
Studies Referenced in This Episode
During the episode, Sarah mentions research showing that women often feel they need to do more than their male counterparts to achieve equal footing at work. Here are two studies supporting that statement:
1. Nelson, L. (2025). Taking the time: Gender and labor in academic peer review. American Sociological Review, 90(2), 215–241.
This study found that women performed significantly more uncompensated, low‑promotability work than men (including 40% more error comments and 50% more reassuring comments) because they felt it was necessary to be viewed as equally competent.
2. Cha, Y., & Weeden, K. A. (2014). Overwork and the slow convergence in the gender gap in wages. American Sociological Review, 79(3), 457–484.
This research shows that women work equally long hours as men but receive lower rewards, leading women to believe they must outwork their male colleagues just to maintain equal standing.
Why This Matters
As Sarah and Edith discuss, understanding these workplace dynamics is essential for creating authentic, visible, and empowered personal brands especially for women who have been taught to shrink. The research confirms that working harder is not enough; systemic change and mutual support among women are critical.
Resources & Links
Awaken Your Wild Woman Workbook
Taking a Leap by Edith Wolek
The Wild Woman with Sarah Diop – Patreon
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Chapters - (00:00:00) - The Wild Woman: Awaken Youn Wild Woman
- (00:00:41) - Evelyn on The Wild Woman Podcast
- (00:10:43) - The Bootcamp for Starting Business
- (00:17:56) - All About It
- (00:23:43) - The Wild Woman: Spotlight Guests