In this episode, we sit down with Niren Chaudhary, Chairman and CEO of Panera Bread, and VEST Member Beverly Carmichael, a seasoned corporate board director for several iconic brands. Together, we explore the rising demand for empathetic leadership in today’s volatile and unpredictable world.

Drawing on the moving story of his late daughter Aisha—who accomplished extraordinary things in her 18 years despite a terminal illness—Chaudhary shares how profound personal loss reshaped his perspective on life, leadership, and legacy.

From this experience emerged a leadership philosophy anchored in three core values:

• Courage: Focus on what you can control.
• Gratitude: Celebrate life’s gifts, even in hardship.
• Generosity: Lead by serving others.

He introduces a four-step framework for processing loss and leading with resilience:

1. Acceptance
2. Self-forgiveness
3. Self-love
4. Renewed hope through purpose

These principles are not only healing—they’re actionable strategies for leaders navigating uncertainty and change.

Chaudhary also reflects on the challenges of leading multigenerational teams, and building cultures that thrive, by providing:

• Clarity of mission
• Opportunities for personal mastery
• Shared purpose as a multiplier for good

and challenges the false divide between purpose and profit. He shares how leaders can foster a virtuous cycle where values-driven decisions enhance both customer and employee experiences—not through isolated acts of charity, but through integrated, sustainable impact.

Tune in to discover how courage, gratitude, and generosity can transform your leadership—and your organization. Be sure to share this episode with a friend and don’t forget to leave us a review.

If you enjoyed the episode share it with a friend and don't forget to leave us a review. If you are ready to take your career to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Check out our VEST Membership and apply today! www.VESTHer.co

In today’s episode, we recap one of our most powerful sessions: Turning Strengths Into Opportunities.

The most successful women don't wait for recognition—they actively claim their strengths and create their own opportunities. But in a world where we're consuming more information than ever while working longer hours, finding the space to reflect on what makes us exceptional can feel impossible.

When's the last time you paused to consider what you truly bring to the table professionally? For many women, this reflection gets lost in the daily grind of responding to demands and meeting expectations. We fall into reactionary patterns, comparing ourselves to others while failing to recognize our unique abilities. This episode unpacks why naming and claiming your strengths is the foundation of career advancement.

We share practical strategies gathered from our member community on transforming self-awareness into tangible opportunities. From controlling your professional narrative to building a circle of advocates who'll speak for you when you're not in the room, these approaches address the real challenges women face when self-advocating in workplaces still governed by double standards.

Perhaps most valuable is the insight on leveraging recognition—moving beyond a simple "thank you" when receiving compliments to actively connecting that strength to your next opportunity. This small shift transforms passive appreciation into active opportunity creation.

As we navigate increasingly uncertain professional landscapes, focusing on our strengths provides a sense of control and agency that proves invaluable. Whether you're seeking advancement, transitioning careers, or simply wanting more alignment between your talents and daily work, this episode offers both the inspiration and tactical guidance to move forward with confidence.

Ready to turn your strengths into opportunities? Take our 10-minute challenge after listening, and consider joining a supportive community that will help you recognize and amplify your unique abilities. Your future self will thank you.

If you enjoyed the episode share it with a friend and don't forget to leave us a review. If you are ready to take your career to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Check out our VEST Membership and apply today! www.VESTHer.co

Women in the U.S. aren’t just balancing careers and caregiving—they are the invisible backbone of a broken system keeping our economy afloat. In this episode of the VEST Her Podcast, we sat down with Dr. Jessica Calarco, sociologist, professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and author of Holding It Together: How Women Became America’s Safety Net.

Moderating this discussion was Monica Barczak, VEST Member and Founder & Principal of Barczak Consulting, where she works with organizations to promote family economic success and well-being.

Together, they unpacked the hidden burdens placed on women, the systemic challenges that force them into unpaid caregiving roles, and the urgent need for policy reform.

Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This episode is brought to you by VEST, a peer network for women professionals and investment fund investing in women led companies.

This conversation was part of a more intimate coaching session with VEST Members and has been repurposed to accommodate this episode. If you'd like to learn more about joining our peer community, go to www.vesther.co to learn more.

Women as the Default Safety Net

Dr. Calarco’s book, Holding It Together, sheds light on a troubling reality: when government and workplace policies fall short, women step in to fill the gaps—often at great personal and financial cost. She explained how this phenomenon is not just a result of individual choices but rather a deeply ingrained expectation in American society.

“In the U.S., when someone loses a job, falls ill, or can’t afford childcare, we don’t have a strong safety net to catch them,” she explained. “Instead, we rely on women—mothers, daughters, sisters, friends—to step in. This isn’t just about personal sacrifice; it’s about systemic failure.”

Compared to other countries with more robust social policies, the U.S. offers little in the way of paid parental leave, affordable childcare, or universal healthcare—leaving women disproportionately responsible for caregiving.

For the full show notes go to www.VESTHer.co/podcast

Guest Bios

Dr. Jessica Calarco is a sociologist and a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She's an award-winning author, and her most recent book is titled Holding it Together: How Women Became America’s Safety Net. She has written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Atlantic, and CNN. She writes the Hidden Curriculum newsletter, and she is also a mom of two young kids.

Monica Barczak, is a VEST Member and Founder and Principal, Barczak Consulting, where she works with organizations to promote family economic success and well-being. Prior to establishing her consulting practice, Monica was Director of Community Health Equity at Ascension, where she designed and implemented strategies to reduce health disparities for low-income uninsured adults in Tulsa, Oklahoma. During her tenure, Monica grew the impact of this portfolio from $5 million a year to $12 million a year. Before this, Monica held multiple leadership roles in nonprofits and social impact organizations.

If you enjoyed the episode share it with a friend and don't forget to leave us a review. If you are ready to take your career to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Check out our VEST Membership and apply today! www.VESTHer.co