What happens after a woman breaks through the glass ceiling—and finds herself walking on broken glass?

Shannon Nutter is a longtime financial services executive, board member and co-author of Walking on Broken Glass: Navigating the Aftermath of the Glass Ceiling. After decades of working in male-dominated industries and holding senior leadership roles, Shannon knows firsthand how quickly a successful woman can go from being valued to being viewed as a threat.

In this conversation, we unpack what workplace bias actually looks like, why accomplished women often question their own experiences and how the story around a woman’s leadership can suddenly begin to change.

This isn’t a conversation about blaming, complaining or telling women to fix themselves. It’s about recognizing the warning signs, understanding the dynamics happening around us and being better prepared to respond.

We talk about:

• What happens after women break through the glass ceiling
• How workplace bias and the “takedown playbook” show up
• Why successful women can still be caught completely off guard
• How to recognize when the problem isn’t your performance
• Why relationships and political capital matter
• How to document and protect yourself when things shift
• What meaningful support between women really looks like
• Why organizational change can’t rest solely on women

If you’ve ever felt the narrative around you change at work—or watched it happen to another woman—this conversation will help you better understand what was happening and what to do next.

Chapters

04:55 Why the glass ceiling isn’t the last barrier

06:47 Why great performance isn’t always enough

12:49 Recognizing bias in your workplace

14:45 The Goldilocks syndrome: Too much or not enough

17:26 The invisible org chart and office politics

23:28 The takedown: When high performers get pushed out

29:18 Warning signs you might be overlooking

32:59 Protecting your voice, results and network

36:13 Collaboration over competition: Supporting other women

Links

Purchase Walking On Broken Glass

Connect with Shannon