Can I say something gently, the way I would if we were sitting across from each other with an almond milk latte? If you’ve ever walked out of a meeting thinking, “Dang it. I should have said that,” you’re not alone.

Hanukkah has always meant something different to me than it did to most kids I grew up with. I was raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and in my elementary school, there were exactly two Jewish kids.

Let’s cut to the chase: Executive presence isn’t about how you sound. It’s about how you listen. Not just to others.

Let’s cut the crap. You’ve been told (directly or indirectly) that if you want to lead at the next level, you need to “work on your executive presence.”

Ever noticed how a great story can stop you mid-scroll, keep you glued to your seat, or leave you replaying it in your mind for days? Now imagine if your leadership had that kind of power. Here’s the thing: it can.

As a senior woman leader in STEM, you likely face unique challenges that test your confidence daily. You might be over-prepared for meetings or reluctant to share your ideas.

Look here, Louisa, I’m going to cut right to the chase on this one because we’ve spent the last few posts reviewing the legacy leadership framework to build up to this moment right here…The moment where I bring it all together to talk legacy leadership.

Dust yourself off and grab those big scissors over there. You’re about to be the guest of honor at a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Today, I’m back to kick up the dust on leadership and walk you through one aspect of my new Legacy Leader Framework (as we started to discuss in the last post)–authentic leadership. But before we go jumping on that horse and riding toward the new frontier of authentic, inspiring, and impactful leadership, I want to make sure you’re picking up what I’m laying down, partner.

Picture this through the lens of leadership. Just try. You sit in a dark living room, the only lights coming from your TV. The black and white picture cascades shadows around the room. You rifle around in a bowl for another fistful of popcorn but miss your mouth because you can’t take your eyes off the screen.

My latest album, The Transfer of Trust is about to drop and I want you all to know before I take the show on the road (Eras style…I might even go blond). Every hit single I’ve included is meant to inspire empowering women leaders to empower new leaders.

I have a serious question for you. If the way you showed up as a leader were like a dog, what kind of dog would you be?

May is mental health awareness month, and we must talk about it. I’ve learned this the hard way. In this month’s blog post, I’m here to advocate for a different and better way forward. A way that encourages us to de-stigmatize talking about mental health and to advocate for ourselves and others.

This one is for you–a powerful woman leader in STEM. I see you sitting in your power suit around the ‘big boy’ table. I see you. But do they?

Spoiler alert– I’m writing another book! It won’t be like any other…kind of like my oh-so-brilliant audience. (Hint: that’s you– the inspirational female leader in STEM.)

You’re more than your corner office, your role, your title. I want you to consider that for a moment. When was the last time you really took the time to think about who you are outside of your professional identity and accomplishments?

In last month’s blog post, I encouraged you to make this new year a banner year for your leadership. To toss aside the rulebooks you never wrote and the playbooks that weren’t ever really yours. This year is about stepping into your next level of leadership, not defined by anyone else but you.

As we gear up for another year, let's talk about something near and dear to my heart and absolutely critical to the future of the world (yes, the WHOLE world)–the incredible power and unstoppable rise of female leadership in male-dominated industries. And let’s just pause for a moment to acknowledge and celebrate that you're not just part of this movement; you're at its forefront!

Has it been just one more year and one more round of playing small in a man’s world? Has it been another umpteen months of your brilliant ideas being hijacked? I’m looking at you, Powerhouse. If this is how your year has been–aren’t you tired of watching from the sidelines while your brilliance and light get snuffed out or overlooked altogether?

Repeat after me: putting myself first is key. Now, go write it on a Post-it note and stick it on your bathroom mirror, refrigerator, bedroom closet, and car dashboard. And every time you see it, say it out loud. No, really. Keep telling yourself how important you are until you BELIEVE IT.