Discomfort Zone Podcast

03/09/2024

Aaaand the Discomfort Zone podcast is back for Season 2!

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/discomfort-zone-podcast/episodes/S02-E01---Getting-S**t-Done-e2nuecq

Are you constantly struggling to "get s**t done" and balance the demands of work, home, and personal life? Join our panel of accomplished women leaders in STEMM from several continents as they dive deep into the strategies, tools, and mindsets that help them stay productive, motivated, and fulfilled. From overcoming procrastination and imposter syndrome to building supportive networks and prioritizing self-care, this kickoff episode of season 2 of The Discomfort Zone offers a refreshingly honest and relatable discussion on the challenges and triumphs of getting s**t done. Whether you're a busy professional, an aspiring entrepreneur, or simply someone seeking more balance in your life, you'll find practical wisdom and inspiration in the stories and insights shared by our expert guests. Tune in to discover your path to getting more done while staying true to what matters most. This is an episode you won't want to miss!

Join us as we discuss these questions with Saffron Bryant (a chemistry researcher at RMIT University in Melbourne), Sara Ritzie (a veterinarian from Canada), Annette Gray (a leadership coach from Sydney), Eileen Denigan (a physician from America) and Jodi Salmond (a marine biologist from Brisbane), hosted by Roshni Sharma (a geospatial scientist from Sydney).

Are you constantly struggling to "get s**t done" and balance the demands of work, home, and personal life? Join our panel of accomplished women leaders in STEMM from several continents as they dive deep into the strategies, tools, and mindsets that help them stay productive, motivated, and fulfilled...

27/11/2021

About half of male white-collar professionals are tired of the gender equality discussion in the workplace and believe reverse discrimination is occurring.

08/09/2021

With today being R U OK Day, many of us are thinking about our friends, family, colleagues and acquaintances whose wellbeing we are wondering about. As you reach out to your near and dear ones, it can be useful to think about how you can bring greater compassion and empathy to these interactions - to go beyond a token question to a deep, authentic and genuine connection.

05/04/2021

Yeesh - scary: "The fashion industry contributes to around 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions — which is more than the aviation and shipping industries combined. It’s also draining precious environmental resources: The industry produces about 20 percent of global wastewater and, what’s even worse, 85 percent of textiles end up in landfills or are incinerated. "

Click here to find out about steps you can take to have a lighter impact on the planet!

Through our everyday buying decisions, we consumers can collectively create the demand for sustainable products and send a powerful message to big corporations that they need to clean up their act.…

02/03/2021

Imposter Syndrome - many of us have felt it before, will feel it in the future, or feel it now, in relation to some part of our professional or personal lives. It's that niggling sense of self-doubt that you're never going to be good enough, despite clear evidence that you're performance is on point.

Today on the Discomfort Zone Podcast, we talk about imposter syndrome - what it looks and feels like to us, how we find ourselves responding to seeing imposter syndrome in others around us, and strategies we've found useful in combating it.

https://anchor.fm/discomfort-zone-podcast/episodes/12-Imposter-Syndrome-eram4p

Imposter Syndrome - many of us have felt it before, will feel it in the future, or feel it now, in relation to some part of our professional or personal lives. It's that niggling sense of self-doubt that you're never going to be good enough, despite clear evidence that you're performance is on point...

29/01/2021

What are the planetary boundaries, and why are the next 10 years critical to decide whether we make the necessary changes to save humanity (not nature - nature will be fine) in the face of climate change?

TED Talk Subtitles and Transcript: "For the first time, we are forced to consider the real risk of destabilizing the entire planet," says climate impact scholar Johan Rockström. In a talk backed by vivid animations of the climate crisis, he shows how nine out of the 15 big biophysical systems that ...

03/01/2021

How to be a good ancestor - Our descendants own the future, but the decisions and actions we make now will tremendously impact generations to come, says philosopher Roman Krznaric. From a global campaign to grant legal personhood to nature to a groundbreaking lawsuit by a coalition of young activists, Krznaric shares examples of ways we can become good ancestors -- or, as he calls them, "Time Rebels" -- and join a movement redefining lifespans, pursuing intergenerational justice and practicing deep love for the planet.

31/12/2020

To welcome in the new year, why not look up what your ecological footprint is?

Calculate your ecological footprint and find out how you can contribute to the conservation of the environment with WWF Australia. Visit Us today!

31/12/2020

Our last episode of 2020! As the year draws to a close, we share some of our tips on small and big actions and behaviours that we can all do to lessen our impact on the environment, as well as throw around our ideas and beliefs around the moral and ethical obligations humanity has towards living beings and the habitats they occupy which our species has such a large impact on.

What are our moral and ethical obligations to the living beings and the habitats they need to survive which we impact upon as humanity? And what are some things that we can all do, whether big or small actions or behaviours, to help reduce the impact of humanity on the planet? Join us as we discuss....

25/12/2020

Wishing you and your family a safe, happy and joyful holiday period, from all of us at the Discomfort Zone Podcast!

14/12/2020

As 2020 wraps up in just over two weeks, we're thinking about what we want 2021 to look like - how do we want to grow as individuals, both in our personal lives and professional lives. As part of this, I'm contemplating and revisiting who my role models and mentors are, and how these reflections can help me set aspirations and goals.

Check out this episode, where we discuss these concepts, to help you in this process too!

How can having role models and mentors help you unlock your passions and career purpose, or your work style and approach? How do we find them? And why are female role models in STEM so important? Join us in this episode of Discomfort Zone to find out more!

12/12/2020

As we're getting to the end of the year, many of us are feeling how 2020 has worn us down and left us in need of some recuperation. Some of us are looking forward to taking some much-needed time off at the end of the year, an opportunity to refill our cups in order to be able to pour for others.

It's a timely chance to listen to this episode of the Discomfort Zone podcast, where we explore how taking time out to recharge, build new skills, reflect and think allow us to recharge and safely explore our discomfort zones in different ways. We also look at leadership skills like resilience, emotional intelligence, empathy and courage that recharging and refilling our cups can afford us.

Check it out today!

All leaders need to be able to refill their cups in order to pour for others - this is an anaolgy that has made the rounds and become a familiar way of expressing the importance of taking time out to recharge, build new skills, reflect and think. Welcome to Episode 3 of the Discomfort Zone Podcast,....

06/12/2020

Failure is a discomfort zone for all of us - it unearths our vulnerabilities, it raises difficult and uncomfortable emotions, and it can make us question ourselves. But how can we learn to embrace failure and fail forward, to be better people and better leaders?

Listen now on the Discomfort Zone Podcast, available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and all major podcast providers! Real stories, told by real women, about real leadership journeys at all stages.

Failure is something we all face up with - sometimes big, sometimes small. Sometimes it's relatively simple for us to process, and sometimes it can take years to unravel, unpack and work through. But in today's world, being able to embrace failure, find ways to be resilient and have emotional intell...

29/11/2020

What does climate change mean to you? And besides the obvious impact on the environment, what are some of the other ways that climate change will shift the dynamics, routines and habits of our lifestyles?

Join us as we discuss these questions with Anna Colucci (a biologist and environmental manager from Italy currently based in Germany), Helen O'Connor (A UK Civil Servant currently living in Ireland specialising in climate change and environmental advisory), Jodi Salmond (a marine researcher specialising in citizen science reef ecology and personal development from the Gold Coast, Australia), Judit Jimenez-Sainz (originally from Spain, now working at Yale University as a biochemist and geneticist researching female cancers and how to prevent and cure them), Marga Lopez (a marine researcher specialising in marine ecology and climate change, based in Spain), Natalie Barefoot (a Canadian lawyer working on international ocean protection and wildlife conservation), Nirvani Dhevcharran (an information technology specialist based in Cape Town, South Africa), Priya Gandhi (an American living in Melbourne, Australia, working as a sustainability consultant to design buildings better for people and the planet), Rachel Villani (a wetlands scientist based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana), Yanhui Wang (a communications specialist in a climate change think tank in Beijing, China, who joined us for this recording at 4am her local time!) and Rebecca Wade (a Senior Lecturer in environmental science based in Scotland) and hosted by Roshni Sharma (a spatial scientist and project manager based in Sydney, Australia).

Homeward Bound

https://anchor.fm/discomfort-zone-podcast/episodes/10-Climate-Change-as-a-Discomfort-Zone-HB5-Virtual-Voyage-Episode-3-Part-1-en4039

What does climate change mean to you? And besides the obvious impact on the environment, what are some of the other ways that climate change will shift the dynamics, routines and habits of our lifestyles? Join us as we discuss these questions with Anna (a biologist and environmental manager from Ita...

22/11/2020

This episode draws upon the value of authenticity, vulnerability and empathy in our leadership toolkits. It delves into the interplay between these three traits, how we develop them and use them to bring groups and people together. We explore why leadership increasingly needs us to show our human side, how we can connect on deeper levels with the people we represent to help better understand their vision and problems, and how we can also connect more deeply with our fellow leaders. This is the second part of the special 3-part series for the .

Joining us in this episode, the largest we have ever done, are a suite of incredible women from all corners of the globe: Anna Madlener (a marine robotics engineer in Berlin), Dr Monica Green (an environmental and sustainability tertiary educator in Australia), Nirvani Devcharan (an information technology specialist from Cape Town, South Africa), Roshni Sharma (a spatial scientist from Sydney, Australia), Nancy Glenn (a Professor of remote sensing of the environment from Sydney), Amie Figueiredo (a scientist working on environmental sustainable development policies in Switzerland), Carole Durussel (a Swiss marine scientist working on high seas biodiversity conservation in Germany), Joanna Sumner (a herpetologist managing the wildlife frozen tissue collection at Melbourne Museum, Judit Jimienez Sainz (a research scientist and molecular biologist from Yale Medical School), Jodi Salmond (a marine scientist based on the Gold Coast, Australia), Christina B (a Veterinarian from North Carolina, US), Laurie LaPat (an Adjunct Professor at Arizona State University and an environmental engineer), Charlotte Francesiaz (a researcher studying migratory birds in France), (a wetlands scientist in Baton Rouge, Louisiana), Priyanka Das Rajkakati (Indian-origin French who is an aerospace engineer, PhD candidate in GNSS and an artist), Xhi Hu (Sisi, originally from China, now working on infrastructure assistance modelling and climate change adaptation in the US) and Phillista Malaki (a Kenyan based in Nairobi, a Senior Research Scientist at the National Museum of Kenya).

https://anchor.fm/discomfort-zone-podcast/episodes/09-A-New-Leadership-Authenticity--Vulnerability-and-Empathy-HB5VV-Special-2-emrju7

Part 2 of the HB5 Virtual Voyage special, this episode draws upon the value of authenticity, vulnerability and empathy in our leadership toolkits. It delves into the interplay between these three traits, how we develop them and use them to bring groups and people together. We explore why leadership....

15/11/2020

How has COVID-19 shaped and moulded the way that you care for those around you, connect with colleagues and friends, and the way you envision and create change in the world?

Check out the extra special episode of our podcast, delving into these issues and more!

A huge shout out to the incredible women of HB5 who have come together for this, the biggest episode we've done yet - Linda Thompson, Judit Jiminez-Sainz, Rachel Villani, Nirvani Devcharran, Roshni Sharma, Tamantha Stutchbury and Jodi Salmond and Reina Camacho-Torro!

Join us for this special episode of the Discomfort Zone Podcast, the first in a series of three celebrating the Homeward Bound 5 Virtual Voyage, deep diving into the leadership journey of women in STEM. Today, we delve into how the pandemic has brought a silver lining for us in some new ways of conn...

10/11/2020

Today, I should have been in Ushuaia, Argentina, boarding a ship and setting sail for the Drake Passage with 80 women from around the world to spend three weeks in Antarctica. Because of COVID-19, clearly this isn't happening, which simultaneously breaks my heart but also fills me with hope for another year of virtual leadership development with these women before we depart for Antarctica next year or the year after.

To mark the time we were originally planning to take the voyage, we're doing a three week where we'll be sharing on various social media and other platforms the various learnings and ideas we've had over the past year about the leadership journey, about diversity and inclusion in STEM, about the sorts of global change the world needs right now and now we can come together and collaborate to make these happen, about how we can inspire action in others and who have inspired us, and how we can all embrace a spirit of leadership no matter what age, career stage, gender, ability, cultural background, religion or geography we embody.

https://youtu.be/SrmB4p1yLB0

We are the fifth cohort of Homeward Bound (HB5), part of a global leadership program for women in STEMM (science, technology, engineering, maths, and medicin...

04/11/2020

Coming up soon, we'll be bringing you our next episode on . Here's a teaser with some tips from Megan Phelps-Roper, who decided to leave the Westboro Baptist Church through courageous conversations with strangers. Here are her 3 tips for having more thoughtful discussions about the issues that divide us.

Watch her full talk here: http://t.ted.com/8voiThI

03/11/2020

One week to go until the !

Our planet is in crisis and so is the state of global leadership. We need worldwide action now. And we need to work together. We are 80 women from all around the world, each with a background in STEMM – science, technology, engineering, medicine, or mathematics – and, together, we are Team HB5 of Homeward Bound.

Homeward Bound is a global leadership initiative, set against the backdrop of Antarctica, enabling 1000 women over 10 years to change the way we care for our planet and ensure that there is greater diversity at the global leadership table. We believe that diversity is key to finding solutions to the challenges our world is facing.

On 10 November 2020 we were supposed to meet in Ushuaia, in Argentina, and sail to Antarctica for the culmination of our one-year intensive leadership training programme. Although we can’t travel to Antarctica this year, to mark our 1-year leadership journey anniversary, we invite you all to join our Virtual Voyage. Using the hashtag , we will tell our inspiring stories, explore our incredible leadership journeys, and share our views on increasing diversity in STEMM and leadership roles to tackle today’s challenges.

28/10/2020

If you haven't seen 'Picture a Scientist' UNSW is running a free screening (online) until tomorrow - highly highly recommend - https://www.edi.unsw.edu.au/picture-scientist.

Described as “quietly devastating” by The Boston Globe, Picture a Scientist chronicles the groundswell of researchers who are writing a new chapter for women scientists. Biologist Nancy Hopkins, chemist Raychelle Burks, and geologist Jane Willenbring lead viewers on a journey deep into their own...

28/10/2020

In Episode 5, we spoke about female role models in STEM. This great article digs deeper into this area, looking to explain what role models contribute to culture and climate, and how having female role models in STEM creates actual impact with regards to a sense of belonging.

“She looks like me, and she’s succeeding.”

25/10/2020

Speaking of lenses, and diversity and inclusion - in our new normal, virtual meetings can be a space to tangibly act!

Let’s make the most of our virtual meetings — we can use some of their unique features to achieve more inclusion, says social psychologist Dolly Chugh.

16/10/2020

In Episode 5 of the Discomfort Zone podcast, we explore why female role models in STEM are so important. Not only do they inspire and show us what is possible if we chase our dreams, but they are vital to getting more girls into STEM careers.

There is a serious lack of female role models within STEM (science, tech, engineering, maths), leaving a generation of girls without inspiration

15/10/2020

Today in the Discomfort Zone podcast, we're exploring the second half of a two-part series that considers diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging and its relevance to leadership. In the last episode, we delved into the experiences which we have had with unconscious bias, on both the receiving and giving sides, and how we strive to become more aware of our unconscious biases. Now, join Jodi, Nancy, Paula, Nirvani and Roshni to explore into the link between shame and facing or changing our unconscious or conscious biases, how our biases impact the experience of networking in different cultures, how we can use an awareness of diversity and inclusion when speaking with people of different values or worldviews to ourselves, and the professional benefits to organisations of adopting diverse and inclusive cultures.

All of see the world through lenses - lenses formed by our values and personalities, our life experiences, the people around us, the interests we have, the places we work. These things make us who we are, influence our strengths and weaknesses, and most importantly, impact the ways in which we respond and react to the people and world around us. These lenses form from our conscious and unconscious biases, which place us in various positions of privilege and oppression, depending upon the contexts which we flow through in life.

All of see the world through lenses - lenses formed by our values and personalities, our life experiences, the people around us, the interests we have, the places we work. These things make us who we are, influence our strengths and weaknesses, and most importantly, impact the ways in which we respo...

14/10/2020

"Language matters. What we say can have profound effects on an individual’s sense of belonging, self-efficacy, and science identity. Think back to a time when you felt slighted or invalidated by something that was said to you. Were you upset? Angry? Confused? Did you doubt yourself? Were you uncertain how to respond? To what extent did one small comment dominate your thoughts or interfere with other tasks you were trying to accomplish? Now imagine this slight occurred in an area where you aspired to have success: in your research laboratory, in a classroom, during a conference, or in a faculty meeting. How does such language affect your ability to concentrate on your professional and academic responsibilities in these environments?"

In Episode 06 and 07 of the Discomfort Zone podcast, we touch on how microaggresions in STEM can be damaging, and some of the things we can do to combat them. This paper provides some excellent context to these issues - and is a great read!

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6007773/

Language matters and can have profound effects on individuals’ sense of belonging, self-efficacy, and science identity. This article explores identifying and addressing microaggressions in the everyday language of scientific environments that ...