We Lead Anyway!

Send us Fan MailNoelle, host of We Lead Anyway, breaks down how terms like “toxic workplace,” “hostile work environment,” “narcissistic boss,” and “gaslighting” get thrown around so often that they start to lose meaning. She cuts through the noise to define what a truly toxic workplace actually is, and more importantly, what it isn’t.This episode walks through three clear signs of real toxicity, helping you separate everyday workplace frustration from environments that are genuinely harmful. Because not everything is toxic, but when it is, you should know exactly what you’re looking at.Support the showNow, go take up space!

Send us Fan MailA hiring manager was late to the interview then did everything but pay attention. What should interviewers actually be doing, what candidates can do when things go sideways, and why the interview process has real legal stakes. Let’s talk about it. Support the showNow, go take up space!

Send us Fan MailThis episode gets into why workplace emotion is treated like a malfunction, why the rules are applied completely differently depending on who you are. Hhhmmmmm!Support the showNow, go take up space!

Send us Fan MailToday, we break down how your mindset, subconscious patterns, nervous system, and energy shape your reality at work and in life. Through everyday examples, Noelle challenges recurring patterns and reveals the obvious conclusion: the call is coming from inside the house. Youtube:@WeLeadAnywaySupport the showNow, go take up space!

Send us Fan MailBlack. Queer. No degree. Raised in Utah as a Jehovah's Witness. Pick a struggle! It wasn't until other people told me "seeing you here changes what I think is possible for me " that I finally stopped apologizing for existing. This episode is about survival patterns, who you borrow courage from when you can't find your own, and how to stop performing palatability for people who weren't fully seeing you anyway.Youtube: @WeLeadAnyway Support the showNow, go take up space!

Send us Fan MailNoelle pushes back on the idea that resume gaps are some kind of red flag, calling it what it is, a lazy, bias-driven shortcut that tells you very little about how someone will actually perform.Instead of using gaps as an easy filter, she challenges hiring managers to ask better questions, drop the judgment, and evaluate the whole person. She also calls out applicant tracking systems that auto-reject for gaps, pointing out that all they really do is scale bad hiring habits. And yes, unpaid caregiving is still work, whether it shows up on a resume or not.Support the showNow, go take up space!

Send us Fan MailI love AI. I use it constantly. And I can hear it from a mile away when someone else does and hasn't bothered to put themselves back into it. This episode is about why AI-generated content creates distance, what authentic actually sounds like, and how to use the tools without disappearing inside them.Support the showNow, go take up space!

Send us Fan MailSeason 2 of We Lead Anyway kicks off with a real, unfiltered look at where this podcast came from and where it’s headed. Noelle shares the truth behind building Season 1 in the middle of a toxic work environment, how the show became her anchor, and why she refuses to wait for permission to lead. This season blends career strategy with personal growth, because leadership isn’t just what you do at work, it’s who you are. If you’re ready to grow, reflect, and take up space, you’re in the right place.www.youtube.com/@WeLeadAnywaySupport the showNow, go take up space!

Send us Fan MailToday we're breaking down why the reference check is mostly performance, who it quietly disadvantages, and what actually predicts whether someone will be good at a job. Spoiler: this ain't it!Support the showNow, go take up space!

Send us Fan MailAccountability gets a bad rap. In this episode, Noelle breaks down why the problem isn’t accountability itself, it’s how leaders use it.Support the showNow, go take up space!

Send us Fan MailHave you ever poured your heart out on LinkedIn and immediately regretted it? Or watched someone else do it and felt... secondhand cringe? In this episode, we're having the conversation nobody wants to have about why oversharing on LinkedIn might actually be hurting your brand, your business, and your reputation. Vulnerability has its place. LinkedIn might not be it. Tune in for real talk, practical strategies, and the boundaries your personal brand has been waiting for.Support the showNow, go take up space!

Send us Fan MailAdvocating for yourself sounds empowering until you actually do it. Then it gets risky.In this episode, I talk about the quiet cost of calling out bad behavior, especially when you are used to being agreeable, resilient, and the only one in the room. Just because you can handle something does not mean it is not harmful.I share three practical steps to speak up with clarity, strength, and self respect without blowing everything up.Advocacy is risky. Self abandonment is riskier.Support the showNow, go take up space!

Send us Fan MailWhen someone sets a boundary at work, what story do you tell yourself?Disengaged. Not committed. Not leadership material.In this episode, we flip the lens and examine what really happens when we receive a boundary. Why “no” feels personal, how we confuse availability with commitment, and what our reactions reveal about workload, dependency, and power.Boundaries are not a sign someone is checking out. They are often a sign they are trying to stay in.Support the showNow, go take up space!

Send us Fan MailIf you are interviewing for a role at your current company and assuming familiarity will carry you, this is the conversation you need to hear. Internal interviews are not NOT a shoo-in. In this episode of We Lead Anyway, I break down what leaders are actually evaluating when internal candidates step into the interview room and why treating it like “they already know me” can quietly cost you the role.This is not shade. It is leadership clarity.Listen before your next internal interview.Support the showNow, go take up space!

Send us Fan MailThis episode is for anyone waiting for a promotion before acting like a leader. The title is not coming to rescue you. Noelle digs into why leadership starts with behavior, confidence, and consistency. She shares how she built influence long before getting a fancy role and gives you one simple move to do the same.Support the showNow, go take up space!

Send us Fan MailThis year, Black History Month feels less like honor and more like performance.In this episode, I’m talking about what too many organizations ignore: they celebrate Black history while refusing to share power with Black people. Where are the Black executives? Who gets sponsorship, mentorship, and real access to leadership?No more empty statements. If you want to honor Black people, prove it with leadership, investment, and accountability.Support the showNow, go take up space!

Send us Fan MailSome leaders say they want high performers… until they actually have one. In this episode, we’re talking about the kind of leadership that feels threatened by talent, challenges, and visibility, and why that insecurity quietly destroys growth, morale, and trust. If your manager only supports you when you stay small, if your ideas get minimized, or if promotions keep getting “delayed” because you’re “too valuable,” this episode is for you. We’ll break down what weak leadership looks like, why it happens, and what real leaders do instead: build benches, develop other high performers, and celebrate when their stars outgrow the role. Support the showNow, go take up space!

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when one imperfect moment tries to erase everything else?In this episode, I share a real experience from my company kickoff. The wins were strong. The impact was real. And one presentation didn’t land the way I wanted. Instead of celebrating the full picture, my brain fixated on that single moment and started questioning my readiness.This episode isn’t about public speaking. It’s about rumination, imposter syndrome, and the lie that one mistake defines your leadership. We talk about what good leaders actually see, why one moment is never the verdict, and how to stay visible even when your voice shakes.You don’t have to be perfect to be trusted. You can lead anyway.Support the showNow, go take up space!

Send us Fan MailIf you think networking is optional this episode is your plot twist. Noelle confesses her own anti networking era and how one random LinkedIn glow up turned into years of job offers without lifting a finger. She breaks down why visibility matters and gives you one easy step to grow your network without feeling thirsy!Support the showNow, go take up space!

Send us Fan MailYou know that little voice that says just ask for something reasonable so you don’t rock the boat. We're going to light that voice on fire today. We'll break down how modesty culture tricks smart people into playing small and shares a story from her own career that will make you yell oh no she didn’t. By the end you will have a mindset shift, a power phrase, and the courage to make the ask that terrifies you in the best way.Support the showNow, go take up space!

Send us Fan MailThis episode is about unlearning the survival skill of shrinking. I walk through how I apologized for everything from my tattoos to my hair to my literal presence and how that stopped the day someone told me I was powerful. If you tend to fold yourself into a human origami shape at work, this one is for you.Support the showNow, go take up space!

Send us Fan MailToday we expose the myth that confidence comes first. It doesn’t. Action does. I tell the story of how I went from getting sixth place on stage to winning everything in sight with nothing but fear, stubbornness, and an alter ego named Carmen Bugatti. If you’re waiting to feel ready, you’ll be waiting forever.Support the showNow, go take up space!

Send us Fan MailToday we discuss why your career is not confused. You are. And that is fixable. I walk through the three questions that create instant clarity and tell a story about how one conversation sent me straight toward VP territory. This is your permission to stop drifting and start directing.Support the showNow, go take up space!

Send us Fan MailIn this episode we talk about the audacity to want more, why certain people get punished for it, and why ambition is only “entitlement” when it comes from the wrong zip code. We talk ambition, identity, and why success starts the moment you stop apologizing for having goals.Support the showNow, go take up space!