Hi {{ Name | there }},
If your manager doesn’t know your impact, it’s not helping your career.
But here’s the reality: for many women, talking about your work feels like bragging.
Research shows women are up to 5x less likely than men to share their accomplishments, even when they’ve done something amazing.
Data from the National Bureau of Economic Research shows that women consistently rate their performance more harshly than men (which begins as early as sixth grade! 🤯)
But visibility isn’t about bragging. It’s about making your value clear, so your work can be rewarded, recognized, and trusted.
That’s why, inside Career Mama, we launched a Self-Advocacy Challenge in June.
The goal was simple: Start speaking up for yourself, in such small ways that it no longer feels uncomfortable.
Here are the prompts we shared with the community and now you can try them too.
The first week, we asked members to share a win with their manager.
Not a finished project. Not a polished case study. Just something that showed progress or momentum.
Examples to use in a 1:1, Slack, or email:
“This week I finally unblocked X and made progress on Y.”
“I had a great convo with [stakeholder], it helped move things forward.”
“I’m proud of how I handled [challenge], still a work in progress, but it felt like growth.”
We reminded ourselves: this isn’t bragging. It’s helping your manager understand your value, especially with performance reviews coming up.
🥳 Here’s a win from a Career Mama:
#2 Speak up or create space for others
The next week, we focused on speaking up or creating space for someone else. Because self-advocacy isn’t just about self-promotion. It’s also about leadership.
Some members shared a new idea in a meeting, even if they weren’t 100% sure it would land. A member started leading with questions, not answers, when her team came to ask for help. Another stood up for a colleague who is in a tough spot.
Try one of these in your next meeting:
“I believe we should… because…”
“What do you think about this?”
“I want to highlight the great work [Name] did on this.”
🥳 Here’s a win from a Career Mama:
In the final week, we challenged members to share a win or update with someone outside our immediate team.
A stakeholder. A senior leader. A cross-functional partner. Even a direct report.
Try one of these:
“We hit [milestone] this week, wanted to loop you in.”
“Thanks for your input on X, here’s how it shaped the outcome.”
“Here’s something I’m proud of from this sprint/project…”
🥳 Some wins from Career Mamas:
This challenge wasn’t about being louder.
It was about being clearer.
It was about owning the work you’re already doing and practicing the confidence to let it be seen. And it worked.
Members felt more confident and respected. And more in control of their narrative at work.
I’d love to know where you are when it comes to self-advocacy.
How comfortable do you feel talking about your accomplishments?
If you have any other ideas for speaking about your impact at work, write back and let me know. See you next Thursday! 👋
Cheers,
Shivani
P.S. If you’re looking for a new job, Ladies Get Paid founder, Claire Wasserman, has created two free resources for you:
Hire Ground: A YouTube show for job seekers that offers market insights and practical strategies with expert guests.
LLC of Me: How to Run Your Job Search Like an Entrepreneur (On-Demand Workshop) – Learn to run your job search like a strategic business instead of a desperate job seeker.
Claire has helped thousands of professionals secure opportunities even in tough markets. I hope these help!
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