Women Who Lead

This might be the world’s most obvious plot reveal, but it’s worth saying out loud. Workplaces are still dominated by systems and rules that reward the loudest voice in the room, the longest hours, and the toughest attitudes.As women, we’re constantly navigating spaces where we feel like we have to prove ourselves, work harder to be taken seriously, and hide the parts of us that don’t “fit in.” It’s no surprise that so many of us feel overworked, undervalued, and just plain disconnected—from our confidence, our energy, ourselves.I’ve spoken to countless women who are tired of feeling stuck in roles that drain them, tired of second-guessing their worth, and tired of shrinking themselves just to make it through another meeting.They’re ambitious, capable, and full of ideas—but they’re also crushed by a system that wasn’t designed for them.I’ve built Women Who Lead with one goal in mind: Putting you at the centre. This podcast, the newsletter and our leadership program isn’t about

Women Who Lead is a business podcast hosted by Ruth Penfold, with 95 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Ruth Penfold hosts Women Who Lead, a business show with 95 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Women Who Lead

  505: Designing your life and leading with curiosity with Ania Smith

  Sep 10, 202633 minS5

  Women Who Lead is more than a podcast—it's a movement, a mindset, and a space for transformation. It's a platform for real, raw, and radically honest conversations with women who are redefining leadership on their own terms. Rooted in the belief that true leadership begins within, these Women Who Lead invite us to break free from outdated models of power and success. Through storytelling, coaching, and a soulful newsletter that follows the rhythm of the seasons, it supports women to rise—courageously, unapologetically, and as their whole selves. This is a space for women ready to lead with more self-trust, more softness, and more power. Learn more at https://ourtimetobloom.com . Season 5, Episode 5: Designing your life and leading with curiosity with Ania Smith This week I'm joined by Ania Smith — CEO of TaskRabbit, the IKEA-owned platform that connects people with skilled Taskers for everyday home and life tasks, operating across North America and Europe. Ania became a first-time CEO in August 2020 — in a pandemic, unable to meet her team in person for months. Before that, she did something most people only dream about. She and her husband packed up their entire life, sold their cars, pulled three kids out of school, and moved to Buenos Aires for a year. On purpose. At the height of her career. In this conversation we talk about what it takes to design your life intentionally rather than just following the path everyone else is on. About the gap year that changed how she leads. About walking into a CEO role with a listening tour before she made a single decision. About one-way door decisions and why the best CEOs make as few decisions as possible. About curiosity as the most important leadership skill she knows. And about what she wishes she'd learned sooner: how to really listen. This one is for every woman who has ever wondered if there might be another way — and had the courage to find out. To stay updated on future episodes, make sure you subscribe on your favourite podcast platform. I'd love to hear what resonates—so feel free to leave a review or reach out on social media. And if this episode moved you, inspired you, or made you feel seen, please consider sharing it with someone else who might need to hear it. Timestamps: 01:37 | What does it mean to be in bloom — in work and in life? 03:43 | Curiosity and adapting to unprecedented change 06:00 | Holding uncertainty in your body — the calm that leadership requires 08:09 | Fight or flight is real — and Ania has a lot of fight in her 09:26 | The gap year: selling the cars, pulling the kids out of school, and going to Argentina 11:44 | You're so lucky — and why Ania pushes back on that every time 13:00 | Don't let a good life get in the way of a great one 15:10 | What the year away changed about how she leads 16:31 | Coming back, COVID hitting, and still feeling stable 18:25 | TaskRabbit and why giving Taskers autonomy over their own rates matters 21:40 | Becoming a first-time CEO in a pandemic — and starting with a listening tour 23:19 | When things go wrong it's on me. When things go well, the credit belongs to the team 24:14 | One-way door decisions — the only ones that land on her desk 25:26 | Building your personal executive team — the cheerleader, the challenger, the champion 28:09 | The season that shaped her most: spring — and why she protects her explorer energy 30:30 | One thing Ania wishes she'd known sooner: how to really listen Resources mentioned: TaskRabbit: taskrabbit.com Ania on LinkedIn

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  Women Who Lead

  504: Unfurling flourishing and leading like a gardener with Rhiannon White

  Sep 3, 202638 minS5

  Women Who Lead is more than a podcast—it's a movement, a mindset, and a space for transformation. It's a platform for real, raw, and radically honest conversations with women who are redefining leadership on their own terms. Rooted in the belief that true leadership begins within, these Women Who Lead invite us to break free from outdated models of power and success. Through storytelling, coaching, and a soulful newsletter that follows the rhythm of the seasons, it supports women to rise—courageously, unapologetically, and as their whole selves. This is a space for women ready to lead with more self-trust, more softness, and more power. Learn more at https://ourtimetobloom.com . Season 5, Episode 4: Unfurling flourishing and leading like a gardener with Rhiannon White This week I'm joined by Rhiannon White — CEO of Clue, the world's number one women-led period and menstrual cycle tracking app, with over 10 million users across 190 countries. Rhiannon spent years watching CEOs from one level below and thinking: that looks lonely, stressful, and horrible. Why would I want that? She actively shut the door on it. And then a different kind of leader showed her it didn't have to look that way. In this conversation she talks about the gardening analogy she carries for the CEO role — preparing the soil, planting the seeds, making bets on corners of the garden, and then waiting. About the stone in the middle of the arch that isn't load bearing, but without which nothing holds. About leading in ways that nobody quite understands but that deliver results anyway. About the illusion of control that fertility treatment quietly dismantled for her. And about numbers up people down — the one piece of advice she wishes she'd known sooner. This one is for every woman who looked at leadership and thought: that's not for me. And then found a version that was. To stay updated on future episodes, make sure you subscribe on your favourite podcast platform. I'd love to hear what resonates—so feel free to leave a review or reach out on social media. And if this episode moved you, inspired you, or made you feel seen, please consider sharing it with someone else who might need to hear it. Timestamps: 02:32 | What does it mean to be in bloom — in work and in life? 03:28 | The CEO role as a garden — making bets, waiting, and not forcing things 06:38 | The click moment — discovering how much further a team can run together 08:26 | Watching CEOs from one level below and deciding: I don't want that 09:20 | What changed at Clue — co-CEOs and a different way of leading 10:25 | It doesn't have to be lonely: the CEO role is actually really fun 12:00 | The stone in the middle of the arch 14:32 | Twenty thousand hours in the cockpit — and still not always being heard 16:16 | He didn't understand how she did it, but she was doing it anyway 27:32 | All roles are caregiving roles when you're a woman — and why that matters for progression 30:27 | Fertility treatment and the illusion of control 34:11 | You can't just try harder — the myth that keeps women contained 34:53 | One thing Rhiannon wishes she'd known sooner: numbers up people down Resources mentioned: Clue: helloclue.com Rhiannon on LinkedIn

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  Women Who Lead

  503: From depletion to radiance with Sonal Bhatia

  Aug 27, 202639 minS5

  Women Who Lead is more than a podcast—it's a movement, a mindset, and a space for transformation. It's a platform for real, raw, and radically honest conversations with women who are redefining leadership on their own terms. Rooted in the belief that true leadership begins within, these Women Who Lead invite us to break free from outdated models of power and success. Through storytelling, coaching, and a soulful newsletter that follows the rhythm of the seasons, it supports women to rise—courageously, unapologetically, and as their whole selves. This is a space for women ready to lead with more self-trust, more softness, and more power. Learn more at https://ourtimetobloom.com . Season 5, Episode 3: From depletion to radiance with Sonal Bhatia This week I'm joined by Dr. Sonal Bhatia — physician, the first woman to serve as Chief Medical Affairs Officer in Pfizer's Rare Disease division, and founder of Ojas Vida, a wellness and leadership platform that bridges ancient Ayurvedic wisdom with modern healing. Sonal was checking every box. Highly successful. At the top of her field. And depleted every single night. Skin rashes. Restless sleep. A body sending signals she didn't yet have language for. It took her own health crisis — and the Western medical system's failure to connect the dots — to send her toward Ayurveda. And what she found there changed everything. In this conversation we go deep into what ojas actually means and why it matters for women in leadership. We talk about the high cortisol normal that most high-performing women mistake for being fine. About the Ayurvedic understanding of midlife as a transition, not a decline. About masculine and feminine energy in leadership — and what happens when women have had to suppress one to gain access to the other. And about embers. The kind of fire that warms rather than burns. This one is for every woman whose body has been trying to tell her something she hasn't had time to hear. To stay updated on future episodes, make sure you subscribe on your favourite podcast platform. I'd love to hear what resonates—so feel free to leave a review or reach out on social media. And if this episode moved you, inspired you, or made you feel seen, please consider sharing it with someone else who might need to hear it. Timestamps: 02:07 | What does it mean to be in bloom — in work and in life? 03:29 | What is ojas and why does it matter? 05:03 | How radiant was Sonal when she was in those big corporate roles? 07:02 | The body screams — skin rashes, inflammation, and the signals we ignore 09:22 | Divine intervention and the crossroads moment 10:13 | Getting stuck in the Western medical system she grew up in 12:00 | How Ayurveda healed what Western medicine couldn't 13:46 | The moment she chose to leave and go help people one by one 16:10 | Your Ayurvedic constitution — what it is and why it matters 24:59 | Midlife is not decline — it's a transition from fire to air 26:41 | The generation that rose the ranks and still had to run the home 30:41 | We had to suppress our feminine energy to get here — and what that cost us 33:50 | Leading with purpose — how Sonal's team of 300 transformed when they found their why 37:08 | One thing Sonal wishes she'd known sooner: every lesson arrived exactly when it needed to Resources mentioned: Ojas Vida: sonalbhatia.com Book a free 30-minute consult: sonalbhatia.com Sonal on Instagram: @sonalbhatia_md Sonal on LinkedIn: Sonal Bhatia MD Sonal's forthcoming book: The Bridge — integrating ancient wisdom and modern healing to enhance vitality

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  Women Who Lead

  502: From best supporting actress to CEO with Sylvia Kwan

  Aug 20, 202639 minS5

  Women Who Lead is more than a podcast—it's a movement, a mindset, and a space for transformation. It's a platform for real, raw, and radically honest conversations with women who are redefining leadership on their own terms. Rooted in the belief that true leadership begins within, these Women Who Lead invite us to break free from outdated models of power and success. Through storytelling, coaching, and a soulful newsletter that follows the rhythm of the seasons, it supports women to rise—courageously, unapologetically, and as their whole selves. This is a space for women ready to lead with more self-trust, more softness, and more power. Learn more at https://ourtimetobloom.com . Season 5, Episode 2: From best supporting actress to CEO — with Sylvia Kwan This week I'm joined by Sylvia Kwan — CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Ellevest, the women-focused wealth management firm on a mission to close the gender wealth gap. Sylvia is a quant by training, a self-described introvert by nature, and someone who told her founder point blank that she never wanted to be CEO. And then she became one anyway. In this conversation she talks about what it means to lead from a different kind of intelligence — quieter, less visible, but no less powerful. She talks about the scripts we write for ourselves about who we are and what we're capable of. About stepping into enormous shoes without a blueprint. And about wealthcare — her vision for a more holistic approach to wealth management that asks not just how do we build your wealth, but how do we build your life. This one is for every woman who has ever told herself she's not the leader type. To stay updated on future episodes, make sure you subscribe on your favourite podcast platform. I'd love to hear what resonates—so feel free to leave a review or reach out on social media. And if this episode moved you, inspired you, or made you feel seen, please consider sharing it with someone else who might need to hear it. Timestamps: 01:53 | What does it mean to be in Bloom — in work and in life? 02:29 | Are women hormonally programmed to put others first — and what happens when we stop? 04:09 | The chief care officer of everything except ourselves 07:39 | Stepping into the CEO role — and why Sylvia never wanted it 09:41 | When Sally stepped down and the call came anyway 13:50 | What she would say to the woman who thinks she's not the leader type 16:09 | Having a narrow definition of leadership — and what happens when you widen it 19:20 | Wealthcare: why optimising for wealth and optimising for life are not the same thing 33:06 | Confidence doesn't come from reading — it comes from small actions stacked 35:42 | One thing Sylvia wishes she'd known sooner: let go of perfection Resources mentioned: Ellevest: ellevest.com Sylvia on LinkedIn Book a complimentary financial consultation at ellevest.com

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  Women Who Lead

  501: Recovery, resilience and the real cost of building with Morgan Fowles

  Aug 13, 202639 minS5

  Women Who Lead is more than a podcast—it's a movement, a mindset, and a space for transformation. It's a platform for real, raw, and radically honest conversations with women who are redefining leadership on their own terms. Rooted in the belief that true leadership begins within, these Women Who Lead invite us to break free from outdated models of power and success. Through storytelling, coaching, and a soulful newsletter that follows the rhythm of the seasons, it supports women to rise—courageously, unapologetically, and as their whole selves. This is a space for women ready to lead with more self-trust, more softness, and more power. Learn more at https://ourtimetobloom.com . Season 5, Episode 1: Recovery, resilience and the real cost of building with Morgan Fowles This week, I'm joined by Morgan Fowles—seasoned operator, former CEO of TALA, and one of the most honest voices I've spoken to about what it actually costs to build. Morgan has spent over a decade scaling creative and fashion businesses, leading at every level from senior operator to chief executive. Under her leadership, TALA doubled down, hit record revenue, and opened its first physical stores. She stepped away at the top—not at the bottom—and is now advising and building again across fashion, wellness, and beyond. In this conversation, she talks candidly about burnout that looks like speeding up, not slowing down. About the quiet voice of "not enough" that lives underneath ambition. About self-esteem as a daily practice, the loneliness of the CEO seat, and why recovery might be the most underrated leadership skill of all. This is the opening episode of CEO Season—a limited series going inside the inner lives of female CEOs. And Morgan was exactly the right person to start it. To stay updated on future episodes, make sure you subscribe on your favourite podcast platform. I'd love to hear what resonates—so feel free to leave a review or reach out on social media. And if this episode moved you, inspired you, or made you feel seen, please consider sharing it with someone else who might need to hear it. Timestamps: 00:02 | What does it mean to you to be in Bloom in work and in life? 02:28 | Seasons within roles — and how to know which one you're in 05:19 | What burnout actually looks like when you're a builder 08:13 | From "not enough" to CEO — where does the audacity come from? 10:23 | Self-esteem as maths — how to stack the moments that feel good 23:58 | What Morgan is building now and why the wellness space is calling her 27:31 | What hits different about operating at CEO level — for good and for bad 32:06 | Why female leaders need to be visible — and what transparency actually gives other women 36:19 | One thing Morgan wishes she'd learned sooner: the power of recovery Resources mentioned: Morgan on LinkedIn Morgan on Instagram: @morgan.fowls

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