Academic Woman Amplified

Do you constantly feel like there is not enough time, not enough resources, not enough publications, just not enough? This isn’t a coincidence (and it isn’t the truth). In academia we’ve been conditioned into a scarcity mindset. An abundance mindset means you feel like there is enough of something: enough time, enough resources, plenty to go around for everyone. Scarcity mindset assumes there is never enough, and you better scramble and scratch for everything you can get. We’ve been conditioned to see our careers through a scarcity lens, but it does not have to be that way!  What is a Scarcity Mindset? Scarcity mindset, the feeling that there is never enough, is rampant in academia. When we never know how much is enough, it breeds feelings of never enough.    If it is unclear exactly how many publications you need for tenure, it ends up feeling like there are never enough.  When your department chair sends out the vibe that there is no money for anything and don’t even bother asking, it can seem like there i

How do you keep your writing going during times of upheaval and uncertainty? It’s possible to keep making progress, but you do need to have some tools to draw on.   Uncertainty is a norm in our lives. Some times are rife with upheaval on a large scale, like our current moment in 2020: unknowns and extra stressors due to Covid-19, unrest and striving for change due to a long overdue racial reckoning...it’s an uncertain moment in history. But even in our “normal” lives, uncertainty is a factor. Someone might get sick, you might have a loss in the family or a change in circumstances.    When life takes unpredictable turns, how do you make progress on your writing projects? In a word: systems. You need to have a variety of tools to pull from, that you can apply in different ways at different times, in order to roll with the punches life throws. Here are some of the tools and skills we teach in our programs to help you maintain a practice no matter what is happening in your circumstances.  Parts of a Writing Syste

Have you ever looked at your writing projects through the lens of economics? I’m showing you how, and why you should on this episode of The Academic Womxn Amplified. I love listening to podcasts; they’re one of my favorite ways to give my brain a little break and think about something other than academics for awhile. This summer I stumbled on a great one that I not only found fascinating, but realized could be applied to our writing project management, so I had to share it with you all! The podcast is called Planet Money, and in their summer session they aired an episode about decision-making that might just help you decide where to put your writing resources.    On this episode of The Academic Womxn Amplified, I’m explaining how to apply these economic principles to your project decision-making process. If you’re interested, you can check out the Planet Money podcast here.  Opportunity Costs Any time you decide to do something there is something else you're not doing. The true cost of doing anything is the n

It’s our one year anniversary at the Academic Womxn Amplified podcast! This calls for a giveaway.   This month the Academic Womxn Amplified podcast is having it’s one year anniversary! Our fans rave about our podcast, which is chock-full of juicy writing advice for academic womxn. We currently have 80,000 lifetime downloads… but that’s not good enough!   To reach more academic womxn who need our message we want to get to 100,000 downloads by September 30th. Sounds like the perfect opportunity for a giveaway!    Enter Cathy’s Podcast to 100K Giveaway, and you could win $500 in prizes.    Our winner will receive: A one-year membership in Momentum ~$297 (Including but not limited to: daily co-writing opportunities, a private and active on-line community, invites to all of our client-only events) My five favorite books for academic writers ~$100 A mystery gift box full of goodies for putting on your own writing retreat at home ~$100   I want to continue to spread my message about changing academic culture and

Are you believing any of these 5 myths about the tenure prep process? You could be setting yourself up for unneeded stress and worry, so let’s bust those myths.   Now that you’ve landed that tenure track job, it’s essential to cut through the clutter of what you think you have to do, kick guilt and overwhelm to the curb, and create a process that works without the burnout. Consider this my permission to stop believing these 5 myths, and stop acting as if they’re true.   Myth #1: You have to be quiet. Don’t believe the myth that you can’t speak your mind during your tenure process and need to keep your ideas to yourself to avoid retribution or not being thought of as a team player. At a healthy institution, your committee wants to know more about you: your views, your ideas, your style. So speak up!   “There’s this myth that you have to lay low or fly under the radar until you have tenure…”    Myth # 2: You have to work a 60+ hour work week. This myth isn’t relegated to the tenure-track process; many academics

My guest on this episode is Adrianna Santos, passionate advocate for equity for women, immigrants, and marginalized communities. She shares about many mentors and inspirational figures in her life who led her to Latinx and Chicanx studies, processing trauma through performance and embodiment exercises, having babies during dissertation, and coming full circle to teach in her hometown. Yet another example of womxn walking “non-traditional” paths, she is training to become a doula, and is following her desires to learn more about her ancestral history.  Key points discussed: Adrianna’s childhood as a shy, bookworm only child in a large extended family [4:30] Discovering trauma processing through performance and spoken word [8:30] Inspirational figures and the importance of mentors in coming to Chicanx and Latinx studies [14:00] Attending an institution with the first PhD program in her area of study and getting to help shape that department [18:00] Dissertation writing while doing healing work and having her

When my guest on this episode was young, she was a curious and confident learner. She started higher education in her native Peru, but had to start over in high school when she and her family moved to the United States. Dr. Rocío Caballero Gill shares her story of learning English, following her love of the sciences, and most importantly, keeping her family at the center. We talk about her setbacks and successes, and what she’s doing now with GeoLatinas, a member-driven organization whose mission is to embrace, empower, and inspire Latinas to pursue and thrive in careers in Earth and Planetary Sciences. ​ Key points discussed: Rocío’s childhood in Peru as a curious leader and learner [3:30] Beginning higher education in Peru; choosing from limited options [6:00] Moving to the U.S. after one semester, having to go back to high school and learn English [9:30] Going to community college to stay close to family [14:00] Following each step and connection along her path; getting connected with the USGS [17:00] F

Dr. Sandra Soto Santiago has come full circle in her career, finding passion and purpose in helping others with similar backgrounds to access higher education. She talks about being a first generation college student and the first in her family to earn graduate degrees. She also shares her personal story, being raised by a single mother who worked hard and emphasized education for a better life for her family; moving from Puerto Rico to the US then back to Puerto Rico; the challenges she faced and people who helped her along the way. We discuss how vital mentors are to youth who come from impoverished and underprivileged backgrounds, and the ways Sandra is now actively engaged in this valuable work. Key points discussed: Growing up as the child of a single mom who struggled to provide for her family and emphasized the need for her kids to get an education [5:00] Moving to the US and the shift from being  top of the class to struggling with English and getting poor grades [8:00] The importance of mentors en

Dr. Jane Jones has had the “golden ticket” job, and she will be the first to tell you: it’s not for everyone. She may have landed a tenure track job her first year on the market, but after 3 years she knew it was not for her. Racial inequity, lack of creative freedom and the constraints of academia led her away from the professor life she had always wanted, and toward her own entrepreneurial venture.  As an editor and academic writing coach she is still in the world of academia, but is navigating it solely on her own terms. She exemplifies the truth that academic womxn don’t have to follow a “traditional” path, and is helping to break down barriers around what academics ‘should’ and ‘shouldn’t’ do.  Key points discussed: Jane’s “nerdy” childhood full of books and learning interests led to college and grad school to debate and talk about ideas [4:00] Getting a tenure track job immediately, and discovering it was not for her [10:00] Culture shock of leaving big city culture to teach at a small college that d

Cara Gormally joins me on this interview episode of the Academic Womxn Amplified podcast to share her journey from someone who hated math and science, to an academic with a passion for science and science education. She talks about the importance of finding joy in our academic pursuits, her interests in how identity impacts learning and her drive for changing the way we do science education.    Cara shares about teaching at the country’s only deaf and hard of hearing college, and how she came through the tenure process while learning the language she teaches in. We also discuss how a change in the basic science knowledge in our society could impact how we approach things like pandemics, and making science concepts more accessible and widely useful by viewing them through a social justice lens. Key point discussed: Cara’s childhood as a bookworm, middle class kid; learning flexibility from moving around a lot [5:30] Discovering a love for science after being required to take philosophy of science courses at

Sarah Dobson’s journey has exemplified the idea that it is not our “container” (the university or institution we work for) that matters in impacting the world, but rather our interests, passions, and drive.   In this interview episode of The Academic Womxn Amplified, Sarah shares about her academic path, and how serious illness during her graduate studies pushed her away from pursuing a PhD, and into a variety of arenas where she has been able to have a huge impact in her field of public health. She talks about co-founding and running a non-profit, doing research as a ‘non-academic’, academic adjacent career paths, and entrepreneurship. We also talk about our current moment and the definitive links between systemic racism and poor health outcomes.  Key point discussed: Sarah’s beginnings, searching for the right program and finding her community [4:30] Taking a detour to law school [7:30] Relief and lessons learned from quitting law school [8:30] Differentiating between excelling for the sake of it and exc

Dr. Becky Dawson is a public health epidemiologist who has strategically navigated her journey through academia with determination and purpose. Prompting from an early mentor led her to discover her passion at the intersection of environment and health.    Becky shares her path through graduate study, PhD defense (on her due date!), leaving a tenure track job at an R-1 institution to return to her alma mater, winning tenure, and co-founding a brand new health agency on her campus. We talk about how education can encompass many different avenues, and how relationships and community building can enhance academia just as much as publishing and traditional teaching.    Becky shares her sudden propulsion into the spotlight as an expert on infectious disease in the time of Covid-19, and how this has amplified her work and message. She also gives us her top thinking points and recommendations for our own health during the pandemic.  Key points discussed:   Picking a college based on athletics, confidence as a col

For this interview episode of The Academic Womxn Amplified, I’m talking with a member of my own team, whose journey has brought her to the highest levels of achievement in academia… and out the other side.    Gina has always been a passionate learner, at home in classrooms and schools. Her path included travel abroad, where she discovered a passion for languages and cultures. She shares about taking a job outside of academia, testing her theory of wanting to become a professor and gaining invaluable skills that helped her when she returned to the academic world.    She also shares about having babies during her dissertation process, finding a tenure-track position, and what it was like to finally get tenure. We talk about writing and publishing, the nitty-gritty details of faculty jobs, and getting clarity about what you really want and operating in your ‘zone of genius’.    Key points discussed: Growing up in an atmosphere of learning [3:00] Participating in Upward Bound and the opportunities this opened [6

On this episode of The Academic Womxn Amplified I’m speaking with Dr. Maira Quintanilha. She shares about growing up in Brazil in a culture where higher education was a given, and the struggle to balance family expectations and her own desires in choosing a field of study. After studying in Canada for a time, she knew she wanted to return; she credits other women academics with helping her find a way back to Canada for her graduate and PhD studies, and giving her a passion for mentorship.    She talks about her decision to have children during her graduate research, how securing external grant funding made this possible, and how conducting qualitative research on the postpartum experiences of immigrants while pregnant affected her. We talk a little bit about race issues and the inequity inherent in our healthcare systems. Maira’s academic journey has taken her from Brazil to Canada, through having children at an unconventional point in her career, receiving her PhD and now to her passion of sharing knowledge

On this interview episode of The Academic Womxn Amplified we are starting our series sharing the life stories of academic womxn to explore how they have created success for themselves on their own terms. Let’s bust the myth of a “traditional” path to academia, one story at a time. Dr. Felicia Thomas grew up in the 1970’s in Detroit as a talkative, insatiable learner in a close-knit extended family. She moved from the inner city to a small New England town to attend college, and became the first college graduate in her family. She moved on to become an ordained minister and the first woman pastor at the church she led. Through marriage, children, pastoring, travel, moving to new cities, and the death of her father, Dr. Felicia Thomas followed her dream to write on her own circuitous path to become a tenure-track professor at Morgan State University.  Key point discussed with Dr. Felicia Thomas: Felicia’s backstory, growing up in 1970’s Detroit, becoming first generation college graduate [5:00] College as a

Are you worried about what your summer might look like as an academic this year? I’m sharing advice and actionable tips for how to get writing done, even this summer.   Summer has a beautiful appeal to us as academics. The spring semester is over and summer stretches ahead of us with the appeal of more control, more time, less demands. But, even when we’re not dealing with a global pandemic, we often arrive at the end of summer with a lot less accomplished than we had hoped.   In this episode of The Academic Woman Amplified I’m giving you my advice for how to approach summer writing no matter what your circumstances are like right now. I’m sharing goal setting basics, skills you need to develop, and the secret to having a summer full of ease.   We are living through unprecedented times right now, and this summer promises to be different than any other we’ve experienced. As I’ve been talking with many of you, I’m noticing some trends about how many of you are feeling, that seem to fall into three areas (some o

How do you feel about your writing right now? Guilty over outstanding projects? Overwhelmed by this unprecedented semester? Confused about how others are getting things done? Maybe one of these 3 mistakes is holding you back.   Academic women are a diverse and electrifying group. I truly get so much energy from working and interacting with such an incredible group of people.   But the more academic women I get to know, the more I realize that we have some things in common that need to stop. If guilt, overwhelm, and confusion are weighing you down, consider whether you are making one of these mistakes.   Mistake #1: Thinking You’re Supposed to Know What to Do It may feel like you should know what to do when you become an academic, but why do we assume that? You may have had wonderful PhD mentors who helped guide you in writing for graduation, but that’s not the same thing as writing for publication. Now that you’ve graduated, who do you ask?    “Academia doesn’t come with a handbook.”   It’s ok not to know! It

Is writing constantly dropping to the bottom of your to-list? Do you have a growing pile of half done projects? You may be holding on to myths about writing that are holding you back.   If you’re like many women I work with, you have a list of almost-done projects: revise-and-resubmits, drafts that need to be hacked out, reviews you’ve promised. You’re trying to figure out how to get through this semester, you’re trying to plan next semester, your list of to-do’s is a mile long.   “So much of our writing practice is about our beliefs about writing.”   The reality is that chaos always seems to take over, and writing projects keep dropping to the bottom of the list. Part of the reason that writing projects keep getting pushed out may be because you are holding on to one or more of these 5 writing myths. So let’s break them down, and bust them with some reality checks. Myth #1: You Need Inspiration to Write I used to wait for inspiration, or to feel ‘in the mood’ to write. That went right out the window when I h

What exactly is a writing system and why do you need one? I’m taking you through 3 parts of an effective system, and showing you why you need one.   You might think you already have a writing system if you try to write a certain number of words everyday, or you employ the Pomodoro technique in your writing sessions. But these are goals, not systems. So what is a writing system? And why do you need one?   Here is my definition of a writing system:   “A set of practices, rooted in a value system about writing, that is employed strategically to help you meet your goals.”   Let’s break that down and look at each of the 3 parts that comprise it.   A Set of Practices These are certain things that you do regularly, combinations of activities relating to your writing. This does not mean a number of words that you try to write each day. These are things like:   How and when you schedule your writing time, and how you honor that time. How you keep track of your writing progress. What rewards you give yourself for reac

Is it time to hit the reset button? When we are in unusual circumstances we are forced out of the ‘norm’. And while that can definitely have its downsides, it can also give us an opportunity to reevaluate how we’re doing things.    This moment in time might be the perfect opportunity to evaluate your academic life and hit the reset button on a few things. I am a relentless optimist, and it’s my nature to look for the opportunity in any crisis or negative situation. While our current pandemic crisis has certainly piled on extra work and extra stress, I think it could also give an opportunity to explore how we might step back and change some things for the better.    This month in my Amplify program we’re focusing on mindset and digging into a lot of things that can be reset in this historical moment. But I want to give you, my podcast listeners, a peek into the types of things that can be reset for a fresh start in our academic lives.  Reset Expectations for Email Response Time Email is the worst. Now more tha