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overcome

"I relate all too well to the workplace hostility described in Assured. I had a mean girl boss who would literally see me walking toward her office and quickly place a new call to avoid me. Then, during my yearly evaluation, she actually wrote that I didn't communicate issues to..."

"When I started in a newly created position, colleagues avoided speaking to me and delayed showing me how things worked. I quickly realized they saw me as coming to "steal" their power—my role had taken activities away from an existing position. Assured reflected my experience perfectly, validating what I felt..."

"Being excluded and undermined was not so subtle in my corporate career. As the only woman manager and department head in the manufacturing area, working with multiple unions, I wasn't invited to participate in any of the "reindeer games" of my male counterparts. There were only three women in the..."

"I work in software, a male-dominated field, and got my start in Texas. It was definitely an all boys club—guys slapping each other on the back, talking about football. I really struggled with how to fit in, how to dress, how to be taken seriously, and how to get onto..."

"After a recent acquisition joined our business group, the company wanted this entity to remain intact and not lose its DNA. Unfortunately, what that translated to for me was a feeling of constantly trying to prove myself. I continued to do my job and take on making them successful as..."

"Early in my career, I joined a female-led team in a corporate office. On the surface, everything seemed collaborative, but subtle dynamics told a different story. I was often left out of informal lunches, "accidentally" missed on calendar invites, or kept out of casual hallway conversations that clearly influenced decisions..."

"I shared an office with a co-worker, separated by a cubicle wall. As the newcomer with ambition and a strong work ethic, I faced constant interruptions from co-workers lounging in our office and talking loudly while I was on calls with prospects. It created an uncomfortable, unprofessional environment. They made..."

"There was a time early in my business when I agreed to a partnership that looked good on paper—but something felt off. Everyone around me thought it was a smart move, but my gut said no. For me, that "gut feeling" isn't vague—it's physical. My chest gets tight, my breathing..."

"I worked as an assistant store manager for a local fast food establishment while pursuing my BS in Business Management. A girl I went to high school with also worked there—she'd been there a year or two before I was hired but wasn't offered the open management position. She made..."

"I was being told that I should invest in a fund that always returned 9% a year, but my gut said no. I felt tingly, and that caused me to be curious. I said that if I didn't understand how the investments were made, I wasn't going to go for..."