The Driven Women Project

By: Erin Smith
Listen for free

  • Summary

  • My name is Erin Smith and I created the Driven Women Project to shine a light on female role models who have not sacrificed their feminine identities in order to excel in male dominated careers. Together we aim to inspire more women to pursue the careers they want while remaining true to their core values, and ultimately closing the gender gap at the leadership level in male-dominated spaces. After I earned my masters degree in Sport Psychology, I transferred my expertise to the male dominated world of finance. Now I run a Performance Psychology Coaching practice called Driven Beyond Excellence where I focus on helping executive women successfully navigate male-dominated careers and rise into well-deserved leadership roles. However, most of my Executive Coaching clients are men. Why? Because there are still so few women in leadership roles which means there aren’t enough role models, or mentors, or simply peers at the highest levels of leadership for the up and coming women to lean on for support – and let’s face it, we should be surrounding ourselves with as much support as possible to help keep us going when those extra challenges try to keep us down. With so few female role models it can become difficult to know which direction to go to advance your career. If you’ve ever wondered how to best “fit in” or be accepted or feel supported in your male-dominated career, then get ready to be inspired and share in the inspiration generated by women who have struggled within these dynamics, persevered, who maybe even tried to change who they are to fit in, until they realized the power in embracing their true selves and as a result are now dominating in their male-centric careers, while being unapologetically female and making massive contributions to changing the landscape so that maybe one day, “male dominated” will no longer be the case. As you listen, keep in mind that these women did not find success overnight. It was a hard-won journey of self-discovery, building a strong support network, and taking bold action, one step at a time. To Nominate a Driven Woman please visit: https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/nominateadrivenwoman I hope you enjoy!
    Copyright 2024 Erin Smith
    Show more Show less
Career Success Economics Personal Success Social Sciences
Show more Show less
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2
Episodes
  • 06: Kat Benzova Rock 'n Roll Photographer

    06: Kat Benzova Rock 'n Roll Photographer
    Jul 10 2024

    🌟 Meet Kat Benzova: Rock Photography's Trailblazer! 🎸📸 🌟

    From a globe-trotting fashion model to the tour photographer for Guns N’ Roses, Kat

    Benzova has become one of the world's most sought-after rock photographers.

    She's worked with legends like AC/DC, Aerosmith, KISS, and many more. With her

    own philanthropic foundation, Mission 11, Kat's work and social impact are awe

    inspiring, and she is nowhere near done evolving.

    🔊 Tune in to hear: 🔊

    • 🎤 Exclusive insights from Kat’s extraordinary journey.
    • 💪 Struggles and triumphs in an intense male-dominated industry.
    • 🌍 Inspiring stories from her charitable foundation, MISSION 11.
    • 🧠 Mindset and growth: Overcoming challenges and finding balance.
    • 💡 Empowering perspectives: How environment shapes us and the importance of rebalancing our feminine energy.

    Don't miss this episode filled with powerful moments and valuable lessons. Listen now and get inspired to create your extraordinary life! 🎧✨

    Kat’s website: https://www.katbenzova.com/about

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katbenzova_rockphoto/

    Nominate a Driven Woman:

    https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/nominateadrivenwoman

    Schedule a complimentary strategy call with Erin: https://erinsmithexecutivecoach.youcanbook.me

    Download Erin’s free ebook: https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/ebook
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 1 min
  • 05 Vasanta Pundarika: Investment Banker

    05 Vasanta Pundarika: Investment Banker
    Jun 11 2024
    Vasanta works at the intersection of healthcare and finance as an investment banker,and she is most passionate about investing in and advancing behavioral andwomen’s health. She’s also on the board at Sakhi – For South Asian Women. Sakhi is a New York City-based not-for-profit that represents South Asian survivors of gender-based violence. Vasanta is a frequent panelist or moderator at various healthcare conferences orwebinars and as an avid Princeton alumnus, she is a Co-Class Agent for herclass for Annual Giving and also serves on the National Annual Giving Committee. She also has many passions beyond advancing women’s healthcare, she also lovescooking, has lots of house plants, loves arts and crafts and staying healthyand fit with Orange Theory. I’m excited to share this conversation I had withVasanta, because she is fiercely authentic and has developed an admirable setof core values that guide her. Which I think we can all learn from. If you take away one thing from this episode, letit be this: As a woman in a male dominated career, and an immigrant Vasanta isa shining example of how being different has the power to drive you to want to fit in, unless you decide that being different is awesome!
    Show highlights:Listen all the way through because there are a lot of gems that you wouldn’t expect –for example
    • Vasanta’s path from majoring in Anthropology to wanting to be a food writer to becoming an investment banker.
    • We also talk about the difference between how men and women build trust in the workplace, and how she dealt with men in her office who didn’t understand her methods.
    • How exhausting it is to not be yourself, and how it kills trust
    • How following your passion leads you to figure out the “how” to make it happen.
    • Knowing how to do something is not the driver, and not knowing how to do something wont stop you if you have a passion for it.
    • If you don’t have a passion, look for your super power. What are you really good at.
    • We also talk about how you don’t have to subscribe to the belief that competition is best. A rising tide lifts all boats. You can hear this advice but u don’t have to agree with it just because lots of people say it, but listen as we talk about it and decide for yourself.

    Helpful links:

    Connect with Vasanta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vasantapundarika/

    Nominate a Driven Woman:

    https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/nominateadrivenwoman

    Connect with Erin Smith directly: erin@drivenbeyondexcellence.com

    Download Erin’s free ebook: https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/ebook
    Show more Show less
    56 mins
  • 04 Dr. Liz Clayborne: Doctor, Inventor, CEO

    04 Dr. Liz Clayborne: Doctor, Inventor, CEO
    Apr 25 2024
    BIO of Driven Woman:Dr. Elizabeth Clayborne is an Emergency Physician and the CEO & Co-Founder of NasaClip, a medical device for nosebleeds. She has raised $3.25M in funding as of December 2023 and was awarded a NSF SBIR Phase I grantfor $256K to assist with the development of her device. NasaClip launched as the “Band Aid” of nosebleeds in late 2023 on NasaClip.com. Dr. Clayborne has been featured on several national interviews on networks such as CNN, MSNBC,CBSN and TEDx discussing COVID-19, health equity, ethics and challenges faced by Black female founders. Follow her on Twitter, IG and TikTok @DrElizPC.
    Show highlights:
    We talk in depth about finding the courage to be your authentic self, how to flip adversity, and life challenges in your favor. Life is full of struggles, and it can be especially hard for women, and even harder for women of color. Dr. Lizhas mastered the art of believing in herself despite the risks she had to take to raise money and launch her innovative medical device that you and I should have as part of our regular first aid kits in our homes and schools.
    Why you should stay until the end:Make sure you listen all the way through only if you want to catch Liz’s brilliant advice to young women – we have seen so many changes overour lifetimes, and she is realistically optimistic that if women can embrace the challenges they face, and use them to grow, the power they will feel, and the possibilities are truly endless.
    LINKS:Follow Dr. Liz Clayborne on Twitter, IG and TikTok @DrElizPCDr. Liz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethpclayborne/
    Nominate a Driven Woman to be a guest on The Driven Women Project Podcast:

    https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/nominateadrivenwoman

    Connect with Erin Smith directly: erin@drivenbeyondexcellence.com

    Download Erin’s free ebook: https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/ebook
    Enjoy the show and Stay Driven!
    Show more Show less
    36 mins

What listeners say about The Driven Women Project

Average customer ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Audible.com reviews

Amazon reviews
No Reviews are Available