Louise Allen spent over a decade in her career without telling a single coworker she'd played professional tennis. Eleven years on tour. Every Grand Slam. Ranked as high as No. 70 in the world. She kept it quiet because she was afraid of one label: the aggressive female athlete.
This week on Not All Business, Louise — now Chief Product Officer at Planview — joins Blakely and Heather to talk about why authenticity still feels risky at work, the double bind women face between being likable and being taken seriously, and the moment with a former boss she still thinks about decades later.
Key Takeaways:
Why Hiding Parts of Yourself at Work Costs More Than It Protects
The Seating Trick That Gets You Noticed in Any Meeting
How to Tell If Feedback Is About Your Work or Just Your Personality
What to Say When Someone Asks a Question They Have No Right to Ask
Why Finding Your Voice Is a Skill You Can Practice, Not a Trait You're Born With
Please consider sharing this episode & subscribing to the show for more unfiltered conversations about leadership, growth, and the messy human side of business.
Follow Louise:
Louise on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-k-allen-5703861/
Louise's writing on Inc. Magazine: https://www.inc.com/author/louise-allen
Links & Mentions:
EY Women Athletes Business Network study on female executives and sports (via CNBC): https://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/11/want-to-be-a-ceo-later-play-sports-now.html
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Got a sticky situation for Not All Business? Send a voice recording to podcast@notallbusiness.com or drop your question in the comments.
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