In a recent episode of the Healthful Woman podcast, “Helping Women Close the Gender Leadership Gap,” Host Dr. Nathan Fox and Emilie Aries, the founder and owner of Bossed Up, discuss Bossed Up, a leadership development and career services company on a mission to close the gender gap in top leadership positions and help more women advance professionally.
Emilie’s Early Career
After earning a degree in political science in 2009, Emilie joined the Obama campaign and became the youngest state director in the country, working in Rhode Island to support major policy changes, including the Affordable Care Act. She went on to work as a digital strategist in Washington, D.C., where she found herself in male-dominated workplaces where women’s voices were not always taken seriously. Over time, she became unhappy with the political world and its limitations. In 2013, she decided to quit politics and launch Bossed Up to help courageous women advocate for themselves and build sustainable careers. She moved to Denver and never looked back.
Women’s Challenges in the Workplace
During the podcast, Emilie and Dr. Fox discussed the structural and cultural barriers that hinder American women from advancing into leadership positions. They touched on the persistent gender wage gap, the pressure on women leaders to be both assertive and likable, and the challenges of balancing career growth with caregiving responsibilities, especially in a country without universal paid parental leave or affordable childcare. While progress has been made, Emilie points out that it has been slow and uneven, and there is still a lot of work to be done as women navigate career transition and climb the corporate ladder.
Emilie’s Business Struggles and Miscarriages
Emilie opens up about how 2023 tested her personally and professionally. After years of steady growth, her business was affected by the shifting political climate and corporate pullback from DEI efforts. At the same time, she was dealing with the emotional toll of multiple miscarriages, which impacted her mental health and overall wellness. It was a season of uncertainty, but also one that taught her the importance of asking for help and letting go of what she could not control. She shared, “It makes you feel kind of small in both good ways and bad. Like, there are significant limits to what I can control. So, I’m just going to focus on what I can control and let go of the rest. And that is a lesson that continues today to serve me well. And it’s a hard one to learn. It’s a hard one to live through.”
Emilie’s Fertility Journey
Now 31 weeks pregnant with her second child, Emilie reflected on the emotional and physical demands of navigating fertility challenges while raising a toddler and trying to keep her business functioning. She believes her miscarriages were due to genetic factors, a common cause for women in their mid-30s. Her journey through pregnancy and loss was also a lesson in tending to her general health and whole identity, not just her work. Through it all, she learned to advocate for herself as a patient, lean on her support system, and show herself compassion during a season that demanded resilience on every front.
Where She Is Now
Today, Emilie is continuing her work with Bossed Up while also taking on a leadership position at a global aerospace company. It has given her new perspective and stability, along with the flexibility to grow her family and stay involved in advocacy work that matters to her. She continues to podcast on Bossed Up, a helpful resource that covers topics related to modern working women, shares helpful information for those facing career conundrums, and encourages others to join Bossed Up’s community.
Listen to the Full Healthful Woman Podcast
To learn more about Bossed Up, read Emelie’s book or listen to the podcast episode on Healthful Woman today.
