Why prescriptive advice fails for women

I do not often take advice from successful men or if I do I take it with a grain of salt because, as a woman, it often doesn't apply to me. The advice usually completely ignores the difference in expectations placed on us. Recently, I was listening to Casey Neistat on Diary of a CEO where he shared his journey of becoming a father at 15 and moving to New York at 18, living in a halfway house and sleeping on couches to chase his dreams. He talked about perseverance, taking risks, and grinding through the tough times. But as I listened, I thought, where was his child during all of this? The reality is, it was probably his child’s mother doing the heavy lifting—raising the child while he pursued his ambitions. This is the part of the story often left out in the advice we hear from successful men. Men are often able to pursue their careers with fewer societal expectations because they have women at home supporting the family. If a mother did the same—focusing on her career and leaving her child behind—she’d be called neglectful and criticized for putting her career above her kids. The advice and narratives we hear from podcasts, books, and successful men often fail to recognize these differences. Until we acknowledge how women are expected to balance it all, these success stories and the advice behind them will continue to miss the mark.

Healthcare failed me completely. So I built what should have existed. "I've tried everything. Nothing works." I hear this from women every day. The exhaustion of navigating contradictory advice. The frustration of treatments that address symptoms but not causes. The isolation of feeling like no one truly listens. I lived this reality. Here's why most approaches fail women: 👉 Health research excluded women until the 1990s. The NIH Revitalization Act mandated inclusion of women in clinical trials only in 1993. Result? 👉 70% of chronic pain patients are women, but 80% of pain studies use male mice or men. 👉 Women are 50% more likely to be misdiagnosed after a heart attack because cardiovascular guidelines are based on male-dominant studies. 👉 Only 4% of public health funding targets conditions specific to women. Most protocols were designed for male bodies or women outside reproductive years. Health guidelines rarely account for hormonal cycles. Women are told their symptoms are "in their head" or "normal" ❗ 64% of women feel dismissed by doctors when reporting pain. For years, I pieced together my own solutions. Tracked my own patterns. Created my own treatment plans. Coordinated between specialists who never spoke to each other. It was expensive. Time-consuming. And very overwhelming. Especially when I was already exhausted from being unwell. 71% of women with chronic conditions coordinate care between 3+ specialists. Women spend 40% more annually on healthcare than men, often due to this fragmented care. That's why I'm built Aeva Health. To create what I needed then: ✅ Health Insights: We help you notice patterns in sleep, mood, digestion, and energy throughout your cycle. ✅ Adaptive protocols: We change your diet, exercise, and stress management strategies to match your hormonal phase. ✅ Integrated approach: We connect gut health, hormones, stress, sleep, movement & mental health as one system. ✅ Expert practitioners: Who understand that your immunity is stronger during follicular phase and weaker during luteal. Because healthcare shouldn't require a PhD in female physiology. You shouldn't need to become your own research scientist. You shouldn't have to explain why you feel different week to week. Our approach treats hormonal fluctuations as valuable data, not inconveniences. Understanding your body's rhythms helps you make choices that support, not sabotage, your health. Health for women is not a luxury. It should be the standard. To every woman! What's been your biggest struggle with your health as a woman?

Most mentorship for women in engineering doesn’t work. Here’s why. I see it every day. Women in manufacturing and engineering are told: “Be more confident.” “Speak up in meetings.” “Don’t doubt yourself.” “Find a mentor.” It sounds good. It’s polite. It’s safe. But safe advice is exactly what keeps women stuck for years. Because no one teaches you how to: ⚠ Navigate political conversations when you’re the only woman in the room ⚠ Build authority that positions you for leadership without chasing it ⚠ Control the narrative so you’re advocated for even when you're not there Confidence isn’t the issue. The system is. And the rules here are different. Here are 3 shifts I teach my clients inside The Unseen Influence Code™: ✅ Stop waiting for recognition, build internal advocates who speak for you when you’re not in the room. ✅ Position your work as strategic outcomes, not just technical execution so leadership sees your value at the decision-making level. ✅ Control pre-meeting narratives, so your name is discussed before leadership conversations ever happen. These are the real mechanics of influence inside organizations. Not more advice. Not more “empowerment.” A system that positions you as the obvious leadership choice. “You don’t need permission to lead. You need a system that makes leadership inevitable.” 👉 Follow Katerina Budinova for real leadership strategies for women in engineering & manufacturing. 🔁 Share this with someone who needs to hear it.

🫖 At networking events, naturally everyone gets asked what they do. Last week I found myself attempting to briefly explain the work I do for women's career advancement and Lead to Soar. The stranger asked something like, "So, what's the biggest career mistake women make?" I said, "Listening to advice from men." While I meant this tongue-in-cheek, clearly I made him uncomfortable. Here's the thing; there's something wrong his question. The question implies and perpetuates the myth that women don't "make it" due to some misstep that's always a fault of their own. The reality is: the system is set up for women, especially WOC, to flail and fail. And there is some truth to my response. One major problem with advice that women get (from any gender) is that it’s often rooted in an incomplete understanding of leadership. Whenever I ask an audience, "what makes a good leader?" I'll get the same responses almost every single time: - a good listener - excellent communicator - charismatic - empathetic - humble - puts team members first - inspiring And then they stop. These traits and skills are also what we see as the focus of most "leadership training" programs. But bosses *already rank women higher than their male-counterparts in almost every aspect of "soft skills," skills that have to do with engaging other people. So why do we keep sending women to "leadership training" for skills they are already likely better at than the men around them while also pretending this will help them advance? The truth is that to get beyond middle management, women must have and demonstrate excellent business, strategic, and financial acumen.... their excellence in team-building or cultivating relationships or communications act as minor differentiators at best. It is also true that white men are substantially more likely than women to be shepherded into roles where they will gain the most critical leadership skills (business, strategy, etc.). This often looks like getting a role with P&L responsibility. If you're serious about supporting women to advance in your company, business, sector...take a hard look at the training, mentorship, and sponsorship opportunities they're getting. Chances are, they're not being extended equitable opportunities to gain and showcase the most important skills for advancement. #WomenAtWork #Leadership #WomenInConstruction #WomenInEngineering #Business #Strategy #Networking

Brace yourselves - rant incoming! I've noticed a frustrating trend in the wellness world. It often feels like the advice we're given is tailored for those with unlimited time and minimal responsibilities. We're told to: • Wake up at dawn (but also sleep for 8 hours minimum) • Meditate for an hour and be in silence for at least 2 hours upon waking • Journal using half a dozen prompts (in silence) • Exercise extensively - Strength, cardio, pilates and yoga (but don't forget to rest!) • Cook only nutritious, unprocessed, wholefood meals  • Eat said meal mindfully and slowly, definitely not at your desk  • Spend quality time with loved ones because you only have 18 summers with your children Reality check: My mornings don't start in silence or with meditation. Usually, one of my kids shouts out for TV and breakfast or my husband wakes me up in a blind panic because we're late. Shushing the kids so I can meditate isn't exactly contributing to a smooth school run! Sometimes it feels like I'd need to quit my job to accommodate all these "essential" practices. And as someone who likes to give their all to everything they do, I found myself getting more stressed trying to do the things meant to keep me unstressed! These activities became chores rather than things to savour and enjoy. My honest opinion? This approach isn't just unrealistic for most of us—it's potentially harmful. It sets an impossible standard that leaves many feeling inadequate or like they're failing at yet another thing. In my experience, wellbeing and caring for ourselves doesn't come from following someone else's ideal routine. It's about identifying what matters to you and finding creative ways to incorporate these priorities into your unique life. I believe we can get off the hamster wheel of prescribed wellness and redesign our lifestyles for better physical and mental health without sacrificing productivity, success or our sanity! It's about finding what works for you, in a way that works for you. That's why I'm passionate about helping women create personalised approaches to wellness and self care that fit their actual lives – messy, busy and beautiful as they are. You can live a calmer, more peaceful life while still achieving your goals. It's not about doing it all; it's about doing what matters most to you in a way that works for you. What's your take on this? Have you felt overwhelmed by self care advice? Share your thoughts! . . . #RealPersonalDevelopment #RealSelfCare #WorkLifeHarmony #AuthenticGrowth #WellnessReality

One of the things I learned too late was that the advice that so many male thought leaders give on how to succeed in the industry often doesn't apply to women because the advice is rooted in dominance and women are punished for exhibiting that behavior (while men are rewarded for it).