#5- Rethinking Ambition: What Today’s Workplace Still Misses About Women’s Career Choices

SUMMARY In this candid and insight-packed episode of the Within Podcast, hosts Nicky Wallace and Ali Payne unpack the latest McKinsey Women in the Workplace 2025 report and reflect on the real-world implications they’ve seen across their careers. Drawing on their experiences in corporate leadership and entrepreneurship, they explore the hard truths behind why women are stepping back from advancement, what “flexibility” really means, and how internalized barriers, especially from other women, still stifle progress.

Ali and Nikki don’t shy away from the uncomfortable. From being told to “work harder” after maternity leave to calling out the stigma of flexible work, they go deep on the emotional labor women carry, at home and at work. The episode surface's themes of identity, inclusion, support systems, and cultural change. It’s not just a commentary on gender equity; it’s a rallying cry for leaders to get honest about what’s really holding women back, and what needs to shift.

Whether you’re a CEO, HR leader, or someone navigating career growth yourself, this conversation will challenge assumptions and offer actionable insight into how to build more inclusive, supportive workplaces—starting with listening better.

ABOUT WITHIN Within is a podcast hosted by Nicky Wallace and Ali Payne, founders of The People Co. It explores what happens when organizations stop chasing surface-level solutions and start doing the real work from within. Each episode unpacks stories of leadership, burnout, growth, culture, and the messiness of being human at work. Whether you’re in HR, leading a team, or just rethinking how work fits into your life, Within offers a candid and refreshing look at how people-first business gets built.

Connect with them on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/nwallace515/ or www.linkedin.com/in/alipayne/