The Promotion Playbook for Women Who Are Tired of Being Overlooked

“Let the work speak for itself.”

🤦🏻‍♀️

Oof. The moment I hear these six words, my coaching spidey-sense goes off.

Because too often, it’s brilliant women saying this — right before they tell me they were passed over for promotion, while watching vanilla Steve (you know who — half the skill but twice the unearned bravado) rise through the ranks.

Work doesn’t have a mouth. You do.

And if this is hitting home and you’re wondering, “But wasn’t I doing everything right?”

Please know you are an absolute baller at getting sh*t done and making things happen.

But doing it “right” is an illusory trap.

💣

Gender socialization, systemic biases, and broken processes in the workplaces turn “doing it right” into a highway to burnout — ESPECIALLY for women and minorities — not the rewarding promotion you believed you’d earned three cycles ago.

The truth is:

Getting promoted requires different skills than doing good work and waiting to be noticed.

It takes:

✅ Strategic self-advocacy

Articulating the impact you’re making in language decision-makers can understand

And doing it early and often.

Don’t assume leaders already know the quality and impact of your work. They’re far from omniscient (a big understatement).

✅ Speak future visions, not in past tense.

Yes, you will get promoted thanks to your problem-solving finesse, but decision makers need to hear about opportunities you will seize tomorrow and into the future.

You have undeniable potential and untapped capacity -- even when the stress and frustration seem endless for now. 

✅ Know your audience.

Ultimately decision makers are people just like you and me with preferences and priorities.

If 5 people are voting on your promotion, you need 5 tailored conversations.

You grow your career one conversation at a time — not by being some superhuman “Business Barbie” who never messes up and wears a tight plastic grin that doesn’t scare the bros.

 The takeaway: Results are not self-evident.

Promotions go to those who use their voice, speak their vision, and claim visibility.

If this hit a little too close to home… good.
Let’s turn that fire into your bespoke action plan for cinching the promotion by early 2026.

 Book a free hour-long consult with me and let’s get you promoted.

P.S. 

Promotion isn’t a mystery — it’s a skill. These blog posts break it down even further:

• 3 Options to Consider When You've Been Passed Over for A Promotion (resource guide)

• How to Get Promoted by Q4: The Dead Simple Answer

• Misunderstood and Misrepresented at Work? Four Steps to Get Promoted (client interview)

P.PS. 

But wait, is getting promoted at your current company off the table?
Or maybe you’re thinking about pivoting out of your job or even your industry?

Fear not — you don’t have to go it alone or cold-message strangers like a spammy weirdo.

On Wednesday night, I hosted a webinar called “How to Connect with Any Smithie on LinkedIn” for my fellow Smith College alums.

It’s packed with actionable tips to help you confidently reach out to classmates (just replace "Smith College" with your own alma mater) or professional peers on LinkedIn.

I share scripts, strategies, and mindset shifts to help you reconnect with people who already want to help.

 Catch the replay of “How to Connect with Any Smithie on LinkedIn” here