Own Your Impact

Who helps us grow when the people shaping us aren’t always the easy ones? In this episode of Own Your Impact, Marlene speaks with psychologist, leadership coach and Be Possible founder Gabriela “Gaby” Biscardi about the mentors, teachers and difficult experiences that have shaped her career. Gaby shares how asking a university professor “How can I support you?” opened an unexpected door, why she has learned from both supportive and challenging relationships, and how moving between countries has pushed her to rethink professional identity, power and what she wants to contribute. They also explore self-regulation, asking for support, learning to say no, and the question Gaby keeps returning to in work and life: “What really matters?”

What happens when you stop worrying about staying in your lane? In this episode of Own Your Impact, Marlene speaks with Pippa Boothman about a career that has taken her from apparel and retail to technology, senior leadership and building MAGIC in Oslo. Pippa shares how her mother’s example taught her to have her own back, why changing industries taught her to keep asking questions, and why she has become increasingly cautious about calling anyone - including herself - an “expert.” For Pippa, experience matters, but so does staying curious enough to keep learning. They also explore the mentorship moments that can come from unexpected places, from colleagues to a yoga teacher, why good mentors challenge us as well as support us, and the role community and physical spaces can play in helping people connect and grow. Pippa’s advice for anyone making a change: know the value you bring, find your community, and keep going.

What happens when the experience and identity you built in one country suddenly don’t seem to count in another? Jenny Crone moved from the Netherlands to Norway after years of running a company and leading major projects. She expected to find her way quickly. Instead, she struggled to find work, build connections and understand the unwritten social rules around her. So she started figuring them out for herself. We talk about adapting without losing who you are, rebuilding confidence when nobody knows your track record, the perseverance it takes to create a new life, and how Jenny eventually turned what she had learned into Social Bridge Norway. Her experience also raises a question for those of us already living somewhere: what can we do to make it easier for someone new to belong?

What happens when you take the jump before you’re completely sure you’re ready? Tonje Steigedal never imagined herself as a founder. Her career took her from cancer research and academia to business development, and eventually to becoming a co-founder and CEO. We talk about learning to trust the skills you already have, finding people who encourage you to take a chance, mentoring others while still figuring things out yourself, and why a “no” can simply mean it’s time to try the next door. Because sometimes you don’t need a 10-year plan. You need to take the chance and make the jump.

What happens when you stop waiting for the right people to cross your path and start creating the spaces where they can? Kim Hale’s career has been shaped by people who gave her room to ask questions, make mistakes and figure out what she thought for herself. Today, as the founder of Splash, she’s creating those opportunities for others. In this episode, we talk about informal mentorship, why peers can be just as valuable as people further ahead in their careers, and what can happen when you bring people with different experiences into the same room. Kim also shares why she thinks about careers as trees rather than ladders, why asking for help works better when you know what you need, and how being useful to others has shaped her own career. Her advice for building relationships is simple: get into the room, give it a go and care a little less about getting every interaction right.

What happens when you’re used to leading people through change, and suddenly you’re the one who has to navigate it? Eirini Giannou has spent much of her career working through transformation, ambiguity and change. Then her own role was made redundant. In this episode, we talk about what happened when Eirini applied some of the same skills she had used professionally to her own transition. She shares why she approached redundancy almost like a project, what happened when the personal side caught up, and how she learned to focus her energy on the things she could influence. We also explore difficult conversations, boundaries, reinvention and the role of community when you’re figuring out what comes next. Eirini shares what happened when she reached out to people she hadn’t spoken to in a decade, and why some of those connections became an unexpected source of support. Her advice for anyone navigating an uncertain transition: give yourself time to feel it, understand what you can control, build a plan and reach out to people.

What happens to everything you’ve already built when you move somewhere nobody knows you? Katie Borroz has built her career across the US, New Zealand, and Norway. When she moved to Oslo, she arrived with years of experience, but still had to learn how to translate that experience into a new context. In this episode, Katie shares how she spent 18 months building a network before moving, why being able to clearly explain what you bring matters, and how the people around her helped shape the way she approaches work, leadership, and change. We also talk about motherhood, marathon running, the value of giving people grace, and why starting somewhere new doesn’t mean leaving your experience behind. Her practical advice for anyone preparing for a move: learn to tell your own story out loud. Know where you’ve been, what you’ve done and where you want to go.

This week’s reflection? Maybe the key to feeling empowered isn’t doing more—but feeling supported.

This week: Your unique value is already there. It’s time to claim it.

This week: saying no is a skill. Owning it is a superpower.

This week: if your calendar is packed but your impact isn’t… we need to talk.

This week: We’re tackling how to speak up in meetings—especially when you’re not the most senior voice in the room.

This week: how to talk about soft skills in a way that actually works.

This week we take it a step further and we’ll talk about: how to shape your career story so it feels natural, credible and gets your message across.

This week: how mapping your career timeline helps you uncover the next chapter by learning from what’s already happened.

This week: the three tools I give my coaching clients and mentees to help quiet imposter syndrome and why that voice in your head isn’t telling the truth.

This week: why we start strong and then stall and three ways to stay on track with your goals.

This week: how to make feedback less intimidating and more useful by turning it into a tool you can actually grow with. The Pathfinder toolkit: https://www.amazon.com/Pathfinder-mentoring-toolkit-next-career/dp/B0D229MZ58

In this episode we talk about the power of a focus word or phrase and how it guides you forward. We also talk about resources like 1) The ONE Thing Purpose Worksheet (https://the1thing.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/TheONEThing_MyPurpose.pdf) 2) Year Compass (https://yearcompass.com/) 3) The Pathfinder. A mentoring toolkit for the next step in your career. (https://www.amazon.com/Pathfinder-mentoring-toolkit-next-career/dp/B0D229MZ58)

We talk about two resources I return to, again and again: 1) The ONE Thing Purpose Worksheet (https://the1thing.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/TheONEThing_MyPurpose.pdf) 2) Year Compass (https://yearcompass.com/)