Your Unapologetic Career® Podcast

Epizódok

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  247 The Pay Cut or Overwork Decision 06.10.2026 20p

  Join Kemi as she talks about what it actually takes to build a side hustle while still working in academic medicine or public health. This may not be what people want to hear, but it matters for faculty who want more say over their income, more freedom with their skills, and more options outside of a university paycheck. Kemi also shares her own experience building a coaching business while working as junior faculty, running a research program, seeing patients, writing papers, giv...
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  246 Reject the Judgement of Money Talk 29.09.2026 15p

  In this episode, Kemi shares the story of receiving a $6 million research grant and being asked by her corporate-based friends whether it came with a raise - only to explain that academic medicine does NOT work that way! We've gotten so used to this – that our work quality is divorced from our earnings – that we forget it doesn’t have to be this way. Kemi pushes back on the idea that wanting to make money outside your paycheck is greedy, selfish, or somehow less pure. Join in as...
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  245 You Probably Need Less Than You Think 22.09.2026 18p

  In this episode, Kemi continues the conversation about money, agency, and what it means to build a career in academic medicine and public health that still works for your real life. She talks about the tension many women of color feel after years of training, work, leadership, and achievement, especially when the paycheck does not fully reflect the skills, experience, or value they bring. Kemi also names the complicated reality of wanting more financial room without necessarily wanting ...
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  244 Agency Over Your Paycheck 15.09.2026 20p

  Join in as Kemi opens an honest conversation about money, career satisfaction, and the quiet frustration many women of color experience in academic medicine and public health. She reflects on what it feels like to be years into a career, deeply skilled, highly trained, and committed to the work, while still questioning how much control you really have over your financial life. Kemi also shares how her own path into public speaking and coaching began with a desire for more flexibility, m...
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  243 {ENCORE} How Skill Gaps Create Toxicity 08.09.2026 22p

  In this encore episode, Kemi asks why academic medicine and public health keep treating research achievement as proof that someone can lead people. After reading Burn It Down by Maureen Power, Kemi looks at how demanding industries can excuse harmful behavior when the person behind it is producing results. She applies that same idea to academia, where a person may bring in grants, hold power, or have a respected title while still missing the skills needed to lead people well. ...
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  242 RIP Jason Arday 01.09.2026 25p

  In this episode, Kemi shares her experience with holding gratitude and grief in the same breath. She begins by sharing her experience at the Martha’s Vineyard Black Book Festival in Oak Bluffs, where she was a featured author. The festival gave her space to feel both awe and being grounded, to make real connections, and to recognize that she belonged in the room. However, this joyful experience was overshadowed by the tragic news of the death of Jason Arday, a Black professor at ...
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  241 {ENCORE} Setting Yourself Apart - The Superpower Of Academics 25.08.2026 41p

  In this encore episode, Kemi talks about the skill that can immediately set you apart in academic medicine and public health: doing what you say you are going to do, when you say you are going to do it. Kemi explains that academic culture often normalizes people saying yes, offering to collaborate, or promising to follow through without actually doing it. She also breaks down why good intentions are not enough and walks through the three tools that make follow-through possible. Tu...
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  240 Recess Episode! A Book, A Podcast, A Routine, and A Splurge 18.08.2026 23p

  In this recess episode, Kemi talks about what it means to stay yourself while becoming more visible. After her book release and tour, Kemi reflects on the pressure to stay on message without turning herself into a persona. She shares why it matters to be seen as a full person, not only as a physician, surgeon, scientist or even author. For Kemi, authenticity is not about being the same in every room. It is about knowing how to show up in different spaces without losing who you are.&nbsp...
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  239 {ENCORE} Adjusting to New Norms Without Self-Sabotage 11.08.2026 33p

  In this encore episode, Kemi looks at the often-overlooked challenge of self-sabotage and how it impacts our ability to adjust to new norms in our professional lives. She candidly shares her own experiences of handling the complexities of changing environments, particularly for women of color in academic medicine and public health. And she outlines practical steps to effectively adjust to new norms, from recognizing automatic reactions to embracing new interpretations of communication styles....
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  238 {ENCORE} Building Self-Trust 04.08.2026 29p

  In this encore episode, Kemi explores the concept of self-trust and how it is essential for growing your career, especially for women of color in academic medicine. She reflects on the challenges of defining our value through the eyes of others and offers practical strategies to transition from seeking external validation to fostering a strong sense of self-trust. Tune in to discover how to shift your mindset from "I try" to "I do," giving you the confidence to make decisions that alig...
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  237 3 Tools to Help You Receive Negative Feedback 28.07.2026 21p

  In this episode, Kemi talks about the uncomfortable but necessary role feedback plays in making your career stronger. She explores why critique can feel so personal, especially when you care deeply about the work you are doing, but no matter how strong your work is, your own perspective will always have gaps. At some point, you need input from people who can see what you cannot. This episode is a direct and necessary conversation for anyone who wants their work to get better, go f...
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  236 The Red Flag To Watch For When Leaving Academic Medicine 21.07.2026 22p

  In this episode, Kemi explores the changing landscape of academic medicine and public health, highlighting why professionals in these fields crave more variety. She tackles a common myth that leaving academia for a new path is simply an easy escape. Kemi points out that while the temptation to find an easier route is strong, true fulfillment takes hard work and a clear understanding of your personal goals. Listen in to discover how to question traditional structures and find ways to pur...
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  235 Mothers, Wounds, and High Achievers 14.07.2026 15p

  Using her own childhood as a starting point, Kemi considers how emotional warmth, safety, and nurturing continue to shape high-achieving women, especially Black women. This episode invites you to think honestly about the experiences that shaped you, how those experiences show up today, and what it looks like to build something different for the next generation. Order Dr. Kemi’s Book: A Terrible Strength: The Hidden Crisis of the Black Womb and Your Survival Guide to Healing&nbsp...
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  234 The Step Past Asking for Help 07.07.2026 21p

  Many high achievers know they need to ask for help. But what happens after you've started reaching out and still find yourself feeling disappointed? In this episode, Kemi reflects on a season that required her to ask for more support than ever before. She shares how those experiences challenged some of her assumptions about relationships, community, and what support actually looks like in practice. If you've ever wondered why asking for help can feel so vulnerable or why people's ...
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  233 {BONUS} This Womb, This Woman: Inspired by A Terrible Strength 03.07.2026 10p

  As a special companion to A Terrible Strength, Kemi shares an original poem by master poet, playwright, storyteller, theatre producer, and cultural architect Hannah Hasan. This poem was directly inspired by the powerful, personal stories and truths shared in A Terrible Strength. Take a quiet moment and let this poem hold space for what so many Black women have carried. Credit: Hannah Hasan | Instagram: @iamhannahhasan Hannah Hasan is a master poet, playwright, storyte...
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  232 Book Tour Reflections - Audiences, Surprises, and the Problematic Tour Narrative 30.06.2026 25p

  Fresh off her 11-city book tour, Kemi is looking back at the personal revelations and unexpected lessons she gathered along the way. With the upcoming Essence Fest and Martha’s Vineyard Black Book Festival stops, she unpacks why real-world audience connection matters just as much as hitting sales numbers. In this conversation, Kemi answers listener questions from Instagram about how she navigates talks with everyone from patients to clinicians. You will also hear about the tour's most ...
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  231 {ENCORE} How to Use Procrastination Effectively 23.06.2026 33p

  In this encore episode, Kemi challenges the hustle culture belief that you have to work yourself to exhaustion to succeed. Instead of a typical productivity lecture, we are looking at how to use strategic procrastination to your advantage. Procrastination gets a bad reputation, but it can actually protect your creativity and reduce unnecessary stress. This is not an excuse to put everything off. It is about knowing exactly when to wait so you can break the cycle of last-minute panic wi...
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  230 Preparing for the Season You Say You Want: Dr. Kemi Doll on Academic Writing Amplified 16.06.2026 47p

  In this week’s episode of Your Unapologetic Career, Kemi brings you an encore conversation with Cathy Mazak of the Academic Writing Amplified podcast about her new book, A Terrible Strength, and the journey of moving from physician, researcher, and professor to debut author. Kemi pulls back the curtain on the writing and publishing process, from developing the book proposal to finding the right agent, building a writing team, protecting time to write, and preparing for the full-tim...
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  229 {ENCORE} How Hypervigilance Can Ruin Your Career 09.06.2026 57p

  Being "First, Only, Different" in academic medicine and public health forces us to stay incredibly sharp. We have to remain alert just to ensure we aren’t shortchanged on resources, pay, or structural support. But over time, this defensive mindset creeps into areas where it doesn’t belong. When you are constantly on guard at your institution, you naturally start fixating on what everyone else is doing with their research, funding, and careers. It is an exhausting trap. In th...
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  228 Doctor to Doctor: A Black OBGYN Reacts to A Terrible Strength with The Lady Parts Doctor 02.06.2026 36p

  In this week’s episode of Womb Wisdom, we bring you an episode with Dr. Stephanie Hack, MD/MPH, FACOG - host of The Lady Parts Doctor Podcast - who spoke with Kemi about reading her new book and her reaction as a Black woman and an OBGYN. They cover uterine cancer, Black women’s health, and the importance of advocating for better medical care. The conversation challenges the "strong woman" archetype that leads to ignoring symptoms, offering advice on how to truly listen to one’s body a...