The Tampon, the Boardroom & the Practice That Changed My Career

The Reliable One Is Tired

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2244713/fan_mail/new] The reliable one is tired. She remembers the appointments, tracks the deadlines, manages the emotional temperature of the room, and somehow knows when the upstairs bathroom needs more toilet paper. She is capable, trusted, praised, and quietly exhausted. In this episode of Over This Should, Pamela Meadows unpacks the hidden cost of being the dependable one everyone counts on. From the competence trap to invisible labor, emotional over-functioning, and the quiet resentment that builds when your reliability becomes your identity, this episode is for the high-achieving woman who looks fine but feels far away from herself. This is not about becoming unreliable. It is about becoming reliably honest with yourself. If you have ever thought, “I just need to get through this week,” for three years straight, this one is for you.

The Tampon, the Boardroom & the Practice That Changed My Career

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2244713/fan_mail/new] There are moments in life where your brain becomes fully convinced your career is over. Not because you failed. Not because you weren’t prepared. But because you had one deeply human moment in front of other people. In this episode of Over This Should, Pamela shares the hilarious and horrifying story of accidentally pulling a tampon out of her work bag during a leadership meeting… and the powerful realization that came from it years later: Self-leadership is not about being perfectly polished. It’s about not abandoning yourself when discomfort shows up. This episode dives into: * Why ambitious women are conditioned to equate perfection with credibility * The neuroscience behind embarrassment, self-criticism, and nervous system threat responses * Why beating yourself up actually makes you less effective under pressure * The “3-Second Stay” practice for handling awkward, emotional, or uncomfortable moments in real time * How to build true confidence by staying with yourself instead of spiraling If you’ve ever replayed a meeting in your head for three business days… convinced everyone noticed the one thing you did wrong… this episode is for you. You are not disqualified by your humanity. You are connected through it. Come hang out with Pamela on Instagram and LinkedIn @thepamelameadows and share your own “tampon story.” Because we’ve all got one.

The Runaway Yes: Why Women Say Yes When We Want to Say No

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2244713/fan_mail/new] How many times have you said “yes” before you even checked your calendar… your energy… or your actual desire to do the thing? In this episode of Over This Should, Pamela dives into the hidden conditioning behind people-pleasing, overcommitting, and being “the reliable one.” From the nervous-system response that makes women automatically say yes, to the research showing most people already expect rejection when they ask for favors, this episode will completely change the way you think about boundaries. You’ll learn: *  Why saying yes has become an automatic survival response for so many women  *  The psychological research behind requests, guilt, and obligation  *  The real emotional and physical cost of chronic overcommitment  *  Pamela’s “24-Hour Yes” framework to stop agreeing out of pressure and start choosing intentionally  *  Simple scripts for saying no without guilt spirals or overexplaining  If you’ve ever hung up the phone already regretting what you agreed to… this one is for you. Because the goal isn’t becoming someone who says no to everything. It’s becoming someone who says yes on purpose.

I Should Feel Confident By Now: The Real Root of Imposter Syndrome

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2244713/fan_mail/new] Have you ever looked around a room and thought: “Everyone here knows what they’re doing… except me.” Even though you’re qualified.  Even though you’ve earned your seat.  Even though people trust your leadership. That quiet voice saying “they’re going to find out” has a name: imposter syndrome. And if you’ve felt it, you are far from alone. Research suggests up to 70% of high-achieving professionals experience imposter feelings at some point in their careers. In this solo episode of Over This Should, Pamela breaks down the deeper truth behind imposter syndrome and why it shows up most often in capable, ambitious women. This conversation goes beyond surface-level advice. Pamela walks through a Five Whys analysis to uncover the real root cause of imposter syndrome and how it’s often tied to belonging, achievement conditioning, and the pressure to perform. You’ll learn: • Why imposter syndrome is most common among high performers • The hidden connection between achievement and belonging • How “gold star conditioning” follows women into leadership roles • The subtle ways imposter syndrome affects visibility, negotiation, and decision making • Five practical shifts to rebuild self-trust and leadership confidence If you’ve ever thought: “I should feel more confident by now.” This episode is for you. Because confidence isn’t a prerequisite for leadership.  Self-trust is. 🎧 Listen in and start dismantling the “should” that keeps so many brilliant women playing smaller than they deserve.

The Invisible Moment You Started Abandoning Yourself

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2244713/fan_mail/new] There is a moment most high-achieving women can’t name. It doesn’t look dramatic.  It doesn’t look reckless.  It looks responsible. In this episode, Pamela explores the subtle, invisible pattern that quietly erodes confidence, fuels resentment, and leaves capable women feeling exhausted while still appearing wildly competent. We’re talking about self-abandonment. Not quitting your job.  Not blowing up your life.  But the micro-moments where you override your own needs to preserve peace, prove value, or avoid being “too much.” Inside this conversation, you’ll learn: • The research behind self-silencing and why women internalize stress  • How over-consenting disguises itself as leadership  • Why adaptability is both your superpower and your risk  • The early conditioning that trains high performers to disappear  • A simple awareness shift that rebuilds self-trust If you’ve ever said:  “I’m fine.”  “I can handle it.”  “It’s easier if I just do it.” …this episode will feel uncomfortably familiar in the best way. This is not about becoming someone new. It’s about noticing the moment you left yourself — and choosing differently. Welcome back to Over This Should.