In this episode, Ambika sits down with Elaine Ling Hering, author of “Unlearning Silence: How to Speak Your Mind, Unleash Talent and Live More Fully.” 



Together, they dive into the dynamics of silence, voice, power, and leadership. Elaine shares her journey and insights on how silence can stifle or empower us. They unpack the nuanced benefits and pitfalls of using one’s voice in various contexts.



Guest Bio: Elaine Ling Hering is an author, speaker, and thought leader in the fields of communication, power dynamics, and leadership. Her book, “Unlearning Silence,” provides a deep exploration into the ways in which societal norms and personal experiences shape our use of voice and silence.



Resources Mentioned in This Episode: 



Book: “Unlearning Silence: How to Speak Your Mind, Unleash Talent and Live More Fully” by Elaine Ling Hering 



People: Adam Galinsky’s research on acceptable behavior, Omkari Williams’ work on micro activism, Claudine Gay, and Trish Hershey’s concept of rest as resistance. 



Join the Conversation! Reach out to Ambika at @cornerofficebreakdowns to discuss. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe on your preferred podcast platform and leave a review. Your feedback and support helps immensely! 

Ambika sits down with Sahaj Kaur Kohli, MAEd, LGPC, founder of @browngirltherapy and author of “But What Will People Say” to discuss (as her book’s subtitle so perfectly articulates), navigating mental health, identity, love, and family between cultures. This episode centers South Asian experiences, but topics apply to intersectional multicultural and immigrant experiences. 



Show Notes00:24 The Impact of Brown Girl Therapy01:28 Journey to Writing a Groundbreaking Book01:49 Navigating Cultural Identity and Mental Health04:31 The Birth of Brown Girl Therapy and Its Evolution05:43 Exploring the Book’s Themes and Personal Resonance09:03 Understanding the Psychological Impact of Being a Second-Generation Immigrant13:25 The Role of Impression Management in Cultural Identity16:16 External Validation and Its Influence24:00 Exceptionalism and the Pressure to Overcompensate26:20 Navigating Relationships with Other Indian Women26:53 Exploring the Impact of Internalized White Supremacy28:38 The Struggle with Trust and Competition within Communities28:52 The Journey of Brown Girl Therapy and Facing Challenges31:20 Cultural Scapegoats and the Cycle of Exceptionalism36:31 Navigating Difficult Conversations and Emotional Validation46:16 Reflecting on Parenting and Cultural Legacy47:01 The Healing 

In this episode of Corner Office Breakdowns, Ambika speaks with 



Melissa Goldstein and Natalia Rachlin, the co-founders of Mother Tongue Magazine, who sought to fill a gap in maternal narratives in media. They discuss the magazine’s mission to include diverse, authentic stories of motherhood, transforming the genre into one that resonates deeply and universally, regardless of one’s direct experience with parenting. Exploring the magazine’s thoughtful approach to advertising and intentionality in growth and storytelling, the dialogue also touches on personal identities, generational shifts in understanding motherhood, and the importance of slow media in today’s fast-paced world.



00:00 Opening Greetings and Personal Updates



01:42 The Struggles of Parenting and Work-Life Balance



02:53 Preparing for Travel and Managing Kids



04:12 The Essence and Challenges of Motherhood



06:06 Introduction to Mother Tongue Magazine



10:13 Exploring the Identity and Impact of Motherhood



10:56 The Creative Process and Vision Behind Mother Tongue



19:59 Diverse Voices and the Power of Storytelling



31:15 Reflecting on Identity, Work, and Motherhood



38:04 The Importance of Inclusive Narratives in Motherhood



40:03 Navigating Expression and Perception



41:03 The Challenge of Packaging Emotions



41:26 Evolving Conversations in Media



43:59 Exploring the Intersectionality of Motherhood



44:40 Balancing Toxic Positivity and Negativity



46:00 The Role of Storytelling and Activism



46:38 Finding the Balance in Editorial Content



57:27 The Impact of Generational Perspectives



01:02:12 The Journey to Creating ‘Mother Tongue’



01:09:05 Expanding Reach and Embracing Slow Media



01:18:20 Reflecting on the Journey and Looking Ahead

Guest: Sarita Walsh 



Being Coach, Sarita Walsh joins Ambika to explore our cultural relationship with money. Our simultaneous fascination and distaste of wealth and the wealthy, and how we can stop and/or start connecting our worth with how much we’re worth.

Guest: Lisa Marchiano



Exploring the intersection of career and vocation with Lisa Marchiano in our new podcast episode. A thought-provoking discussion that challenges the way we view our professional lives and personal callings. Industry leaders, professionals, and dreamers—this conversation is for you. Listen now.

Join Ambika Gautam Pai for a live recording of Corner Office Breakdowns, a podcast that reconciles humanity and the workplace, part of the Advertising Week podcast network.



As a mom of two, a first-generation South Asian American and the Chief Strategy Officer advertising agency, Mekanism, Ambika Gautam Pai is an experienced feeler and expert at “breaking” shit down. Her candid LinkedIn content-turned-popular newsletters reconciling humanity and the workplace take new form as a bi-weekly podcast.

Ambika reflects on the decision to leave her job as Chief Strategy Officer.

In Corner Office Breakdown’s season one finale (!!!), Ambika speaks toAmber Rae. Amber is an international best-selling author, writingmentor & story doula who believes in the healing power of the writtenword. She helps people find the stories within and then shepherds theminto existence by teaching that belonging, acceptance, and connectioncome from allowing ourselves to be fully seen, heard, and known.Website: https://www.amberrae.com/Instagram: @heyamberrae

In the ninth episode of “Corner Office Breakdowns,” Ambika talks to Anushay Hossain, the author of “The Pain Gap” and a feminist policy analyst who has been featured on CNN, MSNBC, and more. They start by discussing the healthcare field and its limited understanding of women’s bodies and then shift to the idea that dismissing women’s experiences is disconnecting us from our intuition and keeping us disempowered. 

In episode 8 of Corner Office Breakdowns, Ambika partners up with Amani Duncan, a highly awarded executive who has worked across beauty/fashion, media, advertising, music/entertainment, and manufacturing.



Together, they unpack how and why the idea of “ego” has become so negative. They reframe ego as critical to both achieving progress and fulfilling corporate America’s commitment to a more diverse workforce. 

In episode seven of Corner Office Breakdowns, Ambika speaks to Alfa Demmellash, the CEO of Rising Tide Capital, in what she says is one of the most goose-bump-inducing, profound, heart-wrenching, and inspiring conversations of her lifetime. Alfa breaks down the topic of privilege – not in the sense of race or wealth – the privilege of being loved. She then imagines what it looks like to inject love into the spaces that are typically void of it – like work. 

In Episode Six of Corner Office Breakdowns, Ambika speaks with Erin Gallagher, the CEO and Founder of Ella, and the creator of the global #hypewoman movement, about the double-edged sword of external validation. Why do so many of us yearn for it? When is it a powerful accelerator versus a detrimental detractor? And how can we seek it out in the right ways, from the right people? 

In episode five of Corner Office Breakdowns, Ambika speaks to Bryan Lattimore (he/him), a father, husband, serial entrepreneur, investor, and creator, about the emerging generation of dads – those who work, and parent, and home-make, and love their role deeply – to figure out how we can support them during this unprecedented time, too. 

In episode four of Corner Office Breakdowns, Ambika speaks to Carol Fabrizio about Big-G-Grief and Little-g-grief. Why are we expected to power through rather than feel it? How astonishingly ordinary and simultaneously impactful it is, and how to create the space for it to breathe in our interpersonal and professional relationship. 

In episode four of Corner Office Breakdowns, Ambika speaks to Lindsey Wehking, the head of investigative research at Nonfiction Research, about their research study with TWILL called “The Invisible Weight.” The discussion dives deep into the intersectional experience of pregnancy in America. From the healthcare system to the emotional experience of mothers across demographics. Ultimately, the podcast aims to give professionals an idea of how to hold more space for this transformative life stage – whether for themselves or for those around them. 

In the second episode of Corner Office Breakdowns, Ambika speaks to Neha O’Rourke, an award-winning Career & Energy Coach, Speaker and Founder of Somewhere In Between Coaching. Neha left her career in advertising after a period of intense burnout, and has been spending time understanding what causes it, and how to get out of it with her clients. At the end, Ambika realizes what her idea of rest may look like.

I was always taught to choose a job based on the manager. And because I’m an ambitious woman, I always wanted to work for an ambitious woman. But as my life started to dimensionalize (marriage, family, wanting to define my own way of “leading”), I realized that often, ambitious women have gotten where they are by performing as men. They’re not introducing diverse perspectives into the top of their companies, they are chameleons trying to belong. 



Guest: Stephanie Redlener, founder of Lioness, a leadership and change agency for women on the rise, and executive coach 



Questions: 




* We’re taught to lean in, take up space at the table, and speak loudly if we want to be seen/noticed. How have we been conditioned to lead/work through the masculine? 



* Is it possible to find success in existing companies by navigating work in a predominantly feminine way? 



* What does it mean to lead through the feminine? 



* How can women be true to themselves, help other women, and still get ahead?