Professional. Polished. Accomplished. Thoughtful. Made It. Ready to Make It. “Inspiring Women” is an interview show hosted by Laurie McGraw. 30 years of leadership in both commercial companies and non-profits has taught Laurie one thing: Women need women. Women need Inspiring Women. Hear short-form interviews every week from Inspiring Women who are at the pinnacle of their careers and Inspired Women who are just starting out.
All content for Inspiring Women with Laurie McGraw is the property of Laurie McGraw and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Professional. Polished. Accomplished. Thoughtful. Made It. Ready to Make It. “Inspiring Women” is an interview show hosted by Laurie McGraw. 30 years of leadership in both commercial companies and non-profits has taught Laurie one thing: Women need women. Women need Inspiring Women. Hear short-form interviews every week from Inspiring Women who are at the pinnacle of their careers and Inspired Women who are just starting out.
Your Confidence Problem is Actually an Experience Problem - This Is How to Fix It || EP.210
Inspiring Women with Laurie McGraw
16 minutes
3 months ago
Your Confidence Problem is Actually an Experience Problem - This Is How to Fix It || EP.210
"You have to show up and do the work. There is nothing more satisfying than getting good work done."
From helping scale Allscripts when less than 5% of physicians used technology to now serving as Chief Commercial Officer at Transcarent, Laurie McGraw has spent decades transforming healthcare through technology. Her journey spans from being the sole woman in countless boardrooms to becoming a fierce advocate for pulling other women up the leadership ladder.
"Early on it was so notable to me in a way that was just frustrating," Laurie recalls about being the only woman in the room. But that frustration transformed into fuel. Today, she's not just occupying C-suite positions—she's using her hard-won confidence to push other women to level-jump, not just climb.
The turning point? A mentor who challenged her to take an "undesirable" implementation and support role instead of staying comfortable in product development. "What are you gonna be? Is this your vision for yourself?" her mentor asked. That lateral move became the stepping stone to becoming president of the company.
Now at Transcarent, Laurie is focused on making healthcare accessible and affordable—but her mission extends beyond business metrics. With women still representing only 20% of top healthcare leadership positions, she's done being polite about the pace of change.
"I'm more aggressive now. It's less about coaching. I'm like, come on, we have to get going on this. Push for that C-suite position. You earned it, you deserve it, you're more than capable."
In this special episode of Inspiring Women, host Laurie McGraw turns the mic on herself and reveals:
Why the end of DEI initiatives means women must work harder to pull each other forward
The cold truth about confidence: "I can trust in myself to get the job done"
What she really thinks about women who reach the top and pull the ladder up behind them
Why bold leadership—not incremental moves—is what women need in 2025
How to build your "tribe" of truth-tellers, not just cheerleaders
The surprising power of taking jobs you don't initially want
"We are in a time where bold leadership is required of us. And as women, we are uniquely equipped—empathetic leadership, inclusivity, hearing all the voices in the room. Women are particularly good at this."
But Laurie doesn't sugarcoat the challenge. With DEI becoming "a trigger word" and supportive laws being repealed, she's clear about what's needed: "It's up to us. We have to do more to pull the next generations of extraordinarily capable women forward into leadership."
For women struggling with confidence, her advice is direct: "Develop your tribe of people who will help you. Not just friends who say 'great job,' but coaches and mentors who can reflect back the cold, hard truth."
From a development team leader to healthcare transformation executive, Laurie McGraw's journey proves that showing up and doing hard work isn't enough—women need to claim their space, demand their worth, and most importantly, bring others with them.
"We shouldn't be shooting for the next career move. We should be level jumping—two above."
Chapters
00:43 - Core Leadership Principles: Show Up and Do the Work
02:46 - Evolution of Leadership Style Through Experience
04:19 - Challenges as a Woman in Health Tech Leadership
06:20 - Accelerating Progress Toward C-Suite Representation
08:11 - Women Supporting Women vs. Competition
09:47 - The Mentor Who Changed My Career Path
11:52 - Why Women Need Bold Leadership Now
14:11 - Building Your Tribe for Confidence and Success
Guest & Host Links
Connect with Laurie McGraw on LinkedIn
Connect with Inspiring Women
Browse Episodes | LinkedIn | Instagram | Apple | Spotify
Inspiring Women with Laurie McGraw
Professional. Polished. Accomplished. Thoughtful. Made It. Ready to Make It. “Inspiring Women” is an interview show hosted by Laurie McGraw. 30 years of leadership in both commercial companies and non-profits has taught Laurie one thing: Women need women. Women need Inspiring Women. Hear short-form interviews every week from Inspiring Women who are at the pinnacle of their careers and Inspired Women who are just starting out.
