In Put Your Armor On: The PhD is IN

Academia runs on brilliance, but its culture can wear you down in a hundred small ways: someone takes credit for your idea, another committee lands on your plate, a colleague makes a joke at your expense, or a meeting gets lost in politics. If you’ve started making yourself smaller to keep the peace, this conversation is for you. In Put Your Armor On: The PhD Is In, executive coach and Sam expert Joanna Lovering shares four practical power moves: Script It, Step Back, Get Curious, and Shift the Room. These are small phrases and choices you can use to protect your time, speak up for your work, and hold your ground without turning every difficult moment into a confrontation. ✨ For faculty, researchers, and staff—especially the introverts and quietly brilliant people who are tired of being talked over or worn thin. 💛 Join Sam for free and explore support and resources: https://app.wearesam.co 🤝 Want help applying these tools to your own situation? Work with Joanna one-on-one: https://app.wearesam.co/expert/49 ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 Opening and welcome 05:25 Why this conversation matters in higher education 07:44 Four familiar workplace scenarios 10:27 When someone takes credit for your idea 12:25 Power move 1: Script It 16:14 When you’re asked to join one more committee 17:54 Power move 2: Step Back 21:06 When a colleague jokes about your work 22:07 Power move 3: Get Curious 24:05 When a meeting gets lost in politics 24:47 Power move 4: Shift the Room 26:12 The four moves, in everyday language 27:32 Joanna’s own learning moment 29:21 Q&A: Over-apologizing and protecting your time 30:12 Is that committee an opportunity—or another obligation? 33:29 What “Get Curious” can accomplish #WomenInAcademia #HigherEducation #WorkplaceBoundaries #ExecutivePresence #WomenAtWork #SamSupport