Why Is Nobody Talking About This

21: [ Visibility Series ] Rethinking Your Bio When You're In The Messy Middle

Bios carry a lot of weight. They introduce us before we walk in the room, shape how others see us, and are also supposed to tell our whole story. No wonder writing one feels difficult—especially if you’re multi-passionate or in transition. In this episode, Kim uses her messaging expertise and stories from women in The Bench to explain how to reframe your bio so it feels more true to who you are.
 
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS EPISODE
Why bios feels harder to write during times of transition (and why that's normal)
The hidden weight titles carry and why this is limiting for women who are good at many things
What members of The Bench learned while rewriting their bios for a magazine
Two practical exercises for making your bio more true to you
Five tips everyone should follow when sharing their bio publicly 
 
FOLLOW
The Bench community for women
Kim on Instagram
Kim on LinkedIn
 

20: [ Visibility Series ] Human Connection > Shameless Self-Promotion

When we think about visibility, it’s easy to picture self-promotion, algorithms, or endless posting. But what if visibility is actually about connection—the kind that feels human, reciprocal, and even easier than “selling yourself”? In this episode, Kim unpacks why showing up consistently creates more opportunities than self-promotion ever could—and shares the one shift that makes visibility feel less like performance and more like possibility.
 
HIGHLIGHTS
Why visibility feels loaded for so many women (and how to redefine it)
The hidden cost of only showing up when you “need” something
How to make visibility feel natural—without forcing promotion or perfection
What consistency really does for you (that perfection can’t)
A practical starting point you can use this week to stay visible and connected
 
FOLLOW & MENTIONS
Playing Big by Tara Mohr
Kim on Instagram
Kim on LinkedIn
Kim's Website

19 [ Visibility Series ] What Makes A Great Podcast Guest

Welcome to the second episode in our Visibility Series. This week we're getting tactical as we talk about what it takes to be a great podcast guest. There are many guides to pitching shows and positioning yourself to get a "yes" from a podcast host, but that misses the mark on what happens after you're booked. This episode is what every podcast host wants you to know and do. Listen through and act accordingly and you'll outperform 95% of all podcast guests!
 
HIGHLIGHTS
Why growing your following is not enough of a reason to pitch yourself for a show
What to do with an opportunity once you get a yes
The often missed—and critical—steps you must take AFTER you record
What nearly every one of my podcast guests has failed to do, six years in
The reason you need you be viewing podcasting less as a marketing hack and more as a channel for human connection
FOLLOW
The Bench is open for enrollment for one more week!
Follow Kim on Instagram
Connect with Kim on LinkedIn

18: [ Visibility Series ] From Cringe to Consistency: Being Visible

Welcome to part one of our September visibility series! In this episode we'll explore what it actually means to let yourself be seen. From the myth of organic reach to the fears we avoid by staying small, this conversation invites you to rethink how you show up for your career, your ideas, and yourself. We're unpacking the messy, vulnerable, and often misunderstood work of visibility.
 
Plus, The Bench is open for enrollment through September 17 🥳. Catch all the details at kimwensel.com/thebench.
 
HIGHLIGHTS
Why visibility isn’t just for entrepreneurs and why executives, leaders, and creatives need it too
The fears that lie beneath visibility and keep us small
How to separate visibility from social media (and what to do if you hate the algorithm)
Practical shifts: asking for shares, leading with what you believe, and showing up in your own style
The risk of staying hidden and the unexpected payoff of consistent, imperfect presence
 
LINKS & FOLLOW
The Bench community application
Kim's Website
Kim on Instagram / LinkedIn

17: A Peek Inside The Bench: A Community For High-Performing Women

What if the real secret to moving forward wasn’t another strategy or success formula, but a circle of women who let you show up as your full self? In this episode, we're turning the tables as Kim is interviewed by a member of The Bench. We'll take you inside the community, one created for ambitious women who have opted out of the traditional path.
 
In this episode you'll hear why so many of us feel like “outsider–insiders,” how easy it is to get stuck pretending we have it all together, and what changes when you sit with women who cut through the polish and talk about what’s really happening behind the shiny gloss of social media. From surfacing money fears to ambition burnout to redefining leadership, The Bench is replacing performative networking with honest, messy, liberating connection.
 
HIGHLIGHTS
The trap of polished success stories and what we lose when we skip over the messy middle
How traditional masterminds miss the mark (and what makes The Bench a lighter, more liberating alternative)
The kind of conversations women really want to be having about work, money, and ease
A redefinition of leadership that blends intuition with intellect
Why true connection might be the career strategy that you need
If you’ve been looking for a space where intelligence meets intuition—and where the conversations are as real as they are rare—this episode will give you a taste of what happens on The Bench. Enrollment for the next cohort opens September 3 for two weeks only. Join the waitlist at kimwensel.com/thebench for early access and a bonus 1:1 session with Kim (available to waitlist only).
FOLLOW
The Bench Waitlist
Kim on Instagram

16: Getting Over The Fear Of Being Called Vain

We've gotten to the place where we're comfortable—even proud—talking openly about therapy. We share the inner work we're doing and post carousels full of our wellness routines. So why isn't it acceptable to celebrate our outer work—the individuality that shows up in our appearance? This episode dives deep into the societal pressures and internal fears that often prevent women, particularly high-achieving professionals, from fully expressing themselves. For the first time you'll hear a member of The Bench sharing her ideas in a Pitch Session, on this exact topic. Listen until the end for a big announcement about The Bench!
 
HIGHLIGHTS
Why we assume women who focus on their appearance are less capable or "merely creatives" rather than business leaders
The contradictory messages we receive of not showing off too much when we're younger but not letting ourselves go as we age
Why past experiences cause us to play small and fall into the chameleon role
How merging our interior and exterior worlds help us live in a more aligned manner
The reason 99% of trends won't apply to you
How having strong personal aesthetic preferences can help you overcome the fear of being "acceptable" or having to defend your choices
 
FOLLOW
Get on The Bench waitlist
Follow Kim on Instagram

15: The Problem With Palatable Creativity with Amandolin Webb

Do you believe that you're creative? Today's guest, Amandolin Webb, would argue that you are. In this conversation we explore why creativity has nothing to do with credentials and everything to do with instinct, why sacrifice isn't the same as suffering, and how we can say yes to something before we're forced into a decision. In a world that tells us to do more, be more, sell more, Amandolin shares her tips from branding and beyond on how to avoid taking the expected path just because it's normalized. Listen to the end for the story behind her unique name.
 
HIGHLIGHTS
How your location affects your work (hint: digital nomad status isn't always the goal)
What you need when you're facing a big project
The upside to failure
Why sharing the messy parts is more magnetic that showcasing the flattering angles
The dichotomy between creativity and conventionality
Advice for "making it" as a creative
 
FOLLOW
Smeuse Studio
Find Amandolin on Instagram
Find Kim on Instagram
Kim's Website

14: How To Trust Yourself After Failing

Everyone fails. Yet few people are willing to admit it. Instead, we're inundated with the clean before/after stories told from the rearview, glossing over the messy middle. So when it's not easy to bounce back, we harbor shame and hold back from trying again.
 
What if we could talk about failure just like we talk about success—normalize things working out like we didn't imagine they would and realizing that's not always a bad thing? If we want to evolve, we have to accept failure as part of that journey. 
 
Today I'm sharing my own, very personal story of failure. One that started with the simple thought, "I could do that better than them" and ended with an existential crisis coated in the question of, "What now?" 
 
If every no gets us closer to a yes, how do we become better at failing?
 
HIGHLIGHTS
The important distinction between failing and feeling like a failure
How to build self trust after things turned out differently than you imagined
Why admitting failure builds trust and connection
Three important steps you should take after failing
 
FOLLOW
Get on The Bench waitlist
Follow Kim on Instagram
 
MENTIONS
Article: Why I Am Closing Ami Colé
Range Global Goods

13: Stepping Back When You're Highly Ambitious with Jami Crist

As women, we're encouraged to bounce back. We do so after kids. We do so after heartbreak. We do so after a career disappointment. But how many times can we bounce back without admitting that we need to sit out? And how does that reflect on the narrative we've woven about ourselves. In this episode Kim is joined by Jami Crist, women's health advocate and author of The Losses We Keep. Jami shares her own story of hustle, pregnancy loss, and how much can change in just three years, offering a fresh perspective on "life is short."SOUND BITES
"I always said I would never be a stay at home mom. I can do it all. I want to do it all."
"Am I losing my sense of credibility? Am I in the know anymore?"
"How did I get this job? I don't deserve it. And that made me want to work even harder."
"Keeping good people close to you is literally everything through these hard moments."
 
LINKS
Jami's book: The Losses We Keep
Jami's website
Find Kim on Instagram
Kim's website
 
MENTIONS
LERA Health
Soul Speaks Press
The Power Pause

12: From Employee To Entrepreneur—And Back Again

Self-employment has been heralded as the ultimate power move. Be your own boss! Monetize who you are! These are the messages we here that glorify moving from employee to entrepreneur. In this episode, Kim talks about the shame associated with moving in the opposite direction. She shares why there are many positive and healthy reasons you may want to go back to working for someone else, including her own personal story of accepting an employment offer after promising to never go back. This episode is for anyone who feels pressure to make it work on their own even—and especially when—they're feeling called back to a more traditional role. Kim emphasizes the importance of flexibility in career paths and describes exactly why the future of work is impermanent.
 
HIGHLIGHTS
Why you should never say never in your career.
How regular shifts make you more adaptable and valuable to your employer or business.
The reason Kim left her business and went back to work for a client.
Why it's a trap to think work should fulfill your all of your passions and interests.
How to identify what you need in this season of life and work.
LINKS
Career Contessa
Kim's website