As women, we walk a tightrope between needing to advocate for ourselves, yet not wanting to come across as braggarts or overly promotional (yes, it’s that pesky double bind). How can we make sure we’re getting the visibility and opportunities we deserve for the amazing work I know we’re all doing? We need a wingwoman (or two or three)! In this episode, my guest Mia Scharphie shares what she has named “the wingwoman effect” and how as women entrepreneurs and professionals we can use it to advocate for others, foster collaboration, and gain more visibility. We talk about the difference between having a mentor and a sponsor, creating a recommendation circle, and a better approach to networking events. We also need your input! During our conversation, we talk about how we all need to have a coach, a cheerleader, and a challenger in our lives. Mia came up with an idea for a fourth archetype and we need a good “C” name for it! (I love alliteration.) After you listen, pop into the Speaking Your Brand Facebook group and share with us your ideas. About My Guest: Mia Scharphie is a creative agent of change, a do-er and big-picture thinker. She founded Build Yourself to help women in creative fields move past the obstacles that hold them back in the workplace, and to make those workplaces better places for their women’s often underutilized talent. Mia is a trained facilitator and has worked on women’s advocacy for over fifteen years. She’s run a research effort on women in social impact design for the Harvard Business School, is a founding member of the Equity Roundtable at the Boston Society of Architects, and was named as one of Impact Design Hub’s Social Impact Design 40 under 40. She has spoken extensively across the country including at the Association of Community Designers, and A Better World by Design, as well as the University of Pennsylvania and UT Austin. Mia received degrees from the Harvard Graduate School of Design and Brown University. Her writings on issues of equity in design have been published in the Christian Science Monitor and GOOD. Highlights: How succeeding in school and the workplace are different, and what actions to take to make yourself memorable Why hearing ‘no’ is sometimes a really good thing to hear How people pleasing and needing approval hinder us from reaching our goals The difference between having a mentor and a sponsor How to start building your visibility today and why you shouldn’t wait to do it The importance of collaboration over competition What it means to have and to be a wingwoman How to take advantage of the opportunities you have to be creative and stand out Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/46 Get Mia’s free brainstorming guide to help you create more unique content: http://www.buildyourselfworkshop.com/speakingyourbrand Visit Mia’s website at http://buildyourselfworkshop.com/ and http://buildyourselfworkshop.com/double-vision-coming-soon/ Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/ or text the word SPEAKING to 444-999. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review! JOIN US: Our in-person Speaking Accelerator Workshop is coming up in Downtown Orlando on October 30, 2025. Create and practice your signature talk in one day using our proven framework, so you can confidently share your message and attract more opportunities. It's a fun, supportive environment where you get personalized feedback, professional photos, and more. Limited to 15 attendees. Get the details and secure your spot at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/.

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.