Welcome back to The Power of Owning Your Career Podcast! In this special encore episode, host Simone Morris revisits a powerful conversation with Bhavna Bartholf, a trailblazing leader who spent over two decades at Microsoft and is now Executive Vice President of Commercial Sales and Strategy at another top organization.
Bhavna takes us on an inspiring journey from her upbringing in India, where she came from a family of doctors but chose to forge her own path, to her impressive rise in tech leadership. She opens up about the challenges of staying with one organization for over 20 years, the pivotal moments that shaped her, and the importance of taking the driver’s seat in your career. Bhavna shares illuminating insights on self-advocacy, knowing your worth, and overcoming the internal and external barriers that keep us from confidently pursuing what we deserve—especially as women in the workforce.
Get ready for actionable takeaways, game-changing mindset shifts, and a reminder of your power. Whether feeling stuck or looking to level up your career ownership journey, this episode contains wisdom and inspiration you won’t want to miss.
Let’s dive in!
Episode TimeStamp:
00:00 Top Career Podcast Honors/Bhavana Bartholf Introduction
03:27 "Bhavana Bartholf: Career Growth Insights"
07:18 Driven by Purposeful Giving
11:40 Unexpected Career Start at Microsoft
15:53 Career Growth During Pandemic Reorganization
19:23 "The Power of Saying No"
21:30 Cultivating Confidence and Self-Advocacy
25:01 Rediscovering Purpose Through Self-Reflection
29:21 "Secrets to Self-Advocacy Revealed"
31:31 Overcoming Fear Through Preparation
33:53 Forge Your Own Path
37:50 "Gratitude for Bhavana's Impact"
Resources:
52 Tips for Owning Your Career Book by Simone E. Morris
Self-assessment tools (for understanding strengths, motivators, and drivers)
TEDx Talk by Bhavana Bartholf (on self-advocacy and career ownership)
LinkedIn (as a platform for connection and career networking)
Connect with our guest, Bhavana Bartholf, at
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bhavanabartholf/.
Connect with the show's host, Simone E. Morris, at https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonemorris/.
To apply to be a guest or recommend guests for the show, visit
bit.ly/pooycshowguest.
✴️ Get More Support for Your Career:
🟢 Get Simone's Book, The Power of Owning Your Career (https://bit.ly/3xlYyl6)
🟢 Get Simone's Book, 52 Tips for Owning Your Career (https://bit.ly/43JTV03)
🟢 Get Simone's Book, Achievement Unlocked: Strategies to Set Goals and Manifest Them (
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.