Being Your Own Best Boss in Academia With Dr. Vikki Wright

Welcome to another episode of Beyond the Thesis With Papa PhD, where we’re diving deep into the world of academia with Dr. Vikki Wright. Dr. Wright, the founder of The PhD Life Coach, joins David Mendes to share her journey from a full professorship at the University of Birmingham to becoming a life coach empowering PhD students and academics to thrive in their careers. In this episode, we’ll explore how she transitioned from a research-focused role to a teaching and coaching path, emphasizing the importance of finding fulfillment in academic spaces. Vikki shares her insights on developing transferable skills, managing stress, and being your own best boss in academia. Whether you’re struggling with negative self-talk, feeling overwhelmed with the demands of academic life, or simply looking for inspiration on how to navigate your academic career, this episode is packed with valuable advice and insights. Tune in to hear how Dr. Vikki Wright’s experiences and coaching philosophy can help you craft a more fulfilling academic journey.

Dr Vikki Wright is the founder of The PhD Life Coach, where she provides a group coaching programme for PhD students as well as one-to-one coaching and online courses. She was a full Professor at the University of Birmingham in the UK until 2022, specialising in both how stress affects health and how to develop transferable skills in PhD students. She hosts The PhD Life Coach podcast which helps PhD students and academics get less overwhelmed and enjoy their work.

What we covered in the interview:

• 🎢 Embrace Diverse Opportunities: Dr. Wright emphasizes the value of multidisciplinary work and collaboration. Don’t be afraid to volunteer for projects outside your immediate research area—this can lead to new, exciting career paths!.
• 👍 Be Your Own Best Boss: Avoid being your harshest critic. Treat yourself kindly, set realistic goals for yourself, and celebrate your achievements. Self-compassion can make your academic journey more fulfilling and less stressful.
• 🧠 Cultivate Effective Organizational Skills: Successful management of tasks and time is crucial in graduate school and as an academic. Find tools that work for you and remember—it’s okay to use them imperfectly. What matters is finding the ones that fit your needs and being as consistent as you can.

🎧 Tune into the full episode to hear more insights from Dr. Wright on navigating academia with confidence and joy! 🎙️✨

🔗See the resources section below for her links!

This episode’s resources:

• The PhD Life Coach | Website
• Be Your Own Best Boss Coach | Enroll in the course!

Thank you, Dr. Vikki Wright!

If you enjoyed this conversation with Dr. Wright, let her know by clicking the link below and leaving her  a message on Linkedin:

Send Dr. Vikki Wright a message on Linkedin!

Click here to share your key take-away from this interview with David!

You might also like the following episodes:

Claudia Belliveau – PhD Job Hunt Best Practices

Kelly Guenther and Keri Ohlrich – Making Career Pivots Without Fear

Matteo Tardelli – Identifying Your Core Values For The Job Hunt

Alessandra Wall – Positioning Yourself Outside Academia