Your Words Unleashed
Your Words Unleashed Podcast, hosted by author and writing coach Dr. Leslie Wang, helps women scholars master their writing habits and publish a book that matters.
Episodes
In this deeply moving conversation, Leslie talks with Dr. Katherine In-Young Lee, a higher ed coach and former tenured professor, about what happens when academic life and caregiving collide. After her father’s stroke, Katherine became a full-time caregiver for both her parents—a journey that reshaped her understanding of productivity and purpose.
Together, they discuss the emotional, cultural, and institutional chall...
In this episode, Leslie explore the surprising perspectives people only gain after leaving academia. After three years outside higher ed, I’ve noticed unexpected shifts in my own habits, mindset, and relationships—so I asked thousands of former academics what changed for them once they left, too. Nearly 100 people responded, sharing candid reflections about work, health, identity, and what they thought they’d miss…but...
What would you do if your inbox filled with threats, your home address was posted online, or your university launched an “investigation” after a viral tweet?
In this episode, Dr. Heather Steffen, director of Faculty First Responders, joins Leslie to reveal how professors can protect themselves from doxxing, harassment, and politically motivated attacks.
Dr. Steffen shares:
- The anatomy of a smear campaign—and ho...
In this episode, Leslie welcomes back book publishing expert Dr. Laura Portwood-Stacer, author of The Book Proposal Book and the new release Make Your Manuscript Work: A Guide to Developmental Editing for Scholarly Writers. Laura shares her practical, step-by-step approach to developmental editing and how she helps authors create manuscripts that truly resonate with presses and readers. She discusses the most common m...
Feeling drained, scattered, or like your brain is running on fumes? You’re not alone—and you don’t have to give up on your writing. In this episode, Leslie shares what to do when your capacity is at rock bottom but you still want to keep your research alive.
This episode includes strategies for protecting your mental space, rethinking what “counts” as writing, and tracking small wins that actually build momentum. Writ...
How do you keep teaching with integrity when the ground beneath higher education is constantly shifting? In this episode, I talk with Dr. Brielle Harbin—political scientist, award-winning educator, and founder of Your Cooperative Colleague. Brielle helps scholars, especially women and nonbinary faculty of color, create values-aligned academic lives that resist burnout and grind culture.
We get into what it takes to bui...
In this episode of Your Words Unleashed, I’m getting back to basics—the kind of writing advice that makes the biggest difference for scholars who want their work to actually connect. Too often, academic writing gets stuck in old habits that make our ideas harder (and way less fun) to read.
So today, I’m sharing my top writing pet peeves: the little quirks I see over and over that keep brilliant scholars from sounding ...
Check out Leslie's website at www.YourWordsUnleashed.com!
The three ways Leslie can help you with coaching & developmental editing:
#1: Six-month Your Words Unleashed signature book writing coaching program. Through 8 hour-long sessions tailored to your own needs and goals, we will pinpoint what’s keeping you stuck. We’ll figure out personalized solutions and strategies so yo...
Feeling the weight of the upcoming semester? You’re not alone. In this episode, I explore why so many academics head into fall already exhausted—and how you can change that.
I share a simple but powerful three-step approach to reduce your teaching load without sacrificing student learning. You’ll hear why it’s essential to put your own priorities at the center of your semester planning and how a few intentional choice...
Acquisitions editors, developmental editors, copy editors... How many different kinds of editors are there? What do they even do? And what are they looking for in a project?
On this episode I chat with Alison Kalett, Editorial Director at Princeton University Press, where she supports a team of six science editors and acquires books in biology. She's been their science editor since 2007, and prior to this, she was...
Have you ever asked yourself, “How much time do I actually need to write in order to make progress?” If so, then this episode is for you. Whether you’ve been struggling to find time to write this summer or gearing up for the fall semester, you’ll find practical insights and compassionate advice to help you move forward.
Leslie explores the pros and cons of popular strategies and gives tips to help you protect your wr...
In this powerful episode, Dr. Cullen C. Merritt, Associate Professor and Research Director at the University of Maryland, joins me to unpack the often-overlooked issue of service shaming in academia. Drawing from his eye-opening op-ed in Inside Higher Ed, Cullen explains how universities publicly promote service as a core mission—yet internally discourage faculty from engaging in it, especially when it comes to mentor...
In this episode, Leslie chats with Dr. Jennifer Reich—sociologist, author, and TEDx speaker whose talk has racked up over 1 million views! Jennifer shares the fascinating (and often misunderstood) reasons some parents choose not to vaccinate their kids—and what that reveals about trust, privilege, and how families navigate public health systems.
She also opens up about her journey through academia, how she finds the h...
In this re-released episode, I explore a radically different way to think about time and procrastination—one that offers more freedom, not less. Inspired by Oliver Burkeman’s book Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, this episode dives into why most time management advice fails us, and what to do instead.
You’ll learn how to “procrastinate better” by focusing on what truly matters, how to avoid falling int...
Feeling burned out before your sabbatical even begins? Dr. Bethany Wilinski shares how to design a sabbatical that actually heals, restores, and reignites your passion for work. From mindset shifts to practical planning, learn how to make your time off truly transformative.
You’ll learn:
- Why burnout changes what your sabbatical should look like
- How to shift from a productivity mindset to a purpose-driven plan
- Practica...
In Episode 80 of Your Words Unleashed, Leslie Wang walks you through one of her favorite tools for getting unstuck: a simple but powerful future self visualization. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed or uncertain—about your career, your writing, or just life in general—this exercise can help you reconnect with what really matters.
Leslie shares how imagining a single day in her life 10 years into the future gave her cl...
What if everything you thought you knew about disability… missed the point?
In this deeply powerful episode, I’m joined by Dr. Stephanie Cawthon—educational psychologist, author, and founder of the National Disability Center for Student Success at UT Austin. Stephanie is a force of nature when it comes to challenging the status quo in higher ed and beyond.
We dive into her personal journey as a Deaf scholar navigating a...
Are you an academic thinking about leaving the ivory tower but unsure of your next step? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Ashley Ruba, a developmental psychologist turned UX researcher, career coach, and founder of After Academia. Ashley shares her personal journey of leaving academia, the challenges she faced, and how she successfully transitioned into the industry.
We dive deep into:
✅ The reality of the ac...
Why do so many academics cringe at the thought of self-promotion? In this episode, I dive into why scholars struggle to share their work—and why keeping quiet isn’t neutral anymore.
With higher education under attack and misinformation everywhere, I truly believe researchers have a moral obligation to make their insights accessible. But self-promotion doesn’t have to feel like bragging or selling out. Instead, it can b...
Is it possible for women of color and other marginalized faculty to be successful in the increasingly toxic culture of the academy? How do we survive without sacrificing personal wellness and well-being?
In this episode, Dr. Roxanne Donovan and I explore these crucial questions and discuss some practical ways we can bring social justice values to our work as teachers, scholars, and practitioners.
A licensed ...
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