Too Smart For This

Ladies, grab your notebooks, this episode is an absolute masterclass. This week’s guest is Pauline Brown, the former Chairman of LVMH North America, a board member who's worked with companies like Estée Lauder, Carlyle Group, and Neiman Marcus, and now an author, professor, and entrepreneur building a life and career entirely on her own terms. She's also one of the most thoughtful people you'll hear talk about power, taste, and what it actually takes to build a life that's aligned with who you are.

If you're feeling stuck in a role that looks good on paper but doesn't feel right, if you're trying to figure out your non-negotiables, or if you're tired of optimizing for everyone else's definition of success, this episode is for you. Pauline shares the exact exercise that helped her identify what matters most, how to recognize when something is deeply misaligned and being brave enough to walk away, what aesthetic intelligence actually is and why it's your competitive advantage in the age of AI, and how to stop giving your power away to hierarchies, proving energy, and other people's expectations.

People pay thousands of dollars to learn from Pauline at Columbia and Harvard, and we're getting this wisdom for free. Let's dive in.

What You'll Learn:

The 100 cards exercise that helped Pauline figure out her non-negotiables 30 years ago
What aesthetic intelligence actually is and why it's your superpower in the age of AI
The 4 steps to developing taste
Why work-life balance is a myth
How to redefine wealth when you're no longer optimizing for money
Why being yourself is the only thing you do better than anyone else

EPISODE CHAPTERS
[06:30] - What it was like being an ambitious woman at Wharton in the 90s
[12:15] - How to find your career non-negotiables using the 100 cards exercise
[18:45] - Why she left consulting for products, creativity, and New York
[24:30] - Watching entrepreneurs get rich from her expertise while she stayed on salary
[31:20] - The decision to leave Carlyle Group
[38:15] - What happened when she stopped defending "what do you do?"
[44:50] - Aesthetic intelligence: the other AI
[52:30] - How to develop taste in 4 steps
[58:40] - Why partnership as an ambitious woman requires the right plant
[65:20] - Why work-life balance is a myth and what actually works
[71:45] - Ambitious material girl rapid fire

WHERE TO FIND ALEXIS & TOO COLLECTIVE
Instagram:
@alexisbarber: https://www.instagram.com/alexisbarber/?hl=en
@toocollective: https://www.instagram.com/toocollective/?hl=en

Substack:
Too Smart For This Newsletter: https://toocollective.substack.com/

TikTok:
@alexisbarber_: https://www.tiktok.com/@alexisbarber_

YouTube:
Subscribe here: http://www.youtube.com/@alexis_barber

Shop the Episode: https://shopmy.us/shop?Curator_id=250549

Book Office Hours: Work with Alexis Here:
https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=22112790&appointmentType=79833937

Get the Journal: Too Smart For This: A Guided Journal Here:
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/761193/too-smart-for-this-by-alexis-barber/

Questions, thoughts, or want to collaborate? Email Alexis at [email protected]

ABOUT TOO SMART FOR THIS
You're ambitious. You're overwhelmed. And you're definitely too smart to keep sacrificing your well-being for someone else's definition of success. Too Smart For This is the show for ambitious material girls just like you who are learning how to channel their chaotic energy into a more intentional and fun life.

Join your host, Alexis Barber (author, Wharton MBA, former Google/YouTube strategist, and certified ambitious material girl), every Monday for the frameworks, authentic conversations, and tangible tools you need to build a life that's both driven and deeply enjoyable. Because self-care is part of the business plan—and you're too smart to settle for anything less. Subscribe now and follow @alexisbarber and @toocollective for more.

This show is supported by Other Kind Media — otherkindmedia.com

This episode is about power, and we're not apologizing for it. Ambitious women are taught to serve everyone else, be the good girl, and never admit they want to be powerful. But your power is already within you, and this episode is about how to stop accidentally giving it away and step into your full power as a woman.

Power isn't the money, the titles, or the degrees. It's not even the relationship or the job. Those things can amplify your power if you let them, but they can also mute it if you're not careful. Your power lives in your energy, and wherever your energy goes, that's where your power flows. So if you're constantly exhausted, resentful, or feeling like you're performing for everyone else, you're leaking power somewhere.

In this episode, Alexis walks through the 5 ways ambitious women give their power away, and the one question to ask yourself this week: where has my energy gone that I didn't consciously send it? That's where your power is — and it's time to go get it back.

What You'll Learn:

What power actually is
The 5 ways ambitious women accidentally give their power away
Why you're giving your power to your circumstances and how to stop
Locus of control: internal vs external validation
Why smart girls have nothing to prove
The one question to ask yourself this week to reclaim your power

EPISODE CHAPTERS

[01:30] - Welcome: Why we're talking about power this month
[03:15] - What power actually is and what it's not
[06:30] - Power leak #1: Following rules you've never questioned
[09:45] - Power leak #2: Proving energy and auditioning for approval
[13:00] - Power leak #3: Giving your power away to mirrors
[16:15] - Power leak #4: Your circumstances don't define your ceiling
[19:30] - Power leak #5: Keeping yourself small to avoid responsibility
[22:45] - Everything you want is on the other side of Cringe Mountain
[25:00] - The one question to ask yourself this week

WHERE TO FIND ALEXIS & TOO COLLECTIVE

Instagram:

@alexisbarber: https://www.instagram.com/alexisbarber/?hl=en
@toocollective: https://www.instagram.com/toocollective/?hl=en

Substack:

Too Smart For This Newsletter: https://toocollective.substack.com/
TikTok:
@alexisbarber_: https://www.tiktok.com/@alexisbarber_

YouTube:

Subscribe here: http://www.youtube.com/@alexis_barber
Shop the Episode: https://shopmy.us/shop?Curator_id=250549

Book Office Hours: Work with Alexis Here:
https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=22112790&appointmentType=79833937
Get the Journal: Too Smart For This: A Guided Journal Here:
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/761193/too-smart-for-this-by-alexis-barber/

Questions, thoughts, or want to collaborate? Email Alexis at [email protected]

ABOUT TOO SMART FOR THIS

You're ambitious. You're overwhelmed. And you're definitely too smart to keep sacrificing your well-being for someone else's definition of success.

Too Smart For This is the show for ambitious material girls just like you who are learning how to channel their chaotic energy into a more intentional and fun life.

Join your host, Alexis Barber (author, Wharton MBA, former Google/YouTube strategist, and certified ambitious material girl), every Monday for the frameworks, authentic conversations, and tangible tools you need to build a life that's both driven and deeply enjoyable. Because self-care is part of the business plan—and you're too smart to settle for anything less.

Subscribe now and follow @alexisbarber and @toocollective for more.

ABOUT YOUR HOST

Hello, love!

I'm an ambitious material girl obsessed with wellness, business, consumer culture, and the creator economy. I write from New York City, where I'm busy enjoying being young, gifted, and Black, oversharing online, and remembering that self-care is part of the business plan.

This show is supported by Other Kind Media — otherkindmedia.com

If you want to build a powerful network without draining your social battery or working the room like a used car salesman, this episode is for you.

Phoebe Dodds is a global connector, ecosystem builder, co-founder of Social Capital, and the woman Harvard Business Review, Vogue, and Forbes turn to when they want to talk about the future of relationships and business. She's built connections across companies like Apple and Airbnb — not by hustling harder, but by understanding how human connection actually works.

This conversation is full of concrete tools you can use immediately. From what to actually say when you're meeting someone for coffee and why you should network at your level instead of only reaching for the C-suite to how one message a week can completely change your trajectory. Phoebe breaks down her approach to moving across continents and boardrooms while building a network that genuinely opens doors without feeling like a second job.

What You'll Learn:

How Phoebe got hired from one cold message on LinkedIn
The 100 new connections challenge and why it works
Why you should network at your level, not just C-suite
How to use jealousy as a tool for your vision board
Network stacking: bringing people together strategically
Low-lift conversation starters that actually work
How to keep networking organic without tracking systems

Find Phoebe here:
Substack: Social Currency | @phoebedodds1
LinkedIn: Phoebe Dodds

EPISODE CHAPTERS

[01:39] - Welcome: Phoebe Dodds on networking without the sleaze
[06:15] - How every cool thing Phoebe's done came through her network
[12:30] - The cold LinkedIn message that led to a year-long contract
[18:45] - Why networking is your safety net in an uncertain economy
[24:20] - The 100 new connections challenge
[36:40] - Jealousy as a vision board tool
[42:15] - Moving across continents and building networks everywhere
[48:30] - Network stacking and making it easy on yourself
[54:20] - Low-lift conversation starters that work
[56:00] - Rapid fire Q&A

WHERE TO FIND ALEXIS & TOO COLLECTIVE

Instagram:
@alexisbarber: https://www.instagram.com/alexisbarber/?hl=en
@toocollective: https://www.instagram.com/toocollective/?hl=en

Substack:
Too Smart For This Newsletter: https://toocollective.substack.com/

TikTok:
@alexisbarber_: https://www.tiktok.com/@alexisbarber_

YouTube:
Subscribe here: http://www.youtube.com/@alexis_barber
Shop the Episode: https://shopmy.us/shop?Curator_id=250549

Book Office Hours: Work with Alexis Here:
https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=22112790&appointmentType=79833937

Get the Journal: Too Smart For This: A Guided Journal Here:
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/761193/too-smart-for-this-by-alexis-barber/

Questions, thoughts, or want to collaborate? Email Alexis at [email protected]

ABOUT TOO SMART FOR THIS

You're ambitious. You're overwhelmed. And you're definitely too smart to keep sacrificing your well-being for someone else's definition of success.

Too Smart For This is the show for ambitious material girls just like you who are learning how to channel their chaotic energy into a more intentional and fun life.

Join your host, Alexis Barber (author, Wharton MBA, former Google/YouTube strategist, and certified ambitious material girl), every Monday for the frameworks, authentic conversations, and tangible tools you need to build a life that's both driven and deeply enjoyable. Because self-care is part of the business plan—and you're too smart to settle for anything less.

Subscribe now and follow @alexisbarber and @toocollective for more.

ABOUT YOUR HOST

Hello, love!

I'm an ambitious material girl obsessed with wellness, business, consumer culture, and the creator economy. I write from New York City, where I'm busy enjoying being young, gifted, and Black, oversharing online, and remembering that self-care is part of the business plan.

This show is supported by Other Kind Media — otherkindmedia.com

Happy Valentine's Day my beautiful friends! Jodie Taylor is back, and this episode couldn't have come at a better time.

Jodie is a Senior Director of DEI at Sony Music Group, Northwestern alum, and one of the most followed voices in the ambitious women space. She's been featured in the New York Times, Vogue, and The Cut — and she's one of the first people Alexis has seen put into actual words what it feels like to navigate dating and career as a successful woman.

This episode is full of the big sister advice we all need to hear — dating as an ambitious woman, the two types of men you attract, why physical capital matters more than most high-achieving women want to admit, and why a bias towards action is the only thing standing between you and the life you want.

Find Jodie: @jodyktayl (IG) | @jodyktay (TikTok) | glowupmasterclass.com

What You'll Learn:

The two types of men ambitious women attract (and why both are exhausting)
Jodie's dating framework: pacing, time boundaries, and filtering out love bombers
How to find your non-negotiables (look at your childhood, not TikTok)
Why physical capital is one of the most underrated investments you can make
What "visible currency" means and why a stylist changes everything
How to map your social network and create proximity with the women you want around you
Why you need to be 70-80% of the way there before reaching out to a mentor
Why alignment will always outperform effort
Why having a bias towards action is everything

EPISODE CHAPTERS

[00:00] - Welcome back Jodie Taylor
[05:30] - Mindset shifts for becoming visible
[11:45] - Alignment vs effort: zone of genius
[17:20] - Dating as an ambitious woman
[23:40] - The dating framework: pacing, boundaries, vetting
[30:15] - Non-negotiables as an ambitious woman
[36:50] - Physical capital and why women undersell it
[49:10] - Networking: mapping your social circle and creating proximity
[55:30] - Bias towards action: the big sister advice you need to hear

WHERE TO FIND ALEXIS & TOO COLLECTIVE

Instagram:

@alexisbarber: https://www.instagram.com/alexisbarber/?hl=en

@toocollective: https://www.instagram.com/toocollective/?hl=en

Substack:
Too Smart For This Newsletter: https://toocollective.substack.com/

TikTok:
@alexisbarber_: https://www.tiktok.com/@alexisbarber_

YouTube:
Subscribe here: http://www.youtube.com/@alexis_barber

Shop the Episode: https://shopmy.us/shop?Curator_id=250549

Book Office Hours: Work with Alexis Here:
https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=22112790&appointmentType=79833937

Get the Journal: Too Smart For This: A Guided Journal Here:
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/761193/too-smart-for-this-by-alexis-barber/

Questions, thoughts, or want to collaborate? Email Alexis at [email protected]

ABOUT TOO SMART FOR THIS

You're ambitious. You're overwhelmed. And you're definitely too smart to keep sacrificing your well-being for someone else's definition of success.

Too Smart For This is the show for ambitious material girls just like you who are learning how to channel their chaotic energy into a more intentional and fun life.

Join your host, Alexis Barber (author, Wharton MBA, former Google/YouTube strategist, and certified ambitious material girl), every Monday for the frameworks, authentic conversations, and tangible tools you need to build a life that's both driven and deeply enjoyable. Because self-care is part of the business plan—and you're too smart to settle for anything less.

Subscribe now and follow @alexisbarber and @toocollective for more.

ABOUT YOUR HOST

Hello, love!

I'm an ambitious material girl obsessed with wellness, business, consumer culture, and the creator economy. I write from New York City, where I'm busy enjoying being young, gifted, and Black, oversharing online, and remembering that self-care is part of the business plan.

This show is supported by Other Kind Media — otherkindmedia.com

Hiiii angels, surprise! I'm back with a bonus episode with the one and only Julia Cabral, Senior Director of Product Marketing at LinkedIn.

We chat about her career pivot from finance to marketing, why today's job market requires you to take agency over your own career path, and how building your personal brand on LinkedIn isn't optional anymore whether you're a creator, corporate girly, or entrepreneur. Julia breaks down the exact LinkedIn profile upgrades you need to make, how to start creating content even if you're not a "content person," and why the question "what energizes you vs what drains you" changed her entire career trajectory.

If you want to build your dream career and launch your personal brand in 2026, this episode is your guide for getting started and how to leverage LinkedIn to your advantage.

What You'll Learn:

Why reflecting on what energizes vs drains you can change your career
How Julia pivoted from finance to marketing and understanding transferable skills
Why the job market has shifted to skills-based hiring instead of title-based
The importance of building your personal brand online even if you're not a creator
Easy LinkedIn profile upgrades:
3 low-pressure post ideas to get started on LinkedIn today
Why "personality over personal" is the rule for LinkedIn content

ABOUT THE GUEST

Julia Cabral is the Senior Director of Product Marketing at LinkedIn, where she leads marketing strategy for LinkedIn's feed and video products. She's also a content creator herself, sharing career advice and marketing insights on LinkedIn. Before pivoting to marketing, Julia spent years in finance at LinkedIn, and she's been a spin instructor on the side for nearly a decade. She's all about multifaceted careers, owning your narrative, and helping people put themselves out there authentically.

Follow Julia on LinkedIn: Julia Cabral Flavin

WHERE TO FIND ALEXIS & TOO COLLECTIVE

Follow along with Alexis:

Instagram:
@alexisbarber: https://www.instagram.com/alexisbarber/?hl=en
@toocollective: https://www.instagram.com/toocollective/?hl=en

Substack:
Too Smart For This Newsletter: https://toocollective.substack.com/

TikTok:
@alexisbarber_: https://www.tiktok.com/@alexisbarber_

YouTube:
Subscribe here: http://www.youtube.com/@alexis_barber

Shop the Episode: https://shopmy.us/shop?Curator_id=250549

Book Office Hours: Work with Alexis Here:
https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=22112790&appointmentType=79833937

Get the Journal: Too Smart For This: A Guided Journal Here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/761193/too-smart-for-this-by-alexis-barber/

Questions, thoughts, or want to collaborate with Alexis or Too Collective? Email Alexis at [email protected]

ABOUT TOO SMART FOR THIS

You're ambitious. You're overwhelmed. And you're definitely too smart to keep sacrificing your well-being for someone else's definition of success.

Too Smart For This is the show for ambitious material girls just like you who are learning how to channel their chaotic energy into a more intentional and fun life.

Join your host, Alexis Barber (author, Wharton MBA, former Google/YouTube strategist, and certified ambitious material girl), every Monday for the frameworks, authentic conversations, and tangible tools you need to build a life that's both driven and deeply enjoyable. Because self-care is part of the business plan—and you're too smart to settle for anything less.

Subscribe now and follow @alexisbarber and @toocollective for more.

ABOUT YOUR HOST

Hello, love!

I'm an ambitious material girl obsessed with wellness, business, consumer culture, and the creator economy. I write from New York City, where I'm busy enjoying being young, gifted, and Black, oversharing online, and remembering that self-care is part of the business plan.

This show is supported by Other Kind Media — otherkindmedia.com