Book Nook - Taboo Topics: Things Women Should Talk About, But Don't

Too many women rise through the ranks of corporate life carrying the weight of experiences they’ve never been allowed to name. The pressure to be competent, composed, agreeable, and endlessly resilient creates a silent barrier that keeps talented career women stuck - especially when they’re ready to step into senior leadership. Taboo Topics: Things Women Should Talk About, But Don’t brings those hidden conversations into the light. 

Women navigating director-level and executive-track roles face challenges no one names out loud, even though they shape how women are judged, promoted, and perceived. These aren’t personality problems or confidence gaps; they’re cultural and structural realities that shape leadership potential, and they rarely appear in traditional leadership books, career guides, or women’s empowerment manuals. 

Drawing from years of coaching career women inside large organizations, Nicole Johnston offers a candid, grounded look at the real issues holding women back. She brings language, clarity, and relief to the pressures women experience but rarely discuss, and she shows how naming these truths can unlock stronger leadership, clearer boundaries, and sustainable professional growth. 

I had a chance to read a copy of this book, which discusses hidden rules, emotional tax, guilt, burnout, and pressure. It also touches on a wide variety of other topics that include physical and mental health issues and how they affect women. It's honest and refreshing to read someone talk so candidly about experiences in areas that many women just don't bring up.

Nicole Johnston is a passionate, inspirational global senior Sales & Marketing FMCG/CPG executive, who has led $1B+ businesses to remarkable success in both traditional and e-commerce/digital channels. She worked for companies like Procter & Gamble, Hershey Foods, Kimberly-Clark, and Newell Brands. Her expertise lies in identifying potential threats and risks, launching new markets, products, and services profitably, and leading diverse teams to achieve record-breaking results. 

But there's more to Nicole than just impressive business acumen. As a seasoned leader, Nicole found her true joy and value in providing positive and professional support to people facing career challenges. Her ability to lead with kindness as well as inspiring and uplifting others has had a broad and transformative impact on organizations, helping countless individuals thrive. 

Driven by this profound passion for making a difference, Nicole made a bold move from the fast-paced corporate world to become an executive and leadership coach for women, and established innatePOWER. Her aim now is to leverage her wealth of experience to ease the way for other women, guiding and supporting them to overcome obstacles and achieve their fullest potential, enabling them to thrive. She has a deep-seated belief in the power of compassionate leadership and a genuine desire to make the world a better place, one person at a time. 

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/nicolemjohnston 

Instagram: @nicolejohnstoncoach | @innatepowercoaching 

Facebook: Nicole Johnston