I was reporting straight to the CEO, running an entire function, and there was no VP above me. I still couldn't get the title. I had no idea what I was doing wrong.

Most women I know are heads-down doing good work and assuming that's enough. It's not. The women who get promoted to VP and beyond aren't just talented. They've built a career brand, and they've done it intentionally.

Have you ever gotten advice that was completely wrong for your situation, from someone who genuinely wanted to help? That disconnect isn't random. It usually means you asked the right person the wrong question, or the wrong person entirely.

I was stuck as a director for five years. And the whole time, I was already doing the VP job. Reporting to the CEO, running the function, on the senior leadership team, no VP above me. I kept waiting for the title to follow.

My corporate career looks great on paper. VP, then EVP. But the road to get there was so much messier than it needed to be.

Most of us believe that if we impress our manager and make ourselves indispensable, the promotion will follow.

If you're waiting for your company to invest in your growth, send you to leadership training, or map out your path to VP, you're going to be waiting a long time. The lessons I've learned in four years of entrepreneurship would have made me a better executive a decade ago, and you can use them without leaving your job.

The strategies that got you your last few roles will not get you your next one if it's at the VP level. Career strategist Anna Belyaeva joins me to reframe senior job search as closing a seven-figure deal, not submitting an application.

You're growing and feeling distance from the people around you - friends, your partner, your family. The advice online says cut them off. The real answer is more nuanced.

Being visible isn't the same as being visible for the right things. If your name comes up but you're known as "so reliable" or "the fixer," you have a visibility problem. J