A few weeks ago, I walked myself into an Applied AI event in Minneapolis.

Twenty-seven men. Three women. A keynote speaker who came in with a why — and a room full of people determined to pull him into the how.

This is what I saw. And what almost didn't happen.

EP02 is a story about a woman who almost didn't come back. A graduate student who didn't wait for anyone. And one front-row decision that changed everything.

If you've ever walked into a room and felt like a visitor in your own field — this one's for you.

Women in AI. Showing up. Werk It Girls.

Continuation: EP04 — The bigger story. Why that room looked the way it did. What the data says about women and AI. And what it's going to cost us if we keep waiting to be invited.

What if the loudest voice holding you back isn't your boss, your industry, or anyone around you — but the one inside your own head?

In this first episode, Sharon sits down with Mary Quirk — scientist, writer, and longtime friend — to talk about the inner critic that tells you you're too much in one lane and not enough in another. Mary built a career at the University of Minnesota Medical School doing both: rigorous science and the kind of writing that makes that science land with real people. This conversation is about how she did it — and what she'd tell her younger self.

Mary references Tara Mohr's 2014 book Playing Big, which she credits as a turning point in quieting her own inner critic. If this episode resonated with you, it's a great next read.

🎵 Original score composed by Owen Sartori at F5 Soundhouse, Minneapolis.

Have you ever started a conversation with "I know you're busy" or "hate to bug you"?

Sharon Mickelson noticed something in those words. While men were out there asking for advice, building their networks, and moving forward — women were going it alone. Not because they didn't have questions. But because somewhere along the way they got the message that asking was a burden.

That gap doesn't stay still. It widens.

This is Episode 0 — the why behind Werk It Girls. In this short episode, Sharon introduces what this podcast is, who it's for, and what's really been getting in the way of women's careers. Spoiler: it's not your skills, your experience, or whether you're ready.

🎵 Original score composed by Owen Sartori at F5 Soundhouse, Minneapolis.

Meet Sharon Mickelson — senior leader, straight talker, and the voice you didn't know you needed 🔥 Stop guessing and start playing the game on your terms. The game hasn't changed — but you're about to...

🎵 Original score composed by Owen Sartori at F5 Soundhouse, Minneapolis.