Episode 10: Progress, Power & The Work Still Left to Do w/ Christine Nikolaou from The FMCG Guys

This week on SHeCOMMERCE, Cristina and Jacqui are joined by Christine Nikolaou of The FMCG Guys for a bold, no-fluff conversation on Women’s History Month, International Women’s Day, and the work still left to do.

This is not a celebration episode. It’s an audit. An unfiltered conversation about power, progress, and the systems still holding women back at work.

Together, they unpack the hard truths behind corporate gender equity conversations — from the “broken rung” keeping women from that critical first promotion, to the gap between visibility and actual power, to the reality that sponsorship, not just performance, still shapes who advances and who gets left behind.

They also dig into the uncomfortable questions companies love to avoid:

• Are women being supported — or simply showcased?
• Has leadership equity become more of a branding exercise than a business priority?
• And are flexible work policies really helping women, or quietly penalizing them?

With sharp insight, real talk, and zero patience for buzzwords, this episode explores what progress actually looks like, what’s still broken, and what needs to change next.

If you’re tired of pink-washed corporate messaging and ready for a more honest conversation about women, leadership, and power in the workplace — this one’s for you.

In this episode, we cover:

• The “broken rung” and why early promotions matter so much
• The difference between representation, influence, and authority
• Why sponsorship changes careers
• Performative allyship vs. real structural change
• Flexibility, caregiving, and the hidden penalties women still face
• What companies continue to get wrong about women and ambition

Smart. Sharp. Honest. And exactly the kind of conversation Women’s History Month should make room for.

Bold Brands. Fierce Women. One Sisterhood.

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