Beyond Power Ranking Lists: Real Measures Of A Meaningful Career

As the year wraps up, so do the “Top Under 30, 40, 50” lists, power rankings, and glossy features that suggest success is public, polished, and linear.

In this episode, we take a clear-eyed look at why these lists can be inspiring but also alienating, and why so many brilliant, hardworking women still feel like they’re falling behind.

Then, we shift the focus to a more grounded, sustainable way to measure progress, one that doesn’t rely on headlines, algorithms, or someone else’s definition of success.

We walk through a set of practical, reflective questions to help you define what success really means to you, and explore how chasing visibility without alignment can lead to burnout, distraction, and disconnection from your purpose.

Click here for Show Notes and a simple year-end reflection exercise.

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome And Setting The Question
• 1:58 Year-End Lists And Hidden Costs
• 3:25 What We’re Taught To Value
• 4:22 Better Metrics For Success
• 6:05 You’re Already Succeeding
• 7:01 A Kinder Lens On Yourself
• 7:38 Define Success And Next Steps
• 7:53 Reflection Exercise And Community CTA

Transcript

Erika Lucas: 0:00

Hi everyone and welcome back to the VEST Her Podcast, the show where we have real conversations about what it means to build meaningful careers, lead with purpose, and live life on your own terms. I'm your host, Erica Lucas, and today I want to talk to you about something that I know a lot of us struggle with. How we define success. And more importantly, are we measuring it in ways that actually reflect what we care about? What got me thinking about this was seeing all the year-end lists start to pop up. The Forbes top 30 under 30, or 40 under 40, 50 over 50, most powerful women, women to watch, you know, all those lists. And while I genuinely love seeing women being recognized because we do deserve more visibility, it also made me pause and think about all the women who often go unseen. The ones who are showing up every day as caregivers, community leaders, small business owners, mentors, and quiet change makers. The women balancing work, family, and everything in between, often without applause, press coverage, or a seed on a most powerful list. For a lot of us, especially women in the thick of building careers, raising families, leading teams, or even just figuring out things quietly behind the scenes, not being on those lists can bring up some real feelings. Feelings of falling behind, not doing enough, or questioning whether our version of success counts if we're not making the headlines. But before we get started, if you enjoyed the episode, share with a friend and don't forget to leave us a review. More importantly, if you're ready to take your career to the next level, apply to join our community of women professionals eager to help you get there and stay there. Go to www.vesther.co to learn more. The list we love to hate and sometimes secretly want to be on. So it's that time of year when all the most powerful women and who-to watch lists start making the rounds. Let me start by saying it's important to see women celebrated and recognized. We absolutely need more visibility, more representation, more acknowledgement of the incredible things women are doing in business leadership, activism, and in every field you can think of. But if you've ever seen one of those lists and felt like that little pang of self-doubt or comparison, you're not alone. That moment of, should I be doing more? Why don't I feel like I'm succeeding at that level? Or why am I falling behind? We don't talk about it much, but a lot of us feel it, especially as professional women who have spent years working hard without recognition in systems that weren't exactly built for us in the first place. And while some of those lists are well researched and thoughtful, let's be real, a lot of them are PR-driven. You can nominate yourself, hire someone to pitch you, or get added based on media visibility, not always merit. Furthermore, these lists don't tell the whole story. They rarely show how these women got there, what struggles did they have to overcome, what sacrifices have they made, or what systems they're actively challenging and changing for the next generation. They often leave out the teams behind their success, the support networks that help them rise, and the complex mix of privilege and disadvantage that shapes every woman's path. What we've been thought to value. From a young age, many of us have been thought that success looks like climbing a ladder, collecting titles, or achieving visible milestones. But here's a problem. When we measure success based on someone else's version of it, we risk chasing validation instead of building a life that's actually fulfilling. And especially for women, the system is often rigged because we also face the expectation to be likable, not too ambitious, not too loud, not too much. So even when we succeed, it can feel like we're constantly trying to thread a needle that keeps moving. Okay, so what is success? At VEST, we've been having a lot of conversations with our members lately about this very question. What does success look like for you? And what keeps coming up is this. Success isn't always loud, it's not always public, and it's definitely not always about the spotlight. More and more women are telling us they want success to feel saligned, not just impressive on paper or on social media. So maybe it's time we ask ourselves better questions. If you've been feeling unsure, behind, or just ready for a reset, try asking yourself these questions. Am I being paid fairly for my time, my talent, and the value I bring? Do I have control over my time, how I work, when I rest, and how I show up for others? Am I growing in ways that feel meaningful, not just ways that look good on LinkedIn? Does my work align with my values and the season of life I'm in right now? Am I surrounded by the people who see me, support me, and challenge me in good ways? And maybe most importantly, am I protecting my peace, my mental health, and my joy? Try these metrics for a change. They don't come with awards, top 40 lists, or press releases, but they're so often the first things we let go when we start measuring ourselves against someone else's version of success. You're already doing it. So if you're listening to this right now and thinking, I've never made a list, I'm not getting the recognition, I'm just doing my best, let me tell you something. That counts. As long as you're advocating for yourself, building a life you're proud of, mentoring others, saying no when it matters, taking breaks when you need to, you're succeeding already. You don't need permission, you don't need press, and you definitely don't need to compare yourself to someone else's curated highlight reel. Think of yourself as a little girl for a moment. What would you say to her if she were standing in front of you right now? Will you tell her she's not successful enough? That she needs to be on a list to matter? Of course not. You tell her how proud you are. You remind her how strong she is, and you would celebrate her resilience and courage, not just her achievements. So why not offer that same kindness to yourself right now? Here's what I want to leave you with today. You get to define success, not your boss, not your friends, not your social media, and not a magazine list. You. And as we close out the year and start looking ahead to what's next, I encourage you to take a moment and ask yourself, what does success really look like for me? And what do I need to let go of to pursue that? Check out our show notes where we included a simple reflection exercise to help you finish the year strong. Go to www.vesther.co/podcast. And if this episode resonated with you, share with a friend and don't forget to leave us a review. Better yet, if you're ready to take your career to the next level, apply to join our community of women professionals eager to help you get there and stay there. Go to www.vesther.co to learn more.