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Your Unapologetic Career® Podcast

Your Unapologetic Career® Podcast

Kemi Doll 255 Episodes Oct 13, 2026

Your Unapologetic Career is a podcast hosted by Kemi Doll, a physician, surgeon, researcher and career coach who helps academics take charge of their professional lives. Each episode focuses on one core growth strategy for building a successful and sustainable career, especially in academic medicine. Doll offers candid, practical guidance on channeling ideas, skills and passions into work that feels both meaningful and nourishing. Listeners are encouraged to think of themselves as the CEO of their own career.

Episodes

248 Where do you want to work harder?
248 Where do you want to work harder? Oct 13, 2026 1269 Kemi is not sugarcoating it. Building more income and agency may require a season of extra effort, but this episode helps you make an active decision about that. Join in as Kemi talks directly to women of color in academic medicine who want more control over their income, but feel exhausted by the thought of working harder. She pushes back on the idea that the real question is whether you will wor
247 The Pay Cut or Overwork Decision
247 The Pay Cut or Overwork Decision Oct 6, 2026 1201 Join Kemi as she talks about what it actually takes to build a side hustle while still working in academic medicine or public health. This may not be what people want to hear, but it matters for faculty who want more say over their income, more freedom with their skills, and more options outside of a university paycheck. Kemi also shares her own experience building a coaching business while workin
246 Reject the Judgement of Money Talk
246 Reject the Judgement of Money Talk Sep 29, 2026 942 In this episode, Kemi shares the story of receiving a $6 million research grant and being asked by her corporate-based friends whether it came with a raise - only to explain that academic medicine does NOT work that way! We've gotten so used to this – that our work quality is divorced from our earnings – that we forget it doesn’t have to be this way.  Kemi pushes back on the idea that wanting
245 You Probably Need Less Than You Think
245 You Probably Need Less Than You Think Sep 22, 2026 1129 In this episode, Kemi continues the conversation about money, agency, and what it means to build a career in academic medicine and public health that still works for your real life. She talks about the tension many women of color feel after years of training, work, leadership, and achievement, especially when the paycheck does not fully reflect the skills, experience, or value they bring. Kemi als
244 Agency Over Your Paycheck
244 Agency Over Your Paycheck Sep 15, 2026 1202 Join in as Kemi opens an honest conversation about money, career satisfaction, and the quiet frustration many women of color experience in academic medicine and public health. She reflects on what it feels like to be years into a career, deeply skilled, highly trained, and committed to the work, while still questioning how much control you really have over your financial life. Kemi also shares how
243 {ENCORE} How Skill Gaps Create Toxicity
243 {ENCORE} How Skill Gaps Create Toxicity Sep 8, 2026 1357 In this encore episode, Kemi asks why academic medicine and public health keep treating research achievement as proof that someone can lead people. After reading Burn It Down by Maureen Power, Kemi looks at how demanding industries can excuse harmful behavior when the person behind it is producing results. She applies that same idea to academia, where a person may bring in grants, hold power, or h
242 RIP Jason Arday
242 RIP Jason Arday Sep 1, 2026 1537 In this episode, Kemi shares her experience with holding gratitude and grief in the same breath. She begins by sharing her experience at the Martha’s Vineyard Black Book Festival in Oak Bluffs, where she was a featured author. The festival gave her space to feel both awe and being grounded, to make real connections, and to recognize that she belonged in the room.  However, this joyful experience w
241 {ENCORE} Setting Yourself Apart - The Superpower Of Academics
241 {ENCORE} Setting Yourself Apart - The Superpower Of Academics Aug 25, 2026 2504 In this encore episode, Kemi talks about the skill that can immediately set you apart in academic medicine and public health: doing what you say you are going to do, when you say you are going to do it. Kemi explains that academic culture often normalizes people saying yes, offering to collaborate, or promising to follow through without actually doing it. She also breaks down why good intentions a
240 Recess Episode! A Book, A Podcast, A Routine, and A Splurge
240 Recess Episode! A Book, A Podcast, A Routine, and A Splurge Aug 18, 2026 1409 In this recess episode, Kemi talks about what it means to stay yourself while becoming more visible. After her book release and tour, Kemi reflects on the pressure to stay on message without turning herself into a persona. She shares why it matters to be seen as a full person, not only as a physician, surgeon, scientist or even author. For Kemi, authenticity is not about being the same in every ro
239 {ENCORE} Adjusting to New Norms Without Self-Sabotage
239 {ENCORE} Adjusting to New Norms Without Self-Sabotage Aug 11, 2026 2013 In this encore episode, Kemi looks at the often-overlooked challenge of self-sabotage and how it impacts our ability to adjust to new norms in our professional lives. She candidly shares her own experiences of handling the complexities of changing environments, particularly for women of color in academic medicine and public health. And she outlines practical steps to effectively adjust to new norm
238 {ENCORE} Building Self-Trust
238 {ENCORE} Building Self-Trust Aug 4, 2026 1782 In this encore episode, Kemi explores the concept of self-trust and how it is essential for growing your career, especially for women of color in academic medicine. She reflects on the challenges of defining our value through the eyes of others and offers practical strategies to transition from seeking external validation to fostering a strong sense of self-trust.  Tune in to discover how to shift
237 3 Tools to Help You Receive Negative Feedback
237 3 Tools to Help You Receive Negative Feedback Jul 28, 2026 1274 In this episode, Kemi talks about the uncomfortable but necessary role feedback plays in making your career stronger. She explores why critique can feel so personal, especially when you care deeply about the work you are doing, but no matter how strong your work is, your own perspective will always have gaps. At some point, you need input from people who can see what you cannot. This episode is a

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