💌 Weekly: Hot and bothered

WHAT’S ON DECK

• Tell Me More: The science behind why you can’t “just relax”

• FQ Leaders Spotlight: Julie Lyle, President, TCC Global

• Inside Track: Leaders on the move

• Dear FQ: How do I ask for help at work without hurting my credibility?

• Poll the Pack: The first 10 minutes of your day

TELL ME MORE

The stress mess

You’re stuck in traffic and running late. A deadline is creeping up. You just had an argument with a friend. Stress shows up every day, and your body feels it instantly. It’s an evolutionary reflex meant to keep us safe, but it can also take a toll, affecting women more than men.

Let’s break it down. There are 3 types of stress: 

• Acute: short-term and not always negative, just ask any thrill-seeker (hello, adrenaline)

• Episodic acute: the daily stress that doesn’t let up, not giving the mind and body a chance to recuperate 

• Chronic: long-term, and where real health issues start to show up

Most people know the “fight-or-flight” response, coined by Dr. Walter B. Cannon in 1933. It’s the body’s reaction to a perceived danger, a hard-wired survival mechanism that prepares the body to either confront or flee from threats. Cue The Clash, Should I Stay or Should I Go 🎶

Women are about 30% more likely than men to live in chronic fight-or-flight mode. Part of that is biological. Women have a stronger stress hormone response and more sensitive receptors. Even in studies with rats, females not only react more intensely to stress, but also take longer to recover. When exposed to stress, both male and female rats release the hormone corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), but there’s a big difference. Female rats release more of the receptor CRF1, while male rats release more of the variant CRF2. Here’s the kicker: CRF1 initiates the body’s stress response, while CRF2 finishes it, so not only are female rats more primed to be stressed, they take a longer time to recover. In humans, that shows up in real ways: higher rates of PTSD, anxiety, and depression in women. 

But it’s so much more than biology that makes women susceptible. There’s an intersection of cultural expectations, habitual over-giving, and generations of conditioning to “push through.” And for years, research assumed women responded to stress the same way men do.

That changed when UCLA psychologist Shelley Taylor introduced “tend and befriend.” She found that women often respond to stress by caring for others and seeking connection. It’s not weakness; it’s biology. Forming these bonds in the face of stress helps reduce its impact. Through the release of the hormone oxytocin, women’s bodies have found a way to soothe themselves with emotional connection. 

Still, for the 30% of women who are chronically in fight-or-flight, that regulation doesn’t come easily. When your body is stuck in fight-or-flight, it’s focused on survival, and everything else gets deprioritized: hormones, immune function, recovery, and even memory. Says Lily Brown, Director of the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety at the University of Pennsylvania, “What we often see clinically is that people aren’t reacting only to the event in front of them. They’re reacting to a whole history of stress that has already taxed their system. By the time a major stressor hits, the brain and body may already be operating under a heavy load.” This can cause insomnia, fatigue, acne, headaches, forgetfulness (which, in stressful situations, has been linked to estrogen), dementia, hair loss, irregular periods, fertility issues, and the list goes on…

But here’s the powerful, and very important, part: regulation is learnable. When you teach your nervous system it’s safe, everything changes: your energy, focus, mood, health, and capacity to lead. Be aware of what is causing you stress, and give yourself agency to address it. Exercise, do breath work, go to therapy, explore creative hobbies, get outside, eat nourishing food, connect with friends, and get a good night’s sleep. These aren’t just basic self-care practices. They’re strategic, science-backed acts to a calm nervous system. If women want greater health and longevity, we cannot afford to wait for science to catch up. When it comes to how we respond to stress, there can only be one option: fight.

FQ LEADERS SPOTLIGHT

Troublemakers who don’t fit the mold, and don’t try to

Julie Lyle is a Board Director at Dstillery, the leading predictive AI audience targeting company. She is also President and Board member of TCC Global, where she leads efforts to help retailers around the world drive customer loyalty, data strategy, and marketing programs at scale. Julie began her career as an entrepreneur before moving into executive roles at Walmart, Prudential plc, and Barnes & Noble, building deep expertise at the intersection of commerce and consumer behavior. In addition to her operating roles, she is a seasoned investor and advisor, serving on the board of meetsynthia.ai. Julie is widely recognized for her perspective on how brands can build lasting customer relationships through data and personalization.

What’s the most unexpected opportunity you’ve gotten in your career?

Early in my career, Mitch Hart, who is a venture capitalist and Founder of The Hart Group, recognized my potential and gave me the role of functionally reporting to 5 portfolio company CEOs, while administratively reporting to Mitch as Chairman. Through that job, I learned to successfully navigate internal politics, build trust among competing executives, and master conflict among big personalities. It was challenging, and the skills I gained were invaluable.

What’s the worst career advice you’ve gotten?

“If people allow you to take advantage of them, they deserve what they get.” I categorically disagree with that. I believe we all have a moral imperative to do well by doing good, as companies and as people. At the end of the day, your integrity is all that matters.

What was a heartbeat moment for you in your career?

It was when my mother was diagnosed with cancer. While she fought valiantly, she eventually had to be transitioned to hospice care. I was CMO of Walmart at the time, and I immediately resigned so that I could go and take care of her. It was a heartbeat moment for me because I loved my job. It was difficult to go from managing multi-billion-dollar profit and loss statements to changing bedpans and IVs, but I wouldn’t change that decision for the world. Those last months I had with my mom will always be precious to me.

Who is one person you’d love to give flowers to from your career that influenced your journey? What advice or lesson did you learn from them?

I would give flowers to Dan Burnham, who, when he was CEO at Raytheon, gave me a “tough love” challenge to be more intentional about how I managed my career. I took his advice to heart and developed a 7-part marketing plan with time and action schedules that I implemented and followed for the next 25 years. It had an incredible impact on my career growth and income. I eventually turned it into a curriculum and convinced Walmart to offer the program to 2,500 female managers in an effort to empower them with a clear path for growth and development. Even though it was 18 years ago, I still receive notes from women who used those growth insights to achieve success. I’m grateful to Dan for challenging me, bringing out my best, and allowing me to pay it forward.

Where have you caused some good trouble in your career?

During the 2008 global financial crisis, I was leading a team charged with accelerating growth in Prudential’s Asian insurance business. Market confidence was at an all-time low, and we had very little brand awareness in Asia. After careful research, we went against industry standards and took a big risk. We shifted our entire marketing strategy from typical financial services messaging to focus on families with children under the age of 12. We developed music videos, apps, games, and characters around a financial learning program for kids. We shifted our advertising dollars from the major news and financial media outlets to Nickelodeon. It was a huge success, and our sales, recruitment, and brand recognition soared.

Want to nominate a “Troublemaker” you admire? You can do so here.

INSIDE TRACK

Leaders on the move

• Julie Yufe has taken on the role of EVP and Managing Director International at the National Hockey League (NHL)

• Agnès Pinel is now Chief Human Resources Officer at Parfums Christian Dior and LVMH Beauty Division

• Allison Giorgio has been appointed Chief Marketing Officer at NOBULL

• Anna Frost is now Head of Marketing at CNN Worldwide

• Michele Griffin has joined Lightning Capital as General Partner and COO

• Jessica Williams has stepped into the role of Chief Marketing Officer role at OnePay

DEAR FQ

Your burning career questions answered

Margot Rathke of The Female Quotient weighs in:

We’ve all been there. You want to seem confident and competent, so you don’t ask for help. But here’s the reframe: requesting support isn’t proof that you don’t know what you’re doing. It shows that you are eager to learn, value feedback, and are committed to turning out high-quality work. Research backs this up. Studies have shown that people who ask for advice are perceived as more competent, not less. Why? Because they’re engaged, thoughtful, and invested in the outcome. By asking for clarity, you’re ensuring that you are aligned with your colleagues. And practically speaking, a five-minute check-in can save hours of rework. 

That said, resourcefulness is one of the most underrated skills (in work and life!). Do the homework first. Show you’ve thought it through. Do as much troubleshooting on your own before approaching a colleague. And remember that the “what ifs” and “whys” are often what spark innovation. They challenge “the way it’s always been done” and can lead to smarter, more efficient ways of working. A simple question could be an opportunity for growth for you and the company.

P.S. Got a burning career question? Serve it up here to Dear FQ to score advice from a powerhouse leader in our network.

POLL THE PACK

Revving up for the day

Humans are creatures of habit. The routines we build can reduce stress while setting the tone for how we show up at work. Employees were nearly split between starting the day with coffee and quiet time and diving straight into email. It’s a small choice, but it reflects a bigger divide: those creating intentional space, and those pulled immediately into reaction mode.

When 38% of people start with email, it points to a broader pattern: responsiveness is prioritized over reflection. Urgency gets mistaken for importance and we end up in a culture of constant reaction instead of intentional action.

Taking even a moment to reflect and recalibrate creates clarity. Think of the start of your day as something worth reclaiming. It sets the foundation for everything that follows.

Breathe in, breathe out. You got this 🧘‍♀️

Xo,

The FQ

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