Women are essential to Maryland’s economic future, but persistent barriers continue to limit their participation, advancement, and financial security. In this episode of the Executive Alliance Podcast, host Rebecca Snyder speaks with Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman and Dani DiPietro of the Comptroller’s Office about a new report examining women’s experiences in Maryland’s economy. Their conversation explores the realities behind the data, the challenges facing women entrepreneurs, and opportunities for policymakers and business leaders to create meaningful change. Listen to the Executive Alliance Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033CPjpWSpbNiaBIlljxh1?si=56fdebfb23444ca2 Understanding the Economic Cost of Inequality Women make up more than 51% of Maryland’s population. As Comptroller Brooke Lierman explains, the state cannot reach its full economic potential if women are unable to reach theirs. That understanding prompted the Comptroller’s Office to examine how women participate in Maryland’s economy and what continues to hold them back. The report builds on earlier research into childcare, housing, immigration, and other factors shaping the state’s economic health. Rather than relying exclusively on statistics, the research team spoke with nearly 200 women through seven roundtable discussions across Maryland. For DiPietro, combining quantitative research with lived experience is essential: data identifies disparities, while conversations help explain why they persist. The Participation Gap Is More Complicated Than It Appears One central finding is an eight-percentage-point gap between men’s and women’s labor force participation in Maryland. That gap becomes much larger among certain groups: 32 percentage points among people with limited English proficiency, 23 among those without a high school diploma, and 21 among married adults with young children. These differences suggest targeted responses rather than a single statewide solution. DiPietro highlighted English-language education, recognition of credentials earned abroad, career and technical education, flexible workplace policies, and paid family and medical leave. The goal is not to push every woman into the workforce; it is to remove barriers for women who want to work but cannot find opportunities that fit their circumstances. When Entrepreneurship Becomes a Necessity One of the conversation’s most revealing themes concerns women-owned businesses. Women have been starting businesses at a faster rate than men since the pandemic. On the surface, that sounds encouraging. But DiPietro cautions that the motivations deserve closer examination. Some women pursue entrepreneurship because traditional workplaces have failed to provide advancement, flexibility, or stability. Others have experienced layoffs or discrimination. A roundtable participant described starting a business out of necessity because the workforce was not built for someone in her circumstances to get ahead. Entrepreneurship can offer autonomy, but it also introduces risks. Women may sacrifice employer-sponsored health insurance, retirement benefits, and predictable income. Meanwhile, access to capital remains a substantial obstacle. DiPietro discussed evidence of lower loan approval rates and greater difficulty attracting investors, even among women with strong credit and repayment records. These challenges influence the types of businesses women establish. Without adequate capital, women may be less able to enter capital-intensive industries with opportunities to scale. DiPietro noted that women are more likely to operate businesses without employees. Starting a business because an opportunity is compelling is different from starting one because other opportunities have disappeared. Progress Requires Shared Responsibility Despite the difficult findings, Lierman and DiPietro emphasized Maryland’s strengths. The state ranks among the top ten for women’s labor force participation and has one of the smaller gender wage gaps nationally. Yet those achievements do not eliminate the need for progress. Lierman stressed that no single law can address every barrier. Government policy, public investment, corporate leadership, and individual action all have roles to play. She pointed to corporate board diversity reporting as an example of how transparency can encourage accountability, even when legislation does not directly determine who serves on boards. For Executive Alliance, the conversation reinforces the importance of examining not only how women develop as leaders, but whether the systems surrounding them allow their leadership to flourish. Maryland has talented, educated, entrepreneurial women ready to contribute. The challenge is ensuring that economic structures support their ambitions rather than constrain their choices. The report provides a foundation; what happens next depends on leaders using its findings to turn understanding into action. About the Guests Brooke Lierman is Maryland’s Comptroller and the first woman elected to the position. She previously served in the Maryland General Assembly. In the podcast, she discusses the Comptroller’s Office’s efforts to use economic research to inform public policy and advance a more equitable, resilient, and prosperous Maryland. She also brings a personal perspective as a working mother and caregiver navigating many of the challenges discussed in the report. Dani DiPietro helps lead policy research in the Maryland Comptroller’s Office, developing comprehensive reports about the state’s economic challenges and opportunities. Her work combines quantitative analysis with conversations involving Maryland residents and stakeholders. In the podcast, she describes research on housing, childcare, immigration, and women’s economic participation, emphasizing the value of connecting statewide data with lived experience to help policymakers understand barriers and identify possible solutions. This blog post was written with the assistance of AI.

Achievement can open doors for women leaders. But when the drive to excel becomes an expectation to do everything, the very strength that advances a career can begin to undermine well-being. In this episode of the Executive Alliance Podcast, host Rebecca Snyder speaks with Linda Roszak Burton, a former Executive Alliance president, executive coach and board-certified health and well-being coach, about why leadership development must consider the whole person, not only professional performance. Listen to the Executive Alliance Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033CPjpWSpbNiaBIlljxh1?si=56fdebfb23444ca2 A blind spot in leadership development Burton began rethinking her coaching after the pandemic, when executive clients described the strain of supporting struggling teams while navigating their own difficulties. Traditional leadership programs teach strategy, delegation, decision-making and executive presence, she observed, but often pay less attention to the capacity leaders need to sustain those skills under pressure. She calls this a blind spot rather than a failure of leadership development. Exhaustion can erode decision quality, strain relationships and affect organizational results. For women, Burton sees an additional challenge: the emotional and practical responsibilities they often carry at work and at home. Supporting their continued leadership, she argues, means addressing physical, mental and emotional well-being alongside executive skills. When strengths work against us A central idea in the conversation is that strengths can become liabilities when overused. Drive and ambition help women reach senior positions, yet an unrelenting need to achieve may crowd out relationships, reflection and health. Burton distinguishes between a productive passion for work and an obsessive attachment that leaves little room for anything else. Her coaching starts with values, strengths, mindset and goals, including a candid look at obstacles. She also asks leaders to examine the stories they tell themselves. A woman may enter a meeting fully prepared while privately questioning whether she belongs there. That inner dialogue can shape how she presents her accomplishments. Burton encourages clients to decide how they want to feel after a meeting, then consider what mindset will help them show up that way. Small practices, sustained change The solutions Burton describes are deliberately practical. She schedules walks on her calendar and makes a backup plan for days when the original time no longer works. She also relies on coaches and peers for accountability. When a routine slips, the response is not harsh self-criticism but self-compassion and a decision about the next manageable step. One client placed a small red dot near the ignition of a car as a reminder to sit quietly for two minutes before driving. That pause could be used for breathing, gratitude or simply settling the mind. Burton asks a related question about an unexpected fifteen minutes in the day: what could a leader do with that time that would help her show up better? The emphasis is on practices that can be repeated, adapted and sustained. Gratitude beyond the thank-you note Burton’s interest in gratitude is both professional and personal. After losing her younger sister to breast cancer, she began journaling through grief. Later, studying gratitude helped her recognize the people, strengths and sources of support that had carried her through a painful period. She does not suggest that gratitude eliminates grief; rather, it helped her see her experience in a different light. In organizations, she urges leaders to move beyond generic praise. Meaningful appreciation identifies a specific action, explains why it mattered and recognizes the effort or sacrifice behind it. It also considers how each person prefers to be acknowledged. This attention can strengthen relationships and help teams recognize what worked, even during a difficult quarter, without pretending the difficulties did not exist. Leadership is not a solo endeavor Burton closes with a challenge especially relevant to Executive Alliance: women need sponsors who recognize their abilities and advocate for them when they are not in the room. They also need to sponsor one another, intentionally naming strengths and opening doors. As she puts it, the pressure is too great to carry alone. The broader lesson is not to abandon ambition. It is to make achievement sustainable through self-knowledge, realistic habits, supportive relationships and workplaces that value the whole leader. The question is not only what women can accomplish, but what will help them continue to thrive while accomplishing it. About Linda Roszak Burton Linda Roszak Burton is a former president and longtime member of Executive Alliance, an executive coach and a board-certified health and well-being coach. Her work draws on positive psychology, strengths, gratitude, resilience and stress management. She has written a gratitude journal and workbook, and she incorporates research and practical well-being strategies into her coaching of leaders and organizations. This blog post was written with the assistance of AI.