They Myth of the Nice Girl w/ Fran Hauser

In this episode, I sit down with my dear friend Fran Hauser, bestselling author, keynote speaker, LinkedIn Top Voice, former Time Inc. President of Digital, startup investor, and founder of Bedford Books (the first bookstore in Bedford, New York's 344-year history).  We talk about why kindness is actually a career accelerator, what to do when you feel stuck professionally, the guilt that comes with working motherhood, how to know if a career pivot is right for you, and why Fran took the leap on a brick-and-mortar bookstore in an Amazon world. Plus, she gives us a sneak peek at her forthcoming Penguin Random House book, Twenty Minutes Is the New Hour, coming September 2026. This one is for every woman who's ever been told she's too nice to get ahead, and every man who needs to hear it too. Connect with Fran: → Fran Hauser Website (https://www.franhauser.com/) → Fran Hauser LinkedIn (  / franhauser  ) → Fran Hauser Instagram (  / fran_hauser  ) → The Bookbound Podcast (https://www.bookboundpodcast.com/) → Bedford Books Website (https://www.bedfordbooks.shop/) → Bedford Books Instagram (  / bedfordbooks_  ) → The Myth of the Nice Girl by Fran Hauser (https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Nice-Girl...) Connect with The Fawcett Report: → Instagram (  / thefawcettreport  ) → Facebook (  / thefawcettreport  ) → TikTok (  / thefawcettreport  ) → LinkedIn (  / dashboard  ) → YouTube (   / @thefawcettreport  ) → Listen to the The Fawcett Report on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...) Follow Helpusadopt.org: → Website (https://www.helpusadopt.org/) → Instagram (  / helpusadopt  ) → Facebook (  / helpusadopt.org  ) Connect with Becky: → Instagram (  / becky.fawcett  ) 00:00 – Welcome & how Becky and Fran met (a torn magazine page) 03:30 – The Myth of the Nice Girl, why Fran wrote it 06:00 – How being nice actually accelerated her career at Time Inc. 08:30 – The Ernst & Young moment that changed everything: speaking up 10:30 – Why men should read this book too 13:00 – Raising kids (and employees) to push back with purpose 15:30 – The book trilogy: 2018, 2022, 2026, and the number 444 17:00 – Embrace the Work, Love Your Career, for the stuck and the paused 19:00 – The calendar exercise that shows you what you actually want 22:00 – Stepping out of the workforce, what no one tells you 25:00 – Staying connected professionally during a career pause 28:00 – Fran turns down a big corporate job, and why 30:30 – Mom guilt, quality time, and 20 minutes of real presence 33:00 – Retirement, purpose, and why "lady who lunches" gets old fast 35:30 – Books over video games: Becky and Fran on raising readers 37:00 – Opening Bedford Books, the first in 344 years in this town 39:30 – 100+ events in one year: community is the real product 41:00 – Adoption in modern fiction, why it matters 43:30 – Sneak peek: Twenty Minutes Is the New Hour (Penguin, Sept 2026) 45:30 – Where to find Fran and Bedford Books #TheFawcettReport #FranHauser #MythOfTheNiceGirl #BedfordBooks #TwentyMinutesIsTheNewHour #MomByAdoption #FemaleFounders #CityMom #WomenInLeadership #CareerAdvice #BookstoreOwner #HelpUsAdopt #LinkedInTopVoice