"Tread Loudly: Call Out the Bullsh*t and Fight for Equality in the Workplace" by Kristine Cherek is a bold and empowering manifesto for navigating workplace inequality and advocating for change. With unapologetic honesty and sharp wit, Cherek tackles the pervasive issues of sexism, discrimination, and bias that continue to plague corporate culture. Drawing from her own experiences and those of other women, she offers practical advice and actionable strategies for challenging the status quo and creating a more inclusive and equitable work environment. From negotiating fair pay to combating microaggressions, "Tread Loudly" provides readers with the tools and confidence to speak up, stand up, and drive meaningful change. Cherek's rallying cry for equality is both inspiring and necessary, making this book a must-read for anyone committed to fostering diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Excellent read for the corporate woman. Excellent advise to stand your ground and make yourself heard.

Tread Loudly: Call Out the Bullsh*t and Fight for Equality in the Workplace, by Kristine Cherek: Kristine is a former attorney at a Big Law firm, and she’s learned a lot about how to succeed as a woman in business. This book is a compendium of her stories and advice, with some psychology studies thrown in, aimed at helping the generations of women to follow. I enjoyed the conversational tone that made this a very quick read (I read it in one day), but it also jumped around quite a bit without covering any one topic in great detail. I would recommend this for young 20somethings who are just getting into the workplace and need a high-level overview, but it’s a bit too simplistic for anyone who already reads books in this oeuvre. On the plus side, the personal stories and examples were really engaging!

"Tread Loudly" was a great read for any woman who's faced sexism in the workplace. Working in a male driven industry, I appreciated the anecdotes and practical advice for combatting the blatant and sometimes subtle misogyny we as women often encounter. No one expects me to cower from their opinions, so why should we? Kristine reminded me of this.

In "Tread Loudly," Kristine Cherek offers a candid and insightful exploration of the challenges faced by women in the workforce. Drawing from her own experiences as a female attorney, corporate executive, and college professor, Cherek provides practical advice and encouragement for navigating the biased world of business.

Cherek dispels the myth of "having it all" and emphasizes the importance of dreaming big, taking risks, and advocating for oneself. Through personal stories and relatable examples, she highlights the pervasive bias, gender discrimination, and inequities that still exist in the workplace, calling on business leaders to take action to level the playing field.

While Cherek's message of empowerment and advocacy is inspiring, the book falls short in providing concrete strategies for effecting change. While the anecdotes are relatable, they lack depth and specificity, leaving readers wanting more actionable insights.

Overall, "Tread Loudly" serves as a rallying cry for women to demand equal treatment and challenge the status quo in the workplace. While it may not offer all the answers, it ignites important conversations about gender equality and empowers readers to take a stand.

I have found it very difficult to find stories from such women. Granted she fits a narrow mold - white, cis, hetero female, but even so, I haven’t had the opportunity to hear stories with many career women older than me. Of course, older women had so many blockades to achievement and advancement. They had to dream small or sacrifice relationships, marriage, family, location, etc.
This story has nothing you’d be surprised about. I have luckily been in male-dominated but engineering and science fields so the behavior has been a bit more awkward / restrained.
While the author does mention her amazing spouse and some other rare moments of allyship from men, I would have liked to see more discussion of how to encourage men to get on-board with the concept that women can be co-workers without being scared of HR.
This is in okay book if you need to hear stories of other boss b*tches running their lives and the planet. There are almost no how-to’s or suggestions of how to actually achieve this. This would be a good book to pair with How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men’s Feelings.

I was given this book by the publisher BrainTrust Ink. And it came out in January. I gobbled this book up very quickly. So you may not know this but I spent the last 42 years working in Corporate America and the last 15 in the boardroom. It provided me with a good income, but the toll it took on me both mentally and physically is insurmountable. It was tough and challenging. I am old, but I was a young girl starting out and was in the Steel business back in the seventies. I was the only female amongst the masses of men in this industry. I was taught and learned how to act by men. This served me well at times, but overall it was detrimental. I had no females to look up to or to mentor me or warn me about the trials of being a female in a male-dominated environment. I persevered, but the years took advantage of me and I fought for my individuality, recognition of my honesty, and hard work desperately for all of those years. It is not something I would recommend to anyone even today.
This book is written by a woman who is about 15 years younger than me and her experiences are similar, if not exactly as mine, even though from different industries. This book tries to advise each of us how to manage the treacherous, insidious, double-dealing, misogynistic environment of Corporate America. Each chapter is full of experiences on which to think about and then notes on how to manage through similar experiences. Being prepared for all that comes with working in this type of environment.
Here is an example of one of the important points brought forth in this book:
“Someone’s life might look easy from the outside. Someone might appear to “have it all”. She might be beautiful and desirable and the object of affection. She might also be talented, hardworking, and really smart, have won awards, given keynote talks, and achieved great things. Things might seem to come easy to her. Her life might seem easy from an outsider’s perspective. You might envy that person or be jealous of all she has. But, her life is not without stress, problems, mistakes, or the occasional feelings of being a total failure.”
So I want you to remember this if you’re lucky enough to have a female boss. Her situation is hard. She is fighting desperately to keep going. She is scrutinized daily by the higher-ups. Life is messy. Sometimes that messy life means work gets personal. It is each of our burdens to figure out how to handle all of this. Let’s support each other on the journey.
I wish I had this book and the females’ experiences to learn from. Unfortunately, I had to learn the hard way. I hope all of you that are in college and considering your future careers take time to read this book. It is concise and will aid you in your decision-making.

Tread Loudly Call Out the Bullsh*t and Fight for Equality in the Workplace by Kristine Cherek

192 Pages
Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group, BrainTrust Ink
Release Date: January 16, 2024

Nonfiction (Adult), Business, Leadership, Finance, OwnVoices

The author lived her childhood in nontraditional women run household. She participated in gymnastics as part of a quest to be satisfied. She was still looking for what she wanted. You must know your “why.” She describes herself as a special cheerio. She talks about support systems, why they are so important, and why women should use them. She also discusses finding the right balance of work and home but states that it is not the same for every woman. She talks about sexual harassment and inequality in the workplace.

The book is an excellent resource for women. She provides great suggestions and recommendations. For a small book, it has a big message. If you are a woman in the workplace, this would be a good book to read.

In this empowering feminist manifesto, Kristine Cherek uses the life lessons from a career in law and the public sector to guide other women through the workplace. Seeking to help other women who work in male-dominated sectors and jobs like law, Cherek establishes several guiding principles for other working women to keep in mind as they build their professional careers. Supplemented with several anecdotes, both personal and others’ experiences, Cherek provides readers with several possible narratives and examples of situations and experiences women may run into at various stages of their professional life. Cherek’s prose style is conversational and casual, and she balances the realism and humor with serious, complex emotions and real struggles. The several anecdotes and narrative examples add to the complexity and gravity of the book, giving readers some new connections and examples to carry with them through and after reading the book. In the vein of other feminist and empowering books, Cherek successfully reaches her readers through a combination of emotion, narrative, and statistics, all of which builds a larger and more complex picture of the place of women in a male-dominate workforce. Cherek’s book is an excellent example of the steps women can take to change the workforce and their attitude in it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this advanced copy to read and review. The book is well written and provides thoughtful career and life advice and insights to those entering the workforce and further along professionals. The author’s experiences resonated with me. She talked about not following the crowd and pursuing your interests and happiness. She talked about important topics of quality of life, gender equality and mentorship. I experienced many of the issues she did and benefited greatly from hearing her perspective. I highly recommend that you read this book. It would be a great gift for a recent graduate.

Thank you NetGalley for this advance copy. This book is out Tuesday, January 16, 2024.

This book is intended for a niche audience. I hope that it finds those people and by word of mouth it gets around! I hope that it gains traction and makes an impact.

I have 15 years into my career and will say I am jaded. I could relate to Cherek and completely agree with everything stated. I am worried about the work that still needs to be done and the effort it will take to get there.

If you are in your early 20s, in corporate America, and happen to have time to read a self-empowering book, THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU!

I received the ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to the author Kristine Cherek and publisher BrainTrust Ink. Kristine was able to balance the relatable personal stories of a women navigating through a world that can be an intense corporate minefield.

Her words are the kind of advice your BBF would give you over a glass of wine after a really hard week. In a world that is usually hyper focused on competition, especially between women, its great to learn from other women in corporate America so we can all grown together. Even though this is not my usual reading material I truly enjoyed this book.

The last few chapters of this book really nailed it for me. I (and all my friends) are these women who continue on (or opt out) as we navigate the workplace and our world that was and is still designed for me. Knowing there are others (and more than we are told) out there AND that they are fed up as well, helps me have hope.

Tread Loudly by Kristine Cherek is a captivating book that I just couldn’t put down!

Cherek didn’t just write a book about gender issues, but also passionately calls out workplaces to be fair and transformative.

I haven’t read anything like this in a really long time. I highly recommend this book!

This book is a must read for all women at all stages of their career. The stories and lessons from what women face in the workplace (in the past and still in the present) are helpful because it shows that we are not alone. I particularly liked when she points out that theories such as "Grit" tend to put the onus on the individual woman and completely ignore systemic inequities around gender in the workplace. I have the same feeling about "Lean In" -- puts focus on individual woman as opposed to holding organizations accountable to remove barriers and systemic sexism. This is a quick and affirming read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Greenleaf Book Group for an ARC and I voluntarily left this review.

A light but also challenging read in the style of Girl Wash Your Face. I can't say that I learned a lot that's new in this book, but it was a good motivator to keep going in the fight to beat back sexism and difficulty in the workplace.

Thank you to Kristine Cherek, the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy. This is a short but powerful story that all can benefit to hear. The focus is on women in the workplace and how to achieve more equality.

With women still having a lower number of ladies in a management position, this is as relevant as ever. Women are still being ogled at, touched without their consent and spoken to in a demanding manner. To anyone that may benefit from this short read, speak up and Tread Loudly!

I want to thank Kristine Cherek for this amazing book! I was hooked from the beginning to the end, feeling a mix of emotions. I could relate to almost every situation she described, which is concerning given the serious subject matter!

"Tread Loudly" isn't just about gender issues at work; it passionately calls for workplaces that are not only fair but transformative. Kristine Cherek explores the challenges women face, using real stories and research to tell a compelling story. The book gives practical tips for dealing with small acts of discrimination and promoting equal opportunities. It highlights the importance of recognizing the struggles of past generations of women, celebrating progress, and acknowledging the ongoing fight for more societal improvements. The key points at the end of each chapter simplify complex ideas for better understanding.

This book isn't just for women—it's valuable for men, allies, and anyone looking for positive changes. There's something in it for everyone! Cherek's strong message promoting understanding and collaboration positions the book as a catalyst, sparking important discussions and inspiring meaningful actions in workplaces and beyond.

A HUGE thanks to NetGalley & Kristine Cherek for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!!!

TREAD LOUDLY by Kristine Cherek is a rousing, motivating view into ways women can enter, thrive, and change the worlds of work, education, and life itself. Speaking up, making change by being visible and engaged, those in positions of power as well as those who aspire can ensure a greater contribution from every person involved. TREAD LOUDLY encourages us to respect the roles and lives of others throughout, recognizing we are individuals with unique perspectives and life experiences. Readers are encouraged to dream their own big dreams and go after them while swimming upstream or against prevailing notions. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

Tread Loudly isn't just a book about gender inequality in the workplace, it's a clarion call to action for everyone who desires a more equitable and fulfilling professional world. Kristine Cherek doesn't shy away from the brutal realities women face, sharing powerful personal anecdotes and insightful research that expose the pervasive biases and obstacles hindering progress.

What elevates this book beyond mere awareness is its actionable advice. Cherek empowers readers with strategies to navigate these challenges, from tackling microaggressions to demanding equal opportunities. Her key takeaways at the end of each chapter distill complex issues into manageable bite-sized nuggets, making the information readily accessible and impactful.

But Tread Loudly isn't just for women. Men, allies, and those seeking positive change in their organizations will find invaluable insights here. Cherek's call for empathy and a shared responsibility to dismantle discriminatory practices resonates deeply. This book has the potential to spark crucial conversations and inspire collective action within workplaces and beyond.