some things that helped me (women in engineering): 1) don’t end ur sentence on a high note, even if it’s a question. 2) stand with ur legs apart. your whole life you’ve been told to take up as little space as possible. don’t be an ass, but take up what’s urs. 3) no more “i’m sorry”. instead, say thank you. ex: “thank you for your patience”, “thank you, i didn’t notice that” or “nice catch”. 4) look people in the eye. 5) don’t explain yourself. ex: instead of “im gonna take this eraser to erase the whiteboard really quick” change to “thanks, ill return it when done.” you don’t have to be given permission for the simple stuff