This paper introduces a set of workarounds for early-career feminist academics. Successful senior women academics in feminist and other critical disciplines were asked about their experiences within the academic system, how they thrived in the neoliberal academy while practicing feminist scholarship and activism. They revealed how they paid the price for unmasking the rules of the game and working the cracks within the system. Based on their experiences the new generation of feminist activists in academia is encouraged to B-E-L-I-E-F. Altogether, the findings reveal that gender and feminist commitment add to the complexities of academic career making, and while the suggested workarounds will not bring instant revolutionary change, they can help academic activists thrive and create change through feminist scholarship and activism.