CREATIVITY with Natalie Nixon: Wonder + rigor, strategic woo, and leadership lessons from ballroom dance

Julie and Casey sit down with journalist, long-time Supreme Court correspondent, podcast host, and author Dahlia Lithwick to talk about the state of justice (and the state of The Justices) in the US. Along the way, we dig into gendered perception of emotion and what it costs to maintain a “poker face”, the difference between who does the work and who gets the credit, and how we fight for hope in the midst of . . . all of this.    TOP TAKEAWAYS: Hear how Dahlia navigates the responsibility of journalists to thread the needle between not normalizing the unthinkable and not dialing everything up to 12 so nothing gets heard. There is enormous frustration and possible marginalization for anyone in the law outside of the “white male norm” . . . AND Dahlia sees that ability to constantly codeswitch as a gift. “It’s actually the power to be in two places at once.” “Who becomes famous and who does the work never perfectly correlates” — in the real world, when solving for huge intractable issues, the “hero narrative” rarely serves us — both because individuals are flawed and institutions are complex, but also because real change comes through the efforts of many, often unsung people.   Dahlia Lithwick is a senior editor at Slate, and in that capacity, has been writing their "Supreme Court Dispatches" and "Jurisprudence" columns since 1999. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Harper’s, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, The New Republic, and Commentary, among other places. She is host of Amicus, Slate’s award-winning biweekly podcast about the law and the Supreme Court. Her 2022 book, Lady Justice, was a New York Times bestseller. In 2018, Lithwick the Hillman Prize for Opinion and Analysis. She was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in October, 2018.  Purchase LADY JUSTICE: WOMEN, THE LAW, AND THE BATTLE TO SAVE AMERICA here.

Julie and Casey wrap up season 4 by defining and digging into their ingredients of a Vital Voice — creative, embodied, and bold — and giving the audience some mindset shifts and best practices to get your voice out into the world.

Julie and Casey chat with Hinterland founder Jenn Salvemini about a whole new way of approaching art, community, pleasure, and life. Along the way, they dig into the definition of charm, fantasy as a tool, and treating life like a present to be unwrapped. TOP TAKEAWAYS: This year, Jenn’s artist coop has been exploring the theme of “contact surface” . . . what happens when things touch. Especially in an AI-consumed world, color us OBSESSED with this concept! What does it mean in practice to create a community that rejects the notion of competition? There’s a lot of “abundance mindset” preaching out there, but in practice, capitalism requires us to put price tags on everything. In a tough, tough world, prioritizing fantasy, imagination, art, pleasure, charm, and delight is just plain revolutionary. LESSON: Better options than “fake it ’til you make it.” Jennifer Salvemini is at heart a producer, bringing elements from her personal passions into cohesive creations, ranging from living spaces to curated events. As a student of anthropology and philosophy, her academic interests evolved into an obsession for aesthetic expression in all areas of culture. She developed an intense appreciation for deep sensory experiences and finds great satisfaction in creating sensational experiences for others. Jennifer is an interior designer living and practicing in the Catskills and is the founder of Hinterland. Hinterland is an unfurling dream. It's a playground, a sanctuary, and a home – an evolving concept to bridge disciplines, build community and generate joy. You're invited! Jennifer is also a member of the Kingston Design Connection strategy team, the organization which produces the annual Kingston Design Show House, as well as a participant designer. https://www.jenniferlsalvemini.com/ https://www.thisishinterlandny.com/

In this solo episode, Julie talks in detail about she prepares for the "big day", mentally, physically, and energetically, including why and how she uses bio data tech, what to focus on, and what you can LET GO of.     Thank you to our Season 4 sponsor, Armoire! If you're ready to try a new look, Armoire's high-end clothing rental service (full of amazing women-owned brands) will hook you up! For 50% off your first month's rental + a free item, go to http://armoire.style/voiceis and use VOICEIS in the referral box!

Julie and Casey chat with romance novelist, columnist, and podcast host Sarah Maclean about the feminist bonafides of the romance genre, using your platform for good, and more diverse characters “stepping out from the margins.” Along the way, they dive into all kinds of ways to take up space and dare to thrive, and Casey tries and fails not to fan-girl too hard.   Thank you to our Season 4 sponsor, Armoire! If you're ready to try a new look, Armoire's high-end clothing rental service (full of amazing women-owned brands) will hook you up! For 50% off your first month's rental + a free item, go to http://armoire.style/voiceis and use VOICEIS in the referral box!   TOP TAKEAWAYS: There is enormous subversive power in characters who for too long have played the “suffer beautifully and die pitifully” roles stepping center stage, gaining love, sexual pleasure, and personal triumph.  The ability to take space — with our voices, bodies, and ideas — often comes down to our own feeling of worthiness. As someone who spent her life being “a little bit too much”, the heroines of romance novels being loved for exactly who they were gave Sarah a path to imagine a world where no one said “couldn’t you just be a bit less.” Writing romance is all about creativity within structure — the contract Sarah has with her readers is “happily ever after”, and she has a treasure trove of tropes to pull from. Finding her own voice and perspective within that structure while accomplishing “reader care and feeding”, is an incredibly applicable lesson for all of us who create. What does your audience want, need, and expect, and how can you deliver that for them with your unique spin?  LESSON: Our bodies and our emotions are what separates us from the robots, and your “too much” is the most interesting thing about you. Dare to embrace them.   A life-long romance reader, Sarah MacLean wrote her first romance novel on a dare, and never looked back. She is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of romances translated into more than twenty-five languages, a romance columnist and the co-host of the weekly romance novel podcast, Fated Mates. A graduate of Smith College & Harvard University, she lives in New York City. Her new book, Knockout, will be released in August. Website: https://www.sarahmaclean.net/ Instagram: @sarahmaclean Twitter: @sarahmaclean

Julie and Casey sit down for an encore conversation with Cyndie Spiegel, where they get to talk all things “Microjoys”, what it’s like to balance public and private as a shiny person, and touch upon lots of micro-topics from cats to dealing with pandemic weight gain.   TOP TAKEAWAYS: Microjoys are not about the size of the joy, but rather its accessibility. Instead of toxic positivity, microjoys allow us to accept that things are as okay as they can be at any moment, but you can find joy anywhere. There is no past place to get back to. Whether it's our pre-pandemic size, a past version of ourselves, or deeply missing an important person, the only way out is through, and you are not the same on the other side.   Proving yourself to others can be a fatberg of a time suck . . . notice if you are wasting any time trying to convince someone else of who you are. Try shifting proving yourself to others to proving yourself to yourself.   And a bonus tip but one that never gets old: If your pants are too small, buy a bigger size. LESSON: Navigating vulnerability in speeches. About Cyndie: Cyndie Spiegel is a born storyteller–turned–writer; she’s an aspirational voice and an igniter of powerful conversation around self-acceptance, integrity, and joy. She is a former fashion executive, adjunct professor at Parsons School of Design and Fashion Institute of Technology, and holds a masters of professional studies. She is also a TEDx speaker and a certified yoga and meditation teacher. Her honest storytelling, vulnerable self-inquiry, and penchant for swear words have made her a sought-after speaker for conferences, brands, and organizations, and she has been featured in publications such as Forbes, Glamour, Teen Vogue, and HuffPost. She currently lives in New Jersey with her (very handsome) photographer husband, two cats, way too many patterns, and an excessive number of houseplants. She is the founder of Dear Grown Ass Women, an inclusive and highly relatable social community for women 35+, and she is also the author of A Year of Positive Thinking.  (Photo credit: Ira James)  Author Site: www.cyndiespiegel.com  Social: Instagram @cyndiespiegel BUY MICROJOYS!   

Julie and Casey chat about the main lessons they’ve learned from 100 episodes of VOICE(is) and tips for podcast guests and interviewees — and (surprise!) they’re not terribly worried about your “ums and uhs”, or all that interested in your perfectly scripted bullet point answers.

Julie and Casey have an encore chat with Season 1 guest Piera Gelardi (founder of Refinery 29, creative genius, and now the founder of Wild Things World) about how play became the focus for her “next chapter”. Along the way, they discuss best practices for better brainstorming, what Piera has learned from her four-year-old daughter, and entering our collective hope punk era by choosing hope, joy, and delight in a dark world. From now until April 15th, we're accepting applications for our signature small group course for women, POWER/PLAY. Find out more and apply here!   Thank you to our Season 4 sponsor, Armoire! If you're ready to try a new look, Armoire's high-end clothing rental service (full of amazing women-owned brands) will hook you up! For 50% off your first month's rental + a free item, go to http://armoire.style/voiceis and use VOICEIS in the referral box!   TOP TAKEAWAYS: Play is a powerful tool for presence, connection, creativity, divergent thinking, and more . . . and we have to protect the vibes. Trying to commodify it, make play “efficient”, or give it a necessary goal to hit kinda kills it. The Ghost of Should distracts us from our true journeys — and “being taken seriously” wasn’t the right goal for Piera.  What we look for, we notice, and what we notice, grows. Creating a practice of looking for wonder, delight, joy, and love doesn’t mean we have to ignore the bad stuff or spiritually bypass ourselves and others.  LESSON: A few ways to get out of your head and find the FUN of communication   Piera Gelardi is a creative director, entrepreneur, and speaker passionate about bringing out the creativity in everyone. She co-founded the iconic women’s media brand Refinery29, the experiential property 29Rooms, and recently launched the new play company Wild Things World. She is on a mission to bring more play to every space she enters — starting with yours! Her work has won accolades like Ad Age's "50 Most Creative People of the Year" Entrepreneur magazine’s "50 Most Daring Entrepreneurs and spots keynoting events like SxSW, Create & Cultivate, and Inbound. Outside of her work, she loves performing in storytelling shows, teaching cathartic dance, and making up songs with her 4 year old.    

In this weeks minisode, Julie talks about something we've been seeing a LOT with our friends and clients: BURNOUT. Julie tells her story of burnout — how she made her way back, and what she has lost, but also gained along the way. If you're approaching burn out, are in the middle of it, or are starting to make your way back, this is for you.     Thank you to our Season 4 sponsor, Armoire! If you're ready to try a new look, Armoire's high-end clothing rental service (full of amazing women-owned brands) will hook you up! For 50% off your first month's rental + a free item, go to http://armoire.style/voiceis and use VOICEIS in the referral box!

Julie and Casey sit down with author, corporate social responsibility expert, and founder of McPherson Strategies Susan McPherson to talk all things connecting. Along the way we touch on the very universal human need to be seen and heard, how relationships can be a vehicle for social impact, and what it means to build community as single women looking to take care of our long term futures.   Thank you to our Season 4 sponsor, Armoire! If you're ready to try a new look, Armoire's high-end clothing rental service (full of amazing women-owned brands) will hook you up! For 50% off your first month's rental + a free item, go to http://armoire.style/voiceis and use VOICEIS in the referral box!   TOP TAKEAWAYS: Relationship building is a lifetime process, and builds on itself. Changing environments doesn’t mean we leave old relationships behind. Keep nurturing those long standing friendships as much as you grow and nurture new connections. Susan mentions the concept of hosting in her book “The Lost Art of Connecting”. What this means is, you don’t need to be the person in charge of a space in order to host other people in it. Hosting can be a secret super power that allows you to get your grounding in a new situation, as well as a vehicle for making connections from a place of generosity. To quote Susan: “Bringing people together, you're making that magic happen and you are helping people feel seen, heard, and listened to. And I fervently believe that the greatest gift we can give one another is exactly that.” If we can understand the peoples greatest wish is to be seen and heard, and incorporate that into how we interact with them, we build much more fruitful and satisfying connections. It’s extremely disarming without being manipulative.   We often think people like us because of what we say, but it turns out talking less and asking questions makes us more likeable. Use that curiosity: understanding other people's perspective grows our empathy and helps us understand both the world and ourselves a little better.   LESSON: You can’t “hack” body language.   Connect with Susan:  Twitter and Instagram: @Susanmcp1 Company: www.mcsptrategies.com Book: TheLostArtofConnecting.com LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanmcpherson/ Susan McPherson is a serial connector, angel investor, and corporate responsibility expert. She is the founder and CEO of McPherson Strategies, a B-corp certified communications consultancy focused on social impact. She is the author of The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Relationships (McGraw-Hill). Susan has 30+ years of experience in marketing, public relations, and sustainability communications, speaking regularly at industry events including Massachusetts Conference for Women, Worth Women and Techonomy, and contributing to the Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Forbes. She has appeared on NPR, CNN, USA Today, The New Yorker, New York Magazine and the Los Angeles Times. Susan is the recipient of Forbes magazine’s 50 over 50—Impact 2021 award and Worth Media’s Worthy100 award. She has also won numerous accolades for her voice on social media platforms from Fortune Magazine, Fast Company and Elle Magazine. Currently, Susan invests in and advises women-led start-ups, including: iFundWomen,Inc., Messy.fm, Our Place, The Riveter, Park Place Payments, Hint Water, Apolitical and The Muse. She serves on the boards of USA for UNHCR, The 19th News, and serves on the advisory boards of The List, Apolitical Foundation, Just Capital and Alltruists. Additionally, she is a member of the MIT Solve Women and Technology Leadership Group and serves as an adviser to several nonprofits including She’s The First and The OpEd Project. Susan is a Vital Voices global corporate ambassador and a member of the New York Women’s Forum and Extraordinary Women on Boards. She resides in Brooklyn.