The Small And The Mighty with Sharon McMahon | 247

Why have we become so obsessed with celebrity and influence? It seems we’re infatuated with people in positions of power, with politicians, and with the uber-wealthy. Are they really the difference-makers we believe them to be? In this episode, Sharon McMahon talks about the change-makers that she calls the “small and the mighty”. Sharon is America’s favorite government teacher and proves that the most remarkable Americans are often ordinary people who didn’t make it into the textbooks. In her book THE SMALL AND THE MIGHTY: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, Sharon discovers history’s unsung characters and brings their rich, riveting stories to light for the first time. She also hosts the award-winning podcast,  ”Here’s Where It Gets Interesting”, and is the author of The Preamble, a Substack newsletter about politics and history.  The change agent, the innovator, the reformer, the disruptor, the mover and the shaker, the get shit done leader might not be on the ballot – it might be someone in your life, at work, in your community. You might be raising them, and it might even be you. So be mighty – regardless of the position you’re in. Connect with Sharon:  Website: https://sharonmcmahon.com/  Book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/709748/the-small-and-the-mighty-by-sharon-mcmahon/  The Preamble: https://thepreamble.com/  Like what you heard? Please rate and review

In this episode, we dive into the systems, structures, and practices that are working against us. Because my goal isn’t just that women (and I do mean all women) get a fair shake, but that we expect it. That we require it. Our guest is June Carbone, the Robina chair of law, science, and technology at the University of Minnesota Law School. Previously she served as the Edward A. Smith/Missouri chair of law, the constitution, and society at the University of Missouri at Kansas City; and as the associate dean for professional development and presidential professor of ethics and the common good at Santa Clara University School of Law. Basically, she’s wicked smart and very well-researched. She has just released her new book Fair Shake: Women and the Fight to Build a Just Economy which she co-authored with two other incredible women. My call to action: consider, in addition to what you care most about and what you believe is best, what will move policy and opportunity forward for all women. It’s time for us to think beyond just our own best interests. Buy June’s Book: Fair Shake  https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Fair-Shake/Naomi-Cahn/9781982115128  Like what you heard? Please rate and review

In this episode, we cover a topic that might just surprise you… but friend, we can always benefit from a departure from our usual discussions. We’re talking about crafting! Because it’s always good to tap into a different kind of creativity, and because you just may discover a new passion or rekindle an old one. Our guest is Diana Weymar, and we’re going to talk about CRAFTING, and even a bit about what she calls craftivism. Diana grew up in the wilderness of British Columbia, studied Creative Writing at Princeton and worked in film in New York, and for the past decade, has been threading the needle to create a material record of our times. Both on social media and in person, she has encouraged thousands of people to find their own creative path. She is the creator and curator of the public art projects Interwoven Stories and Tiny Pricks Project. Her collaborations and exhibits bring people together around textile and embroidery to share personal stories and even to discuss political issues. Whether it’s bookbinding, making jewelry, or even starting a cross-stitching club (which, let’s be honest, I’m seriously considering), there’s something deeply fulfilling about tapping into a different kind of creativity—one that nourishes the soul, keeps us openhearted and connects us to a larger community. Connect with Diana: IG: https://www.instagram.com/tinypricksproject/  Book: https://bookshop.org/p/books/crafting-a-better-world-a-handbook-for-making-art-and-creating-change-diana-weymar/21020713?ean=9780063389281   Like what you heard? Please rate and review

This episode is all about reconnecting with and healing our nervous systems, so we can better access our inner wisdom and live more authentically. Victoria Albina is a Master Certified Somatic Life Coach, Family Nurse Practitioner and Breathwork Meditation Guide with a passion for helping women realize that they are their own best healers by reconnecting with their bodies and minds, so they can break free from codependency, perfectionism and people-pleasing and reclaim their joy. She is the host of the Feminist Wellness Podcast, is trained in Somatic Experiencing, holds a Masters degree in Public Health, and has been working in health and wellness for over 20 years. Our dysregulated nervous systems explain the way we understand and react to the world even more than our conscious minds or our inner knowing.  And that is something I’d love for us all to heal.  I speak for many of us when I say it feels like all of our systems are nervous nowadays, and I doubt the medical community would change the name, but wouldn’t it feel great to have a confident system instead? Connect with Victoria: Website:  https://victoriaalbina.com/ Feminist Wellness Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/feminist-wellness/id1454980022  IG: https://www.instagram.com/victoriaalbinawellness/  Like what you heard? Please rate and review  Thanks to our This Is Woman’s Work Sponsor: Breathe better with AirDoctor, the air purifier that filters out 99.99% of dangerous contaminants (allergens, pollen, pet dander, dust mites, mold spores and even bacteria and viruses) so your lungs don’t have to. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use my promo code: TIWW to get up to $300 OFF air purifiers and a free 3 year warranty (and additional $84 value).

In this episode, we talk about how two people can win in a marriage, at work, and in life. Because more of us should be experiencing this! I’ve invited Tiffany Sauder, wife, mom, entrepreneur, CEO, board member, investor, podcast host and keynote speaker, to be our guest. For twenty years, she and her husband have been building their companies and their family on the exact same timeline. That means four kids, three businesses and two careers, all building towards one abundant life of And (not Or). Today, Tiffany spends her time helping two career families move from chaos to connection – and I’m excited to swap some stories and ideas. Handling literally everything so our partners can win, propping them up, dismissing the part we play, sacrificing our dreams, putting our wants and needs in the back seat, that’s what woman’s work used to look like. But not anymore. I don’t care if you’re professionally driven or not, if you work or not, if you love cooking and babies and caring for your home and others or not, you GET TO WIN in your relationship too. Whatever that means and however that looks for you. Connect with Tiffany: Website: https://www.tiffanysauder.com/  IG: https://www.instagram.com/tiffany.sauder/  Newsletter sign-up: https://tiffany-sauder.myflodesk.com/newsletter Task Planner: https://tiffany-sauder.myflodesk.com/taskplanner Ultimate Guide to Outsourcing Your Laundry: https://tiffany-sauder.myflodesk.com/stopdoingyourlaundry  Like what you heard? Please rate and review  Thanks to our This Is Woman’s Work Sponsor: Head over to wisefitwealth.com and click the “Schedule a Meeting with our Team” button. They’ll hook you up with a free budget sheet and some helpful planning tips! WiseFit Wealth has ONE goal, and that is to help you achieve yours.

We’re doing something a little different on this episode, and throughout this month, as we approach a major and divisive election in the United States. We’re going to talk about politics from a neutral and curious place. No ranting. No calling you an idiot if you don’t share my beliefs. No name-calling, period.  I’ve invited Lindsey Cormack back to the show, because she’s one of the few people I know who can genuinely deliver on this type of political discussion. We recently released an episode together called How to Raise a Citizen, and I was so impressed with her approach that I asked her to come back. I don’t know Lindsey’s political beliefs and she doesn’t know mine. We’re going to have a conversation about politics that is likely very different from what you’re used to. I hope it’s refreshing and that it gets you thinking. Because it’s critically important that we practice the hard skills of listening, learning, curiosity, and empathy right now more than ever.  It takes no skill to foam at the mouth and call someone names. True leadership, and true citizenship, is about understanding, listening, and engaging in meaningful dialogue. Let’s be an example of that. Let’s model the behavior we want to see— let’s behave better. Connect with Lindsey: Website:  https://www.lindseycormack.com/  Book: https://howtoraiseacitizen.com/  IG: https://www.instagram.com/howtoraiseacitizen Like what you heard? Please rate and review

In an age where information is everywhere, it seems we know very little about how to have a discussion while practicing respect and curiosity. It seems it’s easier to talk about leadership than it is to demonstrate it. We all need to do better. For our country certainly, for our personal and professional relationships definitely, and for the next generations, emphatically. Lindsey Cormack helps us understand how to raise a citizen. Lindsey is an associate professor of Political Science and Director of the Diplomacy Lab at Stevens Institute of Technology. She earned her PhD in Government, currently serves as the Secretary for Community Board 8 in Manhattan, and she created and maintains the digital database of all official Congress-to-constituent e-newsletters in the DCInbox Project. Her book, How To Raise a Citizen is a practical guide to becoming better civic role models by showing how to have conversations about the important functions of government, citizen participation, and political issues with children of all ages, even in these polarizing times. The way that children learn best is by experience and observation. Who do you want your kid to become? Do you want them to be kind, curious, brave, confident? Do you want them to be a leader in some way? Well, then for the love of them and this country, demonstrate it. Connect with Lindsey: Website:  https://www.lindseycormack.com/  Book: https://howtoraiseacitizen.com/  IG: https://www.instagram.com/howtoraiseacitizen/  Like what you heard? Please rate and review  Thanks to our This Is Woman’s Work Sponsor: Head to zenimals.com/NICOLEMKALIL and use my code NICOLEMKALIL to save 10% off your Zenimal!  Whether you’re looking for yourself, your kid(s)/teens, as a gift for someone else - everyone will benefit from more moments of zen!  

Self-reliance is about creating and seizing opportunities without waiting or needing permission from others, and is closely linked with confidence, self-worth and courage.  So how self-reliant are you? We explore self-reliance with Maha Abouelenein, a global communications strategist advising corporate giants, high-growth startups, governments, and high-net worth individuals. She is the CEO of Digital & Savvy, a strategic communication consulting firm based in the U.S. and Dubai, and sits on the Board of Directors of The Associated Press. She’s launched some of the world’s largest tech companies in the Middle East - from Google to Netflix and has built sports marketing programs and strategic partnerships for the Olympics, NASCAR, the NBA, the NFL and many more. And her book, “The 7 Rules of Self-Reliance”, just hit the shelves! Here are some key questions to consider: If you can’t rely on you, who can you rely on? And if you don’t rely on you, who else will? Build trust and respect with yourself and you’ll attract people who also trust and respect you. And you’ll gain the confidence to recognize and move past anyone who doesn’t. Connect with Maha: Website: https://www.mahaabouelenein.com/  IG: https://www.instagram.com/mahagaber  FB: https://www.facebook.com/mabouelenein  LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maha-abouelenein/   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@digitalandsavvy   Like what you heard? Please rate and review

I’d venture a guess that many of us would agree that we need job therapy today, or have needed it at some point in our adult lives… and yet most of us have never even heard of it. Our guest on the topic is a leading expert and author, Dr. Tessa West. Tessa is a Professor of Psychology at New York University and an expert in the science of interpersonal communication. She has published over 80 academic articles in psychology’s most prestigious journals, and has received multiple grants from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. Tessa’s work has been covered by the likes of the New York Times, TIME, Forbes, The Guardian, and the US Supreme Court and many more, and she’s the author of the book “Jerks at Work: Toxic coworkers and what to do about them,” and “Job Therapy: Finding work that works for you.” You give too much of your time, talent, energy to your job to be miserable at it. And like relationships, there may be times or stages where you feel stressed and frustrated, disheartened or underappreciated – but not over the long haul.  Make sure you’re doing work that works for you. Otherwise, it might be time for some job therapy! Connect with Tessa: Tessa’s Website:  https://www.tessawestauthor.com/  Tessa’s Research: https://tessawestlab.com/publications.html  Tessa’s Books:  https://www.tessawestauthor.com/book/job-therapy  Like what you heard? Please rate and review  Thanks to our This Is Woman’s Work Sponsor: WiseFit Wealth are not just financial advisors; they’re your partners in achieving your dreams. Head over to wisefitwealth.com and click the “Schedule a Meeting with our Team” button. They’ll hook you up with a free budget sheet and some helpful planning tips! WiseFit Wealth has ONE goal, and that is to help you achieve yours.

I am done with women’s health being undervalued and underfunded. I am tired of feeling like our bodies are fodder for politics rather than what they are, which is: half of population, complex, individual, and just as worthy. And while I clearly have feelings about it, I have no expertise. So I’ve invited Somer Baburek to join us as our guest. Somer serves as the President & CEO of Hera Biotech, a women’s health company focused on commercializing a non-surgical diagnostic for early detection of endometriosis. Prior to founding Hera, Somer spent ten years in life science venture capital at Targeted Technology Fund, as the Director of Clinical Operations for Santalis Pharmaceuticals where she built out the clinical program at the company. All that to say, she knows a whole lot about women’s health, endometriosis and FemTech. It’s time for all women to get the care they deserve, the information they need, access to the options and choices currently only available to some, and the opportunity to be listened to and treated for whatever it is that is hurting us. There are women who don’t and won’t advocate for women’s health, but guess what – we can stand for them anyway. Because this isn’t about deserving or earning, this is about the inherent value of each and every one of us - let’s value women’s bodies for far more than how they look! Connect with Somer: Website: www.herabiotech.com  IG: https://www.instagram.com/herabiotech/  FB: https://www.facebook.com/herabiotechnology  Like what you heard? Please rate and review  Thanks to our This Is Woman’s Work Sponsor: Visit  https://www.heyfreya.co/ and use promo code TIWW for 25% off multivitamins and other products - I use the Thrive multivitamin, Quench, and Nourish daily!