CPH 25 — Behind the Mic: 25 Episodes of Learning to Listen Better

In this deeply personal milestone episode, Dr. Kristi McClamroch pulls back the curtain on her journey as a podcast host, revealing how 24 conversations with courageous women have fundamentally changed her. What started as careful attention to names and pronouns took on new meaning after a transformative conversation with Dr. Nandi Marshall about the language we use—and don't use—to describe identity and community. From her initial use of the term "BIPOC" to her evolving understanding of how good intentions can still perpetuate "othering," Dr. McClamroch shares the uncomfortable but essential work of being corrected, adjusted, and taught. With vulnerability and wisdom earned through real relationship, she explores what it means to make genuine space versus performative space—and why the courage to be wrong might be the most important courage of all.

Listen To This Episode of The Courageous Public Health Podcast

Conversation Highlights

• The Power of Names — Dr. McClamroch reveals her ritual of asking every guest how to pronounce their name, and share their preferred pronouns and racial/ethnic identity. She recognizes that getting these basics right is fundamental to respect and authentic connection.
• Creating Authentic Space — She describes her approach of telling guests to "take up all the space" and refusing to rein them in during interviews, believing that real intimacy comes from seeing and welcoming someone's full self.
• The BIPOC Awakening — A conversation with Dr. Nandi Marshall completely shifted Dr. McClamroch’s perspective on language and identity, revealing how well-intentioned terms can still center whiteness and create "othering."
• Courage to Be Corrected — Dr. McClamroch shares the uncomfortable but essential realization that despite being careful about individual identity in interviews, she was still lumping communities together in her marketing materials.
• Evolution in Real Time — She demonstrates how she changed her podcast marketing from "BIPOC women" to simply "courageous women in public health," while still grappling with how to be transparent about her intentional centering of racialized voices.
• Learning as Leadership — The episode reveals how being willing to be wrong, taught, and changed by her guests has become central to her growth as both a host and a person.

"Making space for someone isn't just about giving them a platform. It's about how you invite them in, how you see them, and how willing you are to be changed by them." — Dr. Kristi McClamroch

Stay In Touch:

Dr. Kristi McClamroch on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristi-mcclamroch/

www.CourageousPublicHealth.com

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