Grace & Grit with Lanier Isom

Guest: Lanier Isom, journalist and author of Grace and Grit: How I Won My Fight at Goodyear and Beyond - the life story of Lilly Ledbetter

Film: Lilly - based on the book, now available on Amazon.

Key Lilly Ledbetter Quotes:

On Pay Negotiation and Career Planning

"Your first job is very important because even though you're not even thinking about retirement, how much you pay is gonna determine, you know, the health of your retirement. So you have to be able to negotiate pay."

Key Messages

About Lilly Ledbetter's Story

•Lilly Ledbetter is an Alabama native from Possum Trot, Alabama, who became the namesake of President Obama's first piece of legislation: The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act

•The film Lilly had its world premiere at the 2024 Hamptons International Film Festival

•Blue Harbor Entertainment released Lilly exclusively in theaters in May 2025

•The story represents an important fight for equal pay and fair treatment in the workplace

About Lanier Isom's Journey as a Writer

•Lanier grew up in Birmingham with parents who loved books, art, and surrounded themselves with creative people

•She graduated from Sophie Newcomb (women's college within Tulane University) in 1987 with an English degree

•After struggling to find work with her degree, she sold children's shoes before getting her master's at UAB in English

•She taught for over 11 years at Altamont School and Mountain Brook High School

•Transitioned through PR work, magazine editing at Birmingham Home and Garden Magazine, and eventually freelance writing

•Key insight: "Every job I've ever had, I had no idea. I was not trained to do it... I knew how to learn. A humanities education taught me how to learn. So I just learned on the job."

How Lanier Met Lilly

•In 2009, when President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act, Lanier's husband suggested the story

•When Lanier first called Lilly, she was overwhelmed with media attention and said: "I'm up to my knees in alligators" and hung up

•Lanier gathered her courage, called back, and interviewed Lilly for a magazine article

•This became the beginning of their relationship and eventually the book

•Lanier's belief: "As writers, as artists... the universe, I could not have planned that."

On Women's Issues and Generational Context

•Lanier was exposed to women's studies at Tulane, which was very important to her development

•She was raised by a second-wave feminist mother who struggled as a newly divorced woman in the 1970s trying to find work and support her children

•Generational challenge: Women of their generation (born in the 1960s) were not taught about business, negotiating salaries, or thinking about pay and money

•"Money talk was not something very comfortable for me"

•This lack of education about financial negotiation directly connects to Lilly's message about the importance of advocating for fair pay

On the Power of Writing and Art

•Writing as transformation: "Writing is so powerful and the arts are so powerful that that's the first thing people want to shut down when there's fascism on the horizon."

•Writing creates change: "Art and writing can literally shift people's consciousness, their awareness. It can create a sense of humanity, of empathy, of understanding, of connection that is threatening to people who don't want a world like that."

•Political power: "It can shift, it can become a political shift."

•Writing can be empowering whether it's journaling, book writing, articles, or copywriting

On the Creative Process

•Lanier emphasizes the importance of being in flow and alignment while creating

•"The best part is when you are in the flow and you are aligned and you know that something good, not necessarily important, but good and important is coming through."

•The value is in the process: "You had that moment in alignment that is far more important than the outcome."

•"It is very hard not to live in the outcomes. I mean, we're just human."

•Balance needed: As artists, the creative meditation is valuable, but if it's your livelihood, you also need to consider practical outcomes

•Writing and art are forms of meditation and ways to get out of the daily grind while serving a purpose

On Being a Writer

•Shared quote: "A writer is someone who basically must be left alone to write, but wants a cult following."

•"You gotta get out and do the dog and pony show if you get a cult following."

•"I need a lot of time to myself, but if it's only for myself, what good is it?"

Suggestions for Listeners

For Aspiring Writers

1.Learn on the job - A humanities education teaches you how to learn; apply that skill to whatever work you pursue

2.Start writing - Take a breath, center your energy, and let it flow through you

3.Keep the spirit of play - Try new techniques and approaches without pressure

4.Value the creative process - The moment of alignment and flow is more important than the outcome

5.Balance solitude and sharing - Writers need alone time to create, but must also share their work with the world

For Women and Career Development

1.Learn to negotiate pay early - Your first job's salary impacts your entire career and retirement

2.Don't be afraid to talk about money - Overcome the discomfort around discussing compensation

3.Advocate for yourself - Lilly's story shows the importance of standing up for fair treatment

4.Share stories - Especially share Lilly Ledbetter's story with other women who need to know how her perseverance is still helping everyone today

 

For Personal Growth

1.Trust your gut instincts - When you know something is important, pursue it

2.Gather your courage - Even when someone hangs up on you (literally or figuratively), call back

3.Stay open to the universe - Sometimes the best opportunities come in unexpected ways

4.Use creativity as empowerment - Whether through journaling, writing, or any form of expression, creativity can shift consciousness

 

For Supporting the Arts

1.Recognize the power of art - The arts can create empathy, understanding, and connection

2.Support artists and writers - Their work is essential for maintaining a vibrant, empathetic society

3.Understand why arts are threatened - When fascism is on the horizon, art and writing are the first things shut down because they threaten oppressive systems

Where to Find Lanier Isom

•Website: lanierisam.com (see all her work and articles)

•Instagram: @LanerIso

•Substack: "A Little Bit of This and That" - 

•Other work: Al Jazeera, LA Times, Huffington Post, Salvation South, The Bitter Southerner, and frequent contributor to Inside Climate News

Awards and Recognition

•Alabama Library Association Nonfiction Award

•2023 Fellowship from the Alabama State Council on the Arts

•Awards from Alabama Media Professionals and the National Federation of Press Women

Call to Action

•Watch the film Lilly (available on Amazon)

•Read Grace and Grit by Lanier Isom

•Share Lilly Ledbetter's story with other women

•Follow Lanier on Substack for more insights on writing, social justice, and Alabama stories

•Support the arts and recognize their power to create social change

 

Schedule a Spiritual Upgrade Breakthrough Call and let's talk about your Soul's purpose. 

"The world needs your creativity." - Terri Ann Heiman