loader from loading.io

Throw Back Thursday: Sit at the Table & Own Your Power with Chandra Brooks

Mother's Quest Podcast

Release Date: 11/10/2022

Ep 101: Stoking our Soul Fire for a Revolution from Home with Beth Berry show art Ep 101: Stoking our Soul Fire for a Revolution from Home with Beth Berry

Mother's Quest Podcast

Welcome to this last conversation of 2023, with coach, teacher, small group and retreat facilitator at Revolution from Home, mother of four daughters and author of the book , Beth Berry. Beth says she has revolution in her bones. It began when she was seventeen and pumping milk in the bathroom of her high school for her now-grown eldest daughter. It has since gradually evolved into a tender, fiery conviction to reclaim motherhood from every disempowering personal and cultural story she can wrap her head and heart around. Beth has spent thousands of hours mentoring and supporting mothers...

info_outline
Ep 100: Mothering as Revolutionary Love show art Ep 100: Mothering as Revolutionary Love

Mother's Quest Podcast

This September 11, 2023, I had the honor of holding space for an intimate conversation with civil rights leader, lawyer, award-winning filmmaker, educator, and best-selling author of the book The fact that we were recording on September 11th was meaningful, because the tragic event that had taken place 22 years ago shaped Valarie in profound ways and set her on a path that she never expected. Valarie became an activist after a man of the same Sikh faith, a father and family friend she called uncle, Balbir Singh Sodhi, was the first person murdered in hate violence in the aftermath of 9/11. ...

info_outline
Dear Body Revisited: And Then I Got Shingles show art Dear Body Revisited: And Then I Got Shingles

Mother's Quest Podcast

This month, I was planning to record a special solocast to welcome in our 100th episode of the podcast. Instead, three days before my son Jacob’s scheduled knee surgery on July 11th, I got diagnosed with shingles. I’m recovering well and so is Jacob thankfully. But it really caused me to revisit my relationship with my body. There was a need for forgiveness all the way around, a rebuilding of trust and a recommitment to myself. In case you’re not familiar, shingles is the re-emergence of the chicken pox virus, which if you’ve ever had chicken pox lives dormant in your nerves and tends...

info_outline
Ep 99: Building and Thinking Outside the Box with David Neale show art Ep 99: Building and Thinking Outside the Box with David Neale

Mother's Quest Podcast

I’m honored to share this special Father’s Day Episode featuring my very own father-in-law, David Neale. I started dating my husband Chris when I was only 19, so I realize David has been a source of inspiration and guidance in my life for over 30 years. How lucky I am to have had his example of leadership, impact, and joy for life to light my way for my entire adulthood!  The inspiration for this episode was sparked several months ago at a big milestone birthday celebration David organized to honor his 80th year. That celebration was also the launch of a new fund he initiated...

info_outline
Ep 98: Sometimes Change Sucks  Ep 98: Sometimes Change Sucks "Reflections at the 5 year Anniversary of the Manifesto Challenge” With Graeme Seabrook

Mother's Quest Podcast

In 2018, I sat down for a special Mother's Day episode with Graeme Seabrook, a life coach and maternal health advocate, affectionately known by the thousands of mothers she supported as the "Mom for Moms." We hit it off immediately, delving deep into her Motherhood Bill of Rights and my E.P.I.C. life framework, and noticing that both had become manifestos for how we wanted to live our lives while raising our children. During that episode, we co-created what we called a Manifesto Challenge, inviting other mothers to create their own. And afterward, we would reconnect in some way each May,...

info_outline
Ep 97: Reclaiming Our Time and Creativity through Fair Play in the Household  with Eve Rodsky  and special guest Co-host Caren Lettiere show art Ep 97: Reclaiming Our Time and Creativity through Fair Play in the Household with Eve Rodsky and special guest Co-host Caren Lettiere

Mother's Quest Podcast

Welcome to this special Season Seven finale episode of the Mother’s Quest Podcast, released on International Women’s Day 2023. It feels like just right timing to bring this conversation to you, but the seeds for this episode have been germinating since last spring, when Jill Daniel of Happy Women Dinners came to me with an invitation. She asked whether my sister Caren, founder of Democracy Clothing, might be interested in hosting a brunch at her house in Los Angeles with best-selling author Eve Rodsky. I had recently learned about Eve’s groundbreaking work, where she transformed her own...

info_outline
Ep 96: Coming Home To Ourselves with Self-Care Coach Jamie Greenwood show art Ep 96: Coming Home To Ourselves with Self-Care Coach Jamie Greenwood

Mother's Quest Podcast

In 2016, on a leap of faith, I signed up for something called a Power Circle and was guided through a six month process by this amazing facilitator Jamie Greenwood. In the space that Jamie held for a small group of us, I said out loud my dreams for Mother’s Quest for the first time, and at Jamie’s urging, started a Facebook Group for the community I hoped to grow in my journey. Six plus years, almost a 100 podcast episodes, and over a thousand FB Group members later in my journey, Jamie has become a mother herself, and has evolved her coaching practice into one that teaches big-dreaming,...

info_outline
Throwback Thursday: Smashing the Kyriarchy with Books for Littles Ashia Ray show art Throwback Thursday: Smashing the Kyriarchy with Books for Littles Ashia Ray

Mother's Quest Podcast

I am honored to bring you back to a powerful and important conversation with a woman who deeply impacted my life and my children’s life, Ashia Ray of Raising Luminaries and Books for Littles. Thousands of parents like me seek Ashia's help in finding the best books to foster age-appropriate conversations with our children about white supremacy, cissexism, ableism, and other issues. Her thoughtfully researched and child-tested book lists, at BooksForLittles.com and in her private group is a big help for parents like me.  Grab this opportunity to widen and deepen your awareness,...

info_outline
Throwback Thursday: “Flawed” with Truth Bomb Mom Kristina Kuzmic show art Throwback Thursday: “Flawed” with Truth Bomb Mom Kristina Kuzmic

Mother's Quest Podcast

2022 is almost over; it’s time to reflect and set intentions for the upcoming new year!  As I thought about what episode I wanted to bring back to you, I kept coming to this conversation with the Truth Bomb Mom Kristina Kuzmic. One of the most powerful takeaways of this episode is how owning her flaws and sharing them vulnerably with her children has become a key to living her epic life.  If your 2022 has been anything like my year, there have been a lot of things that didn't go exactly as planned. But I hope this conversation gives us all permission to look at the things that...

info_outline
Throwback Thursday:  Here Comes the Sun: A Solocast on Death, Grief, and Love show art Throwback Thursday: Here Comes the Sun: A Solocast on Death, Grief, and Love

Mother's Quest Podcast

This Throwback Thursday episode releases just one day after winter solstice in the northern hemisphere, the darkest day of the year which also marks the moment when we begin to usher in more light. It’s also just days after the anniversary of my father’s death.  What I’ve learned again and again with the waves of grief that come and go, is that life is the other side of death, love the other side of grief, and light is always on the other side of darkness.  I hope this solocast episode, about the lessons I learned during my Dad’s death and afterward, might provide some...

info_outline
 
More Episodes

This Throwback Thursday episode arrives as final votes are being counted in the 2022 elections in the United States. It’s a full circle moment to revisit this powerful conversation from 2017 with community activist, TedX speaker, author of the book ​​”Black Brown and Political: Get Informed, Get Empowered and Change the Game,” and founder of the Powerhouse Academy, Chandra Brooks.

In this conversation those five years ago, Chandra inspired me to get back out and canvas in support of a local candidate, Noelia Corzo, during her first run for school board in my community. Last night, my son Jacob and I, who volunteered together, celebrated with Noelia and her supporters as she received the initial promising results for her run as County Supervisor.

If the votes continue in her favor, Noelia will be the first Latina woman Supervisor in our County. I’m honored to reshare this episode and acknowledge all the activists like Chandra and candidates like Noelia who have the courage and commitment to step into the arena, to sit at the table and own their power.

Original Show Notes

I’m honored to share this episode #32 of the podcast with Chandra Brooks, who has become a friend and a generous thought partner for me in recent months.

Chandra is a wife, mother of four, a grandmother, author, entrepreneur and the Northern California Staff Director for SEIU-United Service Workers West.  Born and raised in San Jose, CA, she’s passionate about civil rights, social justice, and improving voter outcomes and civic engagement in communities of color.  

She’s also an appointed commissioner for Santa Clara County’s Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, Chair of the Justice and Advocacy Committee and elected Delegate for The California Democratic Party.

In 2017 Chandra launched The SocialPreneur, a purpose driven business that prepares potential candidates to run for political office and mentors women to own their power and leadership within their company, business, and/or community.

I reached out to Chandra because I wanted to talk with her the week that she released her new book, “Black, Brown & Political: Get Informed, Get Empowered and Change the Game” which provides easy to navigate tips and inspiration to help women of color get involved in local politics.

In this episode, we got to dive deep into the influences which drove Chandra to own her voice and reach her fullest potential. She shares how her mother led her by example to stand up for herself as a woman at a young age and how her uncle unknowingly sparked her to strive for greatness after he doubted her future success when she became pregnant as a teenager.  And, we uncover how Chandra’s ambition, value for education, and commitment to political leadership helps her inspire generations today, from her 12 year old son to the women she mentors, to sit at the table and own their power.

I didn’t realize when I scheduled the interview with Chandra that we would be talking the day before the November 2017 elections. The conversation couldn’t have come at a better time, and her challenge inspired me to go out and do another round of precinct walking with my 5 year old that afternoon. It was thrilling to wake up the next day to news that so many women of color, including one woman my son and I had supported the day before, had been elected.

Chandra, with her new book as a resource, is a powerful force to fuel this growing movement of women stepping into more leadership. I hope this conversation will inspire you, as it has me, to be part of this movement and to more fully own our power to make a difference.

This episode dedicated by:

Topics discussed in this episode:

  • How Chandra intended to release her book a year after the 2016 elections to encourage people to reflect on the decisions they made the year before and realize the importance of being politically involved
  • Chandra’s strong, opinionated, and independent mother and how she set an example for Chandra to not be subservient to men
  • How Chandra intentionally teaches her children about social justice issues and about their heritage
  • The lack of access Chandra witnessed to vocational training and education for women in a local prison, compared to the men, and how she’s using her leverage as Commissioner to change that.
  • What happened when Chandra’s uncle told her “Your life is over, you might as well prepare to be on welfare” after she announced she was pregnant as a teenager.
  • How Chandra’s fascination and observation of people in leadership planted seeds for her becoming an entrepreneur
  • The importance of seeking out mentors and coaches and not being afraid to reach out and ask for help
  • Chandra’s call to action for us to get more engaged in our local community politics

Resources mentioned in this episode:

This Week’s Challenge:

Get involved as a leader in your local community.. Join a school board, commission, or neighborhood association. Use your influence and privilege to support communities in need and leaders of color.