The NextFem Podcast | Real-Talk with Successful Women

Practical Wisdom for the Modern Woman

The Female Athlete: The Next Great Untapped Market In Sports Nutrition 06/15/2021

Kindness & Appreciation: The Forgotten Virtues of Work 06/08/2021

The Beauty Benefits of Bone Broth - with Actress turned Entrepreneur Melissa Bolona 05/25/2021

Meryl Streep and Jennifer Trainer Explore What It Means to Be a “Museum Town” 03/02/2021

What the Woman Who Created Lululemon’s Most Iconic Leggings Has to Say About Body Confidence – with Alma Adrovic 12/28/2020

Boost Your Visibility By Writing a Book - with Dr. Cori Wamsley 10/19/2020

Boost Your Visibility By Writing a Book - with Dr. Cori Wamsley You’ve probably heard that we all have a book within us just waiting to be written. While that may or may not be true, that book will never get written without intentional thought regarding your purpose, audience, structure, and title. That’s where today’s guest comes in. If you’ve ever given any thought to writing your book, you can’t miss this episode. Join us! Dr. Cori Wamsley helps leaders write books and boost their visibility as authors so they can get booked, get more clients, and make more money. Her bestselling book, The SPARK Method: How to Write a Book for Your Business Fast, helps make writing a book simple and fast so business owners can get their ideas out there to their ideal audience and make an immediate impact. Dr. Cori is a coach, editor, speaker, and author who empowers business owners to get their message heard. She has also self-published seven fiction books, including Confessions of the Editor Brigand, and a self - illustrated children’s epic poem, The Knight and the Ninjas. She co - authored the children’s book, Monkey Mermaid Magic, with her daughter, London, and also illustrated it. Dr. Cori has 15 years’ experience as a professional writer and editor, including ten years with the Departments of Energy and Justice and four years as the executive editor of Inspiring Lives magazine. Key questions to ask yourself If you plan to write a book, there are two key questions to ask yourself before writing: “Who is my audience? and, What do I want them to get out of my book?” This process ensures that you, as a writer, have a point to your writing and it doesn’t become an information dump. Your writing should have a flow and purpose as you partner with your audience in providing what they need. As a writing coach who primarily works with business owners, Cori helps them go through these important steps before the writing begins. With each book she writes, she sees her writing as a gift she gives to her audience. Who should write? The most important prerequisite for writing a book is that you are actively interested in the subject. You are creating something that will be a lasting part of your brand. A writer should have an internal drive to help people. The interest and drive you have to help and partner with your audience are the telltale signs that you need to write a book. “Progress - tinating” Cori explains the origin of this word that she created in the attitude of one of her book characters. The word symbolizes a combination of being lazy in putting something off until later, but it also has an element of efficiency in thinking ahead to accomplish a task. In other words, “progress - tinating” means you are procrastinating for a good reason, one that makes it all worthwhile in the end. As Cori applies this term to those who might be thinking about writing a book, it means there could be a good reason that you are putting it off until later. If you find yourself in this situation, ask yourself if writing a book is what you really want to do and if you’re ready to step into the position of a leader. Are you ready to write? Writing means stepping into your role as a thought leader. You have to ask if you’re ready to stand behind your words and share this story. If the answer is NO, then Cori says you might not be ready to write that book yet. One challenge is picking the idea for your book. She suggests identifying who you want to serve and what the market is like for your book. One hack is to look for other books in your niche and see if there is a spot for yours. Cori shares an example of how she helped a client through this process. How Cori helps business owners write Cori realized that business owners aren’t trained in the writing process, even though many of them feel that they have a book to share. Since this is her forte, Cori learned that she could help them write their book so they can get back to their business. Writing a book can be an evergreen marketing tool to raise your visibility in your field. The balance between personal and useful Some business books are purely anecdotal, which means they are heavy on the personal stories and too light on the information and action steps. On the other hand, some books focus on information and analytics, and their lack of personal connection to the author leave the reader feeling cold. Even though there are different ways to structure a book, there has to be a balance between the personal and the useful. Some of Cori’s clients tell their personal story up front and then teach concepts for the remainder of the book. Others incorporate a personal story and application in each chapter. As a writing coach, Cori gives suggestions to her clients but leaves the structure decision up to them, because the book has to feel authentic to the writer. A writer has to trust themselves in what to share, and it’s important to share some personal stories because it helps the reader see who you are and form a connection with you. The writing space Most writers have a favorite writing spot. A good writer has to be open and vulnerable, giving themselves permission to spill everything onto the page. Cori advises people to set up a writing routine and a personal space that suits them. It has to be a place where you feel at home and your creativity can flow. Being creative means opening up and being vulnerable, and the writing process requires similar techniques as relaxation and stress relief. The mood you’re in when writing is reflected in what you write, and your tone will come across loud and clear. How to title a book Cori says to wait until the book is fully written, or until at least a few chapters are written before coming up with your title. Titling a book too soon can hinder your writing and send it in a specific direction as you tailor the writing to fit your title. She suggests using a generic title in the beginning and then refining it later when you’ve created the context for the book. Highlights of this episode: 2:08 - Key questions to ask about writing 4:10 - Who should write a book? 5:50 - “Progress - tinating” 7:52 - Being a thought leader 10:03 - Picking the idea for your book 15:32 - How Cori helps business owners write 19:35 - The balance between personal and useful information 24:34 - The writing space and routine 31:07 - How to title a book 33:10 - Speed round of Cori’s book titles 40:27 - Fem Five Resources mentioned: Connect with Cori: Find her free gift about choosing the perfect topic for your audience! Find Cori’s Facebook group, Write That Book, Build Your Business with Cori Wamsley Be a Boss and Fire that B*tch: Quiet Your Inner Critic & Finally Believe You’re GOOD ENOUGH by Stacy Raske The SPARK Method: How to Write a Book for Your Business Fast by Cori Wamsley Fem Five: Favorite book to recommend for women? “Be a Boss and Fire that B*tch by Stacy Raske.” Favorite self - care hack? “Listening to myself more and being more creative.” Best piece of advice and who gave it to you? “A friend once told me that I get to choose.” Female CEO or thought leader you’re into right now? ”Brene Brown.” One piece of advice you’d give your five years younger self? “Stop worrying. You’ll be OK.” /episode/index/show/nextfem/id/16644392

The Changing Environment for Women's Leadership - with Eleanor Beaton 10/12/2020

The Changing Environment for Women's Leadership - with Eleanor Beaton If you’re interested in women’s leadership, you don’t want to miss today’s show. My guest has years of experience as a journalist and an entrepreneur, and she has her finger on the pulse of women’s leadership as it grows and develops. Join us! Eleanor Beaton is an internationally - recognized expert in women’s leadership and an advisor to growth - oriented women entrepreneurs. She has served as chair of the Visiting Women’s Executive Exchange Program at Yale School of Management and sits on the board of directors of two Canadian venture capital organizations. Eleanor is also the host and executive producer of a top - ranked podcast for women entrepreneurs, Fierce Feminine Leadership. A former journalist reporting for the CBC, Globe and Mail, and Canadian Business, Eleanor was a finalist for a National Business Book of the Year, Canada’s top business book honor. She has won national prizes for her journalistic work, covering key issues related to women in leadership. Those internal conversations A big player in the internal conversations we hold about our value stem from the ongoing socialization about what’s appropriate for women leaders to express and how they are allowed to express themselves. For a woman, expressing her expectations, dissent, and ambition is affected by what society allows. There are unique challenges for women in leadership so they are seen with authority and confidence. When we make ourselves wrong so that we fit into an established system, the less sustainable our success becomes. As Eleanor has studied this problem, she concluded that every woman must create her own criteria and boundaries that outline how she will show up with intention. The new frontier The business world has become a battleground of transformation for women. We see it in the exodus of women from the business world as more and more women follow the path to entrepreneurship. Traditional business systems aren’t working for many women. The way we determine and measure business success has been largely shaped by men, as the majority of business books are written by men. Women are starting to assert themselves and take their power back in different ways. The business world is a playing field where women can have autonomy and make a difference in shaping and developing something new. The struggle for women Most women who start businesses will start service - based businesses because they have a deep, personal connection to their skill set, and many of them go into coaching or consulting. The aspects of developing a business feel deeply personal, and they are challenging; they include establishing boundaries with clients, negotiating price points, and closing a sale. The ways in which women will advocate for their business can vary greatly with the ways they are comfortable advocating for themselves. The biggest surprise of 2020 Women have discovered and refined their purpose in 2020 because we’ve had to. We’ve had to change our normal coping mechanisms, and we have been forced to look inward and ask questions about why we are here, how we want to relate to people, and what we want to accomplish. Eleanor explains that the two biggest issues for women are access to networks and access to capital. She identifies another issue as access to a success narrative that reflects what we really want. Reshaping the narrative is a look at what we are learning and who we are becoming and not just a look at the external metrics. Women are looking to show up with resilience, grit, and determination to ensure that there is a richness to the process that we can enjoy. The power of niche When Eleanor started her business, she realized that she was doing a lot of things to try unsuccessfully to manage her time. She realized that time management wasn’t the issue, but it was a deeper, structural issue in an effort to create more stillness. Niching isn’t just a marketing tactic, but it’s a structural tool that women entrepreneurs can use to reduce the things we have to do and find more time to be. Eleanor shares a personal example of niching down from her business journey that enabled her to do less and focus more. Whether in business or personal life, too much stuff can suffocate us and erode our spirit. Speak to your people Fear is often what holds us back from what we need to focus on. We fear that our focus isn’t enough and that we will somehow be insufficient. There is a cultural expectation that tells women not to focus on a niche like it’s something not important enough and deserving of our focus. Eleanor explains that part of the problem with having focus is that it means you have boundaries, and our society isn’t accustomed to women who have boundaries. There is an internally - generated worry that clear boundaries will impact us negatively. We should never feel guilty when we need to say NO. The importance of peer support It’s vitally important to spend time with women who share and understand your same level of devotion. Having relationships with people who have similar goals and perspectives can be healing. Relationships and communities are extremely essential for women entrepreneurs, maybe more so than for other groups of people. Those who resonate with you give you support to be understood and to justify your effort. Highlights of this episode: 4:24 - Internal conversations about our value 13:13 - The battleground of transformation for women 17:56 - The personal struggle for women 20:32 - The biggest surprise of 2020 22:15 - Reshaping the narrative of success 26:41 - The power of niche 39:05 - Speak to your people 44:30 - Eleanor’s work around peer support 49:28 - Fem Five Resources mentioned: Connect with Eleanor: Find out how to get Eleanor’s free webinar on Wednesday: Find Eleanor on Instagram: @EleanorBeaton Find Eleanor’s podcast: Power + Presence + Position Diana, Herself: An Allegory of Awakening by Martha Beck Fem Five: Favorite book to recommend for women? “Diana, Herself: An Allegory of Awakening by Martha Beck.” Favorite self - care hack? “Hot baths. They cure most things.” Best piece of advice and who gave it to you? “A social worker once told me that the circumstances of your life will always support the decisions you make.” Female CEO or thought leader you’re into right now? ”Bozoma Saint John, Chief Marketing Officer for Netflix.” One piece of advice you’d give your five years younger self? “Slow down and enjoy the process. All the things you want will come to pass.” /episode/index/show/nextfem/id/16644338

Adapting to Change as a 3rd Generation American Manufacturer - with Janet Wischnia 09/28/2020

Adapting to Change as a 3rd Generation American Manufacturer - with Janet Wischnia Perhaps nothing else signifies the spirit of the true American entrepreneur than the story of a family business that has survived for almost 90 years. Those 90 years have brought incredible advances in machinery, technology, and the way America does business and manufacturing. Join us to hear my guest’s amazing story! Janet Wischnia is the former CEO and founder of American Blossom Linens and owner of Thomaston Mills, the manufacturing arm of American Blossom. Since Janet was four, she’s been involved in the family business, which was started by her grandfather in 1931. Her father started out with one retail linen store in downtown Philadelphia, and Janet learned at his side about the textile industry from the ground up, including manufacturing, marketing, and even sweeping the floor. In this episode, Janet shares how American Blossom has continued to evolve and thrive over eight decades, providing linens for hospitals and the hospitality industry. Janet began recently selling linens directly to online buyers because she recognized the demand for sustainable products. Janet shares why buying organic and caring about people, products, and the planet make a huge difference in the way you do business. Made in the USA You’ve heard the #1 argument against buying American products: they are more expensive. Janet agrees. Her company is committed to using organic, American - grown cotton. Even though that makes her products more expensive than cheaper linens, people are becoming more environmentally aware as they look for quality and sustainability in the products they buy. There is a return to the solid philosophy of spending a little more money to buy something that will last longer than a cheaper product. The minimalistic movement also contributes to the popularity of American - made products in that if people have fewer things, they want them to be of the highest quality so they will last longer. Challenges and opportunities Janet says that the biggest challenge for her has been her lack of knowledge about retail marketing because it’s very different than business - to - business marketing. She had to learn about digital advertising for the retail arm of American Blossom. The company has raised its visibility by learning and utilizing SEO, Facebook and Google advertising, and influencers. Janet has witnessed these new strategies slowly starting to work to increase sales. The year 2020 and the global pandemic have brought a renewed interest in buying American and people being more committed than ever to making their homes into places of comfort. Spending more time at home makes us want to have quality items at our disposal. 2020 growth Many factors have contributed to 400% growth in Janet’s retail business this year. Although their sales to hotels and hospitality venues have been down, they have seen an explosion in retail business, partly because they have diversified their products into different markets. Regarding the pandemic, American Blossom has developed a new fabric with which to make isolation gowns for healthcare providers. Unlike other businesses that have seen declining sales this year, American Blossom continues to grow and keep itsr employees’ jobs safe. Tending to the business Taking care of a family business is like tending a garden. Janet learned early from her father and uncles that you can’t ever rest on your laurels as a business owner. Things are always changing in the world of business, and you have to change to keep up. The biggest change over the years has been advancements in technology. From doing everything by hand and on paper to doing almost nothing on paper, there have been big changes in the textile industry. Early on, there were no emails, but telegrams. Carbon paper was used to make duplicate copies of important papers and receipts. We do everything via the internet today where there was much more face - to - face interaction back then when the world moved at a slower pace. Janet has changed and grown with the times, but she says the danger of advanced technology is losing the human element. Managing a business during COVID-19 American Blossom has factories in Georgia and South Carolina, and their home base is still in Philadelphia. The company has followed CDC recommendations for wearing masks and allowing many employees to work from home. They have had to change procedures in factories to keep workers socially distanced from each other. Their commitment to doing what it takes to keep their factories open and keep their products available have kept their workers on the job during a time when many have been laid off. Janet is committed to doing the right thing for her employees because it’s what her father and grandfather taught her to do. Janet’s product American Blossom makes bedding out of 100% organic, USA - grown cotton from Texas. They make sheet sets in all sizes and duvet covers, and they will have blankets in a few weeks. Their cotton is grown with no pesticides or herbicides and is a non - GMO product. This produces a product that is heavier weight than average sheets. Their sheets are generously sized, and every queen and king sheet set comes with four pillowcases. They are available in three colors: white, natural, and latte linen, all produced with no colors or dyes. Highlights of this episode: 14:10 - Made in the USA 19:25 - Challenges and opportunities 24:10 - 2020 retail growth 26:40 - Tending the business through changes 31:40 - Managing a business during COVID 34:05 - What Janet thinks about big companies like Amazon 39:15 - Janet’s product 44:45 - Fem Five Resources mentioned: Use code “NextFem20” for 20% off your purchase! Find American Blossom Linens on Facebook and Instagram. The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham One Up On Wall Street by Peter Lynch Fem Five: Favorite book to recommend for women? “The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham and One Up On Wall Street by Peter Lynch.” Favorite self - care hack? ”Spin class.” Best piece of advice and who gave it to you? “My father and my husband have both told me to keep trying and don’t give up.” Female CEO or thought leader you’re into right now? ”Maria Shriver.” One piece of advice you’d give your five years younger self? “Everything is going to be alright.” /episode/index/show/nextfem/id/16644248

Finding Good Content on Goodpods - with JJ Ramberg 09/14/2020

Finding Good Content on Goodpods - with JJ Ramberg If you love podcasts, the chances are that you’ve wondered what your friends, celebrities, and cultural influencers are listening to. What if there was an app that could connect you with other podcast lovers and allow you to follow each other, discuss podcast topics, and make recommendations? If this sounds too good to be true, then you need to hear today’s guest and hear about the wonder that is Goodpods. JJ Rambert is an entrepreneur, podcast and TV host, bestselling author, and mom. For 13 years, JJ hosted MSNBC’s show Your Business and its second longest - running program and corresponding podcast, Been There Built That. She’s interviewed thousands of entrepreneurs and business leaders to discover what works and what doesn’t work in growing their companies. Her guests have included the likes of Neil Blumenthal of Warby Parker, John Foley of Peloton, and Bobbi Brown, amongst many others. JJ is more than a journalist. She’s a two - time co - founder who, with her brother, Ken, launched both Goodpods and Goodshop. Goodpods is an app where people can follow their podcast - loving buddies to find out what they’re listening to, discuss favorite shows, and interact with their favorite podcast hosts. JJ has business in her blood; in high school, she worked for her mother and brother in their startup, JOBTRAK, which they sold to Monster.com a decade later. JJ is an angel investor and author of two books: the best - selling It’s Your Business and the children’s book, The Startup Club. JJ received her MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and her BA from Duke University. She currently resides in Brooklyn. Navigating twists and turns JJ left CNN to start her first company, Goodshop, with her brother. Six months later, MSNBC called because they needed a host for a new show called Your Business, about small business entrepreneurship. What was billed as a six - month gig turned into a lengthy 13 - year stint for JJ. Her family instilled the entrepreneurial spirit into her, as the Rambergs boast several generations of business - minded entrepreneurs. Like the tradition set by her family, JJ learned the importance of social justice and community service as she juggled her journalistic endeavors and entrepreneurship in her early years. To add to the craziness, JJ got married and had three kids in successive years; they are now 10, 11, and 12. Building a solid team Many entrepreneurs are overwhelmed with starting their businesses and building their team. JJ was fortunate to have a partner, her brother, Ken, whom she trusted unconditionally. Other team members were hired along the way. Goodpods has become a true family affair, with her sister and nephew now becoming involved. JJ says she works with the smartest people she knows, and they just happen to be her family. Working in the family business You would expect unique struggles to crop up with any family business, but JJ says it’s been an easy process, despite the caution some would advise. Working in business with your family and keeping your business and personal lives separate are definitely challenging. JJ says their family system works seamlessly in all aspects of life. They just don’t encounter conflicts like other family businesses often do. Becoming an author JJ wrote her first book, It’s Your Business, as a companion to the MSNBC show. The book highlights the many things they had learned through the show and put into practice at JJ’s first company, Goodshop. JJ’s real pride and joy is her children’s book, The Startup Club, which she wrote with her sister. They wrote the book because they were both raising kids and couldn’t find any books about kids becoming entrepreneurs. They wanted to teach their children the spirit of entrepreneurship in a fun story because kids are naturally inclined to entrepreneurship. JJ’s focus on Goodpods Since Your Business ended last December, JJ has focused on Goodpods, the family business that launched recently but has been in the works for years. The idea of the app is that you can follow friends and influencers to find out what they are listening to. Like social media platforms, you can pick who to follow and see their feed detailing what podcasts they enjoy. The app makes it easy to recommend podcasts to friends and family directly and gives you a larger network. The app highlights the beauty of podcasts and helps you curate your listening, along with making it simple to have discussions with other people. Unlike many apps, there is no extra stuff to distract you from the reason you listen to podcasts in the first place. JJ’s biggest dream for Goodpods is to get people talking about great things in the interesting world of podcasts. What’s next for JJ? JJ is fully committed to making Goodpods the best place for knowing what the people you care about are listening to and talking about. Her goals now are to take the features that are in the app and make them even more useful. JJ wants to take what they have already developed and ramp it up to the next level. She says the whole idea is to connect people, create community, and find out what people want to listen to. Highlights of this episode: 8:03 - The six - month job that lasted 13 years 10:53 - Why philanthropy is important 12:08 - How JJ thrived as a journalist, entrepreneur, and mom 13:03 - How JJ built her team 15:24 - Struggles in a family business 17:30 - JJ’s books 21:06 - Fully focused on Goodpods 33:43 - What’s next for Goodpods? 37:22 - Fem Five Resources mentioned: Email JJ: Find JJ on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram: JJRamberg or Goodpods Visit for this episode to learn how to earn Goodpods swag from JJ! Getting There by Gillian Zoe Segal Fem Five: Favorite book to recommend for women? “Getting There by Gillian Zoe Segal” Favorite self - care hack? ”Running. It fixes most things.” Best piece of advice and who gave it to you? “My friend, Courtney, told me to go into things knowing that it will be hard. It’s just part of the journey.” Female CEO or thought leader you’re into right now? ”Samantha Skey, CEO of SheMedia” One piece of advice you’d give your five years younger self? “Stop drinking soy chai lattes in the morning because they are really bad for you!” /episode/index/show/nextfem/id/16644215

Raise Your Visibility - with Annie Scranton 08/31/2020

Raise Your Visibility - with Annie Scranton If you want to raise your visibility by being interviewed on TV or by print journalists, this is the episode for you. Join us to learn more! Annie Scranton is the founder and president of Pace Public Relations. Annie and her team focus solely on media relations, getting their clients placements on traditional news outlets on TV, radio, print, and digital. On any given day, Pace PR has multiple clients on national TV, which isn’t easy to do. Acting as a guest booker for major media networks like CNN, FOX News, CNBC, MSNBC, and ABC, Annie’s brand of public relations combines her unique understanding of behind - the - scenes TV and her unparalleled list of contacts. In this episode, Annie shares how she was able to go from trial to triumph and rebuild after a setback, her secret sauce to getting her clients booked on TV with media coverage to build their brands, and what a personal brand is and why it’s important to have one. Who should be on TV? Annie says that it takes a telegenic person to be on TV, and what she means is someone who comes to life on camera. Even in TV news, someone’s performance element is almost as important as what they actually say. It takes substance and an interesting point of view to be a good guest. If you hold opinions that match with 99% of the population, then it’s harder to get booked on TV, but a counterintuitive perspective or unique point of view will get you booked faster. How you relate to viewers is important because TV doesn’t offer many second chances. That first TV interview is vitally important because the competition is fierce. In appearing on any TV show, you have to put in the work to understand the brand and ask how you can fit into that conversation. It takes reframing your thinking to understand the tone and learn what’s important to the producers. Why public relations? A layoff from one show at age 28 led Annie to launch a job search that changed her life. A publicist offered her a job if she could get his client booked on a national TV show, which she accomplished in about five minutes. Annie calls this her lightbulb moment of recognizing her special currency in understanding the networks and how they operate, along with the necessary high - quality connections to people in the business by building her brand. Going all in Even though she still worked at a TV network for a time, Annie kept doing PR work on the side. It became so busy that she couldn’t do both jobs well, so she used her nest egg to take the leap of faith and start her own business out of her studio apartment, with her phone and computer. She slowly added more staff members as her business grew organically. What is PR? The specialty of Annie’s company is media relations, which means she helps her clients get featured in the media, including TV, radio and podcasts, and interviews for newspapers, magazines, and websites. PR is figuring out what is interesting about a client’s business, product, or brand, and how those qualities can be made relatable to a producer, editor, or journalist. Another critical component is that the client has to be interesting to the readers or viewers. Those placements are beneficial to the clients in growing their business, raising money, and booking speaking engagements. Personal branding Everyone can benefit from personal branding because there is more competition than ever before. Whatever your industry, there are many others with whom you’re competing for business. You must be able to articulate what sets you apart as unique and the best choice. More success will follow, and you’ll have a more fulfilling career and more happiness. Distinguishing and differentiating yourself is essential in today’s world, especially for women, because women don’t usually advocate for themselves as strongly and confidently as men do. Dealing with jealousy Annie’s viewpoint is that if someone is competitive and jealous of you, that’s on them. You need to conduct yourself with dignity, respect, and fairness, and nothing else matters. Haters and backstabbers will always exist, but you have to have faith in yourself, your work, and your values. Annie explains how she helps clients better understand themselves and their brand to build the confidence they need to survive and thrive. How you pitch yourself Pitching yourself means presenting a solution that interests others. In pitching yourself to the media, you can provide them with an interesting angle or story idea that gives a solution to their daily task and deadline. In pitching yourself for a promotion, highlight the benefits to the company so that you become a solution to a problem. Present how you what you’re asking for will affect the company’s bottom line, along with being useful and helpful. Annie explains how the pitching process has changed during the coronavirus pandemic. Stand out from the noise Annie stresses the need to know your audience. Right now, every pitch needs to tie into the pandemic or the general election to be relevant to cable news. The luxury lifestyle retail space is still relevant in certain places, but can still be tied to the pandemic if you pivot to more of a thought leader capacity. A thought leader is an expert in their industry who has insights into trends and forecasts. Thought leaders also point out strong examples and lessons to be learned. They are able to contextualize what they have learned, so it’s interesting, useful, and helpful to others in that space. Highlights of this episode: 2:18 - Who should be on TV? 7:24 - Understanding the brand 8:34 - Annie’s journey to public relations 12:48 - Becoming a PR agency 15:16 - What’s useful about PR 18:34 - Doing things the smart way 22:18 - Why personal branding is important 28:42 - Combatting competitiveness 34:10 - The importance of your pitch 40:35 - How we stand out 42:49 - Become a thought leader 44:50 - Fem Five Resources mentioned: Find Annie on Twitter: @AnnieScranton The Truths We Hold by Kamala Harris Fem Five: Favorite book to recommend for women? “The Truths We Hold by Kamala Harris” Favorite self - care hack? ”Meditation every morning and working out whenever possible.” Best piece of advice and who gave it to you? “My mom made me believe that I could do and be anything I wanted.” Female CEO or thought leader you’re into right now? ”Gloria Steinem, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Hillary Clinton, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.” One piece of advice you’d give your five years younger self? “Don’t stress as much. It’s not worth it. LIve your life with authenticity and integrity. Things will work out.” /episode/index/show/nextfem/id/15816299

Stepping Into Your Next Level of Growth - with Dolores Hirschmann 08/17/2020

Stepping Into Your Next Level of Growth - with Dolores Hirschmann Have you felt like you have a big idea to share but don’t know how to communicate your message in a clear and impactful way? My guest has much wisdom to share. Join us! Dolores Hirschmann is an internationally recognized strategist, clarity coach, TEDx organizer, speaker, and author. She is also the host of her own YouTube channel, Clarity TV. In this episode, Dolores shares how she is able to guide her clients to clarity to define their core idea and reach their next level of growth, the secret to transforming fear into bravery, and why purpose is a daunting word, and there is a better way to think about it. Clarity of life’s work Dolores works mainly with service business owners who want to serve the world with clarity and purpose. She asks four specific questions: What academic puzzle pieces do you have? What would you do for free all day long? What is a problem that the world has? How are other people attempting to solve that problem? It’s at the intersection of the answers to these four questions that you’ll find your life’s work. The practical side of purpose Some people are gifted with the purpose of unveiling the brilliance in others, being a mirror for those who have lost their spark. Many of us get lost as we build our lives with puzzle pieces, and we get stuck. In the practical aspect, Dolores reminds women what they are becoming, and that where they are is simply a place on that path to becoming. It’s each person’s challenge to be powered by their purpose, independent of the situation around them. Dolores shares a story of a client discovering purpose and anchoring in the being of who she is. Stepping into your capacity We sometimes get stuck in a lack of trust mentality because we feel that we can’t handle the consequences if something goes wrong. There are core beliefs that will allow us to delegate control. Going through the 2020 pandemic has helped each of us understand our resiliency and our capacity for survival in new ways. Connecting with that strength allows us to let go in delegating tasks. Another core belief is that if we aren’t involved, something won’t be done well. We feel that everything is in our control, and the opposite of that is the belief that our capacity is limited when we feel disconnected from the world. Divine timing Dolores has learned to trust that the puzzle pieces of her calendar will all fall into place. Numerous times she has seen meetings or events have to be rescheduled in ways that work out better than the original intent. Now, Dolores smiles when something reschedules itself, and she never gets upset about it. She says it feels like the universe has her back in the way divine timing seems to work things out. Divine timing and delegation are totally connected in that you can trust that things will fall into place. Intentional bravery We can leverage our fear and transform it into intentional bravery. Fear is what keeps us from taking the action that is in front of us. Dolores uses the analogy of the saboteur and the snowflake in how some truth is present in every fear that seeks to sabotage us. We have to allow fear to play its role in protecting us as we move forward to take action. Her work focuses on the steps of clarity, action, and impact. Clarity alone is nothing if it isn’t followed by action and impact. The secret to a good TED talk Dolores instructs her clients to find the right TED Talk for them, and the next step is not talking about what you do, but what you stand for. She advises clients to talk about the bigger essence of the work they do. There are two parts to a great TED Talk: the work the speaker has done to extrapolate the bigger idea behind their work, and the way it’s beautifully communicated. Highlights of this episode: 4:49 - How Dolores works with clients on clarity and purpose 15:12 - Translating purpose into practicality 24:00 - A client story of discovery 27:01 - Stepping into your capacity 33:06 - The calendar game and divine timing 40:50 - Intentional bravery from fear 49:26 - Courage is a muscle 50:29 - The secret to a good TED Talk 54:30 - Fem Five Resources mentioned: Check out the free resources on Dolores’ website. Find Dolores’ free gift of a clarity call. Untamed by Glennon Doyle Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl Fem Five: Favorite book to recommend for women? “Untamed by Glennon Doyle” Favorite self - care hack? ”Outdoor anything at least once a day.” Best piece of advice and who gave it to you? “When I was learning to drive, my therapist told me not to worry and that I could drive at the speed I wanted because no one would use their car to push me to go faster.” Female CEO or thought leader you’re into right now? ”Elizabeth Gilbert” One piece of advice you’d give your five years younger self? “Just play. Don’t sweat it. It’s just a puzzle piece.” /episode/index/show/nextfem/id/15654716

Using Art to Create Transformational Experiences - with Stephanie Bell May 08/11/2020

Using Art to Create Transformational Experiences - with Stephanie Bell May Today’s show introduces you to someone who blends her passions perfectly into the artwork that has become her creative outlet. Her story and her life’s work are inspiring on many levels. Join us to learn more. Stephanie Bell May is a world-renowned artist and leader in her transformational work called The Art Experience. Stephanie discovered her passion for art as a young girl growing up in Mexico City, where the museums are flooded with a rich history of early and mid - 20th century artists with strong political motives, like Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Tina Modotti, and Rufino Tamayo. These masters strongly influenced Stephanie’s vision and played out in her early work. Following years of public exhibition and recognition, she pursued a new visual path where she began to explore issues of female equality and human rights. In this episode, Stephanie and I talk about how her upbringing in Mexico and her studies in Buddhism and psychology shaped both her early work and her projects today. We also discuss the wild inflection point that transformed her and led to the creation of The Art Experience, and how her own marriage led to the awareness of cultural expectations of her as a woman and the knowing of her own soul in its truest form. Freedom Freedom can mean many different things; the meaning is derived from how cultures value it, and this concept is the overriding theme in Stephanie’s observation and expression. She explains how freedom of expression shows who we are, intellectual freedom gives us opportunities to explore ideas and educate ourselves, and spiritual freedom relates to how we view our existence. Freedom in a different sense means how we find our true selves without social constraints. Stephanie explains that the peace found within that freedom is everything; there is no higher achievement in life. You can’t un - wild yourself Once you know your wild, you can’t go back to being restrained. We are born as an incredible self that is constantly being left behind as we grow and allow society’s constraints to shape us. We are told to speak and act in certain ways that are acceptable within social norms, especially as women. We’ve been told to be less than our true sexual self and less than our true expressive self, along with being quieter, less demanding, and more accepting of the way things are. Stephanie explains how this un - wilding leads to an unspoken unhappiness that many women feel within their lives. The ugly truth When we don’t align with society’s norm, we feel that we either have to rebel or suppress ourselves and conform. It’s a dilemma that we each face. We have to remember our pure self and understand the value of our real, authentic, wild self. Stephanie shares how she and her husband checked all the boxes and hit all the markers for success in life, yet they realized that they weren’t happy and were tired of pretending. Stephanie found herself wanting more than the traditional role of wife and mother, and her husband felt the same way regarding his suppressed homosexuality. No more pretending One day, Stephanie’s husband went on a trip and fell into cataclysmic love with another man. Stephanie later observed how they loved each other and never wanted to be apart. She knew their relationship was right, even though it was hard for her to let go of the facade of ideal life and family that they had carefully crafted together. Being gay was her husband’s worst nightmare, and she saw the struggle, trying to help him survive and be happy and fulfilled. Even though she looked at him as her partner and the father of her children, fear and anxiety set in as she faced the questions about why they weren’t the couple that everyone thought they were. Handling the chaos Because her children were still young, Stephanie had to carry on in front of neighbors, friends, and teachers without anyone knowing what was going on inside. Cataclysmic changes were occurring as she entered a time of spiritual, emotional, and mental gymnastics to get to a point of stability. She learned to meditate and use yoga, exercise, and therapy to save herself. It took a dramatic, life - changing moment for her to realize that she had the answers and peace within herself. It was a rebirth and a surrender that became the starting point to remembering who she is as a person. Freedom as a sexual being With her newfound freedom in giving up social constraints, Stephanie decided to experiment with sexuality to find her real, original self. She explored a new way of being by reading books and learning about receiving instead of always giving. Learning to ask for what she wanted and needed in all aspects of life had a healing effect on her soul. Freedom came to Stephanie to explore life and expression in all planes of her life. The evolution of art A complete evolution occurred in Stephanie’s art as her regular life was changing and evolving. She found her voice as an artist in a bold, new way. She threw off social constraints in her art just as she threw them off concerning the expectations in her personal life. As she slowed down the creative process, she found more beauty and fulfillment in the creation of her art. Finding the line between successful art and unsuccessful art, which she attributes to her study of Buddhism, helped her understand creativity in a new way. The role of art for women Art goes hand - in - hand with creativity, creation, giving birth, and womanhood. It’s all connected, and sexuality is the driving force behind all that we create. Making art becomes an incredible adventure. After all that Stephanie has gone through, her art became the expression of feminine roles, oppression, finding herself, and returning to her wild. Highlights of this episode: 3:57 - Freedom: what it means 8:14 - Discovering your wild 19:20 - The ugly truth about who we get to be 27:36 - A cataclysmic love that changed everything 38:15 - Handling the chaos in the aftermath 46:24 - Finding freedom as a sexual being 54:05 - The evolution of art 1:07:48 - The role of art for women 1:15:12 - Fem Five Resources mentioned: Stephanie’s website: Find Stephanie on Instagram: @SBellMay Visit to find out more about Stephanie’s BOGO offer on in - person or Zoom art retreats. Infidel: My Life by Ayaan Hirsi Ali Fem Five: Favorite book to recommend for women? “Infidel: My Life by Ayaan Hirsi Ali” Favorite self - care hack? “Swimming in the ocean on a daily basis.” Best piece of advice and who gave it to you? “A Buddhist therapist said that emotions are like waves; just as easily as they come, they go.” Female CEO or thought leader you’re into right now? ”AOC (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) and other prominent female world leaders” One piece of advice you’d give your five years younger self? “Feel the guilt, but keep going.” /episode/index/show/nextfem/id/15562610

Bringing True Diversity & Inclusion Into the Workplace - with Jennifer Brown 07/20/2020

Bringing True Diversity & Inclusion Into the Workplace - with Jennifer Brown Inclusion and diversity are buzzwords in today’s world, but the concepts behind them have always been important. The difference is that people are paying attention in ways they haven’t before. Join us in today’s show to learn more about bringing true inclusion and diversity to the workplace. Jennifer Brown is an award - winning entrepreneur, dynamic speaker, author, and diversity and inclusion expert. Jennifer is passionate about social equality and advocacy, and she’s committed to helping leaders foster healthier and more productive workplaces, ultimately driving innovation and business results. Jennifer’s body of work is informed by more than a decade of consulting with Fortune 500 companies. She creates a compelling business case for leadership to embrace the opportunities that diversity represents, along with empowering advocates at all levels to find their voice and be a driving force in creating more enlightened organizations. Jennifer has written Inclusion: Diversity, The New Workplace & The Will to Change to help companies become more welcoming and accepting of every race, orientation, and culture that walk through their doors. The dichotomy of being both privileged and marginalized Jennifer has risen to the top of her field by advocating for those who didn’t have a voice. As a member of the LGBTQ community herself, Jennifer has several friends who were among the first in their role to come out publicly. She was able to watch corporate cultures evolve through the lower - level leadership of her courageous friends, and she welcomed the opportunity to be part of the community that was pushing necessary change. From the beginning, she understood that she had to speak the executive language and present diversity and inclusion from a business case. Even though she focused on her own marginalization in the early years of her career, she now realizes the extent of her privilege because of how she looks and presents herself as a white woman. Being an inclusive manager Inclusion doesn’t just happen. Jennifer explains that you can call yourself a feminist and be politically progressive, and you still can be that manager who hires people who all look the same. Any working manager has many points of failure in the workday when it comes to diversity and inclusion. The important steps to change can only begin when we recognize the places where bias creeps in, and then we make the conscious choice to do one thing differently. Jennifer says it’s a small tweak to the mindset to learn to pay attention to different aspects of diversity and inclusion. Bring your full self We live in a culture where women have certain roles and expectations in the business world, and they are judged negatively when they function outside those roles. Jennifer says we need to break out in intentional ways to find our voice and fulfill our destiny. In coming out as an LGBTQ woman, Jennifer had to navigate a path for which there was no script. She learned to depend on herself and accepted the gift that comes with truly discovering who she is as a person. Don’t play the Pain Olympics This is Jennifer’s way of denouncing the hierarchy of oppression. She’s been told that she is just another white person propagating the same harmful system and that she shouldn’t be running her company. The basis for this denouncement is the assumption that she doesn’t know enough about race and ethnicity to understand and be a voice for the marginalized. Her company focuses on the workplace as a place where everyone can manifest their true selves, but the current level of anger and frustration make that a difficult task. She holds fast to the concept that her work is important in holding space for people to come into the conversation. Jennifer explains how intersectionality is demonstrated in the fact that a white woman’s experience is different than that of a woman of color. Confronting the shame Leaders send a strong message by the way they lead. It’s their experience that allows them to connect with and understand the need for diversity. In Jennifer’s work, she sees that people have shame around inclusion or don’t want to address the topic in personal ways. Leaders are challenged in their thinking about diversity and inclusion, but those who can be authentic and connect to diversity on a personal level can truly be the change. This allows for belonging, which has become a big part of the diversity and inclusion conversation. Highlights of this episode: 3:50 - Being both marginalized and privileged 12:28 - Being an inclusive manager 19:15 - Bringing your full self to work 23:58 - The Pain Olympics 28:06 - Intersectionality defined 34:33 - How leaders send a message 41:58 - Fem Five Resources mentioned: Find Jennifer’s podcast: The Will to Change Connect with Jennifer on Twitter: @JenniferBrown Connect with Jennifer on Instagram: JenniferBrownSpeaks Connect with Jennifer on LinkedIn and Facebook: Jennifer Brown Consulting Visit for Jennifer’s free gift, a free assessment of your inclusion journey Inclusion: Diversity, The New Workplace & The Will to Change by Jennifer Brown Fem Five: Favorite book to recommend for women? “Earn It by Daniela Pierre-Bravo and Mika Brzezinski” Favorite self - care hack? “Hot yoga” Best piece of advice and who gave it to you? “Someone once told me to say yes and figure out how later.” Female CEO or thought leader you’re into right now? “Azure Antoinette, who is called The Maya Angelou of the Millennial Generation.” One piece of advice you’d give your five years younger self? “Keep going, and believe in your vision. Keep maintaining what you’ve built, and wait for the moment it will be appreciated and seen.” /episode/index/show/nextfem/id/15308972

Use Bragging to Advance Your Career - with Meredith Fineman 06/29/2020

Use Bragging to Advance Your Career - with Meredith Fineman Bragging about yourself and your accomplishments isn’t always the best strategy for personal relationships. However, in today’s business world, bragging is an essential skill to advance your career, even though most women experience discomfort in touting themselves. If you need to learn how to brag better with style and professionalism, then today’s show is just for you. Meredith Fineman is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, podcast host, and women’s advocate. She’s also the founder and CEO of Fine Point, a leadership and professional development company, and a freelance writer with bylines from Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Best Company, and many more. Meredith’s other endeavors include hosting It Never Gets Old, a podcast on secondhand and sustainable fashion, and writing her book, Brag Better: Master the Art of Fearless Self - Promotion. In this episode, Meredith and I discuss how the workplace is shifting amid the global pandemic, and how to combat job insecurity by advocating for yourself with a Brag Better skillset. We also talk about the need for self - advocacy among the qualified quiet and the importance of using privilege to advocate and champion for the underrepresented. Women and bragging Meredith begins by explaining that bragging, especially for women, hasn’t always been the cool thing to do. Instead, women have been told down through history to look pretty and be quiet. Meredith is passionate about women learning to tout themselves, despite the fears and inherent dangers. Her demographic is the qualified quiet, those men and women who have done the work but don’t know how to talk about it. Her book is for men and women because the world needs to hear male voices speaking up and advocating for women as strong allies. The truth is that everyone needs to learn to brag better instead of feeling ineffective and awkward. Better bragging is for everyone. Why bragging is difficult but necessary Especially during this global pandemic, it’s more important than ever to know how to brag better from home. Bragging is necessary for your career because you must turn people’s attention to your work to get the recognition you deserve and to propel your career forward. We are in an extreme emergency situation right now, and this time of fear, uncertainty, and incredible joblessness forces us to be more explicit than ever before. Many of our normal tools are lost as we work from home, so we have to hone other skills. Depending on your goals, Meredith shares advice about asking for a raise or asking for an appointment to a panel with focused bragging. Focused bragging includes strategically offering up yourself and talking about your background and skills to get what you want and propel your career forward. Do it for others Bragging also requires that you’re committed to lifting someone else up when possible and not being jealous of them. Meredith explains how we can be strategic in the way we brag for others, and she uses the example of the racism crisis in America right now. Speaking as a white woman of privilege, she believes that our duty is to highlight other people and share our voices to expand their reach. Elevating your voice and advocating for others is a way to use your power to speak up for those who aren’t usually regarded with the same level of respect. Meredith’s sensitivity How did Meredith develop a lens of sensitivity? As the daughter of DC journalists, she grew up with a liberal background, and her Jewish heritage gave her a feeling of other - ness and white privilege. The history of Jewish people gives them a right to speak up for all oppressed people, so advocating for others was a natural progression. Growing up with diversity everywhere helped Meredith know that she wanted to educate herself about speaking and writing to highlight the perspective and opinions of others. Key elements of Better Bragging Better Bragging is about stating the facts of your accomplishments in a strategic, cohesive way to get what you want. Bragging is less about the word choice and more about the sentiment. The three pillars of Better Bragging are proud, loud, and strategic. Being proud is the most difficult for most women because we are too hard on ourselves. Being loud isn’t about your volume, but it’s about consistency and repetition. Being strategic means working backward from what you want as the end result, and often it means applying PR tactics to yourself. Thirty seconds or less Since the pandemic, Meredith has added a fourth element of Better Bragging. It’s important that you are explicit in your bragging, not leaving any room for inference. Your message needs to be distilled into a pitch of thirty seconds or less. People have short attention spans, so it’s necessary to be very specific and concise about what you mean. Meredith shares an exercise she uses to help clients be specific and concise like never before. Another tip is to reduce your pitch to two sentences, and even then, she helps clients eliminate words that don’t add to the message. How to use LinkedIn There are many benefits to LinkedIn, even though many people don’t see them. There are canned and cheesy messages sent by people who communicate in great volume and play the numbers game, but the platform has many opportunities. Meredith advises clients to put their email addresses high up on their profile in a visible place. She also explains how she handles networking and connections on LinkedIn to maximize the platform as a useful resource. Highlights of this episode: 2:15 - Pitfalls in bragging for women 6:27 - Why bragging is difficult but necessary 15:55 - Bragging for others 20:30 - Where Meredith got her sensitivity 25:13 - Key elements of Better Bragging 30:39 - Distilling your message 35:10 - Recommendations for using LinkedIn 46:25 - Fem Five Resources mentioned: Get a free chapter of Meredith’s book! Brag Better: Master the Art of Fearless Self - Promotion by Meredith Fineman The Witches are Coming by Lindy West Wow, No Thank You: Essays by Samantha Irby Dear Girls by Ali Wong Leapfrog: The New Revolution for Women Entrepreneurs by Natalie Molina Nino Fem Five: Favorite book to recommend for women? “The Witches are Coming, Wow, No Thank You, and Dear Girls.” Favorite self - care hack? “Putting parental controls on my phone (for me), and turning it completely off at night.” Best piece of advice and who gave it to you? “My best friend told me that 100% of nothing is nothing.” Female CEO or thought leader you’re into right now? “Kimberly Drew, Tarana Burke, Brittney Cooper, Jamia Wilson, and other prominent black women.” One piece of advice you’d give your five years younger self? “Stop buying expensive handbags!” /episode/index/show/nextfem/id/15002423

Effective Actions for the Workplace Recognition You Deserve - with Dr. Rosina Raccioppi 06/02/2020

Effective Actions for the Workplace Recognition You Deserve - with Dr. Rosina Raccioppi Today’s episode brings clarity to the frustrations that many women feel in their careers. Are you working independently, but struggling to get the recognition you deserve? Do you understand the value of relationships in the workplace? My guest today puts it all in perspective, and she shares the nuts and bolts to help you take effective action steps. Dr. Rosina Raccioppi is CEO and president of WOMEN Unlimited, an organization that for over 25 years has worked with hundreds of leading corporations focused on creating corporate cultures that nurture the development and advancement of talented women. Their three-pronged approach of mentoring, education and networking allows corporations to accelerate the leadership pipeline of high potential women. In this episode, Dr. Raccioppi and I talk about her book, Relationships Matter: How Women Use Developmental Networks to Step Into Their Power and Influence. We also discuss the challenges and opportunities in the workplace for women. We pinpoint what it takes for women to move up the career ladder, and why it’s not just what you know, but who you know and who knows your work. Dr. Raccioppi explains how WOMEN Unlimited’s programs guide women to the C-suite and help them stay there. Independence vs. Relationships From the beginning of a woman’s career, there are moments of key inflection points where a leader or mentor’s influence is critical and impactful. In 2019, for the first time ever, women made up over half of the professional workforce in organizations. What Rosina sees from young women starting out is that their independence keeps them from building key relationships and seeking out support in their careers, so they rely instead on their own capabilities. This is a big mistake. Those key mentoring relationships are crucial as leaders provide guidance and feedback that allow women to continue to evolve their capabilities as they grow their careers. Painful feedback Rosina shares a personal example from her career when she learned a hard lesson through feedback. Her manner is extremely direct, and that was good and effective until it wasn’t. People had told her that there were issues with her somewhat intimidating communication style, but she would blow off that feedback. One day, a colleague made a statement about her direct leadership style that shocked her and caused great reflection. Rosina looks back on that feedback as a gift that gave her insight and realization that have helped her learn to find innovative solutions and to listen to others more fully. This lesson has helped her become more inclusive as a leader. Listen to learn specific techniques to get the feedback you need and deserve. Why Rosina wrote her book We’ve all heard about mentoring as a leadership skill, but WOMEN Unlimited takes it a step further. Their platform is based on mentoring education and networking. The content is bookended by the relationships created by mentoring and networking. For women in the workplace, these relationships are crucial to success. Rosina built upon existing research about how women used mentors, but she took it a step further to see how those mentoring relationships were developed. Rosina says, “Mentoring turns learning into leadership.” Using a crisis to your advantage Generally speaking, during the pandemic crisis, men are looking to make strides to stand out in the workforce while women are hunkering down to get the work done. With any organization, during a crisis, you have to figure out how to be profitable and take care of the customers. The important thing is to map out a path forward for the organization to preserve revenue. Rosina says that successful women will stay engaged and embrace the leadership role even during a crisis. Building a network Think about the people who will help round out your perspective. Those who impact the customer are the ones who matter most in an organization. Rosina says to think about how to frame the work you do in ways that are important to the customers. You want to stay in the game, be relevant at the table, and create an impact for the customer. If you aren’t doing that currently, then take a good look at your role and what it should be. How to find a mentor It doesn’t make much sense to approach someone and ask them to be your mentor. Being a mentor is a vague concept to many people; they just aren’t sure what that means. Rosina encourages people to create a board of directors group of 3-4 people who will challenge your thinking and help you grow. Don’t look for people who will tell you what you want to hear, because that won’t help you grow. Often, someone in a different department in your organization is the best person to expand your thinking and round out your perspective. Start with one person, and add others that give you a diversity of perspective on how you want to move forward. Highlights of this episode: 4:21 - Key inflection points in a woman’s career 6:00 - The feedback women need 11:37 - An example of impactful feedback for Rosina 18:44 - Why Rosina wrote her book 26:00 - Using a crisis to your advantage 27:34 - Building a network 29:46 - Advice for women who need a mentor 35:12 - Fem Five Resources mentioned: Visit for this episode for your chance to receive a free signed copy of Rosina’s book, Relationships Matter: How Women Use Developmental Networks to Step Into Their Power and Influence. Fem Five: Favorite book to recommend for women? “My book, Relationships Matter.” Favorite self-care hack? “Exercise and taking time for me.” Best piece of advice and who gave it to you? “My mother helped me see that the only thing I can control is me.” Female CEO or thought leader you’re into right now? “I can’t name just one, but it’s all the women who are CEOs in traditionally male-dominated industries.” One piece of advice you’d give your five years younger self? “Push yourself even further than you think you can go. Don’t be afraid. There will always be a net to catch you.” /episode/index/show/nextfem/id/14660369