Women & Courage with Sarah Lajeunesse: Recent Episodes

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Today on the Women & Courage podcast I’m in conversation with my friend, former boss, and informal lifelong mentor, Valerie Pek, Principal of BALDWIN + BRANT. Nearing two decades of experience on behalf of brands, properties and agencies - Valerie brings a unique understanding of the brand journey from all perspectives and the impact on key stakeholders. Her career began in media with Corus Entertainment and Global Television and then shifted to pro sport where she led the Marketing and Corporate Partnerships teams for the Calgary Stampeders for eight successful seasons. She went on to lead strategic partnerships for AppColony, an innovative digital agency, launching a number of award winning products into the market. This experience further ignited a passion for growing brands digitally and creative approaches to building community.

Having created numerous impactful brand strategies and activations in sport, tech, entertainment, lifestyle and retail - her expertise in marketing, sponsorship activations, branding, community and corporate partnerships, CSR strategy, digital and live event management has led to launching her own Toronto based brand agency BALDWIN + BRANT, whose extensive client list has included Woodbine Entertainment, Movember, Sundial Cannabis, The Grey Cup Festival, The Calgary Stampede, Curling Canada, Marble Slab Creamery and New Era Cap Co.

When not in the office, you can find Valerie with friends exploring a new region or cuisine or recording another episode of her podcast “New Dog. Now What?”. She is a lifelong learner and is happiest starting her day with a motivational podcast and a challenging spin class and ending it with a glass of wine shared with friends and family.

In this episode we discuss:

• The power and importance of developing a brand purpose in business.
• The key people Valerie surrounds herself with to increase the likelihood of her own personal and professional success.
• The fears that Valerie experiences as an entrepreneur and how she navigates through them.
• The importance of betting on yourself and being willing to fail.
• Valerie’s personal experience holding senior-level positions in the male-dominated industry of sports.
• Why it’s important to seek out and connect with the people who are where you want to be.
• Valerie’s company BALDWIN + BRANT, and her pandemic project turned podcast, “New Dog. Now What?
• And so much more.

Learn more about Valerie and BALDWIN + BRANT at:

BALDWIN + BRANT Instagram and Website

Podcast: New Dog. Now What?

Guest Info:

Nearing two decades of experience on behalf of brands, properties and agencies - Valerie brings a unique understanding of the brand journey from all perspectives and the impact on key stakeholders. Her career began in media with Corus Entertainment and Global Television and then shifted to pro sport where she led the Marketing and Corporate Partnerships teams for the Calgary Stampeders for eight successful seasons. She went on to lead strategic partnerships for AppColony, an innovative digital agency, launching a number of award winning products into the market. This experience further ignited a passion for growing brands digitally and creative approaches to building community.

Having created numerous impactful brand strategies and activations in sport, tech, entertainment, lifestyle and retail - her expertise in marketing, sponsorship activations, branding, community and corporate partnerships, CSR strategy, digital and live event management has led to launching her own Toronto based brand agency BALDWIN + BRANT, whose extensive client list has included Woodbine Entertainment, Movember, Sundial Cannabis, The Grey Cup Festival, The Calgary Stampede, Curling Canada, Marble Slab Creamery and New Era Cap Co.

When not in the office, you can find Valerie with friends exploring a new region or cuisine or recording another episode of her podcast “New Dog. Now What?”. She is a lifelong learner and is happiest starting her day with a motivational podcast and a challenging spin class and ending it with a glass of wine shared with friends and family.

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Today on the Women & Courage podcast, I’m in conversation with my dear friend, Lisa Norman. Lisa is the Founder and CEO of For The Love Of Cups, a patient and breast cancer advocacy nonprofit organization. The organization was created out of an urgent need Lisa discovered during her own journey, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer to better inform patients and bridge the gap in support and outcomes.

Lisa is a breast cancer survivor, mother of three daughters and has a family history of strong women who have also fought this horrible disease. When she was told she had dense breast tissue Lisa was shocked to learn how common it was, how underreported and under screened this major risk factor is. Lisa is devoted to changing this by spreading education to empower others with the tools and knowledge they need to be their own best healthcare advocate.

A women’s health and wellness leader and educator, Lisa has earned a Masters in the Science of Midwifery. She practiced many years as a Midwife prior to her breast cancer diagnosis in 2014 and turning her attention toward breast density notification, policy, access to care and a more holistic approach to supporting people facing breast cancer. Love is behind everything that Lisa believes in, it is her driving force. Inspired by her mom and motivated by her daughters she has made For The Love Of Cups her mission, to beat cancer so her daughters won't have to.

In This episode we discuss:

• Lisa’s experience when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer, and how her experience led her to creating For The Love Of Cups in order to bridge the gap in support and outcomes.
• The importance of providing adequate education and access to advanced screening early on in a woman's diagnosis so that every woman has the best opportunity of survival, and the dangerous reality Lisa discovered that - without complete screening methods which aren’t often reinforced - mammograms are being cleared without the full picture (i.e. additional ultrasounds or MRIs).
• The vision Lisa has and the community that has been created that provides education, advocacy, and support for every woman going through the journey.
• The universal kick in the pants Lisa received that made her realize she had to create this life-saving non-profit that has supported (and will continue to support) so many women around the world.
• Lisa’s advice for any woman who has a big vision and how to trust themselves in taking the first steps.
• The number one thing that supported Lisa in bringing her vision to life, and how it supported her in moving through her own fears.
• ..and so much more.

Learn more about Lisa at:

Lisa’s personal Website and Instagram.

For The Love Of Cups Website & Instagram

Download the Mammogram Guide

Guest Info: 

Lisa Norman is the Founder and CEO of For The Love Of Cups, patient and breast cancer advocacy nonprofit organization. The organization was created out of an urgent need Lisa discovered during her own journey, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer to better inform patients and bridge the gap in support and outcomes.

Lisa is a breast cancer survivor, mother of three daughters and has a family history of strong women who have also fought this horrible disease. When she was told she had dense breast tissue Lisa was shocked to learn how common it was, how underreported and under screened this major risk factor is. Lisa is devoted to changing this by spreading education to empower others with the tools and knowledge they need to be their own best healthcare advocate.

A women’s health and wellness leader and educator, Lisa has earned a Masters in the Science of Midwifery. She practiced many years as a Midwife prior to her breast cancer diagnosis in 2014 and turning her attention toward breast density notification, policy, access to care and a more holistic approach to supporting people facing breast cancer.

Love is behind everything that Lisa believes in, it is her driving force. Inspired by her mom and motivated by her daughters she has made For The Love Of Cups (4TLC) her mission, to beat cancer so her daughters won't have to.

"Until I can tell my daughters that there is a cure, I will not be cancer free" Lisa Norman

Together we can provide education and access to advanced screening so that all are given a fighting chance and benefit from an early diagnosis. Until no more mothers, sisters, daughters and men are lost to this disease, until the suffering of our loved ones has ended, we must not stop.

When Lisa isn’t leading or attending a wellness workshop, writing or advocating you can find her with her daughters, hiking on a trail somewhere, attempting to do yoga or sampling the local wines.

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Today on the Women & Courage podcast, I’m in conversation with Jade Bryan, a Women’s Financial Literacy Advocate born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario. Jade’s affinity for telling a brand’s story and connecting with their audience has given her the opportunity to manage social media accounts for companies across many different fields, taking her career from fashion to finance and everywhere in between. This, combined with over 10 years of working in the financial industry with a major Canadian bank, has led Jade to become passionate about fostering an online community that empowers women in all things personal finance. She believes that financial literacy is the key to independence, and can help women take their future into their own hands.

In this episode we discuss:

• Jade’s personal experience in taking control of her finances and how that led her to wanting to support other women do the same.
• The guilt and embarrassment that women commonly feel when discussing their finances, and why we need to break this cycle that further perpetuates the shame around money.
• The gender pay gap, the gender investment gap, and the multiple other areas that lead to women struggling with finances, and the steps to start taking control.
• The destructive and toxic advice from some Money experts in the industry which isn’t always designed to benefit women.
• Where to start if you want to get out of debt.
• How delaying putting money towards your retirement by even five years can cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars.
• Low-risk vs. high-risk investments, RRSPs, TFSAs, mortgages, and so much more to kick start your journey on becoming more financially literate.

Learn more about Jade at:

Jade’s Instagram

Guest Info: 

Born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario, Jade’s affinity for telling a brand’s story and connecting with their audience has given her the opportunity to manage social media accounts for companies across many different fields, taking her career from fashion to finance and everywhere in between. This, combined with over 10 years of working in the financial industry with a major Canadian bank, has led Jade to become passionate about fostering an online community that empowers women in all things personal finance. She believes that financial literacy is the key to independence, and can help women take their future into their own hands.

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Today on the Women & Courage podcast, I’m in conversation with Michelle Kwok, Co-Founder of FLIK, which stands for Female Laboratory of Innovative Knowledge) a platform that was created to merge the gap between female founders looking for helping hands on their businesses and female students looking for career-relevant experiences and mentorship. At FLIK, Michelle leads marketing/sales, business development, partnerships, events, communications, and media.

FLIK’s community members come from over 53 countries around the world and are continuing to expand globally. Since January 2020 Flik has matched over 1800 womxn in apprenticeships and shows no signs of slowing down!

Michelle has spoken at 60+ events on entrepreneurship, womxn empowerment, diversity & inclusion, and breaking traditional barriers via her unconventional career path. She has been honoured as YWCA's Young Woman of Distinction and a Conversationa-LIST GenZ Honoree. She’s a proud alum of NEXT 36, Entrepreneurship Hub University of British Columbia, Startup Edmonton, UNLEASH, and League of Innovators where Michelle serves on the alumni advisory council.

In this episode we discuss:

• Why Michelle questioned the traditional definition of success encouraged by her family, society, and her culture, and the courageous steps it took to carve out her own path (hint.. it includes a powerpoint that she presented to her parents).
• How a mental breakdown, a lack of WOC representation in the Founder space, and Michelle’s questioning of belonging led to the A-ha moment behind FLIK.
• How Flik matched 1400 women in apprenticeship in 48 countries in the year of launching and continues to expand, globally.
• How Michelle continues to work through the imposter complex, the idea of failure, and other fears that have emerged along her journey.
• The top barriers that Michelle sees that prevent female founders from excelling.
• Michelle’s vision for FLIK and how to get involved whether you’re a female founder, a leader, or a student.
• ...and so much more.

Learn more about Michelle at:

Her personal Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter

FLIK's Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook

FLIK's website: https://weareflik.com

Guest Info:

Michelle and her Co-Founder Ravina officially launched FLIK in January 2020 to merge the gap between female founders looking for helping hands on their businesses and female students looking for career-relevant experiences and mentorship. FLIK’s community members come from over 53 countries around the world and they continue to expand, globally. Since January 2020 Flik has matched over 1800 womxn in apprenticeships and shows no signs of slowing down.

Michelle has spoken at 60+ events on entrepreneurship, womxn empowerment, diversity & inclusion, and breaking traditional barriers via her unconventional career path. She has been honoured as YWCA's Young Woman of Distinction and a Conversationa-LIST GenZ Honoree. She’s a proud alum of NEXT 36, Entrepreneurship Hub University of British Columbia, Startup Edmonton, UNLEASH, and League of Innovators where Michelle serves on the alumni advisory council. At FLIK, Michelle leads marketing/sales, business development, partnerships, events, communications, and media.

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Today on the Women & Courage Podcast, I’m in conversation with one of my dear friends, Brodie Lawson. Brodie’s a host for the Canadian Football League and a lead voice for the content generated from the CFL’s head office which reaches 12 million fans nationwide. Brodie can also be seen on TSN as a contributor to Thursday Night Football and TSN’s horse racing coverage for Racing Night Live. In addition to interviewing players and coaches from across the league, Brodie has also had the opportunity to interview some of the biggest names in entertainment including Keith Urban, Shania Twain, Alessia Cara and OneRepublic.

Knowing the male-dominated industry of sports well, Brodie shares her experience and insights on so many important topics and encourages all women to give themselves the grace to see that the parts of us that we find unattractive, are actually what makes us great. We dive into the importance of being willing to take a leap of faith when fear of failure or inadequacy presents itself. We discuss the power of female representation in leadership positions and the importance of having supportive male mentors, and how we need to revise the definition of mentorship into one that includes more humanity and empathy for others. 

In this episode we discuss:

• That faith and fear cannot coexist and refusing to let fear prevent you from doing what excites you.
• Giving ourselves the grace to see the parts of us that we find unattractive, are actually what makes us great.
• Using your privilege to support and open doors which are inaccessible for others.
• The importance of supportive male mentors and how they played a role in Brodie’s career.
• Redefining mentorship with more humanity and empathy for others.
• What to do when you get negative criticism privately or publicly, and how Brodie navigated through her own experiences in the public eye.
• The courage of using your voice even when it scares you, and so much more.

Learn more about Brodie at: 

Instagram: @brodielawson

Twitter: @BrodieLawson

Guest Info: 

Brodie Lawson is a host for the Canadian Football League and a lead voice for content generated from the CFL’s head office on a weekly basis reaching 12 million fans nationwide. Brodie can also be seen on TSN as a contributor to Thursday Night Football and TSN’s horse racing coverage for Racing Night Live. In addition to interviewing players and coaches from across the league, Brodie has also had the opportunity to interview some of the biggest names in entertainment including Keith Urban, Shania Twain, Alessia Cara and OneRepublic.

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Today on the Women & Courage podcast, we’re in conversation with Gemma Brady, Gemma is an award winning documentary maker and founder of Sister Stories. She has dedicated her life to creating spaces for people to tell important stories, be it on film, in writing or in their community. She believes in the healing power of storytelling and the power of the generous acts of both speaking and offering deep listening.

Gemma created Sister Stories as a means of offering women an opportunity to come together to be seen and heard, experiencing an expansive evening of truth telling, healing and transformation. Grounded in the primal and magical tradition of storytelling, Sister Stories events invite women to deepen their sense of connection to the self and one another, experiencing the simple joy of knowing we are all in it together. What started as a simple women’s circle gathering in London has grown to a thriving, supportive movement with over 50 Sister Stories Facilitators leading gatherings globally.

In This episode we discuss:

• What led Gemma to creating the first ever Sister Story Circle in her living room.
• The healing power of speaking, storytelling, and deep listening (and why we need more listeners in our world).
• Working through society’s narrative of women in the world, and how storytelling and listening to others can support you in feeling safe to create your own narrative, instead.
• How storytelling can connect you to yourself, and to others, and how it can lead to deep healing and transformation.
• How you can get involved and host your own Sister Story circle within your community, and so much more.

Learn more about Gemma at: 

Website: https://www.sisterstories.co/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sisterstoriesuk/

Guest Info: 

Gemma is an award winning documentary maker and founder of Sister Stories. She has dedicated her life to creating spaces for people to tell important stories, be it on film, in writing or in their community. She believes in the healing power of storytelling and the power of the generous acts of both speaking and offering deep listening.

Gemma created Sister Stories as a means of offering women an opportunity to come together to be seen and heard, experiencing an expansive evening of truth telling, healing and transformation. Grounded in the primal and magical tradition of storytelling, Sister Stories events invite women to deepen their sense of connection to the self and one another, experiencing the simple joy of knowing we are all in it together. What started as a simple women’s circle gathering in London has grown to a thriving, supportive movement with over 50 Sister Stories Facilitators leading gatherings globally.

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Today on the Women & Courage podcast, I’m in conversation with Jolinda Johnson, a Women’s Health Coach, Mentor, and Priestess who’s passionate about helping women break up with the good girl and return to the wild as more whole, healthy, and free. Jolinda is a Certified Holistic Health Coach with a specialization in hormone health, a Certified Life Coach, and holds degrees from Columbia University and Pace University in the City of New York.

Her work supports clients to begin living in harmony with their hormones and menstrual cycles, build trust in their bodies and their inner wisdom, and rebuild the spiritual connection they’ve been missing to surrender into what feels good (not just what makes sense). 

In This episode we discuss:

• How nourishment goes deeper than nutrition and fitness, and extends to mind, body, and soul connection as well as a willingness to become aware of your body’s signals for what it truly needs.
• The importance of allowing yourself to play, rest, sleep, and watch Netflix, without feeling guilty and waiting until you feel like you’ve earned it.
• The idea of spiritual nourishment and acknowledging what your soul is craving.
• Approaching life and work with a sense of curiosity and expansion, while relinquishing the need to always be right, and to always have control (cue 2020).
• The power of going into the dark, honouring all emotions and feelings, accepting that life doesn’t have to be all love and light, and allowing everything that shows up in between.
• Why many women struggle to accept and receive pleasure, and why it’s important to begin the practice of receptivity (all the way from the grocery stores to our bedrooms) and how to do so, guilt-free.
• Embracing and getting comfortable in your own body.
• How upholding society's version of the good girl equates to upholding systems of oppression (and why we need more women to break free).
• Showing up and owning your worth, your pleasure, and your power from the boardroom to the bedroom.
• And so much more.

Learn more about Jolinda at:

Website: https://jolindajohnson.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachjolinda/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coachjolinda

Guest Info: 

Jolinda Johnson is a Women’s Health Coach (M.S.Ed., CHHC), Mentor, and Priestess who’s passionate about helping women break up with the good girl and return to the wild: whole, healthy, and free.

As a result of working together, her clients begin living in harmony with their hormones and menstrual cycles, build trust in their bodies and their inner wisdom, and rebuild the spiritual connection they’ve been missing to surrender into what feels good (not just what makes sense).  They then have the courage to move forward and experience vibrant health from a place of wholeness, worthiness, and wellness on their own terms.

She’s originally from Detroit, Michigan but has lived in Barcelona, Spain for the last twelve years. Once upon a time she was married, but is now a single mom to a five-year-old son named Leonard (Lay-o-nard) who was sent to teach her how to live in the present and finally go with the flow. 

She has been featured on the cover of Inspired Coach magazine and was nominated for the Beautiful You Life Coaching Academy CEO Shine Award in 2017.  She is a Certified Holistic Health Coach with a specialization in hormone health, a Certified Life Coach, and holds degrees from Columbia University and Pace University in the City of New York.

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Today on the Women & Courage podcast, we’re in conversation with Norma Rubio, an Emmy-award winning TV Producer, Writer and Meditation and Mindfulness teacher. Through a long-winding journey Norma has landed upon her true calling; sharing the practices of mindfulness, self-compassion and storytelling through tv and teaching meditation. At her core, Norma has always longed to deepen her own experiences and gain freedom through meditation. She evolved into a meditation teacher through her training at UCLA, UCSD, and Mindful Schools. Her greatest intention is to cultivate a safe, authentic environment for others in both her careers. She believes we all have the wisdom inside ourselves to heal and become more at ease in our busy lives. Norma is also the host of the Inner Peace Masterclass series where she interviewed more than a dozen thought leaders on the subject of Inner Peace. 

In This episode we discuss:

• The inspiration and influence that led Norma to becoming a producer in a male-dominated profession.
• The shift that occurred when she became devoted to her meditation and mindfulness practice.
• How meditation supported her in the realization that she was enough, and that she truly belonged.
• How we can train our brains to be more present.
• How our  busy lives and this age of distraction is preventing us from experiencing the lives we are currently living.
• The power of routine and how it can support you in creating your own mindfulness practice (and simple strategies to create one that works for you).
• How happiness can co-exist with grief and suffering.
• And so much more.

Learn more about Norma at:

• Website: www.normarubio.com
• Social Media: @iamnormarubio

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Today on the Women & Courage podcast, I’m in conversation with Emily Cassel, a Soulful Business + Leadership Coach for women entrepreneurs, a podcast host, an international retreat leader, and a champion of women. With a background in Positive Psychology, sustainability, and spirituality, Emily is devoted to helping women launch, grow, & scale the business their soul came here to create while making the impact + income that will change our world.

Driven by the belief that when a woman embraces and expresses her deepest soul calling, becomes a leader of her life and business, and does it in a way that's sustainable, we create a more harmonious future for ourselves, each other, and our world. 

In this conversation, we discuss the difference between masculine and feminine energy as it relates to leadership strengths, and why both are necessary. Emily shares her beliefs around how women have been taught to distrust themselves, their intuition, their voices, and their power. We dive into how women are conditioned to be “good” and “polite” and the impact this can have on our careers or businesses. Emily speaks to the addictive cycle of consuming knowledge in hopes that we will feel “enough” rather than trusting and integrating what we already know (and how this cycle prevents us from taking action.) We dive into our tendency of falling into the “good-enough” scarcity loop and how becoming aware of the pattern is the first step to getting out, and so much more.

In This episode, we discuss

• The difference between masculine and feminine energy as it relates to leadership, and why both are necessary.
• How women have been taught to distrust themselves, their intuition, their voice, and their power.
• How women are conditioned to be “good” and “polite” and the impact this can have on their careers or businesses later on in life.
• The addictive cycle of consuming knowledge in hopes that we will feel “enough” rather than trusting and integrating what we already know (and how this cycle prevents us from taking action.)
• How distrusting ourselves and our knowledge shows up in our careers, businesses and life.
• Falling into the “good-enough” scarcity loop and how becoming aware of the pattern is the first step to getting out.
• How to create more space and time for inspiration and creativity. (Hint, it’s not when it’s convenient, it’s when you are at your best.)
• And so much more.

Learn more about Emily Cassel:

Emily Cassel is a Soulful Business + Leadership Coach for women entrepreneurs, podcast host, international retreat leader, champion of women, and believer that your big crazy dream is totally possible.

With a background in Positive Psychology, sustainability, and spirituality, Emily is devoted to helping you launch, grow, & scale the business your soul came here to create while making the impact + income that changes {y}our world.

Driven by the belief that when a woman embraces and expresses her deepest soul calling, becomes a leader of her life and business, and does it in a way that's sustainable, we create a more harmonious future for ourselves, each other, and our world, Emily gathers & grows both aspiring + established women entrepreneurs through her signature coaching experiences.

She is the creator of The Soulful Business Academy, The Business Alchemy Circle, + The Soulful Leadership Mastermind. 

www.instagram.com/emilycasselofficial

www.emilycassel.com/podcast

www.emilycassel.com/soulful-business-academy 

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Today on the Women & Courage podcast, we’re in conversation with Katee Duarte, CEO and Co-Founder of Duarte Group, Inc, a social media agency which specializes in digital curation, brand cultivation, and community building founded on the principles of integrity, transparency, and trust. Katee has been managing and consulting in social media for the past eight years, with over a decade of professional experience in marketing and communications. She has worked across multiple industries including media & entertainment, academia, tourism, nonprofit, lifestyle and beauty. 

In this conversation, we discuss what Katee saw lacking in her corporate career, and why it was so important for her to create a new style of leadership within her own company, Duarte Group. Katee shares the internal barriers that she witnessed and experienced that prevent women from trusting themselves in their work, leadership, and life. We discuss how women can foster the self-belief to pursue their life’s work, and the constant, daily practice of strengthening your self-confidence so fears don’t prevent you from making the changes you most want to make in your life. Katee shares how to connect with what you feel called to do, (or at the very least, how to determine if what you are doing is not what you are meant to do). She shares how to find more meaning, purpose, and fulfillment in your life (without quitting your day job), the importance of working with a mentor, celebrating your own achievements along your journey, and so much more. Listen in here.

In This episode we talk about:

• What Katee saw lacking in her corporate career, and why it was so important to create a new style of leadership within her own company, Duarte Group.
• The internal barriers that Katee saw and experienced, that prevent women from trusting themselves in their work, businesses, and lives.
• How to foster the self-belief to pursue your life’s work.
• The importance of working with a mentor.
• Celebrating yourself and your accomplishments.
• How to determine what you feel called to do, (or how to determine if what you are doing is not what you feel called to do).
• How to find more meaning, purpose, and fulfillment in your life (without quitting your day job).
• And so much more.

Learn more about Katee and the Duarte Group:

Duarte Group Website

Duarte Group Instagram

Katee’s Instagram

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Today on the Women & Courage podcast, we’re in conversation with Elizabeth Ogabi. She’s a brand, digital, and communications consultant based in London, England and the Founder of For Working Ladies, a platform for entrepreneurial thinking women that teaches women how to start a business, get visibility, reach their full potential, and ultimately, live the life they desire. Liz also has a podcast called “How I Made Happen”, which is an iTunes top 30 UK Business podcast. 

In this conversation, Liz shares why she started her company, For Working Ladies, and why it’s so important for women to have a community of others who can support you and remind you of your own self-worth, during the days when you forget. We discuss how changing your life all starts with having the courage to walk away from situations, people, or jobs that don’t recognize and acknowledge your worth or value. Liz shares how companies can begin to dismantle inequality, in addition to sharing strategies that each of us can implement in our own workplace in order to create a more equal and diverse culture. We discuss her top methods for conquering fears, the negative voices, and the imposter syndrome that hold most women back. Liz talks about why it’s crucial to acknowledge your worth, talk openly about your achievements, and continue asking for the raise, and the ripple effect of courage that can occur when you acknowledge and share your fears with others. Listen in, here.

In this episode we talk about:

• Why Liz started For Working Ladies and why it’s so important for women to have a community of women to lean on who can support you and remind you of your worth and capabilities.
• How changing your life begins with having the courage to walk away from situations, people, or jobs that don’t recognize and acknowledge your worth and value.
• Steps you can individually take to create more equality and diversity in your own organization and workplace culture.
• How fears, negative voices, and the imposter syndrome can hold women back, and how Liz personally works through those fears.
• Why it’s important to acknowledge your worth, talk about your achievements, and continue asking for the raise.
• The ripple effect of courage that can occur when you acknowledge and share your fears with others.
• Being the leader you want to see in the world.
• And so much more

Learn more about Liz and For Working Ladies:

• For Working Ladies Website
• For Working Ladies Instagram
• Elizabeth Ogabi’s Website
• Elizabeth Ogabi’s Instagram
• Elizabeth Ogabi’s Podcast, “How I Made It Happen”

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Alejandra Torres is a multi-passionate entrepreneur driven by her vision of a more compassionate, equitable and sustainable world. She is the Founder and CEO of Musas, a community and academy designed to elevate women in their empowerment and leadership. Alejandra facilitates face-to-face and virtual programs for women leaders who want to transform their lives and transform the world. Alejandra has a podcast called Musas Inspire to carry a broader message so that women and men can understand and balance our female and male leadership. Through her belief that business can be a force for transformation and agents of change, Alejandra is passionate about supporting women leaders and social entrepreneurs to empower themselves from the inside out with her flagship programs Awakening Your Muse, the Online educational platform called Mandala de la Musa and her program for entrepreneurs called Musas Invest. 

In this conversation, we discuss how following society's definition of success ultimately led Alejandra to experiencing a health, career, and marriage crisis, and the deep, transformational journey that followed. We discuss the new style of leadership that’s emerging; one that embraces both the masculine and feminine style of leadership, and is focused on creating a more collaborative, joyful, just, creative, and inspired world. She shares what led to her starting her community of Musas and her passion for investing in young female entrepreneurs which led to her becoming an investor on Shark Tank Columbia. 

In this episode we discuss:

• How following society's definition of success ultimately led Alejandra to experiencing a career, health, and marriage crisis, and the deep, transformational journey that followed.
• The act of surrendering, letting go of perfection, and trusting the wisdom inside of you.
• The value of seeking out a community of like-minded women that believe in you on the days when you don’t believe in yourself.
• The new style of leadership that’s emerging; one that’s focused on creating a more collaborative, joyful, just, creative, and inspired world.
• How our current system of leadership pits women against each other, and ways to create a new dynamic.
• Why embracing the femine style of leadership is needed in today’s world (especially now, more than ever).
• Much, much more.

Learn more about Alejandra and Musas:

Instagram: @alejandra_torres_musas

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/musasacademiacomunidad/

Website: musas.co

Email: musascomunidad@gmail.com

Guest Info: 

Alejandra Torres is a multi-passionate entrepreneur driven by her vision of a more compassionate, equitable and sustainable world. She has taken leadership roles in the reinvention of various organizations, starting with the growth of her family business, Contempo, from a small company to one of the world's leading B corporations, founding the Colombian Sustainable Construction Council and serving on the board of the World Green Building Council. 

After co-founding the Family Business Network in Colombia, Alejandra led the Ministry of Environment's Office of International Affairs, where she garnered unprecedented global support of $ 100 million for the Amazon. She has advised, raised funds, and negotiated environmental conservation projects with the World Bank in Bogotá, The Nature Conservancy, the SDGs, the Green Climate Fund, the Minamata Convention, and various social enterprises. 

Her latest project is Musas, a community and academy designed to elevate women in their empowerment and leadership. Alejandra has been facilitating face-to-face and virtual programs for women leaders who want to transform their lives and transform the world for three years.She has accompanied mentoring processes and masterminds for more than 50 women to transform and be reborn.

Alejandra nurtures a vibrant community to explore these issues, and has a podcast called Musas Inspire to carry a broader message so that women and men can understand and balance our female and male leadership. Through her belief that business can be a force for transformation and agents of change, Alejandra is passionate about supporting women leaders and social entrepreneurs to empower themselves from the inside out with my flagship programs Awakening Your Muse, the Online educational platform called Mandala de la Musa and her program for entrepreneurs called Musas Invest. 

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Today on the Women & Courage podcast, we’re in conversation with Heather Miller; the CEO & Founder of GrasshoppHer. GrasshoppHer is a women’s mentorship app which challenges the traditional silos of mentorship and provides better access to a community of mentors. Its aim is to disrupt the status quo and enable girls and women alike to achieve more, together.

In this conversation, Heather and Sarah discuss the power and importance of female mentors and role models in the workplace, as well as the lightbulb moment that led to the concept of GrasshoppHer. We discuss some of the barriers that prevent women from advancing in the workplace, why it’s crucial that women understand and be in control of their finances, and why it’s so important (especially now, more than ever) that women support women in every industry. Listen in here.

In This episode we Talk about:

• The power and importance of female mentorship and role models
• The difference between mentorship and sponsorship (and why both are important)
• Heather’s #1 fear when she left her traditional career to begin her own company, and how she continues to navigate through those fears every day
• Heather’s bigger vision and the future of GrasshoppHer
• How the imposter complex effects women in the workplace
• The biggest barriers that prevent women from advancing in their work, leadership and life
• Enjoying the journey, trusting the process, and trusting yourself.
• Much, much more.

Learn more about GrasshoppHer:

Website: www.grasshoppher.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grasshoppher/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GrasshoppHer/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GrasshoppHer

Guest Info: 

Heather Miller grew up in Toronto and then in, what seemed like the other side of the world, San Antonio, TX.  She trained at the National Ballet of Canada and the Boston Ballet, before touring with such artists as L.L. Cool J, Shaggy and Biz Markie. After obtaining a degree in History and French from the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from Osgoode Hall Law School, she indulged her love of sets and passion for designing environments with a degree in Interior Design with from Whitehouse School of Design in Sydney, Australia. After working at McKinsey & Company in New York, she has launched a women’s mentorship app called GrasshoppHer, which challenges the traditional silos of mentorship and provides better access to a community of mentors. Heather hopes that GrasshoppHer will disrupt the status quo and enable girls and women alike to achieve more, together.

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Today on the Women & Courage podcast, we’re in conversation with Stephanie Harrison; the Founder and CEO of The New Happy. The New Happy’s mission is to transform the way individuals and society define and pursue happiness, shifting from a focus on the individual to a focus on the collective. 

In this conversation, Stephanie and Sarah discuss the backwards approach society teaches us of equating happiness to success, and why that approach is failing us. Stephanie shares the science-backed philosophy to experiencing true happiness and fulfilment, and how you can apply this concept into your own life. We dive into the importance of having hard conversations with others and hard reckonings with ourselves in order to better our world, and how we - as individuals - can begin making subtle shifts in our lives to experience more happiness through kindness and compassion to others. In addition to thought-provoking prompts, cognitive strategies, and actionable steps, Stephanie shares wisdom that will spark you to take action while living without regret. Listen in here.

In this episode we talk about:

• Stephanie and the New Happy’s mission to transform the way individuals and society define and pursue happiness, shifting from a focus on the individual to a focus on the collective
• The backwards approach society teaches us of equating happiness to success and external achievement, and why that approach is ineffective.
• The importance of having hard conversations with others and hard reckonings with ourselves in order to contribute to the betterment of our world.
• Cognitive strategies that will spark you to take action and live without regret.
• Subtle shifts that will increase your happiness through kindness and compassion for others.
• The one simple question you can ask yourself that can lead to ripple effects of kindness.
• Much, much more..

Learn more about Stephanie and the New Happy:

Website: https://www.thenewhappy.com/

Email: stephanie@thenewhappy.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newhappyco

Guest Info: 

Stephanie Harrison is the Founder and CEO of The New Happy, and an expert in positive psychology and lasting behavioral change. The New Happy’s mission is to transform the way individuals and society define and pursue happiness, shifting from a focus on the individual to a focus on the collective. Most recently, she led Learning at Thrive Global, where she was responsible for creating their behavior change curriculum and leading the development of their learning platform. She has a BA from New York University and a Masters in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she was also an Instructor.

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I’m a firm believer that we’re not all meant to fit the traditional norms that our societies created. Somewhere along the way, we’ve fallen into the trap of defining success, happiness, and our place in the world based on someone else’s definition, rather than our own. In other words, we’ve stopped trusting ourselves to live, lead, and show up, our way. I believe it’s at the intersection of owning our power, living our purpose, and trusting our potential to lead, where incredible things begin to happen. Our companies perform stronger, our communities become safer, and the world becomes a better place.

So each week, I’ll be sitting down with female leaders, creatives, visionaries, and change-makers who continue to challenge the world’s narrative of how a women should live, lead, and show up in the world. These are women who pave their own paths, define success and happiness on their terms, and serve as an example of what’s possible, for the generations of women to come. Learn the tips, tools, and strategies these women use to courageously lead their lives, their way.