In one of the most important and timely conversations on our podcast, Izabella Tabarovsky shares her research in tracing the roots of anti-zionism rhetoric to the Soviet Union. Izabella’s article,  “Zombie Anti-Zionism” for Tablet magazine shares the striking similarities between today's anti-Israel language and Soviet propaganda from the 1960s to the 1980s, revealing a dangerous connection that many are unaware of. Izabella explains how this rhetoric, which demonizes Zionism and Israel, has been meticulously and expertly transmitted to the West and passionately adopted by the global left. 

We discuss Izabella’s process of tracing the origins of anti-zionism to the communist party of the Soviet Union and cover some of the channels, major players, publications and methods that allowed it to infiltrate American society. Izabella’s research shows the explosive growth of this rhetoric after the 1967 Six day Arab-Israeli war.  When Israel won the war, the Soviet Union started to see that there was an Israeli and US alliance, with Zionists firmly aligned with the West against the USSR and its allies. Izabella shares the significant influence of Soviet propaganda, the role of third-world publications, and the geopolitical chess moves that led to the widespread, and highly successful adoption of anti-Zionist rhetoric as a “peace movement”.

Similarly to the discredited and fraudulent Protocols of the Elders of Zion, the anti-zionist rhetoric coming from the modern left, is an echo of Soviet led propaganda that equated zionism with fascism, colonialism, and portrayed zionists as traitors to their homeland. 

If you want to know the historical context of the propaganda around the Israel-Gaza war, and the origins of today’s anti-Israel, anti-zionist movements, do NOT miss this conversation, and please share it with a friend.

 https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/arts-letters/articles/zombie-anti-zionism

(08:26) Why did the Soviets invest such an incredible amount of resources into propaganda

(14:23) More people from the former Soviet Union know about Angela Davis than Americans do

(19:30) Mahmoud M. Abbas and the Soviet Union Connection

(24:21) How Anti zionist language came  from the Soviet Union

(31:51) Today's language is even more radical than we had in the seventies and eighties

Please stop by and say hello to us on Instagram @meantforit.

Visit our website at www.meantforit.com,

and sign up for our newsletter here on substack. or email us directly at contact@meantforit.com  - we do a happy dance  when we get listener emails .

Quotes:

"What we hear on college campuses is not criticism, it's demonization of Zionism in Israel."

"The Soviets invested an incredible amount of resources into this propaganda."

"The Soviets had geopolitical interests in targeting Israel, and in targeting Zionism as an ideology."

"So today, essentially, the dividing line is that Zionists are people who believe that Israel has a right to exist."

"The Soviets completely redefined the word Zionism."

"For us, the United States most certainly was a force for good."

In this episode we discuss all things femtech with Healthcare Law Lawyer, Advisor and Portfolia FemTech Fund Partner Delphine O’Rourke. We get into what FemTech is, why it’s so important for women to invest and support this sector, and how you can help. In case you haven’t noticed, in the past, VCs have overlooked products designed for women primarily because they don’t understand the needs or the market  

When you invest in or support FemTech, your contributions help the market develop innovations that address issues like osteoporosis, menopause, fertility and many more opportunities that will help women live better and longer lives..  According to Market.us, the Global FemTech Market size is projected to surpass around USD 127.1 Billion by 2033! For example, have you ever considered why the dreaded speculum used in annual ob-gyn exams has not been updated since the 1800’s? Neither did we until Delphine mentioned it. 

Whether you're an experienced investor or just curious about how to get started, this episode may cause a paradigm shift in how you think about investing. As a Fund Partner at Portfolia, Delphine is part of a team that decides what start-ups to invest in. We discuss how you can also join a Portfolia fund with a minimum $10k if you are an accredited investor.

if you enjoy this topic, don’t miss our podcast with Portfolia founder and venture capital pioneer, Trish Costello, and our podcast with Ida Tin, the woman who coined the term Femtech!

Want to talk more about this?  Find us on Instagram @meantforit. You can also visit our website at www.meantforit.com, and sign up for our newsletter here or email us. contact@meantforit.com.

Notable Quotes from Delphine:

"We need to move medicine for women out of the 1900’s, 1800’s into modern medicine."

"We make 92% of consumer decisions, 82% of healthcare decisions."

"Shifting the contraceptive burden is highly impactful and that's what we look for."

"We want to make our money work for us and it's just sitting in a checking account. The financial gap, the pay gap, will just continue and compound."

Podcast Chapters:

(03:48) Femtech is where technology intersects with women's health
(07:35) The stark reality of women's health innovation and the need for change

(15:10) The potential of wearable bone technology and its impact on osteoporosis

(18:59) Portfolia invested in a male contraceptive that is reversible

(22:55) Maven's success story and the shifting role of employers in healthcare

(29:29) Why investment education is critical for women

(32:53) Exploring why men haven't invested in women's health historically

(37:35) Every woman will go through menopause unless she dies

(43:03) An accredited investor is someone who is eligible to invest in credit funds

(49:56) We know we have a loneliness crisis in the United States

(53:03) Maven provides women's health remotely through telemedicine

Have you ever wondered what it takes to make a career switch? Or, have you wondered what to do to make that career switch successful – and not a complete disaster? We sat down with a woman who wrote the book on the art of a career transition – literally. Dr. Dawn Graham is author of Switchers: How Smart Professionals Change Careers and Seize Success. She’s also a coach for the Wharton School’s Executive MBA program and host of Career Talk on SiriusXM channel 132. In today’s episode of I Want Her Job The Podcast Dawn answers your top career transition questions. 

Questions discussed include:

Should I go back to school?

How do I pass an interview in a new career track?

How do I know if my job switch is worth it?

Today’s episode shares advice from Dawn that is practical and will help you think through your career switch. And with advanced degrees in counseling psychology, her training allows her to understand the fears, doubts or mistakes that can often block us from making the career switch our souls want us to make.

Clarity comes through action, Dawn tells I Want Her Job The Podcast Co-Founder Polina. Learn how Dawn’s advice can help you test out the new career role you are considering. Then, hear guidance from Dawn about what to do when you get an interview, how to show your dedication for a new role, and more.

To contact the show reach out to: contact@meantforit.com

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Imagine that you are in a room in Silicon Valley. You think of your electrical engineering degree from Stanford, but you also think of the time you immigrated to the United States with only $43 to your name. Everywhere you look there’s men, but you’re a woman. And although setbacks are the norm for females in your industry, you’re proving yourself to be a force in venture capital. After all, you’re on the inside helping Marc Benioff build Salesforce – from the ground up. 

This is the story of Magdalena Yesil. Magdalena and three other extraordinarily strong, ambitious women share their stories in Alpha Girls, the latest book from acclaimed New York Times best-selling author and Pulitzer Prize nominee Julian Guthrie. In Alpha Girls, Julian takes the reader into the rooms where deals, risks and decisions shaped some of Silicon Valley’s biggest industries.

The Alpha Girls story is so damn, jaw-dropping good that there was a bidding war for the film and TV rights that included the likes of Amazon, Universal and Brett Ratner, among others. The winner? Female-founded Welle Entertainment. And, with a TV series on the horizon, we can’t wait to be taken into the girls’ world in a completely new way. But, as always, we recommend you read the book first. It will help you truly savor and dive into the awe-inspiring lives of the Alpha Girls.

In episode 98 of I Want Her Job The Podcast, Host Polina Selyutin talks to Julian about her book. We discuss how the four women featured got on their respective paths and worked their way to becoming “the only” in their venture firms. We also discuss how Alpha Girls has opened a door into venture capital as a path of opportunity for other women. Although it is a highly intense, high-stakes, high-stress and super-competitive space, for those ready and prepared for the challenge, the women known as the Alpha Girls have offered four roadmaps to tremendous success and a chance to shape the future.

Esther Wojcicki is asked about parenting advice – sometimes over 10 times a day! In How to Raise Successful People: Simple Lessons for Radical Results, Esther shares the guiding principles she has used to raise her wildly successful daughters, as well as in her teaching of journalism to students at Palo Alto High School who affectionately call her Woj. Her parenting philosophy can be distilled into a combination of values and practices within an acronym called TRICK, which stands for trust, respect, independence, collaboration and kindness. In her book, Esther drills into each area, explaining why she believes each component to TRICK is critical. She also offers ideas for utilizing her TRICK philosophy with your children, and shares dozens of memorable stories.

There is no doubt the book will be a best seller since Esther has had such tremendous success as a mother and teacher. Each of Esther’s daughters have phenomenal career achievements. Daughter, Susan Wojcicki is the CEO of YouTube; Janet Wojcicki is a professor of pediatrics at University of California, San Francisco; and Anne Wojcicki, is the founder and CEO of genetic testing company 23andMe. At the center of Silicon Valley for her entire career as an influential teacher, Esther also is a dedicated community member. With Google famously beginning its empire in daughter Susan’s garage, Esther has truly been surrounded by the tech revolution.

Hundreds of Esther’s students still keep in touch with her, and as her daughters say in the book’s foreword, they often meet former students who say, “You know, your mom really changed my life. She believed in me.” Esther has been nominated for national awards for her teaching and thousands of students who went through her program often consider the experience life changing – both for the work they did, and for the respect, autonomy and the bar set by Esther.

In addition to sharing her philosophy for raising independent, kind and community-oriented children, Esther’s book feels like a handbook for global citizenship. She firmly believes that kindness, finding ways to help others and the quality of our relationships are at the forefront of a happy life. 

In our conversation, Esther shares how tragedy and other intense difficulties  during her childhood influenced her parenting philosophy. We discuss why using TRICK with children and in schools leads to radical results and learn hands-on tactics for using TRICK in your family. Esther is a brilliant example of the impact one teacher can have, and the joy of living a life of purpose.

When Casey Clark’s national tour of Les Misérables ended after nearly two years, and it was time to find a new job, Casey realized she tired of living the ups and downs that come with professional acting. As she shares in today’s show, professional actors often face long stretches of unemployment – filling in gaps with survival jobs and temping in various roles to pay the bills, sometimes for months, or even years.

One fateful day, Casey went on an interview that she thought was about singing coaching, and ended up being asked to teach speaking voice instead. Casey quickly fell in love with voice coaching and the opportunity to help women amplify their own voices. This session eventually led her to co-found Vital Voice Training.

Around the same time Casey started voice coaching, she read a book called Half the Sky, which left her feeling angry at the depth and enormity of problems facing women in our world. The combination of entering the voice coaching world, and wanting to help women, convinced Casey her mission was to help amplify the voices of women who were helping other women. In the 95th episode of I Want Her Job: The Podcast, Host and Podcast Co-Founder Polina Selyutin discusses with Casey how voice coaching works, tips for improving public speaking skills and much more.

If you enjoy this show, please share it with a friend!

To contact the show reach out to: podcast@iwantherjob.com 

Fran Hauser’s career history makes one thing very clear: She’s a powerhouse. Having served as president of digital for the Style and Entertainment Group at Time Inc., Fran oversaw digital business for PEOPLE, InStyle, Entertainment Weekly and others. She also served in other senior roles at Time Inc., including as general manager of Time Inc. Interactive. And before that worked at AOL as vice president and general manager of AOL Movies and Moviefone.

Now, Fran serves as a startup investor and advisor for companies including HelloGiggles, Meditation Studio and The Wing. Impressively, 18 of the 20 companies in her portfolio are founded by women. Fran’s passion for empowering female businesswomen can also be seen in her volunteer activities. She serves on the board of directors for GlobalGiving; as a special advisor to Girl Be Heard; and as an advisory board member of 92Y Women inPower and Rent the Runway’s Project Entrepreneur.

Last year Fran published a book every modern career woman needs on her bookshelf, The Myth of the Nice Girl. In it, she guides females to believe and understand that it’s possible to me ambitious and likeable; that you can make decisions firmly and collaboratively; and that you can give feedback directly and kindly. In short, it offers advice for getting the career you love, without becoming a person you hate.

 “After years of self-discovery, building a successful career, and paying close attention to what worked – and most importantly – what felt right for me, I ultimately came to see that I didn’t have to sacrifice my values or hide my authentic personality in the name of achieving success,” Fran writes in her book.

In today’s episode of I Want Her Job: The Podcast, Fran joins hosts Polina and Brianne to discuss the disease to please, her model for setting boundaries, strategies for speaking up more in meetings, and the importance of including men in your network. We also discuss ways to add fences around your time, some of her favorite sources for inspiration and exciting trends in the digital landscape. We hope this interview leaves you feeling empowered and emboldened to achieve the career you love, that also allows for you to be the truest version of yourself.

Sharon Coleman is on a mission to bring comfort to those going through cancer treatment. The inspiration for her business came through her own struggle with cancer. She endured extensive treatments when she was diagnosed, and two years later had undergone surgery, radiation and many, many hours of chemotherapy treatments. 

The experience inspired her to create a curated care package gift box business called Lemon and Honey Gifts. Each box is made with love and an understanding of what people going through treatments need and want. If you’ve ever been in the position of not knowing what to do or say when a friend or family member is diagnosed, Sharon’s packages packed with comfort are a place to start.

In today’s episode of I Want Her Job: The Podcast, Sharon shares how she started her business and opened her Shopify store, without any previous technical e-commerce skills, as well as how she learned to navigate the dozens of new issues that would pop up each week. She also shares the resources that helped her start and grow her e-commerce business, which is helpful for anyone looking to launch her own business. Plus, Willow Older, a writer/editor and friend of the I Want Her Job team, joins Polina Selyutin as co-host on this very special show.

Head Rabbi of Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles ( rabbi for a large congregation incuding many stars) is our guest for this episode.  Rabbi Steve Leder, one of the country’s most influential rabbis and the author of 5 life changing books,  joins us to discuss the radicalization and chaos on university campuses. We invited Rabb Leder to discuss his latest book, For You When I am Gone, but first wanted to address the Jew hatred inflaming US universities so we have split our conversation in two parts. In this episode,  Rabbi Leder breaks down the rise of Jew hatred on college campuses, tracing its roots back to a decades-long campaign of indoctrination. There was a very organized and well funded campaign leading to today's moment. 

But, it's not all doom and gloom and there are huge reasons to be optimistic.  Rabbi Leder shares how  peace with Saudi Arabia can transform the world and shift the power away from the regimes choosing to make war and hatred their top priority. If you doubt that is possible, consider Israel’s peace treaty with Jordan, Egypt and normalized relations with the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan. Despite the desperate attempts of Iran to keep the world inflamed with hate and war, we need to unite and stay focused on peace. 

This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking to understand what the f&^(&( is happening across the US.  And remember, in the words of Rabbi Leder, "Peace is an environment in which conflict can be addressed with civility and respect."

Connect with us on Instagram @meantforit and reach out via email at contact@meantforit.com with your thoughts or suggestions for future episodes. Visit www.meantforit.com for more episodes that challenge, inspire, and drive us towards a world where understanding wins over division. If you leave us a review on iTunes, we'll be overjoyed with gratitude!

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Topics Discussed:

(03:22) The origins of campus protests and the 25-year groundwork
(09:15) How economic disparity and victim identity fuel current unrest

(17:40) The hope for peace in the Middle East and its implications
(26:50) Addressing the conflation of Palestinian rights and extremist agendas
(31:10) The importance of fighting for the rational middle ground in society

Notable Quotes:

Today's college anti-Israel protests are "The bearing of fruit of a tree planted 25 years ago."

"This is straight up Jew hatred, and Jew hatred has been inculcated into this community to the degree that hatred subordinates every other value these people claim to live by."

"Peace is an environment in which conflict can be addressed with civility and respect."

"The greatest threat and the greatest enemy to a better life for Palestinians is Hamas and Hezbollah and Iran and Qatar and the Islamic brotherhood."

"The news is not the world. The news is just the collection of stories that will sell the most commercials. It's entertainment."

Advance warning, Lori Gottlieb’s new book, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, is very likely to send you to therapy to deal with issues that may be holding you back. The book combines Lori’s own relationship crisis – a surprise break up, which sends her to a therapist– along with the lives of four of her clients who are also dealing with a range of personal issues. And while each person in her book has their own challenges, from dealing with a terminal cancer diagnosis to pursuing only toxic relationships, Lori emphasizes that we should not minimize our struggles just because we feel they don’t compare. She suggests that we should not apply a hierarchy of pain. While not always immediately life-threatening, when layers of pain are revealed it likely connects to one of the four concerns we all must face at some point – death, isolation, freedom and feeling meaningless.

The way Lori threads together the stories of her clients and herself, will leave you fully absorbed as you turn each page. At times the book feels like a TV series, which shouldn’t come as a surprise considering her career path began in film when she worked as a writer on ER. And now, bringing her career full circle, Eva Longoria recently optioned Maybe You Should Talk To Someone as a television series.

In today’s episode of I Want Her Job: The Podcast it will become evident to you that Lori has found a profession that combines her clinical psychology degree, along with her knack for helping clients. Through her book and her writing, we hope you will find that Lori also can help you! And if you can’t afford a therapist, or find the time to see one, we also discuss with Lori other ways to identify patterns and thoughts that could be holding you back.

For more on Lori Gottlieb, be sure to follow her “Dear Therapist” advice column for The Atlantic. In each piece she shares gripping stories of people dealing with difficult situations to drive home fundamentals of identifying negative patterns, as well as tips for how you can make life changes that stick. She expertly breaks down concepts in a way that can make it much easier to remember and apply her advice to your own life.

To contact the show reach out to: podcast@iwantherjob.com 

As the founder of LinkedIn Reboot and Reboot for Business, Katie Fogarty’s work has helped people transform their LinkedIn profiles, personal brands and career opportunities. And with a background writing for morning TV news, working for a global PR firm and even for a U.S. Senator, Katie’s experience in public relations and journalism has given her a perfect combination of skills to help others summarize their personal stories on their LinkedIn pages. 

In today’s episode of I Want Her Job: The Podcast, Katie shares the benefits of making a LinkedIn profile page that displays the best of what you have to offer and explains why you should give your presence on the social network more attention.

Topics discussed:

• Easy ways to start engaging on LinkedIn
• Ideas to build stronger connections via the platform
• Ways to improve your visibility.
• Three mistakes people make on LinkedIn 
• Future trends on the platform, why LinkedIn is “a conversation” and Katy's favorite tools for running her personal business.

If you enjoy this, please subscribe and share it with a friend!

To contact the show reach out to: podcast@iwantherjob.com 

Christina Ramirez was on an assignment at UC Santa Barbara 13 years ago when she came up with the idea for eco-conscious toothbrushes. Today her Plus Ultra Bamboo Toothbrushes are sold in more than 320 retail stores in 22 states, including Whole Foods and Amazon. She also has her sights set on expanding into other eco-conscious products.

In our conversation Christina shares how wise advice from her stepmom encouraged her to leave a job that had left her feeling miserable for an out-of-the-mold job that would bring her long-term happiness. The wise push, Christina says, gave her the confidence to walk toward her ultimate business dream. But her dream didn’t come without a lot of hard work and tough lessons. We talk about the ups and downs she faced when starting a new business – from flying to China to find manufacturers, to a tough lesson in quality control when her first lot of 5,000 toothbrushes were damaged.

We also talk about all the steps Christina took even before facing the production hurdles to bring her idea for a bamboo toothbrush to life. She had a goal: She wanted to create a product sold at Whole Foods. So, she applied for, and was hired for, a job as a cashier. Then, for 6 years she did everything she could to move up in the company. And although she says she didn’t make enough money to even buy a car, she was happy to be working among like-minded peers while learning about the business. Christina shares how she pitched her idea for bamboo toothbrushes to Whole Foods, and how she got the green light from the company’s buyers on a category call. And then, since she didn’t even have a product yet, she shares the day-and-night hours it took to research, develop and manufacture the product shed dreamed about.

If you’ve ever wanted to build a business, we think you will love Christina’s inspiring story. And we’ve got a good feeling it will give you that boost you need to pursue your very own business dreams. 

Other Topics Discussed: 

• Finding a job that serves your soul
• Manufacturing in foreign countries
• The reality of the time commitment in starting a company
• Outsourcing
• The problem with old school toothbrushes. (In 2018, more than 50 million pounds of toothbrushes ended up in landfills.)

To contact the show reach out to: podcast@iwantherjob.com 

Sign up for our newsletter and find more interviews:  www.iwantherjob.com

Follow us on @iwantherjob

How often have you wondered: Why am I doing this? Why do I want this? Why am I experiencing this?

What if you had the chance to discover your "why" during a yearlong opportunity — before you kicked off your career? That's exactly what Abby Falik has created for individuals during a gap year between high school graduation and college entrance with Global Citizen Year. She is the founder of the organization, which also helps students stretch themselves, learn about new cultures and languages, and also gain priceless experiences and memories. Students of Global Citizen Year stay with host families in Brazil, Ecuador, India and Senegal, and work as apprentices in local organizations.

Abby was once the type of student she hopes to inspire. She was attending college at Stanford when she realized that she was longing for more than the life that a traditional model of education provides. She wanted more out of her education that simply listening to professors in lecture halls. Taking action, Abby left traditional education behind and spent a year in Brazil working and traveling. After coming back to Stanford after this life-changing journey, she noticed she gained confidence and maturity, which she credits as an advantage that altered the course of her life. On this trip Abby had discovered her own "why" and her vision for her lifelong work was born.

But before Abby realized her vision, she worked in a nonprofit — managing, building and creating ideas — and then attended Harvard to obtain an MBA that would help her create Global Citizen Year.

In today's episode, we discuss the exciting trends in education and how our perceptions and expectations of higher education can (and should) change to create better accommodations for how we live. We also learn what inspires Abby's work and why she hopes the model of taking a "bridge year" will soon become the norm for most students in the United States. Then again, maybe we should all consider a bridge year — whether we're entering college or beginning year 15 of our careers.

Beth Comstock is the former vice chair of GE and a corporate director of Nike. Her accomplishments include building GE’s Business Innovations and GE Ventures, as well as overseeing the reinvention of GE Lighting. Prior to her role as vice chair she served as chief marketing officer of the company. And before that she had another dream job as the president of integrated media at NBC Universal, overseeing the company’s digital efforts, including the early formation of Hulu.

While Beth has built an incredible career, she’s also made some tough decisions in the process of doing so. We’re all lucky enough live vicariously through her, with the opportunity to learn more about her journey and the decisions that led her to career success in her new book out today called Imagine It Forward.

In it, Beth shares her story, documenting the ups and downs of working at GE and NBC during a time of tremendous growth. But, Beth will tell you she also wrote this book to help those out in the middle of their career. It’s for those who want to make change happen, but feel they need permission to do so, whether through others or from themselves.

In today’s episode I am joined by I Want Her Job founder Brianne. Together, we talk to Beth about inspiring change, the importance of embracing tension and conflict, how to navigate gatekeepers and more.

We hope you enjoy today’s conversation. You can also visit I Want Her Job dot com for an online version of today’s interview.We rely on word-of-mouth to help our community grow and would love if left a review of our podcast on iTunes and subscribe to future episodes. You can read more interviews on I Want Her Job dot com, where you can also sign up for our newsletter. And if you have ideas for future guests, we’re just an email away.

Have you ever wondered why scandals slide off certain politicians like water? Jessica Tarlov, co-host of Fox News Channel’s The Five, cable’s highest-rated program, actually did her PHD dissertation examining how scandals impact politicians' careers. As the lone, democratic voice on The Five, Jessica shares how she handles the daily debates and how she decides to pick her battles. Given our upcoming elections, Jessica has a lot of thoughts on this topic including the phenomena of teflon Don. Jessica loves her job on The Five and feels fortunate for the opportunity to bring alternative opinions and analysis to the most important news stories. 

Topics Discussed

• (04:10) Political economy professor says none of Trump's scandals have affected his popularity
• (10:32) People reject the direction that the Democratic Party is going
• (19:29) 40% of Americans now identify as an independent
• (21:00) Thoughts on how Fox is covering the Israel war compared to other networks
• (24:49) What's going on on college campuses
• (40:25) What it’s like to work on The Five

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Connect with us on Instagram @meantforit and reach out via email at contact@meantforit.com with your thoughts or suggestions for future episodes. Visit www.meantforit.com for more inspiring stories, and if you leave us a review on iTunes, we'll  do a little dance of joy.

If you're a parent, chances are you know about Dr. Laura Markham. And if you don't, allow us to introduce her and her parenting advice that could be life-changing for you and your family. Dr. Laura is the founding editor of AhaParenting, a blog 130k+ subscribers strong. As a parenting expert she's been interviewed for thousands of articles by publications including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Real Simple, Newsday and Parents magazine. In addition to her blog, she shares critical parenting advice in each of her weekly emails, aimed to help you build stronger and deeper bonds with your children. After all, we are mightily convinced she just may be a modern-day Mary Poppins.

In today's episode Dr. Laura shares her philosophies on raising kids with empathy and connection, as well as ideas for building stronger and more trusting relationships with your children. She walks us through a scenario on how to deal with temper tantrums, tips on managing technology with kids and more. We also discuss how putting in the work now to build loving and trusting relationships can ripple toward the future, creating an output with lasting effects.

Oftentimes the answers we are searching for can be found within us. And this was certainly the case for Sadie Lincoln, the co-founder (along with her husband, Chris) and CEO of Barre3, a bar-based fitness program with more than 130 locations worldwide. Barre3, which is part of a robust $30B dollar fitness industry, is a business that is spiritually aligned with how Sadie desires women to treat their mind, soul and bodies. Barre3's classes encourage its participants to do what feels right for them. Instead of vigorously working to copy instructor-led moves, it's a place that encourages and fosters individuality.

In today's show, Sadie shares with us how her unconventional upbringing in Eugene, Oregon, by a group of four women who were best friends that she affectionately calls her "aunties" shaped her future. She details how this upbringing shaped her path and ultimately, influenced the way she now runs Barre3—tapping into the collective wisdom of her tribe of employees, members, franchisees and her own inner wisdom. In fact, it was this intuition that led her from a great managerial role at 24-Hour Fitness in San Francisco where she worked for a decade learning about the industry from different angles, to a bold move to Portland with the goal of starting a business and finding the community she craved. Other topics discussed include her franchising philosophy and selection of applicants, as well as her managerial practices that help her run such a grand and successful business.

If you enjoy today’s show with the brilliant Sadie, please share with a friend, and please leave a review us on iTunes. As always, if you have ideas for future shows, you can reach us at podcast at iwantherjob.com.

If you love thoughtful conversation and inspiring other women, then today's podcast is for you.

Anne Devereux Mills is the founder of the Parlay House, a salon-style gathering of more than 500 women in the San Francisco Bay Area. Members of the group meet once a month to connect, learn and inspire. Each meeting features a discussion on an interesting topic. The goal of Parlay, Anne says, is to change the framework of reciprocity by putting women in a place to pull fellow women forward, rather than creating a setting where women have a more transaction-like "you help me, I help you" interaction.

Another goal of Anne's is to create a level playing field for all ages and professions saying, "If you talk [to another person] about what you do, you miss the commonalities." At a recent event, she shares that many women opened up about their eating disorders, depression and other big topics. 

Anne also serves as chair of the board of a public company and serves as chief strategy officer of Lantern, a San Francisco-based startup that uses technology to create mental wellness programs that reduce stigma and improve access to lower cost for mental health treatment. She also is the executive producer of The Return, an Emmy-nominated film that focuses on our criminal justice system and the impact of the "Three Strikes" law. And as part of her passion for social justice issues, Anne worked as a key member of the team that helped pass California's Proposition 36, which was a part of California's "Three Strikes" reform.

While she was working toward these accomplishments, Anne built her career while raising two daughters as a single mom in the New York area. Before her current roles, Anne served in C-level positions at various advertising agencies, including BBDO, TBWA\Chiat Day and LLNS, focusing on health care. In episode 53 of I Want Her Job: The Podcast, Editor and Host Polina Selyutin talks to Anne about she of the practices that have led to her success, personal sacrifice, the life-changing events that led her from New York to San Francisco and the inspiration for Parlay House.

Grit, resilience, strong values and a work ethic instilled in her from a young age propelled Jane from her dirt poor Iowa upbringing to an executive role at Microsoft where she was one of the top 10 women at Microsoft at 40.  By 52, Jane had launched three billion-dollar businesses. We discuss Jane’s new book, "Worthy: From Cornfields to Corner Office of Microsoft,"  and the story that led her to a life she never could have imagined.

When a door opened, Jane leapt through it and went all in. When she felt like a fraud, and was flooded with fear and insecurity, she kept going. When she felt like she didn't belong among the upper middle ivy leaguers, she kept going. Jane wants you to know that your background does not define your future. If you find it hard to relate to people who have all the answers, and don’t have major issues they are struggling with, this is the book for you. Jane doesn;t shy away from the uncomforable memories, including her recovery from the bulimia that nearly destroyed her. 

From the Jane's Gottman Institute bio:

"Unwilling to let circumstances, fear or others define her, Jane was penniless and married at 20, earned an MBA at 24, saw the ocean at 25, commuted to South America each week at 31, brought two sons into the world by 35, was a millionaire at 37, and one of the top 10 women at Microsoft at 40.  By 52, Jane had launched three billion-dollar businesses, been VP of the largest merger in the history of the US, forged global alliances, won lots of awards and left a legacy of strong leaders in her wake.

Along the way to the corner office, Jane was hit on, spit on, shot at, yelled at, a zero and a hero. She’s been called a bulldog, a bitch, an idiot and brilliant, all in the same week.

Married to her high school sweetheart, Jane lives in Washington state and works to make a difference, serving on boards including Boys & Girls Clubs, writing, speaking, and consulting. 

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Connect with us on Instagram @meantforit and reach out via email at contact@meantforit.com with your thoughts or suggestions for future episodes. Visit www.meantforit.com for more inspiring stories, and if you leave us a review on iTunes, we'll celebrate with a happy dance!

Favorite Quotes from the Podcast:

"I never look at a no as a no. I always think of it as a not yet."

"I'm no longer afraid to be afraid. And that being afraid means that I am stretching, I am growing, I am trying to do something I've never done before."

"Nobody has the full meal deal. Know what you're good at, embrace that and own it."

"In sharing your secrets and having the courage to share your secrets, that's when you heal."

"Everybody has a secret. And it's the secrets that kill."

"I worked my heine off and I took jobs that required me to travel overseas when my child was one and a half years old and commute."

Happy 4th of July! In honor of the holiday, we are speaking with Erin Loos Cutraro, the founder of She Should Run. Erin founded She Should in 2008, a bi-partisan organization dedicated to increasing the number of women running for political office. if you just decided to run or are just exploring, through an incubator, research, events and campaigns, She Should Run offers community support and many other resources.  We learned so much from this show, and hope you will enjoy it and be inspired to run for an office or encourage someone you know to run for one of the 500,000 elected offices across the US.  As you ll hear on this show, when women run for office, they actually win at the same rate as men!

How do you define success? It’s a question Courtney Martin asked herself and others while writing her book, The New Better Off: Reinventing the American Dream, which attempts to help all of us think about redefining our measures of success. She encourages us to “reject the tired narratives about success” because our motives and lives will change when we shift our focus, instead, to community.

“The New Better Off most succinctly is realizing that our quality of life is more determined by the quality of our relationships than by our own individual achievements as we’ve historically thought about it,” Courtney says. “It’s more about meaning, relationships, community and fulfillment – as opposed to status and stuff.”

The book asks questions many of us have asked ourselves, and it challenges what many of us have come to accept as the status quo. One of our favorite lines in Courtney’s book is: “I don’t want to get a good job, a house with a white picket fence, 2.5 kids and then just go to sleep.” Host Polina Selyutin speaks with Courtney about this desire for meaning, purpose and community in our lives and a fear of where the traditional path can lead us in episode 46 of I Want Her Job: The Podcast.

Other topics of discussion include how the traditional 9-to-5 job structure created in the ‘50’s for those without caretaking responsibilities simply doesn’t work in the world we live in today. (For example, by the year 2020 it’s estimated that half the workforce will be freelance, she cites.) 

We also discuss her decision to put community first by living in a co-housing community in Oakland, Calif., where individuals practice radical hospitality by dining together weekly, sharing homeownership activities and helping one another. And if you aren’t the co-housing type, Courtney shares ideas on how similar principals of community housing can be easily integrated into our lives – from hikes with family and friends to group dinners. After all, Courtney says, the relationships in our lives are the things that make us the happiest.

As a book lover since childhood, Cherilyn Parsons longed to be a part of the literary community. So, she risked her security, job stability and comfort for her dream of starting a world-class book festival in Berkeley, California.

Although there had been a book festival in her home region, the San Francisco Bay Area, more than a decade prior, there wasn’t one when Cherilyn decided to take a chance and begin her efforts. And even though she had no prior experience in event planning or the literary world, she did have one very important skill on her resume – fundraising.

“I had no experience in event planning,” she says. “I did not know the literary world. I had no money to start with. But I thought, hey, let’s do the book festival.”

And so, with a background in nonprofit fundraising, most recently at the Center for Investigative Reporting – Cherilyn thought she could apply her experience to help launch a large-scale book fest. And although it wasn’t easy, she made it happen. Now in its third year, the 2-day Bay Area Book Festival draws more than 50,000 attendees and 300 authors for events and panels spanning 9 city blocks in Berkeley.

In episode 43 of I Want Her Job: The Podcast, Host Polina Selyutin discusses with Cheryl how she took her idea to launch, the ups and downs along her path and the personal sacrifices she made to make her dream come true. Read (and listen) on to learn why book festivals are such powerful forums for connecting authors and book lovers, as well as what it takes to create, fund and manage large-scale public events.

• Setting The Scene: Cherilyn’s love of books began in her childhood. “I always devoured books,” she says, “ … I always wanted to be a part of the book world.”
• Making The Leap: “I had no experience in event planning,” she says. “I did not know the literary world. I had no money to start with. But I thought, hey, let’s do the book festival.”
• Starting From Scratch: While Cherilyn did have a wealth of experience in fundraising for established nonprofits from prior roles, when it came to raising money for a brand new gig, it was “a completely different ball game.” Often asked, “Who else is funding you?” nobody wanted to step up to the plate to be first in line for an event with no track record. “It was really, really difficult and humbling,” she says. “I was used to doing this and raising funds.”
• The Power Of Partnerships: Cherilyn aimed her focus on building partnerships for her first year of her journey. She worked tirelessly to network to gain buy-in from potential partners. To her, a partnership – even without a financial tie – was just as important as funds for the credibility it would help establish for the festival. “I had to build the partnerships in order to have the credibility that showed other people were involved – and believed – in the festival before others would believe in it financially,” she says.
• The First Wins: Through her work, Cherilyn found launch partners in UC Berkeley and the San Francisco Chronicle. “Credibility is essential,” she says. “Everyone looks at who else is involved to know if they should get involved.”
• It Just Takes One: After getting one donor, Cherilyn then leveraged that support to pitch many more donors.
• Facing Fear: When Cherilyn quit her job to pursue her dream of launching a book festival in the Bay Area, she knew her personal credibility – and her future – was on the line. “I made it up as I went along,” she says. “I mean, honestly, there were nights when I was crying on the floor of my little home office, because someone had said ‘no’ to funding and people didn’t trust me.”
• The Power Of Books: Cherilyn feels books are a solitary, sacred and intimate space. At festivals, book lovers and authors have the opportunity to get out of the solitary and join together in discussion. “It’s a very deep communion – a book – between the reader and the writer,” Cherilyn says. “ … There is something really magic about the private experience of reading, and then the public experience of coming together to share this.” She says she loves how festivals contain, “All these people loving books together.”
• Becoming A Leader: Cherilyn’s goal is for the Bay Area Book Festival to become one of the leading book festivals in the world. Because the Bay Area is so innovative and progressive, she wants the book festival to reflect the spirit and innovation of the region. Additionally, she wants it to maintain a strong international focus, saying that it’s important to hear voices from around the world.
• Did You Know: An impressive 70% of book buyers in the United States are women.

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Eugenia Cheng has built a “portfolio career” combining her passions for math, piano and education. Eugenia has a PHD in Pure Mathematics and is a Scientist in Residence at School of the Art Institute in Chicago. As part of her portfolio career, Eugenia also performs as a concert pianist and is a published author of two books about math. Eugenia also works to develop math training materials and curriculum, she does research in math within higher dimensional category theory, and she writes about math for media publications. Eugenia has built her career by finding ways to use her talents and work to help others. Eugenia suggests we build our careers by finding what we are really good at and then finding how to use our talents in the best possible way to contribute to society.

Eugenia has a talent for showing how math relates to our world, and in describing the beautiful and mysterious intersections of math, science and art. We talk with Eugenia on how she got on her path and how playing the piano was her refuge when she was frustrated with the confinements of her school years. Eugenia offers suggestions for encouraging kids to enjoy math ( there is some great advice for those of us who have math phobias), we talk about Eugenia’s latest book, beyond infinity, and Eugenia’s thoughts on how math, science and art are spiritually related. Eugenia stepped away from a conventional tenured academic path to create a career where she could user her strengths and interests. Eugenia's thoughtful and analytical approach to creating a career that allowed her to contribute more to society, applies to those of us trying to find work where we can also use more of our strengths. We think you will love this conversation abut how to combine different interests, including Eugenia’s thoughts on the concept of  infinity, how “drunk cooking” and math are similar and how you can stretch the possibilities within your career.

If you love writing, blogging, photography, creating content — and having control of your future while developing your own business — we think you will enjoy hearing how Lauryn Evarts created her blog and brand, The Skinny Confidential. When Lauryn started blogging 6 years ago, she was broke and miserable working in a bartending job. Today, With six employees, Lauryn is running her own business. 

In today's episode of I Want Her Job: the Podcast, we talk to Lauryn about how she engages with her audience, her mindset for setting goals and dealing with criticism. She also shares how she chipped away every day at the goals she made for her blog. "Every day when I laid my head on the pillow I had built The Skinny Confidential in some small way,” she says. 

Now as a professional blogger, Lauryn shares some practical advice for what it takes. “If you can’t deal with criticism probably being an influencer is not the way to go,” she says. But if you can? Well, we think the upside could be that it's your dream job.

Ida Tin is founder of Clue, the world’s fastest growing period tracking and fertility app. Ida shares why she is so committed to using technology to empower women with more knowledge and control of their bodies and for family planning. Ida is on a mission to help women become more aware and “friendlier with their bodies”. Hear how Ida founded Clue and and about Femtech, an emerging area of technology addressing women’s health. As Ida says “Within Femtech alone there is so much unmet potential. Everywhere we look we see needs that women have that are not being addressed where technology can play a role.” Prior to founding Clue, Ida had a business leading motorcycle tours around the world. Listen to hear how Ida’s background and early interests in women’s health evolved into her role as founder of Clue.

If you have ever dreaded going to work because of a nightmare colleague or manager you are  not alone. Dr. Ramani joins us again to discuss a topic rarely discussed in corporate environments: narcissism in the workplace.

Did you know narcissists are more likely to be found in certain professions and certain high-status jobs within competitive, elitist environments, such as finance, law, media, entertainment, and even certain medical fields. 

From extreme competitiveness to gaslighting, Dr Ramani gives examples and  discusses the subtle tactics narcissistic bosses use to keep talented employees from advancing and creating a 'frozen talent' scenario that keeps high performers stuck in the same roles. Hiding information, stealing ideas, gaslighting, colluding behind your back are all examples of narcissistic behavior at work.

What can you do if you find yourself in a toxic environment? Dr. Ramani has a few suggestions. If you've ever felt alone in your workplace struggles or unsure how to handle a narcissistic colleague or boss, this episode is a must-listen. 

Quotes:

• "Narcissistic bosses absolutely sap people's talent."
• "Workplace bullying is actually not against the law."
• "Me Too was not a women's movement. Me Too was a narcissism movement."
• “It's almost like corporations are almost like cults, right? They have their messaging, they have their programming, they have their leader."

Topics Discussed

• Introduction to the podcast discussion on dealing with narcissism in the corporate workforce.
• Dr. Ramani highlights the industries where narcissistic behavior is prevalent.
• Identifying narcissistic traits in the workplace, such as lack of empathy and secretive communication, gaslighting, colluding.
• Importance of documenting interactions for protection in toxic work environments.
•  Strategies for setting boundaries and handling confrontations with narcissistic individuals.
• Leveraging documentation to address HR concerns and ensure psychological safety in the workplace.
• Encouragement to find allies and mentors within and outside the organization.
• Seeking reality checks from mentors on industry standards and strategic decision-making support.
• Naricssism in other countries
• Why The Devil Wears Prada movie does not reperesent a narcissist 

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In episode 32 of I Want Her Job: The Podcast, we speak with Lauren Collins, staff writer at The New Yorker, and author of When In French: Love In A Second Language. The book, which is a memoir of falling in love, learning a new language and adjusting to a new culture, was recently selected as a “Notable Book of 2016” by The New York Times. And it’s easy to see why.

With plenty of humor and fascinating details on linguistics and French culture, in the book Lauren recounts her journey of learning and adjusting to a life in France. In her interview, she shares the story of the one decision that changed her life. Weeks before her 30th birthday, Lauren decided to shake things up, requesting to work for The New Yorker from London. It was during this fateful trip that, in a decidedly American way, Lauren walked over and introduced herself … to her future husband!

Eventually moving with him to Paris, When In French chronicles the cultural adjustments and clashes of living in a new country. Listen in to hear more about Lauren’s journey, details on her sought-after job at The New Yorker and more.

Felena Hanson was just another woman working from home when she came up with a brilliant idea. While working at home for eight years, she missed having a sense of community and often time struggled to focus. The options in the market at the time, while uber-hip and high tech, were lacking an environment that felt beautiful and clean to her. She realized she was craving a coworking space designed by women, for women, so Felena embarked on creating what she couldn’t find.

And now, five years later, Hera Hub is the first international coworking and shared office space for women (though open to men as well) from Washington, D.C. to Stockholm, Sweden. And although the company specializes in providing inspired spaces for women to work from, the company also hosts training sessions on planning, accounting and other business services – providing continuous support and advice for its members. They also offer an endless supply of coffee and wine! After all, Felena says, in Hera Hub spaces women are truly trying to help one another.

“I wanted to create something that was bigger than myself, and bigger than the city that I’m in,” Felena says. “ … It’s an ecosystem of support, collaboration and community.”

In episode 31 of I Want Her Job: The Podcast, Editor and Host Polina Selyutin speaks with Felena about launching a business, making mistakes and building a community.

Judy Robinett’s story begins in Franklin, Idaho. As a young girl who was bullied during junior high, Judy felt uncomfortable at social events, which she would often arrive late to and leave early from. Until her 40s, she felt shy, awkward, not good enough, not cute enough and not educated enough.

Today, however, Judy’s life paints a different picture. As a well-known and highly respected investor and advisor, she is known as the woman with a titanium Rolodex. If you’re curious about how she made the leap from insecure young woman to confident businesswoman, then you will want to hear episode 30 of I Want Her Job: The Podcast.

In today’s show, Judy shares how an attitude of, “Keep your head down; work hard; and wait your turn,” turned into advice worth tossing. She read Dale Carnegie’s How To Win Friends And Influence People and immediately realized that it was actually those leaving early on Friday to socialize at the golf club were the ones getting ahead at work. After reading this book, she began to make intentional choices in how she interacted with others.

This fresh outlook aids Judy to this day. When she meets someone new, Judy immediately begins looking for ways she can help, which she explains further in her step-by-step approach in her book on networking – How To Be A Power Connector. In today’s episode, Editor and Host Polina Selyutin discusses the art of connection with Judy and tips that can help you develop your own titanium Rolodex.

Imagine wearing a beautiful gold choker with black onyx cabochons on the end. It’s on-trend, stunning … but wait, it’s only $200? And it’s real gold?

Yes. Thanks to a dream of two best friends – Bouchra Ezzahraoui and Sophie Kahn – over a Sunday brunch, exquisite gold jewelry brand AUrate came to life. AUrate, which is “AU” for gold (thanks, chemistry class!) and is pronounced “OR-ate” (because, like an “orator” the brand tells a story), was launched in December 2014. Inspired by Warby Parker, what sets the brand apart is its ability to offer high-quality gold jewelry direct-to-consumer. By cutting out the middleman, the brand can offer customers stunning jewelry at up to 50-to-75% off typical industry prices. As Morocco-raised Bouchra says, “Gold is extremely expensive in the United States.”

The duo, who met while attending graduate school at Princeton in 2009, built AUrate while holding full-time jobs, taking classes in design and hosting pop-up shops on the side. Beyond the hustle, what’s so impressive about Bouchra and Sophie is their deep passion for educating consumers about the differences in gold and other jewelry, saying stores carry, “Fine jewelry or fashion pieces you’d pay a lot for, but are not really made out of fine materials.” One example of that? Fashion jewelry that turns one’s fingers green! Facing this problem themselves, after some digging, research confirmed what they had already known: In retail there was either affordable fashion jewelry or expensive fine jewelry. There was nothing in the middle, and a gap needed to be filled.

Others caught on and quickly agreed. Once the demand took off, the two decided to dive into the company full-throttle. While Sophie focuses on the fashion and design side of the business, Bouchra is drawn to the business side. In episode 24 of I Want Her Job: The Podcast, Editor and Host Polina Selyutin speaks with Bouchra and Sophie about the strategies they used that resulted in 400% annual growth, advice to other entrepreneurs, and combining their individual background in math and finance with design, art and social purpose. Go to www.iwantherjob.com for more show notes and links to topics discussed in the show.

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Meet Therese Huston, author of “How Women Decide: What’s True, What’s Not, and What Strategies Spark the Best Choices.” In her book, Therese shares research that shows women and men are, however, actually equally skilled when it comes to decision making. And, as an expert on the topic of changing the conversation surrounding female decision-makers, 

In this episode, Polina and Therese discuss high-pressure decision making, the gender myth and also some tactical advice that may help you when you’re stuck trying to make your own decisions. And for further reading on the topic, we highly recommend Therese’s Harvard Business Review article that illustrates women don’t always get the fair shake they deserve when it comes to how their decisions are perceived.

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Jessica Jackson Sloan is the youngest-ever elected official in the charming city of Mill Valley, California, located just 14 miles north of San Francisco. In her role as vice mayor of the city where she grew up, Jessica works on local politics. That would be enough of an accomplishment for many to be satisfied, but not Jessica, who has deep life experiences that motivated her to spend her time helping those less fortunate.

As national director of #cut50, a truly bipartisan initiative to end mass incarceration, Jessica works with her colleagues and a team of notable influencers (like Alicia Keys and Richard Branson) to cut the prison population in the United States by half within the next 10 years. The organization works to raise the issue in media and inform others that the issue has become massive – and not only is a huge resource suck in our society, but also one that has the potential for alternative options that would keep our communities safer.

Prior to her dual jobs, Jessica worked on death penalty cases, saying that when serving those on death row, “You see the worst of the worst of the system … Unfortunately the client pays the ultimate price … their life.” It was this background that prompted Jessica to join politics in the first place, as she had a desire to move into policy work to broaden her impact.

In episode 18 of I Want Her Job: The Podcast, we hear about how Jessica’s very personal story led her to law school and then her work on death penalty cases and eventually, at #cut50 and for the city of Mill Valley. Her story is one you’ll want to hear.

TOPICS DISCUSSED IN TODAY'S SHOW:

• On Campaign Fundraising: Despite her experience with nonprofit fundraising, Jessica says that raising money for her campaign felt harder. “You have to sell yourself. If it’s an issue you’re passionate [about] and you’ve already been sold on [it], then it’s kind of easier to sell than to sell yourself, and brag on yourself, and ask close friends and family for money,” she says.
• Taking Action: One issue Jessica felt passionate about that she took action on as an elected official dealt with smoking in multi-family housing. While living in multi-family housing herself, Jessica’s neighbor fell asleep – cigarette in mouth – and burned down the neighboring apartment, as well as half of Jessica’s apartment – including her daughter’s room. Fortunately, she and her daughter were gone at the time. In addition to her personal experience, Jessica pointed out that the complications of smoke for neighbors with conditions like asthma, and the fact that many of these units share central air made smoking a problem. The ordinance is now passed, and tenants of multi-family housing can no longer smoke.
• On Thinking Local: “It feels like sometimes when you’re working on bigger issues on a national or state scale, things take a really long time to get done. On the local level, there’s an immediate return on your investment of energy,” Jessica says.
• Day In The Life: While Jessica attends official meetings on the first and third Monday of each month, she’s called on throughout the week to attend additional meetings, including participation in additional boards she shits on and the democratic party. When not working on city politics, Jessica spends her time leading #cut50 and taking care of her family.
• By The Numbers: The United States has 5 percent of the world’s population, yet it comprises 25 percent of the world’s incarcerated population. The U.S. is jailing people at a rate higher than any country. 
• Cost Versus Return: More than $80 billion is spent on the U.S. justice system in one year. “With that $80 billion a year, you would think that we’re taking individuals and turning out Harvard grads … In fact, the majority of people who get out of the prison system end up back in within five years, with our recidivism rates around 70 to 80 percent,” Jessica says.
• On Cut50: Right now the nonprofit is focused on federal sentencing reform, Jessica says. The nonprofit has worked the past 18 months to call on Congress to pass comprehensive justice reform. Of the 2.2 million incarcerated individuals in the U.S. right now, only about 200,000 are in the federal system. Despite this, Jessica says that Cut50 decided to start at the federal level to send a strong message to states and governors.
• How To Get Involved: Get informed by visiting cut50.org. You also can join more than 1 million other individuals and sign the petition for justice reform on change.org. Also, Jessica advises to start local – look at practices employed by your local Sheriff’s Office and police. Vote for district attorneys and judges that align with reform.
• Hitting Home: Jessica shares her personal story of dealing with incarceration. Her then-husband served more than three years in Georgia, right after her oldest daughter was born. “I saw firsthand how corrupt the system was, how they broke our family by charging excessive amounts for phone calls … the restrictions they put on visitation and whether or not I could bring the baby in … restrictions on even things like writing letters … All of this was because he had a drug problem, and he could have gotten help with rehabilitation, but instead he was incarcerated and never got that treatment he really needed,” she says.
• On Working Bi-Partisan: Running a bi-partisan organization can be tricky. But Jessica tells those on both sides of the aisle, “When it was my husband who was behind bars, and my child who was growing up without their child at home, I didn’t’ care whether it was a Republican who brought my husband home, or if it was a Democrat who brought him home, I just wanted him home.”
• Getting Into Government: Jessica’s advice for women considering jobs in local government is to be brave, have the ability to laugh at yourself, allow yourself to make mistakes and then learn from those moments.
• On The Topic: Podcast editor Polina recommends everyone read Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson to learn more about the issue of incarceration.
• Connect With #cut50: You can show your support by following #cut50 on Facebook and Twitter and by donating here.