The Curious Middle – Details, episodes & analysis

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

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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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Lydia Fenet undoubtedly has a dream job. In her role as managing director and global director of strategic partnerships at the famed auction house Christie's. Lydia’s role combines travel, strategy, art and social impact. In addition to living a life full of art and adventure, Lydia has raised more than half a billion dollars for over 400 non-profits worldwide as the leading benefit auctioneer in the country. In our conversation, Lydia reveals how she has used her work ethic and her unique skills of humor and persuasion to become a leading auctioneer. We also talk about her first book, The Most Powerful Women in The Room is You, where she shares the mindset and day-to-day tactics she used to land her first dream job as an intern. We also talk about the time Matt Damon accidentally called her Lindsey … and how one could possibly navigate that situation?! (With a classic response, of course.) Lydia also discusses one of her favorite events she’s worked on – leading a benefit with Bruce Springsteen at Madison Square Garden in front of an audience of 6,000.  Dream job? Check. Most powerful women in the room? Double check. If you have your heart set on a dream job, Lydia’s entire career path is a roadmap that can be transferred toward any big career goal.

We've all been through heartache and heartbreak, but today's guest on I Want Her Job: The Podcast has made a career of it.   Amy Chan is the Founder of Renew Breakup Bootcamp, a retreat that takes a scientific and spiritual approach to healing the heart. She is also the Editor-in-Chief of JustMyType.ca an online magazine that focuses on the psychology behind love, lust and desire. In our conversation, Amy shares how a painful break up led her to the idea for starting her thriving business focused on love and healing. We discuss how Amy’s research on love dating changed her life and set her on a mission to help others, while running a successful business.    You will love this episode if you are curious about different dating attachment styles, common mistakes, and the single most important thing each of us can do to get on a happier, and more loving path. After listening to Amy’s passion for how love and psychology are connected, it will be obvious why Marie Claire calls Amy, "A relationship expert whose work is like that of a scientific Carrie Bradshaw." Her company has been featured across national media including Good Morning America, Vogue, Glamour, Nightline and the front page of The New York Times. We can’t wait for you to listen and to have Amy back on our show to discuss her upcoming book, Breakup Bootcamp – The Science to Rewiring Your Heart.

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