Women Killing It!

Betsy Atkins, CEO and founder of Baja Corporation, is a 3-time CEO and has served on some of the world's most visible global public boards. Betsy returns to the podcast to talk her latest book, "Be Board Ready: The Secrets of Landing a Board Seat and Being a Great Director." She offers lessons not only for joining a board but also landing your next job, building your network, developing a personal brand, and "cultivating your generosity gene." Betsy gives tips for training yourself like the business Olympian you are.

Recorded back in the spring, this gem of an interview with Sandra-Stella Treibl is full of wisdom and inspiration. She's a publisher, entrepreneur and speaker based in Switzerland who has overcome difficult life experiences and fears to become a role model for us all. She'll convince you that you're worth it and that life and work should be fun.

Angela Hosking is a healthcare executive, the author of a new book Woman On Top: Lead Like a Lady Boss, the founder of Her One Tribe, a speaker and a coach. In 2015, Angela felt a calling to translate her experience in the healthcare industry into a women's leadership/empowerment blog designed to increase confidence, decrease impostor syndrome thinking, share lessons learned "leaning-in" as a woman leader and build a community of empowered women who would in turn empower women. On this episode, she talks about how to embrace what you uniquely bring to the table to find success and shares how she finds that ever-elusive balance.

We're back from sabbatical with a preview of things to come, with this episode on the theme of killing it with ease. In that spirt, episodes will publish monthly for the time being. Dr. Soyona Rafatjah is a board-certified Family Medicine physician and Medical Director and Co-Founder of PrimeHealth in Denver, CO. She shares wisdom on how to care for yourself and be well without giving up your ambition.

Sally hears from former podcast guest Ilyana Kadushin, Episode 65, about what she does to kill it without it killing her, and then goes back to her roots with her very first interview. Oscar-nominated filmmaker and entrepreneur Susannah Ludwig once again shares her wisdom, which Sally didn't truly believe until she heard it from tons more women on this podcast!

Sally announces a new theme for Women Killing It! and asks for your wisdom and questions as we together try to crack the nut: How to kill it with ease and joy.

Heather Dominick is the founder of the Highly Sensitive Entrepreneur Movement and creator of A Course in Business Miracles. 20% of the population are "highly sensitive," but most don't know it. Heather helps highly sensitive people learn how to use their abilities to support them in being purposeful, profitable and empowered as an entrepreneur rather than scattered, poor and undervalued. Stay tuned at the end of the episode for tips on building leadership skills from Alli Young, CEO of The Forem.

Jen Sincero is a #1 NY Times Bestselling Author, success coach, and motivational speaker. She is the author of the life-changing book, You Are A Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life. Jen talks about her new book, You Are A Badass At Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth, and why it is critically important to overcome your self-limiting beliefs about money. Jen will inspire you to take action in the face of fear, get uncomfortable, and find success you didn't think was possible.

Hear how Christyl Johnson is leading the charge of shaping and designing NASA's missions of the future. Christyl talks about forging ahead in the male-dominated world of science and how to move past fear and the impostor syndrome to succeed. The former Executive Director of the White House's National Science and Technology Council and current Deputy Director for Technology and Research Investments at Goddard Space Center, Christyl Johnson has had a fascinating trail-blazing journey to becoming the first African-American Deputy Director at NASA. She started her career as an engineer at NASA and worked her way up, always questioning the notion of impossibility.

Denise Hearn is the co-author of The Myth of Capitalism, a book that explores how monopolies are distorting our economy and amplifying inequality. Denise talks about her fascinating career path, from sex educator to macroeconomic researcher.  Denise shares her passion for staying curious and her tips for how to kill it with ease - a new theme of the podcast and a lesson we all need to learn.

Christine Weber, SVP of OTT Engineering at SlingTV, is the brains behind the tech industry’s first-ever live streaming TV service, helping disrupt the television, tech, and entertainment industries. A 30-year tech veteran and Sling TV’s most senior female executive, Christine leads a team of more than 250. Hear why working in a male dominated field never daunted Christine, how following her passion led to success, and what race car driving taught her: "When it doubt, gas it."  

Brittany Edwards and Khiana Lowe are two women with engineering degrees who know what it feels like to be one of a few and understand the power of representation and support. They are also the co-founders of Incorp[HER]ated, a women-led diversity organization that builds community and cultivates meaningful conversations in the sneaker, fashion, music and tech space. Hear what they're doing to break down barriers in male-dominated industries, and stay tuned after the interview for tips from Alli Young, CEO of The Forem, on using negotiation to elevate your career.  

Sarita Khurana is a film director, producer and educator. Her feature film, A Suitable Girl, world-premiered in the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival Documentary Competition section and won the Best New Documentary Director prize. Amita Khurana acts as a guest host on this special podcast episode -- a family affair.  Listen to get inspired by Sarita's nonlinear path to success and by how she has created a career out of her passion.

Betsy Atkins is a 3-time CEO, a serial entrepreneur & founder of Baja Corporation. She has co-founded enterprise software companies in multiple industries including energy, healthcare and networking. Betsy has sat on more than 60 public and private boards and shares her expertise in her book, “Behind Boardroom Doors: Lessons of a Corporate Director.”  Listen for some good news - the number of women on boards is rapidly rising! And for pearls of wisdom learned over Betsy's long and spectacular career.

April Wimberley is an attorney at Hogan Lovells, a pro-bono prisoners' advocate, and the star of our past episode #19. April recently traveled to Dilley, Texas to volunteer as a legal advocate for detained immigrant women. April recorded her reflections from each day -- from admiring the women's tremendous strength, to witnessing a mother's reunification with her two sons, to the stories of women fleeing both gang violence and domestic violence. Her account inspires us all to put ourselves in the shoes of women at the border and ask, "What if it were me?" Edited by Alicia Barrett. Music credits: Charlie Lewis - “Holdover” Robert Farmer - “I Wonder What the World is Doing Now” Robert Farmer - “We Will Not Be Shipwrecked on a Vain Reality”

Anna Maria Chavez is the former CEO of Girl Scouts USA and current Chief Growth Officer at the National Council on Aging, focused on the right to live and age well. She has been named one of Fortune’s world’s greatest leaders and honored as one of the most creative people in business by Fast Company. Anna shares how the lessons learned from her upbringing – including handing out flyers for her mother's political campaign -- helped her become the leader she is today.

Alli Young is CEO of The Forem, an organization dedicated to helping women accelerating their careers, getting them further, faster. In this episode, she shares the 5 key skills that help women accelerate. Alli talks about how she took the leap from her tech career, which included 11 years at Google, to being an entrepreneur focused on helping women. “I want women to run the world. I’m excited for our future because I think there’s so much good that we could do.”        

Katrina Majkut is the author of The Adventures and Discoveries of a Feminist Bride and a groundbreaking artist whose embroidery artwork sheds light on the complexity of women's health and shatters taboos.  Learn about why sexist wedding traditions matter to equality at large and how Katrina found her own unique contribution to make to the world.

“Take risk sooner. I think if I had been exposed to seeing people take risk and having that work out successfully -- or probably even more importantly not work out, and they were resilient, and they bounced back, and they found their footing and did something even more successful.” Parinaz Vahabzadeh is formerly the VP of Strategy and Data Labs at Tapestry, the parent company of Coach, Kate Spade, and Stuart Weitzman. Parinaz is currently founding a start-up in the tech enterprise space. Listen and get inspired to take a risk - sooner rather than later!

Elizabeth Wallace and Hana Schank join as two-time guests on the Women Killing It! Podcast to talk about their new book The Ambition Decisions: What Women Know About Work, Family, and the Path to Building a Life. Listen for a reminder that you’re not in it alone with the challenges of navigating family, womanhood, and career -- and for novel insights about the decisions that ambitious women face.

Woohoo! We made it to episode 100! Host Sally Hubbard talks about how Women Killing It! has drastically changed her career and life.  Sally is joined by Eryn Johnson, host of the Living Open podcast, who has been social media marketing for Women Killing It! since the beginning. Sally tells stories about the magical year she has had.  She opens up about how she was super nervous about a panel - even after getting a pep talk from Gloria Steinem herself - and how Sally's guests gave her the courage to do it anyway.   

Candice Hughes is the CEO and founder of Hughes BioPharma Advisors and an award-winning serial entrepreneur. Candice has a PhD in Anatomy and Neurobiology and went back to get her MBA after hearing from venture capitalists that she didn’t have enough business experience -- despite having already led several successful ventures. Candice’s deep first love is getting more innovative technology to patients so they can live better lives. She talks about why she loved studying neuroscience, using science to help people, and her experience being a woman in a male-dominated industry.

RM Harrison is a business strategist for women entrepreneurs and the author of the book The Pivot Map, which guides readers through essential shifts to help them achieve long-lasting success. RM specializes in helping women entrepreneurs and other business owners on the verge of professional burnout get re-engaged and reinvigorated. Listen to this episode to get inspired to pivot and create a business and career that you love.

Regina Huber, Founder and CEO of Transform Your Performance, shares how she is closing the confidence gap by helping women find confidence and empower themselves. Regina spent 18 years working in business in six different countries. She is now a transformational coach for women, an international speaker with a passion for dance, and the author of Speak Up, Stand Out and Shine: Speak Powerfully in Any Situation. She shares some of her best tools to trick your subconscious into a more confident state and to prepare mentally, physically, and energetically for challenging situations in business and life.

“You have to be true to yourself in order to find who you are and be who you’re supposed to be. And that’s really difficult to do.” Fine art and commercial photographer Tamara Staples has had her work appear in Harper’s Magazine, Time Out NY, New York Times, Men's Journal, O Magazine, New York Magazine and Town and Country to name a few. In this episode, Tamara talks with host Sally Hubbard about how she forged a photography career that ranges from chicken portraits to her current project, Side Effects May Include. Tamara chooses projects that excite and inspire her, and doesn't shy away from challenges or fear. Get inspired by Tamara's story of ignoring the naysayers and reaching the height of her profession!

“I learned at a very young age…that if I didn’t use my voice, if I didn’t raise my hand, if I didn’t speak out for me, I was never going to get anywhere. So I dared to risk.” Angelica has had a fascinating career, starting out as a young girl working at a gas station to becoming the CEO of a Mexican energy company at age 29 and serving on Secretary Clinton’s International Council on Women’s Business Leadership. Today, she is the Founder and CEO of skincare company A Complete, co-chair of Mexico’s Gender Parity Task Force, member of the Private Sector Leadership Advisory Council of UN Women, creator of the Equal Invest gender equity investment fund, and a goal advocate for the UN foundation program Girl Up. Listen to hear Angelica's inspiring story of success and stepping into her own power.  

Jessica Lin is the Co-founder and General Partner of Work-Bench, an enterprise-focused venture fund and community in New York City. Work-Bench is rethinking enterprise VC and working to support more women in tech, building a hub to connect what Jessica calls “our suits and hoodies”— Fortune 500 companies and startups. Women only get 2% of venture funding, so Jessica is passionate about supporting more women founders. On this episode, Jessica shares how learning to embrace what sets her apart and creating community has been critical for her career path.

“Life is about risk in order to gain the reward.” Alicia Tillman is the Chief Marketing Officer of SAP, the global market leader in enterprise software. Reaching the C-Suite in itself is a huge accomplishment when women account for only 18% of C-Suite executives, and Alicia has done it. Alicia speaks to the importance of collaboration and teamwork in creating success for herself and for the companies she has worked for. In fact, she believes that collaboration and other skills that typically come naturally to women are needed in today’s environment for success and better business outcomes. In this episode Alicia also shares advice, including best strategies for prioritization and how to easily get mentors.  

Victoria Fram, Co-founder and Managing Director of VilCap Investments and Allie Burns, Managing Director of Village Capital are funding and supporting startups that change the world – companies that make a profit and a difference. They’re focusing on sustainable agriculture and energy, and increasing affordable access to education, financial services, and healthcare to create the world they want to see. 40% of the companies they support were founded or co-founded by women. Victoria and Allie share their career paths and provide pearls of wisdom, including: “Don’t waste your time with people who don’t believe in you.”

“My mother would always say to me the fruit is always out on the limb, and so you may have to stretch yourself a little bit. That’s where you actually get to grow." Tamika Tremaglio, Greater Washington Managing Principal for Deloitte, talks the importance of getting uncomfortable, and why being authentic, grateful, and present are key to success. Sally and Tamika discuss the difference between mentorship and sponsorship and how to create advisory boards or “squads” to help you. Hear about Tamika's inspiring career path and her wisdom learned on her path to success.

Jen Crozier, President of the IBM Foundation and Vice President of IBM Corporate Citizenship, shares the importance of living with intention. In college, Jen planned on becoming a professor of linguistics. But she worked at IBM for a summer gig and fell in love with all the amazing people and the important inventing, building, and designing work they were doing. In this episode, Jen shares why people pleasing is a real derailment to success, the importance of putting energy into bigger, higher-level things, and the best advice one of her mentors gave her.  

Hear why Nilofer Merchant, author of  The Power of Onlyness, believes each of us has the power to reshape the world – and learn how to do it! “Onlyness at its simplest level means that each of us, every single one of us, has a chance to add value to the world… Each of us stands in a spot in the world only you stand in. It's a function of your history and experience, visions and hopes.” Nilofer Merchant is an author and speaker based in Silicon Valley who has personally launched more than 100 products, netting $18 billion in sales, and has held executive positions at everywhere from Fortune 500 companies like Apple and Autodesk to startups. Her latest book, THE POWER OF ONLYNESS: Make Your Wild Ideas Mighty Enough to Dent the World shares her expertise to reveal new ways of connecting our ideas to the world around us. If you build on the unique perspective that only you have and connect with others who share your purpose and passions, you have the power to dent the world.  Listen and get inspired!

This episode is all about big announcements.  First: new year, new look! We've got a complete re-design of the Women Killing It! podcast, thanks to the tremendously talented design team at Kastl.design, Francesca Richer and Astrid Lewis. And the fabulous photo on the podcast cover and several shots on womenkillingit.com and sallyhubbard.com are thanks to photography genius Erin Silber.  Second: for now, we will be moving to a biweekly schedule due to important projects our host Sally is working on. Sally needs your help with one of them, so tune in and see if you can help Sally make an impact! 

Klyn Elsbury is the author of I Am _____: The Untold Story of Success and co-founder of Landmark Makers. Klyn got the idea for her book when she was sitting in her hospital bed struggling with cystic fibrosis. She had lost most of her lung function and as she was laying there, she decided that instead of watching TV she was going to get on LinkedIn and reach out to some amazing people. That led to her book, which is a series of mindsets, events, and stories that anyone can use to hit their next level of success, whatever that means for them. On this inspiring episode, Klyn shares some of the lessons she learned from the people she interviewed and from her own life experiences, including why it's important to go all in in life and that there is advantage in adversity.  

Congressional candidate Lillian Salerno shares how she has spent her career as a small business owner and an advocate for working families, nurses and patients. Lillian wants to have a seat at the table in Congress to demand more transparency in healthcare, fight corporate consolidation, and get the corporate money out of politics. Lillian created life-saving technology during the AIDS epidemic and worked to help alleviate poverty and grow opportunities in rural America as part of the Obama administration. Lillian decided to run for the 32nd Congressional District seat to speak up on behalf of those people and populations in her home state of Texas who don’t have a voice in Washington. Listen and get inspired to bring your Power to the Polls!  

Mallory Kasdan is creator and host of MILK Podcast: Moms I’d Like to Know. "Like MILFs, but not," Mallory explains. Mallory is the author of ELLA, a book about the grooviest six year old since Eloise ruled The Plaza in the 1950’s. Mallory is also a professional voice actor for television and radio, and she writes essays about parenting and has produced arts & culture pieces for public radio. Mallory shares the zig zags of her career path, how connections made when she was at the bottom of the publishing industry hierarchy gave her opportunities later in her career, and the challenges of juggling motherhood and a creative career. Listen and get inspired to fake it until you make it!

Hear how Natali Morris, former NBC news anchor and co-founder of Morris Invest, used creative money management to create financial freedom for her family. Natali’s mission is to empower women to take control of their money and start building real long-term wealth. Natali shares her money ah-ha moment and talks about how you can use the same tools she did to hit your “freedom number,” the amount of money you need to bring in passively each month to be free to give up your day job. As of October 2017, Natali’s family of five has achieved complete financial freedom. Listen to this episode to discover her tips for creative wealth building and taking control of your own life. 

Jillian Wright is co-founder of the Indie Beauty Expo, an event, media, and educational platform that gives independent beauty entrepreneurs the opportunity to launch and grow their businesses. Jillian is a serial entrepreneur who started as a facialist in a small room next to a doctor's office, grew that business into her own spa, launched her own skin care line, and co-founded a high-growth platform that helps other female entrepreneurs get their start. Like many women who juggle work and family, Jillian lacked time for networking and had to figure out how to build a platform for her business. Jillian tells how she overcame lack of confidence and how she learned that what she has to say matters.  

Jill Malek has grown her handprinted nature-inspired wallpaper business to paper the walls of YouTube’s flagship corporate office, Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue, Ritz Carlton Boston, and more. Jill offers advice for women who are scared to take the plunge into entrepreneurship, shares lessons learned in over ten years of having her own business, and her proudest career moments including having her patterns become part of the permanent collection at the Brooklyn Museum.

Kim Z. Dale is a playwright with a master's degree in Information Security. She's also "a writer of eclectic blog posts, practical business documentation, structured congressional testimony, quirky short fiction, and award-winning plays." Kim works as an information security specialist with a focus on data privacy for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. And she's a mom.  On this episode we talk about pursuing our multiple sides rather than just being one thing, why becoming non-essential is a good career move, working in male-dominated fields, and the training that women in tech really need (hint.. women are't the ones who need to be trained).

Kristina Saffran, the co-founder and CEO of Project HEAL, shares how starting her non-profit at age 15 helped her complete her own recovery from Anorexia Nervosa. In the last ten years, Kristina and her co-founder Liana Rosenman have grown Project HEAL to be the leading non-profit organization in the United States delivering prevention, treatment financing, and recovery support for people suffering from eating disorders. Project HEAL has over 40 chapters in the US, Canada, and Australia and continues to grow. Kristina talks about the complexities of eating disorders, which are mental health illnesses. Kristina also talks about the “thin ideal” and how it does a disservice to all women.  

Host Sally Hubbard shares exciting things that have been happening with her career and what's coming next. Her kids join her on this episode and provide wise commentary! Sally also talks about why women should seek recognition and about her realization that her two passions -- antitrust law and helping to make sure women do not leave power on the table -- are totally related.  Sally talks about the trap of never being satisfied as we strive for that next thing. She pauses to be grateful for the journey she has been on, and for all the amazing women who have helped make Women Killing It! what it is today -- including YOU!

Last week women who ran for office were victorious across the country, so we decided to replay our interview with law professor and anti-corruption activist Zephyr Teachout. She shares her experiences running for office, first for New York Governor in the Democratic Primary and then for Congress in New York's 19th District. Although Super PACs funded by billionaires spent millions to target Zephyr, she describes running for office as the most human thing a person can do.  Zephyr explains that politics is about meeting, connecting, and listening to people -- all things that play to women's strengths.   Listen and get inspired to enter politics or to fearlessly take any bold action!

Hear how Christyl Johnson is leading the charge of shaping and designing NASA's missions of the future. Christyl talks about forging ahead in the male-dominated world of science and how to move past fear and the impostor syndrome to succeed. The former Executive Director of the White House's National Science and Technology Council and current Deputy Director for Technology and Research Investments at Goddard Space Center, Christyl Johnson has had a fascinating trail-blazing journey to becoming the first African-American Deputy Director at NASA. She started her career as an engineer at NASA and worked her way up, always questioning the notion of impossibility.

In this episode, hear the story of how Suzanne Todd crafted a long lasting career as an award-winning producer whose movies have grossed more than three billion dollars worldwide. Suzanne talks about forging ahead in the male-dominated world of Hollywood, producing blockbusters like Alice in Wonderland and the Austin Powers trilogy, critics’ favorites like Memento and The Boiler Room, and her latest project, A Bad Moms Christmas -- out in theaters today! 

In this episode, listen to the story of how pioneers Jennifer Jones and Cynthia Hornig took the leap to found Women You Should Know and change the conversation around women. From how to ask for what you want to how to overcome the impostor syndrome, listen for lessons Jennifer and Cynthia learned in their nearly 18-year long partnership and three entrepreneurial endeavors.  Jennifer and Cynthia share that their frustration with how women were being talked to – only about beauty, fashion and kids -- spurred them to open up the conversation to reflect women’s many dimensions. Jennifer and Cynthia also talk about their highly anticipated sister brand, Women You Should Fund, a crowdfunding platform built to help women and women-led teams make their products, projects, and ventures a reality. 

Rachel Meeropol is a Senior Staff Attorney and Associate Director of Legal Training and Education at the Center for Constitutional Rights, where she works on prisoners’ rights, Muslim profiling, criminalization of dissent, and First Amendment issues. Rachel recently argued before the United States Supreme Court, an experience she describes as "terrifying" but that she wants to repeat! Get inspired by Rachel's successes that have had tremendous impact on the lives of many, including prisoners who got to see the sky for the first time in decades due to her work with others to stop the prisoners' solitary confinement.  No matter what your field, learn from Rachel the value of knowing yourself in identifying the role that you are best suited to play.

Claudia Chan is the CEO of S.H.E. Summit and S.H.E. GLOBL and the author of This Is How We Rise, which releases on October 17. S.H.E. Summit is an award-winning global leadership conference, which has made advancing women’s leadership accessible and actionable. S.H.E. GLOBL Media is a purposeful women’s media and education company that empowers women to lead their optimal personal and professional lives so they can become change agents in their own lives and the world.  On this episode, Claudia talks her new book, which provides practical strategies for living your purpose, reaching your potential, and working toward gender equality.  She also shares her own life journey and her belief that every person can life a purposeful and big life.

Jill Richburg is a life coach, acting coach, and lawyer.  Our host Sally Hubbard credits Jill's life coaching for her own career success.  Jill's coaching method is premised on her belief that "In this life, you get what you're willing to be, do, or have." On this episode, she provides simple exercises that help you get in touch with your Will and make things happen in your life.  Jill also talks about her own career path, and even shares the moment she met Barack Obama as a classmate at Harvard Law School.  Listen for advice on how to live your purpose and hear what Jill views as the riskiest career move you could make - it might surprise you! Learn more about Jill's coaching at willbedonelifecoach.com    

Ashley M. Williams is the founder and CEO of RIZZARR, the social media platform built by Millennials, for the Millennial creator. Ashley began her career in high school, hosting television shows for an educational access channel. By college, she worked at NBC News and the BBC, and she won the Student Journalist of the Year Award from the National Association of Black Journalists in 2011. She's also been the host of Nation Now at USA Today network. On this episode, Ashley talks about how she had the confidence to work at major networks at such a young age, how she doesn't let obstacles stand in her way, and the importance of making an impact.  

This week's episode is a bit different.  Host Sally Hubbard and producer Carolyn Duncan sit down to discuss some of the issues brought up by last week's interview of Gretchen Rubin. Gretchen's Four Tendencies personality paradigm indicates that men are "obligers"in equal numbers as women. Essentially, Obligers are people pleasers, most easily meeting expectations placed on them by others. So how is it that the selfless mother who "takes care" is the vaulted feminine archetype while the man who "takes charge" is most valued under stereotypical gender roles?  We take a look at the vastly different external expectations placed on men and women.  And we talk about the challenges of embracing women's unique strengths while acknowledging that the differences within the genders are greater than the differences between them.