In this episode of the VEST Her Podcast, we explore those moments, the ones where you’ve given your time, energy, or ideas and walked away feeling like something was off, even if you couldn’t fully explain why.

In this conversation, we unpack:

•  What extractive practices are and why they’re not always easy to recognize 
•  How they often show up disguised as opportunity, visibility, or collaboration 
•  Why so many of us question ourselves before fully understanding what’s happening 

We explore how extractive dynamics don’t always look the way you’d expect. In many cases, something is being offered (access, inclusion, praise) which is exactly what makes it confusing. These gray areas can make it harder to trust your instincts in the moment.

We also expand beyond the workplace, because these patterns don’t exist in just one area. They show up across:

•  Work and career growth 
•  Community spaces 
•  Personal relationships 
•  Broader systems and expectations 

This episode is a guided conversation designed to help you recognize patterns you may not have had language for before and begin thinking differently about what you carry.

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

In this episode, we sit down with Jacqueline Twillie, author, leadership strategist, and founder of Bend AI, for a candid conversation on negotiation, decision-making, and high-stakes communication, especially for women who have been socialized to be “polite” instead of persistent. Moderated by VEST member Alison Anthony, President and CEO of Tulsa Area United Way, this discussion challenges conventional thinking and offers a more strategic approach to advocating for your value.

Together, they unpack the mindset traps that hold women back from asking for more and the real cost of not doing so. You’ll walk away with practical frameworks you can begin using immediately, whether in your career, business, or everyday conversations.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why preparation, not confidence, is the true driver of better decisions
• How to slow down fast-moving rooms and “set the temperature”
• Three common negotiation pitfalls: self-negotiation, worthiness spirals, and failing to follow up
• The FLOW framework for navigating difficult conversations
• The LATTE framework for preparing, communicating, and evaluating negotiations

A thoughtful, practical conversation on how small shifts in how you prepare and communicate can lead to meaningful financial and career outcomes.

Click here for Show Notes and Guests Bios

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

In this episode, we sit down with Tulsa International Airport CEO, Alexis Higgins, to unpack how a 26‑year journey in one city became a masterclass in influence, trust, and long‑term impact. From a support role to CEO, Alexis shows why deep roots can beat constant motion when you turn visibility, preparation, and relationships into compound career returns.

Alexis pulls back the curtain on airport life as a “city within a city." She breaks down how airlines choose new routes, why landing new airline routes take patience and precision, and more. 

Inside the organization, we explore culture by design, setting goals where none existed, normalizing debate, and anchoring tough decisions on what’s best for the airport. Alexis shares practical leadership tools, “to be clear is to be kind,” practicing hard conversations, and creating transparent development paths so people are ready for opportunities before they officially exist. We also get candid about the job market, layoffs, and longer searches, offering concrete steps for visibility, high‑value networking, and asking for precise help.

We talk women in aviation, the power of hometown leadership, and more.

Alexis’s takeaways are both grounded and energizing, find work that gives you joy, volunteer to reset your mind, and keep your attention on what you can control when the world feels heavy. If you’re hungry for real talk on career strategy, route development, airport operations, mentorship, and culture change, this conversation delivers clear, actionable insight.

Click here for our guest full bio and show notes. 

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

For many of us, that system was religion.

In this episode of the VEST Podcast, Erika sits down with Reverend Lori Walke for an honest, grounded conversation about what happens when faith becomes complicated, especially for women who grew up inside religious institutions that preached love, but practiced control.

What we talk about in this episode

• How women learn “their place” and how to unlearn it
• Separating the message from the messengers
• Deconstruction without losing yourself
• Religious trauma is real and you have permission to leave
• When religion becomes a political weapon
• How women stay engaged without burning out
• Why this matters for women’s careers and economic mobility

Deconstructing harmful spiritual narratives isn’t a side quest. It’s part of building a life where women can earn, lead, rest, belong, and thrive, without shrinking.

For our guest full bio and show notes (including book recommendations) click here. 

At VEST, we’re not afraid to have these conversations because women are whole people. Not just workers. Not just caregivers. Not just resilience machines.

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

In this episode of the VEST Her Podcast, we explore how to reset your relationship with money, redefine what wealth means on your own terms, and build a system that actually supports the life you want. Because wealth isn’t just a number, it’s a reflection of access, freedom, and the ability to move through the world with confidence and choice.

This Episode Is for You If

• You’ve been taught that talking about money is impolite or selfish
• You’ve hit career milestones, but still feel unclear about your financial picture
• You want to set wealth goals this year, but don’t know where to start
• You’re ready to shift from short-term survival to long-term vision
• You want to build wealth in a way that aligns with your values, not someone else’s definition of success

What You’ll Learn

• Why wealth is about more than salary, savings, or status
• How culture, family, and systems shape our beliefs about money
• A 5-step Wealth Inventory to help you get clear on your starting point
• How to set one bold financial goal and the habit that supports it
• Why doing this work in community changes everything

Chapters

1:00 Why Women Need A Different Money Talk

2:12 The Wealth Inventory Framework

4:06 Turn Goals Into Systems

5:27 Why Money Feels Complicated

7:13 History, Exclusion, And The Wealth Gap

8:40 Three Actions And The Power Of Community

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

Moderated by VEST Member Autumn Knutson, CEO of Styled Wealth, the conversation goes deep into the practical side of leadership for women: how to be warm and in charge, how to negotiate effectively, and how to turn discomfort into growth.

“Power is control over valued resources. Status is the regard others choose to give you. If you don’t know the difference, you might be playing the wrong game.” 

— Alison Fragale, Organizational Psychologist & Author of Likeable Badass

For guests full bios and show notes and key takeaways click here. 

Note: In this episode, we mispronounced Knutson, Autumn's last name. The correct pronunciation includes the “K”, it’s K-nutson, not Nutson. We regret the error and appreciate your understanding.

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

In this episode, we take a clear-eyed look at why these lists can be inspiring but also alienating, and why so many brilliant, hardworking women still feel like they’re falling behind.

Then, we shift the focus to a more grounded, sustainable way to measure progress, one that doesn’t rely on headlines, algorithms, or someone else’s definition of success.

We walk through a set of practical, reflective questions to help you define what success really means to you, and explore how chasing visibility without alignment can lead to burnout, distraction, and disconnection from your purpose.

Click here for Show Notes and a simple year-end reflection exercise.

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

In this episode, we slow things down to explore two powerful reflection tools: the VEST Web of Support that helps make hard things doable, and the VEST Legacy Map that surfaces your quiet but meaningful influence.

First, we walk you through mapping the people around you, mentors, peers, partners, and communities. Who asks better questions? Who shows up when it’s hard? Who helps carry the load? This simple but revealing scan helps you recognize gaps, appreciate the support you already have, and see where you're playing that role in someone else’s life too.

Then, we reframe legacy, not as something far off or grand, but as the everyday ways you shift culture, model values, and strengthen systems. From making space for underrepresented voices to normalizing boundaries and improving how work flows, these quiet contributions shape trust and sustainability, even if they never make it onto a resume.

By the end of the episode, you’ll have three simple actions to take.

Click here for our host bio and show notes. 

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

In this episode, we sit down with Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action and author of New York Bestseller Fired Up, to explore a practical framework for aligning what you value, what you're good at, and what truly matters to you. She calls it the fire formula, a tool for any stage of life, from early career to midlife reinvention.

We unpack three common myths that hold women back:

• That you need a single, all-consuming calling
• That happiness is the goal
• That constant busyness means you're succeeding

Shannon also shares her playbook for handling blowback when you start showing up differently, how to decide whose feedback matters, what to hold onto, and how to keep going when the discomfort sets in.

You’ll hear actionable strategies for building aligned community, sustaining momentum, and reclaiming your time and voice. We also get into:

• How to navigate professional risks and resistance
• How to build meaningful relationships in midlife
• How to push back against the systems and narratives shaping our democracy

This is a grounded, honest conversation about courage, clarity, and living on your own terms. If you’re ready to stop waiting for permission, this episode offers the tools and the push to start.

Click here for more Show Notes and Guest Bio. 

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

• Reframing choices through values rather than guilt
• Recognizing the spectrum of burnout rather than viewing it as binary
• Making needs explicit rather than implicit
• Finding connection with peers as the ultimate antidote to isolation. 

We also dive into how these principles apply differently across various seasons of business and life, and the importance of regularly renegotiating your contract with yourself about what matters most.

Ready to extend your emotional runway? Listen now and discover practical strategies to protect your wellbeing while leading through challenging times. 

Your business and the people who depend on you will thank you for it.

Whether you’re running a business or building a career in corporate America, if you’re ready to extend your emotional runway, 🎧 Listen now.

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

At VEST, we recently explored this challenge with our members and uncovered some powerful lessons worth sharing. 

In this episode of the VEST Her Podcast, we’ll walk you through how to evaluate your current workflow, identify blockers, design a system that works for you, and reset with confidence when things go off track.

Why Evaluate Your Workflow

Most of us live on autopilot, answering emails, sitting in meetings, or reacting to client demands. Rarely do we stop to ask: Is this the best use of my time and energy? Through time audits, members discovered surprising patterns about when they feel most focused, what drains them, and how much of their time is lost to tasks that don’t actually move the needle.

What Gets in the Way

The most common culprit? A false sense of urgency. We often mistake busyness for productivity, rushing to put out fires while our real priorities sit untouched. Other blockers include living in our inbox instead of our priorities, overcommitting, and the guilt of saying no.

Designing a Better Workflow

Creating a better system isn’t about rigid control, it’s about clarity. A few simple strategies can help:

• Time blocking: Schedule focused work, admin, and rest.
• Priority buckets: Sort tasks into must do today, can wait, can let go.
• Non-negotiables: Protect what fuels you, family time, exercise, quiet moments.

When members applied these approaches, they found they could finally protect what matters most and reclaim a sense of purpose in their work.

At VEST, we believe your workflow should work for you, not the other way around.

Tools and resources we discussed

Time Tracking Evaluation

Workflow Resetting Checklist

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

Join us as we dive into the science behind these patterns, exploring how perfectionism correlates with anxiety and depression, while people-pleasing gradually erodes our boundaries until we're running on empty. The most illuminating moments come when our team shares their personal struggles with these tendencies, from the pressure to be "supermoms" and "super workers" to the fear of what might happen if they stop doing so much.

We discuss what rest actually looks like in different seasons of life. For those with young children, it might be just an hour to choose what you do yourself rather than responding to others' needs. We share simple but powerful strategies: replacing "should" with "could," taking a pause before automatically saying yes, time-blocking to ensure dedicated rest periods, and perhaps most importantly, getting comfortable asking for help.

We also talked about how perfectionism and growth cannot coexist. When we demand perfection from ourselves, we create an environment where learning and authentic connection become impossible. By reframing rest not as a luxury but as an essential professional skill, we open the door to greater creativity, better decision-making, and sustainable success.

Whether you're a chronic people-pleaser, a perfectionist, or simply feeling the weight of trying to do it all, this episode offers both validation and practical tools to break these patterns. Join our conversation and discover how establishing healthier boundaries can transform not just how you feel, but how effectively you lead.

For the VEST Team full bios, Self-Awareness Exercise and Show notes click here. 

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

For our guest full bio and show notes click here.

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

• Dr. Duran Stanton explains her book "The Lotus Within" focuses on strategic planning, time management, and prioritization
• True confidence comes from showing up prepared, networking effectively, and knowing who to ask for help
• Building confidence is about training like you fight—preparing thoroughly for high-stakes situations
• Silencing your inner critic requires trusting your training and refocusing on the mission when self-doubt arises
• Women of color should see their identities as differentiators rather than trying to assimilate
• Humility and confidence aren't opposites but complementary forces—"like yin and yang"
• When transitioning careers, focus on outcomes achieved rather than titles held
• Recognize toxic environments using the "boiling frog syndrome" metaphor—periodically assess if you're in a harmful situation
• Daily habits like morning journaling, intentional planning, and celebrating wins help build confidence as a muscle
• Handle setbacks by allowing yourself to feel the emotion, then asking what you learned and what you'd do differently

For our guest full bio and show notes click here

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

“Leaders have to be peddlers of hope,”  Niren Chaudhary.

For our guests full bio and show notes click here. 

Drawing on the moving story of his late daughter Aisha—who accomplished extraordinary things in her 18 years despite a terminal illness—Chaudhary shares how profound personal loss reshaped his perspective on life, leadership, and legacy.

From this experience emerged a leadership philosophy anchored in three core values:

• Courage: Focus on what you can control.
• Gratitude: Celebrate life’s gifts, even in hardship.
• Generosity: Lead by serving others.

He introduces a four-step framework for processing loss and leading with resilience:

1. Acceptance
2. Self-forgiveness
3. Self-love
4. Renewed hope through purpose

These principles are not only healing—they’re actionable strategies for leaders navigating uncertainty and change.

Chaudhary also reflects on the challenges of leading multigenerational teams, and building cultures that thrive, by providing:

• Clarity of mission
• Opportunities for personal mastery
• Shared purpose as a multiplier for good

and challenges the false divide between purpose and profit. He shares how leaders can foster a virtuous cycle where values-driven decisions enhance both customer and employee experiences—not through isolated acts of charity, but through integrated, sustainable impact.

 Tune in to discover how courage, gratitude, and generosity can transform your leadership—and your organization. Be sure to share this episode with a friend and don’t forget to leave us a review.

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

This episode is your invitation to do just that.

We explore why naming—and claiming—your strengths is the foundation of long-term career growth, especially in workplaces where women still face double standards and invisible barriers. You’ll hear actionable strategies sourced directly from our community on how to:

• Transform self-awareness into career opportunities
• Control and communicate your professional narrative
• Build a circle of advocates who champion you behind closed doors
• Leverage recognition and compliments as stepping stones to advancement

Plus, we share the mindset shift that turns a simple “thank you” into a bold move toward your next opportunity.

Whether you're pursuing a promotion, navigating a career transition, or simply craving more alignment between your talents and your work, this episode offers both inspiration and practical tools to help you move forward with clarity and confidence.

🎧 Tune in now and take the first step in turning your strengths into real-world opportunities.

✨ Take the 10-Minute Strengths Challenge after listening—and consider joining our community of women who are doing the work to recognize and amplify their brilliance.

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

Moderating this discussion was Monica Barczak, VEST Member and Founder & Principal of Barczak Consulting, where she works with organizations to promote family economic success and well-being. 

Together, they unpacked the hidden burdens placed on women, the systemic challenges that force them into unpaid caregiving roles, and the urgent need for policy reform.

Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

This episode is brought to you by VEST, a peer network for women professionals and investment fund investing in women led companies.

This conversation was part of a more intimate coaching session with VEST Members and has been repurposed to accommodate this episode. If you'd like to learn more about joining our peer community, go to www.vesther.co to learn more.

Women as the Default Safety Net

Dr. Calarco’s book, Holding It Together, sheds light on a troubling reality: when government and workplace policies fall short, women step in to fill the gaps—often at great personal and financial cost. She explained how this phenomenon is not just a result of individual choices but rather a deeply ingrained expectation in American society.

“In the U.S., when someone loses a job, falls ill, or can’t afford childcare, we don’t have a strong safety net to catch them,” she explained. “Instead, we rely on women—mothers, daughters, sisters, friends—to step in. This isn’t just about personal sacrifice; it’s about systemic failure.”

Compared to other countries with more robust social policies, the U.S. offers little in the way of paid parental leave, affordable childcare, or universal healthcare—leaving women disproportionately responsible for caregiving.

For the full show notes go to www.VESTHer.co/podcast 

Guest Bios

Dr. Jessica Calarco is a sociologist and a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She's an award-winning author, and her most recent book is titled Holding it Together: How Women Became America’s Safety Net. She has written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Atlantic, and CNN. She writes the Hidden Curriculum newsletter, and she is also a mom of two young kids.

Monica Barczak, is a VEST Member and Founder and Principal, Barczak Consulting, where she works with organizations to promote family economic success and well-being. Prior to establishing her consulting practice, Monica was Director of Community Health Equity at Ascension, where she designed and implemented strategies to reduce health disparities for low-income uninsured adults in Tulsa, Oklahoma. During her tenure, Monica grew the impact of this portfolio from $5 million a year to $12 million a

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

We’re also sharing key takeaways from a session we hosted for VEST Members, our peer network of women professionals. You’ll learn effective strategies for planning your goals, setting up systems of accountability, and staying motivated. Plus, we guide you through a powerful exercise to help you visualize your future self and see what’s possible when you start applying these tools. Don’t miss this actionable conversation!

Show Notes
VEST Wheel of Life Assessment
How to Build a VEST Vision Board
Mapping Out Goals using the WOOP Framework
VEST Peer Network
Atomic Habits by James Clear

Connect with the VEST Team and Show Hosts
Erika Lucas, Gaby Eichenlaub, Sarah Soetarjo, Jae Johnson

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

For our guest full bio and show notes go to www.vesther.co/podcast 

This episode is brought to you by VEST, a peer network for women professionals and investment fund investing in women led companies building solutions for the care economy and future of work. 

This conversation was part of a more intimate coaching session with VEST Members and has been repurposed to accommodate this episode. If you'd like to learn more about joining our peer community, go to www.vesther.co to learn more. 

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

But how do you build one, and how do you communicate it effectively? Join us as we talk to Rena Cook, founder of Vocal Authority about how VEST Members can communicate with confidence, authenticity, and influence. From activists to CEOs, Rena has guided professionals to harness their voices as a powerful tool for leadership and connection. As a speaker, author, and vocal coach, Rena’s approach blends practical insights with actionable strategies you can start using immediately to elevate your presentations and everyday conversations. 

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

Join us as we talk about how we as a society and company leaders should embrace lead dads and how together we can counteract unhelpful gender norms both at work and at home.

About our Guests

Paul Sullivan is the founder of The Company of Dads, the first platform dedicated to creating a community for Lead Dads. Its mission is to help Lead Dads feel less isolated and more confident that they have made the correct choice to take on the bulk of the parenting and family duties - or at the very least not embrace stereotypes around who does what at home. As a Lead Dad himself, Paul understands intimately the joys, frustrations, isolation and reticence around talking about being a Lead Dad. It’s a role that is growing in numbers but is far from normalized. Before starting The Company of Dads in 2021, Paul wrote the Wealth Matters column in The New York Times for 13 years. He also created the Money Game column in GOLF Magazine. As a journalist for 25 years, his articles also appeared in Fortune, Money, Conde Nast Portfolio, The International Herald Tribune, Barron’s, The Boston Globe, and Food & Wine. From 2000 to 2006, he was a reporter, editor and columnist at the Financial Times. He is the author of two books Clutch: Why Some People Excel Under Pressure and Others Don’t and The Thin Green Line: The Money Secrets of The Super Wealthy. Paul lives in Connecticut, with his wife and their three daughters and three dogs. Connect with Paul on LinkedIn.

Claudia Naím-Burt is the co-founder and COO of Keep Company, a group learning platform that helps employers care for, and keep, the parents and caregivers on their teams. Previously, Claudia was a member of the leadership team at Framebridge, a direct-to-consumer custom framing company, where she led Brand and Communications. As the 10th employee to join the company, she helped scale the business to over 400 employees, retail locations and past $82M in venture funding. After Framebridge, Claudia served as an entrepreneur in residence at NEA, and as a strategic advisor to several high-growth businesses, including Poppy Flowers. Claudia has held marketing and communications roles at American Express and Edelman Public Relations. She holds an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business and a BA with honors from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, Claudia lives in Washington D.C. with her husband and two boys.

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

Together, we'll dive into the psychological implications of these trends, including the "childless cat lady" stereotype and the polarization of women’s roles. We'll discuss how these labels shape our identities, influence societal expectations, and affect mental well-being—and explore strategies for challenging and redefining these narratives.

Ready to rethink how society labels modern women? Join us as we explore the multifaceted identities of women today and the psychological toll of labels like 'soft girl,' 'trad wife,' and 'childless cat lady.' With Dr. Vanessa Scaringi, a licensed psychologist, we uncover how these stereotypes shape societal expectations and contribute to rising mental health issues among Gen Z women. We'll discuss the fear and challenges of embracing multiple identities in a politically polarized world, and why community support is crucial for women redefining their roles.

Curious about the societal judgments women face when they don't fit neatly into one box? We tackle the complexities women encounter in balancing diverse roles, like being a businesswoman and a traditional wife or mother. Using a recent article criticizing a successful woman for her traditional lifestyle as a starting point, we delve into how societal pressures can be both hurtful and limiting.
 

About our Guest

Dr. Vanessa Scaringi is a licensed psychologist in Austin, TX. Vanessa co-owns a group therapy practice called CALM counseling. Vanessa has dedicated much of her career to working in the eating disorder field, currently she offers supervision and consultation to clinicians hoping to specialize in eating disorders. Additionally, she enjoys writing and presenting on topics related to women's health and the therapy field more generally.

Vanessa recently authored a compelling article in TIME discussing the psychological impacts of modern identity trends, such as the "soft girl" and "tradwife" movements. These trends, particularly popular among Gen-Z women, reflect a shift from the "Girlboss" era to more rigid definitions of femininity. Connect with Vanessa on LinkedIn. 

Show Notes

A Side of Freud Newsletter, social commentary and critiques filtered through the lens of a psychologist. By Dr. Vanessa Scaringi. 

Cultish, The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

There Are Moms Way Worse Than You

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

This episode is brought to you by VEST Her Ventures, a peer network and investment fund for women building the infrastructure needed to unlock women's labor participation, career potential, and lifetime earnings. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co.

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Guest Bios

Shalynne Jackson serves as the City of Oklahoma City's first Chief Equity Officer. Prior to joining the City of OKC, Shalynne supported strategic Inclusion and Diversity initiatives for multiple Fortune 500 companies. She has served on various boards and is currently the Membership Chair for the Oklahoma Human Resources State Council (OKHR); serves on Schnake Turnbo Franks’ I&D Advisory Committee; and is on the board of ReMerge - a comprehensive diversion program. Shalynne is recognized as a 2024 Oklahoma Magazine 40 Under 40 honoree, and in 2023, Shalynne was recognized by 405 Business Magazine as a Notable DEI Leader and one of the Metro's most influential leaders. A graduate of The University of Oklahoma, Shalynne holds a Master of Human Relations degree. Additionally, she is a qualified administrator for the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), a cross-cultural assessment of intercultural competence. Most importantly, she is the proud mother of daughter Hollis, 6, and son Liam, 3.

Mikeale Campbell is a proud product of North Tulsa. After graduating from Booker T Washington, he attended the University of Tulsa, majoring in Business and Chinese. Upon graduation, Mikeale moved to Dallas, Texas, to participate in a program called, Teach For America (TFA). Teach For America is a program that takes aspiring leaders and supports them as classroom teachers for a minimum of 2 years. After five years in Texas's classroom and campus support roles, he moved back to the Tulsa area to create and lead TFA Greater Tulsa's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs. During his 4 years with the organization Mikeale impacted the knowledge, skills, and mindsets of over 400 educators in the Tulsa area. Mikeale transitioned to the Williams Companies in November of 2020. Since then, he has immediately jumped in to support Williams in becoming a leader in the D&I space within our community. He is heavily involved in the Tulsa community, serving on several boards, including Tulsa Legacy Charter Schools, Pathways Adult Center, and Tulsa Regional Chamber’s 2023 Inclusion Chair. Mikeale prides himself on being an active volunteer in the community, supporting many womxn lead organizations, STEM

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About our Guest(s)

Kelly Dittmar is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Rutgers University–Camden and Director of Research at the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) at the Eagleton Institute of Politics. She is a published author in the field, co-authoring "A Seat at the Table: Congresswomen’s Perspectives on Why Their Representation Matters" (Oxford University Press, 2018) and authoring "Navigating Gendered Terrain: Stereotypes and Strategy in Political Campaigns" (Temple University Press, 2015). Her work primarily revolves around gender and American political institutions. Dittmar also serves as a co-editor of Politics & Gender, an influential journal in the field. With a background as an American Political Science Association (APSA) Congressional Fellow and experience working for Governor Jennifer Granholm (MI), Dittmar is recognized as an expert in her field, contributing to publications like Forbes Women and serving as a commentator for various media outlets. She holds a B.A. from Aquinas College and earned her Ph.D. from Rutgers University-New Brunswick.

Terra Branson-Thomas, a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, has over a decade of experience in federal Indian policy, government relations, and self-governance. At Clause Law, she leverages her expertise from her tenure as Secretary of the Nation for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, where she increased federal funding by $18 million, boosted grant funding by 40%, and provided strategic economic advice. Her career includes roles in national tribal non-profit management, federal negotiations, and legislative development, with prior experience at the National Congress of American Indians. Terra holds a BA in Native American Studies from Dartmouth College and an MPP from Georgetown University.

This episode is brought to you by VEST Her Ventures, a peer network of women professionals and investment fund for women-led companies building the future of work and care infrastructure needed to unlock women's labor participation, career potential and lifetime earnings. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co

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• Stanford Study on Language Bias in Performance Reviews
• Brotopia: Breaking Up the Boys' Club of Silicon Valley by Emily Chang
• Fair Play by Eve Rodsky
  
  

Guest Bios

Jessica Dietrich is a VEST Member and the Director of Government Relations and Policy for Hunger Free Oklahoma. In her free time you can find Jessica spending time with her Little through Big Brothers Big Sisters, serving as a violinist and board president for Oklahoma Chamber Symphony, and enjoying time at her home in OKC with her spouse and small fleet of pets including dogs, cats, and chickens.

Brad Johnson, PhD, is a Professor of Psychology in the Department of Leadership, Ethics and Law at the United States Naval Academy, and a Faculty Associate in the Graduate School of Education at Johns Hopkins University. A clinical psychologist, Dr. Johnson is a mentoring expert specializing in developing gender-inclusive mentoring cultures for organizations around the globe. Dr. Johnson is the author of numerous publications including 14 books, including: Good Guys: How Men Can Become Better Allies for Women in the Workplace, Athena Rising: How and Why Men Should Mentor Women (both with David Smith), and The Eleme

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Together, we dissect the urgency of empowering women in politics and how recent shifts like the overturning of Roe v. Wade are reshaping perceptions of governance and personal autonomy. Our dialogue traverses the landscape of political engagement, revealing the potency of personal narratives in bridging divides and the transformative impact that comes from stepping into the political arena.

About Guest Speakers

Senator Julia Kirt was elected to the Oklahoma State Senate in 2018 representing District 30 in northwest Oklahoma City. She is an experienced community leader who has led statewide arts and culture nonprofit organizations for 20 years. As a mom of two, Senator Kirt knows first-hand the value of the investments we make in public education and in an economy that provides opportunity for all families. Senator Kirt currently serves as a Co-Chair for the Mental Health Caucus. Her committee work is largely focused on the state’s finances and the rules by which our government operates, which allows her to work for an Oklahoma built on fairness, where each person and community has what they need to thrive.

Representative Melissa Provenzano is a lifelong Tulsa area native, married mom to two and stepmom to two. Elected in 2018 to represent District 79 in Tulsa, she worked as a public school teacher and principal who grew exasperated with cutting her budget every single year until she decided to run. As a legislator, Melissa continues to bring this same commitment and voice, focusing on  common sense education policy and for the needs of families of Tulsa at the state capitol. She currently services as the Assistant Minority Leader for the Democratic Caucus, State Director for Women In Government (National), and co-chair of the Mental Health Caucus.  She was recently named one of Journal Record's 50 Women Making a Difference and is most proud of her work increasing access to diagnostic mammograms, student loan transparency, getting rid of the state grocery tax and separating occupational licensure renewals from tax status.

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Judy Reyes-Henderson COO at Freedom City OKC and owner of Focal Point Consulting & Interim Staffing (FCIS). Judy founded FCIS after having served as the Executive Director for Development at Ronald McDonald House Charities. Prior she served as the Asst. VP for development at Oklahoma City University, the Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at Langston University, the Development M anager for University of Central Oklahoma and the Division Director for the March of Dimes. 
 
Kendra Loper Fundraising Coach with the Veritus Group. Kendra’s professional experience includes serving as the Chief External Relations Officer at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, the Development Director for the Make A Wish Foundation and the Executive Director of Alumni Relations at Southern Nazarene University. Kendra is also a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, using the CliftonStrengths assessment to help organizations build stronger team dynamics, better conversations and increased collaboration.

Monica Ybarra Weedn Attorney at Rosell & Love PLLC. Prior she was the Director of Legal Affairs at TBS, and an Attorney at Phillips Murrah. From bartending to corporate counsel, Monica's ability to extract positive lessons and relationships from each career opportunity provides a strong foundation from which she now draws on to serve her clients in private practice. Monica is on the board of Oklahoma Board of Bar Examiners, OKC Latino Young Professionals and StitchCrew.

Yvita Crider owner of Fox Crider Consulting Group, where she spearheads the Oklahoma Square One Project, a statewide criminal justice initiative. She is also the artist and owner behind Yvita Handcrafted Jewelry. Prior, she was Director of Statewide Engagement for Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform, the Director of Lea

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In this episode VEST Member Jess Kyle, Data Engineer Manager at Underdog Sports, a fully remote company with more than 350 distributed employees, talks to Lynn Greenberg, Founder of Pivt, a platform helping employers reduce turnover and enhance the social well-being of relocated, mobile, and remote workers and their families.

Listen to the conversation, we covered:

00:00:03 Remote Work Trends and Employee Satisfaction

00:19:21 Leveraging Technology for Remote Productivity

00:24:39 Addressing Employee Well-Being and Burnout 

00:34:50 Improving Work-Life Balance Through Company Culture

00:40:20 Shift in Purpose of on-Site Retreats

00:49:16 Remote Work and Gender Disparities

00:55:44 Work Alignment and Personal Boundaries


Pivt is a VEST Her Ventures Portfolio Company.

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So what do we do about it? 

In this episode we talk with Adriene Prentice and Claudia Naim-Burt, founders of Keep Company, a ventured-backed company helping employers reduce burnout and turnover of employees with caregiving responsibilities. Join us as we talk about ways to identify and mitigate burnout, as well as how we can maintain productivity levels without driving ourselves and employees to feel depleted. 

Keep Company is now part of VEST Her Ventures portfolio. 

About Adrienne Prentice 

Adrienne Prentice is the co-founder and CEO of Keep Company, a group learning platform that helps employers care for, and keep, the parents and caregivers on their teams. After a successful career as a technology attorney practicing at top law firms, including Cooley and Pillsbury, Adrienne was recruited to build a global team of attorneys at Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE). While at HPE, Adrienne experienced firsthand the unique challenges of being a working parent and the power of coaching. She then shifted her career to talent management at Hogan Lovells and later became a leadership coach specifically for working parents and caregivers. After supporting countless clients battling loneliness and self-sacrifice, Adrienne leveraged her experience as a mother, coach and community builder as well as her background in talent management to build a solution that not only supports parents & caregivers, but positively influences the systems they live in. Adrienne holds a BS from Cornell University’s School of Industrial & Labor Relations and a JD from American University, Washington College of Law. While not working, she devours non-fiction and keeps company with her husband, two children and silver lab in Bethesda, Maryland.

About Claudia Naim-Burt

Claudia Naím-Burt is the co-founder and COO of Keep Company, a group learning platform that helps employers care for, and keep, the parents and caregivers on their teams. Previously, Claudia was a member of the leadership team at Framebridge, a direct-to-consumer custom framing company, where she led Brand and Communications. As the 10th employee to join the company, she helped scale the business to over 400 employees, retail locations and past $82M in venture funding. After Framebridge, Claudia served as an entrepreneur in residence at NEA, and as a strategic advisor to several high-growth businesses, including Poppy Flowers. Claudia has held marketing and communications roles at American Express and Edelman Public Relations. She holds an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business and a BA with honors from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, Claudia lives in Washington D.C. with her husband and two boys.

Show No

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• Traction, get a grip on your business
• Amanda's Weekly Accountability Sheet
• Goals Toolkit Huberman Lab Podcast

About VEST

VEST is an investment fund and peer network for women. We invest in women-led companies providing solutions that enable employers to build more inclusive workspaces and support women's labor force participation. We also connect and provide executive coaching to women professionals across industries, regions and career levels so that together we can build the future of inclusive workspaces. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

While progress is being made, there's much work ahead. We discuss some ways we can  push for change and the importance of championing athletes who speak out against inequality.

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Get to know Erika Lucas, VEST Founding Member, Gaby Eichenlaub, Operations, Sarah Soetarjo, Member Relations and Kourtney Leigh, Entrepreneur-in-Residence. 

We dive deeper into the mission and vision of VEST, our individual perspectives on the barriers women face in the workplace and share practical tips and strategies for navigating  workplace challenges.

Each month, we'll still have in-depth interviews with experts and thought leaders discussing various barriers women face in the workplace, but now, in between those interviews, you'll start seeing weekly segments where we will dive deeper into the month's topic, address real-world issues, and share inspiring stories and actionable takeaways.

We can't wait to hear from you! Your stories and questions will play a vital role in shaping our discussions.

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Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

In this episode we deconstruct Gen Z's complex relationship with social media and their demand for transparency, accountability, and the value they place on human connection in a digitized world. We also delve into the hot topic of gender inclusivity from a Gen Z perspective, their professional expectations, and strategies to facilitate their career advancement. We also examine Gen Z's brand loyalty, the importance of brand representation, and its impact on their purchasing decisions.

Special thanks to VEST Member Perrin Clore Duncan for moderating the session. 
Bios and show notes for both Nadya and Perrin can be found below. 

This episode is sponsored by Audible ,the leading provider of audiobooks, podcasts, guided wellness programs, theatrical performances and more. They have over 1000 titles for you to choose from, including our Guest’s book - Period Power. Click on this link and get a 30 Day Free Trial plus a free credit to use on Nadya's book!

About Nadya Okamoto

Nadya Okamoto is the co-Founder of August, a lifestyle period brand, author of PERIOD POWER: a Manifesto for the Menstrual Movement, and former Executive Director of the nonprofit PERIOD. Nadya is also a social media creator with over 4m Tiktok followers and host of the podcast, Tigress. A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, Gen Z marketing expert and Harvard College recent graduate. Connect with Nadya on LinkedIn

About Perrin Clore Duncan

Perrin Clore Duncan works at the Arnall Family Foundation, where she focuses on criminal justice reform. Perrin is an advocate for inclusive collaboration as our communities collectively work to improve systemic challenges. Perrin graduated Cum Laude from DePauw University and has a Masters of Fine Arts from the Burren College of Art in Ireland. Her artwork has been shown in galleries nationally and internationally.  Connect with Perrin on LinkedIn 

Show Notes

Welcome to Your Bland New World, Nadya references this article to outline how easy it is to launch a new company in today's world. 

Period Power, A Manifesto for the Menstrual Movement, Nadya's book.

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Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

Join us as we talk to talk to Jill Castilla, President & CEO of Citizens Bank of Edmond. Jill Castilla is a nationally recognized innovator in banking and financial technology. She currently serves on the 12-member Federal Advisory Council for the Federal Reserve Board of Governors representing the 10th Federal Reserve District. Jill is also a Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army, a three-star protocol role. In addition, Jill chairs the SW Graduate School of Banking at SMU, and is on the board of the Community Bankers Association of Oklahoma, and the board of trustees at Hawaii Pacific University .

Check out Jill's full bio and show notes, click here

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If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

We discussed everything from the social determinants impacting women's health to the role providers, employers and individuals play in advocating for women’s health and wellbeing.

Available on Spotify, Apple, Google Podcast and everywhere you get your podcasts. 

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If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

About Jamie Fiore Higgins
Jamie Fiore Higgins worked as a managing director at Goldman Sachs. One of just 8 percent of Goldman employees to earn the managing director title, she was the highest-ranking woman in her department. An active member of the Women’s Network Committee, Fiore Higgins spent her workdays running the trainee and internship programs, recruiting, and managing top equity clients and $96 billion in stock. Living in New Jersey with her husband and four children, she is a trained coach, working with teens to hone their leadership skills, high school, and college graduates as they begin careers, professionals as they navigate the workforce, and those in midlife looking to reinvent themselves. Jamie was named one of the Financial Times “Top 25 Most Influential Women of 2022!” Connect with Jamie on Linkedin 

Show Notes:

The Bully Market by Jamie Fiore Higgins - A “riveting and powerful” insider’s account on Wall Street where greed coupled with misogyny and discrimination enforces a culture of exclusion in the upper echelons of Goldman Sachs.  Click on this link and get a 30 Day Free Trial to Audible plus a free credit to use on Jamie’s Book!

VEST Membership, become a VEST Member and join the conversation.  Apply today!

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

Brought to you by Instrumentl, helping grant professionals scale their fundraising strategy with their single tool for grant prospecting, tracking and management. Get personalized grant recommendations, reminders for upcoming deadlines and conduct all your research in one place. Try it free for 14 days then go to this special link and use VESTHER50 to save $50 off your first month.

Special thanks to VEST Members: 

Carol Herrick, Executive Director at OKC Dodgers Baseball Foundation, formed in 2015 as a not-for-profit corporation, with a mission to support the Oklahoma community through creative partnerships, charitable contributions and programming initiatives. 

Vanessa Morrison, CEO at Open Design Collective, a non-profit organization that brings together underrepresented communities and the design and city planning resources necessary to promote social and spatial change. 

Ahniwake Rose, Policy Director, Public Health Policy and Programs at National Indian Health Board, a non-profit organization, providing a variety of services to tribes, Area Health Boards, Tribal organizations, federal agencies, and private foundations. 

Shannon Cooper, Director of Philanthropic Services at BWF,  a company providing consulting and services across all philanthropic sectors. 

Show Notes:

The Loom, an organization weaving a community of care and belonging so that we can be generous together.

Community Centric Fundraising, a fundraising model that is grounded in equity and social justice.

VEST Membership, become a VEST Member and join the conversation.  Apply today!

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

Join us as we talk to Gender Strategist, former Coca-Cola Executive and the President of YWomen, Jeffery Tobias Halter about the importance of engaging men in the advancement of women in the workplace. 

About Jeffery

Jeffery Tobias Halter is a Consultant, Author, Gender Strategist and the President of YWomen, a strategic consulting company focused on engaging men in women’s leadership advancement. YWomen focuses on driving actionable business plans and strategies to help organizations create Integrated Women’s Leadership Strategies. Jeffery is the former Director of Diversity Strategy for The Coca-Cola Company.

Jeffery is a two-time TEDx speaker and the author multiple books, including his most recent one WHY WOMEN, The Leadership Imperative to Advancing Women and Engaging Men. His clients include IBM, Amazon, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and dozens of other Fortune 500 companies. Jeffery currently is on the Board of Directors Trustees for the Miss America Organization.

Connect with Jefferey on LinkedIn 

Available on Spotify, Apple and Google Podcast.  

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She serves on the board of advisors for Resonance Center for Women and the board of directors for the Khalid Jabara Foundation, Sally’s List, and Gaining Ground Literacy. As a three time cancer survivor, Shagah is passionate about eliminating cancer and serves several organizations on that mission, including sitting on Stephenson Cancer Research Center’s board of advocates and community advisory board.

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If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

Fifty years ago, the idea of women managing their own company would have seemed ambitious at best. Today, more women are choosing entrepreneurship. In fact, there are now more women entrepreneurs than ever before. Why are so many women choosing this path?

According to a recent study women listed desire to pursue their passion as the number one reason to step into the world of entrepreneurship. Financial independence was second, and flexibility third.

In this episode our Chief Operating Officer, Gaby Eichenlaub talks to VEST Members about their leap into entrepreneurship. Listen as Noelle Acosta, Co-Founder and CEO of Noula, a digital health company in the reproductive care space, Arielle Brown, Founder of Bea’s Bayo Skincare, a herbal and probiotic personal care brand for eczema-prone scalp and skin, and Dr. Tabatha Carr, Founder of GoodGirl Chocolate a plant based Chocolate that supports all lifestyles share their journey into entrepreneurship.

For our guest full bio and show notes click here

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If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

In this session we talk to Esther Aguilera, President and CEO of the Latino Corporate Directors Association and VEST Member Beverly Carmichael, Former C-Suite Executive and Board Director at multiple companies including Blue Apron and Viad Corp, about the gaps we still have to overcome, and how we can position ourselves to serve on Corporate Boards so that together we can further advance Diversity in the Board Room.

Support the show

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If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

We can curate our personal brand or let it develop organically.  Intentionally creating our brand is much more powerful than letting the world create one for us. Because having a clear brand helps us position ourselves as an authority in our industry, elevates our credibility, and helps us differentiate ourselves from the competition, so we can advance our careers and have a larger impact. 

In this session we talk to Jill Hughes, Assistant Vice President of Advancement at the University of Oklahoma and former Disney Executive about how we can be intentional in developing our personal brand and the challenges we might experience along the way. 

For Jill's full bio and show notes; go to www.vesther.co/podcast 

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If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

To help us understand why delegating is so hard, we invited Valerie Riley, CEO of LifeSquire, an assistant resource company, offering job placements, outsourced personal & virtual assistants as well as assistant training. Join us as we talk to Valerie about how we can get better at trusting others and ourselves as we grow our companies and learn to let go of control.

Special thanks to VEST Member Jennifer Loren, Executive Director of the Cherokee Film Office for moderating this session. 

For Valerie and Jennifer's full bio and show notes go to www.VESTHer/podcast 

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If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

Join us as we talk to her about how organizations can remain competitive by creating a culture based on shared-responsibility where everyone in the organization has a clear, consistent, common understanding of it — and everyone works together in a deliberate and coordinated effort to cultivate it.

For the transcript and full notes on the show, visit: https://www.vesther.co/podcast

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Join us as we talk to Suany Garcia, author of "The New Latina: 100 Millennials Shaping Our World.” and editor in chief at mitú. For Suanny’s full bio and show notes, go to www.vesther.co/podcast

About Suanny Garcia
Suanny Garcia is the author of "The New Latina: 100 Millennials Shaping Our World.” She is also the editor in chief at mitú. She was born in Cuba, and bred in Miami, where she is currently based. Suanny is known for her ability to connect with women through her writing.  Her work has been featured across media platforms like Popsugar, Byrdie and Refinery29. Suanny was previously a public relations manager. She studied at Hampshire College, in Massachusetts, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree.

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If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

Special thanks to VEST Member Dr. Mautra Jones, President of Oklahoma City Community College for moderating this session. 

This recording was part of a more intimate coaching session with VEST Members and has been repurposed to accommodate this episode.

About VEST
VEST is a private network of women working together to expedite the pipeline of more women in positions of power and influence. 

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

Ahniwake Rose is a VEST Founding Member and the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Policy Institute where she works to advance equitable and fiscally responsible policies in her home state. Prior to this role, Ahniwake served as the Deputy Director of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), a national organization serving the broad interests of tribal governments and communities, where she worked with a diverse coalition of civil and human rights organizations to address economic inequality and systemic injustice. Ahniwake is a Rockwood Leadership Institute Fellow and currently she serves on multiple education and youth related boards. Ahniwake is a mother of two daughters, Waleah and Tahna, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and is of Muscogee (Creek) descent.

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

Join us as we talk to Leslie about imposter syndrome and the systems that help manifest self-doubt in women. Whether or not it is true that having more women in office will help us achieve progress more quickly and what it is like for her to advocate for sound middle of the road policies in one of the most conservative states in the nation.

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Twitter

VEST is a private network of women building power collectively. 

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

In this episode we talk to Robyn Sunday-Allen, Chief Executive Officer of the Oklahoma City Indian Health Clinic about how the lack of women in leadership positions affect women's health and overall policy. We also discuss Native American relations in Oklahoma and why it’s important for women to continue to speak up despite the risk of being penalized for doing so.

VEST is a private network of women building power collectively. 

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

Sevetri has been named a Rising Star on the Forbes Cloud 100 List and her company Resilia was named as one of Venture Beat’s top startups to watch out for in 2019. Sevetri is also a recipient of the Nobel Prize for Public Service, the Jefferson Award. 

Join us as we talk to Sevetri about how we can build resiliency and overcome bias to build a profitable and meaningful companies. 

This recording was part of a more intimate coaching session with VEST Members and has been repurposed to accommodate this episode.

Follow Sevetri on
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VEST is a private network of women building power collectively. 

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

In this episode, VEST Members Liz George, Founding Partner at the Law Office of Liz George and Danae Grace, Shareholder at McAfee & Taft talk about the challenges women still face in the industry and the differences between working for an established firm and running your own practice.

Follow Danae Grace
Danae Grace is a transactional lawyer known for her representation of her clients’ interests in areas such as mergers and acquisitions, contract negotiations, and general corporate matters.  Her primary focus is representing private and public companies in mergers and stock and asset acquisitions and sales of all sizes. Danae’s achievements have earned her inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch and Oklahoma Super Lawyers‘ list of “Oklahoma Rising Stars” for multiple years, which recognizes the state’s top up-and-coming attorney. Danae is the Chair of the Oklahoma Business and Corporate Law Section of the Oklahoma Bar Association.

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Liz is the founder and managing attorney at Liz George & Associates law firm located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Liz received her Juris Doctor from Oklahoma City University School of Law, where she received honors from the National Association of Women Lawyers and the Oklahoma Bar Association.  In addition, Liz holds a bachelor’s degree in vocal music from Cameron University School of Music in Lawton, Oklahoma. Active in both her local community and legal industry, Liz serves as a Board Member for Blanchard Public Schools.  Liz also sits on the Board of Directors for the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) of Oklahoma City.  In addition, she is an active member of the American, Federal, Oklahoma and McClain County Bar Associations. Liz was honored for her service to the community with the Oklahoma County Bar Association Pro Bono Award in June 2016. She was also named a Rising Star by Oklahoma Super Lawyers, 2015 – 2020 and as a Super Lawyer in 2021.  In 2018, Liz was listed in Oklahoma Magazine’s 2018 class of 40 Under 40 honorees. Liz also serves as an adjunct professor teaching Skills Courses in Civil Procedure to first year law students at Oklahoma City University School of Law.

About VEST
VEST is a network of influential women committed to supporting one another through our career journey and building power collectively by working together to expedite the pipeline of women in positions of power. 

We make it easy to gain proximity to other influential women so you can grow your network, be top of mind for opportunities, and learn from the experiences of other women. Our ex

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

Prior to SONIC, Claudia was appointed by Gov. Brad Henry, as the first female and first Hispanic to serve as director of state finance for the state of Oklahoma. It was in this role that she developed a love for understanding where the money comes from, how it's being used to make a difference in people's lives. 

Though Claudia has been the first of many to do things throughout her career, she is making sure she is not the last. As Founding Member of VEST, she now uses her influence to help other women achieve career and economic mobility. 

Join us as we talk to her about her career journey and lessons she had to learn and unlearn along the way. 

This recording was part of a more intimate coaching session with VEST Members and has been repurposed to accommodate this episode.

Follow Claudia San Pedro

About VEST
VEST is a network of influential women committed to supporting one another through our career journey and building power collectively by working together to expedite the pipeline of women in positions of power. 

We make it easy to gain proximity to other influential women so you can grow your network, be top of mind for opportunities, and learn from the experiences of other women. Our extended network use us as a talent bank and trusted pipeline to fill career opportunities, board appointments, investment and public speaking opportunities. 

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

Across her career, Jill has trained and coached over 80,000 executives and high-performing employees in some of the world's top companies and institutions like LinkedIn, Twitter, Square, Adobe, NetApp, Cisco, Stanford Law School, NFL Players Association, Johns Hopkins University, Panasonic, to name a few. Jill has used her method as Head of Speaker Coach for TEDxSanFrancisco to coach speakers for multiple TED and TEDx events. As a speaker, she has delivered more than 300 keynotes in all 50 states and in 25 countries. 

Join us as Jill talks to us about the power of using our voice and stories to ignite movements and seed lasting change in our communities. 

This coaching session was recorded in 2020 as part of a more intimate coaching session with VEST Members and has been repurposed to accommodate this episode.

Contact Jill
Follow Jill

About VEST

VEST is a network of influential women committed to supporting one another through our career journey and building power collectively by working together to expedite the pipeline of women in positions of power.

We make it easy to gain proximity to other influential women so you can grow your network, be top of mind for opportunities, and learn from the experiences of other women. Our extended network use us as a talent bank and trusted pipeline to fill career opportunities, board appointments, investment and public speaking opportunities. 

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

Women have often been put in situations where we've felt we have to be territorial. This has led to a cultural divide and competitive landscape amongst women. 

How do we break up with this notion so we can claim power collectively, in a way that still acknowledges the roots we have and the lessons we need to learn from and with each other?

To coach us through this conversation we invited Farai Chideya. Farai is a prolific author and multimedia journalist whose work has been featured in CNN, Newsweek, NPR and more. She is also the host of her own Podcast, Our Body Politic, where she unapologetically reports how women of color impact today’s major political events and where she has led fruitful and balanced conversations with culture makers, politicians, artists, and leaders.

This session was recorded in August as part of a more intimate coaching session with VEST Members and has been repurposed to accommodate this episode. Special thanks to Mautra Jones, Executive Director of the Langston University Foundation and VEST Member for moderating the session.

Contact or follow Farai on:
LinkedIn
Twitter

About VEST

VEST is a network of influential women committed to supporting one another through our career journey and building power collectively by working together to expedite the pipeline of women in positions of power.

We make it easy to gain proximity to other influential women so you can grow your network, be top of mind for opportunities, and learn from the experiences of other women. Our extended network use us as a talent bank and trusted pipeline to fill career opportunities, board appointments, investment and public speaking opportunities. 

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co 

To make things worse, according to Mckinsey, more than half of women who remain in the workplace are experiencing burnout. One in four women are considering downshifting their career or dropping out of the workforce entirely. For working mothers, particularly those with young children, the number is one in three. 

So what do we do about it? 

As public leaders and CEOs take a closer look at policy and infrastructure needs to better support women in the workplace, we reached out to executive coach Jenne Fromm to help us now! How can we self-assess burnout? What questions should we be asking and what can we do to get back to being the best version of ourselves. 

This session was recorded in May as part of a more intimate coaching session with VEST Members and has been repurposed to accommodate this episode.  Enjoy!

Contact Jenne Fromm

About VEST
VEST is a network of influential women committed to supporting one another through our career journey and building power collectively by working together to expedite the pipeline of women in positions of power. 

We make it easy to gain proximity to other influential women so you can grow your network, be top of mind for opportunities, and learn from the experiences of other women. Our extended network use us as a talent bank and trusted pipeline to fill career opportunities, board appointments, investment and public speaking opportunities. 

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co