Sheryl Lee Ralph Won’t Give Up (And Neither Should You)
Feb 22, 2025
In this episode, Sheryl Lee Ralph joins us to share her inspiring journey to “making it” in her 60s. In a wide-ranging interview, we talk about coping with political anxiety, speaking up for marginalized voices, and staying resilient in tough times. Listeners will walk away inspired by Sheryl’s story – and feeling empowered to write their own story on their terms.
Sheryl Lee Ralph
With an acclaimed career spanning over three decades, SHERYL LEE RALPH has become a staple in the entertainment industry. Getting her start in theatre, Sheryl originated the role of Deena Jones in the legendary Broadway musical Dreamgirls which earned her Best Actress nods for Tony and Drama Desk Awards. In the decades since she has accumulated hundreds of credits on television, on the big screen, and on the stage. And today, you may recognize her as Abbott Elementary’s Ms. Howard, a role that’s earned her a half-dozen award nominations and wins.
Celeste Headlee
Celeste Headlee is a communication and human nature expert, and an award-winning journalist. She is a professional speaker, and also the author of Speaking of Race: Why Everybody Needs to Talk About Racism—and How to Do It, Do Nothing, Heard Mentality, and We Need to Talk. In her twenty-year career in public radio, she has been the executive producer of On Second Thought at Georgia Public Radio, and anchored programs including Tell Me More, Talk of the Nation, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition. She also served as cohost of the national morning news show The Takeaway from PRI and WNYC, and anchored presidential coverage in 2012 for PBS World Channel. Headlee’s TEDx talk sharing ten ways to have a better conversation has over twenty million total views to date. @CelesteHeadlee
Join Oprah Winfrey, Gloria Steinem, and thousands of women around the country this Women’s History Month at the virtual National Conference for Women.
Check out the FREECareer Connections Program from the Conferences for Women for expert tips, connections, and career opportunities at companies that support women.
In this episode, Cyndie Spiegel shares the power of microjoys — her word for little moments of hope and creativity, buried in the day-to-day grind. Cyndie is an expert in positive psychology and community building, and her personal experience with tragedy taught her to focus in on the beauty that might be easy to miss. She’ll teach you how to seek joy… and how to use it not to fix your problems, but work your way through them.
Cyndie Spiegel
Cyndie Spiegel is an inspirational speaker and a true force of nature who rallies audiences to refine their mindsets for good. Her vulnerable self-inquiry, expressive storytelling, and penchant for (not so subtle) language have made her a highly sought-after public speaker. Cyndie is an igniter of powerful conversation about self-exploration, hope and authenticity. She is also the best-selling author of two books: Microjoys: Finding Hope (Especially) When Life Is Not Okay and A Year of Positive Thinking: Daily Inspiration, Wisdom & Courage, which sold nearly 300,000 copies in the United States and has been translated into multiple languages. Her work has been featured in many publications including Entrepreneur, TIME, The Today Show, Forbes, SELF, The Huffington Post and Glamour.
Celeste Headlee
Celeste Headlee is a communication and human nature expert, and an award-winning journalist. She is a professional speaker, and also the author of Speaking of Race: Why Everybody Needs to Talk About Racism—and How to Do It, Do Nothing, Heard Mentality, and We Need to Talk. In her twenty-year career in public radio, she has been the executive producer of On Second Thought at Georgia Public Radio, and anchored programs including Tell Me More, Talk of the Nation, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition. She also served as cohost of the national morning news show The Takeaway from PRI and WNYC, and anchored presidential coverage in 2012 for PBS World Channel. Headlee’s TEDx talk sharing ten ways to have a better conversation has over twenty million total views to date. @CelesteHeadlee
If you’re in California, you can lock in some more uplift at the upcoming February 12th California Conference for Women at the San Jose Convention Center. Learn more and get your ticket now.
Join Oprah Winfrey, Gloria Steinem, and thousands of women around the country this Women’s History Month at the virtual National Conference for Women.
Check out the FREECareer Connections Program from the Conferences for Women for expert tips, connections, and career opportunities at companies that support women.
Start 2025 Inspired And Refreshed | Best of Women Amplified
Dec 23, 2024
We’re off enjoying a break this holiday season — and we hope you’re getting a break, too — but we wanted to make sure you still had something to nourish your heart and mind right now. So, here’s a few episodes we did this year that you might want to revisit:
We’ll see you in 2025 for more amazing episodes and Conferences. If you want to give yourself the gift of inspiration, career development, and growth, visit the Conferences online and make a plan to join us next year — in person in California, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Massachusetts, or virtually at the National Conference.
Kara Stevens
Kara Stevens is the founder of The Frugal Feminista, a thriving personal finance and personal development company committed to helping people heal their relationships with money and themselves. Her relatable financial advice has been featured on Forbes, CNN, Business Insider, Huffington Post, Yahoo Finance, ESSENCE, Women’s Day Magazine, The Washington Post, and other nationally recognized media outlets. She is also the author of heal your relationship with money, The Happy Finances Challenge, and Unmasking the Strong Black Woman.
Lisa Hellmann
Lisa Hellmann is a global Human Resources leader with extensive experience building people strategies in fast-growing medical technology, biotechnology, and healthcare environments. From 2017 to 2023, Lisa led significant Human Resource advances for Hologic Inc., a global medical technology provider focused on women’s health and medical devices. Lisa is a devoted leader in community organizations (The California Conference for Women and the City Heights Preparatory High School) where she serves as a member of the Board of Directors.
Pooja Lakshmin
Dr. Pooja Lakshmin MD is a board-certified psychiatrist whose private practice specializes in women’s mental health, as well as a clinical faculty member at George Washington University School of Medicine. Her debut book, REAL SELF-CARE: Crystals, Cleanses, and Bubble-Baths Not Included, was named an NPR Best Book of 2023 and is a national best-seller. Dr. Lakshmin’s essays for The New York Times, including her 2021 essay “This Isn’t Burnout, It’s Betrayal,” have gone viral. She lives in Austin, Texas.
Celeste Headlee
Celeste Headlee is a communication and human nature expert, and an award-winning journalist. She is a professional speaker, and also the author of Speaking of Race: Why Everybody Needs to Talk About Racism—and How to Do It, Do Nothing, Heard Mentality, and We Need to Talk. In her twenty-year career in public radio, she has been the executive producer of On Second Thought at Georgia Public Radio, and anchored programs including Tell Me More, Talk of the Nation, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition. She also served as cohost of the national morning news show The Takeaway from PRI and WNYC, and anchored presidential coverage in 2012 for PBS World Channel. Headlee’s TEDx talk sharing ten ways to have a better conversation has over twenty million total views to date. @CelesteHeadlee
If you’re in California, join us at February 12th California Conference for Women at the San Jose Convention Center. Learn more and get your ticket now.
Join Oprah Winfrey, Gloria Steinem, and thousands of women around the country this Women’s History Month at the virtual National Conference for Women.
Check out the FREECareer Connections Program from the Conferences for Women for expert tips, connections, and career opportunities at companies that support women.
In this episode, Pooja Lakshmin shares her expertise on the power of self-care. As a mental health practitioner, Pooja knows where many of us tend to fall flat and steer ourselves toward burnout. Here, she’ll share tips for how to set meaningful boundaries at work, how to recognize what priorities really matter, and how to rise up and stay soft in a world that doesn’t lend itself to gentleness.
Pooja Lakshmin
Dr. Pooja Lakshmin MD is a board-certified psychiatrist whose private practice specializes in women’s mental health, as well as a clinical faculty member at George Washington University School of Medicine. Her debut book, REAL SELF-CARE: Crystals, Cleanses, and Bubble-Baths Not Included, was named an NPR Best Book of 2023 and is a national best-seller. Dr. Lakshmin’s essays for The New York Times, including her 2021 essay “This Isn’t Burnout, It’s Betrayal,” have gone viral. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her partner Justin, their toddler, and their two cats.
Celeste Headlee
Celeste Headlee is a communication and human nature expert, and an award-winning journalist. She is a professional speaker, and also the author of Speaking of Race: Why Everybody Needs to Talk About Racism—and How to Do It, Do Nothing, Heard Mentality, and We Need to Talk. In her twenty-year career in public radio, she has been the executive producer of On Second Thought at Georgia Public Radio, and anchored programs including Tell Me More, Talk of the Nation, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition. She also served as cohost of the national morning news show The Takeaway from PRI and WNYC, and anchored presidential coverage in 2012 for PBS World Channel. Headlee’s TEDx talk sharing ten ways to have a better conversation has over twenty million total views to date. @CelesteHeadlee
If you’re in California, you can lock in some more uplift at the upcoming February 12th California Conference for Women at the San Jose Convention Center. Learn more and get your ticket now.
Join Oprah Winfrey, Gloria Steinem, and thousands of women around the country this Women’s History Month at the virtual National Conference for Women.
Check out the FREECareer Connections Program from the Conferences for Women for expert tips, connections, and career opportunities at companies that support women.
How to Leave Past Mistakes Behind | That’s a Good Question
Oct 25, 2024
PROBLEM: How do I overcome past professional mistakes (i.e. getting fired, performing poorly due to personal issues) with former employers and companies who may now be potential partners or clients, now that I’m a business owner? Delaware is a small state and I have been avoiding events (i.e. networking events, workshops, meetings) when I know a former employer will be there who I have had issues with in the past. — Everyone makes mistakes. But how do you transcend those mistakes and keep growing your career… even in a small business community, where everyone knows everyone? Today’s listener of That’s a Good Question is a business owner in a small state, and the former employers who didn’t get her at her best are now potential partners and clients. We’ll explore ways to help prove your progress and quash doubts about your ability. You’ll walk away with new tools for expressing confidence and humility, and for acknowledging the past while eagerly anticipating the future.
Lisa Hellmann
Lisa Hellmann is a global Human Resources leader with extensive experience building people strategies in fast-growing medical technology, biotechnology, and healthcare environments. Lisa has implemented worldwide people strategies throughout her career and capitalized on her cultural acumen across diverse workforces and geographies. From 2017 to 2023, Lisa led significant Human Resource advances for Hologic Inc., a global medical technology provider focused on women’s health and medical devices. She joined as Vice President, Human Resources, Diagnostics and Global Internal Communications (2017 – 2021), and then was promoted to Senior Vice President, Global Human Resources and Corporate Communications (2021 – 2023). Lisa is a devoted leader in community organizations (The California Conference for Women and the City Heights Preparatory High School) where she serves as a member of the Board of Directors.
Celeste Headlee
Celeste Headlee is a communication and human nature expert, and an award-winning journalist. She is a professional speaker, and also the author of Speaking of Race: Why Everybody Needs to Talk About Racism—and How to Do It, Do Nothing, Heard Mentality, and We Need to Talk. In her twenty-year career in public radio, she has been the executive producer of On Second Thought at Georgia Public Radio, and anchored programs including Tell Me More, Talk of the Nation, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition. She also served as cohost of the national morning news show The Takeaway from PRI and WNYC, and anchored presidential coverage in 2012 for PBS World Channel. Headlee’s TEDx talk sharing ten ways to have a better conversation has over twenty million total views to date. @CelesteHeadlee
In less than two weeks, we’re bringing a powerhouse speaker lineup to the Pennsylvania Convention Center: Martha Stewart, Dawn Staley, Barbara Corcoran, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Diana Nyad, Robin Arzón… and more! Get your tickets at PAConferenceforWomen.org.
Our February 12th event in San Jose will feature Simone Biles, Brittney Griner, and Padma Lakshmi — plus the amazing women leading sessions throughout the day. Learn more and get your ticket at CAConferenceforWomen.org.
Join Oprah Winfrey, Gloria Steinem, and thousands of women around the country this Women’s History Month at the virtual National Conference for Women on March 5th.
Check out the FREECareer Connections Program from the Conferences for Women for expert tips, connections, and career opportunities at companies that support women.
Cut Through DEI Squabbling To Make Real Progress
Oct 11, 2024
In this episode, Colette Phillips joins us to share her unique approach to diversity, equity and inclusion – or DEI – training. You’ll learn some of the leadership tips and tricks from her book, The Includers. And she’ll also share some best practices for making sure the DEI message doesn’t get lost in buzzwords and in-fighting. You’ll walk away with a better understanding of what DEI trainings are supposed to accomplish… and how to call in, not out, the white male leaders in your workspace.
Colette Phillips
COLETTE PHILLIPS is President and CEO of Colette Phillips Communications, Founder and President of Get Konnected! and The GK Fund. For 30 years, Colette has been a powerful voice and effective agent of change in one of America’s oldest and most tribal cities. An immigrant Black woman from Antigua described by Boston Magazine as “Boston’s Great Connector,” and Boston Globe cites her for “changing the Conversation about Diversity in Boston,” Colette has brought her passion, power and wisdom to publications and boardrooms around the globe. The president and CEO of Colette Phillips Communications, Inc. and founder of the multicultural professional and business networking organization Get Konnected!, Colette has spent a lifetime making workplaces more inclusive, opening them to new markets, talent and possibilities.
Celeste Headlee
Celeste Headlee is a communication and human nature expert, and an award-winning journalist. She is a professional speaker, and also the author of Speaking of Race: Why Everybody Needs to Talk About Racism—and How to Do It, Do Nothing, Heard Mentality, and We Need to Talk. In her twenty-year career in public radio, she has been the executive producer of On Second Thought at Georgia Public Radio, and anchored programs including Tell Me More, Talk of the Nation, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition. She also served as cohost of the national morning news show The Takeaway from PRI and WNYC, and anchored presidential coverage in 2012 for PBS World Channel. Headlee’s TEDx talk sharing ten ways to have a better conversation has over twenty million total views to date. @CelesteHeadlee
Don’t miss our next big in-person event in Philadelphia! For a limited time, you can still save on registration for Pennsylvania Conference for Women on November 7th — go to PAConferenceForWomen.org for more info.
Join Oprah Winfrey, Gloria Steinem, and thousands of women around the country this Women’s History Month at the virtual National Conference for Women.
Check out the FREECareer Connections Program from the Conferences for Women for expert tips, connections, and career opportunities at companies that support women.
How to Navigate Age in a Multigenerational Workplace
Sep 06, 2024
This episode features renowned leadership and DEI expert Carolina Caro who will explore ways to harness an age-diverse workforce in today’s multigenerational environment. She will offer tips to bridge the divide, address generational conflict and biases, and create a culture of inclusion where age is celebrated and respected. . This episode is essential for anyone committed to building an inclusive workplace where every generation can thrive.
(This episode is a replay from the March 2024 National Conference for Women)
Carolina Caro
CAROLINA CARO specializes in developing conscious leaders that create inclusive and engaging workplaces. She does this by heightening their awareness to uncover blind spots and unlearn generational conditioning that detract from their leadership potential. This empowers them to intentionally choose the behaviors that will better support them in becoming the leader they want to be rather than the leader they default to being. Caro trained with the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (IPEC) and is credentialed with the International Coaching Federation (ICF) where she maintains her Professional Certified Coach (PCC) designation. She is also a professional speaker, who earned the prestigious Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) status with the National Speakers Association, which is held by less than 15% of speakers globally. She is also a member of the Society for Diversity and holds both the Certified Diversity Professional (CDP) and Certified Diversity Executive (CDE) credentials. Caro is a passionate advocate for diversity, which has shaped every aspect of her life. She is a Montreal native with both Hispanic and Indian roots, fluent in English, Spanish, and French. Her educational background is just as rich and diverse, with an undergraduate degree in cell and molecular biology, a masters degree in science (experimental medicine), a masters degree in business administration and a professional certificate in acting from the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre in New York. Her multidisciplinary and multicultural background lends a unique lens to her practice.
Celeste Headlee
CELESTE HEADLEE is a communication and human nature expert, and an award-winning journalist. She is a professional speaker, and also the author of Speaking of Race: Why Everybody Needs to Talk About Racism—and How to Do It, Do Nothing, Heard Mentality, and We Need to Talk. In her twenty-year career in public radio, she has been the executive producer of On Second Thought at Georgia Public Radio, and anchored programs including Tell Me More, Talk of the Nation, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition. She also served as cohost of the national morning news show The Takeaway from PRI and WNYC, and anchored presidential coverage in 2012 for PBS World Channel. Headlee’s TEDx talk sharing ten ways to have a better conversation has over twenty million total views to date. @CelesteHeadlee
Join Oprah Winfrey, Gloria Steinem, and thousands of women around the country this Women’s History Month at the virtual National Conference for Women. Early bird pricing of $125/ ticket ends September 15th, so register soon!
Check out the FREECareer Connections Program from the Conferences for Women for expert tips, connections, and career opportunities at companies that support women.
When Is It Time To Quit A Job That’s Not Helping You Grow? | That’s A Good Question
Aug 22, 2024
PROBLEM: I am grateful for my job and I am humbly proud to be a public service provider, but in my current role and at the end of the day, I am often left with feeling under-utilized and with my natural abilities and talents under-valued. After seven years and several productive conversations with management, my eagerness to do more and be more is not leveraged well. When is it time to put patience aside and leave the safe, secure “nest” behind? I feel that my wings are temporarily clipped, and I want to fly! Furthermore, I am not happy when I try to fake anything. — A stable, secure job is something many of us spend our whole careers chasing. But, at the same time, stability can easily lead to stagnation. It’s easy to coast along in a job that feels like a given; but it’s hard to feel underutilized and underappreciated. With the help of an expert’s personal experience on both sides of the negotiation table, you’ll learn how to be your own strongest advocate. We’ll explore strategies for how to talk to your manager about your goals, overcoming career slowdowns — and knowing when, exactly, it’s time to take flight.
Carmel Galvin
Carmel Galvin is the Chief People Officer at Klaviyo, the platform that powers smarter digital relationships, making it easy for businesses to capture, store, analyze, and predictively use their own data to drive measurable, high-value outcomes. She brings 20+ years of strategic HR leadership, consulting and executive experience in fast-growing global software and financial technology organizations. Prior to Klaviyo, Carmel was Chief People Officer at Stripe, a financial infrastructure platform for businesses, where she led the people function, overseeing all of Stripe’s talent strategy and HR programs. Previously, she held executive roles in human resources at Autodesk, Glassdoor and Advent Software. She serves as a Board Director at Openlane, on the Compensation and Governance Committees, where she supports the company’s global digital transformation as they move into a modern digital marketplace. Carmel earned an M.B.S. in Human Resources Management from University College Dublin and a B.A in Political Science & Business from Trinity College Dublin.
Celeste Headlee
Celeste Headlee is a communication and human nature expert, and an award-winning journalist. She is a professional speaker, and also the author of Speaking of Race: Why Everybody Needs to Talk About Racism—and How to Do It, Do Nothing, Heard Mentality, and We Need to Talk. In her twenty-year career in public radio, she has been the executive producer of On Second Thought at Georgia Public Radio, and anchored programs including Tell Me More, Talk of the Nation, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition. She also served as cohost of the national morning news show The Takeaway from PRI and WNYC, and anchored presidential coverage in 2012 for PBS World Channel. Headlee’s TEDx talk sharing ten ways to have a better conversation has over twenty million total views to date. @CelesteHeadlee
Join Oprah Winfrey, Gloria Steinem, and thousands of women around the country this Women’s History Month at the virtual National Conference for Women. Early bird pricing of $125/ ticket ends September 15th, so register soon!
Check out the FREECareer Connections Program from the Conferences for Women for expert tips, connections, and career opportunities at companies that support women.
How to Make Your Next Move, Your Best Move
Aug 12, 2024
This episode, which is a replay from the March 2024 National Conference for Women, features Career Expert and Author Kimberly Brown. She will walk us through her structured framework to help you develop a clear and effective career strategy, tailored to your short-term and long-term goals. This episode is crucial for anyone looking to regain control over their career path and make strategic, informed decisions about their professional future.
(This episode is a replay from the March 2024 National Conference for Women)
Kimberly Brown
KIMBERLY BROWN (she/her/hers) is a career + leadership expert whose mission is to help women and people of color navigate the workplace, make more money, and become industry leaders. Her leadership development company, Manifest Yourself, LLC, provides organizations with tailor-made solutions to engage, develop, and advance women and people of color. Through her experience as a career development adviser in some of the nation’s top universities and diversity + inclusion professional in a Fortune 100 company, she has learned that there is so much more to career + leadership development besides having a high paying job; it’s about creating actionable strategies that enable professionals to do more, be more, and achieve more. Her bestselling book, Next Move, Best Move: Transitioning Into a Career You’ll Love, was released in June 2021. Her work has been featured on The Wall Street Journal, NPR, Forbes, Blavity, MONEY Magazine, Essence Magazine, Business Insider, CNBC, Fox 5, and more. She is also on the board of directors for The Power of You Teens organization. Brown is a graduate of Long Island University and received a bachelor of science in business administration and master of science in counseling.
Celeste Headlee
Celeste Headlee is a communication and human nature expert, and an award-winning journalist. She is a professional speaker, and also the author of Speaking of Race: Why Everybody Needs to Talk About Racism—and How to Do It, Do Nothing, Heard Mentality, and We Need to Talk. In her twenty-year career in public radio, she has been the executive producer of On Second Thought at Georgia Public Radio, and anchored programs including Tell Me More, Talk of the Nation, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition. She also served as cohost of the national morning news show The Takeaway from PRI and WNYC, and anchored presidential coverage in 2012 for PBS World Channel. Headlee’s TEDx talk sharing ten ways to have a better conversation has over twenty million total views to date. @CelesteHeadlee
Join Oprah Winfrey, Gloria Steinem, and thousands of women around the country this Women’s History Month at the virtual National Conference for Women. Early bird pricing of $125/ ticket ends September 15th, so register soon!
Check out the FREECareer Connections Program from the Conferences for Women for expert tips, connections, and career opportunities at companies that support women.
In this episode, Christie Smith — coauthor of the forthcoming book Essential— shares her ideas for the future of management. Distributed and remote teams are increasingly common models for work, and coupled with the massive boom in generative AI technology, it’s easy to lose touch with the more personal elements of being a manager.
Christie shares what the research says about managing employees you might never run into in the office… and how to do it in a way that fosters respect, diversity, connection, and real results.
Christie Smith, PhD
Christie Smith, PhD has over 35 years of experience advising the C-Suite of Fortune 500 companies. She has held global leadership positions at Deloitte, Apple, and Accenture as a highly respected expert in leadership, talent management, organizational design, workforce management, change management, and executive team performance. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Fortune, Forbes, and CNN. Christie has been recognized as a Top 50 Diversity Leader and in Fast Company’s Queer 50 list. She received her doctorate in Clinical Social Work with a focus on leadership and culture from New York University. Christie is the author of the forthcoming book, Essential: How Distributed Teams, Generative AI, and Global Shifts Are Creating a New Human Powered Leadership.
Celeste Headlee
Celeste Headlee is a communication and human nature expert, and an award-winning journalist. She is a professional speaker, and also the author of Speaking of Race: Why Everybody Needs to Talk About Racism—and How to Do It, Do Nothing, Heard Mentality, and We Need to Talk. In her twenty-year career in public radio, she has been the executive producer of On Second Thought at Georgia Public Radio, and anchored programs including Tell Me More, Talk of the Nation, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition. She also served as cohost of the national morning news show The Takeaway from PRI and WNYC, and anchored presidential coverage in 2012 for PBS World Channel. Headlee’s TEDx talk sharing ten ways to have a better conversation has over twenty million total views to date. @CelesteHeadlee
Join Oprah Winfrey, Gloria Steinem, and thousands of women around the country this Women’s History Month at the virtual National Conference for Women. Early bird pricing of $125/ ticket ends September 15th, so register soon!
Check out the FREECareer Connections Program from the Conferences for Women for expert tips, connections, and career opportunities at companies that support women.
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