Best VEST Her Members and Guests Podcasts (2025)

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Mapping Your Web Of Support And Legacy 14:30

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3d ago14:30

14:30

We’re often told to “build our network” or “think about the impact we want to have” but rarely does anyone show us how. It’s not just about adding connections or chasing influence. What we really need is a Web of Support and a clearer sense of the legacy we're already leaving behind, often without realizing it. In this episode, we slow things down …

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Living on Fire with Shannon Watts 53:28

1M ago53:28

53:28

What if the key to moving from stuck to unstoppable isn’t finding your one big purpose but choosing to live with purpose, every day? 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 tr…

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Open Primaries: Increasing Voter Participation Beyond Party Lines 58:36

2M ago58:36

58:36

Democracy thrives when citizens participate, yet America faces a troubling reality: even in presidential elections, only 65% of eligible voters cast ballots, with participation plummeting in local and primary elections. This democratic deficit has serious consequences, especially for women and historically marginalized communities who continue to f…

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Emotional Runway: the Hidden Currency of Entrepreneurship 53:38

3M ago53:38

53:38

When we talk about startup runway, we obsess over finances, how many months until the money runs out. But what about the founder's emotional runway? That invisible reservoir of energy, resilience, and motivation that keeps a company alive even when the path forward seems impossible? In this deeply personal and practical conversation, Claudia Naim B…

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Breaking the Autopilot Cycle 15:02

3M ago15:02

15:02

How many times have you ended the day exhausted, only to wonder what you actually accomplished? That feeling of spinning your wheels without moving forward is a signal that your workflow isn’t working for you. At VEST, we recently explored this challenge with our members and uncovered some powerful lessons worth sharing. In this episode of the VEST…

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How Perfectionism and People-Pleasing Cause Burnout in High-Achieving Women 40:19

4M ago40:19

40:19

Burnout has reached epidemic proportions among professional women. The numbers tell a sobering story: 43% of women leaders report feeling burned out compared to just 31% of men at the same level. What's driving this disparity? Our powerful conversation with the VEST Team reveals two key culprits: perfectionism and people-pleasing. Research from the…

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Beyond Hot Flashes: Reclaiming Your Hormonal Health 55:08

5M ago55:08

55:08

The whispers about hormones, perimenopause, and menopause have remained frustratingly quiet for too long. Dr. Kristen Markell, a double-board certified OBGYN and certified menopause practitioner, breaks the silence with game-changing clarity in this essential conversation moderated by VEST Member Alison Anthony. For decades, women experiencing brai…

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Silencing Your Inner Critic 49:20

6M ago49:20

49:20

Women have long navigated workspaces that weren't built with us in mind, fueling an inner voice of self-doubt that can hold us back. Dr. Amelia Duran-Stanton, author of "The Lotus Within" and Colonel in the US Army with decades of service, shares strategies for quieting that inner critic while building sustainable confidence as a leader. Dr. Duran …

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Leading with Empathy in a Polycrisis World 54:21

7M ago54:21

54:21

In this episode, we sit down with Niren Chaudhary, former Chairman and CEO of Panera Bread, and VEST Member Beverly Carmichael, a seasoned corporate board director for several iconic brands. Together, we explore the rising demand for empathetic leadership in today’s volatile and unpredictable world. “Leaders have to be peddlers of hope,” Niren Chau…

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Turning Strengths Into Opportunities 31:27

8M ago31:27

31:27

Are you ready to stop waiting for recognition and start owning your strengths? In this episode, we revisit one of our most transformative sessions: Turning Strengths Into Opportunities—an essential conversation for women professionals ready to take charge of their careers. Too often, high-achieving women are so consumed by deadlines, expectations, …

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How Women Became America’s Safety Net 49:54

9M ago49:54

49:54

Women in the U.S. aren’t just balancing careers and caregiving—they are the invisible backbone of a broken system keeping our economy afloat. In this episode of the VEST Her Podcast, we sat down with Dr. Jessica Calarco, sociologist, professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and author of Holding It Together: How Women Became America’s Safe…

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Establishing Goals and Accountability Systems 44:00

10M ago44:00

44:00

In this episode, we dive into why plans, goals, and resolutions often fail—and how to overcome those challenges. We introduce the WOOP Framework (Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan) to help you create a personalized action plan and share practical resources to keep you on track all year long. We’re also sharing key takeaways from a session we hosted for…

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Confronting Ageism at Work 44:00

11M ago44:00

44:00

In this episode we talked about Ageism at Work with Maureen Wiley Clough, host of the acclaimed podcast It Gets Late Early. In it we unpacked the unique challenges women face as we progress in our career and share actionable strategies for overcoming age-related obstacles and redefining our career trajectories at any age. For our guest full bio and…

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The Art of Speaking with Impact and Presence 47:08

1y ago47:08

47:08

Your personal brand is the sum of how others perceive you—your strengths, the expertise they associate with you, and the way you communicate your skills and personality both in person and online. But why is having a personal brand so important? Throughout your career, one thing is certain: you will need to pivot. Pivots are inevitable, often unexpe…

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Women's Political and Civic Engagement 45:21

1y ago45:21

45:21

Discover the invisible barriers that hold women back from seizing their rightful places in political and civic spaces. In this episode, Andy Moore, founder of Let’s Fix This and Executive Director of the National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers, speaks with Mia Barros, founder of Voluntarios por Kamala, Blaire Postman, Founder of Cat Ladies fo…

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Redefining Gender Roles: Lead Dads and Equitable Parenting 59:51

1y ago59:51

59:51

In this episode VEST Member Claudia Naím-Burt co-founder and COO of Keep Company, a group learning platform helping employers care for the caregivers on their teams, talks to Paul Sullivan, former New York Times financial columnist and founder The Company of Dads, a platform supporting “Lead Dads”—men who are the “go-to” parents whether they work f…

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Redefining Womanhood: Embracing Multiple Identities and Overcoming Stereotypes 52:45

1+ y ago52:45

52:45

In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Vanessa Scaringi, a licensed psychologist and co-owner of CALM Counseling in Austin, TX. Dr. Scaringi recently authored an insightful article in TIME magazine examining the psychological effects of modern identity trends like the "soft girl" and "tradwife" movements, which are gaining popularity among Gen-Z wome…

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Future of Work As It Relates To Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Anti-DEI Era 53:38

1+ y ago53:38

53:38

In this episode we talk to Shalynne Jackson, Oklahoma City's Chief Equity Officer, and Mikeale Campbell, Diversity & Inclusion Program Manager at Williams on the topic of Future of Work as it relates to inclusion. We talk about SHRM's decision to remove the word “equity” from DEI due to the anti-DEI movement. If and how companies should evolve DEI …

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Women in Politics and the Path to Sustained Representation 53:06

1+ y ago53:06

53:06

In this episode VEST Member Terra-Branson Thomas, Senior Policy Advisor at Clause Law and former Secretary of the Nation for the Muscogee Creek Nation talks about the Status of Women in Politics with Kelly Dittmar, Associate Professor of Political Science at Rutgers University and Director of Research at the Center for American Women and Politics a…

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Why are Men often Reluctant to Mentoring and Advocating for Women at Work? 53:44

1+ y ago53:44

53:44

In this episode VEST Members talk to gender-inclusive culture expert Brad Johnson, Professor of Psychology at the United States Naval Academy and Faculty Associate at John Hopkins University, about the skills and benefits men earn when they engage in advocating for women at work. The misconceptions and challenges that often get in the way of men en…

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Amplifying Women's Voices in Politics and Policy 52:02

1+ y ago52:02

52:02

In this episode we talk to Oklahoma State Senator Julia Kirt and Oklahoma State Representative Melissa Provenzano about why it is becoming harder and harder for people to engage in politics. Join us as we talk about why people are feeling disenfranchised and divided. How can we better navigate the process, skip the noise, and be more effective in o…

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Embracing Career Change with VEST Members 55:51

1+ y ago55:51

55:51

In this episode we talk to VEST Members about how they've managed to navigate career transitions and setbacks, while rediscovering themselves and building meaningful connections. We discuss the importance of asking for help, leveraging peer networks, advocating for ourselves and other women unapologetically. Join us as we dive into double standards…

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The Future of Remote and Flexible Work 57:15

2y ago57:15

57:15

Remote-work has dwindled over the past few years as employers issue return-to-office mandates. But will that continue in 2024? 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…

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Identifying and Mitigating Burnout 54:17

2y ago54:17

54:17

More and more women are considering switching roles or leaving the labor force in general as a result of burnout. This burnout is in large part due to caregiving responsibilities. In fact, caregiving responsibilities are the number two reason (behind retirement), that people, mostly women, leave the labor force. This negatively impacts our nation’s…

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Achieving Goals through Discipline and Accountability Systems 53:53

2y ago53:53

53:53

In this episode Accountability Coach and Author of "Why Not You," Amanda McKinney shares tips, tools and resources with VEST Members on how to achieve goals through discipline and accountability systems. We also talk about the struggle we all grapple with: self-doubt, fear of failure, and decision fatigue. We share strategies to overcome these barr…

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Overcoming Fear of Failure 51:38

2y ago51:38

51:38

In this episode we talk about overcoming fear of failure with Sarah Amico, Chair of Jack Cooper Holdings, North America’s largest car hauling company and Women-Owned Enterprise. We discuss Sarah’s journey building a company where she employs thousands of hard working union workers, in the midst of the auto workers strike. Her approach to managing s…

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VEST Talks: The Child Care Cliff 8:59

2y ago8:59

8:59

What if your career as a working parent came crashing down because of a lack of accessible childcare? Could you imagine being forced to choose between your profession and your child's wellbeing? We're peeling back the layers on a pressing issue - the Childcare Cliff - and how its domino effect threatens the progress women have made in the workforce…

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VEST Talks: The Power of Women in Sports 3:27

2y ago3:27

3:27

Last week we were joined by the wonderful, Danette Leighton, CEO of Women’s Sports Foundation, and we discussed everything from the gender pay gap and representation in sports, to the political discourse surrounding Women athletes. For this session, lets dive deeper into the world of sports and the real time obstacles hindering female athletes as a…

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VEST Talks: Meet the Team 17:33

2y ago17:33

17:33

We're doing things a little different. In this episode, get to know the team behind VEST for our latest podcast installment of VEST Talks. 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…

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A Deep Dive into Women's Sports 55:18

2y ago55:18

55:18

Imagine a world where women's sports stand shoulder to shoulder with men's, where the prowess and athleticism of female athletes are celebrated instead of their appearance. This utopia is not so far-fetched if we rally behind the mission of the Women's Sports Foundation. We sat down for an eye-opening conversation with Danette, dissecting the highs…

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The Lost Art of Connecting 44:52

2+ y ago44:52

44:52

Ever wondered how meaningful relationships can a play a pivotal role in shaping our personal and professional life? We joined Susan McPherson, serial connector, founder of McPherson Strategies and author of The Lost Art of Connecting, in an intriguing conversation about the power of authentic connections. Susan shares her journey of becoming a conn…

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Gen Z at Work 51:57

2+ y ago51:57

51:57

In our latest podcast episode, we talk to Nadya Okamoto, co-founder of August and Gen Z marketing expert, about how we can better understand, support, and leverage Gen Z in the workplace. Join us as we unravel the myths and misconceptions that often surround GenZ. Nadya's fresh perspective comes from her own experiences and expertise in understandi…

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Breaking Barriers and Healing Trauma in the Workplace 52:46

2+ y ago52:46

52:46

Have you ever felt the weight of trauma in the workplace, struggling to find healing and equity? We are joined by the incredible Minda Harts, bestselling and award-winning author of "The Memo", "Right Within", and "You Are More Than Magic", to share her journey of overcoming these hurdles and finding ways to create safe, inclusive and thriving work…

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Career transitions and getting to the C-Suite in a male dominated industry 53:18

2+ y ago53:18

53:18

In this episode we about career transitions, navigating workplaces and the challenges of getting to and staying in the C-suite in a male dominated industry. 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 se…

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Creating More Inclusive Work Environments for the LGBTQ+ Community 50:40

2+ y ago50:40

50:40

In this episode we discuss common misconceptions and stereotypes about the LGBTQ+ community with a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, sex therapist, and the founder and CEO of Inclusive Insight Psychotherapy, Laura Grimes. We also cover ways to identify our own cultural blindspots, so that together we can build more inclusive workplaces. For our gues…

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Women's Health 47:27

2+ y ago47:27

47:27

In this episode we discuss all things women's health with Jacqueline Blocker, the Data & Policy Director at Metriarch an Oklahoma women’s public health think tank that aims to normalize and broaden women’s health conversations through data storytelling, policy evaluation, and interactive outreach events. We discussed everything from the social dete…

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Working with an Executive Coach 47:43

3y ago47:43

47:43

In this episode we discuss the value of Executive Coaching with Dr. Sofia Pertuz, Managing Director for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the Billie Jean King Enterprises, a women-owned and women-led investment, consulting, and marketing firm that puts Billie Jean King’s philosophy and brand value to work, capitalizing on her long-standing advoca…

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Bully Market (Gender Bias at Work) 48:34

3y ago48:34

48:34

In this episode we talk to Jamie Fiore Higgins, former Managing Director at Goldman Sachs and Author of Bully Market, about her experience of discrimination and misogyny working for one of the largest banks in the world. We also talk about the importance of having our own identity, not tied to any job, any person, or organization. Special thanks to…

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Reimagining the Non-Profit Sector 46:26

3y ago46:26

46:26

The non-profit sector is going through a transition involving generational change, a national labor shortage, and a demand for systemic change by new leaders in the space. In our latest podcast episode VEST Members share learnings and advocate for better ways to advance non-profit missions while supporting leaders in the space. Brought to you by In…

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Engaging Men in the Advancement of Women in the Workplace 51:13

3y ago51:13

51:13

"If men are 75% of leadership today, we are 75% of the problem with advancing women (in the workplace), but we are also 75% of the solution" 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 J…

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The Status of Women in Politics 54:10

3y ago54:10

54:10

As we head into the 2022 Midterm Election we invited Kelly Dittmar to talk to us about the status of women in politics. Kelly is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Rutgers University–Camden; and Director of Research and Scholar at the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) at the Eagleton Institute of Politics. She is the co-auth…

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The Care Economy: The business of caring for our loved ones 57:08

3y ago57:08

57:08

As proven by the Covid-19 pandemic, our economy relies on a broken care system and unpaid caregiving, which have played a major role in the pay and wealth gap for women, keeping women from fully participating in the labor force, and minimizing our economy's potential. So, why haven't we've done anything about it? Join us as we talk to Yi-Hsian Godf…

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The Real Life of an Entrepreneur 56:13

3+ y ago56:13

56:13

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to own a business? The highs, the lows, the untold stories? 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 …

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Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome 58:15

3+ y ago58:15

58:15

What are the systems and societal norms getting in the way of women achieving economic mobility? How do we call out and dismantle those systems? In this episode we talk to Ruchika Tulshyan, author of Inclusion on Purpose: An Intersectional Approach to Creating a Culture of Belonging at Work (MIT Press). She’s also the founder of Candour, an inclusi…

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Women on Corporate Boards 53:21

3+ y ago53:21

53:21

With many women still not returning to work after Covid-19 lockdowns and many of them still reporting high numbers of burnout, it can be difficult to find reasons to be optimistic about the state of women in business. But here’s one highlight: A recent report from the Women Business Collaborative (WBC) and 50-50 Women on Boards found that 2021 was …

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Personal Branding 45:40

3+ y ago45:40

45:40

Most people confuse personal brand with reputation but they are two different things. Everyone has a reputation. The first impressions we make, the relationships we form with managers and peers, and how we communicate — all of these things impact how others see us. Our personal brand, on the other hand, is much more intentional. It's how we want ot…

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Why is delegating so hard? 47:34

3+ y ago47:34

47:34

Companies don't scale unless we take the time to delegate. We also know that teams don't grow unless give them the opportunity to take on challenging projects. But even when we know delegating leads to productivity and developing employees, it's often hard to do because it requires us to trust others. Trust doesn't come naturally to everyone. It's …

1
Work Culture and Women in Aviation 47:24

3+ y ago47:24

47:24

At many organizations there is a gap between the existing culture and the “desired” culture — the culture needed to support and advance the company’s goals and strategies. In the past, organizational culture was for the most part, an initiative led by the CEO and Human Resources. HR would design a campaign to tout a mission statement and the core v…

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Women in the Creator Economy 47:11

3+ y ago47:11

47:11

More than 50 million people now consider themselves creators, fostering a “creator economy” which is now valued at more than $100 billion. — The surge has been especially pronounced over the last year, with a growing cohort of women pursuing opportunities in the creator economy. But What are the opportunities for women? What are the challenges? Par…

1
Supporting Women of Color at Work 53:15

4y ago53:15

53:15

In this episode we talk to Stephanie LeBlanc-Godfrey, Global Head of Inclusion Programs for Women of Color at Google about different ways we can support, promote, and invest in women of color not just in the workplace but at home and in our communities. For Stephanie’s full bio, show notes and resources mentioned on this episode go to www.VESTHer.c…

VEST Her Members And Guests Podcasts