In this episode of More to the Story, Rocsi welcomes the inspiring Valeisha Butterfield, award-winning leader and founder of SEED. Valeisha opens up about navigating the entertainment industry in her 40s, sharing the wisdom and insights she's gained along the way.

Together, Rocsi and Valeisha dive into the realities of balancing career and personal life, particularly as successful women in their professions. They discuss the pivotal realizations that come with age, how to redefine your priorities, and the importance of setting boundaries to create a fulfilling life.

Tune in for an empowering conversation on how to maintain clarity of vision, self-confidence, and the courage to reinvent yourself, all while embracing the journey’s twists and turns. Learn what it truly means to be "forty and flourishing" in the entertainment industry and beyond.

KEY POINTS

- How Valeisha’s first internship became the foundation for her successful career

- The power of building relationships to unlock new opportunities

- Navigating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the entertainment industry

- Balancing work ethic, personal life, and career growth as a woman

- The realizations, shifting priorities, and boundaries that come with being in your 40s

- Valeisha’s divorce and the emotional impact on her children and family dynamics

- The advice Valeisha would give her younger self today

- Her eye-opening experience working in the Obama administration

- Betting on yourself: the importance of having a clear vision and constantly reinventing yourself

- Why supporting and uplifting women is key to driving change in any industry

QUOTES

“It gets greater later. And I think, in media like advertising, we have this — weird expiration date at 40. But I know, and I know you too feel like we're just getting started.” – Valeisha Butterfield 

“The things I tolerated at 25, I'm not tolerating now [in my 40s]. And so I think that's the hard part, because I have different boundaries now than I've ever had, and that feels so good.” – Valeisha Butterfield 

GUEST RESOURCES

Valeisha Butterfield 

Website | valeisha.org

IG | @valeisha

RESOURCES

Rocsi Diaz

IG | @rocsidiaz

X | @rocsidiaz 

FB | @rocsi.diaz

More to the Story is produced by EPYC Media Network