Bring A Friend

How would you feel about becoming part of a family during the most intense and intimate moments of their lives? That’s what Megan Davidson does every day. She’s a doula who spends her days (and nights) quelling fears and celebrating miracles. And she’s there to fill in the blanks for each client as they move through their own process of conception, pregnancy, delivery, recovery, and more. She is a coach, an educator, a therapist, a cheerleader and a caregiver all wrapped into one. And she does it while raising her own young family. This episode is a deep dive into what it means to live a life of service, and the sacrifices and benefits for one woman on that journey.

You understand isolation from your COVID days. And you know that there was more than one occasion when you thought you’d go crazy being stuck in that space, away from the people and the activities that you loved. Now imagine doing that in captivity halfway around the world, locked in a single cement cell, not understanding the language, and having no information about whether you would be killed or released. And imagine being in that situation for 410 days. This is the story of Sarah Shourd, an American journalist who wandered into Iran unknowingly and faced the trial of her life. 

What do young girls grow up to be? We’d like the answer to be, “whatever they want to be”! But sadly, that’s often not the case. Part of the reason is because they can’t know what they can be until they see women who are relatable to them doing jobs they have never heard of. This is the gift of Career Girls, created and run by Linda Calhoun. Linda wants all girls, regardless of where they live or their personal circumstances, to learn well, dream big, and be able to walk in the shoes of the trailblazing women who are leading the way. 

Imagine pushing and then steering a racing machine weighing over 280lbs down an icy track and reaching speeds of nearly 90 miles an hour. Any miscalculation, muscle twitch or slightly miscued decision could result not only in a loss of victory, but disastrous injury. Now imagine doing that with a newborn baby who travels everywhere with you and a husband with an identical career as a bobsledding champion. This interview with Elana Meyers Taylor, multiple-time world champion and Olympic medalist will give you chills and warm your heart.

Close your eyes and picture the boardroom of most major corporations. Looking around the room you can probably imagine silver hair, navy suits, and white, male faces. This week’s friend has made it her mission to put women in those boardrooms. Her approach?  Harness the strength of the men who have always had access to those seats of power by making them allies and mentors. This week we’re talking about the win-win results that come from truly seeing and lifting each other.

At the age of six, Ken Fisher knew who he wanted to be, but it took 52 years for him to formally become her. At 70 years old, Kenna is still blossoming as her real self and has insights and wisdom to share with anyone who is in the process of becoming more true to who they really are. Kenna’s journey takes us from cattle farms and oil rigs to libraries and support circles: living proof of our human capacity to evolve in imagined and unimaginable ways.

Does your bag match your shoes? How about your water bottle - what does that go with? It sounds like a funny question for the women who actually changed the way we carry and drink water. But as the inventor of S’well, Sarah sees reusable bottles as the fashion accessory that has true impact on far more than your look. Come join us as we chat with our friend whose mountain hike turned into an ocean rescue. 

With eight New York Times Best-Selling books and a very public career investigating the potential of plants (and psychedelics) to positively affect the human experience, Michael Pollan is already a household name. (Or is he a garden name?) But what’s actually going on inside his brain? There’s a lot happening in there, and Michael opened up to us about his process, his craft, and why his life immersed in plants has led him down a hedge-hog hole of self-reflection, revealing possibilities, surprise and delight.

Wanuri Kahiu is a Kenyan-born storyteller who has made it her mission to produce creative work that fills voids in traditional African films. While we’ll let her tell you why she calls her genre “Afro Bubblegum”, her awards for Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Picture at the Africa Movie Academy Awards are testaments to her creative prowess. But don’t let the “bubblegum” fool you. Her films have sparked unexpected controversy and dug deep into some of the truths about African culture that often go unspoken, and extend far beyond the continent to truths we share worldwide. 

As the President of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Sherrilyn Ifill has had her hands full lately. With a mission of seeking structural changes and eliminating disparities to bring equality to all Americans, Sherrilyn has carried a heavy load over the years. She’s argued before the Supreme Court, supported the families whose lives have been devastated by racism, and has fought valiantly for fairness for so many who have been denied. What does it feel like to champion that mission and hold that responsibility when all eyes are upon you? You’ll be surprised and delighted to hear the personal truths from a real, down-to-earth woman who is fighting for so many.