Fierce Lab

Everything that can be perceived by our senses, even though they are tangible objects, has a direct impact on our mental health. Through neurodesign, one can vastly improve brain health by imbuing positive elements into their physical spaces. To understand this concept better, Tara Wilson sits down with neurodesigner Marissa Heyl, Founder of Inclusive Wellness Design. She discusses how to create your very own spaces that bring you genuine joy and help maintain sound mental health. Marissa also explains how to turn your habits into rituals to make them more meaningful and impactful.

Are you ready to break free and embrace adventure? Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights and inspiration for your solo travel adventure! Join Tara Wilson and Sarah Mason for an insightful discussion on the transformative power of solo travel. Sarah, a seasoned traveler and founder of Publify Relations, shares her personal experiences and practical tips for women considering embarking on their adventures. Learn how to overcome fears, build confidence, and discover new perspectives through the unique journey of solo travel. Tune in to this episode with Sarah Mason today!

Eager for more tools and resources to help you find your fierce? Now you can access additional content across the four content pillars using the Fierce Lab app. Premium subscribers get access to articles, guides, checklists, video content, and workshops, as well as exclusive events for members only. Become a member ⁠here.

In this episode Tara Wilson is joined by Mita Mallick, a podcaster, LinkedIn Top Voice, and soon-to-be author. Mita shares her journey and discusses her role as the Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Carta, a fintech late-stage startup. Together, they explore the importance of spreading awareness and creating opportunities for others. Tune in for inspiration, tools, and community as they discuss confidence, career development, and financial intelligence.

Mita’s new book, “Reimagine Inclusion: Debunking 13 Myths So We Can Transform Your Workplace” is a resource for self-improvement and education. It’s full of personal stories and experiences and even has introspective exercises at the end of each chapter. Mita describes it as a comprehensive handbook and reference guide for anyone committed to driving change in the workplace, regardless of their position within the organization.

In the episode, Mita and Tara delve into the emotional toll and burden that women often experience in the workplace. They share examples illustrating how women feel compelled to downplay their achievements and conceal aspects of their lives to avoid unfair treatment or judgment. Women are under constant pressure and emotional strain while navigating their careers and striving to avoid disadvantages.

Mita also discussed how the biases held by decision-makers contribute to the gender pay gap. These biases influence decisions regarding promotions and salary increases, resulting in unequal treatment based on general and personal judgments. Overall, this episode sheds light on the emotional challenges and biases that women face in the workplace, further emphasizing the urgent need for change and inclusion.

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Please be sure to SUBSCRIBE, REVIEW, and SHARE Fierce Lab with women who are looking for community and tools for leveling up.

Eager for more tools and resources to help you find your fierce? Now you can access additional content across the four content pillars using the Fierce Lab app. Premium subscribers get access to articles, guides, checklists, video content, and workshops, as well as exclusive events for members only. Become a member here.

In this episode we hear from Cynt Marshall and how she advocates for creating an inclusive space where every voice matters. Her goal is to establish an environment where every voice is not only heard but also respected, allowing women to thrive. Cynt firmly believe that women are natural leaders, regardless of their official titles, and that their contribution is vital to the success of any organization.

Encouraging women to support one another, Cynt shares how she promotes the practice of "HASU," meaning "hook a sister up," and emphasizes the importance of solidarity.  In this lively conversation Tara talks with her about how to avoid undermining each other and acknowledge there is ample room for all at the table, rejecting the notion that only one can succeed. Cynt’s vision is to foster an environment where women can flourish and rely on each other.

In her book, You’ve Been Chosen, Cynt details how she managed her personal and professional life while facing limited capacity during chemotherapy. Out of her illness came one of her greatest lessons and she shares, both in the book and on this episode, how valuable it is to know the difference between your crystal balls and your rubber balls.  Her circumstance compelled her to prioritize her activities and reevaluate her commitments. Thus, letting small balls drop.  Those are your rubber balls, says Cynt. Those bounce back.

Cynt Marshall is one of the most dynamic leaders in America.  She’s a friend to all and has never met a stranger.  She always has a kind word, and many times the last word, for those lucky enough to be in orbit.  This hour-long conversation touches on leadership, family, faith and the future of women in business.  Tune in to the very end for a lighting round of questions with the woman we all want to grow up to be, Cynt Marshall.

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Sheeba Philip is a woman tremendously motivated by her faith and purpose, and her platform is business. In fact, she has spent the last 25 years across multiple industries and sectors, all with the core objective of building brands that deeply connect with consumers and create positive change in the world.

From her vast experience in the private sector working with brands like Oreo and JCPenney, as well as nonprofits and startups, Sheeba launched her own advisory consulting practice to share her wealth of knowledge, including years of wins and lessons, to empower and equip leaders building purpose-driven brands.

The keys to Sheeba’s success have been identifying her North Star (what guides her and keeps her going), defining success and failure for herself, knowing when to “move up” versus “move out” in her career, taking inventory of her gifts and joys in the workplace, reflecting on and journaling about her talents and times she’s overcome fear and doubt, taking courageous action toward what she wants, and allowing her community of trusted advisors to speak into her life. Just to name a few…

Sheeba and Tara touch on these and more in this insight-filled episode of the Fierce Lab podcast about courageous leadership. Don’t miss this one!

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Follow Fierce Lab on Instagram or LinkedIn for the latest updates.

Please be sure to SUBSCRIBE, REVIEW, and SHARE Fierce Lab with women who are looking for community and tools for leveling up.

JOIN THE CLUB

Eager for more tools and resources to help you find your fierce? Now you can join the club and access additional content across the four content pillars using the Fierce Lab app. As a member you'll get access to articles, guides, checklists, video content, and workshops, as well as exclusive events for members only.  Don't miss out!

Tami DeWeese, Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Samsung Electronics America, began her work in DEI during a pivotal time in 2020. Tami focuses on culture and belonging to ensure that all — not just some — Samsung employees can thrive. She even helped establish a community that creates deliberate, targeted programs designed by women, for women.

Tami has always been brave and willing to take risks, and exercising that skill has built up her confidence over more than 25 years of professional experience. In fact, it’s that coupled with self-awareness that made it easy for Tami to speak to her supervisor when she felt she was being underutilized in her role — which ultimately led her to DEI, where her true passion lies.

Confidence isn’t the only thing Tami had built up over time. As a Korean-born adoptee, she experienced bullying and discrimination, and she protected herself by donning a metaphorical suit of armor. Now, Tami works hard to remove that armor and lead by being vulnerable not only in her professional life, but her personal one, too.

Tami knows her strengths, and she owns them. Let Tami help you find your own strengths in this episode of the Fierce Lab podcast as she doles out expert advice on mapping out a career plan, writing your own story, capturing your wins and successes, investing in yourself, and more to empower the next generation of women in the workplace.

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“If we really want to lead effectively, we have to be able to connect.”

You could say Jen Croneberger is an expert on what makes effective leaders. In fact, Jen has been speaking about vulnerability in the workplace “since before it was cool.”

It all began when Jen dug into what makes a culture work and discovered that leaders who can sustain that culture were paramount. So, she dug further, asking what makes that kind of leader. What she found has defined her career. Now, Jen is a leadership and culture speaker, consultant, and human performance leadership professional who advocates for B.R.A.V.E. leadership focused on belonging, resilience, authenticity, vulnerability, and empathy.

In this inspiring conversation, Jen and Tara discuss building allyships and support systems, questioning “how it’s always been done,” being curious, Maslow's hierarchy of needs and how it relates to leadership in the workplace, ditching the “lack” mentality, knowing who you are rather than what you are in relation to others, the concepts of psychological safety and belonging, and much more.

Get ready to practice some curious introspection in this stimulating episode of the Fierce Lab podcast where Jen challenges us to be B.R.A.V.E. (and fierce!) leaders in our careers and lives.

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If concepts like investing, wealth building, short-and long-term financial goal-setting, and the like give you anxiety, this is the podcast episode for you.

Ramona Ortega, an attorney, tech entrepreneur, and founder of WealthBuild.ai, has made it her mission in life to create economic opportunity and stability. We’d say she’s done a capital job.

Not only that, she’s a wealth of knowledge when it comes to financial advice. Ramona attributes her rich expertise to her diverse experiences and background. After all, her career spans everything from being a journalist at 60 Minutes and working on Wall Street to practicing law focused on finance and creating tech that’s “essentially a financial advisor in your pocket.”

Per Ramona, think of wealth building as a chess board. There are many ways to win the game, and each piece represents a different tool you can use to move around the board — and move closer to your financial endgame. Ramona gives a detailed account of a wide variety of those financial tools and encourages women to, rather than feeling afraid or overwhelmed, get inspired and change their mindset around money. Take it from this financial expert. Women are investors. Women are asset builders. All you need are the right tools.

So, what are you waiting for? Get out your pen and paper, because you’ll want to write down every little tidbit Ramona drops in this episode of the Fierce Lab podcast.

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Bianca Jackson has been on the cutting edge of technology for years. A self-proclaimed “tech nerd” since she was a child, Bianca is the founder and CEO of BrickRose Exchange, a physical event space in Baltimore, Maryland that evolved into a virtual event space in the Metaverse when the pandemic hit.

Bianca’s deep well of expertise stems from her work as a project manager on tech projects with Fortune 500 companies in the Washington, D.C. area. She was even on the Pulitzer Prize winning team at USA Today that created a virtual world to tell the story from the perspective of migrants, border patrol, farmers, and others about funding the U.S./Mexico border wall.

Eventually, Bianca wanted to “take her talents to the streets,” as she puts it. BrickRose Exchange continues to thrive as an event space in the Metaverse, “a digital world where commerce will happen, where connection will happen.” According to Bianca, “Any event you can do on Zoom or in person, you can do in the Metaverse.”

Tune into this conversation where Bianca and Tara discuss topics ranging from the virtual — hosting events (even concerts!) in the Metaverse, the next iteration of the internet called Web3, monetizing your content and owning your data, and cryptocurrency — to the real-life — practicing mindfulness, risk taking, building front-of-the-line skills, not fearing technology or its terminology, the importance of play and exploration to expose your passion, being open to new opportunities, and more.

You won’t want to miss this episode of the Fierce Lab podcast where Bianca breaks down high-tech innovations into terms anyone can understand.

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To Rachel Mallison, fierce means “being brave for 30 seconds at a time.”

She should know a little about bravery. Rachel was working at the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2021 — and by 11:30 a.m., she knew it would be one of the worst days of her life.

At the time, Rachel was in emergency management and disaster response for the Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate. Now, she is the Senior Manager for Risks and Operations at the Aspen Institute, a nonprofit that brings people together to discuss the most pressing issues facing the world to ensure a more free, equitable, and just society.

From these and other impactful work and life experiences, Rachel takes on risk despite fear and doesn’t sweat what she can’t control. She’s the type of person who goes for it, even if she doesn’t check off each and every qualification. It’s this calculated risk-taking and scenario-planning — evaluating “What’s the worst that could happen?” — that’s gotten Rachel to where she is today.

In this episode, Rachel and Tara touch on everything from facing trauma in the moment and healing afterward to negotiating and openly discussing our salary with friends, socializing an idea up or down, making the most of situations in which we feel out of our depth, and much more.

In Rachel’s words, “You might as well take that first step, because who knows where it gets you?”

Take that first step with the support of your friends in the Fierce Lab community. Start by immersing yourself in Rachel’s incredible stories of her experiences in this episode of the Fierce Lab podcast.

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