Finding Fearless

Finding Fearless

By Madeline ReevesSociety & CultureBusinessEntrepreneurshipMarketing
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Finding Fearless episodes

  • Episode 25 - Sabrina Parsons
    This podcast episode is especially unique in that the featured guest, Sabrina Parsons, is one of the few womxn to appear on the podcast that holds the title of CEO. Womxn CEOs are few and far between, especially in the tech industry, so I was excited to speak with Sabrina, listen to her story, and hear what advice she had for other womxn who are pursuing leadership roles.
    As a CEO for a tech company, Palo Alto Software, Sabrina is familiar with both the challenges of being a womxn working in a male dominated industry and the challenges of working in a high pressure, competitive environment. Sabrina has never let those challenges stop her though. She is confident in who she is and an absolute powerhouse who believes in asking for forgiveness rather than permission and focusing only on what you can control when you find yourself in stressful situations.
    Sabrina is a force to be reckoned with and is such an inspiration to me. She is unapologetically herself and consistently speaks her mind, standing up for what she believes in and dealing with any ramifications later. She is truly a fearless female and the world could do with a lot more womxn like her in leadership roles.
    To learn more about Sabrina and Palo Alto Software, you can visit the company’s website.
    0 min
  • Fearless. Creative. Owner. Claire Van Holland! - S1:E23

    Welcome back to Finding Fearless! This week we have Claire Van Holland, the owner and founder of CV Ledger, on the podcast!


    Although Claire’s path to founding her company and getting to where she is today wasn’t linear, she prioritized staying true to herself and that is exactly what makes her a fearless female and successful entrepreneur.


    In this episode, Claire and I cover:

    - How nobody is perfect when it comes to balancing all the different parts of themselves
    - The power of saying no when you want to say no
    - The value of listening to and trusting your inner voice



    Those skills are all things we hone over time and will always be working on. Through that work, we owe ourselves a little bit of grace. We’re all still figuring it out, and that's ok.


    To learn more about Claire and CV Ledger, you can visit her website and follow her on Instagram.

    Finding Fearless is an exploration of human-centric leadership and a celebration of ambition,  releasing every other week on Wednesdays, 6AM PST.  If you liked the show, please rate, review, and share! You can also visit our website to learn more about how to become a sponsor of Finding Fearless!


    Finding Fearless is produced by Fearless Foundry, a creative consultancy focused on advancing ambitious humans from around the globe to amplify their impact through branding, marketing, and business development. You can contact us at [email protected] if you are interested in our services and can follow us on all social media @fearlessfoundry.


    Season 4 music is by Premium Beats. All audio is recorded and owned by Fearless Foundry. 

    1 hr 4 min
  • Strong Communities and Core Values with Nayo Carter-Gray - S1:E22

    Welcome back to Finding Fearless! This week we have the honor of chatting with the Founder and Lead accountant of First Step Accounting, Nayo Carter-Gray. 


    Nayo is a self proclaimed “pusher” and tech enthusiast who, though her own life experiences, has also become an expert at helping women see their own value.


    In this episode, Nayo and I cover:

    - Talk about real every-day steps we can all take to cultivate diversity and elevate women
    - How building strong communities and prioritizing your core values can help you own your own power
    - How having a child can drive you to do more


    To learn more about Nayo and 1st Step Accounting you can visit her website or follow her on Instagram.

    Finding Fearless is an exploration of human-centric leadership and a celebration of ambition,  releasing every other week on Wednesdays, 6AM PST.  If you liked the show, please rate, review, and share! You can also visit our website to learn more about how to become a sponsor of Finding Fearless!


    Finding Fearless is produced by Fearless Foundry, a creative consultancy focused on advancing ambitious humans from around the globe to amplify their impact through branding, marketing, and business development. You can contact us at [email protected] if you are interested in our services and can follow us on all social media @fearlessfoundry.


    Season 4 music is by Premium Beats. All audio is recorded and owned by Fearless Foundry. 

    54 min
  • Jennifer Neundorfer Chats Women and Money - S1:E21

    Welcome back to Finding Fearless! Out of all the things that I and the Fearless Foundry team get fired up about, the topic of women and money definitely takes the cake. That's why we invited Jennifer Kaiser Neundorfer on the podcast.


    Jennifer Kaiser Neundorfer and her founding partner, Maren Thomas Bannon, started Jane VC  to bring equity to funding. A powerhouse duo with a background in tech and investments, these women are on a mission to put more money into the hands of female founders, and we’re all for it!

    In this episode, Jenn and I cover:

    - Jenn's path to launching a VC firm
    - Some powerful advice for women everywhere who are aiming to dream and pitch big to potential investors
    - The reality of the lack of funding for female founders everywhere


    To learn more about Jane VC you can visit their website or follow them on Instagram.

    Finding Fearless is an exploration of human-centric leadership and a celebration of ambition,  releasing every other week on Wednesdays, 6AM PST.  If you liked the show, please rate, review, and share! You can also visit our website to learn more about how to become a sponsor of Finding Fearless!


    Finding Fearless is produced by Fearless Foundry, a creative consultancy focused on advancing ambitious humans from around the globe to amplify their impact through branding, marketing, and business development. You can contact us at [email protected] if you are interested in our services and can follow us on all social media @fearlessfoundry.


    Season 4 music is by Premium Beats. All audio is recorded and owned by Fearless Foundry. 

    54 min
  • Episode 21 - Gail Perry
    The path to equality is hardly linear, at least that’s what we’ve been told by those who have been paving the way since long before we began walking down it. Sometimes it feels like we’re hardly making progress, at least that is until our own lived experiences are held up to the wider historical context. It’s easy to look at today’s political & social climate and ask “Why aren’t we further along?”. Yet it wasn’t until I sat down with Gail Perry, author, advocate, and accounting industry legend that I realized how far we have come in just her lifetime.
    During our conversation, Gail told me a story about an experience she had early in her career working for a Top 4 accounting firm. The firm had a particularly prominent tax client that refused to “have their taxes done by a woman”. Because of her expertise, the firm assigned Gail the tax client. However, because of the client’s disparaging belief about the intellect & abilities of women, a male colleague led meetings with them while she whispered tax advice to him from behind a curtain. The image this story conjures up feels laughable on the surface and seems to be something out of some long forgotten era. But it was the reality for a woman whose own two daughters have only just embarked on their own careers in the last decade.
    Yes, we’ve made progress. But we have so far left to go. That is what I took away from my conversation with Gail. That, and the fact that the only way we’re going to reach our desired goals if we stop asking for permission to be a part of things. It’s time for women to stop waiting to be invited and to start claiming our seats at the table. And if we aren’t invited to the table, we have to recognize and own the fact that we have the power and abilities to create our own.
    It’s easy to sit back and say that there should be more representation & equality in the working world. It takes a lot more effort to show up & speak up about these issues and make space for others to do the same. We often trip ourselves up thinking things need to be polished & completely perfect, but as the author 34 books and the editor-in-chief of one of the most influential publishers in the accounting industries, Gail Perry is a testament to the progress that can be made simply by showing up & putting in the work. For that, and for her incredible candor & support of women in the accounting industry, she will always be someone who continues to inspire women to show up for themselves & teach others to do the same.
    1 hr 14 min
  • Gail Perry Tackles Representation and Equality For Women - S1:E20

    Welcome back to Finding Fearless! This week we have the honor of having Gail Perry, author, advocate, and accounting industry legend, on the podcast. 


    Gail is the author of 34 books and the editor-in-chief of one of the most influential publishers in the accounting industries. She is a testament to the progress that can be made simply by showing up & putting in the work. For that, and for her incredible candor & support of women in the accounting industry, she will always be someone who continues to inspire women to show up for themselves & teach others to do the same.


    In this episode, Gail and I cover:

    - The path to equality, and how it is hardly linear 
    - Why it's time for women to stop waiting to be invited and to start claiming our seats at the table
    - And how it takes a lot more effort to show up & speak up about these issues, and make space for others to do the same


    If you loved listening to Gail as much as we did, you can connect with her AND purchase her amazing books at her website! You can also follow her on Twitter @gailperrync !

    Finding Fearless is an exploration of human-centric leadership and a celebration of ambition,  releasing every other week on Wednesdays, 6AM PST.  If you liked the show, please rate, review, and share! You can also visit our website to learn more about how to become a sponsor of Finding Fearless!


    Finding Fearless is produced by Fearless Foundry, a creative consultancy focused on advancing ambitious humans from around the globe to amplify their impact through branding, marketing, and business development. You can contact us at [email protected] if you are interested in our services and can follow us on all social media @fearlessfoundry.


    Season 4 music is by Premium Beats. All audio is recorded and owned by Fearless Foundry. 

    1 hr 14 min
  • Inequality and Lack of Diversity of the Working World with Sasha Graham - S1:E19

    Welcome back to Finding Fearless! This week we have Sasha Graham of The Equality Group on to talk about the lack of diversity in the working world.


    Sasha is the marketing manager at The Equality Group,  an executive search firm that focuses on placing diverse leaders in the roles in the realms of Finance, Technology, and Social Impact. Founded by entrepreneur & philanthropist Hephzi Pemberton, the firm is committed to changing the business landscape by widening the range of exceptional candidates and offering them unique leadership opportunities. 



    In this episode, Sasha and I cover:

    - The power of data to drive shifts in behavior and elevate unconscious bias
    - Some of the more tangible tools for driving change, like training, policies, and legislation
     - The power of putting your values forth in an actionable way by working for a company that is creating positive and intentional change in the world


    If you’re interested in learning more about the Equality Group, you can visit their website or follow them on Instagram at @equalitygroupglobal.

    Finding Fearless is an exploration of human-centric leadership and a celebration of ambition,  releasing every other week on Wednesdays, 6AM PST.  If you liked the show, please rate, review, and share! You can also visit our website to learn more about how to become a sponsor of Finding Fearless!


    Finding Fearless is produced by Fearless Foundry, a creative consultancy focused on advancing ambitious humans from around the globe to amplify their impact through branding, marketing, and business development. You can contact us at [email protected] if you are interested in our services and can follow us on all social media @fearlessfoundry.


    Season 4 music is by Premium Beats. All audio is recorded and owned by Fearless Foundry. 

    1 hr 18 min
  • Episode 20 - Sasha Graham
    There’s no dancing around the subject. The stats speak for themselves. The state of equality (or lack thereof) within the executive level workforce is dismal and in dire need of disruption. It’s a problem that to some might seem insurmountable, or at the very least, pretty daunting. However, to the folks at the Equality Group, this is the exact problem they are determined to tackle head-on.
    The Equality Group is an executive search firm that focuses on placing diverse leaders in the roles in the realms of Finance, Technology, and Social Impact. Founded by entrepreneur & philanthropist Hephzi Pemberton, the firm is committed to changing the business landscape by widening the range of exceptional candidates and offering them unique leadership opportunities. When I first connected with the firm on Instagram, I was determined to learn more about the tactics they are taking to level the playing field, and I ended up sitting down with their marketing manager, Sasha Graham to record an incredibly thought-provoking episode of the podcast.
    During the latest episode, Sasha and I talk in depth about inequality & lack of diversity of the working world, and how equality is presenting the issue as a case for building a better & statistically more profitable business. We talk about the power of data to drive shifts in behavior and elevate unconscious bias, and how data-driven marketing is re-educating business owners on a global scale. In addition to discussing the work of the Equality Group, we took time to talk about some of the more tangible tools for driving change like training, policies, and legislation. Sasha shares with us her broad experiences from working in industries from fashion to finance, and the power of putting your values forth in an actionable way by working for a company that is creating positive and intentional change in the world.
    If you’re interested in learning more about the Equality Group you can visit their website or follow them on Instagram at @equalitygroupglobal.
    1 hr 18 min
  • Advocating for Yourself In the Workplace with Lizzy Cook - S1:E18

    Welcome back to Finding Fearless! This week on the pod, we have Lizzy Cook -- a rule breaker, a no shit taker, a woman that has found her voice and encourages other women to do the same. 


    Lizzy and I first met in the world of tech and would connect at conferences, both of us figuring out how to navigate the often sexist environment. Whether it was men referring to us as “booth babes” or planning an escape from a bro-heavy happy hour, Lizzy was one of the women in my world that really understood what it is like being a #womanintech. And just like me, she isn’t content to sit tight with the status quo, she’s ready to change it.


    In this episode, Lizzy and I cover:

    - The lessons we’ve learned from bringing our values to the forefront in our work
    - Real-life tactics that women can use to elevate each other in the workplace
    - How to advocate for yourself in the current corporate climate


    Finding Fearless is an exploration of human-centric leadership and a celebration of ambition,  releasing every other week on Wednesdays, 6AM PST.  If you liked the show, please rate, review, and share! You can also visit our website to learn more about how to become a sponsor of Finding Fearless!


    Finding Fearless is produced by Fearless Foundry, a creative consultancy focused on advancing ambitious humans from around the globe to amplify their impact through branding, marketing, and business development. You can contact us at [email protected] if you are interested in our services and can follow us on all social media @fearlessfoundry.


    Season 4 music is by Premium Beats. All audio is recorded and owned by Fearless Foundry. 

    1 hr 10 min
  • Special Episode: IWD Panel Discussion - S1:E17

    Welcome back to a special episode of Finding Fearless! This week we have a recording from a panel event that took place live, on the Practice Ignition’s Facebook page, the morning of March 8th.

    This panel featured some of their Top 50 Women In Accounting finalists, as well as a diverse array of other female voices from across the profession.

    Women’s voices are still dramatically underrepresented in the world of accounting, despite the fact that women make up the majority of the profession. 61.3% of the profession at large is female, and yet we still see a predominate number of men highlighted online & at conferences as “authorities” on topics related to the profession. It’s clear that there is a disconnect that goes deeper than the surface because more women than ever before are graduating accounting expertise, yet the top positions of the profession are still overwhelmingly male-dominated and the wide gender pay gap within the profession isn’t showing any signs of closing. As one might guess, the statistics for representation & pay for women of color within the profession are even more abysmal. These inequalities are hardly unique to the accounting profession, but the issues are pressing all the same, so it’s time for us to set aside some time to start addressing them head-on.


    Rather than sitting around waiting for someone else to pass the mic, I collaborated with Practice Ignition to host a virtual panel discussion featuring some of the incredible & inspiring women in the accounting space. The goal of the moment was simple: to shed some light on the experiences, opinions, and triumphs of women in accounting.


    For those who couldn’t make it live, I captured the conversation in this special episode of the Finding Fearless Podcast.  


    In this panel, we covered:
    - A variety of questions about the panel's entrepreneurial ambitions and 
    - The current position of women in the accounting profession
    - The ways that we can elevate more women to within the profession to share their voices & be heard

    Finding Fearless is an exploration of human-centric leadership and a celebration of ambition,  releasing every other week on Wednesdays, 6AM PST.  If you liked the show, please rate, review, and share! You can also visit our website to learn more about how to become a sponsor of Finding Fearless!


    Finding Fearless is produced by Fearless Foundry, a creative consultancy focused on advancing ambitious humans from around the globe to amplify their impact through branding, marketing, and business development. You can contact us at [email protected] if you are interested in our services and can follow us on all social media @fearlessfoundry.


    Season 4 music is by Premium Beats. All audio is recorded and owned by Fearless Foundry. 

    1 hr 24 min

About Finding Fearless

From the publisher's feed

Finding Fearless is an exploration of human-centric leadership and a celebration of ambition. Join host Madeline Reeves, CEO of Fearless Foundry, as she digs deep to learn from the lived…