Firestarters with Shannon Watts

Amy Diehl, Ph.D. is an award-winning IT leader and Chief Information Officer at Wilson College, as well as a leading gender equity researcher. She is the author of Glass Walls: Shattering the Six Gender Bias Barriers Still Holding Women Back at Work and a sought-after speaker, consultant, and expert witness. Driven by a commitment to advancing gender equality, she helps organizations dismantle systemic barriers so women can advance and workplaces can thrive.

In this conversation, we discussed how (beyond the horrible sexual abuse and trafficking) the Epstein files also brought to light the casual misogyny and sexism toward women, the 6 barriers outlined in her book, Glass Walls, that she used to analyze the files and the significance for women in the workplace, how misogyny enables a collective silence to protect men and devalue women, and what we can do to correct these injustices.

Connect with Amy: Website | Instagram | LinkedIn

For women ready to stop living on autopilot and playing it small, Fired Up will show you how to shatter your self imposed limitations and unleash your potential so you can finally start living the life you’ve always wanted. Click to order.

Jenn Sherman is my favorite Peloton star trainer who was the very first cycling instructor hired at Peloton Interactive. She’s also the founder of The Back Nine Era, and her goal is to redefine life after 50 by training for longevity, health, and strength.

In this conversation, we discussed how Jenn became a Peloton trainer in her 40s and how it’s never too late to make a pivot in your life, how imposter syndrome still rears its ugly head no matter what you’ve accomplished, why community is an important part of women’s health and fitness, what the “back nine era” is, and the 5 habits women should incorporate to live our best lives in our 50s and beyond.

Connect with Jenn: Instagram | Facebook

For women ready to stop living on autopilot and playing it small, Fired Up will show you how to shatter your self imposed limitations and unleash your potential so you can finally start living the life you’ve always wanted. Click to order.

Stefanie O'Connell is an award-winning journalist covering money, power, and ambition whose work has been published in Slate, Bloomberg, Newsweek, USA Today, Glamour UK, Business Insider, and CNBC.com. She wrote, hosted, and co-produced Real Simple magazine’s Webby Award–winning podcast Money Confidential and publishes the Too Ambitious newsletter. She’s also the author of the upcoming book, The Ambition Penalty: How Corporate Culture Tells Women to Step Up―and Then Pushes Them Down.

In this conversation, we discussed the biggest obstacle to women’s opportunity and wealth, the myths surrounding gender equality and workplace bias, what the “ambition penalty” is, what women should do when the system is against us, and her upcoming book, The Ambition Penalty.

Connect with Stefanie: Website | Substack | Instagram

For women ready to stop living on autopilot and playing it small, Fired Up will show you how to shatter your self imposed limitations and unleash your potential so you can finally start living the life you’ve always wanted. Click to order.

Dr. Annie Andrews has spent her career as a pediatrician fighting for children and families, and now she is taking that fight to the Senate. She is a mom and Democrat running to unseat Lindsey Graham in South Carolina. After nearly two decades in children’s hospitals, Annie saw how Washington’s failures reach all the way into her hospital room every day. Kids shot in their own neighborhoods, parents forced to ration medication, families unable to find mental health care. So she got involved in advocacy and policy—and what she saw in the halls of power appalled her. With public health under attack, we need leaders like Annie in office.

In this conversation, we discussed what it’s like to go from a private everyday citizen to someone who is trying to protect people and force change, the pivotal moment that motivated Annie to run for Senate, why it’s important to support Democratic candidates in “red” states, and why we can’t stop fighting against the political corruption in our government.

Connect with Dr. Annie: Website | Facebook | Instagram

Click here to join Dr. Annie Andrews on March 25th at 8:30 p.m. ET for a virtual fundraiser.

For women ready to stop living on autopilot and playing it small, Fired Up will show you how to shatter your self imposed limitations and unleash your potential so you can finally start living the life you’ve always wanted. Click to order.

Dr. Heidi Lescanec has been a licensed naturopathic doctor in British Columbia for over 25 years, a trained anthropologist, and founder of The Pink Zones—a global and grassroots search for the places, people, and practices where women are thriving through midlife and beyond. She also focuses on hormone and digestive health and culinary nutrition. In her previous work, she saw the transformative power of traditional styles of healing that addressed the health of the whole person, body, and mind, and it inspired her to pursue studying naturopathic medicine. She aims to reach more women who believe the second half of life could be the best part.

In this conversation, we discussed the term “pink zones” and how those environments allow women to thrive, what happens when women stop feeling invisible (especially in midlife and during menopause), why conventional medical training doesn’t prepare women for the midlife transition, and we address the question of why women are living longer but aren’t necessarily thriving longer.

Connect with Dr. Heidi: Substack | Website | Instagram

For women ready to stop living on autopilot and playing it small, Fired Up will show you how to shatter your self imposed limitations and unleash your potential so you can finally start living the life you’ve always wanted. Click to order.

Juliana Stratton is the Lt. Governor of Illinois and a candidate for the U.S. Senate. Juliana is also a mom, a caregiver, a Chicago South Sider, and a fighter for the people of Illinois. Alongside Governor JB Pritzker, she’s spent the last decade working to make life more affordable and expand opportunities for the middle class, and now she’s ready to bring that blueprint to Washington.

In this conversation, we discussed Juliana’s political journey and why she decided to run for Senate, why it’s imperative to stand up to Donald Trump and his administration, why she feels so strongly about not accepting corporate PAC money for her campaign, how she’s focused on making life more affordable for everyone, and why it’s so important and significant to elect Black women in the Senate.

Connect with Juliana: Website | Instagram | Facebook

For women ready to stop living on autopilot and playing it small, Fired Up will show you how to shatter your self imposed limitations and unleash your potential so you can finally start living the life you’ve always wanted. Click to order.

Oona Metz is a Boston-based psychotherapist with over 30 years of experience supporting women through the emotional, psychological, and identity shifts of divorce. She is also a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, a Certified Group Psychotherapist, and her practice is focused on individual adults and group therapy. She specializes in working with women+ who are in transition. She is also the author of Unhitched: The Essential Divorce Guide For Women, about how women can navigate the emotional side of divorce and emerge stronger, more confident, and ready to thrive.

In this conversation, we discussed the struggles women face in the midst of divorce, how to reduce shame and stigma and feelings of isolation around divorce, what “gray divorce” is and why it’s on the rise, and the five stages of divorce grief.

Connect with Oona: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Indeed

For women ready to stop living on autopilot and playing it small, Fired Up will show you how to shatter your self imposed limitations and unleash your potential so you can finally start living the life you’ve always wanted. Click to order.

Dr. Maria Sophocles is a board-certified OB/GYN and a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner. She is a nationally recognized thought leader in menopause and female sexual function, and a frequent panelist and speaker for women’s health advocacy, investment, and policy. She is also the author of The Bedroom Gap: Rewrite the Rules and Roles of Sex in Mid Life (available on February 10th), which offers a roadmap for midlife women, couples, clinicians and anyone wanting to understand – and change – how we age, sexually speaking.

In this conversation, we discussed why sex ed in schools needs to be revamped, how menopause can impact your sex life (and how to talk to your partner and doctor about it!), how resources like hormone replacement therapy and vaginal estrogen can help women in menopause, and we dispelled myths about sex and aging.

Connect with Maria: Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | TED Talk

In case you missed it, read my essay on why women in midlife are having the best sex of their lives.

For women ready to stop living on autopilot and playing it small, Fired Up will show you how to shatter your self imposed limitations and unleash your potential so you can finally start living the life you’ve always wanted. Click to order.

Thank you Marcus Flowers, Lisa Schreiber NBC-HWC, Author, Maximilian Hardy, dcdiversity, Caroline Pompizzi, and many others for tuning into my live video with Daniel Biss! Join me for my next live video in the app.

Jennifer Wallace is an award-winning journalist and bestselling author who explores the power of mattering in everyday life. Her first book, Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic — And What We Can Do About It, was a New York Times Bestseller, an Amazon Best Book of the Year, and a Next Big Idea selection. Her forthcoming book Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose, will be published on January 27th. Jennifer is also the founder of The Mattering Institute, whose mission is to create cultures of mattering in workplaces and communities.

In this conversation, we discussed how people in today’s society no longer feel valued, why mattering is an essential human need, the distinction between belonging and mattering, and tips on how to help people (and ourselves!) feel like they matter.

Connect with Jennifer: Website | Instagram | LinkedIn

For women ready to stop living on autopilot and playing it small, Fired Up will show you how to shatter your self imposed limitations and unleash your potential so you can finally start living the life you’ve always wanted. Click to order.