Madam Policy

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains discussion of sexual assault and sexual violence. Listener discretion is advised.

Trailblazer and author Robin Schepper is committed to transparency and democracy—two throughlines in her new memoir Finding My Way: A Memoir of Family, Identity and Political Ambition (release date April 18th). Join hosts Dee Martin and Caitlin Sickles as they talk with Robin about why she shared her extraordinary life story and the importance of authenticity in doing so. They discuss the implications of overturning Roe v. Wade; the negative mental and physical effects of keeping secrets; and the importance of participating in the democratic process. Robin, who served at the highest levels of American politics and government for over three decades, offers practical and insightful advice, including sharing her Nana's sage words, "Life is short. Eat dessert first." This is one you don't want to miss!

Global leader and history maker Judith Batty is no stranger to being in the room where history is made. Judith spent over 25 years at Exxon Mobil, she was the first Black CEO of the Girl Scouts of the USA, and she was one of the first youth delegates to attend the National Council Session for Girl Scouts in 1975 when Gloria Randle Scott was elected the first Black president of Girl Scouts of the USA. Now, Judith serves on the Board of Directors at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority where she co-chairs the Finance Committee and the Executive and Governance Committee and serves on the Strategic Development and the Environmental, Social, and Governance Committees.

Tune in as Judith sits down with hosts Dee Martin and Ihna Mangundayao to discuss her team's efforts to make DC-area airports more sustainable, how she guided the Girls Scouts through the challenges of COVID, and advice on how young professionals can have a bigger voice in the workplace. Want to hear Judith's thoughts on getting on boards? Her view on how the oil and gas industry is changing? Her greatest leadership lessons learned so far? Then turn on airplane mode and listen in to this exciting episode of Madam Policy!

Amazon best-selling author, published writer, frequent on-air personality, and radio host Reecie Colbert has always been unbossed and unfiltered. She recently debuted her own show on Sirius XM Urban View called “The Reecie Colbert Show,” but Reecie is not new to the world of media and politics. From founding BlackWomenViews media, to becoming a best-selling author of Long and Short of it Guide to the 2022 Midterms, to appearing weekly on Sirius XM’s Clay Cane Show, to making her childhood dream of becoming a talk show host come true, Reecie is a trailblazer for women in media and politics.

How does Reecie tackle disinformation? What’s it like to have call-in listeners on your own show? What’s next in Reecie’s expansive empire? How does highly successful media entrepreneur Reecie Colbert juggle multiple platforms, speaking engagements, and family life? One word: Grace. Tune in as hosts Dee Martin and Yasmin Nelson sit down with Reecie to hear it all…#Unbossed & #Unfiltered!

Published author and award-winning journalist Emma Goldberg is on a mission: to understand why people do the things they do. Curiosity at an early age drove her to ask questions about human behavior, and the role of reporter provided the perfect vehicle for doing just that: asking people "why?". Now a highly-recognized business journalist at the New York Times, Emma covers the future of work. Why are 37-year-olds afraid of the 23-year-olds who work for them? What is "techlash"? How do you prepare if you are worried you might lose your job? Emma covers all of these hot topics and more on her beat and offers invaluable insight into today's workforce. And, her book, Life on the Line: Young Doctors Come of Age in a Pandemic, follows young doctors who entered the healthcare workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic and received universal acclaim, including the Washington Post calling the book "essential reading."

Tune in to this week's episode as Emma sits down with hosts Dee Martin and Ihna Mangundayao to discuss the modern work force and the role young people have in it. They also discuss the trends in online/remote work, young doctors experiencing burnout from their pandemic practices, and the debate that rages over the use of Comic Sans—use it or not?

Champion for justice and distinguished litigator, Skye Perryman’s mission is to protect democracy.  President and CEO of Democracy Forward, Skye Perryman returned to Madam Policy to chat about her important work, including Democracy Forward’s celebration of its “Five Years of Impact,” with hosts Dee Martin and Yasmin Nelson. Skye was last on the pod before the United States Supreme Court issued its Dobbs opinion, which overturned Roe v. Wade. Not one to stand by quietly, Democracy Forward under Skye’s leadership, just this month filed a “first of its kind” lawsuit on behalf of GenBioPro, a maker of one of the two abortion drugs in the reproductive healthcare space. Skye also discussed the role the Dobbs decision played in 2022 midterm elections and the potential impact on the 2024 presidential race.

Want to hear more about Skye’s work on student debt relief? What she believes is the biggest threat to democracy? Her strong commitment to mentorship? What she’ll talk about at SXSW? Then tune in because this is an episode you don’t want to miss!

In a special post-State of the Union episode, hosts Dee Martin and Yasmin Nelson are once again joined by powerful force for constituents and voice for House Dems, Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16). As the newly elected Co-Chair for the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, Congresswoman Escobar is guiding the messaging for policy priorities of the Democratic Caucus in the 118th Congress. And on that note, how will Dems message the implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act? Tune in to find out!

Rep. Escobar also talks about her top takeaways from President Biden's SOTU address, immigration reform, paid sick leave and FMLA, and more. Want to know what advice this powerhouse Congresswoman would give to her future self? Listen in!

A 20-year veteran and leader in the energy finance space, Elena Robciuc spearheads Societe Generale's early-mover goals in financing decarbonization strategies, including carbon capture and sequestration, hydrogen, biofuels, and energy storage. As Managing Director and Houston Team Lead of Energy+ Group for one of the world's largest banks, Elena and her institution are working towards making a positive impact on sustainability and our clean energy future. 

In this week's episode, join Bracewell partners Dee Martin and Stephanie Koo Song as they host Elena on Madam Policy. Is the Inflation Reduction Act a game changer? Is clean hydrogen a new asset class?  How are banks doing their part to help achieve net-zero emissions? What are Elena's top tips for success for young professionals? And, what advice would Elena give her 24-year-old self? You'll learn something new in this episode—don't miss it!

Brand maven Madeline Fetterly's advice to her 24-year-old self? Don't worry about the path—just do the next interesting thing. Good advice from a woman who not only does the next interesting thing, but also she invents it. Before Madeline started Be the Brand, she worked at powerhouse international women's empowerment organization, Vital Voices.  Hear about Madeline's decision to leave beloved Vital Voices and focus on Be the Brand, a decision she made because she knew that she "could no longer run full speed in both directions."

This Madam Policy episode is full of pragmatic, implementable and important advice on building your own personal brand: what to do and what not to do. Madeline sits down with hosts Dee Martin and Caitlin Sickles to discuss personal and professional branding in the digital space, how to make decisions on career shifts, and how to balance working and growing in your career with being a mother and a member of a family. Make sure to tune in!

When Kristi Rogers sees a problem, she feels compelled to find a solution. Kristi does it all: not only is she the Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Principal to Principal, but also she is a leading risk management expert functioning at the intersection of geopolitical stability, corporate leadership, and crisis communications. This serial and successful start-up CEO has over 25-years of experience accumulated through her service in senior roles in the federal government  and leadership on the boards of publicly-traded companies.

This week, Kristi chats with hosts Dee Martin and Executive Director of the FBI Agents Association, friend of Madam Policy, and previous guest Jean O'Connor, about the importance of learning from life's work. Hear about Kristi's time in Iraq serving as federal official, the founding of her successful companies, and leading conversations with women leaders in Ukraine and Iran. Want to know more about the solutions for global supply chain disruptions? Semiconductors? The threat China poses? Cybersecurity risks? Tune into this episode because Kristi has thoughts on—and policy solutions for—all of them!

Also, you don't want to miss the advice she would give her 24-year old self and what fascinating books are on her nightstand!

Episode Description: TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains a discussion on grooming and youth trafficking and exploitation. Listener discretion advised.

Lerina Bright spent years in sports management with international sports federations in Europe, the Middle East, North America, and the Caribbean. From there, she began her journey into ending human trafficking in sport. She soon founded and became Executive Director of Mission 89 and dedicated her life to ending exploitation of young athletes. An outspoken advocate, Lerina recently organized an event in New York during the 77th United Nations General Assembly on the topic featuring her own remarks and those of Samuel Eto'o, world-famous soccer player, who spoke about the abandonment of young footballers.

With the backdrop of the FIFA World Cup currently taking place in Qatar, hosts Dee Martin and Caitlin Sickles sit down with Lerina to discuss the status of trafficking in sport and the risk to young athletes. Lerina discusses her recent  work urging the adoption of a UN resolution and Mission 89's work emphasizing continued improvement through relationships and collaborations.

Don't miss out- take a listen!