Make it Brave

Building relationships with people who speak different languages and come from different places and backgrounds can be challenging, or even scary, for many people.

But for today's guest, Chris Schirm, it's all part of his job as a foreign service officer for the U.S. State Department. He's on his fifth tour of service abroad, this time in the Republic of Congo.

Even if you have no desire to ever serve or work or even travel abroad, Chris offers some great perspective on the importance of surrounding ourselves with diversity of people and opinions. He also discussions how curiosity can help us build relationships with people who are different from us––right in our own neighborhoods.

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Serina Bird is no stranger to making brave, but extremely difficult decisions. She stood up to bullying at her job. She left her abusive husband and took her two young children with her. And most recently, she left her stable public service job to focus on writing and podcasting––and this happened just a few months before the pandemic hit.

And now, through her company, The Joyful Frugalista, it's her mission to help Australians learn how to be financially resilient and learn to live on less––and be happy while doing it!

Serina is a great example for what it means to be resilient. Her story is a powerful one and it's a great reminder that we can, indeed, do hard things. My hope is that it will leave you with the inspiration and encouragement you need to be just a little braver.

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Welcome to the 50th episode of Make It Brave! In this solo show, I'm talking about why bravery isn't about the start or finish of the journey, but pushing through the yucky middle.

I'm also giving away some t-shirts and tumblers on Instagram and Facebook, so head to those channels to enter to win.

Thanks so much for listening and for being the reason I keep doing this work. I'm grateful for you!

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Women are experts at juggling lots of plates––from work to childcare to household demands––just to name a few. And it can be overwhelming to manage it all.

That's where Mridu Parikh comes in. She's a productivity strategist who helps women overcome the overwhelm so they are not feeling so frazzled and stressed, which is especially helpful now as the demands of the pandemic make life even harder than normal.

During our conversation, we talk about how fear plays a role in these feelings of stress, some practical ways to get outside of our comfort zones and what we can do to achieve balance, especially right now.

I think you'll find this interview packed with useful tidbits of information that you'll find helpful and encouraging.

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Bravery isn't always one big, courageous act. More often than not, it's making a series of choices to stretch yourself, day in and day out. That's definitely the case for Gina Miller.

Gina is a music industry executive who has pushed herself throughout her life and career. Gina's working on diversity and inclusion efforts in the music industry and has launched her own line of products.

During this powerful conversation, we cover many important topics, such as pushing past our limitations, finding the courage to speak out against racism in our own lives and identifying our passion and purpose. If you were looking for some encouragement today, you're going to get it from Gina. Buckle up, friends! This is a good one.

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Decision-making can always be challenging. But thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, we are facing more complex and difficult decisions than ever before. Even the simplest choices are fraught with stress and anxiety. And as a result, it can be extraordinarily difficult to make choices that feel good and healthy for us.

In today's solo episode, I'm sharing the framework I used to make a difficult decision and how it ultimately helped me choose myself. If you're struggling through some tough choices, I'm hopeful this approach will help you too.

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Can you imagine moving to a country you had never visited before? And what about if you didn't speak that country's language?

Sounds pretty daunting, right?

That's exactly what Naima Spencer did at the age of 24. She left her home country of Morocco and moved to the United States with only $500 and an English/French dictionary in her pocket.

Moving to the U.S. is something Naima dreamed about her entire life and she was able to make that happen. However, once she got here, life didn't turn out as she had imagined. For years, Naima worked minimum wage jobs and she felt overwhelmed and lost. She wondered "is this really the life I wanted?"

Naima decided to make a change in her life once again. And you'll hear how she pushed through her fears and limiting beliefs to do the things she dreamed about. And now, Naima has the MBA she dreamed of earning and she's a life coach who helps other people pursue their passions and dreams.

Naima's story is one of reinvention, hope and courage. If you've ever felt stuck in your life or your work, Naima's story will give you some encouragement to make a change. Naima is proof that it's never too late to pursue your dreams.

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Have you ever felt like you had to follow a prescribed set of rules to achieve success and happiness in your life?

That's exactly how Brittany Tucker felt. She did all of the things she thought a woman was supposed to do to feel loved, accepted and worthy. But even after doing all those things, she still wasn't happy. And she realized that there had to be a better way.

In today's episode, you'll hear more about her story and what it was like for her to ditch the checklist and start building a better way forward for herself. And now she helps other women do it too.

Connect with Brittany Tucker

• Visit her website, Brighter with Britt
• Follow her on Instagram at @BrighterwithBritt
• Connect with Brittany on LinkedIn
• Like Brittany on Facebook

Other resources mentioned on the show

• Untamed by Glennon Doyle
• Big Magic by Elizabeth GIlbert

GET MAKE IT BRAVE PRODUCTS

If you listen to this episode, you'll hear that I announced the launch of our new Make it Brave products! You can now get posters or notecards at makeitbrave.com/shop.

SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK

Enjoying the show? Share your feedback by leaving a five-star review on iTunes. Your feedback helps others discover the show. Plus, I'll give you a shout out on an upcoming episode!

CONNECT WITH THE SHOW

You're invited to join the brand new Make it Brave Community on Facebook to get support and encouragement as you work to live a braver life. I hope you'll join us there!

Although women have come a long way in the workplace, in many industries, women are still vastly underrepresented. That's definitely the case with engineering. Depending on which numbers you look at, women only make up roughly 20-30% of the workforce in that industry.

That's why it's remarkable that Laura Reinbold is in a position of leadership at a large engineering firm. In fact, she was just named Engineer of the Year by the Nashville Business Journal.

But, this kind of accolade wasn't common for women in her industry even as recently as a few years ago. In fact, she started the Power Women in Architecture, Engineering and Construction after seeing no women and people of color represented when the local paper highlighted leaders in the industry.

During our conversation, we discuss Laura's experience working in a heavily male dominated industry, her ongoing battle with imposter syndrome and the power of asking questions and doing internal work to question and challenge implicit bias in our lives.

This is a wonderful interview for women in positions of leadership, especially since Laura talks a lot about how to build a more equitable workplace.

• Connect with Laura Reinbold on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Laura's work at Terracon

SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK

Enjoying the show? Share your feedback by leaving a five-star review on iTunes. Your feedback helps others discover the show. Plus, I'll give you a shout out on an upcoming episode!

CONNECT WITH THE SHOW

You're invited to join the brand new Make it Brave Community on Facebook to get support and encouragement as you work to live a braver life. I hope you'll join us there!

Do you have someone in your life that you've always looked up to for their confidence and courage?

That's how I feel about today's guest, Kia Jarmon. Several years ago, I spoke on a panel with Kia. And ever since I met her, I've admired her confidence and courage. She knows exactly who she is and it's evident in how she shows up in the world.

Kia is talented and gifted in so many ways that it's hard to find the right words to describe her. Kia is an entrepreneur. A communicator. A speaker. A change agent. A philanthropist. A mentor. A mother. Ultimately, Kia is a strong, powerful voice in Nashville. That's why you'll often find her working on high-impact projects in our city.

During our conversation, we talked about everything from how to be brave in business to the courage of motherhood to finding the bravery to address racism in your own life.

Kia is so wise and her confidence is utterly contagious. This was such a valuable, beautiful, honest conversation. I hope you'll enjoy listening to Kia as much as I did.

Connect with Kia and Her Work

• Learn about Kia's boutique public relations firm, MEPR Agency
• Learn more about Kia's work and speaking
• Black Philanthropy Initiative, Give Back, Give Black
• Follow Kia on Instagram
• Connect with Kia on LinkedIn

SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK

Enjoying the show? Share your feedback by leaving a five-star review on iTunes. Your feedback helps others discover the show. Plus, I'll give you a shout out on an upcoming episode!

CONNECT WITH THE SHOW

You're invited to join the brand new Make it Brave Community on Facebook to get support and encouragement as you work to live a braver life. I hope you'll join us there!