MOJO Maker for Womxn in Tech

Episode S2E18: Show Notes.

It is so easy to lose ourselves in grief, to feel like the heaviness will never lift. Known as a purveyor of hope, today’s guest started a podcast called Let’s Talk About Grief in 2018 when she discovered that many people viewed death and grief as negative and held little hope about life after grief. As a retired nurse and having studied Well Being Psychology at Yale and Positive Psychology at Penn State, Anne DeButte coaches individuals to move from hopeless to hopeful, helping them make a positive shift along the path of grieving without getting lost in it. In today’s episode, Anne shares the importance of recognizing and allowing yourself to feel your emotions rather than distracting yourself from them. We also discuss the losses everyone has experienced during COVID, how to support those in your workplace who have suffered a loss, and the value of reviewing HR policies around bereavement, so make sure to tune in today to learn more! 

Key Points From This Episode:

•    Anne starts by acknowledging the grief everyone has been through during COVID.

•    She speaks candidly about the grief she experienced when her father passed away.

•    The importance of naming your grief and giving yourself permission to feel your emotions rather than avoiding them.

•    Common responses to grief and why they are full of could’s, should’s, and would’s.

•    Why grief or a broken heart can’t necessarily “heal” in the same manner as the body does.

•    Extending compassion toward yourself and others who are going through grief.

•    Understanding that grief isn’t comparable and there is no loss too small or too great.

•    How to engage with and support someone in your workplace who has experienced a loss by simply being there for them.

•    Anne’s advice for “being there” for someone during the isolation of the pandemic: reach out.

•    Why being in nature can be so healing for someone who is grieving.

•    How leaders can play a big role by speaking about grief in the workplace.

•    The value of reviewing HR policies around bereavement, particularly during COVID.

•    Why it is so important to make space for grief, whether personally or in the workplace.

•    Find out how grief coaching can guide you from where you are to where you want to be.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Understanding Grief

Anne DeButte Email

Anne DeButte on LinkedIn

Anne DeButte on Twitter

Anne DeButte on Facebook

Anne DeButte on Instagram

Anne DeButte on Clubhouse

Karen Worstell

MOJO Maker

Flameproof Your Career and Handle Adversity Like a Boss

MOJO Maker for Womxn in Tech on Facebook

MOJO Maker for Womxn in Tech on Instagram

MOJO Maker for Womxn in Tech on LinkedIn

Today’s guest on the MOJO Maker for Womxn in Tech Podcast is Lynn Dohm, the Executive Director of Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS). Join us as we discuss the upcoming WiCyS 2021 Conference in Colorado in September and what moving the needle looks like to improve representation and diversity in the cybersecurity industry. Lynn brings with her more than 20 years of organizational experience. She has successfully aligned businesses, nonprofits, and NSF-funded grants with their business goals and outcomes, and she is passionate about the need for diverse mindsets, skillsets, and perspectives to solve problems that never previously existed. Surrounded by committed women, male allies, and advocates, she strives to bridge the gap in the cybersecurity workforce shortage through WiCyS initiatives. In this episode, listeners will learn more about the initiatives WiCyS has created to help women step into leadership roles and create more opportunities, how they are cultivating a community of women to foster belonging and learn from shared experience, and how you can get involved. Tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Hear about Lynn’s top objectives, namely improving gender equality and equity.
• Prepping women to step into leadership roles in cybersecurity using a holistic approach.
• The importance of cultivating a community within the cybersecurity community.
• How a group mentorship setting can reduce the barriers of self-doubt for women.
• Find out why Lynn says that comfort and growth don’t coexist; lean into discomfort!
• Learn more about the WiCyS Conference and how, for every registrant, they issue a female cybersecurity student scholarship.
• The all-important sense of belonging that comes from connecting with the community.
• Growing the tech sector through diversity and by adopting an abundance mindset.
• The importance of “doing it afraid,” leading with love, and advocating not only for yourself but for the women who stand next to you.
• Lynn speaks about the in-person WiCyS 2021 Conference in the wake of COVID.
• Hear Lynn’s top tips for young women starting out in cybersecurity; you are not alone!
• The power of bringing others up with you as you rise and keeping the momentum.
• How you can get involved with WiCyS as a mentor or a sponsor.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Lynn Dohm on LinkedIn

Lynn Dohm on Twitter

Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS)

WiCyS Email

WiCyS 2021 Conference

Karen Worstell

MOJO Maker

Flameproof Your Career and Handle Adversity Like a Boss

MOJO Maker for Womxn in Tech on Facebook

MOJO Maker for Womxn in Tech on Instagram

MOJO Maker for Womxn in Tech on LinkedIn

A bank which has love at the core of its philosophy: it’s almost impossible to imagine, but our guest on today’s show, Chelsea Kim, has been an integral part of turning this concept into reality. Chelsea’s background in health education, and her drive to help others, ended up leading her into the FinTech world where, in November 2020, she co-founded BELLA. BELLA is a bank with a wonderful twist; giving back. In this episode, Chelsea explains how BELLA works, the challenges they have experienced with launching the app, and how the mindset change brought about by the pandemic actually helped boost BELLA’s growth. Being a disruptor isn’t easy, but the companies that break the mold are the ones that have the potential to create the biggest positive impacts. BELLA is a disruptor in the strongest sense of the word, and we are so excited to follow their developments into the future as they inject love, joy, and kindness into the world! 

Key Points From This Episode:

• When Chelsea realized she wanted to help others, and how that internal drive has shaped her life. 
• Love and joy are the forces behind BELLA. 
• The scarcity mindset that generally exists in wealth creation industries. 
• BELLA’s aim is to inject love into an industry that has historically ignored it.
• An example of one of BELLA’s programs; the Karma Account.
• Chelsea’s educational and career background and how she ended up in the FinTech space.
• How Chelsea embodies the bumblebee principle. 
• Challenges that the BELLA team were confronted with, launching during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Ways that the pandemic actually worked to BELLA’s advantage.
• The two facets of BELLA, and where you can sign up. 
• How banking through BELLA differs from banking through a traditional bank app.
• Chelsea’s approach to leadership. 
• Why BELLA has chosen to keep their operation remote. 
• Advice from Chelsea about following your dreams, no matter how out of reach they may seem.

Here's how people can get involved with BELLA:

1. Become a banking member - download the BELLA loves me App from the App Store or PlayStore (there are links on our website if they don't want to search - www.bellaloves.me)
2. Follow us on Instagram (@bellaloves.me) - this is our main communication channel for the Community. If they don't want a bank account, they can participate in our events and keep up with our programs here
3. We're hiring and they can come work with us to create the reLOVEution! Open jobs are posted on our website and LinkedIn.
4. They can also ask questions and talk directly to our teams through Instagram DM, website "Message Us", or in the BELLA App by typing "human"
5. If they have an initiative that they support and think aligns to our values, they can email [email protected] and tell us about it

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

BELLA

Chelsea Kim on LinkedIn

MOJO Maker

Flameproof Your Career & Handle Adversity Like a Boss

MOJO Maker for Womxn in Tech on Facebook

MOJO Maker for Womxn in Tech on Instagram

MOJO Maker for Womxn in Tech on LinkedIn

Episode S2E17: Show Notes.

If you are a Broncos fan, today’s guest needs no introduction. From catching Peyton Manning’s last pass in Super Bowl 50 to being an unsigned free agent, running his football camp for young teens, writing a book, and coaching executives, Bennie Fowler is constantly on the top of his game and, in today’s episode, he shares his playbook for success for all humans, especially those in the tech sector. He began his career as an undrafted free agent, signed by the Denver Broncos in 2014, spending four years with them, and forming a part of the Super Bowl 50 Championship team in 2016. Bennie played college football at Michigan State University where he was a member of the 2014 Rose Bowl Championship team, and he holds the Bennie Fowler Youth Football Camp in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan, every year. He is an in-demand speaker as part of the NFL Speaker Bureau and the author of Silver Spoon: The Imperfect Guide to Success, as well as the host of the Quiet Time Podcast. Tune in today to hear Bennie’s insights and advice for honing your vision, looking beyond your goals, and playing to win!

Key Points From This Episode:

• The character traits of successful people, including discipline, vision, respect, and honesty.
• How Bennie used his clear vision to achieve the goals that seemed unattainable.
• Overcoming limiting beliefs, learning from your mistakes, and ensuring that the story you tell yourself honors who you really are.
• The importance of becoming self-aware and working through your fears.
• Getting your mind in the game; how to stop playing not to lose and start playing to win.
• Bennie challenges listeners: what would you do if you knew you could not fail?
• Hear about the Bennie Fowler Youth Football Camp, giving kids the chance to interact with and learn from professional athletes.
• Why Bennie believes that life is all about the service of others. 
• A key takeaway from Bennie’s book, Silver Spoon: there is no perfect path to success.
• Resourcefulness, perseverance, and hard work will get you where you want to go.
• People that inspired Bennie on his journey, like his parents and his brother.
• Learn about the executive coaching that Bennie provides for entrepreneurs and CEOs.
• Bennie describes the experience of catching the last pass of Peyton Manning’s career.
• Final words of encouragement: the biggest room in the world is room for improvement.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Bennie Fowler on LinkedIn

Bennie Fowler on Twitter

Bennie Fowler

Silver Spoon

Quiet Time Podcast

Be the Hero

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

Karen Worstell

MOJO Maker

Flameproof: Your Anti-Burnout Guidebook

MOJO Maker for Womxn in Tech on Facebook

MOJO Maker for Womxn in Tech on Instagram

MOJO Maker for Womxn in Tech on LinkedIn

Today’s guest believes that the tech industry is still a proverbial boy’s club. 

It is vital that we see more women, people of color, and nonbinary gender identities at the top. As a veteran with a background in national security and intelligence, Jenna Waters built the foundation of her career on a degree in information systems with a minor in cybersecurity, and served in threat intelligence for the US Navy, before eventually transitioning to the private sector.

Today, she is a consultant at True Digital Security, where she serves her clients at the intersection of cybersecurity, privacy, and compliance, as well as program development, threat intelligence, and cloud security. She is wary of the fact that a laundry list of qualifications often acts as an equalizer for women in an industry that isn’t evolving quickly enough. 

In this episode, she shares her advice for both minorities in the tech space and their allies to advocate for themselves, speak their minds, and address the issue that cybersecurity has with diversity and inclusion. Tune in today to learn more! 

Key Points From This Episode:

• More about Jenna’s background and the choices that led her to this career path.
• What a career in threat intelligence looks like and its similarities with the private sector.
• Advice for those pursuing entry-level positions in cybersecurity: advocate for yourself!
• To collect certifications or not; while it’s possible to build your career without them, Jenna believes they act as an equalizer.
• The reality that cybersecurity is a male-dominated industry that isn’t evolving quickly enough.
• Why Jenna believes it is vital that we see more women, people of color, and non-binary gender identities in leadership positions.
• Don’t be a gatekeeper, be a gate opener; advocate for other women in your industry!
• How male allies can leverage their privilege for the betterment of women in their company.
• How Jenna found her quiet confidence and her advice for speaking up and building yours.
• When you advocate for yourself, you also advocate for the next person.
• Why you shouldn’t let yourself get distracted by anger and resentment.
• Jenna shares her intentions for the future, including driving cybersecurity into the socio-economic and political sphere.
• The responsibility that companies have to create a standard that ensures everyone benefits from cybersecurity and privacy equally.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Jenna Waters on LinkedIn

True Digital Security

True Digital Security on LinkedIn

Good Guys

Karen Worstell

MOJO Maker

Flameproof Your Career & Handle Adversity Like a Boss

Flameproof: Your Anti-Burnout Guidebook

MOJO Maker for Womxn in Tech on Facebook

MOJO Maker for Womxn in Tech on Instagram

MOJO Maker for Womxn in Tech on LinkedIn

Inspiring Tomorrow’s Women and Minorities in STEM with Natoshia Anderson

Episode S2E15: Show Notes.

Growing up with a mechanic as a father, Natoshia Anderson was always interested in the inner workings of mechanics. When she learned that mechanical engineering was a profession, she began a journey into the world of STEM. Today, not only is she an award-winning Advocate, Educator, Strategist, Author, and Inspirational Speaker but she also holds a PhD. Natoshia is the host of the podcast STEMming in Stilettos with Dr. Toshia, and the co-host of All STEAMed Up with Mocha and Foam. On today’s show, she shares some of the many challenges she has faced, both as a woman and a person of color in a white-male-dominated industry. She explains the importance of creating opportunities for other children, and especially young girls of color, to take a path into STEM, and what can be done to achieve this. She also introduces her new book ABC Engineering Book and talks about the importance of introducing STEM to children from a young age. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Hear about Dr. Toshia’s personal journey as a woman of color in STEM.
• The influence of her parents in her career choice.  
• The revelation that mechanical engineering was a profession. 
• Dr. Toshia’s experience as a minority: as a child and in college. 
• Hear about her early work experiences in a field dominated by white men. 
• The life-changing experience of meeting another black female engineer. 
• How she realized she needed to inspire other girls of color to take a path into STEM. 
• She reflects on how her experiences, both good and bad, have molded her. 
• The importance of challenging stereotypes: not just in kids, but in their parents.
• How the opportunity arose for Dr. Toshia to publish a children’s book. 
• Thoughts on the writing process. 
• The success of the book so far. 
• The goal of the book to introduce small children to engineering terms.
• The importance of introducing STEM to children from a young age. 
• Hear about Dr. Toshia’s future plans, including a new book, consulting services, and her online show. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Karen Worstell

MOJO Maker 

Create Your Leading Edge

MOJO Maker for Womxn in Tech on Facebook

MOJO Maker for Womxn in Tech on Instagram

MOJO Maker for Womxn in Tech on LinkedIn

Dr. Toshia

STEMming in Stilettos with Dr. Toshia

Dr. Natoshia (Dr. Toshia) Anderson on LinkedIn

Dr. Toshia on Twitter

ABC Engineering Book

All STEAMed Up with Mocha and Foam on YouTube

All STEAMed Up with Mocha and Foam on Facebook

Black-ish 

Episode S2E14: Show Notes.

If you were looking for a candidate to head security for a major corporation, today’s guest should be on the top of your list. Technologist, attorney, former federal cybercrime investigator with the FBI, privacy leader, and the founder of a non-profit that assists Minorities in Cybersecurity, Mary Chaney Esq. is a professional who has always set the bar very high for herself! Her story of driving herself to the top of her field while overcoming challenges and bias is a uniquely inspiring one and, in this episode, she shares the details of her professional path, where it led her, and how she blazed a trail for others looking to follow in her footsteps. She also shares her insights into being a minority in corporate America and her advice for picking your battles, hunting for yourself, and viewing adversity as your greatest teacher. Tune in today to learn more from this formidable woman of color in tech!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Mary shares her professional journey and how she got into cybersecurity.
• Some of the challenges she encountered as a woman of color in corporate America.
• What sparked the decision to start her own cybersecurity and privacy law practice in Dallas.
• Learn more about Minorities in Cybersecurity, which assists minorities in the field with leadership development and opportunities.
• Mary reflects on forging her own path and always aspiring to reach the top of her field. 
• How wanting more for herself allowed her to become a role model and resource for others.
• Biases in law enforcement often prevent African Americans from choosing that path and took an emotional toll on Mary.
• Sometimes, it isn’t about the fight, it’s about determining which battles you can actually win.
• The diversity and inclusion challenges she encountered in the FBI versus corporate America.
• Many corporate spaces aren’t diverse enough, which is why you sometimes have to “hunt for yourself,” as Mary puts it.
• Find out why Mary says that there are no failures, only opportunities to learn.
• The benefits of not taking yourself too seriously; all you can do is your best!
• The myriad of things you can learn about yourself when facing adversity, and you have to know yourself in order to be yourself.
• Hear about upcoming cyber security-specific workshops at Minorities in Cybersecurity.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Mary Chaney Esq. on LinkedIn

Mary Chaney Esq. on Twitter

Mary Chaney Esq. on Facebook

Mary Chaney Esq.

Minorities in Cybersecurity

All STEAMed up with Mocha and Foam on Facebook

All STEAMed up with Mocha and Foam on YouTube

Karen Worstell

MOJO Maker

Flameproof: How to Flameproof Your Career and Your Life and Handle Adversity Like a Boss

MOJO Maker for Womxn in Tech on Facebook

MOJO Maker for Womxn in Tech on Instagram

MOJO Maker for Womxn in Tech on LinkedIn

Burnout is common in the tech world because of the constant push for innovation and the fast-paced nature of the industry. 

Former HR Professional Lisa Duerre spent over 25 years leading top Silicon Valley companies and experienced burnout herself. She now works as a burnout prevention and high-performance advisor for tech leaders. 

In this episode, Lisa talks about her tech journey and how imposter syndrome and a lack of boundaries contributed to her running herself into the ground. She talks about the symptoms of her burnout and what she did to work through it. Lisa highlights that so many people experience this issue, and you should not blame yourself or feel as though you have failed if it is something you are going through. We hear how Lisa came back a better, more thoughtful leader and the incredible impact this had on her team as a whole. 

Near the end of the show, we share an exciting project that Lisa and Karen are working on in Clubhouse, to help you reset and recharge for the week ahead. Preventing burnout takes intention, setting clear boundaries, and actively recharging your batteries in whatever way makes sense for you. As someone who knows the tech world inside out, Lisa has a wealth of knowledge we could all learn a great deal from!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Get to know Lisa, her background in tech, and how she came to do burnout work.
• When Lisa realized that she was experiencing burnout and what caused it.
• What happened when Lisa paid a visit to the hospital when she had arm and chest pain.
• The importance of setting boundaries and knowing when enough is enough.
• How a lack of self-worth and self-love contributed to Lisa pushing herself so hard.
• Why overachievers are more prone to burnout.
• Lisa's decision to stay at her job and how she regrouped after she took time off.
• What Lisa noticed in her team when she came back with more intentionality.
• The importance of celebrating wins, especially in the fast-moving tech space.
• When Karen realized that she was experiencing burnout.
• Drawing a parallel between an airplane on autopilot and someone heading toward burnout.
• What the doctor told Lisa after she was cleared of a heart attack.
• Details about Lisa and Karen's project on Clubhouse to help people reset.
• Lisa's Ctrl+Alt+Delete podcast and the topics she and her guests cover.
• Two of Lisa's top tips for dealing with burnout.
• Life goes through cycles, and we can easily default back to burnout habits, so take care.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Lisa Duerre

Lise Duerre on Twitter

Ctrl+Alt+Delete with Lisa Duerre

Tony Robbins

The Desire Map

Dr. Manuel Astruc

Karen Worstell

MOJO Maker

MOJO Maker for Womxn in Tech on Facebook

MOJO Maker for Womxn in Tech on Instagram

MOJO Maker for Womxn in Tech on LinkedIn

More than ever, cybersecurity professionals need to communicate effectively, whether you’re talking to your team, at a conference, or to the board of directors. Here is a secret: when you learn to tell a story, that is when your presentations will generate real results. Today’s guest tells you why and shares some tips and tools to help you make your next presentation capture the board’s attention and get the results you need. Pat Quinn is a speech coach, professional consultant, and speaker. As a former professional magician, he learned the art of commanding a stage early in his career, and, with an advanced degree in brain research, Pat understands how adults learn new information. As a consultant and speaker, he has keynoted some of the biggest conferences and spoken to audiences from around the world. In this episode, he highlights the key elements of effective presentations, explains why stories are more powerful than facts, and shares some incredible tools that you can use to make it easier for you, plus a special discount code, so make sure to tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Pat shares a bit more about effective presentations and the power of stories versus facts.
• How stories are processed differently by the human brain than facts or sales pitches.
• Using story to make a pitch for funding; the value of telling an ordinary, relatable story.
• A tool Pat has developed to help capture and organize all his stories: StoryLinq.
• Many people are intimidated by a blank sheet of paper; create personal touch-points!
• Pat talks about the training feature in StoryLinq and the value of a founder story.
• The structure of a great story; 60 seconds for the “before”, 30 seconds for the “pivot”, and 60 seconds for the “after”.
• The importance of telling a simple, personal story; Pat shares a practical example.
• How you can use a story to move up in your company or get a promotion.
• Why Pat believes that storytelling is a currency of the future.
• Hear his personal story about the power of storytelling and how it has changed his life.
• Your personal brand is your story, because relevant anecdotes happen to you everyday!
• Pat encourages listeners to keep telling stories; when you tell your stories, other people know they are not alone.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Pat Quinn on LinkedIn

StoryLinq

Karen Worstell

MOJO Maker

Flameproof: How to Flameproof Your Career and Your Life and Handle Adversity Like a Boss

MOJO Maker for Womxn in Tech on Facebook

MOJO Maker for Womxn in Tech on Instagram

MOJO Maker for Womxn in Tech on LinkedIn

Clutter is stressful, but organizing doesn't have to be. 

Today’s guest is Star Hansen, a Certified Professional Organizer that helps her clients create systems and strategies to eliminate chaos, enabling them to focus on what is important and guiding them towards a state of organization and joy. In this episode, you’ll hear from Star as she explains how she looks at the truth beyond the surface, allowing your clutter to show you who you are. She shares what your clutter can say about you, how it can block you from achieving something, and how you could use it more creatively to assist you on your journey if it were better placed. Find out about the method Star uses, the books she recommends, and her advice for stepping more fully into the present in order to let go of the past. You can create a sense of control and empowerment within a chaotic environment, and Star Hansen will show you how! Make sure not to miss this episode.

Key Points From This Episode

• The moment Star realized that her calling was helping people transform chaos into purpose. 
• What clutter can say about you; why organizing actually has nothing to do with organizing.
• How clutter can also be a barrier: if you can’t find it, it can’t serve you.
• How your physical clutter is an outward representation of your internal mindset.
• Learn how to recognize what you’re blocking: are you hiding behind your clutter?
• Looking at where it is; clutter on a walkway could indicate an attempt to limit someone coming into your space, for example.
• Find out how your clutter could help you in a creative way if it were better placed.
• Star explains why she believes that your clutter actually holds the keys to your freedom.
• The method she uses with a client to help them move from chaos to order: curiosity.
• Why Star advises that you look for the yes in the mess.
• The importance of taking your time when it comes to family heirlooms versus junk mail.
• Star recommends Inbox Zero by Merlin Mann and The Hamster Revolution by Mike Song.
• From deconstructing your past to make space for your future; it’s easier to stress over something small than the big underlying issue.
• Creating a sense of control and empowerment within a chaotic environment.
• How every room in your home can be brainwashing you and how you can change that.
• Allowing yourself to step more fully into the present so it’s safe to let go of the past.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Star Hanson on Twitter

Star Hansen on LinkedIn

Star Hanson on Instagram

Star Hanson on YouTube

Star Hansen

’10 Things in 20 Minutes’

Inbox Zero

The Hamster Revolution

Karen Worstell

MOJO Maker

Flameproof: How to Flameproof Your Career and Your Life and Handle Adversity Like a Boss

MOJO Maker for Womxn in Tech on Instagram