I'm posting this episode on a very important day. MLK Day is the light, but the inauguration is the darkness for many of us who fall into minority populations. Stacy Lieder and Christy Claxton discuss the ongoing challenges that women and minorities face in the workplace on the eve of Zuckerberg's call for more masculinity in business. It is appropriate that this episode was hosted by Bookwoman - a 49 year old feminist bookstore in Austin, Texas.

Hell, yes we are. Women have been managing the world from the kitchen to the boardroom for a long time. We're expected to multitask, and we do it really well. Add in the feminine tendency towards compassion and reason, and the question slams into the conversation. Why are there not MORE women running businesses?

Here's an episode well worth your time whether you're a working parent or not. Chelsea White spends some time on the porch discussing her journey as a Product Manager at a large corporation while raising a neurodivergent son. Working mom a special needs child is nothing short of supermom, so grab a drink and join us!

Brian Thompson is gunned down in the middle of New York, and his murder is an overnight folk hero. Christy and Stacy discuss the current sentiment towards big corporations and their leaders and how a young man of wealth an privilege took up a working class cause that seems to be sparking a movement that could turn ugly fast.

It's our Thanksgiving episode, and we're talking about family and caregiving. How do you balance work and caregiving? How can leaders support that? We'll also take a stab at return to work and why we think it's a bad idea to force people back into the office.

Is it a good idea for people to bring their authentic selves to work? We think so - as long as workers understand what their responsibilities are. But hiding away isn't healthy for anyone, and it's going to hurt productivity. A little authenticity and vulnerability in the workplace is as important as well maintained systems and offices. Think of permission to let people be authentic as building trust, and no organization is successful without trust.

How do you start the conversation with someone who voted differently than you? And will the same approach work in the workplace as you seek to communicate across departmental silos? Here's a great episode for HR professionals. We encourage you to get down in the trenches and learn about preventable divisions that can hurt company goals.

Stacy and Christy discuss the importance of giving people room to fail in order to excel. We also weigh in on the election and how the Democrats may have failed at a core principle of great leadership. Listening. Did the Democrats fail to hear the Hispanic working class? Can we really promote identity politics when people are drowning in an uncertain economy?

This is the episode you've been waiting for and didn't know it. Longtime friends, musical partners and community leaders talk about a new brand of leadership from the perspective of layoffs and imposter syndrome and ultimately a place of compassion. This is episode 1 of many conversations between Christy Claxton and Stacy Lieder.

Christy's book "Leadership Challenged - A Middle Manager Memoir" is an excellent companion piece to these conversations.

We're in a dangerous time as the election barrels towards a climatic end. Tense exchanges seem to be inevitable. So how do you navigate them? Especially when you disagree with what you're hearing.