We're wrapping up our special guest series with local legend, Kathryn Durkin, a theater nerd who can not only beat a 70 year old man's marathon walking record, but who also was once crowned the most beautiful baby in Portland. Kathryn is MC at the upcoming The Struggle Is Real speaking event, and her notoriety as a business culture and leadership wrangler in Portland makes her perfect for the role. Originally a jack of all trades in Chicago and Portland improv circles, Kathryn applied her skills into helping make Lululemon what is it today: an internationally iconic sports and activewear superbrand. Join Elisha, Shannon, and Kathryn as they dispel the tired retro tropes of women in the workplace, how knowing every role in a business benefits a company, why you should wear a hat for a marathon, and who definitively sells the best donut in Portland. Bonus: adorable napping 'n' nursing baby noises in the background.

Follow us on social media!

@realtalkrealchangepodcast

@mothertruckingkathryn

Today's special guest and panelist in the upcoming The Struggle is Real event learned that letting go of worrying about what others think of you is the key to truly finding your strength. Lianne Saffer - stylist, mother, future MegaBurn instructor, and breast cancer survivor - was barely managing to exist in a doomed, controlling marriage before realizing she'd had enough. Elisha and Shannon get a little starry eyed with Lianne as she chronicles her transition from novice fitness instructor to badass Burn Cycle guru, her struggles with having her sexuality defined by others, and what it's like to be one year cancer free. Join us for this inspirational, hilarious podcast that's filled with affirmations on living your life free of cancer... and the assumptions of those who don't know the true you.

We've all heard the saying, "Behind every successful man, there's a strong woman", right? Eye roll. Today's very special guest is Lovely Laban, owner of Skin By Lovely, vintage fashion enthusiast, resilient-yet-even-keeled, and do not approach when hangry. Along with every other phoenix-from-the-ashes badass featured in this series leading up to the coming The Struggle Is Real event, she proves that tired old cliche wrong by shining at the forefront while the husband takes back stage. Born in a religious Seattle hippie commune in the 80's, Lovely soon struck out on her own and honed in on perfecting one specific element of cosmetic dermatology - the "aesthetic medicine practice" of injectables from the neck up. And after building the reputation of Skin By Lovely in celebrity-dense LA, she recognized that there was zero competition in Portland, and opened up two boutiques here to great acclaim. Join Elisha and Shannon as Lovely details her path to hard won success: her struggles with loss both personal and profound, her philosophies in life, love, and the workplace, and how faith and spirituality can provide the cure for grief.

To be a successful, badass entrepreneur in this modern world, you gotta be a little bit extra. Courtney Sjoberg of She Social joins Elisha and Shannon as special guest on this episode that chronicles the inspiring evolution of a Millennial entrepreneur - from negotiating nanny, to personal chef banging out hundreds of meals from a small rental kitchen, to crying in the car, and finally to successful superstar Instagram influencer. Finding your niche can be tough, but you cannot force what you're passionate about. What would you do for no money? Through her unwavering faith in the Universe and acceptance of failures as part of the process ("If you're not failing, you're not evolving"), Courtney let her business pick her. Join this rad trio as they dispense invaluable advice on forging your own path to success - through not waiting until everything's perfect, and just showing up as your authentic self.

If you discovered you had 30 days left to live, what would you spend your time doing? How about a week? Or a single day? It should be easy to determine what's most valuable to you, so why is it so difficult to find time for this in your day-to-day life? Do you feel like a failure because you haven't struck that perfect zen spot people call "balance?" What does balance look like to you? This can change as you get older or from month to month. For Elisha, finding balance means avoiding a global approach to life and instead looking at the smaller picture, bookending each day with a morning and evening routine, with everything else in between. For Shannon, it's releasing the pressure to be perfect, and not comparing herself to people on social media who present idyllic, sanitized "lifestyles." To truly find your own version of balance, you need to dig deep and connect with what brings you happiness, freedom, and peace. Only you get to determine that. So go get it!

If the thought of negotiating for a raise with your employer fills you with anxiety, this is the podcast for you. Based on a listener question (more of those, please), Elisha and Shannon lay bare the dos and don'ts of advocating for your financial worth, tapping in to years of experience and perspective from both sides of the employment fence. Yep, it's well documented that women are not only traditionally paid less than their male counterparts, but they also are statistically way less likely to dare ask for a salary increase. That's bull****, and we all know it. Let's encourage the young women in our lives to negotiate and counter offer! Know your value, and what you bring to the workplace. Do your research and come prepared. Check your emotions (protip from Elisha and Shannon: crying about it is weird and awkward). Be open to receiving a "Yes" OR a "No"... and learn how even a "No" can set you on a greater path. By the end of this episode, you'll be ready to confidently bust the stigma of asking for a raise. No tears, no defensiveness, no settling for less in the workplace. Just you and your real talk, real change attitude.

These days more and more young people are globetrotting. For many of us, though, the travel bug has only latched on later in life. For both Elisha and Shannon, ditching alcohol inadvertently led to filling the gaps with exploring the world. Whether you journey as a solo woman, with your partner and family, or friends, travel can be a rejuvenating spiritual experience... and an undeniable privilege. It can teach your kids empathy, and compassion, make you a better person overall, and shake up your ego by reminding you of just how insignificant we all really are. Our erstwhile adventure gals discuss reality versus expectation ("the joy killer"), overcoming flight phobias, the luxury of traveling solo, ordering multiple churro bowls via room service (ahem), and just how accessible travel actually is. Don't believe it? We wanna hear from you: Where are you going? Where have you been? What's your favorite trip? Will Elisha's son ever get to meet a leaf bug in Japan? Reach out and let's chat about exploring the world.