April 02, 2025

Reclaiming Your Power: Moms Demand Action’s Shannon Watts on Living a Life of Passion and Purpose

1 hour 7 minutes

Description:

Today’s guest, Shannon Watts, has come to be known as a formidable force in the world. As the founder of Moms Demand Action, the largest grassroots movement against gun violence formed after the Sandy Hook school shooting tragedy in 2012, her activism has mobilized millions of moms to successfully pass over 500 gun safety laws. As Amy poignantly stated, Shannon’s work “has legitimately made a tangible impact on the safety of my kids in their classrooms”, demonstrating the profound significance of Shannon’s contributions.

Watts has since shifted her time and attention to empowering women, whom she credits as the real changemakers in any movement. She has founded the Firestarter School, a platform designed to help women reclaim their power and has a forthcoming book, Fired Up: How to Turn Your Spark into a Flame and Come Alive at Any Age, releasing in the summer of 2025, which explores the necessary elements needed to ignite a fire in your life and pursue your passion and purpose.

Thought-provoking Quotes:

When you get involved in something like activism, it helps you realize that you have all of this untapped power. And it does give you the audacity to become a firestarter, to prioritize your desires over your obligations. – Shannon Watts

Right out of college, I married my college sweetheart at 23-years-old. By the time I was 29, I had three children. I have a job I don’t love. By my mid-thirties, I realized, this is not the person I would have chosen to be. I was having a difficult time acknowledging that I was living a life that was not true to me. – Shannon Watts

So many women keep collecting new fuel, acquiring new skills, waiting for the other pieces to come together. And we’re prepared when the opportunity presents itself. – Amy Hardin

Society shoulders women with so many burdens so she doesn’t have room to explore her desires. If you’re going to claim space, raise your voice, you are going to get blowback. The direct proportion of how much you can grow your fire corresponds to how much blowback you're willing to withstand. – Shannon Watts

Remind yourself of your wins everyday, whether they’re your wins or wins for what you want to see in the world. Give yourself hope and affirmation. – Shannon Watts

Fighting for your safety and your rights is a form of self-care and a form of protection for other people. – Shannon Watts

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Camino Made (B.T. Harman’s Camino de Santiago pilgrimage company) - https://caminomade.com/

Fired Up: How to Turn Your Spark into a Flame and Come Alive at Any Age by Shannon Watts - https://amzn.to/4hEYE8K

Fight Like a Mother: How a Grassroots Movement Took on the Gun Lobby and Why Women Will Change the World by Shannon Watts - https://amzn.to/4hFP31t

5 Calls App - https://5calls.org/

Firestarter University - https://shannonwatts.org/firestarter-university/

Guest’s Links:

Website - https://momsdemandaction.org/shannon-watts/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/shannonrwatts/

Twitter - https://x.com/shannonrwatts

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/fightlikeamother.org

Substack - https://shannonwatts.substack.com/

Moms Demand Action website - https://momsdemandaction.org/

Moms Demand Action Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/momsdemand

Moms Demand Action Twitter - https://x.com/momsdemand

Moms Demand Action Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MomsDemandAction

Moms Demand Action YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/MomsDemandAction

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