The Female Insight Zone

By The Female Insight Zone & C-Suite RadioBusiness Careers

The Female Insight Zone episodes

November 24, 2016 Helene Lerner: Inspiring Women to Take Risks
Helene Lerner is the CEO of Creative Expansions, Inc., an award-winning media production company, and the founder of WomenWorking.com, one of the premiere online magazines for career women. For more than two decades, Lerner has worked to address the concerns of contemporary women and help them actualize their potential. As a prolific author, independent public television host, Emmy Award-winning executive producer and Fortune 500 workplace consultant, she covers a variety of women’s issues including work-life balance, health and wellness, relationships, breaking barriers and building self-esteem.
On this episode of the podcast, Lerner addresses “the confidence myth,” smart risk-taking and the characteristics of a strong woman.

Key Interview Takeaways
Successful women pick an issue that will change the conversation and get behind that idea, even with “shaking knees.” Lerner suggests that having confidence doesn’t mean you aren’t nervous, it means that you are willing to take a stand for an innovative idea – even if the process takes you out of your comfort zone.
“We need more women at all levels leading alongside men.” Lerner argues that in addition to being smart and strategic, women are also the “connectors.” In a world with too much divisiveness and violence, women leaders are essential in bringing people together.
Barter your strengths to gain new skills. Interested in learning about media production, Lerner offered her services as a marketing and sales consultant to a NYC media school in exchange for television courses.
Women are a strong, resilient and caring lot. When push comes to shove and there’s a need out there that we can fill, we’re there.
Connect with Helene Lerner
womenworking.com
facebook.com/womenworking
Resources
The Confidence Myth: Why Women Undervalue Their Skills, and How to Get Over It by Helene Lerner
Time for Me: Simple Pleasures for Women Who Do Too Much by Helene Lerner
Lerner Books
The Secret to Real Confidence Webinar: womenworking.com/secret-real-confidence-webinar/

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20 min
November 10, 2016 Jennifer Wilkov: Speak up and Magic Will Happen!

Jennifer Wilkov is the founder and producer of Speak Up Women, a national conference to support women in understanding the importance and impact of speaking up in their personal, professional and philanthropic lives. She is also a best-selling author and popular keynote speaker who seeks to inspire women via her personal message, “You have the right to remain fabulous!”
Wilkov has 20-plus years of experience in strategic planning and business development. She utilizes her talents as a book and business consultant and literary agent “matchmaker.” Wilkov also hosts the popular “Your Book is Your Hook!” radio talk show on WomensRadio Network.
On this episode of the podcast, Wilkov discusses the goals of the Speak Up Women Conference and the reasons why we stop speaking up.

Key Interview Takeaways
“Magic really happens when you open your mouth.” Having the confidence to ask for what you want allows others to make contributions and help move you forward. After a 25-year struggle with Crohn’s Disease and two surgeries, Wilkov addressed her family, friends and primary care doctor to say, “I want to get off all the meds, and you’re going to help.” Six months later, she was pharmaceutical free.
There are a number of reasons why we stop speaking up. After initially being encouraged to “use your words” as toddlers, people are later told to be quiet or play along. Eventually, our dreams are stifled and we don’t feel as if we have permission to ask. This skill set needs to be revived to build the life you want to live. Give yourself permission!
It is important to build a lasting relationship with your money. To make thoughtful decisions regarding your investments, make the time to sit with your finances as you examine where you are and where you want to go. Wilkov’s book, Dating Your Money: How to Build a Lasting Relationship with Your Money in 8 Easy Steps, explains this process and provides a framework that doesn’t make you feel lesser, but allows you to approach your finances from a fresh perspective.
Connect with Jennifer Wilkov
speakupwomen.com
jenniferswilkov.com
Resources
Subscribe to Speak Up Women Conference Mailing List speakupwomen.com/join-us
Wilkov Books jenniferswilkov.com/books
The Ask: How to Ask for Support for Your Nonprofit Cause, Creative Project, or Business Venture by Laura Fredricks: http://amzn.to/2fAIsb9

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26 min
November 03, 2016 Susan Sygall: Advancing Disability Rights with a Passionate Voice
Susan Sygall is the CEO and co-founder of Mobility International USA, an organization that seeks to advance disability rights globally. An internationally recognized expert in the field of international education exchange and leadership programs for persons with disabilities, she has co-authored numerous publications, co-produced several award-winning videos and lectured around the world.
A passionate advocate for disability rights and venerated civil rights leader, Sygall has received a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, the Kellogg Fellows Leadership Alliance Matusak Courageous Leadership Award and the 2014 Viscardi Achievement Award. She was named an Ashoka Senior Fellow in 2013 and served as part of the US Delegation to the UN Commission on the Status of Women in 2015.
On this episode of the podcast, Sygall discusses Mobility International’s work to empower people with disabilities to gain their rights and specific initiatives the organization has implemented to help women with disabilities take their rightful place as leaders.

Key Interview Takeaways
The barriers faced by women with disabilities mirror those encountered by women in general. Women with disabilities encounter more violence and have limited access to education, health care and jobs. Mobility International USA seeks to eliminate those barriers with an initiative called the Women’s Institute on Leadership and Disability (WILD), an intensive program in which 20 girls with disabilities from Africa, Asia and Latin America meet to learn about media, policy and legislation, health care and parenting. They then return to their communities as leaders who can empower others to understand their rights and how to access those rights.
Sygall offers strategies to build confidence in young women with disabilities. A wheelchair rider herself, she first emphasizes that the opportunity to connect with other women with disabilities fosters a sense of solidarity that breeds confidence. The second approach involves women with disabilities creating a new image for themselves by taking on pursuits they might not have believed were possible; the WILD program gives its participants the opportunity to participate in activities like a challenge course, river rafting, self-defense and sports.
One thing we can do today to transform our culture into one that is more inclusive for women with disabilities is to ask ourselves, “Is this program accessible?” Marketing materials should welcome people with disabilities, your organization’s website should be accessible to the blind, a sign language interpreter should be available at events, and events must be held in accessible places. Seek out groups of women with disabilities and meet with them to promote your programs and bring them into the fold.
Connect with Susan Sygall
www.miusa.org
twitter.com/mobilityINTL
www.facebook.com/mobility.international
www.makers.com/susan-sygall

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14 min
October 27, 2016 Lucy Mbabazi: Getting A Seat at the Table

As the Country Manager of Visa Rwanda, Lucy Mbabazi oversees operations in Rwanda, Burundi and Malawi. Prior to this role, she led the implementation of Visa—Government of Rwanda Public Private Partnership initiatives, established to lay the foundation for the digitization of Rwanda’s economy and financial inclusion. Mbabazi has also served as Policy and Strategy Advisor to the Head of Information Technology at the Rwanda Development Board, the coordinating body of all Government of Rwanda ICT initiatives. There she led the development of Rwanda’s National ICT Plan, guiding Rwanda’s transformation into the vision of an ICT driven society.
Mbabazi is also President of Girls in ICT Rwanda, a group of professional women working to inspire more Rwandan young women to pursue careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). She holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology and Management from La Roche College and a Master of Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
In this episode of the podcast, Mbabazi discusses the importance of mentoring so that young women realize their potential and the significance of inclusion in both corporate leadership and access to financial services.

Key Interview Takeaways
Successful businesswomen must mentor girls and young women, inspiring them to see the “realm of possibilities.” Mbabazi didn’t have aspirations beyond working as an executive assistant until Leslie Hale, CFO at RLJ, told her, “You can’t be my secretary. You have so much potential.” Hale’s encouragement motivated Mbabazi to apply to an Ivy League graduate school and led to her current success.
Current leadership must be a part of the movement toward inclusion. Until men acknowledge the fundamental problem and deliberately make decisions to include women and minorities, inequality will continue to breed tension and further divide society.
Inclusion is also Mbabazi’s mission in her role at Visa. She is working to make financial services available to everyone in Rwanda through innovation around the basic cellular devices that most people own. Rather than having to travel five kilometers to reach a bank, the mobile phone is the bank, and everyone has access to the financial services they need to help them grow.
Widespread access to financial services is not only good for individual account holders, it is also essential for the governments in emerging markets. To fund development, governments rely on money in the bank, and the digitization of financial services allows a developing country to fund its treasury. As a result, that country is mobilizing its own resources rather than waiting for an NGO to build schools or provide water.
Connect with Lucy Mbabazi
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-mbabazi-10b91413
https://lucymbabazi.wordpress.com/
https://twitter.com/lucymbabazi?lang=en

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22 min
October 21, 2016 Ana Dutra: Inspiring Women to Seek Leadership
Ana Dutra is the president and CEO of The Executives’ Club of Chicago, the largest and oldest civic organization in the United States devoted to the development and networking of C-level executives. On this episode of the podcast, Dutra shares inclusive strategies that inspire more women to seek leadership positions and examines how professional women can combat “imposter syndrome.”
She also is the founder and CEO of Mandala Global Advisors, a global management and consulting company. A Brazilian native with more than 20 years of experience in P&L Management, business growth and C-level consulting in 30-plus countries, Dutra is at the top of her game in leading turnarounds, global acquisitions and post-merger integrations.
Key Interview Takeaways
In order to transform the culture and create a climate that welcomes women in leadership positions, we must…
* establish income parity
* be deliberate in our hiring practices
* work to be more empathetic toward employees balancing family and work
Make the distinction between career beliefs and career motives. Women must question whether their ambitions are truly their own or what they’ve been taught to aspire to.
Learn through the experience of others. It’s imperative that successful women are transparent and vulnerable, willing to share their stories of insecurity. As Dutra tells her daughters, “We see other people’s outside with our inside.” Though it may appear that the leaders we look up to have it all together, they have crises of confidence too.
Combat “imposter syndrome” by reminding yourself that you were given your role because you have relevant experience, intelligence and people trust you. Why wouldn’t you trust yourself?
Connect with Ana Dutra
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anadutraglobal
http://mandala-global.com/tablet/index.html
http://www.executivesclub.org/

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16 min
October 13, 2016 Tremecca Doss: TV Attorney Talks Sports, Inclusion, and Success

In today’s episode, listen to “TV Attorney” Tremecca Doss as she shares her insight on appearing as a legal analyst for a number of TV programs, working with C-Suite leaders and pro sports organizations, and fighting for further diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Tremecca talks about how she started her career through a mix of sports, law, and public appearances. She also describes what it’s like working as a woman of color in male-dominated fields, since she has experience working as an attorney for both the corporate world and the field of professional sports. She then touches on her own thoughts about diversity, and why she believes that inclusion is much more important than diversity initiatives. She gives as well the reason why she doesn’t consider herself successful, despite the many wonderful things she’s done in her career.
There are so many opportunities available to you, no matter what your background is. Let Tremecca empower you to attain success so that you too can be committed to doing good things that can change the world.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
• Tremecca’s experiences on being a woman of color in male-dominated fields like law or professional sports.

• The similarities between the pressing legal issues of the corporate world and the field of pro sports.

• The difference between diversity and inclusion.

• What it’s like winning on game shows like NBC’s “Weakest Link”.
Tweetables:
• It’s just making sure that everyonehas the equal chance, the fair chance, to really just have a shot at just making it.

• We’re moving from… segregation, desegregation, integration, affirmative action, diversity, tolerance, and then to inclusiveness.

• Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
Big Takeaways:
• Working as a woman (of color) in a male-dominated field can be a challenge at times, but it is up to everyone to make sure that diversity issues should be addressed. Moreover, diversity initiatives are only a step towards real inclusion, which all companies should strive to have.

• One big benefit of full inclusion is having a wide spectrum of experience to tap into in order to achieve great results.
Related Links & References:
• Tremecca’s Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/tv_attorney

• “Cardinals Add First Female Coach”: http://www.azcardinals.com/news-and-events/article-2/Cardinals-Add-First-Female-Coach/aa370599-8d8e-4e73-85d3-fc77515bf40a
26 min
October 06, 2016 Elizabeth McCourt: How Spilling Your Secrets Can Give You The Right Mindset For Your Business
We all have days when we think that we are not going to succeed in our goals in life and business. While it may be difficult to shift this mindset into something more productive, TEDx speaker, executive coach and sponsored triathlete Elizabeth McCourt shows you how an endurance athlete’s perspective can provide you the right mental training that is guaranteed to have maximum impact on your success.
In today’s podcast, Elizabeth talks about how she used her experiences in her different career paths and interests, ranging from law to financial services to writing to even endurance training, to mold herself into an executive coach that has helped leaders and teams work at their top performance.
She also discusses how her TEDx Talk “Why You Should Spill Your Secrets” has touched many people around the world, especially since it was something that has helped her connect better to the clients she helps everyday.
She gives as well some tips and pointers that she has learned as an athlete that she has found applicable to any business scenario, and some common challenges she has helped her successful clients overcome.
No matter what industry you are in or what kind of person you are, you too can benefit from the discipline and mental training of a seasoned triathlete. Let Elizabeth show you how to achieve your goals with just the right mindset.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
• How an endurance athlete’s training can be applied to a business setting.
• How to harness all your experience in different fields to build a career that you love.
• The connection between your secrets and your self-esteem.
• Effective ways to silence the little voice inside you that tells you that you are going to fail.
Tweetables:
• [Spilling secrets] gets you to connect with people and impact people in a positive way by letting them see you in a more honest way.
• I think resilience and training yourself to be more resilient are the key tools to leadership.
• Shift your mindset, train yourself to believe that you can, and push yourself to try things that you don’t think that you can do.
• It’s all about getting your mind straight so that you can accomplish whatever it is on your list of what you want to accomplish.
Big Takeaways:
• While having a lot of career paths and interests can be overwhelming, all the things you’ve done in your life will eventually and inevitably lead you to where you’re supposed to be going.
• Sharing your secrets is a good way to connect with other people and helps you be more authentic to yourself.
• Everyone, even the most successful business-people, have their own issues to work through. A good mindset, such as that of an endurance athlete, is definitely beneficial in helping you build resiliency to get through all the tough times.
Related Links & References:
• Elizabeth’s website: http://www.mccourtleadership.com/
• Elizabeth’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethmccourt
• Elizabeth’s Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ecmccourt
• Elizabeth’s Facebok page: https://www.facebook.com/elizabethmccourtcoaching/
• Why You Should Spill Your Secrets, a TEDx Talk by Elizabeth McCourt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhHiUGLcn_U
• The Woman Who Jumped: Courage Through Tragedy by Elizabeth McCourt, published on Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-woman-who-jumped-courage-through-tragedy_us_57c960c3e4b0b9c5b73819ce

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27 min
September 26, 2016 Cary Carbonaro: “Money Queen” Shares Insights on Creating Wealth and Making Better Decisions
Women are known to be conservative towards money matters, but one particular woman has shown that any woman can become a Money Queen with the right knowledge and attitude.
Join Maribeth today as she interviews the popular “Money Queen” Cary Carbonaro, author of the #1 Amazon bestseller The Money Queen’s Guide and one of only 50 ambassadors for the CFP® Board in the United States.
Cary will talk about her experiences in her long career in financial services, and how she added a lot of the money-related pointers and tips she learned in The Money Queen’s Guide. She will also discuss the common mistakes many women make when it comes to making financial decisions. As she has been featured in many popular talk shows, she will also touch on what it’s like being interviewed on national television and making segments for TV and how she deals with being under the public eye.
Many poorly made financial decisions stem from lack of knowledge and financial savvy. Learn from Cary today on how you can improve your financial literacy to be a Money Queen!

In this episode, you’ll learn:
• Some pointers on how to build wealth and have a financially secure future.
• Why women sometimes have a harder time controlling their financial positions.
• What you can do today to improve your future financial prospects.
• How to deal with backlash and haters, especially when you’re wildly successful.
Tweetables:
• There is no get-rich-quick. It’s a get-rich-slow.
• Doing all the right things with money will get you to your goals of being rich.
• When you’re in [a bad] state, you should not be making [financial decisions]. 99% of the time they are wrong, and you’ll be paying for them for a long time.
• We get more nervous that we’re going to wind up with nothing, so we’d rather hoard cash than invest because we’re afraid we’ll lose.
Big Takeaways:
• Women are known to be more conservative when it comes to investing their money into financial instruments. Cary encourages everyone to enhance their financial literacy and not be so afraid of losses so that we can all have a bright financial future.
• A number of times, we are led to make decisions while at a heightened emotional state. These decisions may not be the most financially sound, and it’s best to postpone any serious decision-making until you are ready to go over the pros and cons in a more stable light.
• In terms of self-promotion and putting your work out there, there will always be a mix of reactions from different people. It’s never going to be all good, and what’s more important is how you react to such scenarios.
Related Links & References:
• Cary’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carycarbonarocfpmoneyqueen
• Cary’s Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/CaryCarbonaro
• The Money Queen’s Guide: http://moneyqueenguide.com

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29 min
September 15, 2016 Maria Kim: Working to Turn Homelessness and Poverty Into A Powerful Workforce
Have you ever heard of a nonprofit that develops workers from poverty to those that have a higher than average job retention rate? And, an organization that focuses their workplace job training based on motivation, love, and forgiveness?
In today’s podcast, listen to how Maria Kim, CEO of The Cara Program and board member of several social purpose organizations, has managed to do this with Cara, a nonprofit focused on providing sustainable workforce development for men and women affected by homelessness and poverty in Chicago.
Maria will talk about how Cara has helped changed the lives of thousands of people through their training campuses and social enterprises. She will also discuss why the organization has been very successful in placing people into permanent employment for the long-term. She will touch on her own experiences of shifting from a career in the corporate sector to specializing in social purpose organizations as well.
With Motivation, education on soft and hard skills, and plenty of partnerships, Maria through Cara has changed, and will continue to change, the lives of many people. By supporting organizations like Cara, you too can be a vehicle for true life transformation.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
• How The Cara Program has helped more than 70% of their shareholders be employed and remain employed after one year of employment.
• Why Cara has been successful in keeping itself afloat with its social enterprises.
• Why everyday “Motivation” is so important to Cara (and why so many outsiders want to be part of it).
Tweetables:
• We’re all about helping folks get back to work… But we’re also about helping folks get their mojo back.
• It’s about people that are… interested and eager to get back to work and building (their) esteem to break through those barriers.
• We want to make sure they know we care… We want them to reach this milestone so that they could get through more sustainable employment.
• Ain’t nothing to it but to do it, so do it.
Big Takeaways:
• The Cara Program focuses on providing long-term and sustainable employment for the high-risk people that they work with. This means not only providing them jobs, but making sure that they are well-equipped to deal with the problems they may encounter in the future.
• While Cara is a nonprofit organization, Maria has applied a number of corporate principles to her work in order to make Cara thrive.
Related Links & References:
• Maria’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariaskim
• The Cara Program: http://www.thecaraprogram.org/
• TCP Staffing: http://www.tcpstaffing.com/
• Cleanslate: http://www.cleanslatechicago.org/

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25 min
September 11, 2016 Johanna Zeilstra: Working to Focus Presidential Debates On Women’s Issues
Among 700 questions asked in more than 20 primary debates, only 6 were on women’s issues that were not related to abortion or Planned Parenthood.
As there are many more that merit the attention of our presidential candidates, listen in as Johanna Zeilstra, established business strategist and Global Ambassador for the SmartWomen Project, talks about co-founding The Women’s Debate (womensdebate.org), a nonpartisan group curating critical questions on women’s issues to be posed to presidential candidates.
Johanna will talk about the major issues affecting women and girls in the nation that go unaddressed today. She will also discuss her thoughts on which presidential candidates have been bringing up these concerns in their campaign trails. Moreover, she will touch on her own career and experiences, from being on the cover of Fortune Magazine to co-establishing GiveBack, an out-of-the-box philanthropy solution.
Since women make up half of the American population and have a higher voter turnout than men, it is only fitting to have a platform where they can raise the issues affecting them. Support Johanna as she calls on candidates to speak openly on their policies and positions on women.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
• The major issues that affect women and girls that most candidates don’t talk about.
• Whether or not a female candidate like Hillary Clinton will advance policies for women.
• How you can support The Women’s Debate in pushing for a presidential debate on critical women’s issues.
Tweetables:
• Women’s issues are just as important for women as they are for men… Women’s issues are human issues.
• These are things that should be at the forefront of some of these questions… (They) are so critical to the health and welfare (of women).
Big Takeaways:
• While women comprise of a big chunk of voters in the United States, the presidential candidates have yet to discuss in-depth the pressing issues that affect them. The Women’s Debate aims to curate questions of this nature to help raise awareness, evaluate the candidates’ policies, and demonstrate the women’s voting power.
• The serious concerns of women and girls go beyond abortion and Planned Parenthood. They involve problems like violence against women, human trafficking, and equal pay.
Related Links & References:
• The Women’s Debate: http://www.womensdebate.org/
• Petition for a live presidential debate focusing exclusively on women’s issues: https://www.change.org/p/to-our-presidential-candidates-women-s-real-issues-deserve-a-debate
• GiveBack: https://www.giveback.org/

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23 min

About The Female Insight Zone

From the publisher's feed

The Female Insight Zone is a 30-minute podcast sharing insights from women who have made an indelible mark in business and the path they took to soar. In each episode, host Maribeth Kuzmeski…