The PinkCast with Cindy Eckert

Journalist, author, and advocate Gretchen Carlson paved the way for #metoo with her historic 2016 sexual harassment complaint against the chairman of Fox News. Named one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World,” and author of New York Times bestsellers “Be Fierce” and “Getting Real,” Carlson is one of America’s most successful news anchors and a globally recognized advocate for women’s empowerment. 

Carlson previously hosted “The Real Story” on Fox News, and co-hosted the number-one rated cable morning news show, “Fox and Friends," for more than seven years. Carlson’s recently announced return to television, as host and producer of A+E and Lifetime Network documentaries, breaks the barriers and blacklisting she faced after saying “enough” to harassment. Her comeback is a beacon of hope for other brave women demoted, fired, or blacklisted from their chosen careers after reporting sexual harassment.

Carlson started her television career as a political reporter in Richmond, Virginia, and then served as an anchor and reporter in Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Dallas.  In 2000 Carlson moved to national news as co-host and correspondent on CBS’ “The Saturday Early Show,” where she covered some of the world’s biggest stories, including the 9-11 terrorist attack from the World Trade Center, the Bush-Gore election, and Oklahoma City Bomber Tim McVeigh’s execution. She also reported and produced a 30-part series on domestic violence that won several national awards.

In 2016 Carlson became the face of workplace harassment survivors, gracing the covers of Time and Good Housekeeping magazines. Carlson’s book “Be Fierce” debuted in October 2017 and immediately joined “Getting Real” as a New York Times bestseller.

Since her harassment complaint became public, Carlson has worked fearlessly to change laws that protect predators. In December 2017, she joined a bi-partisan coalition of legislators to introduce the “Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Harassment Act,” which voids forced arbitration agreements that prevent sexual harassment survivors from getting their day in court.

Profits from “Be Fierce” go to Carlson’s Gift of Courage Fund, which supports organizations empowering women and young girls. This year the fund is providing free workshops to low-income women facing gender-based discrimination and violence through the Gretchen Carlson Leadership Initiative and supporting the March of Dimes’ Gretchen Carlson Advocacy Fellows.

Carlson’s advocacy has been honored by numerous organizations, including the New York Women in Communications’ Matrix Award; the Radio Television Digital News Association’s First Amendment Leadership Award; the National Organization for Women’s 2018 Women of Power and Influence Award; and the YWCA Greater Los Angeles’ 2018 Phenomenal Champion of Change.   

An honors graduate of Stanford University, Carlson was valedictorian of her high school class and studied at Oxford University in England. A violin prodigy, she performed as a soloist with the Minnesota Orchestra at age 13, and in 1989 became the first classical violinist to win the Miss America crown. Carlson is the first former Miss America to serve as Chair of the Miss America Organization.

Carlson also serves as a national Trustee for the March of Dimes; on the Board of the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary in Newtown, Connecticut; and as a Trustee of the Greenwich Academy, an all-girls preparatory day school. She is an active volunteer at her church, and hosted the 2016 “Miss You Can Do It” pageant in Illinois to celebrate the achievements of girls and young women with disabilities.

Carlson is married to sports agent Casey Close. The couple lives in Greenwich with their two children.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How Gretchen learned business and humility
• How speaking up can change the world
• How you CAN be courageous even when you're afraid

Captain Mark Kelly is a United States Navy combat veteran and retired NASA astronaut. As a naval aviator, Captain Kelly flew 39 combat missions in Operation Desert Storm and later attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School. Captain Kelly was selected as an astronaut in 1996. He flew his first of four missions in 2001 aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour, the same shuttle that he commanded on its final flight in 2011. He is one of only four individuals who has visited the International Space Station on four different occasions.   In January 2013, Captain Kelly and Congresswoman Giffords co-founded Giffords, which encourages our country’s leaders to stand up for laws that make communities safer from gun violence. Captain Kelly received a B.S. degree in Marine Engineering from the United States Merchant Marine Academy and a M.S. degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. A native of West Orange, New Jersey, he lives with his wife Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson, Arizona.   In this episode, we talk about:  

• How to create the courage to do some terrifying things
• What it was like in space
• What inspired Mark to do some of the most difficult jobs
• How we're all wired with the desire for adventure

Ali Brown has been dubbed the “Entrepreneurial Guru for Women” by Business News Daily and has created an Inc. 500-ranked, global enterprise devoted to empowering women entrepreneurs. She was named one of Forbes’ Women to Watch, one of  Ernst & Young's Winning Women Entrepreneurs, and an entrepreneur delegate for the United Nations Foundation’s Global Accelerator. Ali was also featured on the ABC hit primetime show Secret Millionaire. She provides leadership and business coaching and advice to over 250,000 followers via AliBrown.com, her social media channels, and her Glambition® Radio show on iTunes. She was also named by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the Top 10 Twitter Accounts Every Entrepreneur Should Be Following.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Ali's dive into entrepreneurship
• How do grow a business when you don't "fit into the system"
• The top ways to stand out in a crowded market
• Why it's important to leave behind comfort to pursue your passions

Chef Fabio Viviani has harbored a passion for food since his childhood growing up in Florence, Italy. Between training in Italian and Mediterranean cuisine at the top hospitality schools and working with culinary luminaries such as Alessandro Panzani and Saverio Carmagini, Viviani also owned and operated several concepts by the time he was 27 including two nightclubs and five restaurants in Florence. Although a well-respected businessman in Italy, he was ready for a change and in 2005, Viviani moved to California where he opened his first USA based restaurant Café Firenze in Moorpark, CA.

Teaming up with one of Chicago’s restaurant consulting group, Dine|Amic, Viviani opened Siena Tavern in Chicago in 2013 and the following year he opened Mercato by Fabio Viviani, a quick-service Italian concept with branches in Chicago and San Diego. In 2015, Viviani continued to make a name for himself in Chicago by opening Bar Siena and Prime & Provisions. In 2016, he expanded to the LAX Delta terminal with the opening of Osteria by Fabio Viviani while opening additional Mercato by Fabio locations in Tempe, Phoenix, Cleveland, and Benton Harbor. In 2017, Fabio opened the Press Room in Detroit hot on the heels of his February opening of Portico by Fabio Viviani in New York’s del Lago Resort & Casino.

Looking ahead to 2018, Viviani plans to open restaurants in Tampa, Detroit, Washington D.C. and Oklahoma City. He also plans to open high end food courts in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia and Missouri before the end of the year.

Best known for his television debut on Bravo’s hit series Top Chef—earning the “Fan Favorite” title—his on-screen appearances have propelled him to become one of the top culinary names in the country. He is a recurring guest on national television shows such as Good Morning America, The Rachael Ray Show, The Chew, and countless Food Network Shows such as Cutthroat Kitchen: All-Star Tournament, which he won. In February 2017, he also released “Fabio’s Kitchen,” a 52-episode cooking show hosted on YouTube.

Off-screen, Viviani is a regular headliner at global food events and aside from his restaurant businesses, Viviani also owns a Maine-based seafood delivery service called Lobster by Fabio and a winery in Sonoma that produces the five wine varietals in the Fabio Viviani Wine Collection.

He has authored four successful cookbooks: Café Firenze Cookbook, New York Times Best-Seller Fabio’s Italian Kitchen, Fabio’s American Home Kitchen, and most recently Fabio’s 30-Minute Italian released in May 2017.

Among Viviani’s other passions, he has a knack for business and entrepreneurship. A prolific tech investor and business speaker, not only has he delivered over 300 keynotes in the past 7 years, but he has been featured at several Fortune 500 companies’ corporate functions to share expertise in branding, social media, and marketing. 

In this episode we cover: - How to cook up the perfect life - How you're able to transition from one industry to the next - Balancing a busy schedule - What is Dopple - Creating the life of your dreams from nothing

Financial feminist Sallie Krawcheck is the CEO and Co-Founder of Ellevest, a recently launched innovative digital investment platform for women. She is the Chair of Ellevate Network, the global professional woman’s network, and of the Pax Ellevate Global Woman’s Index Fund, which invests in the top-rated companies in the world for advancing women. She is also the best-selling author of “Own It: The Power of Women at Work.”

Before becoming an entrepreneur, she was CEO of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, of Smith Barney and of Sanford Bernstein.

In this episode we discuss: - How being a woman in business affects your trajectory - How to utilize your strengths and weaknesses - Why we MUST talk about money - Relationships between fathers and daughters - Gender biases in the work place and how to work around them - Embracing underestimations 

Resources: Check out more about Ellevest and Sallie

Connect with Cindy on social! Instagram Facebook Twitter Website

Robert Herjavec is one of North America’s most recognizable business leaders. Born in Eastern Europe, he arrived to North America on a boat with his parents after escaping Communism in the former Yugoslavia. From delivering newspapers, and waiting tables, to launching a computer company from his basement, his drive to achieve has led him to the fulfillment of a better life for himself and his family.

In 2003 Robert founded Herjavec Group, and it quickly became one of North America’s fastest growing technology companies. Today, Herjavec Group is recognized as a global leader in information security specializing in managed security services, compliance, incident response and remediation efforts for enterprise level organizations.

His inspiring books, Driven and The Will to Win, were simultaneously Top 10 Bestsellers that earned him the title of “Best Selling Author”. Robert has released his third book, You Don’t Have to Be a Shark: Creating Your Own Success. Robert’s motivational business advice has received millions of impressions through TV, print, radio and digital media. He shares his expertise with other entrepreneurs each week as a leading Shark on ABC’s Emmy Award-winning hit Shark Tank. Robert recently placed 6th with partner Kym Johnson, competing for the mirror ball trophy on the popular show, Dancing with the Stars.

In this episode we discuss: - His journey from communism to Canada - Why he believes in giving - He shares a touching story about his mother - How even men can wear PINK - How you're able to build your own empire

Resources Robert's Website Connect with Cindy on social! Instagram Facebook Twitter Website

Ashley Graham is an American model who has become one of the most popular faces in the modeling industry and particularly for women who classify themselves as curvy (a term Graham prefers over "plus-sized"). Known for her accessibility and body confidence, Graham has been described as an ambassador of the "real beauty" movement, which celebrates what real women's bodies look like rather than the impossible standards set by the fashion industry. With her increasing popularity, she has graced the covers of the world's biggest fashion magazines, including Vogue, Elle, and Harper's Bazaar and has walked the runway for major fashion brands and designers.

In this episode we talk about: - How to handle your haters - Owning your differences and making an impact - Being real and not apologizing for being yourself - How to surround yourself with the right people - And so much more!

RESOURCES Make sure to grab a copy of Ashley's new book

Connect with Cindy on social! Instagram Facebook Twitter Website

This is The PinkCast with Cindy Eckert! In this episode I wanted to take a quick minute to introduce myself, and give you a taste of what you'll hear while listening to my show. As some of you know, I sold my last company for a billion dollars… that’s right, billion with a “B”. After that exit, I wanted to reach back and pull other women to get to the same success I was so fortunate to experience.

So I started The Pink Ceiling, where we not only invest money but roll up our sleeves and strategize as these startups get ready to launch. Our Pinkubator companies are female founded or female focused health tech startups. In the last two years, I’ve invested over $15 million! My work has taken me all across the country and I want to share with you unfiltered access to some of the most colorful people I feel fortunate to call friends. They are all characters and I’m so excited for you to meet them. A few of the superstar guests I’ll have on with me is the amazing model & body activist Ashley Graham, master Chef Fabio Viviani, Shark Tank star Robert Herjavec and much more. Hope you enjoy the conversations as much as I do! If you do, please subscribe!