VIRGIN.BEAUTY.B!TCH

Jacqueline Shaulis is the leading authority on communication-based personal leadership for intersectional introverts. As an introverted woman of color, she’s leveraged her challenging upbringing into becoming a transformational speaker, bestselling author, and executive coach & advisor to Fortune 500 executives…all while honoring her introversion. Jacqueline is the founder of Awesome Enterprises LLC, Executive Director of the National Center for Intersectional Studies, and author of internationally bestselling books “Embrace Your Awesome” and “Yes Introverts Can.” Using practical strategies, entertaining stories, and a dash of woo, I share wisdom gained through my own journey of rediscovery and reclamation to get people thinking, talking, and taking action with empathy, energy, and encouragement.

Sidelined, How Women Manage & Mismanage Their Health, written by Susan Salenger, explores the cultural and medical history that has conditioned women not to act in their own best interest. She offers insights into the gender biases of the medical community and explores why women are misdiagnosed more often than men and why they are routinely omitted from clinical trials. Sidelined is Designed to help women become more consciously aware and provide readers with the knowledge, language, and skill sets needed to ensure that women are comfortable advocating for themselves regarding their personal health.

April Ebeling is a military veteran, an adoptive mom, and an award-winning musician. Her passion is creating experiences that make a difference in easing the stress levels in people’s lives, no matter their situations or where they live in the world! To that end, April developed a simple, straightforward, and practical meditation technique called Singalong Switch. Her inspiration came from trying to maintain her own mindfulness practices while coping with the most important and stressful event of her life — becoming a new mom. Her Singalong Switch technique combines two powerful tools: voice and touch. Singalong Switch has been a welcomed addition to people’s mental health toolbox mainly because it's Fun, Fulfilling, and, most importantly, Fast. April's practice now helps thousands of people worldwide — 25 countries and counting — deal with all stress levels in their lives!

There is a deeply held practice and belief that despite advances in sharing household tasks, women still carry the largest share of emotional labor for their families. What is emotional labor? Dr. Regina Lark, Speaker, Educator, and Author of Emotional Labor: Why A Woman's Work is Never Done and What To Do About It, has words for why women often feel taken for granted.

Sandra Wigg is a Foundational Life Coach who worked helping athletes to elevate their academic, athletic and personal performance. She now assists clients on their journey to reach their full potential and transform their life. "I have developed a successful Foundational Life Coaching philosophy that focuses on the effects of external performance-based approval. Equally important is shifting from always thinking in black and white absolutes to non-judgmental Grey thinking. All these concepts have come together in my new book titled The Power of Grey Thinking—Elevate Your Perspective, Elevate Your Life. I have learned powerful lessons from my mistakes that have allowed me to see the challenges of others through the eyes of experience, empathy, and understanding. Part of life is stepping into the unknown and taking risks. I have found that people gain greater purpose by being vulnerable, honest, and opening their hearts to others. I treasure the lessons I've learned and enjoy teaching them to others on their path of personal growth."

Yvonne Silver is the Founder & CEO of Women & Wisdom Media, an in-demand Speaker, and Bestselling Author of Words, Women & Wisdom. Yvonne teaches ambitious female business founders and entrepreneurs how to gain unshakable confidence and use it to advance from Solopreneur to CEO. “Women often struggle with self-doubt, imposter syndrome, anxiety, and the frustration of unfulfilled dreams because they lack clarity. I teach women how to showcase their value with Confident Conversations that impact how they lead their teams, expand their business & grow more sales.” As the mother of a special needs son, Yvonne supports women who struggle to balance business with quality time for family, and leaving a proud legacy.

This episode of VBB is different from any other show. Heather and I are blessed; we speak with dozens of amazing women each year. But, in 2021, a past guest La Tonya Davison turned the tables on us. La Tonya is a Licensed Master Social Worker / Sociologist / Cultural Therapist / Stand-Up Comedian and host of the radio show Mental Speak Radio on the Fishbowl Radio Network — the largest personality-driven internet radio station in the world. In front of a global audience, La Tonya invited us to share our vision and intent behind VIRGIN.BEAUTY.B!TCH Podcast.

Liz Declan is a self-identified queer single mom with a seven-year-old daughter who does not identify with traditional gender binaries. Liz has her B.A. and M.A. in English from Temple University and teaches Writing and Literature at the university level. She is an MFA candidate at Bennington College, studies creative nonfiction, and is working on her memoir. But more impressive than her own accomplishments is her plea for parents of cis kids, for cis adults who are not parents, and for cis members of the LGBTQ community to know that what trans children need is for adults to get loud and to do the heavy lifting because trans kids should be allowed to be kids, and their gender, like that of other children, should be just one part of them, not the sum total of who they are. If You're Not already Fighting For Trans Kids' Rights, Liz explains why it's crucial that you start.

Michelle Johns is a writer, entrepreneur, musician, worship leader, A Queer Girl after God's heart, and author of — God, A Lesbian, and the Space in Between. “Throughout my journey, I have faced many challenges in society, but as an out lesbian, I have never compromised my position nor been ashamed or afraid of being who I am. I have accomplished the highest level of peace and transparency with God, and my purpose in life is to make that connection known to those suffering inside the culturally created prison of unworthiness. I hope to provide a safe space for others to think critically about how society lacks fundamental empathy for the LGBTQIA community as a whole."

Closeted until his 20s, Award-winning blogger and author Lee Wind writes books today that would have dramatically changed his life as a young Gay boy. With his Master's Degree from Harvard, Lee commits to writing Cool Stuff For Queer Kids. His book "No Way, They Were Gay? Hidden Lives and Secret Loves" explores the hidden (and often surprising) Queer lives and loves of two dozen historical figures, including William Shakespeare, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. "I give young people access to a hidden history that can be life-changing. History has been sanitized for the protection of those in power, leaving out the stories of women, people of colour, indigenous people, disabled people, and – my focus – men who loved men, women who loved women, people who loved without regard to gender, and people who lived outside gender boundaries." Giving young people access to this hidden history is life-changing. Seeing people like you in the past changes how you see your place at the table now. And that changes what you can imagine for the future."