We Should Talk About That

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I have a few things we should talk about this week!

• Do you think I need a permanent co-host?
• Why is it so hard to get people to talk on the show?
• Is Taylor Swift causing friendships to end?
• Mahjong

It's a random assortment.  It's a monologue.  I promised I wouldn't do any monologues.  So what should I do about that?

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Did you know that the  six most common complaints about the sound of a women's voice are:

• Their voice is too high
• They sound like children
• They don't sound authoritative enough
• They have vocal fry
• They use too much upspeak
• Their voice is too low

For a woman who wants to speak up publicly, it can start to feel like we are damned if we do, and damned if we don't. 

This week I had the opportunity to talk to Christine Adam, an international voice, accent and communication skills coach, about why women's voices are more critically received when they speak up in public.  It was a fascinating AND frustrating conversation.

I hope you'll listen!

Guest Bio:
Christine Adam is an international voice, accent and communication skills coach. She works with clients on vocal presence, power, range and expressivity, body language in communication, compassionate listening and managing performance anxiety. Her clients range from actors to business professionals, activists, teachers and anyone who is curious about becoming a more effective and empowered communicator. Through her company, Voice what Matters, Christine offers private coaching programs, bespoke workshops and digital courses, as well as a podcast and a YouTube channel.  Christine has an MFA in Voice Studies from the Royal Central School of Drama in London. She is a certified Fitzmaurice Voicework(r) teacher and Organic Intelligence(r) coach. She is also a States-based Communication coach for RADA Business, based in London.

Resources Cited:
Mary Beard Article  "The Long Tradition of Women Being Told to Shut Up"
Selena Simmons-Duffin "Talking While Female"

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I am a proud voting American.  From local, national, primary, or general, I never miss my opportunity to participate in my civic duty and cherished right to vote.  I love the process of going to my polling precinct and casting my ballot.  I slap that sticker on my chest and walk around all day with pride, knowing that instead of choosing to do nothing, I chose to vote.  And I believe, that my vote is counted.  It may not win, but it is always counted.

But I am aware that I may be in the minority who believes that my vote is counted.
In January 2024, Data for Progress found that 43% of likely voters are either not confident at all or only a little confident in the security of elections.  That percentage rises to 50% if you only look at registered Independents and rises to 69% if you only look at registered Republicans.

That is a lot of Americans who do not trust the security of our elections!  

I wanted to learn more about the election process.  To see if there is a reason to not trust the system, or to see if this growing mistrust is fueled by misinformation.  

My guest this week is Tate Fall, Director of Elections for Cobb County Georgia.  She guides me through the history and process of administering elections, shares how much elections have changed through the years, and dispels some of the most common myths about voter fraud.  This is a conversation you are not going to want to miss.

Tate Fall currently serves as the Director of Elections for Cobb County. She has previously served as the Deputy Director of Elections for Arlington County, VA, a Communications Specialist for the United States Election Assistance Commission (EAC), and as a Voting Rights Advocate for Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program. Tate has her B.S. in Rehabilitation and Disability Studies, a Master of Public Administration and a Graduate Certificate in Election Administration all from Auburn University. 

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We should talk about Tik Tok. 
As a Gen X-er, I cling to my Facebook and I feel fancy that I consistently use Instagram.  But if I'm being honest, I know that this makes me basically an elderly user of social media apps.  YouTube and Tik Tok are the social media apps where Gen Z and Gen Alpha are spending the majority of their time.  So, what's an "Insta-Grandma" to do to try and stay au courant on the trends?
Enter my guest, Pamela Wurst Vetrini.
Pamela is a content creator, content curator, and social media consultant. Vetrini gained a following of over 150,000 followers by translating tik tok trends for an elder millennial audience. After working in marketing and PR in publishing in NYC, she decided to focus on learning how to use social media during her time as a stay at home mom. Vetrini's greatest viral success came in the summer of 2023 when she curated a reality tv "season" of private chefs in the Hamptons from existing tik tok content.
https://www.instagram.com/pamelawurstvetrini/
https://www.tiktok.com/@pamelawurstvetrini

Join us for a discussion on why Tik Tok isn't evil, and what has been trending on the app for March 2024.

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Join Jessica and her pop culture guest of the week, Joey Klei, as they discuss the pop culture topics that are front of mind for them. 

• Where is Princess Catherine? ***Big correction!! Jessica says MULTIPLE times that the timeline starts 12/23/23, but it really was 12/28/23.  In her excitement, she got the date wrong, a lot.  This is why she is not running for President.
• Joey reviews the Apple Vision Pro glasses
• We should talk about the Oscars

Do YOU want to be a part of the next pop culture segment?  Send me a message at [email protected] and let me know what you think we should talk about!  You might just be my next pop culture aficionado called upon!

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"If we understand there is a biblical basis, there is a theological basis for understanding that transgender people and gender expansive people are created in the image of God -  just like all people- then it makes it easier to .... understand we don't have to choose between our faith and the people we love."

Jamie Bruesehoff is an award-winning LGBTQ+ advocate, nationally known speaker, and mother of three, including a transgender child.  She also has a master's degree from The Lutheran Theological Seminary-Gettysburg and is the wife of a Lutheran pastor.  She has twenty years of experience working with youth and adults in and outside of the church, she strives to create a world where LGBTQ+ young people thrive.  Her book, "Raising Kids Beyond the Binary: Celebrating God's Transgender and Gender-Diverse Children" came out in September 2023. 

Join us for a wide ranging conversation about faith, parenting, gender diversity, supporting the experience of a transgender person, and expanding our understanding about what gender means to each of us.

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“I’ve personally witnessed how Chelsey changes the lives of teenage girls for the better. This book is exactly what we all need right now, for our families and for our future voices in the world."

—Laura Dern, Academy Award-winning actress and New York Times bestselling author of Honey, Baby, Mine

Teenage girls have a lot of assumptions made about them, and they’re not very positive.  Things like, they’re dramatic, they’re mean, they’re overly emotional, and they don’t know really know what they want or who they want to be.

Chelsey Goodan, the author of "UNDERESTIMATED: The Wisdom and Power of Teenage Girls", is on a mission to dispel these assumptions and show us why we actually have a lot to learn from teenage girls.  

About my guest:

Chelsey Goodan has spent 16 years working as an academic tutor and also volunteering her time to mentor teenage girls. Chelsey now speaks regularly to audiences and conducts workshops on gender justice, and revealing how teenage girls can teach us all how to create more heartfelt connections and impactful change.

Buy the book here!

Resources cited:
A Call to Men- The Next Generation of Manhood

Peggy Orenstein's "Girls and Sex: Navigating the Complicated New Landscape"
https://www.peggyorenstein.com/main-st

Dr. Emily Morse's "Smart Sex: How to Boost Your Sex IQ and Own Your Pleasure"
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/smart-sex-emily-morse?variant=40992969556002

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We Should Talk About That is going on a break for a couple of weeks for a little refresh and re-tooling.  But before I go, I want to take a minute to honor a man who has meant so very much to me, my father in law, Vernard Charles Kidwell, Jr.
Vern passed away February 4th, 2024 at the ripe age of 98 and I am just back from a weekend of honoring him and his incredible life.  

A WWII veteran and celebrated jazz trumpet player, Vern lived many chapters and I wanted to do my small part in honoring and remembering him by documenting his memory in my little podcast, or as he would always refer to it, my "television show".  I sure did love this man and I invite you to spend 15 minutes with me to honor him as well.

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This week I welcome Jess Buchanan back on the show to talk about the release of  her second anthology series, Deserts to Mountaintops: Choosing Our Healing Through Radical Self Acceptance.   It was so great to catch up on what's been happening in her world and to discuss this project.

In this episode:

• Find out why this topic was chosen for the anthology series
• Hear the process of putting an anthology project together with 18 other authors
• Talk about the fear that keeps women from telling their stories
• Discuss why that fear must be faced and MORE stories need to be shared

This week's guest:
Jessica Buchanan is a Teacher, Author, Humanitarian, Speaker, Founder, and Survivor.

In her NYT Bestselling memoir Impossible Odds: The Kidnapping of Jessica Buchanan and Her Dramatic Rescue by SEAL Team Six, Jessica details her experience as she was abducted at gunpoint and held for ransom by a group of Somali pirates for 93 days. Forced to live outdoors in deplorable conditions, starved, and terrorized by more than two dozen gangsters, Jessica’s health steadily deteriorated until, by order of President Obama, she was rescued by the elite SEAL Team VI on January 25, 2012.

Jessica is now a highly sought-after inspirational speaker, TEDx Speaker, and is also the founder of Soul Speak Press. Her latest book is an anthology titled “Deserts to Mountaintops: Choosing Our Healing Through Radical Self Acceptance.” She is married to a native Swede, has two children, and now resides in the DC Metro area.

Buy the book here

Find out more about Soul Speak Press

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In September 2017, after years of physical abuse and sexual torture, Nicole "Nikki" Addimando fatally shot her abusive partner in self-defense.  And in February 2020, Nicole was sentenced to 19 years to life in prison for killing the perpetrator of her abuse, where she became part of the 97% of women in prison nationwide who have experienced physical or sexual abuse.

Long time listeners of WeSTAT know that I have been personally following this case very closely.  In 2021, I had the opportunity to focus on Nikki’s case in two episodes: One with Rebecca and Wendy, two representatives of the Nicole Addimando Community Defense Committee, as well as with  journalist Justine van der Leun who partnered with Lemonada media and Spiegel and Grau to release a six part award winning podcast about Nikki’s case called “Believe Her” .

Through all of my following of this case, one person’s name comes up over and over, and that is Nikki’s sister, Michelle Horton.  Since Nikki’s arrest in 2017, Michelle has been caring for Nikki’s two children, Ben and Faith, quarterbacking her defense strategy and trying to figure out how to support Nikki, herself, and so many others that have been devastated by these events.  However, I have never had the opportunity to meet or talk with Michelle, until today.

Michelle Horton is a passionate writer and advocate based in New York's Hudson Valley. As the caregiver for Nikki Addimando's children, and a crucial figure in Nikki's defense strategy, Michelle has emerged as a fierce advocate for survivors of domestic violence. Her forthcoming memoir, "Dear Sister," provides an intimate and eye-opening look at the challenges faced by survivors within the criminal justice system. Through her unwavering commitment and personal experiences, Michelle offers a compelling voice in advocating for the rights of survivors and shedding light on the pervasive issue of domestic violence.
Buy the book

For support and resources:
Hour Children

Survived and Punished

Sanctuary for Families

Criminalized Survivors Report

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