When Women Fly

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When Michelle Snow was young, there was no professional basketball league for women in the United States. Despite no clear path to success, and despite her doubters, Michelle dreamed that she would one day realize her dream of making a career as a professional basketball player. And did she ever!

On November 30, 2000, Michelle’s fate of making it to a professional league was sealed when she became the first woman to dunk in a nationally televised basketball game.  She hasn’t slowed down for a moment since.

In today’s episode, Sylvia and Michelle discuss what it takes to pursue your dreams, with practical advice on where to start. They discuss Michelle’s transition from athletics into business, how being raised in a trailer park shaped Michelle’s approach to work, how social norms impact the performance of female athletes, and much more.

Topics Include:

• The importance of family and a moral compass
• Michelle’s mother and the huge impact she had
• Making a plan, breaking it down into a tangible “how”
• Obsessive action
• Sharing your success
• Prioritizing giving back and mentorship
• Why “be realistic” is bad advice
• Why we need to dream even bigger 
• Affirmations and manifesting practice and morning routine
• And other topics...

Michelle Snow is an ex- professional basketball player with the WNBA and international teams. She is currently an speaker, entrepreneur & business coach. While at the University of Tennessee, Michelle played for Pat Summitt, whose 1,098 career wins are the most in NCAA basketball history. On November 30, 2000, Michelle became just the third woman in NCAA college basketball history to dunk during a game. Michelle was drafted 10th overall in the 1st round of the 2002 WNBA Draft. She was nominated to both the 2005 and 2006 all-star teams.  In the midst of her twelve-year career as a professional athlete, Michelle founded several companies in different industries successfully leveraging proven certification trainings and workshops. Her training materials are customizable to each person’s unique situation to quickly maximize their full potential.

Resources Mentioned:
WEBSITE – https://www.michellesnow360.com/
IG: @Michellesnow2
PODCAST – ‎Across the Pond, a Premier League Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/across-the-pond-a-premier-league-podcast/id730239274)

Books Mentioned:
How to Win Friends and Influence People
The Psychology of Money
Start With Why

Want to connect? Visit us online and signup for the monthly WWF newsletter!
Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenfly
Email – [email protected]

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Amberly Brown is no stranger to flying her body thousands of feet above the ground. A skydiver, surfer, photographer, and native Alaskan, Amberly has spent her life finding the edge and pushing limits.

In today's episode, Amberly speaks to the fragility of life and the resilience required to take on risks. She shares what she's learned from multiple near-death experiences, personal loss, taking action and chasing her dreams, and so much more.
 
A big thanks to Amberly for sharing her story with us, and for continuing to show up and do the work!

Topics Include:

• Early life in Alaska
• Growing up in a mixed-race family
• Addiction
• Working through trauma and abuse
• Getting into skydiving, surfing, and jiu-jitsu 
• Setting ambitious goals
• Recovering from the loss of her fiance 
• Breaking skydiving world records
• Trusting what's on the other side of fear
• And other topics...

Resources Mentioned:
IG @amberlyairborne
FB @amberlyairborne
Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Townsand 
Atomic Habits by James Clear 

Amberly Brown is a skydiver, surfer, photographer, and native Alaskan who holds five world records in skydiving. She's a skydiving instructor and videographer, and holds a Vinyasa yoga instructor certification. She is also a Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. Amberly embodies what it means to fly, literally and metaphorically, and is continuing to find new ways to fly in her life.

Want to connect? Visit us online and signup for the monthly WWF newsletter!
Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenfly
Email – [email protected]

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What happens when we find the courage to follow our heart, pursue a dream, and fly? Nathania Stambouli may just have the answer for us.

Our first episode of Season II features Nathania Stambouli, Founder of Yogi Flight School and a devotee of transformation. Nathania is in the business of changing lives as a yoga instructor, retreat leader, and small business coach. In this episode, Sylvia and Nathania debunk misconceptions about yoga and who yoga is for. They discuss why everything you’re looking for in life is on the otherside of fear, and how finding the courage to follow your heart and pursue your dreams is the key to unlocking your best life.

Topics Include:

• How the early death of Nathania’s mother influenced her life’s trajectory. 
• Why Nathania quit a 10-year career in marketing to pursue teaching yoga. 
• What we learn when having the courage to do hard things. 
• The tricky business of balance. 
• Crafting a vision for your life, and keeping it in sight. 
• Why Nathania focuses on handstands and inversions, and other topics...

Nathania Stambouli is the founder of Yogi Flight School, a transformational yoga program that teaches how to do hard things through the medium of yoga. With a focus on arm balances and inversions, Yogi Flight School helps us confront our perceived limitations by pushing us out of our comfort zone in a safe and supporting environment. Nathania is also the cofounder of SoulTribe Adventures which hosts yoga and fitness adventure retreats around the globe.

Resources Mentioned:
Handstands on the Fly Challenge - email hello@whenwomenfly for more information or just stick around for the updates!
Yogi Flight School – https://www.yogiflightschool.com/
SoulTribe Adventures – https://www.soultribeadventures.com/
Radical Honesty by Tara Brach – https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Honesty-Transform-Telling-Truth/dp/B00EAH6UH6/
Mastery of Love – https://www.amazon.com/The-Mastery-of-Love-don-Miguel-Ruiz-audio/dp/B0007RWWQG/

Want to connect? Visit us online and signup for the monthly WWF newsletter!
Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenfly
Email – [email protected]

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Welcome to Season II of the When Women Fly podcast! As we transition from summer to fall and celebrate the autumn equinox, we acknowledge the persistence of transformation and change. Equal dark and equal light, the time when everything starts to shift and we let go.  

Through all the ruptures of the past year and more we have been given so much to learn and callings to live differently. But how to do that and how to begin?

We have a rockstar lineup of shows in store for you. In this season, we’ll continue to explore the metaphor of flight with an emphasis on aligning with our deepest values, embracing challenge, letting go of old stories, and finding the courage to go all-in on our dreams. 

Why do planes or a flock of geese take off into the wind? Because taking off into the wind provides additional lift, helping to rise more quickly and stay aloft.

We believe that when we share our stories, own our fears and dismantle our perceived limitations – the possibilities are boundless. 

Thank you for joining us on this journey! Be sure to reach out with guest or topic suggestions for the show. We love feedback. Be bold, be brave, and fly.

Want to connect? Visit us online and signup for the monthly WWF newsletter!
Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenfly
Email – [email protected]

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Sylvia connects with listeners to close out Season I of the When Women Fly podcast, and to introduce Season II launching Tuesday, September 21st.

In our nearly 50 episodes and 10,000 downloads, this project has continued to iterate and take on new meaning. A special thanks to each one of our guests, our listeners, and everyone who has shown up to make this project possible.

Join us for Season II as we continue to share the stories of women who are shining examples of what’s possible When Women Fly, literally and metaphorically. Believe in the transformative power of change. Be bold, be brave, and fly! See you in Season II.

Want to connect? Visit us online and signup for the monthly WWF newsletter!
Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenfly
Email – [email protected]

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Today, we highlight Sasha Gollish in the ninth installment of our Summer Series. Sasha is a professional runner, engineer, speaker, and educator. She was named female athlete of the year in 2015 and has given talks on subjects ranging from engineering to resilience.

In this episode, Sylvia and Sasha discuss engineering performance as an athlete, adventure outdoors, mindset, courage, fear and measuring success. Sasha shares her passion for making fast turns on the track and on the slopes, what the metaphor of flight means to her, the power of setting intentions, and much more.

Topics Include:

• Balancing being a scientist and an athlete
• Performance training and engineering
• The rejuvenating power of the outdoors
• Antifragile and resilient systems
• Collaborating with Oiselle
• Investigating our spiritual nature
• The connection between risk and kindness
• And other topics…

Sasha Gollish  is a Canadian competitive runner and professional engineer. She won a gold medal in the half-marathon at the 2013 Maccabiah Games, a bronze medal in the 1500 m at the 2015 Pan American Games, and gold medals at the 2017 Maccabiah Games in the 800m, 1,500m, and 5,000m events. She works as a civil engineer and teaches at University of Toronto. She is also a competitive cyclist, duathlete, triathlete, and ultimate frisbee player.
Sasha is an elite athlete with sponsor Oiselle. She uses #AlwaysPlay as a good reminder to enjoy the moment, to put a smile on your face even when things are challenging, and to savour the adventure.

Resources Mentioned:
https://www.sashagollish.com/
https://www.oiselle.com/
Listen to our full episode with Sasha here

Want to connect? Visit us online and signup for the monthly WWF newsletter!
Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenfly
Email – [email protected]

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Today, we highlight Belinda Baggs in the eighth installment of our Summer Series. As a world-renowned Australian longboard surfer, mother, and surf ambassador for Patagonia, Belinda leverages her platform to fight for climate justice.

In this episode, Belinda and Sylvia discuss the immediacy of the climate crisis. Belinda shares how her nonprofit Save Our Coast is working to inform, inspire, and empower local communities to care for the coastal ecosystem. Belinda provides listeners with insight into how we can play our part in the battle against climate change.

Topics Include:

• Longboard surfing and flying like a pelican
• Climate activism
• Motherhood
• Surfing as an art form and a lifestyle
• Harnessing feminine energy as a surfer
• Toxic wetsuits and better ecological alternatives
• How having a child influences Belinda as an athlete
• And other topics...

Aussie native Belinda Baggs is a surfer known for her elegant, technical longboard style. Formerly third in the world at the Women’s World Longboard Championship, the Patagonia ambassador and mother-of-one retired from competing after finding it at odds with her enjoyment and connection with the water.

You can follow Belinda on social media (get ready for some stunning surf and ocean shots) via www.instagram.com/belindabaggs 
She is also in surf films “Sprout”, “Dear and Yonder” and “Come Hell or High Water”. Belinda (or Bindy, as she’s often referred to) gained notoriety in the early aughts for her fancy footwork and her ability to make just about anything she did on a log look inimitably elegant. But as of late, the stylish Australian has been using her platform as a pro surfer and an ambassador for Patagonia to create more than just beautiful surf clips. Belinda has been busy raising awareness about environmental issues through the nonprofit Surfers For Climate.

Resourced Mentioned:
https://www.saveourcoast.org.au
https://www.patagonia.com
https://www.instagram.com/belindabaggs/
@surfersforclimate 
#patagoniaaus
August 14th Seismic Survey Vessel Protest - https://www.instagram.com/p/CSlU6EcL9c6/

Want to connect? Visit us online and signup for the monthly WWF newsletter!
Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenfly
Email – [email protected]

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Today, we highlight Shannon Huffman Polson in the seventh installment of our Summer Series. Having gleaned insights from serving in one of the most male-dominated organizations in the world, Shannon has become a thought leader on the subject of grit. Shannon teaches how to cultivate grit and resilience through introspection and knowledge of self.

Shannon was one of the first women to fly an Apache helicopter for the US Army, and has since gone on to become an author and keynote speaker.

In this episode, Sylvia and Shannon talk a lot about grit, what it is, how it is built and what the soft underbelly looks like. How do we face challenges and with enough determination, get to the other side. This is a conversation about reflection and self awareness as the means to understand our personal values and writing with self-study as a tool for engaging the complex emotions and stories that steer our lives. Grab the pen of fate to rewrite your story, your mindset and your future!

Topics Include:

• Growing up in Alaska
• Defining "grit"
• The Grit Triad– Commit, Learn, Launch
• How we can develop grit like a muscle
• Raising gritty kids
• Why grit is not a sustainable operating mode and mindset
• The evolving literature on grit and resilience
• Discovering and aligning with our core values
• Shannon’s course on grit and the Grit Institue
• And other topics...

Shannon Huffman Polson studied English Literature and art history at Duke University. She became one of the first women to fly Apache helicopters, serving on three continents and leading two flight platoons and a line company. During school and flying, she pursued skydiving, scuba diving, big-mountain climbing and long-course triathlons. Polson earned her MBA at the Tuck School at Dartmouth, and then later earned a MFA in Writing in Seattle Pacific University.  More recently, Shannon founded The Grit Institute where she coaches people on developing grit in careers and workplaces. She lives with her family in rural Washington state where they experienced the hardship of a wildfire in July 2021 which spared her home and garden but scorched the surrounding beloved land.

Connect with Shannon:
Website – https://www.shannonpolson.com/
North of Hope by Shannon Huffman Polson
The Grit Factor by Shannon Huffman Polson
Email [email protected] for GOING FOR GRIT Discount Code

Additional Resources:
Angela Duckworth’s work on grit–
https://angeladuckworth.com/
https://characterlab.org/
Book - Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance 
Carol Dweck’s work on growth mindset
https://www.mindsetworks.com/

Want to connect? Visit us online and signup for the monthly WWF newsletter!
Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenfly
Email – [email protected]

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Today, we highlight Judy Kasiama in the sixth installment of our Summer Series. Judy is the founder of Colour the Trails, a Vancouver-based outdoor community that advocates for inclusive representation in outdoor spaces. Judy works with brand partners, businesses, and organizations to break barriers and create accessibility by subsidizing outdoor adventures and creating diverse content.

Sylvia and Judy discuss intersectionality and the complexity of identity, rethinking the old profit/nonprofit framework for businesses, the origin story of Colour the Trails, the danger of performative allyship, and much more.

Topics Include: 

• Judy's early years in Democratic Republic of Congo
• Growing up abroad and moving from country to country
• Accessibility in the outdoors
• Limitations of nonprofits and alternative business structures
• Performative allyship and how to avoid it
• Building authentic relationships with BIPOC communities
• The benefits of physical challenges and adventures
• The power of persistence
• And other topics...

Judith Kasiama is a change maker, entrepreneur, athlete, and outdoor enthusiast. She is committed to engaging underrepresented communities in outdoor recreation and adventure. She believes nature is our healer; our call to our inner child; our adventurous side. And that the outdoors is a place where we can grow, expand, learn, connect, and experience the beauty of this land. “Everyone deserves the opportunity to experience the great outdoors.” Judy has a Bachelor of Applied Science degree from Trinity Western University with an emphasis on International Relations and History. She also attended Gordon College studying international relations and affairs. She is also a Fellow with the Royal Canadian Geographic Society. Judy and Colour the Trails have worked with the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival, they started The “Like Me - Outdoor Edition Film Festival” – a film series that focuses on stories of communities that have been intentionally and historically excluded from outdoor storytelling, and On has included Judy (aka Juju) in the environmental ones-to-watch list.

Resources Mentioned:
https://colourthetrails.com/
IG: @colourthetrails, @jujumil
#colourthetrails
Listen to our full episode with Judy: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1423273/7592419

Want to connect? Visit us online and signup for the monthly WWF newsletter!
Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenfly
Email – [email protected]

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Today, we highlight Melanie Curtis in the fifth installment of our Summer Series. Melanie is an a coach, speaker, author, entrepreneur and professional skydiver. She has jumped out of an airplane over 11,000 times and competed at the highest levels in the sport of skydiving, with numerous team world records. Melanie is a fierce champion for growth and inclusion. All of this has led Melanie to a powerful position of positive influence in her expanded career as a life coach, speaker and author.

Sylvia and Melanie discuss the life-changing power of confronting our mortality, fear, love and mindset. They touch on Melanie's decision to leave her banking job in pursuit of her passions, reinvention, courageous self-expression, healing, leaning into discomfort, staying oriented to growth, and much more.

Topics Include:

• Melanie’s first skydiving adventure
• Love and hilarity 
• Dismantling false assumptions and pursuing dreams
• Experiencing burnout
• Creating space to reground and re-emerge
• Balance, trust and lifelong passions
• Growth, kindness, and inclusion
• Using your platform for change
• And other topics...

Link to Episode 001

Connect With Melanie:
Email – [email protected]
IG – @melaniecurtis11
FB – @melanie.curtis.37
Podcast – http://trustthejourney.today/
Website – http://melaniecurtis.com/

Resources Mentioned:
Highlight Pro Skydiving Team – http://www.highlightskydiving.com/
Women's Skydiving Network – http://www.womensskydivingnetwork.org/
Our Full Episode With Melanie – https://www.buzzsprout.com/1423273/6172174

Want to connect? Visit us online and signup for the monthly WWF newsletter!
Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenfly
Email – [email protected]

Melanie Curtis is a life coach, speaker, author, professional skydiver, passionate entrepreneur, influencer and activist. As a leader and known voice in both skydiving and personal development, Melanie has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, Thrive Global, on CBS Sunday Morning, Masters of Scale, and more. With over 11,000 jumps and 25 years in the sport and industry, Melanie is the Executive Director of the Women’s Skydiving Network nonprofit and co-founder of Highlight Pro Skydiving Team, an all-female demonstration jump team whose mission is to inspire women and girls to live bold brave lives of their own design, elevate gender equality and motivate action to expand equity and inclusion in all forms.

Melanie co-creates the podcast, Trustthejourney.today and has authored three books: One Positive Thought Can Change Everything, With Our Whole Broken Hearts and her most recent and significant published work, How to Fly: Life Lessons from a Professional Skydiver. The How to Fly Audible book just dropped and is available now.