What's something you have always wanted to do but felt too afraid? My list is too long to share! Not Dottie's though. In this episode Dottie talks with me about what it was like to start figure skating competatively in her 30's. From competeing against teens to finding a club with other adults, Dottie stayed the course and her efforts have have rewarded her over and over again. One of the things I most love about this episode is the ripple effect it will have on each of us. The next time we really want to try something but are tempted to say "no" for a reason that doesn't need to stop us, I believe we will think of Dottie. We will remember her words and the experiences she shared and we just might say "yes"! Enjoy this episode with Dottie Janson, Amateur Competitive Figure Skater and if it resonates you please share Dottie's episode with someone else who would like to hear it! 

Many white people wonder how to be effective in dismantling systemic racism. We can get stuck while trying to say, learn, or express the "perfect" thing. We are not sure how to learn the stories of, and support, Black and Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) without burdening them. We know we need to call other white people in, and we want to make sure we are not taking the lead or centering ourselves.   Listen in as Julia Schuster, core team member of Showing up for Racial Justice (SURJ) Denver, shares her own insights, paradigms, and tools for engaging in the essential work of dismantling system racism.   EPISODE NOTE: The SURJ Denver team receives feedback from local accountability partners, all of which are community leaders or organizations led by BIPOC, as part of their work. The work that SURJ Denver engages in is requested by their accountability partners. Though participation in this podcast was not a direct request from an accountability partner, SURJ Denver has received the request to take on more of the work of calling in and educating other white people during this time.    NOTE: Julia would like to note the following corrections:    1. There are 15 Characteristics of White Supremacy.   2. Julia discusses looking for actions organized by organizations led by People of Color. She meant to say look for actions organized by organizations or groups led by People of Color. Sometimes actions are led by groups without formal name recognition or other status that may typically deem them as an "organization," and lack of formal "status" should not discount their work. SURJ Denver encourages white people to generally look for actions and community events organized by a collaborative group as opposed to those organized by a single individual. Works Rerferenced and Recommended in this Episode: Books and Workbooks: The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander “Two years after Obama’s election, Alexander put the entire criminal justice system on trial, exposing racial discrimination from lawmaking to policing to the denial of voting rights to ex-prisoners. This bestseller struck the spark that would eventually light the fire of Black Lives Matter.” —Ibram X. Kendi, The New York Time Dismantling Racism by Kenneth Jones and Tema Okun "Dismantling Racism Works (dRworks) is ​pleased to offer our workbook and other resources. We hope you find the material here useful to you, your organization, and your community. " Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad  "Me and White Supremacy: A 28-Day Challenge to Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor leads readers through a journey of understanding their white privilege and participation in white supremacy, so that they can stop (often unconsciously) inflicting damage on black, indigenous and people of color, and in turn, help other white people do better, too. The book goes beyond the original workbook by adding more historical and cultural contexts, sharing moving stories and anecdotes, and includes expanded definitions, examples, and further resources." So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo "In this New York Times bestseller, Ijeoma Oluo offers a hard-hitting but user-friendly examination of race in America   Widespread reporting on aspects of white supremacy--from police brutality to the mass incarceration of Black Americans--has put a media spotlight on racism in our society. Still, it is a difficult subject to talk about. How do you tell your roommate her jokes are racist? Why did your sister-in-law take umbrage when you asked to touch her hair--and how do you make it right? How do you explain white privilege to your white, privileged friend?   In So You Want to Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo guides readers of all races through subjects ranging from intersectionality and affirmative action to "model minorities" in an attempt to make the seemingly impossible possible: honest conversations about race and racism, and how they infect almost every aspect of American life." Social Media: Rachel Cargle, Public Academic, Writer, and Lecturer Ericka Hart, Sex Educator, Racial/Social/ Gender Justice Disruptor, Podcaster, Breast Cancer Survivor, Model Sonya Renee Taylor, Award Winning Poet, Activist, Author, and Leader Showing Up for Racial Justice, SURJ-Denver  Showing Up for Racial Justice, National  

Whoa. Don't you feel like you are going to wake up tomorrow and all of this will have been a dream- or rather a nightmare? We went from living one way to living another way in the span of about 24 hours. There is so much legitimate fear right now. We have no answers. We cannot wrap our heads around this because we don't even have a strong sense of what "it" is.  We want our kids to feel safe. How do we help them when we ourselves don't even feel safe? Should we be strict and regimented? Let them do whatever they want to keep them distracted?  There are also the practical challenges like working and schooling from home by necessity. Living together literally 24/7 is new for a lot of people. Roya Dedeaux is a Licensed Marriage and Family therapist with a focus on parenting and play. In this episode Roya offers us a shift in the way we think that could turn this time from chaos and disconnection to a time that might offer beauty, connection, and new understandings of each other. Here are the links referenced in today's show: Find Roya and schedule a 1/2 price texting session by clicking here.  Find Jane McGonigal's Super Better by clicking here. Find Darcel White of The Mahogany Way by clicking here. 

Social justice takes many forms. While we tend to think of marches, boycotts, and petitions, there are women who have devoted their lives and careers to taking practical action for social justice. Civil rights attorney Sandra Hanshaw Burink is one of those women. Sandra tells us about how she determines whether a case exists, how she prepares, how she communicates with her clients and how she prepares for a case. In addition to all of this, Sandra shares wisdom, courage, and sheer bravery as she not only learned how to take depositions and try cases, but as she learned how to navigate life transitions, like divorce, while exemplifying integrity and grace. You won't want to miss today's incredible episode. HOST NOTE: As mentioned in the break I am working on an offering for women. "Wholehearted Self-Love for Women" is a set of carefully curated tools to help women love themselves more. It is not a teaching, program, or course. It is an offering- an opportunity for us to love ourselves more. It is low-key, low-pressure, and all women are welcome. Here is the link to learn more: Click here for Wholehearted Self-Love for Women

"Peanuts! Get your peanuts!" Except now it's Berry Kabobs and they are being sold by a woman, not a man. Listen in as High School Senior (our youngest guest yet!) Katie Eckhardt talks about the work done behind the scenes to make the Colorado Rockies games spectacular for fans. From how Katie deals with the heat to which players she's met you'll gain a better understanding of the inner workings of a professional baseball stadium. You'll also get a beautiful dose of hopefulness for what the next generation is ushering in as Katie offers her words of wisdom on self-worth, self-confidence, and her own plans for the future. Join us!

I am so excited to share the trailer for Real Women's Work with you! I will continue to do some editing on it but I have been sitting on it for months and it's time to just get it out there. I appreciate your feedback and use it to make the show better so please know that I welcome and appreciate it. Also in this episode: a quick programming note and a story about Real Women's Work. THANK YOU for listening! 

All of us parents of girls want our daughters to have high self-worth and self confidence, a strong sense of their core beliefs, and the ability to say "no" to things that make them uncomfortable, and "yes" to things that bring them joy. With so much conflated information surrounding us, though, how can we ensure a positive body image and strong communication skills?The answer is both simpler and more difficult than we think. Maria Fuller gave up a successful photography business to follow a different path- a path that guides parents in raising a powerful girl and empowers girls. Through the programs, apps, and podcast created by Maria, parents are feeling hopeful about empowering their daughters. Through the Empowered Girl Movement and accompanying app, girls are learning how to navigate social media to help them feel powerful and positive, and are raising their self-worth and level of personal empowerment. Listen in as Maria shares how she got this movement started, what her days look like, and the family culture she has intentionally created to empower her own daughters.  You can learn more here: Raising a Powerful Girl Empowered Girl Movement

I want to introduce you to this week's guest. Gloria Mitchell is a Crisis and Performance Coach for Entrepreneurs and Public Figures. Her story will blow you away, inspire you, encourage you, empower you, and you will be so grateful that Gloria is in this world. The time I spent talking with Gloria was a gift that I haven’t even fully inhaled yet. I am so grateful that Gloria shared her time on Real Women’s Work. Not only do we get to learn about how Gloria does her work, she offers us insights, suggestions, observations on fear, dark times, scary times, resiliency and the value in owning our story. Ultimately, Gloria offers us a real and tangible example of what it means to choose to live a life with authenticity, meaning, courage and resiliency.  After listening to Gloria on this episode of Real Women's Work you are surely going to want to hear more from her. Here is where you can find her: GloriaMitchell.com Gloria Mitchell on Instagram Gloria Mitchell on LinkedIn And here is a link to the affirmation app Gloria references in this episode: Think Up App

While bubble baths and mani/pedis are awesome, I think real self-care goes deeper. From the way we speak to ourselves and the clothes we wear to the food we eat and the way we sleep, messaging may be talking us into schedules and diets that do not take care of us at all! Listen in as Jen shares her own journey of moving through a mental breakdown to reach thriving- all through the (often difficult and tiring) practice of developing real and continuous self-care.  CONTENT NOTE: I have never done a "solocast" before. Eep! Let me tell you how weird it felt sitting in my closet talking! (and this from a Voice Over Talent who is used to it!). I am becoming passionate about this topic though and feel like we need to broaden the conversation now. Here is the book I referenced in today's show: Self-Compassion by Dr. Kristin Neff. Click here to find the book on Amazon. Dr. Neff also has a website with exercises and other great info. You can click here to access it.   

Wow! You know those things that you never knew you never had? That you never knew you always wanted?  Until I was introduced to the work that Ashley Hart is doing with her two best friends at She Plays I never would have thought to think that women athletes are not represented with Fantasy Sports! As an athlete growing up my idols were Michael Jordan and Larry Bird. I was older when the WNBA came out and it was still so new that it wasn't part of the conversation. Women athletes were not part of the conversation. Our coaches were men. Our referees were men.  It's okay. It was what it was. But things- they are changing. All you have to do is listen to Ashley to understand that. This work is so important and getting to hear from someone who is in there doing it is insightful, inspiring, hopeful, and fills us with gratitude and excitement.  Once you've listened to Ashley you are surely going to want to know more, so here is where you can find She Plays: She-Plays.com She Plays on Insta She Plays on Facebook She Plays on Twitter