This Throwback Thursday, in honor of Transgender Remembrance Day that just passed and the memory of the five people who were killed this week at the LGBTQ+ Club Q, we reshare this episode with transgender model and activist Corey Rae and her mother Judy Blank. May the love and courage explored in this episode inspire us all to be a champion for the transgender community.
If you’re interested in supporting the Club Q community, please visit https://www.coloradogives.org/organization/COHealingFund
Much appreciation,
—
Full Episode Show Notes
Check out the full show notes from the original episode here: Ep 70: Blazing a Transgender Trail with Corey Rae and her mother Judy Blank
Mother’s Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.
Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).
Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/
In 2015, when Mother’s Quest was still a dream in my heart, I heard an interview with an inspiring mother, Jadah Sellner, on the Good Life Project Podcast. She and her partner had co-created what became in a short time a viral phenomenon and seven figure flourishing business, called Simple Green Smoothies, built on a premise: add greens to a smoothie each day and see how it could spark change within.
From that moment forward, I found inspiration in Jadah’s journey and know that her quest planted seeds for me to pursue mine. I noticed that she led with heart and followed her dreams while staying committed to being present for her daughter. I learned from her as I watched her bring forward the Simple Green Smoothies book that became a best-seller, as she took to the TEDx stage integrating her spoken word poetry into her message, as she made the difficult decision to leave Simple Green Smoothies when she realized it was no longer fulfilling her, and when she pressed pause on her work to grieve and heal after a series of profound personal losses.
Today, as the founder of Jadah Sellner Media, Inc., and She Builds Collective and host of the Lead with Love Podcast, Jadah helps women build their businesses and their lives in a way that works for them—with love. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, daughter, and dog, Beesly. And this week, she culminated another journey that spanned years, that she allowed to slow cook in its own right timing, with the release of her new book published by Harper Collins, She Builds: The Anti-Hustle Guide to Grow Your Business and Nourish Your Life.
In this conversation, with each E.P.I.C. Guidepost we explore, Jadah shares with heart, humor, metaphor and tangible examples, how she brings an ease-filled, anti-hustle approach to engaging with her daughter, to pursuing her purposeful impact, to investing in herself and to building deep relationships, a practice she learned as an adult, when she changed childhood patterns and decided to bloom where she is planted.
Every chapter of Jadah’s new book and every EPIC guidepost exploration in this episode is an invitation for us to choose an intentional empowering and nurturing perspective for living our E.P.I.C. lives. If you’ve been seeking a more sustainable path, free from burnout and rooted in your well-being, I hope that Jadah’s book and this conversation help you claim a new way forward. Because as Jadah says, “Collectively we know that the hustle culture isn’t working for us. We build differently; we Build with L.O.V.E.”
About Jadah Sellner:
Jadah Sellner is a bestselling author, business coach, international keynote and TEDx speaker, poet, and host of Lead with Love podcast. She’s the coauthor of the bestselling book Simple Green Smoothies and has been featured in Forbes; O, The Oprah Magazine; and the Wall Street Journal.
As the founder of Jadah Sellner Media, Inc., and She Builds Collective, Jadah helps women build their businesses and their lives in a way that works for them—with love. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, daughter, and dog, Beesly.
Connect with Jadah:
- Website | jadahsellner.com/about/
- Facebook | www.facebook.com/jadahsellner/
- Twitter | @JadahSellner
- Instagram | @jadahsellner
- LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/jadahsellner/
Topics Discussed in this Episode:
- The gift of pursuing her creativity that Jadah’s mother gave to her
- The moment when Jadah disrupted childhood patterns and decided to bloom where she was planted
- What Jadah is most on a quest for today…learning how to receive love as much as she gives
- Jadah’s suggestions for creating no-judgement spaces to help our children to open up and express themselves
- The slow cooker vs. pressure cooker analogy approach for how to detox from hustle culture in life and business
- Different approaches in different seasons of your life: pausing, pivoting, or accelerating push
- The importance of investing in yourself by gathering your support squad
- 5 minute suggestions for “state change” you can feel in your body
- Masterminds and how they help generate ideas and solutions from one person to another
- Simple practices to try when life starts to feel out of alignment
Resources Mentioned:
- She Builds: The Anti-Hustle Guide to Grow Your Business and Nourish Your Life www.amazon.com/She-Builds-Anti-Hustle-Business-Nourish-ebook/dp/B09RWWHXHD
- Simple Green Smoothies: 100+ Tasty Recipes to Lose Weight, Gain Energy, and Feel Great in Your Body www.amazon.com/Simple-Green-Smoothies-Recipes-Weight/dp/1623366410
- Episode where I first heard Jadah on the Good Life Project Podcast. https://www.goodlifeproject.com/podcast/jadah-jen-simple-green-smoothies/
- The Mother’s Quest Manifesto Challege Self-Guided Course which links to a FB live recording Jadah shared in the Mother’s Quest Community.
This Episode’s Challenge:
Nurture your life by cultivating relationships. Jadah challenges you to 10 seconds of bravery. Find a way to connect with someone you want to go deeper with; send them a text or an audio message, invite them to a cafe or a walk, send them an email. Try letting someone know how they have impacted your life without expecting anything in return.
This Episode is dedicated by Jennifer Kem
Jennifer Kem is a San Francisco Bay Area-based brand building and leadership expert who gets entrepreneurs seen, heard, and paid for being themselves.
She’s the creator of the Master Brand Method: a framework to develop powerful brands that win customers’ hearts, which she uses in strategic consulting for emerging entrepreneurs, celebrity brands like Oprah Winfrey Network and Steve Harvey, and major corporations including Verizon, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Bank of Hawaii.
She is a successful owner of three multimillion-dollar businesses and the proud mother of three children.
Title: Brand Futurist and CEO of Master Brand Institute
Links
Website: https://www.JenniferKem.com
YouTube: www.JenniferKem.com/YouTube
Instagram: @jennifer.kem // https://www.instagram.com/jennifer.kem/
Facebook: @JenniferKemComm // https://www.facebook.com/JenniferKemComm/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jenniferkem
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_JenniferKem_
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jenniferkem/
Gift from Jen for the Mother’s Quest Community
JenniferKem.com/MOTHERSQUEST - gives you full access to her signature Brand Archetype Assessment, a $250 value.
Mother’s Quest is a podcast and community for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.
Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).
Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest
This Throwback Thursday episode arrives as final votes are being counted in the 2022 elections in the United States. It’s a full circle moment to revisit this powerful conversation from 2017 with community activist, TedX speaker, author of the book ”Black Brown and Political: Get Informed, Get Empowered and Change the Game,” and founder of the Powerhouse Academy, Chandra Brooks.
In this conversation those five years ago, Chandra inspired me to get back out and canvas in support of a local candidate, Noelia Corzo, during her first run for school board in my community. Last night, my son Jacob and I, who volunteered together, celebrated with Noelia and her supporters as she received the initial promising results for her run as County Supervisor.
If the votes continue in her favor, Noelia will be the first Latina woman Supervisor in our County. I’m honored to reshare this episode and acknowledge all the activists like Chandra and candidates like Noelia who have the courage and commitment to step into the arena, to sit at the table and own their power.
Original Show Notes
I’m honored to share this episode #32 of the podcast with Chandra Brooks, who has become a friend and a generous thought partner for me in recent months.
Chandra is a wife, mother of four, a grandmother, author, entrepreneur and the Northern California Staff Director for SEIU-United Service Workers West. Born and raised in San Jose, CA, she’s passionate about civil rights, social justice, and improving voter outcomes and civic engagement in communities of color.
She’s also an appointed commissioner for Santa Clara County’s Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, Chair of the Justice and Advocacy Committee and elected Delegate for The California Democratic Party.
In 2017 Chandra launched The SocialPreneur, a purpose driven business that prepares potential candidates to run for political office and mentors women to own their power and leadership within their company, business, and/or community.
I reached out to Chandra because I wanted to talk with her the week that she released her new book, “Black, Brown & Political: Get Informed, Get Empowered and Change the Game” which provides easy to navigate tips and inspiration to help women of color get involved in local politics.
In this episode, we got to dive deep into the influences which drove Chandra to own her voice and reach her fullest potential. She shares how her mother led her by example to stand up for herself as a woman at a young age and how her uncle unknowingly sparked her to strive for greatness after he doubted her future success when she became pregnant as a teenager. And, we uncover how Chandra’s ambition, value for education, and commitment to political leadership helps her inspire generations today, from her 12 year old son to the women she mentors, to sit at the table and own their power.
I didn’t realize when I scheduled the interview with Chandra that we would be talking the day before the November 2017 elections. The conversation couldn’t have come at a better time, and her challenge inspired me to go out and do another round of precinct walking with my 5 year old that afternoon. It was thrilling to wake up the next day to news that so many women of color, including one woman my son and I had supported the day before, had been elected.
Chandra, with her new book as a resource, is a powerful force to fuel this growing movement of women stepping into more leadership. I hope this conversation will inspire you, as it has me, to be part of this movement and to more fully own our power to make a difference.
This episode dedicated by:
- Titilayo Tinubu Ali of Own Your Expertise in honor of her mother, Dr. Gloria Bromell Tinubu
Topics discussed in this episode:
- How Chandra intended to release her book a year after the 2016 elections to encourage people to reflect on the decisions they made the year before and realize the importance of being politically involved
- Chandra’s strong, opinionated, and independent mother and how she set an example for Chandra to not be subservient to men
- How Chandra intentionally teaches her children about social justice issues and about their heritage
- The lack of access Chandra witnessed to vocational training and education for women in a local prison, compared to the men, and how she’s using her leverage as Commissioner to change that.
- What happened when Chandra’s uncle told her “Your life is over, you might as well prepare to be on welfare” after she announced she was pregnant as a teenager.
- How Chandra’s fascination and observation of people in leadership planted seeds for her becoming an entrepreneur
- The importance of seeking out mentors and coaches and not being afraid to reach out and ask for help
- Chandra’s call to action for us to get more engaged in our local community politics
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Chandra Brook’s Mother on a Quest Feature
- Chandra’s purpose-driven company The SocialPreneur
- Women Podcasters in Solidarity
- Black, Brown & Political: Get Informed, Get Empowered and Change the Game!
- National School Board Association
- Commission on the Status of Women – the County of Santa Clara
This Week’s Challenge:
Get involved as a leader in your local community.. Join a school board, commission, or neighborhood association. Use your influence and privilege to support communities in need and leaders of color.
As the election in the United States approaches, I’m honored to bring back these words of wisdom from a diverse group of mothers working toward a brighter future in this special episode “Mom the Vote.”
Original Show Notes
At the time of this episode’s release, we are at a crossroads in the United States. This election of 2020 is one of the most important in our history. As activist Michael Skolnik says, the election is not 7 days away. The election is now.
What can we do in our last few days before the conclusion of the election of 2020?
Like so many of you, I am asking myself what matters most and what I can do that can have an impact in these 7 days. When I feel myself swirling, I remember I don’t have to figure this out alone. So, I reached out to you, fellow mothers and grandmothers, many of you activists, and asked for your words of wisdom.
Ahead, I have 7 pieces of advice, reflections or calls to action, that we can all connect to for guidance and inspiration each day ahead. This is an election minisode…because I wanted these to be bite-sized and easy to digest. Please join me in taking these words in, taking action, and paying the messages forward to other mothers in your network.
I hope this minisode has you, as it does me, ready to dig in, to connect to community, to engage in multiple ways, to vote for our children, to remember why this matters, to get the vote out with women of color and make sure their votes count, and to mother like an organizer. Together, we can do this!
#momthevote #votelikeamother #momsrising
Thank you to Jen Jenkins Dohner for the beautiful “VOTE” podcast art. Find her work, Postcards for Progress here.
Episode Highlights:
- The election is not 7 days away…the election is now and we can look to one another for how to use these days to the fullest.
- Why it matters to dig into propositions and ballot measures you might not understand.
- Our election is not just about us as individuals, it’s about us as a society.
- How we can use discernment and tap into our community to get us through. Register today for Nicole Lee’s Way Station, happening Friday to support you in that.
- 5 ways that you can get engaged through MomsRising.
- All the reasons why we should vote for our children.
- How elections can be a joyful time for families.
- The critical role that women of color voters play in this election and how we can make their vote count. Sign up here to text bank with She the People Wednesday.
- Wise advice from a life-long organizer, mother and grandmother working to galvanize voting from and for domestic workers through Hand in Hand and her Caring Majority Facebook Group.
Resources Recommended by Our Mother Contributors:
- The event Nicole Lee is co-facilitating:Way Station
- 5 Ways to Help Get Out the Vote from MomsRising
- She the People
- Black-Led Organizing Fund
- California Voter Guide
- Vote411
- Lose the Cape Vol 4: The Mom’s Guide to Becoming Socially & Politically Engaged (& How to Raise Tiny Activists), 2nd Edition
7 Pieces of Advice From Our Contributors:
Advice #1 – Nancy Cavillones – Dig into Ballot Measures Because They Matter to Someone
Nancy Cavillones is an indie author’s best friend and is on a mission to keep authors sane by handling the minutiae of their online presence and communications. She’s been online in some form or other since 1993, and still has the AOL dial-up tone stuck in her head. (Interested in the full history? Check out her LinkedIn.)
She enjoys taking the scenic route, forcing her kids to appreciate nature, and spending time in New York City by herself in a desperate attempt to recapture her college days. Originally from Upstate NY by way of Long Island, Nancy recently relocated to Northern California with her family from Redding, Connecticut. Nancy is the co-editor of Lose the Cape Mom’s Guide to Becoming Socially and Politically Engaged (And Rising Tiny Activists, Too!).
Where to reach Nancy:
- The Real Nani
- Twitter @va4indieauthors
- LinkedIn @ncavillones
- Lose the Cape Mom’s Guide to Becoming Socially and Politically Engaged (And Rising Tiny Activists, Too!).
Advice #2 – Nicole Lee – Reach Out Personally to Voters, Use Discernment and Connect to Community
Nicole Lee is a diversity, equity and inclusion expert, leadership coach, nationally recognized speaker and strategist who regularly consults with nonprofits, schools, businesses and political and social movements to improve their climate for themselves and all those that they serve. She is the founder of Inclusive Life™ and co-founder of the Lee Bayard Group LLC and Black Movement-Law Project (BMLP). For almost a decade she served as President of TransAfrica, working with leaders across the globe to advocate for a just U.S. foreign policy.
Nicole is a prolific speaker who has given testimony to the U.S. Congress, the United Nations and other international bodies. She has been a commentator on CNN, MSNBC, NPR, and BBC. She has been recognized for her outstanding contributions in the private and public sectors through numerous awards, including Congressional Black Caucus, Running Starts “Women to Watch”, Black Women’s Roundtable TrailBlazer, Global Leadership and the National Newspapers Publishers Association’s Press Champion Award. She is both an attorney and an intuitive coach. Through this unique blend, she has contributed to movements in the U.S. and abroad through human rights documentation, coaching and holding space in difficult situations.
One of her proudest moments was working alongside civil rights icon Bill Lucy, the architect of the historic Memphis sanitation strike for a national commemoration of the life of his good friend Nelson Mandela. Nicole lives in Washington, DC with her husband, political scientist Marc Bayard, children and three pets.
Where to reach Nicole:
Advice #3 – Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner – Find Five Ways to Engage Through MomsRising
Kristin is the Executive Director/CEO and Co-Founder of MomsRising and Board President of the MomsRising Education Fund. She has been involved in public policy and grassroots engagement for more than two decades and has received numerous accolades for her work.
She is also an award-winning author of books and articles, frequent public speaker, media contributor, and host of the radio program “Breaking Through with Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner (Powered by MomsRising).” Kristin is also a former political director, policy analyst, and political strategy consultant for non-profit organizations and foundations.
Where to reach Kristin:
- Moms Rising
- 5 Ways to Help Get Out the Vote from MomsRising
- Twitter @MomsRising
- Instagram @momsrising
Advice #4 – Kalima Salahuddin – Vote for Our Children and Have Them Join You in the Process
Kalimah Salahuddin currently serves as President for the Jefferson Union High School District Board of Education She is the immediate Past President of the San Mateo County School Boards Association (SMCSBA) were she served for two years and continues to serve as the Coordinator for the SMCSBA Equity Network. At the County level she serves on the COVID-19 Recovery Council and the Advisory Council for the Equity initiative. She was one of the founding members of the REACH Coalition to increase equity and community health for all. She also was recently appointed to the Board of the Housing Leadership Council and previously served as a Board Member for Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco where she has been a regular site volunteer. She is currently employed at Exelixis as a Coordinator on the Investor Relations / Public Affairs team and is mother to three wonderful adults.
Advice #5 – Jena Schwartz – Connect to All the Reasons That Voting Matters
Jena is an extroverted introvert, a lover of trees and fresh water swimming and babies and bulldogs, and a rabbi at heart. All of her works, from writing groups to retreats to individual coaching, editing, and mentoring, is devoted to creating safe and brave spaces where we get to write, share, and connect. She has been blogging as a practice since 2007. She works with people who struggle to value their writing if/when it’s not “productive” or clearly “going somewhere.”
Where to Reach Jena:
Advice #6 – Aimee Allison – Get Out the Vote and Make Sure Every Vote Counts From Critical Women of Color Voters
Aimee Allison is founder and president of She the People, a national network elevating the voice and power of women of color. She brings together voters, organizers, and elected leaders in a movement grounded in values of love, justice, belonging, and democracy. In 2018, Ms. Allison was one of the primary architects of the “year of women of color in politics.”
In April 2019, she convened the first presidential forum for women of color, reaching a quarter of the American population. A democratic innovator and visionary, Ms. Allison leads national efforts to build inclusive, multiracial coalitions led by women of color. She leverages media, research and analysis to increase voter engagement and advocate for racial, economic and gender justice.
Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, The Hill, Essence, Teen Vogue and Newsweek. In the early 1990’s, Ms. Allison earned a rare honorable discharge from the U.S. Army as a conscientious objector and works today to support courageous, moral leadership.
Aimee Allison holds a B.A. and M.A. from Stanford University. Author of Army of None, she has appeared in hundreds of outlets including MSNBC, CNN, the Washington Post, Associated Press and NPR. She is building a political home for a million women of color, nationally and in battleground states. She was featured in Politico’s 2019 Powerlist.
Where to Reach Aimee:
- Aimee Allison website
- She The People
- Instagram @aimee_allison
- Sign up for Wednesday Text Banking with She the People
- Tune into the full conversation with @Aimee Allison on political impact and fundraising released earlier on the podcast ℅ How Women Lead
Advice #7 – Lian Hurst Mann – Remember Elections Are About Legacy…And Mother Like an Organizer
Lian is a longtime organizer and faculty of the National School for Strategic Organizing (www.thestrategycenter.org). She is currently working with Hand in Hand: The Domestic Employers Network.
Where To Reach Lian: