In this episode of Feminist Founders, Becky Mollenkamp sits down with personal empowerment coach Amy Green Smith to discuss the pervasive issues of people-pleasing, fear, and assertive communication in both business and personal life. Amy, an expert in emotional intelligence and leadership, breaks down the difference between feeling "not enough" and believing it, and how this impacts our boundaries and vulnerability in the workplace. Together, they tackle the critical conversation about how women, especially those with marginalized identities, can break free from the trauma response of people-pleasing and reclaim their voice.

Amy shares valuable insights into overcoming fear and stepping into assertive communication without crossing the line into aggression. This empowering conversation is full of practical advice for anyone struggling with boundaries in professional relationships, self-worth, and the ever-present challenges of balancing vulnerability and strength in the workplace.

Amy Green Smith (she/her) is a certified and credentialed life coach and hypnotherapist, masterful speaker, and personal empowerment expert. Amy uses her roles as coach, writer, podcaster, and speaker to move individuals to a place of radical personal empowerment and self-worth. With acute focus on helping people “find their voice”, she is highly sought after for her uncommon style of irreverence, wisdom, and humor and has been a featured expert in Inspired Coach Magazine and on Fox 5 San Diego.

Website | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

Discussed in this episode:

• Self-Worth and Language: Understanding the difference between feeling "not enough" and believing it, and how language shapes our perception of self-worth.
• People-Pleasing and Boundaries: Practical strategies for stopping people-pleasing and setting healthy boundaries in both personal and professional environments.
• Overcoming Fear: Embracing a "fear-optimized" mindset, allowing fear to coexist with action rather than waiting for the fear to disappear.
• Assertive Communication vs. Aggression: How to communicate assertively without being aggressive, and why vulnerability is a powerful tool in the workplace.
• People-Pleasing as a Trauma Response: Exploring the roots of people-pleasing as a trauma response, especially in marginalized identities, and how it often stems from self-preservation.
• Social Media and Mental Health: Discussing the impact of social media on mental health, particularly in contributing to feelings of inadequacy and "not enoughness."
• Emotional Intelligence and Leadership: Cultivating emotional intelligence and leadership skills as a feminist entrepreneur to lead with empathy, assertiveness, and authenticity.

Resources mentioned:

• Bold-Faced Truth podcast
• Amy Cuddy’s TED Talk, “Your body language may shape who you are”
• “You Are Your Best Thing” by Tarana Burke and Brené Brown
• Dr. Tee Williams Foundations of Social Justice program
• Speak Up for Yourself Without Being a Dick
• Planned Parenthood
• ActBlue
• “Atlas of the Heart” by Brené Brown

NOTE: Feminist Founders is a listener-funded podcast. Your contributions enable us to continue bringing you these important conversations. To support the mission and to receive bonus content from this episode, sign up for a subscription: https://feministfounders.substack.com/

Feminist coach Taina Brown joins Becky Mollenkamp to share her journey into intersectional feminism, how her experiences as a Black woman shaped her feminist identity, and the distinctions between feminism and womanism. The conversation delves deep into the challenges faced by women of color in the workplace, particularly the impact of microaggressions and the compounded effects of systemic oppression. Taina also offers insightful solutions for combating imposter syndrome, emphasizing the importance of rest as a form of resistance and the need to dismantle capitalist structures in our pursuit of liberation.

Taina Brown (she/hers) is an elder millennial, Jeopardy enthusiast, and dog mom to doggy influencers. She is a life and career coach for busy and burned out millennials and a DEI educator and facilitator. In her spare time and with the help of her community, she's building a world where people don't feel the need to live busy and burned out lives, laugh in the face of imposter syndrome, and generally stick it to the man. You can find her ranting (sometimes) and raving (mostly) on Instagram and in her email newsletter to her community.

Website | Instagram | LinkedIn

Discussion in this episode:

• Intersectional Feminism and Womanism: Taina discusses the roots of her feminist identity, the difference between feminism and womanism, and how Black women have historically been excluded from mainstream feminist movements.
• Matriarchy vs. Patriarchy: A deep dive into the differences between matriarchal and patriarchal systems, and why simply replacing men at the top with women is not the solution to systemic oppression.
• Anti-Capitalist Feminism: Exploring how capitalist structures perpetuate inequality and the importance of creating new systems that prioritize collaboration, rest, and collective care.
• Microaggressions in the Workplace: Taina highlights the daily toll of microaggressions on women of color and the need to address these issues beyond just time management and productivity.
• Imposter Syndrome Solutions: Taina reframes imposter syndrome as a natural response to operating within systems not designed for women of color, and shares strategies for reclaiming power and belonging.
• The Power of Rest as Resistance: Drawing inspiration from the Nat Ministry and Tricia Hersey's work, Taina discusses how rest is a revolutionary act that defies capitalist demands for constant productivity.

Resources Mentioned:

• “Who is Your Mother? The Red Roots of Feminism” by Paula Gunn Allen
• Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey
• The Nap Ministry
• Sacred Rest by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith
• Emergent Strategy by adrienne maree brown
• Pleasure Activism by adrienne maree brown
• Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde
• Bisan Owda

Bonus Content: For more on Taina Brown's work and her perspective on LGBTQ+ identities within feminism, make sure to subscribe to Becky’s newsletter where exclusive bonus content is available. The link is in the show notes.

NOTE: Feminist Founders is a listener-funded podcast. Your contributions enable us to continue bringing you these important conversations. To support the mission and to receive bonus content from this episode, sign up for a subscription.

In this episode of Feminist Founders, Becky Mollenkamp sits down with Chelsey Goodan, author of Underestimated: The Wisdom and Power of Teenage Girls. Chelsey shares her journey in writing the book, her commitment to intersectional feminism, and her work with teenage girls. The conversation delves deep into the challenges and opportunities of raising feminist, empowered young women, as well as the importance of healing our inner teenage selves. Becky and Chelsey explore how these themes apply not just to parenting but also to leadership and women’s empowerment in the workplace.

Chelsey Goodan (she/her) is the author of the USA Today national bestseller, “Underestimated: The Power and Wisdom of Teenage Girls” (Gallery Books), which has been endorsed by Oprah's Book Club, saying: “If you have a teenage girl in your life, you need to read this.” Amazon's Editorial Director chose “Underestimated” as her "Editor's Pick, Best Nonfiction,” featuring it on CBS Mornings, and when Chelsey was on TODAY with Hoda & Jenna, they exclaimed: "We couldn't stop talking about your book."

Website | Instagram | TikTok | LinkedIn

Discussed in this Episode:

• Underestimated: Becky and Chelsey discuss the inspiration behind Underestimated: The Wisdom and Power of Teenage Girls, a book that challenges societal stereotypes and advocates for the empowerment of young women.
• Intersectional Feminism: The conversation highlights the importance of intersectional feminism, with Chelsey sharing how her book draws on the work of influential feminist thinkers like bell hooks and Maya Angelou.
• Empowering Teenage Girls: Chelsey offers insights into how we can support and empower teenage girls, encouraging them to embrace their emotions and develop self-trust.
• Feminist Parenting: Becky and Chelsey discuss the challenges of feminist parenting, particularly in creating a safe space for daughters to explore their identities and make independent choices.
• Healing Your Inner Teenager: The episode touches on the importance of healing the wounds from our own teenage years, including overcoming perfectionism, self-doubt, and shame.
• Communication Strategies for Leaders: Chelsey shares how the lessons she’s learned from working with teenage girls can be applied to leadership, particularly in creating psychologically safe environments where team members feel seen, heard, and valued.
• The Role of Social Media: Chelsey addresses the pros and cons of social media for teenage girls, emphasizing the importance of guiding them to use these platforms in empowering ways.

Resources mentioned:

• Underestimated by Chelsey Goodan
• “Why Does Patriarchy Persist” by Carol Gilligan and Naomi Snider
• “Pleasure Activism” by adrienne maree brown
• DemocraShe
• A Call to Men

Subscribe for More: For additional content, including a bonus conversation about Chelsey’s work with A Call to Men, subscribe to the Feminist Founders newsletter on Substack.

In this special summer-break episode of Feminist Founders, Becky Mollenkamp sits down with Sophia Apostol, host of the Fat Joy podcast and Fat Joy on Substack, to explore the intersections of visibility, body image, and safety in a world that often marginalizes certain bodies.

This deep and insightful conversation touches on the challenges of being visible in a society that prizes thinness, the journey from body neutrality to fat joy, and the critical importance of psychological safety for business owners and leaders. Sophia shares her own journey towards body liberation and the creation of her impactful work, offering listeners a hopeful and empowering perspective on how to navigate these complex issues.

Resources Mentioned:

• "What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat" by Aubrey Gordon
• "Happy Fat" by Sofie Hagan
• Truity's Enneagram Test
• CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder)
• We Can Do Hard Things podcast

Connect with Sophia Apostol:

• Fat Joy podcast
• Fat Joy on Substack
• Instagram
• Sophia Apostol Coaching

Support Feminist Founders:

Feminist Founders is a listener-funded podcast. Your contributions enable Becky to continue bringing you these important conversations without corporate advertising. To support the mission, visit feministfounderspodcast.com and sign up for a paid subscription.

Feminist coach Becky Mollenkamp moderates a panel discussion on how to create win-win collaborations for your business with experts Michele Price and Babs Cheung.

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Feminist coach Becky Mollenkamp moderates a panel discussion on wealth and equity with financial experts Natalie Bullen and Meg Wheeler.

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Becky Mollenkamp is joined by Erica Courdae and Mai-kee Tsang to discuss hustle culture for Feminist Founders Forum.

Feminist coach Becky Mollenkamp moderates a panel discussion on love in its various forms and how it affects business owners with experts Faith Clarke and Jay Asooli.

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