Who inspires you, and why?
My mom, because she molded so much of who I am. I’m inspired by moms generally, I just think it’s so hard to watch your children go through good times and bad, all the while being your child’s biggest cheerleaders.
1. What motivates you?
The idea of change motivates me, knowing that every battle, every win or loss helps shapes the playing field for others who follow.
2. What characteristic do you most cherish in your closest friends?
Loyalty.
3. What’s the best thing you’ve read in the past year?
The best book I’ve read in the last year had to be HRC: State Secrets and the Rebirth of Hillary Clinton (Jonathan Allen & Amie Parnes).
4. Do you have a most cherished possession?
No, I don’t cherish anything material anymore. As I get older, I realize every day that the people who surround you, the knowledge you gain from wise leaders, and life experience – good and bad – is what must be cherished. The journey is what I cherish.
5. Speaking of the journey, I’ve enjoyed seeing your talk come together in rehearsal. I don’t want to give anything away, but there are some very personal parts to it – what’s it been like to process that while putting the talk together?
For me, the process of putting the TEDx Talk together was challenging. It was emotional and I had to revisit things and face some realities that I wish were not true.
6. What would you like people to take away from your talk and act upon? My high-school-age daughter is interested in law and politics. What would you tell her?
What all women and allies of women should take away from this talk is that we as women have to define who we are and what our worth is in society. There are structures in place that will always tell us we are not good enough, they will create artificial limits around us to undermine and make us question who we are and what we are about. Knowing that, we need to be conscious and aware of these things and rise above them and crush them as they come in our way.
7. What’s on your playlist right now?
I’m obsessed with The Chainsmokers right now. Other than that, The Tragically Hip – “My Music at Work” is on every single one of my playlists.