Women's Words

Recently retired Colorado College professor of Creativity and poet, Jane Hilberry is a master teacher, a kind listener and an out-of-the-box thinker. We have a beautiful, challenging, life-affirming conversation about creativity -- What it is, How to teach it, Where it's found -- in schools, in one-on-one dialogue (conversation is improv!) and in relationships -- including the relationships we...

My friend Theunette, although a finance professional, loves space. She reads "Scientific American" for fun, and I love hearing her talk about how stars are formed and other similar subjects. Some of our conversations about these topics have then flowed into rich discussions about the meaning of life, and healing. These talks almost always make me grab around for poetry that I've enco...

We talk about CONO: Building Neighborhood Networks - Sara is ED, and what more neighborhood connections through art could look like; her jazz pop-ups business, Dizzy Charlie's Live Jazz and why she started it; and "glimmer" experiences with music + community. He{Art}space's Patreon Fannie Mae Duncan Thrive Network Old Colorado City Partnership Music Credit: Getting It Right by Ho...

Misconceptions regarding trauma: My thoughts. People think it's rare, that it's not applicable to them, that words don't matter only war experiences, that someone can't be in a crisis and also confident. What is, "little t" and "big T" trauma? The concept of Trauma Chemo -- and healing from adverse life experiences. The results of rewarding dominance and narciss...

We discuss how anger is a reasonable response to being hurt and also a necessary part of the healing process. How we learned to identify, feel and express it (and other feelings) appropriately and safely. Realizing we're not a bad person for having anger. The relationship of anger to grief. When Jesus was angry. Judging others' anger. Recognizing wrong. Physical movement to release old fee...

We discuss what is defined as “masculine” and what as “feminine” in our society. And we talk about balance in life – what balance means in a healthy relationship. And what balance has to do with dance. Thanks to Terryjosiah Sharpe for the intro piano music. Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/northwestern/all-i-need License code: XFIFYRWMAIK7XGI9

This episode contains a reference to suicide. If you need help, please reach out. You are not alone. The 988 Lifeline is available by call or text 24/7. What is it like to change for the better as a person, and then have society still try to stuff you back into a "perpetrator" box? We want to turn the tide from accusation and shaming, to mutual, widespread restoration. "This world i...

Gabrielle Simmons is a current real-estate investor, and a former over-the-road truck driver. Plus, she is a survivor of a mutually-toxic relationship in which she hastens to add she was not guiltless herself. We talk about what it means to have choice and freedom in relationships; women getting shit done; and what driving the truck was like, and how those many miles on the highway alone played a...

Heila Update (for 2023): (I'm) Still Here  A heartfelt message from me, after a long time away (for unexplained, but important reasons) from the podcast. Re-visiting the impetus behind this effort and the importance of having and publicizing these conversations. The vital function of talking soul-to-soul and heart-to-heart; and the way having more of these kinds of conversations – about gender...

Jules is a major Wonder Woman-fangirl which we talk about – a speaker, and a writer. Her multi-authored collaborative book, Uncovering the Brave Within: Vulnerable Stories from Female Impact Leaders came out in paperback in March of 2023. We talk about some of her journey of the last few years, discovering herself, unburying her real identity and separating it from messages received in an abusive...

Lacie Phillips has a degree from Dallas Theological Seminary, and freely admits she is a Bible Nerd whom loves to bring people – and specifically women – together to study that book theoretically, application-wise and historically. She is also a disability advocate and amputee, all of which we touch on briefly in this episode, including the way we people tend to “other” others. We discuss how we c...

We talk about: The roadblocks to women getting together and really talking. Both the value and the difficulty of that happening, at all. How do we have healthy relationships when we haven't experienced them? Building an empire of Good. An article interviewing Claudia. "Higher Power" and why it's important to have one. We're all 'in process.' All in this (life) togethe...

A different take with additional thoughts, on the 2017 Wonder Woman movie; before we dig in to how to respond (or not) to mansplaining -- and how “finding your core” and having "relational bubbles" relates to that…   Mentions: A Handmaid’s Tale – tv series and book People not welcome in the outdoors ( article ) J Lo & Shakira’s halftime show Anjuli 's book: “Resilient As F*ck: Cu...

We talk with Kristen Faith Sharpe of Boss Babe Networking & the Nonprofit Makeover about vulnerability, what it means to “do the work.” And searching for, reaching out for, and stepping into finding help (therapy) for the helpers and leaders. There is a lot of good food for thought here – especially in regards to the themes of: women coming together, the myth of the perfect victim, media repre...

In this episode, Tiffany Gunter, an award-winning Toastmasters-speaker-extraordinaire, actor and poet, and I, Heila Rogers, the wannabe Barbara Walters -- but in my own way, talk about how women’s enforced invisibility in society compares to the former Soviet Union’s efforts to over-convince people of the non-existence of God. How women have been "erased" from existence. How do we hear s...

The ‘I don’t understand game’ & willful incompetence as an abusive tactic. Autonomy & faith -- & each person’s individual relationship with God/the Divine/a Higher Power. Honest searching for truth, honest exploration, versus anarchy. “On whose authority are you doing this?” "He didn’t want me if he couldn’t control me." Versus real relationship that works because there’s fre...

We launch right in to discussing heightened topics: including SUBMISSION. Jenny talks about her upbringing in a Brethren Assembly which she defines as a very uber-conservative church structure that teaches and emphasizes, “Men in charge and women obey.” We talk about what we think submission really means. And how it relates to all relationships. And speaking of Disney Princesses... (which we weren...

We talk about why it means so much that this podcast is called Women’s Words. How women have been silenced both literally and figuratively in the church, and some examples of that. Jodie is a teaching pastor and speaker extraordinaire with a strong drive for healing from all kinds of abuse, including spiritual or religious. We discuss victim/reporting-party blaming & victim self-blaming. How a...

This one is fast, dense, and intense. Join us as we talk about… Forced forgiveness. … encouraging anger in relation to forgiveness. Acknowledging ‘signal anger,’ in relation to each of our God-given dignity. How we feel angry for a reason when our boundaries are crossed. How women are expected to be receivers only. You’ll be surprised (or not) what the latin word for vagina means.  How “clean” ang...

We talk about why it means so much that this podcast is called Women’s Words. How women have been silenced both literally and figuratively in the church, and some examples of that. Jodie is a teaching pastor and speaker extraordinaire with a strong drive for healing from all kinds of abuse, including spiritual or religious. We discuss victim/reporting-party blaming & victim self-blaming. How a...

Judith is a gifted sound healer who brings her heart, talent and experience to this episode. We connect with one another by speaking, hearing and listening about 'tuning in' to truth ... with even more than the five senses; what authentic connection looks like, how 'circle practices' work, what a 'council' gathering is, and more. Judith has trained, practiced and studied mu...

In this episode we talk about why some people pressure someone to ‘forgive.’ How people can be shut down with comments like, “My, you’re opinionated!” -- and other similar labels designed to control and silence. We talk about how to respond to someone when they reveal abuse, how not to compare grief & loss and therefore negate someone’s pain, and what real forgiveness looks like. Music from #U...

Listen in as we enjoy one another’s company (scoring high on the Bechdel test, although we’re not on film!), laugh about mistakes, continue after correcting them … and just by hitting “record,” validate the importance of one another’s voices. We talk about the fear of being seen & allowing our voices to be heard. We discuss the empowerment of climbing trees & introduce two powerful influen...