She Said / She Said with Laura Cox Kaplan

THIS WEEK’S TOPIC:  How to manage stress while building INFLUENCE   We can’t be as influential, or have the impact we hope to have when we allow stress to overwhelm us. When not managed, it mushrooms and interferes with how we feel, how we relate to others, our problem-solving abilities, our creativity, and ultimately how INFLUENTIAL we can be. Yet, stress is all around us and is constant, e...

THIS WEEK’S TOPIC: Why mastering storytelling is key to building your INFLUENCE, and selling your ideas!  (Episode 166) Harnessing the power of storytelling can help you establish trust and connection with others, and — when done well — storytelling can help you attract (and retain) your target audience, build support for a cause, win deals, and secure sought after invites. It’s...

THIS WEEK’S TOPIC: The POWER OF PURPOSE and STORY to fuel your INFLUENCE! This week, in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I’m sharing a refreshed, encore episode that I recorded in 2019 with Ambassador Nancy Brinker, the undisputed leader in the global fight against breast cancer. With a vow to her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, Nancy started a movement that brought the term “brea...

THIS WEEK’S TOPIC:  Becoming a better problem solver doesn’t just enable us to address an immediate need or challenge, it also helps us build capacity for both innovation, and — when done the right way — can help us build INFLUENCE!    True problem solving starts with identifying the underlying cause of a problem, recognizing our own core competencies, and ultimately making tough decisions. B...

THIS WEEK’S TOPIC:      Self-promotion!   Many of us were raised to put our head down, work hard, and grind it out without much thought to how we might articulate and share what we were doing, and why doing so would actually add value to the organization or project. We might assume others will notice our work. Sometimes that happens, but more often than not, others are far less focused o...

THIS WEEK’S TOPIC: We are digging into the importance of role models and mentors — seeking them, being them, and WHY taking a BROADER VIEW of the concept “ROLE MODEL” can help us BUILD GREATER INFLUENCE!  Wherever we sit, we have an opportunity to impact others — positively or negatively. Social media — for better or worse — offers endless opportunities for both.  Sharing our stories, our su...

THIS WEEK’S TOPIC: Learning how to advocate for ourselves and the people and issues we care about is not only key to achieving our goals, but is also important for developing INFLUENCE. While we most often think of ADVOCACY in terms of what we can do for others, it takes on a whole new meaning when we flip the concept into how we can use those same skills to advocate for ourselves.   TH...

She Said/She Said Podcast is back! I took a few weeks off over the summer to reflect on your feedback — what’s resonating most, and topics that you’ve said you hope we’ll add to the line up or continue to tackle. I’m enormously gratified that even during our break, so many of you took She Said/She Said Podcast on your road trips and helped us continue to grow our download numbers by several thousa...

Taking risks— both large and small — is part of life. From the day-to-day choices we make, to the biggies like changing jobs, changing careers, taking a break, getting married, having children, and moving across the country— all involve some degree of risk. Do we take the safe and steady route, stick where we are, or do we roll the dice, throw caution to the wind and really go after what we want?...

This week, we’re talking about one of the most important, but often overlooked components of leadership: the power of generosity, and by extension, the importance of investing in others.  The late Jack Welch, legendary former CEO of GE referred to generosity as “the most important attribute of leadership.” Being generous, shows that you are a good team player. It makes people want to work with you...

Ever struggle to stay positive? Even for the most upbeat and optimistic, the past year has put our positivity to the test! Today’s guest lives her YAY every day and has literally written a book to help us do the same. Meaghan B Murphy is the editor-in-chief at Woman’s Day — a magazine that even in the downturn of print advertising still reaches some 18 million readers each month. Meaghan is...

Potential is an amazing concept! With so many graduates launching into the world these past couple of weeks, I wanted to share five important lessons (and some tools) that work not only for new graduates, but for anyone!  These are some of my tried and true favorites— fine-tuned through life experience, and from perspective shared by guests who join me on She Said/She Said Podcast. Here’s a...

For this week’s guest, growing up in a military service family had a huge impact on how she learned to tackle challenges in her life and career. From the value of preparation to building your “special forces unit,” six time Emmy Award Winner, author, and anchor of not one, but two daytime news programs on FOX, Harris Faulkner shares tremendous life and career lessons to help you create your own ve...

This week’s guest is Jennifer Blecher. She is a lawyer and former assistant district attorney turned children’s book author. Her latest book, her second published by Harper Collins is called “Stick With Me,” a novel for middle-grade readers with themes that resonate with girls. Two powerful themes are bullying and fitting in, and we talk about how Jen’s books can help girls power through.  A...

This week’s guest set out to understand how some of the most successful and creative entrepreneurs were raised. She interviewed a diverse mix of innovative founders and executives (as well as some of their parents) including: YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki; TOMS Shoes founder Blake Mycoskie; Under Armour founder Kevin Plank; Supermodel Karolina Kurkova; movie director Jon Chu, among others. What she l...

This week’s guest is passionate about developing leaders, and making her clients look good on the job. She is a master at helping people think through how best to position themselves for that next move — inside their current companies and organizations, getting that first job, or making a major career pivot. With so many women leaving the workforce and transitioning into other roles, this ad...

Hey friend!  This week on She Said/She Said Podcast we’re talking about change. It can be so challenging! In many ways we’re not wired for it. That’s odd, especially since change is inevitable. It’s also critical for building risk tolerance, and for building the confidence you need in order to take those risks in the first place.  So, how can we build greater capacity to embrace change, and greate...

Megan Bushell is the CEO of Defy, a sports and performance drink and product brand she co-founded with former NFL hall of famer Terrell Davis of the Denver Broncos.  Defiance and perseverance are something Megan knows a bit about because her story and her path to the c-suite isn’t necessarily typical. It’s one of many things I love about this episode and think you will too!  We do a deep dive into...

Julia Sweig is a scholar and author whose latest book reveals important and often surprising details about one of the most powerful (but often overlooked) people in the Johnson Administration — the President’s wife Lady Bird Johnson. Julia’s book is entitled: “Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight.” Plowing through more than 123 hours of first-hand audio diaries that are housed at the LBJ...

Growth in podcasting has exploded over the past few years. According to Edison Research, 51% of Americans over age 12 have listened to a podcast. While those numbers continue to climb worldwide, only about 22 percent of podcasts are hosted by women– a number strikingly similar to what we find with c-suite-level jobs, corporate boards, and elected office holders.  This week’s guest is focused...

This week, we’re tackling Spring Cleaning! But I’m not talking about your closet. I’m talking about your goals and your network. Check out Episode 147 for some thoughts and advice on why it’s important to reevaluate your yearly goals at each quarter, and why Spring is the perfect time to refresh your personal network. I’d love your feedback on Episode 147, or any of o...

Ever wish for a hugely successful big sister or mentor — someone a few years ahead of you who had actually “been there/done that” — who could boil down practical, relevant life lessons and advice into smart, actionable chunks? The type of advice you could actually put to use!  My friend Dana Perino is just that person. She’s compiled her best advice into a terrific new book entitled: “...

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon is a best-selling author (three times over) whose work and talent as a storyteller and journalist has given us a first-hand understanding of women facing incredible odds in both male dominated societies in the Middle East, and on the battlefield.  What’s more Gayle has told the stories that might not otherwise have made it into our collective consciousness. Her latest book is...

One of the most compelling and inspiring American entrepreneurship stories is that of Madam C. J. Walker. The first Black woman millionaire in America, she was the first person in her family to be born free in 1867 just after Emancipation Proclamation. She rose from washerwoman to international entrepreneur before any woman even had the right to vote. To think about how incredible that achievement...

Today, we’re talking entrepreneurship, career pivots, and business inspiration. For my guest Stephanie Summerson Hall, her inspiration came from a rich family history, so perfect for Women’s History Month. It’s a great reminder of how the women in our own families have inspired our passions and our interests and who have had such a great impact on us.  Stephanie is the founder and CEO...