20 Minutes with Bronwyn

When I graduated from college, my Grandmother gave me some advice. She said, "Bronwyn, get a government job. Maybe the DMV? Something that has a … pension."   And I get it. Survival = financial safety.   But that didn’t sit well with me. I wanted wealth. But that wasn’t something the women in my lineage could teach me. In fact, FEW women are taught how to create and GROW wealth.   But that’s what we’re talking about today.   My guest this week is Clara Vidyanath, founder of the 32 Cents Club, which is a private markets investment platform, designed BY women, FOR women.    “32 Cents” represents the wealth gap between men and women. And just to clarify, when it comes to wealth, WOMEN make 32 cents to every man’s dollar. Let that sink in, and fire up this episode. You are NOT gonna wanna miss it.  Check out https://www.32cents.com/ Find Clara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clara-vydyanath-cfa-cpa-14287316/

Do you ever have that feeling that … you’re losing your audience? Like maybe you’re over-talking, but you just don’t know how to stop? Well, my friend, you are NOT alone. This is something MOST of us struggle with at one time or another. Today, you are going to meet Sarah. She is a powerhouse coach, but she has that nagging suspicion that her inability to REIN IT IN may be costing her credibility when she’s giving a talk. In it, you will find practical and repeatable strategies for staying on message, on purpose and on FIRE from start to finish the next time you get up to present.  

Have you ever had the urge to make a change … to step out and try something new … only to be halted by the thought, “I’m too old. I’m too old to try to paint. I’m too old to start a new career. I’m too old to find love. I’m too old to strike out on my own.” Well if you have, you need a shot of Jen freaking Marples in your life. And that is what I’m about to serve up. Because Jen Marples has one thing to tell you: YOU ARE NOT TO FUCKING OLD. Jen Marples is a champion of the midlife woman and a cheerleader for ALL women. She’s an entrepreneur, motivational speaker, podcaster, coach, and leader in the midlife women’s empowerment movement. She puts midlife women first and preaches: You’re Not Too F***ing Old! to do whatever the F you want! Jen hosts The Jen Marples Show podcast, recently featured in Marin Magazine, Tiburon Belvedere Magazine, and Malibu Magazine. The show is dedicated to helping and inspiring midlife women embrace and rock the second and best half of life. Find Jen Here:   WEBSITE   LINKEDIN   INSTAGRAM   INSTAGRAM JEN MARPLES SHOW   TWITTER   FB GROUP   TIKTOK   LISTEN TO THE JEN MARPLES SHOW HERE:   APPLE   SPOTIFY

Feeling out of control? Stressed? Overwhelmed? What if relief was just one question away? My guest today is the fantastic and delightful Marc Champagne. Marc is a mental fitness strategist, host of the Behind the Human podcastan, and best selling author of Personal Socrates: Questions That Will Upgrade Your Life from Legends & World-Class Performers. Marc is a connoisseur of questions that will change you. He has gathered juicy questions and prompts from legends as wide ranging as Pablo Picasso, Robin Williams and Jane Austen. This conversation felt like a blood transfusion for me, and I hope it does the same for you my friend. Do yourself a huge favor and pick up his magical book Personal Socrates here. Find Marc on behindthehuman.com, and on LinkedIn, and give his podcast a listen here.

Friends, today you are going to meet Grace. Grace is struggling with something a LOT of us can relate to: How do you become your most powerful Self when you are recovering from a long season of stress, crisis, and debilitating fear. How do you bring calm, creativity and clarity of thinking when you have been in survival mode for so long, you feel like you're constantly being shot out of a cannon? In other words, how do you function in peace time when your body has been geared for war? This conversation takes us deep into the art of healing from the trauma's of the human experience, and how that healing can transform the way we communicate. You will also marvel at the generosity, honesty, and beauty in Grace's story and her experience. Can't wait to hear what you think!   

There are two types of people in the world … Those who secretly wonder if there’s a book inside them waiting to be written, and those who would never in a million years wonder such a thing. This episode is 100% dedicated to people in the former category.  My guest today is Linda Sivertsen, aka “book mama,” though she could just as easily be called “book doula,” such is her gift. LINDA is an author, ghostwriter, and coauthor of eleven books (including two NYT bestsellers), is the host of the top-rated Beautiful Writers Podcast and mentor to thousands of writers online and in-person. She pushed through all manner of rejection to realize her dream to write bestselling books AND help save trees and fragile ecosystems. Linda and her work have been featured widely in the media, including Forbes.com, The New York Times, Inc., Extra, TeenVogue, CNN, HuffPost, Glamour, Los Angeles Times, CARMEL magazine, and on the TEDWomen stage. She loves micro-blogging about all things writing (and dogs and horses!) on social media and blogs regularly at BookMama.com from her ranch office in Scottsdale, Arizona.   Today, she is here to talk to us about her beautiful new book, Beautiful Writers: A Journey of Big Dreams & Messy Manuscripts - with Tricks of the Trade from Best Selling Authors.   This book is a MUST HAVE for anyone who loves books about writing, but especially for those craving insight into the craft from brilliant writers like Cheryl Strayed, Terry McMillan, Tom Hanks, Steven Pressfield, Elizabeth Gilbert, and the list just goes on and on. It’s shocking how many beautiful writers are featured in this book, alongside Linda’s very own writing journey. If you’ve ever wondered about your capacity to write a book—fiction or non fiction—pour yourself a mug of something cozy, and let’s dive in. Linda on Instagram: @linda_sivertsen Beautiful Writers Podcast

Captivating. Isn’t that a great word?   When someone is captivating, the audience is 100% on their side, and 100% engrossed with whatever it is they are saying.    Today, you are going to meet "Jess." Jess is on a quest to become more captivating in the courtroom. Jess is a criminal defense lawyer, and her ability to win over a jury can mean the difference between incarceration and freedom.   But here’s the thing—she is a seasoned professional. She’s already good at what she does. But she wants to become truly great.   I loved this conversation because 1) I LOVE it when someone as accomplished as Jess seeks ways to level up, and 2) the dynamics of public speaking and influence in a court room setting are fascinating as you will soon hear. The stakes are high, the content that has to be conveyed is nuanced and complicated, and the audience? Well the audience can range from sophisticated and informed to unsophisticated and deeply uninformed. How on earth do you move an audience that diverse?    Whether you are interested in courtroom drama or not, you may be able to relate to Jess’ struggle to balance nuance and complexity with the need to communicate with simplicity and emotion. I guarantee you’ll take something useful away from this conversation, that’s how rich it was.   Shine on, my friend.

Some people just shine.   Human beings who radiate from an inner light do so because of what they’ve overcome, and the meaning they’ve made of their life experiences thus far.   My guest today is truly a luminous being.   My friends, please meet Martha Niño. Martha is a 25-year Silicon Valley technology professional who has worked at large corporations ranging from mobile, to hardware, to software. She recently celebrated over 15 years as a Senior Marketing Manager at tech giant Adobe (the Photoshop company).    Martha is a woman in an industry where women are still only a quarter of the workforce, and a Latina in tech—where the LatinX community represent only 3 percent of the workforce.    She isn’t your average tech worker with the typical middle class (and white, male) backstory. Her life began on a dirt floor in another country. Martha’s story reminds me that when we believe in ourselves and we align with others who believe in us, anything is possible.   Martha has just launched her new book The Other Side: From a Shack to Silicon Valley, which can be ordered here.  Martha is also very active on LinkedIn and can be reached at connectwithmartha@gmail.com. Shine on, my friends.

BIG NEWS, my friends!!   Season 5 of 20 Minutes with Bronwyn is now LIVE and this season I decided to experiment with format.    Instead of recording myself solo speaking into the ether, I have found some truly incredible human beings willing to be coached and RECORDED (albeit anonymously), as they work to become their most powerful selves, speaking from that place of power.   In this week’s episode, you will meet “Claire.” 🧚 🧚    Claire’s goal was clear. She wanted to go …   from being nervous, tongue-tied, and passive when running meetings,    to being confident, articulate, and authentic when running meetings.   The trick to becoming our most powerful is to ensure that our higher Self is the one who shows up to run the meeting, and not our nervous, frightened self.   And THAT is what this season’s first episode is all about—how to call forth that authentic, higher Self—not only when we’re feeling “safe,” but anytime, every time.   Can’t wait to hear what you think. As Joel Peterson says, “Feedback is the breakfast of champions.” So please please pleeeeaaze, let me know what your thoughts are.   Shine on my friend, B

THIS is the last episode of 20 Minutes with Bronwyn for Season 4, and it is dedicated to recent college grads, wondering what the hell to do next.  This episode is also dedicated to the parents of those grads who may be wringing their hands, also wondering, What the hell is this kid gonna do next?? Today, our guide for this conversation is the amazing, delightful, divine Ms. Andrea Koppel. Andrea is an award winning former CNN journalist, who has dedicated her life to helping college students find careers they love.  And she knows a thing or two about the process of finding the right career fit.  After leaving CNN, Andrea went on her own journey of career discernment and discovery. Andrea became Senior Vice President of Communications at M & R Strategic Services – a cause-oriented Public Affairs firm; she served as Director of International Communications for the American Red Cross, and went on to become Vice President of Global Engagement & Policy for Mercy Corp, a global humanitarian and development organization.   All of these roles prepared Andrea for her dream gig: coaching college students as they discern the right career path. How does she do that?  Through her podcast Time4Coffee (T4C)— a virtual library of carefully curated career conversations with hundreds of professionals – in dozens of different careers. (The interviews are on point … being an award winning journalist sure doesn’t hurt!) Through her College to Career Clarity online course which is an asynchronous, digital course that helps confused, anxious and overwhelmed students to identify at least 3 job functions and/or industries they'd be psyched to explore when they graduate.    If you or someone you love is struggling in this time of transition, you are gonna LOVE this conversation with Andrea. She’s most active on LinkedIn, and would love to connect.   I am taking the summer off from podcasting, but will still be going strong on YouTube, in speaking engagements, and in my Monday missives. Not yet subscribed? Head over to bronwyncommunications.com/subscribe !