

Shameless Leadership
Sara Dean
Welcome to Shameless Leadership! This show is for women, transgender people, non-binary folks, and allies who are committed to advancing their leadership and the leadership of those around them. In this space, we believe everyone deserves to feel seen, heard, valued, and supported. Our mission is to help you foster these feelings within your own circles of influence to build trust, psychological safety, and a culture of belonging.In each episode, we dive into essential topics impacting women in leadership - everything from shutting down your inner critic and imposter syndrome to overcoming perfectionism to using your voice in new ways to advocate for yourself, your ideas, and other folks carrying marginalized identities. You'll hear practical tips, effective strategies, and inspiring stories that will not only enhance your leadership skills but also broaden your perspective to become a more confident, thoughtful, and empathetic leader.Our stories come from people carrying identities who are often underrepresented, underestimated, and excluded. By sharing their experiences, we aim to provide you with invaluable lessons that will transform your leadership journey. We are thrilled to have you join this community of Shameless Leaders who are actively creating a world where everyone, regardless of gender, can intentionally lead through a more curious, compassionate, and inclusive lens.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 6, 2022 • 57min
665: Amanda Kingsley: Speaking Light Into Abortion
Amanda Kingsley is a Certified Life Coach and Doula, and the host of the Speaking Light Into Abortion podcast. After her own unanticipated abortion as a mother of three, she recognized the need for a wider conversation around mental health and the complex emotional landscape of life after abortion. She reminds her audience that it’s okay to feel all the feelings after abortion and that we can honor our decisions by living the life we made our choice for. Amanda and I set out to have this conversation in November of 2021. But a series of life events kept pushing out our recording date. How serendipitous that we would end up recording this just days after Roe vs Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court. It was hard to have this conversation as we were both still processing what this means for us - as citizens, women, and moms. But this conversation has never been more crucial. I am so grateful to Amanda for showing up and speaking up in the middle of this devastating season. Listen in to hear Amanda share:
The story of her abortion when she was already a mom of 3
Myths and truths and things we often don’t consider about abortion
Some of the privileges she carried during her abortion experience
Permission to hold joy and pain simultaneously when enduring hard times
What she learned about abortion that she could only learn by going through it herself
The expansiveness that came out of her abortion experience
How she realized that 60-65% of women who have abortions are already moms and the anger that brought her
Who should be speaking up about abortion right now
Links mentioned:
Take my Shameless Summer Survey and win $100 gift card: shamelessmom.com/survey
Connect with Amanda: amandastarkingsley.com
Amanda on IG
Amanda’s Book: What I Wish: 100 love notes to help you survive, come alive, and thrive after abortion
Amanda’s Podcast: Speaking Light into Abortion
Sponsor info and promo codes:
Please find our sponsor information here: shamelessmom.com/sponsor/
Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 4, 2022 • 33min
664: How to Play the Long Game in Your Advocacy and Activism
Let your rage be your fuel. The rage I have carried over the last 6+ or so years has fueled so much of my work. But rage is not a long-term plan. If you want to show up in advocacy, allyship, and activism you need more than rage. Rage will only take you so far. I want your rage to fuel you - it can be the gas that allows you to keep your foot on the pedal. But, I also want you to be able to sustain the long-term fight that is often required to make change. And that will require more than rage. In this episode, I walk you through how to let your rage be your fuel while also not letting you get overly caught up in any one moment. The power of pacing yourself in your advocacy, allyship, and activism is what will allow you to stay in the work over the course of the next few decades - and that is what we need from you. From the moment Roe vs Wade was decided in 1973, people (white men of privilege, to be exact) have been working to overturn it. They have worked on this diligently for 50 years. 50 years! While I don’t think it will take 50 years to codify abortion rights, I do believe we have a long haul in front of us. This goes for this fight and so many others. Advocacy is an ongoing, long-term commitment. In this episode, I talk you through how to stay in this commitment over the long haul as well as how you can take action today. We can use our rage for good. We can keep showing up, no matter how long it takes. We can get loud. We can get creative and innovative and scrappy AF. We can and will stay in this as long as is required. Link mentioned:Take my Shameless Summer Survey and win $100 gift card: shamelessmom.com/survey
Sponsor info and promo codes:
Please find our sponsor information here: shamelessmom.com/sponsor/
Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jun 29, 2022 • 52min
663: Amy Shlosberg: Women, Crime, and Our Dysfunctional Criminal Justice System
Amy Shlosberg, Ph.D , is an Associate Professor of Criminology and Department Chair at Fairleigh Dickinson University where she teaches courses on Wrongful Conviction, Offender Reentry and Reintegration, Race and Crime, Penology, Comparative Justice Systems, Data Analysis and Research Methods. Her primary research focuses on miscarriages of justice, the negative implications of incarceration and issues surrounding reentry, with an emphasis on policy and procedural reform. She is also the co-host of two podcasts: Women & Crime and Direct Appeal Amy and I connect via Instagram (where all the best relationships are born) and I immediately knew I wanted to have her on the show. The work she is doing in our criminal justice system is so important. And it’s so important that all of us US citizens understand the way our system works - and repeatedly fails to work. I learned so much in this conversation and I think you will too. Listen in to hear Amy share:
How she got involved teaching people in prisons and why it lights her up
The impact of bringing university students into her prison classroom
What inspired her and her podcast co host to create Women & Crime
How women can be offenders and victims in our criminal justice system at the same time
Her thoughts on whether or not our current criminal justice system works
How the culture of poverty impacts our criminal justice system
Why people are wrongfully convicted and the role of bias in wrongful convictions
The problem with our bail system
Why she has hope for our criminal justice system in spite of its current
Links mentioned:
Take my Shameless Summer Survey and win $100 gift card: shamelessmom.com/survey
Connect with Amy: womenandcrimepodcast.com/
Podcast: Women and Crime
Podcast: Direct Appeal
Women and Crime on Instagram and Facebook: @womenandcrimepodcast
Sponsor info and promo codes:
Please find our sponsor information here: shamelessmom.com/sponsor/
Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jun 27, 2022 • 36min
662: How to Drop the Ball on Purpose
Every time I’ve surveyed you all over the last 6 years, you have shared with me that overwhelm is one of your biggest struggles. I HEAR YOU. It seems no matter the season of life, if you are parenting, you are overwhelmed. Whether it’s the challenge of the constant caregiving logistics, that challenge of the state of the world, the challenge of holding emotional space for your children, or the challenge of trying to find some semblance of your own sense of self in all of this - IT IS A LOT. And it is CONSTANT. Today, I’m giving you permission to start dropping some balls. Maybe one. Maybe two. Maybe, like 13??? In this episode, I walk you through how to determine which balls to drop and how to restructure time so you can keep the most important balls in the air. I hope this episode helps you take a close look at what you can let go of in order to make space for more peace, joy and sanity. Link mentioned:Take my Shameless Summer Survey and win $100 gift card: shamelessmom.com/survey
Sponsor info and promo codes:
Please find our sponsor information here: shamelessmom.com/sponsor/
Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jun 22, 2022 • 48min
661: Shari Leid: Identity Through Adoption, Internment, Career & Cancer
Former litigator Shari Leid currently operates An Imperfectly Perfect Life, LLC, a professional mindset coaching business serving clients who are in those tricky middle age years, helping them create the life of their dreams. She is the author of the Friendship Flow transformational book series, which includes The 50/50 Friendship Flow: Life Lessons From and For My Girlfriends and Make Your Mess Your Message - More Life Lessons From and For My Girlfriends.Shari’s life has been an incredible journey of identity shifting and identity shaping events that have led her to such a beautiful place of honoring who she is and how she wants to show up in the world and share her life with other women. Listen in to hear Shari share:
Her story of being adopted from Seoul Korea in 1970 in the first wave of international adoptions by Japanese American parents who were interned during WWII
Her parent’s memories of living and working in internment camps
The impacts of her parent’s internment on her upbringing
How she ended up growing her family by 2 children in less than one year
How adopting her daughter brought her full circle in seeing her own adoption journey
Her massive shift in identity when she left a career as a litigating attorney to become a stay at home mom - and the major struggle to maintain her sense of self
The impact of her physical sense of self as she had double hip replacement from hip dysplasia and double mastectomy after a breast cancer diagnosis
Links mentioned:
Connect with Shari: animperfectlyperfectlife.com
Shari on LinkedIn
Shari on IG
Shari on FB
Shari on YouTube
Shari on TikTok
Sponsor info and promo codes:
Please find our sponsor information here: shamelessmom.com/sponsor/
Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jun 20, 2022 • 35min
660: 4 Ways for Moms to Get Across More Finish Lines
As I’ve worked with moms over the last 19 (!!) years, I’ve noticed how quickly society sells us short. And how often we, in turn, sell ourselves short. I want to invite you to cross more finish lines - BUT - not by working more or working harder. I want you to cross more finish lines, reach more goals, and live more of your dreams by simply owning and honoring who you are, where you’ve been and how that journey makes you completely magical, uniquely talented, and tough as nails. Motherhood makes you a better leader, advocate, and citizen. Motherhood allows you to hone skills you never knew you’d need and maybe never wanted - master negotiator, thoughtful persuasionist, quick adaptor, highly efficient productivityist, and intentional & considerate champion of others. Motherhood positions you as an expert and an authority on compassion, connection, and unconditional love. If you can own and honor these skills, the world opens up for you. But, we aren’t taught to own and honor these skills. Let’s change that. In this episode, I’ll talk you through 4 ways you can leverage the gifts of motherhood in ways that can be mutually beneficial for you and for the world. Sponsor info and promo codes:
Please find our sponsor information here: shamelessmom.com/sponsor/
Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jun 15, 2022 • 49min
659: Jessica Sinarski: How to Own and Embrace Your Anger
Jessica Sinarski is a highly sought-after therapist, speaker, and change-maker. Extensive post-graduate training and 15+ years as a clinician and educator led her to create the resource and training platform–BraveBrains. She makes brain science practical, helping parents and professionals become healers for hurting children. She is the author of the award-winning Riley the Brave series, Hello, Anger, and more.This is Jessica’s third time on the show! Anytime she has a new book, I’m dying to get her back on the SMA. Jessica’s ability to help kids and parents understand brain science in order to support emotional management is incredible. I walk away from every conversation with Jessica feeling like I have a ton of new tools to support my child and myself. Listen in to hear Jessica share:
What anger is and why it’s so crucial to talk about it now
The importance of recognizing anger as a protection mechanism
Why we need to recognize that anger is not bad
The vicious cycle of anger and shame
How mom overwhelm triggers anger
The importance of really accessing our anger and working through it vs avoiding it and stuffing it (which ultimately forces it to show up in dysfunctional ways)
How to explicitly ask for help with your anger or shame
Why it was important to her to write a book that honors anger, not shut it down
Links mentioned:
Connect with Jessica: www.bravebrains.com
Book Jess: info@bravebrains.com
Shop Books: www.rileythebrave.org/bookstorev2
Jessica on IG
Jessica on Twitter
Jessica on Facebook
Sponsor info and promo codes:
Please find our sponsor information here: shamelessmom.com/sponsor/
Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jun 13, 2022 • 36min
658: Lessons Learned Co-Chairing the PTA
I have spent the last year co-chairing the Parent Association at Vinnie’s school. I have learned so much from this experience. I’ve stretched myself in new ways and humbled myself more than once. I’ve made incredible new friends and led in ways I never saw coming. You may recall many occasions in which I encouraged moms to “Get off the PTA! Stop volunteering so much!” So, yes, I feel like a bit of a hypocrite sharing my commitment to our school’s Parent Association. But hear me out… While I stand by the fact that moms over give and it’s a big problem, I am so grateful for this opportunity to show up and lead in new ways. I believe it has qualified me to lead in other new ways down the road. This role has allowed me to see myself as capable and qualified to do new things in my community that I never previously considered and that feels like a huge win and huge gift. I’m not at all suggesting that you all go out and become Volunteer of the Year at your kids school. But, if you do choose to step into leadership in your community in a similar way, I think my lessons might help you. To anyone from Vinnie’s school who might tune into this one, thank you for the opportunity to lead in this way and for affording me constant grace. I feel so fortunate to be a part of this community. It has been an honor to serve in this way. Sponsor info and promo codes:
Please find our sponsor information here: shamelessmom.com/sponsor/
Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jun 8, 2022 • 47min
657: Miranda Anderson: Overcoming Perfectionism to Live More Adventurously
As a speaker, teacher, podcast host and author, Miranda Anderson provides tools and inspiration for women to live a creative, adventurous, and intentional life. Starting out as a lifestyle blogger in 2007, Miranda now offers thousands of weekly listeners of the Live Free Creative podcast something new to think about, feel and DO as they move toward living the life of their dreams. In 2018, she published ‘More Than Enough’ to chronicle her family’s 12-month no-shopping challenge that both shaped their perspective and family culture, and informed some of her most popular content on sustainability and intentionality. Since then, she’s hosted online courses, creative retreats, and in-person workshops in her efforts to help those ‘go-getter at heart’ women who feel stuck by circumstances live a life more aligned with their dreams and values.Listen in to hear Miranda share:
Her philosophy on “just going for it”, knowing full well she may fail
The massive impact of her 12 month no-shopping minimalism challenge, which inspired her book, More Than Enough
What she learned about herself and how she learned to listen to her intuition by not buying anything new for herself or her family of 5 for 12 months
How the 12 month challenge evolved and inspired her work today
How she helps moms adopt a sense of adventure as a mindset
Using adventure as a mindset and a lens to creativity, curiosity, connection, calm
The difference between perfectionism and striving in how we manage outcomes
How moms (especially risk averse or perfectionist moms) can practice being adventurous in low stakes way that can have big impact
Links mentioned:
Enroll in Momentum Mamas: shamelessmom.com/momentum
Connect with Miranda: livefreecreative.co
Join Miranda’s Grown Up Summer Camp July 14th-17th
Miranda’s Podcast: Live Free Creative
Miranda on Facebook
Miranda on Instagram
Miranda on Twitter
Miranda on YouTube
Miranda on Pinterest
Sponsor info and promo codes:
Please find our sponsor information here: shamelessmom.com/sponsor/
Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jun 6, 2022 • 36min
656: 5 Steps to Push Past the Fear & Noise
Fear is a beast. Don’t get me wrong, fear can be functional. It can protect us from great harm. But, it can also hold us back from taking action. It can paralyze our heads and our hearts. It can prevent us from dreaming, doing, and becoming. There are some very real reasons to carry fear right now. That will continue to be the case. So, how will you learn to navigate fear and all the internal and external noise that accompanies it?Fear keeps us stuck. Fear allows our inner critic to grow louder each and every day. Fear keeps us stuck in inaction. Right now, we cannot afford to sit in fear. When we are feeling fear, everything constricts - our ability to see possibility and potential, our ability to be nimble and adaptive, our ability to see what else is true beyond our fear. In this episode, I walk you through the ways that your fear might show up. Then, I share how to see it, listen to it, and continue to move through it - with it at your side instead of in your driver's seat. Link mentioned:Enroll in Momentum Mamas: shamelessmom.com/momentum
Sponsor info and promo codes:
Please find our sponsor information here: shamelessmom.com/sponsor/
Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices


