Shameless Leadership

Over the past two decades, Colleen Echohawk has served the most marginalized people living in the Greater Seattle community. As the head of Chief Seattle Club, a non-profit dedicated to the rapid re-housing of urban Natives, Colleen led the effort to create nearly $100 million in new affordable housing in Seattle. Under Colleen’s leadership, Chief Seattle Club has received recognition from the Puget Sound Sage Visionary for Justice Award (2018), the NeighborhoodBuilder Award (2017), and the Municipal League of King County’s Organization of the Year (2016).Colleen is an enrolled member of the Kithehaki Band of the Pawnee Nation and a member of the Upper Athabascan people of Mentasta Lake. Colleen and her family have been proud to call Seattle home for over two decades. In her spare time, she loves to read, sing karaoke, take her dog Rizzo for a walk, listen to National Public Radio, and cook delicious food for her friends and family.She has been recognized by numerous organizations, including the 21 Leaders to watch in 2021 by Seattle Magazine, the King County Martin Luther King Jr. Medal of Distinguished Service (2020), Seattle’s most influential people by Seattle Magazine (November 2019), and many more. I got to hear Colleen speak a couple months ago and I immediately knew I wanted to ask her to be a guest on the show. I was so delighted and honored when she said yes. We could have spoken for hours. She is a powerhouse of a woman and leader and her mayoral platform is extraordinary. I know you will be so inspired by Colleen’s stories and leadership.Listen in to hear Colleen share: The cost of leadership when you’re a mom Her role as the first Indigenous women running for mayor in a major city The identities she carries as a mayoral candidate, Indigenous woman, eldest sister of 7 siblings, and Shameless Mom How she is using her mayoral platform to protect Seattle’s most vulnerable citizens How being an Indigenous women informs her leadership and deep desire to be a public servant The evolution of Native identity in leadership The intersection of motherhood and leadership and how her kids help her keep boundaries Her background serving Native people experiencing homelessness and how it’s the foundation for her mayoral campaign How she wants to see change and evolution in policing in Seattle Her focus on providing the city of Seattle an equitable recovery from COVID Her advice to other women who might be considering running for office Links mentioned: Join my free workshop, 5 Ways to Shine Like a Mother Echohawk For Seattle Colleen on Instagram Colleen on Facebook Colleen on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In last week’s podcast episode, I called out your negative thought patterns. These are the thoughts that get stuck in your head and keep you spinning in negative spaces - often keeping you totally stuck in your life. It’s hard to recognize your negative thought patterns - because they have likely been an unconscious part of you for a very long time. And it can feel really frustrating to acknowledge that some of these very non-productive thought patterns have been a part of you for a long time. But, it is in recognizing and owning these patterns, you can start changing them. From there, you can stop staying stuck in your negative thoughts. This can be super liberating!This week, I’m going to talk you through 5 ways to overcome these negative thought patterns. You have the power to change the way you think, to shift the way your brain works, to evolve your go-to thoughts in order to be more powerful in your life #everydamnday. In this episode we will address everything from identifying negative thought triggers to standing up to your inner critic to how to change your state in order to change your brain chemistry. This episode is packed with tools that you can use right away to start using your brain in more productive and positive ways. Link mentioned:Join my free workshop, 5 Ways to Shine Like a Mother Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cindi Bright is the President of The Bright Group, a management consulting firm focusing on the ecosystems of corporate America impacting and impeding progress for brown and Black people. She is the Producer and Host of HeartBeat radio, focusing on the “heart condition” of this country impeding diversity progress. With decades of experience in corporate America as a former Human Resources executive in organizations, diversity and leadership, she formerly led HR for three financial services businesses. A former candidate for public office in 2018, her platform has become a highly sought-after show to air the voices of people, and to influence public policy to improve the lives of Black and brown people.Cindi is a successful plaintiff in a Discrimination lawsuit, where she faced personal discrimination for speaking out on issues of injustice. At the time of her jury verdict, she was the second largest plaintiff verdict for the State of Washington.I have known Cindi for years, as she was a personal training client of mine some 15 years ago. I invited her on the show to talk about her new book, The Color of Courage, Crushing Racism in Corporate America. This book is a personal story of triumph over obstacles to inspire others to stand in their truths and to challenge corporate America to address the inequities at play for brown and Black people.Listen in to hear Cindi share: Her public firing at the hands of a white woman How she won her court case, becoming the second largest plaintiff verdict in a discrimination case in WA state How she was portrayed as a Black woman while on trial How her company used her mental health and sex life against her in court Why Robin DiAngelo, the author of White Fragility, is dangerous to Black women’s prosperity Examples of how white women center themselves What white women can do in the workplace to center Black women instead of centering themselves How she summons the courage to play large and take up space in a world that tries to keep Black women small Why nuance matters in conversations around race and how Cindi kindly helped me add some nuance to a statement I made in our conversation Why her book, The Color of Courage: Crushing Racism in Corporate America needs to be read by everyone Links mentioned: Join my free workshop, 5 Ways to Shine Like A Mother Connect with Cindi Cindi on Twitter Cindi on Instagram Cindi on Facebook Cindi on Tik Tok Thank you to our sponsor: Lovevery: Free shipping at lovevery.com/shamelessand use the code SHAMELESS at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I’m not gonna lie, you might feel totally called out by today’s episode. But I think and hope it will ultimately really help you to see how your brain is holding you back at times. Here’s the deal… You likely have a bunch of negative thought loops running through your brain all.the.time. Know that you are not alone in this. Not even a little bit. Also, know that these loops that just keep playing on repeat are so dangerous over time. They keep you small. They keep you quiet. They keep you sad and frustrated and exhausted. They keep you from enjoying some of the best parts of your life. They keep you from seeing what your life could be. So, let’s shut them up, shall we?!In today's episode, I talk you through 7 common negative thought patterns I learned about from Dr. David Burns: All or nothing thinking Overgeneralization Magnification/Catastrophizing Emotional Reasoning Should Statements Rumination Overthinking I’ll admit, when I first learned of these I was like, “DAMN, HE LIVES ALL THE WAY IN MY HEAD.” But I also felt a little relief in knowing that the loops in my head are common loops and they can be retrained, or rerouted, if you will. Listen in to dig into these common negative thought patterns so you can learn how to retrain your brain in more functional and productive ways.Links mentioned: Join my free workshop, 5 Ways to Shine Like A Mother Book: Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by Dr David Burns Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mia Hemstad is a wife and a mom of 2 little kiddos. Mia works as a Paid Family Leave and mental health advocate—writing and speaking online and advocating at the policy level for systemic change. After surviving postpartum depression and anxiety twice, and later being diagnosed with PTSD and depression, Mia is passionate about helping mothers leave the burnout cycle behind through her writing, speaking and coaching to support moms in navigating self-care and mental well-being in motherhood.Mia was one of the speakers during the Shameless Mom Con Collective this past spring. As she gave her impassioned talk, all of our attendees saw parts of themselves - the parts that most folks don’t talk about. The messy parts. The ugly parts. The parts full of tears, anger, and even rage. The parts that might lead to a diagnosis of depression or anxiety. The parts that might require medication. Mia’s talk was so powerful and also full of tactical advice, so I decided I had to share it here - where more of you who struggle with mom burnout can put her tips into action in order to start healing the parts of yourself that might have you feeling like you’re barely hanging on by a thread.Links mentioned: Get my info about upcoming events and workshops Connect with Mia and her resources: Mia Hemstad Follow Mia here: YouTube | Facebook | Instagram Thank you to our sponsor: Talkspace: To match with your perfect therapist for a fraction of the price of traditional therapy, go to talkspace.com, Make sure to use the code SHAMELESS to get $100 off your first month and show your support for the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You have anywhere from 6,000-60,000 thoughts per day, depending on which research study you trust most. Let’s just take the low estimate of 6,000 thoughts per day and consider the impact of that many thoughts on the course of your day.We know that our thoughts determine our feelings & emotions which then determine our actions. Therefore, at least 6,000 times per day, you have a thought that makes you take action - or not.Some of our thoughts make us brave and bold. They give us permission to take courageous action and then we bask in the glory of proving our strength and power. Other thoughts make us take rash action - sometimes causing harm to ourselves or others. This can send us into a downward spiral of negative follow up thoughts:What was I thinking?I can’t believe I was so stupid.I’m so embarrassed.I am completely ashamed. And other thoughts make us freeze. We decide that we aren’t ready or qualified to be courageous. Not yet. Not today.New awareness of your 6,000 - 60,000 thoughts per day might feel overwhelming, if not downright daunting. But, here’s the thing…You are 100% capable of becoming a better thought manager. This means you can manage your thoughts in order to manage your actions. YAY. Listen in to hear how your thoughts determine your actions and how you can become a better thought manager starting right now.Links mentioned:Download my Shameless Motivational Coloring Book Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Delphine Carter is the Founder and CEO of Boulo Solutions, a career matching service that helps women stay in and return to the workforce. Boulo has now helped over 1,000 women and has generated over $1M in revenue. Delphine was able to fund Boulo’s $500,000 seed stage while working and raising children during the pandemic.I asked Delphine to join me on the show because of the massive shift we are seeing around moms and the workplace right now. Millions of moms have left the workforce in the last year. Many millions more have had to navigate new terms of working from home or working in other creative ways during the pandemic. We are at a critical time for moms in the workplace. There is the chance to totally renegotiate what work looks like for everyone and moms are poised to work in more flexible ways than ever before. Delphine is helping make that happen.Listen in to hear Delphine share: Her realization that “I could not be whole without my work” How she helps genius moms get seen professionally How Boulo helps moms qualify themselves for jobs that are a perfect fit for their specific needs Why Boulo only works with companies that create flexible working environments for moms and dads How forward-thinking managers need to shift expectations around goals vs time invested on a job or task The benefits of having moms in C Suite position The significance of empathy in corporate culture The challenges around childcare post pandemic when 40% of childcare centers nationwide have closed and what is open is ridiculously expensive The exact conversation you can have with your employer to ask for a more flexible schedule Why we must erase the phrase “just a mom” from all vernacular Links mentioned: Help us help you by filling out the Shameless Summer Survey Connect with Delphine: Boulo Solutions Connect with Delphine on LinkedIn Connect with Delphine on Facebook Connect with Delphine in Instagram Thank you to our sponsor: Talkspace: To match with your perfect therapist for a fraction of the price of traditional therapy, go to talkspace.com, Make sure to use the code SHAMELESS to get $100 off your first month and show your support for the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For the entire month of June, I have been talking about how you might be getting in your own way, why you might be getting in your own way, and how procrastination & perfectionism are keeping you stuck. This week we will wrap up the month by talking about 5 steps you can take to get out of your own way.Look, we all get stuck. We all struggle with self doubt, analysis paralysis, and perfectionism from time to time. We overthink, over worry, over research, and over plan because we want to do things well - we want to make the BEST choices or make the BEST decision. When we are stuck, sometimes we cannot see our way out. We cannot see the next step. This can feel scary and stifling and can even shut us down completely.Today, I’m going to share 5 steps you can take to get out of your own way and stop staying stuck. These simple strategies are tools that will get you moving and KEEP you moving as you take action in the direction of your dreams. I’m delighted to be wrapping up the first month of my Summer Series. In month 2 (July), we will dive into a new theme: Retrain Your Brain. You definitely don’t want to miss this content! Link mentioned:Help us help you by filling out the Shameless Summer Survey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Irina Gonzalez is a Latina, bisexual, sober Shameless Mom. She is also an editor & freelance writer covering parenting, recovery, and Latinx culture. Currently, she is the Content Marketing Manager at Tempest, a membership program that empowers you to live alcohol-free. She is also the creator of the Pandemic Mama podcast, which brings you real conversations about having a baby during COVID-19 times. Her work has appeared in over 50 publications, including The Washington Post, O! The Oprah Magazine, Parents, and more. She is a new resident of Denver, where she lives with her husband, spunky toddler, and their fur babies.I recently heard an interview my dear friend Laura Cathcart Robbins did with Irina and I immediately knew I wanted to ask Irina to join me in the Shameless Mom Academy. She is brilliant in so many ways and extremely generous in the ways she shares her stories. I think this conversation will open your eyes and inspire you to look at some of your coping skills to assess what’s working and what’s not - and what coping mechanisms might help you the most.Listen in to hear Irina share: Why balance is a “damn bad idea” How she’s juggling being back at work full time, caring for her 14 month old, and finding a sense of self The unique intersections of her identities as a Latina, bisexual, sober, mother and writer Her journey into sobriety The labels of “alcoholic” vs “alcohol use disorder” Why the 12 step recovery framework doesn’t resonate with her How moms are not being supported by Mommy Wine Culture The connections she made between her alcohol use and anxiety 8 coping mechanisms she’s using to deal with anxiety and managing her mental health in a pandemic How she’s taking pride in “showing up as who I am and being vocal about it!” Links mentioned: Download my free Shameless Motivational Coloring Book Connect with Irina Irina’s Podcast: Pandemic Mama Book: Quit Like a Woman by Holly Whitaker Book: Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker Podcast: Forever 35 Irina on Instagram and here Thank you to our sponsor: Thrive: Start thriving and help women in need today by going to com/ThriveCausemetics.com/shameless for 15% off your first purchase! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A couple years ago, I had a major AHA. I was reading Jon Acuff’s book, FINISHED, and he was talking about perfectionism and the connection between perfectionism and procrastination. Society tells you that procrastination is a sign of laziness or a lack of commitment. Society makes procrastinators feel like crap. But Jon pointed out that procrastination can often be a form of perfectionism. We already know that perfectionism keeps us in our own way - BIG TIME. It prevents us from starting and even more so from finishing.  Same with procrastination. We often procrastinate because we are spinning in perfectionism:What is the next right step?Should I go with option A or option B?What if I can’t finish?What if I can’t even start?What if I fail and other people judge me?What if, what if, what if????Any of this sound familiar? All of this month, we are talking about getting out of your own way. Perfectionism is a huge way that we get in our own way and procrastination is often a major symptom of perfectionism. Listen in to learn more about how perfectionism and procrastination might be keeping you super stuck in your own way.Links mentioned:Download my free Shameless Motivational Coloring Book Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices