Yes, And Otherwise: Feminist Conversations on Work, Rest & Power

Becky Mollenkamp
  • 5.0 (27)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Intersectional feminist conversations about doing work and life differently. Hosts Becky Mollenkamp and Faith Clarke talk with entrepreneurs, authors, and thinkers about capacity, care, bias, and burnout. We name the systems we're taught to ignore, and imagine what's possible when we stop performing and start being honest.

  1. Sep 2

    Not Everyone Deserves Your Authenticity with Megan Fuciarelli

    Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp at https://liberateyourbusiness.com/ Beckty Mollenkamp and Faith Clarke sit down with Megan Fuciarelli, speaker and "authenticity amplifier," to talk about the flip side of a conversation we hear constantly: not how to be authentic, but how to actually receive someone else's authenticity when they show up as their full selves. Megan shares her own story of being othered as a child, discovering at 15 that she was adopted, and how decades of people-pleasing and masking shaped the DEI and belonging work she does today. The conversation digs into the real difference between masking and cloaking a part of yourself, why "not everyone deserves your authenticity," the gap between intent and impact, why professionalism norms are rooted in racism and sexism, and how leaders and everyday people can hold space for identities and experiences different from their own without guilt, shame, or blame. Timestamps:00:15 — Welcome and introducing Megan Fuciarelli05:55 — What repeated story has Megan been living lately?08:16 — Bullied, never enough, and "closeted acceptance" as a kid09:00 — Finding out at 15 that she was adopted12:31 — Becky's own earliest memory of not feeling welcome15:00 — How early wounding creates people-pleasing16:59 — Imposter syndrome vs. "am I being who I actually am?"17:13 — Not everyone deserves your authenticity (masking vs. cloaking)20:42 — Why you can't fully receive someone else's authenticity until you've done your own work22:07 — What "receiving authenticity" actually looks like in practice27:01 — Intent vs. impact — who controls what29:48 — A recent example of Megan's authenticity not being received34:12 — Giving people grace for where they are on their journey39:25 — The urge to prove "I know better," and giving yourself grace 43:02 — Systemic vs. systematic: what happens when institutions know better and don't change47:25 — Boundaries as agreements, not arbitrary rules49:26 — Faith's story: parenting an autistic son and the real risk of breaking "professionalism" norms51:29 — Authenticity isn't fixed, it changes day to day54:16 — Closing round: what are you leaving this conversation saying yes to?57:56 — Where to find Megan: Us 2 Consulting and Megan Fuciarelli ❤️ Learn more about Megan's work at https://us2consulting.com/ 🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: https://feministpodcastcollective.com/ 👏 SUPPORT OUR WORK BY SUBSCRIBING AT https://yesandotherwise.substack.com/subscribe

    Not Everyone Deserves Your Authenticity with Megan Fuciarelli

  2. Aug 31

    Announcing Yes, and Otherwise (media for intersectional feminists)

    Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp at https://liberateyourbusiness.com/ Welcome to Yes and Otherwise, the new name (and new season) for what was Feminist Founders. In this launch episode, hosts Becky Mollenkamp and Faith Clarke pull back the curtain on why they rebranded, what's changing, and what stays the same. They talk about choosing storytelling over coaching-and-content, why "feminist founders" no longer felt like the right container (and its exclusionary history), and how "yes and otherwise" reflects their improv-rooted, both/and approach to conversation. They also introduce a new paid supporter tier, kicking off with a bonus audio offering called "The Collective Exhale," on releasing invisible and emotional labor, the "lead bird" burnout pattern, and what it means to let storytelling and community-building be valuable work in their own right. • (00:16) Welcome to Yes and Otherwise — introducing the rebrand from Feminist Founders• (01:16) Why the change: two years of experimenting, evolving, and having hard conversations as partners• (01:42) Becky's journalism background and missing storytelling for its own sake, not for a "corporate overlord"• (03:03) Faith on centering human stories amid a chaotic, shifting external environment• (05:29) The "life-giving" test: choosing storytelling and curation over what felt sticky or forced• (07:00) The new website, yesandotherwise.com — searchable topics, curated "story bundles," and stories in conversation with each other• (08:15) What's changing about the newsletter: less frequent, more substantive, connecting past and present conversations• (08:18) Introducing a paid supporter tier and what it funds (labor, not just content)• (10:42) Why they changed the name: the meaning behind "Yes and" (improv, expansiveness) and "Otherwise" (the other, the why, who's missing)• (13:18) Why not "Feminist Founders" anymore — the term's exclusionary history and who it repels• (17:12) Faith on identity, framing, and building a shared story from different starting points• (18:17) Reclaiming storytelling and community-building as labor that deserves compensation• (20:02) Introducing "The Collective Exhale" — releasing invisible labor and the "lead bird" analogy for burnout• (22:44) Emotional labor, burnout, and the weight women are conditioned to carry• (23:53) Looking back at recent conversations: period care with Mariah Brewer, colorism with Dr. Sarah Webb, and hair• (25:50) Faith's invitation to become a paid subscriber, practice over knowledge• (26:53) Closing thoughts and what's coming next BECOME A PAID SUPPORTER/SUBSCRIBER OF YES AND OTHERWISE at  https://yesandotherwise.substack.com/subscribe

    Announcing Yes, and Otherwise (media for intersectional feminists)

  3. Aug 19

    Colorism, Skin Tone Bias & Healing with Dr. Sarah Webb

    Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp at https://liberateyourbusiness.com/ Colorism shapes who gets hired, who's trusted, who's seen as beautiful (and who's called dangerous) often within the same racial group. In this episode, Becky Mollenkamp and Faith Clarke sit down with Dr. Sarah L. Webb, author of Colorism and founder of Colorism Healing, to unpack what colorism is, how it forms in early childhood, and why white people can't opt out of the conversation just because it "isn't their issue." In this episode: (00:15) Welcome — introducing Dr. Sarah Webb, author of Colorism and founder of Colorism Healing(00:41) Icebreaker: the last thing you splurged on just for you(04:00) Dr. Webb's earliest memory of noticing colorism — before she even had the language for it(06:23) Why white parents avoiding "race talk" with kids misses the mark, and why colorism isn't discussed even in households of color(08:48) Faith joins and shares her grandmother's story growing up in Jamaica(14:19) How Dr. Webb's own healing journey began — the Dark Girls documentary and a moment from Ta-Nehisi Coates(15:34) The hardest part of healing from colorism: never knowing when it will happen again(18:56) Faith's own colorism journey growing up in Jamaica vs. the U.S.(24:05) Faith on power dynamics with neurodivergent, queer family members(25:10) Becky reflects on her own white positionality and how she came to understand colorism wasn't "someone else's issue"(27:25) Why colorism is everyone's work — racial profiling, the justice system, and disparities within the same race(31:08) Fearing the Black Body and how race gets constructed and weaponized(32:58) Colorism among people who share the same skin tone — a museum story(34:28) Is "we're willing to talk about race but not colorism" a form of virtue signaling?(38:09) Faith on "proximity to whiteness" and America's obsession with checklists over systems thinking(42:23) Colorism in media and Hollywood — patterns in who gets cast as masculine vs. feminine, and by skin tone(45:34) The how: translating awareness into daily practice, not just workshops(46:30) Dr. Webb on the second half of her book — the politics of skin tone and how we get free(51:40) Closing ritual: what are you saying yes (and otherwise) to?Resources mentioned: Colorism by Dr. Sarah L. Webb: https://amzn.to/4xNPxenColorism Healing: https://colorismhealing.com/Fearing the Black Body by Sabrina Strings: https://amzn.to/4xKDRcb🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: https://feministpodcastcollective.com/

    Colorism, Skin Tone Bias & Healing with Dr. Sarah Webb

  4. Aug 11

    Intersectionality at Work: Autism, Race & Accessibility Explained with Sydney Elaine Butler

    Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp at https://liberateyourbusiness.com/ What if the goal was never "safe" spaces but safer ones? Becky Mollenkamp and Faith Clarke sit down with Sydney Elaine Butler, founder of Accessible Creates. They're a biracial, non-binary, autistic entrepreneur living with chronic pain and complex PTSD, and this is a fantastic conversation about intersectionality, disability inclusion, and what it really takes to let people bring their whole selves to work. Sydney shares how their childhood role as "the helper" shaped their career supporting people with disabilities, what it's like to code-switch between Black and white spaces as a biracial person, and why so much workplace DEI work stalls out at compliance instead of getting to the people actually living the policies. In this episode: (00:15) Icebreaker: the cartoon character you relate to most (Papa Smurf, Atomic Betty, Encanto's Luisa, and Inside Out 2's Anxiety all make an appearance)(06:23) Sydney's full-circle moment speaking at the Canadian Autism Leadership Summit(08:16) The story that isn't being told: intersectionality in disability and DEI work(10:14) Code-switching as a biracial, non-binary woman — and what safety has to do with it(16:23) What changes when we stop collapsing identities and start expanding them(23:04) Why so much corporate DEI work stays surface-level — and what real accountability looks like(26:16) Sydney's shift from "expert" to focus groups: centering the people living the policy(33:06) Safe vs. safer spaces — and why "safe" might be a promise no one can actually keep(44:07) Filling your own cup: solitude, boundaries, and unlearning the "selfish" narrative(51:41) The Resmaa Menakem story: what happens when a room chooses care over the agenda(54:04) A real-time example of building accommodation into a relationship, mid-conversation(56:14) Closing ritual: Yes, and... OtherwiseAbout the guest: Sydney Elaine Butler is the founder of Accessible Creates, working with organizations on disability policy, accessibility, and inclusive workplace practice. Learn more at accessiblecreates.ca. 🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: https://feministpodcastcollective.com/

    Intersectionality at Work: Autism, Race & Accessibility Explained with Sydney Elaine Butler

  5. Jul 28

    The Politics of Black Hair with Dr. Eghosa Obaizamomwan-Hamilton

    Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp at https://liberateyourbusiness.com/ Black women's hair carries history, labor, identity, and risk — and most white women have never had to think about any of it. In this conversation, Becky and Faith sit down with Dr. Eghosa Obaizamomwan-Hamilton, a Black mother-scholar and author of Articulations: A Radical Methodology for Black Pedagogy — Redefining Education Through Black Women's Hair Experiences, to dig into what her research uncovered about hair as an overlooked layer of intersectionality. We talk about the "true cost" of hair — financial, physical, and emotional — the difference between internalized racism and intentional "texturized code-switching," why the rise of social media accelerated the natural hair movement, and the invisible labor Black women carry every day just deciding how to show up. Faith brings her own journey from straightened hair in Jamaica to nearly 25 years of locks, and Dr. Eghosa shares what she means when she says "I am my hair" — plus concrete advice for white women who want to be real co-conspirators instead of passive allies. Links mentioned:• Latest article, "We Be Audacious": https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/YBJHBZJRVG7MYDIUCAGA/full?target=10.1080/09540253.2026.2707142• Articulations, A Radical Methodology for Black Pedagogy: https://amzn.to/4yKaxnr• Articulations on Audible: https://amzn.to/4fpEEcp• Reading Guide for Articulations: https://www.eghosaobaizamomwan.com/_files/ugd/1382eb_14e141a63f4b4618bb0e527bb80f385a.pdf JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: https://feministpodcastcollective.com/

    The Politics of Black Hair with Dr. Eghosa Obaizamomwan-Hamilton

  6. Jul 16

    How to Practice Radical Empathy as a Business Owner with Terri Givens

    Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp at https://liberateyourbusiness.com/ What does radical empathy actually look like in a business, not just as a feeling, but as a practice? Becky sits down with Terri Givens, political scientist and author of Radical Empathy and Reckoning, to dig into the how behind the why. They talk through Terri's six steps to radical empathy (starting with the hardest one: being vulnerable with yourself first), what it means to unpack internalized bias, and why "safe spaces" might be the wrong goal (brave spaces are more honest and more possible). They also get into the stuff business owners actually wrestle with: how to build diverse teams without falling into tokenism, what "empathy is not absolution" means when you're deciding who to work with, and why intentionality (not perfection) is the real work of inclusive leadership. In this episode:• The six steps of radical empathy, and why vulnerability with yourself comes first• Unpacking internalized oppression, Terri's own story growing up Black and Catholic in Spokane, WA• Safe spaces vs. brave spaces, and why the second one is the honest goal• "Strategic empathy": how to have compassion for someone without excusing their behavior• Building trust and community without falling into performative hiring or tokenism• The role business can play in creating the future we want, with lessons from history Terri Givens is a political scientist, author, and entrepreneur. Her books Radical Empathy (2021) and Reckoning (2025, paperback out this year) offer both the why and the how of using empathy as a tool for real change in business, in community, and in ourselves. Learn more and grab the books (currently 50% off) at Terri's website. Feminist Founders is a space for business owners who care about equity and justice — and want the practical tools to actually build it. New episodes drop regularly. Subscribe and join the conversation. Find Terri Givens (and her books) at https://www.terrigivens.com/ Also mentioned in this episode:• "The Warmth of Other Suns" by Isabel Wilkerson: https://amzn.to/44zOjH2 🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: https://feministpodcastcollective.com/

    How to Practice Radical Empathy as a Business Owner with Terri Givens

  7. Jul 1

    The Workplace Case for Period Leave with Dr. Moriah Brewer

    Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp at https://liberateyourbusiness.com/ In this episode, you'll hear from Dr. Moriah Brewer (sociologist, researcher, and founder of Like Home) about one of the most overlooked workplace equity issues hiding in plain sight: menstrual care. Only 2% of US companies offer any form of period leave, yet menstruation affects roughly half the workforce for decades of their working lives. Becky and Moriah dig into why that number is so low, what the equity vs. equality argument actually means for HR policy, and how period poverty, medical dismissal, and the $40 billion period care industry all point to the same problem, we've invested in discretion, not care. If you're building a feminist business, this conversation will challenge you to examine your own policies. Topics Covered:• The business case for menstrual/period leave, only 2% of US companies currently offer it, but Moriah argues it's both an equity issue and a long-term investment in workforce wellbeing and retention• Equity vs. equality in workplace policy, why "giving everyone the same thing" doesn't close gaps, and what targeted support actually looks like for menstruating employees• Period poverty as a workplace issue, in Michigan alone, 2 in 5 women experience period poverty, causing them to miss work or school due to lack of access to basic products• The $40 billion period care industry gap, the entire industry is built around products and discretion, not care; Moriah is building Like Home to change that with virtual services, cycle syncing support, and in-home care options• Medical dismissal and the cost to workers, Moriah's own experience with PCOS, fibroids, and years of being brushed off by the medical system speaks to a broader pattern that impacts worker productivity and health• Why period equity lifts all workplace benefits, the same political and cultural fight that wins period leave also opens the door to better mental health leave, disability leave, and paternity leave• What feminist business ownership demands, how "permission structures" in workplaces signal ownership dynamics, and what it looks like to lead differently LEARN MORE:• Like Home: https://joinlikehome.com/• Dr. Moriah Brewer on Instagram, Threads, and Substack: @MariahLynnJoe 🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

    The Workplace Case for Period Leave with Dr. Moriah Brewer

  8. Jun 16

    Was That Racist? A Real Conversation with Dr. Evelyn Carter

    Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp at https://liberateyourbusiness.com/ On this episode of Feminist Founders, Becky Mollenkamp talks with social psychologist Dr. Evelyn Carter (author of Was That Racist? How to Detect, Interrupt, and Unlearn Bias in Everyday Life) about why she waited until 2026 to publish a book she could have written during the 2020 racial reckoning, what happened when she watched a community of women authors fail a basic accountability test, and why "safe space" is the wrong goal for anyone trying to build an inclusive business or community. In This Episode, We Get Into: Why Dr. Carter didn't write her book in 2020, and what made 2026 (mid-backlash, mid-DEI-rollback) the right momentThe whiplash of clients who slashed DEI budgets in early 2020 then begged for workshops weeks later after George Floyd's murderA real-time story of Evelyn leaving a women authors' group after watching the group's leaders fail to enforce their own community normsThe difference between a "safe space" and a "safer space," and why claiming the former is actually a red flagThe research on self-regulation of prejudice, why guilt changes behavior and anger doesn't, and what that means for how we respond to being called outWhy white women's tears in conversations about race do real, measurable harm (and what to do with those feelings instead)Concrete, everyday microaggression examples from networking events and speaking gigs—"you're so articulate," "are you sure you're the speaker?"The simple practice of assuming the underrepresented person in the room holds the higher-status roleBecky's own story of accidentally lecturing the one Black woman in a coaching group about diet culture, and how she repaired itWhat harm repair actually looks like in practice, and why it's the missing piece in most community guidelinesResources Mentioned: Was That Racist? How to Detect, Interrupt, and Unlearn Bias in Everyday Life by Evelyn R. Carter, PhD (Little, Brown Spark): https://amzn.to/4aS0rqeWhite Tears/Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color by Ruby Hamad: https://amzn.to/4epWPNh🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: https://feministpodcastcollective.com/

    Was That Racist? A Real Conversation with Dr. Evelyn Carter
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Intersectional feminist conversations about doing work and life differently. Hosts Becky Mollenkamp and Faith Clarke talk with entrepreneurs, authors, and thinkers about capacity, care, bias, and burnout. We name the systems we're taught to ignore, and imagine what's possible when we stop performing and start being honest.

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