ROAR with Danielle Davies: Women, Culture and Impact

Danielle Davies | Women, Culture & Impact
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Hi, I'm Danielle. I talk about women womening: navigating ambition, culture, and all the messy stuff in between. On Roar, I interview women who are doing something about all the things, working—whether by writing or advocating or innovating or building or creating—to make the lives of women better in whatever way they know best. New conversation every Tuesday. Glad you're here.

  1. 3h ago

    Why Roar Exists: Advocacy Beyond Political Office

    In 2017, I ran for local office. I lost that race, but I also I walked away wondering if there wasn’t a better way to fight for women than what I'd just spent all this time doing. Seven years later, I started a podcast to answer that question. I sat down with my friend Amy Stone for her show, Creator Showcase, part of the UnMuted Creator Network, where she profiles women building things in independent media — podcasters, video creators, newsletter writers. On her show, you don't just get the résumé version. Amy asks why you actually started, and what's kept it going. In this episode, I get into why the name Roar is inspired by the novel Circe, what actually makes someone a fit to be a guest, and how the show's changed across five seasons. What You Will Learn Why Danielle started Roar after running for Cape May County Freeholder in 2017, and why she realized elected office isn't the only way to advocate for womenThe real origin of the name "Roar" — inspired by Madeline Miller's novel Circe, which reframes the mythological "monster" as a woman responding to violence done to her, and the pet lion that came with itWhat actually qualifies someone to be a guest on Roar: not just being an inspiring, successful woman, but doing something that specifically improves other women's livesHow the show's format has evolved, including the shorter "in-between" summary episodes Danielle introduced heading into Season 5The moment Danielle knew the show was working — a guest ending an episode by saying, unprompted, "this is why we roar" Key Takeaways Being inspiring and successful isn't the bar for a Roar guest — the differentiator is doing something that specifically makes life better for other women, not just "everyone"Roar was born out of Danielle's own experience that political office is a powerful way to advocate, but far from the only oneThe show started less than two years ago as a 5-episode trial season and is entering Season 5 in October 2026Roar's audience isn't only women — it's anyone interested in how culture shapes women's lives, and how women are working to reshape that culture backHearing directly from guests and listeners that the show resonates is what has kept Danielle going through a slow, iterative build Resources Mentioned Creator Showcase, hosted by Amy Stone, part of the UnMuted Creator Network — the show this episode originally aired on Circe by Madeline Miller — the novel that inspired the show's name listentoroar.com Guest Info Amy Stone hosts Creator Showcase, part of the UnMuted Creator Network, a series spotlighting women doing the work of being creators in independent media, as well as The Art of Imperfect Adulting. Roar with Danielle Davies Hi, I'm Danielle, host of Roar with Danielle Davies: Women, Culture & Impact. I write, talk, and podcast about women womening—navigating ambition, culture, and all the stuff in between—via deep convos with women making an impact. New episodes every Tuesday—with mini episodes each Thursdays—in the spring and the fall. Listen wherever you get podcasts.  Subscribe to my newsletter Buy books from our show guests while supporting indie bookstores Book me to speak Get social: IG LI

    Why Roar Exists: Advocacy Beyond Political Office

  2. Season 5 Trailer

    Season 5 Trailer: Starts October 6

    Hi, I'm Danielle. I talk about women womening: navigating ambition, culture, and all the messy stuff in between. On Roar, I interview women who are making life better for other women. This season's conversations cover women's advocacy, women's experiences, and the women changing culture from the ground up. Season 5 starts Tuesday, October 6, with a new conversation every Tuesday and a short takeaway episode every Thursday. Follow so you don't miss it. listentoroar.comInstagram: @roarwithdanielledavies

  3. Trailer

    Welcome to Roar with Danielle Davies

    What if there really was something you could do? ROAR is about the women who stepped in without waiting for the credential, the title, or the permission slip — novelists, femtech founders, breast cancer advocates, and everyone in between, changing how we understand the world and making it better for other women. New episodes every Tuesday. Follow so you don't miss what's next.

  4. Jun 23

    You Go Out and Fight for Us with Robin Cohen

    What happens when a 25-year-fight for women's health begins with a bedside promise? Twenty-five years later, women's cancer research still hasn't caught up. In this episode of The Roar Podcast, Danielle Davies sits down with Robin Cohen, founder of the Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation, marketing 25 years of turning isolation into community and fear into advocacy for women facing ovarian cancer. Robin's work didn't start in a boardroom or with a business plan. It started at Sandy's bedside. As a young oncology nurse, Robin cared for Sandy Rollman, a 32-year-old woman diagnosed with Stage 4 ovarian cancer who was trying to start a family when her life was upended. Sandy's story—and a deathbed charge from another patient, Reg—became the spark for what's grown into a national movement. And what stood out most wasn't just the diagnosis. It was everything that was missing: research, treatment options, and a place for women and families to turn. Danielle and Robin explore what's changed in ovarian cancer care in 25 years, the symptoms too many women dismiss, and why stepping in, even in a small way, is the advice Robin gives to anyone who wants to make a difference. Together, they talk about: The bedside promise that started a movementWhat's changed (and what hasn't) in ovarian cancer treatment over 25 yearsWhy there's still no reliable screening test, and what the CA125 blood test can and can't tell youSymptoms women dismiss as "normal" that deserve a second lookWhy family history on both sides of the family mattersThe power of peer-to-peer support and knowing you're not aloneLeading by surrounding yourself with the right peopleRobin's advice for women who want to advocate but don't know where to startRobin's work reminds us that advocacy doesn't require a plan—it requires showing up. This conversation is for anyone who has ever needed someone to fight for them, or wondered if they had it in them to fight for someone else. Key Takeaways Ovarian cancer treatment has changed dramatically in 25 years, but there's still no reliable screening test.Persistent, unusual bloating, fullness, or urinary changes are worth a doctor visit.Family history matters from both your mother's and father's side.Peer-to-peer connection can be as powerful as medical treatment.You don't need a plan to start. You just need to step in.Links Mentioned in This Episode Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation Sandy Spring Sea Isle City 5K & Family Walk, Juy 18, 2026 Related Conversations: Gina Lamanna on The Fondle Project Shaney Jo Darden on Keep a Breast Don't Miss a Conversation: Follow & Subscribe: AppleSpotifyYouTubeCheck out the newsletter Connect: InstagramLinkedInWebsite Take Action! Support the Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation at the Sandy Sprint Sea Isle City 5K & Family Walk on Saturday, July 18, 2026, 8:30 AM, Excursion Park, JFK Blvd &Pleasure Avenue, Sea Isle City, NJ. Donate, participate, or show up as a volunteer! More details here! #RoarPodcast #RobinCohen#SandyRollman #OvarianCancerAwareness #WomensHealth #Advocacy #CancerSupport#SandySprint #DanielleDavies mDvqQTm0YkwT0zZVUDww

    You Go Out and Fight for Us with Robin Cohen

  5. Jun 16

    This Woman Explains What’s Happening in Midlife

    What if nothing is wrong with you...you've just never been told what's happening? A look at the women's experience aging—what nobody prepares you for, and what nobody needs to." In this episode of The Roar Podcast, Danielle Davies sits down with therapist, coach, and writer Ellen Scherr to talk about a phase of life many women experience, but few fully understand. Because for women, it doesn't start with a clear moment or a diagnosis. It starts with a feeling that something is off, something has changed, and no one seems to have a clear answer. Danielle and Ellen explore what happens when women try to make sense of changes that aren't well explained, openly discussed, or consistently experienced. Together, they talk about: Why so many women assume something is "wrong" with themThe gap between what women experience and what they're toldHow medical dismissal contributes to confusion and self-doubtWhy these changes are rarely talked about openlyThe challenge of symptoms that don't look the same for everyoneHow lack of language makes it harder to seek supportThe emotional toll of navigating something you don't fully understandWhy validation can be just as important as treatment Ellen's work reminds us that confusion is not a personal failure—it's often the result of not being given the full picture. This conversation is for anyone who has ever thought, "What is happening to me? " during midlife and felt like they were the only one. Key Takeaways You are not the only one experiencing thisLack of information often leads to self-doubtNot all women experience this the same wayMedical systems don't always provide full explanationsUnderstanding what's happening can change how you experience it Links Mentioned in this Episode Ellen's substack Ellen's website Don't Miss a Conversation 🎧Follow & Subscribe on: Apple Spotify YouTube 📩 Sign up for Danielle’s newsletter 🔗 Connect Instagram LinkedIn Website #RoarPodcast #EllenScherr #WomensHealth #MidlifeWomen #Perimenopause#WomensWellness #NormalizeTheConversation #WomenAndHealth #DanielleDavies

    This Woman Explains What’s Happening in Midlife

  6. Jun 9

    Why Women Are Misdiagnosed as Less Ambitious with Jingjin Liu

    What if the problem isn't your confidence, but the system measuring it? In this episode of Roar, Danielle Davies sits down with investor, founder, and power strategist, Jingjin Liu, for a conversation that dismantles one of the most persistent myths women are handed: that success is simply a matter of confidence, effort, or doing everything right. Jingjin moved from China to Germany at 16, learned German, and rose fast in the male-dominated commercial vehicle industry, championed by senior leaders who saw something in her. Not despite the system, but in many ways because of how she moved within it. That experience became the foundation for a much larger realization about how power actually works, who gets recognized, and why. Together, Danielle and Jingjin unpack the invisible dynamics shaping whose ambition gets rewarded, and what women can actually do about it, starting today. In this episode: Why some women advance fast, and why it's not purely about meritThe apology habit: how women enter rooms already diminishedThe word 'just,' and other language women use to shrink themselvesInvisible labor and the operational trap that keeps women stuckWhy being the "workhorse" actually makes you invisible to your managerThe critical shift from managing down to managing upTiny habits that compound: growing vs. shrinkingWhy the glass ceiling starts at home, not in the officeThe 9-to-5 and 5-to-9 framework: how your home life shapes your professional powerHow to approach your manager about a promotion without making it about youWhy self-respect is the foundation of everything Links Mentioned in this Episode: Jingjin Liu on LinkedIN Jingin's TED Talk The Elevate Group Atomic Habits by James Clear (referenced) 💥 Don’t Miss a Conversation 🎧Follow & Subscribe on Apple , Spotify, YouTube 📩 Sign up for Danielle’s newsletter Want to be on Roar? 👕 Visit The Roar Store 🔗 Connect Instagram LinkedIn https://www.danielledavies.com/ #RoarPodcast #JingjinLiu#WomenAndPower #InvisibleLabor #PowerDesign #WomenInLeadership #ManagingUp#CareerGrowth #DanielleDavies #SelfRespect #WorkplaceEquity #Unmuted

    Why Women Are Misdiagnosed as Less Ambitious with Jingjin Liu

  7. Jun 2

    Prevention is the Point: A New Approach to Sexual Assault with Jess Ladd and Kristin Hatcher

    Far to often, we hear about sexual assault after it happens. But what if we could stop it before it begins? This week on Roar, Danielle is joined by two women working at the forefront of an effort most people don't talk about nearly enough: prevention. Jess Ladd and Kristin Hatcher are the co-founders of The Fund to Prevent Sexual Assault, an organization with a bold public health vision: to reduce rape in the United States by 70% by the year 2050. They're funding ambitious research, breakthrough prevention ideas, and innovators who are reimagining what safety could look like in terms of sexual assault. We talk about why prevention has been chronically underfunded, what real progress could look like, and why this work has to be led by people committed to sexual safety and agency. We also get into the Epstein files, the role of porn and gaming culture in shaping teen behavior, why a perpetrator-led organization might actually be the most powerful model, and a whole lot more. This episode will make you think. And even better, give you some hope for the future. What we talked about: Why the field has historically focused on response over prevention, and why that has to changeWhy prevention isn't just school assemblies and consent lectures—it's a full public health approach, like what worked for teen smokingThe driver's ed analogy: why we've built so many guardrails around getting in a car, and almost none around a teenager's first sexual experienceThe role of porn, TikTok, gaming culture, and the manosphere in shaping teen norms around consentWhy some people—including some in the sexual assault field—believe prevention is impossible and what the research actually saysThe Epstein effect: how high-profile cases shape public understanding, and complicate the workThe 5% statistic that should change the way every parent thinksWhat you can do right now, from your role as a parent, employer, PTA member, or just a person who ccaresThe Three Grantees The Fund ran an open call focused on preventing high school-age, peer-on-peer rape perpetration using technology or social media. They received over 100 applications. Here are the three they are currently funding: Teach Us Consent: An initiative originally from Australia, now expanding into the U.S. They're using social media to teach young people about consent through the platforms they're already on.The Kaisa Project: This project is working inside gaming culture—one of the primary spaces where teen boys spend time—by partnering with streamers who already have large followings. Is This Ok? A standalone web app functioning as an AI-powered coach for young people navigating sexual and romantic situations. Teens can use it to evaluate whether a situation was consensual, what they might do differently, or how to approach something they're planning.Resources & Links Mentioned The Fund to Prevent Sexual Assault Donate, sign up for their newsletter, or contact them directly. South of Forgiveness by Thordis Elva & Tom Stranger—a perpetrator and his victim write about the journey of accountability and repair, together. Ted Women Talk with Thordis Elva and Tom Stranger Callisto: the survivor platform where Jess and Kristin first worked together Moxie: directed by Amy Poehler & available on Netflix. A fantastic depiction of female advocacy and male allyship in a high school setting. Highly recommend watching with your teen. The Truth Campaign - the Anti-tobacco campaign Jess referenced as a model for what culture-level change can look like Alex Robboy, sex therapist in Philadelphia—mentioned in context of this episode; featured in ROAR Season 3 and Season 4. Don't Miss a Conversation Follow & Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube Sign up for Danielle's newsletter Be a guest on Roar Visit the Roar Store Connect: Instagram LinkedIn Website

    Prevention is the Point: A New Approach to Sexual Assault with Jess Ladd and Kristin Hatcher

  8. May 27

    What Moms Carry: The Science of Letting Go, Alcohol & Raising Resilient Kids with Jessica Lahey

    What if the anxiety you feel for your kids—the urge to step in, fix it, smooth it over—is actually wired into your brain? Andwhat if the wine you pour at the end of that exhausting day is quietly making everything worse? In this episode, Danielle sits down with Jessica Lahey—educator, journalist, author of The Gift of Failure andThe Addiction Inoculation, and a woman nearly 14 years into her own recovery—for a conversation about what the research actually tells us about raising kids who are resilient, substance-aware, and capable of handling difficulty on their own. This isn’t a parenting lecture. It’s part science, partconfession, and part permission slip, for the mother who’s quietly wondering if she’s doing it right, and reaching for something to take the edge off when she’s not sure. In this conversation, we talk about • Why the parental brain reads a child’s struggle as afull-blown emergency, and what to do with that impulse • The “mommy wine culture” problem: what our kids are absorbing when every hard moment ends with“I need a drink” • Why the European moderation myth is just that, and what theWHO data actually says • How competence, mastery, and self-efficacy protect kidsbetter than any single conversation about drugs • What’s different for women and alcohol: metabolism, anxiety, and the breast cancer connection • How to reset the rules in your house, even if you feel like you’ve already “messed it up” Key Takeaways • The single most consistent finding: delay first use aslong as possible. The younger the first use, the higher the lifetime risk. •When you ask parents why kids drink, they say peer pressure. When you ask kids, they say stress and anxiety. • Kids who learn to handle hard things and feel thedopamine hit of real achievement have a genuinely lower risk. • Women metabolize alcohol differently, and drinking to manage anxiety almost always backfires. •It’s never too late to change the conversation. Links Mentioned in This Episode⁠ Jessica's website ⁠(Includesall her videos, books, etc.) ⁠Jessica's substack⁠⁠ HumanUp⁠⁠ Jessica's writing podcast⁠ Related Conversations⁠ Raising Resisters with Renee Niemann⁠⁠ Why "Doing it All" Is Making Women Sick with Gifty Enright⁠ Follow & Subscribe to Roar 🎧⁠Apple Podcasts⁠ 🎧 ⁠Spotify ⁠▶️YouTube⁠ 📩 ⁠Newsletter⁠ 🙋⁠ Be a guest⁠ Connect with Danielle⁠ Instagram⁠⁠ LinkedIn⁠⁠ Website⁠ #RoarPodcast #MidlifeWomen #Parenting#SubstanceUsePrevention #AlcoholAwareness #GiftOfFailure #AddictionInoculation#DanielleDavies #womensvoices

    What Moms Carry: The Science of Letting Go, Alcohol & Raising Resilient Kids with Jessica Lahey
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Hi, I'm Danielle. I talk about women womening: navigating ambition, culture, and all the messy stuff in between. On Roar, I interview women who are doing something about all the things, working—whether by writing or advocating or innovating or building or creating—to make the lives of women better in whatever way they know best. New conversation every Tuesday. Glad you're here.

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