Fearless Authenticity with Jeanne Sparrow Jeanne Sparrow

Belinda Chang says that what makes her different is that she thinks small, like really small, about every single detail for an event. That includes being intentional about having women design each element, from the name cards to the tequila she’s pouring. She wants every part of the experience to be unique to you - a rare occurrence these days. She shares with Jeanne how a house full of friends and strangers most nights of the week led her to hospitality; why she took a non-paying job in a kitchen; how she pivoted when the world shut down during COVID; why you should NEVER buy the bar package; and why the best thing you can do is learn Excel.
 
Belinda Chang is a sommelier, an experiential storyteller, and lifestyle expert. She is the only bipoc woman to win a James Beard award in a drinks category in 2011 and was recognized by the Wall Street Journal as the “global virtual wine experience guru” in 2019. Over the course of her lauded decades-long career in food, wine and restaurants, Belinda has made a name for herself as a sought-after sommelier, host and on-camera personality. Prior to entering the life of a small business owner, Belinda managed the legendary 26,000-bottle cellar at Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago, the wine lists at Laurent Gras’ The Fifth Floor in San Francisco, and Danny Meyer’s The Modern in New York City. Belinda returned to Chicago in 2015 to serve as Managing Partner and Wine Director of the splashy steakhouse Maple and Ash before setting off to create her bootstrap, start-up experience production company: Belinda Chang.

Chang has created and produced some of the wine and food world’s buzziest IRL and virtual events — the who’s who annual James Beard Awards Pre-Prom, her splashy annual Pool Party during the Food and Wine Aspen Classic, and Virtual Boozy Brunch to support furloughed service people and small business owners during the pandemic. From 2019 to 2021, Chang’s virtual production company, studio 8h productions, created, hosted and produced over 300 virtual experiences for Fortune 500 clients and delivered bespoke experience boxes to their guests in 12 countries. In addition to creating and hosting live experiences, Belinda is a regular fixture in global media outlets like The New York Times, Bloomberg, Food and Wine, The Wall Street Journal and the International Herald Tribune among many others.


FB: Belinda Chang
Insta: @Belinda_Chang
TikTok: sommelierbelinda 
YouTube: @BelindaChangLife
LinkedIn: Belinda Chang

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“We think that we’re crooked … but it is that the room is crooked.” Those words from Melissa Harris-Perry’s Sister Citizen are what sent Dr. Jenn Jackson on their path to becoming a political scientist. Those words also describe what it often feels like as a Black woman, walking into a room full of stereotypes about your body, your work ethic, your attitude … everything. As a queer genderflux androgynous Black woman, Dr. Jackson has experienced all this. They share with Jeanne how and why Black feminism is different from white feminism; why they thought working for Disney was a way to survive; why it was important for them to tell a story of self-love and self-care in their new book, Black Women Taught Us; how they finally discovered who they truly were; and why it’s important to find the people you love and love them back.   

Jenn M. Jackson (they/them) is a genderflux androgynous Black woman, a lesbian, an abolitionist, a lover of all Black people, and an Assistant Professor at Syracuse University in the Department of Political Science. Jackson’s primary research is in Black Politics with a focus on racial threat and trauma, gender and sexuality, political behavior, and social movements. Jackson also holds affiliate positions in African American Studies, Women’s and Gender Studies, and LGBT Studies. They are a Senior Research Associate at The Campbell Public Affairs Institute at the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, as well. Jackson is the author of the book Black Women Taught Us (Random House Press, 2024). The book is an intimate intellectual and political history of Black women’s activism, movement organizing, and philosophical work that explores how women from Harriet Jacobs to Audre Lorde to the members of the Combahee River Collective, among others, have for centuries taught us how to fight for justice and radically reimagine a more just world for us all.

FB: /jennmjacksonphd
IG: @jennmjacksonphd
TT: jennmjacksonphd


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What do you get when you mix a multi-passionate person with a bit of boredom? Coach, speaker, and businesswoman Jill Salzman. The founder of Founding Moms likes a challenge: “Can I make money from something that sounds nuts?” Jill shares with Jeanne why trusting yourself is important; why telling everyone your mistakes helps you grow; why slowing down can reap multi-faceted rewards; how she ended up starting, growing, and selling three seemingly unrelated businesses; and why you don’t always need an “expert” for your business.
 
Jill Salzman turns the mundane into inspiration and transforms the impossible into the achievable. Through defying expectations and breaking the rules, she succeeds in inspiring entrepreneurs to figure out what works for them by using meaningful action to create positive results. Jill is the author of The Best Business Book In The World* (*According To My Mom) and the Amazon best-seller, Found It: A Field Guide for Mom Entrepreneurs. She’s shared the speaker stage with Richard Branson, Sheryl Sandberg, Daymond John, Marilu Henner, and Desmond Tutu among others, and professed her love of Eddie Vedder in her TEDx talk on 11/11/11. She hosted the top-rated entertaining business podcasts, Breaking Down Your Business, and then Why Are We Shouting?, a question she asks herself daily.

CNNMoney called her a “mogul.” MSN Live said she’s a “Cool Entrepreneur We Love.” Forbes rated her a Top 100 Champion Small Business Influencer and voted her third business, The Founding Moms, one of the Top 10 Websites For Entrepreneurs. When she’s not speaking to audiences in patterned leggings or podcasting from her basement, she fruitlessly tries to convince her daughters that cassette tapes actually existed.

Website: https://jillsalzman.com
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jillll

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“Just be who you are. Just be Mo.” That’s exactly what Ms. Monét did when she took the stage in 2020 at the World Expo in Dubai. When the audience rushed the stage she discovered how powerful her performances could be and now refers to them as a ministry. Ms. Monét shares with Jeanne the thought process behind her newest single; why seeing a woman in her 50s succeed in this industry is important for so many other women; why she kept returning to regular 9-5 jobs between singing gigs; why you just have to say “no” sometimes; and why it’s so important for her to continue to make her mother proud.  

Born as Conesha Monét Owens, this Bay Area native was touched with the gift that only God could provide: the gift to truly move people. Given the talents of all that performing arts can give, including improv and dramatic acting, dance/choreography, topped with a 5-octave vocal range in modern and classical music, it's no wonder this "gifted" singer-songwriter, arranger, and thespian has been sought after by some of the industry's best, most diverse and accomplished artists and producers. Some include producers Walter Afanasieff, Patrick Leonard, Steve Jordan, and the great Phil Spector. Ms. Monét was one of the top 24 and first ever "Super Saves" on Season 24 of NBC's award-winning show "The Voice.” She recently released a single called “Celebrate” and is currently a radio personality for KUNV. 

Instagram: @THEEMSMONET
X/Twitter: @MSMONET
YouTube: @MSMONET50
Facebook: /MONIACS


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What do you do when you’re stuck? Renowned speaker and leadership development consultant Amy Riley says it takes reflection and action to make a breakthrough; you have to focus on your feelings to help you figure out your next step. And that takes courage, something Amy credits for her success in both her professional and personal life. She shares with Jeanne what courage looks like in leadership; the difference between a waffle brain and a spaghetti brain; her reflective way of bouncing back from a failure; the moment she figured out she was meant to be a consultant; and what helped her run an ultramarathon (100 miles!) on her 50th birthday. 

Amy L. Riley is an internationally renowned speaker, author and leadership development consultant. She’s worked with organizations such as Deloitte, Cisco Systems, and Aon Hewitt and has over 20 years of experience working with leaders at all levels. Amy earned a Master of Science in Training and Development (MSTD), with an emphasis in Organization Development (OD), from Loyola University in Chicago, Illinois. She is a Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst (CPBA), a certified Tiara International LLC Coach, and certified in the Myers-Briggs Type Instrument. Amy’s second book, The Courage of a Leader: How To Inspire, Engage and Get Extraordinary Results, was released on March 3, 2021, and immediately reached #1 international best-selling status.

Website: https://courageofaleader.com/
IG: @courageofaleader
YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCXIynEP0yvY3rEkUKOSYww
LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyshoopriley/
Email: amy@courageofaleader.com
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Nicole Clarke-Springer isn’t losing sleep over the final product; as a dancer and choreographer, she’s more interested in the process. She says the communal nature of her work is what makes the performance authentic and affects the audience. Nicole shares with Jeanne why she threw out her plan to move to New York City for training; what the three points of collaboration are when she’s choreographing and why they matter; how embracing the process contributes to her success; why listening to your intuition is important; and why she doesn’t tell herself she will do better.


Nicole Clarke-Springer, with a B.S. in arts administration-dance from Butler University, excelled early, honored as Butler Ballet's Outstanding Performer. Her career blossomed at Deeply Rooted Dance Theater (DRDT), starting as an apprentice before becoming a company member. Clarke-Springer's notable performances include working with Roberta Flack and Jennifer Holiday. She took a brief hiatus in 2007 to teach at Western Kentucky University and tour Istanbul with the Clifton Brown Dance Company. Returning to DRDT, she directed the Summer Dance Intensive, honed her choreographic skills with works like Nine and Femme, and contributed to Congo Square Theatre's Nativity. In 2013, she joined DRDT's Artistic Team and was spotlighted as an Emerging Choreographer for "Generations." Her piece Hadiya was acclaimed for its poignancy and tribute to victims of violence. Clarke-Springer's influence extended to choreographing for the Steve Harvey Show and teaching nationwide, including positions at Chicago State University and Northwestern University. Upholding Deeply Rooted's mission, she fosters an environment of spiritual affirmation, open dialogue, and accountability, leading to her appointment as Artistic Director in 2019.


Website: deeplyrooteddancetheater.org 

instagram: @nikkispringer5
facebook: Nicole Clarke-Springer

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