Formidable Podcast

Emily Parkhurst
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  • NEWS COMMENTARY
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

The Formidable Podcast features informational interviews with women leaders on news-driven topics, spotlighting timely and thought-provoking issues facing our world. Learn more at https://beformidable.com/

  1. JAN 27

    23 - From Tragedy to Entrepreneurship with Chanel Reynolds

    Chanel Reynolds founded Get Your Shit Together, a company she launched in 2013 to help people navigate the unglamorous but essential realities of life planning: wills, advance care directives, insurance, money, and all the details we tend to avoid until life forces the issue. Chanel’s work has reached more than a million people through her widely downloaded Get Started Checklist and free planning templates, and her book has helped redefine how we talk about preparation, loss, and care. In this episode, Chanel shares the deeply personal moment that led her to build a company around one of life’s hardest subjects — losing her husband unexpectedly and discovering, in real time, how unprepared even the most capable people can be when crisis hits.  She also reflects on what it means to build a mission-driven company from personal loss, how Get Your Shit Together evolved through multiple iterations, and why planning — taken five minutes at a time — can be one of the most quietly radical acts of self-advocacy we can make.

    49 min

  2. 12/16/2025

    22 - Creating Real Value with AI Tools with Jackie Schafer

    Jackie Schafer is the Founder and CEO of Clearbrief, the leading litigation drafting platform built directly inside Microsoft Word. Jackie was named 2025 Innovator of the Year at the Legalweek Awards, and the American Bar Association honored her as a 2025 Legal Rebel for developing AI tools that help litigators, arbitrators, and judges write with greater accuracy and trust. Jackie currently serves as a Lecturer at Columbia Law School, sits on both the Texas Bar’s AI Taskforce and the Washington Bar’s Legal Technology Committee, and is a board member of Probono.net. In this episode, Jackie shares how an improbable AI founder built one of the fastest-growing legal tech companies by grounding everything in real litigation pain points. Host Emily Parkhurst talks with Jackie about the asylum case that planted the seed for Clearbrief, and how that moment revealed a gap in the justice system that technology could close.

    32 min

  3. 12/01/2025

    21 - Shaping Communities and Leadership with Mary Fialko

    Mary Fialko is the Director of Real Estate Development at Skanska. A “recovering architect”, Mary's curiosity about how buildings shape communities ultimately pulled her from design studios into the world of commercial development. Mary shares her perspective on the shifting realities of commercial real estate five years after the pandemic, what companies really mean when they say they want “flexibility,” and why she believes the office isn’t dead — but must evolve. Mary also talks about being one of the few women at the leadership table in commercial real estate, how she’s learned to see her differences as her greatest advantage, and why the next generation’s softer, more expansive view of leadership could change the industry for the better.

    36 min

  4. 11/19/2025

    20 - Reinvention and Finding Purpose with Shana Ayabe and Kisha Imani Cameron

    Shana Ayabe and Kisha Imani Cameron co-host The Exit Interview | On Air, a podcast about bold career moves and reinvention. They share how they're creating the kinds of conversations they wished had existed when they were navigating their own career turning points: raw, honest stories from people who chose to leave, pivot, or rebuild on their own terms. Shana spent more than a decade rising through the ranks of financial services before finding herself misaligned with a career that looked perfect on paper. Kisha’s path began in film and television, and later expanded into coaching mid-career women after confronting her own need to separate work from worth. On this episode, Kisha and Shana talk with Formidable Founder and CEO Emily Parkhurst about risk, resilience, the pressure to make “linear” choices, and the clarity that comes from listening to yourself before anyone else. Check out The Exit Interview | On Air.

    42 min

  5. 10/31/2025

    19 - Diverse Leadership in the AI Revolution with Liat Ben-Zur

    Liat Ben-Zur has served in pivotal roles at some of the world's most influential companies, including Microsoft, Qualcomm, and Philips. She now advises companies and boards on AI product ethics, strategy, and growth. Tune in to hear Liat discuss the importance of having diverse leaders at the table when AI products are being developed. You'll walk away with a better understanding of the factors that are shaping the AI revolution, and a positive outlook on the benefits of emerging technologies.

    23 min

  6. 10/06/2025

    18 - Justice and Visibility for Afghan Women with Friba Rezayee

    Friba Rezayee is the Founder and Executive Director of Women Leaders of Tomorrow, a Vancouver-based, non-profit organization dedicated to empowering Afghan women and girls. Born and raised in Kabul, Friba made history in 2004 when she became the first Afghan woman to compete in the Olympic Games. She shares her journey from childhood defiance into global activism, and details the threats and obstacles she faced along the way. Friba also discusses what it will take for change to come to Afghanistan, and why she believes youth—especially girls—are the key to positive transformation.

    37 min

  7. 09/03/2025

    17 - Leading with Curiosity with Leigh Morgan

    Leigh Morgan is the Founder of Imaginal Leadership Strategies and a former global executive with experience spanning biopharma, philanthropy, higher education, and community activism. Leigh details how she’s learned to navigate complexity and lead change across vastly different sectors — and why she believes nuance, trust, and culture are always at the heart of making a meaningful impact. Tune in to hear about the catastrophic effects of global health and science funding cuts, the bright spots of innovation that can emerge in these times, and the growing role of women in leadership worldwide.

    36 min

  8. 08/04/2025

    16 - Unlocking Student Potential with Lynne Varner

    Lynne Varner is the CEO of Washington STEM, a nonprofit working to ensure that every student in Washington — regardless of race, gender, income, or geography — has access to a meaningful STEM education and a clear path to economic mobility. Lynne shares the barriers students face when exploring career paths and discovering their skills and passions. She outlines how Washington STEM is a key part of connecting students and schools with industry leaders who want to invest in the educations of the next generation of workers and innovators.

    36 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

The Formidable Podcast features informational interviews with women leaders on news-driven topics, spotlighting timely and thought-provoking issues facing our world. Learn more at https://beformidable.com/

Information

  • Creator
    Emily Parkhurst
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Emily Parkhurst
  • Show Website
    Formidable Podcast