Speaking of Phenomenal Podcast | Empowering Women & Stories

Amy Boyle | Championing Inspirational Women and Empowering Voices
  • 5.0 (50)
  • Personal Journals

Speaking of Phenomenal Podcast | Empowering Women & Stories celebrates the inspiring journeys of women empowering themselves and others today. From the acclaimed 52 Phenomenal Women Project to six seasons of uplifting storytelling, Amy Boyle highlights motivation, mindset shifts, and life purpose for phenomenal women worldwide. Tune in to find empowerment in your own story. Visit www.speakingofphenomenal.com.

  1. Swimming Lessons: Teaching Children to Be the Heroes of Their Own Story

    5h ago

    Swimming Lessons: Teaching Children to Be the Heroes of Their Own Story

    There's a moment in this episode where Kate Markland is standing in a market square on a Sunday morning — early, stalls just being set up — and she overhears two strangers talking. They're not talking to her. They don't know her. But they're talking about her story. And she stops. Turns around. Says thank you. And walks away. She didn't need a verdict. She didn't need a headline. She just needed to hear — on an ordinary street, on an ordinary morning — that the truth was out there moving around on its own. That moment is where this episode begins and ends. Because Kate Markland has spent two years learning that the blessings that change your life are almost never the ones you could have designed. Kate is a physiotherapist, an endurance athlete, and a mother. She had a plan — for herself, for her son Gabriel, for the kind of human being she was building him to be. And then, on the 1st of December 2023, armed police came to the door, and the plan was over. What she had left was one hour a week on FaceTime. Supervised. They mocked her for thinking that was enough. She picked up a Michael Morpurgo book. She turned on the screen. And she started reading. What came next — a book, a methodology, school workshops across the UK, a women's leadership award in India, recognition in Parliament — none of it was designed. All of it was earned. This is Season 6 of Speaking of Phenomenal. We're telling stories differently now — longer, deeper, built the way a good story should be built — from the inside out. And this one, Kate Markland's story, is exactly the right place to start. I'm Amy Boyle. This is Swimming Lessons. Speaking of Phenomenal is created and produced by Amy Boyle.  Kipling's If performed by actor Craig Duff. Podcast artwork by Amanda Eich. "Woman" by Tiffany Villarreal, used with permission Got something to say? Text the show. Click the link in the episode description and your message comes straight to me. I read every one and may share your note on a future episode. I'd love to hear from you.  If you're loving the stories and insights on the Speaking of Phenomenal podcast, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or GoodPods.  Each 5 star review is appreciated, thank you! Thank you for joining us on this episode of Speaking of Phenomenal.  Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review and share the podcast, and stay tuned for more inspiring conversations.

    31 min
  2. From Five Seasons to Fearless | Women's Empowerment is in the Telling

    1d ago ·  Bonus

    From Five Seasons to Fearless | Women's Empowerment is in the Telling

    Women's empowerment starts with how we tell stories. After five seasons, host Amy Boyle reveals why the Speaking of Phenomenal podcast is evolving: creative resilience means reimagining format itself. Season 6 opens with impact first, the moment that matters most and then earns the full journey. Discover what it means to model the very resilience we celebrate in our guests, and meet Kate Markland, who is redefining heroism for the next generation. Season 6 will launch June 17, 2026. Podcast artwork by Amanda Eich Got something to say? Text the show. Click the link in the episode description and your message comes straight to me. I read every one and may share your note on a future episode. I'd love to hear from you. Thank you for joining us on this episode of Speaking of Phenomenal.  Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review and share the podcast, and stay tuned for more inspiring conversations.

    2 min
  3. Women's Storytelling & Resilience | Building Leadership Legacy

    12/31/2025

    Women's Storytelling & Resilience | Building Leadership Legacy

    Women's stories shape movements, but only when we know how to listen. In this "Speaking of Phenomenal" podcast, season 5 finale, journalist Amy Boyle weaves together eight years of interviews across 92 countries to reveal the common thread: leadership legacy is built through listening, not just speaking. Explore how resilience in storytelling, mindset shifts, and the practice of really hearing other women transform careers, communities, and movements. The definitive conversation on women's empowerment as a listening practice. MUSIC (used with permission) WOMAN Performed by Tiffany Villarreal - Pod artwork by Amanda Eich Got something to say? Text the show. Click the link in the episode description and your message comes straight to me. I read every one and may share your note on a future episode. I'd love to hear from you. Thank you for joining us on this episode of Speaking of Phenomenal.  Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review and share the podcast, and stay tuned for more inspiring conversations.

    7 min
  4. Non-Linear Careers, Genuine Success | Releasing the Shoulds

    12/29/2025

    Non-Linear Careers, Genuine Success | Releasing the Shoulds

    Career resilience isn't about following the script, t's about releasing the shoulds. Taylor Elyse Morrison  shares how rejecting societal expectations became her breakthrough to authentic success. In this conversation, we explore non-linear careers, the power of community in navigating transitions, and why your unconventional path might be your greatest strength. Discover how self-discovery and vulnerability reshape what resilience really means. MUSIC (used with permission) WOMAN Performed by Tiffany Villarreal - Pod artwork by Amanda Eich Got something to say? Text the show. Click the link in the episode description and your message comes straight to me. I read every one and may share your note on a future episode. I'd love to hear from you.  If you're loving the stories and insights on the Speaking of Phenomenal podcast, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or GoodPods.  Each 5 star review is appreciated, thank you! Thank you for joining us on this episode of Speaking of Phenomenal.  Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review and share the podcast, and stay tuned for more inspiring conversations.

    33 min
  5. Women's Stories Into VC Conviction | Ellen Wilcox on Listening as Leadership

    12/27/2025

    Women's Stories Into VC Conviction | Ellen Wilcox on Listening as Leadership

    What happens when listening becomes a source of power? Amy Boyle sits down with Ellen Wilcox, head of listening at venture firm Listen, to explore how women's stories directly influence funding decisions and shape the future of female entrepreneurship. From health gaps and breaking stigma to owning nonlinear careers, Ellen reveals why truly hearing women's narratives isn't just empowerment, it's conviction. A conversation about women leaders, female entrepreneurs, and the hidden power of paying attention. MUSIC (used with permission) WOMAN Performed by Tiffany Villarreal - Pod artwork by Amanda Eich Got something to say? Text the show. Click the link in the episode description and your message comes straight to me. I read every one and may share your note on a future episode. I'd love to hear from you.  If you're loving the stories and insights on the Speaking of Phenomenal podcast, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or GoodPods.  Each 5 star review is appreciated, thank you! Thank you for joining us on this episode of Speaking of Phenomenal.  Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review and share the podcast, and stay tuned for more inspiring conversations.

    32 min
  6. 50+ and Unstoppable: Lifelong Learning as Empowerment with Kari Fagin of OLLI

    05/08/2025

    50+ and Unstoppable: Lifelong Learning as Empowerment with Kari Fagin of OLLI

    Community changemakers don't always start with activism, they start with curiosity. Kari Fagin, Director of the Osher National Resource Center, shares how 124 OLLI lifelong learning programs nationwide empower people 50+ through mentorship and self-discovery. Discover how intergenerational belonging transforms learners into community leaders, building resilience through connection. From one question to real-world impact: this is how a generation can rewire their purpose later in life. MUSIC (used with permission) WOMAN Performed by Tiffany Villarreal - Pod artwork by Amanda Eich Got something to say? Text the show. Click the link in the episode description and your message comes straight to me. I read every one and may share your note on a future episode. I'd love to hear from you.  If you're loving the stories and insights on the Speaking of Phenomenal podcast, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or GoodPods.  Each 5 star review is appreciated, thank you! Thank you for joining us on this episode of Speaking of Phenomenal.  Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review and share the podcast, and stay tuned for more inspiring conversations.

    30 min
  7. Listening as Leadership | How Tonika Lewis Johnson Maps Equity

    05/01/2025

    Listening as Leadership | How Tonika Lewis Johnson Maps Equity

    Tonika Lewis Johnson  teaches that listening as leadership starts with understanding connection. The founder of the Folded Map Project  shares how art, resilience, and community organizing disrupted segregation and built a movement for equity. Discover how one woman's vision scaled into authentic changemaking that inspires authentic connection and systemic change. MUSIC (used with permission) WOMAN Performed by Tiffany Villarreal - Pod artwork by Amanda Eich Got something to say? Text the show. Click the link in the episode description and your message comes straight to me. I read every one and may share your note on a future episode. I'd love to hear from you.  If you're loving the stories and insights on the Speaking of Phenomenal podcast, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or GoodPods.  Each 5 star review is appreciated, thank you! Thank you for joining us on this episode of Speaking of Phenomenal.  Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review and share the podcast, and stay tuned for more inspiring conversations.

    37 min
  8. Unbroken Voices: Mary Schmich, Melissa Harris, and the Legacy of Division Street

    04/10/2025

    Unbroken Voices: Mary Schmich, Melissa Harris, and the Legacy of Division Street

    In this week’s Speaking of Phenomenal with host Amy Boyle, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Mary Schmich and marketing executive Melissa Harris share the story behind Division Street Revisited, their podcast inspired by Studs Terkel’s Division Street: America. Out of 71 original interviews, they revisited 7—including 4 remarkable women: Blanche Gates, Della Reuther, Mary Ward Wolkonsky and Myra Alexander. Their lives reflect resilience, complexity and quiet power. Mary and Melissa talk about memory, legacy and the courage it takes to reimagine history. Tune in to hear how honoring these stories brings us closer to understanding where we’ve been—and where we’re going. MUSIC (used with permission) WOMAN Performed by Tiffany Villarreal - Pod artwork by Amanda Eich Additional audio clip: Will the Circle Be Unbroken performed by Chris Walz, Mary Schmich and guests at Old Town School of Folk Music Chicago, IL 3/21/25 Got something to say? Text the show. Click the link in the episode description and your message comes straight to me. I read every one and may share your note on a future episode. I'd love to hear from you.  If you're loving the stories and insights on the Speaking of Phenomenal podcast, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or GoodPods.  Each 5 star review is appreciated, thank you! Thank you for joining us on this episode of Speaking of Phenomenal.  Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review and share the podcast, and stay tuned for more inspiring conversations.

    32 min
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Speaking of Phenomenal Podcast | Empowering Women & Stories celebrates the inspiring journeys of women empowering themselves and others today. From the acclaimed 52 Phenomenal Women Project to six seasons of uplifting storytelling, Amy Boyle highlights motivation, mindset shifts, and life purpose for phenomenal women worldwide. Tune in to find empowerment in your own story. Visit www.speakingofphenomenal.com.

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