POWER UP WOMEN‪!‬ poweringup

Women leaders -- directors, vice presidents, C-suite executives -- are breaking up with their employers in unprecedented numbers. Why? Because ambitious women, these days, are much less willing to stay at companies that don't offer career opportunities comparable to their male peers.  Corporate America is at a "Critical Crossroads" for diverse talent, according to the influential "Women in the Workplace 2022" study, the largest, annual study of women in corporate America. Terry Barclay, president and CEO of Inforum Michigan, who has had her finger on the pulse of women professionals for decades, talks with Anne about the warning signs flashing throughout the 2022 research. 

Matilda Dodge Wilson, one of the richest and most accomplished women in the world in the early 20th Century, is known more today for marrying her boss, one of the founders of the Dodge Motor Car Company, and building Meadowbrook Hall, now a National Historic Landmark, that she donated along with her 1,400 acre estate to found Michigan's Oakland University.
But she was so much more than that. An immigrant who rose to incredible heights, Dodge-Wilson was a legendary philanthropist, a women's rights activist, named one of the most prominent woman in U.S. banking, and the first woman to be named Lieutenant Governor of a state. Her story and incredible legacy are finally being told, thanks to the work of my guest, Madelyn Rzadkowolski, Director of Curatorial Services at Michigan's stunning Meadowbrook Hall.

A major scandal has just erupted in women's soccer, one of the world's fastest growing sports. An in-depth, independent investigation of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) found extensive emotional abuse and sexual misconduct by coaches. "Abuse in the NWSL is rooted in a deeper culture in women's soccer, beginning in youth leagues, that normalizes verbally abusive coaching and blurs boundaries between coaches and players," wrote former acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Q. Yates in her scathing report. The report is deeply disturbing and hopefully will trigger significant change urgently needed to protect female soccer players from abusers and predators. 
 
In the meantime, the sport and fan base continue to grow, as evidenced by the Corktown Women's Football Club, Detroit's first women's professional soccer team, preparing to kick off its inaugural season in May 2023. I talk with Owner and Coach Aaron Roy and Center Midfielder Lauren Bos.

More than 60 Million people working in the USA are affected by workplace bullying, according to the Workplace Bullying Institute. Whether it's sexual harassment, racial discrimination or other negative behaviors, a toxic workplace can be devastating to our self-confidence.  I know, because it's happened to me more than once!  Business Coach Zenica Chatman turned her own bullying experience into her business coaching specialty. Her six-week, virtual course, Surviving Corporate, is the first step to reclaiming your MOJO and getting "back in the saddle" after workplace setbacks. Listen here or your favorite podcast platform to learn how to recognize, survive and power back up to your full potential after toxic workplace experiences.

Since 1999, the suicide rate in the USA has increased 30%. And that's just the tip of the Mental Health Crisis Iceberg in the USA, which the COVID pandemic made even worse. But help is on the way. The 988 National Suicide Prevention Hotline has just been launched and immediate, virtual access to Behavioral Health Urgent Care specialists is growing.  Heather Rae, president and CEO of Common Ground, which has been providing emergency mental health services for 50 years, joins me to talk about the severity of the crisis and the urgency of making emergency mental health help as important as police and fire support. 

Leadership coach and former corporate HR executive Kelli Thompson spent years negotiating employee salaries and getting an insider's view of the gender pay gap. Now she wants very woman to know the secret to getting paid what she is worth. You'll learn all that and more in her upcoming book, CLOSING THE CONFIDENCE GAP: Boost Your Peace, Your Potential and Your Paycheck.  Kelli shares with Anne what she's learned about the challenges aspiring women face in today's post-COVID workplace and the skills needed to successfully navigate 21st Century career journeys that are STILL rougher for women.