VEST Her Podcast

VEST Her Members and Guests
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The VEST Her Podcast explores the real, often unspoken challenges women face at work, in society, and on the path to building wealth.  Through candid conversations with women navigating career pivots, entrepreneurship, leadership, and family life, we unpack the pressure to do it all, the self-doubt, and the systems not built with us in mind. This podcast is for women ready to move beyond outdated advice and create success on their own terms. If you’re looking to grow, speak up, and be part of a supportive, change-making community, welcome. Let’s question the rules, share what’s real, and build a better future together.

  1. Confronting Religion, Christian Nationalism and the Push for Women’s Submission

    5D AGO

    Confronting Religion, Christian Nationalism and the Push for Women’s Submission

    At VEST, we talk a lot about careers, money, and women’s economic mobility. But here’s the truth: you can’t fully talk about women building power without talking about the systems that taught us what we’re allowed to want—and what we should quietly accept. For many of us, that system was religion. In this episode of the VEST Podcast, Erika sits down with Reverend Lori Walke for an honest, grounded conversation about what happens when faith becomes complicated, especially for women who grew up inside religious institutions that preached love, but practiced control. What we talk about in this episode How women learn “their place” and how to unlearn itSeparating the message from the messengersDeconstruction without losing yourselfReligious trauma is real and you have permission to leaveWhen religion becomes a political weaponHow women stay engaged without burning outWhy this matters for women’s careers and economic mobilityDeconstructing harmful spiritual narratives isn’t a side quest. It’s part of building a life where women can earn, lead, rest, belong, and thrive, without shrinking. For our guest full bio and show notes (including book recommendations) click here.  At VEST, we’re not afraid to have these conversations because women are whole people. Not just workers. Not just caregivers. Not just resilience machines. If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button. If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co

    1h 20m
  2. Redefining Wealth and Your Money Story

    JAN 26

    Redefining Wealth and Your Money Story

    As we begin a new year, many of us are reflecting on what’s working, what needs to shift, and what we truly want, not just in our careers or personal lives, but financially as well. But let’s be honest, for many women, wealth is the last thing we feel comfortable talking about. In this episode of the VEST Her Podcast, we explore how to reset your relationship with money, redefine what wealth means on your own terms, and build a system that actually supports the life you want. Because wealth isn’t just a number, it’s a reflection of access, freedom, and the ability to move through the world with confidence and choice. This Episode Is for You If You’ve been taught that talking about money is impolite or selfishYou’ve hit career milestones, but still feel unclear about your financial pictureYou want to set wealth goals this year, but don’t know where to startYou’re ready to shift from short-term survival to long-term visionYou want to build wealth in a way that aligns with your values, not someone else’s definition of successWhat You’ll Learn Why wealth is about more than salary, savings, or statusHow culture, family, and systems shape our beliefs about moneyA 5-step Wealth Inventory to help you get clear on your starting pointHow to set one bold financial goal and the habit that supports itWhy doing this work in community changes everythingChapters 1:00 Why Women Need A Different Money Talk 2:12 The Wealth Inventory Framework 4:06 Turn Goals Into Systems 5:27 Why Money Feels Complicated 7:13 History, Exclusion, And The Wealth Gap 8:40 Three Actions And The Power Of Community If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button. If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co

    9 min
  3. Likeable Badass: Rethinking Power and Status

    12/18/2025

    Likeable Badass: Rethinking Power and Status

    What if you didn’t have to choose between being respected and being liked? In this episode of the VEST Her Podcast, we’re joined by Alison Fragale, organizational psychologist, UNC professor, and author of Likeable Badass, to break down the real difference between power and status, and how women can build both without burning out or selling out. Moderated by VEST Member Autumn Knutson, CEO of Styled Wealth, the conversation goes deep into the practical side of leadership for women: how to be warm and in charge, how to negotiate effectively, and how to turn discomfort into growth. “Power is control over valued resources. Status is the regard others choose to give you. If you don’t know the difference, you might be playing the wrong game.”  — Alison Fragale, Organizational Psychologist & Author of Likeable Badass For guests full bios and show notes and key takeaways click here.  Note: In this episode, we mispronounced Knutson, Autumn's last name. The correct pronunciation includes the “K”, it’s K-nutson, not Nutson. We regret the error and appreciate your understanding. If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button. If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co

    53 min
  4. Beyond Power Ranking Lists: Real Measures Of A Meaningful Career

    12/08/2025

    Beyond Power Ranking Lists: Real Measures Of A Meaningful Career

    As the year wraps up, so do the “Top Under 30, 40, 50” lists, power rankings, and glossy features that suggest success is public, polished, and linear. In this episode, we take a clear-eyed look at why these lists can be inspiring but also alienating, and why so many brilliant, hardworking women still feel like they’re falling behind. Then, we shift the focus to a more grounded, sustainable way to measure progress, one that doesn’t rely on headlines, algorithms, or someone else’s definition of success. We walk through a set of practical, reflective questions to help you define what success really means to you, and explore how chasing visibility without alignment can lead to burnout, distraction, and disconnection from your purpose. Click here for Show Notes and a simple year-end reflection exercise. If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button. If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co

    8 min
  5. Mapping Your Web Of Support And Legacy

    11/24/2025

    Mapping Your Web Of Support And Legacy

    We’re often told to “build our network” or “think about the impact we want to have” but rarely does anyone show us how. It’s not just about adding connections or chasing influence. What we really need is a Web of Support and a clearer sense of the legacy we're already leaving behind, often without realizing it. In this episode, we slow things down to explore two powerful reflection tools: the VEST Web of Support that helps make hard things doable, and the VEST Legacy Map that surfaces your quiet but meaningful influence. First, we walk you through mapping the people around you, mentors, peers, partners, and communities. Who asks better questions? Who shows up when it’s hard? Who helps carry the load? This simple but revealing scan helps you recognize gaps, appreciate the support you already have, and see where you're playing that role in someone else’s life too. Then, we reframe legacy, not as something far off or grand, but as the everyday ways you shift culture, model values, and strengthen systems. From making space for underrepresented voices to normalizing boundaries and improving how work flows, these quiet contributions shape trust and sustainability, even if they never make it onto a resume. By the end of the episode, you’ll have three simple actions to take. Click here for our host bio and show notes.  If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button. If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co

    15 min
  6. Living on Fire with Shannon Watts

    10/20/2025

    Living on Fire with Shannon Watts

    What if the key to moving from stuck to unstoppable isn’t finding your one big purpose but choosing to live with purpose, every day? In this episode, we sit down with Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action and author of New York Bestseller Fired Up, to explore a practical framework for aligning what you value, what you're good at, and what truly matters to you. She calls it the fire formula, a tool for any stage of life, from early career to midlife reinvention. We unpack three common myths that hold women back: That you need a single, all-consuming callingThat happiness is the goalThat constant busyness means you're succeedingShannon also shares her playbook for handling blowback when you start showing up differently, how to decide whose feedback matters, what to hold onto, and how to keep going when the discomfort sets in. You’ll hear actionable strategies for building aligned community, sustaining momentum, and reclaiming your time and voice. We also get into: How to navigate professional risks and resistanceHow to build meaningful relationships in midlifeHow to push back against the systems and narratives shaping our democracyThis is a grounded, honest conversation about courage, clarity, and living on your own terms. If you’re ready to stop waiting for permission, this episode offers the tools and the push to start. Click here for more Show Notes and Guest Bio.  If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button. If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co

    53 min
  7. Open Primaries: Increasing Voter Participation Beyond Party Lines

    09/22/2025

    Open Primaries: Increasing Voter Participation Beyond Party Lines

    Democracy thrives when citizens participate, yet America faces a troubling reality: even in presidential elections, only 65% of eligible voters cast ballots, with participation plummeting in local and primary elections. This democratic deficit has serious consequences, especially for women and historically marginalized communities who continue to face systemic barriers to political participation. At the heart of this problem lies a structural issue: closed primary systems that restrict voting to registered party members. These closed primaries shrink the voter pool, fuel polarization, and produce candidates who cater to partisan extremes rather than representing the broader population. The result? Elected officials less willing to compromise and increasingly dysfunctional governance. In this compelling conversation, Margaret Kobos, founder of Oklahoma United, and political consultant Sarah Blaney explore how open primaries could transform our democratic landscape. They make a powerful case for State Question 836, which would implement an open primary system in Oklahoma where all candidates appear on a single ballot accessible to every voter. The top two finishers would advance to the general election, ensuring meaningful choice in November. The statistics are striking: Oklahoma has ranked last in voter turnout nationally, with only 51% of voters registered as Republican despite complete Republican control of state government. With 80-90% of election decisions effectively made during primary elections, the current system silences independent voters and moderates from both parties. This directly correlates with Oklahoma's poor rankings in education, women's quality of life, and other critical metrics. What makes this reform particularly powerful is its simplicity and familiarity, it mirrors the system already used successfully in Oklahoma's municipal elections. By expanding this model to all elections, voters would gain real choice while elected officials would become accountable to the entire electorate, not just partisan extremes. Ready to support democratic reform? Learn more about open primaries and how you can get involved in this movement to revitalize American democracy through meaningful electoral reform. The future of our representative government depends on ensuring every voice can truly be heard. If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button. If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co

    59 min
  8. Emotional Runway: the Hidden Currency of Entrepreneurship

    09/03/2025

    Emotional Runway: the Hidden Currency of Entrepreneurship

    When we talk about startup runway, we obsess over finances, how many months until the money runs out. But what about the founder's emotional runway? That invisible reservoir of energy, resilience, and motivation that keeps a company alive even when the path forward seems impossible? In this deeply personal and practical conversation, Claudia Naim Burt, Co-founder and COO of Keep Company, shares how she discovered the concept of emotional runway through her own struggle to sustain herself while building a venture-backed startup. As one of only 250 Latinas to raise over $1 million in venture capital, Claudia brings a unique perspective to the challenges of entrepreneurship, motherhood, and maintaining wellbeing when everything feels urgent. The emotional runway framework offers a strategic way to think about personal sustainability. Just as financial runway helps you make business decisions, emotional runway helps you make intentional choices about your time and energy before hitting burnout. Claudia shares her process of conducting an "energy audit" to identify activities that drain versus replenish her, and how making seemingly indulgent choices (like taking hour-long walks) became non-negotiable investments in herself as a key business asset. Throughout our conversation, we explore powerful frameworks for extending your emotional runway:  Reframing choices through values rather than guiltRecognizing the spectrum of burnout rather than viewing it as binaryMaking needs explicit rather than implicitFinding connection with peers as the ultimate antidote to isolation. We also dive into how these principles apply differently across various seasons of business and life, and the importance of regularly renegotiating your contract with yourself about what matters most. Ready to extend your emotional runway? Listen now and discover practical strategies to protect your wellbeing while leading through challenging times.  Your business and the people who depend on you will thank you for it. Whether you’re running a business or building a career in corporate America, if you’re ready to extend your emotional runway, 🎧 Listen now. If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button. If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co

    54 min
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5
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About

The VEST Her Podcast explores the real, often unspoken challenges women face at work, in society, and on the path to building wealth.  Through candid conversations with women navigating career pivots, entrepreneurship, leadership, and family life, we unpack the pressure to do it all, the self-doubt, and the systems not built with us in mind. This podcast is for women ready to move beyond outdated advice and create success on their own terms. If you’re looking to grow, speak up, and be part of a supportive, change-making community, welcome. Let’s question the rules, share what’s real, and build a better future together.

Information

  • Creator
    VEST Her Members and Guests
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    63
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 VEST Her Podcast
  • Show Website
    VEST Her Podcast