Welcome to season 5 of Plucking Up! We’re rolling out the canary yellow carpet for a new lineup of amazing guests starting with Deesha Dyer. Deesha was social secretary for the Obama White House. This unbelievable woman worked her way up from intern all while finishing community college. Now, she’s Founder and CEO of social impact consulting company, Hook and Fasten. On the show, Deesha told me about her life now and her time working in the White House. We talked about some of the legendary even...
Sep 12, 2022•58 min
I’m sharing some exciting news in this episode. My company Sseko Designs has merged with fellow fairtrade fashion brand, Noonday Collection. In this episode, we’re talking about our merger, or our wedding as I enjoy calling it. I’m introducing all of my pluckies to my new business partner, Jessica Honneger. And Jessica is introducing me to her podcast audience. To celebrate our partnership this episode is airing on both Plucking Up and Jessica’s podcast, Going Scared . Learn more about Jessica, ...
Aug 18, 2022•1 hr 3 min
Danielle LaPorte dabbled with a number of different career paths before she became an author and entrepreneur. One of her earlier books, The Desire Map: A Guide To Creating Goals With Soul spurred a workshop program with facilitators around the world that Danielle now runs. Her goal setting mantra is that everything you want can be found in loving kindness. She also says a soulful approach to goal setting means separating what we truly want from wanting to seem successful to others. In this epis...
Jul 11, 2022•47 min
At the age of 22, Allison Trowbridge promised herself that she would write and publish a book. By the time she was 29 “ Twenty-Two: Letters to a Young Woman Searching for Meaning” had been published. In this episode, we talked about the long and winding path to success and about slowing down, taking a few months off, going for walks and finding out who you are outside of work. We also talked about Allison’s current project, “Copper,” a platform born out of her experience in publishing that helps...
Jul 06, 2022•1 hr 2 min
Ahhh, a much-needed conversation on how we can make our lives of purpose more sustainable—for ourselves. Emily Baldoni is the co-founder of AMMA, an apparel company that creates stylish products for moms. She's also a former actor who, upon arriving in Hollywood experienced what can only be described as the hustle to "make it." In this episode, Emily talks about how her drive to succeed led to unhealthy habits and disconnection from who she truly is, and what enables her now to connect to that i...
Jun 28, 2022•59 min
This week's guest is a master of facing pluck-ups head-on and turning them into something creative, inspiring, and well, pretty freakin' beautiful. Scott Erickson is a creator, performer, and author of multiple books, his latest being Say Yes , a study of how our darkest moments are actually doorways to a deeper conversation about who we are. In this episode, he shares the painful moment he realized he was not fulfilling the dream he had for his life, and how seizing on that allowed him to prior...
Jun 13, 2022•44 min
Sarah Bragg is the host of the " Surviving Sarah " podcast and author of A Mother's Guide to Raising Herself . In this episode, Sarah shares her early experiences with judgment, and how those memories planted seeds of both insecurity and resilience, aspects of her life she still navigates today. She talks about finding fortitude in failure and how we can encourage our kids to try new things, even when they face some of this same stickiness. Find " Surviving Sarah " wherever you listen to podcast...
Jun 08, 2022•48 min
You know when you just hit it off with someone? Well, that certainly was my experience with Anna Malaika Tubbs. Anna is the author of the bestselling book, The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation . In this episode, she opens up about being chronically underestimated, as she worked her way up the academic ladder, and how having children inspired her to champion the unsung mothers who have shaped history. Learn more about Anna Mal...
Jun 01, 2022•1 hr 4 min
Jessica Jackley is, in my opinion, one of the original social entrepreneurs. She's the co-founder of Kiva, a financial services platform nearly synonymous with microlending, and the founder of a super rad new start-up, Alltruists, which delivers kid-friendly volunteer and impact projects directly to your doorstep. In this episode, Jessica shares her painful journey of letting go of her identity as a startup founder, and a wife, as she stepped away from her beloved organization and navigated a pa...
May 23, 2022•50 min
Ooooh, do we have a good one for you. Justin Baldoni is an actor, filmmaker, and author of Man Enough: Undefining My Masculinity . Y’all know I love to run my mouth about the negative impact of the patriarchy on women and girls, but it's also important that we talk about and understand how it hurts men. Justin’s new book is both a personal investigation into the current state of masculinity and a meditation on how to be human in the 21st century. In this episode, Justin talks about being an advo...
May 16, 2022•54 min
Who sold us the lie that building a life of purpose and passion is a linear path? Because y’all, building stuff is not for the faint of heart! In this episode, we speak with Cate Luzio, a business leader who spent the last 20 years in banking before launching her own company … right before a global pandemic. Cate is the founder and CEO of Luminary , a community that supports women in building professional networks and business allies. Cate walks through what it meant to leave a successful and lu...
May 09, 2022•50 min
After a brief hiatus, we're back on the mic with Lisa Sharon Harper. Lisa is an activist, speaker, and author of multiple books, including one of my favorites, The Very Good Gospel . In this episode, Lisa tells us about her first encounter with success—writing an award-winning play in college—and how she handled the regret that came from walking away from what could have been a big, Broadway career. Lisa’s still an incredible storyteller and today she uses that gift to help us learn about the po...
May 02, 2022•1 hr 1 min
For our season finale, we are sharing an incredible story of redemption, adventure, deep purpose, and impact. Scott Harrison is the CEO of the nonprofit organization, charity:water. In this episode, Scott will take us on a journey, from being a New York City club promoter and all it entails — the booze and the drugs — to leading an incredible organization that aims to end the global water crisis. For those of you who don’t know, charity: water has funded nearly 80,000 water projects in almost 30...
Dec 13, 2021•1 hr
Like many entrepreneurs who really suffered economically because of the pandemic, Molly Stillman’s business tanked in the last 20 months. Molly is the founder and creator of Still Being Molly, an ethical fashion and lifestyle blog, and the host of the “Business with Purpose” podcast, which she started in 2016. Having walked a hilly and mountainous road for many years, Molly talks to me about how she’s able to keep the faith and know that it will be okay. In this episode, Molly shares about a wil...
Dec 06, 2021•51 min
We’ve had quite a few anti-racism activists and educators. I always find myself thinking about racism and the different ways that I’m a part of the problem and hopefully the solution. I couldn’t be more thrilled to have Faitth Brooks on the podcast today. I met Faitth through “Be the Bridge” a community that helps bring people together to discuss and work towards racial reconciliation. Faitth is a social worker, activist and, the co-host of the “Melanated Faith” podcast. I don’t want to give awa...
Nov 22, 2021•52 min
Love of community is what I have in common with our next guest, Pamela Slim. Pamela is the author of “Escape From Cubicle Nation” and the upcoming book “The Widest Net.” She partnered with author Susan Cain to launch the Quiet Revolution and the Quiet Leadership Institute. In this episode, we cover how Pamela’s upbringing seeded the idea of why having a community around you is so critical. We talk about financial pluck ups (which I think a handful of us can relate to) and getting through those d...
Nov 15, 2021•53 min
How do you take responsibility for things that go wrong — without hating yourself? On the podcast, celebrities and leaders at the top of their game share some pretty intimate and truly authentic experiences that give us a beautiful glimpse into who they really are. The highlights, the lowlights, and the glorious mess in between. Today’s guest, Katia Beauchamp, CEO and Co-Founder of Birchbox, is no exception. Birchbox is a monthly beauty and grooming subscription box that quickly grew into a mult...
Nov 08, 2021•47 min
Money. That's what we're covering today - a surprisingly emotional, gendered topic that creates challenging dynamics in relationships. And our guest is no other than Sallie Krawcheck, Chair of the Ellevate Network, a 135K-strong global professional women’s network. She is also the CEO and co-founder of Ellevest, an investment platform that’s on a mission to get more money in the hands of women. In this episode, Sallie shares her story, from taking dozens of Nos during the most challenging moment...
Nov 01, 2021•54 min
If you’re not familiar with Arianna Huffington’s highlight reel, here’s a rundown: She is the founder and CEO of Thrive Global and the founder of The Huffington Post. Arianna is the author of 15 books and has been named to Time Magazine’s list of the World’s 100 Most Influential People and Forbes Most Powerful Women List. Thrive Global, her company, is a leading behavior change tech company that aims to change the way we work and live — by ending how we see burnout as this price we pay for succe...
Oct 25, 2021•33 min
This episode covers the other side of imposter syndrome. What lessons can you learn when you underestimate your capacity to fail? Our next guest, Executive Chairman of Real Good Foods Bryan Freeman, has a lot to say about what it’s like to have early success and the bitter pill you swallow when you find out that you're not invincible. If you’ve been listening to our recent episodes, then you’ve heard me talk about this brand that surprised me in a GOOD way! Bryan has worked in the food industry ...
Oct 18, 2021•41 min
Sarah LaFleur is the Founder & CEO of M.M.LaFleur, a women’s workwear brand that she launched in 2013. The company grew to be a multimillion dollar brand and darling of the direct to consumer fashion world. In this episode, Sarah and I talk about the big existential questions many of us found ourselves asking early in our adult lives (and hopefully throughout our vocations.) Sarah also shares about the many inflections of her career and personal life — from her experience of being biracial a...
Oct 11, 2021•1 hr 2 min
Have you ever been surrounded by dozens of people, colleagues, family, or friends, and still feel like you’re at your loneliest? In this episode, I talk to New York Times best-selling author, podcaster, founder of That Sounds Fun network, and my good friend, Annie F. Downs. Annie is that incredibly engaging, spontaneous human who’s just bursting with positive energy, but who can also provide this comforting space where you can bring your BIG FEELINGS, even when they’re not so fun. In this episod...
Oct 04, 2021•57 min
In my honest but also biased opinion, this is a hands-down winning conversation with Eve Rodsky, a Harvard-grad lawyer, activist, and author of the New York Times bestselling book and Reese Witherspoon’s book club pick, "Fair Play." On the show, we talked about how Eve took on a lot of responsibility as a kid and assumed the role of 'partner' to her mother. We get deep into the breakdown of her marriage (which also became a breakthrough) and how she ultimately spiraled into losing her identity a...
Sep 27, 2021•57 min
Before founding Girls Who Code, a nonprofit that has served 450,000 girls and has reached 500 million people in the U.S., Reshma Saujani went through a seemingly endless stream of rejection and failure. In our conversation, Reshma talks about growing up in the midwest as the daughter of refugee parents from Uganda, her valiant 3 time attempt to get into Yale, and how having multiple miscarriages made her question her worth as a woman. On the show, Reshma also tells us about her failed aspiration...
Sep 20, 2021•52 min
Sarah Kauss, the founder and Executive Chairwoman of S’well, went out searching for her passion and big idea and stumbled upon it when she stopped looking for the bright and shiny solution In 2010, Sarah started S’well with a bold mission - rid our world of single-use plastic bottles. She bootstrapped her company with $30,000 of her savings and brought her company to reach over $100M in revenue. I mean, Sarah was really the first to make carrying water bottles sexy and cool! In this episode, Sar...
Sep 13, 2021•53 min
Before becoming the CEO of Darling Media and Editor-in-Chief of Darling Magazine, Sarah Dubbeldam worked as a model and experienced first hand the unhealthy beauty standards in fashion and media. She founded Darling in 2012, a print magazine that grew into a multi-media company that aims to empower women through thought-provoking content and display a diverse, inclusive, and real picture of beauty. In this episode, we hear about how a comparatively small fish can make a massive impact on an enti...
Sep 06, 2021•56 min
In this week’s episode, we're thrilled to have Carla Hall, best known for competing on the Bravo TV show “Top Chef” and “Top Chef: All Stars.” Carla is a kindred spirit and on the podcast, we got to talk about pieces of our story that may seem so disconnected, but then we realize that they brought us to exactly where we need to be. In our conversation, Carla shares what it’s like to pluck up after MAJOR success! We also chat about the twisty roads, the lessons we learn, and the people we meet, t...
Aug 30, 2021•55 min
Marvyn Harrison is the host of the 'Dope Black Dads' podcast and the CEO of Dope Black CIC, an educational and healing platform designed to improve the outcomes of Black people. In this episode, Marvyn and I dive into a very nuanced and vulnerable conversation around parenting from a distinctly male perspective. Our conversation is not a how-to or guide but a discussion on how our lived experiences and new learnings can impact the way we raise our kids. On the podcast, we also talk about systema...
Aug 23, 2021•58 min
This week’s guest, Mei Xu, is an entrepreneur, author, founder, and the CEO of three global companies, which includes one of the most popular home fragrance brands in the United States and around the world: Chesapeake Bay Candle. Today, Mei is focused on helping women-owned consumer product companies grow and prosper with the e-commerce platform, ‘Yes She May.’ What I love about doing this podcast is I get to hear and share with you all these starkly different stories of success and failure. In ...
Aug 16, 2021•49 min
Jeni Britton Bauer is a pioneer of the artisan ice cream movement and the founder of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams. She is also a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author and a 2012 James Beard awardee. While this conversation is all sorts of joy and whimsy (like how Jeni initially took on a job as an alien make-up artist), she shared a lot of pieces to her journey that I couldn’t have predicted. Is a career in ‘making people happy’ everything it seems to be? Hopefully, after this ...
Aug 09, 2021•58 min
