Advertise on podcast: Women to Watch Media® with Sue Rocco

Reading has power. That’s a pretty straightforward and obvious universal truth, right? Well, for students with language-based learning disabilities, literacy doesn’t come easily, and for a long time, classrooms weren’t equipped with strategies or programs to help. Nearly 20 years ago, Nancy Blair and Pat Roberts set out to change that. The first step was launching AIM Academy in suburban Philadelphia. The second was creating the AIM Institute for Learning & Research. Next? The duo has a book in the works, making for a timely opportunity for Women to Watch’s Sue Rocco to touch base with two guests who first appeared on her show a decade ago. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It's been a while, but after nearly a decade, the timing was right for Women to Watch's Sue Rocco and Dr. Margie Warrell to reconnect. Margie, a past guest and globally recognized author, leadership advisor, and keynote speaker, recently published a new book. Sue and Margie discuss The Courage Gap: 5 Steps to Braver Action, and explore the factors that inspired her writing. Whether you're an aspiring leader or seeking growth, this conversation offers wisdom worth putting into action. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Pressure is something Erin Lydon has lived with her whole life. The product of an “achievement-oriented” family, she furthered a multi-generational line of graduates from Bates College, the elite liberal arts school in Lydon’s native state of Maine. But as she carved out her professional and personal paths, Lydon came to realize that venturing beyond her comfort zone was crucial to her development. Now, as an executive strategic advisor, the TEDx speaker and former president of Poker Power tells Women to Watch’s Sue Rocco she has found her calling by demanding the best for herself, while getting results for growing companies. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The financial bug bit Shalanda Armstrong when she was young. The Detroit native bought her first stock before her 13th birthday, and soaked up savvy money management tips from her parents. Even though she’s built a burgeoning career in venture capitalism by launching her own fund, 100KM Ventures, other interests, like space and sports, have shaped her career approach. Women to Watch’s Sue Rocco explores the influential experiences and lessons from Armstrong’s life, and picks her brain about navigating a global economy in flux. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Lend? Donate? Through LENDonate, you can do either or both. Founder and CEO Vivienne Hsu came up with the concept after seeing a need for capital to flow more freely into the non-profit sector. How did she get her idea off the ground? What personal and professional experiences shaped her vision? Women to Watch’s Sue Rocco retraces Hsu’s path to entrepreneurship by exploring her roots in Hong Kong, ability to overcome language barriers, and commitment to faith. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Put your head down and work. To Shikha Miglani, the formula is simple. With her mother and father setting a strong example, the Saarthee co-founder and CEO learned early in life that persistence can go a long way towards making the difference between success and failure. This determination has helped her throughout her career, especially when she set out on her own and tapped into her entrepreneurial spirit. Women to Watch’s Sue Rocco talks with Miglani at length about the influence of her parents, and why she believes Saarthee is well-positioned to offer data and analytics solutions with the help of AI. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Lindsey Scrase has always done her own thing, letting personal and professional instincts be her guide. The approach hasn’t always been comfortable, but the results speak for themselves. The Ann Arbor, MI native has demonstrated leadership prowess at just about every stage of her career - from her days as a crew leader at a fast food chain restaurant to her current role as COO of Checkr, a streamlined, AI-powered background-checking platform. In a conversation with Women to Watch’s Sue Rocco, Scrace discusses the importance of diversity-based hiring practices she learned during her decade at Google, and why everyone - even her own kids - could benefit from stepping outside their boxes. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Sonya Weigle built a successful career, but she also had obligations. More than obligations, they were priorities. With a young, growing family at home, she knew the professional path she carved out for herself wasn’t sustainable, so she made some tweaks. Nevertheless, Weigle continued to achieve. Now, three decades later and with an increasing sense of autonomy in her life, the seasoned executive is prepared to make what could be her most ambitious and inspired pivot yet - the launch of a brand new, dynamic community for fellow women leaders. Women to Watch host Sue Rocco catches up with Weigle, who shares her vision for The Catalytic Collective and explains why it’s never too late to put yourself first.  Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Kimberly McGlonn’s constant? Design. It represents the throughline for every project she has her hands in. From serving as a faculty member at Drexel University to writing books and developing clothing lines, McGlonn is always thinking of ways to use design to engage with people. While McGlonn is grounded, perceptive, and forward thinking, her road to success was far from easy. Obstacles from her youth and young adulthood proved formidable, but McGlonn’s handling of these circumstances shaped the person and leader she has ultimately become. Women to Watch’s Sue Rocco chats with McGlonn about her experiences, lessons learned, and how she’s applied them across her diverse portfolio of endeavors. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Reaching 93 years old is quite a feat. Achieving such longevity the way Riane Eisler has done so makes her journey all the more remarkable. A Jewish native of Vienna, Eisler was fortunate to live to see her 10th birthday. She and her family managed to escape Austria during the Holocaust, finding refuge in the slums of Havana, Cuba. They made their way to the United States in the late 1940s, a transition that put Eisler on a path towards gaining notoriety as a systems scientist, futurist, attorney, and author. Still active, Eisler continues to pour her mind and passion into her work. In her conversation with Women to Watch’s Sue Rocco, Eisler explains why she considers the word “persistence” to be her middle name, and shares thought-provoking learnings from her decades-long career. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Tia Wiggins grew up an Army "brat." She knows what it's like to scrap, adapt, and hustle. These defining qualities were acquired in her youth and have shaped her life ever since, especially professionally. Sometimes, the path was straightforward. Other times, it demanded persistence. Through it all, Wiggins has maintained an incredibly strong sense of self-belief, all while following through consistently on her ambitions. Women to Watch's Sue Rocco chats with Wiggins about goal-setting, and why Wiggins has prioritized giving back to women who have faced similar circumstances to her own. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

As far back as Lia Buffa De Feo can remember, she wanted to be a mother. Chalk it up to growing up in an Italian immigrant family in suburban New York. There were plenty of examples in her life of strong women serving as the backbone of their respective households, and she hoped to one day fulfill such a presence herself. Much to De Feo’s surprise, and in the face of unimaginable tragedy, she discovered the road to motherhood was far from smooth. Many women endure their share of hardship during pregnancy; few have to overcome the loss of one child to stillbirth, and another to a fatal prenatal condition. How did De Feo cope not only with these obstacles, but her fertility struggles in general? What helped De Feo persevere both at home and in the workplace? Women to Watch’s Sue Rocco explores these subjects with De Feo, who is determined to use the pain from her own experience to advocate for expectant mothers encountering similar challenges. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

From her earliest stages of life, Willow Hill learned an invaluable lesson: never let circumstances define you. Her mother, who gave birth to Willow at 16, embodied this mindset, demonstrating to her daughter that hard work, resourcefulness, and resilience can change a person's trajectory. Years later, these qualities have served Willow well. She played a leading role in transforming Airbnb into a global brand, and has since gone on to co-found Scout Lab, an award-winning, purpose-driven creative communications agency that has collaborated with companies like Wix.com and Venmo. In a conversation with Women to Watch's Sue Rocco, Willow shares insights on leadership, motherhood, and the benefits of not setting limits on potential. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Virginia Reese Coles, for as far back as she can remember, has always had a yearning to do something big. Based on her track record, it's safe to say the Amazon executive has done just that. From getting her foot in the door at the White House fresh out of college, to working at a telecommunications giant for parts of three decades, Virginia attributes her success to a simple yet significant philosophy: "Just say yes." Women to Watch host Sue Rocco talks with Virginia about her professional path, the influence of her mother, her stunt car-driving side gig, and how she landed a dream gig at Amazon. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

"How do I start my next chapter?" That's the question Janet Foutty found herself confronting a little more than a year ago. Having reached the crossroads of a highly successful career at Deloitte that spanned more than three decades and culminated in her role as the company's chair of the board, the veteran executive decided it was time to try something new. What would it be? How has she handled the transition? In a conversation with Women to Watch's Sue Rocco, Janet talks about her time growing up in Washington D.C., the key traits she believes she inherited from her parents, her love of her work, and why she wants women to know that they are not alone. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy