Episode 129: Sue Obeidi, Director of MPAC's Hollywood Bureau

This episode is brought to you by:

Sue is the Director of the Hollywood Bureau of the Muslim Public Affairs Council or MPAC. Since MPAC’s Hollywood Bureau was launched in 2011, Sue has blended the love of her faith with her love of film, television, and digital series to change and expand the narrative of Islam and Muslims in the entertainment industry.

Behind the scenes, Sue engages decision makers and creatives to improve the quality and number of authentic, nuanced, and inclusive presentations of Islam and Muslims so that audiences can see Muslims as vital contributors to creating social and cultural change in America and around the world. She also enriches the pool of Muslim talent in Hollywood by nurturing and connecting them to those who can assist with their careers, both on the creative and business sides of the industry.

In 2017, Sue was chosen for Variety's Inclusion Impact Report as one of 60 changemakers making the entertainment industry more inclusive.

We had a great and timely conversation.

Click here to get tickets for the convention for Advancing America Toward Justice on November 10th.

Episode 124: Sara Laschever, "Women Don't Ask"

This episode is brought to you by:

Sara is the co-author, with Linda Babcock, of two groundbreaking books about women and negotiation, Women Don’t Ask: The High Cost of Avoiding Negotiation—and Positive Strategies for Change and Ask for It! How Women Can Use the Power of Negotiation to Get What They Really Want.

From Sara’s bio, “Whether they want higher salaries, better career opportunities, or more help at home, women are much less likely than men to ask for what they want. When women do ask, they tend to mimic the forceful, competitive negotiating style favored by men, which often backfires. Sara looks at why women feel reluctant to ask for what they need and deserve—and reveals the shockingly high price paid by women, their employers, and the economy as a whole if they don’t address this persistent phenomenon. She shows women how to recognize more opportunities to negotiate, manage the anxiety they may feel when they approach a negotiation, and employ negotiating strategies that have been shown to work especially well for women.

Sara lectures widely and teaches workshops about women and negotiation and women’s leadership challenges for organizations in the U.S. and around the world.”

We are very lucky to have her on the show for a very delicious conversation. We NEED THIS!

Episode 118: Mir Harris, Time's Up, Activist

This episode generously brought to you by:

Mir is the Manager of Operations and Community Engagement at Time's Up. I was first introduced to Mir through a piece she wrote that knocked me out. I asked her to read it on the show. Mir is an activist, a thoughtful and conscious leader, and possesses a personal power that is expressed through service. Prepare yourself, you are about to be inspired. I mean no pressure, I don’t mean to oversell it. You tell me. (You’ll be inspired.)

Episode 116: Layne Marie Williams, Filmmaker

This episode is generously sponsored by:

Layne Marie is a Director and Filmmaker in Chicago, the Founder and Executive Director of Women of the Now, a media and production company, and the Co-Founder and Director of Development of the Women’s Film Festival in Philadelphia.  And she’s not yet 30. This woman makes things happen.

EP 110: Heidi Basch-Harod, Executive Director Women's Voices Now

Heidi Basch-Harod is the Executive Director of Women’s Voices Now, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, which uses the medium of film to advocate for global women’s rights. They carry out their mission with an annual online film festival, a free streaming archive of international women’s rights based films, educational programs, screening events, and multimedia workshops.

She has spent her career as a human rights activist and also is a producer of the award-winning feature documentary Honor Diaries, and the highly-acclaimed short film, In Search of America, Inshallah.

Among other quotables, she said this, “no matter who you are or where you’re from women have incredible capabilities for survival.” Isn’t that the truth?