Heroine show

Heroine

Summary: Eavesdrop on real, vulnerable, intimate conversations with award-winning artists, best-selling authors, CEOs and execs you can’t get anywhere else – like listening to two good friends talking over a cup of tea or glass of wine. We go deep.

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Podcasts:

 HOLY F*! The Book is Now Yours–! | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 202

Majo celebrates the official publication and release of her new book, Break the Good Girl Myth, available wherever books, ebooks, and audiobooks are sold. Join her as she freaks out. And order the book at http://goodgirlmyth.com –!

 A Sneak Peek Into Your Creative Purpose (Training) | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 952

Majo gives a sneak peek into the Design Your Creative Purpose Training / book pre-order bonus (since today and tomorrow are the last day to get it) AND updates you on the fun activities you can plug into for the book in the next couple of weeks, including a book giveaway and an IG live with one of Majo's biggest heroines (you won’t believe it!). Yay!

 A Sneak Peek Into Your Creative Purpose (Training) | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 952

Majo gives a sneak peek into the Design Your Creative Purpose Training / book pre-order bonus (since today and tomorrow are the last day to get it) AND updates you on the fun activities you can plug into for the book in the next couple of weeks, including a book giveaway and an IG live with one of Majo's biggest heroines (you won’t believe it!). Yay!

 The Only Way to “Have it All” — Randi Zuckerberg | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 2847

Do you find yourself thinking that you want to have and do it all in life: a career, relationship, kids, fitness, money, home? Randi Zuckerberg, my guest this week, certainly does it all — she’s an entrepreneur, investor, bestselling author, tech media personality, and occasional Broadway performer. Behind that impressive resumé is a woman who understands that you can do it all — but not all in one day or even one season of life. She believes you can do everything you want to do, but over a long period of time. After Harvard rejected her for the music program, Randi set aside her love of music to pursue a degree in psychology, followed by a career in technology, which ultimately led to her role as Director of Market Development at Facebook. Years after she thought she’d left music behind, Broadway came calling, and Randi lived her lifelong dream of performing.In this interview, Randi shares the philosophy behind “Pick Three,” and how she’s incorporated this idea when choosing what to focus on in her life. We discuss how to adopt a beginner’s mindset when trying new things, and not giving up on your dreams, even if the path to get there seems hidden.Show Notes- Growing up with a girls-can-do-anything mentality and oblivious to the glass ceiling.- Her early exposure to technology and how it impacts the work she does with girls today.- Why Randi ended up studying psychology despite her passion for music and performance.- The sobering shift from working in an ad agency with women in leadership to Silicon Valley.- The observations in Silicon Valley that made Randi aware of the glass ceiling at age 22.- Reaching out to female peers outside of the tech industry to create a network of support.- Giving her brother free digital marketing advice before being recruited by Facebook.- The dangers of online anonymity and why Randi feels so strongly about protecting kids.- How Randi’s music dream circled back to her when she got a call from a Broadway producer.- Bridging the worlds of arts, entertainment, and tech, and why it’s becoming increasingly important.- The pros and cons of having such a large spectrum of focus areas under Zuckerberg Media. - A willingness to learn and other strategies for becoming a fearless leader.- A brilliant—yet realistic—perspective on achieving a work-life balance in the long run.ReferencesRandi Zuckerberg on Twitter - https://twitter.com/randizuckerbergRandi Zuckerberg on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/randizuckerbergZuckerberg Media - https://www.zuckerbergmedia.comHarvard University - https://www.harvard.eduTina Turner - https://www.biography.com/musician/tina-turnerOgilvy - https://www.ogilvy.comPick Three - https://www.amazon.com/Pick-Three-Have-Just-Every/dp/006284282XBreak the Good Girl Myth - https://www.amazon.com/Break-Good-Girl-Myth-Purposeful-ebook/dp/B081NH1KJCMajo Molfino - http://majomolfino.comHEROINE (Podcast) - https://majomolfino.com/podcast

 The Only Way to “Have it All” — Randi Zuckerberg | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 2847

Do you find yourself thinking that you want to have and do it all in life: a career, relationship, kids, fitness, money, home? Randi Zuckerberg, my guest this week, certainly does it all — she’s an entrepreneur, investor, bestselling author, tech media personality, and occasional Broadway performer. Behind that impressive resumé is a woman who understands that you can do it all — but not all in one day or even one season of life. She believes you can do everything you want to do, but over a long period of time. After Harvard rejected her for the music program, Randi set aside her love of music to pursue a degree in psychology, followed by a career in technology, which ultimately led to her role as Director of Market Development at Facebook. Years after she thought she’d left music behind, Broadway came calling, and Randi lived her lifelong dream of performing.In this interview, Randi shares the philosophy behind “Pick Three,” and how she’s incorporated this idea when choosing what to focus on in her life. We discuss how to adopt a beginner’s mindset when trying new things, and not giving up on your dreams, even if the path to get there seems hidden.Show Notes- Growing up with a girls-can-do-anything mentality and oblivious to the glass ceiling.- Her early exposure to technology and how it impacts the work she does with girls today.- Why Randi ended up studying psychology despite her passion for music and performance.- The sobering shift from working in an ad agency with women in leadership to Silicon Valley.- The observations in Silicon Valley that made Randi aware of the glass ceiling at age 22.- Reaching out to female peers outside of the tech industry to create a network of support.- Giving her brother free digital marketing advice before being recruited by Facebook.- The dangers of online anonymity and why Randi feels so strongly about protecting kids.- How Randi’s music dream circled back to her when she got a call from a Broadway producer.- Bridging the worlds of arts, entertainment, and tech, and why it’s becoming increasingly important.- The pros and cons of having such a large spectrum of focus areas under Zuckerberg Media. - A willingness to learn and other strategies for becoming a fearless leader.- A brilliant—yet realistic—perspective on achieving a work-life balance in the long run.ReferencesRandi Zuckerberg on Twitter - https://twitter.com/randizuckerbergRandi Zuckerberg on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/randizuckerbergZuckerberg Media - https://www.zuckerbergmedia.comHarvard University - https://www.harvard.eduTina Turner - https://www.biography.com/musician/tina-turnerOgilvy - https://www.ogilvy.comPick Three - https://www.amazon.com/Pick-Three-Have-Just-Every/dp/006284282XBreak the Good Girl Myth - https://www.amazon.com/Break-Good-Girl-Myth-Purposeful-ebook/dp/B081NH1KJCMajo Molfino - http://majomolfino.comHEROINE (Podcast) - https://majomolfino.com/podcast

 Breaking Out of the "Good Girl" Myth & Designing Your Purpose — Majo on Real Reel Podcast w/ Natalie Barbu | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 2772

Majo joins Natalie Barbu from the Real Reel Podcast to talk about how to break out of the good girl myths and design our purpose. Pre-order book before 7/28 at http://GOODGIRLMYTH.COM to receive a bonus training (~$300 value) to help you design your creative purpose.In the training, you'll learn:⁠ ➕ The one intention you must clarify to get clear about your creative purpose⁠ ➕ How to more easily bring shape to your creative purpose by choosing one of the four creator paths⁠ ➕ A powerful process for choosing a direction if you have a lot of interests and passions⁠ ⁠ ➕ How to turn your creative dream plan into an actionable, creative dream planhttp://GOODGIRLMYTH.COM

 Breaking Out of the "Good Girl" Myth & Designing Your Purpose — Majo on Real Reel Podcast w/ Natalie Barbu | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 2772

Majo joins Natalie Barbu from the Real Reel Podcast to talk about how to break out of the good girl myths and design our purpose. Pre-order book before 7/28 at http://GOODGIRLMYTH.COM to receive a bonus training (~$300 value) to help you design your creative purpose.In the training, you'll learn:⁠ ➕ The one intention you must clarify to get clear about your creative purpose⁠ ➕ How to more easily bring shape to your creative purpose by choosing one of the four creator paths⁠ ➕ A powerful process for choosing a direction if you have a lot of interests and passions⁠ ⁠ ➕ How to turn your creative dream plan into an actionable, creative dream planhttp://GOODGIRLMYTH.COM

 Why Vulnerability Can Help You Create — Brit Morin | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 3238

When’s the last time you expressed vulnerability through your creativity? For Brit Morin, my guest on this week’s episode, it’s part of her every day life. Brit founded her lifestyle and online learning platform, Brit + Co, to help women connect with and express their creative spirit. With an engaged community of 125+ million women and over 200,000 online class enrollments, Brit + Co is the leading destination for learning and discovery among female millennials. She launched her business at the age of 25, and learned how to balance motherhood alongside her career as a creative entrepreneur.In this episode, Brit discusses how to empower and equip your employees by letting go of control, and how she brings her authentic self into her brand. She shares the power of believing in yourself and your creativity, even in the face of criticism. Trying new, creative things feels vulnerable and scary, because we’re afraid to fail. Brit shows us that, while we may fail and everything won’t be perfect, we can learn how to be resilient and keep creating anyway. Show Notes- How Brit saw her inner creativity evolve through childhood and adolescence.- Why she decided to leave her job at Google to launch Brit + Co at 25.- What it was like for Brit meeting her husband at 19.- Brit’s highs and lows with Brit + Co.- What is was like to have to lay off members of her team after Facebook algorithm changes. - Having a decentralized team means Brit + Co hasn’t taken a hit during quarantine.- Letting go of control and finding balance as an entrepreneur.- Brit’s ‘North Star’ when her motivation is low.- How creativity can equate to courage.- Ways that Brit pushed through some of her own insecurities.- The Private/Public Divide and how Brit decides where the boundaries are.- Dealing with criticism and juggling motherhood and career.- How Brit has managed to lessen some of the demand that she puts on herself.- What Brit is reclaiming for herself in her journey of personal growth.ReferencesBrit + Co - https://www.brit.coBrit Morin on Twitter - https://twitter.com/britBrit Morin on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/britBrit + Co on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/BritandCoTeach Me Something New with Brit Morin - https://www.brit.co/teach-me-something-new-podcast

 Why Vulnerability Can Help You Create — Brit Morin | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 3238

When’s the last time you expressed vulnerability through your creativity? For Brit Morin, my guest on this week’s episode, it’s part of her every day life. Brit founded her lifestyle and online learning platform, Brit + Co, to help women connect with and express their creative spirit. With an engaged community of 125+ million women and over 200,000 online class enrollments, Brit + Co is the leading destination for learning and discovery among female millennials. She launched her business at the age of 25, and learned how to balance motherhood alongside her career as a creative entrepreneur.In this episode, Brit discusses how to empower and equip your employees by letting go of control, and how she brings her authentic self into her brand. She shares the power of believing in yourself and your creativity, even in the face of criticism. Trying new, creative things feels vulnerable and scary, because we’re afraid to fail. Brit shows us that, while we may fail and everything won’t be perfect, we can learn how to be resilient and keep creating anyway. Show Notes- How Brit saw her inner creativity evolve through childhood and adolescence.- Why she decided to leave her job at Google to launch Brit + Co at 25.- What it was like for Brit meeting her husband at 19.- Brit’s highs and lows with Brit + Co.- What is was like to have to lay off members of her team after Facebook algorithm changes. - Having a decentralized team means Brit + Co hasn’t taken a hit during quarantine.- Letting go of control and finding balance as an entrepreneur.- Brit’s ‘North Star’ when her motivation is low.- How creativity can equate to courage.- Ways that Brit pushed through some of her own insecurities.- The Private/Public Divide and how Brit decides where the boundaries are.- Dealing with criticism and juggling motherhood and career.- How Brit has managed to lessen some of the demand that she puts on herself.- What Brit is reclaiming for herself in her journey of personal growth.ReferencesBrit + Co - https://www.brit.coBrit Morin on Twitter - https://twitter.com/britBrit Morin on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/britBrit + Co on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/BritandCoTeach Me Something New with Brit Morin - https://www.brit.co/teach-me-something-new-podcast

 Blending Heart & Hustle — Coco and Breezy Dotson | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 2583

My guests on this week’s episode are the definition of hustle. Coco and Breezy Dotson, twin designers & founders of Coco and Breezy Eyewear, are no strangers to hard work. Growing up in a mainly white Midwestern suburb, the twins relied on each other for companionship throughout their childhood. Coco and Breezy developed a unique fashion sense that set them apart from other kids, and experienced bullying and exclusion while in school. Rather than allow the bullying to keep them down, the twins used it to inspire their love for stylish eyewear. They sold their first pairs of glasses on Myspace, where they built an extensive following. By the time the twins turned 17, they held three jobs to support their family.In this inspiring interview, Coco and Breezy share their early lessons in entrepreneurship. Through their own personal examples, we learn why failure is necessary, and how we even should embrace failure as an opportunity for growth.Show Notes- Coco and Breezy share stories from their creative, active, curious childhood and what it’s like to grow up with a twin- How they had to assimilate to whiteness growing up in a mostly white Midwestern suburb- Being bullied, left out, misunderstood, and without a community meant the twins had only each other to rely on during their school years- The bullying they experienced in school inspired their love for eyewear- The twins posted photos of their unique, stylish outfits on Myspace and created a community of followers online- Working three jobs by the age of 17 to support their family- Making their first eyewear sales through Myspace, and then traveling to New York wearing their creations- The twins share difficult lessons they learned in their early years of entrepreneurship- How they feel excited by the opportunity to solve a challenge because it pushes them out of their comfort zones- After spending the last of their money on a defective order, they saw the chance to make changes in their lives and business- Learning how to run a more efficient business as two individuals, rather than as one person- Why failure is necessary and something we all experience, especially if we’re willing to get uncomfortableReferencesCoco & Breezy - https://cocoandbreezy.comCoco & Breezy on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cocoandbreezyCoco & Breezy Eyewear - https://www.instagram.com/cocoandbreezyeyewearBreak the Good Girl Myth - https://majomolfino.com/book

 Blending Heart & Hustle — Coco and Breezy Dotson | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 2583

My guests on this week’s episode are the definition of hustle. Coco and Breezy Dotson, twin designers & founders of Coco and Breezy Eyewear, are no strangers to hard work. Growing up in a mainly white Midwestern suburb, the twins relied on each other for companionship throughout their childhood. Coco and Breezy developed a unique fashion sense that set them apart from other kids, and experienced bullying and exclusion while in school. Rather than allow the bullying to keep them down, the twins used it to inspire their love for stylish eyewear. They sold their first pairs of glasses on Myspace, where they built an extensive following. By the time the twins turned 17, they held three jobs to support their family.In this inspiring interview, Coco and Breezy share their early lessons in entrepreneurship. Through their own personal examples, we learn why failure is necessary, and how we even should embrace failure as an opportunity for growth.Show Notes- Coco and Breezy share stories from their creative, active, curious childhood and what it’s like to grow up with a twin- How they had to assimilate to whiteness growing up in a mostly white Midwestern suburb- Being bullied, left out, misunderstood, and without a community meant the twins had only each other to rely on during their school years- The bullying they experienced in school inspired their love for eyewear- The twins posted photos of their unique, stylish outfits on Myspace and created a community of followers online- Working three jobs by the age of 17 to support their family- Making their first eyewear sales through Myspace, and then traveling to New York wearing their creations- The twins share difficult lessons they learned in their early years of entrepreneurship- How they feel excited by the opportunity to solve a challenge because it pushes them out of their comfort zones- After spending the last of their money on a defective order, they saw the chance to make changes in their lives and business- Learning how to run a more efficient business as two individuals, rather than as one person- Why failure is necessary and something we all experience, especially if we’re willing to get uncomfortableReferencesCoco & Breezy - https://cocoandbreezy.comCoco & Breezy on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cocoandbreezyCoco & Breezy Eyewear - https://www.instagram.com/cocoandbreezyeyewearBreak the Good Girl Myth - https://majomolfino.com/book

 Following Your Creative Purpose — Elise Loehnen | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 2750

When you’re faced with a new opportunity in your career, do you evaluate that opportunity based on the potential for growth it provides? My guest this week has used this measure throughout her career, and as a result, she takes career opportunities where she learns, grows, and adds value. Elise Loehnen Fissmer is the Chief Content Officer of goop, the lifestyle and e-commerce company established by Gwyneth Paltrow in 2008. Prior to joining goop, Elise worked for Condé Nast and Shopzilla, where she adopted a mindset that helped her design a career and life aligned to her purpose.In this interview, Elise tells us of her career progression from recent Yale graduate freelancing at Lucky Magazine, to the opportunity at Shopzilla she pursued because of the tremendous learning potential that came with it. She discusses her early days at goop, when she found herself more hands-on with the team. Recognizing her own comfort with staying behind-the-scenes, Elise now challenges herself to grow by taking on external facing opportunities to contribute. In this episode, you’ll learn about the importance of prototyping ideas you want to try, and Elise shares the questions to ask when considering how new career opportunities align with your purpose. Show Notes- Get a glimpse of Elise’s childhood: horses, making jewelry, and attending hippy school.- Comforting her inner child and speaking to her anxieties around money and security.- Hear about Elise’s middle school years as a competitive athlete, mathlete, an artist.- The period of desperation after graduating from Yale during a time of job market uncertainty.- How landing a freelance job at Lucky Magazine became her doorway to the media industry.- Find out what Elise did in the period between working for Lucky and getting hired by goop.- Why you should work for the company that will teach you what you want to know.- Learning early on that waiting to be scouted, discovered, and invited was unrealistic.- How goop started as a newsletter in 2008 and the organic way that Gwyneth scaled it.- Goop’s approach to business: prototyping, experimenting, playing, collaborating.- Beginner’s resistance and imposter syndrome and why women excel at conquering them.- How Elise’s role has transitioned from managing to being an individual contributor.- Learn what the Netflix series the goop lab is all about and the edgy topics they cover.- The cycle of backlash that ensues every time goop does something expansive.- Thoughts about why people tend to defend the status quo and how it relates to authority.- The creative dream of writing a book instead of only ever co-authoring.ReferencesElise Loehnen - http://www.eliseloehnen.comElise Loehnen on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/elise-loehnen-b867523Elise Loehnen on Twitter - https://twitter.com/eloehnenYale - https://www.yale.eduShopzilla - http://www.shopzilla.comgoop - https://goop.comCondé Nast - https://www.condenast.comGwyneth Paltrow on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/gwynethpaltrowWho’s Afraid of Gwyneth Paltrow and goop? - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/03/opinion/goop-gwyneth-paltrow-netflix.htmlthe goop lab -

 Following Your Creative Purpose — Elise Loehnen | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 2750

When you’re faced with a new opportunity in your career, do you evaluate that opportunity based on the potential for growth it provides? My guest this week has used this measure throughout her career, and as a result, she takes career opportunities where she learns, grows, and adds value. Elise Loehnen Fissmer is the Chief Content Officer of goop, the lifestyle and e-commerce company established by Gwyneth Paltrow in 2008. Prior to joining goop, Elise worked for Condé Nast and Shopzilla, where she adopted a mindset that helped her design a career and life aligned to her purpose.In this interview, Elise tells us of her career progression from recent Yale graduate freelancing at Lucky Magazine, to the opportunity at Shopzilla she pursued because of the tremendous learning potential that came with it. She discusses her early days at goop, when she found herself more hands-on with the team. Recognizing her own comfort with staying behind-the-scenes, Elise now challenges herself to grow by taking on external facing opportunities to contribute. In this episode, you’ll learn about the importance of prototyping ideas you want to try, and Elise shares the questions to ask when considering how new career opportunities align with your purpose. Show Notes- Get a glimpse of Elise’s childhood: horses, making jewelry, and attending hippy school.- Comforting her inner child and speaking to her anxieties around money and security.- Hear about Elise’s middle school years as a competitive athlete, mathlete, an artist.- The period of desperation after graduating from Yale during a time of job market uncertainty.- How landing a freelance job at Lucky Magazine became her doorway to the media industry.- Find out what Elise did in the period between working for Lucky and getting hired by goop.- Why you should work for the company that will teach you what you want to know.- Learning early on that waiting to be scouted, discovered, and invited was unrealistic.- How goop started as a newsletter in 2008 and the organic way that Gwyneth scaled it.- Goop’s approach to business: prototyping, experimenting, playing, collaborating.- Beginner’s resistance and imposter syndrome and why women excel at conquering them.- How Elise’s role has transitioned from managing to being an individual contributor.- Learn what the Netflix series the goop lab is all about and the edgy topics they cover.- The cycle of backlash that ensues every time goop does something expansive.- Thoughts about why people tend to defend the status quo and how it relates to authority.- The creative dream of writing a book instead of only ever co-authoring.ReferencesElise Loehnen - http://www.eliseloehnen.comElise Loehnen on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/elise-loehnen-b867523Elise Loehnen on Twitter - https://twitter.com/eloehnenYale - https://www.yale.eduShopzilla - http://www.shopzilla.comgoop - https://goop.comCondé Nast - https://www.condenast.comGwyneth Paltrow on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/gwynethpaltrowWho’s Afraid of Gwyneth Paltrow and goop? - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/03/opinion/goop-gwyneth-paltrow-netflix.htmlthe goop lab -

 Smart Disobedience: The Key to a Braver Life — Rana el Kaliouby, PhD | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 2588

Have you ever been faced with this choice: remain obedient to your family by giving up your dreams, or pursue your heart’s passion, against your family’s wishes? My guest on HEROINE this week faced that exact situation. Rana el Kaliouby, PhD, Egyptian-American computer scientist and CEO, knew her patriarchal Middle Eastern culture required her to make sacrifices she wasn’t willing to make. After studying computer science and receiving her PhD at Cambridge, Rana developed a deep passion to bring emotional intelligence (EQ) into technology. While founding her company, Affectiva, she chose to leave her marriage, rather than give up on the work she believed in so deeply. Rana recently released her first book, Girl Decoded, a memoir about her life as a rule breaker. In this episode, Rana takes us through her childhood in the Middle East, raised in a family of technologists with strict gender roles. While she wasn’t used to vulnerability or emotion growing up, Rana discusses her personal journey in dealing with emotionally complex situations throughout her life. We also learn about the importance of following your convictions, even if they don’t align with others’ expectations. Rana teaches us when disobedience is necessary, and how to keep yourself out of your own way in the pursuit of your dreams. Show Notes- Rana’s childhood growing up in the Middle East.- The influence of Rana’s technologist family, with two programmer parents.- How Rana creatively rebelled against her father’s patriarchal ways.- The influence the mixture of a forward-thinking but conservative family had on Rana.- How Rana’s family suppressed emotions about evacuating Kuwait after it got invaded by Iraq.- The story of why Rana’s dad got angry with her while she was studying computer science.- Rana’s dream to build technology that can capture non-verbal communication signals.- How Rana realized that building EQ into technology was her calling.- What EQ in technology can offer and how this vision helped Rana disobey conventions.- The story of how Rana had to prioritize starting Affectiva to the detriment of her marriage.- Having to become a disobedient daughter in order to become a powerful woman.- How Rana overcame her self-imposed barriers to become CEO of Affectiva.- Rana’s use of journaling to externalize and process her feelings.- Being a mother amongst all of the career challenges Rana faced.- Why Rana has decided to lead with empathy.- One thing Rana is reclaiming and hopes her book does.ReferencesRana el Kaliouby - https://ranaelkaliouby.comGirl Decoded - https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Decoded-Scientists-Intelligence-Technology-ebook/dp/B07VF1SKPVAffectiva - https://www.affectiva.comThe American University in Cairo - https://www.aucegypt.eduAlexa - https://alexa.amazon.comSiri - https://www.apple.com/siriAffective Computing - https://www.amazon.com/Affective-Computing-Press-Rosalind-Picard/dp/0262661152Untamed - https://www.amazon.com/Untamed-Glennon-Doyle-Melton/dp/1984801252Ariana Huffington - http://ariannahuffington.com

 Smart Disobedience: The Key to a Braver Life — Rana el Kaliouby, PhD | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 2588

Have you ever been faced with this choice: remain obedient to your family by giving up your dreams, or pursue your heart’s passion, against your family’s wishes? My guest on HEROINE this week faced that exact situation. Rana el Kaliouby, PhD, Egyptian-American computer scientist and CEO, knew her patriarchal Middle Eastern culture required her to make sacrifices she wasn’t willing to make. After studying computer science and receiving her PhD at Cambridge, Rana developed a deep passion to bring emotional intelligence (EQ) into technology. While founding her company, Affectiva, she chose to leave her marriage, rather than give up on the work she believed in so deeply. Rana recently released her first book, Girl Decoded, a memoir about her life as a rule breaker. In this episode, Rana takes us through her childhood in the Middle East, raised in a family of technologists with strict gender roles. While she wasn’t used to vulnerability or emotion growing up, Rana discusses her personal journey in dealing with emotionally complex situations throughout her life. We also learn about the importance of following your convictions, even if they don’t align with others’ expectations. Rana teaches us when disobedience is necessary, and how to keep yourself out of your own way in the pursuit of your dreams. Show Notes- Rana’s childhood growing up in the Middle East.- The influence of Rana’s technologist family, with two programmer parents.- How Rana creatively rebelled against her father’s patriarchal ways.- The influence the mixture of a forward-thinking but conservative family had on Rana.- How Rana’s family suppressed emotions about evacuating Kuwait after it got invaded by Iraq.- The story of why Rana’s dad got angry with her while she was studying computer science.- Rana’s dream to build technology that can capture non-verbal communication signals.- How Rana realized that building EQ into technology was her calling.- What EQ in technology can offer and how this vision helped Rana disobey conventions.- The story of how Rana had to prioritize starting Affectiva to the detriment of her marriage.- Having to become a disobedient daughter in order to become a powerful woman.- How Rana overcame her self-imposed barriers to become CEO of Affectiva.- Rana’s use of journaling to externalize and process her feelings.- Being a mother amongst all of the career challenges Rana faced.- Why Rana has decided to lead with empathy.- One thing Rana is reclaiming and hopes her book does.ReferencesRana el Kaliouby - https://ranaelkaliouby.comGirl Decoded - https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Decoded-Scientists-Intelligence-Technology-ebook/dp/B07VF1SKPVAffectiva - https://www.affectiva.comThe American University in Cairo - https://www.aucegypt.eduAlexa - https://alexa.amazon.comSiri - https://www.apple.com/siriAffective Computing - https://www.amazon.com/Affective-Computing-Press-Rosalind-Picard/dp/0262661152Untamed - https://www.amazon.com/Untamed-Glennon-Doyle-Melton/dp/1984801252Ariana Huffington - http://ariannahuffington.com

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