Season 2

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This episode is part two of our conversation with returning guest Khadra Mohamed about what it means to be a leader. In the first part we talked with Khadra about different leadership experiences and opportunities we’ve had throughout our lives so far, what kinds of leadership styles come naturally to us, and some things that can keep us from showing up as ourselves. In this part we’ll go deeper, talking about how we became leaders and what helped us see ourselves that way.

We’ll talk about women in leadership positions who inspire us and how important it is to see women who look like us taking the reins. Representation matters! Khadra talks about not realizing how important it was to see women who looked like her in leadership roles until it happened, how good it felt to see possibilities for herself, and how connected she felt to those women. This can have such a big impact on our self-image and what we believe we’re capable of.

We’ll also get into how we were encouraged (or if we were encouraged) to take on leadership roles when we were growing up, some differences we’ve experienced across cultures and families, and what kinds of differences we saw for boys when it came to leadership opportunities. We’ll share stories about our first big leadership challenges and how we’ve grown since then— what was hard, what came naturally, and what we learned about ourselves.

Our takeaways: Leading can be challenging, and there can be barriers along the way, but it can also be so rewarding! You might not always see someone who looks like you in a leadership position, but you could be the one who inspires someone else. We hope you find some inspiration in our experiences that can help you take some risks, put yourself out there, and see yourself as a leader.

As always, stay tuned at the end for our segments Would You Rather and Girls Pick!

This is the last episode of our second season, but we’ll be back soon with more GIRL Talk 🙂 Don’t forget to subscribe, share with friends, and rate and review the show.

Looking for ways to engage with our podcast team? Reach out at GIRLTalk.GirlScoutsRV.org/contact.

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This is part one of a two-part episode about what it means to be a leader with our friend and returning guest Khadra Mohamed. We talked with Khadra about different leadership experiences and opportunities we’ve had throughout our lives so far like working at camp, taking care of siblings, and stepping up at school or work.

Leadership styles and how we approach leading can be very different. For example, Khadra shared that what leadership looks like for her is showing up, being consistent for the girls she works with, and building trust. She’s found that quiet leadership is the best fit for her. This means being herself, and not trying to be too outgoing when it doesn’t come naturally.

Being a leader doesn’t necessarily mean being vocal, charismatic, or outgoing – there are lots of different kinds of leaders. There’s strength in quiet leadership, and introverts can be leaders just as effectively as extroverts. But that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with being outgoing and extroverted! Leaders can be quiet, loud, really hands-on, or more hands-off. Do what comes naturally to you! Showing up as yourself is important. You’ll be more effective and authentic, and build stronger, more trusting relationships.

We talked about some things that are hard for us that maybe some girls out there can relate to, like always wanting to seem likable, approachable, and nice. We don’t want to come off as mean, aggressive, condescending, or rude, but we know we need to be assertive to get things done in a leadership role. As women and girls, we can stretch ourselves to be comfortable with direct communication and not worry about coming across as being “bossy.”

Our takeaways: Being a leader doesn’t mean you have to know everything, and it’s ok to make mistakes. It’s easy to think of leadership as having power or being in command, but really the best part is seeing growth happen in the people we lead. There’s no one right way to be a leader. Everyone can lead, and it can look different for different people.

We’ll be back with the second part of this episode where we’ll dive deeper with Khadra into what it means to be a leader and talk about where we get our inspiration!

Stay tuned at the end for Would You Rather and Girls Pick 🙂

Have an idea for an episode, or just want to say “hey!” to our podcast crew? Go to girltalk.girlscoutsrv.org/contact. And don’t forget to subscribe, share, and rate us on your favorite app!

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This episode features a conversation with guest expert Karla Benson Rutten on how to talk about race and difference.

Karla works at Girl Scouts River Valleys as the Vice President of Community Engagement, developing strategies to help Girl Scouts be culturally responsive, relevant, and accessible to girls in communities of color. She also founded and runs her own coaching, consulting, and training firm focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Karla is a facilitator and advocate with tons of experience in higher education, diversity, social justice, and sexual violence prevention program development, which are important topics that we know a lot of girls are passionate about.

Hannah and Shanna had a great conversation with Karla about representation, trust, building relationships, and how to engage in dialog that will help build your community with people who don’t look like you or share your same culture. We’ll talk about when we first noticed race and difference, and how it can sometimes be hard to be curious and ask questions about people who are different from ourselves. A lot of what makes it hard comes from things many of us were taught about what is polite or appropriate to talk about, and concepts about race like “colorblindness” that can hinder us from forming relationships with people who are different from us.

Our takeaway— Respect, curiosity, and good intent are important and can be helpful tools for starting conversations. They can help us get past feelings of not wanting to say the wrong thing or fear of sounding ignorant. It’s all about acknowledging bias, being open, and expanding what we do to grow ourselves. We hope you’ll use some of the tools from this episode to start your own conversations.

Stay tuned at the end for Would You Rather and Girls Pick!

Looking to connect with our podcast team? Reach out with ideas, questions, or comments at girltalk.girlscoutsrv.org/contact.

Some links and resources to dive into

• A Different Mirror for Young People: A History of Multicultural America (Ronald Takaki)
• A People’s History of the United States (Howard Zinn)
• How to Talk To Kids About Race: Books and Resources That Can Help (list books for middle grades and young adult toward end of book list)
• Knowing Our History to Build a Brighter Future: Books to Help Kids Understand the Fight for Racial Equality
• 7 Young Adult Novels That Encourage Discussions on Racism (Age 14+)

Karla’s reading list

Ages 9-12:

• June Peters, You Will Change the World One Day (Alika Turner)
• Brown Girl Dreaming (Jacqueline Woodson)
• Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement (Carole Boston Weatherford)
• Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters (Andrea Davis Pinkney)
• One Crazy Summer (Rita Williams-Garcia)
• P.S. Be Eleven (Rita Williams-Garcia)
• President of the Whole Fifth Grade (Sherri Winston)
• Zora and Me (Victoria Bond & T.R. Simon)

Ages 13 and Up:

• Come Here, Girl, Let Me Talk to You: A 30-Day Self-Discovery Journal for Girls About Life (Neda Renee)
• The Hate You Give (Angie Thomas)
• Piecing Me Together (Renée Watson)
• The Sisters Are Alright: Changing the Broken Narrative of Black Women in America (Tamara Winfrey Harris)
• Letters to a Young Artist (Anna Deveare Smith)
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou)
• Sister Outsider (Audre Lorde)
• The Bluest Eye (Toni Morrison)
• Their Eyes Were Watching God (Zora Neale Hurston)
• For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf (Ntozake Shange)
• Sister Citizen (Melissa Harris-Perry)
• The Color Purple (Alice Walker)
• Kindred (Octavia Butler)
• Redefining Realness (Janet Mock)
• Sister of the Yam: Black Women and Self-Recovery (bell hooks)
• The Crunk Feminist Collective (Brittney Cooper, Susana Morris, & Robin Boylorn)

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In this episode we’re talking with Eaden, who is a high school senior. We had a great conversation about her experience with social media and the huge role it plays in her friend group and school.

We talked with Eaden about how social media is a big part of a lot of girls’ lives when it comes to connecting with friends, keeping up with news, and showing the world who you are. It ties into things like self-esteem, identity, and being accepted by your peers. You might hear some of your own experience in Eaden’s story, or maybe yours is totally different.

Eaden shared her perspective on what it would be like to opt out of social media, including some of the potential social consequences and benefits like feeling more present with her friend group. She talks about doing things like putting her phone on “do not disturb” when she’s out with friends to be in the moment, and how she tries to give herself a little break when she’s feeling drained.

Think about your social media use – how do posts, likes, and followers make you feel? Do you feel good when you’re interacting with people on social media, or does it sometimes feel bad? And if it feels bad, are there ways you can limit yourself and stay away from some of the unhealthy aspects? Are there times you don’t really show your true self? Think about it!

As always, stay tuned at the end for Would You Rather and a special Girls Pick with our girl guest.

Want to connect with our team or find out how you can be featured on Girls Pick? Go to girltalk.girlscoutsrv.org/contact. Don’t forget to subscribe and share with friends!

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In this episode we had a lot of fun getting into one of Hannah and Shanna’s favorite subjects – video games! We know there are a lot of podcasts out there about gaming, but we hope you’ll get a little something different from our conversation. We’ll talk about what we love about gaming, how we got started, and what we look for in a game. We’ll also share our thoughts about female characters and discuss how we take up space as women in the mostly male-dominated gaming culture.

This is the sister to episode 2: “Girl, Get Outside!” which is all about how great it is to get a dose of nature for your self-care. On the flip side of that, sometimes you just want to stay inside and solve a complex puzzle, chase zombies, score a few touchdowns, build a civilization from the virtual ground up, or save a beautifully crafted alternate universe from impending doom, all from the comfort of your couch. We find gaming helps us recharge and take a sometimes-necessary break from thinking about school, work, and life, while still keeping our mind active. It can also be a great way to socialize in online communities (make sure you’re being safe!) or spend time with friends and family playing multi-player games.

Hannah and Shanna describe why they’ve always loved gaming and the important part it has played in their lives for relaxation, alone time, family time, and even development of critical thinking skills. We know there are girls out there who can relate! Even if you don’t relate, it’s fun to hear personal perspectives on a subject that most of us have probably had at least a little bit of experience with. And if this is all brand new to you, maybe give it a try!

Our takeaways: You don’t have to be perfect to call yourself a gamer, and there’s no one way or right way to play. Video games can be more than just a way to pass the time— they can be meaningful experiences that transport you to another world, and can be a great way to connect with others or spend needed time alone to recharge.

As always, stay tuned at the end for our segments Would You Rather and Girls Pick!

Have an idea for an episode or wondering how you can be featured in Girls Pick? Connect with our podcast team at girltalk.girlscoutsrv.org/contact.

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In this episode we’re talking about mental health with our friend Maddie Phelps. Maddie is a Development Associate at Girl Scouts River Valleys writing grant applications that fundraise for the Girl Scout mission. Outside of work they spend their time writing, weightlifting, and hanging out with friends.

We had a great conversation with Maddie about experiences we had with mental health as teenagers and now as adults. Like what it felt like to deal with things like depression and anxiety, what made things hard, and what helped. We also talk about how it got better as we got older, but that some things are still hard.

We’ll get into our own experiences with depression, anxiety, autism, and bipolar disorder, and how hard it sometimes was as kids and teens to live up to other peoples’ standards while dealing with really hard stuff internally. We’ll also talk about how it feels to be in different states of mental health and how exhausting it can be, or on the flip side feeling like a speeding bullet train or volcano and being able to take on anything, with not-so-great consequences later.

We’ve all got some personal things we’ve found that help us get through challenges— like using humor to cope, making our own accommodations that help make school and work settings easier to deal with, and finding people that get it and have our backs. We discuss our own experiences with things like medication and therapy and how they can be really helpful for some people, but that there are also other ways to cope and help yourself if there are barriers to accessing these options or if they just aren’t right for you.

Our takeaway— The most important thing for us is encouraging sustainable, healthy balance in our lives. If you’re dealing with some of these challenges yourself, find things that help you promote your own success, and people who you can be honest with and rely on.

Note: We’ll mention the terms mental illness and neurodivergence. So we’re all on the same page, mental illness refers to health conditions that affect thinking, mood, emotion, or behavior, and neurodivergence means having a brain that functions in a way that’s different from the usual norms in society.

 

Helpful resources:

Face to Face https://face2face.org/support/mental-health/

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255

 

Want to connect with our team about thoughts and ideas, or to find out how you can be featured on Girls Pick? Contact us at girltalk.girlscoutsrv.org/contact