Lilly and Judy ✴️ Historic Calls to Action

What an amazing International Women’s Day 2025 I was privileged to experience! It was equal measure inspiring celebrations of women’s progress and passionate calls to action to change the state of the world for women, where rights won are being lost and many protections of equal treatment are being erased a warp speed.

The two events I attended both received well deserved standing ovations.

That’s because of the way each exemplified progress is possible through struggle and movement building. And each illustrated a poignant reminder that no step forward is forever unless there is constant activism.

Action: Your Antidote to Anxiety and Other Ills

Madeleine moved to a new state with her husband who got a great job there, but she felt the loss of grounding without family and friends and the stimulation of a large city. She approached me to volunteer for Take The Lead and we began to work on a plan.

“I’m feeling alive again,” she said.

In our fast-paced, often overwhelming world, anxiety, fear, and depression can creep in like shadows at dusk — persistent, heavy, and seemingly insurmountable. Yet, hidden in the very act of taking a step forward is a powerful remedy. Action, even in its smallest form, can serve as the antidote to these pervasive feelings.

Good Grief: Assist Colleagues, Customers, Clients, Friends, Family After Disasters

It’s the signature of Susan B. Anthony that Ellen Snortland cannot replace, along with so much else lost in the devastation brought by the California wildfires that destroyed her home in Altadena.

But it is the support and comfort she has received from her friends in her 50 Women Can Change The World in Media & Entertainment, a Take The Lead cohort in 2017, that uplifts her.

“The 50 women should be called 50 angels,” says Snortland, a journalist, author, actor, writer, producer, director, lawyer, coach, advocate and counselor. After her home was completely destroyed, Snortland says, “They stepped right up, with Nancy de Los Santos leading the charge; They Venmo’d me a nice chunk of cash immediately.” De Los Santos is a screenwriter and member of the 50 Women cohort.

Community Building, Inspire: Take The Lead...Michele WeldonJanuary 24, 2025Disaster Relief, LA WildfiresComment

Equal Rights for All: On MLK Day, How RBG Logic Can Advance the ERA

On this long weekend when MLK day falls on inauguration day, and much of the country faces a big chill, a long overdue step forward for women’s rights was announced by President Biden: the ratification into the U.S. Constitution of the Equal Rights Amendment.

The Sum, Community BuildingGloria FeldtJanuary 20, 2025MLK, Martin Luther King, Leadership Tools, Equal Rights Amendment, ERAComment

Want to Help LA? Resources for People Who Lost So Much and How We Can Support

“It’s about so much more than losing things and getting new things,” a friend said to me.

I’m rarely at a loss for words. But I’m struggling to express my feelings of shock, horror, and grief for the people of the Los Angeles area in the midst of the horrific fires that have devastated entire communities and robbed so many of their homes and all their physical possessions.

And my friend’s words have been occupying my mind.

Community BuildingGloria FeldtJanuary 13, 2025wildfire, fire relief, los angelesComment

Joy To The Workplace: 10 Ways To Bring Happiness in The Front Door This Season

Whether or not you celebrate the holidays, it is undeniable that most of the world around you at work and in your personal life do. While you may not be humming the lyrics to “Joy To The World” every morning, noon and night, it may be in your best interest to seek out the joy this season and cultivate a work culture that oozes happiness. Or at least a genuine smile.

“Being joyful at work is crucial for mental health and overall well-being. Joyful individuals often experience lower stress levels, improved mental resilience, and stronger interpersonal relationships, says the expert,” psychologist Dr Neha Dutt tells Healthshots.

Be The Best Leader Following Disasters: Strategies To Rebuild Workplaces For Recovery

Hurricane Helene last month and Hurricane Milton this month serve as reminders to every American just how much climate change and natural disasters affect lives—work lives as well as home lives. In many cases, everything must be rebuilt.

Beyond hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes and earthquakes also disrupt and destroy businesses and workplaces forcing leaders to have a plan ready for emergencies that benefit employees hit by these disasters.

So how can you be a great leader following devastation so your employees, colleagues, managers, clients, suppliers and administrators can press restart?

Community BuildingMichele WeldonOctober 11, 2024Leadership, worker rightsComment

Now Is Time For Women Leaders to Create An Equitable Future With Intentioning

The gender landscape of the workplace is changing as is the global culture of society. During Women’s History Month and in time for International Women’s Day March 8, it is crucial to examine how and why the leadership climate is shifting and where and how individuals can make the biggest impact on equity, fulfilling their own goals and dreams.

The Future Is NOW: Black Leader Leads Organization Into Intersectional Future

The future looks beautiful to Christian Nunes, MBA, MS, LCSW,  president of the National Organization of Women, the 57-year-old organization built from the grassroots to address gender inequality at the height of the civil rights movement.

Make Change: How and Why Donors of Color Impact The World For Good

“If you can’t make change with the person who lives next door to you, how can you make change across continents?”

Isabelle Leighton, executive director of Donors of Color Network, says, “Most change starts local.”

Community Building, Finance/Money, Changing the Power Par...Michele WeldonSeptember 16, 2022Philanthropy, Community, Racial EquityComment

It's Time to Get Out of Your Own Way

Is your comfort zone holding you back?

Look, trust me, I know it can sometimes be hard to acknowledge that we’re the ones responsible for making progress (or lack thereof) in our lives, but the good news is we can unlearn that behavior in order to get out of our own way.

She Votes: 10 Truths About Women Voters This Election Day

The 2020 election season has been divisive, distressing, uplifting, unprecedented and crucial for American women and their families and communities.

“During this moment, I feel that we still need to be emancipated. There are still freedoms that need to be protected. There are still laws that need to be revised. There are more people that need to be included. There are more things to achieve. There is more space for change and growth.”

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