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PODCAST

Firestarters with Shannon Watts

Firestarters is a podcast filled with inspiring interviews of women living audacious lives and encouraging others to do the same. shannonwatts.substack.com shannonwatts.substack.com

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All Episodes

30:56

16: Poppy Harlow on how to navigate the messy middle

Firestarters with Shannon Watts ·

2025/02/10

"I'm hesitant to use the word luck because women use the word luck way too much. I was ready. I was prepared. Ready when the breaks came, and persistent to get them."Today on the Firestarters podcast, I’m talking with Poppy Harlow, an award-winning, Emmy-nominated journalist, podcast host, author, and the previous anchor of CNN Newsroom. Poppy has interviewed some of the world’s most important leaders and influencers, including Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and moderated two CNN

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45:16

Shannon Watts and Charlotte Clymer on the state of...

Firestarters with Shannon Watts ·

2025/02/04

Today I spoke with Charlotte Clymer about the state of activism and politics in America, how we got here, why it can change quickly, and ways everyday citizens can force their elected leaders to fight back against fascism … NOW. Mentioned in this conversation is my Substack piece on the ways we can put public pressure on Democrats.And be sure you’re following Charlotte’s Substack, Charlotte’s Web Thoughts, for politics, religion, culture, and humor. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss

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47:12

15: How to dismantle the patriarchy with Reshma Saujani

Firestarters with Shannon Watts ·

2025/01/27

"Imposter syndrome, this feeling that we think we're not good enough, we're not smart enough, we're not prepared enough, we're not ready enough has really held us back. And that imposter syndrome is a con. It's a lie we've been told to keep progress dismantled."Today on the Firestarters podcast, I’m talking with Reshma Saujani, an incredible activist who has spent more than a decade fighting for women and girls’ economic empowerment, to close the gender gap in the tech sector, and advocating for

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39:21

Emily Amick and Shannon Watts reflect on resilience,...

Firestarters with Shannon Watts ·

2025/01/20

And then read our joint Substack post, The hope you deserve on Inauguration Day, and let us know in the comments what drives you, gives you purpose, and how you’re preparing for the next four years.My upcoming book, Fired Up: How to Turn Your Spark Into a Flame and Come Alive at Any Age, is now available for preorder! This book is my guide to figuring out what lights you up and will show you how to live on fire every day. Click here to preorder and get locked into some incredible bonuses. This is a

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35:50

14: Karla Welch on how saying "yes" can change your life

Firestarters with Shannon Watts ·

2025/01/07

"I'm brutally shy, but I’ve never questioned my ability to work hard. So I say yes to things that were way outside my comfort zone. I can be afraid, but I do it anyway."On my latest Firestarters podcast, I’m talking with CEO, stylist, and activist Karla Welch. Not only is Karla one of the most powerful stylists alive, but she’s also the co-founder of sustainable period underwear company Period and the non-profit, The Period Abundance Foundation, and a longtime social activist. She is a true force

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45:50

13: How to tell the truth with Sarah Jones

Firestarters with Shannon Watts ·

2024/12/03

"If we don't tell the truth, we're doing a disservice to everyone. Racism hurts white people. Sexism hurts men. Homophobia hurts straight people. When you dehumanize the 'other,' you're actually dehumanizing yourself."Today on the Firestarters podcast, I’m talking with Sarah Jones, a Tony Award-winning visionary and solo performer. Sarah is an actor, comedian, writer, producer, and activist, who seeks to impact more than just the entertainment industry with her own unique experiences as a Black

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32:13

12: First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom on the Power...

Firestarters with Shannon Watts ·

2024/11/12

“If we could get all these different female leaders who care about these different issues—whether it's repro rights or gun violence or care—focused on our common humanity and common lived experience as women, I feel like we could move policy forward in a way that's never been moved.”Today on the Firestarters podcast, I’m talking with First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, an award-winning filmmaker, and an influential thought leader on gender equality, and the mother of four children with California

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30:05

Post Election Debrief: Where do we go from here? With...

Firestarters with Shannon Watts ·

2024/11/08

Thank you to everyone who joined us live yesterday for a conversation between myself and Jessica Yellin of News Not Noise. We talked about what happened in the election, the importance of women running for office, how Republicans are changing the election playbook, whether there was cheating, and how we can move forward from here. Watch the replay and be sure to download the Substack app so you don’t miss the next one! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or

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43:14

11: Amy Nobile on Why it's Never too Late to Find Love

Firestarters with Shannon Watts ·

2024/10/01

Your person will love you exactly as you are, the age you are, where you live, how tall you are, what you do, what you don't do. And it's true every single time. You have to be authentic. You really have to show who you are because that's the only way someone can find you.In this episode of the Firestarters Podcast, I spoke with Amy Nobile, a dating coach who focuses on a holistic-view of human to human connection. I first interviewed Amy for a Fireside Chat q&a on dating in midlife and I knew I

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51:12

10: Sharon McMahon on How Small Actions Can Lead to...

Firestarters with Shannon Watts ·

2024/09/03

"Sustainable change requires small, regular, concerted efforts by a lot of people doing the next right thing. All of us working together to change something has far more effect than five of us trying to do everything.”Sharon McMahon is perhaps better known as America’s Government Teacher. Previously a government, history, and law teacher, she now shares her knowledge through Instagram, where she puts the latest headlines into context for her million-plus followers.She’s also the host of the

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28:49

09: Gisele Fetterman on Finding Joy in a Political World

Firestarters with Shannon Watts ·

2024/08/06

"I say all of my work comes from pain. I think it's really important to figure out the things that hurt and then work towards making it hurt less for the next person." - Gisele FettermanGiselle Fetterman is a Brazilian born activist, philanthropist, and non profit executive. When her husband, John Fetterman, was a mayor and then lieutenant governor in Pennsylvania, she was the first lady of Braddock and the second lady of the Commonwealth. Her husband is now a U. S. senator. Giselle has helped found

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49:44

08: Emily Amick on Unleashing Your Political Power

Firestarters with Shannon Watts ·

2024/07/02

“I want to see Republican women for gun reform and I want these women to start calling themselves Republicans and trying to exert more influence within their party. I want to see those Republican women step into their political power, for God's sakes, do the work. Your tears will never, ever change the current Republican Party, is really my message.”Emily Amick is a lawyer, journalist, and political analyst who served as counsel to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. She has taken the knowledge

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35:47

07: Sharon Salzberg on Leading an Authentic Life

Firestarters with Shannon Watts ·

2024/06/04

“The philosophical framework of Buddhism saved me. I was studying Asian philosophy and there was the Buddha saying 'you're suffering in life', and for me, that became, 'you're not so different'. You belong actually.” Sharon Salzberg is a meditation pioneer, a world renowned teacher, and a New York Times bestselling author. Her books include Real Happiness and her seminal work, Lovingkindness. She has inspired generations of meditation teachers and wellness influencers. Sharon’s popular podcast, The

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44:56

06: Sandra Cisneros on the Power of Words to Shape...

Firestarters with Shannon Watts ·

2024/05/07

“I tell people you don't have to say, ‘I'm just a drop in the bucket.’ Well, take care of your drop. Your drop affects so many other people and whenever you speak or are in contact with people, you're shaping and changing every day.”Sandra is a prolific poet, author, and artist, perhaps best known for her book The House on Mango Street, originally published in 1984, which has gone on to sell over six million copies and is required reading in schools across the world. Recently, Sandra published her

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49:25

05: Rabbi Sharon Brous Says Community Can Unlock Our...

Firestarters with Shannon Watts ·

2024/04/02

"Take seriously the fact that there's something in the world that you need to do and then do it now. Don’t wait — we don't know how long we have." Rabbi Sharon Brous is the senior and founding rabbi of IKAR, a leading edge Jewish community based in Los Angeles, and the author of the national bestseller, The Amen Effect, Ancient Wisdom to Heal Our Hearts and Mend Our Broken World. She's been named to the list of the most influential rabbis in America, and was recognized by the Forward and Jerusalem

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29:35

04: Lucy McBath: Mom on a Mission

Firestarters with Shannon Watts ·

2024/03/05

“I fell into flying as a flight attendant. And it was probably the best thing for me at that time, my love for travel, my love for other cultures, and ethnicities. And it's the best training ground for the work that I do now.”After hearing your enthusiasm about the first three episodes of the Firestarters Podcast, I’m excited to tell you that I’ll be continuing to share one new episode of the podcast per month.And today I’m talking with my friend Lucy McBath, a gun violence survivor, former Moms

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42:01

03: A'shanti Gholar is Making Sure Women Have a Seat...

Firestarters with Shannon Watts ·

2024/01/30

“One of the things I hear from women about running for office is, ‘I don't want to be criticized.’ And I say ‘They’re going to criticize you if you do it. They're going to criticize you if you don't do it. And wouldn't it be better to be doing something and to have them talk about you? To be making change and have them talk about you? To be passing bills that are going to do good and have them talk about you?’”A’shanti Gholar is the president of Emerge, an organization dedicated to recruiting and

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28:07

02: Dr. Pooja Lakshmin Tells Us How to Avoid Burnout

Firestarters with Shannon Watts ·

2024/01/23

“One of the metaphors that I use is imagining guilt is a faulty check engine light on your car dashboard. Your car has just been serviced, the oil is changed, everything's fine, but the stupid light just keeps going off. It doesn't actually give you any meaningful information, so you can ignore it. You can just say it's broken. Guilt is not a moral compass.”Dr. Pooja Lakshmin is a clinical psychiatrist in Austin, Texas, specializing in women's health. She's also an assistant professor of

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37:49

01: How Gretchen Carlson Kept Her Spark Alive

Firestarters with Shannon Watts ·

2024/01/16

“So I am silenced. I do not own my own truth. I do not own my own reality. I've had movies and miniseries made about me. I couldn't participate. I can't even tell you if they're accurate. I may never own my own voice, but I am going to make sure that other people do.”Gretchen Carlson is a renowned journalist, a bestselling author, and now an internationally recognized advocate for women's rights in the workplace. Gretchen's life has taken so many twists and turns from youth violinist to Miss

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0:55

Firestarters: The Podcast

Firestarters with Shannon Watts ·

2023/12/19

Look for the launch of my new Firestarters podcast in January 2024. During the course of writing my new book (out in 2025), I’ve had some incredible conversations with women who are living on fire, and I wanted to share a few of these conversations to you in January. Why? Because think we could all use some fiery women to help us ring in the New Year! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

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