Making It with Jess Ekstrom

Making it to Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia with Claude Silver

In this enlightening episode of Making It with Jess Ekstrom, Jess sits down with Claude Silver, the Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia and author of Be Yourself at Work. Claude opens up about her non-traditional path to executive leadership—from struggling with academics and feeling like a failure in her early 20s to finding her calling in transformative psychology and emotional intelligence. She pulls back the curtain on what a Chief Heart Officer actually does, how she helped shift VaynerMedia’s hiring philosophy from "culture fit" to "skillset fit and culture addition", and why feedback should be viewed as connection rather than correction. Plus, Claude shares her perspectives on parenting beyond grades, overcoming workplace gossip, and maintaining irreplaceable human connection in an era dominated by AI. Episode Highlights: Overcoming School Struggles: Claude reflects on how poor test scores affected her early confidence, realizing later in life that traditional schooling tests for the wrong skills while overlooking emotional intelligence. The "Kindness Balloon" & Parenting: How Claude teaches her children values like commitment, work ethic, and everyday kindness over simple academic performance. Ditching "Culture Fit": Why hiring for "culture fit" creates homogenous teams, and how VaynerMedia shifted to hiring for "skillset fit and culture addition" to foster real diversity of thought. What a Chief Heart Officer Does: Defining the role as serving as the emotional framework for a 2,000-person global company, balancing empathy and people-first culture with high-performance accountability. The Danger of Shrinking at Work: Addressing the cost of hiding your true self at work, and why "dipping your toe in the water" prevents burnout and mental health decline. Reframing Feedback as Connection: Why humans naturally fear feedback, and how managers can deliver specific, kind, current, and actionable feedback that builds trust. Analog Moments in an AI World: Why AI will handle data gathering and organizational efficiency, but human curiosity, raw vulnerability, and in-person (IRL) connection will remain the ultimate differentiator. Redefining "Making It": How Claude transitioned from working 15-hour weekend shifts to earn validation to prioritizing how she spends her time and choosing experiences that fill her spiritual and relational bucket. About Our Guest: Claude Silver is the Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia, where she serves as the emotional framework for over 2,000 employees globally. A former advertising executive with a background in transformative psychology, Claude is a renowned speaker and the author of Be Yourself at Work. Her mission centers on scaling empathy, emotional intelligence, and relational connection within fast-paced corporate environments, empowering individuals to unlock their full potential and bring their authentic selves to work every day.

Making it to Free Tampons in Every Bathroom with Claire Coder

In this energizing episode of Making It with Jess Ekstrom, Jess sits down with Claire Coder, the visionary founder of Aunt Flow. Claire shares the exact moment at age 18 that inspired her to drop out of college to make tampons and pads just as free, dignified, and accessible as toilet paper in public restrooms. She opens up about the evolution of her company—from packing subscription boxes in a U-Haul storage unit to raising nearly $17 million in venture capital and stocking Aunt Flow dispensers across 70,000 bathrooms worldwide. Claire provides a candid look at the realities of being a B2B founder, including why she considers entrepreneurship a "genetic defect," navigating the surprising pushback she gets from female decision-makers, and why balancing a world-changing social impact requires owning a unapologetically capitalist mindset. Episode Highlights: The "Quarter Dispenser" Moment: Claire recalls her monumental 18th-period story that exposed the lack of basic period care in public restrooms and sparked the idea for Aunt Flow. Dropping Out for Menstruation: Navigating the awkward, bold conversations with parents and advisors when leaving Ohio State University after one semester to build a period care empire. From U-Haul to B2B Leader: The scrappy early days of running a subscription box out of a 3rd-floor apartment and storage unit before pivoting to patented B2B bathroom dispensers. A Shift in Policy: Celebrating the legal and cultural shift across 27 states that now mandate or fund free period products in school bathrooms. "No Mission Without Margin": A raw masterclass on why purpose-driven startups must maintain for-profit discipline and high performance to create true long-term impact. Selling Tampons to Men vs. Women: Why heads of facilities (mostly men) are often an easy sell, and the unexpected challenge of overcoming internalized taboo from female decision-makers. Handling 86 VCs Rejections: What Claire learned while pitching investors, raising $17M, and how she gives direct, constructive feedback to the next generation of founders. The Art of "Playing the Game": Why context-switching and matching the energy of any room—from janitorial trade shows to Manhattan rooftops—is a essential founder superpower. About Our Guest: Claire Coder is the founder and CEO of Aunt Flow, a B2B company that designs and installs patented, free-play dispensers packed with organic cotton tampons and pads in public and corporate bathrooms. After dropping out of college at age 18 to solve period poverty and bathroom inequality, Claire has built Aunt Flow into a global brand operating in over 70,000 bathrooms across all 50 states and multiple countries. She has raised nearly $17 million in venture capital, donated over 7 million period products to communities in need, and continues to champion menstrual equity worldwide.

Making it to Honest Motherhood with Libby Ward

Jess sits down with Libby Ward, the creator behind the viral movement Diary of an Honest Mom and author of Honest Motherhood. Libby shares her personal evolution from a self-described people-pleasing "plate spinner" to a fierce advocate for maternal mental health. She opens up about the crushing shift from the "baby parade" celebration of pregnancy to the overwhelming isolation of postpartum depression and medical emergencies. Libby also details her decision to step back from teaching, how viral TikTok success changed her relationship with content creation, her choice to keep her children's faces off social media, and how she unlearned decade-long habits of self-doubt to proudly own the value of her work and story. Episode Highlights: The "Baby Parade" Trap: Libby unpacks how society showers pregnant women with celebration, only to leave mothers feeling invisible once the baby arrives. The Postpartum Reality Check: A raw reflection on navigating a newborn medical emergency and mastitis in a hospital recliner, realizing how quickly a mother's basic needs are sidelined. Sociology & "Cycle Breaking": How returning to university in her 30s introduced Libby to terms like mental load and patriarchy, revealing that her burnout was systemic rather than a personal failure. Finding Community on TikTok: The origin of Diary of an Honest Mom and how going viral provided a safe testing ground to dismantle maternal shame. Protecting Kids in the Digital Age: Why Libby strictly keeps her children off camera, respecting their autonomy and avoiding the pressure of converting family life into content. Overcoming the Fear of "Selling": How years of therapy helped Libby transition from endlessly giving free content to confidently owning the life-changing value of her book. Redefining "Making It": Why success today isn't about the next book launch or viral video, but the rare, grounded ability to be fully present in the moment right in front of her. About Our Guest: Libby Ward is a digital creator, speaker, maternal mental health advocate, and the author of Honest Motherhood. Known digitally as Diary of an Honest Mom, Libby launched her platform to break cycles of shame, martyrdom, and perfectionism in parenting. With millions of followers across social platforms, she provides a refreshing, unfiltered look at mental health, division of labor, and the realities of modern motherhood, empowering women to prioritize their well-being and own their inherent worth.

Making it to an Audience of 12 Million with the Founders of TheSkimm, Carly Zakin and Danielle Weisberg

Jess sits down with Carly Zakin and Danielle Weisberg, the brilliant co-founders of The Skimm. Proving that cold DMs can actually work , Jess dives deep into their 14-year entrepreneurial journey — from meeting during a study abroad program in Rome and quitting their dream jobs at NBC News to building a massive news media empire and raising multiple rounds of venture capital. Carly and Danielle share the raw realities of navigating burnout , maintaining a strictly objective newsroom during highly polarized elections , and drafting a business "prenup" to protect their relationship. They also pull back the curtain on what it actually looks like when a massive acquisition deal closes — bathrobes included. Episode Highlights: The Art of the Cold DM: Jess shares how she booked the co-founders of The Skimm simply by taking a chance and shooting her shot in their inbox. The "Hated by Both Sides" Metric: Carly and Danielle reflect on the early challenges of writing unbiased news, revealing how getting angry mail from both sides of the political aisle proved they were doing their jobs right. Ditching the Coastal Bubble: How The Skimm took on the responsibility of representing millennial women across the entire country, balancing an audience split down the middle politically. The Reality of Founder Burnout: A vulnerable look back at the chaotic pandemic era when business metrics were booming, but the sheer stress of remote management had them ready to walk away. The Co-Founder "Prenup": The exact advice they received from a lawyer that saved their friendship, and how keeping strict boundaries between "friend time" and "work time" preserved their 20-year bond. An Anti-Climactic Acquisition: The hilarious behind-the-scenes story of closing their life-changing acquisition deal over an early morning Zoom call while Danielle was still in a bathrobe. What Money Actually Buys: A candid conversation on why the narrative that "money doesn't buy happiness" is flawed, and how capital buys crucial support networks, childcare, and peace of mind for working mothers. Adapting to the AI Revolution: Carly explains why women must build agency in their careers by staying up to date on technology as AI reshapes the global job market. About Our Guests: Carly Zakin & Danielle Weisberg are media entrepreneurs, journalists, and the co-founders of The Skimm. After meeting in college and working together as producers at NBC News , they left their corporate trajectories to launch a daily newsletter from their couch. Together, they scaled The Skimm into a dominant multi-platform brand that fundamentally changed how millions of millennial women consume news and manage their civic, financial, and professional lives. Through their platform, they have registered over two million voters and championed massive structural transparency around paid family leave. Following their successful acquisition , they continue to advocate for technology education , career autonomy , and structural workplace support for women.

Making it to Adoption and Inc's Fastest Growing Company with Jessica Honegger

Recorded on location in Austin, Texas, Jess catches up with long-time friend Jessica Honegger, the visionary founder of Noonday Collection. Jessica shares the raw, inspiring origin story of how she pawned her grandmother’s gold jewelry to build a website and launched Noonday as a simple fundraiser to finance her son's adoption from Rwanda. After scaling Noonday into an explosive powerhouse and one of Inc.’s fastest-growing companies, she faced a massive crossroads when post-COVID market shifts triggered an industry-wide collapse for traditional direct sales. Jessica pulls back the curtain on why she chose to stay and reinvent the company rather than liquidate, her experience hiring her husband as her operational partner, and how she completely dismantled the "mom guilt" narrative while raising a family alongside a globally integrated business. Episode Highlights The $0 Scrap Business Blueprint: Jessica opens up about the financial desperation that led her to pawn her grandmother's jewelry just to build her first business website. The Adoption Rooted Mission: How a desire to bring home her son from Rwanda turned an organic, one-night living room trunk show into a sustainable global marketplace. Surviving the Direct Sales Extinction: A transparent look at how post-COVID changes caused a collapse in direct sales, forcing Noonday to transition to wholesale partnerships like Nordstrom and boutique retailers. Hiring Your Spouse as COO: Jessica reveals what it was like to hire her husband as a turnaround partner and the unique boundaries they navigate to separate boardroom talk from their marriage. Defeating the "Mom Guilt" Trap: How leaning on empirical data and aligning her career with global female economic empowerment helped her realize that working was a benefit, not a detriment, to her children. Integrating Work and Family: The philosophy of building a "family vision" rather than a solo venture, including bringing her children on international sourcing trips. Ditching "Point of Arrival" Living: A masterclass in letting go of constant comparison, embracing plateaus, and changing your posture to one of daily gratitude rather than chasing future metrics. About Our Guest Jessica Honegger is an author, speaker, podcaster, and the founder of Noonday Collection, a socially conscious fashion brand that partners with artisans across the globe to create sustainable economic opportunities. A passionate advocate for international development and human rights, Jessica is the author of Imperfect Courage: Live a Life of Purpose by Leaving Your Comfort Zone. Over the past 15 years, her brand has mobilized thousands of ambassadors, built a sustainable middle class for dozens of international artisan communities, and emerged as a leading voice in ethical entrepreneurship.

Making it to the Most Decorated Track & Field Athlete in the World with Allyson Felix

In this special live episode of Making It with Jess Ekstrom, recorded in front of a live audience at Mic Drop Live, Jess sits down with Allyson Felix, the most decorated track and field athlete of all time. While her medal count is legendary, her true legacy lies in her resilience off the track. Allyson opens up about her bold decision to train for the LA 2028 Olympics at age 40, defying societal expectations for women in their 40s. She shares the raw details of navigating a traumatic pregnancy, being dropped by a major sponsor, and turning that adversity into a powerful crusade for maternal health protections for female athletes. Plus, Allyson pulls back the curtain on the world of entrepreneurship, explaining why she and her brother co-founded Saysh—a footwear brand explicitly designed to fit the unique anatomy of the female foot. Episode Highlights Defying Age Narratives: Allyson discusses her decision to train for the LA 2028 Olympic team at 40, challenging the traditional limits placed on women as they age. Finding Your Voice as an Introvert: How a self-described quiet people-pleaser evolved into one of the world's most outspoken advocates for working mothers. The Turning Point with Nike: The painful reality of being offered a 70% pay cut after becoming pregnant, and how it sparked a New York Times op-ed that forced corporate policy changes across the industry. Overcoming a Traumatic Birth: Allyson reflects on her severe preeclampsia diagnosis, her daughter's month-long NICU stay, and how the experience amplified her passion for addressing maternal health disparities for women of color. The Reality of Being a Founder: Why being a female founder is harder than running the 200 meters, overcoming imposter syndrome, and facing the harsh statistics of venture capital funding. The Gender Bias in Footwear: Uncovering the industry secret that most major brands design women's athletic shoes using molds of men's feet, and how Saysh is changing the game. Redefining "Making It": How Allyson’s definition of success shifted from winning singular gold medals to creating lasting systemic impact and having the courage to try. About Our Guest Allyson Felix is an iconic American track and field athlete and the most decorated competitor in the sport's history, holding 11 Olympic medals. Beyond her unparalleled athletic achievements, she is a fierce advocate for maternal health, gender equality, and working mothers. Following her historic break from Nike over pregnancy protections, she co-founded Saysh, a community-centered footwear brand that designs athletic shoes specifically engineered for the female form. Allyson continues to break barriers as an entrepreneur, activist, and mother. Resources & Links: 📖 Making It Without Losing It by Jess Ekstrom: Available now — USA Today bestseller 🎤 Mic Drop Workshop: micdropworkshop.com — helping women become seen and paid as thought leaders 📸 Follow Jess on Instagram: @jessekstrom 🎙️ Making It with Jess Ekstrom: Subscribe + leave a review wherever you listen

My live book signing at Argent, hosted by Meggie Palmer

Have you ever hit the thing you were chasing — the milestone, the launch, the moment — and felt the goalpost immediately move? Have you ever wondered if ambition itself could be both the engine and the thief? This episode is a live one. Jess is in New York City at Argent's flagship store for the launch of her new book Making It Without Losing It — officially a USA Today bestseller — and she's in conversation with her longtime friend and founder of Pep Talk Her, Meggie Palmer. You're going to hear sirens. You're going to hear the room. You are, as Jess says, in there with them. And honestly? It makes this one of the most electric conversations in the feed. They dig into the dopamine science behind why we're never satisfied at the finish line (hint: your brain is getting the hit somewhere else entirely), what it really means to be ambitiously present, and why Jess signed up for stand-up comedy classes five months postpartum just to remind herself it was okay to be bad at things. The room also gets in on it — with questions from the audience about corporate life vs. entrepreneurship, raising kids who know how to fail, and the uncomfortable but necessary exercise of writing your own obituary before you need one. In This Episode Jess and Meggie cover the core ideas behind Making It Without Losing It: the difference between anxious ambition and inspired ambition, why the smash is better than the cash, and how Jess went from measuring success by how many stages she could get on — to measuring it by how many stages she could help other women get on. Plus: live audience Q&A, a meditation on legacy, and the one question Jess keeps posted in her office that changes everything. Highlights From the Room: The dopamine study that reframes everything — why your brain rewards the anticipation and the process, not just the result Anxious ambition vs. inspired ambition — one comes from feeling behind; the other comes from feeling called The piggy bank smash — and why the build might actually be the good part Stand-up comedy at five months postpartum — what Jess needed to shock her nervous system back to life after her daughter was born "I don't do it all" — Jess's most honest answer to the question everyone asks The relay, not the race — what are you doing today that makes enough progress for the person behind you? Your obituary, written now — the silent retreat exercise that Jess keeps on her office wall and asks readers to try at the end of the book Don't just complete your goals. Outlive them. — the framework for thinking about legacy that doesn't require a crisis to activate About Meggie Palmer Meggie Palmer is the founder of Pep Talk Her, a platform and community on a mission to close the gender pay gap — helping women negotiate more, earn more, and get promoted faster. A former journalist turned advocate, Meggie brings the same sharp, warm energy to every conversation she hosts. Find her and her Thank You Thursday practice wherever she shows up online. Resources & Links 📖 Making It Without Losing It by Jess Ekstrom: Available now — USA Today bestseller 🎤 Mic Drop Workshop: micdropworkshop.com — helping women become seen and paid as thought leaders 💼 Pep Talk Her: Follow Meggie Palmer for salary negotiation resources and community 👗 Argent: Premium women's workwear — argentwork.com 📸 Follow Jess on Instagram: @jessekstrom 🎙️ Making It with Jess Ekstrom: Subscribe + leave a review wherever you listen Produced by Making It with Jess Ekstrom & Walk West | Recorded live at Argent NYC 🕯️ Soulful Sidebar: What Would Your Obituary Say? At a silent retreat Jess didn't fully read the fine print for, the theme turned out to be death and dying. She almost left. She didn't. And it cracked something open. The exercise: write what you'd want your obituary to say. Not as a morbid act — as a compass. Am I living the life that people would say this about? Most of us wait for a diagnosis or a close call to ask that question. But what if you didn't need the crisis? What if the awareness — right now, today — was enough to course-correct? You don't just get to complete goals in this lifetime. You get to set goals that outlive you. That's not a burden. That's the whole point.

Making it to a Linkedin Top Voice with Selena Rezvani

Have you ever held onto an idea so tightly — workshopping it, perfecting it, protecting it — that you never actually put it out into the world? Have you ever wondered if the path to finding your voice is less about getting it right and more about just getting it out? Selena Rezvani didn't get to where she is by waiting for an invitation. She got there by writing a typewriter-typed appeal letter to save her college education. By cold-emailing CEOs she had zero connections to. By showing up on TikTok in her forties and going viral in ways she never saw coming. A Wall Street Journal bestselling author, LinkedIn Top Voice, and one of the most sought-after voices on quick confidence and modern leadership, Selena has built her entire career on one foundational belief: you have to be your own vocal champion, because nobody else is going to ask on your behalf. But this episode goes deeper than the highlight reel. Selena gets raw about her recent journey with PMDD — a diagnosis that rattled her foundations and forced the woman who teaches confidence to find her own footing again. She talks about what it's like to be the student of what you teach, why she believes passing the ball is always a longer game than dunking it, and why keeping the promises you make to yourself might be the most underrated confidence-builder there is. Tune In For: The "seed a forest" strategy — why going viral has nothing to do with the perfect post and everything to do with volume, iteration, and surprise Don't tell yourself no before they do — Selena's take on stop overestimating everyone else and underestimating yourself The typewriter appeal letter that changed the course of Selena's life — and the lesson about self-advocacy she's been teaching ever since "Go after the whales" — the business school professor who told Selena to pitch the CEOs she was sure would say no, and why so many of them said yes What PMDD is and what it felt like to navigate a destabilizing health diagnosis while being the person onstage teaching others to be confident Why Selena considers herself the supporting role — and why power-sharing instead of power-hoarding is the leadership move most people are too insecure to make The male author who passed the ball — a story about allyship, visibility, and why Selena says she'd help him move Keeping promises to yourself — and why shrinking the size of a commitment is smarter than breaking it About Selena Rezvani Selena Rezvani is a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, LinkedIn Top Voice, and keynote speaker on confidence, leadership, and self-advocacy. Her books Quick Confidence and Quick Leadership have reached thousands of readers and leaders worldwide. A recovering "nervous nice girl" turned boldly vocal advocate for women in the workplace, Selena built her platform by doing exactly what she teaches: making bold bets, seeding the forest, and keeping every promise she makes to herself. Resources & Links 📖 Quick Confidence + Quick Leadership: Available wherever books are sold 💼 Follow Selena on LinkedIn: Search Selena Rezvani 📱 Follow Selena on TikTok + Instagram: @selenarezvani (verify handle) 🎙️ Making It with Jess Ekstrom: Subscribe + leave a review wherever you listen Produced by Making It with Jess Ekstrom and Walk West ✨ Soulful Sidebar: The Forest, Not the Rose Selena's biggest lesson about going viral wasn't a formula. It was a mindset shift: stop trying to grow the perfect prize rose. Start seeding a forest. The posts she thought would land? Didn't always. The ones she tossed off quickly, done hastily and imperfectly? Sometimes those were the ones that changed everything. There's a version of creative work that's about getting it right. And then there's the version that's about getting it out — articulating the idea, putting it in front of people, seeing what resonates, iterating, surprising yourself. That's how you find your voice. Not in the workshopping. In the releasing. Whatever you've been sitting on: it's time.

Making it to...raising Jess Ekstrom with Jess's Mom, Laurie Ekstrom

Have you ever realized that the person who shaped you most never once thought of themselves as remarkable? Have you ever sat down with someone you've known your whole life — and learned something that changed everything? This episode is a little different. Today's guest isn't a founder or a bestselling author or a keynote speaker. She's something harder to find and harder to hold onto. She's Laurie Ekstrom — Jess's mom, Lala to the grandkids, and the woman who quietly, consistently made it possible for everyone around her to go for it. Jess recorded this episode to celebrate the launch of her book, Making It Without Losing It, because Laurie is — in so many ways — what that book is about: finding peace in the present while still believing in something bigger. This conversation is warm, funny, unfiltered, and at times, genuinely surprising. There's a Waffle House run at midnight. There's a confession about being unplanned. There's the story of a FLaurieda beach, a shared earbud, and a wedding song played during the darkest financial chapter of their family's life. And there's a two-minute message to Jack and Ellie — Jess's kids — that might be the most honest parenting advice in the whole episode. Tune In For: The 2 AM email Laurie sent Jess after watching her first local news segment — and the revelation it sparked about purpose, motherhood, and what contribution actually looks like "My brainwaves are so flat I don't think I could work a toll booth" — Laurie's honest account of what the early stay-at-home years actually felt like, and the one thing Jess's dad said that turned it around The Bernie Madoff chapter — what it was like when a family betrayal and a financial collapse arrived at the same time, and how Jess's dad responded with a single earbud and their wedding song on the beach Why the candy drawer matters more than you think — and what Laurie got right about raising kids with an abundance mindset around food (and everything else) The midnight Waffle House run and what it taught Jess about building a home where kids call you first when things go sideways Two generations of "go, go, go" — a raw moment about busyness as armor, a silent retreat, and 60+ years of unfelt feelings finally showing up all at once What Laurie is still working on at 65 — including a woodworking class she will never take again, and why trying the wrong thing opened up a whole new world The advice Laurie wishes someone had given her in high school — and the message she wants Jack and Ellie to carry with them This episode drops on the same day as Jess's book, Making It Without Losing It — grab your copy wherever books are sold. Resources & Links 📖 Making It Without Losing It by Jess Ekstrom: Available now wherever books are sold 📸 Follow Jess on Instagram: @jessekstrom 🎙️ Making It with Jess Ekstrom: Subscribe + leave a review wherever you listen Produced by Making It with Jess Ekstrom and Walk West 🧡 Soulful Sidebar: What If Your Purpose Was Always the People? Laurie spent years quietly wondering if she had done enough. Was she contributing? Did she have a purpose? The answer came at two in the morning, watching her daughter on the local news, handing out headbands to kids in hospitals. She hadn't built a company or written a book. But she had built the person who did. There's a version of making it that looks like a highlight reel — the launch, the press, the milestone. And then there's the version that shows up in a two AM email, a Waffle House booth at midnight, a shared earbud on a dark beach. The people who love you the loudest don't always have the most accolades. They're just the ones who showed up — every time, without being asked — and made it possible for you to go. That's Laurie. And if you're lucky, you know someone like her too.

The Best Place We Ever Stayed

Have you ever realized, only after it was too late, that a person was one of the most important ones in your life? Have you ever found something life-changing somewhere you never thought to look? This episode is a story Jess has been sitting with for almost five years. Not because it isn't important — but because she didn't yet have the language for what it changed in her. It's about a $20-a-night RV park in Las Vegas with flickering streetlights, nightly helicopter noise, and a check-cashing place on the corner. It's about two strangers who saw Jess's husband eating alone at a picnic table and pulled up a chair. And it's about what happened — years later — when Jess texted to check in and didn't hear back. Tony and Linda Oyster started as RV neighbors. They became family. And the lesson they left behind quietly reframes everything: the places we go, the milestones we chase, the next thing we're always running toward. In This Episode Jess shares the story of Tony and Linda — and why, after three years on the road visiting some of the most breathtaking places in the country, a worn-down Las Vegas RV park is still her honest answer to "what was your favorite stop?" She also offers four small, practical ways to find more meaning inside the life you already have — no big life overhaul required. Because most of the time, meaning doesn't show up at a mountaintop. It shows up in who you're sitting next to. 4 Ways to Practice Intentional Presence Slow your exits. Linger in conversations that matter. Ask one more question — and go one sentence deeper than "how are you?" Treat people like the destination. Outcomes are easy to chase. Relationships are the whole point. Notice who makes you feel more like yourself. Not more impressive. Not more productive. Just more you. Spend more time there. Remember: ambition and presence aren't opposites. You can want more and appreciate what's right in front of you. Resources & Links 🎙️ Making It with Jess Ekstrom: Subscribe + leave a review wherever you listen 📸 Follow Jess on Instagram: @jessekstrom Produced by Making It with Jess Ekstrom 🪑 Soulful Sidebar: What If the Destination Was Never the Point? We optimize for places, titles, and milestones. We take the mountaintop photo. We check the box. But Tony and Linda — who spent 15 years on the road, slides and all — weren't remembered for where they went. They were remembered for how they showed up beside a stranger eating alone at a picnic table. The question worth sitting with: In five years, what will the people around you remember about this season? Not what you accomplished. How you showed up. Who you made time for. Whether you put the phone down. That's the whole thing. That's making it.

The Power Pause: Why Stepping Back Might Be the Most Ambitious Thing You Ever Do

Have you ever made a choice that felt completely right to you — but everyone around you thought you were giving up? Have you ever wondered if slowing down and leaning in could actually be the same move? Neha Ruch was fresh out of Stanford Business School, climbing fast, and checking every box the Lean In era told her to check. Then she had her son on New Year's Day 2016 — and in the fog of new motherhood, three o'clock in the morning, at the end of the internet, something cracked open. Not a crisis. A clarity. All I need to be is myself. And this kid loves me for it. So she downshifted. Not for her son. For herself. And the world had a lot of opinions about it. What followed was a decade-long slow build — a Squarespace site, a weekly link roundup, five Instagram posts, and a quiet but fierce belief that ambitious women who make room for family life deserve better than the binary they'd been handed. That belief became a bestselling book, The Power Pause, a movement, and a membership community rewriting what it means to be a high-achieving woman in the messy middle of work and family life. Neha isn't anti-ambition. She's anti-one-size-fits-all. And in this episode, she makes the case that caregiving isn't a career gap — it's a leadership lab. Tune In For: Why Neha chose to downshift after Stanford — and why it had nothing to do with what was "better for her son" How motherhood threatens every identity pillar of high-achieving women — productivity, spontaneity, fitness, relevance — and what to do when it happens to you The Harvard Business Review research that might be the most healing data point working moms have never heard (spoiler: it's not about hours) "Pause within a pause" — what happened when Neha's second child destabilized everything she'd built, and why "keeping the lights on" is a completely valid strategy Why the Power Pause didn't hit the New York Times bestseller list — and the honest, still-raw conversation about gold stars, success metrics, and rewiring your own wiring How to frame a career pause in a job interview — and what Neha wishes every employer knew about the non-traditional leadership skills caregiving actually builds The "write your ideal day in five years" exercise for anyone whose self-worth is tied to their productivity Why comparing yourself to others signals insecurity — and the one shift that turns envy into fuel About Neha Ruch Neha Ruch is the founder of Mother Untitled, author of the bestselling book The Power Pause, and a speaker and advocate redefining ambition for the modern mother. After graduating from Stanford Business School and stepping back from a fast-track career to raise her children, Neha built a movement — and eventually a membership community — dedicated to showing that professional pauses and downshifts are a strategic, feminist, and deeply creative choice. Her work has helped thousands of women reclaim their identity, their confidence, and their careers on their own terms. Resources & Links 📖 The Power Pause (book): Available wherever books are sold 🌐 Free resources: thepowerpause.com 💛 Membership community: thepowerpause.com/me 📸 Follow Neha on Instagram: @neharuch 🎙️ Making It with Jess Ekstrom: Subscribe + leave a review wherever you listen Produced by Making It with Jess Ekstrom and Walk West 🌿 Soulful Sidebar: Rewriting the Resume Gap The cultural image of a woman "on pause" hasn't been updated since the 1970s. We inherited June Cleaver. But today's woman stepping back from the workforce is likely coming in with 8–10 years of professional experience — and layering on skills that don't show up on a LinkedIn profile: crisis management, negotiation, logistics, community building, and a kind of perspective that only comes from being fully responsible for another human life. Neha's challenge to employers — and to the women themselves: Stop calling it a gap. Start calling it what it is. A power pause. A leadership lab. A season that didn't pause the growth. It just changed the classroom.

From the Locker Room to Oprah's List: How Cookie Society Built a Cult Following on Grit, Data, and Really Good Cookies

Have you ever started something just to make people happy — and accidentally built a business? Have you ever landed your biggest dream moment (hi, Oprah) and found yourself on the other end of it crying... because the crates broke? Marissa Allen knows both sides of that coin intimately. She didn't set out to be a founder. She was an NFL wife, a former college soccer player, a stay-at-home mom of two tiny humans (one of whom was six months old, crawling around the kitchen), and someone who just really loved baking cookies for her husband's teammates on the Houston Texans. It was a teammate trying to buy those cookies that planted the seed. She was reluctant. Her husband wasn't. What followed wasn't a clean, linear launch story. It was a $5,000 website (the ancient kind where you still typed in your credit card), a rented commercial kitchen at $20 an hour, Sunday baking marathons, and Monday morning 6 AM flights back from Kansas City with two kids in tow. Today, Cookie Society is a multi-location, nationally shipping, Oprah's Favorite Things-certified, cult-followed gourmet cookie brand with 88 employees — and a breakfast-only March menu that people literally line up overnight to get. They didn't build it by throwing money at it. They built it by doing every single job themselves first, scaling incrementally, and trusting the data. Tune In For: How Marissa accidentally launched a business by baking for NFL locker rooms and getting an offer she almost turned down Why opening during a global pandemic was actually grace — and what would have happened if they'd gone full send without it The Taylor Swift ticket strategy: how Cookie Society created a holiday around scarcity, seasonal drops, and Cinnamon Roll Sundays to drive demand most brands only dream about Daily tears behind Oprah's Favorite Things — the collapsed wooden crates, the angry emails, the call from New York, and the lesson that even your biggest win can bring you to your knees Why Marissa knows less now than when she started — and why that's actually a sign you're scaling right How she went from hiring people to execute her vision to hiring people to expand it (and why she voluntarily demoted herself from CEO) The LinkedIn mirror strategy: how to find someone five steps ahead of you and reverse-engineer their path when you can't afford to hire yet Why knowing your numbers is a power move, especially for women founders — and how data turns "maybe we can" into a hard yes or no Comparing vs. Inspiring: the one question Marissa asks herself to figure out if she's in a confident season or an insecure one About Marissa Allen Marissa Allen is the co-founder of Cookie Society, a Dallas-based gourmet cookie brand with multiple brick-and-mortar locations, a national shipping operation, and a deeply loyal following built on bold flavors, seasonal exclusivity, and an authentic story. A former college soccer player turned NFL wife turned entrepreneur, Marissa bootstrapped Cookie Society from a rented commercial kitchen to Oprah's Favorite Things — and is now scaling toward 10 locations with a team of 88. She runs the business alongside her husband Jeff, who heads up marketing, while Marissa focuses on operations, systems, and the creative vision that started it all. Resources & Links Cookie Society: cookiesociety.com Ship the breakfast box or classic bestsellers nationwide Follow Marissa on Instagram: @cookiesociety (and her personal brand!) Making It with Jess Ekstrom: Subscribe + leave a review wherever you listen Produced by Walk West - Making It with Jess Ekstrom 🍳 Soulful Sidebar: The Scarcity Mindset vs. The Abundance Play Most product businesses default to scarcity thinking — I need to keep selling what works. Cookie Society flipped it. By pulling their most beloved items off the menu seasonally, they didn't lose customers. They created a holiday. People mark their calendars. They show up overnight. They order more because they can't choose just one. The lesson? Abundance isn't about always having more available. It's about confidence that demand will be there when you're ready. That takes trust in your product, your team, and your ability to recreate the magic. Marissa and Jeff saw it first with Cinnamon Roll Sundays. Then they scaled the principle. Now it's a March tradition. That's not luck. That's a brand with a backbone.

The Power of Four Words: "Have a Nice Life"

We spend our entire lives avoiding "goodbye." We trade Instagram handles, promise to "catch up soon," and say "until next time"—all to protect ourselves from the discomfort of a finished chapter. But what happens when you lean into the finality instead? In this reflective solo episode, Jess Ekstrom breaks down a chance encounter at a Colorado campground that changed her entire perspective on presence. When an older traveler told her, "You kids have a nice life," it didn't feel like a well-wish—it felt like a gut punch. Jess explores the beauty of impermanence and why acknowledging that a moment will never happen again is actually the secret to enjoying it. In this episode, we discuss: The "Until Next Time" Trap: Why our digital age makes it impossible to have true closure and how that prevents us from being fully present. The Japanese Tea Tradition: A lesson from a matcha bowl about noticing the "foam at the bottom"—the unique shapes that only happen once. Hurry Up and Relax: Jess’s struggle with "sprinting" through the day to get to the "good part," only to find her brain won't shut off once she gets there. The Turtle Pace: How walking with toddlers (who stop for every sidewalk flower and power-line bird) is the ultimate masterclass in noticing the extraordinary in the ordinary. Don’t Miss It: Why we shouldn't get so focused on creating a "good life" that we forget to actually have a "good day." Key Quotes: "The reality is, a 'next time' is never guaranteed. But the comfort in saying next time makes it easier to move on because there's a chance the story isn't over." "Impermanence isn't a sad thing. In fact, it's the opposite. It's a reminder that all we have is now. So we might as well just enjoy it." "Sometimes relaxing isn't the reward. It's the work itself." Featured in this Episode: John Acuff: Author and friend who provided the "Don't Miss It" mantra. Andy Bernard (The Office): For the bittersweet reminder about knowing you're in the "good old days." A Challenge for Your Week: Next time you're in a conversation or a beautiful moment, try to find your "matcha foam." Identify one tiny, specific detail about this exact moment that will never be replicated again.

The SNL Exit Strategy: Lindsay Shookus on Trust, Fame, and Receiving the "Motherfing Data"

Have you ever had a dream job—the kind people tell you is the "coolest job in the world"—only to realize that your identity has become so wrapped up in it that you don’t know who you are without the title? How do you walk away from a legacy to build something entirely your own? Welcome to Making It with Jess Ekstrom. This week, Jess sits down with Lindsay Shookus, the legendary former producer and head of the talent department at Saturday Night Live. After 20 years of discovering stars and managing the chaos of live television, Lindsey made the "wobbly" decision to leave 30 Rock and redefine what success looks like on her own terms. In this candid conversation, Lindsey opens up about the grit required to survive 20-hour days, the lonely reality of hyper-fame, and the epiphany that led her to co-found Women Work Fing Hard*—a community built on active support rather than just "mentorship." Tune in for: The SNL Hustle: How a girl from Buffalo with "Southern-adjacent" roots at UNC-Chapel Hill landed a job at SNL and worked her way from assistant to talent mogul. The Fame Pedestal: What Lindsey learned about success by watching the world’s most famous people up close, and why "street cred" isn't all it's cracked up to be. The "Wobbly" Transition: The identity crisis that follows leaving a high-profile career and how to navigate the "data" of who stays in your life when the power of your position is gone. Receive the Motherfing Data:* Lindsey’s viral-ready advice on relationships and business—how to stop "waiting to be chosen" and start looking at people's actions as objective information. Women Work Fing Hard:* The accidental origin story of her women’s community and why the goal is always "How can I help you?" rather than "Who can help me?" The Curse of the Good Girl: Why Lindsey normalizes "bombing" for her 12-year-old daughter and the importance of being uncomfortable to get better. Building a Boat: What it’s like for an ambitious woman to find a partner who asks, "How can I best support you?" The Art of the Question: Why being a curious mind is the most undervalued skill in networking and life. About Lindsay Shookus: Lindsay Shookus is an Emmy Award-winning producer, speaker, and coach. Best known for her two-decade career at Saturday Night Live, she now uses her expertise in talent and trust to advise hedge funds, produce documentaries, and empower women through her community, Women Work F***ing Hard. Resources & Links: Lindsay Shookus’s Website: https://lindsayshookus.com Women Work Fing Hard:* Follow Lindsey on Instagram: @Shookusshookus The Curse of the Good Girl by Rachel Simmons: Making It with Jess Ekstrom is produced by Walk West and brought to you by Mic Drop Workshop. How to "Receive the Data" in Your Career Lindsey talks about treating feedback-and even rejection-as objective data. This shift moves you from an emotional participant to a strategic scientist of your own life.

Crop Tops & $210M Exits: Anne Mahlum on Radical Responsibility and Winning on Your Own Terms

Have you ever felt like you had to mute your personality, change your style, or "fit the mold" just to be taken seriously in business? What if the very things people told you to tone down were actually your greatest superpowers for building a $100M empire? Welcome to the premiere episode of Making It with Jess Ekstrom. This week, Jess sits down with Anne Mahlum, the visionary founder of [Solidcore] and Back on My Feet. Anne famously raised $210 million from private equity while wearing see-through crop tops, proving that authenticity isn't just a buzzword—it’s a high-stakes competitive advantage. In this raw and uncensored conversation, Anne pulls back the curtain on her $100 million exit, why she refuses to be a "one-hit wonder," and how she transitioned from a "starving founder" to a fitness mogul. They dive deep into the "hustle muscle" fueled by early pain, the importance of "happy endings" in business, and the biological shifts of entering her next big chapter: motherhood. Tune in for: The story behind the see-through crop tops and why Anne refused to change her hair or style for private equity partners. Why "fake it till you make it" is bad advice and how trying to fit in actually makes you feel smaller and less confident. Anne’s three core values—Authenticity, Transparency, and Winning—and how they guided her through $100M negotiations. The "Chip on the Shoulder": Why many high-performing entrepreneurs are fueled by a need to prove themselves and the realization that achievement doesn't equal love. The $100 Million Exit: How Anne planned her last day years in advance to ensure a celebratory, "non-messy" transition. Financial Leverage: Why Anne advises founders to take money off the table early so they aren't "starving" when it's time to negotiate an exit. Radical Responsibility: Why claiming "it's my fault" for everything from low energy to a stalled career is the ultimate power move to regain control. Relationships and Polarity: Anne’s take on settling into a partnership with her husband as an ambitious, breadwinning woman. How to find a "game you can win" by sharpening your unique 8, 9, and 10-level skill sets. About Anne Mahlum: Anne Mahlum is a speaker, investor, and the founder of [Solidcore], a boutique fitness powerhouse she scaled to 100+ locations before a massive exit. She is also the founder of the non-profit Back on My Feet. Anne is a dedicated advocate for financial literacy and empowers founders to build businesses that reflect their truest selves. Resources & Links: Anne Mahlum’s Website: https://annemahlum.com Follow Anne on Instagram: @annemahlum Brene Brown’s Values Exercise: Making It with Jess Ekstrom is produced by Walk West and brought to you by Mic Drop Workshop. A Note on Radical Responsibility & Starting Blocks In this episode, Anne and Jess discuss the reality of "starting blocks." While Anne emphasizes taking radical responsibility, she also acknowledges the statistical realities of the business world. For context, women-led startups received only about 2% of total venture capital funding in recent years, and for Black and Latina founders, that number often drops below 1%. As Anne notes, recognizing privilege or systemic hurdles doesn't mean you stop working; it means you use your position to "lift others up" and change the statistics for the next generation of founders.

New Name, New Season Coming March 11th - Making It with Jess Ekstrom!

Should We Be “Like Men” to Get Ahead? with LauraAura

What if an algorithm could perfectly articulate the unfair advantages men have in business, and what if that knowledge was the catalyst you needed to completely change your career? In the season finale on Amplify, Jess sits down with LauraAura, host of the wildly popular Gutsy Podcast and an acclaimed speaker. Laura shares the moment a Taylor Swift song drove her to ask ChatGPT a provocative question: "How would my career look different if I were a man?" The AI's response—listing everything from earning more money to having faster access to "power rooms"—pissed her off, but also activated a plan. Laura breaks down the five core areas where women are often held back and details the specific, gutsy move she attached to each one, creating a powerful blueprint for other women to follow. Tune in for: The exact list of biases ChatGPT revealed, including: Earning more money (complete with stat ranges). Access to more power rooms. Boldness being seen as confidence, not a risk. Outsourcing and delegating faster. Less self-questioning. Laura's five "healthy spirals"—a practical, gutsy move for each bias to help women close the gap. Why "pitching full price" is the first gutsy move you need to make to fund outsourcing and regain your time. The power of "creating the room" or simply showing up in spaces like you belong there. The surprising secret to showing up as your full, bold self on platforms like LinkedIn (hint: it involves getting raw and authentic). The best advice for overcoming analysis paralysis and the constant urge to overthink your next step: "Do one thing." How to use your "evidence bank"—a track record of your past accomplishments—to eliminate self-questioning and own your worth. About Laura Aura: LauraAura is a speaker, brand strategist, and the host of The Gutsy Podcast, where she encourages thousands of women to stop overthinking and start doing the thing they can't stop thinking about. She is known for her bold, direct, and deeply encouraging approach to female ambition. Resources & Links: Listen to The Gutsy Podcast:https://lauraaura.com/the-gutsy-podcast/ Follow LauraAura on Instagram & TikTok: @thatLauraAura Amplify with Jess is produced by Walk West and brought to you by Mic Drop Workshop.

How to Communicate Clearly When Life Gets Chaotic with Caitlin Gardner

The world is constantly in a state of chaos—from an unexpected crisis at work to the personal high stakes of having a baby during a global pandemic. How do you find the calm confidence needed to navigate those moments when you feel most exposed? This week on Amplify, Jess sits down with Caitlin Gardner, a veteran crisis communications expert who is the founder of Blooming Communications. Caitlin's professional life involves helping Fortune 500 companies communicate with calm maturity during crises. Her personal life, however, includes having a baby at the peak of the 2020 pandemic while her husband lost his job—a high-stakes moment that uniquely prepared her for the work she does today. Caitlin shares how to apply the lessons learned in the delivery room to the boardroom, giving you the practical tools to handle unexpected public scrutiny, internal high stakes, and even the double-edged sword of going viral. Tune in for: Caitlin's incredible story of delivering a baby in April 2020, juggling a crisis communications job in the hard-hit cruise industry, and the power of focusing on one goal in a chaotic environment. The concept of the "Reputation Bank Account": making positive deposits so you have the benefit of the doubt when you need to make a withdrawal (like when you fumble publicly). The difference between good-intentioned feedback and negative trolling, and the importance of assuming good intent in professional communications. Caitlin's take on cancel culture, and why brands and people must define their core values to maintain clarity in polarizing times. Why it’s essential to be prepared for the worst-case scenario (the "tabletop exercise") so you can be agile and confident when chaos hits. How to handle the urge to jump on viral trends and why every piece of content—even your social media hook—needs a strategic rationale and intentionality. A key reminder for leaders: You don't get to choose when the stakes are high for others, so be thoughtful about how you deliver high-stakes feedback. About Caitlin Gardner: Caitlin Gardner is the Founder of Blooming Communications, a strategic communications consultancy. She is an expert in high-stakes communications, reputation management, and crisis preparedness, helping clients bring "calm confidence" to moments of unexpected chaos. Resources & Links: Follow Caitlin Gardner on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlingardner/ Blooming Communications: https://bloomingcom.com Amplify with Jess is produced by Walk West and brought to you by Mic Drop Workshop.

Negotiate Your Way to What You Really Want with Kathryn Valentine

Have you ever confused a bigger salary with a richer life? What if the key to getting what you truly want isn’t a better tactic, but a deeper understanding of your own values? In this Amplify episode, Jess sits down with negotiation expert Kathryn Valentine, a former McKinsey consultant with an impressive background featured in Harvard Business Review and The Wall Street Journal. Kathryn's journey started with a high-stakes failure—a negotiation so bad it ended with a security escort. Still, that experience led her to discover that proper negotiation is a valuable tool for life design, not just a means to secure a salary bump. Kathryn reveals how to identify your true currency (it’s often not money), the critical research that proves women significantly underestimate their market value, and the simple questions you can ask to strip away societal expectations and define your own "rich life." Tune in for: The shocking story of Kathryn’s first negotiation attempt that ended in her being escorted out of a large company. The "Rich Life Design" concept: how seeing the long-term impact of choices from her 70-year-old grandparents taught her to prioritize currencies like time, credibility, and autonomy. What you really want is often a promotion (for long-term financial gain) or credibility (for respect), not just a raise. The "Magic Wand" question helps strip away fear and societal expectations, revealing what you truly want. The "Ask Relationally" formula that virtually eliminates the risk of backlash and moves "no" from a rejection to a piece of information. Why assuming good intent is the key to overcoming the fear of being "annoying" when following up. Kathryn's personal thoughts on how motherhood has changed her perspective over time and why she now chooses to pursue only projects that bring her "good exhaustion." About Kathryn Valentine: Kathryn Valentine is a negotiation expert, speaker, and former McKinsey consultant. Her work has been featured in the Harvard Business Review and The Wall Street Journal, and she advises companies such as JPMorgan Chase. She is dedicated to equipping women with the tools to negotiate for their richest life. Resources & Links: Get the "76 Things You Can Negotiate" List: https://seventysixthings.com Watch Kathryn Valentine's TED Talk: Follow Kathryn Valentine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathrynvalentine/ Amplify with Jess is produced by Walk West and brought to you by Mic Drop Workshop.

Leading, Mothering, and TEDx with Hazel Sy

Have you ever questioned if you should quit your career to focus on family, only to realize that constant self-doubt is draining energy you could use elsewhere? What if continuing to work is not just a financial necessity, but a vital investment in your own identity? This week on Amplify, Jess sits down with Hazel Sy, a Fortune 500 executive, board member, and powerful advocate for working parents. Hazel shares the moment her childcare plan fell through, the panic and guilt that followed, and the eventual mindset shift that allowed her to thrive as both a dedicated professional and a devoted mom. Hazel opens up about the emotional journey of creating her viral TED Talk, the shocking financial reality of childcare, and the surprising ways that conscious parenting techniques can make you a more intentional and connected leader at work. Tune in for: Hazel's eye-opening story of her childcare falling through and the constant question she asked herself: "Should I quit?" Why the high cost of childcare is actually a financial and personal investment that pays off in career growth and a preserved sense of self. The "mother AND" philosophy: how to choose a parenting style where your children see you succeeding and failing, not just staying home. The subtle societal double standards around working parents, including the "babysitting" comment and the different applause men and women receive. How Hazel consciously uses the word "study" instead of "work" around her children to avoid modeling a workaholic lifestyle. The emotional journey of getting 67 rejections before landing her TEDx Talk, and the critical moment when she decided to scrap all the feedback and write from the heart. How the skills of conscious parenting—like giving two choices instead of a demand—make you a better leader and influencer in the workplace. About Hazel Sy: Hazel Sy is a Fortune 500 executive, a board member, a highly requested speaker, and an alumnus of Mic Drop Academy. She is a passionate advocate for working parents and a living example of how intentionality and purpose can allow you to thrive in both your professional and personal life. Resources & Links: Watch Hazel's TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE-PN4i-eAE Find Hazel's Speaker Prep Checklist: Follow Hazel Sy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thehazelsy/ Visit Hazel Sy's site: https://www.hazelsy.com/ Amplify with Jess is produced by Walk West and brought to you by Mic Drop Workshop.