If you had to describe the Empowerment Talks with one sentence, what would that be?
The Empowerment Talks are an opportunity to gain insight and wisdom from inspirational and accomplished women to motivate us on our own journey to empowerment.
What is the intention of these talks?
We have a wonderful, internal education program within our 261 community of Club Directors, Master Coaches and Coaches. We really believe that eduction is crucial for empowerment. The Empowerment Talks use our global platform to extend our ethos of education and learning to the wider public, outside of our community. We want ALL women to benefit from the work we are doing. The talks give a taster of our ethos, spirit and inclusivity. If a woman watching becomes inspired to take action and move forwards on her own journey of empowerment then we have succeeded.
What can women listening to the Empowerment Talks take away from them? How can they learn from the women you interview?
I think it’s tempting to look at the title of a talk and decide it’s not for you but in my experience, it’s often the topics I know least about that I take the most away from. The underlying themes of how the women have navigated their lives are what is important. How they have overcome set backs, how their childhood and role models have influenced them and what their aspirations are for the future are themes we can all learn from. Take inspiration from their bravery, work ethic and persistence and see how you can apply it to your own life.
The first Empowerment Talk went live 4 years ago. Since then we’ve 24 Empowerment Talks telling a broad range of different stories of women’s lives, challenges and successes. What have you learned during this time?
Oh gosh, I’ve learnt so much from having the opportunity to speak to these incredible women. My biggest take-home is that change is possible and women are well placed to embrace, lead and initiate change. I’ve been reminded that women are capable, creative and determined. None of the women I’ve interviewed have had an easy time on their way to success. There have been many challenges and barriers they have had to negotiate. But they are driven by a desire to make the world a better place for all of us and for the women of the future. It’s been a true privlige to have these conversations.
Can you think of one sentence or quote that inspired you for you own life?
I will always remember interviewing Kathryn Bertine who changed the face of women’s cycling by campaigning to secure a women’s field in the Tour de France, She said, “Everybody has the ability to make change happen and be an activist.“ I’ve always had the belief that you needed certain personality traits and charateristics to be an activist. She really made me think about how if you feel strongly enough about something you can have a huge impact but you need to stand up and speak out and most importantly take action. This was really inspirational for me as someone working to make running accessible to more women. To be honest, it was a bit of a wake-up call to do more and be fearless.
How do you select speakers and prepare the questions?
We want to speak to women we know are living the 261 spirit. They don’t need to be celebrities, far from it. There are many women doing wonderful things who are out of the spotlight. As a result, lots of our speakers come recommended by the 261 Fearless Inc team members and by our community. In fact, some of the guests are already part of our community or have worked with us on other projects.
I like to get to know as much about guests as I can before I interview them so I can be well prepared and ask the most poignant questions. I speak to others who know them, read books they have written and have a good look at their online profiles and social media. I usually feel like I’m meeting a friend by the time we record!
What advice would you give women listening to the Empowerment Talks?
I would say be open-minded. Be ready to learn. Be ready to be challenged. And really importantly, think about how what you have heard could apply to you. Is there one thing that you could take-away to make a positive change in your own life? I hope that listening to the talks will make you want to look deeper into the world of 261 and become a part of our community in some way. Thank you for listening.
