A few years ago, I met Joyce Carols, Founder and CEO of JC Consultancy, on a female entrepreneur study group trip to Dubai. I was drawn to her calm, her sweetness, and the incredible toughness just beneath the surface. I joked that it takes an internationally-renowned negotiations expert to keep 7 alpha-women from killing each other. ;-) Joyce hires out her expertise to top companies that are struggling against a foundering business culture. It's a monumental task to turn this around in giant companies. Listen to Joyce's approach and how she navigates the vulnerability of well-intentioned but clueless top C-suite executives.

When Maren Costa took on Amazon fighting for better working conditions for the distribution center workers during covid, I thought she was the bravest person I knew. But getting to know Maren better over our conversation, I came to learn that activism comes naturally to her. She shares a high tolerance for risk like all entrepreneurs. So what seems brave to others feels natural and logical to those of us who have the risk bug. The first time I heard the term "climate justice" was on one of Maren's interviews on CNN or some other national news outlet. Did Amazon win this fight? Maren has the answer.

Ooh, that's a bit tortured. Beth and Michael discuss how copyright law is impacted by ChatGPT & Friends. Michael handles Beth's "What ifs" and "How abouts" with aplomb. Beth asks Michael to ponder if gross things are actually funny or if laughing at gross things is just an extended expression of disgust. Michael misses the point.

MeiMei Fox is founder and CEO of "Your Bestselling Book," a two-time New York Times bestselling author, and Forbes contributor. The word "storytelling" has been co-opted by marketers, but for good reason. Telling stories, true, fictional, metaphorical, hyperbolic, allegorical, is uniquely human. We all have beautiful stories, but most of us need help telling them beautifully. MeiMei not only guides clients through how to write, but how to get the writing read. We talk about the role AI will play in creative writing.

Your Bestselling Book (writeyourbestsellingbook.com)
MeiMeifox.com

The Fall Cohort includes the full Video on Demand plus 6 weeks of live weekly workshops with no more than 10 high achievers per group, led by MeiMei. Additionally, weekly open office hours are available with MeiMei and all course participants who want to attend on a drop-in basis, and a private one-on-one with her.

Here is the quick link to checkout.

Course Testimonials.

For all you Anthony Bourdain fans out there, you need to know about Deagon Williams. Deagon is a Paris-trained executive chef that keeps other chefs in in business. She is the founder of Culinary Business Strategy, a consultancy that advises chefs on making their restaurants a success through establishing a solid financial model. Growing up, Deagon was one of 2 Caucasian kids at her school, but she didn't know she was a minority. This set the stage for Deagon being able to meld in anywhere, with anyone, at any time. A critical skill set being one of the first female executive chefs ever.

I didn't get enough time in this session to get to everything I wanted to ask Deagon, so expect follow up conversations with this woman who is unique in the world. She lived through a wild upbringing, but brings stability to a profession she has participated in at the absolute highest level.

I listen to a lot of podcasts .One of the reasons I started the Rock 'n' Roll Porter podcast was that I was frustrated hearing the same men hosting the same other men on their podcasts, thanking each other for giving each other their big breaks. These stories are far and few between for women. But the community of change-maker women are building our own culture on our own terms in our own way and in our own time. I am collecting stories of women giving other women their big breaks. In this pilot bonus episode, I share with Megan the woman who gave me my big break, and Megan share how she gave someone on her team her big break. If you want to tell the story of your Big Breaker, find me on LinkedIn.

...but everybody finds Megan pleasing. Currently Megan is based in Edinburgh as program manager at AbacusBio. Most people who know her describe her as the embodiment of contradictions. She possesses a rare combination of both an entrepreneurial mindset and a project managers executional capabilities. She is direct and no-nonsense and a self-described "crier." Megan is an expert in nutrition, and incredible cook and hostess, founder of Pinch dumplings...and also worked for a bank for 6 years. I wanted to interview her to get her unusual take on entrepreneurship, failure, and her ability to see--and fill--gaps in society where people are longing for connection. Megan is a "cool girl" but she has no need to impress anyone. This is starting to sound like I am trying to write her profile for a dating app. I'm her fan. Listen to what she has to say and you'll know why.

Megan is available as a facilitator. I am begging her to put my team to work assembling dumplings while we work through a heavy strategic problem. Find her on LinkedIn.

Not sure what is in this one, but for sure it is New Yorker Magazine-worthy commentary.