Kathryn Bertine on Standing on the Front Lines of Change & Women’s Equality

As an advocate for equality in women’s sports, Kathryn Bertine is a filmmaker, public speaker, activist, and the founder and CEO of the Homestretch Foundation, a nonprofit organization providing free housing to female professional athletes struggling with the gender pay gap. Pioneering the social activist movement Le Tour Entier to bring parity to women’s professional road cycling, Kathryn began fighting for women’s rights - starting with the Tour de France. In 2014, Tour de France included the women’s field by launching La Course by Tour de France.

As a retired, 5-year veteran and award-winning professional cyclist herself, not only has Kathryn stood on the front lines, but she’s also ridden a bicycle across them. She is the author of several books, including her most recently published memoir, STAND: A memoir on activism. A manual for progress. What really happens when we stand on the front lines of change. STAND is a fascinating story of how Kathryn succeeded in getting the men involved in the Tour de France to host a race for women. She has been featured on the cover of Bicycling Magazine and profiled in Outside Magazine for her passion and implementation to change the world.

Kathryn joins me today to share what motivated her to write STAND and what it’s like to be on the front lines of change. She shares how she got started in social activism and why creating a tribe is crucial for building your movement’s momentum. We discuss how unconscious biases and ‘the good ole’ boys’ mentality are still occurring in many corporate industries, including radio, publishing, sports, and even politics. We discuss how she leaned into failure and rejection found the motivation to continue pushing forward. We discuss why many female athletes are hesitant about speaking up and standing on the front lines of change and how the Tour de France fans, athletes, and media responded to the new race for women. Kathryn also shares tips and suggestions on how you can play a role in effecting change in issues you care about.

“We’re all capable of effecting change. You don’t have to be famous and wealthy and rich or an Olympic gold medalist or an Instagram influencer. You can be a human being and you can use the strengths that you have to effect change.” - Kathryn Bertine

This week on Rock Star Principles:

Why Kathryn decided to write her book STAND and the challenges she faced in getting it published How Kathryn got started in social activism to make a change How receptive the athletes and owners of the Tour de France initially were of the idea of starting a race for professional women cyclists Unconscious biases and mindset that still exist in corporate America today Pushing past the fear of rejection and failure Why many female athletes are hesitant to speak up and be on the front lines of change Simple yet effective strategies to effect change in any social movement

Connect with Kathryn Bertine:

Kathryn Bertine’s Website Book: STAND: A memoir on activism. A manual for progress. What really happens when we stand on the front lines of change. Kathryn Bertine on LinkedIn Kathryn Bertine on Instagram Kathryn Bertine on Facebook Kathryn Bertine on Twitter

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