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Women Rule

149 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 3 years ago - ★★★★ - 308 ratings

Join POLITICO’s Anna Palmer on the Women Rule Podcast as she takes you backstage with women bosses for real talk on how they made it and what advice they have for women looking to lead. New episodes every other Wednesday. Women Rule is produced by POLITICO in partnership with our founding partners Google and the Tory Burch Foundation.

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Episodes

‘Change comes by rolling up your sleeves’: Alicia Garza, co-founder of Black Lives Matter

December 16, 2020 09:00 - 26 minutes - 24.2 MB

For our final episode of 2020, Anna is joined by Alicia Garza, the activist and co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement. They look back at 2020 — a year when Americans endured crises from the pandemic to the economic recession, racial injustices and a highly contentious presidential election. Through it all, women have often taken the lead. And as we head into 2021, Alicia tells us how she’s looking to set the course in activism for the year to come.

Breaking down 2020 with Carrie Budoff Brown and Elizabeth Ralph

December 02, 2020 09:00 - 29 minutes - 27 MB

For her final episode as host of "Women Rule," Anna Palmer is joined by POLITICO editor Carrie Budoff Brown and POLITICO Magazine deputy editor Elizabeth Ralph to talk about the strange year we’ve all lived through — from the presidential election to the global pandemic — and look forward to 2021 and beyond, and what all of it means for women.  

‘Push yourself, but take it easy’: NRCC’s Parker Poling

November 18, 2020 09:00 - 15 minutes - 14.2 MB

Now that the 2020 campaign is over, Anna speaks with Parker Poling, the executive director of the National Republican Congressional Committee, which made substantial gains this year. Parker's job is a big responsibility — working with hundreds of campaigns, candidates, members of congress, donors and campaign staffers as the clock ticks down to election day. But Parker herself seems to take it all in stride. She talks about the wisdom she's learned over the years that allows her to do that — ...

Presenting "Global Translations": How can the US compete with China Inc.?

November 12, 2020 22:00 - 35 minutes - 28.5 MB

"Women Rule" brings you another special episode of POLITICO's new podcast "Global Translations":  The pandemic and the rise of China are prompting Republicans and Democrats to turn to government power to grow industries important to America’s security and place in the world. “Industrial policy” is an idea long reviled among Washington policymakers. Hosts Luiza Savage and Ryan Heath talk to the people trying to make industrial policy cool again. Luiza Savage is the host of "Global Translation...

The election is over. What just happened?: Ally Mutnick

November 05, 2020 09:00 - 17 minutes - 16 MB

The 2020 race is finished. And while we don't know all the results yet, we know enough to say this: There was a big gap between what was expected and what ended up happening. Joining Anna to talk it all through is Ally Mutnick, a campaign reporter for POLITICO and expert on all things congressional elections.   Hosted by Anna Palmer Produced by Zack Stanton Executive Producer is Irene Noguchi

Introducing: Global Translations: The world's vaccine tug-of-war

October 28, 2020 14:00 - 36 minutes - 33.6 MB

"Women Rule" brings you a special episode of POLITICO's new podcast series "Global Translations."  From closed factories to closed borders, the Covid-19 pandemic exposed the fragility of our systems, creating a period of scarcity where demand skyrocketed — from freezers to PPE — and we couldn't supply items fast enough. In this episode of "Global Translations", POLITICO hosts Luiza Savage and Ryan Heath take a deep dive with experts into global supply chains and what "decoupling" and "reshori...

Introducing: Global Translations: The supply chain tug-of-war

October 28, 2020 14:00 - 36 minutes - 33.6 MB

"Women Rule" brings you a special episode of POLITICO's new podcast series "Global Translations."  From closed factories to closed borders, the Covid-19 pandemic exposed the fragility of our systems, creating a period of scarcity where demand skyrocketed — from freezers to PPE — and we couldn't supply items fast enough. In this episode of "Global Translations", POLITICO hosts Luiza Savage and Ryan Heath take a deep dive with experts into global supply chains and what "decoupling" an...

What I learned by listening: J.Crew CEO Jan Singer

October 21, 2020 08:00 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MB

This year, J.Crew is closing all of its stores and offices on Election Day in an effort to encourage its workers to vote. It’s not a move you’d expect from a major corporation. But Jan Singer isn’t your typical CEO. In fact, she didn't even want to be a CEO when she started out — and her (mostly male) superiors were quick to say she couldn't be a CEO unless she changed who she was. She didn't. And now leads one of the most iconic fashion retailers in America. We talked about her journey as a ...

America Ferrera on 2020, Latino voters and the “Time’s Up” movement

October 07, 2020 08:00 - 25 minutes - 23 MB

You may know her as the star of “Ugly Betty” and “Superstore,” but right now, America Ferrera is focused on the 2020 election. As the co-founder of She Se Puede, she's working to boost the political participation of Latinas throughout the country. We talked about that, her political awakening as a 9-year-old and her participation in the "Time's Up" movement in Hollywood.

How does 2020 look for Republican women?: Julie Conway

September 23, 2020 08:00 - 26 minutes - 24.1 MB

Julie Conway is the executive director of VIEW PAC, a group dedicated to electing more Republican women to the House and Senate. She joined Anna to talk about the 2020 campaign, her tips on how to fundraise successfully, and how the wave of Democratic women elected in 2018 is making it easier to recruit Republican women this year.   Host: Anna Palmer Producer: Zack Stanton Executive Producer: Irene Noguchi If you’re a fan of the show, please subscribe to Women Rule on Apple Podcasts, Spo...

Inside a $6 billion fundraising machine: ActBlue’s Erin Hill

September 09, 2020 08:00 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MB

Erin Hill is the executive director of ActBlue, the tech platform powerhouse behind most small-dollar online donations to Democrats. They've raised more than $6 billion since 2004 — including around $3 billion in the 2020 cycle alone — and have helped Dems solidify a lead in online contributions. We talked about all of that and more: How small-dollar donors are changing politics, how the pandemic is changing small-dollar donors, and what all of this could mean for the future of politics. Ann...

'When is it a woman’s turn?': The Lincoln Project's Jennifer Horn

August 26, 2020 08:00 - 29 minutes - 26.9 MB

Jennifer Horn is the former chair of the New Hampshire GOP. But these days, she's better known for the Lincoln Project — the group of anti-Trump conservatives who support Joe Biden. She joins us to talk about 2020, her journey in politics and the barriers she's encountered in her own runs for office.   Hosted by Anna Palmer Produced by Zack Stanton Executive Produced by Irene Noguchi

‘This one is unprecedented’: Andrea Mitchell on 2020

August 12, 2020 08:00 - 24 minutes - 22.2 MB

Andrea Mitchell, the NBC News journalist and television icon, joins Anna to talk about what she's learned over five decades of political conventions, how life has changed for women reporters and where she sees things going from here.

The psychology behind the pandemic: Angela Duckworth

July 29, 2020 08:00 - 29 minutes - 27.3 MB

Angela Duckworth, a Penn psychology professor and host of "No Stupid Questions" from Freakonomics Radio, on the coronavirus pandemic and the unseen psychological reasons that explain why we act the way we do. Duckworth is known for her research on “grit” and self-control — both of which are important characteristics to have when you’re living through times like these. She’s aware that we’re all struggling with those traits right now. And she knows that understanding that — as well as having ...

Agility is the new superpower: Nina Garcia

July 15, 2020 08:00 - 20 minutes - 18.6 MB

Our guest today: Nina Garcia, who in addition to being the editor-in-chief of ELLE Magazine, serves as a judge on “Project Runway.” Her journey to fashion-icon status was an unlikely one: She was an immigrant who came to America to get an education, fell in love with the fashion world, and worked her way to the top after starting out at the very bottom. "I didn’t know anybody here. I didn’t really have any contacts. I had no connections," Garcia tells Anna Palmer. "It was just a big, glamor...

Padma Lakshmi on how food is a gateway to empathy

July 01, 2020 08:00 - 20 minutes - 18.4 MB

Anna's joined by Padma Lakshmi, the author, model and activist who hosts “Top Chef” on Bravo and whose new show, “Taste the Nation,” is now out on Hulu. Padma said she decided to do the show after thinking about what a central role food plays in American culture and everyday life — and how the people behind the food we love are so rarely given the chance to tell their own stories.   Padma’s work away from the culinary world has put her on the forefront of a host of issues: civil liberties, ...

Curtis Sittenfeld on 'Rodham' and leading the life that's right for you

June 17, 2020 08:00 - 25 minutes - 23.5 MB

Bestselling author Curtis Sittenfeld joins Anna to talk about her new novel, "Rodham," which imagines a world where a young Hillary Rodham decides not to marry Bill Clinton. Though this isn't Curtis's first book, it is her first book to be released during a global pandemic — which presents its own challenges. We get into all of that, and more.

Grieving, surviving but hopeful: Teresa Carlson and Dionna Dorsey

June 05, 2020 08:00 - 39 minutes - 36.1 MB

Teresa Carlson, VP of Amazon Web Services, and Dionna Dorsey, the owner and designer behind District of Clothing, join to discuss how businesses are pivoting because of the coronavirus pandemic and how the fallout from the protests over the killing of George Floyd are impacting their companies.

Re-open the economy? 'We're not ready yet': Rep. Pramila Jayapal

May 20, 2020 08:00 - 36 minutes - 33.3 MB

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal represents Seattle, one of the most hard-hit areas in the country during the coronavirus pandemic. Via Zoom, she and Anna talked about that, why she thinks the economy isn't quite ready to reopen, and what she wishes the Trump administration got wrong in its response. Beyond that, she discussed her history-making path to the Congress, why she often finds leadership lonely, and "the poor men who are so afraid of our talents as women."  

Talking coronavirus with Melinda Gates

May 08, 2020 16:29 - 19 minutes - 17.5 MB

In this special bonus episode, Melinda Gates, one of the world's most active philanthropists and public health advocates, joins Anna to talk about the coronavirus pandemic, what she wishes the Trump administration would do differently in its response and the things that keep her up at night.

‘If you own your vulnerability, it becomes your strength’: Diane von Furstenberg

May 06, 2020 08:00 - 22 minutes - 21.1 MB

Today, a break from all things “coronavirus,” as Anna Palmer talks with fashion legend Diane von Furtstenberg. They sat down back before the stay-at-home orders began, when she was in DC to present Ruth Bader Ginsburg with the annual DVF Awards' lifetime achievement prize. And though a whole lot has happened since then, Diane’s advice still rings true for how we can approach life and its challenges. Fashion legend DVF on life, leadership, and why, even now, she feels imposter syndrome.

Inside Facebook's 'incredibly aggressive' response to coronavirus: Fidji Simo

April 22, 2020 08:00 - 30 minutes - 27.7 MB

A conversation with Fidji Simo, head of the Facebook App, on tech, coronavirus and Facebook’s response to misinformation and anti-quarantine protests. Simo is the 34-year-old who is in charge of Facebook's app — which has 2.2 billion users. She joined to talk through not only how the company is responding to Covid-19, but her own unpredictable journey to the upper echelon of Silicon Valley, and what she's doing to open the door for more women to follow.

‘By December, we are going to go through this again’: Dr. Janis Orlowski

April 08, 2020 08:00 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MB

We talk coronavirus with Dr. Janis Orlowski, chief health care officer of the Association of American Medical Colleges, who explains, among other things, the huge shortage of N95 masks the U.S. now faces amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

How coronavirus became the 'story of our lifetime': Joanne Kenen

March 25, 2020 08:00 - 28 minutes - 26 MB

Joanne Kenen, the executive editor of POLITICO’s health care coverage, walks us through the COVID-19 outbreak, America’s slow response and what we should expect in the weeks and months to come.

‘You’d be shocked how many ideas you have’: Birchbox CEO Katia Beauchamp

March 11, 2020 08:00 - 26 minutes - 24.2 MB

She’s the co-founder and CEO of one of the biggest e-commerce subscription companies in the world. Katia Beauchamp joins us to talk about how she figured out what she wanted to do, the value of starting wherever you are, and what she does to declutter her thinking.

'You are the owner of your body': Natalia Kanem

March 06, 2020 09:30 - 25 minutes - 23.1 MB

On this special "International Women's Day" episode, Anna is joined by Dr. Natalia Kanem, head of the UNFPA. Her job is to help protect and promote access to sexual and reproductive health and health education throughout the world — especially for girls and women.

Harris Faulkner is ‘hungrier than ever’ for the truth

February 26, 2020 09:30 - 29 minutes - 26.9 MB

The Fox News host gets real about #MeToo, the 2020 election and what it’s like as the only woman of color to anchor a weekday news show on any major cable network.

‘I have no illusion about how dirty this could get’: Amy Kennedy

February 12, 2020 09:30 - 21 minutes - 19.9 MB

She’s a teacher, mental health advocate and part of one of America’s most famous political families. But does Amy Kennedy have what it takes to oust an incumbent Republican congressman in one of America’s most closely watched 2020 races?

‘I have a voice and I need to try to use it’: Kathryn Murdoch

January 29, 2020 09:45 - 23 minutes - 22 MB

Kathryn Murdoch opens up about her famous Fox News-owning in-laws, the existential threat of climate change, why politics is so broken — and why she plans on spending $100 million to fix it.

The art of managing up: Kimberly Grant

January 15, 2020 09:00 - 23 minutes - 21.4 MB

When you sit down at a restaurant to eat, there are so many things that need to happen that never occur to you. That’s where Kimberly Grant comes in. She’s the CEO of José Andrés’ company, and before that, one of the top executives at Ruby Tuesday. Kimberly joined Anna to talk about what makes a restaurant a success, the weird spat between her boss and Donald Trump, and why sterling credentials aren’t always a match for real-world experience.

‘I’m making white-man money now’: Gloria Calderón Kellett & Isabella Gomez

January 01, 2020 09:00 - 29 minutes - 27.3 MB

Live from the Women Rule summit, Anna speaks with "One Day At a Time" star Isabella Gomez and showrunner Gloria Calderón Kellett about TV, Trump, Latinx representation, the stereotypes they wish would disappear, and how Hollywood is changing for women.

‘I know my purpose’: Nancy Pelosi

December 18, 2019 09:00 - 26 minutes - 24 MB

She's the most powerful woman in America: Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. At the Women Rule Summit, she sat down with Anna to talk about the impeachment of President Donald Trump, her decades-long effort to get more women elected to Congress, and why simply having a seat at the table isn’t enough.

How to be a spokesperson when you’re afraid of public speaking: Lolwah Al-Khater

December 04, 2019 11:31 - 22 minutes - 20.7 MB

Lolwah Al-Khater is the face of Qatari diplomacy. She’s also an introvert with a fear of public speaking, and the first woman ever to hold her position. We talked about how she manages all that — on top of the formidable portfolio of issues she deals with every day in the Middle East.

Does Amy McGrath have what it takes to defeat Mitch McConnell?

November 20, 2019 10:00 - 25 minutes - 23 MB

She flew 89 combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. She was the first woman in the Marine Corps to fly an F-18 in a combat mission. Now, she’s home in Kentucky, hoping to beat the odds and bring down the most powerful man in the Senate. But to do that, Amy McGrath will need to convince a great many Trump-supporting Kentuckians to cross over and support her, too.

Is work-life ‘balance’ the wrong way to think about it?: Amy Howe

November 06, 2019 10:00 - 26 minutes - 24.7 MB

Amy Howe, the president and COO of Ticketmaster North America, joins Anna Palmer to discuss the “obligation to dissent” that makes her speak up in meetings, what her years as a business consultant taught her about being a successful manager and boss, and how we might be getting that whole “work-life balance” thing all wrong.

‘An adrenaline addiction with an overdose of patriotism’: MJ Hegar

October 23, 2019 09:00 - 26 minutes - 24.7 MB

MJ Hegar doesn’t back down from a fight — whether in combat in Afghanistan, or pushing the Pentagon to revise old sexist rules, or being denied a meeting with her member of Congress, or running for U.S. Senate as a Democrat in deep-red Texas.

Yes, I flipped off a Cabinet member. No, I don’t regret it: Susan Rice

October 09, 2019 09:00 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MB

You know Susan Rice as President Obama's national security adviser and UN ambassador. But there's a lot about her you don't know — like the time Donald Trump hugged her and said she was treated unfairly about Benghazi; or the moment she, as a young Clinton administration official, flipped off Richard Holbrooke; or her time helping lead America's foreign policy despite being a 32-year-old with a baby on her hip; or what it was like having a dad who grew up in segregated South Carolina, and who...

‘Oh, to be young again and know what I know now’: Cindy McCain

September 25, 2019 09:00 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MB

A year after the death of her husband, Sen. John McCain, Cindy McCain joins us to talk about the value of civility, her struggle to be taken seriously as a woman in Washington, and the side of her that you probably don't know — ranging from her time as special education teacher working with the children of migrant farmworkers, to the critical role Jill and Joe Biden played at the start of John and Cindy's relationship.

Get to know your own super power: Jamie Jones Miller

September 11, 2019 09:00 - 23 minutes - 21.5 MB

It's an important skill to have. Just ask Jamie Jones Miller. She was a college athlete, then worked as a lobbyist before a career on Capitol Hill, where she rose to become a chief of staff. Now, as the top lobbyist for the Defense Department, she has to walk a fine line — being strong and forceful but also empathetic and congenial.

‘Be yourself, and trust that that’s enough’: Kate Lewis

August 28, 2019 09:00 - 24 minutes - 22.8 MB

When you conjure up an image of a c-suite executive, you probably don’t envision a smiling, friendly person. At first, Kate Lewis didn’t either. And that was a problem as Lewis started taking on jobs in the publishing world with greater and greater responsibilities: By nature, she has a smiling, friendly disposition. But she didn’t see very many people like that in the corridors of power. “In the magazine industry, there are a lot of—there’s an image, right, that you need to be a high-fashi...

What does it take to make you feel like you belong?: Jessica Rodriguez

August 14, 2019 09:00 - 34 minutes - 31.6 MB

She started out as an intern and worked her way up to become the president of entertainment and chief marketing officer of Univision. But before all that, she was a girl growing up in the Bronx — the eldest daughter of two Spanish-speaking immigrants, which gave her a foot in two worlds. As a kid, she had to translate for her parents — especially after her father died suddenly when she was just 15. She says those responsibilities coming at such an early age are common — and where others simpl...

Foreign policy isn’t just for white men: Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley

July 31, 2019 09:00 - 26 minutes - 24.2 MB

She was the first woman to lead a diplomatic mission in Saudi Arabia. She was the U.S. ambassador to Malta. Now, Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley is trying to open up the diplomatic world to more women and people of color.

Why are so few Republican women in Congress?: Rebecca Schuller

July 17, 2019 09:00 - 16 minutes - 14.9 MB

In the 2018 elections, the number of GOP women in the House dropped to its lowest number in 25 years. That’s where Rebecca Schuller comes in: Her newly formed super PAC is aimed at increasing the number of Republican women in Congress.

Mythbusting the dumb stereotype about women & tech: Katherine Maher

July 03, 2019 09:00 - 25 minutes - 23.8 MB

How do you get to be one of the most powerful women in the tech world by the time you're in your mid-30s? Maher is the head of the Wikimedia Foundation, the group that runs the fifth most popular website in the world: Wikipedia. She joins to talk about women in tech, fake news and what she discovered when she became a boss.

Success isn’t always a straight line: Linda McMahon

June 19, 2019 09:00 - 26 minutes - 23.9 MB

She went from being a paralegal and receptionist to a CEO, self-made billionaire and member of the president’s cabinet. Linda McMahon, the former CEO of WWE, former head of the Small Business Administration and current chair of America First Action — a super PAC dedicated to supporting Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign — shares what she learned along the way.

Don’t confuse your passion and your career path: Chrissy Houlahan

June 05, 2019 09:00 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MB

Before joining Congress, Houlahan served in the Air Force, led a major sporting-goods company, taught high-school chemistry, and was a non-profit executive. She shares what she’s learned along the way — and how she became comfortable taking on totally new challenges, time and again.

How to crack through ‘imposter syndrome’: Piera Gelardi

May 22, 2019 09:00 - 20 minutes - 28.2 MB

Refinery29 co-founder and executive creative director Piera Gelardi on what she’s learned as a former art-school student who became a heavy hitter in the online publishing world — including how she got comfortable asking questions in business meetings, managing a work-life balance when you work with your husband and growing up in a family business.

How to get comfortable putting yourself out there: Katie Sturino

May 08, 2019 09:00 - 26 minutes

Katie Sturino, the founder of Megababe and blogger behind “The 12ish Style,” opens up about pushing the fashion industry to become more size-inclusive. It is, by now, folk wisdom on the Internet: Never read the comments beneath a news article. They can be filled with sexism, racism, cruel mockery and ad hominem attacks. Avoid them at all costs — especially if the article is about you, or you’re a woman, or you don’t fit a very narrow range of acceptable body types. Katie Sturino ignored tha...

Why getting comfortable can be risky: Bustle chief Kate Ward

April 24, 2019 09:00 - 22 minutes - 30.3 MB

As editor-in-chief of the Bustle Digital Group, Kate Ward oversees some of the web's most popular news outlets, including Romper, Elite Daily, and Mic — pretty amazing for a company that started out of a Brooklyn apartment. Ward shares what she's learned in the journey from start-up to major success — including why Bustle gives its employees a financial stake in the company.

Why it’s important to trust your gut: Framebridge CEO Susan Tynan

April 17, 2019 09:00 - 23 minutes - 32.9 MB

Since founding Framebridge in 2014, Susan Tynan has raised more than $67 million in funding for her company. How did she do it? By learning at every step of the way and learning to trust her own instincts. Anna sat down with Susan on stage to talk about the specific lessons she's learned from launching her own startup, how to get over the hump in starting your own business, and what it's like to be a professional woman pitching mostly wealthy, white, male investors.

Guests

Christina Tosi
1 Episode
Gregg Renfrew
1 Episode
Kara Swisher
1 Episode
Susan Tynan
1 Episode

Books

The White House
2 Episodes

Twitter Mentions

@katabor 1 Episode
@mazzucatom 1 Episode
@irenenoguchi 1 Episode
@annielrees 1 Episode
@jennyament 1 Episode