Trailblazer Stories
The Uplifters Podcast: Trailblazers Collection
What separates trailblazers from dreamers?
It's not that they face fewer doubts or hear fewer "nos." It's how they process those limiting beliefs differently than the rest of us.
Throughout these episodes, you'll notice something fascinating: whether it's Shelley Zalis pioneering online research methods or Shannon Eastin stepping onto an NFL field as a referee, these women heard all the familiar doubts – maybe even louder than most. But where others might have heard "impossible," they heard a challenge. Where others saw closed doors, they saw proof their perspective was needed.
As you listen to this collection of Trailblazer stories, consider how you see your own barriers.
Consider:
What "impossible" dream keeps whispering to you?
Where do you wish you saw someone who has experienced what you have experienced?
What problem do you keep wishing someone would solve?
First Women in Their Fields
Kathrine Switzer: First woman to run Boston Marathon
Laura Kavanagh: First female Fire Commissioner of FDNY in 157 years
Shannon Eastin: First female NFL referee
Susie Jaramillo: First Latina CEO of a media company in the US
Tania Kinsella: First woman of color to serve as first deputy director of NYPD
Helen Arteaga: First Latina CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst
Alli Schroder: First woman to play in Canadian Collegiate Baseball Conference
Cultural and Social Barrier Breakers
Cat McKenzie: First Black Woman Executive Producer at ABC News
Jenny Jing Zhu: From village maid to $100M company founder
Daisy Auger-Dominguez: First in family to become executive, breaking cultural expectations
Meera Hardin: Immigrant who became media industry leader
Candy Motzek: Overcame racial barriers in education to become a successful entrepreneur
Maysoon Zayid: Disability advocate and groundbreaking comedian
Lakeshia Hodge: Overcame homelessness to create poverty-breaking programs
Sheri Jefferson: Started culinary career at 50, now serves millions through Food Bank
Lauren Roerick: Long-distance hiking pioneer, breaking physical endurance barriers
Rola Ghasani: Created a new mold for raising her daughters in a traditionally Muslim environment
Alexis Shepard: Practices radical transparency
Industry Transformers
Sarah Krasley: Revolutionizing manufacturing education for women globally
Taylor Ratliff: Creating opportunities for minorities in STEM
Konika Ray Wong: Transforming puberty education through Girl Power Science
Shelley Zalis: Founder of The Female Quotient, who created women's spaces in male-dominated conferences
Alison Mariella Désir: Founder of Harlem Runs and author of Running While Black, transforming running industry through diversity initiatives
Marcia K. Morgan: Pioneered female sexual assault law enforcement units
Denise Pines: Age Enthusiast who is changing how medical care is provided in midlife
Terri Tomoff: channeled family medical challenges into art and authorship