Brave and Bad Ass Women: Leading and Loving in this Moment

Jun 12

Brave and Bad Ass Women: Leading and Loving in this Moment

In this powerful continuation of The PlayFull Podcast’s Brave Voices series, host Kristine Michie brings together a chorus of extraordinary changemakers—visionaries in gender justice, philanthropy, political peacebuilding, and social innovation—for a deeply honest, spirited conversation. What unfolds is a rare and refreshing look at how bravery, playfulness, discomfort, and connection intersect in the lives and leadership of women transforming the world. For listeners navigating this moment’s chaos and change, this episode offers not just insight but a sense of belonging, permission to pause, and motivation to press forward.

Key Takeaways:

Use metaphors and playful language to unlock creativity and connection in tense or ideologically diverse spaces.
Interrupt burnout cycles by building regular pauses into your routine for reflection, release, and recalibration.
Strengthen collective courage by creating environments where discomfort and difference are embraced, not avoided.
Resist reactive thinking by choosing intentional, purpose-driven narratives that focus on hope and possibility.
Anchor big visions in an abundance mindset instead of retreating to risk-averse strategies in uncertain times.
Engage across divides by leading with curiosity and shared human values rather than assumptions or ideology.
Reflect daily on both your actions and your emotional truth to align your leadership with inner clarity and intention.

"What play does is it takes away the rules, it lets us suspend the rules of the reality that we're in. It lets us use different parts of our mind and feel into the possible." — Rachel Brown

"Now is not the time to contract. We have to keep our ambition, because the problems are getting bigger. So I am telling nonprofit leaders to keep those BHAGs, those North Stars, those 10x visions." — Emma Colenbrander

"When you are standing in front of a wall and you just keep beating your head against the wall, you will not notice that there is a doorway three feet to your right." — Nealin Parker

More about our Changemakers:

Fatima Goss Graves is the President and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center and a co-founder of the TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund, leading national efforts in gender justice and legal advocacy. [LinkedIn]
Julia Roig is the Founder & Chief Network Weaver at The Horizons Project, promoting peace, justice, and democracy through narrative and restorative practices. [LinkedIn]
Rachel Brown is the Founder and Executive Director of Over Zero, working to prevent identity-based violence by shifting harmful narratives and empowering community resilience. [LinkedIn]
Ina Breuer is the Executive Director of NEID Global, a national peer-to-peer learning community of global donors, social investors, and families committed to equitable and impactful philanthropy. [LinkedIn]
Jennifer Carolyn King is the founder of Rugged Elegance and co-leader of The Butterfly Effect Fund, investing in women-led ventures, mental health, and global social entrepreneurship. [LinkedIn]
Emma Colenbrander is the Managing Director at Spring Impact and co-founder of Pollinate Group, helping nonprofits and social enterprises scale solutions for underserved communities. [LinkedIn]
Nealin Parker is the Executive Director of Common Ground USA, part of Search for Common Ground, using peacebuilding principles to bridge divides within the United States. [LinkedIn]
Sandy Herz is a former philanthropic executive at Sobrato Philanthropies and the Skoll Foundation, now curating The Elephant and the Butterfly Substack to share insights from 100 global changemakers. [LinkedIn]