Speaker 1: You're listening to I Choose Me with Jenny Garth. Hi, everyone,
Speaker 1: welcome to I Choose Me. This podcast is all about
Speaker 1: the choices we make and where they lead us. I
Speaker 1: am backstage at the very first ever I Choose Me
Speaker 1: Live summit. You guys. The atmosphere backstage has been so exciting.
Speaker 1: We're listening and we're learning from each other. It's truly
Speaker 1: an incredible day. If you weren't able to attend the event,
Speaker 1: you can purchase a ticket to the live stream of
Speaker 1: the event so nobody misses it. All the info will
Speaker 1: be in our show notes. You don't want to miss
Speaker 1: this day full of conversations about advocating for our own health, menopause,
Speaker 1: and finding your inner badass. Before we jump into the conversation,
Speaker 1: you guys, I just found the best spot for coffee, breakfast,
Speaker 1: and lunch all the things. Parakeet Cafe. They showed up
Speaker 1: at the I Choose Me Live event and let me
Speaker 1: tell you, they completely stole the show. Their coffee next
Speaker 1: level handcrafted the purest organic ingredients. Their pastries are flaky
Speaker 1: and fresh. It was just like chef's kiss, if you
Speaker 1: know what I mean. I love the vegan and the
Speaker 1: gluten free options they had and no sugar added. Oh,
Speaker 1: there was this one vegan, gluten free, no sugar added
Speaker 1: scone so yummy. And the lunch spread so good. Oh,
Speaker 1: I loved it. It was so nourishing, organic, no seed oils,
Speaker 1: just real feel good food that made everyone glow. It
Speaker 1: was like they just got the vibe elevated, effortless and
Speaker 1: full of love. I was so honored to have them
Speaker 1: be a part of the day. And you know what
Speaker 1: the best part is, you don't have to wait for
Speaker 1: an event to try it. Just visit their spots. They
Speaker 1: have places in Beverly Hills, Brentwood and beyond. Trust me,
Speaker 1: you're gonna be obsessed. Now let's get in to our conversations.
Speaker 2: Hi, Hi, Jenny, I'm so thrilled to be at your event.
Speaker 1: Ah, this is such an amazing day. I am so
Speaker 1: excited to have you be a part of it. Just
Speaker 1: describe the energy for me back here, the energy of
Speaker 1: the day. How do you feel being on the Badass panel?
Speaker 2: Oh, I'm so honored to have been asked to be
Speaker 2: a part of the I Choose Me Summit. The backstage
Speaker 2: is electric, so many wonderful women talking about things that matter,
Speaker 2: and I can't wait to get my chance to be
Speaker 2: in the Badass Women panel.
Speaker 1: It's going to be a lot of fun. What does
Speaker 1: being a woman mean to you?
Speaker 2: Oh, Being a woman means being a multitasker, sadly sometimes
Speaker 2: putting other people first, and we have to get to
Speaker 2: the point that we choose ourselves. And that's what I
Speaker 2: love about the I Choose Me summit and really, you
Speaker 2: know again being a Beverly Hills two one to oh fan.
Speaker 2: I remember when I was a kid and the words
Speaker 2: I Choose Me on the show resonated with me, and
Speaker 2: I don't think that it might have been the first
Speaker 2: time I ever heard a woman.
Speaker 3: Say you're great.
Speaker 1: However, I choose.
Speaker 2: Myself and that's something that stayed with me through the
Speaker 2: years and now that I hope that ends up resonating
Speaker 2: with a lot of other women too.
Speaker 1: Yes, yes, okay. What does it mean to you to
Speaker 1: choose yourself?
Speaker 2: Choosing yourself means that you prioritize your own well being.
Speaker 2: I think women are very good at making sure everyone
Speaker 2: else is okay. But I've come to the realization that
Speaker 2: no one else can be okay if you're not okay.
Speaker 2: So as we're busy, you know, making doctor's appointments for
Speaker 2: people and making sure people are happy and fed and
Speaker 2: all those things. You have to feed yourself too, and
Speaker 2: that's you know, mind, body, and spirits. So I choose
Speaker 2: me is taking care of you first, and it's not
Speaker 2: a selfish thing to do.
Speaker 1: What's the best advice you've ever gotten from another woman? Ooh?
Speaker 4: You know?
Speaker 2: Best advice I ever got was from my mom. As
Speaker 2: she rest in peace, she said, kindness matters. And I
Speaker 2: think there's so many people in this life they call
Speaker 2: it chasing the bag and hustle culture, and everything seems
Speaker 2: to be focused on money and material things, and I
Speaker 2: think we lose sight of the most important thing is
Speaker 2: a relationship you have with other people, and that begins
Speaker 2: by seeing them and caring for them and being kind.
Speaker 2: I believe in my life or receive more opportunities because
Speaker 2: I'm a good person than because I'm partic, talented or
Speaker 2: anything else. So kindness really is step one for me.
Speaker 1: The moms know they give such a good advice and kindness. Yeah,
Speaker 1: that is just the way to walk through life, I think. Okay,
Speaker 1: So who are some of the women who inspire you
Speaker 1: the most? Like what is it that you admire about them?
Speaker 2: You know, I love women that can speak their mind
Speaker 2: even though it might get them in trouble. And I
Speaker 2: also believe this is not a woman, but representative John
Speaker 2: Lewis said that it's important to get in good trouble,
Speaker 2: necessary trouble. And so I believe the best women, the
Speaker 2: smartest women, the most principled women, will see something and
Speaker 2: say something, and they will fight for themselves and fight
Speaker 2: for others. So I respect women that do that, that
Speaker 2: take the higher ground, are determined to be on the
Speaker 2: right side of history. Even if it hurts them, they
Speaker 2: go forward.
Speaker 1: Yeah, there's something about that notion of putting other people's
Speaker 1: needs before your own. That's just like a good rule
Speaker 1: to live by. Okay, do this for me. Fill in
Speaker 1: the blank. When women come together?
Speaker 2: Blank, When women come together, everything changes for the good.
Speaker 1: Yes, short and sweet and so true. If it is
Speaker 1: there something you hope the audience takes away today, like
Speaker 1: from you, from specifically your panel.
Speaker 2: You know, I hope that everyone that comes to the
Speaker 2: summit today leaves with the understanding that it's not selfish
Speaker 2: to prioritize.
Speaker 3: Yourself and to say it to yourself.
Speaker 2: I choose me, say it in the in the mirror
Speaker 2: if you need to, until you believe that that you're
Speaker 2: worthy of that. I know that you're worthy of that.
Speaker 2: I know that I'm worthy of that. So I hope
Speaker 2: they all leave with that understanding.
Speaker 1: Mirror work is so important, looking yourself in the eyes,
Speaker 1: telling yourself you love you. I love you, saying that
Speaker 1: into your own eyes, and yeah, telling yourself is okay
Speaker 1: to choose myself right now. Totally agree that Nicole Brown.
Speaker 1: Let me ask you something, when was your last I
Speaker 1: choose me moment?
Speaker 2: My last I choose me moment was this morning when
Speaker 2: I was figuring out what I was going to wear.
Speaker 2: I was mindful of this this summit and everybody's coming
Speaker 2: and everyone's going to be in their pretty dresses and
Speaker 2: all of that, and I had my pretty dress ready
Speaker 2: to go. But today I just felt like I want
Speaker 2: to be in sneakers and something colorful and festive, and
Speaker 2: so I chose me by picking an outfit that made
Speaker 2: me feel good and you know, hope people love it.
Speaker 1: Well, I think you look amazing. I love it, and
Speaker 1: I love it that you're comfortable. So important. Okay, that's it.
Speaker 1: That's all we have time for I'm so excited to
Speaker 1: have you here. I love you. You're beautiful, I love
Speaker 1: your outfits. Let's do this, doctor Kittelson, I am so
Speaker 1: thrilled that you made the time to be with us
Speaker 1: here today at the summit. As a woman, why is
Speaker 1: it so important for us to speak up for ourselves
Speaker 1: in the doctor's office. You should know this better than anyone.
Speaker 5: So historically women have often been not heard when they
Speaker 5: go to their physician. So it is so important to
Speaker 5: bring a list ahead of time with the questions and
Speaker 5: concerns that you have, so that you can ensure that
Speaker 5: your itemized agenda is accomplished by the time the doctor's
Speaker 5: visit is over.
Speaker 1: That works for me. I am a list maker. I
Speaker 1: live my life by lists. So that's a great recommendation
Speaker 1: to take a list with you to the doctor's office,
Speaker 1: because sometimes you forget things. You know, you get a
Speaker 1: little overwhelmed or excited or nervous, and you forget things.
Speaker 1: So take that list, ladies, What would you say the
Speaker 1: one health tip you want all women to take seriously
Speaker 1: this year?
Speaker 5: Exercise, And I'll tell you why. Number One, everybody knows
Speaker 5: that exercise is good. It lowers blood pressure, cholesterol, helps
Speaker 5: your mood. There's a million health benefits. But the other
Speaker 5: important reason is that exercise is an early detection system.
Speaker 5: Your heart is a muscle. It'll get into trouble while
Speaker 5: you're using it. So if you exercise regularly, you're attuned
Speaker 5: to change it in your exercise tolerance. That could signal
Speaker 5: a heart problem. If you sit on the couch all day,
Speaker 5: you're never checking in with your heart. You don't know
Speaker 5: how it's doing. So please exercise. Aerobic thirty minutes a
Speaker 5: day is the goal.
Speaker 1: Absolutely, get up, go for a walk, move your body.
Speaker 1: That way, you form a better connection with your body
Speaker 1: and you can better listen to it. Totally agree. Can
Speaker 1: you describe the energy that you're feeling backstage?
Speaker 5: I am feeling hopeful, invigorated, curious, and excited.
Speaker 1: Yes to all of those things. I feel it too.
Speaker 1: What does it mean to you to choose yourself?
Speaker 5: It means to have a very clear sense of your goals,
Speaker 5: your values, your priorities, and to make a plan to
Speaker 5: get them happening.
Speaker 1: I like that again, kind of beckoning back to making
Speaker 1: that list, making sure that you are taken care of.
Speaker 1: What are your priorities? What are your questions, all the things,
Speaker 1: and that's the only way we can really know ourselves
Speaker 1: and ultimately choose ourselves. What do you hope to walk
Speaker 1: away from this day with.
Speaker 5: I hope to walk away with inspiration to have concrete
Speaker 5: ideas to make my life and the world a better place.
Speaker 1: That's a good answer. I like that. And what do
Speaker 1: you hope the audience takes away.
Speaker 5: I hope the audience finds an incredible community of women
Speaker 5: to share their experiences that will also inspire them so
Speaker 5: we can all move forward to make the world better.
Speaker 1: That is so good. It's the community when we come
Speaker 1: together and share our stories and our fears. I think
Speaker 1: that's when we all move forward in the best way possible.
Speaker 1: Doctor Kittlson, what's the best advice you've ever gotten from
Speaker 1: another woman?
Speaker 3: That's a really good question.
Speaker 5: I really like that question. The best advice I ever
Speaker 5: got from another woman came from my mom, a super strong,
Speaker 5: accomplished woman, who said to me, you might never be
Speaker 5: the smartest, but you can always work the hardest.
Speaker 1: To the moms, that's a two two mom answer right there.
Speaker 1: We love the moms. That's so true, because there's always
Speaker 1: going to be somebody that's something more than you. You know, smarter, prettier, thinner, whatever,
Speaker 1: all the things. But we can definitely control how much
Speaker 1: we contribute and how hard we work at being better
Speaker 1: every day. Who are some of the women you most
Speaker 1: admire and what about them inspires you?
Speaker 5: So, being a woman cardiologist, I'm often one of the
Speaker 5: few women in the room, though that has changed very
Speaker 5: well over the past few decades. But when I think
Speaker 5: back to inspiring women, it's those physicians I knew in
Speaker 5: medical school, residency, fellowship training who directly supported me and
Speaker 5: led by example on what it means to be an
Speaker 5: outstanding physician.
Speaker 1: Well, I for one, am so happy that you and
Speaker 1: other women are out there in these important rooms talking
Speaker 1: about our health, our future. We would be nowhere without you,
Speaker 1: so I'm so grateful for you being in that room.
Speaker 1: Let me ask you, is there anyone you're excited to
Speaker 1: hear speak today or any conversations that you're excited to have.
Speaker 5: I am so excited about the menopause panel. Women are
Speaker 5: vibrant at every age, but I feel like women get
Speaker 5: forgotten when they hit that stage of life that I
Speaker 5: am currently in. So I am so delighted that there
Speaker 5: is value placed on how we can still be important
Speaker 5: members of society, maximizing our quality of life and our
Speaker 5: ability to change the world.
Speaker 1: I cannot tell you how much I love you, doctor Kittleson.
Speaker 1: I just love you. Okay, I'm going to ask you
Speaker 1: the question, Doctor Kittleson, what was your last I choose
Speaker 1: me moment?
Speaker 5: I try to fit in I choose me moments whenever
Speaker 5: I can so. A few weeks ago, I was traveling
Speaker 5: for work and I got to the airport a little
Speaker 5: bit early, so I got to go go to the
Speaker 5: airport lounge and have one, only one free cocktail, and
Speaker 5: that was my I choose me moment.
Speaker 1: Ah the airport lounge. Yeah, that's a win. If you
Speaker 1: can get in there, you definitely feel like you can
Speaker 1: get in anywhere. Doctor Kilsen, Thank you so much. I
Speaker 1: love you. I'll say it again. Thank you for being here. Sasha,
Speaker 1: Oh beautiful, I love you. This is so great having
Speaker 1: you here at the summit today. I know a lot
Speaker 1: of people who are excited to hear what you have
Speaker 1: to say.
Speaker 3: Jenny. I am so thrilled to be at your event.
Speaker 3: Thank you so much. I love you, I love I
Speaker 3: Choose me, and I am just so honored to be here.
Speaker 1: Okay, you just got off stage from speaking on our
Speaker 1: health panel. How are you feeling.
Speaker 3: I'm so glad that I was on this panel today.
Speaker 3: I think what's so magical about days like this is
Speaker 3: that you have women coming together that are just here
Speaker 3: to advocate for themselves and the women around them. We
Speaker 3: all come from different, you know, paths in life, a
Speaker 3: different type of careers and jobs, and some without kids,
Speaker 3: some with kids, and we're just on a different journey.
Speaker 3: But the one thing in common is that we all
Speaker 3: need to speak up for ourselves and telling our story,
Speaker 3: advocating for what made sense in our life only helps
Speaker 3: propel people forward in theirs. And it's nice to just,
Speaker 3: you know, see women come together and listen to each other,
Speaker 3: and that's how we move forward, That's how progress is spread.
Speaker 3: So I'm just honored to have been a part of it.
Speaker 1: What does being a woman mean to you?
Speaker 3: Being a woman, I think, you know, just like women,
Speaker 3: it's a layered response. I feel very empowered as a
Speaker 3: woman for many reasons. I think, you know, I'm in
Speaker 3: my late twenties now, I honestly I feel like I'm
Speaker 3: much older than that. I always have felt older than
Speaker 3: I am, but I'm at a point in my life
Speaker 3: where I am never loved myself more, and I think,
Speaker 3: you know, it's because I'm choosing me these days. It's
Speaker 3: a great way to tag this, but honestly, I truly
Speaker 3: believe it. Getting to the point in life where I'm
Speaker 3: making decisions that benefit myself so that they benefit others
Speaker 3: is wonderful. I feel my best. I'm able to confidently,
Speaker 3: you know, express myself. I'm able to be present as
Speaker 3: a mom and be present as a wife and really
Speaker 3: understand what I need and what others need around me.
Speaker 3: And it's a great place to be. But I think
Speaker 3: what comes with that is also having to feel like
Speaker 3: we're constantly defending that. So to me, a woman is
Speaker 3: basically we support everything. We support others in our lives,
Speaker 3: we support ourselves, we support a mission. I feel like
Speaker 3: women are constantly juggling so many different things, and I
Speaker 3: think that's both a beautiful thing and a really heavy
Speaker 3: thing pun intended. But I'm excited to see where we grow,
Speaker 3: and that's that's what I'm looking forward to. That was
Speaker 3: a really roundabout way of I'm saying. I'm saying that
Speaker 3: I love being a woman. There we go.
Speaker 1: I love being a woman too. You know it's true.
Speaker 1: I've always thought of you as being older than you are.
Speaker 1: You are so mature and you have such a level
Speaker 1: headed sort of voice. I feel like you have a
Speaker 1: lot of wisdom packed into your young years. So I'm
Speaker 1: excited for you to share and for women to hear it.
Speaker 1: What is the best advice you've ever gotten from another woman?
Speaker 3: The best advice I've ever gotten from another woman is
Speaker 3: basically to leave everybody else's opinion at the door. And
Speaker 3: that could mean a lot of things for a lot
Speaker 3: of different people. I think for me, what that meant
Speaker 3: is not outside at the door. And the reason for
Speaker 3: that is because it's not that other people's opinions don't matter.
Speaker 3: I think we get this a little mixed up sometimes
Speaker 3: because your opinion matters the most, your body, listening to
Speaker 3: your body, what matters, What matters to your mental health?
Speaker 3: Who cares what other people's opinions are about you. That
Speaker 3: does not mean that other people's information isn't valid or
Speaker 3: something to consider in your life. It's not good to
Speaker 3: put yourself in an echo chamber either. But I do
Speaker 3: think it's important to understand that you need to be
Speaker 3: in tune with your own voice and that you live
Speaker 3: with yourself. You know, you go to bed at night
Speaker 3: with yourself. At the end of the day, it's you,
Speaker 3: and you have to be confident in yourself, confident in
Speaker 3: your choices. You have to love yourself and know that
Speaker 3: you are valuable enough at every step of the road,
Speaker 3: even when you make mistakes, even when you don't feel
Speaker 3: your best. You know, you need to choose yourself because
Speaker 3: that's all you got.
Speaker 1: Advice can come from so much, many different places, and yeah,
Speaker 1: I think it's really important that we pick and choose
Speaker 1: what resonates for us individually, because everybody's advice, you know,
Speaker 1: may not be for you, but you've got to listen
Speaker 1: to what speaks to you. Is there a woman you
Speaker 1: most admire and what is it that inspires you about her?
Speaker 3: I am really lucky to have so many inspirational women
Speaker 3: in my life. I don't really know how I could
Speaker 3: choose one. I think, you know, my mom is an
Speaker 3: easy answer, and I'm always inspired by her. I think
Speaker 3: that she has so much love in her heart that
Speaker 3: it just it just never expires, there's no end to it.
Speaker 3: I really admire her for the way that you know
Speaker 3: her emotions have have seemed like that. There's like an
Speaker 3: endless there, an endless pit. And I mean that in
Speaker 3: the best way possible. And I would say also my
Speaker 3: best friend, she is just an incredible woman. I've known
Speaker 3: her for over eighteen years. We've done a lot of
Speaker 3: life together. But she is so strong. She's also a
Speaker 3: great example of someone who has her emotions on her sleeve.
Speaker 3: But it's not a weakness, it's such a strength. She
Speaker 3: is an inspector general for the Navy. She got that
Speaker 3: job when before she was even thirty. She is Filipino,
Speaker 3: and she's adorable. She says she's five two, but she's
Speaker 3: a little shorter than that. So she is such a
Speaker 3: bundle of strength and joy and beauty and emotion. And
Speaker 3: I just love that somebody like her is succeeding in
Speaker 3: such a beautiful way and showing women how possible and
Speaker 3: how cool it is to succeed in a field that
Speaker 3: you want, that you're passionate about. There should be no
Speaker 3: rules or limitations to something like that, and she definitely
Speaker 3: proves it. She's a walking example of that.
Speaker 1: So true friends are vital too our well being. I
Speaker 1: think finding somebody that you listen to and share with
Speaker 1: your deepest and darkest thoughts and feelings, and yeah, yeah,
Speaker 1: mighty things come in small packages. Okay, Sasha Peterson, When
Speaker 1: was your last I Choose me moment? Ooh I love
Speaker 1: that question. Hmm my last I Choose me moments?
Speaker 3: Huh. I feel like I'm doing a good job of
Speaker 3: working on this every day, so I'm like, was it yesterday?
Speaker 3: Was it the day before? I don't know. I think
Speaker 3: a more significant one that I would say in my
Speaker 3: life recently has been saying no more so my last
Speaker 3: my last moment is going to sound really uneventful, but
Speaker 3: it really was. It was basically to go to another
Speaker 3: dinner after a really long day, and I decided, you
Speaker 3: know what, Normally, I would say yes, and I would
Speaker 3: overextend myself and I, you know, would sacrifice in many
Speaker 3: ways my my own health in order to socialize because
Speaker 3: I do love to do that. I I love being
Speaker 3: around people. I love entertaining and celebrating. But that night,
Speaker 3: I was like, you know what, No, I need to
Speaker 3: prioritize my sleep. I need to make sure that I'm
Speaker 3: functioning well for the next day. And I recognize that
Speaker 3: that would put that at risk and that is not
Speaker 3: worth it. So I was choosing me in that moment,
Speaker 3: which is something that I am proud of, because all
Speaker 3: of those little choices add up in the matter.
Speaker 1: Saying no is a big I choose me a moment.
Speaker 1: I've heard that before from other women, and it's hard
Speaker 1: for us to do that and to prioritize our own
Speaker 1: well being sometimes over what is asked of us or
Speaker 1: expected of us, you know, And it takes self awareness
Speaker 1: to realize when you need to say no and when
Speaker 1: you can say yes. So that is a major example
Speaker 1: of choosing yourself. I love it, Sasha. Thank you so
Speaker 1: much for being here. You are the best. Everybody just
Speaker 1: loves you.
Speaker 3: I love you.
Speaker 1: So happy you're here with us.
Speaker 6: Tamson, Hi, Jenny, I'm so thrilled to be at your event.
Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, this has been the best day ever.
Speaker 1: You just came right off the stage from our menopause panel.
Speaker 1: How was it for.
Speaker 6: You that conversation? Was wonderful to see how you held
Speaker 6: that conversation with all of us, held that room, made
Speaker 6: people feel seen, made people choose themselves.
Speaker 3: It was really special.
Speaker 1: What do you hope people took away from that conversation
Speaker 1: and the event today, I.
Speaker 6: Hope people took away the fact that this is a
Speaker 6: normal transition, that they're not alone, that there are solutions
Speaker 6: out there, and that there are other women in their
Speaker 6: community that can listen with them.
Speaker 1: Yes, what does being a woman mean to you?
Speaker 6: Being a woman means to me having freedom, feeling empowered,
Speaker 6: knowing that I can make my own decisions, and that
Speaker 6: I've got other women around me that will urge me
Speaker 6: to do.
Speaker 1: That freedom support. Those are good, Yes, very good answer.
Speaker 1: What does it mean to you to choose yourself?
Speaker 6: It means that I wake up every day making decisions
Speaker 6: that make me feel whole and happy.
Speaker 1: Perfect. What's the best advice you've ever gotten from another woman?
Speaker 6: The best of us I've ever gotten from another woman
Speaker 6: is to keep going one foot in front of the other,
Speaker 6: no matter what happens, no matter how difficult it gets,
Speaker 6: no matter how hard it gets, no matter if you
Speaker 6: don't know what path it is, one foot in front
Speaker 6: of the other.
Speaker 1: Yes, to quote Dory, just keep swimming, Just keep swimming. Damnson.
Speaker 1: Who are some of the women you most admire and
Speaker 1: how have they inspired you in your life? Yeah?
Speaker 6: You know, I didn't realize it until I went through
Speaker 6: all this. I lost my mom at an early age,
Speaker 6: and she inspired me in so many ways, but inspired
Speaker 6: me today even though she's not here to understand what
Speaker 6: she went through without having anyone to talk to. I
Speaker 6: think that's been a lot of what makes me who
Speaker 6: I am today. I think women that came before me
Speaker 6: in the career that I was in as a journalist
Speaker 6: for a long time really really inspired me, and right
Speaker 6: now this community does. Quite frankly, this community has no shame.
Speaker 6: They feel good, they feel proud, and they just want
Speaker 6: to give back to the next generation. So I think
Speaker 6: that's pretty amazing.
Speaker 1: It is so amazing, right Yeah. And the fact that
Speaker 1: our moms didn't have this kind of support, this kind
Speaker 1: of community surrounding them, is so sad. But somehow they
Speaker 1: got us to where we are, and we are here
Speaker 1: to change that and amplify messaging and give all that
Speaker 1: we know to other women. And it's just I always
Speaker 1: say this, it's about that connection. Okay, ready fill in
Speaker 1: the blank. When women come together, blink.
Speaker 6: When women come together, we have real power.
Speaker 1: Yeah. Was there anyone here at the event that you
Speaker 1: were excited to see or hear speak.
Speaker 6: You know, Naomi Watts is incredible to me. I've met
Speaker 6: her through this community and she is just so open
Speaker 6: and giving and giving of her time and giving of
Speaker 6: her stories, and I think gives women strength to see themselves.
Speaker 1: And I think that's really special. Yes, I know, it's
Speaker 1: so special to have her here with us too. You
Speaker 1: are two of the women that are changing the conversation
Speaker 1: and the community around menopause, and it's invigorating. There's just
Speaker 1: something just so amazing about what is happening for us
Speaker 1: women over fifty. Tamson, what was your last I Choose
Speaker 1: me moment?
Speaker 6: My last I Choose me moment was this morning. I
Speaker 6: got up really early, I went for a walk, I
Speaker 6: had some quiet time to myself, and I came back
Speaker 6: feeling really refreshed and whole.
Speaker 1: Oh. I love that those quiet moments can be so rewarding.
Speaker 1: Thank you, Damson. I adore you. I'm so so glad
Speaker 1: that you're here. This is yeah best day ever. Hi, Kiaren, Okay,
Speaker 1: we are so glad to have you here representing the
Speaker 1: American Heart Association today at this beautiful event.
Speaker 4: Thank you, Hi, Jenny, I'm super honored to be able
Speaker 4: to be on stage with you and talk about CPR
Speaker 4: and how important it is, especially for the women in
Speaker 4: our world.
Speaker 1: Describe what the energy of today has felt like to you.
Speaker 4: Oh, well, it's so exciting to be backstage here at
Speaker 4: I Choose Me because there are so many strong and
Speaker 4: beautiful women back there that are representing some amazing things
Speaker 4: for us to do in our lives. There's health coaches,
Speaker 4: there's a cardiologist, there's actresses and models, and they are
Speaker 4: all so so interested in making sure that women take
Speaker 4: care of themselves and do what's right for them.
Speaker 1: Yeah, so many powerful women here. It's amazing. Are there
Speaker 1: any conversations that you're excited to hear today?
Speaker 4: Well, I've been very interested to hear all kinds of
Speaker 4: things about what's going on with different folks activities in
Speaker 4: their podcast. It's been really refreshing and rewarding for me
Speaker 4: that they've been so interested in talking about CPR and
Speaker 4: have had so many questions about how to stay in
Speaker 4: and save a life, what do you need to do
Speaker 4: and how to be ready.
Speaker 1: I mean, knowing how to do CPR is a game changer.
Speaker 1: It's a necessity. I feel like the other day I
Speaker 1: was walking through the airport and I saw an aed
Speaker 1: am I saying that, right, aed the machine that you
Speaker 1: use when people's heart stop. And I thought, you know what,
Speaker 1: I know how to use that. And I felt so
Speaker 1: strong in that moment and so powerful and so like
Speaker 1: I'm going to be able to save somebody's life someday.
Speaker 1: And that's the best feeling. Karen, What does being a
Speaker 1: woman mean to you?
Speaker 4: For me? Personally, being a woman is like one of
Speaker 4: the most powerful things that there is because we've got
Speaker 4: the ability to do anything a man can do. But
Speaker 4: also we've got the ability to give life and to
Speaker 4: care about people and be more nurturing. I think in
Speaker 4: a lot of ways, and I think it's really important
Speaker 4: that we see ourselves as these forces.
Speaker 3: In the universe.
Speaker 1: Yes, we are forces. I love that. What does it
Speaker 1: mean to you to choose yourself?
Speaker 4: For me, to choose myself, it means that I've put
Speaker 4: myself in a place where I'm healthy, put myself where
Speaker 4: I'm safe and happy. I have room to grow, i
Speaker 4: have room to make mistakes, and I have room to relax.
Speaker 1: I like that You're allowing yourself to create space that
Speaker 1: you can relax in. That's so important, Karen. What was
Speaker 1: your last I Choose Me moment.
Speaker 4: So I think, well, one of my last I Choose
Speaker 4: Me moments would be I'm actually about to graduate from
Speaker 4: graduate school and choosing to do that for myself, choosing
Speaker 4: to go ahead and proceed and get a master's degree
Speaker 4: here a little bit later in life than some of
Speaker 4: my cohorts there in that program and really learn and
Speaker 4: see how much I have to offer to my field.
Speaker 1: That's so brave, that is truly inspirational. I've always wanted
Speaker 1: to go back to school. I don't know why, but
Speaker 1: I'm really proud of you for diving into that. What
Speaker 1: is the best advice you've ever gotten from another woman?
Speaker 4: Oh gosh, the best advice I've ever gotten from another
Speaker 4: woman is to be confident in who I am and
Speaker 4: the space that I take up and the ideas that
Speaker 4: I have, the mistakes that I can make, and the
Speaker 4: progress that I can make.
Speaker 1: Confidence is key, so true, all right, I want you
Speaker 1: to fill in the blank. When women come together.
Speaker 4: Anything can happen. When women come together, anything can happen.
Speaker 4: I think women are the most powerful force on the planet.
Speaker 1: Yes, yes, yes, This theater full of women is a powerhouse.
Speaker 1: You can feel it, you can see it. It's inspirational
Speaker 1: and it spreads, you know, it makes it feel like
Speaker 1: we are not alone. Who are some of the women
Speaker 1: you most admire and what about them inspires you?
Speaker 3: Well, I'd have to.
Speaker 4: Go ahead and say my mom, because she was a
Speaker 4: force for our family. She's a force for our family
Speaker 4: business and you know, really taught me to go out
Speaker 4: and do something beyond myself. And my aunt Kate, who
Speaker 4: my daughter Katie is named for, as definitely somebody I
Speaker 4: honor and I'm excited about. And I've just been really
Speaker 4: blessed to have some really amazing figures in my work space.
Speaker 4: That American Heart Association is led by a bunch of
Speaker 4: powerful women, with Nancy Brown and Susie Upton and even
Speaker 4: my immediate boss, Tracy Berto. It's really fun to have
Speaker 4: strong women who really support each other in that workspace.
Speaker 1: Yeah, the women at AHA American Heart Association are bad ass.
Speaker 1: I look up to all of them and the work
Speaker 1: that they're doing and that they have committed their lives
Speaker 1: to spreading awareness for heart diseases. We both know the
Speaker 1: number one killer of American women, and I always love
Speaker 1: being in a room full of women who are more
Speaker 1: accomplished than me, who are more educated than me, who
Speaker 1: are making changes in this world. It is yeah, definitely inspiring.
Speaker 1: Is there anyone you're specifically excited to hear speak today?
Speaker 4: Well, I was really excited to meet Sasha backstage and
Speaker 4: to see all the things that she had to say,
Speaker 4: So I think that's probably the one.
Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, Karen, I'm so happy you came. I'm
Speaker 1: so excited that we have shown women that we can
Speaker 1: save a life just by knowing CPR. It's not as
Speaker 1: hard as anybody thinks it is anymore, and everybody should
Speaker 1: know how to perform CPR. So thank you so much
Speaker 1: for being here and demonstrating that to all of us today.
Speaker 1: We all learned something really valuable from you. Thank you