Firestarters with Shannon Watts
Episodes
How to have meaningful conversations online
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Malynda Hale is a multi-hyphenate content creator, award-winning actress, and singer based in Los Angeles who uses her voice and platform to drive mea...
The barriers making women feel like they don't belong in the workplace
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve been talking about imposter syndrome, specifically in the workplace, this week. I was grateful to talk with Dr. Amy Diehl and Leanne Dzubinski...
How to dismantle male supremacy with Soraya Chemaly
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Soraya Chemaly is an award-winning writer, activist, and director known for her influential work on feminism, gender justice, and women’s rights. Sh...
Democratic Whip Katherine Clark on the dire consequences of the government shutdown
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Katherine Clark, the highest-ranking woman in Congress, has made supporting American families a cornerstone of her congressional career. From champion...
Lorissa Rinehart says we should look to America’s first Congresswoman for answers to modern-day problems
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In her new biography, Lorissa Rinehart delivers the first-ever detailed account of the life of Jeannette Rankin, the first American woman to serve in ...
Jessica Mackler of EMILYs List wants you to get out the vote
01 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I had the great opportunity to chat with Jessica Mackler, president of EMILYs List. EMILY’s List has been working for 40 years to elect Democratic, ...
Joanna Schroeder says it's imperative to talk to your boys
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today I had the great honor of talking with Joanna Schroeder, co-author of the book “Talk To Your Boys: 16 Conversations to Help Tweens and Teens Gr...
A new newsletter all about menopause
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Check out my conversation with Jennifer Gerson, a reporter for The 19th News and point person for the new organization’s new newsletter about all th...
Karen Walrond wants you get a hobby
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“Your job isn’t what makes you interesting, your hobby is.”- Karen WalrondCheck out my conversation with the delightful Karen Walrond, author of...
Shannon Watts and Anna Gifty on "The Double Tax" women pay in America
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I loved getting to talk with Anna Gifty, an award-winning researcher and writer and doctoral student at Harvard Kennedy School studying public policy ...
Shannon Watts and Rebecca Minor on "Raising Trans Kids"
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Please check out the replay of my conversation with Rebecca Minor, LICSW about her new book Raising Trans Kids, the essential guide for parents, famil...
Shannon Watts and Stacy London on finding what's next
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
(I write at length about many of these ideas in my new book, “Fired Up: How to Turn Your Spark into a Flame and Come Alive at Any Age,” out now. O...
Shannon Watts and Dr. Jessica Shepherd on hormone replacement therapy
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
(I write at length about many of the ideas below in my new book, “Fired Up: How to Turn Your Spark into a Flame and Come Alive at Any Age,” out no...
30: Meggan Watterson on what women's erasure from religion teaches us about our power
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“You can’t burn what is already on fire.”Meggan Watterson, a feminist theologian with master's degrees from Harvard Divinity School and Columbia...
[REPLAY] Dr. Pooja Lakshmin tells us how to avoid burnout
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“One of the metaphors that I use is imagining guilt is a faulty check engine light on your car dashboard. Your car has just been serviced, the oil...
28: Dr. Sunita Sah on how to practice defiance
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“My definition of defiance is being able to act in alignment with your values, especially when there's pressure to do otherwise. It's not just for t...
Shannon Watts and Jessica Yellin on how to take the next step
20 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jessica Yellin, founder of News Not Noise, about the nudge that helped her take the leap to leave one career and embark on a new one. We also talk abo...
Shannon Watts and Sharon McMahon on how to keep going
20 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
(I write at length about many of the ideas below in my new book, “Fired Up: How to Turn Your Spark into a Flame and Come Alive at Any Age,” out no...
Shannon Watts and Katie Couric on how to be an agent for change
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
(I write at length about many of the ideas below in my new book, “Fired Up: How to Turn Your Spark into a Flame and Come Alive at Any Age,” out no...
27: The story behind my new book, "Fired Up"
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"There has never been a more important time in our nation's history, or in the world, for women to figure out what it is they have to offer—their ab...
Shannon Watts and Karen Walrond on how to find joy in everything you do
13 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I loved this Substack Live conversation with Karen Walrond, an award winning author, speaker, leadership coach. Karen (who is sunshine personified) an...
Shannon Watts and Susan Piver on the importance of resting your mind
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Watch the replay of my conversation with Susan Piver, bestselling author and founder of The Open Heart Project. We discuss why Bruce Springsteen is a ...
Shannon Watts and Katie Phang discuss why it's so important to be engaged in the world right now, and how to do it in a way that works for you
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Watch the replay of my conversation with Katie Phang—prominent legal analyst, political commentator, and podcaster—about all the topics in my new ...
[Replay] How Gretchen Carlson kept her spark alive
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“So I am silenced. I do not own my own truth. I do not own my own reality. I've had movies and miniseries made about me. I couldn't participate. I c...
Shannon Watts and Gretchen Rubin on the secrets of adulthood
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Watch the replay of my conversation with Gretchen Rubin, author of “Secrets of Adulthood: Simple Truths for Our Complex Lives,” for her inaugural ...
25: Anna Malaika Tubbs on how mothers shape the world
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"Motherhood is the ultimate experience of caring for others. Beyond biological motherhood, as a mother, you create something new in this world, you ca...
Shannon Watts and Amanda Haas on why it's important to say what you want out loud
21 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Watch the replay of my conversation with amanda haas. We discuss her journey from stay-at-home mom to single-mother entrepreneur, how she got (and is ...
24: Jamia Wilson on breaking barriers
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"I am a very heart-driven person. And as a woman you feel like you need to suppress that in certain spaces, or it can be belittled. I'm working on emb...
Shannon Watts and Joy Sullivan on the powerful emotions of women
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Check out my Substack Live conversation with Joy Sullivan. Joy is a poet, teacher, and author of the national bestseller, Instructions for Traveling W...
Shannon Watts and Olivia Julianna on how to get involved—at any age
13 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Check out my Substack Live conversation with Olivia Julianna, an abortion rights activist, democracy organizer, and political influencer who lives in ...
23: Sarah Ruhl on how to show gratitude
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"You don't know when you're pollinating the world with your attempts how they'll come back to you. It might be completely nonlinear. You knock on the ...
Shannon Watts and Jess Piper on being a blue dot in a red state
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Check out my Substack Live conversation with Jess Piper, a mother and grandmother who lives on a small farm on the Missouri/Iowa border, about why it’...
22: Jocelyn Benson on how to be a warrior
05 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"Bravery is a muscle and by overcoming fear, by being courageous, we build that muscle so that the next time around we can access that bravery muscle ...
Shannon Watts and Liz Minnella on the state of play post-election
02 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Check out my Substack Live conversation with Liz Minnella on how things are going post-election, her new initiative Connect Forward, and her new podca...
Shannon Watts and Mallory McMorrow on running for office
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Check out my conversation with Mallory McMorrow about how she ended up running for office and winning, why she wrote her new book, “Hate Won’t Win...
21: Daria Burke on how to rise from the ashes
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"If we can inherit the trauma from our ancestors, then that means we can also inherit their wisdom, their goodness, their fortitude, their strength."D...
20: Mallory Weggemann on how to survive trauma
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"No matter what we navigate, adversities or joys alike, there are elements of who we are that are innate. I don't think they change just because circu...
Shannon Watts and Zerlina Maxwell on embracing change
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Check out my Substack Live conversation with Zerlina on how she knew it was time to make a big change in her life, the signs that lead her there (and ...
19: Amanda Zurawski on how to fight for your rights
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"I hope I've helped to create a framework where people find a way and feel like their voice can make a difference because I have seen how just one voi...
Building Community with Shannon Watts and Katherine Goldstein
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Check out my Substack Live conversation with Katherine Goldstein, author of How to Find Your People: A Guide to the Transformative Power of Community ...
18: Alencia Johnson on how to be a disruptor for good
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“For women, people of color, and anyone on the margins, there’s a culture and society that wants to dominate us; to keep us oppressed and in line....
17: Luvvie Ajayi Jones on how to be a professional troublemaker
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"For those of us not in immediate danger of losing our livelihoods, our lives, our ability to move through the world, this is the moment we need to st...
Shannon Watts and Brooke Baldwin discuss SEX
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Regardless of who you’re having sex with — yourself or someone else — research shows that women over age 50 are having the best sex of their liv...
16: Poppy Harlow on how to navigate the messy middle
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"I'm hesitant to use the word luck because women use the word luck way too much. I was ready. I was prepared. Ready when the breaks came, and persiste...
Shannon Watts and Charlotte Clymer on the state of activism and politics
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today I spoke with Charlotte Clymer about the state of activism and politics in America, how we got here, why it can change quickly, and ways everyday...
15: How to dismantle the patriarchy with Reshma Saujani
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"Imposter syndrome, this feeling that we think we're not good enough, we're not smart enough, we're not prepared enough, we're not ready enough has re...
Emily Amick and Shannon Watts reflect on resilience, activism, and how we build community
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
And then read our joint Substack post, The hope you deserve on Inauguration Day, and let us know in the comments what drives you, gives you purpose, a...
14: Karla Welch on how saying "yes" can change your life
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"I'm brutally shy, but I’ve never questioned my ability to work hard. So I say yes to things that were way outside my comfort zone. I can be afraid...
13: How to tell the truth with Sarah Jones
03 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"If we don't tell the truth, we're doing a disservice to everyone. Racism hurts white people. Sexism hurts men. Homophobia hurts straight people. When...
12: First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom on the power of women in action
12 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“If we could get all these different female leaders who care about these different issues—whether it's repro rights or gun violence or care—focu...
Post Election Debrief: Where do we go from here? With Shannon Watts
08 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Thank you to everyone who joined us live yesterday for a conversation between myself and Jessica Yellin of News Not Noise. We talked about what happen...
11: Amy Nobile on why it's never too late to find love
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Your person will love you exactly as you are, the age you are, where you live, how tall you are, what you do, what you don't do. And it's true every s...
10: Sharon McMahon on how small actions can lead to big change
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Sustainable change requires small, regular, concerted efforts by a lot of people doing the next right thing. All of us working together to change som...
09: Gisele Fetterman on finding joy in a political world
06 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"I say all of my work comes from pain. I think it's really important to figure out the things that hurt and then work towards making it hurt less for ...
08: Emily Amick on unleashing your political power
02 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“I want to see Republican women for gun reform and I want these women to start calling themselves Republicans and trying to exert more influence wit...
07: Sharon Salzberg on leading an authentic life
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“The philosophical framework of Buddhism saved me. I was studying Asian philosophy and there was the Buddha saying 'you're suffering in life', and f...
06: Sandra Cisneros on the power of words to shape our womanhood
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“I tell people you don't have to say, ‘I'm just a drop in the bucket.’ Well, take care of your drop. Your drop affects so many other people and ...
05: Rabbi Sharon Brous says community can unlock our humanity
02 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Take seriously the fact that there's something in the world that you need to do and then do it now. Don’t wait — we don't know how long we have."...
04: Lucy McBath: Mom on a mission
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“I fell into flying as a flight attendant. And it was probably the best thing for me at that time, my love for travel, my love for other cultures, a...
03: A'shanti Gholar is making sure women have a seat at the table
30 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“One of the things I hear from women about running for office is, ‘I don't want to be criticized.’ And I say ‘They’re going to criticize you...
02: Dr. Pooja Lakshmin tells us how to avoid burnout
23 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“One of the metaphors that I use is imagining guilt is a faulty check engine light on your car dashboard. Your car has just been serviced, the oil...
01: How Gretchen Carlson kept her spark alive
16 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“So I am silenced. I do not own my own truth. I do not own my own reality. I've had movies and miniseries made about me. I couldn't participate. I c...
Firestarters: The podcast
19 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Look for the launch of my new Firestarters podcast in January 2024. During the course of writing my new book (out in 2025), I’ve had some incredible...