Your voice is powerful—but finding it, fighting for it, and fueling it is a journey. In this episode of News from the Peak, we dive into what it means to truly own your voice, whether in personal struggles, professional challenges, or creative pursuits.Our Grays Peak Strategies teammate Shantelle Williams shares her personal journey of overcoming domestic violence and the fight to protect her business from a multibillion-dollar company. These experiences have taught her that finding her voice is just the beginning—standing firm and nurturing it is what creates lasting change.
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50:13
Moving Forward Together: Lessons from Women Around the World
As we celebrate International Women's Day and Women's History Month 2025, the theme "Moving Forward Together" reminds us of the power of women educating and inspiring generations. This year, my colleague Gemma Hilario from Killarney, Ireland, and I had the privilege of interviewing women from Italy, Brazil, New Zealand, and Ireland. Despite the vast distances between us, common themes emerged in our conversations—proof that, regardless of location, culture, or background, women share a collective strength and vision for the future.Hosted by Gemma Hilario and Maureen Leif, Our guests include Juliana Peixinho, and Paula Knaap, Claudia Cannizzaro, and then Claudia interviews Gemma to close out the show. Please check out the News from the Peak section of our website for much more information on our guests and this episode ..
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54:19
Shamrocks and Strategy - A conversation with Gemma Hilario
Maureen Leif and Liz Bullard welcome our friend from Ireland for her first of what we hope will be many appearances on our show. The three talk about executive coaching, leadership, and facing the world with positivity and grace.
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49:11
Family Equality Matters: A Deep Dive into Parentage Laws with Meg York and Nesta Johnson
In this episode, Maureen Leif welcomes special guests Meg York and Nesta Johnson. This episode delves into the crucial topic of parentage laws and their impact on same-sex families. Â
Meg York, representing Family Equality, and Nesta Johnson from the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), bring their expertise and advocacy experience to the table, discussing the importance of clear and inclusive parentage laws. They explore how these laws can support the recognition and rights of all families, regardless of sexual orientation.Â
York and Johnson highlight recent advancements and ongoing challenges in ensuring that same-sex parents receive equal treatment under the law. They also share insights from their collaborative work and the latest reports, including the 2023 Parentage Report by MAP Research and the policy guidance on same-sex parents and child support program requirements by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. They both have such deep and amazing experience in this space yet make everything so personal and accessible for those are not as proficient.Â
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59:27
Inclusive Leadership - With Onyx Rising
On today’s show we welcome two guests – the leaders of Onyx Rising – Irma Neal and Kelli Lester
Irma has been a guest on the show before, and I encourage you to check out her previous visits to News from the Peak and check out her book, Leading in Chaos – but today she is joined by Kelli, and we get a chance to hear from them on this important topic. Onyx Rising is a proven change management leader, renowned for comprehensive expertise and innovative strategies that drive meaningful, sustainable change. Their qualifications and expertise in DEI are rooted in a deep understanding of diverse organizational needs.
They specialize in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) change management providing behavior change services and development for individuals, teams and organizations, With an approach that is inclusive, respectful, and empowering
We shared LINKS TO THEIR WEBSITE in the show description and encourage you to visit for more information.
We will feature Kelli and Irma at a free webinar scheduled for July 10, 2024 – at 1:00 PM Eastern 11:00 AM Mountain. Today’s episode is intended to give us some background and to start us all thinking about the issues of and around inclusive leadership, which we will explore further and in a more interactive way at the Webinar. Please visit our website for more information and details on how to register and attend. Or you can register by accessing THIS LINK.Â
Produced by Grays Peak Strategies, a conversation about news that impacts the Human Services Community. We will feature some interviews with human service professionals and people from related fields.
The music at the beginning and end of each episode is written and performed by Joe Mamlin. (Don't forget to listen to the end... there are often surprises after the credits)
New Zealand