← The Nikki & Brie Show
The Nikki & Brie Show
Celebrating HER: Frédérique Irwin
00:38:06
On this episode of The Nikki & Brie Show, we’re closing out our Women’s History Month series with a conversation that reminds us why this month matters so deeply. Nikki & Brie sit down with Frédérique Irwin, President and CEO of the National Women’s History Museum, for a powerful conversation about the stories of women, the ones history made room for, and the many it didn’t. This episode is bigger than one journey. It is about legacy, visibility, truth, and the work of making sure women’s history is no longer treated like a footnote, but recognized for what it is: foundational. Frédérique shares why this mission matters, what it means to preserve and elevate women’s stories, and how changing the narrative can change the future for generations of girls and women to come. It is thoughtful, eye-opening, and deeply moving. A perfect way to close this series, while also reminding us that this conversation is far from over. Because when women’s stories are told, we all win.
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- [00:00]
A
This April. Get your rom com on with youh Me and Tuscany. Only in theaters April 10th. From Will Packer, producer of Girls Trip, you, Me and Tuscany has all the ingredients of your favorite rom coms heart, huge laughs and sizzling chemistry. Starring Halle Bailey and Reggae Jean Page, and set in the enchanting vineyards of Tuscany, this film is a movie escape that's perfect for date night or girls night. Don't miss you, me and Tuscany. Directed by Cat Coiro. Only in theaters April 10th with Target. Filling every basket with Easter magic has never been easier. That means fun and festive finds starting at just $3. From tasty favorite day treats to the softest Gigglescape plush toys, we've got everything you need to make their day. So find all the Easter basket goodies they'll love at Target. Hey, everyone. Welcome back to another episode of the Nikki and Bri Show. And we are sad but excited because today is the last day of our series for Women's History Month, but we are ending it with a bang. Today's conversation is really special to us because it's about something bigger than any one story. It's about the stories of women, the ones we know, the ones we're still discovering. For nearly 30 years, the National Women's History Museum has has been working to make sure women's history is recognized for what it is, foundational. And today we're joined by the president and CEO leading that mission forward, Frederic Irwin. Fred, welcome to the Nikki and Brie Show. Welcome, you guys.
- [01:40]
B
Thank you. I have to say, I'm so excited. My socks have been going up and down thinking about today, and I have loved, loved listening to all the women that you guys have showcased this month. It's really, really special how you all approached Women's History Month.
- [01:54]
A
Thank you. That means so, yes, it's very dear to our hearts. I honestly, we were having a conversation about this this morning over coffee, and I was like, I would just love to do this every month. Like, I literally could just be on this podcast always talking to women and to hear their strengths and how they've achieved things and what they've overcome and what, you know, they see for the future. And so it's been such a great series. And we both said we're like, we're not going to stop it here. We're just can't end here.
- [02:24]
B
Keep going.
- [02:24]
A
There's too many stories out there. There's too, too many stories, too many women to inspire us, which don't get me started. Which brings it perfectly into this amazing conversation. So for people who may not be familiar, what is the National Women's History Museum at its core?
- [02:43]
B
At its core, we are the largest repository of women's history online. So we are digital first. I wouldn't say that that was intentional when they started 30 years ago, but they knew when they started 30 years ago that the process of getting a physical brick and mortar museum in D.C. for women's history would be a long road. So they decided back in 96, you know, let's already start putting everything online so that it's accessible to teacher, students, anyone. And what actually that means today, in an age. I'm sorry, of AI and technology and social, is that we're not trying to get everything digitized. We. We have this massive online repository of women's history.
- [03:25]
A
Wow. And you stepped into the CEO role at the National Women's History Museum in 2023. What initially drew you to this work?
- [03:33]
B
Well, it's a funny question, because I was approached for this role, and when they first called me about this role, I'm like, are you guys sure you have the right person? Because, you know, I am not a historian. I'm not a museum ex, you know, person. I've never run a museum, and frankly, I've never even run a nonprofit. Because when I was growing up, the idea of running a nonprofit was like, that's what. That's what girls do. You know, like, I'm gonna. I'm gonna build some companies, I'm gonna sell some companies. I'm gonna play with boys, all the things. So I was really convinced that they had the wrong person, and they're like, no, no. Like, we know who we're calling. And I was like, well, you know, tell me more about. About, you know, this role. And it wasn't the idea of jumping into kind of running a museum. That was what I was so excited about. What I was so excited about was once I understood the consequence that we all live with of having not told women's stories for so many years, frankly, for 250 years. Right.
- [04:34]
A
So, wow, that's amazing. And was there a moment that you realized, like, wow, this is where I can make a big difference?
- [04:44]
B
Yeah. You know, my whole life, I think I always tell people, look for your common thread.
- [04:49]
A
Right.
- [04:49]
B
You know, that starts when you're a kid, and that just follows you all through life. And for me, it's always been empowering women. And for 10 years, I built and ran a company that helped women scale their companies, grow them. We didn't bring them financing, just kind of Operationally, how do you grow this? And when I sold it, I was like, look, we've helped thousands of women, but that's over the course of my lifetime. If I keep doing it, that doesn't feel like a big enough impact. So then when I went over to the University of Utah and I worked at the Sorensen Impact Institute, I was trying to approach things from a systemic level. How do you make change happen at state, local, federal levels with major grant players? And then I realized, like, this is going to take, like, three of my lifetimes, and so I'm not going to see this change. So. So then when I thought about the museum and I really understood what I could do with my background in this kind of very unique situation, I was like, all right, this is it. Like, this is where I can bring, you know, I'm going to bring everything to the table. My energy, my background, my network, all the things that I can possibly bring. And I want to make sure that at the end of the day, whenever that is, like, I have done the most I can for women. That's kind of why. Why I ended up coming here.
- [06:08]
A
Yeah, I. It's so amazing because, you know, I feel like with a lot of the women that we've brought on. On this series, you know, we talk a lot about purpose. And do you feel like, I mean, you've done such incredible things, you've had such an incredible career, that when you came into this position and started doing everything that you've been doing and all the changes, is that where you found, like, whoa, this is my purpose. This is what I was meant to do, is to bring these women's stories to. To life that have been so left out of the narrative.
- [06:37]
B
I mean, so first of all, when I first came on the job, I mean, you guys, for, like, the first six months, I was stomping around crying, pissed. I was like, what? Like, this is so hard. I will tell you guys that the nonprofit sector is basically for America, is our social system. Right? We're not socialists, so our nonprofits take care of that social net, if you will. Running a nonprofit is no joke. It is so much work. So first I had to kind of one, get over myself and then learn how to actually do it. But honestly, Nikki, the purpose came to me when I was evaluating whether or not to take the job. And so, because I came from a strategy and impact background, when they called me and I was like, well, what's the problem that you all are trying to solve? Because I really need to understand the problem before I decide I'm going to go in there. And they said, well, you know, the problem is that only 15% of what we teach across the United States in our social studies and history books is about women. And, you know, frankly, if you look at the state curriculum, women's roles, professional roles, only appear about 2% of the time. And I was like, well, that, that sucks. But, like, so what? Like, that was my question. I was like, that's really. That's terrible. But, you know, okay, so what? And so I started. I started playing around with the so what? And, and, you know, their answer to me about the so what was, well, when women. Well, let's start with when girls and boys don't see themselves in their textbooks or their social studies curriculum or whatever, they make assumptions even when they're little in elementary school. And the assumption that they make is that either women weren't there or if they were, perhaps their roles were secondary. And I always say, it's nobody's fault, right? It's not the girl or the boy's fault. It's just kind of what they're taught. And then what happens is they move on to middle school. And what do you start seeing in middle school? You start seeing girls who have confidence levels that go down. You start seeing girls kind of shying away from sports, perhaps from STEM fields, et cetera. They get to high school, they're still thinking, I can do whatever, study whatever, go to whatever university they do. And then what happens? They come out of college and they start hitting that inequality wage gap. It doesn't matter what industry, frankly, or even if they actually got a job in stem. Most of the time they're being paid less than men. But then you keep pulling it forward. And eventually, where kind of that landed me was a report that every year is published by the World Economic Forum. So every year, these guys in Switzerland, these very smart people, they look at every country across the globe and they measure how far away these countries are from gender parity. I mean, parity not above, not just equal, right? And that report said that in the United states, we remain 100 years away. And it varies. Sometimes it's 106. Last year it was 123 years. It depends on the year away from gender parity. And I was like, well, that's some nonsense, right? So I actually called the woman who does the data for the United States in Switzerland. I was like, okay, I need to talk to you before I take this job, I need to understand. Are you saying that the way you get to your 106 years is you look at representation of women in four major buckets. They look at economic parity, the wage gap, women on boards, women in leadership. They look at political representation from the very highest office all the way to state and local. They look at access to health care and things like how much more do women and girls pay out of pocket than men and access and things like that and access to education. I said, so you're telling me that if we increase the number of women across those major buckets at any table, that we will shrink the gap of 106 years? And she's like, yep. And I was like, I'm in.
- [10:53]
A
Wow.
- [10:54]
B
Because that's when I understood, like, okay, part of what we are facing is a cultural paradigm, right? So if you're lucky, like a lot of the women and like you guys who you guys have featured this month, you have people who are advocating for you or telling you you can do this or you're born with that. Right. Like some of the women you guys interviewed. But if you're not sure or you don't have that background and you're also going to school and you're not seeing someone who looks like you, you may start to think that the problem is your identity, when actually the problem is the history that was left out.
- [11:35]
A
Yeah. Ugh, that gives me chills. Me too. This April get your rom com on with youh Me and Tuscany Only in theaters April 10th. From Will Packer, producer of Girls Trip, you, Me and Tuscany has all the ingredients of your favorite rom coms heart, huge laughs and sizzling chemistry. Starring Halle Bailey and Reggae Jean Page and set in the enchanting vineyards of Tuscany. The this film is a movie escape that's perfect for date night or girls night. Don't miss you me and Tuscany directed by Cat Coiro. Only in theaters April 10th. Whether you're a festival girly or catching local live music, Dove thinks the only thing you should worry about is getting a good view of the stage. With the new Dove Alcohol Free Whole Body Deodorant. You won't have to worry about your deodorant irritating your skin. It's packed with nourishing serum and free from irritating alcohol. Plus, you'll still enjoy 72 hour odor protection and irresistible fragrances for your pits, chest, thighs and more. Get the new alcohol free Dove Whole Body deal on Amazon or at Walmart today. And do you see that younger women are being more engaged into the museum than ever because they are looking for that identity?
- [12:54]
B
Yeah. So when I came on board. The museum had just finished achieving its biggest goal, which took them literally 25 years, which was to finally get Congress to agree that there should be a women's history museum. And when Congress passed that law in December 2020, they said, you know, yep, we agree. However, we would like the Smithsonian to run it so that it'll have a spot on the Washington, D.C. mall and it can receive federal funding. And essentially what they did was they created two entities. They made this new kind of museum that'll exist. It's still, oh, my gosh, unfortunately, still don't even have a location identified. And they made us really this private institution. And so when I came on board and I realized, hey, wait a second, not only are we not federally funded, but we have a major advantage when we're not federally funded. It and that is that we don't have to be all things to all people, which is, if you're a publicly funded museum, you do. And so I asked the question, in order to close that gap, who do we have to focus on the most in order to have the biggest impact? And the answer was Gen A and Z. So I have a gen A and I have two gen zers, by the way. They consume information totally differently.
- [14:11]
A
Oh, I bet.
- [14:12]
B
And, and, and then I went on, you know, I went to see what was on online for us, and I'm like, well, this is awful. I'm like, this whole thing's going to have to come down, right? Because this does not resonate whatsoever with that demographic.
- [14:25]
A
Right?
- [14:25]
B
And so I've been here now for two, almost three years, and since then, I have been completely shifting our focus to those. That demographic. And it's awesome. I'll tell you. A few months ago, I was at Canva, the company, and I was talking to a young. She's 24, very ambitious woman, and awesome. And she says to me, tell me more about the museum. And I said, well, we make curriculum for educators. We make access to programs for teachers because they don't have it in their textbooks. We do these things. And she looks at me and she goes, well, where's my curriculum? And I said, what do you mean? And she said, well, I don't feel like I got any of the history about the women who look like me in my field, et cetera. I want to be able to go to your site and actually say, like, I'm interested in this. Who are the women? Maybe I didn't learn about. Who are the women today who have done this? What are the podcasts? I should Be listening to what are the, you know, what are the organizations that support that. And for me that was the moment where I was like, awesome. We are starting actually in a couple of weeks, going to completely rebuild our site with like very important AI component. And I often say, like, my goal is to reimagine what a cultural institution can look like in 2026. Like, what would it look like no matter who you are, where you are, if you can experience that, gosh, that
- [15:58]
A
is incredible because, you know, it's being athletes a lot of the times we get very focused there because, you know, being in a male dominated industry there and trying to break barriers. But when you think every industry for women is pretty much male dominated. And I never really thought about all my smart friends growing up and who did they see themselves with. And that's why I'm obsessed with your guys's Instagram. And I had started following and then connecting with you guys via dms. But because it was so interesting to me to see all of this incredible history women have made for hundreds of years and recent that we never, we don't know about. And I've never stopped to think till now of like, yes, it's very important for women in these other industries to see themselves in these women at a young age knowing like someone did this, you know, in the 1900s, 1800s now, and I can do this. And I actually love where you're taking the site because it's so true to be able to give women and girls this kind of information exactly of where they see themselves and how much better they can be or be inspired. Inspired by. And what women do you notice who, what jobs and what type of women have been left out of the history books? Like what women's stories do you feel are so important to showcase that we don't know.
- [17:19]
B
I mean, honestly, pre. All of them. And it's not just an industry. It, it, of course, you know, you look at women in manufacturing overall, there's very little about the history of women in manufacturing. But it's, it's across the board. It's the women who first joined banking, it's the women who first, you know, got a loan. The women who made the process for all of us today to be able to access capital and loans and buy a mortgage. Like across the board. Across the board there's a lack of awareness. And I really appreciate what you were just saying, Nikki, about kind of our social. Because that was the first place we started to test this new idea.
- [18:01]
A
Yeah.
- [18:02]
B
And so obviously we are, we are The National Women's History Museum. No matter how entrepreneurial I am, I can't go in there and, like, tear it all down, right? We had to, like, market test. We have to try this. And so we started with this campaign called She's Not a Footnote. We made the colors, like, bright pink, right? Like, and we started. My biggest kind of comment that I make all the time to my team is, we cannot go at this angry. This is not that feminist wave where people were burning bras and. No, like, we must go at this with a mindset of inclusivity that we all win when we begin to be more inclusive. And we have to do it with a little sense of humor and a bit of a clever wink.
- [18:51]
A
Right?
- [18:52]
B
Because that is the only way you are going to get kids to pay attention. And I know. I was just in Utah yesterday and we had an event and somebody brought their daughters, and one was eight and one was, I think, 11 or something like that. And one of our videos starts, wtf? And they're. And you see their eyes, like, open up and it goes, who's that female?
- [19:14]
A
Oh, my God.
- [19:15]
B
And then it's like. And you know, it, like, keeps going. And it's like all these women in science that never got recognized. And at some point it goes, that's some BS right there. Bad science, you know? And you see these little girls, they're like, oh, my God.
- [19:29]
A
Yeah. Oh, my God. That is so clever. It's so. And like, when you think of it, that's like the true power of a woman, of a mom, is we know how to be informative, but keep people engaged and give, like, those winks and have fun with it. And it. It should be when we speak of women or want people to be more interested in what we do in our history, it's so much better to come at it that way because you. It's.
- [19:54]
B
We.
- [19:54]
A
That's always been, I think, the power of women, of knowing how to do that. You know, we're. That's where we're different from men. And so I love that. I absolutely love that. I do, too. Hey, everyone, when you're doing it all, you need all the electrolytes. I mean, whether that's 7am Pilates class to be hydrated for. I know for us, we have power lifting in the mornings after school, drop off the. There's a lot to be hydrated for being a mom, Taking my kids to school, making them breakfast, lunch and dinner. And let's be honest, what you need is you need Gatorade. Which hydrates better than water itself. With new Gatorade Lower Sugar, you can get the amazing hydration you expect from Gatorade, but with no artificial flavors, sweeteners, or colors. With 75% less sugar and all the electrolytes of Gatorade Thirst Quencher, you'll be back at your best and ready to take on whatever comes your way. New to the fridge, all the Gatorade electrolytes you love, Try Gatorade Lower sugar today. If you thought HBO's euphoria was intense in high school, saddle up. Starring Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney and Jacob Elordi, Season three of Euphoria picks up five years later, and life looks very different. Now these characters are on their own with the freedom to make choices that can build them or break them. No matter what they're chasing. Money, fame, power, love, or redemption, no one can escape their fate. Don't miss the third season of Euphoria, premiering April 12th on HBO and HBO Max. And you know something that I was just thinking about is that, you know, so many times we do bring women on here who've broken barriers, but for our listeners who are listening, who are like, okay, maybe I didn't get a gold medal, maybe I didn't make it to the WWE ring, but what can I do to support women, to support the museum and be part of the this great path that we're all making so women are more equal and being more recognized?
- [21:56]
B
Well, for starters, it starts by telling your own stories. And it does. Even if you're not like, you guys and you haven't broken records or, you know, it starts by telling the stories that, that are around you or even if you learn a story, like, if I tell you guys, one of your listeners a story, take that story and go tell it to the little girls and boys around you, right? Make that, normalize these stories. That's always the first thing. The second thing I say is, you know, I'm on a mission to flood the market with women's history and to do it, like I said, with, like, humor, online, through social channels, with AI and we're private, right? We're not getting. We're never going to ask for outside federal funding because that's too complicated right now.
- [22:39]
A
Yeah.
- [22:39]
B
And so for folks who are listening who are like, oh, my God, I want more, then join us. You know, like, come and support the work that we're doing or figure out how to show up at events or get to know us or we just launched a youth council, right, for kids. Kids. I'M showing my age. I'm sorry, but folks like 18 to 24 who want to be involved and tell us, like, that's funny. That's not so funny. Yeah, I love that.
- [23:08]
A
So I definitely need help with that, because I was going to say we might get that just in our lives. Yeah. Am I cool? Not cool, Mom. Joe. Outdated. It's so funny because I feel a lot younger, and then I throw out those jokes or say something, and they're like, she's such a millennial. And I'm like, and proud. Proud millennial. Proud millennial. And I love millennial humor. I do love millennial humor. I agree with you, Bri. Yep. Well, Fred, to make it a little bit about you right now and Women's History Month, what does Women's History Month mean to you personally?
- [23:45]
B
I wish we. Honestly, I wish we didn't have to have one month. I wish it was not. I wish it didn't exist, to be perfectly honest. And I'll tell you, the way it exists in the United States, I'm grateful for it. And I also am, like, because When I was 20, I lived in Russia for a year, and I remember on International Women's Day on March 8, I'm walking around down the street, and all these random dudes are, like, handing me flowers, and I'm like, what is. I mean, I'm like, oh, I must be so fabulous.
- [24:15]
A
You are.
- [24:16]
B
But then they're giving everybody flowers, so I'm like, what's happening? And really, what they said, hey, today's International Women's Day. We celebrate Mother Russia. We celebrate mothers. We celebrate, you know, women. And for me, that level of kind of start with the respect of what all of these women have done before us, even if you don't know their stories, um, that's what Women's History means for me, is take a moment to realize everything aside, we are half the population. We birth the entire population. Yep. Right. And let's just say thank you.
- [24:57]
A
Gosh, I agree. Yeah. I love that. And I mean, especially just hearing Birth the entire population. I mean, that just hits. It hits. And do you feel. Do you think we are doing enough to honor women's contributions?
- [25:15]
B
No. I mean, I'm not talking about you guys. Yeah, you guys are doing a great job.
- [25:21]
A
But I agree with you.
- [25:22]
B
But if. I mean, look, I know, because we've counted, right? We literally went around and counted how many women are on monuments, how many statues are of women, how many women are in our textbooks. I mean, we counted, and it's so it's so awful. Oh, yeah. Like, no, it's not enough.
- [25:38]
A
No.
- [25:38]
B
You know, not even a little bit.
- [25:40]
A
And I do feel like they're starting to be maybe a little bit of awakening to it and. Which is nice. And younger generation. Generation of now. And. And men, women, boys and girls. Like, people are starting to be awake to that of.
- [25:56]
B
Yeah.
- [25:57]
A
What women have done and. Yeah. But I will say I still see. Like, they definitely are, but they still think there's that one month that they can do it. And I like when you say, like, we shouldn't have just one month. No. Shouldn't be about just the month of March where we recognize it. Yeah. It should just be it. It should just be. Because it's all equal and we don't have to showcase it.
- [26:20]
B
You. You guys, I'll tell you, like, a personal story. I have. I have two boys and one girl. And these boys, they know, right? They're like, we get it, Mom. We support women. We're with you. Right? They're, like, all in. They don't want to say anything wrong. And my youngest is 12. And so the other day, I was asking him, hey, you know, what are you studying in social studies? He's like, oh, you know, Mom, Revolutionary War. I was like, what about it? He's like. He was like, Paul Revere. And I was like, huh? I'm like, well, have you ever heard of, like, Sybil Levington? Because there's a number of people who say she rode just as far, if not further, and had a greater impact on warning that the British were coming. And this little stinker, he looks at me and he goes, you know, mom, you're just saying that because of your job. My textbook is based on primary sources, and if she's not in there, she didn't exist. And I was like, sweet Jesus, this is, like my child. Right? And despite the fact that every day I'm hammering home stories about women, he is still internalizing.
- [27:24]
A
Yes.
- [27:24]
B
That message. Right.
- [27:26]
A
Which.
- [27:27]
B
Right.
- [27:27]
A
Which needs to change so much. All those books need to be rewritten. And by the way, I didn't even know a woman. Road to warn.
- [27:35]
B
Yeah.
- [27:36]
A
You're gonna be blown away by their Instagram. I'm. So now I'm, like, gonna do a deep dive on that, and I'm gonna let a lot of people know, even if Professor Bree has to show up here.
- [27:46]
B
Who?
- [27:47]
A
I'm gonna let people know.
- [27:49]
B
Yeah.
- [27:49]
A
Oh, my God. That's actually what. I can't even believe having, like, WWE female wrestlers, like, knock the doors down to Social studies and be like, listen up. So here's the real smackdown. Yeah. On the Revolutionary War.
- [28:03]
B
Yeah.
- [28:04]
A
Goodness. Don't get me going. Honestly. Well, we thought because it is Women's History Month, it'd be fun to play a rapid fire game. So we have 10 questions for you. Our first one, one woman from history you wish you could have dinner with.
- [28:20]
B
Oh, gosh. Any one of them who is part of the suffrage movement. Let's just, you know, Susan B. Anthony is a simple one. Right. But like, the perseverance that these women just kept going for 70 years to make this happen. Right. I think we could all use a little bit of that reminder when we feel hopeless right now that nothing is easy. Nothing we've come across has been easy. So I'd start with her. Rosa Parks.
- [28:49]
A
Yeah.
- [28:49]
B
I mean, that woman, God bless her. I heard a story recently about the interview behind. When she sat on the bus and she said, I didn't want to sit down. I was ready to just go to the back of the bus. I was so tired. I'd been working all day. But then I remembered Emmett Till's mom in the choice he made to leave his casket open so the world could see what had been done to her son. And I decided to sit down and you begin to. You begin to understand the humanity and the people and the women behind what we consider these major moments. You know, they're just like. They're going through the same thing as always.
- [29:29]
A
Exactly. Gosh. Wow. Chills.
- [29:33]
B
All right. That was not rapid. No.
- [29:34]
A
But I love that.
- [29:35]
B
I'm gonna try.
- [29:36]
A
No, no, please. We're never rapid. Ever. I can't give a rapid answer. So I love. It doesn't exist with us, one woman in your life who shaped you the most?
- [29:49]
B
I come from a strong lineage of French women who. So I would say from my great aunt to my grandmother, one of my grandmothers had 16 kids. To my. To my, you know, mom who worked when I was growing up. So I would say where my. Where my kind of ambition as a woman came from was from all of these women saying, you know, always have your own plan. Make your own, you know, get your own degree, have your own job. And again, they were living at a different time where they were just allowed to do those things. But they shaped my desire for independence. By the way, I'm happily married. He's a great guy. But like, at the same time, I'm like, I agree.
- [30:34]
A
I'm like you. I agree. My husband is h. He's incredible. But he respects how independent I Am. And the things I strive for, equality in women you admire deeply.
- [30:46]
B
Equality? Well, the most, I would say the desire to lift other women up. Honestly, the women that I have met and I could rattle off a few name names, who actually walk the talk about investing in women and girls, supporting women and girls, bringing women and girls to the table, that is, for me, the most important quality is paying it forward, bringing others along.
- [31:13]
A
I so agree.
- [31:14]
B
Yep.
- [31:15]
A
A myth about strong women that needs to die.
- [31:20]
B
Oh, that they're. Yeah, like, come on already. Like, enough already. Who? Who? Oh, and the other one that's, that's right behind that one is that we women don't help other women. I'm convinced a bunch of guys got together and said, let's throw that one in for sure.
- [31:34]
A
Along with high maintenance. You know, you have boundaries. You're considered high maintenance.
- [31:38]
B
Yes. Oh, my God.
- [31:39]
A
Oh, yes.
- [31:40]
B
Yes.
- [31:41]
A
What does real power look like in a woman?
- [31:44]
B
A woman who has confidence and believes in her purpose and her mission and isn't trying to do it for anyone else other than just it's aligned. What she does, she believes.
- [31:54]
A
Yeah, that was great. There's something about a new workout set that makes you feel unstoppable. The problem? Buying new gear all the time isn't realistic. But as a Fabletics vip, it can be. When you sign up as a new VIP with Fabletics, you get 80% off everything. Fabletics pieces feel like the kind of high end activewear you'd easily pay a couple hundred dollars for. But you get the same premium fit and durability for a tiny fraction of the price. One thing I love about Fabletics is they have the type of matching sets that you can work out in. But then you could throw a cute little flannel over or wrap it around your waist and boom, you're doing errands. And you look cute and fresh and very fit. Let me tell you, I love that. Fabletics already has incredible deals and we've got an exclusive offer just for our listeners. Get 80 off everything. When you sign up as a VIP, just head fabletics.com twins Take a quick style quiz and be sure to select twins when prompted to unlock your 80% off. That's Fabletics.com twins. Hey, everyone, when you're doing it all, you need all the electrolytes. I mean, whether that's 7am Pilates class to be hydrated for. I know for us we have powerlifting in the mornings after school drop off. There's a lot to be hydrated for. Being a mom. Take my kids to school, making them breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And let's be honest, what you need is you need Gatorade, which hydrates better than water itself. With new Gatorade lower sugar, you can get the amazing hydration you expect from Gatorade, but with no artificial flavors, sweeteners, or colors. With 75% less sugar and all the electrolytes of Gatorade Thirst Quencher, you'll be back at your best and ready to take on whatever comes your way. New to the fridge, all the Gatorade electrolytes you love. Try Gatorade lower sugar. Today, A moment you felt most powerful.
- [33:58]
B
I'm sure you guys have had these, like, they last about literally 10 seconds. But when you're having that moment where everything's working and, like, the kids are, like, all exactly where they're supposed to be and they're doing great and they're happy, and, like, you're crushing it at work, and, like, the fridge is full and the dog's been walked, and you're like, oh, I am the most amazing woman ever. And then, of course, like, something happens, right? Yeah. So, like, that's. That's where I feel the most powerful. Honestly, when I feel like I can do it, it's like, it doesn't last.
- [34:31]
A
So true. So true. And then I'll, like, go treat myself for, like, iced matcha latte or something. Like, I. I'll just get in that moment. I'm like, you know what? I now deserve, like, a fun little treat or coffee for me. It's like, when everything's checked off the list and Mateo's great, and then I'm about, like, dinner. I'm about to cook dinner. I'm like, oh, my gosh, this is going to be a peaceful dinner. I should have a glass of wine. Like, everything's done. All I'll have to do is just cook this dinner and get him in the bath, and life is great. I get to go to bed on time. And so I get that, right?
- [35:04]
B
You're like, I am awesome. It's so bad.
- [35:07]
A
Just, like, sit outside. I'm like, this is great. I love that.
- [35:10]
B
Yeah. Yeah.
- [35:11]
A
A moment you feel felt most human.
- [35:16]
B
Oh, probably when my children are born, is there any more human feeling than I think that. But also, you know, yesterday I was in a classroom at a Title 1 school, so an underserved school in Salt Lake City, and we were bringing in this game that is, like, Trivia Pursuit, but only about women. And I'm sitting at this table with these three young women. They're all, you know, 13, 12, 13. And just. Just getting outside of my own, my job. I was just playing the game with them. And those little moments also make me feel human. Right. Because it puts me back in their shoes. Like, understanding. Okay, this is what it's like sitting at these desks. In middle school, by the way, I was, like, having a panic attack. Who wants to go back to middle school?
- [36:04]
A
No way.
- [36:05]
B
Right. But.
- [36:06]
A
Oh, thank you.
- [36:07]
B
But. But that makes me feel really human as well, because then you can connect with somebody and try to understand what it's like to walk in their shoes. Gosh, for sure.
- [36:19]
A
So true. A woman you think doesn't get enough credit.
- [36:24]
B
All of them, Seriously. But I'll tell you who's been on my mind lately. I love. I love the moment that women in sports is happening. You know, it's about damn time, right? Yes. And. And I also think that we don't give enough credit to somebody like Patsy Mink, who wrote the bill for Title ix. But what I love about Patsy Mink and why I think she deserves so much credit is. Yes. I mean, so she was Hawaiian. She had. She broke all these, you know, barriers as the first, this. First this, first that. She worked forever on this bill. And she got to the day where it was time to vote. And this was a while ago, right? 50 years ago. And so they had a phone on the floor where everybody came in to vote, and it was kind of for emergencies. And everybody was about to vote to pass Title ix, and the phone rang, and somebody said, patsy, it's for you. And she gets on the phone and somebody says, I'm sorry, but your daughter's been in an accident. She's in the icu. And Patsy left immediately, got on a plane and went to Hawaii and spent the next several weeks by her daughter's side. And by the way, even before this, every two weeks, she would fly back and forth to Hawaii between Hawaii and D.C. that's not far. And she, a few weeks later, checks back in and learns that she lost the vote by one because she wasn't there. And so she came back to Washington a few months later, and for one of the only times in history, the speaker of the House said, you know what? Let's vote again. Because this bill is so important and significant, and Patsy's put so much time and effort into it, she deserves to be here when we vote. And they voted again. And that's when it passed.
- [38:16]
A
Oh, my gosh. Wow.
- [38:17]
B
That's incredible. But, you know, so knowing the personal stories behind the historic moments, too. It makes you realize, like, again, these women, they were, they were moms, they were tired, they were all the things, and they, you know, they showed up where they needed to show up. In this case, it was with her daughter.
- [38:38]
A
Wow. I had no idea. I had no. Incredible story. Gosh. Makes you just, It's a good one. Doesn't get enough credit at all. One thing women need to stop apologizing for, for
- [38:52]
B
everything. Right?
- [38:54]
A
I mean, I, I swear I'll be in the grocery store, I trip and I say sorry to the person next to me as if, like, I disrupted them by tripping. Yeah. You know? Oh, yeah.
- [39:02]
B
I, I, I think it's, I think it's a beautiful kind of both sides to a coin. How we care deeply how people feel, how we might make them feel, you know? But the reverse side of that is we're always apologizing in case we made you feel badly or something happened or we're put, putting you out and everything else. You can't have one without the other. So I don't want women to really stop apologizing for everything because then they're going to be less empathetic and kind.
- [39:30]
A
That's true.
- [39:30]
B
But still, we apologize too much.
- [39:32]
A
It's something I still have to work on. All right, and the, for the last one, finish this sentence. When women support each other. Blank.
- [39:42]
B
We all win. We all win.
- [39:45]
A
Amen.
- [39:46]
B
This is, this is what I tell every audience I speak to, whether they're kids or a bunch of older white men. Like, it doesn't matter to me what you care about, right? You might care about climate change, you care about child care, you care about whatever. If half of our population, our brightest minds, isn't at that table, the table that you care about, we are not doing ourselves any favors.
- [40:13]
A
Right?
- [40:14]
B
And so that's why I say everybody benefits. Yeah, everybody benefits.
- [40:19]
A
Everyone benefits. How much? And I've seen it. I've seen when women support each other, success for every single person in this world. Oh, my goodness. It's so true.
- [40:29]
B
Yeah.
- [40:30]
A
So, Frederic, we love to end all of our episodes with a little bit of inspiration, affirmation. Is there any question, quote, or mantra you live by?
- [40:39]
B
Oh, yeah, I've got lots. But one of my favorite is, I don't know if you guys remember Connie Chung. She was a journalist, one of the first female Asian American journalists. And she had a great line that was, take the work seriously, not yourself. And that's how I feel. I love having a good time. But, you know, if we're Talking work. Like, we're going to get serious because it matters, but the rest of the the time, let's not take ourselves serious.
- [41:04]
A
Right.
- [41:04]
B
Like, let's have fun.
- [41:05]
A
Yes, I love that. That's a good one. Yes, I love that because it is true. Like what you're doing on your social media, for example, you guys take the work serious, but you're having fun doing that and you feel that and it changes then how we feel looking at it and seeing it. So it's all about the balance and energy and things, you know? Yeah. And we want to say our millennial mom jokes, you know.
- [41:29]
B
Exactly.
- [41:29]
A
Life's so beautiful out there. There's just so much to soak in naturally. And so. Gosh, I love that. Yes. Wow. This has been such a treat. Such a treat.
- [41:39]
B
Such a. Oh, thank you, guys. Honestly, I. I am so happy to be here talking with you guys and really, really grateful that you all are asking the questions. Because if you're asking, then others will listen to you and they'll ask. Right? And that's how we begin. Begin this slow ripple of change.
- [41:58]
A
Yep. It's so true. Gosh, I agree. Oh, my goodness. And for all of you who are listening, you can see videos of today's episode on our social media platforms, the Nikki and Brie Show, Facebook, tick tock, Instagram, YouTube, and also you can catch this episode on Sirius XM Stars 109. And please make sure to follow them on Instagram at Women's History and. And also you can check out their website@womenshistory.org if you're in DC, you could visit them as well, but you won't regret it. Hearing these women's stories that you have no idea about. You will find someone you connect to, relate to, and then you can start sharing these stories with your friends, your children, I don't know, your neighbor. You pick. Have a little wine, give some time, and I promise you, you will be the hit of the party by sharing these stories. It'll be your favorite Instagram follow, that is for sure. So make sure to go hit the follow button. Day or night. Verbocare is here 247 to help make every part of your stay seamless.
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B
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