On The Shoulders Of Mighty Women: Honoring The Women That Came Before With Lesley Michaels

Life happens, and not always the way we expect it to. Every single day we face change, stress, and uncertainty. What if you could learn to thrive no matter what life throws your way? Resilience expert Adam Barkel and his inspiring guest explore breakthrough strategies to fully embrace change and build the resilience required to become change.

Proof. I love my conversation with Leslie Michaels. Leslie was born to feminism. She was later one of the first women to break through the glass ceiling in the old boy industry of oil and gas. Leslie's body of unique experiences have provided her with firsthand understandings of the daily struggles faced by women of every race, culture, and sexual orientation. On the shoulders of mighty women is a tribute to the power and grace of those who came before and the ones who will follow. The warriors and the fallen. I love this conversation with Leslie Michaels and I know you will as well. So it is so great to have you with me today, Leslie. I, I'm a fan of yours. I've been a fan of yours, I think, from the day we met and, you know, we were both introduced by somebody else, the mutual friend, and it's several years ago and so you and I are not, we are not strangers by any stretch of the imagination. I really, I think very fondly of that person for, for doing that, for making an introduction, especially when, when, especially I think this stage in, in my life. I don't know if you feel the same way. The people that you spend time with are even more important, far more important than the people that I would spend time with 20 or 30 years ago. So, Leslie, welcome to this conversation.

True.

Yeah. Thanks for being with me.

Thank you, Adam. Thanks. This is, this is a delightful treat to spend this kind of time with you. We've spent different types of time together over the years and this is great fun. So thank you.

It is now you heard me read your, your introduction, your bio and all that kind of thing. I just want to ask you what is something that, that is not a part of your typical introduction or the way that people talk about you that you would love for people to know about you? It's just not typically what, you know, what is said about you. Is there something that comes to mind that you'd be willing to share? Putting you on the spot.

Now, something that surprises people more often than, than I would have ever dreamed is that I am an intense introvert. I put so much content and so many words, you know, types of podcasts and what have you out into the world or I'll speak to groups. People are shocked to find out that at the end of the day, I just want to go into a room where there's no one but no oxygen but mine and just relax.

Somebody once said that that's called being. It's described as being a situational extrovert. I thought that was pretty cool, actually. You know, the idea that when the moment arises to make a difference, to connect, to help someone or say something that might be helpful, then all that kind of, you know, whatever we call it, the. The way we recapture our energy is less important than being. Being a giver. I don't know how you think about it, but that was helpful to me to hear it in those terms. And I do think it's about energy, right? That when people are extroverts, they gain energy from being around a lot of other people. I know in my work as a keynote speaker, primarily resilience and mental health and work life balance things that I keep speeches on. People are always surprised, like you said, when I declare that when I'm looking to recapture my energy, to be resilient, to recover, to regenerate, I don't want to be around other people. I have to. It's a solitary experience for me. It sounds like similar for you, right?

Absolutely. And I have to have it every day. It's what allows me to come in fresh the next day with an outwardly expressed passion for the passions that I carry inside of me all the time.

Interesting. I love that choice of words. I always. You're a bit of a wordsmith, so I, I love the use of your language. And you have a book sitting right behind you, actually a brand new book that's out, or it's maybe not quite brand new, but it is a new bestseller and a book that, That I think many, many people have already heard of, but if they haven't, we. You share just a little bit about this book because I think that's, you know, that's one of the things that you and I immediately connected on was that you had this passion that was inside of you to express certain things and that were related to your life experience, which has been very diverse and, and, and also like a roller coaster, tremendous successes and, and some real challenges too. And you wanted to express all of that, encapsulate it into a book. And when we met, you didn't have a book. And now. And now you do. Would you tell us a little bit about this work?

It is the culmination of my life, but it also includes quite a few other women. Our trials, our challenges are, I mean, I'll just say it right out loud. The times I absolutely crashed and burned and I wasn't sure there was even going to be ash left to rise from and how those became the moments that. That fed us. But in addition to that, it is a book written by women and for women, which doesn't mean men won't enjoy it. And I'm having a surprising number of men reach back to me and say, I loved this book. I bought it for my daughters, I bought it for my granddaughters. But it's a book that brings together a perspective of many different areas of women's lives and what they are dressed with and where the oppressions sit and the impact that they have. A lot of the books written by and for women address one topic and I will never besmirch them. In fact, I have a whole bookshelf right over there full of them and. But I wanted to come at it from a place of a broader picture, how one part of our life impacts this part of our life impacts this part of our life, and to not present such a compartmentalized perspective of women. And it also includes some really powerful, actionable practices that have been developed by me that have been developed by some of the other women who, who contributed to the book. So that issues that are common to women, common to everyone, but more common to women, imposter syndrome, perfectionism syndrome, issues like this. There's a space where women can look at whatever the template is that they're pre. Being presented and realize that, oh, this was written for me. This was written by a woman for a woman. I can relate to this template. I can put this into practice in my life, and I feel that this can work for me.

On the shoulders of Mighty Women.

On the Shoulders of Mighty Women.

That's the title. And I think in the day and age that we're living in right now, women, women are more coming into their own than ever before. Question mark.

Women want to come into their own more than they have in a very, very long time. Some of them are. Some of them are. Are walking on very unsure legs. And it is my premise and the premise of a growing number of female with, on a daily basis, that if we come together and we support each other, then we can in fact all rise as a collective. And you may know this, Adam, because you're a smart guy and you're always. Every once in a while, I think I'm going to surprise you, but you already got there. But the pop. Women are 50.53% of the population, but to this day, we still only take in 33.372% of the national income. And so as we come together, that among many other issues of female suppression or females being overlooked or being subjugated in some way can be addressed because we will have our numbers work with each other.

And the term for that is. Am I getting this correct when I, if I say gender equity is what describes that the movement would bring us into a harmony there, that there wouldn't be that disparity if there was gender equity? Is that, am I correct in that, in saying that?

Close.

Thank you. Please.

It isn't that gender equity is the movement. Gender equity is the goal.

It's the goal.

So it's the goal and what I'm proposing. And many other women, I'm finding them every day who have the same idea I did, but I didn't know them before. We didn't know each other. But what we are proposing is that as women form strong strategic alliance, and I'm finding that that term has been spreading around among us and we're just now coming together and realizing it as women come together in strategic alliance, just like the boy, the guys have had the secret handshake in the old boys network. Now if women form strategic alliance, we can claim an actual power stage and help develop gender equity, which I gotta say, it's going to benefit men, kids, society, our nation as a whole. It's not just for women.

I married my much better half 30 plus years ago. I think after 30 we'll stop, you know, stop counting until the next big milestone. But we have three daughters as well as a son. And the world that you're describing, it's the world that I wish existed for my daughters today. But if it doesn't exist today, and it clearly doesn't, then, then my, my hope is that it isn't, isn't long in coming. And thanks to you and people that are doing the work that you're doing in the world, speaking about it, writing about it, sharing information with folks, I think there's more of a likelihood that that does happen more soon, more quickly.

Of course, you know, I love your family. And one of the things that I'm being so profoundly impacted by is that while we're not inviting them into our groups per se, we are finding more and more men standing up and being quite vocal, quite proactive allies in the quest for women's autonomy, for women's equity, for women's empowerment. And the more men speak up, then the more those men who oppose it are going to at least hear the words, even if they don't take a positive action on our behalf.

Yeah, well, I mean, it's, it's happening in places around the globe in different contexts, of course. And as we're, as you and I are recording this particular conversation, it's most notably happening in Iran. And women, yes, are, are absolutely standing in the ring of fire. Just not metaphorically speaking. Literally.

No, not metaphorically. What is going on in Iran is impressive. It is horrifying, has been a bit verklempt even speaking of it. But these women know what they're risking when they go out on the street and they stand on the top of a building or the top of a car and they cut their hair very publicly. They. They know they will probably not come down off of that car life. And the degree to which being able to do that so that other women can live more freely compels them to make those stances. That type of action is what has for my entire life had me unapologetically in love with the female spirit.

Yes.

And committed to supporting complete freedom of that spirit.

That's so beautifully said, Leslie. I'm so happy that we got to have our conversation today. Just to dive in a little bit and I'm going to recommend people pick up a copy of on the Shoulders of Mighty Women. I'm sure there'll be additional volumes of it. And for those of you that have visited our, our, our our show previously, you know that you'll be able to get the show notes on the website. You can leave a comment@adammarkel.com forward slash podcast comment for myself or comment for Leslie, of course. We'd love it if you would share this conversation with others. If you know someone that might benefit from just these words, listening to Leslie share a little bit about herself, then please feel free to do that. Subscribe Leave a Review we love those five star reviews, of course. And the comments more than anything are like oxygen to us. The feedback is everything. So we'd love to hear from you all. And, and I just say it, it reminds me of this old. How I want to close out this episode today is just thinking about this old TV show and it's really old. I'm dating myself for sure called Hill Street Blues. And Leslie, I don't know if you remember that show. It's a kind of a police show based in. In.

Of course.

Yeah. And at the end of every episode, this very. The sort of a sergeant who had the total sergeant's demeanor, kind of a rough and tough guy, as he was setting everybody, letting everybody depart into their day and start their very difficult work in the world, he would stop everybody for just a second and look out and say, hey, be, be careful out there. Be careful out there. And. And it was a poignant moment. It was a sort of uncharacteristic sensitivity, especially from somebody in a, in the role that he was playing, this very macho, masculine role. I just feel like in the world that we're living in right now, where we don't have to go to Iran to find that women are being courageous, that men and women are being courageous in standing up and being heard and where there's risk involved in that, in that taking those stances, including for people like you, Leslie, and for me, I suppose as well that we should be careful out there, be alert, be careful, and we're with you. So, Leslie, thank you again for being a guest today.

Thank you, Adam. Wow.

Leslie Michaels, she is a powerhouse feminist, amazing woman, just an amazing human. And I love the book that she's written on the shoulders of Mighty Women, because I think we all stand on, on the shoulders of other people, the people that have come before us. And in her particular case, she is really honoring those women before her that helped her to do the work she's doing in the world right now that set the stage for her and for other women who are, are doing, doing their work in the world, are helping others, are living powerful lives and lives that, that are, are not free even to this day, and especially in this day. They are not free from discrimination. They are not free from, from all sorts of, of things that are, are impeding their, their freedom and are in fact, in many ways disempowering women and young, young women and older women alike in ways that we didn't, we didn't think. I think were, were still possible. And yet it is, it is happening around us and, and we witness it. And as it. As a father of three daughters and husband of more than 30 years, you know, this is a cause that, that I, I feel so strongly about more than anything. Want to see Leslie Michaels her message and, and women like Leslie who are out there really doing something, starting conversations, using activism as, as a way to, to bring about new awareness, bring about change. Because the process of life is an evolution doesn't mean we're always going to get things right. Doesn't mean we're always doing things right. But we have this capacity as human beings to evolve, to grow, to improve, to change. And ultimately our message is one of that in the process of that, which is difficult and sometimes extremely difficult like today, excruciatingly so for many. We have to be resilient so that we can stay the course, that we can move forward and and be able to create a better world for those that come after us. So on the Shoulders of Mighty Women is just a wonderful book written by a wonderful person and a wonderful interview today with Leslie Michaels. I know I learned a lot. I I know you will as well. So enjoy this conversation. Share it with others who you think might benefit, of course. And and let us know your thoughts. Your comments Leave a Leave a comment@adammarkel.com podcast leave a review those 5 star reviews are lovely and we so appreciate you taking the time to do that as well.

Thanks for listening everyone. We hope you now have even more tools and greater insights to build resilience and become change proof. Help us inspire others by sharing this episode and leaving your comments over@adammarkelle.com podcast for more resilience tips and strategies, including support for building change proof teams, visit AdamMarkel.com BecomeChange Proof.