Elevating Women's Voices: Tech Careers & Self-Advocacy

I really am intentional about caring for myself, even around the littlest things like lunch. Like, I will take myself to lunch. And I call that a power move because it's a pause. It's a pause to be served, to sit down, to regroup.

That is the power move of all power moves, to take yourself to lunch. I love that.

I won't even call it self-care. I would call it just intentional wellness.

Hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of Your Power Move by PassionFit. I am Reena Vokoun, your host, and I am so thrilled to welcome my next guest. She, um, is an amazing woman. Her name is Irena Ferguson, and she was actually my TEDx curator when I gave my very first TEDx talk back in 2020. She went to Yale and Boston College for both undergrad and graduate school. She has worked as a content writer for many different companies, including NBCUniversal, CVS Health, um, Experian, and much, much more. And she currently is the co-founder of Listen to Her, where she is giving women many opportunities, both in the entrepreneurial space and in the professional development space for speaking workshops and other, um, career opportunities across many different sectors. So without further ado, I wanna welcome you all, um, to meet Reena Vokoun, welcome.

Thank you so much, Reena, for having me. Really, really grateful. I love what you're doing with PassionFit and excited to have a really great conversation.

Yes. Thank you so much, Irena. And yes, I'm so honored to have you on, and I can't wait for our listeners and viewers to learn all about you. So to start, why don't you tell us a little bit about your personal, professional background, whatever you'd like to share. How did you get to where you are today?

Thank you. No problem. So at the professional level, you know, I've worked Harder than most, and I guess I— that's kind of relative, so I, I almost have to take that back because we don't know exactly how, how hard people have worked to get to their professional space. But, um, I'm currently a content writer at Experian. I'm enjoying it. It's fintech, and it's been a great ride the last 7 years in product marketing, marketing, and content. And so I started my career and pivoted from a UX/UI nano degree through Udacity to really going on to work for companies like Meta, Udacity itself, Lever, and really have felt like I've had this interesting trajectory based on just the economy and also the AI tools coming into play and marketing just shifting so much. So if you're a marketer still in the corporate space, you really must love it 'cause it's changed dramatically and you really have to make sure to stay with it. And so I also have a startup called Listen to Her, which is an AI-powered speaker matching platform for women. And we just entered beta, so I'm super excited for that. We just released our beta product, and I'm thrilled because the first 50 women that have been onboarded have had great opportunities and success. And so those are the kind of shiny things. And, you know, I also, um, curate TEDx's, and I'm on my 9th one. I've curated 9 TEDx's, and so I'm curating my 9th one for, uh, April of 2026.

I love it. So many great things happening for you, and I could not be more excited for you, Reena Vokoun. And how, how would you say things from when you started to where you are now, obviously with, you know, women in the workplace, working in tech, all the developments with AI, um, so much happening with TEDx Talks. You've really kind of taken a lot of your interests and passions and blended them together. So how would you say with sort of technology being at the center of it all, how has it impacted your work in marketing and working with women as well and with your startup?

You know, I really picture myself working on my Chromebook as a stay-at-home mom, even writing for— freelancing for HuffPost, NBCUniversal. I was so intentional about opportunity. Like, I'm grateful that I held my baby on one hip and, you know, like, did all the things while I was on this, like, really shoddy Chromebook and why I insisted on having always having a laptop. And it's funny, I just bought my daughters like a little Chromebook, and they're like 7 and 9, because I felt like, you know, one, they're too young for Macs at this point, depending on what your, what your family scope on technology is. But I think about how much, um, I would have been cut off from the world and opportunity had I not intentionally gone after it with the simple things as an email. It's writing, it's publishing and marketing. And so, when I look at the trajectory of what I've done and even writing my first blog in my dorm room at Yale in 2010 during my grad school program there, it really is a game changer. And it made me hustle to learn, to be intentional, to connect because you don't always have those opportunities as a stay-at-home mom to connect to the real world. Jumping in on those opportunities over the years, I feel like technology is at the helm of that. Starting from the laptop itself, but also where we are right now with machine learning and artificial intelligence and how it's scoping, you truly do have to be a lifelong learner and I enjoy it.

Absolutely. Yeah, I couldn't agree more. I think for a lot of professional working moms out there, that's definitely the target audience that I focus on with PassionFit. And many of our listeners here with Your Power Move by PassionFit, And I agree. I think when you are a working mom trying to balance it all, technology really does help. And that could be anybody, men or women alike. Um, when you have multiple priorities and sometimes you need to be at home, uh, that doesn't mean that you have to be cut off from the world and it can still allow you to still be driven, pursue your passions. I think that has come into play, not only, um, for working moms and working parents that are at home, but also during the pandemic when everybody was remote. Um, I think it really gave us opportunities to still connect. So I love that. And I think it is great that you are starting your daughters with Chromebooks. I think most of the educational systems start there. Um, we're a Google family, as you know, with my husband and me formally. So we're big proponents of that and they can always move up to MacBooks later. So that's fantastic.

I just feel like, you know, it's a, it's, it's fun to see them on it and to see them navigate it and learn their typing skills early.

Yes, absolutely. So throughout your career, obviously you've done a lot of amazing things and you've made pivots and you've stayed on top of what's happening. Happening in technology and the corporate world, which I think is phenomenal. And that's a great lesson to everybody tuning in that I love what you said about being a lifelong learner. I couldn't agree more. But what challenges have you faced along the way through all of these different pivots and changes in your career?

You know, the biggest challenge has been the layoffs. And I think it's been the, it's been the intentional pivots that have come internal. That's been the challenges. I think also I've been so intentional on, though I have a remote career, to make sure that I am like truly, truly connecting, um, you know, to people in person. So, so yes, definitely pivoting and being intentional about how I built my career based on the layoffs, based on, you know, restructuring, based on pauses, um, making sure that I'm tending to family at any given time. I think that has been the most challenging. That's the part that you don't feel like you can control as much.

Absolutely right. And not everybody sees the hard work and the struggle behind those changes and pivots, right? You see people's LinkedIn profiles and social media, and they update you on their latest venture, but they don't necessarily know what it took to get there and the balancing act, in your case, that you've had with your family and your career. So that's very commendable. So if you, Reena Vokoun, had to pick one year in your life that was the most pivotal, that really challenged you and taught you lessons and really, again, brought you to where you are today, what year would that be and why?

You know, I would say 2021. 2021 is when we moved from California to North Carolina. It was definitely a pivotal year because we were moving across state. It was right post-COVID. I had just released a book, had to do a virtual book launch on my patio in LA. I mean, it was one of those times where you really had to push. And but that's the year that I got my first 6-figure role. That was the year that a lot of the work paid off. That was the year that I had my first office. And so from beginning to end, from being in a small apartment in SoCal with like, you know, 4 girls, my husband and I, and moving to this home in North Carolina, and also having the opportunity to, uh, re-enroll our girls in a different school. And so it seemed on paper that it was like, it could be daunting. But to be honest, it was one of the most lucrative years of my life. And I'm grateful for that.

That's fantastic. Congratulations.

Yeah.

And it's just led you to new places and spaces now. And you're back in California, which is really exciting. So, Irena, what, what is your purpose? What drives you to do the work that you do?

You know, having 4 girls and from the ages of 7 to 26, I think my purpose has changed over time. Initially, it was to build a life for my special needs daughter or my daughter with disabilities. And, but, and it was to just like educate people on families of children with disabilities. But now I think it's pivoted more to women and girls empowering them intellectually, economically, to speak, use their voice, and to not so much listen to to not so much speak and have impact, to be heard, to beg to be— to speak, is to have the confidence to speak and be heard so that they're even listening to themselves. And so I think instead of, like, "Listen to her" being a call to action of wanting people to open up their ears and listen, it's women listening to themselves and girls and having ability of confidence to make shifts. Intellectually, socially, economically, technology-wise for themselves to empower themselves for the best life possible. I feel like there's a wave and there's something that's happening in the air around women. And I'm really excited to be a part of it. So that's my purpose now. Having 4 girls, I want them to be economically powered. I want them to really have an edge. And I feel like I want to do that for women across the world. So that's, that's my purpose. My purpose has truly, truly shifted.

Yeah, I love it. And you're such a phenomenal role model for all 4 of your girls and for, for women in general. Um, and everything that you're saying in terms of your purpose, I've personally witnessed it, um, you know, in working with you over the years. And I really see your passion for that. And I think that's what we need. We need more women in the world that are there to pull other women up and give them the skills to succeed, whether it's through technology or as you said, really listening to their voice, hence the name of your startup, Listen to Her. So I really love that.— that. Um, so Reena, as you know, the name of this podcast is Your Power Move by PassionFit. And I would love for you to share, um, what your power moves are, meaning what are those little micro actions that you might take in times where maybe you're feeling overwhelmed, you might be feeling exhausted or burnt out. Um, and sometimes it's just tough to get started, whether it's on a project, whether it's on something at home, or, you know, helping a family member, whatever it is, um, in your personal or professional life. What are some of those power moves that you use that really help you get going?

You know, to have 4 girls, to have a busy household, to have a busy schedule, to be honest, I really am intentional about caring for myself, even around the littlest things like lunch. Like, I will take myself to lunch, and I call that a power move because it's a pause. It's a pause to be served, to sit down, to regroup. I won't even call it self-care. I would call it just intentional wellness. That for me is like, is the start of me just nailing it, like getting work done, executing. I like to work ahead. Even recently, I don't believe in pushing yourself to midnight or getting up too, too early. But if I'm honest, like there are those times that working ahead to a certain degree and just having that 2 to 3 hour crunch where you're nonstop and getting things done is a game changer.

Yeah, absolutely.

What a—

that is the power move of all power moves, to take yourself to lunch. Yes. I love that.

I absolutely— People tease me about it, but it really is. It really is one of the best things to be sit down, to sit down and be served and to take a pause and to think. And whether it's with company or by myself, it's very important.

Yeah, that's great. It's actually one of the more unique power moves that I've heard in all the interviews I've done so far for the podcast and people that I've spoken to. And it's so simple too, right? And something that I think many of us never really think about. We're always looking for others to take us out, right? And treat us. But why not treat yourself and why not be served? And if you are a caretaker in your life, sometimes it's nice to be taken care of as well. So I love that. So if you look ahead, we're now into 2026. If you look ahead to 10 years from now, Irena, where do you see yourself?

10 years from now, I see myself having already sold a company in this space of being able to support other women in their philanthropic and in their— actually, in their entrepreneurial endeavors. Um, I see myself doing philanthropy at a high scale. I see myself traveling and sharing the wisdom that I have with other women and girls and being a support to them. Like, if I only spent the latter 40, 50 years of my life, being influential, giving confidence, giving hugs, just spreading love. That would be a gift to me. Not even considering the financial piece or kind of going into the capitalist aspect. I really see the next decade being an opportunity to build a significant amount of wealth and continue to position what I've learned with technology and building learning, and then I can share that with others. So really investing in women from a financial and physical standpoint.

I love that. That is so inspirational. And, um, I think you're already doing it and you're going to do it at an even greater level over the next decade and beyond. So thank you for sharing that. Um, and that really delves into if you had one key message that you wanted to share, uh, with our listeners and viewers today, what would that be?

You know, it would be to be gentle with yourself. I think a lot of times in this grind culture, in this Instagram, social media, TikTok culture— about a year ago, I just took all those apps off of my phone so that I would not have this comparison piece. And I wasn't big on comparison or like my self-esteem wasn't suffering. I think I had access to too many emotions of others. And I felt like it was really robbing me of just being centered and grounded in general. However, a lot of people do suffer from FOMO, and they're looking, looking, looking, and they're never happy, and they're trying to build this life that is equivalent to social media. And so I would say be gentle with yourself, be gentle with yourself, and start where you are. And, um, And declutter the people, the energy in your life that doesn't work. I've heard it before. I just really don't want to sound cliché, but this life has— this, this one year of my life, at this point in the past year, I've had the opportunity to just have my circle shift, have the people that were closest to me shift, have the numbers lessen. And I feel like it's been great. Like, What am I hearing day to day? What am I taking in? Who am I connecting to? How am I fighting off spending 30, 25% fighting off certain energy, certain people, and just really trying to equate that with positivity? And just— it's just— it was too much. So I think that being gentle with yourself and being intentional around what your life looks like physically but also emotionally is really, really important. And you'll find that, like, if you just, like, take a away one increment of that, your life will be— it would just, it would just transform. And so imagine taking away that at 100,000 people on social or to 20,000 people. So it's, it's, it's a learning process, but this, this whole middle age thing, um, is really an opportunity to just shift the paradigm and figure out what do you want your life on Earth to truly look like.

So well said. I think those are very wise words. And I think, yeah, women tend to be really hard on themselves a lot of the time, and social media certainly doesn't help the case. So I think that, you know, you, you had a really great experiment of taking those apps off your phone and distancing yourself a little bit from it. And what do they say, right? We're the sum of the 5 closest people that we spend time with. So I do think it is important to choose, you know, who you surround yourself wisely. And hopefully they're people that uplift you and that you can uplift as well. Um, so with that, Irena, um, I wanted you to share with everybody, um, where they can find you. Um, where can they learn more about your work and you as well?

Sure. They can find me. I'm really excited about Listen to Her being live. So listen2her.io is where they can find the website. I would love to hear feedback from them. They can also find me on LinkedIn, Irena Ferguson. Um, you can put it in the URL and And it's actually forward slash Irena Ferguson. Once you put in LinkedIn.com. And yeah, I really would love to connect to people on LinkedIn. That would be wonderful. Definitely through Listen to Her, and they can email me at Irena.listen to her. I mean, Irena at listen to her.co, actually. And so, but the io is for the new, the new website. So I'm thrilled to connect with them. And if they Google me, they'll be able to find my LinkedIn immediately. If they don't put in the URL. But I'm excited for what PassionFit is doing, and just thank you around the wellness piece is so important. I felt like a lot of my TEDx's were like— a lot of my TEDx speakers were a little bit ahead of their time in the fact that it seemed like it made sense with their topics, but people weren't really ready at the time for that. So I think your res— your talk resonates even more now and what society needs. And so just keep sharing it. Thank you for what you've built and how you're going to change corporate entities with your message and your programming.

Oh, thank you so much for your very kind words, Reena. That means so much. And I can't thank you enough for joining me today on the podcast. It was such an honor to have you. You are also changing lives and making a huge impact, and I'm so excited for all of it and for us to continue to collaborate together professionally and personally as well. So thank you so much. And thanks to everybody for joining us today. Um, feel free to subscribe, rate, and review. Tell your family and friends, and I will be back with another episode of Your Power Move by PassionFit very soon. Thanks so much and take care.