Lyt til Firestarters with Shannon Watts

"If we can inherit the trauma from our ancestors, then that means we can also inherit their wisdom, their goodness, their fortitude, their strength." Daria Burke would have had a very different life if she’d chosen to accept what seemed like her fate, but she knew innately that the addiction her parents struggled with and the neglect she endured didn’t have to shape her future, too. In Daria's new book, Of My Own Making [https://www.dariaburke.com/of-my-own-making], she writes about the incredible path she carved for herself, from a life of poverty to a career in the C-suite. Daria and I discuss how she overcame her difficult childhood, the importance of therapy when working through trauma, and how she eventually learned to prioritize personal alignment over career ambition. Daria is a no-nonsense narrator, a wise teacher, and a beloved coach who shows us the stories we’ve told ourselves don’t actually have to define our lives. Daria is a firestarter. To read more inspiring stories from Firestarters like Daria, preorder my book “Fired Up: How to Turn Your Spark Into a Flame and Come Alive at Any Age” at firedupbook.com [http://firedupbook.com/]. My new book Fired Up: How to Turn Your Spark Into a Flame and Come Alive at Any Age, is available for preorder! Out in June 2025, Fired Up will give you the formula for finding your unique spark and show you how to use it to start fires in your life. By preordering [https://www.firedupbook.com/], you can enroll for FREE in Firestarter University, a year-long online program that includes live monthly workshops, workbooks and resources, accountability check-ins, and a community to help you succeed. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shannonwatts.substack.com/subscribe [https://shannonwatts.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

"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 circumstances change. I actually don't think we change at all. We just evolve." Mallory Weggemann was just 18 years old when a series of routine epidural injections for back pain left her with no movement from the waist down. Now, 17 years later, Mallory is a gold medal paralympian; an author, filmmaker and motivational speaker; and a fierce advocate for the disability community. In 2021, Mallory released her memoir LIMITLESS [https://bookshop.org/p/books/limitless-the-power-of-hope-and-resilience-to-overcome-circumstance-mallory-weggemann/15228919?ean=9781400223497&next=t] to share her journey and to empower others to overcome life's obstacles. And last year, Mallory and her husband released Watershed [https://www.watershedfilm.com/], a powerful documentary about her life story, including the couple's struggles with infertility. On top of that, Mallory brought home gold and silver medals from the Paralympic Games in Paris, making her a seven time medalist.During this conversation, Mallory and I discuss how she fell in love with the sport of swimming, what helped her navigate the trauma of becoming paralyzed, and the kinds of conversations she hopes to spark about disability in the world. Mallory’s drive and determination to achieve the seemingly impossible, her advocacy on behalf of others, and her refusal to give up even when things seem insurmountable make Mallory Weggemann a Firestarter. To read more inspiring stories from Firestarters like Mallory, preorder my book “Fired Up: How to Turn Your Spark Into a Flame and Come Alive at Any Age” at firedupbook.com [http://firedupbook.com/]. My new book Fired Up: How to Turn Your Spark Into a Flame and Come Alive at Any Age, is available for preorder! Out in June 2025, Fired Up will give you the formula for finding your unique spark and show you how to use it to start fires in your life. By preordering [https://www.firedupbook.com/], you can enroll for FREE in Firestarter University, a year-long online program that includes live monthly workshops, workbooks and resources, accountability check-ins, and a community to help you succeed. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shannonwatts.substack.com/subscribe [https://shannonwatts.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Check out my Substack Live conversation with Zerlina [https://substack.com/profile/2003445-zerlina] on how she knew it was time to make a big change in her life, the signs that lead her there (and continue to show up), and what’s next in her adventure (spoiler alert: she wants to stay in Italy forever). I interviewed Zerlina for my upcoming book, Fired Up: How to Turn Your Spark Into a Flame and Come Alive at Any Age [https://www.firedupbook.com/]. Pre-order now to read more about Zerlina’s journey and dozens of other women who have followed my formula for embracing their desires instead of fulfilling their obligations. After watching the replay, follow Zerlina on Substack at The Inner Work Dispatch [https://open.substack.com/pub/zerlinamaxwell]. My new book Fired Up: How to Turn Your Spark Into a Flame and Come Alive at Any Age, is available for preorder! Out in June 2025, Fired Up will give you the formula for finding your unique spark and show you how to use it to start fires in your life. By preordering [https://www.firedupbook.com/], you can enroll for FREE in Firestarter University, a year-long online program that includes live monthly workshops, workbooks and resources, accountability check-ins, and a community to help you succeed. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shannonwatts.substack.com/subscribe [https://shannonwatts.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

"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 voice can make a difference." In 2022, after 18 months of fertility treatment, Texan Amanda Zurawski and her husband learned she was pregnant. However, at 18 weeks, doctors told Amanda she had miscarried. And then, because of Texas's abortion ban, those same doctors denied Amanda the healthcare she urgently needed and she nearly died from septic shock. Amanda has since become an advocate for abortion and reproductive care, and was the lead plaintiff in Zurawski v. Texas, the first lawsuit brought by patients challenging a state on its abortion bans since the fall of Roe v. Wade. Her case is featured in a new documentary by the same name. Earlier this year, Amanda was named a TIME Woman of the Year [https://time.com/7216391/amanda-zurawski-texas-reproductive-rights/], a very deserved honor. As you listen to Amanda tell her story, you'll hear how brave and fierce she is, how her life has been turned upside down in all the right ways, and what's next on her journey from athlete to communications professional to an incredible advocate for women's rights. Amanda is the epitome of a Firestarter. To read more inspiring stories from Firestarters like Amanda, preorder my book “Fired Up: How to Turn Your Spark Into a Flame and Come Alive at Any Age” at firedupbook.com [http://firedupbook.com/]. My new book Fired Up: How to Turn Your Spark Into a Flame and Come Alive at Any Age, is available for preorder! Out in June 2025, Fired Up will give you the formula for finding your unique spark and show you how to use it to start fires in your life. By preordering [https://www.firedupbook.com/], you can enroll for FREE in Firestarter University, a year-long online program that includes live monthly workshops, workbooks and resources, accountability check-ins, and a community to help you succeed. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shannonwatts.substack.com/subscribe [https://shannonwatts.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Check out my Substack Live conversation with Katherine Goldstein [https://substack.com/profile/116834-katherine-goldstein], author of How to Find Your People: A Guide to the Transformative Power of Community about the importance of finding or creating community. After watching the replay above, make sure you’re following Katherine on Substack at The Double Shift [https://open.substack.com/pub/thedoubleshift]. My upcoming book, Fired Up: How to Turn Your Spark Into a Flame and Come Alive at Any Age, is now available for preorder! This book is my guide to figuring out what lights you up and will show you how to live on fire every day. Click here to preorder [http://firedupbook.com/] and get locked into some incredible bonuses. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shannonwatts.substack.com/subscribe [https://shannonwatts.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]