Carry As You Climb

Widening the Doorway: Julie Chávez Rodriguez on Campaign Leadership, Mentorship, and People Power

Julie Chávez Rodriguez ran two presidential campaigns in a single cycle, and says she has no plans to write a book about either one. Host Nan Whaley sits down with Julie Chávez Rodriguez, former campaign manager for the 2024 Biden-Harris and Harris campaigns. The two reflect on leading through uncertainty, keeping teams grounded during rapid change, and why widening the doorway for future leaders matters just as much as winning elections. Julie also shares how her grandmother, labor organizer Helen Chávez, shaped her understanding of courage, service, and people-powered leadership. Their conversation covers: * What campaign leadership actually feels like behind the scenes * Guiding a presidential campaign through a rapid transition * Lessons from organizing during COVID-era campaigning * Why mentorship doesn’t have to look formal to matter * The role mayors play in protecting democracy and delivering results * The lasting influence of her family’s organizing legacy Resources Mentioned: * United Farm Workers [https://ufw.org/] * Equis Research [https://www.weareequis.us/] * Poderistas [https://poderistas.com/] * Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative [https://cityleadership.harvard.edu/] * Mayors for America [https://mayorsforamerica.us/] About Our Guest: Julie Chávez Rodriguez has spent her career at the center of American political life — from the Obama White House Office of Public Engagement, to head of Intergovernmental Affairs under President Biden, to campaign manager for the 2024 Biden-Harris and Harris campaigns. The granddaughter of farm worker movement leader Helen Chavez, she got her start at sixteen as a precinct captain and today leads at Mayors for America, an initiative supporting city leaders across the country. When she's not working, she can be found walking the beach near her California home — or making her grandmother's homemade salsa. About the Host: Nan Whaley is a longtime community leader and public servant. She's currently the CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio. She served as Mayor of Dayton, Ohio, from 2014 - 2022. Nan has also presided over the United Conference of Mayors. She's a feminist, daughter, aunt, sister, and friend. About the Show: Carry As You Climb focuses on elevating the voices of women in leadership from Ohio and across the United States. The podcast features guests who give special attention to not only busting through doors to lead but also hold the door open for more women behind them. In other words, they carry as they climb. We focus on leadership development and leadership lessons. Plus, we share personal experiences to inspire the inclusion of more diverse leaders in business, government and the nonprofit sector. Connect with Carry As You Climb Socials Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/nanwhaley/] | [https://www.instagram.com/nanwhaley/]Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/carryasyouclimbpod/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nanwhaley/]   Stay up to date with Nan's Substack: substack.com/@nanwhaley [https://substack.com/@nanwhaley] Join the Climb: Subscribe to Carry As You Climb wherever you listen to podcasts, and share this episode with a woman in your life who is climbing — and carrying others as she goes. Produced by: Collective Change Communications - Kelly Sakalas & Jeni Keeler Note: The opinions expressed by host Nan Whaley on this podcast are hers alone, and not that of any organization with which she is affiliated.

Beyond "Use Your Voice": Angel Beets on Leadership Presence, Executive Search, and What Women's Leadership Conversations Get Wrong

Not all women's leadership advice is created equal, and Angel Beets isn't afraid to say so. Nan Whaley talks with Angel Beets, CEO of Gilman Partners [https://www.gilmanpartners.com/], about leadership presence, executive search, mentorship, and the subtle ways women are evaluated differently at work.  Drawing from her experience rising from marketing director to CEO within the same organization, and now helping companies hire and develop executives, Angel offers a candid, practical look at what actually helps leaders grow beyond the usual “find your voice” advice.   Their conversation covers: * Why becoming CEO among former peers can be harder than leading as an outsider * The HBR leadership presence model: the spectrum from assertive to "attractive" (magnetic) behaviors, and why leaders who move fluidly between both are seen as having the highest presence * Why Angel initially pushed back on appearing on a women's leadership podcast * Research showing women are consistently rated lower on “potential “ than men * The hidden long-term career costs behind "opting out" of the workforce * What meaningful mentorship looks like, and how mentors learn from mentees, too Resources Mentioned: * Gilman Partners [https://www.gilmanpartners.com/] * Elevate Kentucky Leadership Program [https://www.leadershipky.org/programs/elevate-kentucky-1/about-elevate-kentucky-1/] * Northern Kentucky Chamber [https://www.nkychamber.com/] * HBR Leadership Presence Model [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NToNTG73JsQ&t=10s] * Research: “Potential” and the Gender Promotion Gap [https://insights.som.yale.edu/insights/women-arent-promoted-because-managers-underestimate-their-potential] * Jennifer Granholm's 2012 DNC Speech (YouTube) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3vb3KST3MY] * My Friends by Fredrik Backman [https://bookshop.org/p/books/my-friends-a-novel-fredrik-backman/7722f1d6dc24a4a6] * Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe [https://bookshop.org/p/books/margo-s-got-money-troubles-rufi-thorpe/20917237] * 1929 [https://bookshop.org/p/books/1929-inside-the-greatest-crash-in-wall-street-history-and-how-it-shattered-a-nation-andrew-ross-sorkin/923106f6e82cd81e?ean=9780593296967&next=t] by Andrew Ross Sorkin * The Devil in the White City [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-devil-in-the-white-city-murder-magic-and-madness-at-the-fair-that-changed-america-erik-larson/c5daab3a305249b8?ean=9780375725609&next=t] by Erik Larson * The Splendid and the Vile [https://bookshop.org/p/books/1929-inside-the-greatest-crash-in-wall-street-history-and-how-it-shattered-a-nation-andrew-ross-sorkin/923106f6e82cd81e?ean=9780593296967&next=t] by Erik Larson About Our Guest: Angel Beets is the CEO of Gilman Partners [https://www.gilmanpartners.com/], a Cincinnati-area executive search and leadership development firm. A former college public speaking instructor and committed Harvard Business Review reader, Angel brings data-informed, practical insight to developing the next generation of leaders. She lives in northern Kentucky and is the mother of two daughters. About the Host: Nan Whaley is a longtime community leader and public servant. She's currently the CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio. She served as Mayor of Dayton, Ohio, from 2014–2022. Nan has also presided over the United Conference of Mayors. She's a feminist, daughter, aunt, sister, and friend. About the Show: Carry As You Climb focuses on elevating the voices of women in leadership from Ohio and across the United States. The podcast features guests who give special attention to not only busting through doors to lead but also hold the door open for more women behind them. In other words, they carry as they climb. We focus on leadership development and leadership lessons. Plus, we share personal experiences to inspire the inclusion of more diverse leaders in business, government and the nonprofit sector. Join the Climb If this conversation moved you, share it with a friend, subscribe so that you never miss an episode, and rate and review Carry As You Climb wherever you listen to podcasts. Connect with Carry As You Climb Socials Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/nanwhaley/] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/carryasyouclimbpod/] | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@nanwhaley] | Twitter [https://x.com/nanwhaley] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nanwhaley/] Stay up to date with Nan's Substack: https://substack.com/@nanwhaley [https://substack.com/@nanwhaley] Produced by: Collective Change Communications - Kelly Sakalas & Jeni Keeler Note: The opinions expressed by host Nan Whaley on this podcast are hers alone, and not that of any organization with which she is affiliated.

Still Asking the Questions: Ellen Belcher on Local Journalism, Editorial Pages, and Accountability

What happens to a community when no one's left watching? Host Nan Whaley sits down with veteran Ohio journalist Ellen Belcher for a conversation about the collapse of local journalism, the shrinking role of editorial boards, and what communities lose when accountability reporting disappears. After more than three decades helping shape public conversation in Ohio, Belcher reflects on the changing media landscape, the decline of civic trust, and why local news still matters deeply to democracy. Together, she and Nan explore how editorial pages once pushed elected officials to answer hard questions, what’s changed in political coverage over time, and whether sustainable local journalism can still exist.  Their conversation also covers: * Memorable editorial board moments from decades covering Ohio politics, including the Strickland–Cremeans gun debate that produced Martin Gottlieb's now-famous "let's see how far this will go" line of questioning * Why The New York Times has become "a national treasure" and the still-unanswered question of how to make local journalism work * How losing local news erodes community identity, from Pittsburgh to Urbana to Dayton * Reflections on what journalism missed about Ohio's de-industrialization * Mentoring younger talent — and learning from the next generation in return Resources Mentioned: * Dayton Daily News [https://www.daytondailynews.com/] * The New York Times [https://www.nytimes.com/] * The Atlantic [https://www.theatlantic.com/] * Ohio Capital Journal [https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/] * Sinclair Community College [https://www.sinclair.edu/] * Paper Girl by Beth Macy [https://bookshop.org/p/books/paper-girl-a-memoir-of-home-and-family-in-a-fractured-america-beth-macy/c76ba4d877fa1c53?ean=9780593656730&next=t] * B2 Studios [https://www.b2studiosdayton.com/] About Our Guest: Ellen Belcher is an award-winning journalist who spent 33 years at the Dayton Daily News, most of them on the editorial page, where she became a fixture in Ohio political journalism. A graduate of Ohio State's journalism school, she began her career at the Akron Beacon Journal's Columbus bureau before joining the Dayton Daily News as one of three editorial writers, eventually serving as the paper's editorial page editor. After leaving the paper, Ellen co-founded https://www.b2studiosdayton.com/B2 Studios [https://www.b2studiosdayton.com/], where she partners with video producers to tell stories about communities, families, and issues that don't always make headlines. She continues to write, mentor, and pay close attention to the people and places that shape Ohio. About the Host: Nan Whaley is a longtime community leader and public servant. She’s currently the CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio. She served as Mayor of Dayton, Ohio from 2014 - 2022. Nan has also presided over the United Conference of Mayors. She’s a feminist, daughter, aunt, sister and friend.  About the Show: Carry As You Climb is focused on elevating the voices of women in leadership from Ohio and the rest of the United States. The podcast features guests who give special attention to not only busting through doors to lead but also hold the door open for more women behind them. In other words, they carry as they climb. We focus on leadership development and leadership lessons. Plus, we share personal experiences to inspire the inclusion of more diverse leaders in business, government and the nonprofit sector.  Connect with Carry As You Climb Socials Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/nanwhaley/] | [https://www.instagram.com/nanwhaley/]Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/carryasyouclimbpod/] | Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@nanwhaley] | Twitter [https://x.com/nanwhaley] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nanwhaley/] Stay up to date with Nan’s Substack: https://substack.com/@nanwhaley [https://substack.com/@nanwhaley] Join the Climb If this conversation moved you, share it with a friend, subscribe so that you never miss an episode, and rate and review Carry As You Climb wherever you listen to podcasts. Produced by: Collective Change Communications - Kelly Sakalas & Jeni Keeler Note: The opinions expressed by host Nan Whaley on this podcast are hers alone, and not that of any organization with which she is affiliated.

Building Power While Living Real Life: Ashley Bryant Bailey on Representation, Leadership, and the Ohio Statehouse

What does it look like to build power while also living a full, real life? In this episode, Nan sits down with newly appointed Ohio State Representative Ashley Bryant Bailey (District 26) for a candid conversation about what it really looks like to serve as a young Black Democratic woman in Ohio’s legislature.  Bailey shares how her early career at Procter & Gamble helped shape her leadership style, and how that foundation now shows up not only in her work as an elected official, but in her commitment to building something bigger: recruiting, supporting, and electing more Black women to lead. Talk about Carry As You Climb in action.  They also talk about the realities of the Ohio Statehouse today, from party-line politics to the microaggressions she navigates, and the personal side of leadership: balancing public service with raising children and caring for family. Their conversation covers:  * Returning home to lead in your own community * Building power and pipelines for Black women in leadership * Lessons from trailblazing women in politics * Balancing public service, motherhood, and caregiving * Why resilience defines Ohio’s future Resources Mentioned:  * Higher Heights [https://higherheightsleadershipfund.org/] * Ohio House Profile for Rep. Ashley Bryant Bailey [https://ohiohouse.gov/members/ashley-bryant-bailey] * Christie Kuhns (Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio) [https://www.ulgso.org/christie-kuhns] * Lisa Blunt Rochester [https://www.instagram.com/senlbr/?hl=en] About Our Guest: Ashley Bryant Bailey is the State Representative for Ohio’s 26th House District, serving the Cincinnati area. Prior to her appointment, she served as a senior advisor at Higher Heights for America, a national organization focused on building and electing Black women leaders.  She began her career at Procter & Gamble and spent more than a decade working in Chicago, New York, and Washington, DC before returning home to Ohio. She brings a national perspective to her work in public service and is committed to expanding opportunity, representation, and equity. About the Host: Nan Whaley is a longtime community leader and public servant. She’s currently the CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio. She served as Mayor of Dayton, Ohio from 2014 - 2022. Nan has also presided over the United Conference of Mayors. She’s a feminist, daughter, aunt, sister and friend.  About the Show: Carry As You Climb is focused on elevating the voices of women in leadership from Ohio and the rest of the United States. The podcast features guests who give special attention to not only busting through doors to lead but also hold the door open for more women behind them. In other words, they carry as they climb. We focus on leadership development and leadership lessons. Plus, we share personal experiences to inspire the inclusion of more diverse leaders in business, government and the nonprofit sector.  Connect with Carry As You Climb Socials Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/nanwhaley/] | [https://www.instagram.com/nanwhaley/]Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/carryasyouclimbpod/] | Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@nanwhaley] | Twitter [https://x.com/nanwhaley] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nanwhaley/] Stay up to date with Nan’s Substack: https://substack.com/@nanwhaley [https://substack.com/@nanwhaley] Join the Climb If this conversation moved you, share it with a friend, subscribe so that you never miss an episode, and rate and review Carry As You Climb wherever you listen to podcasts. Produced by: Collective Change Communications - Kelly Sakalas & Jeni Keeler Note: The opinions expressed by host Nan Whaley on this podcast are hers alone and do not reflect those of any organization with which she is affiliated.

Reporting Power: Mary Anne Sharkey on Journalism, Politics, and Telling the Truth

Mary Anne Sharkey spent her career asking tough questions…even when the answers came with consequences. Host Nan Whaley sits down with longtime Ohio political journalist Mary Anne Sharkey to reflect on a career spanning decades of reporting, leadership, and change in the media industry. A Dayton native and University of Dayton graduate, Sharkey began at the Dayton Journal Herald while still in college, covering courts and cops before becoming the paper’s sole Statehouse reporter, and eventually the first woman to serve as print bureau chief in Columbus. She later joined The Cleveland Plain Dealer, where she stepped into unexpected leadership as acting editorial page editor, helping guide a major opinion team through consequential political moments. In this candid conversation, Sharkey shares what it was like to learn journalism on the job, navigate male-dominated spaces, and report high-stakes political stories, including the challenges and consequences of holding power to account.  Their conversation covers:  * Building a journalism career from the ground up * The evolution - and erosion - of traditional newsroom culture * Breaking barriers as a woman in the Statehouse press corps * Leadership inside a major editorial board * Reporting on Gov. Dick Celeste’s presidential ambitions, and how one press conference denial became the hook for a high-risk story that brought legal pressure and political fallout * Navigating pressure, access, and accountability in political journalism * The importance of saying “yes” and mentoring the next generation Resources Mentioned: * Dayton Journal (historical reference) [https://www.newspapers.com/paper/the-journal-herald/7804/] * The Cleveland Plain Dealer [https://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17656011502&gbraid=0AAAAABTTTPO-JWxSuzL8agXyT52T25TPK&gclid=CjwKCAjwhqfPBhBWEiwAZo196ipkMuLZU2GPjO7ZjKfECKaSP0fYmUM5bmjmA0ZeG6xjKbm6DrgjwxoChMQQAvD_BwE] * Ohio Statehouse Press Corps [http://www.olca.info/] About Our Guest: Mary Anne Sharkey is a veteran Ohio political journalist with a career spanning reporting and editorial leadership. She began her career at the Dayton Journal Herald, rising from courts and cops reporter to Statehouse bureau chief, one of the first women to lead in that space.  She later held key roles at The Cleveland Plain Dealer, including acting editorial page director, where she helped shape political opinion coverage in one of Ohio’s largest media markets. She is widely respected for her commitment to accountability journalism and mentorship.  About the Host: Nan Whaley is a longtime community leader and public servant. She’s currently the CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio. She served as Mayor of Dayton, Ohio, from 2014 - 2022. Nan has also presided over the United Conference of Mayors. She’s a feminist, daughter, aunt, sister, and friend.  About the Show: Carry As You Climb focuses on elevating the voices of women in leadership from Ohio and across the United States. The podcast features guests who give special attention to not only busting through doors to lead but also hold the door open for more women behind them. In other words, they carry as they climb. We focus on leadership development and leadership lessons. Plus, we share personal experiences to inspire the inclusion of more diverse leaders in business, government and the nonprofit sector.  Stay up to date with Nan’s Substack: https://substack.com/@nanwhaley [https://substack.com/@nanwhaley] Connect with Carry As You Climb Socials Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nanwhaley/ [https://www.instagram.com/nanwhaley/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carryasyouclimbpod/ [https://www.facebook.com/carryasyouclimbpod/] Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nanwhaley [https://www.tiktok.com/@nanwhaley] Twitter: https://x.com/nanwhaley [https://x.com/nanwhaley] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nanwhaley/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nanwhaley/]  Join the Climb If this conversation moved you, share it with a friend, subscribe so that you never miss an episode, and rate and review Carry As You Climb wherever you listen to podcasts. Produced by: Collective Change Communications - Kelly Sakalas & Jeni Keeler Note: The opinions expressed by host Nan Whaley on this podcast are hers alone and not those of any organization with which she is affiliated.