Switching Gears (with Allyson Felix and Vanessa Williams)

If you’re a public figure (and even if you aren’t), it can be hard to try something new; some onlookers will always be quick to tell you to “stay in your lane.” Hillary’s experienced that, from working as a lawyer and advocate, to becoming First Lady, then running for office herself, serving as Senator and Secretary of State, and more recently writing a best-selling political thriller and becoming a podcast host!  

On today’s episode, Hillary talks to two women who have dared to step outside the box we put them in, by switching gears in their lives and in their careers. World champion track and field runner Allyson Felix did that when she became an advocate for Black maternal health and better protections for women athletes. And actor, singer, author, and advocate Vanessa Williams has done it over and over again, ever since she was throned, and then dethroned, as Miss America back in 1983. 

Bios:

Allyson Felix is the most decorated woman in Olympic track and field history. In 2018, after a life-threatening pregnancy, she became a vocal advocate on Black maternal health. In 2021, Felix launched Saysh, a lifestyle footwear company.

Vanessa Williams is a Grammy and Emmy Award winning and Tony Award nominated artist who’s released eight best-selling albums, appeared in dozens of films and TV shows, written two books, and released two clothing lines. She first emerged on the national stage in 1983, when she became the first Black woman to be crowned Miss America, but was then forced to resign after Penthouse magazine published risqué photos of her without her consent. In 2021, she helped found Black Theater United to push for greater equity, diversity and inclusion on Broadway. 

You can find a full transcript HERE.

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