Real Women's Work Podcast

We talk all day long. At work. At home. With friends, colleagues, strangers. But how often are we actually communicating? In this episode, I sit down with communication consultant Dee Dee Fisher to explore a powerful (and slightly uncomfortable) idea: many of our conversations aren't actually exchanging information at all. We're reacting. We're making assumptions. We're talking—but not connecting. Dee Dee shares the moment she first recognized this pattern as a teenager working in her family's gas station—and how that early insight turned into the work she does today helping individuals and organizations communicate more clearly, effectively, and with far less conflict. We talk about what gets in the way of real communication, how to "function past the reaction" in difficult moments, and why changing just one thing in how you show up can completely shift the outcome of a conversation. This is a conversation about being more intentional with your words, your reactions, and your assumptions—and what becomes possible when you are. In this episode, we cover: Why many conversations don't actually go anywhere The difference between reacting and communicating How to "function past the reaction" in difficult conversations A simple framework (who, what, when, where, why, how) to improve clarity The role of assumptions—and how they derail communication Why you don't have to change the other person to change the conversation A powerful story about stopping bullying by shifting internal response How better communication impacts work, relationships, and self-talk A simple takeaway to try: The next time you feel yourself reacting in a conversation, pause and ask: "What is actually trying to be communicated here?" That one question can change everything. Find DeeDee on LinkedIn by clicking here and her website here. If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who would benefit—and as always, thank you for listening to Real Women's Work.

What do you say to someone who's grieving? Most of us don't know. So we send flowers. We drop off food. And then… we disappear. Today's guest, Kelly Edmondson, is here to change that. Kelly is a nurse executive, grief counselor, and founder of Timely Presence—a service created after the death of her son, Darius. Through her own experience of profound loss, she's learned something most of us never have: Grief doesn't need fixing. It needs presence. In this conversation, Kelly shares what people got right—and wrong—after her son passed, and gives us practical, deeply human ways to show up for the people we love when they need it most. This episode will change how you think about grief, support, and connection. What You'll Learn Why "What can I do?" is often the wrong question What actually helps someone in grief (and when it matters most) How to support someone weeks and months after a loss Why saying the person's name matters The real impact of not showing up How grief connects to long-term health (yes, really) Powerful Moments from This Episode "Your absence… is louder than anything you could say." "There's not a day I don't know my son is dead." "Don't ask what you can do. Name the thing." "Tears are love." About Kelly Edmondson Kelly is a nurse executive, grief counselor, and founder of Timely Presence, a service designed to help people show up consistently for loved ones during the first year of grief through meaningful, timed gifts and reminders. Her work is rooted in both clinical experience and personal loss—and a mission to make sure no one grieves alone. Resources & Links Timely Presence: https://thetimelypresence.com Follow Kelly on Instagram: @thetimelypresence Connect on LinkedIn: Kelly Edmondson If this episode made you think of someone— text them. Call them. Say their person's name. That's the work.

This episode is part of Podcasthon, a global podcasting event spotlighting meaningful causes and stories that matter. What happens when fear becomes belief—and belief becomes certainty? In this episode, I speak with Kathryn Rutkowski, president of the Rebecca Nurse Homestead, about one of the most devastating stories from the Salem witch trials. Rebecca Nurse was a 71-year-old woman, deeply respected in her community, who was accused, tried, and executed for a crime she did not commit. But this conversation doesn't stay in 1692. As we explore Rebecca's story—her arrest, her quiet certainty in her innocence, and the people who risked everything to stand by her—we begin to uncover something deeper: how ordinary people become capable of extraordinary harm. We talk about fear, belief, moral panic, forgiveness, and what it means to remember history as something real—not distant, not abstract, but human. Because the question isn't just what happened in Salem. It's whether we are any different. In this episode, we explore: Who Rebecca Nurse was—and why her story stands out The role of fear, belief, and community in the Salem witch trials Why people truly believed what was happening What it meant to stand up for the accused—and the risks involved The power of remembering one person, not just an event How history becomes distorted—and how to reclaim its truth Ann Putnam Jr.'s apology and the complexity of forgiveness Why "we're no better than the Puritans" might be true About Kathryn Rutkowski Kathryn Rutkowski is the president of the Rebecca Nurse Homestead in Danvers, Massachusetts. She began working there at 14 years old and has spent decades preserving and sharing the story of Rebecca Nurse with care, depth, and reverence. Final Thought "The further away history gets, the less connected people feel to the tragedy of it."

What if talking about death actually helped us live better? In this episode of Real Women's Work, Jen Keefe sits down with Laura Cleminson, a death doula and founder of the Pre-Dead Social Club, where people gather to talk openly about mortality, dying, and what matters most in life. Laura's work began after walking alongside her mother through the dying process. That experience opened her eyes to something many of us never learn: we often face death without the language, awareness, or confidence to navigate it. Instead of avoiding these conversations, Laura helps people explore them together—because, as she says in this episode: "Every conversation about dying is really a conversation about living." In this thoughtful and surprisingly hopeful conversation, Jen and Laura explore how becoming more aware of mortality can bring clarity, connection, and compassion into our everyday lives. In This Episode Why Laura believes there is no expert on death How her mother's diagnosis changed the course of her life What a death doula actually does The story behind the Pre-Dead Social Club Why talking about dying helps people understand how they want to live The importance of asking medical providers "What happens if I do nothing?" How community conversations about mortality are helping people support loved ones through end-of-life experiences A Few Powerful Ideas From This Conversation "Every conversation about dying is really a conversation about living." "There is no expert on death." "If we talk about dying before we need to, we show up differently when it matters." About Laura Cleminson Laura Cleminson is an end-of-life doula and the founder of the Pre-Dead Social Club, a growing community where people gather to have open conversations about mortality, dying, and living with greater awareness. Through community events, conversations, and education, Laura helps people develop what she calls death awareness—the ability to approach mortality with curiosity, clarity, and compassion. Connect With Laura Website: https://www.predeadsocialclub.com Instagram: PreDeadSocialClub About Real Women's Work Real Women's Work explores the lives, lessons, and perspectives of women doing meaningful work in the world—often work we rarely hear about. Through honest conversations, host Jen Keefe highlights the many ways women contribute, lead, and shape the world around them. Subscribe & Share If you enjoyed this conversation, please follow Real Women's Work and share the episode with someone who might find it meaningful.

Some people find their calling in the most unexpected places. And for Brenda Sullivan, that calling happened… in the cemetery. In this two-part conversation, I'm joined by the fascinating, funny, wildly knowledgeable founder of The Gravestone Girls — cemetery artists and historians who are helping people all over the country reconnect with history, symbolism, mortality, and the stories literally carved into stone. I first discovered Brenda's work a couple of years ago when my daughter and I attended one of her talks at a library here in New Hampshire. I honestly didn't know what to expect — I assumed it might be spooky or "oddity-adjacent." But within minutes of listening to her, my entire world expanded. What Brenda does is deeply fact-based, richly historical, and surprisingly emotional. She teaches us that cemeteries are not just places of death — they are places of culture, meaning, artistry, community, and connection. In Part One (Episode 69) Brenda shares her incredible story of leaving behind a high-powered corporate career — what she calls a "soul-sucking day job" — to fully step into the work she truly loved. She talks about: • Being a "corporate dropout" and finally changing her seat • How a hobby turned into a thriving business and national following • Why the cemetery world is much bigger and more mainstream than people assume • The surprising hunger people have to be "invited in" to these spaces • How gravestones tell us not only who died — but how people lived We also explore the powerful idea that the more specific you get about what you love, the bigger your world becomes. In Part Two (Episode 70) Our conversation deepens into the history and symbolism of early New England burial grounds. Brenda walks us through: • The earliest burial practices in the 1600s • Why colonial gravestones were meant as messages to the living • Winged skulls, hourglasses, soul symbols, and the "scared straight" visual language of death • How modern medicine has changed our relationship with mortality • Why Victorians picnicked in cemeteries — and what we've lost in our disconnection from death This is one of those conversations that makes you look at something familiar — a graveyard, a headstone, a symbol you've passed a hundred times — and suddenly see an entire world underneath it. Brenda is passionate, hilarious, deeply thoughtful, and proof that following what fascinates you can open doors you never imagined. This episode is split into two parts at around the 42-minute mark — so make sure to listen to both. I cannot wait for you to step into this world with us. Find Brenda and her work by clicking here.