How Speaking Up Creates Change

In this episode of Heart + Head Work, we explore what it means to advocate — not just in big public moments, but in the quieter, everyday ways we use our voice to influence change.

Rocky Donati and Tessa Arneson sit down with business leader and advocate Natalie Caddis and communications strategist Jenna Smith for a conversation about leadership, storytelling, and the surprising ways small moments of courage can ripple outward.

Through personal stories and lived experience, Natalie shares what it was like to step into leadership of her family’s manufacturing company during a time of uncertainty — navigating real financial pressure while learning how resilience, creativity, and persistence can reshape what’s possible. Jenna brings a communications lens to the conversation, offering insight into how stories, relationships, and follow-up can open unexpected doors — even leading to moments that feel almost impossible.

Together, this episode explores the ways advocacy shows up in business, leadership, and daily life. From navigating crises to pitching ideas, connecting with media, and building relationships that matter, the conversation reveals how influence is often built through consistency, curiosity, and the willingness to keep showing up.

Rather than presenting advocacy as something reserved for activists or public figures, this episode reframes it as a practice — something we can all cultivate in our work, communities, and relationships.

Together, we unpack:
- What advocacy really looks like in everyday leadership
- How storytelling can shape influence and open unexpected opportunities
- The role of persistence and follow-up in building meaningful connections
- Why relationships often matter more than credentials or authority
- How moments of pressure can reveal the leaders we’re becoming
- The small actions that can create surprising ripple effects

This episode is an invitation to reflect on the ways your own voice — and your willingness to use it — might shape the conversations, opportunities, and communities around you.

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✨ And if this episode moved you, sharing it with a friend helps more women find us.

More at → mavenslc.com