Carry As You Climb

Carry As You Climb is the podcast that will share stories of women leaders, how they got there, and who they brought up along the way. This podcast is devoted to talking to women leaders across Ohio and the nation. Episodes are hosted by Nan Whaley and will feature women leaders from different sectors – from politics to non-profits to business.

Carry As You Climb is a news podcast hosted by Nan Whaley, with 44 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Nan Whaley hosts Carry As You Climb, a news show with 44 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Carry As You Climb

  Making Real Progress: Roxanne Qualls on Compromise, Mentorship, and Redefining Leadership

  Aug 18, 202631 min

  Can you step into power without losing the values that got you there? When Roxanne Qualls was elected as Mayor of Cincinnati, she had already spent years as an activist pushing institutions to change. Elected office required something different: not abandoning those convictions, but learning how to turn them into progress. In this episode of Carry As You Climb, Roxanne joins Nan Whaley to talk about the shift from advocate to decision-maker, the unexpected moments that taught her what public leadership really demands, and the women who showed her how to lead…and bring others along. Her lesson: effective leadership isn’t about winning every argument. It’s about knowing when your voice, your relationships, and even compromise can move people toward meaningful change. Conversation Highlights: Progress requires more than being right: Roxanne explains why compromise can be a tool for change rather than a betrayal of principle. The office is bigger than the person: a brief encounter with an airport worker permanently changed how she understood the responsibility of being mayor. Mentorship can shape a leadership legacy: what longtime Cincinnati leader Bobbie Sterne taught Roxanne…often simply by letting her watch how leadership was done. Carrying as you climb means staying invested: why Roxanne continues mentoring former staffers and emerging leaders long after leaving City Hall. Resources Mentioned: Dorothy Dolbey — Cincinnati's first female mayor Bobbie Sterne — longtime Cincinnati City Council member, former mayor, and an influential mentor to Roxanne Nicola's Ristorante — one of Roxanne’s favorite Cincinnati restaurants. About Our Guest: Roxanne Qualls is a former three-term Mayor of Cincinnati and longtime Cincinnati City Council member who also served as Vice Mayor. During her time in office, she helped lead the redevelopment of Cincinnati’s central riverfront and championed neighborhood investment, public safety, homeownership, and more accessible government. She later earned a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University, where she also held fellowships through the Institute of Politics, Graduate School of Design, and Kennedy School. She currently serves as an Executive Sales Vice President with Sibcy Cline Realtors. 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 holding 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 Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Twitter | LinkedIn Stay up to date with Nan's Substack: substack.com/@nanwhaley Join the Climb: If this conversation moved you, share it with someone who needs to hear it, subscribe to Carry As You Climb, and leave a rating or review wherever you listen. 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 represent any organization with which she is affiliated.

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  Carry As You Climb

  The Person She Was Waiting For: Abbey Clements on Turning Survival Into a Movement

  Aug 11, 202640 min

  What happens when the organization you need does not exist…and you realize you may have to build it yourself? This week on Carry As You Climb, Nan Whaley sits down with Abbey Clements, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence. After surviving the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting with her second-grade students, Abbey spent years searching for her place in the gun violence prevention movement. Eventually, she stopped waiting for someone else to build an educator-led organization…and built one herself. Nan and Abbey talk about grief, purpose, learning to lead without a roadmap, and what it takes to turn lived experience into sustained action. Their conversation covers: The house party she nearly skipped, and how walking through the door helped her find her community and a path forward. Why she stopped waiting for someone else to organize educators, and launched Teachers Unify What she has learned about leading adults, staying focused, and avoiding mission creep Why educators, including retired teachers, can be powerful voices for gun violence prevention Resources Mentioned: Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence — educators can get involved through the "Join Us" tab, and community meetings are held on Zoom the last Wednesday of every month Moms Demand Action Everytown Survivor Network Sandy Hook Promise Newtown Action Alliance Guns Down America — founded by Igor Volsky, who advised Abbey on launching Teachers Unify Congresswoman Jahana Hayes — 2016 National Teacher of the Year and Abbey's own representative, whose keynote at the Connecticut Teacher of the Year symposium Abbey references About Our Guest: Abbey Clements, MSEd, is Executive Director and Co-Founder of Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence and a former elementary school teacher for 32 years. She previously served as a strategic consultant on gun violence issues for the American Federation of Teachers and is a member of the National Advisory Council for ENOUGH! Plays to End Gun Violence. 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 Connect with Carry As You Climb Socials Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Twitter | LinkedIn 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.

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  Carry As You Climb

  Know Your Why: Rep. Desiree Tims on Driving Hard to Empower People and Save Democracy

  Jun 11, 202641 min

  Know your why. Then let it carry you through the rooms that were never built with you in mind. Nan Whaley sits down with Ohio State Representative Desiree Tims at Nan’s dining room table in Dayton for a conversation about purpose, public service, and what it means to keep showing up when democracy itself feels fragile. Desiree traces her path from West Dayton public schools to Xavier University, where she realized that some of her better-resourced classmates had been prepared in ways she had not been. Rather than letting that gap define her, she turned it into fuel, eventually interning in the Obama White House, earning her law degree from Georgetown at night, running for Congress, and now serving in the Ohio House. This conversation is honest about what public service asks of people, the loneliness, the frustration, the heartbreak of watching rights regress, and the exhaustion of working inside systems that were not built to move quickly or fairly. But it is also a conversation about hope, especially the hope that Desiree finds in young people who are paying attention, speaking up, and refusing to look away. Their conversation covers: The leap of faith that took Desiree from a stable job to an unpaid White House internship What it means to legislate inside a supermajority, where even good bills stall without bipartisan support Why redistricting reform matters, and how Desiree keeps showing up in a political moment she describes as both “depressing” and “purposeful” How to reach the next generation, from TikTok to YelloPain to the young people filling Statehouse hearing rooms Resources Mentioned: Tims for Ohio (Desiree's campaign website) Desiree Tims on TikTok Michele Jawando Sherrod Brown for U.S. Senate EMILY's List Becoming by Michelle Obama IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson podcast Yello Pain on Instagram About Our Guest: Desiree Tims represents Ohio House District 38, which includes Dayton and Trotwood, and serves as House Assistant Minority Whip. A Dayton native and Dunbar High School graduate, she earned her degree from Xavier University and her law degree from Georgetown before a career that took her from the Obama White House to the Capitol Hill offices of Senators Sherrod Brown and Kirsten Gillibrand. She lectures at The Ohio State University, is a proud member of the BeyHive, and counts Yellow Springs, Ohio, as her happy place. 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 | Facebook | LinkedIn Stay up to date with Nan's Substack: 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 those of any organization with which she is affiliated.

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  Carry As You Climb

  A World Without Racism: Betsy Hodges on Equity, Action, and the Myth of Knowing Enough

  Jun 4, 202639 min

  Stop waiting for the perfect words, the perfect training, or the perfect moment. Betsy Hodges says the work starts where you are. Nan Whaley sits down with her longtime friend Betsy Hodges, former Mayor of Minneapolis, writer, and one of the country's most candid voices on racial equity, for a conversation about race, responsibility, and what it means to keep choosing action over avoidance. Betsy makes the case that the goal is not to become a perfect ally or wait until we “know enough.” It is to reclaim our own capacity to think clearly, act from where we are, and understand that a world without racism is not just better for people of color - it is healthier, freer, and more human for white people too. Their conversation covers: The "we don't know enough" trap and why waiting for one more book, training, or answer can become a way to avoid action. Allyship as a tool, not the goal How racism harms white people too, and why a world without racism is not a zero-sum vision What it looks like to start where you are, from everyday public moments to naming a microaggression in real time How to move through shame without letting it become the center of the story The kind of mentorship that strengthens your own thinking, and why Betsy keeps the door open for people she has mentored, even years later Resources Mentioned: Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music at Monmouth University Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley, founded by John A. Powell Learning to Be White by Thandeka The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo Nice Racism by Robin DiAngelo Chain of Ideas by Ibram X. Kendi Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir Titanium Noir by Nick Harkaway The Shamshine Blind by Paz Pardo The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch Silent Sky by Lauren Gunderson — the play about Betsy's relative, astronomer Henrietta Swan Leavitt Henrietta Swan Leavitt's "Overlooked" obituary in The New York Times About Our Guest: Betsy Hodges is a student of whiteness, a recovering alcoholic, and an advisor who helps clients navigate whiteness and resistance in racial equity work. As the 47th Mayor of Minneapolis — and a City Council Member before that — she spent 12 years putting her understanding of race, white people, and policy change into practice, including bringing 21st-century policing to the city and leading the way on a citywide sick leave ordinance. With a background spanning government, nonprofits, and the private sector, fellowships with the Atlantic Fellowship for Racial Equity and the Othering & Belonging Institute, and a master's in sociology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, she now builds frameworks to bring white people more fully into the work of ending racism. She has more than thirty years of sobriety, and the recovery work behind it sharpened the compassion she brings to all of it. Learn more at betsyhodges.com . 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. 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 | Facebook | LinkedIn Stay up to date with Nan's Substack: 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.

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  Carry As You Climb

  Ragers vs. Problem-Solvers: Randi Weingarten on Labor, Leadership, and Fighting for a Better Life

  May 28, 202630 min

  Once called “the most dangerous person in the world.” Randi Weingarten says she'd rather be known as both a fighter and a problem-solver. Host Nan Whaley sits down with Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, for a conversation about labor, leadership, and the challenges facing working people today. From her experience working in a GM rubber plant during the oil crisis to her role leading one of the nation’s largest unions, Weingarten reflects on how economic upheaval shaped her understanding of what communities need to thrive. She argues that while some politicians fuel division and outrage, real leaders focus on solving problems and improving people’s lives. Along the way, she shares lessons on being a "first," the ingredients of successful campaigns, and why Eleanor Roosevelt still has so much to teach us about agency, stature, and showing up. Their conversation covers: How a layoff at a GM rubber plant in Warren, Ohio, shaped her lifelong commitment to working people. Why problem-solvers - not ragers - are the leaders communities need most right now. What it means to be both a fighter and a problem-solver in public life. Lessons from becoming the first openly gay leader of a major national labor union. What American organizers can learn from Hungary’s opposition movement. The three ingredients of every winning campaign - and why Amy Acton’s run for Ohio governor reflects them. Resources Mentioned: American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations Dr. Amy Acton for Governor of Ohio About Our Guest: Randi Weingarten is the president of the American Federation of Teachers, an AFL-CIO affiliate that represents educators, school staff, higher-education faculty, nurses, healthcare workers, and public employees across the country. A graduate of Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations and a former lawyer and Brooklyn social studies teacher, she became the first openly gay person to lead a major national American labor union — and has spent decades organizing, advocating in legislatures and courtrooms, and showing up on the ground for working people, including in Ohio for nearly fifty years. When she's not on the road, you'll find her walking her rescue dog, Gracie. 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 | Facebook | LinkedIn Stay up to date with Nan's Substack: 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 those of any organization with which she is affiliated.

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