The Women Positive podcast features the stories of transformation and of the women who share their solutions to life challenges they have overcome. From personal health, to relationships, limiting beliefs, and systemic discrimination, their stories are personal and sometimes raw but always real.
A Girl With A Typewriter: From Technical Writing To Historical Fiction
Alina Rubin is an author who spent over 20 years working in IT before turning to writing historical fiction. Having overcome setbacks as a child, including the need to learn English at age 11, and the culture of her new country - the United States, then the loss of her mother at the age of 14, Alina developed the determination that helped her not only in school, and in her work but also the process of learning to write her novels. She describes the process of learning to be an author and is now writing her second and third books.
Show Notes:
00:00: 29: Intro and Background including her day job and
00:01:43: Her books: A Girl With A Knife, Abigail and
00:03:11: Her early experience in writing her manuscript, and issues with her original concept uncovered by beta readers and back to historical research
00:04:50: From crushed (with disappointment) after the rejection by readers and an editor to her realization that she needed to go back earlier in the story.
00:05:36: Inspiration to write again, her routine while working a full time job, her sources and research behind the scenes to determine how a woman could become a doctor when women were not allowed in school or practice.
00:09:02: Developing her characters
00:10:27: Why Alina went into writing (from technical to historical fiction).
00:13:19: How she captures inspiration and how she learned her craft - learning and resources, after the initial rejection
00:16:53: An uplifting community and collaboration; authors as entrepreneurs and their scope of work. A huge amount of learning.
00:19:51: Marketing yourself as an author
00:21:09: Dealing with childhood trauma through her characters and pushing herself to succeed
00:23:01: The experience of a young immigrant from Ukraine to the United States...learning English and the cultures of her new country in different situations.
00:25:10: Alina's ability and motivation to learn
00:26:51: Where she is with her new books and how to reach Alina Rubin.
Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VTLyRQ3W0_XPW4X_X--5OdOIl7Zqvh0s/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=110101208622284044878&rtpof=true&sd=true
15 Jul 2022
Episode 19: Patricia Dent: Winning My Battle With Cancer (x 2)
This episode is a personal one for me, touching on my experience with cancer (from the inconvenient timing that paused a new business) to the range of treatments and support I received to recover fully - I am going to list them below. Cancer is now rampant - with 1 in 2 people who can expect a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. In our household we are now 2 for 2.
I am so grateful for the care and support I've received during this journey and
Oncologist (RVH) Dr. Sara Rask
Naturopath: Dr. Becky Lee
Surgeons: Dr. K Maharajh, Dr. Renee Hanrahan
Radiation Oncology
Reiki: Savy Kalivoda
Holistic Nutrionist: Katherine Parent (Make Good Choices)
Here is the transcript: https://l.messenger.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fdocs.google.com%2Fdocument%2Fd%2F1aYi-CSTvEq8wTvwBpwcCeGB_geiiUAjP%2Fedit%3Fusp%3Dsharing%26ouid%3D107940180081982359173%26rtpof%3Dtrue%26sd%3Dtrue&h=AT3WOj7v8-87WfFHMjuZCfcugxDcQLCxKOZIxxahAiFWfpIhRYJXeCcRkdZMU6xRqAvf25e9cwdXd9RG-btVzBgjM_btcZ3yUBU8OANdY6uVZfqh4TMAt82yhYv4SAi6-M-8CQ
Show Notes:
00:54: welcome
1:15: A little business history – preceding my diagnosis
1:57: Finding a lump and my initial reaction on the way to dinner. Happy birthday to me
2:59: Going to the urgent care centre, the doctor’s reaction, and a very fast call from the hospital. Need to get previous mammogram (which was clear 3 years before)
4:02: Checking: mammogram, ultrasound (then there were two)
4:41: Biopsies: These look good for cancer
5:35 Now waiting for a referral to a surgeon, promise of referral from new family doctor
6:48 – First surgeon: 5 weeks till surgery can be booked. The appearance of a rash
7:30 – 3 days after the rash appears – second surgeon’s appointment – who says she can’t operate
7:54: Why can’t she operate? A second cancer diagnosed and oncology appointment booked for next day
8:22 – Why would I have chemo – why not time to research alternative treatments? Too late for treatment
9:33 How soon if I go ahead with chemo – 6 days (the rash covered the entire breast by then). First treatment booked and an oncology restriction
12:15 – Oncologist and Naturopath on the same page – adding a new procedure, chemo, surgery, radiation, reiki, meditation
13:25 Post surgery clear bill of health, agreeing to radiation and end of treatment July 4th. 2020 – no further oncology checks.
15:08 – 2 serious kinds of cancer – what made the difference in recovery
15:26 – Not to fear the unknown, check in with people, be strong mentally, refuse to be afraid. I take questions and raise money for Gilda’s Club who supports cancer patients.
18:44 – If you feel something is wrong – don’t wait; don’t accept limits
19:17 – It could have been different if I had waited; the university will look after you if you listen to the signs. Reach out and connect if you wish.
7 Jul 2022
Episode 18: Desirea Herrera: Succeeding in a Male Dominated Field (or two)
Desirea Herrera is an author who has worked in several different fields, from breaking in race horses to teaching, software training and IT (in software programming, in which she was self-taught). Throughout her life, including her experience as a single mom, going back to school, starting from scratch and all her career changes she has come up against male domination and on occasion misogynists who wanted to limit and control her experience. She has taught herself programming and taken responsibility for the changes she wanted to make. She is now mounting a creative project. She is a model for courageous women who has guidelines for navigating challenging work environments.
Here is the transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1L7LBzm6KO4fA3gNdvdSjhAsF1L8RaLo-/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=107940180081982359173&rtpof=true&sd=true
Finding Desirea: https://www.facebook.com/desirea.herrera, Writing under a pen name: https://hopeironsmith.com/
Show Notes:
.55: Welcome Desirea Herrera and her background from horses to IT
1:49 Growing up, a horse woman who wasn't allowed a horse. Studying animal science and racetrack experience: freelancing for $8 for each 20 minute ride. Becoming a single mother forced a change.
3:50: Why Desirea had to leave that business and go back to her parents to figure out what the heck she was going to do.
4:34: Male dominated environment - the need to show up and perform and imposter syndrome. On the racetrack It can be a life and death situation, if you aren't good enough. Trial by fire.
6:11: Figuring it out - why she picked IT? Transitioning from teaching kids to teaching software... being self taught
8:28: A life principle: if you want something, you are in charge of learning that it is your job, nobody's going to do it for you. So I just did it.
9:07: The gatekeepers trying to keep her back from parents to bosses
10:14: Underestimating abilities on the race course, “You can't ride that horse. That horse is too tough for you” and disdain from a misogynist “Monkeys, can do this job”. Standing up for herself, then being fired. Coming out on top - despite intimidation
14:49: Threats from a misogynist: fear of losing work can hold you hostage. The need to learn how to accommodate without giving a piece of your soul.
15:17: Sexual harassment forced her to quit.
16:00: Another male dominated experience - being let go... when the organization changed but a win nevertheless. (19:25)
17:57: Advice on navigating these organizations: when to battle, stand up when you need to, hold back when something could bite you in the behind and listen to what is going on around you (this caused her to find another job in a declining company.
21:53: It's not always what you know, sometimes it's who you know. So you become memorable, by being friendly, by inviting people into those little fringes of your life. Those things make people like you, they start to feel for you. And that can also build up some trust in you.
23:20: The importance of family
24:22: Working on a book, an urban fantasy.
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