Women Changing The World

When it comes to AI, are you feeling like you're already “behind”? Worried about the trade-offs for the parts of being human that matter most to you?
In this episode of Women Changing the World, Lis Best talks with entrepreneur, AI educator, and keynote speaker Bree Whitehead about taking a radically human approach to artificial intelligence.
Bree shares her “Be Human” philosophy, which explores how we can use AI not to replace ourselves or optimize our way into burnout, but to create more space for curiosity, connection, creativity, rest, and becoming who we actually want to be. Bree believes AI can restore our humanity—if we let it.
Together, they explore AI’s potential to reduce the mental load, support personal growth, expand access to opportunity, and help us rethink what we value in a world where technology can increasingly handle production and optimization.
They also have an honest conversation about digital privacy, human discernment, the future of work, why generalists may thrive in an AI-powered world, and how to start experimenting with AI if you’re feeling called to explore.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, YouTube, or on your favorite podcast platform.
 
Episode Outline:
[00:07:15] How Bree went from AI tinkering to becoming an AI educator and why being a generalist may be a superpower in the AI era.
[00:13:27] Bree's “Be Human” philosophy and why human connection, curiosity, lived experience, and discernment may become more valuable as AI handles more output.
[00:15:09] Why women may be uniquely positioned to benefit from AI and how a personal life operating system could dramatically reduce the mental load and invisible work women carry.
[00:27:17] How Bree uses AI for personal growth and self-reflection, and the essential role of human discernment when AI reflects our patterns back to us.
[00:33:17] The uncomfortable truth about digital privacy: what we've already traded away through the internet, smartphones, and social media.
[00:38:20] How to avoid turning AI into another form of hustle culture, and instead use it to create more space for rest, play, curiosity, and a life that feels like your own.
[00:44:21] Feeling behind on AI? Bree's simple advice for getting started—and why recording your thoughts may be the most powerful first step.
Connect with Us:
Lis Best's website
Learn more about the Girls Club Collective
Connect with Girls Club Collective and Lis Best on LinkedIn
Join the next GCC Community Power Hour
Inquire about coaching with Lis
 
Our Guest Info:
Connect with Bree Whitehead on LinkedIn
Learn more about Bree Whitehead on her website
This episode was post-produced and edited by Yanina Mora. 
The intro and outro music was created and produced by Daniel Mark.
 
About Lis:
Lis Best is an executive coach for impact leaders, founder of the Girls Club Collective, and host of the Women Changing the World podcast.
Since launching her business in 2020, Lis has helped hundreds of leaders navigate ESG and sustainability careers, launch heart-centered businesses, and become more effective change agents.

What happens when you finally put something deeply personal and creatively ambitious out into the world, and then have to let go of control over what happens next? 
After months of preparing for my first TEDx talk, I found myself in the strange liminal space between “it’s done” and “the world hasn’t seen it yet.” And underneath the excitement is the very human mix of nerves, self-doubt, waiting, and the question of how much space I’m willing to take up.
In this reflective behind-the-scenes episode of the Women Changing the World podcast, I reflect on my TEDx journey, from discovering the opportunity and applying, to writing, rehearsing, giving the talk, and making peace with what I would have done differently. 
I explore what it means to step into authority, make work that feels like art, embrace relational intelligence and feminine leadership, and practice grace when real life inevitably shapes what we create. 
As I stand on my own threshold, I also share what’s coming next: a new manifesto and an intimate five-month experience designed to help other women step into your next chapter through embodied, relational leadership.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, YouTube, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Episode Outline:
[00:03:45] Why I wanted to capture my TEDx experience before the talk was released, and what it means to be witnessed at a much bigger scale.
[00:21:22] The central idea behind my TEDx talk: why the leadership that created the climate crisis is not the leadership that will solve it, and why relational intelligence matters.
[00:24:01] The reality of preparing for a TEDx talk, including rehearsal, memorization, self-doubt, and giving yourself grace when you’re doing ambitious work alongside real life.
[00:26:33] What I would do differently—including making more personal invitations—and my reminder to let people decide for themselves whether they want to show up for your big moments.
[00:34:02] What’s emerging on the other side of TEDx: my manifesto and The Threshold, a new intimate experience centered on embodied relational leadership, liminality, intuition, and creating the future we want to live into.
 
Connect with Us:
Lis Best's website
Learn more about the Girls Club Collective
Connect with Girls Club Collective and Lis Best on LinkedIn
Join the next GCC Community Power Hour
Inquire about coaching with Lis
 
Resources Mentioned:
Episode 22 with Gesche Haas
Lindsay MacMillan’s Speaker Gateway Program
Authority Letters with Ellen Donnelly
This episode was post-produced and edited by Yanina Mora. 
The intro and outro music was created and produced by Daniel Mark.
 
About Lis:
Lis Best is an executive coach for impact leaders, founder of the Girls Club Collective, and host of the Women Changing the World podcast.
 
Since launching her business in 2020, Lis has helped hundreds of leaders navigate ESG and sustainability careers, launch heart-centered businesses, and become more effective change agents.

Feeling overwhelmed by the magnitude of climate change and planetary crises?Wondering if your current efforts are actually making a difference, or if you're just spinning your wheels?
In this inspiring conversation, Lis Best chats with founder, psychologist, researcher, and strategist Renée Lertzman about transforming our approach to climate action and change-making. Renée shares her groundbreaking insights on how understanding human psychology, especially around topics like control, trauma, and belonging, can help us become more effective change agents, impact strategists and conveners by reimagining our roles as guides.
Together, they explore how to navigate the emotional landscape of environmental work with kindness, curiosity, and strategic compassion. 
Whether you're leading a team, engaging stakeholders, or building community, this episode will help you navigate the emotional landscape of systems change work with grace, curiosity, and compassion. 
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, YouTube, or on your favorite podcast platform.
 
Episode Outline:
[00:00] Introduction: Overcoming emotional barriers in climate impact work
[08:12] Debunking outdated assumptions about human motivation and engagement in environmental action
[15:22] The five guiding principles for effective change: Attune, Reveal, Convene, Equip, Sustain
[27:18] Why the how of convening is critical—trauma-informed approaches to creating safe, powerful spaces
[34:07] Understanding the role of control in impact work and practicing guiding instead of forcing
[40:03] Tips for discerning whether your motivation is control or collective hope
[41:58] The importance of staying in a state of expansion—neuroscience insights on resilience
[44:40] Becoming a guide: cultivating self-awareness and evoking connection, not control
[49:04] Renee’s upcoming book: So You Want to Change the World—a practical guide for change makers
[52:07] How to stay connected with Renee: Substack, LinkedIn, and website
[52:50] Closing remarks: Join community, stay inspired, and keep creating impact
 
Connect with Us:
Lis Best's website
Learn more about the Girls Club Collective
Connect with Girls Club Collective and Lis Best on LinkedIn
Join the next GCC Community Power Hour
Inquire about coaching with Lis
 
Reneé Lertzman Info:
Follow Renée Lertzman on LinkedIn
Subscribe to Renée’s Substack
Learn more about Project InsideOut 
Renée Lertzman’s website
 
This episode was post-produced and edited by Yanina Mora. 
The intro and outro music was created and produced by Daniel Mark.
 
About Lis:
Lis Best is an executive coach for impact leaders, founder of the Girls Club Collective, and host of the Women Changing the World podcast.
Since launching her business in 2020, Lis has helped hundreds of leaders navigate ESG and sustainability careers, launch heart-centered businesses, and become more effective change agents.

In our current “world between worlds,” many of us are searching for certainty. Is the real invitation learning how to lead through the unknown?
In this thoughtful conversation, Lis Best sits down with ritualist, cultural transformation facilitator, leadership coach, and We Are The Great Turning podcast host and creator Jess Serrante to explore liminality—the space between what was and what’s becoming.
Jess shares the teachings of her mentor, Joanna Macy, the philosophy behind The Work That Reconnects, and why this moment in history calls for a different kind of leadership rooted in integrity, belonging, and collective responsibility.
Together, they discuss how to navigate uncertainty, foster matriarchy, move beyond individualism, change systems, and lead with integrity during times of personal and societal transformation.
If you're experiencing a life transition, questioning old systems, or searching for hope in a rapidly changing world, this conversation offers nurturing words, wisdom, perspective, and practical ways to embrace possibility in the unknown.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, YouTube, or on your favorite podcast platform.
 
Episode Outline:
[05:30] Defining liminality and the transformational power of threshold moments
[09:26] The three stories shaping our current world
[11:20] Introducing The Great Turning and Joanna Macy’s legacy
[22:05] Jess’s journey from climate activist to coach and facilitator
[39:30] Leading through uncertainty, complexity, and change
[40:00] Reframing disruption and the possibility hidden inside uncertainty
[42:05] The myth of individualism and importance of belonging
[44:40] Moving beyond the hero’s journey toward collective leadership
[46:29] Finding hope in uncertainty and possibility
 
Connect with Us:
Lis Best's website
Learn more about the Girls Club Collective
Connect with Girls Club Collective and Lis Best on LinkedIn
Join the next GCC Community Power Hour
Inquire about coaching with Lis
 
Jess Serrante Info:
Follow Jess Serrante on Linkedin
Follow Jess Serrante on Substack
Jess Serrante’s website
Tune into We Are the Great Turning
This episode was post-produced and edited by Yanina Mora. 
The intro and outro music was created and produced by Daniel Mark.
 
About Lis:
Lis Best is an executive coach for impact leaders, founder of the Girls Club Collective, and host of the Women Changing the World podcast.
Since launching her business in 2020, Lis has helped hundreds of leaders navigate ESG and sustainability careers, launch heart-centered businesses, and become more effective change agents.

You can spend years building a “dream life”… and one day realize your soul is craving a new adventure. What happens when you leave behind the life you worked years to build and say yes to a completely different dream? 
In this inspiring episode of Women Changing the World Podcast, Lis Best sits down with adventurer, writer, sailor, and strategic communications consultant Stephanie Dolmat to explore what it means to radically trust yourself and say yes to a new dream. 
 
Stephanie shares the story of leaving corporate sustainability behind to sail across the Pacific Ocean, become the captain of her own sailboat, and build a life rooted in creativity, community, feminine leadership, and freedom. Together, they unpack fear, courage, asking for help, embracing uncertainty, and creativity as a compass and guide.
If you’ve been craving more adventure, alignment, or courage in your own life, this conversation is for you. 
 
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, YouTube, or on your favorite podcast platform.
 
Episode Outline:
[02:05] Why Stephanie left a career in corporate sustainability to pursue a more adventurous and creative life
[08:56] What it was really like sailing 4,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean to French Polynesia
[17:37] How to feel fear, face uncertainty, and still say yes to the life calling you forward
[19:38] Stephanie’s perspective on feminine leadership, community, and becoming the captain of her sailboat
[27:16] Why allowing opportunities to come to you can create an abundant and aligned business
[30:03] How to cultivate a creativity practice that feels expansive, joyful, and deeply human
[35:53] Stephanie’s favorite quotes on creativity, transformation, and self-expression
[38:16] What Stephanie is calling in next as she continues building a life of adventure
 
Connect with Us:
Lis Best's website
Learn more about the Girls Club Collective
Connect with Girls Club Collective and Lis Best on LinkedIn
Join the next GCC Community Power Hour
Inquire about coaching with Lis
 
Stephanie Dolmat Info:
Subscribe to the Sea Witch Diaries on Substack
Follow Stephanie on Linkedin
 
This episode was post-produced and edited by Yanina Mora. 
The intro and outro music was created and produced by Daniel Mark.
 
About Lis:
Lis Best is an executive coach for impact leaders, founder of the Girls Club Collective, and host of the Women Changing the World podcast.
Since launching her business in 2020, Lis has helped hundreds of leaders navigate ESG and sustainability careers, launch heart-centered businesses, and become more effective change agents.

What if the future isn’t about putting more women at the top of patriarchy — but imagining an entirely new system rooted in care, interdependence, restoration and collective well-being?
What would the future look like if our systems were designed around care instead of extraction? 
In this expansive and thought-provoking conversation, Lis Best sits down with Radical Futures founder and creative director Tracee Worley to explore what it means to imagine — and build — a matriarchal future. 
Together, they unpack why hustle culture and “girl boss” feminism often keep us trapped inside broken systems — and how imagination, creativity and collective care can open the door to entirely new possibilities so we can reclaim our power.
Tracee also shares the inspiration behind her “Artifacts from a Matriarchal Future” workshops, in which participants create tangible objects, rituals and systems from a future centered on care, justice, healing and regeneration.
If you’re interested in systems change, feminist futures, regenerative leadership or building a more human-centered world, this conversation will leave you feeling inspired about what’s possible and what’s already on its way out.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, YouTube, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Episode Outline:
[06:43] How Tracee transitioned from teaching and social work into futurism, experience design and reimagining broken systems
[12:22] What matriarchy actually means — and why it’s not simply “patriarchy with women in charge.”
[16:44] Why imagination, rest and creativity are essential tools for building regenerative futures
[24:52] Inside Tracee’s “Artifacts from a Matriarchal Future” workshops and game, helping people imagine new systems
[32:28] How restorative justice, grandmothers and community wisdom could reshape the future of accountability
[39:07] The powerful Indigenous teaching that “we are the law” — and what it means for reclaiming power
[41:31] How Tracee balances realism, grief, hope and collective responsibility against a backdrop of polycrisis
Connect with Us:
Lis Best's website
Learn more about the Girls Club Collective
Connect with Girls Club Collective and Lis Best on LinkedIn
Join the next GCC Community Power Hour
Inquire about coaching with Lis
 
Tracee Worley Info:
Follow Tracee on Linkedin
Visit the Radical Futures website
Receive Dispatches from the Future
Join an upcoming Radical Futures workshop
This episode was post-produced and edited by Yanina Mora. 
The intro and outro music was created and produced by Daniel Mark.
About Lis:
Lis Best is an executive coach for impact leaders, founder of the Girls Club Collective, and host of the Women Changing the World podcast.
Since launching her business in 2020, Lis has helped hundreds of leaders navigate ESG and sustainability careers, launch heart-centered businesses, and become more effective change agents

You know you should be networking, but when you try, it feels forced, awkward, or performative. You second-guess your outreach, overthink every word, or don’t hit send at all. 
In this energizing conversation, Lis Best sits down with Carly Valancy to reframe networking as a creative, human, and even joyful practice.
Carly shares her signature framework for writing “unignorable emails” and how small, intentional reach-outs can unlock unexpected opportunities.
Together, they explore how to increase your “surface area for luck” by following curiosity, embracing honesty, and daring to be seen.
 
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, YouTube, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Episode Outline:
[08:12] Why the “front door” approach to opportunities is broken—and what to do instead
[12:21] The 4-part framework for writing an unignorable email
[16:02] How to send bold “moonshot” emails (even when you don’t feel ready yet)
[32:50] The difference between chasing outcomes vs. placing yourself in the “current of serendipity.”
[45:12] Simple, actionable steps to reach out today—without overthinking or overcomplicating
Connect with Us:
Lis Best's website
Learn more about the Girls Club Collective
Connect with Girls Club Collective and Lis Best on LinkedIn
Join the next GCC Community Power Hour
Inquire about coaching with Lis
Carly Valancy Info:
Carly’s LinkedIn
Carly’s website
Reach Out Party
TETHER
This episode was post-produced and edited by Yanina Mora. 
The intro and outro music was created and produced by Daniel Mark.
 
About Lis:
Lis Best is an executive coach for impact leaders, founder of the Girls Club Collective, and host of the Women Changing the World podcast.
Since launching her business in 2020, Lis has helped hundreds of leaders navigate ESG and sustainability careers, launch heart-centered businesses, and become more effective change agents.

You followed the “right” path—career growth, leadership roles, meaningful work—and still, something feels off. The ambition that once fueled you now feels heavier, especially as your choices start impacting the people you love. And suddenly, the question isn’t just “What’s next?”… it’s 'Do I even want what I once worked so hard for?”
In this intimate and honest conversation, Lis Best sits down with Amber Stryker, founder and CEO of Bespoke ESG, to explore what it really looks like to reimagine ambition as you grow and evolve. 
Amber shares the messy middle of building a business, charting a new path, and learning to ask: What do I want now? What do I want to try? 
Together, they unpack how to let go of definitions of success that don’t serve us, lean on a human support system, honor “quiet progress,” and trust that your choices don’t have to be forever.
This conversation is a powerful reminder that growth isn’t always loud—sometimes it’s quiet, steady, and only truly visible in hindsight.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, YouTube, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Episode Outline:
[00:03] Why doing the thing you “said you’d never do” can unlock a new identity
[00:06] How to rethink ambition when your priorities shift (career, family, life)
[17:58] The power of asking “What do I want now?”—and letting go of past ambitions
[26:40] What starting a business really looks like (including doubt, pivots, and post-it reminders)
[31:47] How to navigate uncertainty without losing yourself—and why support systems matter
[42:16] The idea of “quiet progress” and how to recognize wins even when they don’t feel big
Connect with Us:
Lis Best's website
Learn more about the Girls Club Collective
Connect with Girls Club Collective and Lis Best on LinkedIn
Join the next GCC Community Power Hour
Inquire about coaching with Lis
 
Follow along with Amber Stryker and Bespoke ESG:
Amber’s Linkedin
Bespoke ESG on LinkedIn
Bespoke ESG website and newsletter sign-up
 
This episode was post-produced and edited by Yanina Mora. 
The intro and outro music was created and produced by Daniel Mark.
 
About Lis:
Lis Best is an executive coach for impact leaders, founder of the Girls Club Collective, and host of the Women Changing the World podcast.
Since launching her business in 2020, Lis has helped hundreds of leaders navigate ESG and sustainability careers, launch heart-centered businesses, and become more effective change agents.

In this episode, Lis Best sits down with Erin Byrne to explore the deeply personal and powerful concept of “enoughness.”
In a world that constantly asks us to do more, be more, and achieve more, it’s easy to lose sight of what enough even feels like. The pressure to keep up can quietly turn into burnout, self-doubt, or a lingering sense that no matter what we accomplish, it’s never quite sufficient.
From corporate burnout to redefining identity and impact, Erin shares how learning to feel—and define—“enough” can unlock clarity, purpose, and meaningful action.
Together, they unpack how embracing enoughness can help you show up more fully in your work, parenting, and the world and create space for the impact that actually matters.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, YouTube, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Episode Outline:
[00:03] Erin’s journey from corporate leadership burnout to redefining her identity beyond her job title
[00:09] What “enoughness” really means—and why it’s rooted in contentment, purpose, and confidence
[00:11] How early experiences can shape our belief systems around not feeling “good enough.”
[00:15] Practical ways to cultivate enoughness through reflection, self-awareness, and community
[00:21] Why small actions matter—and how to take meaningful impact without burning out
Connect with Us:
Lis Best's website
Learn more about the Girls Club Collective
Connect with Girls Club Collective and Lis Best on LinkedIn
Join the next GCC Community Power Hour
Inquire about coaching with Lis
 
Erin Byrne Info:
Linkedin
Consulting website
Enoughness website
 
This episode was post-produced and edited by Yanina Mora. 
The intro and outro music was created and produced by Daniel Mark.
 
About Lis:
Lis Best is an executive coach for impact leaders, founder of the Girls Club Collective, and host of the Women Changing the World podcast.
Since launching her business in 2020, Lis has helped hundreds of leaders navigate ESG and sustainability careers, launch heart-centered businesses, and become more effective change agents

In this conversation, Lis Best sits down with Danielle Azoulay for an honest and expansive look at what it means to evolve—not just a business, but yourself—through uncertainty, pivots, and growth. 
From navigating an in-house sustainability career to launching and reimagining a company without a perfect plan, Danielle shares the behind-the-scenes reality of entrepreneurship that we don’t often hear about. 
Together, they explore how self-trust, community, experimentation, iteration, and a willingness to embrace uncertainty can become powerful tools for creating impact in both business and life.
 
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, YouTube, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Episode Outline:
[05:51] How Danielle’s early life experiences shaped her path into sustainability and impact work
[14:00] Why “just start messy” is the key to building a business that actually works
[20:39] The challenges of the 3-year business mark—and how to evolve beyond your network
[31:47] How to build self-trust as an entrepreneur (especially when it feels uncomfortable)
[37:43] Why the future of some impact work is shifting from data to culture change—and what that means for you
Danielle Azoulay’s info:
Linkedin
The CSO Shop
 
Connect with Us:
Lis Best's website
Learn more about the Girls Club Collective
Connect with Girls Club Collective and Lis Best on LinkedIn
Join the next GCC Community Power Hour
Inquire about coaching with Lis
 
About Lis:
Lis Best is an executive coach for impact leaders, founder of the Girls Club Collective, and host of the Women Changing the World podcast.
Since launching her business in 2020, Lis has helped hundreds of leaders navigate ESG and sustainability careers, launch heart-centered businesses, and become more effective change agents.