It's easy to justify staying out of politics. Often debates lead to unproductive arguments that damage relationships and just aren't fun to talk about. People exist in all forms and have priorities all over the place; the folks we elect hopefully represent the majority of their constituents accurately and will advance their interests accordingly. That's how democracy is supposed to work.

Unfortunately for queer, non-binary, and other LGBTQIA+ humans, staying out of it is not a privilege we get to enjoy, because like it or not, our queerness takes us out of "the majority". Staying out of politics leads to the situation that is currently present in the Dakotas, which is why this episode is coming out right now. As they say; haters are gonna hate and hateful legislators are gonna hatefully legislate.

South Dakota recently passed a swath of anti-LGBTQIA+ bills, including criminalizing gender-affirming care for trans youth in record time; they went from proposed to law (signed sealed and delivered courtesy Governor Nome) within 7 days. That is insane. I have worked with state governments for years in my career and often you're lucky to get a response to an email within a week, so the idea

North Dakota, always wanting to one-up their southern counterpart, is close behind with similar legislation. These bills (summarized excellently here-thanks Faye Seidler Consulting) are going up for vote on 3-1 in North Dakota. They include criminalizing gender affirming care, criminalizing drag shows, and disqualifying trans athletes from participating in sports.

Take a listen to this exceptional interview with the articulate, bold, and brave Dr. Mayson Bedient as we dive in on what gender-affirming care is, what it does for queer youth who contemplate transitioning to a different gender than they were born in, and how this legislation will effectively make the state uninhabitable for trans youth.

To carry on with the rhyming scheme:

This episode is not a debate.
It exists to inform and educate
so we can build momentum and change the votes of elected officials
before they institutionalize discrimination in our state

If you can listen and share, that'd be great.

PS- contact your representatives and remind them that queer people exist in ND and belong here and that this short-sighted legislation is going to continue to tip the scales against North Dakota becoming a hub for diverse, inclusive businesses and communities. Faye Seidler also has a handy tracker to see how each representative has voted historically that can be found here.

This episode brings the first season of Business Lesbian to a close. Joining us in conversation are yogis, friends, and family (collectively: framily). The pro yogis are Ashleigh Smith and Gina Thiel, and then we have the OG BL’s: Molly Swanston, Meagan McDougall. Making her return to the pod in a new capacity (documentarian vs interview subject) is Morgan Allora, now humbly known as “Morgy Morg”. Tuning in, you’ll hear what to expect from Season 2 of Business Lesbian, and what Brittany will be focusing on during the podcast’s hiatus. 

Our guests are here today to discuss the theme of ‘Love Your Body, Love Yourself’, with a focus on yoga, mindfulness, and reading. Each guest gets candid about their goals for the year, mindset challenges they face, and supportive practices they’re implementing to help reach their goals. Join us as we wrap up our inaugural season with gratitude and enthusiasm for what the future holds. Spoiler alert-it’s sweet enough where we got Meagan to tear up. 

Key Points From This Episode:

•     What this episode signifies: the end of season one of Business Lesbian.

•     What’s next for Business Lesbian and its founder, Brittany Diederich.

•    Gina’s story of leaving her career, training as a yoga teacher, and pursuing a new path.

•    Ashleigh Smith, Brittany’s sister-in-law, and her experience with yoga teacher training. 

•    The rules of engagement. 

•    Welcoming Molly Swanston and Meagan McDougall back to the podcast.

•    Morgan Allora who is in the studio to photograph the episode. 

•    Brittany’s love poem to herself: ‘No Buts About It’.

•    Morgan’s annual goal to read 52 books per year.

•    Why you can expect more book-related content on Season 2 of Business Lesbian. 

•    Molly weighs in on the quality of this gathering based on the book, the Art of Gathering. 

•    Molly and Gina’s experience working together at a coffee shop.

•    Megan and Gina’s experience singing together eight years ago.

•    Ashleigh and Brittany’s relationship which began before they became sisters-in-law.

•    The story of how the Smith sisters coined the phrase ‘zomg’.

•    How Ashleigh facilitated Chelsea and Brittany’s first kiss.

•    The story of how Ashleigh and Gina met on a yoga retreat.

•    The role of sitting with yourself and allowing discomfort.

•    Brittany’s advice not to create a placeholder email as a new business owner.

•    Ashleigh’s goal to speak up in 2023.

•    Molly’s word for 2023: foundation.

•    Morgan’s decision to make focus her word of the year.

•    Approaching the day with an abundance mindset.

•    How yoga training and COVID have changed Gina’s mindset.

•    The role of yoga training in producing connectedness and spirituality.

•    Vata Season and pulling yourself back to yourself.

•    Phil Stutz’s teaching of a three-point pyramid.

•    Yin yoga, slowing down, and ayurvedic types. 

•    Dr. Anjali Bhagra’s recommendation to journal daily.

•    The role of the breath and why mindful breathing is yoga.

•    Why the physical aspect of yoga was originally developed.

•    Gardening and heirloom tomatoes.

•    How to know that a yoga class is right for you.

•    Where Gina teaches: Downtown Yoga and Yuj Yoga.

•    Ashleigh’s yoga home: Mojo Fit. 

Tweetables:

“They always

Today's conversation is packed with insight, wisdom, and a perspective that is so necessary at this point in history. On the show is Dr. Anjali Bhagra, who is a physician and clinical investigative internist at Mayo Clinic, as well as the Medical Director of the Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity! Our guest generously shares many of her thoughts on trust and bias, what is needed for meaningful allyship, and how to stand up for important issues in a professional setting. She also unpacks the goals she and the clinic have set for creating an environment of empowered belonging. We discuss curiosity and awareness, the power of acknowledging and apologizing in the process of repairing damages, and the power of numbers and data to convince folks. The last section of today's chat allows time to explore Dr. Bhagra's frameworks and some of the initiatives and events she is involved in.

Key Points From This Episode:

• A brief introduction to the positions that Dr. Bhagra holds at Mayo Clinic.

• How we form our ideas about trustworthiness and the impact of first impressions.

• Looking back on Dr. Bhagra's decision to pursue medicine and her career path so far.

• Dr Bhagra's memories of helping her grandfather at his neighborhood clinic.

• Choosing courage over comfort and transcending learned helplessness.

• Experiences as a mother and a professional; what has changed for women of color in the last two decades.

• Unpacking some of the leadership structures at Mayo Clinic and how Dr. Bhagra fits into these.

• The initiatives that have been rolled out at Mayo to combat social issues and inequality.

• Approaches to difficult conversations; Dr. Bhagra's strategies for the best outcomes in different scenarios.

• Healing hurts and offenses through acknowledgment and apology.

• Lessons in the power of data and stories for resolving conflict.

• Dr. Bhagra talks about the GRIT and RISE frameworks that she uses!

• The progress that has been made at Mayo Clinic in their equity project, and information on the Rise for Equity Conference.

• Closing comments from Dr. Bhagra on the work still to be done and how everyone can contribute.

Tweetables:

“It is striking to see how we trust somebody based on ability, even before we have spoken with them.” — @anjalibhagramd [0:07:22]

“Growing up, in my family, I always had a voice, I always found role models in my parents. I would say my mom is the biggest feminist I have known, and my dad supported that.” — @anjalibhagramd [0:15:27]

“Familiarity brings more empathy. Whenever we ourselves have gone through a situation, we can automatically connect with it at a different level, on a deeper level.” — @anjalibhagramd [0:22:29]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Anjali Bhagra

Mayo Clinic

Dr. Anjali Bhagra on Twitter

University of Minnesota

GLOW

GRIT Conference

RISE for Equity