After founding Girls Who Code, I realized how much the messages that society sends women hurt us — making us perfectionists, making us scared to take chances and fail. That mindset held me back. It kept me in a job I hated. It kept me from living the life I was meant to for so long. I started my podcast to spread the message of “brave, not perfect” and give women and girls the tools they need to break free from the cult of perfection. By fearing less, failing more, and living bolder, we can also reach for the things that we want, and ultimately, find more joy.
At the center of every episode of Brave, Not Perfect is a conversation with a changemaker who can teach us something about bravery and letting go of perfection. It’s a great way to learn about the lessons or tricks that we can borrow from these incredible women to improve our own lives and dream bigger. In addition to a compelling conversation, we always have a little something else. Sometimes, I’ll do something brave like sing karaoke or trapeze through the air to encourage listeners to go do something that scares them. Bravery is like a muscle — and you’ve got to practice to make it stronger! This setup allows us to release episodes regularly with consistent content while also giving us a lot of flexibility to be brave and experiment with new formats.
