Four years after the fall of Roe v. Wade, many of the consequences experts warned about are no longer theoretical, they are being lived every day.

In this episode, I sit down with reproductive health advocates and public health experts Pari and Eve, two of the most recognized online voices helping women navigate an increasingly complex reproductive healthcare landscape.

Together, we unpack what many people still misunderstand about the post-Roe era, the collision between medicine and politics, the emotional truths women are carrying, and what this moment is teaching us about power, autonomy, and self-trust.

We also talk about why both of them continue to speak out despite criticism, threats, and backlash—and why they believe women are awakening to their collective power in ways that give them hope.

At its core, this conversation asks a deeper question:

What happens when bodily autonomy itself becomes contested—and what does that mean for equality, democracy, and human rights?

This episode includes discussion of abortion, miscarriage, pregnancy complications, maternal mortality, sexual assault, and reproductive healthcare.

In this episode:

• Why the impact of Roe v. Wade extends far beyond abortion access
• The hidden consequences many experts warned about—but few people anticipated
• How fear, confusion, and legal uncertainty are affecting patients and providers alike
• The emotional truths women are carrying that the broader culture still isn't fully seeing
• What life looks like for women living in states with vastly different levels of reproductive healthcare access
• Why self-advocacy and bodily autonomy matter more than ever
• What today's political climate is teaching an entire generation of women about power
• The personal cost of speaking out—and why Pari and Eve continue to do so
• Why community itself may be one of the most powerful forms of resistance
• The role of community, activism, and collective power
• Why Pari and Eve believe women are far from done fighting

00:00 – Introduction

01:00 – What Changed After Roe

11:00 – What This Moment Is Teaching Women About Power

16:20 – When Laws and Medicine Collide

27:00 – The World Today's Daughters Are Inheriting

29:15 – Why Pari and Eve Began This Work

38:35 – The Truths Women Are Carrying

47:40 – Self-Advocacy and Trusting Yourself

57:30 – Human Rights Should Not Be a Luxury

Pari and Eve are public health experts, healthcare professionals, and reproductive rights advocates. Through their Women in America platforms, they have built a community of millions and become trusted voices for women seeking accurate information, practical resources, and a deeper understanding of the issues shaping reproductive health and bodily autonomy.

Known for their educational content and outspoken advocacy, they continue to empower women while speaking out on some of the most contentious issues facing the country today.

Instagram: @women_in_america

Facebook: Women in America

TikTok: @womeninamerica

Substack: Women in America

The thinking continues beyond the mic. Explore essays, reflections, and extended conversations on Substack:

https://substack.com/@robbinjorgensen

Connect with Robbin Jorgensen:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbinjorgensen/

Supporting Sponsor

As a woman navigating financial decisions — especially when the system wasn’t built with you in mind — having the right partner matters.

For three decades, Godfrey Financial has intentionally centered women in financial decision-making — not as an afterthought, but as leaders.

In a field where women are often expected to sit to the side, Godfrey Financial places women at the head of the table — creating space where women don’t just discuss confidence and agency, but experience it in practice.

Learn more at: https://godfreyfinancial.com

When Mary Maker fled South Sudan as a child, she carried little more than memories, trauma, and the hope of survival.

Today, she is a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, TEDx speaker, education activist, and co-founder of Elimisha Kakuma, a university preparation program helping refugee students access higher education around the world.

In this powerful conversation, Mary shares her journey from escaping civil war and growing up in Kakuma Refugee Camp to studying in the United States and advocating globally for refugee education.

Along the way, she challenges us to rethink what it means to be displaced, what opportunity truly looks like, and why refugees must have a seat at the table when decisions about their futures are made.

This episode is a story of resilience, belonging, education, and the extraordinary ripple effect that can happen when someone invests in human potential.

• Fleeing South Sudan as a child and the realities of life during war • Growing up in Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya • The role education played in transforming her future • The cultural challenges of arriving in the United States • Founding Elimisha Kakuma to help refugee students access university opportunities • Why refugee voices must be included in global policy and humanitarian discussions • How individuals and organizations can support displaced communities

Mary's story is a powerful reminder that talent is universal, but opportunity is not.

01:24 – Escaping South Sudan: Mary's earliest memories of war, loss, and fleeing home

05:33 – Arriving in Kakuma Refugee Camp and discovering what it means to live in limbo

07:03 – How education became a lifeline and changed the trajectory of her future

14:10 – Becoming a teacher in the refugee camp and confronting the limits of opportunity

17:10 – The scholarship opportunity that took her from Kakuma to Rwanda and eventually the United States

22:37 – Navigating culture shock, college life, and belonging in America

27:30 – Founding Elimisha Kakuma to help refugee students access higher education

37:06 – Why partnerships and advocacy are critical to expanding refugee education worldwide

48:40 – Mary's challenge to institutions: Stop building solutions for refugees without refugees at the table

About Mary Maker Mary Maker is an educator, speaker, and refugee education advocate. A graduate of St. Olaf College, she works to expand educational opportunity for displaced youth and elevate refugee leadership in conversations shaping the future of global education.

Connect with Mary Maker:

https://marymaker.org/

https://www.elimishakakuma.org/

https://www.unhcr.org/us/prominent-supporters/mary-maker

https://www.instagram.com/marymaker_43/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-maker/

https://www.ted.com/talks/mary_maker_why_i_fight_for_the_education_of_refugee_girls_like_me?language=en&delay=30s&subtitle=en

As a woman navigating financial decisions — especially when the system wasn’t built with you in mind — having the right partner matters.

For three decades, Godfrey Financial has intentionally centered women in financial decision-making — not as an afterthought, but as leaders.

In a field where women are often expected to sit to the side, Godfrey Financial places women at the head of the table — creating space where women don’t just discuss confidence and agency, but experience it in practice.

Learn more at: https://godfreyfinancial.com

What happens when proving people wrong becomes the driving force behind your life?

In this episode of The Audacity Tapes, Dr. Shai Butler shares a deeply honest conversation about survival, achievement, addiction, healing, and the lifelong journey of becoming.

At 14 years old, Shai became a mother and quickly discovered that the world had already begun making assumptions about who she would become. Growing up in public housing, navigating stigma, shame, and the weight of other people's expectations, she refused to accept the limitations placed upon her. What followed was a decades-long pursuit of education, leadership, and success that ultimately led her to earn a doctorate and rise to executive leadership roles in higher education.

But this conversation is about far more than overcoming adversity.

Together, we explore what happens when achievement becomes a way to negotiate your worth with the world, the hidden costs of disassociating from pain in order to survive, and why success alone cannot heal the wounds we carry beneath the surface.

Shai speaks candidly about the lessons she learned while rebuilding her life more than once. Most importantly, she reflects on what healing gave her that achievement never could.

This is a conversation about defiance, self-discovery, and the courage to believe your story is not finished, even when others have already decided how it ends.

● Becoming a mother at 14 and navigating the stigma that followed ● Growing up in public housing and overcoming assumptions about her future ● Achievement as proof, validation, and self-protection ● The emotional cost of disassociation and survival mode ● Addiction, grief, and learning to ask for help ● Why high-achieving women often hide pain inside productivity ● The difference between success and healing ● Letting go of perfection and learning to simply be ● Redefining self-worth beyond accomplishment and external validation ● Why your circumstances do not determine your destiny

00:00 — Opening introduction

01:27 — The predictions that followed teen motherhood

09:33 — Internalizing shame and proving people wrong

15:09 — Ambition, defiance, and the drive to achieve

21:51 — When success became proof instead of fulfillment

27:55 — Addiction, grief, and losing herself

32:04 — Hiding pain inside productivity

36:40 — Learning how to heal instead of achieve

43:18 — Why your story is never fully decided

Dr. Shai Butler is the Vice President for Student Life at SUNY Delhi, an executive coach, speaker, author, and higher education leader dedicated to helping individuals and organizations thrive through authenticity, resilience, and purpose-driven leadership.

She is the author of Better. Not Perfect: From Hot Mess to Life Success, a candid memoir chronicling her journey through teen motherhood, addiction, recovery, leadership, and personal transformation. Through her speaking, coaching, and leadership work, Dr. Butler helps others navigate change, embrace growth, and redefine success on their own terms.

https://www.drshaibutler.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/drshai/

https://www.strathergies.com/

Better. Not Perfect: From Hot Mess To Life Success https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BVTM59F1

As a woman navigating financial decisions — especially when the system wasn’t built with you in mind — having the right partner matters.

For three decades, Godfrey Financial has intentionally centered women in financial decision-making — not as an afterthought, but as leaders.

In a field where women are often expected to sit to the side, Godfrey Financial places women at the head of the table — creating space where women don’t just discuss confidence and agency, but experience it in practice.

Learn more at: https://godfreyfinancial.com

What happens when kindness stops being performative and starts becoming dangerous?

In this episode of The Audacity Tapes, I sit down with Kind Cotton co-founder Kaitlin Johnstone for a conversation about moral courage, public conviction, and the growing cultural backlash against inclusion, equity, and human dignity.

Before launching Kind Cotton, Kaitlin spent eight years as a kindergarten teacher where she witnessed firsthand how access to books, and whose stories were represented inside them, shaped children’s sense of belonging and worth. What began as quietly purchasing books for students who could not afford them eventually evolved into a nationally recognized mission-driven company that has now donated more than 270,000 inclusive books to children across the United States.

But Kind Cotton is not simply an apparel company centered on literacy.

It is a public declaration that business, values, and justice cannot be separated for the sake of comfort.

In this conversation, Kaitlin shares what happened when parents threatened protests over inclusive books, why she ultimately left both teaching and the state of Florida, and what it means to continue speaking publicly in a culture increasingly rewarding cruelty and silence.

Together, we explore the difference between niceness and true kindness, why silence is complicity, and the responsibility of using privilege to advocate for those whose voices are increasingly under attack.

This episode also marks the launch of the Audacity Impact Activation — a recurring global action initiative designed to align powerful conversations with measurable impact. The inaugural activation will support Kind Cotton’s mission by funding the donation of 100 inclusive books to children.

• Why inclusive books became a lightning rod for cultural backlash
• The difference between niceness and true kindness
• Leaving Florida amid escalating attacks on inclusive education
• Building a values-driven company despite financial risk
• Why silence is complicity in moments of injustice
• The normalization of cruelty and public hate
• The emotional impact of helping children feel seen
• Using business as a vehicle for social justice and human dignity

00:00 — Opening introduction 01:09 — When Kaitlin realized stories shape visibility and belonging 08:10 — The backlash against Kind Cotton begins 11:15 — Leaving teaching and leaving Florida 14:02 — Private beliefs vs. public conviction 20:15 — Kindness versus niceness 23:15 — Losing customers for speaking out publicly 26:14 — “Silence is complicity” 36:48 — The emotional impact of inclusive book fairs 44:31 — Launching the Audacity Impact Activation initiative

Kaitlin Johnstone is the co-founder of Kind Cotton, a mission-driven apparel company she runs alongside her husband, Kevin, while supporting literacy, representation, and human rights initiatives nationwide.

Prior to launching Kind Cotton, Kaitlin spent eight years as a kindergarten teacher and was honored twice as Teacher of the Year. Their work centers on the belief that kindness is rooted in justice, grounded in action, and open to change.

• https://kindcotton.com/
• Instagram: @kindcotton
• https://www.facebook.com/kindcottonclothing

As a woman navigating financial decisions — especially when the system wasn’t built with you in mind — having the right partner matters.

For three decades, Godfrey Financial has intentionally centered women in financial decision-making — not as an afterthought, but as leaders.

In a field where women are often expected to sit to the side, Godfrey Financial places women at the head of the table — creating space where women don’t just discuss confidence and agency, but experience it in practice.

Learn more at: https://godfreyfinancial.com

Movements do not always begin with massive institutions, sweeping reforms, or people with enormous power.

Sometimes they begin quietly. With one person recognizing that vulnerable people are falling through the cracks and deciding the existing system is not enough.

In this episode, Sue Ludwig, founder of the National Association of Neonatal Therapists (NANT), explores how one occupational therapist helped transform an emerging specialty into a global movement focused on developmental care inside the NICU.

What began as a deep commitment to fragile infants and their families evolved into an international effort to improve standards, training, collaboration, and long-term developmental outcomes for babies around the world.

But this conversation reaches far beyond neonatal therapy.

Sue shares powerful lessons on leadership, resilience, emotional sustainability, movement building, and what it means to protect humanity inside systems often driven by speed, pressure, and efficiency.

• What happens when you realize the existing standard of care is not enough
• The courage required to build something that does not yet exist
• Why meaningful change often feels painfully slow in real time
• The emotional resilience needed to sustain mission-driven work
• How protecting energy and alignment can transform both leadership and life
• What tiny humans can teach us about purpose, growth, and human connection

This is a conversation about advocacy, systems change, and the quiet audacity of choosing humanity first.

00:00 — Building humanity into high-tech medicine 01:13 — How Sue fell in love with the NICU and neonatal therapy 02:46 — The moment Sue realized neonatal therapists needed a movement 07:00 — The challenges of protecting developmental care inside intensive medicine 09:19 — Sue’s vision for neonatal therapy around the world 11:08 — What the NICU taught Sue about burnout, energy, and alignment 17:17 — Why meaningful change often feels painfully slow in real time 21:51 — Building a movement, emotional resilience, and leading with compassion Connect with Sue Ludwig https://neonataltherapists.com/ Tiny Humans, Big Lessons: How the NICU Taught Me to Live with Energy, Intention, and Purpose. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1774580977?utm_source=chatgpt.com National Coalition for Infant Health https://infanthealth.org/

The thinking continues beyond the mic. Explore essays, reflections, and extended conversations on Substack: https://substack.com/@robbinjorgensen

Connect with Robbin Jorgensen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbinjorgensen/

As a woman navigating financial decisions — especially when the system wasn’t built with you in mind — having the right partner matters.

For three decades, Godfrey Financial has intentionally centered women in financial decision-making — not as an afterthought, but as leaders.

In a field where women are often expected to sit to the side, Godfrey Financial places women at the head of the table — creating space where women don’t just discuss confidence and agency, but experience it in practice.

Learn more at: https://godfreyfinancial.com

Episode Summary At five years old, Erin Mark overheard her father quietly say she likely would not live past eighteen.

The next day, Make-A-Wish arrived at her house.

For decades, Erin lived with cystic fibrosis under the shadow of an expiration date — until a devastating doctor’s appointment forced her to confront a painful reality: sometimes the most dangerous thing a patient can lose is not treatment, but hope.

In this powerful episode of The Audacity Tapes, Erin shares what it felt like to be dismissed inside the healthcare system she depended on to survive, the fight to find a doctor who would finally listen, and the breakthrough treatment that saved her life when she was nearing end-stage disease.

We explore medical dismissal, self-advocacy, identity, resilience, and the psychological reality of surviving a future you were never supposed to have.

This is a conversation about voice. About power. And about the audacity to keep living.

• Growing up believing she would not live past eighteen
• Why she rejects the phrase “live like it’s your last day”
• The psychological impact of living with an expiration date
• What medical dismissal actually feels like inside the healthcare system
• The danger of being labeled “non-compliant” as a patient
• Finding a doctor who finally listened and refused to give up
• The emotional complexity of surviving end-stage disease
• Rebuilding identity after surviving a future she never expected to have

00:00 — Living with an expiration date 03:12 — Joy, urgency, and the day Make-A-Wish arrived 07:33 — Planning for a future she wasn’t supposed to have 10:51 — What healthy people misunderstand about time 16:08 — “You woke up today” 17:17 — The doctor who took away her hope 20:33 — Finding a doctor who refused to give up 26:13 — Surviving end-stage disease and rebuilding identity

Website: https://erinmark.com/

TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjjPwKtEhOQ

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinmark/

Continue the Conversation

The thinking continues beyond the mic. Explore essays, reflections, and extended conversations on Substack: https://substack.com/@robbinjorgensen

Connect with Robbin Jorgensen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbinjorgensen/

As a woman navigating financial decisions — especially when the system wasn’t built with you in mind — having the right partner matters.

For three decades, Godfrey Financial has intentionally centered women in financial decision-making — not as an afterthought, but as leaders.

In a field where women are often expected to sit to the side, Godfrey Financial places women at the head of the table — creating space where women don’t just discuss confidence and agency, but experience it in practice.

Learn more at: https://godfreyfinancial.com