How to Protect LGBTQ+ Families in 2025 with Darra Gordon
Pride is more than a celebration, it’s a call to action, especially for queer families navigating today’s uncertain political landscape. This week on Hello Monday, Jessi Hempel sits down with Darra Gordon, CEO of Family Equality, to talk about protecting LGBTQ+ families, raising resilient kids, and why visibility and community are more vital than ever.
Darra is a longtime advocate and nonprofit leader who works every day to ensure all families, especially those with LGBTQ+ parents, have equal rights and protections. She’s also a working mom, navigating the same daily chaos as many of us: career, childcare, dinner plans, and existential anxiety about the future.
Jessi and Darra discuss: • How LGBTQ+ families can stay safe and visible in uncertain times • How to raise kids who are proud of their identity and inclusive of others • The joy and strength of queer families, and the role of community in liberation • Why allyship is more than a rainbow flag during June • How everyone, queer or not, can support family equality year-round
Whether you're part of the LGBTQ+ community, love someone who is, or just want to build a more inclusive world — this episode is for you.
Join us for Hello Monday Office Hours, live on the LinkedIn News page this Wednesday at 3PM ET. It’s a welcoming space to keep the conversation going.
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34:41
Anna Kendrick On Making the Leap From Acting to Directing
What does it take to make a bold career pivot after decades of doing the expected? This week, we’re resurfacing our conversation with the multi-talented Anna Kendrick, whose journey from acclaimed actor to first-time director offers invaluable insights for anyone thinking about making the leap into something new.
Anna shares the story behind her directorial debut with Netflix’s Woman of the Hour, a true-crime drama. Far removed from the lighthearted films that Anna is known for, Woman of the Hour chronicles the stranger-than-fiction story of a 1970s aspiring actor and a serial killer whose lives collide when they're cast on a dating game show.
Together, Jessi and Anna discuss:
The courage it takes to step out of your comfort zone
How to follow your intuition when making creative decisions
Dealing with imposter syndrome
Learning to lead
What good feedback truly looks like
This episode offers not just a behind-the-scenes look at Anna's latest project but also inspiration for anyone seeking to reinvent their own career. Watch Woman of the Hour on Netflix now, and tune in to hear how Anna Kendrick is embracing the next chapter of her career.
Continue the conversation with us at Hello Monday Office Hours! RSVP here to join us on the LinkedIn News page this Wednesday at 3 PM EST.
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40:43
Caroline Wanga on the Career Path No One Tells You About
It’s easy to feel lost in your career, especially as the world around us keeps shifting. Whether you’re starting over, seeking purpose, or just unsure what your next move is, this episode is for you.
This week, Jessi Hempel sits down with Caroline Wanga, president and CEO of Essence Ventures and co-founder of Wanga Woman. Caroline is a dynamic leader and an unapologetic champion of authenticity. She joins Jessi to share her approach to building a career map – not just once, but continuously throughout your life.
Before leading Essence, Caroline spent 15 years at Target, rising from intern to C-suite executive. Today, she’s focused on democratizing authenticity through her personal purpose, her leadership, and her new memoir, I’m Highly Percent Sure.
Jessi and Caroline dig deep into:
Why your “next right move” may not look like anyone else’s
Why playing with your career map, not perfecting it, leads to clarity
How, and when, Caroline has created her own career maps
The role of authenticity in leadership and life
What it really takes to live and work with personal purpose
Tools and mindsets for building a meaningful career in today’s world
Don’t miss Caroline’s practical wisdom on shaping a professional life that evolves with you.
This episode was filmed live in-studio. LinkedIn Premium subscribers can watch the full video version here.
Want to keep the conversation going? Join us at Hello Monday Office Hours, live on the LinkedIn News page this Wednesday at 3 PM EST.
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34:59
Debbie Millman & Roxane Gay on Love, Creativity, and the Discipline to Grow
Debbie Millman and Roxane Gay know a thing or two about building creative lives. Debbie is a legendary designer, writer, and podcast host. Roxane is a bestselling author and cultural critic. Together, they’ve built a partnership rooted in discipline, love, and slow growth. On this week’s episode of Hello Monday, Jessi Hempel welcomes the couple back to the studio to talk about their new book, and what it really takes to live a meaningful creative life.
Their book, Love Letter to a Garden, is both literal and metaphorical. It’s about vegetables, sure. But it’s also about how we learn, how we fail, and how we grow. Debbie shares stories of her journey from struggling gardener to seasoned grower, an arc that mirrors her creative life. Roxane contributes recipes she’s crafted using the produce Debbie grows.
Jessi, Debbie, and Roxane dig into the kind of growth that takes time, and the work required to nurture it.
They discuss:
• The invisible years behind every “overnight” success
• How to keep going when you fail again and again
• Why your hope must be slightly bigger than your shame
• What it means to save your best energy for what matters most
• The difference between meaningful work and making work your meaning
Continue the conversation with us at Hello Monday Office Hours! Join us here, on the LinkedIn News page, this Wednesday at 3 PM EST.
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35:14
Becoming You: Suzy Welch’s Guide to Authenticity
In this special Thursday bonus episode, we’re returning to Jessi Hempel’s conversation with Suzy Welch, a professor at NYU Stern School of Business, business advisor, and three-time NYT bestselling author. Suzy’s latest book, Becoming You, came out this week, in which she synthesizes her wildly popular NYU course of the same name.
In conversation with Jessi, Suzy shares her insights on the importance of values, authenticity, and personal growth. She emphasizes the need to align our professional lives with our deepest values and aptitudes to achieve true satisfaction and happiness.
Suzy and Jessi discuss:
The importance of living an authentic life
How values shape our career decisions
The role of authenticity in finding career satisfaction
Navigating the tension between personal and professional values
This episode is a must-listen for anyone trying to find fulfillment and live authentically at work and beyond.
Ever wish you had a pal who could break down the biggest ideas of the new world of work and distill them into actionable insights you could apply to your own life, right away? Meet LinkedIn's Hello Monday with Jessi Hempel! Each week, Jessi explores the changing nature of work and how that work is changing us. Jessi welcomes big thinkers to share their best ideas: everyone from game-changing entrepreneurs like Aurora James, to research-based experts like Daniel Pink, to notable figures like Megan Rapinoe and Bozoma Saint John. Start your week by joining us every Monday for a dose of fresh ideas, then join us in community and conversation on LinkedIn.
New episodes weekly.
Listen to Hello Monday with Jessi Hempel, Confessions of a Female Founder with Meghan and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app
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