She Said / She Said

She Said / She Said


Building INFLUENCE through role models: seeking them & being them. Miriam Gonzalez Durantez, founder Inspiring Girls International #ThisLittleGirlIsMe (Episode 162)

September 26, 2021

THIS WEEK’S TOPIC:
We are digging into the importance of role models and mentors — seeking them, being them, and WHY taking a BROADER VIEW of the concept “ROLE MODEL” can help us BUILD GREATER INFLUENCE! 
Wherever we sit, we have an opportunity to impact others — positively or negatively. Social media — for better or worse — offers endless opportunities for both. 
Sharing our stories, our successes, our failures, and our advice and perspective, is a powerful tool for inspiring others and for building our own influence in ways that can have lasting impact. 
This week I’ll introduce you to someone who’s doing an amazing job of that! She’s hoping you’ll join her!  
 
THIS WEEK’S GUEST: 
Miriam Gonzalez Durantez is the incredibly accomplished visionary behind #ThisLittleGirlIsMe social media campaign, and the founder of Inspiring Girls International, a global organization working to inspire young women to dream bigger by connecting them with role models and mentors. With a goal of using social media for good, Miriam believes leading by example is the best way to show girls (and frankly boys too) that anything is possible. It’s a strategy that’s simple, powerful, and effective!
But that’s only one part of Miriam’s story. She’s had an amazing journey —from growing up in a small town in Spain where it was difficult to find female role models who were pursuing professions that challenged her and sparked her interests, to bucking conventional wisdom and expectations by pursuing a career in internal trade law and negotiation. Miriam’s accomplished career has included senior positions in the EU government and in law, and when her husband was elected UK’s Deputy Prime Minister, she faced down the British tabloids’ obsession with what she was wearing, stayed true to herself, and maintained her own professional career and identity as a working mom of three. But, she also quickly realized that the increased visibility enabled her to create a bigger platform from which to inspire others, and from that Inspiring Girls International was born. 
 
KEY TOPICS: 
STAYING TRUE TO YOURSELF: How Miriam navigated being thrust into the spotlight, and stayed true to herself.
INFLUENCE: Learning to embrace INFLUENCE and why it matters.
SELF-DOUBT: Miriam’s own experience and advice for learning to manage self-doubt.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Using social media tools for good. 
NEGOTIATION/HAVING DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS: Miriam shares her thoughts on one of the most important elements of navigating disagreement. 
WHY EVERYONE CAN AND SHOULD EMBRACE MENTORSHIP: Why there’s a role for everyone as role model and mentor, and why Miriam wants YOU to share your #ThisLittleGirlIsME story on social media. 
 
MIRIAM’S CURRENT INSPIRATION: While much of Miriam’s reading list is focused on international trade and negotiation for her work as a professor at Stanford University this Fall, she’s also watching Netflix’s “The Chair,” starring Sandra Oh, who navigates intolerance as the Chair of a college English Department.  
 
Are you ready to share your own #ThisLittleGirlIsME story and/or piece of advice? Post on Instagram, Facebook, Linked In and Twitter and PLEASE be sure to TAG US on Instagram @LauracoxKaplan @SheSaidSheSaidPodcast @MiriamGonzalezDurantez @InspiringGirlsInt 
You can find my own #ThisLittleGirlIsMe story and Miriam’s on our respective Instagram feeds. 
I’d also love to know what you thought of the episode. Please be sure to DM me, or take a screenshot and share the episode in your stories. I love your feedback, and love hearing from you! 
And, if you are feeling extra generous, PLEASE be sure to leave a review on Itunes. Reviews help others who are looking for content like this to find it. So by leaving a review you don’t just help me, you help others as well!
Thanks for listening!