Why are women’s stories important? Representation matters and hearing the stories of women told from the point of view of women can help inspire women. It also has the potential to build a community with other women. Within the community, stories can be told that can help women overcome challenges they may face in their own life. The power of telling your story also can change someone’s life. It can inspire them to take action and share their own story. It can also teach them how to deal with a similar challenge. In this week’s Women of the Podcast episode, I am talking to three women who are working to tell their stories and the stories of others. Be inspired and encouraged by the work they are doing.

Why are women’s stories important?

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Authenticity

Most of the history of women is written from a man’s point of view. In these stories, women are remembered as heroes who were perfect without flaws. But the truth is these women were real people and just as they had triumphs they also had challenges and struggles. By telling the stories of women by women we can talk about the real challenges women face. And show that women can make mistakes and still be the hero. Failure is not the end of the story but so many stories miss this reality and make women feel they must live up to an impossible standard.

Community

Through the authenticity of telling your story, you can build a community of women that encourage and inspire each other. Friendship is also an unexpected benefit of creating a community. These friendships can help you as you face challenges in your own life and then can build by listening to the stories of women who have experienced similar challenges. It seems hard to take the first step in sharing your story but you will find that when you do you can create a community of people who will support the work you do. And you may inspire others to take action from the work you do.

Your Story Matters

Each one of us works to tell the stories of women. We are not special. We just take it one day at a time. One story at a time. Your story is important and valuable. If you feel led to tell your story take the first step in your journey of telling your story. Write it down. Tell it to someone else. Connect with organizations that help give women a voice. Support the Women of the Military podcast via Patreon to get a chance to be a podcast guest. Learn more about the work Camouflaged Sisters is doing in helping women share their stories. Listen and read to the stories that have been told.

Panelist:

Melissa Washington

Melissa is an Award-winning advocate, speaker, author, entrepreneur, CEO, publisher, and proud Navy veteran. In 2015, Melissa founded Women Veterans Alliance—a national organization that seeks to empower and positively impact the lives of women veterans. Three years later, she established the nonprofit wing of WVA, Women Veterans Giving. Both entities offer women veterans opportunities to gain valuable career experience and successfully integrate back into civilian life. WVG also helps fund women veteran-owned businesses, which are often overlooked by other organizations. In 2021, Melissa expanded her role in the community by co-founding Women Veterans Magazine—the first publication of its kind to serve California’s more than 165,000 women veterans. Launching in January 2022, the annual magazine speaks to the issues that affect women veterans, while providing them with local and national resources.

Rahaleh Nassri

Rahaleh is an actor, writer, and director based in New York. She was born in Iran and raised in South Carolina, with brief stints in France and Switzerland. She speaks four languages. Her predilection for political and classical works led her to work on productions such as In Darfur, A Bright Room Called Day, Benedictus, The Disputation, Hannah and Martin, Rock N Roll, Caligula, Julius Caesar, Much Ado About Nothing, Titus Andronicus, and Romeo & Juliet. Rahaleh has a BA in International Affairs and an MFA in Classical Acting.

Today she is the host of Violent Femme. Violent Femme is a podcast about women in history. Women who were brave, bold, and ingenious. Yet, these women, are mostly remembered for their brutality or villainy, sometime not at all. Each episode will resurrect one of history’s brutally brave women whose image has been tarnished or even erased by those who fear such women but have long been entrusted with our history. Violent Femme will retell and sometimes reimagine history from the heroine’s perspective.

Lila Holley

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Lila is the visionary behind the Camouflaged Sisters. This award-winning, Amazon #1 bestselling author is also a combat Veteran. Lila is a retired U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Four, you can hear her story in episode 92. She uses her books and real-life lessons learned from her own struggles to help other Service Members maneuver through the emotional battlefield of transitioning from the military.
In her first #1 bestselling book, Battle Buddy: Maneuvering the Battlefield of Transitioning from the Military, Lila chronicles the emotional struggles she encountered during her transition from the Army following her 22-year career. She knows firsthand the challenges Veterans experience during transition. She fought through bouts of depression herself while trying to settle into civilian life. Lila now encourages Transitioning Service Members through her books. She also offers coaching services to help others manage the strong emotions encountered during the transition.