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Good morning, Fearless readers:
The Business Record's special projects editor, Emily Barske Wood, graduated from her master's program this weekend.
She's been working on her first book, about the 2018 Marshalltown tornado, that will publish with the University of Nebraska Press.
Make sure you congratulate her when you see her next!
In this week’s Fearless e-newsletter, you will find:
- Our 2025 Women of Influence answer questions about how we can achieve gender equity.
- A guest column about the leadership journey from Amy Friedrich.
- A break from the news: MercyOne's Maternal Transport Team expands maternal care in Iowa.
- Lots more!
— Macey Shofroth, Fearless editor
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How can we achieve gender equity? 2025 Women of Influence respond
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COMPILED BY EMILY BARSKE WOOD, SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR
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The Business Record’s Women of Influence awards celebrate the work of Central Iowa women who have attained success while helping others along the way. From a variety of career paths and walks of life, they've devoted their time to making an impact. They've spent countless hours on various initiatives, working on major issues and blazing a trail either personally or professionally for other women to follow.
This year’s Women of Influence included:
- Courtney Clarke, mayor of Waukee | vice president, institutional portfolio manager, PMA Financial Network, LLC
- Bridget Cravens-Neely, CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa
- Suzanna de Baca, CEO, Story Board Advisors | former CEO, Business Publications Corp.
- Sally Dix,
president, Bravo Greater Des Moines
- Sally Frank, professor of law, Drake University
- Christina Moffatt, assistant director of business development for income solutions, Principal Financial Group
- Jackie Norris, chair, Des Moines School Board | president and owner, Horizon Group
- Dawn Refsell, North America field sciences leader, trait characterization and development, Corteva Agriscience
- Iowa State University Ivy College of Business Woman Business Owner of the Year: Kimberly Baeth, president, Cutting Edge Success | founder, Golden Openings
- Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines Emerging Woman of Influence: Courtney Shaw, chief communications and engagement officer, Greater Des Moines Partnership
We asked each of the women to share with Fearless how they believe gender equity can be achieved. Here’s what they had to say.
What do you consider the greatest barrier to gender equity?
Courtney Clarke: There are two barriers that spring to mind. The first is gender stereotypes, from beliefs that women are less competent to the idea we are too emotional to be in positions of power. Women have time and again disproved these, but the stereotypes are still alive and well in our society. The second is structural barriers, such as lack of mentorship/network or an inflexible work environment. This applies to me as well. I wasn’t planning to run for mayor until someone else asked me to. We continue to need more mentors tapping women on the shoulder.
Bridget Cravens-Neely: Honestly, I don’t know. My gut response is that traditional gender roles are still front of mind in society. Both women and men have evolved beyond those traditional definitions and expectations. Now, we are at risk of backtracking and reverting to those oppressive and limiting thoughts and actions.
Suzanna de Baca: While many factors contribute, the most significant barrier to gender equity is the persistence of unconscious biases that subtly influence decision-making in hiring, promotions and leadership opportunities. These biases often go unrecognized, yet they deeply perpetuate systemic inequalities, a challenge interconnected with the unequal distribution of unpaid care work, the impact of workplace culture, restrictions on reproductive rights and the vital role of robust legal protection. Addressing these complex, pervasive issues requires intentional efforts to educate, reflect and implement equitable practices across all organizational levels.
Sally Dix: I think there’s an expectation that “successful” women can do it all, which is an impossible – and totally false – premise. I think this can lead some women to lean out of opportunities because of unrealistic standards and expectations. Perhaps cultivating a different narrative of what success looks like – including rest and joy and space to breathe and think – would help more women feel valued and inspired instead of overwhelmed.
Sally Frank: Sexism and male efforts to maintain supremacy. This includes efforts to prevent women from being able to control their own reproduction.
Christina Moffatt: The greatest barrier to gender equity is that women still disproportionately must adjust their work schedules to handle family responsibilities — whether caring for children or aging parents — which often forces them to forgo projects, travel and networking opportunities that advance careers. Even with flexible hours or remote options, the assumption that a woman will step away for family needs can lead to fewer stretch assignments and slower promotions. This constant juggling causes stress and burnout, and reinforces the bias that women are less committed, making true equity elusive until caregiving is viewed as a shared responsibility and performance is judged by results rather than availability.
Jackie Norris: The traditional expectations that our society still puts on women and the often unrealistic expectations women put on themselves.
Dawn Refsell: The lack of intentional opportunity — systems aren’t always designed to include women. At the same time, many women struggle to believe they belong or are capable, especially in spaces where they’ve been historically underrepresented. True equity requires both structural change and personal empowerment. We must create space — and help women see they’re more than ready to step into it. As Glinda said in “The Wizard of Oz,” “You’ve always had the power, my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself.”
Kimberly Baeth: Workplace discrimination, imbalance in unpaid work care, lack of women in leadership political and business positions, poverty and lack of economic opportunities, breaking through social norms and cultural practices, inadequate access to education and health care, physical or sexual violence and legal barriers that do not promote gender equality remain a challenge. Lack of clubs, organizations and groups focusing on this. Let’s start another one!
Courtney Shaw: Earlier in my career, there were moments when I had a seat at the table but not a voice in the conversation. Over time, I learned the real difference is when you’re not just present but heard, valued and trusted to lead.
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Guest commentary: The 3 phases that shape a leader’s journey
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BY AMY FRIEDRICH, GUEST COLUMNIST
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I’ve seen plenty of workplace trends come and go, but there is one observation that has stuck with me through the years: Most leadership journeys follow a familiar pattern. After decades spent in both individual contributor and leadership roles, I’ve noticed that growth as a leader can be categorized into three phases. Whether you’re just starting out or guiding others, understanding these phases can help you make sense of your own path and strengthen the leadership pipeline around you. I welcome anyone to reflect on these phases, how they show up and how they feel.
Phase 1: Lead yourself
Prove your worth
Early on in your journey, regardless of whether you’re new to leadership or new to an organization, it’s about leading yourself to prove your worth. This means showing that you’re knowledgeable, engaged and willing to make a contribution. Proving that you can effectively lead yourself builds trust and opens doors both in your role and across the organization. Become an expert by understanding the work, the why behind it and how it ties back to the business and the bottom line.
This phase feels great. You feel seen, needed and often in control of your results. You are valued for your knowledge, performance and impact. But the challenge is this: Some people get stuck in this phase forever, thinking they need to spend their entire careers proving themselves. While that may be a worthy phase if you’re an individual contributor, it won’t help you progress in your leadership journey.
Phase 2: Lead others
Gain followership
Next, it’s about leading others and gaining followership — not just with a title, but with your presence. The ability to impact and influence those around you is a privilege that is earned. We each carry obligations: to our teams, to our customers, to our organizations. How you collaborate and drive accountability ultimately builds toward empowering your team — which is just as critical as any task you complete on your own.
This phase also feels great — often when it’s done well it could even be described as intoxicating. Not only are others following you, they are viewing you as a role model or someone they want to imitate. I see most leaders struggle to get beyond these first and second phases, probably because it really is about them. When you judge your leadership journey by how you feel, Phase 2 can seem like the destination. You’re leading a team that looks up to you and relies on you to set the tone, make decisions and advocate for them.
Many people hover between leading themselves and leading others. In stressful times, some revert back to Phase 1 and prove their worth through their individual contributions. To continue to the third phase of leadership, you truly have to adjust your lens beyond yourself and to developing other leaders.
Phase 3: Create other leaders
Leave a legacy
The final phase is the toughest but the most rewarding: creating other leaders. This is where a true leader shines. They understand that their responsibility is now to move the organization through other people — not through themselves.
The hard truth: Phases 1 and 2 many times feel a whole lot better than 3. This phase is quieter and more self-reflective. It is defined by feeling internal satisfaction for the accomplishments of other people. You have to truly believe giving away pieces of your knowledge, success and power yields better results. The leaders you are shaping get the limelight: They get promoted and recognized and you feel proud, not overlooked. This is the only phase of leadership that perpetuates the creation of more leaders and relies on the belief that power shared is power grown.
Organizations without leaders in this final phase risk getting stuck in a loop, full of capable managers and strong individual contributors, but missing the generational lift that comes from growing new leaders.
A key litmus test for reaching this phase is listening to what others say when a leader leaves or retires. If the team says, “We don’t know how to do this without you,” it may be a sign they weren’t given the chance to grow into leaders themselves. But if they say, “We’ll miss you, but we’ve got this because you taught us,” that’s real leadership. And that’s the legacy you leave.
Amy Friedrich is president of benefits and protection with Principal Financial Group. Principal's benefits and protection department serves more than 130,000 employers and 4 million people. Friedrich leads 3,500 employees responsible for group employee benefits, life insurance, disability insurance and nonqualified deferred compensation, along with the distribution arm, which includes Principal Securities, the broker-dealer organization, and network of affiliated financial professionals. Insurance products and plan administrative services provided through Principal Life Insurance Company, a member of the Principal Financial Group.
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“ONE CHILD, ONE TEACHER, ONE BOOK AND ONE PEN CAN CHANGE THE WORLD.”
MALALA YOUSAFZAI
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Iowa's 6-week abortion ban has been in place for 1 year. How has access changed? (Des Moines Register). Ellipsis' new foster home is a place where girls can 'rewrite their stories' (Des Moines Register). Caitlin Clark’s WNBA rookie card fetches $660,000 at auction in a record-breaking sale (AP News). The 36 who fought back (New York Times). Uber adding women-only ride option in pilot cities (Axios). Debbie Dingell tells her story — even when she doesn’t want to (19th News). Little Leaps child care center to permanently close (Dubuque Telegraph Herald).
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Innovation via transportation: New MercyOne team expands maternal care in Iowa
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BY MACEY SHOFROTH, FEARLESS EDITOR
ALL PHOTOS BY TODD MIZENER, MERCYONE
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The Mercy One Maternal Health Transport team added an external fetal heart monitor to the ambulance and helicopter equipment. “The cool thing is the No. 1 tool to keep the baby healthy is the mom. If you keep mom comfortable and healthy, the baby is usually the same, so you don’t really need a lot of equipment,” said Ryan Gochoel, MercyOne Emergency Transport regional director.
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Parents across Iowa have to travel increasingly farther from their homes to access maternal health care.
Forty-one birthing units closed in Iowa between 2000 and 2021. According to a report from the Center for Healthcare Quality & Payment Reform, 61% of rural Iowa hospitals no longer provide obstetrics services. Parents have to drive about 31 minutes on average to reach a hospital that does.
The March of Dimes says access to maternity health care is essential for the health of both mothers and babies, and the farther one has to drive to access that health care, the more likely they are to experience adverse maternal and infant outcomes.
One-third of Iowa counties are considered maternal health care deserts. MercyOne Medical Center established its new statewide Maternal Health Transport team in 2024 to bring families in these areas to the care they need.
“The primary utilization of the team is that there are no OB services available for them in their home community and they need to get to somewhere that has the services they require,” said Ryan Gochoel, MercyOne Emergency Transport regional director. “More often than not, this is a pre-term labor situation. It could be the baby has a known congenital heart anomaly and that patient needs to get somewhere that has a high-level NICU.”
When a call comes in, the Maternal Health Transport team will dispatch its helicopter or ground ambulance. An on-call maternal nurse will join the paramedic or flight nurse to attend the call, and they’ll bring a neonatal nurse if they believe delivery could be close. The team is in contact with a maternal fetal medicine provider back at the hospital.
The team may also help to transport a nonemergency case for mothers without access to obstetrics services in their community. The hospital also added care for postpartum mothers after they’re discharged to MercyOne’s Community Paramedicine program as a result of the maternal care transport team.
MercyOne expected to deploy the team about five times a month. In January 2025, they used it 20 times.
“What we know is that access to OB care is declining. It’s across the country. There’s just not as many providers any longer, so it’s really not a surprise to me that we had to stand up this team,” Gochoel said. “If you’re in a rural community and you don’t have OB services at your critical access facility, this is the only service available that has specialized treatment for that patient.”
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Left: MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center nurse Sarah Steinkamp checks Magnolia McCready’s vital signs. Magnolia and her twin sister, Stevie, were delivered safely at 26 weeks after the Maternal Health Transport team brought their laboring mother from Waterloo to Des Moines.
Top Right: Stevie McCready sleeps quietly in the MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center NICU on Nov. 13, 2024. It would take about two hours to drive from Waterloo, where the McCreadys live, to MercyOne Medical Center. The aircraft completed the trip in less than an hour. “Waterloo has OB services, but what it doesn’t have is the level of NICU that was required for [the twins],” Gochoel said.
Bottom right: Jenna and Kyle McCready, of Waterloo, pose with their twin girls, Magnolia and Stevie, in the MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center NICU. Jenna went into preterm labor at 26 weeks last year and was airlifted by the Maternal Health Transport team to MercyOne Des Moines.
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Left: MercyOne Maternal Transport team members practice transporting an infant via ambulance during a training session. “I had to train my existing clinical staff from the flight team. We had to get them a little bit of additional training in OB care, so they felt a bit more comfortable,” Ryan Gochoel, MercyOne Emergency Transport regional director, said. “The more challenging component was teaching an in-hospital nurse. It’s a different world in aviation, and we have to think differently. We did some pretty extensive training over about three months to get them acclimated to the aircraft and the vernacular we speak.” Twelve nurses trained as part of the team.
Top Right: MercyOne communications specialist Pat Waldorf dispatches an ambulance. MercyOne’s Maternal Health Transport team can be dispatched across the entire state.
Bottom right: “You’d be amazed at what the pilots pick up,” Gochoel said of the pilots that fly the team across the state. “They might pull you aside and say, ‘OK, this is what I think they got.’ And I’ll say, ‘Wow, that’s pretty good for a pilot. I don’t know anything about aviation.’”
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At its core, Fearless exists to help empower Iowa women to succeed in work and life. We believe that everyone has a story to share and that we cannot progress as a society unless we know about one another. We share stories through featuring women in our reporting, featuring guest contributions and speakers at our events.
We are always looking for new stories to share and people to feature. Get in touch with us!
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