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Good morning, Fearless readers:
Happy Monday. Thanks to those who commented on my LinkedIn post about goals they’re focusing on for next year! Here are a few snippets:
"My goal for 2025 is to maintain and enhance my overall well-being — physically, mentally, financially and emotionally." – Calan Smidt
"Reflecting on joy is just as important as experiencing it in the present." – Margaret Curry
"Finish my book while enjoying the growth and insight through the process." – Rachelle Keck
"It’s okay to say no to things without an explanation." – Ngozi Igbokwe
"I would like to make more time for creative projects and reading, replacing ‘mindless TV’ time as a way to relax." – Whitney Free
In this week’s Fearless e-newsletter, you will find:
- A story about Black maternal health care.
- The Leading Fearlessly column from Business Publications Corp. CEO Suzanna de Baca.
- In the headlines: Repaint Studios wins third annual InnoVenture Challenge.
- In case you missed it: A review of the play "Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End" from dsm magazine editor Michael Morain.
- Lots more!
— Emily Barske Wood, Business Record special projects editor
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Taking action for Black mothers: Takeaways from the My City My Health conference
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BY MACEY SHOFROTH, FEARLESS STAFF WRITER
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KCCI’s Jodi Long interviews Dr. Wanakee Carr at the My City My Health conference. Photo by Dana Hall.
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Host Keesha Ward opened the 2024 My City My Health Conference with a request from the audience: Don’t just write down what you learn here today. Commit to taking at least one action to improve health equity.
Health equity was the entire ethos of the My City My Health conference, which was founded in 2021 by health coach, advocate and podcast host Corey Dion Lewis and recruitment leader Larry Twitter Jr. The conference began with the goal of shifting health care to become more community- and equity-oriented.
The third iteration of the conference, on Nov. 15, began with a panel on Black maternal health. Jodi Long of KCCI interviewed Dr. Wanakee Carr, an obstetrician-gynecologist with the Iowa Clinic in Des Moines, about how the community can address disparities in Black maternal health.
Carr was born and raised in Des Moines and received her undergraduate and medical degrees at the University of Iowa. She’s also the only Black OB-GYN practicing in Des Moines, a title that means a lot to her — especially as she cares for Black women and mothers.
Here are five action items from the panel.
Start preparing for pregnancy and motherhood before you become pregnant
A 2020 report found that Black mothers in Iowa are six times more likely to die than white mothers. Carr encouraged Black mothers to protect themselves through preconception visits. These appointments can reveal potential risk factors and help prevent health issues during and after pregnancy.
"See your primary care provider or OB-GYN so you can have a little bit of an idea of what to expect throughout your pregnancy and postpartum course," Carr said. "Optimizing your health prior to being pregnant is key to reducing those adverse outcomes."
Be proactive about your health care
Early detection of potential health issues often prevents even worse outcomes down the line, Carr explained. A yearly visit with your primary care physician or gynecologist ensures someone is monitoring your health status closely and noting when things change.
Carr emphasized the importance of asking questions to stay informed of your health at these appointments, and she suggests finding a doctor you trust and feel comfortable with.
Know your resources
Studies from the National Institute of Health reveal that Black mothers tend to have lower rates of breastfeeding than other ethnic groups. Carr believes that Black mothers are often not given the support needed to successfully breastfeed, especially if they struggle with breastfeeding in the first few days of postpartum.
Knowing your resources for support can ease the struggles you might face after giving birth. For example, insurance companies often cover breast pumps. The Iowa Black Doula Collective helps Black mothers access doula support and offers support groups for navigating parenthood.
Help others find resources
Many Iowans live in health care deserts, especially in rural Iowa. Long wait times and insurance requirements can make it difficult to schedule doctor’s appointments, and many people of color feel weary with doctors who don’t understand their cultural backgrounds. Carr encouraged attendees to help family and friends research what care is available in their communities, as well as reaching out to organizations like Black Women for Healthy Living, who connect women with providers.
Support young people’s interest in medicine
Since 2000, at least 41 birthing units have closed in Iowa, especially in rural areas. Restrictions on reproductive health have caused many OB-GYNs to leave and students to pull their residency applications for fear of being unable to learn the full scope of care. Iowa’s OB-GYNs have an overloaded patient list and it often takes months to be seen as a result.
The key to counteracting this trend lies in encouraging young people to get into medicine, Carr said.
"I’m here because I knew I wanted to be a doctor early on," she explained. "Get our young kids educated and interested in science with elementary and middle school programs that foster interest in health care. Then, support these kids while they’re in college. Financial aid is key."
Advocate for legislation that supports reproductive health in Iowa
Lawmakers continue to debate legislation around reproductive health care both in Iowa and around the country. Carr encouraged attendees to talk with their legislators about the importance of reproductive health care for all women.
"We need to make sure we keep access to contraception," Carr said. "Vocalize to your legislators on how important it is and how it saves lives. People think contraception is just to prevent pregnancy. But contraception saves lives, and we use it for a whole bunch of other stuff besides pregnancy."
As the new legislative session in Iowa begins in January, Carr will also be watching laws around Medicare and Medicaid coverage. She explained that reimbursement rates need to be commensurate with private insurances so providers can afford to care for patients with state insurance.
"We’ll continue to advocate to make sure we’re expanding access," she said.
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Leading Fearlessly: Beyond the stereotype: women’s proven leadership excellence
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BY SUZANNA DE BACA, CEO, BUSINESS PUBLICATIONS CORP.
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Early in my career, I received a backhanded compliment that highlighted the pervasive stereotypes women face in the workplace. My leader praised my assertiveness, expressing surprise that a woman could possess such a quality. Ironically, at that point in my life, I was not sure how to respond to a double-edged statement like that, so I just thanked him for the feedback.
Women have long battled harmful stereotypes that undermine their abilities and potential. These stereotypes, often rooted in outdated beliefs, perpetuate the notion that women are less assertive, more emotional, less qualified and less committed to their careers than men. These biases contribute to discrimination in hiring, promotions and compensation, hindering women's advancement.
A new Florida State University College of Business study challenges these stereotypes. It reveals that women leaders consistently outperform men in both task-oriented and relationship-focused leadership styles. This finding debunks the myth that women are less effective leaders than men. In fact, the study revealed that women leaders rated higher in those soft skills but also in effective assertive behaviors.
A similar study from Leadership Circle reports that female leaders show up more effectively than their male counterparts "across every management level and age level."
The takeaway from this research? It's important to recognize assumptions or unconscious biases that are not based in fact, as these affect hiring decisions, performance evaluations and opportunities for women to progress in their careers. Effective leaders should challenge stereotypes — across genders or other dimensions to — create a more equitable workplace for everyone.
I spoke with local leaders and asked them to comment on leadership behaviors they’ve seen women excel at despite pervasive gender stereotypes.
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Nafissa Egbuonye, AVP growth and community engagement, Molina Healthcare
I have been fortunate to learn from women who have excelled in their careers. These women manage multiple responsibilities, both in their professional lives and at home. They are executive leaders who wear many hats — mothers, grandmothers, aunties, caretakers, mentors and more. These remarkable women have demonstrated their ability to be resourceful and resilient when juggling various priorities and handling crises.
Their success stems from a combination of emotional intelligence, collaborative approaches and strong communication skills. Although women are often stereotyped as overly emotional, studies have shown that they are actually more attuned to their own emotions and the emotions of others. This emotional intelligence enables them to "read the room" effectively, assess situations accurately and respond directly with empathy. Such skills foster a sense of trust, belonging and cooperation among team members, especially during challenging times. Trust creates an environment where teams can share diverse perspectives, leading to thorough analyses of situations and outcomes. This inclusive approach ensures that different angles are considered, ultimately contributing to better decision-making and outcomes.
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Rocio Hermosillo, team leader, Team ELLLA
One leadership behavior I’ve often seen women excel at is providing difficult feedback with both clarity and care. In my own leadership journey, this took some work. When our team experienced rapid growth, I found myself hesitant to speak up, fearing I’d hurt feelings or create tension. However, this hesitation led to a moment where I realized the team was steering the ship instead of vice versa. It was a turning point; I knew I needed to address challenges directly and set clear expectations. Leaning into the difficult conversations and providing feedback with both honesty and empathy not only regained alignment within the team, but also strengthened trust and accountability. We are now developing a focused, strong and committed team.
Women are uniquely positioned to balance mind and heart. Women possess the ability to manage the formal parts of businesses and also guide decisions people make based on emotion. With opportunities and role models, I foresee that many more women will step into leadership positions in the future.
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Georgia Van Gundy, deputy director, Iowa Workforce Development
To ensure that teams and individuals perform at their best — both for themselves and the organization — it’s essential that they are held accountable for their roles and the work needed to drive progress. Effective leaders must navigate difficult conversations, clearly communicate the organization’s vision and possess strong negotiation skills to cultivate a culture of accountability. Leaders who excel at holding people accountable are willing to help, strategic, strong communicators and genuinely invested in their employees’ success. The historical stereotype that women are not effective at holding others accountable or leading decisively is simply not true. We have these skills. In fact, throughout my career, I’ve seen that women leaders particularly excel at fostering accountability within their teams, while also promoting the collaboration and effectiveness required for long-term success. Accountability is not always easy for the leader or for the employee, but if both sides are vested in success, it is worth the work.
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Rachel Woodhouse, executive director, Young Women’s Resource Center
I’ve worked with several excellent women leaders who were regarded as such in part because they blended personal and direct leadership styles. This earned them respect from their teams and trust from their peers. In my countless hours with these women, I observed them deploy skills that apparently weren’t typically expected from female leaders. These included direct communication unbuffered by emotive language or "stereotypical" female qualifiers ("This may be dumb, but …"); hard-fought expertise in their respective fields; calm and practiced readiness for confronting hard tasks, like giving critical performance feedback; bargaining for more favorable contract terms with vendors; and — possibly the hardest for professional women — saying "no." Alone, these skills may have been interpreted as snide or aggressive, but in sum are undeniable talent. These women still serve as examples to emerging leaders who see their unapologetic aptitude and willingness to do hard things as guideposts to success.
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"IF YOU CAN DANCE AND BE FREE AND BE EMBARRASSED, YOU CAN RULE THE WORLD."
AMY POEHLER
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Pictured from left are Paul Singh, Cory McAnelly, Billie Asmus, Clayton Nevins and Charise Flynn. Photo by Sarah Diehn.
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Repaint Studios wins third annual InnoVenture Challenge: Billie Asmus’ Repaint Studios won the $100,000 cash prize at the third annual InnoVenture Challenge. Asmus invented a reusable and resealable paint tray with the goal of reducing the environmental impact of home improvement supplies. Repaint Studios is based in Hampton. The pitch competition is hosted by BioConnect Iowa and InnoVenture Iowa, the state’s first publicly funded venture capital fund.
2024 Athlete of the Year: Caitlin Clark: Time Magazine selected former Hawkeye phenom Caitlin Clark as its 2024 Athlete of the Year. In her profile, Clark reflected on her meteoric rise at the University of Iowa to her rookie season with the Indiana Fever. She also addressed her feelings on the manufactured controversies around her stardom and the people who use her name to insult her fellow WNBA players.
Iowa boasts two Rhodes scholars: University of Iowa and Coe seniors headed to Oxford: Two seniors in the state of Iowa have been selected as 2025 Rhodes scholars. Coe College’s Katie Ameku and the University of Iowa’s Paras Bassuk were among the 32 students selected to receive full-ride scholarships to study at the University of Oxford in England. The prestigious scholarship was established in the early 1900s by Cecil John Rhodes and is often awarded to students from Ivy League schools, according to the Cedar Rapids Gazette.
Meet the Iowan who has helped resettle nearly 1,000 refugees in Des Moines and Iowa City: Sarah Terlouw, executive director of the International Rescue Committee in Iowa, is leading efforts to resettle hundreds of refugees in Des Moines and Iowa City each year. A native of Grinnell, Terlouw did humanitarian work in sub-Saharan Africa for 15 years. She moved back to the United States in 2020 and recently oversaw the opening of the International Rescue Committee’s office in Iowa City last year, according to a story in the Des Moines Register.
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Work-life balance isn’t working for women. Why? (AP). Firms outperform when there are more women on boards, BI says (Bloomberg). Through 'The Loss Mother's Stone,' mothers share their grief from losing a child to stillbirth (NPR). How a feminist comedy came to rule China's box office (New York Times). Bidens host women’s health conference to focus on health care gender gap (CBS News). Amid declining U.S. birth rates and fertility crisis, new female-led startup, Lushi, launches to transform options for women seeking to conceive (Business Wire).
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Theater review: Erma Bombeck’s wisdom, served warm
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BY MICHAEL MORAIN, DSM MAGAZINE EDITOR
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Pam Sherman stars as the godmother of newspaper columnists through Dec. 21 at the Temple Theater. Photo by Jesse Ewing.
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In a review of the play "Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End," it’s tempting to simply fill up the next few paragraphs with quotes from her beloved housekeeping column. There’s just so much good material.
"Never trust a doctor whose office plants have died."
"If you want to get rid of stinking odors in your kitchen, just stop cooking."
"Never go to your high school reunion pregnant or they’ll think that’s all you’ve done since graduation."
That must have been tempting for the playwrights, too. But somehow, Allison Engel and her twin sister, Margaret Engel, managed to distill three decades of Bombeck’s syndicated columns and bestselling books into a tight, bright, one-hour, one-woman show that captures her wit, warmth and tell-it-like-it-is honesty.
Read more
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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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