Before making this podcast, were you nervous to put your voice out there — making way for criticism?

"Yes, but I've gotten used to the sound of my voice now. It's funny; the more I hear it, the less it offends me. I'm excited to get feedback on how I speak. I feel like I will have accomplished something if I'm saying something substantial and all someone can hear is how I'm saying it. (It's like Sally [Herships] told me: If you're a woman and someone critiques your voice, you know you've made it to the big leagues.) As of today, I'm happy to report that I have gotten a few comments on the sound of my voice and my over-use of qualifiers in the podcast. It was 'very irritating' and I was urged to 'please improve.'"

Who are some of your favorite women speakers?

"I love Terry Gross, Shonda Rhimes, and Brené Brown. With the proliferation of panels, conferences, and TED-like events, speaking has become a way to brand yourself. But it's amazing now how little is actually said. I get it; people are busy and don't have time to prep. It really makes you value those people who truly have something to say — who are so passionate, their ideas ooze out of them. Or people who are diligent and put in the time and research to present a new idea, however simple, into the public consciousness."

Where is the line in all of this? Should people change the way they speak to meet some new standard?

"The line in all of this is that when you're told your voice lacks credibility, or that you use too many qualifiers, or you see articles in your feed about how women who speak a certain way could lose out on jobs, we have to question the source. It's usually just plain sexism meant to shut us up or make us feel insecure. Being a woman in this culture is like being on a roller coaster of mixed signals. So no, I would say: Never change the way you speak, unless it's important to you."