Adam Torres and Elisa Parker discuss Elisa’s new book.
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Show Notes:
New book alert! In this episode, Adam Torres interviews Elisa Parker, Founder of See Jane Do, explore Elisa’s new book, Mission Matters: Mission-Based Leaders Share Inspiring Stories on Power and Purpose (Women Leaders Edition, Volume 1), which was released by Dr. Nancy O’Reilly, Women Connect4Good and Mission Matters.
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About Elisa Parker
Elisa connects people through the power of story, partnership and solutions to amplify women’s leadership, and create equity for all. She has served as the founder of cutting edge organizations and programs, a nationally acclaimed radio host, producer, coalition builder, strategist and visionary for equity and social justice. She currently oversees Equal Voice | Equal Future, a new gender justice media hub championed by the Fund for Women’s Equality and its sister organization, the ERA Coalition. Elisa is the founder, director and host of the award-winning media program and organization, See Jane Do, co-founder & co-director of 50 Women Can Change the World in Media & Entertainment, Indivisible Women and 100 Women Change Hollywood. Other notable works include creating the Passion into Action™ Women’s Conference, TEDxGrassValley, Raising Jane and the See Jane Do Media Lounge. She’s spoken at events such as, The United State of Women Summit, UN Commission on the Status of Women, TEDx, The Women’s March, March for Civility, The Power Women Summit and Netroots Nation. She reaches thousands through partnership with like-minded organizations and develops organizational-wide initiatives, communications strategies for events and digital media campaigns that support gender equality, diversity and inclusion.
For over 17 years she has served as an award-winning talk radio host and DJ for KVMR and hosted and managed the Wild & Scenic Film Festival Media Lounge, the largest festival of its kind. Her interviews include luminaries such as Lily Tomlin, Gloria Steinem, Eve Ensler, Melissa Etheridge, Shawn Colvin, Mick Fleetwood, Donna Karan, Geena Davis, Patrick Stewart, Debra Winger, Yvon Chouinard, Jennifer Newsom, Michael Franti, Kathy Griffin, Krishna Das, Joan Blades, Indigo Girls, Sandra Bernhard, Monique Coleman, Simrit Kaur, Terry Tempest Williams, Helen Reddy and other positive deviants across the country who have taken a left turn and are creating new models, programs and systems to create positive social impact.
Elisa is a recipient of the Jody Fenimore Award for Public Affairs and Osborn-Woods Community Service Award. She served on the KVMR Board of Directors and the Advisory Committee to SheAngels. Elisa is an alumna of the Women’s Media Center Progressive Women’s Voices program, Take the Lead Women and the Vote, Run, Lead Go Run program. She holds a BA in Communications from San Francisco State and a MA in Organization Development & Leadership from the University of San Francisco.
Full Unedited Transcript
Hey, I’d like to welcome you to another episode of mission matters. My name is Adam Torres. And if you’d like to apply to be a guest in the show, just head on over to mission matters. com and click on, be our guest to apply. All right. So today is a very special episode. We’re welcoming back onto the show, Elisa Parker, and we are, who is now an author in our most recently released book mission matters.
It’s. Volume one we did with women connect for good and Dr. Nancy, and let me tell you, we’ve been working on this book for the last year, maybe a little bit more putting it together. We did some book launch in DC. Um, at Gloria Feltz event at which who is one of the authors. And I mean, we’ve been touring, we’re doing all kinds of stuff, but first off, uh, Elisa, welcome back to the show.
It’s so good to see you. Hi, Adam. It’s so great to be here. And yeah, it’s been, it’s been extraordinary journey. Hasn’t it even just this last year or so in the evolution of the We’re in, uh, 2025 now, and I definitely want to catch up and we’ll get into the book of course, and much more, but just to get us kicked off, we’ll start this interview the way that we start them all with what we like to call our Mission Matters Minute.
So Elisa, at Mission Matters, our aim and our goal is to amplify stories for entrepreneurs, for executives, for thought leaders, for experts, like that’s our mission. Elisa, what mission matters to you? My mission right now is for For myself and for all of us, just to encourage you to show up, um, in your best self.
And what I mean with that is with creativity, connection, collaboration, and catalyze it’s time to catalyze my mission, my mission still in my best life right now, Adam, honestly, with joy and love and grace and ease, and let’s add some fun and equity. I think I might have to add to my mission, some C’s, some alliteration.
You got me on that one. That’s good. So, so we’re in, uh, 2025. Um, I I’ve been asking a lot of people this and, uh, you, you tell me resolutions, not resolutions, goals, otherwise, like what, what in general, what do you think about as you start a new year? Oh my gosh. Well, Adam, first of all, I mean, this year. It’s unprecedented really.
Right. I mean, we’re in precedent at times. So in thinking about resolutions and I mean, honestly, it was a big blow with the elections, if I’m being honest about it, I think myself along with others have been in this moment of reflection and really culminating, culminating how I want to best show up right now.
And, and so I’ve, I’ve really honestly been just taking a breath for myself, a moment to think, how am I going to show up? And honestly, like. My mission right now and resolution is to show up with my family and, and creativity. I mean, I’m going to talk, we’re going to talk about creativity. I think quite a bit in this one, but for me right now, it is.
music. And how do we incorporate that? Because it helps define. I mean, music and storytelling defines our culture. It shapes our culture, right? And to me right now, that is so imperative, especially this year, especially for women, for, um, people of color, for other people who are underrepresented right now, as we move into a new political spectrum.
And this crazy multiverse, right? So, I mean, that’s all I can hope for really for myself is that it’s, I think it’s going to be in an amazing, extraordinary and, um, full, all the things this year, I don’t know if that answers your question about resolutions, but I just, No, it doesn’t. Not everybody makes it. A resolution.
I was just curious about what you’re like, what, what’s normally on your mind as you go into the new year. For me, it’s normally, uh, a lot, a lot of planning, a lot of other things, of course, everybody else. So I’m just being nosy. It’s what I do. I’m going to make some music and I’m going to collaborate with some amazing people like yourself, like the incredible, I love putting the intentionality out there for collaboration.
Collaboration is key. And, um, And doing that in the best way possible. Speaking of collaboration, I guess that’s a great transition. You teed up. Um, let’s get a little bit into your, into what you wrote and into maybe some of the inspiration for this. So first off, um, your writing in the book was titled the freedom to live your own best life and show up for her.
A lot of things you could have written about what inspired this particular topic. You know, Adam, after the, and following the pandemic, I had been. My life’s mission is we’re talking about mission and resolutions really has been about showing up in justice and equity for women. It’s been my work for over 20 years.
Um, I’ve done that through CJ do and creating a media platform for women and events, you know, in partnering mobilization, Tiffany Shlain and I did recently. Um, and You know, for this, the pandemic kind of hit me hard. It hit me sideways, everything stopped, all my projects, everything I had been working on, we’re getting ready for a new cohort in Hollywood that focused on creating equity in the industry.
And when everything stopped, I just, I, again, it was taking that moment and thinking, am I going to continue to do this again? Is this my life? I don’t know if others thought about that, but I mean, I reconnected again at a greater level with the natural world. I reconnected again with my voice and singing and music that has been part of my, my entire existence and started to listen to that again.
So I really just started listening. And, um, Uh, getting back in, you know, we talked about the E. R. A. It’s mentioned in the book, the Equal Rights Amendment, getting in with E. R. A. Coalition, getting back into that and storytelling. It really was a boost for me, and I’m so grateful for my experience with that.
And let’s hope the area is published soon. Come on, Joe Biden. I felt like it was a story. It was my story that was important to be told. And, um, as I talk about show up for her, It was showing up for myself, but also providing tools to help support others, men and women, and how you can show up for yourself as well.
Like it is time and the freedom to live your own best life is like the pandemic showed us like life is fragile. It’s short. Why not make the most of everything you were given? You have, you know, we have everything we need right now to make that happen. You were born with that. You were born with it, Adam, right?
And how you show up on this. So I, you know, when you, when that invitation was given, I was like, this is, I need to dive into my own personal quest and story about why I’ve been doing this and what it’s looking like in the future. You know, it’s, it’s important right now. You mentioned that you’ve been on this path, you know, for a solid, you know, 20 years or a couple, a couple decades there.
Um, how did you know? Like, and the reason I asked this question is because there’s a lot of people out there that are like, it’s uncertain times, as you said, um, a lot, a lot of different ways that they can go and a lot of different people choosing different paths and their actions. Um, how did you know that you were kind of on the right path to be working for and advocating and working towards women’s issues?
Like, how did you know? Yeah. That is such a great question. Um, I, I, my partner Chad and I have this term we call sweet synchronicities. So when I talk about this a little bit in the book where I open up my chapter. More alliteration. Now you brought out the S’s on me. Go ahead. Fine. Give me what’s your sweet synchronicities.
Move from the C to the S. Go ahead. Here we go. Sweet. Okay. So, you know, I open up my chapter with, you know, to listen. And what is your heart singing to you right now? Where do the feather, you know, when and where do the feathers lie on your path? I, we are in a time right now where, you know, we’re all energy and we attract that energy we create, you know, right now, I mean, you ask about resolutions, but we are creating intentions for ourself.
Yeah. Right. And that’s so key. Um, I mean, so I bring up the sweet synchronicities because I think we are born with certain, uh, what do you want to call it? Like, uh, callings urges and our lives, you know, and that’s why I think people, when you ask that question, go back to childhood, it’s like, I love to sing and I love to put on shows and bring people together and teach.
And what’s, I did love that as a child, so it’s interesting on how that showed up for me. And so, I mean, there’s elements that I just, you just know for yourself, right? And then when you think you’re on that path, when the feathers are in your path, that’s when you start, when you’re on that path, that’s when you start to see the feathers, and that’s when you start to See, you’re watching TV and they, the show mentioned something you were just talking about with your partner, right?
Those are all signs that you were exactly where you need to be and follow through with that, right? Cause intention also requires action. So, I mean, I think that that’s a key part. I mean, and then it’s like, in those early days, you were kind of like getting signs, like you would see a place or like, like, is that how it kind of, I mean, it’s.
It’s such a big and wonderful question. Like, when did you know this is, I mean, I’ll tell you this when I created CJ and do, um, I would have things that showed up for me. Like we moved to a small town from the city and I had just told my ex husband, like, I’m going to have a show and it’s kind of like what you and I were talking about.
And your, I’m not going to, I’m not going to, let’s put out that intention. I want everybody to know, Hey, I want to have a show in Vegas. I’ve been talking about this, but not all kinds of intentionality. And so there you go. Go ahead. Continue. Sometimes you’re, I mean, we’re an energetic channel. So sometimes like, Hey, so I remember though, this is the crazy thing is like, before I moved to this small town in Northern California, I was living in the city, working in training and organizational development.
And I told Michael, my ex, I was like, you know what? I am going to have a show. It’s probably going to be a radio show. It’s probably not going to be commercial. It’s going to be like Oprah like and it’s going to, it’s going to focus on women. Now, mind you, I hadn’t done radio since I was in high school. Wow.
I, I, we, I was fortunate enough where my high school, we had a radio and TV station and my professor said, you should really follow through with this. And then it was like, Right. 20 years later. Yeah. So I make this declaration for myself. So make a declaration for yourself. And it’s, it’s not, it’s not up to us to decide what the details are of getting that.
So I say that fast forward that year, we’re living in Nevada city. And all of a sudden I hear this radio station, local talk about looking for broadcasters. And I was like, Oh, I think that’s what I’m supposed to do. And I ended up being one of like the, I mean, I, I had like a top, I had a, I had a primetime show.
I did it for 17 years. And when CJ do happen, I just had that download. Like, what about women? What about women? I just started writing and journaling every night. Things would just come to me. And so I think it’s really important to like, just to write down being unscripted and not have barriers. Um, so now how do I know now?
Right. In addition to the sweet, sweet synchronicities, I really pay attention, Adam, to what is showing up in my life. Who are the people showing up in my life right now? I’ve met some extraordinary women and men just recently. And I’m listening to that. And I’m like, we’re supposed to make something happen together.
We’re supposed to co create something. And then our, that we’re holding each other accountable right now to ensure that we are sticking to whatever our true hearts, desire, and calling is. Right. And for me, right. So as I was mentioning music and and creativity and collaboration and so forth, social justice, I’m paying attention to that.
So that’s the long run roundabout way of answering your question. But no, it’s great. And I and I and when I think what it does too, is it lets the listeners and the viewers have an opportunity to kind of reflect at those signs in their own lives. Cause I, I think about that all the time. You call it sweet synchronicities.
I call it miracles. I call it just depends on, on like the, uh, uh, like I don’t, I don’t really believe in the whole happenstance of it though, that it just happened. And I feel like we get a lot of these signs and things that happen in our life. And if we’re really in flow, we’re really in tune that you get to recognize more of them and sometimes even at a faster pace, like depending on your energy and depending on your vibration.
It’s true. And it’ll accelerate too when you’re in that. So, I mean, even recently, I mean, part of the chapter I shared too, is always having this dream of like, I’m supposed to live in New York city. Now I’m a West coast or California girl. Yeah. Right. But I just knew, and unfortunately my person on the road out here, Dr.
Nancy, if you’re around, we got a little less traffic now. And also, like, I mean, unfortunately, my partner had that same dream as well. That sense of knowing, that inner knowing, I’m supposed to live in New York City. And so after the pandemic, I, you know, a lot more people here have that dream. I’m guy coastal, so I probably, I’m still over there.
I love, you know what, Adam? I love Brooklyn. I love New York. I thought there were more people from L. A. who hated New York. Sorry. I hope you do, because you know what? No, I said them. I’m fine. I like it here. I don’t want that call. I’m, you know what though? Here’s the deal. I, I talk about being Spiderwoman and like, my passion is really co creating community.
systemic change and all the goodness of that. And I haven’t even done that in my, in more recently in my little town for 20 years, I was like, you know what? My dream is to go to New York after the pandemic. I’m thinking, if not now, when is it going to be? I work remote, the teams over here in DC and New York, let’s go for it.
Let’s make it happen. And you know what we did. And so. And it’s a, you know, so part of that is imagination. Like, um, bell hooks says imagination is, it’s one of the most powerful modes of resistance that oppressed and exploited people can do or use. So we are at a time where you got to imagine the best things for yourself.
And like Adam said, then you do. Need to have action into that, right? So you have intention, you declare it, write it down, tell somebody else, and then there’s action and, but the right people and resources will show up for you. So I have a spot in Brooklyn now at Brooklyn bridge park, where we ended up right next to the water, which is what I envisioned, which is really crazy.
Um, and I have a spot where I get grounded. I’ll meditate and I throw out my intentions and declarations. To the water. It’s where the Atlantic, the Hudson and East river meet. And it’s really crazy, Adam. Like it’s wild that it’ll happen. Like I’ll set and I’ll say it. And there is some like, you know, even simple ways, like I was going back to California for a trip and I was like, I’d really love somewhere to be, you know, swim in a pool, look at the ocean and spend time with my girls who are both going to school back there.
Literally in the next day, a friend who I hadn’t talked to in years sent an invitation to come stay at her beautiful home in Santa Monica, has a swimming pool. And, um, and my daughters can come as well on the beach. Isn’t that crazy? Sweet synchronicity, but. Yeah, I didn’t want to digress on it, but those are the exciting things.
No, no, no, it’s great. That’s what I wanted. I wanted some goosebumps. You delivered. It’s good. You know? So there you go. I wanted some of those, like, wows, um, and Uh, what do you hope, and obviously there’s a lot of things in the book and a lot of things in what you wrote, but what are some, like, what is one of, like, the key either takeaways or even just feelings that you hope that your readers are gonna get out of, out of, out of reading your writing?
What I hope that Anyone who gets from reading this is number one, understanding the belief within your heart that anything is possible for you. And like I said earlier, you do have everything you need to make that happen. Um, the other part that I, I have shared a lot of stories in the chapter about how, um, Women are showing up for each other and, you know, in different capacities, like through the cohort in Hollywood, which is still together.
First, there’s still a deep sisterhood. I’m going to see some of them on Friday and showing up for each other. So the other part of that chapter is how we do show up for each other. And especially for women, I think. One of the great, the great, I won’t call it a trick, but a tool and resource for this is that when you show up for someone else, you’re putting that muscle into action, right?
Of what you also want for yourself. So, um, you know, if you’re in a networking situation, uh, you’re a dinner, I love to introduce, The other women who don’t know each other to each other. And, but it’s not just saying, Oh, this is Dr. Nancy O’Reilly with women connect for good. It’s saying, Hey, Dr. Nancy O’Reilly, this is Tiffany Shlain of let it ripple.
And, you know, Dr. Nancy has done such an extraordinary job of showing up for other women, uh, just publish this incredible book, uh, bringing in other women offers authors. And then Tiffany. You know, who, who’s an incredible artist and talk about imagination. Like you two need to know each other, right? That’s the next step too.
So it’s, it’s already doing a shout out for like, this person’s amazing. This person’s amazing. And then I love to just, Explore like what is the connection for that? Like what is the deeper connection? So, I mean that’s a big a big part of that chapter too is just some tools and techniques And how you can show up for yourself and each other But I mean if anything adam too, it’s just I think right now we all need that extra boost of right, um, we’re in really interesting times right now and imagination is key And to show up with wonder and love is essential.
And so if my chapter, you know, reading that you can get that little boost or the goosebumps for yourself, like that’s, that’s, that’s all I need for that. Well, at least this has been a lot of fun having you on the show today and getting to finally catch up. It’s been a little bit since we last spoke. So, so final question, uh, what’s next?
I mean, what’s next for you? What’s next for 2025? What’s next for 2025? I’m doing some declarations like you have, Adam. So, I mean, um, yeah, here we go. So, um, what’s next? I’m really excited about, uh, creating a show with, um, both my partner and possibly a couple of other women that is going to be an experience of, um, Bringing people in, reminding everyone of what is the essence and the extraordinary, wonderful parts of being human.
We’re in an AI world and like the essence of, and the gift of being human is pretty awesome. So creating a show around that. I’m excited to do that. And, um, talk about Tiffany Schlain. We are working together, uh, launching. You just sent me an email, didn’t you? I did. I invited you. What is it? Talk to me. What is it?
Here we go. Like for the elections. Uh, which, however you voted, I mean, for half of us, it wasn’t the results we wanted. Um, and it was very, you know, it was very close. It was very close, 49%, 48%. And so, we’re looking at lifting up the other half and reminding everyone that we are here. So, I’m really excited that with both, uh, Dr.
Nancy O’Reilly, Tiffany Schlain, the Let It Ripple team, That we are launching. We are here gatherings on inauguration day and MLK Dr. Martin Luther King jr. Day on January 20th, that we’re going to bring some light and love and connection and feature some of Tiffany’s amazing films and using those as a jumpstart to start talking with each other and connecting and exploring like how we’re going to show up with each other.
And all this, because it is going to be a lot, but I do, you know, the pendulum swings both ways, right? So there’s a lot of light within the darkness and all you need is that spark. So I’m excited about that. I’m excited to jump in my next, into my next big thing and really continue to cultivate community and cohorts for social justice and equity for all.
And let’s bring in the creative juices with that. Let’s make music. Let’s make art. Let’s help restore, uh, and support and redefine what it means to support the arts too, because it’s so important and it’s disheartening when you see it, um, being taken away in so many ways. So, um, that’s, that’s what I’m looking at in 2025, grace and ease, love and joy, no harm to others.
It’s going to be a pretty powerful year. How do people follow you? How do they follow you? How do they connect? So you can connect with me at, you can email me at Elisa at CJ and do. com. Uh, also check out the stories of the incredible people that I’ve been able to connect with and highlight through CJ and do over the years that CJ Jane do.
com and also stay connected on LinkedIn as well. And on Instagram, Elisa CJ and do. Perfect. And for everybody that’s watching, just so you know, we’ll definitely put the links in the show notes. So you can just click on the link and head right on over. And speaking of the audience, if this is your first time with mission matters and you haven’t done it yet, hit that subscribe or follow button.
This is a daily show each and every day. We’re bringing you new content, new ideas, new thought leaders, and hopefully new inspiration. the way on your journey as that subscribe or follow I think I’m still allowed year, seven days after, I say happy new year.
