Consent isn’t a checkbox—it’s a relationship.

In this episode, Becky Mollenkamp and Faith Clarke dig into the messy, nuanced reality of consent. Moving far beyond the simplistic “yes means yes” framework, they explore how power dynamics, discomfort, and unspoken pressure shape whether consent is actually present.

From workplaces to relationships to leadership, they challenge the idea that words alone determine consent—and make the case for deeper awareness, ongoing check-ins, and paying attention to what’s not being said.

This is a conversation about power, humanity, and what it really takes to create environments where people can genuinely choose.

In This Episode, We Cover:

• The difference between performative consent and real consent
• Why “they said yes” is often not the full story
• How power dynamics distort people’s ability to consent
• The role of nonverbal communication (and why words aren’t enough)
• Why leaders have a responsibility to pay closer attention
• Consent as an ongoing, relational process—not a one-time agreement
• How discomfort prevents both giving and receiving real consent
• The problem with forcing vulnerability in workplace culture
• Why “use your words” can be an oversimplification
• Real-life examples of honoring consent—even when it costs something

🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Let’s clear something up right away: discomfort and conflict are not the same thing.

But most of us treat them like they are, and that misunderstanding is costing us. In our relationships, in our leadership, and in the kind of world we say we want to build.

In this first episode of our discomfort series, I’m joined by Faith Clarke to break down what discomfort actually is (hint: it lives in your body), what conflict actually is (hint: it lives between people), and why so many of us are doing everything we can to avoid both.

We talk about:

• Why your brain is so quick to label discomfort as danger
• How power and identity shape your relationship to conflict
• The stories you tell yourself that escalate everything
• And why learning to stay with discomfort might be one of the most important leadership skills you can build

If you’ve ever avoided a hard conversation, over-accommodated to keep the peace, or spiraled over something small—this one’s for you.

🔑 What We Cover in This Episode:

• The difference between discomfort (internal) and conflict (relational)
• Why discomfort is often a somatic, body-based experience
• How conflict arises from competing stories—not just feelings
• The role of power, privilege, and identity in how we handle conflict
• Why many of us were conditioned to believe conflict is “bad”
• Fight, flight, freeze, fawn—and what they look like in real life
• The importance of threat assessment (is this actually dangerous?)
• How meaning-making turns small discomfort into full-blown spirals
• Why avoiding discomfort makes everything more expensive (emotionally, mentally, physically)
• The possibility of healthy conflict as a tool for growth and co-creation

🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Becky and Faith kick off their discomfort series with something deceptively small: a middle-of-the-night argument about an open window. What starts as a relatable story about being woken up at 3am becomes a real-time breakdown of how discomfort turns into conflict — and what we can do about it.

They dig into the stories we tell ourselves when we feel disrespected, why anger is actually energy looking for justice, and how our nervous system state determines what choices are even available to us in heated moments. Plus: why the low-stakes conflicts are exactly where we should be building our conflict navigation muscles — so we're ready when the stakes are actually high.

In this episode:
• How a single moment of discomfort becomes a full conflict narrative
• What your body is trying to tell you before you do something you'll regret
• The difference between the stimulus and the story
• Why choosing your response is a form of agency, even at 3am
• How small conflicts are training ground for the big ones
• Using conflict as a tool to actually improve your relationships

🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

This short conversation kicks off a new Feminist Founders mini-series on discomfort.

Becky Mollenkamp and Faith Clarke start by unpacking a question many of us struggle to answer clearly: What’s the difference between discomfort and conflict?

They explore how discomfort often shows up first as a somatic signal in the body—tight shoulders, a knot in your stomach, a sense that something isn’t right. Conflict, on the other hand, tends to emerge when our stories about a situation collide with someone else’s.

The conversation moves into how identity, power, and lived experience shape our relationship to both discomfort and conflict. Becky reflects on how whiteness and privilege can create an expectation that comfort should always be restored quickly. Faith shares how marginalized identities often require learning to navigate discomfort without the luxury of avoiding it.

Together they discuss:

• The difference between internal discomfort and interpersonal conflict
• How meaning-making can escalate discomfort into conflict
• The role of power, identity, and cultural conditioning
• Fight, flight, freeze, fawn—and the possibility of facing discomfort instead
• Why learning to sit with discomfort is essential for building something new

This episode lays the groundwork for the rest of the series, where Becky and Faith will share stories and tools for navigating discomfort more skillfully in leadership, business, and social change work.

🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

CALLING ALL COACHES: What if your coaching practice felt sustainable, values-aligned, and deeply yours? Join feminist coaches Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown for a free workshop on Feb. 25th to learn 3 essentials for building a practice that lasts, and to draft your own liberatory coaching manifesto. Sign up at https://messyliberation.com/

👉 Capacity for Conflict workshop on March 11, 2026: https://feministfounders.co/workshop/

What does it actually look like to live your values — not in theory, but in the middle of a messy, real-life situation?

In this conversation, Becky and Faith unpack a recent experience that brought questions of mutual aid, identity, power, and discomfort to the surface. After an unexpected financial crisis, their community rallied to offer support — and what followed was a deeply honest exploration of what it means to ask for help, receive care, and navigate the complicated feelings that come with both.

Together, they reflect on the emotional and relational layers that surfaced: fears about perception, internalized narratives around self-sufficiency, the tension between gratitude and vulnerability, and the ways discomfort can be a doorway to growth rather than something to avoid.

They also introduce a framework for understanding conflict and discomfort through three key relationships — with ourselves, with others and power, and with the problem itself — offering listeners practical ways to approach hard moments with more curiosity and compassion.

If you’ve ever struggled to ask for support, worried about how you’re perceived, or wondered how to live your values when things get complicated, this episode offers both resonance and reflection.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why discomfort isn’t a problem to solve — it’s information
• The emotional realities of mutual aid and community support
• How identity and stereotype threat can shape our responses to crisis
• What it means to receive help without shame
• Navigating fears of judgment, performativity, or “getting it wrong”
• The difference between charity and collective care
• How power dynamics show up in everyday situations
• Practicing liberatory values in imperfect, real-time ways
• A framework for working with conflict through relationship awareness
• Moving from judgment to curiosity when discomfort arises

🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

What does it actually look like to design a business that supports your capacity — instead of constantly stretching it?

In this episode of Feminist Founders, Becky Mollenkamp sits down with Tracie Root, founder of the Gather Community, to explore the tension so many entrepreneurs feel between showing up for clients and creating space for themselves.

They talk about what happens when a business grows out of community and starts to feel more transactional, how hustle culture conditioning shows up even when we intellectually reject it, and why rebuilding capacity is an ongoing process — not a quick fix.

Together they explore:

• The difference between doing and being in leadership
• Designing systems that reduce burnout
• Why asking for help can feel exhausting
• The emotional weight of keeping promises to clients
• Boundaries, spaciousness, and redefining responsibility
• How community businesses evolve over time
• Practical ways to create breathing room without breaking commitments

Tracie shares how her goal for the year is to feel more expansive — and what that means in real terms, from looking at her calendar differently to rethinking how support shows up in her business.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that sustainable leadership isn’t about doing less — it’s about designing differently.

If you’re a founder who wants to build a business rooted in care, integrity, and capacity, this episode will meet you exactly where you are.

🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

🔥 Meet Tracie Root – Your Guide to Living Boldly! 🔥
https://www.tracieroot.com/

Some people wait for life to happen. Tracie Root makes life happen.

After a devastating loss turned her world upside down, Tracie didn’t just rebuild—she reinvented herself. She faced financial crisis, single parenthood, and uncertainty head-on, choosing bold action over fear. What emerged was a woman on a mission—to help others step into their power, take charge of their future, and create success on their terms.

For over thirteen years, Tracie has inspired and coached women entrepreneurs nationwide, guiding them to break through barriers and build structured, sustainable, and thriving businesses. As the visionary force behind The Gather Community, she transformed in-person events into a powerful nationwide movement, connecting ambitious women who are ready to go all in.

Whether she’s lighting up the stage as a speaker, leading game-changing masterminds, or championing women to take BOLD, decisive action, Tracie’s energy is contagious.

When she’s not coaching or speaking, you’ll find her soaking up the Santa Cruz sunshine with her husband and their four-legged sidekick.

💡 Are you ready to think bigger, dream bolder, and take action? Then Tracie Root is the woman you need to meet!

In this episode of Feminist Founders, Becky Mollenkamp and Faith Clarke sit down with Angela Johnson, a trauma-informed marketing strategist and educator, for an honest conversation about capacity, mental health, and what it really looks like to divest from hustle culture without blowing up your livelihood.

Angela reflects on nearly two decades in business, the weight of self-blame when income fluctuates, and the slow, deliberate work of deconditioning from capitalist and patriarchal “shoulds.” Together, they explore parts work, neurodivergence, dopamine-seeking brains, and how founders can redesign their businesses around compassion, curiosity, creativity, and connection — not constant optimization.

This is a conversation about letting go, staying human, and choosing systems that support your nervous system instead of punishing it.

What we talk about
• Why burnout isn’t a productivity problem — it’s a systems problem
• How self-blame quietly becomes the default business model
• Divesting from hustle culture without abandoning financial reality
• Parts work, internalized “manager” voices, and listening to your true self
• Neurodivergence, dopamine, and why consistency can feel impossible
• Why fewer metrics — and different ones — can lead to more peace
• Building capacity without treating rest like a reward
• Redesigning your business around mental health, not endurance
• Letting go of social media and returning to relationship-based marketing
• Why “doing less” can actually make your business more sustainable

ABOUT ANGELA JOHNSON
Angela Johnson is known for helping rebel entrepreneurs turn their genius into a signature body of work and amplify their thought leadership using her simple one-page marketing plan. She has taught over 3,000 business owners how to stop chasing the algorithm and fitting into one-size-fits-all formulas by crafting a compelling message without using pain points or big promises.

With a Master of Professional Communication, her IRB-approved research on how trauma impacts small-business owners is an anchor of her work. Her trauma-informed approach is the antidote for equity-centered businesses that are dedicated to leading with their values in a world where honoring humanity is a radical act of resistance.

Angela has shared stages with thought leaders including Elizabeth Gilbert, Lynn Twist, and Lisa Nichols. Beyond her work as an adjunct professor and entrepreneur, she is happiest when she is creating anything with her hands, from painting, embroidery, and pottery to gardening. Angela lives on the stolen land of the Goshute Nation in Utah, with her partner of over 20 years, where together they spoil their rescue dog, who is the queen of the house.

Connect with Angela at www.angelamjohnson.com.

🎤 WE ARE PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE. JOIN US! http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

Check out the Season 10 trailer for Here’s What I Learned with Jacki Hayes, a fellow member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

This season is built around real experiments. Jacki isn’t just talking about ideas. She’s inviting coaches and service providers to assign her an actual experiment from their area of expertise. She runs it in her business, then they come back together to break down what worked, what didn’t, and what the results actually show.

If you like practical insight, honest reflection, and learning from real-world tests instead of polished theories, this season is worth a listen.

Find the show wherever you listen to podcasts or visit https://www.jackihayes.co/podcast