This is a short narration of my blog entry on the October 7th massacre. In December of 2023, I was invited to the Israeli embassy for a private screening of video footage depicting part of the attack. I saw approximately 140 innocent people get killed by Hamas terrorists, and many taken hostages. This episode contains details that are graphic and distressing, listener discretion is advised. #hamasisraelwar #october7massacre #10/07

Heidi Chance, retired Detective from the Phoenix Police Department, has 27 years of law enforcement experience, 13 of those years working deep undercover in the dark sex trafficking world. Heidi shares her journey, from being inspired by her father, a retired police officer, who also served in the Phoenix P.D. for 26 years, to  joining law enforcement at age 18 and becoming the first female cadet! In this cadet program, Heidi was assigned badge #2! She then takes us through her career and talks to us about her role as an undercover and putting away monsters for life. Heidi shares with us cases that will expose you to monsters, to victims, and to people like Heidi and her team, who work to protect our tweens and teenagers. This is an episode you don't want to miss!   *Disclaimer: This episode contains language that might be offensive to some. Discretion is advised.

Sarah Shendy, Ohio’s first Egyptian-Muslim female police sergeant, takes us on a journey from Cairo to Ohio, talking to us about her life in Egypt, immigrating to the US, and her amazing 16-year law enforcement career. Sarah tells us about the challenges she faced at a young age, which exposed her to the DARE program, a program that changed her life. Sarah herself later on gave back and ran her own DARE, which was on steroids! Sarah has been doing amazing policing work building a bridge between the Arab community and law enforcement. She was recently named an Arab-America Foundation 40/40 honoree! Listen to Sarah, who is an amazing human, woman, and police officer!

As we all know, our heroes in blue go on quietly doing their job, working to protect the innocent and put the bad guys away. They face stress and challenges that many of us don't. Lindsay McCall Long, had served as a police officer for 14 years, when she was shot in the line of duty while responding to a domestic violence call. In this episode, Lindsay shares her fascinating life story, and opens up with many personal anecdotes: from her childhood to losing her father at age 17, to experiencing post-partum depression, to tragically and senselessly losing a colleague at her police department. She also recounts the day she was shot, ,how it not only impacted her but her family as well, and how she made the tough decision to medically retire after almost 17 years of service.   Today, Lindsay is a keynote speaker at many events where she shares her story and talks about challenges, resilience, and survival. Tune in on your favorite podcast platform to listen to Lindsay's inspiring story and gain a new perspective on the challenges faced by law enforcement officers.   #podcast #lawenforcement #policewomen #careers #bi #womenempowerment #crime #resilience #trauma #inspirationalstory

Kristen Ziman kicks off Season 3, a special Season dedicated to our women in Blue!  Kristen broke the glass ceiling by becoming the first woman Chief of Police of the Aurora Police Department in Illinois. She had an extraordinary 30-year career and in this riveting episode she shares her personal and professional stories. A journey into the law enforcement world that is full of emotions, learning, challenges and successes! From the people who inspired her, to chasing a bad guy, to realizing words are powerful, to letting criticism become fuel, she has a real conversation about what it was like to be a woman in the police world! Listen now to learn all about Kristen!

Jennifer Cormack closes season 2 with her extraordinary story! From working as a photographer, to joining the army to then becoming a badass FBI Special Agent, Jen shares her journey with us. Jen talks to us about why she joined the army, her role as a hazmat member in the 2009 crash of Continental Express flight 3407, which led to her receiving an Impact Award, how she earned a QSI (quality step increase) later in Las Vegas, and her roles as LNO (liaison officer) for CENTCOM and SOCCENT. Jen and I also discuss her post-retirement life and her role in ICITAP EMPoWER, Skull Games and her own private eye! For a retired agent, Jen surely stays busy!

This episode concludes my EMPoWER micro series! Grace Mason from the Department of State and Sugi Gomathinayagam from the Department of Justice close out this mighty episode. Sugi shares her personal story and talks to us about her journey in the Peace Corps in Ukraine, the amazing work she did in the Balkans, and her current role as Acting Deputy Assistant Director for the International Criminal Investigative Training Assistant Program (ICITAP) Europe and Eurasia Region. Grace talks to us about the importance of the USG's Women in Peace and Security (WPS) program and Lynn Holland surprises me with a shout-out near the end!  #empowerment #lawenforcement #women

This is Part 2 of my EMPoWER micro-series. In this episode, Lynn Holland and Vanessa DuBoulay, two amazing women from the Department of Justice ICITAP EMPoWER, the International Criminal Investigative Assistance Program, Engaging Multinational Police Women in Equality and Rights, share with us their personal stories and journey into the EMPoWER world. Learn about Lynn and her phenomenal 33 career in law enforcement as she talks to us about becoming the first U.S. female peacekeeper to be sent to Haiti and working high-profile cases in Kosovo during the Kosovo war.  Listen to Vanessa talk to us about immigrating to the United States, developing a passion for international affairs, and how she is making waves by elevating the policewomen in Jordan and Kenya.

In honor of International Women's Day, five extraordinary women from the Department of State and the Department of Justice joined me to talk about the International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program, Engaging Multinational Police Women in Equality and Rights, ICITAP EMPoWER. This part 1 of the EMPoWER micro-series.  In today's segment you will hear from Grace Mason, Program Manager for the U.S. Department of State, Counterterrorism Bureau Programs Office;  and, from Ivana Brennan,  Deputy Assistant Director for the ICITAP Global Programs and Women, Peace, & Security (WPS) Unit. Grace and Ivana share with us the importance of EMPoWER, whose mission is to increase the number of women in counterterrorism efforts around the world and develop them professionally by providing top-notch training and resources, and connecting them across regions. But like every Badass in Heels episode, Grace and Ivana  share their story letting us in their world. For more on Grace, Ivana, #ICITAP, and #EMPOWER visit my website.

Retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent Stacy Arruda shows us a glimpse into the cyber world at the FBI! She served in the FBI for 22 years and worked cyber most of her career, becoming a sought out subject matter expert. In this episode, Stacy shares her story, from working for Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to to hunting down online sex predators via the first FBI's online undercover operation. She talks to us about tracking state-sponsor hackers and investigating computer intrusion attacks, and she talks to us about the biggest cyber threats for people like you and I. This episode will surely keep you wired! Listen to Stacy's story today to learn more about her phenomenal career and what she is up to now!

In this episode, retired Supervisory Special Agent Grace O'Neill takes us through her 24-year law enforcement career journey. From working as a police woman in the Chula Vista Police Department to her fabulous 21 year career in the Bureau in the Santa Ana Resident Agency, now known as Orange County RA, where she worked narcotics, white collar, and counterterrorism. Just as many of us law enforcement women, Grace struggled from the beginning of her career with finding the perfect suit! The little things that matter when you have to carry a weapon, creds, handcuffs, and are a woman! After retirement, she created Fit For Duty Clothier, which specializes in suits for law enforcement women- how spectacular is this! Tune in today to listen to her story, about her amazing work with the Bureau, and to listen more about FFD Clothier.

In this episode, retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent Stephanie Yanta talks to us about her life and journey in law enforcement and in the military. From joining the Indiana University ROTC to becoming the first female Commander for a newly formed 638th Military Intelligence Battalion in Indiana, to joining the Bureau and kicking butt! Stephanie served in the FBI for 25 years, where she investigated cold homicide cases, narcotics, cyber, and terrorism. During her FBI tenure, Stephanie was the case agent of the largest drug seizure in the history of the D.C. area and was a member of the Hazardous Materials Response Team. Stephanie operated in overseas environments having deployed to the Middle East, Afghanistan three times, Europe and Africa. She earned the highest award within the Department of Justice, the Attorney General’s Award, for her efforts during the May 2010 Times Square attempted bombing. Stephanie retired as an FBI profiler from the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU). Tune in today to listen to her amazing story! #FBI #womeninlawenforcement #leadership #women

Retired Supervisory Special Agent Lou Ann Sandstrom served in the FBI for 28 years. In this episode, she takes us to the world of SWAT, having become the first female operator in the Oklahoma City Division. She shares with us her career from working narcotics and terrorism, to becoming a crisis negotiator and a polygrapher!  Lou Ann even conducted her first arrest in high heels, a Badass in Heels, for sure!

Retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent Beth O'Brien served in the FBI for 28 years! She worked civil rights and environmental violations and espionage at Oak Ridge, Knoxville. Are you thinking Oppenheimer? While in Norfolk, she racked up about 72 convictions and saved a man's life! She became the first SSA at the Knoxville office, where she also acted as Special Agent in Charge (SAC) and Acting Special Agent in Charge (ASAC), while still covering her SSA desk! Beth shares with us the challenges of being at the Academy and a new mom at HQ. Tune in now to listen to her amazing story-- from attorney to badass Special Agent!

Special Agent Amber Mann from the Omaha Field Office lets us in her journey in the world of the ATF and FBI. In her short tenure with the Bureau, Amber has worked white collar crime and human trafficking. She now leads the Violent Crimes Against Children (VCAC) task force, where she does extraordinary work saving children, teenagers and young adults from predators. Amber shares with us stories of "Runaway Girls," who perhaps had hope for a better life, but instead, fell pray to pimps and the on-line prostitution world. Listener discretion is advised.

Sasha Taylor medically retired from the FBI after serving for 11 years as an Intelligence Analyst. Sasha supported several portfolios at FBI Headquarters from counterterrorism to counterproliferation. In this episode, Sasha starts by talking to us about her early years, a very challenging episode of her life, in which she was forced into marriage as a child. Sasha shares her story, how she came out a survivor, and how she made it to the Bureau. She talks to us about what it was like to work at HQ, in different units and with different people. Sasha also shares how difficult it was to prematurely part ways with the Bureau. Sasha concludes by talking to us about how she is now an advocate against child marriage and violence against women, an effort that she effects through her consultant company Reality of a Desi Girl. Sasha's story is that of pain, of gender inequality and loss of rights, of traditions that have made their way to the United States, of suffering in silence, but most importantly of resilience and survival. This is an emotional charging episode, one that I hope educates you on the matter, and hopefully, it helps someone in need.

In the second part of episode 11, retired Supervisory Special Agent Rhonda Glover Reese talks to us about leadership. She tells us about the challenges of ascending the ladder into Senior Executive Service (SES) positions and how those challenges put her on the path of true leadership! She also shares with us about her many accolades, her decisions to start mentoring and coaching others, and her company the Rhonda M. Glover Group LLC.

Dr. Rhonda Glover Reese is a retired Supervisory Special Agent who served in the FBI for 34 years. She held various leadership roles from Program Manager/Program Coordinator, Supervisory Special Agent to Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC). She also had temporary duty assignments within the Senior Executive Service at FBIHQ. In part 1 of episode 11, Dr. Reese talks to us about her mother, a hidden figure! Yes, she was a mathematician for NASA! and how her mother was her inspiration. Dr. Reese talks to us about her journey into the Bureau, beginnings, progressions, her work as an Undercover Agent and leading narcotic investigations, and we begin our conversation about her leadership journey!

Larissa Knapp is the current Executive Assistant Director (EAD) of the FBI's National Security Branch. EAD Knapp is the highest-ranking FBI Special Agent and the first Asian American woman to achieve such branch. Talk about breaking the glass ceiling! EAD Knapp and I engage in a candid conversation about her life and career. Tune it to hear how a girl raised in New York climbed to the top and how she leads the FBI with excellence!

Special Guest Bob Dougherty, a retired CIA Operations Officer, with 26 years of Agency experience, 23 of which he spent undercover working terrorism matters, and I have a conversation about the Israel-Hamas war. We have a candid discussion and provide our thoughts on the war, perspectives based on working the Hamas threat and potential impact on the homeland, and talk about how to stay vigilant during these heightened state of security.