[applause] hello. Hi you. Od to see you can sit right here. Thank you all right. Lets get started. Everybody. Good morning. What a nice group of ladies altogether. This is fantastic. Thank you so much for being here. I know we have a lot of questions for you. So i want to get started. First, i have to start by asking about the topic everybody in d. C. Is talking about. Impeachment. Knows, President Trump has decided to sit out that process. Wondered if you could give us insight into why he decided that. You, as anll tell american, i am slightly ashamed to see the process that we have in washington, d. C. The reality is, this is based on i think very clearly the democrats seem a run againstd to donald trump. Inaugurated ins 2017, the Washington Post immediately put out a story impeaching donald trump. This is sting that started way back when. First we had the allegations of russia collusion against this president , which two years later the Mueller Report finally came out. 30 million taxpayer dollars. And we saw there was no russia on behalf of the president and our campaign. Now they have switched their focus. Withhere was a phone call ukraine. There was no quid pro quo. There was no wrongdoing. There was nothing impeachable. The democrats feel that the only way i think to get this president out of the white house and impeach him. Hes been afforded no due process. He cooperate with them . Why should he go along with this process . Lot to alear he has a say. He does have a lot to say. So he can go forward and say part of the story. I think the bottom line here is the people who will judge him will be the voters. And really, listen, if you dont like the president , thats your vote him out of office. It should not be done based on impeachment. American public is this. Austed with weve gone through this since he was elected president. Ukrainee here with the situation. I think most people are tired of it. I think most people would prefer congress to focus on their job, doing things for the country. Hopefully we have something happened with usmca. There was movement on that, which is great. But i think people are getting really tired of it. I think their purpose would be in congress to focus on doing things for the country. Traveling youre out the country as you do, what are you hearing from voters . What are you saying to voters criticize the president for stone walling . Thats the word thats been used, stone walling democrats . I generally dont hear that because i go,tly whether its an airplane or irport, traveling all over, get such positive messages from people. I cant tell you the number of that haveendants slipped me a napkin that says, tell him to keep fighting. To come out want and say it. But many people support this president , many more, i think, than in 2016. Donald trump was sort of an sphere. In the political we all knew who donald trump was. He was a businessman, obviously apprentice, a television personality. But i think a lot of people how would he be as president. Now you see the fact that over seven million jobs have been manufacture 500,000 manufacturing jobs have now come back from overseas to states. Ed we have the lowest unemployment in the history of this country. Things that matter to people. I think people are scared oftentimes to support this president outwardly but they come up to me. So those are the things that i generally hear when im out. President trump has said that impeachment is going to be a on his legacy. You talked about how hard its been on your family. Have a different view. You think it actually can benefit him. Do you think it will help him win the election . I think when people see what here, and, again, i think people are so exhausted by process entire process, it really feels like the democrats are not willing to is adonald trump legitimate president , that they want to redo the 2016 election peoples votes away. Thats what impeachment is. It removes a president from office. Infuriatesreally people out there. Whenever they feel like this is a president that is finally finally their language, doing the things that so many president s before had promised to do, like moving the American Embassy in israel to jerusalem, something thats not a big deal to a lot of people. Every otherhing president promised to do. Donald trump did it. Leveling the Playing Field with trade. We see the usmca is on the finish line here. Hopefully we can get it passed. As ay, i think people whole find it offensive, that voted for donald trump, that playing out. Is they dont believe he needs to be impeached. They dont see anything wrong thatthe phone call allegedly spurred this whole impeachment inquiry and i think that everfor people decided or thought about for a second, maybe im not going to out and vote for the president again, theyre so by this process, theyre telling all their outnds and family to come and vote for him. I have people say things to me all the time, like you know what . Vote for donald trump in 2018. Hes done such a great job and im so mad at what theyre trying to do to him, that everyone is voting for him. It really encourages people, you know what . Theyre trying to take your vote away. Youve got to get out there and vote in 2020. Poll thatas a recent showed that you are the leading republican to replace congressman peter king of new york. We all know hes retiring. Would you be interested in running for that seat . That was a shock to me, im be very honest with you. I am not running for congress. Makinglely dedicated to sure the president is reelected in 2020. You cant rule anything out. Know what can happen. I dont live in that district but im truly honored that consider me. The first i heard of it was when reporter called me and said, could you comment on the poll about you running for congress . Im not sure at all what youre talking about. But that was a really nice thing to here. Am currently not running for congress, no. It doesnt sound like youre something out down the road now . A i think well all need decompression from politics after this. But i could never say never. Youre, obviously working on the president s campaign and youve been working to try to attract more women to trumps campaign. I wonder, if you can quickly tell us a couple ways youre on that. In 2016. Way i got involved with the president s campaign, it was sort of, i guessknow, grassroots i you would say. In television, i worked for inside edition for five years. I flew down to north carolina, my home state, to go with my forerinlaw to my hometown a rally. One thing led to another. Its such a donald trump thing the end of that trip looked at me and said, im going to put you in charge of winning north carolina. Not a big deal, right . Huge deal. Out. Freaking but i, of course, said i would love to do that. Of women. Ther a group i got a bus. We were shocked by the people us. Came out to see were replicating that now. Our women for trump coalition. Really the way were encouraging to get involved is by talking to their friends, to atir Family Members, parents their kids school, hosting events to get together and talk supporting the president , getting out there and talking about the fact that they support the president , because, again, i think a lot of people are very nervous to outwardly support president. Obviously our i dont know with the our job with the campaign overall is to talk about the things that have been accomplished in this country. Results speak for themselves, of those seven over halfbs created, went to women. Thats sorts of things we just have to get out there and i people of as we approach 2020. Overwhelmingly voted for democrats in 2016 and 2018. A recent poll that showed that the Approval Rating for with women p this is a politico poll was at 34 . What does he need to do . Does he need to stop talking about hot button issues like immigration and gun rights and talk about other issues . I think at the end of the listen, polls have never fully reflected peoples sentiments for this president. Most of the polling showed that Hillary Clinton would be the next president and our President Trump. Ow the donald people do not generally i dont think theyre very honest when it comes to donald trump. The way we measure things in the fundraising. 25 of our about fundraising came from women. Were seeing that 50 of our fundraising is coming from women. Tole they may not be talking a pollster about it, they are donating to this campaign. How about the white, suburban women that you need . The suburbs are very tough for you guys. Women forpart of our trump coalition. Were encouraging women to get talk to people and to post on your social media and to support this president and talk accomplishes, because i the accomplishments, because i think oftentimes headlines. Read the lets be honest, the hems for are theent headlines for this president are mostly negative. If youre only getting that i think your view of this president is very skewed. Whenever you talk to somebody and say, yeah, but do you know this, this, and this, i think it actually starts to know werele and i making headway there. I know youre busy on the republican side. Side, we havetic a big nomination going. At alobuchar recently said democratic debate that male and feels candidates, she theyre treated differently. I was wondering if you think women candidates are treated differently . From my view, no. Listen, weve all been able to and everybodys gets their appropriate spot on stage, an equal amount of time to speak. Have just as much opportunity as anyone to get out there and campaign and be on and get their message out there. Im not, sure, you know, exactly she meant by that, to be honest with you. But from my perspective and the i can see it, i would say its been a pretty fair process now i want to turn the topic thats very important for me. Im fighting for access to the the white house every day. You studied communications in allege, briefly worked at news station in north carolina. You mentioned inside edition. President trump has, as you know, mentioned several times that the media is the enemy of the people. Agree ord if you disagree with that statement. Well, i think thats up for the American People to decide. At theif you look Overall Coverage of this president and you look at the think 96 of his Media Coverage is negative, think about trying to do your 96 of the information out there is negative about you. It feels like people are constantly attacking you. Worrisome as an american citizen when you feel like the media, instead of news, is dictating the news as they want you to see it. That has been his main problem since day one. Sort of sounds like you agree then. Agree ordnt say i disagree. Again, its up to the American People to decide. For me, it does get frustrating not only a Senior Advisor to his campaign but as a family constant see the negative against him. It never stops and were all it now and it happens to all of us too. It becomes a little worrisome, again, whenever it media, instead of just reporting what they are witnessing out there, is kind of skewing things and presenting in a way that they think angle peoples minds in a certain direction. Now i want to talk to you about something most people in may not know about. That youre interested in animal rescue. Yes. President recently signed an animal cruelty bill a couple weeks ago. You can tell us what role you played in getting that signed into law. Atobviously i do not work the white house, not part of the administration. But i am a Family Member to the he has known me as the crazy animal lady from day one. Always have been. Have that moniker. So whenever i first learned about the pact act, and this makes animal cruelty and torture federal crime, its actually shocking to a lot of people that that hadnt happened before, was not implemented already. I have been sort of coaxing my and saying,w listen, this is something that would be great, something way overdue, and behind the scenes, to republican, congressional members, saying this is something we should support and champion. Capacity, i really helped hopefully get him on board with this and maybe pushed otherwisee who wouldnt have considered it to sign on to this bill. So you went to capitol hill people . Ed to i did, yeah. How many members of congress would you say you talked to . Talk to any democrats . Yes. I want everybody on board for the animals. On that atagree least, right . For the animals. How many people would you say to . Talked i started probably two and a half years ago, so its been a while. It up. Nt tally maybe 10, 1 different people. The didnt realize you were crazy animal lady. How many animals do you have . Have two dogs. I would have about 50 if our apartment would allow it. To a differente locations, perhaps youll see me a multitude of animals. Now im going to get to my favorite part, the lightning round. Going to ask you a few questions. Just limit yourself to a few words if you could. Ill do my best. Whats a question you wish you could ask at next weeks debate . Ic oh, my gosh, lightning round it started you know what . How about something along the lines of, what do you feel should be done to benefit this country . Since were talking about the animals. That would be a question i would like to know. Heard that one yet. Whats one thing President Trump has said to make you cringe . [laughter] im trying to think of one. What . Ow i wont tell you the name that he suggested. Hell know what it is if he sees this. He suggested a name for our daughter that i dont think my husband or i agreed with. Got to tell us the name. Needless to say, our andhters name is carolina, we did not go with the name he gave to me. You do not want to share the name . Ill keep that private. A female democratic lawmaker that you admire. I think you do have to admire pelosi. Shes been in the game for a long time. I know shes coming to speak here. [applause] shes trying to remove your fatherinlaw from office. She has tenacity. She certainly is willing to put down whenever she needs to. Whether or not i agree with it, thats a different story. Admire certainly can somebody for spending their life, you know, here in tohington, d. C. And trying serve the country. Ok. Youve spent a lot of time with President Trump, as hes in your family. What is something that would surprise us about him that we dont know . Well, he doesnt always get two scoops of ice cream. To a lotat is shocking of people. Listen, he is such a kindhearted person and i know most people who just get the information out there daytoday from the Mainstream Media find that hard to believe. But i can tell you, i grew up in a very small town in north carolina. I come from a middle class family. And whenever i first met donald trump, well before he decided to made mepresident , he feel so comfortable and welcomed me with open arms and wanted to learn aboute and me. And it really is just like any meeting anyone elses dad. The name trump added an extra layer on to kind of the yours when you meet possible future inlaw but i just know the way hes always me. Ted and i would only i only wish other people could see that side of him. Well, were almost out of time. I wanted to make sure to ask you one other thing. Mother, obviously of youre a mother of two young children. Im a mother myself. Know i talk to parents about how much we should tell our children about whats going on country today. Things are so divisive these years. W i wondered, when your children get old enough to understand old enough, what do you want them to understand about the role that you played in Politics Today . Want my kids to know that i fight for something i believe in. And whenever you believe it, down in your heart and you know the person personally, you the right always thick to do to fight for thing to do to fight for that, in,t for what you believe no matter what it is. I hope that they one day know that aboutll learn me. I think theyll learn very quickly that im not putting up them. Ny nonsense from i have a twoyearold and a threemonthold, so were not yet. There my twoyearold this morning was trying to tear down our christmas tree. Just fighting for what you believe in, standing up for what you believe in is importanthe most thing. All right. Thank you so much for coming. We loved having you. It. Ppreciate all right. Please welcome to the stage news and cohost of outnumbered, harris faulkner. Wow you guys are beautiful wait until you see my panel. All right. Im harris. This. Do [applause] were going to talk about choices, Lessons Learned from the ones weve already made to ones weve yet to make and the growth weve experienced from choosing one path or another. And remember, there will always be some risks, heartbreak, old and new. Etween competition can be pierce. And even fierce. And even wild, unimagined success. It determines how far you will rise. Panel. E tammy wincup, president of protocol. [applause] werwin. W dermalogica. Determin c. E. O. Of clear. [applause] and senator Tammy Duckworth, democratic senator from illinois. [cheering] all right. So i do a little bit of tv. Say that i turn a blind eye to a clock. Well, i cant do that today. Got a little less than 30 minutes and were gonna rock it. I just ask, if you havent put your cell phones on silent. Im going to go to my right with started withus your definition of success and one powerful step you took when on your journey. Wow. You know, i think that everyone clearlysuccess differently. I think for me, i am a company builder. And so this is protocol is a themedia venture focused on people, politics, power and technology. This is my fourth venture. I think that the idea of success in my career has really been the story. To tell my own that has encompassed both Early Companies and also large organizations, but the ability to weave the risk and to weave in between those, in addition to marriage and three children and success to, and so me has really been defined by being focused on the mission of organizations that youre focused in. Number one. Defining your, success in each one of those, but recognizing that your not defined only by one of those. Its by the entire journey and story. Your own all right. Senator duckworth, how do you define success . There a seminole moment that you would like to share said,your journey that wow, this is big but i got this . Toi think its the ability set the parameters for how i interact in the workplace. With my colleagues. So i, you know, having been in the military for a long time, in a very hierarchical system. You follow someone, follow orders, all that. But when i got to the point sete, as a congresswoman, i the standards, for example, i decided to put in 12 weeks paid i expanded tond men in my office and i expanded adoptions,de fostering or to care for an ill i could setr, when that and then i expanded it to theto me, being able to set parameters for the conditions i was working in and for those working around me was my first, oh, wow. Its one thing to get put into office but its really another be changing things. When i could do that was when i really felt like, ok, this is is. Success now im in charge. Now i can make these changes. All right. Wow. The room gets so quiet when you guys talk. [laughter] its amazing. Jane . Yes. Full disclosure here. Your skin products since i was 19. At u. C. Santa barbara. At marinalittle store del rey. You that is fantastic. Thank you. Harris that was my journey. It was my beginning. What is success to you . And was there a moment, a point of personal power where you feel, ok, ive embarked, lets go . Yes. Success to me is selfdetermination. When you have the ability to make your own choices and lead your own life and be fully authentic to who you are. And for me, the defining moment was learning how to do something. I went to study through vocational training. My mom was a nurse. She was age 38 with four girls to raise. She taught us all to get a skill set so we could fall back on it. Was when i learned that i could do a bikini wax in seven minutes, that was my defining moment. [laughter] a highlyat i had sellable skill. I emigrated to the United States. Selffunded on 14,000. And grew it to the largest Skin Care Company in the industry. So thank you, u. S. A. [applause] now, i know i couldnt get an appointment. I would have to make it weeks in advance. [laughter] when, i was reading that you and your partners were looking at purchasing clear, there might not have been some people thought that would work out. So what is success to you . And was there that powerful personal moment where we said, where you said, ok, here he go . So, success to me is living a full life. I dont believe in work life balance. When you were in college no one , said college, party, balance or school, whatever. It was youre a student. Youre at college. So i love living a frenetic life and being a change maker on my terms. Im a nonconformist, right . And so that led us to buying clear out of bankruptcy. I just really i love chaos. I love chaos and then complaining about it or else im bored. Along those lines there have been moments where i have three kids. When my middle daughter gave a marketing presentation and how we derived it from the d. N. A. Helix. And the other side is when i whoo a call center in ohio represented clear, and having them tell us, you are the First Company who came out to visit them. And my view is youre our team member, of course, we could that. Or going to l. A. And visiting the clear team there. And one of our team members, who is an incredible clear team and ambassador said, he used to be homeless and clear has changed his life. And so that whole spectrum to know you can be an impact player in your way is so powerful and empowering. Harris amazing. Thank you all. I think that is a good place to begin, we kind of get to know you more little bit. Some more than others, with your sevenminute skill. [laughter] were all going to be think about it. Harris case in point, you know you can do. I want to kind of dig in now and really focus on some particular moments for each of you. Senator duckworth, you were pursuing a ph. D. When your National Guard unit was sent to iraq. So in a way you had to make a pivot that you werent really planning on. How did you navigate it . It was a fairly easy one, because i was a soldier and it was my duty to go. I didnt agree with the war in iraq. I wanted to go to afghanistan and go find and kill the people who attacked us on 9 11. But i also felt that iraq had nothing do with 9 11. And iraq was the vanity mission of president bush and dick cheney, and i didnt agree with it. But this nation elected that president. And he made a lawful order and the United States congress voted on it. And as a soldier, and i still to this day feel that the military is subservient and must remain subservient to the civilian. Thats the way our constitution works. So i was proud to go. The Decision Point for me wasnt so much leaving my studies to go to serve in iraq. The Decision Point was actually volunteering to go , because i was not in the initial group of people who was selected to go. My boss and i said, dont let me be the only pilot that is standing on the sideline while my unit goes. Please take me in whatever capacity. I was lucky enough that they needed every pilot, so i got to go. That was the Decision Point for me. I had fought in the war i didnt believe in, because i believed in our constitution, and thats where my beauty lay. Harris how did you navigate [applause] i loved what you said about worklife balance. I am still awkward when people ask me that question, because if i am really honest about it, i dont have that balance, because i have monday, tuesday, wednesday, thursday, friday. And somewhere in the mix i get a little metime, maybe. It is what it is. How did you navigate, senator, what your dreams are versus, you didnt know how long you would be gone . Its a war. Its not like youre given an end date. Sen. Duckworth i went off to war knowing one of two things would happen. I was going to either come home fine at my 18month tour of duty or i was going to be killed. All soldiers know that. Harris wow. Sen. Duckworth but i was never prepared to come home wounded. So i got there and i put my head did my job. Ust pu my job was to keep my guys alive. I was a system operations officer. It was my job to actually structure and assign the missions. So i knew if somebody was an in an aircraft, it was my mission to make sure it was clearly wellplanned as possible because it was on me whether or not the mission went well. So i put my head down and i worked and worked and worked. That is what most of our troops do. And it makes it harder for them when they come home because they are so focused on that, but when they come home, there is no real transition. You get on a plane and hours later your back in the states, and the rest of the country come at now, for example, is shopping for christmas. And you just came from a war zone. This is why you are getting to see a lot of the posttraumatic stress and the suicides, because it is such a break when you come home. I was fortunate that i was wounded because i spent 13 months in the hospital transitioning. Im more worried about the soldiers will come home and the only transition they have is a nine hour flight. That is what we are doing with today. Harris it is never enough. But having grown up a borrower col daughter of a onel, thank you. [applause] harris you went from working as a Hedge Fund Manager to working in biometrics and security. What do you credit with your ability to make the career leap . Sharon no fear of failure, first of all. In the world of happiness is a low bar buying a bankrupt , company, right . Cant get a lot worst than that. [laughter] i think the other part is to live a life of meaning. I ran a hedge fund. I cap say, i dont want to die and have people say that i picked good stocks. 9 11 changed my life. I was 29 at the time. I thought this is our challenge of our generation. How do you be part of the solution and make sure it doesnt happen again . Buying clear, biometrics, homeland security, innovation, people, delighting people, that felt great. And building that against all odds. So i always come from the stock market. People would shorting things. People thought i was short them. Huh. We are going to do this. That is invigorating, and you can rally everybody behind you. People wake up every day with a purpose in the mission. Thats living a whole life of meaning. Harris i hope that i catch from you no fear. And just remind ourselves that youll only have regrets if you give into it. Whats the worst thing that can happen . Theyre going to write a mean article about you . I mean, ok. Harris or tweet. [laughter] im just saying. Anyway. So im going to pick some of these. I know that they got to talk with some of the attendants here. So i have what i would call like an aggregate of questions that came from the audience. So theyre not a oneonone match. If i read this and you go, thats my question, maybe i will, and maybe they lied to me. [laughter] sharon, i am going to pick one out of the blue here. Many women in the audience may want to be ready to evolve their careers. But theyre batting imposter syndrome, or selfdoubt. Whats one small action they can take today to overcome that . I think first is the realization that everyone in the room is doing that. Often you look at yourself and think im the only one who doesnt necessarily know something or what im doing. The reality is theres some piece to recognizing that everyone to a certain degree and to give each other credit with the idea that like everyone brings to the table their own fears about where they are in your career and their story. I think for me, the ability and some of what karen said is the so what. I have certainly found a career where i thrived in the Company Building stage and kind of making something out of nothing. And to me theres something invigorating about that because a lot of people look at that that stage of Company Building and say its really risky. You know, youre not sure if youre going to make it. I think that ability to say well, why not . Right . And to have optimism to be able being able to do that, has been a huge piece to counter the imposter syndrome. Isause my general feeling that there are a lot of people in this room and in the country and the world that actually are faking it until they make it. And, candidly, a lot of guys that have embraced that from the beginning. So my perspective is, why am i not doing that as well . Why am i not starting from that perspective vs. The perspective of i have imposter syndrome. Harris if youll allow me, i want to add something to this. Just turnedughter 13 yesterday, and maybe in the hopes that she will listen to me, i have been practicing. This is one of them. I think you need a small group of believers. You do. What i haves her in about called special forces your corn of dont need a bit followers or friends, just a core group, maybe like a couple, who when you feel like an imposter, they convince you that youre real. And that you may have to fake it until you make it. My mother used to say, youre always smiling, i know you are not that happy. [laughter] but i found at an early age that when you smile at people that still works on tv, by the way. The world is falling apart, but look at these molars. [laughter] i do think it opened a lot of doors that really were nailed shut to me, particularly as a person of color. That ability to wil have opened my eyes smiles really made a difference. I needed people around me who were doing great things in our young lives to believe in me. The piece i would add to that is choosing that special forces wisely i think is huge. I think the one piece that i would say, just very tactically, when you are choosing what you have defined as your special forces, its the people who are going to take risks with you in your career. I fundamental believer that the am a biggest decision you make as a woman in your own career, is whoever your life partner, if you choose to take one, will be, regardless of pronoun. To me, that is something that we dont talk about. People didnt talk to me about that in my career. Its been a huge Multiplier Effect to have somebody in your corner that also understands who you are personally. Often thats not said as career advice. Harris jane, you have become one of the most influential figures in skincare globally. Dermalogica is considered a leading skincare brand. Started a center for aestheticians in los angeles. How did you manage to hold the vision while starting out small . Whats this interesting idea of dream believers, having people in your corner. When i started an Education Center in Marina Del Rey and teaching people skincare, how to be more successful by upscaling them, they were my dream believers, my supporters. The training was very minimal. It was two years or three years fulltime training in the u. K. And europe. Washis upscaling piece empowering their careers because it was teaching them skills they could become successful with. That has been the core of dermalogica, and a thread for my life. I believe when you have selfdetermination as an entrepreneur, you now have an opportunity to control your own life direction, but also our joy was the fact that we were working with entrepreneurs. Each of those small local entrepreneurs built our business. I would love to say that it was because we had great products. We do have great products. But the piece of the thread that goes through my whole career is this local entrepreneur who believed in something and stood behind and with it and empowered everything that we did. Now i am focused within the found movement. We have found l. A. It is focused on Building Back our main streets with local entrepreneurs. Thats the long tail of job creation. Thats the piece, especially women, minorities, and immigrants that was me that dont get funded or seen or found. Them, oro support were all going to be living next door to the big rock box store. Harris i want to ask for a show of hands quickly. How many of you are in that spirit she is talking about and you want to do something on your own with your own business . Just raise your hand. [applause] harris and i love that, because if you are going to do it, you may as well did you do it with a whoo [laughter] duckworth, this is always one of those questions thats like a life balance question. We are at the women rule summit. I think we would miss something if we did not talk about being women. Im curious to know from you, particularly from that hierarchical background in the military and now, i think there are 112 women in congress now. Did i get that right . The numbers not good big enough. I know half the audience around the country is also watching, looking like me. So i am curious, how being a woman played a role in terms of challenges, how you best open doors that are sometimes shut. Sen. Duckworth in politics, we certainly do not have 50 representation of women in the house and senate combined and we need to get there. Its been interesting because just getting into the house and then getting into the senate was tough. Male voters to work for a woman is tough. You have to find who you are and bring that forward. Once you bring forth that authentic self of who you are, voters will listen to you and then it will put for you. For me, it was because of my military service. I got people to vote for me because they would listen to me and allow me through the door based on my military service. Then id hit them with everything else. [laughter] right . You have to find a way to connect with folks. Thats changed me over time. When i first ran, it was mostly military service. Now that ive been in office, when i talked to voters, they see me as who i am. Thats a transition that ive made. And i have continued to make about transition so that i can continue to get through the doors. Ithe very beginning, ran because i was asked to run. I said yes. It takes on average a woman seven times of being asked to run for office before she says yes. Men often times invite themselves to run even though nobody wants them to. [laughter] then, when you lose a race, most women do what i do, lock myself in my bathroom and cry for three days. Whereas men get up the next day and look in the mirror, the voters are wrong, they will be ready for me the next time. Right . A lot of this is opening the door yourself. You may get an invitation, and thats great, but opportunity doesnt always knock. Sometimes opportunity is walking by outside and you have to run out to the sidewalk and grab it. It is about connection. Sen. Duckworth exactly. You have to be willing to be your best person. It goes back to this imposter syndrome. No one is more surprised than me when i get up every morning and look in the mirror and go holy , crap, im a United States senator, how did this happen. Harris are we surprised . [applause] sen. Duckworth it is true. Now that ive got the job, im going to go do the job. A little bit of that is good. It keeps you humble, keeps you working hard and keeps you striving. The day you start going i am a senator that is the day you stop serving the people is when you rest on your laurels. Maybe its good to keep that going. For me, its having dick durbin and barack obama say, Tammy Duckworth, you need to run for office. They were my 2 illinois senators. I kept bugging them about the fact that veterans work getting veterans were not getting very good health care. Dick durbin looked at me as a Wounded Warrior in a wheelchair. He didnt see somebody to be pitied. He didnt see someone who no longer had abilities. He looked at me and saw potential. And acknowledged that potential, and said, i think you should run. But i had to say yes. And most women will say no seven times before they decide to run. If more women would actually say yes in the beginning or just motivate themselves to get out there, we would be much further along to 50 representation. And it should be 51 , because there are more women than men in this country in the halls of power, so we can change the laws of this country to reflect those values that are important to all of us. Harris i took notes while you were speaking. Me, too. Harris right . I know. You want to get this stuff. What did you write down . Get to yes. Thats what i got from senator Tammy Duckworth today. You know what i got from you . Authenticity. [applause] harris people knew who you were and they know who you are, and because there is no inconsistency there, it sounds like it really opened doors for you. People recognize the package when they see it. They dont want to see the package. They want to see you. Sen. Duckworth if i can be myself, all the good and the bad, i connect better with people. You will see College Students who are very dust see politicians who you will see politicians who are very packaged. Whether you were are a senator, you are a person. You dont want to be seen as the senator, the ceo. You want to be seen as the person you are and what you are bringing to the table. You cant get people to follow you with your title. Harris im putting my cards down, because now its a real conversation, not that it wasnt before. As a woman of a certain age, and im enjoying a little aarp discount these days, which you can get at 45, but its better when you are over 50. [laughter] what i know from reality, though, when you do the thing of being a real person on the job and leaving with your passion and heart, we are and leading with your passion and your heart, we are discounted because we are seen as emotional. Its taken a while that my leading emotion that the men in the room should know is, id like to replace you. [laughter] [applause] think it emotion, i think its prescient. Im not yelling. Im speaking fervently. Im flailing. Do we all just want to be monotone. Do we all want to be boring and the same . No. You want passion and excitement. And to be fair and equitable and transparent and authentic. People dont want boring. You want to bring it big. Bring your whole, big, messy self. If you are emotional, fine. [laughter] just ring at all, because that is what you are. When a my favorite phrases, oscar wilde be yourself. Everyone else is taken. Whatever craziness you have, bring it out. Especially if you are thinking of starting your own business and teeing an entrepreneur, just bring it all. Look at Michael Bloomberg jeff bezos, steve jobs. Look at where they started. Ader bezos was a tr and he had an idea for an internet company. You want to talk about imposter, imposter. Michael bloomberg had an idea for a terminal. Steve jobs studied calligraphy. Yes. To watch these guys journeys, what they built and how they ,uilt it, when people say to me you dont have any experience, i go, im sorry, what was jeffs experience . Whats that cookiecutter youre looking for that will make you successful . Because most of the most Successful Companies on the most of the successful ceos ended up in prison. Wow. [laughter] its true. You have to get to a point where you are able to say its not going to be linear. I think that very early on i know i was youre nervous to come into that room and be truly authentic and bring your whole self. I certainly believed that it was going to be linear. Ive been in four different industries, all within tech. 4 different industries. Like you, caryn, if somebody wouldve said, that doesnt translate to your point about jeff and others, why doesnt it translate . Once you capture the belief that its not going to be linear, you are not going to make one move after another, and you have to weave that story, you are the one who is going to tell us how it is all connected, then, you actually suddenly feel like you can be authentic in that room. And dont sell your skills or yourself short. You know. I made a joke, and its not really a joke, about me being butnted with waxing, sometimes you cling onto a very small thing and it gives you a lot of confidence. [laughter] if you come in for a job opportunity and maybe you have had no work experience. Maybe you had your children at 16, say you were a single mom, you have a lot of skills you can bring to the workforce. If you can get four kids up in the morning to go to school, you are a great organizer. [applause] bring it, bring it. Dont, in your own mind, sell yourself short. Thats a huge achievement. Just own it. We cant trivialize that. Harris can i build on that with you to have examples in politics . Number 1 one, most women who get into politics get into it nonlinearly. They were doing Something Else and they got pissed off about something. I got mad because you werent taking care of veterans and i became a veterans advocate. One of my personal heroes, congresswoman from illinois, 30 something years ago, was at home raising her kids, trying to buy bread. She kept getting stale bread and milk that would sour within a couple days. Man, i just want to know when this stuff is fresh. So she sat on the kitchen table, she started a campaign to put sell by dates on food. Wow. Wow. Sen. Duckworth she was mad because she was wasting a lot of her budget money, because she was a housewife. Then she got asked to run for congress. Now she has been a congresswoman from well over 30 years. Who better to take on donald trump than someone who is a mom until her kids graduated and then decided to run for office than Speaker Pelosi . Shes got skills. Five kids. Harris we have run the clock out, but i have one more question. Can i ask it . Im going to ask the audience for permission. We will ask for forgiveness later. I want to go to each of you for a final thought on what needs to be next for women to feel empowered, whether its creating their own businesses or moving up the corporate ladder. What needs to be our next step . Tammy . I think how we accept risk. How we assess risk. I think the ability to think about yourself and your risk tolerance and push that, i think, will allow us to say yes, seven times or whatever youre trying to assess. I think that is an area where each person has to look and say, and how doy risky i be an optimist about it . Jane i want to give a call to action. I want you to support your local entrepreneurs, especially the women, because we get no funding. [applause] most of your local entrepreneurs are selffunded on about 27,000 over three credit cards. I know it, because i have seen it. And they need your support. We want to order online. It is great and easy. But our neighborhoods connect us face to face. Go in. Be that change. Come in and meet your neighborhood entrepreneurs. Welcome them, buy from them, meet them, find them, and share what you found. We want to know about it. I want to know about it. Lets really make sure that we are building strong neighborhoods and human connections that we want to live with every single day. Caryn i saw shimon peres speak. He said, optimists and pessimists die the same way, but they live very different lives. That statement has forever stuck with me, and that, as well as my grandfather saying, pull yourself up on your bootstraps. Nobody is going to solve it for you, you better pick yourself up and come up with a solution and push forward. Thats the only way to do it. Sounds a little harsh, but its real. Harris harsh is great if its true. [laughter] right . Senator . Sen. Duckworth getting out of our own way and teaching our kids, especially our daughters, to get out of their own way. When i got to flight school, i was one of only two women for that entire year. Two classes, i was one woman in my class and another woman in another class. Instructors would come to us, do you know any women who would apply to flight school, any other female soldiers that you know, because women make better natural pilots, but nobody applies. Women in the military are just not applying. They dont think of themselves as becoming pilots. And i am really scared, because my daughter in this last couple weeks, just turned five, and she started to say things like, oh, thats a boy color, thats a boy game. And shes five years old. Harris where did she learn that . Duckworth i do know where she is learning it. Shes not learning it from me. [laughter] but she is starting, and i will be like, oh, ill put her in something and shell say oh, thats a boy color. Whatever color you want is your color. We have to start young and be consistent. Because it she is starting that now, how long before she starts to say thats a boy job or skill , or subject . And seeing it firsthand israeli scary. Dust is really scared them seeing it firsthand is really scary. Lets all, in helping ourselves and each other, also try to mentor young girls. It starts as young as five. I can only imagine what it will be like when she is in eighth grade, the messages she is going to receive. Harris ladies, you are all rock stars and we are better having gotten to know you today. Tammy, jane, caryn, and senator duckworth, thank you very much. [applause] and thank you to our fabulous audience. Next step for you is to make sure that you meet a couple of people audition people to be on , your special forces, to believe in you. Have a great day. [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2019] or listen live free cspan radio app. Cspans washington journal, live every day with news and policy issues that impact you. Coming up tuesday morning, elinor clift, columnist for the daily beast discusses impeachment and campaign 2020. And the news of the day and the book tipping points