00:05We're here really to celebrate Women's History Month, so I wanted to start by asking you about who are your
00:10heroes?
00:11Who are the women who've made history that really inspire you?
00:14Well, I've been inspired by a number of women through the years, and I can't help but think about the
00:18fact that we're almost on the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage,
00:22and those women who fought so that women would have the right to vote, and I think about what a
00:27totally different conversation it would be even 100 years ago compared to one we're having today.
00:32There's been about 12,000 people who have served in Congress, 313 women, so right around 2%.
00:39Do you have any specific advice for women who are, maybe they're seeking political office, maybe they're in the workforce
00:45elsewhere,
00:45and they're struggling with sort of the challenges of raising children or balancing your personal life with what is required
00:52to really get ahead in the workplace as well?
00:55Serving in Congress is not that different than any other working mom in America, right?
01:00And we have to figure out how to balance it all.
01:03When you look at the number of women that are now working, you know, the last 50 years,
01:09the entrance of women into our economy and into the workplace has been a huge economic driver.
01:14And I believe that we need to, our workforce laws need to reflect more of that.
01:20I think we need to give more flexibility.
01:22What women want more than anything is time and control over making more of those decisions,
01:27and that's where our laws need to reflect the workforce of the 21st century.
01:33What's been the toughest part of this journey from, you know, from that early job we've all heard about where
01:38you were working at McDonald's
01:40to the incredible things you've accomplished, what's really been the biggest obstacle for you?
01:45I think the biggest obstacle has been just my own hesitation at times and just having the courage to move
01:52forward.
01:53And through that, I have been given tremendous opportunities and working hard, yes, earning it,
02:00wanting to be judged based upon my accomplishments and what I have done,
02:05and not thinking that there's anything that I can't do, but just believing that anything is possible.
02:12What's the one piece of advice you really want to offer young women today?
02:17We're just at the beginning of women really making history when it comes to serving in politics.
02:23And maybe some of the barriers are real, some of them are perceived,
02:27and that's where I make it a priority to tap other women on the shoulder and encourage them, be the
02:35mentor.
02:35We need more mentors, and we need women to step up and believe in themselves too.
