Michelle: There are more CEOs of major American companies named John than there are female CEOs in total. Mark: Wait, what? Say that again. Michelle: You heard me. More men named John are running top companies than all women combined. That single, absurd fact isn't just a piece of trivia—it's a multi-trillion-dollar economic opportunity hiding in plain sight. Mark: That is genuinely staggering. More Johns than all women. It sounds like a punchline to a very bad, very old joke. Michelle: It does, but it's the exact kind of economic blind spot that Melanne Verveer and Kim K. Azzarelli tackle in their book, Fast Forward: How Women Can Achieve Power and Purpose. What's so fascinating is that the authors come from these two different, powerful worlds. Verveer was the first-ever U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues—a role created for her. Azzarelli comes from corporate America and law. They join forces to argue that this isn't just a 'social issue' anymore; it's about hard numbers and strategic advantage. Mark: So it’s moving the conversation from the op-ed page to the balance sheet. I like that. It feels like a follow-up to the whole Lean In cultural moment, but with a more global, economic edge. Michelle: Exactly. It’s the next step. And it starts with a simple, powerful idea: empowering women is just smart economics.

Mark: Okay, so if it's about economics, where's the proof? How does this actually translate to dollars and cents beyond just sounding like a good idea? Michelle: I’m so glad you asked, because the book is packed with stories that are less about activism and more about brilliant business strategy. My favorite is the story of Ann Moore. In the early 90s, she became the publisher of People magazine. Mark: Big job. Michelle: Huge. And she had this conviction that the magazine’s future was with female readers. But her male colleagues were skeptical. They were worried they’d lose their big advertisers, especially car companies. The prevailing wisdom in Detroit was that women just didn't care about cars. Mark: A classic 90s corporate mindset. I can just picture the boardroom. Michelle: Completely. So Ann decides she needs proof. She doesn't write a memo. She doesn't commission a study. She sends a videographer to a parking lot in Detroit, next to a hotel frequented by auto execs. The mission? Interview every single person driving a minivan. Mark: Oh, this is good. A little bit of corporate espionage. Michelle: Exactly! And guess what they found? Every single person getting out of a minivan was a woman. And when asked what their favorite magazine was, they all said, "People." Ann spliced the tape together, mailed it to the product managers at the big auto companies, and, as she put it, "we got the business." Automakers started pouring money into the magazine. She proved that women weren't just a demographic to be pandered to; they were a massive, untapped economic force. Mark: That's brilliant! She basically ran a guerilla marketing campaign against her own company's bias. It’s such a clear example of seeing what others refuse to see. Michelle: And that's the micro-level. On the macro-level, the numbers are even more staggering. The book cites economic studies showing that if you close the global gap in workforce participation between men and women, the worldwide GDP would grow by nearly 12 percent by 2030. That's like adding another United States to the world economy. Mark: Wow. Okay, that's a number you can't ignore. But I have to ask the classic chicken-and-egg question. Is it that more women in leadership causes better performance, or is it that more successful, forward-thinking companies are just more likely to hire and promote women in the first place? Michelle: That's the critical question, and the book tackles it. While it's hard to prove direct causation in every case, the evidence is overwhelming. They talk about the 'double dividend.' When women earn more, they're far more likely to reinvest that money into their families' health and education, and into their communities. So the investment pays off twice. And companies with more women on their boards consistently show higher returns on equity. It's not just about fairness; it's about having more diverse perspectives in the room, which prevents groupthink and leads to better, more resilient decisions. It's like fighting with both hands instead of one tied behind your back. Mark: So it’s not just about adding women, it’s about adding a different way of thinking that makes the whole system smarter. Michelle: Precisely. And that leads to the book's second major idea. The goal isn't just to get women into positions of power for the sake of profit. The real transformation happens when that power is connected to a deeper sense of purpose.

Mark: That feels like a big leap. We're talking about stock prices and GDP, and now we're jumping to 'purpose.' How do they connect those two worlds? Michelle: They connect it with one of the most dramatic stories I have ever read. It's about a woman named Pam Seagle, a senior marketing executive at Bank of America. Mark: Okay. Michelle: In January 2009, she was on US Airways Flight 1549. Mark: Oh no. Don't tell me. The 'Miracle on the Hudson'? Michelle: The very one. She was on that plane. She describes the moment the birds hit, the engines going completely silent, and the pilot saying those terrifying words: "Brace for impact." She said in that moment, gliding silently over New York City, everyone on that plane assumed they were going to die. Mark: I'm getting chills just hearing that. I can't even imagine. Michelle: But as the plane landed on the water, and she realized she was alive, she had this moment of absolute clarity. She said she became laser-focused on one thing: getting out. And in that moment of taking control, of creating a plan, she felt this surge of power. After she was rescued, that experience completely rewired her. The stress of her high-powered job, the endless meetings—it all seemed meaningless. Mark: A near-death experience will do that. It’s the ultimate perspective shift. Michelle: Absolutely. She went back to work, but she was different. She started saying 'no' to things that didn't matter. She prioritized her family. And eventually, she went to her bosses and said, "I need to do work that has more meaning." She requested a new role, one in corporate social responsibility, focusing on programs that supported women. And she got it. She found her purpose, not by leaving her job, but by reshaping it to align with what she now knew was truly important. Mark: That's an incredible story. But let's be real, do you need to almost die in a plane crash to find that kind of purpose? For the rest of us who hopefully won't have to go through that, how does the book suggest we find it? Michelle: That's the perfect question. The book argues you don't. It points to research, like studies from Harvard, showing that the single best predictor of human happiness isn't money or even health—it's the strength of our relationships with family and friends. And one of the most effective ways to find meaning is to contribute to the well-being of others. Mark: The old wisdom that it's better to give than to receive. Michelle: Exactly. The book is filled with stories of women who found their purpose by amplifying the voices of others. Hillary Clinton's work with Vital Voices, Diane von Furstenberg supporting activists fighting human trafficking. It’s this idea that power isn't a zero-sum game. True power, the book argues, is about using your platform to lift others up. Mark: So we have this idea of economic power on one hand, and this deep, personal purpose on the other. They seem like two separate tracks. How do you actually connect them to make a real-world difference? Michelle: You connect them... through connection. It's the final, and maybe most powerful, piece of the puzzle. It’s how individual purpose and economic power get amplified into massive, world-changing movements.

Mark: Okay, so 'connection' can sound a bit vague, a bit corporate-speak. Give me an example. How does that actually work in practice? Michelle: The book gives an example that is so powerful and so gut-wrenching, it will stay with you forever. It's the story of a baby girl in rural Cambodia named Sophie. Mark: Oh, this sounds heavy. Michelle: It is. Sophie's mother, Chan, was being harassed by her husband's mistress. One day, the mistress threw battery acid through the window of their hut. It landed on Chan and on baby Sophie, who was breastfeeding. The acid severely burned them both, and left Sophie blind. Mark: That's just... horrific. I have no words. Michelle: It's an unimaginable act of violence. They eventually made it to a hospital in Phnom Penh, to the acid ward. And there, a New York-based surgeon on a medical mission, Dr. Ebby Elahi, met them. He was completely shattered by what he saw. He said, "This baby was hard to bear." He knew he had to do something. That was the first connection. Mark: A doctor moved to action. Michelle: Yes. Dr. Elahi returned to New York and shared Sophie's story with Kim Azzarelli, one of the book's authors, who was then a corporate executive at Avon. Kim was horrified, but also struck by her own privilege. Dr. Elahi told her, "We live with blinders on. When was the last time you thought about the fact that you can feel your face?" That was the second connection. Mark: From a doctor to a corporate executive. Michelle: Exactly. Kim, now fired up with purpose, took Sophie's story to her CEO at Avon, Andrea Jung. She convinced the company to get involved. And this is where it explodes. Avon, the massive global corporation, threw its weight behind the cause. They funded pro bono surgeries for Sophie. They launched awareness campaigns. They partnered with Cornell Law School to create the Avon Global Center for Women and Justice, dedicated to fighting violence against women and closing the justice gap. Mark: Wow. So that one single, tragic story, that one connection in a hospital ward, rippled all the way up to create a global legal and corporate initiative? Michelle: All the way. It even reached Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who became a supporter. It led to new laws against acid violence in Cambodia. It all started with one person's suffering connecting to another person's compassion, which connected to another's influence, which connected to a corporation's resources. That is the power of connection. It’s how you scale purpose. Mark: That's an absolutely incredible story. It's heartbreaking, but also so hopeful. It shows that it's not just about one person's purpose. It's about how their purpose connects and creates a network effect. Michelle: That’s it exactly. The book argues this is the engine of change. It’s not just one woman leaning in. It’s women, and men, connecting their power and purpose. It’s the women of Liberia, Christian and Muslim, linking arms in a fish market to end a civil war. It’s the 30% Club, a network of CEOs, pushing for more women on boards. It’s how you go from individual action to systemic change.

Mark: So, after all these stories and all this data, what's the big takeaway here? What's the one thing we should remember from Fast Forward? Michelle: I think it's that the conversation about women's empowerment has fundamentally shifted. It's no longer just a moral argument or a niche social issue. The book makes an undeniable case that it's the most powerful, underutilized economic and social lever we have. Mark: It's moved from the 'should do' column to the 'must do' column for businesses and governments. Michelle: Precisely. And the book's roadmap is that when you combine a woman's economic power with her personal purpose, and then you connect her with others who share that vision, you don't just get slow, incremental change. You get a 'fast forward' into a better, more prosperous, and more just world for everyone. Mark: So the call to action isn't just for women to 'lean in' or 'find their power,' but for everyone—leaders, companies, individuals—to recognize this force and actively invest in it. What's one small thing you've seen in your own life that reflects this shift? Michelle: That's a great question. I think about the rise of women-led venture capital firms, actively seeking out and funding female founders. It's a tangible example of women using their economic power to support other women, creating that network effect. What about you? Mark: For me, it's seeing more men in my own circles championing flexible work policies, not as a 'women's issue,' but as a 'family issue' or just a 'smart talent retention issue.' It feels like that broader understanding is finally starting to take hold. It’s a great question for our listeners, actually. We’d love to hear your stories of seeing this in action. Michelle: Absolutely. Let us know what you think. Mark: This is Aibrary, signing off.