Welcome to In Her Land: Where Women's Stories Take Center Stage
00:03
Carrie Aguilar
Welcome to In Her Land, the podcast where women's stories take center stage. I'm Carrie.
00:09
Mara Kamat
And I'm Mara. And we're here to jump into the journeys, triumphs and inspirations of incredible women shaping the land. But first, let's set the vibe with our three rules.
00:23
Carrie Aguilar
Number one, no elevator pitches. We want the real you, not the rehearsed version. Number two, authenticity only. Bring your true, unfiltered self. And lastly, no assholes allowed. This space is all about empowerment and respect.
00:41
Mara Kamat
Each episode promises raw, inspiring, and sometimes laugh out loud conversations that celebrate the beauty of being unapologetically yourself. So get cozy, stay curious, and let's explore In Her Land.
So we decided in our first episode that we would spend some time having our audience get to know Carrie and I as humans and understand a little bit more about why we are building this community. So first, I think it'd be great to hear from Carrie to share a little bit about how we met each other and how this whole idea of theIn Her Land podcast came to be.
01:24
Carrie Aguilar
Yeah, so we first met through one of your best friends. She was the, I guess, classroom mother at my daughter's school. And we met like classroom mothers do at a coffee shop.
01:40
Mara Kamat
On behalf of my husband, he would want us to call room parent.
01:43
Carrie Aguilar
Room parent. Sorry. Oh, that's true. Thank you.
01:45
Mara Kamat
No worries. Absolutely.
01:47
Carrie Aguilar
Thanks for that. But anyways, we met through her and she was asking me what I was doing. And at the time, I was just transitioning out of my role at DoorDash. I was head of sales, training and enablement. And she was like, oh my gosh, I really think that you should connect with my best friend, Mara Kamat. She is basically doing the same thing. And yeah, so she connected us. And kind of a funny story there, long story short, but it is really funny. So your name is Mara. You grew up in Cleveland. You're basically the same age as me. And Cleveland really only has like a thousand people in it. I did not know your last name at the time.
02:32
Carrie Aguilar
And when I got connected with you through like a group text, I grew up with a girl named Mara who I did not get along with. And in like the exchange of these intros, there was a silence when you asked my last name or my maiden last name, and I was like, oh my God, this is gonna be this girl that I did not enjoy growing up. So there's that. But thankfully it did not turn out. You did not turn out to be her.
03:06
Mara Kamat
Woo hoo for that.
03:07
Carrie Aguilar
Yeah, thank God for that. But let's talk I guess shifting gears to talking about in her land. So I have this incredible mother who was actually the. The interviewer. She had a TV show called Corporate Club that was pretty popular in the 90s. It was done out of Lander Haven. And she had this. The distinct pleasure of interviewing all of these corporate executives. And so I watched her have these interviews, and it was incredible for years. But they were never women. They were always men. And it drove me crazy. And as an adult, thinking back on it, I loved how she was able to make them feel comfortable and how she was able to get these very, like, stoic men out of their shells. But I also realized that women are just endlessly more fascinating. And as an adult, I just.
04:03
Carrie Aguilar
Yeah, I was just like, I really want to put together something that. Especially here in northeastern Ohio, where we have these incredible women that have incredible lives, both in boardrooms and in just the corporate and building businesses and companies and raising money and doing big things, but both in that realm, but also, you know, philanthropy and raising children and going through different chapters of their lives. So. Yeah. So can you kind of peel back a couple layers as to what made you excited about working on this project?
04:41
Mara Kamat
Yes. So, you know, Carrie and I have become friends and gotten to know each other over the last year, plus, and for me, it's been an amazing journey to have another woman who is in this entrepreneurial phase, like me, starting her own business, supporting and scaling other businesses for growth. And her support has meant more to me over this time, but genuinely, than I can ever express. And I think I hope for other women that whether they listen to in her land or they have friends or they make friends in the future, women supporting women is so important, and I think so important. Yeah. And I.
05:25
Mara Kamat
I've lived in a world from a business standpoint and a personal standpoint, where I've seen women who support women and champion them, and then I've seen the other side of it where they tear each other down and compete with each. And that's just not a fun place to be. So we hope in her land. And I was excited about this opportunity to help women explore every part of their lives, whether it be through transition and careers, whether it be through wanting to go back to work, from being at home with their kids for a while, or maybe they've gone through a divorce or they've lost a parent.
06:01
Mara Kamat
We all have these significant transitions in life, and I hope that we can create a community where we can be there for all of our listeners and that our listeners want to bring topics to us that they want to hear about from other people. And so I look forward to engaging with women, to inviting them on to share their stories, to share them with all of you.
06:21
Carrie Aguilar
I love that.
06:22
Mara Kamat
I think, you know, for me, as I think about my story personally, I've worked always in human resources. I work for large multinational corporations and smaller family owned businesses. I'm now on this journey to build my business.But I would say at two times in my career I have personally experienced burnout. And I think that's also been an impetus for me to say, you know, I would love to establish a forum where women can share and learn from each other's experiences and support each other unconditionally in whatever that looks like. So Carrie, you know, as we move on and helping our listeners get to know you better, you know, what does your life look like now? What has it looked like since you left your job at Doordash and you've been on this entrepreneurial journey?
07:10
Carrie Aguilar
Yeah, so I left Doordash in June of 2023. I took the summer off. I like to say that I played a lot of tennis. I actually did play a lot of tennis. I also like traveled a lot. It was super fun. And then I want to say in September and October I did this thing where I started looking for other positions. I had worked with an executive coach for a bit to establish this business plan for me to run my own business in the future. And I had said like, okay, in three yearsI'm going to be doing xyz. I'm going to help startups grow. I'm going to do sales strategy. But for me to be able to do that, I'm going to need to work at another startup. Like that was my own, in my own head.
08:00
Carrie Aguilar
And I, as I started to have conversations with other startups, I just couldn't do it. I was so unexcited about getting back into it. And what's interesting isI had a couple conversations, honestly with guys that were starting to do these like consulting gigs. And in my head I was like, what is standing in my way? I was like, okay, like if they could do it, like why am I not doing this? And that's really, that was the impetus. So I started a business called InnovateGrowth Partners. What we do is we do sales strategy for startups. And in the last year and a half we've really transitioned to work and help specifically or I really try and focus on female founded businesses. The problem with that is that more women need to Start businesses.
08:55
Carrie Aguilar
And so I've really spent a lot of time dedicating myself to building communities of women to encourage them to get out of their own way and start businesses, just to have the confidence to be able to do that. So.
09:09
Mara Kamat
That's amazing.
09:10
Carrie Aguilar
Yeah.
09:10
Mara Kamat
That's amazing. Yeah.
09:11
Carrie Aguilar
Thank you. Thanks, Mara. I appreciate that. Now that you've transitioned out of your last corporate role and you're building your own business, what does your new business look like?
09:21
Mara Kamat
Yeah, so I left my corporate role May 25th of 2023. Isn't it funny that I, like, know that date? And I would tell you that for the first few months, I just needed to, like, regroup and do nothing. We have a lake house. I hung out on the lake. I hung out with my kids. I love that I slept, like, I needed sleep so badly. I was on the road, traveling all the time, and I felt like I was like a shell of myself then. And I really just needed to, like, regroup and rekindle, like, what that. That special energy and enthusiasm and light that I used to bring to everything, because I felt like I had lost that for a while.
10:03
Mara Kamat
And so then, you know, I took the summer off, and my husband and I went on an incredible trip to South Africa. I think something that you'll hear about on the podcast are all of our crazy family adventures. But that was like, my moment of kind of like, all right, I've reset. I've had some time. I came back from Africa and I was like, what do I want to do next? At first I thought maybeI wanted to be a stay at home mom. And maybe I just wanted to, you know, do the things I enjoyed, play tennis, like you said, and go to lunch with friends. AndI did that for, you know, this summer and a little bit. And then I was like, no, like.
10:41
Carrie Aguilar
You mean you're not cut out to be a stay at home mom.
10:43
Mara Kamat
I'm just not. I like to work. But that's no judgment. Right.
10:47
Carrie Aguilar
Because it's really hard.
10:48
Mara Kamat
It's the hardest job ever.
10:50
Carrie Aguilar
Absolutely.
10:51
Mara Kamat
And everybody has their own, you know, choice and journey. And so, like, one of the things I've learned over the last two years, though, is that I am what I would call a multidimensional human. And what I mean by that is it's not. I am not my job, and I am not one thing. Yeah, I am multiple things. And so I kind of stepped back. I got an awesome therapist whom I love and started to think about, like, okay, so what does life look like for this multi Dimensional human. If I am, like, at my best, I'm happy, I'm centered, I'm working. What does that look like? And so I had friends that started calling me in the back half of 23 and were like, hey, would you work on this project for me? Would you work on that project for me?
11:36
Mara Kamat
So I started taking on some consulting project work. And then it, you know, by the end of 23, going into 24, I was like, all right, I need my own LLC. I'm making real money. I should probably double down and kind of figure out this consulting thing. And everybody who knows me is always like, mara, you should go out on your own. You just have this spirit about you. And I'm not sure I totally believed in myself, if I'm honest with you. But I knew I didn't want to be part of an organization and a system in that moment. I kind of needed to be my own boss, to set my own boundaries. I didn't want to travel as much, and I wanted more time with my girls.
12:16
Carrie Aguilar
Do you feel like you had more freedom of ideas?
12:21
Mara Kamat
For sure. And, like, that goes back to the multidimensional human thing. Right? Because then at the end of 23, I went to Harvard and I did an authentic leadership class, which for anybody that's kind of like exploring what's next for them, and a little lost. It was amazing. And then from there, I was like, you know what? Maybe I want to pursue a PhD, but I didn't really know. And that's kind of a big undertaking.
12:46
Carrie Aguilar
Right.
12:46
Mara Kamat
And so I was like, all right, Mara.
12:47
Carrie Aguilar
Especially with, like, multiple kids and, you know, very full life. Yeah.
12:52
Mara Kamat
And so I was like, all right, Mara, let's, like, take a step back. Let's do some research and meet some people. And so I was very fortunate to meet a woman named Susan Ashford from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. And so I then started doing research with the University of Michigan and Susan Ashford and another woman by the name of Jordan Nye and another woman from the London School of Economics named Laura. And so that is one piece of what I do. I love that I enjoy doing research on topics of leadership. I've also since built on the mark, consulting mark are my initials MRK.
13:27
Carrie Aguilar
Love that.
13:28
Mara Kamat
And we're delivering services that are on the mark. And so I work with businesses that are kind of in two modes. One is startup mode and establishing HR practices and policies and procedures. And the second, which is where I findI spend most of my time, is helping companies that are about a billion Dollars and helping them think about how do they grow and scale their people, their processes, and their systems to be a 3 to 5 billion dollars business. And I find that's where I spend the core of my time within my business. On the side. I love of do the executive coaching for people, and I find that's kind of naturally where I go. And then I end up supporting a lot of women.
14:09
Mara Kamat
And so that's where this comes in, is because I've been so fortunate to meet so many women, to help them navigate their lives and careers in different ways. I feel fortunate that I've had people around me who've done that for me. And I would love to give back to that.
14:24
Carrie Aguilar
I love that.
14:25
Mara Kamat
Thank you.
14:26
Carrie Aguilar
I love that. That's so fun.
14:28
Mara Kamat
So, Carrie, what are the major pivot places in your life that have changed how you show up?
14:35
Carrie Aguilar
I love this question. So I. I specifically remember I started my career as I kind of in my early 20s, kind of, like, dabbled around. So I worked and I lived in Nashville. I lived in New York City. I lived all these places and kind of did these jobs that didn't feel like they were, like, building into a career. And it wasn't until 2011, so when I was 25 or 26, was really the first time where I felt like I was like, building a career. The problem is that I started in a place where everyone else was like 22. So I felt like the only adult in the room. And I just remember. So I was living in Phoenix, and because I was older, I also had older parents. And unfortunately, my dad actually passed away in 2013.
15:32
Carrie Aguilar
And I remember specifically, and it was terrible. It was like, totally out of the blue. Thank you. It was totally out of the blue. He passed away right before the holidays. And it was just this, like, this place where I had never been. My husband at the time, you know, his parents were still alive. My peers, their parents were still alive. And I worked at an organization where everyone else was much younger than me. And so there was really no. I felt like the only quote, unquote adult in the room. And it felt like I was by myself, really. And through that, I was very obviously very sad. But I do remember there was a woman who was a couple of years. She might have been, I don't know, around my age or a couple of years younger.
16:31
Carrie Aguilar
And I wasn't that close with her, but she came up to me after the holidays. I didn't know her that well. And she grabbed my hand and she took me into a room. And she gave me a hug and she said, I heard that your dad passed away. My dad passed away a couple years ago. I am really sorry. There are no words to this hurt. The only thing that made me feel better is time. And it's the only thing that won't go by. And I'm just sorry. But it. In that moment, and I can tell you her name's Audrey, and it was just very sweet. And we didn't become best friends and she didn't, you know, but she changed my life because she changed how I showed up for people. And she changed how I, like, saw people too.
17:18
Carrie Aguilar
I mean, like, I had people who I really were very close with who just didn't say anything. And, you know, and not that, like, everyone has to say it, but anyway, so, like, that was a big pivot point, which is like, realizing that there are things that change you, who you are and how you show up for people. Whether you want, like, whether I didn't want my dad to die. Like, I didn't want to go through that. But it was something that changed me. And it has. I mean, to this day, I go up total strangers. Like, I mean, I literally will.Like, my husband makes fun of me, but he's like, they're gonna walk. She's gonna walk up to you and just let you know that she's gonna give you a hug. Like, he'll have like a.
18:01
Carrie Aguilar
Like, to his work colleague, he'll be like, she knows that someone in your family died, so she's gonna call out the elephant in the room. Just be prepared. Be prepared. But, like, so it's that piece. I also think that, like, having children. So I have one child, Like, I did it once, and she's amazing. Like, Penelope's the best, but, like, I just remember having a three week old child screaming, my husband. Like, we spent this Saturday calling all of our friends who had children and, like, yelling at them, being like, why didn't you let us know? It was so hard. Like, why didn't. Like, who? Like, where was the information to, like, let everyone's like, congratulations. It's so great being a parent when I was just like, so exhausted and like, you know, So I just think, like, yeah, no one. No one.
18:57
Carrie Aguilar
Like, no one. Like, where is this? So I think, like, that's another reason whyI was so excited at the thought of creating this podcast, which is, like, just creating space to say, like, you're not alone, you know, like, yeah.
19:14
Mara Kamat
And to share the stories, like, the good, the bad, the ugly. Everything, the chaotic, the ridiculous, like, it's just. It's a space to share. Yeah.
19:25
Carrie Aguilar
Because you just. Cause you just don't. You just don't know and you just don't think. You don't. You feel. Yeah, I just. Yeah.
19:33
Mara Kamat
So anyways, I think sometimes we have these experiences in life because life happens to us and it's certainly not how we plan.
19:42
Carrie Aguilar
Right. Yeah.
19:43
Mara Kamat
And so being able to lean on others to talk about it, especially in spaces where like, you've never experienced it, you don't know, and now you can hear how other people are experiencing it, feeling about it and navigating it. Right. Wrong or indifferent, there's not one way to experience any of those transitions. Right. But hopefully this forum continues to provide some insight and support as people navigate different challenges and phases in life.
20:12
Carrie Aguilar
Yeah. Yeah. I really like that. And I like just like the time to like, listen. Because it's just like, that's the piece. It's just like. Because you don't know what you don't know and like you assume that you would act a certain way or. I don't know. No.
20:29
Mara Kamat
But like in saying that though, I hope people do have time. Like this also serves time for people to like, step back and reflect.
20:36
Carrie Aguilar
Yeah.
20:36
Mara Kamat
And that they make space for themselves to reflect. Because I know, like, as were coming in today, were joking. I feel like I've been non stop since the holidays. Right. Like since Thanksgiving. I have not stopped. It is now the middle of January and I'm like, oh, I get to catch a breath on February 3rd. Like, so excited about that. Right?
20:56
Carrie Aguilar
So excited about that. Hurry up, get to February 3rd.
20:59
Mara Kamat
Exactly. Like, how are we living life like that? Right. And so I was excited to come in today to just like hit the pause button and like find space in.
21:09
Carrie Aguilar
Front of microphones and talk to my friend Carrie.
21:12
Mara Kamat
Exactly. And so I hope all of you will use this as a time to like, pause, find some great nuggets of insight, truth or support, and then like reflect on your own lives and what's happening for you.
21:25
Carrie Aguilar
I love that. I also know you guys just got back from a pretty fun trip. It looked like a blast.
21:32
Mara Kamat
Yes.
21:32
Carrie Aguilar
I love looking at your photos.
21:34
Mara Kamat
Yes. To be honest with you, I'm all Instagram. I'm Instagram stupid. Which Carrie knows.
21:39
Carrie Aguilar
Yes, she is.
21:40
Mara Kamat
And so once in a great while one of these event adventures, I will figure out how to post something, like a video with some music. It's never going to be the best, but it's the best. I can do. And you did.
21:53
Carrie Aguilar
You posted a reel.
21:54
Mara Kamat
I was so impressed. I know.
21:56
Carrie Aguilar
Incredible.
21:57
Mara Kamat
So good. But it was hard for me and I'm like editing and my. I have two daughters. I have a 9 year old and an 11 year old. And my 11 year old's like, mommy, let me do it for you. Like, I can just do it. I'm like, no, mommy's gonna do it. And so got it. We just got back from spending two weeks in Aspen skiing. And you know, one of the things I love about skiing and you're gonna have to hear about it throughout the winter season on this podcast is like.
22:22
Carrie Aguilar
Because you guys ski a lot.
22:23
Mara Kamat
Because we ski a lot is. It is amazing time where my kids don't have a phone.They have no technology. I never take out my phone because candidly, I'm afraid I'm going to drop it off a chairlift, down a mountain, into a ravine and never see it again.
22:39
Carrie Aguilar
Yeah. Yeah.
22:39
Mara Kamat
So I never take my phone out. And it's this time to just like, be fully present, be out in the world, smell the fresh air, see the beautiful mountains and like, the things I learn on a gondola from my kids, whether be like, about their lives, about the world, about new words that exist that I've never used before. It's incredible. Like, I love those moments more than anything. So for almost two weeks, from 9am to 3pm every day we skied. And then from 3pm to 4:30, went in the hot tub, went in the pool, then we showered, we got ready, went out to dinner and we all sat there together and we talked and we connected and we laughed. And like, we also travel with these like little tins of family games. Oh, I love that. And so we play family games.
23:30
Mara Kamat
So like, one is like, you know, one tin is like you. You tell a story based on what you pick. Or another one is everybody adds a word and builds the story. I love that. Right? Like, we have like six of these games, all different things. Sharing your favorite moment about that person or your funniest moment about everybody at the T. And it is just an awesome time to decompress and laugh. So I'm sure you'll hear about our skiing adventures. I'm gearing up. Our next episode will be Carrie and someone else because my husband and I are gearing up with our best friends to head to Japan to ski Niseko on Wednesday.
24:09
Carrie Aguilar
So I didn't know you guys were skiing there.
24:11
Mara Kamat
Oh, yeah. So we are going to Japan and it is a skiing trip. So this was my husband and his best friend's birthday gifts. They really wanted to ski Japan. Aaron and I, my husband, we actually got engaged in Japan. So we've been toJapan before, but this is an opportunity to ski Japan, which we have never done before, and then we'll spend a little bit of time in Tokyo on either side. So we are very excited for this upcoming adventure. But, you know, before we wrap it up, I'd love to hear from you. And closing it out, Carrie, what are you most excited for in our In Her Land podcast adventure that we're in embarking on together?
24:51
Carrie Aguilar
Yeah. So I think what I'm most excited about is creating space for incredible women to share their stories, to share what they've learned, both professionally and personally. When I have asked women to actually be on the podcast, they're always surprised. They're like, why? You know, why would you want my story? And I'm like, gotta flip the script here. Like, you should be saying, great, thanks, but also not be surprised. And that's the piece that I really want to impress upon. We are fucking phenomenal. And that is what I want to ease into, is just creating this incredible space where we can share our stories, feel loved, feel cherished, and. And, yeah, that's really it.
25:46
Mara Kamat
I love that. And you know that. And I feel that from the bottom of my heart, knowing who you are as a human and that, you know, you and I connected in that way, and, you know, how do we lift up women? How do we ensure for me that, like, the next generation of women, my daughters are surrounded by other women that have been lifted up, that do have the opportunities, that aren't fighting for equity. And so, you know, hopefully this can be a place where we can lift each other up. We can hear awesome stories about women doing amazing things in their personal lives, in their professional lives, as mothers, as humans, as researchers, whatever that might be in the world? So I'm excited to be on this journey.
26:30
Carrie Aguilar
As am I.
26:31
Mara Kamat
And we're excited for all of you to join this journey with us. We'd love to hear your perspectives. What do you want to hear about? What do you want to hear from me and Carrie in general? And what types of people do you want to see highlighted on In Her Land? So thank you so much. We look forward to our next episode.
26:51
Carrie Aguilar
Yay. Thank you.
