In this episode, Mary Sullivan, co-founder of Sweet but Fearless, talks with Julie Kay Roberts, President of JK Roberts and Founder of Emergency Management Association, about risk, self-advocacy, and knowing your worth.

Julie shares the risks she took along the way and what it really looks like to stand up for yourself, ask for what you want, and speak with clarity even when it feels uncomfortable. The conversation also explores how leaders should think about AI in today's workforce: not as a crutch, but as a tool, one that supports your work without replacing your voice or judgment.

Drawing on her deep expertise, Julie offers a clear, accessible overview of how emergency communication works, why collaboration matters in high-stakes moments, and how effective leaders show up to solve problems together. At the heart of it all is a powerful reminder: leadership isn't about having all the answers, it's about using your voice, trusting your value, and working side-by-side to find the solution.

Julie is the President of JK Roberts, LLC, a consulting firm specializing in crisis communication, strategic planning, emergency management, media relations, and continuity planning.

ABOUT JULIE KAY ROBERTS:
Website: JK Roberts, LLC
LinkedIn: Julie Kay Roberts

ABOUT SWEET BUT FEARLESS:
Website - Sweet but Fearless
LinkedIn - Sweet but Fearless

As the year comes to a close, Cooper Alexander and Mary Sullivan, co-founders of Sweet but Fearless, invite you to pause and reflect on what this past year really asked of you.

What one pattern repeated itself and quietly ran the year. The one that drained your energy levels, delayed decisions, or kept things heavier than they needed to be. You're not to judge yourself or the pattern but just recognize and understand it. Patterns form to protect us, but once we recognize them, we don't have to keep living inside them.

Mary and Cooper talk through patterns many women leaders see again and again - over-responsibility, minimizing your own needs, taking care of everyone else first, delaying decisions out of fear, hiding ambition, or working hard without visibility - and how one of these often becomes the core lesson of the year.

You're encouraged to think about that pattern, what it taught you, and whether you want to carry it into the new year - or finally let it go.

From there, the questions get simple and honest: What needs to shift? What are you refusing to repeat? And what might next year look like if this pattern stopped running the show?

This podcasts goal is to help you name what shaped you this year - so you can choose what comes with you into the next one. Here's to a focused and succesful 2026!

ABOUT SWEET BUT FEARLESS:
Website - Sweet but Fearless
LinkedIn - Sweet but Fearless

In this podcast, Mary Sullivan, co-founder of Sweet but Fearless, talks with pioneering OB-GYN, Dr. Marcia Harris, Medical Director of Wellness Restoration Center, who shares her journey through healthcare as the first Black woman to train in obstetrics and gynecology at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York. She reflects on pursuing many interests with a "try it and see" mindset, honoring how far she's come, and following her passion.

They also discuss burnout, her shift toward wellness and restoration, and why self-care is survival, not selfishness. This conversation underscores the urgent need to prioritize women's health, personalized care, and putting women back at the center of their own lives.

Dr. Marcia A Harris MD trained at the prestigious Weill-Cornell Medical Center, The New York Hospital, after completing medical school at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

MORE ABOUT DR. MARCIA HARRIS:
Website: The Wellness Restoration Center
LinkedIn: Marcia A Harris

ABOUT SWEET BUT FEARLESS:
Website - Sweet but Fearless
LinkedIn - Sweet but Fearless