"I raise up my voice -- not so I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard."    --Malala Yousafzai   Welcome back to T&T, where we are oh-so passionate about fellow podcasting family especially the ones Amplifying Unheard Voices like Bethany Hawkins is! On today's episode, we have a remarkable guest who has dedicated her life to ensuring that historically underrepresented voices are heard. Bethany Hawkins, the CEO and Founder of Crackers In Soup, joins us to share her inspiring journey from a corporate career spanning over 18 years to becoming a podcasting powerhouse. Her story is a testament to the incredible impact one person can make when they decide to empower others through podcasting. This is a powerful convo that shows you making pivot just might be the most important step you ever take and to be ready, because the perfect journey is filled with imperfection. Even the pro’s “have days”, so handle all challenges with grace like Bethany does, because every step (even the missteps) are a critical part of the journey.   Highlights: Amplifying Underrepresented Voices. The power of podcasting. Representation and holding or clearing space. Taking the mic. Crackers in soup. The imperfect journey. Our children and their safety. The corporate world. Make a pivot and/or taking the leap. Following your heart. Podcasting and the hustle. Women of color leading.   Related Articles: Passing the microphone: broadening perspectives by amplifying underrepresented voices From ethical to equitable social media technologies: Amplifying underrepresented youth voices in digital technology design Can the subaltern (s) speak? Amplifying the voices of global South scholars in the Australasian marketing academy   Time Stamps: 2:00- I am an observer and I knew I wanted to help 3:00- My journey in law 3:30- Burnout and gets intro to podcasting 8:04- The ills of the world, we handle that 8:40- Protective of our daughter because of the things we saw in the world 11:02- You want to come home, call me 16:50- Inappropriate comments, HR is a no-show 17:35- Explaining how a marginalized group feels to non-marginalized people 18:24- the mental load builds up 21:04- The mic is on:) 23:26- Taking the leap! 25:47- Helping people through podcasting 31:54- humanizing the brand 32:29- What kept you so grounded? 32:45- My Mom, the super hero 35:20- self-awareness, owning your shit 38:21- you have to be cemented to your ground as an entrepreneur 42:05- the team is on the yacht with me when big success hit 46:00- Crackers In Soup 50:45- The cream of the crop rises 54:39- Companies should look at the importance of podcasting 55:00- Put a line in your budget for podcasting marketing 1:00:44- Embracing the journey- all of it:)   Bethany Hawkins: Bethany Hawkins is the CEO and Founder of Crackers In Soup.  Being a black woman who worked in corporate for over 18 years, she knows what it is like to not be heard.  So...she decided to create a company that ensures all historically underrepresented voices are heard. Since its inception, Crackers In Soup has worked on over 80 podcasts from creating cover art to helping women create their podcast vision through launches, podcast management, consultations, etc. She has worked on podcasts that are award nominated, won awards (including her own), podcasts that have 3 million listeners and one podcast she worked on was featured in a Princeton course.    Sharing her expertise on summits, such as Podfest, Afros & Audio, Podcast Editor Academy to name a few, she has been coined a "Thought Leader" but still blushes and claps in excitement when someone invites her to speak! Believing that sharing knowledge is the only way to help us create generational wealth, Bethany is now sharing what she has learned in her decades of business experience and her podcasting knowledge in a mentorship and coaching program for podcast service providers.https://crackersinsoup.com/ Ins