Surviving Epstein: Normalizing Our Response to Sexual Assault (part 1)
from Listen for REAL Hosted by Jessica Michaels, Jennifer Oliver Brown
Our guest: JESS MICHAELS is an accomplished dancer with 30 years of experience as a dance industry professional, educator, and entrepreneur. She is also a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and a 1991 rape by Jeffrey Epstein. Her healing journey began unexpectedly, over twenty years later, after her hometown of Newtown, CT was devastated by the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. In 2015, Jess joined Dylan’s Wings of Change, a foundation dedicated to Dylan Hockley, one of the first-grade victims in the shooting. It was there, in her hometown, teaching dance classes and working alongside the brave parents who had lost their children, that Jess began to connect the value of shame-free, community-based, early trauma intervention to the needs of sexual assault survivors. Her message normalizes a proactive, empowered emergency response to SA equipping us to effectively prepare for—rather than react to—one of society's most common, catastrophic crimes while advancing healing, justice and prevention. Connect with Jessica: Website jessmichaelsspeaks.com Instagram @jessmichaelsspeaks Facebook jessmichaelsspeaks TikTok @jessmichaelsspeaks Jen holds space for women who want to elevate and amplify their voice. If you desire support in speaking your truth and want to explore the ways you can work with Jen, let's connect: email: [email protected] website: www.beingREAL.me Instagram @beingREALjen TikTok @beingrealjen Join us next week for the second half of this conversation and until then…keep communicating, connecting, and listening for REAL. It matters. If you believe conversations like these belong in the world, please subscribe, rate & review this podcast - and even better, share it with someone else as a REAL conversation starter. Subscribe to all things Jen Oliver at beingREAL. About Jen Oliver: Jen Oliver is a speaker, podcaster, and communications coach - equipping people to speak with greater impact and presence. Whether you are speaking on stage, promoting your brand, or voicing your needs in a relationship - communicating with your truest voice and cultivating human connection with your audience is the key to influence. Jen coaches individuals privately and within her Signature group programs - in addition to delivering workshops as a guest expert in a variety of settings. Jen serves as a 4-season Executive Producer, Director of Curation, and Speaker Coach for TEDxFolsom. She is a committed force behind WomanSpeak™ - an internationally recognized body of work teaching the art and soul of public speaking. Jen is on a mission to support 1 million women as they speak with uncommon levels of freedom and confidence. Tap into more at REALjenoliver.com email: [email protected] podcast website: ListenForREAL.com 90-day TEDx Talk ACCELERATOR WomanSpeak™ website: REALJenOliver.com LinkedIn:@thejenoliver Instagram: @realjenoliver Facebook: @jen.oliver.806001 If you believe conversations like these belong in the world, please subscribe, rate & review this podcast - and even better, share it with someone else as a REAL conversation starter. Subscribe to all things Jen at REALJenOliver.
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What this episode covers
Picture this familiar scene - a woman bravely steps forward to reveal that a sexual assault was perpetrated against her. Then comes the barrage of ignorant questions such as: “Were you drunk?” “What’s your motive in this?” “How can you make these bold accusations and be so fuzzy on the details?” Jen admits to doubting women in the past and wonders if these "questions" are actually a form of veiled judgment (if we are willing to be honest). With a huge desire to be on the productive side of our response to sexual assault, Jen asks Jessica Michaels to speak about her own experience at the hands of Jeffrey Epstein and the movement she is creating to protect and empower others.
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