The Woman Before Her Changed Everything—And No One Knows Her Name (with Bethny Ricks)

Send us Fan MailSome of the most powerful women in our lives will never have a platform, a podcast, or a following online. But their influence shapes generations.That is the heart behind The Women Before Me.In this episode, I had the privilege of talking with Bethny Ricks, a powerhouse executive coach, speaker, and author of Face Forward: Reclaiming Hope When Everything Falls Apart. Bethny has spent two decades leading global teams and helping companies reach valuations of more than 20 billion dollars, earning recognition as one of the Top 100 African Americans in Business and one of Ohio’s Most Influential Women in Business.But long before the boardrooms and billion-dollar decisions, there was a woman quietly shaping who Bethny would become.In this deeply honest conversation, Bethny honors her mother Sheila, a woman whose resilience, independence, and wisdom removed ceilings and modeled a different kind of strength. Together we explore the unseen legacy of mothers, the courage required to keep moving forward when life falls apart, and what it means to lead with integrity when the world expects you to shrink.Bethny also shares her own powerful journey through corporate leadership, the challenges of being underestimated in high-stakes rooms, navigating burnout and a life-altering health scare, and the hard lessons that inspired her message of facing forward instead of living in regret.This episode is about resilience, legacy, and the women who quietly shape the leaders we become.If a woman has made a positive impact on your life, we want to hear her story. Visit svetkapopov.com to leave a voice memo honoring the woman before you.We can't wait to hear from you.Links to Bethny Ricks:https://www.bethnyricks.com