I think looking back I'd always wanted to be a writer, like I did all the things a person would do to prepare. Like, I majored in English. I would always opt to write a paper instead of take an exam. I wrote a novel actually for credit while I was at Yale Law School. But the fact is, I'm not a novelist. Like, that is not my skill. And I didn't see a place for me in the

writing world. I didn't want to be a journalist. I didn't want to be an academic writer. I didn't want to be a novelist or a poet or a playwright. I think I felt like writing, but I didn't know what I would write. Finally, when I had this idea, I was like, this is the book that I want to write.

Women are a force to be reckoned with, yet so many of our stories still go unheard.

From scientists to writers, to entrepreneurs, to professors, women make up almost half the overall workforce in the U.S. and we own close to 10 million businesses.

70% of moms with kids under age 18 work and are the breadwinners of 40% of those households.

There are literally millions of women in the world who do valuable, life-giving work.

But we live in a noisy world where it's hard to hear our beautiful, everyday stories about the way we contribute to the greater good.

If somebody would come alongside you and help with educational costs or help with food costs

or help you find a job, would you want to raise your children? And unanimously, everybody said

yes. So I actually started just paying out of my pocket for these two young girls to go to school so that they could continue to live with their grandmother.

And as I told my parents and friends from back home, this story of these two little girls, you know, a lot of people's response was, oh, I could give you some money to help with that or I'd be willing to support something like that.

And so before I knew it, I had gathered enough money for 40 children. give you some money to help with that or I'd be willing to support something like that.

And so before I knew it, I had gathered enough money for 40 children to go to school and have their tuition fully paid for and therefore not have to come and stay at the village's orphanage.

That kind of grew and grew and 10 kids turned into 40 and 40 turned into 100.

I'm Tchaoxson Writer. You already know me as the host here of The Simple Show and I'm also the author of several books.

And I love stories. I love writing them. I love reading them and I love sharing them.

So welcome to the new podcast, Women's Work, where I ask women from all walks of life who do all sorts of work, their stories.

And then I share them with you.

More than a business show, this is a story show, a podcast that sings the often unsung praises of the millions of women who make our world a better place.

The very last door I knocked on, I'll never forget it. I was walking up and this little girl, I think she was just gotten off the bus. And so I thought, I'm going to tear up a little bit. I thought like, well, I could knock on the door, but I don't think I'm going to. at the very last house, I just stopped her in her driveway and I kind of got down on her level and I said,

Hey, can you give this to your mom or dad or grandparent or who lives here? I'm running for city commission and I really want them to vote for me. I think it's really important. And she just like her eyes got really big and she nodded and I gave it to her. And I thought, like, this is the absolute perfect last door.

It was such a wonderful moment to see her and to be like, yep, this is a good finale.

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