Shannon Watts: Author and Founder of Moms Demand Action
Second Life
Second Life
4.7 • 3K Ratings
🗓️ 16 June 2025
⏱️ 59 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Shannon Watts is the founder of Moms Demand Action, a prominent grassroots organization fighting gun violence in the United States. She initially aspired to be an investigative journalist, and she earned a journalism degree but transitioned into a career in public relations, spending nearly two decades in corporate communications at companies like Anthem and GE Healthcare. After taking a step back from her career to become a stay-at-home mom, the Sandy Hook tragedy in 2012 spurred her into action, and she founded Moms Demand Action with a simple Facebook group. She leveraged her communications and branding expertise to transform the group into a powerful nationwide movement, now part of Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country, with nearly 11 million supporters. She has since been recognized as one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People and a Forbes 50 Over 50 Changemaker. She’s also authored books including Fight Like a Mother and Fired Up.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hi everyone. I'm Hillary Kerr, the co-founder and chief content officer of Who What Where, |
| 0:11.4 | and this is Second Life, a podcast spotlighting women who have truly inspiring careers. |
| 0:18.9 | We're talking about their work journeys, what they've learned from the |
| 0:22.0 | process of setting aside their doubts or fears, and what happens when they embark on their |
| 0:27.5 | second life. Today on the show, I am thrilled to welcome the founder of Mom's Demand Action, |
| 0:35.5 | Shannon Watts. There are a few people who have profoundly impacted the |
| 0:40.3 | landscape of advocacy and social change in this country, and Shannon is undeniably one of them. |
| 0:47.5 | I've followed her journey from her initial spark on a Facebook page to the powerhouse movement |
| 0:52.9 | that Mom's Demand Action has become. |
| 0:56.0 | But Shannon's path wasn't always leading to this level of national influence. |
| 1:01.2 | She began her career in PR working for a governor before then moving to the corporate world, |
| 1:06.9 | where she navigated the realms of public relations and communications from major companies like |
| 1:12.6 | Bayer, General Electric Healthcare, and Anthem. |
| 1:16.6 | Then, as her family grew, Shannon stepped away from the corporate ladder to embrace life as a stay-at-home mom for five kids. |
| 1:24.6 | It was during this chapter that the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary struck a deep |
| 1:29.5 | cord within her. Frustrated by the inaction in the face of such violence, Shannon took to Facebook |
| 1:35.5 | the very next day, starting a simple group with a powerful message, action, not just dialogue. |
| 1:42.5 | This tiny online community exploded into Mom's Demand Action, |
| 1:46.9 | a grassroots movement that now boasts millions of supporters and chapters in every state. |
| 1:53.1 | Mom's Demand Action has also become a crucial piece of Everytown for Gun Safety, |
| 1:58.1 | the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country. |
| 2:02.0 | Shannon transformed her skills in communication and brand building into a force for change, |
... |
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