The Important Work of Helping At-Risk Women

Getting a good job and advancing in your career is a challenge for most people, but it is especially so for people in or at risk of falling into poverty. How can at-risk women gain the skills they need? How can they balance tough family situations with a grueling work schedule? We spoke with Dara Koenig about how we can help at-risk women succeed. Dara started a nonprofit charity, Changing Your Conversation, whose purpose is to help women transition into the workforce. In our new podcast, Dara describes the challenges faced, how to overcome them, and how we can create a fairer world.

Find out how Dara helps at-risk women succeed professionally in our new podcast below:

After 16 years in the automotive industry, Dara Koenig started a nonprofit charity, Changing Your Conversation, whose purpose is to help at-risk women navigate through a transition in the workforce. They provide coaching for interview readiness, including mock interviews, resume writing, and professional appearance coaching. Dara also provides general life coaching with the focus on helping women rediscover their confidence, improve relationships, and set goals.

To start our discussion, Dara shares her personal story that led her down the path of helping others. From being a teen mom to launching her own business, Dara knows what it means to climb out of tough personal and financial circumstances and build a life that is stable. In our interview, she describes her inspiring journey like that led to her founding Changing Your Conversation.

We then tackle some sensitive issues: How does poverty uniquely affect women and their communities? What puts women at risk of falling into poverty or “slipping through the cracks”? As Dara explains, sexism and traditional gender roles follow women everywhere, and that includes into poverty. Women are more likely to be single parents; they’re less likely to earn decent and fair wages; they’re generally expected to do more for their homes. The list goes on and on as to why women face harsher poverty and why they’re at greater risk of slipping into poverty.

Helping At-Risk Women

With all of these obstacles, what kinds of supports do at-risk women need to begin, restart, or advance their careers? This is where Dara’s nonprofit, Changing Your Conversation, comes in. Dara describes the incredible work they do to help women in her community. From help developing strong resumes to role playing in mock interviews, Dara works with women to achieve the careers and financial stability they deserve.

And as Dara shares here, she doesn’t just help these at-risk women; they have helped her, too. She describes how they’ve inspired her, and how giving back has been so rewarding for her.

Ultimately, Dara is working to make a world that is kinder and more fair. What does a better world look like for her? How can we start to make our way there? Dara shares her thoughts in our new podcast.

Listen to our interview with Dara Koenig about helping at-risk women below:

To learn more about the work Dara Koenig is doing, be sure to visit her Changing Your Conversation website. You can also follow Changing Your Conversation on Facebook and Instagram.

Dara is also happy to connect with you directly; you can find her on Facebook and Instagram.