Fear is Just an Emotion -  Betsy Tong on Resilience, Reinvention and Finding Your Voice

Fear is Just an Emotion - Betsy Tong on Resilience, Reinvention and Finding Your Voice

Released Wednesday, 6th August 2025
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Fear is Just an Emotion -  Betsy Tong on Resilience, Reinvention and Finding Your Voice

Fear is Just an Emotion - Betsy Tong on Resilience, Reinvention and Finding Your Voice

Fear is Just an Emotion -  Betsy Tong on Resilience, Reinvention and Finding Your Voice

Fear is Just an Emotion - Betsy Tong on Resilience, Reinvention and Finding Your Voice

Wednesday, 6th August 2025
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Disclaimer: This episode includes brief use of strong language. As part of our mission to support real, lived experiences in tech, we’ve chosen to preserve the authenticity of this conversation.

2023 was not a great year for Betsy Tong. Only three years after losing her mother to cancer, Betsy found herself navigating a series of personal challenges - a sick father, the end of a long-term relationship - and sudden unemployment at the age of 56. 

For years, Betsy had been a near-unstoppable Tech Industry badass, leading teams that developed complex systems for companies like IBM, Lenovo, Symantec, and Intel. But now, just when she thought she’d be able to coast and enjoy the payoff of all her hard work, Betsy’s entire life felt like it was falling apart. For the first time in decades, Betsy had no idea what her next step was - or how she’d achieve it without the clout of a big company behind her.

But, Betsy did figure it out, and in this episode she talks to Brenda about how she set aside fear, resolved to reinvent herself, and ultimately found purpose - and a thriving second act - in helping other women do the same through her consulting firm, FocusOS.

Brenda and Betsy talk about what it takes to release outdated assumptions, rebuild the architecture of our authority, and recognize the unexpected people who help us find our way, like Betsy’s own “Shannon.”

For more, check out Betsy on...

LinkedIn

And, read The Edge : Your Brain on AI, the book that Betsy set out to write in 72 hours!

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At AnitaB.org, our mission is to enable and equip women technologists with the tools, resources, and knowledge they need to thrive. Through innovative programs and initiatives, we empower women to chart new paths, better prepared to lead, advance, and achieve equitable compensation. Because when women succeed, they uplift their communities and redefine success on their terms, both professionally and personally.

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Connect with AnitaB.org

Instagram - @anitab_org

Facebook - /anitab.0rg

LinkedIn - /anitab-org

On the web - anitab.org 

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Our guests contribute to this podcast in their personal capacity. The views expressed in this interview are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology or its employees (“AnitaB.org”). AnitaB.org is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of the information provided in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. This podcast series does not constitute legal or other professional advice or services.

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B The Way Forward Is…

Hosted and Executive Produced by Brenda Darden Wilkerson.

Produced by Avi Glijansky

Associate Produced by Kelli Kyle

Sound design and editing by Ryan Hammond 

Mixing and mastering by Julian Kwasneski 

Additional Producing help from Faith Krogulecki

Operations Coordination for AnitaB.org by Quinton Sprull.

Creative Director for AnitaB.org is Deandra Coleman

Executive Produced by Dominique Ferrari, Stacey Book, and Avi Glijansky for Frequency Machine 

Photo of Brenda Darden Wilkerson by Mandisa Media Productions

For more ways to be the way forward, visit AnitaB.org

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From The Podcast

B The Way Forward is an action-driven conversation about systemic change—how it happens, who drives it, and what it really takes to make an impact. Hosted by AnitaB.org CEO, and battle-tested leader in tech and equity, Brenda Darden-Wilkerson, the show gives listeners the tools they need to step off the sidelines and shape the future themselves.B The Way Forward Season 2 kicked off with a central question: do you change the system from within, or do you have to break it to build something better?Now, in our second half of the season we'll celebrate something women often feel they can’t admit to in the tech world - failure.Through candid conversations with leaders at the top of the tech industry the audience gets authentic, actionable advice that they can apply to their own careers.Thoughtful, incisive and full of Brenda’s warmth and humor, B the Way Forward is human conversations in a digital world.---At AnitaB.org, our mission is to enable and equip women technologists with the tools, resources, and knowledge they need to thrive. Through innovative programs and initiatives, we empower women to chart new paths, better prepared to lead, advance, and achieve equitable compensation. Because when women succeed, they uplift their communities and redefine success on their terms, both professionally and personally.---Connect with AnitaB.orgInstagram - @anitab_orgFacebook - /anitab.0rgLinkedIn - /anitab-orgAnd for more ways that you can be the way forward visit anitab.org---Our guests contribute to this podcast in their personal capacity. The views expressed in this interview are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology or its employees (“AnitaB.org”). AnitaB.org is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of the information provided in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. This podcast series does not constitute legal or other professional advice or services.

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