Title:
Twin Power: Elevating Women in Business and Leadership

Subtitle:
Alycia & Regina the Dynamic Duo: Launching Own It Mastery and Empowering Women Forward

Transcript:

Alycia Anderson: Welcome to Pushing Forward with Alycia, a podcast that gives disability a voice. Each week we will explore topics like confidence, ambition, resilience, and finding success against all odds. We are creating a collective community that believes that all things are possible for all people. Open hearts, clear paths.

Let’s go.

Welcome back to Pushing Forward with Alycia. We’ve got another twin podcast today. We’ve got two twins. One mission, double the drive, double the empowerment. Welcome back to Pushing Forward with Alycia. Today’s episode, I’m joined with the other half of me, my twin sister, Regina. Welcome back, Reg.

Regina Weinstein: Thank you for having me. So excited to be back.

Alycia Anderson: Yeah. And always a fan favorite. Our last episode that we did together, for our 50th birthday, was one of our highest converting episodes of all time.

Regina Weinstein: Wow. You know what? It was an unbelievable experience, and I’m sure many wanted to know more about the resort specifically.

Alycia Anderson: Yeah.

Regina Weinstein: That’s cool.

Alycia Anderson: I’m really excited to have you back. We’re gonna unpack an incredible experience that we just had at the Empower Her Conference in Austin. This event was a celebration of women uplifting women, and I had the honor to take the stage and share my keynote, “Own It, Embrace, Elevate, and Empower.”

This is my newest keynote in the library of products that I offer. And it’s a message that is about claiming your power and owning your story, showing up unapologetically, and inspiring others around you to do the same. And today, I thought it would be fun, since we had such a great experience, to look behind the scenes, talk about some of the moments we shared, experience some of the sparkle that we shared at this event with our listeners. And, I also wanna talk about a big project that Regina and I are working on behind the scenes that we are calling, The Own It Mastery. And we’re gonna talk a little bit about what that is to hopefully spark some interest. And, I don’t know, I thought since we’re both entrepreneurs and we’re scaling businesses, I thought it would be another good thing to talk about entrepreneurship, and joining forces, and creating powerful business products for women. So, for our listeners that are out there, grab your coffee, or your water, or your glass of wine. Who knows what time it is, wherever you are. Your journal, maybe even your bestie, and let’s own this episode together.

Welcome back, Regina.

Regina Weinstein: Thank you having me, Alycia.

Alycia Anderson: I’m excited. We just came off of such a fun event. I’ve been so motivated. It really shifted my entire, almost my entire year and my mindset. This was a really great conference to just be a part of as an attendee. So I’m glad that you wanna walk down the path. My first question to you is, what was it like when we entered this conference?

What was the energy that you felt right away? I don’t know. Give us the vibe.

Regina Weinstein: The first feeling I had was, it was really amazing for you and I to get back to business together, travel together, share space together professionally. We historically have done a lot of that in our past, and that to me was just a very fun revisit of some of the good old days. So that meant a lot to me.

It felt like putting on my old cozy sweater and just getting back to something that I actually really love and miss. The cool thing about the conference and my first experience with that was, it was at such a beautiful hotel. It was in a really cool city.

It allowed us to feel like we were on a little mini vacation away, though it was professional. But my first experience really was a lot associated to the feeling of grouping women. Everything from the welcome reception to the vendor tables that were offering really special giveaways or tokens to take with you that were feminine, they were powerful, they were cute.

It just made it feel so fun to be there. Some of the other things that were really impactful for me right off the bat was everybody was very united and you could feel that. And we’ve attended a lot of conferences over the years just traveling professionally. There’s a much different feeling when it’s a group of women. And we’re all attending, of course, to succeed professionally, but to also lean in on one another and try to understand perspectives, and actually really try to learn from one another. You could tell that everybody was there to really offer their best, and that felt really special. It felt very welcoming. It didn’t feel like, “Oh, I’m walking into a room and I have to navigate professionally, people that I don’t potentially know.” Trying to look for relationships because I’m a salesperson and I’m trying to gain business. It was really like a sisterhood type of vibe, but right off the bat. And since I was traveling with my sister, winning all around. So it was great for me. It really was.

Alycia Anderson: I have that word written down for what I thought about it. Sisterhood. It was electric, it was full offeminine ambition. It was pink, but it was powerful. And I agree with everything that you just said. It was a nice shift. And I do believe that it felt like a coming together, like you’re saying. A room where no matter who you are, whatever your background is, you were lifted up and put that in a place of power.

And I think that was really refreshing as we’re closing down this year, 2025, which has had a lot of themes of separation in a lot of ways in our society, in the US. It was a sisterhood and a coming together for sure. No egos, just everybody ready to rise together.

I like that you brought up that it was fun to go back to work together. Can you just, maybe for our community that has no idea what our history is from a workplace standpoint. Can you spend like a minute talking about our past and how our careers have come together?

Regina Weinstein: Yeah, the other half of you, the other half of me make one whole. That’s always been the case. And whether it was our early days of hostessing at a restaurant or working through adulthood, you and I have always found a way to unite professionally, and that’s been a really special part of my professional journey and my life. And we did end up blessed to have worked for the same technology company for many years. After we got our college degrees, we moved on out of the restaurants into a real work environment. And when you travel as a salesperson, which we both historically have been, you’re literally combing the country, state by state, city by city, working conferences and all of that.

And when you work literally the same job with your bestie, your twin, your other half of you, traveling becomes much different. It becomes much more fun. Sharing a room becomes waking up like you’re back with your parents, your breakfast in bed, and your late night conversations, and the masks, and the encouraging one another as we’re getting ready for a big meeting, or a big experience, or a big opportunity. And that was really fun. It was really cool to just get back to that feeling of you’re in a work environment, which can be stressful, it can be overwhelming all at the same time. But when you know that you have your safe place that you’re going back to, at the end of the day, the end of your meeting, at the end of your experience, it just feels like you get this natural break from the pressure that goes into a professional environment. And that is very special.

Alycia Anderson: It is so special, and I felt the same coming back together. We were so excited to just be able to travel for a work event together again. We’ve really missed that, and us branching off into our own businesses and our own careers after a lot of years of working together was a really hard decision to make.

And it was one of the biggest sacrifices, at least for me, when I started to make a transition into other places. So it was great to come back together and be leaders now, and be able to make our own decisions in these environments, ’cause conferences can be super fun, but they’re a lot of work.

They’re pretty stressful. You have to really put yourself out there to get business moving, meet new people, and all of the things. So, yeah, I agree with everything you just said. When we get to travel together, it’s like we can go to work and then we can go back to our room, turn it off, and just be. And it’s absolutely the best.

Regina Weinstein: And this experience really inspired me to start looking for those co-events again. Where can we show up together, represent what we’re doing individually, as well as what we’re doing as a team. And maximize the benefit of being twins, maximize the benefit of the fact that you stand out in a room. And I owe a lot of that to you.

I really do. You’re very recognizable. And some of the things that you’ve tried to hide your whole life, potentially, because you didn’t want to be the only, one, disabled woman in a room, now actually can work to your benefit, as well as mine.

Alycia Anderson: Yeah, and we’ve helped each other stand out in our careers in different ways, and you’ve helped me in so many ways too. Allied for me and cheered me on before I had the voice to do it. To allow me to receive some opportunities I probably wouldn’t have had the opportunity to have conversations about otherwise.

So, it’s vice versa. That is the heart of inclusion, making space for each other. So love that. And what I love, too, is I had this amazing opportunity to give this new speech that I’ve been giving this year that was very centered around women’s empowerment, and owning who you are, and elevating your career, and all the things.

And in the last five years, since I’ve hit so many stages, you are a topic almost every single time I am speaking on a stage. And it just happened the other day when I opened up the Q&A, somebody always inevitably says, ” Is Regina backstage? Is she gonna pop out? Is she here?”

Or they’re asking questions about you. Where would you be without your twin today? And so, to have you also there in the new era of my career as a motivational speaker, to have you in the audience, and to be able to talk about you while I was on stage was a real highlight for me, from an event standpoint. And something that we probably could be leveraging on stages, and in different conferences and stuff, because I think our story of allyship and coming together is a real beautiful one. And it shows how you can really leverage your safe relationship, your personal relationships, and your business relationships to grow.

So, that was really awesome for me to have you there as well.

Regina Weinstein: And for me to be in the front row and watching you go up and do your thing, it takes my breath away, it brings me to tears. It’s just the pride that I have for what you’re doing and the bravery that goes into what you’re doing, and the importance of it all is so magical. It really is. To watch the audience take away, the words you’re so passionate about in your keynote. Especially this new keynote that, of course, talks about disability, but also talks about women. It also talks about belief in yourself, and it also talks about how you dig down and really find those things to lift yourself up, and just strategically catapult your future. I could feel the energy with the people around me just absorbing it and wanting more of it. And it just makes me so proud of you, because it takes so much bravery to get up on a stage like that. And then to not only get up on a stage like that, but be able to recite a speech that you need to do with perfection, as well as the movement around the stage and how you have to work it. Like all those things are so key to being authentic, and it was just an honor to watch you do it. It had been quite some time since I have seen you actually speak on stage, and it was brilliant. It really was.

Alycia Anderson: Aww.

Regina Weinstein: And the people around me absolutely loved it.

It was so cool.

Alycia Anderson: This new piece of content is just so exciting and it’s been really fun. And I think, potentially, it can be its own movement in this platform and the work that we’re gonna do collectively, so I’m really excited about it. What was one of your biggest “aha” moments, or heart moments from the event that has stuck with you leaving Austin? And I think I know what you’re gonna say. At least I hope I know what you’re gonna say, but I wanted to ask the question.

Regina Weinstein: Besides the delicious margarita that I was handed right when I walked in the door, that was yummy, and such a cool little touch. My biggest takeaway, which I’m actually implementing in my life right now because it meant so much to me. One of the keynote speakers spoke to just her journey and becoming confident in herself, and trying to build herself, her business, her belief in herself. And one of the things that she talked about was how you communicate back to other people. And one of the things that she said in her journey ofdeveloping her career, she learned that when you started to take words and turn them into words for other people, that it actually started to impact her life in a very positive way. So her example was four words that have changed her life, and that was, ” I believe in you.” And the second she started saying those words to other people authentically versus “I believe in myself,” or “I’m trying to do this for me,” and started saying “I believe in you,” and really trying to implement into her life is when her career started to catapult, it started to shift, it started to change. And it really just reminded me so much of literally the golden rule in life, which is you have to treat people the way that you wanna be treated, and you have to think forward about other people and their experiences. And when you start doing that, it starts to open your mind and your heart to really having the capacity to truly, genuinely believe in those things. And as that starts to happen, your life starts to evolve and change.

And so, I took that was a big takeaway. Your speech was a huge takeaway as well, Alycia. That’s my favorite moment. Standing in the back of the room and looking at the audience with you on the stage and the room being so powerfully pink. Just the fact that everybody was dressed in similar colors and clothing.

It just made this conference feel so much more united and every aspect of it. But just stand in the back and take pictures and video of you, and have this pink room, this glorious view of you inspiring a group of women who are really just taking it all in. That’s my key takeaway. But the thing that I am personally implementing in my own life right now is this “I believe in you statement,” because I just think it’s very important.

Alycia Anderson: I was hoping you were gonna say that, and I knew you were gonna say that. And I think that it’s been a beautiful thing since we’ve been back to try to really lift up. So I love it. Why do you think that events like Empower Her, or women in business events, specifically women in leadership today, like why are these types of coming together important?

Regina Weinstein: I don’t think I realized how important it was until I was present in this environment, but I actually want to start targeting more events like this. I think as women, especially as leaders and especially professionally, I don’t think I realized in my work path that we are treated differently.

And you end up in work environments, and as women you go, “Okay, I’m gonna accept this situation, where I’m going to allow these situations to breeze by me. And I’m not going to speak up, and I’m not going to defend myself, and I’m not going to do the things that I actually should be doing because I’m so used to it.”

And I think you get into an environment where there’s all women and you start going, “We’re all really thriving off of one another and the power that we’re all bringing into this situation in our own personal lives, in our friendship, in our love.” And it feels much different when you’re in a group of women.

We can actually really open up those things that society makes us feel like we have to hold in because we’re women, and we’ve been used to taking the backseat,, or not given the promotion, or being paid less, or given lesser. We’ve allowed those things to continue in our lives because it’s been a norm in our environment.

And being in a room of all women, so many thought leaders, so many women who are top executive organizations. It makes you stop and go, ” We can soar to the top, we deserve the same. We deserve the same pay. We deserve the same shot. We deserve the same respect. We deserve the same experience as anyone else in this world, in this life.”

And it really did continue to inspire me to remind myself that society’s narrative does not have to be my narrative. And the more that I’ve try to change that in my own self, in my own life, the more that my daughter is going to be raised going, “Oh no, I am now gonna be a powerful woman just like my mommy, and I can achieve the highest thing if I wanna work hard enough to achieve it.”

And the feeling of that really was open and honest in this environment. And it does make me want to target more events like this, spend more time in women environments, and continue to encourage people like myself to grow, to thrive, to succeed and to literally shoot for the stars. There is so much that we can attain and the world is a beautiful open place, ready for all of us.

Alycia Anderson: And the reality is thataround boardroom tables and executive leadership positions, the percentage of women that are in those roles is extremely small. And so I think that when we’re put into a room of 300 women that are all hustling, they’re all totally impressive in their own right.

Each and every one has their own unique, powerful story. And when you put a bunch of women together like that, you start to really realize that there is no ceiling. That we can break through the limitations and the bias that are placed on us because we are women in power positions.

And it makes you realize that, ” Oh, we are leading this.” And when you see that many women doing the things that they’re doing, you look at them and you say, “Wow, if she could do it, maybe I can too.” Like from that quote in my speech of, “You realize that femininity is not a liability for you, but it’s actually your leadership.” And it’s super powerful. But it’s easy for us to forget when we are in work environments, where a very small percentage of women are in leadership roles. So the coming together, the camaraderie, the reminder of the opportunity and the immense value that we bring to the work environment, specifically, is just amplified.

And you leave going, “Oh, yeah, I’m ready to literally take on the world.”

Regina Weinstein: You also feel the emotion, right? There’s this emotional response to professional women coming up and wanting to have a moment with you, Alycia, have a conversation with you. But then they talk about not only this key leader at this very important organization, but they’re also a mother of a child with an invisible disability.

And they’re not only working to be a powerhouse professionally, but they’re also working to be a powerhouse to advocate for their children, to raise their children.Women end up in a very unique situation because we’re not just professional people. We’re also the nurturer. And, of course, men do that as well, but there’s a different layer with a mom in a household and some of the things that go on with that, there just is. And so hearing some of those stories of, “Wow, you’re top of the chain at this amazing huge organization that is national. But, your other narrative is this human story that you’re sharing with us about some of the challenges of being a mom, and the combination of those two things. And so I thought that was really special with this event as well, because a lot of those conversations did come up.

Alycia Anderson: And if I can just lift you up in that. You are one of those moms, too, with your daughter. So it must feel good to come together in a room like that as well, where you’re having those connections that go beyond the boardroom, which is really great.

Okay, we’ve both have had very successful corporate careers. I don’t knowthe absolute number that you sold and scaled in thefew different companies that you’ve worked for as you’ve grown your career, but it’s been multi-millions of dollars. And you’ve been very successful in growing businesses and being a strategic leader in operations, and marketing, and sales, and all those things.

What is one of the lessons that you’ve learned about selling, scaling, sustaining businesses that you think other women should know?

Regina Weinstein: The most important thing that you do as a business leader is be truthful, and authentic, and build relationships that are long lasting. The reason that I have succeeded as a business professional, and the more I’ve grown into a leader, it’s all about the relationship and how authentic you are received. The word trust is actually a real thing. You define that within the company that you’re working for, and with whatever your job role may be, and whoever you may be interacting with. If the group of people that you’re leading, whether they’re clients, whether it’s employees, as long as they trust you, you will catapult in success.

Alycia Anderson: And I agree with all that. And then, maybe also, listen more than you speak. Gather information to build trust and figure out how you can solve problems for other people, not for yourself. I think that if we become that trusted advisor and friend that relationships go a very long way.

I have very strategic relationships all along my business. Life as well. And it does come from relationships, understanding who you’re in front of, and really creating friendships. Honestly.

Regina Weinstein: Yeah.

Alycia Anderson: And you’re really good at it. You’ve had a very successful career, which is frankly why I think it’s pretty awesome that you and I are joining.

We’re starting a new project together to teach other people about these things. We’re calling it The Own IT Mastery, and we wanna help women learn how to scale their businesses, sell, speak, present, and really take ownership of their careers, or their dreams in any which way that they are dreaming. And literally own who they are, own their presence, own their value, and put it into the world, and learn how to monetize it.

And over the last many years, I have so many people asking me how I do what I do. People ask Regina all the time, “How do you sell as good as you do? How do you do what you do?” So we are putting together a program that is gonna be a community, and that is gonna have courses, and is gonna have resources.

And I think what I’m most excited about is really the community part. I think the more we’re in community, and the Empower Her Conference is a good example of this. The more we’re coming together, the more we learn about ourselves and the things that we’re dreaming of as well. And it really helps you elevate your value into the world. I’m really excited about this venture that we are kicking off soon.

Regina Weinstein: The other piece that’s really cool, outside of just coaching, right? How do you coach someone to chase their biggest dreams? But the other thing is how do you coach people on how you transformed your own mindset to believe that you could do it? And the foundation of that is so important. And that’s one of the biggest pieces that I can’t wait to dig into. Because the second I started making changes in my life that were all about my mindset and my belief in myself, that is when the magic really started to happen in my life.

Alycia Anderson: Yeah.

Regina Weinstein: So, it’s gonna be a culmination of all of this good stuff, it really is.

Alycia Anderson: Yeah. So we’re working on that right now and more to come, but we’ve been dripping it the past couple weeks here or there. Had its first drip debut in Austin. And we really just wanna have a program that’s results-focused, that creates a path for voices to elevate, and for women to own their presence and find financial impact from leaning into leadership.

And, I think we’re gonna be pretty darn good at this. It’s really coming out strong. And we’re gonna leave everything in the show notes if anybody is interested in adding to the interest list for becoming a part of this program. We’re very excited. This is coming soon, and definitely gonna be a major focus moving into 2026.

And I’m so excited to be doing a project like this with you, Regina. Who knows what stages this will put us on. It’s exciting.

Regina Weinstein: I know. We definitely need to be looking at these women conferences and environments, where we can get together and really talk about all these really yummy pieces of the conversation that we’re gonna blend together. And it’s gonna be an honor to be part of it. And, yes, it is super cool for us to have a little side hustle, little side project that’s gonna inspire us to work together and just see where we can take it.

Alycia Anderson: Yeah, and help other people, which would be great.

Regina Weinstein: Exactly.

Alycia Anderson: So for women that are listening right now, who are ready to step or roll into the next level of their life. What is some advice that you could give them to find a path forward to start?

Regina Weinstein: I really think what keeps most people stuck is the fear to go after what your gut, your heart, your soul is telling you to do. So if you have a drive or there’s something that’s going on inside your body that you feel and you can sense, it’s time to start exploring that. It’s time to start writing down some notes about how you feel, what those things are, and then going for it.

You just have to go for it. You don’t start to take those steps, you stay stagnant. You start to take those steps, you start to pivot. Small pivot here, little pivot there, little pivot here. All of a sudden, one year later, your biggest dreams and goals have been attained, and it can’t happen in one big move.

It has to be strategically slow enough and strategic enough so that you can manage it, and it’s not too overwhelming, and you can also succeed at what you’re trying to do. I think, for me, it comes from feelings. The second I started listening to myself, and started taking what I was telling myself to heart and actually moving on, the second my life started to get to this next step, then this next level, then this next level. And all of a sudden, you look in the rear view mirror, and you’re really proud of what you’ve accomplished.

Alycia Anderson: Women’s intuition.

Regina Weinstein: It’s strong.

Alycia Anderson: I think every human has that, like your soul speaking to you about where you’re meant to be, what you’re meant to be doing. And if you can hear it, listen to it, and be brave enough to lean into it. But I’m gonna lift women up a little bit more today, since we’re talking about women. I think that voice speaks a little louder and a little more clear from a women’s intuition standpoint. And when you feel that fire, it’s like your soul saying, “I’m here, I’m ready. If you want to try to do this, I’m waiting for you.” And I think it’s a powerful moment when you push fear aside. And like you said, it doesn’t have to be all in the moment.

It’s literally chipping away small little steps. Eventually have a great big impact. We’ve both seen that in both of our careers. So it’s super powerful.

Regina Weinstein: We’re seeing that with Own IT Mastery, right? We decide that we wanna start to create this group, and this community, and this experience. Day one comes and you’re like, “Okay, what’s step one?” The second you just take a little step here and then you plan to have a next step there, all of a sudden you’re like, “Wow, we did it.” And now we’re ready to launch this. And it’s getting closer and closer to that every single day. And we’re seeing that in our own lives, which is so cool.

Alycia Anderson: Okay, so before we wrap up, what is a pushing forward moment in all of this today?

Regina Weinstein: My pushing forward moment was going to be to really start trying to tell others that you believe in them. So I’m gonna say that again just because I took a lot away from that. Not that I wanna repeat myself, but I really challenge the audience to stop and look at someone that they love today, someone that they really believe in. And look at them and just say the four words, “I believe in you,” and see what that does to their demeanor, what that does to their face, what that does to their body, and how they receive it. And how it makes you feel once they receive it, because it’s a game changer. So, I believe in you, Alycia.

Alycia Anderson: I believe in you too. I think this was a pretty beautiful episode. I loved it. And I feel like we left the Empower Her Conference feeling unstoppable, and now we’re channeling this energy into our own movement that we’re gonna call the Own IT Mastery. And it’s gonna be designed to help women embrace who they are, elevate their impact, and empower themselves and others to rise along the way. And so, everybody out there, please stay tuned. You are getting what you asked for. So more to come soon, and thanks for coming back on the show, Regina. I love it so much.

Regina Weinstein: I love you.

Alycia Anderson: Maybe we’ll have an Own IT Mastery podcast one day.

Regina Weinstein: Oh, it might just happen. Who knows.

Alycia Anderson: But I love it when you come on the show. It’s the best. Thank you.

Regina Weinstein: Thanks for having me.

Alycia Anderson: I love you so much. Thank you for being my most amazing bestie in life.

Regina Weinstein: Yeah, ride or die.

Alycia Anderson: Ride or die.

Regina Weinstein: And just wanted to say congratulations to you and Marty on your five year anniversary with your business, and all of the beauty that you’re bringing to our world. It has been such an honor to watch you guys grow and thrive in this space, and it’s really amazing to see you changing the world.

We need more of it. More and more and more.

Alycia Anderson: Thank you. Congratulations on you and all your big successes in the past, present and much, much coming in the future. So I love you so much. Thank you to our community for showing up to be empowered today on this episode. We will be back next week.

If you liked this episode, please share it around, so we can get lots of people and community in the Own IT Mastery and beyond. This has been Pushing Forward with Regina and Alycia, the Twins, and that is how we roll on this podcast. We will see you next week.