A Path of Purpose and Impact with Whitney Strauss

Overview:

In this podcast episode of "Not Made To Be Subtle," host Caytie Langford interviews guest Whitney Strauss, a current PhD candidate focusing on urban agriculture. Whitney shares her inspiring journey, highlighting pivotal moments, challenges, and triumphs along the way. Delving into her passion for social justice and community empowerment, Whitney offers candid insights into balancing motherhood with academic pursuit and navigating the complexities of pursuing a PhD. As a passionate advocate for addressing food insecurity and promoting urban agriculture, Whitney's work exemplifies the transformative impact of purpose-driven action and unwavering commitment to driving positive change. Join us as Whitney invites listeners to embark on a journey of resilience, determination, and the power of purposeful action in shaping a better world.

Key Highlights:

Journey of Purpose: Whitney recounts her transformative journey from philanthropy to pursuing a PhD, driven by her passion for social justice and community empowerment.

Balancing Motherhood and Academia: Whitney candidly shares her experiences navigating the complexities of motherhood while pursuing higher education, emphasizing the importance of resilience and self-care.

Impactful Advocacy: Through her research in urban agriculture, Whitney discusses the critical role of community-led initiatives in addressing food insecurity and promoting sustainable, equitable food systems.

The Power of Purposeful Action: Whitney's story embodies the transformative impact of purpose-driven action, inspiring listeners to embrace their passions, overcome challenges, and make meaningful contributions to society.

00:00 Embracing the Journey: A Mom's Path to Fulfillment

00:32 Introducing 'Not Made To Be Subtle': A Podcast for Fearless Women

01:43 Meet Whitney Strauss: A Decade of Friendship and Career Evolution

02:09 Getting to Know Whitney: A Fun 'This or That' Game

04:56 Whitney's Winding Career Path: From Education to Philanthropy

10:06 The Bold Decision to Pursue a PhD: Whitney's Academic Journey

17:41 Balancing Motherhood and Personal Ambitions: Whitney's Perspective

22:29 Empowering Women: Self-Care and Personal Growth

22:42 Reflecting on Childhood and Parenting Philosophies

24:43 The Importance of Sharing Parental Responsibilities

25:34 Diving into Urban Agriculture and Its Impact

27:23 Understanding Food Insecurity and Its Challenges

35:28 Exploring Urban Farms and Their Role in Communities

40:13 How Everyone Can Contribute to Addressing Food Insecurity

43:46 Wrapping Up: The Journey Ahead and Making an Impact

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Transcript

Whitney: 0:00

I'm a mom, but I'm a person and I have my own path and my boys, I've been really intentional by saying. You are always a priority and I love them completely and I love my role as a mom. However, I'm also a person and for me to be fulfilled as a person, I have this path and I will balance as best I can, but sometimes, sometimes I'm going to miss a football game.

Caytie: 0:32

Welcome to Not Made To Be Subtle where we celebrate the art of embracing fear, pushing boundaries and making a statement in a world that often expects us to be subtle. I'm your host, Caytie Langford. I'm a full time real estate investor, but along the way I was a nonprofit fundraiser turned executive coach. I once stood at the intersection of This is everything that I've ever wanted. And is this really it? I've learned so much along the way. And now this podcast will be your go to destination for candid discussions with me and with other bad ass women who dared to ask the same, is this it? And decided to chase after more. Stay tuned for riveting stories. unfiltered conversations and actionable advice that will move you from where you are to where you want to go. Welcome to not made to be subtle because you, my dear, you were never made to be subtle. I am so honored to have my guest, Whitney Strauss. Whitney and I have gone back probably a decade or more at this point. Yeah, it has been a long time and it's really interesting because Over the last decade or so, since we've known each other, both of our careers have taken such winding roads.

Whitney: 2:09

I go between both. I work from home, so, but I'm, I feel like I'm a nomad. I'm with clients all over the place because I'm social. So yeah.

Caytie: 2:18

Lady, I understand that nomad life.

Whitney: 2:22

Nomadic.

Caytie: 2:23

Yes. Yeah. Well, kind of the best of both worlds. Okay. So creative freedom or structured environment.

Whitney: 2:33

I like creative freedom.

Caytie: 2:36

Early riser or night owl?

Whitney: 2:38

Early riser. Yeah. I hit a wall. Anyone that's been friends with me and out at night, like I'll be going, going social, and then I'll hit a wall. I'm like, I got to go to bed. It's done. I'm done. Yeah.

Caytie: 2:54

it's funny. I don't think i'm an early riser or a night owl. I like to say i'm a day kind of person Because I don't want to get up when it's still dark and I don't like to go to bed early But I I cannot stay up past like 11. That's too late.

Whitney: 3:07

Exactly. Exactly. Yes.

Caytie: 3:10

People or process

Whitney: 3:13

People.

Caytie: 3:15

Introvert or extrovert Introvert.

Whitney: 3:18

I thought I was an introvert, but I've heard extrovert cause I love people. I love people. Yeah. Um,

Caytie: 3:26

to charge your battery after you've been with so many people?

Whitney: 3:31

sometimes if I've had to be on for several days in a row, but I usually, so I was just in LA for, with a client, my job with the Advocare foundation. one of our LA's best, our partners. had an event that night, you know, and I don't know anybody there. I was like, this is going to be so fun. I'm going to go figure it out. And I closed that so that maybe I'm an extrovert. Cause I got so much energy out of that. I loved that so much. So yeah, but I also love after I've been going, going, going, I love a quiet weekend with just my family On the couch watching movies. So I'd like that part too. Yeah.

Caytie: 4:17

I

Whitney: 4:17

I don't know what to call. Yeah.

Caytie: 4:20

No,

Whitney: 4:20

Yeah.

Caytie: 4:21

I think that life is not black or white. I think that there are lots of shades of gray and I think it's totally okay when we embrace that. last question, and I think this is going to be fascinating for you. Global impact or local impact.

Whitney: 4:38

my right now local impact, but I see the importance of global systems to help that impact.

Caytie: 4:49

okay. So I think that is a perfect jumping off point and let's just begin. So, tell us a little bit about your career, Whitney, and what you're doing right now.

Whitney: 5:03

So my career has had a lot of, it's been a winding path, a central theme throughout has been community philanthropy. Giving back, you know, nonprofit to some extent, but really that philanthropic focus. So I like to say throughout my career, I've had the benefit of being on both sides of the desk. I've been a part of corporate social responsibility and foundations. Making those granting decisions and where the philanthropic focus is going to be and how to measure it and branding and, you know, all, all that. And then the other part is I've also been a part of nonprofit organizations as a staff member and then also volunteer. So, 25 years going now, I know, and my career has been in Dallas, but I've also had the beautiful opportunity of several roles taking me throughout the U. S. to experience those communities too. and so I started with the U. S. Department of Education. I was a special assistant to the regional representative for the Secretary of Education, which was in Dallas,

Caytie: 6:17

Okay,

Whitney: 6:18

in Dallas, Sally Cain was the regional representative. We had a six state region, five or six. And so it was really taking the Department of Education's priorities out into the community and talking about. You know, what was going on and how the federal government could be involved. Super fascinating. and really starting at that point, super fascinating. you know, I did powerpoint presentations because that was a relatively new technology. so I did that and I got a chance to go to all of these community groups and represent the Department of Ed and I mean, I was 21. So it was just an amazing opportunity and Sally took me under her wing and gave me that chance to go be a part of several things. and I also worked with, Trini Garza, who recently passed. And, Durham and Barbara, and I mean, just these great leaders, but Trini in particular, at that time, he was so active in the Latino community and had been such a, a, a remarkable leader that I had the chance so early in my career to be influenced by him. and then we kept up, you know, really until he passed this year. So, yeah, I know it was, it was beautiful. And then from there, I went to the, to the chamber. Worked for Patti Klapp and did education policy. I arrived at the chamber the same time Mike Moses arrived at Dallas ISD, which was a really turbulent time. Yeah,

Caytie: 7:50

Regional Chamber. And Patti Klopp is a well known Dallas leader, worked for the Chamber for many decades, and was an incredible, incredible

Whitney: 8:02

the, the Richardson school board, incredible leader, advocate of public schools and been involved in all the things. And she. We just had an amazing group of women that worked in our department that I still keep up with, but I just had that opportunity to be a part of. Not only learning about education policy in Dallas and Texas, but then higher ed and especially the public school system in Dallas. So you know, watching Dr. Moses come in, things going on with the board, then redistricting. I mean, there was a lot of big issues going on then. Mm hmm.

Caytie: 8:43

And so for those of people in our audience who are not familiar with Dallas, I'm going Like many large cities, our independent school district has had many challenges. We have one school district for all of the city of Dallas. And so we talk about that, but let's do this, Whitney, because, while all of that was phenomenal and an incredible foundation to where you are today, one of the things that I'm very drawn to is that you have continued to push your career. Like you said, you've been on the nonprofit side, you've been on the foundation side, and yet there was something in you that said, huh, what would it look like if I went and got my PhD?

Whitney: 9:35

Yeah.

Caytie: 9:36

And, and let's be honest, that is not a subtle move. That is a bold move, especially considering you have two kids at home, one who is a senior. So all the things are happening this year. And then, your youngest is in junior high now. Is that

Whitney: 9:55

Yeah. Yep. Yeah. Yeah.

Caytie: 9:57

So you're in a busy time of your life and yet you said, okay, what would it look like if I went and got my PhD? So tell us a little bit about how you made that decision and specifically, what is the work that you're doing inside of that program?

Whitney: 10:16

Yeah. So I, I should also say I got my master's. when I was pregnant with my second son and then finished it after he was born and I was working full time. So I'm not,

Caytie: 10:27

Oh my

Whitney: 10:28

I'm not a stranger to the challenge of a working mom or really anybody going back to school during their career. It's it, you, you have to want it because it's, it is a time commitment. It's challenging. You're balancing different priorities at that point. So I think for my doctorate degree that started being an itch. Probably 2017 2018 that I really started looking at programs and it's PhD is a very different. It's a very different journey than a master's degree because you really, they prefer you being residential to be there. It's a big, bigger time commitment, I think, and it's the research component and applying for it. It's just, it was just really different. And so. I remember we went out to dinner and I was going down this path of looking at what were my options and really wanting that degree to have that level of expertise. Because I was looking at what's the next step, what do I want for that next step, and really to have that level of research and expertise in that field was super important to me. But who's doing something in social impact?

Caytie: 11:44

Sure.

Whitney: 11:45

look like? And I found some that were like, I would have to travel or actually move. And I was like, that's, that's just not, that's not going to be an option right now. So who's doing this? And I was talking at dinner with my husband and just going, you know, what options are there? And he's like, we know SMU has this doctoral program of liberal studies. It's interdisciplinary that you can marry these two, you know, disciplines together for social impact. It's like, that's brilliant. I will apply. I got in, in 2019 is when I started. And I think for anybody that's considering it, there's never a good time to do challenging things, but you can do hard things. You just have to really want it. everyone has that capacity. I don't feel like I don cape and go into the world like to go to class. It was just something I really wanted to do. So nothing was going to stop me from figuring it out. And I also had an incredible support network to do that. So my husband was totally supportive. My boys understood like, this is mom's journey and it's, They like that I have my own journey and I may miss a football game, which I did. I mean, cause one of my classes was Thursday night. So when I started, I missed Bobby's football games on Thursday night, but you know, he, he knew that this was a part of a bigger goal. So it was, you know, go for it. These sacrifices now will pay off later. But I do remember when I started the program, going back to school is humbling. you're a student again, and it doesn't matter how resumed you come into that program, and I remember it was not said to me in a mean way, but a very direct way in my interview that, you know, the boards I'd served on all that. That's great, but that does not mean anything

Caytie: 13:51

yeah,

Whitney: 13:52

a class setting. And what are you bringing? to the table, to this discussion. How are you adding? How are you adding to research, to, you know, the program? So, that was humbling. but it was good to have that experience because you go back into a lot of, not only exploring the subject areas, but yourself. You change a lot during a PhD program. Because you're asking questions in a totally different way. Then you have in your career. So yeah,

Caytie: 14:25

This is incredible. And you've just packed so much into just a couple of minutes. So I want to break down a couple of these things. First, I want to ask you, Whitney, the decision to get a PhD, to go back to school, is it because of long term goals with your career? Or was it just something in you that you wanted to do? Kind of just Help us understand

Whitney: 14:53

it was both. Yeah, it was both.

Caytie: 14:55

both.

Whitney: 14:55

Yeah. And I should say both my parents got their doctorates while I was growing up. So I saw that my dad earlier, and my mom graduated actually when I was a freshman in college. So I saw them go through it and figure it out. So that was already an example of. You can do this.

Caytie: 15:20

Yeah,

Whitney: 15:21

Yeah, anybody can do this. but for me, it was that personal drive that I really wanted to accomplish this goal. I think that's super important going into it. because that's what keeps you going because it could be there are points throughout the PhD process that you have to jump over certain hurdles. and a lot of people don't, you know, for whatever reason. So I think you've got to have that drive. But you also need to have a goal to my, for me, I needed to have a goal for why am I doing this? I'm not going to do it just to do it. I need to know that at the end, whatever I'm learning and I can apply to. social impact. I need to be able to see that I can potentially be a benefit to a bigger cause or a big, yeah, to help solve problems. So that was really important too, cause I was able to see how my research and what I was doing could apply somewhere else. I didn't want to do it just to have another degree because Lord knows it's a lot of work just to say, yeah,

Caytie: 16:33

Yeah.

Whitney: 16:34

yeah, how am I going to apply this? Yeah.

Caytie: 16:37

This is a lot of work. I mean, 2019 it's 2024 now you have several months left. So before we go forward and kind of dig into some of these. nuance work that you're doing. One of the things you said was. You were going to miss football games. You were going to miss certain things, but you also said your parents showed you what this was like. And so we have a lot of moms who listen to our podcasts. Obviously, you know, I tend to attract super ambitious, bad ass women, just like you, obviously. Right. That these are the ladies who are my friends and, and my peers. And so. I think that sometimes society tells moms, you have to put everything on the back burner, right? You have to live for your children. I'm watching some of my friends struggle with this. So I would love to hear your thoughts. Because I think this is another way that society tells us, be subtle. It's not your turn. You have, you know, and you said, no, no, I'm going to do this for myself and I'm going to have a conversation with my kids and help them understand that this is something that mom has to do for me. So talk to me a little bit about that. And was that ever going against the grain? Was there ever a time where people. You

Whitney: 18:11

Oh, yeah.

Caytie: 18:12

told you, you shouldn't and put their judgment or lens on you.

Whitney: 18:18

There's a lot. Yeah. There's a lot to unpack there. and you know, I don't know what men get. I don't know what my male colleagues get. Got as feedback. I only know what I got and you hear the, oh, you know, we missed you at the football game and you know, oh, well, it was so sad that, you know, we haven't seen you in forever. Are we, you know, you hear it's more. I didn't get a direct. I got those passive aggressive,

Caytie: 18:44

Sure.

Whitney: 18:45

you know, comments. yeah, throughout really. Digs. Yeah. And how do you have time to do this? And, you know, just all of those sometimes not sometimes well meaning, but sometimes digs. So

Caytie: 19:03

Sure.

Whitney: 19:04

you got to kind of put, you have to put on your guard on I'm a mom, but I'm a person and I have my own path and my boys, I've been really intentional by saying. You are absolute, always a priority and I love them completely and I love my role as a mom. However, I'm also a person and for me to be fulfilled as a person, I have this path and I will balance as best I can, but sometimes, sometimes I'm going to miss a football game. But that doesn't mean that it's not important or you're not important, but I'm also a person and I have my own goals and my own path in life and I want them to have that too. I've been really intentional with them throughout on, it's not all or nothing. you have multiple roles in your life. Just they do. I do. Everybody does. And I don't think it's healthy to say, I'm going to give up all the other roles that I could potentially have in my life to do this one. I don't think it's fair to them either, to my boys, because they, I involve them a lot in my other roles, in my volunteer roles, in my research. I, I involve them just like they involve me in their other roles. So, yeah, I think that's the thing that I. You have to just block that stuff out. It's like they don't understand. But for our family and my relationship with my boys to see me as a person and has my own journey has been hugely important. And I see as they're developing into men what that means and how they respect women's paths because the way that they talk about it. And it's not an either or, it's not that women should do less because I've really tried to be an example of that in a very positive way and not, and not go into so much concentrating on I missed your football game, but, you know, I was cheering you on in spirit. Tell me all about your game. Let me tell you what we discussed in class. So that's how we framed it. And I guess for women out there that are struggling with this. It's, it's made me a better mom, and I think it's made my relationship stronger with my kids. And for me raising boys to be good men, I see the benefit now. Cause you, I mean, you don't, you don't know how you're doing until like, you know, Bobby's 18. You don't know, like, there's no, I'm waiting for my handbook to come in the mail. I've gotta be a

Caytie: 21:58

Where is my grade? How am I

Whitney: 22:00

it? But I see him and how he talks about gender and roles and that, and, and he, yeah, I think it's just going to make him, it's made him a more well rounded person. It's made him view women in a certain light, I think very positively and strong and capable and go your own way, go do your own path and support that. So I think that's for women out there wondering. It's not a, it's not a negative to be your own person and take care of yourself. Like put your, put your mask on first. Yeah.

Caytie: 22:42

Well, in the whole time that you're talking, you know, we can only see life through our lens and that's one of the things that I'm constantly telling, you know, the women who I tend to attract, just like the people around you couldn't see your vision for getting your PhD for why you needed to do this, you know, as you're reflecting about. Hey, mom has other things going on besides your football game. I started thinking back to my own childhood. I was an only child until I was 15 years old and much of my parents and my grandparents life centered around me. And now that I have the perspective of being an adult. I don't necessarily think that was super healthy for me Because no one missed any of my stuff No

Whitney: 23:36

Right. Right.

Caytie: 23:37

I cheered at or played at or a play that I was in or you know No one missed anything And so as an adult, and I know that I still probably, I mean, if we asked Shane Langford and some of my friends, I can tend to be very selfish because for so long it was all about me and I was the center of so much that I think that your boys are going to grow up knowing like. Yeah, no, your partner's going to have other dreams. I had to learn that the hard way. I had to learn to be a non selfish, a selfless friend, a selfless wife. And I'm sure that I still fail at it because there were these times where, you know, my mom didn't go do something because I had something. And so I appreciate that. your Philosophy and clearly it was modeled for you by your own parents. is a little different. So let's dig into this. Okay. So

Whitney: 24:43

Well, the other, the other part is the boys have two parents. So just because if I'm not there, I think that was awesome. That Rob got to be there and have those moments with them. It was, that was special for them. So that's the other part of this that I think women don't, I mean, give their husbands a pass a lot. It's like, no, no, two parents. So if a parent, yeah, if a parent's there, it doesn't have to be me. And I think it's great when it's Rob, because they can have that moment too.

Caytie: 25:21

Yeah.

Whitney: 25:22

Anyway. Yeah.

Caytie: 25:24

I thank you for saying that. And I, I think it's true. I think, you know, and we could, we could

Whitney: 25:30

We could go into this for a long time. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Caytie: 25:34

But I really want to jump into the work that you are doing So kind of share with us a little bit about a very high level. What is your dissertation about? What are you studying for your PhD and what's that work looked like? because That impact that it's going to make when you're done, like this is just the beginning, you know, it's not like you're going to do your dissertation and it's going to be over. Like this truly is the beginning of some really cool, magical things that are happening.

Whitney: 26:07

I hope so. Yeah, I hope so. It's already creating conversations in my circles and I've also been able to do certain things. I spoke at the future of food during South by Southwest, which was awesome. yeah, just I mean, it's so I've had opportunities that have come up. Just through talking about what I'm doing. So what I'm doing, my doctorate program is interdisciplinary, really focusing on human rights and behavioral science. So that's been a lens throughout the whole program. The dissertation is, you know, really focusing on one social impact phenomenon and unpacking that more. and I'm focusing on urban ag, urban agriculture, community farms that are community led and how are they measuring their impact because this is, although urban ag is not a recent phenomenon at all, it's been around for a long time, however, using it as a tool to address food insecurity, food inequity, however, it's termed. Is relatively new. So, you know, what impact are they having? cause this is catching on anyway.

Caytie: 27:23

so before we dig into that, because you and I come from, you know, a health and human services background, we know players in this, in this world. I think a lot of our listeners work in corporate America. They may be their own entrepreneurs. So tell us a little bit about what is the landscape of food insecurity? whether it be in Dallas or Texas, or even in the country, like what are we seeing?

Whitney: 27:49

it's rising. Yeah. Cause food insecurity for, you know, listeners, there's a lot of terms that go into food and hunger and blah, blah, blah, that have, you know, switch around. But food insecurity is the ability to afford healthy food and that it's accessible. So if you're looking at that, it's an economic and social issue. So for communities, you know, Dallas is definitely a, a. We have a high percentage of food insecurity in our city. You're looking at other urban areas, seeing the same trend, because as any cost is rising, particular rent, cost of food, you know, transportation issues, you know, all of these that create. these pockets of food insecurity, and the wage, living wage is not, is not there. You're looking at, you know, typically working poor, not able to earn enough to afford healthy food, nor in addition having the barrier to have it be accessible. So a lot of these areas are also in food deserts, which is, I'm use, I use USDA terms in my, in my paper, which are more conventional, you know, you'll hear food apartheid, food sovereignty, things like that, which talk about more of the, the racial inequities of this issue, in these areas. But I use food desert because it's a USDA term, but they're where you don't have, affordable options for food within a certain radius of where you live. It's such a huge issue with a lot of, dynamics to it, but I was looking at kind of urban agriculture as becoming this tool to try to address this, in various communities throughout the U. S. In addition to addressing food insecurity, it's also the desire for communities to have more ownership of what food is grown, how it's grown and to have a more, closed system food system within their communities to it's kind of that desire to have healthy produce that's locally grown and we're supporting local entrepreneurship as well. So there's that other lens to it.

Caytie: 30:04

I want to just dig into a couple of terms. I remember hearing food desert for the first time. And again, I think that there are many of us who are involved in our community. We're involved in our kids lives, our kids schools, etc. We might be on boards of non profits. But as you know, and as I know, there are so many issues that you can't possibly know about every single thing. And, One of the things that I did not realize until it was brought to my attention is that there are neighborhoods that are very close to where I live that don't have the same kind of grocery stores that I have. Big store chains like Kroger decide that we can't put anything there. It's not, for our, for capitalism, right? For the

Whitney: 31:02

Right. Yeah.

Caytie: 31:03

going to be, they can't put it there. And so therefore there are neighborhoods where the only options tend to be convenience stores and what are they packed with? They're packed with chips and sodas and they don't have fresh apples and bananas and, you know, broccoli and all this stuff that maybe some kids don't want to eat, but we still need to have, get them to, to, to have those things in their diet and so, tell

Whitney: 31:37

an example of that.

Caytie: 31:39

yes,

Whitney: 31:39

Because I think it's tough, it's tough, it's tough for people to visualize if they haven't visited one of these communities. So for an example, in my study, I'm looking at, you know, one of the cities I looked at was Philadelphia. So if you're looking at an urban area, it's that there's not access to healthy, affordable food within a half mile radius. Doesn't seem like a lot until you go to visit. So in the Belmont area, so I'm looking at a, Urban farm, community farm there, the farmer there explained, he's like, so picture this, you live in this neighborhood. The only place to go buy food that's close is a convenience store down the street and it will cost you$13 to get milk and cereal and it's not even cereal that's good for you. It's not even cereal that's good for you. So it's, he said, what do you, what options do we have? So that's. That's the part, it's the, and then, and then because of that, you're seeing chronic, chronic disease related to their diet

Caytie: 32:50

Right?

Whitney: 32:52

which exacerbates food insecurity because then you're dealing with healthcare costs and everything else because there, there are no options to eat a healthy diet. There are, there are none. And then in addition to that, you're seeing rates of obesity. And I started this journey actually through, you know, I'd been involved with the North Texas Food Bank for years and hunger and being aware of that. But the foundation that I'm working with, the Advocare Foundation focuses on childhood obesity. Well, the two are linked because if you're looking at where there's high rates of childhood obesity, well, it's because the kids don't have any options for how to eat healthy because they don't have access to affordable, healthy food. So that's the difference. And usually that's not even that there's. Affordable food is one thing, but the healthy is something else. Yeah.

Caytie: 33:46

Yeah. And it's something that I'm sure many of us take for granted, right?

Whitney: 33:52

Cause everyone, I, I hear a lot, like, can't we just build a grocery store and things like that? But I said, we're in a capitalist system. So yeah, people want to provide food, but they, you know, for looking at that where they want to make money. So if you're looking at the neighborhood's ability to support a grocery store operating an economic term. Doesn't it's not going to work. So because of all of the other economic issues going on in that neighborhood. It's something that's built up over decades. That now, you know, not that we didn't before, but particularly now, you know, what are the, what are the solutions to this issue that's built up over decades? Decades. Yeah.

Caytie: 34:36

Absolutely. And I think one of the ways that you can really Also, maybe you're new to this idea of food insecurity, but if you just drive through certain neighborhoods, right? If you drive through the most affluent part of your town or city, you're going to see multiple banks. But if you drive through the poorer parts of your town, you will notice that there are no banks. And I, again, I remember when, when that was brought to my attention and we're in. Okay, but you will see things, especially in Texas. Now, every state has different laws, but you will see, check processing, check cashing places. You'll see pawn shops, right? You'll see certain things. And so,

Whitney: 35:25

Liquor stores. Yeah.

Caytie: 35:27

yeah. So let's jump into a little bit about What have you seen through your research? You've gone to Several of these urban farms throughout the country and kind of what are you seeing and what is the hope for the future when we talk about this work and what could potentially be done?

Whitney: 35:48

So I'm doing a multi site case study across the U. S. I did that purposely to look at farms in different geographic regions. and also that were community led that had been sustained for at least 5 years because the other part of it's starting a small business. And. That's challenging to sustain for five years. So I did that purposely to ensure that, you know, I could see a trend and then also how are they measuring their impact? So I visited LA Compton, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Fort Worth. I also looked at farms across the U S in different cities that for really time constraints, weren't able to participate, but still looking at what are they experiencing and then also, community gardens. In Eugene, Oregon, and, in Fort Worth, it was a LLC versus nonprofit structure and kind of, are there any similarities or differences and challenges or opportunities that they're facing? So I've seen a lot. all of these areas are very unique to the culture infrastructure of those cities and the. Individuals that have started those farms, so there's definitely uniqueness. I think overwhelmingly, though, issues with land and sustaining funding come up a lot, which goes into who has access to capital and who doesn't and making those connections is complicated, and also the, when we're putting onus on community farms to resolve food insecurity. I don't think that's fair because food insecurity, if you're looking at, you know, the affordability, that's rent that's housing. That's I mean, there's a lot of living wage. There's a lot of other issues. It's like, we can't just kind of hand it over to the farms and say. Go solve this issue. It's so much more complicated than that because you're looking at, you know, I have two teenage boys. In order to feed them the appropriate amount of foods every week is very different than somebody that either doesn't have kids or younger kids or how many kids or whatever. So I think, you know, looking at that, it's like you can't really say that they're solving food insecurity.'cause that kind of gets, gets us out of a community or country owning the other parts of that. However, they are really important to food equity and to support that they're bringing accessible, healthy produce to their communities. And it's truly community led providing those jobs that stay in that community, that economic opportunity to there's so much more social, emotional benefits than solely providing the food. So I think that's what I've noticed the most and empowering these local entrepreneurs more to keep those efforts going Sometimes I think we're so defined by just the transaction of providing healthy food that we're forgetting all of the other pieces that go on to these local members of their community starting a business. And being able to hire from in that business and I see other small businesses taking off because of what they've started opportunities for, people that have been incarcerated that may have barriers to returning to work that these farms provide that. So there's a lot more to it than just food. That's my main takeaway, and it's been inspiring. And it's something that I want to continue to advocate for. And that's why I say local because

Caytie: 39:51

yeah

Whitney: 39:52

these people, they're from the communities that they serve. So I want to support kind of, what do you, what are those solutions that they're a part of, that they see working, that they're engaging their communities in and not to go in and think like, I have all the answers. Cause I don't, I'm not from those neighborhoods. It's been truly, inspiring to see what they're doing.

Caytie: 40:13

Tell us a little bit about Whitney, the average woman who's, you know, building her career and working every day and hanging out with her family when she has time and hopefully doing a little self care, what, what role, what responsibility, what can we be doing in this work? What could that look like?

Whitney: 40:37

I think finding out what's going on, you know, a lot of cities have an urban agriculture position. Well, it's start, it's steadily gaining some ground. So find out what's going on in your cities. Find out where these local farms are. Shop there. Buy their produce. Yeah. Support local entrepreneurship because it keeps that funding, those jobs local. And so you're seeing that benefit, you know, that kind of ripple effect from that. So that's, that's a small step, but we all have to buy food. So I think support your local farmers, your local entrepreneurs and their businesses, support that first, but then also find out what's going on in your city as far as a sustainable food plan. Because of the benefit of having accessible, healthy food throughout your community, but also the impact on environmental. And there's a lot of other things to that, and advocating for local food systems, to be sustainable.

Caytie: 41:47

Thank you, Whitney, for that, because one of the reasons why I wanted to share your story in particular, you know, I highlight so many women who take these bold steps in their career and clearly this is a bold step in your career, but the impact that it's having really is about saying, no, there is more, there is more, there's more for me. I can go, I can become, you know, a PhD candidate. I can get my doctorate. But I also can use my strengths. I can use my skillset. I can use what I have to impact the world. And some people are going to do that through entrepreneurship. And some people are going to be like you and do this from a social impact kind of way. And I think it's just so important. You know, my biggest concern for women is always, I just cannot stand when women sit back and do nothing, right? When they have these ideas, when they have these goals, when they have these dreams and something inside them, whether it's their own lack of confidence, whether it's somebody on the outside telling them, you shouldn't do that. You can't do that. It's not the season. It's not the time. so that, so nothing is done and, and that's the whole point of not being subtle. Is it's like, no, no, no one's been given the vision that you have, and so you have been given the vision and all the other things in your life so that you can truly make an impact. You truly can change your part of the world where it's, You know, whether it's this local thing or if it's a global thing, whether it's your family, right, just, just how you're raising your boys, just how you're showing them like, no, mom's going to get her PhD and I'm not going to actually be at every single football game and it's going to be okay,

Whitney: 43:41

be all right.

Caytie: 43:43

that's going to have that ripple effect. So, I would love to end with, tell us, you know, you're wrapping this program up. You obviously still have to do your dissertation, defend all that craziness. I've never been through it, but I have had several friends who have. But tell us when you see, Whitney in 2027. Like, what is she doing? How is she taking this work and, and being even bolder?

Whitney: 44:21

I really, my audience for my dissertation, which is almost done, is, people have always said, you know, do I want to be a farmer after this? Like, absolutely not. I will support that work. That's not why I did this. my audience is the philanthropic and policy community that. have the power and control right now around really important decisions about where funding goes and also, you know, the policies that can ultimately impact these systems. So, so I then want to move into what are those other spaces where I can influence that decision making, with the research backed findings I've had. I just was appointed to a position within the city of Dallas for food access, which I'm so excited about with the environmental commission. I want to continue to be in those spaces, and offer my voice, offer the research, because it's kind of like, what's my place in this, in this space. And it's like using my brain Using my connections, using my knowledge of the philanthropic community, but also now the research of the benefit of urban agriculture. It's like use it because that's the feedback from the farmers was like, that's what we need more of because we, we know how to grow, but you know, where are those other resources to help us run our, our businesses, measure our results in a way that speaks to the philanthropic community, which makes those decisions. That's the role that I want to continue to play. Hmm.

Caytie: 46:09

love that. It is about getting a seat at the table. It is about either pulling up a chair, creating your own space to get there. and one of the things that you also mentioned, which I want to say to all of my real estate investor friends, is this idea of getting capital for this land. And this is something, Whitney, that I am exploring right now is taking my background in fundraising and doing capital raising specifically in real estate. Only 31. 6 percent of real estate investors are women. And of course. You know me When I get into something I like to put a group together. I love to convene and collaborate ambitious badass women So when I started my real estate journey, I started a group. It's called trailblazers Our goal is to again Grow the seats at the table For women and female real estate investors. But one of the fascinating things, and we could probably even just have a whole other conversation about this is I asked these women a couple of weeks ago, if you had access to capital, what is the projects? What are the projects you would be doing? And it is fascinating because again, like you said, I've never been a man. I don't know what that's like. But I've been in rooms full of male investors and the projects that women want to lead, the projects that women want to own and do look completely different. And some of them absolutely have this social impact slant and model to it. And so my goal is to help them, you know, bring these ideas to life. And I'm excited to share this idea. You know, there could be some kind of something. I don't know what it is. Where we got some of these farmers capital, where we You know help in whatever way that we can but but when you said that I just thought oh, Okay, that's a place that I could I could actually help in a way that I didn't even realize before we had this conversation and I think that that's That is our responsibility as Humans is to understand what's happening around us You can't pick every single social issue. You can't pick every single You You know, I understand that some people are really all about, you know, health and wellness and I support cancer and things like that, but when you see something, I do think it's imperative for all of us to say, what would my piece in helping solve that be? How could I actually make an impact? And how can I tell people more? So tell us where can people find you? Where do you hang out? And if they wanted to get involved in this, where should they look? Where should they call you? Should they message you? Kind of tell us a little bit about

Whitney: 49:19

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. I think, I mean, I've got, not that I don't know everything going on throughout the country, but I know, you know, places they can find out more. and I think, yes, they can find me on LinkedIn. It's Whitney W. Strauss. Um, follow me on Instagram and, but LinkedIn is probably the best place and they can message me there. I'd love to share more. you know, so I go back to help in ways that are helpful. So I don't necessarily encourage everybody to go start a farm or a community garden necessarily, but support the community members that are particularly in areas that Have been labeled a food desert and high rates of insecurity. look at what your city's doing and advocate for that. Look at, do you have an urban agriculture or food plan and what's going on with that? And what pieces of that can you support? yeah, and buy local, buy local from the farmers, find out what's going on, because. These gardens and farms are in every city, so it's somewhere, go to the farmer's market, go to, you know, find out where they are and go shop local because they, that, that buying power is super important for that revenue for the farms. Yeah.

Caytie: 50:41

Whitney, thank you so

Whitney: 50:43

Thank you

Caytie: 50:44

reminding us not to be subtle, that we were not made to be subtle. And thank you for reminding us that the impact that we can make beyond ourselves can truly change people's lives. I appreciate you so much. so much.

Whitney: 51:00

Thank you so much. This has been a treat. I really appreciate it.

Caytie: 51:05

Thanks for tuning in to Not Made To Be Subtle. Remember, life's journey is rarely straightforward, but it's the twists and the turns that make it worth living. Embrace the uncertainty, make bold decisions, and never underestimate your power to create the life that you envision. Will you do me a favor? Will you rate and review and subscribe? This helps more women like you find our podcast. Stay tuned for more episodes packed with insights, inspiration, and a touch of badass boldness.