July 23, 2024

EP 42 | Choosing Your Passion-Led Path with Janet Levit

As the world around us changes in unsettling and dangerous ways, we need more people to stand up, speak out, and advocate for the rights of others in their communities.

Janet Levit is passionate about doing exactly this type of important work. In addition to serving on the Tulsa Women’s Commission and the Human Rights Commission, she is an Executive Consultant to repro46, a not-for-profit devoted to educating Oklahomans about the consequences of the state’s overreaching reproductive healthcare laws on the health, safety, and well-being of women and girls.

In this inspiring episode of Shift Out Loud, we dig into the major shifts that led Janet to explore law, academia, community leadership, and advocacy over the course of her impressive career. Tune in as we discuss Janet’s strategic decision-making process, how she’s stayed flexible when unexpected changes altered her trajectory, and the experience that instantly changed her mind about becoming a diplomat.

Ready to play bigger? Listen now to discover:

How Janet shifted from pursuing a path she thought was expected of her into wholeheartedly following her passion and calling
Why it’s important to “get dirty” as a leader
How she embraces her identity as a Tulsan and her role in serving her community

Guest bio: Janet Koven Levit concluded her term as interim president at The University of Tulsa in 2021 and returned to the College of Law in 2022 as a professor. She serves on the Tulsa Women’s Commission and the Human Rights Commission, on the

Take Control Initiative Advisory Board, and as Vice Chair of the Center for Reproductive Rights Board of Directors.

Timestamps:

01:40 Intro
03:37 Meet Janet Levit
06:16 Janet’s background
07:47 Cubs or White Sox?
10:23 Princeton & diplomacy
13:59 Shift into law
16:04 Yale, international law & learning Portuguese
19:40 Shift into partnership & moving to Tulsa
23:06 Team decision-making
28:16 Shift into academia
33:33 Strategic thinking & female leadership
39:08 Shift into advocacy
42:38 Oklahoma & women’s rights
45:59 repro46 & creating change
51:09 Politics v. advocacy
52:35 Shift to empathy & hope
58:00 Conclusion