Author, News Anchor and Advocate
For the latest “On the Road” interview, Susan sat down with Gretchen Carlson at her PR firm in NY to talk about her latest book “Be Fierce.” The impetus for writing the book stemmed from her experience with sexual harassment in the workplace…Fox News, which has spurred a firestorm of women sharing their own stories around this systemic and disheartening topic.
To view the full Women to Watch™ Media interview with Gretchen, watch below.
Full Biography
An honors graduate of Stanford University, Carlson was valedictorian of her high school class and studied at Oxford University in England. Carlson grew up as a child prodigy on the violin, performed as a soloist with the Minnesota Symphony Orchestra at age 13, and, in 1989, became the first classical violinist ever to win the Miss America crown. In 2016, Carlson became the face of sexual harassment in the workplace, gracing the cover of Time Magazine and standing strong in her determination to promote a safe working environment for all women. To that end she plans to testify before Congress about workplace inequality and the prevalence of forced arbitration clauses in employment contracts that often keep sexual harassment claims shrouded in secrecy.
Ever grateful for her success and the opportunities provided to her and imbued with a “never give up” attitude, Carlson has mentored dozens of young women throughout her career and is in the process of forming a foundation to empower young girls by helping them build self esteem and instilling within them the confidence of knowing that they can be anything they want to be. Carlson serves as a national Trustee for the March of Dimes, a member of the Board of Directors for the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary in Newtown, Connecticut, and a Trustee of Greenwich Academy, an all girls preparatory day school in Greenwich, Connecticut. She is an active volunteer and teacher at her church and, in 2016, hosted the “Miss You Can Do It” pageant in Illinois to celebrate the achievements of courageous girls and young women with disabilities. Carlson is married to sports agent Casey Close and mom to their two children.
All proceeds from Gretchen’s book go to her Gift of Courage fund.
For more information regarding Gretchen, check out the links below.
