Aug 8, 2023
In this episode of "The Disruption Podcast," hosts Michelle and
Tracey sit down with two remarkable guests, Carolyn and Kathay, to
delve into what it was like to be part of their generation of
pioneering change. Join us as we discuss their disruptive journeys,
the evolution of human rights, women's rights then and now, and the
power of community.
Carolyn Blair Brandis is 77 years young, born in 1945. She
graduated from college in 1968 when the world was transforming as
anyone knew it. She taught school for 42 years, with a focus on
kindergarten-age kids for a large part of her career. She started
her teaching career in a one-room schoolhouse in Ono, California.
Carolyn now lives in Napa, California, and has been a fixture of
the Napa community for over 50 years. While raising two wonderful
kids, she embarked on a second career in the hospitality and
restaurant industry. Currently, Carolyn owns and runs Boogaloos in
the Mission District and Prada 22 in the Haight, both in San
Francisco, California.
Kathay Smith is 71 years young, born in 1952. She was raised as a
self-described air force brat and lived in Europe during her teen
years. She will tell you that she lived in 23 different countries,
states, and cities over the course of 18 years. She graduated from
college in 1973 and began her first career in retail as a buyer for
sporting goods stores. She and her husband moved to Napa in 1977
and raised their family of 3 girls. Kathay has also been in Napa
for a significant part of her life - over 46 years. Kathay
describes her and her husband as the first house flippers, having
purchased, lived in, and updated 9 houses in Napa over the time
she’s lived there. Kathay also had a career as a schoolteacher
starting in the early 90s, teaching middle school PE and third and
fourth grade over her more than 20-year career. A significant
impact on her life has been her experience with health concerns
regarding her family - her youngest daughter was diagnosed at 2 ½
with leukemia and is now the longest-living survivor of one of the
first mismatched bone marrow transplants ever done. Kathay also
spent several difficult years caring for her late husband through
his experience with Parkinson’s. She now spends her time traveling
the world and enjoying live music.
Carolyn and Kathay share their perspectives on disruption,
emphasizing how they challenged societal norms and pushed
boundaries. They recount their personal experiences as disruptors
throughout their lives, from activism to nurturing creativity as
educators.
In this episode, we chat about:
- What Gen Z and younger generations can learn from the older
generation's experiences.
- Carolyn and Kathay highlight the resilience and the power of
collective action
- Why Boomers were the original disruptors, being deeply involved
in civil rights, anti-war protests, and environmental activism
during the '60s and '70s
- The differences in human rights from the '70s to the present
day
- Kathay opens up about her personal journey protesting the Vietnam
War
- The challenges around uncovering the truth amidst
misinformation
- The parallels between the women's rights movements of the '60s
and '70s and the current state of women's rights
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