Meet Shannon Watts: Author and Founder of Moms Demand Action

Welcome to Second Life, a podcast spotlighting successful women who've made major career changes—and fearlessly mastered the pivot. Hosted by Hillary Kerr, co-founder and chief content officer at Who What Wear, each episode gives you a direct line to women who are game changers in their fields. Subscribe to Second Life on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts to stay tuned.

Few individuals have reshaped advocacy in America as profoundly as Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action. What began as a single Facebook post has grown into a nationwide movement, galvanizing millions to confront gun violence.

Before advocacy defined her, Watts built a successful career in public relations, working for major corporations like GE Healthcare and Anthem, Inc. Her expertise in communication and brand-building laid a strong foundation for her later work; however, after stepping away from the corporate world to raise her five children as a stay-at-home mom, Watts’ life took an unexpected turn. The devastation of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting struck a deep chord, igniting her frustration with the lack of action on gun violence. The very next day, she launched a Facebook group with a simple yet urgent call: action, not just words.

The initiative became Moms Demand Action, a grassroots movement that has grown exponentially, boasting chapters in every state and millions of supporters. Now a cornerstone of Everytown for Gun Safety, the nation’s largest gun violence prevention organization, Moms Demand Action has become a formidable force, challenging the gun lobby and advocating for public safety measures. Watts’ ability to translate her corporate skills into advocacy has been nothing short of remarkable, mobilizing communities and reshaping the national conversation around gun reform.

Beyond her work with Moms Demand Action, Watts is also an author. Her latest book, Fired Up: How to Turn Your Spark Into a Flame and Come Alive at Any Age, was recently released, offering insights into igniting personal and collective change. Listen to the latest episode of Second Life to hear how Watts’ work with Moms Demand Action continues to empower communities, proving that ordinary people can drive extraordinary change.

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