Julie Norem, “The Positive Power of Negative Thinking”

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Confidence, positivity and decisiveness are all considered traits of good leadership. But what if not so deep down, you are constantly anxious and uncertain and feel like an imposter? Are these qualities that will get in your way as a leader, or could they potentially be an asset? Dr. Julie Norem is a Professor of Psychology at Wellesley College and has literally written the book on this--called "The Positive Power of Negative Thinking." Her research continues to focus on the strategies pessimistic people use to pursue their goals, and on the ways knowing yourself influences your performance and your relationships.

JULIE NOREM

Dr. Dava Newman, Deputy Administrator of NASA

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Dr. Dava Newman has a Ph.D. In Aerospace Biomedical Engineering from MIT, where as a professor she shaved 240 pounds off the space suit. And now at NASA, her goal is to usher in the Journey to Mars. Will this next mission be one giant step for women... And a giant leap for womankind?

DR. DAVA NEWMAN
Photo by: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Sabrina Moyle, co-founder of HelloLucky! and Tess Darrow, founder of Egg Press

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April is national letter writing month, and while we may be staying in touch more frequently thanks to technology, what are we missing out on by not writing more letters? Sabrina Moyle, the founder of letterpress cards & stationary company, HelloLucky! And Tess Darrow, the founder of letterpress greeting card company Egg Press are determined to bring back letter-writing, with their Write_On campaign. 

TESS DARROW & SABRINA MOYLE

Maggie Chotas & Betsy Polk, co-authors of "Power through Partnership"

Some of the most well-known businesses you can think of started as partnerships between two men--Hewlett Packard, Ben & Jerry, Harley Davidson, even Batman and Robin. When I found the book "Power through Partnership." How Women Lead Better Together," co-authored by Maggie Chotas and Betsy Polk, I was intrigued--what does it take for two women to run a successful business together, and are two heads really better than one? 

BETSY POLK & MAGGIE CHOTAS

Caroline Paul, author of "The Gutsy Girl"

Have you ever thought about climbing the Golden Gate Bridge untethered, for fun? Or getting into the Guinness Book of World Records for crawling? Or training for the Olympic luge team? Caroline Paul has done all of those things and more...plus she was one of the first female fire fighters in San Francisco. She now makes her living as a writer and in her new book, "The Gutsy Girl: Escapades for Your Life of Epic Adventure," she not only documents her adventures, but shares what she's learned from them to inspire more adventures for all. 

CAROLINE PAUL

Nancy Lublin, Founder of Crisis Text Line

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We have come to rely on our smartphones so much that we consider them an extension of ourselves. So it's no surprise that when a crisis happens, it's the first place we might turn to ask for help. This March, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a study that found that when it comes to trauma, these systems responded “inconsistently and incompletely.” And while making a call to a crisis help line, or 911 are certainly options--there's one more possibility--texting. 

Nancy Lublin founded Crisis Text Line to support people in crisis through texting the word "start" to 741 741. They've processed over 14 million messages to date. Lublin also founded Dress for Success, and was CEO of the teen volunteer organization Do Something. 

Listen to the interview at the link above, or read the edited & condensed interview on Fortune.com

NANCY LUBLIN

Jo Boaler: Stanford, Revolutionizing Math Education

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The average school year in America lasts just over 1,000 hours, or 42 continuous days--longer than in most other developed countries. And yet when it comes to performance in math the National Report Card from 2013 shows that only 26% of 12th graders are proficient in math. How can it be that we are putting in so much time, and yet getting such poor results? Jo Boaler is a Professor of Mathematics Education at Stanford University and has written several books about revolutionizing the way math is taught. Her most recent book is "Mathematical Mindsets," and she recently founded a math resources website: youcubed.org.

JO BOALER

Annie Leibovitz, Photographer

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Annie Leibovitz is known around the world for her iconic portraits of celebrities. You may also know her for the book "Women" she created with Susan Sontag in 1999, featuring a series of photographs of women from an array of backgrounds. Now she is bringing some of that work back, along with many more new photos in an exhibition commissioned by UBS, called Women: New Portraits, conceived to reflect the changes in the roles of women today.

The exhibition is traveling to 10 cities around the world over the course of twelve months and has just arrived from London to San Francisco at the Presidio's Crissy Field. Tickets are free, but reservations are recommended. At the end of the tour, a set of the new photographs will enter the UBS Art Collection.

Lauren sat down with Annie Leibovitz at the opening of her show in San Francisco. 

ANNIE LEIBOVITZ

Delaney Ruston, Director of "Screenagers"

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Teens in the United States spend about nine hours per day online, according to a recent report by Common Sense Media. According to the "Being13" study from CNN, it's largely due to a "need to monitor their own popularity status, and defend themselves against those who challenge it on social media." Not surprisingly, this constant vigilance can lead to major stress and anxiety for teens. On the flip side, this same CNN study said teens use their phones to talk about schoolwork, plan social events and be kind to each other. So what's a parent to do? Lauren's guest Delaney Ruston is a primary care physician and filmmaker who explores these questions with her own daughter in the new film "Screenagers." The film is available for screenings in schools, community groups, offices, PTAs, girl scout troops and more.

DR. DELANEY RUSTON

Diane Loviglio, co-Founder of Boon + Gable Style App

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With the ability to order in almost anything these days--and technology enabling many of us to work from home, we might never need to leave the house, allowing us to live our lives...in sweatpants. But you do need to leave the house sometimes. Now, there's an app that serves both the desire to stay in, and the need to look like you don't. Diane Loviglio is the co-founder of Boon + Gable, and she is attempting to address the dressing challenge with a new business she describes as 'Style. Ordered in.' 

Diane Loviglio