If you love thoughtful conversation and inspiring other women, then today’s podcast is for you.
Anne Devereux Mills is the founder of the Parlay House, a salon-style gathering of more than 500 women in the San Francisco Bay Area. Members of the group meet once a month to connect, learn and inspire. Each meeting features a discussion on an interesting topic. The goal of Parlay, Anne says, is to change the framework of reciprocity by putting women in a place to pull fellow women forward, rather than creating a setting where women have a more transaction-like “you help me, I help you” interaction.
Another goal of Anne’s is to create a level playing field for all ages and professions saying, “If you talk [to another person] about what you do, you miss the commonalities.” At a recent event, she shares that many women opened up about their eating disorders, depression and other big topics.
Anne also serves as chair of the board of a public company and serves as chief strategy officer of Lantern, a San Francisco-based startup that uses technology to create mental wellness programs that reduce stigma and improve access to lower cost for mental health treatment. She also is the executive producer of The Return, an Emmy-nominated film that focuses on our criminal justice system and the impact of the “Three Strikes” law. And as part of her passion for social justice issues, Anne worked as a key member of the team that helped pass California’s Proposition 36, which was a part of California’s “Three Strikes” reform.
While she was working toward these accomplishments, Anne built her career while raising two daughters as a single mom in the New York area. Before her current roles, Anne served in C-level positions at various advertising agencies, including BBDO, TBWAChiat Day and LLNS, focusing on health care. In episode 53 of I Want Her Job: The Podcast, Editor and Host Polina Selyutin talks to Anne about she of the practices that have led to her success, personal sacrifice, the life-changing events that led her from New York to San Francisco and the inspiration for Parlay House.
