What does it really take to find your voice, and then have the guts to use it?
In this bold, funny, and refreshingly honest episode of Possibilities with Monique de Maio, Monique sits down with Mary Hope (M.H.) McQuiston, author of Finding Your Voice, to unpack what it means to stop self-silencing and finally say the thing that’s been stuck in your throat.
We cover:
→ Why so many women hold back from speaking up (and how to stop)
→ The messy truth about creativity, fear, and imperfection
→ Why vulnerability is your secret weapon, not your weakness
→ How reclaiming your voice can transform your work, your relationships, and your life
This conversation is equal parts pep talk and practical playbook for anyone ready to stop hiding and start being heard.
Chapters00:00 – Meet Mary Hope McQuiston
01:56 – Career journey: from history major to tech leader
10:02 – Clarity through personal values
14:14 – Spotting and seizing opportunities for growth
20:00 – Breaking barriers in corporate America
30:07 – Real talk: advice for women at work
36:00 – Reflections and leadership lessons
ABOUT OUR GUESTMary Hope (M.H.) McQuiston is a writer, speaker, and advocate for women’s voices. She is the author of Finding Your Voice and currently serves as Vice President and General Manager at Autodesk, where she has spent over 20 years leading strategy, marketing, and business development in SaaS, mobile, and cloud-based businesses.
A pragmatic visionary and strategist, M.H. is passionate about empowering women to speak up, show up, and lead—whether in boardrooms, books, or everyday conversations. She is also a member of Chief, Project 1490, and serves on the boards of the Exploratorium and SkillsUSA, helping shape the future of education, science, and leadership.
Connect with M.H. McQuiston on LinkedIn
Follow Monique for More:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moniquedemaio
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moniquedemaio
Newsletter: https://www.moniquedemaio.com/newsletter-sign-up
Book Monique as a speaker for your next event: https://www.moniquedemaio.com/contact
Grab her bestselling book: https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Creating-Life-You-Love/dp/B0CLHV526G
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com