Welcome to MY studio.
I'm glad you made your way to MarieNewmanStudio.com. If you have navigated here, you are likely are at a crossroads and want to make a difference or have real impact in the world. Perhaps you are considering making a pivot, exploring running for office, entering politics, becoming an activist, starting a movement, or building a nonprofit organization. As a social justice activist, columnist, WCPT radio cohost, former CEO and congresswoman, I get it! For all of these reasons, I wrote A Life Made From Scratch, a prescriptive memoir describing how I built coalitions, impactful political campaigns and nonprofit organizations to solve the thorniest problems, as well as the story of my unlikely rise to Congress. Read for ideas, roadmaps, key steps, behind-the-scenes stories, advice and giggles. SEE THE BOOKS SECTION FOR A LIFE MADE FROM SCRATCH AND THE ACCOMPANYING WORKBOOKS. The workbooks help folks who need help planning their next move, run for office, start a movement, start an organization or create life solutions with a unique make-it-come-to-life process and spirit.
Please feel free to subscribe to my political and activism newsletter here: https://substack.com/@marienewmanstudio?utm_source=user-menu/subscribe
IF YOU WISH TO INQUIRE ABOUT SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS, REACH OUT TO NIKKI AT:
marienewmanspeaks@gmail.com
"An uplifting, timely political memoir about fighting for the underdog with a focus on actionable steps."
-- Kirkus Reviews
“As a former colleague in Congress, I was always impressed with Marie’s remarkable journey through her family, business and political challenges. Her story is inspirational but also instructive to those looking to make a pivot in their lives. Her stories are interesting, refreshingly honest and helpful.”
---Congressman Ro Khanna, CA-17
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A LITTLE ABOUT MARIE
Marie Newman is a former congresswoman, nonprofit CEO, marketing executive, author of A Life Made from Scratch and When Your Child Is Being Bullied: Real Solutions, antibullying activist, former Moms Demand Action spokesperson and national LGBTQ+ advocate. In addition to those roles, she is a mom of two adult children, WCPT radio cohost and podcaster. Marie Newman is known for building movements and solving the toughest problems. Her motto has always been, when you do not see the solution you desperately need, make it from scratch! Her next book, a work of fiction (a legal thriller) will be out next year. You can find her column and newsletter on Substack: @marinewmanstudio. Her Livestream podcast on Substack airs on Wednesday at 7pm CST and her WCPT radio show airs on Sunday Mornings.
Marie has been frequently interviewed on MSNBC, CNN, Fox, NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS over the last decade for her congressional work and prior to that, her activism. Newman is a sought after speaker by national organizations and universities on women’s rights, gun reform, LGBTQ rights and economic equity across the nation before, during and after her time in Congress. She lives in Lagrange, Illinois with her husband and beagle, Iggy.
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Early Review:
"Marie Newman’s A Life Made From Scratch is an inspiring and authentic account of a leader who has dedicated her life to championing social justice, equity, and the everyday needs of all people. With raw and unfiltered honesty, Newman takes readers behind the scenes of her tireless work in building coalitions, forging unlikely partnerships, and overcoming immense obstacles to create meaningful change—all without compromising her values and principles"
MY BOOKS
A Life Made From Scratch is a brutally honest, frequently funny, prescriptive memoir of Marie Newman’s rise to “controversial” congresswoman as a mother of a transgender daughter, antibullying activist, and marketing executive who took on the Chicago Political Machine and won. She shares the difficult lessons learned from her hard-fought political and business wins/losses, while building social change movements as well as managing her family’s transitions and ongoing mental health struggles.
When women read A Life Made From Scratch, they will feel they are hearing the stories of a friend and how to find greater purpose while dealing with the gritty messiness of day-to-day life. Marie’s stories help women know when to walk through fire, when to pivot, and how to build their own life solutions from scratch. The engaging stories, lessons and takeaways sprinkled throughout the book provide much more than just inspiration and empowerment, her stories and lessons provide a path with tools and actionable insights that will help women get beyond the obstacles and build their own life solutions from scratch. Making it even more tangible, she also has built a Life Made From Scratch Planning Guide Series to help folks research, plan and execute their own "made from scratch" solutions. See the planning guides in the Books section.​
"An uplifting, timely political memoir about fighting for the underdog with a focus on actionable steps." --Kirkus Reviews
Early Review: "If you have this book, it will be like a best friend. You’ll never feel alone. Marie gives you the courage to do something you’ve always wanted to try even if it’s daunting and provides the specifics of how to get it done. This book talks to you in a way that you’ll find immersive, surprising and deeply personal."
--Jodee Blanco, New York Times bestselling author, Please Stop Laughing At Me
Early Review: "The story of Marie’s improbable journey from reluctant activist to politician-on-a-mission is filled with robust lessons and an inside look into being a change agent while in Congress. Her personal stories are inspirational and the political revelations are instructive and eye opening. A fascinating read."
--Ryan Grim, author, journalist and bureau chief, The Intercept
A Life Made From Scratch is a brutally
honest, frequently funny, prescriptive memoir of Marie Newman’s rise to “controversial” congresswoman as a mother of a transgender daughter, antibullying activist, and marketing executive who took on the Chicago Political Machine and won. Pre-orders start in January and will be delivered in March.
The Life Made From Scratch Planning Series is a group of workbooks that provide information about how to research, plan and execute a life change or solve a "life fire." Because of Marie's varied life experiences, she has developed six specific planning guides on key topics to help folks get to their goals faster: A major life pivot, building a social movement, managing family mental illness, building a political campaign, starting a small business and supporting and raising a transgender child.
Designed to help parents, families and schools protect children, help when dealing with the effects of bullying and to prevent bullying in schools and communities. This book reveals to readers what works, what doesn't and how to find the right resources to help. Marie and her co-author help families, parents, schools and students work together to build strong communities, free from bullying. Highly recommended by experts for its pragmatic and accessible advice.
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
"How often do you get to read a book that entertains, enlightens and energizes in equal doses? Marie Newman’s A Life Made from Scratch grabs you from the jump and just keeps grabbing until you’re genuinely bummed it’s over. Marie deftly weaves personal and professional stories that are soul-bearing -- at times heart-crushing -- and ultimately inspiring and uplifting. But wait, there’s more! It’s chock-full of practical advice and action-oriented gameplans for people of all personalities, ages and professions. Marie is a next-level champion of underdogs (and actual dogs), and her motivating memoir is a must-have manual for anyone who wants to make their world better – internally, locally and globally." -Lisa K Nelson, Screenwriter/Producer Netflix, Sony, CBS
Types of Speaking Engagements—Clients Who Seek My Services:
Corporations, Small Business and Entrepreneurial/Innovation Groups, Community Groups, Political Groups, Women’s Groups, College and University Groups, LGBTQ Groups, Mental Health Family Support Groups
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contact: marienewmanspeaks@gmail.com
JOIN OUR COMMUNITY
Sharing ideas, observations, analysis and occasionally explainers around politics, women & leadership, mental health &families, healthcare, entrepreneurship, economic inequity, social movements.
UPCOMING EVENTS
PLEASE JOIN US AT OUR NEXT EVENT (New events are added regularly)
-March 27th in Chicago, IL (Wrigleyville)
-March 30th in Western Springs, IL
-April 3rd at Silver Room Bookstore in Chicago, IL (Hyde Park)
-Mid April, Washington DC
-April 20, Bridgeview, IL
-April 26th, Dapper's East, Chicago
-April 27th, Barnes & Noble, Orland Park- noon
-April 27th, Brookfield, IL-3pm
-First week of May, Beverly - Chicago
-May 4th at Anderson's Bookstore in Naperville, IL
-May 14th, Oak Park, IL Library
-May 22nd, The Book Cellar Bookstore, Northwest Chicago
-June 7th, Riverside, Illinois Arts Fair
-June 20th, Chamber of Mothers, Bramble Arts Lofts
-June 25th, The Arts Club of Chicago
-June 29th, Dandelion bookstore,Oak Park, IL
-August 17th, Skeleton Key Brewery, Woodridge, IL
-Sept 6th, Elgin, IL
-Sept 8th, Oak Lawn,IL
To RSVP: Email your name, email address, location and date desired to marienewmanspeaks@gmail.com. We will promptly email you a confirmation and exact address. If you would like Marie to speak at an event, email Nikki at Marienewmanspeaks@gmail.com
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TUNE IN TO OUR PODCAST
Lessons learned from the most intimate and insane moments of college, back when you were the smartest stupid person ever. Join Pete Griffith and Marie Newman as they share stories of folks who learned a thing or two in college, most frequently outside the classroom.
