Debbie Weil talks with Genevieve McDonald, the Maine State Representative for the remote coastal district Debbie now calls home. In addition to completing her first term in the Maine State House, Genevieve is the mother of two-year-old twin girls. She is also Capt. McDonald, lobster fishing out of Stonington, ME. Last year, at the age of 37, she graduated summa cum laude from the University of Maine.

Debbie knew there was something special about Genevieve after following her on Facebook for the past several months. So she invited her to come on the podcast to talk about what it means to step up and reinvent yourself as a fearless female leader. Genevieve has been dispensing lifeline information to the hundreds in her district out of work, steadily answering a myriad of questions about unemployment and healthcare. She also weighs in, calmly, on difficult issues like the tension between people from away and those who live in this remote corner of Maine and how the coronavirus might get here.

They talk about how Genevieve answers 100 emails, calls, and text messages a day.  How she does this while taking care of toddler twins with her husband Cory. (She holds office hours between 1 and 3 PM, when the twins are hopefully napping.) They talk about the blurring of the line between personal and professional on social media. And the devastating impact of the pandemic on the local economy in rural Maine – both the fishing industry and tourism.

Mentioned in the episode

• Genevieve’s official bio
• Lobster boat captain and legislator graduates with highest distinction
• Maine State District #134, covering Cranberry Isles, Frenchboro, Swan’s Island, Tremont, Southwest Harbor, Isle au Haut, Deer Isle, Stonington, North Haven and Vinalhaven