- A Life Shaped by Public Service
Molinari credits her father, a justice warrior who fought for his constituents and for what he believed was right, with instilling her own commitment to service.
- Speaking for People Without a Voice
She describes looking for neglected issues in Congress, including the Violence Against Women Act, rape DNA kits, and the glass ceiling, where she could advocate for people not being heard.
- Female Crash Test Dummies
Molinari explains her work with a coalition seeking a crash test dummy biofidelic to women and discusses how existing testing has relied on a smaller version of a male dummy.
- Kindness, Gratitude, and Fulfillment
Stories about buying food for a homeless man, complimenting a child undergoing chemotherapy, and helping strangers lead to a discussion of why good deeds bring joy and fulfillment.
- Bipartisanship and Respect in Politics
Molinari recalls working across party lines and shares an early lesson from Mayor Ed Koch that political disagreement does not excuse disrespect.
- Identity and Purpose After a Career
The conversation explores retirement, ambition, family, friendship, travel, and the freedom to build an identity that is not tied only to a job or an outcome.
Interview with Susan Molinari
About this Episode
In Episode 85 of Wisdom from the Aerial View, hosts Enid Borden and Mark Klein speak with former congresswoman Susan Molinari about the values that have carried her through politics, corporate leadership, advocacy, and retirement. Molinari credits her father, whom she calls a justice warrior, with teaching her to fight for what is right and to speak for people without a voice. She discusses her work on the Violence Against Women Act and rape DNA kits, her current push for female crash test dummies, and the bipartisan cooperation and respect she experienced in public office. The conversation then turns to everyday kindness, the fulfillment that follows helping another person, gratitude for life's blessings, and the question of whether doing good is any less meaningful because it also feels good. Molinari describes retirement not as an end to purpose but as a gilded stage of life with more room for friendship, family, travel, and carefully chosen service, while the hosts connect her example to turning attention from self toward others.