The Conservative Woman's Guide

When mainstream women's media left conservative women behind, Jayme Franklin and her co-founder Isabelle Redfield decided to create The Conservateur. What began as a passion project during their time at UC Berkeley has grown into one of the most influential platforms for conservative women, blending politics, fashion, beauty, and traditional values. Jayme joins guest host Emma DeGrado to share how she weathered intense backlash after launching The Conservateur in 2020 and earned a seat at the table in the new media landscape.

Emma and Jayme dive into why aesthetics matter in the policy world, the rise of socialism among Gen Z, and how conservative media can better reach young women. Jayme shares her perspective on encouraging marriage and motherhood, balancing a growing media career with family life, and a new pro-family policy proposal that she developed with her husband. From navigating online criticism to making her voice heard in Washington, Jayme offers advice to young women looking to build meaningful careers without compromising their values.

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What does it mean to be truly feminine in a modern world?

NeW Media Relations Coordinator Emma DeGrado steps behind the microphone at NeW’s annual Leadership Retreat in Nashville to guest host a conversation with Hannah Brusven, founder and editor-in-chief of The Swish.

Hannah shares how a college blog about elegance grew into a quarterly print magazine dedicated to truth, goodness, beauty, and what she calls “classical femininity.” She explains why The Swish is embracing the “analog renaissance,” why the publication intentionally limits advertising, and why women are looking for something deeper than the fast-paced, trend-driven content that dominates much of modern women’s media.

Emma and Hannah discuss what classical femininity actually means. Hannah shares why she focuses on character and virtue rather than labels like “modesty" and how preparing to welcome her first daughter has changed the way she thinks about her work and its legacy.

Serial entrepreneur and former Colorado gubernatorial candidate Heidi Ganahl knows something about resilience.

After a horrific series of events occurred in her late twenties, Ganahl turned her passion for dogs into Camp Bow Wow, growing the business from a single location into a national franchise. Since then, she has weathered business failures, serious health challenges, a hard-fought race for governor, and the everyday “beautiful mess” of raising four children.

Heidi Ganahl joins Karin Lips to talk about resilience, entrepreneurship, leadership, and why failure can sometimes lead to something bigger and better. Ganahl shares the lessons she learned building Camp Bow Wow, why giving back has helped her through some of life’s hardest moments, and what running for office taught her about risk and reward. They discuss the future of higher education, navigating college as a conservative woman, and balancing ambition with what Heidi calls the "sweeter moments of life."

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Culture is shaping the future of America. Amid mainstream backlash against pro-family messages and a need for more conservative voices in lifestyle media, Madeline Fry Schultz joins Karin Lips to explain why engaging with the broader culture is essential to creating lasting change. That’s precisely why the Daily Wire launched Upstream, a lifestyle vertical for human insight and thoughtful arguments on everything from parenting to ranch dressing—all through a conservative lens.

Karin and Madeline discuss the importance of encouraging marriage and motherhood, expanding flexible work opportunities for parents, and finding common ground on issues that matter to families. Madeline shares insights from her career in journalism, offers advice to aspiring writers, and explains why young professionals must resist relying on AI as a substitute for developing their own voice.

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(00:00) Meet Madeline Fry Schultz
(00:54) The View Controversy
(06:12) Why The Daily Wire Launched Upstream
(08:26) How Conservatives Can Shape Culture
(10:24) Flexible Work, Motherhood, & What Women Actually Want
(14:31) How Do You Measure Cultural Impact?
(17:40) Advice for Aspiring Writers
(19:45) MAHA, Parenting Culture, & Finding Common Ground
(22:34) Why Longform Literature Still Matters
(24:20) Taking Career Risks and Moving to DC
(25:19) Advice to Your 22-Year-Old Self

For a generation told to delay marriage in pursuit of independence, career success, and personal growth, what if getting married young—say, in your early 20s—is actually one of the most strategic decisions you can make?

In this episode of The Conservative Woman’s Guide, Karin Lips sits down with Emily Ekins, Vice President for Policy and Society at the Cato Institute, to explore the case for marrying young. Emily, who married her husband at 22, shares five data-backed reasons why walking down the aisle earlier can benefit women in the long run—from building a foundation with your spouse sooner to creating greater flexibility for future goals.

Tune in as Karin and Emily challenge cultural assumptions that marriage should wait for arbitrary milestones and discuss what research reveals about building an intentional life.

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Chapters:
(4:34) Growing Together
(5:12) Risk-Sharing
(7:56) Happiness & Well-Being
(9:10) Support in Difficult Moments
(9:49) Family Formation & Preserving Options
(15:26) Emily’s Message to Young Women
(16:21) Technology’s Effects on Gen Z
(22:21) American Civic Knowledge Gap
(28:45) Advice to your 22-year-old self