SheSez with Linda Grasso: Recent Episodes
The Golden State Company
Journalist Linda Grasso hosts candid conversation with fascinating women about the things that matter most: happiness, health and purpose. SheSez is a master class for the modern woman.
In her signature unabashed style, the well-known TV broadcaster showcases her seasoned interviewing skills, fueled by a keen sense of what women want to know. With thoughtful cadence and saucy humor, Linda peels back the layers on each guest, giving equal time to successes and failures.
Interviewees come from many stages and walks of life, ranging from Fortune 500 executives to forward thinkers to illuminating women who just have it down. Each 30-40 minute episode offers tangible takeaways for the listener: the secrets to living as healthy as possible, getting what you want out of life and achieving success on your own terms.
When you see Stephanie Koenig on the screen, you might do a double take. You might have seen her before on the TV series The Flight Attendant or The Offer. But with her role in the upcoming Apple+ series Lessons in Chemistry (debuting October 13), you'll soon not just recognize the face but the name as well. Indeed, Stephanie is a star on the rise and defeating the odds of being a working actress in Hollywood (you all know how much I love it when people defy odds). But the real thing that made me ask her to be on the show: she is a Michigan native (both parents work in the automotive industry) who is earthy, self-deprecating and funny. And she doesn’t have a self-important bone in her body. She's a girl's girl who I think you'll enjoy getting to know—before everyone else does.
34-year-old Anna Todd, author of the best selling fan fiction series After, shares the story of how she went from being a military wife, working a minimum wage job with a special needs son, and living in Ft. Worth, Texas to a best selling author and movie producer in Hollywood.
A heartfelt and personal discussion as Linda talks with her sister-in-law Ginge Cabrera about how she turned her pain over her mother’s battle with Alzheimer’s Disease into a passion for advocacy. Ginge’s grandmother was struck with the disease at age 75; and then—in a cruel twist of fate—her mom years later, at the exact same age. Ginge recounts how helpless and despondent she felt at not being able to help her mother. The relief—coupled with an intense desire to make a difference—only came when she began working with her local chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association to get more money for research, better laws on the books and better, more effective and accessible drugs for the estimated 6 million Americans who have the disease.
Ginge, who receive the Passion Award by the Connecticut chapter of the Association this past spring, touches on the latest pharmaceuticals that have been approved by the FDA, and offers numerous resources for families and caretakers of patients including:
*the website Alz.org
*the help line: 1-800-272-3900
In addition to raising funds, chairing events, and attending Alzheimer’s Association regional conferences, Ginge has also volunteered to take part in clinical trials. Anyone interested in doing that can go here for more info.
There’s a little question being tossed around among my girlfriends right now: are you going to stick to injectables? Or—at some point—do you think you’ll consider a a facelift? The consensus seems to be: why go under the knife, when you can achieve the same results with injectables?
But can you really? And from a cost standpoint, does a facelift—particularly the popular lower aka mini-facelift—make more sense? In this episode, I interview Dr. Carolyn Chang to shed some light on the comparison.
Dr. Chang is a board-certified plastic surgeon practicing in San Francisco. Her areas of expertise include the natural SMAS facelift and preventative facial surgery for the younger patient. She also specializes in breast surgery and body contouring and currently performs one of the largest volumes in the area of: post-pregnancy rejuvenation, short scar breast lifts and reductions, as well as breast augmentation.
For more go to drcarolynchang.com
A deep dive into that strange phenomenon known as fight-or-flight—when you have all the physical signs of stress and anxiety but are in no immediate danger. Research has shown that repeatedly having the fight-or-flight response is bad for your health. In this episode, Dr. Kim D’Eramo, founder of The American Institute of Mind Body Medicine, breaks down the how and why—and offers some concrete advice for controlling it.
Dr. D’Eramo is a physician and author of The Mind Body Tool Kit. At The American Institute of Mind Body Medicine she assists individuals and practitioners all over the world to resolve illnesses and achieve optimal health.
Award-winning writer and science journalist Donna Jackson Nakazawa shares what she has discovered in her new book: Girls On The Brink: Helping Our Daughters Thrive in an Era of Increased Anxiety, Depression and Social Media. Armed with an extensive amount of research, Donna examines the alarming increase in numbers (1 out of 4 adolescent girls reports suffering from symptoms of major depression; suicide attempts have recently increased 51% among girls) and the reasons that account for the rise. She also shares some well supported suggestions and counsel for parents with a child who is suffering.
The grit and resilience-filled comeback story of Geralyn Ritter who was critically hurt in a 2015 Amtrak train accident that killed 8 people and injured more than one hundred others. At the time, the mother of three was a senior VP at the pharmaceutical company Merck & Company—an A-type essentially— used to moving fast and getting things done. Here she shares with Linda her journey over the past 7 years, including how she has kept her chin up through an emotionally challenging time at a residential rehab center and endured more than 30 surgeries. She also talks about how tapping her "spiritual side" helped her cope with pain and despair. Plus, the life lessons she has learned and how they have inspired her to change her life—everything from how she now deals with her girlfriends and her kids—and why she accepted a position at a new company.
Geralyn is the executive VP at Organon & Co., a Fortune 500 healthcare company aimed at women and the author of Bone by Bone: A Memoir of Trauma and Healing.
Journalist Rina Raphael puts the four trillion dollar wellness industry under the microscope with her new book The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop….and the False Promise of Self-Care. From charcoal-infused cheddar cheese to crystal-infused water to multi-week cleanses, Rina explains why we fall for products lacking substantive scientific evidence supporting claims; how and why seductive marketing specifically targets women–and how our longing for human connection has us opening up our wallets like never before.
Gina Schaefer shares the story of how she went from working in software tech to founding a successful chain of Ace hardware stores in the DC metropolitan area, and why she started hiring recovering drug addicts as employees. Not only have they turned out to be some of the best employees she’s had in the nearly 20 years she’s been in business, Gina says she’s learned invaluable lessons from them about how to be a great leader.
Gina is the youngest female (and only the 3rd female in 90 years) to sit on the Ace Hardware Corporation board. Covered in this episode: how to trust your instinct when you are the lone voice in the room and how to overcome hurdles and succeed in a male-dominated industry.
Gina is the author of Recovery Hardware: A Nuts and Bolts Story About Building a Business, Restoring a Community and Renovating Lives, released in September 2022.
More at ginaschaefer.com.
Charmaine DeGraté, co-executive producer and writer on HBO’s Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon talks with Linda about working on the hit series, her amazing career trajectory and her philosophy of being truthful about what you know and what you don't when taking a new job (she's not a believer in faking it until you make it). The Texas native also shares about some of her other TV projects including working on the upcoming Reese Witherspoon series Daisy Jones & The Six for Amazon and the critically acclaimed sci-fi show The 100 on Netflix.
Want to live healthier and longer? Shift your mindset about aging says Yale University professor Dr. Becca Levy. Examining various cultures and outliers around the world, Dr. Levy has conducted research, concluding that if we can shift our attitudes about aging, it will foster positive beliefs which will, in turn, improve our health in later years and quality of life—as well as lengthen lifespan. Her new book, Breaking the Age Code: How Your Beliefs About Aging Determine How Long & Well You Live, also shows that a positive mindset can counter dementia as well as some cardio issues.
Want to live healthier and longer? Shift your mindset about aging says Yale University professor Dr. Becca Levy. Examining various cultures and outliers around the world, Dr. Levy has conducted research, concluding that if we can shift our attitudes about aging, it will foster positive beliefs which will, in turn, improve our health in later years and quality of life—as well as lengthen lifespan. Her new book, Breaking the Age Code: How Your Beliefs About Aging Determine How Long & Well You Live, also shows that a positive mindset can counter dementia as well as some cardio issues.
Journalist Jessica Yellin, founder of News Not Noise, a rapidly growing social media platform aimed at delivering the news in a calm, unbiased, factual manner that won’t leave viewers feeling yelled at and anxious, but rather more informed and equipped to form intelligent opinions.
The award-winning journalist shares with Linda how she worked in news for 17 years, working at the local level and then at several national cable outlets. She felt like she’d reached the top when she became chief White House correspondent for CNN. But in 2018, after 8 years at CNN, Jessica was dissatisfied at the way the media delivered the news, focusing on conflict and rarely providing any backstory or context.
She left the network in 2018, wrote a book, Savage News, and then found News Not Noise. After a shout out from celebrities like Jennifer Garner and Amy Schumer—News Not Noise got on the map. Jessica currently has a dedicated audience of 800,000. To put this in perspective: more people watch her today than when she was at CNN.
Follow Jessica on Insta and FB @jessicayellin; more at newsnotnoise.com
Dr. Katie Lawlor, a trained trauma psychologist who specializes in pet grief and loss, on the mental health crisis facing vets. A 2019 study shows vet professionals are experiencing the highest rates of suicide among all medical professions. And those numbers were noted before the pressures of the pandemic, during which 23 million people adopted pets. Plus, why we experience such profound (and sometimes surprising) grief over losing our pets.
Katie is the co-founder and Director of the Veterinary Mental Health Initiative (VMHI) at the Shanti Project, which is aimed at providing counseling and other mental health services for vets and vet techs.
LA-based divorce/custody attorney Lisa Helfend Meyer a.k.a. “the pit poodle” shares what it is like to be a high-profile litigator for the uber wealthy and famous. As founder of Meyer, Olson, Lowey & Meyers (all the partners are women), over the past 35 years Lisa has represented the ex-wives of Dr. Dre, Caesar Milan and Tony Danza. Having been immersed in the details of so many bad relationships, Lisa also shares what she believes makes a strong marriage and why it is important to make a move when you realize it is over.
Two NIH researchers—Dr. Sarah A. Rudzinskas and Sarah Spector—on studies they are helping conduct for a new drug aimed at helping women in midlife who suffer from depression-typically for the first time in their lives.
An estimated 20% of American women have depression at some point during menopause; and 38% experience depression in late menopause. The researchers are exploring the link between low levels of estrogen and how it impacts the brain—which this new drug, manufactured by the pharmaceutical company Eli Lily, addresses.
Women interested in being part of the NIH study can click here for more information.
Best-selling author and illustrator Alessandra Olanow, whose drawings and musings, shared on Instagram as @aolanow, have attracted a highly engaged community of 372K followers, including celebrities such as Katie Couric and Jennifer Garner.
In 2019, dealing with a divorce, Alessandra started drawing her feelings at her kitchen table each morning, posting her illustrations and simple phrases to Instagram. The audience they generated led to her first book, I Used to Have a Plan which topped the Barnes & Noble bestseller list. Published by Harper Collins in 2020, and featuring more than 75 illustrations, the book chronicles the breakup of her marriage and her journey through pain and heartache towards self-love and acceptance.
Alessandra is also an entrepreneur. She developed an all-over body oil called A.OK which can be purchased at feelingaok.com.
Her new book, Hello Grief, in which she grapples with the death of her mother, will be published in late 2022.
Fasting Coach Laurie Lewis on the do's, don'ts and health benefits of intermittent fasting. Laurie, who owns and operates Fast Forward Wellness, details how not eating for an extended period of time each day puts our bodies in restorative mode, allowing us to regenerate and better fight off disease (there is, by the way, scientific research that supports this). She credits intermittent fasting to how she lost 50 pounds, got rid of brain foggy-ness and regained her energy—all of which she experienced when becoming menopausal.
Monica Wyatt shares her journey from top TV producer (Providence, My So Called Life, LA Law) to being an accomplished mixed media artist who reimagines unexpected and overlooked materials, transforming them into intimate assemblage sculpture.
The challenging delivery of her second child was the breaking point for Monica. "I was physically exhausted from the birth and I knew I couldn't go back to doing those days where you work until 10 or 11 at night. With one child, we managed but I knew I couldn't give it my all anymore." So Monica did something that earlier in her life she never could have imagined: she took herself out at the peak of her producing career. She dove into caring for her family, only to discover that something was missing. Monica gets candid sharing the details of how rediscovered her confidence and found fulfillment and purpose through being an artist.
Charlotte Hanna shares the story of how she pulled off her dramatic mid-life pivot, moving from successful careers on Wall Street and real estate to founding the innovative cannabis company Rebelle. Plus, how part of her mission is to change the perception of cannabis from that as a dirty, nefarious habit to that of a mindful, elevated experience—one that is widely accepted as simply a way of enhancing mood.
The story of how, at the age of 40, Christine Morrison walked away from her long and successful career as a fashion executive and beauty marketer (at the time she was a VP for Calvin Klein in NYC) to become a freelance writer. A lifelong fashion aficionado (think Carrie Bradshaw here, ladies) Christine had dreamed of a career as a writer when she younger; she’d even majored in journalism. But life intervened. Christine’s is a story of relentlessly and methodically working your way back to your passion.
Today, Christine (@writinginblackandwhite) is a working fashion and beauty writer based in Atlanta. Her articles have appeared in, publications including The Washington Post and The Boston Globe. She has also lent her copywriting expertise to brands including Calvin Klein, Juicy Couture, and Lumity skincare.
The mom of twins is currently on working her memoir—a collection of essays reflecting the meaning behind and the humor in what she wore while forming her identity, navigating her way to true love, and discovering her authentic self.
Emmy-winning voiceover actress Nancy Cartwright on her remarkable 30-year plus career as the voice of a 10-year-old boy— Bart Simpson on The Simpsons TV show.
With her hallmark humor and earthy personality, Nancy shares with Linda the story of how she originally auditioned for the role of Lisa Simpson but wound up getting the role of Bart; how listening to her gut has contributed to her success and happiness; how she has found ways to blossom amidst the limitations of COVID and what her next chapter looks like.
Nancy has just released an updated version of her memoir I'm Still A 10-year-old Boy. The audible story chronicles Nancy's life from growing up in Kettering, Ohio to being at the focal point of the longest running scripted TV show of all time.
The story of a Tennessee mother’s relentless quest to find the root of her son's health issues after he rapidly went from a case of strep throat to erratic, destructive behavior and then a marijuana habit. While physicians diagnosed Elizabeth Harris’ child with a wide-ranging variety of illnesses, prescribing him with all kinds of pharmaceutical drugs, nothing seemed to help and the teenager ultimately wound up at a pricey rehabilitation center (which insurance would not cover). Elizabeth strongly believed there was an underlying medical condition and, turns out, she was right. A pediatric neurologist ultimately diagnosed her son with the auto-immune disease PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections). In this episode, you’ll learn the symptoms PANDAS, why doctors often miss it, and how the disease can be diagnosed with a simple test. This is also a cautionary tale about the importance of being proactive about health and finding solutions when doctor advice and remedies aren't working.
Elizabeth Harris is the author of What’s Wrong With My Child? For more, go to whatswrongwithmychild.com
While most of us quickly dismiss our dreams moments after awakening, 45-year dream analyst Tayria Ward, who has a PhD in depth psychology, believes we should pay attention to them—especially reoccurring ones. In this episode, she shares what we can learn from dreams (even the weird ones) and how finding the hidden messages can, in some cases, impact our lives.
For more on Tayria, go to tayriaward.com
Beauty industry journalist and critic Jessica Defino shares what she has uncovered interviewing scientists about the long-term effects of using anti-aging products including two of the most highly touted: retinol and hyaluronic acid. The clean beauty proponent and minimalist also shares the four products she routinely uses on her own skin.
Jessica’s articles have appeared in publications such as the New York Times, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, and Allure.
Jessica's career was born out of her experiences working as an app content creator for two of the Kardashian sisters. The job required Jessica to frequently sample products sent to the sisters, and she believes all the skincare products—loaded with chemicals and other harmful ingredients— caused her to get a terrible case of dermatitis that topical steroids couldn't even heal.
An enlightening conversation with two women who will make you less afraid of getting older: 63-year-old Susan Feldman and 53-year-old Wendy Euler. Both women unabashedly put themselves out there as the face of their brands—both of which aim to stop age shaming. Both women experience life to the hilt and are constantly taking on new, challenging experiences—undaunted by age. In this episode, we learn the how and why—plus some things they truly love about being in their 50s and 60s.
Susan Feldman is the co-founder of One Kings Lane, which she sold a few years ago, the founder of her current passion: In The Groove. It is a platform for shining a light on age-defying women, while offering advice on how to stay current on everything from tech to fashion.
Wendy Euler is a self-described “age activist and style enthusiast” and the founder of the Goodbye Crop Top platform. Wendy keeps followers entertained on Instagram with her aspirational advice on creating your own person style, regardless of age or trends. She is also a host of the 5-minute podcast, Cropped: A Midlife Minute.
An enlightening conversation with two women who have made it part of their life's mission to give people a better understanding of women who choose not to have children—and to dispel some of the myths that surround those decisions (Gosh, she must have had a terrible childhood...)
Dr. Amy Blackstone is Professor of Sociology at the University of Maine. Her book Childfree by Choice (Dutton, 2019) offers a definitive investigation into the history and growing movement of adults choosing to forgo parenthood.
Meghan Daum is the author of five books, including the New York Times bestseller, Selfish, Shallow & Self-Absorbed: Sixteen Writers On The Decision Not To Have Kids. She has written for magazines including The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine and The Atlantic. Meghan also hosts The Unspeakable Podcast.
10-time Emmy nominee Jerilynn Stephens, who heads up the hair department for The Voice (NBC) and Legendary (HBO Max), doles out advice on that thing we care so ridiculously much about: our hair. Topics include styles and remedies for thinning hair; advice for coloring your own hair; the best non-dye products for covering up grey; the latest in weaves and extensions; and the most comfortable, natural looking wigs. Jerilynn, who is a cancer survivor, also shares what she hopes will be a cautionary tale. When Jerilynn’s health began to fail, she (and her doctor) thought she was just experiencing symptoms of perimenopause or menopause, when her symptoms were actually due to ovarian cancer.
Photographer Sherry Rain Barnett has captured some of the most iconic legends in music— from rock to pop…from disco to punk: Prince, Sting, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, James Taylor, Judy Collins, Janis Joplin—the list is endless.
In this episode, Sherry shares some of the stories of behind the images she's taken at live music venues over the past 50 years, and about her new book Eye of the Music: The Photography of Sherry Rayn Barnett: New York to LA, 1969-1989. A visceral trip down memory lane, it is a stunning collection of more than 200 images of performers, all shot on film, some of which have never been seen.
Relationship expert Liz Pryor joins Linda for an exploration into the notion of having and being with a soul mate. Is there such a thing? How do you know if you are with yours? And: how to find one. Plus how to cultivate a soul mate-like relationship with your partner.
Everyone, it seems, is using powdered collagen these days. Jennifer Aniston, the face of one of the more popular brands, glows in the ads. Nutritionists and social media influencers wax about its merits. But where is the proof—the research—that says edible collagen works for anti-aging? In this episode, Linda tries to find out, journeying from the National Institute of Health all the way to the University of Washington, where she discovers an expert in the field of collagen as it relates to the human body: scientist/biochemist David M. Hudson. Also discussed: topical collagen.
Tips and coping strategies for The Sandwiched Generation— middle-aged adults who are caring for both their aging parents and their own children—from Laurie James, author of Sandwiched: A Memoir of Holding on and Letting Go. Laurie shares about her journey of raising four teenagers, while at the same time, caring for her mom who suffered from dementia. Laurie touches on the importance of support groups; how to choose a caretaker (and let one go); that delicate task of helping your parents get their affairs in order; dealing with siblings who have different opinions—and more.
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For most of her life, actress Shannon Kenny Carbonell was on a mission: trying to become a famous actress. Though she underwent extensive training and education and ultimately became a successful working actress, she never quite achieved the status that she envisioned. And when, as the wife of actor Nestor Carbonell (Lost), she had two kids, everything changed. Shannon essentially lost her career drive. In this episode, Shannon candidly shares her struggles—the juggle of motherhood vs. career, the regret over taking herself out of the career game and how she finally came to terms with her decision, crafting a new story for herself—with new dreams—as a devoted wife and mother and an author.
Shannon has written a new book based on her experiences: All is not LOST: How I Friended Failure on the Island and Found a Way Home.
Five-time Emmy award-winning costume designer Marina Toybina shares about her journey as the child of Russian immigrants who taught herself to sew at the age of 8—to becoming one of the most sought-after behind-the-scenes professionals in Hollywood. Marina dishes on everything from designing dazzling couture ensembles for the likes of Carrie Underwood and Britney Spears to her current gig: creating the elaborate, celebrity-concealing costumes for the FOX reality TV show The Masked Singer.
Megan Retterath, Chief Medical Officer of Next Health shares about the progressive practice of ordering and paying for your own diagnostic tests—tests which can assess things like vitamin deficiencies, gut health, micronutrient levels, diet issues, cortisone levels (stress) etc. She also details some cutting edge treatments like stem cell injections, hormone therapy and IV therapy.
Next Health, which has outlets in New York and Los Angeles, typically treats people who aren’t getting relief or answers from traditional medicine. Or they simply want more knowledge about their body and their overall health; they don’t want to wait until they get sick or are in the ER to find out something is wrong with them.
After a successful TV producing career which included co-creating The Daily Show, as well as Emmy and Peabody Awards, Madeleine Smithberg walked away from it all to follow her heart—literally. With a lifelong passion for food, Madeleine did something she'd dreamed of: she kicked off her own cooking show, Mad In The Kitchen, which seamlessly weaves together her love of cooking with her keen sense of humor. During the pandemic, she also moved from New York to Seattle to marry a man she hadn't seen in 20 years, the love of her life who broke her heart back in her twenties.
Madeleine also dishes on the early years of producing all those funny cooking segments for Late Night With David Letterman (remember those hilarious ones with Julia Child?); how she persuaded Jon Stewart to host The Daily Show; and how she helped discover several of today's biggest names in comedy like Stephen Colbert and Steve Carell.
Mad In The Kitchen has been featured on numerous national outlets including The Today Show. You can view and subscribe to it on YouTube here.
The Varsity Blues scandal blew the lid off the college admissions process two years ago this month. For many parents, the scandal underscored what they already were feeling: the process of getting your kid into a good college is not only challenging, it can be unfair — and even corrupt. With deferrals, postponements and no standardized testing, COVID has made the process even more challenging.
In this episode, college admissions experts Cynthia Muchnick and Jenn Curtis address how to best support your child through the process as well as how the scandal and Covid have impacted it. Cynthia and Jenn are the authors of The Parent Compass: Navigating Your Teen's Wellness and Academic Journey in Today's Competitive World— named the number one Best Parenting Audiobook in 2021 by Book Authority.
In this episode I visit Le Minou in Beverly Hills, a health & wellness center aimed at improving the sexual experience for women, interviewing founder Leslie Busick and chief medical officer OB- GYN Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz. Leslie, who is 28, founded Le Minou after experiencing painful and dissatisfying sex. Le Minou's "spa menu" includes Votiva vaginal restoration, aimed at decreasing pain and The O Shot, aimed at enhancing pleasure. Also offered: free consultations and live online seminars.
For $100 off your first treatment, use coupon code LEMINOUXSHESEZ.
40-percent of food in the United States goes uneaten and the majority of that wasted food is fresh produce. On this episode, we examine the growing problem of wasted fresh produce and the negative impact on the environment—from wasting our resources to filling our landfills to the dangerous methane gas emissions.
Andrea Collins, a sustainable food systems specialist for the National Resources Defense Council, joins Linda to discuss what consumers can do to cut down on fresh produce waste—from refrigerator storage strategies to meal planning to composting.
After 30 years in the beauty industry, during which she founded 5 successful brands, Marcia Kilgore is now running what she believes will be her most successful venture yet. Beauty Pie is a beauty club in which members have access to the highest end cosmetics and skincare products in the world at bargain prices. Members get backdoor access to some of the world’s best fragrance, skin care and cosmetics factories, many of which supply big-name luxury brands that go on to charge sky-high prices once stamped with their logo. By cutting out things like fancy packaging, celebrity endorsements and expensive ad campaigns, Beauty Pie is able to side step the huge mark up.
In this episode, Marcia shares some behind-the-scenes observations of the industry, how she came up with the innovative concept, how she sources the products all over the world and her 5 absolute favorite "desert island" skincare and anti-aging products. Plus why at 52, after having sold one of her companies (Bliss Spa) to LVMH for millions, the mom of two continues to push herself into the entrepreneurial arena.
If you want to give Beauty Pie a whirl, Marcia has offered a free one month membership to SheSez listeners. Just go to Beauty Pie, sign up for a membership and then use the code SHESEZ at the end (it will bring your membership fee to zero and then you can shop on the site).
Naturopathic doctor and acupuncturist Jannine Krause shares what you can do to slow down the aging process on your body. From switching from wine to tequila to eating certain herbs like oregano, Dr. Krause offers strategic suggestions for clean eating, body movement (break out of that exercise routine!) to avoid injury down the road and stress reduction.
We also cover some of the latest trends—from juice cleanses to powdered collagen.
Dr. Krause is also the host of The Health Fix podcast, aimed at encouraging listeners to take charge of their health and well being.
Whether it is a new job, hobby or project, sometimes we know we need change but kicking it off is downright daunting. In this episode reinvention expert Kathi Sharpe-Ross shows us how to lean into the downtime that most of us are experiencing right now due to the pandemic, break down the effort into bite size pieces and craft an actionable plan for resetting in the New Year.
Kathi is founder, president and CEO of The Sharpe Alliance consulting agency, which helps brands and businesses reinvent via strategic marketing. She’s also the author of Reinvent Your Life—What Are You Waiting For?
For more from Kathi, go to thereinventionexchange.com
Feelings of loss can intensify over the holidays. Whether the loved one passed several years ago or more recently, we can feel melancholy and even stressed out at the prospect of putting on a face of "good cheer." Sometimes we feel like breaking down and crying, yet we feel guilty if we do; explore the pain or ignore the pain? Licensed therapist Melissa Brohner-Schneider expects that, for some of us, this year grief will expand to all the losses due to the pandemic: freedom, jobs, connection etc. Melissa analyzes those feelings and the resulting isolation that often occurs and she offers several coping strategies—things you can do to feel better as well as ways to grieve in a healthy manner. She and Linda also discuss David Kessler's "sixth stage of grief" from his book Finding Meaning, which imparts meaning and peace to loss.
With the holidays approaching (peak movie watching season), a re-run of Linda's 2017 interview with chick flick movie producer extraordinaire Suzanne Farwell (It's Complicated, The Holiday, Something's Gotta Give). Listen in on some of the behind-the-scenes action on those classics—plus Suzanne's inspiring story of how she suddenly found herself unemployed at the age of 40 and overcame her fears, refusing to fall victim to all the ageism in Hollywood—ultimately taking the reins of her career and future.
For many people who suffer from depression, it's a challenge finding a medication that provides on-going relief. In this episode we zero in on the FDA-approved medical procedure Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in which a magnetic field is used to cause electric current at a specific area of the brain. TMS is prescribed for patients who have not responded to traditional depression pharmaceuticals. It is also used to treat Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and smoking cessation. Dr. Sarah Lisanby, a psychiatrist and medical researcher at the National Institute of Mental Health, was instrumental in getting FDA approval in 2008. She addresses when TMS is most effective, why most of us have never heard of it, side effects, how it differs from ECT, why depression is so prevalent in our society and what the next big thing is for treating it.
For more info on TMS:
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/brain-stimulation-therapies/brain-stimulation-therapies.shtml
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/brain-stimulation-therapies/brain-stimulation-therapies.shtml#part_152879
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03289923?term=lisanby&recrs=abc&draw=2&rank=4
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28541649/
Because of COVID-19, many of us have postponed elective procedures this year—and that includes mammograms. In this episode, LA-based oncologist Natasha Banerjee discusses the alarming drop in breast cancer screenings since March—and the ramifications. Plus an update on the latest treatments like immunotherapy which utilizes antibodies to boost immunity; who should be getting ultrasounds and or MRIs to screen for breast cancer; how you can tell if you have dense breasts and should be getting ultrasounds; and a rare cancer that has been linked to one type of implants.
Most children with autism are diagnosed before they are 5 years old. But for some kids, particularly high achieving ones, the signs are subtle and parents don’t realize their child has the disorder. In this episode, LA-based licensed therapist Gina Kilberg, who specializes in helping kids with Autistic Spectrum Disorder and their parents, shares some of the nuanced signs of the autistic adolescent. Gina, who has an autistic child herself, also addresses some of the complexities of diagnosing and treating teens with ASD.
A must listen to anyone who is afraid to “go under.” Anesthesiologist Sasha Shillcutt shares what you can do to make sure your experience is as safe as possible, the different types of anesthesiology, what exactly happens when a patient is anesthetized and possible side effects. Plus, the story of how a few years back the physician hit a wall, feeling like—between work and motherhood—she’d lost her sense of self, realizing she didn’t have any friends. Sasha ultimately founded Brave Enough, an organization that provides a platform for women to connect. She is also the author of Between Grit and Grace, in which she shares the stories of 30 formidable women and how they found the confidence to be successful and leaders—but also retain their vulnerability and compassion.
Los Angeles attorney Angela Reddock-Wright has been bridging differences her entire life. As a young girl in the 1970s, she marched in Alabama with her grandmother for better wages from her nursing home employer. Raised by her mother in economically-challenged Compton, Angela crossed town every day to attend The Brentwood School, an elite high school located on LA’s posh westside and attended by children from the city’s wealthiest families. It’s not surprising that Angela ultimately became one of LA’s most well-respected employment and mediation attorneys. Today, at the helm of her own firm, Reddock Law Group, Angela is hired by lawyers to help their plaintiffs mediate workplace violations including wrongful termination, discrimination and harassment. With the Me Too and Black Lives Matter movements—coupled with the pandemic— Angela’s phone has been ringing off the hook. In this episode, she shares some of the new challenges people are facing and her passion for what she views as her life mission: to bring about meaningful change in the workplace.
Lorilyn Bridges shares her experience of having a transgender child—from the steep learning curve involved to grappling with her own intense feelings. When Lorilyn’s son Grammy-nominated producer and songwriter Teddy Geiger was 29-years-old, he told Lorilyn that he had always felt he was a woman. For the mom of three, the revelation came as a shock. And, as a mother who prided herself on being deeply involved in her kids’ lives, she felt guilty at what she perceived as an integral maternal oversight. How could she not have known? Lorilyn shares how she coped with her guilt and—something many moms will relate to—failed expectations: when our kids turn out differently than we anticipated.
Laurie Gerber, head coach at the Handel Group, shares insight on how to make love in a long-term relationship last.
The relationship and marriage coach shares some her counsel to couples and, with candor, she also talks about own her near divorce experience. Laurie was about 10 years into her relationship with her husband when she discovered, although it looked great from the outside, the two had grown apart and were really just going through the motions. Laurie realized the love affair she was really having was with food—sugar in particular—and that she had to stop pretending and look at how her actions had helped cause the rift and how she needed to change to repair the relationship.
Laurie has done a TEDx talk and appeared on shows including A&E’s The Marriage Test, the Dr. Phil Show and The Today Show. She also hosts monthly dating and relationship webinars on Match and JDate.
The Handel Group is offering a $75 off coupon to SheSez listeners for coach Lauren Zander’s step-by-step online course on achieving and maintaining a successful love match. Use coupon code: SheSez75
We may be in the tech age but cultural anthropologist Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey believes we are starved for wisdom—about everything from the way nature works to how we should view self-worth. And she believes that—in a culture that's obsessed with youth—that wisdom can be found by turning to our elders, found in some of the most remote parts of the earth.
Dr. Lindsey, the first Polynesian explorer and female Fellow in the history of the National Geographic Society, has spent her career traveling to the world’s most inaccessible regions documenting indigenous mastery and science. She has studied a tribe of South Pacific way finders (celestial navigators) who sail thousands of miles without the use of maps or instruments as well as a group of sea nomads who averted danger during the 2004 tsunami. In this episode, the former Miss Hawaii (yes, you heard us right…) shares what she has learned, including an impactful lesson about beauty, after she visited a small island off Micronesia and met a group of tribal women who had never seen a mirror.
Exploring the use of Human Growth Hormones or HGH for anti-aging with female sexual health expert and urologist Dr. Jennifer Berman (The Doctors). Although not approved by the FDA for anti-aging, some women are injecting HGH to improve skin tone, build muscle, reduce fat, sleep better, and to increase sexual desire and energy. The benefits and risks; when and for whom it works best; and some of the other anti-aging treatments Dr. Berman is prescribing for her patients (including Emsculpt). Also, some of her recommendations for cutting edge over-the-counter supplements and other products that can help offset the negatives of aging.
Chef and cookbook author Gaby Dalkin on how she turned her love of California-inspired cooking into the successful blog and brand, What’s Gaby Cooking? And how being her authentic self, rather than trying to assimilate a picture-perfect social media star, was the key that unlocked her success. Plus, some farm fresh, simple summer recipes that are great for entertaining—from Gaby's famous Bruschetta Bar to to her chicken parmesan meat- balls. Gaby’s 3rd cookbook, Eat What You Want: 125 Recipes For Real Life, was released in spring 2020.
Heather Askinosie, an expert and educator in the field of gemstones and crystals, on how to use the stones for health and wellness. From rose quartz, which is used to connect with your feminine side to selenite which promotes purity, honesty and good sleep, Heather believes crystals help us tap the energy of the earth. Heather is also the co-owner of Energy Muse and a two-time author. Her latest book Crystal365 is a full-color guide to 52 crystals and practices aimed at enhancing life.
Feeling tired all the time despite getting your normal amount of sleep? If you take a functional—rather than conventional—medicine approach, one of the first things that practitioners will examine is the health of your gut. In this episode, functional health coach Mary Brooks explores the link between gut health and fatigue. Plus, a simple, new home test that can pinpoint a gut health issue, and ultimately boost energy.
For more on Mary, her practice, workshops and events, go to fuelbetterformula.com.
The Covid pandemic has left summer travel plans in a tangled mess with what appears to be a new set of rules on cancellations, refunds and credits. Covering everything from airline reservations to property rentals, Lux Voyage travel concierge Virgi Schiffino (who happens to be a former lawyer) offers insider advice on the best way to cancel without penalty, get your money back and or a credit that you can use in the future.
Linda interviews four thought leaders on what they believe the long-term impact of Covid-19 will be on society. Liz Pryor, Sabina Brennan, Colette Shelton and Angella Nazarian also share how the pandemic has changed them personally.
We all know how this trying time of Covid-19 and home quarantine is making us feel. But what is the stress and isolation doing to our brains? Neuroscientist Sabina Brennan offers insight on how this challenging period is impacting our brain, which ultimately causes changes to our behaviors and emotions. And perhaps most importantly: Sabina shares what we can do to offset the negative impacts of Covid life to keep our brain healthy. Sabina is the author of 100 Days To A Younger Brain and host of the Super Brain podcast.
A room by room approach to organizing, resetting and refreshing the home from Anna Marshall that's do-able—even for procrastinators. The LA-based interior designer has been hired by Hollywood A-listers from Madonna to Beyonce to Tom Petty to organize homes in ways that are attractive, yet create good feng shui or energy, enabling the homeowner to feel a sense of calm and be productive. From the master bedroom to the garage, Anna shares the how-to on what to part with and what to keep; how to settle disagreements with your significant other about that; and special organizational devices and items that will make the job easier and faster.
Anna is the author of Dream Home: Detox Your Space, Transform Your Life.
As we enter our second month of Covid-19 quarantine, many of us are grappling with family fatigue, sleeplessness, ill humor, a lack of focus/ motivation—and I'm just gonna say it: we're boozin' way more than normal. Therapist Melissa Brohner-Schneider discusses some of those feelings and behaviors (ok? not ok? normal? not normal?) as well as some of the more unusual ones that have cropped up for some of us like craving human connection but —for some odd reason—withdrawing when opportunities to interact with others arise. Zoom call? No thanks! Plus, what Melissa believes will be the most impactful silver lining of the pandemic.
Obstetrician Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz shares what it's been like in the delivery room during the Coronavirus outbreak and how she is counseling and treating concerned, expectant moms before, during and after birth. And the LA-based physician's own rigorous efforts to stay healthy and virus-free. Plus, a basic tutorial on how to remove elastic gloves (for those who have been reusing them) and why she believes not wearing gloves at all is a safer bet for most of us.
In this episode, days after the country shut down due to Covid-19, Linda talks with 38-year-old Aimee Ostick, an internist who is married to an Emergency Room doctor with whom she has three children. Aimee takes us inside her upended life, sharing the couple's concerns and plan for when one or both of them gets the Coronavirus and explaining how, as a concierge doctor on call 24/7, she is treating her patients amidst the constantly evolving situation. Plus, how the couple is managing caring for and home schooling their kids
In this episode we tackle the challenges of parenting during coronavirus with Dr. Aliza Pressman. Dr. Pressman is a developmental psychologist, parent educator, assistant clinical professor, and co-founder of both Mount Sinai Parenting Center and SeedlingsGroup. She is also the host of the podcast Raising Good Humans and she’s a mom with two kids of her own. Topics covered include dealing with kids who already suffer from anxiety, how to handle media and looping conversations from younger kids, how to cope with fear and social isolation and how to reassure kids but still be honest about all the unknowns.
Women who experience incontinence know, it’s a bummer—and it feels shameful. Sports medicine physical therapist Julie Wiebe wants to change that. She is one of the world’s foremost experts and advocates for women’s pelvic health—particularly how it relates to sports. In this episode, Julie shares innovative ways of preventing leakage and her evidence-based, integrative approach to treating patients. The LA-based PT believes that whether you’ve had multiple pregnancies, hit middle age or enjoy a strenuous work-out, incontinence does not have to be simply accepted. From proper breathing to analyzing what else is going on with the body, Julie shares the state-of-the-art ways she is treating her patients, mostly “busy moms,” and dispels some of the myths surrounding incontinence.
For more in Julie and her Los Angeles area practice, go here.
To find a professional in your area, go here.
We all want the best education for our kids – but sometimes accessing it is a puzzle. Magnet schools, charter schools, public versus private etc. LA-based educational consultant Jamie Bakal joins Linda on this episode to distill the school selection process. In addition to covering the pluses and minuses of each type of school, Jamie also shares the importance of getting—not just the right academic—but the right social fit; how some colleges are putting the breaks on considering a plethora of AP classes, which they see as purely about memorization; and the rise of progressive, project-based or "hands on learning." Plus, why we need to rewire our kids' brains to teach them that success (and the ultimate goal) is not about money.
Jamie worked for 6 years as an elementary school teacher and during that time she became keenly aware of how important selecting the right environment plays into getting an excellent education. Today Jamie counsels families so that they can select schools where their child can succeed both academically and socially.
On the eve of her 70th birthday, Linda talks with the still saucy actress Cybill Shepherd about her dramatic life—from experiencing overnight fame after acting in The Last Picture Show to dating and breaking up with Elvis to making her comeback with the TV show Moonlighting with co-star Bruce Willis. The 3-time Golden Globe winner also discusses her own challenges with sexual harassment in the pre Me Too era, keying in on the CBS executive who she believes cancelled the Cybill sitcom after she rebuffed him. Plus the twice divorced mother of three on why she makes no apologies and has no regrets—about anything.
Sherly Soleiman, a board certified physician and injectables expert who Allergan (makers of Botox) hires to teach others how to use their products, explains to Linda how to get natural results. Topics covered: avoiding the angry eyebrow with Botox (and other muscle relaxers) and how to prevent that bulbous, overly-inflated look with fillers. Also covered: the latest injectable products and the microneedling procedure. Dr. Soleiman owns and operates Cosmetic Injectables Center in the LA suburb of Sherman Oaks.
Anita Sands traces her journey from a small town on the east coast of Ireland all the way to Silicon Valley where she is a highly-respected global technology and business leader and advocate for the advancement of women.
When it comes to career, Anita is a master of the pivot. She has gone from physics into public policy, from academia into financial services, and then from technology to the corporate boardroom. Today Anita serves on 3 public boards and she is a director on 2 private boards.
In this episode Anita shares how she radically changed her life and found her "life sweet spot" just before her 40th birthday, quitting her unsatisfying job in finance, moving to Silicon Valley and crafting a "portfolio career" in technology that would allow her to cultivate a fulfilling personal life. She ultimately married a widower with five children and had a "honeymoon" baby. When it comes to her board work, Anita does not refrain from talking about motherhood in front of other board members. In the interest of creating gender parity on corporate boards, she makes a point of talking about her kids. She wants all the men she works with to know that women can be mothers AND be effective board members. Anita also shares some insightful advice for professional women who are interested in being on a corporate board—essentially key networking steps for snagging a seat.
Whether it is brought on by menopause or you simply experience chronic dryness, progressive OB GYN Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz shares some state-of-the-art ways to eliminate pain during sex. Plus, even if you've had breast cancer or you have a history of it in your family, why topical estrogen should be considered.
For info on Dr. Gilberg-Lenz's menopause "bootcamps" in Los Angeles, go here.
Liz Pryor, author of the female friendship book What Did I Do Wrong? and the former advice guru for Good Morning America answers listener questions in this Just Tell Me What To Do segment on girl drama. What do you do when your daughter doesn't want to be friends with a girl anymore, but you have a relationship with the mom? How to teach your child the importance of acknowledging her true feelings and being able to share them openly with friends. The importance of modeling friendships for your child. Even if you don't have a daughter, Liz's advice is applicable to female friendships in general. Some really good reminders—particularly when it comes to being brutally honest about your feelings.
Surgeon Carolyn Chang shares the story of losing her only child to cancer and the lessons she learned about our innate ability as humans to cope and survive—even in the face of unimaginable tragedy.
Consumed by fear of aging and not mattering anymore? Meet Wendy Euler, who is on a mission to show us that middle age—and even later— can be the prime of life.
While most people shy away from change as they get older, Wendy faced it head on. In her 40s she left an unhappy marriage, married her dream man and, after tiring of life in the big city, moved with her new husband and family to Montana. Then, at 46, she had another child.
And then it all really started happening. Fed up with hearing the message that it’s basically over for women after 50, the former advertising executive decided to take matters into her own hands. In 2017, Wendy (who has always been impossibly chic) launched the fashion blog,Goodbye Crop Top, which quickly became a smash hit and has created numerous opportunities for the 51-year-old—from swimsuit modeling to writing a book.
Sarah Lee and Christine Chang, the founders of Glow Recipe Skincare, school us on the red hot Korean a.k.a. K-Beauty industry—explaining everything from its reliance on unusual and pure ingredients (snail secretions, anyone?) to its playful packaging. They also share how they came up with the cult-favorite, Watermelon Sleeping Mask which has sold out over 7 times at Sephora with an 8,000 person waitlist. Plus, how the women decided to get off the fast track as VP’s at Loreal and in 2017 launch the fruit-inspired Glow Recipe line, which is cruelty-free and made without parabens, sulfates and phthalates. Sarah and Christine's newest K-Beauty-inspired line, Sweet Chef, is available at Target.
Pivoting from full-time motherhood to employment can be daunting In this episode Kelley Biskupiak & Susan Rietano Davey, co-founders of the on-line professional coaching platform, Prepare to Launch U, share with Linda tips & strategies for moms interested in returning to the work force. Topics touched on: how to reclaim your professional confidence; how to shift from focusing entirely on the family to yourself; the importance of getting ahead of the curve, i.e. taking small but critical steps to plan for your future before the kids are actually out of the house. Also, how to spin your time at home into something prospective employers will view as an asset.
Prepare to Launch U provides instruction, inspiration and community to women navigating work-life transitions along the continuum of life. Its signature online career re-entry course has students in 26 states. It also offers a course to help women plan and execute a maternity leave.
Like Linda, both Kelley and Susan have first-hand experiences with the challenges of pivoting from full-time motherhood to the working world. Both women opted out to take career breaks, opted back in as working moms, and made mid-career pivots to start their own business.
Stage 4 Triple-Negative Breast Cancer survivor Jenn Greenhut had just had her yearly mammogram when she discovered the lump under her arm. In this episode, Jenn speaks out about the importance of ultrasounds—particularly for women with dense breasts—and she shares the story of how doing essentially a 360-degree change in mindset got her through the grim diagnosis. During her treatment for one of the most aggressive forms of the disease, she learned to embrace (instead of dread) chemo and to see and be grateful for all the positives that have resulted from her situation. She credits that attitude reboot with helping her go from little hope to cancer-free in four months. Plus, how Jenn is giving back by raising money for cancer research with her new line of bags, Zero Negative. The line includes reversible bags that go from cross body to fanny packs designed for women going through treatment.
For SheSez’s 100th episode, the tables turn as host Linda Grasso gets interviewed by Emmy Award winning TV broadcaster Diane Dwyer about what she has learned from some of the most accomplished women in the world about finding happiness, fulfillment and purpose. Linda also shares some of the surprises she’s experienced over the past two years i.e. most popular and favorite episodes; some of the mistakes she’s made and what she looks for in a SheSez guest. Plus, some advice for anyone thinking of kicking off their own podcast.
A yearly mammogram and monthly self-examinations aren’t enough anymore when it comes to preventing breast cancer. According to surgeon Kristi Funk (who treated Angelina Jolie and Sheryl Crowe) there is a lot more we women can and should do—including getting ultrasounds. To commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we’re re-broadcasting Linda’s interview with Kristi, who after years of research, has written Breasts: An Owner’s Manual, which flies in the face of convention when it comes to prevention. The surgeon says her findings indicate that by merely subscribing to a healthy lifestyle (i.e. vegan and no alcohol) women can lower their risk by 80-percent. Kristi also provides an analysis on the variety of treatment options and she has some words of caution for women who are lackadaisical about getting yearly mammograms and ultrasounds, feeling complacent because breast cancer does not run in their family.
When TV contributor/host Kym Douglas got diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer, her management team in Los Angeles advised her to get a good wig and keep it quiet. They felt it didn’t “fit her brand” which was doing fun, comedic beauty segments on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and on the Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family show. In this episode, Kym shares with Linda why she ignored their advice and instead went full throttle on social media. In painstaking detail, Kym shared with her fans and followers the most intimate, painful moments of her aggressive treatment, which included mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation. The beauty expert also discusses with Linda her decision to do an elective mastectomy on one breast, a move that ultimately saved her life.
Connecting with a loved one with Alzheimer's Disease, as well as other dementias, can be a challenge—and a heartbreak. In this episode, comedian and author Dani Klein Modisett shares the story of how she learned to reach her mother while visiting her at an assisted living facility. After a spell of silent, sad visits, Dani stumbled across an idea, eventually founding Laughter On Call, which provides training workshops and an on-line curriculum for caregivers of Alzheimer's and dementia patients. Dani also shares tips and strategies for moving a loved one into assisted living, navigating the finances and levels of care, warding off isolation, and the challenges encountered when family members have differing opinions about what should be done.
Protecting our girls from self-deflating social and mainstream media messages is a challenge—and one that Michelle Cove is facing head- on. She is the founder and executive director of MEDIAGIRLS—a nonprofit organization aimed at teaching middle-school girls to take a critical look at the images they’re being barraged with and how to self-protect.
Michelle, also an award-winning filmmaker, author and journalist, shares with Linda how MEDIAGIRLS is going about empowering girls—showing them that they don’t have to accept the negative messages—which often make them feel bad – whether it be about their body, the way they look or their social status. Instead, through its workshops, the non-profit shows girls that they can and should challenge those messages, and in some cases get mad about them. Plus, teaching your child the importance of creating responsible media messages (particularly the popular girls)—teaching them to be part of the solution, instead of the problem.
Ellen K's story is one of patience, perseverance and pay off, set amidst the male host-dominated radio industry. After being a sidekick for 24 years on two popular radio shows —the first with Rick Dees and the second with Ryan Seacrest — Ellen K finally got her due. In 2015 she became host of her own gig: the Ellen K Morning Show on KOST 103.5. It airs weekdays and is I Heart Radio’s number one show in Los Angeles. A syndicated version airs nationwide on weekends. Ellen shares why she stayed as a sidekick for nearly a quarter a century (not even raising her hand at hosting opportunities) and how she finally got the guts to fight for and win her own show. Ellen takes us inside the boardroom with all the decision makers, and shares her rather unique strategy for arguing her case.
Functional medicine is providing relief for some people with chronic illnesses. With this alternative approach, physicians look at the patient as a whole, taking in factors like diet and stress, in an attempt to find the root causes of disease.
In this episode, Linda talks with Dr. Karima Hirani who switched from practicing conventional to functional medicine 20 years ago due to frustration about not being able to provide patients with enough answers and solutions. Dr. Hirani shares how she treats patients suffering from several on-going illnesses, including depression, anxiety, chronic fatigue and a host of digestive ailments as well as the strides functional medicine is making with autistic children.
We also hear from a woman who says functional medicine changed her life. Maryam Henein says it helped her to finally heal after a life threatening accident, ultimately inspiring her to found her alternative medicine/health & wellness website Honey Colony.
Looking at Kanchan Koya today cooking on her blog Spice Spice Baby, it is hard to imagine her as a Harvard Medical School-educated molecular biologist. But indeed 7 years ago she was working in the bio-tech industry. Increasingly dissatisfied with each passing year, she finally made a hard right turn—focusing on her love of Indian food and spices and her belief in their health benefits, ultimately kicking off the blog Spice Spice Baby. In this show, the mom of two shares how she got the guts to make such a bold career switch; how she became the 1st self-published author to get her cookbook Spice Spice Baby: 100 Recipes with Healing Spices for your Family Table on The Today Show; and how being a regularly featured chef on Buzzfeed’s wildly popular Tasty network has elevated her brand to a new level. Plus, how to integrate Indian spices into your diet for health & wellness benefits—ranging from alleviating indigestion to reducing inflammation.
Sex in a long-term relationship can be a challenge. Even if you truly adore your partner, how do you keep it alive and healthy after that initial spark fades? Why is sex so important? What do you do when your partner starts initiating sex by taking a Viagra (and forgets that you, too, are part of the equation)? In this show, Linda asks those questions and more to Dr. Shannon Chavez, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and ASECT Certified Sex Therapist. She is the Clinical Director of the SHAPE Center (Sexual Health and Pleasure Enhancement) in Beverly Hills, where she provides therapy and coaching, and community outreach on sexual health and wellness. Dr. Chavez also covers how to handle the Viagra-popping partner, the pleasures of porn made specifically for females by females, and she explains her philosophy on opening up a long-term relationship to other partners. (She does not automatically nix this idea!) Plus, Dr. Chavez answers some questions from SheSez listeners…and they’re pretty juicy.
Menstruation is a shameful experience for girls in many parts of the world. When Oakwood School high school English teacher Melissa Berton and her students discovered (through a program called Girls Learn International) that girls in some villages in India have to miss school when they have their periods, they set out to do something about it. They raised money to buy a sanitary pad-making machine for one village and then traveled there to teach the locals how to use it—all of which they documented in the short film, Period. End of Sentence. In January 2019, much to their surprise, that 26-minute endeavor won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Subject and Melissa, her students, and director, 25-year-old Rayka Zehtabchi, took to the stage to accept the award. In this show, Melissa recounts with Linda that life-changing experience and how the effort to help other girls—as well as end the taboo surrounding menstruation—continue with the non-profit The Pad Project.
Marketing/branding executive Katie Klencheski shares with Linda how she re-focused her company, the Brooklyn-based Smakk Studios, to concentrate on clients with brands that aligned with her core values of helping people and the planet. The impetus was an upsetting meeting during which a potential client was disrespectful to his employees during which Katie walked out. For her, it was the straw that broke the camel's back. The 37-year-old turned on a dime, redirecting Smakk's mission, even though it initially meant losing money. She also shares about some of the more progressive brands on her client roster—specifically those aimed at women. They include CBD oil for menstrual cramps, a non-toxic bra (Vibrant Body) and an herbal feminine hygiene care line (Honey Pot).
A deep dive into the topic of failure—the shameful way it makes us feel and how it (or fear of it) can present a roadblock to achieving and living full, satisfying lives. Our guests are Melissa Brohner Schneider and Sara Singer Schiff, hosts of the podcast The Other F Word. The two share what they've learned from interviewing guests like Sharon Stone and Elizabeth Craft (Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast) and some innovative mindsets aimed at not letting failure define you. Plus, Melissa, a licensed therapist, offers her take on why it is critical to share our failures with our kids.
With the release of the Elton John musical Rocketman, we hear from Anett Murray, wife of Elton John bass player Dee Murray. Dee played with the band during the most prolific period of Elton’s career—the 1970s—during which there were 15 Top-10 hits and 6 number one records. Anett shares what it was like in the early days as the only woman traveling with the band. And we talk about what it was like having a front row seat to Elton’s meteoric rise —and well as his fall due to drugs.
To keep herself busy while on the road, Anett started sewing. At first, she was doing simple repairs for the band but as Elton’s on-stage outfits became bolder, she started sewing stuff for him. In fact, the denim jacket covered with patches that was prominently featured in Rocketman was actually her work. So, was Anett was the inspiration for the lyrics in the hit song Tiny Dancer (Blue jean baby, LA lady, seamstress for the band…)? We suss that out, too!
To see more pictures of Anett, Dee and the EJ band, check out SheSez Instagram at she_sez https://www.instagram.com/she_sez/?hl=en and SheSez Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SheSez/.
Leah Yari and Mary Lennon share the story of how Mary's frustration at not being able to have her daughter's birthday party at a nail salon (that seemed healthy enough to host a bunch of kids) morphed into—not just an uber healthy salon—but an entire line of nail polish that is formaldehyde, toxin and gluten-free and vegan.
The duo's company Côte now has 2 environmentally safe salons in Brentwood, CA and NYC and a line of toxin-free polish with 125 different shades. Here they chat with Linda about their journey in quitting their jobs and launching a company (Leah was an interior designer; Mary was a school admissions director) and their ultimate goal: to transform the manicure experience for women—and their daughters.
With her company Barney Butter, Dawn Kelley has developed a unique way of making almond butter that avoids bitterness and that nasty, pasty texture so many products on the market have. Barney Butter also offers a no added salt or sugar version, making it one of the healthiest almond butters on the market.
On the show Linda and Dawn discuss the health benefits of almond butter—ranging from better sleep to stronger bones—and tasty ways of integrating it into your diet.
They also discuss the year Dawn’s life turned upside down (for the better)—a year in which she quit one job, started another, moved from Southern California to Maine and married a man with three kids. By the way it was also the year, she turned forty.
Let’s face it: being a mother can be one of the most joyous things in life but also one of the most challenging. In this episode: Just Tell Me What to Do—the SheSez segment that zeros in on the complex situations that keep us up at night—with therapist and parenting coach Erin Taylor. Erin tackles listener emails on three scenarios: how to have the small birthday party that your kid wants but keep the peace with the rest of the class (and their parents); how to talk to the mom of the kid who is bullying yours; and how to handle family gatherings when it comes to the the grandparent who keeps getting married and divorced.
Are you an expert of some sort who might be up for doing a Just Tell Me What to Do segment answering listener emails? Or do you have questions that you’d like answered by one of our experts? We currently have an advice guru, a stylist, a cosmetic injectables specialist, a child/family therapist, a reinvention specialist, a holistic nutritionist and an integrative OB GYN who can address listeners’ hairiest, most complicated situations. Email us at shesezshow@gmail.com .
There’s nothing worse than feeling like you’ve got a great idea, sitting on it, and then seeing someone else doing it—successfully. That’s exactly what happened to Kim Malek back in 2010. The marketing executive had been going back and forth on her idea of creating an artisan ice cream shop for years. Then boom! She opened the New York Times and read about someone else doing it. “I was literally enraged!,” she recalls. But she turned that anger into action. She cashed in her 401k to open a Salt & Straw ice cream shop in Portland, Oregon with her chef cousin, Tyler. With Tyler creating never-before-heard-of flavors like Honey Lavender and Goat Cheese Marionberry Habanero, the shop was an overnight success, ultimately spawning 18 more up and down the west coast. Kim shares with Linda the lessons she’s learned along the road and another pretty amazing thing that was going on at the same time she was growing her company: she married and adopted three fosters kids, ages 2, 4 and 5. Talk about a Super Woman.
With her website Truth in Aging, Marta Wohrle has spent the past ten years investigating what products really work to restore collagen, lessen lines and improve complexion. Favoring state-of-the-art, little known companies (and avoiding high-end department store brands with fancy packaging), Marta sources products, sends them to her team of testers across the country and then quantifies results with thorough and, sometimes brutally honest, reviews. In addition to tester input, Marta also gives careful consideration to the ratio of effective ingredients to essentially “filler” and to price.
In this show, Linda chats with Marta about what specific ingredients have proven to be the most effective. She highlights three in particular—including one we’d never even heard of—as well as an emerging Scandinavian brand that's water and preservative-free that she views as game changing. Marta also shares why getting retinol from your dermatologist may not be the best approach.
When fitness enthusiast Maya French discovered she was lactose intolerant at the age of 23, it was a downer. She was constantly frustrated at not being able to find a tasty, dairy-free, low sugar, post work-out protein drink. So...she created one. In this episode we share the amazing story of how the 28-year-old year old co-founded Koia, a protein-packed, plant-based beverage that is sold in 5000 stores including Whole Foods nationwide. Maya shares with Linda how, with career experience only in journalism and fashion retail, she dug deep and took a leap of faith, putting everything she had into launching the vegan beverage—and how in one nano second—she almost lost it all.
On this episode we talk hormones and sex—specifically how to have better sex. LA-based, integrative OB-GYN Dr. Suzanne Gilberg Lenz shares the latest information about the use of bioidenticals to treat hormone imbalances and three new out-patient procedures aimed at rejuvenating and restoring elasticity to the vagina. Plus: the use of CBD oil for enhancing the sexual experience.
Aishwarya Iyer shares her journey from the tech start-up world of New York City to the scenic olive mills in California to found the artisanal olive oil company Brightland. With zero experience in the food industry, launching an olive oil company was nothing the 32-year-old ever could have predicted. A few years ago she decided to begin cooking dinner at her apartment (instead of ordering take-out) and she started routinely using olive oil. Suddenly, Aish started feeling sick to her stomach after every meal. After eliminating products, she determined the culprit was the olive oil; it was dated and rancid. In this show we delve into how Aish invested everything she had and moved across country to develop a healthier, high quality oil that avoids many of the issues in the scandal-plagued industry. Plus, her tips on how to purchase fresh, tasty olive oil at the grocery store (it’s not just about the expiration date) and her surprising advice on using it at high heats (the “smoke point”).
Forget about putting all your focus on getting your child into a good college. Yeah, you heard us right —you can lighten up on all the tutors, batting coaches, AP classes and STEM projects. If you really want your kid to be successful in life teach them manners. So says, etiquette expert Lisa Gache (Beverly Hills Manners: Golden Rules from the World’s Most Glamorous Zip Code) and Harvard University says 85% of job success comes from having well developed soft skills while a mere 15% can be attributed to technical and hard skills. Lisa views manners as the secret weapon that will make your child stand out from the rest, helping him or her not only snag the job but also excel in it. Nothing soft about that.
Forget about lingerie and matching sets with piping. What about comfortable, stylish sleepwear with premium fabric? Isn’t that what most women really want in bed? Up until four years ago, it hardly existed. 34-year-old Ashley Merrill shares with Linda how she changed that by kicking off Lunya. The mom of two also talks about how having a partner who participates in household chores and childcare (instead of the woman being a martyr and taking it all on herself) enhances a relationship and why she thinks the next female empowerment movement will focus not on women - but on men.
Alison Marie Ragusa is making waves in the beauty industry. In 2018, she and her partner – her sister Katherine – developed a skincare line with the cannabis extract, CBD. Under the label Lab to Beauty, the line has become the first cannabis-based beauty brand to enter the high-end, luxury market—in this case—the department store, Barney’s. Alison shares with Linda the benefits of using CBD on the skin and why it has become the latest beauty elixir.
The debut of Just Tell Me What To Do—a new, when-we-feel-like-it SheSez segment that gives listeners a chance to ask an expert how to handle a perplexing, complicated, worrisome situation—of any kind. This week advice guru, Family Circle magazine columnist, author (Look at You Now) and former SheSez guest Liz Pryor addresses two hairy situations: what to do when your husband gets sick and your marriage is on the downslide—and what to do when the girlfriend group you made with the moms of your kids' friends no longer feels good
Kara Goldin shares the story of how shifting her beverage of choice from Diet Coke to water flavored with fresh fruit dramatically improved her health, leading her to found Hint, Inc. She also covers how she launched the company while pregnant with her third child, what its like working alongside her husband who is Hint’s COO, and why its important not to be sold when you see the word “natural” on food product labels.
In this episode Linda chats with Amanda Klane, co-founder of the world’s first frozen Greek yogurt bar. Looking for a healthy frozen dessert, she came up with the idea at the age of just 23 and and shared it with her good friend, Drew Harrington, who ultimately became her partner in Yasso Frozen Greek Yogurt. Amanda shares how their idea for a frozen bar was initially shot down cold as simply not do-able, but they refused to give up—ultimately turning Yasso into a company expected to gross 100 million in 2019. Topics include: the beauty of making real money in your twenties—and working your ass off at the same time—and stuff Amanda would have done differently—from securing financing to new product development.
Rachel Steinman grew up in a family riddled with mental illness. She remembers as a girl always being embarrassed and somewhat exasperated trying to explain it to others.
When she was 16 her grandfather leapt to his death at his high-rise condo—and she never fully understood why. It haunted her and she wanted to get inside his mind.
She did years later when she’d become a mom of two daughters, and was worried that somehow they’d inherit the illness. After her step-grandmother’s death, she found a manuscript her grandfather had written about his life.
In this SheSez episode, Rachel shares her story of how that manuscript kicked off a journey of discovery about her grandfather, the illness that plagued her family and the fine line between brilliance and madness.
For 20 years, Amanda Jones enjoyed a successful career as a travel writer. Based out of San Francisco, she was also a mom to two daughters and like any mom, cautioned her kids about staying away from drugs. Then a good friend got cancer and she started using marijuana to cope with the side effects of treatment. The woman constantly grappled with "riding the crazy train” due to the high levels of THC in cannabis. For Amanda, and another friend of hers, Jennifer Chapin, the light bulb went off. Watching their friend struggle, the two women recognized a need for a product with carefully controlled amounts of cannabinoids like THC and CBD that women could use for health & wellness–something that looked good, smelled good and felt good.
In 2015, with the recreational use of marijuana legal in only a handful of states, Amanda and Jennifer launched Kikoko—a decidedly feminine line of cannabis-infused, organic teas aimed at everything from lightening your mood to having better sex. One of their “High Tea" parties” with guests in vintage gowns and hats drinking from dainty teacups was featured on the Oprah website. Now that 10 states that have legalized the recreational use of marijuana the company with four different varieties (sleep, pain, sex, mood) has exploded. Amanda shares with Linda how she embraced this unexpected entrepreneurial endeavor in mid life, and how she believes women around the world will soon discover that cannabis is a healthier alternative to alcohol and prescription drugs.
Dina Kaplan, as founder of The Path, teaches meditation to groups and organizations across the globe.
It’s a far cry from where she started out. In her early career, Dina was an award-winning TV news reporter and later she became something of an “it” girl in tech after co-founding the online video platform, Blip. Named one of Fortune Magazine’s Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs in 2010, Dina was one of the very few female top tier tech executives in the world. To the outside, she seemed to have it all.
But Dina had a secret: she suffered from debilitating panic attacks. One day she got dropped off by a cab and couldn’t make it across the street to her office. Dina shares with Linda how she packed her bags and bought a one way ticket to Asia, where she discovered the restorative powers of meditation, and embarked on a new start-up, The Path which is aimed at helping executives calm down.
On today’s show we meet food entrepreneur Candace Nelson.In 2005, Candace founded the world’s first cupcakes only bakery— Sprinkles —which now has 24 locations nationwide. Sprinkles are the Tesla of cupcakes: artfully decorated and made with premium ingredients.
With celebrity fans like Oprah and Blake Lively, Candace quickly became known as the Cupcake Queen—and she’s gained even more exposure on TV. Candace is an Executive Producer and Judge on the new Netflix baking show Sugar Rush. She’s also appeared on the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars.
Candace shares the story of how her love of baking inspired her to get out of investment banking and go to school to become a pastry chef and how her hunch that people would treat themselves to a high-end cupcake and— in fact drive to a bakery that only serves cupcakes to get it—paid off big time. Plus, the two lucky breaks that made Sprinkles a worldwide brand and why she focused these days on Pizzana restaurant which she co-owns with actor Chris O’Donnell.
There are many successful red carpet stylists in Los Angeles, but Dana Asher Levine has a distinction. She is the town’s most sought after, influential power dresser.
Dana styles the biggest behind-the-scenes names in showbiz – including producer Shonda Rhimes who has created TV shows like Scandal and Grey’s Anatomy.
Dana’s path to the top was bumpy. She’d been a stay-at-home mom, got divorced and suddenly found herself the sole supporter of three children. At the time, she had a thousand dollars to her name. Dana shares with Linda how she kicked off her career with a “fake it until you make it” attitude—showing up at high-end department stores dressed to the 9s and hoping to meet prospective clientele. Plus Dana offers tips for dressing to feel powerful, confident and appropriately sexy whether you are a petite or a plus size.
Hear the amazing story of how 27-year-old Adi Arezzini turned her mother’s organic tea garden into the Teami Blends empire.
Adi shares with Linda how, after serving two years in the Israeli army, she returned to the U.S. in the shape of her life. But after eating the army's institutional, bland diet, she grappled with constipation and bloating. She tried all kinds of remedies but nothing worked—until she started experimenting with the tea that her mother was growing in her garden. She came up with two distinct blends of tea that solved her digestive problems—and from those blends developed a 30-day detox program.
Cut to five years later and Adi is the CEO and founder of Teami Blends, an all-natural loose-leaf tea company based in Clearwater, Florida. Adi oversees 50 employees and recently the brand expanded to include tea-based skincare products that are sold at the nationwide chain, Ulta Beauty.
When Kate Betts took over the top job at Harper’s Bazaar at 35, she had already earned a reputation as someone with guts. At her previous job at Vogue, she was known as one of the few who, while clashing with infamous, ice maiden Anna Wintour, could hold her own.
At the time of taking over Harper’s Bazaar, Kate was the youngest editor ever to helm a national fashion magazine. She was also a new mom; her first child was born just three days after taking the job. Kate shares the story of her very public, humiliating firing just two years later, and how she rebounded to snag her real dream job and write a book that she describes as her proudest accomplishment.
Kate’s memoir, My Paris Dream: An Education in Style, Slang, and Seduction in the Great City on the Seine is a New York Times Bestseller.
When Susan Feldman sold One Kings Lane to Bed, Bath & Beyond in 2016, she could have kicked back. Instead, she founded the on-line, platform Get in the Groove, which offers curated lifestyle articles and retail geared for the middle-aged woman. “I started hearing a lot from women that they were feeling invisible,” Susan shares. “So it’s important for women to figure out how they can stay current and 'in the know.’ Plus, there are just a lot of things that no one tells you about middle age and we need a forum for that.” In this episode, Susan addresses ways of being proactive in order to stay current, relevant and ultimately visible.
Discover how to tap into your creative side—and experience profound personal growth.
For most of us, being creative was something we did as a child. Whether painting or molding play dough, we were creative for the fun of it. But as we’ve gotten older, with jobs and kids, most of us have let our creative side go.
Creativity Coach Robin Finn aims to help people get it back. Robin shares how engaging in creative endeavors “for the pure joy of it” can help people pivot towards fulfillment— and ultimately be happier.
The mom of three shares the story of how, even though she had wonderful family, she started feeling deeply unsatisfied. Robin realized that she wasn’t doing anything in her life just for her; like most moms, she was at the bottom of her list. Robin turned her life around after getting a master’s degree in spirituality psychology and then going on to write her first novel, Restless in L.A. Today she teaches a class called Heart. Soul. Pen. aimed at encouraging people to access the creative energy lying dormant inside them though stream-of-conscious-style writing.
While many designers gravitate towards trends, Rachel Pally stays true to the elegantly draped dresses, wide-leg pants and feminine tops that put her on the map some 15 years ago.
Her line, which includes plus sizes and maternity, can be found at stores including Neiman Marcus and Pea in the Pod…. and at rachelpally.com.
Rachel shares with Linda how she stumbled into designing clothes at 22 and launched her business with $300 dollars of babysitting money, how she believes being a business woman makes her a better mom to her two sons and her belief that women should dress in a way that compliments their curves, and avoids pain and discomfort.
As a celebrity and as the head of Goop, Gwyneth Paltrow has access to a pretty much anything she wants when it comes to beauty products. So when the lifestyle guru recently posted a video of her short-list nighttime beauty regimen—which included slathering a $185 skin serum by Vintner’s Daughter on her face—women around the world took note.
One of them was April Gargiulo, founder of Vintner’s Daughter. April launched the company in 2014 — taking what she knew from growing-up in a fine-wine-making family— and applying it to creating a nourishing, natural face serum. “Both of them essentially come from the terroir,” she explains. April shares with Linda how she formulated her serum with 22 botanicals and essential oils and how she discovered an unexpected bonus: men love it, too (it was listed as one of GQ’s Best Grooming Products of 2017). April recounts how she decided to launch the company after her husband told her, “When you talk about this company idea your eyes light up,” and how she manages running her rapidly growing empire with mothering two daughters.
Suffering from the autoimmune disorder, rheumatoid arthritis, Mecca Elliot tried nearly every prescription medication on the market. But none would alleviated her crippling pain. On a lark, she tried meditation. “Meditation calmed and centered me—I was so anxious at the time—and I became addicted,” she recalls. Then an unexpected bonus: slowly, she saw her arthritis symptoms go away. Today Mecca, completely pain-free, credits meditation for her recovery. The former hair stylist went on to become a certified meditation instructor and then, wanting to share the benefits with others, had an light bulb moment: why not marry mediation and the manicure/pedicure experience? Mecca shares the story of how launched and built her innovative, luxurious concept: Namaste Nail Sanctuary. The first salon, which incorporates Deepak Chopra guided meditation—complete with LED glasses and headphones—opened in Studio City, California. And now she and her husband, Michael Elliot (you might remember him pitching his Hammer & Nails concept on Shark Tank), are in the process of opening 8 more outposts. And the couple has launched a franchise operation, and hoping to have 100 open by 2021.
If you're a fan of interior-design-oriented magazines, you may have seen Kathryn Ireland on the cover of Elle Décor, Luxe and World of Interiors magazines this past year. And that’s just in 2018! Kathryn’s signature style, which is chic and feels grand—but is also comfy and a little boho—has attracted clients including Steve Martin, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Caroline Kennedy. She has authored six best selling books and recently launched an innovative, online design platform called The Perfect Room. In this episode, the British-born, mother of three shares with Linda the story of how she pivoted from being a successful music video producer for artists like The Bangles and Paul Simon to become one of most influential designers in the world; how her textiles business was inspired by a tattered patchwork quilt on her bed that her kids had ruined by playing on it; and how, in a calculated move, she has kept her finger on the pulse of technology—a move that has inspired her latest endeavor, The Perfect Room.
Sheena Yaitanes shares with Linda the story of how she fused her skills as a chemist and her talent as an artist to found the botanical oil-based, clean cosmetics company Kosas. It started with with her simple desire for a lipstick that was non-toxic, came in natural shades and actually felt good on your lips. “It’s not just about the pure and natural ingredients Kosas puts into products, it is about all the toxic stuff we intentionally leave out,” Sheena explains. With that as its guiding principle, and a staunch belief that women wanted a minimalist, no-fuss approach to make-up, she launched with 8 lipstick shades in 2015 (just 8 months after giving birth). Now, three years later, Kosas is turning a profit, has acquired investors and expanded its line to include blush/highligher duos and a tinted face oil, an alternative to traditional foundation. Sheena is an unapologetic trend bucker, an industry innovator and a soft-spoken gal who believes “getting something done is better than getting something perfect."
Even for a major consumer brand, launching a new product in the food industry is a challenge. So how did Gail Becker get Caulipower frozen pizzas in grocery stores like Whole Foods and Bristol Farms in little over a year? Gail shares with Linda the incredible story of how she created Caulipower line, now available in more than 10,000 grocery stores. Like so many SheSez guests, it was a circuitous route. For years, as a president at the PR powerhouse agency Edelman, the executive used her savvy marketing skills to help people and companies promote their brands. After years of climbing the corporate ladder, Gail was at the top. Then her father died, and something changed. Suddenly Gail longed to do something more meaningful. Gail shares with Linda the story of how her search for a tasty, healthy, gluten-free frozen pizza for her two sons, both of whom have Celiac disease led her to begin experimenting with a cauliflower-based pizza crust (the veggie is considered a superfood which ultimately sparked the idea for her company—and a new zest for life.)
In this episode, we hear the story of how 3 sisters —a techie, a PR executive and fashion designer—joined forces to turn a $7500 investment into the multi-million dollar LA-based clothing line, Naked Wardrobe. Shirin, Shida and Shideh Kaviani (all in their 30s) share with Linda how they got the idea to manufacture form-fitting viscose clothing, how they cleverly used Instagram to market the line and ultimately how they got celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Selena Gomez to wear it.
Lisa Lillien is not a nutritionist or a dietitian, she's just hungry—and that is why she created the Hungry Girl brand.
With a website and a daily email that goes out to more than a million subscribers, 12 New York Times best-selling books and her own magazine, Lisa offers tips and recipes with a realistic approach to healthy eating.
Listen in as Lisa shares with Linda how she quit her job as a successful media executive and took the leap to launch Hungry Girl with little more than an interest in figuring out a way she could eat the foods she craved and still be healthy.
Grace Liang’s story is a thesis in the power of believing in yourself. While growing up in rural China, wearing her brothers’ hand-me-downs, she always thought of herself as an ugly duckling. No one ever told her she was pretty—until she met her husband. He was an American and the two fell in love. In 2007 Grace moved to the US, the two got married and she began working as a teacher.
Then four years ago, she decided to channel her lifelong passion for fashion into Color and Grace, a lifestyle blog for the petite, over forty fashionista. On the site, Grace (who is five feet tall) shares everything from great app suggestions to healthy recipes to fashion tips. But the common thread running throughout all of the content is beautiful, highly editorial shots of Grace posing in fabulous outfits.
Today, Color and Grace has a cult following— and Grace has quit her teaching job. That’s because she has (paid sponsorships) from companies like J. Crew and Urban Decay to get all done up in their products and appear in photos. Grace shares with Linda how she created a successful brand in just four years, how “being real” trumps any posturing with fans and followers, and how she got the confidence to put herself directly in the public spotlight.
Love music and ever wonder what it would be like to be a professional DJ, handling the tunes at chic and sophisticated events all over the world? Meet Nikki Pennie, one of the very few female professional DJs working in the male-dominated field. Specializing fashion and beauty parties, the flame-haired DJ shares with Linda how she broke through barriers to enter the field —from how she made the decision to transition from being a fashion stylist to being a full-time DJ just two weeks after giving it a try on a whim…to how her former job as a stylist for the British cult brand, Issa actually provided her with some of the necessary skills…and how her almost incanny ability to “read a room” is what separates her from the rest.
Today Nikki DJs for people and brands all over the world and she is the official DJ for Christian Dior Beauty. A self-taught music producer, she is currently working on her first EP.
Kombucha started out being a healthy, effervescent tea sold at natural and health foods stores—and it was expensive. That is, until Humm Kombucha came along. Humm Kombu-cha is the brainchild of Jamie Danek and her partner, Michelle Mitchell.
Back in the 90s Jamie had never even heard of Kombucha. She was busy climbing the ladder as a top-tier tech executive.She spent 14 years cultivating her IT recruiting firm and, although the money was good, she a felt like she was wearing “golden handcuffs." Then the stock market crashed in 2008 and overnight, Jamie’s business was decimated. As the major breadwinner in her family (which includes two kids), Jamie certainly thought about rebuilding, but she just couldn’t get herself to do it.
Jamie shares with Linda the story of how, while she was playing tennis one day, she met Michelle who’d had come up with a tasty recipe for Kombucha. The two bonded over their fierce swings and their love of the beverage, which contains digestion-aiding probiotics , and the duo started sharing the tea with the stressed out community. “At that time, the local economy was terrible. We just knew drinking it made us feel better and we wanted to make everyone else feel better, too. So, that is how it all started.” In 2009, the duo joined forces to found Humm Kombucha and began delivering it door- to-door in their Bend, Oregon neighborhood. Discover how the pair turned Humm Kombucha into the 4th largest effervescent tea brand in the country and how not money, not prestige but personal growth is the most rewarding aspect of Jamie’s success.
You may have wondered at some time in your life: How can I make difference? How can I do something meaningful? If I’m not a born leader, can I still make a mark on the world? In her new book, Purposeful: Are You a Manager or a Movement Starter?, Jennifer Dulski explains how you can turn your mission into a movement that creates change—whether you're at a Fortune 500 company or a local community group; whether you’re an intern or a CEO. “Anyone can spark change if they believe in the power of taking action, no matter where, or how small,” Jennifer says. Sharing inspiring, eye-opening stories, Jennifer boils down the lessons we can learn from them and she addresses how to overcome things that hold us back, like fear and false beliefs that loop through our heads.
As an accomplished leader and entrepreneur, with more than 18 years of experience in successful startups and big-brand internet companies, Jennifer has had something of a front row seat to watching people create social change. From her job as president of Change.org to her current position, as the head of Groups and Community at Facebook, she has had the opportunity to meet and interact with people from all walks of life who had a strong conviction and acted on it—to remarkable results.
Kimberly Inskeep may have been voted “Best Dressed” by her high school senior class—but she never could have guessed she’d end up spearheading a $250 million dollar fashion business. Kimberly is Co-Founder and President of cabi, a women's clothing line sold through pop-up events at private homes, presided over by nearly 35-hundred saleswomen, known as “stylists,” across the country. Hear the story of how Kimberly’s desire to be more present in her daughter’s life led to her exit from the corporate fast-track and how when she met her partner, designer Carol Anderson nearly 20 years ago at a dinner party, she "immediately saw an opportunity"—and seized it. Listen in as Kimberly shares with Linda how she and Carol puts their heads together to come up with an innovative retail sales concept that eschewed brick and mortar—way before everyone else was doing it.
At 28-years-old, Alex Hanifin is a rock star in the natural foods industry. Just two years ago she and her business partner pooled together $25,000-every cent they owned- to co-found Alpine Start Foods, a premium brand of instant coffee that has been something of an overnight success. The single serving instant coffee can already be found on the shelves of grocery stores including Whole Foods and sporting goods stores like REI. "This isn't your grandma's coffee," the Boulder, Colorado native quips in describing the brand, which uses high quality beans and a special roasting process to produce gourmet flavors like Coconut Creamer and Dirty Chai Latte. Listen in as Alex, who didn't get into a single college she applied to, shares the story of how she built her career simply by asking lots of questions, networking like crazy and, yeah you guessed it: breaking the rules.
After a decade of working for large financial institutions, and living through 911 in New York, Victoria Tsai felt a yearning for simplicity and authenticity. She suffered from the acute skin condition, dermatitis, and nothing her dermatologist provided provided relief. While traveling in Japan she met a group of modern day geisha and was struck by the beauty of their skin. She quit her job and embarked on a three-year research project to investigate the beauty practices and routines of the geisha, ultimately discovering that they’re based on purity and the Japanese diet of green tea, rice, seaweed. Listen in as Victoria shares with Linda how she sold her engagement ring and car to finance Tatcha Beauty and basically jumped over anything that got in her way. No one wanted to finance her; she couldn’t even get a publicist. But she stuck to what she believed. Today Tatcha Beauty employs 95 people and is sold in Barneys and Sephora.
She may be only in her late thirties, but Elise Loehnen has made more bold pivots that most women make in a lifetime. She grew up in Montana, went to Yale University and then moved to New York City for a career in publishing with Lucky and Condé Nast Traveler. When publishing started to feel stagnant, Elise realized she needed to "get off the bench." She moved to LA and took a job with Shopzilla "mostly to learn about the internet." Listen in as Elise shares with Linda how the experience she got at the comparison shopping website—and a chance meeting with Gwyneth Paltrow—led to a gig at Goop—back in the days when it was just a weekly email newsletter "Gwyneth created mostly for her friends." Now, as Chief Content Officer of a rapidly growing empire, Elise helps craft the Goop voice, overseeing everything from the website to the magazine to the summits. And if you still aren't getting how important Elise is within the brand: she also switches off hosting the Goop podcast with Gwyneth.
She may work behind-the-scenes, but as one of a very small group of female professional sports leaders, LA Sparks President and COO Christine Simmons lives in the spotlight. Learn how she overcomes challenges like how she felt after winning the national championship in 2016—"I felt like I had a target on my back"—and how she is committed to growing the audience for women's basketball—showing sports fans that female athletes are just as talented as their male counterparts. Christine shares with Linda what it is like to run a professional sports team and work for Magic Johnson, and why she thinks working full-time makes her a better mom.
As co-founder of Coolhaus, 34-year-old Natasha Case () is behind one of the biggest ice cream company success stories of the past decade. In 2018, it is estimated that Coolhaus will rack up 13 million dollars in sales. With unique flavors like Buttered French Toast and Street Cart Churro Dough, the brand's ice cream sandwiches and pints are sold in 6000 grocery stores across the country—including Whole Foods and Safeway. Hear the riveting story of how Natasha pivoted from a job as a Disney Imagineer (doing architecture at theme parks) into becoming an entrepreneur; how she and her partner launched their company out of a "beat-up truck that didn't even drive" at Coachella in 2009, and how she literally walked into a Whole Foods and talked them into carrying her product. Also: Natasha's advice for the budding entrepreneur—from stretching boundaries to thinking big to making a vow.
It's been 15 years since the hit show Touched by an Angel shut down production, but Roma Downey still gets approached by fans who remember her as the character Monica, the angel. The Emmy-nominated actress opens up to Linda about how she dealt with "the quiet" when the show was over and how she patiently and slowly recreated her life: marrying the TV producer Mark Burnett and blending their two families. The Irish native also details how and why she came "out of retirement," for The Bible TV series and then went on to found Lightworkers Media, which produced the epic feature film, Ben Hur. The two also discuss Roma's New York Times bestselling book, Box of Butterflies, in which she shares personal stories from her life and how her faith has been a guiding light.
She co-founded a major retail disruptor–the flash-sale website Gilt in 2007. She then moved on to launch Glamsquad, which—with the tap of an app—sends hair and make-up professionals to your home.
But Alexandra loves a challenge and, in early 2018, she made a major pivot—from being her own boss, to working at Allergan, the mega-successful pharmaceutical company which makes Botox, among other products.
In this episode, Alexandra shares with Linda her key strategies to launching a start-up, why she thinks networking is critical and she offers some fundraising advice—from how to time the pitch to how to handle a blow-off.
Snagging a coveted job at one of the "Big 8" accounting firms straight out of college, Laura Hertz was on the fast-track to financial success. But working in a windowless office sometimes 6 days a week made her feel "miserable"—and she couldn't shake a rewarding experience she'd had volunteering with AmeriCorps. Laura shares how she got the hutzpah to quit her job, go back to school to USC to get her masters in Social Entrepreneurship, pinpoint the perfect partner and then co-found Gifts for Good — the world's first retail site aimed at selling gifts that give back. As CEO, this compelling twenty something is disrupting the world of corporate gifting—urging companies all over the world to stop purchasing meaningless, mass merchandised tokens (that often wind up in the trash or in a drawer) and, instead, to give beautiful, curated items that help charitable causes. And by the way, individual shoppers can buy gifts on the site, too.
Angie Banicki shares how she walked away from career throwing celebrity-studded parties and events in Hollywood for corporate clients like Budweiser and Grey Goose to become a professional tarot card reader. How she discovered she had an intuitive talent, how she broke the news of her career switch to her "very Catholic" parents and how she developed her gift into a full-fledged business (commanding $400 an hour) are all part of this riveting interview. Angie, who has read for everyone from Usher to Allison Janney, is also the astrology contributor for Gwyneth Paltrow's lifestyle brand and website, GOOP.
If you’re after cutting-edge Southern California style, Fred Segal is where you go to get it. From clothing to accessories to home décor, if you pick it up at one of two Los Angeles locations, there’s a guaranteed cool factor. At the top of the Fred Segal empire, you'll find CEO, Allison Samek. She came out of college armed with a Stanford MBA and quickly set out to build a career in retail. Allison shares with Linda why she suddenly stepped away from her top job (she was at retailer Ron Herman at the time) to be a full time mom to her two sons—and then had the self-actualization to admit she needed more in her life. With audacity and hutzpah, Allison shares how she overcame the "imposter syndrome" (that so many of us get when we've stayed at home for awhile) and jumped back into retail with the head honcho job at Fred Segal. Hear this retail maven's savvy tips for managing a big job with motherhood. It is possible, ladies.
Helen Gurley Brown probably would've loved Michele Promaulayko. Like the legendary founder of Cosmopolitan. As the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, the largest women’s media brand in the world, Michele is powerful, smart and outspoken. She is also the editorial director of the Hearst Young Women’s Group, which means she is also in charge of Women’s Health and Seventeen. Michele is responsible for shaping the editorial voice of all three brands, reaching an audience of more than 51 million readers. This year, under Michele’s guidance, all three titles were nominated for National Magazine Awards in the personal service category, and Cosmo took home the coveted ASME award. In this episode, Linda zeros-in on how Michele snagged the top job at Cosmo (after spending eight years in the number two position), what it is like to be advising the self-empowered millennials of today, and whether it is possible to, as Helen said, have it all.
Kristi Funk is known around the world as the doctor who treated Angelina Jolie. The actress underwent a preventative mastectomy after discovering she carried the BCRA gene mutation and then wrote an op-ed piece in the New York Times about her decision. After combing through an exhaustive amount research and more than 20 years as a breast cancer surgeon, Kristi has written a new book that outlines treatment choices and details ways of lowering the risk of getting breast cancer. In Breasts: The Owner’s Manual, the surgeon says that by subscribing to a healthy lifestyle, we can lower our risk of getting breast cancer by up to 80-percent. Kristi also shares some of the "how-to" on juggling a career—she runs Pink Lotus Breast Center with husband Andy—with motherhood to 8-year-old triplets.
There is nothing happenstance about the career of KTLA meteorologist and news reporter Liberté Chan, who works on the top-rated morning newscast. Every since she graduated college, she wanted to be a broadcaster. Learn how she armed herself with four degrees and refused to take "no" for an answer. She worked her way through several small markets (bouncing back after a demoralizing demotion) until she reached her goal: returning to the station where she once worked as an intern. With more than 100,000 followers on social media, Liberté is also a fitness freak—a certified yoga teacher — who co-owns an athleisure clothing line called Sweat With Soul. Listen in as Liberté shares how she has masterfully woven together her three passions, all of which fuel each other—and her. It is nothing short of brilliant.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to walk away from the daily grind and move to a beautiful, remote place where you could take a beat and get back in touch with what’s really important? That’s exactly what 38-year-old Amy Jo Martin did. For her 20s and early 30s, Amy lived in the fast lane. She worked for the Phoenix Suns and then founded a company aimed at helping corporations, celebrities and sports entities humanize their brands through social streams. With a following of more than a million people, Amy is an expert in the field of social media; she was named the 3rd most powerful woman on Twitter by Forbes.
But by 2015, Amy was burnt out. She exited her company and moved to the black hills of South Dakota, founding her podcast, Why Not Now? On the show, she interviews people who have made life altering decisions—from Tony Robbins to Jessica Alba—focusing on the moment an idea turned into action. Hear how Amy learned to "get aligned" with her true purpose, how she learned to manage "FOMO" and how she feels that today she is the most productive she's ever been. (Oh yeah, she got married, too!)
She may be soft spoken and petite but make no mistake: Sheila Morovati is force of nature. She’s the rare kind of person who sees something wrong and sets out to right it. The first change Sheila set her sights on making concerned the tremendous amount of crayon waste created by restaurants. While her two kids were off at pre-school, she started calling restaurants and asking them to save their gently-used crayons for donation to underserved schools. Before long, Sheila founded the non-profit Crayon Collection , which saves millions of crayons from landfills each year. And Sheila recently zeroed in on another, more dangerous kind of waste: plastic straws. Sheila recently played an integral role in getting the City of Malibu to ban the use of plastic straws and hopes to persuade more municipalities to do the same.
Linda Grasso switches roles for this episode as she moves from host to guest. Veteran journalist Janine Sharell steps into the host role to interview Linda about her journey from a scrappy news reporter/anchor to a well-known entertainment correspondent/host for E!. Linda shares how and why, at the pinnacle of her career, she walked away from it all to be a stay-at-home mom; how she grappled with the challenges of re-entering the work force once her kids were older; and how she faced her fears head-on to kick off the SheSez podcast.
Drybar founder Alli Webb shares the amazing story of how her passion for hair styling morphed into a beauty industry empire. Motivated by a desire to “get out to get out of the house” while her two kids were at school, Alli started an on-the-side gig, at-home blow-drying for friends. Before long she couldn’t keep up with all the referrals and the idea for a salon that only offered affordable blowouts was born. Learn how Alli opened the first Drybar in Brentwood, California amidst the terrible economy of 2010 and how she—along with her husband and brother— grew the unique concept into an worldwide salon chain, making the 43-year-old one of the most successful, rising entrepreneurs in the nation.
In 2006, Michelle DiFebo Freeman was a stay-at-home mom of three. As the wife of a prominent real estate development executive in the Washington DC area, her life was pretty close to perfect. All that changed when her husband, Joshua, was killed in a helicopter crash. Several people suggested she sell her husband’s large firm and that she "go home." Instead, the high school graduate rolled up her sleeves and learned the business—ultimately taking over as CEO three years later. Michelle shares the story of how she rose to the challenge, took on all the doubters, and, as a woman in a male-dominated industry, led the Carl M. Freeman Companies into a new era. She also shares how she coped when tragedy struck again, killing the man she thought she’d spend the rest of her life with—in yet another tragic accident. It was a darker, downward spiral this time and Michelle even harbored thoughts of suicide. She ultimately healed through service—simple acts of helping others—the topic of her riveting 2017 Tedx talk.
As a talent agent, Rebecca Williamson represented big stars like Naomi Watts and Simon Baker. But her career took a back burner when she fell in love with and married actor Dominic Purcell and had four children in just four years. For a decade Rebecca was immersed in motherhood. But once the kids were older, she realized she needed a new path. Learn how the Australian native got her mojo back by partnering with a friend to develop an innovative, micro-fiber face cleaning pad, Face Halo. Rebecca shares about how the duo made strategic move—joining forces with popular YouTube make-up artist Chloe Morello — which, almost overnight, put Face Halo on the map.
As a digital marketing strategist, Cricket Wardein worked hard and moved up the ladder quickly. But giving birth to her daughter changed everything. Hear the story of how Cricket walked away from her job at one of the most prestigious PR firms in the world to found the Mighty Pilates chain. Today she spends a lot of time shuttling between pilates studios and keeping things running—but point of fact: nothing stands in the way of her being a mom.
Deborah Keane, Founder and CEO of California Caviar, never would have dreamed back when she was a neo-natal nurse that she would become the first woman owner of a caviar company in the world and a pioneer in the business. Learn how she moved from nursing into high-end publishing and how she took experience and knowledge from both those careers to launch a cutting edge company that produces caviar by aqua farming sturgeon. Today California Caviar is a multi-million dollar business with clients that some of the country’s most elite chefs, 5-star restaurants and gourmet stores. In this interview the so-called "Queen of Caviar" shows Linda her favorite way to eat caviar with champagne (it's called a "bump"). Is Deborah's job hard work? Yes. Is it fun? Hell, yeah.
As a top executive at a scrappy tech start-up, Sharon Graves learned how to make tough decisions, manage a twenty-something staff and multi-task. She transitioned into full-time motherhood after the company was sold and was surprised to discover she loved it. But as her kids got older, Sharon realized it was time to make a move. Learn how Sharon's love of baking sparked her idea for a community hub—an industrial space for caterers, parties and cooking classes—and how she turned that idea into the bustling BLVD Kitchen in Sherman Oaks, California.
Lizanne Falsetto launched her Think Thin empire in the mid 90s—based on a hunch: people wanted a high protein, low sugar energy bar that tasted great. Listen in on the story of how the former model and mom of two crafted a winning recipe in her own kitchen, learned to trust her instinct, and launched the company with her own money. And with the 2016 sale of Think Thin — for a reported 217 million dollars — hear how Lizanne is pivoting, once again.
Hear the story of how former producer Lisa Olin decided it was time to get out of showbiz and, with zero baking experience, made the bold move to open Cake Monkey Bakery. It may seem a bit radical, but Lisa saw a white space in the market: no one was selling mini-layer cakes. The line quickly expanded to gourmet Yodels and Pop Tarts—among other throwback treats—as well as gluten-free products. Lisa and her partner now sell their goods on-line through Williams-Sonoma as well as their brick and mortar shop in Los Angeles. Cake Monkey's treats have been featured in Bon Appetit and Food & Wine, and fans include celebrities like Will Smith and Tom Cruise.
After being a college professor of psychology for 11 years, Angella Nazarian felt the need for change. Learn how she decided to consciously "drop that story" and create the next one in her life: leading a women's group—all women who, like her, were interested in pivoting toward a more fulfilling life. At the age of 40, the mom of two then pivoted again, writing her first book, Life as a Visitor, and without a literary agent, snagging a deal with the high-end publishing company, Assouline.
Pediatrician JJ Levenstein was so popular that she had a wait-list for new patients. But personal fulfillment—that feeling of waking up each day and loving what you are doing—was missing. Plus, JJ was taking care of everyone but herself and feeling stressed out and run down. Learn how JJ turned her life around, closing her medical practice, going to culinary school and kicking off a career as a chef with her Kid Doc brand of healthy fare which is sold out of The BLVD Kitchen. Eating healthier than she ever has and having become a spin cycle addict, JJ debuts in an ad campaign as a Not Your Daughter's Jeans model in the spring of 2018.
As an top executive at NBC, Tal Rabinowitz was responsible for developing comedies like The Mindy Project and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. But after nearly 20 years in the business, she was burned out. Learn how Tal got the guts walk away from it all—how she adopted a daughter, took some time off to recharge, and ultimately launched The DEN Meditation—a drop-in studio for guided meditation with three Los Angeles locations.
Lynne Lear has accomplished something that very few people have done—aside from Oprah. She co-founded a school. Hear how the mom of two saw a need in her community, rallied a well-connected, capable group of peers, and raised 8 million dollars to build the private, non-denominational Vistamar High School in El Segundo, California. Once that was checked off her list, this dynamo made yet another pivot, launching a career as a top residential realtor, who is now dipping her toes into flipping spec homes.
Susan Feldman, co-founder of One Kings Lane, shares the story of how she came up with the idea for the on-line home interior and décor retailer, picked the perfect business partner, and kicked it off amidst the recession in 2007. It was quite the transition: Susan had worked for years a retail (apparel) executive but had no internet experience and minimal investment funds. From the moment Susan and her partner launched the “scrappy” start-up, it was a smash hit. With the brand's recent sale to Bed Bath & Beyond, Susan shares how she is now working to reinvent—yet again.
Trish Healy opens up about how she mustered the courage to leave her lucrative job as a corporate VP to realize her dream of adopting a daughter and then how she launched her own small business – WonderTent Parties. The "glamping" party planning company not only makes it possible for her to be around more for her daughter, Trish is now enjoying the ultimate icing on the cake: being able to give back to Kidsave, the organization that made it possible for her to become a parent.
Naomi Levy is a master of stepping over the roadblocks of convention. She was one of the first female graduates of The Jewish Theological Seminary's rabbinical school, and then went on found Nashuva, a spiritual outreach community for people interested in a non-traditional alternative for practicing the Jewish faith. Then Naomi set her sights on becoming an author. After hearing a rapid succession of “no’s,” Naomi snagged one of the top literary agents in the world and went on to publish four books. Her latest—Einstein and the Rabbi—aims to help us find our souls, live a meaningful life, and feel a sense of unity in the world.
Shiva Rose has transitioned from actress to full-time mom to founder of a holistic skin care line in a way that makes reinvention look easy. Learn how her own battle with illness sparked her health & wellness blog, The Local Rose, and about how her fascination the beauty of Hawaiian women and their use of kukui nut oil ultimately led to her kicking off the Shiva Rose line. Shiva also shares some of the practices that keep her physically and mentally healthy as well as details on how she pushes herself to try different things (ever heard of a yoni egg?) — so she remains at the cutting edge of holistic health care.
Karen Beninati started out her career as an independent movie producer. It was an exciting and rewarding job and she loved it but life interrupted. She had a baby and suffered from postpartum depression — losing self-confidence. Feeling like a change in location might be helpful, she moved to Portland, Oregon and that was where she came up with the idea for the innovative childcare center, weVillage. Learn how she saw an opportunity in a field she knew nothing about, believed in her own intuition, relied on skills she'd learned as a producer, and went all in—ultimately building weVillage into a company with 5 locations.
Emmy award-winning TV news producer Tammi Leader Fuller walked away from a 34-year career to found Campowerment - a summer sleepaway camp-like experience—aimed at helping women find fulfillment and purpose. Discover how the mom of two got the guts to do it and how—even though she has had to dramatically scale back her life to follow her dream — her life now is the most fulfilling it has ever been.
Kathleen Buczko (), a self-described tech geek, was a successful digital strategist for many years. But her intense love of writing and her desire to "have a life," and be more present for her three kids, ultimately drove her to pivot—several times. Learn how this master reinventionista seamlessly moved from TV journalism to speechwriting to being a digital strategist and an entrepreneur and, most recently, a podcast host. Her passion project, The Dots Podcast, offers candid conversations with artists, community leaders, and entrepreneurs—all of whom are trying create change in the interest of a better life.
Donna Pohlad shares the story of how, after raising 3 children, in her hometown of Minneapolis, she founded the innovative, home hair color company dpHue. Donna takes us back 2011 when her idea was born out of her frustration of having to spend so much time and effort hiding her increasingly grey hair; how she traveled to Italy to meet with experts and create the product; how she teamed up with celebrity colorist Justin Anderson; and how she developed dpHue into the powerhouse brand it is today—available at top beauty stores like Ulta Beauty and Sephora.
Writer Susan McMartin enjoyed a successful career in Hollywood for 20 years, working on TV shows including Gary UnMarried, Californication and Another World. Then, right before she turned forty, amidst the rise of reality TV and the fall of scripted series, everything came to a screeching halt. Broke and about to give up, she did something that turned her life around: she tried something new. Today Susan shares her story of how venturing off the beaten path—outside her comfort zone—ultimately led the thriving career she now enjoys as a supervising producer on the CBS hit series, MOM and her first major motion picture, Mr. Church, starring Eddie Murphy.
Rose Eichenbaum dreamed of being professional dancer but fell in love, got married at 21 and soon had three children. Though she loved motherhood, she grappled with a growing sadness stemming from giving up her dream. Instead of stewing, she acted on it. Hear her insightful story of how, with one child still in the house, she diligently carved out time for herself to begin crafting her next chapter. Rose gets candid about how she cleverly fused her passion of dance and with a natural talent for photography—ultimately becoming the one of the most well known and respected dance photographers in the country as well as a photojournalist who has just published her 6th book, Inside the Dancer’s Art.
In her twenties, Lisa Kline was one of the most successful retailers in Los Angeles, with a store favored by the biggest celebrities of the day on swanky Robertson Boulevard. With each passing year, the business only grew—growth based on Lisa's uncanny ability to discover little known brands with huge potential. She ultimately owned and operated five trendy boutiques and a budding on-line business. Beginning in 2007 though–everything started to spiral: the writer's strike put a kibosh on spending, the recession hit and then something much worse. In 2009, Lisa’s husband died in an accident. Overnight, Lisa lost her identity. In this episode, the mother of two shares the story of how she climbed back…. personally and professionally. Hear how she took her skills as a brick and mortar-oriented entrepreneur and highly skilled curator of retail goods and blended them together… ultimately becoming a buyer for some of the most exclusive retail outlets in the world.
The breakup of a relationship inspired Los Angeles public relations guru Sarah Robarts to pick up a paintbrush again after nearly 20 years, returning to her love of painting. Turns out her talent not only remains in her 40s, it has blossomed. Hear the story of how the mom of two literally painted her heart out for a year in hehr garage and recently hosted her first gallery show—to rave reviews.
Sheila Nevins is one of the most powerful forces in showbiz. As President of HBO Documentary Films, Sheila has made some of the most fascinating documentaries ever made. Some of her recent movies include Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, Nothing Left Unsaid, Diana, Our Mother. She has received 32 Emmy Awards (more than any other single person) and 26 Academy Awards—among other accolades. Married with a son, Sheila has defied the odds, remaining at the helm of HBO for decades. And she just did it again. At 78, she has written her first book, You Don’t Look Your Age...And other Fairy Tales. It is candid, funny, and poignant—and details her climb to the top, how she has managed to stay there and her strategy for working in a youth-oriented industry.
How Elissa Goodman went from stay-home mom to Holistic Nutritionist and became a well-regarded cleanse expert with an A-list showbiz clientele and an entrepreneur. Her S.O.U.P. Cleanse home delivery program and her uber healthy juices aimed at boosting immunity and thyroid health (available at Erewhon) have gained cult-like followings.
How Byrdie Lifson-Pompan left a lucrative career as a Hollywood agent to form the healthcare company, Clear Health Advisors. Hear the story of how she came up with an innovative idea, tapped her close girlfriends for support and feedback, went back to school, and now feels like she is making a difference in the world—guiding critically ill people and their families toward potentially life saving healthcare.
How Coco channeled her love of interior design and her writing skills into the Cococozy blog — named this year by Forbes Magazine as one of the top ten social media influencers in the world. Holding on to her day job as a TV executive, learn how Coco worked on her "passion project" at home each night—ultimately generating a cult-like following—and spawning her own line of home furnishings.
Meet Bethany Ashton Wolf—a movie maker who is defining success on her own terms. Not satisfied as simply a successful indie screenwriter, Bethany held on to her dreams of not just writing but directing a major motion picture—and made it happen. Learn how she listened to her gut, stayed true to herself and defied the odds with the upcoming romantic drama, Forever My Girl.
The story of how Jess Weiner connected the dots in her early career—as well as the ones linking her passions— to form one of the most important socially conscious brand building firms in the country. Through life's inevitable disappointments and stumbles, hear how Jess held on to her authenticity and her convictions—and is now CEO of Talk to Jess. The consulting firm advises brands and organizations on how to create messages of empowerment. The social entrepreneur, two-time author and Ted talker is also the host of her own podcast : Talk to Jess.
In 2006 Jess helped launch Dove's Real Beauty ad campaign which featured women with various body types posing in lingerie —and a decade later—she helped Mattel to change Barbie. The iconic doll is now available in multiple body types, skin tones, and hair styles.
In her early 40s, Liz Pryor was a stay-home mom who hadn't worked in more than a decade. Then her husband exited, leaving her as sole supporter of three children. Liz zero-ed in on her longtime passion of writing, got a book published, and then, over thousands of applicants won a contest to become the "advice guru" for Good Morning America. Now, as a two-time author with her recent memoir, Look at You Now, and a Tedx talker she reveals how she pulled it all off.
How Candace Silvers parlayed her natural talent for advising friends and her skills as an acting teacher into a career as a highly-regarded Human Behavior Specialist. Her diverse clientele ranges from individuals seeking to lead a more fulfilling life to corporations aimed at improving the bottom line. She kicked off her career after being a stay-at-home mom to four kids.
When Lisa Rotondi's acting career slowed down, she didn't waste a beat. As a single mom, she couldn't. How Lisa came up with the idea for Organic Kids L.A. in her own kitchen and turned it into the largest lunch delivery program in the city.
Sue Cowie wants to change the conversation about women and aging with her website, The Fine Line. Hear the compelling story of how she was forced to closer her successful interior design shop, discovered a void in the market in a field in which she had absolutely no experience, and switched gears to launch The Fine Line.
Longtime successful movie producer Suzanne Farwell (It's Complicated, Something's Gotta Give) faced an unexpected and unsettling challenge in her early forties. She'd produced big budget studio movies with Nancy Meyers for some 20 years when both women (amicably) decided to do their own thing. At an age when Hollywood is showing most women the door and amidst a changing industry paradigm, she was terrified at the prospect of starting all over as an independent movie producer and her uncertain future. Learn how she overcame her fears, met the challenge with gusto and continued on to form Resonate Entertainment, a production company aimed at making movies for the female audience.