Badass Women at Any Age

Jenne Sharpe was living what she thought was a fairytale love story until she realized it wasn’t. After 6 years of isolation and an emotionally abusive marriage, a turning point came when she lost her father to cancer.  Ending her marriage and starting over, life became an experiment at 27.  Jenne started pole dancing lessons, traveling and  taking time to do some self discovery and  found her calling in the process.  Jenne found her passion in helping other women follow their intuition and find their passion in life.  Jenne is a certified coach, a reiki and EFT practitioner. What You Will Hear in This Episode:  1:20 Jenne’s personal story 8:26 Finding her calling 12:50 Helping other women find their soul’s calling 14:00 What Jenne has learned about herself  17:22 Subconscious work and challenges 20:22 Moving forward 24:00 Challenges and working through challenges 28:34 Reiki Quotes “If we stop learning, we stop growing.” “I wish we lived in a world where our dreams were honored.” “I just wanna help women fol

Diane Armitage learned early in her career that she was the creator of her own success.  Diane took a leap of faith by quitting her full-time job, following her dreams and jumping into entrepreneurship.  She found success by focusing on living life with intention, purpose and actionable faith. 30 years ago Diane was a brand new entrepreneur who had absolutely no idea what she was doing but then came across what she calls “The Epic Switch” and everything changed. She's been nicknamed the Creator to Creators, the Secret Weapon and the Millionaire Maker by clients like Bob Proctor, Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Les Brown, and many of the secret teachers that she's written, advised, strategized, and created with for decades. Her digital marketing agency has created more than $90 million in success stories for the above clients as well as entities such as REI.com, The Biltmore.com, Remax International and Patagonia. She now consults, mentors and teaches an enlightened millionaire proven strategy to women, pri

After a nearly fatal head-on collision at the age of 18, Julia Nicholson began her healing journey and her adult life in search of approval and acceptance.  Realizing after 2 children and a 5 year marriage that her search needed to be within herself instead of outside, Julia began the process of healing with her trauma and putting herself first.  In this episode Julia Nicholson discusses the topic of grief through her own personal experiences of trauma and loss, and how she learned to move forward.  Julia is a former CEO, Executive Leadership Expert, Business Consultant, and adjunct professor of Business. She has also faced an inordinate amount of adversity in her life. In the span of 15 years, she went from almost losing her life and leaving an abusive marriage that led her to being a single mother of two young children, to being the CEO of a 450 million dollar company. She now brings her expertise and passion to organizations and conferences across the country.  Julia is also the author of the book, Move Fo

Marlene Wagman Geller always wanted to write.  Believing that success is not in succeeding but in trying, Marlene was determined to live out her dream of being a writer.   A teacher, Marlene was in Toronto, Canada, where she taught high school English and then moved to San Diego, California in 1986 to teach at a Tijuana San Diego border school which she says, “surviving that was badass enough.”  Her life changed in 2008 when she published her first book with Penguin, Once Again to Zelda: The Stories Behind Literature's Most Intriguing Dedications. Marlene took a leap of faith sending it out as everyone said her chances were few to none. However, she abided by the belief that dreams do not have to be for sleeping. Marlene has now published 11 books with traditional publishers and is the author of five books dealing with badass women.  They are as follows, StillI Rise: The Persistence of Phenomenal Women, Fabulous Female First: Because of Them We Can, Women Who Launch, Women Who Shattered Glass Ceilings, Unabas

When Dr. Elizabeth Klodas looked around her waiting room 15 years ago, she realized that ,although her patient’s numbers were perfect, their actual health was not.  Never afraid to ask questions, Dr. Elizabeth questioned her medical education, which taught her to prescribe medications, and took a deep dive into the root cause of cardiovascular diseases. Discovering that diet and nutrition are the main contributors to cardiovascular disease, she decided to do something about it.  Dr. Elizabeth Klodas has dedicated her career to preventive cardiology.  Trained at Mayo Clinic and John Hopkins, she serves as the Chief Medical Officer for Step One Foods. She is a nationally sought out speaker and has an active role at the American College of Cardiology.  Her clinical interests include prevention of heart disease and non-invasive cardiac imaging and she's published dozens of scientific articles throughout her career.  She's also authored a book for patients, Slay the Giant, the Power of Prevention and Defeating Hea

Dr. Frieda Birnbaum  is no stranger to challenging the status quo and redefining the rules.  The daughter of holocaust survivors, Frieda was tasked with helping her parents navigate their immigration and assimilation to a different country and new life.  With an innate passion for helping others and a strong sense of purpose, Frieda has defied the cultural norms and expectations of every decade of her life and continues helping others do the same.  Frieda is a research psychologist and psychotherapist in Saddle River, New Jersey and the award-winning author of LIFE BEGINS AT 60: A New View of Motherhood, Marriage, and Reinventing Ourselves and WHAT PRICE POWER: An In-Depth Study of the Professional Woman in a Relationship. An expert on topics such as family dynamics, parenthood, relationships, addiction, anxiety and depression, Frieda is a seasoned media personality and commentator who is adept at discerning the psychological underpinnings of current issues and parsing the psychological profiles of various ne

Answering the call that she heard at 7 years old, Nanci Smith always knew that she would pursue a career in law.  Early exposure to injustices around her, motivated Nanci to advocate for those who couldn’t advocate for themselves.  Nanci is a veteran divorce lawyer with over 30 years of litigation experience who is now a leading advocate for the collaborative divorce model and mindset. She is licensed to practice in Vermont and New York, and she teaches other lawyers about ethics, family law, custody, and collaborative divorce. Her first book, Untangling Your Marriage: A Guide to Collaborative Divorce,  dropped in October. Nanci  grew up in Detroit and Northern California.  She went to college at UC San Diego and obtained her JD and a Masters in environmental law from Vermont Law School.  She worked in private practice and for Vermont Legal Aid doing domestic violence work, representing people with severe psychiatric diagnoses, before she opened her own family law firm in 2005. She was married, now divorced,

Growing up, Jennifer Szpigiel always had an admiration for confident women.  As a young mom walking away from a career in marketing,  it became evident that her own lack of confidence was related to body image and the pressures of societal expectations.  Finding confidence through her own creativity and some deep healing work, Jennifer was determined to live by example by investing in herself and her  dream to help women find their confidence.  From a marketing career to a stay at home mom to a successful entrepreneur, Jennifer is a certified health coach, certified life coach, and a business and lifestyle mentor.  With the mission to shift the paradigm and eradicate sacrificial living for women, she has created multiple seven figure businesses, memories made all over the world, and a radical responsibility for how she spends her days.   What You Will Hear in This Episode:  01:28  Jennifer’s journey 04:19 The perception confident women 09:15 Setting goals and owning your ambition  15:44  Greatest challenges a

Ashley Grottoli learned from her parent’s example that she had the power to control her fate.  Armed with tenacity and a hunger for knowledge Ashley chose to pivot from her life as an arts educator and dance choreographer to invest in herself.  With a brilliant idea that she knew deserved her time and focus,  Ashley took the leap of faith that would catapult her to success in an industry she knew very little about.  Today she is a multi award-winning fashion designer who recently showcased her work at the New York Fashion Week in 2022.  What You Will Hear in This Episode:  Ashley’s journey From arts and dance to fashion Developing bra skins Research and development Fashion influences Challenges Ashley’s perseverance and self belief Living out of your comfort zone Reality vs. Runway in fashion Quotes “Every time I'm going to do something I'm going to do it to the best of my ability. I'm going to have  no excuses.” “At some point you have to just make a leap of faith and commit.” “If you are solving a massive p

Growing up as a plus size athlete and dancer Pam Luk struggled to find active wear that fit properly. After becoming a mom she was determined to make an impact on diet culture and body positivity specifically for kids. Pam is the founder of Ember and Ace, an athletic wear brand for plus size kids. Growing up playing sports, she learned firsthand the importance of finding active wear that fits. After her career in project  management Pam wanted to ensure her daughter and other children can be comfortable in the  clothes they wear for sporting activities. With that goal in mind, she launched a fashion line exclusively for active plus size kids. Pam understands what it means to be plus size while also being an active, healthy child and adult. She wants to bring more awareness around body diversity by providing tips and tools on how to talk to your child about bodies, embracing differences and making clothes shopping easier. What You Will Hear in This Episode:  Pam’s personal journey Taking the leap of faith to f

Fueled by her mother and father’s encouragement and example, Kelly Mooney’s acute awareness of the importance of independence, self investing, creativity and humility led her to chart her own course in life.  With a passion for helping young women drive their careers with intention, get the opportunities they deserve, and the pay they deserve, Kelly is focused on being  part of the solution to the issues of inequity in the workplace. Kelly is the Founder and CEO of Equipt Women, a public benefit corporation dedicated to making workplace equity the norm by empowering, coaching and equipping young professional  women with early career and life momentum. Kelly also founded a sister organization, the Equipt Women Foundation supporting single parents attending Community Colleges with access to emergency funds for childcare, food security, transportation, and mental Wellness. Kelly is the former CEO and co-owner of Resource/Ammirati, the largest independent digital agency in the U.S. Her client roster included Proc

Raised in the suburbs of New York, Marcia Seligson traded in her concert pianist ambitions to explore and pursue her passions for travel  and musical theater.   An introvert turned extrovert, Marcia credits her  work and experiences as a journalist, writer, and musical theater producer as the impetus for her transformation.  Marcia is a journalist, adventurer -- nine African safaris, chasing Mother Teresa around India, kissing a giraffe in Kenya --, author of eight published books and a zillion magazine articles.  Her first book, The Eternal Bliss Machine, America’s Way of Wedding was a best-seller. With a lifelong passion for musical theater, she created REPRISE: BROADWAY’S BEST and was the Producing Artistic Director for over forty events in LA.  She co-produced two plays on and off-Broadway and co-founded the Foundation of New American Musicals.  Her new book, My Mother Would Hate This Book, is a series of tales about the stars she’s worked with, her Jewish life, the women’s movement, her wild travels, her

Led by her belief that it is never too late to reinvent yourself, Dr. Zhu Shen pivoted from a successful career in biotech to a successful venture into filmmaking. Motivated by her son’s extraordinary talents and her husband’s life story, Zhu’s journey of triumph, heartbreak, and motherhood is fueled by a deep love for her family and her passion for helping others by sharing her stories.  Zhu is a biotech CEO turned award-winning filmmaker best known for two Oscar-qualified critically acclaimed animation shorts. She produced Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest about a young Holocaust survivor animated by her 11-year-old son, Perry Chen, and Changyou’s Journey about her late husband's life, written and directed by Perry Chen. She is currently writing, directing, and producing her personal documentary feature, Journey of a Thousand Miles endorsed by Janet Yang, President of the Academy of Motion Pictures.  Changyou’s Journey premiered at Toronto International Film Festival, screened at 19 International film festival

After a terrible car accident left Lina Kennedy hopeless and broken, a prayer and a TV show promoting women business owners motivated her to find her way out of the dark.  Intrigued by a segment on sugaring, Lina was determined to explore and take the leap to building a business in skin care.  She turned her answered prayer into a multi-million dollar skin care company.  Lina Kennedy is the founder and CEO of Alexandria Professional, the global leader in body sugaring hair removal and natural skincare. She is a critically-acclaimed author, blogger, public speaker, philanthropist, entrepreneur, inventor, teacher, and recognized beauty industry innovator.  What You Will Hear in This Episode:  Lina’s personal story The challenge of starting a business with little money Lessons learned about success and building a business Self doubt and belief Lina’s spirituality and near death experience Lina’s non-profit Lifting The Veil of Silence What it takes to be a successful entrepreneur Quotes “I learned so much from ot

As a little girl, Elena Paweta was shy and afraid to speak up.  Finding herself in a teaching position and faced with the task of speaking publicly, Elena focused on honing her skills as a public speaker.  Over the years, this purposeful work coupled with her passion for helping people led her to her purpose, helping others strengthen their public speaking skills and to share their ideas openly and confidently. Her story is one of transformation.  Dr Pawęta is an executive communication coach, speaker, TEDx organizer and university professor. Elena conducts courses, training and workshops on effective communication and business presentations on an international scale with an extensive list of high profile clients. Elena, the host of the "IDEAS+LEADERS" Podcast, has coached over 3,000 people from 30+ countries and is a certified trainer and coach by Dale Carnegie training.   A passionate mom of 2, she is also an ardent leader in the Non-profit space as a TEDx organizer for 8 years, organizing live and online e

Living a life wrought with challenge and heartbreak, Ferlie Almonte chose to rise above it all and take control of her own destiny.  Making her mess her message, Ferlie has documented and shared her journey through breast cancer to help other women through their journeys. Ferlie lights up every stage with her gregarious personality and energy while delivering  inspirational edutainment.  She motivates, educates and entertains focusing on  her resilient, confident and magnificent living. Ferlie is an Amazon international bestselling author of several books.  She is also  a TV and podcast host and is in the process of launching a global movement to help turn breast cancer warriors into winners.  What You Will Hear in This Episode:  Ferlie’s personal story Cancer diagnosis and documenting/sharing her path of healing The power of knowledge and self advocacy Staying in a place of gratitude Making her mess her message The key to resilience The power of gratitude and our mindset What kind of support women with brea

As a shy girl growing up, Susanna wasn’t used to listening or following her own intuition. Susanna worked her way up the corporate ladder and helped organizations work through conflict, develop strategic plans and inspire their employees to be their best selves as an organizational development consultant, executive coach and mediator.  Going through a divorce and making the decision to take a leap, leaving her secure job and starting her own business, Susanna tapped into her own power and greatness.  She listened to her inner voice calling her to use this experience and skill set in a more personal and fulfilling way.  Today, as a personal coach for women, Susanna’s online course, blog, podcasts, social community and book called You are a Heroin: A Retelling of The Hero's Journey, touch thousands of women ready to hear their calling and take a leap toward the life they want. Susanna's clients are all real life heroines, finding the courage to set out on an adventure. She has dedicated herself to helping women

Being a good girl was a major part of Eileen Greene’s upbringing.  What she recognized as she got older was that the messaging she had absorbed growing up was wrapped in negativity.  Recognizing that these internalized messages were completely contrary to the person she truly wanted to be, Eileen embarked on a journey that led her to unlocking her true self and in turn gave her the tools to help others do the same.  Eileen will inspire you to have a fulfilling life and career, regardless of your chronological age. She's an empowered and fearless woman who strongly believes that there's no age to achieve your goals and dreams.  After raising three sons,  Eileen went on an unrelenting campaign to educate herself and experience life to the fullest.  She's one of the first people to be certified in NLP by Tony Robbins. She is a TedX speaker.  Eileen has lectured about sex at high schools for Planned Parenthood.  She is a certified hypnotherapist.  She was bar mitzvahed.  She received her Master's degree in Spirit

Patricia ‘Trisha’ Ricketts  received a lifelong love of music, the written word, the visual arts, and healthy arguing from her Irish Catholic family of origin. She’s been penning essays, short stories, poems, and novels for most of her life as she raised three wonderful children and has watched seven grandchildren growing. However, after receiving a scholarship to the University of Edinburgh in Creative Writing, her passion for writing escalated. Since then, she has had short stories published in New Directions, The Slate, Meta, The Blue Hour Magazine, Realize Magazine, Storied Stuff and on NPR’s “This I Believe” website. Her love of writing flows into her musical lyrics. During the pandemic, she’s written nearly a song a week—some better than others! Trisha has performed her own work at open mics and hosted musical events in and around Chicago with her artist and musician partner, Peter Hurley. Having recently published her second novel, Speed of Dark, she is way into working on her third novel, The End of J

Getting an early start working in marketing and PR, Esther Weinberg gained a wealth of knowledge and expertise in both fields. Working for media companies and reaching senior executive status at Disney in her early 30s, Esther found her true passion and purpose as a coach, helping companies scale, grow and succeed. Esther is a business growth accelerator that equips executives in high-growth industries to create big pivots, big impact, and big return. She is the founder and chief leadership development officer for the Ready Zone, which helps clients grow, scale, and thrive in the worst and best of times. Her clients include Netflix, Microsoft, Warner Brothers, Discovery, CNN, Adobe, and Disney. Esther is a regular contributor to Forbes and a member of the Forbes coaches council. This year Esther and her wife launched the Being Me Foundation with a mission to create breakthroughs through global ontological coaching and leadership programs that redefine diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging for LGBTQ+ you