Episodes

SHOW NOTES Episode 314: Don’t Wait for January: 5 easy ways to preload your goal setting Guest: Laura is solo this week THIS WEEK’S TOPIC: As we wrap up the year 2024, it’s crucial to carve out some time for goal planning, even amidst the holiday hustle. Our host, Laura Cox Kaplan, delves into practical tips and mindset shifts that can help you stride confidently into 2025. From prepping your productivity tools to selecting an overarching theme for the year, Laura shares tried-and-true strate...

315. Picking A Word of the Year & Other Practices to Kick Off a New Year THIS WEEK’S TOPIC: Want to kick off the New Year with intention and purpose? This episode is your guide! Host Laura Cox Kaplan shares her personal productivity toolkit for a new year of growth and success. Laura dives into her annual practice of selecting a “Word of the Year,” revealing her own word for 2025, and how it shapes her goals. Plus, she shares insightful exercises and actionable advice. KEY TOPICS AND WHAT YOU...

316: Unlocking the Secrets to Better Conversations Guest: Alison Wood Brooks, author and Harvard Business School Professor THIS WEEK’S TOPIC: Communication is a complex and essential skill, often marred by self-doubt and missteps. Despite feeling proficient in many areas of life, people commonly perceive themselves as less effective conversationalists. This concern inspired this week’s guest — Professor Alison Wood Brooks — who dives into the nuances of effective communication. Her insights ar...

SHOW NOTES How not to quit on your goals with Dr. Katy Milkman THIS WEEK’S TOPIC: Ever set a New Year’s resolution only to see your motivation fizzle out before February? You’re not alone! Did you know that by the end of January, almost half of us have already given up on our goals? This week, we’re bringing back one of our most popular episodes featuring behavioral scientist and best-selling author Dr. Katy Milkman. Join us as we tackle the science behind habit formation and discover practica...

SHOW NOTES 318. Inside Hello Sunshine: How Data and Purpose Drive Brand Growth with EVP Crystal Surrency THIS WEEK’S TOPIC: Ever wondered how a company like Hello Sunshine decides which brands and personalities to bring under its umbrella? Or how they ensure sustained growth while fostering creativity and managing lean teams? This week’s episode marks the beginning of our 2025 collaboration series with The Southern C. Laura Cox Kaplan dives deep with Crystal Surrency, the Executive Vice Presid...

SHOW NOTES How to navigate life’s curveballs with wedding planner and restaurateur Sara Fay Egan THIS WEEK’S TOPIC: Curveballs are part of life. Surviving and learning to thrive through the ups and downs requires not only resilience but a healthy dose of humor, intentional connection, backup plans, and often a willingness to redefine success! This week’s episode is part of our She Said/She Said Podcast + The Southern C Collaboration Series for 2025! ABOUT THIS WEEK’S GUEST: Sara Fay Egan is ...

SHOW NOTES 320. Using Modern Etiquette to Build Confidence, Connection & Career Success Guest: Mariah Grumet Humbert THIS WEEK’S TOPIC: Have you ever wondered about the secret sauce some people seem to have in fostering meaningful connections effortlessly? Today’s episode is part of our She Said/She Said podcast + The Southern C Collaboration Series, and it features Mariah Grumet Humbert, a dynamic force in modern etiquette. With her expansive following of 178,000+ on Instagram and a flourishi...

SHOW NOTES 321. How to boost your money confidence with Personal Finance Expert Emilie Dayan Hill THIS WEEK’S TOPIC: Does financial peace of mind and money confidence come from more than just numbers? This week on the She Said/She Said Podcast, Laura Cox Kaplan invites personal finance expert Emilie Dayan Hill to discuss her innovative approach to personal finance. With a successful career managing significant portfolios, Emilie discovered that true financial empowerment goes beyond spreadshee...

SHOW NOTES 322. Get beyond busy and transform your relationship with time Guest: Shunta Grant, Executive Coach THIS WEEK’S TOPIC: Ever wonder if your busy schedule is steering you away from your true priorities? This week, we delve into the art of purposeful pruning with executive coach Shunta Grant. Formerly a successful attorney, Shunta found her calling by shifting away from a path that no longer aligned with her values and season in life. She shares her compelling journey from lawyer to en...

SHOW NOTES: 323: Unlocking the Entrepreneurial Genius of Mother Teresa Guest: Jim Towey, author, friend, and counselor to the late Mother Teresa How did a woman with no business training, no fundraising strategy, and no venture capital build a global organization spanning 120 countries with over 600 locations? In this eye-opening Women’s History Month episode, we are breaking with tradition by welcoming the podcast’s first-ever male guest, Jim Towey – the personal lawyer and confidant to one of ...

SHOW NOTES Episode 324: Redefining Ambition Guest: Dr. Anne Welsh THIS WEEK’S TOPIC: Does it feel impossible to succeed both as a mother and in your career? This week we dive into “The Ambition Paradox” with Harvard-trained psychologist Dr. Anne Welsh. She challenges the outdated notion that career success is only about climbing higher, explaining instead how motherhood often expands a woman’s ambition—wider and deeper—rather than diminishing it. Dr. Welsh shares her personal journey of redef...

SHOW NOTES Episode 325: Who Believed in You? The Transformative Power of Mentorship Guest: Dina Powell McCormick THIS WEEK’S TOPIC: Ever consider how a simple word of encouragement or a nudge could alter the course of your life? This week’s episode delves into the power of mentorship with Dina Powell McCormick. In this conversation, we discuss how mentorship can transcend beyond career growth, fostering trust and unity in a divided world. Whether you are seeking a mentor or aspiring to becom...

SHOW NOTES Title: “Are You Building the Right Kind of Currency for Career Success?” Episode 326 Guest: Lareina Yee THIS WEEK’S TOPIC: What if the way you’re collecting professional experiences is more valuable than the titles on your resume? In this eye-opening episode, Lareina Yee, Executive Partner at McKinsey and co-author of “The Broken Rung,” introduces us to the game-changing concept of “experience capital” – the true currency that propels careers forward. Discover how strategically curati...

SHOW NOTES Episode 327. Unlocking Workplace Influence By Learning to Manage Up Guest: Melody Wilding, Professor, author, and career coach THIS WEEK’S TOPIC: Ever wonder why managing up feels more confusing—or downright daunting—than any other professional skill? This week, we’re diving into what managing up truly means with Melody Wilding, executive coach, licensed social worker, and bestselling author of “Trust Yourself” and “Managing Up”. Managing up is not about “sucking up” or politics, b...

SHOW NOTES Title: Innovation Through Collaboration with Alexandra Dillard Lucie Episode 328 Guest: Alexandra Dillard Lucie, Vice President and General Merchandise Manager at Dillard’s, Inc. THIS WEEK’S TOPIC: How do you breathe new life into a beloved legacy brand without losing sight of its roots? This week on She Said/She Said Podcast, we’re diving into the world of retail reinvention with Alexandra Dillard Lucie—third-generation leader at Dillard’s Inc.—as part of our She Said/She Said +...

SHOW NOTES 329. How Motherhood and a Passion for Cross-Stitch Fueled a Media Legacy Guest: Brian Hart Hoffman, Hoffman Media, President & Chief Creative Officer THIS WEEK’S TOPIC: How does motherhood inspire entrepreneurship, and what happens when maternal values fuel business growth for generations? In this special Mother’s Day episode—part of our collaboration series with The Southern C—host Laura Cox Kaplan sits down with Brian Hart Hoffman to explore how his mother Phyllis transformed a c...

SHOW NOTES 330. How to Celebrate Everything: Lessons in Joy, Creativity & Brand-Building Guest: Darcy Miller, author, celebration expert, and founding editor of Martha Stewart Weddings THIS WEEK’S TOPIC: When was the last time you truly celebrated—not just the big achievements, but the small wins, the everyday joys, and even the poignant moments of life? This week’s episode digs into the transformative power of celebration as more than just a party—it’s a practice of gratitude, connection, a...

SHOW NOTES331. From Calvin Klein to Kaftans: Reinventing Identity and Career Success Guest: Sue Sartor, designer and fashion brand founder TOPICS: Entrepreneurship, Reinvention, Authentic Branding This episode is part of our 2025 She Said/She Said Podcast + The Southern C collaboration series, highlighting stories of intentional growth, entrepreneurship, and brand-building. Sue Sartor’s journey is a compelling example of how personal clarity, authentic branding, and high-touch customer engage...

SHOW NOTES Episode 332: “The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift: Building Influence Through Storytelling, Reinvention, and Resilience” Guest: Kevin Evers, Senior Editor at Harvard Business Review, Author of “There’s Nothing Like This: The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift” THIS WEEK’S TOPIC: What does it take to go from a teenage singer in a Tennessee mall to building one of the most powerful empires in the music industry, and what can ambitious professionals in any field learn from that journey...

SHOW NOTES Title: The Strategic Value of Pressing Pause: How Breaks Build Influence & Leadership Episode 333 Guest: Laura Cox Kaplan (solo episode) THIS WEEK’S TOPIC: Ever notice how your best ideas often come when you stop forcing them, maybe while folding laundry or taking a walk? In this week’s solo episode, Laura Cox Kaplan dives into the powerful, science-backed value of taking intentional breaks. With summer approaching, Laura announces a pause for the podcast and shares why stepping ...

Episode 334: How Social Capital and Strategic Reconnection Supercharge Your Influence Guest: Laura Cox Kaplan (solo episode) THIS WEEK'S TOPIC: Welcome back! After a little summer break, Laura is back behind the mic and ready to help you tap into your greatest resource: your relationships. This week, we’re talking about “social capital”—what it is, why it matters WAY more than most of us think, and super doable ways to rebuild or refresh your network, especially as you ease back into work or ...

SHOW NOTES Title: What to do when the world feels too heavy Episode: 335 Guest: N/A (Solo Episode with Laura Cox Kaplan) THIS WEEK'S TOPIC: This week's episode pivots from the originally planned content to address the collective weight many are feeling in the world right now. In the aftermath of the murder of Charlie Kirk, just a day before the 24th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on September 11th, host Laura Cox Kaplan invites listeners into a vulnerable, reflective conversation abou...

SHOW NOTES Episode 336: Seven Ways We Can Improve Social Media (and the way we feel when we are online) Guest: (Solo Episode with Laura Cox Kaplan) ABOUT THIS EPISODEIf you’re craving a steadier. more constructive, and more uplifting way to participate online (and off), this personal, practical guide is for you! THIS WEEK’S TOPICA couple of older She Said/She Said episodes kept inexplicably resurfacing in Laura’s feed. After reaching the point of frustration, she finally slowed down and list...

337: How words shape us Guest: Lily Howard Scott, Educator, Social Emotional Learning Coach, and Author THIS WEEK'S TOPIC: Ever stop to consider how much influence you have in your everyday words and language? Our guest this week, educator and social-emotional learning coach Lily Howard Scott, asks us to pause and reflect on the language we choose — not just in classrooms, but in our homes, workplaces, and daily lives. From reframing “mistakes” as “brilliant mistakes,” to the simple act of ca...