Episodes

Senate Majority leader Cynthia Stone Creem has spent over 30 years in public service. The daughter of two attorneys, she grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts deciding early on that she wanted to follow in her parent’s footsteps. The road to the seat she now occupies has been long and in this very candid interview, Cindy Creem recalls knocking on doors to raise money for her first campaign and being asked the question: “are you tough enough?” Well, the answer is YES. The Story Behind Her Success p...

Welcome to the success story of Denise Hajjar, one of Boston’s most loved and respected fashion designers. The grandchild of a designer from Syria and a pattern maker from Lebanon, Denise started making clothes for her Barbie Dolls when she was a little girl. By the time she was ready to go to fashion design school, she had an entire wardrobe created for herself and for her mother. Known for her generosity toward non-profits, Denise has made giving back a cornerstone of her business with a focus...

Raised in the backwoods of Montana, completely off the grid, Heather Anne Cook learned the necessary skills to keep herself alive. In this interview, she shares the details of her adventurous life, including the many times she took 3 matches into the woods to see how long she could survive. Now a wife and the mother of twins, Heather is a pastor, a survivalist, a long distance runner, a bee-keeper, a chicken lady, a horsewoman, a gardener, a children’s book author, an illustrator, an internation...

Have you ever heard the expression: “love will find a way?” Meet Nancy Gaudet-Aittaniemi. A very successful senior vice president for a commercial real estate company, Nancy’s success story is not just about climbing the ladder to take on a leadership role in a male-dominated industry. It is about the power of a mother’s love for her child. You see, Nancy’s only child was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at only 9, and his chronic condition led her down a path that has been both terrifying and ins...

Meet a woman with a fantastic second chapter. For decades Lauren Birmingham has been well known as a top-notch PR pro in the Boston area and beyond. But one day, on a whim, she had an idea. Lauren convinced a friend to fly to Italy with her, just for the weekend. What started as a one-time adventure turned into a love affair with the Amalfi Coast, a unique new business venture called Cooking Vacations Italy, a collaboration with American novelist Elizabeth Berg, a cookbook called It’s A Dream Pl...

Welcome to Palm Springs, California…home of movie stars, snow-capped mountains, palm trees, and the Palm Springs International Film Festival. In this episode, we’re focused on women in film including Ruth Caudeli, a young director from Valencia, Spain whose movie Eva & Candela is breaking down barriers about gender, and who we choose to love. A surprise visit from co-star Silvia Varón sheds some light on Ruth’s innate ability to listen to her cast and to bring out the best in each actor’s perfor...

When we tell our stories, we pass along life lessons and wisdom. The two women you are about to meet believe that the arts provide a unique opportunity to tell stories that matter. Meet Myriam Cyr and Patricia Jamison, two of the four founders of Punctuate4Productions, Inc. on Boston’s North Shore. With a mission to educate, entertain and promote the arts and culture in every form for all ages, not just in Massachusetts, but beyond, Myriam and Patricia are really enjoying this new chapter in the...

Meet a woman who has made it her life’s work to give. Linda Driscoll has spent her career in leadership roles for organizations like the American Red Cross, Women’s Sports Foundation, the Massachusetts Amateur Sports Foundation, and the Special Olympics. She has also served as Past President of the Board of Directors for the New England Women’s Fund and on the NCAA Boston organizing committee for the Women’s Final Four. And if you see a pattern here, you are correct. Playing sports shaped Linda’...

Meet a woman who believes that during the toughest times in our lives, there is learning, there is growth and there is always hope. I have known Julie Freeman for nearly 20 years and although I heard bits and pieces of her story, I never really knew the extent of it until we sat down for this interview in Palm Springs, California: 3000 miles away from where we first met in Wellesley, Massachusetts. A gifted singer at St. John’s Church, Julie sang like an angel, yet something told me that she had...

When I sing, I am in pure bliss and joy. These are the words of singer, songwriter, musician, and philanthropist Amanda Carr. Described by the Wall Street Journal as “a true jazz singer in a time of wannabes”, Amanda’s path from the little seaside town of Hingham, MA to stages around the world has not been easy. Her passion to create a life that has always been about and for the music is an inspiration to everyone who knows her. The daughter of a Big Band musician and singer, Amanda can’t remem...

Are you the mother of a child with a food allergy? If you are, this episode is for you. The statistics are astounding but true: 1 in 12 children in the United States has a severe food allergy. What was once rare is now commonplace, yet the constant worry food allergy parents endure can be overwhelming, because when their children are out of their sight, they are vulnerable to foods that can kill them. So, what’s a mother to do? Meet Elise Bates, President & Co-Founder of Ending Allergies Togethe...

Do you like having your picture taken? If the answer is no, you are not alone. Enter award-winning portrait photographer Kerry Brett. When she takes your picture, her goal is simple: to make you feel so comfortable, you forget that there is a camera in your face! The daughter of legendary Boston Globe photographer Bill Brett, Kerry grew up watching her father tell stories with his camera. A single mom with a work ethic that mirrors her father’s, Kerry has worked tirelessly to establish her own s...