Episodes

When the scariest thing happens and you get through it, you realize that you’re stronger than you ever thought you could be. -Jenna McCarthy Making that appointment to schedule her first mammogram was on Jenna McCarthy’s mind for a while. At 41, she just wanted to get it over with and “check that box.” What she didn’t expect was what happened next. In this up-close and personal interview, Jenna shares her diagnosis with DCIS, or ductal carcinoma in situ, an early-stage breast cancer. The mother...

There’s a difference between doing what you’re good at and doing what you love. -Dayla Arabella Santurri In this week’s episode of The Story Behind Her Success, I welcome longtime friend Dayla Arabella Santurri into my living room for a masterclass in reinvention, fearlessness, and the power of “yes”. From running the iconic Scullers Jazz Club to producing live events worldwide, she’s built a career around creating unforgettable experiences, and connection is her superpower. Her latest venture ...

Radical is the Latin term for “root”. Years ago, the radical mastectomy was developed, with the belief that if the surgeon dug deeper into a woman’s chest, they could get to the root of the cancer. -Judy Pearson Not so long ago, cancer was the “C” word and no one talked about breast cancer, especially women who emerged from their brutal treatments disfigured and disabled. In her new book, Radical Sisters, best-selling author and breast cancer survivor Judy Pearson shines a bright light on three...

I’ve always wanted to keep people company and make them laugh. I want to hear what people are going through, because chances are, I’ve already gone through the same thing. -Kendra Petrone Meet a talented young woman who is part of the only all-female morning show on the radio in Boston. The legendary Magic 106.7/WMJX www.magic1067.com has been a female-driven radio station for decades, but it wasn’t until 2025 that the station announced Sue & Kendra as co-hosts of Morning Magic. The two broadca...

Nobody ever says, “I can’t wait to go to a nursing home.” Instead, they say, “keep me at home for as long as possible,” and that’s exactly what we do. -Meg Hogan Growing old is hard, right? Now imagine how difficult it is for a senior citizen who doesn’t have the means to take care of themselves. How about a person with disabilities whose family needs help caring for them? And what about the exhausted caregiver who just needs a little support? In the spotlight, Meg Hogan, CEO of Boston Senior H...

Enjoy this beautiful life you’ve been given. Don’t ever take it for granted. -Melissa Dupuis It’s been two years since Melissa Dupuis shared her story on this series, and what a couple of years it has been. At only 38, this wellness enthusiast, Pilates instructor, and former professional ballet dancer was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer. Her little girl, Sage, was only one year old at the time, and although Melissa and her husband wanted to have another child someday, doctors said there wa...

There are no bad experiences, just the ones you don’t learn from. If you don’t learn from bad experiences, you will make the same mistakes over and over and over again. -Gwen Borden & Amy Goober This week’s story features a mother and daughter who have written a love story, filled with priceless advice for us all. The book, entitled My Mother Always Says: 25 Lessons for Finding the Silver Lining, explores the life and times of 94-year-old Gwen Borden, who was born during the Great Depression. ...

People will tell you everything you need to know. You just need to LISTEN to what they are saying. -Karen Marinella Hall Out of the blue, I got an email from a fan of the show about this week’s guest…and I cannot wait for you to meet her. Many news anchors are beautiful. They can walk the walk and talk the talk, but there’s something missing behind the smile. That’s not the case for Karen Marinella Hall. During her tenure at WB 56 in Boston, she set herself apart from the rest with a genuine wa...

When something bad happens to you, how do you grieve it without getting stuck in suffering? -Halley Elwell Imagine being 11 years old when your face suddenly begins to change. Tumors form on your jaw, and the diagnosis is an incurable condition called Neurofibromatosis. This is the story of singer/songwriter Halley Elwell www.halswellmusic.com. Raised off the grid in Maine by an artist mom, she was told to ignore what was happening to her face and to live her life. She runs free in the woods ar...

It’s very easy to focus on fixing your failures. But how do you take what is successful and keep building on that? The answer is: focus on what you do well and make it even better. -Zenobia Moochhala Meet entrepreneurial superstar Zenobia Moochalla. Born in Mumbai, India, Zenobia came to the United States at 20 to attend Brandeis University and is one of the original co-founders of www.care.com, the world’s largest and most successful online platform for childcare, elder care, and pet care. Rec...

Every week, I have access to astronauts, researchers, and scientists as a NASA Solar System Ambassador, and it’s beyond a dream come true. -Pat Monteith Pat Monteith remembers hearing John F. Kennedy tell the nation that we would send a man to the moon by the end of the 1960s. On that day, the president’s words shaped her lifelong fascination with space. Decades and many different careers later, Pat is a NASA Solar System Ambassador, STEM advocate, and community leader with a passion for helpin...

I was in my 20s when I read the book: Breaking the Glass Ceiling, and I remember saying to myself: I’m gonna do that. -Carol Conway Bulman Carol Conway Bulman is the proud daughter of real estate legend Jack Conway, but becoming CEO and Chairman of his real estate empire wasn’t handed to her. In this up-close and personal interview, Carol shares her father’s success story as well as her own rise to the top with this life lesson: “Don’t wait for someone to put an opportunity out on a silver plat...

When we first moved to Nashville, we lived in a pitiful apartment, and Wynonna, Ashley, and I slept in one bed. All we had to eat was bologna and crackers. -Naomi Judd The story you are about to hear is a piece of country music history because it is the final full-length interview featuring country music superstar Naomi Judd. Sadly, Naomi took her own life on April 30, 2022, after a long history of mental illness, but her legacy as a brilliant songwriter, captivating live performer, and country...

There is something about facing down your biggest fears that really changes you on an elemental level. -Laura DeSisto Happy 4th of July weekend, everyone! This week’s success story is a listener favorite…and perfect to listen to in the car on your way to the beach. You may have heard that it’s the 50th anniversary of the movie that made a lot of people afraid to go into the ocean at all. JAWS was released in the summer of 1975 and featured a gigantic mechanical great white shark with a very bad...

There are no shortcuts in life. It is going to take time to find success. Do it anyway. -Christy Cashman Welcome to the story of Christy Cashman, a listener favorite on The Story Behind Her Success. This interview launched about two years ago, and when I lost my voice due to acute laryngitis, I had to put recording new shows on hold and went to my library to find the most popular shows to listen to. Christy Cashman is an actress who has appeared in over 20 movies, including the blockbuster film...

When I was serving in Afghanistan, it was always mission first. You have to get the “scared” out of your mind. I told myself that God put me here for a reason. -Erica Horan By popular demand, we’re reissuing a handful of our most popular interviews. Meet Boston Medflight www.bostonmedflight.org nurse and US Air Force veteran, Erica Horan. Recorded 5 years ago in a hangar at a municipal airport just outside of Boston, this interview tells the story of a former black belt champion driven to serve...

We all have “favorite places”, and for this week’s guest, it is the island of Nantucket. Julie Gerstenblatt has been spending her summers there since she was just a child. Accessible by air or by ferry, Nantucket is located 30 miles off the coast of Cape Cod. Steeped in history, Nantucket was once the whaling capital of the world, and even today, it seems frozen in time. Rooted in the story of the Great Fire of 1846, Julie’s historical novel required years of research. Focused on three complex, ...

Success isn’t grades, money, or status. It’s fulfillment, joy, and kindness that come together to allow you to live your best life. – Colleen Esposito Welcome back to part 2 of my interview with my daughter, Colleen Esposito, co-author of Nelson’s Garden and our follow-up children’s book, Nelson’s Garden & the Free Little Flower Stand. It’s been a joy to ask my daughter the same kinds of questions I ask every woman who is a guest on the show and to hear her wise, thoughtful, and sometimes sassy...

Getting a book published is not for the faint of heart. It’s kind of heartbreaking because you have this book you’ve poured your heart and soul into, and you’re hoping readers will love it, too. -Colleen Esposito I’ve wanted to introduce my daughter, Colleen, to you for the longest time, and here she is! Recorded from the window seat in her home just outside of Boston, part 1 of this interview focuses on the process of writing our illustrated children’s book series, Nelson’s Garden www.nelsonsg...

They always say, you can’t choose your sister, but I would choose mine. – Linda Wong Chu If you are ever visiting the Boston area and you need a hot tip for the best Chinese food around, the family-owned Kowloon is the place to go! We’re on the road to Saugus, Massachusetts, for this episode, and you better believe there will be a takeout bag of Kowloon delishiousness beside me in the passenger seat! Purchased by William & Madeline Wong in 1958, the Kowloon was first named the Mandarin and was ...

A good outfit can make you feel confident. Uncommon Threads is a non-profit that boosts the self-esteem of low-income women through the power of clothes. We focus on dignity and respect. -Susan Kanoff Meet Susan Kanoff, style blogger, influencer, and Founder of uncommonthreads.org. A life-long fashionista with a heart of gold, she has spent her career helping women feel better about themselves with an innovative “outside-in, inside-out” approach. For 25 years, Susan ran a self-sufficiency progr...

My daughter Dalia taught me about courage, sweetness, patience, and love. I am who I am because of her. We were meant to be together. -Jessica Fein Welcome to part two of my interview with Jessica Fein, author of Breath Taking: A Memoir of Family, Dreams and Broken Genes. Jess and her husband, Rob, adopted three children from Guatemala. When their daughter, Dalia, began exhibiting balance issues and speech delays, genetic testing revealed a devastating diagnosis of MERRF Syndrome, a degenerativ...

We spent five years trying to have a baby and then decided to make the switch from baby making to family making – Jessica Fein We’re back in my cozy living room for this episode of The Story Behind Her Success. I’m learning that when you’re sitting on a comfy couch with the fire going, the time you spend together feels more like a chat between friends and less like a formal interview. An author, marketing executive, and former opinion columnist for the Boston Globe, Jessica Fein’s book, Breath ...

There were two flashes of white light at my feet, like quick fireworks, and then everything went black. My brain knew that my right leg was beyond repair. -Roseann Sdoia Materia April 15, 2013: That’s the day the bombs went off at the Boston Marathon finish line. This is the story of an innocent bystander who lost her right leg when the second bomb went off in front of the Forum Restaurant. Roseann Sdoia Materia’s life would be saved that day by three people who stepped into the smoke and mayhe...