Episodes

We are on a mission to inspire and empower children and families to discover, imagine, and grow together. -ErinGallagher The living room edition of the series continues with an interview with Erin Gallagher, a young mother of three who teamed up with a friend and neighbor to create the Children’s Museum of Franklin. www.childrensmuseumfranklin.org. What started as a dream in the summer of 2023 has become a reality, with the grand opening scheduled for the summer of 2025. Consider this proof pos...

Being a scientist is a way of looking at the world, and asking the question ‘why’ without your own pre-conceived notions. I’ve learned that it’s also a great way of doing business. -Julia Wrin Piper How do you go from scientist to CEO? Meet Julia Wrin Piper. She’s got degrees in Molecular Biology, Neuroscience, and Evolutionary Biology from UC/Berkeley, the Salk Institute for Biological Sciences, and Harvard University, and she’s using years of scientific training to forward the mission of Clov...

The Amalfi Coast is a dream place, and when I saw it for the first time, something shifted in me. I knew I had to live there. -Lauren Birmingham Born into an Italian-American family of great chefs, Lauren Birmingham has an innate love of food and family. As a child growing up in Cranston, Rhode Island, she spent hours swinging in a hammock under a cherry tree, reading the classics. This fascination with reading, combined with her passion for travel, inspired Lauren to explore Europe as an adult...

Family comes first & chocolate comes second! – Cheryl Salto We’re back in my cozy living room with the fireplace roaring for another edition of The Story Behind Her Success. In the spotlight, a registered nurse and mother of two who makes chocolate treats all day long in her home kitchen, for special occasions. Check out Cheryl Salto’s yummy chocolate delights here: www.candyundercover2.com/shop. Her entrepreneur story started back in 1998 with her original company, Candy Under Cover. The small...

This is a book about empowerment. It’s about finding yourself within the rubble. -Sarah Elizabeth Sarah grew up on a dirt road in rural Maine in a farmhouse built in 1770…an idyllic childhood until it completely disappeared when her parents divorced when she was in high school and her family as she knew it, fell apart. “ As a young woman, the image of the white picket fence became a mission for me. I was convinced that I could build a life of control and stability.” Sarah and her husband were ...

What’s my definition of fear? False Evidence Appearing Real. -Anna Sabatino aka “Anna Sab” Meet Anna Sabatino, wife, mother, life coach, driving instructor, entrepreneur, and all-around super-woman. It was Anna’s husband who nominated her as a guest on the show and she did not disappoint! In this interview, we learn all about the long and winding road of life. For Anna, the twists and turns are there to help us find our purpose. The daughter of Italian immigrants, Anna grew up in a strict but f...

I found myself at the top of the ladder, took a deep breath, and realized that this wasn’t where I wanted to be anymore. -Jennifer Gulbrand In the spotlight, Jenn Gulbrand, a multi-talented woman who spent years following the path she thought she should be taking until, one day, she realized that her paycheck was feeding her family and not her soul. She flipped that script and is now a visionary leader who is dedicated to building heart-centered communities. Using her extensive knowledge of som...

Rise and reset your mind. Today is a new day to start over. -Lisa Ponte Meet Lisa Ponte. She’s on a mission to spread self-love and positive thinking through affirmation cards, positive vibe products, and her beautiful new line of Stacked with Love jewelry. www.lpvibes.com. The devoted mother of two, her career path has been one of reinvention, beginning with a 20-year career in finance and marketing and now as an entrepreneur. But it was a childhood trauma that left a mark on this exceptional ...

I’m a boots-on-the-ground leader. I think of St. Ignatius, who said, “It’s deeds, not words,” and Bill Belichick who said: “Do your job!” -Grace Cotter Regan You’ve heard of Boston College, right? Well, there’s a high school not too far away that bears the same name. Founded in 1863, the schools were initially created as a 7-year educational experience for the children of Irish Catholic immigrants. Separated into (2) distinct schools in 1927, Boston College High School had never had a female pr...

Journaling opens the mind, taking you to places you don’t normally go. – Lisa Tener Is there a book inside of you? In the spotlight, an award-winning author, book coach, and creative catalyst on a mission to help others bring their stories to life. lisatener.com Once sick, exhausted, and uninspired, Lisa discovered the power of holistic healing years ago and now shares it with others. Using powerful, ancient practices to release her energy, Lisa Tener is the Founder of the Tener Method for Crea...

I can look at a pile of rocks and instantly find that one heart rock. It’s a thing! I guess I am the heart rock whisperer! -Ellen Thayer When she was about 12 years old, Ellen Thayer climbed atop a rock in her backyard to marvel at the clouds. Little did she know that later in life, her professional life would involve both weather AND rocks. Armed with a degree in meteorology from St. Louis University in Missouri, Ellen made her way back to Boston for an internship with legendary meteorologist ...

I’d been telling myself: “Someday, I will do this,” but now, I’m putting my foot down to say, DO IT RIGHT NOW. This is your life. Who knows about tomorrow? -Parker Jamison aka Ox Devere While excavators are restoring Notre Dame after the 2019 fire that nearly destroyed the medieval church, they make a stunning discovery beneath the cathedral floor. It’s an unmarked sarcophagus, and what follows is a pulse-pounding, globe-trotting adventure called Rage of the Jinn. The author’s pen name is Ox De...

I was a teenager when I picked up the guitar, and suddenly, I had the one thing I’d been looking for to craft the songs I’d been waiting to write. -Sarah Blacker This up-close and personal interview was recorded in my living room with a singer/songwriter who grew up down the street. We met when she was a teenager…and a friend of my daughter Colleen’s. Years later, Sarah Blacker continues doing what she loves best: bringing comfort and joy to audiences large and small as a dynamic live performer...

I want older women to know: if you want to do something, get out there and do it, sister! Don’t sit around and think: I’m too old. No, you’re not! -Tracey Wheeler Noonan It’s been about 10 years since I’ve interviewed Tracey Wheeler Noonan and let me tell you, this girl is on fire. She and her daughter, Dani took a unique way of making cupcakes in jars and turned it into a Shark Tank phenomenon. Wicked Good Cupcakes may have started out small in Tracey’s home kitchen, but it ended up going worl...

The biggest skill I use is listening. Grievers don’t need to be fixed. They need to be heard. – Louise Strasenburgh The holidays are supposed to be joyful, but if you’ve lost someone you love, they can be tough. This week’s guest is here to help. Louise Strasenburgh is a grief recovery specialist and the author of the book The Space In My Heart. In 2011, her 26-year-old son Oliver’s body was found wrapped in a carpet in Puerto Rico. In the middle of this horrific loss, her mother died, and then...

We must all be compassionate. You never know what someone else is going through. – Keely Krantz Keely Krantz got her start in PR, eventually leading the launch of high-profile, global brands. A proud Boston College graduate, she was fortunate to have a mentor who had broken through glass ceilings and believed in passing it on. Says Keely “Janet Diederichs at Edelman Public Relations in Chicago challenged me to be someone I would never have aspired to if it hadn’t been for her guidance. I learne...

I point out my student’s strengths so that they can start believing in themselves. Every child has a craving to learn. They are just like little sponges. –Jen Dugan Agne When you think back to your education, was there one teacher who saw your talents before you did? Meet my longtime friend Jen Dugan Agne. A 5th-grade teacher at the Marie Hastings School in Lexington, Massachusetts, she LOVES what she does. In fact, she’s been the kind of teacher students never forget for 38 years. Says Jen: “My...

History grounds you in who you are. -Noelle Trent, PhD Have you ever wished that you could sit down with a historian of United States history? Meet Noelle Trent. She’s spent her entire career studying the history of our country with a focus on the African American experience. A “publichistorian,” Noelle has worked at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African History & Culture in Washington, DC, and the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, where she spearheaded MLK50 to commemorate the li...

My diagnosis could be a death sentence, but you know what? I just keep moving forward every day because I want to give others hope. -Theresa Keresztes There’s something about the strength of a woman. Somehow, someway, she persists…overcoming obstacles, finding new paths toward success, and doing good in the world. One of the scariest things we ever encounter in this life is a cancer diagnosis, and over the last few weeks, we’ve been saluting breast cancer survivors. Theresa Keresztes was just 4...

I don’t just count days passing by. I make each day count. -Leslie Lawrence October is breast cancer awareness month, so we’re featuring the inspiring stories of breast cancer survivors. Early detection has been a game changer in the fight against breast cancer, and I’m pretty sure that never missing my yearly mammogram saved my life. Promise me that you’ll NEVER miss your mammogram! Today’s episode was recorded at Book Love in the Pine Hills before a live audience. www.book-love.com. A first-t...

You are going to have some bad days, and that’s okay, but the good days have to outweigh the bad ones. You have to put your mind into beating breast cancer. -Theresa Jay In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, we’re profiling inspiring survivors with incredible stories to tell. My friendship with today’s guest began in 2006 when I donated my wedding dress to her charity. Theresa Jay is the Founder of the Pink Rose Foundation www.pinkrose.org which provides scholarships to college-bound stude...

It’s okay to be scared when you are diagnosed with breast cancer. Gather your friends and family. Educate yourself and stay strong. You CAN get through this.- Claudia Mintz October is breast cancer awareness month, so we’re shining the spotlight on the stories of survivors. Meet Claudia Mintz. The devoted mother of three, her children were only 5,4 and 2 when she was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer in the middle of a contentious divorce. Says Claudia “I decided I was going to do whateve...

Time. I just want more time, and I am going to fight for that. -Luisa Vargas This episode kicks off our annual 4-part series devoted to the inspiring stories of breast cancer survivors. In the spotlight, Luisa Vargas. Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, she grew up so poor she didn’t own a pair of shoes until she was 8 years old. As a single mom, Luisa made her way to the United States seeking medical care for her daughter, who had a heart condition. Speaking no English at all, she got th...

There is something very magical about being an innkeeper, to welcome people in, to take care of them, to feed them. It is the best part of my job. -Trisha Perez Kennealy We talk a lot about living our lives in chapters, and Trisha Perez Kennealy is living proof that there is so much to learn in every chapter. She’s a former investment banker with an MBA from Harvard who decided to ditch it all and study at the Cordon Bleu Culinary School in London, earning her Diplome de Cuisine and Diplome de ...