Karen Marinella Hall -319

August 28, 2025Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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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 warmth and friendliness, coupled with a curiosity to get to the root of any story. In this interview, Karen shares the details of her career trajectory, which began in radio at a small, family-owned station called WPLM in her hometown of historic Plymouth, Massachusetts. When she applied for acceptance to Katherine Gibbs secretarial school, it was a high school teacher who recognized her talents as a communicator, urging Karen to fill out an application to Emerson College. As the first person in her family to attend college, Karen understood that her parents could not pay for such a prestigious college, making the decision to attend Emerson step one in a career marked by determination, curiosity, and resiliency. The wife of Boston news legend Jonathan Hall, Karen, is the proud mother of three sons and grew up in a close-knit Italian/Portuguese neighborhood where family, food, and hard work went hand-in-hand. When her station, WB56 was sold, she took a bold chance and set out on her own, founding Marinella Hall Associates, www.marinellahall.com, where she shares her well-honed communications skills with C-suite executives. Reflecting on the lessons of her career, Karen says: “I wish I wasn’t so insecure in my 20s and 30s. I don’t think I grew out of that until I was in my 40s. God, I would have had so much more fun!” For 24 minutes of expert storytelling, inspiration, and new chapters, just hit that download button. #corporatecommunications #news #television Former news anchor & Principal, Marinella Hall Associates marinellahall.com

Halley Elwell -318

August 20, 2025Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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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 around her neighborhood, learns to sing old Irish songs, plays piano, and dives into community theatre. In this episode of The Story Behind Her Success, we learn how Halley held onto her light, despite adversity, to become an accomplished singer, songwriter, and advocate for those with facial differences. The secret ingredient? Creativity. Describing her voice, a Maine music critic said: “Imagine Rickie Lee Jones recording with Norah Jones and Natalie Merchant and you’ll have an idea of how Elwell’s music sounds.” Her latest album and podcast series have the same name: Spontaneous Mutation. Both artistic efforts explore the narratives around facial differences. In science, a spontaneous mutation is a genetic change with no known cause. Halley takes this concept one step further with words, voice, and heart: “When you have an incurable condition, you can’t be fixed. But there are different lenses to look through, and that has freed me.” For 25 minutes of inspiration (and the chance to hear Halley’s gorgeous voice), just hit that download button. Check out her podcast series here: spontaneousmutation.podbean.com.

Zenobia Moochhala -317

July 31, 2025Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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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. Recorded in my living room, this upclose and personal interview takes you into the early days of Care.com, where the team, led by Sheila Lirio Marcelo, examined pain points for working parents and discovered that childcare was their number 1 concern. Says Zenobia: “And it wasn’t just childcare: it was care for everyone you love. That’s how the idea of care.com was born.” In the beginning, she was the only member of the co-founding team who didn’t have children, so she became the person who spearheaded research into what people needed. Now the mother of two, Zenobia learned early on how working women were struggling to balance lives. To keep things safe for caregivers and families, Care.com quickly built in checks and balances, including background checks. With each member of the Care.com founders tasked with projects aligned to their specialties, Zenobia is proud to have been a part of a team that took Care.com from a start-up to $200 million in revenue. The daughter of a child psychologist mother and an entrepreneur father, Zenobia points to her two older sisters as her“superpowers”. Although she was raised in India for the first 20 years of her life, Zenobia says “there was lots of dinner time conversation in our house and our Indian value system was mixed with American optimism. I grew up knowing that I could do anything I put my mind to.” As an entrepreneur, she believes in the role mission plays in achieving success. “Mission is that moment when you wake up and say I am really excited about what I’m going to do today because I’m always in pursuit of something that matters. Success is this elusive thing that you have to recognize when it happens, enjoy it while it’s happening, and then let it go, because it will come around again.” For 23 minutes filled with wisdom, purpose, and passion, just hit that download button.

Pat Monteith -316

July 24, 2025Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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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 helping students achieve their dreams, particularly by helping them with award-winning science fair entries. Raised by a single mom and a Lithuanian grandmother who spoke 7 languages, Pat grew up in Watertown, Massachusetts, where her mother worked for the Hood Rubber company. From the time she was 10 years old, Pat took on the responsibility of caring for their small apartment, including all the cooking and cleaning. She recalls her mother’s long hours and learned the value of a strong work ethic early in her life. Always a wiz at math, she earned her undergraduate degree in Mathematics from the University of Massachusetts Boston and her Master’s in Communication from Emerson College. In this interview, we learn that Pat’s success story really did come in chapters. She’s a Renaissance woman who has experienced success across multiple careers, including as founder and manager of WUMB, Founder & Director of the Boston Folk Festival, Executive Director of the syndicated radio program Commonwealth Journal, the weekly feature NASA Space Notes, and a science fiction novel for kids called The Secret Case of the Space Station Stowaways. Recently, Pat was speaking at a local elementary school about her work as a NASA Ambassador, and a third-grade student approached her asking, “MissPat, are there children at the International Space Station?” When Pat replied “no”, the girl said: Well, I’m gonna be the first one.” For 22 minutes of intergalactic wisdom and inspiration, just hit that download button. #NASA #STEM #science #solarsystem #sciencefair NASA Solar System Ambassador patmonteith.com

Carol Conway Bulman -315

July 16, 2025Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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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 platter for you, because they’re not going to do it. I adored my dad, but he didn’t give me this opportunity. I needed to earn it.” Today, Carol is at the helm of a real estate firm whose signature bright red for-sale signs are in front of houses from the South Shore to the tip of Cape Cod, across the state to the North Shore and over the border into New Hampshire and Rhode Island, with 700 agents and 20 offices throughout the region. Innovation has been her middle name with the creation of a one-stop shopping experience for their clients. Carol and her team have created Conway Country Insurance, Columbia Title Company, and Conway Staging. Their newly renovated headquarters in Hanover also includes relocation experts and a learning space for continued education. The icing on the cake? Some of Carol’s children are also involved in the business! When I asked what Jack Conway would think, Carol says: “He’d be tickled pink to see his grandchildren working in this organization and loving real estate the way he always did.” For 23 minutes of wisdom from a 30+ year real estate maven, plus tons of #wisdom you can use, just hit that download button. #realestate #leadership #women #empowerment : CEO & Chair of Jack Conway jackconway.com

Naomi Judd -314

July 10, 2025Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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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 music icon remains. This interview was originally part of the Nashville-based series called Country Music Success Stories. For two years, my talented friend Jacy Dawn Valeras and I co-hosted the show, and thanks to the powerful network Jacy built in Music City, famous artists like Naomi agreed to be on the show. Recorded at Naomi’s 500-acre compound in Leipers Fork, Tennessee, in a barn next to her house, this interview is full of stories that will blow your mind and touch your heart. Naomi raised the girls on a mountaintop in Kentucky with only a coal stove for heat. She got the money to buy Wynonna her first guitar by selling her hunting knife and put herself through nursing school to become an ER nurse. From the moment Naomi walked into the room, I knew that I was in the presence of a superstar. Naomi and her daughter, Wynonna, were billed as The Judds, and throughout the ’80s and into the ’90s, they cemented their standing as country music’s most successful duo of all time with 25 top-ten singles, 14 #1 songs, and 5 Grammies. Naomi’s younger daughter, Ashley, crafted her own success story as an actress and a passionate activist. The road to stardom was long and hard, but in this interview, we learn just what Naomi Judd is made of. Like the little engine that could, she kept telling herself: I think I can, I think I can, I think I can. #countrymusic : Country Music Icon

Laura DeSisto -313

July 3, 2025Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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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 habit of terrifying beach goers on Martha’s Vineyard. Laura DeSisto spent her summers on her father’s boat, sailing off the coast of the idyllic New England island. She begged her parents to allow her to see the movie, and emerged terrified of the water. Flash forward to a rough patch in her adulthood, when Laura’s grown children moved out and she and her husband became empty-nesters. Her friends gathered around her and encouraged her to try new things, get outside of her comfort zone, and embrace this newfound freedom. Her bestie even decided it was time to conquer Laura’s biggest fear of all: SHARKS and enrolled her in a scuba diving class at a resort in the Bahamas. Shaking in her flip flops, Laura took the class and on her very first dive, safely tethered to her dive master, she came face to face with a….(just hit that download button for the rest of the story! #sharks #courage #sisterhood : author of Resurfacing: Sisterhood, Sharks and Storms

Christy Cashman -312

June 20, 2025Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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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 American Hustle. Born in Ohio, she was raised on a poultry farm and is one of nine children. When the family moved to North Carolina, Christy fell in love with horses. These days, she’s a wife and mother of two boys. She and her husband, Boston developer Jay Cashman, even own a castle in Ireland! In this interview, Christy talks about her first novel, The Truth About Horses. Chock-full of interesting characters, the book delves into the human experience through the eyes of 14-year-old Reese, whose love of horses sustains her during the toughest of times. Says Christy: “In this story, Reese learns that to move on, you have to let go. Loss is just as much a part of life as new beginnings.” Open, honest, and with a great sense of humor, Christy shares details about her childhood, including when the family TV broke, and it was never replaced. She recalls the magic of hearing her father recite poetry and the sound of her mother’s voice as she read the children before bedtime. Christy is the founder of YouthINK, a teenage mentorship program. A gifted artist, Christy says she’s learned some life lessons the hard way. “There are no shortcuts in life. It’s going to take time to find success. My advice? Do it anyway.” For 24 minutes of entertainment and inspiration, just hit that download button. #horses #writer #actress #Ireland : actress & author, The Truth About Horses christycashman.com

Erica Horan -311

June 12, 2025Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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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 and succeed. A veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom, Erica became a commissioned officer in the Air Force as a critical care nurse shortly after earning her nursing degree. She saw every kind of injury on the front lines in Afghanistan, and speaks candidly about her own struggles with depression and the need for mental health support for our troops. Says Erica: “I counted the days until I got home, but when I got here, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I wanted to go back. I didn’t receive mental health support, and had a hard time adjusting.” Born to care for others, Erica has been a key player on Boston Medflight’s four medical teams for 7 years now and is incredibly proud of the people she works with. “We take care of very sick people as quickly as possible. Every day is different, and we work 12-hour shifts. You don’t know what you’re gonna get. We all have to keep learning at this job because medicine is changing every day.” Married to a surgeon who commutes from a military hospital in California back to his family in the Boston area every week, the couple has 3 children they are devoted to. Says Erica: “If I can raise three good human beings who are respectful, inclusive, and God-fearing, then I’ve made it. That’s success to me. “ From war stories to love stories, patriotism and purpose, this interview has it all. Go ahead and hit that download button. #nurse #medicine #criticalcare #bostonmedflight #afghanistan #USAF #faith : RN, Boston Medflight, US Air Force Veteran bostonmedflight.org

Julie Gerstenblatt -310

June 4, 2025Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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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, strong, and determined female characters, Daughters of Nantucket explores the lonely lives of whaling wives, the secrecy of sexuality, and race relations on an island influenced by Quaker values. A lifelong writer and the proud mother of two grown children, Julie holds a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from Teachers College, Columbia University. In this interview, she shares the struggles writers often experience. Says Julie: “You write in silence and in secrecy, but you have to share it at some point with people, and you hope it does well, but there is so much rejection.” Always inspired to write books that teach AND entertain, Julie has another historical novel scheduled for release in 2026. She’s also ready to share her wisdom about what success really means. “Success is balance and fulfillment on a deeper level. It’s not about the material things and the “having,” it’s about being content in the “being.” Ready for a little inspiration? Go ahead and hit that download button. #nantucket #writer #historicalnovel : author, Daughters of Nantucket

The Story Behind Her Success with Candy O'Terry

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