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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-time author, Leslie Lawrence is a 7-year breast cancer survivor www.leslielawrenceauthor.com. Written as a photographic memoir, I’m A Lucky Woman is filled with wisdom and deeply personal pictures that tell the story of one woman’s journey from diagnosis to survivorship. As the daughter of a woman who died of breast cancer, Leslie spent her adult life dreading every mammogram and hoping against hope that she would never hear the words “You have breast cancer.” Those four words were spoken when Leslie was 66, and her late mother, Isabel, remained her role model throughout her treatment for aggressive triple negative breast cancer. Blessed with a rock-solid marriage, a devoted son, a niece, and many friends who love her, Leslie’s tribe lifted her up, making it possible for her to endure every challenge. Says Leslie: “It was a old, framed cross-stitch on my wall that kept me hopeful, it reads: “Today is the tomorrow that worries you yesterday and all is well.” If you are newly diagnosed, I’m A Lucky Woman is an easy read, filled with the kind of wisdom only a survivor can impart. For a 22-minute dose of courage, a few laughs, and a fun little tune you can sing along to called The Mammogram Song by singer/songwriter Krisanthi Pappas, www.krisanthi.com, just hit that download button. #breastcancer #survivor #author #grateful

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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 students who have lost a parent to breast cancer. To date, the charity has awarded over 100,000 dollars in scholarships. Diagnosed at only 41 with stage 3B metastatic breast cancer, there was a time when she thought she might not live to see her son and daughter grow up and go off to college, but here she is today, a 25-year survivor. Determined to play an active role in her treatment and recovery, Theresa became her own best advocate. Her mastectomy was performed after four grueling rounds of chemotherapy and when her pathology revealed 17 active lymph nodes, she asked her care team for stem cell therapy and enrollment in a clinical trial for a drug called Herceptin. Says Theresa: Even if the clinical trial and all the other treatments didn’t work , I felt that it was my responsibility to be a part of breast cancer research for the next generation of women.” 18 months of treatments exhausted her in mind, body and soul, but during that time in her life, Theresa refused to give up or give in. “My love for my
children propelled me through the toughest days. I just couldn’t see anyone else raising my children. I got dressed every day, regardless of how badly I felt, and I put my makeup on. You look good, you feel better”. When her treatments were finally over, Theresa went right back to work as an engineer and launched the Pink Rose Foundation. In this interview, she’s got a lot of wisdom to share including advice for someone who is just getting started on her breast cancer journey: Take a day and cry. Process it. And then, the next day, wake up and decide you are going to WIN.” For 22 minutes with a survivor who beat the odds, just hit that download button. #breastcancer #metastaticbreastcancer #breastcancerawarenessmonth #courage #hope #grateful.

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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 whatever I could to stay alive. What scared me the most was the idea of leaving my children. Falling apart was not an option for me. “ Now the Executive Director of the One Wish Project, www.onewishproject.us, Claudia shares the story of how the non-profit was created 7 years ago by her daughter Hannah, who launched the charity with her babysitting money. Recently featured on Good Morning America, One Wish Project provides customized birthday celebrations for children and teens experiencing homelessness with the belief that every child’s birthday should be honored. What started with one birthday party for a 9-year-old child at a nearby shelter in 2017 has now turned into birthday celebrations for 1200 kids a year in shelters and foster care. Now a 20-year survivor, Claudia shares what kept her strong throughout her breast cancer battle. “There have been some dark times when I didn’t know if I would make it, but I learned that you have to live your life every single day as if you never received that diagnosis.” For 22 minutes of inspiration, just hit that download button. #breastcancer #birthday #survivor #charity

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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 Patisserie while taking care of her newborn baby. Years later, she and her husband purchased the historic Inn at Hastings Park in Lexington, Massachusetts, where she is both an innkeeper and a culinary educator, dazzling her guests with her delicious culinary creations. Born and raised in Puerto Rico in a neighborhood that was both flavorful and loud, Trisha remembers that “everyone was running in and out of everyone’s houses and wherever you landed at mealtime, that was where you got fed.” The devoted mother of three, Trisha has passed on the traditions of her Puerto Rican culture. “Gathering around the table for a meal is a sacred time” says Trisha. “It’s where conversations happen. Plus, research shows that children who eat with their parents have greater academic success.” In this interview, we follow Trisha through her life and the bold decisions she has made, culminating in the exquisite restoration of the Inn at Hastings Park, which boasts 22 rooms, each decorated in a unique way for guests who become like family. Opened in 2014, the property includes 3 buildings, all built in the mid-1800s and just a stone’s throw from historic Lexington Green. With grounds that boast landscaping that evolves through the seasons, Trisha’s Inn is an oasis for the soul and a huge accomplishment for a woman who has explored her many talents with gusto. For 23 minutes of a chef’s delicious story, just hit that download button. #innkeeper #chef #cordonbleu #lexington #culinaryarts

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Why isn’t there a better vodka out there so that people aren’t train wrecks the next day? VELO Vodka is the solution for a new generation of vodka drinkers.
-Colleen & Riley Eyges

We’ve had many entrepreneurs on the show, but never a mother/daughter duo! Meet Colleen and Riley Eyges, founders of VELO Vodka www.velovodka.com. A single mom for decades, Colleen raised her daughter to be strong and independent. Their chemistry in this interview reflects what makes their partnership work: “The secret to my success is grit and determination, says Colleen. For Riley, it is being relentless.” Finally launched in August of 2021 after being forced to wait out the pandemic, the idea for creating a new kind of vodka was planted when the two met a waitress who was clearly hungover from partying the night before. Colleen started researching existing brands and found a hole that a new vodka could thrive in. Concocted at a local distillery in South Boston after 17 iterations, VELO Vodka is specially made to provide a super smooth and refreshing taste; plus, it’s corn-based, which makes it Gluten-free. Targeted toward women 21-55, it took six months to find a distributor, and today, the brand can be found in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. With over 600 accounts, including Total Wines, Whole Foods, and several Marriott and Hilton properties, VELO Vodka is growing by leaps and bounds, thanks to the belief that women love to support women-owned businesses. Says Colleen, “When I get up at 6:30 in the morning, the first thing I do is look at our sales reports from the night before, and very often, that news determines my mood for the day.” Yes, there have been obstacles for this mother/daughter duo, but they believe that there are lessons to be learned in both failure and success. Colleen and Riley will not stop until VELO Vodka is a household name. For 23 minutes of the kind of entrepreneurial advice you need to succeed, just hit that download button! @velovodka #entrepreneur #mother #daughter #thestorybehindhersuccess

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You can be the best leader EVER, but who can do anything on their own? You need a village.
-Vanessa Calderon-Rosado, PhD

Welcome to the story of Vanessa Calderon-Rosado, a trailblazing Latina with a passion for social justice and for creating community. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, she’s got a PhD in public policy and has proudly served as CEO of Inquilinos Boricuas en Accion (IBA) www.ibaboston.org for the past 20+ years. One of the largest and most successful Latina-led non-profits in our country, IBA is a national model of economic development with a mission to change lives by providing high-quality, affordable housing, educational programs, and exposure to the arts. In this interview, Vanessa shares the pride she feels when she sees people’s lives transformed by the services IBA provides. Shelter is more than a roof over someone’s head, says Vanessa. “It’s about building vibrant, safe, healthy communities where people can thrive.” Raised in San Juan in a loving but strict household, Vanessa and her older brother were surrounded by a huge extended family that included grandparents, aunts, uncles, and lots of cousins. Her mother was a nurse, and her dad owned car dealerships. The values her parents instilled revolved around the importance of hard work and the morale obligation to give back. Vanessa came stateside to receive her graduate degree from UMASS and her doctorate from Cambridge College thirty-two years ago and never left. The mother of two sons, Vanessa says that her greatest work has been as a parent. “Motherhood is not for everyone, but it is for me. A good life is leaving behind seeds that will continue to grow.” As a trailblazer and social justice champion, Vanessa stands on the shoulders of the many women who have come before her. “I need to do this work,” says Vanessa, “it keeps me going.” For 23 minutes of non-stop inspiration, just hit that download button. #socialjustice #trailblazer #shelter #puertorico #latina

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Success is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration. I was never the most talented. I was never the smartest, but I was always willing to do the work. -Alison Quandt Westgate

We’re on the road this week! This interview with Alison Quandt Westgate was recorded at the Costello Athletic Center at UMASS Lowell www.goriverhawks.com soon after the school’s student-athletes arrived back on campus. Known to her friends and colleagues as “Q” Alison is a former women’s ice hockey champion and goalie coach. Off the ice, she’s made a career for herself working in college athletics, first at her alma mater #bostoncollege and now at UMASS/Lowell as the Associate Athletic Director for Student Athlete Excellence. A champion for women’s sports, she’s a true believer in the transforming power sports can have on a person. Born and raised just outside of Boston, Alison grew up in a household full of sports lovers. Pond hockey was the game of choice in her neighborhood full of boys, so they put her in goal. Scrappy by nature, Alison says the key ingredient to her early success as an athlete was fearlessness: “I wasn’t afraid to get down and dirty, to muck it up.” A stand-out player in high school, she was recruited by Boston College and skated with the women’s hockey team throughout her college experience, winning countless awards and being named the 2006 Beanpot Tournament’s outstanding goaltender. Her rich experience as an athlete has been a beacon for her philosophy as she guides student-athletes: “I lead by example,” says Alison. “I will never ask anyone to do something I would not do myself. I may not be very vocal about it, but you will see me walking the walk every day.” In her role at At UMASS/Lowell Alison oversees everything that touches a student athlete’s daily life. 37% of the school’s population are first-generation college students. “They grind,” says Alison. “They work for every single win and there is no replacement for hard work.” For 23 minutes of athletic inspiration, just hit that download button. #sports #womensicehockey #perseverence #studentathlete

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As a 6-year-old, I remember deciding I’m not going to be fearful; I’m going to be furious. -Jodi Tolman

When your childhood is fractured by emotional abuse and the threat of violence, it’s easy to lack confidence and lose your way as an adult.  For Jodi Tolman, there have been plenty of mistakes and regrets, but there have also been incredible triumphs in her life.   Her secret weapon?  resiliency!  Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Jodi adored her mother and feared her father, who she describes as “an angry man who would reach for his belt.” The youngest of three children, she recalls making herself small and invisible so that she could hide beneath the dining room buffet cabinet when things got loud and scary at her house.  Says Jodi:   “I thought my mother could save me.  My safety was in her arms. “ An unstoppable force of nature,  Jodi has experienced 27 different career iterations.  Looking back, she regrets her decision to drop out of college one month before graduation at the University of Ohio, but Jodi wanted to be a singer, just like her mother.   In this interview, she shares her experiences as a singing waitress at the Improv in Los Angeles and New York, where she worked alongside Jay Leno and Robin Williams.   A seasoned voice-over talent, business-to-business pro, and sales consultant,  Jodi also spent 15 years working with senior citizens as they transitioned from their homes to senior living communities.  Married three times, Jodi is the proud mother of three children:  one born naturally, one by adoption, and one by a donor egg.   These days, she talks to parents in the throws of infertility, answering their questions and sharing her story.  Say Jodi:  “Parenting comes from the doing, not from the pregnancy”  Her memoir One from Each Column is planned for release in 2025.  A sought-after public speaker, Jodi’s keynote address, “Triumph Over Trauma: Inspiring Belief That Life-Long Dreams Can Still Come True, “ includes her radical theory about childhood abuse.   #childhoodtrauma #resilience #fertility #adoption  

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A concussion is a broken brain. And it doesn’t have to be just a hit to the head. It is an impact on your body that moves up to your brain. -Lynne Becker

Welcome to part 2 of a concussion story every mom, dad, coach, caregiver, and healthcare professional needs to hear. The single mother of two, Lynne Becker’s daughters were both athletes, but when her daughter Natalie was hit at point-blank range with a soccer ball, she got the phone call no parent wants to receive. Natalie was knocked unconscious. The athletic trainer reported that she couldn’t speak or remember her name. This jarring hit to the 17-year-old’s head would unfold in a journey that lasted over 4 years and included 26 brain bleeds, changes to her personality, and the need for homeschooling. In this interview, Lynne shares that her expertise as a biostatistician and an epidemiologist was a secret weapon that would lead to unlocking the many mysteries of how traumatic brain injuries or TBIs are reported and observed. While caring for Natalie full-time, Lynne lost her job but was soon recruited by the Department of Defense and tasked with building a real-world, brain injury database for Special Operations teams. As she began compiling data on Seals and Green Berets, she asked herself: “What is the common denominator? What makes the injury of a 30-year-old Green Beret in a bomb blast similar to a 17-year-old girl injured by a hit to the side of the head with a soccer ball?” Thanks to Lynne’s work with the DOD, she learned about the use of bio-neuro-feedback for the treatment of TBI, and in just 5 sessions, Natalie stopped napping every day and was even able to complete her college degree. Born and raised in a little “whistle-stop” town in upstate New York, Lynne is the founder of powerofpatients.com, where she is devoted to helping those with brain injuries actively engage in their health and well-being. #concussion #TBI #thestorybehindhersuccess