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I had a dream that I was going to be the Perry Mason of my day.
-Susan Cohen, Immigration Attorney

The topic of immigration is on the lips of millions of Americans, so we searched for a woman who could teach us all about it, based on her real-life experience. Meet Susan Cohen, founder & chair of the immigration practice at Mintz, one of the most prestigious law firms in the United States. Susan took on her first immigration case as a second year associate, back in 1986 and she’s been at it ever since. Raised by a single mother who was a social worker, her passion to speak out against injustice, to do what she can for others, was taught early on and then nurtured during her college experience at Brandeis University where Susan began marching and demonstrating for causes she believed in. Nationally recognized as an expert on immigration law, Susan’s mission is to get people to understand the human side of of the refugee crisis. An accomplished songwriter, Susan is the founder of White Dove Projects and in collaboration with students at Berklee College of Music she has created two music videos that tell the stories of refugees: Beyond The Borders and Looking for the Angels. Susan also serves as a volunteer for the PAIR Project  where she helps refugees seek political asylum. “In countries like Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, young people are forced to enter gangs and if they resist, they are marked for death. Refugees are looking for someplace to be safe. Most people don’t want to flee their homeland. They have to flee for their lives.”  @BWME   #storybehindhersuccess    #16LifeLessons    #mydoveproductions #worldrefugeeday

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Still to this day, when I wake up, I am grateful to be here in the United States. -Mojgan Anvari Brumby

This episode comes to us from a woman raised in Tehran, Iran. The daughter of a 4-time world champion Greco-Roman wrestler who represented Iran in the 1968 and the 1972 Olympics, Mojgan told me her childhood was idyllic. Rolling hills, gigantic trees and orchards filled with fruit trees were all around her, and Mojgan’s favorite thing was to climb trees: “every time I saw a tree, I wondered what the view was like from the top.” As a national hero, her father enjoyed the favor of the Shah of Iran, so when the Islamic Revolution took place, her family was targeted by the new government . Her father was arrested, and most of their ancestral land was confiscated. Determined to provide their daughter with an education, Mojgan’s parents sent her to college and law school in Tehran where she ended up serving in the Islamic Family Court. Arrested for protesting in the streets for the rights of women, Mojgan’s parents urged her to leave the country, not just for her safety, but for their own. Arriving in the United States in 2001 with a 6 month Visa, Mojgan requested and received political asylum. Alone and only 23, she learned to speak English by listening to the radio. Now a proud American citizen, her latest chapter brings her back to her Persian roots. Mojgan is the founder of an all-natural skin care line called Blue Monarch www.bluemonarch.com. Made in the USA and never tested on animals, Blue Monarch products are based on remedies passed down to Mojgan from generations of women in her family. For a master class in how to overcome adversity, take a listen to this powerful interview.    @BWME   #storybehindhersuccess    #16LifeLessons    #mydoveproductions

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Success is not a dollar amount. It is being able to show my children what good feels like. Everything I’ve done over the last 6 years shows them that serving others is so much better than serving yourself. -Krista S. Anderson

Sacrifice. Loneliness. Fear and pride. These are four words that come to mind when I think of what it must be like to be a military spouse. Now, let’s increase the stress and imagine what it must be like to be the wife of a U.S. Army Special Forces soldier. This is a woman who doesn’t even know where her husband is, what kind of danger he is in, or if he will live to see another day. In 2013, Krista S. Anderson’s greatest fear became a reality when her husband, Staff Sergeant Michael Simpson was killed in Afghanistan. The mother of two small children, Krista co-founded The Unquiet Professional, a non-profit that provides healthy and empowering opportunities to surviving families. She is the Gold Star Liaison for the Green Beret Foundation and a member of numerous boards. Now the wife of active duty Green Beret Master Sergeant Gus Anderson, Krista is the Military Spouse Ambassador for Army Emergency Relief and the 2018 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year. Krista is the co-author of Her Ruck: Inside the Emotional Backpacks of Military Wives, due to be published in May 2020. In this interview, Krista shares what the last 6 years have been like for her, including the wisdom she has learned along the way. “I want military spouses to thrive, not just to survive. Every separation, every loss matters.“ @BWME   #storybehindhersuccess    #16LifeLessons    #mydoveproductions

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I’m terrified of heights. I’m terrified of falling. I was at a moment in my life when I needed a goal to focus on, so I decided to climb all 48 of New Hampshire’s tallest mountains. -Diane Pisciotta

This episode is all about the mountains we have to climb to get to where we want to go. Meet Diana Pisciotta, President of Denterlein, a Boston-based PR & communications company. While Diana’s expertise crosses many industries, she is best known for her crisis communications experience. Together with founder Geri Denterlein, Diana has taken great pride in tripling the agency’s size and client base over the last 15 years, but it was her experience as a mountain climber that redefined her personal and professional life. Climbing all of New Hampshire’s 48 mountains took four years and along the way, Diana learned many life lessons. Mountain climbing became an exercise in maximizing strengths, managing weaknesses, recognizing when to ask for help, and finally, strategizing the best path to the top. And when it comes to work ethic, Diana has her parents to thank. Their mom & pop hardware store in New Jersey is where Diana started stocking the shelves at only six. The importance of customer service, value, risk, relationships and trust are just a few of the lessons her parents taught her. The mother of a little boy getting ready for his first day in kindergarten, Diana Pisciotta is a working mom with an open heart and plenty of wisdom to share.   @BWME   #storybehindhersuccess    #16LifeLessons    #mydoveproductions

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You are the author of the story of your life. Who do you want to be? What’s the footprint you want to leave on this earth? -Katie Wood

If you are in need of a push in the right direction, Katie Wood is just the woman to show you the way! Meet a woman who has devoted her career to helping women reach their fullest potential, to believe in themselves, and to not only dream, but DO! Determined to find a way to make money from home in order to put her family first, Katie joined Rodan + Fields, the popular skin care line. Along the way, she discovered that company founders Katie Rodan and Kathy Fields personified the kind of life she wanted to lead herself. Katie’s sense of entrepreneurship and her tireless work ethic are family values, inherited from her parents who risked it all to restore an old home by the ocean in Niantic, Connecticut. Now called The Inn at Harbor Hill Marina, the property is considered one of the nation’s most beautiful and successful bed and breakfast properties. Katie says: “my parents taught me that hard work will always pay off if you just keep going. Most people quit when they are just about to hit gold. I believe that if you can see it, you can do it.” Now expecting her fourth child, Katie and her husband experienced one of life’s most difficult challenges following the birth of their daughter Gabriella. Born with craniosynostosis, their daughter required 7 hours of emergency surgery and 150 stitches in her head at Boston Children’s Hospital. It was Gabriella’s brave journey that inspired a philosophy Katie lives by: “Gratitude is everything. Live your life like it is rigged in your favor.” Her website: www.katielwood.com is a treasure trove of inspiration including a 5 week online course called The Jourse and a monthly membership program called The Power of H.E.R. @BWME   #storybehindhersuccess    #16LifeLessons    #mydoveproductions

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When the red light goes on and I’m on the air, I don’t think about the thousands of people who are watching me. I just try to connect with one person. -Joy Lim Nakrin

Words of wisdom from NBC 10 & NECN Boston news anchor Joy Lim Nakrin. She has spent much of her professional life in front of the camera, not just here in the United States, but on ESPN and MTV Asia and as the host of a reality show in Malaysia. Joy moved through television markets, most recently from Fox 25 in Hartford, Connecticut to Boston, and along the way, has been grateful for every opportunity she has had to learn her craft. The child of immigrants, Joy grew up in rural North Carolina and is of Chinese, Filipino and Jewish decent. When her relatives had a hard time understanding English, it was Joy who stepped in as their interpreter. Education was held in high regard in Joy’s home and she recalls getting punished if she didn’t get straight A’s in school. She began her college experience as a pre-med major, only to shift to philosophy when she realized she just couldn’t stand the sight of blood! Faced with what her next step in life would be, Joy applied to Duke University Law School and became one of college’s youngest graduates. That law degree has served Joy well, giving her an extra dose of confidence and legal knowledge when it comes to pointed questions. A passionate advocate for the Boston area’s Chinese and Filipino population, Joy volunteers her time on behalf of the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, is a spokesperson for the MSPCA’s Clear The Shelters Campaign and serves on the board of the Asian American Journalists Association of New England.     @BWME   #storybehindhersuccess    #16LifeLessons    #mydoveproductions

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Ten days after our son was born, the doctors sat us down and said that he was going to be a vegetable. -Lauren Pimpare

Lauren’s story is both heartbreaking and uplifting, all at the same time. A successful executive in the healthcare field, Lauren is a big believer in the power of the word “we”, so she founded two organizations called Tomorrow’s Women Today and the Boston Women’s Leadership Council. At that time in her life, the sky was the limit. It was June 15, 2011 and Lauren was in labor with her second child. The city of Boston was alive with excitement as the Bruins shut out Vancouver 4-0 in game 7 of the Stanley Cup. Always huge hockey fans, Lauren and her husband decided to name their son “Boston” in honor of the Bruin’s victory. And then, the unthinkable happened. Lauren’s baby experienced a traumatic brain injury during childbirth. On a day that started with bliss, Lauren’s world turned upside down. Eight years later, the lessons have been many. The same women Lauren rallied to form her supportive professional organizations have come running to her door to offer help with open hearts and hands. Her climb up the career ladder experienced a full stop, but her journey remains rich and meaningful. “When women come together, we’re unstoppable. You can’t quiet us. We’re loud and powerful and we have a lot to say”. If you have a child with special needs, this episode will fill you with hope and love. @BWME   #storybehindhersuccess    #16LifeLessons    #mydoveproductions

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Nothing feels more incredible than saving someone’s life. -Shannon Silvestri

Meet Shannon Silvestri: wife, mother, marathoner, coach, fitness instructor and organ donor. A longtime resident of the little seaside town of Beverly, Massachusetts, Shannon was a champion field hockey player who received a scholarship to Boston College where she was later inducted into the school’s athletic Hall of Fame. When her daughters were born, Shannon made the decision to be a stay at home mom, diving head first into volunteer work for their school and town as a coach and at the Beverly YMCA as a fitness instructor. A billboard in town showed the picture of a woman named Deb Debski and the question: “Could you be the one?” You see, Deb was in desperate need of a liver transplant. Shannon called the number on the billboard to see if she could be tested as a match. “I felt like God called me to do this, and if I didn’t do it, I knew Deb would die.” Many tests later, Shannon was told she was a perfect match for Deb. The lengthy surgery was performed and Deb’s life was saved. “It’s overwhelming to think there’s a part of me inside her, keeping her alive” says Shannon. “I call her my other half”. We call this story inspiring. If you have ever thought about organ donation, this episode is for you. #motherrunner  #americanliverfoundation  @BWME   #storybehindhersuccess    #16LifeLessons    #mydoveproductions