Category Archives: Episodes

Hank Phillippi Ryan -327

October 23, 2025Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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That little girl in the hayloft always wanted to be a writer. I’m the poster child for following your dreams in midlife because I didn’t write my first book until I was 55. -Hank Phillippi Ryan

Imagine a 43-year career as an investigative reporter with 37 EMMYs and 14 Edward R. Murrow awards. Now imagine a brilliant midlife move, where all that experience manifests itself into writing mystery novels that are nail-biting thrillers. Welcome to the incredible story of Hank Phillippi Ryan. This queen of invention sat down in my living room with a cup of tea and the willingness to share a story filled with life lessons in bravery, curiosity, imagination, and just plain smarts. The author of 16 books, her latest is called All This Could Be Yours. The story follows Tessa Calloway, a debut author on a book tour, with a stalker who threatens everything she holds dear. Raised in rural Indiana, Hank (real name: Harriet Ann) admits she was a nerdy kid who wanted nothing more than to read her Nancy Drew books up in the hayloft. A Shakespeare major at Western College for Women in Oxford, Ohio, her career has taken her from politics to writing for Rolling Stone Magazine to radio and television, where her news director at WHDH in Boston tapped her as the station’s investigative reporter. “I’m not the funny one, says Hank. I hate to be lied to, and I love discovering the truth. Every one of those 37 EMMY awards represents a secret somebody didn’t want me to tell.” In this interview, she shares wisdom from her mother, and plenty of her own, including: “Worry is glue under your feet” and “success to me is one good idea a day.” For 27 minutes on the joy of reinvention, just hit that download button. #reinvention #mystery #author #television #investigativereporter

Jenna McCarthy -326

October 16, 2025Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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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 of 4-year-old twin boys and a 9-year-old daughter, Jenna was more concerned about their state of mind than her own. Surrounded by a large and supportive extended family, she had a double mastectomy and implants just 3 months ago and is now cancer-free. In this interview, Jenna gives thanks to the Ellie Fund elliefund.org, a local non-profit devoted to supporting breast cancer patients by funding care and providing hope. Determined to spread the word about early detection, Jenna says, “Schedule your mammogram today. What if I had waited another year? If there were some way to know that a person hearing my story went out and got her mammogram, I would heal so much.” #breastcancerawareness #mammogram #thestorybehindhersuccess wife, mother & breast cancer survivor elliefund.org

Dayla Arabella Santurri -325

October 9, 2025Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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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 is Bella Adventures, bellaadventures.com, a luxury travel brand where she’s been able to merge her lifelong love of travel with her decades-long success as an events architect to create once-in-a-lifetime journeys for her clients. In this episode, we talk about: the courage it takes to reinvent yourself, why travel can be a force for good in the world, and the absolute joy of doing what you love. Dayla is living proof that reinvention is the ultimate adventure. #thestorybehindhersuccess #candyoterry #travel #WomenInBusiness #Reinvention #BellaAdventures#FemaleFounders Bella Adventures bellaadventures.com @bellaadventures

Judith L. Pearson -324

October 2, 2025Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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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 breast cancer heroes: Shirley Temple Black, Rose Kushner, and Evelyn Lauder. These bold, unstoppable women used their celebrity to raise their voices, open doors, and change history for breast cancer patients everywhere. A 14-year survivor of the disease, Judy Pearson grew up on the shores of Lake Michigan, where she started writing poems and stories in a three-ring binder, perched on the limb of an old maple tree. In this interview, she opens up about her own survivorship. Says Judy: “I have a new lease on life. The sky is bluer, the grass is greener, and I’m using my survivorship to give back to the greater good. There’s healing in helping others. “ Download this episode for your chance to give a high-five to three women who were among the first warriors in the fight against breast cancer. #breastcancer #breastcancerawareness

Kendra Petrone -323

September 25, 2025Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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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 broadcasters, who are also the best of friends, host the station’s award-winning series, Exceptional Women. No stranger to media, Kendra has worked for over 17 years in both radio and television. A graduate of UMASS/Amherst, she is the daughter of a first-grade teacher who taught her to be persistent. In fact, Kendra says 98% of her success story is rooted in taking chances. “I’m terrified of everything, but I know that if I don’t do it, somebody else will, and if you don’t take chances, you’ll never know how far you can go. “ My mother used to say: ‘Failure is not a failure. Every time you fail, you learn.” Raised north of Boston in the town of Methuen, Kendra is proud of her roots and is an avid Boston sports fan. Her deep love for the Patriots grew out of a stint working for the team during two Super Bowl runs. The devoted wife of a police officer, Kendra is also the mother of three children, including two sons diagnosed early in life with Autism Spectrum Disorder. In this interview, she shares her joy in finding a community to rely on as she raises special needs children, and her commitment to support local charities, including Melmark New England, The Northeast Arc, and Rock the Spectrum. For 24 minutes of chutzpah from @kendratheentertainer, just hit that download button.

Meg Hogan -322

September 17, 2025Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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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 Home Care. www.bshcinfo.org. She’s spent her career in service to others, first as a direct care social worker, and then in healthcare and non-profit management. Meg is a champion for economically vulnerable seniors and those with disabilities, with a focus on empowering people to live at home, independently, for as long as possible. Raised by a widowed mom, it was Meg’s older sisters who were her mentors, and all three girls grew up to be leaders in their own fields. “No one ever said you can’t do that. We’re all really bossy, and we grew up fast after my father died.” A true believer in hard work, Meg’s alarm goes off at 3:30 every morning because “my brain is on fire and there is so much to be done. Success to me is how many people I have helped today.” For 22 minutes of passion and purpose, just hit that download button. #elderly #socialwork #seniorcare #caregiver #disabilities CEO of Boston Senior Home Care bshcinfo.org

Melissa Dupuis -321

September 11, 2025Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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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 was no time for egg retrieval and that the couple’s chances of having another child after her rigorous treatments were over were slim to none. In this interview, Melissa shares what happened next, and if you are emotional like me, you’ll need a Kleenex to dry your tears of joy. Buoyed by the love of her family and a promise she made to be strong for her daughter, Melissa wrote a children’s book called We Can Do Hard Things: A Mother’s Journey with Breast Cancer Through the Eyes of Her Daughter. Published by the female-owned imprint www.brileybaxterbooks.com, this beautifully illustrated book is written for children ages 2-5 and can be pre-ordered with this link: https://a.co/d/3mIRJpD. Says Melissa: “If you want to help your child understand illness in a lighter way, this book is for you because it’s a true story. These conversations between Sage and me really happened.” Survivorship is not easy, but Melissa has continued to be resilient. Spoiler alert: Remember the baby Melissa hoped to have someday? You’ll have to hit that download button to find out what happened! #childrensbook #breastcancer #motherhood Melissa Dupois author, We Can Do Hard Things brileybaxterbooks.com

Gwen Borden & Amy Goober -320

September 5, 2025Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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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. Teaming up with her daughter, Amy Goober, a dynamic women’s life coach and fearless entrepreneur, was kismet. Inspired to share their hard-earned wisdom, the idea for the book was hatched. Says Gwen: “ I gave birth to Amy, and she gave birth to the book. Amy did all the editing. All I had to do was tell my story, like I was talking to you in my living room. “ Packed with advice delivered with wit and humor, this book provides a mirror to the relationship between mother and daughter. Says Amy: “We were always close, but you don’t appreciate your mother until you are a mother. I thought I knew her life, and then we started writing this book, and the stories she told really complete the message of the 25 life lessons in our book. For 21 minutes of mother/daughter wisdom, like “the things we regret in life are the things we don’t do” and “Trust your gut, not your head” go ahead and hit that download button. You’re welcome! #mothers #daughters #wisdom #advice #resilience #trustyourgut co-authors, My Mother Always Says

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.

The Story Behind Her Success with Candy O'Terry

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