Category Archives: Episodes

Catherine Pisacane -176

October 28, 2021Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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Success is when you help somebody on a path to a better tomorrow. – Catherine Pisacane

There is no shortage of women doing great things with their lives and Catherine Pisacane is proof of that. For her, success is not measured by fame or fortune, but rather, by the impact she makes on her community. After hearing a news story about 4 brothers who had been removed from their home by the police after it was discovered that they were being starved by their parents, Catherine noticed that each child had been given a stuffed animal by the police officer, as a way of comforting them. Catherine was inspired to do her own stuffed animal drive and after receiving thousands of stuffed animals, she donated them to fire and police departments, as well as social services. In 2003, Project Smile was born with a broad mission: dedicated to helping people in need. In 2020, she launched another initiative called Suites & Smiles which provides work attire for men of all ages and ethnic backgrounds who face barriers to getting a job because they don’t have the clothing they need to show up at a job interview. In this episode, Catherine gives advice to anyone who wants to create a non-profit. She also reflects on why doing what she does brings her so much joy, and what success really means.

Beth Veneto aka “Ginger Betty” -175

October 20, 2021Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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This is all about heart, it’s about passion, it’s about giving back. -Beth Veneto “Ginger Betty”

Beth Veneto calls her bakery Ginger Betty’s www.gingerbettys.com and the cookies she bakes are filled with love. One of 8 children raised in Quincy, Massachusetts, Beth’s cookie story began when she was about 10 years old, while baking gingerbread under the watchful eye of her big sister, Karen. For Beth, baking gingerbread cookies became a passion, not just at Christmas time, but all year long. In 1995, she decided to make her dream of opening her own bakery at delicious reality and Ginger Betty’s was opened on a little side street in North Quincy, MA. It wasn’t long before the smell of her soft, gingersnap cookies filled the air and loyal customers lined up for her yummy macaroons covered in M&M’s, brownies to die for and personalized gingerbread boys, girls, brides and grooms. A new, 5,000 square foot location was found and today, Ginger Betty and her team ship their products far and wide. A true patriotic, Beth created the Ginger Betty Foundation to support U.S. troops. She is the author of two children’s books: “Ginger Betty, the Gingerbread Girl” & “Ginger Betty’s Christmas.” In this interview, Beth shares her sweet philosophy about the importance of living your dreams, sharing cookies, and making friends.

Dallas Reed, MD -174

October 14, 2021Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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If I won the lottery, I would still come back and do this. To me, that’s success. – Dallas Reed, MD.

Dr. Dallas Reed loves what she’s doing with her life and it shows. In this interview, she reveals that a tragic loss early in her life shaped her decision to focus on women’s reproductive health and perinatal genetics. Raised in Plano, Texas in a bi-racial home, Dallas was always at the top of her class. She attended Dillard University as an undergrad and won a prestigious scholarship that enabled her to travel to London to attend King’s College. Dallas joined the Boston University School of Medicine Early School Selection Program and would go on to graduate from Boston University Medical School. These days, Dr. Reed is using all of her talents as the division Chief of Genetics in the pediatric department at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, MA where she is also the Director of Perinatal Genetics, an attending physician in the OB/GYN department, chair of several leadership positions within the hospital, and Assistant Professor of OB/GYN at Tufts Medical School. But what makes this interview very special, is Dr. Reed’s recent experience as the mother of baby boy born 13 weeks early and her devotion to the work being done by the March of Dimes around healthcare inequities for brown and black mothers and babies. For a look into the life a woman driven to do what she loves for the greater good, hit that download button.

Catharine Smith -173

October 7, 2021Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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Success is the opportunity to elevate what other people are doing. -Catharine Smith

This week’s story is about a woman who has been leading others since she was in her 20’s. From her humble roots in the midwest to traveling to Argentina, Brazil and Uraguay on a Fulbright scholarship, Catharine Smith has always been focused on social action. The time she spent in these countries shaped her views about how economic cooperation can lead to better outcomes for all, especially women and families. The stories women in these countries shared with her are etched in her mind and have followed her on a career path that includes The Harvard Center for Primary Care and the Clinton Foundation, where Catharine was part of a team that worked with faith leaders in the south to create a deeper understanding of our nation’s opioid epidemic. These days, you’ll find Catharine leading the way as the Executive Director of The Termeer Foundation, one of the most influential foundations in the world. The Termeer Foundation is named after biotech genius, Henri Termeer, the Dutch biotechnology genius and CEO of Genzyme. Created in honor of Henri after his sudden death in 2017 by friends, colleagues and mentees, The Termeer Foundation continues Henri’s lifelong work around finding cures for rare diseases, patient centered care and continued mentoring of the next generation of biotech leaders.

Nancy Parshley -172

September 30, 2021Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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Success means doing something every day with purpose, that you love. The money is good, but that is such a small piece of it. If you love what you do, and you do it with purpose and you give it everything you have, that’s success. -Nancy Parshley

In this inspiring interview, we meet another woman who was nominated by a friend to be featured on the show. Nancy Parshley is the co-founder of Infinite Media. She and her husband have been running the very successful marketing and advertising company for 27 years. She’s a go-getter and she’s really good at what she does. But when her own hairline started to recede, she became self-conscious about it. Wigs came into her life and started taking up a lot of space in her head. Women started asking her about her very cool hairstyles and she soon became known as the Wig Whisperer. Today, she is the owner of Mane Attraction Wigs in the little town of Peabody, Massachusetts where she works one-on-one with women who have hair loss from alopecia, genetic dispositions like thinning hair and female pattern baldness, and as a result of chemotherapy. What she treasures most is the bond she forms with every person who comes into her store and the gratifying moments when she sees her customer’s self-esteem transformed when they try on the perfect wig. In this interview, Nancy shares her devotion to the LGBTQ community, explaining that her door is open wide to people in transition. Building her business during the pandemic has been difficult, but like so many entrepreneurs, Nancy has figured out a way to succeed in her mission to help her customers see themselves in a whole new way.

Lainey Dionne -171

September 25, 2021Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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I hope to be successful in music and that doesn’t necessarily mean becoming famous. I just want to be able to be happy in what I’m doing, to make a living and to touch other people’s souls.
-Lainey Dionne

Talent is all around us, but only the very few achieve stardom. Meet singer/songwriter Lainey Dionne of Rhode Island. She’s a proud Berklee College grad with an interesting story about how she graduated from one of the most prestigious music schools in the world…in record time. To meet her is to be in the company of someone who lights up the room. But make no mistake about, her journey has not been sunshine and roses. She has known illness and adversity, too. What sets Lainey apart is her positive mindset. No matter what happens, she is driven to achieve. Lainey is the 2020 recipient of the Unsigned Only Competition in the Adult Contemporary category and has won 2nd place twice in the New England Songwriting competition. She has been nominated for Best Solo/Acoustic Act, Best Americana Act and Best College Act at the Worcester Music Awards and Best Breakthrough Act at the famous Rhode Island Motif Awards and has been a finalist in the International Songwriting Competition. Her latest album was recorded in Nashville and is called Self Titled. If you have a dream, Lainey’s story will ignite your passion to make it happen.

“Molly” the Army Wife -169

September 9, 2021Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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This is truly a matter of life or death. -”Molly” Anonymous Army Wife

No matter what your politics are, there is a gigantic humanitarian crisis going on right now in Afghanistan. When the last plane left Kabul on August 31, 2021, thousands of people including Americans and Afghan interpreters and their families were left behind. Many news outlets are ignoring this story, but the truth is that acts of violence are being perpetrated by the Taliban as you are reading these show notes. Enter, “Molly”… that’s not her real name. She is an Army wife who needs to remain anonymous. Molly is working together with other military spouses to create an underground, long-distance life line for our allies in Afghanistan. The Taliban will show no mercy toward Afghans who served as interpreters during the 20 year war, and service members who worked alongside these men are determined to honor their code of honor to leave no one behind. In this interview, Molly describes what she has experienced trying to save lives behind enemy lines, including stories about what is happening to women and girls under Taliban rule. www.evacuateourallies.org and www.nooneleft.org. #AfghanEvac

Hildy Grossman -168

September 2, 2021Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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I hate the word “no”. I hate the words “you can’t do it” and I hate “its been done before.”
-Hildy Grossman

When she was just a little girl growing up in Cincinnati, Hildy Grossman knew that singing on a stage would be part of her life. Her father was the owner of a famous night club called The Beverly Hills Country Club and among the many A-list performers who appeared there, Lena Horne was her favorite. Years later, the jazz singer with an impressive repertoire would become one of the founding members of the Follen Angels, singing timeless jazz tunes, songs from the American songbook, and even Cabaret songs in German, French and Russian. The mother of two and a clinical psychologist by day, Hildy developed her talents as a director and producer with the creation of the Devotion Follies for 10 years. When a surprise lung cancer diagnosis shook her to her core, she harnessed more of her boundless energy to create a non-profit called Upstage Lung Cancer which has raised over 3 million dollars earmarked for cutting edge, early detection and research. In this inspiring interview, you will meet a woman who has spent her life developing her talents, and using them every day. For this passionate singer, producer, director, playwright, novelist, podcaster, fundraiser and clinical psychologist, the sky is the limit. #upstagelungcancer

1 More From the Floor -167

July 23, 2021Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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There’s a new Candy O in town. She’s a little less driven about what’s ahead and lot more grateful for what is right in front of her. – Candy O’Terry

By the time I release this podcast, it will be 49 days since I seriously injured my lower back. Some people call it “blowing out your back”, and that’s actually a pretty good way to describe it.
I have a herniated disc at L4 and L5 and S1 where all the nerve roots are covered with the material that ruptured from the disc. When that happens, the pain is unbearable because those nerves get all fired up. I can’t even begin to tell you how much agony this injury has caused me, and how much I have learned from it. In this episode, I’ll introduce you to a 98 year old woman named Eloise who was my roommate in the hospital for three days. They say that people come into our lives for a reason, and I’m so glad Eloise came into mine. We may only have known one another for 72 hours, but the lessons she taught me changed my life forever. I may have taught her how to be a little more patient, but she taught me to be grateful for exactly where I am in my life.

4 Life Lessons From The Floor -166

June 17, 2021Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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Every once in a while, we have to get thrown down on the floor to see the world from a new perspective. That’s where we come to understand what really matters. That’s where we press the re-set button and learn some of life’s greatest lessons. -Candy O’Terry

I’m recording this episode in bed, flat on my back with a ruptured disc. After a 5 day stay in the hospital, I’m still in a lot of pain, but I didn’t want to miss this time with you. I’ve been thinking long and hard about the life lessons I’ve learned this week, so I came up with 4 life lessons from the floor…and my hope is that they might just help you if you are ever faced with an injury or an illness and you need some guidance, or a virtual hand to hold….maybe even a laugh…or a smile. And please forgive how I sound. One of the many things I’ve learned down here is that you become smaller. Your voice loses its power, you feel diminished, weak, a burden and kind of like a loser. It’s humbling down here, and that is lesson #1 from the floor.

The Story Behind Her Success with Candy O'Terry

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