Category Archives: Episodes

Hilary Porta -159

April 22, 2021Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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In my practice, we really peel it back. We get pretty naked with it and we architect a life where you can have greater impact, service to others, and beautiful relationships. – Hilary Porta

Hilary Porta is a success coach, a life architect, a business alchemist and a mindset ninja who lives her life on all cylinders. Whether you listen to this episode on your smartphone, your laptop or on your favorite radio station, today’s guest brings the power of positivity to everything she does and you are going to feel it. She is a bright and shining example of a success story on steroids. Raised in Tennessee, Hilary shares the experience of a childhood trauma that shaped her life for quite some time, leaving her feeling dirty and unworthy saying: “sometimes you have to be broken in order to be used as an instrument.” The work she does for others as a success coach is the result of her own self-discovery about how to tap into her strength through faith and to see life through a different lens. Hilary says: “we get so disconnected sometimes, and that’s when we have to pull back and remember who we really are.” The Founder of R3 International & Principal/CEO of H Porta, Hilary works with high energy, high potential people in just about every field. www.hilaryporta.com. She’s also a contributing writer for more than 35 publications including Forbes and is considered one of the world’s top Success Coaches. a life architect, a Business Alchemist…and a mindset ninja. #thelifearchitect #success

Heidi Edwards -158

April 15, 2021Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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The geneticist said: you are negative for the mutation and my husband and I just collapsed into each other’s arms. -Heidi Edwards

Imagine what it would be like if your family genetics harbored a deadly disease that began with symptoms like slowed movements, poor balance, memory impairment, speech changes, personality changes and then, dementia. Now imagine that 50% of your relative’s genetic pool might contain this rare mutation for which there is no cure. That is exactly what happened to Heidi Edward’s family. Hereditary diffuse leukoencephalopathy with spheroids or HDLS, now
known as Adult-onset leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids and pigmented glia or ALSP was not an easy disease to research because it is so rare. It took medical scientists 13 years to properly identify the genetic mutation that existed in her family and by then, 4 of her closest relatives had. Says Heidi “we were walking on egg shells because we have such a large family and we wondered who would get the disease next. Heidi decided to be tested to see if she had the mutation and was relieved when geneticists told her she was negative. Today, her twin sister is in the end stages of the disease. As President and Founder of Sisters’ Hope Foundation www.sistershopefoundation.com, Heidi is more determined than ever to raise awareness, education and support, not just for her family but for other families who have suffered quietly for so long. “I’ve been chosen to carry on this mission says Heidi. I’m the only sibling without the disease and I have to keep pushing forward.”

Lau Lapides -157

April 9, 2021Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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I always felt like I was running a race. Like I was keepin’ score. I had to do more, I had to do better. My husband would always say: who is keeping score? You’re enough. -Lau Lapides

Lau (short for Laurie) Lapides has always known what she wanted to do. Raised in Randolph, MA she remembers vividly that as a child, all she wanted to do was dance. As a teenager, she discovered acting and that passion for the stage continues to this day. The Founder of Lau Lapides Company, Lau holds an MFA from the University of California at Irvine and she has honed her skills as an actor, director, teacher, consultant, executive coach and speech coach. All of these specialities have come full circle to bring her where she is today as the leader of a dynamic team of talented coaches and production pros at laulapidescompany.com. The recipient of many awards, Lau takes great pride in nurturing the talents of others: “I look for people who come from a place of authenticity. I call that bringing the real. The real is you and your history, your personality. As a coach, it’s always about layering the cake, not tearing it down and baking it all over again.” For a bird’s eye view into the heart of a true talent, hit that download button. #acting

Lyn Burke -156

April 2, 2021Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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I do wake up happy. If you stay focused, and positive, nothing can get you down. -Lyn Burke

In the spotlight, a woman who is devoting her career to lighting up the night, and inspiring us all. She is the co-founder and executive director of a local non-profit called LuminArtz which is one of the Northeast’s most influential producers of large scale, light-based art works www.luminartz.org. There is something magical about light installations because they require us to use our own imagination, to open up our hearts and our senses, and experience their beauty as a community. What inspires Lyn to do this work and why does it matter so much to her? The daughter of a politician, she got her start as a lobbyist and also worked in the gaming and lottery industries, but in the middle of her career, a life long love of art lead her back to where her heart belongs: public art. A resident of Gloucester, Massachusetts, which is a historic fishing village and artist colony, Lyn is right where she belongs, b

Suzanne Crociati -155

March 26, 2021Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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I look back at all my hurdles and I’ve learned so much from them. I know I wouldn’t be who I am today without them. -Suzanne Crociati

Suzanne Crociati was in college when her parents divorced. This kind of thing happens all the time, but for Suzanne, it was a rude awakening about how vulnerable a woman can be when her marriage ends and she doesn’t have a handle on her finances. Suzanne never forgot how hard her mother’s life became. Today she is the founder of the Women’s Initiative Team, an all-female group of experts including Suzanne as the financial advisor with team members in the fields of real estate, accounting, healthcare, law, plus a licensed marriage and family therapist. The goal is simple: to offer guidance and support to women when they need it the most. To find out more, just go do www.womensinitiativeteam.com and for a dose of empowerment, hit that download button!

Raven Blair Glover -154

March 18, 2021Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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We have to speak what we want. If you want success in life, you’ve gotta walk the walk and talk the talk until you get there. -Raven Blair Glover

It’s always my goal to introduce you to a woman who will inspire you, and in this episode, we hit the jackpot. Why? Because Raven Blair Glover’s success story didn’t ignite until she was 55 years old, and everyday since then, she’s been on fire! Raven is the founder of the Raven International Broadcast Empire which includes podcasts, radio shows, TV, consulting services, a development deal with Roku, and an agency where podcasters can learn how to monetize their content. It’s hard to believe that the same woman who created this empire used to make ten dollars an hour, working part time. Back then, she thought she wasn’t good enough, that she had no voice and wasn’t deserving of success. But like so many other success stories, Raven’s life got turned upside down when a crisis rocked her family and instead of throwing her hands up in surrender, she decided to “step, show up and grow up” to make her dreams come true while taking care of those she loved. If you are over 50 and you think that your days of dreaming are over, hit that download button, because Raven has a few things to tell you! #storybehindhersuccess #tvshowhost

Francesca Federico -153

March 11, 2021Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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Sometimes the long way around is the short way around. I’m not somebody who takes short cuts.
-Francesca Federico

If you could use a strong, smart, savvy and young role model in the financial world, this episode is for you. Meet Francesca Federico, co-founder of Twelve Points Wealth Management www.twelvepointswealth.com where she helps families, individuals and especially women make smart financial decisions. “Money is emotional” says Francesca, and in this interview, she offers her thoughts and advice about how to empower yourself by protecting your financial future. But that’s not all this story is about. Francesca has an unstoppable work ethic, instilled in her by her half Irish, half Italian family heritage. She cherishes the powerful life lessons she learned from her immigrant grandparents and credits them for teaching her what it takes to be a true success story. In the words of her paternal grandfather, Palmiero Federico: “It doesn’t really matter what people think of you. You have to make them feel something about you. #thestorybehindhersuccess #money #inspiringstories

Christina Horner -152

February 25, 2021Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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Success for me is to make a positive impact on someone. If I’ve gotten someone to think about race, or racism, or oppression in a different way, and to come back to me and say “you were right” that’s success. -Christina Horner

Meet a woman who has spent her entire career in education dedicated to equity and social justice. Christina Horner is the Senior Associate for the Great Schools Partnership, a non-profit school support organization with a goal of redesigning public education and improving learning for all students. Also an educational consultant and an appointed member of the Racial Imbalance Advisory Council, Christina believes firmly: “It is a favor to society to give all kids what they are entitled to in terms of education.” A Boston College graduate with a Masters degree in Education from Lesley, Christina grew up in Roxbury and was bussed as part of the METCO program to the little town of Weston beginning in fifth grade. Her stories about what it was like to be educated in one of the most affluent towns in Massachusetts are equal parts good and bad, as she came of age in a school system where she was among a very small minority of African American students. Her decision to return to Weston early in her career as the school system’s METCO liaison is a reflection of her deep commitment to not only give back, but to make better. Christina and her husband decided that living in a town with an exceptional school system was their #1 priority, so they have raised their children in Wellesley, an equally homogenous, predominantly white community. Despite the obstacles they have faced, Christina credits her mother’s words of wisdom for keeping her positive and hopeful: “despite the messages you might hear from around you, they’re not true, and this is what you want to aspire to be.” #socialjustice #anti-racism #diversity

Joan Wallace-Benjamin, PhD -151

February 18, 2021Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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There is a Congolese saying that a single bracelet does not jingle. Everyone in your family are the bracelets that help you jingle. When you have that jingle, you are able to lead more fully because you have all of the people you love and care about, right there, on your arm.
-Joan Wallace-Benjamin

Welcome to the story of a woman whose awards and accomplishments are simply too vast to list here. A self-described “mission girl” Joan Wallace-Benjamin has spent 37 years focused on creating better outcomes for underserved children and families. A graduate of Wellesley College, she received her Ph.D from the Heller School of Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. A native of New York City, Joan learned a lot about love of community and social responsibility from her loving parents. With leadership roles at ABCD Head Start, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts, as temporary Chief of Staff for former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, and as the President and CEO of the Home For Little Wanderers, Joan is a role model for anyone who aspires to lead with purpose and passion. Her new book is called Leading A Life In Balance and includes her sage advice as a working mom. Says Joan: I think leaders lead more fully when they take as their first priority their own children and families. For the inspiring story of a stellar human being whose life has been well lived, just hit that download button. #leadership #workingmom

Amy Goober -150

February 11, 2021Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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Women, at some point along the way, forget or need to be reminded, that they are in control of their own lives. The philosophy is: put yourself on your to-do list. -Amy Goober

This is a story about reinvention. Amy Goober is living proof that we all have chapters in our lives and the treasure lies in what we learn from them. In her first job, straight out of college, Amy worked for a major advertising agency in Boston where she got her foot in the door as a secretary, spending four years working her way up to Account Executive. It was there that she shared her love of making cakes and was soon asked to make elaborate cakes for the agency’s high end clients. Before you know it, Amy had a plan to own her own bakery called The Icing On The Cake in nearby Newton, MA. With no business experience, she launched her tiny hole in the wall shop and grew the bakery to legendary status with two parts grit and one part chutzpah. Her decision to sell the bakery and stay home to raise her three children for the next twenty years is an ode to mother-love and her new chapters as a certified health coach, speaker, author and founder of Drive Your Life are proof that Amy is living her life to the fullest. In this chapter of her ever-evolving life, Amy’s goal is to reach as many women as she can with the message that: “the things we regret are the things we don’t do. Perfect is the enemy of done. Just get out there, and do it.” #storybehindhersuccess #reinvention #driveyourlife

The Story Behind Her Success with Candy O'Terry

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