Category Archives: Episodes

Shannon O’Mara -068

May 7, 2019EpisodesDan Thibeault

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Are you a mentor? Have you ever been mentored by someone? Passing on what we know for the betterment of someone else is a gift and this week’s guest is a big believer in the power of mentorship. Meet Shannon O’Mara, Vice President & Associate Director of credit research at Loomis Sayles and Founder of UWIN: the Undergraduate Women’s Investment Network. Raised in Upstate New York, Shannon earned a BA in economics as well as her management certificates in finance and accounting from the University of Rochester. The single mom of two teenagers, Shannon shares many life lessons including: “show up fully, whether you are at work or with your family” as well as her mentoring mantra: “If you can see it, you can be it.” For a quick shot of determination, drive and passion, this success story checks all the boxes. @bostonwomeninmediaandentertainment #storybehindhersuccess #16LifeLessons #mydoveproductions

Jacy Dawn Valeras -067

April 29, 2019EpisodesDan Thibeault

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This episode is for the dreamers and the doers. And most of all, it is a life lesson, because sometimes dreams come true in ways we never could have imagined. Meet Jacy Dawn Valeras, singer/songwriter and CEO & Founder of Platinum Circle Media in Nashville, Tennessee. Raised in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, Jacy started making money by singing at funerals when she was 13 and by the time she hit high school, she was performing all over New England. In 2009, Jacy and her boyfriend packed up their car and moved to Nashville where she created a career in a niche she never expected or even dreamed of. “Make good out of obstacles, says Jacy, they just might take you someplace better.” @jacydawnvaleras @bostonwomeninmediaandentertainment #storybehindhersuccess #16LifeLessons #mydoveproductions

Roberta Sydney -066

April 22, 2019EpisodesDan Thibeault

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Meet a woman who’s outstanding career has had three chapters: one in finance/banking, one in real estate development and one as an independent director, executive and business builder. In this candid interview, Roberta Sydney shares her belief that relationships in business and in our personal lives are everything. Now the CEO of Sydney Associates, Roberta’s rise to the top has often included being the only woman in the room and at the negotiating table. She is guided by a tireless work ethic and a true passion for bringing out the best in every person she works with. A graduate of Wellesley College, Harvard Business School and MIT, Roberta is in a league of her own, and could easily sit on her laurels, yet this exceptional woman has made it a priority to help and guide the next generation of women executives. “I believe in finding the genius in others and allowing that to shine,” says Roberta. And if you think her life has been easy, think again. This is a story rooted in love of family, responsibility, and determination. For an entre into excellence in business and in life, download Roberta’s powerful life story. @robertasydney #storybehindhersuccess #16LifeLessons #mydoveproductions

Kim Weild -065

April 15, 2019EpisodesDan Thibeault

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In this episode, we traveled to ArtsEmerson’s gorgeous Paramount Theatre in Boston to meet Kim Weild, director of American Moor written and performed by Keith Hamilton Cobb. Described as an “urgent solo work that examines the experience of black men in America” American Moor is the kind of play that asks the kinds of questions that jar the soul and make us think. Raised in Westchester County, New York, Kim spent the first part of her life as a ballerina, dancing with the New York City Ballet and attending a private high school for the performing arts. Her decision to leave the world of dance to pursue a career in theatre arts was a brave left-hand turn she remains grateful for to this day. In this interview, Kim shares the key to being a great actor, an inspiring director, a hard worker, and an effective college professor. Her views on success and what matters most in life are worth your download. “I think kindness is a super-power” says Kim. We couldn’t agree more. @artsemerson @kimweild @keithhamiltoncobb #storybehindhersuccess #16LifeLessons #mydoveproductions

Lisa Nickerson -064

April 8, 2019EpisodesDan Thibeault

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Meet a woman who started showing the business community what she was made of in high school when she won her regional newspaper’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award! Lisa Nickerson has been steadily climbing the ladder toward success ever since and is now the CEO and Founder of Nickerson PR and Nickerson Real Estate Partners. Recently recognized as one of Boston’s most powerful women in real estate, Lisa is a big believer in philanthropy and serves on the boards of Boston Women in Media & Entertainment, Housing Families and the ULI Women’s Leadership Initiative. Her incredible climb to the top has not been without obstacles and roadblocks. The mom of three teenagers, Lisa shares her devotion to not only mothering but mentoring her children. Her boundless energy and tireless work ethic have been both a blessing and a curse, and her wise advice to rising female entrepreneurs and executives is worth your download. @NickersonPR @NickersonRE #storybehindhersuccess #16LifeLessons #mydoveproductions

Dana Siegal -063

April 2, 2019EpisodesDan Thibeault

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Meet a woman who has taken her skills and talents in the healthcare field and married them to her lifetime love of the arts and the fight against cancer. Dana Siegal is a wife, a mother, an RN, the Director of Patient Safety for CRICO Strategies and the Artistic Director for a non-profit called Voices of Hope. Founded in 2009, Voices of Hope is made up of 200 cast members who have all been impacted by cancer. Together, they sing, and dance, and entertain, all to benefit cancer research. But, as Dana will tell you, Voices of Hope is more than a theatre group, it is a cancer community and her role is to bring out the very best in every person who wants to share their talent. In this inspiring interview, Dana reveals a life story that has included a life-altering MS diagnosis in her 20’s and the decision to stay positive and resilient in the face of loss. A source of strength and hope to so many people, Dana Siegal believes that we can find reason and purpose in everything that happens to us. @danaewensiegal @voicesofhopeboston #storybehindhersuccess #16LifeLessons #mydoveproductions

Sen. Cynthia Stone Creem -062

March 26, 2019EpisodesDan Thibeault

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Senate Majority leader Cynthia Stone Creem has spent over 30 years in public service. The daughter of two attorneys, she grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts deciding early on that she wanted to follow in her parent’s footsteps. The road to the seat she now occupies has been long and in this very candid interview, Cindy Creem recalls knocking on doors to raise money for her first campaign and being asked the question: “are you tough enough?” Well, the answer is YES. The Story Behind Her Success producer Dan Thibeault and I interviewed the state senator in her office, just steps from the Senate chambers in the iconic gold-domed Massachusetts statehouse. And as we went through security and down the marble hallways, past murals of the American Revolution and sculptures of some of the state’s earliest leaders, I couldn’t help but wonder what this nation’s all-male founders would think of a female majority leader. She is strong, she is passionate, and she is on a mission to make a difference for the next generation of women. @senatorcindycreem #storybehindhersuccess #16LifeLessons #mydoveproductions

Denise Hajjar -061

March 18, 2019EpisodesDan Thibeault

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Welcome to the success story of Denise Hajjar, one of Boston’s most loved and respected fashion designers. The grandchild of a designer from Syria and a pattern maker from Lebanon, Denise started making clothes for her Barbie Dolls when she was a little girl. By the time she was ready to go to fashion design school, she had an entire wardrobe created for herself and for her mother. Known for her generosity toward non-profits, Denise has made giving back a cornerstone of her business with a focus on raising lifesaving funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. In this very candid interview, she shares her lifelong love of ballet and ballroom dancing, along with stories of the good times and the bad, like her decision early in her career to buy fabric instead of paying her electric bill! “I’m driven, I’m stubborn and I’m tenacious,” says Denise. “I will always do what it takes to make things happen.” @denisehajjarboston #storybehindhersuccess #16LifeLessons #mydoveproductions

Heather Anne Cook -060

March 11, 2019EpisodesDan Thibeault

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Raised in the backwoods of Montana, completely off the grid, Heather Anne Cook learned the necessary skills to keep herself alive. In this interview, she shares the details of her adventurous life, including the many times she took 3 matches into the woods to see how long she could survive. Now a wife and the mother of twins, Heather is a pastor, a survivalist, a long distance runner, a bee-keeper, a chicken lady, a horsewoman, a gardener, a children’s book author, an illustrator, an international traveler, and the force behind Three Match Creations. Her next adventure is to run the Pacific Northwest Trail which spans 1200 miles through the wilderness, high desert, and coastline. #storybehindhersuccess #16LifeLessons #mydoveproductions

Nancy Gaudet-Aittaniemi -059

March 5, 2019Episodesthestorybehindhersuccess

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Have you ever heard the expression: “love will find a way?” Meet Nancy Gaudet-Aittaniemi. A very successful senior vice president for a commercial real estate company, Nancy’s success story is not just about climbing the ladder to take on a leadership role in a male-dominated industry. It is about the power of a mother’s love for her child. You see, Nancy’s only child was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at only 9, and his chronic condition led her down a path that has been both terrifying and inspiring. Faced with the decision to stay stuck in her grief and hover over him or to let her son experience life to the fullest, Nancy chose to show Ryan that he could do anything he put his mind to. Now a sophomore in college, Ryan is a seasoned bike enthusiast who has ridden in juvenile diabetes fundraising challenges in the United States and Europe. As the leader of a monthly support group for Type 1 Moms, Nancy has taken other parents by the hand and has been a passionate volunteer and supporter of the JDRF, the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes. She is currently training to ride in her 4th bike race: the Amelia Island Ride To Cure Diabetes and her coach? You guessed it, Nancy’s son Ryan. #JDRFRide #storybehindhersuccess #16LifeLessons #mydoveproductions

The Story Behind Her Success with Candy O'Terry

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