Category Archives: Episodes

Lauren Birmingham -058



Meet a woman with a fantastic second chapter.  For decades Lauren Birmingham has been well known as a top-notch PR pro in the Boston area and beyond. But one day, on a whim, she had an idea.  Lauren convinced a friend to fly to Italy with her, just for the weekend.  What started as a one-time adventure turned into a love affair with the Amalfi Coast, a unique new business venture called Cooking Vacations Italy, a collaboration with American novelist Elizabeth Berg, a cookbook called It’s A Dream Place- Recipes & Stories of Food, Love and the Amalfi Coast, and a chance meeting with an Italian race car driver named Rino.  You’ll have to listen to the podcast to find out what happened next!    #storybehindhersuccess    #16LifeLessons    #mydoveproductions    @laurenBirminghamPiscitelli


Women in Film -057



Welcome to Palm Springs, California…home of movie stars, snow-capped mountains, palm trees, and the Palm Springs International Film Festival.  In this episode, we’re focused on women in film including Ruth Caudeli, a young director from Valencia, Spain whose movie Eva & Candela is breaking down barriers about gender, and who we choose to love.  A surprise visit from co-star Silvia Varón sheds some light on Ruth’s innate ability to listen to her cast and to bring out the best in each actor’s performance. Cristina Gallego of the movie Birds of Passage shares how it has felt to step into the role of co-director for a film that features strong women and was selected as the Colombian entry for Best Foreign Language film at the upcoming Academy Awards.  Cristina’s crime saga has received a score of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and has been compared to The Godfather and Scarface by movie critics. Finally, with recording equipment in hand, we settle into the offices of Liliana Rodriguez, Director of Programming at the Palm Springs International Film Festival to find out how she turned an early love of horror films into a career that sustains and inspires her every single day.   #palmsprings   @PSFilmFest     #storybehindhersuccess    #16LifeLessons    #mydoveproductions


Myriam Cyr & Patricia Jamison -056



When we tell our stories, we pass along life lessons and wisdom.  The two women you are about to meet believe that the arts provide a unique opportunity to tell stories that matter. Meet Myriam Cyr and Patricia Jamison, two of the four founders of Punctuate4Productions, Inc. on Boston’s North Shore.  With a mission to educate, entertain and promote the arts and culture in every form for all ages, not just in Massachusetts, but beyond, Myriam and Patricia are really enjoying this new chapter in their lives.  An accomplished actress who has performed alongside A-listers like Al Pacino, Myriam is also a poet laureate and best selling author who has been developing 20 new plays over the last five years.  Now a devoted mother whose family comes first, she has made the bold step from actress to director and is loving every single minute of it.  Patricia has always loved live performance but is no stranger to acting for TV and film.  She put her passion for acting on the back burner to raise her 5 children, and in 2011, returned to her craft with an even greater determination to explore being a producer.  In this very personal interview, Myriam and Patricia share their career highlights, their devotion to their children, how they get around obstacles, and their definition of “star power”.    @PatriciaPetersonJamison   @MyriamCyr   @Larcomtheatre    @punctuate4     @Punct4P    #storybehindhersuccess    #16LifeLessons    #mydoveproductions


Linda Driscoll -055



Meet a woman who has made it her life’s work to give. Linda Driscoll has spent her career in leadership roles for organizations like the American Red Cross, Women’s Sports Foundation, the Massachusetts Amateur Sports Foundation, and the Special Olympics.  She has also served as Past President of the Board of Directors for the New England Women’s Fund and on the NCAA Boston organizing committee for the Women’s Final Four.  And if you see a pattern here, you are correct.  Playing sports shaped Linda’s life and she wants to make sure that every girl gets the chance to play sports, too…even if her family can’t afford it.  She is the Founder, President & CEO of Dream BIG! a non-profit that provides equipment, athletic footwear, uniforms, program fees, training expenses, and leadership training to girls and young women in low-income situations who want to play sports.  Since 2010, Dream BIG! has directly impacted 35,000 girls.  Linda’s idea for a non-profit, originally written on a napkin during a conversation in a restaurant is now an example to the world. @LindaDriscoll  @Dreambigld   #storybehindhersuccess   #16LifeLessons     #mydoveproductions


Julie Freeman -054



Meet a woman who believes that during the toughest times in our lives, there is learning, there is growth and there is always hope. I have known Julie Freeman for nearly 20 years and although I heard bits and pieces of her story, I never really knew the extent of it until we sat down for this interview in Palm Springs, California: 3000 miles away from where we first met in Wellesley, Massachusetts. A gifted singer at St. John’s Church, Julie sang like an angel, yet something told me that she had the weight of the world on her shoulders.  And she did. Her book Sunflowers, Sapphires & SeraphimA Story of Healing & Transformation chronicles a life that has been both devastating and triumphant.  From an abusive first marriage to the tragic loss of her second husband to a brain injury to single motherhood, a cancer diagnosis and a nervous breakdown for one of her daughters, Julie Freeman is a survivor in the truest sense of the word.  Her transformative work as a registered dietician with a focus on eating clean and organic, combined with an understanding of the mind/body connection has fueled another exciting new chapter in her life. Julie is blazing a new trail by blending her nutrition knowledge with the idea of reducing toxin exposure so that we can lower cancer rates and live healthier lives.   For this exceptional woman, the road less traveled has led her to exactly where she knows she belongs.   juliefreeman.net      @feelgreatlookgreatnutrition     #storybehindhersuccess     #16LifeLessons     #mydoveproductions


Amanda Carr -053



When I sing, I am in pure bliss and joy.

These are the words of singer, songwriter, musician, and philanthropist Amanda Carr.   Described by the Wall Street Journal as “a true jazz singer in a time of wannabes”, Amanda’s path from the little seaside town of Hingham, MA to stages around the world has not been easy. Her passion to create a life that has always been about and for the music is an inspiration to everyone who knows her. The daughter of a Big Band musician and singer, Amanda can’t remember a time when music wasn’t a part of her life.  In this interview, she shares stories of her childhood, remembering a time when she carried her keyboard to the local restaurant and nailed her first gig at 14. As the founder of the American Big Band Preservation Society, Amanda’s mission has been to preserve this art form. Shortly after the Boston Marathon Bombings in 2013, Amanda captured the unbreakable spirit of the city when she wrote The Boston Anthem, tapping Boston rocker Charlie Farren to perform the song. Now the Executive Director of WICN radio, the NPR affiliate in Worcester, MA, Amanda is using her love music and her unique brand of leadership to energize the legendary station. For this exceptional woman, it’s the lessons we take with us that make us who we are.  amandacarr.com    @amandacarrlife   @AmandaCarrMusic     @AmandaCarrMusic FB     #storybehindhersuccess     #16LifeLessons     #mydoveproductions

 


Elise Bates -052



Are you the mother of a child with a food allergy?  If you are, this episode is for you.  The statistics are astounding but true:  1 in 12 children in the United States has a severe food allergy.  What was once rare is now commonplace, yet the constant worry food allergy parents endure can be overwhelming, because when their children are out of their sight, they are vulnerable to foods that can kill them. So, what’s a mother to do?  Meet Elise Bates, President & Co-Founder of Ending Allergies Together, aka EAT.   Her non-profit has raised 1.7 million dollars to find out why food allergies are on the rise and what we can do to stop the epidemic.  Hear Elise’s story and be informed AND inspired.   #storybehindhersuccess    #16LifeLessons   #mydoveproductions    @endallergiestogether   @EndAllergies   @EndAllergiesTogether


Kerry Brett -051



Do you like having your picture taken? If the answer is no, you are not alone. Enter award-winning portrait photographer Kerry Brett.  When she takes your picture, her goal is simple:  to make you feel so comfortable, you forget that there is a camera in your face! The daughter of legendary Boston Globe photographer Bill Brett, Kerry grew up watching her father tell stories with his camera.  A single mom with a work ethic that mirrors her father’s, Kerry has worked tirelessly to establish her own style and a client list that includes superstar athletes, A-listers and everyday people.  Her keen eye, creative spark and open heart are what truly set her apart.  A Master Photographer and staff photographer for The Improper Bostonian, Kerry’s distinctive portraits have graced countless magazine covers.  It is fair to say that Kerry Brett aims for your face and captures your soul.  #storybehindhersuccess    #16LifeLessons   #mydoveproductions    @candyoterry  @kerrybrettlifestyleportraits @kerry_brett


Dawn Schottlandt -050



If you want to kick off 2019 with a dose of inspiration, take a listen to this episode, featuring marathoner and MS survivor Dawn Schottlandt. Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1999 at only 23, the New Year marks this exceptional woman’s 20th anniversary as a survivor.  Dawn fell in love with running because it empowered her to keep on going, even though she was confused, angry and scared.  Doctors warned her about all the things she shouldn’t do, and Dawn made it her mission to do the things that brought her joy and running was at the top of her list.  So far, she has run 15 marathons, including the World Majors, dozens of half marathons and lots of local 5ks.  When her MS progressed in 2015, Dawn experienced something called “drop foot” and had to teach herself how to run all over again through the use of a carbon fiber AFO.  This year, she will return to Ireland to run the Dublin Marathon again and her secret wish is to see another rainbow at the end of the finish line, just like she did in 2005. We all experience roadblocks in our lives, but it is how you deal with them that matters. Dawn’s words of wisdom can be found on her popular blog:  www.inmyrunningshoes.com where she says: Be active, fear nothing, and turn obstacles into opportunities.  #storybehindhersuccess    #16LifeLessons   #mydoveproductions    @candyoterry  #ICanIWill #ICouldIDid #OutRunMS.


Alyssa Nelson-Kamalu -049



When we share our stories, we pass along something that is so precious its value cannot be measured.  Do you know what that is?  Wisdom.  When Alyssa Nelson-Kamalu heard the words “you have breast cancer” she was far from being wise.  After all, she had only been on this earth for 28 years.  Married to her college sweetheart,  the mother of a toddler, a victim advocate for the state of Massachusetts, and a brand new homeowner, Alyssa’s life came to a screeching halt.  She was terrified. Alyssa wasn’t thinking about herself, she was thinking about her baby girl growing up without a mother.  One year later, Alyssa shares what her journey was like as well as what advice she might give to a young woman faced with a similar diagnosis.  This is a story about fear and courage, dread and hope, perseverance and success.  Alyssa has made it through surgery, chemo, and radiation.  This wise young woman’s views on life, love, parenting, and what really matters will inspire you. #storybehindhersuccess    #16LifeLessons   #mydoveproductions    @candyoterry