Category Archives: Episodes

Kim Weild -065



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



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



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



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



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



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



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


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