Live Like It Matters

What happens when life asks you to become someone you never expected to be? In this episode of Live Like it Matters, Elissa Kalver sits down with parenting expert, behavioral therapist, and founder of The Parenting Experience, Tatiana Ramos, for a conversation about resilience, advocacy, healing, and navigating life's unexpected turns. Tatiana shares her journey from overcoming childhood trauma to...

🎙️ ACAST SHOW NOTES How do you pursue ambitious goals without losing sight of the people and priorities that matter most? In this episode of Live Like it Matters , Elissa Kalver sits down with Dr. Kari Selander—global policy strategist, mother of two, and creator of the Mutha Life podcast. Known for building international programs, advising governments, and creating partnerships that drive change...

What happens when life changes faster than you’re prepared for? In this episode of Live Like it Matters, Elissa Kalver speaks with former Marine and cancer advocate Jake Messier about living with stage 4 metastatic male breast cancer — and how the diagnosis reshaped his perspective on life, identity, and purpose. Jake shares openly about the emotional realities of navigating uncertainty, advocatin...

Ep. 16 - What does it actually take to build a creative career? In this episode of Live Like it Matters , Elissa Kalver speaks with writer, director, and performer Alison Flierl about the reality of breaking into Hollywood — and why the path is rarely straightforward. From writing for major TV shows to developing original projects, Alison shares what she’s learned about persistence, rejection, and...

Ep. 15 - Can you feel grief and gratitude at the same time? In this episode of Live Like it Matters , Elissa Kalver sits down with comedian and writer Giulia Rozzi to explore the unexpected overlap between loss, humor, and perspective. As a breast cancer survivor, Giulia shares how her experience reshaped the way she sees life — and why laughter and grief often live side by side. This is a convers...

What changes when you realize time isn’t guaranteed? In this episode of Live Like it Matters , Elissa Kalver speaks with Sidney Raskind (Sidney Raz) about the life-shifting experience of being diagnosed with stomach cancer — and how it changed the way he approaches everyday life. Known for sharing practical advice people wish they learned sooner, Sidney reflects on how those lessons took on a comp...

Ep. 13 What does it really cost to pretend you’re okay? In this episode of Live Like it Matters , Elissa Kalver speaks with Mitch Wallis , mental health advocate and founder of Heart On My Sleeve, about the breaking point that changed the trajectory of his life. From corporate success to a very public battle with depression, Mitch shares what it took to stop performing strength and start telling t...

Ep. 12 In this episode of Live Like it Matters , Elissa Kalver sits down with Vika Victoria , master storyteller and communications coach, to explore what happens after a life-shifting moment — when the old version of you has to reassess and resilience has to be built out of a hard story. This conversation goes beyond storytelling as a skill and into storytelling as a survival tool to learn: How i...

In this episode of Live as It Matters, I sit down with one of my best friends, photographer, creative, and all-around light-bringer, Billye Breinnesen, the heart behind Billye Donya Photography. Billye naturally thrives behind the camera, pouring her talent into capturing raw, meaningful moments for others. But today, I coaxed her in front of the mic and right outside her comfort zone and straight...

In this week’s episode of  Live Like It Matters , I sit down with  Dr. Matt Hershcovitch , a double board-certified otolaryngologist who made a  major  shift in how he practices medicine — all in the name of better care and a happier life. We talk about what sparked that change, including how the pandemic pushed him to reimagine his entire approach and ultimately create  S...

In this week’s episode of Live Like It Matters, join host Elissa Kalver as she engages in a fun and insightful conversation with her friend, Arielle Worona. Arielle shares her journey from a secure television executive job to launching her own media agency and discussing the challenges and rewards of betting on herself. They reminisce about life's unexpected paths including Arielle’s stint in a ba...

In this week’s special episode of Live Like It Matters, Elissa Kalver sits down with her friend Julia Johns — a standup comedian, writer, and breast cancer survivor whom she met through the cancer community.   Julia shares her remarkable journey from being a teacher in Cincinnati, Ohio, to moving to New York to pursue her dream in comedy. Along the way, she transformed her breast cancer exper...

In this heartfelt episode of  Live Like It Matters , I sit down with my husband, Eric Kalver — my partner in life, love, and every twist that comes with living with Stage IV breast cancer. Together, we open up about what it’s really like to navigate marriage, parenthood, and the uncertainty of a terminal diagnosis. Eric shares honestly about the emotional weight of being a caregiver — the par...

In this powerful episode of  Live Like It Matters , host  Elissa Kalver  sits down with three incredible metastatic breast cancer thrivers. Her friends—  Megan O’Neil, Keriann Engle, and Shayna Welsh  — for an open, honest conversation about what it’s really like to live with a terminal disease that requires lifelong treatment. Together, they talk about navigating life wit...

In episode 5 of Live Like It Matters, host Elissa Kalver sits down with Dena Goldberg—better known as Dena DNA—a certified genetic counselor, speaker, and educator who’s on a mission to make genetics understandable and empowering for everyone. As the founder of Malibu Genetics and DenaDNA.com, Dena specializes in helping people uncover and navigate their inherited cancer risks. In honor of Breast...

Episode 4 of Live Like It Matters features host Elissa Kalver in conversation with Holly Laessig and Jess Wolfe of Lucius. Known for their bold harmonies, evocative lyrics, and fearless artistic vision, Holly and Jess bring their music—and their hearts—to this deeply personal conversation about creativity, purpose, and connection. Together, they explore how music can be a source of healing, empowe...

In episode 3 of Live Like It Matters features host Elissa Kalver in conversation with her friend, actress, writer, speaker, and patient advocate Taylor Coffman. Together, they dive into the highs and lows of living with severe illnesses—Elissa with stage IV breast cancer and Taylor with a rare medical condition. Taylor lives with atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (aHUS), a rare and complex diseas...

In Episode 2 of  Live Like It Matters , host Elissa Kalver is joined by comedian, actor, and internet personality  GloZell Green . From surprise encounters with NBA legends (and their bodyguards) to getting banned from  The Tonight Show with Jay Leno , GloZell shares outrageous stories with her signature humor and charisma. She also opens up about the viral  Cinnamon Challenge...

In the debut episode of  Live Like It Matters , host Elissa Kalver sits down with her friend, comedian, podcaster, and internet legend Grace Helbig. The conversation kicks off with the chaos of Elissa’s birthday week (yes, she celebrated with a book launch at the Magic Castle AND recorded a marathon of back-to-back podcasts), before Grace shares her hilarious adventure as a judge at the world...

Where storytelling meets spontaneity. No script. No rules. Just raw, honest, and often ridiculous conversations about life, loss, healing, and hope. These are the messy, magical moments that make life worth showing up for, even when it’s hard. Elissa sits down with friends, specialists, fellow cancer thrivers, and sometimes whoever happens to wander in on recording day. With no script, expect raw...