Badassery Life

Deana Potterf has spent nearly 30 years with Girl Scouts, working her way up to president and CEO of Girl Scouts of Central Indiana. But beyond the cookies, badges and CEO title, there's a pretty badass woman with a story to tell. Deana talks about growing up, the unexpected career path that started with a newspaper ad, and the women who believed in her before she fully believed in herself. A...

Melissa Ray has spent more than 25 years in natural health, and she's questioning something a lot of us can relate to: Why does taking care of ourselves sometimes feel like another full-time job? In this episode of Badassery Life, Kelly and Tina talk with Melissa, a certified natural health provider, about health information overload, navigating midlife, the pressure to optimize everything and...

Marianne Glick is an artist, philanthropist, community leader, and longtime champion for women — but this conversation goes way beyond the résumé. We talk about the rebellious little girl she was, the trouble she got into along the way, her husbands, finding art in her late 50s, what brings her joy now, and why she believes that as long as you’re alive, you’re not done. Her mission is “to ignite,...

Jennie DeVoe is a singer-songwriter, recording artist and performer who has built a loyal following through a career filled with music, storytelling and connection. In this episode of Badassery Life , Jennie talks about growing up painfully shy, having one close friend and never quite knowing where she fit — and how she eventually found a place where she felt completely at home: on stage. We talk...

Amy Pauszek is an Emmy-winning producer, award-winning documentary filmmaker and storyteller who believes everyone has a story—and that some stories have the power to change lives. Throughout her career, Amy has dedicated herself to telling stories that matter. From documentaries that have screened on PBS and at film festivals around the world to award-winning films that have raised awareness and...

In this episode of Badassery Life , Kelly sits down with Eve Keller and Jenni White. They are partners in life and partners in business -- they're the team bringing The Sports Bra Indy to downtown Indianapolis. The Sports Bra is the country's first sports bar concept dedicated to women's sports. How badass is that!?? But this conversation is about so much more than opening a restaurant...

What happens when you stop waiting for community—and decide to build it yourself? In this episode of Badassery Life , Kelly Young and Tina McIntosh sit down with Bo Turner, founder of FIND , an Indianapolis-based company creating in-person social experiences, speed dating events, and community gatherings designed to help people make genuine human connections. Whether you're single, looking to...

Dr. Nicky Ali Jackson lives in a world most of us only hear about through headlines, documentaries, and podcasts. She’s a criminal justice professor, advocate, founder of the Center for Justice and Exoneration Network, and host of Crime Unfiltered — a live tour and podcast that dives deeper into the realities of crime, justice, advocacy, and wrongful convictions. And honestly? She’s badass. In thi...

Lindsay Gramlich is a nonprofit leader, CEO, mom of three, lifelong Hoosier, and candidate for state office — but this conversation goes way beyond politics. In this episode, Lindsay talks honestly about balancing leadership, motherhood, public life, and mental health while trying to keep showing up for everyone around her. She opens up about going through a difficult season personally while still...

We first sat down with Jenn Cristy a couple years ago—and we knew she’d be back. And now she’s back—louder, bolder, and still every bit as badass. Jenn joined us in studio (with her keyboardist Mario, which added to the fun) to talk about what’s happening right now—new music, live shows, and stepping into a whole new level of confidence in her voice. And that confidence shows up on stage in a big...

Jill Potter has lived through more than most. She's a former USA Rugby player. A business owner. A fighter. She grew up with very little. She broke her neck playing the sport she loved. Got diagnosed with a rare cancer while training for a World Cup. And she still kept showing up. In this episode, we talk about what resilience looks like, her career, the hard times, the cancer diagnosis, and t...

In this special LIVE bonus episode, we took Badassery Life out of the studio and onto the stage at The Phoenix Theatre Company following a performance of Wasabia — a show that takes on life, death, and everything in between with honesty, humor, and heart. We sat down with cast members Jen Johansen, Jan Lucas, and Artistic Director Constance Macy for a conversation that went deeper than expected. W...

On paper, Sarah Myer looks like she has it all figured out. As Chief of Staff & Strategy for the Indiana Sports Corp., she’s helped lead some of the biggest sporting events in Indianapolis — from NCAA Final Fours to the Olympic Swim Trials — operating on some of the biggest stages, with thousands watching. But behind the scenes, her story is far more human -- and relatable to so many other bad...

Carly Swift and Mandy Selke — known as the Just Pop In Twins — have spent more than two decades building their popcorn business into a beloved Indianapolis brand. Their gourmet popcorn has been enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of people — from local families to travelers passing through the Indianapolis airport, as well as major brands and national events. But behind the success is a much deeper s...

In this episode, we sit down with Casey to talk about what it looks like to lose yourself… and then fight your way back. She shares openly about: Being a single mom raising a daughter with serious medical challenges Losing her husband to suicide Surviving years of toxic messaging that chipped away at her confidence Stepping into leadership in the male-dominated world of asphalt and infrastructure...

Michelle Corrao — author of Found: Triumph Through Gratitude — shares her journey through trauma, survival, and the long road back to herself. We talk about: • The moment everything changed (on Sept. 12, 1996, she survived a violent abduction by three strangers)• How anger and denial became her best friends • What healing really looks like -- how she healed and has found joyMichelle's life has...

What if the bravest thing you could do was turn your life upside down — and trust yourself to land on your feet? In this first guest episode of our new season, we sit down with Amanda Kingsbury — writer, journalist, co-founder of Indy Maven, and Managing Editor of Innovation at Mirror Indy — to talk about reinvention, sobriety, friendship, and why starting over in midlife isn’t a failure… it’s a f...

Welcome to a new chapter of Badassery Life. Kelly returns with a new co-host: Tina McIntosh and the two of them turn the mics on each other to talk about who they are, why THIS podcast, and what it looks like to show up — even when life is messy. They cover everything from navigating grief and big life shifts to microdosing the aging process, Taylor Swift–level “new era” energy, and why sometimes...

Season 6 | Episode 16 In this powerful episode of Badassery Life, Kelly sits down with Linda Calvin , a national tech leader, attorney, storyteller, mentor, and fierce advocate for women and Black leaders in tech. She's also a survivor of childhood trauma and she's boldly telling that story. Her journey is layered — growing up as the only Black child in a white family, surviving childhood...

Season 6 | Episode 15 In this episode, Kelly sits down with bestselling author and Loudmouth Books founder Leah Johnson — a woman using her voice, her books, and her bookstore to champion joy, representation, and radical visibility. Leah’s debut novel, You Should See Me in a Crown , was named one of TIME’s 100 Best YA Books of All Time. Since then, she’s become a literary force and the bold, brill...

season 6 | episode 14 Amanda Bonilla is a powerhouse advocate, speaker, and connector who’s made it her mission to create spaces where women can thrive. A first-generation college graduate, she’s navigated challenge and change with courage — from being the “first and only” Latina voice in many rooms to launching WE Brunch , an intentional gathering that empowers women through connection and conver...

Season 6 | Episode 13 Jennifer Pace Robinson is the creative force and badass behind The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis -- the largest children’s museum in the world. After nearly 30 years of saying “yes” to bold ideas, she’s now the President & CEO, leading with curiosity, courage, and a whole lot of badassery. From dinosaurs and princesses to global villages and powerful exhibits like Emm...

Season 6 | Episode 12 Beth McCarthy Smith is the founder behind Simplicity Cold Pressed Juice & Cocktails. Before she built a brand that landed everywhere from Whole Foods and Kroger to the Super Bowl Players Tailgate and the Indy 500, Beth was running fast in the corporate media world. But life threw her some curveballs: fertility struggles, health challenges, and a need to slow down and heal...

Jennifer Magley is fire, fearless, and full of badassery. From the tennis court to the keynote stage, she’s reinvented herself time and again — always out loud, always unapologetically. In this episode, we talk about presence, audacity, and joy. We laughed. We got real. We got silly. And through it all, Jennifer reminds us what it means to boldly say what you want — over and over again — and then...

Season 6 | Episode 10 This is a mini-episode — recorded LIVE during an event and shared completely unedited. Joanna Taft is the badass visionary behind PreEnactIndy - an anti-gentrification project that uses the power of arts, community, and courage to reimagine what’s possible. We sat down with her LIVE during the latest PreEnactIndy and talked about turning fear into fuel, using creativity to co...