Life's Accessories

Author Julie Fingersh came on the pod and shared with Rachel a picture of a dragonfly which is a sign of her younger brother Danny and part of a much larger, intimate, moving and powerful story. It all gets to the story behind Julie's debut memoir, STAY. Julie and Rachel covered a lot in this episode: family and family secrets, trauma, empty nesting, career choices, writing, letting go and staying...

Emily McDowell, the founder of Emily McDowell Studios brought along a treasured scarf which she purchased in 2013 just as her business was launching and her greeting cards were going incredibly viral. She told Rachel about her journey from starting an Etsy Shop to CEO of Em and Friends to advisor, thought partner and coach to entrepreneurs. Emily explains on air how she learned so much more about...

Jessica Saunders, lawyer, author and lifelong super reader (she was the kid with the flashlight reading way too late at night as a kid) joined Rachel on the pod and brought along her Kindle. The Kindle has allowed Jessica to read countless books over the years as she wondered if she could write a book. She in fact did just that! LOVE, ME is Jessica's first novel. It was released earlier this year...

Myra Sack, a writer, coach and activist came on Life's Accessories along with her very own ice cream bowl and special spoon because, as she explains to Rachel on air, "eating ice cream is a spiritual practice." It so is!! Myra is the author of 57 FRIDAYS: Losing our Daughter, Finding Our Way, an inspiring, heartbreaking and also hopeful memoir. She knows a thing or two about spiritual practices, r...

Lee Ann Jones, the designer behind the Lee Jones Collection, joined Rachel and brought along her fairy dust bracelet, a piece from her very first collection, which symbolizes the women who work tirelessly behind the scenes, orchestrating the magic in their families, workplaces and communities determined to make the world a little better and brighter. And that is exactly what Lee Ann is doing each...

Christie Tate shares her childhood baby doll, Blue Baby with Rachel on this episode of Life's Accessories. Blue Baby is well loved and that is evident in her tattered appearance. Christie and Rachel discuss why we love things and people so hard even after we believe them to be ruined. Christie tells the stories that inspired her to write GROUP and B.F.F. revealing how and why she can be so open an...

Jennifer Cramer Miller has been living with an incurable kidney autoimmune disease for over 30 years. She's also been living with incurable optimism. Perhaps this is why when her wedding ring was stolen from her on the first night of her honeymoon, she did not let it get to her. Jennifer shares with Rachel the second wedding ring (a replica of the first one) on this episode of Life's Accessories a...

Jamie Banks has designed for iconic brands including Kate Spade, Shoshanna and Milly. She founded Change of Scenery, a women’s luxury, sustainable Resortwear brand which has been featured in WWD, Vogue, Oprah, InStyle, and more. Jamie brought on the pod a needlepoint piece that her mom gave her back when she was a teenager and was first learning how to sew. She keeps this very special accessory wi...

Linda Levy wore her mother's charm necklace on this episode of Life's Accessories. It's a necklace that may have never come to be. Tune in to hear the crazy (in a good way!) story about how Linda found said necklace. Linda is the co-author of two health cookbooks that have a sense of humor, and she is the author of A Kingdom of Madness, a dark-but-hopeful, not-funny novel. Most recently, Linda has...

In this crossover episode of Life's Accessories and Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship, Rachel is joined by Nina Badzin, podcast host, writer, writer instructor, friendship and seasoned blazer enthusiast. Nina wore a blazer for this recording, and she has a lot to say about blazers, jackets and of course friendship. Rachel shares a story of a friendship meet cute with a life long BFF that h...

Jewelry designer, serial entrepreneur and former blue team captain (from Camp Tapawingo in 1983!) Melissa Ross joined Rachel for this episode of Life's Accessories and shared her mother's sapphire ring. It's a beautiful piece of jewelry but the story behind it is even more beautiful. Melissa tells Rachel how all of her entrepreneurial ventures have led to this moment of running her Maine based jew...

Writer, editor and financial services professional Lindsey Mead came on Life's Accessories and shared her father's brass rat with Rachel. What is a brass rat exactly? Tune in and find out! Lindsey's writing work has been anthologized in a wide variety of print and online sources including Quiet Revolution, Literary Mama and Huffington Post. She edited the anthology On Being 40 (ish) which was publ...

Shannon Sarna brought along a fabulous evil eye headband that she purchased on Etsy to this episode of Life's Accessories. Rachel and Shannon discuss all things headbands, evil eyes and Etsy plus cooking, baking, writing and the evolution of Shannon's creative and inspiring career. Shannon is the founding editor of the Nosher as well as the author of Modern Jewish Baker and Modern Jewish Comfort F...

Award winning author and journalist Julie Satow joins Rachel for the very first episode of season two of Life's Accessories to discuss a letter that was sent to Julie's grandmother in 1958 from the iconic department store, Henri Bendel's. This letter is quite fitting as Julie's latest book When Women Ran Fifth Avenue: Glamour and Power at the Dawn of American Fashion chronicles the lives of three...

On this episode of Life's Accessories, Rachel and Stephanie welcome Tim Levy. Does the last name sound familiar to you? Well, it should, because Tim is Rachel Levy Lesser's first cousin (and by the end of this episode, Tim is Stephanie's cousin too)! Tim is the owner and founder of Fairways & Dreams Indoor Golf, the premier indoor golf facility in the Philadelphia area. Tim is also a prac...

Tullan Holmqvist is a rock star. Okay not literally, but she is a writer, actor, and investigator. She's the author of award-winning thrillers and screenplays including The Woman in the Park , and Lacie's Secrets . She's written an Italian TV thriller series, and other essays and stories. As a private investigator, Tullan has worked on global fraud and art cases. Rachel and Stephanie loved getting...

You will hear a lot of extremely important information from this week's guest, Board-Certified OBGYN Dr. Mary Claire Haver, who is at the forefront of a menopause movement shining a spotlight on the importance of talking about and treating menopause. Dr. Haver has devoted her career to women's health. Her science-educated approach to demystifying menopause has put her on the map for providing wome...

On today's episode of Life's Accessories, Rachel and Stephanie were delighted to welcome lawyer-turned-prolific-writer Jacqueline Friedland. Jackie tells the story of how she felt like she was playing "dress up" as she put on her work clothes each day. Hear the story behind what prompted Jackie to settle in to a new career as a writer of both historical and contemporary fiction. Her latest book, T...

Kiki Smith has said that she wants her gravestone to read, "She had good earrings." On today's episode of Life's Accessories, Kiki certainly delivered with a pair of great earrings. Actually, they are more than great, and you'll have to tune in to find out why because they are one-of-a-kind, just like Kiki. Kiki is a professor in the Theatre Department at Smith College in Northampton, MA, as well...

On today's episode of Life's Accessories, Rachel and Stephanie chat with writer and teacher Darcey Gohring, who shares her must-have and beloved Birkenstocks -- a first on Life's Accessories! Are they shoes? Are they sandals? Does it even matter? They're comfortable, and maybe that is what matters most. Darcey shares her story about being diagnosed with breast cancer at the beginning of the Covid-...

On today's episode of Life's Accessories, Rachel and Stephanie welcome Sami Greenfield, who is the oldest of four children. Sami's middle name is Joy -- and joy is exactly what she strives to bring through her Sunny Side newspaper column, uplifting social media accounts, and her first book, Bury Me in My Bathing Suit. Her book is a collection of short essays that range from happiness to heartbreak...

On this very special episode of Life's Accessories, Rachel and Stephanie have so much to talk about with Peaches 'n Diesel, aka Peaches, of Instagram fame. "Unfiltered musings so I can hear myself talk" is how she describes herself. Peaches uses humor to navigate important topics like her own Dateline NBC murder episode, fashion emergencies like cutouts and microshorts, as well as her new life as...

Jo Piazza is a bestselling author, podcast creator extraordinaire, and award-winning journalist. She has traveled the world thanks to her reporting, and joins Rachel and Stephanie on today's episode to share a vintage gold locket she picked up in Rome. She talks about that specific time during her life when she learned to love and take care of herself more, which set the foundation for the life sh...

On today’s episode of Life’s Accessories, Rachel and Stephanie welcome Executive Vice President, Digital Media for the National Basketball Association, Melissa Brenner. Melissa has spent most of her career at the NBA — 26 years, in fact! Melissa shares a special accessory from her mother’s jewelry box which she wears often, as it gives her comfort, and makes Melissa feel more connected to her late...

On today's episode of Life's Accessories, Rachel and Stephanie welcome Cynthia Muchnick, who spent much of her career in the field of college admissions, either as an admissions counselor at two universities or as an educational consultant. Before that, she fell into a career as an expert on all-things wedding proposals and weddings, thanks to her love for interesting and creative proposal stories...