Badass Women at Any Age

Jodi Silverman's personal journey began with the realization of an impending empty nest as her children prepared to leave home. Finding herself with a significant amount of free time, Jodi recognized that her current work in her print business was not fulfilling. Her decision to remain open to new opportunities led her to a business opportunity in direct sales, which eventually sparked her passion...

Illana Raia's journey to entrepreneurship stemmed from her love of law and her personal experiences with mentorship. Despite loving her career as a mergers and acquisitions lawyer, she took a break to raise her children and later rejoined her firm. Realizing the impact of showing her daughter accomplished women at work, Illana envisioned scaling this experience to benefit other girls. She left her...

Helen Jonsen aspired to be a writer from a young age and chose journalism for its daily writing opportunities. After studying at Fordham University and gaining experience at Channel 11 and WINS radio, she moved to Rhode Island as a senior producer, where she met and married her Australian husband. This led to a stint in Australia, where she worked in television before returning to New York. They w...

Bianca Best's lifelong pursuit of ambition led her from a corporate career in advertising, creativity, and publishing to a successful freelance writing career. While juggling motherhood in her late 20's, she inadvertently founded the Bespoke Gift Company.  What started as a creative, personalized anniversary gift has become a wildly successful company.  Bianca is an award-winning global business l...

Sandy Rosenthal was an ordinary citizen who became an extraordinary activist following Hurricane Katrina. After uncovering that defective flood walls built by the Army Corps of Engineers caused the disaster, Sandy founded the nonprofit levees.org and rallied over 25,000 supporters for safer infrastructure. Her book, 'Whispered in Water,' and her podcast, 'Beat The Big Guys,' continue to inspire ch...

 Feeling lost and purposeless when her youngest child left for college, Rita Lussier leaned into her writing and running to cope.  Forming a new morning routine along with the process of running and writing helped her find a new sense of purpose, culminating in the creation of her book, And Now Back To Me.  Rita is an award-winning journalist and writer whose column  'For The Moment' was a popular...

Marcia Dawood's journey into angel investing began in 2012 when she attended an angel investing meeting in Pittsburgh. Previously working in sales, marketing, and operations within corporate America, she was intrigued and fascinated by the world of entrepreneurship and investing in early-stage companies. Initially unaware of the opportunities that existed locally and globally, Marcia quickly immer...

Yue Zhao's career began with aspirations rooted in a desire to help people, initially thinking she would become a doctor. However, her path led her into the tech industry, where she spent over 15 years as a product executive in Silicon Valley.  Discovering the power of executive and leadership coaching became a pivotal point in her career. Inspired by her experiences and driven by her commitment t...

Kathy Caprino began her professional journey with ambitions of working in publishing. However, she soon found herself navigating a corporate career filled with numerous challenges as she climbed the corporate ladder.  After a period of deep reflection, Kathy embraced her calling ultimately leading her to become an international career leadership and personal growth coach. She utilized her experien...

Emily June Wilcox grew up in rural Michigan with aspirations of becoming a veterinarian, earning a degree in animal science. Her early career took unexpected turns, from horse training to pharmaceutical sales and eventually entrepreneurship.   Emily is a wealth and business coach, number one bestselling author and speaker on a mission to help others heal their money wounds and build financially an...

Growing up in a family that didn't view a career in the arts as feasible, Kathryn Burnett pursued writing with determination, transitioning from magazine articles to professional screenwriting. She faced numerous challenges, particularly in a competitive industry that often overlooks middle-aged women. Post-menopause, Kathryn experienced a personal transformation, embracing her true self and takin...

Inspired to push back against gendered ageism,  Stella Fosse  began writing vivid, sexy stories about older women inspired by an article by a 50-year-old romance writer in the New York Times that pushed her to challenge industry norms that favored younger characters.  Her involvement in a local writing series called "Dirty Old Women," where women over 50 read erotic stories to live audiences, furt...

Rebecca "Becky" Faye Smith Galli's life is marked by resilience despite profound losses. She faced significant challenges, including the death of her brother, her son's degenerative disease and death, her daughter's autism, a divorce, and her own paralysis from transverse myelitis.  Despite these challenges, Becky has found strength and purpose through writing which led her to a writing career, au...

Through her own journey of healing from multiple traumas, including an abusive relationship, Elyssa Smith studied and developed methods to hack the survival brain, rewiring the limiting beliefs that were keeping her stuck.  Elyssa is a trauma informed life strategist who helps female executives, entrepreneurs, and professionals squash their limiting beliefs and heal from hidden trauma so they can...

Lori Duff's journey began with strong academic success, which led her parents to steer her towards law school. Initially focused solely on her legal career, Lori truly discovered her love for creative writing after a challenging election loss in 2012. This moment of introspection prompted her to start blogging, humorously chronicling her husband's antics, which then evolved into a more public writ...

Linda Descano's personal journey is an inspiring tale of resilience, adaptability, and unwavering determination. Raised in a traditional Italian Catholic family in South Philadelphia, Linda was instilled with the importance of education by her parents despite their lack of formal schooling. Influenced by strong, hardworking women in her family, Linda embraced the idea that she could be anything sh...

Terry Tateossian spent the majority of her adult life in a corporate environment, as an entrepreneur and business owner, all while struggling with significant weight issues. After failing with numerous diets and experiencing serious health scares, she realized that her problem wasn't physical but emotional. By addressing her emotional eating and adopting a holistic approach involving strength trai...

Jamie Mittelman was inspired to live life with passion and fervor after experiencing the loss of her father.   A lover of sports and a deep believer in the power of stories to change lives, Jamie found her passion and purpose  in elevating women's stories at the highest level of sports.  Jamie is the founder and host of Flame Bearers, a platform dedicated to celebrating and sharing the stories of...

  Faith Roswell began her career unexpectedly when she was approached by a talent scout while studying for a degree in creative writing. This encounter led her to become an internationally recognized artist model. During her modeling career, Faith wrote extensively about her solo travel and adventure experiences. Her journey took a significant turn after blowing the whistle on a dangerous photogra...

 Wendy Wallbridge is a pioneer in the coaching field and a rare talent for creating cultures of belonging.  Diagnosed with life-threatening lupus early in her career, Wendy used that experience and her journey back to health to explore what it means for women to live true to their values, feminine wisdom, their unique calling.  Her singular brand of coaching defined by her Spiral Up model empowers...

Julie was introduced to the world of business early on when her parents transitioned from corporate America to owning a restaurant. This experience taught her invaluable lessons about work ethic, communication, and conflict resolution.  Julie is a well respected leader in business communities that extend from the United States to Canada and the United Kingdom.  In her 25 years of experience, Julie...

Amy Wineland Daughters experienced a life-changing impulse that led her to reconnect with an old camp friend on Facebook, despite not having contact for 30 years.  This heartfelt experience inspired her to write handwritten letters to all 580 of her Facebook friends and the belief that when human beings connect  individually in a meaningful way, nothing can separate them.  Amy is a keynote speaker...

Desiree Bartlett is very passionate about the joy of movement. Growing up with a strong foundation in yoga and meditation, influenced by her hippie mother, Desiree was inspired to a lifelong passion for fitness, science and holistic health. As the founder of the innovative subscription platform  desibodymind.com , she offers a holistic approach to health and wellness where individuals can access t...

After a 30-year career in advertising, working with prestigious brands and leading major revenue-driving teams, Sarah Dale sought something more fulfilling. Living in Montana, where she embraced nature and adventure, sparked her desire to help women build confidence and self-reliance. This idea culminated in Project 1490, offering unique outdoor experiences that blends personal growth with profess...

Jan and Jillian Juhas grew up in a small rural town and later moved to Chicago, experiencing a significant culture shock. This drastic change made them realize the importance of setting strong personal boundaries to feel respected and heard. Their journey led them to develop a methodology focused on communicating through values rather than emotions, which they applied both personally and professio...