Beyond The Handshake

Kimberly has served her country, broken barriers in corporate America, and built businesses — but the most courageous thing she's ever done might be going all the way back to find herself. After years of functional depression and what she describes as leaving little pieces of herself behind with every inauthentic choice, she built a framework to help women do what she had to do the hard way:...

Meet Luba Patlakh speech language pathologist, founder of Kidology Inc., mom of three, and one of those women you meet and immediately think, we were supposed to connect. Luba’s journey is anything but traditional. She started in broadcast journalism at Good Morning America, made a bold pivot to follow her heart, and built a thriving pediatric therapy practice from the ground up — with no business...

What if the biggest barrier between where you are and where you want to be… is the story you're telling yourself? In this episode of Beyond the Handshake , Lucy Miller sits down with executive coach Shea Smith of Novus Global to talk about the powerful concept of invisible potential  and why even high-performing women often underestimate what they’re capable of achieving. Shea shares how shif...

A layoff, a nickname, and a decision to bet on courage—that’s how Misty Bolt became “Medicare Misty” and built a 50-agent, 45-state agency that puts advocacy first. We go deep on what it really takes to move from a safe paycheck to a mission-driven business with residual income, and why the most overlooked skill in growth is relentless follow-up that turns a handshake into a win-win partnership. M...

Entrepreneur, author, and mentor Kimmy Powell joins Beyond the Handshake to share how a 13-year-old coder became a multi-location owner of Woodhouse Spa . Kimmy walks us through her bold mid-life pivot at 45 from Ohio to the South Carolina coast and the gritty early years of franchising that taught her the power of hiring already-exceptional people, running companies on data (not just accounting)...

In this powerful conversation, Lucy sits down with global visionary Tracy Litt to unpack what it really takes for high-achieving women to evolve without burning out. Tracy shares her transformation from single mom on food stamps to CEO of a seven-figure personal growth company and introduces The Choice Method®, a four-step, nervous-system-led framework for sustainable change.  You’ll learn why “ch...

This episode of Beyond the Handshake , host Lucy Miller sits down with John Sharpe, CEO of Marvel HR, to unpack what it really takes to build—and evolve—an intentional company culture. What we explore: Culture as the foundation: Hear how John defines a strong company culture and why it's central to growth and retention. Learn how Marvel HR helps companies foster inclusive environments where p...

Twin sisters. One vision. Multi-million-dollar growth. In this powerful episode of Beyond The Handshake , Lucy sits down with Mary Smiley Ford and Carla Pierson , twin sisters and co-founders of Smiley Aesthetics , one of the fastest-growing medical aesthetics companies in the region. What started as a mobile injector business has rapidly scaled into a multi-million-dollar med spa brand with over...

In this episode of Beyond The Handshake, we sit down with Liza Graves, Founder and CEO of StyleBlueprint — the South’s premier digital lifestyle publication dedicated to uplifting women, spotlighting small businesses, and celebrating Southern culture. What started in 2009 as a passion project has grown into a digital platform that now reaches over 3 million readers annually. Liza shares her journe...

Beyond The Handshake with Heather Locke, Founder of Hammersmith Support. In this episode of Beyond The Handshake, we sit down with Heather Locke, the Founder and Chief Support Officer of Hammersmith Support, a web development and maintenance company dedicated to helping businesses create and maintain high-performing websites.   Heather’s journey is one of innovation, perseverance, and leadership i...

In this compelling episode of Beyond The Handshake, we sit down with Jessica Baladad, a six-year breast cancer survivor and the visionary founder of Feel For Your Life. Jessica transformed her personal battle with cancer into a mission to empower others through self-advocacy and innovative technology. Join us for an inspiring conversation that delves into resilience, innovation, and the relentless...

Have you ever envisioned starting a non-profit to champion a cause close to your heart? In this episode of Beyond The Handshake, we sit down with Jamie Heard, Executive Director of Faithfully Restored, a non-profit dedicated to uplifting women through care, encouragement, and community. Born from personal experiences of hardship and loss, Jamie and her co-founders established an organization that...

In this inspiring episode of Beyond The Handshake, host Lucy Miller sits down with Tammie Osborne, a seasoned entrepreneur and founder of The Sapphire Suite, a thriving co-working and event space designed exclusively for women.   Motivated by the isolation many experienced during the pandemic, Tammie envisioned a space where women could not only work but connect, collaborate, and grow together. Wi...

Conference planning is not for the faint of heart! On this episode of Beyond The Handshake , Lucy Miller sits down with Sydney Dozier to talk all things conference planning for women—the excitement, the challenges, the purpose behind it all, and some golden tips for pulling off a big event for your business. Sydney’s entrepreneurial journey started in her childhood bedroom with nothing but big dre...

This episode of Beyond The Handshake is with Jamie Rose Plum, Founder and Owner of Rose & Plum Living. Get ready to listen in on two good friends chatting all things business. From starting a business, the roller coaster we are on, the mom guilt, business planning, goal setting, and the village it takes to raise a family and find success in all the things.  Jamie Rose's love for entertain...

Are you overwhelmed by the complexities of the benefits world? Not sure how to incorporate YOUR ethos into your business practices? Perhaps you are curious about the experiences of a college athlete as a business woman now or someone who has faced a traumatic brain injury? Working with a spouse? So many interesting topics!  In our latest episode, we sit down with Chelsea Ryckis, Founder of Ethos B...

In this exciting episode of Beyond The Handshake, we had the pleasure of sitting down with the inspiring Jennifer Ghanem, who is not only the Founder but also the CEO of The Row Title. Jennifer's journey towards establishing her own title company has been truly remarkable, filled with numerous opportunities for growth, change, and the pursuit of ambitious goals. In this episode, we delve deep...

In this episode of Beyond The Handshake, we sit down with Brielle Cotterman, Founder and CEO of The Influential Leader Agency. Brielle’s remarkable journey of resilience has inspired her to share her story worldwide, empowering others to do the same. From mastering the basics of publicity—whether speaking on stage, appearing on podcasts, or being on camera—to becoming a thought leader and creating...

In this episode of Beyond The Handshake, we sit down with Anna-Vija McCloud. We chat through her journey of starting her agency as an "accident," growing and scaling it, the pivots she took, and now the ways her team serves their clients with marketing, systems, and their effort to grow! Anna-Vija has an expertise in batch producing content. This is pivotal for her success and how she le...

In this episode of Beyond The Handshake , we sit down with Blair Moore, Founder of BeStyledCo, who shares her incredible journey from accidentally starting a business to navigating the challenges of growing a team and serving clients across the U.S. Blair opens up about the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, the new skills she had to learn along the way, and how she’s continuing to evolve her bus...