Girl, Take the Lead!

What if aging wasn’t about decline — but about becoming more capable, more aware, and more confident in your body and your life? In this episode of Girl, Take the Lead! , Yolanda Canny is joined by C. Vicki Gold , a retired physical therapist with more than 50 years of experience and the author of Aging Safely, Wisely, and Well . At 80 years, Vicki is still learning, teaching, and standing tall —...

Women don’t lack ambition. They don’t lack skills. And they don’t lack drive. So why do so many capable women — especially women from minority backgrounds — stall before reaching positions of power? In this episode of Girl, Take the Lead! , I’m joined by Alexandra Gantier , a French public relations, public affairs, and leadership advisor with more than 18 years of international experience across...

Welcome back to  Girl, Take the Lead!  — this episode invites us to question a belief many high-functioning women have been taught to accept as normal: That leadership requires constant tension. That urgency equals effectiveness. That burnout is simply the cost of ambition. What if leadership doesn’t start with mindset, strategy, or productivity — but with  capacity ? My guest today is  Kathryn Sp...

⚠️ Warning: You may laugh during this episode! And you may also find yourself rethinking leadership, connection, and how humor helps us survive uncertain times. Welcome back to Girl, Take the Lead! Today’s episode is smart, funny, and deeply meaningful. Our guest is Lynn Harris — a culture-shifting producer, award-winning journalist, and author/co-author of six books whose comedy and campaigns for...

Today’s episode is a powerful reminder that leadership doesn’t always look like a title, a stage, or a strategy. Sometimes, it looks like choosing kindness in a cramped airplane seat. Sometimes, it looks like crying on the internet. And sometimes, it looks like being gentle with yourself — and letting that be enough. My guest today is Vanessa Confessore — a brand marketing and experiential leader...

Welcome back to Girl, Take the Lead! — the podcast where we reimagine leadership, challenge the status quo around aging, and share the conversations that help us break cycles, find our voice, and lead our lives with intention. Money is one of the most powerful — and most misunderstood — tools in our lives. And for many women, it’s also one of the most stressful. In today’s episode, we slow the con...

Welcome back to  Girl, Take the Lead!  — the podcast where we explore stories of reinvention, resilience, and the courage it takes to lead lives that break old cycles and create new possibilities. To kick off 2026, today’s guest brings heart, grit, and a fresh perspective on what true leadership looks like. Meet  Erin Krueger  — top-ranked Nashville realtor, nationally recognized expert, bestselli...

Welcome back to  Girl, Take the Lead!  — the podcast where we reimagine leadership, challenge the status quo around aging, and share the stories that help us break cycles, find our voice, and trust our own becoming. Today’s episode is a stunning way to close out the year. Our guest,  Laura G. Patac , is an entrepreneur, author, poet, and former global corporate executive who has lived and worked i...

Welcome back to Girl, Take the Lead! — the podcast where we explore real, raw, and remarkable stories of resilience, healing, and what it means to live and lead with courage through every season of life. Today’s guest is Rebecca (Becky) Faye Smith Galli — author, columnist, and thoughtful observer of the human experience. Becky writes about love, loss, and healing, drawing from a life shaped by pr...

Welcome back to Girl, Take the Lead! — the podcast where we talk honestly about leadership, womanhood, and all the messy, beautiful parts in between. Today I’m joined by Dr. Denise Brown , also known as The Fairy God Doctor — a Stanford-trained physician, former CEO, wife, mom, and now author of The Fairy God Doctor’s Guide to a Good Life: A Prescription for the Working Woman . Fairy God Doctor+1...

Today’s guest is Michelle Hensley — founder of Nifty Package Co., creator of the gig app FeteTango, mother of three, grandmother of nine, and a woman who rebuilt her entire life after losing her husband to metastatic melanoma. At 51, Michelle found herself navigating profound grief, financial uncertainty, and a complete identity shift. What began as a small spark — “Could I work when I want instea...

Today’s guest is a dear friend of the show, Andrea Mein DeWitt — Professional Certified Coach (PCC), author, and creator of the transformational Name, Claim & Reframe® methodology. Her bestselling book, Name, Claim & Reframe: Your Path to a Well-Lived Life, was featured on NBC’s TODAY Show as the Best Motivational Read of 2023, and is now available as an audiobook, complete with a powerful...

This holiday season, we’re inviting you to pause, breathe, and check in with yourself — because as this week’s guest reminds us, you are your greatest asset. In this uplifting and practical conversation, Nancy Griffin, founder of Women, Worth & Wellness®, joins Yo to explore the powerful connection between women’s health, wealth, and self-worth — especially during a time of year when stress, o...

Today’s guest is Derek , an educator at heart whose life journey—rooted in autism, ADHD, and dyslexia—has been shaped by a lifelong quest to transform confusion into clarity . Diagnosed at age 50, he finally gained the language, belonging, and understanding that helped him make sense of decades of feeling “different.” That clarity became his calling. Professionally, Derek’s path spans the trades,...

In this powerful and deeply personal conversation, we meet  Lori Pappas , one of the first female computer sales reps in the world, an award-winning entrepreneur, and founder of the  Global Team for Local Initiatives , where she spent over a decade in Africa helping more than 100,000 people. After years of chasing success, Lori discovered that the true magic of life comes from saying  yes —yes to...

Today’s guest is Michelle Jeovanny — a renowned spiritual life coach, mentor, channel, and successful entrepreneur who helps individuals create wealth on all levels: spiritually, emotionally, mentally, physically, energetically, and financially. Michelle’s work blends ancient wisdom with modern consciousness — guiding her clients through ancestral healing, somatic freedom, ceremony, and spiritual...

Today’s guest is  Hillary Spiritos (Millennial)  — a pathfinding coach and founder of  Bat Outta Hell , where she helps young adults find the courage, creativity, and resilience to build lives that feel authentic, invigorating, and meaningful. A former university advisor at Duke, NYU, and Northeastern, Hillary has guided countless students and early professionals through crossroads moments — from...

Welcome back to  Girl, Take the Lead!  — the podcast where we share real, raw, and remarkable stories of people breaking cycles, finding freedom, and leading with courage. Today’s guest is  Sue Hincenbergs (Boomer)  — a former television producer turned  #1 bestselling author  whose debut novel,  The Retirement Plan , has taken Canada by storm. Now translated into 20 languages and headed for the b...

Welcome back to  Girl, Take the Lead!  — the podcast where we explore real, raw, and remarkable stories that inspire us to lead with courage and heart. Today’s guest is  Salvatore Manzi (Gen X)  — a leadership communication coach, speaker, and author who helps mission-driven leaders transform their insight into influence. With two decades of experience coaching executives from Silicon Valley to th...

Welcome back to  Girl, Take the Lead!  — the podcast where we share real, raw, and remarkable stories that inspire us to lead with courage and heart. Today’s guest is  Sarah M. Eden (Millennial)  — a USA Today best-selling author, screenwriter, and creative powerhouse whose witty, award-winning historical romances have sold over a million copies worldwide. Known for blending her  obsession with hi...

Welcome back to  Girl, Take the Lead!  — the podcast where we share real, raw, and remarkable stories that inspire us to lead with courage and heart. Today’s guest is  Dr. Arisbe Mendoza  (Gen X), Director of Global Impact, Advocacy, and Partnerships at Fairtrade International  in Bonn, Germany. A proud Mexican woman and passionate advocate for women’s leadership, Arisbe believes that  leadership...

Welcome back to  Girl, Take the Lead!  — the podcast where we share real, raw, and remarkable stories that inspire us to lead with courage and heart. Today’s guest is  Uma Thana Balasingam (Gen X)  — a powerhouse global tech executive turned founder, movement builder, and podcast host. Uma grew up in Malaysia, put herself through university, and rose from engineer to Vice President of Sales for gl...

Welcome back to  Girl, Take the Lead!  — the podcast where we share real, raw, and remarkable stories that inspire us to lead with courage and heart. Today’s guest is  Irma Neal  — seasoned executive, entrepreneur, and author of  Leading in Chaos: Insights to Lead Through the Storms.  From her early years growing up poor as the oldest of eight, to leadership roles in government, Fortune 500 compan...

Welcome back to  Girl, Take the Lead!  — the podcast where we explore the real, raw, and remarkable stories of people breaking cycles, finding freedom, and leading with courage. Today’s episode features  Rita Lussier , Boomer, writer, longtime  Providence Journal  columnist, and now author of And  Now, Back to Me . Her debut book reflects on the bittersweet transition from hands-on motherhood to e...

In this heartfelt episode of  Girl, Take the Lead! , I sit down with  Elissa Kalver , Millennial author of  We Got This , stage 4 metastatic breast cancer thriver, nonprofit founder, and advocate for re-imagining how we support one another through life’s hardest challenges. Elissa shares how her diagnosis just before her daughter’s first birthday reshaped her perspective on life, grief, and commun...