Girl, Take the Lead!

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  Amy Weinland-Daughters  — Gen X keynote speaker, satirist, and author of both fiction and nonfiction works that explore memory, connection, and the surprising power of handwritten letters. In this heartfelt conversation, Amy takes u...

Author, Boomer, and CEO of Purpose Linked Consulting,  Alaina Love , is a nationally recognized leadership coach and purpose expert, helping people lead better lives for more than 20 years. Her book,  Permission to Be You: Discover Your Purpose and Passions to Bring Your Best Self to Everything—and Everyone , just launched and reveals the power of passion-centered living to bring clarity and fulfi...

Today’s guest is Mary Jane Strom , the CEO of Girl Scouts Northern California since April 2025. Mary Jane has over 20 years of experience in youth development, nonprofit leadership, and outdoor programming. She’s a lifetime Girl Scout member and a Gold Award recipient—the highest honor a Girl Scout can achieve. Mary Jane has been with Girl Scouts for decades, starting as a youth member, growing in...

Lana Shepard, Boomer, business coach, author, and financial literacy advocate, joins us to explore mindset shifts, transformational lessons, and practical strategies that fuel both personal and entrepreneurial growth. Drawing from her 40+ years of experience supporting over 1,300 small business clients, Lana shares how letting go of limiting beliefs, embracing fear, and leaning on support can igni...

Katherine Fabrizio, Boomer, psychotherapist with 35 years of experience, joins us to explore the often hidden dynamics between mothers and daughters. Drawing from her extensive clinical work and her book, Katherine dives into how good daughters navigate boundaries, individuation, and maternal expectations—and how understanding these patterns can unlock personal freedom. 💡 In this episode: Katheri...

Veronica Deraleau—financial coach, Army veteran, fintech leader, opera singer (!), and author of Making Money is Simple —joins us for an eye-opening conversation about money mindset, debt, and the courage to rewrite your financial story. Through personal experience and her signature ARIA money model, Veronica helps us shift from shame and confusion into clarity and intentionality around money. You...

Sylvia Rohde-Liebenau, executive coach, author, and global change agent, joins us to explore what it really means to lead with power in today’s chaotic world. Her book  Who’s in Charge?  is more than a leadership guide—it’s a call to consciousness. From energy and embodiment to legacy and self-awareness, Sylvia invites us to look inward before stepping outward. 💡  In this episode: The difference...

Leadership isn’t just about guiding others—it starts with leading yourself. In this lively and insightful conversation, Beth Chapman Kaufmann and Nicole Santonastaso share how getting clear on who you are, what you do best, and where you’re headed can transform the way you lead. With plenty of laughs, relatable stories, and practical takeaways, Beth and Nicole dive into CliftonStrengths , True Nor...

Peggy Sullivan, author of Beyond Busyness: How to Achieve More with Less , joins us for a refreshing and deeply practical conversation about why busyness has become the ultimate addiction—and how to break free from it . A self-described “busyness addict in recovery,” Peggy shares her personal wake-up calls, from a stress-induced heart attack to accidentally eating cat food in a haze of distraction...

Judy Henderson and Jimmy Soni join us for a deeply moving conversation about resilience, forgiveness, and hope in the face of injustice. Judy spent 36 years wrongfully imprisoned, a journey that could have broken most people—but instead, she transformed it into a story of grace, growth, and unwavering strength. Alongside Jimmy, her co-author and champion, they share how hope can be actively create...

Jim Carlough, seasoned executive, leadership coach, and author of Six Pillars of Effective Leadership: A Roadmap to Success , joins us for a heartfelt and eye-opening conversation about the human side of leadership. Through powerful personal stories, Jim challenges the outdated model of command-and-control and instead champions compassion, integrity, and empathy as leadership superpowers . Jim’s s...

Michele Weldon, Boomer, award-winning author, journalist, and emerita faculty member at Northwestern University, joins us to reflect on the deeply personal and cultural shifts we experienced during the pandemic years. Through her latest book,  The Time We Have: Essays on Pandemic Living , Michele invites us to examine how the global crisis changed everything—from how we work to how we grieve. With...

Meet Molly Smith – a Gen X Breakthrough & Emotional Wellness Coach, best-selling author, and founder of Next Best Step LLC . Affectionately known as the female “Ted Lasso” for her grit, heart, and contagious optimism, Molly helps people break free from what’s holding them back and build sustainable, soul-aligned momentum. After 25 years in the corporate world—including time in the C-suite—Moll...

Kayla Logue, a bestselling Millennial author, keynote speaker, and founder of the nonprofit Move Into Words, joins us to share her inspiring story of transformation and impact. Through her book Always Squeezing Lemons, Kayla offers a refreshingly honest take on what it means to face adversity, take radical self-accountability, and pursue a life and business aligned with your values. With a passion...

Athena Brownson, a Millennial light bearer, embodies resilience like few others. Once a professional skier, Athena underwent nine knee surgeries and two neck operations—yet her toughest challenge came off the slopes. Diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease, she found herself bedridden for months. But instead of letting the diagnosis define her, Athena transformed her adversity into purpose, turning pa...

Amy D. Love, Gen X, is a nationally recognized business strategist, entrepreneur, and AI education advocate whose mission is to prepare the next generation to thrive in an AI-driven world. With decades of experience helping organizations scale impact and build future-ready strategies, she founded Discovering AI, a platform helping families, educators, and communities navigate AI with confidence. H...

Valarie Sandjivy, GenX, is an adaptive leadership mentor and business coach with over 20 years of experience.  She is an engineer, master degree recipient, and business coach with over 20 years of corporate experience. As the founder of Ellipus, she helps executives, C-suite leaders, and entrepreneurs lead with greater emotional intelligence, adaptability, and innovation. Her coaching approach is...

Elisabeth White, Millennial, is an Agile (and coffee) aficionado with a passion for people and transformation. She has spent the past fifteen years guiding organizations on incredible Agile journeys—focusing on continuous improvements within leadership, culture, people, and processes. Her contagious personality and collaborative work ethic complement many team and office environments. White is a C...

Laura Zavelson, GenX, is a corporate finance escapee, turned serial entrepreneur, former professor of entrepreneurship, and fairy godmother for new business ideas. She helps GenXers who are laid-off, pissed-off, pushed-out or burned-out capitalize on their expertise and experience to build a business as a coach, consultant or independent expert. She draws on 25+ years of experience to deliver clie...

Guest: Lisa Even – Millennial Leadership Coach, Author, Keynote Speaker In this uplifting episode, we’re joined by Lisa Even, a leadership coach, author, and keynote speaker whose mission is to bring more joy into the world—one ripple at a time. Lisa believes that joy won’t just find us—we have to go after it, and everything we say or do sends out a ripple effect, whether it’s happy or crappy. The...

Dr. Hillary Cauthen, Millennial, is a clinical sport psychologist based in Austin TX. Hillary was a division 1 college track athlete, before embarking on a career focusing on the mental health and mental performance dimensions of high performers. Dr. Cauthen is the Founder of Texas Optimal Performance & Psychological Services. Her private practice has steadily grown over the past decade and no...

Nada Lena Nasserdeen is an internationally acclaimed thought leader, visionary, and advocate for personal and professional empowerment. As the Founder and CEO of Rise Up For You, she is a two-time #1 best-selling author and a two-time TEDx motivational speaker.  Over the past five years, Nada and her team have inspired and transformed the lives of over 100,000 individuals worldwide, equipping lead...

Eva Hausman, Silent  co-founder of the Mothers’ Day Movement (MDM) joins to remind us that $35B are spent on Mother’s Day and what if for the cost of a bouquet of flowers we could change a life?  Eva’s interest in starting this organization grew out of a column in The New York Times by Nicholas Kristof, where he made the case for moving the apostrophe in Mother’s Day so it honors not just one moth...

Madison Kosh, Millennial, is the Senior Director of Program and Training at Girl Scouts, Heart of Central California. A dedicated mom of two, she is passionate about championing girls’ ambition and creating meaningful group experiences.  With over a decade of outdoor leadership experience and seven years of leadership within Girl Scouts, Madison is committed to equipping girls with the skills and...

Nejat Abdurahman, Millennial, is a Keynote Speaker, the Author of The Art of Managing Up , and founder of N-BAC, a business advisory & consulting firm that helps organizations and leaders transform the way they lead. She is a certified leadership and emotional intelligence coach andDISC Practitioner who enables organizational growth and transformation through learning and leadership developmen...