Lifted

Hello Beautiful Listeners, I’m so excited to share something close to my heart—my new audiobook, Someday, Now. It’s a love letter to the season of life when children leave home and families find new ways to connect, re-nest, and reimagine themselves. It’s about motherhood, blended families, returning to familiar places, and so much more. In this episode, I’m giving you the prologue—an opening glim...

In this episode of Lifted, Tembi Locke sits down with visionary entrepreneur and changemaker Shiza Shahid – co-founder of the Malala Fund, founding partner of NOW Ventures, and CEO of Our Place – for a conversation that weaves together purpose, innovation, and heart. Shiza reflects on her journey from organizing protests in Pakistan as a teenager to becoming one of the most influential mission-dri...

Tembi is joined by sommelier, entrepreneur, and hospitality visionary Cha McCoy for a conversation about community, culture, and the art of crafting a life—and business—on your own terms. From Harlem to Italy and Lisbon and back, Cha shares how she’s building a hyper-local hospitality brand serving flavors from around the globe. Together, she and Tembi explore global wine traditions and discuss ho...

Tembi Locke sits down with powerhouse entrepreneur, strategist, and bestselling author Kathleen Griffith-- founder of Grayce & Co and author of Build Like a Woman. Known for her business acumen and innovative thinking, Kathleen has worked with Fortune 500 companies and global brands to help women-led businesses grow and thrive. Together, they dive into how, years ago, physical travel in the form o...

In this intimate and illuminating episode of Lifted, Tembi Locke welcomes death doula, attorney, and bestselling author Alua Arthur (Briefly Perfectly Human) for a transformative conversation on embracing the end of life—not as a tragedy, but as a portal to deeper connection, clarity, and purpose. Alua shares her unexpected journey to becoming a death doula, and together, she and Tembi explore wha...

In this heartfelt episode of Lifted, Tembi Locke is joined by actress, dancer, author, and television host Amanda Kloots for an honest conversation about surviving loss, choosing joy, and redefining what it means to move forward with grief. Amanda opens up about the devastating loss of her husband, Broadway actor Nick Cordero, during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic – a time marked by uncer...

What does it take to turn discipline into joy and inner clarity into impact? This week on Lifted, host Tembi Locke sits down with therapist, entrepreneur, and mental wellness advocate Nina Westbrook for a powerful conversation about identity, ambition, and the long game of self-trust. Nina, founder of the online wellness platform Bene by Nina, creator of the Do Tell card game, and host of The Rela...

Tembi Locke is joined by creative force and entrepreneur Pia Baroncini – founder of fashion label LPA, co-founder of Baroncini Import & Co., podcast host, and mother – for a heartfelt conversation about culture, loss, identity, and building a life that holds it all. Pia opens up about how her Italian-American heritage, her early years in New York’s downtown art scene, and her deep connection to fa...

In our Season 3 premiere, Tembi Locke welcomes bestselling author and literary powerhouse Cheryl Strayed (Wild, Tiny Beautiful Things, Dear Sugar) for a heartfelt conversation on the transformative power of travel, writing, and grief. Together, they explore how travel - across landscapes, emotions, and memory - serves as a catalyst for healing and self-discovery. Cheryl opens up about her earliest...

Hi friends, it’s Tembi. I’m so excited to share that my new audiobook memoir, Someday, Now, is coming this fall—September 30th. An immersive, ride-along audio experience, Someday, Now invites you into a turning point in my life—our family’s life—as we reimagined what it means to hold on while also letting go. Set in Sicily, it takes place during the summer before my daughter left for college—a sea...

Join us for a captivating conversation with Chef Jenny Dorsey, a professional chef, author, speaker, and recent graduate of Harvard University's Master’s Program in Education. As the co-founder of Studio ATAO, an award-winning 501(c)3 nonprofit think tank, Jenny is at the forefront of defining more equitable standards for the food, beverage, and hospitality industry. In this episode, she sits down...

Join us in a delightful conversation with Amelia Rampe, Senior Editor at Food & Wine, as we uncover the multifaceted world of food and travel. As a food and travel writer, recipe developer, video host, and food stylist, Amelia delves into the intricacies of the Filipinx kitchen and shares how she skillfully brings Filipinx food stories to life. In this conversation, we tackle:  The intricacies of...

Join us for a compelling conversation with Yasmin Khan, the British cookbook author and former human rights campaigner. Known for titles like "Zaitoun" and "The Saffron Tales," Yasmin shares her remarkable journey from social justice advocacy to cookbook writing, emphasizing the power of food as a universal connector in highlighting our shared humanity. We explore:  Yasmin's career shift from huma...

Join us for an enlightening conversation with Dawn Davis, a renowned food editor and publishing powerhouse, who, in 2020, ascended to the role of editor-in-chief at Bon Appétit. In this episode, we delve into Dawn's remarkable journey and her insightful perspectives on the dynamic world of food and publishing. Highlights of our conversation include: A recount of a chance meeting on a plane to Nige...

Join us in this delectable episode as we sit down with Klancy Miller, a distinguished pastry chef, culinary educator, and the celebrated author of "Cooking Solo" and "For The Culture." From her journey at Le Cordon Bleu to her endeavors in highlighting remarkable Black women and femmes in the culinary industry, Klancy shares her insights and passion for blending cultural influences with the artist...

Join us for a gastronomic adventure with Katie Parla, the Rome-based New York Times bestselling cookbook author of “Food of The Italian Islands”, “Food of the Italian South”, and “Tasting Rome”, among others. Katie is also an Emmy-nominated television host, co-host of Gola Podcast, and expert in all things Italian cuisine. In a captivating conversation, we delve into:  Her incredible food tours in...

Join us in this episode as we sit down with the incredible Candace Nelson, founder of Sprinkles Cupcakes, Pizzana, and CN2 Ventures. From her pioneering work in the cupcake industry to her current role on Shark Tank, Candace shares her entrepreneurial journey and insights into the world of venture investing. We discuss:  The origins of Sprinkles Cupcakes and the early days of transforming a startu...

In the second part of this special two-part episode, we explore empowerment and collaboration with The McBride Sisters and Jess Druey, the dynamic force behind Whiny Baby wines. From the McBride Sisters' She Can Fund, to the viral success of Whiny Baby wines, we dive into how these women are shaping the future of the wine industry. We discuss: The story behind the creation of Whiny Baby wines and...

Join us in this episode as we uncork the fascinating story of Robin and Andréa McBride, the visionary minds behind the acclaimed McBride Sisters Wine Company. From an unexpected familial reunion to the creation of Black Girl Magic wines, their journey is nothing short of extraordinary. We discuss:  Robin and Andréa's incredible origin story of discovering each other's existence in their mid-twenti...

Introducing Season Two! In Season One, "Lifted" delved into the lives of artists who shaped the series "From Scratch." Now, in Season Two, we shift our focus to the heart of our homes – the kitchen. We invite you to join Tembi Locke as she sits down for candid conversations with top chefs, restaurateurs, nutritionists, entrepreneurs, and change-agents in the food equity movement to explore the tra...

Over the first season of Lifted, I have had the pleasure of talking to the dynamic creators of From Scratch. Through these conversations, I've thought deeply about creativity in general, creativity in my own life, and how creativity can be used to find our way back to ourselves. I thought it might be nice to talk to an expert in this field so that she can unpack and demystify this thing called cre...

This might be my most personal conversation to date.  In this episode, I sit down with Attica Locke. In case you don't know, she is the author of five books; her latest novel, Heaven, My Home, is the sequel to her Edgar Award-Winning Bluebird, Bluebird, and it is also a New York Times Bestseller. Her novel Pleasantville was a winner of the Harper Lee prize for Legal Ficton, her second book, The Cu...

After working as an actress on and off Broadway, in regional theater, and in TV and film, Marguerite MacIntyre turned her focus to writing, adapting Liz Tigelaar's novel Pretty Tough for Tornante/Hulu. Since then, she has written/produced for genre hits The Originals and Legacies, the limited drama series Containment, and Hulu's Golden Globe nominated comedy, Casual. Most recently she was Co-Execu...

Shannon Baker Davis is an award-winning television and film editor. For the first 10 years of her career, she worked on unscripted and reality projects, including Emmy-winning shows like Top Chef and Project Runway. Later, she parlayed her skills into the scripted world, working on acclaimed television shows and films like The Photograph, Impeachment: American Crime Story, Insecure, Grown-ish, The...

Laura Fox is an Emmy-nominated production designer with over 25 years of experience in film, television, music videos, and commercial work. Her projects include The White Lotus, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, and (500) Days of Summer. I got to see her magnificent work first hand on From Scratch, as she created a beautiful, rich, 360-degree world for Amy and Lino to inhabit. I also came to know her as a t...