Living The Authentic Life

Melissa is the founder of Melissa Sugulas Style, a premiere fashion consultancy with concierge-level personal styling services for women & men. Melissa has an incredible eye for fashion with a goal to inspire women everywhere to make every day an occasion. We talk about all our favorite classic styles & current trends from women wearing men's sport watches to dressing yourself out of your mood to...

Our fabulous guest is Cherise Esparza who is a Cyber Security Expert and Co-Founder of SecurityGate.io. We talk through our shared loves of fashion, family, cars and rediscovering our purpose. Cherise shares her incredible journey from finding her career path early developing software for publicly traded companies as a teenager, to developing the platform used by risk managers & executives at the...

This week we’re kicking off the Fall 2023 Living The Authentic Life Podcast Series with special guest, the honorable Jacquie Baly. Jacquie is a former Greater Houston Partnership vice president who now works in public & media relations—in addition to serving as adjunct professor at the University of Houston and advising Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on higher education initiatives. Jacquie’s community se...

Earlene joins us to share her journey as a philanthropist, author, world-traveler and her most cherished roles-as a wife and mother. With an upcoming 30 year wedding anniversary, we dive in on common relationship issues in today's society and how she overcame them. Earlene said it best, "You can have a 1000 reasons to leave, but you only need one reason to stay."

Stephanie von Stein is The Innovative Luxury Consultant & CEO of von Fab Group With over 20 years of experience in luxury retail and business, Stephanie has established herself as a trusted advisor with an incredible eye for luxury. Stephanie shares her incredible story from her years working in luxury retail with Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Saks Fifth Avenue to launching her own luxury consulting b...

Deejay's mission is to create a safe space for people to enjoy dance and the Contessa has been having an absolute blast training with him as her partner for Houston's upcoming APAHA Dancing with the Stars event. Join us for a fabulous episode as Deejay shares his journey following a dream of professional dance from Virginia to NYC to LA and around the world, finally landing in Houston. From dancin...

Ashley shares her story as a pioneer of fashion blogging as we connect on how fashion brings people together and get Ashley's expert packing tips for fashionistas. We discuss it all—from her difficult health battle with arthritis to becoming a mother and expanding her brand.

Khara Breeden, founder & CEO of Texas Forensic Nurses joins us and shares her incredible story of identifying and following her purpose, becoming a nurse, forming The Forensic Center, now in its fourth year. We discuss living out her dream, earning her doctorate and opening a completely new set of health services for victims of domestic violence and sex trafficking. She shares the eye-opening expe...

Ryan Jay, Neiman Marcus VP Market Manager of the South Texas region including Houston, Austin and San Antonio. Join us for an episode all about fashion and the future of luxury retail as Ryan shares his journey over 15 years in luxury retail around the country, most recently transitioning from Saks Fifth Avenue finding a home ultimately with Texas based, Neiman Marcus. We swap heartfelt stories fr...

President and CEO of Hope Biosciences shares her focus on a mission to revolutionize the field of cell therapy. Her passion is leading their entire team to find solutions to current limitations by delivering approved therapies to the market - quickly. Hope Bio’s groundbreaking patented core cell culture technology is utilized in over 30 FDA authorized protocols in the United States. Join us as we...

A recent introduction of Dr. Sprouse by a known physician sums it up, "So what do you call it when barriers, or obstacles, or the allegedly immovable objects are moved aside and overcome by the irresistible, unstoppable force of passion, courage, dedication, and joy? We call that ...Mila!" Join us as we discuss the incredible passion behind Dr. Sprouse's work and how her fearless innovation & lead...

Ep #86 with Food/Nutrition Expert Britt Klingler of Britt's Fit Foods: From which nutrients promote health to which ingredients to avoid, chef Britt Klingler breaks down all our dietary questions. “Food as medicine” may be an emerging concept in the Western world but has existed for centuries as the cornerstone of health for many cultures & "blue zones" around the globe. Join us as we discuss the...

Episode #85 with Steven Devadanam, CultureMap Houston Journalist. As Steven says, "everyone has a story—you just have to ask." Well we asked and he answered! Having worked with almost every media outlet in Houston, Steven is a true master storyteller. Join us as we discuss how being intentional, showing up and being authentic led him to succeed with his career, his family and meeting the love of h...

SAVE THE ASTRODOME! Iconic and sentimental to every native even if they never stepped foot inside, Houston's architectural gem was declared the Eighth Wonder of the World when it opened back in 1965. The Astrodome, for all its rich history, has languished empty, unused and threatened with demolition for over ten years. Beth & Phoebe talk us through the future of the Astrodome, from the need for an...

Episode #83 with BMW General Manager Maria Moncada Alaoui: Starting in the automotive industry in an administrative role more than 25 years ago, Maria reveals how she worked her way up to management in a male-dominated field. We dive in on discovering your purpose, engaging with our community and connecting in meaningful ways.

Episode #82 with Fashion Blogger Marti Grizzle: This week's guest is a rising star in Houston real estate, a fabulous fashion blogger and an all around badass 🌟 Tune in to get the scoop on how Marti has overcome adversity, built a new career & utilized fashion blogging to build more human connection & make women feel good.

Episode 81 with Fashion Stylist Kendra Smith: We dive in on your styling questions like why tailoring matters, how to pack & style a vacation wardrobe based on your destination from the slopes to the beach, to why she chooses classic investment pieces over investing in trendy styles. Kendra talks us through how to build a handbag collection, starting with the staples—a black & taupe—then building...

Join us for Episode 80, Vintage Luxury Boutique Owners Donae & Rob Chramosta. Donae & Rob give the inside scoop on luxury shopping—from a Rolex to a Birkin to Cartier to VCA—why some luxury items are so hard to get and which items to buy for the best potential investment value. Tune into to hear how the current "pay-to-play" waiting list systems work and tips on how to score your dream piece in to...

Join us for Episode 79 with fashion influencer Chiara Casiraghi! We talk about travel and different styles across the world and dig in on how motherhood has changed her life & influenced her style. Chiara gives us the scoop on mixing & matching to rewear styles in new ways to help eliminate the pressure on social media to always buy new.

✨Curated by Dawn O Bell✨ Her career is amazing, from styling glamorous campaigns for Elaine Turner to leading Fashion Camp and Houston Vintage, both of which are gaining a following throughout the community. She also owns a warehouse/classroom/vintage treasure trove near The Heights, where photo shoots are conceptualized and inspiration is manifested. Its a place where you can book private shopp...

Episode #77 with Author April Salazar and Business Women Association Director Vanessa Agudelo: We discuss it all, from what feminism means to us and the critical role men can play as our biggest supporters to how we connect with like-minded women in today's world and champion each other in our community.

Join us for Episode 76 from Saks Fifth Avenue with stylist Brooklynn Weatherill! We're walking through our top fall style picks & techniques to take your look to the next level this season and beyond 💯

Adriana and Valentina Hogan of Echo 4 Us. When girls know their worth, nothing can stop them. Join us as we talk about new strategies to empower young women, boost their self image and allow girls to find a more authentic version of themselves. Adriana & Val share about their incredible organization, Echo 4 Us, whose goal is to turn girls into empowered people who thrive emotionally, mentally, and...

Boundaries are badass! Join us for Episode 74 with Jennifer Pinkerton, practice owner of Pinkerton Psychotherapy, emotional health advocate, writer and speaker. We break down strategies toward healing and being the person we were born to be through developing connection, self-awareness, and setting boundaries. Jennifer gives us groundbreaking power phrases we’ll be using immediately—if you struggl...

TechTrap author, Deborah Berry, wrote about her journey—with one purpose in mind—to provide as much information to parents of teens so they never have to walk through a similar nightmare with their children…being lured into the dark and torrid world of online pornography and sex trafficking.