Powerful Ladies® Podcast

Raiza Licea is an improv comedian, actor, podcaster, and activist making space for Latinx voices in comedy. As the co-creator and co-host of Spanish Aquí Presents, the first and only all-Latinx show at both Upright Citizens Brigade and Earwolf, she’s built platforms where representation isn’t just discussed, it’s celebrated. Born and raised in Miami in a Cuban family, Raiza shares how her heritage...

Paula Camarena worked for years in the tech world before answering the call to work for herself. Instead of starting a business from scratch, she explored franchise opportunities and found her perfect fit with Pillar to Post Home Inspectors. Today, she’s part of the 3% of women in her field, breaking barriers in a male-dominated industry while serving her clients with the same care she gives to fr...

Ellen Ho is a lifestyle multipreneur, actress, model, nonprofit founder, and world traveler who has visited more than 80 countries. She’s built a career that blends production, food and plant styling, photography, and global adventure into a life designed on her own terms. Ellen shares how growing up in a traditional Chinese household shaped her values, the pivotal “Eat, Pray, Love” trip that spar...

Cameron Esposito is a stand-up comedian, actor, host of the Queery podcast, and bestselling author of Save Yourself. Known for her sharp wit and commitment to amplifying LGBTQ+ voices, Cameron has built a career that blends humor, activism, and storytelling. She shares her journey from studying theology with plans to become a priest to finding her voice in comedy, and how her work continues to sup...

Annie Gonzalez is an actress, producer, and songwriter known for her roles in Netflix’s Gentefied and STARZ’s Vida. Proudly representing her East LA roots, Annie is committed to telling authentic Latinx stories and making profound ideas accessible to everyone. She shares how growing up in a culturally rich neighborhood shaped her identity, why mental health advocacy is personal, and how she’s usin...

This is one of the most important conversations I’ve ever had on the podcast. Recorded live on June 5, 2020, just days after the murder of George Floyd, it brings together Sharifah Hardie, Ronda Brunson, Mikelle Drew, and Chandra Gore for an open, honest, and unfiltered discussion about racism in America. We talk about personal experiences, systemic injustice, and the urgent need for change. The p...

Isabel Muller is the founder of SWTCH, an innovative underwear brand that lets you change into a fresh pair without removing your shoes or layers, solving a problem most women have experienced on camping trips, ski slopes, or busy days on the go. She shares how a personal need sparked the idea, what it took to design a Minimum Viable Product, and why she’s using her platform to create honest conve...

Jennifer Burdis is a two-season American Ninja Warrior, former Penn State volleyball player, teacher, trainer, speaker, and author of The Edju-Ninja Mindset. At just 5’1”, she’s built a career proving that obstacles can be the very things that define your path. Growing up in rural Pennsylvania, Jennifer overcame dyslexia, pursued a collegiate athletic career, and later competed on Season 6 and Sea...

Becky Olson is a five-time cancer survivor, public speaker, founder of the Breast Friends nonprofit and radio show, and a champion for living fully. She’s also the mother of our first-ever guest, Elizabeth McGarry, and just like her daughter, she delivers truth bombs, ah-ha moments, and an unwavering commitment to joy. Even as her cancer has returned and spread, Becky focuses on humor, happiness,...

Miranda Bressman is a true multipreneur. While working in demanding corporate roles in the action sports industry, she and her husband built a portfolio of businesses: from The Secret Headquarters, one of the world’s top comic book stores, to the hilarious Florida Man Card Game, to unique vacation rentals in Palm Springs and Idyllwild. She shares how her path started folding T-shirts in a skate co...

Melisa D. Monts is a producer, director, writer, and co-host of the podcast Don't Blame Me who has built a career across TV, film, and podcasting. From Fayetteville, Arkansas, she made her way to Los Angeles after falling in love with screenwriting in college, and she’s been making her mark ever since. Melisa shares how she hustled early, taking on multiple internships at once, and how those exper...

Harper Carnes and Gracie Krajesky are the energetic, optimistic, and talented co-founders of Girl Creative Co., a design, branding, visual merchandising, and website creation company. From in-store installations to content creation, they help businesses visually tell their story. Their partnership began years ago when Harper was Gracie’s youth pastor, later evolving as Gracie became her babysitter...

Sara Zandieh is an Iranian-American filmmaker, writer, and director whose work blends humor, humanity, and cultural depth. She recently directed an episode of NBC’s Good Girls and her latest feature, A Simple Wedding (a multi-cultural romantic comedy starring Tara Grammy and Christopher O’Shea) is streaming now on Amazon and iTunes. Sara shares her path from journalism to filmmaking, why being Ira...

Jillian Clark is the founder of Roboro6, an upcycled apparel company that turns scrap materials from film sets, theaters, and local factories into brand new, beautiful items. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she pivoted overnight to producing face masks, creating a unique business model that also sponsors masks for the medical community. Her journey from dance and theater to entrepreneurship reveal...

Marjan Koosha Johnson is a third-year medical student taking a research year in dermatology. We recorded this conversation just as the COVID-19 outbreak began in the U.S., before quarantine restrictions took effect. She shares the realities of medical school, where to find credible medical research, and how she balances the demands of school, family, and friends. Marjan discusses the beauty and de...

Derek “D.B.” Brown is a personal trainer, fitness expert, business owner, entrepreneur, veteran, and new dad who proves that confidence is the foundation for success. Raised by his single mother, D.B. learned early the value of hard work, perseverance, and showing up with kindness and determination, lessons that still fuel his 14–15 hour workdays. From serving in the military and recovering from a...

Sasha Sagan is a writer, speaker, and author of For Small Creatures Such as We, a book that explores the beauty of science, the traditions we create, and the rituals that give life meaning. Inspired by her parents, Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan, Sasha brings a thoughtful perspective on curiosity, skepticism, and how science can deepen our sense of wonder. She shares the story of writing her book, the...

To celebrate International Women’s Day and the one-year anniversary of the Powerful Ladies Podcast, the mic is turned around on host Kara Duffy. Interviewed by past guest Aleks Lason, Kara shares her career journey: from working with global brands like Reebok, Puma, and adidas to launching Powerful Ladies and coaching people around the world. Kara opens up about the confidence it takes to create s...

Natasha Dressler has built a career across marketing, PR, and event management in the entertainment and podcasting world, proving that a broad skill set can be your greatest niche. From cosmetics to tech gaming, agency work to talent relations, Natasha’s path shows how saying “yes” to opportunity and leaning into your unique experiences can open unexpected doors. She shares how to identify the cli...

Marina Stirdivant is a gentle powerhouse who changes the energy of any space she enters. As the founder of Connect Studio Space and United Yoga Studio in Orange, California, she’s created spaces for creativity, mindfulness, and community. A mom of three, wife, yoga instructor, and leader of a women’s mastermind group for over a decade, Marina’s story is about building connection with herself, her...

Stacy Solodkin had a thriving career as the founder of a successful talent agency, but her life shifted dramatically after a Stage 3 ovarian cancer diagnosis. Instead of slowing down, she reinvented her life, becoming an artist, opening her own gallery, marrying the love of her life, and embracing every day as her best day. She shares how cancer transformed her priorities, the life-saving changes...

Christina Sofia is a licensed therapist, reiki practitioner, and transformation coach who blends ancient healing traditions with modern practices to help clients reconnect with their power. After realizing she wasn’t living her true purpose, and feeling the toll it took physically, emotionally, and spiritually, Christina made the leap from traditional therapy to a coaching practice that incorporat...

Brooke Butler is a badass emergency veterinarian and Medical Director running her own hospital with the Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG). Based in the Hoboken, NJ/NYC area, she’s changing the veterinary experience for animals, their humans, and the vets who care for them, combining practicality with deep compassion. Brooke shares how she built her career from internships to leading multiple hospit...

Hannah Diffenderffer is a Social Media Manager and Strategist who’s cutting through the noise to share what really works online. In a world obsessed with vanity metrics, Hannah explains why follower counts don’t equal sales, how to pick the right platforms for your goals, and why most social media should be seen as lead generation, not direct sales. She opens up about her journey from studying PR...

Maryl Petreccia is an entrepreneur, dancer, author, and self-proclaimed Joy Expert who has lived through nine major losses in seven years, including the death of her husband, and still chooses to live life at an 11+. Drawing on her book GPS to Joy, she shares how to navigate life’s toughest transitions, find your way forward, and create joy even in the midst of grief. Maryl opens up about becoming...