Powerful Ladies® Podcast

Running your own business can be overwhelming. The key to going from surviving to thriving? Prioritizing yourself. In this episode, Kara talks with Alyson Campbell, founder of Heart & Soul PR, about how to choose your dream clients, why PR is more than just a headline, and what happens when you align your business with your real values. They unpack how to protect your energy, price your services w...

What if your most valuable business asset was your generosity? In this episode of the Powerful Ladies Podcast, Kara Duffy talks with Sunny Bates, a founder, author, and master connector. Sunny’s built a world-class career by investing in relationships first. Sunny shares how generosity is the true fuel behind powerful networks, why she sees herself as a talent ecosystem builder, and how she evalua...

What do dog dental care, viral TikToks (@drmollysays), and vet burnout all have in common? Dr. Molly Brinkmann. In this episode, Kara sits down with Dr. Molly to explore what it’s really like to be a modern veterinarian, from navigating tough choices about pet care to the misconceptions people still have about vet medicine. They talk about career paths in animal health, pet owner mistakes (hello,...

Jean Oelwang has spent her life exploring how curiosity, connection, and partnerships drive real change. As President of Virgin Unite, Co-Founder of Plus Wonder, and author of Partnering, she’s worked with global leaders like Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu while building networks that tackle issues from climate change to social justice. In this episode of the Powerful Ladies Podcast, Jean shares...

Kassia Davis walked away from the family business, New Balance, to launch her own path as a brand founder, CEO, and investor. Today, she’s building a portfolio of product-based businesses including KADA, a sustainable women’s apparel brand, and PF Flyers, the iconic sneaker company. In this episode, Kara and Kassia talk about taking control of your career, the reality of startup life, and why Kass...

Looking great in photos isn’t just for influencers and models. Whether you're a business owner, public speaker, or simply trying to feel better in front of the camera, Christine Buzan is here to help. She's the founder of Look Good in Photos and the creator of the Pose Perfect formula, a step-by-step posing method that helps anyone feel more confident and look their best. In this episode, Kara and...

What happens when women lead with authenticity, empathy, and creative power? In this episode, Kara Duffy sits down with Hayley Young, Rose Julian, and Bhavishya Sharadhi of CURATOR Pictures, a female-led production company redefining what inclusive filmmaking looks like. They talk about what drew them to storytelling through film, how intentional collaboration changes the creative process, and why...

After a debilitating injury took her out of the game - literally - Christina Spinazola was forced to reevaluate everything. Once a scientist and athlete, she found herself in deep burnout until a single coaching session changed the trajectory of her life. In this episode of the Powerful Ladies Podcast, host Kara Duffy sits down with Christina to unpack how coaching helped her reclaim her power, fi...

What happens when you merge creativity, city planning, and community-building into a business? Meet Emily Isenberg, the founder and creative director of Isenberg Projects. Based in Boston, her firm brings people together through placemaking, public art, and activating city spaces in ways that feel inclusive, unexpected, and fun. In this episode, we talk about leading a collective, designing experi...

Most people think HR is about policies and procedures. Khalilah T. Olokunola (affectionately known as KO) is here to shatter that perception. In this conversation, we talk about what HR is really about: people, community, and transformation. KO shares how ministry and HR overlap, why small businesses need to think beyond compliance, and how trauma, burnout, and leadership are all connected. We get...

Why is it so hard to choose ourselves - even when we know it’s the right thing to do? Andrea Owen, bestselling author of How to Stop Feeling Like Shit and Make Some Noise, joins Kara to unpack what’s really behind self-abandonment, the cost of ignoring our intuition, and how to start setting better boundaries. In this honest, funny, and empowering episode, Kara and Andrea talk about how our cultur...

Andrew Petterson didn’t take the straight path to becoming a fine artist. He’s an engineer, fabricator, and former custom car builder who’s worked on some of the most iconic cars in the business. But art kept calling. In this episode, Kara and Andrew talk about the creative risks it takes to bet on yourself, how his show Hot Shoe Chronicles came together, and what it means to create art that’s tim...

Carroll Dunham is an anthropologist, author, producer, and National Geographic explorer who's spent the last three decades living between Nepal and Mongolia. She’s studied traditional medicine, worked with women in rural economies, raised foster children, and partnered with indigenous communities to champion environmental conservation. In this episode, Carroll shares the life experiences that shap...

Reb Masel is a practicing attorney and the creator behind the viral TikTok and podcast brand Rebuttal. In this re-release episode, Reb and Kara talk about what it really means to have rights if no one teaches you how to use them, and how she's using humor and plain language to close that gap. They break down the biggest misconceptions about the legal system, how media and politics distort legal un...

Social media and digital marketing can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re the face of your business. In this episode, Kara talks with Alexandra Generales, Founder of Little Social Co., about building a boutique agency that supports creatives, artists, and interior designers with marketing strategies that actually reflect who they are. They discuss how Alexandra went from underpaid freelance...

Amanda Foust is a certified coach, marketing agency founder, and creator of the Highest Potential Planner. She joins Kara for a candid conversation about mindset coaching for women, building multiple businesses while parenting four kids, and what it takes to wake up to your life - and take bold action. They dive into personal development for women, redefining success, and the power of intentional...

In this episode, Kara talks with Sarah Croce, the powerhouse behind Village for Mamas, a nonprofit offering no-strings-attached grants to new and expecting mothers. Sarah is a birth doula, yoga and Pilates instructor, and nurse midwife in training. They explore the systemic failures of maternal care in the U.S., why postpartum support is often overlooked, and how Sarah is creating real change, one...

Ginger Fatale (aka Kristen Crowe) is a licensed clinical counselor, board-certified dance movement therapist, and the founder of Soul on Fire Dance, a burlesque studio that helps adults reconnect with their bodies through movement, confidence, and community. In this episode of Powerful Ladies, Kara and Ginger dive into how somatic therapy and dance can heal what talk therapy alone can’t. They expl...

Mayly Tao, known as the Donut Princess of Los Angeles, is a brand consultant, author of An American Dream, With Sprinkles, and host of the podcast Short N’ Sweet. In this inspiring episode, she joins Kara to share how she transformed her family's 24-hour donut shop into a social media phenomenon and then used that platform to launch a multi-hyphenate career rooted in joy, service, and community. T...

In this episode of the Powerful Ladies Podcast, Jeanne Carver shares how a devastating phone call about wool sales sparked her 25-year mission to revitalize American-made wool. Founder of Shaniko Wool Company, Jeanne’s story weaves together sustainability, entrepreneurship, and leadership in agriculture. She talks about creating new income streams for family ranchers, collaborating with brands lik...

What happens when you stop trying to make a broken system work and start building the life and business you really want? Hannah Jenkinson did just that. After years in the U.S. fashion world, she moved to Cusco, Peru, to create a sustainable knitwear brand on her own terms. In this episode, she shares what it’s really like to move abroad, build a purpose-driven fashion business from scratch, and p...

What if your marketing strategy wasn’t just about selling products but building authentic relationships? Sanaz Dizaj Parham, Brand Director at Axel Arigato, joins Kara to share how community-first marketing has helped turn a Swedish streetwear startup into a global phenomenon. From growing up between cultures to becoming a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, Sanaz shares what it means to lead with intenti...

What happens when you channel your grief into something beautiful and share it with the world? Claire Buckley did just that. After leaving her career in fashion marketing, she followed an unexpected path into painting full-time. Now, her ethereal, prism-like work resonates deeply with anyone who’s experienced loss, longing, or the quiet magic of everyday life. In this episode, we talk about making...

What does it really take to create a workplace where people feel seen, safe, and motivated to lead? Chris Rollins is a keynote speaker, coach, and creator of The Ripple Effect Leader™ - a framework that helps teams become more human, more inclusive, and more effective. In this episode, Chris and Kara talk about leading with vulnerability, why emotional safety drives performance, and what it means...

Swimwear shopping is a nightmare for most women, but Hayley Segar decided to do something about it. She’s the founder of onewith swim, the first swimwear brand that fits like underwear. In this episode, she shares how she built a category-breaking fashion product from scratch, what really goes into launching a DTC brand, and why her mission is as much about confidence as it is about style. We talk...