Powerful Ladies® Podcast

What’s changed in America since the racial reckoning of 2020? In this unedited roundtable episode, Kara Duffy brings back three powerful women, Ronda Brunson, Chandra Gore, and Lauren Wilson, for a follow-up conversation two years after the first “A Powerful Conversation About America.” They dig into whether racism has changed, how it continues to show up, and where real progress has or hasn’t hap...

The foster care system is overloaded. CASA of Orange County is doing something about it. Kara talks with Regan Phillips, CEO of CASA OC, and longtime volunteer Nancy Eaton about the role of Court Appointed Special Advocates and why every child in the system deserves one. They break down the realities of foster care, what most people get wrong about reunification, and the difference a single adult...

You can change the world with your business, or at the very least, change your community. Amy Peterson is living proof. She’s the co-founder and CEO of Rebel Nell, a Detroit-based social enterprise that employs and empowers women with barriers to employment, including women coming out of shelters, rebuilding after incarceration, surviving domestic violence, or navigating life as refugees. Rebel Ne...

Rose Archie is changing what leadership looks like. As founder of Nations Skate Youth, she’s created a movement rooted in Indigenous pride, healing, and community. Rose shares her journey from growing up in Canim Lake to building safe spaces for Indigenous youth through skateboarding. Kara and Rose talk about identity, representation, grief, and what it means to show up with purpose. This is a con...

Growing up can be challenging, especially for tweens and teens who feel alone or unsure where to turn for advice. Naama Barnea-Goraly, a doctor, child and adolescent psychology expert, brain researcher, and founder of the app Girltelligence, is working to change that. Girltelligence is a free platform where girls can connect, share advice, and build a supportive sisterhood. We explore why this kin...

Lindsay DeLong didn’t set out to run a local media platform, but her love for storytelling and community made it inevitable. As the editor of Laguna Beach Living, she’s built a space that celebrates the people, places, and stories that make a town feel like home. From discovering hidden gems to shining a light on local changemakers, Lindsay is all about connection. We talk about how she transition...

Extraordinary lives aren’t built by accident. Angie Wisdom, celebrated business coach, author, and speaker, has helped countless leaders, entrepreneurs, and individuals step into their full potential. As Kara’s own coach, Angie has been a catalyst for clarity, action, and confidence. In this conversation, she opens the door to her coaching philosophy, the daily practices that create lasting change...

Motherhood is a rite of passage that changes everything, yet our culture often treats it like an afterthought. Molly Mitchell Hardt, psychotherapist and co-founder of the Sacred Journey of Motherhood, is working to change that. Her mission is to bring reverence, awareness, and deep support back to one of life’s most profound transitions. We talk about the layers of consciousness that shape our exp...

What does it really mean to run a business with the planet in mind? In this special live recording of A Powerful Conversation About America, Kara sits down with three women redefining what entrepreneurship looks like when environmental impact is part of the bottom line. Kelly Murphy of Refiller LA, Jillian Clark of Roboro, and Annie Rouse of Think Hempy Thoughts share their journeys into conscious...

Lauren Ferree Bash, known online as ReLauren, is proof that one person can make a big difference. From growing up with an environmentalist mom to becoming a sustainability content creator, video editor, and climate advocate, she’s weaving activism into every part of her life. We talk about how being the change can be easier than you think, the importance of working together, and where we all need...

Judy Wicks didn’t just open a restaurant. She created a hub for community, activism, and sustainable business. As the founder of the White Dog Café and the Sustainable Business Network, she’s spent decades proving that profit and purpose can thrive together. Judy’s story is about more than food; it’s about building local economies, empowering entrepreneurs, and using business as a force for good....

Kelly Murphy never planned on becoming an entrepreneur, but a trip around the world changed everything. After seeing the impact of waste in some of the most beautiful places on Earth, she returned home determined to make it easier for people to live with less plastic. As the founder of Refillery LA, Kelly brings zero waste living to neighborhoods across Los Angeles with her mobile refill station f...

Roe v. Wade being under threat wasn’t something Dr. Sophia Yen ever imagined in her lifetime. Yet here we are, still fighting for a woman’s right to choose, for bodily autonomy, and for access to comprehensive health education and birth control. As the CEO of Pandia Health, the only female-founded, doctor-led birth control delivery company in the United States, Dr. Yen is making sure women can get...

Bethany Hawkins and Sharoline Galva have built more than a podcast. They’ve built a platform for joy, connection, and change. As the powerhouse duo behind Crackers & Soup and co-hosts of the award-winning Chatting Over Chowder podcast, they’ve found a way to create meaningful work that’s also a lot of fun. From launching a production company to curating a team that shares their values, Bethany and...

Today’s episode is the live recording of our special International Women’s Day Powerful Conversation Series themed Powerful Ladies for Change. There’s so much going on in our world today and all of it impacts women, so I wanted to bring together a few of the badasses in the Powerful Ladies community who are taking action every day to be the change they wish to see in the world and ask them how the...

Rebecca Wiener McGregor has spent nearly two decades helping people break through fear, heal trauma, and step fully into their own power. A certified hypnotist, coach, and educator, she reveals how hypnosis can be a fast, transformative way to release anxiety, rewrite limiting beliefs, and reconnect with your true self. We talk about what hypnosis really is (and isn’t), how it can dissolve the emo...

Andrea Guevara’s journey is a masterclass in resilience. From escaping an abusive marriage to surviving homelessness, she rebuilt her life piece by piece. She creating a thriving branding and career coaching business for authors and becoming a mindset mentor for women. She shares how pivotal moments, bold choices, and relentless determination led to her dream home, a business that changes lives, a...

Adoption can change more than one life. For Gemi and Ili Bertran, it transformed an entire family. Gemi was born in Haiti and adopted as a child by Ili, who brought her to Barcelona. Their journey together has been shaped by love, identity, resilience, and the challenges of bridging cultures. In this conversation, they open up about the realities of international adoption, the work it takes to nur...

Carrie Schmitt never planned on becoming a professional artist. But when a sudden, debilitating allergy to heat and sunlight forced her to reinvent her life, painting became her lifeline. What started as a way to cope turned into a thriving career as an artist, writer, entrepreneur, and teacher. In this conversation, we explore how she transformed her biggest challenges into a purpose-driven busin...

Devon Blow has built a creative career that’s as bold and bright as her work. From landing clients like Adidas, Google, and the United Nations to using her art as a tool for activism, she’s proof that you can do what you love and make an impact. In this conversation, we talk about raising your rates with confidence, staying true to your style, and why she believes food, housing, and health care ar...

Lauren Stephens co-founded Dudley Stephens to solve a simple problem: staying warm without sacrificing style. Today, the women-owned, family-run fashion brand has repurposed over 4 million plastic bottles into timeless, sustainable pieces. Lauren shares how her background in luxury fashion shaped the brand, the intentional choices they’ve made to stay committed to recycled and biodegradable materi...

Dr. Andrea Liner, known as The Breakup Doc, is a licensed clinical psychologist and relationship coach helping people navigate breakups and build the relationships they truly want. In this conversation, she shares how our romantic and personal connections influence everything from our career success to our long-term happiness. We talk about knowing when it’s time to leave, how to evaluate your rel...

Jamilly Whitfield knows what it’s like to feel trapped by your own story. A licensed clinical social worker, author, podcaster, and coach, she’s turned her own journey of healing into a mission to help others break free from the weight of past trauma. Growing up in Washington Heights and now running her own practice, she’s proof that it’s possible to rewrite your narrative and create the life you’...

Sailor Guevara went from bartending in fine dining restaurants to becoming an award-winning brand ambassador and then reinvented her career in the middle of the pandemic. Today she runs a virtual event fulfillment company, leading immersive cocktail tastings and shipping curated kits to clients across the country. In this conversation, Sailor shares how her Greek immigrant roots and love of origin...

Monique “Mo” Figueiredo never planned to be an entrepreneur, but her passion for composting turned into CompostableLA, a thriving community-based composting company. She’s on a mission to change how Los Angeles handles food waste. She wants to show that composting isn’t just good for the planet, it’s essential for food sovereignty, environmental justice, and economic health. Mo shares why waste is...