She Lift Project Podcast

Selling your business starts long before you find a buyer. In episode 86 of the She Lift Project, Cynthia Kirkpatrick talks with Christy Maxfield , founder of Purpose First Advisors , about the decisions that help owners build a more valuable business and prepare for what comes next. Christy explains why your company’s ability to run without you, the strength of your team, and the conversations yo...

Cynthia Kirkpatrick welcomes her boss and mentor, Diane Compardo , a partner at Moneta , for a conversation about building a successful team and helping others grow. Having experienced Diane’s leadership firsthand, Cynthia brings a personal perspective to what it takes to create a culture of excellence where people feel valued, supported, and challenged to do their best work. Diane shares how she...

How do you build a new career chapter after years of success? Betsy Cohen joins Cynthia Kirkpatrick to discuss the skills, relationships, and uncomfortable transitions that helped her evolve from corporate leadership to nonprofit leadership and philanthropic futurism . Betsy shares the childhood experience that shaped her independence, her mother's gift of shattered glass, the setbacks behind her...

Dr. Erica Yalavarthi  is double board certified in family medicine and obesity medicine, menopause certified, and focused on longevity. After more than two decades inside a medical system that gave her ten minutes per patient, she walked away and built something different: Awaken Face and Body Wellness , a physician-led concierge practice and med spa in St. Louis where clients get 90-minute first...

This week Cynthia sits down with Farica Chang , managing partner of Anderson Technologies and founder of Anderson Archival , two St. Louis businesses built around helping people protect what matters most. Farica opens up about the unplanned turns that shaped her path, from a temporary contract job to running a growing company, and the deeply personal story that pulled her toward legacy preservatio...

Joining Cynthia this episode is Jennifer Belmont Jennings , an estate planning attorney at MGD Law in St. Louis and a former wealth advisor who has spent her career bridging the legal and financial sides of people's lives. Their conversation moves through the winding, sometimes discouraging path that shaped Jennifer's career, the mindset shifts that carried her through hard seasons, and the quiet...

This week Cynthia is joined by Aoifinn Devitt , a senior member of Moneta's Global Wealth team and a longtime voice in international finance. Aoifinn shares her journey across continents, industries, and life stages, from bold early adventures to major career pivots. It's a conversation full of honesty, humor, and hard won wisdom. This episode is for any woman who has ever wondered if she's capabl...

Holly Breuer is the founder of Prosper CPAs , a St. Louis accounting firm she launched in 2022. It started with a simple question: could you build a firm that provided elite-level service to business owners while also being a genuinely great place to work? Holly spent twenty years in public accounting, including time at large international firms, before deciding the industry didn't have to work th...

Taryn Pulliam , Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Gadellnet Consulting Services , leads a team that helps organizations align technology with their business goals, from cybersecurity and cloud to AI consulting. But this conversation reaches far beyond IT. Taryn shares the unlikely path that took her from cosmetology school to becoming a powerhouse sales leader in a male dominated industr...

Sara Marler is the founder and managing partner of Marler Law Partners , a family law firm in St. Louis built around a concept that is still rare in the legal profession: trauma-informed practice. By combining rigorous legal representation with healing-centered care from a licensed therapist, Sara and her team have created a firm where clients are seen as whole people navigating one of the hardest...

Cynthia sits down with Tracy Collins , a St. Louis-based architect and founder of formwork architecture. Early in her career she did something most people would never attempt: she sent her resume to the firm of the architect she admired most in the world, and they said yes. What she built in the years that followed, and what she chose to walk away from, says everything about what real growth actua...

In this episode of the She Lift Project Podcast, Cynthia Kirkpatrick sits down with Lauren Colbert , Principal Strategic Facilitator at Filament , a one-of-a-kind analog thinking space located in the Cortex Innovation District in St. Louis. Lauren helps smart people think better together, working with organizations ranging from local nonprofits to Fortune 50 companies to unlock honest conversation...

In Episode 74 of the She Lift Project Podcast, Cynthia Kirkpatrick sits down with Paya Sample , CEO of Peak Leaders Collective and executive coach to leaders across industries and education. Paya works with executives, administrators, and managers to build trust-based cultures, develop rising leaders, and lead with authenticity and purpose. Together, Cynthia and Paya explore what it actually means...

In this episode of the She Lift Project Podcast, host Cynthia Kirkpatrick sits down with Stephanie Zettl , an award-winning photographer with over 25 years of experience working across the globe. Stephanie specializes in capturing the inner beauty of leaders, executives, and entrepreneurs through portraits that reveal confidence, personality, and authentic self. Together, Cynthia and Stephanie exp...

Beth Gunter joins Cynthia Kirkpatrick on the She Lift Project Podcast to share her journey from building a network from scratch to becoming Chief Revenue Officer and partner at Spry Digita l. She is a sales leader, community builder, and founder of the One Degree of Separation networking event, known for helping professionals form real relationships that move their careers forward. In this episode...

In this episode of the She Lift Project Podcast, Cynthia talks with Sally Schwarz , a retired emeritus professor of radiology at Washington University in St. Louis and a global leader in nuclear pharmacy. Sally built a groundbreaking career in radiopharmaceutical science, regulatory leadership, and international medical innovation while helping shape the future of nuclear medicine. They discuss he...

In this episode of the She Lift Project Podcast, Cynthia Kirkpatrick sits down with Alison Niermann , founder and CEO of Tilley Partners . Alison is an executive recruiter and leadership advisor who helps organizations hire the right people and build teams that actually work. They talk about how to recognize your true professional value, how great leaders hire differently, and why protecting your...

In this episode of The She Lift Project, Cynthia Kirkpatrick sits down with Melissa Gragg of Bridge Valuation Partners for a deep dive into what it really takes to win high-stakes negotiations. From complex business sales and mergers to high-net-worth divorces and closed mediations, Melissa shares how her background in business valuation, forensic accounting, expert testimony, and investment banki...

Accountability That Unlocks Potential features a powerful conversation between Cynthia Kirkpatrick and Angie Lovatto , Vice President of Human Resources at KCI Construction , about leadership, non-linear career paths, and building a people-first culture in a male-dominated industry. Angie shares her journey from starting on a construction job site at 18 to becoming an executive leader, navigating...

In this episode of The She Lift Project, Cynthia Kirkpatrick sits down with Lisa Govro , founder of Big Heart Tea Co. , to explore how a deeply personal mission turned into a nationally recognized, values-driven brand. Lisa shares the journey of building Big Heart Tea Co. from a trailer at local farmers markets to shelves at Whole Foods and boutique shops across the country, all while staying root...

In this episode of the She Lift Project podcast, host Cynthia Kirkpatrick welcomes Krystal Weigl , an attorney, author, and advocate passionate about transforming the legal field. Krystal runs her own law firm, Weigl Law , where she focuses on civil rights, employment law, and supporting individuals and small businesses through creative, people-centered legal solutions. This episode explores her j...

In this episode of the She Lift Project Podcast, host Cynthia Kirkpatrick  welcomes psychotherapist Sara Joern of Wild Sage Counseling for a deep and heartfelt conversation. Sara specializes in trauma, anxiety, social justice, and relationship dynamics, using tools like EMDR to guide her clients toward lasting healing. Together, they explore the roots of emotional pain, the science behind EMDR the...

In this episode of the She Lift Project, Cynthia Kirkpatrick sits down with guest Zoe Taylor , a top-producing real estate agent and founder of Moving Medicine Partners . Zoe specializes in helping physicians and their families relocate through the demanding cycles of medical training and career transitions. This episode explores Zoe’s remarkable journey—from teen motherhood to building a national...

In this inspiring episode of the She Lift Project podcast, host Cynthia Kirkpatrick sits down with Ali Hogan , founder of Rung for Women , a transformative St. Louis nonprofit. Ali created a holistic program that bridges the critical gap between crisis intervention and sustainable independence by providing women with career training, mental health support, financial coaching, physical wellness res...

In this powerful episode of the She Lift Project Podcast , host Cynthia Kirkpatrick sits down with Jenn Whitmer , a leadership coach, speaker, and author whose journey began when she was fired from her dream job in education. Jenn trains leaders to solve complex people problems—from burnout and toxic cultures to communication breakdowns and conflict resolution—by placing joy at the center of their...