The Broad Pod

As cheerful as a daisy and as bright as a sunflower, Laurna Strehl spends her professional time managing the Western Kentucky Botanical Gardens. Through fun events on the grounds to impactful projects like the Path of Hope and Healing, Laurna is helping to create a space for people to experience the healing powers of nature. Through experiencing the loss of her sister from breast cancer, Laurna le...

Brilliant, kind, and selfless, Suzanne Craig has devoted her life’s work to relieving other people’s pain. After the tragic loss of her first husband, she turned her grief into a way to help others through their suffering. Suzanne was born in Paducah and moved to Owensboro when she was 12. Over the years, Suzanne has changed our community in countless ways. Through her work at the health departmen...

Quiet, but tenacious, Laura Chapman was raised in Louisville and attended the University of Louisville. She worked for UPS after completing her undergrad and then continued on to complete her Masters while working full-time. After a move to Owensboro, Laura started her work at Owensboro Municipal Utilities (OMU) as the Manager of Planning. As the wife to a minister, faith has always been an import...

From a small town in Indiana, Whitney Adamson Payne found herself calling Owensboro home after attending college at KWC. As an athlete, coach, strong competitor, and someone who loves a challenge, Whitney became interested in law. After passing the physical test on her third try, she worked in dispatch, as a patrol officer, and then off to the department of corrections. She is now a Sergeant at th...

Down to Earth and always hustling, Jill Carrico, can be found with a paint brush in hand most days. As owner and painter with A Chick with a Brush, she offers indoor and outdoor residential painting services. Her journey through life has been unique and at times unimaginably painful. With choosing adoption at a young age and losing both of her parents to a plane crash, Jill had to grow up quickly....

From Manchester, KY, Dr. Andrea Moore had lots of big dreams. A few of her early goals included becoming a Dallas Cowboy’s cheerleader, a detective, and a neurosurgeon. To find the best fit, Andrea attended Tulane in New Orleans and then went on to medical school at the University of Louisville. Ultimately, she chose Obstetrics and has practiced in Owensboro for the past 21 years. If she’s not del...

It’s appropriate that our (season 2) episode 2 guest, Suzanne Cecil White, is the sister of our season 1 episode 2 guest, Katie Cecil. Suzanne grew up on Cecil farm watching her family work hard everyday. She decided to pursue a different path in teaching and dedicated her time to her students for 10 years. After having her first child, her perspective shifted and she found herself back on the fam...

We are so excited to welcome in a new year of Broads. We are kicking off Season 2 with go-getter and risk taker, Denise Jarboe. The baby of the family, Denise, was born on Christmas Day and grew up in Owensboro. Out of school, she waited tables and began a career at Unifirst. A huge leap of faith took her into the real estate industry where she still thrives today. Denise raises five beautiful dau...

As we wrap up Season 1, we reflect on the amazing women (and our husbands HA!) that we had the honor of chatting with. Becca and I learned from each and every one of our guests. In this episode, we share our takeaways and favorite moments of each episode. We can't wait to learn from all the impactful women of Season 2. Stay tuned!

Happy 4th of July! We had the privilege of sitting down with the strong, smart, and bold 10 year old, Evelyn Tuil Laj. The maturity, intelligence, and care for others will blow you away. At just 5 years old, Evelyn moved from Guatemala to the U.S. with her family. As a part of the podcast club at her school, she made plans to come on the Broad Pod and she made it happen. She loves playing games, l...

On this episode, we meet the young, accomplished, and involved, Sara Williams. After graduating from KWC in 2015, she was offered a job at Riney Hancock and is still employed there today. She married her college sweetheart and they recently welcomed their first daughter after experiencing multiple losses. In addition to CPA, wife, and mom, she is also the Treasurer for the Daniel Pitino Shelter, h...

On episode 25, we celebrate Jackie's 37th birthday. Jackie reflects on some of her favorite moments from the past year and what she hopes to experience in year 37. Enjoy this laid back episode as the main broads catch up, celebrate, and reflect. Happy Birthday, Jackie! 

We had the privilege of sitting down with two of our Orange Theory Coaches, Amy Smithhart and Cecelia Garrison. These two have been friends for years and have navigated the fitness industry side by side, yet have two completely different stories. We hear what it's like to be a coaches wife and boy mom from one and what it's like raising five kids and farm animals from another. We are so grateful f...

We have the BROADS of all BROADS; the reason we're here, the ones who taught us, the ones who love us through all seasons, and shaped who we are. We are so happy to introduce you to our sweet Moms, Vivian McQueen and Shelley Schmitt. These women have poured themselves into loving others. They are both hardworking, selfless, caring, and each one unique in their own way. Becca and I are very blessed...

It is quite appropriate that we had the privilege to learn more about Sharmy Davis this week. This past Sunday kicked off National Infertility Awareness Week, which is near and dear to Becca and I and to our guest. You will hear about how Sharmy is currently battling through her journey to parenthood and has met many road blocks and heartbreaking losses. But infertility is not the sum of who she i...

Oklahoma raised, Danielle Beard Hayden, found herself building a life right outside of Owensboro after falling for a blonde headed extrovert in a matter of months. Danielle is an incredible photographer, talented writer, innovative farmer, loving wife, and amazing Mom. She talks about life on the farm, her long journey to motherhood, and surprise from country star, Brad Paisley. Danielle's calming...

It's our 20th episode! This week we sit down with the resilient, Jessica Boarman. Through losing her brother tragically and caring for and losing her parents, Jessica has bravely kept moving forward. She began to use journaling as a way to focus her grief. She now shares her journaling experience with others through guided prompt card decks and is working on a grief journal and a book about her li...

One of our dearest broad friends, Dr. Elizabeth Mauzy Martin, joins us in the pod to share her journey of growing up in Owensboro, undergrad at KWC, heading off to Optometry school in Indiana, to then coming back to practice in her hometown. She shares the experience of seeing double on the ultrasound screen to long hospital stays, and her NICU experience. Elizabeth's kind spirit and love of Chris...

On this episode, we sit down with the witty, intelligent go-getter, Dr. Shanna McGinnis. Dr. McGinnis pursued Pediatrics at the University of Louisville and later began practicing with Owensboro Health. While finishing her residency, she also navigated becoming mom for the first time. Then two years later, she gave birth to twin girls. More recently, Dr. McGinnis, made a huge career shift to prope...

What better time to introduce you to our men than on Valentine's Day? We sit down with Matt and Zach to hear a little bit about who they are, how they really feel about us, and lots of light-hearted moments we've experienced together. Two amazing partners, dads, hard workers, Kentucky sports fanatics, and bourbon loving dudes enter the Broad Pod for the first time ever. We hope you enjoy getting a...

Spunky and full of life, Angel Welsh, commands a room with her bubbly, upbeat personality. On episode 16, we talk to a wife, mom, Christian, radio personality, and most recent title, non-profit director. You will hear about her experience with moving around with a single mom as a child, the many trials she endured as a young adult, her beautiful children Earth side and in heaven, the journey to he...

Authentic, well read, amazing writer, impactful teacher, sports fan, wonderful wife, mom, volunteer, and the list goes on. These are just a few of the ways to describe who Ashley Gendek is. Originally from Tennessee, Ashley attended college at Kentucky Wesleyan where she studied English and met her husband, Chris. Fast forward to now, they have created a life in Owensboro with their two precious k...

Have you ever seen the movie, Inside Out? Well, we talk to a real life, Joy. Tracy Naylor is the brightest light in the room with the sweetest soul.  When you meet Tracy, you meet a genuine, kind, hard working outdoor enthusiast. She is a cancer survivor who fought through with so much grace and a sense of humor. She has made a mark in higher education and now blesses the community through her wor...

What started as a journey to teaching, turned into a career in banking with her husband and family. But Bridget's journey hasn't stopped there. She has dedicated the last few years to inner growth while encouraging others along the way. Her podcast, Bloom with Bridget, is just one way she has committed to reinventing herself and inspiring her 4 young daughters. Bridget is such a bright light with...

On episode 12, we talk to the most joyful and bright personality, Mary Alexia Howard. You will enjoy her sweet southern accent and positive outlook on life. From Speech Language Pathologist to full-time Mom, Mary Alexia has had quite the journey to get to where she is today. She has endured heartbreaking loss and leaned on her faith on her journey to parenthood. She is now Mom to the sweetest litt...