The Curious Middle

In this episode,  Susan Griffin-Black, co-founder of EO Products , shares her story.  Susan tells us about her path from her early days in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to becoming a pioneer in the natural products industry. Raised by a father who was an early feminist and advocate for women's economic empowerment, Susan's entrepreneurial spirit was nurtured from a young age. She recounts her experien...

Steve Leder, Head Rabbi of Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles, is one of the country's most influential rabbis and the author of 5 life changing books. Rabbi Leder joins us for second podcast to discuss topics such as the foundations of Jewish faith, fascinating historical anecdotes, the problems within DEI, the role of education in Judaism, mental health and addiction,   Did you know that t...

Join us as Joan Barnes, the founder of Gymboree, she shares  her journey from a young woman seeking community into a powerhouse businesswoman. Gymboree started as a mommy and me play center in Marin County, California that eventually Joan led to a successful franchise business and chain of international children's clothing stores. At the time of Gymboree's blockbuster IPO in 1993, the company had...

In this short podcast,  we talk about how to shift your perspective about making a difference in the world. It is so easy to compare ourselves with others and to feel that we aren' doing enough in our lives to make a difference in the world. What if we consider that the way we choose to live our day-to-day life is our personal activism  / impact.  Making a difference isn't only about huge professi...

If you decide to divorce a narcissist this is a must-listen episode.  Dr. Ramani, the world's leading expert on narcissism, joins us for a third episode to discuss what you can expect during a divorce. We cover the emotional landmines, legal traps and issues you are likely to struggle with even long after your divorce. Your ex may start to behave in ways you never expected, like suddenly becoming...

In this episode we discuss all things femtech with Healthcare Law Lawyer, Advisor and Portfolia FemTech Fund Partner Delphine O'Rourke. We get into what FemTech is, why it's so important for women to invest and support this sector, and how you can help. In case you haven't noticed, in the past, VCs have overlooked products designed for women primarily because they don't understand the needs or the...

Head Rabbi of Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles ( rabbi for a large congregation incuding many stars) is our guest for this episode.  Rabbi Steve Leder , one of the country's most influential rabbis and the author of 5 life changing books,  joins us to discuss the radicalization and chaos on university campuses. We invited Rabb Leder to discuss his latest book, For You When I am Gone, but f...

Have you ever wondered why scandals slide off certain politicians like water? Jessica Tarlov, co-host of Fox News Channel's The Five, cable's highest-rated program, actually did her PHD dissertation examining how scandals impact politicians' careers. As the lone, democratic voice on The Five, Jessica shares how she handles the daily debates and how she decides to pick her battles. Given our upcomi...

Grit, resilience, strong values and a work ethic instilled in her from a young age propelled Jane from her dirt poor Iowa upbringing to an executive role at Microsoft where she was one of the top 10 women at Microsoft at 40.  By 52, Jane had launched three billion-dollar businesses. We discuss Jane's new book, " Worthy: From Cornfields to Corner Office of Microsoft,"  and the story that led her to...

If you have ever dreaded going to work because of a nightmare colleague or manager you are  not alone. Dr. Ramani joins us again to discuss a topic rarely discussed in corporate environments: narcissism in the workplace. Did you know narcissists are more likely to be found in certain professions and certain high-status jobs within competitive, elitist environments, such as finance, law, media, ent...

Dr. Stanger  works with families to help them recover and get their loved ones back from substance addiction. Dr. Stanger is also the mother of a previous guest,  Shelby Stanger who shared how outdoor adventures shaped her life. Dr. Louise Stanger and Shelley Stanger are also our first mother and daughter guests on the podcast (how cool is that?!) In this episode, we discuss what an introductory c...

Dana Perino, Fox News, Co-anchor America's Newsroom, Co-host The Five, host of Perino on Politics, Former Press Secretary to George W. Bush returns to Meant For It. In addition to learning about Dana's early influences and her career path, we touch on several issues of the day including news on social media, the Israel war and the time Dana met Putin. Dana also gives us the scoop on what hobby has...

Ashira Solomon is an international Public Speaker and Member of The Quad, an Israeli show with 4 co-hosts covering  everything Israel and Jewish from the unique female perspective. In this  episode Ashira  a native of Livermore, California, takes us through her transformative journey that led her to embrace a new religion and to become an advocate of independent political thought in a world where...

We are thrilled to share part 2 of our podcast with Tough Titties author Laura Belgray . If you have years of your life you would prefer to forget, relationships or lifestyle choices that make you cringe when you look back at them, Laura will empower you to reframe your life story, and possibly share it with others. Tough Tittie is the stealth self-help book you didn't konw you needed. As Laura sa...

Dr. Ramani Durvasula,   the world's expert on narcissism, joins us for an overview on understanding, naming,and addressing narcissistic behavior, toxic relationships, and healing from narcissistic abuse. You may not know it, but chances are high that there is a narcissistic personality somewhere in your life. We discuss ways to identify narcissists, common personality traits and the need to accept...

The Zibbyverse, founded by Zibby Owens , includes the podcast Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books , and Zibby Media , which includes a publishing house, online magazine, Zibby's Bookshop in Santa Monica, CA, retreats, classes, and events. As a lifelong book lover who dreamed of becoming a writer, Zibby was over the moon excited when she was dubbed "NYC's Most Powerful Book-fluencer ". In our conver...

Sally Wolf is one of the most inspiring people we have talked to. If you don't believe us you can ask her classmates from her Stanford MBA program who voted her the "most inspiring" member of their class or her nephew who said she was the most positive person he knows. Sally spent two decades rising in the corporate sector in  the media industry working at NBCUniversal and Time Warner before a ser...

Shelby Stanger's f ormula is living life with adventure. When Shelby realized that adventure gave her energy, joy and confidence, she intentionally scheduled and prioritized adventure into her life. By choosing adventure, Shelby found love, a career she loved and a way to bring other people the same gifts. Shelby's book, Will to Wild, Adventures Great and Small to Change Your Life, shares what she...

Meet Lauren McGoodwin, the founder of Career Contessa . Lauren generously  shares the story of how she started her business, her motivation and how she built Career Contessa from an idea to the  leading career site for millennials offering career tips, career advice, job listings and career coaching.  Lauren shares her story of how she struggled to find her place after graduating from college, and...

As a lifelong book lover, author and book publisher, Andy Hunter knew he wanted to keep independent bookstores alive and thriving. Using his experience in the publishing industry, Andy had the audacity to come up with a successful idea for taking on Amazon.   Andy's idea was Bookshop.org, an online platform that   gives independent bookstores an easy to use, full service platform for selling books...

Valerie June is a force of beauty and a rising music star. In our conversation, Valerie shares when she started to sing and walks us through her song writing process. Valerie explains how songs mysteriously come to her through humming and chanting while she is living her life , washing dishes or simply walking in nature. We discuss Valerie's new book, Light Beams: A Workbook for Being Your Badass...

Honestly, do you wish you could write copy for a website or email that people actually wanted to read?   Imagine a future where you triple your earnings by learning how to write non sucky copy. In this future you, Laura Belgray is someone you want to know.   Laura's new book, Tough Titties, is a hilarious memoir where Laura shares her story, from her awkward teenage years to every major milestone...

We are certain that Kathy Caprino's authenticity about finding a career that feels right will resonate with your personal story and we guarantee you will be soothed by her advice and caring voice. Kathy is an internationally-recognized career, executive and leadership coach, trainer, writer, and speaker dedicated to supporting the advancement and success of women in business. In her role as a Seni...

If you want to expand the possibility of the type of work you can do beyond your day job, then  you must listen to this episode and learn about refugee advocate Dr. Michelle Dimasi. Michelle has worked on economic empowerment of women, unaccompanied asylum seeker minors and human rights for over a decade while living in Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and on Christmas Island, off the coast o...

Kristien Carbone's idea for Brilliantly Warm came from a deeply personal experience of having a preventative mastectomy. After the surgery, Kristen was surprised that she was always cold due to the implants. When Kristen realized she wasn't alone, and 75% of women face the coldness issue, she looked for a solution. Hand warmers didn't solve the problem, and there was nothing on the market that cam...