The Story Behind Her Success

Host of That Mom podcast thatmompodcast.com    Guess what?  Becoming a mom actually changes your brain.   -Maria Wood Meet a working mom on a mission to help other moms create lives that align with the things that matter most to them.  Maria Woods is the host of the all-new podcast series That Mom thatmompodcast.com.   Born and Raised in the little town of Royalston, Massachusetts, she’s the daugh...

Founder of EMPOWER                       weareempower.org  Here’s what my dad did for me after my mother died:  He told me he loved me every single day. It wasn’t his job to teach me how to grieve. It was his job to love me. -Cara Belvin This episode features Cara Belvin, one of the first women to share her story on The Story Behind Her Success when we launched the show back in 2018.  She’s the fo...

 Host of Carrigan & Company carriganandcompanypod.com I have appreciated every day and every minute of this big, huge career I’ve been blessed with.  -Kim Carrigan  This episode features a woman I have admired for many years, not only because she’s an award-winning news anchor but because she is savvy, smart, resilient, and kind.  Kim Carrigan is an example of what I would call:  grace under f...

PPD survivor & outpatient therapist soleowellness.com When I finally sat down to write my postpartum depression story, the words just came pouring out.   -Lindsey Disch  In this latest episode,  we meet Lindsey Disch, whose journey through Post Partum Depression or PPD casts a bright light on a condition many people still don’t understand. Profiled in a prominent women’s magazine,  Lindsey’s “...

American Bald Eagle Photographer @rocked_by_kindness A friend of mine is a birder, and she posted a picture of a bald eagle, and I messaged her and said, “Where did you take that picture?   -Donna O’Kane  You are about to hear one of my all-time favorite second chapter stories!   After spending 40 years working for the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, Donna O’Kane decided to start photograp...

radio pro, philanthropist, caregiver, docf.org  By heart, and with closed eyes, I have a very vulnerable spot for the unhoused.   -Sue Brady For millions of radio listeners in Boston, Sue Brady was that fun, friendly, relatable voice they heard on the air for years.  In this episode, we get to know the deepest layers of a woman who will always love radio but has turned the page to discover a whole...

Keep your eyes open and don’t be afraid of life. If you want to age gracefully, stay busy, positive, and connected. -Dede Ulbrich This week, we meet Dede Ulbrich, a beautiful 86-year-old woman whose secret to staying young is laughter, love, and connection.   The granddaughter of former New Hampshire Governor Francis P. Murphy and founder of WMUR radio and television stations, Dede was raised in W...

You have to take care of yourself first in order to take care of others. -Carol McKean I’ve known Carol McKean for many years, and I’m so happy to introduce her to you.  She’s a PR superstar with her own events company, carolmckeanevents.com, and is the creator of the popular fundraising concept known as “fund-a-need.”  In this interview, Carol shares her life story, including the hard parts I did...

I went into a contemplative period in my life and retreated to my cabin for 10 years. I couldn’t find the words to express how I was feeling, so I started picking up clay. -Renee Rhodes Welcome to the life of sculptor, Renee Rhodes.  She’s worked in publishing and advertising, and even has a Ph. D. from Columbia University in Clinical Psychology, but in her 40s, Renee experienced “a dark night of...

Mrs. Santa Says When I was growing up, I was that girl who was always singing into her hairbrush!  -Candy O’Terry  Welcome to the holiday edition of The Story Behind Her Success!  For the next 23 minutes, I’ll share listener emails as well as three of the holiday songs I’ve recorded over the years.   Whenever I interview a woman, I always ask her if she knew what she wanted to do with her life.  F...

In the beginning, I was usually the only woman in the room.  That was great, because it was memorable, and it was also bad, because it was memorable.   -Maureen Rystrom  Meet a woman who is at the top of her game in a male-dominated field.  As Partner & Vice President of Marketing at J. Calnan & Associates, jcalnan.com, Maureen Rystrom oversees the construction management company’s compreh...

I don’t do well with injustice .  -Christine Anastos 10 years ago, environmental engineer Christine Anastos knew something was wrong with her health.  When tests came back normal, her care team suggested Christine see a psychiatrist.   Her answer?  “There’s nothing wrong with my brain.  I know my body well.”    It wasn’t long before Christine was diagnosed with breast cancer.  The suspected cause?...

Don’t expect people to be who they seem on the surface . – Dafna Krouk-Gordon In 1980, Dafna Krouk-Gordon founded her human resources agency in one room above a drug store, with just one employee. 45 years later, Toward Independent Living and Learning ( www.tillinc.org ) is thriving, with 1,000 employees throughout Massachusetts and into New Hampshire, and the noble goal of improving clients...

Our SOF warriors, or Special Operations Forces, are never really home.  They are either deployed or in training for 9 months out of the year. As a spouse, you have to figure out how to connect through the distance and build your community where you are .  -KaLea Lehman As a military spouse, this week’s guest understands what the words “service” and “sacrifice” really mean.   Meet KaLea Lehman, Exe...

Let’s transform the classroom into a place where mistake-making is an opportunity to learn and children feel a sense of connection, value, and belonging . -Noel Foy aka Neuro Noel Meet neuroeducator, anxiety/executive function coach, and author, Noel Foy. She travels the country, sharing her skill set with children, parents, and teachers. Today, in any given classroom, about 30% of students are ne...

There’s a stigma around the word “underwear”. You don’t talk about it until you don’t have it . -Catherine Maloy This week’s guest is a mom who saw a simple need for children in crisis and made it her mission to do something about it. Catherine Maloy is the Founder & Executive Director of a non-profit called Cocotree Kids www.cocotreekids.org . Let’s all agree: underwear is not glamorous, but...

Facing an illness is very much like being a buoy:  we have to rise up, we have to learn to float, and carry ourselves in the storm.  While we’re staying afloat in the storm, we are also a beacon for others . -Lorna J. Brunelle There are lots of stories about the ties that bind mothers and daughters.  When Lorna Brunelle’s mother, Wanda, was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer, she turned heartbre...

That little girl in the hayloft always wanted to be a writer. I’m the poster child for following your dreams in midlife because I didn’t write my first book until I was 55 . -Hank Phillippi Ryan Imagine a 43-year career as an investigative reporter with 37 EMMYs and 14 Edward R. Murrow awards. Now imagine a brilliant midlife move, where all that experience manifests itself into writing mystery nov...

When the scariest thing happens and you get through it, you realize that you’re stronger than you ever thought you could be. -Jenna McCarthy Making that appointment to schedule her first mammogram was on Jenna McCarthy’s mind for a while. At 41, she just wanted to get it over with and “check that box.” What she didn’t expect was what happened next. In this up-close and personal interview, Jenna sh...

There’s a difference between doing what you’re good at and doing what you love .  -Dayla Arabella Santurri In this week’s episode of The Story Behind Her Success, I welcome longtime friend Dayla Arabella Santurri into my living room for a masterclass in reinvention, fearlessness, and the power of “yes”. From running the iconic Scullers Jazz Club to producing live events worldwide, she’s built a ca...

Radical is the Latin term for “root”. Years ago, the radical mastectomy was developed, with the belief that if the surgeon dug deeper into a woman’s chest, they could get to the root of the cancer. -Judy Pearson Not so long ago, cancer was the “C” word and no one talked about breast cancer, especially women who emerged from their brutal treatments disfigured and disabled. In her new book, Radical...

I’ve always wanted to keep people company and make them laugh. I want to hear what people are going through, because chances are, I’ve already gone through the same thing . -Kendra Petrone Meet a talented young woman who is part of the only all-female morning show on the radio in Boston. The legendary Magic 106.7/WMJX www.magic1067.com has been a female-driven radio station for decades, but it was...

Nobody ever says, “I can’t wait to go to a nursing home.” Instead, they say, “keep me at home for as long as possible,” and that’s exactly what we do . -Meg Hogan Growing old is hard, right? Now imagine how difficult it is for a senior citizen who doesn’t have the means to take care of themselves. How about a person with disabilities whose family needs help caring for them? And what about the exha...

Enjoy this beautiful life you’ve been given.  Don’t ever take it for granted.  -Melissa Dupuis It’s been two years since Melissa Dupuis shared her story on this series, and what a couple of years it has been.  At only 38,  this wellness enthusiast, Pilates instructor, and former professional ballet dancer was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer.  Her little girl, Sage, was only one year old at th...

There are no bad experiences, just the ones you don’t learn from. If you don’t learn from bad experiences, you will make the same mistakes over and over and over again. -Gwen Borden & Amy Goober This week’s story features a mother and daughter who have written a love story, filled with priceless advice for us all. The book, entitled My Mother Always Says: 25 Lessons for Finding the Silver Lini...