The Story Behind Her Success

I’m a boots-on-the-ground leader. I think of St. Ignatius, who said, “It’s deeds, not words,” and Bill Belichick who said: “Do your job!” -Grace Cotter Regan You’ve heard of Boston College, right? Well, there’s a high school not too far away that bears the same name. Founded in 1863, the schools were initially created as a 7-year educational experience for the children of Irish Catholic immigrants...

Journaling opens the mind, taking you to places you don’t normally go . – Lisa Tener Is there a book inside of you? In the spotlight, an award-winning author, book coach, and creative catalyst on a mission to help others bring their stories to life. lisatener.com Once sick, exhausted, and uninspired, Lisa discovered the power of holistic healing years ago and now shares it with others. Using...

I can look at a pile of rocks and instantly find that one heart rock. It’s a thing! I guess I am the heart rock whisperer! -Ellen Thayer When she was about 12 years old, Ellen Thayer climbed atop a rock in her backyard to marvel at the clouds. Little did she know that later in life, her professional life would involve both weather AND rocks. Armed with a degree in meteorology from St. Louis Univer...

I’d been telling myself: “Someday, I will do this,” but now, I’m putting my foot down to say, DO IT RIGHT NOW. This is your life. Who knows about tomorrow? -Parker Jamison aka Ox Devere While excavators are restoring Notre Dame after the 2019 fire that nearly destroyed the medieval church, they make a stunning discovery beneath the cathedral floor. It’s an unmarked sarcophagus, and what follows is...

I was a teenager when I picked up the guitar, and suddenly, I had the one thing I’d been looking for to craft the songs I’d been waiting to write . -Sarah Blacker This up-close and personal interview was recorded in my living room with a singer/songwriter who grew up down the street. We met when she was a teenager…and a friend of my daughter Colleen’s. Years later, Sarah Blacker continues doing wh...

I want older women to know: if you want to do something, get out there and do it, sister! Don’t sit around and think: I’m too old. No, you’re not! -Tracey Wheeler Noonan It’s been about 10 years since I’ve interviewed Tracey Wheeler Noonan and let me tell you, this girl is on fire. She and her daughter, Dani took a unique way of making cupcakes in jars and turned it into a Shark Tank phenomenon. W...

The biggest skill I use is listening.  Grievers don’t need to be fixed.  They need to be heard . – Louise Strasenburgh The holidays are supposed to be joyful, but if you’ve lost someone you love, they can be tough. This week’s guest is here to help.   Louise Strasenburgh is a grief recovery specialist and the author of the book The Space In My Heart.   In 2011, her 26-year-old son Oliver’s b...

We must all be compassionate. You never know what someone else is going through . – Keely Krantz Keely Krantz got her start in PR, eventually leading the launch of high-profile, global brands. A proud Boston College graduate, she was fortunate to have a mentor who had broken through glass ceilings and believed in passing it on. Says Keely “Janet Diederichs at Edelman Public Relations in Chic...

I point out my student’s strengths so that they can start believing in themselves. Every child has a craving to learn. They are just like little sponges . – Jen Dugan Agne When you think back to your education, was there one teacher who saw your talents before you did? Meet my longtime friend Jen Dugan Agne. A 5th-grade teacher at the Marie Hastings School in Lexington, Massachusetts, she LO...

History grounds you in who you are .  -Noelle Trent, PhD Have you ever wished that you could sit down with a historian of United States history?  Meet Noelle Trent.  She’s spent her entire career studying the history of our country with a focus on the African American experience.  A “publichistorian,” Noelle has worked at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African History & Culture in Washin...

My diagnosis could be a death sentence, but you know what? I just keep moving forward every day because I want to give others hope . -Theresa Keresztes There’s something about the strength of a woman. Somehow, someway, she persists…overcoming obstacles, finding new paths toward success, and doing good in the world. One of the scariest things we ever encounter in this life is a cancer diagnosis, an...

I don’t just count days passing by. I make each day count . -Leslie Lawrence October is breast cancer awareness month, so we’re featuring the inspiring stories of breast cancer survivors. Early detection has been a game changer in the fight against breast cancer, and I’m pretty sure that never missing my yearly mammogram saved my life. Promise me that you’ll NEVER miss your mammogram! Today’s epis...

You are going to have some bad days, and that’s okay, but the good days have to outweigh the bad ones. You have to put your mind into beating breast cancer. -Theresa Jay In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, we’re profiling inspiring survivors with incredible stories to tell. My friendship with today’s guest began in 2006 when I donated my wedding dress to her charity. Theresa Jay is the Foun...

It’s okay to be scared when you are diagnosed with breast cancer. Gather your friends and family. Educate yourself and stay strong. You CAN get through this .- Claudia Mintz October is breast cancer awareness month, so we’re shining the spotlight on the stories of survivors. Meet Claudia Mintz. The devoted mother of three, her children were only 5,4 and 2 when she was diagnosed with aggressive bre...

Time.  I just want more time, and I am going to fight for that.   -Luisa Vargas  This episode kicks off our annual 4-part series devoted to the inspiring stories of breast cancer survivors. In the spotlight, Luisa Vargas. Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, she grew up so poor she didn’t own a pair of shoes until she was 8 years old. As a single mom, Luisa made her way to the United States...

There is something very magical about being an innkeeper, to welcome people in, to take care of them, to feed them. It is the best part of my job. -Trisha Perez Kennealy We talk a lot about living our lives in chapters, and Trisha Perez Kennealy is living proof that there is so much to learn in every chapter. She’s a former investment banker with an MBA from Harvard who decided to ditch it all and...

Why isn’t there a better vodka out there so that people aren’t train wrecks the next day? VELO Vodka is the solution for a new generation of vodka drinkers. -Colleen & Riley Eyges We’ve had many entrepreneurs on the show, but never a mother/daughter duo! Meet Colleen and Riley Eyges, founders of VELO Vodka www.velovodka.com. A single mom for decades, Colleen raised her daughter to be strong an...

You can be the best leader EVER, but who can do anything on their own? You need a village. -Vanessa Calderon-Rosado, PhD Welcome to the story of Vanessa Calderon-Rosado, a trailblazing Latina with a passion for social justice and for creating community. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, she’s got a PhD in public policy and has proudly served as CEO of Inquilinos Boricuas en Accion (IBA) www.ibabosto...

Success is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration. I was never the most talented. I was never the smartest, but I was always willing to do the work. -Alison Quandt Westgate We’re on the road this week! This interview with Alison Quandt Westgate was recorded at the Costello Athletic Center at UMASS Lowell www.goriverhawks.com soon after the school’s student-athletes arrived back on campus. Known to he...

As a 6-year-old, I remember deciding I’m not going to be fearful; I’m going to be furious . -Jodi Tolman When your childhood is fractured by emotional abuse and the threat of violence, it’s easy to lack confidence and lose your way as an adult.  For Jodi Tolman, there have been plenty of mistakes and regrets, but there have also been incredible triumphs in her life.   Her secret weapon?  resilienc...

A concussion is a broken brain. And it doesn’t have to be just a hit to the head. It is an impact on your body that moves up to your brain . -Lynne Becker Welcome to part 2 of a concussion story every mom, dad, coach, caregiver, and healthcare professional needs to hear. The single mother of two, Lynne Becker’s daughters were both athletes, but when her daughter Natalie was hit at point-blank rang...

Listen to me. My daughter walks into walls. She sleeps 20 hours a day . -Lynne Becker Back in the day, if 2 athletes smashed into one another, coaches would keep them in the game. Not anymore. Traumatic brain injuries, known as TBI, are serious business, and if you doubt this fact, just listen to this interview with Lynne Becker. A biostatistician and epidemiologist with an MS in public health, Ly...

Be true to yourself. Know who you are as a person because people will try to break you. If you have a strong sense of self-esteem, you will be successful . -Megan McShane In the spotlight: Megan McShane. She spent 13 years working for global coaching sensation Tony Robbins and years later, developed the concept for Your Best Life Now www.yblnow.com with two business partners. Designed to bring tog...

As a child, I tried to sign up for Little League, and they said, “No” you’re a girl.  And I remember thinking:  That’s not right. It hurt me in my heart.   -Digit Murphy Margaret Pearl “Digit” Degidio Murphy admits that as a child, she cried when she couldn’t play baseball or ice hockey just because she was a girl.   As she skated alone around local ponds in her hometown of Cranston, Rhode Island,...

The doctor said, “You are going blind, and there is no cure.” My mom burst into tears, and I remember thinking, “This can’t be happening to me.” -Eavan O’Neill When she was only 13 years old, Eavan O’Neill started having trouble seeing the blackboard at school. A gifted athlete, she began missing the ball while playing lacrosse and soccer. One of her coaches suggested that she have her eyes checke...