The Uplifters

Hi! New here? Welcome to the Uplifters! I'm Aransas Savas. I've spent the last 20 years at the intersection of behavior change research and coaching. On The Uplifters Podcast, we share diverse stories of women who have found something beautiful on the other side of the hard stuff. Despite self-doubt and fear (and honestly, who doesn't have those?), they've done big, brave things anyway, and show u...

Episode Description In this inspiring episode of The Uplifters Podcast, host Aransas Savas sits down with Vanessa Hutchinson-Szekely, a California-French educator who made a bold career pivot from 20 years in teaching to founding Big Belly Breathing, her mindfulness and meditation platform. Vanessa shares her transformative journey from San Francisco classroom teacher to entrepreneur, including a...

Episode 117 Episode Description Host Aransas Savas sits down with multihyphenate artist Karisma Jay to explore how to build an abundance mindset even when resources feel scarce. Karisma, a Broadway performer, filmmaker, educator, and founder of Abundance Academy, shares her powerful reframe from asking "What don't I have?" to "What's in my luggage right now?"This conversation is packed with practi...

Meet Emily Levin, who made a stunning career pivot from trauma therapist to tech co-founder, creating AI solutions for the affordable housing crisis. In this powerful conversation, Emily shares how she went from helping individuals heal to transforming entire systems, co-founding Access—an AI platform that's already raising capital and getting families into homes faster. 🏠 What You'll Learn: How...

Guest: Mahogany L. Browne - Award-winning writer, playwright, organizer, educator, Lincoln Center's inaugural poet in residence, and founder of the Woke Baby Book Fair Episode Summary: In this powerful conversation, Mahogany L. Browne shares her journey from a young mother who almost dropped out of college to becoming Lincoln Center's inaugural poet in residence. We explore how she learned to bet...

Episode Description In 2006, Terry Grahl received a simple phone call asking if she'd volunteer to paint one wall at a women's shelter. What she discovered in that dormitory—30 women sleeping on prison-donated bunk beds held together with duct tape—changed the trajectory of her life forever. Today, Terry is the founder and CEO of Enchanted Makeovers, a national nonprofit that has transformed shelt...

Guest: Jennifer Allebach Former Chief Girl Experience Executive at Girl Scouts USA and MDA (Muscular Dystrophy Association) Episode Summary Jennifer Allebach's life changed forever when her husband Brian was diagnosed with ALS in 2019. After 32 years of marriage and five children together, she became his primary caregiver while continuing to work full-time—first at Girl Scouts USA, then in a remar...

Episode Description In this powerful conversation, Aransas speaks with Deesha Philyaw, whose debut short story collection "The Secret Lives of Church Ladies" swept every major literary award, winning the PEN/Faulkner Award, The Story Prize, the LA Times Book Prize, and earning a National Book Award nomination. Deesha shares her journey from rule-following church girl to award-winning author, revea...

summary Former marketing executive Sarah Gomley shares how she transformed her life after discovering that all her achievements – the prestigious job titles, beautiful apartments, and impressive salaries – weren't bringing her joy. When she was laid off from Adobe just as her mother was dying, Sarah returned to Ohio and took a year off to reassess everything. Through therapy (which had started yea...

summary In this episode of the Uplifters podcast, host Aransas Savas interviews her husband, Andy Savas, about his recent experience covering the papal conclave in Rome. Andy shares insights into the preparation, the excitement of the event, and the emotional moments of witnessing history as a new pope was elected. The conversation highlights the challenges of live reporting, the atmosphere in St....

summary In this conversation, Aransas Savas and Shannon Russell explore the transformative journey of women reinventing themselves, focusing on Shannon's transition from a successful television executive to an entrepreneur. They discuss the importance of mindset shifts, defining non-negotiables, and the role of research in building confidence. Shannon shares her insights on overcoming mental barri...

Episode Summary In this special tribute episode, host Aransas Savas honors her grandmother, Rosemary Baker, who recently passed away at age 95. Aransas shares the inspiring story of her grandmother's remarkable life and the valuable lessons she embodied about living fully at every age. Key Moments Chapters 00:00 Inspiration and Influences 02:54 Family Values and Homelife 06:25 Adventures and Aspir...

summary In this heartfelt conversation, Angela shares her journey of navigating profound loss, leaving a high-demand religion, and embracing her creativity. Through her experiences, she discusses the importance of self-discovery, the complexities of grief, and the power of community. Angela emphasizes the significance of being present, allowing oneself to feel emotions, and the beauty of imperfect...

keywords menopause, women's health, empowerment, community, self-discovery, education, entrepreneurship, resilience, awareness, support summary In this enlightening conversation, Aransas Savas and Julie Gordon White delve into the often-taboo subject of menopause, exploring its challenges and opportunities. They discuss the importance of breaking the silence surrounding menopause, the need for edu...

I found myself smiling at Sandra Bookman's refreshing candor throughout this conversation. There's something deeply reassuring about hearing an accomplished broadcast journalist—who has guided New Yorkers through 27 years of collective triumphs and tragedies—reject the "icon" label and instead emphasize her fundamental humanity. What struck me most was Sandra's self-awareness about her goal-orient...

Today’s Featured Uplifter: Jessica Varian Carroll She started her business with a box of Hefty garbage bags and zero experience. As a single mom of four with spotty child support, Jessica Varian Carroll 's motto was stark and simple: "Work or be homeless. Those were the only choices I had." There was a time when Jessica collected the loose change from her dryer just to feed her children. The water...

Today’s Featured Uplifter: Melissa Petro I was standing in my kitchen the other day, staring at a pile of produce I'd optimistically purchased, thinking about all the healthy meals I wasn't going to make. That familiar feeling crept in—the one that whispers I'm falling short, not measuring up, failing at yet another standard that seems so effortless for others. We all have these moments, don't we?...

Join us next Thursday, March 13th live in NYC for a day of connection, celebration, and boosting our collective courage to do big, bold things, because goodness knows we are gonna need to be brave this year! Proceeds are going to Emma's Torch (empowering refugees through culinary education + catering our amazing lunch), 826NY (uplifting the voices of diverse young authors), and Lonely Worm Farm (a...

Join us on March 13th live in NYC for a day of connection, celebration, and boosting our collective courage to do big, bold things, because goodness knows we are gonna need to be brave this year! Proceeds are going to Emma's Torch (empowering refugees through culinary education + catering our amazing lunch), 826NY (uplifting the voices of diverse young authors), and Lonely Worm Farm (an arts and e...

Join us on March 13th at Brooklyn Brewery for a one-day retreat to raise funds for some amazing organizations while connecting, celebrating, and filling our cups. Proceeds are going to Emma's Torch (empowering refugees through culinary education + catering our amazing lunch), 826NY (uplifting the voices of diverse young authors), and Lonely Worm Farm (an arts and ecology organization for people of...

Join us on March 13th at Brooklyn Brewery for a day of transformation, connection, and celebration. To celebrate our 1st 100 episodes of the podcast, my dream is to assemble as many inspiring women in one room as possible for a one-day retreat to connect, celebrate, and boost our collective courage to do big, bold things, because goodness knows we are gonna need to be brave this year! Proceeds are...

Join us on March 13th at Brooklyn Brewery for a day of transformation, connection, and celebration. Like Lauren, who you’ll meet in today’s episode, every woman in our community has a story that can light the way for others. Whether you're navigating your own reinvention, seeking deeper purpose, or ready to create meaningful change, you'll find your people here. This isn't your typical networking...

Join us on March 13th at Brooklyn Brewery for a day of transformation, connection, and celebration. Like Laura Kavanagh, who you’ll meet in today’s episode, every woman in our community has a story that can light the way for others. Whether you're navigating your own reinvention, seeking deeper purpose, or ready to create meaningful change, you'll find your people here. This isn't your typical net...

Join us on March 13th at Brooklyn Brewery for a day of transformation, connection, and celebration. Like Karen Robinovitz, who you’ll meet in today’s episode, every woman in our community has a story that can light the way for others. Whether you're navigating your own reinvention, seeking deeper purpose, or ready to create meaningful change, you'll find your people here. This isn't your typical n...

In today's episode, you'll meet Katie Horwitch, who reminds us how the right community can make all the difference. On March 13, please join me for Uplifters Live, where we'll come together as a community of brave, beautiful Uplifters for a day of deep connection, courage-building workshops, celebration (including my own 50th birthday!), and an amazing lunch created by Emma’s Torch . I hope to see...