Unmute Yourself

I didn’t expect this conversation to hit me like it did. But somewhere in the middle of it, I realized — we don’t stay stuck because we don’t know. We stay stuck because we don’t trust ourselves to handle what comes after the decision. This is the Season 3 finale of Unmute Yourself — and it’s the one that lingers. In this conversation with Elizabeth Taylor, we talk about the quiet tension so many...

You’re Not Broken — You’re Disconnected  She said, “Love yourself. You’re enough.”  And I felt that one land in my body before my brain could even catch up.  This conversation surprised me—in the best way. I sat down with Wendy Vigdor-Hess expecting to talk about health. Nutrition. Maybe a few mindset shifts. What we actually talked about was what it costs to abandon yourself… and what it looks li...

I didn’t expect this conversation to stay with me the way it did. It started with a simple question about clothing… and turned into something much bigger. In this episode, I sit down with Elia Barriga Polo, textile designer and founder, whose work exists at the very beginning of everything we wear. And what she shared shifted how I see something as simple as a shirt. Because this isn’t just about...

Ever feel like the path you’ve worked so hard for… just isn’t yours anymore? In this episode of Unmute Yourself , I sit down with Rachel Wagner-Kaiser—a data science and AI consultant, author, and former astronomer—to talk about the courage it takes to pivot when everything you’ve built feels like it’s on the line. Rachel’s story is incredible: from earning a PhD in astronomy to stepping into AI a...

What if the thing that feels the most uncomfortable to understand… is actually the thing worth leaning into? This conversation with Dr. Ewelina Kurtys lives right at that edge. Because when we start talking about building computers using living neurons, it’s easy to jump straight to fear, assumptions, or even worst-case scenarios. But what I appreciated about Ewelina is how grounded, clear, and ho...

What if the reason you feel stuck isn’t your circumstances… but your beliefs? What if the life you’ve been waiting for is already within reach—but your mindset is keeping you from stepping fully into it? In this episode, Courtney Confare , founder of Encoded , shares how she built a life by design by rewiring her beliefs, trusting herself, and stepping into her identity before she had all the answ...

I didn’t expect to laugh this much in a conversation about grief. But that’s Beth. And somewhere between the humor and the heartbreak… she said something I haven’t been able to shake.  In this episode, I sit down with Beth Stowell Reed — a woman whose life has been reshaped by loss, resilience, and the quiet courage to begin again. After losing her husband just months after his diagnosis, Beth had...

Jodi Wilding had a life most people would romanticize: travel, freedom, adventure. And she walked away. She chose the stable path, the path that looked right to others, and slowly… lost herself. I hear versions of this story all the time. Not because women don’t know what they want, but because they stop trusting themselves enough to go after it. This episode is about that exact moment, when you r...

There’s a difference between something being complicated… and something just never being explained to you properly. And I think a lot of us have been confusing the two—especially when it comes to money. This conversation clears that up in a way that feels… surprisingly simple. In this episode, I’m joined by Elsa Iris Reyes —finance expert, founder, and someone who went from not even knowing accoun...

There’s a moment in this conversation where everything shifts. Patrice Shumate says: “We don’t have a generosity problem. We have a responsibility problem.” And I just… stop. Because that reframes everything. This isn’t a polished conversation about leadership or impact. It’s an honest look at what’s happening underneath the systems we trust. Patrice has spent years working in philanthropy and soc...

There’s a moment in leadership that no one really prepares you for. It’s when you realize people are actually paying attention to what you say. And suddenly… not speaking becomes a decision. My guest this week is Mojdeh Gharbi. She’s worked closely with senior leaders, helping shape the messages they bring into high-stakes rooms. But this conversation isn’t about perfect communication. It’s about...

My second guest this week, Tori Gene McCarthy , didn’t wait for permission to create the stories she wanted to see in the world. Co-founder of Blue Cowgirl Productions , Tori builds bold, human-centered storytelling that champions female-forward narratives. In this episode, you’ll hear about: Changing her major twelve times before discovering filmmaking Building a production company from scratch H...

My first guest this week, Masi Willis, is a leadership coach who will make you squirm in the best way. She calls the blind spots most leaders miss “broccoli in your teeth” moments, the little things that quietly shape your team’s experience of you. Masi left a stable corporate career to start her own business with one client. Six weeks later, she signed a contract bigger than her old salary. Scary...

Sometimes the career you planned… stops working. My guest this week, Kendra Germenis, built a path that looked solid on paper: corporate roles, program management, and a master’s degree in Human Dimensions of Organizations. Then the layoff came. What followed was a year of job offers falling apart and a growing realization that maybe the next chapter wasn’t supposed to look like the last one. Even...

Sometimes clarity doesn’t come in noise.  It comes in silence. In this Season 3 episode of Unmute Yourself , I speak with Soledad Mateo-Summer a talent acquisition leader, veteran advocate, and now visionary behind La Soledad, a retreat inspired by a life-altering moment under the stars in Big Bend National Park. After the passing of her mother, Soledad realized something profound: she knew how to...

What if the trait they called “too much” is actually your leadership advantage? In this episode of Unmute Yourself , I sit down with HR and operations leader LaQuisha Scott for a candid conversation about authenticity, layoffs, leadership pressure, and separating your identity from your title. LaQuisha has led people operations in corporate and nonprofit spaces, built HR systems from the ground up...

Season 3 is here, and I need to be clear: This season isn’t about being louder. It’s about being truer. In this premiere episode of Unmute Yourself, I sit down with Andrea Cilliers, global disability inclusion strategist, former State Department advisor, and one of the most thoughtful leaders I know. We explore a question that stopped me in my tracks: Why are people with disabilities expected to b...

Ever feel like you’re doing everything right and still can’t breathe? The Season 2 finale of Unmute Yourself closes with a powerful conversation about leadership, silence, and what it really means to feel whole again. Nicole Paquet shares her journey through male-dominated systems, burnout, illness, and the moment she realized the problem was never her, it was how change was being led. In this epi...

In this episode, I’m joined by Kaitlynn Helm , a COO who challenges one of the most deeply rooted beliefs women carry: that we must feel worthy before we advocate for ourselves. Kaitlynn shares how she learned, often the hard way, that waiting, overthinking, and self-doubt cost real money, real energy, and real well-being. We talk about negotiating against yourself, reframing “no” as information,...

In this deeply reflective episode of Unmute Yourself, I’m joined by Laura Sandmann, a teaching artist whose journey is rooted in courage, curiosity, and quiet strength. Laura shares how stepping into an unexpected teaching role changed the course of her life and how creativity helped her unlearn rigid beliefs, find her voice, and build a life that truly fits. We talk about art, leadership, motherh...

Success is supposed to feel good. So why does it so often feel exhausting? In this episode of Unmute Yourself , I’m joined by Lila Fox for a thoughtful and grounding conversation about success, burnout, and what it really means to live well. Lila’s journey spans engineering, photography, writing, and nearly 14 years of building a boutique luxury travel business, intentionally kept small, sustainab...

What if “not enough” was never the problem? In this episode, I’m joined by Sarah Teresinski, a woman who built a thriving creative platform by choosing action over hesitation. We talk about: • Creating before confidence arrives • Making sustainability accessible and stylish • Why consistency beats perfection every time • The power of small, intentional choices Sarah’s journey reminds us that waiti...

“You can.” Two words that can change a life. In this episode, I’m honored to share a conversation with Shelbi Davenport, advocate, educator, and changemaker, whose journey reminds us what’s possible when we refuse to stay silent. Shelbi opens up about growing up with a disability, being told college wasn’t an option, and how that moment lit a fire that led her to public policy, peer-to-peer advoca...

Your brain doesn’t clock out when you leave work. In Season 2, Episode 11, I sit down with Karen Lazarou to explore how trauma forms inside organizations — often unintentionally — and why even successful, high-performing professionals feel exhausted, anxious, or disconnected. We discuss: • How repeated fear at work creates trauma • Why burnout is often misdiagnosed • The neurological cost of poor...

Creativity and leadership aren’t opposites—they fuel each other. In this episode, I talk with Shannon Russo about navigating corporate leadership, avoiding burnout, and why having a creative outlet can make you more grounded, adaptable, and confident. We explore junk journaling as a mindfulness practice, finding your people, and letting go of the pressure to make everything “useful.” This is a con...