What She Does Podcast

What does a wealth advisor actually do all day? Heidi Foster has a surprising answer: she brings people peace. With more than 30 years of experience managing investments for individuals, families, and charities, Heidi has seen it all — the spenders married to the savers, the retirees who don't know how to stop accumulating, the divorce clients, the inheritance clients, and the 20-somethings who ju...

What does it look like to build a startup inside one of the world's biggest creative companies? Lydia Hall knows. As Venture Lead and Co-Founder of Aqua by Adobe, Lydia pitched Adobe's executives on a bold idea: to take the creative power of Photoshop, Illustrator, and Fresco and rebuild it from the ground up for kids. In this episode, Lydia joins Liane and Annie for a candid conversation about th...

Jennifer Barnwell didn't plan to end up in hotels — but a nudge from her older sister at Cornell changed everything. Today she's the President of Curator Hotel & Resort Collection, a membership platform she launched in the middle of a global pandemic to champion the independent and boutique hotels that go it alone. In this episode, Jen pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to build...

What does a Physician Assistant who's spent 25 years in medicine wish more people understood about hormones, aging, and feeling like yourself again? Elizabeth Vogstrom breaks down perimenopause, bioidentical hormone therapy, DNA genetic testing, and root-cause medicine — and shares the personal health crisis that changed everything. #WhatSheDoes #HormoneHealth #Perimenopause #BHRT #LongevityMedici...

What if the answer to the childcare crisis wasn't a policy fix — it was a building with a community membership? Britt Riley is the founder and CEO of Haven, an integrated childcare, coworking, and fitness space designed for working parents — where kids learn downstairs while parents work upstairs, all under one roof. What started as Britt's own frustration with the impossible juggle of career and...

What if you could measure anything — even the things that feel impossible to pin down? That's exactly what Dr. Nicole Alioto has spent nearly 30 years helping schools do. As the founder of Alla Breve Educational Consulting, a two-time TEDx speaker, a podcast host, and author of Your School Sucks: Why Schools Fail to Measure Up and What To Do About It and the new You Can Measure Anything , Nicole h...

What happens when a girl from Pacoima who learned to code in fifth grade ends up in the United States Congress? We sit down with Representative Luz Rivas — engineer, educator, nonprofit founder, and the only Latina in Congress with a STEM background — to talk about the winding, unplanned path that took her from MIT to Motorola, from founding DIY Girls to the California State Assembly, and now to r...

Have you ever looked in the mirror and felt like something was just... off — but couldn't put your finger on it? Pilar DeMann says it might be your brows. With over 30 years of beauty experience, Pilar has built an award-winning studio in Washington, Connecticut, a loyal client base of 600+, and a reputation for real, wearable beauty that fits a woman's life. In this episode, she breaks down the t...

What does it take to leave a big law career and build something from the ground up—one that actually changes lives? In this powerful episode of What She Does, we sit down with Allison Mahoney, founder and managing attorney of ALM Law, a firm dedicated entirely to survivors of sexual abuse, intimate partner violence, technology-facilitated abuse, and children harmed in foster care and juvenile just...

What do civil engineering and bourbon have in common? More than you'd think. Morgan Salsman, founder of LQD Assets and BRBN Storage, grew up in Bardstown, Kentucky, the Bourbon Capital of the World, and turned a $5,000 barrel investment at 21 into a full-fledged whiskey business. She breaks down the surprisingly fascinating world of bourbon barrel investing, what it actually means to warehouse whi...

What if someone else could write your book — and do it in your voice? We sat down with Dr. Marcia Layton Turner, New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling ghostwriter and founder of the Association of Ghostwriters (AOG), to pull back the curtain on the fascinating world of professional ghostwriting. Marcia shares how she stumbled into the field, what it really takes to write in someone el...

Lauren Winter didn't plan to land in digital advertising — but 15 years later, she's running the full operations engine at Vox Media, one of the most recognized names in modern media. As Head of Operations, Advertising, Lauren oversees everything from pricing and planning to campaign execution and delivery — and she's currently building AI and automation into how her teams work every day. In this...

Career coaching sounds simple until you realize how much it's actually about trust, resilience, and learning to advocate for yourself. In this episode, we sit down with Masha Finn, a career coach at Merit America, who works with people navigating major career transitions — from resume building and interview prep to handling rejection and entering industries that have historically felt inaccessible...

What does it really take to build a career in documentary filmmaking? Maureen Judge — award-winning filmmaker and professor whose work has aired across Canada and around the world — traces her path from studying philosophy in France to directing internationally recognized documentaries for the NFB and TVO. She shares the two skills that matter most: deep listening and a completely non-judgmental p...

What does a Content Director actually do—and how do you build a storytelling career that aligns with your values and evolves with your life? In this episode, Anne Bergman, Director of Content at Claremont McKenna College, shares her candid journey from entertainment journalism to mission-driven storytelling in higher education. She opens up about the pivots, pay cuts, and “yes before you’re ready”...

In this episode, Juliana Parker shares what it takes to guide mothers through labor, manage high-stakes emergencies, and bring calm to one of life's most intense experiences. From debunking TV myths to the reality of emergency C-sections, she offers a behind-the-scenes look at a career built on compassion, quick thinking, and resilience. Whether you're curious about healthcare careers or simply wa...

In this episode of What She Does, we sit down with Dr. Tsolair Hovsepian, a general dentist and small practice owner, to explore what a career in dentistry actually looks like from the inside. Tsolair walks us through the full scope of her day — from routine checkups and cosmetic work to the less visible side of running a business: managing staff, navigating insurance reimbursements, and keeping c...

How do celebrities end up on television interviews? The answer often starts with a talent booker. In this episode of What She Does , Annie and Liane talk with entertainment journalist and talent booker, April Neale , about building a career in media through connections, adaptability, and relentless curiosity. April shares how she reinvented herself multiple times — from writing and PR to televisio...

What does it really mean to 'know how to use the tools'? In this episode of What She Does, we sit down with Cassie Homsi, Sales & Operations Analytics Manager and Technical Trainer in the beverage distribution industry. With nearly two decades of software engineering behind her, Cassie has built a career doing something rare: she speaks both fluent technical and fluent human. She went from bui...

What does it really take to front an all-female Guns N' Roses tribute band and take it around the world? Jenna Syde — stage-named in tribute to David Bowie, lead singer and self-managed boss of Paradise Kitty — gives us the real story. In this episode, Jenna peels back the curtain on what most people never see: the accounting, the tour logistics, the HR challenges of managing a rotating cast of fi...

Think being an elementary school teacher is just about grading papers and summer vacation? Think again. This week on What She Does, we sit down with Sydney Higginson, a fifth-grade teacher who pulls back the curtain on one of the most demanding and rewarding careers. From the shocking number of certifications required to the magical "aha moments" that make it all worthwhile, Sydney shares what it'...

What does a product marketer actually do? And can you really build a tech career with an English degree? Beth Barach demonstrates that you can. A Product Marketing leader in cybersecurity, Beth has led go-to-market strategy at Cisco, Akamai, and high-growth startups—transforming complex products into clear, compelling stories that help businesses understand value and make decisions faster. Product...

What if your biggest disaster became your greatest teacher? 75% of people worldwide fear public speaking. Urmi Hossain was one of them. Her first speech? A complete disaster. She spoke so fast she couldn't understand herself, sat down with her hands over her face, and thought, "That's it. I'm done." But someone gave her feedback. She slowed down. Found structure. Kept practicing. Now she's a motiv...

In this episode of What She Does , Pilates instructor and studio owner Andrea White breaks down what the job actually involves—from anatomy and spinal health to training, client work, and business ownership. We explore how a creative career can evolve into a sustainable profession, and why non-linear paths often make more sense in hindsight.

In this episode of What She Does , we talk with Paige Fingerhut Charnick, a Southern California real estate broker who specializes in probate and trust sales. With more than 30 years of experience across real estate, escrow, and legal work, Paige shares what this complex specialty really involves, how she built her career, and why self-awareness and ethics matter in high-stakes transactions. This...