Women of Wayland - The Podcast

In this special episode of Women of Wayland, we bring you a powerful community conversation hosted by the League of Women Voters of Wayland in collaboration with the Wayland Free Public Library. This discussion pulls back the curtain on local leadership—featuring women who have served on the Select Board, School Committee, Finance Committee, and as Town Clerk. Together, they share the honest, unfi...

What does it really take to run for local office? In this special episode of Women of Wayland, we step back from our usual interview format to bring you a powerful community conversation hosted by the League of Women Voters of Wayland. Titled “Run For It: The Town Office Experience,” this event explores the decision to run for office, the realities of serving, and why local democracy depends on ev...

In this trailer for Season Five, podcast host Yamini Ranjan discusses the significance of local governance, and the importance of women's involvement in local governance. She will outline the structure of government in Wayland, the roles of various boards, and the community's support for the podcast in the episodes. The season aims to explore the challenges women face in local governance and encou...

In this Halloween special of Women of Wayland, we explore the haunted history of Greenways — a sprawling estate in Wayland, MA, once home to Edwin Greene, and later to Frank and Virginia Paine. From a monkey named Simmy who lived under the stairs to a pet cemetery with heartfelt epitaphs, Greenways is a place where memory lives, love lingers, and history whispers. We also trace its connection to t...

In this special mid-season episode of the Women of Wayland podcast, we bring you the second story in our Man of Wayland series. This episode is dedicated to the extraordinary life of Dr. Pablo Suarez—a resident of Wayland, Massachusetts, whose visionary work spanned the globe. From the Vatican to the White House, from rural Togo to Boston University, Pablo inspired countless people to act with cou...

In this episode, with an anonymous woman of Wayland, we dive deep into the journey of facing and understanding childhood traumas—how they shape your identity, self-worth, and the way you show up in the world. We explore how uncovering your origin story can empower you as a woman, a parent, and a professional, helping you break cycles of self-doubt, body shame, and career guilt. You’ll hear from a...

In today's episode, we welcome the remarkable Amy Shroff, a dedicated veterinarian and founder of the Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Center of NE, now known as Blue Pearl Veterinary Specialists. Amy, a resident of Wayland, Massachusetts since 1999, shares her inspiring journey in veterinary medicine and her work with her non-profit organization, Lets Save the Strays International. We discuss...

Today we are talking about an issue that seems everywhere. It seems like a hassle for everyone -managing our digital footprint. We are talking about the thousands of pictures, videos we take, the forwards we receive via social media and instant messaging. So digital decluttering is not just about organizing our own digital assets but also about being responsible and environmentally conscious about...

In this episode of the Women of Wayland Podcast, we sit down with Sarah Patel, the founder of Kelia, a brand revolutionizing the world of cannabis beverages. Sarah shares her inspiring journey of rediscovering the transformative effects of cannabis as a mother. In this conversation, Sarah reflects on the stigma surrounding cannabis and on the jettisoning away of some of these traditionally held be...

Welcome to the Women of Wayland podcast season 4. Today we're introducing a new category: Wayland Trailblazers! A "Wayland trailblazer" refers to someone who pioneers innovative solutions, particularly within the Wayland community. Our inaugural guest in this category is Karen Kelly, a remarkable woman whose journey embodies the essence of a Wayland trailblazer. Take a listen and discover the unto...

Welcome to Season 4 of the Women of Wayland podcast! In this inaugural episode, we dive into the captivating world of our guest, Juliette Fay, exploring the untold aspects of her life as a wife, mom, and, most importantly, as a writer. Juliette's literary journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. From the acclaimed "Shelter Me" to the recently released "The Half of It," we uncover the half...

Welcome to the trailer of Season 4 of the Women of Wayland Podcast! Get ready for an inside look at how these next-door s-heroes in Wayland are rewriting their career narratives. Uncover the powerful "whys" behind their reinventions that will leave you inspired and motivated. And that's not all – ever wondered how they turned dreams into reality? Dive deep into their journeys with captivating audi...

Travel is the secret sauce for your soul. I have loved to wander for as long as I remember. But as a woman, I realize that wandering comes at a cost. However, one has to be willing to go through the bumps to get to the bliss of solo travel. To begin season four, I want to start by sharing a personal travel story that is no less than a Bollywood masala movie! Don't forget to share and subscribe and...

Plato once said: “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.” To wrap up Season 3, we invited musician, teacher, entrepreneur, performer, and woman of Wayland Penny Wayne-Shapiro to our studio. In this wide-ranging conversation, we cover music education, humorous anecdotes, prejudices musicians still face, how learning music really is...

In this episode, we are in conversation with Leah Levine, a wife, mother, educator, and a practitioner of mindfulness. We chart her story through her upbringing in Massachusetts to her harrowing experience as a mother of a young child diagnosed with cancer. What is remarkable in her story is not just the way she handled her daughter’s sickness but also how an entire town came together to give back...

In this episode, to shed spotlight on men who are making our communities a better place, especially for women, we introduce a new category in our stories: Man of Wayland. Our first guest in this category is Malcolm Astley. In this nostalgic, stirringly painful, and inspiring conversation, Malcolm talks about his huge grief in the wake of the murder of his teenage daughter Lauren Dunne Astley and a...

In this episode, we turn the clocks back with Wayland’s renowned historian Jane Sciacca. We discuss different chapters from the history of Wayland, ranging from Wayland’s most prominent resident Lydia Maria Child to landmarks, trivia and more. How was Wayland 50 years ago when Jane arrived? Did young families always come here for the schools? How was it when it was a business hub? What are those n...

Climate Change Community Activist – Kaat Vander Straeten Even though the science behind climate change could not be clearer, confusion about the evidence and tangible actions we can take lingers on. In this episode, Kaat Vander Straeten joins us to help clarify and give us some concrete steps we can take in our lives to address this ‘predicament’—as she calls it. Among other things, Kaat is a lead...

In this episode, we are in conversation with Jessin Varghese, a Nurse practitioner at UMass Memorial. Jessin recounts her professional and emotional journey through the pandemic. As public reaction to COVID-19 swayed from panic to skepticism and the science behind the virus and the vaccine became a top-of-mind issue for the public, their view of medicine and healthcare workers also varied. Goes wi...

In this episode, we are in conversation with clinical psychologist Dr Whitney Fair. In this riveting conversation, we discuss the less-talked-about toll of COVID-19: mental health. Dr. Fair not only offers an honest account of the impact the pandemic has had on her clients but also shares what it has done to professionals like herself. We cover a variety of topics ranging from her personal journey...

In this episode, food blogger Jacqueline Adelson of Jackie Cooks and Drinks blog joins us to discuss her food blogging journey and her approach toward creating and sharing new recipes with her followers--all the while presenting her authentic self on social media. This fun-filled, lively chat also covers a variety of topics such as our relationship with food in the age of diets, the inside view in...

Actor-entrepreneur Liza Huber joins us on this episode for an intimate, heart-to-heart conversation. Liza opens up about her time as a TV actress, her radically ingenious strategies as an entrepreneur, the pivotal moments her husband supported her, and her personal pain that led her to activism for cerebral palsy. Join us for a chat like never before. As we traverse different chapters of Liza’s li...

In this episode, we talk with Antonia Hieronymus, about the life-changing experience students from Wayland Middle School have in Peru through her non-profit Loose Change. She talks about how it gives perspective to teenagers and adults alike, and how connections not possessions make a community rich. This wide-ranging, extraordinary conversation will transport you to London, India, and to the remo...

Here's a sneak peek into Season 3 of the Women of Wayland Podcast. Listen to clips of our episodes to know more about the topics we will be discussing this season. Theme music by Moshun [ http://www.moshunsound.com/ ]

Bring on the Rain The year 2020 has been unprecedented in so many ways. Because of the deadly Coronavirus, everyone has been scared, on the edge, and has had minimal human interaction. Imagine not able to see your own family, imagine losing loved ones at the hands of the virus—you couldn’t give them a last hug, last few words of comfort. How devastating this time has been for all. And now imagine,...