Fully Stoked

What happens when you stop allowing your past to define your future and start using your story to help someone else? In this powerful episode of the Fully Stoked Podcast, host Sarah Stokes sits down with Sandy Dyson Reid, inspirational speaker, creative producer, published author, and founder of Boldly Evolve and The Well Vision. Sandy shares an incredibly personal story of resilience, faith, heal...

What should buyers, sellers, and investors consider in the Greater Charlotte real estate market? Sarah Stokes with Coast2Coast Mortgage Lending sits down with Christen Ripoli, REALTOR® with REAL, and Lisa Sarullo, real estate investor with JM&L Company & Monroe Mike, to discuss housing, financing, and rental investment strategies in Charlotte, Monroe, Union County, and surrounding communit...

Real Estate, Relationships & Building a Business That Lasts | Haley Gant of Dealmaker WNC What does it really take to build a successful business, create genuine relationships, and become known in your community? In this episode of the Fully Stoked Podcast, Sarah Stokes sits down with Haley Gant, mortgage loan advisor with Rate and founder of Dealmaker WNC, a growing real estate investing and...

What happens when we invest in teachers? Ultimately, we invest in students—and in the strength of the entire community. In this episode of the Fully Stoked Podcast , Sarah Stokes sits down with Amy Sperry, Executive Director of the Union County Education Foundation , to talk about supporting educators, strengthening public schools, nonprofit leadership, community involvement, and the power of list...

What if the best thing you could give your children isn’t more stuff—but an experience they’ll remember for the rest of their lives? On this episode of the Fully Stoked Podcast, Sarah Stokes sits down with Melissa Strother, Travel Advisor with Getaways by CCTC, educator, former journalist and photographer, adventurous traveler, and mother of two daughters. CCTC is the parent travel company behind...

AI is changing how customers search, how businesses market themselves, and what it takes to get found online. But does embracing AI mean losing the human connection behind your brand? In this episode of the Fully Stoked Podcast, Sarah Stokes sits down with Luciana Salanitri, Certified Digital Marketing and AI Consultant with WSI Salanitri Group, to explore the future of AI marketing, digital visib...

Your gut health may be connected to far more than what you eat. In this episode of the Fully Stoked Podcast, Sarah Stokes sits down with Kate Ricciardi, RDN, DPT, founder of Digestion by Design, registered dietitian nutritionist, doctor of physical therapy, and leader of Ladies Lifestyle Network Fort Mill. After struggling with IBS for more than two decades, Kate began looking beyond conventional...

Estate planning isn’t only for wealthy people, retirees, or families facing a crisis. According to estate planning and probate attorney Sabrina Winters , nearly everyone has wishes worth protecting—and waiting to put them in writing can leave the people you love dealing with unnecessary confusion, stress, and difficult decisions. On this episode of the Fully Stoked Podcast , Sarah Stokes sits down...

What exactly is fascia — and could it be part of the reason some pain keeps coming back? On this episode of the Fully Stoked Podcast , Sarah Stokes sits down with Jeff Krafft, PT, and Kallie Marshfield, OT , founders of Relief Re-Imagined Myofascial Release Therapy in Monroe, North Carolina. Jeff has more than 30 years of experience as a physical therapist, while Kallie has more than 15 years of e...

What if you felt called to do something years before you were actually ready to do it? In this episode of the Fully Stoked Podcast, Sarah Stokes and Melinda Willison sit down with Susan Volz, owner of the historic Belk Mansion in Monroe, North Carolina, to talk about the remarkable history of the home—and Susan’s journey to becoming its owner. More than 20 years ago, Susan was working as a real es...

Fully Stoked Podcast | Tara McAlister | Why the Best Business Strategy Starts with People What if your biggest business problem isn't sales, marketing, or operations—but people? In this episode of the Fully Stoked Podcast, host Sarah Stokes sits down with Tara McAlister, Founder of The People Strategy Group, to discuss leadership, hiring, workplace culture, employee retention, emotional intell...

What does it really take to succeed in real estate? In this episode of the Fully Stoked Podcast, Sarah Stokes sits down with DMV-area Realtors Deliane Firman and Ebony Boyd to talk about the realities of building a career in real estate, especially for new agents. From joining a team versus going solo, to mentorship, networking, and showing up consistently, this conversation is full of practical a...

FULLY STOKED PODCAST | LISTEN NOW What does it really take to become visible in business—and why are so many women holding themselves back? In this inspiring episode of the Fully Stoked Podcast , Sarah Stokes sits down with Mayeluz Navarro , founder of Soulful Portraits by Mayeluz , for a heart-centered conversation about confidence, personal branding, leadership, imposter syndrome, entrepreneursh...

What if the biggest mistake in your business branding is starting with your logo? In this episode of the Fully Stoked Podcast, Sarah Stokes interviews Nora D. Richardson, founder of Spot-On Branding, to discuss what she calls Foundational Branding — the deeper work of clarifying your values, story, positioning, and messaging before ever touching a logo or color palette. Nora shares how entrepreneu...

What happens when a former math professor unexpectedly becomes a publisher? In this episode of the Fully Stoked Podcast, Sarah Stokes sits down with Tonya Joyner, founder of TJS Publishing House, to talk about entrepreneurship, faith, identity, obedience, burnout, and what it really takes to write and self-publish a book. Tonya shares her unexpected journey from teaching mathematics at the college...

In this inspiring episode of the Fully Stoked Podcast, Sarah Stokes sits down with entrepreneur, speaker, and gratitude mentor Kim Angeli for a deep conversation about gratitude, mindset, business growth, resilience, relationships, and living intentionally. Kim shares her journey from corporate sales leadership at Cisco Systems, Sprint Wireless, and Campbell Soup to launching her own insurance age...

What if a child had to walk 5–7 miles to school every day — sometimes crossing dangerous terrain — just for the opportunity to learn? In this inspiring and emotional episode of the Fully Stoked Podcast , host Sarah Stokes sits down with Mercy Bediako Crawford and Susan Frances Sganga of Charismata Steward Ministries to discuss Mercy’s incredible journey from growing up in poverty in rural Ghana to...

In this powerful episode of the Fully Stoked Podcast, Sarah Stokes sits down with Jasmine Walker — entrepreneur, author of “Rise Up,” insurance broker, speaker, and owner of Brightway Insurance – The Walker Agency. Jasmine shares how she built a million-dollar insurance agency from scratch, overcame fear and self-doubt, established strong business boundaries, and stepped confidently into leadershi...

In this episode of the Fully Stoked Podcast , host Sarah Stokes speaks with Dr. Kayla Huntington , chiropractor and founder of Common Ground Chiropractic in Indian Trail, North Carolina , about how the nervous system influences stress, creativity, healing, and overall health . Dr. Kayla explains how many people unknowingly live in chronic survival mode , which can contribute to burnout, anxiety, d...

What does it really take to hire the right employee and build a strong team? In this episode of the Fully Stoked Podcast , Sarah Stokes interviews Courtney Steele Lucas , founder of Steele Talent Solutions , about the real challenges businesses face when hiring—and how to avoid costly mistakes. With more than 13 years of recruiting experience , Courtney shares practical strategies for small and mi...

In this episode of the Fully Stoked Podcast , host Sarah Stokes sits down with mindset coach and entrepreneur Lu Tandazo , founder of Dream Into Success , to talk about the powerful role mindset plays in entrepreneurship, leadership, confidence, and personal growth. Lu shares her inspiring journey, from teaching French after moving to the United States from France, to transitioning into HR leaders...

In this episode of the Fully Stoked Podcast, Sarah Stokes interviews Jolin Collins, founder of Soirée Tables Charlotte, about hosting beautiful dinner parties at home without stress. They discuss renting vs buying tablescape décor, intimate gatherings of 12 guests or fewer, restaurant family meal options, and starting a business later in life without formal training. Connect with Jolin Collins – S...

Today, on Fully Stoked Podcast, Sarah Stokes hosts Sylvie Brockman , a Charlotte-based health coach specializing in women 40+ navigating perimenopause and menopause . Sylvie shares her journey from the Czech Republic to the U.S., how nutrition helped her overcome fatigue, migraines, digestive issues, and skin flare-ups, and why she believes gut health and inflammation are at the root of many moder...

In this episode of the Fully Stoked Podcast , host Sarah Stokes welcomes Cosette Leary , founder of Reclaim Your Stories, LLC and author of From Welfare to the White House: How I Reclaimed Myself and You Can Too . Cosette shares her journey from childhood abuse, foster care, and teen motherhood to rebuilding her life through courage, faith, and purpose. She explains why acknowledging our “cracked...

In this Women Entrepreneur Series episode of the Fully Stoked Podcast, Sarah Stokes interviews retreat leader and wellness entrepreneur Carole Keefer, founder of Free Spirited Wanderer. Carole shares her journey into yoga through Buddhism, her trainings in Nepal and India, and how she built a retreat business that blends yoga, travel, community, and transformational leadership. They discuss how tr...