Powerful Ladies® Podcast

Episode 249: Melissa Cho | Creator of the HAAPI Hour Podcast

There are so many ways to live life. Some parts are within your control, while others are beyond your influence. Today’s guest, Melissa Cho, is bravely navigating the path of life and pursuing what resonates with her. After working for established media brands, she has transitioned to freelance work, taking on various roles and creating passion projects such as her podcast, HAAPI Hour. These endeavors have opened doors she never could have imagined. Is it easy? Hell no, but she is growing wiser and funnier along the way. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting her, our conversation, and I can't wait for you to hear it too.

Episode 248: Alyson Campbell | Founder of Heart & Soul PR

Running our own business can be overwhelming in so many ways. The key to transitioning from surviving to thriving is to switch from prioritizing others to prioritizing yourself. In this episode, I sit down with Alyson Campbell, the founder of Heart & Soul PR based in Los Angeles. We talk about how to choose dream clients, the importance of prioritizing yourself, and how to build a business that keeps your heart and soul front and center. 

Episode 247: Sunny Bates | Founder, Author, Master Connector & Recruiter

Sunny Bates is a prime example of building a business around your zone of genius. Sunny’s zone of genius revolves around collecting, connecting and cultivating extraordinary people and relationships. When an organization committed to success and new ideas that can change the world is in the process of building their teams, they call Sunny. She’s a founder, entrepreneur, advisor, and author, and we would love to take a peek at her rolodex. In this conversation, we talk about hiring strategies, how to build networks that are both powerful and satisfying to you, and how one of her secrets is listening for what people really want vs what they say they want.

Episode 246: Dr. Molly Brinkmann | Veterinarian & TikTok Influencer

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened." Truth! As avid animal lovers here at Powerful Ladies, we were excited to have the animal and veterinary TikTok educator and influencer, Dr. Molly Brinkmann, join us for our latest episode. We discuss how she became a vet, what pet owners are doing wrong, and how she and her staff are handling her newfound TikTok fame.

Episode 245: Jean Oelwang | President Virgin Unite, Co-Founder Plus Wonder, Author of Partnering

There are so many opportunities to change the world and make a positive impact and it all starts with being curious about the people and the world around you. Jean Oelwang is proof.  As the president of Virgin Unite she’s leading the charitable arm of the Virgin empire, while also co-founding Plus Wonder and author of the book Partnering. Jean knows the coolest people, studies those who are making an impact, and brings people together with shared purpose and commitment to leave the planet a better place. In this episode, we talk about the power of partnerships, the importance of curiosity, and how a meandering life is perhaps even more purposeful than a well planned life.

Episode 244: Kassia Davis | Founder KADA + Owner PF Flyers

I loved this conversation because Kassia, not only an entrepreneur on a journey to build a portfolio of brands, is doing so in the footwear and apparel space that I love working in. She is the founder of KADA Apparel and the owner of PF Flyers, with a background in the family business, New Balance. We discuss what it means to build a brand, the risks one must take to be an entrepreneur, but most importantly to follow your dreams, and the important choices to make when leading product based businesses.

Episode 243: Christine Buzan | Content Creator & Posing Expert

Needing to look good in photos is no longer reserved for models and celebrities. Whether it's brand photography, your LinkedIn profile picture, your dating app photos, or even looking great in photos with friends and family, everyone needs to know how to pose well. This is also a super intimidating space! Christine Buzan has been sharing posing tips and tricks across social media, her courses, and blog to help everyday people and thought leaders take photos they're proud of.

Episode 242: Hayley Young, Rose Julian & Bhavishya Sharadhi of Curator Pictures

Women are changing filmmaking at so many levels. From Greta Gerwig’s Barbie Movie to the women-lead team at Curator in Seattle, their impact is undeniable.  I had the pleasure of talking with Hayley Young, Rose Julian, and Bhavishya Sharadhi about why they love film, their efforts to foster inclusivity from the teams they collaborate with to the content they produce, and how empathy and authenticity unveil the most profound and genuine stories.

Episode 241: Christina Spinazola | Mindset & Business Coach

After an accident, Christina Spinazola went from being an athlete and scientist to struggling to redefine herself, before discovering the transformative power of coaching. It had such a profound impact on her that she felt compelled to become a coach herself.  She now helps her clients in building self-trust through deep integrity work, revealing new choices they can make, and being an example herself of living a life in alignment with her own principles. I loved this conversation, which was filled with advice, inspiration, and a reminder that many things are truly within our reach. 

Episode 240: Emily Isenberg | Founder & Creative Director of Isenberg Projects

There are so many ways to be creative. Emily Isenberg, the founder and creative director of Isenberg Projects, is a great example of how combining all the things you care about - some of which, for her, mean creativity, community, the urban landscape, and supporting other creatives - can lead you to designing a business you truly love. It leads to interesting conversations about what leadership looks like when you're leading more of a collective than a team, developing skills that bring different perspectives together, and what happens when you're actually influencing the landscape you live in. We discuss all of that and more in today's new Powerful Ladies Podcast.

Episode 239: Khalilah Olokunola | People Lead HR Expert, Speaker, Changemaker

HR is not typically thought of as a sexy department. Many of us associate HR with paperwork, procedures, and policies. Khalilah Olokunola is radically redefining the perception of HR and its potential impact, not only within our companies but also in our communities and the world at large. In this new Powerful Ladies Podcast episode, we discuss how leading people share so many parallels to ministry, examine the evolving landscape of HR, and why it can be a powerful gift to empower people and transform their self-perception.

Episode 238: Andrea Owen | Best Selling Author, Speaker, Coach

Why is choosing ourselves so hard? Andrea Owen is a direct, encouraging, and compassionate author, speaker, podcaster, and coach who is here to help you rebuild your confidence, understand how to boldly choose what you know is right, and pursue your ideal life. Her books, such as 'How to Stop Feeling Like Shit' and 'Make Some Noise,' are bestsellers speaking to successful women who may appear to have it all on paper, but are struggling with their inner personal relationships - hello, boundaries! She's a guest I've been manifesting since the early days of this podcast, and I'm so excited to bring her episode to you today!

Episode 237: Andrew Petterson | Artist, Creator, Engineer, Fabricator

Being an artist is terrifying, exciting, inescapable, and also a path that, when you truly lean in (such as every time you follow your soul’s path), is magical and serendipitous. Andrew Petterson knows the roller coaster of being an artist well. On Friday, October 13th, at the Bike Shed LA, he is hosting his first solo art exhibition, ‘Hot Shoe Chronicles.’ This collection of work came together after following vintage flat track motorcycle racers he had met while working as a custom car builder for Chip Foose and Boyd Coddington. Andrew knew instantly that they were genre paintings, which perfectly fit into his style as a painter. In this episode, he shares his journey, what his art means, and why he’s so excited for this show. 

Join Andrew and I Friday October 13th at the Bike Shed as we celebrate and sell his Hot Shoe Chronicles collection featuring Go Takamine - @go_takamine, Grant Peterson - @large_hands_grant co-founder of Born-Free, Jimmy White @hotrodford and his shop @circlecityhotrods, Jeff Moon - @moon895, and Eric Ahlquist - @ericahlquist along with their bikes by Harley Davidson and Indian Motorcycles. 

Episode 236: Carroll Dunham | Anthropologist, Explorer, Author

I am so excited for you to meet one of the coolest, wisest, most interesting, and compassionate people I have had the chance to speak with. Carroll Dunham is a badass. She has followed her curiosity and passions from Princeton, NJ, to Nepal, where she lived, studying traditional medicines as an anthropologist and Buddhism, fostered local children, impacted economic development for women, and so much more. She’s an author, a producer, a speaker, a teacher, a National Geographic explorer, wife, mother, and compassionate activist. When I grow up, I hope to be like Carroll! Enjoy this episode packed with stories, wisdom, and insights into how to live an extraordinary life.

Episode 235: Reb Masel | Lawyer, TikTok Creator, Podcast Host of Rebuttal

There is a gap in what we, as citizens, know about our constitutional and legal rights. It's a significant part of what makes the law intimidating and frightening when it impacts our lives. Reb Masel is here to rescue us! She's a smart, savvy, and badass attorney who breaks down legal concepts with sass and humor through TikTok and Instagram channels, making it accessible to all. She's a practicing attorney by day and a social media darling 24/7. We cover how the law truly works, who holds the real power, and the madness of what can actually happen in court.

Episode 234: Alexandra Generales | Founder, Little Social Co

Social media and digital marketing are challenging for everyone. It becomes even more challenging when you're a creative or artist who has to bare their soul to share the stories of their emotionally crafted, time-consuming work. That's why it's important to have individuals like Alexandra Generales and her company, Little Social Co, to guide you through the process: where to be yourself, where to focus on the customer, where to let science lead, and where to be creative.

Episode 133: Amanda Foust | Founder Highest Potential Planner

Today's guest on the Powerful Ladies Podcast, Amanda Foust, is a certified coach and the founder of the Highest Potential Planner. She is on a mission to ensure that as many people as possible are awakened to their lives. I couldn't agree with this more! From starting two businesses to creating her own planner and establishing her family, Amanda's approach to life is an example of relentlessly going after everything you desire and nothing less.

Episode 232: Sarah Croce | Co-Founder of Village for Mamas

Why do we make it so difficult to excel as parents, particularly as great mothers, in the US? We possess an abundance of knowledge—modern, Eastern, and ancient—that could greatly facilitate the processes of conception, pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum phase, not to mention the intricate task of raising children. Yet, we often fail to tap into, share, or embrace these resources throughout the US. Moreover, aside from guarding access to this knowledge, essential services that have the potential to revolutionize the lives of parents and families remain financially out of reach for many. Our special guest today, Sarah Croce, along with her non-profit organization, The Village for Mamas, is dedicated to altering this status quo, one mother at a time. A gentle reminder to also unite with us at the Miles for Mamas event in Santa Monica on September 24th.

Episode 231: Ginger Fatale | Clinical Counselor, Dance Movement Therapist, Burlesque Dance Studio Owner

We are often told to be logical and use our brains to solve many of our problems. The truth is that often our bodies serve as our access point to both our freedom and our breakthroughs. Ginger Fatale (her stage name), aka Kristen Crowe, operates in the duality of movement's power by being a licensed professional clinical counselor and a board-certified dance movement therapist, while also owning and managing a burlesque adult dance studio. She assists clients in achieving personal breakthroughs, finding their confidence, experiencing joy, and witnessing how communities and communication can bring about transformative changes.

Episode 230: Mayly Tao | The Donut Princess, Podcaster, Author & Consultant

After returning from college, Mayly used her marketing skills to blow up her family's Santa Monica Donut Shop - DK Donuts - on social media and in donut trends. They were featured in the Hulu Documentary "The Donut King" and have since leveraged her marketing skills to benefit new brands as a content creator and consultant. She has a new podcast (Short n’ Sweet), is the author of “The American Dream, with Sprinkles”, and is now creating new opportunities for women like her to take on the world.