In today’s episode we speak to Leah Dove, statistician and Second City alumni. We dive into the very personal story of Leah’s upbringing, the complexity of family dynamics as well as generational trauma, and its impact on her life’s decisions. It all culminates with one of the most difficult decisions anyone could face, cutting ties with their mother.

Ryann Bosetti, once hailed as "the best haircut in Marfa, Texas," by Vogue magazine, transitioned from business school in San Francisco to the bustling hair salons of NYC. Now, she's prioritizing moments of stillness to liberate herself from the grind. We delve into the essence of hairdressing, Ryann's early decision against motherhood at age 5, the challenges of finding jeans as a woman over 6 feet tall, and the power of knowing we all have agency.

Kristina Takeshita, LAPD's Forensics Unit Lab Director, boasts a distinguished 29-year career, beginning as a student worker. Her journey, marked by transformative cases, reflects unwavering commitment to justice. Notably, as leader of the DNA unit, she successfully cleared a 6,000-kit sexual assault backlog, some untouched for 15 years. Thanks to her team's dedication, processing time now stands at an impressive 90 days. Beyond professional achievements, Kristina advocates for mental well-being, recognizing therapy as integral to a fulfilling career.

At the age of eight Magdalena Wosinska and her family left their homeland of Poland and headed for America. Her journey is a testament to the transformative power of culture shock, which ultimately lead her to the world of skateboarding and photography. Through the lens, she discovered a powerful tool to bridge the gap between her inner world and the external one, creating a visual language that transcended borders and spoke to the universal human experience.

Photo provided by Magdalena Wosinska.

From post-it notes to rocket launches, Liz De La Torre is a Creative Technologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Liz's unique path began as an undergraduate student in illustration and entertainment art, a far cry from the traditional routes into the world of space exploration. However, her artistic talents have proven invaluable in a completely unexpected way.

Photo provided by Liz De La Torre.

As a professional beach volleyball player, Sarah Straton represented Australia at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, however, she played some of her best volleyball in the years that followed. Embarking on a journey of self-discovery and personal growth, Sarah transformed her fears into fuel transitioning from an elite athlete to a dedicated coach and educator.

How does a society's infrastructure impact people's ability to reach their full potential? What impressions do we make by the way we look – and how does that change depending on the context we're in? What happens when you replace fear with love and compassion? Our final episode of season two kicks off the new year with some big questions. We discuss these and much more with London-based human rights lawyer, Anika Baset.

At the time of recording Tanya Robinson OBE was the head of Diversity & Inclusion at Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service. She shares with us insights around the growing non-white population in the UK prison system, her ongoing charity work with sex workers in east London, and how we’re all links in a chain – creating opportunities for change.

Caroline Wyatt’s job is to share other people’s stories but her own story is the one worth sharing. She was adopted by a British diplomat and spent much of her childhood traveling the world, a passion which lead her to journalism. Her 30+ years at the BBC have seen her in many roles including that of a war correspondent. She shares with us those experiences, the incredible people she met along the way, and how she reconnected with her biological parents who in turn reunited and married after several decades apart.

The most important role of a CEO is to empower those around them, according to Anna Brozek, CEO of Big Cartel. She put that belief to the test when her personal life took a turn — At the same time Big Cartel asked her to take a leadership role, she discovered she had developed Graves' disease. Realizing she needed to invest in her health and family, Anna has fostered a company culture that enables her employees to make better choices for their own lives, as well.

Propelled by wanderlust and natural curiosity, Magda Walter keeps moving. Since she landed in the US in the 1970s to work as a political journalist, Magda has lived all over the world, including Hong Kong and Moscow. She’s now semi-retired in London — although given the hours she devotes to political consulting and volunteering with domestic abuse survivors, we’d say her idea of “retired” is pretty loose.

December, 2018

Anna Mey

January, 2018

Chelsea Naftelberg

Chelsea Naftelberg oversees influencer programs at the social media agency ATTENTION in Santa Monica and is a board member of Women in Influencer Marketing. But what’s an influencer, really? According to Chelsea, we’re all influencers in our ways—if people value your opinion, then chances are you’ll influence theirs. It’s that attention to subtle influences that has guided Chelsea’s approach to her professional and personal growth, helping her know the difference between anxiety and gut instinct.

January, 2018

Ann Shoket

Ann Shoket has always connected in a very real way to a generation of young women, from helping to launch CosmoGirl to becoming the youngest editor-in-chief of Seventeen. Now, she’s published a book for women growing into adulthood and searching for “The Big Life.”

December, 2017

Shira Lenchewski

Shira Lenchewski loves food so much, she never wants to make a choice between looking good and feeling good. That’s been her motivation to help others as a clinical nutritionist, whose practice has reached cult status in Los Angeles. (Yes, she writes for Goop.) Her goal: Teach people to enjoy the shit out of their food—and maybe watch their blood sugar along the way.

December, 2017

Aja Gabel

Aja Gabel has never loved anything as purely as she loves writing. When we sit down to discuss her debut novel, The Ensemble, our conversation quickly veers to the existential. Aja explains how she found her voice by learning to be comfortable alone—and that it’s ok to not live life according to a grand narrative.

November, 2017

Sister Mary Sean Hodges

Sister Mary Sean Hodges chose a lifetime of serving others when she was 17 years old. At the age of 60, she charted a new path of service, working with prison inmates to help them integrate back into society. She shares with us the things she’s learned along the way, including the universal need for balance and forgiveness.

November, 2017

Wendy Egyoku Nakao

According to Zen Buddhist Wendy Egyoku Nakao, life is not a straight line, or even a circle—it’s a spiral. In this fascinating conversation, we go deep about living in the present while recognizing past experiences, developing “spiritual muscles,” and the importance of choice.