Women Worldwide With Deirdre Breakenridge

I am so excited to have Dr. Erin Macdonald on the show today. She is an astrophysicist and aerospace engineer. She has managed to take her childhood love of science fiction and the X-Files and turn it into an exciting career. She is a teacher and lecturer who puts as much emphasis on her language and communications skills as she does on her scientific knowledge. Erin makes science fun and inspirational for her students by explaining how science and movies intersect. She also consults for TV, movies, and video games and found a way to make math fun, because once you progress past a certain point it becomes like a new language that you can communicate in. Erin is a role model and mentor for up and coming women and girls who are interested in getting involved in STEM careers. She is an extraordinary guest and you won’t want to miss this interview. Show Notes: [03:16] Kids love space and dinosaurs. Erin loved the X-files growing up. When she looked into things she found out that she could learn how the world wor

Statistics show that anxiety is on the rise for Americans and for younger people. Conditions such as anxiety and insomnia can have a negative effect on our lives and prevent us from doing what we want to do or just make life more challenging than it needs to be. Fortunately, I have anxiety expert Stephanie Dalfonzo on the show today. Stephanie has an interesting story and career trajectory. She began working as a DJ, then she started a hypnosis practice and now she helps people overcome their issues with anxiety. Stephanie is the author of Goodbye Anxiety, Hello Freedom, and it’s such a pleasure to have her on the show. She shares techniques and wisdom to start fighting anxiety with simple practices that anyone can do. She has so much knowledge to share and this episode is packed with wisdom and resources. Show Notes: [03:33] About 20 years ago, Stephanie was a celebrity radio DJ. She developed insomnia and went to the doctor and got a prescription. The prescription worked but only for a short time. [04:52]

Statistically, women are underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and there are many programs encouraging girls to study STEM careers. In spite of the stats, women have made significant contributions in these fields. My guest today is one of those women. Diana L. Burley, Ph.D. is a globally recognized cybersecurity expert and Executive Director and Chair of the Institute for Information Infrastructure Protection (I3P) at George Washington University. Growing up, Diana was always interested in technology and how it affects the behavior of people involved with it. By going into cybersecurity, she found the perfect intersection of people and technology to research. She is at the forefront of the latest research in cybersecurity and the evolution of new threats like holes in the world of the Internet of Things. Diana has always been a problem solver and shares the aha moment she discovered in Graduate school along with her no-nonsense approach to everything cybersecurity

How we feel about ourselves can be a big part of how confident we feel. Like it or not, things in our appearance like our hair make a difference in our inner confidence. Today’s guest has not only found a way to empower women when they need it the most, but she has built a solid business around it. Caliz Sotelo Moore co-founded Wigs.com in 1999. She was exploring online niches and was fortunate and wise enough to stumble onto the wig niche. When she realized that there was a need to help people with alternative hair and how empowering it could be, she made this business her sole focus. Things paid off and Wigs.com is the world’s largest online wig retailer. She now focuses on education and building a team that is empowered and passionate about their work. She has partnered with BreastCancer.org, and she has a huge soft spot for children’s charities. Carliz works passionately to make the world a better place one life at a time. Show Notes: [03:25] Carliz started Wigs.com in 1999. She has been entrepreneurial

Emily Pereira was living the perfect life, but deep down she knew that something didn’t feel right. When her life and relationship came crashing down, she realized that perfection wasn’t the answer, it was the problem. She went on a quest to find her real life’s passion and through writing and creativity, she discovered her authentic self and true happiness. Emily is a life and love coach, author, creator, retreat leader, mother, and an advocate for finding creative passion within to live your true magical and radiant life. She lives in a magical world in Costa Rica with her partner and her daughter. She now allows her creativity to flow and helps other women do the same. You will laugh and be inspired with this wonderful conversation I have with Emily. Show Notes: [03:09] Emily is a mompreneur who holds retreats in Costa Rica. [03:23] About 10 years ago, Emily started wondering when she was going to do something that truly mattered to her. [05:12] She worked for a Fortune 500 company and lived on the beach

Rebekah is a Nashville, Tennessee based writer and entrepreneur. She joined the founding team of PRTech company Onclusive (formerly AirPR) in 2012, where she helped build the industry’s first PR attribution technology, while also convincing PR and Communications professionals to embrace data. Now she is on the Advisory Board, and is thrilled with the progress the company is making under new leadership. Prior to this she has started one of the fastest growing PR firms called talkTECH with her dear friend Kristen Tischhauser-Grossi. She now has her own writing collective she calls WriteVest where she works on the types of projects she wants to work on and gets paid fairly for doing so. We talk about how PR, writing, journalism, blogging, and content creation using data has all changed. We also talk about how important it is to remember that there is another person on the other side of that computer screen. Show Notes [04:12] Rebecca built a Communications and PR Company. Then she was a co-founder and helped bu

Have you ever thought about intentionally designing your life? The beginning of our lives are usually shaped by external factors and people like our parents, teachers, communities, and culture. Once you reach a certain point, you might realize that you want to live with intention and design a life of your choosing. You don’t have to wait until your in your 50s to do this, but that’s what happened to my guest Kelley Connors. She reached a point in her life where she decided it was time to be brave and take charge of the second half of her life and live with the kind of impact that she wanted to make. She even became a coach, so that she can help others do the same. In this inspiring episode, we talk about choosing a pathway that works for you, practicing the power of positivity, the importance of slowing down, and how Kelley helps people navigate through awareness. Show Notes [04:47] When Kelley turned 50, she started thinking about the second half of her life. She thought it would be great if she could be mo

Donna O’Donnell Figurski and her husband David were just going about their normal morning routine when something went terribly wrong in David’s brain. When he was doing his morning workout, his brain started bleeding while he was doing his 13th chin up. He felt pain, but thought it would be okay. After a short time, Donna called the paramedics, and it led to a life or death situation, several surgeries, and Donna unwittingly becoming a caregiver before she even realized what that role meant. Donna is here today to talk about traumatic brain injuries and the role of a caregiver. She shares her story, and gives a lot of pointers and advice for people who find themselves in this situation. She stresses asking for help and taking time for self care. Donna is the author of Prisoners Without Bars: A Caregiver’s Tale, and you can find her writing and speaking about this topic online and in magazines. She also publishes children’s stories, but her greatest accomplishment is being caregiver for her husband and high s

We have an impressive guest today. Sue Bhatia is the Chairman and Founder of Rose International which is a global IT and business services provider. Sue immigrated to this country to pursue the American dream. She was happy with her job, but felt climbing the corporate ladder would take too long, so she took a big chance and founded her own company. She is now able to do that she loves and create a positive impact. She works to help promote and develop women entrepreneurs, and she is passionate about everyone finding work that they love. She has won several awards including Fast Company's Top 25 Women Business Builders in North America and Enterprising Women of the Year from Enterprising Women Magazine. She is passionate about the future of work and technology and shares why reskilling the American workforce is a must. Show Notes [03:18] Sue grew up in New Delhi, India. She came to the United States in 1987. [03:45] Her first years here were hectic. She got married and received her masters degree in manageme

Evan Hackel has an extensive background in training, human resources, and learning development. He is the CEO of Tortal Training and the creator of the Ingaged Leadership brand. If you are wondering if that is a typo, the answer is no. On this episode Evan shares the difference between engagement and ingagement. Especially as it applies to a leadership role. Evan is the author of Ingaging Leadership: 21 Steps to Elevate Your Business a book not only for business, but for life. We are all leaders in some respect, and we all need to be more ingaging when we talk to people. We learn some of the principles in Evan’s book, and he shares a story where he saw his father engage in true leadership and find an opportunity that others had missed. Evan’s philosophy is to get everyone on the team inspired to work for the same vision. Show Notes [03:30] Evan has a passion around the power and impact that people make. In most businesses, the people are the asset. [03:47] A big part of accessing this talent is learning dev

Allison Pickens is the COO of Gainsight a customer success and product experience platform. Allison is a speaker, blogger, and host of The Customer Success Podcast. She is also a Board Director and advisor to several companies. She was named one of the top 50 people in sales and business development and top women in SaaS. She joined Gainsight in 2014, and helped grow the company and build the sales and development team. She has always been passionate about organizing and building teams, and that is a big part of her role today. We talk about skills needed for women to make it to the c-suite in one of the roles of CEO, COO, or CFO. Allison shares how she learned to rely on her individual skills and how important it it so recognize the talent in others. We talk about technology, team building, what success means, the importance of perseverance, and more in this episode. Show Notes [03:20] It would have been hard for Allison to anticipate the adventure she's been on. [03:40] She has always loved organizing grou

Parents can sometimes get so wrapped up in caring for their children that they lose their own identity. This can become a problem once the children leave home, and the parent suffers from empty nest syndrome. My guest today is a life coach, corporate wellness practitioner, and facilitator of special programs to help us become happy or regain our happiness. Samantha Lewis was so inspired from hearing a motivational speaker years ago, that she now travels the world coaching and helping others. While working with clients, she discovered that empty nest syndrome was a problem for many. She now works with clients and gives them the tools to discover what makes them happy and brings the fun and joy back into their lives. She also shares tools and questions to help improve communication and start living in the present. Show Notes [04:53] Samantha was inspired by a motivational speaker that she heard years ago. She decided that she also wanted to do that. [06:08] Samantha became a single mom, and she wanted to add t

How do you know when to pivot and follow a passion project? Can you align your work with a greater purpose? Erin Ganju did just this when she made a pivot from the for-profit sector to the nonprofit sector. She is a social entrepreneur that started out in the financial industry and then moved on to co-found Room to Read. It was here that she honed her social entrepreneur skills as she moved from CEO, COO, to Emeritus Board Member. Erin is the author of Scaling Global Change which is a how to guide from start-up to scaling and driving impact. In this episode, we talk about finding ways to create change, being a leader, knowing when to pivot, building a team and collaboration, having great mentors and role models, and creating the change you want to see. Erin shares so much knowledge and wisdom in her own authentic way. Show Notes [03:37] Erin started out in the financial world at Goldman Sachs and now she's the managing director of the Echidna Giving Fund and a Co-founder, former CEO, former COO and Emeritus

Dr. Jill Garripoli Pedalino is an award winning pediatrician who was named New Jersey Family’s Favorite Kids’ Doc for the years of 2011-2018 and one of New Jersey’s Compassionate Doctors from PatientsChoice.org in 2013. In this inspirational interview, we learn what inspired Dr. Jill to become a pediatrician and her unique outlook on patient and parent care. She also shares what it’s like for a solo practitioner to open their own practice and take on all of the business responsibilities from billing and coding to being a team leader. Dr. Jill shares her unique outlook on being a team leader and how self care helps her manage day-to-day stress and decision fatigue. This is a wonderful look into the life of a thoughtful and caring entrepreneur. Show Notes [02:33] Dr. Jill Garripoli Pedalino always wanted to help people. She liked kids but thought she would become a lawyer. She then decided that this may not be the best way to help people. [03:19] She spent a summer working at a hospital and saw a baby delivere

Today's show is about happiness. We are really going to focus on happiness in the workplace environment and the antidote to negativity and even bullying. Kyla Mitsunaga is an entrepreneur, an author, a speaker, and a workshop trainer who has been busy developing a happiness workshop.   She is also sharing her approach in 14 different countries across three different continents. She empowers  corporations, organizations, institutions, and individuals to succeed by first being happy. Kyla shares how she stumbled upon the topic of happiness and how it took off from there. Learn how one woman's journey has made more people happier by making each other happy. Show Notes [03:18] Earlier in her career, Kyla was a professor. In 2014, she spoke in Austria. She realized that she had to be the change that she talks about and actually live it. This began her journey. [04:42] She was then asked to speak in Mexico on empowering students to give back to their communities. While she was researching the subject, the topic of

Dede Watson is a social media consultant and strategist who owns and operates Turn It Social a social media marketing company. She is a top social media influencer and a Forbes Top 50 Social Media Power Influencer. In this episode, I chat with Dede and learn how she went from selling furniture to social media consultant, strategist, and Forbes power influencer. We talk about how filling a need and getting asked for help is one of the best ways to build and grow a business. We talk about the importance of stepping outside of your comfort zone, what makes a successful entrepreneur, and how to get started promoting a business with social media. Dede shares tips, tricks, and some of her favorite tools and apps for video. We talk about Facebook advertising, how social media is evolving, and more. Show Notes [03:20] Dede started selling furniture in Daytona Beach. After about 10 years, she was burned out. She started looking online for different opportunities. [03:48] It took her about five years to actually devel

Fran Hauser the author of The Myth of the Nice Girl is here today to talk about how being nice can be your superpower. Today's episode is about speaking up and being assertive and finding your voice while still being kind. Fran is an author, speaker, and a media executive. She is an entrepreneur investor and the founder of Hauser Ventures.   She has held many senior positions at some of the world's largest digital media businesses including People, In Style, Entertainment Weekly, and AOL. She is now a startup investor who largely invests in female entrepreneurs. She was named one of Business Insiders 30 Women in Venture Capital to Watch. Show Notes [03:14] About five years ago friend was working at Time Inc as an executive running digital for women's brands at the company. [03:41] She realized the part of her job that she liked the most was meeting with technology-based startups. [04:16] She realized that even if they didn't partner, she spent a lot of time advising the founders on their business models. Sh

How do you build successful teams and positively impact the people around you? My guest today has a proven track record of team-building. Paige Goss is the CEO and founder of Point Solutions Group. Paige is an experienced industry executive with a proven track record in operational execution, large enterprise partnerships, and organizational development. Throughout her 10+ year career in IT Services, she has been responsible for starting and building teams from scratch in multiple disciplines. Paige’s goal is to positively impact the lives of those around her every day and you can see this in every aspect of her work. Paige’s innovation, efficiency, and diligence recently earned her a spot on the Staffing Industry Analysts’ (SIA) 2018 40 Under 40 list. Show Notes [03:11] Paige grew up in an entrepreneurial family, and she always wanted to be an entrepreneur. [03:58] She had a background in athletics and working with teams, so she knew that she would be able to create an impact working with teams. [04:28] Pai

How do you go from lawyer to actor to entrepreneur and podcaster? Find out with my next guest who is an expert in wanderlust. John Lim is an entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, author, and podcaster who I had the pleasure of connecting with on Twitter. John is a lifelong learner, and began his first career as an attorney at the age of 25. While developing his presentation skills, he stumbled upon his interest in acting. Through a series of events he ended up being on National Geographic, the History Channel, and commercials. He also played Sulu on Star Trek the Next Voyage across from George Takei. John shares his journey and explains how he ended up becoming an entrepreneur and podcaster. Show Notes [04:30] John's career wanderlust has been more of a reflection of his own journey. [06:05] When John was in law school, he took an acting class because he thought it would help his career. [06:51] He fell in love with acting. [07:27] He was an attorney at 25 years old. He chose the wrong firm, and he was unhappy. [08:58

When people are at a crossroads in their life and are looking for healing they will often seek out the help of a shaman. Shamans are all about connecting to the Earth and energy healing. My guest today is Julie Hannon. Julie began her career in HR, but always felt called to the Earth. After leaving her high-stress job, she went back to her roots and rediscovered shamanism. Julie is the founder of Inner Peace & Wellness where she facilitates joy and wellness in the lives of those she works with. Julie also has a master’s degree in psychology, over 20 years experience as a human resources director, she is HeartMath certified, she has 20 years of yoga experience and has completed yoga teacher training, and she is also a teacher at the Light Body School for energy medicine & shamanism. She is here today to share her journey and story with us. Show Notes [02:43] Julie worked in HR at a biotech company and helped the company grow from 140 employees to 2,500 employees until they restructured down to 1200. [