TrailBlazers Impact

Ep. 159 - How to Transform Your Organization | Monika Moss Gransberry

Are you taking the action to live the life you want to live? To balance your life and work whether you work from home or from the office? Our guest today coaches women to focus on what they want to do as they grow their business. Monika Moss-Gransberry is an entrepreneur, business coach, author, organizational consultant, and founder of MKM management consulting. For 30 years, she has dedicated her talents to transforming organizations and building the capacity of individuals in them. In thi...

Ep. 158 - How to Create a Health Generation Through Tech Innovations | Elizabeth Hutt-Pollard

Elizabeth Hutt Pollard is the Secretary of Science and Innovation for the State of Oklahoma. She places a strategic emphasis on enabling science and innovation to impact health, commerce, and STEM education for the state. She’s also the executive chair of Applied Silver, a materials science health-tech company located in Silicon Valley addressing infection control and antibiotic stewardship. In this episode, Elizabeth shares her career journey in life technologies and the functions of the Ok...

Ep. 157 - How to Empower Women Through Books | Marlene Wagman-Geller

Do you want to read some fabulous books about women's empowerment? She chronicles women in various phases of life, from a variety of times in history, and women behind successful men. Marlene Wagman-Geller is the author of 10 books, half of which celebrate the empowerment of women. She’s also a high school English teacher in National City, California. Her husband told her, “Don’t quit your day job” when she posed her writing idea and, believe it or not, she is still writing and publishing th...

Ep. 156 - How to Create a Business from a Need | Gail Becker

Gail Becker is the founder and CEO of CAULIPOWER, a food brand that uses the power of vegetables to make healthier and easier versions of food. The idea of CAULIPOWER was born out of the frustrations that Gail had on the gluten-free industry since she couldn’t find gluten-free foods for her two sons with Celiac disease. In this episode, Gail shares how she transitioned her career from corporate America to entrepreneur with no prior entrepreneurial experience. Listen in to learn why the curre...

Ep. 155 - How to Make Smart Financial and Lifestyle Choices | Tara Jones Williamson

Ep. 155 - You will also learn how to embrace and cultivate your femininity away from your work and life responsibilities. Key Takeaways: How to have the courage to choose a career that fulfills you and your dreams How to make work easier by dividing chores and responsibilities between spouses How to take care of yourself by cultivating your femininity The importance of financial literacy as early as your twenties to set you up for life Learn to save a small percentage of your ea...

Ep. 154 - How BoA Supports Employees | Lori Henkel

Lori Henkel is currently the Global Response Executive for Bank of America, supporting employees, clients, and communities during times of crisis. She has 24+ years of influential leadership experience, 15+ years of global HR experience, and a passion for building new teams and functions from design to execution. In this episode, Lori talks about her role in supporting Bank of America’s stakeholders, especially during the pandemic. Listen in to learn the importance of creating a human conn...

Ep. 153 - How to Make the Case for Diversity Equity Inclusion | Tiffany Manuel

Dr. Tiffany Manuel is the President and CEO of TheCaseMade, an organization dedicated to helping leaders powerfully and intentionally make the case for systems change. She works with hundreds of passionate social change leaders, changemakers, and innovators around the United States who are building better, stronger communities that are diverse, equitable, and inclusive. In this episode, Tiffany explains the work she’s doing to address affordable housing, diversity, equity, and inclusion in s...

Ep. 151 - How to Empower Women Through Technology | Suresh Sharma

Surprisingly, even in the 21st century, women still face inequality at the workplace. But did you know that the digital space is today giving women the opportunity to learn intellectual skills and own their online businesses? Suresh Sharma is a former GE executive turned successful entrepreneur. He’s a passionate entrepreneur, technologist, and co-founder of Open Range Capital Partners. He actively advises research faculty at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta as ‘Entrepreneur-In-R...

Ep. 151 - How to Choose a Housemate | Annamarie Pluhar

Annamarie Pluhar - Have you ever thought about sharing housing with someone, especially if you are single? And how do you know you are going to be compatible? Annamarie Pluhar is a passionate advocate of shared housing which is a potential answer to housing unaffordability. She approaches her love of shared housing from 20 years of experience living in shared housing. She even wrote a book about it! In this episode, Annamarie talks about her work in organizational development and instruction...

Ep. 150 - How to Prioritize Your Health | Jerrica Dodd

How do you decide how much water to drink a day, how much Vitamin D should you take? Jerrica Dodd answers these questions and more! Jerrica Dodd is a pharmacist, entrepreneur, and leader. She has been a pharmacist for 20 years and recently transitioned into full-time entrepreneurship after a 17-year career in the pharmaceutical industry. She’s the founder of Your Pharmacy Advocate LLC, which exists to close the gap on medication risks allowing prescribers and patients to manage health better...

Ep. 149 - How to Achieve DEI within a University | Pamala Morris

As Assistant Dean for the College of Agriculture and Director of the Office of Multicultural Programs, Dr. Pamala Morris introduced diversity in the university system by starting a new department that has now expanded diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the university. Dr. Pamela Morris serves as an assistant dean and full professor with the college of agriculture at Purdue University in Lafayette, Indiana. She developed and implemented two diversity awareness courses that serve as t...

Ep. 148 - How to Build a Memorable Brand - Crystal Oakes

Crystal Oakes gives us some of the best advice ever on branding your product, media, or whatever your business creates. The brand is the corporate soul. It is the overall personality and presence of the business. The key question to answer is “What’s the one thing you want to be known for as an organization?” And then lets you know how to find the answer. In this episode, Crystal teaches in detail the meaning of branding and how to build a successful and memorable brand. Listen in to learn t...

How to Use A Crisis Moment to Shift Your Life: Patty Lynn Wyatt

Patty Lynn Wyatt – What would you do if someone walked into the room you were in with a gun and said, “I’m going to kill you all.” That is exactly what happened to Patty and this was the pivotal moment that completely changed her purpose and gave her a passion and direction for her life. Patty Lynn is a highly sought-after professional speaker, business coach, and radio show host. Listen in to learn the importance of being self-aware and getting out of your comfort zone to pursue your passio...

Ep. 146 - How to Create a Life to Remember | Francine Farkas Sears

You are as likely to encounter Francine Farkas Sears entertaining royalty as you are to find her breaking out of a Polish prison. She has done both. You may hear about her most recent trip to her villa in the South of France or she might tell you about the time she surprised a husband (there have been a few!) with a good bottle of champagne….in Nepal. She recounts such stories with a nonchalance that leaves you questioning whether you heard her correctly. One is also left with the impression...

Ep. 145 - How to Be the Maker of Champions | Catherine Crosslin

Cat Crosslin is the Owner and CEO of Instar Performance. Some people talk the talk but don’t walk the walk. Cat Crosslin does. Her point is “If I don’t continue to grow, I can’t help others be the best they can be. Because each time I advance in the career work, I know I need to be better. I’m driven in my own leadership journey by if I’m going to bring the best out in them, I’d better be challenging myself.” In this episode, Cat shares her passion for leadership and personal development and...

Ep. 144 - How to Open the Sales Door the Easy Way | Caryn Kopp

How do you get your foot in the door to make that sale? It seems like you’ve tried everything!  But have you tried Kopp Consulting? Too often the process of opening new prospect doors receives minimal attention from business owners and salespeople in terms of time spent, consistency, and strategy – three critical elements for prospecting success. Have you ever heard someone say, “When I’m in front of the right decision-maker I close the sale most of the time. I just can’t get in front of eno...

Ep. 143 - The Front Lines of Desegregation | Muriel Tillinghast

Meet Muriel Tillinghast, a human rights activist from the 1960s to today! She takes us on a long but fascinating journey from the initial civil rights activities in the 1960s through an extensive career in revenue generation and oversight to mediation and negotiation to educational teaching and administration. She describes her experiences in NAG and SNCC in both desegregation and tenant rights. She tells us about her advocacy work in AIDs, immigration, medical experimentation, murder/false ...

Ep. 142 - James Loewen: Racial History and Sundown Towns

James Loewen's gripping retelling of American racial history as it should, and could, be taught, Lies My Teacher Told Me, has sold more than 1,500,000 copies and continues to inspire K-16 teachers to get students to challenge, rather than memorize, their textbooks. Top Takeaways: Fighting for the true history especially when it's ugly and controversial Understanding when racism increased, how we make a racist society, and how we can make a non-racist society The history of the sundown...

Ep. 141 - Women on Boards

Annette White-Klososky, Sowmya Shridhar, And Christa Short talk about the advantages of women on boards and why women should advocate and pitch for board positions.  These highly successful women from all walks of life champion women advocating for women. This program is sponsored by a former TrailBlazers Impact Interviews guest, The Financial Diva and advisor to millionaires, Victoria Woods with ChappelWood Financial. Key Takeaways: Why you should stay safe by taking a COVID test and cho...

Ep. 140 - How to Achieve Digital Accessibility: Sheri Byrne-Haber

Sheri Bryne-Haber - Does your website meet accessibility standards? Do you know that 98% of the websites in the world are not accessible? Plus there are over 4000 lawsuits filed in the last year over digital accessibility. If you are an employer, do you know what you should do to ensure workplace accessibility? All these questions and more are answered by Sheri Byrne-Haber, a disability expert consultant and blogger. Find out where your own liabilities are! Sheri talks about digital accessib...

Ep. 140 - How to Achieve Digital Accessibility: Sheri Bryne-Haber

Sheri Bryne-Haber - Does your website meet accessibility standards? Do you know that 98% of the websites in the world are not accessible? Plus there are over 4000 lawsuits filed in the last year over digital accessibility. If you are an employer, do you know what you should do to ensure workplace accessibility? All these questions and more are answered by Sheri Bryne-Haber, a disability expert consultant and blogger. Find out where your own liabilities are! Sheri talks about digital accessib...

Ep. 139 - How and Why to Be Ready for a Corporate Board Seat

Did you know that in 12 of the United States, there either is legislation requiring women to be represented on every public company board or there is legislation being considered? There are more opportunities than ever for senior women leaders to join corporate boards! Sitting on a corporate board can be a great way to take your career to the next stage. That is why Donna Miller from Purse Power invited Julie Abrams to speak on the topic and why Nan McKay decided to sponsor their course on C...

Ep. 138 - How to Take Your Business from $10K to $10 Million: Susie Carder

This is truly a story from rags to riches. Growing up with 9 siblings on “the wrong side of the tracks,”  Susie Carder is a self-made millionaire and the CEO of Susie Carder Profit Coach. She’s passionate about creating businesses that allow people to live their dreams and achieve financial abundance. But how does she do it? In this episode, Susie shares her entrepreneurial journey and how she shifted from a poverty mindset to a money mindset. Listen in to learn how to shift your mindset abo...

Ep. 137 - How Change in Equality Creates a Better World: Tammi Davis

Ep. 137 - Tammi Davis gives us much to think about, from a business level on implementing a true diversity and inclusion program to your personal responsibility and accountability for race relations. One of Tammi’s unique value-adds is that she possesses experience working in the public, private and non-profits sectors and has received numerous awards and recognitions for her dedication, leadership and social entrepreneurship towards the achievement of justice, equity, diversity and inclusio...

Ep. 136 - Money Talks - Lucie Lynch and Marcia Zina Mager

Lucie Lynch and Marcia Zina Mager discuss women’s issues and discovering who you are and what you want. We want money to have THINGS but is it what makes us happy? Be entertained during this transformative journey. Listen in to learn how to use this pandemic period to ask yourself the right questions about your inner self to discover who you truly are. You will also learn the importance of women embracing and supporting each other to demonstrate their power and bring change in different area...

Ep. 135- Why Is Diversity Needed in Public Offices?

Christine Davenport is a civic and political leader in the state of Maryland. She holds the distinction of becoming the first African American elected to the Democratic Central Committee as a chairwoman from district 31 and continually reelected through 2016 in that position. In this episode, Christine shares how her dad influenced her to study and run for a public position to make a difference. Listen in to learn the importance of encouraging diversity, inclusion, and equality in public off...

Ep. 134 - Women in Tech Leadership

Three dynamic female technologists, Katy Battiest, Ashley Coffey and Brandy Semore share their insights on technology trends, business opportunities being brought on by technological advances, their "go-to" technology tool recommendations. and the history and future of women in technology. www.TrailBlazersImpact.com  

Ep. 133 - How to Be an Empathetic and High-Performance-Driving Leader

Sree Anand Ratnasinghe’s secret to leadership success lies in being recognized for taking a hands-on approach to tackling large-scale digital transformation initiatives while simultaneously being a passionate customer advocate. How does she balance them when she manages employees internationally and remotely? Listen in to learn the qualities of an empathetic and high-performance- driving leader, especially in the wake of COVID-19. Takeaways: How to be fearless and put yourself out there t...

Ep. 132 - The Power of Mastering a Pivoting Mindset: Victoria Woods

Victoria Woods, CEO of ChappelWood Financial Services shares her insights on the power of mastering a pivoting mindset. In this interview with Donna Miller, she talks about the importance of pivoting during a crisis by being open to new opportunities as a businesswoman.   Listen in to learn why you’re the only answer and the only solution to your questions and problems. You will also learn the value of saying yes to opportunities that fulfill your business goals. www.TrailBlazersImpact...

Ep. 131 - How to Choose A Career You’re Passionate About: Adonica Randall

Are you think about changing your job and your life? To get into a job you are more passionate about, no matter how hard it is? Are you thinking of a STEM career? Listen to how Adonica Randall stepped into the role and where she has taken it, even with a patent! Adonica pulls no punches – she tells it like it is. Yesterday – and today. Listen in to learn the importance of choosing a career or a business that you’re passionate about to succeed in it. You will also learn how to be open to avai...

Ep. 130 - How to Empower Women Globally: Andrea Stevenson Conner

Ep. 130 – What if your spouse asked you to move to Asia? Would you do it? What would you do while you were there – after you’ve done all the tourist stuff? Do you think women in China are empowered? Andrea Stevenson-Conner answers all those questions – and more. Andrea is committed to empowering women from the classroom to the boardroom through the 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁, which demonstrates how empowering women can lead to economic growth, healthier families and the elimination of poverty....

silvia-mah

Ep. 129 - Investing in Women: Silvia Mah

Women are half the population and own 40% of the country’s businesses but only 3% of business investment goes to women. Learn more about investing in women-owned businesses from the expert! Silvia Mah’s passion for empowering investment in women-owned businesses spans accelerators, incubators, a venture group, a podcast show called She Invests! and a new book entitled “Power of Purpose: Servant Leadership in the Startup World.” She’s on the new app Clubhouse which is invite-only right now. ...

Ep. 128 - Entreprising Women: Monica Smiley

Monica Smiley is the editor and publisher of Enterprising Women magazine- a print and digital magazine that reaches more than a million readers in the United States and around the globe. In this episode, Monica shares her entrepreneurial journey of building a successful women’s magazine from zero to success. She talks about the Enterprise Women Award event over the years and how they transitioned during the pandemic. www.TrailBlazersImpact.com

Ep. 127 - Mei Xu: Yes, She May

Mei Xu tells us how to take advantage of challenging times and turn them into opportunities to either build or grow your business. Also learn why you should not be afraid of debt and should instead smartly leverage it to scale your business. And find out what's she's doing now to support women - she calls it Yes, You May. And now can SHOP with women-owned businesses and black women-owned businesses!   Find the links from our website! http://www.TrailBlazersImpact.com   

Ep. 126 - KittyChaneyReed: A Most Powerful and Influential Woman

Kitty Chaney-Reed, is the recipient of the most powerful and influential woman award and the Woman of the Year award. Kitty gives us the blueprint for becoming a successful executive in a very large company and maintaining that role to progress upwards. Find out how what responsibilities are really involved in a high-level executive position and how to manage multiple priorities. Her attitude about both the customer and her staff are part of what qualifies her as an outstanding leader. Her m...

Ep. 125 - Julia Toronczak: Beyond the Waves of Down Syndrome

Trailblazing is ageless. Meet Julia Toronczak, a young businesswoman who has a twin brother with Downs Syndrome. During her freshman year, she was appalled at how many students would ask her what Down syndrome was. It made her realize that there was not enough advocacy being done in the disability space. Without holding any resentment, she knew that something else needed to be done. And so she created her blog, Beyond the Waves, to educate and inspire others. Her mission is to share the less...

Ep. 124 - Shawn McClondon: Crossing the Racial Divide

Meet Shawn McClondon, a guy who lives his passions. He is passsionate about a better understanding and communication among races and ethnicies, providing a platform for black women entrepreneurs, and helping youth understand and live their own passions. Find out how he is creating understanding between a predominantly-white surburb and a predominantly-black area of a central city through the Sisters Cities project he created and hopes will expand nation-wide. Join in to his black women entre...

Ep. 123 - Sumedha Kukreja & Jay Berger: A Breakthrough in Wellness

The founders of Virtual Kare, Jay Berger and Sumedha Kukreja, provide rehabilitation, prevention and wellness programs for all ages but in an entirely different way. Their programs focus on a variety of areas including pain management, caregiver training, cardiac rehabilitation, stroke recovery, pulmonary rehabilitation, and a variety of other areas, all focused on getting care from the comfort of your home.  See how they have merged wellness and technology! www.TrailBlazersImpact.com ht...

E[. 122 - Tai Christensen: Close the Racial Gap in Homeownership

Meet Tai Christensen. Tai learned early in life from her great-grandmother that the way to build wealth was through homeownership. So what are the barriers, especially if you are an African-American family? Tai explains why the racial gap in homeownership must be closed and helps black families daily to close that gap. Top Takeaways: How homeownership and generational wealth is uncommon in the black community How not to allow challenges along the way to stop you from scaling higher in y...

Ep. 121 - Clare Price: Making Remote Work

Many of us were floundering in March 2019 when we had to work from home.  COVID was raging outside our door - we had to stay in to work unless we were classified as an essential worker. Clare Price wrote and uploaded a free e-book on her website called Making Remote Work that layed out tips, tools, advice, and a plan on how to make remote work. It was and is one of the best books available! And it was just in time! Meet Clare Price, the President, and CEO of Octain Growth Systems, a digita...

Ep. 120 - Denise Patterson McKenney: How to WIN!

Denise Patterson McKenney is a success story in how to negotiate a win/win which is really how to WIN! Have you ever wanted to win an argument so bad you could practically taste it? Have you ever laid awake at night thinking of what you should have said? Have you ever “won” and regretted it? Have you ever had to discuss a negative performance with an employee and wished you knew how to even begin the conversation? Denise tells us how to prepare for the conflict situation – and the big one – ...

Ep. 119 - Paula Ward: Break the Glass Ceiling

Would you like to break the glass ceiling? Are people moving up the corporate ladder but you feel like you are stuck in place? Would you like to retire at age 36?  If you did, what would you do with the rest of your life?  Meet Paula Ward who shares her journey from a childhood in the segregated south, to college-marriage-family-career in the Los Angeles metro area; and a return to the Atlanta metro area and the “new south” after achieving multiple breakthrough career moves in California. Ho...

Ep. 118 - Mozhgan Wafiq Alokozai: Empowering Women in Afghanistan

Are you courageous? Imagine yourself walking down a street in Afghanistan. You have to be accompanied by a male relative. As you walk along, the potential of a bomb exploding is very real. How do you economically and socially empower oppressed women? Education. By arming women with knowledge, they are able to develop themselves and their households. Mozhgan Wafiq Alokozai has a passion that continues driving through adversity again and again. She’s lived under the Taliban regime in Pakistan,...

Ep. 117 - Karen Kendra: Write Your Memoirs!

How are you planning to re-fire after your retirement? Perhaps, find a new second career that you’re passionate about and will help you continue building your legacy and impacting others? Karen Kendra is a former nurse who decided to join a writing class to rediscover herself after retirement. She wanted to write about her experiences in life which landed her in memoir writing. She now facilitates classes and writing groups to teach people how to write their memoirs/ autobiographies. www.T...

Ep. 62 - Amy Glassman: Is Fair Housing Fair?

Is fair housing fair? What is disparate impact and how can housing authorities and landlords determine the application of it?  What is reasonable accommodation? How is HUD conducting market testing to determine racial discrimination? Amy M. Glassman is a partner with Ballard Spahr, a law firm with more than 650 attorneys and 15 offices. Amy has had extensive experience with HUD regulatory and statutory compliance issues including disparate impact. She assists clients on matters such as feder...

Ep. 62 - Amy Glassman: Is Fair Housing Fair?

Is fair housing fair? What is disparate impact and how can housing authorities and landlords determine the application of it?  What is reasonable accommodation? How is HUD conducting market testing to determine racial discrimination? Amy M. Glassman is a partner with Ballard Spahr, a law firm with more than 650 attorneys and 15 offices. Amy has had extensive experience with HUD regulatory and statutory compliance issues including disparate impact. She assists clients on matters such as feder...

Ep. 116 - Cathy Light: Increase Business Performance with DEI

How are you exercising diversity, equity, and inclusion in your organization? Every employee deserves to be treated with dignity and to feel safe in the workplace environment regardless of their race, gender, or sexuality. But how do you implement and then measure that in the workplace? Cathy Light has an answer on how to increase your business performance by including diversity, equity and inclusion. Cathy Light is a founder and CEO of four companies all focused on achieving business result...

Ep. 115 - DeLois Strum: WHY Black Lives Matter

Listen to learn WHY Black lives matter! It is important to believe that change will happen if we continue advocating for it as leaders. The American society needs economic, social, and policy changes in order to give everyone regardless of their gender or race equal opportunities where they reach their full potential. Meet DeeDee Strum, a 40+ year entrepreneur, a public speaker, an affordable housing advocate, and is currently involved in offshore wind as a renewable source of energy. She’s ...

Ep. 114 - Kristin Keen: Trafficked Women Survival Assistance

Kristin Keen lived for 5 years in Kolkata India where she co-founded Sari Bari, a thriving business that gives survivors of human trafficking a way out of exploitation through employment. Upon her return to Jacksonville, Kristin started forming relationships with women on the street where she found that the problem of human trafficking was flourishing in her own city in 2012. She then founded Rethreaded, which is a safe supportive work environment where women can start a new career while exp...