Facing an illness is very much like being a buoy:  we have to rise up, we have to learn to float, and carry ourselves in the storm.  While we’re staying afloat in the storm, we are also a beacon for others. -Lorna J. Brunelle

There are lots of stories about the ties that bind mothers and daughters.  When Lorna Brunelle’s mother, Wanda, was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer, she turned heartbreak into hope by telling the story of her mother’s courage, character, wisdom and lifelong influence in the book: The Buoy Projects: A Story of Breast Cancer, Bucket Lists, Life Lessons, Facebook and Love.  A two-time cancer survivor herself, Lorna is a renowned performer, teacher, and three-time author whose work is rooted in recognizing gifts and talents, creativity, and self-determination. A graduate of The Boston Conservatory, she is the owner of The Burt Wood School of Performing Arts, The Alley Theatre, and The Patio in Middleborough, Massachusetts. www.burtwoodschool.com.   Through her writing, philanthropy, and mentorship, Lorna has changed the lives of thousands of performing arts students who have passed through her doors over the last 30 years.  The Buoy Projects is a love letter to her mother, and a testament to the power of the mother/daughter connection. For 26 minutes of engaging conversation and brilliant storytelling, just hit that download button. #womeninspiringwomen#lornabrunelle #TheBuoyProjects  #breastcancerawareness #TheStoryBehindHerSuccess #CandyOTerry #Legacy#Resilience 

That little girl in the hayloft always wanted to be a writer. I’m the poster child for following your dreams in midlife because I didn’t write my first book until I was 55. -Hank Phillippi Ryan

Imagine a 43-year career as an investigative reporter with 37 EMMYs and 14 Edward R. Murrow awards. Now imagine a brilliant midlife move, where all that experience manifests itself into writing mystery novels that are nail-biting thrillers. Welcome to the incredible story of Hank Phillippi Ryan. This queen of invention sat down in my living room with a cup of tea and the willingness to share a story filled with life lessons in bravery, curiosity, imagination, and just plain smarts. The author of 16 books, her latest is called All This Could Be Yours. The story follows Tessa Calloway, a debut author on a book tour, with a stalker who threatens everything she holds dear. Raised in rural Indiana, Hank (real name: Harriet Ann) admits she was a nerdy kid who wanted nothing more than to read her Nancy Drew books up in the hayloft. A Shakespeare major at Western College for Women in Oxford, Ohio, her career has taken her from politics to writing for Rolling Stone Magazine to radio and television, where her news director at WHDH in Boston tapped her as the station’s investigative reporter. “I’m not the funny one, says Hank. I hate to be lied to, and I love discovering the truth. Every one of those 37 EMMY awards represents a secret somebody didn’t want me to tell.” In this interview, she shares wisdom from her mother, and plenty of her own, including: “Worry is glue under your feet” and “success to me is one good idea a day.” For 27 minutes on the joy of reinvention, just hit that download button. #reinvention #mystery #author #television #investigativereporter

When the scariest thing happens and you get through it, you realize that you’re stronger than you ever thought you could be. -Jenna McCarthy

Making that appointment to schedule her first mammogram was on Jenna McCarthy’s mind for a while. At 41, she just wanted to get it over with and “check that box.” What she didn’t expect was what happened next. In this up-close and personal interview, Jenna shares her diagnosis with DCIS, or ductal carcinoma in situ, an early-stage breast cancer. The mother of 4-year-old twin boys and a 9-year-old daughter, Jenna was more concerned about their state of mind than her own. Surrounded by a large and supportive extended family, she had a double mastectomy and implants just 3 months ago and is now cancer-free. In this interview, Jenna gives thanks to the Ellie Fund elliefund.org, a local non-profit devoted to supporting breast cancer patients by funding care and providing hope. Determined to spread the word about early detection, Jenna says, “Schedule your mammogram today. What if I had waited another year? If there were some way to know that a person hearing my story went out and got her mammogram, I would heal so much.” #breastcancerawareness #mammogram #thestorybehindhersuccess wife, mother & breast cancer survivor elliefund.org

There’s a difference between doing what you’re good at and doing what you love.  -Dayla Arabella Santurri

In this week’s episode of The Story Behind Her Success, I welcome longtime friend Dayla Arabella Santurri into my living room for a masterclass in reinvention, fearlessness, and the power of “yes”. From running the iconic Scullers Jazz Club to producing live events worldwide, she’s built a career around creating unforgettable experiences, and connection is her superpower.  Her latest venture is Bella Adventures, bellaadventures.com, a luxury travel brand where she’s been able to merge her lifelong love of travel with her decades-long success as an events architect to create once-in-a-lifetime journeys for her clients. In this episode, we talk about:  the courage it takes to reinvent yourself, why travel can be a force for good in the world, and the absolute joy of doing what you love.  Dayla is living proof that reinvention is the ultimate adventure. #thestorybehindhersuccess #candyoterry  #travel #WomenInBusiness #Reinvention #BellaAdventures#FemaleFounders Bella Adventures bellaadventures.com @bellaadventures

Radical is the Latin term for “root”. Years ago, the radical mastectomy was developed, with the belief that if the surgeon dug deeper into a woman’s chest, they could get to the root of the cancer. -Judy Pearson

Not so long ago, cancer was the “C” word and no one talked about breast cancer, especially women who emerged from their brutal treatments disfigured and disabled. In her new book, Radical Sisters, best-selling author and breast cancer survivor Judy Pearson shines a bright light on three breast cancer heroes: Shirley Temple Black, Rose Kushner, and Evelyn Lauder. These bold, unstoppable women used their celebrity to raise their voices, open doors, and change history for breast cancer patients everywhere. A 14-year survivor of the disease, Judy Pearson grew up on the shores of Lake Michigan, where she started writing poems and stories in a three-ring binder, perched on the limb of an old maple tree. In this interview, she opens up about her own survivorship. Says Judy: “I have a new lease on life. The sky is bluer, the grass is greener, and I’m using my survivorship to give back to the greater good. There’s healing in helping others. “ Download this episode for your chance to give a high-five to three women who were among the first warriors in the fight against breast cancer. #breastcancer #breastcancerawareness

I’ve always wanted to keep people company and make them laugh. I want to hear what people are going through, because chances are, I’ve already gone through the same thing. -Kendra Petrone

Meet a talented young woman who is part of the only all-female morning show on the radio in Boston. The legendary Magic 106.7/WMJX www.magic1067.com has been a female-driven radio station for decades, but it wasn’t until 2025 that the station announced Sue & Kendra as co-hosts of Morning Magic. The two broadcasters, who are also the best of friends, host the station’s award-winning series, Exceptional Women. No stranger to media, Kendra has worked for over 17 years in both radio and television. A graduate of UMASS/Amherst, she is the daughter of a first-grade teacher who taught her to be persistent. In fact, Kendra says 98% of her success story is rooted in taking chances. “I’m terrified of everything, but I know that if I don’t do it, somebody else will, and if you don’t take chances, you’ll never know how far you can go. “ My mother used to say: 'Failure is not a failure. Every time you fail, you learn.” Raised north of Boston in the town of Methuen, Kendra is proud of her roots and is an avid Boston sports fan. Her deep love for the Patriots grew out of a stint working for the team during two Super Bowl runs. The devoted wife of a police officer, Kendra is also the mother of three children, including two sons diagnosed early in life with Autism Spectrum Disorder. In this interview, she shares her joy in finding a community to rely on as she raises special needs children, and her commitment to support local charities, including Melmark New England, The Northeast Arc, and Rock the Spectrum. For 24 minutes of chutzpah from @kendratheentertainer, just hit that download button.

Nobody ever says, “I can’t wait to go to a nursing home.” Instead, they say, “keep me at home for as long as possible,” and that’s exactly what we do. -Meg Hogan

Growing old is hard, right? Now imagine how difficult it is for a senior citizen who doesn’t have the means to take care of themselves. How about a person with disabilities whose family needs help caring for them? And what about the exhausted caregiver who just needs a little support? In the spotlight, Meg Hogan, CEO of Boston Senior Home Care. www.bshcinfo.org. She’s spent her career in service to others, first as a direct care social worker, and then in healthcare and non-profit management. Meg is a champion for economically vulnerable seniors and those with disabilities, with a focus on empowering people to live at home, independently, for as long as possible. Raised by a widowed mom, it was Meg’s older sisters who were her mentors, and all three girls grew up to be leaders in their own fields. “No one ever said you can’t do that. We’re all really bossy, and we grew up fast after my father died.” A true believer in hard work, Meg’s alarm goes off at 3:30 every morning because “my brain is on fire and there is so much to be done. Success to me is how many people I have helped today.” For 22 minutes of passion and purpose, just hit that download button. #elderly #socialwork #seniorcare #caregiver #disabilities CEO of Boston Senior Home Care bshcinfo.org

Enjoy this beautiful life you’ve been given.  Don’t ever take it for granted.  -Melissa Dupuis

It’s been two years since Melissa Dupuis shared her story on this series, and what a couple of years it has been.  At only 38,  this wellness enthusiast, Pilates instructor, and former professional ballet dancer was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer.  Her little girl, Sage, was only one year old at the time, and although Melissa and her husband wanted to have another child someday, doctors said there was no time for egg retrieval and that the couple’s chances of having another child after her rigorous treatments were over were slim to none.   In this interview, Melissa shares what happened next, and if you are emotional like me, you’ll need a Kleenex to dry your tears of joy. Buoyed by the love of her family and a promise she made to be strong for her daughter, Melissa wrote a children’s book called We Can Do Hard Things:  A Mother’s Journey with Breast Cancer Through the Eyes of Her Daughter.  Published by the female-owned imprint www.brileybaxterbooks.com, this beautifully illustrated book is written for children ages 2-5 and can be pre-ordered with this link: https://a.co/d/3mIRJpD. Says Melissa:  “If you want to help your child understand illness in a lighter way, this book is for you because it’s a true story. These conversations between Sage and me really happened.”   Survivorship is not easy, but Melissa has continued to be resilient.  Spoiler alert: Remember the baby Melissa hoped to have someday?   You’ll have to hit that download button to find out what happened! #childrensbook #breastcancer #motherhood Melissa Dupois author, We Can Do Hard Things brileybaxterbooks.com

There are no bad experiences, just the ones you don’t learn from. If you don’t learn from bad experiences, you will make the same mistakes over and over and over again.
-Gwen Borden & Amy Goober

This week’s story features a mother and daughter who have written a love story, filled with priceless advice for us all. The book, entitled My Mother Always Says: 25 Lessons for Finding the Silver Lining, explores the life and times of 94-year-old Gwen Borden, who was born during the Great Depression. Teaming up with her daughter, Amy Goober, a dynamic women’s life coach and fearless entrepreneur, was kismet. Inspired to share their hard-earned wisdom, the idea for the book was hatched. Says Gwen: “ I gave birth to Amy, and she gave birth to the book. Amy did all the editing. All I had to do was tell my story, like I was talking to you in my living room. “ Packed with advice delivered with wit and humor, this book provides a mirror to the relationship between mother and daughter. Says Amy: “We were always close, but you don’t appreciate your mother until you are a mother. I thought I knew her life, and then we started writing this book, and the stories she told really complete the message of the 25 life lessons in our book. For 21 minutes of mother/daughter wisdom, like “the things we regret in life are the things we don’t do” and “Trust your gut, not your head” go ahead and hit that download button. You’re welcome! #mothers #daughters #wisdom #advice #resilience #trustyourgut co-authors, My Mother Always Says

People will tell you everything you need to know.  You just need to LISTEN to what they are saying. -Karen Marinella Hall

Out of the blue, I got an email from a fan of the show about this week’s guest…and I cannot wait for you to meet her.   Many news anchors are beautiful.  They can walk the walk and talk the talk, but there’s something missing behind the smile.  That’s not the case for Karen Marinella Hall.  During her tenure at WB 56 in Boston, she set herself apart from the rest with a genuine warmth and friendliness, coupled with a curiosity to get to the root of any story.  In this interview, Karen shares the details of her career trajectory, which began in radio at a small, family-owned station called WPLM in her hometown of historic Plymouth, Massachusetts.  When she applied for acceptance to Katherine Gibbs secretarial school, it was a high school teacher who recognized her talents as a communicator, urging Karen to fill out an application to Emerson College.  As the first person in her family to attend college, Karen understood that her parents could not pay for such a prestigious college, making the decision to attend Emerson step one in a career marked by determination, curiosity, and resiliency.   The wife of Boston news legend Jonathan Hall, Karen, is the proud mother of three sons and grew up in a close-knit Italian/Portuguese neighborhood where family, food, and hard work went hand-in-hand.   When her station, WB56 was sold, she took a bold chance and set out on her own, founding Marinella Hall Associates, www.marinellahall.com, where she shares her well-honed communications skills with C-suite executives.   Reflecting on the lessons of her career, Karen says: “I wish I wasn’t so insecure in my 20s and 30s.  I don’t think I grew out of that until I was in my 40s. God, I would have had so much more fun!”  For 24 minutes of expert storytelling, inspiration, and new chapters, just hit that download button. #corporatecommunications  #news #television Former news anchor & Principal, Marinella Hall Associates marinellahall.com

When something bad happens to you, how do you grieve it without getting stuck in suffering? -Halley Elwell

Imagine being 11 years old when your face suddenly begins to change. Tumors form on your jaw, and the diagnosis is an incurable condition called Neurofibromatosis. This is the story of singer/songwriter Halley Elwell www.halswellmusic.com. Raised off the grid in Maine by an artist mom, she was told to ignore what was happening to her face and to live her life. She runs free in the woods around her neighborhood, learns to sing old Irish songs, plays piano, and dives into community theatre. In this episode of The Story Behind Her Success, we learn how Halley held onto her light, despite adversity, to become an accomplished singer, songwriter, and advocate for those with facial differences. The secret ingredient? Creativity. Describing her voice, a Maine music critic said: “Imagine Rickie Lee Jones recording with Norah Jones and Natalie Merchant and you’ll have an idea of how Elwell’s music sounds.” Her latest album and podcast series have the same name: Spontaneous Mutation. Both artistic efforts explore the narratives around facial differences. In science, a spontaneous mutation is a genetic change with no known cause. Halley takes this concept one step further with words, voice, and heart: “When you have an incurable condition, you can’t be fixed. But there are different lenses to look through, and that has freed me.” For 25 minutes of inspiration (and the chance to hear Halley’s gorgeous voice), just hit that download button. Check out her podcast series here: spontaneousmutation.podbean.com.

It’s very easy to focus on fixing your failures.  But how do you take what is successful and keep building on that? The answer is: focus on what you do well and make it even better. -Zenobia Moochhala

Meet entrepreneurial superstar Zenobia Moochalla.  Born in Mumbai, India, Zenobia came to the United States at 20 to attend Brandeis University and is one of the original co-founders of www.care.com, the world’s largest and most successful online platform for childcare, elder care, and pet care.  Recorded in my living room, this upclose and personal interview takes you into the early days of Care.com, where the team, led by Sheila Lirio Marcelo, examined pain points for working parents and discovered that childcare was their number 1 concern.  Says Zenobia:  “And it wasn’t just childcare: it was care for everyone you love.  That’s how the idea of care.com was born.”   In the beginning, she was the only member of the co-founding team who didn’t have children, so she became the person who spearheaded research into what people needed. Now the mother of two, Zenobia learned early on how working women were struggling to balance lives. To keep things safe for caregivers and families, Care.com quickly built in checks and balances, including background checks.  With each member of the Care.com founders tasked with projects aligned to their specialties, Zenobia is proud to have been a part of a team that took Care.com from a start-up to $200 million in revenue.  The daughter of a child psychologist mother and an entrepreneur father, Zenobia points to her two older sisters as her“superpowers”.   Although she was raised in India for the first 20 years of her life, Zenobia says “there was lots of dinner time conversation in our house and our Indian value system was mixed with American optimism. I grew up knowing that I could do anything I put my mind to.”   As an entrepreneur, she believes in the role mission plays in achieving success.  “Mission is that moment when you wake up and say I am really excited about what I’m going to do today because I’m always in pursuit of something that matters. Success is this elusive thing that you have to recognize when it happens, enjoy it while it’s happening, and then let it go, because it will come around again.” For 23 minutes filled with wisdom, purpose, and passion, just hit that download button.

Every week, I have access to astronauts, researchers, and scientists as a NASA Solar System Ambassador, and it’s beyond a dream come true.  -Pat Monteith

Pat Monteith remembers hearing John F. Kennedy tell the nation that we would send a man to the moon by the end of the 1960s.   On that day, the president’s words shaped her lifelong fascination with space.  Decades and many different careers later, Pat is a NASA Solar System Ambassador, STEM advocate, and community leader with a passion for helping students achieve their dreams, particularly by helping them with award-winning science fair entries.   Raised by a single mom and a Lithuanian grandmother who spoke 7 languages, Pat grew up in Watertown, Massachusetts, where her mother worked for the Hood Rubber company.   From the time she was 10 years old,  Pat took on the responsibility of caring for their small apartment, including all the cooking and cleaning.  She recalls her mother’s long hours and learned the value of a strong work ethic early in her life.  Always a wiz at math, she earned her undergraduate degree in Mathematics from the University of Massachusetts Boston and her Master's in Communication from Emerson College.  In this interview, we learn that Pat’s success story really did come in chapters.  She’s a Renaissance woman who has experienced success across multiple careers, including as founder and manager of WUMB, Founder & Director of the Boston Folk Festival, Executive Director of the syndicated radio program Commonwealth Journal,  the weekly feature NASA Space Notes, and a science fiction novel for kids called The Secret Case of the Space Station Stowaways.  Recently, Pat was speaking at a local elementary school about her work as a NASA Ambassador, and a third-grade student approached her asking,  “MissPat, are there children at the International Space Station?” When Pat replied “no”, the girl said:   Well, I’m gonna be the first one.”   For 22 minutes of intergalactic wisdom and inspiration, just hit that download button. #NASA #STEM #science #solarsystem #sciencefair NASA Solar System Ambassador patmonteith.com

I was in my 20s when I read the book: Breaking the Glass Ceiling, and I remember saying to myself: I’m gonna do that. -Carol Conway Bulman

Carol Conway Bulman is the proud daughter of real estate legend Jack Conway, but becoming CEO and Chairman of his real estate empire wasn’t handed to her. In this up-close and personal interview, Carol shares her father’s success story as well as her own rise to the top with this life lesson: “Don’t wait for someone to put an opportunity out on a silver platter for you, because they’re not going to do it. I adored my dad, but he didn’t give me this opportunity. I needed to earn it.” Today, Carol is at the helm of a real estate firm whose signature bright red for-sale signs are in front of houses from the South Shore to the tip of Cape Cod, across the state to the North Shore and over the border into New Hampshire and Rhode Island, with 700 agents and 20 offices throughout the region. Innovation has been her middle name with the creation of a one-stop shopping experience for their clients. Carol and her team have created Conway Country Insurance, Columbia Title Company, and Conway Staging. Their newly renovated headquarters in Hanover also includes relocation experts and a learning space for continued education. The icing on the cake? Some of Carol’s children are also involved in the business! When I asked what Jack Conway would think, Carol says: “He’d be tickled pink to see his grandchildren working in this organization and loving real estate the way he always did.” For 23 minutes of wisdom from a 30+ year real estate maven, plus tons of #wisdom you can use, just hit that download button. #realestate #leadership #women #empowerment :  CEO & Chair of Jack Conway jackconway.com

When we first moved to Nashville, we lived in a pitiful apartment, and Wynonna, Ashley, and I slept in one bed. All we had to eat was bologna and crackers. -Naomi Judd

The story you are about to hear is a piece of country music history because it is the final full-length interview featuring country music superstar Naomi Judd. Sadly, Naomi took her own life on April 30, 2022, after a long history of mental illness, but her legacy as a brilliant songwriter, captivating live performer, and country music icon remains. This interview was originally part of the Nashville-based series called Country Music Success Stories. For two years, my talented friend Jacy Dawn Valeras and I co-hosted the show, and thanks to the powerful network Jacy built in Music City, famous artists like Naomi agreed to be on the show. Recorded at Naomi’s 500-acre compound in Leipers Fork, Tennessee, in a barn next to her house, this interview is full of stories that will blow your mind and touch your heart. Naomi raised the girls on a mountaintop in Kentucky with only a coal stove for heat. She got the money to buy Wynonna her first guitar by selling her hunting knife and put herself through nursing school to become an ER nurse. From the moment Naomi walked into the room, I knew that I was in the presence of a superstar. Naomi and her daughter, Wynonna, were billed as The Judds, and throughout the '80s and into the '90s, they cemented their standing as country music’s most successful duo of all time with 25 top-ten singles, 14 #1 songs, and 5 Grammies. Naomi’s younger daughter, Ashley, crafted her own success story as an actress and a passionate activist. The road to stardom was long and hard, but in this interview, we learn just what Naomi Judd is made of. Like the little engine that could, she kept telling herself: I think I can, I think I can, I think I can. #countrymusic : Country Music Icon

There is something about facing down your biggest fears that really changes you on an elemental level. -Laura DeSisto

Happy 4th of July weekend, everyone! This week’s success story is a listener favorite…and perfect to listen to in the car on your way to the beach. You may have heard that it’s the 50th anniversary of the movie that made a lot of people afraid to go into the ocean at all. JAWS was released in the summer of 1975 and featured a gigantic mechanical great white shark with a very bad habit of terrifying beach goers on Martha’s Vineyard. Laura DeSisto spent her summers on her father’s boat, sailing off the coast of the idyllic New England island. She begged her parents to allow her to see the movie, and emerged terrified of the water. Flash forward to a rough patch in her adulthood, when Laura’s grown children moved out and she and her husband became empty-nesters. Her friends gathered around her and encouraged her to try new things, get outside of her comfort zone, and embrace this newfound freedom. Her bestie even decided it was time to conquer Laura’s biggest fear of all: SHARKS and enrolled her in a scuba diving class at a resort in the Bahamas. Shaking in her flip flops, Laura took the class and on her very first dive, safely tethered to her dive master, she came face to face with a….(just hit that download button for the rest of the story! #sharks #courage #sisterhood : author of Resurfacing: Sisterhood, Sharks and Storms 

There are no shortcuts in life. It is going to take time to find success. Do it anyway. -Christy Cashman

Welcome to the story of Christy Cashman, a listener favorite on The Story Behind Her Success. This interview launched about two years ago, and when I lost my voice due to acute laryngitis, I had to put recording new shows on hold and went to my library to find the most popular shows to listen to.  Christy Cashman is an actress who has appeared in over 20 movies, including the blockbuster film American Hustle.  Born in Ohio, she was raised on a poultry farm and is one of nine children.  When the family moved to North Carolina, Christy fell in love with horses. These days, she’s a wife and mother of two boys.  She and her husband, Boston developer Jay Cashman, even own a castle in Ireland!  In this interview, Christy talks about her first novel, The Truth About Horses.  Chock-full of interesting characters, the book delves into the human experience through the eyes of 14-year-old Reese, whose love of horses sustains her during the toughest of times. Says Christy:  “In this story, Reese learns that to move on, you have to let go. Loss is just as much a part of life as new beginnings.”  Open, honest, and with a great sense of humor, Christy shares details about her childhood, including when the family TV broke, and it was never replaced. She recalls the magic of hearing her father recite poetry and the sound of her mother’s voice as she read the children before bedtime. Christy is the founder of YouthINK, a teenage mentorship program. A gifted artist, Christy says she’s learned some life lessons the hard way.  “There are no shortcuts in life. It’s going to take time to find success. My advice? Do it anyway.”  For 24 minutes of entertainment and inspiration, just hit that download button. #horses #writer #actress #Ireland : actress & author, The Truth About Horses christycashman.com

When I was serving in Afghanistan, it was always mission first. You have to get the “scared” out of your mind. I told myself that God put me here for a reason. -Erica Horan

By popular demand, we’re reissuing a handful of our most popular interviews. Meet Boston Medflight www.bostonmedflight.org nurse and US Air Force veteran, Erica Horan. Recorded 5 years ago in a hangar at a municipal airport just outside of Boston, this interview tells the story of a former black belt champion driven to serve and succeed. A veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom, Erica became a commissioned officer in the Air Force as a critical care nurse shortly after earning her nursing degree. She saw every kind of injury on the front lines in Afghanistan, and speaks candidly about her own struggles with depression and the need for mental health support for our troops. Says Erica: “I counted the days until I got home, but when I got here, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I wanted to go back. I didn’t receive mental health support, and had a hard time adjusting.” Born to care for others, Erica has been a key player on Boston Medflight’s four medical teams for 7 years now and is incredibly proud of the people she works with. “We take care of very sick people as quickly as possible. Every day is different, and we work 12-hour shifts. You don’t know what you’re gonna get. We all have to keep learning at this job because medicine is changing every day.” Married to a surgeon who commutes from a military hospital in California back to his family in the Boston area every week, the couple has 3 children they are devoted to. Says Erica: “If I can raise three good human beings who are respectful, inclusive, and God-fearing, then I’ve made it. That’s success to me. “ From war stories to love stories, patriotism and purpose, this interview has it all. Go ahead and hit that download button. #nurse #medicine #criticalcare #bostonmedflight #afghanistan #USAF #faith : RN, Boston Medflight, US Air Force Veteran bostonmedflight.org

We all have “favorite places”, and for this week’s guest, it is the island of Nantucket.  Julie Gerstenblatt has been spending her summers there since she was just a child. Accessible by air or by ferry, Nantucket is located 30 miles off the coast of Cape Cod.  Steeped in history, Nantucket was once the whaling capital of the world, and even today, it seems frozen in time. Rooted in the story of the Great Fire of 1846,  Julie’s historical novel required years of research.  Focused on three complex, strong, and determined female characters, Daughters of Nantucket explores the lonely lives of whaling wives, the secrecy of sexuality, and race relations on an island influenced by Quaker values.   A lifelong writer and the proud mother of two grown children, Julie holds a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from Teachers College, Columbia University. In this interview, she shares the struggles writers often experience.  Says Julie:  “You write in silence and in secrecy, but you have to share it at some point with people, and you hope it does well, but there is so much rejection.” Always inspired to write books that teach AND entertain, Julie has another historical novel scheduled for release in 2026.  She’s also ready to share her wisdom about what success really means.  “Success is balance and fulfillment on a deeper level.  It’s not about the material things and the “having,” it’s about being content in the “being.”   Ready for a little inspiration?  Go ahead and hit that download button.  #nantucket #writer #historicalnovel : author, Daughters of Nantucket

Success isn’t grades, money, or status.  It’s fulfillment, joy, and kindness that come together to allow you to live your best life. -  Colleen Esposito

Welcome back to part 2 of my interview with my daughter, Colleen Esposito, co-author of Nelson’s Garden and our follow-up children’s book, Nelson’s Garden & the Free Little Flower Stand.  It’s been a joy to ask my daughter the same kinds of questions I ask every woman who is a guest on the show and to hear her wise, thoughtful, and sometimes sassy answers.  After all, Colleen is the “Queen of Sass”, a nickname given to her decades ago by her Godmother, who recognized her chutzpah early on.  Colleen is the kind of person who figures out how to make the best of any situation, evidenced by her determination to become the family cook at 10 when she made her first Thanksgiving meal.  In this interview, we extend our gratitude to the village that raised Colleen and her brother, Christopher, as well as her grandfather, fondly known as “Bapa,”  who stepped in to take care of them every day after school.  In this interview, Colleen shares what happened to her at 20 when she fell asleep at the wheel and almost died.  “I had a moment of being unsure if I was dead or alive, or in this weird in-between place where I could see myself, I could see the car, but I was away from it, watching it all.”   From stories about what it was like to sleep on the newsroom floor when I started my career in major market radio, to finding true love and becoming the mother of two precious daughters herself, this interview is a tribute to the enduring power of the mother-daughter connection. #daughter #family #childrensbookauthor #gardening : co-author, Nelson’s Garden series nelsonsgarden.com