Gritty Girls :: The Podcast

I'm honored and excited to share the following part 1 of this 2 part conversation with best-selling author, peacebuilder, cultural educator, entrepreneur, and international speaker, Aziz Abu Sarah. A Palestinian raised in Jerusalem, his journey from radical seeking revenge to peacemaker seeking reconciliation led to an innovative method of peacemaking. Harnessing the transformative power of travel, he co-founded MEJDI Tours in 2009—an approach to tourism that turns the industry on its head through their trademarked approach of the Dual Narrative™ and socially conscious travel.  Aziz's educational and conflict resolution work throughout the world has earned him the titles of National Geographic Explorer and Ted Fellow. His Ted Talk about travel and tolerance has over 1.5 million views. Aziz and I dive deep into exactly how he evolved from a boy wanting revenge on the ones who killed his brother, to a man seeking to understand and build peace around the world. He'll share actual steps to how you can build peace throughout the world too…it's simpler than you think...

In Part II of my conversation with STEM Queen, Jennifer Lopez, we discuss the moon, its origin, if it has any effects on humans, and what types of programs exist in the world for young people who are curious about space and the business of space! Stay tuned…. :)

In this next convo, I get to chat with the incomparable combination of brains, beauty, and unstoppable determination….and those are Jennifer Lopez's least interesting qualities! ;) As we deep dive into Part I of this STEM Queen's arduous road to the moon + back (LITERALLY), we'll learn about how she overcomes gender and age discrimination in the historically male-dominated space of well….SPACE! #ImAGrittyGirl #WomenInStem #STEM #space #moon #moroccanmoonshot

Have you ever had that gut feeling that you're meant for greatness? That your purpose in life is not to only accomplish some great big goals + make your mark in this world, but to do so on your own terms?    In a small brainstorming club in 2012, 3 friends sparked the beginnings of the now health beverage powerhouse, Health-Ade Kombucha. And a mere 7 years after combining forces and quitting their 9-5s….none other than conglomerate Coca Cola invests 20million into the Los Angeles based little beverage that could…..this journey was filled tears, sleepless nights, income-less months, and more hard work than anyone imagined…even well-intentioned family trying to steer an ambitious, spirited daughter back onto the far less risky path of going back to her “normal life + good job”…..so, how did CSO + Co-Founder, Vanessa Dew stay the course and fight for a dream when all the odds felt so stacked against her?? Tune in to find out!   CONTEXT ALERT - This was recorded in October 2020 before Gritty Girls went on hiatus after season one! ;)

Hey, heyyyy Gritty Girls! We're back and ready to dish more of that good grit in SEASON 2 starting June 29th, but first….Here's a very special episode on the importance of raising Gritty Girls... Ironman, marine, Papa, Skytrain Steve...a man who goes by many names, some he's earned as a sort of badge of honor, and then there's the one name that 2 very Gritty Girls and one pretty gritty man call him that blows all of those impressive nicknames + descriptors out of the water….... This conversation is dedicated to all the men out there who fight the good fight for gender equality and understand the importance and responsibility inherent in being an incredible “girl dad”

Sometimes your childhood dream wasn't what it was all cracked up to be, but then you realize you had other dreams whispering to you the whole time...this was the case for Kate Lester. Now a wildly talented Creative Director of Interior Design and the Founder of Kate Lester Interiors, she reflects on the dubious road to her destined path and calling. As a design school dropout, she used her business acumen, personality, and no-boundary-budging M.O.  to pave the way for her extraordinarily successful design firm.  Find out how she did it and stay tuned to get insider tips on how to be your own interior designer, what it takes to have a lucrative business in a creative industry, and why there's “no crying in business.”   Go check out her Instagram → @klinteriors

From a very young age, Sarah Hernholm knew her calling was to be an advocate for youth. During her formative years she was the victim of bullying and during that painful season in her life she discovered a stronger version of herself, a version that told her she would never let that happen to other kids under her watch. 

“It's taken a lifetime to get to be myself for a living,” says Leiti Hsu. As a little girl, she thought: If I could only bottle up the orgasm feeling and sell it, it could lead to world peace.” This might've been her earliest entrepreneurial spark. Tune in today to hear how she transformed from media investment banking intern on Wall Street to Asian Bourdain-Oprah who builds companies and communities. She's your go-to global food expert, talking cuisine...and cultural appreciation vs. appropriation. She eats her way through fine dining and hole-in-the-wall restaurants—and tells the stories of the people behind the food. Where did she find the courage to leave the well-paved career path? #TuneIn #ImAGrittyGirl

An unequivocal musical prodigy, singer-saxophonist-songwriter-composer, and bandleader Grace Kelly has rocked the jazz world with sold-out concerts, 13 acclaimed albums, and a resume that includes performing at the Hollywood Bowl and as part of the house band for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” – all before reaching her mid-twenties. Proud to call her my friend and more than elated to share her inside-and-out gorgeousness with y'all right now….during our convo, we chat a lot about the plight of pleasing, how to live on your own terms, and just how to strengthen and maximize your seemingly finite self-discipline in your GRITTY girl toolbelt.

“So much of life is about showing up…” as entrepreneur and Founder of Future of Women, Hallie Applebaum claims…and it's definitely a principle she lives by…even if that means showing up unannounced in an unfamiliar city, during a torrential downpour at the door of a company who had recently declined her employment so she may state her case for reconsideration….showing up and persistence are all a part of Hallie's grit factor and during the following convo she lets us in on what it takes to be the future woman you dream to be….It has a lot to do with “following your curiosity”…. even if that takes place in the after-hours of your 9-5.

Emmy award-winning TV host and producer, McKenna Maduli, left her home and island of Oahu when she was only 18 with her heart set on Hollywood — now a woman rich with life, love and career experience she returns to the islands 18 years later hosting her very own tv show that celebrates local talent and the vibrant culture of the islands.  With health detours and the general road blocks of the entertainment industry, Mckenna fills us in on what has kept her going after all these years and what formula you can adopt to do the same with your life.

A creative through and through, Chef Kat Turner, has taken on many different career paths, each one enriching her next venture with a set of skills she wouldn't have had otherwise.  We discuss how she navigates the winding road to life fulfillment even on days she wants to quit and how only in 10 years she found herself touring with bands like The Smashing Pumpkins and heading up the kitchen in her own Los Angeles cafe.

Taja V. Simpson…The Award-winning actress who currently stars in Tyler Perry's The OVAL, sheds light on her unbreakable spirit.  This brilliant and talented force of a woman will guide us through some of her lowest points in life and show us how they created the woman that would bring her to her highest points and where she is today.  We discuss everything from speaking up for injustice, Beyonce run-ins, and why taking the first step is the hardest, yet the most important….   Visit her INCREDIBLE lipstick line --> https://tajavsimpson.com/          

When Kate Davis was only 24, she decided to quit her stable job and follow her sense of adventure all the way to Cambodia. She was unaware that what she was about to experience would bring her that much closer to her true calling…..the events that played out would change her world forever and send her on a life-long journey and mission to empower women all over the globe….

Award-winning chef, Claudette Zepeda, has never taken 'no' for an answer. She's a James Beard Best Chef West Semifinalist, Henry Crown Fellow, and two-time Top Chef competitor. She'll give us the dish on becoming a teen mom, Opening an oceanside concept during COVID, and the unbelievable odds and treatment she endured on her journey to the top.    Find her personal recipes and cooking classes on her website at https://chefclaudettezepeda.com/about