WAT-CAST

One in five people have a disability, some visible, others invisible. And many times people with disabilities are not portrayed realistically in films and in TV shows, thus adding to the public’s misperception of these individuals and what they are capable of accomplishing. Respect Ability is a nonprofit that fights stigmas and advances opportunities for people with all types of disabilities. Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi is Respect Ability’s president and she talks with Woman Around Town Editor Charlene Giannetti about what the organization is doing in many different areas to promote understanding and acceptance for people with disabilities. Top photo: Bigstock

When Tessa Souter was 28 years-old, she discovered that her birth father was not white and Spanish, but black and from Trinidad. The 12 beautiful songs on her new album, Picture in Black and White, carry listeners along on Tessa’s heartfelt journey as she explores her identify and newfound relationships. Picture in Black and White was named a top ten Jazz Record of the Year by the London Sunday Times magazine. Tessa will perform on Wednesday, April 10, at Blues Alley in D.C., and on Friday, April 12, at Bar 55 in New York. Her five albums can be purchased on Amazon or from her website, www.tessasouter.com. Charlene Giannetti, Editor of Woman Around Town, talks with Tessa about her career and her new album before the jazz vocalist’s upcoming performances. The podcast includes some of Tessa’s music – an excerpt from the title song, and “Lonely Woman,”which Tessa discusses during the podcast. 

April is National Donate Life Month and two women are shining a spotlight on this critical issue. Heidi Evans, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter who worked at the New York Daily News, is now executive director of LiveOnNY, a nonprofit committed to helping New York live on through organ and tissue donation. Georgette Kelly’s new play, I Carry Your Heart, about a relationship that develops between two families involved in organ donation, will have its New York premiere at 59E59 Theaters, running through April 14. Ten thousand New Yorkers need a life-saving transplant and, according to LiveOnNY, one organ donor can save up to eight lives. Woman Around Town Editor Charlene Giannetti talks with Heidi and Georgette about this important topic. 

Jaime Black’s The REDress Project, now on display at D.C.’s National Museum of the Amercian Indian, aims to raise awareness of missing indigenous women, not only in her native Canada, but in the U.S. The exhibition consists of numerous red dresses, a fraction of the more than 400 that Jaime has collected, that symbolize the plight of these women whose voices have been silenced through violence, discrimination, and indifference. Jaime is an emerging, metis multidisciplinary artist based in Winnipeg, Canada. She studied English Literature at the University of Manitoba and has an Education degree from The Ontario Institute of Studies in Education. She has long been involved in the Aboriginal writers and artists communities in Winnipeg.  She is particularly interested in feminism and Aboriginal social justice, and the possibilities for articulating linkages between and around these movements. Jaime talks about The REDress Project with Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti.

In 2007, Lisa Lawler was struck with a thunderbolt when her husband confessed that he had embezzled money, a total of $2.5 million, from the company he once worked for. He had previously told her that he had been having an affair with one of her best friends. Lisa divorced her husband, but because she had signed their joint tax return, the IRS sent her a $384,000 bill for taxes, penalties, and interest. On top of all that came the social stigma. How could she not have know what her husband was doing? But Lisa is strong and a survivor. She set out, not only to help herself, but to help others with first a blog, then an online support group, and now a book, The White-Collar Wives Survival Guide. Lisa talks with Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti about her journey and what led her to try to help other wives suffering her fate.  The website: The White-Collar Wives Project The book: The White-Collar Wives Survival Guide

Sherlock Holmes is perhaps the most popular fictional detective. In addition to the many novels and short stories penned by his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Holmes is the most portrayed literary character in stage, film, and TV history, having appeared on stage and screen more than 250 times, according to Wikipedia. Actors who have played Holmes include Basil Rathbone, Jeremy Brett, Charlton Heston, Christopher Plummer, Roger Moore, Peter O’Toole, and more recently Benedict Cumberbatch in the British TV series Sherlock, and Jonny Lee Miller in Elementary on CBS. All these productions are made possible because there continues to be an audience for stories featuring Holmes. Laurie King and Leslie Klinger, best selling authors, have brought together a group of talented mystery writers in a new anthology: For the Sake of the Game: Stories Inspired by the Sherlock Holmes Canon. The instructions given to the authors was straightforward: be inspired by the stories of Arthur Conan Doyle and go where your imagination takes you. This is the fourth anthology Laurie and Leslie have produced and we are excited to talk with Laurie about this new collection of stories featuring Holmes, Dr. Watson, and other Baker Street characters in original and [...]

Companies – large and small – are now shifting some of their promotion dollars to influencer campaigns, using social media to sell their goods. Often these campaigns rely on an individual to raise the profile of a product on Instagram, Facebook, or another online forum. Some of the most popular and effective influencers are celebrities like Kylie Jenner. But many non-celebrities with social media followings are becoming influencers, too. Todd Grossman is CEO of the Americas for international social listening and analytics company Talkwalker. Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti talks with Todd to get the inside scoop on influencer marketing. If you’ve ever thought about becoming an influencer, or using one for one of your company’s campaigns, you won’t want to miss this podcast. Top photo: Bigstock

Paula Vogel’s Indecent uses Klezmer, a form of Jewish folk music, and Yiddish song to enhance the story, transition scenes, and underscore dialogue. But more than that, the musicality provided throughout the story brings a more personal look at Jewish culture and the lives of each character. Indecent’s actors perform Vogel’s words while also playing popular Klezmer instruments like the violin, the clarinet, and the accordion. In the new production at DC’s Arena Stage, Maryn Shaw is one of the actors who performs as both an actor and a musician. She portrays the character of Friedman (among other roles) and has fifteen years of violin training. Maryn talks with Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti about her career and Arena Stage’s Indecent.

Jennifer Knowles from a very young age developed a passion for fine dining and wine. After majoring in chemistry at Syracuse University, she moved to San Francisco so she could take a course in oenology at UC Davis. Her career has been on an upward trajectory ever since. She’s worked with a who’s who of people in the wine and restaurant industry, and has passed, well not only passed, but in one case, crushed, some of the most difficult exams for a sommelier. After helping to open Requin at The Wharf on the waterfront in D.C., she was eventually named general manager and beverage director of Mirabelle, an elegant restaurant that is winning rave reviews. We’re excited to talk with Jennifer about her own career and what advice she would give other women who aspire to careers in the restaurant business. For more information, go to the website for Mirabelle. Top photo: Bigstock

The holiday season is upon us and while those celebrations bring joy to many, for others it’s a difficult time. An estimated three million adults experience seasonal depression every year in the U.S. due to circumstances such as the loss of loved ones, a lack of family connections, financial hardships, and many other factors.  Christianne Kernes is a marriage and family therapist and director of clinical services at HealthRIGHT 360, a non-profit for those seeking treatment for mental health and substance abuse issues. She is also the co-founder of LARKR, a mobile platform that lets users have video therapy sessions in real time with licensed and highly vetted therapists. She talks with Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti about seasonal depression, who’s at risk, and what can be done to help. For more information, go to the website for LARKR. Top photo: Bigstock

Sous-vide cooking is fast becoming a food revolution. Recently, Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti visited Cuisine Solutions, the force behind this movement. (See the story.) In this WAT-CAST, she talks with AJ Schaller, who is on the forefront of training chefs in this slow-cooking technique. AJ Schaller is a 2005 graduate and former teaching assistant at the Culinary Institute of America. She worked at Restaurant Daniel and Daniel Boulud’s Dinex Group for ten years. After a series of promotions, she finished with the title Culinary Manager. The position included work on restaurant openings, testing recipes, cooking for events, producing cookbooks, food styling, and overseeing health department matters. In 2015, after a stint at Corkbuzz Restaurant and Wine Bar, she took the opportunity to work under Bruno Goussault for Culinary Research and Education Academy. At CREA, AJ assists Dr. Goussault in training chefs in sous-vide and extraction, as well as managing consulting projects for a variety of food service establishments. 

Runners will take off in the 2018 New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 4. While finishing that 26.2 mile race is a big achievement, training to run the race is essential, and runners log in many miles and go through lots of running shoes before they get to the starting line. But the marathon is just one day. Many of us are running and working out constantly. And all that activity can be tough on our feet. Add to that our love for stilettos and fancy shoes and keeping our feet healthy can be a challenge. Dr. Casey Ann Pidich, aka Dr. Glass Slipper, is a foot specialist and an attending surgeon at Fifth Avenue Surgery Center and Gramercy Surgery Center in Manhattan. She also volunteers her time as a medical volunteer for New York City Marathons and half marathons. In an interview with Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti, she gives tips on how we can keep walking and running without pain or injury.

We need a fun musical now and D.C.’s Arena Stage is delivering just that with a rollicking production of Anything Goes, featuring classic Cole Porter songs. Lisa Helmi Johanson plays Hope Harcourt, a debutante who is about to get married, but meeting someone else on board a cruise ships changes all that. In an interview with Woman Around Town’s Charlene Giannetti Lisa talks about her career, how she’s managed to amass a collection of musical instruments, and how Arena’s production of Anything Goes has been updated with a multi-cultural cast that will resonate with audiences in the nation’s capital. Lisa is playing Hope at a time when we need just that. 

After her son, Isaac, died, Eve Goldberg was overwhelmed with the number of people who came out to comfort her and offer to help her with whatever she needed. A few weeks after the funeral, Eve decided that she would do something to make sure that her son’s death would somehow help others struggling with addiction. Tapping all those friends, she set out to create the type of community that might have saved Isaac’s life. What he needed was a safe and comfortable place where he could socialize with other young adults without having to worry about withstanding peer pressure when those around him were using alcohol or drugs. Eve’s efforts created BIGVISION, a warm and welcoming substance-free space where young people can enjoy fun activities while they forge new friendships. The number of young people coming to BIGVISION events has grown, with more organizations and individuals getting involved.  In the interview with Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti, Eve talked with openness and honesty about Isaac, his addiction, how she made her way through such a difficult time, and how Isaac would be proud of what she has created.  For more on BIGVISION, go to the website.

Madonia Bakery on Arthur Avenue in The Bronx is celebrating its 100th anniversary. What a milestone. Not only are those connected with this family-owned business excited, but the bakery’s many customers are excited, too. Located in the Belmont section, the bakery, of course, serves the community. But fans also travel, in some cases long distances, to stock up on the traditional breads, cookies, biscoti, cannoli, and other treats Madonia continues to produce. The bakery’s founder, Mario Madonia, immigrated from Sicily. In 1918, he opened the first Madonia on Adams Place in the Bronx, moving 14 years later to its larger location on Arthur Avenue. In the 1960s, Mario’s sons, Pete and Frank, took over running the bakery. In 1982, the third generation represented by Pete’s son, Mario, stepped in. Tragedy struck when Mario was killed in a car crash when he was only 38. His brother, Peter, who had earned a master’s degree in urban studies at the University of Chicago, was working as a deputy commissioner for the New York Fire Department. Family came first, and Peter left the NYFD to run the bakery.  After managing the bakery for six years, Peter took on a partner, Charlie LaLima, who [...]

Irving Berlin’s “I Love a Piano” is a popular song that has been recorded by a who’s who of vocalists. We love a piano, too, one reason why we asked Ian Herman to record that marvelous introduction to WAT-CAST.  Sarah Binder Mehta, president of PianoPiano, not only loves the instrument, she supplies pianos, renting these luxury items, to those who need them. The company’s clients include Broadway shows, musical stars, special events, and advanced players, as well as beginners. PianoPiano has even supplied pianos for real estate stagings. PianoPiano is taping into a trend – allowing people to rent rather than make an expensive purchase. How smart is that? Sarah is continuing in the family business and in an interview with Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti she talks more about the company.

It’s no secret that women are under represented in the film industry. One study showed that for the top grossing films in 2017, women made up only 18% of all directors, writers, producers, executive producers, editors, and cinematographers. Women made up only 11% of all directors and 88% of the films had no female directors. Michell Kantor has set out to change that. In 2002, she helped to found Cinefemme, a non-profit charitable 501-c3 organization that provides fiscal sponsorship for women-helmed films and projects. She herself is an award-winning writer/director and producer and she has several projects in the works. We love the movies and we would love to see more women make movies. Michelle Kantor talks with Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti about Cinefemme. Photo by Janet Barnett 

Perhaps you’ve had this experience – visiting a foreign country where you can’t speak, read, or write the language. Well, recent arrivals to the United States experience that sense of isolation which can prevent them from engaging with their neighbors, getting a job, and helping their children succeed in school. Fortunately, there are people eager to help. Aimee Lam is executive director and Susan Engelstein program and events manager for the Literacy Volunteers of Somerset County in New Jersey. There are organizations like LVSC all over the country. Aimee and Susan talk with Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti about how LVSC volunteers are advancing the cause of literacy in their community. Read Marina Kennedy’s story about LVSC.

Jean Lichty is an actor on a mission – to have a theater company that can explore, highlight, and honor the female experience. She made that vision a reality in 2013 when she registered La Femme Theatre Productions. Three years ago this month, La Femme appointed its first board members and Jean was elected executive director. The company began producing plays in line with its mission and this fall will produce the first New York revival of Tennessee William’s A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur. She tells Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti about La Femme Theatre Productions, working with actor/director/playwright Austin Pendleton, and their new collaboration, A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur. 

In 2010, Stephanie Thompson Harris lost her daughter, Imani, to a rare disease. Children are not supposed to die before their parents do, and when that happens it upends the natural order. Stephanie was left with many challenges. First, working through overwhelming grief that followed her daughter’ s death. She also had to go back to work, trying to figure out her career path forward. And she wanted to find a way to keep the memory of her child alive, which she has done with the non-profit, A Dancer’s Heart. Her journey was difficult, but along the way she learned life lessons that she wanted to share with other women who may also be facing challenges in their lives. We can all benefit from her wise words. Listen to her interview with Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti. For more information, go to the website for A Dancer’s Heart. 

“The secret of a happy marriage is finding the right person. You know they’re right if you love to be with them all the time.”  That quote is from Julia Child who was married to the American diplomat Paul Cushing Child for 48 years. Finding the right person to marry, let alone staying married to that person for a long time, has become, for many, a challenge. And despite all those dating sites and apps, oftentimes technology alone cannot help us find that special love that may lead to marriage. After her own experience, finding the right man who could truly be a life partner, Bari Lyman set out to help others, through her book and her coaching program, Meet to Marry. She talks about her program, her book, and how she has attended more weddings than she can count, celebrating with couples she has helped. 

We’re hearing a lot about immigrants these days and Jeff Jaffe is certainly someone who came to the U.S. in search of a better life. Jeff grew up in South Africa during the apartheid era and was no stranger to the social injustice happening all around him. At that time, all male high school graduates were enlisted into the military to fight against the “communist threat.”  At age 20, he left South Africa after his military service ended with only $100 in his pocket. Fast forward to 1997 when he opened Pop International Galleries on the Bowery in New York City. He remembers selling his first major painting, a Keith Haring, for $150,000. Today that painting would easily get $5 or $6 million.  Jeff earned an MFA in sculpture from the prestigious Cranbrook Academy of Art near Detroit He has a unique point of view as an artist and a gallery owner. To this day, he has never signed formal written agreements with the artists he represents – everything is done with a handshake.  Jeff talks with Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti about his journey from South Africa to New York and Pop International Galleries.

Steve Pemberton’s book, A Chance in the World, is heartbreaking yet uplifting, tragic yet triumphant, discouraging yet inspiring. The subtitle tells it all: An Orphan Boy, a Mysterious Past, and How He Found a Place Called Home. He was born Steve Klakowicz in New Bedford, Massachusetts. At age five, he was placed in a a foster home that can only be described as evil. Through the kindness of one woman, he discovered his love for reading and he would hole up in his foster family’s dark and damp basement to lose himself in other worlds and dream about what his life could be like. He managed to escape that foster hell and graduated from Boston College. But that bright future was haunted by his past and he set out to find his birth family. What he found on that journey answered many questions about his origins, but also caused him to examine what family really means. On any given day, there are nearly 450,000 children in the U.S. in foster care. And each year, nearly 25,000 kids will age out of foster care and group homes. Steve hopes his book and a foundation that he has established can work towards [...]

“Breakin’ up is hard to do.” So goes the old Neil Sedaka hit song.  We’ve all been there. Being on the giving or receiving end of a relationship. And we know that experience can be painful and oftentimes difficult to get past. That rejection, that abandonment, may tap into our deep insecurities. We may question our self worth, our ability to love and be loved, and our future relationships may suffer.  Dr. Carolina Castaños has 20 years of experience in marriage and family therapy. She says that sometimes it takes hitting rock bottom for a person to start working on herself or himself. Click to listen to the interview with Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti.

Esther Cohen is a writer, teacher, and activist. We could speak with Esther about a multitude of topics, including the work she does with Bread and Roses, the country’s premiere labor union cultural program. We will have to get her back for that interview. But today we’re going to speak with her about her writing, specifically her poetry. Besides her novel, Book Doctor, and her nonfiction books, she’s published two books of poetry. Her poems have appeared in literary journals like Alimentum and First Word, in the New York Times, and on the NPR radio show “On Being.” Esther is constantly writing and she posts a poem a day on her website. I We publish poems in our Poet’s Corner on Woman Around Town and we have had the honor of publishing several of Esther’s poems in that space. Maybe you’re thought about writing poetry but have no idea how to get started. Or maybe you have a journal somewhere where you are indeed writing poems, but wonder if you could ever get them published. Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti talks about all of that with Esther. https://www.instagram.com/bookdoctor/ esthercohen.com

Sometimes the road not taken can lead to something even better. That was the experience of Krista Rizzo. She wanted to be a talk show host and so entered a contest. She lost, but what she gained was a voice. She began to write a blog to showcase the real life stories of real people. Soon she realized she had found her passion – helping others map out their own journeys professionally and personally. She is now a Certified Transformational Life Coach, Author, Speaker, Video Show Host, Wife & The World’s Okayest Mom to two amazing boys.    Krista’s goal is to motivate women and youth by helping them realize their true capabilities. She’s a member of the prestigious Forbes Coaches Council, an active contributor for HuffPost and The Today Show Parenting Website. Krista has been featured in the New York Post, and has guested on multiple podcasts where she has been showcased as a thought leader in her field. She talks about her work in an interview with Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti. Click to listen. For more information:  Krista’s website: Why Am I Yelling Facebook  Instagram  Twitter  Author Photo: Nikki Pebbles

No Child Left Behind, Race to the Top, One Best Way – familiar slogans for programs aimed at turning around our nation’s struggling public schools. While these well-publicized efforts have fallen short, a quiet revolution is taking place in many schools around the country. And rather than taking a page from how business works, these reforms began as grassroots movements that succeeded because they actually energized and engaged those closest to the situation, and certainly those who have the most at stake, namely the teachers and the students. In her new book, After the Education Wars: How Smart Schools Upend the Business of Reform, Andrea Gabor profiles several schools that are making a difference and in so doing, she presents a plan for true educational reform. Education is everyone’s business so you will be interested in what Andrea has to say. 

“It’s OK to cry about your circumstances, the devastation, destruction, and adversity sometimes. The important thing is to know that you are stronger than any pain that you must go through; tap into that hidden strength and find what lies at the bottom of your heart and beats life back into you.” Donna J. Hopkins Donna J. Hopkins knows what it’s like to have life knock you down. An athlete, Donna won college scholarships in both basketball and track. She majored in radio and television communication and after graduation moved to Washington, D.C. She battled breast cancer twice, but it was routine surgery that would lead to a serious infection and cause her to lose her left leg below the knee. But Donna is a fighter and a survivor and she’s come back stronger than ever. She tells her story in her new book Getting to the Other Side of Victory. Woman Around Town’s Editor  Charlene Giannetti talks with Donna about her journey, her book, and inspiring others.  Click to go to Donna’s website.

We all know that walking is a great way to stay healthy. But as we age, we sometimes become more sedentary. Dami Roelse wants to keep us moving for our health, no matter how old we are. Born and raised in Holland, Dami immigrated to the U.S. in 1973 after a year of travel through the Middle East and Asia with her belongings in a backpack. In the U.S., she settled on the West Coast and lived a country life. Dami lost her heart to the grandness of nature on treks in the Swiss Alps, the Himalayas, and eventually the place she now calls home, Southern Oregon. After raising a family, and a career in mental health with high risk youth, Dami has turned to writing and finds creative inspiration while walking, hiking and backpacking. Dami is passionate about helping women change their car mindset and become walking women. Walking Gone Wild: How to Lose Your Age on the Trail (Fuze Publishing), is an inspirational book about walking, hiking and backpacking for women 50-plus. Listen to her interview with Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti. Connect with Dami: Facebook  Transformation Travel website  Twitter  email: dami97520drcoaching@ashlandoregon.org

“Some people are born on third base and go through like thinking they hit a triple.” That is a familiar quote from author and professor Barry Switzer. Hopefully you’ve been following our popular series, Toxic Culture, delving into the issues that are having a profound impact on society, not just in America, but around the world. A recent story in the series about unearned privilege really grabbed our attention and we thought it would be interesting to have a discussion with the author, Gwendolyn K. Crider.  Gwen is an independent consultant who regularly works with corporate, government, and non-profit organizations to help them create and sustain inclusive workplace environments. Before that, Gwen served as executive director of Diversity Best Practices, a membership organization that helped primarily Fortune 500 companies develop innovative solutions to achieve their diversity and inclusion objectives. Gwen first became actively engaged in developing diversity and inclusion initiatives while holding senior level positions in the museum field. Listen to Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti interview Gwen.

We love to gamble. It’s estimated that more than 80 percent of American adults gamble each year, that may include everything from playing a slot machine at a casino or buying a lottery ticket at a local 7-11. Some find it easy to walk away from the table. But for others, those games of chance may turn into an addiction. Recent research has found that between 2.5 and 3 million adults in America suffer from compulsive gambling, an unstoppable need to gamble regardless of the personal and financial toll. A recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court which has opened the way for sports betting in most states has many experts concerned that we may see even more people develop gambling problems. Marlene Warner is Board President for the National Council on Problem Gambling and the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling. You will want to hear what she has to say in her interview with Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti. 

Each spring, parents face a challenge – finding a summer camp for their children. Children between the ages of 8 and 15 who are interested in the arts, and live in the Washington, D.C. area are truly fortunate. Camp Arena Stage offers more than 75 exciting multi-arts activities, including improv, a cappella singing, filmmaking, rock band, musical theater, costume design, world dance, and much, much more. And there’s a bonus. Students in the camp have the opportunity not only to learn from some of the best artist-educators in the D.C. area, but also from professionals who perform regularly at Arena and other theatrical venues. DeMoya Watson Brown is one of the camp’s outstanding arts enhancers who will be at the camp this summer. She’s a former Rockette who is well know to D.C. audiences from her performances in Signature Theatre’s Crazy for You and Jelly’s Last Jam. In Ford Theatre’s production of The Wiz, she played the Tornado! DeMoya talks with Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti about her career and what she’s looking forward to teach the young people who sign up for Camp Arena Stage. 

The Hay–Adams’ slogan is “Where nothing is overlooked but the White House.” That’s because this historic four-star luxury hotel sits across from the White House and provides some of the best views in Washington of the president’s home. The hotel takes its name from John Hay, who served as personal secretary to President Lincoln and was later U.S. Ambassador to Britian and then Secretary of State, and Henry Adams, a historian and Harvard professor who was a descendant of Presidents John Adams and John Qunicy Adams. In 1884, the architect Henry Hobson Richardson designed the Romanesque structure situated at the corner of 16th and H Streets. Today, the landmark hotel continues to be a tourist draw. Sarah Deam, the hotel’s director of sales and marketing, talks with Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti about The Hay-Adams.

The best business ideas are often borne out of a personal desire to find something better than what is already available. That’s certainly what led to the birth of Modern Pop. Julie Podolec and her husband, Brad, wanted to give their teething infant a frozen fruit bar. But when they began reading the ingredients, they were dismayed to find that these bars contained too little fruit and too much sugar and fruit juice. And, there were some ingredients they couldn’t even pronounce. So Julie set out to create a frozen fruit bar that was healthy and safe enough for her child. Modern Pop was born. Modern Pop’s frozen fruit bars have taken off. The company recently launched three new flavors and expanded nationally into over 3,000 retailers. 

Ever thought about chucking it all and moving far away, to a new city, a new state, or even a new country? Mark Saunders and his wife, Arlene, did just that. After many years working in the tech industry in Portland, Oregon, they made the decision to move to Mexico. They put their home on the market, packed up their aging Audi, and headed south, way south to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Mark wrote about their adventure in his funny and very touching book, Nobody Knows the Spanish I Speak. We’re hearing a lot about Mexico these days, mostly from Americans who may have vacationed there, but never actually lived there. Mark and Arlene spent more than 10 years south of the border. They are now back in Oregon, having returned to be near Mark’s aging father. But they still have friends in Mexico, and get back occasionally to visit and reconnect. Mark talks with Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti about being part of the expat community in Mexico, connecting with the locals, and how everyone there really feels about that wall.  

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s smash hit musical, Hamilton, has created a groundswell of interest in Alexander Hamilton, one of our Founding Fathers and the first Secretary of the Treasury. There have been games, sketch books, coloring books, calendars, even Alexander Hamilton’s Guide to Life. Food writer and cooking coach Laura Kumin explored another angle The Hamilton Cookbook: Cooking, Eating & Entertaining in Hamilton’s World. What was it like to dine with this Revolutionary War hero who helped interpret the Constitution and founded our nation’s financial system? Laura is the perfect person to find out.  At her blog, Mother Would Know, Laura encourages readers to become confident and creative home cooks. She talks with Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti about how she researched the material and recipes in the book. 

Entering the Blue Stone is Molly Tinsley’s heartfelt account of something too many of us have had to face – caring for aging parents. Along with her brother and sister, Molly made the decision to move their mother and father into the independent living wing in a brand new facility in Durham, North Carolina. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as smoothly as Molly had hoped. Molly talks with Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti about the ups and downs of caring for aging parents, what she learned, and what advice she has for others. 

Deb Filler is a comedian who performs 36 characters in her one-woman show, Punch Me in the Stomach. In Filler Up! she bakes a loaf of challah bread on stage. One of the greatest influences in her life was Leonard Bernstein, whom she not only praised for his warmth and generosity, but also co-wrote a short film about him. Deb was born in New Zealand but has performed all over the world, including in New York and in Alexandria, Virginia. She talks with Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti about growing up in New Zealand, her relationship with her father, and how she finds comedy even in the midst of tragedy.

Do you need a mentor? If so, how do you find one? Should that person be inside your company and industry, or someone from outside? Can social media help you find a mentor? What happens if the relationship doesn’t work out? Can you “break up?” Cheryl Hyatt, of Hyatt-Fennell Executive Search, has more than 20 years of executive-search consulting experience and she brings over 30 years of management and organizational leadership experience to her role with clients. Her breadth of experience, knowledge, and contacts makes her sought after professionally in her field. She talks with Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti about mentorship.

Two Trains Running takes place in Pittsburgh’s Hill District in the late 1960s. It was a time when views on race were shifting in the post Civil Rights era, but also a time when urban renewal was bringing change to many city neighborhoods. Nicole Lewis, whose resume includes Broadway appearances in Hair, Rent, and Lennon, is the sole woman in the seven-member cast. In this podcast, she talks with Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti about her career and her Arena Stage debut in August Wilson’s play.

Dr. Phyllis Goldberg and Dr. Rosemary Lichtman are co-authors of Whose Couch Is It Anyway: Moving Your Millennial. More than 20 million millennials are still living with their parents, although older millennials in their mid 30s are beginning to reach milestones typically related to adulthood – buying homes, getting married, and having children. Drs. Goldberg and Lichtman talk about how this age group is evolving, what obstacles remain, and how families can handle having an adult child move home.

Shannon Walker’s Northwest Battle Buddies is a non profit with an important mission – partnering veterans suffering from PTSD with professionally trained service dogs that can help these men and women regain their freedom and independence. Shannon and her team  work to help the men and women who have given up so much for our country. She talks with Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti about Northwest Battle Buddies and what needs to be done to clear up some of the confusion about service vs. emotional support animals. 

Have we reached a tipping point with sexual harassment? Karetta Hubbard and Lynne Revo-Cohen come to this discussion from a unique point of view. For more than 30 years, they have been advising companies on important workplace issues, including sexual harassment and sexual assault. They have been writing about the topic for Woman Around Town in a series titled “Toxic Culture.” In this podcast, they talk with Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti about how the workplace has evolved since they began their work, how the #metoo movement is forcing change, and what needs to happen next. 

Stacy Sullivan was born into a musical family in Boggy Depot, Oklahoma. She now lives in New York City where she continues to dazzle audiences with her performances, creating new shows that are fresh and exciting. Journalist Alix Cohen, who writes about music and theater, talks with Stacy about her childhood, her musical training, and how she continues to challenge herself with her musical choices.  

Linda Lajterman wrote Life After You: What Your Death from Drugs Leaves Behind after her son, Danny died of a drug overdose. She hoped to prevent other families from losing a loved one because of the opioid/heroin epidemic. Her family’s story is the inspiration for the film, 19 Daniel Highway, now in development. Linda talks about her family, the book, and the film in this podcast.

For three years, Sharon Hazard had been writing The Dowager’s Diary for Woman Around Town, chronicling the activities of Kate Shippen Roosevelt as written about in her diary. Sharon talks about how she first “met” Kate and what it’s been like to view New York City through the eyes of a woman who counted two presidents among her relatives.

Have you ever thought about starting your own business? Do you worry that you don’t have what it takes to make that venture a success? You’re not alone. Jason Veduccio has launched businesses and has also worked with many entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. He offers advice that just might help you achieve your dream of being your own boss. 

Jacqueline Sibanda was born in the African nation of Zimbabwe, then raised and educated in England. She now lives in the Washington, DC area. Noticing more and more startups in tech, storytelling and other industries powered by African women entrepreneurs, Jacqueline was inspired to launch 54 Stories, conversations with African women entrepreneurs on the continent and in the diaspora. 

Food Glorious Food! Do you love taking photos of your food and posting them on Instagram? Want your photos to look even better? Professional photographer Jai Williams gives tips on making your food photos look more appetizing.

Theater reviewers may get seats for the hottest plays and musicals. But along with that perk, comes huge responsibility. Award-winning writer Alix Cohen tells us what it’s like reviewing theater in New York.

Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti introduces WAT-CAST.