Your New Life Blend

Have you ever looked at someone who seems to have it all — the job, the glam, the life — and wondered, what the heck did I miss? That's the premise of the much-anticipated new novel "The Memo" by Rachel Dodes and Lauren Mechling, about a woman flailing in life and love, stuck in a rut while all her friends seem to flourish — and realizing it's because they got "The Memo," and she didn't. At her college reunion, she is given the chance to go back in time and change her life. The novel invites us to ask ourselves... would we? And other, thornier questions: what does it means to be happy and successful? Are those the same things? If we had the chance to go back and course-correct our lives, what would we be giving up? In this episode of "Your New Life Blend," Rachel and Lauren talk with host Shoshanna Hecht about how we define success (and how it is defined for us), how even successful women can feel like they missed the memo (yes, even incredibly accomplished writers like Rachel and Lauren who together have written for The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Vogue, Vanity Fair, the GuardianUS, Elle, the New Yorker, Buzzfeed and more), and what it means to choose — and love — the life you are living. SHOW NOTESWebsite:Rachel Dodeshttps://www.racheldodes.comLauren Mechlinghttps://www.laurenmechling.com Books: The Memo: A Novel, by Rachel Dodes & Lauren Mechling https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-memo-rachel-dodeslauren-mechlingHow Could She, by Lauren Mechling https://www.laurenmechling.com/how-could-sheOther Writing:Rachel Dodeshttps://www.racheldodes.com/writingLauren Mechling https://www.laurenmechling.com/journalism-1Podcast: "Nope" with Rachel Dodes & Brian Hecht https://www.racheldodes.com/podcastsSocial Media:https://twitter.com/racheldhttps://www.threads.net/@racheldodeshttps://www.instagram.com/racheldodeshttps://twitter.com/laurenmechlinghttps://www.instagram.com/laurenomicshttps://www.instagram.com/thecloglife

Jenn Romolini is a success story, with the glowing "get her life!" press coverage to prove it. As a journalist, editor, author, podcast creator and creative executive, Jenn has had the kind of successful career across media, tech and entertainment that is a testament to ambition, vision and hard work. But in her new memoir “Ambition Monster,” Jenn shares the story of just how hard the work was, and just how deep the ambition went as she looks backward on a life that was not always the stuff of glossy press coverage. In this episode of "Your New Life Blend," host Shoshanna Hecht talks to Jenn about the deeply personal story she tells about family, class, workaholism, and identity; how her ambition was both her survival mode and what gave her hope; and what it means to allow ourselves to tell our full stories - and be fully seen. SHOW NOTESWebsite:https://www.jenniferromolini.comBooks:Ambition Monster: A MemoirWeird In a World That's Not: A Career Guide for MisfitsPodcasts:Everything Is Fine (Jennifer Romolini & Kim France)Stiffed (Crooked Media)Newsletter:Extended Scenes (Substack)Social Media:https://www.instagram.com/jennromolini https://twitter.com/jennromolinihttps://twitter.com/theeifpodcast

Christie Marchese is the founder and CEO of Kinema, a next-gen platform for filmmakers to share their work (and get paid for it!), finding new audiences and experiencing the magic of going to the movies as intended - in community. That's magic that Christie knows well, as a serial entrepreneur who has built a career around surfacing important work and bringing new audiences together to drive social change and tell stories that matter. (She was previously the founder & CEO of the impact agency Picture Motion, and worked in strategic roles at Righteous Pictures, Participant Media, Norman Lear's nonprofit Declare Yourself.) Community is also a North star of Christie's life, guiding her investment strategy, vision of family planning, and in the short term, how many people she and her husband can cram joyfully into their amazing lower Manhattan apartment for book parties, screenings, fundraisers and more. In this episode of "Your New Life Blend" host Shoshanna Hecht talks to Christie about the intentionality of building community in her life as she (happily) approaches 40 and the joy of working and building alongside your chosen family.SHOW NOTESWebsitehttps://kinema.com"Meet Christie Marchese, whose company Kinema wants to revolutionize film distribution," Fortunehttps://fortune.com/2023/08/10/christie-marchese-founders-forum-2023"Christie Marchese, CEO of Kinema, on Creating A Mission-based Company," WieSuitehttps://www.thewiesuite.com/post/christie-marchese-ceo-of-kinema-on-creating-a-missionbased-companySocial Media:https://www.linkedin.com/in/christiemhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/kinemahqhttps://www.instagram.com/christiemarchesehttps://www.instagram.com/kinemahqhttps://twitter.com/ChristieMhttps://twitter.com/kinemaHQhttps://www.facebook.com/KinemaHQ

For the past two and half seasons, we have been lucky to have some truly amazing guests here on "Your New Life Blend," who have shared so many amazing insights. As we hit that Q2 crunch time, we wanted to share some of it to help you refocus on your own priorities, goals, and boundaries (we love boundaries). Please enjoy this great advice and insight from Dorie Clark, Bridget Todd, Vanessa Bennett, Candice Cook, Lyz Lenz, Hitha Palepu, Christina Wallace, Stacy London, Bea Arthur, Morra Aarons-Mele, Abby Falik and of course, "Your New Life Blend" host, executive and personal coach Shoshanna Hecht. We hope you enjoy it! We'll be back next week with more great Season 3 guests. Featuring:Dorie Clark, Author & SpeakerSeason 1, Episode 13https://dorieclark.comBridget Todd, Founder & Podcaster  Season 2, Episode 9https://www.unbossedcreative.comVanessa Bennett, Author & EntrepreneurSeason 2, Episode 16https://lessawkward.comCandice Cook, Entrepreneur & AttorneySeason 1, Episode 16https://www.candicecook.comLyz Lenz, Author & JournalistSeason 2, Episode 8https://lyzlenz.comHitha Palepu, Multi-HyphenateSeason 2, Episode 3https://hitha.beehiiv.comChristina Wallace, Author & HBS ProfessorSeason 1, Episode 7https://christinawallace.comStacy London, Style Icon & Midlife AdvocateSeason 2, Episode 6https://www.instagram.com/stacylondonrealBea Arthur, Entrepreneur & TherapistSeason 2, Episode 1https://www.beaarthurtherapy.comMorra Aarons-Mele, Mental Health Speaker & AuthorSeason 1, Episode 4https://morraam.comAbby Falik, Social EntrepreneurSeason 1, Episode 12https://www.abbyfalik.com

Sure, we all get tired. But Lindsay Scola's tired was different. She was constantly exhausted, dozed off frequently, experienced night terrors, anxiety and brain fog, and sometimes, hallucinations. Doctors suggested that perhaps it was her demanding career working with high-powered leaders in entertainment, politics and government (including being part of the Obama administration), but still, this had been going on for two decades and Lindsay knew that something else was going on. It took years of telling doctors about her symptoms before finally, at age 35, she got confirmation that yes, her sleep was different: she had narcolepsy. Armed with this new information about her own health, Lindsay has become a patient advocate and sleep evangelist, writing and speaking widely to share her story and help others find clarity about their own health. In this episode of "Your New Life Blend," host Shoshanna Hecht talks to Lindsay about her sleep journey and the complexities of sleep issues for different people (yes, your tired might be different!); how to best advocate for ourselves with medical professionals (before they pass you a pamphlet and send you on your way); and how to be ambitious and productive when our bodies are not cooperating. SHOW NOTESWebsitehttps://www.lindsayscola.com"For Years Doctors Told Me My Constant Exhaustion and Night Terrors Were Normal. They Weren't," Selfhttps://www.self.com/story/constant-exhaustion-narcolepsy-essay"Waking Up to a New Era of Sleeping Well: In Conversation with Lindsay Scola," Thrive Global https://community.thriveglobal.com/waking-up-to-a-new-era-of-sleeping-well-in-conversation-with-lindsay-scola"Everyone Around Me Was Tired: I had no idea my tired was different," WieSuitehttps://www.thewiesuite.com/post/everyone-around-me-was-tired-i-had-no-idea-my-tired-was-differentSocial Media: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-scola-a75b431https://www.instagram.com/lindsay.scolahttps://www.threads.net/@lindsay.scola

Glynnis MacNicol spent the long stretch of COVID lockdown mostly alone in small Upper West Side apartment, mostly without really touching another person. So by summer 2021, after vaccines had rolled out and restrictions were finally lifting, she jumped at the chance to stay at a friend's apartment in Paris, and immediately bought a plane ticket out of her pandemic-imposed solitude. Landing in Paris she found a city just waking up from its own lockdown, and felt in Parisians all around her the same urgent, greedy desire to enjoy every pleasure life had to offer - food (cheese, croissants, chocolate), community (in-person, Zoom be damned), and connection (very much in person, very pleasurable, very much enjoyed). She recounts it all and then some in her joyful, decadent, and insightful new memoir, "I'm Mostly Here To Enjoy Myself: One Woman's Pursuit of Pleasure in Paris," coming in June, which dares to suggest that women have the right to enjoy themselves - and their choices - fully and gloriously, without needing permission. In this episode of "Your New Life Blend," Glynnis talks to host Shoshanna Hecht about how seeking & claiming pleasure is actually a radical feminist act; the power of a free woman freely making her own choices; the joys of embracing your life unfolding at any age; and why we all deserve to truly enjoy ourselves. SHOW NOTESWebsitehttps://www.glynnismacnicol.com/I'm Mostly Here To Enjoy Myself: One Woman's Pursuit of Pleasure in Parishttps://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/736781/im-mostly-here-to-enjoy-myself-by-glynnis-macnicolNo One Tells You Thishttps://www.glynnismacnicol.com/noonetellsyouthis.htmlPodcast: "Wilder"https://www.glynnismacnicol.com/wilder.htmlNewsletter: "Good Decisions"https://glynnismacnicol.substack.com"I Think We're Alone Now. Welcome." New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/06/style/self-care/coronavirus-living-alone.html"Growing Up Meant Learning How to Wear Red Lipstick," The Cuthttps://www.thecut.com/2014/12/growing-up-meant-learning-to-wear-red-lipstick.html"I Miss My Lipstick," New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/15/style/lipsticks-to-wear-with-masks.htmlOther Writing:https://www.glynnismacnicol.com/other-writing.htmlInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/noonetellsyouthisReferences:The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Centerhttps://www.amazon.com/Other-Significant-Others-Reimagining-Friendship/dp/1250280915Birthrates are plummeting worldwide. Why? https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/19/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-jennifer-sciubba.htmlTheLi.st, founded by Glynnis MacNicol & Rachel Sklarhttps://nypost.com/2020/11/24/exclusive-womens-social-network-sold-to-shokets-new-power-media

Who are we when we don't have a job? A fancy title? The heft of a prestigious organization behind us, signaling our worth and marketability? That question stared Penny Abeywardena square in the face when she left her high-powered position as New York City Commissioner for International Affairs in the De Blasio administration, a role she had served in from 2014-2022. It was the first untethered, unstructured time she'd had in two decades. It was also the first time she'd had a moment to think about what this new untethered life might look like. In this episode of “Your New Life Blend,” host Shoshanna Hecht talks to Penny about creating a new, bespoke job description, her newfound focus on "soft power" and the power of collaboration, and how her experiences as an immigrant, woman of color, and survivor of domestic violence have shaped her approach to leadership and advocacy. Websitehttps://pennyabeywardena.com/Forbes Columnhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/pennyabeywardenaSocial Mediahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/pennyabeywardenahttps://twitter.com/pabeywardenahttps://www.instagram.com/pabeywardena

Jo Piazza has built a career around telling stories, specifically about women living lives of adventure, bravery, joy and fulfillment. In celebration of Jo's upcoming novel "The Sicilian Inheritance" - out next week! - we are sharing our wonderful conversation with her from Season 2, where she talks about the personal journey behind the book (based on the murder of her Sicilian great-great-grandmother, who was also maybe a witch). In this episode, Jo sits down with host Shoshanna Hecht to discuss her rich and full career as a journalist, author and podcaster, and shares insights into her career evolution, highlighting the necessity of adaptability, reinvention - and being your own CEO. The Sicilian Inheritancehttps://amzn.to/45xcmExPodcast: Under The Influencehttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/under-the-influence-with-jo-piazza/id1544171101Newsletter: Over The Influencehttps://jopiazza.substack.com/Other Bookshttps://www.jopiazza.com/booksOther Podcastshttps://www.jopiazza.com/podcasts

Jessica Bennett has spent a prolific, award-winning career writing and reporting about gender, sexuality, politics, and culture, including as the first-ever Gender Editor for The New York Times, and now as a contributing writer & editor. She has profiled - and shaped our collective understanding of - numerous public figures including Jennifer Aniston, Pamela Anderson, Monica Lewinsky, E. Jean Carroll, Governor Kathy Hochul and Anita Hill. Jessica's book, "Feminist Fight Club," offered solutions for fighting workplace inequality and gender bias, and her current podcast, "In Retrospect," with co-host Susie Banikarim, looks back on cultural moments from the past few decades and rethinks our collective - and often extremely dated - response. It's all giving her a lot to think about right now as she ponders what's next in a decimated media environment as it seems like, yet again, everything is changing. In this episode of "Your New Life Blend," host Shoshanna Hecht sits down with Jessica to discuss our shifting attitudes as a society (and as an ambitious, high- achieving women), how to carve out your own job description, and above all, how to roll with an ever-changing world when sometimes what you really want is a nap.Website:https://www.jessicabennett.comBooks:Feminist Fight Club: A Survival Manual for a Sexist Workplace This Is 18: Girls' Lives Through Girls' Eyeshttps://www.jessicabennett.com/booksNew York Times stories:https://www.nytimes.com/by/jessica-bennettPodcast:In Retrospect with Susie Banikarim and Jessica Bennetthttps://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-in-retrospect-with-susie-122206786/Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/jessicabennetthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jess7bennetthttps://twitter.com/jessicabennett

In honor of Women's History Month, we wanted to bring back one of our *favorite* episodes from Season 1, with the inimitable Cindy Gallop, who lives her life *exactly* as she wants and is *very good* at inspiring the rest of us to do the same. Cindy would like you to have *more* of everything you want - more money, more power, more freedom, more innovation, more connection, more joy - and yes, more sex.And who are we to argue?Cindy is also in the process of an equity crowdfunding campaign on WeFunder in support of her company, Make Love Not Porn, a social sex platform with the mission of promoting safe & informed sex for consenting adults. (The campaign's lead investor is actress & activist Jameela Jamil.) In this episode of "Your New Life Blend," Cindy talks about her work encouraging connection, communication, and authenticity (at MNLP and with her coaching clients, and speaking and newsletter audiences!) and why she wants you to build whatever you are dreaming of with your unique voice, skills and vision. We are *always* inspired by Cindy and we know you will be, too. We hope you enjoy this encore episode of your new life blend!SHOW NOTES MNLP Crowdfunding Campaignhttps://wefunder.com/makelovenotporn/WebsiteMakeLoveNotPorn.tvNewsletter Dear CindyTED TalkMake Love, Not PornSocial Media @CindyGallop on TwitterCindy Gallop on Linkedin@CindyGallop on Instagram

What happens when you're building the life you want, and then life knocks you sideways? The layoff. The rejection. The congratulations-on-your-new-baby-we'll-just-give-that-account-to-someone-else. That last one happened to Amy Shoenthal, whose upward trajectory in a marketing firm record-scratched when she announced her pregnancy and came back from maternity leave to find herself subtly but unmistakably sidelined.  The subsequent feelings of professional panic, alienation and displacement left her unmoored from her career expectations and goals, which took a while for her to process and regroup from. Fortunately, the regrouping led her to something even better - her new book, "The Setback Cycle" about how we process the obstacles that knock us flat and find our way back to something even better. In this episode of "Your New Life Blend," host Shoshanna Hecht (who is in the book!) sits down with Amy to discuss how to rally when we want to wallow (but go ahead and wallow a bit, it's an essential part of the process), how to check in with ourselves as we course-correct, and how sometimes setbacks are just what we need to wake us up.Webiste: https://www.amyshoenthal.comBooks:The Setback Cycle: How Defining Moments Can Move Us Forwardhttps://www.amyshoenthal.com/the-setback-cycleA Magical Day in Sunnysidehttps://www.amyshoenthal.com/bookForbes column: https://www.forbes.com/sites/amyshoenthalVisionaries Collective:https://www.visionaries-collective.comSocial Media:https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyshoenthalhttps://www.instagram.com/amyshohttps://twitter.com/amysho

Welcome to Season 3 of "Your New Life Blend," a podcast about building the lives we want, powerfully and with intention. Join executive coach and licensed clinical therapist Shoshanna Hecht for another round of conversations with dynamic, inspiring women who are living the process of building - and rebuilding - their best and most meaningful lives. This podcast is about crystallizing what YOU want, and how to get there with purpose and clarity, while still navigating the obligations and demands of a needy, time-sucking world. (Boundaries! Learn to love them.) What do you want your life to look like? Every day is a good day to figure out the answer to that question. We can't wait to join you as you find Your New Life Blend. 

Suzanne Lerner built a business with her husband, Michael Cohen, and that business was Michael Stars, the ubiquitous and long-standing fashion brand that there's a very good chance has, at one point, made your favorite t-shirt or tank top or sweater or dress or otherwise clutch wardrobe staple. Suzanne and Michael built the Michael Stars brand in alignment with their values, prioritizing local production, fair wages, planet-friendly materials, and strong support of social justice causes. In 2015, after almost 30 years of a life and business together, Michael passed away, and Suzanne has continued to carry on their shared vision, purpose and passion for creating positive social change. In this episode of “Your New Life Blend,” host Shoshanna Hecht speaks with Suzanne about how to build a purpose-driven company (and life), and why now feels like her time to teach. Show NotesSuzanne Lerner - Website https://suzannelerner.com/Michael Stars - Our Storyhttps://www.michaelstars.com/pages/our-storyMichael Stars - We're A B-Corp!https://www.michaelstars.com/pages/were-b-corp-certifiedSocial Media - Suzanne Lernerhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/suzannelernerhttps://www.instagram.com/suzanne_lernerhttps://twitter.com/Suzanne_LernerSocial Media - Michael Starshttps://www.instagram.com/michaelstarsinchttps://www.pinterest.com/michaelstarsinchttps://www.facebook.com/michaelstars

Lori Leibovich is the editor of the Well section at the New York Times and under her leadership, it has become a juggernaut of essential, chart-topping content about the ways in which we are all trying to live better, healthier, and happier (and the many ways in which we are being challenged in trying to do so). Meanwhile, Lori has been  living all the confusion of the past three years along with the rest of us, leading the section while keenly aware that we all needed information we could trust while we figured out the way forward (and a little bit of grace while we got there). In this episode of "Your New Life Blend," host Shoshanna Hecht talks to Lori about building trust, covering trends and big stories (pandemic, menopause, mental health, Ozempic), and how to actually help people to be happier (and also drink more water). Show Notes NYT Wellhttps://www.nytimes.com/section/wellGetting Well with Lori Leibovichhttps://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/29/insider/getting-well-with-lori-leibovich.htmlSocial Media https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorileibovichhttps://twitter.com/lorileibovichhttps://www.instagram.com/lorileibo (private)BookMaybe Baby: 28 Writers Tell the Truth About Skepticism, Infertility, Baby Lust, Childlessness, Ambivalence, and How They Made the Biggest Decision of Their Liveshttps://amzn.to/4aSes5MMothers Who Think: Tales of Real-Life Parenthood (contributor)https://amzn.to/4b1AMKw

How can I do my best? How can I do my best for others? How can I face the world with compassion? These are the questions Malynda Hale is asking herself as she begins this new year. Hale is an entertainer, a creator, an entrepreneur and an activist, and has come off a busy, busy year determined to follow her own North Star of empathy in a noisy, noisy world. In this episode of "Your New Life Blend," host Shoshanna Hecht talks to Malynda Hale about how to choose where to put your talents and focus (even if it means ending something), how to use your voice to advocate for what matters, and of course, how to be guided by empathy.  Website https://malyndahale.comhttps://www.jmv-entertainment.comSocial https://www.instagram.com/malyndahalehttps://twitter.com/malyndahalehttps://www.youtube.com/malyndahaleWhat Would Jesus Do? Not What the MAGA Right Is Doing.https://www.thedailybeast.com/what-would-jesus-do-not-what-the-maga-right-is-doing 

S. Mitra Kalita is the CEO & Founder of URL Media, a network of high-performing Black and Brown news media organizations that serve, support and center communities of color, and she has plans for 2024. Fresh off a $500 thousand grant from the MacArthur Foundation, Mitra has a mandate to expand URL Media's essential editorial work and reach — because 2024 is an election year, and Black and Brown communities need news and information they can trust. This has been Mitra's mission since founding URL Media during the pandemic, along with community newsletter EpicenterNYC:  to bring crucial information to her community in a way that would actually reach them, and be trusted by them. In this episode of "Your New Life Blend," host Shoshanna Hecht talks to Mitra about how she is is leveraging all the skills of her years in legacy media (CNN, LAT, WSJ, Quartz & more) in order to marry information with trust — all while recognizing that this will be an election year unlike any other, and we will all have a role in fighting for our democracy. Websiteshttp://mitrakalita.comhttps://url-media.comhttps://epicenter-nyc.comSocial LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/s-mitra-kalita-377738Twitter/Xhttps://twitter.com/mitrakalitaBooksSuburban Sahibs: Three immigrant families and their passage from India to Americahttps://www.amazon.com/Suburban-Sahibs-S-Mitra-Kalita/dp/0813536650My Two Indias: A journey to the ends of opportunity https://www.amazon.com/My-Two-Indias-Journey-Opportunities/dp/935029012X

The holiday season can be joyful for some and complicated for others, particularly those of us who are mourning loved ones whom we have lost. Rebecca Soffer knows this well, having lost both her parents within just a few years of each other in her early 30s. In a career twist that she never planned for and certainly never would have wanted, Rebecca went on to co-found Modern Loss, a community and events company to support the many of us who are bereaved, without platitudes. In this episode of “Your New Life Blend” host Shoshanna Hecht talks to Rebecca about boundaries, resilience, trusting your gut about what works for you, and why, no, everything does not happen for a reason. Books: The Modern Loss Handbook: An Interactive Guide to Moving Through Grief and Building Your Resilienceby Rebecca Sofferhttps://modernloss.com/the-modern-loss-handbook/Modern Loss: Candid Conversation About Grief. Beginners Welcomeby Rebecca Soffer and Gabrielle Birknerhttps://modernloss.com/our-book/Website:https://modernloss.comSocial Media:https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccasofferhttps://www.instagram.com/modernloss

We lost our friend Benish Shah last week. Benish was smart, righteous, funny, thoughtful, passionate, loving and brave. She was one of the first people we spoke to when we were launching the podcast and we knew we wanted her voice on the show. Her episode was one of our favorites and we refer to it often. We are sharing it again today in Benish's honor, because her voice felt so necessary at the time and still feels that way, even more so. We've also shared some of her writing in the show notes below. Her "Is It Toxic?" column was so necessary and practical and compassionate and helpful. We hope you will get as much out of this episode as we did. Rest in peace, Benish. You are loved and missed.Show NotesIs It Toxic? Benish Shah, The Musehttps://www.themuse.com/author/benish-shahWhy layoffs hit workers of colour so hardBenish Shah, BBChttps://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20230308-why-layoffs-workers-of-colour-so-hardWhat Happens When Our Longest Relationships Change?Benish Shah, TueNighthttps://tuenight.substack.com/p/what-happens-when-our-longest-relationshipsThe Splendiferous SpillerellaBenish Shahhttps://www.amazon.in/Splendiferous-Spillerella-Benish-Shah/dp/0983539111The English Meets Urdu 3-Book SetBenish Shah (author) Maryam Ishtiaq (illustrator)https://anchorandoakpublishing.com/products/the-english-beets-urdu-3-book-set

Binta Brown is a woman of letters. Two of those letters are "J.D." and they have undergirded her career, first at top Wall Street firm Cravath, Swaine and Moore and then as a partner at Kirkland & Ellis advising global entertainment and media companies, as well as in her leadership roles at iconic American institutions like the American Theatre Wing, Barnard College, Columbia University, and the New York Philharmonic (this is very partial list). Binta is also a lifelong musician (she plays 13 instruments), and took the leap into the music industry and artist management, including at Keep Cool/RCA Records and then with her own omalilly projects, a full-service talent management, media and entertainment company. Binta was quickly recognized as a force, and was named to Billboard's 2020 Hip-Hop & R&B Power Players list, 2020 Women in Music List and 2021 Change Agents List, among numerous other honors, and she worked with critically-acclaimed artists including Chance The Rapper. Binta has also had a number of challenging health issues and between shifts in her professional life, her health, her family and the pandemic, she has a lot to say about how to live life with intention. Binta talks about all of this and more with host Shoshanna Hecht on this episode of "Your New Life Blend," including how to see our own humanity in each others' stories (but maybe to consume a few less of each others' IG stories).Show Notes omalilly projects:https://linktr.ee/omalillySocial Media:https://www.instagram.com/batnibhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/binta-niambi-brown-07a303/

Marina Khidekel had anxiety, and a fidget-spinner wasn't going to cut it. She liked the feeling of a weighted blanket, but having it all over her body was way too much. So she came up with an ingenious solution: a weighted stuffed animal. In June 2022, she launched Hugimals World and its anchor product, the Hugimal, a 4.5-lb weighted stuffed animal in 4 varieties that feel like they are hugging you back. Let's fast forward to 300 glowing press clips later: Hugimals is a multiple award-winning product, one of TIME's Best Inventions, and available from Amazon to Nordstrom to QVC. It's an incredible success story, but like all success stories, it didn't happen overnight. In this episode of "Your New Life Blend,” Marina speaks to host Shoshanna Hecht about making the leap to becoming a first-time founder, the path from idea to invention, and the people she's hugged along the way (via many units of Hugimals, of course). 

Welcome to a very special episode of "Your New Life Blend" to send us all into Thanksgiving weekend with some advice and inspiration from some of our favorite women - because we all deserve to run our lives with intention, even on a holiday weekend. (Actually, especially on a holiday weekend!) Have a fantastic time however you are spending it and remember - be gentle with yourself. Featuring: Tanzina Vegahttps://tanzinavega.comAmy Shoenthalhttps://www.amyshoenthal.comAllana Harkinhttps://agi-entertainment.com/portfolio/allana-harkinMarisa Michelsonhttps://www.marisamichelson.comNatalia Petrzelahttps://nataliapetrzela.comBinta Niambi Brownhttps://about.me/bnbrownTammy Tibbettshttps://shesthefirst.orgAshley Brichterhttps://birthsmarter.comLaura Miranda-Brownehttps://biafund.com/about-usJane Condonhttps://janecondon.comDina Kaplanhttps://www.thepath.com/dina

What does it mean to have a brand? What does your brand tell the world about you? What happens to that brand when the world changes? Aliza Licht knows - especially after the past five weeks. As an award-winning marketer, bestselling author & podcaster, personal branding expert, and career development coach, Aliza was a go-to on Instagram for confident, spot-on analysis of brand management and mismanagement, from celebrities and corporations in the news to the rest of us out there hanging a shingle in the world. But on October 7, 2023, Aliza realized that her brand had to represent her whole self, and include her whole identity. She has since become a one-woman up-to-the-minute newsfeed about Israel & Gaza, and has a new appreciation of what it means to be "on brand" in a crisis. On this episode of "Your New Life Blend," host Shoshanna Hecht sits down with Aliza to discuss how our brands not only reflect our professional milestones and achievements, but of what we choose to prioritize in our lives - and the values we live by.Show Notes:Website:https://alizalicht.comBook:On Brand: Shape Your Narrative. Share Your Vision. Shift Their Perception.https://alizalicht.com/on-brandLeave Your Mark: Land Your Dream Job. Kill It in Your Career. Rock Social Media.https://alizalicht.com/leave-your-markPodcast:Leave Your Markhttps://alizalicht.com/podcastSocial Media:https://www.instagram.com/alizalichtxohttps://www.tiktok.com/@alizalichtxohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/alizalichthttps://twitter.com/AlizaLicht

How does one become a Puberty Mogul? Accidentally, according to Vanessa Bennett - but also on purpose, by raising four kids and caring deeply about how to support their growth, development, self-knowledge and self-esteem. Vanessa is the co-author of This Is So Awkward: Modern Puberty Explained and co-host of "The Puberty Podcast," both with pediatrician Cara Natterson, and is the President of Order of Magnitude, a puberty stage-of-life company to solve the pain points while empowering kids and their adults. In this episode of "Your New Life Blend," Vanessa talks to host Shoshanna Hecht about jumping in as an entrepreneur when you don't know all the answers, cornering an underserved market, and how it's always, always better to be awkward together than clueless alone. Show Notes:Book:This Is So Awkward: Modern Puberty Explainedhttps://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/723035/this-is-so-awkward-by-cara-natterson-md-and-vanessa-kroll-bennett/Podcast:The Puberty Podcasthttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-puberty-podcast/id1576221880Website:Order of Magnitudehttps://www.orderofmagnitude.co/Social Media:https://www.tiktok.com/@spillingthepuberteahttps://www.instagram.com/spillingthepuberteaEmail: pubertypodcast@gmail.com

What happens when we achieve our goals? What if we realize that what we thought we wanted isn't really what we want anymore? What if the thing we thought we were supposed to do, isn't actually what gives us purpose? And who decides what we are “supposed” to do, anyway? These are the questions that author & technology journalist Jessi Hempel considers weekly in her acclaimed podcast “Hello Monday” which examines the evolving culture of work, and in her book, “The Family Outing,” about the evolution of her family members and their identities. In this episode of “Your New Life Blend,” host Shoshanna Hecht talks to Jessi about finding purpose in our work, taking stock of how we are evolving, and making space for where we've been and where we're going, and how we can all pursue the most authentic version of ourself. Show Notes:Book:The Family Outing: A Memoirhttps://www.jessijhempel.com/bookPodcast:https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/hello-monday-with-jessi-hempel/id1453893304Website:https://www.jessijhempel.com/bookSocial Media:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessihempelhttps://www.instagram.com/jessiwriteshttps://twitter.com/jessiwrites  

How extremely online are you? When you create and consume, who or what is influencing you? Whose voices are being heard, and amplified, and platformed? Who are you giving your attention to, and who's taking it? And, who's making money off that? These are just a few questions that tech reporter, columnist and creator Taylor Lorenz wants to get you thinking about in her new book, "Extremely Online The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet," which looks at the rise of the modern social internet and how it created our current digital landscape across information, commerce, and connection. In this episode of "Your New Life Blend," host Shoshanna Hecht talks to Taylor about how social media wrested power back from traditional gatekeepers, how women have driven the influencer industry (thank you, monetization), why boundaries are critical (always and forever) and how we can and must push tech companies to be better custodians of our user experience, the information we receive, and our data. Obviously you should share this episode across all platforms.Show Notes:Book:Extremely Online The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internethttps://www.extremelyonlinebook.comSocial Media:https://twitter.com/TaylorLorenzhttps://www.instagram.com/taylorlorenzhttps://www.instagram.com/extremelyonlinebookhttps://www.instagram.com/taylorlorenz3.0https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylorlorenz/https://www.tiktok.com/@taylorlorenzOnline:https://taylorlorenz.substack.comhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/people/taylor-lorenz/

Jo Piazza "can't stop making things" - podcasts, novels, non-fiction books, newsletters, books by characters on popular TV shows, and most recently, companion podcasts to soon-to-be-released novels, in this case, a true crime podcast about the based-on-a-true-crime novel that is also based on her great-great-grandmother. This, like most sentences about Jo Piazza, is not an exhaustive list. From her early-career days as a gossip reporter for the NYC tabloids to her far-flung days as travel writer to her career as a bestselling author of many books to her pivot to producing and hosting podcasts (plural) while still writing books (plural) to writing a chatty, newsy, fun newsletter about all of it, Jo has built a career around telling stories. In between she got married (wrote a book about marriage) and had three kids (has a podcast about motherhood), and, with her latest book, "The Sicilian Inheritance," tells a story of women and adventure - that just so happens to feel close to home. In this (very fun) episode of "Your New Life Blend," host Shoshanna Hecht sits down with Jo to discuss what it feels like to become the CEO of your own brand, why she loves writing for women, and why she loves telling the world about brave, badass women. Newsletterhttps://jopiazza.substack.com/BooksThe Sicilian Inheritance https://amzn.to/45xcmExYou Were Always Mine (with Christine Pride)https://www.amazon.com/You-Were-Always-Mine-Novel/dp/1668005506We Are Not Like Them (with Christine Pride)https://www.amazon.com/We-Are-Not-Like-Them/dp/1982181036Charlotte Walsh Likes To Winhttps://www.amazon.com/Charlotte-Walsh-Likes-Win-Piazza-ebook/dp/B075RPKLF6Marriage Vacation (as Pauline Brooks)https://www.amazon.com/Marriage-Vacation-Pauline-Brooks/dp/1982100206How to Be Married: What I Learned from Real Women on Five Continents About Surviving My First (Really Hard) Year of Marriagehttps://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Married-Continents-Surviving/dp/0451495551If Nuns Ruled The World: Ten Sisters On A Missionhttps://www.amazon.com/If-Nuns-Ruled-World-Sisters-ebook/dp/B00LUA02RACelebrity Inc.: How Famous People Make Moneyhttps://www.amazon.com/Celebrity-Inc-Famous-People-Money-ebook/dp/B005VWK9K8The Knockoff (with Lucy Sykes)https://www.amazon.com/Knockoff-Novel-Lucy-Sykes-ebook/dp/B00N6PD01W

When should we listen to our fear? What is it trying to tell us? Author and podcast host Farnoosh Torabi grapples with that question in her new book, “A Healthy State of Panic,” in which she tells her own story navigating her fear in her own life, and using it as crucial intel for decision-making, boundary-setting and goal-chasing. As the founder and host of the award-winning podcast “So Money” podcast, Farnoosh also knows well how handling our fears and anxieties around money can make the difference between holding us back - or helping us forward. In this episode of "Your New Life Blend," host Shoshanna Hecht talks to Farnooosh about how fear can help illuminate our values and priorities; reveal what we refuse to risk, and why; and help us realize what we are capable of. Show NotesWebsite:https://farnoosh.tv/Podcast:So Money with Farnoosh Torabi https://podcast.farnoosh.tv/Books: A Healthy State of Panic https://ahealthystateofpanic.com/When She Makes Morehttps://farnoosh.tv/books/when-she-makes-more/Psych Yourself Richhttps://www.amazon.com/Psych-Yourself-Rich-Discipline-Financial/dp/0133886581You're So Moneyhttps://www.amazon.com/Youre-So-Money-Live-Rich/dp/0307406199Social Media:https://www.instagram.com/farnooshtorabi/https://twitter.com/Farnooshhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/farnooshtorabi/

Work, sleep, family, friends, fitness. Can you excel at all of these? And if you can't, which ones do you choose? Randi Zuckerberg lives her life by the philosophy of "pick three" - you can excel at three of those five, but if you try to do more, you won't make a dent in any of them. It's kind of an ironic maxim for someone with so many identifiers - founder, investor, performer, author, podcast host, not to mention mom, wife, daughter, and sister - but it's one Randi stands by, especially as she finds herself growing personally and professionally in this stage of a very public life and career. In this episode of "Your New Life Blend" Randi sits down with host Shoshanna Hecht for some very real talk about what we find - and make - time for, who the stakeholders are in that time, and what it means to build something that is well, truly and only yours.Show NotesThe Hug https://www.thehug.xyz/& Motherhttps://andmother.org/Books: Pick Three: You Can Have It All (Just Not Every Day)https://www.amazon.com/Pick-Three-Have-Just-Every-ebook/dp/B074SGQR3KDot Complicated: Untangling Our Wired Liveshttps://www.amazon.com/Dot-Complicated-Untangling-Wired-Lives-ebook/dp/B00BATNRH8Dot. https://www.amazon.com/Dot-Randi-Zuckerberg/dp/0062287516/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=Missy President https://www.amazon.com/Missy-President-1-Randi-Zuckerberg/dp/0692794840/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=Social Media:https://www.instagram.com/randizuckerberghttps://www.linkedin.com/in/randizuckerberghttps://twitter.com/randizuckerberghttps://www.facebook.com/randiPodcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ee/podcast/crypto-cafe-with-randi-zuckerberg/id1617293896Randi Zuckerberg Means Business https://randi-zuckerberg-means-business.simplecast.com/

What if you could get a do-over and try out the Dream Job that got away? Not a side hustle, not a lateral move - just straight up starting from scratch to catch a glimpse of what might have been. That's what CEO and happily-married mom Alisha Fernandez Miranda did when she took a leave from her company and crossed the ocean to take a year of unpaid internships in the dream jobs of her childhood. Oh, and she kicked it all off in February 2020. The resulting memoir, "My What If Year," is a wild ride of starry-eyed immersion in Broadway, high art, and the other dreams of her youth... and the kind of self-reflection that can only come from throwing your life into upheaval, and then doubling down during a global pandemic. In this episode of "Your New Life Blend," host Shoshanna Hecht talks with Alisha about what inspired her to take this leap, what changes it has brought to her life, and how to listen - really listen - to yourself. Show NotesWebsite: https://www.alishafmiranda.comBook: "My What If Year: A Memoir"https://www.alishafmiranda.com/my-what-if-year/#where-to-buyPodcasts:Extra Shot with Alisha Fernandez Mirandahttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/extra-shot-with-alisha-fernandez-miranda/id1701154466Quit Your Day Jobhttps://open.spotify.com/show/7yVd6Y6HCpNfQ9w2c4AzSm?si=a7c697492ea2486dSocial Media:LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/alishafernandezmiranda/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/alishafmiranda

Who gets to have an opinion about technology? Whose perspectives are invited into these conversations - and who is ignored, downplayed or written out completely? Bridget Todd was fed up with the gatekeeping around technology - how it was discussed, who were the default leaders confidently making pronouncements and predictions, whose stories weren't being told - so she started a podcast, "There Are No Girls On The Internet," to explore the many ways in which marginalized voices shape technology and digital culture. Fast forward and her podcast has been showered with awards and critical acclaim, and Bridget is a leading voice on technology and culture. In this episode of "Your New Life Blend" she joins host Shoshanna Hecht to discuss her winding journey through the minefields of the media industry to get here (pour one out for whatever we thought we knew about media back in 2012), the joys and perils of entrepreneurship vs. a steady paycheck, and how important it is to our own identities to know that we are qualified to speak about the systems and industries that affect our lives. We are so thrilled to be back with this amazing conversation with Bridget Todd, an amazing trailblazer and thinker as "Your New Life Blend" returns after our summer hiatus!  Show Notes Podcasts: There Are No Girls On The Internethttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/there-are-no-girls-on-the-internet/id1520715907BEEF with Bridget Todd https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beef-with-bridget-todd/id1674072378Internet Hate Machine https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/internet-hate-machine/id1648497305Company: Unbossed Creative https://www.unbossedcreative.com/Social Media: LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/bridget-todd-40250044/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/bridgetmarieindc/Twitter https://twitter.com/BridgetMarie

Why wait to be happy? Lyz Lenz was waiting, and waiting. She was married, she had two children, she was building a career as a writer that she loved. But she was in a marriage that was not working. Or, she was in a marriage that was not working for her. Once she realized this - and realized that it was not going to change - she ended her marriage. This started her life. We are not taking liberties here with her bio - this is taken directly from the title of Lyz's upcoming book, "This American Ex-Wife: How I Ended My Marriage and Started My Life," which drops this coming February. Lyz is now a nationally-recognized journalist and expert on politics, feminism, motherhood and ambition, faith and calling out the patriarchy, gleefully and righteously and without fear or favor. This will be her third book examining the structures that seek to control women (her two previous books were on faith and pregnancy/childbirth respectively), which we recommend reading along with her companion-piece newsletter, "Men Yell At Me." Lyz talks about all of this and more in this candid, funny conversation in this episode of "Your New Life Blend" with host Shoshanna Hecht, including where women can actually find freedom, the power of refusal, and all the reasons not to wait to be happy. Books:This American Ex-Wife: How I Ended My Marriage and Started My Lifehttps://amzn.to/3DQY7ioBelabored: A Vindication of the Rights of Pregnant Womenhttps://amzn.to/45iED1WGod Land: A Story of Faith, Loss, and Renewal in Middle Americahttps://amzn.to/45lZRw0Newsletter:Men Yell At Mehttps://lyz.substack.com/Also mentioned:I'm a Great Cook. Now That I'm Divorced, I'm Never Making Dinner for a Man Againhttps://www.glamour.com/story/now-that-im-divorced-im-never-making-dinner-for-a-man-againIt Took Divorce to Make My Marriage Equalhttps://www.glamour.com/story/it-took-divorce-to-make-my-marriage-equalThe Tragedy of Heterosexuality, by Jane Wardhttps://amzn.to/3OOtpNjSocial Media:https://twitter.com/lyzlhttps://www.instagram.com/lyzlenz

Ashley Louise wants women to have it all. She wants women to have all the money, all the freedom, all the promotions, all the confidence, all the joy, and all the options. With her partner (and wife) Claire Wasserman, Ashley has built Ladies Get Paid into a juggernaut of resources to help women advance professionally and financially, and recognize - and be recognized for! - our value and our worth. In addition to building the company together, in the past few years Ashley and Claire have pivoted a business built primarily on live events, moved across the country, gotten married, and embarked on the alternately challenging, frustrating and rewarding process of conceiving a child together (successfully! Claire is now pregnant). You'd think that might be a pretty decent excuse to coast, but in true YNLB form, Ashley is constantly iterating, looking ahead to where she wants her and her family to be, and what new things she should be trying to get them there, and how she can learn from all of it and bring the good stuff back to her LGP community. In this episode of Your New Life Blend, host Shoshanna Hecht takes a deep dive with Ashley about all of it - making the big life changes, trying new things, getting over the fear that was holding her back, and why it's the best bet ever to put women front and center.Website:https://ladiesgetpaid.comhttps://www.ashleylouise.xyz/Book:https://bookshop.org/p/books/ladies-get-paid-the-ultimate-guide-to-breaking-barriers-owning-your-worth-and-taking-command-of-your-career-claire-wasserman/18055523Social: https://twitter.com/ladiesgetpaidhttps://www.instagram.com/ladiesgetpaidhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/ladies-get-paidhttps://www.facebook.com/ladiesgetpaidhttps://vimeo.com/ladiesgetpaidPodcast:Ladies Get Paid https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ladies-get-paid/id1352819308?_ga=2.96448796.1854221724.1690998359-2068702724.1689965589Guide: How to Use ChatGPT For Beginnershttps://ladiesgetpaid.com/how-to-use-chatgpt/Thank you to our episode sponsor, Terawatt, world-class online coaching for everyone! About Terawatt:Websitehttps://terawatt.coSocial Mediahttps://www.linkedin.com/company/terawattgroups/https://www.instagram.com/terawattgroups/

How do we pivot with intention when our pivot was not intentional? For Stacy London - who made her mark as the confident, encouraging face of reinvention on TLC's What Not To Wear - the onset of perimenopause symptoms in her late 40s coincided with a shift in professional direction that left her feeling disoriented in her body and in her life. For Stacy, transformation was supposed to be about hope, and moving forward with purpose, but these were changes that were happening to her, and she didn't know what her new purpose was supposed to be - or what she wanted it to be. Stacy started having conversations about things that happen to every woman - for the first time, despite years working across media. She realized that it only felt like a midlife crisis to her because no one talked about how it was actually normal - it just felt like a crisis because there was no positive culture around it. From there, her purpose was clear: to talk about what happens to - and for - those of us who experience menopause, and offer support for what's next. On this episode of "Your New Life Blend," host Shoshanna Hecht sits down with Stacy for a frank conversation about her own transformation; how to give ourselves the grace to see ourselves differently, with new possibilities; how to optimize for a new phase even when we wish nothing would change; and also, hormones. Social Media:https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacy-london-874700201/https://www.instagram.com/stacylondonrealhttps://www.instagram.com/shopstateofhttps://www.threads.net/@stacylondonrealhttps://www.tiktok.com/@stacylondonceohttps://www.pinterest.com/StacyLondon/Book:The Truth About Stylehttps://bookshop.org/p/books/the-truth-about-style-stacy-london/11652238Pinterest TV:Midlife Magic with Stacy Londonhttps://www.pinterest.com/pin/633107660138393476/Making Over Menopause with Stacy London - Canyon Ranch:https://www.canyonranch.com/stay/events/making-over-menopause-an-immersion-retreat/

Deepti Sharma has had a busy few years. An entrepreneur who spent her career founding businesses that advocate for female, immigrant and minority communities, Deepti found her NYC catering platform suddenly upended in March 2020 by the pandemic. Pivoting on a dime, she partnered with World Central Kitchen to feed more than half a million New Yorkers, and then ran for New York City Council to address the broken systems that keep underrepresented communities on the sidelines. She didn't win, and subsequently joined Barnard University's Athena Center for Leadership as its first Entrepreneur in Residence to guide students on how to bring their mission driven business ideas to life. All of which is to say that for the past three years, this lifelong builder has been in rebuild mode, iterating and re-evaluating on the way to what's next. In this episode of “Your New Life Blend,” host Shoshanna Hecht talks to Deepti about how she's grown  comfortable projecting confidence (even when it feels uncomfortable), becoming the role model she didn't have, and the joy of spending time with people she loves - including herself.

Morra Aarons-Mele is embracing anxiety - hers, which she is open about her struggles with, and yours, which she wants you not only to feel no shame about, but to embrace as your superpower. In her book “The Anxious Achiever” and her podcast of the same name, she explores what our anxiety might be trying to tell us and how, rather than limiting our lives, understanding and working with it can help free us. This knowledge was hard-won (of course) as Morra built her award-winning social impact agency in 2011 through its acquisition in 2021, moved with her family coast to coast and back (literally) and became a go-to voice on entrepreneurship and mental health (a LinkedIn “Top 10 Voice,” in fact). In this episode of “Your New Life Blend,” host Shoshanna Hecht talks to Morra about how she really feels about entrepreneurship, social media FOMO, and how caring for yourself mentally is a vital part of building the life you want - and deserve. About Morra Aarons-MeleWebsitehttps://morraam.comBooks The Anxious Achiever: Turn Your Biggest Fears into Your Leadership Superpowerhttps://www.amazon.com/Anxious-Achiever-Biggest-Leadership-Superpower/dp/164782253XHiding In The Bathroomhttps://www.amazon.com/Hiding-Bathroom-Introverts-Roadmap-Getting/dp/0062666088PodcastThe Anxious Achieverhttps://morraam.com/podcastThe Anxious Achiever on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/6X2TvkKZl6VjMyOT5tKx8QSocial Media:http://www.linkedin.com/in/morraaaronsmelehttps://m.youtube.com/channel/UCY2GkgkYtJT1AdULC6To03Ahttps://twitter.com/morraamMorra Recommends: Healing At Work by Susan J. Schmitt Winchesterhttps://healingatwork.com/Thank you to our episode sponsor, Terawatt, world-class online coaching for everyone!  About Terawatt:Websitehttps://terawatt.coSocial Mediahttps://www.linkedin.com/company/terawattgroups/https://www.instagram.com/terawattgroups/

Hitha Palepu is a multi-hyphenate's multi-hyphenate - author, pharmaceutical CEO, media entrepreneur, lifestyle influencer, investor, speaker, curator of smart reads and cool products - plus stalwart family woman as a wife, mom and co-worker in the family business. (And if you know her, you know that's just scratching the surface!) With so many priorities - and identities - in play, how does Hitha prioritize, juggle, balance and still make sure she is looking after her own health? (Especially leading up to a scheduled hysterectomy.) In this frank and thoughtful conversation, "Your New Life Blend" host Shoshanna Hecht talks to Hitha about the privilege of boundaries, planting seeds and tending them over seasons, rejecting boxes "that are meant to keep us small," and the cathartic satisfaction of seeing a woman's anger be validated on "Vanderpump Rules." Note: This episode was recorded a few weeks prior to Hitha's hysterectomy in late June 2023, which she writes about here: My Hysterectomy Experience - https://only-smart-things.beehiiv.com/p/hysterectomyWebsite: Hitha On The Go - https://www.hithaonthego.com/5 Smart Reads - https://hitha.beehiiv.com/Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/hithapalepuhttps://www.facebook.com/HithaOnTheGohttps://twitter.com/HithaPalepuhttp://www.pinterest.com/hithapalepu/https://www.linkedin.com/in/hithapalepu/

Amber Briggle describes herself as mostly just an unconditionally loving mom. She also happens to be one of America's most visible moms of a transgender child in the fight for trans inclusivity, equality and justice. She's also doing it in Texas, where she fights every day to keep her family safe in her home state (which she is not planning to leave).Amber and her family were investigated by the Texas Department of Family Protective Services for child abuse in 2022 after Texas Governor Greg Abbott directed the agency to open such cases against families like theirs. Amber and her family sued the governor along with co-plaintiffs in PFLAG v. Abbott in order to permanently halt these investigations. This is the defining fight of Amber's life, and the one that gets all the headlines - but she is also a small business owner and a wife and mom of two managing everything else that comes with living a full life with all its gifts and challenges. In this episode of "Your New Life Blend," host Shoshanna Hecht talks to Amber about how she also looks after herself, how she finds and cultivates the support her family needs, how she navigates being a public figure just for loving her kid - and how you can still build the life you want, even when the world is coming at you with all it's got.Website: Love To The MaxSocial Media: https://twitter.com/mrsbrigglehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/amberbrigglehttps://www.youtube.com/@amberbriggle427GLAAD PSA: Protect Our Families 

Can you thrive in spaces that were not designed for you? Can you still achieve your highest purpose when you feel like you're under water? What keeps us grounded and focused on what's waiting for us just beyond the hard part? Bea Arthur is an entrepreneur and therapist who has seen patients and colleagues struggle with these questions in her practice and in building her companies - and has also found herself wondering those very things, keenly and deeply. As a trailblazing Black woman - the first African-American female founder accepted by Y Combinator, and frequently in spaces where she is the "first" or the "lone”'- Bea has become even more aware of how important it is to prioritize mental health, and even more passionately committed to her own highest purpose: helping people live easier, happier lives. In this episode of “Your New Life Blend,” host Shoshanna Hecht talks to Bea about her on-demand therapy service, The Difference, her journey as a founder in the online therapy world (and how *that's* been going over the past few years!), her new live comedy/therapy  show “Tribulations” hosted with the Daily Show's Roy Wood Jr., and how she finds joy, humor, love and purpose every day living in her body in this chaotic and beautiful world. Content warning: This episode contains discussion of suicidal ideation.Website: Bea Arthur Therapy The Difference Social media:  https://www.instagram.com/bbarthurhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/beaarthurhttps://twitter.com/BeaArthurLMHChttps://twitter.com/TheDifferenceAI

Welcome to Season 2 of "Your New Life Blend," a podcast about building our lives with intention in a world that continues to shift around us all. Join executive coach and licensed clinical therapist Shoshanna Hecht for another round of illuminating conversations with exceptional women like Stacy London, Morra Aarons-Mele, Bea Arthur, Hitha Palepu, Lyz Lenz, Amber Briggle, Deepti Sharma and others about how we balance boundaries and priorities, stay true to our values and define our own version of success. With every new day comes new choices - and the chance for us to ask ourselves: What do we want our lives to look like? We hope this podcast will help you find the answer. Welcome to Your New Life Blend.

Does beauty matter? Who gets to define it, and how, and why? And what are we willing to do for it? Journalist and author Elise Hu found herself asking those questions when she moved overseas in 2015 to serve as NPR's first-ever Seoul Bureau Chief, covering important global stories like North Korea's missile launches but living as an Asian woman in South Korea in a culture that venerated - and productized - perfection. Elise found herself thinking back to her days as a teenage model growing up in Texas and examining the pressure women - and girls - are constantly under to conform to beauty norms, with a gimlet eye to considering the industry making bank on selling the goods and services that promise physical perfection. In this final episode of Season 1 of "Your New Life Blend," host Shoshanna Hecht speaks to Elise about her new upcoming book, “Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital,” and how we are mediating beauty culture in our own lives and to the next generation, the worrying creep of AI normalization around beauty standards, and whether we can still opt out of it. It is a packed final episode of the season and we are so grateful to Elise for her candid and insightful comments. Book pages:https://elisehu.com/flawless/https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62121560-flawlessWebsite:https://elisehu.com/Social Media:https://www.tiktok.com/@whoelisehttps://twitter.com/elisewhohttps://www.facebook.com/elisehunprhttps://www.instagram.com/elisewho/

What do you do when the rug is pulled out from under you? This was the collective reality in the United States in March 2020, universally felt (though unevenly experienced) and one that left individual families adrift as they tried to hammer out a semblance of a new normal. For lawyer & executive Candice Cook, it was all about learning to ride the wave - and keeping her family steady and afloat meant keeping herself steady and afloat, too. In this special live episode of "Your New Life Blend," host Shoshanna Hecht talks to Candice about how she remade her life with her husband and young son alongside a demanding career that didn't really stop, how she forced herself to find moments of intention in the home-bound togetherness, and how she made "no" her best friend because that made room to say "yes" to the things that really mattered. This episode was recorded live before an audience at SaksWorks, the membership club at Saks Fifth Avenue, in December 2021.

Susan McPherson is an author, founder, speaker and consultant, but ask anyone who knows her and they'll all come up with the same title: "connector." It was more than a little ironic, then, that her book, "The Lost Art of Connecting," was published smack in the middle of the pandemic, at the height of social distancing, masks and faces in tiny zoom boxes. (The book came out on March 30, 2021, when most of us weren't even vaccinated yet). For Susan, who loves connecting with friends, connecting those friends, and then watching those connections bear fruit (sometimes in the form of further connections!), a pandemic book launch meant missing out on in-person events with her community, but a pandemic launch for this book meant bringing it into the world at a time when it was sorely needed. The art of connecting truly felt lost in those times, and Susan found new purpose in bringing connection back through her book events - and more than a little validation that her topic was actually one of vital importance. In this episode of "Your New Life Blend," host Shoshanna Hecht talks with Susan about and how a foundation of strong connections has supported her in making brave, bold decisions in her life, and how small, simple acts of thoughtfulness can help us build stronger, more meaningful relationships in our personal and professional lives.

Dorie Clark came to reinvention the old-fashioned way: by being laid off. As it happened, she was laid off on Monday, September 10th, 2001 - a terrible time, and a terrible job market. It was around that time that she realized that whether we like it or not, reinvention was going to be a necessary element our lives and how we live in the world. Fast forward to now, and Dorie Clark is a globally-recognized expert on reinvention and helping others make change in their lives, as a bestselling author, professor, and sought-after speaker and consultant - but even with all that, she has felt her own pull to reinvent herself and how she lives her life. In this episode of "Your New Life Blend," Dorie speaks with host Shoshanna Hecht about turning dreams into long-term plans so you can reinvent yourself on your own schedule, accounting for your own shifting priorities, and why if you create a long runway for yourself, you can do almost anything.

Who are my teachers when they're not assigned to me? What is the curriculum I choose to follow when it's not in the book? These were the questions that Abby Falik challenged high school graduates to answer when she founded Global Citizen Year, a non-profit that supported students in taking a "gap year" after high school. Abby was a decade into Global Citizen Year when the pandemic ground everything to a halt. Abby realized that this had never happened before, this collective, shared pause in life as we knew it. She made a conscious effort to find the power in that pause. In 2022 she joined the Emerson Collective as an Entrepreneur in Residence to incubate new models to transform how young people learn, launch and lead. Part of that mandate meant examining the default, assumed pathways not just for students, but for us all - and, Abby realized, for her. She and her husband had always dreamed of traveling the world with their children, so they packed up and took off for their own pause, and a return to her own fundamental questions about how we choose to learn, and live. In this episode of “Your New Life Blend,” Abby dials in from Nepal to talk to host Shoshanna Hecht about tuning out “the noise of everybody else's expectations" and finding your own path, because if the road is comfortable, you're on somebody else's road. 

Is your workplace toxic? Benish Shah is an in-demand lawyer and marketing executive, used to ambitious projects with punishing timelines, and she didn't mind hard work. But in the wake of the pandemic, she  started to question not just the work, but the workplaces. Was her work making the world a better place? And were her workplaces measuring up to that same standard? Benish had noticed a pattern in workplace culture: big talk about diversity and inclusion, but little actual follow through for the employees who took the risk of showing up at work with their full selves. As a marketer, Benish recognized the pitch: Big talk about doing great work that's valued. As a veteran of some of those workplaces, she recognized the con: gaslighting, HR doublespeak and a playing field that was never meant to be even. In this episode of "Your New Life Blend," host Shoshanna Hecht talks to Benish about how to recognize toxic workplaces, and what tools we can use to navigate them with open eyes, or get out.  

When the pandemic upended our lives in March 2020, Cindy Gallop was one of the few people who did not experience personal or professional upheaval, or even inconvenience. Cindy loved spending time alone in the apartment she loved, she was a sought-after speaker and consultant who was equally in demand online - and she ran a startup that was predicated exclusively on users and customers being online. That company was MakeLoveNotPorn, a social sex platform, with a goal to normalize sex and promote consent, communication, and good sexual behavior. User submissions tripled during the pandemic, and Cindy knew why: people wanted intimacy, love, connection and authenticity. Cindy also saw this in her coaching clients - especially women. Brilliant, accomplished women were hungering to be seen and heard and supported in the full actualization of their goals, lives and selves. In this episode of "Your New Life Blend," host Shoshanna Hecht talks to Cindy about how to thrive in the face of what life throws at you, how to exit environments that don't serve you, and how to turn every obstacle on its head to find the opportunity that comes from your unique voice, skills and vision. Oh also, she wants you to have great sex and more money. Happy Valentine's Day from a very special episode of Your New Life Blend! SHOW NOTES  MakeLoveNotPorn.tvDear CindyCindy's TED Talk: Make Love, Not Porn@CindyGallop on TwitterCindy Gallop on Linkedin@CindyGallop on InstagramBossy Lipstick - "Cindy Gallop Is Unstoppable"

A few years ago, Emily Lynn Paulson didn't think she had a problem with drinking. She'd quit cold turkey for her pregnancies, after all. But there always seemed to be a reason to drink, an opportunity, an excuse. And, soon, a constant. And her kids noticed. So she made a decision, found a sponsor and a 12-step program, and quit. Now Emily is the founder of Sober Mom Squad, a Certified Professional Recovery Coach, a Facilitator of Addiction Awareness and the author of "Highlight Real: Finding Honesty and Recovery Beyond the Filtered Life." But there was something else she needed to be honest about: her complicit relationship with a predatory multi-level marketing outfit (MLM). Drinking had helped make Emily a sales juggernaut, but she didn't like what she'd bought into. So for the second time inside a few decisive years, she intentionally pivoted away from something central to her life. In this episode of "Your New Life Blend," host Shoshanna Hecht talks to Emily about her upcoming book, "Hey, Hun: Sales, Sisterhood, Supremacy, and the Other Lies Behind Multilevel Marketing," and her path away from the slippery-slope culture of casual drinking and MLM payday, and towards making amends, and changes.Emily's website: https://www.emilylynnpaulson.com/ instagram.com/emilylynnpaulsonlinkedin.com/emilylynnpaulsontwitter.com/emilypaulson facebook.com/emilylynnpaulsonSober Mom Squad: https://www.sobermomsquad.com/instagram.com/sobermomsquad"Highlight Reel: Finding Honesty & Recovery Beyond The Filtered Life, and Addiction"https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/highlight-real-emily-lynn-paulson/1133930990"Hey Hun: Sales, Sisterhood, Supremacy, and Other Lies Behind Multilevel Marketing"https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Hey-Hun/Emily-Lynn-Paulson/9781955905251

Sehreen Noor Ali did not plan to start a venture-backed company in the pediatric health care space. But her child had started missing her milestones and she had too many unanswered questions. After taking time off work and spending hours upon hours in Google rabbit holes and parent Facebook groups searching for clues and trading information, Sehreen decided to create a tool to surface this information directly to parents like her. Together with her co-founder, Sehreen built Sleuth, a childhood health recommendation engine, powered by crowdsourced insights from parents and machine-learning. (Think: Waze for childhood health.) Sleuth has been building in beta alongside Sehreen's own sleuthing about her daughter's health, and the opaque and time-consuming health care system. In this episode of "Your New Life Blend," Sehreen reflects on that time with host Shoshanna Hecht, including the higher purpose of protecting kids, supporting families facing atypical health conditions, and marveling at her daughter's capacity for resilience...and, her own. 

Daisy Auger-Dominguez is passionate about inclusion on a deep, personal level, drawing on her own experiences being othered and unheard work for change through empathy. As the Chief People Officer of Vice and the author of “Inclusion Revolution: The Essential Guide to Dismantling Racial Inequity in the Workplace” she takes that empathy to work every day - and wow is her work cut out for her in this COVID/post-COVID/we-are-so-not-post-COVID era. Working through the evolving needs of a workforce and the evolving requirements (demands?) of employers and employees - against the backdrop of volatile market conditions - presents new challenges for HR professionals. In this episode of “Your New Life Blend,” host Shoshanna Hecht speaks to Daisy about the challenges of making sure all voices are heard, fostering a sense of belonging, and navigating this new era with empathy for others... along with the challenge of prioritizing her own well-being. 

Christina Wallace led a hard-charging life before the pandemic. She was a multi-hyphenate's multi-hyphenate, a musician-entrepreneur-marathon-runner-speaker-author-road-warrior who was flying a hundred thousand miles a year for work. Then she quit her job, because she had a new baby and it was time for a change. She was mapping out her book proposal and multiple income streams when the pandemic closed everything down - including her almost-income streams - and her world shrank into her Brooklyn apartment with just her, her baby, her husband, and her husband's phone voice - "a separate being in our relationship" - all day, every day. She realized change was going to have to come from her, so she reached out about a long-shot dream job - and became the newest faculty member of Harvard Business School. After a stint of zoom teaching, Christina and her family decamped for Boston and a life that, while still full and busy - had been designed on her terms, with a flourishing professional life at, she freely admits, "the first job that I have yet to cry at.” Now the mother of two, a three year old and a nine-month-old, Christina is the author of a new book, "The Portfolio Life," and a passionate advocate for designing a life that makes you happy. In this episode of "Your New Life Blend," host Shoshanna Hecht talks to Christina about finding her way to her own Portfolio Life, and how we should all aspire to be happy in our own unique and personal version of success.

The through-line of Umbreen Bhatti's career has been helping people tackle, as she says, "big, complex, sticky challenges." As the Director of the Athena Center for Leadership at Barnard College, and in her previous work as a lawyer and Director of the Innovation Lab at KQED, Umbreen looks at these challenges from all perspectives and then zooms out and kicks the tires on the underlying frameworks, paradigms and default assumptions to find new, and better, pathways forward. (She does not have time for "this is how we've always done it" and still less for "this is why it can't be done.") Umbreen had been at the Athena Center for almost a year when the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded in March 2020, and she got her wish: "this is how we've always done it" was no longer an option, and "this can't be done" never was. It was, ironically, a perfect crucible for learning about leadership - which, for Umbreen, meant equipping her students to move forward an uncertain world, and find ways to seize challenges and turn them into opportunities. In this episode, host Shoshanna Hecht talks to Umbreen about how leadership means looking at challenges as new possibilities, and moving beyond them to envision the world we want to live in, and then build it.https://mobile.twitter.com/ub14https://www.linkedin.com/in/umbreenbhatti/