Life Curious Women

Welcome back to Life Curious Women! In this solo episode, we delve deep into the fascinating journey of discovering your purpose through your passions. Ashley Nadine Lopez shares insightful tips and personal experiences to guide you on this transformative path.

Key Takeaways:

1. Understanding Passion vs. Purpose: Learn the distinction between passions and purpose, with passions being inwardly fueled and purpose being the outward impact your passions have on others.

2. Developing Clarity to Build Connection to Your Passions: Gain clarity by connecting with yourself daily through practices like journaling, meditation, and solo dates. Tune into your intuition to recognize what excites you and ignites your curiosity.

3. Listening to Feedback: Pay attention to what others say about you and what they seek your assistance for. These external cues can provide valuable insights into your strengths and potential purpose.

🌐 Connect with Us:

In this week's episode of Life Curious Women, we sit down with Victoria Alexander, a passionate public speaker, PhD student, and dedicated advocate for racial justice. Victoria's journey is one of resilience, growth, and empowerment as she navigates the complexities of academia, social activism, and content creation. Here's a glimpse into her inspiring story:

• Early Awakening: Victoria's journey began during her undergraduate years when she observed the stark racial disparities and lack of discourse on racial justice in academic spaces, particularly at predominantly white institutions.

• Academic Pursuits: Despite facing challenges, Victoria pursued her interests in understanding racial dynamics and the impact of media portrayal on perceptions of Black individuals. She delved into research, exploring the experiences of multi-racial college students and examining racial equity initiatives within educational institutions.

• Transition to Content Creation: Victoria's passion for social justice extended beyond academia as she ventured into content creation, driven by the desire to educate and empower others. Her resource guide on social media gained significant traction, propelling her into the online advocacy space.

• Content Creation Journey: Victoria reflects on her evolution as a content creator, from grappling with imposter syndrome to embracing her unique voice and making her content more accessible and relatable to a wider audience.

• Impact and Outreach: Through her engaging content and compelling speaking engagements, Victoria amplifies marginalized voices, challenges systemic biases, and inspires meaningful dialogue on racial justice within academic and corporate spaces.

• Advice and Advocacy: Victoria offers invaluable advice for individuals seeking to deepen their understanding of social justice issues and dismantle internal biases. She emphasizes the importance of self-reflection, diverse engagement, and continuous learning in fostering meaningful change.

Join us in this thought-provoking conversation as Victoria Alexander shares her insights, experiences, and unwavering commitment to advancing racial justice and equity. Tune in to Episode 3.11 of Life Curious Women to be inspired and empowered by Victoria's remarkable journey.

In this week's solo episode, join host Ashley Nadine Lopez as she shares her expertise on turning ideas and dreams into actionable steps. As someone deeply ingrained in a non-traditional career path, Ashley understands the importance of following intuition and pursuing passions wholeheartedly. Drawing from her own journey in on-camera acting and podcasting, she offers invaluable insights into how to tune into your inner voice and embark on the path to success.

Key Points Covered:

• Harnessing Creativity: Ashley delves into the power of intuition and creativity, emphasizing the importance of listening to the inner voice that guides us towards our dreams.

• Expanding Your Horizons: Learn how to seek out individuals who have accomplished similar goals, providing your brain with the proof needed to believe in your own capabilities.

• Getting Educated: Discover the significance of continuous learning and research in building confidence and knowledge to move forward with your dreams.

• Taking One Step at a Time: Ashley shares practical strategies for breaking down big goals into manageable steps, avoiding overwhelm, and staying focused on progress.

• Just Do It: Dive into the importance of taking action, even before feeling fully prepared, and how starting can lead to unexpected growth and self-inspiration.

Tune in to gain valuable insights and practical tips for navigating the journey towards your dreams, and learn how to embrace the cyclical nature of growth and progress. Don't miss out on this empowering episode!

💌 Mentioned in the Episode:

In episode 3.9 of Life Curious Women, join us for a compelling conversation with Dr. Emily Bent, Associate Professor in Women's and Gender Studies at Pace University in New York City. Dr. Bent's groundbreaking work revolves around girl-led social justice movements, girls' human rights, and intergenerational feminist activism within transnational contexts.

🌟 Key Discussion Points:

1. Early Inspirations: Discover what drew Dr. Emily Bent to the realm of girl social justice work and how her own girlhood experiences ignited her passion for understanding the complexities of the girl experience.

2. Challenging Narratives: Explore Dr. Bent's academic journey, from encountering a divide in literature on the experiences of white middle-class girls versus girls of color to challenging societal narratives that oversimplify the girl identity.

3. Girl Activism and Media Representation: Dr. Bent delves into the media's fascination with girl activists and the challenges they face. She highlights the importance of acknowledging the individuality of girl activists beyond their public personas.

4. Intergenerational Support: Uncover Dr. Bent's recent focus on exploring supportive relationships between girls and older generations. She sheds light on the complexities of intergenerational dynamics often overlooked in the broader narrative.

5. Pressures on Girls and Feminist Spaces: Discuss the moral panics surrounding girls, the pressure placed on them to change the world, and the challenges they encounter in feminist spaces. Dr. Bent provides insights into the nuances of empowering girls without burdening them.

6. Girls at the UN: Learn about Dr. Bent's extensive work involving girl delegates at the United Nations. She shares her experiences navigating the UN system, creating spaces for young voices, and teaching students about global women's rights issues.

7. Raising a Boy in Consciousness: Dr. Bent provides a unique perspective on raising a son in the context of her career centered on girls. She reflects on the importance of instilling thoughtful narratives around gender and embracing the full spectrum of her son's identity.

In the vibrant world of episode 3.8, Life Curious Women welcomes the trailblazing Latina singer-songwriter Elle Baez, whose pop-soul music is more than just notes and lyrics—it's a powerful message of authenticity, empowerment, and self-love. Dive into Elle's musical journey and the inspiring story she shares with Ashley Nadine Lopez.

** Trigger Warning ED 14:40-16:25**

🎤 Key Highlights:

A Musical Heritage: Elle Baez opens up about her early exposure to music in a household steeped in funk, disco, jazz, and Latin rhythms. With family members deeply rooted in the music scene, Elle's journey into the world of melodies began at the tender age of 3. From theater to opera, Elle's musical odyssey was destined for greatness.

The Struggle with Imposter Syndrome: Despite her early affinity for writing music, Elle grappled with imposter syndrome. Elle's vulnerability shines as she recounts the pivotal moment that led her to prioritize her well-being over societal expectations.

Empowerment through Music: Discover how Elle's journey through body shaming and self-discovery fueled her passion for body positivity and female empowerment. Elle found her voice not only as a singer but also as a fierce advocate for self-love. Her music became a medium to spread messages of resilience, breaking stereotypes, and embracing one's true self.

Finding Freedom in Female Collaboration: Elle delves into the challenges of working with male producers who often overlooked her vision for her songs. Her pursuit of knowledge led her to take a songwriting and production class at Berklee School of Music, and when she found a female producer who believed in her message it allowed her artistic freedom. Learn how this shift marked a turning point in Elle's career.

The Curvy Artist Collective: Elle co-founded the Curvy Artist Collective in 2019, an inclusive space bringing together plus-sized artists. Through this collective, Elle fosters a supportive environment for artists to showcase their talents. She hosts body-positive shows that celebrate diversity and inclusivity in the music industry.

Navigating Body Shaming in the Industry: Despite her efforts to promote body positivity, Elle shares instances of body shaming she encountered, even within body-positive spaces. Her experiences highlight the ongoing need for a cultural shift in perceptions of body image.

In this empowering solo episode of Life Curious Women, your host Ashley Nadine Lopez takes you on a journey to jumpstart your New Year goals, offering valuable insights and practical strategies for those feeling overwhelmed or unsure after a challenging year. Join the conversation as we explore two effective ways to navigate the path of reflection and intentional goal setting.

🌟 Key Takeaways:

Overcoming Overwhelm: Reflecting on 2023: Ashley acknowledges the overwhelming nature of planning for the upcoming year, especially amidst the social media highlights and holiday stress. She highlights the importance of taking inventory of the past year, helping listeners shift focus from the negative to the positive. By exploring old journals, last year's goals, or revisiting memories in photos and social media, Ashley guides you through a journey of rediscovery that will surprise and motivate you to approach the new year with renewed vigor.

The Power of Choosing a Word of the Year: In response to the challenge of setting goals when feeling less than positive, Ashley introduces a powerful concept: choosing a "Word of the Year." She explains how this intentional word becomes a guiding light, influencing decisions and actions throughout the year. Drawing from personal experience, she shares her word of the year, "Ease," revealing how it serves as a compass in her life after significant changes. She encourages listeners to engage in journaling to find their own guiding word, aligning with how they want to feel in the upcoming year.

🌐 Connect with Us:

Embark on a flavorful journey in episode 3.6 of Life Curious Women as your host, Ashley Nadine Lopez, engages in a profound conversation with Dalina Soto, a bilingual Registered Dietitian on a mission to revolutionize how we view nutrition, especially within the Latinx community.

🌮 Key Highlights:

From Pre-Med to Passionate Dietitian: Learn about Dalina's unexpected journey from pre-med to falling in love with nutrition after taking a class suggested by her advisor. Understand her shift toward preventive care and the profound impact she aims to make in promoting holistic well-being.

The Bias in Nutrition Education: Dalina shares her personal journey through one of the top nutritional programs in the country. Explore how traditional nutrition education often perpetuates biases, leaving out the richness of diverse diets and cultural foods. Learn how Dalina reclaimed the narrative around her Dominican family's culinary choices.

Empowering Through Ingredients: Discover Dalina's revelation about the wholesome ingredients her mom used, challenging the conventional wisdom pushed by the wellness world. Explore the disconnect between nutritional recommendations and the cultural foods that have nourished communities for generations.

Social Media Advocacy: A Double-Edged Sword: Dalina opens up about her foray into social media advocacy, shedding light on the positives and pitfalls. Understand the power of online presence in disseminating nutrition knowledge while navigating the challenges and setting boundaries for a peaceful digital space.

Weight-Neutral Approach: Dalina advocates for a weight-neutral lens, challenging the one-size-fits-all mentality in nutrition. Explore the idea that individuals have different nutritional needs based on various factors, debunking the myth that restrictive eating is a universal solution.

Working with Dalina: A Holistic Approach: Explore the various avenues to work with Dalina, from group calls and courses to insurance and membership clubs. Gain insights into her unique approach to nutrition and fostering a better relationship with food.

🔗 Connect with Dalina Soto:

In this spirited episode of Life Curious Women, host Ashley Nadine Lopez engages in a captivating conversation with Gabriela Lawrence, the Co-founder and Chief Communications Officer at Doce Mezcal. Gabriela's vibrant career in public relations and her passion for connections converge in the creation of Doce Mezcal, a brand that stands at the intersection of innovation, identity, and the spirits space.

🌐 Key Highlights:

Passion for Connections: Discover Gabriela's journey into the world of public relations, fueled by her innate passion for connections. From working with hospitality giants to shaping the image of CPG brands and alcohol, Gabriela's career was a playground for strategic relationship building.

From Connections to Craftsmanship: Learn how Gabriela's path took an unexpected turn when she met her business partners, and the trio found themselves aligned in a mission to create a unique mezcal brand.

The Birth of Doce Mezcal: Delve into the inception of Doce Mezcal as Gabriela shares the journey from the idea stage to its realization. With partners who had connections in Oaxaca, Mexico, and a shared love for mezcal, they ventured into a male-dominated industry with a mission to build a brand that stands out.

Breaking Barriers: Women-Owned Mezcal Brand: Explore the challenges Gabriela faced as a woman of color in a male-dominated industry. Gain insights into the difficulties of securing investment and the resilience required to navigate a space where less than 5% of spirits are owned by women.

Empowering Female Founders: Discover Doce Mezcal's broader goal of scaling to support other female founders. Gabriela opens up about the importance of building a community and fostering a "doce" lifestyle that transcends the spirit itself.

Balancing Act: Life as a Founder: Gabriela shares the realities of sustaining life as a founder, emphasizing the significance of stability, especially in the early stages. Learn how she continues to consult while pouring her heart and soul into Doce Mezcal, highlighting the delicate balance required for entrepreneurial success.

Future Vision: Building Community and Legacy: Gain a glimpse into the future of Doce Mezcal as Gabriela outlines the vision to continue building a community and crafting a lifestyle synonymous with "doce".

🔗 Connect with Gabriela Lawrence and Doce Mezcal:

In this insightful episode of Life Curious Women, join host Ashley Nadine Lopez as she engages in a heartfelt conversation with the inspiring Paulette Erato, the brilliant mind behind "La Vida Más Chévere: Through the Childfree Lens." Paulette's podcast is a haven for Spanglish-speaking, childfree Latinas y Latines, empowering them to break free from cultural norms and confidently navigate life without the societal pressures around family.

🌟 Key Highlights:

Unlearning Toxic Cultural Narratives: Paulette shares her journey of unraveling the toxic narratives surrounding family, both in American and Latino cultures. Discover the empowering process of shedding societal expectations and embracing a life that aligns with personal values.

Podcasting Inspiration: Explore the roots of Paulette's podcasting journey, from an initial focus on inspiring creativity to the intentional shift toward highlighting the child-free Latina experience. Learn about the passion that fuels her mission to question cultural norms and provide a platform for others to be heard and seen.

Navigating Motherhood Conversations: Delve into the irony of Paulette being born on Mother's Day while choosing a child-free life. Listen in as she recounts a passionate conversation with her mother on the podcast, and her mother's statement of 'no one is entitled to be a grandparent.'

Creating a Safe Space: Paulette opens up about the importance of creating a safe space for Latinas y Latines to share their experiences without toxicity. Learn about her commitment to representation and the need for a normalized narrative around being childfree within brown communities.

Challenging Stigmas: Explore the stigma Paulette witnessed within online communities, emphasizing the overarching theme of families not readily accepting the decision to be childfree. Discover her mission to challenge stereotypes, dispel media portrayals, and create a space where being childfree is celebrated as completely normal.

Love, Dating, and Being Childfree: Paulette shares her experiences in the dating world as a woman committed to a child-free lifestyle. From dating individuals with children to finding her husband, who shares the same values, she offers insights into navigating relationships while staying true to personal choices.

Advice for the Childfree Journey: Gain valuable advice from Paulette on finding community, accepting oneself, and building confidence on the child-free journey. Discover how she envisions a collective effort, where both parents and non-parents contribute to the education and progress of the next generation.

🔗 Connect with Paulette Erato and "La Vida Más Chévere"

Welcome back, Life Curious Women! 🌟 In this empowering solo episode, your host, Ashley Nadine Lopez, shares a deeply personal journey of resilience and growth in the face of life's unexpected challenges. Join her as she delves into four powerful lessons learned from recent life storms, including the loss of a job and a major move.

🌪️ Lesson 1: Embracing Change Explore the transformative power of accepting change as Ashley opens up about the initial struggles and ultimate freedom that comes with embracing life's inevitable shifts.

🗝️ Lesson 2: Trusting the Process Discover the art of letting go and embracing uncertainty. Ashley shares how learning to trust the process, even when details are unclear, can lead to unexpected opportunities and personal growth.

🌸 Lesson 3: Giving Yourself Grace In this segment, Ashley discusses the importance of self-compassion during challenging times. Learn how giving yourself grace can be a catalyst for personal healing and resilience.

🤝 Lesson 4: Leaning on Your Support System Join Ashley as she reflects on the strength found in leaning on friends and family. As someone who is very independent, she talks about prioritizing your support system.

🎙️ Tune in for Inspiration and Growth Whether you're facing your own challenges or seeking inspiration for personal development, this episode is a beacon of hope. Ashley invites you to join her on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment.

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🌐 Connect with Us:

In this episode of Life Curious Women, join host Ashley Nadine Lopez in a captivating conversation with Desiree Verdejo, the brilliant mind behind Hyper Skin, a multicultural clinical skincare brand rooted in joy. Discover Desiree's remarkable journey from a high-paced career in law during the 2008 recession to the launch of Hyper Skin, a brand dedicated to addressing skincare concerns for deeper skin tones.

Delve into Desiree's transition from a finance attorney working 60 hours a week to becoming a beauty entrepreneur, driven by her passion for skincare and the pursuit of joy. Learn about her strategic preparations before leaving her legal career, her deep dive into beauty inspired by a personal struggle with chronic acne, and the pivotal moment in 2015 when she identified a gap in the market for skincare brands centering on women of color.

Explore the birth of Hyper Skin, its commitment to providing clinical yet safe solutions, and the journey from its inception to gracing the shelves of Sephora in 2022. Gain insights into how Desiree navigated the challenges of entrepreneurship, the pivotal role of her support system, and the significance of launching during a time of heightened awareness around racial disparities.

Discover how Desiree has fostered a family-friendly culture at Hyper Skin, balancing her role as a founder while staying flexible. Plus, get a sneak peek into her involvement in a Peacock docuseries through Sephora, highlighting Latina beauty brands, and the empowering impact it had on her connection to her Latinidad.

As Desiree shares her wisdom, glean valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to carve their paths in the beauty and skincare industry. Join us for a dose of inspiration, resilience, and the radiant success story of Desiree Verdejo on this episode of Life Curious Women.

WE ARE BACK! Season 3 of the Life Curious Women podcast starts off this week with fashion psychologist, Dr. Dion Terrelonge. Dion is a fashion psychology researcher, commentator, and lecturer who began her journey as a childhood and education psychologist.

We get into:

• How the bulk of Dr. Dion's research is focused on how clothing affects our mood.
• Her journey combining fashion and psychology and how it began with a styling course she took.
• How the psychology of fashion is often overlooked because it can be deemed frivolous.
• Her experience styling people and she noticed that clothing affects confidence and autonomy.
• Why fast fashion has gained so much traction.
• Advice on how to slow down our shopping habits.

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In this week's episode of Life Curious Women, host Ashley Nadine Lopez dives into creating long-term sustainable change in your life! Do you find yourself starting a new habit and failing to stay consistent? Are you annoyed when you watch "that girl" on social media because you just don't know how she does it all? This episode is for you! Habit changes/implementation is VERY difficult based on how we are wired; take a listen to get tips on how to make those habits stick.

In this bonus episode of Life Curious Women, host Ashley Nadine Lopez dives into 3 ways curiosity can improve your life. Do you feel stuck, like you don't don't know what your passions are or lost in your journey? Then this episode is for you. Curiosity is the key to unlocking your fullest potential and returning to your most authentic self.

Episode Resource:

In this episode of Life Curious Women, host Ashley Nadine Lopez tells us all about her story and her own life curious journey! Ashley Nadine Lopez is an Actor, Life-Long learner and Multi-Passionate creative. Ashley never misses an opportunity to be vocal about what she believes in, help others in their success and find ways to grow in her own personal life. She hopes that she can use her acting platform to create impactful change for marginalized groups and tell some interesting stories along the way. This journey is just getting started! When she's not acting or podcasting, you can find Ashley bartending, exploring book stores or binging a television show at home in Brooklyn. 

In this episode:

• Ashley goes over how her love for performance began at an early age.
• How being busy has always been a part of her daily life and now understands it based on her recent ADHD diagnosis.
• Her experience wanting to study musical theater in college and not getting into the programs she wanted.
• How her journey in college lead her to no longer pursue a musical theater career.
• After graduating and taking time to commit, she actively decided to pursue a TV and Film career.
• Her journey starting a creative career was difficult at first because there were no real markers of success and she dealt with a lot of imposter syndrome.
• Eventually, after healing some limiting beliefs, she fully committed to this creative career and began treating acting like a business.
• Now after adjusting her view on what success means in this career, she had found lots of progressive movement.
• She talks about how she is now in a place where she is looking to find steady income outside of bartending to help support her creative career.

In this episode of Life Curious Women, host Ashley Nadine Lopez spills the details on why she started Life Curious Women, her inspiration behind the brand, her future goals with the brand and lastly, advice to those wanting to start their own project/brand/business.

Here is what she covers:

• As an Actor, she felt that she could not always control her career. She felt she couldn't always focus on her passions within her acting career.
• After some brainstorming, she landed on a podcast- Life Curious Women.
• She goes through the 3 reasons why she created Life Curious Women; Sharing women's stories, helping inspire others to go after what they want and lastly, helping listeners learn and grow.
• The future of Life Curious Women; including building an online community of passionate women working on personal/career development.
• Her advice to anyone listening who is thinking about starting a project, business or idea.

In this episode of Life Curious Women, host Ashley Nadine Lopez interviews Misasha Suzuki Graham, a graduate of Harvard College and Columbia Law School, she has been a practicing litigator for over 15 years, and is passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion in the legal profession as well as in her communities. She is a facilitator, writer, and speaker regarding issues of racial justice, especially with regards to children, the co-author of Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism, and the co-host of Dear White Women. Misasha, who is biracial (Japanese and White), is married to a Black man, and is the proud mom of two very active multiracial young boys.

We get into:

• Her experience being biracial in this country led her to an interest in identity and justice.
• How reading the Supreme Court decisions in the Korematsu case led her to studying law.
• What inspired her and her co-founder/best friend to start the Dear White Women platform.
• Her experience being in white environments and passing by being biracial.
• Learning what was being said when white women thought there were no women of color in the space.
• How starting Dear White Women began as a way to help white women use their privilege to uproot systemic racism without centering themselves in the process.
• The importance of having difficult conversation about race and being anti-racist.
• Looking at racism as a systemic issue rather than an individual issue.
• Advice on how to start the uncomfortable conversations with adults and children.

In this episode of Life Curious Women, host Ashley Nadine Lopez interviews Maia Alejandro, the founder of FOR TMRW and a former mental health clinician. FOR TMRW creates functional art objects and design-forward beauty products for an at-home spa experience. They are a lifestyle house in exploration of beauty and wellness. Through Maia's passion for interior design and career background in mental health, the collections are grounded in color psychology and interwoven with influences from design, art, photography and modern culture. In pursuit of visual joy through color and ritual, FOR TMRW's mindfully chosen polish collection is long lasting, luxurious, and viewed as a modern take on classic colors.

She created FOR TMRW to celebrate her family, elevate the perception of her Caribbean roots in the world, and bring clean beauty to the broader BIPOC community. She grew up spending weekends with her tías learning to paint nails, make face masks, and even pluck a few eyebrows. These moments at her grandmother’s house are some of her favorite childhood memories. After a major health scare and difficult time learning about clean beauty products, she decided to bridge her background as a mental health clinician with her broader learnings about clean beauty, to share what she had learned with her community.

We get into:

• Maia's career background in mental health.
• How she moved from being a mental health clinician to working in design and social media.
• Her experience facing a health scare during her pregnancy lead her to start learning about clean beauty, wellness and organic foods.
• How a trip to a non-toxic nail salon sparked her inspiration and motivation to create FOR TMRW.
• The importance of creating space for BIPOC communities to feel welcome in clean beauty and wellness.
• What it's like to start a business and brand as a woman of color.

Ashley is a Plant based chef who helps transitioning Vegans and anyone looking to live a conscious lifestyle reach their desired goals with comfort. After reading and researching about the benefits of a plant based lifestyle, Ashley decided to commit to going plant based in 2016. Coming from a Jamaican Chinese background, Ashley found it difficult to find meals that represented the flavors on which she grew up having. So she started to do more research and saw a void in the plant based industry. Ashley slowly started cooking some of her favorite cultural dishes for family and friends which lead to her building a client following of thousands of new and inspiring vegans. Ashley has developed countless dishes using ingredients and herbs commonly found in West Indians cuisines. One of her most popular dishes is her “Jerk Jackfruit Nachos”. Ashley is the owner of Violet By Vegan Chef Ash and they offer an array of services including catering, meal prep, events as well as personal chef services. Ashley’s main goal is to help children and adults live a long health life by teaching them alternative ways to eat comforting foods.

We get into:

• How Ashley began her career as a successful retail manager and real estate agent.
• Her introduction to vegetarianism/veganism and how eating this way made her feel better, healthier and more focused.
• As she continued pursuing a plant-based lifestyle, she began integrating her culture into cooking her food.
• How Chef Ashley started with cooking for her friends and family which eventually led to her growing into a business.
• Her advice to those wanting to transition to a plant-based diet.
• Her journey with Raw diets and the benefits of eating a raw, plant-based diet.
• How she started a business by catering events (Vegan Grill and Chill) and vegan meal prep.
• Within her first 3 months of starting her meal prep services, she was selling 300 meals a week.
• Her future goals with her business Violet By Vegan Chef Ash.

In this episode of Life Curious Women, host Ashley Nadine Lopez interviews Marveliz Polanco, a self-love and empowerment mindset coach. When she was 7 years old, her and her family migrated to New York City from Venezuela. She was taught to hustle, go to school, get a degree, get a job that has good benefits, work hard and save money for a "rainy" day. She followed the rules, but never felt fulfilled no matter how many degrees or how many titles she had. After climbing the corporate ladder for 13 years climbing the ladder in Human Resources, and following "the rules" she dove into her own personal healing journey. Through subconscious re-programing and belief change, she became the best friend she needed when she was 7. Self-love is the catalyst for everything in your life, once you have the confidence that comes through self love, you can take over the world. Now she helps women by empowering them through self -love and her coaching, so that they can manifest their goals with ease and become their own best friends through neural energetics and EFT.

We get into:

• Her experience in the Human Resources world and how it helped her discover her passion for helping others.
• A deep dive into her own personal healing journey
• How reprogramming your brain can help change the internal story you are telling yourself
• Utilizing her own healing to get her neural energetics and EFT certification to empower others
• How her programs utilize hypnosis to uncover your subconscious beliefs and rewrite those stories
• Her advice to those seeking to begin their own healing journey

In this episode of Life Curious Women, host Ashley Nadine Lopez interviews Marisa Miro, a former International Field Hockey player, coach, and umpire, who recently became a new mom. Marisa shares her journey from playing various sports to falling in love with Field Hockey, and eventually playing for the Puerto Rico National Team and abroad in Europe. She coached young players abroad, despite the language barrier, and followed her passion for empowering young women to be the best athletes they can be through her coaching back here in the U.S. Marisa shares her experience of navigating pregnancy while being an athlete, dealing with mental health, and balancing her roles as a new mom, coach, and umpire.

We get into:

• Introduction to Marisa Miro and her background in sports
• How Marisa's father emphasized the importance of sports in gaining an education
• Marisa's love for Field Hockey and how she perfected her skills on the field
• Playing Field Hockey in college and experiencing a knee injury
• Marisa's journey playing for the Puerto Rico National Team and in Europe
• Coaching young players abroad and overcoming language barriers
• Returning to the US to coach privately and umpire games
• How the COVID-19 pandemic affected Marisa's coaching journey
• Marisa's passion for empowering young women to be the best, most confident athletes they can be
• Balancing being a new mom with her roles as a coach and umpire
• The realities of being a new mom, facing postpartum depression, and navigating health post-pregnancy
• Marisa's goals for the future as an International Field Hockey umpire

Dr. Jill Goldenziel is a professor at the National Defense University-College of Information and Cyberspace and a speaker, consultant, and arbitrator. At NDU-CIC, she teaches courses in International and Constitutional Law, Leadership, Strategy, Lawfare, and Information Warfare to senior civilian and military leaders from the United States and allied and partner nations.  She is a Forbes.com contributor on National Security. She has spoken at the United Nations and dozens of events throughout the world. Dr. Goldenziel’s award-winning scholarship focuses on international law, U.S. and comparative constitutional law, human rights, refugees and migration, lawfare, and information warfare. Dr. Goldenziel is in the top 10 percent of most-downloaded authors on the Social Science Research Network, making her one of the most widely-read social scientists in the world.

She is working on a book on how politicization of refugee crises threatens national security, an article on lawfare and Illegal, Unregulated, and Unreported Fishing (IUU F), an essay on leadership and gender that builds on her popular TEDx talk, and several projects on the use of law as a weapon of war. In 2022, NATO ACO/SHAPE Legal Office awarded her the Serge Lazareff Prize for her work as a scholar-practitioner of legal operations (lawfare).

Since 2016, Dr. Goldenziel has participated in High-Level Meetings related to the UN Global Compact for Migration and its implementation, including speaking alongside world leaders before 164 UN Member-States at the Intergovernmental Conference to adopt the Global Compact in Marrakech, speaking at the 2018 Inter-Parliamentary Union/UN Annual Inter-Parliamentary Hearings, and submitting draft language for the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants and the Global Compact for Migration. She spoke as the primary representative from academia at the 2022 UN International Migration Review Forum.

We get into:

• Dr. Goldenziel's family background in law and her decision to pursue a legal career
• Her work teaching the Law of War at the Marine Corps University and National Defense University
• The importance of her current position for learning and growth
• Her research on the Iraqi Refugee crisis and its impact on national security
• The need for an international agreement to protect people fleeing war and violence not covered by the refugee convention
• Participating intenational policy making at the UN Global Compact for Migration
• The positive international view on migration versus the negative perception in the United States
• The power of data in combating fear around migration
• Dr. Goldenziel's advice for young adults on keeping an open mind and getting clear on what you want in your career 

In this episode of Life Curious Women, Ashley Nadine Lopez interviews Katherine Hill, an international figure skating choreographer, creative consultant, and entrepreneur. Starting her career as a management consultant with Accenture, Katherine now choreographs around the world for television, film, stage, and sport with notable clients including Cirque do Soleil, The Canadian Broadcast Company, Volkswagen, and more. When not choreographing (and traveling), she can be found teaching performance and style to figure skaters at the US Olympic Training Site in Colorado Springs or teaching the creative process to corporate teams- translating work in the artistic sphere to business innovation and workplace engagement.

Listeners will gain valuable advice from Katherine on how to pursue their passions and navigate career transitions. Whether you're interested in the creative industry, business innovation, or personal growth, this episode offers insights and inspiration from a woman who has successfully bridged the worlds of art and business.

Some key topics covered in this episode include:

-Katherine shares her journey from studying both business and dance to entering the business world as a management consultant with Accenture. 

-She discusses how she balanced her corporate career with her passion for choreography, and shares her struggle to feel confident in declaring herself a choreographer at the start.

-How she was able to leave her job and pursue choreography full-time by taking a job working out of the US Olympic Training Site, where she now teaches performance and style to figure skaters.

 -Her decision to start creative consulting for corporate teams, and shares insights on the creative process and how to use it in business.

-Her advice to those wanting to pursue their passion for their career.

Fia James is a comedic content creator during the day and musician at night. Starting with 80K followers on Vine and now having over 500K followers on Tik Tok, she has made comedic content creation her full time job. On top of working as a content creator, she is also a musician consistently working on songwriting, recording and performing. Fia is here to use her platform to make people laugh, feel less alone and educate/empower young women.

We get into:

• How she started making Vine videos at 16 and gained about 80,000 followers 
• How creating Tik Tok fulfills her purpose by allowing her to make people laugh and feel less alone
• How she quickly transitioned to making content creation her full time job and now works with an agency
• The hard parts about being a content creator 
• How numbers affect her mood and how she wishes it wouldn't 
• The wonderful parts of the job 
• How it can be difficult to be honest about the hard parts of creating content 
• Her journey with creating music on her own 
• Her goals of being in front of camera, having a segment, releasing an EP and eventually touring.

Natalie Trotta is a sustainability and innovation specialist by day, business school student, friend, partner, daughter, and cat mom by night. At the start of her career, Natalie realized that to move forward in her business career, she need to get her MBA. The problem was the cost; so she started a job working at Columbia University and is almost done getting her MBA for little to no cost. Along the way she has turned inward to work on her perfectionism, people-pleasing and need for external validation through going to therapy and utilizing mental health resources. Her goal is to leave the world better than how she found it. 

We get into:

• How at an early age she knew that in order to move forward in her career she needed to get her MBA
• How working for Columbia University has provided her the opportunity to get her MBA for little cost 
• Her passion for leaving the world a better place than she found it by living authentically 
• How therapy helped her move through perfectionism and people-pleasing to show up more authentically in her life 
• Building internal validation v.s. external validation 
• Advice on where to get started on doing the work 

Maria Yuan is the CEO and Founder of IssueVoter. IssueVoter is a nonpartisan, nonprofit online platform dedicated to giving everyone a voice in our democracy.
Their free public service makes civic engagement accessible, efficient, and impactful. With IssueVoter, you can make your voice heard by:

• Signing up for alerts on new legislation — before your reps vote
• Understanding new bills quickly and easily
• Sharing your opinion directly with your reps
• Seeing how often your reps agree with you

We get into:

• How Maria first envisioned IssueVoter while managing a State Senate campaign in Iowa, a battleground state known for its voter engagement.
• The importance of distinguishing between politics and policy
• How policy affect everyone living in this country every day
• How to take direct action to make your voice heard
• The challenges of being a founder
• Advice to those wanting to start their own business or nonprofit

Julia Sokol is an entrepreneur, community-builder, and new mama! Julia founded SassClass, a women's empowerment dance studio and community, in early 2016. Prior to creating SassClass, Julia had a successful -- by society's standards -- corporate career in marketing and data analytics. Despite quickly working her way up the ranks of the corporate world (6 figures by age 25!), she took a leap of faith and quit her job "cold turkey" in hopes to find a more purpose-filled path, which she can now confidently say, she has with SassClass! 

We get into: 

- How she started in a very successful corporate career and how she reached a cross-roads of either continue moving up or get out

-How she felt she was missing her purpose in the work she was doing which lead to her quitting 

-After some time off from work, she tested out a 4-week dance class for a leadership program she was a part of which lead to people asking her to do more classes

-The positive and empowering impact that SassClass and Feminine Expression has on a very inclusive community 

-What changes and adjustments she's had to make as a new mom and small business owner

-Her advice to those wanting to take the leap and start their own business

Jennifer Pearce is a mother, a teacher, a writer and a life coach. She started her journey to healing in the darkness of infidelity after 20 years with her ex-husband. After her husband left, she committed to loving herself intentionally and fully through meditation, therapy, hiking and being a mom. She found that daily blogging and showing up authentically helped her process her journey and soon she had a following of women who read her blog everyday as well. She now is a life coach who helps other women through infidelity and divorce! Talk about finding your purpose through the pain. 

We get into:

-The beginning stages of her journey; finding out about her ex-husband's infidelity and trying couple's therapy for 2 years to save the marriage. 

-Dealing with the ultimate divorce; how she had to show up as a mom even on days she didn't want to.

-How she utilized hiking, exercise and meditation to work through her pain

-How blogging everyday helped her heal in her journey 

-Utilizing life coaching and women's seminars as an avenue to help other women coming out of similar situations. 

Jennifer Castellanos is currently the Brand Partnerships and Community Manager at Chillhouse, one of my favorite brands, but she didn't start in the beauty industry. Jenn is the definition of "where there is a will, there is way." After getting her masters at Columbia University in Psychology and starting a career in teaching, Jenn discovered her creative passion for branding and social media. Despite all of the stigma around not only changing careers and interning later in life, Jenn decided to quit teaching, work as a bottle service girl and intern at the hair care brand Amika. Her bravery and hustle lead to her dream career in beauty, where she could follow her passion to help others feel good and succeed. 

We get into:

• How a relationship lead her to move to NYC and go to college there
• How she thought she would have a career in Forensic Science
• Her decision to get her Master's in Psychology at Columbia University and start her teaching career
• The best parts of being a teacher and the not so great parts 
• With no promise of success, she quits her job and takes a job working as a bottle service girl in night life in order to take an internship at the haircare brand Amika
• By being open and receptive to opportunities, Jenn lands a full time job at Amika
• The importance of social media as a  person in beauty

Yvonne is the CEO of Lotus Consulting, an organization on a mission to support women’s wellbeing through empowerment, harmony and collaboration. Yvonne is a Birkman Certified Professional (BCP), a student of the Academy of Emerging Women, a business graduate from St. Francis Xavier University, mental health advocate, speaker, facilitator, author, Schnauzer mama, and nature lover. 

We dive into: 

• Her story about escaping communist East Germany and immigrating to Canada  
• Navigating being an immigrant by learning the language and trying to fit in 
• Overcoming obstacles growing up in Canada and eventually going to University  
• Leading a Successful corporate career and following her intuition to quit  
• Starting her own consulting company and coaching women to follow their own intuition  
• Discussing the writing process for her book "Freedom Seeker: Reclaiming Feminine Wisdom"  

Marla Louissaint is an award winning performer, internationally published model, abolitionist community organizer and Founder & CEO of Claim Our Space NOW.  

We dive into: 

• Her choice to lead a creative life  
• How being undocumented and her decision to leave her family's religion affected her life path  
• Balancing being an Actor and Model with finishing her degree in Computer Science  
• What lead her to creating non-profit organization in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic 

Leah Sophinos is a human on a spiritual journey guided to help others along the way with massage and bodywork. She created Sacred Wei Wellness which provides a unique and holistic wellness experience. By combining science and wellness, Leah utilizes energy work (reiki and meditation), massage therapy and aromatherapy to help clients heal from the inside out. We get into how her own personal healing journey lead her to leaving her corporate career to go back to school to study massage and eastern medicine. 

We cover:

• How Leah gained an interest in spirituality after her birthright trip to Israel
• Why even after getting her masters in the business field, she pivoted her entire career 
• How she transitioned from a traditional career to studying eastern medicine and massage 
• The importance of combining touch in your healing journey
• Why her services are different from other wellness groups because she roots her services in intention
• Advice for those starting their healing or deciding to follow their calling 

Alessia Scauzillo is the creator of A Sculpt Body, a supportive, body neutral digital fitness platform. We hear about how she took the leap from her finance career to start her own fitness brand with little to no support from her friends and family, at first. She wanted to empower as many women as possible to make movement an important part of their everyday lives (and reap the benefits). Two years later, ASB has become a community that is truly unlike anything else. It’s about fitness, but also so much more- women supporting women and living a balanced & fulfilling lifestyle without the unrealistic standard of many other fitness programs. 

We Cover:

• What A Sculpt Body is all about
• The journey from corporate finance to being an entrepreneur following her passions
• How the passing of Alessia's mother encouraged her to step into the fitness world 
• Why Alessia encourages her community to workout to feel good rather than look good
• Some advice to those looking to leave their corporate jobs and those who want to begin their own fitness journeys 

Jules Miranda is a musician turned photographer and business owner. When the pandemic hit, Jules was no longer able to perform with her band so she turned in her guitar for a camera. She starting shooting and has since built a successful photography business. We dive into how she made the transition and what she likes better about this medium. She tells us all about her newest project Female on Film, a zine showcasing nude images and hand written stories about body image of 10 womxn. Proceeds of the sale of the zine will go to the international non-profit Fo's Feminista.

We cover:

-Jules journey with creativity

-Transitioning from being a musician to a full-time photographer

-What she enjoys about photography vs music

-Navigating imposter syndrome and charging an appropriate amount of money for her work

-The power of social media

-Her project Female on Film and her inspiration behind the zine

-Advice to anyone starting a new business

Bethany Lauren James is an Actor, Writer, Producer and Business Coach. She began her journey as an Actor and realized she needed help keeping herself accountable in order to get her tasks done. From there, The Actor's Forum was born and she helps all types of people work through being stuck and get clear on their objectives/goals. Bethany's main philosophy is "You are an expert on you" and she uses that through out her work to encourage her clients in their journey to success. 

We cover:

-how she turned her experience as the CEO of her acting career to a successful coaching career

-how taking time to evaluate why you are feeling stuck and showing up consistently creates a path to success

-how a path to success is usually a journey inward

-how Bethany's curiosity has lead her to level up in her career ad her overall happiness 

-how you can implement her coaching styles into your own productivity work

Rebeccah Schechter is a Health Coach and Flight attendant with a passion for sustainability and helping people take care of their bodies. She started her journey as a fierce vegan with a passion for sustainability and through her travels she learned a lot more about being imperfect in her journey to help the planet. She is now focused on helping others live a healthy lifestyle because as she says, sustainability and taking care of ourselves go hand in hand.  

We Cover:

-how she started her journey as a finance focused student 

-how she discovered veganism/sustainability and ended up working as a Sustainability teacher in Nicaragua for the Peace Corps 

-the pressures of living a "perfect" vegan/sustainable life

-how traveling taught her that you don't have to live a "all or nothing" lifestyle to make an impact

-why taking care of ourselves also means we are taking care of the planet

Ever too scared to look at your finances? This is why Alex Offor created Financial Flex- a podcast all about money mindset and financial freedom. Alex began this journey by documenting her own path to financial freedom by posting about her student loan debt. She has broken the silence around money and debt. 

We cover:

-The inspiration behind Financial Flex

-Money Mindset

-Social Media money misconceptions

-Why it's important to talk about finances

-Some tips on taking charge in your own personal finances

We are starting off strong with Emily Lyons. She is a female identifying creative with a passion for painting and graphic design. Instead of choosing to either pursue her painting career OR climb the corporate ladder, she did both! 

We cover:

-Emily's journey into becoming a painter

-Deciding to study Economics in college

-Her journey post-college 

-Monetizing her artwork 

-How she has incorporated her artistic side into her 9-5