Power to Pursue

This week, we talked to Cindy, founder of Vessel Collective and Mom Prom Cincy! 💖 After having three babies (including twins!) during COVID, Cindy was on a mission to build the village she needed for herself—and for all moms. Cindy shared her vulnerable journey raising twins on the spectrum and how she’s creating a new program to support moms of kids with special needs. This conversation is a reminder that you are not alone and that "it's alright to not be okay sometimes". Tune in for a powerful discussion about finding your community! 🎧

This week on the podcast, we chatted with Jen Spieser, CEO of the Cincinnati Parks Foundation! 🌳 She's in pursuit of balance and boundaries while leading a massive effort to make Cincinnati's parks the best they can be. The highlights: Cincinnati has the 4th best urban park system in the country! The Foundation has raised over $110 million in its 30 years to support our green spaces. We're learning about "third spaces"—safe, communal spots—and how grassroots groups are getting free funding for neighborhood park programs. They’ve partnered with the Osher Center for Integrative Health to launch Parks & Rec for Wellness, focusing on mindfulness and holistic health in nature. Jen shares how the pandemic gave her a much-needed gift of time and flexibility with her daughter, proving that work-life balance is possible. It's all about how strong communities and great parks make us better together! Tune in! 🎧 About this week's guest: Jennifer brings over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, where her passion, authenticity, and commitment to equity have made a lasting impact. As a leader at the Cincinnati Parks Foundation, she has been instrumental in advancing inclusive initiatives, particularly around accessibility in public infrastructure and programming. Under her leadership since 2015, the Foundation has raised more than $30 million in support of Cincinnati Parks. Previously, Jennifer served as Head of Development for the Cincinnati Fire Department, where she successfully raised over $35 million and made history as the Department’s first female Public Information Officer. A dedicated civic leader, Jennifer has served on the boards of the National Association of Park Foundations and the Cincinnati Recreation Foundation. She has lent her expertise to advisory panels for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Give Back Cincinnati, Greater Cincinnati Hamilton County Disabilities Services, Cincinnati Ballet Academy, ArtWorks, and the Women’s Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation. Jennifer is a Founding Member of the Women’s Committee of Cincinnati Parks, a graduate of Leadership Cincinnati Class 45, and a proud member of the Sons & Daughters of Italy. She currently serves on the boards of the Cincinnati Fire Foundation and Cincinnati Children’s Theater, and as an Advisory Council Member for Duke Energy.

Welcome to Power to Pursue, a groundbreaking podcast hosted by Rachel DesRochers, a serial entrepreneur and nonprofit founder. Launched in the Spring of 2025, this podcast aims to celebrate and normalize the diverse pursuits of women—from perfecting their morning coffee to building successful businesses.  With a focus on inspiring and empowering listeners, Power to Pursue will feature interviews with women from various backgrounds, including entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and everyday heroes. This week, join Rachel and Julie Bauke. Julie Bauke believes that we all deserve careers that serve our lives.  Her 25 + years of experience working with executives, professional athletes, and career-focused people of all industries and professions brings practical inspiration on how to live our best career lives from start to finish. Her firm is focused on bringing career development and engagement strategies to individuals and organizations.  Julie is a sought-after national media expert, workshop facilitator, and keynote speaker. Julie has been featured by more than 100 prominent media outlets including CNBC, MONEY Magazine, and TV segments with the Scripps News Network and Sinclair Broadcasting, appearing on their TV stations nationwide. She is a regular contributor on the top radio stations in New York, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles and Miami.  She is the author of Stop Peeing on Your Shoes: Avoiding the 7 Mistakes that Screw Up Your Job Search and the creator of Career Catalyst, an Intentional Career Management Experience. 

Welcome to Power to Pursue, a groundbreaking podcast hosted by Rachel DesRochers, a serial entrepreneur and nonprofit founder. Launched in the Spring of 2025, this podcast aims to celebrate and normalize the diverse pursuits of women—from perfecting their morning coffee to building successful businesses.  With a focus on inspiring and empowering listeners, Power to Pursue will feature interviews with women from various backgrounds, including entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and everyday heroes. This week, join Rachel and Shakiyah Colston. Born and raised as a country girl in Paducah, Kentucky, Shakiyah Colston MBA, AVP has proudly made Cincinnati her home and playground. A devoted wife of nearly 10 years and proud mother to two sets of twin daughters, which has led her to become an advocate for women that deals with infertility, Shakiyah creatively balances career, creativity, and community. She currently serves as an Assistant Vice President in the Corporate space, where she combines expertise with a deep passion for helping others achieve financial success. Outside the office, she is an accomplished photographer whose work has been featured in BLINK Cincinnati, as well as a sought-after content creator who’s creative collaborations include partnerships with notable brands such as Goldstar Chili, Rookwood Commons & Pavilion, Cincinnati Magazine, FC Cincinnati, The Children’s Theater and many more. An active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Shakiyah is deeply committed to service, sisterhood, and uplifting those around her. Whether she’s capturing unforgettable moments, curating engaging content, or inspiring through leadership, Shakiyah approaches every role with authenticity, excellence, and purpose. Follow Shak on Instagram at @Pretty.Anonymous 

Welcome to Power to Pursue, a groundbreaking podcast hosted by Rachel DesRochers, a serial entrepreneur and nonprofit founder. Launched in the Spring of 2025, this podcast aims to celebrate and normalize the diverse pursuits of women—from perfecting their morning coffee to building successful businesses.  With a focus on inspiring and empowering listeners, Power to Pursue will feature interviews with women from various backgrounds, including entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and everyday heroes. This week, join Rachel and Kim Powers. Kim is a mother, an entrepreneur, and a connector and champion of women.  A Northern Kentucky native, Kim grew up pursuing the sport of springboard and platform diving, which landed her a spot on the US National Diving Team for five years and then took her to Stanford University. After college, Kim worked in collegiate athletics for 11 years at Xavier University before leaving in 2014 to stay home with her young children. Kim founded Leeta Ruth Boutique in 2016 and is set to launch her new venture, Allumer, in Fall 2025. 

Welcome to Power to Pursue, a groundbreaking podcast hosted by Rachel DesRochers, a serial entrepreneur and nonprofit founder. Launched in the Spring of 2025, this podcast aims to celebrate and normalize the diverse pursuits of women—from perfecting their morning coffee to building successful businesses.  With a focus on inspiring and empowering listeners, Power to Pursue will feature interviews with women from various backgrounds, including entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and everyday heroes. This week, join Rachel and the one and only, Sarah Cash Crawford, the owner of Anchor Wellness.  Hear about Sarah's passions, which led her to where she is today, her goals at Anchor Wellness, which push her to revolutionize the Health & Wellness sector, and what she's in pursuit of.  Join us!

Welcome to Power to Pursue, a groundbreaking podcast hosted by Rachel DesRochers, a serial entrepreneur and nonprofit founder. Launched in the Spring of 2025, this podcast aims to celebrate and normalize the diverse pursuits of women—from perfecting their morning coffee to building successful businesses.  With a focus on inspiring and empowering listeners, Power to Pursue will feature interviews with women from various backgrounds, including entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and everyday heroes. This week, join Rachel and Unataza Coffee's Aejandra Dlores! Alejandra owns Unataza, out of Dayton, Kentucky. Learn about her journey as a businesswoman, her work to celebrate Honduran coffee and culture, and more.  Grab your favorite cup of coffee and join us to create something bigger and better. 

Welcome to Power to Pursue, a groundbreaking podcast hosted by Rachel DesRochers, a serial entrepreneur and nonprofit founder. Launched in the Spring of 2025, this podcast aims to celebrate and normalize the diverse pursuits of women—from perfecting their morning coffee to building successful businesses.  With a focus on inspiring and empowering listeners, "In Pursuit" will feature interviews with women from various backgrounds, including entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and everyday heroes. Today, Veronica Sterling joins Rachel to chat about life, loss, and finding intention in our daily lives.  As the CEO of Hospice of Southwest Ohio, Veronica says her experiences at work are a blessing, which help her lead an incredibly intentional life..each and every day.  Grab your favorite beverage, sit back, and join us!

Welcome to Power to Pursue, a groundbreaking podcast hosted by Rachel DesRochers, a serial entrepreneur and nonprofit founder. Launched in the Spring of 2025, this podcast aims to celebrate and normalize the diverse pursuits of women—from perfecting their morning coffee to building successful businesses.  With a focus on inspiring and empowering listeners, "In Pursuit" will feature interviews with women from various backgrounds, including entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and everyday heroes. Today, Sara Grace Mohr and Rachel to chat about money, honey! The newly - named CEO of the family business, Mackey Advisors, Sarah oversees the operations, strategy, sales, and marketing initiatives. Sarah is passionate about empowering minority business owners and building stronger and more resilient communities. She’s also a bit of an architecture buff, avid reader, and Formula 1 fanatic. When she’s not helping clients change the world for the better, SG’s whipping up fancy cocktails for family and friends.

Welcome to Power to Pursue, a groundbreaking podcast hosted by Rachel DesRochers, a serial entrepreneur and nonprofit founder. Launched in the Spring of 2025, this podcast aims to celebrate and normalize the diverse pursuits of women—from perfecting their morning coffee to building successful businesses.  With a focus on inspiring and empowering listeners, "In Pursuit" will feature interviews with women from various backgrounds, including entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and everyday heroes. Today, join Rachel and her great friend Krista Powers. Join this self - proclaimed loving, powerful, and authentic human AND a cancer survivor (and thriver), author, an Executive Director, community leader, and much, much more.  With that intro, you know this will be a great chat.  Join us to hear about our search for the *perfect* lip color and so much more!

Welcome to Power to Pursue, a groundbreaking podcast hosted by Rachel DesRochers, a serial entrepreneur and nonprofit founder. Launched in the Spring of 2025, this podcast aims to celebrate and normalize the diverse pursuits of women—from perfecting their morning coffee to building successful businesses.  With a focus on inspiring and empowering listeners, "In Pursuit" will feature interviews with women from various backgrounds, including entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and everyday heroes. Today, Social Media Influencer, Kait Lott joins Rachel to discuss life as a social media influencer, how to deal with daily stressors, the importance of asking for help, and more! Join us!

Welcome to Power to Pursue, a groundbreaking podcast hosted by Rachel DesRochers, a serial entrepreneur and nonprofit founder. Launched in the Spring of 2025, this podcast aims to celebrate and normalize the diverse pursuits of women—from perfecting their morning coffee to building successful businesses.  With a focus on inspiring and empowering listeners, "In Pursuit" will feature interviews with women from various backgrounds, including entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and everyday heroes. This week, Game Day Communications CEO, Jackie Reau joins Rachel to chat about.. well, everything, from the love of our region, finding your passions, the importance of volunteering, and SO much more. This week, we hope you walk away with the wisdom to know anything is possible, and hard work matters.

Welcome to Power to Pursue, a groundbreaking podcast hosted by Rachel DesRochers, a serial entrepreneur and nonprofit founder. Launched in the Spring of 2025, this podcast aims to celebrate and normalize the diverse pursuits of women—from perfecting their morning coffee to building successful businesses.  With a focus on inspiring and empowering listeners, "In Pursuit" will feature interviews with women from various backgrounds, including entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and everyday heroes. Today, Rachel welcomes Alicia Wilhelmy! The two chat about pursuing life through FUN, why it's important to Alicia, and what eventually led her on a new career path.  Join us!

Welcome to Power to Pursue, a groundbreaking podcast hosted by Rachel DesRochers, a serial entrepreneur and nonprofit founder. Launched in the Spring of 2025, this podcast aims to celebrate and normalize the diverse pursuits of women—from perfecting their morning coffee to building successful businesses.  With a focus on inspiring and empowering listeners, Power to Pursue will feature interviews with women from various backgrounds, including entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and everyday heroes. This week, join Rachel and Kyla Woods to kick off this impactful podcast series.  About Kyla: Kyla Woods is an experienced Broadcast Journalist, Host, and Communications Strategist, currently serving as Public Information Officer for Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey. She previously worked as a Reporter and Anchor at WLWT in Cincinnati and also as the Broadcast Host of Biz Beat, presented by the Business Courier on Local 12. Kyla started her own business, Crowd or Camera Communications, in 2016 and has managed several brand and PR campaigns in Cincinnati and the Midwest. She is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and a Forty Under 40 Honoree. She also serves as a board member of the Mt. Washington School Foundation and Alloy Development. 

In this episode of the Power to Pursue Podcast, Rachel DesRochers sits down with Emmy-award winning journalist and community leader Michelle Hopkins for a powerful conversation about reinvention, storytelling, and finding joy in unexpected places. Michelle shares her journey from a shy girl growing up in Fort Wayne, Indiana to becoming a respected television journalist, host of Coffee with Michelle, and community engagement director at the Greater Cincinnati Foundation. Along the way, she reflects on the mentors who helped her find her voice, the courage it took to step back into television after more than a decade away, and the joy she’s discovered in telling the stories of people who make Cincinnati extraordinary.  Rachel and Michelle explore what it means to enter a “third act” in your career, how curiosity and connection can transform storytelling, and why pursuing joy — even when it feels uncomfortable — can open doors you never imagined. This conversation is a reminder that our paths are rarely linear, and sometimes the most meaningful work happens when we return to what once lit us up. If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s too late to start something new, Michelle’s story is proof that your best chapter might still be ahead.

If you’ve ever attended Power to Pursue, you’ve felt her work, even if you’ve never seen her on stage. In this special behind-the-scenes episode, Rachel sits down with Tara Litmer... the right-hand woman, operational genius, and heart-forward “do-er” behind the Power to Pursue programming. From volunteer wrangler to run-of-show architect, Tara has been a pivotal force in building this community for nearly five years. A full-time special education teacher (entering year 27!) and longtime friend of Rachel’s, Tara shares how what started as “helping a friend for grahams” turned into co-building one of the region’s most powerful women’s conferences. Together, they reflect on: The evolution of Power to Pursue from passion project to movement What it really takes to produce a 900-woman summit The systems, spreadsheets, and soul behind the scenes Why volunteers return year after year The real emotions behind leadership, growth, and visibility What makes Year 5 different... and why this might be the year you finally attend This episode is funny, honest, tender, and deeply real. It’s about friendship. It’s about building something bigger than yourself. And it’s about the women who make the magic happen long before the doors open. 🎟️ Power to Pursue Year 5 is coming May 15. Tickets are on sale now!  Come be seen. Come be heard. Come be loved. We can’t wait to welcome you.

A special live-recorded edition of the Power to Pursue Podcast, Host Rachel DesRochers sits down with New York Times bestselling poet Kate Baer, where poetry, friendship, motherhood, aging, creativity, and community meet in one deeply honest conversation. Recorded in front of a live audience at the Mercantile Library, Kate shares how her words are born from ordinary moments, why women’s friendships are lifelines, and what it means to stop apologizing for the work we’re called to do. This episode is a reminder that truth-telling is an act of courage, and that we’re not meant to pursue it alone. Learn more about Kate Baer at https://www.katebaer.com/

In this deeply reflective episode of the Power to Pursue Podcast, Rachel DeRochers sits down with writer, founder, and cultural thinker Rachel Cargle for a conversation about what it means to be well, not as a goal, but as a daily practice. Rachel shares what she’s learning in this season of stillness: returning home to Ohio, paying attention to cycles, redefining ambition, and letting go of the noise that once shaped her choices. Together, they explore grief as an expansive teacher, the freedom that can coexist with loss, and how tending to ourselves, and each other, is an act of radical care. This episode touches on: Redefining success, rhythm, and enoughness Grief, gratitude, and the ways they live side by side Aging, self-trust, and learning yourself over time Creating spaces of safety, community, and belonging Why “it can just be this beautiful” is more than a mantra This is a conversation for anyone navigating change, healing, or the quiet courage it takes to choose yourself, again and again.

What does it mean to keep moving, through uncertainty, grief, growth, and the quiet seasons in between? In this episode of the Power to Pursue Podcast, we sit down with Hannah Chapman for a grounded, honest conversation about becoming: how we listen to ourselves, how we change course, and how meaning is often found not at the destination, but in the pursuit itself. Hannah shares reflections on growth that isn’t linear, the courage it takes to keep going when clarity is incomplete, and the ways our stories evolve as we do. This episode is for anyone navigating transition, re-defining success, or learning to trust the unfolding. Related Listen: Host Rachel DesRochers previously explored themes of grief, gratitude, and growth on the Expansive CEO Podcast. 🎧 Listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/grief-gratitude-growth-with-rachel-desrochers-217/id1662417916?i=1000728079893&l=fr-CA Slow down. Listen deeply. Stay in pursuit.

What does it look like to grow a business without doing it all alone? In this episode of Power to Pursue, host Rachel DeRochers sits down with Jill Morenz, President & CEO of Aviatra Accelerators, to talk about women-led businesses, side hustles, sustainable growth, and the power of community. From helping women launch their very first idea to supporting founders scaling multi-million-dollar enterprises, Jill shares what she’s learned after working with more than 1,000 women entrepreneurs in a single year. This conversation is about permission, to start small, to ask for help, to build a business that fits your life (not the other way around), and to stop believing you have to do it alone. Remember, You can do this. And you don’t have to do it alone. Listen now and ask yourself: what are you in pursuit of?