When you see Stephanie Koenig on the screen, you might do a double take. You might have seen her before on the TV series The Flight Attendant or The Offer. But with her role in the upcoming Apple+ series Lessons in Chemistry (debuting October 13), you'll soon not just recognize the face but the name as well. Indeed, Stephanie is a star on the rise and defeating the odds of being a working actress in Hollywood (you all know how much I love it when people defy odds). But the real thing that made me ask her to be on the show: she is a Michigan native (both parents work in the automotive industry) who is earthy, self-deprecating and funny. And she doesn’t have a self-important bone in her body. She's a girl's girl who I think you'll enjoy getting to know—before everyone else does.
34-year-old Anna Todd, author of the best selling fan fiction series After, shares the story of how she went from being a military wife, working a minimum wage job with a special needs son, and living in Ft. Worth, Texas to a best selling author and movie producer in Hollywood.
A heartfelt and personal discussion as Linda talks with her sister-in-law Ginge Cabrera about how she turned her pain over her mother’s battle with Alzheimer’s Disease into a passion for advocacy. Ginge’s grandmother was struck with the disease at age 75; and then—in a cruel twist of fate—her mom years later, at the exact same age. Ginge recounts how helpless and despondent she felt at not being able to help her mother. The relief—coupled with an intense desire to make a difference—only came when she began working with her local chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association to get more money for research, better laws on the books and better, more effective and accessible drugs for the estimated 6 million Americans who have the disease. Ginge, who receive the Passion Award by the Connecticut chapter of the Association this past spring, touches on the latest pharmaceuticals that have been approved by the FDA, and offers numerous resources for families and caretakers of patients including: *the website Alz.org *the help line: 1-800-272-3900 In addition to raising funds, chairing events, and attending Alzheimer’s Association regional conferences, Ginge has also volunteered to take part in clinical trials. Anyone interested in doing that can go here for more info.
There’s a little question being tossed around among my girlfriends right now: are you going to stick to injectables? Or—at some point—do you think you’ll consider a a facelift? The consensus seems to be: why go under the knife, when you can achieve the same results with injectables? But can you really? And from a cost standpoint, does a facelift—particularly the popular lower aka mini-facelift—make more sense? In this episode, I interview Dr. Carolyn Chang to shed some light on the comparison. Dr. Chang is a board-certified plastic surgeon practicing in San Francisco. Her areas of expertise include the natural SMAS facelift and preventative facial surgery for the younger patient. She also specializes in breast surgery and body contouring and currently performs one of the largest volumes in the area of: post-pregnancy rejuvenation, short scar breast lifts and reductions, as well as breast augmentation. For more go to drcarolynchang.com
A deep dive into that strange phenomenon known as fight-or-flight—when you have all the physical signs of stress and anxiety but are in no immediate danger. Research has shown that repeatedly having the fight-or-flight response is bad for your health. In this episode, Dr. Kim D’Eramo, founder of The American Institute of Mind Body Medicine, breaks down the how and why—and offers some concrete advice for controlling it. Dr. D’Eramo is a physician and author of The Mind Body Tool Kit. At The American Institute of Mind Body Medicine she assists individuals and practitioners all over the world to resolve illnesses and achieve optimal health.
Award-winning writer and science journalist Donna Jackson Nakazawa shares what she has discovered in her new book: Girls On The Brink: Helping Our Daughters Thrive in an Era of Increased Anxiety, Depression and Social Media. Armed with an extensive amount of research, Donna examines the alarming increase in numbers (1 out of 4 adolescent girls reports suffering from symptoms of major depression; suicide attempts have recently increased 51% among girls) and the reasons that account for the rise. She also shares some well supported suggestions and counsel for parents with a child who is suffering.
The grit and resilience-filled comeback story of Geralyn Ritter who was critically hurt in a 2015 Amtrak train accident that killed 8 people and injured more than one hundred others. At the time, the mother of three was a senior VP at the pharmaceutical company Merck & Company—an A-type essentially— used to moving fast and getting things done. Here she shares with Linda her journey over the past 7 years, including how she has kept her chin up through an emotionally challenging time at a residential rehab center and endured more than 30 surgeries. She also talks about how tapping her "spiritual side" helped her cope with pain and despair. Plus, the life lessons she has learned and how they have inspired her to change her life—everything from how she now deals with her girlfriends and her kids—and why she accepted a position at a new company. Geralyn is the executive VP at Organon & Co., a Fortune 500 healthcare company aimed at women and the author of Bone by Bone: A Memoir of Trauma and Healing.
Journalist Rina Raphael puts the four trillion dollar wellness industry under the microscope with her new book The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop….and the False Promise of Self-Care. From charcoal-infused cheddar cheese to crystal-infused water to multi-week cleanses, Rina explains why we fall for products lacking substantive scientific evidence supporting claims; how and why seductive marketing specifically targets women–and how our longing for human connection has us opening up our wallets like never before.
Gina Schaefer shares the story of how she went from working in software tech to founding a successful chain of Ace hardware stores in the DC metropolitan area, and why she started hiring recovering drug addicts as employees. Not only have they turned out to be some of the best employees she’s had in the nearly 20 years she’s been in business, Gina says she’s learned invaluable lessons from them about how to be a great leader. Gina is the youngest female (and only the 3rd female in 90 years) to sit on the Ace Hardware Corporation board. Covered in this episode: how to trust your instinct when you are the lone voice in the room and how to overcome hurdles and succeed in a male-dominated industry. Gina is the author of Recovery Hardware: A Nuts and Bolts Story About Building a Business, Restoring a Community and Renovating Lives, released in September 2022. More at ginaschaefer.com.
Charmaine DeGraté, co-executive producer and writer on HBO’s Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon talks with Linda about working on the hit series, her amazing career trajectory and her philosophy of being truthful about what you know and what you don't when taking a new job (she's not a believer in faking it until you make it). The Texas native also shares about some of her other TV projects including working on the upcoming Reese Witherspoon series Daisy Jones & The Six for Amazon and the critically acclaimed sci-fi show The 100 on Netflix.
Want to live healthier and longer? Shift your mindset about aging says Yale University professor Dr. Becca Levy. Examining various cultures and outliers around the world, Dr. Levy has conducted research, concluding that if we can shift our attitudes about aging, it will foster positive beliefs which will, in turn, improve our health in later years and quality of life—as well as lengthen lifespan. Her new book, Breaking the Age Code: How Your Beliefs About Aging Determine How Long & Well You Live, also shows that a positive mindset can counter dementia as well as some cardio issues.
Journalist Jessica Yellin, founder of News Not Noise, a rapidly growing social media platform aimed at delivering the news in a calm, unbiased, factual manner that won’t leave viewers feeling yelled at and anxious, but rather more informed and equipped to form intelligent opinions. The award-winning journalist shares with Linda how she worked in news for 17 years, working at the local level and then at several national cable outlets. She felt like she’d reached the top when she became chief White House correspondent for CNN. But in 2018, after 8 years at CNN, Jessica was dissatisfied at the way the media delivered the news, focusing on conflict and rarely providing any backstory or context. She left the network in 2018, wrote a book, Savage News, and then found News Not Noise. After a shout out from celebrities like Jennifer Garner and Amy Schumer—News Not Noise got on the map. Jessica currently has a dedicated audience of 800,000. To put this in perspective: more people watch her today than when she was at CNN. Follow Jessica on Insta and FB @jessicayellin; more at newsnotnoise.com
Dr. Katie Lawlor, a trained trauma psychologist who specializes in pet grief and loss, on the mental health crisis facing vets. A 2019 study shows vet professionals are experiencing the highest rates of suicide among all medical professions. And those numbers were noted before the pressures of the pandemic, during which 23 million people adopted pets. Plus, why we experience such profound (and sometimes surprising) grief over losing our pets. Katie is the co-founder and Director of the Veterinary Mental Health Initiative (VMHI) at the Shanti Project, which is aimed at providing counseling and other mental health services for vets and vet techs.
LA-based divorce/custody attorney Lisa Helfend Meyer a.k.a. “the pit poodle” shares what it is like to be a high-profile litigator for the uber wealthy and famous. As founder of Meyer, Olson, Lowey & Meyers (all the partners are women), over the past 35 years Lisa has represented the ex-wives of Dr. Dre, Caesar Milan and Tony Danza. Having been immersed in the details of so many bad relationships, Lisa also shares what she believes makes a strong marriage and why it is important to make a move when you realize it is over.
Two NIH researchers—Dr. Sarah A. Rudzinskas and Sarah Spector—on studies they are helping conduct for a new drug aimed at helping women in midlife who suffer from depression-typically for the first time in their lives. An estimated 20% of American women have depression at some point during menopause; and 38% experience depression in perimenopause. The researchers are exploring the link between low levels of estrogen and how that impacts the brain—which this new drug, manufactured by the pharmaceutical company Eli Lily, addresses.
Best-selling author and illustrator Alessandra Olanow, whose drawings and musings, shared on Instagram as @aolanow, have attracted a highly engaged community of 372K followers, including celebrities such as Katie Couric and Jennifer Garner. In 2019, dealing with a divorce, Alessandra started drawing her feelings at her kitchen table each morning, posting her illustrations and simple phrases to Instagram. The audience they generated led to her first book, I Used to Have a Plan which topped the Barnes & Noble bestseller list. Published by Harper Collins in 2020, and featuring more than 75 illustrations, the book chronicles the breakup of her marriage and her journey through pain and heartache towards self-love and acceptance. Alessandra is also an entrepreneur. She developed an all-over body oil called A.OK which can be purchased at feelingaok.com. Her new book, Hello Grief, in which she grapples with the death of her mother, will be published in late 2022.
Fasting Coach Laurie Lewis on the do's, don'ts and health benefits of intermittent fasting. Laurie, who owns and operates Fast Forward Wellness, details how not eating for an extended period of time each day puts our bodies in restorative mode, allowing us to regenerate and better fight off disease (there is, by the way, scientific research that supports this). She credits intermittent fasting to how she lost 50 pounds, got rid of brain foggy-ness and regained her energy—all of which she experienced when becoming menopausal.
Monica Wyatt shares her journey from top TV producer (Providence, My So Called Life, LA Law) to being an accomplished mixed media artist who reimagines unexpected and overlooked materials, transforming them into intimate assemblage sculpture. The challenging delivery of her second child was the breaking point for Monica. "I was physically exhausted from the birth and I knew I couldn't go back to doing those days where you work until 10 or 11 at night. With one child, we managed but I knew I couldn't give it my all anymore." So Monica did something that earlier in her life she never could have imagined: she took herself out at the peak of her producing career. She dove into caring for her family, only to discover that something was missing. Monica gets candid sharing the details of how rediscovered her confidence and found fulfillment and purpose through being an artist.
Charlotte Hanna shares the story of how she pulled off her dramatic mid-life pivot, moving from successful careers on Wall Street and real estate to founding the innovative cannabis company Rebelle. Plus, how part of her mission is to change the perception of cannabis from that as a dirty, nefarious habit to that of a mindful, elevated experience—one that is widely accepted as simply a way of enhancing mood.
The story of how, at the age of 40, Christine Morrison walked away from her long and successful career as a fashion executive and beauty marketer (at the time she was a VP for Calvin Klein in NYC) to become a freelance writer. A lifelong fashion aficionado (think Carrie Bradshaw here, ladies) Christine had dreamed of a career as a writer when she younger; she’d even majored in journalism. But life intervened. Christine’s is a story of relentlessly and methodically working your way back to your passion. Today, Christine (@writinginblackandwhite) is a working fashion and beauty writer based in Atlanta. Her articles have appeared in, publications including The Washington Post and The Boston Globe. She has also lent her copywriting expertise to brands including Calvin Klein, Juicy Couture, and Lumity skincare. The mom of twins is currently on working her memoir—a collection of essays reflecting the meaning behind and the humor in what she wore while forming her identity, navigating her way to true love, and discovering her authentic self.