Impossible Things Before Breakfast

About This Episode: We are kicking off international women’s month with a very special guest. We are interviewing Bushra Amiwala, the youngest Muslim elected official in the United States who gained national attention in 2018 at age 19, running against a 16-year incumbent to serve on the Cook County Board of Commissioners 13th District. In this episode, we explore her experience running a campaign while in college, lessons she’s learned while serving on the Board of Education and  representation of women in technology.  Special Guest Bio: At the age of 19, she announced her candidacy for the Cook County Board of Commissioners, with the goal to serve  as a voice for her underrepresented generation and other marginalized communities. Her campaign has been covered nationally by outlets such as the Chicago Tribune, The New York Times,Teen Vogue, and landing her on the cover of TIME magazine. Bushra recently went down in the Chicago History Museum as the Youngest Muslim Elected in the United States. Her leadership has extended far beyond her campaign as she’s inspired countless others to increase their civic participation. As a result, she’s been named Glamour magazine’s College Woman of the Year, Seventeen magazine’s Voice of the Year, and internationally as CosmoGirl’s Change Maker of the Year. Bushra was awarded the Public Peace Ambassador award sponsored by the United Nations, and has been named as one of the 18 people to remember from 2018. In addition to these awards, Bushra is the subject of an original PBS documentary called And She Could be Next, the female candidate on Amazon’s RUN the Series, is currently filming for a Hulu documentary and she has made hundreds of TV and radio appearances, including outlets such as Fox, NPR, ABC, and PBS. Bushra has spoken at countless colleges and universities, organizations and international companies, with live audiences ranging from 25 to 15,000 people. She is recent graduate from DePaul University and serves on the Board of Directors of the Indo-American Democratic Organization (IADO), GenerationVote, Women Empowering Women in Illinois Legislation (WeWill) and SheVotesIL. She holds her elected seat on the Skokie Board of Education, as its youngest member. To learn more about Bushra: Website: https://bushraamiwala.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bushraamiwala/?hl=en

In this episode, we interview Veronica Di Santo, Managing Partner of one of our favorite bridal designers, Ines Di Santo. Ines Di Santo is an internationally renowned bridal gown and evening wear designer.  Inspired by her upbringing in Buenos Aires, Ines connected to the romance of the art world as a young woman and went on to study fine art and design in Argentina and Italy.

During the interview, Veronica is sharing the inspiring origin story behind Ines Di Santo and how gratitude for the “little gifts” led her to launching her first sold out collection.

Special Guest Bio:

Born in Toronto and blessed to grow up in an atelier, Veronica has worked alongside her mother, Ines Di Santo, since the tender age of five. She joined the business in her own right in 1998, expanding the Ines Di Santo brand to become one of the fastest-growing luxury bridal companies in North America. As both her mother’s business partner and her daughter, Veronica remains her most trusted critic and adoring fan. With Ines running the design room and Veronica as Managing Partner, the duo’s commitment allows them to play on their strengths and continuously grow the Ines Di Santo brand philosophy

To learn more about Ines DiSanto, visit:

Website: https://www.inesdisanto.com/

IG: @inesdisanto

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In our second episode of Season 2, we interview Erinne Brown of Live Well with Erinne. She is a coach and well-being advocate. And this past summer, we interviewed her on the topic of Emotional De-shedding in light of the Racial Reckoning. It goes without saying that 2020 was a year that taught us so many lessons, brought more gratitude and more insight for the future. And while,  as we learned the last year,  cannot control the future, there are some parts of our lives that we can manage in a way that leads us to the life that we want. In this episode, we are exploring Erinne’s three steps to tackling mental clutter so you can attain your goals and desires.

About Our Special Guest:

Erinne is a wellness coach who guides overachieving women on their journey to reclaim their wellbeing. She believes in the importance of developing deep awareness for what one's mind, body and soul needs, and feeling empowered to take action to serve those needs. By coaching her clients through holistic lifestyle changes and mastering their everyday habits, they find the inner resources to show up as the best version of themselves. Erinne's wellness journey started after she experienced burnout from her career in management consulting, which left her searching for answers on how she can be ambitious and successful, without sacrificing her physical and emotional wellbeing. As Erinne found fulfillment in the changes she was making in her life, she decided to get her certifications as a Health coach and Life coach to help other women who had a similar struggle. She launched Live Well with Erinne, and is now coaching clients 1-on-1, in groups and leading workshops to help others step into a new normal of wellbeing.

To learn more about Erinne Brown:

Website: www.livewellwitherinne.com

IG: www.instagram.com/livewellwitherinne @livewellwitherinne

Follow us on Instagram  @impossiblethingspodcast

If you loved this episode, please leave us a 5 star review:

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Also, share with your friends and tag @livewellwitherinne  and @impossiblethingspodcast and let us know how you plan to practice emotional wellbeing. Everybody needs a cheerleader, right? We’ll be there rooting you on!

Happy New Year!!! In our first episode of 2021, we are interviewing Eryn Donaldson, founder of The Model Home, full-service professional organizing company. More than home organization and unpacking company, The Model Home’s mission is to help change the homes and lives of their clients with long-term solutions. So many of us are spending more time and home, making workspaces all over the home and she is going to offer her expert advice on how to maintain your space and eliminate clutter. 

About Eryn Donaldson 

Eryn Donaldson is a Maryland native who attended Auburn University in Alabama and currently calls Washington D.C. home – although most of her time is spent traveling for work. Before founding The Model Home, Eryn was thriving at work but quickly realized that traditional corporate jobs were not for her. It was not until she took up the task of organizing her parent’s garage that she realized transforming spaces for functional efficiency and curating aesthetically pleasing spaces was her forté. In 2017 Eryn dove in and created her own business that now serves over five areas across the country and is continuously growing.  

To learn more about The Model Home, visit them at: 

Website: https://www.themodelhm.com/

 IG:  @themodelhm https://www.instagram.com/themodelhm/

If you loved this episode, share with your friends and tag us at @impossiblethingspodcast https://www.instagram.com/impossiblethingspodcast/

and review us: https://lovethepodcast.com/impossiblethings.

Need help organizing your digital content for social media? To purchase our Ultimate Social Media Organizer, use our discount code IMPOSSIBLETHINGS2021:

https://carascophoto.podia.com/2021-social-media-organizer

In this episode, we interview Aga Rhodes, a Chicago-based professional makeup artist and global educator with 20 years of experience working with a diverse clientele from celebrities, brides within her company Bridal by Aga to commercial clients through her affiliate brand, Makeup by Aga. For anyone that knows Aga and follows her on social media, you’ll quickly learn that she is committed to a positive energy work and wellness.  And in this episode, we are talking through her experience as an artist and entrepreneur as well as touching on the very subjective idea of beauty and how we can all work toward feeling good from the inside out.

Guest Speaker Bio:

Aga Rhodes is a Chicago-based professional makeup artist and global educator with 20 years of experience, and a love for art, color, light, and texture. Aga’s signature look of timeless, classic beauty has earned her an impressive bridal following. She has helped hundreds of brides look and feel dreamy and picture-perfect on their special day.

Aga's impeccable eye for detail, flawless artistry, airbrush expertise, and poise set her apart as one of the best in the industry. Her work has been featured in countless online publications—Vera Wang, Inside Weddings, Carats & Cake—and has graced the pages of magazines such as Modern Luxury Weddings, Grace Ormonde Wedding Style, and Chicago Style Weddings.

To learn more about Aga Rhodes:

Bridal Website: https://www.bridalbyaga.com/

Commercial Website:

https://www.makeupbyaga.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/bridalbyaga/

https://www.instagram.com/makeupbyagarhodes/

In this episode, we are interviewing Julie Novak, CEO and co-founder of PartySlate a content-rich marketplace that inspires people planning events and connects them with the leading event companies across the country and the world -- all in one place. She shares her experience of co-founding a tech company, the difficulties for female mobilization in venture capital, and the importance of keeping a resilient attitude. Special Guest Information: Julie is the CEO and Co-Founder of PartySlate, a Houzz-like website where leading event professionals share their work, build their brand and drive leads. Before founding PartySlate, Julie held executive positions at top-tier digital agencies such as Razorfish, Vibes Mobile, and Agency.com. With over 20 years of digital marketing experience with some of the biggest brands in the world, Julie is excited to bring this expertise to the events industry. Julie received an MBA in marketing and finance from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and a BA in Economics from the University of Michigan To learn more about our special guest: Website: https://www.partyslate.com/ IG: @partyslate https://www.instagram.com/partyslate/ If you loved this episode, we would love if you gave us a 5 star review on Apple Podcast via the link below: https://lovethepodcast.com/impossiblethings

Next week, we are releasing our interview with @julierothnovack, CEO and co-founder of @PartySlate a content-rich marketplace that inspires people planning events and connects them with the leading event companies across the country and the world -- all in one place.

Special Guest Information:

Julie is the CEO and Co-Founder of PartySlate, a Houzz-like website where leading event professionals share their work, build their brand and drive leads. Before founding PartySlate, Julie held executive positions at top-tier digital agencies such as Razorfish, Vibes Mobile, and Agency.com. With over 20 years of digital marketing experience with some of the biggest brands in the world, Julie is excited to bring this expertise to the events industry. Julie received an MBA in marketing and finance from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and a BA in Economics from the University of Michigan

Website: https://www.partyslate.com/

IG: @partyslate

https://www.instagram.com/partyslate/

To follow us on the Gram, visit: https://www.instagram.com/impossiblethingspodcast/

In this episode, we are interviewing Phil Cooper, founder of High-minded Events which is a luxury event planning service that educates clients and their guests on responsible cannabis consumption for an elevated, infused event experience, sophisticated, cannabis-concentrated affairs and provide full-service Cannabis Bars, Virtual Reality, Sound, Projection, and Interactive Activities.

Special Guest Information:

From sandcastles to scenic designs for Jennifer Hudson and Keith Urban, Phil has spent a lifetime building beautiful moments for others to enjoy. This need to create is what drives him to lead creative teams and tell brand stories through incredible live event experiences ranging from engaging dinners to corporate programs for thousands.

To learn more about High-minded Events, visit them at:

Website: https://www.highmindedevents.com/

IG:  @highmindedevents

https://www.instagram.com/highmindedevents/

If you loved this episode, share with your friends and tag us at @impossiblethingspodcast podcast and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts https://lovethepodcast.com/impossiblethings

For those of you who think Pinterest is dead, think again. With over 40 million viewers on the platform, Pinterest is great for driving traffic and sales. We’ve tapped Marketing Strategist, Kara Brodhecker on her tips for optimize your Pinterest profile for better engagement and maximum exposure for your online brand. This is a must listen for anyone offering creative services or products. Kara Brodhecker owner and lead destination wedding planner of Love at First Travel - a destination wedding travel company that helps Canadian couples plan their weddings in sunny locations like Jamaica or Mexico. When COVID hit, she quickly pivoted into offering done-for-you marketing services and quickly specialized in what worked best for her own wedding business which is Pinterest! Kara offers “done for you” marketing services for wedding (and event) pros so they can focus less on marketing and more on making money. To learn more about Kara Brodhecker, visit her at: Website: https://karabrodhecker.com/instagram/ IG:  https://www.instagram.com/karabrodhecker/

If you loved this episode, share with your friends and tag us at @impossiblethingspodcast podcast and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts https://lovethepodcast.com/impossiblethings

In this 9th episode, Cara Nava interviews Marie P. Anderson, model industry expert, author, public speaker  and co-founder of Boss Babe Models.  Anderson has over three decades of experience with the top model agencies around the globe. We explore the “roses and the thorns” of her experiences ranging from haute couture photo shoots for Vogue Magazine, working with Valentino himself in Rome to being a pioneer in seeking industry reform and advocacy for models long before the #MeToo movement. In this episode, we discuss Marie’s fight against sexual impropriety, the ever-changing model industry landscape and the importance of advocacy and improved work culture for women and models at large. **Please note that our conversation may be sensitive to some listeners and we advise you to review the trigger warnings below to decide where or not you are comfortable listening.** Trigger warnings: Sexual Assault against minors Eating Disorders Threats of Violence Suicide Special Guest Information: After over 30 years of scouting and placing models with top agencies and later starting her own agency (which she later sold to Ford Models), Marie was ready to change the game. She was tired of seeing confident young models be scammed by multiple agents and other industry creatives by the harsh industry standards that said, “you’re not good enough.” Through her courses and private coaching, Marie shows aspiring models how to build a successful modeling career without compromising their values. She provides coaching in all areas of their careers including personal branding, mentorship, portfolio prep, agency recommendations and placement. Today Marie P. Anderson is a mother agent, is a black belt in Shidokan Karate and teaches women’s’ self-defense.  To learn more about Marie P. Anderson, visit her at: Website:  https://www.bossbabemodels.com/ IG:  @bossbabemodels      https://www.instagram.com/bossbabemodels/ Follow Us on Instagram @carascophoto @carascocreative If you loved this episode, share with your friends and tag us at @carascophoto Resources: If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, please reach out to RAINN (National Resources for Sexual Assault Survivors and their Loved Ones) which is available 24-7 Phone: 800.656.HOPE National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255