Powerful Ladies® Podcast

Sunny Bates is a prime example of building a business around your zone of genius. Sunny’s zone of genius revolves around collecting, connecting and cultivating extraordinary people and relationships. When an organization committed to success and new ideas that can change the world is in the process of building their teams, they call Sunny. She’s a founder, entrepreneur, advisor, and author, and we would love to take a peek at her rolodex. In this conversation, we talk about hiring strategies, how to build networks that are both powerful and satisfying to you, and how one of her secrets is listening for what people really want vs what they say they want.

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened." Truth! As avid animal lovers here at Powerful Ladies, we were excited to have the animal and veterinary TikTok educator and influencer, Dr. Molly Brinkmann, join us for our latest episode. We discuss how she became a vet, what pet owners are doing wrong, and how she and her staff are handling her newfound TikTok fame.

There are so many opportunities to change the world and make a positive impact and it all starts with being curious about the people and the world around you. Jean Oelwang is proof. As the president of Virgin Unite she’s leading the charitable arm of the Virgin empire, while also co-founding Plus Wonder and author of the book Partnering. Jean knows the coolest people, studies those who are making an impact, and brings people together with shared purpose and commitment to leave the planet a better place. In this episode, we talk about the power of partnerships, the importance of curiosity, and how a meandering life is perhaps even more purposeful than a well planned life.

I loved this conversation because Kassia, not only an entrepreneur on a journey to build a portfolio of brands, is doing so in the footwear and apparel space that I love working in. She is the founder of KADA Apparel and the owner of PF Flyers, with a background in the family business, New Balance. We discuss what it means to build a brand, the risks one must take to be an entrepreneur, but most importantly to follow your dreams, and the important choices to make when leading product based businesses.

Needing to look good in photos is no longer reserved for models and celebrities. Whether it's brand photography, your LinkedIn profile picture, your dating app photos, or even looking great in photos with friends and family, everyone needs to know how to pose well. This is also a super intimidating space! Christine Buzan has been sharing posing tips and tricks across social media, her courses, and blog to help everyday people and thought leaders take photos they're proud of.

Women are changing filmmaking at so many levels. From Greta Gerwig’s Barbie Movie to the women-lead team at Curator in Seattle, their impact is undeniable. I had the pleasure of talking with Hayley Young, Rose Julian, and Bhavishya Sharadhi about why they love film, their efforts to foster inclusivity from the teams they collaborate with to the content they produce, and how empathy and authenticity unveil the most profound and genuine stories.

After an accident, Christina Spinazola went from being an athlete and scientist to struggling to redefine herself, before discovering the transformative power of coaching. It had such a profound impact on her that she felt compelled to become a coach herself. She now helps her clients in building self-trust through deep integrity work, revealing new choices they can make, and being an example herself of living a life in alignment with her own principles. I loved this conversation, which was filled with advice, inspiration, and a reminder that many things are truly within our reach.

There are so many ways to be creative. Emily Isenberg, the founder and creative director of Isenberg Projects, is a great example of how combining all the things you care about - some of which, for her, mean creativity, community, the urban landscape, and supporting other creatives - can lead you to designing a business you truly love. It leads to interesting conversations about what leadership looks like when you're leading more of a collective than a team, developing skills that bring different perspectives together, and what happens when you're actually influencing the landscape you live in. We discuss all of that and more in today's new Powerful Ladies Podcast.

HR is not typically thought of as a sexy department. Many of us associate HR with paperwork, procedures, and policies. Khalilah Olokunola is radically redefining the perception of HR and its potential impact, not only within our companies but also in our communities and the world at large. In this new Powerful Ladies Podcast episode, we discuss how leading people share so many parallels to ministry, examine the evolving landscape of HR, and why it can be a powerful gift to empower people and transform their self-perception.

Why is choosing ourselves so hard? Andrea Owen is a direct, encouraging, and compassionate author, speaker, podcaster, and coach who is here to help you rebuild your confidence, understand how to boldly choose what you know is right, and pursue your ideal life. Her books, such as 'How to Stop Feeling Like Shit' and 'Make Some Noise,' are bestsellers speaking to successful women who may appear to have it all on paper, but are struggling with their inner personal relationships - hello, boundaries! She's a guest I've been manifesting since the early days of this podcast, and I'm so excited to bring her episode to you today!