Episode 117 Episode Description Host Aransas Savas sits down with multihyphenate artist Karisma Jay to explore how to build an abundance mindset even when resources feel scarce. Karisma, a Broadway performer, filmmaker, educator, and founder of Abundance Academy, shares her powerful reframe from asking "What don't I have?" to "What's in my luggage right now?"This conversation is packed with practical wisdom about overcoming self-doubt, navigating financial struggles as an artist, and choosing wh...
Jul 03, 2025•53 min•Season 1Ep. 117
Meet Emily Levin, who made a stunning career pivot from trauma therapist to tech co-founder, creating AI solutions for the affordable housing crisis. In this powerful conversation, Emily shares how she went from helping individuals heal to transforming entire systems, co-founding Access—an AI platform that's already raising capital and getting families into homes faster. 🏠 What You'll Learn: How Emily transitioned from 15 years as a psychoanalyst to co-founding a tech startup The "slow enrollme...
Jun 26, 2025•32 min•Season 1Ep. 116
Guest: Mahogany L. Browne - Award-winning writer, playwright, organizer, educator, Lincoln Center's inaugural poet in residence, and founder of the Woke Baby Book Fair Episode Summary: In this powerful conversation, Mahogany L. Browne shares her journey from a young mother who almost dropped out of college to becoming Lincoln Center's inaugural poet in residence. We explore how she learned to bet on herself when no one else would, the difference between naming problems and solving them, and why ...
Jun 19, 2025•37 min•Season 1Ep. 115
Episode Description In 2006, Terry Grahl received a simple phone call asking if she'd volunteer to paint one wall at a women's shelter. What she discovered in that dormitory—30 women sleeping on prison-donated bunk beds held together with duct tape—changed the trajectory of her life forever. Today, Terry is the founder and CEO of Enchanted Makeovers, a national nonprofit that has transformed shelter spaces across the country for women and children escaping domestic violence and human trafficking...
Jun 12, 2025•32 min•Season 1Ep. 114
Guest: Jennifer Allebach Former Chief Girl Experience Executive at Girl Scouts USA and MDA (Muscular Dystrophy Association) Episode Summary Jennifer Allebach's life changed forever when her husband Brian was diagnosed with ALS in 2019. After 32 years of marriage and five children together, she became his primary caregiver while continuing to work full-time—first at Girl Scouts USA, then in a remarkable coincidence, at the Muscular Dystrophy Association, which serves ALS families. For four years,...
Jun 05, 2025•29 min•Season 1Ep. 113
Episode Description In this powerful conversation, Aransas speaks with Deesha Philyaw, whose debut short story collection "The Secret Lives of Church Ladies" swept every major literary award, winning the PEN/Faulkner Award, The Story Prize, the LA Times Book Prize, and earning a National Book Award nomination. Deesha shares her journey from rule-following church girl to award-winning author, revealing how losing her mother at 34 became a catalyst for refusing to spend her one precious life doing...
May 29, 2025•47 min•Season 1Ep. 112
summary Former marketing executive Sarah Gomley shares how she transformed her life after discovering that all her achievements – the prestigious job titles, beautiful apartments, and impressive salaries – weren't bringing her joy. When she was laid off from Adobe just as her mother was dying, Sarah returned to Ohio and took a year off to reassess everything. Through therapy (which had started years earlier), caring for her mother, and confronting her perfectionism, she ultimately found genuine ...
May 22, 2025•34 min•Season 1Ep. 111
summary In this episode of the Uplifters podcast, host Aransas Savas interviews her husband, Andy Savas, about his recent experience covering the papal conclave in Rome. Andy shares insights into the preparation, the excitement of the event, and the emotional moments of witnessing history as a new pope was elected. The conversation highlights the challenges of live reporting, the atmosphere in St. Peter's Square, and the personal reflections on being part of such a significant occasion. takeaway...
May 15, 2025•33 min•Season 1Ep. 110
summary In this conversation, Aransas Savas and Shannon Russell explore the transformative journey of women reinventing themselves, focusing on Shannon's transition from a successful television executive to an entrepreneur. They discuss the importance of mindset shifts, defining non-negotiables, and the role of research in building confidence. Shannon shares her insights on overcoming mental barriers, the significance of feeling good in one's career, and actionable steps for personal growth. The...
May 08, 2025•34 min•Season 1Ep. 109
Episode Summary In this special tribute episode, host Aransas Savas honors her grandmother, Rosemary Baker, who recently passed away at age 95. Aransas shares the inspiring story of her grandmother's remarkable life and the valuable lessons she embodied about living fully at every age. Key Moments Chapters 00:00 Inspiration and Influences 02:54 Family Values and Homelife 06:25 Adventures and Aspirations 09:17 Facing Challenges with Resilience 19:24 Uplifters-YouTube-End-Off-White-v4.mp4 20:00 Up...
May 01, 2025•26 min•Season 1Ep. 108
summary In this heartfelt conversation, Angela shares her journey of navigating profound loss, leaving a high-demand religion, and embracing her creativity. Through her experiences, she discusses the importance of self-discovery, the complexities of grief, and the power of community. Angela emphasizes the significance of being present, allowing oneself to feel emotions, and the beauty of imperfection in art and life. The dialogue highlights the transformative nature of personal growth and the im...
Apr 24, 2025•33 min•Season 1Ep. 107
keywords menopause, women's health, empowerment, community, self-discovery, education, entrepreneurship, resilience, awareness, support summary In this enlightening conversation, Aransas Savas and Julie Gordon White delve into the often-taboo subject of menopause, exploring its challenges and opportunities. They discuss the importance of breaking the silence surrounding menopause, the need for education and awareness, and the empowering aspects of this life stage. Julie shares her personal journ...
Apr 03, 2025•38 min•Season 1Ep. 106
I found myself smiling at Sandra Bookman's refreshing candor throughout this conversation. There's something deeply reassuring about hearing an accomplished broadcast journalist—who has guided New Yorkers through 27 years of collective triumphs and tragedies—reject the "icon" label and instead emphasize her fundamental humanity. What struck me most was Sandra's self-awareness about her goal-oriented nature, tracing it back to her childhood in that small Texas town with dirt roads. From setting h...
Mar 27, 2025•32 min•Season 1Ep. 105
Today’s Featured Uplifter: Jessica Varian Carroll She started her business with a box of Hefty garbage bags and zero experience. As a single mom of four with spotty child support, Jessica Varian Carroll 's motto was stark and simple: "Work or be homeless. Those were the only choices I had." There was a time when Jessica collected the loose change from her dryer just to feed her children. The water company had shut off service to her small ranch house, forcing her to send her kids to their father...
Mar 20, 2025•33 min•Season 1Ep. 104
Today’s Featured Uplifter: Melissa Petro I was standing in my kitchen the other day, staring at a pile of produce I'd optimistically purchased, thinking about all the healthy meals I wasn't going to make. That familiar feeling crept in—the one that whispers I'm falling short, not measuring up, failing at yet another standard that seems so effortless for others. We all have these moments, don't we? Times when we feel the weight of expectations press down on us, making it hard to breathe. These mo...
Mar 13, 2025•52 min•Season 1Ep. 103
Join us next Thursday, March 13th live in NYC for a day of connection, celebration, and boosting our collective courage to do big, bold things, because goodness knows we are gonna need to be brave this year! Proceeds are going to Emma's Torch (empowering refugees through culinary education + catering our amazing lunch), 826NY (uplifting the voices of diverse young authors), and Lonely Worm Farm (an arts and ecology organization for people of all abilities). Check out the agenda, our amazing line...
Mar 06, 2025•45 min•Season 1Ep. 102
Join us on March 13th live in NYC for a day of connection, celebration, and boosting our collective courage to do big, bold things, because goodness knows we are gonna need to be brave this year! Proceeds are going to Emma's Torch (empowering refugees through culinary education + catering our amazing lunch), 826NY (uplifting the voices of diverse young authors), and Lonely Worm Farm (an arts and ecology organization for people of all abilities). We'll have an incredible Feng Shui master helping ...
Feb 27, 2025•33 min•Season 1Ep. 101
Join us on March 13th at Brooklyn Brewery for a one-day retreat to raise funds for some amazing organizations while connecting, celebrating, and filling our cups. Proceeds are going to Emma's Torch (empowering refugees through culinary education + catering our amazing lunch), 826NY (uplifting the voices of diverse young authors), and Lonely Worm Farm (an arts and ecology organization for people of all abilities). We'll have an incredible Feng Shui master helping us optimize our energy for the ye...
Feb 20, 2025•31 min•Season 1Ep. 100
Join us on March 13th at Brooklyn Brewery for a day of transformation, connection, and celebration. To celebrate our 1st 100 episodes of the podcast, my dream is to assemble as many inspiring women in one room as possible for a one-day retreat to connect, celebrate, and boost our collective courage to do big, bold things, because goodness knows we are gonna need to be brave this year! Proceeds are going to Emma's Torch (empowering refugees through culinary education + catering our amazing lunch)...
Feb 13, 2025•37 min•Season 1Ep. 99
Join us on March 13th at Brooklyn Brewery for a day of transformation, connection, and celebration. Like Lauren, who you’ll meet in today’s episode, every woman in our community has a story that can light the way for others. Whether you're navigating your own reinvention, seeking deeper purpose, or ready to create meaningful change, you'll find your people here. This isn't your typical networking event. It's an intimate gathering of purpose-driven women who understand that real magic happens whe...
Feb 06, 2025•29 min•Season 1Ep. 98
Join us on March 13th at Brooklyn Brewery for a day of transformation, connection, and celebration. Like Laura Kavanagh, who you’ll meet in today’s episode, every woman in our community has a story that can light the way for others. Whether you're navigating your own reinvention, seeking deeper purpose, or ready to create meaningful change, you'll find your people here. This isn't your typical networking event. It's an intimate gathering of purpose-driven women who understand that real magic hap...
Jan 30, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 97
Join us on March 13th at Brooklyn Brewery for a day of transformation, connection, and celebration. Like Karen Robinovitz, who you’ll meet in today’s episode, every woman in our community has a story that can light the way for others. Whether you're navigating your own reinvention, seeking deeper purpose, or ready to create meaningful change, you'll find your people here. This isn't your typical networking event. It's an intimate gathering of purpose-driven women who understand that real magic h...
Jan 23, 2025•34 min•Season 1Ep. 96
In today's episode, you'll meet Katie Horwitch, who reminds us how the right community can make all the difference. On March 13, please join me for Uplifters Live, where we'll come together as a community of brave, beautiful Uplifters for a day of deep connection, courage-building workshops, celebration (including my own 50th birthday!), and an amazing lunch created by Emma’s Torch . I hope to see you there! Get Your Ticket Today’s Featured Uplifter: Katie Horwitch Katie radiates the kind of war...
Jan 16, 2025•38 min•Season 1Ep. 95
In today's episode, you'll meet Chef Sheri, who found her true calling at 50 in the most delicious way possible. This March, I hope you'll join me at Uplifters Live, where we'll explore our own moments of reinvention together. We'll gather at Brooklyn Brewery for a day of deep connection, courage-building workshops, celebration (including my own 50th birthday!), and an amazing lunch created by Emma’s Torch . Whether you're considering your next chapter or simply craving authentic conversation wi...
Jan 09, 2025•24 min•Season 1Ep. 94
Today’s Featured Uplifter: Heather Hester Standing in the darkness of a hotel room across the country from her children, Heather Hester received the call that would transform her life. Her missing teenage son was alive – and he had something to tell her. In that moment of raw relief, as her son's voice crackled through the phone line with his truth, Heather felt her world shift. "I'm gay," he said. Her immediate response? "Thank God, because I thought you were dead." The journey that followed wo...
Jan 02, 2025•25 min•Season 1Ep. 93
Today’s Featured Uplifter: Candy Motzek You know those rare conversations that feel like sinking into a comfortable chair? That's what it felt like talking with Candy Motzek . There's an immediate ease that settles over you – a superpower she didn't even recognize she had until people kept telling her how calm they felt in her presence. (Though she'll be the first to tell you that doesn't mean she's always calm inside.) At 64, Candy embodies what it means to live life on your own terms. She's th...
Dec 26, 2024•32 min•Season 1Ep. 92
Today’s Featured Uplifter: Tania Kinsella When I sat down with Tania Kinsella, the first woman of color to serve as Deputy Chief of the NYPD, I expected the usual leadership conversation – strategies, milestones, carefully crafted responses. Instead, I found myself swept up in a current of pure, unbridled love. Yes, love . In the world of law enforcement. (Stay with me here.) There's something almost rebellious about the way Tania infuses this four-letter word into every aspect of her leadership...
Dec 20, 2024•18 min•Season 1Ep. 91
Today’s Featured Uplifter: Aditi Sethi, MD Aditi Sethi, MD is a hospice and palliative care physician, end-of-life doula, and Executive Director of the Center for Conscious Living and Dying . Featured in the forthcoming film The Last Ecstatic Days , Aditi is an emerging and important voice for shifting our culture’s understanding and approach to dying, death, and bereavement care. She recently did a TEDx talk in Asheville, NC entitled " The Art of Dying Before You Die." In a culture that often t...
Dec 12, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 90
Today’s Featured Uplifter: Claude Silver This excerpt from Claude’s website is the best introduction I could possibly give you for the story you’re about to hear. Everyday you are leaving a heart print with everyone you meet. At 5 I knew I could feel and pick up on people's emotionsBy 14 I knew I could instinctually/intuitively know/sense/see what would happen in the near futureBy 17 I began to lose faith in myself and was hell-bent on taking a fast walk on the wild & dark sideAt 19 I did Ou...
Dec 05, 2024•33 min•Season 1Ep. 89
Featured Uplifter: Gisela A 13-time Emmy award-winning TV producer turned disability advocate, Gisela's journey of self-discovery began when her neurodivergent children helped her recognize and embrace her own identity as a disabled person. With 25 years of experience telling others' stories through film and television, she's now using her voice to expand society's understanding of disability and champion the power of authentic self-expression. Key Uplifting Lessons: 1. Embrace Your Truth Withou...
Nov 28, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 88
