A Fresh Story

A Fresh Story, season 3, episode 20

We had the chance to talk to Ashley Mason about her fresh starts in life, including having the bravery to leave a toxic relationship at a young age, to supporting her mother through her last days of life, and how she lives with grief. Ashley is so full of positivity and gratitude for her experiences, and we were honored that she felt safe enough to share her stories with us.

Ashley Mason is the founder of Dash of Social, a content marketing firm specializing in social media, marketing strategy, blogging, and email marketing. Working closely with their clients, Ashley and her team help small business owners and entrepreneurs craft and execute value-driven marketing strategies designed to establish thought leadership, grow online communities, and build connections and leads.

Additionally, Ashley founded Massachusetts Business Network in 2022, which is the only statewide publication that provides free to low cost resources that support organizations with increasing their visibility and establishing thought leadership through its podcast, blog, and directory.

Ashley is a graduate of Stonehill College, where she received her Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing, and has been featured in prominent publications such as TEDx, Business Insider, and HuffPost.

She currently serves as a Board Member for the Brockton Visiting Nurse Association (BVNA), Middleboro Public Library, and South Shore Young Professionals (SSYP). When she isn't working, you can find her running on her Peloton or curled up on the couch with a book.

Check out more from Ashley on her website, Instagram, and Twitter.

A Fresh Story, season 3, episode 19

Why are friendship breakups so heartbreaking and hard to untangle? We talked to our dear, wonderful, and witchy friend Maddie Eisenhart about her fresh starts in life, including getting married young, parenthood, career changes, and untangling herself from a co-dependent work relationship. We laughed, we may have even barfed, and a good time was had by all! If you have ever had to break up with a friend, you will understand the pain and heartbreak of putting up boundaries, and moving through life in the aftermath.

Check out more from Maddie on Instagram.

A Fresh Story, season 3, episode 18

We had the chance to talk to CEO, and working mom, Kelley Higney! Kelley is brilliant, lovely, and so passionate about changing the world with her product, Bug Bite Thing. We chatted with Kelley about her career change, making fresh starts, being a working mom, becoming a CEO, and of course…going on Shark Tank!

Kelley Higney is the founder and CEO of Bug Bite Thing, the leader in providing consumers with chemical-free first aid products, including its insect bite relief suction tool which is Amazon's #1 seller for insect bite relief with nearly 90,000 reviews and its tick remover tweezer tool approved for both people and pets that launched this summer. 

Determination to find a natural alternative to the available remedies on the market that would alleviate her six-month-old daughter’s constantly suffering from mosquito bites, led to her discovery of an unfamiliar product that uses suction to remove the irritant. Then, after securing exclusive distribution rights to the product, she branded it Bug Bite Thing and has since been a “Mom on a Mission,” educating the world on the most effective, chemical-free solution for insect bite relief.  

The company gained national recognition in October 2019 when Kelley and her mother, Ellen McAlister, appeared on ABC’s hit show, ‘Shark Tank.’ All the Sharks were biting with offers to invest in the business, but it was Lori Greiner’s ‘Golden Ticket’ offer that secured the partnership. In April 2021, Kelley and her mother returned to ‘Shark Tank.’ This time, they shared details on the company's transformation into a multi-million dollar enterprise following their first appearance on the show.

Kelley is a member of the Fast Company Executive Board and Forbes Business Council and the recipient of numerous awards, including the Gold Stevie Award for ‘Female Executive of the Year’ by the 2022 Stevie Awards for Women in Business and named a “Top Mamaprenistas” by the 2022 Entreprenista 100. She is active within the South Florida community where she resides and teaches teens through Bug Bite Thing's Entrepreneurship in Action Program in partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Lucie County. She lives in Port St. Lucie with her husband and two daughters.

Learn more about Kelley and Bug Bite Thing on their website, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok and of course, Amazon.

A Fresh Story, season 3, episode 17

We had the chance to talk to Adam Marx all about networking, human nature, relationships, and so much more! Adam is funny, honest, and we had a fantastic convo about career changes, networking when you don't feel like networking, music, and families.

Adam Marx is a networking & branding consultant, speaker, tech founder, startup advisor, journalist, & the founder of The Zero to One Networker. Formerly the founder & CEO of music-tech startup Glipple, Inc., and as a writer appearing in Crunchbase News, Startup Grind, Mattermark, & others, Adam draws on more than a decade of experiences in the music & startup tech industries to teach others how to cultivate powerful relationships using strategies of patience, consistency, authenticity, & value creation. As a networking consultant and speaker, Adam has worked with numerous organizations, including TechStars Atlanta, the Atlanta Tech Village (ATV), ATDC (through Georgia Tech), and Panoramic Ventures, where he’s advised & mentored founders on how to develop magnetic dialogues & long-term relationships. In addition to advising & consulting, Adam has given talks at ATV, ATDC, and most recently emceed the 2022 Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) State conference in Burlington, Vermont.

Check out more from Adam on his website, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.

A Fresh Story, season 3, episode 16

We had the chance to talk to esthetician Jennifer Adell. We chatted about the connection between our skin and our stories and spirituality; how she built a community on social media, and why she believes in empowering women to age proudly and beautifully.

As a licensed esthetician for more than twenty years, Jennifer Adell has fostered a unique practice that incorporates ancient energy medicine principles with state-of-the-art technology. She has a modern outlook that fuses tried and true techniques with the undeniable benefits of science. After obtaining her cosmetology and esthetics licenses, she trained in a four-year energy medicine program at the Institute of Healing Arts and Sciences (IHAS) in Bloomfield, Connecticut, where she learned about the utility of energy medicine as a transformative tool for mind and body healing. There, she worked closely with clients suffering major immune system deficiencies as a result of chemo and radiation therapy, as well as those who would soon undergo or were currently recovering from surgery.  In addition to amassing knowledge and honing invaluable techniques, her time at IHAS solidified for her the significance of my chosen career and the important role of the esthetician in the client’s wellness journey and path to healing. More than that, it reinforced her philosophy of service, one rooted in compassion and consideration, which she applies to every client, regardless of age, wellness concerns, or nature of treatment. Following her education, she held senior-level positions at some of the foremost spas and wellness centers in New York City before relocating to Connecticut with her family in 2015. She currently serves as senior esthetician at New Beauty & Wellness in Westport.

Check out more from Jennifer on her website, Instagram, and TikTok.

A Fresh Story, season 3, episode 15

We chatted with SiriusXM talk show host, entrepreneur, podcaster, and mom, Nicole Ryan. What happens when a fresh start is forced upon us in life? After surviving a car accident, Nicole had to rebuild her body, mind, and life, and start fresh with a grateful perspective on life. We talked about Nicole’s career in entertainment and radio, being a working parent, and how she learned to celebrate the small wins and give herself a lot of grace after her accident. It’s a beautiful episode about finding the silver linings in forced fresh starts.

With her effortless charm and down-to-earth energy, Nicole Ryan has the type of natural charisma that instantly lights up any screen, stage, or studio. Since first hitting the airwaves as a co-host of “The Morning Mash Up”—the SiriusXM Hits 1 daily talk show frequented by today’s biggest pop stars—she’s emerged as a multidimensional force of nature, finding breakout success in TV, digital media, brand ambassadorship, the live-event market, and beyond. As she moves forward in a self-styled career that shows the many sides of her magnetic personality—pop culture expert, culinary enthusiast, fitness buff, wife and mom, to name just a few—Ryan infuses every undertaking with her sharp sense of humor and genuinely radiant presence.

You can find Nicole on her website, TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram.

A Fresh Story, season 3, episode 14

We talked to comedian and advocate Laura High about everything from her divorce to being donor-conceived, and everything in between. Laura chatted with us about the end of her marriage, finding her home on the stage, and meeting her new husband. We talked about her advocacy work for donor-conceived people and how she is shifting the cultural narrative in the way we discuss donor-conceived people’s stories, health, and so much more. Laura is witty, authentic, and empowering, and we had a fantastic time getting to know her.

Laura High is a New York actor and comedian. She received her B.A. in Theatre Performance from Nazareth College. Laura has had lead roles on TV shows, and national commercials. Laura performs stand-up comedy at venues like Broadway Comedy Club, Bananas, and headlined Carolines on Broadway. Laura has been featured on the New York Comedy Festival and won the 'Broadly Funny' Divison at the 360 Stand Up Festival. Laura is a rising content creator. Laura has gone viral several times on TikTok and her following has grown exponentially in a short amount of time. Laura writes, produces, and edits all of her own work. 

Check out more from Laura on her website, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter, and podcast.

A Fresh Story, season 3, episode 13

We had the chance to talk to podcaster and entrepreneur Matt LeBris about growing up and marching to the beat of his own drum, finding his community, how he jumped into podcasting, and his journey through mental health. We talked about why it’s important to have mentors (and be a mentor), how we can learn more about our own mental health, and the beauty and magic of career pivots. And, we had convo about EPIC sandwiches!

Matt LeBris is a born and raised NY'er who inevitably caught the hustler's spirit that fills his hometown streets. A Forbes 30 Under 30 Nominee, Matt has previously worked with Daymond John of Shark Tank before launching his top 1% globally ranked podcast, Decoding Success, which has featured the likes of Mel Robbins, Grant Cardone, and many more.

Check out more from Matt on his website, Instagram, and Twitter, and of course listen to Decoding Success!

A Fresh Story, season 3, episode 12

We had the chance to talk to author L’Oreal Thompson Payton about why we need to stop waiting for perfect, and embrace our identity as we step out of our comfort zone and into our power. With guest co-host Rob Abney, we talked about growing up in the early 2000s, the process of writing a book, embracing our nerdy selves, and so much more!

L’Oreal Thompson Payton is the author of Stop Waiting for Perfect: Step Out of Your Comfort Zone and Into Your Power. Her work has appeared in outlets such as Bitch, Bustle, Essence, SELF, and Well + Good, just to name a few. As a writer, L’Oreal expertly blends refreshingly confessional career and life advice with inspirational insight and just the right amount of humor. She does this by authentically and vulnerably sharing her lessons learned and imperfections while bringing her readers along with her on the journey.

Check out more from L’Oreal on her website, subscribe to newsletter & podcast, Instagram, and Twitter, and of course BUY THE BOOK!

A Fresh Story, season 3, episode 11

What’s the relationship between crisis control, public relations, and divorce? Well, a lot! We had the immense pleasure of chatting with the fantastic Pop Culture and PR Expert Molly McPherson about communications, social media, public relations, and how to navigate our inner resilience during our own personal crises. It’s a beautiful conversation about the intersection between our public personas, our private crises, and how we come out the other side stronger and more resilient.

Molly McPherson, M.S., APR, is a nationally recognized expert in crisis public relations in the age of social media. She is the author of the book, Indestructible: Reclaim Control and Respond with Confidence in a Media Crisis and is a well-known Pop Culture & PR expert on TikTok. Molly helps organizations manage issues - from emerging to crisis - by combining her knowledge of current communication practices with years of media and crisis management experience.

In addition to hosting the podcast "The Indestructible PR® Podcast with Molly McPherson," she frequently speaks to executives and organizations about communication trends, crisis communications, and public relations. Through her experience in FEMA’s Office of External Affairs during post-Hurricane Katrina efforts, and as Director of Communications for the Cruise Line International Association in Arlington, Virginia, Molly created a proven public relations framework for responding to a public backlash both online and in the press.

On a personal note, Molly is a mom of four wonderful children (now all young adults!). She prioritizes her relationships with her kids by cheering them on at their hockey games, soccer games, and theatre events, as well as attending family events at their schools and universities. Molly enjoys running, and is currently training for a half marathon!

Check out more from Molly on her website, Instagram, and Twitter, and of course TikTok. Listen to Molly’s podcast here, too!