All About the Girls

GreatNews.Life and Podcast Host Jenny Craig-Brown transformed the All About the Girls annual event into a podcast! These monthly episodes feature incredible women giving the audience all the insight about what makes them happy, successful, and motivational. New episodes launch on Sundays to make sure to start your week on a positive note!

This episode features Colleen Brennan. Colleen Brennan is a Chicago based stand-up comedian, actor, writer (Wisecrackin’), producer (Momedians of Momedy and Back Room Comedy @ aliveOne), podcast host (Defending Indiana) and mother.  A graduate of the Conservatory Program at The Second City, Colleen also received training in stand-up comedy at The Second City and Feminine Comique.  Described as a polished performer, Colleen’s unique, observational angle as a married, visibly stable mother highlights the hilarious details about life as a human.

Colleen has performed in festivals, theaters, clubs and shows all over the Midwest such as: Snubfest 2016 (*Winner – Audience Favorite), Lady Laughs Festival (Madison, WI), The Laugh Factory, Zanies Rosemont Tuesday Ten, The Lincoln Lodge, The Foundation Room at the House of Blues, The Comedy Shrine, Tomfoolery Fun Club, The Kates, The Little Theater at Saint Mary’s College, The Acorn Theater and The Annoyance Theater.  She has been a guest on WGN’s “Pretty Late with Patti Vasquez” and WCIU’s “The Jam”.  Colleen also appears regularly in her car driving her children all around Chicago.

GreatNews.Life & Podcast Host Jenny Craig-Brown have transformed the All About the Girls annual event into a podcast! These monthly episodes feature incredible women giving the audience all the insight about what makes them happy, successful, and motivational. New episodes launch on Sundays to make sure to start your week on a positive note!

The All About the Girls Podcast is brought to you by GreatNews.Life 

GreatNewsLife looks to form positive, online communities centered around the idea that, given the option, viewers prefer to see all the good things going on in their community, as opposed to negative news. Here you’ll find exclusively positive, hyper-local stories, features, and news touting everything exceptional about the communities that make up Northwest Indiana. We invite you to partake in the Region’s only source for all-positive news, all the time. Watch it. Love it. Share it.

GreatNews.Life and Podcast Host Jenny Craig-Brown transformed the All About the Girls annual event into a podcast! These monthly episodes feature incredible women giving the audience all the insight about what makes them happy, successful, and motivational. New episodes launch on Sundays to make sure to start your week on a positive note!

This episode features Courtney Smith from Smith Legal Group. Courtney was born and raised in Valparaiso, Indiana. Courtney sits on the Shared Ethics Advisory Commission as Vice President and is the representative for Porter County. She also sits on the Advisory Board for Thorgren Tool & Molding, Co. Inc. in Valparaiso. She is a graduate of Purdue University with a liberal arts degree, and furthered her education at Valparaiso University with a degree in education, German, and a minor in English. Courtney taught high school German and English in Lake County, Indiana, for seven years before beginning her law school education at Valparaiso University Law School.

GreatNews.Life & Podcast Host Jenny Craig-Brown have transformed the All About the Girls annual event into a podcast! These monthly episodes feature incredible women giving the audience all the insight about what makes them happy, successful, and motivational. New episodes launch on Sundays to make sure to start your week on a positive note!

The All About the Girls Podcast is brought to you by GreatNews.Life 

GreatNewsLife looks to form positive, online communities centered around the idea that, given the option, viewers prefer to see all the good things going on in their community, as opposed to negative news. Here you’ll find exclusively positive, hyper-local stories, features, and news touting everything exceptional about the communities that make up Northwest Indiana. We invite you to partake in the Region’s only source for all-positive news, all the time. Watch it. Love it. Share it.

In this episode of the All About The Girls The Podcast our host Jenny Craig-Brown got a chance to sit down with Maya Kommineni and learn all about her background, family, and more!

GreatNews.Life & Podcast Host Jenny Craig-Brown have transformed the All About the Girls annual event into a podcast! These monthly episodes feature incredible women giving the audience all the insight about what makes them happy, successful, and motivational. New episodes launch on Sundays to make sure to start your week on a positive note!

The All About the Girls Podcast is brought to you by GreatNews.Life 

GreatNewsLife looks to form positive, online communities centered around the idea that, given the option, viewers prefer to see all the good things going on in their community, as opposed to negative news. Here you’ll find exclusively positive, hyper-local stories, features, and news touting everything exceptional about the communities that make up Northwest Indiana. We invite you to partake in the Region’s only source for all-positive news, all the time. Watch it. Love it. Share it.

Join Jenny Craig-Brown as she gets the chance to sit down with Indiana Secretary of State Holli Sullivan on this hybrid episode of Leadership Life and All About The Girls. We get to learn all about Holli's background, careers, and many more!

GreatNews.Life & Podcast Host Jenny Craig-Brown have transformed the All About the Girls annual event into a podcast! These monthly episodes feature incredible women giving the audience all the insight about what makes them happy, successful, and motivational. New episodes launch on Sundays to make sure to start your week on a positive note!

The All About the Girls Podcast is brought to you by GreatNews.Life 

GreatNewsLife looks to form positive, online communities centered around the idea that, given the option, viewers prefer to see all the good things going on in their community, as opposed to negative news. Here you’ll find exclusively positive, hyper-local stories, features, and news touting everything exceptional about the communities that make up Northwest Indiana. We invite you to partake in the Region’s only source for all-positive news, all the time. Watch it. Love it. Share it.

Ivy Ford is entertaining and leaves her mark wherever she goes. Through musicianship and finesse she commands a magical energy like no other. She plays several instruments but didn't pick up the guitar until turning 20 and took to it like fish to water. Kickstarting her career, opening for Buddy Guy, she continues to raise the bar for the blues industry. With new opportunities on the rise, Ivy Ford doesn't mind if a patron may not be privy to her at first, because she guarantees they'll never forget her.

She's a red lipstick wearing and guitar slinging 'Youngblood of the Blues and more'

GreatNews.Life & Podcast Host Jenny Craig-Brown have transformed the All About the Girls annual event into a podcast! These monthly episodes feature incredible women giving the audience all the insight about what makes them happy, successful, and motivational. New episodes launch on Sundays to make sure to start your week on a positive note!

The All About the Girls Podcast is brought to you by GreatNews.Life 

GreatNewsLife looks to form positive, online communities centered around the idea that, given the option, viewers prefer to see all the good things going on in their community, as opposed to negative news. Here you’ll find exclusively positive, hyper-local stories, features, and news touting everything exceptional about the communities that make up Northwest Indiana. We invite you to partake in the Region’s only source for all-positive news, all the time. Watch it. Love it. Share it.

Ashley Dickinson is Chief Executive Officer for Northwest Health which includes the three hospitals located in Valparaiso, La Porte and Knox as well Northwest Medical Group, Northwest Health Occupational Medicine, Northwest Health Urgent Cares, Northwest Health Emergency Medical Services and several other entities.

Prior to serving as CEO for the entire Northwest Health system, Ashley was the CEO for Northwest Health - La Porte and Northwest Health – Starke hospitals and before that was the Chief Operating Officer at Northwest Health – Porter.

Ashley holds master’s degrees in Health Administration and Business Administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Oklahoma State University. She is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Since joining Northwest Health in 2014, Ashley has overseen the planning, construction and opening of the new Northwest Health – La Porte hospital that opened in 2020, recruited more than 70 new providers to the region, expanded the Northwest Health – Valparaiso campus, and earned several national designations for the hospitals most recently, accredited Chest Pain Center, Primary Stroke Center and accredited Cardiac EP services at Northwest Health – La Porte.

During her early career Ashley was an executive at Northeast Regional Medical Center in Kirksville, Missouri. Throughout her career she has supported work to enhance quality, safety and service for patients.

Ashley lives in La Porte County with her husband Patrick and their son.

GreatNews.Life & Podcast Host Jenny Craig-Brown have transformed the All About the Girls annual event into a podcast! These monthly episodes feature incredible women giving the audience all the insight about what makes them happy, successful, and motivational. New episodes launch on Sundays to make sure to start your week on a positive note!

The All About the Girls Podcast is brought to you by GreatNews.Life 

GreatNewsLife looks to form positive, online communities centered around the idea that, given the option, viewers prefer to see all the good things going on in their community, as opposed to negative news. Here you’ll find exclusively positive, hyper-local stories, features, and news touting everything exceptional about the communities that make up Northwest Indiana. We invite you to partake in the Region’s only source for all-positive news, all the time. Watch it. Love it. Share it.

Chelsea (Stalling) Whittington is a native of Gary, IN and proud graduate of West Side High School (salutatorian), Howard University (B.A. Broadcast Journalism, Magna Cum Laude) and Purdue University (M.A. Organizational Communications, Summa Cum Laude). 

Her career in Public Relations and Communications spans more than 25 years having worked for the Peace Corps Recruiting Office in Arlington, VA, the Office of Congressman Charles Rangel (D-NY), JWA Boys and Girls Club, Lake Area United Way, Horseshoe and Trump Casinos, the Gary Community School Corporation, and Johnson Publishing Company, publisher of Ebony and Jet Magazines.

In 2009, Chelsea joined the executive team at U.S. Cellular Corporation as Communications Manager. There, she managed 4 of the company’s public relations firms while promoting the brand of the nation’s sixth largest wireless phone company. 

From January 2012 – July 2015, Chelsea served in the administration of Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson, the City of Gary’s first female mayor and the State of Indiana’s only female African-American mayor. As Director of Communications, Chelsea oversaw media relations, crisis communications, special events, branding and marketing for her hometown. 

In the fall of 2015 to spring 2019, Chelsea was employed by the Chicago Urban League where she served as Director of External Affairs and Special Events. She continues to serve as an adjunct professor at Indiana University Northwest and Indiana Wesleyan University teaching courses in Communications, Social Networking and Special Event Planning. 

Since 2015, Chelsea has operated her own PR Consulting firm, C WHITT, where she develops public relations and social media strategies for clients as well as presents workshops and trainings on social media and public speaking. In spring 2019, she made the big leap into full-time entrepreneurship while expanding her clientele to service small businesses, non-profit organizations and governmental agencies.

A long-time member of the Trinity Missionary Baptist Church, Chelsea sings in the choir, is a member of the G.E.E.K Squad and serves as a church hostess. She volunteers for the J.W.A. Boys and Girls Club, Sojourner Truth House, is a member of the Black Public Relations Society of Chicago, the iHeart Media Local Advisory Board and NBC 5 Chicago’s Community Outreach Board.

Whittington resides in Gary with her husband Terrell and their lovable dog Deuce.

GreatNews.Life & Podcast Host Jenny Craig-Brown have transformed the All About the Girls annual event into a podcast! These monthly episodes feature incredible women giving the audience all the insight about what makes them happy, successful, and motivational. New episodes launch on Sundays to make sure to start your week on a positive note!

The All About the Girls Podcast is brought to you by GreatNews.Life 

GreatNewsLife looks to form positive, online communities centered around the idea that, given the option, viewers prefer to see all the good things going on in their community, as opposed to negative news. Here you’ll find exclusively positive, hyper-local stories, features, and news touting everything exceptional about the communities that make up Northwest Indiana. We invite you to partake in the Region’s only source for all-positive news, all the time. Watch it. Love it. Share it.

Elizabeth Adcock, Senior Specialist at CAPTRUST beginning in the summer of 2020 when Lakeside Wealth Management joined.  At Lakeside, Elizabeth was the Director of Strategic Development, has over 15 years of experience in the finance industry. She began her career at Lakeside Wealth Management in 2010 in operations and client services. Prior to joining the Lakeside team, Elizabeth spent three years as a leading Sales Specialist for Unicous Marketing. Elizabeth has twin kindergarten daughters Madeline and Emelia and her husband Aaron has 4 children, 14 year old twin girls, and 15 and 18 year old boys.  

Personal Accolades 

• Duneland Chamber Volunteer of the Year Award - 2019 

• Named to the NWI Times 20 Under 40 Class for 2019 

• Executive Board Vice President for the Duneland Family YMCA 

• Co-Chair for the Chairman’s Round Table – Duneland Family YMCA since 2016 

• Rebuilding Together Duneland Volunteer 

• United Way Day of Caring Volunteer 

• Former Committee chair for Duneland YMCA’s Dancing Like the Stars 

• Former Secretary of the Board of Executive Directors for the Duneland YMCA 

• Paul Harris Rotarian Award Winner - 2014 

• Valparaiso Leadership Graduate - 2010 

GreatNews.Life & Podcast Host Jenny Craig-Brown have transformed the All About the Girls annual event into a podcast! These monthly episodes feature incredible women giving the audience all the insight about what makes them happy, successful, and motivational. New episodes launch on Sundays to make sure to start your week on a positive note!

The All About the Girls Podcast is brought to you by GreatNews.Life 

GreatNewsLife looks to form positive, online communities centered around the idea that, given the option, viewers prefer to see all the good things going on in their community, as opposed to negative news. Here you’ll find exclusively positive, hyper-local stories, features, and news touting everything exceptional about the communities that make up Northwest Indiana. We invite you to partake in the Region’s only source for all-positive news, all the time. Watch it. Love it. Share it.

Meet the Boys & Girls Clubs Youth of the Year of Greater Northwest Indiana through this special interview with Jenny Craig-Brown! Get a glimpse at each girl's life outside of the club, what it means to be a leader, their future plans, and the people in their lives that inspire them. Make sure to catch their unfiltered responses to the rapid fire questions at the end of the show!

Madelyn is the Valparaiso Youth of the Year! She has a passion for music and plays both the piano and cello. "Music is on of the most important things to me and I truly believe that it is the greatest way to form connections with each other and create a deep understanding of oneself."  

Bailey is the Duneland Club representative for the 2021 Youth of the Year! She is an avid runner who gives back to her community and participates in many service projects through her Club

Andriana is the East Chicago Club representative for the 2021 Youth of the Year! She has been accepted to Tennessee State and dreams of opening a shelter for people in abusive relationships.

GreatNews.Life & Podcast Host Jenny Craig-Brown have transformed the All About the Girls annual event into a podcast! These monthly episodes feature incredible women giving the audience all the insight about what makes them happy, successful, and motivational. New episodes launch on Sundays to make sure to start your week on a positive note!

The All About the Girls Podcast is brought to you by GreatNews.Life 

GreatNewsLife looks to form positive, online communities centered around the idea that, given the option, viewers prefer to see all the good things going on in their community, as opposed to negative news. Here you’ll find exclusively positive, hyper-local stories, features, and news touting everything exceptional about the communities that make up Northwest Indiana. We invite you to partake in the Region’s only source for all-positive news, all the time. Watch it. Love it. Share it.

Get an inside look into Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch's life, goals, and passions via her interview with Jenny Craig-Brown. The lifestyle of the Lieutenant Governor is impressively fast-paced and highly impactful. Everyday Crouch cherishes each moment and urges those around her to do so as well since, "Life is like a book, some chapters we get to write and some are written for us."

Born and raised in Indiana, Crouch has dedicated her life to making a difference. "We are here for such a short period of time, that if we can't make a difference and if we can't impact people's lives and improve them, then why are we here?" is something that Crouch lives by every single day.

GreatNews.Life & Podcast Host Jenny Craig-Brown have transformed the All About the Girls annual event into a podcast! These monthly episodes feature incredible women giving the audience all the insight about what makes them happy, successful, and motivational. New episodes launch on Sundays to make sure to start your week on a positive note!

The All About the Girls Podcast is brought to you by GreatNews.Life 

GreatNewsLife looks to form positive, online communities centered around the idea that, given the option, viewers prefer to see all the good things going on in their community, as opposed to negative news. Here you’ll find exclusively positive, hyper-local stories, features, and news touting everything exceptional about the communities that make up Northwest Indiana. We invite you to partake in the Region’s only source for all-positive news, all the time. Watch it. Love it. Share it.