Kathy Caprino began her professional journey with ambitions of working in publishing. However, she soon found herself navigating a corporate career filled with numerous challenges as she climbed the corporate ladder.  After a period of deep reflection, Kathy embraced her calling ultimately leading her to become an international career leadership and personal growth coach. She utilized her experiences and lessons learned to guide mid to high-level professionals toward achieving their highest potential.  Kathy is a writer, speaker, and executive trainer helping mid to high level professionals advance, thrive and reach their highest, most rewarding potential. A LinkedIn Top Voice and former corporate VP,  she's also a trained therapist, seasoned executive coach and a senior Forbes contributor and sought after media source on career issues. Kathy has authored two books, her latest is The Most Powerful You: Seven Bravery Boosting Paths to Career Blitz  is also a training course for individuals and organizations that she offers.  Kathy has been named a top 10 career coach for women and a leadership voice in the United States and globally. 

What You Will Hear in This Episode: 

01:48 Kathy's Early Career Journey

04:15 A Pivotal Moment

07:44 Lessons from Therapy

10:10 Empathy and Coaching

17:55 Understanding Power and Ambition

23:01 The Struggle with Societal Norms

28:23 The Power of Words

31:24 Recognizing Your Unique Talents and Owning Your Accomplishments

Quotes

"Reclaim your power by recognizing your value and the unique talents you bring to the table." 

"Overcoming setbacks and imposter syndrome begins with believing in your own worthiness." 

"Your story and experiences shape a unique and invaluable perspective. Celebrate that uniqueness every day." 

True power comes from within. It’s about acting on your behalf, advocating for yourself, and being the author of your life." 

"It's not about the title or the position, but about the impact you want to make and the legacy you want to leave." -

"Every setback is an opportunity for growth. Embrace it and let it propel you to new heights."

“To empower others, we must first empower ourselves. Understand your strengths and use them to inspire those around you."  

.Mentioned:

Kathycaprino.com

Mostpowerfulyou.com

Finding Brave Podcast

LinkedIn

Twitter/X

eConnect with Bonnie

Online Course for Ambitious Women: https://www.female-career-accelerator-online.com/

Substack Newsletter: Own Your Ambition

Gendered Ageism Survey Results

Forbes article

5 Tips to own the superpower of your age

IAMMusicGroup

Purchase my book Not Done Yet on Amazon: 

If you enjoyed this episode of Badass Women Podcast, then make sure to subscribe to the podcast and drop us a five-star review

Emily June Wilcox grew up in rural Michigan with aspirations of becoming a veterinarian, earning a degree in animal science. Her early career took unexpected turns, from horse training to pharmaceutical sales and eventually entrepreneurship.   Emily is a wealth and business coach, number one bestselling author and speaker on a mission to help others heal their money wounds and build financially and personally fulfilling lives. She's built two seven figure businesses, an  e-commerce clothing company and an Amazon marketing agency.  Now she focuses on using energetics and strategy to help women build their femme powers and walk the joyous path to millions. Emily hosts a top 2% global podcast, The Joyous Path to Millions, and her work has been featured in more than 400 major media outlets including A-B-C-N-B-C, Fox Associated Press and the Wall Street Times. 

What You Will Hear in This Episode: 

02:28 Emily's Journey

08:30 Money Wounds Explained

12:37 Impact of Money Wounds on Women

12:57 Strategic and Energetic Approaches

25:40 Impact Versus Income

31:55 Finding Joy on the Path to Millions

Quotes

"When we heal our hard money wound and we recognize that it's not about trading effort for income, it's about trading impact for income, then we start to orient differently."

"Cultivate your inner environment, decide that every single day, no matter the external circumstances, you can find something to feel joyful about."

"Entrepreneurship is a pretty unique personal development vehicle that most of us don't realize until we start doing it.”

"When we can get back to more of that understanding that money is a resource and that it really is independent of us as a human being and our contribution to the planet, the cleaner the energy becomes, and then we're better able to position ourselves to make more."

.Mentioned:

emilywilcox.com

Instagram

Facebook

TikTok

LinkedIn

eConnect with Bonnie

Substack Newsletter: Own Your Ambition

Gendered Ageism Survey Results

Forbes article

5 Tips to own the superpower of your age

IAMMusicGroup

Purchase my book Not Done Yet on Amazon: 

If you enjoyed this episode of Badass Women Podcast, then make sure to subscribe to the podcast and drop us a five-star review

Growing up in a family that didn't view a career in the arts as feasible, Kathryn Burnett pursued writing with determination, transitioning from magazine articles to professional screenwriting. She faced numerous challenges, particularly in a competitive industry that often overlooks middle-aged women. Post-menopause, Kathryn experienced a personal transformation, embracing her true self and taking greater creative risks. This shift led to a focus on complex, authentic female protagonists, inspired by real-life experiences and conversations. Her writing now champions strong, relatable women, pushing back against clichéd portrayals. Kathryn emphasizes the importance of defining personal success, trusting oneself, and not fearing failure. In addition to her creative work, she shares her insights through coaching writing and her book, 'The Productive Writer Guidebook.' Kathryn continues to explore new projects, driven by her passion for storytelling and commitment to depicting multifaceted female characters. 

What You Will Hear in This Episode: 

2:15 - Kathryn's Background and Journey 

6:45 - Turning Point in Kathryn's Career

10:05 - Challenges in the Screenwriting Industry 

15:30 - Defining Success 

20:10 - Kathryn's Post-Menopause Transformation 

25:00 - Impact on Writing 

30:20 - The Power of Female Protagonists 

35:55 - Inspiration Behind Kathryn's Play 

40:15 - The Writer's Journey and Coaching 

45:25 - Current and Future Projects 

50:50 - Advice for Aspiring Writers 

Quotes

“There's always going to be someone with an opinion of you.”

“There's making a living and then there's making a great living.”

“The world doesn't fall over if you fail or get it wrong.”

“I think loads of creatives will tell you the same. It's just never a smooth journey. I mean, life never is.”

Mentioned:

www.kathryn-burnett.com

LinkedIn

Facebook

Twitter/X

eConnect with Bonnie

Substack Newsletter: Own Your Ambition

Gendered Ageism Survey Results

Forbes article

5 Tips to own the superpower of your age

IAMMusicGroup

Purchase my book Not Done Yet on Amazon: 

If you enjoyed this episode of Badass Women Podcast, then make sure to subscribe to the podcast and drop us a five-star review

Inspired to push back against gendered ageism,  Stella Fosse  began writing vivid, sexy stories about older women inspired by an article by a 50-year-old romance writer in the New York Times that pushed her to challenge industry norms that favored younger characters.  Her involvement in a local writing series called "Dirty Old Women," where women over 50 read erotic stories to live audiences, further solidified her mission. Through her experiences in online dating in her 60s and meeting her partner at 62, Stella drew inspiration for her novels, including her first book, "Brilliant, Charming Bastard," and her later works centered on older women.  Stella Fosse spent many years as a technical writer in biotechnology, managing a demanding career while raising her four children. Upon retiring, she pursued her passion for storytelling. Stella continues to empower and encourage women over 50 to share their vibrant stories and creativity through her books, workshops, and blog.

What You Will Hear in This Episode: 

01:17 Stella's Journey

05:28 Writing Workshops and Books

15:53 Pandemic and Creativity

18:33 Challenges of Writing and Marketing

21:35 Support and Community

30:15 Upcoming Projects

Quotes

“The key, I think, is to find the creativity within the marketing and publicity process.”

“I'm in my seventies now and when you've lived as long as I have, there is an awful lot of material to” draw from.

“It's up to the woman to decide how she embraces and uses her own sexuality.”

“If she can see it, she can be it.”

“We're all unique and freeing ourselves to step out of the box and enjoy life is truly badass.”

Mentioned:

www.stellafosse.com

Substack

Instagram

Facebook

Linkedin

eConnect with Bonnie

Substack Newsletter: Own Your Ambition

Gendered Ageism Survey Results

Forbes article

5 Tips to own the superpower of your age

IAMMusicGroup

Purchase my book Not Done Yet on Amazon: 

If you enjoyed this episode of Badass Women Podcast, then make sure to subscribe to the podcast and drop us a five-star review

8/19/2025

Rebecca "Becky" Faye Smith Galli's life is marked by resilience despite profound losses. She faced significant challenges, including the death of her brother, her son's degenerative disease and death, her daughter's autism, a divorce, and her own paralysis from transverse myelitis.  Despite these challenges, Becky has found strength and purpose through writing which led her to a writing career, authoring books and columns that inspire others with messages of love, loss, and healing. Becky's story highlights the importance of honesty, support systems, and finding positivity and purpose amidst adversity.  Her career began with a column in the Baltimore Sun, which evolved into a prolific writing journey. She has authored books such as "Rethinking Possible" and "Morning Fuel," which reflect her belief that life can still be good despite difficult circumstances. Her column, "Thoughtful Thursdays," continues to inspire her readers with lessons on resilience and positivity.

What You Will Hear in This Episode: 

02:21 Becky's Personal Story

02:37 Learning from Grief and Loss

04:55 The Power of Honesty and Support

08:06 Resilience and Positivity

12:49 The Mind-Body Connection

14:49 Writing Therapy

24:56 Memoir Writing Process

30:08 Future Writing and Closing Remarks

Quotes

“Sometimes the challenges that women face, no matter how significant, can lead to opening up new opportunities.”

“Your grief is as unique as your fingerprint.”

“Life can be good no matter what.”

“You can act your way into a new way of thinking.”

Mentioned:

BeckyGalli.com

@ChairWriter

Instagram

Facebook

Linkedin

Twitter/X 

eConnect with Bonnie

Substack Newsletter: Own Your Ambition

Gendered Ageism Survey Results

Forbes article

5 Tips to own the superpower of your age

IAMMusicGroup

Purchase my book Not Done Yet on Amazon: 

If you enjoyed this episode of Badass Women Podcast, then make sure to subscribe to the podcast and drop us a five-star review

Through her own journey of healing from multiple traumas, including an abusive relationship, Elyssa Smith studied and developed methods to hack the survival brain, rewiring the limiting beliefs that were keeping her stuck.  Elyssa is a trauma informed life strategist who helps female executives, entrepreneurs, and professionals squash their limiting beliefs and heal from hidden trauma so they can stop playing small and get to their next level.  As a nervous system regulation and mindset mastery expert, she now gets to equip other women with tools and techniques that not only saved her life and skyrocketed her business, but will actually reprogram their brains to unleash their wildest potential for unprecedented success and happiness. Elyssa has been featured in Forbes, she's been on the TEDx stage, and is a regular contributor on Fox 59 Morning News.

 What You Will Hear in This Episode: 

02:33 Elyssa's Personal Journey of Healing

04:43 The Impact of Hidden Trauma

06:53 Lessons Learned and Overcoming Self-Sabotage

12:41 Gender Differences in Self-Sabotage

15:10 Reprogramming the Brain for Lasting Change

22:23 Exploring Family Dynamics and Hidden Criticism

26:19 Understanding Healthy Attachment and Reparenting

31:28 The Concept of Tiny T Trauma

36:26 Addressing the Inner Critic

Quotes

“We all have the potential to be a badass.”

“Our negative thoughts and beliefs, our fears, our self doubt, prevent us from stepping up and living our best life.”

“Your survival brain literally forms based on what you went through as a kid.”

“There's no healing in shame.”

“If you want lasting change, you've got to create new neural pathways.”

“The inner critic is the number one survival brain response.”

Mentioned:

LinkedIn

Facebook

Instagram

eConnect with Bonnie

Online Course for Ambitious Women: https://www.female-career-accelerator-online.com/

Substack Newsletter: Own Your Ambition

Gendered Ageism Survey Results

Forbes article

5 Tips to own the superpower of your age

IAMMusicGroup

Purchase my book Not Done Yet on Amazon: 

If you enjoyed this episode of Badass Women Podcast, then make sure to subscribe to the podcast and drop us a five-star review

Lori Duff's journey began with strong academic success, which led her parents to steer her towards law school. Initially focused solely on her legal career, Lori truly discovered her love for creative writing after a challenging election loss in 2012. This moment of introspection prompted her to start blogging, humorously chronicling her husband's antics, which then evolved into a more public writing career. Lori is a lawyer, a judge, and an award winning writer.  She's a past president of the Georgia Council for Municipal  Court Judges, and the National Society of Newspaper Columnists.  A two time winner of the Georgia Bar Journal's Annual Fiction Competition, she also won the Forward Indies Gold Medal for Humor,  and the National Society of Newspaper Columnists Annual Column Contest, and many other awards for her work.  Her new novel,  Devil's Defense, is a finalist in the American Book Fest Best Book Awards in General Fiction and Thriller Adventure categories and her novella, Broken Things, won the Georgia Independent Author of the Year Award for Literary Fiction.

 What You Will Hear in This Episode: 

01:46 Lori's Background

04:24 Journey to Writing

05:34 Balancing Law and Writing

15:20 Creative Inspirations

18:05 Character Development

30:46 Upcoming Projects

Quotes

“People are complicated. Nobody thinks they're the bad guy.”

“Don't let anyone else tell you no. There's enough people telling you no.”

Mentioned:

loriduffwrites.com

Substack @loriduffwrites

Twitter: @loriduffwrites

Facebook: Lori Duff Writes

Instagram: @loriduffwrites

LinkedIn: Lori Duff

eConnect with Bonnie

Substack Newsletter: Own Your Ambition

Gendered Ageism Survey Results

Forbes article

5 Tips to own the superpower of your age

IAMMusicGroup

Purchase my book Not Done Yet on Amazon: 

If you enjoyed this episode of Badass Women Podcast, then make sure to subscribe to the podcast and drop us a five-star review

Linda Descano's personal journey is an inspiring tale of resilience, adaptability, and unwavering determination. Raised in a traditional Italian Catholic family in South Philadelphia, Linda was instilled with the importance of education by her parents despite their lack of formal schooling. Influenced by strong, hardworking women in her family, Linda embraced the idea that she could be anything she wanted to be—that nothing could hold her back.  Linda is a certified financial advisor. She is now global Chief Integration and Marketing Officer for the Havas, Red Network, a Merge Media agency micro network within the Havas group.  In addition to overseeing the agency's global marketing and thought leadership activities, Linda provides communications counsel to clients across multiple industry sectors and stages of growth on brand reputation and corporate communication strategies and tactics.  This is not Linda's first career, she shares her inspiring story about her journey. Full disclosure, I met Linda years ago in New York City when she was in a different role and in fact, I was so inspired by her that I had to include her story in my book, Not Done Yet.

 What You Will Hear in This Episode: 

01:54 Linda's Early Life and Influences

04:09 Career Journey and Multiple Pivots

05:32 Facing Challenges and Overcoming Failure

10:05 The Power of Networking

30:56 Advice for Women Over 50

Quotes

“You don't have to just be one thing. Keep learning, keep growing, and don't let anyone put you in a sandbox.”

“Build real relationships by being willing to give, not just take. Practice good karma and always be respectful.”

“Every experience teaches you something. Use failures as a learning opportunity to repackage your skills and present them in new ways”.

“Never let age be a barrier to success. Your experience is invaluable; it's all about how you present it and continue to learn.”

Mentioned:

LinkedIn

eConnect with Bonnie

https://substack.com/@ownyourambition

Gendered Ageism Survey Results

Forbes article

5 Tips to own the superpower of your age

IAMMusicGroup

Purchase my book Not Done Yet on Amazon: 

If you enjoyed this episode of Badass Women Podcast, then make sure to subscribe to the podcast and drop us a five-star review.

Terry Tateossian spent the majority of her adult life in a corporate environment, as an entrepreneur and business owner, all while struggling with significant weight issues. After failing with numerous diets and experiencing serious health scares, she realized that her problem wasn't physical but emotional. By addressing her emotional eating and adopting a holistic approach involving strength training, nutrition, and mindset, Terry managed to break free from the weight gain-loss rollercoaster. Today, she helps other women regain their confidence, ignite their well-being, find their true purpose with strength training, nutrition, and mindset through her ventures House of Rose and THOR Retreats where individuals can kick start their journey into wellbeing on their own while surrounded by the magnificent Cherokee National Forest and Smoky Mountains. Terry has been recognized as Inc. 5000's fastest growing company in America in 2020, Inc. 2020 Best Places to Work, New Jersey Biz Top 40 Under 40, Future 50 Fastest Growing Companies in New Jersey, New York, Women President Organizations 50 Fastest Growing Women Owned Companies, and many, many other awards.

 What You Will Hear in This Episode: 

01:05 Terry's Struggle with Obesity

01:55 Founding the House of Rose and Thor Retreats

03:41 Terry's Personal Transformation

06:25 The Emotional Eating Cycle

12:12 Mindset and Taking Action

23:11 The Role of Confidence

25:16 Coaching Women to Regain Confidence

31:17 Final Advice and Holistic Approach

Quotes

“We all have blind sides that we are just not necessarily aware of.”

“A lot of women as well as men have an emotional eating addiction.”

“It's very difficult to change your mindset without taking action towards the direction that you want to go into."

"When people are not ready there's really no amount of coaching, cheering or talking or therapy that's going to convince someone who's not willing to take the chance or take a step forward."

"Finding a balance between not confident and confident is where you really want to be... you're insecure enough to ask for help and to look for answers."

.

Mentioned:

Website: thehouseofrose.com

Instagram: How Good Can It Get?

eConnect with Bonnie

Substack Newsletter: Own Your Ambition

Gendered Ageism Survey Results

Forbes article

5 Tips to own the superpower of your age

IAMMusicGroup

Purchase my book Not Done Yet on Amazon: 

If you enjoyed this episode of Badass Women Podcast, then make sure to subscribe to the podcast and drop us a five-star review.

Jamie Mittelman was inspired to live life with passion and fervor after experiencing the loss of her father.   A lover of sports and a deep believer in the power of stories to change lives, Jamie found her passion and purpose  in elevating women’s stories at the highest level of sports.  Jamie is the founder and host of Flame Bearers, a platform dedicated to celebrating and sharing the stories of elite women athletes. With a master's degree in public administration from Harvard and seven years of experience in both the corporate and nonprofit communication sectors, Jamie is a passionate advocate for gender equity in sports. Throughout her life, sports have been a source of joyous, challenging, and defining moments, shaping her commitment to elevating diverse voices and inspiring people of all ages with powerful stories of perseverance and achievement.

 What You Will Hear in This Episode: 

01:56 Jamie’s Journey and Mission

11:42 The Future of Women's Sports

15:57 Challenges of Female Athletes

30:43 Where to Start and Final Thoughts

 Quotes

“I realized that life is not a dress rehearsal and it really pushed me to challenge how I thought of myself, what I was doing every day and to go for exactly what I wanted.”

“Anyone can find their inner Olympian or Paralympian if they've never even played sports before.”

“The traits that make Olympians and Paralympians literally the best in the world are traits that I can copy, you can copy.”

“Small actions can lead to big change.”

.Mentioned:

Website: Flamebearers.com

Instagram: Flame Bearers

TikTok: Flame Bearers

Facebook: Flame Bearers

Twitter/X: Flame Bearers

eConnect with Bonnie

https://substack.com/@ownyourambition

Gendered Ageism Survey Results

Forbes article

5 Tips to own the superpower of your age

IAMMusicGroup

Purchase my book Not Done Yet on Amazon: 

If you enjoyed this episode of Badass Women Podcast, then make sure to subscribe to the podcast and drop us a five-star review.