This episode is so much FUN! With the holiday season in full swing I knew that I could use a makeup tutorial and refresh and invited Whitney, founder of Main line  Makeup Edit to join me for a conversation. We want to be shopping smarter this season and this is Whitney's message to all.  

We chat about Whitney's previous work in corporate America that lasted almost 20 years...a career spanning from broadcast to technology.  Whitney then took time to be at home with her two small children, and on a walk with a friend hashed out the idea to start the Main Line Make up Edit.  Whitney's consultations are available both in person (if you're local) and virtual. She will review your makeup wardrobe, help you edit what you have and teach you the tips you need to be getting the most out of your make up. It is really a perfect holiday gift. 

I love this conversation so much because we talk about the importance of understanding face shape, skin tone and also our comfort levels with applying makeup...this all should be considered before big purchases. We also talk about my concern with outdated make up styles/applications that can make us look older and how to achieve a more fun, festive look (I love a sparkly eye) for the holiday season. Your every day make up needs & how to create that holiday evening look are all rolled into this little gift of an episode. 

If you love make up or have questions/concerns of your own because you've been wearing the same eyeshadow for the last decade, you will love this episode. 

xx 

Wowza!! Once I heard the news that Shira was releasing a 3rd book, I knew I had to invite her to be on the podcast. To my delight, Shira accepted my invitation and many months later we had the most wonderful conversation about getting intentional with everything that comes into our homes, how to build a business over 15 years and what it looks like when you do it you're own way!  Shira's gorgeous new, 3rd book, LifeStyled is available to purchase today and would make a lovely hostess gift this season, or coffee table book for yourself or someone you love. It's the type of book that you will want to revisit again & again as you begin to work with Shira's guidelines, practical advice and thoughtful prompts.

I found Shira many years ago (I think on Goop) and was instantly drawn to her philosophy and approach to decluttering and making spaces pretty and functional.  But Shira's work is much deeper than meets the eye.  Shira, as a business owner, wife and mother deeply understands the challenges & stressors of everyday modern life and takes that into account when decluttering.  In LifeStyled, Shira illustrates just how to manage the "volume" in our lives and it's a takeaway that I will keep with me for a very long time because it's applicable to every aspect of my life. It's gold. 

This conversation is full of business advice (those who are interested in starting a service based business should listen) and practical decluttering tips for every home but what I love most about this conversation is Shira's refreshing take on social media, writing & pitching herself, and her warm voice reminding us that more is not better.  I promise, you will feel lighter after just listening to Shira...then you will run to closet to start decluttering! Shira is truly a special voice in today's world and I'm so grateful to share our conversation with you. 

This week as we are just about one week out from Thanksgiving I am so thrilled to share my episode with the fabulous, Pamela Salzman. What a pleasure it was to chat with Pamela and not only learn kitchen and entertaining tips but hear her story. I have been following Pamela since 2016 (almost 10 years!) and have loved her clean, fresh and unfussy, California approach to cooking. Her recipes continue to make their way into my kitchen after all these years and after even one quick glance at her website, you can't help but want to cook! 

Pamela's first cookbook, "Kitchen Matters," was published in June 2017 and her second book, "Quicker than Quick," was released in April 2020. She is a contributor to the Food Network Kitchen app and has appeared on numerous media outlets including The Today Show, The Rachael Ray Show, Hallmark's Home and Family, dozens of local TV shows, GOOP, MindBodyGreen, ELLE magazine, Allure, and many others.  

And while she has many accolades, Pamela's story is a reminder that the unexpected & unplanned can sometimes lead to the most rewarding experiences.  Originally from Long Island, I loved learning that Pamela has a Philadelphia connection as she graduated from the University of Pennsylvania as an Economics major. She is a wonderful example of what it looks like to have built a career over many, many years while juggling young children.  What started as taking a cooking class with her mom friends led to each business development, cookbook, TV appearance and so much more. You can't help but be impressed & inspired. 

We of course cover all the basics for your entertaining needs...everything from playlist to the surprise item you can make in advance and freeze! 

I hope you enjoy Pamela's story and her many entertaining & cooking tips. There were so many take aways. The one that I'm incorporating next week as I prepare to host our family for Thanksgiving is Pamela's brilliant & simple "If I have time" note added to the entertaining prep.  Listen to the full episode for all the details. 

Enjoy & Happy Thanksgiving. xo 

Don't wait until January to start incorporating new healthy habits and/or setting up personal health goals for yourself. I am including myself in this..I have goals I'm working towards beginning right now. This week's guest, Ann Schulte a Health Coach and Founder of the Eating for Fat Loss Course (which launches TODAY!!!) joins me for a conversation about women's health, weight loss, nutrition, how to actually feed our busy families and what is necessary to do so. 

And I'm happy to report that you do not need to meal plan a week's worth of dinners to achieve your goals! Ann gives actionable tips that we can all incorporate in our daily lives to be prepared to eat well without having to think about what we are serving for dinner on Thursday night 6 days prior. 

This week's conversation is for anyone who has struggled with weight loss or just wants to feel better in their skin.  Ann is a mom of 3 busy kids and fully understands the juggling act of 3 practices in one night, a traveling husband and the temptation of the local drive thru! I wanted to have this conversation with Ann because she is the perfect example of someone who has been able to prioritize her health and nutrition while still managing her families needs. 

I am thrilled to announce that today, Ann's course; Eating for Fat Loss is launching and our listeners are being offered a special discount code. So listen until the end & grab your code! 

Here is the link to Ann's course: https://annbschulte.com/eating-for-fat-loss

Your holiday wardrobe essentials list is here! Brie Tammaro of N.18 Boutique in Summit, NJ has joined me again! If you haven't listened to Brie's first episode on the podcast, go back and listen because she has quite an extensive & impressive background in fashion. You will love hearing her story and appreciate why she is such an expert in this tough industry. She truly understands the business of fashion and has an amazing eye for styling & understanding how women want to dress! Brie does this every day in her boutique! 

In this episode we get right to it...chatting all things Holiday. If you're like me, you have already started to receive invitations and December is quickly booking with social events.  Don't buy a thing until you listen to this episode ... you may have pieces in your closet from last year that you can style differently and wear this year...that's always a personal goal of mine. 

Brie and I start with the larger holiday trends (colors, textures, silhouettes) and then move into specific pieces that everyone can add to their closet that will make you feel fresh, updated & classic.  We chat about shoes, accessories, the use of jewelry to make your look feel unique and saying yes to sparkle and fun pieces that will make you feel festive this holiday season.  We cover the fashion faux pas we should all be avoiding this season. After listening to this episode you will understand exactly where to invest in something special and when to save.  Wishing you all a joyful and FUN holidays season. XX 

From canvas to keepsake! Shannon Zimolong, my friend and entrepreneur is here today to share the story of how she founded Greystone Needlepoint.  Shannon is a Main Line local who grew up in Bryn Mawr, PA and is an Agnes Irwin graduate so I love that she also founded her business here. 

Shannon went to school out West but knew at heart she was an East Coast girl and returned after graduating from school in Colorado.  It was during her time in Denver that she learned how to needlepoint but it would be many years before she turned that skill into Greystone Needlepoint. 

We chat about her previous clothing line, Dakota Martin that she launched with fellow AIS alum, Lizzy Stall and the challenges & successes (sold globally in over 300 boutiques, including Intermix) they experienced while running a business as young 20-something year olds.  We talk about the decision to close that business, her work in event planning and how she's always embraced the side hustle especially during early motherhood days. 

Then we get a lesson in needlepoint and how Shannon's own search for a curated, modern needlepoint experience led her to found Greystone Needlepoint. Here's what I learned and now love about needlepoint..it is for everyone, you can put it down and return to it months later & begin again, it uses your hands and you can create something special for yourself or a loved one.  There are so many benefits to needlepoint..including the community that Shannon has built over the last 4 years. 

Shannon gives us a lesson in the many reasons why needlepoint is such a cathartic and creative outlet - my personal goal is to learn this January. I also love the community that she has built through needlepoint - there are stitch groups, travel opportunities, a book club and she will soon host local group events. We are so lucky that the new shop is located right here in Bryn Mawr and will host events but Shannon also has free guides available on her website so that anyone can download and begin to learn. 

I hope that you check out Shannon's beautiful website and if you're local go see her brand new location! 

Amy Guzzi, stylist and founder of custom, Italian shirt brand Lewellyn joins me for a refreshing take on Fall 2024 fashion trends. Amy always loved fashion but her parents didn't love the idea of studying fashion and so she eventually began a career as a Special Education teacher in NYC.  But after the birth of her oldest, she returned to her love and began a fashion blog in NYC called Joey & the Owl in 2013.  

A move to Connecticut (where she currently resides) and being pregnant with her daughter, prompted her to hit pause on the blog but as she explains the social landscape was completely different when she decided to return and began her IG account. We discuss the challenges of women who have big careers and then take a break to be home with children and so many can relate to this change in  identity.

Amy attributes her styling success to staying true to her self described "New England" style. While many others had that NYC edge, Amy stayed true to what she loved to wear and her business grew by word of mouth.  Over the last 7 years she built a personal styling business, is a digital content creator and most recently the founder of Lewellyn, Italian custom shirts. 

We talk about fashion trends, where to splurge, where to save...the must have color for every closet right now and what jeans to wear... all of this is wrapped up into this episode.  Dont buy a thing until you listen! Permission is granted to wear your skinny jeans and keep them tucked into your boots too.  We even review the oversize trend and who should/shouldnt wear. 

I love Amy's real approach to fashion. As a mom, she understands the function piece but also the importance of coming back to yourself and getting dressed. 

I hope you love this episode. Please dont forget to like this episode if it helped you and share with a friend. This helps me grow.

Noelle x

Have you eaten at the very delicious Spring Cafe Aspen (in either Aspen or NYC)? Then you are going to LOVE my episode with Sabrina Rudin. I am so VERY excited for you to hear my conversation with Sabrina Rudin, founder & owner of Spring Cafe Aspen. I have been cooking Sabrina's delightful recipes since 2017 and they remain staples in my own kitchen. 

Sabrina's refreshing and nourishing approach to feeding her family of 5 will make you want to get right back into the kitchen to cook. This is also a reminder to be thoughtful about what we are feeding our kids. I know that even as an adult I feel so much better when I'm eating a certain way. We discuss having kids and navigating social food challenges that are unavoidable as our children get older and more independent.  This is the reminder that I needed to keep offering better choices when at home and hopefully the kids keep coming back for more:) It's all about balance! 

Sabrina's story begins in NYC (ironically right above the location of Spring Cafe Aspen) and then her family moves to a farm in NY during her childhood and eventually Sabrina returns to NYC for school, at which point a fellowship for which she applied doesn't work out.  She makes a deal with her parents to move to Aspen for a year to teach skiing and the rest is history as they say! 

Spring Cafe Aspen is now 11 years in which I love to highlight because it was not an overnight success. There are 8 years between the first location in Aspen and the opening of a 2nd location in NYC and they weathered the covid storm...opening a restaurant right before the world shut! This story is so good. I hope you go and follow @springbysabrina @springcafeaspen

And if you're in NYC, pop in for a delicious smoothie, salad, soup and dessert. And if you're out west this season, visit their Aspen location.  And most of all I hope you start making Sabrina's recipes in your own kitchen. Thai(ish) Red Curry bowl is on repeat in my house along with her crumble!

Jane Winchester Paradis serves WISDOM this week to kick off Season 2 of BTS with Noelle! What a delightful and joy filled conversation about starting over multiple times in (your 20's, 30's and 40's and beyond!) and building a beautiful business from the ground up.  Not only will you fall in love with the jewelry if you haven't shopped her collection before but you will immediately fall in love with Jane.  You can't help but be inspired by her authenticity, honesty and creativity. 

Jane's ability to convey a story through each piece is likely a culmination of her innate appreciation for a teacher's storytelling (early education), and her Art History studies along with her rich career experiences in NYC including (founding & eventually closing a handbag business in her 20's) and a 12 year long career at Lilly Pulitzer. While Lilly Pulitzer was a corporate setting, Jane credits them with instilling in her the importance of having core values before even beginning to think about a business strategy.  It was there that she was mentored, learned how to run a profitable business and eventually became Senior Vice President of Marketing. 

Now in it's 7th year, Jane candidly shares the finances it took to start the business and how having a profitable business allows her the flexibility to create and give in meaningful and impactful ways to organizations with which Jane Win aligns. Her Share the Love Charitable Series is currently supporting Breast Cancer Alliance during the month of October. Please visit the website here to shop the collection:
https://janewin.com/collections/share-the-love-charitable-pendants?srsltid=AfmBOoqEt19SptXVEVyTa-Q_Ta378LZAPX0TKvaYC-JyBejAtsoEZHsz

I personally have many takeaways from this conversation but most importantly are the below:
-Consistent Persistence- Jane talks about the early days and how she had to create every opportunity & luck for her business. Now she shares the excitement of opportunities that come to her!
-Joy-filled approach to business- it's supposed to be fun! 

Please enjoy this episode. And if you have a minute to give it a 5 Start rating this helps me grow! 

Thank you,
Noelle xx 

My friend, Lauren Addis joins us for a thoughtful conversation about Art; from curation of art in the home to building collections to navigating the digital art world and everything in between; including the perfect hanging height (listen for the ideal number), the importance of framing and the magic of mixing textures, colors and mediums in a room. 

Lauren's interest in Art was nurtured by her parents from a young age. This exposure & love of Art inspired her to major in Art History & Sociology and have minors in Ceramics & Women's studies at Gettysburg College. 

From her early PR career days in NYC working for Tiffany & Co,  Lauren most appreciated the artistry, design & legacy of the brand to her move to Philly and working for Urban Outfitters, the through line has always been this devotion to Art. While at Urban, Lauren launched a corporate art gallery by showcasing local emerging artists...and it was this program that eventually led Lauren to the decision to focus full time on Art Advisory and LAA Art Collective was built! 

Lauren's warm, friendly and stress free approach to collecting Art combined with her expert eye and beautiful sense of style make her your perfect match for Art Advisory.  You will learn so much in just this one episode! 

After listening to this episode I hope that you pick up something special this summer from your travels, museum visits or your local gallery to hang on your walls.  And if you're local, pop into LAA Art Collective. 

Find Lauren:
@laa_artcollective 
122 E. Lancaster Ave. Wayne, PA 
www.laurenanrigaddis.com