Bombshell Brunches Podcast

Sarah Smit is more than a survivor: she’s a thriver. Diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, Sarah’s laughter is easy and resounding, her resilience is palpable, and her can-do attitude towards embracing adventure is incredible. A past Playmate and international model, Sarah joins us for a candid, critical conversation about choosing to thrive, and living with everything you have. We talk about her incredible partnership, letting go of our perceived ‘control’ over life, learning to love your journey, and living for YOU first. 

Sarah’s double lung transplant was one year ago, and we’re so incredibly inspired by just how much she’s thrived through. No matter what your journey is, there are parallels to draw from almost everything she says. As Sarah says, “there’s always so much that you can’t do, but there’s always something you can”. 

Here’s to incredible humans who inspire us to be our own best selves. 

A special note from Raquelle: I am SO SO excited to introduce you all to my cousin Sarah because not only is she the most resilient person I know but  she radiates an energy that would be a shame not to share with you all.

About Sarah: 

Sarah has a gypsy heart and has lived,  modelled and worked all over the world including  in Europe, Africa and Australia, including working on a super yacht. She has been a playmate, gracing the pages of Playboy in both 2008 and 2013. Her health massively deteriorated in the last number of years due to Cystic fibrosis (CF), a progressive, genetic disease that causes persistent lung infections and limits the ability to breathe over time.

Although this was a life-changing illness, Sarah still found the time and energy to work on initiatives such as being part of the team to launch an online CF community, doing interviews and documentaries to raise awareness of the disease and has been working on a book which has been chronicling the good the bad and the ugly for the last 10 years of her life. She is now one year post-op from a double lung surgery. 

Sarah lives in the Netherlands with her fiancé Shane and their fur baby, Boomer.  

REFERENCES:

“Out of Breath” Trailer: https://vimeo.com/213976426  

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation: https://www.cff.org/ 

To connect with Bombshell Brunches: click HERE
To connect with Kristina Lao: click HERE
To connect with Raquelle Roodenburg: click HERE
To connect with Sarah Smith: click HERE

Episode Sixteen - Third Cultures, Spaces, Owning Your Space 

Harpo speaks with a sense of authenticity, outlining her progression through a scarcity mindset, through academia, cultural differences, and extensive self-awareness building, this badass has created her own home within herself, and is sharing that space with you. We talk about leaning into the universe, equipping herself with the framework to succeed, and then letting the wave of serendipity take you on a journey towards self-fulfilment. Harpo talks about her decision-making process, from embracing the ‘third space’, educating and allowing, the clash of collectivist vs individualist cultures, and so much more. Harpo is a self-effacing, ambitious, calm and collected human. Our chat with this fellow lifelong learner will leave you feeling inspired, curious, explorative and informed. Don’t forget to subscribe to Harpo’s podcast, Brown Girl Guilt, which launched in January 2021! 

About Harpo: 

Harpo is a passionate homegirl. She is a brown girl who adores being a brown girl. She’s navigating and unpacking her own brown girl guilt, while continuously exploring what a world without that guilt looks like for herself and her didis. She loves conversations, creating space, taking space, and cultivating space. A space she really loves exploring is the third space in which hybrid, bicultural identities thrive & survive.
You’d probably catch her at any moment nose deep in a book, curating the perfect playlist, or drinking red wine.
Harpo is also quite the smartie pants, with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology & Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies from Simon Fraser University and a Master of Arts in Education & Society: Gender and Women Studies from McGill University. Brown Girl Guilt, the podcast, launched in January 2021

REFERENCES:

Brown Girl Guilt Podcast: click HERE (Spotify)

To connect with Bombshell Brunches: click HERE
To connect with Kristina Lao: click HERE
To connect with Raquelle Roodenburg: click HERE
To connect with Harpo, click HERE (and HERE for her Podcast)

Episode Fourteen: CONFIDENCE

WOW. We sat down with Beatrice King and emerged a thousand times brighter. This absolute bombshell exudes a natural confidence that, you guessed it - has been earned through years of learning, coaching, acting, and creating. This is a career marathon, and Beatrice is our glorious inner confidence coach. She reminds us of what we could all use going into the year: PRESENCE. We talk to Beatrice about how the work you do beforehand is what really matters, and found Beatrice’s talk to be one of demonstration - you can hear it in her own voice and demeanour that she practices what she’s preaching! If you want to feel amazing during that interview, that project pitch, that event, or for no reason in particular, Beatrice has some very manageable processes and insights for you to take away and put to use today! 

REFERENCES: 

Photo Credits of Beatrice: 

Jenna Berman Photography
Aiota Photography

RESOURCES

• In The Realm of The Hungry Ghosts (book)
• The Power of Now (book)
• McIlroy & Associates

About Beatrice King: 

Beatrice King is a highly sought after Actor, amassing over 40 credits in Film, Television and Theatre. She can be seen in CW's 'The 100', 'Supernatural', Warner Brother's 'Mortal Kombat' as Queen Sindel, Giancarlo Esposito's 'The Show', and Peter Farrelly's 'Loudermilk'. 

She started Writing and Producing in 2014, and has since been the Casting Director and a Producer on the Award Winning Telus Original Series, 'Android Employed'. Beatrice coaches performers throughout North America, including Los Angeles, New York, Dallas, Toronto, and Vancouver. Along with coaching young actors at Mcilroy and Associates, she was the on set Acting Coach for the young leads on Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's film, 'Skyscraper', as well as two of DISNEY's new Television series, and a series for NETFLIX. Her award winning students can be seen on such shows as 'Hardy Boys', 'Supergirl', 'Riverdale', 'The Flash', 'Nancy Drew', ' The Twilight Zone', etc, and countless commercials. Recently, Beatrice can be seen playing the role of 'Darna' opposite Lacey Chabert ('Mean Girls', 'Party of Five') in the #1 rated and viewed movie of the year on the Hallmark Channel, 'The Christmas Waltz'. 

To connect with Beatrice King: click HERE
To connect with Bombshell Brunches: click HERE
To connect with Kristina Lao: click HERE
To connect with Raquelle Roodenburg: click HERE

Episode Fourteen: Butter Up, BBs! 

Happy New Year, BBs! We’re kicking off 2021 with one of the most wholesome, delicious friendship stories we’ve had to date. We dive into delectable discourse with our two favourite body-loving goddesses, leaving you feeling like anything is possible when you have good friends around you. 

Bean and Body Butter started in Summer 2020, a direct result of the job losses incurred by COVID-19. These two created a product that is good for your skin, and a brand that is great for your heart and mind. Aly and Betty show you what to look for in good skincare, how to create an authentic value-based brand, and demonstrate how to make a friendship into a successful business partnership. 

Many of you in our audience are self-starters, entrepreneurs and innovation-seekers. This episode is a true inspiration for those of us who are hustling, pivoting, responding to adversity, and rising through whatever the world throws at us. 

If you love these guests, buy their body products - you’ll LOVE THEM. 

About Bean and Body Butter:  

We are Aly Gaudet and Betty Luong, two best friends and the owners of bean + butter body snacks. Aly officially founded bean + butter in August 2020 and not long after the launch, teamed up with Betty to develop and expand the business further, creating a brand and product we are both incredibly proud of. Together we have built this brand based on a mutual love for natural skincare, body positivity and all things food! Each of our products contains skin loving, natural, plant based ingredients, a lot of love and delicious scents you’ll be tempted to taste! We advocate for all forms of self love when it comes to feeling good about the skin you are in and we encourage everyone to embrace the beauty in their features rather than change them. We strive to bring you transparency, nourishment and to leave you feelin’ like the snack you are!

To connect with Bombshell Brunches: click HERE

To connect with Kristina Lao: click HERE

To connect with Raquelle Roodenburg: click HERE

To connect with Bean and Butter Body: click HERE

Carol-Lynne from CQ Voice is launching  “ROAR” an accessible, online vocal platform to empower you through vocal work. 

We talk to Carol-Lynne about finding your voice, using it to bring out your most confident self, and learning to love the power of your sound. We talk about how the voice is so often forgotten in our daily warm ups, or self-care routines. We breathe, we speak, and often we do so unintentionally. The power of connected breath, simple vocal exercises, and that inner vibration we make when we create sound, is long-proven to increase your health, wellbeing, and happiness. In fact, we suggest five minutes a day, the way you’d incorporate meditation into your routine. You’ll be amazed at how powerful you feel when you really use your voice. 

Whether you are a vocalist, teacher, or just someone who (like all of us) talks through meetings and zoom calls all day, Carol-Lynne has the science, the sass and the seriously easy steps to walk you into a more grounded, resonating self.  

About CQ Voice: 

CQ Voice is a voice company founded by Carol-Lynne Quinn, an athletic science-based voice coach.  She has worked with award-winning vocalists, coaching JUNO Master Classes and Canada’s Music Incubator.

In 2021, CQ Voice launches ROAR, an online community with vocal training programs, live challenges, articles, podcasts, live group classes and a plethora of resources for all voice users.

The goal for ROAR is to create a vocal health and athletic voice science resource that is accessible to artists (private one on one sessions are very expensive) as well as make it a community experience that brings vocalists and voice users together.

REFERENCES:
To Join the Roar Community, visit https://www.cqvoice.com/ 

To connect with CQ Voice, click HERE
To connect with Bombshell Brunches: click HERE
To connect with Kristina Lao: click HERE
To connect with Raquelle Roodenburg: click HERE

Episode Twelve - WINTER WONDERMIND! With the onset of winter, the woes of our world, and all the feelings we’re having, we just wanted to wrap you all up in one big hug. So, we are doing just that, with the thing that brings so many of us together: MUSIC. 

We asked three of our favourite artists to share a love letter to winter with us: a little thought, daydream, or ode to the wintery world, and then an original song that we can bask in for a little while. The result: some of the most glorious tunes, from these absolute goddesses, in the comfort of your own home. 

It’s dark out there, in many ways, friends. Some of you will be spending more alone time than ever. In these instances, however you are spending the next few weeks, we’d like you to know that you have two friendly voices, and three angelic songstresses, to keep you company. So, snuggle up, get into your comfiest clothes, and listen in. 

We’re blowing soft, snowy kisses your way, and hope this warms you up, BBs. 

About The Artists:

“Falling Deeper” was written by Bukola Balogun, Anthony Anderson, Chin Injeti, Mark Fenster and Steve Smith. Performed by Bukola Balogun. 

YouTube Channel: click HERE

 “Autumn Leaves” was written and performed by Jess Vaira. 

YouTube: Channel: click HERE

“I’ll Fly” was written and performed by Desirée Dawson.
YouTube Channel: click HERE

*We’ve included links to their YouTube Channels, but you can support their music on all platforms :) 

To connect with Bukola, click HERE

To connect with Jess Vaira, click HERE

To connect with Desirée Dawson, click HERE

To connect with Bombshell Brunches, click HERE

To connect with Kristina Lao, click HERE

To connect with Raquelle Roodenburg, click HERE

Kristina and Raquelle are having a day. As everything is weighing down, we face it, embrace it, and then unpack it and reframe it. As a result, we’re real-time processing with you all, breaking down why it is that we’re feeling frazzled, how we’re working through it, and in the process, sharing some resources, gems from guests, and tools that YOU can use to thrive through your own high pressure situations and create a great career (and life) path. 

In this episode, we talk about the frameworks we’ve been building. Specifically in the realm of family, friends and finances. We’ll dig into COVID exhaustion, hive mind mentality, saying goodbye to our past selves, and the pain and gain of moving forward (both physically and metaphorically). 

So, sit back, sip, and listen to the spill from your friends at BB. If you’ve got some stories to share with us, slip into those DMs and tell us how YOU are. 

Media we discuss: 

Decluttering: Sara Brigz 

Episode 005 (Coping with COVID and Winter) 

The Gift of Fear (book)

Episode 008 (Money) 

Episode 009 (Fierce Friendships)

World Economic Forum: Top Ten Skills for the Future

To connect with Bombshell Brunches: click HERE

To connect with Kristina Lao: click HERE

To connect with Raquelle Roodenburg: click HERE

Episode Ten - Let’s GET IT!

Mykail is a veritable force. A first-generation graduate with an MBA, a thriving business, and a pioneer in the way we think, speak and act about our money, Mykail is the breath of fresh air that all generations can learn from. Specialising in Millenial and Gen Z money talk, Mykail drops gems in the financial, personal and professional worlds that will leave you feeling capable, confident and genuinely cared for! For us, Mykail was the perfect embodiment of releasing the need to take those BIG steps, and embracing our ability to take the NEXT one. 

This, BBs, is what we are so utterly delighted to share with you - a healthy step forward in YOUR way. 

About Mykail:

Mykail James aka “The Boujie Budgeter” is the founder of BoujieBudgets.com, an online platform dedicated to teaching Gen Z professionals how to finance their best lives. Upon graduating with her MBA focused in accounting, Mykail became a Certified Financial Literacy instructor. She has a fresh new take on managing money and finances. Her teachings use pop-culture references and relatable language to help her audience understand confusing money concepts such as budgeting, saving, and investing.

The goal is to make positive money moves while still controlling your finances, because you can only live your best life when it is properly financed!

REFERENCES:

Add references to books, films, research etc.

To connect with Mykail, click HERE

To connect with Bombshell Brunches: click HERE

To connect with Kristina Lao: click HERE

To connect with Raquelle Roodenburg: click HERE

If you’ve ever wished you felt more like the star of your own life, this one’s for YOU. Off the back of her first leading role in a movie, thriving long-time actor and singer Donna Benedicto gets real with us about what happens behind the glamorous life of a leading lady. We get the inside scoop on the struggles of stereotypes, representation, and how to REALLY get ready to carry a whole show and step into that leading role - whether it’s on set, in your job, or in life. We talk about friendships, protecting your inner circle, and helping yourself thrive by creating the best environments for success. 

This one is best served up with your relaxing beverage of choice, and a daydreaming mind. WARNING: This episode may cause you to look for new friends and release unhelpful behaviour… Sorry NOT SORRY. 

About Donna: 

Donna Benedicto was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She is an actress and producer, known for Supergirl (2015), Almost Human (2013) and Minority Report (2015). 

To connect with Donna: clickHERE

To connect with Bombshell Brunches: click HERE

To connect with Kristina Lao: click HERE

To connect with Raquelle Roodenburg: click HERE

Episode Eight - Get Mo’ Money!! 

We continue on our ‘setting up systems for success’ series with this bombshell money expert who actually leaves you feeling GOOD about your finances. From film into finance, West Coast to East, Jessica Moorhouse shares her journey from being a young starry-eyed graduate to a powerhouse go-to gal for financial freedom. Jessica drops so many great gems throughout this one-hour special, outlining simple, accessible ways to have a healthier relationship with your finances. We talk FIRE, fallacies, financial audits, how to ask for that raise, and what happens when you keep on looking for that dream job. A must-listen episode for all you Bombshells ready to get financially fit and FIERCE! 

REFERENCES:

Website: https://jessicamoorhouse.com

To connect with Jessica:

Facebook: click HERE

Instagram: click HERE

Twitter: click HERE

YouTube: click HERE

Pinterest: click HERE

To connect with Bombshell Brunches: click HERE

To connect with Kristina Lao: click HERE

To connect with Raquelle Roodenburg: click HERE