In this episode, host Alex sits down with Kennedy Myers — former corporate professional, founder of The Graze Catering and The Graze Management, and one of the most honest voices on the internet right now — for a conversation that is raw, courageous, and impossible to forget.

Kennedy was doing what so many of us do: working a nine to five, building two businesses on the side, and grinding through every warning sign her body threw at her. When she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia — a blood cancer with a 0.0006% chance of occurring in someone her age — everything stopped overnight. The businesses she poured herself into. The clients she showed up for. The identity she had built around doing it all.

What came next was a fight for her life. And a lesson that no hustle culture guru will ever teach you.

Kennedy turned to TikTok to document her journey through diagnosis, aggressive chemotherapy, a stem cell transplant, and everything in between — unfiltered, and without a safety net. Nearly 130,000 people found her there. Because she was saying the thing nobody else was saying out loud.

💬 Topics we cover:

• What life looked like before the diagnosis and the signs she kept explaining away as burnout
• The moment her heart rate hit 285 BPM and everything changed
• What it actually felt like to close her businesses from a hospital bed and the guilt that followed
• Why chemo made her feel closer to dying than the cancer ever did
• Her stem cell transplant, graft-versus-host disease, and where her recovery stands today
• Why she started posting on TikTok and what it means to find community in the most isolating experience of your life
• Her message to every entrepreneur who thinks they can't afford to stop

This one will shake something loose in you. If you've been ignoring the signs, running on empty, or putting your body last on a very long list — this is the episode you needed to hear.

New episodes drop every Monday. Ready to Cultivate? Hit Subscribe.

Learn more about Kennedy and her journey

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Connect with Alex Canavan, the host of Cultivate on her ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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In this week’s solo episode of Cultivate, Alex reflects on a transformative dinner with her advisory board and the powerful realizations that came from being in a room full of women who lead, build, and understand the weight of ambition.

This episode explores:

• Imposter syndrome and self-doubt in entrepreneurship

• Why successful women still question themselves

• The importance of relationships that reflect your potential back to you

• Building a business that supports you, too

• The reminder that you don’t need more evidence — you need more alignment

If you’ve been feeling called toward something bigger but questioning whether you have what it takes, this episode is for you.

Follow the podcast:Instagram & TikTok — @alexcanavanpodcast

Connect with Alex:@alexcanavan.co

Learn more about CNY Women’s Network:Instagram, Facebook, TikTok & LinkedIn — @cnywomensnetwork

www.cnywomensnetwork.com

In this episode, host Alex sits down with Erik Ramstad — COO of Farmwell and part of the family behind one of upstate New York's most purposeful food and beverage brands — for a conversation that is grounded, genuine, and quietly refreshing.

Erik and his family didn't set out to build a beverage company. They set out to grow something real. What started as a family dream rooted in the aronia berry — one of nature's most antioxidant-rich and underrated superfoods — has grown into a Regenerative Organic Certified® farm and a brand built on a simple but powerful belief: that farming well and living well go hand in hand.

This episode isn't about hustle culture or scaling fast. It's about intention. Craft. And what it actually takes to build a product people genuinely believe in — from the soil it's grown in to the bottle it ends up in.

💬 Topics we cover:

-What regenerative organic farming actually means — and why it changes everything about the final product

- The real process behind developing something people trust and keep coming back to

- What it's like to build a brand as a family — and what that dynamic actually looks like day to day

- The intersection of sustainability, entrepreneurship, and getting your product into the world

- What Farmwell is building next — and the vision behind it

This one is warm, thoughtful, and a great reminder that the most meaningful things are usually grown slowly. If you've ever wanted to build something you're truly proud of — from the ground up, with purpose — this conversation is exactly where to start.

New episodes drop every Monday. Ready to Cultivate? Hit Subscribe.

Learn more about Farmwell

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Connect with Alex Canavan, the host of Cultivate on her ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Diam Media Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode, Alex sits down with Andrew Lunetta — Founder and Executive Director of A Tiny Home for Good — for a conversation that is honest, grounding, and genuinely inspiring.

Andrew has spent the better part of his life close to homelessness — first as a shelter worker, then as someone who literally lived alongside the men he was trying to help, and now as the leader of one of Central New York's most innovative housing nonprofits. He didn't start A Tiny Home for Good because it seemed like a good idea. He started it because after eight years of watching the same people cycle in and out of the shelter system, he knew the model that actually worked simply didn't exist yet.

This episode isn't about charity in the traditional sense. It's about dignity. Proximity. And what it really takes to solve a problem — not just address it. It's about building something the market will never build, and doing it anyway.

💬 Topics we cover:

- Why getting someone into a home is only the beginning — and what long-term stability actually requires

- How Andrew's upbringing shaped a life of service before he even realized it

- What eight years in a shelter taught him that no degree could

- The honest truth about building solutions inside a broken system

- Why you can't — and shouldn't — do it alone

- What "success" looks like when it's measured in years, not overnight wins

This one is real. It's raw. And it might just change the way you think about what it means to solve a problem in your own community. If you've ever felt the pull to build something that actually matters — this is exactly the conversation you need to hear.

New episodes drop every Monday. Ready to Cultivate? Hit Subscribe.

Learn more about A Tiny Home for Good

Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn

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Connect with Alex Canavan, the host of Cultivate on her ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Cultivate with Alex Canavan on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Diam Media Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode, Alex sits down with Monica Merante — Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy®, Senior Director of Philanthropic Services at CNYCF, and one of Central New York's most thoughtful voices on generosity and legacy — for a conversation that is warm, grounding, and quietly profound.

Monica has spent over a decade at the Central New York Community Foundation helping donors build legacies that last — connecting families to causes that reflect their deepest values and teaching the next generation what it means to give with purpose. And after just one conversation with her, it's easy to understand why people trust her with something as personal as that.

This episode isn't about charity in the traditional sense. It's about intention. Identity. And the kind of generosity that goes far beyond writing a check. It's about asking yourself what you actually stand for and building something that reflects that long after you're gone.

💬 Topics we cover:

- What philanthropy actually means and why it starts with values, not dollars

- How families can use giving as a tool to pass down purpose, not just wealth

- What holds people back from giving more intentionally and how to move through it

- The role community foundations play in connecting people to lasting impact- What legacy really looks like when it's built with intention

- How anyone — at any giving level — can start living a more generous life right now

This one is warm. It's wise. And it might just shift the way you think about what you're building — and what you're leaving behind. If you've ever felt called to do more, give more, or simply mean more with the resources you have — this conversation is exactly where to start.

New episodes drop every Monday. Ready to Cultivate? Hit Subscribe.

Learn more about CNYCF

Connect with Monica on LinkedIn

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Connect with Alex Canavan, the host of Cultivate on her ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Cultivate with Alex Canavan on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠

This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Diam Media Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode, host Alex sits down with Kate Brodock — General Partner at The W Fund, CEO of SWITCH, and now the CEO & General Partner of 9Fresh, where she's leading the full redevelopment of the former Cazenovia College campus. Not exactly the career arc anyone maps out on paper.

Kate has spent nearly two decades inside the startup ecosystem — investing in early-stage, women-led companies, building platforms for women founders and investors, and operating at the intersection of venture, leadership, and community. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Washington Post, BBC, and CNBC. And now she's doing something entirely different — and entirely bold.

This conversation is about what it actually means to step into an opportunity you didn't see coming. To make high-stakes decisions without a roadmap. And to keep showing up with clarity and conviction when the path forward isn't obvious.

Because that's what real leadership looks like. Not the polished version. The real one.

💬 Topics we cover:

- How Kate went from venture capital to leading a full campus redevelopment — and why she said yes

- What it means to operate at a high level across wildly different industries

- Making decisions when there's no clear playbook

- What she's learned about leadership that she couldn't have learned any other way

- The mindset it takes to keep building — even when the vision is bigger than the certainty

This one is grounded, honest, and packed with the kind of insight you only get from someone who has actually done the work — across multiple rooms, multiple industries, and multiple versions of what "building something" can look like.

If you're someone who's figuring it out as you go — and doing it anyway — this conversation was made for you.

New episodes drop every Monday. Ready to Cultivate? Hit Subscribe.

Connect with Kate on LinkedIn

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Connect with Alex Canavan, the host of Cultivate on her ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠

Follow Cultivate with Alex Canavan on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠

This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Diam Media Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Twenty-seven was quite the year. And in this episode, Alex isn't holding anything back.

Two days before turning 28, Alex sits down for one of the most personal episodes yet — sharing life updates, business updates, and a reflection on a year defined by hard decisions, big leaps, and a lot of letting go. People. Relationships. Things.

An entire lifestyle.Life feels less comfortable now. More uncertain. But for the first time, it also feels real. And aligned. And honest — in a way that building CNY Women's Network and hosting this podcast for years somehow never quite got her to.

Alex also opens up about what's shifting in her business — looking at the numbers differently, making decisions based on long-term vision instead of external expectations, and eliminating what looks like it's working but doesn't actually feel aligned. Oh, and the show has a new name. And new handles. And there's a Summit recap you won't want to miss.

In this episode:

- Reflections on 27 — the leaps, the losses, and what actually shifted

- Why Alex is choosing authenticity over palatability — and what that looks like in practice

- What's changing in the business and why alignment matters more than optics

- A full CNY Women's Summit recap

- The rebrand from Cultivate CNY to Cultivate with Alex Canavan

- Your questions, answered

This one is personal. It's honest. And if you've ever felt like you were building something real but still not fully showing up as yourself — this episode might hit closer to home than you expect.

New episodes drop every Monday. Ready to Cultivate? Hit subscribe.

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Connect with Alex Canavan, the host of Cultivate on her ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠

Follow Cultivate with Alex Canavan on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠

This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Diam Media Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode, host Alex Canavan sits down with Shamina Taylor — wealth consciousness mentor, speaker, and host of The Unapologetically Rich Show — for a conversation that is deeply personal, and for Alex, entirely full circle.

For two years, Alex listened to Shamina's podcast every single week. Her voice, her perspective, and her work played a pivotal role in one of the biggest decisions of Alex's life — the decision to leave a relationship where she was financially dependent and bet on herself instead. And now, just one day after Shamina took the stage as the keynote speaker at the CNY Women's Summit, they're sitting down together for this. That's not a coincidence. That's a moment.

This conversation goes far beyond money. It's about identity, power, and standards. About what it actually takes to become the woman who can hold more — more visibility, more responsibility, more success. And about the patterns that quietly keep women playing small, even when they've already achieved a great deal.

💬 Topics we cover:

-What wealth consciousness actually means — and why it starts with identity, not income

-The patterns that keep high-achieving women stuck at a ceiling they can't quite name

-Why ambition still makes people uncomfortable — and what to do about it

-The internal shifts that have to happen before anything external can change

-What it means to truly expand your capacity for wealth, leadership, and self-expression

-Alex's personal story — and how Shamina's work helped change the trajectory of her life

This one is honest. It's direct. And it might feel confronting in all the right ways. If you know you're meant for more — this is exactly the conversation you need to hear.

New episodes drop every Monday. Ready to Cultivate? Hit Subscribe.

Learn more about our sponsor:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cannon Advisory Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Learn more about Shamina Taylor

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Connect with Alex Canavan, the host of Cultivate on her ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠Instagram⁠

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In this episode, host Alex Canavan sits down with Tanya Hembree — founder and visionary behind ONYX + ALABASTER, a multi-dimensional concept in Franklin, Tennessee where interior design, curated retail, and a designer coffee lounge come together under one roof to create a truly immersive experience.

Featured in People, Architectural Digest, Good Housekeeping, and Martha Stewart, Tanya is known for creating spaces that people don't just see… they feel. At her core, she's a curator of experience — someone who understands that when design, hospitality, and intention come together, something deeper happens.

This conversation isn't just about business. It's about alignment, obedience, and what it really looks like to build something beautiful and deeply rooted in purpose. Tanya opens up about following a calling that didn't always make logical sense, the cost of building something spiritually aligned and commercially successful, and how to lead well in seasons where clarity isn't guaranteed.

💬 Topics we cover:

- Tanya's journey into entrepreneurship and the birth of ONYX + ALABASTER

- Faith and business — what obedience actually looks like in practice

- How design shapes identity, experience, and healing

- The internal work of leadership: surrender, standards, and building from a full cup

- What it truly means to "live beautifully"

If you're building a business, navigating uncertainty, or craving more alignment in your life — this one's for you.

New episodes drop every Monday. Ready to Cultivate? Hit Subscribe.

Learn more about our sponsor:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cannon Advisory Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Connect with Alex Canavan, the host of Cultivate on her ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & Instagram

Follow Cultivate with Alex Canavan on Instagram

This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Diam Media Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This week, we're doing something a little different — and it's one you won't want to miss.In this special live recording, host Alex Canavan flips the script at the CNY Women's Summit Welcome Reception, stepping out from behind the mic and into the hot seat. Elena Bombardier takes over the interview, turning the lens on Alex herself for a rare, unfiltered look at the woman behind Cultivate and the CNY Women's Network.What started as a simple idea pitched to a boss at 22 years old — a celebration for International Women's Day — turned into the largest event for women leaders in Central New York. Now heading into its fifth year, the CNY Women's Summit has grown from a scrappy 160-person happy hour into a full-day experience drawing hundreds of women professionals, entrepreneurs, and leaders from across the region. But the journey there has been anything but linear.In this conversation, recorded live in front of a room full of the very community Alex built, she gets honest about the fear, the doubt, and the moments she found herself scrolling Indeed wondering if she should just give up. And she shares what kept her going anyway.💬 Topics we cover:-The origin story of the CNY Women's Summit — and what Alex was really looking for when she started it-How loneliness and a desire for community became the unexpected fuel behind the CNY Women's Network-What it actually feels like to grow year over year — and how fear gets bigger the more you have to lose-The evolution of the summit from networking happy hour to immersive, full-day experience-Alex's biggest leadership lessons, including getting honest about money and the things she's been avoiding-Showing up visibly and authentically — and why your people will always find youThis one is personal, vulnerable, and packed with the kind of honesty you rarely hear from the person who's usually asking all the questions.New episodes drop every Monday. Ready to Cultivate? Hit Subscribe.

Follow Cultivate on ⁠Instagram⁠

Learn more about this episode's sponsors:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cannon Advisory Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Central New York Community Foundation⁠