Kim Todd has led Dress for Success Boston for nearly 20 years—and in that time, the organization has served 19,000 women with professional clothing, coaching, and support to not only land jobs, but keep them and build financial independence.

In this conversation, Kim and I talk about what service looks like when it’s done with dignity—not savior energy—and how leadership is often something we grow into while we’re already doing the job. Kim shares a pivotal early lesson: even “help” can feel degrading if we aren’t listening. We also get into workplace culture, why flexibility is a form of care, how Dress for Success adapted during COVID, and the mobile boutique that’s now bringing confidence directly into communities.

If you’ve ever wanted to be part of the solution, but worried you don’t know enough yet—this one’s for you.

Follow Along! 

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About Kim: 

Kim Todd has been involved in fundraising/development for over 30 years. As President of Dress for Success Boston, Kim is responsible for running day-to-day operations, fundraising, Board management and strategic planning. She oversees a staff of four, and over 100 volunteers. Kim also serves as spokesperson for the organization, and has appeared on WCVB-TV's Chronicle, FOX 25 News, and has been a guest on several radio shows. Previously, as Grant Writer/Assistant Director of Development at The New England Center for Children, Kim was responsible for researching and writing grant proposals to secure funding for general operations and special programs. In this position, Kim brought in over $400,000 in grants and in-kind technology. Kim earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English/Theatre from Emerson College, and a Certificate in Non-Profit Management and Leadership from Boston University. Kim is an avid reader and fitness fanatic.  She has two children, Ruby and Alexander, and lives in the suburbs with her husband, Chuck.

Further Forward: Honest Conversations on the Art of Becoming, is hosted by Ashley Mitchell.

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In this solo episode, Ashley gets into something she's been sitting with for a while- the difference between chasing certainty and building clarity, and why so many of us have spent years abandoning ourselves in the process. She talks about inside-out living, the darker side of wellness culture, her dad, her own ongoing work, and what forward motion actually looks like.

Don't forget to follow the show, leave a review, and share Further Forward with a woman in the midst of her own becoming!

Further Forward: Honest Conversations on the Art of Becoming, is hosted by Ashley Mitchell.

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Why does it take years for mothers to get the support we already know they need?

We’ve had the data.
We’ve had the stories.
We’ve had the heartbreak. 

In this episode, maternal health advocate Jessie Colbert breaks down how policy shapes maternal mental health — and what we can actually do about it.

Jessie and I talk about:

• what “perinatal mental health” actually means 
• why postpartum depression is only part of the story
• how policy quietly shapes the care mothers receive
• what you can actually do (yes, you)

This is part motherhood, part civics lesson, part reality check.

If you’ve ever wondered why the system feels slow… this one’s for you.

About Jessie: 

Jessie Colbert is the Coordinator of the Massachusetts Mind the Gap Coalition, a group of health care organizations, nonprofits, community-based organizations, mental health and maternity care providers, survivors of Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) and/or pregnancy and infant loss and other
advocates working to improve state policies impacting perinatal mental health.

 Under Jessie’s leadership, Massachusetts Mind the Gap was successful in passing the Moms Matter Act – legislation investing in community-based organizations supporting perinatal mental health, particularly in historically marginalized communities – as part of the state’s 2024 omnibus maternal health law.

Previously, Jessie was the Founder and Executive Director of the Mass. PPD Fund, a nonprofit focused on improving communities’ capacity to address PMADs through education, training, and advocacy. She has also worked in nonprofit fundraising, and was the first Director of the Ellen Story Special Legislative Commission on Postpartum Depression, now a national model.

Jessie is the mom of three kids in college, high school, and elementary school. Although she didn't go through PMADs herself, she brings lived experience as a mom and with other mental health challenges
to her work.

Resources: 

Massachusetts Mind the Gap Coalition

Postpartum Support International, including Perinatal Mental Health 101

Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance

National MMH hotline: 1-833-TLC-MAMA

Bay State Birth Coalition

PSI’s postpartum psychosis discussion tool

Find your legislator MA

MSPCC

Further Forward: Honest Conversations on the Art of Becoming, is hosted by Ashley Mitchell.

📩 Subscribe to Ashley’s newsletter, Mind & Motion: https://blackgirlmagicmama.substack.com/

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This episode is about reinvention, embodiment, and trusting the inner call even when your life looks successful.

Ashley sits down with breathwork facilitator and equine-guided practitioner Catie Macken to explore what happens when the life you built no longer feels aligned-  even when it looks successful from the outside.

Together, they discuss reinvention, listening to intuition, working through limiting beliefs, and why slowing down may be the most powerful path forward in a world that constantly pushes us to move faster.

Catie shares her journey from leading wellness spaces in Boston to creating intimate transformational work rooted in breathwork, nature, and equine-guided experiences, as well as what it truly means to trust the inner voice that asks you to evolve.

This episode is for anyone standing at a crossroads-  feeling the quiet pull toward something different, but unsure how to begin.

About Catie: 

Catie Macken is a passionate, embodied guide and mentor offering transformative groups, 1:1 sessions, and corporate experiences in Topanga Canyon. Her work is multifaceted, harnessing the power of the horse - human connection, earth based tradition, nature experiences, and breathwork to increase self awareness, unblock patterns, and live with greater ease and freedom through life. 

With a deep appreciation for the power of ritual and intentional living, Catie invites you into deeper intimacy with yourself and your life. 

Additionally, she supports organizations, business owners, and executives with impactful, innovative content and mentorship opportunities to develop emotionally intelligent leadership. 

Website 

Instagram 

Further Forward: Honest Conversations on the Art of Becoming, is hosted by Ashley Mitchell.

📩 Subscribe to Ashley’s newsletter, Mind & Motion: https://blackgirlmagicmama.substack.com/

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Midori Dowdie is the founder of MADSoleful, a holistic health coach, strength and conditioning coach, and Pilates instructor—and she’s teaching us how to just go for it. 

In this episode, Midori shares how she pivoted from elementary education to exercise science after noticing how movement transformed her mental health. We talk about the “inner voice” (and how it shows up in the body), the power of slowing down and getting bored, and why being fiercely protective of your time and energy isn’t selfish— it’s survival.

We also get into the real behind-the-scenes of building a business: leaving a stable job, navigating COVID, turning her parents’ garage into a private training studio, and creating a coaching model that’s personal, not cookie-cutter. 

And as we wrap, she gives a loving-but-firm message for women: strength train—because life is physical, and being strong is a form of freedom. Also? Her 2026 challenge: make cooking your hobby.

About Midori: 

Midori Dowdie is a holistic health coach, strength coach, and Pilates instructor with over 10 years of experience in the health and wellness industry. Her work is grounded in the principles of bio-individuality and evidence-based practice, recognizing that effective health and fitness interventions must be personalized. She specializes in helping women build strength, improve their relationship with food and movement, and develop sustainable habits that support long term health rather than short term fixes. Midori’s coaching programs are collaborative by design, and she considers herself part of each client’s broader care team, integrating movement, nutrition behaviors, and lifestyle strategies to support physical resilience and overall well-being.

Instagram

Website

MADsoleful Instagram 

Further Forward: Honest Conversations on the Art of Becoming, is hosted by Ashley Mitchell.

📩 Subscribe to Ashley’s newsletter, Mind & Motion: https://blackgirlmagicmama.substack.com/

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In this episode of Further Forward, Ashley sits down with performer, mother, and diabetes coach Qiana Drew for an honest conversation about bodies, control, shame, and the moment you decide to choose life.

Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in her early 20s, Qiana shares the realities no one prepared her for: the mental weight of numbers, the danger of insulin omission, and how body image, diet culture, and the music industry shaped her relationship with her health. She opens up about motherhood as a turning point—how becoming a parent forced her to ask a life-altering question: What’s the story my body is telling, and do I want it to end here?

This episode isn’t about perfection or “doing wellness right.” It’s about learning to see your body as a vessel worth caring for, breaking cycles of shame, and choosing repair—for yourself and for the people watching you live.

In This Episode, We Talk About:

• Getting diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in your early 20s
• Why diabetes management is about patterns, not punishment
• The emotional toll of living by numbers (blood sugar, A1C, weight)
• Insulin omission and why it’s so hard to name—and escape
• How shame disconnects us from our bodies
• Motherhood as a wake-up call: choosing life and longevity
• Postpartum body image and telling the truth without self-abandonment
• Parenting a teenager with Type 1 diabetes without passing down fear
• Repair, compassion, and learning to choose stewardship over control

Don't forget to rate & review the pod!

About Qiana: 

Qiana Drew is a recording artist, actress, and motivational speaker who has lived with Type 1 Diabetes for over 25 years. A former Arista Records signee and *American Idol* Hollywood finalist, she has worked with legends like Missy Elliott while managing chronic illness behind the scenes. Today, Qiana is a powerful voice in the diabetes community — a Diabetes Empowerment Coach and CDC DPP facilitator — using her story, voice, and creativity to uplift others. Her original songs, “You Are Not Alone” and “Coast” (an upbeat track that symbolizes ideal blood sugar balance), serve as love letters to the community. With her daughter also diagnosed with Type 1 in 2021, Qiana brings personal and generational insight to every stage she steps on. She's currently producing a motivational series that blends meditation, sound, and physical movement — designed to help people build a strong foundation for sustainable lifestyle changes that support successful blood sugar management. 

Wesbite 

Instagram 

Further Forward: Honest Conversations on the Art of Becoming, is hosted by Ashley Mitchell.

📩 Subscribe to Ashley’s newsletter, Mind & Motion: https://blackgirlmagicmama.substack.com/

🎙️ Follow for new episodes + bts footage: https://www.instagram.com/furtherforwardpod?igsh=MWJuaDFiMjlzcjJ1dw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

🌱 Support this work and share it with a friend who’s ready to move further forward.

If you’ve been setting the same goals year after year and nothing is changing, this episode is for you.

From systems and hierarchies to habits and self-trust, this conversation explores what it truly means to live differently now. 

This episode weaves together personal reflection, cultural critique, history, and legacy thinking, touching on:

• Why writing the same goals every year is a signal—not a failure
• How top-down leadership and hierarchy shape our sense of readiness
• The hidden comfort of stress, busyness, and familiar patterns
• Why the world being hard doesn’t absolve us from responsibility
• Cathedral thinking and building for a future we may never see

Further Forward: Honest Conversations on the Art of Becoming, is hosted by Ashley Mitchell.

📩 Subscribe to Ashley’s newsletter, Mind & Motion: https://blackgirlmagicmama.substack.com/

🎙️ Follow for new episodes + bts footage: https://www.instagram.com/furtherforwardpod?igsh=MWJuaDFiMjlzcjJ1dw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

🌱 Support this work and share it with a friend who’s ready to move further forward.

In this episode, Ashley sits down with Britney Willingham, Pilates instructor and founder of Soulful Sister Collective, a community dedicated to the inclusion and empowerment of Black women through curated wellness events. They talk representation, what it means to create an identity-safe space, the realities of building a community you need yourself, and why Soulful Sister Collective has had an immense impact in such a short amount of time. 

Connect:

• Soulful Sister Collective: soulfulsistercollective.com
• Social: IG/Facebook/Threads/TikTok @soulfulsistercollective 
• Brittany’s classes: Life Time (Station Landing/Medford), Republic (HealthWorks), Dance Complex (Cambridge)

About Britney: 

Britney is a movement professional and seasoned fitness instructor, with a special focus in Pilates. She’s dedicated over ten years to leading classes & has had the pleasure of teaching in a variety of studios and wellness spaces throughout New England. Her thoughtfully designed programming is accessible to all levels and focuses on celebrating the body’s strengths through mindful, intentional movement.

Outside of teaching, Britney is a community builder who takes pride in creating spaces that bring people together & empower others through movement. In 2024, Britney founded the Soulful Sister Collective—a wellness community dedicated to the inclusion, appreciation, and empowerment of Black Women. To learn more, visit soulfulsistercollective.com

Further Forward: Honest Conversations on the Art of Becoming, is hosted by Ashley Mitchell.

📩 Subscribe to Ashley’s newsletter, Mind & Motion: https://blackgirlmagicmama.substack.com/

🎙️ Follow for new episodes + bts footage: https://www.instagram.com/furtherforwardpod?igsh=MWJuaDFiMjlzcjJ1dw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

🌱 Support this work and share it with a friend who’s ready to move further forward.

Amy Leydon has been in the yoga game for over 20 years— and she’s intentionally building a life that feels beautiful.

In this conversation, Ashley and Amy talk about self-esteem, aging, motherhood, and why honoring your capacity is not a lack of ambition but a form of wisdom.

It’s about listening to your body, trusting your timing, and choosing work that fits the life you actually want.

We'll also discuss: 

• How Amy went from TV producer to yoga teacher to unexpected studio owner
• The moment yoga became more than “just a workout”
• Designing work around your natural energy instead of forcing a grind
• Aging, menopause, and the shift from nitpicking in the mirror to “not bad, girl”
• How somatic experiencing changed the way Amy teaches and moves through her life
• Motherhood, resentment, and naming what you need before you burn out
• What she looks for in teachers and how she protects the energy at Soma

If you’re craving a version of success that feels embodied and joyful, this episode is meant for you. 

About Amy: 

Amy (E-RYT 500) is the Co-founder and Director of Soma Yoga. She is a pioneer in the Boston yoga scene and is one of the most sought-after teachers in the city. She utilizes mindfulness meditation and somatic techniques in her teaching to help students connect their minds with their bodies. She makes the practice accessible and uncomplicated so everyone can benefit from this vital work.

Along with her many yoga certifications, Amy is an Intermediate Somatic Experience Practitioner with Peter Levine and a certified Postural and Movement Analyst with Tom Myers. Her private yoga therapy practice caters to individual needs, from reducing stress and anxiety to healing chronic pain. She has studied extensively with Barbara Benagh and Shiva Rea and credits much of her teaching style to their influence.

Amy has been teaching yoga, movement, and mindfulness for over 20 years. She was awarded Best Yoga Teacher in Boston by Boston Magazine, leads 200-hour teacher training and mentorship programs as the Director of Soma Yoga School, and is a contributing teacher at Harvard.

Further Forward: Honest Conversations on the Art of Becoming, is hosted by Ashley Mitchell.

📩 Subscribe to Ashley’s newsletter, Mind & Motion: https://blackgirlmagicmama.substack.com/

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This episode is appropriately titled “Stop Giving Your Power Away” because… whew! Ashley has been staring down the quiet, yet socially rewarded ways she self-betrays: saying yes too fast, over-helping, dropping her own priorities for everyone else, and outsourcing her inner knowing to tech, timelines, and other people’s expectations.

In this conversation, she walks you through:

• A vulnerable New York hotel moment, reading old journals and realizing she’d been looping the same problems all year.
• How self-betrayal can look like being “the helpful one,” “the reliable one,” or “the good mom/wife/friend.”
• Why your body often knows you’re betraying yourself before your brain will admit it.
• How movement and the nervous system can help you access the pause between reaction and response.
• A simple way to use your workouts, cool downs, and even your warmups as a practice ground for self-trust.
• Why relying solely on wearables and data can quietly train you to mistrust your own experience.

If you’ve ever felt that little seed of disappointment in your belly after saying yes when you meant no, this one’s for you. We’re not fixing it overnight—but we are slowing down, paying attention, and taking the next right step further forward together.

Further Forward is about knowing we’re not doing this alone. If this episode supported you, share it with one woman you love and let her know you’re rooting for her, too.

Further Forward: Honest Conversations on the Art of Becoming, is hosted by Ashley Mitchell.

📩 Subscribe to Ashley’s newsletter, Mind & Motion: https://blackgirlmagicmama.substack.com/

🎙️ Follow for new episodes + bts footage: https://www.instagram.com/furtherforwardpod?igsh=MWJuaDFiMjlzcjJ1dw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

🌱 Support this work and share it with a friend who’s ready to move further forward.