At nine years old watching a presidential debate, Shefali Razdan Duggal realized something: in America, a peanut farmer and the son of divorced parents could become president. Her mother was cutting vegetables at night, working as a seamstress by day. Politics became the path to help people like her mother.

Decades later, she became the first person of color to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands, where the Dutch named a fuchsia-pink tulip after her, the first ambassador from any country ever honored this way. But the journey between that childhood revelation and diplomatic triumph involved a different calculation entirely.

"Women of color have to work four times as hard," Shefali states. Her response wasn't resentment—it was a choice. She calls it "weed whacking" for the people behind her.

While serving 90-hour weeks, she operated from what she calls "complete and utter equality" with her entire embassy staff. The result? Her Marines ranked as one of the best detachments in Europe. Her embassy became one of the best-run on the continent. And when women of color visited the ambassador wall and saw her photo next to John Adams, they would start crying.

In this conversation, Shefali explains why ego kills opportunities faster than anything else, how she managed crushing stress without punishing anyone around her, and what happens when you choose to "do something" instead of "be someone." She also reveals why your work may not benefit you immediately—but that's actually the point.

Key Takeaways:

About the Guest: The Honorable Shefali Razdan Duggal served as U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 2022-2025, becoming the first person of color in this role. Born in India and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio by a single mother working multiple minimum-wage jobs, she began her political career volunteering on Senator Ted Kennedy's campaign. The Dutch honored her by naming a tulip "Tulipa Shefali"—the first ambassador from any country to receive this tribute. Her book about her journey from immigrant daughter to diplomat releases summer 2026.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction at Health Conference

02:17 - From Humble Beginnings to Public Service

05:08 - Starting at the Bottom: Early Campaign Work

07:39 - Working Four Times as Hard: Breaking Barriers

09:51 - Lifting as You Climb: Human Rights Commitment

15:15 - Learning Diplomacy: The Path to Ambassador

19:06 - EQ and IQ: Leading with Humanity Under Pressure

26:48 - Advice for Women and What's Next

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"As a physician in training, we have been trained to believe that we are the leaders of every team. That we should know more than anyone in the room, or we must not be a good doctor. Throw that out."

Dr. Saria Saccocio spent months during COVID not sleeping, trying to solve every problem herself while managing care for 1.3 million people. She was drowning under the weight of leadership until she had an epiphany that would fundamentally change how she leads: "Maybe I don't have to have all the answers myself. Perhaps I'm not the only one who comes up with solutions." That realization—that her medical training had actually taught her the wrong leadership model—became the foundation of her approach as Chief Medical Officer of Essence Healthcare. Five years later, she describes watching her team shift "from a brain drain to a recharge," becoming one of the most creative and innovative teams she's ever led.

Dr. Saccocio's leadership philosophy centers on what she calls "let go and lead"—a mantra she returns to whenever anxiety creeps in. "Leading is not always directing," she explains. "Leading is inspiring, empowering and enabling everyone to sit at the table, speak up, show up, and do things. Build everyone else's confidence." After a year with Essence, she's most proud not of her own decisions but of "the work that they do, the creativity that they have now that they're working across swim lanes and doing things together." This approach hasn't just prevented burnout—it's unlocked innovation. From eliminating prior authorizations through physician collaboration to providing Oura rings to Medicare Advantage seniors, Essence Healthcare's solutions emerge from empowered teams, not top-down mandates.

What makes Dr. Saccocio's perspective particularly powerful is her refusal to abandon clinical practice. After two decades as a family physician, she still sees patients at a free clinic, maintaining what she calls "a sacred relationship" that keeps her grounded in the vulnerability patients experience. Her closing advice to women leaders is deceptively simple but hard-won: "Don't forget to be you. Let's stop trying to be someone else. You are at that table because you are you. Bring your whole self to work. Bring your whole self wherever you go."

Key Insights:

About the Guest: Dr. Saria Saccocio is Chief Medical Officer at Essence Healthcare, a 21-year-old regional Medicare Advantage plan with consistently high star ratings. A practicing family physician for over two decades, she previously held leadership roles at CareMore Health, Elance Health, Securas, Carilion Health, and LifePoint Hospitals. She continues seeing patients at Greenville Free Medical Clinic. Recorded live at Nashville Sessions conference.

Health Podcast Network

Chapters

00:00 - Redefining Physician Leadership

01:11 - Why ESSENCE Healthcare

04:04 - Navigating Medicare Advantage Disruption

12:35 - Why She Still Practices Medicine

18:33 - OURA Rings and Digital Health Literacy

24:28 - Leadership Evolution: The COVID Moment

29:33 - Bring Your Whole Self to Work

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"Get us re-listed. You have 12 months."

When Crissy Carlisle walked into HealthSouth in 2005, the FBI had already raided the building. The company held the distinction of being one of the largest frauds in American history. She filed six years' worth of 10-Ks in 12 months, deploying such autocratic leadership that she earned the label "dictator." Then she did something remarkable: she spent the next two years consciously rebranding herself.

This is the story of a leader who refuses to be defined by crisis or constrained by labels. From PricewaterhouseCoopers to Summit Behavioral Healthcare, Carlisle has built a career on walking into impossible situations and transforming them through strategic vision and radical self-awareness. Her secret? Understanding that even when you deploy the right leadership style, there are consequences. And having the courage to evolve anyway.

"I went from chicken little to now people say, 'How do you stay so calm in these situations?' My response is generally: years of practice."

Today, as CFO of Summit Behavioral Healthcare, Carlisle brings decades of high-stakes experience to behavioral health's most pressing challenges. But her most powerful lesson came from managing an accounts payable team who taught her that while some people are motivated by promotions, others just want to wear jeans. The revelation changed everything about how she builds and leads teams.

In this episode of Inspiring Women with Laurie McGraw, discover why removing "I don't have time" from your vocabulary might be the most important leadership decision you make. From being the only woman at investor conferences to consciously surrounding herself with people who think nothing like her, Carlisle reveals how strategic leadership isn't about having all the answers. It's about asking better questions.

For Crissy Carlisle, leadership isn't about getting rich and famous. It's about serving patients well and knowing everything else will follow. In a healthcare system desperate for strategic financial leadership, she's proof that the best CFOs don't just manage costs. They reimagine what's possible.

Key Insights:

About the Guest: Crissy Carlisle serves as CFO of Summit Behavioral Healthcare, bringing 30+ years of experience from PricewaterhouseCoopers, HealthSouth (now Encompass Health), and taking companies public. She navigated one of the largest corporate frauds in American history, transforming from "dictator" to strategic visionary through conscious leadership evolution. Her personal mission: walk by faith, give with a generous heart, and make a difference in the lives of others.

Health Podcast Network

Chapters

00:00 Introduction 

3:06 From Auditor to Healthcare CFO 

5:44 Leadership Lessons from HealthSouth 

6:54 Rebranding After 'Dictator' Label 

10:08 Choosing to Change Your Leadership 

14:00 Building Diverse-Thinking Teams 

15:51 Being the Only Woman in the Room 

19:53 Priorities Over Excuses 

21:49 Career Advice: Assess, Learn, Build

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"What's the problem we're trying to solve? Because oddly enough, sometimes that's not really understood."

Before Mercedes Ikard solves a problem, she asks a question most leaders skip: Are we even solving the right problem? In a world demanding immediate action, she's built her leadership on something more powerful: the discipline to pause, listen, understand, and ensure everyone's calibrated on what actually matters before moving forward. As Senior Director of US Benefits Operations at The Walt Disney Company, Mercedes leads benefits strategy for one of the world's most complex workforces—six generations, cast members in theme parks and executives in boardrooms, each with different needs. For Mercedes, this complexity requires constant calibration.

"Empathy I think is important. And I think it's important to be a decent human. If we start out to be a decent human, that really is a good barometer and we really make decisions a lot easier." This is where calibration begins. Not with spreadsheets or plan designs, but with a fundamental check: Are we being decent humans? When issues explode in the cultural ethos, Mercedes does a gut check: Is this really an issue within this organization? She's learned to calibrate signal from noise, solving problems that actually impact her workforce rather than chasing topics du jour.

In this episode of Inspiring Women with Laurie McGraw, discover why constant calibration might be leadership's most powerful skill. Not as hesitation, but as disciplined checking that everything stays aligned with what actually matters. From bifurcating work and home with precision to extending grace in postmortems, Mercedes has built her career on understanding before acting, clarity before speed, grace before perfection. Her superpower isn't speed. It's the wisdom to calibrate constantly on the right problems, with empathy, and with grace.

Key Insights:

About the Guest: Mercedes Ikard serves as Senior Director of US Benefits Operations at The Walt Disney Company, leading benefits strategy for one of the world's most complex and diverse workforces. Her leadership philosophy centers on calibration: constantly checking that she's solving the right problems, leading with empathy, and extending grace to herself and others navigating the high-pressure demands of corporate leadership.

Health Podcast Network

Chapters

4:03 Finding Her Passion in Healthcare and Retirement Benefits

6:59 Managing Disney's Multigenerational Workforce

10:42 Problem-Solving Framework for Complex Workforce Challenges

13:26 Leadership Skills That Matter: Empathy and Listening

15:03 The Power of Processing: Resisting the Urge to Act Immediately

18:29 Work-Life Balance and Decompression Strategies

21:11 Career Advice: Be Yourself and Show Grace

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"I had no idea. I didn't know what an HSA was, all the acronyms—HRA, HSA, HDHP, ERISA. I really had to learn all of that."

When Tammy Sun pitched her fertility startup a decade ago, the category she was building didn't exist. Investors dismissed it as a lifestyle business, a niche play unworthy of venture capital. After 99 rejections, she raised her first million. Today, Carrot Fertility operates in 170 countries, serving millions in a market that didn't even have a name when she started.

This conversation arrives at an inflection point. Women over 40 represent the only demographic having more babies, while one in six couples confronts infertility—a number experts believe vastly undercounts reality since you're only counted if you can afford to seek care.

Sun saw these contradictions not as obstacles but as opportunities. Without a male co-founder, without prior startup experience, without even knowing basic healthcare acronyms, she built one of the most valuable fertility companies in the world. Her secret wasn't expertise. It was embracing what she didn't know.

"Having a beginner's mind and coming in with curiosity and excitement and imagination around the art of what is possible—I can't think of an area of the world that needs it more now than healthcare", Sun explains.

From that first million that was "the hardest million dollars I ever raised" to expanding beyond fertility into what she calls "post reproductive fertility care" with their menopause product—which became their fastest growing product ever—Sun has earned the right to her radical advice about imposter syndrome: "You can totally ignore it. You can pretend like it doesn't exist, and you can just act the way that you feel like you should act."

In this episode of Inspiring Women with Laurie McGraw, discover how a non-professional founder transformed a personal fertility crisis into a global healthcare platform. From recognizing that "half of all infertility is related to male factor" to launching Sprints at the nexus of metabolic and fertility care, Sun reveals why the future of women's health isn't about incremental improvements to a broken system. It's about having the audacity to imagine something entirely new.

For Tammy Sun, building in the space between naivete and expertise isn't a disadvantage. It's the only way to create categories that don't yet exist. In a world where knowing too much can blind you to what's possible, she's proof that sometimes the best qualification for changing healthcare is not knowing why it can't be changed.

Key Insights:

About the Guest: Tammy Sun is the Founder and CEO of Carrot Fertility, now operating in almost 170 countries after starting with 12. Without prior founder experience or healthcare expertise, she transformed a personal fertility journey into a category-defining company. She built Carrot into one of the most valuable fertility platforms globally, expanding from fertility into menopause and metabolic fertility care.

Chapters

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"By 2030, 2035, they're saying we're gonna have more older adults than children in this country. And if Medicaid cuts happen, where are people gonna get care? Their first resort is gonna be going to the emergency department."

Dr. Sarita Mohanty knows exactly what's coming—she sees it every shift in urgent care. As President and CEO of The SCAN Foundation, she's racing to transform how America ages while still practicing medicine because, as she puts it, "clinical work gives me an opportunity to really engage on the ground versus being at the 50,000 foot level."

Her non-linear journey from LA County General Hospital—where patients waited for days with lines wrapping around the building—through health plan leadership at LA Care and Kaiser Permanente, to now running a major philanthropy, taught her one crucial lesson: the system wasn't built for the people who need it most. Now, with potential Medicaid cuts threatening services like adult day health centers and in-home support, she's watching decades of progress hang in the balance.

"When everything costs money, many people just avoid going to see a doctor if they can," shares one older adult through The SCAN Foundation's "People Say" platform—a stark reminder of what's at stake.

In this episode of Inspiring Women with Laurie McGraw, Dr. Mohanty reveals:

"Medicine teaches you to avoid mistakes. But leadership requires you to take risks and sometimes fail forward," Dr. Mohanty reflects on her transformation from exam room to boardroom.

From treating uninsured patients at LA County to leading a foundation that's reimagining aging in America, Dr. Sarita Mohanty embodies the physician-leader who refuses to choose between ground-level care and systems change. At The SCAN Foundation, she's not just preparing for the silver tsunami—she's ensuring that when it arrives, America's older adults can age with the dignity, purpose, and support they deserve.

Her mission isn't just professional—it's personal. With three kids and an aging mother, she's fighting for the healthcare system she wants them to inherit. One where aging isn't a crisis, but a universal reality we're prepared to honor.

Chapters

03:35 - Still Practicing Medicine While Running a Foundation

05:33 - The Non-Linear Path from Physician to CEO

08:28 - America's Aging Crisis: More Seniors Than Children by 2035

10:05 - When Medicaid Cuts Hit: Real Impact on Real People

12:20 - Influencing Policy in Today's Political Environment

16:35 - Leading Differently: Doubling Down in Challenging Times

19:31 - Finding Energy When Optimism Seems Impossible

23:32 - Paying It Forward: Advice for Women Leaders

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Approximately one in four people will face a cancer diagnosis. For most, the hardest part won't be the treatment itself but the waiting, the 3 AM questions, the logistical maze of care coordination that can mean the difference between hope and despair. Ann Stadjuhar knows this truth from both sides of the stethoscope.

When Ann navigated her own cancer diagnosis, she had every advantage: 20 years of healthcare expertise, knowledge of case volumes, connections to top surgeons at Optum. Yet even she found the system overwhelming. Her uncle in rural New Mexico wasn't as fortunate; by the time he reached MD Anderson, inadequate local care had sealed his fate. These parallel experiences crystallized Ann's mission at Reimagine Care: ensuring no one faces cancer alone, regardless of their zip code or insider knowledge.

This conversation comes at a critical moment. As cancer increasingly strikes younger populations, with many cancers now appearing in people's 20s and 30s rather than their 50s, we need innovators who understand that technology without empathy is just expensive machinery. Ann represents a new breed of healthcare leaders who see AI not as a replacement for human connection, but as a way to multiply it.

"The worst part of cancer is the wait," Ann explains. "We can be there 24/7 to understand whether there may be social determinants of health needs. I need a ride to treatment. I need someone to watch my dog. I have issues paying my electric bill. Sometimes people are honestly more comfortable telling the bot they're having these challenges."

After two decades revolutionizing digital health from women's health to pandemic response centers, Ann calls cancer care her "capstone." She's witnessed how the 18-month health system adoption cycle literally costs lives. Now, armed with Meta glasses and AI tools that multiply her capabilities "times four," she's racing against a broken system where your uncle's zip code shouldn't determine whether his cancer stays operable.

In this episode of Inspiring Women with Laurie McGraw, discover how one woman's journey through cancer transformed into a mission to democratize access to the kind of insider knowledge that can save lives. From the Cancer X Accelerator to Reimagine Care's AI companion REMI, Ann reveals why the future of cancer care isn't about choosing between humans and machines. It's about creating technology sophisticated enough to know that sometimes, the most advanced intervention is simply helping someone find a dog sitter so they don't miss chemotherapy.

For Ann Stadjuhar, reimagining cancer care isn't about replacing human connection. It's about multiplying it. In a healthcare system where staying curious might be the difference between innovation and stagnation, between treatment and tragedy, she's proof that the most powerful technology is the kind that remembers to be human.

Key Insights:

Why patients confess more to AI than to their doctors, and what that means for care

How social determinants of health become matters of life and death in cancer treatment

The hidden complexities even healthcare insiders struggle to navigate

Why the next generation needs emotional intelligence more than technical skills

How one woman's cancer diagnosis became a blueprint for system-wide change

About the Guest: 

Ann Stadjuhar brings 20+ years of digital health innovation to her role as Chief Growth Officer at Reimagine Care. From launching pharmaceuticals to scaling population health tools, she's run what she calls "the gauntlet" of healthcare transformation. Her personal cancer journey while at Optum revealed the gaps even insiders face, inspiring her mission to ensure 24/7 companionship for every cancer patient through AI-powered human care.

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Dr. Mitzi Krockover has been the first in every leadership role she's taken—from founding UCLA's Women's Health Center to becoming Humana's first Vice President of Women's Health to now investing in women-led healthcare companies. In this powerful conversation with Laurie McGraw, Dr. Krockover reveals why she's optimistic about women's health innovation despite recent funding challenges, sharing how the "train has left the station" on progress that can't be reversed.

Dr. Krockover breaks down the expansive definition of women's health beyond reproductive care—from the fact that 66% of Alzheimer's patients are women to how female inflammatory responses differ fundamentally from men's. She connects the dots between women's health investment and economic returns, citing studies showing a potential $14 billion ROI from modest research increases.

Key Takeaways:

From navigating being "the first" in multiple sectors to building Arizona's women's health innovation ecosystem, Dr. Krockover demonstrates how connecting the dots between health, economics, and leadership creates unstoppable momentum for change.

Chapters

03:50 - Being the First: Navigating Uncharted Leadership Territory

05:44 - Beyond Reproductive Health: Redefining Women's Health

08:21 - From NIH Mandate to Investment Boom: 30 Years of Progress

11:22 - The Perfect Storm: Why Women's Health Finally Took Off

13:37 - Arizona's Women's Health Innovation Ecosystem

15:05 - From Treating Patients to Investing in Solutions

18:09 - Finding Optimism Despite Political Headwinds

23:09 - Say Yes First, Figure It Out Later: Advice for Women Leaders

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Emmy-nominated journalist Julia Boorstin spent years interviewing thousands of executives before discovering something unexpected: the most successful women leaders had no playbook.

After 25 years covering business transformation at Fortune and CNBC, Julia set out to understand why women receive only 2% of venture capital despite outperforming their counterparts—and what she found changed everything she thought about leadership.

In this conversation with Laurie McGraw, Julia reveals insights from her book "When Women Lead" and the 60 extraordinary women who defied impossible odds. From wearing fake glasses to be taken seriously to discovering that gratitude correlates with long-term decision making, Julia unpacks why there's no single formula for female leadership success—and why that's exactly the point.

Key Takeaways:

From the CNBC Changemakers list to her new podcast launching September 30th, Julia continues amplifying voices of women who are rewriting the rules of business.

Her message is clear: authenticity isn't about fitting a mold—it's about understanding your unique strengths and leading from that truth.

Chapter Markers

03:31 - Why Business Journalism Reveals Social Change

05:58 - The Myth of One Female Leadership Playbook

09:32 - Gratitude as a Strategic Leadership Skill

11:55 - Why Purpose-Driven Companies Outperform

14:12 - Leading Through Crisis with Data, Not Emotion

18:23 - Building the CNBC Changemakers Movement

22:08 - Finding the Water Supply Problem

25:29 - The Arbitrage Opportunity in Female Leadership

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"I bleed purple at work. I don't bleed Republican red or Democrat blue—I bleed purple, the color of my company."

When two of healthcare technology's most influential policy voices join forces, you get the unvarnished truth about how healthcare transformation really happens in Washington and beyond.

Leigh Burchell (VP Policy and Public Affairs at Altera Digital Health) and Leslie Krigstein (VP Communication & Government Affairs at Transcarent) have spent decades translating between Silicon Valley innovation and Capitol Hill regulation. Their combined influence has shaped everything from meaningful use to digital health adoption.

In this revealing episode, Leigh and Leslie discuss:

"Every policy maker wants to talk about digital health," Leigh notes. "It's massively exploding at the state level too."

With AI "bullet training down the tracks," both women navigate the balance between enabling innovation and avoiding regulation that could "cut us off at the knees."

Their secret to influence? Collaboration and genuine relationships.

"We all want the same thing. People can sense that, so we hold hands and run in the same direction," says Leigh.

Leslie adds: "There are lasting relationships with folks on Capitol Hill that started with simple coffee."

Both have stood up to CEOs, defended patient interests over profits, and maintained integrity when commercial pressures mounted.

For aspiring policy influencers: Be an advocate in all facets of life. Find your passion. Build trust through honesty.

Chapters

03:45 - From Hill to Healthcare Tech: Finding Your Policy Passion

06:29 - Making Complex Policy Personal for Lawmakers

10:06 - Bleeding Purple: Navigating Bipartisan Corporate Advocacy

13:16 - The Deregulation Cycle and State-Level Explosion

15:00 - AI and the Consumerization Revolution in Healthcare

21:44 - Building Collaborative Networks for Policy Impact

24:42 - The Power of Being the Trusted Expert in the Room

29:20 - Finding Passion in Policy: Career Advice for Advocates

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