This episode brings you behind the scenes of Mari’s professional journey to the NHL’s Seattle Kraken organization and why she is driven by connection and impact. How does she keep the momentum going and still have room for lightness and laughter? Listen in and get inspired!

Mari Horita is Senior Vice President of Social Impact & Civic Affairs for the Seattle Kraken and Executive Director of One Roof Foundation. She leads the development and implementation of the social impact, philanthropic and community engagement vision and strategy for the Seattle Kraken and Climate Pledge Arena.

Prior to joining the Kraken, Mari was president and CEO of ArtsFund, where she led the organization's strategic transition to better represent and serve the evolving population and arts community in the Puget Sound Region. She has served on a number of nonprofit boards including the United Way of King County, Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, Asian Bar Association of Washington, YouthCare and the Seattle Foundation. She currently co-chairs the Board DE&I Committee for the Downtown Seattle Association and serves on the Boards of the University of Washington Foundation and the Seattle Art Museum. Mari has played violin with the Vina Musica String Quartet for the past 25 years and before that performed with the Seattle Youth Symphony, Denver Philharmonic and the Vancouver Academy of Music Orchestra.  

Just Before We Go is produced by ⁠Myra Mae Studios⁠ and ⁠Real Girl Athletics⁠

SUPPORT the production of content for women over 40 by ⁠buying Hilary and Myra a coffee⁠ and FOLLOW Just Before We Go on Instagram

Theme song is written by Dave Ellis and performed by ⁠Dave Ellis and the Hopeless Sinners

Ya Gotta Laugh or Quit  -

Goodbye 2025! 

Recorded Wednesday Dec. 31, 2025

Join us for our live NYE beach walk on Whidbey Island! Your JBWG co-hosts thank you for supporting our podcast with this joyous Auld Lang Syne moment as we wish 2025 a very merry sssso-long and welcome 2026 with a happy-go-lucky neigh! Let's look the year-of-the-fire-horse in the mouth and acknowledge that, outside of creating this super fun podcast, 2025 was a difficult year. So, join us for this short episode full of dogs, laughs and gratitude.

Because, if there's one thing we know for sure, we're not quitting!

So we might as well laugh.

Cheers!

Myra & Hilary

Just Before We Go is produced by ⁠Myra Mae Studios⁠ and ⁠Real Girl Athletics⁠

SUPPORT the production of content for women over 40 by ⁠buying Hilary and Myra a coffee⁠ and FOLLOW Just Before We Go on Instagram

Theme song is written by Dave Ellis and performed by ⁠Dave Ellis and the Hopeless Sinners

Lenice is a bright, infectious energy who motivates and ignites hope. Her career is awe-inspiring; she is a friend, collaborator, childcare activist, community builder and champion for gender and race equity. She brings people together and we are thrilled she joined us on the pod to include YOU, our listeners, in this conversation about expanding our collective vision for women’s empowerment. 

Lenice Emanuel is a speaker, writer, and race & gender equity activist. She has over 25 years of leadership in nonprofit management, government, fund development, and community relations. She is a Climate Reality Leader and part of a corps of advocates and influencers in 152 countries, trained by former Vice President Al Gore. She holds a Master of Liberal Arts degree in leadership and ethics from Spring Hill College, and certification from Cornell University. As Executive Director of the Alabama Institute for Social Justice (AISJ), she works to empower women, and people of color, and address poverty in marginalized communities through childcare advocacy, voter engagement, gender equity, grassroots organizing, environmental justice, and racial healing. In this capacity, she leads The Alabama Movement for Child Care™, where she works to organize childcare providers across Alabama’s Black Belt region, to ensure a more equitable childcare system for minorities and women. She has facilitated racial healing & reconciliation community learning forums for thousands in Alabama and is dedicated to bringing diverse groups together to advance a more just society.

Content advisory: This episode contains discussion around the construct of racial violence and violence against women.

Learn more about Lenice and support her work at the Alabama Institute for Social Justice

Just Before We Go is produced by ⁠Myra Mae Studios⁠ and ⁠Real Girl Athletics⁠

SUPPORT the production of content for women over 40 by ⁠buying Hilary and Myra a coffee⁠ and FOLLOW Just Before We Go on Instagram

Theme song is written by Dave Ellis and performed by ⁠Dave Ellis and the Hopeless Sinners

We’ve been talking about it, and now we just went ahead and did it. We were curious what would happen if we actually put our feline friend on the mic…because she always has a lot to say. Meet Shadow, a 17-year-old gray tabby who recently looked death in the face and defied it. You’ll hear straight from the cat’s mouth her expressions on comforts, hardships, friendships and animal relationships. 

Shadow is someone very special. She was found abandoned as a kitten, huddled in the snow next to her sister. Her cat-Dad David rescued them, and she has been the queen of the household with my friends Annie and David ever since. She enjoys eating and sleeping, sunbathing on the patio furniture when the weather is nice and snoring mightily when deep in slumber.

Shadow is deaf, but she loves to talk and listens with her whole body. Her wide, green eyes command treats; she has a fabulous, chunky stomach that sways when she walks...er... waddles. Her turnout would lead you to believe she was a ballet dancer in her former life. She'll announce her entrance into a room like a diva, especially at 4am when she might spend the rest of the morning sleeping on your face or walking your body like a plank. Her purr could heal the whole neighborhood, and her sweetness will melt your heart. She is 84 years young in cat years and has been there for Hilary during many difficult times. A steadfast friend.

Please enjoy our tribute to Shadow the cat.

(Wait...does that make her our podcat??)

And Just Before We Go…season two is coming soon!

Just Before We Go is produced by ⁠Myra Mae Studios⁠ and ⁠Real Girl Athletics⁠

SUPPORT the production of content for women over 40 by ⁠buying Hilary and Myra a coffee⁠ and FOLLOW Just Before We Go on Instagram

Theme song is written by Dave Ellis and performed by ⁠Dave Ellis and the Hopeless Sinners

We deeply appreciate your positive ratings and reviews! Thank you for being here.

Well, we cried at least 4 times during this one! Dakota is one heck of an inspiring person. In this episode, Myra and Hilary get the inside scoop on Dakota’s path to becoming a pro boxer, what it takes to get inside the ring, her journey with mental health, her perspective on her fights with Christy Martin (and other powerhouse boxers!) and the healing power of community at her boxing gym, Solid Stone.

You will be ready to don your own pair of gloves after this one! Either metaphorically or for real…

Dakota Stone is a national champion boxer. She won a gold medal at the first international women’s boxing competition in Finland and was one of the top 10 women boxers in the world for a decade. Her win against world champion, Christy Martin, was broadcast on HBO. When she retired from boxing, she transitioned into full time coaching. Dakota started Solid Stone Boxing gym in 2012 which she operates with her wife Lauren. Their goal is to give back to their community, and the gym includes specific classes for women only (& non-binary folks) and people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Solid Stone offers a safe space for people of all genders, physical abilities and goals for personal improvement.

Learn more about Dakota and train with her at Solid Stone Boxing Gym and connect with her on Instagram

Just Before We Go is produced by ⁠Myra Mae Studios⁠ and ⁠Real Girl Athletics⁠

SUPPORT the production of content for women over 40 by ⁠buying Hilary and Myra a coffee⁠ and FOLLOW Just Before We Go on Instagram

Theme song is written by Dave Ellis and performed by ⁠Dave Ellis and the Hopeless Sinners

Get inspired to take your own creative journey! In this episode, Hilary and Myra interview each other, divulging how and why this podcast came to be and sharing insight from their individual life experiences. This snapshot of their journey to create content with an impact is full of humor and perspective. Their mission to expand the narrative for women over 40 is ever at the forefront of their ambitions!

Anyone out there starting their own entrepreneurial journey? If so, you know that starting a business or creative venture is hard…and so badass! Whether you are creating by yourself, alongside a creative partner, or just thinking about creating something new and beautiful in this world, we celebrate you. We celebrate your friendships. And today, we invite you into ours. And into our recording fort! (You’ll know what we mean once you listen to the episode…).

We hope you enjoy getting to know us a little better! And we’d love to get to know you and see your faces on our Instagram  and  Buy Me A Coffee pages 😊

Every follow on our social media and podcast platforms helps build visibility for the stories we are sharing. Please join our community, FOLLOW & SUBSCRIBE and drop us a line!

THANK YOU for supporting our 5 inaugural episodes!! We appreciate you.

Just Before We Go is produced by ⁠Myra Mae Studios⁠ and ⁠Real Girl Athletics⁠

Support the production of content for women over 40 by ⁠buying Hilary and Myra a coffee⁠!

Theme song is written by Dave Ellis and performed by ⁠Dave Ellis and the Hopeless Sinners

It’s not every day that we get to pick the brain of a world-record-holder!! If you’ve ever been curious about what goes on inside the head of an elite athlete, today is your lucky day: join our fun and inspiring conversation with Sue McDonald. We hope you smile and learn as much as we did.

Sue McDonald is a mom of 3, world record holder 15 times over (in fact she set these world records in 16 months!), the 2023 WMA Female Athlete of the year, the 2023 USATF Masters Track and field athlete of the year, and broke world records in the 300-meter hurdles, 400-meter run, 800 meters and heptathlon for women over 60. She is most recently making a comeback in the Pole Vault. Sue and her husband reside in Santa Barbara, CA.

More of Sue's accolades and accomplishments:  

• 2019 USATF W55 Athlete of the Year 

• Hall of Fame Inductee for LosAngeles Valley College

• 2018 Boston Marathon Qualifier 

• 7x Age Group American Record Holder(400/800/High Jump/Relays)

• 1996 Olympic Trials Finalist (polevault)

• 3x Collegiate All-American

• Regional World Champion, 800m;200/1500m Silver Medalist

• 2x W55 National Champion in the400m & 800m, USATF Masters National Championships

• 2015 Silver Medalist, World MastersAthletics Championships, France

Don't miss Sue's inspiring advice for women at midlife and beyond...and for achieving longevity in sport.

This episode is buzzing with energy to help us crush our goals. Thank you, Sue!

Learn more about Sue’s career and coaching business at Home | Sue McDonald Fitness

Just Before We Go is produced by ⁠Myra Mae Studios⁠and ⁠Real Girl Athletics⁠

Support the production of content for women over 40 by ⁠buying Hilary and Myra a coffee⁠!

Theme song is written by Dave Ellis and performed by ⁠DaveEllis and the Hopeless Sinners

We had a blast talking to Jo-Anne about everything from how art can transform the way we see non-human animals to the experience of choosing not to have human children. You won’t want to miss our heartfelt and often funny conversation* with this talented woman...who is basically our new BFF (does she know that?).

Jo-Anne McArthur is a Canadian photojournalist, humane educator, animal rights activist and author. She is the founder of We Animals whose mission is to advocate for animals using photojournalism. Through the We Animals Humane Education program, McArthur offers presentations about human relationships with animals in educational and other environments. We Animals Media, is a media agency focused on human/animal relationships. She has documented humans’ fraught relationship with animals in over 60 countries in 25+ years and she speaks globally about animals. We Animals has 150 photographers who make books, short films and visuals available free to the animal advocacy movement. 

McArthur’s work has been published in National Geographic, The Washington Post, The Guardian, Huffington Post and Outdoor Photography among many others. Recent awards include Highly Commended in the 2022 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition; the 2021 BigPicture Grand Prize; 2021 AEFONA’s First Prize, Man and Nature category; 2021 Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice finalist; 2020 Nature Photographer of the Year. In 2021, HIDDEN was awarded “Photography Book of the Year” by Pictures of the Year International (PoYI), and IPPY’s “Outstanding Book of the Year Most Likely to Save the Planet”.

 Learn more about Jo-Anne's work here!

Order the book We Animals and support Animal Photojournalism!

*Our conversation includes descriptions of animals incaptivity, the abuse they endure and how we can change their world by really “seeing” them.

To support the production of Just Before We Go,consider buying Hilary and Myra a coffee at ⁠Just Before We Go...⁠

Just Before We Go... is co-produced by Myra Mae Studios and Real Girl Athletics

Theme song written and performed by Dave Ellis and theHopeless Sinners: ⁠Dave Ellis and the Hopeless Sinners⁠

We had so much fun recording this episode...that almost became a musical!

Myra and Hilary sat down with Cynthia Geary, acclaimed actor on television, stage and film & known around the world for her role as Shelly Tambo on the television series Northern Exposure, which earned her two Emmy Award nominations. She's had numerous guest-starring roles on a variety of TV programs, made-for-TV movies and independent films. She recently starred in and co-produced the 2024 series Going Home and guest stars in the Netflix series Penelope. Early in her career, Geary played the mother of the Olsen twins in their 1992 made-for-TV movie To Grandmother's House We Go, appeared in the 1997 movie When Time Expires, and is the female lead in 8 Seconds. 

Hilary shared the big screen with Cynthia in the award winning 2013 independent film Nothing Against Life; Myra had the great privilege of directing Cynthia in the 2004 Book-It Repertory Theatre production of Edna Ferber’s epic novel, Giant, and shared the stage with her in Book-It's production of Kate Chopin's The Awakening.  She resides in Seattle with her husband and their dog, Mango.

Enjoy this episode full of laughs and discovery.

Just Before We Go is produced by Myra Mae Studios and Real Girl Athletics

Support the production of content for women over 40 by buying Hilary and Myra a coffee!

Theme song is written by Dave Ellis and performed by Dave Ellis and the Hopeless Sinners

In this episode, Hilary and Myra get the inside scoop on what it takes to be a woman spearheading animal protection law in California from founder, CEO and president of Social Compassion in Legislation (SCIL), Judie Mancuso.

SCIL is the leading political advocacy group dedicated to advancing animal protection laws. Since 2007, Judie has spearheaded more than 70 state bills—28 of which have been signed into law—achieving landmark victories such as banning the sale of animal-tested cosmetics, prohibiting wild animals in circuses, ending commercial and recreational fur trapping, and requiring plant-based meals in all state hospitals and prisons.

In some instances, Judie literally went where no woman has gone before.

Impossible feats? Check.

Insider knowledge? Check.

Strong woman? Check.

And still...we manage to laugh a alot!

Recognized for her unwavering advocacy, Judie was named one of Orange County's Most Influential People 2019.   She has served as Vice Chair of the Laguna Beach Environmental and Sustainability Committee and completed two terms on the California Veterinary Medical Board. She resides in Laguna Beach with her rescued cats and dogs Lily, Twiggy and Petula.

You can support the making and passage of SCIL's new bills by donating and signing calls to action at: Social Compassion in Legislation – They Have No Choice. No Voice. No Vote.Judie's book Because They Need Us: My Political Fight to Save Animals can be purchased at:Because They Need Us: My Political Fight to Save Animals 1, Mancuso, Judie - Amazon.comTo support the production of Just Before We Go, consider buying Myra and Hilary a coffee at:Just Before We Go...Theme song written and performed by Dave Ellis and the Hopeless Sinners:Dave Ellis and the Hopeless Sinners

*mature content advisory

*this episode includes conversation about animal cruelty