In this episode of Lifted, Tembi Locke sits down with visionary entrepreneur and changemaker Shiza Shahid – co-founder of the Malala Fund, founding partner of NOW Ventures, and CEO of Our Place – for a conversation that weaves together purpose, innovation, and heart. Shiza reflects on her journey from organizing protests in Pakistan as a teenager to becoming one of the most influential mission-driven entrepreneurs of her generation. Together, she and Tembi explore how service, storytelling, and social justice shaped Shiza’s worldview, and how she’s used each chapter of her life to uplift others. She shares the personal pivots that led her from McKinsey to the Malala Fund, and then to launching Our Place, a company that reimagines the kitchen as a place of cultural connection and community care. Shiza also speaks candidly about embracing her immigrant identity and learning that impact doesn’t always come through scale but through the values we center each day. For anyone building a life or business rooted in meaning, this episode is a powerful meditation on leading with empathy and purpose.

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Tembi is joined by sommelier, entrepreneur, and hospitality visionary Cha McCoy for a conversation about community, culture, and the art of crafting a life—and business—on your own terms. From Harlem to Italy and Lisbon and back, Cha shares how she’s building a hyper-local hospitality brand serving flavors from around the globe. Together, she and Tembi explore global wine traditions and discuss how wine can act as a tool for cultural connection. Through her travels, Cha has become not simply an expert in wine, but has emerged as a “wine griot”, a bringer of story and wisdom; whether she’s curating travel experiences, pouring wine, or opening doors for others, Cha leads with intention, authenticity, and storytelling. This episode is an invitation to build from where you are, honor your story, and taste life more fully.

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Tembi Locke sits down with powerhouse entrepreneur, strategist, and bestselling author Kathleen Griffith-- founder of Grayce & Co and author of Build Like a Woman. Known for her business acumen and innovative thinking, Kathleen has worked with Fortune 500 companies and global brands to help women-led businesses grow and thrive. Together, they dive into how, years ago, physical travel in the form of a relocation to Los Angeles led Kathleen on a deep emotional journey. Four days into moving to LA, a life-altering accident gave Kathleen a newfound consciousness of death, and forced her to change the life she was living. What followed was a radical reinvention, blending hard-won wisdom, feminine leadership, and a new framework for success that integrates mindset with mastery. From advocating for yourself in a medical crisis to drawing strength from your grandmother’s story, Kathleen shares how the most disorienting moments can actually bring your deepest dreams into clarity. Her signature blend of business strategy and mindset mastery offers a roadmap for building careers-- and lives-- that are aligned, soulful, sustainable, and wildly successful. This episode is full of grounded wisdom for women at turning points; whether you're starting over, stepping into something new, or simply unsure what comes next, this conversation reminds you that it's never too late to build a beautiful, bold life -- one that's wholly your own.

Mentioned: Build Like a Woman, Grayce & Co

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In this intimate and illuminating episode of Lifted, Tembi Locke welcomes death doula, attorney, and bestselling author Alua Arthur (Briefly Perfectly Human) for a transformative conversation on embracing the end of life—not as a tragedy, but as a portal to deeper connection, clarity, and purpose. Alua shares her unexpected journey to becoming a death doula, and together, she and Tembi explore what it means to truly live in the presence of death. They discuss the shame that often surrounds grief, the fear of death that permeates Western culture, and the courageous practice of preparing for the end with honesty, dignity, and love. With humor, reverence, and radical compassion, Alua reframes death as not something to resist, but something to welcome as a vital part of being fully human. If you're navigating grief, caregiving, or seeking more intention in how you live and love, this conversation is a sacred invitation to rethink your relationship with death -- and find deeper meaning in the present.

Key themes: death and dying, end-of-life planning, grief, legacy, caregiving, mental health, cultural attitudes toward mortality, community, living fully

Mentioned: Briefly Perfectly Human, Going with Grace

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In this heartfelt episode of Lifted, Tembi Locke is joined by actress, dancer, author, and television host Amanda Kloots for an honest conversation about surviving loss, choosing joy, and redefining what it means to move forward with grief. Amanda opens up about the devastating loss of her husband, Broadway actor Nick Cordero, during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic – a time marked by uncertainty, heartbreak, and visibility in the public eye. She reflects on how she leaned into movement, routine, motherhood, and creativity to stay grounded during unimaginable sorrow. Together, Amanda and Tembi explore what it means to hold grief and gratitude in the same breath, how community became an unexpected source of support and connection throughout her caregiving experience, and how, sometimes, life grants miracles in radically unexpected ways. Her story is a testament to the unpredictable shape of healing and the quiet bravery of showing up after everything has changed.

Key themes: grief and public mourning, solo parenting, movement and healing, resilience, fitness, hope, caregiving, motherhood after loss, creative expression, dreams unfolding in unexpected ways

Mentioned: Live Your Life (book), Nick Cordero, The Talk (TV show), AK!

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What does it take to turn discipline into joy and inner clarity into impact?

This week on Lifted, host Tembi Locke sits down with therapist, entrepreneur, and mental wellness advocate Nina Westbrook for a powerful conversation about identity, ambition, and the long game of self-trust. Nina, founder of the online wellness platform Bene by Nina, creator of the Do Tell card game, and host of The Relationship Chronicles podcast, opens up about how her upbringing, athletic background, and clinical training inform her work at the intersection of emotional well-being and modern entrepreneurship. Together, she and Tembi explore how to sustain mental wellness while building something bigger than yourself. Nina shares the personal pivots that shaped her journey, from navigating transitions and grief to creating a life that reflects her values, and what it looks like when dreams come true in unexpected ways. With warmth, clarity, and strength, Nina reflects on:

What healthy competition really looks like and how to redefine it from within

Why self-care for Black women is an act of reclamation and power

The importance of boundaries in relationships, business, and identity

How building Bene by Nina became an extension of her values and expertise

The healing power of community, travel, and support systems

Key themes: mental wellness, boundaries, mental health advocacy, athletic discipline, licensed marriage and family therapy, travel as self-care, transitions in motherhood and marriage, self-care for Black women, competition, entrepreneurship, grief and identity, emotional clarity, wellness frameworks, community support

Mentioned: Bene by Nina (platform), Do Tell card game

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Tembi Locke is joined by creative force and entrepreneur Pia Baroncini – founder of fashion label LPA, co-founder of Baroncini Import & Co., podcast host, and mother – for a heartfelt conversation about culture, loss, identity, and building a life that holds it all. Pia opens up about how her Italian-American heritage, her early years in New York’s downtown art scene, and her deep connection to family shaped her creative path and business philosophy. Together, she and Tembi explore what it means to root your life in love and legacy while still navigating grief, motherhood, and the complexities of public life. From the loss of her father and her mother-in-law to the birth of her daughter, Pia shares how family, food, and ritual help her stay grounded. She reflects on building a business that feels personal, creating a public-facing brand without losing herself, and how travel – especially to Italy – is both a cultural homecoming and a space for clarity and reflection.

Key themes: authentic entrepreneurship, grief and family loss, personal branding, motherhood, Italian-American identity, Italian culture, food and ritual, family legacy, supportive partnerships, the intersection of brand and identity, public vulnerability

Mentioned: LPA (fashion brand), Baroncini Import & Co. (olive oil company), Pia’s podcast (Everything is the Best), Ghiaia Cashmere 

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In our Season 3 premiere, Tembi Locke welcomes bestselling author and literary powerhouse Cheryl Strayed (Wild, Tiny Beautiful Things, Dear Sugar) for a heartfelt conversation on the transformative power of travel, writing, and grief. Together, they explore how travel - across landscapes, emotions, and memory - serves as a catalyst for healing and self-discovery. Cheryl opens up about her earliest travel memories, her creative process, and how walking the Pacific Crest Trail became a metaphor for rebuilding after loss. They discuss her latest memoir-in-progress (about the journeys that changed her), her beloved newsletter Dear Sugar, and how writers can stay grounded while navigating the messy process of creation. From navigating grief to mapping out meaning with butcher paper, Cheryl and Tembi unpack what it means to truly listen to your "wise inner sage" and how staying present can unlock the deepest intimacy in art and life. They also discuss Cheryl’s healing trip back to her childhood home in Pennsylvania with her sister, an emotional reckoning decades in the making. If you’re seeking creative inspiration, emotional clarity, or simply permission to begin again, this conversation is a beautiful reminder that healing is not linear, and we can always find our way back to ourselves.

Key themes: personal growth, travel as transformation, grief, writing process, healing through creativity, emotional resilience, family, intimacy, self-trust

Mentioned: Pacific Crest Trail, Wild (book and film), Tiny Beautiful Things (book and Hulu adaptation), Torch, Dear Sugar newsletter

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Hi friends, it’s Tembi. I’m so excited to share that my new audiobook memoir, Someday, Now, is coming this fall—September 30th.

An immersive, ride-along audio experience, Someday, Now invites you into a turning point in my life—our family’s life—as we reimagined what it means to hold on while also letting go. Set in Sicily, it takes place during the summer before my daughter left for college—a season of anticipation, reflection, and emotional reckoning. As a blended family, we traveled to reclaim possibility in the face of big changes on an island that rarely changes.

If From Scratch was a love story, Someday, Now is a story of re-nesting, reimagining, and reconnecting with trust in a sacred source during uncertain times.

Follow Lifted on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen for updates and sneak peeks. And stay connected with me @TembiLocke for behind-the-scenes moments as we count down to the release.

#SomedayNow #FromScratch #AudiobookMemoir #NewRelease

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Join us for a captivating conversation with Chef Jenny Dorsey, a professional chef, author, speaker, and recent graduate of Harvard University's Master’s Program in Education. As the co-founder of Studio ATAO, an award-winning 501(c)3 nonprofit think tank, Jenny is at the forefront of defining more equitable standards for the food, beverage, and hospitality industry. In this episode, she sits down with Tembi to discuss:

Want even more? Delve into Jenny's recipes and articles here.

Want to know more about Studio ATAO? Explore their initiatives and resources here.

More from Jenny Dorsey:

Website

Instagram

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