Kelley's career began in NYC designing fashion accessories (mainly handbags) after graduating from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). After 12 years of the accessories industry as well as teaching design at FIT, she discovered Flower School New York and fell in love after just a few classes. Eventually, she moved down to NC and started Teacup Floral in 2012. 9 years and 300+ weddings later, business is booming and she truly feels her coming into her own as a Floral Designer.

Kelley's very excited about her "quarantine project" of Silk Flower Arrangement Rentals! After working with brides on strict budgets who often have to cut the special larger pieces in order to save money, Teacup Floral now has the option to work with real-touch silk floral arrangements for their ceremony and reception for a fraction of the price of fresh flowers. Couples have been loving the concept and Kelley is continually working on new collections for every color scheme and style.

To see these beautiful arrangements and the amazing work of Kelley follow Teacup floral on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!

*Rate + Subscribe to the Lions on Leashes podcast!*

- "Hi, I'm you're new designer."

- Getting in the back door

- Being the first to get a degree in the WORLD 

- Flower School and the new passion

- Going back and teaching what you didn't learn 

- Knowing you're going to need another plan 

- The creative similarities between handbags and flowers 

- Handling brides

- Vendors now being held accountable 

- Reflecting on your journey

- What flower reflects your personality? 

Resources:

On the surface, Clyanna appears to be an awkward social justice warrior. Her achievements and community impact, however, are anything but inept.

Hailing from Miami, Florida, Clyanna was a founding member of Black Lives Matter Upstate New York and newly founded organization NNLB, a 2020 cohort of the New Leader Council in the Capital District, a proud Union College alumnus, and has sat on numerous panels for restorative justice practices. In addition to offering her insight on the difficult and necessary topic of accountability within organizing and activist communities. 

Clyanna is determined in her fight for freedom, reparations, equity, and replacement of mass incarceration with restorative justice practices and a chance for redemption, transformative healing, and strengthening communities.

What We Talked About: 

- Never visiting the college until the first day

- Looking at colleges at 12 years old

_ Living in America but living under the rules of the old country 

- Culture shock 

- Bail Reform + Discovery reform 

- From organizing  to volunteering to organizing 

- Bringing your community together 

- Social Justice 

- Needing more resources within your community and having accountability 

- Going to prison with John Legend

- The current conditions of prison

- When you run towards something while everyone else is running in the opposite direction. 

- The best advice Clyanna's ever gotten

- Information about the NNLB

Resources: 

www.NNLBUnited.com

Instagram: @NNLBUnited

Facebook: @NNLBUNITED

Facebook- @Clyanna.Blyanna

Twitter- @ClyannaL

Heather Rider is an anxiety coach and Imposter Syndrome educator who personally overcame high-functioning anxiety and Imposter Syndrome while working in a demanding Tech job. She works with clients from all over the world who want to take a nontraditional, holistic approach to healing anxiety.

She regularly writes and presents on the issues of perfectionism, Imposter Syndrome, high-functioning anxiety, and other anxiety-related topics.

Join Heather's free workshop happening tomorrow on May 6th, "From Imposter to Empowered." Also, launching on May 20th, Heather's group program, You Are Enough: From Imposter to Empowered in 6 Weeks." Visit Heather's website to sign-up and to check out her resources!

- Being a total prisoner in your own mind 

- "I think I have high functioning anxiety" 

- OCD + High Functioning Anxiety

- Progress + Emotional Healing

- Personal Growth 

- Does it always come back to childhood?

- The pressure of conforming your realities to your beliefs structure 

- Parenthood

- Learning your struggles are meant to help others

- Knowing when to let go of perfectionism 

- Not being able to quite 

- Imposter syndrome 

- Anxiety Triggers

Resources:

www.theenergysynergist.com

You Are Enough: From Imposter to Empowered in 6 Weeks launches May 20

LinkedIn: HRider

Facebook: TheEnergySynergist

Heather's YouTube Channel

Pinterest: TheEngerySynergist

Rosie Nerney is a menstrual cycle superpower teacher, a coach who guides women to know their body, connect with their soul & lead with their heart. A Holistic Health Coach for 7yrs & a successful direct sales business owner, Rosie is now expanding into Neuro Transformation Training to be able to help women have long-standing mindset change & to be able to move their life in the direction they truly want.

Rosie is the mother of 4 young girls & the daughter of her favorite female who was diagnosed at 48 & is in the final stages of early-onset dementia. Understanding first hand the impact of losing someone you love to a lifestyle-induced disease, Rosie’s mission is to help more women choose themselves first, not only for their own sake but for the sake of the people they love.

Female Foundations is Rosie's monthly membership for women to learn about & truly understand their female cycle, how it is guiding their everyday life & how to live in alignment with it.

What We Talked About:

- The meaning of life

-  Is this it for me? 

- Being made for more

- The power of Shame 

- If I'm not "this" then who am I?" 

- Evolving for YOU

- Milestones of Life

- When there's something better around the corner

- Flighters and Fighters

- The diagnosis that changed everything 

- Giving yourself grace

- Is everything a lie?

- Women no longer have to deal

- Having an open-mindset

- Q&A from listeners about your menstrual cycle + nonhormonal birth control

- The Female Foundations

Resources:

Doors open for the Female Foundation at the end of April! Click here to drop your email on the waitlist!

www.rosienerney.com

The Ruby Slippers - Rosie's Podcast!

Books Recommended:

Jenna Warriner is a Social Media Manager and Instagram Educator. Through her program Instagram: Your Magic Marketing Machine she simplifies Instagram marketing, and teaches small business owners how to create a gorgeous, sustainable IG presence that converts followers into customers.

What We Talked About:

- Creating your own work

-  When there are no butts in seats

- Sharing what you want to do to the public

- Being a career that's an uphill climb to one that came easy

- The competition and you

- Your personal and professional identity on social media

- Post about that "thing" to amplify your brand.

- What is a "good" number of likes and shares

- Tips for Content

- Giving people the answers 

- What podcast has 20 million downloads?

- Right people, right time

- Setting intentions 

- When your goals shifted + staying focused

- Seeing the world through a different lens to tell a story

- Staying hungry for tomorrow 

Resources:

For actionable tips, you can use right now to grow your following and build your biz using Instagram, download your free Instagram Mastery Manual.

Cat is a fat intersectional feminist, shop owner, and podcast host based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

Her shop, Cake Plus-Size Resale, provides sustainable, affordable, plus-size fashion and body-positive community for plus-size shoppers who have often been left out of the fun of thrifting. 

Cat also co-hosts a podcast called Matter of Fat - a body-positive podcast with Midwest sensibilities. 

Cat is a community leader, stylish plus-size gal, a proponent of inclusive sustainable fashion, and (when it's not a pandemic) is also a fat pool party planner.

What We Talked About:

- The support of your community

- Fat being empowerment, not a feeling 

- Fat Liberation 

- Connections & capitalism of social media 

- Food & weight are not parallel

- The mental energy you can save 

- Mainstream + plus size - all brands could do better

- Healthy at every size

- Inconsistent size charts 

- Bringing the fun in shopping 

- Changing your mindset (It's the clothes that are the problem, not you!)

- Becoming a part of people's lives 

- Seeing  the need to bring people together

- When you just "try it"

- The magic of neutrality

Resources: 

www.cakeplussize.com

Cat

www.catinspired.com

Matter of Fat - Season 4 launches April 14th!

www.matteroffatpod.com

(Referenced) Season 2, Episode 3 - Nancy Alayon, Emotional Eating + Who Profits From PRIDE

Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight by Lindo Bacon

Warning: Strong Language 

Dr. Shai Butler is the CEO, Chief Encouragement Officer, writer, blogger, and speaker who is engaged in purpose positioning that helps audiences learn themselves, love themselves, and be themselves, unapologetically. 

She also works in higher education and diversity as the Vice President for Student Development at the College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY. 

Dr. Shai will be releasing her inspirational memoir in 2021, with an accompanying women's guide on living beneath the surface of life. Register on her website and you will be emailed about the release date.

What We Talked About: 

- Growing up with the new era of hip-hop 

- Not fitting in any environment 

- Encourangement in your truest form 

- Family support during the roughest of times

- The difference between a mentor + a sponsor 

- Who's your biggest champion?

- "They'll never hire you if you don't apply"

- Men advancing women

- Love is a decision, not an emotion.

- When everything you do in life is a decision 

- Living unapologetically 

- Being a closet people pleasure 

- Feeling free when you create boundaries 

- Having a purpose vs. purposes 

Resources:

Dr. Shai's Social Media: Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram @drshaib, Twitter 

Brenda Baddam is an Assistant Attorney General with the New York State Office of the Attorney General. A former Assistant District Attorney with Albany County, Brenda Baddam primarily concentrates her practice on federal civil rights issues.

Brenda is also a Board Member of the Capital Region Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Albany Law School’s Government Law Center. She is active in the Capital District Minority community by frequently presenting seminars on topics, such as language diversity and diversity in the public sector and protestor rights.

Most notably, during the summer of 2020, Brenda spearheaded a push to bring language diversity to the City of Albany and the Albany Police Department by drafting and pushing for ordinances and resolutions mandating that diverse speakers be afforded the opportunity to have a translator present during police interactions. In late 2020, Brenda was selected by the city of Cohoes Mayor William Keeler to spearhead the Cohoes

Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative Committee. This committee was tasked with undertaking a comprehensive overview of the current police force deployments, strategies, policies, procedures, and practices, for the purposes of addressing the specific needs of the people of Cohoes.

- A grandparent's love story of 63 years 

- Growing up with a high standard of pushing yourself to be the best you could be 

- The fight from having nothing to being something 

- Learning a second language (Not just English but Legal too)

- From Miami to Upstate, NY

- Cold and summer weather apparel 

- Being the first in your family and being the example of strong women

- Make your own box and then color it however you'd like

- Why not 9 minority female justices?

- Making something unfair, fair. 

- The life long-lasting experience of the new leaders

counsel 

- Supporting your heritage and your community

Encouragement to all the little girls of colors to dream BIG!

When I'm sometimes asked 'When will there be enough [women on the Supreme Court]?' and I say 'When there are nine. - Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life. - Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor

Capital Region’s New Leaders Council

Sponsors:

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Warning: Strong Language