In today’s episode, Michaela is joined by a highly accomplished entrepreneur and owner of Love Cork Screw, Chrishon Lampley. Chrishon is bold, resilient, tenacious, and a natural-born innovator. Her road to success has not been an easy one, but to Chrishon, success is inspiring at least one person to follow and reach their dreams. She learned early on that in order for her to achieve her dreams, she would have to overcome limitations and challenges. Since then, she has built an extremely successful career and shattered every glass ceiling imaginable. Did you know that less than 1% of wine industry negociants are black women? Lampley is not only an experienced negociant, but she is also a wine enthusiast and founder of LCS Entertainment, LLC. She has an infectious energy and this conversation is a powerful way to kick off 2022.

Do you remember seeing “I wuz here” carved into the desks at school? Did you ever stop to think about what was beneath the 12-year-old student boredom that drove them to take their pencil to the desk in the first place? Well, Michaela has and she beautifully weaves the answer throughout this solo episode. As humans, we long to make a mark, and everyone has their own unique way of doing so. Whether it is a lifetime dedicated to creating like the late designer, Virgil Abloh, crocheting, baking pies, or hey - maybe even cultivating a community rooted around a podcast (I see you, Per My Last Email Fam) - it all comes down to the desire of leaving a mark on the world. So before we rush into another new year, let’s take a look at what we have done throughout this one and all that it cost us to get to where we are today.

In today’s episode, Michaela is joined by Chicago wedding planner, Jessica Levi. Jessica is the Lead Planner at Clover Events and Productions, and was just published in the #1 multicultural bridal magazine, MunaLuchi Bride, and is the perfect example of what it looks like to live a self-made journey no matter how many detours it takes. In addition to her successful wedding planning career, she is also the fundraising director for the non-profit Chicago chapter of Wish Upon a Wedding and worked for many years with Madam President Camp, where she taught young girls about women in leadership, politics and helped inspire them to make their community a better place. Jessica has a beautiful heart and takes wedding planning to the next level by infusing her background in social work and serving as a calming and positive force to her client’s magical day.

In today’s episode, Michaela is joined by her very first hometown guest and childhood friend, Salima Lalani. She is a naturally curious, data nerd on a journey to understand how best to take a brilliant spark from ideation to commercialization using analytics, insights, and powerful stories. She is the daughter of immigrant parents, a fiercely loyal partner, teammate, and friend who goes to bat for her inner circle in a heartbeat. In addition to her unbelievably successful career in brand management, she is also a travel and food enthusiast, taking every opportunity to see and experience all corners of the world. This conversation will leave you feeling seen, (especially if you have Virgo in your astrological chart), motivated to never give up on your dreams, and a new perspective on life’s checklist.

In today’s episode, Michaela is joined by fashion designer, entrepreneur, and educator, Anna Hovet Dias. Anna has 16 years in corporate and small business fashion, and had her own athleisure fashion line, HØVET Apparel, for 10 years before she transitioned her business to Hovet Fashion Studio. As Executive Director of the Chicago Fashion Incubator, Anna continues to be a leader in Chicago fashion. And, as if that wasn’t impressive enough, she also owns and operates a private tutoring company, Sophic Standard Private Tutoring, and teaches at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Anna is the perfect example of what can happen when your entrepreneurial effort comes full circle and you honor the multifaceted passions and skillsets you possess in life.

Per My Last Email turned six months old and in pure Michaela fashion, you better bet there was a party! Not just any party though, one that was hosted at a female-owned event space @thestudiochicago owned by @alialistone of Those White Walls, and bursting at the seams with energy that could only be cultivated by a room full of female entrepreneurs, wine, and shopping. Tune into this one-of-a-kind episode featuring a live panel from the celebration MC’d by Arsiak Vartenian, founder and host of the digital talk show, Smart is the New Sexy. In this conversation, you will hear from your favorite podcast host, realtor, architect, and community builder, Michaela Gordon, and the founder and CEO of Healthy Hood Chicago, Tanya Lozano. They dive into the power of community, finding your identity, purpose, and voice in the world as a female business owner, and the importance of genuine and authentic connection. The only thing better than hitting play on this episode would be if you had been there in person (PAUSE, don’t sleep on any Per My Last Email events again). Now, go grab a glass of wine, hit play, and enjoy this episode with a side of FOMO.

Have you ever stopped to think about how you got to where you are today, and what your life would be like if you had made different decisions? Like, what if you had said yes, to the man who asked you to move across the country with him? What if you had taken that job opportunity in another state? What if you had chased your childhood dream? What if everything was different? On the same token, what if it was all still the same? Let’s ditch the public happy hour, grab a glass of wine (the bottle works too), get into your favorite pajamas, and have a good old girl’s night chat exploring life’s greatest question - what if?

You’ve heard Michaela say this before and it won’t be the last time, it is impossible to have a podcast featuring businesswomen without also discussing the often impossible work-life, mom-life balance. Let’s be real for a second, it is very rare that you hear about a man choosing between work and starting a family but for many women, those thoughts begin crossing their minds in grade school. Today Michaela has her bestie, KC Gutierrez on the show to talk all about that. In third grade, KC knew she wanted a family and a career and she shares the journey that led her to have both today. She is the perfect example of a modern-day woman looking to hold onto a career, identity, passion, and be the best partner to her husband, Mom to her daughter, and advocate for herself.

Today is a special episode because it is part two, of the Emily Brydon series. If you haven’t listened to part one yet, go back to episode 10 to hear all about Emily’s experience as a three-time Olympian on the Canada ski team before you drop into today’s conversation. Today, they explore how Emily got into the oil and gas industry after hanging up her professional skis and entering the corporate world, what it takes to build a whole new identity in life, and the unexpected skillsets, lessons, and strengths that transferred seamlessly into her new world.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be an Olympic athlete? Have you ever really thought about the level of dedication, sacrifice, and focus it would take? Have you ever thought about what happens when you decide to retire and are then faced with recreating your entire identity and purpose at age 30? I have one more for you - have you ever thought about what it is like to do all of that, as a woman? Today’s guest is Canadian, three-time Alpine Olympic skier, Emily Brydon. She is a change seeker with a passion for continuous improvement and someone who thrives under challenging and dynamic environments. It is her goal to leave this planet better off than she entered it and as someone who gets to call her a friend, I can attest that she is doing just that. Hit play on this two-part series to hear how Emily became an Olympian and what is up next for her.