Possibilities with Monique de Maio

What if your job finally supported the life you actually want?

In this episode, Monique sits down with remote-work expert, entrepreneur, and founder of Remote Rebellion, Michelle Coulson, to unpack what freedom really looks like beyond the office, beyond expectations, and beyond the 9–5.

Michelle has helped hundreds of people land remote roles that align with their values. Originally from the UK, she spent seven years in recruitment before the pandemic pushed her into the remote world. Instead of staying in London, she boarded a flight to Bali and never looked back. When her company demanded a return to the office, she refused, quit, and built Remote Rebellion from the ground up.

Today, Michelle teaches people how to design careers defined by freedom, flexibility, and clarity — not burnout or outdated workplace rules.

This conversation blends career strategy, mindset, personal branding, and real talk about remote work. If you’re craving flexibility, curious about remote work, or imagining a different kind of life, this episode is your permission slip.

What You’ll Learn:
→ Why remote work is not just working from home→ What “freedom” really means (and why it looks different for everyone)→ The mindset trap that kills most job searches→ How to stand out in a competitive remote market→ What successful job seekers do differently→ How structure can create more freedom→ How to build connection without an office→ Why personalization is your superpower→ How to clearly communicate your value→ The #1 first step if you’re remote-curious→ Michelle’s best (and worst) career advice

Timestamps
00:00 The Dream of Remote Work02:46 The Birth of Remote Rebellion05:53 Entrepreneurship Challenges08:39 Defining Freedom11:27 Structure & Flexibility14:19 Remote Work Myths17:09 Building Community22:01 Mindset Barriers27:47 Personal Branding30:30 Remote Job Strategy34:28 First Steps35:44 Career Advice37:27 A Message to Your Younger Self

If you’re navigating change, craving flexibility, or dreaming of remote work… this episode is for you.
Your next chapter starts with one decision.

Don’t just work for your life — design it.

👉 Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, possibility & purpose👉 Share this with someone ready for freedom👉 Follow Michelle at Remote Rebellion for remote career insight

About Our Guest
Michelle Coulson is the CEO & Founder of Remote Rebellion, a global career platform helping people design careers around their lives. After seven years in recruitment, the 2020 lockdown changed everything. She relocated to Bali, embraced remote life, and later turned down a mandatory return-to-office mandate to create something better.

Since then, she’s helped professionals worldwide land remote roles and partnered with remote-first companies to connect them with top talent. Her mission is simple: help people work for their lives — not the other way around.

Connect with Michelle & Remote Rebellion
Instagram: @remoterebellionLinkedIn: Michelle CoulsonWebsite: remoterebellion.com

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Grab her award-winning, bestselling book The 7 Secrets to Creating a Life You Love: A Practical Guide for Women in Leadership:https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Creating-Life-You-Love/dp/B0CLHV526G

If you listened to Part 1, you know how Jodi Scott-Lyons built four wellness brands from a kitchen table into a national presence. What you do not know yet is what happened when that entire world was turned upside down overnight.

In Part 2, Jodi takes us behind the scenes into a chapter most founders never talk about. The chapter where everything falls apart. The chapter where you question your identity, your purpose, your leadership and your future. The chapter where resilience is not a concept but a lifeline.

This is the story of losing everything and finding a way back.

We talk about

→ what happens when the company you sold unravels overnight

→ the human cost of laying off your entire team, including your own family

→ the financial free fall and what it took just to stay afloat

→ the mindset shift and small daily practices that pulled her out of paralysis

→ how she ultimately negotiated the buyback and rebuilt on her terms

→ why presence, not perfection, is the real superpower in reinvention

If you are navigating a transition or rebuilding after a setback, this episode will stay with you long after you finish listening.

About Our Guest:

Jodi Scott-Lyons is the Co-Founder and CEO of Green Goo, a purpose-driven natural products company known for its plant-based first aid, body care, and wellness innovations made by hand with heart. A lifelong advocate for holistic health, Jodi blends science, soul, and storytelling to build brands that help people feel better, do better, and live more connected to the present.

Under her leadership, Green Goo has grown from a family kitchen project into a nationally distributed brand found in thousands of stores across the U.S. She and her family have since expanded their wellness ecosystem to include Southern Butter, a clean intimate body care line; Ova Moon, a women’s supplement brand designed for every hormonal stage; and FAM Botanicals, a luxury plant-based skincare line.

After surviving a devastating acquisition that nearly cost her everything — including her home — Jodi reclaimed her company and rebuilt from the ground up. Today, she’s a passionate voice for mindful leadership, resilience, and self-care, reminding women in leadership that success and wellbeing must coexist.

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Grab her award-winning, bestselling book The 7 Secrets to Creating a Life You Love: A Practical Guide for Women in Leadership:https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Creating-Life-You-Love/dp/B0CLHV526G

What happens when a purpose-driven founder refuses to follow the rules AND builds not one but four wellness brands straight from her kitchen table?...

You get Jodi Scott-Lyons, CEO, creator, innovator, Renaissance woman, and the definition of “mission with a heartbeat.”

In Part 1 of this powerful two-part conversation, Jodi walks us through how she, her mother, and her sister bootstrapped Green Goo from a backyard herbal project into a nationally recognized brand carried in thousands of stores. She breaks down the real startup journey: the messy middle, the garage production lines, the skepticism from manufacturers, and the moment when the military literally became one of their biggest unexpected ambassadors.

We dig into:

→ How Green Goo, Southern Butter, Ova Moon, and FAM Botanicals were born and why each one meets a different phase of a woman’s life

→ The surprising origin story behind a sexual wellness line that started because customers… got creative

→ Why the OTC aisle was overdue for disruption

→ What it takes to scale without compromising integrity

→ How to lead when your team expects you to know everything and you’re still figuring it out yourself

→ What it means to actually build culture (not just talk about it) in a family business

This episode is packed with entrepreneurial real talk, leadership gold, and life-changing lessons about purpose, innovation, and showing up even when you’re in over your head.

Plus: Jodi shares a limited-time code MONIQUE16 for 16% off at GreenGoo.com.

If you’ve ever dreamed of starting something meaningful, or you’re in the thick of building your legacy, this interview will hit you right in the gut (in the best way).

Listen now… and don’t forget: Part 2 is where the plot twist happens.

About Our Guest:

Jodi Scott-Lyons is the Co-Founder and CEO of Green Goo, a purpose-driven natural products company known for its plant-based first aid, body care, and wellness innovations made by hand with heart. A lifelong advocate for holistic health, Jodi blends science, soul, and storytelling to build brands that help people feel better, do better, and live more connected to the present.

Under her leadership, Green Goo has grown from a family kitchen project into a nationally distributed brand found in thousands of stores across the U.S. She and her family have since expanded their wellness ecosystem to include Southern Butter, a clean intimate body care line; Ova Moon, a women’s supplement brand designed for every hormonal stage; and FAM Botanicals, a luxury plant-based skincare line.

After surviving a devastating acquisition that nearly cost her everything — including her home — Jodi reclaimed her company and rebuilt from the ground up. Today, she’s a passionate voice for mindful leadership, resilience, and self-care, reminding women in leadership that success and wellbeing must coexist.

Follow Monique for More Possibilities:

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Book Monique as a speaker for your next event: https://www.moniquedemaio.com/contact

Grab her award-winning, bestselling book The 7 Secrets to Creating a Life You Love: A Practical Guide for Women in Leadership:https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Creating-Life-You-Love/dp/B0CLHV526G

Your company has a culture. The only question is whether you designed it… or drifted into it.

In this episode, Monique sits down with Brittany Drozd, a CEO thought partner, licensed therapist, and Harvard-trained organizational behavior expert who helps leaders diagnose what’s really broken inside their companies, and rebuild cultures with intention, integrity, and evidence-based clarity.

If your organization feels “off,” your team is overwhelmed, or you’re stuck reacting instead of leading, this conversation will feel like someone finally turned the lights on.

We unpack:

→ Why most leaders treat symptoms instead of root causes

→ The hidden cost of misalignment, exceptions, and “just one more workaround”

→ Why the wrong clients quietly destroy morale and profit

→ The neuroscience of culture — and why your people already know when you’re out of integrity

→ How to identify the pain point behind the pain point

→ What conscious culture actually looks like in real companies

→ The future of leadership (hint: automation won’t save you — self-awareness will)

This isn’t a soft conversation about values posters and pizza Fridays. This is about performance, retention, trust, and whether your business can scale without burning out the humans inside it.

About Today’s Guest:

Brittany Drozd is a powerhouse CEO adviser, culture strategist, and licensed therapist who blends behavioral science with real-world business strategy. With a Harvard background in psychology and organizational behavior, she’s helped organizations achieve everything from 35% revenue lifts to dramatically healthier teams and leadership alignment. Her work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, and she’s known for her ability to read the room, catch the unsaid, and show leaders how to build culture by design instead of default.

If you lead, manage, influence, or aspire to create impact — this episode is your blueprint for intentional, grounded, human-first leadership.

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Grab her award-winning, bestselling book The 7 Secrets to Creating a Life You Love: A Practical Guide for Women in Leadership:https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Creating-Life-You-Love/dp/B0CLHV526G

When you think “beauty industry,” you probably don’t think transparency. You think filters, filler, and hype.

In this episode of Possibilities with Monique de Maio, Monique sits down with Giella Poblocki, founder and CEO of GIELLA Custom Blend Cosmetics, the cosmetics and skin care company Monique has used almost exclusively  for over a decade herself, to talk about what real beauty looks like… inside and out.

They unpack what it takes to build a business with integrity in an industry built on illusion, why “clean beauty” is really clean business, and how mindset is the secret ingredient behind every great brand and confident woman.

Giella shares what she’s learned after 20+ years leading a women-owned company that has survived every trend and still keeps growing, through transparency, education, and doing the work.

You’ll learn:

→ Why ingredient integrity mirrors brand integrity

→ How education builds loyalty better than marketing

→ Why affirmations and mindset matter more than hype

→ What “doing the work” really looks like in business and in life

Whether you’re leading a team, building a brand, or just trying to show up as your best self, this one will hit home.

Listen in and rethink what beauty, business, and confidence can really look like.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Giella Poblocki and Her Journey

06:42 The Importance of Clean Ingredients in Cosmetics

11:43 Custom Blending: The Art and Science of Makeup

16:12 Empowering Women in the Beauty Industry

20:44 Mindset and Affirmations for Success

24:18 The Power of Community Among Women

28:42 Overcoming Insecurities Through Beauty

31:51 Career Advice and Lessons Learned

About Our Guest:

Giella Poblocki is the founder and CEO of GIELLA Custom Blend Cosmetics. With over 30 years in the beauty industry, Giella is known for her innovative approach to custom makeup and her commitment to using only the highest-quality ingredients.

She began her career at Saks while still in school, later spending 12 years as National Sales Manager for a custom cosmetics line at Vidal Sassoon Salons. When the brand changed hands, Giella took the reins and built it into her own company.

In 2004, she was named Innovator of the Year by the Independent Cosmetics and Makeup Distributors. Her work has been featured in over 300 fashion magazines and on major networks like NBC, ABC, and CBS.

Giella also leads in-person and online workshops, teaching the next generation how to blend beauty with business.

For more information, visit giella.com. Listeners/viewers to this podcast can use PROMO CODE MONIQUE20 for 20% off their first order!  

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Grab her award-winning, bestselling book The 7 Secrets to Creating a Life You Love: A Practical Guide for Women in Leadership:https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Creating-Life-You-Love/dp/B0CLHV526G

What if the most important conversations we need to have as women (about health, mentorship, and midlife growth) are still the ones we don’t talk about enough?

In this episode of Possibilities with Monique de Maio, Monique sits down with Kristen Fairback, Executive Vice President of National Sales at SHE Media, for an honest, girlfriend-style conversation about leadership, mentorship, and the realities of women’s health and aging.

Kristen opens up about her decades-long career in media, what she wishes she had known earlier in her leadership journey, and how mentorship and community have shaped her success. Together, they dig into the importance of credible information, shared experiences, and breaking outdated taboos around women’s wellness and midlife.

We get into:

→ Why mentorship isn’t optional. It is essential for women in every career stage.

→ How building community and finding your “tribe” creates personal and professional growth.

→ Why open conversations about women’s health, aging, and wellness matter more than ever.

→ The power of accountability, planning, and curiosity in shaping a fulfilling career.

→ How media and the creator economy are helping women turn their passions into purpose.

About Our Guest:

Kristen Fairback is the Executive Vice President, National Sales, for SHE Media. She is responsible for overseeing sales strategy and revenue across multiple aspects of the business including marketing services, influencer marketing, events, and programmatic.

Kristen is known as a collaborative and consultative multi-platform seller, responsible for driving sales and sales strategy across a variety of verticals including health and wellness, pregnancy and parenting, entertainment, CPG, beauty, and food. Prior to joining SHE Media, Kristen held positions as SVP, Lifestyle Sales at Everyday Health and Whattoexpect.com, Publisher of Digital and Entertainment at Parade, and Associate Publisher at Entertainment Weekly and EW.com.

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction to Kristen Fairback and Her Journey

03:02 – Women in Leadership: Challenges and Opportunities

05:53 – The Importance of Mentorship and Community

08:57 – Creating Content for Women: SHE Media’s Mission 12:07 – Navigating Women’s Health Conversations

14:50 – Empowering Women Through Community and Information

18:06 – Honest Conversations on Aging and Health

21:03 – Finding Trustworthy Information in Women’s Health

24:26 – Navigating Health and Wellness in Midlife

30:30 – The Importance of Community and Open Dialogue

34:05 – Career Advice: Planning and Accountability

39:01 – Passion vs. Skill: Finding Your Path

42:33 – Wisdom for Your Younger Self

44:03 – The Power of Community and Mentorship

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Grab her bestselling book: https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Creating-Life-You-Love/dp/B0CLHV526G

What if the biggest game-changer in your business wasn’t another strategy or shiny tool, but actually knowing yourself?

In this episode of Possibilities with Monique de Maio, business growth strategist Tonya Gossage shares how Human Design and the Know-Like-Trust factor can transform the way you lead, delegate, and scale.

We get into:

→ Why “knowing yourself, liking yourself, and trusting yourself” is the real starting point for leadership

→ How Human Design reveals your natural strengths and helps you avoid burnout

→ Why delegation is freedom (and the ultimate ROI)

→ The struggles women face in scaling their businesses and how to overcome them

→ Why the strongest leaders are consistent in character, not just strategy

About Our Guest

Tonya Gossage is a Business Growth Strategist and Founder of Gossage Performance Consulting, where she empowers entrepreneurs and business leaders to generate premium leads, amplify their authority, and scale sustainably through strategic delegation and AI-powered marketing. Leveraging the insights of Human Design, Tonya helps her clients understand their innate strengths and build deeper connections through the powerful “Know, Like, Trust” framework—transforming how they lead, collaborate, and thrive.

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction to Business Growth Strategies

03:01 – Understanding Human Design in Business

05:57 – Leveraging Strengths for Client Relationships

09:01 – The Know-Like-Trust Factor

11:59 – Overcoming Client Struggles

15:03 – The Importance of Delegation

18:08 – Addressing Women’s Challenges in Business

20:58 – Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

24:04 – Final Thoughts and Wisdom

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Grab her bestselling book: https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Creating-Life-You-Love/dp/B0CLHV526G

When you hear the word philanthropist, do you picture yourself?

In this week’s episode of Possibilities with Monique de Maio, I sit down with Hope Gallagher Ogletree, Senior Director of Development at Fordham’s Gabelli School of Business and the leader of Fordham’s Women’s Philanthropy Initiatives, to flip the script on what giving really means.

We talk about:

→ Why women already control two-thirds of wealth, and what that means for the future of philanthropy

→ How financial literacy unlocks confidence, power, and purpose

→ Why emotional connection and community drive women’s giving more than prestige

→ The rise of giving circles and how they amplify both impact and relationships

→ Why you are already a philanthropist, whether you realize it or not

Hope shares stories, stats, and straight talk that prove philanthropy isn’t just for billionaires. It’s about heart, humanity, and making a difference at any level.

If you’ve ever thought “I don’t give enough to matter,” this episode will change your mind.

About Our Guest

Hope Gallagher Ogletree is the Senior Director of Development at Fordham’s Gabelli School of Business and head of Fordham’s Women’s Philanthropy Initiatives. She’s the driving force behind the university’s Women’s Philanthropy Summit and its first giving circles, initiatives that have reshaped how women connect with and contribute to meaningful causes. With more than a decade of experience in advancement, Hope is known for her strategic vision, warmth, and ability to build lasting philanthropic communities.

Connect with Hope on LinkedIn: Hope Ogletree

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Philanthropy and Financial Literacy

03:00 - The Journey into Philanthropy

05:51 - Women and Wealth Transfer

08:51 - Understanding Women’s Giving Patterns

12:07 - The Emotional Connection to Philanthropy

15:10 - The Role of Giving Circles

18:00 - Building Community through Philanthropy

21:06 - The Importance of Inclusivity in Philanthropy

23:54 - Trust and Relationship Building in Philanthropy

27:02 - Redefining Philanthropy for Women

29:46 - Advice for Aspiring Philanthropists

33:12 - Career Advice and Personal Growth

35:59 - Final Thoughts on Purpose and Giving

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Book Monique as a speaker for your next event: https://www.moniquedemaio.com/contact 
Grab her bestselling book: https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Creating-Life-You-Love/dp/B0CLHV526G

What happens when ambition collides with burnout?

In this powerful episode of Possibilities with Monique de Maio, I sit down with Katie McDonald, founder of b.nourished, professional speaker, and creator of the b.nourished Planner, to get real about why self-care is the most radical (and responsible) leadership act you can take.

We talk about:

→ Katie’s crash-and-burn journey from corporate exec to wellness entrepreneur

→ Why “overwhelm” is a habit, not a badge of honor

→ How to replace numbing behaviors with nourishing ones

→ The unapologetic power of saying “no” (and meaning it)

→ Why leaders must model self-care if they expect their teams to thrive

Katie doesn’t sugarcoat it: neglecting yourself isn’t sustainable. This is a tough-love, truth-telling roadmap for high achievers who are done sacrificing their wellbeing for success.

Special offer:

Katie is generously offering listeners 15% off her b.nourished Planner with promo code MONIQUE15 at checkout. (No affiliate cut—just a gift for our community.)

About Our GuestKatie McDonald is the founder of b.nourished, a concierge coaching company for high-achieving women who take care of business at the expense of taking care of themselves. A professional speaker, author, and “recovering perfectionist,” Katie has been trusted by Harvard University, Fidelity Investments, Facebook, the Women Presidents’ Organization, Stanley Black & Decker, and more.

Her obsession with daily planners since age six eventually led to the creation of the b.nourished Planner in 2020, now used by doers worldwide to reclaim their time, energy, and sanity.

Katie has been featured in HuffPost, Dwell, Apartment Therapy, and is the author of an upcoming Audible Originals course (Jan 2026). She survived an IRA bombing, the San Francisco earthquake, and even a ferry rescue, but it was a Zen meditation retreat that finally stopped her in her tracks and set her on the path of radical self-care.

Learn more at b.nourished.com and connect with Katie on LinkedIn.

Chapters

00:00 - Meet Katie McDonald

02:18 - From corporate success to rock-bottom crash

04:44 - The difference between numbing and self-soothing

07:00 - Perfectionism as a survival strategy

09:50 - Why “overwhelm” is a habit

13:30 - Micro-decisions, compound effects & daily rituals

21:51 - Boundaries: “No” is a complete sentence

32:52 - Making integrity-based decisions

36:44 - Repairing your relationship with food

39:57 - The one question to ask daily: “What do I need?”

44:19 - Career advice & speaking to your 30-year-old self

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Grab her bestselling book: https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Creating-Life-You-Love/dp/B0CLHV526G

What does it really take to find your voice, and then have the guts to use it?

In this bold, funny, and refreshingly honest episode of Possibilities with Monique de Maio, Monique sits down with Mary Hope (M.H.) McQuiston, author of Finding Your Voice, to unpack what it means to stop self-silencing and finally say the thing that’s been stuck in your throat.

We cover:

→ Why so many women hold back from speaking up (and how to stop)

→ The messy truth about creativity, fear, and imperfection

→ Why vulnerability is your secret weapon, not your weakness

→ How reclaiming your voice can transform your work, your relationships, and your life

This conversation is equal parts pep talk and practical playbook for anyone ready to stop hiding and start being heard.

Chapters00:00 – Meet Mary Hope McQuiston

01:56 – Career journey: from history major to tech leader

10:02 – Clarity through personal values

14:14 – Spotting and seizing opportunities for growth

20:00 – Breaking barriers in corporate America

30:07 – Real talk: advice for women at work

36:00 – Reflections and leadership lessons

ABOUT OUR GUESTMary Hope (M.H.) McQuiston is a writer, speaker, and advocate for women’s voices. She is the author of Finding Your Voice and currently serves as Vice President and General Manager at Autodesk, where she has spent over 20 years leading strategy, marketing, and business development in SaaS, mobile, and cloud-based businesses.

A pragmatic visionary and strategist, M.H. is passionate about empowering women to speak up, show up, and lead—whether in boardrooms, books, or everyday conversations. She is also a member of Chief, Project 1490, and serves on the boards of the Exploratorium and SkillsUSA, helping shape the future of education, science, and leadership.

Connect with M.H. McQuiston on LinkedIn

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Book Monique as a speaker for your next event: https://www.moniquedemaio.com/contact 

Grab her bestselling book: https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Creating-Life-You-Love/dp/B0CLHV526G