If you’ve ever attended Power to Pursue, you’ve felt her work, even if you’ve never seen her on stage.

In this special behind-the-scenes episode, Rachel sits down with Tara Litmer... the right-hand woman, operational genius, and heart-forward “do-er” behind the Power to Pursue programming. From volunteer wrangler to run-of-show architect, Tara has been a pivotal force in building this community for nearly five years.

A full-time special education teacher (entering year 27!) and longtime friend of Rachel’s, Tara shares how what started as “helping a friend for grahams” turned into co-building one of the region’s most powerful women’s conferences. Together, they reflect on:

The evolution of Power to Pursue from passion project to movement

What it really takes to produce a 900-woman summit

The systems, spreadsheets, and soul behind the scenes

Why volunteers return year after year

The real emotions behind leadership, growth, and visibility

What makes Year 5 different... and why this might be the year you finally attend

This episode is funny, honest, tender, and deeply real. It’s about friendship. It’s about building something bigger than yourself. And it’s about the women who make the magic happen long before the doors open.

🎟️ Power to Pursue Year 5 is coming May 15. Tickets are on sale now! 

Come be seen.

We can’t wait to welcome you.

A special live-recorded edition of the Power to Pursue Podcast, Host Rachel DesRochers sits down with New York Times bestselling poet Kate Baer, where poetry, friendship, motherhood, aging, creativity, and community meet in one deeply honest conversation.

Recorded in front of a live audience at the Mercantile Library, Kate shares how her words are born from ordinary moments, why women’s friendships are lifelines, and what it means to stop apologizing for the work we’re called to do. This episode is a reminder that truth-telling is an act of courage, and that we’re not meant to pursue it alone.

Learn more about Kate Baer at https://www.katebaer.com/

In this deeply reflective episode of the Power to Pursue Podcast, Rachel DeRochers sits down with writer, founder, and cultural thinker Rachel Cargle for a conversation about what it means to be well, not as a goal, but as a daily practice.

Rachel shares what she’s learning in this season of stillness: returning home to Ohio, paying attention to cycles, redefining ambition, and letting go of the noise that once shaped her choices. Together, they explore grief as an expansive teacher, the freedom that can coexist with loss, and how tending to ourselves, and each other, is an act of radical care.

This episode touches on:

Redefining success, rhythm, and enoughness

Grief, gratitude, and the ways they live side by side

Aging, self-trust, and learning yourself over time

Creating spaces of safety, community, and belonging

Why “it can just be this beautiful” is more than a mantra

This is a conversation for anyone navigating change, healing, or the quiet courage it takes to choose yourself, again and again.

What does it mean to keep moving, through uncertainty, grief, growth, and the quiet seasons in between?

In this episode of the Power to Pursue Podcast, we sit down with Hannah Chapman for a grounded, honest conversation about becoming: how we listen to ourselves, how we change course, and how meaning is often found not at the destination, but in the pursuit itself.

Hannah shares reflections on growth that isn’t linear, the courage it takes to keep going when clarity is incomplete, and the ways our stories evolve as we do. This episode is for anyone navigating transition, re-defining success, or learning to trust the unfolding.

Related Listen:

Slow down. Listen deeply. Stay in pursuit.

What does it look like to grow a business without doing it all alone?

In this episode of Power to Pursue, host Rachel DeRochers sits down with Jill Morenz, President & CEO of Aviatra Accelerators, to talk about women-led businesses, side hustles, sustainable growth, and the power of community. From helping women launch their very first idea to supporting founders scaling multi-million-dollar enterprises, Jill shares what she’s learned after working with more than 1,000 women entrepreneurs in a single year.

This conversation is about permission, to start small, to ask for help, to build a business that fits your life (not the other way around), and to stop believing you have to do it alone.

Remember, You can do this. And you don’t have to do it alone.

Listen now and ask yourself: what are you in pursuit of?

In this episode of Power to Pursue Podcast, Rachel sits down with storyteller, entrepreneur, and community-builder Amy Scalia to explore what it truly means to never give up, even when life doesn’t look the way you planned.

Amy shares her journey from founding Cincy Chic, Greater Cincinnati’s first online-only publication for women, to launching Local Creator Studio, where she now helps women tell their stories with authenticity and heart. But this conversation goes far beyond career milestones.

Together, Rachel and Amy dive into motherhood, infertility, chronic illness, caregiving, perfectionism, gratitude, and the quiet courage it takes to keep choosing joy, especially in the messy middle. Amy opens up about her husband’s battle with severe rheumatoid arthritis, how that experience reshaped her definition of success, and why “never give up” became not just a mantra, but a mission, leading to the creation of the PSNeverGiveUp Foundation, which supports individuals navigating chronic illness and fertility challenges.

This episode is a powerful reminder that living life to the fullest doesn’t mean doing it all, it means doing what matters, letting go of what doesn’t, and giving yourself permission to evolve.

If you’ve ever felt like you were rebuilding in real time, learning to loosen control, or searching for meaning in the chaos, this conversation is for you.

What does it really take to lead with integrity, especially when you’re stepping into a legacy that isn’t entirely your own?

In this episode of the Power to Pursue Podcast, we’re joined by Mollie Lewis, President of New Riff Distilling. Mollie reflects on her journey from the wine industry to the bourbon world, what it means to define her leadership style beyond her father’s legacy, and how she’s building a company rooted in trust, culture, and community impact.

We talk imposter syndrome, women in leadership, and why creating a workplace where people feel safe and valued isn’t just good ethics, it’s good business.

Listen in for an honest conversation about growth, courage, and leading with purpose.

Company: New Riff Distilling

Website: www.newriffdistilling.com

What happens when creativity, resilience, and storytelling collide?

In this deeply honest and inspiring episode of Power to Pursue, host Rachel DesRochers sits down with Jennifer Siems, founder of Immortal Perfumes, indie perfumer, perfume historian, and writer, to explore what it means to build a life, and a business, in true alignment.

Jennifer shares her journey from self-taught perfumer to successful business owner, weaving together stories of motherhood, anxiety and depression, surviving breast cancer at 35, and the unexpected viral moment that transformed her business during treatment. She opens up about imposter syndrome, grief, identity, and how creativity became both a lifeline and a path forward.

This episode is a powerful reminder that your work doesn’t have to consume your identity, that healing and ambition can coexist, and that alignment often shows up after life’s hardest chapters.

✨ Whether you’re an entrepreneur, creative, writer, or someone finding their way through a season of change, this conversation is for you.

Learn more about Jennifer and explore her creations at immortalperfumes.com, and follow her on social media @ImmortalPerfumes.

In the third and final conversation of our financial well-being series with Truepoint Wealth Counsel, host Rachel DesRochers sits down with Kate Brownstein, Senior Financial Planner and Shareholder, and Kristine Kolzing, Director of Client Growth, to talk about the power of rewriting your money story.

Together, they explore what it means to build trust, confidence, and clarity in your financial life... whether you’re navigating major life transitions, redefining success, or simply learning where to begin. Kate shares how intentional financial planning can reduce stress and create lasting impact for families, while Kristine reflects on helping people find the right advisory relationships and access tools that make financial wellness more attainable.

This episode reminds us that clarity, about our goals, values, and next steps, is the foundation of true financial freedom.

Presented in Partnership with Truepoint Wealth Counsel. Learn more about Truepoint Wealth Counsel at truepointwealth.com.

In this episode of the Power to Pursue Podcast, host Rachel DesRochers continues the Power to Pursue Financial Well-Being series in partnership with Truepoint Wealth Counsel. She’s joined by Lauren Niestradt, Senior Portfolio Manager, and Michelle Stevens, Director of Financial Planning, for an honest conversation about confidence, clarity, and care in personal finance.

Together, they unpack what it really means to build a financial plan, how emotions and behavior shape investment decisions, and why empowerment, not perfection, is the key to long-term success. Lauren and Michelle share approachable wisdom on integrating goals and investments, understanding risk, and overcoming financial shame through education and trust.

If you’ve ever felt intimidated by money talk or unsure where to begin, this episode offers a refreshing, human perspective on financial wellness and the power of asking questions.

Listen now and start pursuing a more confident relationship with your finances.

Featuring:

Lauren Niestradt, Senior Portfolio Manager, CFA, CFP®

Michelle Stevens, Director of Financial Planning, CFP®

Presented in partnership with Truepoint Wealth Counsel