Melissa Cho is a storyteller, video editor, and creator of the HAAPI Hour podcast, where she amplifies AAPI voices and builds community through real, joyful, and unfiltered conversations. In this episode of the Powerful Ladies Podcast, Melissa shares how growing up across Asia shaped her worldview, why she’s committed to building a life of creative freedom, and how she’s navigating freelance life after stints at Jubilee Media and Wired. She and Kara talk about the power of podcasting, choosing uncertainty over safety, and how "just throwing things at the wall" can be a radical act of self-trust. They also explore what it means to be a “zero” on the powerful scale, and why that might be exactly what makes you powerful.

We cover:

• Launching HAAPI Hour and building community through podcasting

• Growing up in Taipei and Shanghai and attending international schools

• Why freelancing can feel more stable than a full-time job

• Navigating burnout, reinvention, and rediscovering purpose

• What “being a powerful lady” actually means to Melissa

Find Melissa on Instagram @itschochotrain and her podcast @haapihourpod

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Meet Melissa Cho: Creator of HAAPI Hour Podcast

(00:03:00) From Taipei to LA: How International Upbringing Shapes Identity

(00:07:15) Starting a Podcast Without a Plan (and Finding Unexpected Impact)

(00:11:20) Behind the Scenes of Freelancing and Content Creation

(00:15:45) Working at Jubilee Media and Wired: The Good, The Bad, The Layoffs

(00:21:10) Redefining Success: Choosing Joy Over Stability

(00:26:30) Why Everyone Should Visit Asia

(00:29:45) Creative Burnout and Reclaiming Your Time

(00:33:00) What Makes Someone a Powerful Lady?

(00:37:30) Manifesting Partnerships, Sponsors, and a Media Future

The Powerful Ladies podcast, hosted by business coach and strategist Kara Duffy features candid conversations with entrepreneurs, creatives, athletes, chefs, writers, scientists, and more. Every Wednesday, new episodes explore what it means to lead with purpose, create with intention, and define success on your own terms.

Whether you're growing a business, changing careers, or asking bigger questions, these stories remind you: you're not alone, and you're more powerful than you think.

Explore more at thepowerfulladies.com and karaduffy.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Running your own business can be overwhelming. The key to going from surviving to thriving? Prioritizing yourself. In this episode, Kara talks with Alyson Campbell, founder of Heart & Soul PR, about how to choose your dream clients, why PR is more than just a headline, and what happens when you align your business with your real values.

They unpack how to protect your energy, price your services with confidence, and show up in your work without burning out. This is a conversation about boundaries, ownership, and building a business that feeds your heart and soul, not just your bank account.

Whether you’re launching a new venture, refining your client list, or just trying to get off the hamster wheel, this episode offers smart, clear advice for service-based entrepreneurs and creatives alike.

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Why Alyson Campbell Launched Heart & Soul PR

(00:02:00) What Public Relations Really Means Today

(00:05:00) Client Expectations, Misconceptions, and the Power of Strategy

(00:08:00) Why Your PR Strategy Needs a Sales Funnel

(00:11:00) How to Choose the Right Press for Your Business

(00:14:00) From Burnout to Business Ownership

(00:17:00) Mentorship, Team Building, and Women Supporting Women

(00:21:00) Pricing with Confidence and Letting Go of Misaligned Clients

(00:24:00) Defining Your Ideal Client and Saying No Without Guilt

(00:27:00) Balancing Multiple Passions: Music, PR, and Mental Health

(00:30:00) Self-Care Habits and Boundaries for Entrepreneurs

(00:32:00) Building a Career That Aligns with Your Mission

(00:34:00) How to Connect with Alyson and Heart & Soul PR

The Powerful Ladies podcast, hosted by business coach and strategist Kara Duffy features candid conversations with entrepreneurs, creatives, athletes, chefs, writers, scientists, and more. Every Wednesday, new episodes explore what it means to lead with purpose, create with intention, and define success on your own terms.

Whether you're growing a business, changing careers, or asking bigger questions, these stories remind you: you're not alone, and you're more powerful than you think.

Explore more at thepowerfulladies.com and karaduffy.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What if your most valuable business asset was your generosity? In this episode of the Powerful Ladies Podcast, Kara Duffy talks with Sunny Bates, a founder, author, and master connector. Sunny’s built a world-class career by investing in relationships first. Sunny shares how generosity is the true fuel behind powerful networks, why she sees herself as a talent ecosystem builder, and how she evaluates people beyond what they say they want.

They explore the hidden layers of hiring, mentorship, career transitions, and how to operate at the intersection of ideas, people, and purpose. From founding Kickstarter to her recent heart surgery in France, Sunny’s life is a masterclass in living globally, leading with curiosity, and trusting your gut.

If you’re interested in career reinvention, relationship-driven success, or how to thrive in a world in transition, this episode delivers insights you won’t hear anywhere else.

[00:00:00] Welcome Sunny Bates to Powerful Ladies

[00:01:00] What Threads Shape the Future?

[00:03:00] The Power of Generosity in Leadership

[00:06:00] Detaching from Outcomes and Embracing Non-Attachment

[00:08:00] Discovering Her Talent for Connecting People

[00:10:00] How to Build and Sustain Powerful Networks

[00:14:00] Blending Personal and Professional Relationships

[00:17:00] Recruiting with Integrity and Cultural Fit

[00:21:00] Choosing What to Say Yes To as a Leader

[00:25:00] Why Infrastructure and AI Are the Future

[00:33:00] Redefining Power and the Role of Women

[00:44:00] Transitions, Mentors, and Life’s Next Chapter

The Powerful Ladies podcast, hosted by business coach and strategist Kara Duffy features candid conversations with entrepreneurs, creatives, athletes, chefs, writers, scientists, and more. Every Wednesday, new episodes explore what it means to lead with purpose, create with intention, and define success on your own terms.

Whether you're growing a business, changing careers, or asking bigger questions, these stories remind you: you're not alone, and you're more powerful than you think.

Explore more at thepowerfulladies.com and karaduffy.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What do dog dental care, viral TikToks (@drmollysays), and vet burnout all have in common? Dr. Molly Brinkmann. In this episode, Kara sits down with Dr. Molly to explore what it’s really like to be a modern veterinarian, from navigating tough choices about pet care to the misconceptions people still have about vet medicine. They talk about career paths in animal health, pet owner mistakes (hello, brush your dog’s teeth), and how she’s using her social media platform to educate and entertain millions. Whether you’re an aspiring vet, a curious pet parent, or just a fan of funny animal content, this episode offers insight into the messy, rewarding, and very human world behind animal care.

Chapters:

(00:01:40) Becoming a Veterinarian: Childhood Dreams and Career Path

(00:04:00) Large Animal Surgery to Small Animal Practice: Why She Pivoted

(00:07:30) Euthanasia, Ethics, and the Hardest Part of Vet Life

(00:10:15) Common Misconceptions About Veterinarians and Vet Costs

(00:12:45) Pet Dental Health: Why Brushing Your Dog’s Teeth Matters

(00:15:30) TikTok Fame and Using Social Media to Educate Pet Owners

(00:18:00) Career Paths in Veterinary Medicine Beyond Being a Vet

(00:21:00) Understanding Pet Anxiety, Genetics, and Mental Health in Dogs

(00:24:30) Are Talking Button Dogs Real? Training, Behavior, and Communication

(00:27:15) The Power of Female Mentorship in Veterinary Medicine

(00:30:00) What It Means to Be a Powerful Lady as a Vet, Mom, and Leader

The Powerful Ladies podcast, hosted by business coach and strategist Kara Duffy features candid conversations with entrepreneurs, creatives, athletes, chefs, writers, scientists, and more. Every Wednesday, new episodes explore what it means to lead with purpose, create with intention, and define success on your own terms.

Whether you're growing a business, changing careers, or asking bigger questions, these stories remind you: you're not alone, and you're more powerful than you think.

Explore more at thepowerfulladies.com and karaduffy.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jean Oelwang has spent her life exploring how curiosity, connection, and partnerships drive real change. As President of Virgin Unite, Co-Founder of Plus Wonder, and author of Partnering, she’s worked with global leaders like Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu while building networks that tackle issues from climate change to social justice. In this episode of the Powerful Ladies Podcast, Jean shares how a meandering career path full of pivots led her to purposeful leadership, the power of deep relationships, and the need for a radical reset in how we work together. Kara and Jean talk about the importance of meaningful partnerships, how to build a life around impact, and why reimagining relationships is key to solving today’s biggest challenges. Whether you're craving more purpose, connection, or clarity about your next step, this conversation is a reminder that your relationships might just be your most powerful tool.

Chapters:

(00:01:55) What Jean Oelwang Does and How She Got Here

(00:06:00) Radical Career Pivots and Following Your Heart Path

(00:10:00) The Role of Curiosity and Deep Listening in Building Relationships

(00:14:00) Networking vs. Connection: Rebuilding Community and Trust

(00:18:00) Why Plus Wonder Exists and What the Book Partnering Reveals

(00:21:00) Six Degrees of Connection and the Power of Purpose

(00:26:00) Lessons from Her Father and the Real Definition of Impact

(00:29:00) Planetary Boundaries, Collaboration, and Systems Change

(00:33:00) What We Get Wrong About Purpose and Legacy

(00:38:00) Rituals That Strengthen Partnerships (and Her Favorites)

(00:42:00) How You Can Get Involved with Plus Wonder and Planetary Guardians

The Powerful Ladies podcast, hosted by business coach and strategist Kara Duffy features candid conversations with entrepreneurs, creatives, athletes, chefs, writers, scientists, and more. Every Wednesday, new episodes explore what it means to lead with purpose, create with intention, and define success on your own terms.

Whether you're growing a business, changing careers, or asking bigger questions, these stories remind you: you're not alone, and you're more powerful than you think.

Explore more at thepowerfulladies.com and karaduffy.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kassia Davis walked away from the family business, New Balance, to launch her own path as a brand founder, CEO, and investor. Today, she’s building a portfolio of product-based businesses including KADA, a sustainable women’s apparel brand, and PF Flyers, the iconic sneaker company. In this episode, Kara and Kassia talk about taking control of your career, the reality of startup life, and why Kassia is betting on herself to build something bigger than a title. They cover team building, fundraising, sustainable fashion, and what it really takes to scale a product business in today’s market. If you're in DTC, dreaming of launching your own brand, or trying to build a career with purpose, this one’s for you.

Chapters:

(00:00:00) How Kassia Davis Took the Leap From New Balance to Start Her Own Brand

(00:05:15) Building KADA and Why Sustainable Apparel Is So Hard to Scale

(00:10:30) Reviving PF Flyers and Growing a Product-Based Brand Portfolio

(00:16:00) The Truth About Hiring, Culture, and Managing Startup Teams

(00:21:00) Balancing Identity, Ambition, and Leading as a Female CEO

(00:27:30) What’s Next for KADA, PF Flyers, and Kassia’s Long-Term Vision

The Powerful Ladies podcast, hosted by business coach and strategist Kara Duffy features candid conversations with entrepreneurs, creatives, athletes, chefs, writers, scientists, and more. Every Wednesday, new episodes explore what it means to lead with purpose, create with intention, and define success on your own terms.

Whether you're growing a business, changing careers, or asking bigger questions, these stories remind you: you're not alone, and you're more powerful than you think.

Explore more at thepowerfulladies.com and karaduffy.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Looking great in photos isn’t just for influencers and models. Whether you're a business owner, public speaker, or simply trying to feel better in front of the camera, Christine Buzan is here to help. She's the founder of Look Good in Photos and the creator of the Pose Perfect formula, a step-by-step posing method that helps anyone feel more confident and look their best. In this episode, Kara and Christine dive into the psychology of self-image, how your confidence shifts over time, and why knowing how to pose isn’t vain, it’s empowering. They talk about navigating body changes, building confidence through competence, and how learning to show up in photos can change how you show up in life.

Christine also shares her journey from fashion assistant to viral posing coach with over 2 million followers on TikTok and Instagram, and how she’s helping people of all ages and body types feel powerful on camera.

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Christine’s Mission to Help Women Look Great in Photos

(00:03:10) Why First Impressions Online Start With Photos

(00:05:45) Her Career Path: From Magazines to Blog to TikTok

(00:09:30) Gaining Confidence Through Major Body Changes

(00:13:30) The Pose Perfect Formula and the LAAFFS Method

(00:16:10) How to Mentally Prepare for Brand Photoshoots

(00:20:00) Defining Power and the Meaning of “Ladies”

(00:22:15) Female Mentors Who Opened Doors

(00:24:45) Kara on Being Seen vs. Being Heard

(00:27:10) Christine’s Plans for Her Course and Live Speaking

(00:30:15) Making Business Shifts with Big Impact

(00:33:00) The Real Secret to Building Confidence

(00:36:45) How Visibility Changed Christine’s Self-Image

(00:39:00) Getting Ideas Out of Your Head and Into the World

(00:41:00) Where to Follow Christine and Get Her Posing Guide

The Powerful Ladies podcast, hosted by business coach and strategist Kara Duffy features candid conversations with entrepreneurs, creatives, athletes, chefs, writers, scientists, and more. Every Wednesday, new episodes explore what it means to lead with purpose, create with intention, and define success on your own terms.

Whether you're growing a business, changing careers, or asking bigger questions, these stories remind you: you're not alone, and you're more powerful than you think.

Explore more at thepowerfulladies.com and karaduffy.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What happens when women lead with authenticity, empathy, and creative power? In this episode, Kara Duffy sits down with Hayley Young, Rose Julian, and Bhavishya Sharadhi of CURATOR Pictures, a female-led production company redefining what inclusive filmmaking looks like. They talk about what drew them to storytelling through film, how intentional collaboration changes the creative process, and why diversity behind the camera matters as much as what’s in front of it.

This is a conversation about purpose-driven creative work, the power of trusting your team, and what it means to make an impact through how, not just what you create.

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Meet the team behind CURATOR Pictures

(00:03:00) What brought each of them to filmmaking

(00:07:10) Finding purpose through storytelling and cultural identity

(00:10:00) Creating inclusive sets and collaborative cultures

(00:13:15) How representation behind the camera shapes the final product

(00:16:30) Why long-form content still matters

(00:18:20) Making an impact through the creative process itself

(00:20:45) Film as a mirror: memory, vulnerability, and human creativity

(00:24:30) Embracing creative magic and the power of timing

(00:27:00) The emotional cost and reward of doing meaningful work

(00:29:30) How women have shaped their careers at every stage

(00:31:00) What “powerful” means when you’re a woman in film

(00:34:30) Evolving definitions of success and power

(00:38:30) Manifesting opportunities and spaces for authentic storytelling

(00:42:30) An open invitation for brands, creators, and collaborators

The Powerful Ladies podcast, hosted by business coach and strategist Kara Duffy features candid conversations with entrepreneurs, creatives, athletes, chefs, writers, scientists, and more. Every Wednesday, new episodes explore what it means to lead with purpose, create with intention, and define success on your own terms.

Whether you're growing a business, changing careers, or asking bigger questions, these stories remind you: you're not alone, and you're more powerful than you think.

Explore more at thepowerfulladies.com and karaduffy.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After a debilitating injury took her out of the game - literally - Christina Spinazola was forced to reevaluate everything. Once a scientist and athlete, she found herself in deep burnout until a single coaching session changed the trajectory of her life. In this episode of the Powerful Ladies Podcast, host Kara Duffy sits down with Christina to unpack how coaching helped her reclaim her power, find new purpose, and build a life of integrity, self-trust, and radical choice.

They talk about what real transformation looks like, the myths around the coaching industry, and why adventure, whether on the Pacific Crest Trail or inside your own mind, is often the key to expansion. Christina also shares her practical take on building self-trust, the role of language in reshaping identity, and why the best coaches walk alongside their clients, not ahead of them.

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Christina’s Injury, Identity Crisis, and How Coaching Changed Her Life

(00:03:30) From Skeptic to Coach: What Coaching Really Unlocks

(00:06:00) Redefining Coaching: Integrity, Trust, and Client-Led Growth

(00:08:30) Letting Go of Survival Mode and Choosing Something New

(00:11:00) The Pacific Crest Trail: Adventure, Identity, and Transformation

(00:14:30) Solo Travel, Safety, and Building True Self-Trust

(00:17:00) How Big Goals Start with Small Steps

(00:20:00) Using Science and Testing to Build a Life That Works

(00:22:30) Grace and Grit: The Dual Energy of Coaching

(00:25:00) What It Means to Lead Yourself Before Leading Others

(00:28:00) Navigating Pressure and Rewriting the Rules of Success

(00:30:00) Christina’s Wishlist: Who She Wants to Coach and Why Now

The Powerful Ladies podcast, hosted by business coach and strategist Kara Duffy features candid conversations with entrepreneurs, creatives, athletes, chefs, writers, scientists, and more. Every Wednesday, new episodes explore what it means to lead with purpose, create with intention, and define success on your own terms.

Whether you're growing a business, changing careers, or asking bigger questions, these stories remind you: you're not alone, and you're more powerful than you think.

Explore more at thepowerfulladies.com and karaduffy.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What happens when you merge creativity, city planning, and community-building into a business? Meet Emily Isenberg, the founder and creative director of Isenberg Projects. Based in Boston, her firm brings people together through placemaking, public art, and activating city spaces in ways that feel inclusive, unexpected, and fun. In this episode, we talk about leading a collective, designing experiences that reflect a city’s heartbeat, and why real community-building happens when we get out into the world and try all the flavors.

We also discuss the difference between leadership and management, how to make career pivots from art school to urban planning, and why curiosity, empathy, and collaboration are key skills for building a creative business that lasts.

Chapters:

(00:00:00) What is creative placemaking?

(00:01:10) From art school to community activation

(00:03:05) Why public-private spaces matter

(00:04:40) Building micro-communities through shared experiences

(00:07:00) The creative landscape in Boston

(00:10:45) What motivates us as entrepreneurs

(00:12:00) How Emily’s Halloween parties shaped her career

(00:13:50) Bringing brands, cities, and artists together

(00:16:00) Lessons from building and leading a creative team

(00:18:45) The power of mentorship and community in business

(00:22:00) What powerful ladies look like in practice

(00:30:00) Reclaiming curiosity and real-world joy

(00:35:45) Why community is more than just your inner circle

(00:42:00) Rewriting your story through conscious choices

(00:43:40) How to connect with Emily and what she’s looking for next

The Powerful Ladies podcast, hosted by business coach and strategist Kara Duffy features candid conversations with entrepreneurs, creatives, athletes, chefs, writers, scientists, and more. Every Wednesday, new episodes explore what it means to lead with purpose, create with intention, and define success on your own terms.

Whether you're growing a business, changing careers, or asking bigger questions, these stories remind you: you're not alone, and you're more powerful than you think.

Explore more at thepowerfulladies.com and karaduffy.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices