Hi guys! On this episode to celebrate both International Women’s Day and our 1 Year Anniversary of the Podcast launch, we’re flipping the script and today we’re putting our own, Kara Duffy, in the hot seat.  Past Powerful Ladies guest Aleks Lason was kind enough to come in to do the interviewing. Kara is the founder of Powerful Ladies, the host of the Powerful Ladies Podcast, a Business Coach & Consultant, and world traveler. On this episode they talk about Kara’s career path, where she gets the confidence to create things from nothing, and how you can do it, too. 

Natasha Dressler has built a career across marketing, PR, and event management in the entertainment and podcasting world, proving that a broad skill set can be your greatest niche. From cosmetics to tech gaming, agency work to talent relations, Natasha’s path shows how saying “yes” to opportunity and leaning into your unique experiences can open unexpected doors. She shares how to identify the clients you’re drawn to, why PR is critical for every business, and how to turn a side hustle into a thriving career. With practical tips you can implement today, Natasha inspires you to embrace your own expertise, be bold about what you offer, and take the leap into your next big venture.

Chapters

00:00 Meet Natasha Dressler

04:15 From Cosmetics to Tech Gaming Marketing

08:30 Transition into the Agency and Entertainment World

12:10 Why PR Is Essential for Every Business

16:40 Finding Your True Client Base

21:15 Building Multi-Pronged Skills for Career Growth

25:30 Lessons from Talent Relations in Podcasting

29:45 The Role of Optimism in Taking on New Opportunities

34:20 Turning a Side Hustle into a Business

38:55 Learning from Mentors and Industry Leaders

43:15 Why You Should Be Loud About Your Skills

47:40 Natasha’s Call to Action for Future Entrepreneurs

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

So often we are told that having a broad skill set means that we are a Master of None and that we should spend more time becoming an expert and finding our niche.  To me having a broad background means you’re more positioned to a) be an awesome asset to a team, and b) you’re able to learn and be resourceful. Your unique skill set and experience IS your niche.  More and more people today are looking for multi-preneurs - people who can do more than one thing and level up with you. Natasha is one such incredible person. She has a broad and varied skill set and as such she’s able to support her clients in more ways that a niched down person could do.  On this episode we talk about how to look at all your things and see the value to someone else, why PR is so important, and why if you’re thinking about starting a side hustle or business - DO IT!

Marina Stirdivant is a gentle powerhouse who changes the energy of any space she enters. As the founder of Connect Studio Space and United Yoga Studio in Orange, California, she’s created spaces for creativity, mindfulness, and community. A mom of three, wife, yoga instructor, and leader of a women’s mastermind group for over a decade, Marina’s story is about building connection with herself, her marriage, her work, and the women who inspire her. She shares how healing her relationship with herself transformed her marriage, the role of intuition in navigating life changes, and why vulnerability is a strength. From running multiple businesses to training the next generation of yoga teachers, Marina offers insight into living with presence, trusting the process, and creating the relationships you want most.

Chapters

00:00 Meet Marina Stirdivant

04:15 Building Connect Studio Space and United Yoga Studio

08:20 Leading Yoga Teacher Trainings

12:45 How Self-Connection Saved Her Marriage

17:50 The Role of Intuition in Life and Business

22:15 Women Who’ve Shaped Her Path

26:40 Why Vulnerability Creates Stronger Bonds

31:05 Lessons from a Decade of Women’s Mastermind Groups

35:20 Balancing Motherhood, Marriage, and Entrepreneurship

39:50 Creating Space for Creativity and Community

44:25 Books, Teachers, and Ideas That Inspire Her

48:10 How to Connect with Marina

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

Marina is a gentle powerhouse.  She’ll slip into an event, sitting silently, listening calm, present, interested, and smiling.  Without her saying a word, the space changes. It’s grounded. It’s more curious. You get the feeling something significant is happening. When she does finally speak, the room is all ears as she drops some profound & simple ah-ha knowledge. This episode is no exception as she brings her whole life to this episode - being a mom, a wife, her relationship, how much the women in her life matter, her businesses, being an entrepreneur, her struggles, what she’s excited about and more. Get ready to be inspired and to have a new bff crush on this Powerful Lady. 

Stacy Solodkin had a thriving career as the founder of a successful talent agency, but her life shifted dramatically after a Stage 3 ovarian cancer diagnosis. Instead of slowing down, she reinvented her life, becoming an artist, opening her own gallery, marrying the love of her life, and embracing every day as her best day. She shares how cancer transformed her priorities, the life-saving changes she made to her diet and health, and why the people you surround yourself with matter more than anything. Stacy’s story is a reminder that there’s no perfect time to start living fully. Her perspective on love, resilience, and creating a life that reflects your true self will leave you inspired to make bold moves today.

Chapters

00:00 Meet Stacy Solodkin

04:10 Why Surviving Something Means Helping Others

07:15 From Theater to Running a Talent Agency

12:14 Living with the Last Day in Mind

15:40 The Moment Cancer Changed Everything

20:14 How Cutting Sugar Changed Her Health

28:09 Choosing Art First

32:40 Building a Business Around Creativity

40:02 Why You Don’t Need Anyone’s Permission

47:40 Turning Challenges into New Opportunities

52:43 What She’s Learned from Healing and Love

57:23 The Friends Who Showed Up When It Mattered Most

59:36 How to Connect with Stacy

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

So many of us are waiting for something to happen before we begin living our life.  We’re waiting to graduate. We’re waiting to be married. We’re waiting for that new job. We’re waiting until we lose 20 lbs.  STOP WAITING. Stacy Solodkin was a casual artist & actor and fulltime owner of an acting talent agency. Then she got cancer.  Today she’s not only an entrepreneur but also an artist, actor, owns her own art gallery, got married to the love of her life, and is a cancer survivor. Getting cancer changed everything. Today she lives to make every day her best day and to live her best life NOW.  In this episode we talk about all of that plus how changing her diet and alternative treatments saved her life, how her girlfriends came to her rescue and how we’re playing the love game and the life game all wrong. All that and so much more.

Christina Sofia is a licensed therapist, reiki practitioner, and transformation coach who blends ancient healing traditions with modern practices to help clients reconnect with their power. After realizing she wasn’t living her true purpose, and feeling the toll it took physically, emotionally, and spiritually, Christina made the leap from traditional therapy to a coaching practice that incorporates reiki, crystals, essential oils, and other holistic modalities alongside her clinical expertise. She shares how to recognize when you’re out of alignment, the practices that can shift your energy, and why she’s committed to helping women see their light. Christina also offers insight into running women’s and healing circles, her journey through various spiritual traditions, and why self-worth is the foundation for transformation. You’ll leave inspired to honor your needs, embrace self-care, and trust in your own ability to heal.

Chapters

00:00 Meet Christina Sofia

04:15 From Licensed Therapist to Transformation Coach

08:30 Discovering the Power of Reiki and Energy Work

12:20 How Ancient Practices Support Modern Healing

17:50 Essential Oils and Emotional Release

22:15 Running Women’s Circles and Healing Communities

27:40 The Intersection of Spiritual Traditions in Her Work

32:05 Recognizing When You’re Out of Alignment

36:50 Self-Worth as the Foundation for Change

41:20 Daily Rituals for Energy and Clarity

45:35 Mentors and Teachers Who Shaped Her Path

50:10 Affirmations to Remember Your Power

54:55 Closing Thoughts and How to Connect

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

There are people you meet who instantly make you calm and present. Christina Sofia is one of those people.  She’s a licensed therapist, reiki practitioner, and transformation coach. After knowing that she wasn’t living life to her purpose and it was showing up for her physically, emotionally and spiritually, she knew she had to make a change. By choosing to leave therapy and move into coaching, she’s now able to bring together ancient healing modalities with the modern healing practices to help people in all the ways possible and to heal herself along the way. On this episode we clarify different types of healing, how she discovered this path, and what is it about women in particular that she’s committed to making a difference for.  All that and so much more.

Brooke Butler is a badass emergency veterinarian and Medical Director running her own hospital with the Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG). Based in the Hoboken, NJ/NYC area, she’s changing the veterinary experience for animals, their humans, and the vets who care for them, combining practicality with deep compassion. Brooke shares how she built her career from internships to leading multiple hospitals, why she thrives in high-pressure ER cases, and how she manages compassion fatigue in a demanding field. She opens up about overcoming anxiety to take bold leaps, including moving across the country for a new role, and how solo travel has shaped her perspective. From ethical challenges in veterinary medicine to the importance of mentorship, Brooke’s story is a masterclass in resilience, leadership, and living fully.

Chapters

00:00 Meet Brooke Butler

04:15 Growing Up in West Palm Beach

08:10 From Forensic Criminology to Veterinary Medicine

12:35 Why ER Work Felt Like Home

16:50 The Role of Mentorship in Her Career

21:15 Moving to NYC for a New Job and Life

25:40 Running a Hospital and Training Teams

30:25 Managing Compassion and Ethical Fatigue

34:50 How the Veterinary Field Is Changing

39:05 Why Pet Insurance Matters

43:30 Adventures in Solo Travel

47:55 Overcoming Anxiety to Embrace Opportunity

52:10 Brooke’s Call to Action for Future Vets

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