Animals and pets are awesome. Those of you that know me, know that I’m totally in love with my dogs, Bandit & Brisket and am a total sucker for any other such creatures.  When Lauren Butler from Episode 42 wrote me to recommend her badass, emergency veterinarian sister Dr. Brooke Butler, I was an instant yes - both because I love Powerful Lady referrals and because I had so many questions.  How it’s possible to love creatures and manage the emotional burden of hard vet decisions? How is the vet world changing with the modern times? How does one become a badass emergency animal doctor? What does it look like to be a powerful lady from the perspective of a vet?  We get into all that, plus how to move across the country and why solo travel is a game changer. All that and so much more. 

Hannah Diffenderffer is a Social Media Manager and Strategist who’s cutting through the noise to share what really works online. In a world obsessed with vanity metrics, Hannah explains why follower counts don’t equal sales, how to pick the right platforms for your goals, and why most social media should be seen as lead generation, not direct sales. She opens up about her journey from studying PR with dreams of becoming a fashion publicist to managing social media for diverse clients, including her commitment to ethical content that helps rather than harms. From simple, effective posting strategies to balancing creativity with analytics, Hannah gives you the tools to stop chasing trends and start making an impact.

Chapters

00:00 Meet Hannah Diffenderffer

04:12 From PR Student to Social Media Strategist

09:15 Why Follower Counts Don’t Equal Sales

14:40 How to Choose the Right Social Media Platforms

19:05 The Difference Between Lead Generation and Sales

24:20 Building a Strategy That Actually Works

30:15 Avoiding Burnout as a Social Media Manager

36:40 Ethical Content and Responsible Messaging

42:15 Tools and Apps She Uses Every Day

47:05 Common Mistakes Businesses Make Online

52:20 Hannah’s Advice for Small Business Owners

56:45 Future Plans and How to Connect with Hannah

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 is so much information out there about how businesses can use social media to reach their goals. Courses, programs, youtube videos, blogs, expert opinions, you name it. In this episode we sit down with Hannah Diffenderffer, a Social Media Manager & Strategist to find out the truth about social media.  What do we need to do? What’s fluff? Is social media hurting our businesses? Is it harming future generations? Plus she reveals her journey through the industry and how it’s led to her discovering how powerful she truly is.

Maryl Petreccia is an entrepreneur, dancer, author, and self-proclaimed Joy Expert who has lived through nine major losses in seven years, including the death of her husband, and still chooses to live life at an 11+. Drawing on her book GPS to Joy, she shares how to navigate life’s toughest transitions, find your way forward, and create joy even in the midst of grief. Maryl opens up about becoming an entrepreneur at 21, building businesses without a mentor, and the resilience it took to rebuild her life after unimaginable loss. She reflects on lessons from her immigrant family, her love of ballroom dancing, and the golden breadcrumbs of wisdom she leaves for others. If you’ve ever wondered how to transform challenges into possibility, Maryl’s story will show you what’s possible when you trust that what you need will find you.

Chapters

00:00 Meet Maryl Petreccia

04:20 The First Business She Launched at 21

09:10 Lessons from Building Without a Mentor

14:30 Growing Up in an Immigrant Entrepreneurial Family

19:45 Partnership and Building a Distribution Company

24:10 Surviving Nine Losses in Seven Years

30:25 Why She Wrote GPS to Joy

35:15 How Ballroom Dancing Helped Her Heal

40:50 The Role of Faith and Spiritual Practices

45:35 Golden Breadcrumbs: Wisdom from Her Journey

50:20 Navigating Grief with Optimism

55:15 Creating the Joy Movement

59:40 Mentors and Figures Who Inspire Her

1:04:10 Advice for Anyone Facing a Transition

1:08:25 How to Connect with Maryl

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

Maryl Petreccia is an entrepreneur, a dancer, an author and known as the Joy Expert. After experiencing nine losses in seven years, she found herself in a depth of loss few people experience.  She knew she had to crawl out to honor the vows she gave to her late husband and the commitment she was making to her daughter. Through her transition from grief to joy, Maryl saw that if she could do it, anyone experiencing grief and life’s moments of transition could do it, too.  She had to share what she learned. From that sprang her book, GPS To Joy, Navigating life's turbulence and toughest transitions to find your new direction. On this episode we discuss how she became an entrepreneur at 21, how GPS to Joy came to life, and how she’s now living life at an 11+.

George and Wendy Duffy are very much the stereotypical suburban American parents.  They’ve been called ‘T.V. parents' referencing the parent examples you’d see from Leave it to Beaver,  the Brady Bunch or Family Ties. Married for 43 years, they’ve raised 4 kids, including Jordan and I, with George going to work each day and Wendy, an ex-teacher, managing the household.  They are the traditional nuclear do-good family that statistics says is going existent.  At the same time, they’re risk takers, adventurers, they’re silly and entrepreneurial. Like so many of us, how they look on paper is a fraction of who they really are.   We decided to sit down with them and hear what they have to say about being Powerful, how having kids doesn't mean your life stops, which social and political topics matter to them, and as they’re about to retire, what they’re doing to shape the world into a better place. 

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

George and Wendy Duffy are very much the stereotypical suburban American parents.  They’ve been called ‘T.V. parents' referencing the parent examples you’d see from Leave it to Beaver,  the Brady Bunch or Family Ties. Married for 43 years, they’ve raised 4 kids, including Jordan and I, with George going to work each day and Wendy, an ex-teacher, managing the household.  They are the traditional nuclear do-good family that statistics says is going existent.  At the same time, they’re risk takers, adventurers, they’re silly and entrepreneurial. Like so many of us, how they look on paper is a fraction of who they really are.   We decided to sit down with them and hear what they have to say about being Powerful, how having kids doesn't mean your life stops, which social and political topics matter to them, and as they’re about to retire, what they’re doing to shape the world into a better place. 

Chelsea Levine turned a middle school hobby into a thriving business that’s changing the marching arts world. As the founder of Seavine, she designs niche products for cymbal and horn players while funding scholarships for young musicians. From performing with elite groups like Rhythm X to manufacturing gear used by drum lines across the globe, Chelsea has built a life centered on creativity, independence, and giving back. In this conversation, she shares how growing up in Atlantic City shaped her drive, why she dropped out of college to pursue performance, and what it takes to turn a niche passion into a full-time career. You’ll hear stories from the worlds of Drum Corps, Winter Guard International, and even the Macy’s Day Parade, plus her insights on entrepreneurship, lifestyle design, and doing work you love.

Chapters

00:00 Meet Chelsea Levine

04:10 Growing Up in Atlantic City and Early Independence

08:25 Joining Band to Beat Boredom

12:15 From High School Grad in 3 Years to Drum Corps Performer

16:05 Dropping Out to Pursue Rhythm X

20:20 Choosing Lifestyle Before Career Path

25:15 Building Seavine from Idea to Global Brand

30:40 Teaching and Mentoring the Next Generation

34:55 How Seavine Gives Back Through Scholarships

39:10 Highlights from Drum Corps, WGI, and the Macy’s Day Parade

44:20 Lessons from Performing with Cirque Du Soleil

48:35 Transitioning from Apple to Full-Time Entrepreneur

53:10 Why Reading and Learning Are Always Worth It

56:25 What’s Next for Chelsea and Seavine

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

One of our commitments is to highlight people who are living a life of their own design. Those you may not know and those whom you’ve most likely never heard of their business.  This is where we find the hidden stories stories we want to share and often the best examples of people living their dream life totally under the radar. Chelsea and her story adds another level of the “biggest world you’ve never heard of” by having her business, Sevine, be part of the drum line & marching band world.  There are so many big names, big businesses and people doing amazing things in worlds, niches and industries most of us have never heard of.

Kara Duffy closes out 2019 with a look back at the moments, guests, and lessons that shaped the year on the Powerful Ladies podcast. From inspiring conversations to unexpected life changes, Kara reflects on the growth of the Powerful Ladies community, the impact of her favorite episodes, and the personal milestones that made this year unforgettable. She shares shoutouts to friends, collaborators, and changemakers who brought their brilliance to the podcast, as well as the topics and causes that inspired her, from climate activism and Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women to the creative power of storytelling. Whether you’ve been listening from the start or just joined the Powerful Ladies family, this year-in-review is both a celebration and an invitation to take bold steps in the year ahead.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome to the 2019 Year in Review

03:50 Favorite Moments from the Year

07:40 Guest Highlights and Standout Conversations

12:15 Personal Milestones and Lessons Learned

18:30 Topics and Causes That Made an Impact

23:05 Shoutouts to Incredible Friends & Collaborators

29:45 Reflections on Growth and Gratitude

34:10 Powerful Ladies Goals for the New Year

39:20 How You Can Be Part of the Movement

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