Listen in as the Powerful Ladies team recaps our most memorable guests, the challenges of year one of a podcast and an expanded business, how we've grown and what we're excited for in 2020! 

Kara Stevens built The Frugal Feminista to give women, especially women of color, the tools, confidence, and strategies to take control of their finances. As a coach, speaker, consultant, and author of Unmasking the Strong Black Woman, The Happy Finances Challenge, and Relationship With Money, she blends financial literacy with emotional intelligence to help her audience heal their relationship with money. Kara shares how growing up in Queens shaped her perspective, why she left a career in education to become a full-time entrepreneur, and how she carved out a niche that merges feminism, financial empowerment, and community building. She talks about identifying the money beliefs that hold us back, creating strategies to overcome them, and why financial wellness is about so much more than numbers on a spreadsheet.

Chapters

00:00 Meet Kara Stevens

04:10 Growing Up in Queens and Finding Her Voice

08:25 From Economics Student to Educator

12:15 The Birth of “Girl Get Your Life Together” Blog

17:20 Discovering the Gap in Financial Conversations for Women of Color

20:30 Leaving Education for Entrepreneurship

25:10 Building The Frugal Feminista Brand and Community

30:40 Writing Unmasking the Strong Black Woman

34:55 How Financial Wellness is a Learned Behavior

39:10 Strategies for Rewriting Your Money Story

44:20 Community-Level Solutions to Financial Inequity

48:35 Women Who Inspire Kara Stevens

53:10 Daily Practices for Confidence and Clarity

56:25 What’s Next for The Frugal Feminista

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.

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Kara Stevens is the founder of the Frugal Feminista, a financial wellness business. She’s a coach, consultant, speaker and author traveling the world speaking to women and businesses about financial literacy, the emotional relationship that we have with money and how to be powerful with your finances.  On this episode Kara shares her entrepreneur journey, how money became her niche and the legacy she’s creating for women with their money.

Aleks Lason is the co-founder and COO of Chrillex, a creative agency specializing in branded content that’s worked with brands like Puma, Under Armour, Ikea, and Kylie Cosmetics. She and her husband Chris started the company in Toronto, expanded to Los Angeles, and now lead teams across North America. Along the way, they’ve built a reputation for blending bold creative ideas with sharp marketing strategy, long before social media advertising became the norm. Aleks shares her journey from Poland to Canada, the leap from media arts student to creative entrepreneur, and how curiosity and risk-taking shaped her career. She opens up about building a business with her partner, navigating the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, and why defining success on your own terms is the most powerful choice you can make.

Chapters

00:00 Meet Aleks Lason

04:10 From Poland to Canada: Early Years

08:25 Discovering a Passion for Storytelling and Media Arts

12:15 How Aleks and Chris Met and Started Chrillex

17:20 Early Creative Wins and Global Brand Collaborations

21:45 The Leap from Side Projects to Full-Time Business

26:09 Why Risk-Taking Leads to Growth

27:53 The Role of Curiosity in Long-Term Success

34:10 Scaling Across North America

39:20 Lessons from Working with High-Profile Brands

44:30 Balancing Business and Partnership

50:40 Overcoming Challenges and Refocusing on Goals

56:15 Discovering Her Own Power Through Entrepreneurship

01:03:18 “I’m Exactly Who I’m Supposed to Be”

01:06:50 What’s Next for Aleks Lason and Chrillex

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

Aleks is a badass entrepreneur.  She co-founded Chrilleks, a Creative Agency specializing in branded content, with her husband Chris 8 years ago. They have offices in Toronto, where they started, and now L.A. too, with teams across North America.  On this episode Aleks shares her journey from Poland to Canada to LA, what it's like being part of a creative power couple, how taking risks and being curious is everything, and how she discovered her own power and confidence while in the middle of it all.

Kelly Zabielski, also known as Kelly Blackheart, is a powerhouse in the comedy podcast world. She produces the Jim Jefferies Podcast, co-hosts The Unsolicited Podcast, and is about to launch a new show with DJ Qualls. Her path here wasn’t straightforward. She’s battled depression, survived life-altering challenges, and walked away from a lucrative career in renewable energy to follow her passion for comedy and storytelling. Kelly shares how her life experiences shaped her humor, why kindness is one of her guiding principles, and the importance of taking big risks to chase joy. She talks about growing up in a liberal, open household in Chicago, playing Division I volleyball, and how a Second City writing class changed the course of her life. Kelly’s story is equal parts raw honesty and hilarious anecdotes, reminding us that the messiest parts of life can also be the most inspiring.

Chapters

00:00 Meet Kelly Zabielski

04:15 From Chicago to Los Angeles: Finding Her Place

10:00 Comedy’s Darker Roots: How Hardship Shapes Humor

14:45 Producing the Jim Jefferies Podcast

19:20 The Unsolicited Podcast and Upcoming Projects

25:35 Walking Away from a Six-Figure Salary for Happiness

32:50 How a Writing Class Changed Everything

39:05 Battling Depression and Finding Purpose

44:30 The Role of Kindness in Comedy and Life

50:15 Favorite Moments from Working in Comedy

56:40 Travel, Life Lessons, and Global Adventures

01:02:10 What’s Next for Kelly Zabielski

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

Kelly is a woman you should know in the comedy podcast world. She’s part of three podcasts currently. She’s the producer of the Jim Jefferies Podcast, has her own the Unsolicited Podcast, and is about to launch a third.  That’s a lot of podcasts! And that’s at least how many she needs to share her own witty and wise view on the world and her own hilarious approach to life in general. On this episode we discuss the impact of cancel culture, how her struggle with depression lead her to comedy, why both liberals and conservatives need to chill out and so much more. 

Ashley Telleen and Lauren Butler are the powerhouse duo behind Butler & Telleen, a criminal defense firm serving Denver and Boulder. Both former public defenders, they share a deep commitment to fairness, justice, and helping clients turn their lives around. We talk about their paths to law, why they chose defense over prosecution, the realities of drug legalization and decriminalization, and how being women in the courtroom can be an advantage. Their stories prove that the right advocates can change lives, and that balance, integrity, and passion can redefine what a law career looks like.

Chapters:

00:00 Meet Ashley Telleen & Lauren Butler

05:12 Paths to the law and finding purpose

12:45 From prosecution to criminal defense

19:58 Life as female trial lawyers

27:18 Building expertise across diverse cases

33:50 The realities of drug legalization & decriminalization

41:25 Addressing root causes of crime

47:57 Creating change before charges are filed

54:10 Starting Butler & Telleen Law Firm

1:00:00 Partnership dynamics & shared vision

1:15:42 Finding balance in a demanding profession

1:27:09 Client-centered defense strategies

1:33:00 Why strong female lawyers matter in court

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

I’m am so excited for you guys to hear today’s podcast. Ashley and Lauren are two female lawyers who in the past year opened their own law firm specializing in Criminal Defense.  They operate out of Denver & Boulder, Colorado. On this episode we discuss the criminal justice system, the realities behind drug legalization and decriminalization, why defense attorneys are the true white knights and how being a female lawyer can be used to your advantage.  All that and so much more coming up!

Candice Carlton knows what it takes to walk away from the prestige of a high-level corporate career to build a life defined by joy, purpose, and authenticity. Born in Zimbabwe and raised in South Africa, she climbed the ladder in finance, communications, and media - only to realize that success on paper wasn’t the same as feeling fulfilled. Today, Candice is the creator and host of The Cubicle Revolution podcast, founder of C Squared Consulting, and a coach helping people listen to their inner guidance and bring their full selves to the work they do. Her journey has taken her from San Francisco to Portland, through career pivots, spiritual deep dives, and the leap to start her own business. Candice shares how meditation, yoga, and honest self-reflection helped her tune in to what truly matters. She also reveals why embracing risk, trusting your intuition, and pursuing what scares you just might be the key to lasting happiness.

Chapters

00:00 Meet Candice Carlton

03:15 Growing Up in Zimbabwe and South Africa

07:40 Learning to Listen to Inner Guidance

12:55 Why We Need to Bring Our Whole Selves to Work

16:20 Career Pivots from Finance to Communications

21:45 Moving Across Continents with $500 and a Suitcase

26:10 Leaving Corporate Prestige for Joy and Purpose

29:45 Building Trust in Yourself After Failure

34:20 Starting The Cubicle Revolution Podcast

38:55 Minimalism, Tiny Homes, and Spiritual Leadership

44:15 Daily Practices for Joy and Connection

49:30 Advice for Anyone Considering a Big Career Change

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