In this episode of the She Lift Project, Cynthia Kirkpatrick sits down with guest Zoe Taylor, a top-producing real estate agent and founder of Moving Medicine Partners. Zoe specializes in helping physicians and their families relocate through the demanding cycles of medical training and career transitions. This episode explores Zoe’s remarkable journey—from teen motherhood to building a national real estate network—while navigating deep personal transformation, burnout, divorce, and rediscovering her true self.

In this inspiring episode of the She Lift Project podcast, host Cynthia Kirkpatrick sits down with Ali Hogan, founder of Rung for Women, a transformative St. Louis nonprofit. Ali created a holistic program that bridges the critical gap between crisis intervention and sustainable independence by providing women with career training, mental health support, financial coaching, physical wellness resources, and community—all under one roof. The conversation explores how Rung for Women empowers over 500 women through cohort-based programs in advanced manufacturing and IT, helping them move from survival mode to thriving careers earning $60K-$70K+ annually while building confidence, skills, and lasting sisterhood.

This episode is for anyone passionate about women's empowerment, nonprofit leaders seeking collaborative models, employers looking to diversify their workforce, and individuals wanting to understand how comprehensive support systems create lasting change. Listeners will learn about the power of addressing the "whole woman" rather than just job placement, the importance of community and coaching in transformation, and how Rung for Women's partnerships with healthcare providers, therapists, and employers create a unique ecosystem of support. After listening, you'll understand how to get involved with Rung for Women as a volunteer, donor, employer partner, or applicant, and you'll be inspired to think differently about what it takes to create generational change in your own community.

In this powerful episode of the She Lift Project Podcast, host Cynthia Kirkpatrick sits down with Jenn Whitmer, a leadership coach, speaker, and author whose journey began when she was fired from her dream job in education. Jenn trains leaders to solve complex people problems—from burnout and toxic cultures to communication breakdowns and conflict resolution—by placing joy at the center of their leadership strategy. The episode explores how Jenn transformed her experience with toxic leadership into a framework called "Joyosity," revealing why joy isn't just a reward after hard work, but the essential strategy that makes hard work sustainable.

This episode is for anyone navigating toxic work environments, aspiring leaders at any career stage, and professionals who feel trapped between survival mode and their potential. Listeners will learn to recognize the warning signs of toxic cultures, understand the five skills that build genuine confidence, and discover the Joy Ratio framework that balances meaningful work with the messy middle of leadership. After listening, you'll be equipped to lead yourself first regardless of your title, have kind but difficult conversations using "feed forward" techniques, and identify whether you're in a place that needs healing or a place you need to leave.

Welcome to Episode #61 of the She Lift Project Podcast, where host Cynthia Kirkpatrick sits down with Dr. Vedica Sharma, a board-certified intensivist and entrepreneur. Dr. Sharma is an ICU physician who treats the sickest patients on their worst days, and is also the co-founder of Vivia Concierge, a first-of-its-kind concierge services company offering everything from in-home spa services to house management. This episode explores her journey through medical training during COVID-19, the lessons she learned about time and mortality, and how she built a thriving business without a business degree or roadmap.

This episode is for ambitious professionals, working parents, and anyone feeling stretched thin while trying to do it all. Listeners will learn how to embrace failure as a learning tool, why asking for help is a strength not a weakness, and how the smallest acts of self-care can make the biggest difference in your life. After listening, you'll be inspired to push beyond your comfort zone, stop limiting yourself, and take action on that idea you've been overthinking—because life is too short not to chase what makes you happy.

In this episode of the She Lift Project Podcast, host Cynthia Kirkpatrick welcomes Felice McClendon, the first executive director of Delmar Main Street in St. Louis. Felice's work focuses on economic development, supporting 250 small businesses and nearly 37,000 residents across eight neighborhoods along the Delmar corridor. The conversation explores her innovative approach to community building and takes a deeply personal turn as Felice shares her harrowing experience surviving a tornado while in her car, and how this disaster has both challenged and united the community.

This episode is for entrepreneurs, community leaders, and anyone interested in economic development or disaster recovery. Listeners will learn about innovative small business support models, the distinction between immediate relief and long-term recovery, and how personal trauma intersects with community resilience. After listening, they'll understand practical ways to support businesses and communities in crisis, recognize the importance of addressing hidden trauma, and feel inspired to engage in community-building efforts in their own regions.

In this powerful episode of the She Lift Project Podcast, host Cynthia Kirkpatrick welcomes Dr. Leslie Davis, a relationship therapist, owner of Eva Empowered, and international speaker. Dr. Davis specializes in helping women heal from toxic relationships, increase self-worth, and walk in freedom by knowing their truth. The conversation explores self-silencing among women, recognizing toxic relationship patterns, and the unique mental health challenges facing single mothers.

This episode is for any woman who feels like she's shrinking herself to fit into relationships, whether romantic, professional, or familial. Listeners will learn to identify the signs of toxic dynamics including gaslighting, love bombing, and codependency, understand why self-silencing is so damaging, and discover practical strategies for having difficult conversations. After listening, you'll be equipped to recognize when you're making yourself invisible, know how to ask for help without feeling like a burden, and start building healthier connections in all areas of your life.

Join host Cynthia Kirkpatrick for an inspiring conversation with Maxine Clark, the visionary founder of Build-A-Bear Workshop. Clark is not only the creator of the beloved stuffed animal empire but also a passionate community leader, educator at Washington University, and current ambassador for St. Louis through her work on the Delmar Divine project. This episode explores Clark's remarkable journey from law school aspirations to retail revolution, revealing how curiosity, authenticity, and "kid think" became the foundation of her extraordinary success.

This episode is perfect for entrepreneurs, business leaders, and anyone seeking to rediscover their sense of wonder and possibility. Listeners will learn how to harness curiosity as a superpower, build authentic connections in business and life, and recognize opportunity in everyday moments. After listening, they'll be equipped with practical wisdom about customer-focused innovation, the importance of asking questions, and how to maintain childlike creativity while building serious business success.

Join host Cynthia Kirkpatrick as she interviews legendary artist and entrepreneur Mary Engelbreit, creator of one of America's most beloved illustration brands. Mary has built a multi-generational empire through greeting cards, calendars, children's books, licensing deals, retail stores, and a beloved lifestyle magazine. In this episode, Mary shares the simple truth about building a creative business over five decades, from selling hand-drawn cards for 25 cents in high school to creating over 14,000 copyrights.

This episode is essential listening for creative entrepreneurs, artists looking to monetize their work, and anyone building a values-driven business. Listeners will discover how to stay authentic while scaling, when to pivot away from successful ventures that don't align with your vision, and why imperfection is often the gateway to opportunity. After listening, you'll have a roadmap for building a sustainable creative business that can weather decades of change while maintaining its core identity.

Marriage and family therapist Angela Skurtu joins host Cynthia Kirkpatrick for an incredibly honest conversation about building multiple businesses from scratch. Angela is a successful therapist, author of three books, speaker, and entrepreneur who has built her empire by relying on process efficiency. This episode dives deep into the real challenges of entrepreneurship, from overcoming networking anxiety to managing the red zones of business stress that can destroy your decision-making.

This episode is perfect for solopreneurs, therapists, and anyone building a business while feeling overwhelmed or burned out. Listeners will learn practical strategies for networking authentically, managing business stress zones, and turning awkwardness into confidence through deliberate practice. After listening, they'll be able to identify their own stress zones, develop better resilience practices, and approach networking as relationship-building rather than selling.

Laura K. Sawyier, founder and CEO of LKS Styling and Consulting, joins Cynthia Kirkpatrick for an inspiring conversation about the intersection of style, psychology, and personal transformation. Laura helps clients build confidence through strategic styling, using a revolutionary digital closet platform that functions like the famous Clueless movie wardrobe system. This episode explores how getting dressed is actually an act of creativity and psychological self-care, diving deep into the science behind why what we wear affects how we think and perform.

This episode is perfect for anyone who feels overwhelmed by their closet, struggles with decision fatigue, or wants to understand the deeper psychology behind personal presentation. Listeners will learn about enclothed cognition research, practical gratitude techniques, and how to turn style mistakes into growth opportunities. After listening, you'll be able to approach your wardrobe with more intention, practice self-compassion in challenging moments, and understand how visual communication can be a powerful tool for personal and professional success.