SheSez with Linda Grasso

When fitness enthusiast Maya French discovered she was lactose intolerant at the age of 23, it was a downer. She was constantly frustrated at not being able to find a tasty, dairy-free, low sugar, post work-out protein drink. So...she created one. In this episode we share the amazing story of how the 28-year-old year old co-founded Koia, a protein-packed, plant-based beverage that is sold in 5000 stores including Whole Foods nationwide. Maya shares with Linda how, with career experience only in journalism and fashion retail, she dug deep and took a leap of faith, putting everything she had into launching the vegan beverage—and how in one nano second—she almost lost it all.

On this episode we talk hormones and sex—specifically how to have better sex. LA-based, integrative OB-GYN Dr. Suzanne Gilberg Lenz shares the latest information about the use of bioidenticals to treat hormone imbalances and three new out-patient procedures aimed at rejuvenating and restoring elasticity to the vagina. Plus: the use of CBD oil for enhancing the sexual experience.

Aishwarya Iyer shares her journey from the tech start-up world of New York City to the scenic olive mills in California to found the artisanal olive oil company Brightland. With zero experience in the food industry, launching an olive oil company was nothing the 32-year-old ever could have predicted. A few years ago she decided to begin cooking dinner at her apartment (instead of ordering take-out) and she started routinely using olive oil. Suddenly, Aish started feeling sick to her stomach after every meal. After eliminating products, she determined the culprit was the olive oil; it was dated and rancid. In this show we delve into how Aish invested everything she had and moved across country to develop a healthier, high quality oil that avoids many of the issues in the scandal-plagued industry. Plus, her tips on how to purchase fresh, tasty olive oil at the grocery store (it's not just about the expiration date) and her surprising advice on using it at high heats (the "smoke point").

Forget about putting all your focus on getting your child into a good college. Yeah, you heard us right —you can lighten up on all the tutors, batting coaches, AP classes and STEM projects. If you really want your kid to be successful in life teach them manners. So says, etiquette expert Lisa Gache (Beverly Hills Manners: Golden Rules from the World's Most Glamorous Zip Code) and Harvard University says 85% of job success comes from having well developed soft skills while a mere 15% can be attributed to technical and hard skills. Lisa views manners as the secret weapon that will make your child stand out from the rest, helping him or her not only snag the job but also excel in it. Nothing soft about that.

Forget about lingerie and matching sets with piping. What about comfortable, stylish sleepwear with premium fabric? Isn't that what most women really want in bed? Up until four years ago, it hardly existed. 34-year-old Ashley Merrill shares with Linda how she changed that by kicking off Lunya. The mom of two also talks about how having a partner who participates in household chores and childcare (instead of the woman being a martyr and taking it all on herself) enhances a relationship and why she thinks the next female empowerment movement will focus not on women - but on men.

Alison Marie Ragusa is making waves in the beauty industry. In 2018, she and her partner – her sister Katherine – developed a skincare line with the cannabis extract, CBD. Under the label Lab to Beauty, the line has become the first cannabis-based beauty brand to enter the high-end, luxury market—in this case—the department store, Barney's. Alison shares with Linda the benefits of using CBD on the skin and why it has become the latest beauty elixir.

The debut of Just Tell Me What To Do—a new, when-we-feel-like-it SheSez segment that gives listeners a chance to ask an expert how to handle a perplexing, complicated, worrisome situation—of any kind. This week advice guru, Family Circle magazine columnist, author (Look at You Now) and former SheSez guest Liz Pryor addresses two hairy situations: what to do when your husband gets sick and your marriage is on the downslide—and what to do when the girlfriend group you made with the moms of your kids' friends no longer feels good

Kara Goldin shares the story of how shifting her beverage of choice from Diet Coke to water flavored with fresh fruit dramatically improved her health, leading her to found Hint, Inc. She also covers how she launched the company while pregnant with her third child, what its like working alongside her husband who is Hint's COO, and why its important not to be sold when you see the word "natural" on food product labels.

In this episode Linda chats with Amanda Klane, co-founder of the world's first frozen Greek yogurt bar. Looking for a healthy frozen dessert, she came up with the idea at the age of just 23 and and shared it with her good friend, Drew Harrington, who ultimately became her partner in Yasso Frozen Greek Yogurt. Amanda shares how their idea for a frozen bar was initially shot down cold as simply not do-able, but they refused to give up—ultimately turning Yasso into a company expected to gross 100 million in 2019. Topics include: the beauty of making real money in your twenties—and working your ass off at the same time—and stuff Amanda would have done differently—from securing financing to new product development.

Rachel Steinman grew up in a family riddled with mental illness. She remembers as a girl always being embarrassed and somewhat exasperated trying to explain it to others.

When she was 16 her grandfather leapt to his death at his high-rise condo—and she never fully understood why. It haunted her and she wanted to get inside his mind.

She did years later when she'd become a mom of two daughters, and was worried that somehow they'd inherit the illness. After her step-grandmother's death, she found a manuscript her grandfather had written about his life.

In this SheSez episode, Rachel shares her story of how that manuscript kicked off a journey of discovery about her grandfather, the illness that plagued her family and the fine line between brilliance and madness.