SHIFT HAPPENS

Helen Schulman is an acclaimed novelist, screenwriter, short story writer and New York Times Bestselling author. In my 40th episode, we talk about the concept of "sympathetic happiness", as she shares her impactful encounter with the Dalai Lama many years back.  She was visiting Portland, Oregon for the first time, exploring the city, when she basically stumbled over His Holiness: he was giving a free public audience in Pioneer Square, Helen had never heard him speak before so she stuck around. His topic was "sympathetic happiness". The idea being that if you can join in the happiness of others, your own happiness will multiply. His deceptively simple and profound theories really struck her - she had been teaching grad school for quite awhile by then, and realised that if she could be really happy for her students' successes, if their joy became her joy her life would become fuller and richer and well, happier. She always felt happy for them, but now she could focus on also being happy through them. It was a small good thing that happened to her that day, but it has really affected the rest of her life and her work as an educator.

Once Helen understood this concept, it made it easier and more compelling for her to build programs that she thought would help her students reach their dreams, and also, pragmatically, help them find agents and editors, and outside work.

Helen also talks about her new book "Fools for Love" that was just published in July during this recording, and she had a book launch at Rizzoli's in New York City. It's a collection of short stories, that she edited and interconnected so that they relate to each other. She also shares how she learned how to waltz from her grandmother, and how she relearned it with her husband last year in a dance class in a beautiful castle in the South of Germany (she wrote a piece about this for the Condé Nast Traveller).

HELEN SCHULMAN is a novelist, screenwriter and short story writer. A collection of stories, Fools for Love, has been published by Knopf in July 2025. Prior to publication, the title story was published in The Atlantic. Her newest novel, Lucky Dogs, was one of Oprah Daily’s top ten novels of 2023. She is also the author of the novels Come With Me (San Francisco Chronicle ten best books of 2019) This Beautiful Life (a New York Times and International Best Seller), A Day At The Beach, P.S., (made into a motion picture starring Laura Linney, Gabriel Byrne, Paul Rudd and Marcia Gay Harden, for which Professor Schulman has a screenwriting credit), The Revisionist and Out Of Time (Barnes and Noble Discovery), and the short story collection Not A Free Show. She co-edited the anthology Wanting A Child with Jill Bialosky. Her fiction and non-fiction have appeared in such places as Vanity Fair, Time, Vogue, GQ, The New York Times Book Review, A Public Space and The Paris Review. She is the Fiction Chair at The Writing Program at The New School where she is a tenured Professor of Writing. She is also the Executive Director of WriteOnNYC.com. A 2019 Guggenheim Fellow, Professor Schulman has been a NYFA Fellow, Sundance Fellow, Aspen Words Fellow, a Tennessee Williams Fellow (Columbia University) and the recipient of a Pushcart Prize.

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On another note: I am so proud and excited to announce that SHIFT HAPPENS’ Season 5 is supported by London based jewellery brand Tilly Sveaas. Its founder, Tilly Sveaas creates gorgeous, timeless pieces that have been featured in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, The Times, The New York Times etc. … Her jewellery is for women of all ages. Guess who is wearing it too: noone less then Taylor Swift. Go to www.tillysveaas.co.uk and use my code SHIFTHAPPENS to get 15% off. 

To learn more about my guest Helen Schulman, please visit her Wikipedia page.

To learn more about SHIFT HAPPENS, click here

 To learn more about Claudia's business Curated Conversations and her Salons in New York, Zurich and Berlin, click here

You can also connect with Claudia on Instagram @shifthappens.podcast and LinkedIn at ClaudiaMahlerNYC

This podcast is created, produced and hosted by Claudia Mahler.

In today's episode, East-German born, New York based artist, Cornelia Thomsen shares her story of finding her way into becoming an artist. She gives insights into her socialistic upbringing in a small village near Dresden, and how she managed to get accepted to be trained as a porcelain painter at famous Meissen Porcelain Manufactory.

Cornelia (a humble powerhouse!) shares how she had believed that the world she lived in would be it, until the Fall of the Berlin Wall, when she stormed into the big world and embraced it. Her worldview became liberated by the discovery of abstract art.

Cornelia talks about resilience being her super power, and how she persistently worked as an artists, went to art school near Frankfurt (with two small children at home), moved to New York and started a gallery together with her husband (and meanwhile 3 children). Cornelia and I have known each other for almost 20 years, sharing experiences and emotions, raising children in Manhattan - an East German and a West German united on neutral grounds.

Her work has been shown internationally, and is in collections of world renowned museums like LACMA in LA, museum of fine arts in Houston, the Parrasch Art Museum in Watermill, New York and others.

AND: In August, just briefly after recording this episode, her newest series of works, the complete sets of Golden Ratio Series have been acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

#### On another note: I am so proud and excited to announce that SHIFT HAPPENS’ Season 5 is supported by London based jewellery brand Tilly Sveaas. Its founder, Tilly Sveaas creates gorgeous, timeless pieces that have been featured in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, The Times, The New York Times etc. … Her jewellery is for women of all ages. Guess who is wearing it too: noone less then Taylor Swift. Go to www.tillysveaas.co.uk and use my code SHIFTHAPPENS to get 15% off. 

To learn more about my guest Cornelia Thomsen, please visit her social media page:

Instagram: @corneliathomsenart

Instagram: @thomsengallery

Website: Cornelia Thomsen

To learn more about SHIFT HAPPENS, click here

 To learn more about Claudia's business Curated Conversations and her Salons in New York, Zurich and Berlin, click here

You can also connect with Claudia on Instagram @shifthappens.podcast and LinkedIn at ClaudiaMahlerNYC

This podcast is created, produced and hosted by Claudia Mahler.

Trish Glowacki shares her journey, and what lead her to founding the Glowmedia Project and its work on youth mental health awareness.Trish, a screenwriter, playwright and producer, mother of three, lost her son Charlie in 2011 to an accidental overdose. In his honor, she started to create a musical, films and resources on youth mental health topics. The Glowmedia project has produced a musical "Warning. Take Only As Prescribed." and 9 short films on various mental health issues, with curriculum and expert input, reaching millions through partnerships with i.e. "Discovery Education". Glowmedia works with organizations, schools, educators, parents and youth. Trish emphasizes the importance of student input, self-care, and persistence on continuing the mission to reduce mental health stigma.

#### On another note: I am so proud and excited to announce that SHIFT HAPPENS’ Season 5 is supported by London based jewellery brand Tilly Sveaas. Its founder, Tilly Sveaas creates gorgeous, timeless pieces that have been featured in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, The Times, The New York Times etc. … Her jewellery is for women of all ages. Guess who is wearing it too: noone less then Taylor Swift. Go to www.tillysveaas.co.uk and use my code SHIFTHAPPENS to get 15% off. 

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To learn more about my guest Trish Glowacki, please visit her social media page:

Instagram: @glowmediafilms

Website: The Glowmedia Project

You can download all short films for free!

To learn more about SHIFT HAPPENS, click here

 To learn more about Claudia's business Curated Conversations and her Salons in New York, Zurich and Berlin, click here

You can also connect with Claudia on Instagram @shifthappens.podcast and LinkedIn at ClaudiaMahlerNYC

This podcast is created, produced and hosted by Claudia Mahler.

What is it that fascinates us in art? What does a painting do to us? Why do artists do what they do?

Art is such a vast and individuell yet universal field to explore. When and why does an artist become an artist?

In my conversation with New York based, American-Pakistani artist, Tanya Minhas, we explore the invisible in art. Tanya shares her fascination for nature and the tiny moments, that inspire her thinking and her work.

She shares the moment, that made it inevitable for her to commit fully to a life as an artist. It had to do with facing challenges, grief and searching for a language to be able to truly express herself and her emotions. ( As she quoted from a book she once read "Life is not all HiHi-HaHa"). Words would not suffice, and she strongly felt that the only true, freeing and authentic language for her was found in speaking through art. So she did and committed to fully be and live as an artist.

Tanya's Pakistani heritage strongly influences her work, which particularly reflects in her current show. 

Tanya integrates and balances her artistic practice with family life - working when possible in a meditative state.

Tanya Minhas has been showing her work successfully throughout the Eastcoast in various group shows and exhibitions. Her current solo show "A Tapestry of Dreams" is on view in New York City with her gallery Winston Wächter. Tanya holds a degree from Princeton University and an MBA from Columbia University. She started her career in management consulting, yet later joined the Arts Student League and studied portrait painting under MaryBeth McKenzie, to eventually move into abstract work.

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On another note: I am so proud and excited to announce that SHIFT HAPPENS’ Season 5 is supported by London based jewellery brand Tilly Sveaas. Its founder, Tilly Sveaas creates gorgeous, timeless pieces that have been featured in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, The Times, The New York Times etc. … Her jewellery is for women of all ages. Guess who is wearing it too: noone less then Taylor Swift.

Go to www.tillysveaas.co.uk and use my code SHIFTHAPPENS to get 15% off. 

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To learn more about my guest Tanya Minhas, please visit her social media pages:

Instagram: @tanyaminhasstudio, @winstonwachter

Website: Tanya Minhas Studio

Current show: A Tapestry of Dreams at Winston Wächter Fine Art on 530 West 25th Street, New York, NY 10001 - Sept. 18 - Oct. 25, 2025

To learn more about SHIFT HAPPENS, click here

 To learn more about Claudia's business Curated Conversations and her Salons in New York, Zurich and Berlin, click here

You can also connect with Claudia on Instagram @shifthappens.podcast and LinkedIn at ClaudiaMahlerNYC

This podcast is created, produced and hosted by Claudia Mahler.

Listen in and feel heard, by the story of a woman who dedicates her work tirelessly to improve the positioning of women in leadership.

When she started her career in corporate banking, and quickly moved through the ranks, to become a high-performer, Dr. Anino Emuwa noticed deeply rooted biases, when she became a mother, despite continuously presenting excellent results. She shares how she had to try hard to convince her colleagues, that she will not be working less, but differently and that everyone will need to get flexible. She realized how in general systematic issues beyond individual performance were holding women back.

Dr. Anino shifted her focus to improving global business and society through gender equality leadership.

She shares how she organically grew her global community 100 Women @ Davos including women from 109 countries. And emphsizes how change and shifts only happen when people work together towards a united goal and with a united purpose: full representation of women in leadership (even though at current pace this will approximately take another 200 years ...).

She talks about barriers to women's leadership: historical workplace structures, socialization of both men and women in traditional roles, organisational policies and cultures that don't reward assertiveness in women, need for equipping women with knowledge and networks. We also discuss how men in leadership need to actively speak out and challenge hierarchical norms - still too little  men are vocal to drive significant change. 

Dr. Anino is a global expert on women's leadership and works at the intersection of emerging technologies, entrepreneurship and inclusion. She serves on the boards of several organisations, ,is a LinkedIn top voice on gender equity and a TEDx speaker. She served as a judge, coach and regional leader for the Cartier Women's Initiative.

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On another note: I am so proud and excited to announce that SHIFT HAPPENS’ Season 5 is supported by London based jewellery brand Tilly Sveaas. Its founder, Tilly Sveaas creates gorgeous, timeless pieces that have been featured in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, The Times, The New York Times etc. … Her jewellery is for women of all ages. Guess who is wearing it too: noone less then Taylor Swift.

And if you Watch this episode on YOUTUBE and you can see me wearing the legendary TBar necklace.

Go to www.tillysveaas.co.uk and use my code SHIFTHAPPENS to get 15% off. 

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To learn more about my guest Dr. Anino Emuwa, please visit her social media pages:

Instagram: @dr.emuwa, @100DavosWomen, @avandisconsulting

LInkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dr-anino-emuwa, linkedin.com/in/100-women-Davos

Website: Avandis Consulting

To learn more about SHIFT HAPPENS, click here

 To learn more about Claudia's business Curated Conversations and her Salons in New York, Zurich and Berlin, click here

You can also connect with Claudia on Instagram @shifthappens.podcast and LinkedIn at ClaudiaMahlerNYC

This podcast is created, produced and hosted by Claudia Mahler.

Today I am sitting down with life long stand up comedian Carole Montgomery. Carole is a classic in show biz, a Brooklynite through and through, she has performed all over the United States, was on the road, in L.A., in Las Vegas. Being a stand up comedian has been her fulltime job. Until she turned 50.

Her environment signaled her silently but clearly, that her time is done, over, chapter closed. She shifted and worked as a producer, comedy teacher, and writer to stay connected in the business.

At 59 she had a break through idea:  Funny Women of A Certain Age. A stand up comedy show featuring older comedian women. With a talent pool of about 100 artists, Carole has been producing shows for the past ten years, TV channel SHOWTIME made three Comedy Specials with Funny Women of A Certain Age.

Listen to a conversation about ageism, about how funny never gets old, and about facing the truth. Carole loves playing for younger audiences, she is not afraid, as they look at her as though she's Yoda. 

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On another note: I am so proud and excited to announce that SHIFT HAPPENS’ Season 5 is supported by London based jewellery brand Tilly Sveaas. Its founder, Tilly Sveaas creates gorgeous, timeless pieces that have been featured in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, The Times, The New York Times etc. … Her jewellery is for women of all ages. Guess who is wearing it too: noone less then Taylor Swift.

And if you Watch this episode on YOUTUBE and you can see me wearing the legendary TBar necklace.

Go to www.tillysveaas.co.uk and use my code SHIFTHAPPENS to get 15% off. 

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To learn more about my guest Carole Montgomery and Funny Women Of A Certain Age, please visit her social media pages:

Instagram: @carolemontgomerycomic, @funnywomenofacertainage

Website: Carole Montgomery, Funny Women Of A Certain Age

Podcast: Funny Women Of A Certain Age - Funny Never Gets Old

To learn more about SHIFT HAPPENS, click here

 To learn more about Claudia's business Curated Conversations and her Salons in New York, Zurich and Berlin, click here

You can also connect with Claudia on Instagram @shifthappens.podcast and LinkedIn at ClaudiaMahlerNYC

This podcast is created, produced and hosted by Claudia Mahler.

Social Media support Magdalena Reckendrees

Rachel Cook Northway shares with me her personal journey to clean beauty. Her childhood interest in skincare was already influenced by her mother's beauty routine. After an early career in the nonprofit sector, Rachel transitioned into the clean beauty industry and worked with various brands and retailers. And built her expertise and passion.

When she was pregnant with her second child, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. This experience propelled her to launch her own business post-remission. Rachel is helping women (and men) to navigate and personalise the clean beauty space.

Her beauty philosophy and recommendations are simple but efficient: focus on lips, eyes and underarms as key areas for clean product adoption. She emphasizes efficacy and plant-based alternatives in clean beauty. And has a range of brands that she recommends and curates for individual needs.

Rachel also advocates for occasional breaks from deodorant use, especially for breast cancer survivors.

Her daily rituals for her personal wellness and recovery are morning prayers, co-sleeping with her youngest child, intermittend fasting and a plant-basesd diet. And she is avid in her workout routine on 6 times per week.

For her business she is planning on expanding into her own studio space to receive clients in person. She also feels that it is important to refine the language clean beauty, to emphasize wellness over appearance standards.

To learn more about my guest Rachel Cook Northway, please visit her social media pages:

Instagram: @thenorthwayedit

Website: The Northway Edit

To learn more about SHIFT HAPPENS, click here

 To learn more about Claudia's business Curated Conversations and her Salons in New York, Zurich and Berlin, click here

You can also connect with Claudia on Instagram @shifthappens.podcast and LinkedIn at ClaudiaMahlerNYC

This podcast is created, produced and hosted by Claudia Mahler.

Social Media support Magdalena Reckendrees

At the age of 36 Dr. Jody Carrington received unexpected news from her parents that she had a full biological sister living nearby. The revelation and discovery reshaped her understanding of her family's history and her own identity. In this first episode of Season 5, Dr. Jody shares more of her deeply transformative and emotional experience, which was also challenging in many ways. What made the moment so meaningful was the profound connection she felt with someone who had always been there, yet completely unknown to her. 

What she learned from this experience is that "truths", even when hidden or unexpected, have the power to heal and deepen relationships.

Dr. Jody Carrington is a powerhouse speaker and fearless champion for authentic human connection. She is highly sought after for her expertise, energy and genuine approach to helping people solve the most complex human centered problems. 

Dr. Jody's work often involves understanding how we got to this disconnected place, what we need to put the pieces back together. Her authentic, honest, and often hilarious approach never fails to inspire and motivate her audiences.

Dr. Carrington is the founder and principal psychologist at Carrington & Company, she's written thee bestselling books, speaks on hundreds of stages globally each year, and hosts a widely celebrated podcast.

To learn more about my guest Dr. Jody Carrington, please visit her social media pages:

Instagram: @drjodycarrington

Website: Dr. Jody Carrington

Podcast: UNLONELY with Dr. Jody Carrington

To learn more about SHIFT HAPPENS, click here

 To learn more about Claudia's business Curated Conversations and her Salons in New York, Zurich and Berlin, click here

You can also connect with Claudia on Instagram @shifthappens.podcast and LinkedIn at ClaudiaMahlerNYC

This podcast is created, produced and hosted by Claudia Mahler.

Social Media support Magdalena Reckendrees

In this last episode of Season 4, Ryan Haddon, author, life coach, hypnotherapist, mediation teacher, and sound & breath work facilitator, discusses the importance of learning to sit with disappointment, loss, and setbacks, and to "get right with what is". She shares tools like breath work, meditation, and self-analysis to help process difficult emotions and find contentment. Ryan's pivotal moment unfolded when she decided to leave the fast-paced life of LA for a farm in Pennsylvania. This transition involved shedding her old identity and embracing a simpler more grounded existence, which was both challenging and transformative.

Ryan and Claudia had this conversation in early November of 2024, by the end of December her mother Dayle Haddon, passed away.  In this episode Ryan talks about her deep admiration for her mother, who has repeatedly reinvente herself and never let others limited perspectives define her.

Ryan Haddon is a sought-after public speaker and is a frequent expert in national television markets. She has appeared in over 30 talk shows, where she speaks about relationships, recovery, self development, purpose and spirituality.

Season 4 has been dedicated to Dayle Haddon.

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Season 4 is supported by iconic Danish Shirt Brand BRITT SISSECK  Please use my code SHIFTHAPPENS at checkout for 20% off of your first purchase.*Valid on full price items only.

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To learn more about my guest Ryan Haddon, please visit her social media pages:
 

Instagram: @ryan.haddon

Website: Ryan Haddon

To learn more about SHIFT HAPPENS, click here

 To learn more about Claudia's business Curated Conversations and her Salons in New York, Zurich and Berlin, click here

You can also connect with Claudia on Instagram @shifthappens.podcast and LinkedIn at ClaudiaMahlerNYC

This podcast is created, produced and hosted by Claudia Mahler.

Social Media support Magdalena Reckendrees

Sophie Grégoire Trudeau is a best-selling author, celebrated public speaker, and passionate mental-health advocate. For over two decades, she has championed gender equality, female empowerment, youth self-esteem, the importance of physical activity, and connection with nature.

Her first book, Closer Together: Knowing Ourselves, Loving Each Other (April 2024) became an instant international bestseller. Drawing on her personal journey (growing up in Canada and exclusive interviews with renowned experts, Sophie explores the science behind brain health, emotional intelligence, and our unique emotional signatures, offering a roadmap for individual and collective growth. Sophie aims to ignite a global movement that celebrates our shared human experience and lifelong capacity for positive change. Through understanding ourselves with openness, curiosity, and courage, Sophie wants everyone to see that there are more things that unite us than separate us.

Sophie shares her many personal pivots from healing an eating disorder, to raising a family in politics, transforming her marriage (in the public eye), becoming an author and Yoga teacher. Claudia and Sophie talk about the importance of creativity, playfulness, physical activity and the letting go of attachments.

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Season 4 is supported by iconic Danish Shirt Brand BRITT SISSECK  Please use my code SHIFTHAPPENS at checkout for 20% off of your first purchase.*Valid on full price items only.

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To learn more about my guest Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, please visit her social media pages:

Instagram: @sophiegregoiretrudeau

Website: SophieGrégoireTrudeau

To learn more about SHIFT HAPPENS, click here

 To learn more about Claudia's business Curated Conversations and her Salons in New York, Zurich and Berlin, click here

You can also connect with Claudia on Instagram @shifthappens.podcast and LinkedIn at ClaudiaMahlerNYC

This podcast is created, produced and hosted by Claudia Mahler.

Social Media support Magdalena Reckendrees