What if addiction isn’t the problem — but the solution to something deeper?

In this Spark Short, Liz and Michele revisit their powerful conversation with Brenda Zane of the Hope Stream community and unpack one of the most eye-opening reframes of the episode: substance use isn’t usually the root issue — it’s often a coping mechanism for underlying mental health struggles.

They explore the “tip of the iceberg” analogy that resonated so deeply with listeners — how drugs and alcohol may be visible, but what lies beneath is often anxiety, depression, trauma (both big T and small t), divorce, bullying, or pain that parents never even knew existed.

Liz and Michele also talk candidly about how different today’s landscape is from the one we grew up in. From highly potent THC to fentanyl-laced substances, the risks are greater and harder to detect than ever before. They share stories that are sobering, personal, and deeply relatable.

Most importantly, they deliver a message every struggling parent needs to hear: this can happen in loving, stable families. It’s not a parenting failure. And connection — even in the hardest moments — may be the most powerful tool we have.

This conversation is honest, compassionate, and ultimately hopeful.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

• Why substance use is often a coping mechanism — not the core problem
• The “hot stove” analogy that reframes why kids continue using
• The difference between big T and small t trauma
• Why today’s drug landscape is dramatically different from past generations
• How mental health struggles often start younger than we expect
• Why high-achieving, “great kids” can still be suffering silently
• The role connection plays in recovery
• Why parents must stop blaming themselves
• How communities like Hope Stream provide support and guidance

Resources From This Episode:

• Hope Stream Community - https://hopestreamcommunity.org/

• Brenda Zane’s Podcast & Parent Support Resources  - https://hopestreamcommunity.org/hopestream-podcast/

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Share this episode with a parent who may need hope, reassurance, or understanding.

Leave a rating or review — it helps other women in their second act discover the show.

Tag us when you’re listening and tell us:

What was your biggest takeaway from this conversation?

There are conversations parents whisper about or avoidaltogether because the fear and judgment feel unbearable.

This is one of them.

In this deeply personal and powerful episode of Spark Me,Michele and Liz sit down with Brenda Zane, parent advocate, certified coach, and founder of HopeStream Community — a nonprofit created to support parents navigating a child’s substance use and mental health challenges.

After her own son’s near-fatal fentanyl overdoses, Brenda turned six years of chaos, fear, and heartbreak into a mission: to make sure no parent has to walk this road alone.

This conversation moves beyond headlines and assumptions into the real lived experience of families — the exhaustion, the guilt, the confusion, the sibling impact, the treatment maze, and the hope that feels impossible some days.

If you are parenting a teen or young adult who is struggling— or love someone who is — this episode offers clarity, compassion, and a path forward.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• What parents are really feeling when they first reach out for help
• Why substance use is often a solution to a deeper underlying issue
• The critical link between mental health and substance use
• What parents misunderstand about today’s high-potency marijuana and THC products
• The early signs of crisis — and what safety checks matter most
• How to navigate the overwhelming world of treatment programs

• The emotional toll on siblings — and how to support them
• The difference between controlling your child and influencing change
• The power of community and evidence-based support
• Brenda’s son’s remarkable recovery story — and what hope can look like

A Powerful Takeaway for Mothers

One of Brenda’s most important messages:

When your child’s plane is going down, you cannot go down with it.

Parents — especially mothers — often strap themselves to their child’s crisis, sacrificing sleep, health, relationships, and stability in the name of love.

But you cannot help your child if you are crashing alongside them.

Taking care of yourself is not selfish.

It is strategic.

It is stabilizing.

It is necessary.

Rest.

Eat.

Get support.

See a therapist.

Take the medical leave.

Your strength is part of your child’s recovery ecosystem.

What Parents Need to Hear

• You are not alone.
• This is not a parenting failure.
• There are evidence-based approaches that work.
• You do not have to solve this by yourself.
• There is hope — even when it doesn’t feel like it.

Resources Mentioned

HopeStream Community (Brenda Zane)

A nonprofit support community, podcast, and educational hub for parents of adolescents and young adults struggling with substance use and mental health challenges.

 https://hopestreamcommunity.org

CRAFT (Community Reinforcement and Family Training)

An evidence-based approach that teaches parents how to influence positive change without escalating conflict.

https://tinyurl.com/3t7xxwkc

The HopeStream Podcast

Brenda’s podcast featuring conversations with treatment experts, therapists, and parents.

Hopestream Podcast

hopestreamcommunity.org

If cost is a concern, HopeStream offers scholarships. No parent is turned away for financial reasons.

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• Share it with a parent who may need it
• Save it for the moment you need grounding
• Follow Spark Me so you don’t miss future conversations
• Leave a rating or review to help other families find this support
• And if you have questions you’d like us to explore in a future episode, email us at: [email protected]

You are not alone in this.

There is a way forward.

What does it really take to turn a spark of an idea into something tangible, impactful, and lasting?

In this episode of Spark Me, Liz and Michele dig into the power of execution — how following through on a vision can change communities, careers, and even the reputation of an entire city.

Liz shares the origin stories of Circle 200 and Women Business Leaders in Healthcare, two peer-to-peer networks she helped found to answer a deceptively simple question: Who mentors the mentor? These groups became lifelines and launchpads for high-performing women leaders who needed trusted circles as they reached the top of their industries.

From there, Michele walks us through another bold idea brought to life: The Office Convention in Scranton and, years later, the The Office exhibit at The Everhart Museum. You’ll hear how a fan-fueled vision, a few key connections, and a deep love for Scranton transformed what could have been a punchline into a powerful celebration of place, creativity, and community pride — brought to life through her work at LayerX.

Along the way, Liz and Michele explore what separates people who talk about ideas from those who actually build them — and why embracing, rather than resisting, a narrative can completely flip how a city (and its people) are seen. The conversation also looks ahead to two upcoming, deeply personal and practical Spark Me episodes — focused on women’s health, hormones, and honest conversations many women don’t know where to have.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

• Why ideas alone aren’t enough —and what separates builders from talkers
• How Circle 200, Women Business Leaders in Healthcare, and The Office Convention all began as simple “what if?” moments
• The behind-the-scenes story of how Scranton became a beloved character on The Office
• How embracing — not resisting — a narrative can transform perception and pride
• Why meaningful, impactful work doesn’t require a major city or perfect conditions

Resources From This Episode:

• The Everhart Museum - ⁠everhart-musuem.org⁠
• Erin Murphy Ross, PhD - ⁠psychologytoday.com⁠
• Adrienne Cotton - ⁠adriencotton.com⁠
• Women Business Leaders in Healthcare - ⁠wbl.org⁠
• LayerX -⁠ layerxstudio.com⁠

Keep Sparking

If this conversation resonated with you:

• Have a question for an upcoming guest? Email us at ⁠[email protected]⁠ with your questions for Erin Murphy Ross, PhD or Adrienne Cotton, and we’ll weave them into the conversation anonymously. If you’re wondering about it, you’re not alone.

• Follow Spark Me wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss an episode
• Share this episode with a friend sitting on an idea they can’t quite shake.
• Leave a rating or review — it helps more women find these conversations and join the circle

What if the most powerful thing you could do this week took just ten seconds?

This Spark Me episode is a reflective conversation inspired by last week’s powerful discussion with Stacey Fritz — and by a week that, as Michele puts it, “was a week.” Liz and Michele unpack the idea that life’s challenges come in waves, and while we can’t stop them from coming, we can choose how we meet them.

At the center of this conversation is the power of the pause — both literal and metaphorical. From breathwork that regulates the nervous system to pausing before sending an email, responding to a text, or reacting in anger, Liz and Michele explore how a micro pause can dramatically change outcomes in our relationships, our work, and our inner lives.

The conversation widens to reflect on the world at large — a culture living in the “inhale,” marked by overwhelm, fear, and division. Rather than ignoring real problems, Liz and Michele make the case for clarity over reactivity, reminding us that anger clouds judgment, while pause creates space for better decisions and meaningful action.

They also revisit Stacey Fritz’s journey as an inventor and entrepreneur, reflecting on what separates ideas that stay ideas from those that become reality: purpose, resolve, and the willingness to see something through even when it’s hard. It’s a conversation about breath, tenacity, grief, creativity, and the quiet strength found in slowing down — even when everything feels urgent.

In This Episode You'll Learn:

• Why “the power of the pause” is both a literal breathing practice and a life skill

• How a 10-second micro pause can shift emotional reactions into thoughtful responses

• Simple breath techniques that help regulate anxiety and overwhelm

• Why reacting in anger almost never leads to better outcomes

• How pausing improves clarity, decision-making, and communication

• What it takes to move from an idea to execution — and why purpose matters

• How grief, creativity, and service can coexist

• Why the world — and each of us — may be living in the inhale right now

• Stacey Fritz episode (Vita Ball & nervous system regulation)

• Believe Big (shared during the Stacey Fritz conversation)

• Breathwork techniques referenced from neuroscience research

Resources

• vidaBALL – A guided breathing tool Stacy created to help people regulate their nervous systems in under two minutes - https://thevidaball.com 
  Code: CHRISTINE (save $19.00)

• Believe Big – A nonprofit supporting individuals and families navigating cancer through integrative and conventional care - https://believebig.org

• Huberman Lab Episode on Breathwork - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4m_PdFbu-s

Keep Sparking

If this conversation resonated with you:

• Follow Spark Me wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss a Spark Short

• Share this episode with a friend who’s feeling overwhelmed, reactive, or “in the inhale”

• Leave a rating or review — it helps other women find this growing community

• Tag us when you’re listening and tell us: Where do you need a pause right now?

Why so many women stay stuck in fight-or-flight and how to learn to pause and exhale

Many women are managing careers, families, aging parents, partnerships, and their own expectations, often in a constant state of inhale (fight or flight), never taking a pause or remembering to exhale.

In this episode of Spark Me, we sit down with Stacy Fritz, speaker, wellness strategist, and inventor, to talk about breath and self-regulation not as soft ideas, but as practical tools for staying well over time.

Stacy shares how her deep work with breath and nervous system regulation grew not only from years in corporate wellness, but from trying to teach her terminally ill brother how to breathe to manage pain and anxiety. That experience ultimately inspired her to invent a guided breathing tool called the vidaBALL. Along the way, she discovered that breath was not just a wellness practice, but a way through grief, stress, and sustained caregiving.

Rather than offering another list of things to fix or optimize, Stacy reframes self-care as protection. Caring for yourself now is not indulgent. It is how you stay healthy, resilient, and present for the life you are still living and the future you want to reach.

This is a Spark Me conversation about pause, nervous system awareness, and learning how to protect yourself without stepping away from the people and responsibilities you care about.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why so many women live in a constant state of “inhale” and how that keeps the body locked in fight-or-flight

• What Stacy learned trying to teach her terminally ill brother how to breathe and how that changed her work forever

• Why “protection” of your future health matters

• How to exhale and use breath as a practical tool in moments of pressure, conflict, and overwhelm

Resources mentioned in this episode

• vidaBALL – A guided breathing tool Stacy created to help people regulate their nervous systems in under two minutes - https://thevidaball.com Code: CHRISTINE

• Believe Big – A nonprofit supporting individuals and families navigating cancer through integrative and conventional care - https://believebig.org

• Stacy Fritz – Speaker, wellness strategist, and founder of FIT2Order
  
  
  

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If this conversation resonated with you:

• Follow Spark Me wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss a Spark Short

• Share this episode with a parent, educator, or friend navigating screen time struggles

• Leave a rating or review — it helps more women discover the show

• Tag us and share: What’s one moment in your day where you’re practicing the pause?

What if the thing we reach for to relax is actually exhausting us—and quietly reshaping our kids’ brains along the way?

Social media is woven into nearly every part of modern life, but in this candid Spark Me conversation, Liz Graham and Michele Dempsey take a hard look at the unintended consequences of constant scrolling—for adults and kids. From dopamine hits and “bed rotting” to comparison culture and lost creativity, this episode pulls back the curtain on why so many of us feel worse the more connected we are.

Liz and Michele unpack how even grown adults struggle to self-regulate their screen time, and why that reality makes unrestricted access especially dangerous for developing brains. They explore how boredom, quiet, and presence—once natural parts of life—are being squeezed out, and what we lose when they disappear.

The conversation deepens with a powerful sidebar featuring Rachel Olszewski Conrad, who shares how she and her husband are already setting boundaries around technology for their young children. Together, they discuss parenting strategies, societal responsibility, and why this isn’t just a “parent problem,” but a cultural one.

This episode isn’t about shaming or fear—it’s about awareness, intention, and starting a movement toward healthier relationships with our phones, our kids, and ourselves.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

• Why social media is engineered to deliver dopamine hits—and why that matters

• How boredom and quiet are essential for creativity, emotional regulation, and self-awareness

• Why kids’ developing brains are especially vulnerable to social media addiction

• The hidden emotional toll of comparison culture (even for adults)

• Why some platforms are uniquely dangerous for kids and teens

• Practical boundary-setting strategies for phones and screen time

• How modeling adult behavior shapes kids’ relationship with technology

  Why real change will require a societal—not just individual—shift

  
  

• Resources

  
  

• The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt https://www.amazon.com/Anxious-Generation-Rewiring-Childhood-Epidemic/dp/0593655036

• Bark – Parental monitoring and safety tools bark.us

• Common Sense Media – Research and guidance on kids & media https://www.commonsensemedia.org/parents-ultimate-guides/social-media

Keep Sparking

If this conversation resonated with you:

• Follow Spark Me wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss a Spark Short

• Share this episode with a parent, educator, or friend navigating screen time struggles

• Leave a rating or review — it helps more women discover the show

• Tag us when you’re listening and tell us: What boundaries are you setting with social media—for yourself or your kids?

Sometimes the bravest thing you can do in your second act is walk away from a life you thought you were “supposed” to live.

This week on Spark Me, Liz and Michele sit down with Rachel Olszewski Conrad, founder of Fear Less Publicity, for a deeply honest conversation about reinvention, resilience, and trusting yourself when life takes an unexpected turn.

Rachel shares her journey from growing up in Chicago to building a life in Northeastern Pennsylvania — a path shaped by love, loss, and courage. She opens up about her first marriage, navigating divorce in her early 30s after her husband suffered a life-altering stroke, and the quiet shame and self-judgment that often accompany experiences we don’t talk about enough.

Together, the conversation explores how trauma can change people, why listening to your gut matters more than checking the boxes society hands you, and how healing often comes through unexpected paths — including therapy, community, and connection to the natural world.

This episode is a powerful reminder that starting over isn’t failure — it’s often the first step toward building a life that actually fits.

In This Episode You'll Learn:

• Why divorce can feel isolating — even when it’s the right decision
• How trauma and major life events can reshape identity and relationships
• The courage it takes to trust your gut when everything feels uncertain
• Why shame keeps so many women silent — and how naming it can be freeing
• How therapy (including somatic approaches) can support both kids and adults
• What it looks like to rebuild confidence in your second act
• Why redefining success can lead to more meaningful work and life
• How unexpected paths often lead to the most aligned futures

Resources:

• Fear Less Publicity: https://fearlesspublicity.co

• Marley’s Mission (Equine Therapy Program – Clark Summit, PA): https://marleysmission.com

• University of Dayton: https://udayton.edu

• Penn State University: https://www.psu.edu

• Rushing Women's Syndrome by Dr. Libby Weaver: https://a.co/d/11Xsbkq

• DOAC - Chris Williamson: If You Don't Fix This Now, 2026 Is Already Over!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_vZ4H3uW28

Keep Sparking.

If this conversation resonated with you:

• Follow Spark Me wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss an episode
• Share this episode with a woman navigating divorce, reinvention, or a major life pivot
• Leave a rating or review — it helps other women in their second act discover the show
• Follow us on Instagram at @sparkmepodcast and tag us when you’re listening
• Tag us when you’re listening and tell us: What part of Rachel’s story sparked something in you? 

What happens when a story refuses to be forgotten?

In this Spark Short, we talk about a book that took decades to become real — not because it was being written, but because it was being lived.

What started as cassette tapes mailed back and forth between a father and daughter slowly became a memoir spanning war, reinvention, service, and legacy. From fighter pilot missions in Vietnam to starting a brand-new business at 56 — and publishing a book at nearly 90 — this is a reminder that reinvention doesn’t belong to the young.

We talk about:

• Why so many people carry a “book inside them” but never release it

• How technology (and AI) made preserving this story possible

• Why some projects are meant to be labors of love — not profit

• The power of finishing something meaningful

• And what it looks like to keep creating sparks, no matter your age

This conversation is about memory, courage, service, and honoring the stories that shaped us — before they disappear.

✨ If you’ve ever thought “one day, I’ll write it” — this one’s for you.

Check out the book "One Of The Few: A True Account of Courage and Stepping into the Fight" On Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/One-Few-Account-Courage-Stepping/dp/B0DWYRT8YR

Keep Sparking

If this conversation resonated with you:

• Follow Spark Me wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss a Spark Short

• Share this episode with a friend navigating loss, caregiving, or a changing family dynamic

• Leave a rating or review — it helps other women in their second act discover the show

What if grief wasn’t something to “get over,” but something we learn how to carry — together?

This week on Spark Me, Liz and Michele open up about a chapter of life many of us enter quietly and unprepared: losing our parents. Over the past year, both have navigated profound loss while continuing to show up for work, family, friendships, and this very podcast.

They talk honestly about what grief actually looks like in real life — not just in the immediate aftermath, but in the months that follow. The empty chairs at holidays. The moments you instinctively reach for the phone to call someone who isn’t there anymore. The strange comfort of talking to loved ones after they’re gone, and the different ways faith, spirituality, science, and belief can help us make sense of it all.

Liz shares reflections on caregiving, anticipatory grief, and how loss reshaped her perspective on happiness, travel, and time. Michele reflects on losing both parents in the same year, finding comfort in signs, conversations, and legacy — including a powerful reminder to “Be Roberta,” honoring a beloved caregiver whose kindness left a lasting mark.

Together, they explore not just grief, but gratitude. Not just loss, but the light that can still exist alongside it. And they begin a larger conversation about how we prepare — or don’t — for aging, caregiving, and the end of life.

If you’re navigating grief, caring for aging parents, or simply feeling the weight of this chapter of life, this conversation is for you.

In This Episode You'll Learn:

• Why midlife often becomes the season of losing parents — and why it can feel so disorienting

• What grief looks like after the funeral, in everyday moments and quiet spaces

• Different ways people stay connected to loved ones after they’re gone

• How faith, spirituality, science, or personal belief can coexist in grief

• Why the “firsts” after loss — holidays, traditions, routines — can be especially hard

• How caregiving and anticipatory grief quietly shape our emotional lives

• Why talking about death, aging, and planning ahead can actually be an act of love

• How honoring someone’s legacy can become a daily practice (“Be Roberta”)

• A powerful perspective shift: letting grief deepen gratitude instead of diminishing joy

  
  

Keep Sparking

If this conversation resonated with you:

• Follow Spark Me wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss a Spark Short

• Share this episode with a friend navigating loss, caregiving, or a changing family dynamic

• Leave a rating or review — it helps other women in their second act discover the show

• Tag us when you’re listening and tell us: What has helped you navigate grief or honor someone you’ve lost?

  
  

What if the “future of AI” wasn’t just about technology, but about what kind of humans we become while we build it?

This week on Spark Me, Liz and Michele sit down for a Spark Short that’s… not actually all that short. They dive into the wild, complicated, and very real ways artificial intelligence is already reshaping our energy use, our jobs, our politics, and even how we show up for our kids’ futures.

Liz shares her perspective as an investor in AI-related companies, unpacking why AI isn’t actually “new,” why it’s suddenly moving at flywheel speed, and how its enormous computing demands are driving everything from nuclear energy conversations to geopolitical tensions over rare earth metals. Michele brings it down to ground level—wondering what all of this means for college majors, careers, small towns trying to site data centers, and those of us just trying to get through our inbox.

Together, they explore the double-edged sword of AI: the incredible productivity gains (think: hours of work turned into minutes) and the unsettling realities of job loss, deepfakes, and what happens when we let machines think for us instead of with us. They also talk about how they’re using AI in very human ways—from AI note-takers and enterprise tools that protect client data, to visual design helpers and “agentic” tools that can schedule your whole business trip in the background.

If you’ve ever felt both excited and uneasy about AI, or wondered how to stay grounded, authentic, and connected in a world where you might not be able to trust what you see or hear, this conversation is for you.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

• Why AI isn’t “brand new” technology—and what it means that we’ve now hit the flywheel moment

• How AI’s massive energy and resource needs are tied to geopolitics, national security, and local fights over data centers

• The real ways AI is already reshaping the job market—from call centers to finance teams to new grads trying to get hired

• What parents might want to consider as their kids choose college majors and careers in an AI-saturated world

• Practical, real-life ways Liz and Michele are using AI in their businesses (and where they’re drawing the line)

• Why authenticity, in-person connection, and basic communication skills may become the “currency of the future”

• How over-relying on AI can quietly erode our own thinking— and why “use it, don’t lose it” applies to our brains, too

• A hopeful reframe: treating AI like something we can “nurture” with our values, instead of a force that’s automatically against us

Resources From This Episode:

Godfather of AI | Diary Of A CEO - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-diary-of-a-ceo-with-steven-bartlett/id1291423644?i=1000713048391

AI Agents Emergency Debate | Diary Of A CEO - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-diary-of-a-ceo-with-steven-bartlett/id1291423644?i=1000708064948
Mo Gawdet - This Is The Only Thing That Will Survive AI | https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-diary-of-a-ceo-with-steven-bartlett/id1291423644?i=1000708687748
Solving AI's Energy Problem | Diary of A CEO - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/startalk-radio/id325404506?i=1000692074507
The Startup Ideas Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-startup-ideas-podcast/id1593424985
Jump AI - https://jump.ai/
Perplexity - https://perplexity.ai
Jasper AI - https://www.jasper.ai/
Lindy AI - https://www.lindy.ai/

Keep Sparking

If this conversation resonated with you:

• Follow Spark Me wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss a Spark Short
• Share this episode with a friend navigating grief, shifting traditions, or seeking presence this season
• Leave a rating or review — it helps other women in their second act discover the show
• Tag us when you’re listening and tell us: How do you maintain meaningful human connection in an increasingly digital world?