STORYTIME with Lori

I went to Arizona thinking I understood Televerde.

Narrator: She did not. 😂

I knew the story: second chances, incarcerated women, BDR development, an incredible mission.

What I didn’t fully understand was the talent.

I met women talking pipeline, customer experience, renewals, sales strategy, business intelligence and brand with the kind of hunger and business acumen companies say they’re desperate to hire for.

And that changed the conversation for me.

🔥 Opportunity, not charity.

These women don’t need us to lower the bar. Maybe we need to get a hell of a lot better at looking in places where talented people have already learned how to clear it.

And Diane + Nayaja… ❤️ you two got me.

The dreaming. The planning. The rebuilding. The “oh shit, people are actually watching me now” part. 😂 The belief you’re lending each other while you build enough of your own.

That’s the story I wanted to tell.

Don’t be so captivated by someone’s second chance that you overlook their talent. Because sometimes people don’t need saving. They need access. A door. An introduction. A seat at the table. Someone willing to see them BEFORE everyone else does.

So I’ll leave you with this:

❤️ Who believed in you before you fully believed in yourself?

And maybe the bigger question…

Whose belief are you holding right now?

🎙️ New Storytime with Lori.

#StorytimeWithLori #Televerde #WomenInTech #WomenInSales #SecondChances #Talent #Leadership #SalesLeadership #TechChannel #WomenSupportingWomen #CareerDevelopment #Opportunity #FutureOfWork

Last week I talked about my birthday. 🎂

A beautiful day, full of people who love the hell out of me… and still feeling the absence of someone who doesn't show up the way I need them to.

Well, apparently there was more shit to unpack. 😂

Because here's the mindfuck about healing:

You can make the right decision and still be heartbroken by it.

You can set the boundary and miss them.

You can be deeply loved and still grieve what's missing.

None of that means go back.

That's the messy middle. And I'm learning this one the hard way:

Loneliness is a feeling. It is NOT an instruction. 👏 Missing someone doesn't mean they deserve access to you. And hurting doesn't mean you chose wrong.

Sometimes it just means it mattered. ❤️‍🩹

🎙️ This week on STORYTIME with Lori: The Messy Middle: When Doing the Right Thing Still F*cking Hurts

Because apparently healing doesn't give a shit about my preferred timeline. 😂

#StorytimeWithLori #TheMessyMiddle #Boundaries #Healing #Relationships #PersonalGrowth #Podcast

It’s my birthday. 🎂✨

So obviously I got myself exactly what every woman wants:

boundaries, therapy, self-awareness… and fewer people with backstage access. 😂

This birthday episode of Storytime with Lori is raw, funny, a little petty, and very reflective.

We’re talking family dynamics, betrayal, healing, coping, co-parenting, outgrowing people, and that magical moment when you realize:

“Ohhh… I’m not confused. I’ve just outgrown this.”

Some people were lessons.

Some were chapters.

Some were group projects I definitely did all the work on. 😏

This year, I’m not asking what I accomplished.

I’m asking:

What no longer gets to come with me?

Cheers to another year of growth, better boundaries, stronger instincts, and dramatically fewer emotional subscriptions. 🥂🎙️

#StorytimeWithLori #BirthdayEpisode #PersonalGrowth #Boundaries #Healing #SelfTrust #BreakingCycles #Reinvention

A big week for Storytime with Lori. 🎙️

First up: a powerful conversation with Akilah Murrell + Mayka Rosales-Peterson on leadership, visibility, allyship, pressure, belonging, and the weight that can come with being “the first.”

And then Friday is my birthday. 🎂

So naturally, I decided to celebrate by recording one of the rawest episodes I’ve done. 😂

Family. Coping. Boundaries. Alcohol. Outgrowing people, places, relationships, jobs and even old versions of ourselves.

This year I’m asking myself one question: What no longer gets to come with me?

Akilah + Mayka first.

Then Friday… we’re going there. ❤️‍🔥

#Leadership #Allyship #WomenInLeadership #Storytelling #Podcast #Growth #Boundaries #Authenticity

What if you weren't chasing success...

What if you were chasing safety?

In this deeply personal solo episode, I share what rebuilding has really looked like after career setbacks, layoffs, financial pressure, and learning to trust myself again.

This conversation is for anyone navigating leadership, career growth, burnout, or a season of starting over.

We dive into:

• Why success and safety aren't always the same thing

• Rebuilding confidence after setbacks

• The invisible weight high performers often carry

• Leadership, resilience, and self-trust

• Why surviving isn't the same as living

If you're a leader, entrepreneur, professional, or someone trying to become the next version of yourself, I hope this episode reminds you that you're not alone.

If this conversation resonates, follow the show and share it with someone who's rebuilding too. 💛

#Leadership #CareerGrowth #Resilience #PersonalGrowth #WomenInLeadership #Podcast

I've never admitted this out loud.

I know exactly how many days are left until my son graduates high school.

Not because I'm counting down to the end of motherhood...

I'm counting down to the day I no longer have to co-parent.

Yeah...

I said it.

Before you judge me, hear the whole story.

This isn't an episode about hating someone.

It's about what happens when you've left a relationship...but the relationship never really leaves you.

When one text message can hijack your nervous system.

When you're exhausted from replaying the same conversation for over a decade.

When you realize you've been asking someone you've already walked away from to give you permission to finally have peace.

This week, a simple parenting situation turned into something much bigger.

It forced me to ask myself one question that changed everything:

Who am I still giving free rent in my head?

In this episode, we're talking about:

💥 The truth about co-parenting nobody wants to admit

💥 Why divorce can end...but emotional attachment doesn't

💥 Childhood wounds we unknowingly repeat in adult relationships

💥 Why protecting your peace isn't selfish

💥 The difference between accountability and shame

💥 How to stop letting one person control your entire nervous system

This isn't just for divorced parents.

It's for anyone who's still emotionally tied to someone they no longer want in their life.

If you've ever thought...

"I've left...so why do I still feel trapped?"

This one's for you.

🎙️ Welcome to Storytime with Lori—where we have the conversations most people are too afraid to say out loud.

⭐ If this episode hits home, follow the show, leave a rating, and share it with someone who's ready to stop giving away their peace.

#StorytimeWithLori #CoParenting #Divorce #EmotionalHealing #Boundaries #HealingJourney #Parenting #TraumaRecovery #MentalHealth #SelfWorth #PersonalGrowth #WomenWhoHeal #Podcast

What if confidence isn't something you find...

What if it's something you build?

In this powerful episode of Storytime with Lori, Lori Mayer sits down with recent University of San Diego graduate Bruklina Noka for an inspiring conversation about career growth, Gen Z leadership, entrepreneurship, authenticity, networking, business, courage, confidence, purpose, international student success, and what it truly means to become the person you're meant to be.

Together they discuss:

🎙️ Building confidence before you feel ready

🎙️ Why Gen Z is reshaping workplace culture

🎙️ Career advice for recent graduates

🎙️ Business Analytics and Commercial Real Estate careers

🎙️ Leadership without waiting for permission

🎙️ Entrepreneurship and creating meaningful impact

🎙️ Family, culture, gratitude, and resilience

🎙️ The power of mentorship and networking

🎙️ Authentic leadership and purpose-driven success

Whether you're graduating college, changing careers, building a business, leading a team, or simply trying to believe in yourself again, this conversation will remind you that nobody begins with certainty.

They begin with courage.

🎧 Subscribe, follow, and share Storytime with Lori for more conversations on leadership, personal growth, entrepreneurship, business, resilience, career development, authentic storytelling, and becoming the person you're capable of becoming.

#StorytimeWithLori #LeadershipPodcast #CareerGrowth #Entrepreneurship #GenZ #Business #Leadership #PersonalDevelopment #GrowthMindset #CommercialRealEstate #BusinessAnalytics #Networking #WomenInLeadership #Mentorship #Purpose #Confidence #Success #Authenticity

A family member asked me one question during Pride Month:

"What rights are you losing?"

I answered.

She never responded.

But her question stayed with me.

Not because it offended me.

Because I realized it wasn't just her question.

It's a question many people are asking.

This episode isn't about politics.

It's about history.

It's about empathy.

It's about why remembrance matters.

And why perhaps the better question isn't "What rights are you losing?" but "What history are we in danger of forgetting?"

Some people know everything about your life.

But they don't know you.

In this episode of Storytime with Lori, Lori explores a difficult realization: attention isn't love, observation isn't support, and access isn't the same as connection.

Through stories of heartbreak, family estrangement, betrayal, healing, and personal growth, Lori discusses the freedom that comes from no longer needing validation from people who choose to watch your life from a distance instead of participating in it.

This episode is for anyone who has ever wondered:

• Why are they still watching?
• Why won't they reach out?
• Why do they know so much about my life but choose not to be part of it?

The answer may have less to do with them and more to do with reclaiming your peace.

Because healing begins when you stop focusing on who's watching and start focusing on who's walking beside you.

🎙️ Storytime with Lori is where real conversations about healing, resilience, relationships, growth, and becoming your best self come to life.

Most leaders spend their careers chasing results.

The unforgettable ones spend their careers investing in people.

In this episode of STORYTIME with Lori, Lori Mayer sits down with Carl Herberger, CEO of Corero Network Security, to discuss the kind of leadership that leaves a lasting impact.

Together, they explore:

🔹 Leadership beyond titles
🔹 The power of emotional intelligence
🔹 Building trust and culture
🔹 Human-centered leadership
🔹 Cybersecurity leadership lessons
🔹 Legacy versus success
🔹 How great leaders make people feel seen

Because years from now, people won't remember your title.

They'll remember how you showed up.

🎙️ STORYTIME with Lori is where leadership, life, resilience, personal growth, and authentic conversations come together through real stories from real people.

#Leadership #LeadershipPodcast #ExecutiveLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #HumanLeadership #CyberSecurityLeadership #Legacy #PersonalGrowth #StorytimeWithLori