STORYTIME with Lori

🌈 Pride Month Episode

I spent two and a half years trying to get over a woman.

Then I realized she wasn't what I was grieving.

For years, I believed my heartbreak was about losing a relationship. What I eventually discovered was that I was mourning something much deeper: belonging, family, connection, identity, and the feeling of home.

In this deeply personal episode of Storytime with Lori, I share my journey through:

❤️ Heartbreak
🏡 Family Estrangement
🌈 Pride & Belonging
🧠 Emotional Intelligence
🤝 Psychological Safety
💪 Resilience
✨ Self-Worth
🌺 Healing in Hawaii
🫂 Learning to Trust Myself Again

If you've ever:

• Lost someone you loved
• Experienced family estrangement
• Felt disconnected from your identity
• Struggled with heartbreak
• Been searching for where you belong
• Had to rebuild your life after loss

This episode is for you.

Because sometimes the thing we're grieving isn't actually the thing we lost.

And sometimes healing is simply learning to come home to yourself.

🎙️ Subscribe for more episodes of Storytime with Lori.

Real life.
Real conversations.
Real growth.

Until next time… keep becoming.

#StorytimeWithLori #PrideMonth #HealingJourney #FamilyEstrangement #HeartbreakRecovery #MentalHealth #PersonalGrowth #PsychologicalSafety #Belonging #EmotionalIntelligence #SelfWorth #TraumaHealing #LGBTQStories #Resilience #Authenticity

🚀 What if the biggest career breakthrough isn't another certification, promotion, or title...
What if it's learning how to advocate for yourself? In my latest episode of STORYTIME with Lori, I sat down with Dr Elisha Foust 🦸🏻‍♀️former sales operations leader, transformation expert, founder, LGBTQ+ 🌈 advocate, cancer survivor, and one of the smartest women I've had the privilege to work alongside.
We talked about:
✨ Personal branding that actually matters
✨ How sponsors change careers
✨ Why allyship is active, not passive
✨ Navigating corporate politics without losing yourself
✨ Reinventing your life after adversity
✨ Building a career rooted in authenticity, not approval
One of my favorite takeaways:
👉 "Stop leading with everything you've done. Start leading with the problems you can solve."
That mindset shift alone can change the trajectory of your career.
Whether you're early in your career, leading teams, navigating change, or simply trying to figure out what's next, this conversation is packed with real-world wisdom.
Because behind every title is a human being trying to figure it out one day at a time.
🎙️ Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and wherever you get your podcasts.
This is STORYTIME with Lori. Real life. Real conversations. Real growth. Until next time... keep becoming. 💛
#Leadership #PersonalBranding #CareerGrowth #WomenInLeadership #SalesLeadership #SalesOperations #ExecutiveLeadership #AuthenticLeadership #CareerDevelopment #Mentorship #Sponsorship #Allyship #LGBTQLeadership #DiversityAndInclusion #ProfessionalDevelopment #WomenInTech #LeadershipDevelopment #StorytimeWithLori #Podcast #CareerSuccess

Some leaders build companies.Michelle Ragusa-McBain builds PEOPLE.In this deeply powerful episode of Storytime with Lori, Michelle opens up about the journey behind becoming one of the most respected and trusted leaders in cybersecurity and channel partnerships today.But this conversation is not about titles.It’s about:✨ Self-worth✨ Reinvention✨ Emotional intelligence✨ Leadership with heart✨ Human connection in the age of AI✨ Championing women and people of color✨ Building trust that lasts longer than transactionsFor years, Michelle has been a quiet force behind the success of countless people in this industry — mentoring, advocating, connecting, elevating, and helping others rise.What makes Michelle different is this:People don’t just remember what she accomplished.They remember how she made them FEEL.Now, Lori and Michelle officially join forces together at Corero Network Security — a company building the future of AI-powered cybersecurity, DDoS protection, strategic partnerships, and people-first innovation.This episode is about the HUMAN behind the leadership.The resilience behind the confidence.The empathy behind the executive.The becoming behind the success.If you’ve ever struggled with imposter syndrome…If you’ve ever questioned your worth…If you’ve ever needed proof that authenticity still wins…This conversation is for you.🎙️ Storytime with Lori featuring Michelle Ragusa-McBain — now streaming.#MichelleRagusaMcBain #StorytimeWithLori #WomenInTech #Cybersecurity #LeadershipPodcast #Authenticity #WomenInLeadership #EmotionalIntelligence #ChannelPartners #Corero #PersonalGrowth #BusinessLeadership #Mentorship

Some leaders build companies.
Michelle Ragusa-McBain builds PEOPLE.

In this deeply powerful episode of Storytime with Lori, Michelle opens up about the journey behind becoming one of the most respected and trusted leaders in cybersecurity and channel partnerships today.

But this conversation is not about titles.

It’s about:
✨ Self-worth
✨ Reinvention
✨ Emotional intelligence
✨ Leadership with heart
✨ Human connection in the age of AI
✨ Championing women and people of color
✨ Building trust that lasts longer than transactions

For years, Michelle has been a quiet force behind the success of countless people in this industry — mentoring, advocating, connecting, elevating, and helping others rise.

What makes Michelle different is this:

People don’t just remember what she accomplished.
They remember how she made them FEEL.

Now, Lori and Michelle officially join forces together at Corero Network Security — a company building the future of AI-powered cybersecurity, DDoS protection, strategic partnerships, and people-first innovation.

This episode is about the HUMAN behind the leadership.

The resilience behind the confidence.
The empathy behind the executive.
The becoming behind the success.

If you’ve ever struggled with imposter syndrome…
If you’ve ever questioned your worth…
If you’ve ever needed proof that authenticity still wins…

This conversation is for you.

🎙️ Storytime with Lori featuring Michelle Ragusa-McBain — now streaming.

#MichelleRagusaMcBain #StorytimeWithLori #WomenInTech #Cybersecurity #LeadershipPodcast #Authenticity #WomenInLeadership #EmotionalIntelligence #ChannelPartners #Corero #PersonalGrowth #BusinessLeadership #Mentorship

What does it look like to survive abuse… while still showing up every day expected to perform?In this deeply emotional episode of Story Time with Lori, Lori sits down with Sharon Hildebrand to talk about:✨ domestic violence✨ healing after trauma✨ rebuilding self-worth✨ spirituality & energy✨ leadership while struggling privately✨ creating Fearless Sisters Nation to empower young womenThis isn’t just a conversation about survival.It’s about:👉 becoming👉 healing in real time👉 reclaiming your identity after painIf you’ve ever struggled with:* toxic relationships* anxiety or depression* emotional abuse* confidence after trauma* healing while growing your careerthis episode is for you.🎙️ Story Time with Lori — real life, real laughs, real lessons.#MentalHealth #DomesticViolenceAwareness #HealingJourney #WomenInLeadership #TraumaHealing #PersonalGrowth #EmotionalIntelligence #SelfWorth #Podcast #StoryTimeWithLori

Holding More Than One Thing at Once This Mother’s Day Mother’s Day is one of the most emotionally layered days of the year. For some, it’s filled with joy and gratitude. For others, it brings grief, estrangement, infertility, loss, or complicated family dynamics. And for many of us, it’s all of those things at once. As I continue my own journey of healing, self-awareness, and opening my heart again, I’m realizing something important: We don’t need to simplify our emotions to make them acceptable. We’re allowed to feel: ✨ gratitude and grief ✨ love and disappointment ✨ hope and uncertainty ✨ strength and longing. All at the same time. Mother’s Day was originally created to honor the emotional labor, sacrifice, and humanity of women. Today, I think it’s important we expand that definition to include: -those grieving mothers-those who never had the mothers they needed-those navigating infertility or loss-those raising children while healing themselves and those longing to be chosen, loved, and seen. Healing isn’t about becoming emotionless. It’s about learning how to hold your emotions without abandoning yourself. If today feels heavy, you’re not alone. If today feels beautiful, you’re allowed that too. There is room for all of it.

This one is real.

In this solo episode, Lori shares what the last several years have looked like behind the scenes—navigating depression, anxiety, ADHD, career loss, and rebuilding while still carrying it all.

This conversation is about:

• trusting again after hard experiences
• managing mental health while growing your career
• learning how to stay open after being hurt
• understanding that healing isn’t linear

If you’ve ever felt like you were “in it” while still trying to move forward—this episode will resonate.

🎙️ STORYTIME with Lori

#MentalHealthAwareness #PersonalGrowth #CareerGrowth #SelfDevelopment #HealingJourney #WomenInLeadership #MindsetShift #AnxietySupport #DepressionRecovery #StoryTimeWithLori

In this episode of Storytime with Lori, Lori Mayer sits down with Ana for a real, heartfelt conversation about connection, courage, identity, and quiet leadership.

Ana shares her journey from Albania to England to the United States, navigating education, immigration, visa sponsorship, career pivots, and her unexpected path into the tech and data center industry. From attending Channel Partners solo to finding community in women in tech, Ana’s story is a powerful reminder that authentic networking, mentorship, and human connection can change everything.

This conversation explores women in technology, career growth, immigration resilience, boutique companies, leadership, mentorship, professional development, and what it means to live authentically.

🎧 Listen for a story about courage, community, and becoming who you are meant to be.

#StorytimeWithLori #WomenInTech #LeadershipPodcast #CareerGrowth #AuthenticLeadership #ImmigrationJourney #TechIndustry #DataCenters #ChannelPartners #Networking #Mentorship #WomenSupportingWomen #ProfessionalDevelopment #QuietLeadership #SanDiego #AlbanianWomen #Resilience #PodcastEpisode #LeadershipDevelopment #CareerJourney

🔥 “This is what it took.”That’s the line I keep coming back to after recording this episode.Because if I’m being honest…This wasn’t a straight path.It wasn’t clean.And it definitely wasn’t easy.Over the last 10 years, I’ve navigated:leaving a relationship and rebuilding as a single momliving in an environment that didn’t feel safe or stablebecoming estranged from my birth familyopening myself up to love… and getting it wrongcarrying trauma while still showing up every daybeing laid off multiple times (shoutout to the economy 🙃)while also being promoted, leading, and buildingmanaging a $400M+ sales careerbuying a home on my own with no safety netAll at the same time.And here’s the part I think people don’t talk about enough…👉 You can be breaking and building at the same time.👉 You can be healing and performing at the same time.👉 You can be carrying more than people see… and still show up.That’s not failure.That’s real life.This episode of Storytime with Lori is about that duality.It’s about what it actually takes to:✨ choose yourself✨ leave what’s breaking you✨ rebuild when everything falls apart✨ trust again when it would be easier not toAnd also this—This is just one piece of my story.Just like you’re living one piece of yours.We’re all navigating something.Different timelines. Different circumstances. Same weight.So if you’ve been feeling like you’re holding everything together while quietly figuring it out…You’re not alone.🎙️ New episode is live:#StorytimeWithLori #Authenticity #WomenInLeadership #CareerGrowth #PersonalDevelopment #Resilience #Leadership #EmotionalIntelligence #GrowthMindset #WomenSupportingWomen #SalesLeadership #TechSales #SingleMomStrong #HealingJourney #RealTalk #LifeLessons #PodcastLaunch #SelfGrowth #MindsetShift

POV: You walk into a new room… and instead of shrinking, you own it 🔥This episode of Storytime with Lori is a full-circle moment—sitting down with two women who don’t just enter rooms… they shift the energy.Back in our Verizon Connect days, I remember the exact moment Sarah Wicker and Ofelia Petty walked in—✨ One brought bold, undeniable presence✨ The other? Quiet, commanding finesseAnd together? We built, collaborated, and leveled each other up💡 In this episode, we get real about:

• How to step into new environments without losing your identity
• Navigating imposter syndrome (yes, even at the top)
• Building trust + influence FAST
• Why relationships ego every single time
• The truth about leadership, culture, and co-creation

And let’s be honest…👉 If you’re “the new person” in the room right now—this one’s for you#Leadership #WomenInTech #AuthenticLeadership #CareerGrowth #PersonalBrand #ImposterSyndrome #CorporateCulture #Storytelling #PodcastEpisode #YouTube