Born and bred in East Texas with roots on a cattle ranch, artist Melinda Buie came to New York after college to pursue her artistic dreams. Before establishing her own studio in Port Chester, NY, Melinda worked for the Whitney Museum of American Art, Gluckman Mayner Architects, and The Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation.

Now the mother of two school-age boys, Melinda shares with us the path to parenthood with her wife, saying yes, and why her art often features farm animals. It’s a lesson in maintaining artistic inspiration while chasing children and juggling life.  Find out why she says “never say never.”

Episode originally aired live on WVOX-AM September 30, 2021. For show notes, go to thebalancedilemma.com

Hosts Maura Carlin and Christie Derrico return to the studio to begin the second season of The Balance Dilemma. They catch up on summer fun - it includes a RV trip - and discuss going forward. Lessons from prior guests, expected future guests, and more research are all on tap in this episode.

Episode originally aired live on WVOX-AM on September 16, 2021.

This amazing woman pursued a career in foreign service that enabled her to also serve herself, her family, and the world.

Carlotta Ferrero's career has taken her to conflict zones around the world, including Eastern Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Her most recent assignment put her in Saudi Arabia with her family. Hear how she parlayed her resume of policy development, justice reform, peace building and democratization, with a focus on gender equality, into a senior advisor position to the Chair of the Women 20 of the G20 summit. Carlotta explains how and why she decided to put personal/family happiness first to have the best of both worlds. Plus, find out why her toughest assignment was spending a year in Upstate New York!

Episode originally aired live on WVOX-AM on July 22, 2021.

Loretta McCarthy, Managing Partner of Golden Seeds LLC, provides our listeners with an Investment 101 recap that includes how to fund your dream venture or someone else’s, through Golden Seeds’ network of venture capital angel investors. Venture capital v. private equity. Stages of development. Whether this route of entrepreneurship can provide balance. We discuss it all.

Plus, learn how you can apply to Golden Seeds for funding or become an investor yourself.

Circumstances beyond our control affected sound quality of this episode, but the content is great! Enjoy!

Episode originally aired live on WVOX-AM on July 8, 2021.

Tech gave Pat Sigmon a career and future, long before ‘women in tech’ was a ‘thing’. Following multiple pivots and reinventions, now she’s giving back, as a professor, mentor, advisor and judge in ‘Shark Tank’ like college competitions.

With a degree in computer science (earned at night while raising children) and after working at a large company, she founded her own company. Thirty or so years later, she sold the business . . . and went back to school for the college experience her children enjoyed.  And yes, there were parties, but these mature students savored fine wines not jello shots! Now an author and professor, Pat started a new venture, The CEO Hotline.

We call her the Mother of Reinvention . . . and she’s Christie’s mother!

Episode aired live on WVOX-AM on June 24, 2021.

Where are we going and how shall we get there? Audrey Hendley, President of American Express Travel, tackles both of these questions from the perspective of life, travel, and career.

Born, bred, and educated in Ireland, Audrey came to the United States after winning the U.S. Visa lottery. What she thought might be a fun year of travel, turned into what is now a 20+ year career at American Express. Her present position is actually her second stint in the travel group, having also worked in the credit card and insurance divisions. But travel is her passion . . . and she turned it into a successful career. Whether by design or series of fortunate events, hear how she did it, while raising a family and championing other women.

Plus, as the United States and, hopefully, the world, emerge from the COVID-19 global pandemic, we want to know where, when, and how to travel in this new era. And, yes, Audrey encourages us to travel today, tomorrow, and next year . . . with Plans A, B, and C on tap.

Episode aired live on WVOX-AM on June 10, 2021.

For show notes go to thebalancedilemma.com

Suzanna Keith and Sonal Rinello explain how hellocareerguru.com - a career trainer using artificial intelligence (AI) - can help you navigate the corporate lattice. This new technology application - built by women, for women - provides personalized coaching. In this episode, not only do Suzanna and Sonal share personal stories but also explain how a customized career game plan is your ticket to fulfillment - whether you’re looking to advance professionally, feeling stuck, hit hard by the pandemic, or needing to pivot. As you’ll learn, the way up isn’t always a straight line. And your “mom skills” can help get you that next position.

Use offer code Guru21 for two months free (offer expires July 1, 2021 and is subject to conditions).

Episode aired on WVOX-AM on May 27, 2021

David L. Marcus is an admissions coach, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, author, and devoted father.

As an admissions coach, Dave helps each student find the right college, or grad school, as well as assisting those who decide that college is not the right path. He works with students of all backgrounds and aspirations. He's also coached many students whose parents are going through divorces, job changes and other transitions.  David attended a public high school in Westchester County and then studied at Brown University and Harvard. But we will hear why a community college changed his life. Plus his advice on how to keep balance and perspective in the college admissions process and fatherhood.

David is the author of ACCEPTANCE, a book that shows students navigating the application process. Before that, David wrote a book about struggling teenagers. As a journalist, David worked for the Boston Globe, the Miami Herald, and Newsday on Long Island. He shared the Pulitzer Prize. He has been featured on the Today show and NPR radio programs.

Episode aired live on WVOX-AM May 13, 2021

Daniel Carlin, producer of Tony Nominated Slave Play, and Wednesday Derrico, Executive Director of Experimental Bitch Presents (EBP), tell their stories as young performers to professionals in the entertainment biz. Hear when and what to expect as the curtain rises for the return of in-person Broadway theater. And, of course, they share thoughts about success and balance. BTW, consider this the 'mother' of all episodes as these two are none other than Maura and Christie’s own children.

This episode aired live on WVOX-AM on April 29, 2021

For show notes go to our website

Elaine DiCostanzo tells us about hitting the refresh button on her career, with the help of a returnship program. Both an attorney and a medical doctor, she opted to stay home and raise her children. Fast-forward nearly 20 years later, Elaine returned to the workforce. But what field did she choose, law or medicine? You’ll have to listen in for her decision and how she did it.