What if employer-sponsored healthcare helped people address the root causes of illness, not just manage symptoms?

In this episode of The Charleston Chicks, we sit down with David Thedinga, founder of Tikvah Health, to discuss his vision for connecting employees with functional, complementary, and whole-person care through the workplace.

Drawing on two decades of experience in insurance, and his family’s personal healthcare journey. David explains why navigating functional medicine can be confusing, expensive, and inaccessible. He shares how Tikvah Health is working with employers, healthcare providers, benefits professionals, and other partners to create a more connected and affordable path to care.

We explore provider vetting, employee education, telehealth, reimbursement options, employer dashboards, early pilot programs, and the business case for investing in healthier employees. David also explains why HR leaders and forward-thinking employers may play a pivotal role in shaping the future of healthcare.

In this episode:

Why David founded Tikvah Health

The gaps between conventional and complementary care

Making functional and root-cause care more accessible

How Tikvah Health works through employers

Educating employees and improving health literacy

How providers are selected and vetted

Telehealth, referrals, and nationwide accessibility

Reimbursement and employer-funded care pathways

The potential business benefits of healthier employees

Why functional medicine can feel like a luxury

Building and testing a new healthcare model

The role of HR leaders and benefits professionals

David’s definition of whole-person wellness

How pioneering employers can help move healthcare forward

Timestamps

00:00 Opening

Learn more about Tikvah Health and connect with David to explore employer partnerships, pilot opportunities, and the October 13 event at the Harbor Entrepreneur Center in Mount Pleasant: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/functional-health-and-the-workplace 

What would you change about employer-sponsored healthcare? Share your thoughts in the comments, and don’t forget to subscribe for more honest conversations about wellness, business, and life in Charleston.

This episode is for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional regarding your individual health needs.

#CharlestonChicks #TikvahHealth #FunctionalMedicine #RootCauseMedicine #EmployeeWellness #HealthcareInnovation #WorkplaceWellness #HumanResources #EmployeeBenefits #HealthLiteracy

What if your chiropractor, functional medicine provider, massage therapist, acupuncturist and primary-care team actually worked together?

This week, Melanie and Lisa sit down with their longtime friend, Dr. Stephen Khouri of Khouri Chiropractic, to discuss his vision for more connected, compassionate and accessible healthcare.

Stephen explains how his expanding integrative model brings multiple disciplines together to treat the whole person - not just one symptom at a time. They discuss functional medicine, chiropractic care, acupuncture, massage, pain management, whole-body imaging, hormones and the importance of putting the patient before the profit.

But this conversation goes far beyond healthcare. Stephen shares how a childhood chiropractic experience shaped his career, why he chose chiropractic school over professional soccer and how growing up between two sisters helped make him a strong ally for women. The conversation also explores Charleston’s small-business community, the challenges facing young men, building resilience, modern parenting and the freedom children once had to fail, learn and grow.

Melanie and Lisa also share their personal experiences with perimenopause, surgical menopause, hormone support and the struggle to find providers who truly listen.

What would you change about the way healthcare is delivered? Let us know in the comments.

Disclaimer: This episode shares personal experiences and general information for discussion and entertainment. It is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before beginning or changing medications, supplements or treatments.

Timestamps

0:00 Welcome to the Charleston Chicks

0:22 Meet Dr. Stephen Khouri and his integrative health vision

0:53 25 years in chiropractic, building a true integrative model

1:56 What holistic, patient-centered care actually looks like

2:19 How pricing and insurance will actually work

3:08 Saving time and money with an integrated approach

3:23 GLPs, functional medicine and real patient results

4:04 The full lineup: acupuncture, massage, pain management, MRI Wellness

4:25 What MRI Wellness actually does

5:07 Locations and the Ember Wellness integration

6:00 Making healthcare affordable without sacrificing quality

8:08 Is the wellness industry becoming an inaccessible luxury?

9:06 Finding the right fit instead of a one size fits all package

13:20 Why being fully present with patients changes everything

15:31 A lifetime of chiropractic, starting at age 6

16:01 What Stephen says to chiropractic skeptics

19:59 The childhood moment that set his path

20:43 Choosing chiropractic school over a shot at pro soccer

22:03 His MLS opportunity and the road not taken

24:37 The hidden sacrifices of a pro athlete's life

26:22 His dad's soccer coaching legacy

29:13 How marketing preys on women and moms

32:32 Founding the Danny Allen Soccer Academy

33:26 Why Charleston feels like home

36:47 Building a business and a life in Charleston

38:35 The pressures facing young men today

39:14 Raising resilient kids without babying them

42:04 When parents see their kids as a reflection of themselves

45:14 Resilience, anxiety and letting kids struggle

45:44 Ebikes, screen time and how differently we grew up

49:49 Growing up in Jamaica vs. life in America

52:59 Why Charleston is the ultimate lifestyle value

53:41 Getting real about hormones and menopause

56:19 Lisa's menopause journey and finding an advocate

58:01 Empowering women to stop fearing supplements

1:00:02 Wrap up and thank you

#CharlestonChicks #StephenKhouri #KhouriChiropractic #IntegrativeHealth #FunctionalMedicine #ChiropracticCare #WomensHealth #Menopause #HormoneHealth #HealthyAging #CharlestonPodcast #PodcastForWomen

Wardrobe stylist and creative director Andrea Serrano has spent 30 years dressing photo shoots, TV shows, and ad campaigns - from an MTV Latino internship in Miami to styling luxury hospitality brands like The Ritz-Carlton and Saint Regis. On this episode of Charleston Chicks, she walks us through her wildest career pivots: opening one of Charleston's first streetwear and sneaker boutiques in 2004, surviving the 2008 crash, landing a costume-shopping gig on "Army Wives," and eventually building a full-service styling career that takes her from the Caribbean to New Orleans.

We also get into manifestation, the abundance mindset, Human Design, fashion advice for every age, and why she believes your 50s might be the best decade of your life.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

[00:47] What wardrobe styling actually involves

CONNECT WITH ANDREA SERRANO:

CONNECT WITH CHARLESTON CHICKS:

New episodes of Charleston Chicks drop regularly - subscribe and leave us a rating and review to help more women find our show!

Men's mental health, modern dating, and the male loneliness epidemic: are men lonely because the world changed, or because they refused to change with it? On this episode of The Charleston Chicks, hosts Lisa and Melanie break down what's really behind the rise in male loneliness, and they don't sugarcoat it.

They trace the term back to its source (a 2023 U.S. Surgeon General declaration on loneliness and isolation), unpack the data, including rising numbers of men reporting zero close friends, declining male workforce participation, and stagnant wages, and ask the question most people avoid: is male loneliness something that happened to men, or the result of choices men have made?

The conversation covers the "comfort trap" of phones, gaming, and streaming replacing real connection, why so many men struggle to build close friendships with other men, the difference between needing a partner and wanting one, and why women are no longer willing to carry the emotional labor in relationships by default.

It's a candid, unfiltered take on masculinity, emotional growth, accountability, and what it actually takes to break the cycle, for this generation of men and the next.

The Charleston Chicks is a weekly podcast where Lisa and Melanie talk relationships, personal growth, and modern womanhood with zero filter and a lot of honesty.

If this episode resonated with you, leave us a rating and review, it helps more people find the show. Follow us on social media to keep the conversation going.

Protein. Steps. Sleep scores. Supplements. Hormones. Creatine. Red-light therapy. Cold plunges. Gut health. Morning sunlight. Are we healthier yet, or just completely overwhelmed?

In this episode, Melanie and Lisa unpack the increasingly complicated world of wellness. They’re both believers in taking care of themselves, natural health and functional medicine.. but when every expert offers a different rule, even “self-care” can start feeling like another full-time job.

They discuss supplement confusion, expensive wellness trends, health influencers, red-light therapy, functional versus traditional medicine and the pressure to perfectly optimize every part of our lives. They also ask an important question: When does pursuing wellness actually become unhealthy?

The takeaway? You don’t need the perfect routine. Doing something positive for yourself, even imperfectly, is still better than doing nothing. Start with what feels sustainable, take it one step at a time and give yourself permission to be a human being, not a walking wellness spreadsheet.

What part of the wellness world overwhelms you most? Tell us in the comments.

Disclaimer: This episode shares personal experiences and opinions for general discussion and entertainment. It is not medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before beginning or changing supplements, medications or health treatments.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Welcome to the Charleston Chicks

#CharlestonChicks #WellnessOverload #WomenOver45 #MidlifeWellness #FunctionalMedicine #NaturalHealth #HealthyAging #SelfCare #PodcastForWomen #CharlestonPodcast

Can we still be friends—or remain close as family—when our beliefs don’t align?

This week, Melanie and Lisa examine how politics, religion and social media have made relationships across different viewpoints increasingly difficult. They discuss family boundaries, social media assumptions, outrage-driven algorithms, cancel culture and the value of choosing respectful conversation over immediate rejection.

But tolerance has limits. When does a difference of opinion deserve grace, and when does a belief become genuinely harmful or dehumanizing?

At the heart of the conversation is one question: Can we put relationships first without compromising who we are?

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Welcome

At this age, we’re officially retiring the phrase “guilty pleasure.” 🥂

In today’s episode, Melanie and Lisa are talking about the things women are made to feel guilty for enjoying - from Poshmark deals, Botox and DoorDash to canceled plans, late nights, reality TV, dessert first and staying in pajamas all day.

Because why should we apologize for the things that make life easier, more peaceful or simply more fun?

Plus, the Chicks weigh in on checking an ex’s Instagram, Googling someone before a date, traveling without your partner and the freedom of simply saying, “I’m unavailable.” No explanation required.

What’s one “guilty pleasure” you’re officially refusing to feel guilty about? Tell us in the comments!

Subscribe for honest conversations about reinvention, relationships, real life and everything women over 45 are usually expected to filter out.

Timestamps

00:00 Welcome to the Charleston Chicks

#CharlestonChicks #GuiltyPleasures #WomenOver45 #WomenOver40 #MidlifeWomen #GirlTalk #CharlestonPodcast #NoMoreGuilt #SelfCare #PodcastForWomen

Choosing a traditional marriage isn't the problem. Losing your ability to leave one is. 

In today's episode, Melanie and Lisa are digging into the TradWife movement - what it actually means to choose a traditional lifestyle versus being trapped in one by money, dependency or fear.

Because there's a real difference between a woman who chooses to stay home and one who has no financial security, no independence and no way out.

The Chicks also push back on the idea that feminism is destroying the family. Healthy families aren't built on obligation or outdated rules, they're built when two people actually choose each other, build something real together, and raise their kids on solid ground.

Can you be a TradWife and a feminist? Tell us where you land in the comments.

Subscribe for honest conversations about reinvention, relationships, real life and everything women over 45 are usually expected to filter out.

Timestamps

00:00 Welcome to the Charleston Chicks

#CharlestonChicks #TradWife #Feminism #FinancialIndependence #ChoiceFeminism #WomenOver45 #Marriage #ModernWomen #GirlTalk #CharlestonPodcast

What happens when Charleston style, personal legacy, and a little well-dressed swagger come together?

In this episode of The Charleston Chicks, Lisa and Melanie sit down with Charleston native, designer, stylist, model, father, and founder of Kenneth Beatrice, Chelsie Ravenell.

Chelsie shares his unexpected journey from college basketball to fashion design, including teaching himself to sew by taking apart thrifted jackets and figuring out how to rebuild them. He also shares the deeply personal story behind the name Kenneth Beatrice and the signature rose featured throughout his designs.

We talk about:

✨ Building a fashion brand in Charleston

And yes, Chelsie brought clothes—so naturally, we played a little dress-up.

A special thank-you to Live Oak Charleston for allowing us to film in their beautiful space.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Welcome to The Charleston Chicks

Follow Chelsie Ravenell on Instagram: @chelsieravenell

If you enjoyed this episode, like, comment, and subscribe—and tell us: How important is personal style when you’re attracted to someone?

#CharlestonChicks #ChelsieRavenell #KennethBeatrice #CharlestonFashion #CharlestonSC

🧬 Can we actually cure Type 1 diabetes and cancer in our lifetime? This week on Charleston Chicks, we sit down with Dr. Leonardo Ferreira, immunologist at MUSC and Founder & CEO of Torpedo Bio, to talk about engineering immune cells, the future of medicine, entrepreneurship, venture funding, and what it really takes to build life-changing science from the ground up. Leo shares his journey from Portugal to Charleston, his TEDx experience, launching a biotech company, and why the future of medicine may look very different than it does today. ✨ Topics we cover: • The future of Type 1 diabetes treatment • Engineering immune cells to fight disease • Cancer breakthroughs and immunotherapy • Starting a biotech company in Charleston • Raising venture capital • TEDx Charleston • Innovation, resilience, and taking risks • Building a life around purpose ⏱ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Welcome & Introduction 00:40 Meet Dr. Leonardo Ferreira 01:05 What happens if we cure Type 1 diabetes? 03:00 How immune cell engineering works 05:45 Fighting cancer with immunotherapy 08:30 Leo's path from Portugal to Charleston 11:00 Building a biotech startup 14:20 Venture funding and entrepreneurship 17:30 Why Charleston is becoming an innovation hub 20:00 The realities of scientific breakthroughs 23:30 The future of medicine 26:40 Final thoughts and what's next 📍 Guest: Dr. Leonardo Ferreira Founder & CEO, Torpedo Bio Immunologist at MUSC 🔗 Learn more: Torpedo Bio TEDx Charleston MUSC 🎙 Charleston Chicks is where bold women, founders, creators, and changemakers share their stories, expertise, and experiences shaping Charleston and beyond. 👍 Like this episode? Please LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE to help us continue highlighting incredible people doing meaningful work in our community. #CharlestonChicks #CharlestonSC #MUSC #Biotech #Immunotherapy #CancerResearch #Type1Diabetes #TEDxCharleston #WomenInPodcasting #CharlestonPodcast #Innovation #StartupLife #MedicalResearch