The Rose Grows

Meet Amy Gordon, a superstar connector, loving friend, devoted mother, wife, daughter, and community leader. She has a gift for bringing people together and making everyone around her feel seen, valued, and supported.

In this episode, Amy and I talk about kindness, friendship, resilience after a benign brain tumor, philanthropy and mitzvot*, family, and what it really means to show up for the people you love.

I hope this conversation reminds you to keep your heart open. The next person who changes your life might be someone you've never met before. 🌹

*Hebrew word for Good Deeds.

What happens when you truly believe in yourself, even when no one is responding and the dream feels bigger than anything you have done before?

In this episode, Rayna Rose sits down with Emmie Levy, creator of The Emmie Effect, for an inspiring conversation about confidence, self belief, journaling, manifestation, and learning how to keep going when doubt shows up.

Emmie shares real stories from her journey, including how she emailed her way into the Super Bowl Halftime Show, what it took to work for the New York Knicks, and how she ran the NYC Half Marathon despite never seeing herself as a runner.

She opens up about anxiety, negative self talk, and the mindset shifts that helped her change the way she speaks to herself and shows up in her life.

This conversation is full of practical tools you can use right away, from journaling for clarity, to flipping the script from “what if I can’t” to “what if I can,” to learning how to talk to yourself like your best friend. Emmie also shares grounding techniques she uses when she feels overwhelmed and why belief has to come before proof.

If you have ever struggled with self doubt, felt stuck waiting for things to happen, or needed a reminder that you are capable of more than you think, this episode is for you.

When you believe in yourself, it’s like magic.

• Why Emmie legally changed her name and how identity shapes confidence

• Emotional sensitivity as a strength, not a weakness

• Journaling from childhood to adulthood and why dates matter

• Teaching gratitude to kids with “Good things are always happening to me”

• Manifestation myths, patience, and sitting in uncertainty

• Emmie’s 11-month journey to the Super Bowl halftime show

• Visualization as a tool for making goals feel real

• Working through negative self-talk with “Flip the Script”

• Talking to yourself like your best friend

• The power of kindness, genuine compliments, and checking in on people

• Family support and building a business together

• Confidence struggles in competitive environments like dance

• Burnout, social media pressure, and redefining success

• The origin of The Emmie Effect confidence card game

• Grounding tools like sour candy, mirrors, walks, and silence

• Why believing in yourself is the most important life skill

• “What if I can?” can change everything

• Confidence is built through action, not perfection

• Kindness toward yourself and others is a daily practice

• Support systems make big dreams sustainable

• Belief creates momentum, even when results are not immediate

• The Emmie Effect Confidence Card Game

• Journaling and gratitude practices

• Visualization and manifestation techniques

• Youth workshops and school programs

• New York City Half Marathon

• New York Knicks

• Super Bowl Halftime Show with Usher

✨ Emmie’s Socials💼 LinkedIn 📸 Instagram

Buy Emmie's card game HERE!

Meet Amanda Markowitz, a mom and activist shaped by generations of resilience. In this episode, we talk about family legacy, the stories that get passed down, and how those stories shape the way we show up for one another today.

As the granddaughter of four Holocaust Survivors, Amanda shares how her family history influences the way she raises her kids, how to tell the truth without creating fear, and why kindness, allyship, and real human connection still matter. It’s an honest, grounding conversation about choosing humanity in complicated times. 

We recorded this interview in 2018. Julius sadly passed away, February 8th, 2022. He was 102 years old. “Meet Julius a Holocaust survivor who later lived and passed away in Miami Beach. We met when I was blessed to chauffeur him to an event my former intern, Danielle Yablonka organized.

Julius was imprisoned at a few different camps, including Auschwitz, where his name became the number tattooed on his arm. Julius saw his wife in a concentration camp. He coincidentally met her later on after the war at a friend's house. They were shortly married after that. His love, at first sight, lasted until she passed away a few years ago.

After he received a few pay raises, he realized if he was worth so much to his employer, he should start his own business. Through the course of his life, Julius opened many bakeries and sold them. He fully retired to his Florida home, and his advice to everyone is to be kind. "You don't have to like me, but you shouldn't hate me. Hate should not exist in the English language. " In this episode, you will hear us talk about dating, business, family and so much more.

I hope this episode not only teaches you something, but I hope it inspires you to film an interview with someone you care about. They won’t always be here to tell their story. One year ago today, I was working a catering job and Zoomed into Julius’s funeral. I share this episode in his memory today. It can be hard to conceptualize how 6 million Jews, mostly with stories we'll never know passed. In his honor, I challenge you instead to think of Julius and his story 6 million times throughout your life, on the good and bad days. When One Grows, We All Grow.

This interview was originally featured on the Palm Beach County Perspective podcast on December 5th, 2022. Rayna Rose discusses her two books The Girl Who Said Hello to Everyone and The Girl Who Wore Two Different Shoes. Additionally she talks about her Shine a Light speaking tour where Rayna Rose spent two weeks addressing audiences from Kindergarten - college about antisemitism, leadership, and the importance of being kind. 

"Palm Beach County Has Multi Talented Residents: Episode 55 offers a glimpse at one of our residents, Rayna Rose Exelbierd, an Entrepreneur, Motivational Speaker, Youth Mentor, and Children's Author. Rayna dedicates her efforts to empowering youth. She has personally mentored thousands of students from around the world including India, Romania, Israel, Poland, Austria, Cuba, Latvia, Germany, Canada, and the United States. As she explains, Rayna’s primary focus is mentoring teens to build self confidence, networking skills, setting personal goals and learning how to respect others and their cultures. This results in highly developed social and listening skills and courage to be proud of their own individuality. Inspired by the loss of her father Rayna authored The Girl Who Said Hello to Everyone. She uses real people, places, and animals from her life to reinforce themes of kindness, conversation, and resilience. As the grandaughter of Holocaust Survivors Rayna has always been proud to volunteer her time with Survivors and other philanthropic causes. Her movement The Rose Grows is training more young leaders how to reach their goals and be kind. I hope you enjoy listening to this high energy guest."

You're just one hello away from new friends and adventures! Hear how a New York minute translated into a new friendship between the creative and kind genius Lucas Menard and Rayna Rose Exelbierd. Whether you know Luc from his viral videos @beautifulsoulsinnyc posting trick shots with water bottles or street photography with strangers, this episode is packed with lessons to reinforce that everyone not only has a story, but multiple chapters.  Engaging others to learn their story and be heard yourself is exemplified in this interview. Kindness and Confidence are FREE things that can make you rich. Gain practical tips for building your brand and vision for the world. Engaging those around you in a confident and kind way is guaranteed to create magic and new possibilities. Go be the first to say hello! "You Never Know Who You're Speaking To" with @beautifulsoulsinnyc Luc Menard 

Listening is FREE and the best gift you can give another human. Through active listening, The Queen of Connection breaks down how even with a complete stranger, we can transform a situation. When one grows, we all grow. 

Sh*t I Wish I Knew. Starting a business is hard, keeping it running for 3 years is even harder! Hear first hand lessons from Rayna Rose with complete transparency and humor. Walk away with tangible tools and mantras when embarking on the entrepreneurial journey. This college talk was exclusively for the business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi at The University of Florida. Bring Rayna Rose to your school by reaching out to [email protected]

Who knew holding the door for a stranger would lead to a free haircut? This episode is all about the power of human connection. Kindness is king. Don't underestimate how much your presence makes the world a better place. Learn about overcoming rejection and how to not take it personally. When one grows, we all grow. 

Sometimes in life, we resist change. This is just like getting an alert to update your phone and refusing to download it. 

Here we grow! Knowing what you need to do and actually applying it are two different things. This episode empowers you to put yourself in environments for building authentic relationships. Create confidence through celebrating your gifts outside of your comfort zone. 

When One Grows, We All Grow.