I sat down and interviewed my mom on being in a critical car accident at 22, then two years later getting diagnosed with thyroid cancer. She unpacks the emotions she felt and how she was able to get through these burdening moments at such an early age. Our dialogue explores themes of resilience, faith, and the importance of support during difficult times. Cassandra’s story emphasizes the fragility of life and the strength found in faith and relationships.

KB Chakela and Ally Portee strive to bring Bible characters to life- especially for those who don't read the Bible or who are rusty on people and accounts. In the last episode of the series, they discuss Mary, the mother of Jesus and her impact to faith. KB unpacks Mary before the birth of Jesus, and Ally unpacks her after the birth of her son. Mary came from a devout Jewish family, and she had unyielding faith in God. Though she didn’t fully understand what it meant to obey God and birth and raise Jesus, she believed and trusted God through the most painful moments of her life.

In this engaging conversation, Ally and Kitty discuss the challenges of dating in 2025, emphasizing how the bar has been set low due to societal changes, particularly the influence of social media. They explore themes of selfishness, the importance of accountability, and the necessity of establishing boundaries in relationships. The discussion also highlights the significance of self-reflection and personal growth in navigating modern love, ultimately advocating for a more mindful approach to dating and relationships.

Kitty’s PR firm, The mjg Firm: www.themjgfirm.com

In this episode Ally shares her journey into fashion journalism, discussing the challenges and changes in the media landscape. She emphasizes the importance of creating your own platform while contributing to established publications, offering practical advice for aspiring fashion contributors.

In conversation 76, Ayo Ojo, known as The Fashion Roadman shares his unique journey into the fashion industry, discussing how he stumbled into fashion, the challenges facing London Fashion Week, and the evolving landscape of fashion journalism.

In this episode, Simon explains:

-Citizen journalists provide valuable on-the-ground reporting.
-Entrepreneurial journalists are emerging as important voices.
-PR professionals must build long-term relationships with journalists.
-Emerging markets offer exciting opportunities for professionals.

Austin is the co-Founder of Interscribe Global Communications Agency, which helps leaders navigate the complex intersection of politics and communications. He’s also an international election observer who's spent the last decade working across emerging democracies. His experience has taken him from observing elections in Albania and Georgia to working with global NGOs, think tanks, and advocacy groups on strategic communications challenges.

Alison Rehill-Erguven CEO of Cenomi Centers. What Emaar is to Dubai, what Westfield is to London, or Simon Property Group is to the US, Cenomi Centers is to Saudi Arabia. She brings over 25 years of extensive leadership experience across shopping malls and retail real estate globally. Leading the strategic growth and transformation of Cenomi Centers' portfolio, Alison oversees development, operations, marketing, and asset management functions. She previously held leadership roles in Europe and Turkey and began her career in the United States with Simon Property Group and General Growth Properties. In this episode Alison talks about what drives her, what she studies most about malls she walks into, the Saudi consumer, and the character trait that’s needed to be the CEO of a mall developer.

Russian born, Inga Rubenstein is also American. She’s St. Petersburg, turned New York City, turned fashion model, turned ardent art connoisseur. I first met Inga in Florence, Italy by chance and have admired her style, and the way she holds herself in a reserved manner. In this episode we talk about her life in Russia, modeling, NY, art, and her philanthropic work.

In episode 6 of the series, KB and Ally discuss three women of faith. Two are nameless (as there are many nameless women in the Bible): The Shunammite Woman, and the Woman With Blood. And then there is Sarah. The Shunammite Woman desired greatly to be a mother and almost lost the son God blessed her with, but she had faith for the child’s healing. The Woman With Blood suffered from a health issue and her faith was ignited by strong conviction. And Sarah, the mother of Israel is known for her great faith in God, that at 90 she bore a son, Isaac. All three of these women had great faith and God blessed them richly.