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In today's episode, you'll meet Chef Sheri, who found her true calling at 50 in the most delicious way possible. This March, I hope you'll join me at Uplifters Live, where we'll explore our own moments of reinvention together. We'll gather at Brooklyn Brewery for a day of deep connection, courage-building workshops, celebration (including my own 50th birthday!), and an amazing lunch created by Emma’s Torch. Whether you're considering your next chapter or simply craving authentic conversation with purpose-driven women, this is your invitation to be part of something special. Tickets are available now, and we never let cost stand in the way of participation – just email me about comp tickets if needed.
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Today’s Featured Uplifter: Sheri JeffersonWhen I think of Chef Sheri Jefferson, I picture her surrounded by simmering industrial-sized pots and joyful chaos in a West Harlem kitchen as she orchestrates another day of feeding hundreds. But what's cooking here goes far beyond mere sustenance. At 60, with unwavering energy, I suspect she moves through the kitchen with the spry determination of someone half her age, transforming simple donated provisions into dignified meals that carry the weight of her own story in every bite.
"I know what it means to suffer in silence," she shares in this episode, her voice softening as she recalls darker days of single motherhood when putting food on the table for her two daughters felt like scaling a mountain. Those struggles now infuse her work at the Food Bank for New York City, where she serves over 500 people daily. She can spot the ones having "dark days" because she's walked in their shoes – trying to keep a brave face while wondering where the next meal will come from.
What began as a culinary school externship at age 50 has blossomed into a nine-year journey of purpose that energizes her more with each passing day. After walking away from nursing school following her sister's death from lupus, Chef Sheri found her way back to service – not in hospital corridors, but in a community kitchen where healing happens over hot meals and warm smiles.
Her Courage Practice: Creating Sacred Space in SolitudeFor someone who spends her days nourishing others, Chef Sheri has learned that her own sustenance comes through embracing spiritual solitude. What others might label as "being alone," she has transformed into precious moments of self-discovery and creative inspiration. By the water's edge or among blooming flowers, she sits for hours, letting her mind wander toward new possibilities for growth and service.
This practice of intentional solitude – once something she avoided – has become her wellspring of creativity and resilience. It's where she dreams up new ways to elevate simple ingredients into memorable meals, where she processes her journey from past struggles to present purpose, and where she gathers the strength to keep showing up with love for her community.
5 Ways She Shows Us How to Build Our Courage Capital1. Transform Past Pain into Present Purpose: Let your struggles become your strength rather than your shame.
2. Embrace Late-Blooming...
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Standing in the darkness of a hotel room across the country from her children, Heather Hester received the call that would transform her life. Her missing teenage son was alive – and he had something to tell her. In that moment of raw relief, as her son's voice crackled through the phone line with his truth, Heather felt her world shift. "I'm gay," he said. Her immediate response? "Thank God, because I thought you were dead."
The journey that followed would crack open everything Heather thought she knew about faith, family, and love. As an evangelical Christian raised in a deeply conservative home, she had inherited a set of beliefs that seemed to leave no room for her son's identity. Yet in that crucial moment, maternal love swept away decades of dogma. (The heart, it turns out, has its own wisdom.)
What emerged from this chrysalis moment was not just a transformed mother, but a fierce advocate who would go on to touch countless lives through her podcast, coaching, and newly published book. Like the butterfly emerging from its cocoon, Heather's metamorphosis required breaking down old structures to build something new – something more beautiful and free than she could have imagined.
Her Courage Practice:Heather's signature practice is what she calls "intentional vulnerability" – deliberately placing herself in spaces where she might face pushback or criticism about LGBTQ+ advocacy. Rather than avoiding difficult conversations, she leans into them, using her own journey from fear to acceptance as a bridge for others. This practice isn't about winning arguments, but about bearing witness to the daily reality many LGBTQ+ individuals face, while creating space for others to examine their own beliefs.
What makes this practice particularly powerful is how it transforms defensive reactions into opportunities for connection. By sharing her own story of evolution – including the fears, doubts, and revelations along the way – Heather creates a template for others to explore their own journey without shame. It's a practice that ripples outward, touching not just parents of LGBTQ+ children, but anyone grappling with the gap between inherited beliefs and lived experience.
"This is not a judgment saying that you need to unlearn bias. You're a human being. We all have them. So we're taking a look at what those biases might be and pulling them apart and working through them and healing from them."1. Transform Fear into Fierce Love
Lead with your heart when your head is still catching up. (Sometimes the wisest part of us already knows what to do.) Heather's immediate acceptance of her son came from a place deeper than conscious thought.
2. Choose Growth Over Comfort
Allow yourself to question inherited beliefs when they conflict with love. Break free from the need to please others (even family) when it means compromising your truth or someone else's wellbeing.
3. Create Brave Spaces for Others
Use your own vulnerability as a bridge to understanding. (Your messy, beautiful journey might be exactly what someone else needs to see.) Share your evolution openly to give others permission to change.
4. Practice Intentional Discomfort
Put yourself in challenging spaces not to argue, but to understand. Let the discomfort remind you of others' daily experiences and fuel your commitment to create change.
5. Love Radically and Simply
When overwhelmed by complexity, return to the simplest truth: love them. See them. Hold space for them. (Sometimes the most powerful actions are the most straightforward.)
Today’s opening is by Rachel Lipson.
Heather was...
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You know those rare conversations that feel like sinking into a comfortable chair? That's what it felt like talking with Candy Motzek. There's an immediate ease that settles over you – a superpower she didn't even recognize she had until people kept telling her how calm they felt in her presence. (Though she'll be the first to tell you that doesn't mean she's always calm inside.)
At 64, Candy embodies what it means to live life on your own terms. She's the engineer-turned-business-coach who takes ballet classes alongside teenagers, collects white feathers that fall from the sky, and chooses depth over small talk every single time. As the only person of color in her school growing up, she learned early that not fitting in could become its own kind of freedom.
What strikes me most about Candy is how she's transformed that early pain of not belonging into a profound sense of belonging to herself. It's a journey that's led her from corporate boardrooms to ballet bars, from engineering problems to solving the deeper equation of what makes a life feel meaningful.
Her Courage PracticeEvery morning, Candy meets herself on the blank pages of her journal, creating a sacred space for reflection and possibility. But here's the twist – she saves the last pages of every journal for "great ideas that aren't ready yet," honoring the whispers of inspiration even when they can't be acted upon immediately. It's a practice that both grounds her in the present and keeps her connected to future possibilities, creating a bridge between who she is and who she's becoming.
"The relationship we have with ourselves is the only one that lasts for our entire life. Why wouldn't you give as much care and attention to the friendship with yourself as you would to your partner or to another person that you love?"
5 Ways She Shows Us How to Build Our Courage Capital:1. Turn Your Differences into Your Superpowers: Instead of trying to fit in, use your unique perspective as a lens through which to see and serve the world
2. Listen to Your Body's Wisdom: Drop from your head into your heart (and gut) to access the intelligence that lives in every cell
3. Save Space for Future Dreams: Create a special place to capture inspiration, even (and especially) when you're not ready to act on it yet
4. Choose Depth Over Performance: Rather than trying to please everyone, focus on creating meaningful connections – starting with yourself
5. Let Your Weird Light Shine: When you fully embrace your authentic self, you give others permission to do the same
The Uplifters’ WebToday’s opening is by Melanie Cohen.
Uplift With Us!🌟 Wear your inspiration with an Uplifter necklace. Treat yourself or gift one HERE.
💡 Need clarity on your vision? Explore private coaching to illuminate your next chapter HERE.
🚀 Is your team ready to soar? Discover how I can boost your high-performers HERE.
👭 Join an Uplifters Circle for regular doses of support and sisterhood. Details HERE.
When I sat down with Tania Kinsella, the first woman of color to serve as Deputy Chief of the NYPD, I expected the usual leadership conversation – strategies, milestones, carefully crafted responses. Instead, I found myself swept up in a current of pure, unbridled love.
Yes, love. In the world of law enforcement. (Stay with me here.)
There's something almost rebellious about the way Tania infuses this four-letter word into every aspect of her leadership. Her voice fills with warmth as she describes her officers, her eyes light up talking about New York's diverse communities, and she beams with a mother’s pride when speaking of her officers.
"If you love and respect your cops, your cops will run through a burning building for you. They will love to come to work. They will love to serve the communities. They will love doing what they're doing if they know that they're valued."
But here's what really got me: underneath the groundbreaking achievements and badassery, Tania is refreshingly, beautifully human. She admits to being scared of the unknown (aren't we all?). She talks about the messy juggle of motherhood and career (those 7-day workweeks with a 13 and 9-year-old at home). And she's not afraid to say she's still figuring it out, still growing, still learning from every misstep.
Her Courage Practice: Dawn Patrol LeadershipIn the quiet hours after dropping her kids at school, Tania laces up her running shoes. The rhythmic pounding of feet on pavement becomes her meditation, her reset button. But true to her nature, she's turned this personal ritual into something bigger – creating a city-wide program where NYPD officers run alongside middle school students. (And maybe, just maybe, shapes future Olympians – because that's the kind of big dreamer Tania is.)
5 Ways she Shows us how to Build our Courage Capital:1. Speak Your Dreams Out Loud: Tania didn't wait for permission to voice her ambitions. She claimed them, then built the foundation to support them.
2. Let Love Be Your Leadership Language: In a world that often equates toughness with strength, dare to lead with open-hearted care and genuine connection.
3. Turn Your Self-Care into Community Care: Your personal practices can ripple out to create unexpected waves of positive change.
4. Embrace the Beautiful Chaos: Those dropped plates and imperfect moments? They're not failures – they're your best teachers in disguise.
5. Root Deep in Your Now: Stop stressing about tomorrow. Focus your energy on making magic where you're planted today.
The Uplifters’ WebToday’s opening is by Meg Wolfe.
Let’s keep rising higher together.
💓 Aransas
Uplift With Us!🌟 Wear your inspiration with an Uplifter necklace. Treat yourself or gift one HERE.
💡 Need clarity on your vision? Explore private coaching to illuminate your next chapter HERE.
🚀 Is your team ready to soar? Discover how I can boost your high-performers HERE.
👭 Join an Uplifters Circle for regular doses of support and sisterhood. Details HERE.
Aditi Sethi, MD is a hospice and palliative care physician, end-of-life doula, and Executive Director of the Center for Conscious Living and Dying. Featured in the forthcoming film The Last Ecstatic Days, Aditi is an emerging and important voice for shifting our culture’s understanding and approach to dying, death, and bereavement care. She recently did a TEDx talk in Asheville, NC entitled "The Art of Dying Before You Die."
In a culture that often turns away from death, Dr. Aditi Sethi stands as a gentle revolutionary, inviting us to look directly at what we fear most – and find unexpected gifts of presence, connection, and love. Aditi's work challenges our modern tendency to medicalize and institutionalize death, offering instead a path of conscious preparation and community care.
Her journey began as a child visiting India, where she witnessed "the full range of human experience" in plain sight – from poverty to vitality, aging to death – in stark contrast to the manicured existence she knew in Augusta, Georgia. This early exposure to life's raw realities sparked a lifelong calling that led her to become a hospice volunteer at 17 and eventually a physician specializing in end-of-life care.
But it wasn't until caring for Ethan Sisser (featured in the forthcoming film "The Last Ecstatic Days") that Aditi fully realized her mission: helping people prepare for death while they're still vibrantly alive. This preparation goes far beyond advance directives and practical arrangements – though those matter too. It's about the spiritual and emotional readiness to face our mortality, and in doing so, to live more fully in each precious moment.
Through her own recent experiences of profound loss – including the unexpected death of her beloved father and a dear friend – Aditi demonstrates how conscious grieving can transform our relationship with death. The story of her young son Avi's raw, honest grieving at the community fire after his grandfather's passing stands as a powerful testament to what's possible when we create space for authentic emotion instead of hiding it away.
5 Key Uplifting Lessons:1. Presence Over Perfection: Instead of trying to fix or change difficult emotions around death and grief, we can choose to be fully present with whatever arises – whether it's wailing, raging, or quiet tears. This presence itself becomes a powerful healing force.
2. Community as Medicine: Death and grief don't have to be solitary experiences. When we allow our communities to hold us in our most vulnerable moments, we discover a depth of support and connection that transforms the experience of loss.
3. Small Deaths as Teachers: Every time we face a significant letting go – whether it's moving homes, ending relationships, or shifting careers – we practice for the ultimate transition. These "small d deaths" can teach us how to surrender with grace.
4. Self-Care isn't Selfish: As Uplifters, we must learn to receive care as well as we give it. Sometimes the most powerful way to serve others is to honor our own needs for rest, renewal, and authenticity.
5. Living Fully Means Dying Consciously: When we acknowledge that our time is limited, we gain clarity about what truly matters. This awareness can guide us to live more intentionally, express our love more freely, and pursue what brings us alive while we're here.
The Uplifters’ WebToday’s opening is by Mary
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This excerpt from Claude’s website is the best introduction I could possibly give you for the story you’re about to hear.
Everyday you are leaving a heart print with everyone you meet.Today’s opening is by Martie Betts, a true Uplifter and a generous paid sponsor of this podcast.
Claude was nominated by her BFF, the extraordinary Gail Tifford. Check out her story in episode 77.
Let’s keep rising higher together.
💓 Aransas
Uplift With Us!🌟 Wear your inspiration with an Uplifter necklace. Treat yourself or gift one HERE.
💡 Need clarity on your vision? Explore private coaching to illuminate your next chapter HERE.
🚀 Is your team ready to soar? Discover how I can boost your high-performers
Get full access to The Uplifters at www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe
A 13-time Emmy award-winning TV producer turned disability advocate, Gisela's journey of self-discovery began when her neurodivergent children helped her recognize and embrace her own identity as a disabled person. With 25 years of experience telling others' stories through film and television, she's now using her voice to expand society's understanding of disability and champion the power of authentic self-expression.
Key Uplifting Lessons:1. Embrace Your Truth Without Fear: The path to self-acceptance begins with acknowledging our whole selves, including the parts we've been conditioned to hide. Our challenges often become our greatest teachers when we stop resisting them.
2. Reframe "Normal" as a Construct: Understanding that "normal" is a relatively new concept tied to capitalism helps us break free from harmful expectations and embrace our unique ways of being.
3. Community Heals: Archaeological evidence shows it's not the strongest who survive, but the most connected. Our growth and healing happen through finding others who give us space to be honest and authentic.
4. Name It to Claim It: Identifying and naming our needs isn't a sign of weakness—it's a powerful act of self-advocacy that allows us to seek appropriate support and connect with others who share similar experiences.
5. Find Your Medicine: Whether it's chanting, walking in nature, or creating art, discovering personal practices that help us process emotions and connect with something larger than ourselves is essential for wellbeing.
Listen to Gisela’s full story on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
The Uplifters’ WebGisela was nominated by Lovisa Brown from Episode 82.
Uplift With Us!🌟 Wear your inspiration with an Uplifter necklace. Treat yourself or gift one HERE.
💡 Need clarity on your vision? Explore private coaching to illuminate your next chapter HERE.
🚀 Is your team ready to soar? Discover how I can boost your high-performers HERE.
👭 Join an Uplifters Circle for regular doses of support and sisterhood. Details HERE.
Ever notice that the faces of founders of billion-dollar tech companies all look pretty much the same? Regina Gwynn has – and she's doing something about it. As co-founder of Black Women Talk Tech, Regina is flipping the script on what a tech founder looks like, helping Black women build the next generation of billion-dollar businesses. "When you think about a tech founder, you think of Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates," she notes. "They have a lot in common, don't you think?"
Named one of the 100 most powerful women by Entrepreneur Magazine and featured in Essence Magazine's top 10 women in tech, Regina's journey from self-described "mall rat" to tech mogul is reshaping what's possible. Through the groundbreaking Roadmap to Billions conference, the largest technology conference for Black women in the country, Regina and her team are educating, amplifying, and funding the next generation of tech leaders. But what truly sets Regina apart is her insistence that women think bigger. "Guys aren't thinking about making just $10 million," she points out. "We need to be thinking about how to build $500 million, billion-dollar companies."
Regina's approach to scaling impact while maintaining wellbeing offers valuable lessons for any woman building something meaningful. Her secret? Working smarter, not harder. "Your ability to produce output is directly correlated to your ability to scale," she shares. "Millions of people cannot be reached with one person working all the time. There have to be tools, systems, processes, and automation."
"Founder self-care is just as necessary as the pitch deck or the customer service strategy... If you aren't whole, if you don't have the mental, emotional, spiritual capacity to govern yourself, then where can your business go?"5 Key Uplifting Lessons1. Think Bigger Than You're Comfortable With: The path to real impact requires stretching beyond conventional goals. Don't settle for $10 million when you could build a billion-dollar company.
2. Choose Your Hard: Every path has its challenges. Whether it's building a business or going back to corporate life, consciously choose which "hard" aligns with your vision.
3. Delegation is Freedom: Learning to delegate – whether to people or to different time periods – is crucial for scaling and preventing burnout.
4. Small Tests, Big Learning: Start with small investments ($500-$1000) to test ideas and approaches. Learning what doesn't work is just as valuable as finding what does.
5. Community Creates Momentum: The power of network and relationships translates into lifting entire communities and changing the trajectory of what's possible for future generations.
🌟 Wear your inspiration with an Uplifter necklace. Treat yourself or gift one HERE.
💡 Need clarity on your vision? Explore private coaching to illuminate your next chapter HERE.
🚀 Is your team ready to soar? Discover how I can boost your high-performers HERE.
👭 Join an Uplifters Circle for regular doses of support and sisterhood. Details HERE.
At just 22, Alli Schroeder has already blazed trails most wouldn't dare to walk. As the first woman to play in the Canadian Collegiate Baseball Conference and a 2X bronze medalist with Team Canada's national baseball team, she's no stranger to being the only woman on the field. But perhaps even more impressively, when she's not commanding the pitcher's mound, she's battling wildfires in British Columbia's challenging terrain.
Growing up in the small town of Fruitvale, BC (population: roughly 1,000), Alli learned early that resilience isn't just about individual strength – it's about creating positive change for others. Inspired by her mother, who also works in the male-dominated wildfire industry, Alli developed a unique approach to handling adversity: stay emotionless in the face of challenge but let your passion fuel your purpose.
Today, Alli's impact reaches far beyond the baseball diamond. When she returns to her hometown, she sees young girls playing baseball without hesitation – a stark contrast to her early days as the only female player. Her story is now featured in See Her, Be Her, a documentary chronicling seven remarkable women in baseball worldwide, which premiered on MLB Network last week.
5 Key Uplifting Lessons from Alli's Journey:1. Turn Criticism into Purpose: Instead of letting negative voices derail you, use them as motivation to create better opportunities for those who follow. Alli transformed the challenges she faced into a determination to make baseball more accessible for future female players.
2. Redefine Work Ethic: True work ethic isn't about going hard 100% of the time – it's about strategic thinking, knowing when to rest, and understanding what you need in each moment to perform at your best long-term.
3. Lead with Resilience: Sometimes, showing no emotion is a form of strength. As Alli learned on the pitcher's mound, maintaining composure under pressure isn't about suppressing feelings – it's about channeling them productively.
4. Find Your Team: Whether on a baseball field or fighting fires, success comes from working within your strengths while supporting others. Recognize that some days, you'll operate at 30%, and that's when your team lifts you up.
5. Prioritize Recovery: The highest performers understand that rest isn't weakness – it's strategic. Taking time to recover, whether through cold water therapy, family time, or simply sleeping well, is crucial for sustained excellence.
What do you think?Please click here to complete our listener survey. It’ll take less than 2 minutes. I read every response and use your feedback to continuously improve our show for you.
The Uplifters’ WebAlli was nominated by Tammie Meaks, a wonderful member of our production partners at Produce Your Podcast.
This week’s opening is by the wonderful Lisa Crozier whose story was featured in episode 13.
In a week where election results have left many Americans feeling the depths of our divisions, Susan McPherson's wisdom about authentic connection feels more vital than ever. As communities across the country grapple with political polarization and social isolation, her message about breaking out of our "hermetically sealed bubbles" and connecting across differences offers a path forward - not just for our personal relationships, but for our collective healing.
Growing up in the late 60s and 70s, Susan would watch her parents at the breakfast table, methodically clipping newspaper articles that made them think of friends, colleagues, and former students. With their manual typewriters, they'd craft personal notes to accompany each clipping before sending them off through the mail. This weekly ritual of thoughtful connection would shape Susan's understanding of what it means to truly connect with others - and eventually inspire her to write The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Business Relationships to help others rediscover the power of meaningful relationships in our digital age.
As a self-described "serial connector" and someone who admits that connecting is "really the only thing I'm good at," Susan has developed a framework that flips traditional networking on its head. Instead of focusing on what we can get from others, she advocates for leading with how we can help - an approach that feels especially relevant in our post-pandemic world where many are craving deeper, more intentional connections.
5 Key Uplifting Lessons:Please click here to complete our listener survey. It’ll take less than 2 minutes. I read every response and use your feedback to continuously improve our show for you.
The Uplifters’ WebThis week’s opening is by the wonderful Kym Dakin
Susan was nominated by Daisy Auger-Dominguez.
Let’s keep rising higher together.
💓 Aransas
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