The Women's Current

Bestselling Author and Psychological Thrillers

Wendy Walker is an internationally known bestselling author of psychological thrillers. This particular segment of novels suits her quite well in turbulent times. Especially when those times call for quick action. Her newest book Don't Look for Me, was supposed to be released on September 15th. As they say: 'timing is everything'. In early March preview copies had just been sent to bookstores and reviewers and then...Covid Lockdown!

When things happen un-expectantly – Bringing a community of authors together

The unexpected happens all the time. How Wendy handled it made all the difference. It took time, research and the use of what she had in front of her. Knowledge is power and Wendy used hers to commandeer her community of authors and lead them in taking the Bull by the Horns. With the power of the internet in front of her Wendy devised a very targeted and carefully executed plan. As a result, the release date of September 15th saw a flood of Wendy's book all over the book community on Instagram. Her plan not only benefited her, but also the community of authors who found themselves in the same predicament.

Meet Wendy Walker

Wendy Walker is a former family law attorney. While at home raising her three sons, Wendy began her writing career. Her latest thriller - Don't Look For Me deals with the bond between mother and daughter, guilt, blame and gaslighting.

She published two novels with St. Martin’s Press and edited multiple compilations for the Chicken Soup for the Soul series before writing her debut psychological thriller. All is Not Forgotten took her into the world of PTSD and memory suppression. Next was the thriller, Emma In The Night, taking her into the world of narcissism. And then came, The Night Before, taking her into the world of online dating.

Wendy earned her J. D., magna cum laude, at the Georgetown University Law Center where she was awarded the American Jurisprudence award for her performance in Contracts and Advanced Criminal Procedure. She received her undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, from Brown University.  As part of her undergraduate studies, Wendy attended The London School of Economics and Political Science.

Prior to her legal career, Wendy was a financial analyst at Goldman, Sachs & Co.. She has also volunteered at the ACLU, Connecticut Legal Services and Figure Skating in Harlem where she served on the Board of Directors for over twelve years.

Conversation, the Pandemic and a Community of Authors

The conversation ran the gamut - from the pandemic to challenges to new avenues:

Newly published and the pandemic

Targeted strategies

Getting the word out

Bringing together a community of authors

Oh the places we will go

Discovering new avenues

With her passion for perfume, Jessica Murphy uncovers the history and empowerment of scent. Jessica is a Scent and Art Historian and a Museum Professional.  She's always looking for new ways to connect art, fragrance, history and popular culture. Jessica shares the continuing results of her curiosity and research skills and along the way, she enriches the enjoyment of perfume.

Since 2006, Jessica has been a contributor for the leading perfume blog Now Smell This. And what better name for her website than 'Perfume Professor'. Since late 2015 Jessica has taught and lectured about the history and culture of fragrance at venues such as the Brooklyn Brainery, the Brooklyn Museum, The Institute for Art and Olfaction and the New Jersey Council for the Humanities.

Currently, Jessica is Manager of Visitor Engagement at the Brooklyn Museum. Before the pandemic, Jessica occasionally offered scent-themed tours.

Prior to the Brooklyn Museum, Jessica worked as a Research Associate at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She has also worked as a Contractual Educator at the Met and as a Curatorial Assistant at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Jessica received her B.A. from Fordham University and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Art History from the University of Delaware. 

A conversation with Jessica Murphy...

The beginning - religion or incense

Festivals and seduction

Commercial use

Luxury and class

Studio 54

That iconic fragrance

Memories and scent

Who do Michelle Obama, Nicole Kidman, Emma Watson and Serena Williams have in common? Shilpa Yarlagadda, Founder of Shiffon.

What do Michelle Obama, Nicole Kidman, Emma Watson and Serena Williams have in common? A Shiffon Duet Pinky Ring. They believe in the symbolism of the ring: the power of mentorship between women. Each of these women unite in showing the beauty behind this gem. And the 'Pinky Promise' to pay-it-forward.

What is Shiffon? A fine jewelry company Shilpa started in her dorm at Harvard University.

In 2017 looking for something to do in her downtime at Harvard, Shilpa started googling. The two areas that interested her the most were fine jewelry and women entrepreneurs. Two major discoveries took place:  Discovery #1 - fine jewelry has a large markup. Discovery #2 -  a large gender gap in the field of entrepreneurship exits. Armed with this information, Shilpa lowered the overhead by selling directly to the consumer. And embarked on a mission to close the entrepreneurial gender gap, 'one pinky at a time'. All while she continues finishing her studies at Harvard University.

The Four Events

Four events by Shilpa took place simultaneously:

Attending Harvard University

Launching Shiffon and the Duet Pinky Ring

Launching the non-profit, Start-Up Girl Foundation - funding women entrepreneurs

Donating 50% of Shiffon's profits from the Duet Pinky Ring to the Start-Up Girl Foundation

Featured

Forbes has named her in their list of '30 under 30'. The Wall Street Journal featured Shilpa in, 'The Crazy, True Story Behind the Pinky Ring Loved by Nicole Kidman, Michelle Obama and Serena Williams'. And CNBC did a story on her: 'How a 20-year old college student launched a jewelry company whose rings are worn by Michelle Obama'.

The Duet Pinky Ring - a symbol of female solidarity and a promise to pay it forward. Since launching Shiffon Co., Shilpa and Shiffon have funded 11 female entrepreneurs. And it doesn't stop with money, it continues with mentoring.

An Inspiring Conversation

Listen to my inspiring conversation with Shilpa and:

The entrepreneurial gender gap

Why a spiraling ring

Paying it forward

Emma Watson and perseverance

Doing one thing and doing it well

Sustainable business model

The network of powerful women supporting each other

What's next

‘A huge part of my daily job is earning my patient’s trust – it cannot be demanded’. – Dr. Natalia Spierings

An honest, no-nonsense approach. Let's add tackling the myth behind perfect skin, 'anti-aging' and expensive skincare. The answer: Dr. Natalia Spierings. Dr. Spierings' approach combines European style and sensibility with the energy and quirkiness of London. Now add her positive American attitude. This combination provides her patients with a unique and holistic modern skincare prescription. Born in Europe, Natalia spent her childhood in the United States before heading to London for medical school.

With her technical skill, depth of knowledge, aesthetic sensibility and communication skills Dr. Spierings is a global leading dermatologist.

Dr. Spierings trained as a Consultant Dermatologist in London with a sub-specialty fellowship training in Mohs Micrographic and Dermatologic Surgery at the Royal Victoria infirmary in Newcastle. She holds a Master’s Degree in Aesthetic Medicine from the University of London. Her subspecialty is the diagnosis and management of skin cancer. She has held a consultant post at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in Leeds, UK. Dr. Spierings’ primary aim is to provide the best cosmetic outcome after successful surgical treatment.

Working closely with the renowned Fusion Apothecary in Dubai Healthcare, Dr. Spierings provides bespoke prescription skincare for her patients throughout the Middle East.

An in-depth conversation:

‘Perfect skin’ – is this really a thing

Sunscreen – yes, it’s essential, but when, how much and what good is it if not applied correctly

Trust and the correct information

Correct information and using logic and evidence based explanations

Ingredients, manufacturer, packaging, price – defining ‘good quality’

Vaseline – really?

Social media – how and its impact on decisions

It’s not criticism – let’s talk

The Power to Empower is key to the mission of Vital Voices Global Partnership and Alyse Nelson. For more than 20 years Alyse has worked for the organization. A Co-Founder, Alyse started as Vice President and Senior Director of Programs. Then in 2009 she took over as President and CEO.  Under her leadership, Vital Voices expanded their reach to serve over 18,000 women leaders, across 182 countries.

'One of the things I've learned along the way is that a person's path to leadership is rarely planned out perfectly - it's an experience that begins with a conviction to do something.' - Alyse Nelson

Women are Rising

Women are rising and their voices are being heard. Vital Voices searches the world for women leaders with daring vision for change and partner with them to make that vision a reality. Vital Voices makes sure that women have the power to empower. And we just witnessed the inauguration of the First Female Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris!

Meet Alyse

Prior to Vital Voices, Alyse served as deputy director of the State Department's Vital Voices Global Democracy Initiative. She worked with the President's Interagency Council on Women at the White House. Alyse is a Member on the Council on Foreign Relations and serves as a Board Member of Running Start, RAD-AID and Black Trans Femmes in the Arts Collective. She is on the Advisory Board of Chime for Change and Global Citizen. Newsweek Magazine named her one of the 150 Women Shaking the World. Fortune Magazine featured Alyse as one of the 55 Most Influential Women on Twitter. Apolitical named her as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Global Gender Policy. Alyse's work has been honored with awards such as the Tribeca Disruptive Innovative Award and foreign Policy's Citizen Diplomat of the Year award.

Alyse is the author of the best-selling book Vital voices: The Power of Women Leading Change Around the World. She is the editor of Vital Voices: 100 Women Using Their Power to Empower. Alyse received her MA from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. She also has a BA from Emerson College.

This week, a conversation with Alyse and it couldn't be more timely. Women and voices, power and empowering.

It all started at a conference in Beijing

Finding her passion

Women have always had a voice - now they're being heard

The search for women leaders with a daring vision

How women lead differently

The obstacles and barriers for women leaders

What makes a leader

Women tackling the world's greatest challenges

The commonalities of women leaders

The power of listening

The 4 ways to measure a leader's impact

Leaders and starting off locally

Righting the wrong

Yes, a nightmare for most women is the thought of shopping for a bathing suit. Actually, it’s usually more like a hunt – hunting for one that you not only would wear, but would make you feel good wearing it. That hunt led Melanie Travis to Founder and CEO of Andie Swim.  It had nothing to do with the garment industry or wanting to start a swimwear line. What it did have to do with was the frustration of trying to find one for a company retreat. The tiny dressing rooms, the lack of variety, her exasperating online experience all turned a lightbulb on for Melanie.

The Creation

The lightbulb turned into the creation of Andie Swimwear, a collection of bathing suits that women can feel good in,. The swimsuits are classic, high quality and affordable without the anxiety of trying them on in a tiny dressing rooms. A direct-to-consumer shopping experience. And the experience is empowering.

'Made for life's sunniest moments, so you can spend less time thinking about your swimsuit and more time making memories.' - Andie Swim. Andie Swim just made the Lead's 2020 FOREMOST 50 list of high-growth D2C brands that are reinventing the future of fashion and retail. https://the-lead.co/the-foremost-50-2020/

This week Melanie and I will chat about:

The hunt and the inspiration for finding the "perfect suit"

The beginning of her Crowdfunding Campaign

The start of the first collection

The Mykonos and it's sellout

E-commerce, technology and and the consumer

The at-home-try-on shopping experience

Why the D2C (Direct-to-consumer) model

Perfect fit - how does this work

Funding process

Letting experts in without fear

Some  advice for others starting out

Covid and swimwear

What's next

Three best teenage girlfriends living in Bihac, Bosnia. They had grown up together - a Muslim, a Serb and a girl who was half Jewish. Best friends until the start of the Bosnian war and the Serbian military siege in 1992. Amra Sabic-El-Rayess was only 16 when it started. For 1,150 days Amra lived under the Serb’s siege and survived the ethnic cleansing. 1996 saw Amra emigrate to the United States with the help of four people – a Quaker, a Jewish Philanthropist, a Catholic Sister and a Muslim with some Serb.

‘The Cat I Never Named, A True Story of Love, War and Survival’ is Amra's story, a Muslim teen struggling to survive the Bosnian genocide. It’s a story that is told from Amra’s 16 year-old self. A story of love, survival and the power of education that is meant to be read by all ages. And a cat who gave her comfort and hope.

Only three years later, December of 1999, Amra had earned a BA in Economics from Brown University. She then went on to earn two Masters Degrees and a Doctorate from Columbia University. Today Amra is a professor at Columbia University’s Teachers College working on understanding how and why societies fall apart and what role education can play in rebuilding decimated countries. She has published on education-related issues and has lectured around the world to adult and adolescent audiences. Feedback from her students? ‘One of the most inspiring professors they have encountered.’

'Bringing what's written on the page to life with just your voice.' - Therese Plummer

This week's conversation is with a very inspiring woman, Therese Plummer. Therese has performed over 400 audiobooks.

The performance of audiobooks and a candid conversation

A very candid conversation with an amazing actor, storyteller and all around extraordinary woman. Therese has helped many of us to be able to escape, even for just a little while during these wild times. Amazing, but it was her mother who pushed her into this field.

But her mother was a librarian!

Storytelling without using expressions or moving or using your hands?

How can you tell a story with just your voice?

A wild child and teenager - really?

She's been to the bottom - how did she clean herself up?

Crisis Center, Drama Therapy and conveying the emotional life and journey of each character.

Bringing books alive for those who have trouble reading.

What's next?

Meet Therese Plummer

Therese Plummer is an actor and award-winning audiobook performer. She has recorded over 400 audiobooks for a variety of publishers. Therese won the 2019 Audie Award for her work on the Multicast Sadie by Courtney Summers. She was nominated for the Multicast Any Man by Amber Tamblyn and for her solo narration for the Rogue Planets Shaken by Lee W. Brainard. In addition, Therese was awarded for her work on Sourdough by Robin Sloan by the American Library Association as part of the 2018 Listen List: Outstanding Audiobook Narration for Adult Listeners.

You may recognize Therese as the voice of Maya Hansen in the Marvel Graphic Motion Comic Ironman Extremis, Dr. Fennel in Pokemon and various Yu-Gi-Oh characters. And let's not forget her Television Guest Star Roles on the Good Wife, Law and Order SVU and the Netflix series Virgin River.

Therese spent five years as an adolescent counselor where she used Drama Therapy techniques in individual and group settings. As a result of her years as a counselor, Therese is able to bring to characters to life in a very real way. She shares a passion of creating, helping and entertaining Therese recently adopted a rescue named Butterfingers. She now lives in Bloomfield, New Jersey with her husband and of course, Butterfingers.

Goodbye 2020...Hello 2021

The New Year is almost here. Yes, two days from today. The last few months have been tumultuous to say the least. Baking and jigsaw puzzling were among the craze. For me it was connections - old and new. Connecting with extraordinary and inspiring women - a diverse group of women from all over the world. And a diverse group of topics to have conversations about. Happy, sad, inspiring and candid, we were let into their lives.

What does 2021 hold for us? I'm going to predict that 2021 will bring us hope and inspiration from extraordinary and inspiring women - women who are making a difference in our world!

I want to thank all of you who have come along for this amazing journey!

Wishing everyone a Happy, Healthy and Safe New Year!

CrunchyTales.com

Michela Di Carlo is the founder of CrunchyTales.com. A ‘Late Bloomers’ Advocate, Michela is on a mission to reset the meaning of middle age. And so many women get stuck thinking about the number instead of thinking about the opportunities. The opportunity to find their ‘sassiness.’

Meet Michela Di Carlo

A Manchester-based content producer and presenter specializing in lifestyle, food, arts and travel, Michela founded CrunchyTales.com , a digital lifestyle magazine,  dedicated to bright women over 40. Michela is a Late Bloomers' Advocate. Her mission is to reset the meaning of middle age.

Michela is a former feature writer for the most influential Italian National Newspaper La Repubblica.  Nominated twice for the International Journalism Festival Award (Travel Section), Michela has run several digital editorial projects including marketing campaigns. In addition, Michela is a speaker and hosts several 'road shows' around the UK promoting the Italian way of life.

A conversation

A conversation that women should listen to, because – hey – it’s never too late to bloom.

Crunchy Tales - A virtual playground for midlife

Why a digital lifestyle magazine?

Redefining middle age

Browsing the gallery

You're never too old

There's so much to be discovered

Menopause is not the end of the world

Bring out your sassiness

Melding sassy and classy