TranscendWithM

Let's get to know the founder of the Supported Mom Initiative of Central Massachusetts, Tina Gauthier, in this week's episode! Her mission is to allow all parents to have the opportunity to interact in a safe environment through educational support groups that deal with a variety of topics and hold a variety of talks. When she had her children, she desperately wanted something, but our neighborhood didn't have it. She is a devoted mother to her beloved children, Charlie and Luke, and a proud wife to her husband, Casey. She likes to dance, cook, and do short workouts. She also enjoys a good podcast, and she is a sucker for good sunsets.

Episode Highlights:

Key Takeaway:

"I simply want to create a community where women feel supported and aware that they are not fighting alone. The notion that I can do everything on my own has received a lot of attention in our culture, but asking for help is never a bad idea. We are stronger when we work together; our strength is in our unity."

Resources:

LinkedIn

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Susan Burrell is the author of "Live Your Empowered Life: A 30-Day Journey Book" and the host of the inspiring podcast "Empowering Chats with Susan Burrell," which can be heard on various platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, and others. You can use the Insight Timer App to enjoy her guided meditations. Susan is a fiery Scorpio (she even has red hair to prove it!) and a former actress who has learned to follow her heart and follow the Divine desire that keeps guiding her in the direction of her life's mission even when she can't see the way. She is an advisor at the crossroads of life and holds a Master's Degree in consciousness.

Susan has over 25 years of experience helping people change from the inside out via counseling and support. Because she has experienced this road to empowerment herself, her strategies are tried and true.

Episode Highlights:

Key Takeaway:

"I renounce the known and put my trust in the unknown. We live in a world of limitless possibilities, therefore when I was working on my knots, I let go, trust the unknown, let go of the familiar, and lived in the world of limitless possibilities. And I now use that as a guiding principle."

Resources:

LinkedIn

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

YouTube

Website

Born and raised in Worcester, Massachusetts, Senator Kennedy graduated from Holy Name High School and got her bachelor's degree from Assumption University.

Her internship at Congressman Jim McGovern's office provided her with her first exposure to the world of politics. After graduating, she got involved in his re-election campaign as well as the one to elect Ed Augustus to the State Senate. Her affection for the community they were creating grew as a result of door-to-door canvassing, getting to know the locals, and developing relationships.

In 2006, after devoting months of hard work to getting Governor Deval Patrick and Lt. Governor Tim Murray elected, she stepped into her first role on Beacon Hill as a Deputy Director of Appointments. From there she went on to the Lt. Governor’s Office as a Director of Policy and Interagency Initiatives, then a Deputy Chief of Staff, and a Deputy Assistant Secretary for Children, Youth, and Families. She gained greater knowledge about the effort required to provide services for the citizens of our Commonwealth every day.

She is devoted to making sure that no parent in our community has to choose between employment and childcare and that every child in our community has access to high-quality, affordable early education and care. She is working for these objectives as a newly elected senator. She also recognizes the long-standing regulations that have made it challenging to find and maintain housing, as well as the reality of how little new housing has been constructed in previous years and to ensure that everyone has access to affordable homes.

Episode Highlights:

Key Takeaway:

"Run for office. If you have any interest in this field, We are frequently socialized to believe that we are too average or that we lack the necessary skills, and we've become so accustomed to hearing that we're not good enough and that someone else is better. However, there is a lot that women can contribute and bring to the table."

Resources:

Twitter

Instagram

Website

Daniela Acosta-Levin is a powerhouse Insurance business owner who not only is learning how to accept herself, but she is growing every day by focusing on the possibility of the 1%!

Episode Highlights:

Key Takeaway:

"The most valuable thing about success is that you achieve it at your own pace, whatever that means. Because we measure our success and sometimes our happiness against things that are neither real nor ours, comparing ourselves to the outside sabotages both of these."

Resources: 

LinkedIn

Maria is the founder and managing partner of M&A Supplier Diversity Consultants (M&A SDC). A dedicated consultant with over 20 years of experience in the public sector. She shares a broad range of knowledge and expertise to create compliant supplier diversity programs for M&A SDC clients. She is also a strong advocate of the Small Minority and Woman-Owned business community.   She worked for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Operation Services Division, assisting the small, diverse business community with certifications, procurement-related workshops, and coaching sessions on how to sell their goods and services to the state and its agencies. In this role, she educated, trained, and certified over 1,000 small businesses and non-profits.  

Maria transferred to the Executive Office of Administration & Finance, Office of Access and Opportunity, located at the State House. In her new position, she assisted with developing and implementing policies and procedures to benefit the residents and the business owners of the Commonwealth. Maria is also the owner of the Refinishing Oracle in Acushnet, MA. She provides expertise in restoring, renovating, refinishing, recycling antiques, architectural elements, and all types of wood furniture.   She actively volunteers her time by providing guidance and coaching as a Certified SCORE Business Counselor with South Eastern Massachusetts’s Chapter (SEMA). 

Maria also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Taunton Area Chamber of Commerce, the Women at the Well, Inc., and an Advisory Committee Member for the Bristol-Plymouth Regional High School. She relocated from Boston to Taunton in 2001. Her interests are gardening, listening to eclectic music, long-distance walking, Salsa dancing, and spending time with her family and friends. She is currently the only vegetarian in her family.   

Episode Highlights:

Key Takeaway: "FIERCE, always be fierce. There's nothing more breathtaking than when I see a woman picking up the pieces regardless of what anyone else is saying and cheering up others from the sidelines".

Resources:

M&A SDC

Gina Plata-Nino worked with the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) where she served as a lead advocate on the Hunger Free Campus legislative campaign to help address food security issues among college students. Before MLRI, she served as a staff attorney at the Central West Justice Center of Community Legal Aid in Worcester, Massachusetts, where she oversaw the Food Security Project, which sought to address the underlying causes of food insecurity and identify ways to give residents access to affordable, nutritious foods. She also worked at the state and federal levels on a variety of legislative, administrative, and policy issues that impacted families with low incomes, seniors, and other vulnerable populations. Additionally, she chaired the Central Massachusetts SNAP Coalition and worked with state and federal organizations to push legislation that removes obstacles to receiving public benefits.

Gina holds a J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law and a bachelor’s degree in history from Montclair State University with minors in Paralegal Studies and Pre-Law. In 2019, the Massachusetts Bar Association named her an Access to Justice Award Rising Star. In 2022 she received the Liberty Award from the Worcester County Bar Association and the Top Women of Law award from the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly.

She is actively involved in her local community and serves on various boards and coalitions including as co-chair of the community engagement and government relations committees for the Worcester County Bar Association, a member of the steering committee, and a mentor for the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Tiered Community Mentoring Program.

Episode Highlights: 

Key Takeaway:  Keep Fighting The Good Fight! 

Carla is an MSW graduate, a native of Puerto Rico, and a longtime resident of Worcester, County. As an Afro-Latina working mother of two boys, Carla understands the stress that can come with a fully packed life. Learning to balance her roles as a wife, mother, community advocate, board member, and social worker has pushed Carla to become a role model for the next generation. Carla being a leader is an avid advocate for women supporting women, loves volunteering, helping others, and giving back to her community. Carla has an extensive history of charitable roles in local programs which help to support the increased confidence and competence of our community. Carla thrives in roles of leadership and being an empathetic caretaker often lets her compassion push her to go beyond her set limits and expectations. Carla has expertise in working with vulnerable individuals providing advocacy and support. Carla has explored positions mentoring children in the foster care system, coaching students, and children on the autism spectrum.

Episode Highlights:

Key Takeaway:  Drive change!

Resources:

40 Under 40 

The WellStorm, Inc.

Armida Abreu Martínez is the CEO & Founder of Divine Growth Coaching and a #1 best-selling author for Collaboration, visionaries share a new way of living. Armida's passion and purpose are to help her clients heal through deep and painful insecurities as well as relationship struggles and hardships. Armida obtained her Love and Authenticity Certificate as well as her Whole Healing Certificate from Authentic Living, where she learned how to facilitate internal healing by uncovering and addressing the root causes of external symptoms. Additionally, she earned her NLP Certification from the Association for Integrative Psychology which is helping her serve her clients by overcoming limiting beliefs, breaking behavioral patterns, creating more freedom & choice over their mindset, and developing stronger and healthier relationships.

By working with Armida, you will be able to improve your self-confidence, heal the past by overcoming underlying trauma, improve your communication skills, reduce stress and anxiety, overcome fear and find love, peace, and happiness. Her mission is to help people remove fear-based living through the power of self-awareness, self-acceptance, and self-discovery. Her vision is for humanity to move beyond fear and separation and into love and oneness.

Episode Highlights:

Key Takeaway:

"It's like swallowing poison and expecting the people in your life to perish when you don't have forgiveness, hold grudges against them, feel they haven't supported you as much as you thought they would, or feel inadequate. They aren't the ones that are affected; you are. Let's ground you now. Let's help you let go of the old energy holding you back."

Resources:

Divine Growth Coaching

Elizabeth Cruz is the Team Leader for The Cruz Realty Group, with over 20 years as a realtor she has helped 100’s of Hispanic families become homeowners and investors. She owns and operates Cruz Control Property Management where she currently manages 26 units in Worcester County. She has a computer science degree and has helped & mentored girls to become involved in Science and Technology. She provided software engineer and project/portfolio management services to Fortune 500 companies.

Elizabeth is always involved in the Hispanic community, served on the Board of Director at the YWCA & Girls Choice, and is passionate about empowering girls and women in continuing their education, financial well-being, and building wealth. Past director of ELLIT (EMC Latin Leadership Interest Team) Educational outreach for EMC/Dell and former VP of NAHREP Central Mass.

Episode Highlights:

Key Takeaway: Take yourself from failure to success!

Resources:

LABO

Cruz Real Estate

LinkedIn

Ekaterina “Katrina” Fouche is the founder of For The Resilient Woman LLC. A women’s empowerment business geared towards helping women build confidence and accept their stories and past by providing guidance and support for the woman who is coming back from her setbacks and is in pursuit of making her wellness and self-care a priority.   Katrina is a mother, an author, and a certified life coach. She helps women find their voices and share their stories through coaching and motivational speaking. She is the definition of what it means to be a resilient woman. Life has been rocky, to say the least, but by God’s grace, she’s overcome many of her trials and uses them as her testimony! Katrina hopes to inspire and empower many women to tap into their own resiliency by sharing their personal stories and never settling for less than they deserve.

Episode Highlights:

Key Takeaway:

There's always that choice!

Resources:

Website

Insta & Facebook @Fortheresilientwoman

e [email protected]