Twisting the Plot

Emilie Ward joined our 12 in 12 in December, when the agency where she had worked for 24 years shut its doors without warning. Little did she know that this was just the beginning of a disheartening whirlwind including a global pandemic, her need to take on a caretaker role for her ill mother, the withdrawal of state funding for her independent business, and her personal battle with Covid 19. But she refused to let it stop her. Emilie, a drama therapist also certified in positive psychology, talks about her decision to focus on staying curious, how she takes a deep breath and asks, how else can I look at this? Instead of “Oh my god,” she says, “How fascinating.” Emilie is a creative, resourceful role model of resilience. Listen and laugh with us. As Emilie says, “The only thing you have control over is your mindset and having a sense of humor.”

For questions about Dramatic Stages contact Emilie Ward at [email protected]

My hope is that this is a moment when women can stop knocking at the door of a system that was set up by men and for men. 

So says Lesley Jane Seymour, our special guest on this week’s Twisting the Plot podcast. 

Lesley has had her finger on the pulse of the collective imagination of what it means to be a woman for decades.  As editor in chief for More Magazine she brought possibility and visibility for women over 40.  We all remember grabbing the latest edition of More from the newsstands and opening it with eager anticipation. We were hungry for vision, solutions and novel ideas for who we are becoming.   

Lesley is a media entrepreneur and one of the industry's most respected leaders.  Besides More Magazine, she served as editor in chief for Marie Claire, Redbook, and YM.  She was the beauty director for Glamour, and senior editor at Vogue.  She is an influencer and has spearheaded numerous efforts to introduce her readers to the big issues that we should confront.  Under Lesley’s leadership, generations of women were educated and invited to be activists regarding crucial causes, such as breast cancer awareness, domestic violence and aging. 

Today, Lesley continues her mission to engage, inform and envision life for women.  She is Founder and CEO of Covey Club.  She calls it a virtual meeting place for life long learners.  She’s also the host of the Reinvent Yourself Podcast where she interviews global change makers and visionaries.

Listen as Lesley shares with us how she got into magazine publishing, her decision to get a masters in Sustainability Management from Columbia University, how she started Covey Club, and her decision to start a new life in “The Big Easy.”  

She is a powerhouse of creativity, generosity, reinvention and just plain fun. 

Visit CoveyClub

Listen to my podcast Reinvent Yourself with Lesley Jane Seymour

Follow me: Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook

Follow CoveyClub: Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook

We are all living in the middle of a global pandemic, but each person’s experience is individual. This week we spoke with Zeneida Disla, a frontline worker who each day makes her way from Harlem to the Bronx where she cares for some of the city’s most vulnerable people. Zeneida, the only child of immigrant parents from the Dominican Republic, talks with us about the difficulty of finding your voice in the face of racism, sexism, ageism and classism. Listen as she shares her story of growing up in the South Bronx, her mothers’ push for her to get an education and finding her passion for story. At 52, Zeneida is not done yet. Instead she is dreaming big, exploring her passions and looking forward to her next plot twist. 

Sleep. We talk about it. We worry about it. We long for it. This has long been true for most menopausal women, but now it’s an issue for everyone in this time of uncertainty. So, we called NYC Sleep Doctor, Janet Kennedy, PhD, to find out why we can’t sleep and what we can do about it. Janet explains the difference between physiologic and psychologic sleep disorders and discusses the role estrogen and progesterone play in our slumber. Most of all she teaches us to let go of expectations of sleep. Instead, we need to learn to let go, trust our bodies, and trust that sleep will come. 

Look for Dr. Kennedy’s soon to be released podcast The Sleep Tune-Up where she will be working with individuals, walking them through some simple solutions so listeners can learn how these various interventions can make a big difference.

If you want to be a guest on The Sleep Tune-Up Podcast contact Dr. Kennedy at [email protected]

For more information about Dr. Janet Kennedy's sleep coaching check out her website nycsleepdoctor.com

The Good Sleeper: The Essential Guide to Sleep for Your Baby--and You by Janet Krone Kennedy, PhD on Amazon

Connect with Dr. Janet Kennedy on Twitter @nycsleepdoctor

Connect with Dr. Janet Kennedy on Instagram @nycsleepdoctor

Join NYCSleepDoctor on Facebook

The way we communicate with children about difficult things plays a role in how they process what is happening around them. Building emotional literacy is vital to building resilience. This is the extraordinary work of Stephanie Omens, licensed creative arts therapist, certified child life specialist and member of our 12 in 12.  At this time, we need her unique ability to integrate playfulness and storytelling in her work with children. In fact, Stephanie created an animated video on how to talk to children about the Coronavirus that has been viewed around the world and translated and dubbed in Chinese, Cantonese, and Taiwanese. She also wrote an ebook, Truth Telling To Kids During A Global Pandemic that provides facts for older children (and grown ups too). As a part of our 12 in 12 group, Stephanie shares how the experience has helped her step into her role as clinician and leader with more confidence and ease. 

https://nowhitelies.com  

NoWhiteLies Video - Talking to kids about COVID-19

Truth Telling To Kids During A Global Pandemic ebook Stephanie Omens

Do you want to meditate but find it difficult to do?  Do you want to practice mindfulness but just can’t figure out how to make it work for you?  

In light of the anxiety, isolation, and grief brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, we decided to reach out to a former guest, Kathy Hayes-Bloch.  Kathy is a psychotherapist, meditation teacher, and co-founder of The Trauma Healing Project CT.  She shares with us her new (and very timely) twist on mindfulness practices.  Kathy incorporates David Treleaven’s trauma-sensitive techniques into an approach that can help us in these troubling times.  This new method includes the senses, the imagination, and taking breaks whenever we need them. 

Kathy explains the value of a mindfulness practice for women over 50, and shares some simple steps that we can take right now.  She even guides us through a short exercise to access our inner wisdom.  Sit back, listen and enjoy.

Kathy Hayes-Bloch,LCSW

Psychotherapist, Meditation teacher,

Co-Founder: The Trauma Healing Project_CT

FOLLOW US: @Thetraumahealingproject_CT

Dedicated Practitioner of Trauma Sensitive Mindfulness:

Approved Consultant: Clinical Hypnosis

[email protected]

Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness Events & Courses

In our upside-down world of social isolation, anxiety, grief, fear, and virtual gatherings we thought we would twist our own plot. This week we invited Amelia Good, Coach and Founder of Unique Abilities to interview us no how we are doing in the midst of the Coronavirus.

Check out Amelia on Instagram: @unique_abilities

Click here to learn more about Twisting the Plot

Plot twists can happen at any time, at any age. This week we spoke with Amelia Good, Coach and Founder of Unique Abilities. Amelia had just graduated college and was beginning her adult life when she was faced with a major health twist. Amelia shares with us what she has learned about herself and how she now helps others to discover and harness their own unique abilities.

Check out Amelia on Instagram: @unique_abilities

Click here to learn more about Twisting the Plot

As we all shelter in place and work to flatten the curve of Corona Virus, we think it is important to stay curious and connected. With that in mind, this week we spoke with our friend and guest from last summer, writer John Thompson who is currently quarantined in Peru. John talks with us about his experience in Peru, staying creative, and the importance of finding purpose in the midst of chaos. John also gives us an inside look at how Peru is dealing with the crisis.

Click here to learn more about Twisting the Plot

Today we take a break from coronavirus and talk instead about:

Menopause.

Jeanne Chung’s career experience has ranged from engineer to investment banker to yoga instructor and wellness entrepreneur.  But when she encountered a painful side effect of menopause, she discovered that the medical community had no answers for her, and so she found her next purpose.  Jeanne took her love of science, knowledge of business and passion for helping others and transformed it all into an exciting new venture, Mighty Menopause.  Mighty Menopause offers cutting edge information and natural supplements to educate and elevate women. It is Jeanne’s mission to bring menopause into the 21st century and give it a new face.  Maybe even her own.

Click here to check out Mighty Menopause at mighty-menopause.com

Click here to learn more about Twisting the Plot