Illana Raya's journey to entrepreneurship stemmed from her love of law and her personal experiences with mentorship. Despite loving her career as a mergers and acquisitions lawyer, she took a break to raise her children and later rejoined her firm. Realizing the impact of showing her daughter accomplished women at work, Illana envisioned scaling this experience to benefit other girls. She left her law practice, driven by the idea of creating a platform where girls could meet female leaders, leading to the founding of Etra.  Illana is the founder and CEO of Etra, a membership platform for girls believing that mentors matter as early as middle school. Illana brings girls directly into companies they choose to meet female leaders face to face. Raia's National Research on the current state of girls confidence in 2022 and 2024 has been featured by Forbes, CBS News, Yahoo Finance, and Nasdaq, and the most recent 2025 research was conducted in partnership with Hello Sunshine and launched at Cannes. Illana is Chair of the International Space Station, US National Lab Education and Workforce Subcommittee. She serves on the National Girls Collaborative Project Champions Board, and was recently appointed to the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine Board of Governors. Illana contributes to Forbes Business Council and has authored over 60 articles for Huffington Post, Ms. Matt. Magazine and Thrive Global. Illana was named one of the first 250 entrepreneurs on the Forbes Next 1000 list. An Inc 500 female founder and recognized twice by Fast company's world changing ideas, her award-winning book, Etre Girls Who Do You Want to Be? was released on the day of the Girl, 2019. Her second bestselling book, the Epic Mentor Guide, arrived during Women's History Month 2022. Prior to launching Etre in 2016, Illana was a corporate attorney at Skadden Arps in New York City, and a guest lecturer at Columbia University. She graduated from Smith College and the University of Chicago Law School.

What You Will Hear in This Episode

02:13 Illana''s Journey: From Law to Entrepreneurship

03:59 Curiosity and Connection: Illana's Driving Forces and Career Shift

06:15 The Birth of Etra: Empowering Girls Through Mentorship

09:20 Scaling Etre: From Local to Global Impact

14:24 Navigating Challenges: Social Media and Confidence

17:37 Etre's Mentorship Program: How It Works

18:58 TED-Ed Club: Empowering Young Girls to Speak

20:02 Connecting Through Social Media and Our Website

24:06 Building a Network of Incredible Mentors

33:04 The Role of Age and Diversity in Our Programs

Quotes

" The things you most enjoy, the things that bring you the greatest amount of, of reward and joy are things you cannot do with a phone in your hand, whether that is swimming or surfing or skating or painting. Playing your sport, writing your next short story, the thing you love to do is probably better done without a phone in your hand. "

" I believe in the power of the cold email or the cold DM with all my heart, I'm stunned every day by the women who say yes to a conversation or answering a question by email because it's for the next generation.

" Never underestimate the, impact that 10 minutes of your time is gonna have on that next future engineer, future leader, future founder."

Mentioned

etregrils.com

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Helen Jonsen aspired to be a writer from a young age and chose journalism for its daily writing opportunities. After studying at Fordham University and gaining experience at Channel 11 and WINS radio, she moved to Rhode Island as a senior producer, where she met and married her Australian husband. This led to a stint in Australia, where she worked in television before returning to New York. They worked for Australian networks before she joined Channel 5. After her first maternity leave, she opted to form a production company with her husband, eventually returning to Channel 11 and writing several books, including 'Kangaroo's Comments and Wallaby's Words: The Aussie Word Book.'

Helen is a communication strategist and media executive with a career that includes journalism, digital innovation, public service, and nonprofit advocacy. Through her firm, Helen Jonsen Media, she assists leaders and organizations in amplifying their voices with strategic storytelling, speaker training, and modern communication tools. She hosts the Kaleidoscope Career podcast and newsletter series, celebrating women with non-linear career paths. Helen's career has spanned roles from TV journalism to executive positions, notably earning the nickname 'video guru' from Steve Forbes at Forbes. She has also managed strategic communications for Westchester County District Attorney and NYC's Economic Development Corporation during the pandemic.

What You Will Hear in This Episode

02:47 Helen's Early Career and Personal Life

03:49 The Kaleidoscope Career: Journalism and Beyond

06:01 Curiosity and Communication: Helen's Driving Forces

11:35 Challenges and Adaptations in Helen's Career

15:55 The State of Journalism Today

19:15 The Divided Information Landscape

19:30 Launching a Podcast: Reflections and Milestones

19:56 Career Pivots: Insights and Misconceptions

21:26 Challenges and Opportunities for Women

22:58 External Forces Shaping Careers

23:51 Personal Stories of Career Shifts

26:01 The Unique Career Paths of Women

30:41 The Third Phase: Finding New Purpose

Quotes

" I think a career as a working mother also shapes how you do things and why you do things."

" I think curiosity and trying to find answers is really important. It's the real basis for any good journalism, but it's also the basis for a kaleidoscope career. You have to be willing to take on the new thing."

" The promise of the internet of the was that the internet would democratize journalism and democratize communication. Instead, what we didn't see coming was the. Siloing of information that came with the maturation of social media."

" Our demands around us on caregiving at different ages and stages affects our careers so often."

Mentioned

helenjonsen.com

LinkedIn

Substack

Instagram

eConnect with Bonnie

Substack Newsletter: Own Your Ambition

Gendered Ageism Survey Results

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5 Tips to own the superpower of your age

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If you enjoyed this episode of Badass Women Podcast, then make sure to subscribe to the podcast and drop us a five-star review

Bianca Best's lifelong pursuit of ambition led her from a corporate career in advertising, creativity, and publishing to a successful freelance writing career. While juggling motherhood in her late 20's, she inadvertently founded the Bespoke Gift Company. What started as a creative, personalized anniversary gift has become a wildly successful company. Bianca is an award-winning global business leader, author, certified success strategist, entrepreneur, speaker, and single mother of four. Bianca describes her CV as a chronology of passions, explored and includes a decade as a tech-preneur running the bespoke gift company, which pioneered the personalized gift industry forever. A decade of corporate ascendancy running vast digital divisions of the world's largest CommEd conglomerates certifying in healing modalities. From hypnotherapy to executive coaching to her international impact, inspiring the working world through her keynotes, workshops in organizations like Google and Amazon. Her organization, Bianca Best, is dedicated to infusing the working world with graceful productivity, kind, leadership, and unlocked human potential whereby individuals and organizations flourish without burnout.

What You Will Hear in This Episode

02:30 Bianca's Journey: From Ambition to Entrepreneurship

03:53 The Birth of the Bespoke Gift Company

08:46 Balancing Motherhood and Business

10:43 Transition to Corporate Life

12:39 Overcoming Burnout and Finding Purpose

18:17 Graceful Productivity and Kind Leadership

30:24 The Ideal Work Environment for Women

35:52 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Quotes

" I have always leaned into pursuing what has excited me and followed the potential opportunities, even if I felt a bit scared. "

" If you don't pay attention to your natural rhythms and start healing yourself, then you are gonna be unable to sustain. "

" If our attention is stolen, our time is stolen. And if our time is stolen, then inevitably our energy is stolen and it's a cascade of catastrophic negativity. "

" Changing companies and leaving dead end jobs or toxic environments doesn't show weakness. It's owning who you are and honoring that, and that's badass. "

Mentioned

BiancaBest.com

Book: Big Impact without Burnout

eConnect with Bonnie

Substack Newsletter: Own Your Ambition

Gendered Ageism Survey Results

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5 Tips to own the superpower of your age

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Purchase my book Not Done Yet on Amazon:

If you enjoyed this episode of Badass Women Podcast, then make sure to subscribe to the podcast and drop us a five-star review

Sandy Rosenthal was an ordinary citizen who became an extraordinary activist following Hurricane Katrina. After uncovering that defective flood walls built by the Army Corps of Engineers caused the disaster, Sandy founded the nonprofit levees.org and rallied over 25,000 supporters for safer infrastructure. Her book, 'Whispered in Water,' and her podcast, 'Beat The Big Guys,' continue to inspire change and empower listeners to take on powerful institutions and make a difference in their communities. Sandy shares her journey from a part-time copywriter to a relentless advocate for truth and accountability, highlighting the power of community mobilization and persistence.

What You Will Hear in This Episode

00:21 Meet Sandy Rosenthal: Uncovering a Scandal

02:08 The Day the Levees Broke

04:41 Life After the Disaster

09:51 Fighting Back: Founding Levees.org

12:33 Facing Harassment and Legal Battles

17:35 The Aftermath and Lessons Learned

21:22 Mobilizing Communities and Partnerships

33:03 Conclusion and Call to Action

Quotes

" I'm gonna point out first that two thirds of the nation's population lives by levies and probably don't know it. "

" You do have to ask the questions, and if you stop asking, and if it appears that you're not paying attention, that's when bad things can happen, and that's when, I don't wanna call 'em the bad guys, but that's when the big guys win, when you stop paying attention."

" It didn't take me long to realize that the big guys, like the Army Corps of Engineers are really just like bullies in the fourth grade playground. They're, they're big, but they're not smarter. They, they they, and, and the, they're elegant because they're big. And, and you know what happens when you're big and you're arrogant, you make big mistakes."

" When that criticism comes, you need to look at it like free advice, free advice. What they're doing is they're finding problems with what you're doing and, and some of their points may actually be correct. They've actually helped you, even though they didn't mean to."

Mentioned

SandyRosenthal.net

Levees.org

eConnect with Bonnie

Substack Newsletter: Own Your Ambition

Gendered Ageism Survey Results

Forbes article

5 Tips to own the superpower of your age

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Purchase my book Not Done Yet on Amazon:

If you enjoyed this episode of Badass Women Podcast, then make sure to subscribe to the podcast and drop us a five-star review

 Feeling lost and purposeless when her youngest child left for college, Rita Lussier leaned into her writing and running to cope. Forming a new morning routine along with the process of running and writing helped her find a new sense of purpose, culminating in the creation of her book, And Now Back To Me. Rita is an award-winning journalist and writer whose column 'For The Moment' was a popular feature of the Providence Journal for a dozen years. Her writing has also been featured on National Public Radio in the Boston Globe, the New York Daily News, and many other publications. Rita enjoys coaching writers, conducting workshops, and has worked as a publicist and editor. She's taught at both University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College.

What You Will Hear in This Episode

01:12 Rita's Journey: From Empty Nest to Published Author

03:37 The Healing Power of Writing

05:04 Navigating Midlife Changes and Empty Nest Syndrome

06:51 The Emotional Rollercoaster of an Empty Nest

09:34 Finding New Purpose and Joy

13:29 Advice for Empty Nesters

26:45 Comparing Empty Nest Syndrome to Retirement

29:01 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Quotes

" I think I'm at my best when I'm reaching out to others and using the things that I have learned and helping others with them."

" The best advice I can give to anyone is to just acknowledge that this is a huge transition. You're going through a big change, and you need to be patient with yourself. It's not gonna happen right away, and I think women in particular are very patient with everybody and everything else in their lives, but maybe not necessarily themselves."

" I think it's important to acknowledge the loss before you can really embrace a new beginning."

" I believe writing your life honors your life."

Mentioned

https://www.ritalussier.com/

Instagram

Facebook

threads

eConnect with Bonnie

Substack Newsletter: Own Your Ambition

Gendered Ageism Survey Results

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If you enjoyed this episode of Badass Women Podcast, then make sure to subscribe to the podcast and drop us a five-star review

Marcia Dawood's journey into angel investing began in 2012 when she attended an angel investing meeting in Pittsburgh. Previously working in sales, marketing, and operations within corporate America, she was intrigued and fascinated by the world of entrepreneurship and investing in early-stage companies. Initially unaware of the opportunities that existed locally and globally, Marcia quickly immersed herself in the field. Overcoming the misconceptions that one needs a finance degree or significant wealth to invest, she discovered that anyone with curiosity and willingness to learn could participate. Marsha is the author of Do Good While Doing Well, Invest For Change, Reap Financial Rewards, and Increase Your Happiness. She's currently working on a new book. Unapologetic Wealth, and she's also an associate producer on the award-winning documentary. Show Her the Money. She's a TEDx speaker, host of the Angel Nextdoor podcast, and she really walks the talk and holds investments in over 50 early stage companies and funds. Previously, Marsha worked in sales, marketing and operations for capital education for over 16 years. She received an MBA from the University of North Carolina, Keenan Flagler Business School.

What You Will Hear in This Episode:

02:23 Marcia's Journey into Angel Investing

04:07 Debunking Myths About Investing

05:53 Equity Crowdfunding Explained

12:24 Challenges for Women in Investing

15:10 Overcoming Investment Barriers

22:22 The Importance of Diversification

23:43 Marcia's Books and Resources

31:03 Conclusion and Final Thought

Quotes

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." - Wayne Gretzky.

" You really don't have to have any, level of education other than to be curious and to surround yourself with other people who know a lot about, not just investing, but about the different industries. "

 "We have been dealing with being held back from investing, from even getting a credit card, from owning property, you could go all the way back to when women got the right to vote. We weren't even allowed to have a credit card in our name until 1974. So there's a lot of things generationally that have happened that have held women back when it came to finances, and so. If we can start to demystify a lot of that, then we can hopefully get women to feel more comfortable with investing, with using their money for good."

 "I just really believe that women need to be more unapologetic about money, about gathering information so that they can have more wealth."

Mentioned

 www.marciadawood.com

LinkedIn

Facebook

eConnect with Bonnie

Substack Newsletter: Own Your Ambition

Gendered Ageism Survey Results

Forbes article

5 Tips to own the superpower of your age

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Purchase my book Not Done Yet on Amazon:

If you enjoyed this episode of Badass Women Podcast, then make sure to subscribe to the podcast and drop us a five-star review

Yue Zhao's career began with aspirations rooted in a desire to help people, initially thinking she would become a doctor. However, her path led her into the tech industry, where she spent over 15 years as a product executive in Silicon Valley. Discovering the power of executive and leadership coaching became a pivotal point in her career. Inspired by her experiences and driven by her commitment to support underrepresented groups, Yue transitioned from a tech executive to a full-time executive coach. She now focuses on advancing the careers of women and minorities by leveraging her unique insights and personal journey. Through her Substack newsletter, "The Uncommon Executive," and her coaching work, Yue shares valuable lessons on leadership, overcoming challenges, and creating more inclusive workplaces. Yue has coached hundreds of aspiring executives since 2016, is an instructor at Reforge and Maven and is the author of the Uncommon Executive: Breakthrough to the C-Suite as a Minority. She's also been a VC back founder, venture partner at Life X Ventures and a consultant at McKinsey and Company. Yue has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BS in Biomedical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley

What You Will Hear in This Episode:

02:16 Youi's Journey: From Aspirations to Reality

03:52 Discovering Executive Coaching

06:22 Challenges and Triumphs in Silicon Valley

09:20 Leveraging Unique Perspectives

13:37 Coaching Women and Minorities

17:27 Addressing Gender Bias and DEI Efforts

22:03 Building a Web of Influence

23:04 Challenges in Career Advancement

25:03 The Importance of Advocacy and Relationships

33:24 Creating Inclusive Work Environments

Quotes

"Being able to empathize with multiple different perspectives is crucial."

"Finding those moments where you can say, okay, who I am, and where I naturally come from, gives me a step up."

"If I do the work and I do it really well, that'll get me ahead."

"When you've been in environments where you see what great looks like, you're like, 'This should just be everywhere."

Mentioned:

The Uncommon Executive subastack

LinkedIn

eConnect with Bonnie

Online Course for Ambitious Women: https://www.female-career-accelerator-online.com/

Substack Newsletter: Own Your Ambition

Gendered Ageism Survey Results

Forbes article

5 Tips to own the superpower of your age

IAMMusicGroup

Purchase my book Not Done Yet on Amazon:

If you enjoyed this episode of Badass Women Podcast, then make sure to subscribe to the podcast and drop us a five-star review

Kathy Caprino began her professional journey with ambitions of working in publishing. However, she soon found herself navigating a corporate career filled with numerous challenges as she climbed the corporate ladder. After a period of deep reflection, Kathy embraced her calling ultimately leading her to become an international career leadership and personal growth coach. She utilized her experiences and lessons learned to guide mid to high-level professionals toward achieving their highest potential. Kathy is a writer, speaker, and executive trainer helping mid to high level professionals advance, thrive and reach their highest, most rewarding potential. A LinkedIn Top Voice and former corporate VP, she's also a trained therapist, seasoned executive coach and a senior Forbes contributor and sought after media source on career issues. Kathy has authored two books, her latest is The Most Powerful You: Seven Bravery Boosting Paths to Career Blitz is also a training course for individuals and organizations that she offers. Kathy has been named a top 10 career coach for women and a leadership voice in the United States and globally.

What You Will Hear in This Episode:

01:48 Kathy's Early Career Journey

04:15 A Pivotal Moment

07:44 Lessons from Therapy

10:10 Empathy and Coaching

17:55 Understanding Power and Ambition

23:01 The Struggle with Societal Norms

28:23 The Power of Words

31:24 Recognizing Your Unique Talents and Owning Your Accomplishments

Quotes

"Reclaim your power by recognizing your value and the unique talents you bring to the table."

"Overcoming setbacks and imposter syndrome begins with believing in your own worthiness."

"Your story and experiences shape a unique and invaluable perspective. Celebrate that uniqueness every day."

True power comes from within. It's about acting on your behalf, advocating for yourself, and being the author of your life."

"It's not about the title or the position, but about the impact you want to make and the legacy you want to leave." -

"Every setback is an opportunity for growth. Embrace it and let it propel you to new heights."

"To empower others, we must first empower ourselves. Understand your strengths and use them to inspire those around you."

.Mentioned:

Kathycaprino.com

Mostpowerfulyou.com

Finding Brave Podcast

LinkedIn

Twitter/X

eConnect with Bonnie

Online Course for Ambitious Women: https://www.female-career-accelerator-online.com/

Substack Newsletter: Own Your Ambition

Gendered Ageism Survey Results

Forbes article

5 Tips to own the superpower of your age

IAMMusicGroup

Purchase my book Not Done Yet on Amazon:

If you enjoyed this episode of Badass Women Podcast, then make sure to subscribe to the podcast and drop us a five-star review