How She Does It

Talk about a tough day at work. NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore were the first to fly the Boeing Starliner into space in June of 2024. The plan for the test mission was to pilot the new spacecraft into orbit, dock with the International Space Station for 8 days, and return home. But when the two astronauts first attempted to approach the ISS, five of the Starliner’s critical thrusters failed for a time, and the astronauts were in the unenviable position of piloting a potentially unreliable spacecraft.  Their story grabbed headlines around the world. After successfully docking with ISS, the decision was made to return the Starliner unmanned and have the astronauts stay aboard the ISS until they could be returned safely. That decision extended their stay to 286 days in space, and they finally returned to Earth in March of 2025.   It’s the type of high-stakes situation Sunita Williams, who goes by Suni, has trained for much of her professional life. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S Naval Test Pilot School, she has spent years learning how to calmly solve potentially life-threatening problems in air and spacecraft. It’s the type of work that underscores the importance of collaborating well with others, doing your homework, and trusting your team.    💬 In this episode, we explore: Highlights of Suni’s three missions to the ISS, including how she sleeps, exercises, and showers in space How her career proved to be a series of unexpected pivots, how she handled it, and her advice to young women starting out  Why she never felt “stranded” on the ISS and remained convinced that she & Butch Wilmore would eventually return home to Earth safely  What’s involved in the high-pressure task of space walks, and the awe-inspiring sights she witnessed  What her plans are for the future, and her thoughts on sending crews to the Moon and to Mars.   🔗 Check out NASA.gov 📸 Follow @NASA on Instagram  📸 Follow Suni Williams on X 🔗 Check out info on NASA Expedition 72 & Expedition 71    💻Video of Suni Williams & Butch Wilmore working & exercising on the ISS  💻Video of Suni Williams & Butch Wilmore on a spacewalk on November 12, 2024  💻Video of Suni Wiliams & Butch Wilmore’s return to Earth on March 18, 2025  💻Watch episodes on HOW SHE DOES IT on our YouTube Page  📸 Follow the show on Instagram: @hsdipodcast🎧 New episodes of How She Does It drop every Tuesday. Be sure to follow us so you never miss an episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carla Hall is a force. Her effervescence is a welcome ingredient in the many shows she has fronted, including “The Chew,” Fox’s “Next Level Baker,” and Food Network’s “Holiday Baking Challenge” and “Worst Cooks in America.” But what might surprise you is that she began her professional career as an accountant after being rejected from her chosen college and a dream of studying theater.   In her conversation with Karen Finerman, Carla shares how she has dealt with disappointment and setbacks, inevitably turning them into triumphs.  A creative and curious entrepreneur, she has authored award-winning cookbooks, created a line of cookware for QVC, and established an online platform to guide women through personal and professional challenges. She is not afraid of embracing what’s new and next, and she is on a mission to encourage other women to approach life the same way.  💬 In this episode, we explore: The life-long dream Carla is making come true in 2026 Her thoughts on reuniting with Clinton Kelly and Michael Symon on  their “Chewed Up” show and podcast  Why she decided to go grey on national TV  How she advocated for herself on “The Chew” when she was being passed over for opportunities  Her story of meeting her husband and getting married - after 40  🔗 Check out TheMeMenu.com 🔗 Visit Carla Hall’s website 🎧 Check Out The Chewed Up Podcast & YouTube Page  📸 Follow @CarlaPHall on Instagram  📸 Follow: @ChefCarla Hall on Facebook 📸Follow  @CarlaHall on X 💻Watch episodes on HOW SHE DOES IT on our YouTube Page  📸 Follow the show on Instagram: @hsdipodcast🎧 New episodes of How She Does It drop every Tuesday. Be sure to follow us so you never miss an episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Women often have a blur of busy days — especially this time of year - going from meetings and important phone calls to the grocery store or soccer practice. It often feels like the day goes by in the blink of an eye. This, of course, leaves many of us feeling drained at the end of the day, or inspired to push off our most important tasks to next week — or we forget about them completely.  So how can we better juggle our busy work days, the challenges of raising a family, and all of the other tasks in between, while still making time for fun?  We’re sharing one of our favorite episodes from season 1 to help you do just that, because Laura Mae Martin has cracked the code. She’s an Executive Productivity Advisor at Google and she coaches Google’s top executives on time management and efficiency.  She offers her take on how to cut out time-suck meetings once and for all, and why discovering our “power hours” does wonders for our creativity and productivity.  💬 In this episode: * Manage your email inbox like doing laundry - sort, prioritize, and focus on one task at a time. * Use the list funnel method to organize tasks and prioritize based on timeframes. * Limit and optimize meetings by setting agendas, evaluating their necessity, and providing feedback. * Identify your power hours and schedule important tasks during those times for maximum productivity.  * Minimize multitasking and manage email effectively to improve productivity. 🔗 Resources & Links: 👩‍💼 Learn more about Laura Mae Martin at lauramaemartin.com    📚 Check out Laura Mae Martin’s Book Uptime at lauramaemartin.com/book 📲 Follow Laura Mae Martin on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lauramaemartin/ 📲 Follow How She Does It on Instagram: @hsdipodcast 🎧 New episodes drop every Tuesday. Hit “Follow” so you never miss a moment. 💌 Join the HerMoney community: hermoney.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Deborah Roberts is an Emmy and Peabody award-winning journalist.  She has graced our television screens for 30+ years, from her early days at stations in Columbus, Knoxville, and Orlando to one of the most coveted jobs in the business: co-anchoring 20/20 at ABC News.   That rise has come with its share of lessons and shifting priorities, but Deborah is now clearly at the top of her game.    The New York Times best-selling author’s new book was inspired by her early life growing up with six sisters in Perry, Georgia.   It’s called “Sisters Loved and Treasured Stories of Unbreakable Bonds.”  In it, she interviewed a number of sisters to gain perspective on what makes this relationship so unique and essential.  These days, Deborah and husband Al Roker are empty-nesters, and she’s knee-deep in preparation for her daughter Leila’s wedding next spring.   In this episode, Deborah opens up about working her way through the ranks of TV News, her thoughts on America’s fascination with true crime, and how she’s grown to appreciate the special relationship she has with her siblings.  💬 In this episode, we explore: Deborah’s decision to turn down a big network job just as she was about to become a mother, and how that impacted her career The ways Deborah’s work and leadership style has shifted and evolved  The story of how Deborah and Al first met and her thoughts on having a partner who is in the same industry (Hint: sometimes it’s great, and occasionally, it’s not-so-helpful.)  What it was like interviewing daughter Leila and step-daughter Courtney about their relationship for her book  Memories from her time growing up in Perry, Georgia, including moving from a segregated elementary school to an integrated school. You can see more of Deborah on ABC’s 20/20 on Friday nights and streaming the next day on Hulu and Disney+. You can also hear more on the 20/20 podcast she hosts called "The After Show" - available wherever you get your podcasts and on video on Hulu and Disney Plus.  Resources:🔗 Visit ABC News 20/20 🔗 For Information on “Sisters Loved and Treasured Stories of Unbreakable Bonds.” 📸  Follow Deborah Roberts on Instagram  🎧Listen To Deborah Roberts on “The After Show”  🎧 New episodes of How She Does It drop every Tuesday. Be sure to follow us so you never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Kavita Patel is the definition of a high achiever.   She holds multiple demanding jobs: a primary care physician, a venture partner at New Enterprise Associates, a professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, and a medical contributor for NBC News. And those are just the roles she has right now.  Previously, she served as a director of policy in the Obama White House and a deputy staff director on health for Sen Ted Kennedy.   So what drives her to pursue new challenges?  Dr. Patel shares with Karen Finerman how her upbringing as one of three daughters of Indian parents who owned and operated a motel in Texas shaped her approach to earning a living.  Plus, Dr. Patel explains how a friend from across the political aisle “RSVP’d” her into a new opportunity that allowed her to build generational wealth for her family, and how that experience shaped her approach to helping others.   💬 In this episode, we explore: The game-changing nature of GLP-1s and what Dr. Patel sees as the potential additional efficacies for this class of drugs In a time when conversations around certain medical and scientific issues have become more politicized, Dr. Patel explains how her approach has evolved, in a way she hopes helps understanding in both directions.  The unique way Dr. Patel uses her “failures” to learn and become a better leader Dr. Patel shares her strategy for entering new spaces and why she loves learning difficult things  📸 Follow Dr. Kavita Patel on LinkedIn  🔗 Visit New Enterprise Associates Website  Books Mentioned In This Podcast:  The 5 Types of Wealth: A Transformative Guide to Design Your Dream Life by Sahil Bloom Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy The City and Its Uncertain Walls by Haruki MurakamiLet Them by Mel Robbins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How does one go from being a college dropout to the CEO of a billion-dollar company with a role on “Shark Tank?” If you ask Kendra Scott, the answer would be a determination to understand her customer, a hunger to keep learning, and a grateful attitude. It’s been nearly a quarter century since Scott, then a new mom, started a small jewelry business in her spare bedroom. The focus was quality, stylish pieces that were also affordable. For 10 years, she “bootstrapped” the fashion accessories business on loans and debt until she landed her first investor. By 2016, the company was valued at one billion dollars. Scott, who had a failed retail hat business prior to launching her namesake business, grew her business by making smart hires, reinvesting wisely, and learning as much as she could along the way.   Kendra Scott has retained majority control of her business and has placed “family, fashion, and philanthropy” as the company's pillars. In terms of her own family, she has raised three sons and is newly engaged to country superstar Zac Brown. She describes their relationship—and the whole lives they lead, along with their blended family of eight kids—as “two comets, headed in the same direction.”     💬 In this episode, we explore:  Kendra Scott’s perspective on the future of her business, now that she’s back as interim CEO after serving as executive chairwoman since 2021 Kendra Scott’s reaction to seeing Pete Davidson walk into “Shark Tank” How the Great Recession gave Kendra Scott the impetus to innovate her business  Why Kendra Scott wants to create a corporate culture where her employees can give her bad news. The way Kendra Scott is raising her three sons to understand the importance of making their own money and creating their own success.  🔗 Visit Kendra Scott - Lifestyle & Jewelry Company 📸 Follow Kendra Scott - LIfestyle & Jewelry Company on Instagram  📸 Follow Kendra Scott on Instagram  📸 Follow Kendra Scott on TikTok 📸 Follow the show on Instagram: @hsdipodcast🎧 New episodes of How She Does It drop every Tuesday. Be sure to follow us so you never miss an episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anglea Buchdahl has been leading one of NYC’s most influential Reform Judaism congregations since 2014.  Not only is she the first female leader of Central Synagogue in its more than 185-year history, but she is also changing the expectations around what it can look like to be a senior rabbi.  In this episode, Rabbi Buchdahl joins Karen Finerman to discuss her memoir “Heart Of a Stranger: An Unlikely Rabbi's Story of Faith, Identity, and Belonging.” In it, she shares how her Buddhist Korean mother and Jewish American father shaped her outlook on life, faith, and God. She went on to become the first Asian American to be ordained as a rabbi. Building her career presented its own challenges: from navigating the realities of being a working mother to deciding when and how to pursue bigger opportunities.  Along the way, she even faced doubters who said she lacked the “gravitas.” She persevered and has established herself as a leading voice in the Reform Jewish community.   💬 In this episode, we explore: How Rabbi Buchdahl resists putting too much stock in external criticism - or validation  One of the craziest days in Rabbi Buchdahl’s career, which proved to be a perfect representation of the challenges of being a working mother How a coin toss helped Rabbi Buchdahl take one of the biggest leaps of her career  The role Rabbi Buchdahl says humility plays in being a good leader (and helped convince her to accept an invite to the White House).  The meaningful moment Rabbi Buchdhl was able to publicly thank her mother for her support and guidance 🔗 Visit Central Synagogue’s Website 🔗 Learn More about  “Heart Of a Stranger: An Unlikely Rabbi's Story of Faith, Identity, and Belonging” 📸 Follow Rabbi Angela Buchdahl On Instagram  📸 Watch Rabbi Angela Buchdahl’s sermons on YouTube 📸 Follow the show on Instagram: @hsdipodcast 🎧 New episodes of How She Does It drop every Tuesday. Be sure to follow us so you never miss an episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nicki Sheard, CEO of BBC Studios Brands & Licensing, has a fascinating background that spans science, brand management, and digital media. She discusses her bold decision to leave a Harvard PhD for a career in branding, highlighting lessons from her time at P&G and McKinsey. Nicki reveals how she identified Bluey's potential early on, leading to its expansive success, including its notable presence in Disney parks. She also explores the show's appeal for adults, the use of AI in content creation, and her personal strategies for balancing career ambitions with family life.

It was the role of a lifetime: Angelica Schuyler in the Broadway phenomenon “Hamilton.”  But Renée Elise Goldsberry turned down the audition. Not just once, but multiple times.   As she explains to Karen Finerman in this episode and in her new documentary “Satisfied,” it was at that same moment that the family Renée had fought so hard to create was finally coming together.  She and husband Alexis had just brought home their daughter Brielle, adopted from Ethiopia. She joined big brother Benjamin to make their family of four. After years of infertility struggles, Renée was ready to spend her energy being a mom to her very young children.  That was her plan, until her manager implored her to at least listen to the music from what was then called “The Hamilton Mixtape.”  In the moment that she first heard Lin-Manuel Miranda singing the demo for “Satisfied,” she knew she wanted the part.  She got it, and the rest is Broadway history.  Renée’s versatility as a singer and actress has served her well since then: she starred in the musical comedy series “Girls5Eva” and can now be seen in Oscar-winner Kathryn Bigelow’s new film “A House of Dynamite” on Netflix.  In it, she plays the first lady as the president, played by Idris Elba, is facing a nuclear crisis.   💬 In this episode, we explore: Renée’s memories of “Hamilton” from its workshop days to its recent 10th anniversary celebration  How Renée managed the demands of a mega-hit Broadway musical while raising young children Behind the scenes of her new documentary "Satisfied,' and how fellow actresses Kelli O’Hara and Audra McDonald supported her  Why her new album “Who I Really Am” is her most personal work yet  How Renée knew her husband Alexis Johnson was the right one for her The role faith has played in both Renée’s personal and professional life  The good advice her “Girls5Eva” co-star Paula Pell gave her about managing anxiety The coveted birthday present Renée gives to her friends and family  And the exciting text John Mulaney sent Renée and her fellow castmates of “Documentary Now! Original Cast Album: Co-Op” 🔗 Visit Renée Elise Goldsberry’s website 🔗 For Information on the SATISFIED Documentary  🔗 For information on Netflix’s A HOUSE OF DYNAMITE 🎧 Listen To Renee’s New Album, Who I Really Am  📸 Follow Renée Elise Goldsberry on Instagram 📸 Follow Renée Elise Goldsberry on TikTok 📸 Follow the show on Instagram: @hsdipodcast 🎧 New episodes of How She Does It drop every Tuesday. Be sure to follow us so you never miss an episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“My whole life, people have been saying you're funny,” recalled Zarna Garg. “But if you are an Indian person, what do you do with that? That means nothing to us. Like if you are good at math, you become an accountant. What do you do with funny?” Lucky for audiences, Zarna figured it out and has become one of comedy’s hottest acts.  She’s mined her upbringing in India and a say-exactly-what-she’s-thinking attitude into comedy success.   On this episode, both Zarna and her daughter Zoya, a Stanford graduate who is now working closely with her mom, chat with Karen Finerman about their approach to building the business of Zarna Garg.  That includes tours, a New York Times best-selling memoir, a robust social presence, a family podcast, and more.    But they’re not resting on their laurels.  “I am really focused on the mission,” Zoya shared.  “I really believe [Zarna’s business] is going to be a really big thing one day. And I find so much purpose in that.” 💬 In this episode, we explore: Zarna’s upbringing in Mumbai, and how she left for the United States to avoid an arranged marriage during her teen years  How Zoya convinced Zarna, a stay-at-home mom and serial entrepreneur, to give comedy a try  Zarna’s unapologetic expectations for her kids, and how they’ve been able to meet them  How Zoya handles having her mother as a boss Zarna & Zoya’s relentless drive to grow their business.  Resources: 🔗 For Tour Info & More, Visit Zarna Garg’s Website  🔗 Play Grades With Gargs  📸  Follow Zarna Garg on Instagram 📸  Follow Zoya Garg on Instagram 📸 Follow the show on Instagram: @hsdipodcast 💬 Enjoying the show? Follow How She Does It and leave us a review. And don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices