QUESTION EVERYTHING

“If you give people your time and your spirit, you make an impact.” Katie Lowes is an actor, theatre director, and key member of the Shondaland crew, with significant roles on Scandal (Quinn Perkins) and Inventing Anna. Katie and her husband, Adam Shapiro, are founders and directors of Los Angeles’s IAMA Theater Company. But her rise to TV fame didn’t happen overnight. She’s been at it for years, on a path filled with setbacks, odd jobs and the inevitable imposter syndrome. So how did she spin her struggles into a flourishing career in Hollywood?  Katie brings an honest, vulnerable and hilarious voice to the podcast, sharing: Her navigation of severe postpartum depression What her 40th birthday means to her as a time of transition How she just took a solo 5-day vacation solely for herself Her extraordinary grandmother’s recent death and what it means to live a full life How starting therapy at 24 led to her booking work as an actor Her audition journey for Shonda Rhimes and finally landing Scandal How Kerry Washington and other women of Scandal created a safe, supportive environment for each other Why it’s important, as an actor, to stay focused on your work rather than fame

Chelsea Devantez is a comedian, Emmy-nominated writer and host of the podcast “Celebrity Book Club” where she dissects celebrity memoirs.  She recently served as the head writer on “The Problem with Jon Stewart.”  Today she she shares:  The best advice Jon Stewart gave her.  What we can all learn from the memoirs of celebrity women (and her favorite ones of all time).  What it was like working with Tina Fey. Why pop culture is such a powerful way to make real change when it comes to social justice and politics.  How she learned the power of female friendships and why she wants more TV shows about them. How making your own work will create the career you’re meant to have.  What it was really like working on a cruise ship Why she thinks The Bachelor is a cultural clock on America. 

“You write your eulogy with the pen of your life.” Rabbi Steve Leder, is a best-selling author and Senior Rabbi at the Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles who has been named one of the most influential Rabbis in America. His most recent book, “For You When I am Gone” teaches us how to write an ethical will (outlining 12 questions to ask), a letter to loved ones that helps them understand what we have learned about how to live a meaningful life. He shares: The number one regret he sees most people have not heir death bed. The biggest lessons he’s learned from death that can help us lead a better life.  What tombstones can teach us  What we misunderstand about grief Why we should all have an “ethical will.”  Why we must consider death in order to figure out what we want out of life.  Why we need to work to make sure our inner life matches our outer life.  The right questions to ask yourself to find if you're living out your values. Why we are have the wrong idea of what it means to sacrifice. 

Professor Cassie Mogilner Holmes is a professor of marketing and behavioral decision making at UCLA Anderson School of Management and author of Happier Hour: How to Beat Distraction, Expand Your Time, and Focus on What Matters. Today she joins the pod to share ways that we can all become more time rich and lead happier, more fulfilling lives. She shares: What it means to be time rich and how we can make our time more meaningful. 3 specific habits you can start today to increase happiness. Why it’s important to take inventory of you spend your time. How much money you need to be happy. Why you have more time than you think you do (and how to discover where and when you have that time). Surface relationships vs deep connections and how they impact our happiness.  Why the arts are so important when it comes to happiness. Gender inequality when it comes to free time. Why learning to say no and protecting your time is paramount to happiness. Why we need to treat our time like diamonds.

Caroline Stanbury is a Bravo TV Star (Real Housewives of Dubai), podcast host of Divorced Not Dead”, entrepreneur, wife, mother of 3 and philanthropist. She is known for her quick wit, zest for life, and British candor. We came to know her as the breakout star of Ladies of London in 2014. Fans loved Caroline for the same reason they love her podcast and romantic + business advice: she lives unapologetically.   In this episode she shares how she has manifested the life she is living. She even gives me some dating advice. This episode is really fun— I can’t wait for you to hear from Caroline on how she is determined to live life to its fullest potential!  Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolinestanbury/?hl=en

Sarah Landry is a hugely successful digital creator, body positivity advocate and podcaster known as “The Birds Papaya.” She has more than 2 million Instagram followers and one of the most popular body positive accounts on social media. She’s shares: Why it still feels radical for her to post picture of herself with stretch marks. Why losing 100 pounds didn’t bring her happiness. What she learned from people’s silence when she started to gain weight back. How to teach yourself how to have a “second thought” and rewire your brain when it comes to body thoughts. How to set boundaries when it comes to body comments. How she was able to achieve body neutrality and her best advice for those hoping to do the same. The grief she’s still dealing with when it comes to her body. Why it will take women coming together to make real change when it comes to body image.

Kaylin Marcotte reinvented the jigsaw puzzle when she launched her company ‘Jiggy’ on 2019. The direct-to-consumer puzzle company features art by emerging female artists, and specially formulated puzzle glue, allowing you to frame your puzzles after you make them; JIGGY puzzles are art - in pieces. At just two years old, JIGGY is already a cultural phenomenon, loved by Kacey Musgraves, Chrissy Teigen, Allison Williams, Sophia Bush, Demi Lovato, and more.  How she decided to launch her own company (she was formerly the first employee at theSkimm) How she modernized the jigsaw puzzle When to make your hobby your full time job  How she launched with $25,000 of her own savings, from her NY apartment  How she pivoted during covid and built a multi million dollar business in just a few years What her experience on Shark tank was like (Marc Cuban now invests) The mission driven aspect of her business— supporting emerging female artists An untapped resource she advises other entrepreneurs to take advantage of when trying to get something off the ground Lessons she’s learned along the way.

Actress + Activist Emmanuelle Chriqui shares her journey to Hollywood and passion for philanthropy: Growing up in Toronto + her journey to Hollywood (and the time she almost quit!) Career building blocks: “different breaks for different chapters” What it was like becoming a celebrity + sex symbol overnight when Entourage aired.  Why were men obsessed with her famous character Sloane? The depressed + isolated feelings she felt when she achieved such major success and how activism has changed that for her.  What she thinks about the criticism of Entourage being misogynistic  How she has navigated losing both of her parents

Dr. Mondo is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, Mental Stregth Coach, and founder and CEO of Cheatcode (a nonprofit determined to end stigma and increase access to mental health services in underserved communities). He works with high performing people– athletes, celebrities and executives—  to unlock their peak mental performance. He shares: Why it’s so important to strengthen your gut and intuition. The difference between following your heart and your gut. Techniques he uses to help his clients visualize and achieve success in every area of their lives. Why we shouldn’t fear adversity and the biggest lessons we can learn from it.  The biggest misconceptions about success and successful people. How to find faith in yourself if you’ve lost it.  Why it’s hard to achieve happiness if you’re not in service to others.  The impact our traumas have on our success and on shaping who are are.

Rachel Simmons is a bestselling author, educator and executive coach who has been studying girls for more than two decades. Today she’s sharing: The lie she says girls have been sold when it comes to success. Why it’s important to learn the skill of failure. How girls and boys approach failure differently Why we need to start talking to our daughters/girls about gender bias and how they may encounter it in the world. Why we see so few women at the top in the corporate world.  The relationship between failure and leadership  The curse of being a “good girl” and how that impacts us.  Why you should try and make peace with yourself before having kids.