Reinvent Yourself

“If a woman drops a tampon versus drops a pencil, there's a very different reaction,” says psychologist Dr. Alicia Grandey, Professor of Psychology at Penn State University, whose research is reshaping perceptions of the “three Ms” (menstruation, maternity, and menopause) in the workplace. In this episode, Dr. Grandey discusses the challenges women face during these stages, and how they impact careers and self-perception. “In addit...

“I’m not one to take big risks,” says Ellie Steinbrink, a Midwest marketer turned fashion maven, “but for me it was a no-brainer.”  When COVID hit, Steinbrink realized that her professional success didn't create personal fulfillment.”What I'm doing in my business is helping women develop their style brand,” she says. “I'm taking that marketing expertise [into the fashion area] because we all know that clothes have power, not just b...

"Authentic ​beauty ​and ​confidence ​come ​from ​within ​and ​radiate ​out," says Nick Gavrelis, founder of ieró Beauty, a holistic skincare line devoted to unleashing the sacred spark within. After decades spent as a corporate powerhouse behind some of your favorite prestige beauty brands, including MAC and Estée Lauder, Gavrellis shifted into entrepreneurship and created his line of plant-based and crystal-infused products that r...

“When you choose better men,” says author and dating coach Evan Marc Katz, “The whole world opens up the same way that if you ate healthier food versus eating junk food.” With more than 35 million readers on his blog, 2.5 million podcast downloads, and 13,000 women transformed through his Love U course, Katz is the go-to guru for smart, successful women seeking romance. Discover why Katz believes men look for sex and find love, why...

"This whole idea of 50+ and reinvention – it's real. It's important," says author and speaker Jann Freed. "Because we're active, we're healthier, and we really want to continue to contribute." Freed spent 5 years transitioning out of her full-time teaching career of 30 years before shifting into entrepreneurship as a leadership development consulting. In this conversation with Lesley Jane Seymour she shares the result of her years ...

“I see the way sports were covered, and it's a lot of BS, and it's just not genuine or authentic," says Emmy-winning TV host Kelli Moore. "I also saw how toxic it was. I was a young woman in my twenties in a male dominated culture, and I dealt with sexual assault, and I didn't feel good about myself. …So I left that career because of the sexual assault, because of the lack of value and worth I felt within myself.” After a 15-year c...

“What if I launched my company from the hospital?” This was the question Christina Langdon asked herself as she began a year of treatment for AML leukemia. “I am no different than anyone else…I’m an example of what’s possible.” After multiple career transitions leading sales and marketing brands, including a 20-year stint with Martha Stewart Living, she decided to rewrite her definition of success. Now 5 years cancer-free and autho...

"I don't know anybody who had what I had," says Maureen Lippe, founder and CEO of Lippe Taylor. "After losing him, I knew I was a business owner, I was a mom, but that other side of [...] my life was completely gone." What Lippe means is that when her beloved husband, Jerry, passed unexpectedly during the Covid epidemic, her life was shattered. In the years that followed she committed herself to friends...

"All the things I loved about being a therapist got overshadowed by the pain," says Sarah Fruehling, "I wish I actually didn't know people were capable of treating another human being like that." Despite a successful career as a mental health therapist that spanned over 20 years, Fruehling found herself burned out from the trauma she was exposed to through her work. At the height of her career she knew it was time for a reinvention...

TW: Sexual abuse of a child, eating disorders "I became incredibly skilled at disassociating," recalls dancer-turned-author, Antonia "Tunie" Deigan. With a lifelong passion for dance, Deigan used ballet to help herself cope with traumatic experiences at home and in school. She launched herself into a successful dance career despite trying to deal with her truama with substance abuse and an eating disorder. When Deigan became a m...

After a 40-year career in advertising, Patti Siegel decided to reinvent into a career that combined her passion and her skills: she wanted to work in the arts. "It's not for the faint of heart," she tells CoveyClub founder Lesley Jane Seymour. "I brazenly applied for three art jobs and they all turned me down." Now the executive director of ArtsATL, an Atlanta-based non-profit, Siegel recalls her 15-year journey to find her dream p...

Allie Egan is a queen of reinvention. She began her career in investing before transitioning into marketing for the beauty industry, became CEO of Cynthia Rowley – all before launching into entrepreneurship and establishing Veracity, a holistic beauty brand rooted in hormone health. "We've heard so many stories from our customers," she tells CoveyClub founder Lesley Jane Seymour. "Women will go to their doctors...and they don't rea...

"You can have permission to make sexual decisions that serve you and serve your well-being," says Dr. Candice Nicole, host of the Fuck the System podcast that aims to dismantle how we view and talk about sex, pleasure, and reproductive health. After years of reproductive trauma, including fibroids to an ectopic pregnancy, Dr. Nicole felt her sexual wellbeing was compromised. "So the podcast was really me doing the reinvention reawa...

“2014 was sort of a personal Apocalypse for me,” says b-untethered founder Anissa Buckley. As a Fortune 500 marketing expert turned entrepreneur, Buckley was experiencing fabulous success when in the span of eight months she experienced divorce and the loss of both her parents. “I went from being a daughter and a wife…to nothing,” she tells CoveyClub founder Lesley Jane Seymour. In a radical bid for transformation, Buckley embarked...

“I think over time, I've learned an awful lot about myself, and knowing more about myself has led me to the point of being a [better] participant in the world,” says Rochelle Udell, whose career highlights have included artistic art director of Ms. magazine, art director of Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, president and creative director of Calvin Klein's CRK advertising agencies, and editor-in-chief of Self magazine – just to name a few...

“In 2015, the influencer industry was a half a billion dollar industry,” says Aliza Freud; “This year it’s projected to be close to $25 billion.” As the founder and CEO of SheSpeaks, a global community of female influencers, Freud connects brands with the social media entrepreneurs who can help them amplify their message. “I think it’s giving women a huge opportunity,” she tells CoveyClub founder Lesley Jane Seymour. In fact, in a ...

“Most people think that if somebody from the Philippines is marrying an American, maybe she only wants money,” observed Filipino-born Kristy Yoder. “I’m a living testimony that it’s not true…I hired my husband full-time.” When Yoder first moved to the United States she began working as a freelance virtual assistant in the hopes that entrepreneurship would allow her to spend more time with her loved ones. Yet, like so many of us, sh...

"The thing you might want to do may not be the thing you need to do in order to start the ball rolling so you can reinvent," says Izolda Trakhtenberg. "What is the thing that you need to actually change?" A former NASA Master Trainer, Trakhtenberg has reinvented herself as an author, educator, and master podcaster. She believes in the power of the Fives Cs: Creativity, Curiosity, Compassion, Confidence, and Communication. Though...

"As corny as it sounds, it really is about doing the inner work and knowing who you are," observes lawyer, author, and emotional well-being expert Poonam Bhuchar. "We put energy into going to the gym, we put effort into our relationships, why do we not honeymoon ourselves…why don't we spend the time to get to know who we are and what we want?" A powerhouse reinventor and master of resilience, Bhuchar overcame assault, bullying, and...