The Uplifters Aransas Savas

Shelley Zalis is a force of nature who refuses to play by anyone else's rules. As the founder of The Female Quotient and a pioneering researcher, Shelley has made it her mission to rewrite the playbook for women in business. From transforming online research when everyone said it couldn't be done, to creating the "Girls' Lounge" at male-dominated conferences, Shelley's career is a masterclass in following your heart and bringing others along for the ride.
In this episode, Shelley shares her journey from being the "only and lonely" female CEO in market research to becoming the "Chief Troublemaker" championing women's voices in the workplace. With infectious energy and bold ideas, she challenges us to rethink everything from how we use language to how we structure parental leave. Get ready for a conversation that will leave you inspired to create your own "heartbeat moments" and lead with authenticity.
5 Uplifting Lessons from Shelley ZalisEmbrace the power of the pack. One woman alone has power, but collectively we have impact. Bring others along to create real change.Be a bold pattern maker. Don't wait for the "right time" – be willing to go first and create new possibilities for others.Follow your heart, not just your head. Trust your instincts and be willing to take risks when you believe in something.Embrace authenticity. Lead like yourself, not like someone else. There's power in bringing emotion and your true self to work.Choose risk over regret. It's better to take a chance on your dreams than to look back wondering "What if?" Trust in your ability to find solutions.
Follow us at www.theuplifterspodcast.com
SHELLEY ZALIS
CEO, The Female Quotient
Known as the “Chief Troublemaker,” Shelley Zalis is a trailblazer for women in the workplace.
She is an internationally renowned entrepreneur, a pioneer for online research, a sought-after
speaker, a well-known thought leader, and a devoted mentor.
As founder and CEO of The Female Quotient, Zalis is in the business of equality™. Her mission
is to change the equation and close the gender gap in the workplace. Together with Fortune 500
companies, impact organizations, and conscious leaders, The FQ curates experiences, media,
and solutions that advance gender equality. The FQ has forever altered the business agenda
through its signature Equality Lounges® advancing equality at the largest global business and
industry conferences, including Davos, CES, SXSW, Cannes and more.
Prior to The FQ, Zalis became the mother of online research when she founded OTX (Online
Testing Exchange), which quickly grew into one of the world’s largest research companies and
earned Zalis distinction as the first female chief executive ranked in the research industry’s top
25. She sold OTX to Ipsos in 2010, where she led global innovation in over 80 countries.
With a bold approach to leadership, business, and life, Zalis is an acclaimed speaker and
dynamic moderator who has interviewed top-level CEOs, notable celebrities, and prominent
female figures. In addition to being an exclusive contributor to TIME, Zalis authors a Forbes
column, and has been named the #18 most influential voice on LinkedIn in the world.
A firm believer in giving back with generosity, Zalis is also the co-founder of #SeeHer, a
movement led by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) to increase the accurate
portrayal of women and girls in advertising and media, has been honored as an “Industry
Legend" by the AdClub, received the Matrix Award by New York Women in...

When Sarah Krasley was a little girl growing up in Allentown, Pennsylvania, she witnessed the collapse of the local steel industry and the devastating impact it had on her community. Hundreds of thousands of people, including members of her own family, lost their jobs seemingly overnight when the factories closed down.
That experience planted a seed that would eventually blossom into her life's work - finding ways to uplift and reskill workers displaced by automation and technological change. After an initial failure with a custom swimsuit company, Sarah started Shimmy, an industrial EdTech platform that uses engaging video games to train workers in the global fashion supply chain.
In this uplifting conversation, Sarah shares inspiring insights about her entrepreneurial journey, the value of curiosity and lifelong learning, and the power of surrounding yourself with courage-boosting voices.
5 Uplifting Lessons from Sarah Krasley1. Reframe "failures" as learning opportunities that combust like stars, generating new fragments you can cultivate into future successes.
2. Listen for where you feel flow and joy rather than forcing things. That's a sign you're playing to your strengths.
3. Plan and get clear on your intentions before difficult conversations. It builds courage.
4. Cultivate self-awareness about past hurts so you don't project them unfairly onto new situations.
5. Prioritize restorative practices like sleep, creative outlets, and nurturing supportive relationships.
The Great Web of UpliftersSarah was nominated by moi!
Today’s opening features
Alison Relyea author of the wonderfully uplifting book Soundtrack: Liner Notes from a Pandemic Mixtape.
Sarah Krasley is a social impact entrepreneur who designs equitable and future-focused manufacturing systems. As Founder and CEO of industrial edtech company Shimmy, she creatively applies technology to upskill and reskill millions of workers in the global fashion supply chain so they stay relevant as automation changes what it means to make things.

From a young age, Emily Bailey was immersed in the world of human behavior thanks to her emergency room physician father. While most kids got bedtime stories, Emily got psychology journals to read with her dad. This early exposure and a complicated relationship with her mother sparked her curiosity about what makes people tick and set her on a path to becoming a therapist specializing in OCD and anxiety disorders.
At 17, Emily experienced profound loss when her mother died by suicide. This devastating event shook her world and could have derailed her dreams, but Emily persevered with the support of her steadfast father. She learned that even in our darkest moments, we have the power to pick ourselves up, have compassion for ourselves, and keep moving forward.
Today, Emily uses her life experiences to help others overcome their own struggles. With warmth and wisdom beyond her years, she shows her clients that they are capable of so much more than they ever imagined possible. Tune in to hear Emily's incredibly uplifting story of resilience, hope, and the life-changing power of one supportive person.
5 Uplifting Lessons from Dr. Emily Bailey:1. Self-compassion means more than just being kind to yourself - it's about picking yourself up after failure and trying again.
2. You are stronger than you think. Collect evidence of the challenges you've overcome when self-doubt creeps in.
3. Having just one stable, supportive person in your life can transform it, even after great loss or adversity.
4. It's okay not to have all the answers. Embracing uncertainty allows you to keep learning and growing.
5. You don't have to let your struggles define you. Choose to live your life in a way that honors your authentic self.
The Great Web of UpliftersEmily was nominated by Rev Katie O’Dunne from episode 38.
Today’s opening features Alexis Helfman.
Keep up with EmilyEmily Bailey is a licensed clinical psychologist in Georgia and through PsyPact. She is also the founder of Atlanta OCD and Anxiety Treatment, LLC, where she provides individualized, evidence-based treatment to children, adolescents, and adults who present with OCD, OCD-related disorders, anxiety disorders, parenting-related challenges, and other life stressors. Emily is passionate about helping her patients achieve a more meaningful, satisfying, and valued life. Follow her on Instagram @dr.emilybailey
Happy Father’s Day to all the dads, like Emily’s, who Uplift us.Keep Up with The Uplifters:
https://www.instagram.com/aransas_savas/
www.theuplifterspodcast.com

Cleyvis Natera hasn’t always been the author of a critically acclaimed novel. She always knew she wanted to be, and she was certain she had what it took, but big jobs and big paychecks kept distracting her, and the big break she was looking for kept eluding her. Her son’s life-threatening illness triggered an awakening that propelled her to reclaim her passion for writing.
I always knew I wanted to be a writer. I began to write stories in High School and even studied under a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer in undergrad. But as a child of immigrants, and as a person who immigrated myself, the idea of making a living by writing seemed out of reach. I tried. I worked full time, went to grad school for an MFA and it seemed as though switching careers would be a matter of time. Things didn't work out that way. After a relentless series of what I saw at the time as endless rejections, I stopped pursuing a writing career. I stopped writing. It wasn't until I had a medical crisis and almost lost my young son that I found myself compelled to get back to it. A few years later, I've now made a complete transition into a writing life and quit that full-time corporate job that provided such a sense of accomplishment and stability. I still marvel at how the toughest and most painful experience of my life led to a breakthrough -- and I feel the most free and fulfilled I've ever felt.
In our first-ever live episode of The Uplifters Podcast, Cleyvis shares with disarming honesty what it really took to achieve literary success and publish her chart-topping novel about immigrant Uplifters, Neruda on The Park. Most of all, Cleyvis shows it what it looks like we own our brilliance, badassery, and beauty and don’t rely on the world to give us its’ fickle approval.
Prepare to be inspired and emboldened as Cleyvis invites us to embrace our singularity, confront the harsh realities of the world, and find the courage to birth the beautiful creations that are waiting within us.
5 Uplifting Lessons:
Embrace Authenticity: You are more powerful when you use your unique voice even when it defies societal expectations.Cultivate Resilience: Rejection and setbacks are inevitable, but if you can learn how to learn from failures, then you can persist.Nurture Self-Compassion: Be gentle with yourself, celebrate small victories, and embrace self-love as a source of strength.Find Inspiration in Community: Surround yourself with a supportive community of fellow creatives to fuel your inspiration, ignite your competitive spirit, and propel you to reach new heights.Birth Your Creations: Your story deserves to be told.
Check out our new show intro!At our Uplifters Live event a couple of weeks ago, we asked each guest to tell us what it means to be an Uplifter! Each week we’ll feature one of these voices in the intro of our show. This week you’ll hear from Alexa Hladick.
Who’s ready to “Cleyvis” with me??

Have you ever felt the exhilarating rush of taking a leap into the unknown? Jennifer Maanavi certainly has. In the latest episode of The Uplifters Podcast, the CEO and founder of Physique 57 takes us on her entrepreneurial journey - from the serendipitous discovery of a life-changing exercise method to the bold decision to start her own business with zero experience.
With refreshing candor, Jennifer shares the twists, turns, and "oh crap" moments that have defined her path, reminding us that even the most successful ventures are paved with missteps and course corrections. From the demise of the DVD empire to the disruption of ClassPass, Jennifer's ability to embrace change and find opportunities in adversity is a lesson in resilience.
But it's her admission that she still messes things up - like accidentally taking down her company's entire cloud system just last week - that makes Jennifer a role model for aspiring entrepreneurs everywhere. Because true leaders don't pretend to have all the answers; they lead by example, with humility, hard work, and a willingness to learn through doing.
5 Uplifting Lessons from Jennifer:1. The power of "Why not you?" When you believe in yourself and your vision, age and inexperience become irrelevant.
2. A sense of urgency trumps overthinking. Sometimes you just have to take the leap and figure it out as you go.
3. Mistakes are inevitable; a growth mindset is essential. Embracing setbacks as learning opportunities is the path to resilience.
4. Work-life balance is a myth; strive for "work-life flow" instead. Prioritize what matters most in each season.
5. Stay humble and attuned to your market. When the winds shift, adapt promptly rather than forcing your original plan.
With candor, humor, and a refreshing lack of ego, Jennifer Maanavi reminds us that purposeful work and fulfilling lives aren't about having all the answers, but about showing up wholeheartedly every day as our imperfect, ever-evolving selves.
You can always listen right here in your email, where you’ll also receive full transcripts (edited and condensed for clarity). But please also subscribe directly to The Uplifters on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Just click one of those links to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Keep up with JenniferJennifer Maanavi is the CEO and cofounder of Physique 57, a global barre fitness and media company founded in 2006 offering a specialized fitness experience in boutique studios worldwide and through numerous digital platforms. Jennifer is a connection, impact, and purpose focused leader. Serving as Strategic Advisor to several companies in the wellness space, she has a passion for high growth B2C health and wellness companies whose mission is to improve the wellbeing of their communities. You can follow Jennifer here and Physique 57 here.

When Jessica Patay's second son Ryan was born, she knew something was different. Ryan didn't cry like other newborns and had trouble feeding. After a month in the hospital with no answers, a DNA test finally revealed Ryan had Prader-Willi syndrome - a rare genetic disorder causing low muscle tone, developmental delays, and an insatiable hunger starting in childhood.
Jessica found herself thrown into the world of caregiving for a child with extraordinary needs. But she was fortunate to quickly find a local support group and mentor parents also caring for children with Prader-Willi. This community proved vital, giving Jessica the tools, understanding, and lifeline she needed to not just survive, but to thrive as a "caregiving mom."
Over time, Jessica turned to writing and blogging to share her raw, honest journey. This awakened her passion for bringing caregivers together and empowering them through connection and community. In 2017, she founded the non-profit We Are Brave Together to serve mothers like herself on the brave path of caregiving.
5 Uplifting Lessons in Jessica’s Story:
1. The power of shared stories: Sharing our truth allows us to heal and others to feel seen, heard, and validated.
2. Normalize asking for help: As caregivers, we must have the courage to voice our needs and allow others the opportunity to be supportive "uplifters" in our lives.
3. Surround yourself with believers: Having people who understand your mission and believe in your ability to grow as a leader is critical when starting any new venture.
4. Progress over perfection: You don't have to have everything perfectly planned. Take imperfect action by using the resources you do have and believing in your vision.
5. Self-care is essential: Carve out time for the activities, relationships, and solitude that refill your cup as a human being first.
Human beings are not machines meant to simply serve others. We all need community, compassion, and the courage to prioritize our own needs as well. Jessica's story inspires us to share our authentic struggles so we can uplift and be uplifted in return.
Check out the beautiful anthology Becoming Brave Together here.