1 Girl Revolution

1 Girl Revolution

The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast highlights the stories of everyday women and girls who are changing the world through their lives.

  1. 3d ago

    298: Bark Nation - Kerry McLaughlin

    On this week's episode of The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast, we welcome Kerry McLaughlin - co-founder of Bark Nation, a Detroit-based nonprofit that works nationwide with a mission to end canine cruelty and save lives. Kerry is a woman who keeps showing up for the dogs no one else knows exist, and she truly is a 1 Girl Revolution! For more than 14 years, Bark Nation has worked alongside local, state, and federal law enforcement on search warrants - literally cutting the chains of hundreds of dogs rescued from dogfighting and cruelty cases, and then caring for those dogs while they serve as living evidence in criminal cases. It's rescue work most of us never see, and it happens right here in Michigan. We first heard about Kerry and Bark Nation when Kerry, her sister, and members of the Bark Nation team joined iHeartRadio's Mojo in the Morning Show. Because of the complex nature of their work, Bark Nation doesn't often have opportunities to share their work, and we are honored to create a space for Kerry's story and the story of Bark Nation to be told. Many people don't realize that dogfighting is still happening in our world, and it's rampant. The first step to bringing an end to this cruelty is spreading awareness, and that's something we can all be a part of. This is a story about a woman who keeps showing up for the dogs no one else knows exist and who no one else will fight for. You are going to LOVE Kerry and this episode. In this episode, you'll hear: ✨ How Kerry and her sister co-founded Bark Nation and what inspired their mission to end canine cruelty; ✨ What it's like to work alongside law enforcement on search warrants and cut the chains of dogs rescued from dogfighting and cruelty cases; ✨ How Bark Nation cares for dogs who serve as living evidence in criminal cases; ✨ Why dogfighting is still happening in our world, and why it's more common than most people realize; ✨ Why awareness is the first step toward ending this cruelty, and how all of us can be part of it; ✨ Why this rescue work happens right here in Michigan, and what keeps Kerry showing up; ✨ Kerry's reflections on fighting for the dogs no one else will; ✨ And so much more! Kerry McLaughlin is a 1 Girl Revolution! Listen/watch her story today - she's episode #298 of The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast! Connect with Bark Nation: Website: barknation.org Instagram: @bark_nation Facebook: facebook.com/barknation3 Listen/Watch + Subscribe: Listen to and watch The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. ✨ Join the movement to empower women and girls - and change the world, one story at a time. For more information, visit 1GirlRevolution.com

  2. Oct 21

    297: Luxe Links + See You Sunday - Ashley Crowder

    On this week's episode of The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast, we welcome Ashley Crowder - founder of See You Sunday Events and Luxe Links Michigan, and a woman building something women everywhere are craving right now: authentic community for ALL women. Ashley's story is proof that you don't have to quit your day job to change your corner of the world. By day, she's a full-time medical sales representative. She's also a mom of two. And somehow, in the middle of all of that, she launched Luxe Links Michigan - a charm bar business creating custom keepsakes that celebrate friendships, milestones, and memories. But watching women connect over those little pieces of jewelry sparked something bigger. Ashley realized she didn't just want to create keepsakes that celebrate meaningful moments - she wanted to create the moments themselves. That's how See You Sunday Events was born - an event company creating experience-driven markets across metro Detroit that shine a spotlight on small businesses, specifically women-owned businesses. These events bring together shopping, food, live entertainment, and genuine connection, and they've grown into can't-miss gatherings at beautiful venues across Michigan. What makes See You Sunday so special is who it's for: ALL women are welcome. You don't have to be a mom. You don't have to be a business owner. You don't have to be anything in particular - you just have to show up. And tickets are always accessible and affordable, because community shouldn't have a price tag that keeps women out. In a world where so many women feel lonely and isolated, Ashley is quietly building the antidote: a place where women belong. This is a story about what happens when one woman decides that connection is worth creating - and builds the room she wished existed. In this episode, you'll hear: ✨ Ashley's inspiring story of growing up and how she got to where she is today;  ✨ How Ashley launched Luxe Links Michigan while working full-time in medical sales and the moment that sparked the idea for See You Sunday Events; ✨ Why Ashley wanted to create the moments themselves, not just the keepsakes that celebrate them; ✨ Inside See You Sunday's markets, from shopping and food to live entertainment and connection; ✨ Why spotlighting small businesses, especially women-owned businesses, is at the heart of her work; ✨ Why every woman is welcome at a See You Sunday event, and why tickets are always accessible and affordable; ✨ Ashley's reflections on community, belonging, and building the room you wished existed; ✨ And so much more! Ashley Crowder is a 1 Girl Revolution! Listen/watch her story today! Connect with Ashley Crowder: Instagram: @ashleycrowderirl Connect with See You Sunday Events: Instagram: @seeyousundayevents Connect with Luxe Links Michigan: Website: luxelinksmichigan.com Instagram: @luxelinksmichigan TikTok: @luxelinksmichigan Facebook: Luxe Links Michigan Listen/Watch + Subscribe: Listen to and watch The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. ✨ Join the movement to empower women and girls - and change the world, one story at a time. For more information, visit 1GirlRevolution.com

  3. Oct 14

    296: Savannah Bananas, Banana Ball, and Bananas Foster - Emily Cole

    On this week's episode of The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast, we welcome Emily Cole - co-owner of the Savannah Bananas and multiple other teams, co-founder of Banana Ball, the baseball phenomenon known as "The Greatest Show in Sports," and co-founder of Bananas Foster, a nonprofit dedicated to celebrating the foster care community and inspiring more people to get involved. One chapter of Emily's story begins with a wild idea. She and her husband, Jesse, took over a struggling minor league baseball team in Savannah, Georgia, and bet everything they had on one belief: that baseball should be FUN. They put fans first in everything - dancing players, all-you-can-eat concessions, baby crawling races - and created a whole new game called Banana Ball. In the early days, they could barely sell a ticket. Today, the Bananas sell out Major League Baseball and NFL stadiums across the country, with hundreds of consecutive sellouts and millions of fans who can't get enough. But here's the part of Emily's story most fans don't know. In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, with a one-year-old son at home and a rapidly growing business, Emily and Jesse became licensed foster parents. They opened their home to children in foster care - and eventually adopted two little girls into their forever family. That experience changed everything. In 2023, they founded Bananas Foster, the official nonprofit of Banana Ball. At every single game, a foster family is called onto the field to be honored in front of a stadium full of cheering fans, while Bananas Foster connects people in every city the team visits to local foster care organizations and ways to help. Emily is a wife, a mom through both birth and adoption, a foster parent, a businesswoman, and a powerful advocate for the nearly 400,000 children in foster care across America. This is a story about what happens when you use your biggest dreams for your deepest purpose - and about choosing love, even when you don't know how the story ends. In this episode, you'll hear: ✨ How Emily and Jesse bet everything on one wild idea; ✨ The early days of the Savannah Bananas, when they could barely sell a ticket; ✨ How Banana Ball grew into "The Greatest Show in Sports," selling out MLB and NFL stadiums across the country; ✨ Why Emily and Jesse became foster parents in the middle of the pandemic, and how they grew their family through foster care and adoption; ✨ The story behind Bananas Foster and the moment a foster family is honored on the field at every game; ✨ How Bananas Foster connects fans in every city to local foster care organizations and ways to get involved; ✨ Emily's reflections on using your biggest dreams for your deepest purpose, and choosing love even when you don't know how the story ends; ✨ And so much more! Emily Cole is a 1 Girl Revolution! Listen/watch her story today! Connect with Emily Cole: Instagram: @emcole3 Connect with Bananas Foster: Website: bananasfoster.org Instagram: @bananasfosterinc Connect with the Savannah Bananas: Website: thesavannahbananas.com Instagram: @thesavbananas Listen/Watch + Subscribe: Listen to and watch The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. ✨ Join the movement to empower women and girls - and change the world, one story at a time. For more information, visit 1GirlRevolution.com

  4. Oct 7

    295: The Flow - Delphine Hirsh and Reyna Hohagen

    On this week's episode of The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast, we welcome Delphine Hirsh and Reyna Hohagen - co-founders of The Flow, a nonprofit organization on a mission to end period poverty and stigma. Delphine is a trilingual Princeton University graduate who studied Afro-American Studies. Before co-founding The Flow, she worked at Prep for Prep, creating access to educational and professional opportunities for young people of color, and later in development and communications at the American Foundation for AIDS Research. In 2017, everything changed when she tried a menstrual cup for the first time and realized its potential to fight period poverty at scale. That realization became The Flow. She's also a writer, with a body of work spanning short stories, kids' books, and film and TV. Reyna is also trilingual, a first-generation immigrant, and a proud Latina consumer insights expert with over 25 years of experience as a qualitative researcher - much of it spent exploring the issues affecting Latin communities. As co-founder of The Flow, she leads the organization's Spanish-language outreach, education, and materials, and she is also the Founder and CEO of Good Leche, a marketing research agency. Together, co-founders Delphine and Reyna built The Flow into the only organization in the United States working to end period poverty and stigma exclusively through menstrual cups - the healthiest, most sustainable, and most cost-effective period product there is. Through a model of education, distribution, and ongoing support, their team partners with schools, shelters, transitional housing programs, food banks, jails, and more. Since 2017, they've distributed more than 25,000 cups, put an estimated $20 million back in the wallets of cup recipients, diverted 47 million single-use products from landfills, and built a network of more than 120 community partners. This is a story about two women who took something as ordinary (and extraordinary!) as a period and turned it into a movement - one that's fighting poverty, stigma, and environmental waste all at once, one community at a time. In this episode, you'll hear: ✨ The story of how a menstrual cup changed Delphine's perspective - and sparked The Flow; ✨ How Delphine and Reyna came together as co-founders to build The Flow; ✨ Why menstrual cups are at the center of The Flow's model for fighting period poverty; ✨ Inside The Flow's work with schools, shelters, food banks, jails, and more; ✨ The real-world impact: 25,000+ cups distributed, $20 million back in recipients' pockets, and 47 million single-use products diverted from landfills; ✨ Delphine and Reyna's reflections on turning something ordinary into a movement; ✨ And so much more! Delphine Hirsh and Reyna Hohagen are 1 Girl Revolutions! Listen/watch their story today! Connect with The Flow: Website: theflowworld.org Listen/Watch + Subscribe: Listen to and watch The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. ✨ Join the movement to empower women and girls - and change the world, one story at a time. For more information, visit 1GirlRevolution.com

  5. Sep 24

    294: Playing Possum Clothing Co - Olivia Flora

    On this week's episode of The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast, we welcome Olivia Flora - founder of Playing Possum Clothing Co., a brand creating sensory-friendly clothing designed for neurodivergent adults. Olivia wasn't diagnosed with autism until she was 16. Like many neurodivergent girls, she'd spent years masking her differences, excelling academically while quietly navigating sensory challenges and social disconnect no one around her could see. That changed when she entered a large public high school, and the coping systems she'd relied on for years began to unravel - bringing on severe anxiety, panic attacks, and chronic insomnia. After transitioning to a concurrent enrollment program and starting therapy, Olivia and her family finally found answers: her autism diagnosis, arriving a year later, brought clarity to a lifetime of unexplained experiences. With that clarity came direction. Olivia leaned fully into her strengths, pursuing art and design while completing high school and college at the same time - graduating Summa Cum Laude with a 4.42 GPA and an Associate's degree at just 18. It was during this stretch that she noticed a gap nobody was addressing: sensory-friendly clothing made for adults, not just kids. What started as a personal need quickly became a world-changing mission. Playing Possum Clothing Co. was born from that mission - blending Olivia's art and design background with her lived experience to create apparel that eliminates common sensory triggers like harsh fabrics, tags, and seams, all while showcasing vibrant, original artwork. What started in her parents' garage in December 2022 has grown into a thriving company with its own office, in-house production, and a team of five - now selling in more than 40 countries and building a community of over 130,000 followers. For Olivia, this has never been just about clothing. It's about visibility, dignity, and self-expression for a community that's long been overlooked. In this episode, you'll hear: ✨ Olivia's path to an autism diagnosis at 16, and the years of masking that came before it; ✨ How a personal need for sensory-friendly clothing turned into a business idea; ✨ Building Playing Possum from her parents' garage into a company selling in more than 40 countries; ✨ The gap in the fashion industry Olivia set out to fill for neurodivergent adults; ✨ Olivia's reflections on identity, comfort, and what it means to feel truly understood; ✨ And so much more! Olivia Flora is a 1 Girl Revolution! Listen/watch her story today! Connect with Playing Possum Clothing Co.: Website: playingpossumcc.com Instagram: @playingpossumclothingco TikTok: @playingpossumclothingco Listen/Watch + Subscribe: Listen to and watch The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. ✨ Join the movement to empower women and girls - and change the world, one story at a time. For more information, visit 1GirlRevolution.com

  6. Sep 16

    293: Food Hugs - Jenna Arcidiacono

    On this week's episode of The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast, we welcome Jenna Arcidiacono - founder and CEO of Food Hugs, a nonprofit that delivers home-cooked meals and random acts of kindness to strangers and people going through difficult times. Food Hugs started with a simple idea: what if a home-cooked meal could be a way of showing up for someone in their hardest moments? Jenna, owner and head chef of Amore Trattoria in Grand Rapids, began delivering complimentary "Food Hugs" to people who could use a pick-me-up. Word spread, hearts were touched, and what started as a handful of meals grew into a fully funded nonprofit dedicated to spreading kindness, one delivery at a time. But Food Hugs rarely stops at the meal. Time and again, a delivery opens the door to something bigger. In one of the organization's memorable moments, the team brought food to a young boy and his family after he lost both of his legs to an infection - and after learning about his love of Monster Trucks, Food Hugs made a few calls and turned his dream of a Monster Truck meet-and-greet into reality. Other deliveries have shown up for families after a car accident, after the loss of a loved one, and for caregivers who rarely get to be on the receiving end of care themselves. Every Food Hug is powered by a small, close-knit team of volunteers and board members who show up again and again - not just to hand someone a meal, but to sit with them, hear their story, and remind them they're not alone. It's random acts of kindness at their most intentional, and proof of just how far one dish, and one act of generosity, can go. In this episode, you'll hear: ✨ How Food Hugs started with a single home-cooked meal delivery; ✨ The moment Jenna realized Food Hugs was becoming something bigger and a nonprofit; ✨ The unforgettable story of the Monster Truck meet-and-greet; ✨ How Food Hugs decides who receives a Food Hug, and how the community gets involved; ✨ The volunteers and team members who bring each Food Hug to life; ✨ Jenna's reflections on community, generosity, and the power of showing up for people; ✨ And so much more! Jenna Arcidiacono is a 1 Girl Revolution! Listen/watch her story today! Connect with Food Hugs: Website: foodhugs.org Instagram: @foodhugsbyjenna Facebook: facebook.com/jennasfoodhugs Listen/Watch + Subscribe: Listen to and watch The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. ✨ Join the movement to empower women and girls - and change the world, one story at a time. For more information, visit 1GirlRevolution.com

  7. Sep 9

    292: Shades of Blue Project - Kay Matthews

    On this week's episode of The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast, we welcome Kay Matthews - founder and Executive Director of the Shades of Blue Project, a nonprofit dedicated to transforming maternal mental health care for all women, with a focus on Black and Brown mothers. Kay's mission was born out of unimaginable loss. In 2013, shortly after the stillbirth of her daughter, Troya Simone, Kay - then the successful owner of Extraordinary Cakes and Catering - shifted into full-time advocacy for mothers. What began as a nonprofit called BabyCakes and Brunch grew into the Shades of Blue Project. As she built the organization, Kay came to understand she was far from alone in her experience: Black maternal and infant morbidity rates were only worsening, and the mental health support systems meant to help Black and Brown mothers were often non-existent, poorly managed, or resulted in devastating outcomes. That reality spurred Kay to create the I.N.S.P.I.R.E. Method Training, a compassion-based training model built specifically for women of color and minorities, used by doulas, midwives, clinicians, and support group facilitators. She also launched Black Maternal Mental Health Week (BMMHW), held annually from July 19-25, a week-long event confronting the challenges that persist while spotlighting viable solutions, community support, and compassion training - anchored by a two-day summit, a community brunch, and a 3K Family Walk. As a fierce advocate for women and mothers, Kay has helped shape national policy. She also contributed to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Raising the Bar framework, helping the healthcare sector embed equity into its work. After a decade in the field, Kay is a highly sought-after speaker, having delivered keynotes and served on panels for organizations including the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, 2020 MOM, and the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs. Kay's expertise made her a lead author of the 2021 Health Affairs research article on equitable, maternal mental health care, and a contributor to a related study published in Frontiers. She's the author of two books - 365 Days to Recovery: Finding Your Way Out of the Darkness (2017) and the daily journal Recovery State of Mind (2018) - and her advocacy has been featured in the Texas Tribune, the Houston Chronicle, and on ABC, CBS, and NBC affiliates. She serves on the boards of organizations including Black Mamas Matter Alliance, 2020 MOM, and PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy, and was recently appointed Leadership Community Chair of a PCORI-funded project focused on reducing toxic stress and advancing maternal mental health equity. Kay holds an associate's degree in Early Child Care Education and is a licensed community health care worker. She shares everyday life with her husband, Troy, and their dog, Duke. In this episode, you'll hear: ✨ How the loss of her daughter, Troya Simone, became the catalyst for Kay's life's work; ✨ Her shift from successful entrepreneur to full-time maternal health advocate; ✨ The creation of the I.N.S.P.I.R.E. Method Training and why compassion-based care matters; ✨ Inside Black Maternal Mental Health Week and the community it brings together every July; ✨ Why Kay believes this work matters for all mothers, not just Black and Brown mothers; ✨ Her research, published books, and life beyond the advocacy; ✨ Her reflections on grief, purpose, and building a movement from personal loss; ✨ And so much more! Kay Matthews is a 1 Girl Revolution! Listen/watch her story today! Connect with Shades of Blue Project: Website: shadesofblueproject.org Instagram: @shadesofblueproject Facebook: facebook.com/sobproject YouTube: youtube.com/@shadesofblueproject Listen/Watch + Subscribe: Listen to and watch The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. ✨ Join the movement to empower women and girls - and change the world, one story at a time. For more information, visit 1GirlRevolution.com

  8. Sep 2

    291: Comeback Snacks - Emily O'Brien

    On this week's episode of The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast, we welcome Emily O'Brien - founder and CEO of Comeback Snacks, a gourmet popcorn company she built from behind bars that has since become a symbol of redemption, resilience, and second chances. Emily's story begins in an unlikely place: federal prison. At 26, she was arrested at Pearson International Airport after getting swept up in a drug smuggling scheme while traveling abroad, and was sentenced to four years in prison for drug trafficking. Facing the reality of incarceration, Emily made a decision that would define the rest of her life - she refused to let prison be the end of her story, and instead resolved to turn it into the beginning of something good. Inside, popcorn became an unexpected catalyst. It was a favorite snack among the women, who got creative with limited ingredients - doctoring it up with everything from powdered cheese to cinnamon and sweetener packets. Somewhere in those shared bags of popcorn, a business idea was born. Using books from the prison library and letters exchanged with mentors on the outside, Emily began building the foundation of Comeback Snacks - even designing logos and building plans by mail with her now business partner, long before she ever popped a bag as a free woman. But the mission was never just about popcorn. Emily was moved by the women around her - many serving time for non-violent offenses, all searching for a real shot at rebuilding their lives once they got out. She decided that if she was going to build a company, it would also open doors for people facing the steep, often unfair climb back into the workforce after incarceration. Today, Comeback Snacks is a thriving, mission-driven popcorn brand that partners with organizations supporting reintegration and prison reform, and creates employment opportunities for people with criminal records - proving that a second chance, and a bag of really good popcorn, can change a life. In this episode, you'll hear: ✨ The arrest that changed the course of Emily's life, and the decision she made behind bars to turn it into purpose; ✨ How a shared snack among incarcerated women sparked the idea for a business; ✨ Building Comeback Snacks by mail; ✨ Emily's mission to remove the stigma around having a criminal record; ✨ How Comeback Snacks creates real reintegration opportunities for people leaving incarceration; ✨ Emily's reflections on identity, redemption, and rebuilding a life on her own terms; ✨ And so much more! Emily O'Brien is a 1 Girl Revolution! Listen/watch her story today! Connect with Comeback Snacks: Website: comebacksnacks.com Instagram: @comebacksnacks TikTok: @comebacksnacks Facebook: facebook.com/comebacksnacks Listen/Watch + Subscribe: Listen to and watch The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. ✨ Join the movement to empower women and girls - and change the world, one story at a time. For more information, visit 1GirlRevolution.com

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5
out of 5
40 Ratings

About

The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast highlights the stories of everyday women and girls who are changing the world through their lives.

Information

  • Creator
    1 Girl Revolution
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    1 Girl Revolution

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