Badass Women at Any Age

Bonnie Marcus
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Women are becoming stronger, claiming our power, and being true badasses. Host Bonnie Marcus interviews some of the most groundbreaking badass women and shares their stories of doing extraordinary things to change perceptions and challenge the status quo

  1. Finding Purpose in Mid-Life with Jodi Silverman

    JAN 6

    Finding Purpose in Mid-Life with Jodi Silverman

    Jodi Silverman's personal journey began with the realization of an impending empty nest as her children prepared to leave home. Finding herself with a significant amount of free time, Jodi recognized that her current work in her print business was not fulfilling. Her decision to remain open to new opportunities led her to a business opportunity in direct sales, which eventually sparked her passion for personal development and coaching. Through facing her own fears, doubts, and limiting beliefs, Jodi discovered her ability to inspire and guide other midlife women. This transformative experience culminated in the creation of her DARE Method, aimed at helping women to embrace their new freedom, rediscover their passions, and live fulfilling lives beyond motherhood.   What You Will Hear in This Episode:    02:03 Jodi's Personal Journey and Realizations 04:15 Overcoming Limiting Beliefs and Fears 08:35 Creating a Business from Personal Growth 12:00 Common Challenges of the Empty Nest 13:23 Navigating Friendships After Children Leave Home 14:25 The Dual Identity of Working Moms 15:01 Overcoming Fear and Doubt in New Beginnings 16:13 The DARE Method: Deciding and Awakening 18:14 Rediscovering Old Passions and Hobbies 20:57 Volunteering for Fulfillment and Connection 23:02 Midlife Transformation and Personal Growth 25:27 Conclusion and Final Thoughts   Quotes   " Women often find their purpose in the process of overcoming their own challenges. " " Daring became my platform, which simply means step outta your comfort zone and try something to see what happens."  " As a mom, it's very easy to have your identity be 100% wrapped up in that of motherhood." " Don't be stingy.  Yes, the world needs you."   Mentioned: Beyond Empty Nest Podcast   eConnect with Bonnie Substack Newsletter: Own Your Ambition Gendered Ageism Survey Results Forbes article 5 Tips to own the superpower of your age IAMMusicGroup   Purchase my book Not Done Yet on Amazon:    If you enjoyed this episode of Badass Women Podcast, then make sure to subscribe to the podcast and drop us a five-star review

    26 min
  2. The Power of Mentorship with Illana Raia

    12/23/2025

    The Power of Mentorship with Illana Raia

    Illana Raia's journey to entrepreneurship stemmed from her love of law and her personal experiences with mentorship. Despite loving her career as a mergers and acquisitions lawyer, she took a break to raise her children and later rejoined her firm. Realizing the impact of showing her daughter accomplished women at work, Illana envisioned scaling this experience to benefit other girls. She left her law practice, driven by the idea of creating a platform where girls could meet female leaders, leading to the founding of Etre.  Illana is the founder and CEO of Etre, a membership platform for girls believing that mentors matter as early as middle school. Illana brings girls directly into companies they choose to meet female leaders face to face.  Raia's National Research on the current state of girls confidence in 2022 and 2024 has been featured by Forbes, CBS News, Yahoo Finance, and Nasdaq, and the most recent 2025 research was conducted in partnership with Hello Sunshine and launched at Cannes. Illana is Chair of the International Space Station, US National Lab Education and Workforce Subcommittee.  She serves on the National Girls Collaborative Project Champions Board, and was recently appointed to the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine Board of Governors. Illana contributes to Forbes Business Council and has authored over 60 articles for Huffington Post, Ms. Matt. Magazine and Thrive Global. Illana was named one of the first 250 entrepreneurs on the Forbes Next 1000 list. An Inc 500 female founder and recognized twice by Fast company's world changing ideas, her award-winning book, Etre Girls Who Do You Want to Be? was released on the day of the Girl, 2019. Her second bestselling book, the Epic Mentor Guide, arrived during Women's History Month 2022. Prior to launching Etre in 2016, Illana was a corporate attorney at Skadden Arps in New York City, and a guest lecturer at Columbia University.  She graduated from Smith College and the University of Chicago Law School.   What You Will Hear in This Episode 02:13 Illana''s Journey: From Law to Entrepreneurship 03:59 Curiosity and Connection: Illana's Driving Forces and Career Shift 06:15 The Birth of Etre: Empowering Girls Through Mentorship 09:20 Scaling Etre: From Local to Global Impact 14:24 Navigating Challenges: Social Media and Confidence 17:37 Etre's Mentorship Program: How It Works 18:58 TED-Ed Club: Empowering Young Girls to Speak 20:02 Connecting Through Social Media and Our Website 24:06 Building a Network of Incredible Mentors 33:04 The Role of Age and Diversity in Our Programs   Quotes " The things you most enjoy, the things that bring you the greatest amount of, of reward and joy are things you cannot do with a phone in your hand, whether that is swimming or surfing or skating or painting.  Playing your sport, writing your next short story, the thing you love to do is probably better done without a phone in your hand. " " I believe in the power of the cold email or the cold DM with all my heart,  I'm stunned every day by the women who say yes to a conversation or answering a question by email because it's for the next generation. " Never underestimate the, impact that 10 minutes of your time is gonna have on that next future engineer, future leader, future founder."   Mentioned etregrils.com   eConnect with Bonnie Substack Newsletter: Own Your Ambition Gendered Ageism Survey Results Forbes article 5 Tips to own the superpower of your age IAMMusicGroup   Purchase my book Not Done Yet on Amazon:    If you enjoyed this episode of Badass Women Podcast, then make sure to subscribe to the podcast and drop us a five-star review

    36 min
  3. Kaleidoscope Career with Helen Jonsen

    12/09/2025

    Kaleidoscope Career with Helen Jonsen

    Helen Jonsen aspired to be a writer from a young age and chose journalism for its daily writing opportunities. After studying at Fordham University and gaining experience at Channel 11 and WINS radio, she moved to Rhode Island as a senior producer, where she met and married her Australian husband. This led to a stint in Australia, where she worked in television before returning to New York. They worked for Australian networks before she joined Channel 5. After her first maternity leave, she opted to form a production company with her husband, eventually returning to Channel 11 and writing several books, including 'Kangaroo's Comments and Wallaby's Words: The Aussie Word Book.' Helen is a communication strategist and media executive with a career that includes journalism, digital innovation, public service, and nonprofit advocacy. Through her firm, Helen Jonsen Media, she assists leaders and organizations in amplifying their voices with strategic storytelling, speaker training, and modern communication tools. She hosts the Kaleidoscope Career podcast and newsletter series, celebrating women with non-linear career paths. Helen's career has spanned roles from TV journalism to executive positions, notably earning the nickname 'video guru' from Steve Forbes at Forbes. She has also managed strategic communications for Westchester County District Attorney and NYC's Economic Development Corporation during the pandemic.   What You Will Hear in This Episode 02:47 Helen's Early Career and Personal Life 03:49 The Kaleidoscope Career: Journalism and Beyond 06:01 Curiosity and Communication: Helen's Driving Forces 11:35 Challenges and Adaptations in Helen's Career 15:55 The State of Journalism Today 19:15 The Divided Information Landscape 19:30 Launching a Podcast: Reflections and Milestones 19:56 Career Pivots: Insights and Misconceptions 21:26 Challenges and Opportunities for Women 22:58 External Forces Shaping Careers 23:51 Personal Stories of Career Shifts 26:01 The Unique Career Paths of Women 30:41 The Third Phase: Finding New Purpose   Quotes " I think a career as a working mother also shapes how you do things and why you do things." " I think curiosity and trying to find answers is really important. It's the real basis for any good journalism, but it's also the basis for a kaleidoscope career. You have to be willing to take on the new thing." " The promise of the internet of the was that the internet would democratize journalism and democratize communication. Instead, what we didn't see coming was the. Siloing of information that came with the maturation of social media." " Our demands around us on caregiving at different ages and stages affects our careers so often."   Mentioned helenjonsen.com LinkedIn Substack Instagram eConnect with Bonnie Substack Newsletter: Own Your Ambition Gendered Ageism Survey Results Forbes article 5 Tips to own the superpower of your age IAMMusicGroup   Purchase my book Not Done Yet on Amazon:    If you enjoyed this episode of Badass Women Podcast, then make sure to subscribe to the podcast and drop us a five-star review

    35 min
  4. Lean Into Your Ambition with Bianca Best

    11/25/2025

    Lean Into Your Ambition with Bianca Best

    Bianca Best's lifelong pursuit of ambition led her from a corporate career in advertising, creativity, and publishing to a successful freelance writing career. While juggling motherhood in her late 20's, she inadvertently founded the Bespoke Gift Company.  What started as a creative, personalized anniversary gift has become a wildly successful company.  Bianca is an award-winning global business leader, author, certified success strategist, entrepreneur, speaker, and single mother of four. Bianca describes her CV as a chronology of passions, explored and includes a decade as a tech-preneur running the bespoke gift company, which pioneered the personalized gift industry forever. A decade of corporate ascendancy running vast digital divisions of the world's largest CommEd conglomerates certifying in healing modalities. From hypnotherapy to executive coaching to her international impact, inspiring the working world through her keynotes, workshops in organizations like Google and Amazon. Her organization, Bianca Best, is dedicated to infusing the working world with graceful productivity, kind, leadership, and unlocked human potential whereby individuals and organizations flourish without burnout.    What You Will Hear in This Episode 02:30 Bianca's Journey: From Ambition to Entrepreneurship 03:53 The Birth of the Bespoke Gift Company 08:46 Balancing Motherhood and Business 10:43 Transition to Corporate Life 12:39 Overcoming Burnout and Finding Purpose 18:17 Graceful Productivity and Kind Leadership 30:24 The Ideal Work Environment for Women 35:52 Conclusion and Final Thoughts   Quotes " I have always leaned into pursuing what has excited me and followed the potential opportunities, even if I felt a bit scared. " " If you don't pay attention to your natural rhythms and start healing yourself, then you are gonna be unable to sustain. " " If our attention is stolen, our time is stolen. And if our time is stolen, then inevitably our energy is stolen and it's a cascade of catastrophic negativity. " " Changing companies and leaving dead end jobs or toxic environments doesn't show weakness. It's owning who you are and honoring that, and that's badass. "   Mentioned BiancaBest.com Book: Big Impact without Burnout   eConnect with Bonnie Substack Newsletter: Own Your Ambition Gendered Ageism Survey Results Forbes article 5 Tips to own the superpower of your age IAMMusicGroup   Purchase my book Not Done Yet on Amazon:    If you enjoyed this episode of Badass Women Podcast, then make sure to subscribe to the podcast and drop us a five-star review

    37 min
  5. Beat the Big Guys with Sandy Rosenthal

    11/11/2025

    Beat the Big Guys with Sandy Rosenthal

    Sandy Rosenthal was an ordinary citizen who became an extraordinary activist following Hurricane Katrina. After uncovering that defective flood walls built by the Army Corps of Engineers caused the disaster, Sandy founded the nonprofit levees.org and rallied over 25,000 supporters for safer infrastructure. Her book, 'Whispered in Water,' and her podcast, 'Beat The Big Guys,' continue to inspire change and empower listeners to take on powerful institutions and make a difference in their communities. Sandy shares her journey from a part-time copywriter to a relentless advocate for truth and accountability, highlighting the power of community mobilization and persistence.    What You Will Hear in This Episode   00:21 Meet Sandy Rosenthal: Uncovering a Scandal 02:08 The Day the Levees Broke 04:41 Life After the Disaster 09:51 Fighting Back: Founding Levees.org 12:33 Facing Harassment and Legal Battles 17:35 The Aftermath and Lessons Learned 21:22 Mobilizing Communities and Partnerships 33:03 Conclusion and Call to Action   Quotes " I'm gonna point out first that two thirds of the nation's population lives by levies and probably don't know it. " " You do have to ask the questions, and if you stop asking, and if it appears that you're not paying attention, that's when bad things can happen,  and that's when, I don't wanna call 'em the bad guys, but that's when the big guys win, when you stop paying attention." " It didn't take me long to realize that the big guys, like the Army Corps of Engineers are really just like bullies in the fourth grade playground. They're, they're big, but they're not smarter. They, they they, and, and the, they're elegant because they're big. And, and you know what happens when you're big and you're arrogant, you make big mistakes." " When that criticism comes, you need to look at it like free advice, free advice. What they're doing is they're finding problems with what you're doing and, and some of their points may actually be correct. They've actually helped you, even though they didn't mean to."   Mentioned SandyRosenthal.net Levees.org   eConnect with Bonnie Substack Newsletter: Own Your Ambition Gendered Ageism Survey Results Forbes article 5 Tips to own the superpower of your age IAMMusicGroup   Purchase my book Not Done Yet on Amazon:    If you enjoyed this episode of Badass Women Podcast, then make sure to subscribe to the podcast and drop us a five-star review

    34 min

  6. 10/28/2025

    The Empty Nester with Rita Lussier

    Feeling lost and purposeless when her youngest child left for college, Rita Lussier leaned into her writing and running to cope.  Forming a new morning routine along with the process of running and writing helped her find a new sense of purpose, culminating in the creation of her book, And Now Back To Me.  Rita is an award-winning journalist and writer whose column  'For The Moment' was a popular feature of the Providence Journal for a dozen years. Her writing has also been featured on National Public Radio in the Boston Globe, the New York Daily News, and many other publications. Rita enjoys coaching writers, conducting workshops, and has worked as a publicist and editor. She's taught at both University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College.   What You Will Hear in This Episode 01:12 Rita's Journey: From Empty Nest to Published Author 03:37 The Healing Power of Writing 05:04 Navigating Midlife Changes and Empty Nest Syndrome 06:51 The Emotional Rollercoaster of an Empty Nest 09:34 Finding New Purpose and Joy 13:29 Advice for Empty Nesters 26:45 Comparing Empty Nest Syndrome to Retirement 29:01 Conclusion and Final Thoughts   Quotes " I think I'm at my best when I'm reaching out to others and using the things that I have learned and helping others with them." " The best advice I can give to anyone is to just acknowledge that this is a huge transition. You're going through a big change, and you need to be patient with yourself. It's not gonna happen right away, and I think women in particular are very patient with everybody and everything else in their lives, but maybe not necessarily themselves." " I think it's important to acknowledge the loss before you can really embrace a new beginning."  " I believe writing your life honors your life."   Mentioned https://www.ritalussier.com/ Instagram Facebook threads   eConnect with Bonnie Substack Newsletter: Own Your Ambition Gendered Ageism Survey Results Forbes article 5 Tips to own the superpower of your age IAMMusicGroup   Purchase my book Not Done Yet on Amazon:  If you enjoyed this episode of Badass Women Podcast, then make sure to subscribe to the podcast and drop us a five-star review

    30 min

  7. 10/14/2025

    Money and Power with Marcia Dawood

    Marcia Dawood's journey into angel investing began in 2012 when she attended an angel investing meeting in Pittsburgh. Previously working in sales, marketing, and operations within corporate America, she was intrigued and fascinated by the world of entrepreneurship and investing in early-stage companies. Initially unaware of the opportunities that existed locally and globally, Marcia quickly immersed herself in the field. Overcoming the misconceptions that one needs a finance degree or significant wealth to invest, she discovered that anyone with curiosity and willingness to learn could participate.  Marsha is the author of Do Good While Doing Well, Invest For Change, Reap Financial Rewards, and Increase Your Happiness. She's currently working on a new book. Unapologetic Wealth, and she's also an associate producer on the award-winning documentary. Show Her the Money.  She's a TEDx speaker, host of the Angel Nextdoor podcast, and she really walks the talk and holds investments in over 50 early stage companies and funds. Previously, Marsha worked in sales, marketing and operations for capital education for over 16 years. She received an MBA from the University of North Carolina, Keenan Flagler Business School.    What You Will Hear in This Episode:  02:23 Marcia's Journey into Angel Investing 04:07 Debunking Myths About Investing 05:53 Equity Crowdfunding Explained 12:24 Challenges for Women in Investing 15:10 Overcoming Investment Barriers 22:22 The Importance of Diversification 23:43 Marcia's Books and Resources 31:03 Conclusion and Final Thought   Quotes "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." - Wayne Gretzky. " You really don't have to have any, level of education other than to be curious and to surround yourself with other people who know a lot about, not just investing, but about the different industries. "  "We have been dealing with being held back from investing, from even getting a credit card, from owning property, you could go all the way back to when women got the right to vote. We weren't even allowed to have a credit card in our name until 1974. So there's a lot of things generationally that have happened that have held women back when it came to finances, and so. If we can start to demystify a lot of that, then we can hopefully get women to feel more comfortable with investing, with using their money for good."  "I just really believe that women need to be more unapologetic about money, about gathering information so that they can have more wealth."   Mentioned  www.marciadawood.com LinkedIn Facebook   eConnect with Bonnie Substack Newsletter: Own Your Ambition Gendered Ageism Survey Results Forbes article 5 Tips to own the superpower of your age IAMMusicGroup Purchase my book Not Done Yet on Amazon:  If you enjoyed this episode of Badass Women Podcast, then make sure to subscribe to the podcast and drop us a five-star review

    34 min

  8. 09/30/2025

    Play to Win with Yue Zhao

    Yue Zhao's career began with aspirations rooted in a desire to help people, initially thinking she would become a doctor. However, her path led her into the tech industry, where she spent over 15 years as a product executive in Silicon Valley.  Discovering the power of executive and leadership coaching became a pivotal point in her career. Inspired by her experiences and driven by her commitment to support underrepresented groups, Yue transitioned from a tech executive to a full-time executive coach. She now focuses on advancing the careers of women and minorities by leveraging her unique insights and personal journey. Through her Substack newsletter, "The Uncommon Executive," and her coaching work, Yue shares valuable lessons on leadership, overcoming challenges, and creating more inclusive workplaces. Yue has coached hundreds of aspiring executives since 2016, is an instructor at Reforge and Maven and is the author of the Uncommon Executive: Breakthrough to the C-Suite as a Minority. She's also been a VC back founder, venture partner at Life X Ventures and a consultant at McKinsey and Company. Yue has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BS in Biomedical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley    What You Will Hear in This Episode:    02:16 Youi's Journey: From Aspirations to Reality 03:52 Discovering Executive Coaching 06:22 Challenges and Triumphs in Silicon Valley 09:20 Leveraging Unique Perspectives 13:37 Coaching Women and Minorities 17:27 Addressing Gender Bias and DEI Efforts 22:03 Building a Web of Influence 23:04 Challenges in Career Advancement 25:03 The Importance of Advocacy and Relationships 33:24 Creating Inclusive Work Environments   Quotes "Being able to empathize with multiple different perspectives is crucial." "Finding those moments where you can say, okay, who I am, and where I naturally come from, gives me a step up." "If I do the work and I do it really well, that'll get me ahead." "When you've been in environments where you see what great looks like, you're like, 'This should just be everywhere."   Mentioned: The Uncommon Executive subastack LinkedIn   eConnect with Bonnie Online Course for Ambitious Women: https://www.female-career-accelerator-online.com/ Substack Newsletter: Own Your Ambition Gendered Ageism Survey Results Forbes article 5 Tips to own the superpower of your age IAMMusicGroup   Purchase my book Not Done Yet on Amazon:    If you enjoyed this episode of Badass Women Podcast, then make sure to subscribe to the podcast and drop us a five-star review

    36 min
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About

Women are becoming stronger, claiming our power, and being true badasses. Host Bonnie Marcus interviews some of the most groundbreaking badass women and shares their stories of doing extraordinary things to change perceptions and challenge the status quo

Information

  • Creator
    Bonnie Marcus
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Badass Women at Any Age
  • Show Website
    Badass Women at Any Age