There's More To Our Story

Alica Gallagher

Whether Art imitates Life, or the other way around, one thing for sure is those who control the stories, control the culture. And for far too long, when it comes to film and television, women have been systemically "aged out" and virtually erased from the stories that are told. This, subtly (and not so subtly) creates a culture that tells women they lose their value as they age; when in fact the exact opposite is true. As women age, our stories become more complex, far more interesting, and dare I say, inspiring. This is a podcast of stories about real women to expand the limited narratives we are told, and to explore how the way women are portrayed (or not) in film and television as they age, influences the way women are seen (or not) in our society, and how we see ourselves.

  1. Aug 20

    Getting Back Up to Skate Again with Sandy Davies

    Welcome back to a brand new season of There's More to Our Story podcast with return guest from Queensland, Australia Sandy Davies.  It was no accident that Alica chose Sandy Davies as her first guest to return to the podcast.  Sandy once again shares her sparkle, her wisdom, her generous heart, and an inspiring personal story about when her 6-year-old self learned about getting back up.  Together they discuss friendship; life resets; chapter endings; new beginnings; and the often times much needed pauses in between. A conversation that reminds us it's ok and often time necessary to find joy when life can feel heavy, and the import role artists and storytellers have during challenging times.      About The Guest: Sandy Davies Positive ageing advocate and author Sandy Davies calls Australia’s ancient Daintree rainforest home. Born and raised in the American Midwest in the state of Kansas, Sandy immigrated to Australia on a Rotary Fellowship in the 1990s to do her master’s degree in social justice at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. After graduate school, tourism beckoned. Sandy operated an adventure tourism business with her soul mate on World Heritage Listed K’Gari for decades before semi-retiring to the tropical idylls of Far North Queensland. You may remember Sandy from her years of producing HappyPause™ Balm. While you’ll no longer find HappyPause™ on the shelves of your favourite pharmacy, Sandy’s passion for smashing the stigma around menopause hasn’t waned. Sandy is a harbinger of joy. Her contagious enthusiasm and life stories reaffirm that we all have the capacity to live our dreams, no matter our age. Sandy has authored many projects, but the one closest to her heart is the book The Power to Rise Above. The stories within its pages serve as proof of the strength within each of us. Sandy is a firm believer that joy always returns if only we let her in. You can find Sandy on LinkedIn or follow her happy vibe on Insta @thepowertoriseabove and @happypause_menopause You can also listen to her previous episodes here: From Kansas to Queensland: A Journey of Inspiration, Resilience, and "Magic" Group Discussion on the film "Good Luck to You, Leo Grande"

  2. 03/22/2023

    "Everything Everywhere All At Once" Discussion with Return Guest Paula Toker

    "And ladies, don't let anybody tell you you are ever past your prime."  Those words were spoken by Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh, as she accepted the Oscar for Actress in Leading Role for the role of Evelyn in the Academy Award winning film Everything Everywhere All At Once. In this episode with return guest, Paula Toker, we discuss the Academy Award winning film. We talk about how we felt watching the now Academy Award winning performances from Hollywood legends Jamie Lee Curtis and Michelle Yeoh who don’t simply dispel the myth that women lose their value as they age, but they flat out blow up the idea entirely. The film also stars Academy Award nominee Stephanie Hsu and Academy Award winner Ke Huy Quan.  And was written and directed by the Oscar winning team of Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, also known as “Daniels.” If you haven't had a chance to check out the film, you might want to check out the movie first and then come back to listen to the episode.   It was a fun conversation. I hope you enjoy the episode. ABOUT THE GUEST: Paula Toker is a visual thinker, dreams in color, and thrives when brainstorming a simplified way to explain a complex issue. With more than 27 years of experience in Silicon Valley at both Cisco and Apple, she has honed her skills into her one true passion as a right-brained thinker.  She works as the Reimagined Applications Content and Messaging Campaign Lead at Cisco. She currently lives in San Cruz, CA with her twin sons. Learn more about Paula Toker and listen to her previous episodes here: Curiosity, Inner Strength, and the "What if's" on the Road to Self with Paula Toker

  3. 08/22/2022

    Group Discussion on the film "Good Luck To You, Leo Grande"

    Welcome to our very first group discussion, featuring a few of my previous guests, to discuss the film “Good Luck To You, Leo Grande.”  The film was written by Australian screenwriter Katy Brand, and directed by Australian filmmaker Sophie Hyde, and stars Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack…. you can watch this film on Hulu! Spoiler Alert!! I want to issue a Spoiler Alert warning before you listen to the episode. We do our best not to get specific into the details of the film, but we do discuss a few plot points during our discussion that resonated with us. So, if you haven’t had a chance to watch this wonderful film, a film I personally whole-heartedly recommend, I recommend you check out the movie first, then come back to listen after you’ve had a chance to watch it.   This is our very first group conversation, with guests joining from 5 different locations, 5 different time zones, and 2 different continents … and we worked very hard to overcome a few audio challenges we encountered at the beginning of the episode, so please be patient at the beginning.  I’m so happy to share this with you. So once again, if you haven’t seen the film yet … this is your last warning.  Enjoy the episode!  ABOUT THE GUESTS: Learn more about Mariann Aalda and listen to her previous episodes here: Dreaming Big, Honoring Your Gifts, and Owning Your Story - Part 1 Dreaming Big, Honoring Your Gifts, and Owning Your Story - Part 2 Learn more about Sandy Davies and listen to her previous episode here: From Kansas to Queensland: A Journey of Inspiration, Resilience, and "Magic" Discover more about Eleni Kelakos and listen to her previous episode here: Use Your Voice, Share Your Story, And Change Your World You can learn more about Cindy O'Neill and listen to her previous episode here: A Shy Girl Who Overcame To Find Courage and Her Voice

  4. 07/11/2022

    From Kansas to Queensland: A Journey of Inspiration, Resilience, and ‘Magic” – With Sandy Davies

    In this episode, I have the most inspiring and joyful conversation with Author and Businesswoman Sandy Davies. We talk about her journey starting from her Kansas-born roots to her current home in Queensland, Australia; to how some challenges she faced during perimenopause launched her out of semi-retirement; to her “magical” experience as an extra on the set of the teen adventure series Dive Club.  A gifted story-teller Sandy is, and what a gift the conversation turned out to be.    About The Guest: Sandy Davies Long before writing books and launching HappyPause™, Sandy Davies was born and raised in the American Midwest in the state of Kansas. Sandy accidentally ended up in Australia, and stayed. Sandy’s mantra is it is never too late and you are never too old. An allergic reaction to a treatment for intimate dryness during perimenopause launched Sandy out of semi-retirement to become the Queensland Australia based formulator and founder of award winning HappyPause™ Balm. As a bit of a rebel who struggles taking ‘no’ for an answer, Sandy turned the lack of a simple, preservative-free natural solution for intimate dryness into her mission. The creation of HappyPause is Sandy’s ‘yes.’ A tiny pearl of HappyPause puts a spring back in your step. Creating HappyPause has brought Sandy unending joy in her second spring.  At every chapter of life Sandy has thrived on giving back as a part of her ethos. In this HappyPause era, Sandy’s Australian Pay It Forward partner is The Period Project working to eradicate period poverty. When not writing, packaging and processing HappyPause orders and heightening menopause awareness, Sandy enjoys helping others and spending time with her husband and their rescue dog Karma hunting nautilus shells along the fringing reefs of The Great Barrier Reef at the edge of the World Heritage Listed Daintree Rainforest.  You can find more inspirational stories from Sandy in the co-authored #1 AMAZON Women & Business best seller Courage & Confidence What it Really Takes to Succeed in Business and Sacred Promise, edited by Dr Tererai Trent, Oprah Winfrey’s favourite guest of all time. Sandy’s anthology The Power to Rise Above about resilience and teenage bullying will be available in late 2022. Show Notes Read more about Sandy's "Magical" experience as an extra on the set of the teen/family drama Dive Club here. Learn more about Sandy's award winning balm HappyPause. Facebook | Instagram Follow Sandy Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Whether Art imitates Life, or the other way around, one thing for sure is those who control the stories, control the culture. And for far too long, when it comes to film and television, women have been systemically "aged out" and virtually erased from the stories that are told. This, subtly (and not so subtly) creates a culture that tells women they lose their value as they age; when in fact the exact opposite is true. As women age, our stories become more complex, far more interesting, and dare I say, inspiring. This is a podcast of stories about real women to expand the limited narratives we are told, and to explore how the way women are portrayed (or not) in film and television as they age, influences the way women are seen (or not) in our society, and how we see ourselves.