Cultivate with Alex Canavan

CNY Women's Network
  • 5.0 (19)
  • Entrepreneurship

Success rarely happens overnight. Instead, it's cultivated over time through different experiences, relationships, and conversations. On Cultivate, host Alex Canavan — founder of the CNY Women’s Network — sits down with builders, creators, and visionaries to share the stories behind those experiences. New episodes drop every Monday. Ready to Cultivate? Hit the Follow button. Business and sponsorship opportunities - hello@alexcanavan.com

  1. 6d ago

    133: She Didn't Stop. Until She Had To ft. Kennedy Myers

    In this episode, host Alex sits down with Kennedy Myers — former corporate professional, founder of The Graze Catering and The Graze Management, and one of the most honest voices on the internet right now — for a conversation that is raw, courageous, and impossible to forget. Kennedy was doing what so many of us do: working a nine to five, building two businesses on the side, and grinding through every warning sign her body threw at her. When she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia — a blood cancer with a 0.0006% chance of occurring in someone her age — everything stopped overnight. The businesses she poured herself into. The clients she showed up for. The identity she had built around doing it all. What came next was a fight for her life. And a lesson that no hustle culture guru will ever teach you. Kennedy turned to TikTok to document her journey through diagnosis, aggressive chemotherapy, a stem cell transplant, and everything in between — unfiltered, and without a safety net. Nearly 130,000 people found her there. Because she was saying the thing nobody else was saying out loud. 💬 Topics we cover: What life looked like before the diagnosis and the signs she kept explaining away as burnoutThe moment her heart rate hit 285 BPM and everything changedWhat it actually felt like to close her businesses from a hospital bed and the guilt that followedWhy chemo made her feel closer to dying than the cancer ever didHer stem cell transplant, graft-versus-host disease, and where her recovery stands todayWhy she started posting on TikTok and what it means to find community in the most isolating experience of your lifeHer message to every entrepreneur who thinks they can't afford to stopThis one will shake something loose in you. If you've been ignoring the signs, running on empty, or putting your body last on a very long list — this is the episode you needed to hear. New episodes drop every Monday. Ready to Cultivate? Hit Subscribe. Learn more about Kennedy and her journey ⁠⁠⁠Apply⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to be a guest on Cultivate Connect with Alex Canavan, the host of Cultivate on her ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Cultivate with Alex Canavan on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Diam Media Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    35 min

  2. May 25

    you are exactly who you think you are

    In this week’s solo episode of Cultivate, Alex reflects on a transformative dinner with her advisory board and the powerful realizations that came from being in a room full of women who lead, build, and understand the weight of ambition. This episode explores: Imposter syndrome and self-doubt in entrepreneurship Why successful women still question themselves The importance of relationships that reflect your potential back to you Building a business that supports you, too The reminder that you don’t need more evidence — you need more alignment If you’ve been feeling called toward something bigger but questioning whether you have what it takes, this episode is for you. Follow the podcast:Instagram & TikTok — @alexcanavanpodcast Connect with Alex:@alexcanavan.co Learn more about CNY Women’s Network:Instagram, Facebook, TikTok & LinkedIn — @cnywomensnetwork www.cnywomensnetwork.com

    10 min

  3. May 18

    132: Erik Ramstad: "We threw it all under the table and decided to start from scratch"

    In this episode, host Alex sits down with Erik Ramstad — COO of Farmwell and part of the family behind one of upstate New York's most purposeful food and beverage brands — for a conversation that is grounded, genuine, and quietly refreshing. Erik and his family didn't set out to build a beverage company. They set out to grow something real. What started as a family dream rooted in the aronia berry — one of nature's most antioxidant-rich and underrated superfoods — has grown into a Regenerative Organic Certified® farm and a brand built on a simple but powerful belief: that farming well and living well go hand in hand. This episode isn't about hustle culture or scaling fast. It's about intention. Craft. And what it actually takes to build a product people genuinely believe in — from the soil it's grown in to the bottle it ends up in. 💬 Topics we cover: -What regenerative organic farming actually means — and why it changes everything about the final product - The real process behind developing something people trust and keep coming back to - What it's like to build a brand as a family — and what that dynamic actually looks like day to day - The intersection of sustainability, entrepreneurship, and getting your product into the world - What Farmwell is building next — and the vision behind it This one is warm, thoughtful, and a great reminder that the most meaningful things are usually grown slowly. If you've ever wanted to build something you're truly proud of — from the ground up, with purpose — this conversation is exactly where to start. New episodes drop every Monday. Ready to Cultivate? Hit Subscribe. Learn more about Farmwell ⁠⁠Apply⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to be a guest on Cultivate Connect with Alex Canavan, the host of Cultivate on her ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Cultivate with Alex Canavan on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Diam Media Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    56 min

  4. May 11

    131: Andrew Lunetta: "The market is never going to help. So that's why we exist."

    In this episode, Alex sits down with Andrew Lunetta — Founder and Executive Director of A Tiny Home for Good — for a conversation that is honest, grounding, and genuinely inspiring. Andrew has spent the better part of his life close to homelessness — first as a shelter worker, then as someone who literally lived alongside the men he was trying to help, and now as the leader of one of Central New York's most innovative housing nonprofits. He didn't start A Tiny Home for Good because it seemed like a good idea. He started it because after eight years of watching the same people cycle in and out of the shelter system, he knew the model that actually worked simply didn't exist yet. This episode isn't about charity in the traditional sense. It's about dignity. Proximity. And what it really takes to solve a problem — not just address it. It's about building something the market will never build, and doing it anyway. 💬 Topics we cover: - Why getting someone into a home is only the beginning — and what long-term stability actually requires - How Andrew's upbringing shaped a life of service before he even realized it - What eight years in a shelter taught him that no degree could - The honest truth about building solutions inside a broken system - Why you can't — and shouldn't — do it alone - What "success" looks like when it's measured in years, not overnight wins This one is real. It's raw. And it might just change the way you think about what it means to solve a problem in your own community. If you've ever felt the pull to build something that actually matters — this is exactly the conversation you need to hear. New episodes drop every Monday. Ready to Cultivate? Hit Subscribe. Learn more about A Tiny Home for Good Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn ⁠Apply⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to be a guest on Cultivate Connect with Alex Canavan, the host of Cultivate on her ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Cultivate with Alex Canavan on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Diam Media Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    57 min

  5. May 4

    #130: The Art of Giving ft. Monica Merante

    In this episode, Alex sits down with Monica Merante — Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy®, Senior Director of Philanthropic Services at CNYCF, and one of Central New York's most thoughtful voices on generosity and legacy — for a conversation that is warm, grounding, and quietly profound. Monica has spent over a decade at the Central New York Community Foundation helping donors build legacies that last — connecting families to causes that reflect their deepest values and teaching the next generation what it means to give with purpose. And after just one conversation with her, it's easy to understand why people trust her with something as personal as that. This episode isn't about charity in the traditional sense. It's about intention. Identity. And the kind of generosity that goes far beyond writing a check. It's about asking yourself what you actually stand for and building something that reflects that long after you're gone. 💬 Topics we cover: - What philanthropy actually means and why it starts with values, not dollars - How families can use giving as a tool to pass down purpose, not just wealth - What holds people back from giving more intentionally and how to move through it - The role community foundations play in connecting people to lasting impact- What legacy really looks like when it's built with intention - How anyone — at any giving level — can start living a more generous life right now This one is warm. It's wise. And it might just shift the way you think about what you're building — and what you're leaving behind. If you've ever felt called to do more, give more, or simply mean more with the resources you have — this conversation is exactly where to start. New episodes drop every Monday. Ready to Cultivate? Hit Subscribe. Learn more about CNYCF Connect with Monica on LinkedIn Apply⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to be a guest on Cultivate Connect with Alex Canavan, the host of Cultivate on her ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Cultivate with Alex Canavan on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Diam Media Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    59 min

  6. Apr 27

    #129: Build. Bet. Figure It Out. ft. Kate Brodock

    In this episode, host Alex sits down with Kate Brodock — General Partner at The W Fund, CEO of SWITCH, and now the CEO & General Partner of 9Fresh, where she's leading the full redevelopment of the former Cazenovia College campus. Not exactly the career arc anyone maps out on paper. Kate has spent nearly two decades inside the startup ecosystem — investing in early-stage, women-led companies, building platforms for women founders and investors, and operating at the intersection of venture, leadership, and community. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Washington Post, BBC, and CNBC. And now she's doing something entirely different — and entirely bold. This conversation is about what it actually means to step into an opportunity you didn't see coming. To make high-stakes decisions without a roadmap. And to keep showing up with clarity and conviction when the path forward isn't obvious. Because that's what real leadership looks like. Not the polished version. The real one. 💬 Topics we cover: - How Kate went from venture capital to leading a full campus redevelopment — and why she said yes - What it means to operate at a high level across wildly different industries - Making decisions when there's no clear playbook - What she's learned about leadership that she couldn't have learned any other way - The mindset it takes to keep building — even when the vision is bigger than the certainty This one is grounded, honest, and packed with the kind of insight you only get from someone who has actually done the work — across multiple rooms, multiple industries, and multiple versions of what "building something" can look like. If you're someone who's figuring it out as you go — and doing it anyway — this conversation was made for you. New episodes drop every Monday. Ready to Cultivate? Hit Subscribe. Connect with Kate on LinkedIn Apply⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to be a guest on Cultivate Connect with Alex Canavan, the host of Cultivate on her ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ Follow Cultivate with Alex Canavan on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Diam Media Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    55 min

  7. Apr 20

    Solo Ep. #4: Summit Debrief, Big Shifts & What's Next

    Twenty-seven was quite the year. And in this episode, Alex isn't holding anything back. Two days before turning 28, Alex sits down for one of the most personal episodes yet — sharing life updates, business updates, and a reflection on a year defined by hard decisions, big leaps, and a lot of letting go. People. Relationships. Things. An entire lifestyle.Life feels less comfortable now. More uncertain. But for the first time, it also feels real. And aligned. And honest — in a way that building CNY Women's Network and hosting this podcast for years somehow never quite got her to. Alex also opens up about what's shifting in her business — looking at the numbers differently, making decisions based on long-term vision instead of external expectations, and eliminating what looks like it's working but doesn't actually feel aligned. Oh, and the show has a new name. And new handles. And there's a Summit recap you won't want to miss. In this episode: - Reflections on 27 — the leaps, the losses, and what actually shifted - Why Alex is choosing authenticity over palatability — and what that looks like in practice - What's changing in the business and why alignment matters more than optics - A full CNY Women's Summit recap - The rebrand from Cultivate CNY to Cultivate with Alex Canavan - Your questions, answered This one is personal. It's honest. And if you've ever felt like you were building something real but still not fully showing up as yourself — this episode might hit closer to home than you expect. New episodes drop every Monday. Ready to Cultivate? Hit subscribe. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apply⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to be a guest on Cultivate Connect with Alex Canavan, the host of Cultivate on her ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ Follow Cultivate with Alex Canavan on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Diam Media Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    52 min

  8. Apr 13

    #128: Healing, Self-Trust, and the Life You're Built For ft. Shamina Taylor

    In this episode, host Alex Canavan sits down with Shamina Taylor — wealth consciousness mentor, speaker, and host of The Unapologetically Rich Show — for a conversation that is deeply personal, and for Alex, entirely full circle. For two years, Alex listened to Shamina's podcast every single week. Her voice, her perspective, and her work played a pivotal role in one of the biggest decisions of Alex's life — the decision to leave a relationship where she was financially dependent and bet on herself instead. And now, just one day after Shamina took the stage as the keynote speaker at the CNY Women's Summit, they're sitting down together for this. That's not a coincidence. That's a moment. This conversation goes far beyond money. It's about identity, power, and standards. About what it actually takes to become the woman who can hold more — more visibility, more responsibility, more success. And about the patterns that quietly keep women playing small, even when they've already achieved a great deal. 💬 Topics we cover: -What wealth consciousness actually means — and why it starts with identity, not income -The patterns that keep high-achieving women stuck at a ceiling they can't quite name -Why ambition still makes people uncomfortable — and what to do about it -The internal shifts that have to happen before anything external can change -What it means to truly expand your capacity for wealth, leadership, and self-expression -Alex's personal story — and how Shamina's work helped change the trajectory of her life This one is honest. It's direct. And it might feel confronting in all the right ways. If you know you're meant for more — this is exactly the conversation you need to hear. New episodes drop every Monday. Ready to Cultivate? Hit Subscribe. Learn more about our sponsor: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cannon Advisory Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about Shamina Taylor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apply⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to be a guest on Cultivate Connect with Alex Canavan, the host of Cultivate on her ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠Instagram⁠ Follow Cultivate with Alex Canavan on ⁠Instagram⁠ This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Diam Media Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    1h 5m
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Trailer

5
out of 5
19 Ratings

About

Success rarely happens overnight. Instead, it's cultivated over time through different experiences, relationships, and conversations. On Cultivate, host Alex Canavan — founder of the CNY Women’s Network — sits down with builders, creators, and visionaries to share the stories behind those experiences. New episodes drop every Monday. Ready to Cultivate? Hit the Follow button. Business and sponsorship opportunities - hello@alexcanavan.com

Information

  • Creator
    CNY Women's Network
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    144
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © CNY Women's Network
  • Show Website
    Cultivate with Alex Canavan

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