Spark Me

Spark Me Podcast
  • 5.0 (9)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Weekly

Spark Me was born out of countless honest talks with girlfriends about how life keeps shifting — and how incredible it is when women support each other through it. Co-hosts Michele Dempsey and Liz Graham bring humor, heart, and just the right amount of “did-we-really-just-say-that?” honesty to real conversations about careers, family, identity, health, relationships — and all the curveballs life throws in between.

  1. 4d ago

    Never Say Never: Can a Machine Actually Create?

    What if the most important skill in the age of AI isn't technical at all — it's curiosity? In this Spark Short, Michele and Liz unpack their conversation with Heather Cybulski, the transformation consultant helping companies bring AI into their teams. What starts as a debrief quickly turns into one of the most honest conversations they've had on the show — two women in their second act trying to figure out what this technology actually means for their work, their kids, their creativity, and their brains. Liz makes the case that there's something irreplaceably human about creation — the John Steinbeck letter, the Wright brothers building a machine to fly when no plane existed. Michele pushes back: never say never. They land somewhere in the middle, and the disagreement is the point. They also get into the parts nobody has answers for yet. What happens when AI stops being a tool and becomes the worker? What do teachers do when the detection software can't keep up? What are we losing when we let a machine do our critical thinking for us — and what does the research actually say about handwriting, typing, and memory? But this isn't a fear episode. It's a curiosity episode. Michele shares how she used AI to turn a study guide into a game her son actually wanted to play. Liz talks about a friend who released an album and a novel using AI as a creative collaborator. The takeaway isn't "be afraid" or "it's all fine." It's: pay attention, stay engaged, and don't bury your head in the sand. In This Episode You'll Learn: Why approaching AI with curiosity instead of fear changes what you're able to do with itThe difference between AI as a tool and AI as a worker — and why that shift is unlike any technology before itHow AI is opening creative doors for people without technical training (what "vibe coding" actually means)Why handwriting and cursive fire up your brain in ways typing doesn't — and what the new research out of Norway foundPractical ways parents and teachers can rethink learning in an AI worldHow to use AI to make learning more engaging for kids who don't thrive sitting stillWhy the human "imperfection" may be exactly what makes creative work resonateWhat James Patterson said about AI that reframes the whole creativity debateThe real-world resource and infrastructure costs behind the AI boomWhy Michele believes we'll look back on this moment as genuinely unprecedented Resources From This Episode: The full conversation with Heather Cybulski John Steinbeck's 1956 letter to Marilyn Monroe Norwegian study on handwriting vs. typing and memory retention Films referenced: Her, Ex Machina, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The TerminatorThe Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett Keep Sparking If this conversation resonated with you: Follow Spark Me wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss a Spark ShortShare this episode with a friend who's either excited about AI or quietly terrified of itLeave a rating or review — it helps other women in their second act discover the showTag us when you're listening and tell us: what's one thing you've tried with AI — or one thing you're still refusing to hand over?

  2. Sep 3

    AI Is Moving Fast. You're Not Behind.

    What if the thing standing between you and AI isn't the technology at all — it's just not knowing where to start? Heather Cybulski helps some of the world's largest companies figure out what AI actually means for the people who work there. She's also built a twenty-year career at the front edge of technology while raising three kids in a small town in Northeastern Pennsylvania — which turns out to be its own lesson in designing a life on purpose. Liz and Michele get into the thing most of us are quietly feeling: the tools are moving so fast that even the people who are excited feel ten steps behind. How do you know what's safe to connect? How do you get a whole team using this the same way when everyone's prompts produce different answers? Heather's answers are refreshingly unglamorous — treat an AI agent the way you'd treat a new hire, start with something ordinary like your kid's math homework, and remember that excitement and nervousness feel identical in the body. The only thing separating them is what you believe is coming next. In This Episode You'll Learn: Why building your career around a short list of non-negotiables beats taking the first good offerWhy fear of new technology is almost always a "where do I start" problem in disguiseThe 18-month dashboard that now takes 18 minutes and 18 dollarsBrené Brown's framing of excitement versus nervousness, and why it's the key to any change effortHow to think about AI permissions the same way you'd onboard a new employeeThe single best final prompt Liz uses on every analysisWhy nobody is an AI expert right now — and why that's an opportunity, not a threat Resources From This Episode: Brené Brown on excitement and nervousnessTools discussed: ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini, Microsoft CopilotWorth looking up: agentic AI, vibe codingConnect with Heather Cybulski Keep Sparking If this conversation resonated with you: Follow Spark Me wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss a Spark ShortShare this episode with a friend who's excited about AI but has no idea where to startLeave a rating or review — it helps other women in their second act discover the showTag us when you're listening and tell us: what's the one ordinary, annoying task you'd hand off first?

  3. Aug 15

    Medical Cannabis: Are You Medicating—or Numbing?

    Medical Cannabis: Are You Medicating—or Numbing? Michele lives with a conflict she cannot simplify: her sister has seen medical cannabis help patients move away from highly addictive medications, while Michele’s son used the same plant to numb emotional pain. In this Spark Short, Liz and Michele ask the uncomfortable question at the center of the conversation: when are we treating a real problem—and when are we avoiding the one underneath it? They talk candidly about stigma, concerns around insufficient patient guidance, workplace drug testing, and why legalization without thoughtful regulation can leave patients and families navigating difficult choices. The conversation also returns to MaryFrances’s larger lesson: build a life around what matters to you, even when others judge the choice. From choosing family time over a surgical path to bringing Oreos instead of homemade cookies, the point is the same: no one else lives with the consequences of your decisions. In this episode The difference between managing symptoms and numbing emotional painWhy personal experience can make this conversation complicated, not ideologicalRegulation and patient-guidance gaps that can leave people unsupportedHow judgment shows up in women’s career and family choicesWhy a pivot is not a failure, even after years of trainingThe emotional cost of becoming a family’s medical translator during a parent’s illnessResources From This Episode: Full episode with MaryFrancesEpisode with Brenda ZaneMaryFrances's cannabis care consulting Keep Sparking If this conversation resonated with you: Follow Spark Me wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss a Spark ShortShare this episode with a friend who's weighing a career pivot, navigating a loved one's substance use, or carrying the caregiver role for her parentsLeave a rating or review — it helps other women in their second act discover the showTag us when you're listening and tell us: what's the choice you made that other people didn't understand?

  4. Aug 7

    Medicine, Motherhood, and Medical Marijuana

    She built a career around one question: what do you want more? For the first time on Spark Me, Michele interviews a sibling — her sister, Dr. MaryFrances Koester. And what starts as a conversation about becoming a doctor turns into something much bigger: a masterclass in pivoting, protecting your life, and knowing exactly what you're willing to trade. MaryFrances knew in third grade she wanted to be a surgeon. She went through all of medical school with that single focus, applied for surgical residency, and was already in it when she watched the residents around her drop their kids at daycare at five in the morning and pick them up at seven at night. She went to dinner with her husband and told him she was quitting surgery for emergency medicine. It was a decision that took real soul-searching — she loved surgery — but she chose shift work, and she chose a life she could actually be present for. Then there's the other role she never applied for: the doctor in a family of six siblings. Michele and Liz go deep on what it costs to be the one everyone calls — the translator, the advocate, the person who gets the text with the photo of the weird rash. And when their parents got sick, that role became something else entirely. MaryFrances describes being the intermediary between oncologists, neurologists, and five siblings all asking her the same questions at once, while carrying knowledge none of them had yet. She calls it the most stressful time of her life. When COVID emptied out the ER, MaryFrances started researching how to become a medical marijuana physician on the drive home from Florida. She started with a large certification company, didn't like what she saw — she describes it as a card factory — and left to build her own practice. Now she runs what she calls a true medical practice, and she's candid about all of it: what cannabis genuinely helps with, where Pennsylvania's program falls short, why she thinks the state's real motivation is tax revenue, and the honest line she draws with her own patients between medicating and numbing. Michele — whose son has struggled with marijuana misuse — pushes on both sides of that, and the result is one of the most balanced conversations you'll hear on this topic. In This Episode You'll Learn: Why MaryFrances left surgery mid-residency, and the question she asked herself to make the callHow to set boundaries when you're the family's go-to expert — without shutting the door completelyWhat it's like to be both the doctor and the daughter while your parents are dyingThe "wall" she's built in emergency medicine, and why it makes her better at her jobThe difference between THC and CBD — and why she believes CBD is the most underrated part of the plantWhich conditions she most commonly certifies patients for, and why she thinks people dismiss "anxiety" too quicklyHow cannabis may help with perimenopause and menopause symptoms, especially sleepWhy she believes 70% THC products shouldn't be on dispensary shelves for most patientsThe question she asks every patient: are you using this to numb, or to medicate?Why she deliberately scaled her business back when it started taking off Resources From This Episode: Cannabis Care Consultants — Dr. MaryFrances Koester's practicePennsylvania Medical Marijuana Program, PA Department of Health Atlas Shrugged by Ayn RandEconomics in One Lesson by Henry HazlittEM:RAP (Emergency Medicine: Reviews and Perspectives) podcastJordan Peterson's Psychology of the Bible lecture seriesSpark Me episode with Brenda Zane on addiction Keep Sparking If this conversation resonated with you: Follow Spark Me wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss an episodeShare this episode with a friend who's the "designated expert" in her family — or with anyone weighing a career pivot against the life she wantsLeave a rating or review — it helps other women in their second act discover the show

  5. Jul 30

    From the Corner Office to a Cubicle — and Back Again

    What if the boldest move of your career is the one that looks like a step backward? We're re-releasing one of our earliest and most-requested conversations. Dr. Karen Murphy, PhD, RN, graduated high school, got married eleven days later, and had her first child before most people had declared a major. Fifty years into that marriage — and a career that took her from ICU nurse to hospital CEO to Pennsylvania's Secretary of Health — she's still not done. Karen spent three decades at Moses Taylor Hospital in Scranton, working, as she puts it, in every department but one, and ending as President and CEO of the system. Then she did something almost nobody does: she left the corner office, the executive assistant, and the title to work out of a cubicle at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. She calls it one of the most gratifying stretches of her professional life. It humbled her, surrounded her with people half her age, and reminded her that the denominator kept getting bigger — from one patient at the bedside, to a community, to the nation. This conversation is about drive, but it's also about the scaffolding underneath it: a grandmother who said you go, I've got them, a husband who never once called to ask what time dinner was, and two male mentors in 1980s Scranton who pushed her forward when almost no one was pushing women anywhere. Karen is direct about what that support made possible — and blunt about how much harder it is without it. She's also blunt about money. Her story of interviewing a brilliant young woman who went ten full minutes without asking about compensation is the moment most listeners tell us they replay. And her advice for anyone stuck? Stop trying to change the room. Get out of the department. Now Karen is staring at what she calls a blank sheet of paper — and instead of dreading it, she's building the next purpose on purpose. In This Episode You'll Learn: Why leaving the corner office for a cubicle was one of the best career decisions Karen ever madeHow a job she hated became the turning point that sent her back to school — twiceWhat her father told her about CEOs that changed how she saw her own ceilingWhy she believes women systematically under-ask for compensation, and how that gap compounds for an entire careerHow to tell the difference between stress you can control and stress you can'tWhy the support system around you determines how far your ambition can actually goWhat she'd tell any woman labeled "too aggressive" at workWhy "get out of the department" is better advice than trying to fix a broken cultureHow to build a new sense of purpose when the one that defined you endsThe one book she tells every aspiring leader to buy — for about five dollars Resources From This Episode: The First-Time Manager — Karen's go-to recommendation for leaders at every levelThe Way We Were (1973) — Karen's pick for the character she'd most want to beRisant HealthThe Steele Institute for Health Innovation, GeisingerCMS Innovation Center (CMMI)Pennsylvania Department of Health Keep Sparking If this conversation resonated with you: Follow Spark Me wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss a Spark ShortShare this episode with a woman who's about to negotiate — or who's talking herself out of itLeave a rating or review — it helps other women in their second act discover the showTag us when you're listening and tell us: what's the one time you asked for more and got it?

  6. Jul 24

    Why Your Kids Need to Fall Off the Monkey Bars Again

    Only 17% of Americans trust their institutions. Only one in three people feel like they can trust another person. And it's about to get harder to know what's even real. In this Spark Short, Michele and Liz dig into a Wall Street Journal op-ed by former Senator Ben Sasse — written while he battles terminal pancreatic cancer — about the habits humanity may need to rebuild in the age of AI. They talk about the alarming decline in trust and connection over the past sixty years, why AI-generated fake images, audio, and video are about to make that problem worse, and why real-world experience, travel, and human connection might be the answer. The conversation moves into some of the most personal territory yet: the "tech sabbath" — putting your phone in a drawer for a day — and why that idea is both terrifying and freeing. Michele shares how her son's two-week phone-free service trip to the Dominican Republic transformed him, and the two reflect on how a generation of overprotected, over-supervised kids may be missing out on the real-world scrapes, bruises, and independence that used to be a normal part of childhood. In This Episode You'll Hear: The stunning statistics from Ben Sasse's op-ed on trust, loneliness, and institutional decline in AmericaWhy AI-generated fake images, audio, and video are likely to make our trust crisis worseWhy authenticity and real human connection may become "the currency of the future"A conversation about political polarization, echo chambers, and why crossing the aisle feels so hard right nowWhy travel might be one of the most powerful antidotes to disconnection and misunderstandingThe "tech sabbath" concept — putting your phone away for a day or two — and why it's both scary and freeingA nostalgic (and very funny) conversation about playground injuries, helicopter parenting, and why kids might need more unsupervised outdoor time, not lessMichele's son's transformative two-week, phone-free service trip to the Dominican Republic through Global Leadership AdventuresA preview of an upcoming guest — Sarah Dusek, co-founder of Under Canvas — and why outdoor adventure might be exactly what we're all missingAn update on Spark Me's upcoming parent's guide to protecting kids on their phones Resources Mentioned: Ben Sasse's Wall Street Journal op-ed on habits for humanity in the age of AIThe Anxious Generation by Jonathan HaidtGlobal Leadership Adventures — global health initiatives programSpark Me's upcoming parent's guide to protecting kids on their phones (sign-up link coming soon) Keep Sparking If this conversation resonated with you: Follow Spark Me wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss a Spark ShortShare this episode with a parent who's wondering how much phone time is too muchLeave a rating or review — it helps other women in their second act discover the showTag us and tell us: Could you put your phone in a drawer for a full day? Would you try it?

  7. Jul 16

    The Compounding Effect of Micro Shifts — A Spark Short on Real Life Change

    Corn on the cob, blueberry pie, one-item-at-a-time grocery texts from a caregiver, and a friend who texted the group chat to say Spark Me changed the way she thinks about her health. This Spark Short is a real check-in between Michele and Liz — how summer is going, how Liz's dad is doing, and what actually happened when they put Sarah Ohanesian's advice about micro shifts and productivity to the test in real life. Michele gets candid about a hard moment with her son that in the past would have sent her spiraling — and how years of small, quiet changes have built a foundation strong enough to hold her when things get hard. Liz admits she's depleted, burned out, and hasn't had a real vacation since September. And then Michele holds her feet to the fire on camera. There's also a great conversation about using your calendar to protect joy, not just productivity — putting trips, long weekends, and even just a single extra day in the calendar before life can fill the space — and why that idea, borrowed from Sarah Blakely's husband, might be the most practical piece of advice in the episode. In This Episode You'll Hear: Michele's summer update — sunsets, paddleboards, corn on the cob, and why she loves how late it stays lightLiz's honest check-in on caregiving, burnout, and why she doesn't quite feel like it's summer yetThe one-item-at-a-time grocery list Liz's caregiver sends via text (carrots... then cucumbers...)What stress laxing is and why Michele and Liz both relate to it more than they'd like to admitMichele's real moment of vulnerability — how micro shifts over three years changed how she handles the hardest moments as a momWhy "the sky is falling" panic is hard to operate from — and how Michele slowly built her way out of itThe power of putting things in your calendar before life fills the space — trips, long weekends, even just one extra daySarah Blakely's husband's approach to family adventures and why smaller, more frequent trips win every timeLiz's live on-camera commitment to journaling, morning walks, and a solo trip to the beach in AugustThe friend who texted the group chat after listening to the heart health episode — and why it made the whole thing feel worth itLiz's book club pick and a conversation about how she got back to reading for pleasure Resources Mentioned: Sarah Ohanesian / So Productive — full episode on Spark MeDr. Jennifer Nesfeder / Women's Heart Health — full episode on Spark MeBardo Consulting — Holly and Casey, mentioned by MicheleWhistler by Ann Patchett — Liz's current book club pick Keep Sparking If this conversation resonated with you: Follow Spark Me wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss a Spark ShortShare this episode with someone who needs to hear that the small steps compound — even when it doesn't feel like itLeave a rating or review — it helps other women in their second act discover the showTag us and tell us: What's one micro shift you're committing to this week?

  8. Jul 8

    What If We Married Ourselves First?

    As she slipped off her wedding band in the middle of her divorce, Christine Kiesinger heard a voice say: you should have married yourself first. Dr. Christine Kiesinger spent thirty years in academia as an expert in relational communication — until the day the words “I’m retiring at the end of this semester” came out of her mouth before she even knew she was going to say them. Colleagues told her she had just committed professional suicide. Christine saw doors opening. In this conversation, Christine traces the path from a dress factory in Pittston — where a shift of women told a curious teenager, “you need to find a way out” — to a community college speech team, a fully funded doctorate, tenure, and the radical decision to walk away from all of it. Along the way, she shows how a single conversation, often from someone outside your own family, can change the entire course of a life. But the heart of this episode is what happened next. When Christine’s divorce collided with the world shutting down, she was left alone with the one relationship she had never cultivated: the one with herself. So she did something remarkable — she took every stage of an intimate relationship, from courtship to commitment, and moved through them with herself. Eighteen months later, on the evening of her birthday, she took the vow. Ring and all. Whether you’re feeling stuck in a marriage, a career, or a version of your life that was somehow chosen for you, this conversation is an invitation to listen to the voice inside — and to have the courage to speak what it’s telling you out loud. This conversation originally aired as one of our very first episodes. It’s one of the most powerful we’ve ever recorded, so we’ve refreshed and re-edited it for everyone who has found Spark Me since. In This Episode You’ll Learn: Why the “power of a single conversation” can redirect an entire life — and why it often comes from a teacher, mentor, or coach rather than familyWhat relational intelligence is, and how it differs from emotional intelligenceThe story of the vow: how Christine applied the stages of an intimate relationship — courtship through commitment — to herselfThe “radical responsibility” exercise: being radically honest about the ways you contributed to a relationship’s demiseThe number one regret of the dying — and the first half-step to take if you realize you’re not living the life you wantedWhy micro-shifts often beat blowing up your life — and how to transform a marriage or career instead of demolishing itWhy people don’t quit jobs they hate — they quit places where they don’t feel they belong, and what leaders can do about itWhat if “no” were a complete sentence? How women can decline without the long explanation“I’ll see it when I believe it”: Christine’s reframe on manifesting, trust, and sovereignty over your own mind Resources From This Episode: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie — the first self-help book Christine picked up at age tenThe Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie WareDr. Vivek Murthy’s Harvard Business Review series on workplace lonelinessThe Harvard Study of Adult Development — the research finding that the quality of your relationships is the number one contributor to happiness and longevityThe Amplify Women in Leadership Certificate Program (Leadership Northeast), co-founded by ChristineChristine's Website - https://www.christinekiesinger.com/ If this conversation resonated with you: Follow Spark Me wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss a Spark ShortShare this episode with a friend navigating a big transition — or feeling stuck in a life that was somehow chosen for themLeave a rating or review — it helps other women in their second act discover the showTag us when you’re listening and tell us: what’s one vow you’re ready to make to yourself?

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About

Spark Me was born out of countless honest talks with girlfriends about how life keeps shifting — and how incredible it is when women support each other through it. Co-hosts Michele Dempsey and Liz Graham bring humor, heart, and just the right amount of “did-we-really-just-say-that?” honesty to real conversations about careers, family, identity, health, relationships — and all the curveballs life throws in between.

Information

  • Creator
    Spark Me Podcast
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    50
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Spark Me Podcast
  • Show Website
    Spark Me

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