WCWB Inspire Women Podcast

WCWB Inspire Women

Washington Center for Women in Business is now adding a podcast in 2023 established a dedicated platform for knowledgeable women entrepreneurs to speak on their industries. The Podcast will also include interviews with new and upcoming business owners making their mark in Washington state as well updates on all that the WCWB is doing to promote women-owned businesses in the community.

  1. Aug 7

    Meet Christie and Kelsey, Co-Founders of Ash & Birch Counseling

    Christie is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with over 25 years of experience in social services and behavioral health. With roots in developmental and intellectual disabilities, she helped lead the integration of wraparound planning and positive behavior support, focusing on empowering youth and families and reducing out-of-home placement. Christie is also a cofounder of Green Zone, a model of emotional support for individuals and caregivers. Christie believes in every person's capacity to grow and heal—mind, body, and spirit—and holds a safe, grounded therapeutic space that helps clients build self-understanding and take meaningful, values-driven steps forward. Clinical specialties include anxiety, mood disorders, eating disorders and disordered eating, and trauma. Christie offers mindfulness-based, somatic, LGBTQ+-affirming, and exposure-based therapies, drawing on ACT, DBT Skills Training, ERP, Safe Exercise at Every Stage, and Emotional Freedom Techniques. Kelsey is a Mental Health Counselor who creates a supportive, empathetic environment for clients to explore their thoughts, emotions, and body sensations. Her integrative approach draws from Narrative Therapy, Self-Compassion practices, CBT, ACT, ERP, CPT, Safe Exercise at Every Stage, and Animal-Assisted Therapy. As a Certified Animal-Assisted Intervention Specialist, she incorporates animals in intentional, evidence-informed ways that support emotional regulation and nervous-system safety. Kelsey works with clients navigating anxiety, mood disorders, eating disorders and disordered eating, trauma, life transitions, and self-exploration. Before becoming a counselor, Kelsey spent over a decade as a non-diet, weight-neutral Dietitian, supporting adolescents and adults with eating disorders across treatment facilities, home infusion, and pediatric specialty clinics. She is a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist (IAEDP) and holds a Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Southern New Hampshire University, now practicing as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate. Her nutritional philosophy centers on Medical Nutrition Therapy, Intuitive Eating, the Division of Responsibility, and a non-diet perspective, and she has mentored future dietitians as a preceptor for Eastern Michigan University. Across all roles, Kelsey's focus remains constant: creating a trauma-informed, collaborative, and inclusive space where people feel welcomed and supported. wcwb.org

    Meet Christie and Kelsey, Co-Founders of Ash & Birch Counseling
  2. 12/12/2025

    Meet Martie: Owner of Lotus Flower Wellness

    Hi, my name is Martie. My journey to becoming an esthetician began almost 10 years ago, when I was a dog groomer for over 20 years. Over the years it had taken its toll on my body, and I had collapsed and was unable to walk for many months, thinking I would be bedridden for the rest of my life.  I was faced with planning to have back surgery, reluctant to take that route I had returned to Yoga instead. Finding healing through my Yoga practice in ways I never imagined or knew that I needed. My practice became my medicine and connected with the community that quickly became family. I became a Yoga teacher with a strong desire to help others battling their own limitations and to find quality of life again. In my journey of healing and self-discovery, I learned that I had been in my masculine energy out of survival my entire life and needed to reconnect with my feminine softness, calming, intuitiveness and my emotional well-being. I leaned into the importance of self-care and started my journey by becoming an esthetician. My love for helping others quickly grew and the vision for Lotus Flower Wellness was borne.  My core values as an esthetician remain focused on self-love and with the love and support from the community, I have been blessed to be able to be of service to the same community that has inspired my own dreams.  You can find me located inside Lash Brat Beauty Bar at 1601 State Ave. NE Olympia WA, 98506. wcwb.org

    Meet Martie: Owner of Lotus Flower Wellness
  3. 06/09/2025

    "Nurturing Families and Growing Birthworkers" with Diksha Berebitsky

    Meet Diksha, a Washington State-Approved Doula and Trainer with over 16 years of experience as a doula, inspired to support families after my own transformative pregnancies. Originally from Germany, she has called Olympia, WA, home since 2006. As a solo practice doula, Diksha provides personalized, one-on-one care, building trust and tailoring support to each unique birth plan. Diksha is certified through DONA International, The Matrona, Bastyr Simkin Center, WA State, and The Body Ready Method®. She offers expertise in birth doula services, lactation education, infant massage, and Body Ready Method alignment sessions and parent classes. She is also a triple-certified Placenta Specialist and trained in Spinning Babies and OSHA standards. Committed to professional integrity, Diksha attended nearly 100% of her clients’ births, with a trusted backup doula for peace of mind. As a leader in Olympia’s birth community, she founded the Olympia Doula Circle, Meet the Doula Night, and the Monthly Cesarean & VBAC Support Group, and she lead a local Body Ready Study Group. Diksha is here to empower others through pregnancy, birth, and beyond with skillful, heart-centered support.  In addition to serving birthing families, she is passionate about training and mentoring the next generation of doulas. Diksha offers in-person doula training and individualized doula mentorships that provide a strong foundation in evidence-based, compassionate care, helping new doulas grow with confidence, clarity, and purpose. wcwb.org

    "Nurturing Families and Growing Birthworkers" with Diksha Berebitsky
  4. 08/28/2024

    Meet Alanna, Founder & CEO of Vibe Coworks

    A fierce champion of innovation, entrepreneurship, and meaningful social impact, Alanna Imbach is a weaver of people, and a builder of authentic, purpose-driven communities. Her vision is simple: drive innovation through authentic human connection. She delivers on this, in part, through her work as Founder and CEO of Vibe Coworks—a shared workspace and coworking community that provides world-class workspace, community and programming for startups, scaleups, corporations, nonprofits and public entities in non-urban regions.  Since first opening in 2017, Vibe Coworks has become a widely recognized center of gravity for authentic community, connection, and happier, healthier ways of working in and beyond the Kitsap Peninsula.  Vibe Coworks is proudly woman- and immigrant-owned, with a diverse membership base and professional network that spans the county. In addition to providing access by the hour and by the day, Vibe counts with over 200 members, serving hundreds of area businesses and organizations as the destination of choice for meetings and events. Vibe Coworks was named Business of the Year by the Greater Kitsap Chamber in 2022, and is a proud member off the League of Extraordinary Coworking Spaces (LExC), which provides members with free, reciprocal access to a network of high-end, boutique coworking spaces globally.   Web: vibecoworks.com Upcoming Events Calendar: https://members.vibecoworks.com/events Instagram: www.instagram.com/vibe_coworks LinkedIn - Vibe Coworks: www.linkedin.com/company/vibe-coworks LinkedIn - Alanna Imbach: www.linkedin.com/in/alannaimbach  wcwb.org

    Meet Alanna, Founder & CEO of Vibe Coworks
  5. 08/21/2024

    Meet Emily, Owner & Artist of JuiceBoxx LTD B2B Productions

    Emily Renee Ligman ,a new small business owner as of September 2023. She is a professional face and body paint artist and owner of JUICEBOXX LTD B2B Productions, LLC also owning DBA: PNW pro face paint. Specializing in body paint, face paint, and airbrush tattoos, she has also branched out into glass blowing and neon bending to grow her passion for art into an enterprise.  Diagnosed with autism, dyslexia and adhd, she faces daily challenges and overcomes these through creating art and developing new products for her industry with the gratification of being an woman-owned business. Her love for face paint has led her to create products like “Glitter Brows” and stencil kit for holidays and “festival paint”.  Emily is finding ways to update the quality and overall guest experience being the only 2 Face, body art, and glitter tattoo booths in the 2024 Washington State Fair. With 8 years experience as a self-taught airbrush artist, it’s “the show must go on and will be fantastic” attitude going into each year. She has a great theatrical foundation which explains her passion for giving a “magical guest experience” since attending and completing the Walt Disney World College Program in Orlando Florida 2006. With a BA in theater and fine arts at WSU she is well trained for working highly demanding and stressful situations such as the popular busy fall fair season.  She is proud to be using the highest quality cosmetic grade industry standard glitter and waterproof paints. The main focus for PNWPROFACEPAINT, is to include the whole family to experience the “face and body art” in the future years to come. Reach out to experience great customer service paired with an attention to detail for all guests - kids, teens and adults - anybody and every BODY is welcome!  wcwb.org

    Meet Emily, Owner & Artist of JuiceBoxx LTD B2B Productions
  6. 07/02/2024

    Meet Dr. Sara Weelborg & Rachel Johnson, Co-owners of Mindset.

    Dr. Sara Weelborg, DNP, ARNP, has been a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner since 2005. Before that, she worked as a registered nurse in a variety of patient care settings while serving as an active-duty Navy Nurse Corps Officer. After serving 13 years on active duty, she transferred to the Reserve Component while beginning her work as a civilian advanced practice nurse, practicing in group settings and then transitioning to private practice in 2014. She built a thriving solo private practice in the Tacoma area and then added contract work with the Squaxin Island Tribe’s Behavioral Health Outpatient Program and the Northwest Indian Treatment Center in Elma. She completed the University of Washington AIMS’ Center’s Integrated Care Fellowship in 2023 and provides psychiatric consultation to the primary care team at Community Health Care’s Key Medical Center in Lakebay. In addition to providing direct patient care, she precepts graduate nursing students and is an active member of Washington State’s Association of Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses.  Sara’s Doctor of Nursing practice degree is in leadership, and her cumulative experiences in the military, clinical settings, and education have positioned her well to be the clinical director of the new mental health intensive outpatient program Mindset. Creating this program with her daughter Rachel has been challenging, rewarding, and invigorating. She has had a vision of building an intensive program for many years and is grateful for the support and circumstances that have led to this point. This endeavor would not be possible without Rachel’s complementary knowledge and skills, and her shared passion and drive have catalyzed the effort and work. Sara’s personal interests include running (especially trail running and trail relays), playing the flute, and hanging out with family. Besides Rachel, daughter Elisabeth is a senior at the University of Minnesota studying chemical engineering, son Nathaniel is a 7th grader with a passion for computers and violin (who designed and coded Mindset’s website by himself), and husband Brian provides steadfast support and dedication to keep everything going.  Rachel Johnson provides all community members of the greater Tacoma area with options to individually flourish and feel supported in their mental health. She encountered a severe lack of in-person care opportunities in Tacoma while seeking out her own mental health support services in the past, and has been a witness to this same lack of access for so many friends and community members. Rachel serves Mindset’s clients, and the greater community, by establishing and overseeing community relationships, client acquisition, and overall business maintenance and operations. She values an individual’s identity and autonomy above all else and works to empower others in every facet possible, while realizing herself, that she must have an evolving mindset that can lead me to further compassion and growth. Intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) for mental health provide a vital and unique service to the community; hospitalizations are not the most beneficial outcome for many individuals who are facing a mental health crisis. A gap existed in our community for providing intensive mental health services to those individuals who are best suited to remain in their regular home environment and maintain a daily profession.  Rachel is dedicated to champion clients who would incur a detriment to their overall health journey if separated from their daily life and home. She believes that every individual has the power to overcome life’s challenges if they have been provided the correct “toolbox” to do so. Her professional and educational background is in construction management from California Polytechnic State University, where she is completing her senior project. wcwb.org

    Meet Dr. Sara Weelborg & Rachel Johnson, Co-owners of Mindset.

About

Washington Center for Women in Business is now adding a podcast in 2023 established a dedicated platform for knowledgeable women entrepreneurs to speak on their industries. The Podcast will also include interviews with new and upcoming business owners making their mark in Washington state as well updates on all that the WCWB is doing to promote women-owned businesses in the community.