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Girl, Take the Lead!

Girl, Take the Lead!

By: Yolanda Canny
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 Each week we explore Womanhood and Leadership with the goal to question the status quo and challenge our thinking so we celebrate every woman as a leader. Our episodes will interview leaders in the field, meet authors, explore books on the subject, hear inspiring stories, or talk with organizations leading the charge for women to lead. We’ll look at the different topics from different generational perspectives as my daughters, a Millennial and a Gen Z, will join me, a Boomer, from time to time. We hope to make you laugh and leave inspired as you hear our voices on this very important topic.Yolanda Canny Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • 269. A Single Candle — Love, Loss & Living Fully in a Life You Didn’t Plan with Becky Galli

    269. A Single Candle — Love, Loss & Living Fully in a Life You Didn’t Plan with Becky Galli
    Dec 22 2025

    Welcome back to Girl, Take the Lead! — the podcast where we explore real, raw, and remarkable stories of resilience, healing, and what it means to live and lead with courage through every season of life.


    Today’s guest is Rebecca (Becky) Faye Smith Galli — author, columnist, and thoughtful observer of the human experience. Becky writes about love, loss, and healing, drawing from a life shaped by profound, unchosen challenges. Her journey includes the death of her 17-year-old brother, her son’s degenerative disease and passing, parenting a daughter with autism, divorce, and—just nine days later—paralysis caused by transverse myelitis, a rare inflammation of the spinal cord.


    Rather than turning away from grief, Becky has transformed her lived experience into a body of work that reminds us: life can still be good — not perfect, but good — even when it doesn’t go as planned.


    In this deeply moving conversation, Yo and Becky explore wisdom drawn from Becky’s books Morning Fuel and Rethinking Possible, along with reflections from her popular Thoughtful Thursdays newsletter.


    In this episode, you’ll hear about:

    🧋 The Milkshake MethodA story about Becky’s father and a failed ice cream experiment that became a lifelong lesson in optimism, creativity, and seeing possibility within the limits of the present moment.


    🌲 Unchosen Paths & Patterns of CopingHow Becky has learned to recognize her own patterns when navigating grief and major life disruptions — and why understanding how you cope can bring comfort, patience, and self-trust.


    💛 Practicing Gratitude as a Daily ResetWhy gratitude isn’t about denying pain, but about shifting perspective — and how noticing small moments of goodness can change how we move through difficult days.


    🌸 Beauty in What’s BrokenBecky shares how turning shattered dishes into mosaic art mirrors the healing process itself: gathering broken pieces, allowing messiness, and discovering unexpected beauty along the way.


    🕯️ A Single Candle (Holiday Reflection)A powerful reading about grief during the holidays, the love that remains after loss, and how lighting a single candle can help us focus on love instead of darkness — especially when traditions must change.


    This episode is especially meaningful for anyone navigating grief, major transitions, disability, caregiving, or the emotional complexity of the holiday season. Becky’s words offer companionship, perspective, and hope — like a steady candle glowing when the world feels dark.


    About Becky Galli💌

    Rebecca (Becky) Faye Smith Galli is an author and columnist who writes about love, loss, and healing. Her unexpected but prolific writing career emerged from surviving multiple life-altering losses and transitions. Her website, BeckyGalli.com, features more than 400 published columns, and she continues to write Thoughtful Thursdays—Lessons from a Resilient Heart, a beloved newsletter that shares reflections on staying positive and grounded when life is hard.

    📚 Books: Morning Fuel | Rethinking Possible💌 Email: rfsgalli@gmail.com🌐 Website & Free Resource: “Seven Strategies to Stay Up When Life Is Pulling You Down”👉 https://rebeccafayesmithgalli.com/📰 Thoughtful Thursdays Newsletter Signup:👉 https://rebeccafayesmithgalli.com/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chairwriter/🐦 X / Twitter: https://twitter.com/chairwriter


    Connect with Yo & Girl, Take the Lead!

    🎧 Listen & Subscribe on YouTube Music, YouTube, Spotify & wherever you get your podcasts
    💬 Join the Girl, Take the Lead! Facebook Group
    🛍 Explore the Heartfelt Card & Gift Shop
    🔗 Connect on LinkedIn & Instagram
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    39 mins
  • 268. You Can Have It All—But You Can’t Do It All with Dr. Denise Brown, The Fairy God Doctor

    268. You Can Have It All—But You Can’t Do It All with Dr. Denise Brown, The Fairy God Doctor
    Dec 18 2025
    Welcome back to Girl, Take the Lead! — the podcast where we talk honestly about leadership, womanhood, and all the messy, beautiful parts in between.Today I’m joined by Dr. Denise Brown, also known as The Fairy God Doctor — a Stanford-trained physician, former CEO, wife, mom, and now author of The Fairy God Doctor’s Guide to a Good Life: A Prescription for the Working Woman. Fairy God Doctor+1If you’re listening to this in December while you’re juggling holidays, work deadlines, family expectations, and maybe an elf on a shelf you forgot to move 🙃, this episode is here to give you permission to do less and feel more satisfied.We talk about why “success” is external but satisfaction is internal, how comparison and “shoulds” steal our joy, what it really means to ask for partnership instead of help, and how to reframe our lives and careers as non-linear wanderings in the woods instead of one perfect, straight ladder to the top.We also get teary (yep, both of us) as Denise reads the poem “If I Had My Child to Raise Over Again” and shares what true self-care looks like when your house is quiet, the kids are grown, and you suddenly realize what really mattered most.In This Episode, We Talk About:Success vs. satisfactionNon-linear womanhood & careersComparison, guilt, judgment & shameHelicoptering, snowplowing & leadership at work“You can have it all… but you cannot do it all.”Real talk about the holidays & overdoing itThe heart of self-careWhat she’d tell her 20-something selfMemorable Quotes“Success is external. Satisfaction is internal.”“You can have it all, but you cannot do it all.”“If you’re asking for help, you’re still carrying the weight. When you ask for partnership, you’re sharing it.”“There isn’t work and life — there’s just life. There isn’t physical wellbeing and mental wellbeing — there’s just wellbeing.”“Someday your house will be quiet and clean. And you’ll realize what really mattered was the people, not the counters.”Resources & Links MentionedBook: The Fairy God Doctor’s Guide to a Good Life: A Prescription for the Working Woman by Dr. Denise S. Brown Amazon+1Dr. Denise’s Website:Author / leadership site: denisesbrownmd.com denisesbrownmd.comBook site: thefairygoddoctor.com Fairy God DoctorInstagram:@thefairygoddoctor Instagram@denisesbrownmd InstagramFrom the Girl, Take the Lead! Heartfelt Cards & Gifts Shop 💌In this episode, Denise chose our Snarky Cat card that says “Trust Your Guts” — because your gut usually does know what to do, especially when you give it a little time and space to speak up.You’ll find that card (and more “listen to yourself” goodness) in theStay Connected👉 Girl, Take the Lead! Heartfelt Cards & Gifts online shop.Podcast: Girl, Take the Lead! (follow, rate & review if this episode made you feel seen 💕)Facebook Group: Girl, Take the Lead! Group – join us to go deeper on success vs. satisfaction, partnership vs. help, and holiday self-care.Instagram: @yocanny
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    46 mins
  • 267. A Life Rewrapped — Creativity, Grit & New Beginnings with Michelle Hensley

    267. A Life Rewrapped — Creativity, Grit & New Beginnings with Michelle Hensley
    Dec 16 2025

    Today’s guest is Michelle Hensley — founder of Nifty Package Co., creator of the gig app FeteTango, mother of three, grandmother of nine, and a woman who rebuilt her entire life after losing her husband to metastatic melanoma.


    At 51, Michelle found herself navigating profound grief, financial uncertainty, and a complete identity shift. What began as a small spark — “Could I work when I want instead of when I have to?” — evolved into a thriving mobile gift wrapping business serving everyday families, luxury brands, celebrities, and even a presidential administration.


    This is a story of resilience, reinvention, and the courage to begin again — with creativity leading the way.


    Together, Yo and Michelle explore:

    🎁 How Michelle rebuilt her life after lossFrom pastor’s wife and nonprofit founder to entrepreneur learning cost of goods, pricing, networking, and profit — one brave step at a time.

    🎀 Why gift wrapping is a timeless artAnd how a 3:45 a.m. idea and an underused van sparked a whole new business model.

    🚐 The rise of the mobile gift wrapping movementIncluding the early client who hated wrapping gifts, the celebrity referrals, and the moment Michelle realized she was truly a business owner.

    ✨ Creating income opportunities for women 50+Why Michelle believes flexible, creative work is a powerful path to financial dignity and freedom.

    📊 Business lessons Michelle learned the hard wayPricing for profit, investing in quality, and vetting team members — with honesty and humor.

    📱 Introducing FeteTangoMichelle’s new gig app for creatives offering services like wrapping, decorating, porch pumpkins, cookie baking, and more — all with lower fees so women keep more of what they earn.

    🕯️ Her message to widows and women starting overGrief has no timeline. Identity must be rebuilt slowly. And new beginnings are possible — even when you have no idea what comes next.

    💬 Her advice to her 20-something selfFind a mentor. Listen to people who’ve lived more life. Be less judgmental. And soften your words, especially toward yourself.


    🧭 Memorable Quotes

    “Sometimes you don’t know your idea is good — you just take the next step and it leads you somewhere new.” – Michelle

    “Women are incredibly resourceful. What scares us most is not that we can’t do it — but that we don’t know it yet.” – Michelle

    “I’ve been in the wilderness so many times I can give tours. Mistakes are part of the process.” – Michelle

    “You don’t have to care what everyone thinks — listen to yourself and take the next step.” – Yo & Michelle


    ✨ Connect with Michelle Hensley

    Website & Coaching: michellemhensley.comFree Book & Downloadables: available on her siteGift Wrapping Business: Nifty Package Co.Facebook Group: Unwrapping Your Life and BusinessYouTube: Mobile Gift Wrapping CoachGig App for Creatives: FeteTango.comMasterclass: michellemhensley.com/masterclass-registrationEmail: Michelle@niftypackage.co


    💌 Connect with Yo & Girl, Take the Lead!
    Listen on YouTube & SpotifyJoin the GTTL Facebook GroupExplore the Heartfelt Card & Gift ShopFind Yo on LinkedIn & Instagram


    Because reinvention doesn’t ask whether you’re ready — it invites you to trust yourself, take the next step, and begin wrapping a new life with courage and creativity. 💖
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    36 mins
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