Wickedly Smart Women

What happens when you've achieved financial success by following the traditional playbook, only to realize it has left you burned out, disconnected, and unfulfilled? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Debbie Dobbins, speaker, author, and transformational mentor, helping women and conscious entrepreneurs rewrite their relationship with money, success, and self-worth.

After building successful businesses and earning millions, Debbie's life took an unexpected turn when she faced cancer, financial collapse, and the challenge of rebuilding from scratch. Rather than allowing those experiences to define her, she discovered a deeper understanding of abundance...

What if the key to growing your business isn't finding more leads but building better relationships? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Sarah Hubbard, founder of The Intentional Network and author of The Intentional Networker. 

Today, 85% of her multi-million-dollar business comes from referral partnerships, and she's helped hundreds of entrepreneurs generate millions in referral revenue using her proven MAPP Framework. Sarah shares how listening to your deeper calling, creating intentional relationships, and refining your message can transform both your business and your life.

Whether you're preparing to leave corporate, g...

Why do so many successful women thrive in business but struggle to find lasting love? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Chaya Garcia, The Epic Love Expert, a relationship expert and founder of the growing #LoveLighter movement.

Chaya shares how her own journey through toxic relationships, codependency, and self-discovery inspired her mission to help women attract emotionally healthy, lasting partnerships.

Whether you're navigating dating, marriage, or simply learning to trust yourself again, this conversation offers powerful wisdom for choosing yourself first.

What You Will Learn:

What if your career hiatus wasn't a gap, but the foundation for your most impactful work? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Raina Gandhi, a powerhouse advocate for women in leadership and the founder and CEO of Rising Tide Consulting.

After an 11-year hiatus to raise her daughters, Raina returned to the professional world with a Wharton MBA and an investment banking background, only to find a corporate landscape that often felt misaligned with her values. Her journey through burnout, the challenges of re-entry, and navigating workplace barriers led her to...

What if the biggest obstacle to building the life and business you want isn't your circumstances, but your willingness to take the first step? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Jennifer Johnson, founder of True Fashionistas, Florida's largest lifestyle resale store, entrepreneur, business coach, best-selling author, and host of the Confident Entrepreneur podcast.

Jennifer shares the setbacks, betrayals, pivots, and powerful mindset shifts that shaped her entrepreneurial journey. She also explains why building a personal brand before exiting your business creates lasting freedom and opportunity.

If you've been wondering...

What happens when the business you've worked so hard to build no longer feels aligned with who you've become? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Allison Maslan, CEO of Pinnacle Global Network, Wall Street Journal Best Selling Author of, Scale or Fail, which is endorsed by Daymond John and Barbara Corcoran of Shark Tank. 

From nearly losing her life after pushing herself beyond her limits to becoming a homeopathic physician and ultimately founding Pinnacle Global Network, Allison's journey is a powerful reminder that every experience prepares you for your next evolution.

What does it take to leave a successful corporate career, build a thriving business, and create a life that aligns with your values? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Marjie Hadad, Founder of  Marjie Hadad Communications, crisis and leadership communications expert, and author of The Confident Kid Playbook.

The conversation explores the importance of visibility, public relations, work-life integration, crisis communication, and how leaders can use their professional skills to empower the next generation.

Whether you're considering leaving corporate, growing a consultancy, or looking to bec...

What if getting fired was actually the catalyst for building the life you were meant to live? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Merry Korn, entrepreneur, author, and social enterprise pioneer. 

After losing a job she desperately wanted to keep, Merry found herself facing uncertainty, fear, and the responsibility of supporting her family. What followed was an extraordinary journey that led her to build Pearl Interactive Network, a company that grew to employ more than 1,300 people and specialized in hiring individuals often overlooked by traditional employers, including people with disabilities, veterans, m...

What happens when a successful entrepreneur leaves her own thriving business to get a "real job" only to discover she already knew more than she gave herself credit for? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Arielle Tayar, founder of Whip Creative Studio and Whip Productions. 

Arielle shares her journey from growing up in an immigrant family to becoming a serial entrepreneur, her surprising experience in the corporate world, and the lessons she learned about confidence, creativity, leadership, and trusting her own vision.

This conversation is an inspiring reminder that c...

What happens when the career you've worked so hard to build no longer energizes you? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Bela Shah, a former attorney and ICF-certified coach.

Bela shares how feelings of disconnection, burnout, and a lack of alignment ultimately led her to leave a successful legal career and step into coaching. Drawing on her experiences as a first-generation South Asian immigrant, meditation practitioner, and leadership mentor, Bela offers a powerful perspective on self-trust, purpose, and navigating major life transitions. 

This conversation is a reminder that leadership b...

What happens when the career you worked decades to build no longer aligns with who you've become? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Dr. Cynthia Bentzen-Mercer, organizational development strategist, executive coach, international keynote speaker, and creator of Stop Drifting: The Discipline of Direction™. 

After more than 30 years in executive leadership roles across multiple industries, Dr. Cynthia shares the realities of being one of the only women in the room, navigating leadership expectations, surviving personal challenges, and ultimately transitioning out of corporate life into entrepreneurship and thought leadership.

This conversation is...

What happens when a woman walks away from corporate stability, navigates financial uncertainty, and builds a thriving business in a male-dominated industry? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Hannah Hurckes, author, entrepreneur, and high-impact speaker known for saying what others won't.

Hannah shares her journey from construction and trucking to launching Boss Lady Logistics after years of trial and error, failed businesses, and financial hardship. She opens up about being a stay-at-home mom on WIC assistance, overcoming fear, learning how to trust her abilities, and creating a company culture rooted in...

What if the biggest wake-up call of your life became the reason you completely reinvented your future? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Janet McConnell, a Senior National Champion Bodybuilder who began competing in her late 40s, Janet brings decades of experience in strength training and lifestyle habits that support cognitive health, resilience, and vitality. As the author of Elements of Aging Well, she blends science-backed insight with real-world strategies to help women age with confidence, strength, and purpose. 

Janet shares how a shocking health diagnosis at age 46 forced her to c...

What if the reason your team isn't performing has nothing to do with strategy and everything to do with leadership? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Kathy Eastwood, CEO and creator of the human-first E3 Leadership Code and a leadership strategist with over thirty years of executive experience across EY, Hewlett-Packard, high-growth startups, and private equity-backed companies.

This conversation dives into the real reason most teams struggle, why emotional intelligence is the missing link in leadership.

If you've ever questioned your leadership environment, your next career move, or how...

What happens when you wake up one day and realize the career you built no longer fits your life? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Megan Applegate, Career Strategist, Certified Personal Consultant, and the founder of Career Blueprint Solutions. 

Megan shares her powerful journey from a 20-year corporate career in hospitality to building her own business in recruiting and career strategy. What started as a feeling of disconnection and burnout turned into a bold leap into entrepreneurship, without a clear roadmap.

This conversation is a must-listen for anyone feeling s...

What if the decision that changes everything isn't about leaving your job but about how you think? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Dr. Crystal Gifford, CEO of EdgeTech Global, a pioneering force in educational leadership, curriculum development, and EdTech integration.

This conversation goes deeper than "just leap." It explores the internal and external variables that shape major life decisions, the importance of trusting yourself, and how to build a business that aligns with your values instead of burning you out.

If you've been questioning whether it's time to...

What if the key to higher profits isn't better marketing or more sales tactics but how you treat your people? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Sandra Coker, CEO of Human Power Solutions and author of People Profit. Sandra shares her powerful journey from corporate leadership to entrepreneurship, sparked by life-changing personal experiences that forced her to rethink everything.

Sandra breaks down how investing in employee development directly impacts customer experience, retention, and long-term profitability.

This episode is a must-listen for leaders, entrepreneurs, and women navigating what's next, offering...

Burnout is not a personal failure. It is a systems problem, and today's episode breaks down exactly why. In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Dr. Trisha Vinatieri, a clinical psychologist and organizational development psychologist who has spent nearly two decades treating PTSD and holding various leadership roles within healthcare systems.

From her own experience navigating burnout during COVID to stepping into a leadership role focused on wellbeing, Dr. Vinatieri explains why so many high-achieving professionals feel stuck, exhausted, and disconnected from work that once gave them purpose.

If you've...

What happens when your body starts telling you it's time to walk away, even before your mind is ready to admit it? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Stacey Bailey, a leadership coach, strategist, and facilitator who helps entrepreneurs and creative leaders grow businesses with heart. A certified System and Soul™ Implementor and Dare to Lead™ Certified professional, she brings more than 15 years of experience in leadership and operations within the creative services industry.

Stacey shares her evolution from accidental leader to COO, and ultimately to entrepreneur, revealing the internal struggles, phys...

What if your burnout isn't just stress but a deeper biological disconnect? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Meredith Oke, strategic coach turned science storyteller, host of the Quantum Biology Collective podcast, and founder of a nonprofit focused on helping women reclaim their energy and health through the lens of quantum biology. After walking away from burnout and chronic fatigue, Meredith now helps women understand how their environment, light exposure, and daily habits directly impact their energy, health, and long-term wellbeing.

If you've been feeling exhausted no matter how much you...

What if the biggest risk in your career isn't leaving corporate, but staying? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Heather Moore, Founder and CEO of Pet Centric Health. Heather takes us behind the scenes of what it really looks like to transition from corporate stability into entrepreneurship, including the mindset shifts, challenges, and unexpected growth that come with building a company from the ground up.

This episode is a must-listen for high-achieving women who feel the pull toward something more and are ready to explore what's next in leadership, impact, and...

Why are women still dramatically underrepresented in leadership positions despite earning the majority of college degrees and making up half the workforce? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Gloria Feldt, visionary leadership strategist, bestselling author, and co-founder of Take The Lead. Drawing on decades of experience, including serving as national president of Planned Parenthood and building leadership development programs for women, Gloria explains why the issue is not a lack of ambition but a deeper challenge around women's relationship with power and money.

This episode is a must-listen for women leaders...

What is trauma-informed leadership, and why does it matter in today's workplace? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Dr. Melanie Gray shares how trauma-informed care transforms leadership, strengthens workplace culture, and prevents burnout before it derails careers. Drawing from over 25 years in healthcare, higher education, and corporate leadership, Dr. Gray explains how trauma shapes behavior, how generational stress impacts performance, and why confidence is built through intentional self-leadership.

If you are a high-achieving woman considering leaving corporate, building a consulting business, or leading teams through change, this episode delivers practical wisdom...

What happens after the baby arrives, and why has that conversation been missing for generations? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Aanchal Dasoar Arora, women's health innovator, pelvic floor physical therapist, and founder of Mendhai Health, shares how postpartum depression, pelvic floor dysfunction, and an identity crisis after motherhood led her to leave a high-level corporate healthcare career and build a digital maternal recovery platform born out of MIT.

If you are a leader navigating identity shifts, a healthcare innovator, or a woman seeking support after pregnancy, this episode delivers both...

What if the reason you feel stuck isn't that you need to push harder but because you need to let go? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Ginny Priem, keynote speaker, #1 bestselling author, master certified coach, and host of the Unsubscribe podcast. Ginny shares how escaping a toxic relationship became the catalyst for transforming her entire life and career.

If you've ever wondered whether it's time to let go of something you've invested years into, this episode will challenge and empower you to make bold, aligned decisions faster.

What if working from home wasn't a trend but a calling you answered decades before the rest of the world caught up? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Lesley Pyle, a true pioneer in the remote work and entrepreneurship space. Lesley is the founder and CEO of Hire My Mom, a platform that connects small businesses with highly skilled virtual professionals.

This episode is a must-listen for women who feel the inner nudge to do work differently, redefine success on their own terms, and create a business that aligns with their...

What if the reason you're exhausted, overworked, and questioning your worth at work has nothing to do with your talent and everything to do with a game no one ever taught you how to play? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Robin Goad, a senior technology executive at Amazon Web Services, speaker, and author, to unpack how childhood trauma, perfectionism, and unspoken corporate rules shape the careers of high-achieving women. With more than 30 years of leadership experience at Fortune 100 companies like Dell and Gartner, Robin shares how she built a wildly successful career...

What if the way you speak is the most powerful leadership tool you're underutilizing? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Julie Holunga,  to explore how trust, communication, and intentional leadership language shape influence at every level of an organization. Julie shares her journey from nonprofit and corporate leadership into building a consulting practice rooted in integrity, trust, and meaningful impact.

If you're a heart-centered leader, consultant, or professional considering a transition into more purpose-driven work, this episode offers both insight and grounded, real-world wisdom.

What Y...

What if the feeling that something is missing in your career isn't confusion, but wisdom trying to get your attention? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Aleksandra Ceho, whose work bridges the worlds of spirituality, leadership, and business strategy. Aleksandra shares her remarkable journey from studying kinesiology and working in motor vehicle accident clinics to building a thriving astrology practice rooted in authenticity, self-awareness, and aligned decision-making.

If you've ever felt like a square peg in a round hole or sensed that there is "more" waiting for you, this episode offers...

What if burnout isn't proof you're failing but proof something in you is begging to change? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Tracy Doyle, author of Life Storms: Finding Your Clear Sky and creator of the Aurora Method. Tracy shares the childhood trauma and survival patterns that shaped her drive, her leadership, and her belief that sacrifice meant abandoning herself.

If you've ever felt like you have to hold everything together, this episode will meet you right where you are and offer a real path forward.

What Y...

What if everything you've done in your career has been preparing you for something far more expansive than you ever imagined? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Julie Ryan, world-renowned medical intuitive, psychic medium, inventor, entrepreneur, and bestselling author of Angelic Attendance. Julie shares her extraordinary journey from founding nine companies across five industries to fully stepping into her intuitive and spiritual calling later in life.

This episode is a powerful reminder for women feeling called to leave corporate, pivot their careers, or honor unconventional paths.

What...

What happens when a high-achieving corporate leader realizes her legacy must be about more than titles, promotions, and golden handcuffs? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Liat Kaplan, a global product innovation leader turned founder and CEO, to explore what it truly takes to leave corporate life, trust your inner conviction, and build something that matters.

If you are a woman standing at the edge of change, questioning whether it's "too late" to start something meaningful, this conversation will remind you that your most important work may still be ahead of...

What if your "willpower problem" with food was never about food at all? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Amber Romaniuk, an emotional eating, digestive, and hormone expert with 12+ years of experience. Amber shares the childhood roots of emotional eating, the intense turning point that forced her to face her own binge-restriction patterns, and the multidimensional healing path that led to true body freedom. This episode explores why feeling emotions can feel unsafe and how to create real nervous system safety.

What You Will Learn:

A...

What if the "perfect life" is actually the most convincing hiding place for emptiness? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Silvia Resnik, a fulfillment and purpose coach for high-achieving women. Silvia shares how a lifelong ache for connection shaped her drive to achieve. The conversation also goes deeper into the tension between honoring cultural traditions and evolving practices that harm women, including the urgent reality of female genital mutilation and how Silvia's organization, Empower Her, is working from within community partnership to create change through education, support, and empowerment.

W...

"We wake up every morning as a soul in a human body. That alone should be so incredibly fascinating to us." What if the hardest things you've lived through weren't punishments, but assignments your soul chose to help you grow? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Steffani LeFevour, modern-day soul strategist and author of You Are a Badass Mom and the forthcoming book Soul Assignments. Stteffani shares how childhood trauma, an alcoholic father, and the tragic loss of her sister cracked her open to a lifelong search for spiritual truth.

"Horses don't care if you're afraid. They care if you're honest." In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Sue Willoughby, founder of Willoughby Coaching, certified equus coach, real estate investor, and a woman who has rewritten her life more times than most people dare to dream. Raised by a single alcoholic parent and a two-time high school dropout, Sue charted a path from instability to a six-figure career, a multidimensional portfolio of work, and a coaching practice rooted in the intuitive wisdom of horses.

If you're feeling the whisper that something in...

"Anytime my managers are not out front, a problem happens. I want them where they can actually make the store money." In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Jana Franklin, serial entrepreneur, franchise expert, and CEO of CEO Concierge. Jana shares her experiences scaling brick-and-mortar franchises and how the pandemic inspired a major pivot.

If you're an executive overwhelmed by operations or a woman entrepreneur considering consultancy, this episode offers actionable advice and the inside scoop on delegation done right.

What You Will Learn:

How a corporate fashion...

"I had my ladder on the wrong wall. I was putting all my energy into getting people to want McDonald's instead of Burger King. Who cares, really?" In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Kate Grant, CEO Emeritus of the Fistula Foundation and author of No Woman Left Behind. Kate explains what obstetric fistula is and how a relatively low-cost surgery can restore a woman's health. She shares the practical steps she took to move from advertising into nonprofit leadership and why investing in your own retooling can be the most powerful career move. <...

At 50, I thought my body was broken. I knew everything about nutrition, but nothing was working anymore. In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Heather Awad, MD, a family doctor and certified coach, helps professional women in perimenopause and menopause lose weight without counting or deprivation. Learn why kindness precedes confidence, how insulin resistance shifts at midlife, and why moving from grazing to real meals restores energy, focus, and leadership clarity.

Professional photos can be retaken. But kindness and confidence can start today.

What You Will Learn:

Ready to leave corporate and build a business that actually funds your life. In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Estelle Gibson, CPA and TED speaker. Estelle shows you how to create a simple profit plan, price with confidence, and move through the money life cycle with intention. From childhood money scripts to corporate exits to packaging your offers, Estelle shares a calm and practical path that turns wisdom into wealth and replaces hustle with clarity.

What You Will Learn:

The critical distinction between being a...