Eat My Words

On today's episode, I get to talk with former fashion model turned reading and language specialist, Ilse Werther.  She talks openly about her marriage to a narcissist and what it took to leave.  She also talks about how her own child's learning differences were what finally gave her the courage to take her life into her own hands.  She talks about finding love again and how she refuses to be unhappy.  She is kind and honest and brave and AAI am so glad you are here to listen to her story.

xxJo

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In today's episode I get to sit down with the delightful Nesli Danisman, the co-founder and principal at Angora Group. We talk about what it means to start a brand from scratch, the importance of finding the right partners and that relationships are everything.  We talk about what she learned from her diplomat father and how she crafted her life to be different than what was expected of her.  She is smart and worldly and kind and so funny and I hope you love hearing her story.  I am so happy you are here.
xxJo

Find Nes...

On today's episode, I get to speak with the gorgeous and glorious Mariana Velasquez.  She is a chef, she is a hostess, she is a master entertainer, she is a cookbook author and an all around beautiful human.  We talk about how she took a chance on herself at a very young age and that staying true to who she was and what she wanted led her to incredible opportunities.  She is a hard worker with an exquisite eye for color and detail and she looks at life through a very colorful lens.  She is charming and inspiring and so v...

In today's episode, I got to speak with Christine Richmond, a Licensed Master Social Worker and Geriatric Care Manager about her journey from immigrant, single mother to founding two incredible businesses in the elder care space.  She talks about the power of putting yourself out there and just saying yes when opportunity presents itself.  She talks about some of the pitfalls of being raised to be a caregiver and finding her purpose through volunteering.  She cares so deeply about humanity and is smart and hardworking and delightful.  I am so happy you are here to listen to her story.

In today's episode, I talk about my struggle to balance my output vs my input and how I am trying to find small ways to fill my cup.  I talk about the juggle of motherhood and chasing our dreams and creating good work in the world.  I tell the story of how I found inspiration in two artists work from the early 1900's and that is feels like women have been juggling work and motherhood for decades.  I am so glad you are here- hope you find something that ignites you in today's episode.

xxJo

Eat...

On today's episode, I talk with the fabulous Lulu Powers.  We talk about faking it until you make it, working harder than anyone else and how to overcome imposter syndrome.  We talk about her journey of learning to care for herself in the process of building her business and achieving so much success.  We talk about cooking for her hero, Martha Stewart and all the serendipitous twists and turns that have made up her life and her career.  She is a force of creativity, humanity and joy and I can't wait for you to meet her.  I am so happy...

In today's episode, I talk with the writer Tracy Clark-Flory about her new book, "My Mother's Daughter" and her journey of investigating a deep family secret.  We talk about motherhood, healing the wounds of our ancestors and the ways a family secret can form us into who we are.  We talk about her journey of becoming a feminist writer to many years of reporting on sex and then becoming a mother herself and how this changed how she thought about her work.  Her story is one of deep humanity, trust and love and I am so glad you are her...

In this week's episode, I speak with the fabulous Lulu Powers.  She talks about her incredible strokes of luck and faking it until she made it.  We talk about the pressures we put on ourselves as women to work harder than anyone else and how we are learning to slow down and take good care of our selves.  She has built an incredible business from starting out as an accidental celebrity private chef to having her own line of beautiful entertaining pieces sold at Bloomingdale's.  This is an episode filled with laughs and tears and so much joy and I ho...

Today we are revisiting my conversation with Kyle Andrew.
Kyle Andrew joins us today to talk career evolution. Having held senior roles in marketing and branding at apparel giants like Athleta, Kate Spade and The Gap, Kyle sits down with Johanna to discuss her journey as a businesswoman from the peak days of the having-it-all mindset to continually adjusting to new perspectives amidst the evolving landscape of the fashion industry. Together they discuss their experiences with new motherhood while being fashion executives, how ageism manifests itself in the industry today, and the importance of building and maintaining your...

I discovered my guest, Hannah Rosenberg's work about a year ago and it felt so close to my own feelings.  She was able to capture how I was feeling about so many things- motherhood, female friendships, conversations over a dinner table that I could never articulate as beautifully or as succinctly as she does.  Hannah is a poet for these modern times and is a true light of a human.  On today's episode we talk motherhood, creativity, dreams and looking at our lives in chapters.  I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did!
I am so h...

In this week's episode, I catch up with an old friend from London, the incredible artist, Daisy de Villeneuve.  She has collaborated with incredible brands like Moët & Chandon, Nike, Topshop, Zac Posen, Missoni, Kate Spade and more.  She has written and collaborated on several books which are filled with her cheeky illustrations.  We talk about her upbringing by an American mom and a British dad and how they fostered her creative side from a very young age.  We talk about the highs and lows of making her living as an artist and how no-one in her family has ever...

On this week's episode, I speak with Brooke Savona who is the founder of Flora Vintage and Gather, two brands rooted in nostalgia, community, and a deep appreciation for beauty and creativity. She also has background in fashion, including time working with Raf Simons at Calvin Klein and in Milan at Prada, where she developed a strong foundation in design, storytelling, and the emotional power of clothing. 
We talk about our love of luxury fashion from a young age and how we both ended up at our dream companies before realizing that maybe they weren't the dream after a...

Happy Birthday to us!!! We are celebrating our 1 year anniversary of Eat My Words with a girl dinner of cake and champagne.  In today's episode, I reflect on the biggest lessons I have learned from our incredible guests over the last year.  it is just a little sweet treat for you as a big thank you for all of the support over the last year!  I hope you enjoy it.
xx
Jo

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My guest today is Shauna Sweeney, who wished for something like tendercare for the last eight years. Her personal journey of caring for her father, who has early-onset Alzheimer's, inspired her to help millions of family caregivers like her through technology. Prior to tendercare, Shauna was a tech executive at Meta and led a significant Employee Resource Group, Caregiving@, for aging parents and caregivers. Before that she was a professor of rhetoric at USC. Beyond her professional roles, she contributes to her community, having served on the boards of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce and the Asia Society. Shauna...

My guest this week is a writer, editor, public speaker, and former cook. For nearly a decade, she worked as the lieutenant to the late author, TV host and producer Anthony Bourdain. She has written for the New York Times, Vogue, GQ, Food & Wine, Rolling Stone, Saveur, Bloomberg, Dissent, Roads & Kingdoms, and others. She earned her bachelor’s degree at Cornell University, after which she moved to New York and completed the professional training program at the French Culinary Institute, where chef-instructor Pascal Béric gave her the single best piece of advice she had ever received: “Don’t freak o...

Natalie Marie Gehrels is a strategist, artist-designer, and cultural purveyor whose work reimagines how retail, agriculture, and the ritual of shared experience at the table shape the spaces where people gather. She is the Co-Founder of Folkways, a design-forward wine and objects concept with locations in New York and Connecticut, and a nationwide e-commerce platform that reframes the wine store as a place to celebrate farming, craft, and community. For nearly two decades, Natalie has operated at the intersection of creative direction, design, and brand strategy. As Founder and Creative Director of OURUSE, she has led projects for global...

Today, we're diving deep into a topic that affects all of us with Melissa Petro, a freelance cultural journalist who's been following the pulse of sexuality, trauma, motherhood and feminism for over two decades, and a leading expert on the topic of shame and vulnerability. Her debut book, SHAME ON YOU: How to Be a Woman in the Age of Mortification, was an Amazon Editors’ Pick for Best Nonfiction Book of the Month. As a writing coach, she's helped hundreds of girls and women push through fear, write, share and even publish their most vulnerable stories in national publications su...

This week we're bringing you part 2 of my conversation with Raquel Garcia and Natalia Meehan, with special guest Nina Meehan. We all take for granted our ability to communicate, so I hope this inspires you to dig deep and find ways to connect more fully with your loved ones, as it did for me. 

Raquel Garcia is a passionate advocate and mother of Nina, her non-speaking autistic daughter. With 25 years of experience in interior design creating spaces that support how people live, Raquel is passionate about working with other non speaking autistic individuals and their families on t...

It was an honor to have this conversation, and I am so excited to finally get to share it with you today. I'm joined by Raquel Garcia and Natalia Meehan for a meaningful, inspiring conversation. Raquel Garcia is a passionate advocate and mother of Nina, her non-speaking autistic daughter. With 25 years of experience in interior design creating spaces that support how people live, Raquel is passionate about working with other non speaking autistic individuals and their families on their journey to open communication, knowing that healing begins in the home and family system. She focuses on establishing practical protocols...

My brain has been ignited by the work of my guests today! Blythe Harris and Mallory May are lifelong creativity advocates who have spent their careers helping others connect with their innate creativity. Blythe was co-founder and chief creative officer of Stella & Dot, and has been featured in Inc., Fast Company, Vogue France, and Elle, and on the TODAY show. Mallory spent over a decade as a vice president at Sotheby’s before launching a career as an artist, designer, and creative director. Her work has been featured in Vogue and exhibited at the Museum of Arts and Design in...

Christine Morrison is a renowned journalist and the creator of Writing in Black and White, a newsletter and online platform that explores fashion and beauty through the lens of aging. Every day, she challenges conventional narratives about growing older, and I am so thrilled to have her  here today to talk about the road that got her to where she is today. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, The Boston Globe and in campaigns for major fashion and beauty brands. A former Calvin Klein Vice President and current member of THE BOARD, she also found shares her p...

This week I have a grounding, inspiring, and reflective episode for you with my guest, renowned artist and ceramicist Re Jin Lee. Re Jin's work is a unique assembly of individually rolled-out clay slabs and coils created by a 'hand and clay' collaboration inspired by the contemplative process of ceramics and belief in the power of simplicity. A native of São Paulo, Brazil, and of South Korean heritage, Lee draws inspiration from the amalgamation of modern Brazilian architecture and traditional Korean arts. Her recent solo and two-person exhibitions include In Bloom (2023) and The Sublime and Formed (2022 and 2021), curated b...

Today we are all about the practice of discipline in art. My guest Jolene Poydar spent her formative years in New York City’s downtown club scene as a DJ, where her love of dance music and spinning vinyl set the tone for her creative life. Alongside her nights behind the turntables, she began exploring textile art—yarn bombing city streets and experimenting with improvisational quilting. Over time, her artistic practice expanded into ceramics, where wheel throwing has replaced vinyl DJing as her primary medium for tactile exploration and expression. I'm deeply inspired by Jolene's self-motivation and commitment to art...

I'm joined by Lynn Harris today, a culture-shifting producer, award-winning journalist, and author/co-author of six books. Her comedy and campaigns for social justice and gender equity have changed laws and conversations from Capitol Hill to NASCAR. She is the founder and CEO of GOLD Comedy—the comedy school, professional network, and content studio where women and non-binary creators grow their comedy careers, build powerful communities, and make funny stuff. She co-created Breakup Girl, co-hosted a podcast, served as the first VP of communications at global human rights group Breakthrough, and worked as a Tonya Harding lookalike, which is a...

I can't think of a better way to kick off the new year and season 2 than with Alyssa Rapp, who joins me to discuss entrepreneurship, killer instincts and nurturing ambition. Currently the Chief Executive Officer of Empower Aesthetics, Alyssa is also the Chief Executive Officer and Director of Healthwell Acquisition Corp. I, a $250 million special purpose acquisition corporation that successfully IPO’d on NASDAQ. Since 2014, Alyssa has been a lecturer-in-management at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business and has served as an Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago’s Booth Business School since 2019. She is also t...

I am so excited to be kicking off SEASON 2 of EAT MY WORDS with you today! To start this new year, I'm taking you through my very own personal MORE OF / LESS OF LIST, to talk through some of the things I'm craving this year (send me yours - we can hold each other accountable!). 2026 means creating more rituals, more art and intentionality, and lowering the noise around me.

I'm so looking forward to this year with all of you - I'm grateful, excited, and thrilled to be here, and I hope you are too!   

xx...

This week we are going back to another great episode to close out our holiday season and usher in a new year! The magnificent Mary Buri is here to remind us of the importance of creativity and the strength of nature. As a garden designer, coach and the founder of Mars Kitchen Garden, Mary has worked one-on-one with more than 150 home gardeners—designing and building kitchen gardens, crafting planting plans, and coaching them through the full growing season, from seed to harvest.

After switching gears from the publishing world to raising her four children, Mary had a li...

Today we are resharing one of our favorite episodes to bring some LIVELY VIBES to your holiday week! Tricia Whalen, a (hilarious) seasoned executive and strategic advisor with over 25 years of experience building and scaling some of the most iconic brands in fashion, media, and lifestyle. Now the CEO of E. Frances Paper, Tricia joins Johanna today to talk business AND navigating family, ambition and learning to do what you can and then letting it go. A natural leader, she brings us along her path learning about creating culture at a company, taking the time to set a vision...

Have you ever been stuck wondering what to get to your host? your partner? someone you don't really know or someone who already has everything? Well today's episode is for you! Today I am joined by my producer Sophy to answer all the holiday gifting questions you sent in last week! We talk about different parties, family traditions, and the kinds of unexpected details that can go a long way to making a lasting impression on your host.

Pop a little bubbly and get comfy - consider this your kick off to this year's holiday festivities!

I am so excited for my guest today, who I've been hoping to get on the show for quite some time now! A born and raised Brooklynite, Melissa Xides is a seasoned retail executive with 30 years of experience working with brands like The Gap, Kate Spade, Jack Spade, Tory Burch, and Soul Cycle, and most recently, Bergdorf Goodman for the last 7 years. She served on Prêt a Manger's board for 5 years during their growth in the US and currently serves as an executive board member for the 5th Ave Association where she gets to put her passion for t...

Today we are diving deep into the ins and outs of brand deals, how the emergence of social media changed the beauty industry landscape, and how the big magazines keep the lights on behind the scenes. Who better to tell us all about this than Carly Cardellino, a beauty editor and writer known for her two decades of work in the fashion and beauty industry who has held such prominent positions as Beauty Editor of Shape and Beauty Director at Cosmopolitan. In January of 2020, she left her post at Cosmo to pursue a career in content creation and consulting...

Today we have two incredible guests on the pod! We talk turning pain into purpose, the stigma and narrative around divorced women in 2025, and how divorce is a chance to redefine the relationships in our lives.

Tamara Frankfort Odinec spent the past 25 years at the forefront of technology and marketing in various leadership roles, and most recently as the founder of My Next Chapter, an expert-led platform and community for people going through every stage of divorce. She also founded and runs Monty Media, an app development company that creates innovative apps for adults and kids, leveraging...

As we enter into this holiday season, settle into a girl dinner with me to talk about embracing "failure" this holiday season!

I get into the myth of balance, how Shonda Rhimes saved me by adjusting my expectations for this season (and life in general), and resetting the pressures that come with trying to do it all. I also reflect on how I (and we) are nourishing ourselves when times get busy. For me that means buying strange little objects this year, but that also means spontaneous hangs with friends without overthinking it, JUST BECAUSE. 

C...

I'm joined today by fashion legend Carmen Borgonovo for a deep, insightful conversation about business and fashion. With an illustrious career in magazine journalism at legacy media titles such as Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue and W Magazine – Carmen joined forces with her business partner Joana de Norohna to fill the gap in the market for beautifully crafted dresses that honored their love for color, art, and print. The result was Borgo de Nor, a brand that champions getting dressed up, whether on holiday or at home, and has swiftly become the fashion insider’s go-to for signature print dresses that a...

Get ready for a funny, heartfelt, incredibly inspiring conversation today. Samantha Srinivasan joins me and we get into it. She slid into the Entertainment PR industry as a self-professed lone wolf comedy nerd who hustled without any industry connections and created Sechel PR. Made up of an all-women strategy team, Sechel PR specializes in cultivating seamless relationships between their clients and media outlets. Despite founding and running her company, Sam finds the time to care for four dogs and also care for herself. She shares the lessons she learned as a young divorcé, as well as those that came t...

Get ready for a funny, heartfelt, incredibly inspiring conversation today. Samantha Srinivasan joins me and we get into it. She slid into the Entertainment PR industry as a self-professed lone wolf comedy nerd who hustled without any industry connections and created Sechel PR. Made up of an all-women strategy team, Sechel PR specializes in cultivating seamless relationships between their clients and media outlets. Despite founding and running her company, Sam finds the time to care for four dogs and also care for herself. She shares the lessons she learned as a young divorcé, as well as those that came t...

Lorenza Cocco’s career journey has taken her from the fast-paced world of global finance to the heart of her family’s 400-year-old legacy business, and she's here today to tell us all about her whirlwind life and career. After years in finance, Lorenza felt the pull of something more personal. She took a year to travel across Asia, volunteering in rural India with the Shanti Bhavan Children’s Project—a pioneering school providing world-class education to children from India’s lowest castes. There, she taught economics and commerce to high school students preparing for competitive college entrance exams. Today, she...

My guest today is Pamela Bell, a mother, teacher, advocate, fashion activist and fearless feminist who joins us to discuss how she's managed to wear a thousand different hats in her one incredible lifetime while doing good for the world. She has done SO MUCH, but you'll have to listen in on our conversation to discover everything that Pamela has done with her creative power - she believes we are all more than a list of our professional achievements. 

Our discussion goes deep - we dive into how fashion and creativity can support entire ecosystems of people t...

Allison Henry Aver has a penchant for building brands full of charm, style, and charisma and taking them from static to spirited, and she brings all her magic and energy to our conversation today. Her expertise in branding grew from leading in-house creative marketing teams and executing global content and campaigns for premier fashion and beauty brands such as Vogue, kate spade new york and Bumble and bumble. She was also the founding Creative Director for the cult brand, Kate Spade Saturday. She joins us to talk about the different eras of her creative communities, being a busy bee...

Anyone who knows me knows two things: I love to gather people, and I love horses. Having Emmie Strommen join me today is truly a dream - Emmie is the founder of Calling All Horse Girls, a lifestyle and media company dedicated to celebrating horse girls of every kind. Listen in for her experience building her company from the ground up - sending out dms, asking questions, and bringing her vision to life one step at a time. We talk about how she balances her creative and business side, how she sustains her passion for her work, and staying...