Shows
Fabulous Over 50Balance Dilemma (50 Over 50 Award Winners - 3)Childhood friends Linda Sawyer and Alison Matz prove that lifelong partnerships can create revolutionary businesses. After meeting at age seven during a second-grade spelling bee, these two women built impressive corporate careers—Linda as chairman of Deutsch advertising agency and Alison in publisher roles at Condé Nast and Meredith—before pivoting to entrepreneurship in their second act. Their frustration with ugly, bacteria-laden kitchen sponges sparked the creation of Skura Style, a disruptor brand that's transforming the $2 billion cleaning products industry with antimicrobial sponges that fade to indicate when it's time to replace them. What started as a passi...2025-06-2544 min
The Balance DilemmaEpisode 91 From Spelling Bee Rivals to Kitchen Revolution: The Entrepreneurial Journey of Skura Style Founders with Alison Matz and Linda SawyerChildhood friends Linda Sawyer and Alison Matz prove that lifelong partnerships can create revolutionary businesses. After meeting at age seven during a second-grade spelling bee, these two women built impressive corporate careers—Linda as chairman of Deutsch advertising agency and Alison in publisher roles at Condé Nast and Meredith—before pivoting to entrepreneurship in their second act. Their frustration with ugly, bacteria-laden kitchen sponges sparked the creation of Skura Style, a disruptor brand that's transforming the $2 billion cleaning products industry with antimicrobial sponges that fade to indicate when it's time to replace them.What started as a passi...2025-06-0143 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 90 From “The Nanny Diaries” to Solo Success - Writing Partnerships, Early Fame, and Work-Life Balance with Nicola KrausNicola Krause, co-author of the bestselling novel "The Nanny Diaries" shares her journey from early literary success in her twenties to her "conscious uncoupling" from writing partner Emma McLaughlin after nine successful books together. With candid insights about the challenges of early fame, the dynamics of creative partnerships, and balancing writing with motherhood, Krause offers valuable wisdom about reinvention and finding fulfillment as a woman in the creative field.Now embarking on her solo fiction career with her upcoming novel "The Best We Could Hope For," Krause reflects on her writing process, the importance of getting paid...2025-05-1236 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 89 Cracking the College Code: Real Talk on Testing Changes, Application Hacks, and Keeping Your Sanity in 2025 with Kerry RobertsFeeling overwhelmed by the college application maze? Join us as we chat with expert Kerry Roberts about taming the college admissions beast in 2025! We dive into all the juicy details about why schools are bringing back those pesky SAT/ACT requirements and what's changing with the tests themselves (hello, digital ACT!). Kerry shares insider tips on crafting essays that won't make admissions officers yawn, why applying to 20 schools is actually a terrible idea, and how to handle those nerve-wracking waitlists. Whether your teen is freaking out about "Trauma-lympics" essays or you're just trying to figure out why...2025-04-2647 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 88 "Get Yourself a Snack": How a Mother's Resilience Transformed Unexpected Challenges into the Million-Follower Brand Big Time Adulting with Caitlin MurrayDive into an inspiring journey of resilience, humor, and motherhood with Caitlin Murray, creator of Big Time Adulting and the viral "Get Yourself a Snack" philosophy. In this powerful episode of The Balance Dilemma, Caitlin shares her remarkable story of navigating motherhood through her son's leukemia diagnosis, transforming challenging experiences into a relatable and hilarious platform that resonates with parents worldwide.From her candid approach to motherhood to building a thriving social media brand, Caitlin offers a refreshingly honest look at parenting, entrepreneurship, and finding humor in life's most demanding moments. Learn how she...2025-03-2941 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 87 Surrogacy Explained: Legal Rights, Costs & Modern Family Building with Expert Lisa Schuman, LCSWFertility and surrogacy expert Lisa Schuman joins TBD for an eye-opening discussion about building families through surrogacy. From understanding New York's recent legalization to navigating six-figure costs and complex psychological screenings, Schuman - who testified before the NY State Judiciary Committee - breaks down what prospective parents need to know. Learn about surrogate matching, state-by-state legal variations, breast milk arrangements, and the real medical requirements behind surrogacy approvals. Whether you're considering surrogacy, work in healthcare, or are curious about modern family building, this episode offers essential insights into this increasingly common path to parenthood. It’s not ju...2025-03-0316 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 86 From the C-Suite to Barefaced Living: Life Choices, Career Success, and Finding Love at 70 with former Estée Lauder Global Group President Lynne GreeneFormer Estée Lauder Global Group President Lynne Greene shares her remarkable journey from rural Missouri to the C-suite of a multi-billion dollar beauty empire.
Learn how Lynne navigated corporate leadership while staying authentic, with lessons learned from teaching middle school and mentors like Estée Lauder.
Now retired - or rewired as she calls it - Lynne offers candid insights on mentorship, life choices, and her unexpected love story at 70.
Essential listening for ambitious professionals seeking wisdom on career success and life's second (and third and fourth) acts.
Recorded at LM...2025-02-0345 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 85 From Stage to Page: Career Pivots, Parkinson's, and Historical Fiction with New York Times Bestseller Fiona DavisNew York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis shares her remarkable journey from acting to journalism to writing acclaimed historical fiction.
Davis discusses her latest novel 'The Stolen Queen,' set at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and opens up about navigating a Parkinson's diagnosis while at the height of her career. Learn how she researches New York City's iconic buildings, balances her writing schedule with health demands, and crafts compelling dual-timeline narratives.
Davis also offers candid insights about women's roles throughout history and advice for aspiring authors. A must-listen episode about resilience, reinvention, and finding...2025-01-0238 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 84 From Corporate Climb to Creative Calling: A Journey of Self-Discovery and Balance with Sarah GormleySarah Gormley reveals how leaving her prestigious corporate job to care for her dying mother on the family farm became a profound turning point. Her memoir "The Order of Things" explores the unexpected path to finding love, purpose, and true fulfillment when she stopped chasing external validation and started listening to her heart.
It’s a compelling story of resilience, grief, love, and the courage to rewrite your life's script.
Recorded at the LMC Media Studio on October 23, 2004
Show notes available at thebalancedilemma.com2024-12-0937 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 83 Redefining Marriage, Money, and Parenting in Today's Relationships with Brian PageWhen Brian Page relocated for his wife's career and founded ModernHusbands.com, he embraced a new role as the family 'gardener,' creating the support system for his wife to bloom in her career.
Learn practical strategies for sharing home management, mental load, and financial decisions through household meetings and fair task division.
Essential listening for dual-career couples ready to take turns supporting each other's growth while building wealth together.
Episode recorded October 23, 2024 at LMC Podcast Studio in Mamaroneck, NY
Show notes available at thebalancedilemma.com2024-11-1758 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 82 Family Building Through Donor Conception and Egg Freezing with Fertility Journey Expert Lisa Schuman, LCSWLisa Schuman, LCSW, founding director of the Center for Family Building, shares invaluable insights about modern fertility treatments and family-building options. Drawing from both personal experience and professional expertise, Schuman discusses the complex emotional and physical challenges of infertility, which she notes can be as mentally taxing as receiving a cancer diagnosis. She breaks down the evolving landscape of donor conception, including egg donation, sperm donation, and embryo donation, while emphasizing the importance of proper psychological screening and genetic testing.
The conversation delves into critical topics like egg freezing, age considerations for starting a family, and the...2024-10-3035 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 81 Episode 81 How Humor, Faith, and Medicine Were Key to Surviving Breast Cancer with Gila PfefferAt age 30 our guest found herself the oldest living member of her family. She had a choice - make final plans or fight. Gila Pfeffer joins us with her debut memoir, Nearly Departed: Adventures in Loss, Cancer, and Other Inconveniences.
Using her Instagram platform, Gila uses humor and video in her “Feel it on the First” campaign urging women to do self-exams at the beginning of every month.
Episode recorded September 4, 2024, at the LMC Media Podcast Studio2024-10-1439 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 80 Co-Hosts Maura Carlin & Christie Derrico CatchupCo-Hosts Maura Carlin and Christie Derrico return to their microphones and discuss how they—can do hard things. From dealing with the abrupt and unexpected loss of their host radio station, to producing their podcast episodes in a home studio, to moving forward and upward, these women practice what they preach. Eighty episodes into The Balance Dilemma, and there is always more to come.
Recorded 9.18.24 at LMC Media Studio2024-09-2317 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 79 Hurdles of a Military Wife and Mother with Major Lauren Perone JonesWhat’s it like to be a mom in the military now? And a military spouse? Guest Major Lauren Perone Jones has been both, and shares how being married to a soldier pivoted her legal career.
Now serving as a reserve Major in the JAG (that’s Judge Advocate General) Corps, Lauren is also a Vice President and Senior Managing Counsel at Mastercard and mother to three young children.
Her experience serves as a masterclass in doing it all while trying to have it all.
Sh...2024-08-2338 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 78 Enter Talking And Don’t Stop with Debbie NigroYou know those conversations with your best friend where neither of you can stop talking? Well, that is this episode with self-described “Girlfriend in Business” and “professional talker” Debbie Nigro, host of The Debbie Nigro Show - “Risk It! Or Regret It!" As a two-time cancer survivor, Debbie lives her motto, keeping her focused on media and entrepreneurship despite facing life’s hurdles while maintaining a sense of humor.
Debbie is the owner and producer of the syndicated Debbie Nigro show airing on WGCH, and was the first woman in the United States to own a radio sy...2024-07-2841 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 77 Put Away That Phone! How a Digital Detox Will Improve Your Life with Dr. Gwenyth JackawayGuest Dr. Gwenyth Jackaway discusses how we can improve our attention, focus, and sleep, and, as a result, enjoy a better life. And to her, it starts with being present and using our phones and devices with intention and not reflexively. As Dr. Jackaway says, where you focus your attention, is what your life is about. She shares tips and advice on this episode of The Balance Dilemma.
A media historian and expert in the effects of media and technology on society, Dr. Jackaway taught at Fordham University for 25 years. She received her Bachelor’s...2024-06-2941 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 76 The American Childcare Dilemma with Tiffany S.W. HamiltonAsk most working American parents what the biggest stressor and problem is . . . and likely they will respond childcare. More specifically, finding affordable, convenient, high-quality care for their children- before and during the school-age years. The United States is one of the few rich nations that does not provide childcare support (other than an inadequate Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit). For working families, absent employer-based programs, parents are on their own.
In this episode, we speak with Tiffany S.W. Hamilton, the CEO of the YWCA White Plains and Central Westchester about the state and future of th...2024-06-0437 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 75 The Power and Predicament of Saying Yes to a Pivot with Melissa Andrieux, Esq.What do narcotics prosecutions, medical malpractice, and DEIB advocacy have in common? They are all part of the career path guest Melissa G. Andrieux, Esq. traveled. And to hear Melissa tell it, while a television show inspired her dream of being a district attorney, the rest was unexpected. But it represents her willingness to pivot, say yes, and advocate for her needs. Topics include the yes dilemma, saying no, imposter syndrome, and self-care.
At Dorf, Nelson & Zauderer LLP (a Gender Fair certified firm), Melissa is the firm’s Chief Diversity Officer and Client Relations Of...2024-05-1931 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 74 Lessons Learned From Not So Joyful Life Moments with Lori Pine, The Joy CEOYou don’t usually expect a successful business presentation to conclude with a ride in an ambulance. And when it happens, it can be life-changing. That’s the case with guest Lori Pine, Founder and CEO of The Joy CEO.
Climbing and traversing her way up and across the proverbial corporate ladder, Lori’s career took her to VP status at global brands like Anheuser-Busch, Coca-Cola, and Campbell’s Soup Company. Household names for sure, but when a need arose at home, she answered the call. Lori is now an executive coach for ambitious, high-performing professional women over 40...2024-04-3037 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 73 How to Write and Publish Your Book: “Women and the Power of the Written Word” featuring Lauren Marino, Bethany Saltman & Loren Stephens
Firm believers that every woman has a story (or several) to tell, The Balance Dilemma Hosts Christie Derrico and Maura Carlin organized, along with The Bronxville Women’s Club, a panel of three powerhouse women authors, Loren Stephens, Bethany Saltman, and Lauren Marino, to discuss Women and the Power of the Written Word.”
Hear the stories behind the storytellers and learn about the pitfalls they had to overcome to become writers. Hear what it takes to write and publish a book. Topics addressed include: Strategies and avenues to publication. Should you hire a writing coach? Un...2024-04-141h 07The Balance DilemmaEpisode 72 How Millennial Moms Are Faring at Home and in the Workforce with Lauren TetenbaumHave millennials figured out the secret to balancing (aka juggling or integrating) career and family? TBD turned to Lauren A. Tetenbaum, LMSW, JD, PMH-C, a millennial mom herself, to discuss whether the struggles still exist - and answers/solutions.
Lauren is a writer, lawyer, wife, mother, and social worker specializing in supporting millennial moms and young women through life transitions. Helping women solve their balance dilemmas (in TBD language). Lauren is also trained by the Fair Play Institute and Nurturing Mamas Network where she trains other mental health professionals about gender equity advocacy and the maternal mental...2024-03-3036 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 71 College Admissions - How to work the system [legally] with Kerry RobertsFiguring out the college admissions process and how to help your student get in to the school of their choice, continues to baffle parents and children, leaving everyone anxious, angsty, and maybe even a bit angry. Guest Kerry Roberts advises on how to legally (unlike the parents involved in the infamous Varsity Blues scandal) work the admissions process.
Applying her 20+ years of corporate marketing and branding experience to college placement, Kerry now helps students identify and apply to the right colleges for them—skirting the dreaded “sea of sameness” in school selection. On this episode of TBD, Kerry e...2024-02-2643 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 70 How to Start and Sustain Your Fashion Business When it Burns Down with Ellie ZieminskiEstablishing and maintaining a retail fashion business is tough, even under the best circumstances. But what about when it burns down? Followed by a global pandemic. Now the founder and owner of four Love Bella Boutiques, with a fifth on the way, Ellie Zieminski describes how she survived and thrived. Balancing business and family she shares her advice, and thanks the community that supported her along the way.
Episode recorded at Love Bella Larchmont January 31, 2024. Video will be available on The Balance Dilemma YouTube channel as well.
Show notes available at thebalancedilemma.com2024-02-1426 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 69 Curating a Gem of a Life with Alexia ConnellanArtist on the inside, business woman on the outside, award-winning jewelry designer Alexia Connellan discusses her path to success in business, art, and life. Christie and Maura met Alexia when she spoke at a Savvy Ladies event entitled “How to Curate the Good Life: Defining Your Strategies to Live as You Truly Desire” . . . and naturally caught our attention.
On this episode of TBD, Alexia describes her evolution from a successful career in information technology to a gemstone expert and jewelry designer. As it is for so many of us, Alexia’s path was paved with curves, detours and pivo...2024-01-2240 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 68 Art in Progress, an Event at Melinda Episode 68 - Art in Progress, an Event at Melinda Buie's Art Studio, with Melinda Buie, Talking Motherhood and the Working ArtistWe can’t resist a visit to Melinda Buie’s art studio . . . so we did it again on December 6, 2023. Back in 2021, Melinda was the guest on TBD Episode 24 and allowed us (and some fans) to see her studio in person.
This time, her studio held about 60 TBD and Buie fans . . . happy to see and hear about how she and her work have evolved. Turn the volume up high and have a listen. Admittedly some parts are hard to hear, but with art seeing can be more important than hearing. Video will be available on TBD’s (new) youtub...2024-01-0225 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 67 The Conscious Parenting Revolution with Katherine Sellery, 3x TedX Speaker and AuthorFor many the balance dilemma begins with parenting . . . an endeavor that guest Katherine Sellery reminds us we’re never trained to do. While running her own commodities trading business in Hong Kong, with a young son, her desire to learn more led her to training. Ultimately Katherine made a full career pivot and created her own parenting communication method - The Conscious Parenting Revolution. Even better, her method, she says, works with adults and in business settings.
Learn about the 3Rs - retaliation, rebellion, resistance - and what you can do. And be sure to check out he...2023-12-1143 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 66 Why Women Cheat and Lie with Susan Shapiro BarashAn expert in gender studies and the gender divide, TBD guest Susan Shapiro Barash describes how commuter-train eavesdropping led to her first book (and study), A Passion for More, about why women cheat in relationships. As she tells TBD, it’s likely more common than you think and growing.
Susan’s written work - and there are 13 nonfiction and 4 fiction books (the latter under her pen name Susannah Marren) - explores the roles of women in society, including taboo issues many are afraid to discuss. Her books explore women’s relationships, including rivalry (Tripping the Prom Queen), lying...2023-11-1939 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 65 Military Mom Rises And Leads with Col. (Ret.) Mary WestmorelandAlthough the Brookings Institution refers to the us military as “one of the most progressive institutions” women still represent only about 17% of overall service members, and far less in the top brass - single digits.
Col. (Ret.) Mary Westmoreland is one of those women who rose to high ranks. She joins TBD to tell her story, why and when she joined the military, how she rose through the ranks while raising a family . . . and what she learned about leadership, success, whether the military is a good career for women, and so much more . . .
Episode recorded Octobe...2023-11-0539 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 64 Never Quite Right: How Glass Walls Are Holding Women Back at Work with Dr. Amy Diehl and Dr. Leanne DzubinskiFrom age to experience, appearance, demeanor, and more, women never seem to be quite right for career advancement. Indeed, for any woman who feels like she’s banging her head against a glass ceiling or wall, TBD guests Dr. Amy Diehl and Dr. Leanne Dzubinski explain why “it’s not all your fault.” Co-authors of Glass Walls: Shattering the Six Gender Bias Barriers Still Holding Women Back at Work, they breakdown all the small and large ways women are held back. Learn new terms like he-peating, bro-prating and equalist.
Fortunately, Drs. Diehl and Dzubinski believe the issue is fixab...2023-10-0837 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 63 Back on the MicCo Hosts Maura Carlin and Christie Derrico return to their microphones to begin the fourth (!) season of The Balance Dilemma Podcast. They catch up on summer fun, “girl math,” book recommendations, and discuss going forward. Lessons from prior guests, expected future guests, and more research are all on tap in this episode.
Show notes available at thebalancedilemma.com
Recorded 9.14.232023-10-0229 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 62 “You Look Great For Your Age” Is Not a Compliment: Aging and Acceptance with Dermatologist Dr. Ellen GendlerSkin - it’s the body’ s largest organ and we need to take care of it. Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Ellen Gendler joins TBD to discuss everything skincare - from injectables, to aging, to acceptance, and yes, of course sunscreen, which Dr. Gendler says really is the secret to the fountain of youth.
Dr. Gendler agrees with Jennifer Aniston that telling someone they look great for their age is a terrible thing to say, let alone ageist and sexist. Hear her take on that Martha Stewart Sports Illustrated photo shoot and some of the craz...2023-07-2342 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 61 Why “Eat Less, Exercise More” Just Doesn’t Work As Women Age with Dr. Mary Claire Haver, Founder of The Galveston DietFrustrated with weight gain, as you approach or enter the end of child-bearing years? It’s a common problem for women. Yes, we are talking about perimenopause and menopause. And that same old advice - to eat less, exercise more - just isn’t working. Well, that’s what Dr. Mary Claire Haver - an OB-GYN who used to provide that same mantra to her patients - experienced herself. It set her on a journey to discover why and what women can do. Her program - The Galveston Diet - is born from her frustration, research, and experience. She explai...2023-07-0940 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 60 Why Women and Alcohol Just Don’t Mix with Jen Dorf and Jean Marie Stein of See Ya SugarAs if it’s not hard enough to give up sugar, our guests discuss an important oft-overlooked source . . . alcohol. With the advent and increase of “mommy wine culture” giving it up can bring social as well as dietary restrictions. Sharing their personal and professional experiences and research, guests Jen Dorf and Jean Marie discuss why alcohol is so bad for women, especially as they age. Their program “See Ya Sugar” is designed to help kick the sweet habit for good. And, sadly, it affects your morning coffee ritual as well.
Episode originally aired live on WVOX AM on May 25...2023-06-2540 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 59 Motherhood and The Empty Nest with “Miserable Mom” Sharon BrecherWhat to expect eighteen years after you’re expecting . . . That’s a book many parents need as their nest begins emptying. For Sharon Brecher aka Miserable Mom, the years and days leading up to her eldest heading to college were fraught and scary, as she anticipated day-to-day life without her daughter. She returned from drop-off to begin writing her book Miserable Mom: The Dos and Don'ts of Sending Your Kid to College . In the process, she created a community, became a mom-influencer, and more importantly, navigated the transition to this stage of parenthood.
Episode originally aired live on W...2023-06-1140 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 58: Starting Over Again with Jen GrazianoJen Graziano is an attorney, mother, funeral director, founder of jewelry line RememBar, and Host of the podcast and radio show Time to Talk. But she didn’t join The Balance Dilemma to promote her businesses. Foremost on Jen’s mind was dealing with a second marriage on the rocks. Why the family blending didn’t work? How to know when it’s failing and when to get out? And staying true to yourself and your daughter.
Jen’s pearls of wisdom come from growing up in the family business of death rituals - the funeral business. Let’s just...2023-05-2842 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 57: What We Are Reading with Local Public Librarians Rosemary Farrell and Jack WeissPut away your old-fashioned image of the staid librarian whispering “shhhh” as she stamps books taken out. Not only are they fully digital, but nowadays libraries are also vibrant centers of community and service.
In honor of National Book Day and National Library Week, TBD is joined by two librarians from the Mamaroneck Public Library - Rosemary Farrell and Jack Weiss. We talk book recommendations, reading versus listening, digital resources, and book bans.
Episode originally aired live on WVOX AM on April 13, 2023. Show notes available at thebalancedilemma.com2023-05-1542 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 56: Why You Need a Personal Brand and Yes It's Part of the Balance Equation with Janna Meyrowitz TurnerWhat’s your personal brand? We’re not talking about your jeans or favorite cookie, but about you. Most of us don’t think of ourselves that way and Janna explains why we should. It’s not about being a product, but rather reflecting your values in what you do and how you spend your time. And yes, it is part of the balance equation.
On this episode, Janna explains how she puts this into action in her own quest for balance, including “Magic Mondays” and “ambition collision.” As founder and president of Synastry Capital, a cross-sector impact vehicle w...2023-04-3040 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 55: Career Shifting From Real Estate to Olive Oil with Marie-Charlotte PiroUnlike oil and water, you’ll be surprised to hear how luxury Miami real estate and premium olive oil mix. Marie-Charlotte (know as Charlotte) Piro pivoted from a wildly successful real estate career in Miami catering to European clients to founding and running Olio Piro LLC.
In this episode, you’ll also hear her story of coming to America, making a life, and she achieves (or doesn’t) some measure of balance. And yes, she does believe you can have it all and all at the same time. “Be bold and ask for help.”
Oh, and make s...2023-04-1641 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 54: Finding Balance When Death and Grief Tip the Scales with Beth RobbinsNot all pivots are by choice. Beth Robbins, author of A Grief Sublime, explores the aftermath of the sudden and unexpected death of her husband. She bravely discusses what she took for granted before his death and her reinvention after. Her book was adapted into a film, in which Beth played herself, entitled Sproutman.
Beth Robbins is a writer, an actor, a teacher, and a director who received her MLitt (2022) and MA (2016) from Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury College.
Episode originally aired live on WVOX AM on March 2, 2023. Show notes are available at...2023-04-0240 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 53: Poison Ivy and College Admissions with Evan ManderyProfessor Evan Mandery joins TBD to discuss his book Poison Ivy: How Elite Colleges Divide Us.
On TBD, Evan discusses who gets in and why, and how colleges should do more for the greater good. He challenges the belief that these institutions promote diversity and upward mobility. According to him, the rich remain rich allowing few others to break into the top echelon. Rather, he says, it is schools like CUNY that allow true upward mobility.
Evan Mandery is the author of eight books, including four novels, as well as the co-creator and executive producer...2023-03-1840 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 52: Pivot, Pivot, Pivot, But Don’t Give Up with Loren StephensA master of pivots, sometimes by necessity, Loren Stephens, the author of All Sorrows Can Be Borne, shares her story. Early in her career she dealt with the realization that “passions don't pay bills.” After years of success in finance, fundraising, and documentary films, Loren found her way back to her first dream - writing and helping other write and publish. It’s a story that takes her cross-country to follow her then ex-husband for co-parenting and finding a way to make it all work.
Loren is a widely published essayist and fiction and non-fiction writer. All Sorrows...2023-02-2741 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 51: Talking About Lead Dads with Paul Sullivan, Founder of The Company of DadsFormer New York Times columnist and lead dad, Paul Sullivan, discusses what it means to be a “Lead Dad” and the implications for women, men, families, and the workplace. As he tells TBD, Lead Dad “is a powerful proactive term. It's not a reactive term. And naming things matters."
During the episode, Paul introduces his new venture, The Company of Dads, which he terms the first platform dedicated to creating a community for lead dads, dealing with isolation, parenting issues, stereotypes, and more.
Paul wrote the Money Matters column in the New York Times for 13 years and...2023-02-1440 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 50: A Burnout Coach Talks About the Power of the Pause with Rachael O'MearaFeeling burnt out? Ever wonder how you could just bow out for a bit and get you #$%! together? Discover the power of the pause. Former Google sales executive Rachael O’Meara tells her personal pause story that inspired her book, Pause: Harnessing the Life-Changing Power of Giving Yourself a Break. Learn terms like TASER, Mental Flossing, and Digital Detox, as well as the five signs that you need a pause.
Episode originally aired live on WVOX-AM on January 5, 2023. Show notes are available at thebalancedilemma.com.2023-02-0239 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 49: Is the Husband Going to Be a Problem? with Dr. Caroline Bicks
Professor Caroline Bicks discusses how her wedding ring became an issue in a job interview. She wrote about the dilemma in her NY Times Modern Love article, “Is The Husband Going to Be a Problem.” There's a name for it in academia - the “two-body problem” as our guest explains.
Dr. Bicks is the Stephen E. King Chair in Literature at the University of Maine. She is also on the faculty of the Bread Loaf School of English. She specializes in Shakespeare, gender studies, and the history of science. She is the author of Cognition...2023-01-0740 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 48: The Kids Are Not Alright with Dr. Risa RygerEpisode 48 The Kids Are Not Alright with Dr. Risa Ryger
Clinical Psychologist Dr. Risa Ryger returns to The Balance Dilemma to discuss mental health and our children. Are the kids alright and what can we do to support their mental health in the age of technology and social media?
WARNING: not for children and anyone sensitive to discussions of self-harm or suicide.
Episode originally aired live on WVOX-AM on December 8, 2022. Show notes available at thebalancedilemma.com.
Apologies for sound quality issues.2022-12-0941 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 47: The Myth of Maternal Instinct with Chelsea ConaboyEpisode 47 with Chelsea Conaboy - Challenging the myth of maternal instinct
Does motherhood change the b rain or does the brain change in motherhood? This question is explored by author and journalist Chelsea Conaboy in her new book Mother Brain: How Neuroscience is Rewriting the Story of Parenthood.
Hear how Chelsea’s own journey inspired this project and questions the idea of maternal instinct. As she tells TBD, “The idea that maternal instinct as this capacity for caregiving that is innate, automatic and uniquely female, that's a myth.”
Episode originally aired live on WVOX-AM o...2022-11-2838 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 46: An "Accidental Entrepreneur" Shares Lessons From Being Raised By Two Moms with Dori AcamporaWhen someone describes themselves as an “accidental entrepreneur” we know we need to speak with them. Especially when that person is also a wife and mother facing her own balance dilemma. Guest Dori Acampora fits that bill as founder and owner of Integrity Media. We discuss how her unique upbringing with two moms (in the 1980s!) affected - or didn’t - Dori’s own plans.
But wait, there’s more, lol. Dori shares stories about returning to school as an adult and teaching us a few things about the world of cheerleading.
Episode originally aired live...2022-11-0839 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 45: Mid-Life Sex in the City: Dating Apps and All with Ginny PolemanEpisode 45 with Ginny Poleman
Swipe left or swipe right? We’re talking divorce and dating. And if you haven’t been in the scene since the 1980s, quite a lot has changed.
Dating certainly isn’t exclusive to the under-thirty crowd. Writer and over fifty influencer Ginny Poleman joins The Balance Dilemma to answer all of our and your questions. From telling the kids about the divorce to writing a dating profile to catfishing and more, Ginny reveals the reality of mid-life sex in the city - dating apps and all. You can read many of her a...2022-10-2739 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 44: Fair Play in Real Life with Emily A. HayImagine having one of your toughest marital conversations as part of a groundbreaking documentary. Well, guest Emily A. Hay did just that and she shares that experience and the aftermath on The Balance Dilemma.
Long committed to careers based on flexibility, Emily is the founding member of Hay There Social Media - a platform that teaches mothers to run their own social media marketing businesses. But her flexibility wasn’t enough for a fair and balanced home life with a husband and two children.
Not only did Emily use Eve Rodsky’s (TBD Ep 34) Fair Play...2022-10-1539 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 42: Ambitious Like a Mother with Lara BazelonThis mother, writer, professor of law, and director of the Criminal Juvenile Justice and Racial Justice Clinics at the University of San Francisco School of Law chats with TBD about her new book, Ambitious Like a Mother: Why Prioritizing Your Career is Good for Your Kids.
Lara is a writer of fiction and nonfiction who has published op-eds in the New York Times and The Washington Post and is a contributing writer for Slate with her ongoing series on criminal justice and modern family life. She is also the author of Rectify: The Power of Restorative Justice Aft...2022-08-2839 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 41: Pivoting From Corporate Executive to Farmer Is Her Recipe For Life with Adrienne EvattWhen they said, "You can take the girl off the farm but you can't take the farm out of the girl…” they forgot to mention, it takes a businesswoman to run the farm! Adrienne Evatt left behind the big city/corporate rat race but not the knowledge she learned from her twenty-year career. Hear how Adrienne went from urban to rural to live a healthier, happier, and sustainable life with her family, running Urban Dreamer Farm and Vineyard, a family run farm stand, and baked goods business and how she coaches others to achieve their reinvention goals with her Reci...2022-08-1639 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 40: The Mistress of Reinvention with Nina SadowskyIf real life were a movie, guest Nina Sadowsky could write the script. Nina's experience has toggled from coast to coast and has spun from marriage to difficult divorce. Hear how, through it all, she has found success.
This former entertainment lawyer was the screenwriter for The Wedding Planner and her short film The First Year’s a Bitch won the best editing award at the New York Short Film Festival. A master of pivots, she is the Program Director of NYU’s Los Angeles while creating her own novel empire. Nina’s latest book Privacy released in Jun...2022-07-2639 min
The Balance DilemmaEpisode 39: Leveling the Playing Field with Tools for the Future: Creating the STEM Alliance with Meg KaüferSkills like a mother . . . make a difference in the world. Guest Meg Kaüfer went from educator to full-time mom to President and founding member of The STEM Alliance, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Hear how Meg’s personal evolution, passions, and balance dilemma led her to this important role, organizing events like STEM-tastic, a hands-on festival of learning that attracted 2,000 attendees in its inaugural year.
Learn about STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education is exactly, why it is so important for the future, and how STEM education through digital equity could be the great societal equalizer for wom...2022-06-2041 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 38: A German Grandmother's Recipe Brewed To Success with Ute LondriganIn the mood for a cocktail? Guest Ute Londrigan can mix you one with a hundred year old German tradition. In 2018, this mother and entrepreneur started craft liqueur business HEIMAT, inspired by recipes handed down from her grandmother.
From sourcing fruit locally, to designing bottles and labels, hear how Ute not only survived the pandemic but flourished, adding a woman’s touch to a predominantly male industry.
Episode originally aired live on WVOX-AM on May 12, 2022. For show notes, go to www.thebalancedilemma.com2022-06-1338 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 37: Nice Doesn't Always Mean Saying Yes with Fran HauserFran Hauser, best-selling author of The Myth of the Nice Girl, discusses with us her new book Embrace the Work, Love Your Career.
Hear how, well before her superstar career in media rising through the ranks at Time Inc., she honed her business skills as a school-aged child of immigrant parents helping with the books for her father’s business. She also learned the advantages of being nice and why it is her superpower. Now an angel investor and entrepreneur, Fran works toward leveling the playing field for women.
In her latest book, Fran advocates ha...2022-05-2538 minThe Balance DilemmaEpisode 36: Just a girl from Texas, with a writer’s pen and a Harvard law degree with Ginger McKnight-ChaversEntertainment lawyer turned writer/novelist Ginger McKnight-Chavers shares her inspiration for her debut award-winning novel In the Heart of Texas, influenced in part by the lessons she learned from her mother, a prominent African-American woman of Dallas.
From Harvard Law School, with friend/classmate Michelle Obama, to suburban mom, Ginger expounds upon her article “Beyonce Is My Type of Feminist” where she describes the reality of most women’s complex lives “juggling a menagerie of roles, responsibilities, relationship, and desires” and why the unpaid workload of volunteerism matters, even without a paycheck.
Episode originally aired live on WV...2022-05-1539 min
In Conversation… with Frank SchaefferMaura Carlin and Christie DerricoFrank Schaeffer In Conversation with "The Balance Dilemma" hosts Maura Carlin and Christie Derrico, exploring the future of the work life balance._____LINKSThe Balance Dilemma on Spotifyhttps://www.thebalancedilemma.comhttps://www.facebook.com/TheBalanceDilemma/_____Maura Carlin spent over fifteen years as a litigator at law firms in New York City. While raising her family, Maura left law and focused on journalism, working as a producer/host on LMC Media’s news programming. Maura’s natural talent in live on-air interviews was on display weekly duri...2022-05-101h 05