The last couple of months have been busy ones for Starter Girlz—with new conversations, new experiences, and quite a bit happening behind the scenes.

So this month’s Empowerment Digest is a little fuller than usual.

We’re catching up on a few conversations we didn’t get a chance to feature in the last edition, along with September’s episodes. And while these conversations cover everything from cybersecurity and entrepreneurship to reinvention, resilience, and what it really means to win, they each offer something worth taking with us.

Consider this one a chance to catch up on anything you may have missed—and maybe discover a conversation you didn’t know you needed.

— Jennifer

Podcast Recap

Your Home May Be Affecting You More Than You Realize | Loren Ng

The spaces we live in may be influencing us more than we realize. Loren Ng explores how our surroundings can affect everything from stress and focus to our overall sense of well-being—and why good design isn't simply about how a space looks, but how it supports the people living in it. The conversation is a reminder that sometimes the small sources of friction in our environment are worth paying attention to.

Listen to the Episode →

Why You’re Easier to Manipulate Than You Think | Robert Siciliano

Robert Siciliano has spent more than 30 years studying risk, deception, and human behavior—and one of the biggest vulnerabilities he identifies isn't technology, but us. In this conversation, Robert explains how trust, urgency, emotion, and distraction can override our better judgment, why even smart and security-conscious people can fall for scams, and how greater awareness can help us become harder targets.

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The Hidden Cost of Being the One Who Carries Everything | Jasper Calcara

Jasper Calcara’s story explores what can happen when the path you thought you were supposed to follow no longer fits. Through his own experiences with change, uncertainty, and redefining what success meant for him, Jasper shares why moving forward sometimes requires letting go of expectations, trusting yourself, and being willing to build a life that feels more aligned with who you’ve become.

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How to Win When You Lose the Trophy | Dr. Angela Kerek

Dr. Angela Kerek challenges the idea that winning is defined by trophies, titles, or recognition. Drawing from her experience in competitive sports and beyond, she explores what happens when the outcome you worked for doesn’t go your way—and how resilience, identity, and the lessons gained along the way can ultimately matter more than the win itself.

Listen to the Episode →\

Why Your Humanity Matters More in an AI-Driven Job Market | Mae Schaefer & Deborah Wheatman

As AI continues to reshape the workplace, Debra Wheatman and Mae Schaefer explore why the qualities that make us human may become more valuable, not less. From emotional intelligence and communication to judgment, adaptability, and genuine connection, they unpack what technology can’t easily replicate—and why developing those human skills may be one of the smartest ways to stay relevant in an AI-driven job market.

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You Don’t Have to Start Over to Reinvent Yourself — Debbi DiMaggio

Debbie DiMaggio challenges the idea that reinvention means throwing everything away and starting from scratch. Drawing from her own experiences navigating change, she explores how the skills, relationships, and experiences we’ve already built can become the foundation for what comes next—and why sometimes reinvention is less about becoming someone new and more about recognizing what you’re ready to do differently.

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What $1 Million in Debt Taught Him About the Messy Middle | Brent Garrett

Brent Garrett knows firsthand that building a successful business rarely follows a straight line. After finding himself nearly $1 million in debt, he had to navigate what he calls the “messy middle”—the difficult stretch between where you are and where you’re trying to go. His story is a reminder that setbacks don’t necessarily mean you’re failing; sometimes they’re part of figuring out what has to change in order to move forward.

Listen to the Episode →

What Are You Not Seeing?

Sometimes the biggest shift doesn’t come from learning something new. It comes from seeing something familiar differently.

Across these conversations, that showed up in very different ways—from recognizing how our surroundings affect us and understanding our own vulnerabilities, to rethinking what it means to win, what makes us valuable in an AI-driven world, and what reinvention and resilience can actually look like.

The circumstances may be different, but there’s a common reminder in all of them: what we overlook can sometimes have just as much influence as what we see clearly.

Maybe the answer isn’t always to work harder, start over, or find something new.

Sometimes it begins by asking:

What am I not seeing yet?

Take It With You

What might I be overlooking because I’ve become so accustomed to the way things are?

Where am I assuming I need to start over when I may already have more to build on than I realize?

What could change if I looked at my current challenge from a different perspective??

A Simple Reset: The 3-Question Check-In

When we’re close to a problem, it can be difficult to see anything beyond what we’ve already tried. Before pushing harder or assuming you need a completely new plan, take a few minutes to ask yourself:

What’s working that I may be taking for granted?

What keeps creating friction that I’ve learned to tolerate?

What would I see differently if I stopped trying to solve this the same way?

You don’t necessarily need an immediate answer. Sometimes creating enough space to ask a different question is what allows a different answer to show up.

Stay Connected

The conversations don’t have to end when the episode does. Stay connected with Starter Girlz for new episodes, fresh insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and more from the people and ideas we’re bringing into the conversation.

Watch Starter Girlz on YouTube →

Explore the Latest Insights →

Visit StarterGirlz.com →

August was a month of evolution for Starter Girlz.

Behind the scenes, we’ve been making some changes—including bringing the Empowerment Digest here to Substack and creating a new home for the ideas, conversations, and insights that extend beyond the podcast.

But while the platform may be changing, the heart of the Digest isn’t. It’s still a chance to look back at the conversations that stayed with us, pull out the ideas worth carrying forward, and make a little space for reflection along the way.

In this edition, we’re looking back at July’s conversations with Danielle Adams Johnson, Becca Eve Young, Tiffanie Janowicz, and Daniel Linares—four very different conversations with plenty to take away from each.

As we head into September, I’m excited about where Starter Girlz is going—and even more excited to have you along for it.

— Jennifer

Podcast Recap

She Didn’t Heal by Talking. She Healed by Moving | Danielle Adams Johnson

Danielle Adams Johnson’s story shows us that healing doesn’t always happen the way we expect it to. Through movement, creativity, and eventually serving others, Danielle found ways to move through painful experiences and transform them into purpose—showing that our past may shape us, but it doesn’t have to define where we go next.

Listen to the Episode →

She Followed the Script for Success—Then She Found Her Own | Becca Eve Young

Becca Eve Young spent years following the version of success she thought she was supposed to pursue—until she realized it wasn’t necessarily the one she wanted. Her story is a reminder that sometimes growth means questioning the path you’re on, trusting yourself enough to change direction, and defining success on your own terms.

Listen to the Episode →

The Moment She Stopped Being Fine and Started Living | Tiffanie Janowitz

Tiffanie Janowitz reached a point where simply appearing “fine” was no longer enough. Her story explores what can happen when we stop pushing through, start paying attention to what we actually need, and give ourselves permission to build a life that feels as good on the inside as it may look on the outside.

Listen to the Episode →

When Crisis Becomes Your Biggest Opportunity | Daniel Linares

When the pandemic brought Daniel Linares’s live-events business to a standstill, he had to decide whether to wait for circumstances to change or find a new way forward. Daniel’s experience shows what can happen when we stop waiting for perfect, take imperfect action, and recognize that a crisis can sometimes become the catalyst for our next level.

Listen to the Episode →

When the Old Way Stops Working

Growth doesn’t always begin with a big opportunity. Sometimes it begins when something that once worked for us simply doesn’t anymore.

Across this month’s conversations, that showed up in very different ways—through healing, redefining success, choosing to stop pretending everything is fine, and finding opportunity in the middle of crisis.

The circumstances were different, but the underlying lesson was remarkably similar: the moment something stops working can also be the moment something new becomes possible.

The challenge is recognizing it. We can spend a lot of energy trying to get back to what was, when the better question might be:

What is this asking me to do differently now?

Take It With You

What am I holding onto simply because it used to work?

Where might I be trying to return to an old version of success instead of creating a new one?

What could become possible if I stopped asking, “How do I fix this?” and started asking, “What is this asking me to change?

Starter Girlz Is Heading to the W Dallas

Starter Girlz is excited to be a media partner for What She Said at the W Dallas on Friday, September 18, an evening of intimate conversations, fashion, pop-ups, and community connection.

I’ll be sitting down for a series of conversations with event sponsors, bringing you more of the stories, ideas, and people behind the brands helping bring the event to life.

Want a peek inside the Modern Day Wife experience?

It’s another opportunity to take Starter Girlz beyond the studio—and I’m excited to see where these conversations lead.

Learn More About What She Said →

Stay Connected

The conversations don’t have to end when the episode does. Stay connected with Starter Girlz for new episodes, fresh insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and more from the people and ideas we’re bringing into the conversation.

Watch Starter Girlz on YouTube →

Explore the Latest Insights →

Visit StarterGirlz.com →