She’s Smart

On this episode of She’s Smart, Maria sits down with Samantha Miller, co-founder and CEO of Cadence OTC, to talk about the future of reproductive healthcare access — and why access matters more than ever.

From emergency contraception and pharmacy deserts to the push for over-the-counter birth control, Samantha shares the inspiring story behind building a mission-driven pharmaceutical company focused on making women’s healthcare pro...

In this episode of She’s Smart, I’m joined by Veronica Taylor, Wealth Advisor at Ellevest — a women-led platform helping women invest, grow their wealth, and make smarter financial decisions.

Veronica shares her journey from a 20-year career as a Creative Director into wealth management, and how breaking free from living paycheck to paycheck changed everything.

We talk about why so many women feel behind with money, the biggest mis...

Fertility is just the beginning of this conversation.

This week, I sit down with Aimee Raupp—best-selling author of Yes, You Can Get Pregnant and The Egg Quality Diet, and a leading voice in women’s health and fertility.

With over two decades of experience, Aimee blends Western science with Eastern medicine to help women better understand what’s really happening in their bodies.

We talk about the modern fertility landscape, the imp...

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Tanvi Gandhi—naturopathic physician, licensed acupuncturist, and integrative psychiatry provider—for a conversation that feels both grounding and eye-opening.

With a background in science from UCLA and research at the NIH, Dr. Tanvi now blends modern medicine with holistic practices to support the full connection between mind, body, and spirit. And in this conversation, we really dive into what ...

In this episode of She’s Smart, I sit down with Christine Short, Head of Research at TMX Group, to unpack the world of financial markets in a way that actually makes sense.

Christine has spent over 15 years analyzing corporate earnings and decoding what she calls the “body language” of companies—the subtle signals that reveal what’s really happening behind the numbers. Her work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, ...

USA Today bestselling author Emily Liebert joins me today on She’s Smart to talk about the fascinating world of writing—from crafting bestselling novels to ghostwriting books for celebrities.

Emily’s career has taken her from producing specials at ABC News to serving as Editor-in-Chief of The WAG magazine, and eventually to becoming the author of multiple novels including Pretty Revenge and Perfectly Famous. Along the way, she’s al...

What happened to teen culture?

This week on She’s Smart, Maria sits down with media insider turned culture-builder Paula James-Martinez — former Fashion Director at Refinery29, founder of Purple Diary, documentary filmmaker, and now the visionary behind Cuqui, a new teen magazine designed to give kids their MTV back.

In a world where the algorithm shapes everything, Paula is building something tangible: a print magazine, club, and ...

Perimenopause. Hormones. Anxiety. Sleep changes. Night sweats. Brain fog.

If you’ve been wondering, “Is this just stress… or is something actually shifting?” — this episode is for you.

Today I’m joined by Dr. Katie Takayasu, integrative medicine physician and founder of Wellness Insights in Darien, Connecticut. Dr. Katie blends traditional Western medicine with evidence-based complementary therapies — including nutrition, acupunctu...

Catherine Morrissey is the President of White & Warren, the luxury cashmere brand known for timeless essentials and uncompromising quality. In this episode, Catherine shares what it’s like to lead a heritage brand founded by her mother while guiding it into its next chapter — thoughtfully, intentionally, and with a deep respect for craft.

We talk about Catherine’s path from Calvin Klein to the family business, how she’s helped ...

In this episode, I’m joined by Ginger Richardson, founder of Kiin Sauna, a mobile wood-burning sauna and cold plunge experience based in Fairfield, Connecticut. Ginger shares why she started Kiin, what it really looks like to build a business from scratch as a single mom, the physical and mental benefits of sauna and contrast therapy, the ancient roots of sauna culture, and how collaboration and community are at the heart of what s...

In this episode of She’s Smart, Maria sits down with Donnie Soddu, founder of High Light Rituals and a shamanic practitioner whose work bridges science, intuition, and healing in a truly thoughtful way.

Donnie’s path is anything but linear. With a background in neuropsychology, research, and the corporate world, she once studied perception, sensory experience, and how humans understand reality—before eventually being called toward ...

In this episode, I sit down with Michelle Yun Mapplethorpe — Director and Chief Curator of the Katonah Museum of Art — for a conversation that opens up the world of art in the most accessible, inspiring way.

Michelle shares her path through MoMA, the Asia Society Museum, global exhibitions, and creative work that has taken her around the world. We talk about how to truly see art, how to start collecting it, why galleries shouldn’t ...

Today on She’s Smart, I sit down with media strategist and founder Samantha Yanks, whose 25-year career spans Vogue, O, The Oprah Magazine, Hamptons, and Gotham. We talk about her transition from legacy media to building The Connecticut Edit with her daughter, the importance of community, and why AI—when used intentionally—can actually amplify human connection.

Samantha shares her perspective on intuition, reinvention, leadership, ...

Karen Ackley spent more than 30 years inside the Central Intelligence Agency, rising into the CIA’s Senior Intelligence Service — the highest leadership level in the Agency. She served as Deputy Chief of Station in Europe and the Middle East, Deputy Chief of Operations in the Counterterrorist Center, and Executive Assistant to the Director of the CIA. She later spent 28 months in Baghdad as the senior intelligence advisor to a four...

In this episode of She’s Smart, Maria sits down with Ellen Scherer Crafts — producer, storyteller, and creative force behind the Emmy® Award-winning documentary Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street.

Ellen shares her incredible journey from producing live boxing matches for HBO and Caesars Entertainment to leading global experiential events and founding Macrocosm Entertainment with her husband, Trevor. Together, they’ve built a ...

This week on She’s Smart, Maria sits down with Christina Roughan, the acclaimed interior designer and founder of Roughan Interiors, a global design firm with offices in Weston, Connecticut, and New York City.

Christina shares her incredible journey from the fashion world—working with Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger—to building a thriving design business known for its timeless, livable, and effortlessly chic interiors. Together, we ...

This week on She’s Smart, I’m joined by Irene Chen, co-founder of the California-based accessories brand Parker Thatch. Irene and I share roots in the same little pocket of Northern California, and we instantly connected over that shared sense of home.

In this episode, Irene shares how she and her husband built Parker Thatch from the ground up — starting with a single roll of canvas and a sewing machine in a dry cleaner — and how a...

Broadway veteran Jodi Stevens Bryce joins me to share her journey from New York stages to mentoring the next generation of performers. We talk about her family’s deep roots in music, her Broadway debut in Jekyll and Hyde, and the resilience it took to recover from a vocal injury. Jodi also opens up about finding balance through yoga and mindfulness, the joy of teaching, and how community cabaret nights are giving women their voices...