This week Ivy Slater, host of Her Success Story, chats with her guests, Cathlene Miner and Aisling Owens Nash. The three talk about the origins of Hopefull Handbags as a movement to support survivors of domestic abuse, the unique approach of using donated handbags filled with essentials to open conversations and restore dignity, and the life-changing programs the organization offers to help survivors rebuild their lives—such as SHINE, which empowers individuals towards independence, employment, and long-term success.
In this episode, we discuss:
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How Cathlene Miner founded Hopefull Handbags in 2017, inspired by her grandmother's domestic abuse experiences and childhood memories, beginning with collecting donated handbags to provide practical support and open conversations about abuse.
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What drove Aisling Owens Nash to expand Hopefull Handbags to Ireland in 2021 as Executive Director of Hopefull Handbags Global Ireland, drawn by the organization's simple, impactful approach to helping survivors through community bag-packing events.
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When handbags serve as powerful conversation starters—packed with daily essentials like toiletries, notebooks, and handwritten messages of hope, they restore dignity and enable survivors to reach out for further support without immediate vulnerability.
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Why pop-up shelters and transitional support like rent assistance and children's needs are critical, addressing the statistic that over 85% of survivors return to abusers due to financial instability.
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What the NEW program (Navigating Employment Wins) entails—hands-on resume building, interview skills, and active job searching to ensure financial independence, rejecting the empowerment model's limitations for more direct intervention.
Cathlene Miner is the Founder CEO of Hopefull Handbags Global, Inc. Non-Profit, 501c3, Raising Hope for those getting back on their feet again due to Domestic Abuse and other Challenging Situations beginning with One Hopefull Handbag at a time.
She is a Bestselling Author of the 30 Day Self Perception Makeover, and the 30 Day Self Perception Makeover Teen Edition, Mentor, Fitness Lover, International Speaker, and Radio Podcast Host.
Cathlene loves her life as a homeschool mom, wife, mother of 4, and grandmother (Sea) to 3 amazing granddaughters, an entrepreneur, and a love of anything that brings a smile and joy, and a self-professed glass half full kinda girl.
Cathlene and Hopefull Handbags Global believe in collaboration over competition which is why Hopefull Handbags Global hosts and are part of events that bring women, businesses, and nonprofits, and communities together because "Together We Are Stronger".
She knows from her own experiences and those of her clients that with a healthy Self Perception, anything is possible to truly manifest your life on purpose and allow your dreams to unfold because you are limitless.
"Never Underestimate the Power of Hope"
Aisling Owens Nash
Founder, The Right Room™ | Event Experience Architect™ | Executive Director, Hopefull Handbags Global | President, Hopeful Handbags Global Ireland | Regional Head Networking Leader, MIB International (Ireland & Northern Ireland)
Aisling Owens Nash is the creator of The Right Room™ and a sought-after Event Experience Architect™, designing and hosting premium live and digital experiences that transform events from inspiration-only gatherings into decision-making spaces where authority, clarity, and conversion happen.
In addition to leading The Right Room™, The Expansion Room™, The Conversion Room™, and The BoardRoom Series™, Aisling serves as Executive Director of Hopefull Handbags Global and President of Hopefull Handbags Global Ireland, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering survivors of domestic abuse worldwide.
She also holds the role of Regional Head Networking Leader for Ireland and Northern Ireland with MIB International, the world's fastest-growing female empowerment network, uniquely positioned as a child-friendly global business community.
Her mission is simple: to create the rooms, relationships, and opportunities that help entrepreneurs step out of businesses they've outgrown and into the identity, structure,
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