What Lights Us Up

What if your roots held the key to your passion—and your path forward?

In this heartfelt episode, recorded inside the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles, Christina sits down with historian, author, and museum director Marianna Gatto, whose lifelong love for her Italian heritage has fueled decades of work preserving the stories of Italian Americans in LA—stories often left untold.

Marianna shares how growing up in a diverse Los An...

Ever wonder how stories from the past can guide your path today? Tune in to discover how uncovering buried family histories, long-forgotten newspaper clippings, and everyday heroes can spark your sense of connection, curiosity, and courage to follow what lights you up.

Stephanie Detton, host and creator of the Italian American Stories Podcast, is on a mission to bring forgotten stories of Italian Americans—past and present—back to l...

Ever wonder what the secret ingredient to finding joy is? Tune in to feed your soul and get the inspiration you need to reconnect with your roots, follow your creative calling, and rediscover joy in everyday moments.

In this episode, Christina sits down with Michele Di Pietro—better known to her followers as Mangia with Michele—a cookbook author, food writer, recipe developer, professional chef, and culinary consultant who shares he...

Are you feeling lost, burned out, or stuck chasing success that doesn’t truly fulfill you? Tune in to discover how hitting rock bottom, surrendering control, and reconnecting with your inner voice can guide you toward a life of purpose, joy, and true alignment.

Evelyn Moon, an immigration attorney, born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, shares her story of immigrating to the US and how one decision to help her family led to a life c...

Are you ready to embrace your passion and live a high vibe life? Tune in to discover how healing with food and connecting with the energy that nourishes you can lead to a life full of joy, fulfillment, and high vibe transformative energy.

Chef Whitney Aronoff is a Health Supportive Personal Chef who shares her inspiring journey of leaving a corporate career to pursue her true calling of inspiring healing through food which started w...

Are you ready to tap into the magic within and unlock your true potential? Tune in and get ready to embark on a journey that will guide you to your soul’s true desires!

Dani Margeaux is an empowerment coach who helps others reprogram their subconscious to attract what they truly desire. She shares her transformative journey from seeking traditional success to discovering a deeper, more fulfilling path of self-empowerment. Dani revea...

Are you ready to explore your Italian roots, embrace new adventures, and tap into the magic of Southern Italy? Tune in to discover how following your heart can lead to a life full of joy, connection, and finding the magic in undiscovered places.

Sarah Pompei, a bespoke travel advisor in the Southern Italian village of Irpinia, shares her incredible journey of discovering her ancestral roots and following her intuition to create a li...

Are you curious on how to find more authenticity as you travel through life? Tune in to travel to an experience that will inspire authentic connections and a curiosity to discover your own ancestral heritage.

Danielle Oteri is the founder of Feast Travel, a curated travel experience rooted from her Italian history, cuisine, and traditions. Danielle shares her unique journey from studying art history in Florence to leading immersive ...

Are you looking for a reason to step out of your comfortzone? Tune in to hear the inspiration you need to take that step towards an adventure that can change your life.  

Allison Fleece is co-founder of WHOA travel, a unique combination of adventure travel and connection that has built a community of women high on adventure all around the world. Allison takes us on her life-changing trip to Kilimanjaro, a New Year goal she set for h...

Is there a career change that has been in the back of your mind but you’ve been too afraid to go for it? Tune in to hear the inspiration you need to say yes to trying something even before you are ready and that you can reinvent yourself at any age.

Julie Hartigan is a NYC based chef, media personality, brand consultant, and lifelong travel lover who is not only a professional travel advisor but also hosts culinary travel trips of h...

Are you craving more adventure in your life? Tune in to hear the inspiration you need to embrace that inner calling to follow your heart to your greatest adventure.

Jacqueline De La Espriella is a wanderlust outdoor enthusiast with a life goal and dream to visit every continent on this planet and to hike some of the world’s highest peaks. She talks about how she found her path to solo travel by chance and what that chance decision h...

Do you wonder what just saying yes will lead you to? Tune in to hear the kick you need to just say yes to any opportunity that comes your way because it may just lead you to your passion.

Cheryl Logsdon and Bianca Monreal Mattar are a mother-daughter duo behind the Southern California based salsa company, OC Salsa Rica. They talk about their journey from being laid off in their corporate careers to building a company from their sals...

Are you feeling stressed and burned out from your everyday routine? Tune in to hear the inspiration you need to make a change that invites physical and mental strength so that you can gain control of your mentality and life.

Gaia Mariani is a yoga therapist, helping people to transform through understanding their own physiology, energetics, and subconscious mind. She talks about her own journey of moving from Italy to the US and wor...

Are you feeling like you lost your identity after a relationship breakdown? Tune in to hear the inspiration you need to start to get to know yourself so you can learn to love again.

Rachel Teeling is a women’s relationship and self-worth coach, helping women thrive after the breakdown of a relationship to help them find love again after heartbreak. She talks about her own story of moving from excruciating heartbreak from a relations...

What do you see when you visualize five years from now or even at the end of your life? Did you do the things you wanted to do? Tune in to hear the inspiration you need to travel (literally) on the path to living your most authentic self. 

Shadi Sadeghi is a certified Jungian coach and emotion code practitioner helping people take a deep dive into their soul to uncover their most authentic selves while helping them manifest their de...

Are you feeling unfulfilled and wanting more from life? Tune in to hear the inspiration you need to find out exactly what you can do to best show up for yourself and design the life that you ultimately want to create. 

Angie Wisdom is an award winning and master certified business and life coach who helps clients create meaningful success and a life they love. Angie talks about her journey from working in a field that she didn’t lov...

Are you going to sit back and ingest what everyone else is creating or are you going to be the creator? Tune in to get that kick you always needed to get out there and start creating something.

Richard Podgurski Jr is the ultimate creator. He has been voted best DJ in the South Bay of Los Angeles for 7 years and frequently tours big name nightclubs all over the country. He is also known for his outstanding photography and was named ...

Do you believe that we all have a destiny? Tune in to hear how following one idea can change the course of your life and how being clear on your own core values is what attracts people and things to us that can create a vibrational energy that can ripple out to anyone around us.

Marco Palazzo is a former water polo professional athlete turned coach who had a passion to bring his Italian food roots to Southern California by opening a...