In this episode of Leave Your Mark, I welcome Madison Ciccone, a former Hollywood executive assistant turned top SoulCycle instructor and confidence coach. We discuss Madison's career transformation, from her early days in Hollywood to finding her true calling in fitness and coaching with SoulCycle. Madison shares insights into the fast-paced Hollywood lifestyle and her transition into fitness, emphasizing the importance of aligning success with purpose and fun. She also talks about creating...

As the first woman to serve as Secretary to former Governor Cuomo, the highest unelected position in state government, Melissa DeRosa knows how to thrive under pressure. In her riveting memoir, "What's Left Unsaid: My Life at the Center of Power, Politics & Crisis," she candidly shares her journey through politics, government, and becoming an author.  From the frontlines of the COVID crisis to the real events behind Governor Andrew Cuomo's meteoric rise and unfathomable fall, Melissa, one...

In beauty, few names resonate as vibrantly as Marisa Meltzer. Renowned for her thought-provoking journalism and bestselling books, Meltzer has become a beacon of insightful commentary on the personal and professional narratives that shape our cultural landscape. Her latest book, Glossy: The Inside Story of Emily Weiss's Glossier, not only cements her status as a leading voice but also offers an unparalleled glimpse into the potent mix of ambition, innovation, and struggle that defines the...

In a world brimming with stories of success and determination, few are as captivating, hilarious, and inspiring as that of Jen Lancaster. Best known for her candid memoirs and inventive novels, Jen's journey from corporate vice president to bestselling author embodies resilience, wit, and an unmatched knack for storytelling. She is the New York Times bestselling author of nine memoirs, five adult novels, and one YA book.  Jen has sold well over a million books. After a corporate layoff in...

In this episode of Leave Your Mark, I speak with the CEO at Fire Memos, career coach, and author Octavia Gorodema, who shares her expert insights on navigating career transitions and overcoming obstacles. Octavia, who founded the Twenty Ten Agency and has worked with major corporations like Google and Nike, discusses her mission to help professionals thrive in their chosen fields. Known for her impactful career development work and Audible original series 'How to Change Careers,' Octavia...

Leave Your Mark is like The Devil Wears Prada meets career advice. That's what I thought of when I wrote my book in 2015. And this podcast is a continuation of everything I started back then. I'm your host, Aliza Licht. I'm an award-winning marketer, two-time author, and personal branding expert, and I am your trusted guide every week, bringing you career advice and stories that you really don't hear anywhere else. Because here's the difference: my podcast is keeping it real. And I want to...

Today's episode of Leave Your Mark is brought to you by U Beauty. ⁠U Beauty⁠ is a luxury, technology-driven skincare brand that is female-founded by one of my favorite people, Tina Chen Craig. My holy grail product is their Resurfacing Compound, considered by beauty insiders as "Botox in a Bottle." I've been using this since day one. U Beauty has a Try Before You Buy option where they send you a premium sample, free of charge, to try out for 15 days. After that, you'll be sent the full size...

You don't need to invent something new to be a wildly successful entrepreneur. According to Liz Elting, one of Forbes's "Richest Self-Made Women in America," you only need to identify something you can do differently and better. Her new book, DREAM BIG AND WIN: Translating Passion into Purpose and Creating a Billion Dollar Business, captures all her learnings. After living, studying, and working in five countries across the globe, Liz Co-founded TransPerfect out of an NYU Stern dorm room in...

In this special edition of LEAVE YOUR MARK, I sit down with Catherine Fisher, Vice President of Integrated Data and Consumer Communications for LinkedIn. Because who's better than Catherine to share the information we need right now to ensure we navigate our careers strategically? Catherine is an established marketing and communications leader and has worked for some of the most notable consumer brands, including Netflix and eBay, with more than 20 years of experience. Currently, she leads...

After decades in marketing and communications and a new role as an operating partner at Traub, Kate Doerge never anticipated that she would also become a CEO. This new job, however, is the one her whole career has prepared her for and the one she was meant to do.  When Kate's daughter Penny rolled off the bed at four months old, what seemed like a typical tibia fracture uncovered a diagnosis called Neurofibromatosis, also known as NF. One out of 300,000 kids is diagnosed with NF. This...

Although Lisa Niver has traveled in far-off locales from Vanuatu to Nepal, received numerous accolades as an award-winning travel expert who has explored 102 countries and six continents, and is the founder of the website WeSaidGoTravel, what people don’t realize is that this began from the wreckage of a rotten romance.   As a newlywed, Lisa was on the adventure of a lifetime. She had quit her job, rented her condo, and traveled around Asia. To the outside world, Lisa was a woman living out...

Amanda Baldwin never considered herself an entrepreneur because she's technically not a founder. But her mindset shifted when she won Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2022. Amanda earned this distinction as a first-time CEO of Supergoop! the first protective skincare brand that puts SPF at the forefront because she has been breaking boundaries and innovating in her role from day one. Supergoop!'s mission is to change how the world thinks about sunscreen through its clean,...

Stacy Igel took the plunge from corporate to launching her fashion brand in 2001. As the founder and creative director of BOY MEETS GIRL®, she set out to launch her first trunk show the week of September 11th. What she could have never anticipated is what happened instead. The catastrophic attack solidified her mission to create a brand that leads with impact. She has given back to causes important to her and the world ever since. BOY MEETS GIRL® is known for its iconic double-silhouette...

When we talk about career changes, we don't normally talk about someone going from a media role to becoming the founder of a beauty brand, but that's exactly what Sophia Chabbott did as the founder of Testament Beauty, a skincare line known for being the Mediterranean diet for your face. Testament Beauty is centered around the simple and stunningly beautiful garden-grown ingredients core to her family heritage and traditions. How did she come up with her tagline of being the Mediterranean...

Stacey Stevenson dropped out of a rural high school in the South when they were pulled out of the closet. They worked at fast food restaurants to save enough money to move to Dallas to "do something with their life" because they were intent on making it in the corporate world. Stacey achieved just that with a long history of senior defense, technology, and finance roles. But in 2021, they turned their business acumen, lived experience, and passion to work for LGBTQ+ families and those who...

Dubbed by the New York Times as the Queen of Hoops, Jennifer Fisher's accessories brand is coveted by top celebrities and the fashion set. But Jennifer Fisher's creativity doesn't fit neatly into a box. As a former wardrobe stylist for commercials, this jewelry founder's exceptional eye has graced other categories like home and interior design, and her expert kitchen skills have made her custom salts the new must-have accessory to meals across the country with @jenniferfisherkitchen. How does...

What does it take to get on television and succeed in media today? Jaclyn Levin knows. As an accomplished media executive, executive producer, showrunner, advisor, and consultant, she has led network news broadcasts, content development, show creation, and the building and developing of modern, multimedia, and digital-first businesses. Jaclyn earned four Emmy Awards, four Gracie Awards, an Edward R. Murrow award, two Daytime Emmy Nominations, and was named to Variety's 2020 Power of Women...

Success is a tricky thing. For starters, what does success even mean? Everyone has their own definition of success, yet we are often held to society's standards. In this unique live event, three notable authors, Aliza Licht, Laura Gassner Otting, and Christina Wallace, discussed this topic from their experienced perspectives and respective new books, ON BRAND, Wonderhell, and The Portfolio Life.  Each author brings decades of experience and fascinating stories to the table: Aliza Licht is an...

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger could not be more true for Natasha Miller. As the multi-hyphenate CEO of Entire Productions, Inc. and Poignant Press, Natasha is also a celebrated jazz artist with seven records released on her label, Poignant Records. Her success is in spite of an upbringing so unreal and tragic that it's in the process of becoming a feature film. As the WSJ best-selling author of Relentless, Natasha has gone from living as an Iowa homeless teen to achieving the...

Jenny Hutt says what she's thinking, what you're thinking, and what you'll never say. As a self-proclaimed anxious optimist, she truly believes that everything will work out, but while she's going through it, she is going to stress every step of the way. That's just Jenny, and from her many years on radio and television, and now in her podcast, Just Jenny, she knows that sharing all of this will help you too. As a lawyer, podcaster, radio and television host, author, entrepreneur, personal...

On September 11, 2001, Hena Doba grabbed her camcorder in Queens and started interviewing neighbors on the street. As a small-town producer rather than an on-air journalist, Hena let her journalistic instincts lead her. When she returned to Watertown, NY, her news director kept her on air. Hena was the first Pakistani anchor in the U.S., but in the post 9/11 fear-based America, her news director was getting a lot of emails demanding the answer to, "Why are you putting a terrorist on air?" As...

Tina Greenbaum knows that the ability to think clearly under pressure and manage in high-pressure situations separates great leaders from everyone else. Tina Greenbaum, M.Ed., LCSW, is the Founder and CEO of Mastery Under Pressure, a management coaching program for high-performing executives who must refine and master their interpersonal and inter-departmental skills. She incorporates sports psychology and neuroscience into her work, emphasizing mental skills and mindset. Mastery Under...

Dee Poku Spalding creates spaces where women can be transactional and ask and receive without the pretense of five coffee chats. As the founder and CEO of The WIE Suite (Women, Inspiration, and Enterprise), a private membership club and peer learning platform for women in leadership, which I am a proud member of, Dee's mission is to redefine the way women and leaders achieve success for themselves and their companies by providing the community and tools for them to succeed at the highest...

Respectfully challenging the status quo and advocating for change in a large corporate organization can seem impossible. In this LEAVE YOUR MARK "snack segment," Andrea Wasserman, a visionary, outcome-driven executive with over 20 years of experience across consumer and B2B2C sectors, shares her secrets to intrapreneurship. Intrapreneurship is when you have an entrepreneurial mindset within a company that is self-motivated and proactive. In this episode, we discuss how to be a change agent...