The Story Behind Her Success

singer/songwriter, host of The Flyover aylabrown.com I think big all the time.  My parents taught me:  You are gonna fail, it’s okay, but you’ve got to keep on trying.  -AylaBrown  Welcome into the life of wife, mother, singer/songwriter, broadcaster and host of The Fly Over Podcast.   In this two-part interview, recorded on the road at 95-9, WATD in Marshfield, Massachusetts, we take a deep dive into the life of American Idol finalist Ayla Brown.   aylabrown.com.  She was just 17 when she placed 13th in the world’s most popular singing contest and in this interview, we learn that she has never looked back.  Her career as a singer has placed her in the circle on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, in the middle of the field singing our National Anthem on Monday Night Football, and on military bases in Afghanistan, singing for our troops.   Despite solid ratings and popularity with listeners, her stint as a morning show host on Country 102.5, WKLB came to a sudden end just 9 days after her return from maternity leave, and in this interview, she reveals what happened that day 2 years ago, behind the scenes.   Says Ayla: “Itwas so hard to accept.  My ego was bruised, but God had bigger plans for me.”   Ayla’s devotion to her two little boys and her talented husband, singer/songwriter Rob Bellamy are on full display in this interview as she describes what life is like these days “milling her own flour”  and hosting the nationally syndicated news show “The Fly Over Podcast”.   Raised in the town of Wrentham, Massachusetts, Ayla is the daughter of award-winning TV journalist Gail Huff and Scott Brown, former U.S senator and Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa.  It is no surprise that this exceptional woman’s goals are never out of reach.  Some Ayla wisdom?   “Women have superpowers and mine is my ability to say YES.”  Part two of this interview launches next week.   For 23 minutes of inspiration, just hit that download button.  #singer/songwriter #radio #motherhood 

wife, mother, nurse, breast cancer survivor elliefund.org @elliefund Intuition plays a huge role in being a great nurse.  There is a divide between nursing and medicine and I think that physicians rely on nurses for our intuition. We can look at a patient and know: something is not right.  It’s a calling. – Paula Campbell  Welcome to part two of the story of wife, mother, nurse, and breast cancer survivor, Paula Campbell. Diagnosed in 2022 with stage 2/3 breast cancer, she see slipped through the looking glass and now sees her experience with the disease as a way to help others navigate a complicated healthcare system. As a GI oncology nurse,  I started out this interview by asking Paula if she is a better nurse now that she has gone through her own cancer journey.  Her answer? A resounding YES:   “Nursing is the profession of caring, and I now know what my patients are going through.  I can give better care, knowing how it feels when your pain is not controlled.  My assessments are better, my timing, and my interventions are all better. “  Born in Boston to Jamaican parents who came to the United States via England as part of the “wind rush generation”, Paula’s mother trained as a nurse in the UK and was recruited to come here in the 1970’s during a nursing shortage, only to experience the horror of the historic Boston bussing crisis.  The family moved from Jamaica Plain to the suburban town of Sharon where they settled into a community of caring.  A graduate of Boston College, Paula says that she knew she wanted her life to be about empowerment, and got her start in real estate development before going back to school to become a nurse.  What are the key attributes to a great nurse?  Says Paula:  “empathy, intution, honesty, respect for science, and practical thinking.”   When asked about success, she says:  “I’m all about legacy.   My people did not come here for me to fail. They sold many a goat, many a chicken, to make sure I make good choices.  If that means I had to work through a tough diagnosis in order to set an example for those who will come after me,  so be it.  Dare to be true. Live your truth. “  Inspiring?  You betcha.  #breastcancer #legacy #jamaica #bostoncollege #nursing 

nurse & breast cancer survivor elliefund.org Sometimes things that you love have their time in your life, and then you part ways. Before my double mastectomy, I thanked my breasts for what they had given to me and my babies.  I made my peace with them and then I said:  “you’ve gotta go.”  -Paula Campbell You don’t have to go far to find a woman who has had breast cancer.  As a nurse, Paula Campbell saw breast cancer through a different lens because she had to go from taking care of others, to allowing others to take care of her.  A wife and mother, Paula was diagnosed in 2022 with stage 2-3 breast cancer.   She endured 6 grueling rounds of chemotherapy, and although her breast surgeon originally recommended a lumpectomy, Paula fought hard for a bilateral mastectomy.  “It’s one part of my story that I like to share, because I had to advocate for myself as a patient and as a nurse. Intuitively, I knew, my breasts had to go.” Leveled by chemo, Paula says:  ““Chemo is very humbling.  It will rock your soul.  It gave me no choice but to accept the care of others around me. Thankfully, she connected with an incredible charity called The Ellie Fund www.elliefund.org and experienced the friendship, connection and sense of community this small but mighty non-profit is known for.  Their mission?  Supporting patients, funding care and providing hope.   Says Paula: “I’m their self-proclaimed ambassador.  I just can’t say enough about what they did for me.”  Our conversation continues in part 2 of this powerful interview, where Paula reveals the loss of her health insurance as a nurse employed in the same hospital where she was scheduled to receive her breast cancer care.   For 23 minutes of inspiration, just hit that download button.  #breastcancer #womeninspiringwomen 

breast cancer survivor & podcaster @erinomalleysfrequency I’m not afraid of death. Something came to take me, and I beat it with faith and love.   I have a second lease on life. -ErinO’Malley  This up close and personal interview with Boston broadcaster and podcaster Erin O’Malley www.erinomalleysfrequency.com gives you a birds-eye view into the life of a woman who leads with love. In part 1 of this interview, Erin shared the story of her early life in Pittsburgh, and her proclamation at 12 that she wanted to be a radio personality.  After graduating from the University of Dayton, she began her climb from a small station in Wheeling, West Virginia to major market radio, landing in Boston at Mix 104.1 where listeners came to think of her as their friend. She and her husband were delighted to learn they were expecting a child and although her pregnancy was normal, her delivery was a nightmare and their baby boy had a stroke.  Gabe survived, but at 6 months, required brain surgery and is severely disabled.  Says Erin:  “Everyday, Gabe shows me how to live a better life. He’s an angel on earth.”   In part 2 we dive deeper into Erin’s success story and learn that in May, 2018, she felt a lump in her right breast and was diagnosed with stage 2, triple negative breast cancer.   Throughout her treatment, her positivity was on full display.  She wore a superwoman costume to chemo, handing out gifts to fellow patients.  At work, she talked openly about her breast cancer journey, encouraging listeners to do breast exams. “Cancer hates positivity.  Your attitude matters, so flip the script. Amazing things happen when you attack cancer with positive vibes.”   In this interview, Erin also tells the story of what happened the day she lost the job she loved and then decided to find the silver lining and bring her positive vibes to the world of podcasting.  For friends, family, fans and new admirers, this episode has all the feels. Follow Erin on Instagram @erinomalleysfrequency.  #breastcancer #radio #womensupportingwomen   

Wife, mom, podcaster, survivor erinomalleysfrequency.com  I’ve always been an optimist who looks for the best in everyone and everything.  -Erin  My mission has always been to introduce you to women who inspire you to say, ‘If she can do it, I can do it.’  Today, I am sitting across from a woman whose positive attitude and infectious voice are woven into the fabric of Boston radio.  For 20 years, we shared the same airwaves at different frequencies.  She was on Mix 104.1 and I was on Magic 106.7, but I always admired her vibe on the air.   Alone in a room, with only music, contents and commercials to play, Erin knows the secretto being a first-class broadcaster:  reach through the radio and make a listener believe you are talking directly to them.  That’s a gift, and Erin has it in spades. But there is so much more to her success story.   As a child, her family moved around a lot, due to her father’s job.  At one point, when Erin was 12 years old, they were living in Pittsburgh and radio became Erin’s companion. She remembers calling into the local radio station and becoming friends with the air talent.   It wasn’t long before Erin declared to her mother that someday, she would be on the radio, and despite her mother’s initial doubts, that’s exactly what she did.  In this very personal interview, Erin shares early career stories,  including falling asleep on the radio while playing American Pie, getting better and better at her craft and moving up the ladder to bigger radio markets, landing in Boston, getting married, and giving birth to her son Gabe, who experienced a stroke following a difficult birth and is severely disabled.  Through it all, Erin O’Malley chooses to embrace joy in everyone and everything.  Says Erin:  “Gabe is an angel on earth and the best gift ever.  He wakes up every day smiling and shows me how to live my life.”  Don’t miss this deep dive into the life of a truly exceptional woman.  It’s so good, we’ve decided to air it in two parts.  Find out about Erin’s new podcast series and stay connected here: erinomalleysfrequency.com   #motivation#positivity #radio #podcast

Philanthropist  elliefund.org @elliefund Life is full of heartache and if you don’t have humor, it’s very hard.   Have a belly laugh once a day!  -Ruth “Chip” Spalding Twenty years ago, in the middle of 8 rounds of chemotherapy and 35 radiation treatments for stage 2 breast cancer, Ruth“Chip” Spalding opened the door to find a delivery of flowers. That single act of kindness took root inside of her, and bloomed into a legacy of hope.  Chip began searching for a local non-profit that shared her passion for patient care and ended up connecting with The Ellie Fund elliefund.org.  Says Chip:   “I was just the fuel.  I provided the money.  The Ellie Fund was the engine.”   2,000 bouquets of flowers have been delivered to grateful breast cancer patients (includingme) and now, Chip is taking her act of kindness one step further by establishing the Ruth “Chip” Spalding Flower Endowment Fund which will ensure flowers are delivered to breast cancer patients even after Chip has left this earth.   Born and raised in Dedham, Massachusetts by kind-hearted, civic-minded parents, Chip spent her early career working for a congressman on Capital Hill.  The mother of two, she was diagnosed in her 50’s and recalls looking at herself in the mirror saying: “You have breast cancer and you are lucky they found it. Get on with it.”  How did breast cancer change this wise, no-nonsense woman?   “The blue became bluer, the green became greener, and I began practicing the 3 C’s:   anti-clutter, anti-complaining and cut to the chase.”   For 25 minutes of inspiration + wisdom + kindness, just hit that download button.   #breastcancer #kindness #hope #flowers

YOLANDA CELLUCCI fashionista, philanthropist, trailblazer  IN MEMORIAM Success is measured not by how long you have lived, but HOW you live. – Yolanda Cellucci I knew this day would come, but I dreaded it.  Fashionista, philanthropist and trailblazer Yolanda Cellucci has died at 91.  And as it turns out, one of her last full length interviews was with me, in November 2022.  So, we’ve pulled this gem out of the archives for you this week, as a way of remembering and honoring a truly great human being. Trust me when I tell you: she was in a league of her own.  I had the opportunity to interview Miss Yolanda multiple times through the course of my career, and every time I was in her presence, I was inspired.   Her success story is a lesson in what it takes to make your dreams a reality.   For starters, she had a passion for flash that included Swarovski crystal, feathers, sequins and fur, but behind the bling, Yolanda had plenty to say about life and how to live it.   The interview you are about to hear was recorded in her swanky Watertown penthouse.   I can still remember what she was wearing:  a fitted white pantsuit with rhinestones.  Her make-up and hair were done perfectly.  She had on big long eyelashes, and white boots to die for.  Beyond her stunning outfit, every single thing in Yolanda’s penthouse was white…even the baby grand piano. Known as the “Goddess of Glitz” Yolanda had written the book Beyond the Glitz & Glamour which details her rise in the fashion industry.  As a young mother, she began building her empire by selling wigs out of the back of her car, with her daughters in the back seat.   A powerhouse with a heart of gold…Yolanda never had any doubt that she could do whatever she put her mind to. From her early life in the little Italian-American village of Nonantum, Massachusetts to the creation of her iconic fashion experience: “Yolanda’s of Waltham where beautiful lifestyles begin” to her 65 year marriage to the love of her life, to being a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, friend to many and philanthropist extraordinaire, this episode is a bow to one of the best women you will ever get the chance to listen to.  To quote Miss Yolanda “pursue your dreams, even if someone says you are crazy.  Do it anyway. “   #fashion #entrepreneur #trailblazer #philanthropist   

wife, mother of 5, Fulbright Scholar @renee.minogue   minogueforma.com It has been one of the highlights of my life, to travel through this beautiful state and meet incredible people.   -ReneeMinogue Not so long ago, Renee’s husband Mike Minogue asked her to take a hike with him.   By the time they got home, the couple had made up their minds that Mike would seek the Republican nomination for Governor of Massachusetts.  minogueforma.com.  The mother of five children between the ages of 14-25, Renee is a hands on partner, joining him on the campaign trail each and everyday.  According to Renee, “Mike is there as a public servant with a purpose driven mindset.  He’s not a politician, he’s a businessman.  We are on a mission to serve.”  Born and raised in a tiny town in Wisconsin with “more cows than people”, Renee took a gap year after high school to live in Austria and learned to speak German.  After graduating from Notre Dame with a Fulbright scholarship to return again to Austria, Renee returned home early to care for her dying father.  She met Mike when she was as a young intern at GE where he was rising to the top with a focus on developing life saving medical devices.  A dynamic sales leader from the start, Renee helped to launch the first 3D ultrasound in the United States and remains a passionate advocate for educational opportunity.  She played a leading role in advancing the Federal Scholarship Tax credit through the Mike & Renee Minogue Foundation which sponsored the initiative. In this interview, Renee shares her commitment to faith and family, as well as her hopes for Mike’s candidacy in a traditionally Democratic state.  Says Renee:  “People are ready for an outsider.  He’s a guy who listens and learns.  To me, success is living with purpose.  It’s not money and it’s not fame, it is serving something greater than yourself.”  For 23 minutes of inspiration and a unique perspective into the role a spouse plays in their partner’s political campaign,  just hit that download button.  #womeninspiringwomen #politics #faith #family #federalscholarshiptaxcredit 

Founder & CEO of Mom Bomb MomBomb.shop & MomBomb.org  Women are underestimated.  I sit in board rooms with capital investors and other decision makers and I know that there are women with better ideas, and still, they don’t get a chance.  – Heather Roberts  Welcome to the story of an entrepreneurial mother of 6 who made the discovery of her life during the most difficult time in her life.   In the spotlight, Heather Roberts, Founder & CEO of  Mom Bomb, MomBomb.shop,  a social impact company that makes all-natural bath bombs while funding mombomb.org to support women in need.   Why bath bombs?  Heather explains:  “One day, my body just said “enough” and I started having seizures.   Over the next ten months, I saw 16 doctors and some of them said I was crazy. Then, one neurologist took the extra time to study my medical reports carefully and she diagnosed me with a rare condition nicknamed “the suicide disease” because it is so painful, people kill themselves.”  Trigeminal Neuralgia is a chronic pain condition that causes sudden, intense, electric shock-like, stabbing pain to the side of the face. Finding the right medication for Heather took more time, too, and she found relief laying in a warm bath with bath bombs just for relief.  However, once she started reading the ingredients in bath bombs,  she learned that they are filled with “endocrine disrupting garbage” that can cause sleep dysfunction, headaches and more.  That’s when Mom Bomb came to life.  She learned how to use all-natural ingredients to create safe, soothing bath bombs for moms who just might need a little TLC at the end of a long day, and then she asked herself:  what if I sell this product to women who need to relax and use the proceeds to help other moms in crisis?”Mom Bomb is a social impact company and in bringing her concept to market, she has redefined what it means to do well, by doing good.   Many companies are following suit and that’s okay with Heather.  “Mom Bomb.org is why I get up in the morning.  We’re gonna give our money away and money is going to be the by-product of doing the right thing.” Inspiring?  We think so.  Go ahead and hit that download button.   #womeninspiringwomen #thestorybehindhersuccess #trigeminalneuralgia #entrepreneur 

Host of That Mom podcast thatmompodcast.com   Guess what?  Becoming a mom actually changes your brain.   -Maria Wood Meet a working mom on a mission to help other moms create lives that align with the things that matter most to them.  Maria Woods is the host of the all-new podcast series That Mom thatmompodcast.com.   Born and Raised in the little town of Royalston, Massachusetts, she’s the daughter of an educator, and holds three degrees in cultural anthropology, law and business.   In this interview, she shares the story behind the creation of her popular series, and the joy she gets from offering her audience knowledge they can use from the experts who appear on the show. Says Maria:  “Motherstoday are under pressure to do it all and there’s been no mention of the sacrifice that goes into it.”   Now the mother of two young children, Maria says she makes no apologies for the time she spends at work.  Why?  Because she loves her career in marketing. So, instead of telling her children “mommy has to go to work”  Maria has flipped the guilt script and says “mommy gets to go to work today and I’ll have lots to tell you when I get home.”  Prioritizing what really matters to you is the key to fulfillment as a parent, says Maria. “As moms, it’s hard to do everything and maybe sometimes, we can’t.  You have to give from a place of love, but you also have to give from a place of wanting to give, and that nuance makes modern motherhood so complicated.”   For 24 minutes of priceless mom wisdom, just hit that download button.  #motherhood #wisdom #workingmom #thestorybehindhersuccess