Posts by Giovanna Rossi

In this episode, we’ll talk about how we can lead, create change, and stay true to ourselves—all at the same time, with my guest, Maija West.

Maija is a retired attorney turned organizational governance consultant, author, and peacemaker with over 25 years of experience working with nonprofits, foundations, businesses, tribal communities, and government agencies. She specializes in utilizing reconciliation, peacemaking, and conflict resolution strategies to foster strong communication and leadership within diverse communities. 

Maija is also the co-founder of the Healing and Reconciliation Institute and a strategic consulting partner supporting ecological governance and lineage-based leadership to a select group of leaders and organizations.

As a first-generation American with deep Latvian roots, she’s discovered how connecting to her own cultural lineage has transformed not just her leadership style, but her entire approach to creating change within patriarchal systems.

In her recent book, “Matriarch Makeover: A 30-Day Invitation,” Maija offers what she calls “an ecological call to action for leaders” – a radical reimagining of how we can lead from a place of cultural groundedness and feminine wisdom.

We discuss:

• how she weaves together the “three strands of the braid”—self, family, and community—as her guide to live an authentic life even in the most challenging environments
• why reclaiming and connecting to your lineage is essential for trauma-informed leadership and the key to thriving in patriarchal systems 
• how your burnout might be a signal that you’re disconnected from your cultural lineage
• how you could transform toxic boardroom meetings into healing circles
• and more

This conversation will challenge everything you think you know about working within oppressive systems while staying true to who you are.

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The Well Woman Show is thankful for support from The Well Woman Academy™ at https://wellwomanlife.com/academy/. Join other smart, high-achieving women, to rewrite the rules for how to love, lead, and succeed—so you can live with more joy, ease, and abundance, even when life is tough.

Resources Mentioned

• Matriarch Makeover: A 30-Day Invitation by Maija West
• Matriarch Makeover Women’s Retreat 
• Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World by Tyson Yunkaporta

Connect with Maija West

Website: maijawest.com

IG: https://www.instagram.com/danilovawest/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maija-west-2123079/

Email: maija@maijawest.com

Connect with Giovanna Rossi

Website: https://wellwomanlife.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/wellwomanlife

FB: https://www.facebook.com/TheWellWomanShow#

LinkedIn: Giovanna Rossi, MSc, ICF-ACC | LinkedIn

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If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the Well Woman Show on your favorite podcast platform and leave us a review. Your support helps us continue bringing you conversations with incredible women leaders who are changing the world.

I’m thrilled to bring you this month’s episode with someone who has lived many lives in one — spiritual teacher, publicist, bestselling author, and storyteller — the remarkable Arielle Ford. 

A celebrated love and relationship expert, Arielle has written eleven non-fiction books in the self-help and relationship space, including the international bestseller, “The Soulmate Secret”. 

She’s a former top-tier book publicist who is credited with launching the high-profile careers of many top-selling authors and speakers, including her sister Debbie Ford, New York Times Best-selling authors Deepak Chopra, Jack Canfield, and Mark Victor Hansen (co-authors of the popular Chicken Soup for the Soul series).

Today, we’re diving into her most personal and transformative project yet: her debut novel, “The Love Thief”. 

Arielle shares what brought her to write this book and her incredible journey from being what she calls “arguably the number one book publicist in America” to completely shutting down her successful business with no plan B – and how that terrifying leap led to some of the most magical experiences of her life.

We talk about:

• listening to your inner knowing, even when it’s inconvenient
• the difference between forcing manifestation and surrendering to what wants to emerge
• the painful reality of toxic relationships and how successful women often become targets
• how real, lasting love isn’t about fireworks — but about behavior, choice, and action

If you’re at a crossroads in your career, your relationships, or your creative life — this episode will speak directly to your heart. 

Arielle’s story is a masterclass in following intuition, embracing uncertainty, and understanding that sometimes our greatest breakthroughs come from our most terrifying moments of not knowing what’s next.

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The Well Woman Show is thankful for support from Collective Action Strategies—a consulting firm dedicated to driving systemic change so that women and families thrive. And don’t forget to take the Well Woman Life Movement Challenge Quiz at https://wellwomanlife.com/quiz.

Resources Mentioned

• The Soulmate Secret: Manifest the Love of Your Life with the Law of Attraction by Arielle Ford
• The Love Thief: A Novel by Arielle Ford
• Wabi Sabi Love: The Ancient Art of Finding Perfect Love in Imperfect Relationships by Arielle Ford
• The Forty Rules of Love: A Novel of Rumi by Elif Shafak 
• Shame-Proof Parenting: Find Your Unique Parenting Voice, Feel Empowered, and Raise Whole, Healthy Children by Dr. Mercedes Samudio

Connect with Arielle Ford

Website: http://www.arielleford.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/arielleford_author/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/arielle.ford

Email: arielle.ford@evolvingwisdom.com

Connect with Giovanna Rossi

Website: https://wellwomanlife.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/wellwomanlife

FB:https://www.facebook.com/TheWellWomanShow#

LinkedIn:Giovanna Rossi, MSc, ICF-ACC | LinkedIn

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If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the Well Woman Show on your favorite podcast platform and leave us a review. Your support helps us continue bringing you conversations with incredible women leaders who are changing the world.

This month on the Well Woman Show, I sit down with Dr. Mercedes Samudio, an inclusive, anti-racist psychotherapist and parent coach who’s revolutionizing how we think about raising children and healing families.

She is the bestselling author of “Shame-Proof Parenting: Find your unique parenting voice, feel empowered, and raise whole, healthy children”. Her work focuses on parent coaching and guiding families to reduce unwanted behaviors, developing effective parenting strategies, creating healthy communication habits, and designing social media/tech plans for their household.

What makes her approach so powerful, and frankly, innovative, is her belief that we can’t heal families by shaming parents. Instead, she offers a roadmap for understanding how our childhood experiences shape our parenting.

In our conversation, we explore:

• what shame really is and how it shows up in parenting
• the intersection of identity, oppression, and raising children
• how to find joy in difficult stories of our life
• practical ways to break the cycles of shame in our families
• how to raise emotionally safe kids in a world that often feels unsafe
• building future voices by how we raise our children

Whether you’re a parent, caregiver, or someone who was raised by imperfect humans – which is all of us – this conversation offers profound insights into breaking generational patterns and creating the kind of family environment where everyone can thrive.

The Well Woman Show is thankful for support from Collective Action Strategies—a consulting firm dedicated to driving systemic change so that women and families thrive. And don’t forget to take the Well Woman Life Movement Challenge Quiz at https://wellwomanlife.com/quiz.

Resources Mentioned

Shame-Proof Parenting: Find Your Unique Parenting Voice, Feel Empowered, and Raise Whole, Healthy Children by Dr. Mercedes Samudio
The Red Cross Advisory – Extreme Heat is Too Dangerous to Be Invisible: Knowing what to do to protect yourself and your loved ones can save lives
The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

Connect with Dr. Mercedes Samudio
Website: http://shameproofparenting.com/
Phone #: 714-758-5988
Email: mercedes@shameproofparenting.com

Connect with Giovanna Rossi
Website: https://wellwomanlife.com/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/wellwomanlife
FB: https://www.facebook.com/TheWellWomanShow#
LinkedIn: Giovanna Rossi, MSc, ICF-ACC | LinkedIn

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the Well Woman Show on your favorite podcast platform and leave us a review. Your support helps us continue bringing you conversations with incredible women leaders who are changing the world.

Hello, and welcome to another episode of the Well Woman Show. Today, we’re talking about leadership, systemic inequities, how women in high-pressure careers can find balance and fulfillment without burning out, and more!

Joining me is a truly inspiring guest, Emily Howard, a dynamic leader who effortlessly juggles multiple roles as a mom, wife, business owner, consultant, and the new Executive Director of the Economic Forum of Albuquerque, an association of influential leaders committed to elevating the economic vitality of Albuquerque. She is also the Founder/President of Cheetah Strategy, providing strategic planning and brand consulting services. Previously, she led brand and business strategy for Visit Albuquerque, the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, McKee Wallwork, Esparza, and DDB Worldwide. 

Passionate about bringing ideas to life and fostering collaboration, Emily is a driving force in the Albuquerque community. She co-founded the “Start Bragging” movement, co-hosts the “Positive Not Perfect” radio show, and serves on various boards. 

In this episode, we cover:

• How leaders manage many important roles in their professional and personal lives
• The efforts to make powerful business groups more diverse and welcoming to everyone
• Visions for building stronger, more vibrant local economies for the future
• Strategies for balancing work demands with family life and well-being, especially for women in leadership
• The importance of honest communication in the workplace regarding personal responsibilities

Emily brings years of experience and deep insights into how we can lead within and despite the systems that impact us, fostering a more inclusive and thriving community for all.

The book that Emily is currently reading: The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery by Ian Morgan Cron

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The Well Woman Show is thankful for support from Collective Action Strategies—a consulting firm dedicated to driving systemic change so that women and families thrive. And don’t forget to take the Well Woman Life Movement Challenge Quiz at Well Woman Life Challenge. Trust me, these two questions could very well change your life!

As always, all links and information can be found at http://www.wellwomanlife.com/347show

Hello, and welcome to another episode of the Well Woman Show!

We’re having a deeply meaningful and timely conversation about healing, ambition, and the hidden impacts of systemic trauma, especially for high-achieving women, with my special guest, Annie Wright, LMFT. 

Annie is a licensed psychotherapist, relational trauma recovery specialist, writer, and founder of Evergreen Counseling. She is dedicated to helping ambitious women heal the impacts of early relational trauma, break survival-driven patterns, and build thriving, fulfilling lives. She also continues to share trauma-informed insights as a columnist for Psychology Today, a frequent media expert featured in Forbes, Business Insider, and NBC. 

In today’s conversation, Annie shares her journey of trauma, healing, and entrepreneurship, and how it shaped the powerful work she does today. She offers insight into how trauma manifests in ambitious women, how systemic forces compound our struggles, and what it truly means to build a strong, stable life from the inside out.

Together, we explore:

• The link between childhood trauma and overwork, burnout, and perfectionism
• How relational and systemic trauma shape our beliefs, behaviors, and boundaries
• What healing looks like when you’re still ambitious – how ambitious women and healthy work habits can co-exist
• Why addressing the “cracks in your foundation” is key to lasting emotional and relational wellness
• The importance of creating space for rest, especially for women of color navigating multiple systems of oppression in today’s political landscape

Annie brings not only clinical expertise but lived experience to the conversation, making her insights all the more powerful and resonant. Whether you’re navigating burnout, feeling triggered by the world around you, or simply ready to heal in a deeper, more sustainable way, this episode is for you.

The book she shared was A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

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Also happening this month, 100 Women Albuquerque will be meeting on May 14th at 5:30 pm in Albuquerque to amplify our impact and assist under-supported organizations. The WWS continues our sponsorship of this great work in 2025. Come be inspired by the collective power of women. Join us to meet like-minded women committed to making a difference. Members can nominate local nonprofits and promote a business or event during our meeting. Head over to 100WomenABQ.org

And don’t forget to take the Well Woman Life Movement Challenge Quiz at http://wellwomanlife.com/Challenge/. Trust me, these two questions could very well change your life!

As always, all links and information can be found at www.wellwomanlife.com/346show