Come and listen to our Host, Candace Gish, and her special guest Benedicta Gbaruk chat in the “Collaboration Over Competition” Podcast Mini-Series.

This empowering series explores what becomes possible when women stop competing against one another and start building together. We’re shifting the focus from comparison and competition to connection, shared purpose, and collective success. Because when women support women, celebrate each other’s achievements, and share their knowledge and resources, everyone has the opportunity to grow.

Through honest conversations, inspiring stories, and practical insights, we’ll discover how collaboration creates stronger relationships, opens doors to new opportunities, and multiplies the impact we can make in our communities and beyond. From celebrating another woman’s success to building meaningful partnerships, we’ll explore how a spirit of generosity and teamwork can transform the way we approach life, business, and leadership.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, a community leader, a creative, or a woman working toward your next big goal, this series will remind you that you don't have to do it all alone. Your success doesn't diminish someone else's, and another woman's achievements don't take away from your own potential.

Join us as we celebrate the power of women coming together, lifting one another up, and creating opportunities that are bigger than any one of us could build alone.

Benedicta K. Gbaruk is an author, speaker, and founder whose message centers on turning pain and regret into purpose. Drawing from deeply personal experiences of loss, family challenges, and her own journey of forgiveness, Benedicta helps others release guilt, regret, unforgiveness, and self-condemnation so they can move forward with greater peace, freedom, and purpose.

She is the author of Discovering Grace and Peace Amid Family Regrets: A Christian’s Journey of Healing, a deeply personal exploration of forgiveness, faith, family, and finding peace with the parts of our stories we cannot change. Her upcoming book, How Do You Forgive Yourself? A Christian’s Perspective, addresses one of the most difficult forms of forgiveness: learning to extend grace to ourselves.

Benedicta is also the founder of Aging Gracefully in Christ and the Susanna Foundation, through which she has worked to encourage and serve others.

At the heart of Benedicta’s work is a simple conviction: your past may be part of your story, but it does not have to define your future. Through her writing and speaking, she encourages women to transform painful experiences into wisdom, purpose, and opportunities to lift others.

Her message aligns naturally with Divas That Care: when women release comparison, competition, and past hurts, they create space to collaborate, celebrate one another, and rise together.

Social media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/benedicta.gbaruk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benedictagbaruk/

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/benedicta-gbaruk-697418137

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kidibia?lang=en

We talk with author Benedicta Gbaruk about how trauma and grief can turn into regret, and how faith-based self-forgiveness helps us move forward with real peace. We share practical ways to release bitterness, accept the limits of what we could know at the time, and reconnect to purpose through Scripture and support.

• the “Collaboration Over Competition” mini-series and why women build more when they stop comparing
• Benedicta’s 2012 car accident and how it reshapes her family’s life
• why unforgiveness often shows up as regret and self-blame
• the idea that every decision is made with the information available in that moment
• the difference between Benedicta’s first book and her upcoming book on forgiving yourself
• using the Bible, prayer, and simple daily habits to calm the mind and let go
• learning to seek mentors and community support instead of walking alone

For more Divas That Care Network Episodes visit www.divasthatcare.com

Come and listen to our Host, Candace Gish, and her special guest Nicole Penn chat in the “Collaboration Over Competition” Podcast Mini-Series.

This empowering series explores what becomes possible when women stop competing against one another and start building together. We’re shifting the focus from comparison and competition to connection, shared purpose, and collective success. Because when women support women, celebrate each other’s achievements, and share their knowledge and resources, everyone has the opportunity to grow.

Through honest conversations, inspiring stories, and practical insights, we’ll discover how collaboration creates stronger relationships, opens doors to new opportunities, and multiplies the impact we can make in our communities and beyond. From celebrating another woman’s success to building meaningful partnerships, we’ll explore how a spirit of generosity and teamwork can transform the way we approach life, business, and leadership.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, a community leader, a creative, or a woman working toward your next big goal, this series will remind you that you don't have to do it all alone. Your success doesn't diminish someone else's, and another woman's achievements don't take away from your own potential.

Join us as we celebrate the power of women coming together, lifting one another up, and creating opportunities that are bigger than any one of us could build alone.

Nicole Penn is the CEO of the EGC Group, an award winning performance marketing agency With offices in both Manhattan and Brooklyn. Nicole is also the founder of Suade Performance PR, a solution combining traditional PR with affiliate marketing and digital-first storytelling . With more than 25 years of experience leading brand strategy, digital transformation, and AI-driven marketing innovation, Nicole has guided global and national brands including Canon USA, Brother International, Thomson Reuters, and Mayo Clinic, through high-impact growth initiatives.

A graduate of the Harvard Business School’s YPO Presidents Program, Nicole brings a proven track record of scaling organizations through strategic leadership, launching innovative platforms, and driving measurable results, with passion and creativity.

Nicole is a proud mom who values quality time with her children and husband. An avid traveler and art enthusiast, Nicole embraces her inquisitive nature through her love of reading and music. With a dedication to health and wellness, as well as a passion for philanthropy and community, Nicole approaches life with vibrancy, strength and an innately positive mindset.

https://suadepr.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-penn-0178514/

We talk with Nicole Penn, CEO of EGC Group and co-founder of Suede, about building a career where creativity meets commerce and collaboration beats competition. We dig into how AI is reshaping marketing and PR while still demanding clear thinking, real voice, and strong human connection.

• Nicole’s path from aspiring artist to boutique agency leader
• Why collaboration and peer networks help you stay sharp in a competitive industry
• How AI speeds up research and insights without replacing creative judgement
• Common AI mistakes in decks and meetings and how to avoid them
• Career advice for younger marketers on staying “AI native” without losing original thinking
• Productivity habits from working moms including checklists and tight time blocks
• The power of networking and connecting people across industries
• A personal women’s health story that reinforces the need for better support systems

For more Divas That Care Network Episodes visit www.divasthatcare.com

Come and listen to our Host, Candace Gish, and her special guest
Michael Padilla chat in the “Collaboration Over Competition” Podcast Mini-Series.

This empowering series explores what becomes possible when women stop competing against one another and start building together. We’re shifting the focus from comparison and competition to connection, shared purpose, and collective success. Because when women support women, celebrate each other’s achievements, and share their knowledge and resources, everyone has the opportunity to grow.

Through honest conversations, inspiring stories, and practical insights, we’ll discover how collaboration creates stronger relationships, opens doors to new opportunities, and multiplies the impact we can make in our communities and beyond. From celebrating another woman’s success to building meaningful partnerships, we’ll explore how a spirit of generosity and teamwork can transform the way we approach life, business, and leadership.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, a community leader, a creative, or a woman working toward your next big goal, this series will remind you that you don't have to do it all alone. Your success doesn't diminish someone else's, and another woman's achievements don't take away from your own potential.

Join us as we celebrate the power of women coming together, lifting one another up, and creating opportunities that are bigger than any one of us could build alone.

About Michael...

With over three decades of experience, starting in military and security and evolving into energy, consulting, and everything else worth engaging in, I’m proud to hold the role of Chairman & CEO at Al Thuraya Holdings, overseeing a global conglomerate consisting of 17 subsidiary companies. With a solid foundation built during my 31-year experience in the US Military, where I rose to the rank of full Colonel, I transitioned into the private sector, founding Al Thuraya Consultancy in 2009 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Under my leadership, Al Thuraya Consultancy swiftly became a leading provider of risk management and security services, paving the way for the expansion of Al Thuraya Holdings into the globally sought after provider it is today.

Now, Al Thuraya Holdings is just the figurehead for 17 different companies that I have driven from inception to impact. Get in touch with me to find out more.

https://www.michaelpayano.com/

Collaboration over competition becomes real when leadership looks like service, not status. Michael shares how relationship building, human first AI, and a healthier view of fear can unlock better business and a better life.

• why Cairo and the Middle East and Africa feel like opportunity
• moving from military experience into global risk, logistics, healthcare and technology work
• building trust across culture, religion and social bias
• servant leadership as a daily operating principle
• AI as a practical tool rather than a fear headline
• a real world AI agent supporting dementia care and medication reminders
• using AI to help women in business communicate, set tone and regain time
• harnessing fear as fuel for entrepreneurship and mission focus

For more Divas That Care Network Episodes visit www.divasthatcare.com