Come and listen to our Host, Candace Gish, as she chats with today's guest, Marcia Mantell, for our “End of Year, Beginning of Me” Podcast Series.
A powerfully themed mini-series helping women close the year with clarity and step into the next one with grounded self-love and vision.

For over 30 years, Marcia Mantell has helped the country's foremost financial services firms and advisors increase their knowledge of complex retirement concepts and regulations. She has a remarkable ability to translate those concepts into everyday language that educates and motivates real people to take the right steps to achieve the retirement they desire. Marcia has been named an IA25 Honoree by ThinkAdvisor—one of the “advisors, experts and leaders in financial services who are pushing the industry forward.”

As founder of Mantell Retirement Consulting, Inc. (est. 2005) she regularly partners with financial institutions and advisors to help support their customers across the retirement spectrum—from accumulation to the transition into retirement, and then to organizing and managing income to last a lifetime. She brings an impressive amount of retirement, Social Security, and Medicare knowledge to the financial industry and directly to future retirees through their employers or in partnership with financial advisors.

Known for “translating” technical economic and investment jargon, Social Security and Medicare rules, and complex retirement topics into language that consumers can understand, Marcia has developed innovative retirement income planning workshops for advisors, and comprehensive retirement education programs for plan participants and consumers at all levels of wealth. She is a highly sought-after speaker bringing her signature enthusiasm and energy to conferences, webinars, live webcasts, and podcasts.

While at Fidelity Investments (1992−2005), she was Vice President of Retirement Products and Marketing, responsible for developing IRA and Small Business programs for consumers. She also served as Fidelity’s retirement spokesperson to the media in national and regional consumer and advisor publications.

She’s the author of four must-read books for everyone who wants to retire. Her lively how-to discussion guide and workbook, Cookin’ Up Your Retirement Plan, was featured in the Wall Street Journal article,

“5 Books to Help You Build a Bigger Nest Egg” (July 2025). Her other titles include What’s the Deal with Retirement Planning for Women, Creating Your Medicare Recipe, and her latest book, Social Security: Lightly Toasted, Not Burnt.

Marcia’s long-running blog, BoomerRetirementBriefs.com, showcases a light-hearted, but thought-provoking look at how Baby Boomers are reshaping and reinventing retirement. Plus, you’ll find in-depth updates on the current state of affairs in Social Security and Medicare.

We explore how to end the year with clarity and step into 2026 with a practical retirement plan, more honest money talks, and a sense of purpose that lasts. Marcia Mantel shares clear steps for Social Security timing, Medicare basics, and designing a 30-year retirement you’ll actually enjoy.

• reframing retirement beyond age 65 into a 30-year design
• why waiting to claim social security can boost lifetime income
• breaking the silence around money so women lead their planning
• simple steps to build financial autonomy and credit history
• books and worksheets that turn ideas into action
• practical year-end planning using quarters, calendars and checklists
• how to craft purpose, work and community into later life
• resources to learn medicare, estate basics and risk planning

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

Come and listen to our Host, Candace Gish, as she chats with today's guest, Dr. Nelva Lee, for our “End of Year, Beginning of Me” Podcast Series.
A powerfully themed mini-series helping women close the year with clarity and step into the next one with grounded self-love and vision.

Dr. Nelva Lee is the Founder and CEO of Concrete Build Financing and
MiTio Technologies, a Medical Interpreting and Translating Agency. Dr. Lee
was a Subject Matter Expert in the creation of the CMI exam for the NBCMI
and was respectively its first Chair.

Dr. Lee has over 20 years of experience in healthcare and over 10 years in
academia as an adjunct professor for various Universities. She was a
Governor Kemp appointed board member to the Department of Community
Health. She is the Vice Chairman of the board of the Henry County
Pregnancy Resource Center (Bridge Wellness South), and a former
Republican candidate for State Senate in District 17. Dr. Lee has authored
several Christian-based books including: “Stay and Fight” and “Be the
Super Hero of Your Story.”

Dr. Lee volunteers at Relevant, her local church, and the Joy FM as a
Prayer Partner. She was a Home-School Mom, Substitute Teacher for a
Christian School, and Vocational School Founder and CEO. She has been
married to her best friend Donnie for 25 years, and together they have 3
children.

https://www.youtube.com/@DrNelvaLee

https://x.com/CBLD2025

We explore purpose-driven leadership with Dr. Nelva Lee, from life under a dictatorship to entrepreneurship, school choice, and a run for Georgia superintendent. Practical tools for getting unstuck meet bold ideas on literacy, trade schools, and learning to face change with courage.

• founding a vocational school for medical interpreters and its impact on dignity and income
• why school choice matters for diverse learners, including homeschooling and Montessori
• tackling illiteracy by raising expectations and aligning environments to the child
• decision to run for Georgia superintendent and a vision for results that count
• resilience, faith, and finding purpose as daily practice
• an accessible take on crypto, inflation, and asset-backed tokens
• links to books, campaign, and channels for deeper learning

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

Come and listen to our Host, Candace Gish, as she chats with today's guest, Nicole Rodrigues, for our “End of Year, Beginning of Me” Podcast Series.
A powerfully themed mini-series helping women close the year with clarity and step into the next one with grounded self-love and vision.

Nicole Rodrigues, founder and CEO of NRPR Group, is a recognized public relations expert, digital and social media marketing and crisis communication pro with 24+ years of experience under her belt. In her tenure, she has developed and successfully executed strategic campaigns for some of the biggest names in business including: Yahoo!, Dolby, Sony Pictures
Entertainment, Sony PlayStation, Hulu, M-GO, Toon Hero, Demand Media, Heal, MOBITV, Los Angeles Comic Con and the Oakland (now Las Vegas) Raiders. Amongst some of the most notable campaigns she was charged with, Nicole ran the first and only official mommy blogger campaign for Yahoo!, she devised and launched the PR strategy for all of Hulu first original
shows, and she helped develop YouTube’s creator and influencer PR strategy to produce more impactful campaigns at the forefront of the creator economy boom.

Nicole has repeatedly been recognized as an innovative leader in her industry, being a regular Crisis Communications guest expert on Access Hollywood and most recently as a Bulldog Reporter PR Awards Leader of the Year (Agency) and Ragans Top Agencies Awards Top Agency Leader (2022). She has also been honored with a Stevie Award winner for Communications, Investor Relations, or PR Executive of the Year(2021). She was also awarded
PR Daily’s “PR Professional of the Year” Award (2019), Bulldog Reporter’s “Stars of PR - PR Professional Who Makes a Difference” Award (2018), a Gold Award for “Public or Media Relations Professional of the Year” in Bulldog Reporters “Stars of PR,” and PR News’ Top 50 Game Changers in Public Relations (2017). These awards are confirmation of her mission to meaningfully disrupt the way in which public relations are done in the modern era.

Nicole is also the author of Beverly Hills Boss, a business and life skills book aimed at helping others, like herself, who dream of leading despite any humble beginnings or obstacles. Through her book, readers gain inspiration and actionable insight for growing as a person and in their careers.
Nicole takes great pride in being a former NFL cheerleader, having spent several years cheering for the famed Oakland Raiders. Today, she continues to cheer on her “new team” at NRPR and is a graduate from San Jose State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Relations.
She earned her MBA at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. While attending business school, Nicole was an Admissions Rep on class council and graduated in the top 15% of her class. She earned her MBA with a concentration in entrepreneurship, which she chose purposely to ensure she was learning more skills to help her clients manage the ups and downs of starting, growing and scaling a business.

https://x.com/NicoleRPR

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolerpr/

We talk with NRPR Group CEO Nicole Rodriguez about moving from survival mode to sustainable leadership while building an authentic, long-game PR strategy rooted in truth, alignment and earned media. We share practical ways to set standards, protect reputation, and design for peace, health and growth.

• why earned media beats hype for lasting trust
• how to align PR with real business goals
• when to say no and protect standards
• building narratives from milestones and proof
• the shift from urgency to sustainability
• designing a 10 to 20 year horizon
• allowing support and leaving survival mode
• mentorship’s role in purpose and confidence
• social media’s impact on executive visibility

Please send, share, even

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

Come and listen to our Host, Candace Gish, as she chats with today's guest, Veronica Deraleau, for our “End of Year, Beginning of Me” Podcast Series.
A powerfully themed mini-series helping women close the year with clarity and step into the next one with grounded self-love and vision.

Veronica Deraleau is a financial coach, author, opera singer, financial technology manager, and U.S. Army Veteran.

During the COVID pandemic, when performing artists abruptly found their livelihoods on hold, Veronica felt called to share her personal finance knowledge. In ‘Making Money Is Simple,’ Veronica details the actions and mindset it took to pay off over $100,000 of debt in three years on a median salary. In her signature Money Simple coaching program, Veronica helps
professionals and creatives stop going paycheck to paycheck so they can provide an abundant life for their families and start living out their dreams.

A classically trained soprano, Veronica started her career serving as a musician in the US Army Reserve, where she performed across the country and abroad at cultural and political events for diverse audiences, including a President and Pope. She continues to sing today across a variety of classical genres, including opera, concert, choral, orchestral, recital, and film.

Upon graduating during the Great Recession, Veronica began working for a start-up and was hooked. Since then, she’s built her career in the commercial private markets, working for early-stage companies across various industries: alternative energy, real estate, private equity, and financial technology. One of her great joys has been supporting early talent in navigating and developing their careers.

Veronica lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Mike, and their dogs, Phil and Minka.

Buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DGGSMWRY
Visit the website: https://makingmoneyissimple.com/

Veronica’s singing website: https://www.veronicaderaleau.com/
Veronica’s LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronica-deraleau/

Connect with Veronica:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/makingmoneyissimple/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575215157056
LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/makingmoneyissimple/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/makingmoneyissimple/

We explore mindset, outcome-based budgeting, and practical steps to start fresh.

• origin story in music, Army Reserve, and economics
• startup lessons that shaped a creative approach to money
• adopting high-net-worth budgeting tactics for personal finance
• paying off six figures of debt on a starting salary
• launching webinars during COVID to help artists
• building a coaching practice and writing Making Money Is Simple
• ARIA framework explained: Awaken, Reframe, Intend, Act
• why financial literacy gives women options and freedom
• quiz invite to assess money mindset and get updates
• where to buy the book and connect online

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

Come and listen to our Host, Gia-Raquel, as she chats with today's guest, Ann Scheerer, for our “End of Year, Beginning of Me” Podcast Series.
A powerfully themed mini-series helping women close the year with clarity and step into the next one with grounded self-love and vision.

Ann Scheerer, PhD, is a professor of environmental sciences and sustainability and a longtime meditation and yoga practitioner. Ann's courses explore the current "unsustainable" planetary situation and engage students in designing social responses to prepare for changing conditions. Ann believes contemplative practices like meditation and yoga are crucial for personal resilience in these complex and uncertain times. She came to Yin Yoga practice to slow down and listen to her body. Through deep and long Yin yoga poses, she found a deeper connection to her body and to the earth. These practices have supported Ann's teaching and influenced her curriculum. As a proponent of slowing down, Ann encourages students to be more aware of our choices and self care. Ann embraces change and has shifted her career a few times following her curiosities and earning multiple degrees. In addition to her PhD, Design and Planning, she has obtained two Master's degrees - MSLS (Master of Strategic Leadership for Sustainability) and MPA (Master of Public Administration).

A high-altitude pilgrimage around Mount Kailash meets a joyful Santorini yoga retreat to explore release, completion, and the sacred pause between endings and beginnings. We share Buddhist insights on compassion and impermanence, practical rituals for letting go, and how travel reshapes identity.

• Circumambulating Mount Kailash as a ritual of completion
• Body, speech, mind practices at high altitude
• Compassion and generosity modeled in Tibetan culture
• The infinity symbol, prayer flags, and Green Tara
• Impermanence, bardos, and the sacred pause
• Decluttering stories and things to create space
• Joyful flow and laughter on a Santorini yoga retreat
• Integrating lightness through journaling and reflection
• Creativity as a path forward: writing, mandalas, song
• Carrying new energy back into work and life

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

Come and listen to our Host, Tina Spoletini, as she chats with today's guest, Carrie Doucette, for our “End of Year, Beginning of Me” Podcast Series.
A powerfully themed mini-series helping women close the year with clarity and step into the next one with grounded self-love and vision.

Carrie Doucette, affectionately known as Carrie the Connector, believes in the magic that happens when we lift each other up. A natural storyteller and community builder, she’s known for creating spaces where authenticity and encouragement flourish. Her work celebrates the beauty of real connection — reminding us that confidence grows strongest when we grow together.

www.carrietheconnector.ca

www.inyourfacephotobooth.com

We explore how confidence grows through community, storytelling, and clear boundaries as Carrie “the Connector” shares practical ways to trade perfection for presence and competition for collaboration. Real-world tactics make branding human, networking useful, and reinvention doable.

• redefining success as alignment over hustle
• authentic branding rooted in values and fit
• community that blends support with accountability
• collaboration with peers instead of competition
• storytelling as resilience and trust‑building
• simple video and content that feels human
• the four content pillars: promote, entertain, inspire, educate
• using play and joy to boost visibility
• boundaries, routines, and energy management
• empathy, grace, and not burning bridges
• actionable steps for reinvention and non‑negotiables

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

Come and listen to our Host, Tina Spoletini, as she chats with today's guest, Sharleen Cheung, for our “End of Year, Beginning of Me” Podcast Series.
A powerfully themed mini-series helping women close the year with clarity and step into the next one with grounded self-love and vision.

Sharleen Cheung is a Certified Macro Nutrition Coach specializing in perimenopause health and sustainable fat loss. She’s the coach women over 35 turn to when they’re done with diet culture and done being told to just “try harder” during perimenopause. After leaving the corporate grind, she set out to call out the nonsense, bring the science, and help women build real strength and real results without the toxic shortcuts. Her work blends personalized nutrition, strength training, and deep-dive functional testing to uncover the root of stubborn symptoms no one else seems to take seriously. Backed by a powerhouse team of functional practitioners, she’s on a mission to make sure women stop settling for confusion and finally get answers that change everything.

We share why perimenopause isn’t a sentence to “push through” and how eating enough, building muscle, and using functional testing can calm symptoms and restore energy. Sharleen Cheung brings a no-nonsense plan to ditch diet culture and create sustainable fat loss without burnout.

• letting go of perfection and the “shoulds”
• defining the next version of you with vision work
• biggest myths about perimenopause and what actually helps
• under eating, cortisol, and why cardio stops working
• strength training as the midlife multiplier
• functional testing for metabolic, GI, and hormones
• personalized protocols and supplement support
• tracking for awareness, not shame
• protein targets, macro guardrails, and balanced meals
• scale as data, not a verdict
• flexible holiday choices without guilt

IG: https://www.instagram.com/designed.ban/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076296060244

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/designedban/

Website: http://www.designedbyshar.com/

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

Come and listen to our Host, Tina Spoletini, as she chats with today's guest, Karen Porter, for our “End of Year, Beginning of Me” Podcast Series.
A powerfully themed mini-series helping women close the year with clarity and step into the next one with grounded self-love and vision.

For almost 30 years Karen battled severe IBS, anxiety and debilitating bouts of suicidal

depression that left her hospitalized and grasping for her life. Forced to re-evaluate everything

and take her health into her own hands, she started looking into alternative methods to help her heal where the traditional medical approach had failed. She learned the tools to transform her life, to feel healthy, happy, focused, and radiant! Her health, and consequently her life, shifted entirely, and she felt compelled to help as many women as possible to feel their absolute best! Especially moving into menopause and beyond.

At almost 60 herself, Karen is passionate about helping women over 50 regain their energy and feel great in their bodies, so they can live their best life! As a Women’s Health & Wellness Coach she takes the confusion and overwhelm out of mindset,managing stress, meals, movement & happiness with a proven program – Your Best Life Reset – which guarantees weight loss, reduced inflammation, more energy, better sleep, better mental focus, hormone balancing and increased confidence! She helps you to make the rest of your life, the BEST of your life! Karen has been featured on stages, podcasts, as well as on CP24, Global TV and Breakfast Television.

For almost 30 years, Karen battled severe IBS, anxiety, and suicidal depression that left her hospitalized and desperate for answers. When traditional medicine failed her, she turned to alternative healing methods that completely transformed her health and happiness. Now, approaching 60, Karen is passionate about helping women over 50 regain their energy, balance their hormones, and feel vibrant through her proven Your Best Life Reset program. She’s been featured on stages, podcasts, and major media outlets like CP24, Global TV, and Breakfast Television—empowering women to make the rest of their life the best of their life.

https://karenporter.ca/

We explore how gut health, breathwork, and mindset helped Karen Porter move from decades of IBS and depression to an empowered, vibrant midlife grounded in simple, sustainable habits. Practical resets, the five M’s framework, and a supportive community offer clear steps to feel better now.

• Elimination diet fundamentals and inflammatory trigger foods
• Gut-brain axis links to anxiety, sleep, and mood
• Menopause as a liberating reset, not a life sentence
• Lifestyle foundations before considering HRT
• The five M’s: mindset, nervous system, meals, movement, joy
• Breathwork basics, nasal breathing, and longer exhales
• Hydration, electrolytes, and cutting late-night snacking
• Clarifying your why and building resilient routines
• Your Best Life Reset program structure and support
• Free resources, challenges, and how to connect with Karen

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