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Carla Truitt, founder of Eight Royale, joins Marnie and Alisa to share how sore feet, a music career, and a lot of hustle led her to design a line of stylish, packable flats and why year eight is the year she's finally found her voice.

EPISODE NAVIGATION:
00:00:07 — Marnie and Alisa introduce Carla Truitt
00:02:09 — Carla traces her path from communications student to marketing, marriage, motherhood, and the entrepreneurial vision that grew from it all.
00:05:10 — The origin of Eight Royale
00:07:30 — Alisa shares her own painful Super Bowl heel story
00:11:50 — Carla on what makes Eight Royale different
00:14:00 — Marnie coins the new slogan: "Healing without heeling"
00:15:11 — Carla reveals she's celebrating Eight Royale's eighth anniversary in 2026 — the lucky number that inspired the name
00:18:30 — The bold moments
00:23:45 — Carla on her son's football journey at the University of Iowa

ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Carla Truitt is a Washington, D.C.-based entrepreneur, founder of Eight Royale, and a woman who has never been afraid to build — whether that's in the music industry, construction, or footwear. Raised in a family of Guyanese immigrants with an entrepreneurial spirit woven through generations, Carla studied communications and marketing before charting her own course. She spent years working behind the scenes in music (including time affiliated with Bad Boy Records), running a construction cleaning service, and raising a son who went on to play Big Ten football at the University of Iowa. Eight Royale — her line of stylish, packable, cushioned flats — was born out of a real need: beautiful shoes that don't cost you your comfort or your dignity at the end of a long night. Now celebrating the brand's eighth year, Carla has stepped fully into the spotlight, traveling, telling her story, and building what she calls a lifestyle brand for women who walk in power and step into purpose.

CONNECT WITH CARLA & EIGHT ROYALE:
Website: https://eightroyale.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eightroyale/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eightroyale
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eightroyale/

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Boutique fashion, bold reinvention, and the courage to start over — Renata Gasparyan joins Marnie and Alisa in the studio for a conversation as rich and layered as the pieces she designs. In this episode of Bench to Bold, the founder of Renata — a one-of-a-kind boutique on East Boulevard in Charlotte — shares how a career at one of São Paulo's most legendary fashion houses led her to a bonus room in the Carolinas, and eventually to one of the city's most talked-about brands. There are stories about moving from Brazil with two kids and no safety net, panic attacks that came out of nowhere, a stranger in leather pants who became a lifeline, and the husband who said “well, why don’t you just start your own thing?” Plus: the design philosophy she calls sketch to stitch, why her pieces don’t go out of style, and what it really means to dress a woman — not just her body. Consider this the episode where fashion becomes a love language.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
00:56 — São Paulo Roots & Starting in Fashion at 21
04:37 — How the Boutique Was Born: From Compliments on the Street to a Bonus Room Business
07:55 — Word of Mouth Only — Building Renata Without Marketing
09:45 — Sketch to Stitch: The Design Process Behind Every Piece
14:57 — From the House Studio to a Real Storefront on East Boulevard
19:43 — Proportion, Tailoring & the One Inch That Changes Everything
22:06 — The Bench Moment: Moving to Charlotte and the Panic Attacks She Never Saw Coming
28:31 — Go For It: Renata's Message to Women With a Dream

ABOUT RENATA GASPARYAN:
Renata Gasparyan is the founder and designer behind Renata, a boutique fashion brand based in Charlotte, NC. Born in Brazil and raised between São Paulo and Westport, Connecticut, Renata spent years working at Zulu — one of South America's most iconic fashion houses — before relocating to Charlotte a decade ago. What started as compliments on the street and a bonus room full of her favorite pieces has grown into a full boutique at 1419 East Boulevard, beloved for its signature blend of Brazilian sensibility and Southern ease. Renata designs everything from sketch to stitch, working with a small team of four tailors to produce limited, one-of-a-kind collectibles that women wear — and reach for — for years.

CONNECT WITH RENATA:
Shop: 1419 East Boulevard, Charlotte, NC (beside Millennium Nails)
Instagram: @renata_gasparyan

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She graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with a French degree, moved to Philadelphia, and told her new boss she'd stay exactly one year. Thirty-plus years in the NFL later, Leslie Stephenson Matz is the woman who built the Carolina Panthers' TopCats cheerleading program from scratch, and is now being considered for the NFL's first-ever cheerleading Hall of Fame. In this deeply personal episode of Bench to Bold, Marnie sits down with her longtime family friend to trace the whole arc: working under Susan Fletcher, the first female GM in the NFL, during the Eagles' transformation from hobby operation to real business; surviving three ownership transitions including returning from maternity leave with a three-week-old; arriving in Charlotte in 1994 to build an expansion team with no players, no coaches, and no stadium yet built; and what it means to have spent a career doing something so subtle it's easy to miss — building friendships that last decades and showing the next generation of women what it looks like to be built up instead of torn down.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
00:07 — Introduction — Family, the Eagles, and a French Major Who Changed Everything
01:15 — Fresh Out of Chapel Hill — The Job She Didn't Want Leslie
03:46 — What It Was Like to Work for Susan Fletcher
06:26 — Women Supporting Women
09:29 — The NFL as a Startup
12:41 — Ownership Transitions
15:56 — Coming to Charlotte — Building the Panthers From Scratch
17:37 — How Sir Purr and the TopCats Got Their Names
18:52 — The NFCAA Nomination
23:37 — Legacy

ABOUT LESLIE STEPHENSON MATZ:
Leslie Stephenson Matz is a 30-year NFL veteran who served as Director of Special Events and Entertainment for the Carolina Panthers and, before that, spent 12 years with the Philadelphia Eagles under Susan Fletcher, the first female GM in NFL history. At the Panthers, Leslie founded the TopCats cheerleading program in 1996 and oversaw the mascot, cheerleading, pregame, halftime, and major organizational events for the franchise's first decade. A native North Carolinian and UNC Chapel Hill graduate, she is a member of the Carolina Professional Football Cheerleader Alumni Association and has been nominated for national recognition by the National Football Cheerleaders Alumni Organization (NFCAA), which is working toward establishing a dedicated Hall of Fame in Canton for cheerleader directors, coaches, and choreographers.

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Fashion, dating, healing, and showing up fully — Heather Anderson joins Marnie and Alisa for a conversation that goes well beyond style tips. In this episode of Bench to Bold, the founder of So Heather shares how a decade-plus career in fashion influencing evolved into something far more personal: helping women over 40 navigate divorce, dating, and the kind of inner work that actually changes your life. There are stories about leaving a toxic marriage, a week-long emotional healing retreat in California, swiping right on a guy she almost passed over, and why a chance encounter on a tennis court a year earlier made all the difference. Plus: the case for in-person dating events, why energy can't be captured in a profile photo, and what it means to be "so Heather." Consider this the episode where style becomes the starting point for something much deeper.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
00:07 — Welcome to Bench to Bold: Introducing Heather Anderson
02:04 — How It Started: From Stylist to Influencer in 2012
04:09 — The Shift to Video and Building a YouTube Audience
05:05 — Going Vulnerable: Sharing the Real Stuff On Camera
05:18 — The Hoffman Process & Healing Before Divorce
06:47 — Dating Over 50: What It's Actually Teaching Her
07:21 — Red Flags, Green Flags & Learning to Read the Room
23:02 — What's Next: Podcast Ideas & In-Person Dating Events
24:35 — The Tennis Court Story & Why You Can't Judge Energy From a Photo
25:06 — Hot Yoga, Dolce the Shiatsu & Family Moments in the Kitchen
26:00 — Meet Hezi — and Baby Cal Coming Soon

ABOUT HEATHER ANDERSON:
Heather Anderson is a fashion and lifestyle influencer helping women over 40 look modern, feel confident, and truly love the way they show up in the world. With over 250,000 followers across YouTube and Instagram and more than a decade of experience, she's built a trusted platform — So Heather — rooted in real, wearable style and refreshingly honest storytelling. Heather is also known for her candid take on dating over 50, sharing real-life experiences and hard-won wisdom to help women navigate relationships with confidence and self-respect.

Find her on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/soheatherblog/
On YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/c/HeatherAndersonFashionOver40

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No guest. No agenda. Just Marnie and Alisa taking over the show to let listeners finally get to know them. In this Season 2 solo episode of Bench to Bold, the co-hosts go deep on the things that actually matter: favorite flowers, candy dealbreakers, the people they'd most want to have dinner with, their complicated relationships with heights and bridges, and the TV shows Alisa has somehow never seen a single episode of. There are Prince stories, a Ben Franklin monologue, a dentist-mandated crown from chewing fireballs, and a genuine debate about whether airlines are intentionally disabling seat charging ports. Consider this the episode where Bench to Bold gets personal.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
00:07 — No Guest, No Rules
04:33 — Fresh Flowers, Hotel Lobbies & Why Presentation Is Everything
06:42 — Candy Wars
10:08 — Cookies vs. Cake
13:03 — Dinner With Anyone
15:00 — Prince at Paisley Park, Purple Rain Tour & a Victoria's Secret Story
19:19 — The Jetsons Were Right
21:34 — Bridges, Heights & the Grand Canyon Glass Walk
26:49 — Top Gun

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS:
Bench to Bold is co-hosted by Marnie Schneider — author, speaker, and football legacy (granddaughter of former Philadelphia Eagles owner Leonard Tose) — and Alisa Hood, fashion and lifestyle entrepreneur and founder of Alisa Lux Beauty. Together they bring bold conversations, real stories, and a lot of laughs to a show built around the simple idea that life isn't a spectator sport.

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It started with a phone call: a friend leaving town in 45 minutes with a pig she didn't know what to do with. Rebecca Lobb said yes — and that single moment became the spark for Mabel's Misfits, a Waxhaw, NC-based nonprofit built around the animals everyone else overlooks. In this episode of Bench to Bold, Marnie and Alisa sit down with Rebecca to hear the whole story: a summer spent building a hobbit house for two rescue pigs by hand, a wildflower seed campaign getting kids and families back into nature, Boy Scouts building bat boxes to replace mosquito spray, and a lifelong love of animals rooted in early mornings with her grandfather watching dragonflies hatch from Surrey ponds at 4am. Rebecca's vision for Mabel's Misfits goes far beyond rescue — it's about teaching empathy, rebuilding the human connection to nature, and proving that every misfit, animal or otherwise, is worthy of love.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
00:00:46 — What Is Mabel's Misfits?
00:02:54 — A Life Built Around Animals
00:05:27 — The Pig, the Pen, the Friends With Pallets
00:07:57 — From Mabel to a Full Menagerie
00:12:32 — Fundraising, the Seed Campaign & Becoming a Misfit Member Rebecca's
00:17:14 — The Grandfather Who Woke Her Up at 4am to Watch Dragonflies Hatch
00:21:06 — Bats, Bat Boxes & Why You Don't Need Mosquito Spray
00:25:53 — The Science of Animals and Healing
00:28:23 — Taking Animals Into Schools, Scout Groups & Churches
00:31:25 — Why the Overlooked Animals Need a Champion

ABOUT REBECCA LOBB & MABEL'S MISFITS:
Rebecca Lobb is the founder of Mabel's Misfits, a community-based nonprofit in Waxhaw, NC focused on rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming the animals most people overlook — rabbits, reptiles, small animals, and the occasional pig. Originally from Surrey, England, Rebecca brings a deep background in wildlife conservation and a lifelong connection to nature to everything she builds. By day she runs a dog grooming business from home; by 5am she's feeding 23 chickens, two pigs, rabbits, and fish before anyone else is awake. Mabel's Misfits is built around three pillars: animal rescue and adoption, wildlife education for children and communities, and environmental stewardship through programs like the "It Started with a Seed" wildflower campaign. Rebecca volunteers alongside South Charlotte Dog Rescue and is actively partnering with local schools, Scout troops, and community organizations to bring hands-on animal education to the next generation. Follow Mabel's Misfits on Facebook and Instagram, or visit mabelsmisfits.com to donate, volunteer, or become a Misfit Member.

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He's a tech worker from Minnesota, a Marine Corps veteran, a Camden, South Carolina native, a lifelong Carolina Panthers superfan — and, as of July 4th, 2025, one of the most infectious viral sensations in NFL history. In this episode of Bench to Bold, Marnie and Alisa sit down with Michael Malloy, known to the world as Carolina MiC, the man behind the impossible earworm "If I Had $150,000." Carolina MiC walks through the whole story: karaoke roots, the accidental outfit, the money toss, the second verse that sent everything into orbit, performing at Bank of America Stadium, getting shouted out on The Manningcast by Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompson, opening for Nelly, taking the stage with EDM duo Cherub — and somehow staying the same "regular dude" through all of it. He also talks about the cause closest to his heart: partnering with Cool Kids Clubhouse, a Charlotte-area nonprofit supporting kids fighting cancer and their families. One of the most genuinely joyful guests the show has ever had.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
00:02:03 — How It All Started
00:03:34 — The Name Behind the Legend
00:06:49 — Musical Roots
00:08:41 — Thank You for Your Service
00:13:26 — Cherub, Raleigh, and His First Green Room EDM duo Cherub started playing his song before their tour sets
00:15:07 — Kevin Hart, Kenan Thompson & The Manningcast Shoutout Kevin Hart gave him a hard time on air
00:15:47 — Cool Kids Clubhouse
00:23:40 — Legacy, Fatherhood & Spreading Positivity
00:24:44 — Bench to Bold — Brick Walls, Self-Talk & Keeping Going

ABOUT CAROLINA MiC:
Carolina MiC is the stage name of Michael Malloy, a 51-year-old Camden, South Carolina native, Marine Corps veteran, and self-described tech nerd currently based in Maple Grove, Minnesota. After serving four years in the Marine Corps Band, Malloy moved to Minneapolis in 1998 chasing a music career — doing karaoke, releasing original music, and building a following one song at a time. His viral breakthrough came in July 2025 when a video of him dancing to a one-verse song called "If I Had $150,000" — filmed in his driveway, in his regular clothes, tossing Monopoly money — exploded on TikTok and Instagram and crossed 3 million views. Since then, he has performed at Bank of America Stadium, appeared on ESPN's Manningcast, been featured on NFL Today with Nate Burleson, performed alongside EDM duo Cherub on their national tour, and opened for Nelly. His latest single, "Maple Sirup," is available on all streaming platforms. Follow Carolina MiC on Instagram at @carolina_mic (Carolina underscore MiC). He is currently partnering with Cool Kids Clubhouse, a nonprofit supporting children fighting cancer and their families, on a campaign to raise $150,000 — a number that means something a little more now.

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What happens in the room when a doctor delivers a cancer diagnosis — and what should happen next? In this episode of Bench to Bold, Marnie and Alisa sit down with Dr. Chadi Nabhan, internationally recognized hematologist, medical oncologist, author, and host of the Healthcare Unfiltered podcast. Dr. Nabhan walks through his new book The Cancer Journey, published by Johns Hopkins University Press, explaining why cancer hits psychologically different than any other diagnosis, how to build the right medical team, why second opinions are never offensive, and what AI is doing right now to speed up clinical trials and get life-saving therapies to patients sooner. Marnie also shares the deeply personal story of her son Jonathan's neuroblastoma diagnosis at nine months old — and how she learned to put together a team worthy of the fight. This one is equal parts medical clarity and emotional depth.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
00:01:43 — The Book That Started It All
00:02:43 — Why He Wrote The Cancer Journey
00:07:12 — What Drew Him to Oncology
00:11:25 — We Win More Than We Lose
00:14:46 — Marnie's Son, Neuroblastoma & the Armageddon Analogy
00:21:11 — AI in Cancer Care
00:24:42 — Environmental Toxins, Roundup & the Cancer Nobody Talks About Pesticides
00:27:21 — Practical Wellness
00:34:12 — The Power of an Advocate

ABOUT DR. CHADI NABHAN:
Dr. Chadi Nabhan, MD, MBA, FACP, is a board-certified hematologist and medical oncologist with over two decades of clinical experience treating cancer patients at Northwestern University's Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, the University of Chicago, and Advocate Health. He has authored or co-authored over 300 peer-reviewed manuscripts and abstracts, and currently serves as Chief Medical Officer of RYGHT AI, an artificial intelligence company focused on accelerating clinical trials. Dr. Nabhan is the author of two books published by Johns Hopkins University Press: The Cancer Journey: Understanding Diagnosis, Treatment, Recovery, and Prevention (2024) and Toxic Exposure: The True Story behind the Monsanto Trials and the Search for Justice (2023) — the latter drawing on his experience as an expert witness in the landmark Roundup litigation linking glyphosate to non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He is the creator and host of the weekly Healthcare Unfiltered podcast, a sought-after speaker on global oncology stages, and a member of the editorial board of JAMA Oncology. His website is chadinabhan.com.

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