What happens when the drive to prove yourself collides with the pressure to be perfect?

In this episode of Female Fridays, I sit down with Dr. Mariz Tanious, Chief Dental Officer at Affinity Dental Management, who shares her deeply personal journey from struggling student to executive leader—and how learning to rest became her greatest act of resilience.

From being an immigrant child navigating a new language to leading at the highest levels of dentistry, Dr. T’s story is one of faith, belief in herself, and grace. She opens up about what it means to lead as a woman in a male-dominated field, to parent a child with autism while building a demanding career, and to finally give herself permission to slow down.

Resources & Mentions

• Cella & Rose Candles
• Connect with Dr. Mariz Tanious on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Affinity Dental Management

If you’ve ever felt the weight of holding everything together—at work, at home, and in your relationships—this episode is for you.

This week on Female Fridays, I sit down with Roxy Couse, the creator known as The Millennial Manager. Roxy has built a community of nearly half a million followers across TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn by telling the truth about corporate life, burnout, and what it really means to choose yourself.

Together, Roxy and I unpack what it looks like to:

• Build a personal brand that feels silly until it works—and embarrassing until it creates freedom
• Let go of being “superhuman” as a defense mechanism
• Redefine success outside of your 9-to-5
• Choose joy that isn’t tied to productivity
• Trust that what’s meant for you won’t miss you

Roxy shares her journey from Senior Director in tech to full-time creator, her viral Love Letters to My 30s series, and the brave decision to walk away from a corporate job that no longer aligned with her peace.

This episode is for the high achievers, the eldest daughters, and the corporate superwomen who feel like everyone else has permission to crumble—just not them. If you’ve ever wondered whether choosing yourself is too risky, Roxy’s story will feel like permission to breathe again.

Key Themes:

• Personal branding for professionals
• Burnout and boundaries in corporate culture
• Eldest daughter syndrome & perfectionism
• Millennial career transitions
• Mental health and therapy for high achievers
• Female empowerment and leadership

Guest:
Roxy Couse (@roxycouse)
Creator, storyteller, and founder of The Millennial Manager brand. Follow Roxy on TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn for honest insights on career, creativity, and choosing joy in your 30s.

She jumped out of airplanes. Negotiated million-dollar public health deals. Graduated from Johns Hopkins.

But when it came time to start her family, Priya Rednam-Waldo thought: how hard could a baby be?

In this episode of Female Fridays, I sit down with Priya, a former Army officer, licensed perinatal therapist, and founder of Healing Home Counseling Group, a 7-figure practice supporting mothers and families.

Priya opens up about her journey from West Point to postpartum, including traumatic pregnancies, adoption, and the identity shifts that shook her as a high-achieving woman.

Together, we dive into:

✨ The biggest lies we’ve been told about motherhood and career
✨ Why even top executives, surgeons, and founders struggle to feel worthy of support
✨ The truth behind buzzwords like work-life balance and work-life integration
✨ What it looks like to build your “motherhood playbook” before the storm hits
✨ How guilt, ambition, and invisible labor show up long after the newborn phase

And for the first time, I’m bringing your voices in. I asked Priya the questions you sent me about balancing ambition and caregiving, traveling for work while parenting, and how to truly support mothers — even if you’re not one yourself.

Whether you’re a mom, a leader, or someone who simply cares about mothers, this is a conversation I think you’ll carry with you.

Website : www.priyarednamwaldo.com

Instagram: @priyarednamwaldo

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/priyarednamwaldo/

What happens when the identity you’ve worked your whole life to build disappears in an instant?

That’s the story of Katie Grant, VP of Account Management at SafelyYou. A high-achieving nurse turned executive, Katie’s life was forever altered by a traumatic brain injury. Her world became small—confined to rehab, migraines, and uncertainty. But instead of staying small, Katie chose resilience. She rebuilt her life, her career, and her confidence—one vulnerable, courageous step at a time.

In this unforgettable episode of Female Fridays, Katie opens up about:

• The wisdom seniors gave her as a young nurse (“live your life, say the things left unsaid”)
• How to grieve old identities—and why it’s essential for growth
• How to grieve old identities—and why it’s essential for growth
• How to move through loss and life-changing injury
• Her battle with imposter syndrome, even as a VP leading a record-breaking team
• Why she pivoted into tech and joined SafelyYou (“any seat on a rocket ship is a good seat”)
• The launch of Halo, and how senior living technology is transforming care
• Her mission to mentor, sponsor, and advocate for women in leadership

Katie’s story is not just about surviving a setback. It’s about redefining leadership as authenticity, compassion, and courage. If you’ve faced a loss, a chronic illness, or a season where life hit harder than you could imagine, this episode will give you a roadmap to rise again.

About Katie Grant:

Katie Grant is a seasoned leader in the senior living and health tech space, where she blends innovation with compassion to improve the lives of older adults. With a background that spans nursing, technology, and executive leadership, Katie has built a reputation for driving results while uplifting the people around her.

She’s passionate about empowering women in leadership, openly sharing her own journey of overcoming health challenges and imposter syndrome to inspire others to rise with confidence. Today, she leads with resilience, heart, and a commitment to lifting up women at every stage of their careers, proving that when one woman’s voice grows stronger, we all move forward.

If you loved this conversation, don’t miss Melissa’s episode, which Katie highlighted as one of her favorites.

Have you ever done everything “right” — checked every box, landed the dream job, hit the big milestones — but still wondered, Is this really it? That’s exactly where my guest Tama Kieves found herself. She had the Harvard Law degree, the prestigious career, the life her family dreamed of… and she walked away from all of it to chase something she couldn’t ignore: her own voice.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, burned out, or secretly longed for a different life, you’re not alone. In this episode, Tama gets honest about what it’s really like to leave behind expectations, face your fears, and finally trust yourself — even when it makes no sense on paper.

You’ll hear us talk about:

• Why high achievers (especially women) are often the ones doubting themselves most
• How to tell the difference between intuition and anxiety
• The unfiltered truth about starting over — with no plan, no safety net, and no regrets
• The hidden cost of people-pleasing, perfectionism, and ignoring your inner voice
• Simple, powerful tools Tama uses to help women get clear and take bold steps forward

If you’re thinking about a career change, feeling overwhelmed, or just craving more meaning in your life, this conversation is for you. You’ll walk away with real strategies, plenty of “me too” moments, and (I hope) a renewed belief that your own dreams matter.

This is for every ambitious woman who’s ever wondered if she’s allowed to want more. I can’t wait for you to listen.

Learn more about Tama: https://tamakieves.com

If you're a younger manager leading older employees — or stepping into a leadership role before you feel ready — this episode is your go-to guide.

I sat down with Julianne Fries and Amy Robertson of Cassia Life, two women who started in entry-level roles and are now shaping culture and leadership development across a multi-state senior care organization.

We talk honestly about what it’s like to:

• Build trust when you’re managing people older than you
• Lead teams with more experience than you — without faking it or shrinking
• Step into leadership roles early in your career (and thrive)
• Create workplace culture programs that improve retention and morale
• Support burned-out staff in healthcare through empathy and systems

This conversation is packed with real advice for young managers, especially women navigating leadership in senior care, healthcare, and intergenerational teams.

Whether you’re wondering how to earn respect as a younger boss, how to lead older team members with confidence, or how to build a culture people actually want to be part of — this episode delivers.

🎧 Hit play for practical leadership tips, inspiring stories, and a fresh take on how to manage up, down, and across generational lines.

Connect with Julianne: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianne-fries-1615b560/

Learn more about Cassia: https://www.cassialife.org/

What does it really take to stay relevant in a world run by algorithms?

This week on Female Fridays, I sat down with Rachel Fuld-Cohen — a brilliant, future-focused tech COO at Silicon Society who's helping people not just survive, but thrive in an AI-driven world. We covered everything from building all-female sales teams to the rise of micro-internships, to how to learn (and unlearn) when everything around you is shifting.

If you're wondering how to adapt smart AI strategies, how to keep your human edge while everything automates, or how to lead with empathy and strategy — this episode is for you.

We talked about:

• Why learning how to learn is your real superpower
• The theory of “planned happenstance” (and how it can shape your whole career)
• How prompt engineering, job shadowing, and curiosity are changing the game
• What makes someone irreplaceable — even when AI is everywhere

Rachel doesn’t just talk about the future of work — she’s building it. And this conversation left me feeling what I think so many of us are craving right now: clear, capable, and ready.

📲 Connect with Rachel Fold-Cohen on LinkedIn

Topics: AI in the workplace, women in tech, career transitions, learning new skills, future of work, workforce development, leadership in AI

Connect with Rachel on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelfuldcohen/

Learn more about Silicon Society: https://www.siliconsociety.org/

Melissa Evraet’s story reads like a leadership masterclass in grit, humility, and reinvention. From a tiny town in Oklahoma to a high-rise office in Chicago, she rose through the ranks—starting as a dishwasher, becoming a nurse, and now serving as Chairwoman of Argentum’s Women in Leadership initiative and Chief Nursing Officer at Vi.

In this episode of Female Fridays, we explore:

• How care and profitability can coexist in healthcare leadership
• What happens when you stop asking “Why me?” and start owning your value
• Why nurses (and women) need to master the financial side of leadership
• Her unexpected career pivot—and the recruiter who wouldn't give up
• The mindset shift from imposter syndrome to impact
• Her advice to the young woman washing dishes—and to all the future leaders listening now

Melissa’s leadership is deeply human: equal parts data and heart, boldness and grace. This is a must-listen for anyone navigating self-doubt, climbing toward leadership, or redefining what’s possible in healthcare and senior living.

Join Women In Leadership: https://www.argentum.org/research-and-initiatives/women-in-leadership/

Connect with Melissa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-evraets-rn-msn-ne-bc-b375341b8/