A graduation, a punctured paddleboard, a sister story about white patio cushions — and a conversation that kept circling back to one woman who's changing how Pennsylvania sees leadership.

In this Spark Short, Michele and Liz catch up on the small stuff — Michele's son graduating high school, Liz's very funny patio cushion saga with her sister, and a shared sense that AI is moving faster than any of us are ready for. But the heart of this episode is a continued reflection on their conversation with Cassandra Coleman, Executive Director of America 250 PA.

Michele and Liz talk about what stuck with them most: Cassandra's relentless positivity in the face of real pressure, the leap of faith required to take on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with zero funding and no roadmap, and the way she reframed herself simply as a "young mayor" rather than a "young female mayor." That conversation opens into a bigger discussion about women in leadership throughout history — why the U.S. still hasn't had a female president, how recently women in America couldn't open a bank account in their own name, and a story about a caregiver from the country of Georgia that put it all into a different kind of perspective.

The episode closes with a beautiful story about a small town in Kansas that fully embraced the Algerian World Cup team — a reminder of the America that doesn't always make it onto our screens, but is very much still here.

In This Episode You'll Hear:

• Michele's son's high school graduation and what it's like to watch your kids step into a world none of us can fully picture yet
• Liz's hilarious patio cushion saga and a perfectly timed "Hamptons vs. Miami" sister moment
• A shared moment of AI anxiety — and why an upcoming guest will help unpack all of it
• What stuck with Michele and Liz most from the Cassandra Coleman episode, including her leap-of-faith approach to opportunity
• Why Liz and Michele both find themselves catching the urge to say "female leader" instead of just "leader" — and why that matters
• A real conversation about the history of women's rights in America, including how recently women couldn't get a mortgage or bank account in their own name
• A perspective-shifting story about a caregiver from the country of Georgia and what opportunity looks like in different parts of the world
• The story of a small town in Kansas that fully embraced the Algerian World Cup team — and why it represents a side of America we don't talk about enough
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Resources Mentioned:

• America 250 PA — America250PA.org
• Cassandra Coleman's full episode on Spark Me
• "We Don't Know Too Much About You, But We Want to Welcome You Here" — the Lawrence, Kansas story Liz mentioned

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Heart disease is the number one cause of death in women — more than two times all cancers combined. And most of us still think it's a man's problem.

In this episode Michele and Liz sit down with two guests for a first on Spark Me — Dr. Jennifer Nesfeder, a board-certified interventional cardiologist specializing in women's heart health, and Courtney Deignan, Development Director for the American Heart Association in eastern Pennsylvania. Together they cover everything women need to know at every stage of life — and a lot of what we've been getting wrong.

Dr. Nesfeder breaks down why women's heart attack symptoms are so often missed or misdiagnosed as anxiety or acid reflux, what your numbers actually mean and what to do about them, why menopause changes your heart risk dramatically, and the truth about hormone therapy, statins, and GLP-1 medications. Courtney shares the personal loss that brought her to this mission, what the American Heart Association is doing at the community level, and the free resources available right now at heart.org.

This is the episode that could genuinely change — and save — your life.

In This Episode You'll Learn:

• Why heart disease kills more women than all cancers combined — and why awareness is actually dropping
• How women's heart attack symptoms differ from men's — and why jaw pain, fatigue, nausea, and back pain are often dismissed as something else
• What to ask your doctor in your 20s, 30s, 40s, and through menopause to protect your heart at every stage
• Why pregnancy complications like pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes are actually early warning signs of future heart risk
• How the drop in estrogen during menopause increases your cardiovascular risk — and what that means for your care
• The truth about hormone replacement therapy and what the current research actually says
• What the research shows about GLP-1 medications and heart health
• What your cholesterol and blood pressure numbers should actually be — and what Lipoprotein A is and why you should ask to have it checked
• Why statins are one of the most effective medications in medicine — and what to do if you think you're having side effects
• Why a good primary care doctor is the most important person on your healthcare team
• What to do if you think something is wrong — and why women wait too long to seek help
• How to get involved with the American Heart Association and access free resources
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Resources From This Episode:

• American Heart Association — heart.org
• Go Red for Women campaign — heart.org/goredforwomen

• Free recipes and nutrition guides — heart.org
• Blood pressure loaner programs at local libraries — contact your local AHA chapter

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She was 20 years old, sitting in public administration classes in the morning and running borough council meetings at night — fulfilling the term of her grandfather, who had asked her to step in before he died.

That's where Cassandra Coleman's story begins. And it only gets more remarkable from there.

Cassandra is the Executive Director of America 250 PA, the commission leading Pennsylvania's role in the country's 250th anniversary — and the longest-serving 250th director in the nation across all 50 states and territories. But before all of that, she was a 20-year-old junior at King's College who became one of the youngest serving female mayors in the country, overseeing a police force of officers older than her father, navigating a major flood, an explosion near an elementary school, and a community that wasn't sure what to make of her.

In this episode, Cassandra takes us through the thread that's run through her entire life — service, community, and a refusal to give up even when the odds were stacked against her. She talks about what it's really like to be a woman in public life, the criticism that comes with the territory, and how she learned to let it roll off her back. She opens up about being a single mom and the constant tension between showing up at work and showing up at home. And she shares the stories from the 250th anniversary effort that made every hard day worth it — from the community theater director who cried in her arms to 4,000 elementary students putting their handprints on a Liberty Bell in Elk County.

In This Episode You'll Learn:

• How Cassandra became mayor at 20 to fulfill her dying grandfather's wish — and what it was like to run a police force at that age
• What she learned about leadership, listening, and surrounding yourself with people who know what you don't
• How she landed the America 250 PA role with zero funding, no roadmap, and a three-year-old at home — and how she built it into the national leader
• What it's really like to be a woman in public life and politics, and how she learned to navigate criticism focused on her gender rather than her work
• Why she believes local government is where the rubber actually meets the road — and why more women should run for office
• The stories from the 250th anniversary effort that moved her to tears
• How she balances being a single mom with a high-pressure public role — and what her son Jimmy is already teaching her about impact
• Why she gives herself exactly 24 hours to fall apart — and then gets back up
• What America 250 PA has planned for the rest of 2026 and how you can get involved
• Her advice for women who have found their passion and are afraid to go all in
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Resources From This Episode:

• America 250 PA — America250PA.org
• Commonwealth Concert Series — free concerts across Pennsylvania through July 4th
• America 250 PA Volunteer Day — July 20th, sign up at the website
• Bells Across Pennsylvania program

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Sometimes an episode stays with you. This is one of those Spark Shorts.

After last week's conversation with Nora Isaacs — writer, personal historian, and founder of Backstory — Michele and Liz couldn't stop thinking about it. In this Spark Short they unpack the moments that hit hardest: from the hot dog cart that changed Nora's life, to the Threshold Choir singing at the bedsides of hospice patients and NICU babies, to the morning pages practice, to the idea that your family's stories are its culture — and if you don't preserve them, they disappear.

But this one goes beyond the recap. Michele finally made her menopause specialist appointment (accountability works, people), and the conversation opens up into something bigger — about what happens when women actually put themselves first, why gathering with other women is one of the most restorative things you can do, and why making healthcare easier might literally save lives. Plus Liz's story about a deer, a dented car, and a grudge her mother held for 15 years against the entirely wrong woman.

In This Episode You'll Hear:

• What stuck with Michele and Liz most from the Nora Isaacs episode — and why
• Liz's take on the hot dog cart moment and what it means to get knocked over by the universe before you change paths
• Why the Threshold Choir — women who sing at the bedsides of hospice patients and NICU babies — moved both of them deeply and how you can start a chapter in your community
• Nora's morning pages practice and why Michele and Liz want to challenge each other to try it for a week
• The idea that your family is its own culture — and why a genealogy table alone can't preserve it
• Michele's menopause specialist appointment update — what the experience was like and why finding the right doctor made all the difference
• Why making healthcare appointments easier isn't just convenient — it might actually save lives
• The magic that happens when women gather, why it's always worth making the drive, and the Spark Me in-person meetup that's in the works
• Liz's very funny story about a high school deer incident and a 15-year grudge that was completely misplaced

Resources Mentioned:

• Backstory — whatsyourbackstory.com
• Menopause specialist finder — Provider Search
• Threshold Choir — thresholdchoir.org
• The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron - Morning Pages Practice
• Off Campus on Amazon Prime (Liz's current binge)
• Project: Hail Mary (Michele's current Binge)

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• Share this episode with a friend who keeps putting off a health appointment — sometimes accountability is all it takes
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Even the most prepared families miss something. In Liz's case, it was a document sitting in a file cabinet that nobody remembered to upload to the hospital portal.

This Spark Short is a real, unfiltered conversation between Michele and Liz about what's been hitting home since their episode with Cameron Huddleston — author of Mom and Dad, We Need to Talk. Liz opens up about her dad's recent health crisis, what went sideways even with everything in place, and what she's learned navigating the healthcare system firsthand. Michele reflects on her own family's experience, the sibling dynamics that almost every family faces, and what she's realizing she needs to do for herself — right now.

This one is less about advice and more about two women living the very thing they've been podcasting about. And it turns out, knowing what to do and actually doing it are very different things.

In This Episode You'll Hear:

• Why Liz's dad's recent hospitalization proved that even the most financially prepared families can miss a critical step — and what it was
• The honest conversation about why it almost always falls on the daughter, even when she's the youngest or the furthest away
• How Liz handled a sibling who wanted to be part of decisions without being present — and the one sentence that resolved it
• Why Liz compares the American healthcare system to a construction site with no general contractor — and why that matters for your family
• The case for building a personal network inside the healthcare world before you need it
• Why giving money during your lifetime may serve your kids better than leaving it as an inheritance
• The cemetery tour story — and why it's actually the smartest thing a friend of Liz's has ever done
• Why both Michele and Liz are leaving this episode thinking about their own affairs — not just their parents'

Resources Mentioned:

• Mom and Dad, We Need to Talk by Cameron Huddleston — CameronHuddleston.com
• Believe Big – A nonprofit supporting individuals and families navigating cancer through integrative and conventional care - https://believebig.org

• Aging Life Care Association

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• Share this episode with a sibling — you know the one
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She was 35 with three little kids when her mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's — and she had no plan in place.

You're home for the holidays. Your dad's lost weight. Your mom tells the same story three times. You go to help with a bill and realize you have no idea where anything is — no will, no account numbers, no idea who their doctor is. And the conversation you've been meaning to have? It still hasn't happened. If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you.

Cameron Huddleston is an award-winning personal finance journalist and author of Mom and Dad, We Need to Talk, which the Washington Post called an excellent step-by-step guide to one of the hardest conversations families face. But Cameron didn't write this book from a newsroom — she wrote it from the trenches. At 35, while raising three young children, she watched her mother receive an Alzheimer's diagnosis with no financial plan in place. She had to figure out power of attorney, estate documents, long-term care, and caregiving decisions in real time — all while her life was already full.

In this episode, Cameron walks us through exactly what documents your parents need (and you need), how to start the conversation without putting them on the defensive, how to navigate sibling dynamics when not everyone is on the same page, and the real cost of long-term care that most families aren't prepared for. She also shares the one thing she wishes she'd done differently — and the human element most people forget entirely.

In This Episode You'll Learn:

• The three essential estate planning documents every parent needs — and why they must be signed while your parent is still mentally competent
• How to start the conversation without making your parents feel like they're losing independence — including using stories, third parties, and positive framing
• What happens when you don't have power of attorney in place (hint: it involves court, $10,000, and nine months of waiting)
• How to navigate sibling dynamics when caregiving responsibilities aren't equally shared — and how to set boundaries when siblings criticize but won't help
• Why talking about scams can be the perfect low-pressure entry point into bigger financial conversations
• The real cost of long-term care — Cameron spent over half a million dollars on her mother's memory care over eight years, and says that was cheap
• When to look into long-term care insurance and why your early 50s is the ideal window
• Why Cameron's number one piece of advice is to get professional help — and not try to do it all alone
• The one thing most families forget: getting your parents' stories before it's too late

Resources From This Episode:

• Mom and Dad, We Need to Talk by Cameron Huddleston
• CameronHuddleston.com (includes free scam red flags list)
• Aging Life Care Association (formerly geriatric care managers)
• Fee-only financial planners (fiduciary advisors)

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• Share this episode with a sibling — seriously, forward it right now and say "we need to talk about mom and dad"
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• Tag us when you're listening and tell us: Have you had "the talk" with your parents yet?

he was 12 years old when terrorists bombed her father’s military headquarters — and for a day, she thought he was dead.

In this deeply personal episode, Michele sits down with someone listeners have come to know and love on the other side of the mic — Spark Me co‑host Liz Graham. For the first time, Liz shares her own origin story: growing up as an Air Force brat, moving every two years across the globe from Korea to Germany to Turkey, and a childhood shaped by service, adaptability, and a family unit that was “home” no matter the geography.

She opens up about the terrifying day a terrorist bombing shook her family, the moment her mother drew a line after 28 years of military life, and how her father turned down a promotion to general to honor his wife’s sacrifice. From there, Liz traces the thread that’s run through her entire life — empowering women. From helping to create Women Business Leaders in Healthcare (WBL) in Washington, D.C., to founding Circle 200 in Northeastern Pennsylvania, to building a financial advisory practice centered on guiding women through life’s biggest transitions, Liz has spent decades building community and putting women on boards, in rooms, and in positions of power.

She also shares the story behind her father’s Vietnam memoir— written together — and why, surprisingly, women have been its most passionate readers.

This is the episode that shows you why Spark Me exists — and the remarkable woman who helped bring it to life. Whether you’ve been listening since episode one or this is your first time, you’ll walk away understanding the heart behind this podcast.

In This Episode You’ll Learn

• How growing up as a military brat shaped Liz’s leadership style, global perspective, and ability to build community anywhere she goes.
• The harrowing story of the early‑1980s Baader‑Meinhof terrorist bombing at USAFE headquarters and how it changed her family’s trajectory forever.
• Why Liz’s father turned down a promotion to general — and what that choice taught her about partnership, values, and sacrifice.
• How the sudden loss of a close friend in a helicopter accident forced Liz to reevaluate what she wanted from her one wild and precious life.
• The origin story of Women Business Leaders in Healthcare (WBL) and how one sentence in a strategic planning meeting became a movement to put more women on healthcare boards.
• How Circle 200 was born, and why executive women’s networks matter just as much — if not more — in smaller communities.
• What Liz does as a financial advisor at Riggs Asset Management, specifically focused on women navigating transitions like divorce, loss, retirement, and business exits.
• The story behind her father’s Vietnam memoir and why it resonates so strongly with women readers.
• How Spark Me was born from a knocked‑on window, a lunch, and two women listening to the same pull from the universe.
• Why Liz believes AI is the most democratizing technology of our lifetime — and what that means for the next generation of women leaders and entrepreneurs.

Resources From This Episode

• Riggs Asset Management - www.riggsadvisors.com
• Circle 200
• Women Business Leaders in Healthcare (WBL) www.wbl.org
• One of the Few: A True Account of Courage and Stepping into the Fight by Col. Robert J. Graham, USAF, Retired - https://www.amazon.com/One-Few-Account-Courage-Stepping/dp/B0DWYRT8YR

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