Join me, Karen Medina, on the Super SMART Women Podcast as I sit down with Marcelle LeBlanc, the “Conversation Architect,” who teaches women how to tell the truth... to themselves and to their partners... so they can stop wasting years hoping things will change. Marcelle brings a powerful perspective on relationships, self-reflection, communication, courage, and the skills we need to create the lives and partnerships we truly want.

In this inspiring and thought-provoking conversation, Marcelle challenges us to stop being passengers in our own lives and start using honest conversations as a diagnostic tool for our most important relationships. From learning to look inward to facing fear, seeking the right mentors, and taking action on what reflection reveals, Marcelle offers practical wisdom for women who are ready to become more intentional about their relationships and their lives.

In This Episode You’ll Hear:
• Anything that matters deserves language
Why the concerns we avoid talking about can quietly grow, and how giving them language can be the first step toward meaningful change.

• The relationship “check engine light”
How recognizing a concern early can help you address the real issue before it becomes a much bigger problem, and why sometimes you may only need a tune-up, not a new engine.

• Reflection that leads to action
Why reflection without action is ultimately meaningless, and how looking at the evidence in your own life can reveal your strengths, values, accomplishments, and what truly matters to you.

• The Vista Break
Marcelle shares her practice of stopping to look back at the mountains you've already climbed, rather than constantly racing toward the next one and explains why writing things down can help us become better historians of our own lives.

• Do it afraid
Fear isn't something we have to eliminate. Marcelle explains why fear can have a seat, but it shouldn't have the driver's seat. Also how breaking intimidating challenges into smaller pieces can make them far less frightening.

• The power of purposeful mentorship
Why you don't need one mentor who can teach you everything. Instead, identify what you need, find someone who excels in that area, ask for specific help, learn what you need to learn, and then confidently move on to the next mentor who can help you grow.

• Feedback is feedback
How to receive both affirmation and constructive criticism by considering the source, determining whether the feedback helps you move toward your goals, and learning to let the rest go.

• You are capable of more
Marcelle's message to every woman listening: Don't limit yourself. You are more capable than you may realize.

• Investing in yourself
Why “If you pay, you pay attention” can be a powerful reminder that putting some skin in the game can create the motivation needed to make meaningful change.

Throughout the episode, Marcelle embodies the SMART pillars - Serve, Mentor, Affirm, Reflect, and Teach - and reminds us that becoming the woman we are capable of being is not about having all the answers. It's about being willing to look honestly at ourselves, learn new skills, have the conversations that matter, and take action.

Whether you're navigating a long-term relationship, beginning a new partnership, considering a major life change, or simply wondering what might be possible for you, this conversation is an invitation to stop waiting, start communicating, and trust yourself enough to take the next step.

Marcelle LeBlanc’s Resources
• The Power of Unwavering Focus by Dandapani
• Marcelle LeBlanc — Conversation Architect

Key Takeaways
• “Anything that matters deserves language.”
• “Fear can have a seat, just don’t let it be in the driver’s seat.”
• “Reflection without action is meaningless.”
• “Don’t limit yourself.”

Learn more about Super SMART Women at www.SuperSMARTWomen.com

Subscribe, follow, and share this episode with a woman who may need the reminder that she is capable of more—and that the conversations she is avoiding may be the very conversations that can change everything.

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Join me, Karen Medina, on the Super SMART Women Podcast as I sit down with Deborah Kaminetzky—attorney-turned-tech project manager, lifelong learner, certified PMP/Scrum Master/Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, owner of DeFacto PM, LLC, and mother of three thriving adult children. In this inspiring conversation, Deborah reveals how she leveraged curiosity and confidence to leap from a successful law career into the fast-paced world of technology—and how her passion for serving and mentoring others became the secret sauce behind every bold pivot.

In This Episode You’ll Hear:

• The power of purposeful mentorship
  • and why great mentors aren’t afraid when their protégés surpass them.
• Building transferable skills
  • How “de facto” project management in law prepared Deborah to lead multi-million-dollar tech projects, plus her playbook for earning the PMP, CSM, and Green Belt without being overwhelmed.
• Teaching that sticks
  • From ADA-compliance workshops to CLE “courtroom skits,” Deborah shares creative tactics that teach and applaud learners of every style (yes, even the post-lunch slump!).
• A life-saving PSA
  • As a 15-year colorectal cancer survivor, Deborah serves the wider community with candid, light-hearted reminders to get screened early—and explains how advocacy weaves into her SMART pillars.
• Advice to your 13-year-old self
  • Why confidence trumps perfection, and how to ignore the naysayers when you feel called to pivot.

Throughout the episode, Deborah embodies all five SMART pillars—Serve, Mentor, Applaud, Reflect, Teach—and proves it’s never too late to reinvent your career, your learning style, or your impact.

Deborah’s Resources

• LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahkaminetzky
• Book: The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson – https://a.co/d/euCtp5a
• Podcast: Mel Robbins Podcast – https://linktr.ee/melrobbins
• Podcast: Project Management Happy Hour – https://pmhappyhour.com
• Colon Cancer Screening Guidelines – https://www.cancer.org/healthy/find-cancer-early/cancer-screening-guidelines.html

Learn more about Super SMART Women at www.SuperSMARTWomen.com

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Join this Super SMART Women Podcast Eposide for a fascinating conversation with Principal Liz Kelz of Alice Carlson Applied Learning Center, a unique elementary school in the Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD). As a dynamic leader in this innovative applied learning environment, Liz shares how her campus embraces diversity, encourages parent engagement, and fosters a culture where both students and staff learn side by side.

Hear how her team at Alice Carlson uses thoughtful practices, from the school-wide “first-name” policy to the peer-led conflict manager program, to ensure every child feels valued and equipped to succeed. Throughout the conversation, Liz highlights the power of Teaching - one of our SMART pillars: Serve, Mentor, Applaud, Reflect, and Teach - as she discusses the joy and responsibility of shaping this generation of learners, the next generation of leaders. If you’re ready to discover how supportive leadership and inclusive practices can transform education, don’t miss this inspiring episode!

Liz’s Resources

Alice Carlson Applied Learning Center - Fort Worth ISD - https://alicecarlson.fwisd.org/about-our-school

Zaretta Hammond - Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain - https://crtandthebrain.com/book/

Learn more about Super SMART Women on our website at www.superSMARTwomen.com

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