On this episode, Helen Jonsen sits down with writer, public relations expert, and self-described California Girl, Lisa Woolery, to talk about her “kaleidoscope career.” From teaching middle school English in SoCal to shaping messages in politics, public service, and corporate PR, Lisa built a life around words—until life rewrote the script.

After relocating her family to Kansas for a quieter life, Lisa’s husband, Eric, died suddenly just months later. What followed was a season of grief, survival, and, eventually, a return to the creative work that had always been calling her. Lisa shares howloss led her back to writing—through her memoir The Widow’s Comeback, a daily grief calendar, and a growing community for widows—while opening the door to a new chapter as a literary consultant and novelist.

It’s a conversation about resilience and reframing, and what it means to find your voice again when everything changes.

00:00 Writing Through Grief

02:03 Early Dreams and Teaching

03:12 Politics and Public Service

05:20 City PR to Corporate Offices

09:39 Family Pressures and Leaving Work

12:27 Moving to Kansas and Finding Voice

15:00 Dream Interrupted

16:46 Adoption and Building a Family

20:09 The Day Eric Died

23:07 Memoir Spark and Purpose

25:33 Sponsor Break

25:56 Publishing TheWidows Comeback

28:05 Workbooks andWidow Community

32:38 Literary Coachingand New Fiction

37:21 Kids Update andResilience

40:49 Life Now and Closing Reflections

Thanks to our sponsor:

Support for This Kaleidoscope Career comes from Divine Asset Management, a woman-ownedfirm advising individuals, families, and business owners on long-term strategies that align wealth with values.Explore more at WorkWithDivine.com

About Helen Jonsen & This Kaleidoscope Career

Helen Jonsen lives a kaleidoscope career built on decades of experience as a strategic adviser to corporate, nonprofit and public leadership, and a multi-platform journalist in front of the camera and behind the scenes.

Helen is available as a keynote or workshop leader on This Kaleidoscope Career, and on topics to help you strengthen your spoken message to deliver it with confidence. Learn moreat helenjonsen.com or email helen@helenjonsen.com.

Helen’s new book: This Kaleidoscope Career: Empowering Women to Build Unconventional Careers and Redefine Success will be published byDeGruyter-Brill in September 2026.

Listen:In This Kaleidoscope Career podcast Helen helps leading women reframe their nonlinear careers across various industries, nonprofits and government,and helps others who aspire to unlock a successful kaleidoscope career. “This Kaleidoscope Career Podcast” is a production of helen jonsen media. https://www.helenjonsen.com/#this-kaleidoscope-career

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Online Course: Command the Room: Develop Your Signature Remarks Toolkit for LeadersHosted and written by Helen Jonsen in production with GenConnectU andLinkedIn Learning: A practical communication course for leaders who want tospeak with clarity, confidence, and impact. Register here and usediscount code: COMMAND15 for 15% off enrollment

TKCpod is edited on Descript. Learn more here https://descript.cello.so/u00D6MnPTT0

JoinInnovation Women. Do you want to speak for a living? Join a community ofspeakers supported by a platform. Learn more here: https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=96435&awinaffid=2281255&ued=https%3A%2F%2Finnovationwomen.com%2Fjoin%2F

AffiliateDisclosure: This content contains affiliate links.helen jonsen media will receive a small commission at no cost to you.

In this episode of This Kaleidoscope Career:

Naeemah Elias went from a Harvard scholarship to life on stage to State Street and beyond.

Host Helen Jonsen introduces Naeemah Elias, a former actor and Harvard graduate who became the second Black woman managing director at State Street before founding Elias Presence Ventures.

Naeemah is the first puppeteer to be a guest on This Kaleidoscope Career. It was one more piece of colored glass in the brilliant images she would create along the way.

In describing herself as a chameleon, she gives us an honest look at career and life including three children, interstate moves, bankruptcy, divorce, life as an actor, and a dozen years climbing the ranks at State Street in Boston.

There she advanced from executive assistant to leadership in business continuity, information security, governance, compliance, risk, acquisitions, and built a 2020 internal talent marketplace. She recounts the madness of the pandemic as asingle parent and workaholic, and how that led to burnout.

It also led to her stepping off the ladder and into her own. Naeemah makes her home in Boston and is a member of Innovation Women speakers.

00:00Transferable Skills Mindset

00:28Show Premise and Host Intro

01:20Meet Naeemah Elias

03:00Childhood & Theater Life

06:58Post 9/11 Reset

08:53Pregnancy Sparks Corporate Shift

13:24Boston & State Street years

20:33Leaving to Start Her Business

21:35Burnout in the Pandemic Years

28:45The Gap: a Summer Reset

32:07Building the Business

34:47Pricing Your Expertise

38:38Landing a TEDx Talk

43:59Advice for others

45:57Giving Back and Where to Find Her

Find Naeemah's TEDx talk here https://lnkd.in/d7SEkz3U

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

Elias Presence Ventures. https://www.linkedin.com/company/elias-presence/

Recommended Reading:

Talk Like Ted by Carmine Gallo https://www.carminegallo.com/talk-like-ted/

PassionProject: South Shore Children’s Chorus (Boston)

https://www.sscchorus.org/

About This Kaleidoscope Career

Hosted by Helen Jonsen, journalist, strategic advisor, author, and speaker. Learn more at https://www.helenjonsen.com/

Like the colored glass in a kaleidoscope that tumble to create new and brilliant images,

TKC celebrates the remarkable women who twist and turn their skills, talents, passions, and experiences to create new and brilliant iterations of their careers.

The Kaleidoscope Career is a production of helen jonsen media llc.

#thiskaleidoscopecareer

#StrongWomenLead

#leadership

#careers

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TKCpod is edited on Descript. Learn more here https://descript.cello.so/u00D6MnPTT0

AffiliateDisclosure: This contentcontains affiliate links. helen jonsen media, llc will receive a smallcommission at no cost to you.

Host Helen Jonsen welcomes you to Season 4 of This Kaleidoscope Career, and previews upcoming guests and new content across platforms!

Welcome to This Kaleidoscope Career with thoughts about how women are doing it differently. As the colors of a kaleidoscope shift and tumble to create amazing and unique images, our skills, talents, experience and passions can create unique careers that are anything but linear. After four decades as a journalist, writer, strategic comms pro and professional speaker, I have learned a lot about how we communicate who we are and what we do. These are our stories and the tools to celebrate them.

Web page https://helenjonsen.com/new-podcast

Partial support for This Kaleidoscope Career comes from Divine Asset Management, a woman-owned firm advising individuals, families, and business owners on long-term strategies that align wealth with values.

Explore more at WorkWithDivine.com

Check out my new online Course: Command the Room: Develop Your Signature Remarks Toolkit for Leaders in production with GenConnectU and LinkedIn Learning

My practical communication course for leaders who want to speak with clarity, confidence, and impact. Learn to craft your Signature Remarks, including your passion statement, talking points, personal stories, and your go-to talk to help you show up, stand out, and lead.

⁠https://genconnect-courses.thinkific.com/courses/Command-the-Room-The-Signature-Remarks-Toolkit-for-Leaders?ref=6311fe⁠

Affiliate Disclosure: This content may contain affiliate links. helen jonsen media may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.

Meet Lauree Ostrofsky

Support for This Kaleidoscope Career comes from Divine Asset Management, a woman-owned firm advising individuals, families, and business owners on long-term strategies that align wealth with values. Explore more at WorkWithDivine.com

In this episode of Kaleidoscope Career, host Helen Jonsen sitsdown with Lauree Ostrofsky, an empathetic coach and business consultant with a compelling story of resilience and transformation.

Lauree shares her personal battle with a brain tumor at 28, which led her to shift her focus from public relations to becoming a speaker, author, and entrepreneur.

Find Lauree at https://www.simplyleap.com/

Lauree is the accidental founder of the Hudson Valley Women in Business membership community, which has now become a non-profit continuing to serve thousands of women members.

With her optimistic approach, Lauree emphasizesthe importance of authenticity, community building, and continuous personalgrowth.

The episode also features a fun lightning round where Lauree reveals her favorite books, dream destinations, and more.

00:00 A Life-Changing Diagnosis

00:47 Introduction to Kaleidoscope Career

01:42 Meet Lauree Ostrovsky

02:23 Lauree 's Career Journey

06:11 Balancing Work and a new family unit

10:07 The Power of Authenticity in Business

11:29 Early Career and Education

14:38 A Major Life Twist

21:26 Founding Hudson Valley Women in Business

28:54 The Power of Community

30:46 Turning a Hobby into a Business

32:44 Transitioning Leadership

33:46 Personal Reflections and Changes

37:36 Speed round: Fun and Personal Questions

45:21 Passion Projects and Final Thoughts

***This Kaleidoscope Career Podcast is a production of helen jonsen media, llc.

Online Course:

Command the Room: Develop Your Signature Remarks Toolkit for Leaders (link here)

A practical communication course for leaders who want to speak with clarity, confidence, and impact. Learn to craft your Signature Remarks, including your passion statement, talking points, personal stories, and your go-to talk that help you show up, stand out, and lead.

Code: COMMAND15

Discount: 15% off enrollment

https://genconnect-courses.thinkific.com/courses/Command-the-Room-The-Signature-Remarks-Toolkit-for-Leaders?ref=6311fe

Speakers: Learn more about Innovation Women

https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=96435&awinaffid=2281255&ued=https%3A%2F%2Finnovationwomen.com%2Fjoin%2F

Affiliate Disclosure

The show notes contain affiliate links. helen jonsen media may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.

https://www.divineassetmgt.com/workwithdivine