Welcome to The Power of Stories Podcast – a podcast BY women, ABOUT women, and FOR women!
Stories connect us and inspire us, and in this podcast, women from around the world talk about their experiences on their personal path to empowerment. Their stories of resilience, of overcoming fears, and of pursuing their dreams remind us all that we are not alone in facing life’s challenges.
We are now in Season 4, and so very grateful to all of the women who have shared their stories, and so very grateful to all of our listeners, too! The idea to launch this podcast was Yodit Kifle Smith’s. Yodit is a dear friend who has worked with me on this website for several years. She describes herself as “a creative dedicated to making sure the voices and stories of women are heard” and I am deeply grateful to her.
We are grateful to Lisa DiGiovine, Editor/Co-Producer of The Power of Stories Podcast for agreeing to share her advice and expertise. Lisa is an Emmy nominated non-fiction producer, writer and director. Her many credits include writing and producing for CNN, E!, Dr. Phil, Discovery, The Outdoor Channel, Lifetime and NBC.
Many thanks to Cali Wang, too, for composing the Intro and Outro music for this podcast.
And, thank YOU very much for listening!
Sharon
The Power of Stories is a new podcast BY women, ABOUT women, and FOR women. In this podcast, we are inviting courageous women from around the world to share the experiences that are shaping their path to empowerment. In each episode, you will hear stories that remind YOU that you are not alone…stories about resilience, overcoming fears, pursuing your dreams.. AND believing in yourself. This podcast is hosted by… Sharon Kathryn D’Agostino, a passionate advocate for the empowerment of women and girls everywhere, and founder of the storytelling platform, SayItForward.org and…. Yodit Kifle Smith, a creative dedicated to making sure the voices and stories of women are heard. We are grateful to Lisa DiGiovine, Editor/Co-Producer of The Power of Stories Podcast for agreeing to share her advice and expertise. Lisa is an Emmy nominated non-fiction producer, writer and director. Her many credits include writing and producing for CNN, E!, Dr. Phil, Discovery, The Outdoor Channel, Lifetime and NBC. And many thanks to Cali Wang for composing the Intro / Outro Music for this podcast. Listeners can connect with us at SayItForward.org and on our social media pages:Instagram and Twitter: @SayItForwardNow Facebook: facebook.com/sayitforwardnow
Hira Mehta is a retired banker, author of six books, podcaster, voice actor, and filmmaker who focuses on bringing awareness to social causes. In 2024, she made a statement at the UN Convention, New York, on Aging Rights, speaking on behalf of Silver Innings, a non-governmental organization in Mumbai working toward creating an elder- and dementia-friendly world. At the convention, Hira spoke about the rights of senior citizens to healthcare and access to health services.
Hira calls herself “a happy senior, crushing stereotypes one day at a time, living life queen-sized.” In this episode, she discusses how the death of her mother made her reflect on the many things her mom had wanted to do but never got to experience—and how that realization inspired Hira to consider what she, herself, still wanted to get out of life.
From spreading her wings and beginning her writing career, to the significance of myna birds and their emotional connection to her mother. She initiated Instagram Live interviews during the pandemic to stay connected with friends—a project that grew into over 180 interviews, including a few with celebrities. This eventually led to the start of her podcast, Rewire Life in 1½ Minutes with Hira Mehta, now on Spotify.
She talks about the importance of trying new things, never fearing a “no,” her passion for dance and dance reality shows, her views on women’s empowerment, and the value of respecting others’ cultures and traditions. She supports the mission of Silver Innings in the field of dementia and Alzheimer’s and speaks about it in the short film (on YouTube) she made on the cause, “A Selfless Soldier.”
Her love of writing led her to submit short stories in a contest. On winning, she continued writing and publishing stories, poetry, and books. And the reminder not to wait for tomorrow to do the things you want to do, but making time to do them now became her mantra of life. (India)