
Welcome to #ThePowerOfStories 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, will talk about their experiences on their personal path to empowerment. Their stories of resilience, of overcoming fears, and of pursuing their dreams will remind you that you are not alone in facing life’s challenges.
The idea for a SayItForward.org podcast was Yodit Kifle Smith’s. Yodit is a dear friend and has worked with me on this website for nearly five 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 for composing the Intro and Outro music for this podcast.
And, thank YOU very much for listening!
Sharon Kathryn D’Agostino
Founder, SayItForward.org

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
Ana Laura Araya is the Co-Founder of Soy Niña. She has worked in nonprofit organizations and private foundations since she finished college. Ana Laura studied Journalism and Photography but during the past years she has worked in fundraising, event planning and communications in nonprofit organizations. Currently, she is finishing a certificate degree in Nonprofit Management from Harvard Extension School. Ana Laura is very passionate about the rights of girls.
In this episode, Ana Laura discusses the inspiration to start a non-profit organization focused on young girls, Soy Niña, and the organization’s work to empower girls in vulnerable communities, beginning at age six, and working with girls through ninth grade… her move from Costa Rica to the U.S. at age twelve, how that move affected her life and then, ten years ago, following her intuition and moving back to Costa Rica… the importance of discovering the essence of what makes us unique and of not comparing ourselves to others and … the importance of listening to your heart… reminding us all to believe that girls’ opinions matter, to listen to girls, and to realize that, most often, they know what is best for themselves. (Costa Rica)
