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
Yolandé Conradie describes herself as an ordinary woman who lives an ordinary life but has had extraordinary experiences. She is a psychosocial therapist by profession, but loves teaching and educating, and puts her skills to use as a life coach and a university educator.
In this first episode of Season 4, Yolandé discusses growing up in a cult where her parents were members, a cult in which there were many rules for girls and women and very few for men, and where friendships outside of the cult were discouraged… the fear that was instilled in cult members, and the excommunication they faced, if they did not adhere to the rules… being an observant child, and noticing the inconsistencies between what people preached and what they did… at 19 years old, getting married within the cult… being exposed to more of life and eventually realizing that she had to leave the cult, even though it would not be a quick or easy process… finding a psychosocial therapist who first helped her discover herself and a different life path, “writing a new ending to an old beginning”… studying to become a psychosocial therapist herself… getting divorced from her husband of 20 years at age 39… moving to a new city to begin a brand new life and a new career, making her way completely on her own terms… realizing that she is stronger than she thought, and that she was capable of doing more than she once believed was passible. (South Africa)