254: Healed and Restored - Elza Spaedy

Brittany Bentley, co-founder of Parker Clay, joins The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast to share her inspiring life story, how adoption led her and her husband to move to Ethiopia, and how they decided to start a luxury brand dedicated to helping women escape human trafficking and empowering them to live their lives - in freedom. Brittany and her husband had two children, Parker and Clay, and they decided to pursue adoption - which was what first led them to Ethiopia to adopt their first daughter. Their time in Ethiopia was transformative and opened their eyes to the crisis facing women in Ethiopia. In the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, 150,000 women are currently trapped in prostitution and 26% of women are unemployed; and in Ethiopia as a whole, over 4,6 million children are orphaned. Women and children in Ethiopia often feel like they have no other choice except to sell themselves and their bodies for money, but Parker Clay is changing that by offering women and girls freedom, a great salary and benefits, and the opportunity to pursue their hopes and dreams.  Parker Clay is a B-corp that makes premium leather and handwoven goods in Ethiopia and hires survivors of human trafficking, empowering them through commerce and art to freely live their lives. A B-corporation is a for-profit business that uses the power of commerce to solve social and environmental problems. Parker Clay partners with Ellilta International, a non-profit organization that provides holistic alternatives for exploited individuals through recovery that leads to freedom and restoration in all areas of life, to offer the women Ellilta works with - freedom and employment.  Brittany is an incredible woman with an inspiring story to share. You don’t want to miss this incredible episode! In this episode, you’ll hear: Brittany’s life story; How Brittany and her husband, Ian, decided to adopt and how that led them to Ethiopia for the first time;  How Brittany and Ian and their family ended up living in Ethiopia for a while, embedded themselves in the community, and how their experiences and conversations led them to starting Parker Clay; The story of how Parker Clay came to be and all about the incredible work they do; About the crisis facing women and children in Ethiopia and how Parker Clay is playing a role in leading them to freedom; And so much more.  The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and everywhere you listen to podcasts.  For more information about Brittany and Parker Clay, please visit: www.1GirlRevolution.com/parkerclay

27 Apr 202346min

Melissa Coulier and Melanie Samuels, founders of Living Well with Mel and Mel, join The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast this week to share their inspiring health journeys, the fun story about how they met and became friends on the set of “Fuller House”, how they connected over their passion for health and wellness, and how they’re helping others reclaim their lives and their health through Living Well with Mel and Mel.  Melissa is a fitness instructor, Lupus warrior, and photographer living in Detroit, Michigan. And Melanie is a holistic nutritionist and wellness expert living in Los Angeles, California. Although they’re based on opposite sides of the country, these women are working together to transform lives, empower women to take ownership of their health and wellness journeys, and they’re using social media for good. Living Well with Mel and Mel is dedicated to helping individuals on their own personal wellness journeys and their mission is to provide an inclusive community that celebrates bio-individuality and uses all aspects of every individual person’s life to manage inflammation and promote health and wellness.  You don’t want to miss this fun, informative, and inspiring episode! In this episode, you’ll hear: About Melissa’s life and her journey with Lupus, how she got into photography and became a successful photographer, and what led her to movement and fitness; About Melanie’s life and her journey with disordered eating, working in the entertainment industry, and how she got into nutrition and wellness  The story of how Mel and Mel met and how they bonded over their own stories, life experiences, and their passion for health and wellness; How Living Well with Mel and Mel came to be and all about the community they’re building and the incredible work they’re doing to empower others; Health and wellness tips and tricks from Mel and Mel; And so much more! The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and everywhere you listen to podcasts.  For more information about Melissa, Melanie, and Living Well with Mel and Mel, please visit: www.1girlrevolution.com/livingwellwithmelandmel

19 Apr 20231h 5min

Leeann Moore and Sherry Gibbons are the two incredible co-founders of Sister Corps and they join The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast this week to share their inspiring stories and to talk about the world-changing, life-giving work of Sister Corps. Sister Corps is a nonprofit organization dedicated to mobilizing volunteers to provide recovery efforts in areas affected by natural disasters, for environmental relief, or for other community and individual needs in our world. As you’ll hear in this episode, the majority of women involved in Sister Corps are retired - but these women aren’t held back by age (or anything else) and you’ll often find them carpooling in pickup trucks with their power tools in tow, ready and willing to help anyone in need in these areas affected by natural disasters.  In this episode, you’ll hear: A little about Leeann and Sherry’s individual life stories;; How they met through Sisters on the Fly; About how they connected and wanted to make a difference in the world; How Sister Corps came to be and all about the inspiring work they’re doing; Stories from “the field” and how they’re helping others through Sister Corps; And so much more! The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and everywhere you listen to podcasts. For more information on Sister Corps, please visit: www.1GirlRevolution.com/SisterCorps

13 Apr 202348min

Kristen Friscia Benitez, co-founder of Lity’s Angels, joins The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast this week to share her inspiring life journey, the story of how she ended up in Puerto Rico, and how her sweet daughter Lily, who has Down Syndrome, led to the founding of Lily’s Angels.  Kristen talks about her own journey as the mother of a child with Down Syndrome and how her advocacy for her own child - led to her deciding to start something bigger to help and support other families in the Down Syndrome community.  Lily’s Angels is a non-profit organization dedicated to spreading awareness about Down Syndrome, as well as increasing access to therapy, resources, community, and support to individuals with Down Syndrome and their families. . You don’t want to miss this inspiring episode! In this episode, you’ll hear: Kristen’s own life story; The story of how Kristen met her husband and how her life changed the day Lily (and each of her children too!) was born; About Kristen’s struggle to find resources and support, but how she continued to fight for her daughter, Lily; How Kristen’s own journey through her life and with Lily, led her to founding Lily’s Angels and Down Syndrome Foundations; About the inspiring and innovative work of Lily’s Angels and Down Syndrome Awareness Foundations; And so much more! The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and everywhere you listen to podcasts. For more information about Lily’s Angels, please visit: www.1girlrevolution.com/lilysangels

6 Apr 20231h 2min

Michelle Robinson, founder of Bountiful Blessings, joins The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast to share her inspiring life story and how she rose above addiction, homelessness, and all of the other struggles in her life to help others through her nonprofit organization, Bountiful Blessings.   Bountiful Blessings is a community outreach organization that offers free clothing, baby formula, diapers, household goods, resources and anything else that the people of the community need - all for free. Bountiful Blessings helps women, children, families, and individuals in every way they possibly can - with whatever they need. And they are an example that we can all emulate the work they’re doing by helping our neighbors, our family, and people in our own community.  You don’t want to miss this inspiring episode! In this episode, you’ll hear: Michelle’s inspiring life story;  About her life and how she overcame homelessness, abuse, and addiction to get to where she is now and helping others; How Bountiful Blessings came to be and all about their great work; Stories of people that have been helped by Bountiful Blessings; And so much more. For more information about Bountiful Blessings, please visit: www.1girlrevolution.com/bountifulblessings The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and everywhere you listen to podcasts.

29 Mar 202340min

Anne Lynn, co-founder of We 3 Queens, joins The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast to share her inspiring journey through life and how she rose from the ashes to help others and start We 3 Queens community outreach. Anne was raised by a single mother who always taught her to help others and do good in the community. Anne helped raise her sister’s kids and became a mother herself at a young age. Anne’s life took all kinds of twists and turns that included family difficulties, personal struggles, and time in prison. But, as you’ll hear in this episode - Anne rose from the ashes of the difficulties in life and now uses her own experiences to help others throughout the community.  We 3 Queens is a community outreach organization, founded and run by women, that provides much-needed support and resources to the community. We 3 Queens helps families and individuals in every way they possibly can - whether through food distribution or financial resources, Easter and Halloween parties for kids and families, holiday meals, and cultural festivals. They also work to support small businesses and other organizations in the community. You don’t want to miss this powerful episode! In this episode, you’ll hear: Anne’s inspiring life story;  About some of the struggles and difficulties she faced through her life; How her time in prison changed her life (for the better) and how she rose from the struggles she faced throughout her life; The story of how We 3 Queens came to be and how they’re helping others and serving the community; And so much more. For more information about We 3 Queens, please visit: www.1girlrevolution.com/we3queens The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and everywhere you listen to podcasts.  For more information on 1 Girl Revolution, please visit: www.1girlrevolution.com

22 Mar 202342min

Wendy Steele is a dedicated philanthropist, passionate entrepreneur, inspiring speaker, author, and founder of Impact100Global. Wendy joins The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast to share her life story, her inspiring work with Impact100Global, and the worldwide impact that Impact100's community of women are making together. From a very young age, Wendy’s family instilled the importance of giving back and striving to be the difference she wanted to see in the world. Throughout her life, Wendy has found many ways to give back and make a difference in the world, and she founded Impact100 to take that to the next level and to give other women the opportunity to make an impact as well.   Impact100 has streamlined the circle of giving model to transform communities worldwide. Since its founding in 2001, Impact100 has brought communities of women together all around the world and has distributed more than $123 million to worthy organizations and causes. Wendy continues to grow Impact100Global and share her philanthropy expertise through speaking engagements, volunteer work, and her forthcoming book, “Invitation to Impact.” Recognized by Forbes in 2021 as one of the 50 women over 50, who are leading the world in impact, Wendy and Impact100Global are making a massive difference in the world and their work is something we can all get involved in and support. You don’t want to miss this inspiring episode!  In this episode, you’ll hear: Wendy’s inspiring life story;  How she came up with the idea for Impact100; About the mission of Impact100 and the global impact they have made since their founding in 2001; Stories from Impact100 and how bringing women together can change the world; About Wendy’s forthcoming book “Invitation to Impact” and the Impact100Global conference in Detroit in June 2023; And so much more.  For more information about Impact100, please visit: www.1girlrevolution.com/impact100

15 Mar 202346min

Today we're sharing a very special, NEW episode of The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast - in honor of International Women's Day. International Women’s Day started in Germany in 1910 by Clara Zetkin - as a way to recognize and honor the brave, bold and meaningful contributions of women in the past and present. At 1 Girl Revolution, we believe that every woman has the power to change the world and today is a day to celebrate, inspire, and empower women around the world! Today, we're honoring International Women's Day with a new episode of The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast, featuring our Founder Kate Milligan! In this special episode, Kate talks about the importance of Women's History Month, #InternationalWomensDay, and what we can do to celebrate the women around us this month - and everyday.  For new listeners, Kate shares the story of her upbringing and what led her to start #1girlrevolution. She also brings listeners behind-the-scenes in the making of the #podcast and 1 Girl Revolution's Emmy-nominated documentaries: "In Tandem" and "The Girl Inside" - with some stories that have never been told before.  You don't want to miss this inspiring new episode of The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast, in honor of International Women's Day and Women's History Month!

8 Mar 202346min