Stacy Phillips and Friends

In this episode, Stacy sits down with co-host Denise and philanthropist Mandie Davis, who turned a devastating miscarriage into Worthy of Love, the nonprofit that has thrown a birthday party for unhoused and sheltered kids every single month for more than 12 years. What started with 15 kids, a dollar-store cake, and a mascot named Skitty Cat has grown into five locations across LA and Houston and more than 50,000 children celebrated. Mandie talks about the moment her husband Ari first put on the mascot suit and couldn't stop crying, the shelter in Houston where the birthday photo booth doubles as the only baby pictures incarcerated moms will ever have, teaching homeless mothers to bake challah as therapy (and eventually as a paycheck), and the plaque she still keeps on her mantle from a teacher who once told a lonely five-year-old exactly what her name means. It's a conversation about faith, four miscarriages, and finding joy in the hardest rooms in the city. ✨ Episode Highlights How a heartbreaking miscarriage turned into a monthly birthday party for homeless kids The mascot suit Mandie's husband Ari couldn't stop crying in Why the photo booth at the Houston shelter means more to incarcerated moms than anything else at the party Teaching moms in shelters to bake challah, and the plan to turn it into real jobs The plaque on Mandie's mantle that gave Worthy of Love its name A boy, a pair of new shoes, and the moment that still breaks Mandie's heart Converting to Judaism, four miscarriages, and finding peace in the middle of chaos Why Mandie says yes to every high schooler who wants to volunteer How to get involved: donations, hairstylists, and a monthly party that needs Los Angeles to show up 🔗 Follow Mandie, Worthy of Love — Instagram: @worthyofloveproductions | worthyoflovela.org Denise — Instagram handle as shared on the episode; please confirm exact spelling before publishing Stacy Phillips — Website: stacydphillipsesq.com/my-podcasts | Instagram/LinkedIn: @stacydphillipsesq 🕒 Timestamps 00:00: Stacy welcomes co-host Denise and Worthy of Love founder Mandie 04:00: What Worthy of Love is, and the Skid Row theater group where it began 05:06: The miscarriage that led to the very first birthday party 07:13: From 15 kids to five locations and 50,000 celebrated 07:22: Why Worthy of Love expanded to a shelter in Houston, and the photo booth that means everything there 10:57: The mascot suit, and the healing Mandie's husband didn't expect 14:17: Learning to bake challah as grief therapy, one disastrous loaf at a time 16:03: Teaching moms in shelters to bake, and the plan to employ them for real 19:06: Converting to Judaism, a whirlwind honeymoon, and a Shabbat candle that means everything 22:15: A third miscarriage, a friend's house burning down, and Shabbat dinner anyway 33:56: The plaque on Mandie's mantle, and how a teacher once told her exactly who she is 36:28: A shirt, a foster daughter, and the outfits that mean more than anyone realizes 44:29: The aromatherapy bag that “smells like home, dad” 48:13: What's happening to the unhoused families Worthy of Love hasn't been able to find lately 53:01: How to volunteer, donate, or bring your kid to the next party

In this episode of Stacy Phillips & Friends, Stacy sits down with co-host Deborah Martin and the remarkable Rabia Chaudry. Rabia is an attorney, activist, bestselling author, and the woman whose relentless belief in one man's innocence sparked a cultural phenomenon called Serial. What starts as a conversation about one of the most famous wrongful conviction cases in American history quickly becomes something much more personal: a candid, warm, and surprisingly funny exploration of justice, identity, faith, and what it means to fight for other people for decades while finally learning to fight for yourself. Rabia knew Adnan Syed since he was twelve years old. When he was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend Hamin Lee in 2000, she couldn't walk away. And she didn't for 24 years. She sat through both trials. She built a podcast. She helped exonerate 18 people. She took on federal law enforcement, immigration cases, and the Muslim ban. And somewhere in the middle of all of it, she also lost 100 pounds, wrote a hilarious memoir called Fatty Fatty Boom Boom, and became one of the most quietly extraordinary women you'll ever hear from. This episode is also a love letter to women who do too much for everyone else and are only now learning to do something for themselves. It's smart, stirring, and a little bit hilarious. ✨ EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS How Rabia went from wanting to be a corporate lawyer to becoming the woman who helped free Adnan Syed — and why she says she never had a choice The Serial effect: what it was like to watch a podcast turn into a global phenomenon — and a Saturday Night Live sketch 18 exonerations in 7 years — and the pattern Rabia sees in nearly every wrongful conviction case Post-9/11 civil rights work, the Muslim ban, and why immigration and criminal justice are more connected than people think The Muslim-Jewish alliance work that got her ostracized from her own community — and why she'd do it again Fatty Fatty Boom Boom: losing 100 pounds, ditching dieting forever, and the strength training revelation that changed everything Why women over 40 are set up to fail when it comes to weight — and what actually works What's next for Rabia 🔗 FOLLOW Stacy Phillips Website: stacydphillipsesq.com/my-podcasts Instagram: @stacydphillipsesq Deborah Martin Instagram: @deborahmartin (with an H) Rabia Chaudry Website: rabiachaudry.com Instagram: @rabiasquared2 Facebook: Rabia Chaudry

In this episode of Stacy Phillips & Friends, Stacy sits down with co-host Linda Victor to welcome Jana Monroe, a former FBI Special Agent, one of the first female criminal profilers in the Bureau's Behavioral Analysis Unit (yes, the one behind Criminal Minds), bestselling author, and the woman who inspired Jodie Foster's portrayal of Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs. But here's what you won't find on Jana's official bio: she caught a bank robber by kicking off her heels and chasing him down an alley. She got called into her boss's office over polka dot shoes and didn't back down. She sat in the back row of a consultation she wasn't supposed to speak in, answered a question anyway, and got the job. Jana Monroe has spent a lifetime walking into rooms she wasn't expected to dominate and quietly, brilliantly, running the whole thing. Her book, Hearts of Darkness: Serial Killers, The Behavioral Science Unit, My Life as a Woman in the FBI, is the kind of read you finish in one sitting and then immediately text three people about. Stacy and Linda get the stories from Jana, the real ones. The crime scene photos pushed across the desk in a job interview, the day she schooled her own interviewer about his tennis coaching past, the Jodi Foster conversations about how a real FBI agent actually talks. And Jana delivers with warmth, humor, and the measured calm of someone who has genuinely seen it all. ✨ EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS The polka dot shoe showdown and the bank robbery three days later that settled it for good What it was actually like to be one of the FBI's first female profilers (spoiler: not like the TV show) The job interview where Jana pushed back on her future boss and somehow still got hired Advising Jodie Foster on Silence of the Lambs: the words she changed, the obstacle course she wouldn't let her skip, and what "inspiring" a performance actually looks like up close What true crime gets wrong and why the victims deserve better than the sensationalism 🔗 FOLLOW Stacy Phillips Website: stacydphillipsesq.com/my-podcasts Instagram: @stacydphillipsesq Jana Monroe Website: jdmonroeenterprises.com Book: Hearts of Darkness: Serial Killers, The Behavioral Science Unit, My Life as a Woman in the FBI (available on Spotify and wherever books are sold) 🕒 TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — Stacy introduces Jana 01:42 — The Behavioral Analysis Unit interview: crime scene photos, a tennis coach, and a power move Stacy does not recommend 03:44 — Sent to observe, not speak and the underwire bra detail that cracked the case 04:58 — The polka dot shoes and the SAC who had a problem with them 06:53 — The bank robbery, the dye pack, the alley chase, and the shoes left behind 09:17 — Linda on being the only woman in corporate sales and the pranks that meant you'd been accepted 11:12 — What it was like being one of only two married couples in the Bureau and how Jana and Dale navigated it 13:12 — What Jana is doing now: speaking to underserved youth, exploring a podcast, and a novel that could sidestep pre-publication review 15:08 — What true crime gets wrong and why accuracy matters when real victims are involved 17:46 — Jodie Foster, Silence of the Lambs, and the Yellow Brick Road obstacle course Jana wouldn't let her skip 24:23 — What Jana tells young women who want to join the FBI 25:54 — How do you compartmentalize hundreds of gruesome cases? 27:39 — What's next for Jana: speaking, security consulting, and a novel in the works

In this episode of Stacy Phillips & Friends, Stacy sits down with co-host Abbe Feder — fertility advocate and host of Women's Wellness with Abbe Feder — to welcome Anne Sisteron, the GIA-trained gemologist, fine jewelry designer, and accidental Instagram sensation whose pieces have graced the pages of Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Forbes, and Elle. But this isn't just a jewelry story. Anne was born in Paris to Danish diplomat parents, discovered on a beach at 15, shot a worldwide Maybelline campaign, married a man she met in a Parisian nightclub at 17 (yes, same husband — yes, still going strong), and built a Beverly Hills fine jewelry brand and a flagship store that could double as a museum. Then she walked away from all of it. Because none of it was making her happy. What followed was a pivot so unexpected it almost sounds made up: a goodbye sale, a scaled-back collection, one Instagram live about a White Lotus-inspired beaded necklace — and suddenly 300,000 highly-engaged followers, sold-out drops, and a new store opening three doors down from the old one. Oh, and somewhere in all of this, she got sober. Three and a half years in, and she'll tell you it's the best thing she's ever done. ✨ EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS From Paris to Beverly Hills — Anne's extraordinary journey from diplomat's daughter to supermodel to GIA gemologist to fine jewelry founder Why she walked away from a multimillion-dollar business with 20-plus employees (and why it was the right call) The goodbye sale, the pivot, and how one Instagram live about beaded necklaces reached Kuwait, Qatar, and beyond From 100K to 300K+ followers in three months — and what changed when Anne started showing up as herself The frittata debate that broke the internet (or at least her comments section) Her sobriety story — hidden for years, life-changing when finally addressed, and the conversation with her son that made it all worth it Manifesting from age 10 — and why feeling worthy is the whole point Her husband: the man who founded LA's top venture capital firm, Upfront Ventures, and the one she'd choose all over again Why closing her store opened everything 🔗 FOLLOW Stacy Phillips Website: stacydphillipsesq.com/my-podcasts Instagram: @stacydphillipsesq Abbe Feder Podcast: Women's Wellness with Abbe Feder Instagram: @abbefeder Anne Sisteron Website: annesisteron.com Instagram: @annesisteron 🕒 TIMESTAMPS 01:13 — Anne's "forever collection" and the earring origin story (spoiler: Stacy bought both colors) 02:33 — Born in Paris, raised everywhere — life as a Danish diplomat's daughter 03:09 — Tea with Diana, the Oval Office, and a childhood that reads like a novel 03:32 — Discovered on a beach at 15 — and why she almost said no to the photographer 05:03 — Eileen Ford comes to dinner in Copenhagen to recruit Anne (her parents said no) 07:33 — When a roadblock is actually a door opening: becoming a GIA gemologist 11:18 — The accidental influencer: why she closed the big store and went back to her roots 13:37 — One Instagram live, sold-out koi necklaces, and reaching Kuwait 14:12 — From 100K to 338K followers in three months — and the moment Brené Brown started following her 17:28 — The crustless quiche that went viral (and the frittata police who came for her) 19:17 — Anne reveals she's sober — three and a half years in, and why it changed everything 26:09 — The conversation with her son that made sobriety worth every hard day 27:22 — Why sobriety made her scrutinize her life — and gave her permission to choose joy 30:29 — Manifestation, worthiness, and the 10-year-old girl who knew she'd lunch at Hotel d'Angleterre one day

The Woman Who Out-Pinterested Pinterest: Kristine Locker on Building Something From Scratch In this episode of Stacy Phillips & Friends, Stacy sits down with co-host Katie Cazorla — comedian and entrepreneur — to welcome Forbes-recognized founder Kristine Locker, the woman behind the shopping platform everyone's about to be obsessed with: Locker. It started the way the best ideas do — with a problem. Kristine was keeping a Google spreadsheet of products she wanted to buy and thought there has to be a better way! What followed was a leap from commercial real estate broker to tech founder. Now shes raised $3.5 million, created partnerships with major retailers like Neiman Marcus, and found success with viral TikToks that bring in 5,000 new users overnight. Oh, and she's pregnant. No big deal. Think of Locker as what you'd get if Pinterest and an influencer network had a baby — a visual, social shopping platform where anyone can save, share, and actually earn from the things they love. And with women receiving just 2% of venture capital dollars, Kristine's story isn't just inspiring — it's a little bit radical. This episode is also pure fun but also reveals an incredible truth - betting on yourself is the only business plan that actually holds up. Pull up your phone, open a new tab, and maybe start thinking about what you'd put in your locker. ✨ EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS From Google Spreadsheets to $3.5M raised — Kristine's unexpected path to founding Locker What Locker actually is — and why "Pinterest meets influencer network" finally makes online shopping make sense How a user cold-messaged Kristine about investing — and ended up writing a $1M check Why women receive only 2% of venture capital dollars (and what we can do about it) The viral TikTok that got 2 million views and 5,000 new users in a single week Kristine's advice for anyone with a big idea and no idea where to start 🔗 FOLLOW Stacy Phillips Website: stacydphillipsesq.com/my-podcasts Instagram: @stacydphillipsesq Katie Cazorla Instagram: @officialkatiecazorla Kristine Locker Website: wantlocker.com Instagram: @kristinelocker TikTok: @kristinelocker / @wantlocker Got it! Here they are: 🕒 TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — Stacy and Katie introduce Forbes founder Kristine Locker 01:47 — The Google spreadsheet that started it all 02:40 — Building v1 with two college students hired off Upwork 04:26 — How a user cold-messaged Kristine and ended up writing a $1M check 06:07 — How Locker works — saving, sharing, and earning from what you love 07:42 — "Locker" — a name that's also a last name (and a very good pun) 07:56 — Baby news! Kristine announces she's pregnant 08:23 — Growing the team from one to ten 09:03 — The TikTok that got 2 million views and 5,000 new users overnight 11:13 — If Pinterest and an influencer network had a baby 12:29 — Katie's nail printer, her mall cart at the Americana, and a wild idea from China 13:24 — From nail salons to the Kookaburra Lounge 14:50 — Signed with Gersh and a Lionsgate development deal in the works 16:14 — Stacy is a brick-and-mortar girl — so how does Locker work for her? 17:21 — Neiman Marcus, in-store data, and the gap Locker wants to close 21:28 — Women get 2% of venture capital dollars 22:47 — Kristine's advice for anyone with a big idea and no clue where to start 23:03 — Your network is your net worth — and time-blocking your success metrics 23:55 — We plan, God laughs — on saying yes when you least expect it 27:01 — Where to find Kristine and Katie online