In this episode of Leave Your Mark, I sit down with Shelmina Babai Abji, Founder and CEO, ShowYourWorth.ai, a distinguished speaker, bestselling author, and former high-ranking executive at IBM. Shelmina discusses her journey from humble beginnings in Tanzania to becoming a key female figure in the tech industry and her mission to advance gender equality in leadership roles. She shares insights from her book, 'Show Your Worth: 8 Intentional Practices for Women to Emerge as Leaders at Work,' offering strategies for women to maximize their leadership potential and create unique value in their careers. She highlights the importance of overcoming fear, building a personal brand, and demonstrating value for advancement. Shelmina's story is a testament to resilience, empowerment, and the critical role of intentionality in achieving professional success.

In this episode of Leave Your Mark, I welcome Madison Ciccone, a former Hollywood executive assistant turned top SoulCycle instructor and confidence coach. We discuss Madison's career transformation, from her early days in Hollywood to finding her true calling in fitness and coaching with SoulCycle. Madison shares insights into the fast-paced Hollywood lifestyle and her transition into fitness, emphasizing the importance of aligning success with purpose and fun.

She also talks about creating her brand, Wicked Fearless, aimed at motivating women through virtual coaching sessions initiated during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Today, it embodies her mission to help women identify their purpose, harness bravery, and take bold action in their lives. Madison's approach is unique and intertwined with her journey and struggles, making her teachings all the more powerful and relatable. 

At the heart of Madison's story is the theme of fearlessness — not the absence of fear, but the courage to confront and dance with it. She highlights the importance of spirituality, self-reflection, and letting go of past baggage to uncover one's true message. By embracing the highs and lows of her journey, Madison advocates for authenticity, resilience, and the continual pursuit of self-discovery. Our conversation covers a range of topics, including the power of vulnerability, the role of spirituality in achieving success, and strategies for overcoming the comparison trap and building confidence.

As Madison emphasizes, leaving a mark on the world isn't just about achieving personal success; it's about amplifying the greatness already within others and making every interaction a chance to impact someone's life positively. Her story is a powerful reminder that finding and following one's joy and purpose can lead to unimaginable fulfillment and inspire others to do the same.

As the first woman to serve as Secretary to former Governor Cuomo, the highest unelected position in state government, Melissa DeRosa knows how to thrive under pressure. In her riveting memoir, "What's Left Unsaid: My Life at the Center of Power, Politics & Crisis," she candidly shares her journey through politics, government, and becoming an author. 

From the frontlines of the COVID crisis to the real events behind Governor Andrew Cuomo's meteoric rise and unfathomable fall, Melissa, one of the most powerful women in New York State government, has been on the frontlines every step of the way. She opens up about personal sacrifices, navigating crises, and the support and controversy surrounding Governor Cuomo. Reflecting on her sudden thrust into the public eye, Melissa touches on the complex dynamics of personal branding, calling into question the narratives we construct around public figures and advocating for a more nuanced understanding beyond superficial judgments.

In this episode of Leave Your Mark, Melissa shares her career journey from her early days in fashion PR to her rapid rise in New York State's political arena, with an unprecedented view into the behind-the-scenes crisis management of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

On this show and in her book, she shares the personal challenges she faced with raw honesty and vulnerability—a failing marriage, infertility, death threats, misogyny—all while navigating unprecedented professional landmines along the way.

In beauty, few names resonate as vibrantly as Marisa Meltzer. Renowned for her thought-provoking journalism and bestselling books, Meltzer has become a beacon of insightful commentary on the personal and professional narratives that shape our cultural landscape. Her latest book, Glossy: The Inside Story of Emily Weiss's Glossier, not only cements her status as a leading voice but also offers an unparalleled glimpse into the potent mix of ambition, innovation, and struggle that defines the beauty industry today.

In this episode of Leave Your Mark, Marisa discusses her career, the beauty industry, and the making of Glossy, the bombshell exposé that reveals—for the first time—exactly what happened at Glossier, one of America's hottest and most consequential startups, and dives deep into Emily Weiss, the enigmatic, visionary woman responsible for it all.

We explore social media's pivotal role in its success and Marisa's take on the 'girl boss' era. She also touches upon the standards of beauty and body image in the current era, the intricate process of her reporting, and her next book project on Jane Birkin. The episode dives deep into the intersection of personal branding, industry dynamics, and the evolution of beauty standards.

In a world brimming with stories of success and determination, few are as captivating, hilarious, and inspiring as that of Jen Lancaster. Best known for her candid memoirs and inventive novels, Jen's journey from corporate vice president to bestselling author embodies resilience, wit, and an unmatched knack for storytelling. She is the New York Times bestselling author of nine memoirs, five adult novels, and one YA book.  Jen has sold well over a million books. After a corporate layoff in 2001, down on her luck, and stuck selling off cars, jewelry, and designer purses [which she says sucked, FYI] Jen launched a website to air her frustrations about unemployment. She began detailing her descent from designer clothing and spa visits to the unemployment line on her blog jennsylvania.com. 

Her acerbic wit quickly won the blog a massive following. Jen’s first memoir, Bitter is the New Black, was published in 2006. Since then, she has published [at least] one book a year, and her memoir The Tao of Martha was optioned for a sitcom by FOX. In this episode, she shares insights into her creative process, advice for aspiring writers, character development and the shift from non-fiction to fiction, her experiences with traditional and Amazon publishing, and the importance of personal branding and marketing in an author's career. Additionally, she discusses her recent projects, including her latest book 'House Moms', her work as a ghostwriter, editor, and her lessons learned along the way. Fun fact: Jen edited my latest book, On Brand!

In this episode of Leave Your Mark, I speak with the CEO at Fire Memos, career coach, and author Octavia Gorodema, who shares her expert insights on navigating career transitions and overcoming obstacles. Octavia, who founded the Twenty Ten Agency and has worked with major corporations like Google and Nike, discusses her mission to help professionals thrive in their chosen fields. Known for her impactful career development work and Audible original series 'How to Change Careers,' Octavia shares invaluable insights on navigating career transitions, defining personal success, and actioning immediate career strategies. Highlighting her initial conversation with her clients about what success means to them, she emphasizes the importance of understanding individual career goals and the subjective nature of success. We discuss the challenges of career advancement, the necessity of recognizing one's worth, the concept of a 'portfolio career,' and the implications of workplace dynamics, especially in relation to management. Octavia provides:

• A six-step plan for preparing for career setbacks.
• Advocating for self-documentation of achievements.
• Recognizing the common mistake of underestimating one's worth.
• The power of energizing and motivating others to leave a lasting mark in their careers.

Octavia also talks about her book 'Prep, Push, Pivot,' which offers career strategies for underrepresented women, dealing with changes at work, handling difficult bosses, and the mistake many make of underestimating their worth. The episode is packed with practical tips for career advancement, the value of tracking accomplishments, and the power of energizing others through one's work.

Leave Your Mark is like The Devil Wears Prada meets career advice. That's what I thought of when I wrote my book in 2015. And this podcast is a continuation of everything I started back then.

I'm your host, Aliza Licht. I'm an award-winning marketer, two-time author, and personal branding expert, and I am your trusted guide every week, bringing you career advice and stories that you really don't hear anywhere else. Because here's the difference: my podcast is keeping it real. And I want to make sure when you listen to these episodes, you walk away feeling like, I can do that. I can literally take that advice and employ it tomorrow. Because we don't need fluffy advice and we don't need to hear people just bragging about their careers.

We need to hear real information that we can use. So join me this season, Season 14. I am so excited to be back. We have a stellar lineup of guests and this season I'm going to be doing something new. I am going to start some solo episodes based on my new book, On Brand, on specific topics. And I think it'll be really fun to have those episodes too.

So subscribe to the show. I can't wait to have you listen. And please remember that whatever you're going through right now, if change doesn't hurt a little, it's not change. Keep on rocking.

Aliza x

How many journalists do you know who can simultaneously report a story and inadvertently become the story? Taylor Lorenz sits in a class by herself. As a technology journalist for The Washington Post, she doesn't just report on the latest trend but writes about topics with more significant meaning and what they say about the state of technology, media, and culture. 

But as a creator and internet personality, Taylor has often become the story herself and a target by many. The backlash comes swiftly, frequently, and usually from right-wing media. Tucker Carlson's favorite pastime is bashing her every move. Fox has held entire segments around Taylor, and #TaylorLorenz is often a trending hashtag on Twitter (now X). Elon Musk has gone after her many times. The minute she publishes a story, she'll start trending, and the trolling begins. None of it is slowing Taylor down.

Taylor Lorenz has been the authority on internet culture for over a decade, documenting its far-reaching effects on all corners of our lives. In her first book, Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet, debuts this week, she presents a groundbreaking social history of the internet—revealing how online influence and the creators who amass it have reshaped our world, online and off.

"It's important to set the record straight on where the "creator economy" emerged from because, in 2021, when Silicon Valley finally woke up and was forced to take internet culture seriously because of the pandemic, there was just so much revisionist history. They were talking about how MrBeast founded the notion of productizing himself — that's just not true. Beauty vloggers were doing that back in 2012. Mommy bloggers pioneered a lot of these revenue streams, so I wanted to also talk about that. No one has written that history. I want to tell the stories that have been written out of history by Silicon Valley," says Taylor. 

In this episode, Taylor and I map her journey from former aspiring fashion publicist to globally renowned journalist. We cover the state of the creator economy, how she follows trends and the future of tech, where she sees social media heading, and most importantly, setting the record straight on its birth and evolution. I am honored to be included in her book for my work as the former DKNY PR GIRL social media personality I created and was the voice of from 2009-2015.

I have loved watching Taylor's career. Fun fact: her first work experience was as a PR intern at DKNY in my department! She has an exceptional finger on the pulse of the internet and the ability to see patterns others don't. I truly admire her strength and resistance to her haters. In her new book, Extremely Online, she shares "the inside, untold story of what we have done to the internet and what it has done to us."

You don't need to invent something new to be a wildly successful entrepreneur. According to Liz Elting, one of Forbes's "Richest Self-Made Women in America," you only need to identify something you can do differently and better. Her new book, DREAM BIG AND WIN: Translating Passion into Purpose and Creating a Billion Dollar Business, captures all her learnings.After living, studying, and working in five countries across the globe, Liz Co-founded TransPerfect out of an NYU Stern dorm room in 1992.

At the time, there were already 10,000 language solutions companies in existence. In fact, she was working at the biggest one. However, Liz saw flaws in their service offerings and set out to do it better. She succeeded and built the largest language-solutions company in the world. She served as Co-CEO until 2018. Following her departure, Liz founded the Elizabeth Elting Foundation to break down systemic barriers, bridge gaps, and foster systemic change for women and other underserved communities so that people of every stripe can succeed, thrive, and reach their potential.

In 2020, the Elizabeth Elting Foundation launched the Halo Fund, a comprehensive multimillion-dollar pandemic relief initiative to directly support medical needs, hunger relief, health equity, and on-the-ground efforts in underserved communities. When Liz was at NYU, she tried to find books on starting a business, but none resonated with her, and she read many. In DREAM BIG AND WIN, Liz reveals a counterintuitive approach to success and divulges practical and inspiring tips you can implement immediately. Her refreshingly frank and humorous recollections of lessons in life and entrepreneurship serve as a guide for anyone who seeks to fulfill their highest potential.

DREAM BIG AND WIN is for anyone who has ever dreamed of translating their passion into purpose and creating something bigger than themselves—from one of the most successful women in America.This episode is full of tactical and sometimes surprising advice. Liz shares everything from why your goal should be to replace yourself, the shocking question she asks every candidate she interviews, why you should never be a 50/50 partner, and so much more. 

In this special edition of LEAVE YOUR MARK, I sit down with Catherine Fisher, Vice President of Integrated Data and Consumer Communications for LinkedIn. Because who's better than Catherine to share the information we need right now to ensure we navigate our careers strategically?

Catherine is an established marketing and communications leader and has worked for some of the most notable consumer brands, including Netflix and eBay, with more than 20 years of experience. Currently, she leads the consumer communications strategy for LinkedIn and serves as the company spokeswoman educating and inspiring people on how to think about and grow their careers. 

After decades in marketing and communications and a new role as an operating partner at Traub, Kate Doerge never anticipated that she would also become a CEO. This new job, however, is the one her whole career has prepared her for and the one she was meant to do. 

When Kate's daughter Penny rolled off the bed at four months old, what seemed like a typical tibia fracture uncovered a diagnosis called Neurofibromatosis, also known as NF. One out of 300,000 kids is diagnosed with NF. This genetic disorder causes tumors to grow on nerve pathways anywhere in the body. At the time, doctors encouraged them to focus on healing the leg and not google NF. 

As parents, they were determined to make sure Penny lived a big, beautiful life. Even though she had her first surgery at 15 months old and was in a body cast for four months, she would commando crawl across the room in her bright pink cast bedazzled with gemstones. Nothing stopped Penny.

Throughout her life, Penny was never defined by her ailments. She also didn't hide from them. She knew she was different from most people but never referred to it. Over her short years, Penny endured seven orthopedic surgeries and 11 brain surgeries. She never felt sorry for herself. Penny lived as a typical social and funny teenage girl with a beautiful smile and someone who was always the life of the party. Sadly, NF took Penny at 16. 

Within days of Penny's passing, Penny's Flight was launched in celebration of the extraordinary life of Penny Doerge and the qualities she personified — joy, artistic expression, and humor — while bravely living with Neurofibromatosis (NF) since infancy. The Foundation's mission is to make much-needed advances in medical research on Neurofibromatosis and related disorders — with a lasting impact on altering the course of this disease. There is no cure for NF, and research around the disease remains underfunded despite being one of the most common genetic disorders in the United States. 

Through Penny's story and bright light, the Foundation aims to expand knowledge around NF while inspiring others to find beauty in imperfection, positivity in the face of challenge, and faith over fear. In less than a year, they have raised over $3 million for Penny's Flight, and this is just the beginning. 

There is no greater tragedy than losing a child. Still, Kate Doerge and her husband, Chad Doerge, made a choice: to choose joy and positivity and focus on spreading their daughter Penny's light because living life with joy and optimism came naturally for Penny.

In this episode, Kate shares how she and Chad handle adversity and how their mentality of choosing joy and positivity has led them. Kate shares the steps they took to build this Foundation in a few days and how anyone can model this mindset to push through even the most tragic times. As Kate says, it's not about your lifespan but your wingspan. Penny always spread her wings and shined her light. This episode is about strength, resilience, and the power of positivity, everything Penny embodied. Penny lived her life's purpose and will continue to inspire others.