InspiHER‘d

What happens when life forces you to start over and you decide to build something BIG?

S+S sit down with Samantha Senia, founder of Elite Home Staging and Elite Maison, to talk about how she went from starting a home staging business after divorce to building a global brand spanning luxury home staging, furniture, media, podcasting, and philanthropy.

Samantha shares the real story behind growing Elite Home Staging, including the challenges of scaling a capital-intensive business, building a team, setting boundaries, and developing the work ethic required to turn an idea into a successful company.

She also gets tactical about real estate and home staging—why decluttering matters, how staging can change the way buyers experience a property, and why presentation can make a major difference when selling a home.

Plus, we talk about Elite Maison, her furniture collection, her mother-daughter podcast, giving back, leadership, and what she’s learned about building a business without losing yourself along the way.

This is an episode about real estate—but it’s also about reinvention, resilience, entrepreneurship, and betting on yourself.

Keywords: Samantha Senia, Elite Home Staging, Elite Maison, home staging, luxury home staging, real estate staging, selling a home, real estate marketing, women entrepreneurs, women in business, entrepreneurship, starting over after divorce, luxury interiors, interior design, business growth, female founder

Samantha Senia

What if midlife isn’t a crisis—but your most powerful chapter yet?

S+S sit down with keynote speaker, author, executive coach, and 25-year insurance industry leader Tinsley English for an honest conversation about women’s leadership, career transitions, hormonal health, and reinventing yourself in midlife.

Tinsley shares her personal journey through a hysterectomy and hormonal changes and how those experiences reshaped the way she approaches health, leadership, career, and purpose.

Together, they talk about advocating for your health, listening to your body, creating workplace boundaries, navigating career changes, redefining success, and having the courage to design what comes next.

Tinsley also shares her MORE framework for mastering midlife leadership and stepping into your next chapter with confidence and intention.

If you’re navigating midlife, menopause or hormonal changes, leadership burnout, a career transition, or simply wondering “What’s next for me?”—this conversation is for you.

In this episode, Stacey Fleece and Samantha Tradelius welcome Laura Shanley, founder and tea sommelier of Modestine Tea House, for a conversation about wellness, mindfulness, and the transformative power of tea rituals.

Laura shares her approach to using tea as a daily practice for slowing down, reconnecting with yourself, and supporting overall well-being. The discussion explores herbal blends designed for relaxation, stress relief, and women's health, including support for perimenopause and hormonal transitions.

Listeners will gain practical insights on selecting quality loose-leaf teas, creating personalized tea ceremonies, and incorporating simple wellness rituals into everyday life.

Topics include:

• Tea as a mindfulness practice
• Herbal wellness and self-care
• Perimenopause and natural support strategies
• The benefits of loose-leaf tea
• Creating intentional daily rituals
• Stress management and relaxation
• Personalized herbal tea blends
• Queendom Rain and Let Go tea blends
• Women's wellness and holistic living

This episode is a beautiful reminder that sometimes the smallest rituals can create the greatest sense of balance, calm, and connection.

 

Organic Wellness Teas for Women | Award-Winning bymodestine

In this episode, Stacey Fleece and Samantha Tradelius welcome Carolyn Flannery, Founder and CEO of Make It Home Bay Area, for a powerful conversation about housing, dignity, and community impact.

Carolyn shares how Make It Home Bay Area helps individuals and families transitioning out of homelessness, aging out of foster care, recovering from disasters, and rebuilding after life's most difficult moments by providing essential home furnishings and support.

The discussion explores the organization's innovative approach, including its warehouse operations, resale shop, workforce development initiatives through the Renew Program, and partnerships that help create lasting change across the Bay Area.

Topics include:

• Furniture poverty and housing stability
• Supporting people transitioning out of homelessness
• Foster youth and independent living
• Disaster recovery and rebuilding communities
• Workforce development through the Renew Program
• Environmental sustainability and furniture reuse
• Nonprofit leadership and social impact
• Community partnerships and collaboration
• Upcoming fundraising efforts and events

This inspiring conversation demonstrates how something as simple as a furnished home can create dignity, stability, and hope for individuals and families working toward a brighter future.

In this inspiring episode, Stacey Fleece and Samantha Tradelius sit down with Sandra Riley Grimshaw, host of Marinterviews, to explore the remarkable impact of Marin County’s nonprofit community and the stories that often go untold.

With more than 1,800 nonprofits serving Marin County, Sandra shares how her nonprofit podcast platform shines a spotlight on local organizations, community leaders, volunteers, and changemakers who are making a difference every day.

The conversation dives into Sandra’s journey from local radio broadcaster to founder of Marinterviews and Truce, while discussing key topics including nonprofit fundraising, community collaboration, youth engagement, arts advocacy, volunteerism, philanthropy, and the future of nonprofit storytelling.

Whether you're a nonprofit leader, donor, volunteer, business owner, or someone passionate about community impact, this episode offers valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities facing local nonprofits today.

In This Episode:

• Marin County nonprofits and community impact
• Nonprofit leadership and storytelling
• Fundraising strategies and donor engagement
• Building stronger nonprofit partnerships
• Supporting youth programs and the arts
• The role of local media in community awareness
• How Marinterviews amplifies nonprofit voices

Learn more about the organizations and stories featured through Marinterviews and discover ways to get involved, volunteer, donate, and support the causes strengthening Marin County.

 

Marinterviews - Marin Link

In this episode Stacey and Samantha welcome writer and creative strategist Kashara Johnson, founder of Reverb and Root, to discuss the power of storytelling, visibility, and building supportive communities for women especially Black, Indigenous, and femmes of color. Kashara shares how caretaking her grandparents and recording everyday stories inspired an archive that preserves overlooked lives and cultures.

They also cover practical tools Kashara offers, including a free calibration worksheet and the Dream Lab workshop and cohort to help people name their dreams, dismantle barriers, and take action within a networked, compassionate community.

 

Reverb & Root

This week we speak with Sarah Jakle founder and executive director of DemocrSHE about the persistent representation gap in government and how early civic training can change the trajectory for young women. They explore evidence-based brain science techniques—grounding, savoring, and building an "inner best friend"—that help high school girls overcome barriers and thrive in leadership.

The conversation covers DemocraShe's 10-week online program, paid stipends, alumni support, and real-world successes of students who ran for office and launched civic initiatives, emphasizing how these skills translate to careers and lifelong leadership.

DemocraShe - training future women leaders

This week meet Emily Perez, owner of Al di La Salon in Novato, about her hair‑career journey from growing up in her grandfather’s North Beach beauty shop to working as a rental stylist and ultimately opening her own salon after COVID.

They discuss the long hours and hustle that built her clientele, the permit and red‑tape challenges of opening a small business, and her mission to create an inclusive community space for all hair types.

Emily shares practical advice and encouragement for women ready to take the leap into business ownership.

Thinking about it... JUST do it is the theme of this episode. 

 

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