Sonali Makanji, Communications & Relational Expert focused on Emotional Fitness, is a London-based ICF Accredited Coach (CPCC, ACC) who helps individuals discover how to be more authentic in their communications and their presence. Now running her own coaching practice "Coaching with Sonali", she brings 12+ years of experience across corporate and professional services, spanning consulting and in-house industry leadership roles. She has served as Head of Communications for a pan-European management consultancy in the City of London and as Director, Head of Brand for a private equity backed tech unicorn. In her first Moment of Impact (MOI), Sonali opens this episode by sharing an early lesson in primary school where she first became aware of the power of choosing perspective. She shares how seeing a peer draw a peacock using colors other than ones they naturally appear in opened her mind to thinking outside the box. In a second Moment of Impact (MOI), she shares how she encountered a practitioner when she traveled to the foot of the Himalayas to rejuvenate, and how he advised her to “do nothing” during her stay there. He had perceived that she drove herself hard, was accustomed to planning and executing at a high level, but it was taking its toll on her well-being. Sonali embraced this advice and journaled. She became aware of how “just being” can be so cathartic and therapeutic. These moments of insight she shares elucidate how she has developed her current work on emotional fitness. Sonali offers a suite of coaching services to help clients reconnect with themselves and deepen their connections with others. In our conversation, Sonali shares an example of a bride who was getting "decision fatigue". Through their work together, they discovered that what was actually happening was the bride was seeking perfection in the planning of the wedding in order to feel safe and in control. Sonali’s work often focuses on unpacking these layers to get to the essence of what is actually going on and helping the person unlock their own wisdom in response. Sonali would love you to engage with the art series on her website. In our pod convo, we discuss the “Onion People” image and what it strikes in each of us when we see it. Be sure to go to www.sonalimakanji.com to see what you think! We talk about essentialism, building self-awareness through community, the power of inter-generational friendships, and more! As with every episode of our podcast, we close on what brings Sonali hope! We are so honored that Sonali appeared on the podcast and shared so many insights about how to be more emotionally fit and thriving! Thank you, Sonali! Personal site: www.SonaliMakanji.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonalimakanji/

Gina S. Lovasi, PhD, MPH, Dana and Davis Dornsife Dean at Drexel University of the Dornsife School of Public Health, opens up the episode talking about her moment of impact. When reflecting back on her career, she is most proud of the times when she worked in partnership with others to answer big questions that none of them could have tackled on their own. A renowned epidemiologist and the youngest dean of a school of public health in the US, probably the youngest dean at the university level in the US period, Dr. Lovasi tells us how the work of public health affects our daily lives. She shares how epidemiologists focus on “exposures” and “outcomes” and carefully examine causation versus correlation. In order to create trust with the public, when facing policy decisions with spending ramifications, Dr. Lovasi focused at the neighborhood level and the implications for the reality on the ground.

To help us understand her work in practical terms, she shares an example of a research question examining what the impact on a neighborhood food desert would be if a grocery store were added. While it sounds so simple at face value, we learn that it is actually complex. Another example of evaluating if planting trees will produce the desired benefit of reduced asthma. Again, not what you think at first glance!

We go on to learn how she keeps the integrity of the inquiry, joins with partners from other disciplines, and constituents affected in the processes she designs to keep maximum trust in the process. We discuss AI and higher ed. She makes the point that if you are not paying for AI, why is it free to you? It is because YOU are training the model. We discuss how the responsible use of AI should balance in the water and energy consumption and we as a global society should decide is it worth it for jokes and memes OR should we conserve it for the best use cases where AI can solve intractable problems. Finally, she shares what it is like to be a dean when you are trained in science, but not necessarily in management, how she balances her professional life with her family life as a spouse, mom, and other important roles, and what gives her hope for the future.

From the Dean's Desk: https://drexel.edu/dornsife/news/deans-blog/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gina-s-lovasi-ab19a064/

Katie Desmond, Client Manager at Forsman & Bodenfors (now Hecho Studio), opens up this episode by sharing her moment of impact (MOI) is to be a voice for Gen-Z and Gen Alpha in navigating this complex and challenging AI-era job market. A 2023 UNC (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) graduate with a BA in Communications and Media Studies, Katie aspired to leave her hometown and go to NYC to work in a creative field.

She shares her struggle sitting at home in Cary and filing hundreds of applications, but getting nowhere. She knew there had to be a better way, so she created a presentation for her parents to ask for them to take a chance on her and let her go to NYC for 6 months and try to land a job. They agreed she was a high ROI “investment” :). Once in NYC, Katie could begin networking in earnest, which is such a crucial part of getting clarity about what you want to do, how to pitch yourself, and how to develop relationships that could ultimately end up with being referred to HR for an interview.

Because Katie was open to contractor roles, not just permanent positions, she was able to land two attractive sequential contractor roles that helped her demonstrate her skills, her potential, and gave her a portfolio of experiences she could talk about on some major global campaigns that her current employer was interested in. Ultimately, the contractor roles enabled her to land her current FT permanent role. Katie keeps it real and lets you know that you are not alone in the struggle. She gives her best networking tips and advice.

The pod host, Katy Hansell, is a globally recognized, award-winning executive and leadership coach, who has 25 years of experience guiding individuals and organizations across three continents to make the impact they care about for the people, causes, and communities that have captured their hearts. In a smash up of the two Katie/Katy’s, we hear Katy’s 5 step system to land a job and from Katie how she implemented those steps to her current success.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiedesmond1/

Instagram: @katieedesmond

Georgina Dukes-Harris, Founder & CEO of swishvo, opens up this episode by sharing with us how her lived experience of giving birth to her first child compelled and propelled her into creating her current health-tech company called “swishvo” (swishvo.com). Her traumatic and difficult birth experience as a young woman seeded in her the idea of creating a platform for the “wrap-around” care that women need in the pregnancy experience, especially BIPOC communities where the risk of Black maternal death is 3.5x that of white women.

With a January 2026 launch of swishvo V2.0, Georgina shares her company mission: “To make sure that every baby enters the world safely and every person lives 100 quality years.” She has expanded her focus to create the state-of-the-art health-tech platform for people and providers of holistic and spiritual care services to connect and for providers to be able to document their results to health care systems/ payors and accelerate their credentialing and integration into networks.

Providers of all types of services are joining and the care is from “womb to tomb”, meaning not just maternal care, but all types of care for life’s transitional moments. Having won more venture capital and accelerator pitch contests than I can count, Georgina is an insanely talented entrepreneur and founder, has mad technology skills (Is a Google AI Fellow), and 15 years of deep experience scaling companies to soaring success. She is one of the most talented founders I have ever met and her funding trajectory proves it.

As Georgina says, swishvo is “creating an infrastructure where everyone can access Whole Health Care, especially under-served BIPOC communities, and where providers, payors, and patients can all find each other in the sacred relationship of holistic healing.” What could be better than that?! If you are a Founder or an investor, you will also want to listen or view this episode as Whole Health is the next untapped domain of value-based care. We are so honored and so grateful to Georgina that she came on the pod and brought her fantastic multi-hyphenate energy, futuristic insights, advice to anyone seeking “alternative” types of health care, advice to founders and much more! Thank you Georgina!

Swishvo: https://www.swishvo.com/

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georginadukes/

Marshall Davis Jones opens up this conversation by sharing how breaking boards, hard and soft, symbolize how we dance with impact. In a firewalking retreat he helped to facilitate, he witnessed how people used the board breaking to let go of what no longer served and to deepen the commitment to what they wanted to transform into. “Marshall Davis Jones is a poet, speaker, and communication coach specializing in affective presence. He is the Founder and CEO of GNTL STRNGTH and Mind Body Speak. The 5X TEDX speaker has had his poems flown into space by NASA, has shared some stages with the likes of Will.I.Am & Simon Sinek, and somehow along the way has coached the ATF, SFPD, and former hostage negotiator Chris Voss. He’s appeared on Access Daily with Mario Lopez and appears as himself in Ray Romano’s film, “Somewhere In Queens.” He is the author of “Tonal Influence: How to Listen Better, Speak Clearer, and Set The Tone.” (Source: Marshall Davis Jones) In his inimitable and poetic way in this pod conversation, Marshall shares how movement can help you strengthen your impact and hone your communications; how tone is so important to relationships and to becoming influential; how your body shows your “tell”; and how to create the type of strength that allows you to be gentle. And why that matters. If you want to hear a “master of communication” at work, this entertaining episode is for you! He models in his delivery all the things that he can coach you on and more. Instagram : @marshalldavisjonesFacebook : @marshalldavisjonesLinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/mindbodyspeak/

Bodhi Patil opens up this conversation by sharing a childhood moment when he snorkeled on his father’s back and discovered the world below the water’s surface, becoming amazed by all he saw and falling in love with the ocean.

“As a United Nations-recognized, award-winning Gen Z ocean climate solutionist, Bodhi is focused on improving Ocean Health and Human Health (OHHH), which are interconnected. He is also the Founder & CEO of InnerLight, whose mission is to help a generation discover their "innerlight" to restore OHHH to its highest potential. Bodhi is also a Co-Founder of Ocean Uprise with Parlay.” (Source: www.BodhiPatil.com). As we chat from his location in The Philippines, Bodhi shares how he discovered at a young age how to manage anxiety and become grounded through practices that build “strong body, calm mind, and vibrant spirit.” He won funding from Jane Goodall Institute’s Roots and Chutes program and went on to create a program that he shared with his middle school and then began traveling and sharing it elsewhere, ultimately touching 1400 students. In this episode, he shares how his entrepreneurial journey unfolded from these early beginnings, culminating in sharing the launch of his Inner Light Foundation, first announced on our pod. Thanks Bodhi!!! Everyone please support it!!! He walks through the updates for the international treaties and UN SDGs, how Indigenous wisdom can inform ocean and climate action, and how to take easy actions from your community to make a difference on Ocean Health Human Health (OHHH). Bodhi wants you to feel your best, optimize your Human Health, so that you have the energy to devote to promoting Ocean Health because our survival depends upon it. With his optimistic and positive approach as a solutionist, Bodhi shares “the billion things you can do to get involved right now, in your area, in the ways you enjoy, and contribute.” Bodhi's Website: www.BodhiPatil.comInstagram: bodhi_patil

Sahar Paz opens up this conversation by taking us to that jaw dropping moment when she was meeting with her oncologist after the 4th recurrence of cancer and was told she had 2-5 years to live, 5 if she was lucky. In that conversation, Sahar decided that there had to be another way. She embarked on a healing journey that she shares with us in this open-hearted conversation with lots of advice and inspiration for anyone who has a loved one touched by cancer or any other disease. Sahar shares with us that she has created “House of Paz”, an online platform for emotional, physical, and spiritual healing. Through this work, she continues to spread her message of healing, of empowerment, and of courage. As a patient advocate herself and a consultant to healthcare systems, Sahar knows how to work with your medical team to create a partnership of strong reciprocal communication. She knows how to reconnect you with your grounded, empowered self. Sahar Paz is a Harvard-certified emotional intelligence expert, seasoned communications executive, and globally recognized keynote speaker who helps people change the way they connect–by changing the stories they tell. Sahar’s clients include Facebook, HBO, Whole Foods, Texas Medical Center, and Emerging Women Live. Sahar's Website: www.SaharPaz.com Substack: https://substack.com/@houseofpazInstagram: @saharpaz

We are excited to share with you today the trailer for our podcast…Katy Hansell: The Impact Whisperer (™). The trailer features a quick cameo by each of the 12 fire guests that compose season 1 so that you can see that we approach IMPACT from every angle.

Our season 1 guests are from all corners of the globe, from The Phillipines, to London, to Los Angeles and lots of places in between. They come from different professions and vocations and represent every generation. What they all have in common is that they are ordinary people who found a way to make extraordinary impact by embracing the people, causes, and communities that have captured their heart and taking practical steps to make their impact!

Launch day is Monday, January 26, 2026 where we will share with you three amazing episodes so be sure to subscribe so you will be notified when they drop. Our mission is to whisper the call of impact to anyone and everyone we can so that the ripple effects of your impacts change the world for the better!