In this moving and deeply human episode of The Trailblazer Chronicles, Judy sits down with M. Alexis Wright, a remarkable leaders whose 23-year military career has been shaped by purpose, presence and the fierce love of mentorship. A self-described “mom to Marines,” she shares how her journey of service transformed from proving herself in a male-dominated world to becoming a source of belonging and purpose for the next generation.

Together, they explore the evolution of leadership, the power of showing up authentically, and why connecting others, to themselves, to each other, and to a mission bigger than themselves, is the most courageous act of all.

Bio-

Margaret Alexis Wright is a native Texan and a highly accomplished leader with a distinguished career of service. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and holding a Master’s degree in International Public Policy from Johns Hopkins University, Alexis served as a Marine Corps Intelligence Officer with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Throughout her career, she’s held key roles in national security, including serving as an Aide to the Secretary of the Navy, completing U.S. Army Command and Staff as an Art of War Scholar, and advising international partners. Alexis is adept at strategic analysis, problem-solving, and cross-cultural communication.

Today, she serves as the Security Assistance Branch Head at the Marine Corps’ Training and Education Command and as an instructor at the Marine Corps Civil Military Operations School.

Alexis resides in Occoquan, Virginia, with her partner, LTC R. Zach Alessi-Friendlander, USA and their beloved dog, Jolene (who, they warn, will steal your man!).

What if the secret to success wasn’t doing more…but sparkling more?

In this joy-filled episode of The Trailblazer Chronicles, Judy chats with the fabulous Chief Sparkler of The Sparkle Factor®, Suzanne Castle, a woman who’s on a mission to help leaders and entrepreneurs ditch decision fatigue and rediscover their brilliance. With her signature blend of neuroscience, business strategy, and fairy-godmother-level magic, she shares how you can simplify your day, reclaim your time and step into your full shine…without burnout.

If you’ve ever felt like your to-do list was running your life, this episode Is your permission slip to pause, realign and sparkle with purpose.

It’s fun. It’s freeing. It’s full of gold.

Bio-Suzanne is the Chief Sparkle Officer, a modern fairy godmother of business who helps high-achieving women trade grind for glow. As the creator of The Sparkle Factor®, she blends strategy, stagecraft, and neuroscience to transform leaders from competent to captivating. Her clients, CEOs, entrepreneurs, and visionaries, step into expansion with ease, freedom, and magnetic presence. An award-winning speaker, ordained minister, and former professional performer, Suzanne is known for delivering luxe, high-energy experiences on stage and through retreats like VERVE, Dazzle, and the forthcoming Champagne CEO Retreat. She believes life is too short for beige… and her mission is to help women build businesses and lives that truly sparkle.

We all have conversations we avoid…but what if the most uncomfortable one could be the most loving gift we leave behind? In this episode of The Trailblazer Chronicles, Judy sits down with her dear friend Jane Blaufus, who helps people face life’s toughest topics with grace and clarity. Together, they explore why planning for the unexpected isn’t just a financial decision…it’s an act of love. You’ll hear how to begin those courageous conversations that most people avoid and learn how facing reality brings peace, confidence and empowerment. Whether you’ve been putting off writing your own planning or want to support a loved one, this episode offers calm, comfort and concrete steps to begin.

Bio- Jane is the author of the third edition of WITH THE [STROKE] OF A PEN: Claim Your Life. Her book and comprehensive planning binder have become acclaimed as two of the most actionable, personal and financial planning resources available today for families, individuals and business owners alike. She is on a mission to help advisors to get the ‘Courageous Conversations’ started with their clients to become their ‘advisor for life’.

An international keynote speaker, Jane has delivered highly rated sessions at four MDRT conferences around the globe along with numerous keynote speeches across North America.

She brings to the table 25+ years of insurance expertise as a financial advisor, sales manager and corporate executive. Today she is the Principal of The Blaufus Group Inc., based in Toronto, Canada and consults extensively into the financial services industry. Jane is a frequently sought after guest expert on Television, Radio and Podcasts. Her reputation and expertise make her an influential business coach to many financial services professionals around the world.

What happens when education isn’t just what you do…it’s why you do it?

In this episode of The Trailblazer Chronicles, we sit down with a lifelong educator, Debbie Saviano whose career has stretched from school principal to personal brand strategist, and now, the creator of powerful, DIY-style learning guides that help people shine online.

We explore how education is more than a classroom. It’s a mindset. You’ll hear how her philosophy of “learn as you go” redefines success, empowers others to show up with confidence and curiosity and stays rooted in her mission to help people grow at their own pace.

Whether you’re a teacher, leader, entrepreneur or someone simply curious about your own evolution, this conversation is a masterclass in turning knowledge into legacy.

#TrailblazerChronicles #WomenWhoLead #PurposeDriven #EducateToEmpower #LifeLongLearning #LearnAsYouGo

So many high-achieving professionals carry a secret: that persistent feeling that they’re not “enough”, that someday they’ll be exposed as a fraud. It’s called impostor syndrome…but what if it’s not just about confidence…and more about anxiety?

In this powerful episode of The Trailblazer Chronicles, I sit down with my guest Kim Meninger, who has lived the experience…and now helps others move through it with insight and grace. Unlike common approaches that frame imposter syndrome as a mindset to be fixed, she reframes it as a form of anxiety that can be managed with the right awareness and tools.

You’ll hear:

• Eye-opening stories from her personal history
• A deeper understanding of the real roots of imposter syndrome
• Tools to identify your own triggers and patterns
• Strategies to build self-trust and resilience…especially in high-stakes leadership

If you’ve ever felt like your success came with a secret asterisk…or you’ve coached or led someone who struggles with self-doubt….this episode will shift your thinking.

#ImposterSyndrome #WomenInLeadership #LeadershipAnxiety #Confidence #AuthenticLeadership #TrailblazerChronicles #OvercomingSelfDoubt #ExecutiveCoaching

Why do so many high-achieving women still feel unfulfilled, even after they’ve checked every box of success?

In this powerful and inspiring conversation, we explore how adversity, burnout, and ambition can become catalysts for transformation…not setbacks…for female leaders ready to lead with greater impact and authenticity.

My guest, Nicole Jansen shares her personal journey of bold reinvention and reveals practical strategies to:

• Recognize when “traditional success” is no longer enough
• Transform adversity into resilience and adaptability
• Redefine leadership on your own terms…without losing yourself in the process
• Step into a more authentic, sustainable, and purpose-driven style of leadership

If you’ve ever wondered why the top of the ladder doesn’t always feel like “enough,” this episode will give you clarity, tools, and inspiration to make your own bold shift-from chasing success to creating significance.

Listen now and walk away with strategies you can use today to lead with more confidence, connection, and purpose.

#WomenInLeadership #TrailblazerChronicles #AuthenticLeadership #FromSuccessToSignificance #BoldLeadership #LeadershipJourney

Bio
Nicole Jansen is a leadership coach, business strategist, and podcast host who has spent over 30 years empowering leaders and entrepreneurs to create success that lasts. Having coached and trained thousands of people across multiple industries, Nicole helps high-achieving women redefine leadership by aligning their vision, values, and influence for greater impact. She also draws from her own journey of overcoming setbacks and adversity, showing women how to cultivate resilience and adaptability so they can rise stronger and lead with confidence.

You’re driven. Successful. Still, something’s off…maybe it’s your energy, your clarity or your joy. Too often, we chase outward accomplishments and forget what fuels within.

In this episode, I sit down with Emma Lloyd, founder of Conscious Success. After earning seven figures as a tech executive, Emma hit burnout and realized she’d climbed someone else’s mountain. She responded by creating a soul-aligned approach to leadership, rooted in nervous system regulation and a five-step methodology that brings purpose, freedom and strategic growth together.
If you’ve ever lived in overdrive or felt out of step with your success, this conversation is your reset…and your clarifying map forward.

Listen now and lead from your center
#TrailblazerChronicles #WomenInLeadership #NervousSystem #CareerGold #ConsciousSuccess #BoldMoves

Bio
Emma Lloyd is a former tech executive turned leadership coach and the founder of Conscious Success. After climbing the corporate ladder and earning seven figures before 30, she hit clinical burnout and realized she’d climbed someone else’s mountain. That reckoning sparked a journey to regulate her nervous system, redefine success on her own terms, and rebuild a career that felt as good on the inside as it looked on the outside. With over a decade of experience in coaching, business strategy, and corporate leadership, Emma now helps high-achieving women create more success with less stress through her Conscious Success Method—a holistic framework that empowers women to build their careers from an unshakeable foundation of calm, clarity, and confidence.

Conscious Success Instagram
Conscious Success Website
Download Your Free 'Activated to Regulated' Regulation Guide

You’ve done everything right. You’ve hit the milestones. Built the career. Managed the home. Checked every box.

And yet…there’s that quiet question whispering behind the scenes… “Is this there is? Is this really it?”

In this episode of The Trailblazer Chronicles, I’m joined by Mary Lyons, a financial planner who helps high-achieving women stop trading time for money and start building lives that actually feel like success…not just one that looks good on paper.

We talk about:

Why women are rethinking “having it all” post-pandemic

How to use money as a tool to close the gap between dream life and real life

What it means to show up differently when the old definition of success no longer fits

How to design a life of intention, impact and legacy

This one’s for every woman who’s achieved everything…and is still searching for something more.

Listen now and start rewriting the rules of success!

#TrailblazerChronicles #WomenAndWealth #RedefiningSuccess #TheUnspokenQuestion #LegacyLeadership #DreamLifeRealLife

Mary’s Bio

Times have changed. Your financial planning strategy should too. What worked for our grandparents and parents won’t necessarily work for us today when it comes to developing a strong financial portfolio.

That’s why you need a financial coach by your side, one who can guide you past every milestone toward the financial goal you set for yourself. I want you to experience the wealth you deserve.

I help clients optimize their income potential by using the financial products that are right for their unique circumstances. I call that a smart strategy. My clients call it success.

Work with me, and I’ll teach you how to expand your legacy without sacrificing the ability to enjoy the wealth you’ve created. I believe that each generation should be unapologetically better off than the previous one and should pave the path for the generation ahead. Together we’ll develop the intentional strategies that will unlock your potential for unparalleled abundance.

My clients are already successful; they hire me to help them get to the next level of financial prosperity. It’s about creating meaningful significance while preparing for the future.

As a second-generation financial advisor, I began my fascination with investment planning in childhood, where I often had dinner conversations with my parents about using wealth as a tool rather than an end goal. Currently, I’m in the top 1% of the industry nationwide. That recognition has allowed me to teach at several national conferences, and nationally-

Known financial firms have hired me to train their advisors on the remarkable strategies my clients get to take advantage of. I’ve had the honor of working with a diverse array of clients around the country…those who look outside of the status quo. Called “one of the most innovative financial advisors in the country” by USA Today, “the Brené Brown of personal finance” by my clients, and most importantly, “Mom” by my kids, I understand the working professional who wants to have it all, and it’s my mission to show you how you can make that dream a reality.