In this episode of The Essence of You, host Steph Lokelani sits down with her friend Adrienne Esposito, Vice President and Branch Manager at WaFd Bank, 2025 Boise Chamber Connector of the Year, and one of the Treasure Valley's most passionate community advocates.

What starts as a warm conversation about shared history quickly becomes a deeply personal exploration of purpose, dignity, faith, and what it truly means to serve your community from the inside out.

Adrienne opens up about her journey from the restaurant industry to banking, her decade-long commitment to Idaho's ALICE population (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed), and why she believes local businesses hold the real key to lifting their communities. She shares a story most people don't know - that she was married at 16 and had four children by the age of 21 - and how living through welfare offices, food insecurity, and the quiet degradation of poverty became the fuel behind her tireless advocacy. Her message isn't about handouts. It's about giving people back their dignity.

Steph brings her own vulnerability too, sharing what it was like growing up in Hawai'i with a family that was turned away from food stamps despite being stretched thin and the extraordinary discovery that she is a direct descendant of King Kamehameha, only to watch her cousins be priced off the very islands her family has called home for generations.

Together, they tackle some of today's most pressing conversations: the Idaho housing and wage crisis, the impact of social media on youth identity and mental health, the power of asking "why" without judgment, what it means to ride the fence in a politically divided world, and how faith can be the most grounding force in a noisy life.

This episode is warm, honest, and full of the kind of insight that only comes from people who have lived what they preach.

In this episode:

- How Adrienne went from waitressing to VP of a community bank - What the ALICE population is and why it likely affects someone you know - Adrienne's personal story of living on public assistance as a young mother - Steph's Hawai'i roots and the real cost of tourism on locals - A royal connection: Steph's direct lineage to King Kamehameha - Idaho's housing and minimum wage crisis in 2026 - Social media, body image, and what we owe the next generation - Why asking "why" is one of the most generous things you can do - What it means to be a "fence rider" in today's political climate - Adrienne's faith-grounded answer to: Who are you at your core? - What gets Steph out of bed every morning (hint: it's adventure) - What gets Adrienne out of bed every morning (hint: JC)

About Adrienne:

WaFd Bank Vice President and Branch Manager Adrienne Esposito is a respected Idaho business leader with more than 30 years of executive leadership experience and a strong reputation for relationship-driven banking, community impact, and leadership development. She is known for helping businesses grow while creating meaningful connections throughout Idaho’s Treasure Valley through mentorship, financial education, and strategic community partnerships.

Adrienne actively serves and supports organizations including the United Way of Treasure Valley, Habitat for Humanity, and Girl Scouts of Silver Sage. She is a recipient of the 2023 TWIN Award, the 2025 Boise Metro Chamber Connector of the Year award, and a two-time nominee/finalist for the Idaho Business Review Women of the Year recognition.

If this episode resonated with you, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs to hear it.

Chapters:

00:00 - Cold Open: Ducks, Outdoor Cats & Farm Life 00:54 - Welcome & Introductions 02:43 - Meet Adrienne: VP and Branch Manager at WaFd Bank & Community Ambassador 03:35 - Boise Chamber Connector of the Year 2025 06:04 - Leadership Boise vs. Leadership Meridian 08:07 - 30 Years in the Treasure Valley 08:44 - The ALICE Population: Why Nonprofits Matter 16:35 - Paying It Forward - Local Hiring & Living Wages 22:04 - Adrienne's Career Journey: From Restaurants to Banking 26:45 - The Entrepreneur Mindset: From Kitty Cat to Tiger 29:58 - Adrienne's Personal "Why": Married at 16, Four Kids by 21 34:34 - Steph's Hawai'i Roots & Family Food Insecurity 36:43 - Tourism's Hidden Cost on Local Hawaiian Communities 40:11 - Descendants of King Kamehameha 42:38 - Idaho's Housing & Wage Crisis 47:35 - Social Media, Body Image & the Next Generation 59:39 - The Power of Asking "Why" 1:00:50 - Open Dialogue: Politics, Shared Values & Seeking to Understand 1:05:48 - Is Your Glass Half Full or Empty? 1:10:39 - Final Question: Who Are You at Your Core? 1:15:32 - JC: Jesus & Coffee - What Gets You Out of Bed 1:17:22 - Steph's Why: Adventure & Following People's Journeys 1:21:22 - Closing & Thank You

What if the thing that saved you as a kid is now the thing you're building for the next generation?

In this episode of The Essence of You, host Steph Lokelani sits down with two of her closest friends - Allison Terenzio-Moody, Executive Director of Treasure Valley Children's Theater (TVCT), and her husband Noah Moody, playwright, director, and educator - for a warm, funny, and unexpectedly moving conversation about the transformative power of the arts.

From running through caves dodging zombies in a 48-hour horror film to running one of the Treasure Valley's most beloved nonprofit theaters, Allison and Noah share the journey that brought them to where they are today. The three dig into why children's theater deserves the same respect as any other art form, the life skills it quietly builds in young people, and the very real ways TVCT has been a lifeline for kids who had nowhere else to turn.

Noah opens up about growing up feeling like he didn't belong until the stage gave him a world where he did. Allison reflects on becoming the advocate, grizzly bear mama, and community builder she never knew she'd need to be. And Steph brings her own stories: a production of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown that made her realize performance was her dream, and a childhood friendship forged under stage lights that survived a decade and a random run-in in Cambodia.

They also get into the real talk around sustaining a nonprofit: what it means to never turn away a child because of finances, the emotional weight of parents who apologize for needing help, and why Idaho Gives (May 4–7) is such a critical moment for organizations like TVCT.

This one is joyful, honest, and full of heart. Whether you're a theater kid at heart, a parent wondering if the arts are "worth it," or someone still searching for your people, this episode is for you.

🎭 About Treasure Valley Children's Theater: TVCT is a nonprofit theater company dedicated to making the arts accessible to every child in the Treasure Valley, regardless of financial circumstance. They offer classes, productions, camps, and school tour shows. And they never turn a student away. 💛 Support their work: https://www.treasurevalleychildrenstheater.com/ and donate during Idaho Gives (May 4-7) at: https://www.idahogives.org/organizations/treasure-valley-childrens-theater

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About our Guests:

Allison Terenzio-Moody (she/her) earned her B.A. in English and Creative Writing from Seattle University and her Master’s in Education from New York University. Before being named the Executive Director of Treasure Valley Children’s Theater (TVCT) in 2023, she spent over eight years teaching, developing curriculum, and serving as the TVCT Education Director.

Noah Moody is an actor, educator, and writer at Treasure Valley Children's Theater. Born and raised in Boise, ID and about to celebrate 10 years with the company, he has also been a theater artist in the Treasure Valley for the last 20 years. Having performed with the likes of Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Boise Contemporary Theatre, Alley Repertory Theater, Noah is very proud to call TVCT his home for the past decade along with his amazing and remarkably patient wife, TVCT Executive Director Allison Terenzio Moody.

Chapters:

0:00 – Cold Open & Welcome 0:35 – Introducing Allison Terenzio-Moody & Noah Moody 3:37 – Allison's TVCT Story: From Actor to Executive Director 4:59 – Noah's 10 Years at TVCT 7:54 – Why Children's Theater Deserves Respect 15:11 – Origin Stories: How They Each Fell in Love with Theater 27:50 – What the Stage Really Teaches Kids 35:00 – Finding Your People: Community, Belonging & Beating Loneliness 40:43 – TVCT as a Nonprofit: Scholarships & Never Turning Kids Away 49:53 – Idaho Gives: How You Can Support TVCT This Week 53:57 – Who Are You at Your Core? 1:05:27 – Closing Thoughts & Gratitude

What does it mean to look like you fit in everywhere but feel like you belong nowhere? Angela Reish knows that feeling well.

In our third episode of The Essence of You, host Steph Lokelani sits down with her longtime friend Angela, a woman she first met through the belly dancing community years ago, who describes herself as "espresso in a sea of milk." On the surface, Angela looks like she checks all the "typical American girl" boxes. But scratch a little deeper and you'll find a woman forged by post-WWII German immigrants, four years in the US Air Force, a marriage of two radically different worlds, and a calling to show up for kids that nobody else sees.

Angela grew up in a house where the inside was Germany and the outside was America, and her parents never quite understood the threshold between the two. Her father, who lost his own dad to the war, spent part of his childhood in a work camp in postwar Germany. Her mother was bombed out multiple times before the family immigrated first to Canada, then to California. That Old World upbringing - strict, formal, blunt, and deeply regimented - shaped Angela in ways she's still unpacking.

Steph and Angela talk about the invisible weight of being raised between two cultures, how those roots show up in your parenting, your marriage, and even the way you end a phone call (Germans just... hang up). Angela shares her years in the Air Force, which fit her German wiring perfectly, and the rude awakening of re-entering civilian life where military experience was largely dismissed. She reflects on a marriage between two people who came from completely different worlds, and the hard, funny, real work of raising a son.

Then there's the work she does now. Angela is a nearly-full-time substitute teacher, and she has thoughts. She paints a vivid and honest picture of what teachers actually deal with, classrooms full of kids who are each a product of entirely different home lives, traumas, privileges, and cultures. She talks about finding her people in the theater and choir kids, creating a safe space for an LGBTQ+ student who told her she'd never met someone her age so open, and the quietly profound experience of working with the RISE program for nonverbal, special-needs students.

And yes, there's a bully story. A sophomore, a jacket from Chinatown, a school bus, and fifty kicks in the back. Angela tells it with the kind of humor and grace that only comes from having fully survived something.

At the core of this conversation is a woman who gives a damn - loudly, imperfectly, and without apology. Angela is proof that the most interesting people often look the most ordinary on the surface, and that showing up for others, even when nobody's paying you nearly enough to do it, is one of the most quietly radical things a human being can do.

Subscribe to The Essence of You wherever you listen to podcasts, and if this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who needs to hear it and let me know if you'd like to be a guest. 🎧

About Angela Reish:

Angela Reish’s journey is rooted in service, resilience, and growth. Gen X now 57, like the ketchup, she began her career in the Air Force before spending 25 years in the corporate world. In the past three years, she’s embraced a new chapter as a high school substitute teacher, continuing her commitment to making a difference.

Married for 28 years and proud of her German heritage, Angela brings a grounded perspective shaped by life experience, adaptability, and perseverance.

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome & Introduction 00:29 – How Steph & Angela Met Through Belly Dancing 04:10 – Angela on Watching Steph's Creative Journey 06:59 – "What Makes You Different?" 07:32 – Growing Up With German Immigrant Parents 09:50 – Father's WWII Story: A Family Shaped by War 12:12 – Immigration to Canada, Then California 14:43 – When the Inside of Your House Is Germany & the Outside Is America 19:53 – Living in Idaho for 21 Years as a Non-Native 21:10 – The International Perspective (ft. Reham) 23:09 – Marriage, Parenting & Clashing Upbringings 29:25 – Husband's First Trips Abroad 32:20 – The Air Force Years: Her Version of College 39:28 – Corporate America: HP, Micron & Silicon Valley Rules 42:17 – Becoming a Substitute Teacher Post-COVID 44:38 – What Teaching Actually Looks Like (What People Don't See) 48:39 – Elementary vs. Junior High vs. High School Energy 51:23 – Building Real Connections With Students 53:18 – Creating Safe Space for LGBTQ+ Youth 57:50 – The Bully Story: A Jacket, a Bus & Standing Your Ground 01:07:01 – The RISE Program & The Gift of Nonverbal Kids 01:11:59 – Being Dismissed as "Just a Sub" 01:15:53 – Final Question: Who Are You at Your Core?