PODCAST · society
Spark Me
by Spark Me Podcast
Spark Me was born out of countless honest talks with girlfriends about how life keeps shifting — and how incredible it is when women support each other through it.Co-hosts Michele Dempsey and Liz Graham bring humor, heart, and just the right amount of “did-we-really-just-say-that?” honesty to real conversations about careers, family, identity, health, relationships — and all the curveballs life throws in between.
Episodes
-
We Feel Like We Have to Be Wonder Woman
Why is it so hard for women to ask for help? Dr. Maria Montoro Edwards thinks it’s because we believe we have to be Wonder Woman. Michele and Liz sit down with their friend Dr. Maria Montoro Edwards, President and CEO of Maternal and Family Health Services. MFHS provides health care, nutrition,...
-
I Couldn't Leave Without My Dog
Would you leave a dangerous home if it meant leaving your dog behind? Liz isn't sure she would be able to, and that's why this conversation stuck with her. In this Spark Short, Michele and Liz unpack their conversation with Lisa Fuller of the SPCA of Luzerne County and everything it changed for...
-
More Than Rescue: What Animals Teach Us About Being Human
What really happens after an animal comes through the shelter door? Lisa Fuller has been rescuing animals since she was a kid growing up with a dad everyone called Dr. Doolittle. Today she chairs the board of the SPCA of Luzerne County and opens her home to senior and hospice dogs so their last...
-
You Can Have Everyone and Still Feel Alone
What if a relationship check-in belonged on your annual physical, right next to everything else you dread? In this Spark Short, Michele and Liz unpack their conversation with Dr. Christine Kiesinger and what stuck with them afterward. Liz walks away with a genuine mindset shift — she's always…
more -
The Connection Prescription with Dr Christine Kiesinger
What if your doctor checked your relationships the same way they check your blood pressure? Dr. Christine Kiesinger returns as our very first repeat guest with an idea that reframes what we think we know about health. Commissioned by the George Washington Faculty Medical Group to write on the...
-
Never Say Never: Can a Machine Actually Create?
What if the most important skill in the age of AI isn't technical at all — it's curiosity? In this Spark Short, Michele and Liz unpack their conversation with Heather Cybulski, the transformation consultant helping companies bring AI into their teams. What starts as a debrief quickly turns into…
more -
AI Is Moving Fast. You're Not Behind.
What if the thing standing between you and AI isn't the technology at all — it's just not knowing where to start? Heather Cybulski helps some of the world's largest companies figure out what AI actually means for the people who work there. She's also built a twenty-year career at the front edge…
more -
Medical Cannabis: Are You Medicating—or Numbing?
Medical Cannabis: Are You Medicating—or Numbing? Michele lives with a conflict she cannot simplify: her sister has seen medical cannabis help patients move away from highly addictive medications, while Michele’s son used the same plant to numb emotional pain. In this Spark Short, Liz and Michele...
-
Medicine, Motherhood, and Medical Marijuana
She built a career around one question: what do you want more? For the first time on Spark Me, Michele interviews a sibling — her sister, Dr. MaryFrances Koester. And what starts as a conversation about becoming a doctor turns into something much bigger: a masterclass in pivoting, protecting your...
-
From the Corner Office to a Cubicle — and Back Again
What if the boldest move of your career is the one that looks like a step backward? We're re-releasing one of our earliest and most-requested conversations. Dr. Karen Murphy, PhD, RN, graduated high school, got married eleven days later, and had her first child before most people had declared a...
-
Why Your Kids Need to Fall Off the Monkey Bars Again
Only 17% of Americans trust their institutions. Only one in three people feel like they can trust another person. And it's about to get harder to know what's even real. In this Spark Short, Michele and Liz dig into a Wall Street Journal op-ed by former Senator Ben Sasse — written while he battles...
-
The Compounding Effect of Micro Shifts — A Spark Short on Real Life Change
Corn on the cob, blueberry pie, one-item-at-a-time grocery texts from a caregiver, and a friend who texted the group chat to say Spark Me changed the way she thinks about her health. This Spark Short is a real check-in between Michele and Liz — how summer is going, how Liz's dad is doing, and…
more -
What If We Married Ourselves First?
As she slipped off her wedding band in the middle of her divorce, Christine Kiesinger heard a voice say: you should have married yourself first. Dr. Christine Kiesinger spent thirty years in academia as an expert in relational communication — until the day the words “I’m retiring at the end of…
more -
Where Are You Headed, Hon?
She was sitting in an airport when a stranger asked her, "where are you headed, hon?" And she realized she had no idea — not just which city she was flying to, but where her life was going at all. That moment was the wake-up call for Sarah Ohanesian, who spent over a decade climbing from intern…
more -
What We Didn't Know About Heart Disease Until We Asked
Wood stain at a historic building. White patio cushions that look like Miami. A priest who almost lost the use of his legs. And a heart health episode that made at least one of them finally make the appointment. In this Spark Short, Michele and Liz ease into things with a check-in on life — Liz's...
-
What Cassandra's Episode Made Us Think About America, Women, and Leadership
A graduation, a punctured paddleboard, a sister story about white patio cushions — and a conversation that kept circling back to one woman who's changing how Pennsylvania sees leadership. In this Spark Short, Michele and Liz catch up on the small stuff — Michele's son graduating high school…
more -
The Heart Attack Symptoms Women Don't Recognize
Heart disease is the number one cause of death in women — more than two times all cancers combined. And most of us still think it's a man's problem. In this episode Michele and Liz sit down with two guests for a first on Spark Me — Dr. Jennifer Nesfeder, a board-certified interventional...
-
From the Youngest Mayor in America to Leading the Nation's Biggest Birthday Party
She was 20 years old, sitting in public administration classes in the morning and running borough council meetings at night — fulfilling the term of her grandfather, who had asked her to step in before he died. That's where Cassandra Coleman's story begins. And it only gets more remarkable from...
-
Hot Dog Carts, Morning Pages, and the Magic of Women — What Nora's Episode Hit Home For Us
Sometimes an episode stays with you. This is one of those Spark Shorts. After last week's conversation with Nora Isaacs — writer, personal historian, and founder of Backstory — Michele and Liz couldn't stop thinking about it. In this Spark Short they unpack the moments that hit hardest: from the...
-
The Questions You'll Wish You Asked Your Parents
She was standing in front of a hot dog cart in midtown Manhattan when an 18-wheeler knocked her off her feet — and knocked her onto a completely different life path. In this episode, Michele and Liz sit down with writer, author, and personal historian Nora Isaacs — Michele's dear friend from...
-
We Lived It. Here's What Cameron's Episode Hit Home For Us.
Even the most prepared families miss something. In Liz's case, it was a document sitting in a file cabinet that nobody remembered to upload to the hospital portal. This Spark Short is a real, unfiltered conversation between Michele and Liz about what's been hitting home since their episode with...
-
She thought she had more time. Then her mom got Alzheimer’s
She was 35 with three little kids when her mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's — and she had no plan in place. You're home for the holidays. Your dad's lost weight. Your mom tells the same story three times. You go to help with a bill and realize you have no idea where anything is — no will, no...
-
Bombs, Boardrooms, and Building Community: Liz Graham’s Spark Me Origin Story
he was 12 years old when terrorists bombed her father’s military headquarters — and for a day, she thought he was dead. In this deeply personal episode, Michele sits down with someone listeners have come to know and love on the other side of the mic — Spark Me co‑host Liz Graham. For the first...
-
Ripple Effects: How One Family's Idea Changed a Country
What if one small idea — born from a family vacation — could change the trajectory of an entire community, an entire country, and your own family forever? This week on Spark Me, Liz and Michele reflect on one of the most moving stories they've covered: Barb Cox, a mom who turned a trip to visit…
more -
From One Trip to a Movement: How Lacrosse and 135 Sticks Changed Lives in South Africa
What starts as an ordinary trip can sometimes become the spark for real, lasting change. This week on Spark Me, Liz and Michele sit down with Barb Cox, a working mom whose decision to take her two teenage sons to visit their former au pair in South Africa quietly planted the seeds of the South...
-
Preparation vs Pressure: What Wins Every Time
If you're not prepared… everything changes. In this Spark Short, Liz and Michele unpack one of the most practical and overlooked skills behind confident communication: preparation. Inspired by their conversation with Professor Jamie Leddin, they explore why so many of us struggle in...
-
Leadership Is Not Reserved For People With Titles
What if leadership isn’t something you wait to be given—but something you choose to step into? This week on Spark Me, Liz and Michele sit down with Dr. Jamie Leddin, professor of practice at Vanderbilt University, leadership expert, executive coach, and negotiation specialist, for a conversation...
-
I Thought It Was Just Stress…
What if the symptoms you’ve been brushing off as “just stress” are actually your body asking for help? This week’s Spark Short is a real, honest check-in between Liz and Michele as they reflect on their conversation with menopause expert Adrienne Cotton — and the wake-up calls that followed. From...
-
Menopause, Misunderstood: What Every Woman Needs to Know
What if menopause wasn’t something to “get through,” but a phase of life you could understand, support, and actually feel stronger in? This week on Spark Me, Liz and Michele sit down with wellness educator and Master Menopause Now creator Adrien Cotton for a conversation every woman should hear....
-
Stress, Hormones & Desire: What We Learned from Dr. Erin Murphy Ross
What if the biggest myth about intimacy is that it’s supposed to stay the same forever? In this Spark Me conversation, Liz and Michele unpack their powerful episode with Dr. Erin Murphy Ross — and dive even deeper into the layers of intimacy, desire, hormones, stress, sleep, and evolving...
-
Stop Having Bad Sex: Desire, Disconnect, and How to Find Your Way Back
What if your relationship isn’t broken — it’s just overloaded? In this candid and compassionate episode of Spark Me, Liz and Michele sit down with Dr. Erin Murphy Ross — marriage and family therapist and sex therapist — to talk about the conversation so many couples are quietly having… or…
more -
The Problem Isn’t the Drugs
What if addiction isn’t the problem — but the solution to something deeper? In this Spark Short, Liz and Michele revisit their powerful conversation with Brenda Zane of the Hope Stream community and unpack one of the most eye-opening reframes of the episode: substance use isn’t usually the root...
-
From Fear to Hope: Support For Parents Facing A Child's Substance Use & Mental Health Issues
There are conversations parents whisper about or avoidaltogether because the fear and judgment feel unbearable. This is one of them. In this deeply personal and powerful episode of Spark Me,Michele and Liz sit down with Brenda Zane, parent advocate, certified coach, and founder of HopeStream...
-
From Spark to Spotlight: Turning Big Ideas into Reality in Scranton and Beyond
What does it really take to turn a spark of an idea into something tangible, impactful, and lasting? In this episode of Spark Me, Liz and Michele dig into the power of execution — how following through on a vision can change communities, careers, and even the reputation of an entire city. Liz...
-
The Power of the Pause: Why 10 Seconds Can Change Everything
What if the most powerful thing you could do this week took just ten seconds? This Spark Me episode is a reflective conversation inspired by last week’s powerful discussion with Stacey Fritz — and by a week that, as Michele puts it, “was a week.” Liz and Michele unpack the idea that life’s...
-
Living in the Inhale: Why Women Forget To Exhale
Why so many women stay stuck in fight-or-flight and how to learn to pause and exhale Many women are managing careers, families, aging parents, partnerships, and their own expectations, often in a constant state of inhale (fight or flight), never taking a pause or remembering to exhale. In this...
-
The Dopamine Trap: Social Media, Kids, and the Movement We Need Now
What if the thing we reach for to relax is actually exhausting us—and quietly reshaping our kids’ brains along the way? Social media is woven into nearly every part of modern life, but in this candid Spark Me conversation, Liz Graham and Michele Dempsey take a hard look at the unintended...
-
Rachel Olszewski Conrad on Divorce, Healing, and Building Fear Less Publicity
Sometimes the bravest thing you can do in your second act is walk away from a life you thought you were “supposed” to live. This week on Spark Me, Liz and Michele sit down with Rachel Olszewski Conrad, founder of Fear Less Publicity, for a deeply honest conversation about reinvention, resilience,...
-
Stepping Into the Fight: Service, Sacrifice, and Starting Over At 56
What happens when a story refuses to be forgotten? In this Spark Short, we talk about a book that took decades to become real — not because it was being written, but because it was being lived. What started as cassette tapes mailed back and forth between a father and daughter slowly became a…
more -
Grief, Gratitude, and the Chapter Nobody Prepares You For
What if grief wasn’t something to “get over,” but something we learn how to carry — together? This week on Spark Me, Liz and Michele open up about a chapter of life many of us enter quietly and unprepared: losing our parents. Over the past year, both have navigated profound loss while continuing…
more -
When AI Gets Smarter, Our Humanity Matters More Than Ever.
What if the “future of AI” wasn’t just about technology, but about what kind of humans we become while we build it? This week on Spark Me, Liz and Michele sit down for a Spark Short that’s… not actually all that short. They dive into the wild, complicated, and very real ways artificial…
more -
Gratitude, Joy & The Magic of Being Seen
What if life feels fuller when we notice just how much there is to be grateful for in every part of it? In this heartfelt Spark Short, Liz and Michele share how this holiday season is bringing surprising joy, deeper connection, and fresh starts—even in the middle of big life changes. From a...
-
Designing Her Life Differently: Michele’s Journey Through Architecture, Motherhood & Empowering Action
What happens when you keep choosing the unconventional path because that’s what feels true to you? This week on “Spark Me,” Liz turns the mic inward and interviews her co-host, Michele Dempsey—architect, mom, community advocate, and lifelong challenger of the status quo. In this intimate origin...
-
Picking Up the Pieces: Rebuilding After Loss
What if the greatest heartbreak in your life could become the turning point for the most courageous chapter yet? This week on Spark Me, Liz and Michele sit down with Angela Buchter to explore an extraordinary journey through loss, resilience, and unexpected renewal. Angela built a thriving career...
-
Friendships in the Second Act: The Secret to a Happier, Longer Life
What if the key to a longer, happier life isn’t what you eat or how much you exercise, but who you call your friend? This week on Spark Me Shorts, Liz and Michele explore the power of friendship in the second act of life and why meaningful connection may be the ultimate secret to happiness and...
-
Faith, Friendship & Finding Purpose: How Katrina Bowers Turned Life’s Twists into Grace
What if life's unexpected pivots were actually leading to your purpose? This week on Spark Me, Liz and Michele sit down with Katrina Bowers, founder of Guided Giving, to explore how a life of pivots — from early marriage and career changes to personal loss — led her to a powerful second act...
-
Heartbreak, Healing & Harmony: Laurel Wright of The Young Fables on Finding Her Voice
Ever fallen head-over-boots for a voice that feels like home? Meet Laurel Wright, one half of Nashville duo The Young Fables, whose crystal-clear vocals and soul-first songwriting chart a path through grief, grit, and gorgeous melody. From singing in East Tennessee churches at age three to…
more -
Spark Shorts: Trust Your Gut
Ever had that moment when logic says one thing, but your gut says another? In this Spark Short, hosts Michele Dempsey and Liz Graham dive into the art (and challenge) of trusting your gut. Michele shares a raw, real-life story about a moment when her intuition told her to pause even though logic...
-
No Lane, No Limits: Tara Mugford Wilson’s Blueprint for Bold Moves
Ever feel like you’re supposed to “stay in your lane?” Tara Mugford Wilson never got the memo. From corporate consulting to running a unionized mechanical business in a male-dominated industry, to buying (and rebranding) a women’s fashion and home store just before the pandemic — Tara proves that...
-
What If Slowing Down Is the Most Productive Thing You’ll Ever Do?
What if the key to getting more out of life isn’t doing more — it’s slowing down? In this inspiring episode of Spark Me, Michele and Liz sit down with Kris Holmes, a woman whose life has been defined by love, resilience, and gratitude. From becoming a mom at 18 to building a thriving career and...
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
Spark Me was born out of countless honest talks with girlfriends about how life keeps shifting — and how incredible it is when women support each other through it.Co-hosts Michele Dempsey and Liz Graham bring humor, heart, and just the right amount of “did-we-really-just-say-that?” honesty to real conversations about careers, family, identity, health, relationships — and all the curveballs life throws in between.
HOSTED BY
Spark Me Podcast
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Spark Me have?
Spark Me currently has 54 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Spark Me about?
Spark Me was born out of countless honest talks with girlfriends about how life keeps shifting — and how incredible it is when women support each other through it.Co-hosts Michele Dempsey and Liz Graham bring humor, heart, and just the right amount of “did-we-really-just-say-that?” honesty to real...
How often does Spark Me release new episodes?
Spark Me has 54 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Spark Me?
You can listen to Spark Me on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Spark Me?
Spark Me is created and hosted by Spark Me Podcast.
URL copied to clipboard!