From left to right: Susan Ramirez (Susan’s wardrobe is her own), Shanaz Hemmati (Shanaz’s wardrobe is her own), Amanda Turner (Amanda’s wardrobe is her own), Pooja Lakshmin (Pooja’s wardrobe is her own, blazer from Showroom). Accessories from Garden Room ATX.
From left to right: Susan Ramirez, Shanaz Hemati, Amanda Turner, Pooja Lakshmin
Photo by Annie Ray Styled by Empress Bey
D E S I G N E R P O PU P S H O P
Life
Advocasy
Care
Guardianship
Aging
23, ISSUE 5
BETSY BLANKS VP of Business Operations
JORDAN FARRIS Director of Strategic Growth
FARRAR LINDER Media Sales Executive
HALIE RAMIREZ Director of Content & Creative Services
Editorial: Olivia Barboza; Codi Chen; Deborah HamiltonLynne; Jenny Hoff; Sarah Kyle, Ph.D, LCSW; Raya Reaves; Jenny Remington; Cheryl Sew Hoy; Sarah M. Vasquez; Liz Wendler
Art: Adobe Express, Empress Bey, Brio Photography, Joi Conti, Cypress Valley, First Classe, Hue Photobooth, La Cantera, Kevin Liew, Mindful Media, Naya Papaya, Annie Ray, Retreat Ranch, Jenny Remington, Mars Tello, Eylse Theriac, Wahwahtaysee Resort, Karie Winfree, Jay Ybarra
Contributors
This month, we asked our contributors: Who is a woman athlete that you feel deserves more recognition?
DEBORAH HAMILTON-LYNNE
Writer
• Deborah sets intentions for the year – she doesn’t make New Year’s resolutions.
• She opens the front door at midnight on New Year’s Eve to let the old year out and welcome the new year in
• She sends her friends Irish Blessings on New Year’s Day.
“I would single out a group of incredible female athletes – golfers who have played in a PGA Tournament competing against men. The list is surprisingly small, considering the strides women have made in the sport. Only one – Babe Didrikson Zaharias, a native of Port Arthur, Texas and co-founder of the LPGA - who has ever made the cut in a PGA tournament. She is the only athlete – male or female-who has ever won Olympic medals in running, jumping and throwing events. In addition to Zaharias (1935 - 1946), the list includes Shirley Spork (1952), Annika Sorenstam (2003), Suzy Whaley (2003, Michelle Wie West (2004), Brittany Lincicome (2018) and Lexi Thompson (2023). ”
MELINDA GARVEY Co-owner/Co-founder
LANA MACRUM Co-owner
LYNELLE MCKAY Co-owner
TERRY MITCHELL Co-owner
GRETEL PERERA Co-owner
SHURONDA ROBINSON Co-owner
ANA RUELAS Co-owner
NEHA SAMPAT Co-owner
KIP GARVEY Co-founder
SAMANTHA STEVENS Co-founder
Austin Woman is a free monthly publication of AW Media Inc. and is available at locations throughout Austin and in Lakeway, Cedar Park, Round Rock and Pflugerville. All rights reserved.
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RAYA REAVES
Writer
• Raya is a huge Dallas Cowboys fan.
• She loves to travel (she’s visited 36 states and 15 countries).
• She never gets sick of Home Alone and Hocus Pocus during the holidays.
“Kelsey Plum is an athlete (WNBA player) who deserves more recognition. With other controversial WNBA stars, the focus is taken away from Kelsey’s talents and philanthropic efforts. Las Vegas recently declared ‘Kelsey Plum Day’ because of her work to close the gap in the lack of representation in women’s sports.”
CODI CHEN
Writer
• Codi has a BS in Travel and Tourism from Western Michigan University.
• She circled the entire world on a ship in 2008.
• Donuts are one of her favorite foods.
“A’ja Wilson is an absolute superstar for the Las Vegas Aces, dunking on the competition and making it look easy! Three-time WNBA MVP, leader and all-around baller, she’s changing the game and proving why women’s sports deserve all the hype.”
January 1st, my husband and I bring our notebook to Rebel Cheese for what we call the “New Year’s Resolution Dinner.” We bring pens, highlighters, goals and ideas to fill the book’s empty pages with our intentions for the upcoming year. This is the first moment of the year that we, as life partners, sit together to discuss our hopes and dreams for the year ahead. During this dinner we check in with each other to ensure that we’re still on the same page and headed towards the same place – in our relationship and in our personal lives. We pull up the resolutions from the previous year and either check each one off as completed, nix it or make adjustments to attain it in the following year. We regroup in the middle of the year and hold the other accountable throughout the 365 days. This is how many businesses operate; setting goals and revisiting them throughout the year. Our marriage isn’t a business, but, like one, we hope to embrace change through growth and accountability. So, I’m overjoyed to welcome you to our 2025 Change Makers issue.
Before we dive into content of this special issue, I want to share some of the changes you’ll see with Austin Woman in 2025. We are adjusting priorities to keep up with you, because you are what motivates us, year after year. We are moving to six issues, instead of our monthly publication. Each issue will be packed with two-months worth of stories, while some will have special inserts for you to keep – just like this one. We are excited to connect with you in more face-to-face settings. We’ve made a resolution to host more events to bring our community together. Our intentions are to help you grow, personally and professionally during our Take Off with Austin Woman trips. We aspire to engage more with our Connects Club members through fun networking events, masterclasses and exclusive conversations in our group chats. There is so much more that we have planned; some of which include various empowering, successful women from the following pages!
It’s impossible to not feel empowered after reading the stories of our Change Makers Cover women, Shanaz Hemmati, Pooja Lakshmin, Susan Ramirez and Amanda Turner. There’s a yearning to further grow a dynamic community that can be felt in our story about the tour guide group, Where Y’all At Though?! Our Change Makers lists reflect outstanding women in our community from cooking connoisseurs to corporate leaders. And, of course, we share stories that can help you have a phenomenal year. Know how to create a vision board, set up a stylish organization system in your home, curate the perfect power capsule wardrobe and save money to achieve major life goals. Plus, learn the do’s and don’ts of online dating while balancing your mental health. And, take a trip in the Hill Country for a quick recharge to really kick off your year with some self-care.
Reader, we are thrilled to learn about your goals for the new year and help you achieve them. We hope you become inspired by and tap into the group of Change Makers reflected on The List. We wish you a joyful, restful and balanced 2025. And we can’t wait to see you in January, at our Change Makers Party! Follow us on social or subscribe to our newsletter to stay in touch with us throughout the year.
HALIE RAMIREZ DIRECTOR OF CONTENT & CREATIVE SERVICES
Subscribe to our newsletter for pre-sale ticket access to events, wellness tips and more.
Publication of Austin Woman would not be possible without the support of our monthly advertisers and sponsors, who believe in the impact we are making in the Austin community. The team at Austin Woman is grateful for these businesses that have shown their commitment to the advancement of women in Austin and hopes you, as readers, recognize their efforts and support these businesses.
Locally owned by Amy Sweet, PA-C, An Austin Woman to Watch Recipient
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CONNECT WITH US
HOLIDAY MARKET
Long-time Austin Woman reader, Tamela, shopped at this year’s Holiday Market. All in attendance celebrated the season with an evening of food, wine and holiday cheer while shoping unique gifts from local vendors. Wavemaker’s Lurleen Ladd perfomed for all to provide a joyous and warm feeling to the winter night. We wanted to kick off your holiday celebrations (and help you check off some gifts from the holiday shopping list).
THE GIFT OF WATER GALA
VP of Business Operations, Betsy Blanks and several Connects Club members gathered at Hotel Van Zandt for The Gift of Water Gala. Well Aware celebrated 15 years with a night of impact and connection. All enjoyed an evening filled with dinner, drinks, special guests, a live auction and their Annual Impact Awards. Inspiring, impactful stories from the field were shared as funds were raised for this life-saving work.
WILD HONEY PIE’S WILD GAME FEAST
The Wild Honey Pie’s Wild Game Feast at Store House Market & Eatery in Bastrop was an unfogetable evening of food music and community. Guests enjoyed a tasty five-course feast crafted by chef Sonya Cote, featuring wild game and fresh farm harvests – complemented by Tito’s Handmade Vodka cocktails, named after the evening’s band, Voxtrot. The night’s highlight was an intimate, stripped-down performance by Austin’s Voxtrot.
DANCING WITH THE STARS
Connects Club members watched 11 celebrities dance the night away during the Dancing with the Stars event benefitting the Center for Child Protection. $2.8 million was raised, as the dancers wowed the audience with their jaw-dropping routines. Monica Fabbio and professional dancer Nolan Whitely’s Cha Cha routine earned them the coveted Mirror Ball trophy.
Media Sales Executive, Farrar Linder and friends celebrated art, music and holiday cheer at this year’s Armadillo Christmas Bazaar. This beloved Austin tradition featured an impressive selection of handmade works from talented artists, another shopping experience for local culture lovers. Guests enjoyed live music, food and drinks in the vibrant atmosphere.
TRAIL OF LIGHTS
Connects club members and VP of Business Operations, Betsy Blanks, enjoyed the Trail of Lights, with a magical display of light tunnels, festive displays and iconic attractions like the Zilker Tree. Visitors are dazzled with more than 2 million lights at Zilker Park, delicious food from local vendors, live entertainment and holiday cheer for all ages. Trail of Lights is only lit up once a year for joy and wonder.
Photo courtesy of Brynn Osborn
ARMADILLO CHRISTMAS BAZAAR
THE GIFT OF WATER GALA
WIN THIS! EVENTS
Jan 1-4: Mozart’s Festival of Lights, light show at Mozart’s Coffee Roasters.
Jan 3-4: Free Week , when hundreds of Austin bands perform around town.
Jan 10: Unbreakable Women’s Conference: The Day She Discovered Her Purpose, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Exchange ATX. Purchase your tickets at UnbreakableWomensConference.com
Jan 17: The Power of 100 Women, Impact Alliance is hosting an action-packed day that is sure to leave you feeling refuled and refreshed. Purchase tickets at bit.ly/3CwmtAB
Jan 19: Austin International Half, one of the fastest half marathon courses.
Jan 20: MLK Day Festival, walk from UT’s Martin Luther King Jr. statue to Huston-Tillotson University for activities and events.
Feb 8: CASAblanca Gala , raising funds to provide the community with CASA volunteers at the JW Marriott Austin Purchase your seat at CasablancaGala.com
Feb 15: The SAFE Gala , inspire SAFE Alliance, providing shelter, healing and hope to survivors of abuse. Join for dinner at Give. SafeAustin.org
Feb 16: Austin Marathon, Ascension Seton invites all to the running social event of the year for a half marathon or 5K.
Feb 19-23: OUTsider Festival, a multidisciplinary art festival at The Vortex.
Feb 22 - Mar 2: ATX Open, tennis tournament at Westwood Country Club.
Feb 28: Envision Gala , Proceeds give free, professional support for children coping with a parent’s serious illness or injury. Purchase tickets at WondersAndWorries.org
Feb 28 - Mar 2: NASCAR at COTA welcomes race fans for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix.
CONNECTS CLUB EVENTS
We’re giving away one pair of passes to this year’s Fashion Show. Hosted by Austin Woman and the ACC Fashion Incubator, this stylish annual event showcases looks from emerging and established fashion industry leaders.
The 2nd annual Fashion Show will have a designer pop-up shop, runway and more at Austin PBS on March 6.
To win: follow @austinwoman on Instagram and look out for our Fashion Show contest. We will announce the winner by February 2025.
Join our book club with a Connects Club membership. Scan here for monthly or yearly access to our Connects Club
We are excited to announce the launch of our AW Connects Club Book Club, featuring all women authors! We appreciate everyone who completed the survey to help us select the format and make our first two book selections. The book club will meet monthly, alternating in-person and virtual. We’re committed to reading diverse authors, helping us all to grow personally and professionally, and ultimately to provide a fun, safe space to discuss, learn from one another and connect!
Book Club Meetup: January 24th, 3pm Contentstack Experience Center Optional Social Hour to Follow
In The Light We Carry, Michelle Obama, shares a series of fresh stories and insightful reflections on change, challenge and power. Obama believes that when we light up for others, we can illuminate the richness and potential of the world around us. We agree. Dive into this read with us and come ready to discuss!
Book Club Meetup: February 20th, 7pm Virtual Look for the RSVP link
We Should Get Together is the ultimate handbook for those who are ready to build better, stronger friendships. Kat Velos shares the four biggest challenges that adults face in friendship maintenance and gives the tools to overcome them. We know the value of good friendships, so come ready to share and connect!
Jenny Remington –Create a Vision Board
BY JENNY REMINGTON
Have you spent time and energy on visualizing your dreams lately?
A powerful way to do that is to create a vision board, a collective name for various inspirational collages created from pictures and phrases.
A vision board can make your dreams feel more tangible and attainable. The act of creating it tells your mind what’s important. You are teaching your mind what you want to focus on while creating your vision board.
This process can inspire and positively motivate you by bringing clarity to your mind and connection to your heart. You can create a general vision board for your life, or you can focus your vision board on a specific project you are creating. Your vision board will be unique and special because you have gifts and dreams that only you can bring to the world.
As a firm believer in giving purpose and intention to your vision, I enjoy teaching others how to create a vision board that works for their goals.
GATHER YOUR MATERIALS
First, you’ll want to gather the items and inspiration to make the process fun and manageable. Here is my essential list and a few ideas to zhuzh it up!
• Board (ex: 16” x 20” foam board) or a Manilla Folder
• Glue stick
• Many magazines with positive messages and images – past Austin Woman magazines work perfectly!
• Scissors
• Other items that will make your board feel special (i.e., scrapbook paper, markers, washi tape, stickers, feathers, beads, special items, etc.)
COLLECT YOUR IMAGES
Spend one hour to 90 minutes collecting images that speak to how you want to feel: experiences you wish to have and messages you want to live by. Whether you are a “cut each image out nicely” or a “rip the whole page out,” this step is all about action.
The most important thing to focus on when choosing images is to think about: How does this make me feel? For example, don’t choose a physical item you want to buy or acquire (e.g., shoes, a car, or a home). But if that image represents how you want to feel (e.g., powerful, polished, or grounded), then go for it! The images that produce your best results will be the ones that evoke the strongest positive emotional response.
Metaphors are powerful on vision boards. Collect pictures that symbolize your values and evoke a story that speaks to your heart. Most of all, try not to overthink. Let your heart lead. Don’t worry about collecting “too much” as you’ll have a chance to winnow down later.
If you want to make the process of creating your vision board more fun, listen to upbeat music, light a candle, stand up – do whatever keeps your mind and heart in a good, light-hearted space.
CURATE YOUR IMAGES
By now, you have a lot of images. Spend time curating and choosing your favorite images from everything you collected. Only some things you gathered will make it to your board, and that’s okay! Being thoughtful about what does not make the cut is really important.
As you decide what to keep and what to let go, ask yourself again, “How does this make me feel?” and “Is this what I want more of?”
If you notice any negative images or phrases (ex: “stop procrastinating”), see if you can get to what you do want. (ex: peaceful heart). If you need to, replace that negative message with an inspired positive one.
COMMIT YOUR INSPIRATIONAL IMAGES TO YOUR BOARD
Start with the image that speaks to your heart and find a great spot for it. Begin arranging the rest of your images from there. Think of your vision board as a puzzle, and keep moving the images around until they fit you just right!
If you have big images, think in layers. First, arrange all your big images and layer other images or phrases on top of them. You don’t need to see the whole picture for the meaning to be visible. If you want to add more color, grab some colorful paper or markers! Add your favorite colors with scrapbook paper or markers to make it something you love.
When all of your materials are on your board, take a photo of it. This photo can be helpful as you take the board apart to glue everything down.
CLAIM YOUR VISION
Congratulate yourself on creating a personal, powerful and perfectly (im)perfect vision board! Put it in a place where you will see it every day to let it inspire you. You might even want to share what you’ve created with a trusted friend or partner. This reflection is a chance for you to fall in love with your vision and maybe even find new patterns and synergies in your life.
Jenny Remington is an ICF-certified career growth and life coach who empowers professionals and entrepreneurs to reignite their careers, discover their paths or realign their lives. Her mission is to boost positivity, empower vision, nurture inner strength and live mindfully. She bridges personal and professional realms, helping clients improve their lives through selfawareness and holistic self-care.
Finance Your Future
Budgeting, saving and investing for your goals.
BY RAYA REAVES
RAYA REAVES IS A FINANCE COACH AND FOUNDER OF CITY GIRL SAVINGS
With the start of every year, the focus always seems to be on major goals. Often, it’s pretty easy to set our goals – we just think about what we want out of life. A new house. A new car. A new job. A new partner. But for the goals that require money, it can be difficult to figure out how to successfully save, budget or invest for purchasing.
Despite what you may have learned in the past, there are strategies that can help you reach your short- and long-term goals. Regardless of where you stand financially, you can take these strategies and apply them to whatever goal you’re working towards.
SHORT-TERM GOALS: 1-3 YEARS
When setting your goals, it’s important to specify your target date. Any goal with a deadline of 1-3 years is considered “short-term” and will take a different approach than if you were to set long-term goals. Some common short-term goals include having an Emergency Fund (3-6 months’ worth of expenses), contributing to a retirement plan or paying off credit card debt.
Once you have your goal deadline set, you’ll need to determine how much it will cost to reach your goal. Let’s take the example of having an emergency fund. If your monthly expenses are $4500 and you want to have three months’ worth of expenses saved for emergencies, your goal amount would be $13,500 ($4500 x 3). If you want to reach this goal in two years, you’ll need to save $562.50 per month ($13,500 / 24 months).
Your next step is reviewing your budget to see how you can make sure you’re saving your goal amount of $562.50 per month. Your budget should include what money is coming in (your take-home income), what money is going out (your typical bills, expenses and spending) and what’s left over (the amount you can put towards your goals).
If your budget doesn’t show you can afford $562.50 per month, you’ll want to identify what spending can be reduced or determine how you can make more money. Once you’ve confirmed you can afford to contribute the appropriate amount to your goal, open a High Yield Savings Account (a savings account offered through an online bank that pays out more interest than standard banks) and put your monthly contribution there. Track your progress to make sure you’re on track to reach your goal.
LONG-TERM GOALS: 5+ YEARS
When it comes to long-term goals, things like reaching a certain amount for retirement, saving 20% for a down payment on a home or saving for your child’s college education, you can invest your money to reach those goals.
Investing in the stock market is one of the best ways to build wealth long-term, but the key is giving your investments enough time to grow. That’s why investing to reach your longer-term goals gives you the best chance of success. The historical rate of return for the stock market is 8-10% and is inching higher as time goes by. This type of return doesn’t occur with a savings account, CD or anywhere else.
Similar to determining how much you’ll need to save in order to reach your short-term goals, review your budget to see what you can afford to invest towards your long-term goals. Understand that with your long-term goals, your contributions can change as time goes by. Maybe you will make more money. Maybe you will earn an unexpected bonus. This additional income can be invested to help ensure you reach your goal by your desired time frame.
If your long-term goal is to have $1,000,000 in your retirement plan by the time you retire, use a retirement calculator to help you gauge if you’re on track or if you need to adjust your investment amounts to reach the goal. Tools like the e Merrill Retirement Calculator can help.
For other goals you plan to hit by investing your money, try Betterment. They have general investment accounts that can be leveraged as you work towards your goals. Betterment also has a fantastic goal forecaster that tells you what you should be contributing to reach your goal by your desired timeframe. This allows you to adjust your budget accordingly.
SETTING AND SAVING
Working towards your goals may require a combination of budgeting, saving and investing. Get specific on your goal amount and time frame. This will help you gauge if saving or investing is the best way to go. Then, your budget will let you know what’s possible!
Here’s to setting (and achieving) major life goals in the new year!
Treat Yo Self to These Winter Getaway Spots
Nearby getaways where you can relax and recharge.
BY DEBORAH HAMILTON-LYNNE
Si nce seeing the “Treat Yo Self” episode of Parks and Recreation, (when Tom and Donna go on a spending spree treating themselves to everything from massages to fine leather goods) I say ‘Treat Yo Self’ whenever contemplating an expensive, indulgent purchase or expenditure. However, treating yourself to something that you enjoy – or can help relieve stress levels – is money and time well spent.
Many therapists suggest that taking time out to relax and recharge is beneficial in many ways. Doing so can lower blood pressure and muscle tension; reduce stress and anxiety; improve sleep quality; enhance focus, concentration and creativity and regulate moods and alleviate depression.
What better time for a little self-care than after the holidays – and what better way to ‘Treat Yo Self’ than to unplug and retreat to a place where you can relax, recharge and kick off the new year with a new attitude? We have found four of the best spots for doing just that, all within a short drive from Austin. Several of the locations purposefully do not have wi-fi service. Whether you are going solo or with your favorite person we recommend bringing a good book, a bottle of good wine, your favorite music, and taking the time to unplug and enjoy your retreat –completely free from distraction.
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”
—Anne Lamott
1. GO GLAMPING. The Wahwahtaysee Resort located on 100 acres on the San Marcos River just 45 minutes south of Austin is a luxury glamping resort. This experience will defy any memories or preconceived notion of camping out. Seven luxurious safari tents, custom made in South Africa, provide all of the comforts of a boutique hotel while allowing you to connect with the great outdoors. Each accommodation includes a golf cart for exploring the grounds, an outdoor deck with Yeti Hondo chairs for stargazing as well as a gas grill and Green Egg for barbecuing your meals. The resort provides walking trails, fishing holes, several beaches and cabanas on the river as well as a pool and bocce court
2. CLIMB A TREE. If you have ever had the fantasy of your own treehouse or remember what it was like to dream of one as a kid this is the place for you. Cypress Valley is one of the most unique resorts in Texas with several individual treehouses designed by visionary entrepreneur, Will Beilhartz. Beilhartz’s company, Artistree includes treehouses and sustainably built structures. He grew up on the property and the amazing designs reflect his childhood connection to nature. Resting high among the majestic Bald Cypress Trees with nothing but the sounds of the wind and the water of a creek below gives a whole new meaning to becoming a ‘tree hugger’ – in fact it is as if the tree is hugging you. Each of the five treehouses has its own one of a kind design. Yoki, Lofthaven, Juniper, and Willow treehouses each sleep two guests, and The Nest sleeps four guests. If a romantic getaway is in your plans, opt for Lofthaven which has a private bath house with a heated, cascading waterfall that fills a soaking tub. All set in over 100 acres in Spicewood, it’s a getaway that feels like your own private sanctuary – perfect for unplugging and recharging.
Wahwahtaysee
Cypress Valley
3. RETREAT. Retreat Ranch located on 46 acres in Marble Falls “blends the tranquility of mindful practices with the appreciation of local delicious wines.” The ranch is family owned and operated, and is the vision of bestselling author of The Retreat Leaders Playbook and Surrender: A Journey Towards a Fulfilled Life and retreat guru, Shannon Jamail. For rest and relaxation, the ranch provides all the amenities you could wish for – labyrinth, wood burning sauna, hot tub, plunge pool, firepit, dipping pools, hammocks, hiking trails and horseback riding. Although you cannot book individual retreat time, the Retreat Ranch hosts several options throughout the year.
• Manifesting, Malas andMandalas: January 17 – 19
• Inspired Yoga and Pilates: February 21 -25
• Wine and Unwind: (Multiple dates) April 10 - 13
4. RESORT. If your idea of relaxing and recharging doesn’t include “roughing it” and does lean to some retail therapy, a luxurious spa, golf, an adults-only pool and floor and gourmet cuisine, take a short drive down towards San Antonio to La Cantera Resort and Spa. Treating yourself to the pleasure of a four-diamond resort with all the amenities you might expect, and then some, may just be the best attitude adjustment you can find. Set in the hill country, the views from almost anywhere are spectacular; particularly from the adult pool cabanas and the hillside firepit on the great lawn. The lobby with its wooden beamed ceiling and huge stone fireplace is warm and welcoming. Rooms and suites on SEVEN are for adults only and include a lounge with complimentary snacks, drinks, appetizers and happy hour. The resort also includes 34 boutique styled villas. A shuttle to the nearby Shops of La Cantera is provided for retail therapy and dining. If gourmet dining and an extensive wine list helps you relax, Signature, a 2024 Michelin recommended restaurant fits the bill.
For the ultimate R&R, escape to the Loma de Vida Spa. With the feeling of a true sanctuary, a day at this spa can allow you to completely de-stress. There are several enticing treatments which can be personalized for individuals and couples, several of which include time in the Skyloft with a private cowboy tub, champagne and incredible views.
Retreat Ranch
“When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.”
—Jean Shinoda Bolen
Whatever it takes to take care of yourself, take the time and make the investment in yourself. Self-care is one of the healthiest things you can do. Reconnect with nature, make your soul happy, slow down, unplug and replenish your spirit. Relax, recharge and get ready for the year ahead. In the words of Tom and Donna, “Treat ‘Yo Self. It’s the best day of the year.”
La Cantera
Build a Power Capsule Wardrobe in the New Year
Create a high-impact, low-stress capsule wardrobe for 2025.
ABY LIZ WENDLER
s the new year begins, it’s the perfect time to reset your goals and wardrobe. Whether you’re stepping into a new role, launching a business or simply ready to elevate your style, building a power capsule wardrobe can set the tone for a confident, polished year. A power capsule wardrobe includes essential, high-quality pieces that blend style and versatility, transitioning seamlessly from meetings to client dinners. Know how to curate your new looks, while supporting local boutiques.
Essential Pieces for Your Power Wardrobe:
The Perfect Blazer
A tailored blazer is the cornerstone of any power wardrobe. Look for a flattering fit, structured shoulders and versatile fabric. Neutral tones like black, navy or camel are timeless, but don’t shy away from a pop of color if it complements your palette. Pair it with tailored trousers for meetings or layer over a slip dress for evening events.
• Julian Gold Blazer
• Estilo Blazer
Classic Button-Down Shirts
Invest in high-quality button-downs in white, black and soft colors like blush or powder blue. These shirts are the epitome of versatility – perfect for layering under blazers or tucking into high-waisted skirts for a chic, polished look.
• Good Company
• Showroom
Power Pants
A pair of impeccably tailored trousers in a neutral shade is a must. Choose a flattering cut – wide-leg, cropped or slim-fit –that suits your body type. Bonus points if they’re made from a wrinkle-resistant fabric to keep you looking sharp all day.
• Julian Gold
• Julian Gold
Capsule
A blazer is an essential piece to your wardrobe capsule whether you want to be casual or dressed professionally. It’s an easy layer that instantly elevates your outfit.
Blazer Left: Showroom Austin
Blazer Right & Pants: Julian Gold
Purse: Raven + Lily
Earrings: Laura Elizabeth
Shoes: Wood + Rose Shirt : Showroom Austin
Capsule
Update your black trousers with a fun colored trouser. Browns and greens add an eye-catching pop of color drawing in next-level chic and sophistication.
White Button down: Showroom Austin
Earrings: Aviv Collection
Pants Left & Right: Julian Gold
Shoes & Purse: Valentines Jacket: Julian Gold
LIZ WENDLER IS A PERSONAL STYLE COACH
Skirt Right: Good Company
Earrings: Aviv Collection
Necklace: Laura Elizabeth
Boots: Julian Gold
Purse: Raven & Lilly
a skirt into your wardrobe
is a sure way to incorporate an eye-catching look. You can go with a streamlined pencil
or an A-line skirt. Both offer professionalism and timelessness from day to night.
Statement Skirts
A midi skirt in a bold print or luxurious fabric adds a dynamic touch to your capsule. It pairs beautifully with button-downs and blouses for daytime meetings and transforms into an evening stunner with the right accessories. Finding the right silhouette for your body type will be your power move!
• Good Company
• Addie Rose
Dress Left: The Daily Dress
Dress Right: Estilo
Necklace: Wood & Rose
Boots: Julian Gold
Jacket: Showroom Austin
Purse: Valentines
A black dress is perfect for any occasion when you are in a pinch. Add a beautiful pop of color with your blazer while keeping your accessories and shoes simple and timeless.
The Black Dress
A power wardrobe isn’t complete without a black dress that fits your body type well. Choose a silhouette that highlights your best features and can easily transition from a professional setting to cocktail hour with a quick change of accessories.
• Estilo Black Dress
• The Daily Dress Official
Comfortable yet Stylish Shoes
Shoes can make or break an outfit. Invest in classic pumps, chic ankle boots, knee-high boots and stylish flats. Look for options with cushioned soles for long days on your feet.
• Wood & Rose
• Valentines
Statement Accessories
A structured handbag, an elegant belt, and bold jewelry can elevate even the simplest outfit. Keep your accessories versatile but impactful – they should complement multiple pieces in your capsule.
• Laura Elizabeth
• Aviv Collection
• Valentines
Balancing Style and Versatility
When building your capsule, prioritize quality over quantity. Each piece should complement the others, creating a cohesive wardrobe that minimizes decision fatigue. Stick to a harmonious color palette and focus on fabrics that transition well from day to night.
For example:
• A blazer paired with a crisp button-down and trousers creates a commanding presence in the boardroom.
• Swap the trousers for a sleek pencil skirt or slip dress and you’re ready for a client dinner.
Shop Local: Boutique Recommendations
Supporting local boutiques not only elevates your wardrobe but also strengthens your community. Here are a few standout options to explore:
• Estilo
• Addie Rose
• Julian Gold
• Good Company
• Valentines
• Wood & Rose
• Showroom
Start the Year with Confidence
Your wardrobe is an extension of your personal brand. By investing in a power capsule wardrobe, you’re equipping yourself with tools to navigate life’s transitions with grace, confidence and ease. Take the time to choose pieces that reflect who you are and where you’re headed.
This new year, make a statement – not just with your goals but with your style. And remember, shopping local not only builds your wardrobe but also supports the vibrant businesses that make our community special. Cheers to a powerful, stylish 2025!
Scan this QR code for links to the pieces curated by Liz Wendler from this article.
Book a complimentary style with Liz at LizWenddlerStyling.com
Adding
capsule
skirt
Blouse & Skirt Left: Estilo
Capsule
Hello New Home, Goodbye Old Life
Organize your home for a fresh start with new goals and aspirations.
BY BRIANNA CHAVEZ
With another year behind us, it’s great to have a fresh start, fresh ideas and a fresh mind. Whether you’re going through which clothes and shoes are worth keeping in your closet or decluttering and reorganizing the kitchen pantry, OM Organizing’s owner, Karie Winfree, shares how organization and mental clarity go hand-in-hand.
PUT YOUR BEST SELF FORWARD
Organizing is a way to declutter and reevaluate what’s important in your life and what makes you happy. Some items may be weighing you down, so it’s beneficial to let go of that unneeded weight while thinking about what material items define you.
Photo courtesy of Joi
“New Year’s is a really great time to start thinking about the kind of changes that you want to make in your life and make your life easier,” Winfree said. “How do you want your year to look? How do you want things to work in your household?”
To avoid being overwhelmed, Winfree said to begin small and start with a simple junk drawer or shelf. Remember to give yourself grace as you go through one item at a time and celebrate your progress.
“The best thing to do is just start,” Winfree said. “Transform one space at a time, one area at a time, one category at a time.”
LEARN WHAT IS A “NEED” AND WHAT IS TAKING UP SPACE
Sometimes it’s hard to let go of those cute pair of boots that haven’t been worn since 2017 –even though you think you’ll wear them again. While organizing, be honest with yourself on what you wear or use on a regular basis. Winfree shared that it’s important to ask yourself these questions while going through what to keep and what not to keep:
• Do you like this item?
• Do you love this item?
• When was the last time you used this item?
“Your things are only loved whenever we get to actually look at them and enjoy them,” Winfree said. “There’s so many things that we keep. And if it’s not out or being used or worn, we’re not even noticing it.”
Notice what brings meaningful or sentimental value to your life. If that teddy bear or pair of jeans has a connection to you, to a place or to a moment in time you don’t want to forget, it’s okay to keep those items.
happiness. If more space is needed, the walls are your best friend for shelves, frames and cases.
“You can make anything and everything beautiful,” Winfree said. “Perfection is not attainable, you really have to find the best thing for you that works. Everybody is different.”
“There’s psychology behind all these things,” Winfree said. “They’re not simply ‘things.’ They’re mementos, memories, pieces of people that we don’t have with us anymore. It’s important to be sensitive to that and not completely clear the decks. You’ve got to keep things that matter.”
DISCOVER YOUR PERSONAL STYLE
When scrolling through Pinterest or watching HGTV you may see spotless, gleaming kitchens and floors with little to no clutter anywhere. However, Winfree shared that organization doesn’t have to be cookie-cutter picture perfect. It’s about making the space your own, whether you’re a maximalist or a minimalist.
“The things we see online or in magazines are lovely, but it’s not real life,” Winfree said. “I think that everybody is capable of creating a beautiful and organized space, but it’s not going to look like that all the time.”
For those who have collections or simply too many items to count, displaying all or some of that stuff can bring you
FIND INSPIRATION ONLINE
There are various online sources that can help you see and envision ways to keep your space tidy. Some organizers and designers have websites and blogs to serve as inspiration. There are specialized organizers that work with neurodivergent populations or organizers that specialize in collectors items. Organizing styles and tips vary from person to person.
“There’s a whole broad range to organizing, there’s not just one way to do it,” Winfree said.
Many of the picture perfect rooms and homes we see online are mainly aspirational, not something to compare to your space. It doesn’t hurt to have less clutter in our environment. And it’s valuable to remember that what may be cluttering your life now can typically be replaced.
“What’s really important in our lives are the people, not the things,” Winfree said. “Things are meant to be used, tossed away or given away someday, but people are what we cherish.”
ATX WOMEN to WATCH
Kimberly Brown, M.D., is a board-certified general surgeon and fellowship-trained surgical oncologist in UT Health Austin’s Surgical Oncology Clinic. She specializes in the treatment of breast, liver and skin tumors. Brown is a professor and serves as the associate chair of Education for the Dell Medical School Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care at UT Austin. In addition to caring for patients, she is transforming medical education by integrating leadership training, learning science and well-being strategies into physician training programs. Dedicated to shaping the next generation of compassionate caregivers, Brown emphasizes collaboration and empowers patients to take an active role in their health. “Every patient deserves a tailored approach to their treatment and a supportive team that prioritizes their well-being. My goal is to help patients navigate their cancer journey with dignity, strength and hope.”
UTHealthAustin.org
DANA STUART BROWNING THE TEXAS GIRLS SCHOOL | FOUNDER & CEO
D ana Stuart Browning is changing the education landscape in Texas. As the CEO, founder and superintendent of The Texas Girls School, Browning is launching an innovative tuition-free charter school designed for girls in grades 6-12, opening in Northwest Austin in 2025. Responding to the community calls for more tailored educational options for girls, she has developed a groundbreaking model that engages young women in STEM through immersive project-based learning. One of her signature innovations, Flex Fridays, provides dedicated time each week for field exploration, hands-on discovery and student-driven projects. With over 22 years of experience in public education, she has led students through thousands of real-world projects that bridge local and global perspectives, from coding initiatives to international expeditions. A proud native Texan, she blends local science and culture with a world-class education. The Texas Girls School is where girls engineer their future.
TexasGirlsSchool.org
ATX
WOMAN to WATCH
NATALIE LEDBETTER UPGRADE LABS | OWNER
D r. Natalie Ledbetter is a multifaceted health and wellness advocate, renowned for her work as a Doctor of Chinese Medicine, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), and life optimization coach. As the owner of Upgrade Labs 5th St in Austin, Texas, she combines cutting-edge biohacking technologies with holistic approaches to help clients achieve vitality, wellness, and longevity. A certified master practitioner in NLP and hypnosis, she empowers individuals to overcome health challenges, enhance their mindset, and transform their lives.Her personal journey into alternative medicine began with her own health struggles and her daughter’s severe GI issues. Her dedication to functional medicine and lifestyle interventions has profoundly impacted her family and community. Alongside her husband and business partner, she shares a passion for supporting clients through weight loss, peri/menopause, and overall life optimization. As a devoted mother of three, she embraces gratitude and joy daily.
UpgradeLabs.com/5th-Street
build brighter futures
CASA of Travis County believes every child who has experienced abuse or neglect deserves to have a dedicated advocate speaking up for their best interest in court, at school, and in our community.
LEARN MORE
CHANGEThe
Austin Woman's Change Makers issue highlights four women in our community who are working to improve the city's landscape. These women embody what it means to be a change maker, despite the adversities each have overcome. Their stories are varied, but what connects them is their passion. Each woman has great zeal that propels them forward. These women forge their own paths when there isn't one. They're the type of women who create their own methods when the existing ones aren't working. They bring others up with them, as they ascend on their journeys. They are visionaries, disrupters and trailblazers.
Location: Springdale Station
Founded in 2016, Springdale Station is one of Austin’s favorite locally owned event venues, offering world-class services that create unforgettable, unique events. Just 8 minutes from downtown in East Austin, this venue features aweinspiring backdrops, ample space and flexibility for groups of 100400. Host your event across two historic train station buildings and an acre of lush gardens, complete with reserved parking, dressing suites and extensive planning and catering options. Whether it’s a wedding, corporate event or celebration, Springdale Station checks all the boxes to make your biggest and brightest event dreams come true.
979 SPRINGDALE RD SUITE #160 AUSTIN, TX 78702 SPRINGDALESTATION.COM
MAKERS
STYLING BY EMPRESS BEY SHOT ON LOCATION AT SPRINGDALE STATION
LEFT TO RIGHT: SHANAZ HEMMATI, SUSAN RAMIREZ AMANDA TURNER, POOJA LAKSHMIN
SHANAZ HEMMATI
CO-FOUNDER & CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
ZENBUSINESS INC.
TECH TRAILBLAZER
A quiet force shaping the future of entrepreneurship.
Shanaz Hemmati exudes the brand of her company.
In the world of startups and business leadership, she is a quiet force – one could almost say “zen.” As a woman who’s built a thriving company, ZenBusiness, helping thousands of entrepreneurs navigate the complexities of starting and running their own businesses, she’s not the typical firebrand entrepreneur who’s always on the go. She’s a calm, measured leader whose strength lies in her ability to focus, build and empower those around her. Perhaps that’s because she’s always had to depend on her inner strength to survive. Hemmati started out in Austin as a young immigrant who had to leave her family behind as she moved across the world to make her own dreams come true.
Hemmati’s journey from Iran to Austin, from software engineer to co-founder of a fast-growing business, is one of resilience, deep purpose and quiet determination. But her story is more than just a career trajectory – it’s a story of community, leadership and a lifelong commitment to helping others succeed.
Hemmati’s story begins thousands of miles away in Tehran, where she was the youngest of five siblings in a family that placed a premium on education. Her parents, both hard-working and intent on raising strong children, saw education as the key to independence. Growing up in a country teetering on the edge of revolution, Hemmati learned early on to focus on her goals, regardless of the turbulence around her.
At just 16, Hemmati made a bold decision to leave Iran and pursue her education in the U.S. It was a time of great upheaval – the Iranian Revolution was just around the corner – and her decision to move was fueled by a belief that the U.S. offered more opportunities for young people, particularly women, who were eager to learn.
“When the unrest started, I pushed my parents into sending me
sooner rather than later,” Hemmati remembers. "I’m so grateful they agreed.”
She wouldn’t see her parents again for several years or her homeland, again, until she was nearly 30.
Arriving in Austin, Texas, in the late 1970s, Hemmati was alone, facing the challenges of being a teenager in a foreign country. She didn’t have a roadmap, but she had something that would serve her well: a singular focus on her education and future. With the support of her sister and new mentors, Hemmati began to lay the foundation for what would become a successful career, in Austin.
“The first years were tough,” she says quietly, reflecting on how she navigated life as an immigrant in a country that was just beginning to wrestle with its own issues of immigration and identity. “But I didn’t think too much about those things. I was just focused on my goal.”
It’s this single-minded determination, this quiet resilience, that defines Hemmati as a person and leader. At 16, far from home and family, she pushed forward with a vision for herself – no matter the obstacles.
After earning a degree in electrical and computer engineering from UT, Hemmati’s early career was steeped in software engineering. She entered the tech industry during the dot-com boom – a time of rapid growth and opportunity. But it wasn’t just the technical side of business that caught her attention; it was the ability to create something from nothing, to solve real problems for people that inspired her.
“I love building stuff from scratch,” she says. “Solving a pain point, doing something meaningful.”
This passion for creating and solving problems would be the catalyst for her future ventures. In the early 2000s, Hemmati joined HomeAway, a vacation rental platform, at a time when it was still
a small company. It was here that she honed her skills, learning not only about building a business but about scaling it – taking a company from a nascent idea to a household name. HomeAway would later be acquired by Expedia, but her experience there would stay with her.
By the time she left HomeAway, Hemmati found herself at a crossroads.
“I left with no real plans,” she reflects. “I wondered if I even wanted to work anymore. I felt like I’d worked enough for two or three people already. But when my co-founder and longtime friend Ross Buhrdorf approached me with the idea of ZenBusiness, I felt that spark again.”
The idea was simple, but powerful: to build a one-stop shop for small business owners, offering the tools and services they needed to start, grow and maintain their businesses. It was clear to Hemmati that the pain points in business formation – overwhelming paperwork, complicated compliance processes – were barriers that needed to be broken down. And she had the experience, the skills and the vision to do it.
ZenBusiness was born out of this vision: to make entrepreneurship easier, more accessible, and ultimately, more successful.
“We wanted to help small business owners with the things they weren’t experts in,” she says. “We use technology to simplify what’s usually a very manual process.”
Benefit Corporation (PBC), a legal structure that ensures social impact is embedded in the company’s DNA.
“We wanted to make sure we were focused on more than just the bottom line,” Hemmati says. "It’s about supporting organizations like Lemonade Day, which encourages children to think like entrepreneurs. It’s about creating opportunities for others to thrive.”
Her passion for supporting small businesses isn’t just about making entrepreneurship easier – it’s about fostering a deeper sense of community and empowering others to chase their dreams. “The more I can help entrepreneurs succeed, the more it feels like I’m contributing to something bigger,” she says.
“ It’s not just about growing the business; it’s about giving back to the community and helping others.
But beyond the technology, what has set ZenBusiness apart is the deep sense of community it’s built – not just around the company, but for the entrepreneurs who rely on it. Hemmati’s leadership style is quiet yet powerful, focused on creating a supportive environment for both her team and the customers they serve. The company has grown into a powerhouse of innovation and customer service, helping over 700,000 entrepreneurs across the country launch their businesses.
One of the core principles that guides Hemmati’s work at ZenBusiness is the belief that business success should go handin-hand with creating a positive social impact. From the start, she made it clear that ZenBusiness wouldn’t just be about profit – it would also be about making a difference in the world.
“We wanted to do things differently,” Hemmati explains. “It’s not just about growing the business; it’s about giving back to the community and helping others.”
As part of this commitment, ZenBusiness became a Public
Having been the only woman in many board rooms, Hemmati often found herself having to literally shout to be heard. She’s made it her mission to provide a much different culture at her own company. That begins with having half the leadership female. Nearly 50 percent of ZenBusiness employees are women, with women occupying leadership roles across the company. “We believe diversity is essential to building a strong team,” she says. Hemmati emphasizes that diverse perspectives lead to better decision-making and greater innovation. What stands out most about Hemmati is the way she leads with purpose – grounded, focused on the long-term impact she wants to make, and with an open mind to change and growth. She sees that the most successful entrepreneurs are also the ones who not only believe in what they’re doing, but are willing to listen and make change when needed.
“I really see the successful entrepreneurs are the ones loving and having passion for what they do,” she explains. “That gives them the drive and makes them more open because they want it to work. Sometimes entrepreneurs are thinking so narrowly about what they want to do that they don’t take the feedback of other people’s thoughts and ideas. Being open minded helps you think differently.”
As ZenBusiness continues to grow, Hemmati’s vision remains clear: to make it the most trusted brand for entrepreneurs, to help them start their businesses and to empower them to succeed in an ever-evolving world. Through her leadership, work and quiet commitment to making a difference, Hemmati has proven that leadership isn’t about being the loudest voice in the room. It’s about being the one who listens, builds and creates something that lasts.
POOJA LAKSHMIN
POOJA LAKSHMIN
PSYCHIATRIST, AUTHOR AND FOUNDER
REAL SELF CARE
WELLBEING INNOVATOR
A journey of self-care, boundaries and authenticity.
In a world that often tells women to do it all, be it all and look good doing it, Pooja Lakshmin, MD is offering a radical – yet essential – reality check. As a psychiatrist, author and speaker, Lakshmin has made it her mission to help women redefine what self-care really means. And it’s not about the next wellness trend or Instagram-perfect routine. It’s about something much deeper: the courage to set boundaries, the willingness to let go of perfection and the strength to prioritize your own mental health above everything else.
Lakshmin’s own journey to embracing this truth has been anything but linear. Raised in Redding, Pennsylvania, by Indian immigrant parents, she was the epitome of the “good daughter” – a high achiever who followed the blueprint laid out for her. With a father who was a physician, there was little room for questioning what her future might hold. "Like most good Indian girls, it was decided in the womb that I would be a doctor," she laughs. And, as many children of immigrant parents can relate to, that meant checking all the boxes – academic excellence, career success, stability.
By her late 20s, Lakshmin had done just that. She had earned a dual degree in women’s studies and psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, gone to med school at George Washington, gotten married – and yet, something was missing. “I had everything on the outside, but I felt empty on the inside,” she admits. Despite the outward success, she struggled to find happiness, not realizing that her external achievements weren’t the key to internal fulfillment.
It was during this period that Lakshmin experienced a shift. Feeling disillusioned with both her personal life and medical training, she took a dramatic leap. She left her marriage, burned bridges and moved to a wellness commune in Los Angeles.
There, she immersed herself in the world of meditation and female sexuality. It was empowering, it was freeing – or so it seemed.
“The Dedonne method, the commune, it spoke to me. It was female-centric and empowering,” Lakshmin recalls. She drank the Kool-Aid. But two years later, she came to an eye-opening realization: there was as much hypocrisy in the self-help world as there had been in the medical world she’d left behind. On her 30th birthday, when she thought she would be in the midst of a wildly successful medical career, she found herself divorced, grappling with the repercussions of having been in a cult and crying at her parents house with no idea what her future would hold.
“I realized that real self-care is making hard decisions in your life and making sacrifices,” she says.
That realization led her back to her roots – medicine. But this time, it was on her own terms. "I realized that real self-care had to come from me," she says with conviction. She returned to her psychiatry training, focusing on women’s mental health, and slowly began building a new career that blended her medical expertise with her newfound passion for helping others.
The next step in Lakshmin’s evolution came as she found herself craving a deeper connection with her audience. "I didn’t want to just do research. I wanted to speak to real people – laypeople," she explains. So, she launched her Instagram account, The Mental Health Doc, where she began offering personal insights into her own mental health struggles – anxiety, depression, and yes, taking antidepressants.
“I found my strength in being authentic. I’m not coming off as this perfect, polished doctor from an ivory tower,” she says. “I’m showing women that I struggle, too – that I have the same worries and challenges they do.”
And women responded. Her audience grew, and soon her writing
appeared in The New York Times. All of this led to her book, Real Self-Care: A Transformative Program for Redefining Wellness, which hit shelves in 2023 and became a game-changer for many readers seeking a more holistic, realistic and sustainable approach to wellbeing.
But success, as Lakshmin quickly learned, is not without its own challenges. After the book release, she was flooded with speaking engagements and media requests. And while it’s tempting to say “yes” to every opportunity that comes your way, she soon found herself on the brink of burnout. With a small child, a life partner and an insatiable customer base, Lakshmin found herself repeating old patterns.
“I was exhausted,” she admits. “It had gotten so bad that when I had to go to the hospital with gallstones and have my gallbladder removed, it felt like a vacation.”
It was a wake-up call. She had written an entire book about real self-care, and yet, she found herself ignoring her own needs.
“I didn’t know how to set boundaries in this new phase of my life,” Lakshmin confesses. “It was humbling. But it also reminded me that we’re all a work in progress.”
So, she did what any self-respecting advocate of mental wellness would do: she slowed down. She called it “the Fall of Slow” – a time where she disconnected from the media and turned inward, journaling to reconnect with herself and her audience.
old age and old old age, which means life is a lot longer than it used to be and there are always new opportunities. “We are at a turning point in what it means to have a 2nd, 3rd and 4th act,” she says. Her work is all about embracing these transitions and the fluidity of life. Lakshmin’s advice to other women? Make time for yourself, even when the world pulls you in every direction.
"We all need to make time for what matters to us," she says. "You might have had dreams of being a singer, but you ended up an accountant. Can you find a way to nurture that dream? Maybe it’s taking singing lessons or giving yourself time to practice a little bit every day. Whatever it is, give yourself the permission to make space for it.”
The big lesson Lakshmin has learned is that self-care is not a one-time fix or a checklist – it’s a continuous process.
“
I realized that real self-care is making hard decisions in your life and making sacrifices.
“My goal was to make space for slowness,” she says. “Journaling became a way for me to hear my own thoughts. It’s how I could show up as my authentic self and stay grounded.”
In her latest chapter, Lakshmin is focused on creating balance and prioritizing what truly matters – her health, her family and her personal growth.
“I’m working on my next book, which will focus on transitions,” she says. “I’m learning that life is full of different chapters and that being open to change is key. We have so much life ahead of us, especially women in their 40s and 50s. It’s not over by any means.”
Lakshmin firmly believes it's never too late to chase dreams or make changes. “I got a message from a woman the other day who was 76 and read my book,” she recalls. “She said she had never been able to set boundaries and after reading my book she was able to do it finally and her marriage is so much better.”
Lakshmin says we live in a world where people are facing young
“With every new stage of life, you’ll need to relearn how to take care of yourself,” she explains. “It’s about being willing to be uncomfortable, setting boundaries, and constantly coming back to what works for you. And it’s OK if you mess up.”
Her journey is an example of what it looks like to evolve – and to embrace the messy, imperfect process of becoming who you’re truly meant to be.
“For so long, I was trying to prove something to myself,” Lakshmin reflects. “But now, I realize that I’ve already proven it. Now it’s about having a life that feels good, not constantly grinding for the next achievement.”
Lakshmin’s life is no longer about achieving more – it’s about being more. And through her work, she’s empowering other women to do the same: to be authentic, set boundaries and practice self-care in a way that feels real, sustainable and deeply aligned with who they are.
“You are worthy of taking the time for yourself,” she says. “You’re worthy of setting those boundaries. And no matter where you are in life, it’s never too late to start.”
In the spirit of her work, Lakshmin continues to inspire through her newsletter on substack, Dear Pooja, which offers life advice on everything from mental health to career transitions. She also continues to speak to audiences, including a recent appearance at the Texas Women’s Conference, sharing her message of selfcompassion and the importance of slowing down.
At the end of the day, Lakshmin’s journey is a reminder that taking care of ourselves isn’t just a luxury – it’s a necessity. And it’s a journey that we can all begin, at any time.
SUSAN RAMIREZ
SUSAN RAMIREZ
FOUNDER
& CEO
NATIONAL ANGELS
ENTREPRENEURIAL ARCHITECT
Life filled with purpose, faith and family.
Stepping into Susan Ramirez’s home office, you immediately feel the vibrancy of the space. The floral wallpaper reflects her own spirit – optimistic and full of life. In the background, her two young sons, Reed and Ryder, can occasionally be heard. It’s a reminder of the balancing act Ramirez navigates daily as a mom, wife and social entrepreneur. Her office is where her mission unfolds, yet it’s undeniably a place where family and life intersect with purpose.
As the founder and CEO of National Angels, an organization supporting children in foster care, Ramirez has poured her heart into creating a system that empowers youth and their caregivers. The work is far from easy, but she approaches it with strength and unwavering faith that keeps her grounded in her purpose. Every decision she makes is driven by the simple yet profound belief that every child deserves to be seen, heard and loved – especially those who’ve experienced the trauma of foster care.
Ramirez’s journey to this point wasn’t part of some grand master plan. She didn’t set out to change the foster care system or become a nonprofit leader. For years, she built a successful career in real estate, earning a high income and enjoying the status that came with the position. But there was something missing. She longed for a life with more meaning.
In 2010, she and a group of friends decided to volunteer once a month. It was a simple commitment, but it set in motion a profound change. At a foster care conference that same year, Ramirez heard Judge Hathaway speak about the staggering statistics surrounding youth in foster care. His words changed Ramirez. At that moment, she knew something had to change. She felt as if God was speaking directly to her saying, “This is your burden to bear – do something about it.” It was a turning point that would forever alter the trajectory of her life.
With that clarity came an incredibly difficult decision: to walk
away from a secure, well-paying job to pursue this new calling. She was no longer satisfied with a life that lacked purpose, even if it meant sacrifices.
“I knew I was being led by something bigger than myself,” she reflects. “I didn’t know how it would work, but I knew I had to follow it.”
That leap wasn’t easy. It came with the fear of financial uncertainty, of giving up a stable career, but Ramirez’s faith in the mission fueled her through the doubt.
"If you are doing something that has purpose, the financial side will work itself out," she says. "You’ll get by."
As the leader of a fast-growing nonprofit, Ramirez has faced her fair share of hard decisions. She’s been on the receiving end of well-meaning advice telling her she couldn’t do this work without a strong partner at home or without a secure financial foundation. But Ramirez is determined not to be defined by that narrative. She points out that like any couple, she and her husband have faced their own challenges. But, this journey was hers to take.
“I think so many women don‘t have support, and I knew the economic sacrifice it would put on our family,” she says. “But, even if you don't have someone who can help with the bills, my suggestion to women would be to remember that this is your life. And you are the only one who has the right to make a decision for your own life.”
That sense of purpose has kept her going. Even when the demands of her nonprofit and family life threaten to overwhelm her, Ramirez finds a way to keep moving forward.
“I knew I had to make this work,” she says. “When you feel led by something bigger than yourself, the sacrifices become manageable.”
And her belief in this mission has been reinforced by the support she has received from her mentors, community and team.
“I know God doesn’t need me to do this work,” she says. “But I’m honored to be His hands and feet in this. He has called me to it, and I’m going to give it my all.”
Her faith plays a central role in this process. She remembers a time early in her journey when she had to give up the security of her corporate job to pursue her passion for foster care advocacy.
“I was terrified,” she admits. “But I also knew that when God leads you, He will provide.”
It was this faith in her mission, coupled with an unshakeable belief in the power of the community and mentorship, that led her to take the leap.
Ramirez’s story is deeply shaped by the power of one person seeing potential in her when others didn’t. As a child, Ramirez struggled with a severe learning disability. By high school, her school counselor told her mom that Ramirez might need lifelong care due to her low IQ. Her self-esteem was battered by the label others placed on her. But everything changed when she attended college and a professor took the time to notice her.
“I remember asking him, ‘What is it like to have a daughter who goes to Harvard?’ He looked at me and said, Ramirez, you’re that smart. You could go to Harvard too.’”
That moment changed everything.
“It was the first time anyone saw me for what I could become, not what I had struggled with. Just that one conversation made me realize I was capable of so much more,” she says. “Every child needs someone who knows the color of their eyes and the passions of their heart. That’s all it takes to help a child see their own potential.”
are. Whether it’s helping a caregiver navigate the overwhelming challenges of fostering or mentoring a young adult as they step into the world on their own, Ramirez is driven by the belief that a single person, one mentor, can make all the difference.
“I always say that kids spell ‘love’ T-I-M-E. And, that’s what we’re helping give them through supporting their foster parents and matching them with mentors who live in their zip code,” says Ramirez. She’s also bringing those same lessons home to her own family, encouraging her children to practice giving their time and attention to others.
“I ask my children every day how they’ve been a helper and a leader,” she says. “It’s not about grades; it’s about giving back. You do your best and let that be enough.”
“ Remember that this is your life. And you are the only one who has the right to make a decision for your own life.
Looking ahead, Ramirez’s vision is even bigger. By 2050, she hopes to have every child in the foster care system enrolled in National Angels' programs. Annually, she’s already helping 3,000 foster kids across the country and employs more than 100 people in 19 cities and 14 states. She envisions a future where children who have experienced the trauma of foster care are given the tools, love and mentorship they need to succeed in life.
“We can’t just hope the system will improve on its own. We have to be the ones to create change,” she says.
Her ultimate goal is not just to provide temporary support, but to help young people rise to their fullest potential, which, in turn, has a far-reaching impact on communities, healthcare costs and even homelessness.
For Ramirez, that one moment of validation was a powerful catalyst, and it’s a lesson she applies every day in her work with foster children. Through National Angels, Ramirez has made it her mission to provide that same kind of support and validation for children in foster care – kids who have often been told they’re not enough, that they won’t succeed or that they’re broken. Her organization’s programs – Love Box, which provides emotional and practical support to foster families, and Dare to Dream, which offers mentorship for youth aging out of foster care – are all based on this principle: every child deserves to be seen for who they truly
“There are so many kids who are falling through the cracks because they don’t have that one adult who sees them for who they truly are,” Ramirez says. “But if we change that, if we make sure every child has the love, guidance and community they deserve, we can create a new generation of leaders – kids who are confident, capable and ready to make the world better. I just want every kid to have at least one healthy adult who is in awe of them, who sees them for who they are.”
For Ramirez, the journey is just beginning. And though the road ahead will certainly be challenging, she remains unwavering in her belief that the work she is doing is not just important, but necessary. With faith as her foundation, a heart full of compassion and a vision that’s already transforming lives, Ramirez is committed to changing the world – one child at a time.
AMANDA TURNER
AMANDA TURNER
CHEF DE CUISINE
OLAMAIE
FLAVOR VISIONARY
Cooking, gaming and leading with quiet confidence.
Shakespeare once said, "All the world’s a stage," but Amanda Turner, chef at Austin’s Olamaie, has a different perspective. To her, life is more like a video game – one filled with levels that get progressively harder, with moments where you fail and have to learn how to start over. But there’s always a strategy, a path forward and, above all, a game to win.
Turner’s journey to becoming one of Austin’s top chefs is anything but conventional. A chef with a background in fine dining, Southern cuisine and even pastry, Turner’s culinary style reflects the same adaptability and strategy she learned from playing rhythmbased video games – a niche genre where timing and precision are key. Her experience in the gaming world mirrors her kitchen skills, as both require the ability to think on your feet, adapt quickly and understand the bigger picture.
“It’s all about reaction time, thinking ahead and strategy,” she explains. “Paul Qui, who was my first chef, said to me once, 'Turner, I know you’re good at cooking because you’re good at video games.' I didn’t understand it at first, but it makes sense now. You need the same skills in a kitchen – reaction time, thinking several steps ahead and keeping track of multiple moving parts at once.”
As the Chef de Cuisine of Olamie, one of Austin’s most lauded restaurants, Turner has built a reputation for blending Southern flavors with innovative techniques, but her path to this stage has not been a straightforward one. Born in Arlington, Texas, Turner’s early interests veered away from food entirely. Instead, she was immersed in art – ceramics, textiles and 3D design. Her talent was undeniable. In high school, she was accepted to the prestigious Savannah College of Art and Design as a junior. But her dreams of attending art school evaporated when her family couldn’t afford it. Instead, Turner set her sights on becoming a professional gamer –and potentially finding love. “That’s when I moved out to East Texas, to follow a boy I met in a video game forum.”
At 22, Turner found herself moving into management at Olive Garden in Tyler, Texas, after years of working with the restaurant. It felt like a safe, attainable path that also allowed her to continue
gaming. Thus far, Olive Garden had been a good gig and had introduced her to the restaurant world, not something that she had particularly aspired to join but allowed her to use a lot of her skills – thinking quickly on her feet, pivoting when needed and working within tight time constraints. What she didn’t expect to overtly confront was racism and sexism. In a somewhat segregated town where she was often the only Black person in the room, Turner’s ambitions were stifled when her manager –who told her she couldn’t advance because she was a woman and didn’t speak Spanish – shattered her belief that the restaurant industry was a welcoming space.That moment, she says, was a pivotal one. “I went home that night, really angry, and decided to search for culinary schools.” She applied to Le Cordon Bleu and, six months later, made the move to Austin. From that point forward, cooking became more than just a career. It became a form of self-expression, a chance to prove to herself that she could succeed in an industry that had long excluded people like her. And, it turns out, the chance to prove your naysayers wrong can be very motivating.
Turner spent her days in culinary school and nights working at a food service hall at the University of Texas, preparing meals for students. It wasn’t glamorous, but it allowed her to refine her skills while managing the social anxiety that had always been a part of her.
"I’ve always been very introverted and quiet, and I’ve struggled with social anxiety for as long as I can remember," Turner admits. "I was the kid who wanted to stay in the background, just doing my thing, but somehow I always ended up in leadership roles."
Despite her preference for solitude, Turner’s leadership skills – though often unspoken – seemed to draw attention. Her career accelerated quickly as she worked in some of Austin’s most iconic restaurants, including Uchi, Eastside King, Odd Duck and Juniper. Turner’s ability to operate under pressure, think several steps ahead and adapt quickly to shifting circumstances made her a natural fit for roles that required more than just culinary skill. She
rose from line cook to pastry chef to chef de cuisine – all before becoming the chef de cuisine at Olamie in 2021. But even as she took on these roles, Turner remained conflicted about the concept of leadership
"I wasn’t the type of person who would step up and say, ‘Put me in charge.’ But I’ve always been put in positions where I had to take the lead," she says. "I never ran for leadership positions; they always seemed to fall in my lap, and I just made the best of it."
Like any good gamer, she is always looking for new opportunities to get to the next level and elevate her reputation as a chef. In 2024, Turner was selected to compete in Bravo TV’s Top Chef reality television cooking competition, a show her previous boss, Paul Qui, won in 2011. While she didn’t take home the top prize, Turner feels like a winner. She got to put a spotlight on chefs like herself who buck tradition of the male-dominated industry and bring their own outlook to cuisine. She hopes aspiring women cooks of diverse backgrounds who watched her on the show will have the confidence to also enter the industry. Still, despite her success, Turner has always felt the weight of being an outsider in the culinary world.
"I’m biracial, and I didn’t grow up with a family that had deep culinary roots," she says. “My grandmother on my dad’s side was an incredible cook, but I didn’t get to know her in her later years because of her dementia. A lot of that knowledge was lost.”
Turner says her immediate family ate dinners made of Hamburger Helper and Rice-ARoni.
“I didn’t have that personal connection to food that a lot of chefs do,” she says. “Cooking has always been a way to connect with my roots, but I’m also trying to figure it out on my own."
also recognized the shifting tides in the city. The days of the rich benefactor offering a chef the chance to open their own restaurant are long gone.
“Austin’s restaurant scene has changed so much,” she says. "It’s been taken over by big restaurant groups that have the resources to dominate. It’s harder than ever to do it independently. But I still believe it’s possible.”
For Turner, her next level is about carving out a space where she doesn’t just work within the confines of a traditional restaurant model but creates something that reflects her values and experiences. She is actively pursuing the dream of opening her own restaurant in East Austin, an area rapidly gentrifying, where she believes there’s a void in affordable, high-quality dining options.
“I want to make good food accessible to more people,” she says. “I want to create something that isn’t just for the wealthy but for the community.”
And Turner is not stopping there. She’s also building a vision for a restaurant group that could one day offer mentorship and support for other chefs – especially those who come from backgrounds like hers. “I would like a restaurant group that finds and supports people who don’t come from a background of wealth. We would give them all the tips and tricks so they don’t have to struggle through.”
“ I want to create something that isn’t just for the wealthy but for the community.
She credits much of her success to her ability to learn quickly and her unflinching drive to improve. “There’s a lot of room to learn in the kitchen,” Turner says. “When I was in culinary school, there were 60 people in my class, and only three of us are still working in kitchens today. It’s about being inquisitive, wanting to understand why things are done a certain way and pushing the boundaries.”
The culinary world, especially in fine dining, has often been a place where the stories of women of color have been overlooked, and Turner has been vocal about the ways that the industry has marginalized voices like hers.
"When I look at the fine dining scene, it’s mostly men in the forefront. And when it comes to cooking Southern food, there’s this stereotype that Black women are only good for cooking fried chicken and collard greens,” she explains. “That’s a trope that I wanted no part of. But the more I got into Southern food, the more I realized that there’s so much richness and complexity to it, and that’s something I can bring my own voice to."
As much as Turner has thrived in Austin’s restaurant scene, she’s
Turner says she wished she would have learned earlier in her career to speak up about bucking the status quo.
“Restaurants are inherently masculine and white in fine dining,” she says. “Speak your truth and it will get better. The more influence I have, the more ability I have to affect other people's lives. I don't want other people to have those experiences in their lives. It's absurd to think that anyone would want to limit anyones potential.”
She credits her time at Olamie as one of the most rewarding of her career. There, she blends the traditional flavors of Southern food with Japanese techniques, offering a fresh take on a familiar cuisine.
“Southern food is a fusion of so many different influences, and that’s what I love about it,” she explains. “But it’s also frustrating because there’s still so much to learn, so much to explore.”
As she works toward this next phase of her career, Turner continues to take each challenge in stride, confident in her ability to adapt, evolve and level up. Whether she’s perfecting a dish, strategizing a restaurant concept or navigating the complex terrain of the Austin restaurant scene, she brings the same calm, measured approach to everything she does. She is a true reflection of the inner gamer who’s always thinking several moves ahead. In the end, the game may change, but Turner’s quiet determination will see her through to the final level, where her impact on Austin’s culinary landscape will be undeniable.
Texting where y'all
Helping people of color find their community.
BY SARAH M. VASQUEZ
to see at Though?!
Where Y'all At Though?! at Auntie's House
Photo courtesy of Jay Ybarra
Lauren Burdett
Photo courtesy of Naya Papaya
Livingin Austin for 10 years, Lauren Burdett has heard that there aren’t many people of color in the city. With high real estate prices continuing to contribute to the gentrification that has driven out longtime Black and Hispanic residents and dwindled affordable housing,there has been a decline in these populations within the city limits. However, Burdett has managed to find people of color to hang out with as an educator and DJ. “I’ve spent a lot of time with different groups of people – we’re just not finding each other,” Burdett says.
So she asked herself, how can we fix this problem? That’s where Where Y’all At Though!? comes in.
Where Y'all At Though?! – a nod to a typical message she’d text her friends while making plans – is a cultural tour guide that aims to connect the Black and Brown communities in Austin by uplifting and promoting local events and businesses that reflect and celebrate their identities. With “Find your people” as their tagline, they want to be the conduit that makes it easier for these communities.
Burdett pitched the idea to Erinn Knight and Brandon Boone, who have a creative marketing agency together called Build Your Own Dreams. Knight made the move to Austin in 2022 after traveling back and forth for business since 2017. To her, the city is so magical.
“I just love Austin,” Knight says. “There’s such a cool, laid back vibe to it, which is very similar to Atlanta, which is where I’m from. There’s just something special about this city that I adore.”
Knight says that whenever she and Boone would post video recaps of their events, some of the feedback would be that people didn’t know about the events. She realized if this is happening to them, it’s definitely happening to their friends as well.
“People don’t have a centralized place to come find what’s going on in our community. We may get snippets of things here and there, but we want a watering hole,” Knight says.
So the idea evolved into the creation of a social guide. The three gather events they find on social media or are submitted to them online that are then shared on a Google Calendar. They share their community calendar in weekly and daily blasts they call “assignments” to their 7,000 subscriber mailing list. They also create business guides of places they recommend.
The system is pretty simple. Curators can submit their events through the online form on Where Y’all At Though!? website for free, unless it’s a corporate company. Knight says they’ve taken corporate sponsors in the past and have done a few paid collaborations, but they’re mostly focused on the local population.
“It's a free submission if you are Black, Brown, Asian or ally,” Knight says. “You can still submit to our calendar if you're not us. If you're a safe place for us to be, we're totally open to you being on the calendar, especially if you're featuring DJs or vendors from our communities.”
The form asks for details of the event, such as time and place, and other focal points that let people know if it’s all ages, whether there’s a cover charge and other distinctions to determine the vibe of the night.
When the Instagram page first started, they intentionally didn’t
I've spent a lot of time with different groups of people – we're just not finding each other.
—Lauren Burdett “
want to attach their names to it, so the posts were anonymous. This allowed the page to grow organically and for the creators to overhear genuine feedback about their work. Burdett says she would hear people suggesting the page to someone new in Austin and curators would say how helpful it was to post their stuff.
People started to learn that she, Knight and Boone were behind the page when they started attending events that invited Where Y’all At Though!?. “It’s been a really good reception, because we all have really good reputations here in Austin,” Knight says.
This is no small feat considering they launched the page a year ago. They decided to debut during the 2023 AfroTech, a conference highlighting Black S.T.E.M professionals, innovators, entrepreneurs and visionaries. They provided recommendations of places to see and events to attend to those traveling to the city, from a local perspective. They first did a soft launch a week prior to promote Halloween events. The response was pretty swift.
People showed love within the first couple of days, and the page started to grow exponentially in the following months. However, it was during Black History Month that Where Y’all At Though!? saw a huge increase in followers, growing from 6,000 followers to 13,000 followers.
“I think people get it because it’s not about being exclusive,” Knight says. “Anybody can come to our events, but it’s about being able to gather and see yourself and be proud of what we’re building in this city.”
Each one of the founders plays a role with the guide. Boone does most of the curation for the calendar. “Shout out to Brandon, who is truly propelling the work forward in a really cool way,” Burdett says. Burdett helps behind the scenes with how the calendar works. Knight answers a lot of the emails. And, they continue to produce their own events.
“My personal goal, my chief desire in life, is to connect,” Knight says. “I’m always always looking for deeper connections with myself and with others.”
Knight was raised by a community that went beyond her nuclear family. Her parents came from large families, so she had a lot of cousins in addition to the non-related neighbors she referred to as aunties and uncles. Whenever her parents were unable to help, she’d call one of them. “People think that you have to be rich and wealthy to live a robust life, and I never made much money in my life, but I’ve lived way above my means because of my community,” Knight says.
That upbringing has fueled her purpose in being a connector and bridge builder. She always wants people to feel connected, loved and valued, a sentiment echoed by Burdett.
Growing up in El Paso, Burdett comes from a family that is about community and helping each other out. Her family used to collect gifts and toys to bring to the colonias on the other side of the border during Christmastime. Being an educator has also lent itself to her community building. She was a middle school teacher and an assistant principal at an elementary school before she started her DJ career. As most did during the first year of the pandemic, Burdett reassessed her life and wanted to get back into the music space. She took DJ classes and started meeting other curators, such as Knight and Boone, who were one of the first to book her.
A lot of Burdett’s work as a DJ has been around promoting women of color in this historically male predominant space. She is a mixed-raced Latina and wanted to create space for different types of people of color with Where Y’all At Though!? “It was very important to me for this to be for Black and Brown people, because there's also some disjointedness between our communities,” Burdett says.
“We have conversations about making sure that we're doing it in a way that supports people who are doing really great things and are moving in a way that is in line with what we believe in,” Burdett says.
This year, they’re launching a subscription service in the form of a physical coupon book that will highlight 15 to 20 of their favorite businesses in Austin. The details are still being finalized, but Knight says that this will initially run from Black History Month in February until May 12 (512 as in the area code) to test the impact. The goal is to relaunch in June and produce a quarterly book as a way to boost the local economy.
“
People don’t have a centralized place to come find what’s going on in our community. We may get snippets of things here and there, but we want a watering hole.
She says that everything Knight and Boone do is also centered around community. During their initial conversations, it came together naturally that they would be building community through this site – a responsibility the group doesn’t take lightly.
—Erinn Knight
The three entrepreneurs also want to explore more partnerships with larger brands to generate more income for their service. Knight shares that the little money that they’ve made has helped them break even with maintaining the website and throwing their own events. But the goal is to make some money to pay them and other team members, while keeping it as a free service to the community. Overall, they look forward to making more of an impact on the City of Austin and being more dynamic with the way they display their culture and provide space for their communities.
“We’re seeing the real world effect ourselves and hearing from people,” Knight says. “We’re just grateful to be a part of the process of bringing more people together.”
Erinn Knight speaking at a conference
Photo courtesy of Kevin Liew
Erinn Knight
Photo courtesy of Hue Photobooth
Heart Disease in Women: A Silent Epidemic
Why heart disease is the leading cause of death for American Women.
BY OLIVIA BARBOZA
The progress modern medicine has taken over the past few decades is astounding. Life expectancy has doubled since 1900 and increasing numbers of promising new cancer treatments are emerging. Despite these incredible medical advancements, heart disease remains the number one cause of death in the U.S. General Surgeon, Kaitlin Dewhirst, states that heart disease is mostly seen as a “man’s disease.” For this reason, education is limited for women. Indeed, only half of women in America recognize that heart disease is their biggest killer.
What is Heart Disease?
Heart disease is a term encompassing conditions like coronary artery disease, heart attacks and congestive heart failure. These conditions damage the heart through plaque buildup, valve malfunctions or other disruptions to its function.
According to the CDC, heart disease represents the cause of death in one of five women each year – a statistic that has remained unchanged for decades.
Why Does Heart Disease Persist?
One reason is the historical underrepresentation of women in medical research. Dr. Dewhirst states that research over the years has focused disproportionately on men in their clinical trials, leaving women grossly underrepresented. Consequently, women are often underdiagnosed and undertreated, with their symptoms dismissed or misunderstood. Many health conditions predispose women to heart disease as well. Hormonal changes from pregnancy or menopause and other conditions such as pre-eclampsia can increase a woman’s long-term cardiovascular risk.
Compounding this are risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and smoking. In addition, anxiety and depression impact the frequency and severity of heart disease, both of which disproportionately impact women, especially those with limited access to preventive care.
Prevention and Awareness
1. Educate Yourself and Others
Dr. Dewhirst emphasizes that the best thing a woman can do for her health is to be her own best advocate. Speak with your doctor often, recognizing that you know your body best. Understand and monitor your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Know the unique symptoms of heart disease in women and share this knowledge within your community. Participate in the Go Red for Women movement every February and make it your mission to prioritize women’s heart health throughout the year. Resources like the CDC and American Heart Association offer accessible guidance.
2. Adopt a Heart-Healthy Lifestyle
• Eat a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, avocado, & nuts)
• Stay active with at least 150 minutes of weekly exercise, including strength training
• Manage stress through mindfulness, yoga or counseling
• Get 7–9 hours of quality sleep nightly
3. Avoid Tobacco and Limit Alcohol
Smoking damages blood vessels and raises blood pressure, while excessive alcohol consumption contributes to high blood pressure, weight gain and cardiovascular strain. Quitting smoking and drinking in moderation can significantly reduce risk.
Looking
Ahead
While progress has been made – such as increased awareness, improved treatments and greater inclusion of women in research – challenges persist. Women are still less likely than men to receive a timely diagnosis or appropriate treatments, and women of color face even greater disparities. Rising rates of obesity, diabetes and hypertension also demand urgent attention as they are significant risk factors for heart disease.
The impact of seemingly simple resolutions like “walk 30 minutes every day” or “only one drink every week” can have a positive impact on your quality of life. It’s never too late to make a change.
Online Dating and Relationships
Do's and don'ts for online dating and relationships.
YBY SARAH KYLE, PH.D., LCSW
SARAH KYLE IS A RELATIONSHIP THERAPIST AND FOUNDER OF GET DATEABLE
ou’re sitting at Mozart’s across from a date who seemed perfect on paper – great job, witty banter and a smile that lit up their profile. But now, mid-date, they haven’t asked you one question about yourself. Instead, they keep checking their phone, and you’re wondering how you got here. This is a common scenario for those who are in the dating world. Women are burned out on dating and it’s taking a toll on their mental health. One client spent months swiping, chatting and going on multiple dates only to find herself feeling burned out, questioning her own worth and stuck in what she called a “swipe spiral.” Sound familiar? In today’s world of online dating, protecting your mental health is just as important as finding the right match. This list of dos and don’ts can help keep you grounded on your dating journey.
DO: Keep authenticity at the forefront of everything you do. Put your best foot forward, but make sure that foot is actually yours. Have your friends help you select the best photos of you for your profile. Choose your favorite outfit for a first date. Talk about current interests, activities and hobbies. Ask your date about things you’re genuinely interested in rather than perfunctory questions you feel like you should ask. Being your most authentic self will help you determine goodness of fit rather than just trying to snag a date. Staying in alignment with your truth and your values is a big part of keeping yourself sane and grounded in the dating process.
DON’T: Try to be someone you’re not in order to impress your date (or potential dates). Don’t lie about your age, height or interests. Don’t use outdated, filtered or overly-flattering pics of yourself in your profile. Don’t pretend to like someone if you don’t, and don’t act overly cool if you’re actually interested. Inauthenticity causes unnecessary stress because you’re working too hard to keep up a facade.
DO: Stay mindful of your safety. Do a brief Google search of your potential date to verify they’re a real person and to look for glaring red flags such as domestic violence convictions. Meet the person in a public place. Let friends or family know where you’re going and whom you’re meeting.
DON’T: Go full-on FBI agent by trying to do a deep dive on the person’s background or social media accounts. This can make you feel obsessive and stalker-ish, and it won’t actually make you feel safer about meeting them in person. Don’t share personal details such as your workplace, home address or information about your children before really getting to know the person.
DO: Be honest and direct. It’s okay to end a date early if you’re uncomfortable or if you know there’s not a connection. Try using the sh*t sandwich approach: Say something kind such as, “You’re a really (smart, funny, interesting, kind, etc.) person;” followed by the difficult information, “This doesn’t feel like a romantic fit for me;” followed by another kind statement, like, “I know you’re going to make a great partner for someone and I wish you all the best.”
DON’T: Ghost someone. Disappearing without offering an explanation is unkind behavior that leaves you feeling bad about yourself. If you can offer constructive feedback that can help the other person improve their chances with future dates, you’re doing a service as well as helping yourself feel better by getting proper resolution.
DO: Keep an open mind and give people a chance, even if they don’t check all your boxes (especially ones that might be superficial, such as height or income). Pay attention to your gut and make sure you are offering all the things you’re expecting your partner to offer.
DON’T: Settle for someone who behaves badly or treats you poorly simply because you are tired of being single. At the end of the day it’s much better for your mental health to be single than to be partnered with someone who makes you feel bad about yourself.
DO: Look for the positives that allow you to meet new people and enjoy the dating experience. Relax and have fun with the process. Take a break from the apps when you start feeling overwhelmed or overly discouraged.
DON’T: Allow the stress of dating to make you cynical or give up hope. Don’t take yourself or online dating too seriously.
Dating doesn’t have to leave you feeling drained or disheartened. Set good boundaries, have compassion for others and put your mental health first so you can enjoy the process. As someone who’s spent 25 years helping folks have better relationships I can promise you this: the right person will value you for who you are, not for how perfectly you play the game.
GOURMET
FEED
Leading the Way in Sustainable Dining
Michelin Green Star Restaurant,
Emmer & Rye's Alexa Mejia takes a seat at the table.
BY CODI CHEN
At the helm of Emmer & Rye’s award-winning kitchen is Alexa Mejia, Chef de Cuisine, whose culinary philosophy intertwines sustainability, creativity and community. With Emmer & Rye recently earning the prestigious Michelin Green Star, one of two Texas restaurants to do so, Mejia reflects on her journey and the larger impact of her work.
As a California native, Mejia attended the Culinary Institute of America in Napa before working in San Francisco. However, the competitive atmosphere there left her yearning for a different kind of culinary culture, one where community took precedence over rivalry.
“It feels amazing,” Mejia says, her voice warm with pride. “We didn’t set out to win this award, but it’s a recognition of the ethos that’s been part of this restaurant since the beginning. We’re celebrating Central Texas – its farmers, fishers, ranchers and millers – and showing that the state is more than tacos and barbecue.”
The team at Emmer & Rye sources ingredients locally, highlighting everything from Gulf oysters grown sustainably to heirloom grains from nearby farms. But achieving a sustainable menu requires a mix of strategy and ingenuity.
“Our summers in Texas basically last nine months,” Mejia explains. “That changes what we can grow and when. Preserving peppers, fermenting cucumbers and finding ways to use sweet potatoes and greens year-round becomes part of the creative challenge. It’s not about limitation; it’s about celebrating and being creative with what’s here.”
This resourcefulness extends to their use of whole animals. Collaborating with small-scale ranchers, Mejia reimagines cuts of meat that might otherwise be overlooked. “It’s exciting –finding ways to use every part of the animal throughout the menu keeps things fresh and inspired,” she says.
“When I moved to Austin, I fell in love with the way the food scene here tends to support each other,” she says. Starting at Barley Swine, where she spent eight years as the Executive Sous Chef, Mejia continued to hone her craft before taking on the top role at Emmer & Rye.
That sense of camaraderie was palpable during the night of the Michelin Awards.
“The room was filled with co-workers and friends,” she recalls. “Seeing everyone celebrated in this unexpected way was incredible. It’s not just about one restaurant; it’s about showing the world what Austin can do.”
Emmer & Rye’s commitment to sustainability and its place in the Austin culinary scene extends beyond its kitchen. “When guests dine with us, we want to tell them the story behind their food; how it was grown, who raised it, why it matters,” Mejia says. Whether it’s eggs from a solar-powered farm or Texasgrown Wagyu beef, every ingredient has a narrative, and Emmer & Rye strives to make those stories a central part of the dining experience.
For Mejia, the Michelin Green Star represents more than just
Photos courtesy of Mars Tello
recognition; it’s an opportunity to shift perceptions of Austin’s food scene.
“We’re showing that Central Texas has its own cuisine –rooted in sustainability, creativity and community. It’s food that tells a story of the landscape and the people who work it.”
As a woman in a field historically dominated by men, Mejia’s rise to leadership in the restaurant industry hasn’t been without its challenges. Early in her career, she often found herself the sole woman in the kitchen.
“It wasn’t normalized to see women in these spaces, and if they were there, they were often funneled into pastry,” Mejia says. “Pastry is an art form in itself, but I felt this responsibility to stand out and prove that we belong here, too.”
Now, Mejia takes pride in mentoring the next generation of women chefs, creating a culture of empowerment and inclusion.
“I love seeing women fresh out of culinary school, untainted by voices telling them they can’t do something. It motivates me to push harder and stand out, not just for myself but for all women in this industry.”
To women considering a career in the culinary world, Mejia offers heartfelt advice.
“If you’re passionate about food, go for it. It’s hard work, but it’s so rewarding. Learn to take criticism – it’ll make you better. And don’t take yourself too seriously. At the end of the day, it’s just food. Work hard, and don’t forget to enjoy the people and moments outside of the kitchen.”
“When guests dine with us, we want to tell them the story behind their food – how it was grown, who raised it, why it matters.”
With her passion for mentorship, commitment to sustainability and innovative leadership, Mejia is not only shaping the future of Emmer & Rye but redefining what it means to be a Texas chef. For Mejia, success isn’t just about accolades – it’s about connection, ingenuity and a shared celebration of food’s power to bring people together.
WOMAN TO WATCH
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How Motherhood Shaped My Mission
Helping families thrive with microbiome insights.
BY CHERYL SEW HOY
Growing up in Malaysia, I dreamed of running a company and making a difference. My biggest inspiration was my mom. She ran her own marketing business from home and watching her lead with confidence and purpose made me want to follow in her footsteps.
That dream stayed with me as I earned my engineering degrees from Cornell University on full scholarships, launched my first startup and sold it to Walmart Labs in 2013. But as fulfilling as those achievements were, it wasn’t until I became a mom that I discovered my true passion.
Motherhood Sparked a Mission
In 2018, I watched my little girl, Charlie, wrestle with eczema, restless nights and food sensitivities. Her itchy skin, dietary triggers and constant sleep disruptions took some joy out of those first few months of motherhood. During my pregnancy, I learned I might need a C-section and researched how it could affect my baby. Compared to vaginal birth, I knew that babies born this way might be exposed to more antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
One research paper on the gut microbiome led me to another, each reinforcing its crucial role in immunity – especially during the critical first 1,000 days.
I also stumbled upon an alarming statistic: nearly half of U.S. children suffer from at least one chronic health condition. That number kept me up at night, but it was very motivating. When searching, I realized microbiome tests on the market didn’t reference ranges for kids under 3 years old. Most stool tests use qPCR technology, which provides a limited picture of your gut. I wanted a test that used shotgun metagenomics – the gold standard in microbiome research – to see if my baby and I had the right microbes to support lifelong immune health.
A week after my son, Taylor, was born in 2020, I started Tiny Health to create an evidence-based microbiome testing platform for babies in their first 1,000 days.
After two years of research with Ruben Mars from the Mayo Clinic and a team of microbiologists and pediatric experts, we launched the first at-home gut health test for babies and moms. Since 2022, we’ve expanded to serve the whole family with tests for all life stages.
Finding Our Home in Austin
As Tiny Health grew, so did my family’s needs. After nearly a decade in California, my husband, Jason, and I realized it was time for a change. While Silicon Valley was a great place to be, the high cost of living and rising crime rates weren’t ideal for raising a family.
Austin offered everything we were looking for – a lower cost of living, more land for our growing family and an outdoorsy environment. We
spend our weekends hiking trails and caring for our backyard chickens, creating memories as we prepare to welcome our third child.
On the business side, Austin’s thriving tech ecosystem was a perfect match. The tech community here is smaller but incredibly collaborative and approachable. I was surprised by the number of healthcare and biotech companies here. With many wellness influencers moving here and a central time zone for our remote team, it’s the perfect spot for Tiny Health’s HQ.
Growth and Gratitude
In addition to empowering families to address the root causes of issues like eczema, allergies and other chronic conditions, we developed our B2B platform, Powered by Tiny. We partner with over 1,000 health practitioners and digital health companies as Powered by Tiny. In two and a half years, more than 55,000 people have trusted Tiny Health with their microbiome health.
Two things stand out throughout my journey: growth comes from following my curiosity, and gratitude keeps me present in the small moments. Every step forward has started with a question I couldn’t ignore. And gratitude helps me appreciate all the mentors, investors, family members and teammates who have helped me come this far personally and professionally.
During meetings, we take time to share what we’re grateful for – a moment to pause, reflect and celebrate each other. At home, we do a hug huddle where I ask the kids to count to 20. Sometimes they rush, sometimes they stretch it out, but it’s always filled with laughter and joy. With them growing so fast, it’s a simple way to slow down and appreciate this time in our lives.
Finding my home has been more than where I live or work. It's building a life that reflects what matters most. Austin and Tiny Health have given me a place to grow, give back and make a lasting impact.
@in/CherylYeoh @Tiny.Health TinyHealth.com
Cheryl Sew Hoy is the founder and CEO of Tiny Health. Tiny Health is a gut microbiome testing platform for the whole family, using shotgun metagenomic sequencing.
