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Emily and Stephanie were twin flames brought together by bright pink lipstick. They worked together at a children’s theater where they taught their students to be brave, thoughtful, and most importantly themselves. Once the pandemic hit they both lost their jobs, and as Stephanie says, “floated in a pool of insecurity” knowing they couldn’t sustain that lifestyle. They both truly missed educating their students, working together, and having real conversations about real issues. Soon their Cycle Chats podcast was born! They started their podcast to educate, empower, and inspire women of all ages to be the best versions of themselves. And Sass Magazine’s Owner Kim Dow had the pleasure of joining them for Episode 46: The Story Behind The Cover.
The Ladies Behind Cycle Chats
Stephanie LoVerde is a jack of all trades and a master of acting and makeup. Graduating Magna Cum Laude from Lynn University, she utilizes her degree in the performing arts to teach our youth how to walk the line between reality and fantasy when they step foot on the stage. When she’s not being Miss Stephanie, she is attending to her other profession as a Freelance Makeup Artist. She has done everything from bridal work to haunted houses and makeup for everything in between. As a mental health advocate and a feminist since birth, she believes that feminism and mental wellbeing is for all. (She digs a good ally!) Her love for education and art has led her to the podcasting world where she hopes to utilize her platform to inspire, educate, and empower other humans in their quest to build a better mind, body, and soul.
Emily Palacios is a woman who loves to learn! She is a professional actor on the National Tour of Old Jews Telling Jokes where she plays Debbie. When Emily is not on stage she is a professor at different colleges where she teaches her students the magic of theater and how to be better humans. Emily is the proud mom of 3 fur babies, Simon, Squash, and Scotty, and wife to her amazing husband and biggest supporter, Miguel. Emily is so proud of the platform she and Stephanie created and is looking forward to educating humans, but mostly women, on their minds, bodies, and souls.
What do you think has helped you the most with your success?
Our ability to be open to change, educate ourselves, and to continue to grow as individuals and as partners.
What has been the biggest challenge you have overcome in order to achieve your goals?
The biggest challenge we have had to overcome is letting go of the idea that everyone is going to support you and your business. We learned early on in this journey that that is not the case, and honestly it’s still something we deal with every now and then. Support is huge for any small creators out there! And a lot of the ways you can support a small business or creator is FREE. So we always like to say this, “how are you going to support a small business or creator today?”
What are you most proud of?
From day one, we have treated this as a business with a mission. That mission was, and is, to cultivate a space for real growth by creating ripples of change in our community. By doing so, we have created a platform that fosters creativity, vulnerability, community and authenticity.
What are three pieces of advice you could give to our readers?
- Always be true to yourself and your values.
- Don’t be afraid to get ugly. This is where the growth happens.
- You are a forever student. Educate yourself. You don’t know what you don’t know.
You inspire us, but what/who are YOU inspired by?
Any woman, or human, who is willing to take a chance and bet on themselves.
How do you reward yourself when you’ve reached a goal or after a hard day of work?
Brunch date or massive amounts of chocolate!
What is one sassy saying or quote that inspires you? Why?
“Though she be but little, she is fierce!” Because we may both be small in stature, but wise and powerful in how we present ourselves and our mission to lift others up with us.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
We created our podcast to help break the cycle, empower women through education, and inspire each other to start changing the narrative of what it means to be a woman. We want you to show up as you are and grow beside us on this journey. There is room for all of us!
You can get to know us better on our website: www.CycleChats.com and we hope you Sync Up With Us!
Kim is the owner and publisher of Sass Magazine, as well as the owner of Sass Studios, a boutique graphic design studio in Frederick, MD. When not in the office, Kim can be found doing some of her favorite hobbies—reading a book, dancing, traveling, or playing with her rescued pitbull.
What do you think?