From the Beginning: The Voices That Built You Night (Part 1 of 4) with guests Halle McKenzie and Jill Allender

“Welcome to Still I Rise… and today, this one feels different.

This is our 100th episode.

One hundred conversations. One hundred moments of truth, vulnerability, strength, and rising—again and again. This podcast has always been about connection… about the people who show up, who stay, and who lift each other when life gets heavy.

So today, instead of telling one story… I wanted to bring together the voices that helped shape this journey.

I’ve invited some of my favorite people—those who have been here since the very beginning, and others who came along the way and became an essential part of what we do. These are the people who believed in the mission, who poured into it, and who helped carry it forward.

And because there are so many incredible voices to celebrate, I’m doing something special for this 100th episode. We’re turning it into a four-part series that will air over the next three days—so every story has the space it deserves to be heard.

Here’s what you can look forward to:

Day 1 features my daughter Halle and our Team Director, Jill Allender.
 Day 2 features our Runway Coach, Leslie Legania-Shelby, and Photographer, Tracie Morris Schaefer.
 Day 3 features my right-hand gal, Angela Becnel, and Debbie Tonguis.
 And Day 4 features Ruth Avila and my sister, Julie Angelos.

Each of them is sharing their favorite memories, the moments that stayed with them, and what they’ve learned—about life, about resilience, and about what it really means to rise.

Because after 100 episodes, one thing is clear…

We don’t rise alone.

So let’s get into it.”