This episode of Record Scratch with Kara flips the format as producer Marilou Marosz interviews Kara Kavensky about the evolution of the podcast, Kara’s upcoming memoir, and the release of "A Record Scratch Limited Series: Mother Loss and Mother's Day."

All episodes of the series, which will be available Mother’s Day weekend, explore one of the most universal—and deeply personal—experiences we share: our relationship with our moms, and how we carry them with us after loss.

Kara also reflects on how her podcast has evolved. The first iteration, Finding Joy, focused on resilience and uplifting stories. Her son’s death in 2022, however, led to a rebranding. Record Scratch, inspired by Kara’s feeling of being frozen in grief while the rest of the world moved on, continues to explore resilience, inspiration, and ultimately, the search for joy.

Kara teases a bit of her memoir, TELL ME ABOUT JOY, the remarkable true story of her quest to reunite a 90-year-old World War II veteran with the love of his life, after 67 years apart.

KEY DATES

• May 8, 2026 – All episodes of special Mother's Day series drop.
• Early June – Record Scratch with Kara resumes with Season 4
• September 8, 2026 – Official release of Kara’s memoir, TELL ME ABOUT JOY

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

Visit Kara’s website to receive updates and pre-order her new memoir, TELL ME ABOUT JOY.

Record Scratch with Kara is sponsored by Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by Adam W. Gibson

TIMESTAMPS

[01:09] Turning the tables

[02:06] A special Mother’s Day series

[04:46] The evolution of Kara's podcast

[10:01] The story behind TELL ME ABOUT JOY

Here’s another chance to listen to the fascinating story of Jerry Siegel, the creator of the Superman comic strip, as told by author William (Bill) Bernhardt.

Bernhardt’s latest book, THE SUPERMAN WARS: A BATTLE FOR TRUTH, JUSTICE, AND AN AMERICAN ICON is now available everywhere you buy books.

Bill is a former lawyer-turned-legal thriller novelist who had a rough road to publishing. But, resilience serves him well, as he never gave up and achieved his dream of becoming a writer (68 books later!). He is also the founder of WriterCon.

WILLIAM BERNHARDT

LinkedIn

WriterCon

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

Visit Kara’s website to receive updates and pre-order her new memoir, TELL ME ABOUT JOY.

Record Scratch with Kara is sponsored by Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by Adam W. Gibson

TIMESTAMPS

[01:08] Introduction: William Bernhardt

[01:57] A love of reading and libraries

[03:41] Becoming a lawyer

[04:44] Submissions and rejections

[06:05] The Ben Kincaid series

[07:41] Leaving the law to write full time

[09:01] Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, and Superman

[10:53] Early precedent for Intellectual property [IP]

[15:05] The original sin of comics

[16:36] Superboy and another precedent

[18:31] Struggling yet still fighting for credit

[19:32] Adult comic culture and a Hollywood blockbuster

[23:00] Founding WriterCon

[26:59] ComicCon, GenCom, and Kurt Vonnegut

Season 3 of RECORD SCRATCH WITH KARA wraps up and Season 4 is currently being recorded.

Special Podcast Series Announcement:

In honor of Mother’s Day, Kara is curating a powerful series featuring conversations with individuals who have lost their mothers. More to come on this!

Kara’s debut memoir, TELL ME ABOUT JOY, is now available for presale. You can order your copy at:

Barnes & Noble - https://bit.ly/4lH04Dp

Bookshop.org - https://bit.ly/4d13Hlc

Amazon - https://a.co/d/0gVpNQ0g

target.com - https://bit.ly/41k7XFg

walmart.com - https://bit.ly/4bBxGxD

Sourcebooks.com - https://bit.ly/4lNhrCC

Follow Kara on social platforms: @KaraKavensky

Website: https://www.karakavensky.com

Sign up for updates and upcoming releases

Thank you for being part of this journey. More conversations, more stories, and more moments of connection are on the way!

Farah and Stephán [pron. Stef-on] Chéry [pron. cherry], co-founders of the Dieudonne Foundation, explore motherhood, migration, trauma, healing, and what it truly takes to support families before, during, and long after birth.

Born from Farah and Stephan’s lived experience as teen parents, the Dieudonne Foundation is redefining maternal care in Indiana by providing culturally competent doula training, postpartum wraparound services, and community-based support for mothers who would otherwise have no access to care.

This conversation is raw, honest, hopeful — and necessary.

DIEUDONNE FOUNDATION

Website: https://dieudonnefoundation.org/

Email: contact@dieudonnefoundation.org

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

@karakavensky on Substack, FB, IG, LinkedIn and Threads

Receive updates on Kara's new memoir release, TELL ME ABOUT JOY

Sponsored by: Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by: Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by: Adam W. Gibson

CHAPTERS

[01:04] Farah and Stephane Chery and the Dieudonne Foundation

[04:13] Supporting young mothers

[05:59] Training doulas to serve their own communities

[08:10] Prioritizing mom and baby after delivery

[09:20] Scholarships, scaling, and paying it forward

[12:32] Payment and continuing education for doulas

[15:17] Who is eligible for training?

[17:34] Preparing dads and partners

[20:50] Building a community around mom

In this candid, wide-ranging conversation, Kara sits down with internationally renowned pianist, composer, author, and educator Sara Davis Buechner for a deeply personal discussion about music, identity, aging, politics, and what it means to stay creatively alive in an increasingly hostile cultural climate.

From growing up in a Baltimore suburb to entering Juilliard on her 17th birthday, Sara reflects on the mentors who shaped her, the musicians who taught her how not to grow old, and why great artists never truly retire — they simply keep discovering.

The conversation moves seamlessly between humor and gravity, touching on trans visibility in the arts, political disillusionment in the United States, and why Beethoven’s Ninth might just become a sing-along event in Hiroshima.

** Special thanks to the Sydney Symphony Orchestra for its lovely rendition of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9: Ode to Joy Excerpt 1

SARA DAVIS BUECHNER

Sara’s upcoming performances: https://saradavisbuechner.com/

Instagram: @sdbfan1959

Substack, Facebook, and YouTube: @saradavisbuechner

BlueSky: @sdbue.bsky.social

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

@karakavensky on Substack, FB, IG, LinkedIn and Threads

Receive updates on Kara's new memoir release, TELL ME ABOUT JOY

Sponsored by: Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by: Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by: Adam W. Gibson

CHAPTERS

[01:00] Introduction: Sara Davis Buechner

[03:28] Great musicians don't retire

[05:51] Nurturing a child prodigy

[07:44] Pianos and pig farming

[09:16] Reynaldo Reyes, more than a mentor

[11:19] Teaching others

[12:44] Upcoming projects, no trans biography

[15:40] Doing all the same things, just in a new key

[16:51] Anti-trans sentiment

[19:20] Living and traveling around the world

[20:56] Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in Hiroshima

Kara sits down with psychologist and resilience researcher Dr. Sherry Hamby, author of the forthcoming book, STRONGER THAN YOU THINK: BUILDING LIFELONG RESILIENCE.

Dr. Hamby shares what decades of research — and lived experience — reveal about healing after trauma, why resilience is not about perfection or “toughing it out,” and how people can truly flourish after hardship.

Together, Kara and Sherry explore the disconnect between academic trauma research and real-life recovery, the role of purpose, relationships, and emotional regulation, and why resilience is best understood as a portfolio of strengths — not a single trait.

This conversation blends science, storytelling, and honesty, offering listeners a grounded and hopeful reframe of what it means to be resilient.

STRONGER THAN YOU THINK is available for pre-order now and releases May 26, 2026.

SHERRY HAMBY, PhD

LinkedIn

BlueSky

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

@karakavensky on Substack, FB, IG, LinkedIn and Threads

Receive updates on Kara's new memoir release, TELL ME ABOUT JOY

Sponsored by: Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by: Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by: Adam W. Gibson

CHAPTERS

[01:05] Introduction: Sherry Hamby PhD

[02:47] Background for writing STRONGER THAN YOU THINK

[05:57] Related academic work

[07:32] The challenge of sharing your own story

[10:02] Gaps in research on trauma and healing

[11:03] Research and the current political climate

[12:04] Parenting and potty training

[13:51] Academic writing vs. writing for the general public

It’s inspiration week with Eliz Taylor! The insanely creative and legendary marketing exec joins me to share the down & dirty of her shopping mall maven career in a very male-dominated culture.

Eliz was at the forefront of the rise of the shopping malls during the 80s, where she coined the name “Mall of America” and other historic marketing feats (creating the largest EVER NBA All-Star game audience, and one of the most successful Monday Night Football games — on Halloween — both in Indianapolis).

Eliz’s memoir, THREE JEWS WALK INTO A SHOPPING CENTER, is one of my favorites!

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

@karakavensky on Substack, FB, IG, LinkedIn and Threads

Receive updates on Kara's new memoir release, TELL ME ABOUT JOY

Sponsored by: Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by: Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by: Adam W. Gibson

CHAPTERS

[01:03] Introduction: Elizabeth "Eliz" Kraft Taylor

[01:52] Three Jews Walk into a Shopping Center

[03:16] Innate creativity

[05:02] The Indianapolis 500 Festival

[06:31] The NBA and Simon's great marketing "guy"

[08:03] All talent, no respect

[09:19] The Mall of America and the 1st Race for the Cure

[10:51] The NBA All-Star Game and Monday Night Football

[12:52] Bringing Nordstrom to downtown Indy

[15:16] One of a kind

[19:10] Eliz's advice to women

[21:44] Women in the workplace

[23:36] A memorable memoir

Dr. Sarah Hart-Unger lives a double life. She’s a pediatric endocrinologist and also a podcaster, blogger, and author. Her podcasts are Best of Both Worlds with co-host Laura Vanderkam, and Best Laid Plans.

Her first book, BEST LAID PLANS, is now available with Sourcebooks.

We affirm during our conversation that not everything goes according to plan.

SARAH HART-UNGER

Website: The Shu Box

Podcast: Best Laid Plans

Podcast: Best of Both Worlds

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

@karakavensky on Substack, FB, IG, LinkedIn and Threads

Receive updates on Kara's new memoir release, TELL ME ABOUT JOY

Sponsored by: Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by: Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by: Adam W. Gibson

CHAPTERS

[01:01] Why pediatric endocrinology?

[04:31] A hybrid work life

[08:02] About the book, BEST LAID PLANS

[10:25] Being a runner and qualifying for the Boston Marathon

[12:30] Medical crisis: arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy

[16:47] The loss of a lifestyle and adjusting to limitations

[22:11] Fitness, menopause, and aging

[24:19] Pilates and yoga as alternatives to running

[25:36] What is next?