Today I am joined by Ashley Worley! Ashley is the heart behind Olive Branch Road. She grew up on her family’s homestead—Triple S Ranch—where grit, grace, and a love for the land were woven into everyday life. She now brings that same spirit into everything she creates: pieces that are practical yet elevated, made to move with you through motherhood, marriage, and all the meaningful moments in between. A mom of two living in Charleston, SC, she pivoted her medical career to pursue her dreams, and Olive Branch Road was the divine download that was her next step.

In this episode Ashley and I talked about her career in medicine, why she started Olive Branch Road, how she found her manufacturer and how she sources her materials, all of the behind the scenes of having a small business, and so much more!

One World Health

Olive Branch Road Website

Olive Branch Road Instagram

Today I am joined by Morgan Vance! Morgan now serves as the Executive Director of the Pat Summitt Foundation after spending several years in a strategic role overseeing advancement operations, partnerships and programs. With over 10 years of professional experience, Vance is entrusted with protecting and advancing the mission of legendary women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. Her strategic oversight has led to a growth in grantmaking, programs, and partnerships, as well as major gifts and estate gifts.

Prior to her time at the Pat Summitt Foundation, Morgan was a development director at the Tennessee Fund, the development office for the University of Tennessee athletics, and was responsible for soliciting annual and major gifts. Before her time in athletics, she worked as a development director at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center overseeing Children’s Miracle Network corporate partners and fundraising campaigns.

Morgan is a Knoxville native and received her master’s in business administration from the University of Tennessee, Martin and her bachelor’s in public relations from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Morgan and her husband Jason reside in west Knoxville with their 5 children.

In this episode Morgan and I talk about her career in the nonprofit space, how she ended up at the Pat Summitt Foundation, what stewarding a legacy means, and so much more!

Pat Summitt Foundation Website

Pat Summitt Foundation Instagram

Today I am joined by Connie Porter! Connie is the author of the Addy series, a series of historical children's novels from American Girl. Her first novel, All-Bright Court was named in 1991 as a Notable Book by the American Library Association, and by the New York Times as one of its "Best Books." Her essays have appeared in Glamour and Seventeen, and her book reviews in The Boston Globe and New York Times.

She is also the author of Imani All Mine which was named an Honor Book by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, an Alex Award winner by the Young Adult Services Association of the American Library Association, as well as being chosen as one of the Best Books for Young Adults by the ALA. Book List also picked it as one of Editors’ Choice for Best Books For Young Adults.

In 2019, the Children’s Literature Association named Imani All Mine the winner of the Phoenix Award. The Phoenix Award “is given to the author, or the estate of the author, of a book for children first published twenty years earlier that did not win a major award at the time of its publication but which, from the perspective of time, is deemed worthy of special attention.

In this episode Connie and I talk about her career as a writer, how she got the opportunity to write the Addy series, what that process looked like, what she hopes readers take with them, and so much more!

Connie's Instagram

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