Imagine feeling a “SPARC” of change ignite within you, illuminating the path to your best life. I'm Amber J, your guide on this transformative journey, and this is the Ignite Change podcast. So many of us have been there - feeling trapped in a career that drains us, yearning for fulfilling relationships, or simply wanting to prioritize ourselves. As we navigate midlife changes, our bodies, our health, and even menopause, these feelings can intensify. I've walked red carpets, presented on int ...
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Have you ever had a bizarre encounter with a medical practitioner? An ER visit gone awry? A weird thing you found on your foot that turned out to be a rare species of parasitic insect? Welcome to Open Up and Say Ha! - Stories from Underneath the Paper Gown. Medical mishaps, misunderstandings, weird bodily functions... our guests are sharing it all. So get ready to laugh so hard you snort your coffee out of your nose, and if you happen to singe your nostrils, head to the doctor and tell us wh ...
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Glittery Lube and Leprechauns (with Jason Moyer and Bradley Michaud)
41:24
41:24
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Send us a Text Message. This is our first episode featuring a married couple! Bradley Michaud married our college bestie Jason Moyer, and we love them both so much we wish we were their sister wives. Regarding the topic of illness, one is a delicate flower who has barely had more than strep, and the other has survived two near-death experiences and…
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The Real Money's in the Prostate (with Dion Flynn)
33:00
33:00
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33:00
Send us a Text Message. Dion Flynn is a comedian and staff writer on The Tonight Show, where he frequently appears as various outrageous characters who make Jimmy Fallon laugh his bum off. Dion talks to us about one of his early gigs as a standardized patient, which is an actor hired to simulate an illness for the purposes of helping medical studen…
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My Kidney Stones Look Like Granola (with Wali Collins)
37:21
37:21
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37:21
Send us a Text Message. Wali Collins is an award winning corporate comedian, actor, producer and author. He joined us shortly after his second bout with kidney stones, so the details were fresh in his memory and the stone was fresh in a cup next to his computer. Wali described what the stone felt like as it was passing through his "tube-age", and h…
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Can it Wait Until You've Finished the Swab? (with Kit Green)
33:33
33:33
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Send us a Text Message. Have you ever been recognized during an extremely vulnerable medical exam? Kit Green has! A multi-award-winning artist from the UK, Kit's work sprawls across theatre, music, broadcast and academia, and her own brand of 'experiential entertainment". She opens up about the benefits of being the only trans patient at a medical …
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Unicorn Fantasy Radiology World (with Ophira Eisenberg)
40:05
40:05
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40:05
Send us a Text Message. Ophira Eisenberg is a Canadian-born standup comedian, writer, and host. She hosted NPR’s comedy trivia show Ask Me Another for 9-years and she now hosts the comedy podcast Parenting Is A Joke where she talks to other comedian parents about how the hell they do it. Ophira has had so many medical interventions in her life that…
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Send us a Text Message. Coming to you from Frankfurt, Germany, we have our longtime friend Abigail Paul, a dynamic performer and BBC Writer’s Room Popcorn Award Nominee. Abigail is a self-proclaimed "big baby" when it comes to medical situations, yet she has knack for turning her uncomfortable encounters into highly amusing stories. She regales us …
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Now I Know How Jesus Felt (with Kevin Allison)
31:43
31:43
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31:43
Send us a Text Message. We are crazy about Kevin Allison, who you may know from The State , a cult classic show that aired on MTV from 1993-96. He is also the creator and host of the hit podcast, RISK!, where people tell true stories they never thought they’d dare to share. On this episode, Kevin tells us how his adult ADHD diagnosis might be the r…
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Sounds Like a Porn Plot (with Zoe Friedman, Amber J Lawson, and Jodi Lieberman)
39:08
39:08
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39:08
Send us a Text Message. Today's guests are the co-founders of Comedy Gives Back, an organization that serves as a safety net for the comedy community by providing financial crisis relief, mental health and chemical dependency treatment sponsorship. Amber J Lawson, Jodi Lieberman and Zoe Friedman have been working in comedy for decades, and as they …
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Send us a Text Message. It's our first "poopisode", and we can't promise it will be our last. Everybody poops - it's universal - so it was inevitable that our longtime friend Mike Dressel would relax us enough to let loose (literally). Mike Dressel is a writer, editor, former educator, and lapsed performer who went to college with Julia and Ellie. …
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Bad Fish and Good Farts (with Ellie Dvorkin Dunn and Julia Granacki)
30:13
30:13
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30:13
Send us a Text Message. It's the very first episode of our brand new podcast! Co-hosts Ellie and Julia decide to save the guests' experiences for future episodes and instead, share their own bizarre medical encounters with each other. Even though they have been friends for 30 years, they each manage to tell a story that the other has never heard! I…
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Send us a Text Message. Here's a little teaser showing what you can expect from Open Up and Say HA!, a brand new podcast baby birthed and hosted by the creators of Circling the Drain. Subscribe here and follow @openupandsayha on all socials for updates and links. Episodes released weekly featuring hilarious folks such as Kevin Allison (Risk! and Th…
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CANCER FREE - The lessons I learned in my breast cancer journey
31:56
31:56
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31:56
I’m coming to you live from the end of my cancer journey and I’m sharing valuable tips and tricks that got me through it all, from facing unexpected twists and turns to the choices I had to make. The treatment's impact on my world along with the process of accepting what was happening and the growth it required. I’ll tell you why I dived into my he…
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How to Navigate Business Breakups and Personal Transformation with Lori H Schwartz
55:30
55:30
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55:30
I want to introduce you to another great friend of mine with an inspiring journey, Lori H. Schwartz, a tech and entertainment executive who has been through numerous career and personal transitions. Recently fulfilling her long-time dream of going on a trip to Africa, Lori shares the importance of self-care and personal growth in finding balance in…
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Career Failures ALWAYS Have a Silver Lining with Shira Lazar
50:22
50:22
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50:22
We are learning to transition so that we can navigate healthy relationships, careers,and discover ourselves! I’ll introduce you to another BFF of mine, Shira Lazar, who opens up about her own emotional journey through transitions and the process of reclaiming herself. Together, we explore the tendency to judge ourselves based on others' actions and…
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Putting Pleasure First: A Tool for Healing
29:56
29:56
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Are you curious about what pleasure could look like in your own life? I understand the struggle of just trying to survive, let alone thrive, and I’m here to guide you through it. In this episode, I share my personal journey of seeking pleasure even amidst a cancer diagnosis. It may not be what you expect, but it's an exploration worth embarking on.…
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AM I A LESBIAN NOW? Dipping Your Toe into the Lady Pond with Kita Adams
50:56
50:56
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Are you grappling with judgment or triggers around the sexuality and presentation of others? Join me and my friend, Coach Kita Adams, as we embark on an eye-opening conversation about the evolving landscape of sexuality and the importance of embracing our authentic selves. This conversation is especially for those women over 40 who are embracing th…
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Laughing Through Transformation: Zoe Friedman's Insight on Women and Career Shifts
1:08:19
1:08:19
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Brace yourself for a hilarious and insightful podcast episode featuring the incredible Zoe Friedman, where we dive into the world of comedy and career transformations. From working with comedy legends like David Letterman to founding Comedy Gives Back, Zoe shares her remarkable journey and the lessons she's learned along the way. We laugh, we refle…
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Finding Strength in Adversity: My Cancer Journey
33:55
33:55
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Cancer has a way of reshaping our lives and reminding us of our inner strength. In this episode, I'll take you through the highs, lows, and everything in between. I want to share what I've learned so far, like the fact that you do have choices and that cancer is a journey that no one should face alone. We'll explore the power of self-advocacy, the …
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Energy Transformation: Tapping into Your Reserves and Reclaiming Your Power
24:56
24:56
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Get ready to tap into your energy reserves and reclaim what's rightfully yours! Close your eyes if you can, and let's embark on a transformative journey. Today, we're focusing on the "E" in CARE, which stands for energy. Have you ever felt like you're leaking energy or holding onto unresolved emotions? I'll guide you through a visualization exercis…
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Self-Discovery and Empowerment through Rituals
28:08
28:08
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28:08
I invite you to turn the page and embark on this journey of self-discovery and empowerment with me. Today, we're diving into the "R" from CARE, which stands for Ritual. We'll explore the various types of rituals, from religious traditions to personal practices. Discover how rituals can help you slow down, reflect, and create meaningful connections …
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Transcending Negative Self-Talk: The Power of Affirmations
19:41
19:41
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19:41
Let's be honest, we all have that negative self-talk lingering in our minds, even when we know it's detrimental to our well-being. In this week's episode, we are tackling this second layer of self-care—our self-talk—and exploring how it affects our overall happiness and fulfillment. Affirmations are the powerful statements that shape our reality. A…
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Compassion and Curiosity: The Power Duo of Self-CARE
30:25
30:25
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30:25
In this episode, we dive deep into the power of self-care, focusing on the C.A.R.E. acronym. We kick things off with compassion and curiosity, exploring the importance of putting our own oxygen masks on first. I’ll guide you through powerful exercises to tune in, reflect, and discover what's truly going on within you. As women, many of us often pri…
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Embracing Radical Self-CARE: A Journey into 'Beingness'
22:06
22:06
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22:06
Are you a modern woman who powers through tasks, often neglecting your own care and healing? It's time to prioritize yourself and lay the foundation for your transformative journey. In this episode, I’ll be revealing the foundations of radical self-care and taking responsibility for your own well-being. We explore the concept of "doing versus being…
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A New Season of Life: Unveiling My Journey and Empowering Yours
35:45
35:45
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35:45
I was inspired to start this podcast not only because of my own journey, which I'll reveal over the course of this episode, but also because of the women that I have encountered as an executive through transformation and those I teach and experience in life now. I'm so grateful for this journey, and I'm excited that you're joining me on it too. Her…
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Ever felt like something's gotta give in life? Maybe you're feeling lost in your career, or your relationship or maybe you're grappling with changes in your body like menopause or health challenges. I'm right there with you! I've been through it all, from walking red carpets to commanding the boardroom. And you know what? Despite ticking all the bo…
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