Inspired Questions: Conversations on Self-Worth, Burnout & Showing Up Authentically

Breaking the Stained Glass Ceiling: A Journey with Rabbi Goldstein

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Rabbi Elyse Goldstein, the founding rabbi of City Shul, a reformed congregation in Toronto. Rabbi Goldstein shares her remarkable journey as one of the first female rabbis in Canada and her groundbreaking work in making Judaism accessible and empowering for women.
Discover how she has dedicated her career to teaching, writing, and mentoring, all through a feminist lens. In this episode, Rabbi Goldstein also discusses her new venture into coaching and pastoral counseling, offering guidance in a world filled with challenges.
Whether you're connected to Judaism or simply seeking inspiration, Rabbi Goldstein's story of resilience and passion for breaking barriers will leave you motivated and empowered. Don't miss this conversation on spirituality, community, and personal growth.
You can find Rabbi Goldstein on her website www.rabbielysegoldstein.com

Finding Hope and Healing with Sheena Marquis

In this episode, I connect with Sheena Marquis, a talented social worker, speaker, writer, and musician, based in Texas. Sheena passionately shares her journey from ministry to social work, highlighting her dedication to offering hope, healing, and purpose to others. We delve into her personal story, including her experiences with public speaking and songwriting, and how life’s unpredictable events have shaped her path.
Sheena discusses the importance of community support and faith in staying grounded amidst life's challenges. She shares her insights on overcoming insecurities, the significance of boundaries, and how these elements contribute to personal growth. We also explore her transition back to Texas and prioritizing family life, as well as her creative endeavors in music, which have been a source of healing and connection.
Join us for an inspiring conversation full of practical wisdom and heartfelt stories, and discover more about Sheena's work and music on various streaming platforms under her name.

The Best Laid Plans: Ruth's Unexpected Journey

Welcome to the first episode of 2025 of 'Inspired Questions' with your host, Ruth Hirshberg. In this mini episode, Ruth candidly shares her unexpected experiences of the past few weeks. Despite well-laid plans, life took an unforeseen turn, leading to a prolonged hospital stay and recovery from surgery. Ruth reflects on the lessons learned from this unexpected journey, emphasizing the importance of listening to one's body, adapting to circumstances, and allowing oneself grace. Balancing a busy life with multiple passions, Ruth offers insights into managing what can oftentimes feel uncontrollable. Join Ruth as she shares her story of resilience, acceptance, and hope for the future episodes to come.

YOLO Let's Go: Doree Kovalio's Journey from Federal Service to Boutique Travel

In this episode, join us as we delve into the inspiring journey of Doree Kovalio, a former federal public servant who took a leap of faith to pursue her passion for travel. After 20 years of service, Doree transformed her love for exploration into a thriving boutique travel agency, "YOLO Let's Go." With her wealth of travel experiences, having visited 40 countries, Doree helps clients overcome the overwhelm of travel planning, enabling them to explore new destinations with ease and excitement.
Listen as Doree shares her transformative story of moving from a conventional 9 to 5 life to becoming an independent travel advisor. Discover how her personal experiences have shaped her mission to help others follow their travel dreams and embrace life's adventures. Whether you're an anxious traveler or someone yearning for new experiences, Doree's insights and contagious enthusiasm might just inspire your next journey.
You can find Doree on Instagram @yololetsgoinsta or her website yololetsgo.com

Understanding and Managing Anger: A Personal Exploration

In this insightful mini-episode of Inspired Questions, host Ruth Hirshberg delves into the complex emotion of anger, particularly from a woman's perspective. Ruth shares her personal journey with anger, discussing the societal conditioning that influences how women experience and express this powerful emotion.
She explores the physical manifestations of anger and offers practical techniques for managing it, such as mindful breathing and physical activity. Ruth also emphasizes the importance of focusing on the positives in life and connecting with others to navigate feelings of powerlessness in a world filled with challenges.
Join Ruth as she candidly discusses her struggles and offers valuable insights into embracing and managing anger. This episode serves as a reminder that amidst the chaos, hope and beauty still exist.

Redefining Success: A Conversation with Dallas Lombardi

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Dallas Lombardi, a remarkable entrepreneur who has made her mark in the event planning industry and beyond. From orchestrating luxury weddings and corporate events to co-founding 'A Chance to Dance,' an inclusive dance party for individuals with disabilities, Dallas is a powerhouse of innovation and compassion.
In this episode, Dallas shares her journey from working in the restaurant industry as a teenager to becoming the director of a luxury event company by the age of 26. Discover how motherhood and the challenges of being a single parent led her to establish her own company, Dallas & Co. Events Agency, allowing her to align her work with her personal values and family needs.
Dallas also opens up about her personal healing journey and her motivation for writing her first book, a memoir aimed at helping others navigate trauma. She emphasizes the importance of redefining success, setting boundaries, and embracing vulnerability, offering valuable insights for anyone seeking personal and professional growth.
Listen in as Dallas discusses the power of connection, the significance of self-care, and the liberating experience of pursuing creative endeavors. Whether it's taking herself on solo getaways or participating in a local 'Dancing with the Stars' event, Dallas embodies the spirit of living life on her own terms.
Don't miss this episode filled with wisdom, inspiration, and practical advice for anyone looking to redefine their path and connect with their true selves. Stay tuned until the end for information on how to follow Dallas's journey and upcoming projects.
You can find her on Instagram @dallas.lombardi, @dallasandcoevents and @achancetodancecanada

Finding Hope in Words: A Conversation with Author Fiona Valpy

Join us for an inspiring episode as we welcome acclaimed best-selling author Fiona Valpy. With her novels topping Amazon Kindle charts worldwide and recognition as a Washington Post and Wall Street Journal bestseller, Fiona shares her journey of becoming a writer later in life. She discusses the themes of resilience, love, and courage in her dual timeline fiction, often set against the backdrop of World War II.
Fiona reveals the inspiration she draws from strong female role models and personal experiences, emphasizing the importance of storytelling in preserving untold histories. She also shares insights from her travels to the Himalayas and her charitable work with the Little Sherpa Foundation.
Discover Fiona's writing process, her advice for aspiring writers, and the significance of finding stillness and grounding amidst life's chaos. This episode is a celebration of women's strength, creativity, and the enduring power of stories.
You can find Fiona on Instagram @fionavalpy and her website www.fionavalpy.com

Mini Episode - Change is Coming: Reflecting on Gratefulness and Motivation

Hey guys, welcome to Inspired Questions. I'm your host, Ruth Hirshberg, and today is a mini-episode featuring just me. We are going to talk about the question change that is coming up. I have finished releasing the episodes with the old questions and recorded a few with the new list. Only two questions are leaving us, but they'll come back. It's not that they aren't worthy, but there's so much to cover.
For this episode, I want to talk about those two questions, what I've learned from all the wonderful guests, and share the two new questions that are taking their place. I'll also answer them myself. The first question leaving us is, "What is something you are grateful for?" I've learned the importance of gratitude, how it boosts both emotional and physical health, and different ways to practice it.
The second question we are saying goodbye to is, "What helps you with motivation and staying consistent?" This one is hard for me. I've learned about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, starting small, finding your why, changing what isn't working, and rewarding yourself.
The first new question is, "How have you dealt with times that you failed at something?" I'll share my thoughts on defining failure and the importance of trying. The second new question is, "Do you think you are a perfectionist and how do you deal with this?" I'll discuss my experience with perfectionism and how it has held me back.
I'm glad I did this mini-episode and I hope it resonates with you. Please message me or email me if you have any questions, topics, or guest suggestions. Follow me on Instagram @groundingwithruth or visit my website groundingwithruth.com. Like, share, and download to empower more women. Stay grounded, and I'll talk to you in two weeks.

Inspiration and Resilience: Jen Donaldson's Journey from Dog Walking to Pilates

Join Ruth in an inspiring conversation with Jen Donaldson, a dynamic entrepreneur who has seamlessly blended her passions into successful ventures. Jen shares her journey of starting a dog walking business, Citizen Canine, and how she transitioned into becoming a Pilates instructor. Discover how she navigates challenges, stays grounded, and maintains forward momentum in life and business.
Jen opens up about the importance of setting daily intentions, finding joy in the little things, and the power of reinvention. She also touches on the significance of self-care routines and the grace needed to handle life's ups and downs. This episode is a heartfelt exploration of resilience, personal growth, and the courage to follow one's passions.
If you're looking for inspiration and practical advice on balancing multiple roles and staying true to yourself, this episode is a must-listen. Tune in to hear Jen's insightful tips and moving stories that will leave you feeling motivated and empowered.

Exciting Update: Shifting to a Bi-Weekly Schedule

Hey guys, it's Ruth here. I hope that you are all having a good week, weekend, all of those things. As you have guessed, there is no episode this week. It's just me here chatting with you, and I wanted to give a little bit of an explanation of why.I have made the decision, I'm continuing with the podcast. Let's just put that out there. I love it. I'm really enjoying it. But I have decided to switch from publishing episodes weekly to bi-weekly. So instead of every week, I will be doing it every other week. And there's a few reasons for that, which I'm going to share with you.When I started the podcast, like any new project, I was super excited and gung-ho. I don't think I really knew what to expect from it. I've never done a podcast before, never done anything like this before. I thought that weekly episodes would be the way to go. But as I've sort of dived into this world, I'm finding that it's a lot. It's a lot to keep up with and sort of keep the quality, the episodes, and my guests to what I want it to be.I feel a little bit of pressure and rush to get things out there. And I don't want that. I really don't. I want this project, this podcast to be the best that I think it can be. To do that, I think I need to give myself more time. So that is one of the reasons.Another reason is all the beautiful lessons and wisdom that I've learned from all these incredible guests about finding balance and taking care of myself. It's so easy to give out advice, but it's very hard sometimes to practice what you preach. I have a very busy life with our businesses and we got a new puppy which is very exciting but he is a handful. I want to put out something that I'm very proud of but I also want to make sure that there's longevity in it. I'm worried that if I try to keep up the pace that I have been, there's not going to be. I'm going to burn myself out, and that would be the last thing that I would want to do.So those are two of the big reasons why I'm going to be switching from releasing weekly episodes to bi-weekly episodes. I'm going to still throw in some minis in there. I'm going to keep up the format. I'm actually going to have a few episodes, I think one more episode with the old questions, and then the questions change a little bit with some new episodes. I have some more exciting ideas that I really would love to pursue, and giving myself this little extra space to do it, I think it will come together better.As always, I really do appreciate everybody who has taken the time to listen and support me. It's really for all of you that I do this. Please, again, like, share, download, get it out there to as many people as we can. Keep sending in suggestions of people you think would be great to be on, or reach out to me if you would like to be on. If there's a topic for the mini episodes that you would love to hear, please just reach out. I would love to hear from you.You can reach me on Instagram at groundingwithruth. I don't post very much but I am there. If you do message me, I will respond. I'm also hoping to be a little bit more present on there with this extra time. You can also reach out to me through my website groundingwithruth.com.I hope you have a great rest of the week. New episode coming next week on this new schedule. Until then, stay grounded. I know I'm working on it. Bye.