Building a Better Future for Malawi’s Children with Alaina Baker - Ep.328
Release Date: 06/11/2025
Wickedly Smart Women
What if your “willpower problem” with food was never about food at all? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Amber Romaniuk, an emotional eating, digestive, and hormone expert with 12+ years of experience. Amber shares the childhood roots of emotional eating, the intense turning point that forced her to face her own binge-restriction patterns, and the multidimensional healing path that led to true body freedom. This episode explores why feeling emotions can feel unsafe and how to create real nervous system safety. What You Will Learn: A clear...
info_outlineWickedly Smart Women
What if the “perfect life” is actually the most convincing hiding place for emptiness? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Silvia Resnik, a fulfillment and purpose coach for high-achieving women. Silvia shares how a lifelong ache for connection shaped her drive to achieve. The conversation also goes deeper into the tension between honoring cultural traditions and evolving practices that harm women, including the urgent reality of female genital mutilation and how Silvia’s organization, Empower Her, is working from within community partnership to...
info_outlineWickedly Smart Women
"We wake up every morning as a soul in a human body. That alone should be so incredibly fascinating to us." What if the hardest things you've lived through weren't punishments, but assignments your soul chose to help you grow? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Steffani LeFevour, modern-day soul strategist and author of You Are a Badass Mom and the forthcoming book Soul Assignments. Stteffani shares how childhood trauma, an alcoholic father, and the tragic loss of her sister cracked her open to a lifelong search for spiritual truth. What You Will...
info_outlineWickedly Smart Women
“Horses don’t care if you’re afraid. They care if you’re honest.” In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Sue Willoughby, founder of Willoughby Coaching, certified equus coach, real estate investor, and a woman who has rewritten her life more times than most people dare to dream. Raised by a single alcoholic parent and a two-time high school dropout, Sue charted a path from instability to a six-figure career, a multidimensional portfolio of work, and a coaching practice rooted in the intuitive wisdom of horses. If you’re feeling the whisper that...
info_outlineWickedly Smart Women
“Anytime my managers are not out front, a problem happens. I want them where they can actually make the store money.” In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Jana Franklin, serial entrepreneur, franchise expert, and CEO of CEO Concierge. Jana shares her experiences scaling brick-and-mortar franchises and how the pandemic inspired a major pivot. If you’re an executive overwhelmed by operations or a woman entrepreneur considering consultancy, this episode offers actionable advice and the inside scoop on delegation done right. What You Will Learn: How a...
info_outlineWickedly Smart Women
“I had my ladder on the wrong wall. I was putting all my energy into getting people to want McDonald's instead of Burger King. Who cares, really?” In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Kate Grant, CEO Emeritus of the Fistula Foundation and author of No Woman Left Behind. Kate explains what obstetric fistula is and how a relatively low-cost surgery can restore a woman’s health. She shares the practical steps she took to move from advertising into nonprofit leadership and why investing in your own retooling can be the most powerful career move. If...
info_outlineWickedly Smart Women
At 50, I thought my body was broken. I knew everything about nutrition, but nothing was working anymore. In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Heather Awad, MD, a family doctor and certified coach, helps professional women in perimenopause and menopause lose weight without counting or deprivation. Learn why kindness precedes confidence, how insulin resistance shifts at midlife, and why moving from grazing to real meals restores energy, focus, and leadership clarity. Professional photos can be retaken. But kindness and confidence can start today. ...
info_outlineWickedly Smart Women
Ready to leave corporate and build a business that actually funds your life. In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Estelle Gibson, CPA and TED speaker. Estelle shows you how to create a simple profit plan, price with confidence, and move through the money life cycle with intention. From childhood money scripts to corporate exits to packaging your offers, Estelle shares a calm and practical path that turns wisdom into wealth and replaces hustle with clarity. What You Will Learn: The critical distinction between being a launcher versus a leaper when it comes...
info_outlineWickedly Smart Women
Feeling wired, tired, and secretly dreading Mondays? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Jasmin Dennis, health and wellness leadership coach. Jasmin breaks down her Burnout Pie Framework so you can recognize early signals, prevent a crash, and lead with resilience. Whether you're considering leaving corporate or staying and thriving, this episode gives you the tools to assess where you are and what to do next. What You Will Learn: The critical distinction between burnout as an occupational phenomenon rather than a medical disease. The dangerous...
info_outlineWickedly Smart Women
When was the last time you asked clearly for what you are worth. In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Amy Cosper, storyteller and brand builder to talk about risk, money, and the power women unlock when they find their voice. Hear why acting like Silicon Valley dulls your authenticity, how stories shape culture, why we cannot outsource them to AI, and the simple courage move that flips fear into forward motion. Smart, practical, and heart forward. What You Will Learn: Why many women are trained to avoid risk and how regular practice with small asks...
info_outlineHave you ever felt a quiet pull inside, a persistent tug toward something bigger than yourself? Something that keeps showing up, even when you try to take the “safe” path? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell interviews Alaina Baker, Executive Director of Uplift Malawi, to explore what happens when you finally answer that calling. From a Midwest childhood to leading a global nonprofit, Alaina shares how a career in corporate marketing couldn’t silence the voice inside telling her to make a deeper impact. What began as a side passion became her life’s mission, empowering children in Malawi through sustainable education, community development, and health access.
Alaina doesn't just talk about building schools, she reveals how Uplift Malawi creates entire ecosystems of support that meet students’ basic needs and set them up for long-term success. You’ll hear how they overcame corrupt contractors, how they use data to track impact, and how they’re tackling the HIV/AIDS epidemic with education and dignity.
This episode is more than inspiring, it’s a call to action for anyone who’s ever wondered if following their heart could change the world.
What You Will Learn:
The importance of building sustainable, community-rooted education models in places like Malawi.
How Uplift Malawi supports both students and teachers with housing, nutrition, and mental well-being.
What a 100% donation model is and how it builds trust with supporters.
How life skills programs like sewing, agriculture, and sanitation education help break the cycle of poverty.
Why menstrual education and gender-specific support are vital to keeping girls in school.
How access to clean water and solar energy transforms a school into a thriving community hub.
The ripple effect of educating one child and how it impacts entire families and villages.
What makes Malawi unique as a peaceful but underserved nation in need of educational support.
Why it takes long-term commitment, not quick fixes, to create global educational equity.
How to align your career with your deeper purpose by listening to your inner call for impact.
Connect with Alaina Baker
Connect with Anjel B. Hartwell
Wickedly Smart Women on Instagram
Wickedly Smart Women Facebook Community
Wickedly Smart Women Store on TeePublic
Wickedly Smart Women: Trusting Intuition, Taking Action, Transforming Worlds by Anjel B. Hartwell
Listener Line (540) 402-0043 Ext. 4343