I’m excited to share this conversation with Ros Smith today. I’ve wanted to feature Ros on the podcast for a long time! She’s had an enviable career in design and philanthropy. Her life was interrupted by a surprising cancer diagnosis in 2019, at just 58 years old. Her journey has continued to amaze me, and I know that you will also glean a lot from what she went through and the message she now shares from the other side of this experience.  

In this episode, you’ll learn:   

• The details of Ros’s story, beginning with her first cancer diagnosis and through to where she is today.
• Why fear was never a factor in her recovery and death wasn’t part of the equation in her mind.
• How going through an MRI procedure flicked a switch in Ros’s mind, moving her from fear to courage (even when others might have given up).
• The importance of journaling through her recovery and how it led to her book,
• Ros’s essential distinction between what we do and who we fundamentally are—and how that has
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Today’s episode was born from two recent events: first, when I heard a quote from Michelle Obama that really gave me pause; and then, the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

In today’s podcast, I share some musings on the concept of feminism, how it has evolved in my life, and what I think needs to change for us to live in a world where we can bridge the gap between men and women so that everyone has a powerful voice that is heard.

I discuss:  

• The quote from Michelle Obama that got me thinking about the role of women in our culture
• How Ruth Bader Ginsburg paved the way for women in the justice system and in our society
• Why I would have said, “No Way!” if you’d asked whether I was a feminist even 10 years ago, yet today might even call myself “a raging feminist” (and be proud of it)
• The ways our society influences us to believe that “feminism” is a negative concept
• How my work with the women in the LIGHTBeamers community cemented some of my views and ideas around feminism
• RBG’s
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Today, my very special guest and dear friend, Sandra Sky (Scaiano if we’re being official) joins me on the show. When I realized it was my own short-term vision that had kept me from starting this podcast, I knew I had to invite Sandra on to talk about “the long game”—she even has her own podcast with the same name! So of course I invited her to talk more about what “the long game” really means, and spark some ideas for you around where you might need a longer-game vision as well.

Sandra and I uncover so many great nuggets in this conversation. Here’s some of what we discuss:  

• What tripped me up when I started the podcast, and how keeping the long game in mind helped me to finally move forward.
• What is the long game philosophy? Sandra shares her perspective from her own journey and vision.
• What it takes to really solidify your brand and direction in business (and how that relates to the long game).
• Key foundational pieces you need to put in place to build your business over t
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No matter which stories I share each week on this podcast, my hope is that they prompt you to delve more deeply into your own inside stories as a result of listening here. Why? Because my fundamental belief is that we each have an important story to tell—and yours is no different.

Today, I share how my personal philosophy around storytelling developed and why I’ve come to believe that our stories are so important (enough to build an entire podcast around!). So come along for the ride as I venture back to where it all began—my early career as a broadcaster—and how things evolved from there.

In today’s episode, I cover:  

• How, as a young journalist, I became disillusioned with the kinds of stories most networks aired and how my viewpoint shifted when I discovered the work of Steve Hartman at CBS
• What Steve Hartman taught me: How Hartman became my “silent mentor” and showed me the power of stories through his show, Everybody Has a Story, in which he chose Americans at random and t
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Welcome to the first episode of The Inside Story! Thank you so much for tuning in. I’m April Pertuis, and for most of my adult life, I’ve been captivated by the power of stories to connect people. My intention for this podcast is to simply bring insightful, inspiring stories that shine a light back on YOU, and spark something that prompts you to examine your own story and see how valuable it really is—especially when you decide to share it.

I’ll take you behind the curtain to reveal the success stories of entrepreneurs, thought leaders, change makers and others who’ve walked through fire and come out the other side. How did they get there? What were the hurdles? What are their biggest “aha” moments? Plus, we’ll look at the power of story (because your own journey has power to propel you forward in life too), and I’ll be sharing my own stories along the way.

In today’s episode, I talk about how this podcast came to be, as well as my goals and intention for The Inside Story, includin...