Finnish-American production manager Sharissa Holopainen gives us an exclusive look into the dynamic, cross-cultural world of film production, describing it as a living puzzle. A short film assignment opened the door to her lifelong passion for storytelling behind the camera after she dropped out of a business program that didn’t feel right and realized acting wasn’t her true calling. Raised between Finland and California, Sharissa once resisted her cultural heritage until she realized it gave her an edge. Today, she thrives at the intersection of international co-productions, helping teams navigate the unspoken cultural nuances that can make or break a shoot. Her ability to foster communication and trust across borders has become her superpower. Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more empowering stories from remarkable women. Thank you for listening ❤ See below for transcript, timestamps, to get in touch, and more. TRANSCRIPT: https://www.shelightstheway.com/sharissa-holopainen-interview-transcript EPISODE LINKS: Sharissa’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharissa-holopainen-258401190/ Summer Book: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26940053/ KEY MOMENTS: 00:00 Welcome & introduction 01:00 The creative puzzle of film production 02:00 From business school dropout to storyteller and bridge builder 04:00 Discovering a passion for producing 05:00 Finding her fit at U.C. Irvine 06:00 Pandemic pivot to Finland 08:00 Embracing her identity and unique path 10:00 The power of co-productions 13:00 Communication styles across cultures 15:00 Film projects that changed Sharissa’s life 18:00 The wild beauty of island filmmaking 20:00 Lessons in the journey 21:00 What She Lights the Way means to Sharissa FOLLOW: Website: shelightstheway.com/ Newsletter: www.shelightstheway.com/newsletter LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/she-lights-the-way/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/shelightstheway/ STORIES: https://www.shelightstheway.com/stories PODCAST: Podbean: https://shelightstheway.podbean.com/ RSS: https://bit.ly/SheLightsTheWayRSS Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4091de0 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4h8Kq0N Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/3YeCt1m BLOG: https://shelightstheway.substack.com/ CONNECT: Contact us: www.shelightstheway.com/contact Share a story: www.shelightstheway.com/story

In this bold and deeply authentic conversation, Dr. Frances Mei Hardin shares her journey from teenage prodigy to rural ENT surgeon and cofounder of the Hippocratic Collective—as she reflects on how surviving the culture of surgical training shaped her mission to transform medicine from the inside out. She speaks candidly about physician burnout, mental health, toxic workplace norms, and why success without authenticity is a hollow pursuit. With unflinching honesty and infectious purpose, Frances Mei lights the way toward a more human, compassionate future in medicine. Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more empowering stories from remarkable women. Thank you for listening ❤ See below for transcript, timestamps, to get in touch, and more. TRANSCRIPT: https://www.shelightstheway.com/francesmeihardin-interview-transcript EPISODE LINKS: https://francesmei.com/ https://rethinkingresidency.com/ https://www.hippocratic-collective.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/frances-mei-hardin-md-aab8b6297/ https://www.instagram.com/francesmei.md/ KEY MOMENTS: 00:00 Welcome & introduction 02:00 STEM passion, skipping grades, and showing up at Notre Dame at 16 04:00 How she "compromised" between graphic design and medicine—by becoming a surgeon 05:00 Picking a specialty: the honest (and funny) advice that guided her to ENT 06:00 Working in a male-dominated field: bias, microaggressions, and being “Dr. Frances” 07:00 The seedy underbelly of medicine: what patients don’t see about doctor wellness 09:00 Why pretending doctors are perfect does real harm to the profession 11:00 Founding Rethinking Residency to offer honest resources for future doctors 13:00 “I almost lost my life”: sharing her mental health journey during residency 15:00 Why the “rockstar asshole” surgeon trope needs to die—and how toxic culture hurts patients. 17:00 Civility in medicine: how professionalism helps everyone, especially the patient 20:00 Why she focuses on helping the target of abuse, not fixing the bully 24:00 Writing her memoir, Surgeon on the Edge, as an act of healing and truth-telling 28:00 How doctors are trained to equate self-worth with accolades—and how that must change 31:00 Redefining success: from prestige to peace, authenticity, and health 33:00 Her advice to younger women: Know yourself. Build identity outside the system. 35:00 What She Lights the Way means to her: courage is contagious. 36:00 Closing quote: “When you start asking for a bigger life, you cannot keep begging for a smaller one to stay.” – Brianna Wiest FOLLOW: Website: shelightstheway.com/ Newsletter: www.shelightstheway.com/newsletter LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/she-lights-the-way/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/shelightstheway/ STORIES: https://www.shelightstheway.com/stories PODCAST: Podbean: https://shelightstheway.podbean.com/ RSS: https://bit.ly/SheLightsTheWayRSS Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4091de0 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4h8Kq0N Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/3YeCt1m BLOG: https://medium.com/@she_lights_the_way https://shelightstheway.substack.com/ CONNECT: Contact us: www.shelightstheway.com/contact Share a story: www.shelightstheway.com/story

Naomi Ceder—educator, author, and former chair of the Python Software Foundation—shares her raw, powerful journey of becoming. From hiding her identity for decades to leading one of the world’s most influential tech communities, Naomi rewrites the rules on resilience, authenticity, and inclusion. She shares candid insights on Imposter Syndrome—rooted in her lived experience as a trans woman—and why owning your truth is the most powerful antidote. Naomi opens up about transitioning in midlife and why she stopped waiting for permission to be herself. Along the way, she challenges how we teach, why representation matters, and how real change is built. If you’ve ever felt like you don’t belong, this conversation is your reminder: you do. Listen in and get inspired to lead with truth, build with purpose, and never shrink who you are. Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more empowering stories from remarkable women. Thank you for listening ❤ See below for transcript, timestamps, to get in touch, and more. TRANSCRIPT: https://www.shelightstheway.com/naomi-ceder-interview-transcript STORY: https://www.shelightstheway.com/stories/naomiceder FOLLOW: Website: shelightstheway.com/ Newsletter: www.shelightstheway.com/newsletter LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/she-lights-the-way/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/shelightstheway/ X: x.com/she_lights_way LISTEN TO THE POD: Podbean: https://shelightstheway.podbean.com/ RSS: https://bit.ly/SheLightsTheWayRSS Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4091de0 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4h8Kq0N Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/3YeCt1m READ THE BLOG: https://medium.com/@she_lights_the_way https://shelightstheway.substack.com/ CONNECT: Contact us: www.shelightstheway.com/contact Share a story: www.shelightstheway.com/story EPISODE LINKS: Naomi’s Website: https://www.naomiceder.tech/ Naomi’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomiceder/ Naomi’s BlueSky: @naomiceder.bsky.social The Quick Python Book: https://www.manning.com/books/the-quick-python-book-fourth-edition Trans*Code: https://www.trans.tech/ The Hatchery: https://us.pycon.org/2024/events/hatchery/index.html Friendly Guides Series:https://www.springer.com/series/17128 KEY MOMENTS: 00:00 A powerful reframe of Imposter Syndrome 02:00 Introductions 03:00 Helping make tech approachable 04:00 Naomi’s discovery of constructivist, student-driven learning 07:00 Why real motivation matters in education 09:00 A pivotal moment with Guido van Rossum 11:00 Early days of PyCon 12:00 Naomi’s role in the evolution of the Python community 14:00 Giving quieter or newer contributors a space to shine 15:00 A deeply personal turning point 17:00 Building spaces for diverse voices in tech 21:00 The birth of TransCode 23:00 How TransCode events became transformative experiences 24:00 Reflecting on the honor of serving as PSF chair 25:00 Naomi’s biggest challenges & greatest lessons learned 27:00 Value of perseverance in hard transitions 28:00 Naomi’s decision to live authentically as a trans woman 30:00 Healing from internalized misogyny and transphobia 32:00 Naomi’s antidote to Imposter Syndrome 36:00 What gives Naomi hope 38:00 Choosing listening over labeling 39:00 What She Lights the Way means to Naomi 40:00 Closing *Correction: At 10:00, Naomi mentions Linux World 2021, where she intended to say Linux World 2001.