Woman to Woman July August 2025 Issue

Letter from the editor-in-chief

I recently attended a business workshop. One of the main takeaways for me posed this question - what does the 2.0 version of yourself look like and what actions do you need to take to become that? It has stuck with me ever since. Not in a high pressure sort of way, but in the most positive sense. When you want better or more, how do you go about that?

This issue embodies all of that energy. Our cover story faced some of the darkest parts of herself to get where she is today. And the amazing thing? She’s bringing people along with her through her business partners, clients and community.

“Guest Perspectives” encapsulates what lifting others up in their most trying times can collectively do for all.

Same holds true for “Worth the Hype.” At the end of the day, it’s about a willingness to prioritize and welcome a more unique side of your health to positively impact your life. And we don't stop there.

We can’t control every aspect of our lives, but everywhere I look people are taking control where they can. They’re making strides and putting in the time and energy. It fuels the real, relatable content we are more than here for.

Enjoy this all in summer issue. We hope it builds you up the way it has us.

All the best,

Nichole & Send Media Company, LLC team

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Woman to Woman is always open to story ideas and leads and conversing with talented writers, photographers, makeup artists and hair stylists! Have an interest in advertising sales or marketing? Let’s chat! Reach out to sendmediacompanyllc@gmail.com.

Jessica Enriquez’s story

WITH JANYE KILLELEA

Name: Janye Killelea

Age: Old enough to know better, but young enough to do it anyway…. and somewhere between VHS and TikTok.

Job title / company: Division Manager of Communications for the American Lung Association and Voice Actor

Town / city you’re from: I was born in South Carolina and my family moved around a bit as my dad got his PhD before settling in suburban Chicago

Town / city you live in now: I live in the West Suburbs of Chicago

Describe your family. Significant other? Children? I have three awesome kids who keep me busy. They are my heart, and I love that they keep life hilarious and unpredictable. I’m a proud hockey mom, football mom and lacrosse mom, and am on Team Chaos pretty much year round.

Do you have a license or degree? If so, in what, from where? I have a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Go Blue!

Describe your professional background / history? I began my journalism career on the overnight assignment desk at NBC 5 Chicago. From there I worked as a news producer at WIS-TV, NBC in Columbia, South Carolina; WTVT-TV, FOX in Tampa; WSB-TV, ABC in Atlanta; NBC 5 Chicago and WXIA-TV, NBC in Atlanta before becoming the Executive Producer of Mornings at NBC San Diego. I then returned to Atlanta as a Senior Producer of HLN’s Morning Express with Robin Meade and eventually returned to Chicago again to work for NBC 5 and WGN-TV. In 2023, I made a career shift, and I left broadcast news after 20 years to do marketing and communications for the American Lung Association. It was a leap of faith that I’m so glad I took because it provides a better work-life balance for me and my kids which allows me to spend tons more time with my family. I also like that I can use my skills to help promote healthy lungs and clean air across multiple platforms. I still work with the media on a daily basis and get to use the skills I gained in news as far as storytelling, creativity, and strategy to connect with people. Outside of that, I’m also a voiceover artist and budding animator.

I voice children’s podcast series and do some eLearning. I created an animation from a character and stories I created based on my daughter called “Welcome to the Lilliverse” which I voice. I have so many scripts written, but drawing the animation takes some time. I just love bringing stories to life that have heart, imagination, and a little bit of mischief.

How did you discover your passion? I would say my passion is storytelling, and I think I found it by following through my heart and instincts. I used to rip the pages out of my books and then staple in my own stories as a little kid until my parents showed me how to make my own covers and books. I also used to make little movies and force my family to watch them. I also won a writing contest in fourth grade and got to meet poet Gwendolyn Brooks. I wrote for my high school paper. I was the Greek Section editor for the Michiganensian Yearbook and an editor of the Black Student Monthly newspaper. I’m glad I realized my greatest joy comes from creating, building worlds, and bringing them to life. Voiceover and animation turned out to be the perfect blend of everything I loved. I’m proud to say all three of my

What mark do you hope to leave on your industry? I hope that I can leave a mark that proves creativity and kindness can thrive in this industry. I want to be known for work that has both heart and purpose through storytelling. Whether it’s through a character who touches someone’s heart and sparks their imagination or a project that brings people together and inspires them.

What are you most proud of in your life personally and/or professionally? Personally, I’m proud of the kind of parent/mom I am. I’m raising three amazing kids and I’m so proud of the wonderful, talented, conscientious, and kind little humans they are. I learn just as much if not more from them as they do from me. Professionally, I’m proud of the way I continue to evolve. I enjoy being on the other side of news pitches and promoting the lung association’s mission, reports and programs. I’m also proud to say I won four Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, and a regional Associated Press Award for Best Newscast during my time in broadcast. I’m proud of the work I’ve done as a voiceover artist and am so proud of the work I’ve done to bring Lillie to life.

What advice would you give your younger self? Another woman on the path to finding her calling? I would tell my younger self, and any woman looking for her calling, that it’s okay if you don’t have things figured out right away. Also, don’t wait for permission or for the timing to be perfect to follow your dreams. It never will be. Life is always happening. You just need to show up, take a leap of faith and follow your truth to make yourself happy. The rest will follow.

Outside of work, what do you enjoy doing? I love having dance parties, car concerts plus watching and cheering my kids on in their sports. I also love my voiceover work, biking, traveling and crafting with my Cricut.

Anything else you'd like to include. One thing I’ve learned over the years is don’t be afraid to take chances or a leap to try something new. It’s better to have tried and failed than to never have tried at all. You don’t want to live life wondering what could have happened. If you fail you’ll know what doesn’t work and can make adjustments to be successful. Some of the best things in life come from just trusting yourself enough to try.

Hype

Megan Kelly is the owner and therapist of Homebodies Occupational Therapy, an Indiana and online-based occupational therapy clinic specializing in women’s pelvic health. She graduated from Dickinson State University in 2017 with a Bachelor’s in Psychology and then from the University of North Dakota in 2020 with a Master’s in Occupational Therapy. She also completed her Pregnancy and Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist certification in 2022. She believes strongly in client-centered, evidence-based plans of care while incorporating fitness, wellness and client education into therapeutic intervention. Kelly and her husband are both retired collegiate athletes that live in Northwest Indiana with their two dogs and plan to start a family of their own. She loves traveling, cooking, working out, watching and playing sports, learning and spending quality time with her loved ones.

words to live by

with Teri Healy

Teri Healy is a speaker, coach and visionary. Her clients span the globe and include Fortune 100 company senior executives, sales professionals and entrepreneurs. She supports her clients in personal and professional transformation. Teri lives in Cedar Lake, Ind. and enjoys live music, photography and travelling. She is passionate about volunteering in her community and is committed to touching 10 million lives in her lifetime. You can find her at terihealy.com.

We live in a time when “community” and “connection” are often reduced to likes, shares, and surface-level interactions — and it’s affecting our mental health in real ways. But a powerful shift is underway: women are rising up to create the real, meaningful relationships they need and crave — and they’re empowering others to do the same.

Ashley Orendorff is living proof of this movement.

Ashley is a Fitness Manager, Group Exercise Instructor, and Personal Trainer at a nonprofit health and wellness organization in Northwest Indiana. She’s also an entrepreneur and the founder of Royally Fit — a business rooted in helping others become the healthiest version of themselves, mind, body, and spirit.

A certified Weight Management Specialist and Fitness Nutrition Specialist, Ashley’s mission is simple but powerful: to serve others through holistic wellness.

In October 2024, Ashley’s life changed in an instant.

While resting in the comfort of her own bed, a lightning strike tore through the ceiling of her home — shattering not just the structure around her, but also the sense of safety she once felt there.

The damage wasn’t just physical; it left deep mental, emotional and financial wounds.

Ashley was left to recover from trauma, navigate PTSD, manage rising medical expenses, and grieve the loss of deeply personal items that held parts of her story. Her safe haven had become a source of fear and uncertainty.

And yet — through it all — Ashley has remained resilient.

Even while recovering, she continues to lead in her job, support her team, and show up for her community. She’s the kind of person who gives strength to others — even when she’s running low herself.

Now, Ashley is courageously prioritizing her own healing. She’s embracing her mental health journey by seeing a therapist, opening up to loved ones, and making space for self-care. Her bravery in facing the hard days is nothing short of inspiring.

When Ashley shared her story with me, I felt immediately moved to act — to show my friend she doesn’t have to carry this alone. I wanted to remind her that she is deeply loved and supported — not just by a few, but by an entire community.

So, I created a flyer and invited people to be part of that support and pour back into Ashley the way she so freely pours into others — with prayers, words of encouragement, and financial support.

Ashley often says that her beautiful community is what’s helping carry her through this incredibly difficult chapter. As we approach Minority Mental Health Awareness Month this July, her story reminds us that we never truly know what someone is carrying — and how powerful it can be when we choose to show up.

Let’s remind Ashley — and women like her — that they are not alone.

If you feel led to support Ashley’s ongoing journey of healing and rebuilding, follow and connect with her on Instagram: @miss.ashleyo

Charmaine Moore is the founder of Face of Hope and Beauty self-love life coaching business, a writer and a speaker. Moore is also a wife, mom of six, and “glam-ma” to her granddaughters. She faced with depression, anxiety, rejection, grief, sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder) and she is a survivor of suicide and advocate for suicide prevention and mental health. Moore offers empowering mindset group coaching workshops and guided meditations through the power of music, movement, healing and affirming words, to help women and teen girls choose to love, live, heal and thrive in life.

• Spine Care

• Orthopedics Care

• Weight Management

• Metabolic Testing

• Functional Medicine

• Aesthetics Treatments

Overall inspiration: My work is shaped by personal experiences of loss, transformation, and resilience. I’m deeply inspired by the power of storytelling and the way art allows us to reclaim identity and connect across differences.

I teach painting, photography, drawing, sculpting, and self-expression through all of it. I’ve worked with children, women, veterans, and trauma survivors offering safe spaces to create, reflect, and grow. I founded The Art Table in May 2023, and in just two years, it has grown into a strong creative presence offering workshops, exhibits, and grassroots programming for all ages.

WITH LAUREN THIEL

Name: Lauren Thiel

Age: 40

Town / city where you’re from: Munster, Ind. License or Degree? I have no formal degree, but I bring over 20 years of experience as a musician, photographer, and art educator. I’m a multidisciplinary artist and educator with roots in music, photography, and visual art. For the past two decades, I’ve taught in the South Suburbs of Chicago and throughout Northwest Indiana, with a strong focus on community engagement and healing through creativity.

Business name: The Art Table

Instagram: @thearttable_

Facebook: The Art Table Inc.

Title: “Superimposed. I'm Only Human”

A raw and vibrant self-portrait, “Superimposed. I'm Only Human” is a visceral depiction of identity layered through years of transformation. Created with an alchemy of spray paint, acrylic, and watercolor, this piece doesn't just depict a face—it reveals an evolution.

The fragmented strokes and bold textures reflect the emotional sediment of time—grief, grit, healing, and self-reclamation built one layer over another. What emerges is not a pristine image but a human one: imperfect, powerful, and painfully honest. My work invites you to look beyond the surface. This isn't just who I am; it's who I’ve become.