Grit & Gravitas

Hosted by Deeter Gallaher Group

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100

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Oct 2026

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About the show

Savvy. Spirited. Stories of Success. Who doesn‘t need some savvy, spirited stories of success in 2026? Anne Carnathan, CEO of Universal Media Inc. and Universal Sports & Entertainment (USE), and Anne Deeter Gallaher, founder & CEO of Deeter Gallaher Group, deliver a dose of authentic, straight talk with industry leaders who have forged inspiring paths to business victory! In each episode of our award-winning podcast, listeners will be served two important takeaways: actionable advice to implement into your day-to-day journey (because time is non-renewable) and something essential to help you thrive in business! Our 30-minute #businessvitamin is the inspiration you need to find your tribe and to lift others up to be their best business self. Guests who share stories of wins, failures, potential, on-ramping, off-ramping, entrepreneurship, growth, resilience, adventure, aspiration, wit, and wisdom will fill our episodes. We promise to deliver a Return-on-Time podcast experience! Grit & Gravitas is globally ranked in the Top 10% of podcasts according to Listen Notes.

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60 recent

October 27, 2026Episode 334 min

Beyond the Resume

What does your resume say about you? And more importantly, what can’t it say? Christy Klinger, Chief Operating Officer at Members 1st Federal Credit Union, joins Grit & Gravitas cohosts Anne Deeter Gallaher and Anne Carnathan to explore why human connection still matters in hiring and building a thriving workplace culture. At Members 1st, AI has no role in the hiring process. It’s a deliberate choice rooted in the belief that resumes reveal experience, but conversations uncover curiosity, collaboration, empathy, and the qualities that make someone a great culture fit. Christy explains why the credit union takes a people-first approach to hiring while embracing AI in many other areas to strengthen relationships with its members. From the importance of servant leadership to the value of lifelong learning, Christy offers business vitamins for employers and job seekers alike, including practical advice for showcasing the soft skills, personal passions, and collaborative experiences that can set you apart.

October 13, 2026Episode 245 min

What If I Can?

What if, instead of imagining everything that could go wrong, we started imagining everything that could go right? At 53, Jeannie Zappe swam around Manhattan. At 55, she crossed the English Channel. And at 56, she became the 112th woman to complete the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming. Her journey began with one simple question: “What if I can?” In this episode of Grit & Gravitas, cohosts Anne Deeter Gallaher and Anne Carnathan welcome Jeannie to explore how a childhood love of swimming evolved into an extraordinary second act after a 20-year career in IT at Bucknell University. “There are certain places we’re just meant to be in life, and if we’re lucky enough, we get to find them,” Jeannie says. For Jeannie, that place is the water. She reveals how small steps led to remarkable endurance achievements, what it takes to spend 15 hours swimming the English Channel, and how her husband’s early-onset Alzheimer’s disease inspired her to raise $40,000 for the Clear Thoughts Foundation. From navigating the English Channel’s unpredictable currents to accepting that even the best-laid plans sometimes change, her experiences offer life lessons and business vitamins in gratitude, redefining failure, and recognizing that we’re capable of far more than we imagine. Learn more about Jeannie at eternaloptimist.me .

September 29, 2026Episode 137 min

Hunger Lives Next Door

Did you know that 15% of the population uses a food pantry? For the Season 6 premiere of Grit & Gravitas, Anne Carnathan and Anne Deeter Gallaher welcome Shila Ulrich, CEO of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, for a timely conversation at the close of Hunger Action Month. Shila explains the often-misunderstood role of a food bank and what it takes to serve 27 Pennsylvania counties through a network of more than 1,100 partner programs. She also humanizes hunger, sharing why stigma keeps people from asking for help and why seeking food assistance can be an act of courage: “What does it take to walk into a room full of strangers and say, ‘I can’t make my family dinner tonight?’ It’s an act of bravery.” Our conversation follows Shila’s path from a first-generation college student and longtime food pantry volunteer to nonprofit executive leadership, including 10 years with The Caring Cupboard and her move to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank in 2025. We dig into fundraising, showing up in rooms where we don’t always feel we belong, and the principle that guides both her work and her family: “Easy and right are seldom aligned, and we will always choose right,” says Shila. Join us for a wide-ranging conversation about hunger, community, leadership, and what it means to keep showing up for your neighbors.

July 28, 2026Episode 2240 min

Know Your Numbers, Own Your Future

Women are expected to inherit an unprecedented share of wealth in America over the next 25 years--close to $100 trillion! The challenge is, are we prepared to be our own chief asset managers? Financial confidence begins with knowing your numbers, asking questions, and understanding that there is no shame in seeking help and advice. Recorded live at the Grit & Gravitas Women & Money event at Members 1st Administrative Headquarters, Anne Deeter Gallaher and Anne Carnathan talk with Devon DiBiase, VP of Relationship Management and Market Leader at Members 1st Federal Credit Union, about the financial lessons women often learn later than they should. Devon shares how a part-time teller position became a career and a calling, and how navigating divorce deepened her understanding of credit, financial independence, and the importance of knowing your accounts, passwords, bills, and financing options. She also explains why the right financial institution should look beyond a credit score, listen to your story, and help you find a path forward. Whether you are building wealth, repairing credit, preparing for marriage, growing a business, or simply trying to understand where you stand, Devon’s business vitamins are clear: Don’t wait for a crisis to become curious about your money. Ask questions, use your resources, and find trusted advisers who will meet you where you are and help you reach your goals.

July 14, 2026Episode 8438 min

You Are One of One!

Fresh off the energy of “How to Out-Human AI" with Mark Schaefer, co-hosts Anne Carnathan and Anne Deeter Gallaher explore the power of relationships with clients, in careers, and within the Grit & Gravitas tribe. "Everything essential begins with relationships," says Anne Carnathan. “You are one of one!" When relationships leave, AI can’t replace them, so how we manage them matters. Lots of business vitamins in this conversation for people just beginning their career or planning a career move: get in the room, don't wait to be asked, and find a way to meet in person. Don’t miss the penultimate episode of Season 5, including some special shout outs to previous G&G guests!

June 30, 2026Episode 8335 min

How Do You Unite a State?

When most people think about America’s 250th birthday, they picture fireworks and celebrations. Cassandra Coleman sees something much bigger. As Executive Director of America250PA, she’s spent nearly eight years building a once-in-a-generation effort to help Pennsylvanians learn from our history, embrace the present, and reimagine the future. Along the way, she’s united communities in all 67 counties, reached more than 50,000 students, launched statewide programs, and kept one principle at the center of every decision: This celebration belongs to every Pennsylvanian. In this conversation with Anne Deeter Gallaher and Anne Carnathan, Cassandra shares how a small-town mayor came to lead one of the Commonwealth’s most ambitious initiatives. She talks about the importance of listening before leading, believing in the work even on the hardest days, and building something that will inspire pride in Pennsylvania long after the anniversary has passed. Whether you’ve spent a lifetime in Pennsylvania or are just beginning to appreciate its role in the American story, this episode is a reminder that history isn’t just about where we’ve been. It’s about what we choose to build together.

June 16, 2026Episode 8237 min

How to Out-Human AI

Mark Schaefer, author, speaker, and global marketing powerhouse, joins Grit & Gravitas cohosts Anne Carnathan and Anne Deeter Gallaher for a riveting conversation about AI, creativity, your personal brand, and what it will take to stay relevant in a world changing faster than most of us can process. Mark compares AI to electricity: inevitable, powerful, and completely transformational. But this is not a conversation about replacing people. It is a conversation about becoming sharper, more curious, more creative, and more fully human in how we lead, work, connect, and show up. As Mark says, “We have to out-human AI.” From the future of business to the urgency of personal brand, from AI backlash to the danger of being merely competent, this episode is packed with business vitamins for anyone trying to rise above the noise. Because in an AI world, the work that stands out will be the work only you can do.

June 2, 2026Episode 1839 min

This Is My Show

Jessica Ritchie, President of the UPMC Pinnacle Foundation, joins Grit & Gravitas for a conversation about leadership, healthcare philanthropy, and why “be nice” might be one of the most underrated leadership strategies. A self-proclaimed G&G super fan, Jessica has been with the Foundation since 2014, helping lead its work through growth, change, and evolving community needs. In this episode, she shares how the Foundation supports more than 100 funds across strategic priorities, including farm-to-hospital programs, indigent patient needs, street medicine, food insecurity, and workforce development. Jessica also discusses the Women’s Mobile Health Vehicle Powered by Universal Media, supported by Don and Annie Young and connected to the Women for Wellness committee. The mobile vehicle brings basic primary care directly to communities, making healthcare more accessible for women and families across Central Pennsylvania. Throughout the conversation, Jessica offers practical business vitamins for women in leadership: know your numbers, understand the needs in front of you, listen well, be kind, and do what you say you’re going to do. Her advice to younger women? Don’t wait to show your value. Step up to the plate. Walk in and remind yourself: this is my show. Learn more at UPMCpinnaclefoundation.org.

May 19, 2026Episode 1741 min

It’s Okay to Shed Old Narratives

Our latest Grit & Gravitas guest, Melissa Miller, founded a business at age 21 that became more than a company. For years, her stationery design company, madetokeep was her creative outlet, her livelihood, and her identity. As madetokeep celebrates its 20th anniversary and Melissa evolves into her next ventures, The FAVOUR Agency and the STAGES Foundation, our co-hosts enjoy a candid conversation about creativity, entrepreneurship, perfectionism, and learning when to let go. Melissa’s refreshingly honest story is full of business vitamins for anyone ready to shed old narratives and step into what’s next. “I finally feel the identity and the purpose and the completeness,” Melissa says. Her advice to her younger self? “Never quit. Lean into your purpose and path forward. Everything happens for a reason. You have to go through all this junk to get where you want to go, but you'll get there. Continue to have faith and visualize. Do good, be good.” Melissa also shares how the STAGES Foundation is opening new doors through her upcoming signature event, Belmont Bourbon Bash, a premier race-day celebration of bourbon, culinary craftsmanship, fashion, and community impact. Learn more at https://www.belmontbourbonbash.com/

May 5, 2026Episode 1633 min

When Art Feels Like Home

Theatre Harrisburg’s story is Harrisburg’s story. This Tuesday’s Grit & Gravitas features special guest Lorien Reese Mahay, Executive Director of Theatre Harrisburg, as the organization celebrates 100 years of creativity, resilience, and community. Founded by a group of women in the basement of the Harrisburg Library, Theatre Harrisburg has spent a century bringing people together through productions built by local hands and local talent. Lorien shares what makes community theatre so powerful and reflects on her unexpected path to Harrisburg, stepping into the role on the very day the theatre reopened after COVID. As Lorien opens up about stewardship, imposter syndrome, and listening before leading, tune in for business vitamins and a beautiful reminder that art gives us a place to belong. Theatre Harrisburg is presenting Godspell through May 10 and “Follies” & Festivities: A Theatre Harrisburg Centennial Celebration in Two Acts. Learn more at theatreharrisburg.com .