MY EXPERIENCE
Key Highlights
30 years work experience in arts & entertainment, manufacturing & supply chain, master planning & project management
20 years mentoring experience working with women one-on-one to recover from the effects of alcoholism in a family member or friend
5 years writing and podcast hosting experience (Beyond the Wall, Stories That Sparkle)
The first American of my family, I am squarely GenX with Millenial tendencies. A global traveler, adventurer and storyteller, I follow my curiosity in everything I do.
Over my career, I managed PR offices, ran an art gallery, and did master planning for museums. I co-hosted “The Hella Fabulous Show” on East Village Radio and briefly launched a collection of t-shirts under the name Fabulous Babe. I was also a one-time tour manager for the rock chanteuse Shara Nova and her band My Brightest Diamond. Between 2014 and 2024, I brought my creativity to bear as the supply chain and customer service manager in a reusable, returnable packaging manufacturing company, focused on Logistics, Purchasing, and Recycling Operations.
Alongside coaching others one-on-one, I work as a writer and podcast host to publish The Stories That Sparkle on Substack, delve into my experience with starting over in life, and release new podcast episodes to share the stories of other women as told in their own voices. To learn more about my creative-on-the-go endeavors, visit hellarader.com
When I am at home, I lovingly cultivate a pollinator garden that I planted in my backyard, and watch the birds outside my sunroom swirl around the bird feeder. And in other notable news, I once learned how to drive a Porsche race car on an actual racetrack, surfed off the coast of Mexico and shaped a raw emerald for a jeweler in the Diamond District of New York.
So yeah, I will try almost anything at least once. Except olives. Or mushrooms—of any kind.
Service Work
Being of service is a core value of mine, and I always look for opportunities to give back and contribute to my community. As a board member of the Economic Development Authority for the City of Winchester, VA, I have the honor to not only help plan and shape the city’s future growth, but also to include equity and sustainability in all the decisions we make. In addition, I frequently give my time and other resources to civic service groups and non-profits such as the Peter Bullough Foundation.
Education
Currently I am studying to be a Somatic Practitioner (integrative body psychotherapy) at the Institute of Core Energetics in New York City. Upon completion, I will add somatic practices to my offerings and help clients deepen their healing integration with body-specific movements, nervous-systems regulation, and advanced grounding techniques.
I hold a B.A. in English and German with Distinction from the University of Virginia and a M.A. in Media Studies with Distinction from The New School. For my master’s degree, I wrote, produced and edited several shorts including “Smooth Grief” (about the process of loss and grieving) as both an audio-only and video piece, and “Secret Dance” (about privacy in the age of surveillance) as an audiovisual piece. Before I graduated, I presented a paper titled “Media Literacy: Pushing Participation Towards Change” at the Critical Themes in Media Studies conference in April 2000. You can read it here if you’re interested.
During my academic years and beyond, I have always agitated for social justice. In particular, I have been an advocate and campaigner for women’s rights, body autonomy (I was president of Students for Choice at UVA), abuse survivors and suicide prevention.