How She Did It. Local TV Reporter to covering The White House.

Rima Kawas — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 10:40:52 GMT

Alison Schafer covered Congress, the White House, and the Supreme Court — then pivoted to teaching, went back for a master's, and reinvented herself again as an international trainer. This is a conversation about building a profession by saying yes before you can see where it leads.

📩 Every episode comes with a written companion piece: https://rimakawas.substack.com

We talk about why great journalists actually root for each other, the deepfake that fooled her, writing advice, and an interviewer's oldest trick: silence. An honest, lively conversation about reinvention, curiosity, and giving yourself grace when the path refuses to be a straight line.

In this episode:

0:00 Give yourself a little grace

0:43 Welcome / meet Alison Schafer

2:16 Three careers

3:34 Clues in what you don't want to do

4:20 Taking an honest inventory of yourself

6:09 Climbing the TV markets: Fort Myers to Washington

7:26 Seasons of life, and staying neutral

8:20 Liking people whose politics you don't share

9:31 Post-pandemic isolation, and the collegial newsroom

11:07 The pivot to teaching

12:08 A master's, and "say you're an expert long enough"

13:31 Career three: international work

14:22 What makes training work

16:03 What Craigslist did to journalism

17:23 Deepfakes: "I can't tell on my own"

18:54 Distrust, and why AI writing leaves her cold

19:44 The hardest part of writing is thinking

21:48 Media literacy

23:01 Two interview secrets (one is silence)

24:41 Advice to her younger self: patience and grace

26:57 The now-is-life question: "I was just in it"

29:25 "Did I have a plan? Not really" — say yes to things

30:25 Closing

About the show
Now Is Life with Rima is about the people who bet on themselves — career pivots, wild new hobbies, goals everyone called crazy — and the moment they decided to go for it. From global visionaries to your next-door neighbor, host Rima finds the real story behind the leap. Because inspiration is right next door. It's in the conversation you haven't had yet.

"Life isn't just about where we're going. It's about the now. It's about living in the moment." - Rima

Listen on any podcast app:
🎧 https://theconnectorsgroup.com/podcasts/?src=yt#nil-listen

Subscribe on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@NowisLifeWithRima

Connect:
Rima on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rimakawas/
Rima / The Connectors Group: https://theconnectorsgroup.com/

Alison Schafer — LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-schafer
Interscribe: https://www.interscribe.agency/

New episodes every other week.

#NowIsLife #Reinvention #Journalism #Podcast

Now Is Life — Watch this first

Rima Kawas — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 15:43:48 GMT

Are you living the life you want?

Now Is Life is a podcast about people who bet on themselves — career pivots, bold life changes, and goals everyone said were crazy.

Hosted by leadership advisor, global strategist, and keynote speaker Rima Kawas, who has explored over 60 countries and is still chasing new goals, this channel brings you authentic, coffee shop-style conversations.

We dive into their stories and pull out the lessons they learned along the way. Because inspiration is all around us, from the neighbor next door to global visionaries.

Plus short "energy boosts" — actionable tips and mindset shifts to keep you motivated throughout your day.

"Life isn't just about where we're going. It's about the now. It's about living in the moment." - Rima

📩 Join the Now Is Life Substack— essays and episodes in your inbox https://rimakawas.substack.com/

▶️ Subscribe on YouTube so you never miss an episode:

https://www.youtube.com/@NowisLifeWithRima

Connect
Rima / The Connectors Group: https://theconnectorsgroup.com/

#NowIsLife #inspiration #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #Podcast