Lisa Niver's Blog: We Said Go Travel

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Is there anywhere better than London at Christmas? Thanks for featuring our wonderful properties, looks like you had a blast!

— Red Carnation Hotels (@red_carnation) January 17, 2019

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Spotlight on Brec Bassinger This World Diabetes Day

For World Diabetes Day, we���re shining a bright, unwavering light on the strength, resilience, and voices of the type 1 diabetes (T1D) community ��� and few embody that strength more powerfully than Brec Bassinger.

Brec Bassinger on a hike in Zion National Park with her Dexcom (2023)

I had the privilege of working with Brec when she was the star of Bella and the Bulldogs, serving as her on-set teacher. Even then, I watched the extraordinary effort she and her mother put into managing her diabetes while she balanced the intense demands of being a young working actor. The careful planning around food, the constant choices she had to make, the blood sugar checks between scenes, the insulin management that followed her everywhere ��� she handled it all with remarkable professionalism and resilience.

Lisa Niver and the cast of Bella and the Bulldogs at Nickelodeon

As Brec has often shared, T1D doesn���t pause for school, for filming, or for childhood. In her words:
���There are no days off from diabetes. It���s with me every second of every day. But I will never let it stop me from living my life fully – At times, it might just take a little more preparing and a little more bravery.���

Brec Bassinger as STAR GIRL

This year, Brec joins Ryan McCartan and other extraordinary individuals in partnership with Outfront Media to illuminate Times Square and show the world what it truly means to See T1D. And this visibility is happening at a moment when representation is expanding in powerful ways ��� including the release of the first-ever Barbie with type 1 diabetes, a milestone that has meant so much to so many families.

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Barbie Fashionistas Doll With Type 1 Diabetes in Polka Dot Outfit

It���s important to remember that T1D can strike anyone, at any age, at any time ��� though it often affects children and young adults. It is not caused by diet or lifestyle. It���s an autoimmune condition that requires constant, often invisible work: carb counting, monitoring, planning, adrenaline management, and responding to highs and lows that can appear without warning.

In the midst of that, community support and reliable resources can make an enormous difference. That���s one of the reasons I value the work of Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) so deeply. They are committed not only to driving research toward cures but also to improving everyday life for those who live with T1D right now.

Breakthrough T1D offers resources for newly diagnosed families, adults navigating T1D at different life stages, and caregivers who shoulder much of the unseen emotional load. They share updates on research progress, provide guidance on technologies like CGMs and pumps, and offer community programs that remind people ��� especially kids and teens ��� that they are not alone. Their advocacy work has helped secure critical funding for science that has already led to major breakthroughs in care.

For families trying to understand the early days of diagnosis, for young people wondering how T1D will fit into their lives and dreams, and for adults managing a lifelong autoimmune condition, these resources can be grounding, empowering, and sometimes life-changing.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK ��� NOVEMBER 13: Shelly Bassinger and Brec Bassinger attend The Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) 2025 Promise Gala at Waldorf Astoria Hotel on November 13, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Breakthrough T1D)

For World Diabetes Day, I���m proud to spotlight Brec���s courage and advocacy, and to honor everyone ��� children, teens, adults, and families ��� who navigate T1D with strength, creativity, and determination. Every story deserves to be seen. Every person deserves the tools, visibility, and support to thrive. And organizations like Breakthrough T1D help make that possible.

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MAKE A DONATION:

The past year brought major developments in type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. Gifts during National Diabetes Awareness Month will be 5x-matched thanks to the generosity of the Speer Dream Foundation. Your gift provides crucial funding needed to advance treatments, improve the quality of life for those living with T1D, and drive toward cures.All donations to Breakthrough T1D are being matched x5 until December 31, 2025.

���The State of T1D��� Takeaways:

Most people with T1D are between the ages of 45 and 65.Demographic research shows that most people living with T1D in the U.S. are Non-Hispanic White (68%), followed by African American (16%), Hispanic (13%) and all other races (3%).The prevalence of T1D is increasing across all populations, most significantly among Hispanic youth.Of the approximately 1.5 million Americans living with T1D, almost 200,000 are children under 20.

About Breakthrough T1D, Formerly JDRF

As the leading global type 1 diabetes research and advocacy organization, Breakthrough T1D helps make everyday life with type 1 diabetes better while driving toward cures. We do this by investing in the most promising research, advocating for progress by working with government to address issues that impact the T1D community, and helping educate and empower individuals facing this condition.

About Type 1 Diabetes (T1D)
T1D is an autoimmune condition that causes the pancreas to make very little insulin or none at all. This leads to dependence on insulin therapy and the risk of short and long-term complications, which can include highs and lows in blood sugar; damage to the kidneys, eyes, nerves, and heart; and even death. Globally, it impacts over 9 million people. Many believe T1D is only diagnosed in childhood and adolescence, but diagnosis in adulthood is common and accounts for nearly 50% of all T1D diagnoses. The onset of T1D has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle. While its causes are not yet entirely understood, scientists believe that both genetic factors and environmental triggers are involved. There is currently no cure for T1D.

Brec making her dreams come true:

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Brec Bassinger in Tanzania with G Adventures

Do You Want Your Candy Dreams To Come True?

Becoming a cartoon! When from Bella and The Bulldogs on Nickelodeon met Michelle Khare from Buzzfeed.

Michelle Khare, Brec Bassinger and Lisa Niver at BuzzFeed!

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I���m thrilled to share that I���ve been named a two���time finalist for the National Arts &���Entertainment Journalism Awards, nominated for Podcast Host of the Year and for my episode on Make Your Own Map: ���Tara���Schuster Isn���t Afraid to Go There���And You���ll Be Glad She Did��� (J7.���One���on���One Interview, Arts/Culture Personalities, Radio/Podcasts, J1.���Anchor/Host). Over the years, I���ve received 42 nominations and 11 wins���each one a wonderful acknowledgement of the storytelling and connection I aim to create.

The awards gala will take place on December���4 at The Biltmore, an evening that celebrates journalism, creativity, and community. I���m deeply grateful to the Los Angeles Press Club and to Diana���Ljungaeus for her outstanding leadership and support of the organization and its members. I���m especially thankful because these nominations aren���t just acknowledgments of a single conversation or segment���they represent the ongoing work of listening closely, asking honest questions, and creating space for others to share their stories with vulnerability, humor, and heart.

Tara���s episode was exactly that���real, brave, and generous. Being recognized for it reminds me why I started this podcast: to help us all make our own maps, to take the next step even when the path isn���t clear, and to celebrate the power of storytelling to connect, inspire, and heal.

It���s energizing to be recognized alongside so many exceptional nominees���writers, broadcasters, journalists, and creators whose work changes the world one story at a time. These nominations reinforce my commitment to producing thoughtful, engaging content that resonates far beyond the microphone, and to honoring the voices and experiences of the people I���m privileged to interview.

Here���s to celebrating all the nominees, honoring our collective voice, and continuing to lift each other up in the work we do.

J. RADIO/PODCASTS

J1. Anchor/Host

Lisa Niver, Make Your Own Map Podcast, ���Make Your Own Map: Are YOU Ready to be BRAVE?���Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, ���Awards Chatter���Caroline Feraday, KCLU Radio, ���Disney earworm about global unity getting a new lease on life���Jeff Goldsmith, The Q&A with Jeff Goldsmith, ���The Q&A with Jeff Goldsmith, Agatha All Along, Andor S2, White Lotus���Michael Schneider, Clayton Davis, Jazz Tangca

J7. One-on-One Interview, Arts/Culture Personalities

Lisa Niver, Make Your Own Map Podcast, ���Tara Schuster Isn���t Afraid to Go There���And You���ll Be Glad She Did���Justin Chapman, Apple Podcasts, ���Well Read with Justin Chapman (featuring Gerry Adams)���Austin Cross, LAist, ���A Beloved Character From Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood of Make-Believe Turns 80���Caroline Feraday, KCLU Radio, ���The rise of the Nazis with a side of dancing: Cabaret comes to town!���Deborah Zara Kobylt, YouTube, iHeart Radio Podcasts, ���Tom Dreeson talks about life on the road with Sinatra & discovering his dad was his uncle���

LINK https://open.spotify.com/episode/03II4EZFU4jhdWrzVzJOWJ

Make Your Own Map Podcast

Make Your Own Map Podcast on Spotify

WINNER: Southern California Journalism Awards 2025

I���m incredibly honored and grateful to share that at the 67th Southern California Journalism Awards, hosted by the Los Angeles Press Club, I received my first-ever First Place award ��� in the Lifestyle Feature category for my podcast, Make Your Own Map ��� and was also awarded Third Place for Online Journalist of the Year.

These honors mean the world to me ��� not just for the awards themselves, but for what they represent: years of storytelling, reinvention, and the courage to keep creating across new platforms.

This year, I was named a five-time finalist, and throughout my career, I���ve now received more than 40 nominations from the Los Angeles Press Club. I���m proud to have been recognized for work in broadcast, print, digital, television, and podcasting ��� a full-circle moment for someone who believes in telling stories that move, inform, and inspire.

As a TV host, travel journalist, and creator of both We Said Go Travel and the Make Your Own Map podcast, I���ve built my career around curiosity, connection, and the joy of saying yes to new adventures.

Whether I���m interviewing changemakers, exploring new destinations, or writing about reinvention, my goal has always been to encourage others to explore boldly, ask big questions, and ��� most of all ��� make their own map.

Thank you to the judges, the Los Angeles Press Club, and to everyone who has supported me on this journey. I���m so grateful ��� and excited for what comes next.

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2025: 5 Finalist Nominations. 4 Categories. 1 Storytelling Heart.

I���m honored and thrilled to be named a 5-time finalist in the 67th Southern California Journalism Awards, presented by the Los Angeles Press Club. With more than 2,500 entries submitted���breaking all previous records���this year���s awards spotlight the most impactful storytelling across media.

My work has been recognized in four categories���spanning podcasting, TV, travel, and digital journalism���and reflects my continued passion for sharing powerful, meaningful stories of place, purpose, and people making a difference. From TV segments and podcast episodes to lifestyle features, each piece honors the culture, connections, and experiences that move us.

Lifestyle Feature (Podcast)
���How Alex Jimenez Transformed Her Passion into a Thriving Travel Community���
On Make Your Own Map, Alex opens up about building Travel Fashion Girl and Women���s Travel Fest into vibrant communities for women travelers. Her entrepreneurial journey and empowering message earned recognition in this lifestyle storytelling category.

Lifestyle Feature (Podcast) & Travel Reporting (Podcast)
���Neville McConachie���s Tales of the Giant���s Causeway���
This episode, also from Make Your Own Map, was recorded as part of my Jet Set TV travel special on Ireland���recently honored with a Telly Award. Neville���s storytelling brought the magic and mystery of Northern Ireland���s Giant���s Causeway to life and earned recognition in two categories.

TV/Streaming/Radio Feature
Icon of the Seas ��� The World���s Largest Cruise Ship
Featured on The Jet Set TV, this segment explored Royal Caribbean���s record-breaking ship. It���s a story of innovation, scale, and the joy of cruising���nominated in a category alongside some of the industry���s best travel broadcasters.

Online Journalist of the Year
I’m especially proud to once again be a finalist for Online Journalist of the Year, honoring the full spectrum of my digital reporting, interviews, and multimedia storytelling. This is my 3rd finalist nomination for Online Journalist of the Year!

I’m incredibly grateful to The Jet Set TV team, my podcast guests, and the editors and collaborators who help bring these stories to life. Thank you for traveling this journey with me���can���t wait to see what���s next!

5x Finalist! Travel, TV & Tales That Made the Judges Take Note A6. ONLINE JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR, Independent/Freelance

Lisa Niver, Freelance 

Nico Lang, Queer News Daily

Lyndsey Parker, Freelance

John Regardie, Freelance

Aitana Vargas, Freelance

B4. TRAVEL REPORTING

Lisa Niver, Make Your Own Map, ���Neville McConachie���s Tales of the Giant���s Causeway��� 

Angela Boisvert, Matt Bass, Tamara Gould, Nathan Masters, Kathy Kasaba, PBS SoCal, ���Lost LA: Hiking Trailblazers���

Ruksana Hussain, Fodor’s Travel, ���How to Behave When Visiting Sites of Remembrance���

Michele Stueven, LA Weekly, ���ON THE HORIZON 100 Years of Filmmaking in Utah���

Susan Valot, KCRW, ������Just as special as Disneyland,��� backyard trains draw crowds���

Interview on Spotify

K4. LIFESTYLE FEATURE

Lisa Niver, Make Your Own Map, ���How Alex Jimenez Transformed Her Passion into a Thriving Travel Community���

Lisa Niver, Make Your Own Map, ���Ireland: Neville���s Stories at Giant���s Causeway���

Jonathan Bastian, Andrea Brody, KCRW, ���The Serviceberry���: Robin Wall Kimmerer���s guide to the gift economy���

Caroline Feraday, KCLU Radio, ���A master whiskey distiller from Scotland is putting Oxnard on the map���

Juuso M����tt��nen, Annenbergmedia, ���Eli Everfly helps up-and-coming L.A. wrestlers get ahead���

How Alex Jimenez Transformed Her Passion into a Thriving Travel Community

Interview and Transcript on We Said Go Travel: https://www.wesaidgotravel.com/alex-jimenez/ 

Interview on YouTube : https://youtu.be/MYfJ85W6058 

Interview on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0W9KbQczTmsWAHOeqmEgHq?si=6MLcVTqkQOaqSBTmCyJd4g 

L21. TV/STREAMING/RADIO FEATURE

Lisa Niver, The Jet Set TV, ���Lisa Niver Onboard Icon of the Seas���

Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, ���Hallmark Holiday Stars Won���t Be Ignored by Hollywood Anymore: ���I Treat Each Production Like a Martin Scorsese Film������

Mesfin Fekadu, The Hollywood Reporter, ������Abbott Elementary��� and The Glow Up of Janine Teagues���

James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, ���How ���The Chosen��� Creator Turned the Bible Into Binge TV���

J. Kim Murphy, Variety, ���Welcome to ‘Ren Faire’: Lance Oppenheim’s HBO Docuseries Follows a Festival Trapped in a Real-Life Game of Thrones���

The Jet Set TV: Lisa Niver takes us onboard the ICONIC Icon of the Seas

Jet Set Correspondent Lisa Niver set sail on the World���s Largest Cruise ship to give us a look inside!

Thank you The Jet Set TV, Nikki Noya & Bobby Laurie for allowing me to share about Royal Caribbean International’s brand new ship, ICON OF THE SEAS on your travel TV show.

Thank you to the INCREDIBLE & ICONIC production team — Option A Group, Lisa Williams, Sam Harris, Jason Mangini and Patrick Gruss for this amazing segment.

Thank you to TEAM Ketchum –Aaron Kokoruz Jessica Milton Spencer Bullard Amanda Gadaleta Alonso–for another amazing adventure, especially saving me a spot on Crown’s Edge

Lisa Niver won a 2025 Telly Award for her Travel TV special about Ireland which aired on The Jet Set TV!

Lisa Niver has won many awards including a TELLY! From 2017 to 2025, in the Southern California Journalism Awards and National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards, she has won eleven times and been a finalist forty times for a variety of broadcast, print, podcast and digital categories.

2025 Winner: 1st place Lifestyle Feature for Make Your Own Map, ���Ireland: Neville���s Stories at Giant���s Causeway���, 3rd place Online Journalist of the Year 2025 Winner : Silver Telly Award for Celtic Charm travel special! 2025 5x Finalist : Southern California Journalism Awards for Online Journalist of the Year, TV/Streaming/Radio Feature, Lifestyle Feature (Podcast) & Travel Reporting (Podcast) 2024 Winner : National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards Diversity in the Entertainment Industry 2024 4x Finalist : National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards finalist for Online Journalist of the Year, and for three of my podcast interviews with Beth Santos, Wanderful, Carolyn Ray, JourneyWoman, and Samantha Brown, Places to Love.2024 2x Winner: Southern California Journalism Awards for podcast segments with Samantha Brown, Places to Love, and Tony Phelan, A Small Light 2024 6x Finalist : Southern California Journalism Awards for Online Journalist of the Year, Podcast Host and for my podcast interviews with Andrew McCarthy, Samantha Brown, Tony Phelan and Christie Tate2023 Winner: National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards Diversity in Entertainment2023 3x Finalist: National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards2023 2x Finalist: Southern California Journalism Awards for Travel Reporting and Podcast Interview 2022 Finalist : Southern California Journalism Awards for BOOK CRITICISM2021 Finalist: National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards for Commentary Diversity/Gender and Commentary Analysis/Trend ��� Film2021 Winner: Southern California Journalism Awards for  TECHNOLOGY REPORTING 2021 Finalist: Southern California Journalism Awards for BOOK CRITICISM2020 Winner: National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards for Book Critic. See all of Lisa���s book reviews here.2020 Finalist: National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards for Book Critic2020 Winner: Southern California Journalism Awards for print magazine article: Hemispheres Magazine for United Airlines2020 Five Time Finalist: Southern California Journalism awards2019 Winner: NAEJ Award for KTLA TV segment2019 Finalist: National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards in three categoriesCategory H2a. Soft News: Ms. Magazine: Polar Bears Can���t Vote So You Have ToCategory F6a. Soft News Feature ��� Under 5 Minutes���Film/TV: KTLA TV Oscars Countdown to Gold with Lisa NiverCategory C1b. Business, Music/Tech/Art: My Wharton Magazine article: Four Female Founders Share Their Origin Stories2019 Finalist: Southern California Journalism Awards for Broadcast Television Lifestyle Segment: Ogden Ski Getaway2018 Finalist for three categories of Southern California Journalism Awards:SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY REPORTING: Smithsonian TRAVEL REPORTING: Popsugar FitnessPERSONALITY PROFILE: Saturday Evening Post2017 2nd place winner for Southern California Journalism Award Print Column ���A journey to freedom over three Passovers��� and finalist for Travel Reporting.

More about Lisa Niver: https://lisaniver.com/awards/

Have you read my memoir, BRAVE-ish? My book has won 10 awards!

2025 International Impact Book Awards���Travel

2024 Gold Medal – Inspirational ��� North American Book Awards

2024 Gold Bookfest Award ��� Nonfiction Memoir Travel

2024 Gold Nonfiction Book Award ��� Nonfiction Authors Association

2024 Literary Titan Gold Book Award ��� Non-fiction

2024 Silver Bookfest Award ��� Nonfiction Self-Help Inspiration

2024 Readers’ Favorite Honorable Mention ��� Non-Fiction – Women���s Genre

2023 Hearten Book Awards First Place Winner ��� Inspiring & Uplifting Non-Fiction

2023 Zibby Awards Runner-up ��� Best Book for The Strong Woman2023 Goody Business Book Awards Winner ��� Memoir/Self-Help

Featured in Conde Nast Traveler Women Who Travel Book Club: 10 New Books We Can’t Wait to Read this Fall

As seen in Forbes Best New NonFiction

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Each concert, a story. Each song, a memory. The Hollywood Bowl always brings it all together.

The Sounds of Summer: A Century of Music, Movies and Memories at The Hollywood Bowl

By Lisa Niver

Summer at the Hollywood Bowl is ritual and refuge: dinner-in-a-box, friends beside you, the canyon air cooling, and the first note lifting like a collective breath. This season ��� and the recent years that led up to it ��� read like a personal soundtrack: legends and film scores, fireworks and choirs, hits that bring back high-school feelings and moments that stitch generations together. For a venue now celebrating its first 100 years (the Bowl opened in July 1922), it���s also a reminder of how music and memory carry on.

2025: John Legend ��� Stories, Soul, and the Orchestra

This fall, An Evening with John Legend was everything the program promised: songs and stories. Joined by a full orchestra and gospel choir, Legend moved easily from storytelling into song ��� speaking about growing up singing in church, working in finance before answering music���s call, and making art that travels the world. I went with Sage; watching him at the piano, hearing the choir swell, and feeling the crowd lean into every lyric made the night feel intimate and grand at once. His message ��� love, courage, and taking chances ��� landed like a soft benediction under the stars.

2025: Chicago + Christopher Cross ��� A Fireworks Finale

The season���s Fireworks Finale paired horn-driven rock with smooth ���80s gold. Chicago ��� together since 1967 and still going strong ��� delivered brass-laden anthems that made the Bowl sway: the kind of songs that bring back teen angst and first crushes in one chorus. Christopher Cross opened with his signature, mellow sweep, the voice that makes you sigh and smile. I loved sharing the night with Michelle, Adam, and Eva ��� and it was extra special spotting my parents with friends, plus Jessica, Shimon, and their crew. Fireworks, horns, and community: a perfect LA farewell to summer.

2025: Jurassic Park in Concert ��� A Roaring, Symphonic Ride

One of the season���s most cinematic nights was Jurassic Park in Concert. Watching Spielberg���s 1993 classic while the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra performed John Williams��� score live-to-picture transformed the film into a full symphonic adventure. Nearly three decades on, the audience still gasped at the brachiosaurus and laughed together when the park touted its ���cutting-edge��� CD-ROM tech ��� cutting edge in 1993, delightfully retro now. With 18,000 people beneath the stars, it felt like the best of summer: community, nostalgia, and cinematic wonder.

2024: Barbie The Movie ��� In Concert; Pink Martini & Andrew Bird Trio; Paula Abdul; Boyz II Men

The 2024 season shimmered with color and range. Barbie The Movie: In Concert was pure, pink spectacle ��� featuring the Barbie Land Sinfonietta, an all-women (mostly women of color) orchestra dressed in vibrant pink jumpsuits. It was playful, empowering, and so much fun ��� plus a fireworks finale to match.

Opening for Pink Martini that August was the Andrew Bird Trio ��� a delicate, melodic warmup for an evening of global, multilingual music led by China Forbes. The Bowl at its best: inclusive, joyous, and culturally curious.

Paula Abdul proved that star power only refines with time; at 62 she danced through hits like Straight Up with kinetic joy. Boyz II Men followed with velvet harmonies: End of the Road, I���ll Make Love to You, and Motownphilly felt like a communal time machine, singing along with thousands under the sky.

2023: Star Wars ��� Return of the Jedi in Concert & Tchaikovsky Spectacular with Fireworks

A rain-soaked Return of the Jedi in Concert became a legendary Bowl memory: rain, lightsabers, and John Williams��� score performed live by the LA Phil. It was wet, raucous, and thrilling ��� the kind of night where a city���s collective fandom can be heard in every cheer. Soon after, the Tchaikovsky Spectacular with Fireworks delivered the 1812 Overture in cinematic fashion, complete with marching band and pyrotechnics. Both nights proved the Bowl is unmatched at marrying music and spectacle.

2022: John Fogerty & Ricky Martin with Gustavo Dudamel

2022 brought roots and rhythm. John Fogerty ��� the man behind Creedence Clearwater Revival���s swampy, southern-fried rock ��� served up anthem after anthem: Proud Mary, Born on the Bayou, and Have You Ever Seen the Rain. His set was a reminder of rock���s earthy, storytelling power. That same summer, Ricky Martin made his Hollywood Bowl debut with Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil, turning the amphitheater into a massive, dancing celebration that pulsed from Livin��� La Vida Loca through every chantable hit.

2022: Back to The Future at the Hollywood Bowl2021: The Princess Bride in Concert ��� Inconceivable, and Perfect

My modern Bowl ritual began on a fairy-tale note: The Princess Bride in Concert (introduced by Rob Reiner), where the Los Angeles Philharmonic performed Mark Knopfler���s new orchestral arrangement under conductor David Newman. Jessica joined me, and the fencing, giants, true love, and perfectly timed music made the night feel like stepping into a beloved book brought to life. It was ���inconceivable,��� in the best way. Have you read the book? It is AMAZING!!

Why the Bowl Endures

From the reverberating brass of Chicago to the intimacy of John Legend���s piano; from dinosaurs stomping across the big screen to the cotton-candy glow of Barbie night ��� the Hollywood Bowl is where Los Angeles gathers to mark the seasons, milestones, and friendships with music. It���s where generations meet: where my parents and I hum the same chorus, where friends like Sage and Jessica become co-conspirators in memory-making.

Now, as the Bowl moves past its first 100 years, it still offers the same thing it always has: nights that transform the ordinary into the unforgettable. Under those arches, with the canyon as our witness, music keeps telling our city���s story ��� note by note, summer after summer.

Here���s to another season under the stars.

Photo by Hollywood Bowl

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Last night, under twinkle lights and ocean breeze on the Third Street Promenade, I stepped into a world where your eyes can���t always be trusted���and that���s exactly the point. The Museum of Illusions has officially opened its Santa Monica location, and the VIP grand opening felt like stepping into a playful alternate reality.

For 10 years, the Museum of Illusions has been opening around the world���nearly 70 locations in 26 countries���inviting visitors to reimagine reality through art, science, and just a touch of magic. And this one is special: Santa Monica is the brand���s 66th location, opening just steps from the Santa Monica Pier, at the end of historic Route 66. A full-circle moment in every possible way.

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Located at 1232 3rd Street, the new, 12,000-square-foot space features more than 80 interactive exhibits, each one designed to make you pause, tilt your head, laugh, lean in, and look twice. You don���t just look at the art here ��� you become part of it. Stand in the room, move your body an inch, and the world shifts around you.

Some illusions are bold and playful. Others are subtle and cerebral. And just like the best storytelling, they invite you to question what���s real.

Santa Monica���s exhibits draw inspiration from the city���s creative DNA: its cinematic history, its Art Deco heritage, and its laid-back beach culture. One moment you���re defying gravity, the next you���re slipping into a scene that could have been lifted from a Golden Age film set.

���We are thrilled to launch the Museum of Illusions in Santa Monica,��� CEO Kim Schaefer shared during the event. ���This city has a way of inspiring wonder, and that���s exactly what this museum is all about.���

And yes���it does feel a little like magic.
The kind that made me think of The Twilight Zone, when Rod Serling would lean toward the camera and say: ���Don���t touch that dial.���
Because once you step in here, you might not believe your eyes.

But the illusions aren���t tricks. They���re science���real demonstrations of how the human brain interprets (and misinterprets) what the eyes see. It���s art as education, learning as play, and discovery as joy.

And there���s more on the horizon: the global expansion continues with an upcoming opening in Australia���the Museum of Illusions��� fifth continent.

If You Go

Hours:
��� Sunday���Thursday: 10 a.m.���9 p.m.
��� Friday���Saturday: 10 a.m.���10 p.m.
(Last entry one hour before closing.)

Tickets, group bookings, and updates:
www.moisantamonica.com

Because sometimes, wonder isn���t something you find.
It���s something you remember.

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I���m thrilled to be returning to the DEMA Show this year in Orlando to sign my book, BRAVE-ish: One Breakup, Six Continents, and Feeling Fearless After Fifty, in the Author���s Corner. This marks my second time signing at DEMA, after an unforgettable experience in New Orleans in 2023. To come back again, surrounded by this incredible community of divers, ocean advocates, explorers, and storytellers, feels like coming home.

Diving changed my life.
There is something about the moment your face breaks the surface ��� when the noise of the world falls away and the water holds you ��� that reminds you of who you are. The ocean became the place where I learned to trust myself again, where I reconnected to curiosity, courage, and wonder. Each dive is an invitation to return to presence.

The DEMA Show has been gathering our global dive community for over four decades, showcasing new gear, groundbreaking research, dazzling destinations, and the passionate people who keep this industry alive. From exploring wrecks in the Solomon Islands, to reef conservation in Florida, to whale encounters in Tonga, the show celebrates all the places the ocean can take us ��� and the many ways diving connects us to the world and to one another.

Being part of that legacy ��� even in a small way ��� is an honor.

As BRAVE-ish celebrates its second birthday, I���m grateful to continue sharing its message with divers who understand the language of depth. The book is about rebuilding your life, rediscovering your courage, and saying yes to adventure again ��� whether that adventure is underwater or within your own heart.

BRAVE-ish is available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook ��� and I had the joy of narrating the audiobook myself.

If you���ll be signing my book at the DEMA Show in Orlando at the Author���s Corner. I���d love to meet you ��� to swap dive stories, talk about travel, courage, coral, camera gear, whale sharks, bucket lists, or whatever adventure is calling you next.

Here���s to new depths.
Here���s to community.
Here���s to continuing ��� brave-ish-ly.

Meet Lisa at Author���s Corner at DEMA Show 2025:
Tuesday, November 11th from 12:00 ��� 12:30 PM
Wednesday, November 12th from 12:00 ��� 12:30 PM 2023: Meet me at Author���s Corner in New Orleans at DEMA Deeper Blue: Author���s Corner: Lisa Niver on Being ���Brave-ish��� and How Scuba Diving Helped Reinvent Herself DiveNewsWire: Author/Divemaster Lisa Niver Unveils New Book ��� ���BRAVE-ish���: Meet Her at DEMA Show 2023 Deeper Blue: Lisa Niver To Appear In Author���s Corner At DEMA EVENT: Lisa Niver at DEMA 20232021: DEMA Show In Las Vegas, I learned to TikTok! 2018: What Will You Love At DEMA? Read all my SCUBA articles:

SPEAKER

DEMA Author���s Corner 2025 and 2023Scuba Club zoom with CHUM HoustonPADI speaker at the Travel and Adventure 2023 and 2024Scuba Show 2022

TODAY.com

Saving our Seas: One Staghorn Coral at a TimeGrowing Up Diving: A Childhood Passion Becomes A Career

ScubaDiverLife: 

Diving with BullSharks at SharkSchoolSwimming with Jellyfish in Palau and Indonesia

Jewish Journal: Earth Day: Saving our Reefs from invasive Lionfish

ScubaNationTV: Dancing Underwater with Gus at Beaches Turks and Caicos

2020 PADI���s International Women���s Dive Day: Beaches Resorts celebrated by sharing a video of me dancing underwater!

The post Returning to the Depths: Signing BRAVE-ish at DEMA 2025 appeared first on We Said Go Travel.

At this year���s Advertising Week Future Is Female Awards, one moment stood out with clarity, purpose, and power: the presentation of the Lilly Ledbetter Lifetime Achievement Award to Madeline Di Nonno, President and CEO of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media. The award ��� renamed in honor of equal pay icon Lilly Ledbetter ��� recognizes women who don���t just participate in the fight for equity, but change the terms of the conversation itself. Di Nonno has spent decades using research, storytelling, and industry partnership to challenge the narratives that define who gets to be seen, heard, and imagined on screen.

Under her leadership, the Geena Davis Institute has become the world���s most influential source of data on representation in media ��� proving, with measurable evidence, what women and girls have always known: If she can see it, she can be it��. By transforming research into action across film, television, advertising, gaming, and digital media, the Institute has reshaped casting decisions, studio agendas, brand strategies, and audience expectations ��� shifting stories that reach billions.

This is only the second year the Lilly Ledbetter Lifetime Achievement Award has been presented ��� and honoring Di Nonno underscores exactly what the Future Is Female Awards are meant to celebrate: women whose vision creates tangible, lasting change. Her acceptance speech was a call to stay vigilant, stay curious, and keep asking the most essential questions: Who is missing? Who is silent? Whose lives deserve to be seen?
Below, you���ll find her full speech ��� a reminder that while policy can shift systems, storytelling changes culture.

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Beth Thompson, Lisa Niver and Madeline Di Nonno, Gina Davis Institute, at the 2025 Future is Female Awards where Madeline won the Lilly Ledbetter Lifetime of Achievement Award!
Madeline Di Nonno: Advertising Week Future is Female Lilly Ledbetter Lifetime of Achievement Award Acceptance Speech:

Laws can change systems. But branding, storytelling, media?  We change mindsets. We change culture.

When I reflect on the trailblazing women whose courage has cleared the path for so many of us, one of those women is my boss, Geena Davis and of course, another is the indomitable Lilly Ledbetter.

As you may know, Lilly discovered she was being paid less than her male peers and ��� instead of staying silent, she spoke up. Instead of accepting injustice, she challenged it.

And because of her persistence, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act became law, changing the course of history for working women across the United States. Now, Lilly changed how women are paid and valued in the workplace.

I���ve been dedicated to changing how women are portrayed and valued in our culture in global media and entertainment. At the Geena Davis Institute, we use data the way Lilly used her court filings���as evidence that inequity is not accidental, it is systemic. 

We measure who exists in global media and is seen as a hero, a leader, or someone who doesn���t spend half the movie waiting to be rescued. When our early research revealed that only one in three speaking characters in family films were female

���despite women and girls being half the world���we didn���t just publish a report. We knocked on every studio and content creator door and presented them with data they could not unsee.

And guess what? They listened.

Studios and Global brands shifted their campaigns. Content creators started calling us 

before launching projects ��� asking, ���Are we getting this right?��� And just like that, change started happening. In less than 20 years, we���ve achieved gender parity for female lead characters in television programming made for kids as well for female lead characters in the largest grossing family films. And, we hope to do the same in global advertising next year.

Yet, there���s so much more change that needs to happen for women of color, LGBTQIA, Disabled and women over 50. That���s where all of you come in.

We ��� in this room ��� can change the narrative.���You are not just marketeers. You are architects of culture. You decide whose stories are told, whose voices are amplified,

and whose faces appear five stories tall in Times Square.

So here���s your call to action: mission if you decide to accept!

When you greenlight a campaign ��� ask who���s missing.When you cast a lead ��� ask who���s always been background.When you choose a strategy ��� make representation the strategy.When you write a narrative ��� write the future you want your daughters to inherit.

If girls do not see possibility���They do not believe in possibility. Let���s ensure every girl ��� every race, everybody, every background ��� can see herself reflected in every story and in every ad campaign.

Because, If She Can See It, She Can Be It.

[image error] Announcing The Future is Female Award Winners!  
Introducing Advertising Week New York’s 2025 Future is Female Award recipients! In partnership with Adform, we are humbled to be able to recognize and honor these extraordinary women who are revolutionizing the industry ��� and our world ��� with their innovative spirit and dynamic leadership. A special congratulations to the recipient of our Lilly Ledbetter Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree Madeline Di Nonno,President & CEO, Geena Davis Institute. 

Meet the Future is Female Award Winners:  
Asha Shivaji, CEO & Co-Founder, SeeMe Index
Ashley-Lauren Elrod, Visionary Leader for Survivor Advocacy & Global Change, Visionary Woman Productions
Jennifer Quigley-Jones, CEO & Founder, Digital Voices
Kelly Mahoney, CMO, Ulta Beauty
Lynn Branigan, President & CEO, She Runs ItMadeline Di Nonno, President & CEO, Davis Institute
Margaret Johnson, Chief Creative Officer, Goodby Silverstein & Partners
M��nica Gil, Administrative & Marketing Officer, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises
Nadja Bellan-White, CEO, M+C Saatchi Group North America
Stacy Huston, Executive Director, SixDegrees.Org
Wendy Diamond, Founder & CEO, Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organization (WEDO) / LDP AdventuresA big congratulations to these incredible women! Stacy Huston, Executive Director, SixDegrees.Org, and Lisa Niver

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Celebrating a career Dedicated to Turning Data into Action and Ensuring that ���If They Can See It, They Can Be It�����

New York ��� October 13, 2025 ��� The Geena Davis Institute (GDI) is proud to announce that its President and CEO, Madeline Di Nonno, has been awarded the 2025 Advertising Week ���Future Is Female��� Lilly Ledbetter Lifetime Achievement Award.

This prestigious honor celebrates Di Nonno���s decades-long leadership and impact advancing gender equity, inclusion and representation across film, television, advertising, gaming and media industries worldwide. This marks only the second year the Lilly Ledbetter Lifetime Achievement Award has been presented ��� following its inaugural recognition in 2024, given to its namesake, equal pay advocate Lilly Ledbetter.

As President and CEO of GDI, Di Nonno has guided the organization���s global mission to engage, educate and influence the creation of inclusive media that reflects the diversity of the real world. Under her leadership, the Institute has become the preeminent source of data-driven insights on representation, reshaping how studios, brands and content creators approach storytelling ��� ensuring that ���if they can see it, they can be it��.���

���Madeline���s leadership has translated the Institute���s vision into measurable, industry-wide change in entertainment and media,��� said two-time Academy Award-winning actor Geena Davis, Founder and Chair of GDI. ���Her commitment to advancing equity through evidence-based action has made an extraordinary difference for women and underrepresented communities everywhere.���

The Future Is Female Lifetime Achievement Award honors women who have dedicated their careers to advancing equality and inspiring the next generation of female leaders. The Lilly Ledbetter category, named after the trailblazing equal pay advocate, recognizes women who have paved the way for lasting, systemic change.

���It���s a great honor to receive the Future Is Female Lilly Ledbetter Lifetime Achievement Award,��� said Di Nonno. ���Lilly Ledbetter fought to change the laws that define equality, and our mission at the Geena Davis Institute is to change the stories that define culture. Because yes, laws can change systems ��� but storytelling changes mindsets. I���m profoundly grateful to the partners and creators who have stood with us to advance this mission. Together, if we stay vigilant ��� asking who���s missing, who���s been background, and whose stories deserve to be told ��� we can achieve much more representation on screen and off.���

Madeline Di Nonno brings over 30 years of experience in media, marketing and entertainment to her leadership at the Institute. She has held senior executive positions at Universal Studios Home, the Hallmark Channel, and Nielsen Entertainment.

Under her leadership, the Geena Davis Institute earned the prestigious Governors Award Emmy from the Television Academy for its ���profound, transformational and long-lasting contribution to the arts and science of television.���

As Executive Producer, Di Nonno has also brought powerful storytelling to life through the Emmy-nominated, People���s Choice Award-winning and Gracie Award-winning series Mission Unstoppable, as well as the Gracie Award-winning documentary This Changes Everything. Both productions have advanced cultural awareness around representation and equity in entertainment.

Under her leadership, GDI���s research revealed that women achieved parity in lead roles in family films for the first time in history ��� influencing how studios approach casting and storytelling. Di Nonno has expanded the Institute���s reach globally, forged partnerships with major studios and brands and led initiatives that have reshaped the way content is written, cast and produced.

Madeline Di Nonno���s leadership represents the very best of what the Future Is Female Awards were created to honor,��� said Ruth Mortimer, Global President of Advertising Week. ���Her tireless work to advance gender equality and inclusion has reshaped not only the entertainment industry, but the cultural narratives that define how we see ourselves and one another. She is a true changemaker whose impact will be felt for generations.���

[image error] Future is Female Judges Are Here ���And They’re Absolutely Incredible! 

We’re beyond thrilled to reveal this year’s powerhouse panel of Future is Female judges! In partnership with Adform, we’ve assembled an extraordinary group of industry trailblazers, past winners and dedicated Future is Female community champions who are about to tackle the ultimate challenge: narrowing down our record-breaking nominations to just ten winners. This brilliant collective brings together diverse perspectives from across the industry, and honestly?

We couldn’t be more excited to see what they uncover. The talent pool this year is unmatched and our judges have their work cut out for them. 

Meet This Year’s Judges: 
Alexandria Sumner, Senior Marketing Director, Snapchat
Amanda DeVito, Chief Marketing Officer, Butler/Till
Amani Duncan, CEO and Founder, Grit & Glory Agency
Amy Holmwood, Founder and CEO, Holistic Spirits
Brittany Hershkowitz, Chief Marketing & Brand Officer, IRCODE
Channing Martin, Chief Diversity & Social Impact Officer, SVP, IPG
Corrie Katcher, Vice President, VAB
Daria Greene, Head of Content & Curation, Samsung
Fatou B. Barry, CEO, PR Girl Manifesto
Jane Crisan, CEO, Rain the Growth Agency
Janelle James, US Head of Cultural Intelligence, Ipsos
Jennifer Breithaupt, Co-Founder & CEO, All&Ji
Young Kim, Chief Operating Officer, WPP Media North America
Jordan Hernandez, Associate Director, Citizen RelationsKatie Kempner, Founder, Kempner CommunicationsKeely Cat-Wells, CEO, Making SpaceKelle Coleman, Head of Marketing & Growth, VerbKelsey Lindell, Founder & CEO, Misfit MediaKimberly Brown Oredugbo, Vice President, MediaLinkMack McKelvey, Founder & CEO, SalientMGMagda Tomaszewski, Head of Brand Management, GusMarcy Samet, Founder & CEO, LBRB CollectiveMarika Roque, Chief Innovation Officer, KERV InteractiveMB Gambke, SVP, Partnerships and Marketing, Barstool SportsPilaar Terry, Managing Partner & COO, POV AgencyRebecca O���Neill, Head of Production, Johannes LeonardoRo Kalonaros, Vice President, Marketing, OmnicomSabrina Browne, SVP, Personal Banking, CitiSchantelle Henry, Senior Program Manager, BursonSuzanne Powers, Co-Founder & CEO, All&Taylor Guglielmo, President, Chemistry

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Article: BRAVE-ish at AdWeek NYC: The Power of The Female Quotient Lounge My article about The LA Press Club Screening of “This Changes Everything” by Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media “This Changes Everything:” Screening and Panel at LA Press Club

The post “If She Can See It, She Can Be It,” at the Future is Female Awards AdWeek 2025 appeared first on We Said Go Travel.