Laura sits down with Dr. Jessica Tranchina, DPT, Co-Founder of Generator Athlete Lab and Founder of Experts in Wellness. From growing up as a first-generation American to becoming one of Austin’s most trusted integrative wellness experts, Dr. Jess shares her journey of science-meets-intuition, entrepreneurship, healing, motherhood, and the power of listening to your body. She shares the path that led her to physical therapy, how she built Generator Athlete Lab which was ahead of its time, and why helping people reconnect to their bodies has become her life’s work.

Dr. Jess and Laura dive into everything from cold plunges and lymphatic health to the role of home environment, energy exchange, and daily rituals that regulate the mind and body. With humor, honesty, and deep experience, Dr. Jess shares what it really takes to build a purposeful, aligned life.

Topics Discussed

- Growing up between cultures and discovering her calling at age 12

- Training as a PT across every specialty to become a more complete practitioner

- Why she created Generator Athlete Lab and what makes it unique

- Cold plunges, vibration therapy, lymphatics, and why these modalities work

- Building a grounded life and business while raising three children

- Energy exchange, boundary setting, and rituals that support wellbeing

- Launching Experts in Wellness and stepping into her intuitive gifts

Resources and Links

Generator Athlete Lab: @generatorathletelab

https://www.generatorathletelab.com/

Experts in Wellness: @expertsinwellness

Dr. Jess: @dr_jesst

Shop Living Oak: https://livingoakhome.com

Learn More About Living Oak Interior Design: https://www.livingoak.com/about

Laura sits down with Karen Zabarsky Blashek, Editor in Chief of Austin Home and founder of Ground Up. From her beginnings in New York architecture studios to shaping major real estate developments and leading Austin Home which is Austin’s preeminent design publication, Karen shares her multidisciplinary journey and the creative thread that connects it all.

She shares the power of building community, navigating big life transitions, embracing motherhood, and raising the standard for design storytelling in Austin. Karen also gives a behind-the-scenes look at the Austin Home Awards and what readers can expect from the years ahead as the city continues to evolve.

Topics Discussed

- How Karen’s background in architecture, art history, and creative direction prepared her for her role at Austin Home

- Building Ground Up and learning the power of community-driven storytelling

- The path to Editor in Chief of Austin Home and redefining what local design media can be

- How slow journalism, deeper reporting, and community engagement are shaping the magazine’s future

- Karen’s mindset shift stepping into motherhood, balancing two roles, and redefining what modern motherhood looks like

- Her approach to connection, authenticity, and building real community rather than traditional networking

- What is ahead for Austin Home, including the 2026 editorial calendar and expanded city-focused coverage

Resources and Links

Austin Home Magazine: austinhomemag.com

Follow Karen on Instagram: http://instagram.com/kzblashek

Ground Up: https://www.groundupideas.com/about

Shop Living Oak: https://livingoakhome.com

Learn More About Living Oak Interior Design: https://www.livingoak.com/about

This week on Here With Laura, we’re joined by Janine Starr, founder J9 HOMES a boutique remodeling firm in Austin, TX. She sits down to talk about how she built a respected, relationship-driven construction business from the ground up. After a long career in HR and consulting, Janine made a bold pivot at 40,. With a leap of faith and the support of her husband she stepped into the world of construction. What started with joining a remodel division turned into eight years of hands on experience before launching her own firm.Janine shares what it’s really like to build a business with your name on it, why she intentionally keeps her team small and tight knit, and how her background in people management has shaped her leadership style. From navigating a male dominated industry to building long term client relationships to balancing a busy project load with a new empty nester season of life, Janine offers thoughtful, grounded insight into the realities of residential construction today.Whether you’re a designer, a builder, a homeowner gearing up for a remodel, or someone considering a career pivot, this conversation is packed with wisdom about trust, communication, process, and controlling the controllables.Key Takeaways- Your past experience always shows up. Janine’s HR background informs everything from team development, client communication, and navigating tough conversations across trades.- You can’t hire too early or too late. Growth requires intention: hiring based on revenue, pipeline, and leaving enough time for proper training.- Relationships drive construction. Whether with clients, trades, or designers, long term success comes from collaboration and consistent communication.- Bring designers in early. Starting together ensures alignment, smoother decision-making, and fewer delays especially on remodels with unknowns.- Control what you can. Remodels always come with surprises; expectations, transparency, and documented processes help mitigate stress.- High-end clients still want value. Janine focuses on ROI, honest guidance, and thoughtful value engineering, not simply choosing the least expensive option.- Living through a remodel is tough. Timeliness and trust matter deeply, and most people benefit from moving out during messy phases.Resources and LinksLearn More About J9 HOMES: https://j9homes.com/Follow J9 on Instagram: http://instagram.com/j9_homes/Shop Living Oak: https://livingoakhome.comLearn More About Living Oak Interior Design: https://www.livingoak.com/about