Designing Her Life Differently: Michele’s Journey Through Architecture, Motherhood & Empowering Action
What happens when you keep choosing the unconventional path because that’s what feels true to you?
This week on “Spark Me,” Liz turns the mic inward and interviews her co-host, Michele Dempsey—architect, mom, community advocate, and lifelong challenger of the status quo. In this intimate origin story, Michele shares how she built a life that followed her own blueprint.
From forging her way as a business owner in a male-dominated field, to becoming a single mother through international adoption, to supporting children impacted by early trauma, to advocating for her community in big ways—Michele’s journey is a testament to choosing action and authenticity over expectation.
She opens up about how karate gave her confidence, how architecture ignited her creativity, and how motherhood reshaped her understanding of resilience. She also shares how “The Office” became the catalyst to transform Scranton’s image, some exciting changes to her firm on the horizon, and why launching “Spark Me” feels like the beginning of something bigger: a movement for women ready to step into their power and change the world together.
If you’ve ever found yourself at a crossroads, wondering what’s next—or whether the life you’re building still aligns with the life you want—this conversation will meet you right where you are.
In This Episode You’ll Learn:
- How Michele stumbled into architecture—and the class that changed her life
- The true, unspoken challenges of older-child adoption
- What parents need to know about teens, addiction, and trauma
- Why she believes in community advocacy and “fixing your corner of the world”
- How Michele is redefining her firm in an exciting way that aligns with the goals of her next chapter
- Why “Spark Me” isn’t just a podcast—it’s a movement
Links & Resources Mentioned
DxDempsey Architecture & Design + Layer Architecture = Layer X: https://layerxstudio.com/
Friends of Lackawanna: https://www.friendsoflackawanna.org/
https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofLackawanna
Karate (Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan):
https://soobahkdo.com/locations/
Hopestream Podcast (with links to The Stream Community):
https://hopestreamcommunity.org/hopestream-podcast/
The Office Exhibition (a design collaboration by Layer X and The Everhart Museum)
https://www.visitnepa.org/event/the-office-exhibition/19873/
The Office Convention Highlights by The University of Scranton:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8629bTZOQf0
Steve Carell’s Surprise Appearance at The Office Wrap Party:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wNmV5tQeM7g
Michele Dempsey and Tim Holmes on Brian Baumgartner’s (Kevin Malone) podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-office-deep-dive/id1610612404?i=1000551432178
Greg Daniels Talks about The Office Exhibition at The Everhart Museum and Gives Michele & Tim a Shout Out on the Office Ladies podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/office-ladies/id1480311435?i=1000700858154
What If? The Power of Possibility | Michele Dempsey | TEDx Scranton
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lg8iXX13b8w&pp=0gcJCR4Bo7VqN5tD
Ken Frohock at The Attachment Institute of New England
https://www.attachmentnewengland.com/
Join the Spark Me Community
If Michele’s story resonated with you, share this episode with another woman who needs to know she’s allowed to design her life on her own terms.=
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Because sometimes, the moments that break the script are the very ones that teach us to write our own.