Amanda de Cadenet is the host of a new program called The Conversation – her project she created in the hopes of creating healthier programming for women. The Conversation takes an authentic look at some remarkable females today including Gwyneth Paltrow, Arianna Huffington, Lady Gaga, Alicia Keys – and breaks down the personalities behind these boldfaced names. Here, we chatted with AdeC as we anxiously count down her next episode – debuting on Lifetime this Thursday.

Life+Times: How did The Conversation come about?
Amanda de Cadenet: On a practical level, I couldn’t find programming anywhere where people were telling real stories and it really concerned me that all role models put forth for young women were a specific kind of person – and that really worried me. All I saw were fabricated versions of what a woman’s life was supposed to be like. And this version was totally wrong. It was completely unrealistic and I wanted to change that.

L+T: What about on a personal level?
AdC: Well, Gwyneth Paltrow is a good friend of mine and when she launched GOOP, I saw it and loved it. But in the same way that all her friends ask her questions such as where to find the best Pasta in Italy, for me, everyone was asking me about certain life issues. So when I saw that Gwyneth did GOOP – I figured I could do something and put it online and share everything that I’ve learned. So, that’s how it began.

L+T: I also think it’s one of the only shows that I’ve seen in a while that is authentic. That’s something that can’t be forced.
AdC: I think the truth is that I’m genuinely interested in these issues. I don’t write questions – and I’m interested in the women that I’m talking to because I want to know the answers. And it’s authentic because I don’t know how to be any other way.

L+T: I know the show is shot in your living room. Do you think the setting has something to do with the conformability level of your subjects?
AdC: I was very specific about how I set this up because I wanted the environment to be as unobtrusive as possible. I have a very small crew and we created a place that was totally safe – mainly surrounded by women. It created an environment that was conducive to women talking and opening up. You know, people have been asking me how I got these women to participate. And the truth is it’s a non-promotional show and all these women wanted to be a part of creating healthier programming for women. I was trying to show that we can create alternatives in the realm of media for women.

L+T: When talking to so many women, you often ask them about success. What have you learned from them about their success?
AdC: A lot of the women I’ve interviewed like Arianna Huffington, Diane Von Furstenberg and Donna Karan, I always ask them what defines success. And in particular, Arianna told me that success is having the idea and following through with it but that is paired with consistency. That is what creates success – and I believe her. I had moments when I was making this thing thinking I was crazy – doing this from my house, battling postpartum depression etc…But I really felt like it was needed and people were just desperate for some truth. I wanted to give it my all.

L+T: What I find to be most interesting is that you interview females who are in the public eye, on the cover of magazines, and known for their stardom – whatever that means. But still, your show conveys that they, just like the rest of the world, have insecurities, problems, and relationship issues, weight issues etc…
AdC: I know young girls are comparing themselves to women who are on covers of magazines. And the way the role models life is portrayed isn’t real. Even those ‘role models’ aren’t able to live up to the way their lives are conveyed. Even my friends can live up to the photo shopped images of themselves in magazines. It’s totally crazy. But the objective of these conversations is to challenge your ideas of what you think that person is about – and how you can relate it to yourself.

L+T: I feel like there are certain instances in your life when you realize that for change to take place – it has to come from within yourself. You hold the key to the power – and that’s something that you don’t always know you have.
AdC: Exactly. And only you do – nobody else holds it. If I were to look at the overall mantra of the series – it’s about owning the power to having the life that you want….and that’s not an easy thing.

To tip-off the NBA’s 2011-2012 season opener, New York Knicks All-Star forward, Carmelo Anthony, delivered his hometown the most cherished gift of them all on Christmas Day– a win against the Boston Celtics.

Anthony saved his Christmas gift until the fourth quarter for the star studded crowd at Madison Square Garden. With native New Yorkers; Spike Lee, Chris Rock, Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz and NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg nervously cheering on, Melo matched the Celtics point total in the final period, scoring 17 on his way to a game-high 37 points, as New York rallied late to defeat Boston 106-104 on Sunday.

Melo, who played his first opening day as a Knick, led New York’s offensive attack, scoring 17 points in an explosive first half before he landed in foul trouble at the start of the third. With Anthony sitting and Knicks’ All-Star power forward Amar’e Stoudemire (21 points) under duress by Celtics’ newcomer Brandon Bass (20 points, 11 rebounds), the Rajon Rondo (31 points, 13 assists) led Celtics rebounded from an early 17-point deficit to carry a 10-point lead into the fourth quarter.

New York tied the score at 100-100 late in the final period on consecutive 3-pointers by starting point guard Tony Douglas (19 points) and Anthony. The score was tied again at 102 and 104 before Anthony put New York ahead with two decisive free throws with 16.3 seconds left. Boston had two opportunities to win the game or tie the score to force the game into overtime, but failed to capitalize. First, Celtics’ guard Marquis Daniels missed a corner 3-pointer before veteran power-forward Kevin Garnett bricked a jumper off an inbounds play with 3.9 seconds remaining. Newly acquired Knicks’ center Tyson Chandler, who was a part of the NBA champions Dallas Mavericks last season, rebounded Garnett’s missed shot and heaved the basketball towards the Garden rafters, as the celebrity crowd at MSG burst into merriment.

Garnett attempted to play the Grinch who stole New York’s Christmas, but instead settled for league bully, as he jawed and later struck Knicks’ forward Bill Walker in the face with an open hand, after the buzzer. A former MVP and 14-time All-Star, Garnett was clearly frustrated in Boston’s defeat, as the Celtics won all eight games between the two teams last season, swept the Knicks in the first-round of the playoffs, and have dominated the Atlantic Division since 2007, when the Big Three (Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Garnett) were united. With the absence of Pierce on Sunday, who is out due to a bruised right heel, New York’s new frontcourt of Melo, STAT and Chandler proved to be too much for the Celtics to handle. Allen contributed 20 points but was hounded by the Knicks’ second-year two guard Landry Fields for most of the afternoon. And when Anthony erupted in the fourth to rescue his team from a season opening defeat, the Celtic had no answer to stop the charge.

The Celtics’ depleted roster, which lost Shaquille O’Neal to retirement, Jeff Green to a heart condition, and Glen “Big Baby” Davis to the Orlando Magic, will have to figure out a way to add more production before Tuesday’s match up against the LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and the defending Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat. Rondo ignited Boston’s offense to keep the Celtics in the game, but his high-level play wasn’t enough against the Knicks. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Rondo joined Larry Bird (2/18/1985) as the only Celtics players with 30 plus points, 10 plus assists and 5 plus steals in a single game.

For the first time in over a decade, New York has an opportunity to be contenders in the East. The Knicks will travel to the West Coast on Tuesday to play three games in four nights, against the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings. They will have to suit up without rookie sensation Iman Shumpert, who suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament in his Knicks debut. He’s expected to be out two to four weeks. With injuries to newly acquired guards Mike Bibby (sore back) and Baron Davis (herniated disk), STAT and Melo will try to survive this lockout-shortened season.