Frankie Elder-Reedy is an entrepreneur, certified consulting hypnotherapist, author and the founder of WRAX, a patent pending sports bra. With almost two decades of experience as a liquor store and laundromat owner, Frankie successfully transferred her small business skills to her latest and most fulfilling venture, helping women discover what they are truly capable of.  Her goal is to disrupt the sports bra industry by offering a unique solution to prevent breast discomfort during physical activities. Get ready to be inspired by Frankie's remarkable career pivot and entrepreneurial pursuits, as she defies expectations and embraces limitless possibilities!

In this episode we discuss:

00:00:00 - Overcoming "What If" Thinking

00:04:49 - The Birth of WRAX

00:06:56 - The Journey of Creating WRAX

00:09:11 - Lessons Learned and Future Goals

00:12:45 - Overcoming Self-Doubt and Negative Thoughts

00:13:09 - Daily Practices for Positive Mindset

00:15:01 - Finding Meaning in Your Work

Wendy Jones is a mother of four, lifelong athlete, writer, podcaster and wellness coach guiding parents and young athletes to view sports as self-discovery journeys, not just pursuits of scholarships, recruitment and medals. After overcoming injury playing college volleyball and a difficult divorce later in life, Wendy Jones learned firsthand about the transformative power of vulnerability and how our willingness to share stories is a way to heal. She recently pivoted from a 3rd generation family farming business to launch her own company Be Better Media. Wendy has authored the book 365 Days of Optimism - Mantras for Finding Confidence, Courage, and Self Love and publishes a weekly blog called The Optimists Journal, sharing stories and insights about her journey through parenthood and the game of life. Wendy is a certified Precision Nutrition and Life Coach, 200 hour yoga certified, and lives in Redondo Beach, CA. Listen in to this week’s episode of Bucket List Careers for an inspired conversation about overcoming perfectionism!

Brandon Smith is a forward-thinking technology leader currently serving as the Chief Product Officer at ArtHeart.ai, a trailblazing company in the world of artificial intelligence. His career has been defined by a keen ability to spot and harness emerging technologies well before they reach mainstream recognition. He made the Bucket List jump in 2017 starting his own consulting business then moving to his own startup in 2020. Since then, his career has been a roller coaster of highs and lows, exiting his first major startup after 18 months with an 8 figure sale. Brandon believes that whether a venture was a colossal flop or an unexpected success, each experience requires you to double your resilience and self-belief while surrounding yourself with a competent and supportive team. Previously, Brandon was a Director with PwC and served as a strategic consultant for many Fortune 100 companies. Armed with a background in Data Science and business analytics, he crafted innovative solutions that addressed critical challenges faced by large enterprises. He also was a former member of the prestigious General Electric Executive Leadership program, where he lent his expertise to a wide array of industries, spanning from light bulbs to oil rigs. Throughout his career, Brandon has consistently sought opportunities with the potential to ignite transformative organizational change, driven by his passion for technology and innovation.

As an accomplished keynote speaker, author, advisor, and podcaster, Stacy Sherman is fully dedicated to perfecting the art of customer experiences. With multiple leadership roles at major companies over the past 25 years, including Liveops, Verizon, Wilton Brands, AT&T, and Schindler Elevator, Stacy found her runway to launch her own business in the past year - Doing CX Right - turning her side hustle into her primary focus. Her educational mission is centered around assisting brands in going beyond mere customer service by enchanting and captivating their audience, establishing enduring connections with people, the epitome of a purposeful approach to business. In our conversation, we explore how Stacy fearlessly took the leap into entrepreneurship this year, balancing her roles as a mother of two and the family breadwinner.  In this episode Stacy shares a wealth of wisdom on the road to achieving both fulfillment and profitability in your career!

"When nothing is certain, anything is possible.” That is Heidi Zimmer's mantra and a piece of wisdom that gives us insight into how Heidi built Wild Rice Retreat in Bayfield, WI, during the pandemic.  Heidi is a real estate development professional and creative entrepreneur with 25+ years of experience in affordable housing, community and economic development as well as urban and rural planning. But she found her life’s work and what truly lights her up as Founder/Owner of Wild Rice Retreat.  Heidi recognized a void in health and wellness spaces in the midwest while practicing to become a yoga teacher and decided her home region needed a place for creativity, rest, wellbeing, and connection to nature.  Wild Rice Retreat is a first of its kind arts and wellness retreat center in the midwest and a place that yogis and anyone curious about health and wellness intentionally travel to.

It can be a powerful marketing tool, but authentic content creation on social media can also be daunting, especially in the beginning stages. Christa speaks from personal experience in this episode about how she tackled her own fears in this space. Even after an audience-facing career as a news anchor and years spent on stage as a vocalist, it felt unnatural and intimidating to be in front of the camera online when she launched her podcast in 2021. She said, “telling a news story is certainly different from telling MY story.” Listen for actionable tips, based on what we’ve learned from the many life and career coaches we’ve featured as guests, on creating content that resonates with your target audience through careful research, preparation, and practice!

Marc Ronick is the producer of Bucket List Careers, a consultant, host and entrepreneur with a career spanning 17+ years in podcasting. Just like Christa, he pivoted from TV News during the pandemic. Marc then successfully launched a full-service podcast agency and has since become a symbol of innovation and empowerment in content creation. As the founder of iRonick Media, he provides comprehensive podcasting solutions, including production, consulting, and coaching. As the co-founder of NextGen Podcaster, he leads the way in teaching creators how to integrate AI-driven tools & resources into their processes. With an ongoing passion for building & growing communities, Marc hosts a daily virtual room on the Clubhouse app that covers a wide array of topics, resonating with audiences and building a community that transcends traditional podcasting boundaries. 

Jordan Elizabeth Gelber is an accomplished actor, CEO, entrepreneur, founder of the OTT platform Aperteur and marketing agency STARBABY. She has been in digital marketing for over 10 years working with feature films, Fortune 500 companies, and more. In this episode Jordan tells us all about a career journey that involves difficult bosses, tears, struggles with ADHD and battling sexism in the workplace.

Some experts define procrastination as not just any delay but an irrational one – that is, when we voluntarily put off tasks despite believing that we will be worse off for doing so. But today's guest — life and career change coach Christine Meyer has a different take that she shares with us in this episode, one that flies in the face of traditional theories and anti-procrastination strategies. Listen in for a fresh approach to eliminating the very habit that may be standing in the way of your new professional chapter!

Jeremy Bollington spent more than 25 years in the finance world, working in London, New York, Hong Kong and back to NY. Mostly with HSBC (with a focus on Asia and other emerging markets), he ran relationships with Fortune 500 companies such as Coca-Cola, Nike and P&G. Headhunted in 2011 by Standard Chartered (another British bank with businesses in Asia/Africa), Jeremy ran their Americas business, in charge of 400 people across 10 offices in the US, Canada and Latin America.  Then he found himself unemployed for the first time at age of 49. Not ready to retire, Jeremy decided to kiss the banking world goodbye. Why? How? Listen in for his pivot to purpose, plus practical advice on transitioning to the franchise landscape from corporate America as well as EXACTLY what it takes to craft a second act that truly fuels you!