Career Can Do

In this episode of Career Can Do, Mary Ann Faremouth chats with DeDe DeMayo, CEO and Executive Producer of Beyond the Edge Productions. DeDe is also a volunteer at Special Angels of the Woodlands.

Mindfulness, yoga, tai chi, meditation, and similar practices have recently become front and center due to all the fear and uncertainty percolating the globe, Mary Ann comments. These practices help relieve stress, which has been steadily increasing. Many people have woken up to the fact that they need to do some internal inventory, DeDe adds.

DeDe talks about her relationship with her co-host. Though they have amazing chemistry, they don’t always agree on everything. However, as they are both focused on their shared goal of helping others, the things they disagree on are inconsequential in comparison. “We don’t annihilate each other over [our disagreements] because we respect the fact that we’re at different places and we’ve experienced different things,” she says.

Resources

DeDe DeMayo | LinkedIn

Beyond the Edge

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In this episode of Career Can Do, Mary Ann Faremouth chats with Mel Arenas and Harry Stafford, co-founders of BreatheFit Training. Mel is a respiratory therapist and senior healthcare consultant, and Harry is an ACE-certified personal trainer.

Exercise is medicine, according to Harry. Nobody wants to be slaves to OTC drugs for the rest of their lives. It’s amazing what 50 to 75 minutes of moderately vigorous activity per week can do for the human body. Even just 15 minutes [a day] can do so much good on so many different levels. 

Mary Ann praises Mel for the way she was treated at BreatheFit. At BreatheFit, one-on-one consultation with each client is a priority to find out what kind of person they are and what their goals are. Doing this helps them determine the right exercise plan for each client, and what would work best.

Resources

BreatheFit

Mel Arenas | LinkedIn

Harry Chau Stafford | LinkedIn

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In this episode of Career Can Do, Mary Ann Faremouth chats with Trica Benn, Chief Community Officer and Executive Vice President of The C-Suite Network. Tricia supports c-level executives and other entrepreneurs to achieve professional success.

The C-Suite Network is a platform for executives, business owners, investors, and influencers. They are committed to creating access across all their networks, and they offer professional services such as media, TV, radio, digital content, and their very own marketplace to accelerate the success of the audience they serve. Tricia’s role in all of this is to lead that success. She shares the four principles that C-Suite is run by, which are: relevancy, reach, reciprocity, and respect.

Rather than the journey or the destination, what’s most important in life is the people you meet along the way, Mary Ann comments. She praises Tricia for her dedication to celebrating people and helping them grow and expand. Tricia credits this to her “understanding that we’re all people striving to do something great.” 

Resources

Tricia Benn | LinkedIn

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In this episode of Career Can Do, Mary Ann Faremouth chats with Donna Wallingsford, a published writer, editor, and educator with over 20 years of experience. Donna helps job seekers refine their resumes. 

Donna’s background in journalism contributed to her success and expertise in writing. Though she is versed in many forms of writing, she found her calling in doing resumes, which she turned into a lucrative business. Mary Ann comments that Donna’s is the creme de la creme of resume writers. The secret, Donna says, is her approach: she researches the industry to understand what employers are looking for, and interviews her clients to get to know them. She is passionate about presenting them in the best light.

Your GPA should not be put on your resume unless it’s 3.0 or above, Donna advises. “If you’ve been out of college for more than five years, the GPA isn’t really necessary ... if they don’t request a transcript, your GPA is not going to be a deciding factor in the workforce. If you’re a recent graduate without much work experience, including your internships in your resume is a good idea,” she adds.

Resources

Donna Wallingsford | LinkedIn

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Welcome back to Career Can Do! Today Mary Ann Faremouth is talking to Vijay Pattisapu an employment attorney with his hand on the pulse of the world of work. They discuss how to navigate working from home, the return to work, and maintaining good working relationships with your colleagues and management.

Accountability, transparency, and communication are more important than ever now that people are working from home and things are more fluid. Vijay notes that by the time he sees people things have generally gone pretty far south, and so this chance to talk about preventative measures is welcome – and the best one is open communication about the reality of your own situation, especially when you’re working at home. Vijay says that getting things in writing is even better than having a discussion, and Mary Ann reminds us that if it’s not in writing it doesn’t exist!

Authenticity is a scarce and precious resource – Vijay and Mary Ann talk about the importance of being honest in your dealings with your company and with your employees – from how you’re spending your time when working at home, to how honest to be in interviews and on your resume. Honesty is always the best policy.

They wrap up their conversation with a discussion about the changes covid is making in workplaces – mandatory vaccinations, new legislation that may be providing new rights people should be aware of, and whether or not you really need to go back to the office. It’s a challenging area to navigate for both employees and the companies they work for!

Resources

Gomez Law Firm: 713-980-9012

Gomez Law

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In this episode of Career Can Do, Mary Ann Faremouth chats with Svetlana Karakova, a candidate she placed. Svetlana’s story, Mary Ann says, “is a true example of how networking, the right mindset, with dedication, perseverance and a service orientation can overcome even the toughest of challenges.” 

Svetlana moved to the US due to her marriage and was trying to find a job. Mary Ann comments that her advanced education, her work experience, and her pleasant personality made her an excellent candidate. However, it was still difficult for her to find a suitable job. She accepted Mary Ann’s advice to take a temporary job to increase her chances of getting a permanent position, which she was able to secure afterwards. Unfortunately, she was laid off because of the pandemic. She kept in touch with her former employers, however, and when things got better at the company, they asked her to return in another position.

A positive attitude, flexibility, and good work ethic are the traits employers look for right now, Mary Ann says. Employees who try to make a contribution to the greater good of the company are the ones who will be rewarded. “Stay positive, work hard, network,” Svetlana advises listeners. “If you have to take a temp job, do it. Always go the extra mile and have gratitude.”

Resources

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Welcome to the Career Can Do podcast, a show dedicated to helping you navigate the new work world. Host Mary Ann Faremouth, bestselling author of Revolutionary Recruiting and Revolutionary Reinvention, chats with experts in the business and recruiting industries and shares tips to help you realize your career goals.

This week’s guest is Jessica Levine, General Manager of Jonathan’s The Rub restaurant at Memorial Green. Jonathan’s is a family-run, award-winning restaurant. Jessica says that one key to their success is that they create a “Cheers effect, where everybody knows your name”. She tells Mary Ann that restaurants face three hurdles post-COVID: attracting guests back, getting employees to return to work, and better access to inventory. She shares how Jonathan’s has been able to overcome these challenges successfully. 

Mary Ann asks Jessica how they have been able to maintain such low employee turnover. Jessica responds that it boils down to treating their employees like family. Their healthcare plan is also a big incentive for employees to stay, she adds. If more restaurants offered healthcare benefits, fewer workers would leave. 

Resources

Jonathan’s The Rub restaurant

For catering inquiries: [email protected] | 713-467-9000

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Are you feeling paralyzed by the ever changing jobscape? Maybe you're in between jobs, or looking to make a big change? You might be feeling a little overwhelmed - this show can help. So welcome to Career Can Do, a new podcast from award-winning author, professional career coach and training consultant Mary Ann Faremouth. Mary Ann will be talking to experts, employers and job seekers about what the new world of work looks like and how you can thrive in ever-changing circumstances. Tune in every other week for straight talk about remote work, office politics, first impressions, the changing jobscape and more.