Career Chat

In this episode I talk with Grammy-nominated performing artist and violinist Jenny Oaks Baker.  Jenny started on the violin at age 4 and was practicing 4 hours a day by the time she started high school.  Her musicianship and technique were perfected at the Curtis School of Music and later at Julliard for a master's degree, after which she performed as 1st chair at the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington D.C.  But combining motherhood and a performing career was difficult.  In this episode, Jenny shares how she came to forge the career she has now, one that supports motherhood AND music. We discuss her recent collaboration with Condoleezza Rice and how she puts her YouTube music videos together.  She also shares how she helped her children choose musical instruments to excel at and why performing with her children is her greatest joy.  Jenny's faith is central to everything she does and it comes through in this interview.  And don't miss the story behind her rare violin!

Links:

Jenny Oaks Baker website: Jenny Oaks Baker 

YouTube channel: Jenny Oaks Baker - YouTube 

Jenny Oaks Baker vlogs: Vlogs — Jenny Oaks Baker

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Marilyn Ference has always loved creating a budget and managing her family finances.  As their family was growing, she often told her husband he was the offensive coordinator, and she was the defensive coordinator when it came to money. With a background in business and finances, managing money came easy to her.  But she saw a need for a simpler system of budgeting, one that anyone could use.  With the idea of creating a helpful app, Marilyn is now the co-founder of Otto, a budgeting app to help you organize your personal finances.  If you've ever wondered what it takes to go from concept to launching an app, this episode is for you.  Join me to hear about Marilyn's experience and what she's learned along the way!

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Links:

Otto Save-Otto | Easier than a budget (ottosave.com)

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When Brooklin Beech was young, she got to shadow her grandpa at his dental practice, and later wrote in her journal that she wanted to work on teeth when she grew up. Now, as the mom of 3 adorable boys, Brooklin works part-time as an orthodontic assistant at a Salt Lake-area practice. In this episode, Brooklin shares her experience training on the job, the advantages of this part-time work as a mom, and her expertise in caring for teeth. She also shares what happened when she made a big mistake early in her career, which became a positive learning experience, thanks to the supportive doctor she works with. As a result, she has a really great analogy about teamwork in the office, and the importance of caring about people, not just teeth. I hope you'll join me for this insightful interview!

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Cindy Mitchell has spent the last 24 years working as the librarian at South Jordan Middle School. But she had a great idea after only a few years on the job--to create a website where she would rate and review all the books she read. In 2003, Kiss the Book was born and continues today as a premier book review site, covering the entire K-12 spectrum with over 1,000 reviews a year. In this episode, we talk about how to find a book your kids will love, some overall general trends in children's literature and we discuss the current issue of challenging and censoring library books. Cindy also shares what keeps her engaged in this passion project without making any money on it and what she would tell her kids about fin ding a career to love. 

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Links:

Kiss the Book Blog--KISS THE BOOK

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Karissa Gurthrie studied criminal justice in college, but she currently works with the homeless population at The Road Home in Salt Lake City. This time of year, she is busy overseeing Candy Cane Corner, a pop-up store for vulnerable populations in the area. In this episode, Karissa shares some misconceptions about homelessness; a kind, helpful response we can use when talking with, and ways you can help people experiencing homelessness during the holidays and throughout the year. I hope you'll join me to learn more!

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Links:

Candy Cane Corner--Candy Cane Corner 2021 | Bringing Holiday Cheer to Utah Families Since 1994 (candycanecornerslc.com)

The Road Home--The Road Home – Helping people experiencing homelessness.

Trauma informed Care--What is Trauma-Informed Care? - Trauma-Informed Care Implementation Resource Center (chcs.org)

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America Mason is a people person who loves to travel, but it wasn't until her mom suggested getting a degree in Hotel and Lodging management that she believed she could combine the two. Now as a senior at Johnson and Wales University, America is spending a semester in Hawaii as an intern at the 5-star Fairmont Orchid Hotel on the Big Island. In this episode, I talk with America about her experiences in Hawaii, her previous job at Hotel Park City, and why getting a hospitality degree is so versatile. America also has advice for high schoolers trying to decide what to study and gives her best insider tips for getting what you want at any hotel. 

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Links:

Rotary International: Youth Exchanges | Rotary International

Johnson and Wales: JWU | Private, nonprofit, accredited educational leader | Johnson & Wales University

Fairmont Orchid: "Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii" - Luxury Hotel in "Hawaii" - Fairmont, Hotels & Resorts

Hotel Park City: Hotel Park City | A Premier Utah Hotel Destination

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