Curiosity with Kristen

Today we explore the questions that open our hearts, stretch our thinking, and invite us into what’s possible. 

I'm joined by Rosalyn Acosta, the founder of Live Heal Travel. She is a reiki master, shamanic energy medicine practitioner, mindfulness facilitator, and eco-travel visionary. Rosalyn weaves together healing, culture, and conservation in a way that’s both grounded and expansive. Her work spans collaborations with the World Wildlife Fund, Stanford University, the United Nations World Tourism Organization, and the San Francisco Human Rights Commission. She’s been featured in Marin Living, Marie Claire UK, Medium, and heard on podcasts like Reiki Radio and The Heartful Parent.

In this episode, we talk about intuition as a tool for growth, not mysticism. About fear versus love as the lens we live through. About energy healing, rites of passage for youth, and what it means to raise conscious humans in a rapidly changing world.

We explore how COVID reshaped our kids, how AI is evolving faster than we are, and why experiences matter more than possessions.

This is a conversation about healing, courage, and remembering who we are at a time when the world is asking us to evolve. 

Find me on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/in/krev/
www.therevellgroup.com

In this special episode of Curiosity with Kristen, the tables turn as Kristen is interviewed by Jodi Kaelle, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of MontaRosa. Kristen shares her full career journey from her early days at a CPA firm to discovering staffing and recruitment, becoming a top performer, and ultimately launching multiple businesses of her own. Kristen reflects on her pivots from accounting to Robert Half, overcoming fears like cold calling, excelling in permanent placement, and navigating the emotional weight of life-changing career moves. She recounts being laid off during COVID and using that moment as a launchpad to build Curiosity with Kristen, a wakesurfing team-building company, and The Revell Group, emphasizing the importance of embracing failure, trusting instincts, and staying authentic. The conversation is both deeply personal and universally relevant, highlighting how curiosity, resilience, and openness to change can transform setbacks into new beginnings, while offering a reminder that careers are rarely linear and that growth often begins where certainty ends.

Find me on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/in/krev/
www.therevellgroup.com

What does dissecting cow eyeballs teach about innovation?

How do you and your team approach work? Curiosity? Innovation?

This week's guest is Holly Uber, a catalyst for curiosity whose career spans classrooms, boardrooms, and cutting-edge tech labs. After college, Holly packed her bags for Cameroon as a Peace Corps volunteer, teaching English and sparking curiosity in students halfway around the world. She earned her master's in teaching and brought science to life through hands-on experiments, quite literally one cow eyeball at a time.

But Holly's curiosity didn't stop at the classroom. She's shaped innovation across industries—developing FDA-registered digital health products at Genentech, creating award-winning AR/VR educational experiences at zSpace, and advising ventures through How Women Lead and How Women Invest. She's a mentor in accelerators, helping founders harness AI tools and break through the brain's natural pattern-seeking constraints to unlock new possibilities.

Here's what makes Holly different: she refuses to let assumptions trap her—or anyone around her—in the familiar. She believes our biggest limitation isn't what we know, it's what we assume we can't do. Her positive outlook and passion ripple through every environment she touches, inspiring everyone to get curious and smash through those invisible walls.

From the classrooms of Cameroon to the TEDx stage she's preparing for right now, Holly Uber proves that a curiosity mindset can transform not just your own world, but everyone around you. Enjoy!

www.linkedin.com/in/holly-uber/

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqnHzBbJxyc

Find me on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/in/krev/
www.therevellgroup.com

Today’s guest, Zach Brooks, is anything but conventional. From his early days selling lemonade to fund his first big adventure, to building tech startups in the dot-com era, earning a PhD in Applied Linguistics, acting in Hollywood, and now launching his fifth company, Ugenome AI, Zach’s career is a tapestry of curiosity, creativity, and impact.

We explore his new book trilogy—including Discovering What Awakens You—and dive into his “Human Algorithm,” a powerful framework for living a meaningful life through academics, art, athletics, advocacy, adventure, and purpose.

We also unpack Ugenome AI’s groundbreaking work in personalized medicine—helping people understand which medications work best for them through a simple at-home DNA test, potentially saving lives and transforming healthcare.

This episode is full of reflection, humor, and hope. Whether you're into innovation, well-being, or simply finding your flow, Zach brings ideas that could change how we live and heal. Enjoy!

Find me on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/in/krev/
www.therevellgroup.com

Today I interview Cecil Plummer, CEO of Fastr.ai, which is an AI platform that instantly transforms your existing ATS into a smarter talent engine. 

With nearly two decades of recruiting leadership at Robert Half before becoming CEO at Fastr.ai, Cecil brings a wealth of experience in scaling talent operations. From Fortune 50 firms to nimble, 200-person teams, Fastr.ai’s proprietary LLM is purpose-built to supercharge talent acquisition, offering AI Matching, Talent Sourcing, Rediscovery, Profile Enrichment, and DE&I insights—all embedded directly into your ATS for rapid adoption and impact.

In today’s episode, we explore how Fastr.ai’s seamless implementation in just a few weeks delivers bias-resistant candidate ranking, rediscovery of dormant talent, and access to hundreds of millions of externally sourced profiles, without disrupting recruiter workflows or requiring costly migrations.

Whether you're part of an agency or running talent acquisition internally, we dive into how Fastr.ai delivers quick wins in efficiency, cost savings, and response time, plus how compliance and ethical design are baked into every model.

www.linkedin.com/in/cecilplummer/ (Cecil's LinkedIn profile)

www.fastr.ai (Fastr.ai website)

Find me on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/in/krev/
www.therevellgroup.com

If you’ve ever felt isolated in your career, overwhelmed in a job search, or wondered why finding authentic community feels harder than it should, today’s episode is going to hit home. In this episode, Julia Holian and I dive into the real pressures women face today and how building meaningful connection can completely transform your sense of grounding and momentum.

We dig into the striking difference between how Americans and Europeans see work, and why so many job seekers here tie their identity and security to their careers in ways that create anxiety and burnout.

You’ll hear practical strategies for pacing your job search, staying emotionally steady, and using LinkedIn in a way that actually gets you noticed, not drained. From recruiter spotlights to authentic posting, we break down what works right now in a thin market and how to keep hope alive along the way.

It’s honest, energizing, and full of tools you can use immediately. Enjoy!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliaholian/

https://careertransformationpartners.com/

[email protected]

Find me on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/in/krev/
www.therevellgroup.com

Today’s guest is Scott Alldredge, a former football player turned tech entrepreneur with over 30 years in IT and cybersecurity. He’s the CEO of IP Services and co-author of the acclaimed VisibleOps series, which has sold over 400,000 copies and read by leaders around the world.

Scott shares his journey, from running a raspberry business as a teenager to building one of the most trusted cybersecurity firms serving small and midsize businesses.

We dive into real-world ransomware stories, the rise of AI and quantum threats, and the importance of strong authentication, micro-segmentation, and executive engagement in keeping companies secure.

👉 And if you’re a small-business owner or leader wondering what you actually need to do to be protected, Scott lays out clear, practical steps you can start using right now — no tech degree required.

It’s a fascinating and empowering conversation about the future of cybersecurity and what you need to know to protect yourself and company. Hiring Scott could be your greatest defense.

Let’s get curious — with Scott Alldridge.

www.linkedin.com/in/scott-alldridge-1a976/

www.scottalldridge.com

www.amazon.com/Visible-OPS-Cybersecurity-Enhancing-Practical/dp/1964165474

Find me on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/in/krev/
www.therevellgroup.com

It was an honor to welcome Angie Simon to Curiosity with Kristen. After retiring in 2023, Angie continues to lead and inspire. She spent over 35 years at Western Allied, where she served as President and CEO, growing the company by more than 300%. She also made history as the first woman to serve as President of SMACNA, opening doors for more women in the trades.

In 2021, she launched the Heavy Metal Summer Experience—a camp introducing high school students to the trades. What started with 28 kids in 2 locations has grown to over 900 students in 51 locations across the U.S. and Canada. Her work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, CNN, and Fox News. These kids are not only learning the trades, but technology and AI!

In this episode, we explore Angie’s career pivots, her partnership with her husband—including their honeymoon at the Giants Fantasy Camp—and her vision for a more inclusive, sustainable future in construction. Enjoy!

www.linkedin.com/in/angie-simon-pe-666744/ (Angie Simon's LinkedIn)

WORKING IT OUT: Nonprofit exposes high school students to trade jobs (Angie's FOX interview)

 www.hmse.org (Heavy Metal Summer Experience website)

www.smacna.org (SMACNA website- Sheet Metal AC Contractors North America)

www.goodmorningamerica.com/video/122068430 (Good Morning America HMSE camp story)

CNN with Audie Cornish: College vs. Trades: Is a Four-Year Degree Still Worth It? (CNN Angie interivew for Heavy Metal Summer Experience)

www.goodmorningamerica.com/video/112913158 (Tiktok woman electrician with 2M+ followers)

www.smacna.org/news/member-update/article/2025/05/07/aaron-hilger-and-angie-simon-featured-in-recent-wall-street-journal-piece (Angie's Wall Street Journal article)

Find me on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/in/krev/
www.therevellgroup.com

Welcome to Curiosity with Kristen, where we explore the stories and ideas that challenge us to grow. 

Episode 63 is Chen Lizra. Chen is a TED Speaker, professional dancer, and founder of The Power of Somatic Intelligence, a groundbreaking approach that helps high achievers and leaders reconnect with their bodies, regulate their nervous systems, and transform what’s been blocking them.

Chen’s work blends neuroscience, movement, and emotional mastery to unlock confidence, purpose, and what she calls “the feminine edge” in leadership. In our conversation, we explore how tuning into the body can drive clarity, creativity, and authentic influence, especially for founders and changemakers balancing intensity, pressure, and growth.

This episode is a powerful conversation that reminds us: when we learn to feel more deeply, we can lead more boldly.

And special thanks to Lisa Theunissen for joining as our guest to explore how she can continue to unlock and grow. 

Enjoy!

www.linkedin.com/in/chenlizra/ (Chen's LinkedIn profile)

www.powerofsomaticintelligence.com (Learn more about somatic intelligence)

www.instagram.com/clizra/?hl=en (IG page)

Find me on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/in/krev/
www.therevellgroup.com

Episode 62 is with my friend, Maryann Walters, who has been redefining how she works and travels the world with her husband and dog. We met at my previous company when she was my client at TriNet as Director of Procurement. She was responsible for procurement, strategic sourcing and data transformation. She also spent about a decade at Microsoft in supply chain operations. A master of scalable change management, Maryann helps growing organizations get out of their own way so they can attract customers and investors requiring mature, compliant processes. From Microsoft to startup, from Risk Management to Legal, Procurement, Vendor and Financial Operations, Maryann has over 20 years' experience building successful compliant business operations through project management methodology.

A few years ago, she and her husband, along with their dog, decided to work remotely and travel the world. How does she do it? Listen and learn her tips. Enjoy!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryannschrupp/ (Maryann's LinkedIn)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryannschrupp/recent-activity/all/ (Check out Maryann's LI posts that share more of her travels)

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/risk-management-experts-inside-every-organization-maryann-walters-82uoc/ (Great article Maryann wrote explaining what her role does at companies)

Find me on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/in/krev/
www.therevellgroup.com