Create Your Life Series

CYLS 136: Limitless: A CTO’s Truth in Defining Herself in Her Industry & Life with Melissa Wahnish

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Episode Summary

Melissa Wahnish went from comedian/actress to Founder/developer. This leap may seem unexpected, but Melissa is a rockstar! Finding time to run several companies with her husband, Todd, participate in Meetups, and raise a family, Melissa gives advice on all matter of issues that women may encounter at work. From overcoming the feeling of imposter syndrome to using her acting skills in her CEO role, her advice is crucial to anyone starting out in a new career and those looking to advance in the workforce.

 

Kevin Y. Brown

Kevin Y. Brown is a National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) Center For Public Trust (CPT) “Being A Difference” award recipient, international speaker, entrepreneur, and author.  The former MTV Networks host and NYC fashion marketer has created an international following as a speaker on personal excellence, effective communication, and leadership. Kevin has been featured by Black Enterprise magazine as a “Modern Man of Distinction” and highlighted in various publications for his self-help speaking work and helping students graduate college debt-free.  Recognized for his commitment to empowering foster care youth and as a foster care system alumnus, he has also delivered the keynote address at the International Foster Care Organizations Conference in Sydney, Australia and Osaka, Japan.  Kevin is currently the creator/host of Sirius XM’s “Create Your Life” series, a fellow in the New York Chapter of the Startup Leadership Program, and an active member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. 

 

Melissa Wahnish

Melissa Wahnish is a professional comedic actress turned hacker/developer. Using her self-taught programming skills, she founded Ruby Thursdays, a free weekly online show that gives junior rail developers tutorials, tips, and tricks to help them grow. Melissa organizes the Dev Dialogue meet-up which is the longest running Ruby Meetup in New York City. Along with her husband, Todd Wahnish, Melissa is the Co-Founder of Gigtilt.com, a service that simplifies and automates online payments. When she’s not leading development through innovation, Melissa enjoys sci-fi and knitting.

 

Insights From the Episode

  • Secrets to crafting your skills outside of your business.
  • How to use networking to hone in on what works best for you.
  • Melissa shares two critical experiences that helped her improve as a developer when she was just starting out.
  • Strategies for standing out from your peers at work.
  • Strategies for getting your first job, as a junior developer.
  • Secrets to overcoming the biggest personal challenges you may face in your career.
  • Melissa gives advice to young women looking to make waves as engineers, CTOs, and founders of companies.
  • How to silence the naysayers.

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    Quotes From the Show

    • “It’s always about bringing people joy.” - Melissa Wahnish, Create Your Life Series, #136
    • “You do the best you can at the things you can control.” - Melissa Wahnish, Create Your Life Series, #136
    • “It’s definitely about being that thought leader. So it’s about getting your name out there and being a part of the community.” - Melissa Wahnish, Create Your Life Series, #136
    • “Do the customer development, even when you’re building for yourself, so that you can serve others.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #136
    • “That’s been the biggest thing, is really to own what you can do and what you’ve done. Just to own it as opposed to thinking you can’t do it.” - Melissa Wahnish, Create Your Life Series, #136

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      Resources Mentioned

      • Startup Leadership Program
      • General Assembly courses
      • Meetup
      • Dev Dialogue Meetup
      • Trello
      • Ruby Thursday
      • Gigtilt
      • Aarting

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        Favorite Book

        • The Lord of the Rings Series by J.R.R. Tolkien

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          Favorite Quote

          • “It’s never boring.”

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            Keys to Create Your Best Life

            • Own your accomplishments.
            • Speak your mind.
            • Choose something that makes you happy and joyful.

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              Stay Connected

              Create Your Life Series

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              Kevin Y Brown

              www.kevinybrown.com

              www.instagram.com/kevinybrown

              www.twitter.com/kevinybrown

              www.facebook.com/kevbrown001

               

              Melissa Wahnish

              [email protected]

               

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              This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)

               

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              Create Your Life SeriesBy Kevin Y. Brown
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