Make Me Known with Heather Adams

On today's episode, Heather sits down with one of our long-term and favorite clients, podcast host, speaker, and author, Mary Marantz. Mary has been a Choice client for years now, all the while working towards her dream of becoming an author. That dream came true in the last year, and this episode releases just one day before Mary's first book publishes. Her memoir is called "Dirt: Growing Strong Roots in What Makes the Broken Beautiful," and it chronicles Mary's journey from a literal dirt floor in the mountains of West Virginia to the halls of Yale Law School. Mary and Heather talk about "Dirt," of course, but they also talk about how we deal with the difficult parts of our stories, the beauty of second drafts, the legacy of work ethic, the labels we receive as children that haunt us in adulthood, the power we give shame, and what success looks like when you "have it all."

Heather is joined today by one of Nashville music industry's dynamic duo, Beth and Luke Laird. Founders of music publishing company Creative Nation, Beth and Luke work with songwriters and artists to develop their talents and help them achieve their goals. Luke is a successful songwriter in his own right, having written songs you know well, including 24 #1 singles. He's won multiple Grammys and has been named Songwriter of the Year for both BMI and the Academy of Country Music. Beth has been named one of Billboard's Country Power Players and one of the top women in Music City by Nashville Business Journal. Beth, Luke, and Heather discuss working with your spouse, finding and keeping joy at work, writing Matt Adams' favorite, "Drink In My Hand," with Eric Church, prioritizing yourself while owning a business and being a mom, the impact of therapy, starting a family band, road trippin' in an RV, and Luke's debut album, Music Row, releasing on September 18.

Heather speaks with an exceptional guest on today's episode: her very own career mentor Pamela Clements. Pamela is a legend in the publishing world, having worked at some of the biggest names in book publishing, inducing Thomas Nelson, Hachette, and Abingdon Press. Heather and Pamela share how their personal relationship began and evolved and the power of Pamela's influence on Heather's career trajectory. They discuss empowering your team through compassionate leadership, being a female colleague in a male-dominated industry, how to navigate job changes and stepping up in your career, and being grateful for new opportunities when you lose an old one. Whether you are content in your current job or looking for the next right thing, we hope that Pamela's wise words will be a gift to you during this uncertain season.

We have a special episode today! Heather is joined by two of her closest industry friends, Velvet Kelm and Jennifer Jenkins. Velvet, the founder and president of The Media Collective, has been in the PR industry for nearly three decades, and she specializes in music publicity. Jennifer, the founder and President of JJPR Agency, was named Top 40 Under 40 by Mobile Bay Magazine, and she specializes in storytelling, brand management, and business-to-business publicity. Their relationships with each other span years. On today's episode, Heather, Velvet, and Jennifer discuss navigating COVID-19 as a business owner, leadership during crisis, social media and traditional media trends right now, and how to pivot messaging as the pandemic continues to change, among other topics in the small business.

Heather is joined today by Julie Couch, a renowned Nashville-based interior designer. Julie is a committed wife, mother of two, a member of the Southern Living Designer Network, and one of Traditional Home's 10 Rising Stars. She is also a television veteran who charmed audiences on DIY Network series "Nashville Flipped." Julie is passionate about creating curated and collected homes that are livable, affordable, and reflect each person's style. On today's episode, Heather and Julie discuss letting go of perfection, encouraging our daughters and sons to release pressure as they get older, how to freshen your home while you are stuck in it, navigating loss, and so many more great tips from such a sought-after, accomplished designer.

On today's mini-episode, Heather shares all the details about our upcoming Choice Summit! On Friday, September 25, Choice will host our second Summit, bringing together communications industry professionals, small business owners, influencers, managers and leaders for an intimate day of professional growth and development, vulnerable conversation, and linking arms with others in their industries. Heather shares with listeners what last year's inaugural event was like and what to expect from this year's event.

Today, Heather is joined by former Vice President of Talent and Sustainability for Chick-fil-A, author, and speaker Dee Ann Turner. A 33-year veteran and the first female officer of Chick-fil-A, Dee Ann now speaks and writes about how to retain talent, hire well, and lead with impact. Heather and Dee Ann talk about how to take care of yourself and your employees during uncertain times, leading through crisis, navigating layoffs or preparing for job loss, the three C's of hiring and building a strong team, developing culture in an organization, advice for recent graduates, and so much more!

Today, Heather sits down with one of our beloved clients, Kumiko Love, to talk all things finances! Kumiko, also known as The Budget Mom, is an Accredited Financial Counselor and single mom who paid off $77,000 in debt across eight months. She now shares her personal journey, the tools she used to pay off debt, and money-saving strategies with millions of followers online, all with one goal: to empower women everywhere to regain control of their financial lives. Heather and Kumiko talk about sustaining a budget during a pandemic, prioritizing savings during uncertain times, giving ourselves grace, teaching kids about money management, the importance of gratitude, and so much functional advice for navigating our current season.

On today's episode, Heather speaks with David Thomas, a father of three, co-author of eight books, co-host of the Raising Boys and Girls Podcast, therapist, and Director of Family Counseling at Daystar Counseling in Nashville. Heather and Matt have been working with Daystar for nearly five years, and they truly believe in the wisdom that every person at Daystar brings to raising children. Heather and David talk about the collective anxiety of the pandemic on our culture, back-to-school worries and how those are different this year, how to speak with your children about what's happening right now, the beauty of family meetings, among many, many other topics for parents.

On today's episode, Heather is joined by two exceptional guests: co-founder of Brownicity, author, educator, and Ted Talk speaker Lucretia Berry, Ph.D., and author, speaker, founder of Sip & Savor, and co-host of the Why Tho Podcast, Tiffany Bluhm. Lucretia, Tiffany, and Heather discuss building community and intentional connection (sisterhood) with women who don't look like us, how to talk with and teach children about race, and how to take responsibility for the future of race in our country.