The Curious Middle

When was the last time you were uncomfortable … purposefully uncomfortable? If you dread the feeling at all costs, then you have to hear our conversation today with Tania Katan, author of Creative Tresspassing.

 

Tania believes in mavericks. She’s a fan of getting messy. She believes you should face your fears. She wants you to be okay with being weird and unique. In the book, and in our conversation today, Tania shares her career story. She discusses the weight she felt in some of her previous jobs, and shares the moments that left her stifled and feeling alone. Tania also talks about how she began to flip those feelings upside down and by leaning in to her creativity to drive more value in her work.

In episode #108 of I Want Her Job The Podcast Tania also talks about the viral women’s empowerment campaign she co-created called #ItWasNeveraDress. In the campaign, the classic female bathroom symbol was reimagined as a cape-wearing power woman. The campaign went global and was featured in Time, New York Times, and CNN.

Learn how you can turn your job into a creative revolution. Consider today’s conversation your Cliff’s Notes on doing just that.

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Robyn Fisher really loves ice cream. As a kid, she and her family would have ice cream for those special moments in life – to bond, recover and really savor life. Fast forward to college. Robyn was in the middle of her studies and couldn't find a decent ice cream in NYC. She recalled the fresh gelato she experienced in Italy and realized that while gourmet coffee was taking off, there was a gap in the market for fresh ice cream. This realization set her life path toward the founding of Smitten Ice Cream.

After graduating from business school, Robyn found an engineer willing to work for equity for two years on creating a better ice cream machine, Brrr, a liquid nitrogen machine with six patents and a secret formula for gourmet ice cream.

This led to the creation of the Today Smitten makes every ice cream batch to order. You read that right – nothing is frozen until the customer orders it.

In this episode of I Want Her Job The Podcast, Robyn shares her motivations that led to Smitten and discusses how starting Smitten gave her a life purpose and a job she truly loves. You also will hear Robyn's unforgettable story of selling her first batch of ice cream in 2009 in a San Francisco park while using a Radio Flyer Wagon attached to a nitrogen machine and motorcycle battery held together with a bungee cord. After spending two years on the idea and her entire savings, Robyn gave herself two weeks to test if there was a market for her product. It was the depth of the recession, but instead of giving up or finding reasons why her idea wouldn't work, Robyn tried her idea on a serious budget, tweeting the location of her Radio Flyer ice cream. Robyn's experiment worked, and people showed up, a lot of people. That experiment changed Robyn's life and showed her there was a market for authentic food made with passion.

Today, you can experience Smitten ice cream in five stores in the Bay Area. Beginning in March 2020, wherever you are in the U.S., you will able to give your loved ones the sweetest surprise by making them a unique ice cream flavor. "Spoon me" and "You dumped his ass" are examples of custom ice cream flavors.

Robyn's story is the perfect example of having the courage and passion to follow an idea despite the odds or large competitors. Robyn innovated on an existing product, created a unique experience and built a business based on passion, integrity and smiles. If you have dreams of starting your own business, Robyn's story offers plenty inspiration to get you thinking differently about the possibilities.

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Guest Co-Host Willow Older, Co-Founder of @today.i.noticed

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Need some inspiration about getting involved with an issue you're passionate about? You'll find plenty in today's interview with Shannon Watts. After the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Shannon was devastated. Like many of us, she assumed the horrific tragedy would provoke outrage and change. When legislative and social change didn't appear, and the status quo remained solidly in place, Shannon channeled her outrage and grief by starting a Facebook page for her few dozen online friends. Almost 7 years later, that single page has evolved into Moms Demand Action – a political powerhouse and one of the largest grassroots organizations in the country.

In today's conversation, I Want Her Job The Podcast Host Polina Selyutin and Guest Co-Host Willow Older discuss Shannon's new book, Fight Like a Mother, which is part memoir, part manual, and part manifesto. We talk about Shannon's journey as an accidental activist and find out how Moms Demand Action is changing perceptions and creating unlikely allies in the battle for common sense gun safety legislation.

Shannon also shares how she manages to rise above cynicism, despite unprecedented rates of gun violence. We learn why "losing forward" is a crucial part of reaching big, long-term goals. And we find out how Moms Demand Action is developing volunteer leaders across the nation.

To contact the show reach out to: [email protected]

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Guest Co-Host Willow Older, Co-Founder of @today.i.noticed

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Sometimes we know from the moment we’re young people, just exactly what job we want to have when we grow up. When she was only 6-years-old, Jenni Kayne attended a fashion show with her mom. It was love at first catwalk spin. While still young, Jenni learned to sew. She continued to follow her heart throughout her years in a creative high school, and at only 19-years-old, Jenni launched her own design label, Jenni Kayne.

Now, her California-inspired design line of effortless staples crafted to stand the test of time.

Sometimes we know from the moment we’re young people, just exactly what job we want to have when we grow up. When she was only 6-years-old, Jenni Kayne attended a fashion show with her mom. It was love at first catwalk spin. While still young, Jenni learned to sew. She continued to follow her heart throughout her years in a creative high school, and at only 19-years-old, Jenni launched her own design label, Jenni Kayne.

Now, her California-inspired design line of effortless staples crafted to stand the test of time, can be found in seven cities, online and at Nordstrom, She's also out with a new home line, new knits for kids, and a new book – Pacific Natural: Simple Seasonal Entertaining. Next year, Jenni has five more store openings planned and revenue that proves her brand continues to shine bright.

In today’s conversation, I Want Her Job Podcast Co-Founder Polina talks to Jenni about her brand that aims to “simplify and elevate the everyday.” Jenni shares how she elevates her everyday life, and offers tips for how you can do the same – even when on a budget. Her line, which promises style and quality season after season, is beautiful. And it reminds us that a thoughtful approach to living is within reach to all who believe that details matter.

To contact the show reach out to: [email protected] 

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Have you ever wondered what it takes to make a career switch? Or, have you wondered what to do to make that career switch successful – and not a complete disaster? We sat down with a woman who wrote the book on the art of a career transition – literally. Dr. Dawn Graham is author of Switchers: How Smart Professionals Change Careers and Seize Success. She's also a coach for the Wharton School's Executive MBA program and host of Career Talk on SiriusXM channel 132. In today's episode of I Want Her Job The Podcast Dawn answers your top career transition questions.

Questions discussed include:

Should I go back to school?

How do I pass an interview in a new career track?

How do I know if my job switch is worth it?

Today's episode shares advice from Dawn that is practical and will help you think through your career switch. And with advanced degrees in counseling psychology, her training allows her to understand the fears, doubts or mistakes that can often block us from making the career switch our souls want us to make.

Clarity comes through action, Dawn tells I Want Her Job The Podcast Co-Founder Polina. Learn how Dawn's advice can help you test out the new career role you are considering. Then, hear guidance from Dawn about what to do when you get an interview, how to show your dedication for a new role, and more.

To contact the show reach out to: [email protected]

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Making decisions is critical for any CEO. But today’s Leading Lady has a Master’s in the art.

In this episode of I Want Her Job: The Podcast, Denyelle Bruno, CEO of Los-Angeles based health-conscious restaurant Tender Greens talks to us about the importance of ensuring that senior leaders understand how vital it is to ensure that decisions are received and understood throughout multiple levels of an organization. And, she would know a thing or two about this, because in addition to her current role, she previously served as president of retail operations for Drybar, where she led the opening of 55 locations. And if that wasn’t impressive enough, in addition to that, Denyelle also was one of only seven people who worked with Steve Jobs to open the first 25 Apple stores. Her career experience also includes roles as vice president of retail for PUREBEAUTY and at Peet’s Coffee & Tea in vice president roles focused on retail strategy and market expansion, as well as retail marketing and operations.

The advice that comes from a career tenure like Denyelle’s is gold. And, after all of her experience, one of the most important pieces of advice she has for all of us is simple, yet gutsy:

Ask for the role you want. As Denyelle shares in our conversation, almost every role in her successful career has resulted from her asking for it.

It’s an important lesson to remember, especially as many of us often think that if we just work hard enough, and broaden our skill set and experience, then the offers will come directly to us. And while this happens sometimes, what we’ve been reminded of during our chat with Denyelle is that if you really want the job, ask for it. But first, listen to today’s episode for tips on how to ask for it from the expert herself. After all, you never know if this could be the move that changes the course of your career … forever.

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Ever since she was younger, Laura Rutledge has been the living embodiment of the mentality “Can’t stop, won’t stop.” Growing up, she was a serious ballet dancer and focused on music. And, in a way, she says ballet and music were almost like her first job, because through them she was always working so hard to get to that next opportunity. Whether it was a scholarship or a professional job as a ballet dancer, they were her goals, so working toward them became her job.

 

Ballet requires a level of perfection, Laura tells us in today’s conversation. And it was a level that required her to stay focused on one goal at a time. She credits this thought process for benefitting her career today at ESPN. At the network, Laura is the co-anchor of morning show Get Up!, one of the lead reporters for the network’s college sports coverage, and the host of SEC Nation every fall on SEC Network. And, in August she debuted The Moment with Laura Rutledge, a new show on SEC Network about making sports fans’ dreams come true.

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Laura also is one of ESPN’s College Football Playoff reporters, and was assigned to the CFP semi-finals the past two seasons. She is a reporter for the network’s marquee Super Tuesday college basketball games and serves as the network’s lead reporter for the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament. Elsewhere in the world of college spots, Laura also covered the SEC Softball Tournament and NCAA Women’s College World Series. She’s also ESPN’s lead reporter for the SEC Baseball Tournament and NCAA College World Series. In addition, Laura has anchored many episodes of SportsCenter and Baseball Tonight, and she’s worked as a red carpet host at the ESPYS last year and this year. Last fall, she made her NFL reporting debut on Monday Night Football.

 

Just a week ago Laura received a new title – Mom – giving birth to her first baby, a daughter named Reese Katherine Rutledge. It was the perfect birthday gift for a mom, who will now forever share her birthday with her daughter.

 

Read on to learn how one of the hardest working women in sports organizes her day, fights off sick days, prepares for a handful of shows, and manages to look incredibly chic and classy in the process.

 

Lydia Fenet undoubtedly has a dream job. In her role as managing director and global director of strategic partnerships at the famed auction house Christie's. Lydia's role combines travel, strategy, art and social impact. In addition to living a life full of art and adventure, Lydia has raised more than half a billion dollars for over 400 non-profits worldwide as the leading benefit auctioneer in the country. In our conversation, Lydia reveals how she has used her work ethic and her unique skills of humor and persuasion to become a leading auctioneer. We also talk about her first book, The Most Powerful Women in The Room is You, where she shares the mindset and day-to-day tactics she used to land her first dream job as an intern. We also talk about the time Matt Damon accidentally called her Lindsey … and how one could possibly navigate that situation?! (With a classic response, of course.) Lydia also discusses one of her favorite events she's worked on – leading a benefit with Bruce Springsteen at Madison Square Garden in front of an audience of 6,000. Dream job? Check. Most powerful women in the room? Double check. If you have your heart set on a dream job, Lydia's entire career path is a roadmap that can be transferred toward any big career goal.

We've all been through heartache and heartbreak, but today's guest on I Want Her Job: The Podcast has made a career of it. Amy Chan is the Founder of Renew Breakup Bootcamp, a retreat that takes a scientific and spiritual approach to healing the heart. She is also the Editor-in-Chief of JustMyType.ca an online magazine that focuses on the psychology behind love, lust and desire. In our conversation, Amy shares how a painful break up led her to the idea for starting her thriving business focused on love and healing. We discuss how Amy's research on love dating changed her life and set her on a mission to help others, while running a successful business. You will love this episode if you are curious about different dating attachment styles, common mistakes, and the single most important thing each of us can do to get on a happier, and more loving path. After listening to Amy's passion for how love and psychology are connected, it will be obvious why Marie Claire calls Amy, "A relationship expert whose work is like that of a scientific Carrie Bradshaw." Her company has been featured across national media including Good Morning America, Vogue, Glamour, Nightline and the front page of The New York Times. We can't wait for you to listen and to have Amy back on our show to discuss her upcoming book, Breakup Bootcamp – The Science to Rewiring Your Heart.

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The mission of Megan O’Connor’s company is empowering: We build educators into entrepreneurs. The company she co-founded, Clark, gives tutors and educators an online platform with tools for opening and managing an education business. For example, if you decided you wanted to start a side business tutoring, you could join Clark to automate scheduling, payment management, monitor student progress, find client leads, and get support from others with similar businesses. Clark also has added a content platform that facilitates sharing and collaboration among tutors on content ideas. Clark is the perfect example of technology enabling business owners to improve where they spend their time, and increase their revenue, impact and reach. Clark was even featured on Apple's Planet of the Apps, and as a result received venture funding and the opportunity to work with Gary Vaynerchuk to perfect their platform. 

Some of the best startups are created when the founders are passionate about solving a problem. While growing up, Megan watched her mother – a school teacher – struggle with the demands of her personal tutoring business. When Megan realized there wasn’t a solution on the market to help her mom reduce time spent on administrative tasks with her tutoring business, the seed for Clark was planted. Today, Clark has 11 full-time employees, funding from leading venture investors, and ambitious plans to continue its work of creating powerful tools that empower the people doing some of the most important work there is, our educators.