The Curious Middle

Imagine if you could travel the world, creating videos and social media content that wanderlusts all over the world consume on the daily. With more than 378,000 YouTube subscribers and a popular travel vlog, Hey Nadine, Nadine Sykora has a gig that does just that. And with travel to 49+ countries under her belt in the last 7 years, she’s a go-to for adventure advice and travel tips.

In today’s episode of I Want Her Job: The Podcast, we talk to Nadine about what it’s like to share her experiences with others on various digital channels, how she started her vlog, her best tools for creating vibrant and engaging content, and tips for others who are interested in traveling around the globe – and making a living off of it. We also talk with Nadine about her important role as a brand influencer, including her partnership with Best Western, and learn more about what she does as an influencer and why she loves her partnership with the brand.

Listen in as we ask Nadine about a few of her favorite travel adventures and find out more about her dream-worthy job.

Amanda Joy Ravenhill knew she wanted to make a large impact on our society in her day-to-day work. And she gets the opportunity to do just that as the executive director of the Buckminster Fuller Institute, an organization founded to remember and implement the ideas of R. Buckminster Fuller, a renowned 20th Century inventor and visionary. The Institute is dedicated to the same mission Buckminster Fuller had -- catalyzing transformative solutions to complex global problems through design thinking education. The Institute's programs offer a look at local needs and global trends to design a holistic approach that brings together art, science, design and technology. The organization is known for its flagship program, the Buckminster Fuller Challenge, which offers an annual $100,000 prize to support the creation and execution of a strategy that has the potential to solve humanity's most pressing problems. 

As a passionate advocate for environmental work and social justice issues, Amanda has found a job that fulfills her. Today we discuss her path that brought her to her executive director role and go deeper into her day-to-day duties in that position. We also talk about Project Drawdown, a book and digital platform she co-founded that shows the path to carbon neutrality with a positive twist. In the book, an international coalition of researchers, professionals and scientists present viable techniques and practices to halt climate change, allowing us to view the challenge as an opportunity to create a just and livable world.

In addition to her daily job, Amanda started a band --The Seastars --  with four of her close friends, who also happen to be leaders in sustainability and social impact movements. The group sings cover songs, but they adapt the lyrics to focus on the environment. We recommend you check out their fabulous cover of "Royals" by Lorde.

Please share this show with a friend, and if you enjoyed it, leave us a review on itunes. 

Heather Freiser's role as the Vice President of Brand and Content for career website, The Muse, puts her squarely in the role of creating videos and articles that share stories in unique and captivating ways. In other words, she directs the production of content that makes you want to click, listen and watch useful and interesting career advice that supports job seekers and helps those currently employed with on-the-job advice. 

Prior to her role at The Muse, Heather was a senior brand editor at Contently, and before that she served as a senior producer at Bloomberg, overseeing all production for the network's closing bell show, Street Smart. And before that she held various production roles at Fox Business Network and Fox News Channel.

Heather also is the owner, along with her husband, of a literary-themed restaurant in Atlantic Beach, New York called Beginnings. The restaurant provides diners with an immersive dining experience that is paired with a literary theme. For Beginnings events, Heather gets to dream up and create literary nights for titles such as The Godfather; Angela's Ashes; The Great Gatsby; Eat, Pray, Love and more. During these events, the entire menu, attire, and of course, the conversation, revolves around a book's theme.

In today's show Heather shares her career path, details of her day-to-day life on the job, juggling professional life while raising three young children, and tips and trends for those interested in a similar career path.

Oftentimes the answers we are searching for can be found within us. And this was certainly the case for Sadie Lincoln, the co-founder (along with her husband, Chris) and CEO of Barre3, a bar-based fitness program with more than 130 locations worldwide. Barre3, which is part of a robust $30B dollar fitness industry, is a business that is spiritually aligned with how Sadie desires women to treat their mind, soul and bodies. Barre3's classes encourage its participants to do what feels right for them. Instead of vigorously working to copy instructor-led moves, it's a place that encourages and fosters individuality. In today's show, Sadie shares with us how her unconventional upbringing in Eugene, Oregon, by a group of four women who were best friends that she affectionately calls her "aunties" shaped her future. She details how this upbringing shaped her path and ultimately, influenced the way she now runs Barre3—tapping into the collective wisdom of her tribe of employees, members, franchisees and her own inner wisdom. In fact, it was this intuition that led her from a great managerial role at 24-Hour Fitness in San Francisco where she worked for a decade learning about the industry from different angles, to a bold move to Portland with the goal of starting a business and finding the community she craved. Other topics discussed include her franchising philosophy and selection of applicants, as well as her managerial practices that help her run such a grand and successful business. If you enjoy today's show with the brilliant Sadie, please share with a friend, and please leave a review us on iTunes. As always, if you have ideas for future shows, you can reach us at podcast at iwantherjob.com.