The Curious Middle

Jessica Jackson Sloan is the youngest-ever elected official in the charming city of Mill Valley, California, located just 14 miles north of San Francisco. In her role as vice mayor of the city where she grew up, Jessica works on local politics. That would be enough of an accomplishment for many to be satisfied, but not Jessica, who has deep life experiences that motivated her to spend her time helping those less fortunate.

As national director of #cut50, a truly bipartisan initiative to end mass incarceration, Jessica works with her colleagues and a team of notable influencers (like Alicia Keys and Richard Branson) to cut the prison population in the United States by half within the next 10 years. The organization works to raise the issue in media and inform others that the issue has become massive – and not only is a huge resource suck in our society, but also one that has the potential for alternative options that would keep our communities safer.

Prior to her dual jobs, Jessica worked on death penalty cases, saying that when serving those on death row, "You see the worst of the worst of the system … Unfortunately the client pays the ultimate price … their life." It was this background that prompted Jessica to join politics in the first place, as she had a desire to move into policy work to broaden her impact.

In episode 18 of I Want Her Job: The Podcast, we hear about how Jessica's very personal story led her to law school and then her work on death penalty cases and eventually, at #cut50 and for the city of Mill Valley. Her story is one you'll want to hear.

TOPICS DISCUSSED IN TODAY'S SHOW:

• On Campaign Fundraising: Despite her experience with nonprofit fundraising, Jessica says that raising money for her campaign felt harder. "You have to sell yourself. If it's an issue you're passionate [about] and you've already been sold on [it], then it's kind of easier to sell than to sell yourself, and brag on yourself, and ask close friends and family for money," she says.
• Taking Action: One issue Jessica felt passionate about that she took action on as an elected official dealt with smoking in multi-family housing. While living in multi-family housing herself, Jessica's neighbor fell asleep – cigarette in mouth – and burned down the neighboring apartment, as well as half of Jessica's apartment – including her daughter's room. Fortunately, she and her daughter were gone at the time. In addition to her personal experience, Jessica pointed out that the complications of smoke for neighbors with conditions like asthma, and the fact that many of these units share central air made smoking a problem. The ordinance is now passed, and tenants of multi-family housing can no longer smoke.
• On Thinking Local: "It feels like sometimes when you're working on bigger issues on a national or state scale, things take a really long time to get done. On the local level, there's an immediate return on your investment of energy," Jessica says.
• Day In The Life: While Jessica attends official meetings on the first and third Monday of each month, she's called on throughout the week to attend additional meetings, including participation in additional boards she shits on and the democratic party. When not working on city politics, Jessica spends her time leading #cut50 and taking care of her family.
• By The Numbers: The United States has 5 percent of the world's population, yet it comprises 25 percent of the world's incarcerated population. The U.S. is jailing people at a rate higher than any country.
• Cost Versus Return: More than $80 billion is spent on the U.S. justice system in one year. "With that $80 billion a year, you would think that we're taking individuals and turning out Harvard grads … In fact, the majority of people who get out of the prison system end up back in within five years, with our recidivism rates around 70 to 80 percent," Jessica says.
• On Cut50: Right now the nonprofit is focused on federal sentencing reform, Jessica says. The nonprofit has worked the past 18 months to call on Congress to pass comprehensive justice reform. Of the 2.2 million incarcerated individuals in the U.S. right now, only about 200,000 are in the federal system. Despite this, Jessica says that Cut50 decided to start at the federal level to send a strong message to states and governors.
• How To Get Involved: Get informed by visiting cut50.org. You also can join more than 1 million other individuals and sign the petition for justice reform on change.org. Also, Jessica advises to start local – look at practices employed by your local Sheriff's Office and police. Vote for district attorneys and judges that align with reform.
• Hitting Home: Jessica shares her personal story of dealing with incarceration. Her then-husband served more than three years in Georgia, right after her oldest daughter was born. "I saw firsthand how corrupt the system was, how they broke our family by charging excessive amounts for phone calls … the restrictions they put on visitation and whether or not I could bring the baby in … restrictions on even things like writing letters … All of this was because he had a drug problem, and he could have gotten help with rehabilitation, but instead he was incarcerated and never got that treatment he really needed," she says.
• On Working Bi-Partisan: Running a bi-partisan organization can be tricky. But Jessica tells those on both sides of the aisle, "When it was my husband who was behind bars, and my child who was growing up without their child at home, I didn't' care whether it was a Republican who brought my husband home, or if it was a Democrat who brought him home, I just wanted him home."
• Getting Into Government: Jessica's advice for women considering jobs in local government is to be brave, have the ability to laugh at yourself, allow yourself to make mistakes and then learn from those moments.
• On The Topic: Podcast editor Polina recommends everyone read Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson to learn more about the issue of incarceration.
• Connect With #cut50: You can show your support by following #cut50 on Facebook and Twitter and by donating here.

Couture paper design artist Tanja Maduzia is a modern-day crafts(wo)man. As the owner of byTanja, a couture paper design studio based in Los Angeles, Tanja specializes in event invitations for special occasions from parties, to weddings and showers. Well known in Hollywood circles, Tanja has worked with big-name clients including Steven Spielberg, Bradley Cooper, Christina Aguilera, Jake Gyllenhaal and Jonah Hill. She’s also a frequent featured DIY-er on ABC’s The List.

When it comes to the creative process, Tanja believes we should all step away from the computer. “Part of my creativity is that I’m always moving around and physically making things,” she says. “I purposely am a bit disconnected.”

In episode 17 of I Want Her Job: The Podcast, Editor Polina Selyutin and Tanja discuss nurturing creativity, building a business from scratch and sources of inspiration. You might even be surprised, like we were, to learn that Tanja bucks the status quo when it comes to inspiration boards. Listen on to find out why, and hear Tanja’s thoughts on the importance of work ethic.

TOPICS DISCUSSED IN TODAY'S SHOW:

• Making A Connection: Despite her success, we love how Tanja stays grounded. She tells us how she always carries greeting cards on her, and admits that at times, she’ll even pitch people on her services in the card aisle of a grocery store! We love that hustle. 
• Getting Started: Some clients have a proposal, and others have no idea what they want. “In the custom world there really is no ‘normal’ and you just have to go with the flow,” Tanja says.
• On The Creative Process: “I have binders that I’ve put together of fonts, or color schemes, or anything that inspires me,” Tanja says. Sometimes her creative process will start with a font. Other times it will begin with a photo. Either way, Tanja likes to get a few descriptive adjectives from her clients to kick-start the process.
• All Together Now: “I know a lot of people like inspiration boards … I don’t like to put them [photos] on the wall, because I think sometimes when you’re looking at something a little too long, it loses its charm. I put everything together in a binder,” Tanja says.
• On Inspiration Seeking: Tanja explains how she finds ideas in everyday life – like the font on a menu to storefronts and trees.
• Taking It Back: From redesigning lamps to styling window displays, Tanja shares how her family’s antique business developed her skills and love of design. 
• On Cultural Influences: Tanja’s grandparents were born in a small cobblestone village in Croatia and left to avoid the conflicts there. But, before their dream to enter the United States came true, the two spent nearly 10 years in a refugee camp.
• In Her Blood: Tanja’s grandmother worked in Seattle filleting fish after moving to the States. “She was actually very famous. She taught other companies because she had the least amount of waste. Earlier on in my career my grandmother passed, and I was [talking] with one of her friends asking, ‘Why was she so good at her job?’” Tanja says. “And one of the women told me, ‘She was consistent in the way she worked and the speed at which she worked. She wasn’t the fastest, but she made a consistent pace throughout the entire day, so she never burned herself out. She did the same day of work at the beginning of the day as at the end.’ That really struck me, and I think about that every single time I make projects.”
• Ultimate Dinner Party: Tanja explains why, if she could get any other four women together for dinner, the guest list would include Martha Stewart, Vogue Australia’s Christine Centenera, Goldie Hawn and Dolly Parton. 
• Favorite Resources: A book Tanja recommends for all entrepreneurs is How to Set-Up Your Business For Under $1,000 by Dan Fleyshman and Branden Hampton. Other favorite authors include Joel Osteen and Norman Vincent Peale. She also recommends The Secret to Success Podcast by the “Hip Hop Preacher” Eric Thomas.
• More Information: Read Tanja’s I Want Her Job Leading Lady interview from 2012.
• Connect: [email protected]; @byTanja on Twitter; @by_Tanja on Instagram; and @byTanja on Snapchat.

Many of us feel like we hit the lottery when we land our dream job. But today's podcast guest has held a handful of dream jobs for some majorly crush-worthy companies.

The last time we featured Rachel Hofstetter on I Want Her Job, her book about foodie entrepreneurs, Cooking Up A Business, was fresh off the press and stirring up quite the media buzz. She also had just launched guesterly, a memorable approach to introducing all of the special people at your special events – from weddings to bar mitzvahs – with her husband Lorne. Then last fall, guesterly was acquired by Chatbooks, makers of "super easy $8 photo books" and Rachel became vice president of marketing for the brand.

This veteran food editor of O, The Oprah Magazine also found the time to share what she learned about crafting that perfect pitch while working at the publication and launched PR School, an online course, with former Leading Lady Angela Jia Kim.

In episode 16 of I Want Her Job: The Podcast, Editor Polina Selyutin speaks with Rachel about pitching a business idea, managing a startup and her work/life balance philosophy.

TOPICS DISCUSSED IN TODAY'S SHOW:

• On Testing A Business Idea: Rachel believes in starting as small as you can, because ideas shift and change so much.
• That Work/Life Balance: "You can do anything for a season of life," Rachel says. By writing from 5:30 to 7:30 a.m. every day for eight months, this mindset was the secret that helped Rachel complete her book while still holding down a full-time job.
• #HashtagInspo: Rachel coined 2015 her #YearOfHustle, and used that mentality to push herself – fully knowing that she was going to work harder than she ever worked before. Her other motivation tip? This defined time period helped give her the motivation to keep going.
• Discover Utah: Her 2015 hashtag was so motivating that she decided to make 2016 the #YearOfUtah, which she says for her is all about loving the awesome thing about where you are. (Rachel is Utah-based these days.) She says she sees moving to another city as an opportunity to "game another world."
• New York State Of Mind: Rachel's move to New York City at age 21 had a life-changing impact. Being surrounded by the doers and creators striving to make something and find out who they wanted to be made her who she is today. She advises moving somewhere when you're young and don't know anyone. "It will make you dream bigger and do more things," she says.
• Give, Give, Get: Those three words will alter your whole PR strategy, says Rachel. She advises those seeking more PR to think about how you can create a win-win situation when reaching out to the media. Outlets want a great story, so think about how you can stand out in a big way. After all, she says, only a handful out of the 400 pitches she'd see in a day made the inbox cut.
• On Landing Your Dream Job: Create the opportunity for yourself, and "chisel" into your dream job, Rachel says. Don't wait on others to give it to you.
• Eat A Frog, Sail A Ship: Here's Rachel's secret to time management: Do the hardest thing first. (Eat the frog.) Then, "sail a ship," – put out new things every single day.
• Favorite Resources: PR School, Daily Action Planner, The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni
• Learn More: Connect with Rachel on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Chatbooks on Twitter and Instagram. And, find guesterly on Twitter and Instagram, too!

What if you could find an employer that not only allowed – but embraced – flexible work options? Enter The Second Shift, a business launched in 2014 to serve as a digital matchmaker for businesses seeking on-demand talent with professional women looking for flexible employment opportunities, including consulting and freelancing, in the fields of marketing and finance. Founded by Jenny Galluzzo and Gina Hadley, The Second Shift has caught the attention of female creatives and the media alike. (Editor’s Note: “Helping Moms Lean In, But Not Too Far” on the duo in The New York Times is a must-read.) Membership for the service is free, with The Second Shift taking a small percentage from both employer and employee once an individual is contracted.

Even prior to founding The Second Shift, Jenny and Gina had vibrant careers. Jenny worked as a television producer, booker and on-air reporter for Good Morning America, News 12 The Bronx and Plum TV. She even started her own vintage caftan clothing line, Mayer Studio. Gina hailed from the world of advertising, and before having children worked as a creative coordinator at Ogilvy & Mather on the IBM account. After becoming a mom, however, Gina embraced the life of an entrepreneur – working at Ads.com, launching and selling Urban Monkeys and launching another company, Gina Hadley Consulting.

In episode 15 of I Want Her Job: The Podcast, Editor Polina Selyutin speaks with Jenny and Gina about testing a concept prior to launch, bucking the 9-to-5 status quo, secrets to startup success and more.

TOPICS DISCUSSED IN TODAY'S SHOW:

• On Building A Business: Since founding The Second Shift, Jenny and Gina have staffed more than 100 projects and currently work with more than 70 companies. This year, they’re on track to double, if not triple, those numbers.
• Secrets To Startup Success: Jenny and Gina started small – testing The Second Shift concept for a year before launching saying, “Every time we did something, we did it very thoughtfully and pragmatically … We wanted to prove this concept without spending an enormous amount of money on development.”
• The Way We See It: While many companies still have a ‘bed check’ mentality, The Second Shift feels confident that women placed on projects will find a way to deliver excellent results based on their preferred schedules. Change is difficult, the ladies say and, “For a lot of people, they have a lot invested in the status quo … We are trying to disrupt the way businesses look at this kind of talent. We are asking companies to change the way they look at hiring practices. We really are creating the supply and demand.”
• Why It Works: While larger companies are often fully invested in the status quo, the needs of smaller companies are changing quickly. Because of this, many of these companies are open to flexible, project-based roles.
• Dipping A Toe In: When you want to test a new job opportunity or industry, Jenny suggests, “Try it out for a little bit and build up your tolerance.”
• Advice For Fellow Working Women: Jenny and Gina encourage women to stay involved in their careers, regardless of the job size or role, because it’s vital to stay engaged with the job market.
• Parting Lessons: 1/ Just keep swimming! “The moment will pass and you don’t want to have made any decisions that are going to negatively impact that.” 2/ Pay it forward. “If you’re listening to this, and you have the opportunity to hire someone through our network, you can help create that opportunity for them and get the best.” 
• Favorite Business Book: The Lean Startup
• Learn More: Connect with The Second Shift on Twitter and Facebook or email them at [email protected]

Caroline took a leap from a career in investment banking to one launching a high-end luxury retail line that sold in more than 400 stores worldwide from Neiman Marcus to Bloomingdales. But that was only the first chapter in this now-established entrepreneur’s startup career.

When this first company failed two years later, Carolyn wasn’t deterred. Instead, she launched a multi-million dollar interactive marketing agency, Cake Communications. And, she also used the failure as an opportunity to give a very real and very vulnerable TEDx talk.

Today Carolyn is running global women’s collaborative accelerator, Circular Board, a virtual, 12-week program. “[As] an entrepreneur myself, I’ve helped raise billions of dollars in capital through my work as an investment banker for JPMorgan and as founder of Cake Communications,” she says. In her role, Carolyn teaches others how to do the same, and she serves as an advocate for women in business, connecting female entrepreneurs to the capital, resources, mentors and partners to fuel their growth.

Additionally, Carolyn serves on the board of the Texas A&M Mays College of Business, as a member of the Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network and as a United Nations Global Accelerator delegate. She is the recipient of the American Express Micro to Millions Award, a Sam Walton Emerging Entrepreneur and an Entrepreneur magazine 2016 “Woman to Watch.” She’s also been featured in The Huffington Post, Fortune, Time and on MSNBC, among others.

In episode 14 of I Want Her Job: The Podcast, Editor Polina Selyutin speaks with Carolyn about the lessons learned from launching two businesses; her goals for growing Circular Board; and the vital importance of connection, collaboration and curiosity.

TOPICS DISCUSSED IN TODAY'S SHOW:

• Who Run The World? Girls!: “All of us reap the rewards when women succeed. It’s job creation. It’s economic growth. It’s social impact. There are so many different benefits that we achieve when women succeed. It isn’t just about gender equality, but about quality of life for each and every person.”
• Breaking Barriers: Carolyn discusses the difficulty many female entrepreneurs face when they look to relocate for an accelerator program, and shares how Circular Board is the ultimate answer to that conundrum.
• Get There Quicker: For entrepreneurs, Carolyn advises not to compromise on the big vision and to seek funding earlier to achieve that vision. “What happens is [women] compromise that vision because they don’t have the resources on hand today, and they start to bootstrap in a way that changes that path.”
• Ladies Leading: “Women are incredible leaders. We are really empathetic. We understand our customers in a real unique way, which I think is a huge advantage,” Carolyn says.
• Give And Get: During Carolyn’s business experience, she noticed women didn’t ask for enough help often enough. She addresses that at Circular Board via a “Give and Get” exercise that encourages women to practice asking for help.
• On Diversity: “When you bring that to the table it creates this infusion of energy, and people start bouncing ideas off one another and bring a different lens to a problem,” Carolyn says.
• The Hardest Part Of Starting A Business: Carolyn believes the middle stage is the hardest part – when your company is growing and one needs the capital to hire, but doesn’t have the funds yet to do so.
• Let It Go: How transparency, honesty and letting go of fear can liberate an entrepreneur to grow even faster.
• Word Of Mouth Cultivation: Carolyn shares how she used referrals to grow her businesses and reduce marketing costs.
• That X Factor: “Ask others what you’re good at,” Carolyn says. Hearing what others list as your strengths is a great way to find out what you might be taking for granted that actually can help set you – and your business – apart.
• Favorite Resource: Harvard Business Review
• Learn More: Connect with Carolyn on Twitter, Instagram and the Circular Board website

Bea Arthur knows a thing or two about making a pivot.

And no, just to be clear we're not talking about the same Bea Arthur who starred among the OG Girl Squad – the Golden Girls. This Bea Arthur, like the other, was a bad ass. But, unlike the Bea of nostalgia's past, this Bea Arthur has an entrepreneurial bug that bit her hard and never left – seeing her through two startups since graduating college in 2008.

Now, as for that pivoting, as a licensed therapist and startup founder, Bea has learned the importance of making nimble, not-so-easy decisions and has mastered the art of picking herself back up again. Her company, In Your Corner (formerly Pretty Padded Room), is a leader in using telemedicine to offer counseling and coaching services online through video and text. Her idea was so standout that it landed her an appearance on ABC's Shark Tank. Even without getting an investment from the sharks, Bea used their feedback to tweak her idea, and as Fast Company put it, she "turned her mistakes into assets."

Now, Bea is about to make a pivot again, and has decided to close the virtual doors of In Your Corner to make room for her next business venture in the online therapy space. But this time she's turning her attention to America's warriors – service men and women – and is launching an online resource for them later this year called Inside the Wire.

"[When you're in the military] you can't stop to think about your circumstances," Bea says. "You can't wallow and eat a burrito and watch Netflix. You have to keep your mind sharp. I got really into the idea of emotional endurance."

In addition to being a serial entrepreneur, Bea is a TEDx speaker who shared her ideas on the "Culture of Comparison" (which, we highly recommend you YouTube.) She also was the first African-American woman to be accepted into the prestigious Y Combinator accelerator program in Mountain View, Calif. She's also the co-host and co-producer of You're Not Crazy, a comedic show about mental health on YouTube. She is a first-generation American who was born and raised in Houston, Texas, by her parents who immigrated from Ghana in West Africa.

In episode 13 of I Want Her Job: The Podcast, Podcast Editor Polina Selyutin speaks with Bea about her college education at Columbia in New York City, her first startup fizzling out, her work helping domestic violence survivors and how the three have swirled together to give Bea business ideas that are helping to solve problems and assist others.

TOPICS DISCUSSED IN TODAY'S SHOW:

• Ambitious In The Big Apple: Why Bea made the leap from working in real estate to her current field of therapy. "You eventually find your path," she says.
• One Thing Leads To Another: How Bea's first company, Me Too, led her to start her second company, Pretty Padded Room.
• Making Ends Meet: Bea says many therapists start out "making peanuts" as many get their start doing charity work, social work and grant work.
• Brain Lifting: "Mental health should be as much of a priority as physical health," Bea says.
• On Idea Sharing: Don't keep it to yourself, Bea advises. Tell as many people as possible as it will get you, "a lot further, a lot faster."
• Do The Hustle: Bea discusses her cultural influences, including her parents whose hard work led to success and inspired her to work hard and hustle.
• Mamma Knows Best: "My mom is a blue collar hero," Bea says. "It wasn't until my first company failed and I was heartbroken and lying on the floor, and my mom was like, "Did I ever tell you about the first two years of my company?"
• Lessons Learned: The importance of knowing what you don't know when it comes to a startup. "Once you get to a certain growth stage, literally your job as CEO is to put out fires," she says.
• Eyes Wide Open: Bea discusses the importance of "being awake while you are learning" and discusses how paying attention to patterns, noticing what is working and what isn't working are some of the therapy tools Bea has applied to her business.
• Fertility Freeze: Bea discusses her decision to freeze her eggs until she's ready to start her family in two or three years. She recommends EggBanxx and is a brand ambassador for the company.
• Parting Advice: "I'm not that special," Bea says. "The difference between successful people and people who don't make it is persistence."
• Some of Bea's Favorite Resources:
• Women 2.0,
• Seth Godin's blog,
• James Altucher,
• Marie Forleo,
• Gotham Gal
• Learn More: Connect with Bea on Twitter and Her Website

It’s 7:30 a.m., and your four-year-old waddles up to you in his pj’s, as you’re frantically trying to finish your at-home blowout. You need to get out of the house. You’re already late for your job, only he’s sick and wants you to stay home. So, his wee hands reach out and he asks you for a hug, and that’s it. You don’t want to leave. Moreover, you don’t want to go through this part of your morning routine ever again.

And Inkwell’s Manon DeFelice would be right there with you. “It’s fine if you want to lean in to your career,” she says, “But what if you also want to lean in to being a mom?”

Frustrated with a lack of flexibility in traditional corporate jobs, Manon founded Inkwell as a recruiting service to help match capable professionals with startups and forward-thinking companies in need of top-tier talent on a flexible basis. It’s a win-win. The women recruited by Inkwell find flexible jobs that grow their resumes, and the startups that hire them get exceptional seasoned talent.

Prior to starting Inkwell, Manon led nonprofit AHA Foundation and served as its general counsel. At AHA Foundation, the first organization focused on ending honor violence, forced marriage, child marriage and female genital mutilation in the United States, she helped spearhead federal and state legislation. Previous to that role she served as assistant counsel in New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Office of Criminal Justice.

In episode 12 of I Want Her Job: The Podcast, Podcast Editor Polina Selyutin speaks with Manon about starting a company, how to get more women in the boardroom, and the importance of being an advocate for yourself and other women.

TOPICS DISCUSSED IN TODAY'S SHOW:

• On Getting Started: Manon is a big believer in outsourcing and hiring people better than her in a given area. How’d she find the team? It was right under her nose. The team Manon worked with to build her business ended up being her first talent pool for recruiters.
• Movin’ On Up: Inkwell’s talent pool has since grown into more than 3,000 – all individuals seeking flexible jobs.
• Her Nonprofit to For-Profit Switch: Starting her career as a women’s right’s attorney, Manon didn’t think she’d end up leading her own staffing company. “I come to this from the idea that, really, there has to be a staffing alternative to the work full-time or not work model … I still feel that I’m helping women and in turn helping their daughters by creating role models.”
• Having Cake, Eating It Too: “It’s fine to stay home if you want. It’s fine to work full time if you want. But if you want both, you have Inkwell.”
• The Secret Sauce: Manon believes offering flex time is a really great way to retain your female talent and attract new talent.
• On Her Resume: “It’s a long life. You can have several different versions of different careers during that time.”
• On Starting Inkwell: “ … I wanted to change the way companies hire women. I want not only the startups and the small business to use us, but to really get some big companies and organizations to realize that offering flex time is really a great way to retain your female talent and to attract new talent.”
• A Seat at the Table: “Historically, we have less women in power. I think the fact that we are the ones who carry the babies, and who deliver them, and breastfeed them, is part of that problem. So, if we can make work environments more flexible, we’ll have fewer people dropping out.”
• Convey + Convince: Everyone out there can be a mini inkwell, Manon says. She suggests women help one another find flexible roles for one another – a type of flexible job matchmaking.
• Learn More: Check out inkwellteam.com and Facebook
•  

If you love museums and art, chances are Maria Yoon has your dream job.

As a performance artist, filmmaker, senior museum educator and founder of the recently-launched Private Museum Tours. Maria is a multi-hyphenate trailblazing her own path. With more than 20 years of museum education on her resume, including 17 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in her new business Maria guides individuals, VIP’s and groups through various museums and galleries in the greater New York City area.

“The best part [of my job] is to be surrounded by beautiful things. It never gets old,” Maria says. “Why? Exhibitions change every three months. At a large museum like the Met, they have such a large scale of collections that every day I find something new, and I find beauty in that.”

The last time we interviewed Maria Yoon on I Want Her Job, she had just said her final “I do” as part of her documentary, Maria the Korean Bride, in which Maria had 50 different marriages to 50 different “spouses” (including men, women – and even the Liberty Bell!) in 50 states, to bring greater attention to the cultural pressures and ostracism individuals feel when pressured to tie the knot.

“When I was 30 years old, my dad, I think he panicked … He felt that he didn’t live up to his standard as a father because I was still single. I was alone in his eyes, me – living the life I do as an artist and museum educator was not good enough … ” Maria says. “We began to argue a lot … and then I said, ‘Let me see what I can do to meet you halfway.’ That conversation became a giant documentary film.”

The film received attention from various film festivals, PBS, NBC News, Yahoo!, The Huffington Post, Timemagazine and even led to an appearance on TLC’s Cake Boss. But, after such acclaim, what comes next?

In episode 11 of I Want Her Job: The Podcast, Podcast Editor Polina Selyutin speaks with Maria about the deep and unexpected impact her film had on her own life, insight into how the film was made, as well as Maria’s future plans for a documentary about ghosting.

TOPICS DISCUSSED IN TODAY'S SHOW:

• On Her Work: “It gives me a reason to educate myself, to learn more and study. And to know at the end that I actually get paid to study and educate myself … I can’t find any greater joy than that.”
• Lady Luck: The role a winning lottery ticket (and generous friend) had in bringing Maria’s film to life.
• Vegas, Baby!: How Maria found her first “spouse” and then her second … during a trip to Sin City.
• Selecting Stories: Maria was the collector and mediator of stories across 50 states while working to change people’s views on marriage in different ways. She listened to stories of people she met, and learned about cultures and communities across the U.S.
• The Final Wedding: Hear Maria’s heartbreaking story about the last time she said, “I Do” on her 50-state adventure.
• On Early Influences: Maria’s mom, a “poet at heart,” encouraged Maria to follow her interests.
• Lessons Learned: Before launching her next documentary effort, Maria says she’s going to focus more on marketing and funding up front and will aim to get more local artists involved.
• On Fate: When Maria’s mother was pregnant with her, a fortune teller predicted that Maria would be an artist that would travel far.
• Ghost Weddings: Why this topic will be the focus of Maria’s next documentary – and find out what it means!
• Learn More About Nepal Bracelets On Facebook: Check out @NepalDesigns
• Maria On Twitter: Follow @TheKoreanBride

Kerrin Mitchell is a woman who aligns herself with managers who are mavericks. And, we feel it takes one to know one. As the co-founder of Fluxx, a company by philanthropists for philanthropists, that makes software to manage the grants process for foundations, nonprofits and government agencies, Kerrin is a woman truly making a difference.

Fluxx strives to elevate grantmakers, empower grantseekers and help change the world one grant at a time. The company, which has experienced triple-digit annual growth for the past four years – has a client list that includes Citibank’s Citi Foundation, charity: water, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and even the government of New Zealand, which manages all of its grants through the company’s software. In fact, 7 of the 11 largest foundations globally use Fluxx for their grants process.

“I feel lucky. I think oftentimes the industries people get into don’t have that sense of community that my industry has innately … [we’re] people and service-oriented individuals,” Kerrin says. “I always liked the idea of social enterprise. Then we started getting into it and I realized, ‘Wow, this is a pretty unique and special environment.’ People are really trying to help each other and build something big.”

And Kerrin, who’s been named one of the top 13 female founders by Forbes on its America’s Most Promising Companies list, is one of those women who likes to go big or go home. In episode 10 of I Want Her Job: The Podcast, we speak with Kerrin about co-founding Fluxx in 2010, her formula for building a successful career and the importance of being deliberate with time.

TOPICS DISCUSSED IN TODAY'S SHOW:

• On Making A Change: “If I was going to work as hard as I know I work, I wanted to at least do it for something where I felt like at the end of the day I could ground myself in social good.”
• Chapter By Chapter: Kerrin’s thoughts on scaling Fluxx from a handful of employees to more than 70 and how that growth changed the business
• On Personal Fulfillment: “It’s really fun as an entrepreneur to see an idea that was truly just an idea, come to life in front of you and be so enrolled in what it is. But then, being able to actually tell that story and find that the same value that you find that’s important, other people are finding to be [just] as exciting.”
• Maverick Mentorship: “I’ve always aligned myself with someone who I’ve thought is a bit of a maverick who was pushing the envelope.”
• Bucking The Status Quo: “I’ve always aligned myself with someone who’s influential, that I could learn from and I took a role that may not have been the sexiest role of my peers … but I realized if you can align yourself with someone who’s really interesting and challenging the status quo, you can learn a lot more in a very quick matter of time.”
• #ThatCorporateLife: A shout-out to those of us in corporate jobs, Kerrin credits her time at Cisco in giving her the experience to understand how to provide structure and get things done at her growing startup
• Time (For) Travel: How travel grounds Kerrin and affects how she sees the world
• On Women Entrepreneurs: Why empowering future female entrepreneurs might be next up on Kerrin’s career dossier
• Maintainng Motivation: Why – and how – Kerrin schedules “wins” throughout her day-to-day
• On Growing A Company: Kerrin shares her thoughts on why the highs become higher and the lows become lower as a company grows and why you can’t let the lows that do happen “eat you alive”
• Hit ‘Search’: How Google can be an entrepreneur’s best friend
• Hey, Coach: Why Kerrin uses an executive coach to help her become a better leader
• Learn More: fluxx.io
• On Twitter: Follow @FluxxLabs

The news cycle reminds us that the world has some serious figuring out to do when it comes to refugees – those individuals who have left their home country due to war, conflict or persecution. Thankfully, there are advocates out there working relentlessly to find solutions. One of these people is Jessica Therkelsen, global policy director for Asylum Access, a nonprofit devoted to refugee rights.

And, while we know there’s a problem and that refugees are homeless while building a new life, what many of us may not realize is the scale of this crisis. There are more than 20 million refugees today, and a refugee (including children) stay in a refugee camp in exile for an average of 20 years.

This isn’t okay with Asylum Access. The nonprofit believes refugees have a right to a fair chance at a new life – wherever they might be – and the group works tirelessly to help refugees in their new country obtain basic rights to live and work. Last year Asylum Access helped more than 20,000 refugees gain these basic rights through individualized legal services. And it doesn’t stop there. The nonprofit also advocates with the United Nations and government entities around the world to ensure the systems that help refugees obtain these basic human rights remain intact.

“There is a growing recognition in the international community that the status quo of how we deliver aid is not meeting long-term needs,” Jessica says, “… What somebody experiences to become a refugee is something you never ever want your family or friends to experience.” Listen to episode 9 of I Want Her Job: The Podcast to hear her advice on how you can get involved and make an impact.

TOPICS DISCUSSED IN TODAY'S SHOW:

• Understand and Access: How Asylum Access helps refugees understand their rights legally in the places where they are exiled.
• Tools of the Trade: While Jessica travels and can often be found in New York, Washington, D.C., and Geneva, Switzerland working on global policy, she swears by the power of Skype for connecting and working.
• On Perspective: “I try to be very cognizant of my own privilege and the luck that I’ve had to live a life that is very open and free. I have the right to live in the United States. I have the right to move freely in this country. I can choose where I live. I can choose where I work. I am able to go to school. That’s something that I am grateful for every day, and it’s also something that I fundamentally believe that everyone should have access to.”
• On Global Policy: “We’re not really talking about a special package of rights for a special package of people. We’re talking about families – parents, youths – people who want to live a normal life, who want to go to school and have opportunity. These are not crazy things to want. These are not crazy things to ask for.”
• I Got It From My Mama: The special woman who inspired Jessica’s career path.
• Food For Thought: “We don’t all have the same deck of cards that we’re playing with.”
• Dance Lessons: How Jessica’s days in ballet during law school gave her the ability to focus, the maturity to deal with rejection and the inspiration to shoot for really, really big goals.
• Resting + Recharging: How time outdoors and spent reading helps Jessica refuel.
• On Her Nightstand: The New Yorker and The New York Times Magazine
• Creating Comfort: Find out how you can get involved and make a difference in the refugee rights movement.
• Learn More: AsylumAccess.org
• On Twitter: Follow her @JessTherkelsen and the nonprofit @asylumaccess