The OWLS Podcast

AI isn't just changing the workplace, it can accelerate your career journey. In this rebroadcast from AcademyWomen's Career Coaching Workshop (+PLUS) held September 17, Niki Marin breaks down practical ways to put AI tools to work, whether you are just dipping your toes into it or are a power user. Niki shares great tips on which AI tools work best for specific tasks and common pitfalls you could encounter.

Niki brings a wealth of experience in organizational structure and strategy for evolving teams. She's the founder and president of Beneath the Service, a national nonprofit advancing leadership journeys for the military veteran community, and co-founder and owner of Leadership Supply Co., which specializes in leadership development and experiential learning for teams across industries.

Tune in for actionable strategies to confidently leverage AI for professional growth and career success — no tech background required. We hope it gives you tools to put to use right away.

Learn more about AcademyWomen at academywomen.org.

Change is inevitable — but growth is a choice. In this rebroadcast from AcademyWomen's Plus Career Coaching Workshop, we're revisiting session three, led by Dr Victoria Grady.

Dr Grady dives into practical strategies for navigating career shifts, life transitions, and unexpected challenges with resilience and confidence. You'll hear how to embrace uncertainty, make intentional decisions, and turn periods of change into real opportunities for personal and professional growth. Whether you're facing a career pivot or just feeling the ground shift beneath you, this episode offers a grounded, encouraging way forward.

Dr Grady is an Associate Professor of Management/Organizational Behavior and Assistant Department Chair of Management at the Costello College of Business at George Mason University. Her research focuses on the science-based behavioral implications of organizations introducing and implementing organizational change—her unique emphasis is the role of Attachment Behavior and Transitional Objects within the change process.

Dr Grady has a fantastic Ted Talk you can see here.

Whether you joined us in person, attended virtually, or are hearing it for the first time, we hope it gives you tools to put to use right away.

Learn more about AcademyWomen at academywomen.org.

Missed it live? Catch up on the second session of AcademyWomen's Career Coaching Workshop (+PLUS), recorded on September 17.

Hear from leading employers and talent experts about career opportunities, workplace cultures, and emerging hiring trends. You'll gain valuable insights into what organizations look for in today's workforce, hear the questions other attendees asked, and learn how to align your skills, interests, and experience with the opportunities that best match your professional goals and aspirations.

Featuring:

• Krista Stevens, North South Consulting
• Alex Verhulst, Leidos
• Julie Galloway and Jennifer White, Travelers
• Nikki Foster, GE Aerospace
• Marilla Cushman, Military Women's Memorial

Whether you're preparing to separate, exploring a career change, or building your next chapter as a military spouse, this conversation offers a look inside what employers are hiring for and how to position yourself to stand out.

Learn more about AcademyWomen at academywomen.org.

Missed it live? Catch up on the first session of AcademyWomen's Career Coaching Workshop (+PLUS), recorded on September 17.

Your voice matters. In this interactive session, you'll learn practical strategies to communicate your value with confidence, advocate for your ideas, and navigate challenging conversations. You'll come away with actionable tools to strengthen your presence, influence decisions, and create opportunities for growth, so you can lead with confidence and authenticity.

Your presenter, Jessica Ruttenber, is a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and 21-year veteran who became a Senior Pilot with more than 3,000 flight hours. She has spent her career speaking up for change. Her advocacy led to the Department of Defense's first maternity flight suit and helped drive the Equality for Military Mothers Amendment in the FY21 NDAA. She now directs Level Up Aviation, which opens doors to aviation for underserved communities.

This episode include the day's kick off with AcademyWomen Founder and President Susan Feland and Dr Debbie Bradbard, founding director of the Boeing Center for Veteran Transition and Military Families at Virginia Tech's Alexandria campus. Whether you joined us in person, attended virtually, or are hearing it for the first time, we hope it gives you tools to put to use right away.

Learn more about AcademyWomen at academywomen.org.

In case you missed it — the recording is now live!

Our "Salute to Service" panel, Redefining Success: Leading and Performing in Shifting Paradigms, brought together an incredible group of women leaders to share their journeys through military service, entrepreneurship, and beyond:

🎖️ Jennifer Coleman — USNA Class of 2022, Surface Warfare Officer
🎖️ Kelsey Minato — USMA '16, U.S. Army Veteran, Wharton MBA Candidate
🎖️ Elexa Orrange-Allen — Founder & CEO, West Point Graduate
🎖️ Alicia McKenzie — Author, Entrepreneur, and Nonprofit Founder
🎖️ Beth Kroman — Defense and National Security Investor

Moderated by Alycen McAuley, Chief Business Officer, Washington Mystics, their conversation on leadership, resilience, and redefining success is one you won't want to miss.

In this episode from our sister podcast, You Should Meet My Friend, meet Andrea Reichwald!

Elisabeth knows her from the Armed Services Arts Partnership (ASAP) where she leads the DC chapter, and shortly she will become the Online chapter lead. 

The mission of ASAP is to provide arts classes to those serving in the military, veterans, their families and care givers to combat the challenges and isolation of military service. ASAP classes combat that isolation. Through comedy, story telling, improv, art, photography, musical performance (and many more) they provide a fun and vibrant community.

It's clear that Andrea enjoys her work with ASAP, and is helping encourage Missy to sign up for the next stand up comedy class :-)

Andrea is a delight - enjoy!

In this episode from our sister podcast You Should Meet My Friend,  we chatted with Beth Jarvis. Beth and Elisabeth met along the sidelines of soccer and basketball when our daughters were in high school. Beth is an Army vet, an Army brat, and an Army spouse. Like many military spouses, Beth has worked both traditional jobs and for many volunteer organizations that support children and military family members. 

After attending Georgetown and earning a graduate degree in communications, she now works for the Microsoft Military Affairs team, managing the relationships with all base organizations involved in supporting Microsoft Software and System Academies. 

One of the reasons we wanted to interview Beth is that there are two things that she is incredibly skilled at: experiencing everything that Washington DC has to offer (she is a Vet Tix power user) and making and keeping friends. We know you will enjoy this great conversation!

In this episode from our sister podcast You Should Meet My Friend, we chat with Phyllis Wilson.

Phyllis is President of the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation – the only major national memorial honoring the 3 Million women who have defended America from the Revolutionary War to today.

Phyllis served 37 years in the Army as a Military Intelligence Voice Intercept Operator. She has served around the globe – visiting more than 35 countries – in Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, and North America. She has been mobilized numerous times to shoulder the duties of defense of the nation and has deployed to Iraq several times as an Intelligence Analyst with Special Operations.

If we could sum up Phyllis in one word it is: indefatigable! You can feel her energy in this episode!

VALIANT WOMEN is the story of the 350,000 American women who served in uniform during World War II. These incredible women served in every service branch, in every combat theater, and in nearly two-thirds of the available military occupations at the time. They were pilots, codebreakers, ordnance experts, gunnery instructors, metalsmiths, chemists, translators, parachute riggers, truck drivers, radarmen, pigeon trainers, and much more.

LENA ANDREWS is the author of Valiant Women: The Extraordinary American Servicewomen Who Helped Win World War II and an Associate Research Professor at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy.

Shout outs during the episode:

Learn about Lena: University of Maryland and Author
Dr Margaret Chung, WWII Hero

Recording veteran stories: Library of Congress Veteran History Project and Women's Military Memorial

Upcoming AW Events to include the Sept 17 Career Coaching Workshop
Mystics We Salute Her event July 16: 

Re-listen to this workshop to learn from Alex Verhulst (Leidos) and Kristen Rivera about leveraging LinkedIn to shape your professional narrative, expand your network, and unlock new career opportunities. 

Whether you’re exploring a career transition, seeking advancement, or working to grow your professional presence, this interactive session will guide you through practical ways to build a compelling profile, communicate your personal brand, and engage with the right networks to support your career goals. 

What to Expect: 
- Insights for strategically using LinkedIn to advance your goals
- Tips to build your profile and drive engagement with your posts
- Expert ways to interact with others' posts to build visibility and your network