The Rutledge Perspective Podcast

This was the first interview I conducted for The Rutledge Perspective a couple of years ago now. Dina Clark embodies what it means to be living and working in your passion. And not just because you like it but because it is fundamental to who you are. Be prepared for her story, because the beginning of her journey has an event that is quite unbelievable, yet in our current environment, not necessarily surprising. You will leave inspired and ready to listen to what's in your spirit and take action to move into your purpose.

About Dina Clark: In August 2015, Dina Clark began her role with Covestro LLC as the Head of Diversity & Inclusion at their North American headquarters based in Pittsburgh. In this role, Dina spearheads the development and implementation of diversity strategies and initiatives for Covestro across the United States, and in collaboration with Covestro's office in Mexico. This includes leading efforts to engage employees across the business as well as establish and manage the company's diversity councils and employee resource groups. Dina is also working in partnership with the company president and leadership team to align Covestro's diversity and inclusion goals with the business goals, which includes working in conjunction with the procurement department on Supplier Diversity. Dina also serves on Covestro's global diversity and inclusion council, as well as the global core team, currently based in Leverkusen, Germany. Prior to her role with Covestro, Dina served as the Senior Director of Equity & Advocacy with the YWCA Greater Pittsburgh, where she ran the YWCA's Center for Race and Gender Equity, which works to support the YWCA's focus on eliminating racism and empowering women through racial justice, community engagement and advocacy efforts. Prior to this position, she Show Notes Summary served as the first Executive Director of the Western Pennsylvania Diversity Initiative (WPDI), a not-for-profit economic development membership organization dedicated to promoting regional economic growth by providing resources to employers in the Greater Pittsburgh region to attract, hire, and retain employees from a variety of diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Dina also served as Regional Education Project Director for the Anti-Defamation League, which serves Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, Kentucky and West Virginia. Based in Pittsburgh, she worked to provide educational resources and anti-bias training for school administrators, teachers and students, as well as colleges and universities, community based organizations and corporations across all four states. Dina's interest areas in diversity, equity and inclusion are complimented by her strong training background. Specifically she addresses such topics as equity, anti-bias education, diversity and inclusion strategy, employee and community engagement, and leadership development, and has been dedicated to this work for over 20 years. She has conducted several presentations nationwide including workshops for Family Communications Inc/Producers of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, Vassar College, University of Michigan, Magnet Schools of New York, New York State Department of Health, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In addition to training, in 2006 Dina was selected for a fellowship with the Children's Defense Fund in Washington, D.C. and was named as one of Pittsburgh's 40 under 40 leaders by Pittsburgh Magazine. In 2009, she was also named one of 50 recipients of the "Women of Excellence" award, from the Pittsburgh Courier, and in 2015 recipient of the Allegheny County Bar Association Homer S. Brown Spirit Award and in 2017 she was featured in the Women & Business section of Pittsburgh Magazine for the work she does in developing and strengthening D & I strategy. In 2018 Dina also was recognized at the City & State PA's inaugural award ceremony, Above and Beyond: Honoring Women of Public and Civic Mind in Philadelphia. Dina is very involved in the Pittsburgh community. She is a graduate of Leadership Pittsburgh Inc (Class XXIII), and she currently serves on several boards and advisory committees. In addition, Dina has also worked as a professional tester for housing discrimination for the Fair Housing Partnership of Pittsburgh and as a diversity/anti-bias trainer for the Anti Defamation League. In 2012, she was selected as a participant for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Citizen's Academy, Class XIII and served as a board member of the FBI Citizen's Academy Alumni Association for six years. Dina has a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology/Child & Family Studies from Syracuse University, a Master's Degree from Duquesne University, with a focus on global leadership and she is currently working on her Doctorate in Education at Point Park University, with a focus on leadership and administration, and in 2019 Dina completed The Advanced Leadership Initiative, Executive Leadership Academy at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business.

About Laurel:

Laurel Rutledge's human-centered approach, empathy, and understanding of individual needs make her a top-notch personal advisor and women's leadership coach.

Her care and compassion have made her an indispensable guide for countless women navigating the next phases of their lives and careers. Add to that her intimate knowledge of the HR landscape, and it becomes clear why her HR clients have had such transformative experiences. Just as Rutledge has helped countless others get out of their rut and off of the ledge, so too can she help you.

After receiving her MBA, Laurel moved from accounting and consulting to human resources, driven by a desire to do good in a business environment. It quickly became apparent that the switch had been a good choice — she flourished professionally and became happier, satisfied with the difference she could make through her work.

After a 30-year career, she left the corporate world, but her passion for HR and helping others has only grown. Now, she works one-on-one with clients, leveraging her experience in leadership and personal development to help them get the most of out their lives and careers.

From her beginnings as a consultant at Deloitte to her time as VP of HR at Covestro, Laurel has seen more sides of the business world than most. She's achieved technical mastery of HR, with a deep knowledge of the rules and regulations that must be followed.

She's also a people person, perceptive and outgoing, with a sixth sense for helping others to see the difference between what they want and what they need. The culmination of this is in her personal philosophy: "lead with your heart, act with your head."

Find out more at https://laurelrutledge.com

Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!

Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher. You can also subscribe from the podcast app on your mobile device.

Leave us an iTunes review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on iTunes, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on iTunes.

Lucy Hutchings Hunt is the CEO and Founder of Systemyzed, Host of Live the Change Podcast and Creator of the Certified Virtual Business Managers course. And most importantly, she has found a way to live the life she loves doing the work she loves. The road has not been easy and, as Lucy says, it is not linear. But it is a road worth traveling to pursue that which has been Divinely Downloaded for you. Take a listen to how she came through to be who she is today.

About Lucy:

"Lucy is a heart-led 'Business Growth Architect'. She mixes vision, humanity & technology to unleash her clients entrepreneurial potential" She is the CEO of Digital Agency SYSTEMYZED, the creator of the Certified Virtual Business Managers course and Host of the Live The Change Podcast Lucy is committed to helping clients reach their unique potential in life and business. Her gift is seeing the brilliance in people when they can't see it themselves or haven't given themselves permission to see it yet. She also loves helping to solve complex business 'positioning' problems and working out big-picture solutions. Personal Development combined with Brave Branding and 'long-game' Lean Digital Strategy™ is what Lucy specialises in. She doesn't want to see clients 'flash in the pan'. She wants to see them grow and thrive; viably, organically and enduringly. She helps people go from strained to strong in their businesses by empowering them to build firm, holistic foundations for growth. She does this using a combination of tried and tested coaching tools, proven digital marketing strategies and expert business systems consultancy. With a specific focus on business, Lucys supports clients as they work through a transformation and sustainably step into their 'best business selves'. On a personal level, She has been through the life mill in her 3 (and a bit) decades. This helps her identify with lots of issues that often hold people back in life and business. She has suffered from mental and hormonal health issues including, depression, PMDD, PTSD and (through the ages of 11 to 23) She endured a crazy-making, all-consuming eating disorder that marred her youth. She is also a proud, recovering alcoholic in a Twelve Step recovery programme. At times these illnesses threatened to completely derail her, if not put an early end to her. But with work and age, she has learned to accept and live with them as well as positively channel her addictive personality. With the help of some great mentors and coaches, Lucy has worked through her issues and forged (a sometimes rocky path) to recovery and personal growth. She has lived to tell the tale and thrive in business as the CEO of her successful Digital Marketing & Web Development agency SYSTEMYZED™, become a proud mother of three and – perhaps most importantly – be grateful to be someone who has peace of mind whilst being well enough to help others. Lucy's Certified Virtual Business Managers™ course is the product of years of her own entrepreneurial 'blood, sweat and tears' and she is extremely proud to offer it. It is the ideal introductory programme for those who wish to own and operate a successful, flexible, laptop-ready, virtual business. Lucy aims to furnish attendees with a standardised, high level of general digital expertise that prepares them for and launches them into the world of virtual, self employment with confidence, security and pride.

Personal Links:

www.lucyhutchingshunt.com

www.systemyzed.com;

Live the Change Podcast

About the Host:

Laurel Rutledge's human-centered approach, empathy, and understanding of individual needs make her a top-notch personal advisor and women's leadership coach.

Her care and compassion have made her an indispensable guide for countless women navigating the next phases of their lives and careers. Add to that her intimate knowledge of the HR landscape, and it becomes clear why her HR clients have had such transformative experiences. Just as Rutledge has helped countless others get out of their rut and off of the ledge, so too can she help you.

After receiving her MBA, Laurel moved from accounting and consulting to human resources, driven by a desire to do good in a business environment. It quickly became apparent that the switch had been a good choice — she flourished professionally and became happier, satisfied with the difference she could make through her work.

After a 30-year career, she left the corporate world, but her passion for HR and helping others has only grown. Now, she works one-on-one with clients, leveraging her experience in leadership and personal development to help them get the most of out their lives and careers.

From her beginnings as a consultant at Deloitte to her time as VP of HR at Covestro, Laurel has seen more sides of the business world than most. She's achieved technical mastery of HR, with a deep knowledge of the rules and regulations that must be followed.

She's also a people person, perceptive and outgoing, with a sixth sense for helping others to see the difference between what they want and what they need. The culmination of this is in her personal philosophy: "lead with your heart, act with your head."

Find out more at https://laurelrutledge.com

Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!

Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher. You can also subscribe from the podcast app on your mobile device.

Leave us an iTunes review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on iTunes, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on iTunes.

Join Laurel and her guest, Kim Seymour, Chief People Officer at WW. Together they explore Kim's journey from corporate law to Human Resources; the definition of what success means to her; and her ability to read and use the talents with those she manages.

About the Guest:

Kim Seymour currently serves as the Chief People Officer at WW (formerly Weight Watchers), where they inspire healthy habits for real life. Kim sets the strategy in all areas that impact the company's global talent, in addition to being responsible for WW's internal consulting group. Previously, Kim focused on the development and delivery of impactful human capital strategies in support of ambitious business goals in progressive roles at American Express, Home Depot, and General Electric.

A demonstrated ability to architect transformation, forge connections, deliver insights and link talent to strategy have been the hallmarks of Kim's 20+ year HR career. This mastery was gained in a variety of environments, from revenue-generating commercial businesses to vast global servicing organizations and everything in between. Kim's leadership has extended to many HR disciplines including talent assessment, succession planning, organizational design, performance management, labor relations, acquisitions, divestitures, and coaching. Throughout her career, Kim's focus has been on being a trusted advisor and thought partner, and on building world-class business teams, ensuring that the people side of the business equation enables strategic growth plans. Kim wholeheartedly believes that talent, leadership, and culture are the keys to winning.

Kim holds a JD from Vanderbilt University and an MBA from Indiana University. She frequently delivers workshops on leadership and career management nationally and internationally.

Personal Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-seymour-4a74434/

About the Host:

Laurel Rutledge's human-centered approach, empathy, and understanding of individual needs make her a top-notch personal advisor and women's leadership coach.

Her care and compassion have made her an indispensable guide for countless women navigating the next phases of their lives and careers. Add to that her intimate knowledge of the HR landscape, and it becomes clear why her HR clients have had such transformative experiences. Just as Rutledge has helped countless others get out of their rut and off of the ledge, so too can she help you.

After receiving her MBA, Laurel moved from accounting and consulting to human resources, driven by a desire to do good in a business environment. It quickly became apparent that the switch had been a good choice — she flourished professionally and became happier, satisfied with the difference she could make through her work.

After a 30-year career, she left the corporate world, but her passion for HR and helping others has only grown. Now, she works one-on-one with clients, leveraging her experience in leadership and personal development to help them get the most of out their lives and careers.

From her beginnings as a consultant at Deloitte to her time as VP of HR at Covestro, Laurel has seen more sides of the business world than most. She's achieved technical mastery of HR, with a deep knowledge of the rules and regulations that must be followed.

She's also a people person, perceptive and outgoing, with a sixth sense for helping others to see the difference between what they want and what they need. The culmination of this is in her philosophy: "lead with your heart, act with your head."

Find out more at https://laurelrutledge.com

Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!

Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher. You can also subscribe from the podcast app on your mobile device.

Leave us an iTunes review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on iTunes, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on iTunes.

The term "servant leadership" has gotten to be one of those terms that is overused. But the IDEA of servant leadership is a good one. It suggests that, in order to be a great leader, one must lead with a servants heart. The success of those around you is just as important, if not more so, than your own. But in order to make this work, it is important to remember 3 key things: (a) being in service is NOT. ABOUT.YOU. Being in service is about the person being served. (b) Not everyone is in a position to be served or to receive service - and that is not about you, either and (c) Not everyone has the skills to be of service - and that is only about you if you fail to recognize those on your team who are in service positions without the requisite skills and dispositions.

As we say in Texas, "good fences make good neighbors." Fences tell you what belongs to you and what does not. They set a "barrier" of sorts between physical spaces. This same concept is true with boundaries. What are "fences" are you putting up to protect yourself - your physical, mental and emotional self. And how do you tell the difference between good boundaries and bad boundaries? We'll explore that question in this episode of The Rutledge Perspective

It is important, no matter your role in an organization, that you have courage. Courage to tackle tasks you've never done before. Courage to seek and act upon constructive feedback. And, most important AND most difficult, courage to stand up and challenge the status quo. There are many "sacred cows" in organizations; and developing the ability to address these issues when they are detrimental to the organization is tantamount to effective leadership. It is not necessary to be nasty to be candid. But is is necessary to clear, direct and respectful. And who knows, your decision to step up and be heard may just be the boost someone else needs who has felt unseen and unheard!

Often, we put our own development on the back burner. Leaders, in particular, are prone to ensuring their teams or developed; but often forget to invest the same time and energy into themselves. If you are are not learning, you are not growing. If you are not growing, you are stagnating. If you are stagnating, you are dying. Do not let "busy" be your excuse for failing to continue to learn. You deserve better!

In this episode:

• The perfect fit begins with clear self-awareness
• Knowledge and skills are critical, but so is the desire and drive
• Knowing your why finalizes the fit and makes it ideal for the point in time that the why is constant

Holly Dowling is an award-winning global speaker and inspirational thought leader on topics including empowerment, leadership, engagement, and finding your passion and living it!!

Much of where she's been, influences where she is today. Starting her career as a cruise director in Tahiti, she gained valuable experience and training in entertaining, connecting, and inspiring diverse audiences. While that experience fueled her love of international travel, she was able to travel domestically, representing Lee jeans as their national spokesmodel and went on to represent other brands in television and print advertising.

Holly is engaging and approachable—and entrepreneurial— building a business using her gifts to train and inspire corporate audiences to achieve higher levels of performance through hands-on and interactive learning experiences. It was a winning combination….. or so she thought.

A client of hers convinced her to join their international brokerage firm—and with a bit of hesitation—she decided to take the leap and served as Vice-President. Although successful in achieving Presidents Club in less than half the time of her peers, and allowing her financial rewards and other accolades, she knew this career path was not her calling. Through sheer courage and a desire to honor her passions, she approached them about returning to their prior arrangement where they were her client, allowing her to focus, again, on building her own business. They agreed, and the rest is history!

Today, she is called upon repeatedly to deliver Keynote experiences, to serve as a facilitator and consultant, and to partner with organizations who are interested in achieving greater results through investing in people as unique individuals. Her loyal client base is a "who's who" of well-known global companies, including: IBM, Microsoft, Hilton, Deloitte, Cisco, GAP, Mercedes-Benz, Facebook, The United Nations Foundation, The Marcus Buckingham Company, Wells Fargo, Santander Bank, Accenture, Disney, ESPN, and many other amazing partners.

Additionally, Holly is an author of an inspirational book called "Hollyisms" –a collection of short quotes and she is also known worldwide for her weekly podcast called "A Celebration of You" – a mission to showcase interesting people from all over the world who are leading their lives with courage and grace, whose amazing stories provide hope & inspiration. She is the proud recipient of both two Silver Stevie Awards for Women in Business & The American Riviera Women Entrepreneur of the Year Award for 2016.

Through her leadership and management experiences, she continues to engage and inspire audiences around the world--- encouraging each of us to discover our untapped potential and brilliance, to live the best version of ourselves, to serve others, and to honor our own unique journey.

Holly resides in Scottsdale, AZ with her husband, Steve. They are the proud parents of three boys: Jake, Levi and Ryne, and are proud grandparents of an adorable grandson, Eli.

On this episode of the Rutledge Perspective we are going to talk about self-preservation and the misconception that self-care is somehow selfish.