This Kaleidoscope Career Podcast

Host Helen Jonsen welcomes Ashley Ridgeway Washington—

Bio: Ashley Ridgeway-Washington is a former Chief Human Resources Officer, licensed attorney, author, executive advisor, and MIT-trained AI strategy consultant whose career spans healthcare, Fortune 5 organizations, and executive leadership. She is the founder of Leveridge Group, where she advisesCEOs, CHROs, and senior leaders on workforce strategy, culture, leadership effectiveness, and human-centered AI transformation.

Ashley is the author of the forthcoming book, Culture Is aSystem, Not a Slogan, which challenges leaders to stop treating culture as messaging and start designing the systems, behaviors, and decisions that shape how work actually gets done. Her work sits at the intersection of people,business, technology, and leadership, helping organizations turn ambitious strategy into sustainable results.

00:00Introducing Ashley

02:47CEO Life in Human-Centered AI

04:10Curiosity and Rural Roots

08:55Law School Reality Check

12:13Leap Into HR

15:17Building an HR Compliance Practice

16:43Working Mom Hustle and Credentials

20:10Choices and Costs

22:26Grace And Bias

24:34Raising Advocates

27:17Fun And Travel

28:36Pandemic Career Pivot

30:20Leading In Crisis

33:11Burnout And Therapy

38:03Elder Care Reality

39:59Rapid Fire Favorites

41:26Advice

42:39 Closing

Resources:

Ashley on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-ridgeway-washington/

Ashley's book picks:

Her forthcoming book: Culture Is a System, Not a Slogan plus

1. The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz. She called it her favorite book of all time and said it changed her life.
2. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho.
3. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee. It was the first book she fell in love with.
4. No Ego, Cy Wakeman.
5. Daring Greatly, Brené Brown.

About Helen & This Kaleidoscope Career
I'm Helen Jonsen, the founder of helen jonsen media and This Kaleidoscope Career
I have lived a kaleidoscope career built on decades of experience as a multi-platform journalist in front of the camera and behind the scenes, as a writer and author, and as an adviser to corporate, nonprofit and public leadership.

This Kaleidoscope Career gathers the real, unfiltered stories of women who've built careers that defied every template — women who've risen, stumbled, reframed, and come back bolder. Like the kaleidoscope itself, every twist of the lens reveals a new pattern, a new image that couldn't exist without every shard, every color, every fragment that came before it.

Check out my new book This Kaleidoscope Career: Empowering Women to Build Unconventional Careers and Redefine Success (De Gruyter Brill) wherever you purchase books or click here.

If you would like to be a guest on TKC Pod, ⁠⁠apply here.⁠⁠

Work with me! I am booking exclusive keynotes, bookstore and book club appearances now. Email [email protected] or set a discovery call here at your convenience.

Host Helen Jonsen kicks off season five of This KaleidoscopeCareer with Danielle Hughes, a transformational business strategy and wealthmanagement consultant and founder of Divine Asset Management.

Dani recounts her path from an early interest in art to Californiastockbroking and cutthroat Wall Street trading floors.

00:00 Meet Dani Hughes

01:59 Day In The Life

02:50 Market Tools Themes

04:07 From Art To Finance

05:57 Cold Calling Bootcamp

07:25 Trading Floor Rush

09:24 Starting Her Firm

11:08 Building Diva Desk

13:35 Boardroom Coup Attempt

15:45 Surviving 9 11

17:44 Rebuilding After Attack

20:19 TV Markets Exposure

22:10 Regulation And Exit

23:37 Back To 2008

24:13 Pandemic Market Boom

25:29 Motherhood Meets Wall Street

27:39 2008 Crash Flashback

30:30 Cancer Diagnosis Reset

31:31 Divine Asset Management

33:48 Moving Upstate Full Time

38:30 Nimblicious Career Thread

41:44 Hudson Valley Women Network

46:08 Giving Back

Resources:

Divine Asset Management workwithdivine.com https://www.divineassetmgt.com/

Camp MA-HE-TU https://www.mahetu.org/

Hudson Valley Women in Business, Inc.

About Helen & This Kaleidoscope Career

I’m Helen Jonsen, the founder of helen jonsen media and This KaleidoscopeCareer

I have lived a kaleidoscope career built on decades ofexperience as a multi-platform journalist in front of the camera and behind thescenes, as a writer and author, and as an adviser to corporate, nonprofit andpublic leadership.

This Kaleidoscope Career gathers the real, unfilteredstories of women who’ve built careers that defied every template — women who’verisen, stumbled, reframed, and come back bolder. Like the kaleidoscope itself,every twist of the lens reveals a new pattern, a new image that couldn’t existwithout every shard, every color, every fragment that came before it.

Check out my new book This Kaleidoscope Career:Empowering Women to Build Unconventional Careers and Redefine Success(De Gruyter Brill) wherever you purchase books or click here.

Work with me! I ambooking exclusive keynotes, bookstore and book club appearances now. Email [email protected] or set a discovery call here at yourconvenience.

This Kaleidoscope Career Podcast: If you would like to be a guest, apply here.

—  Our Sponsors:

Support for This Kaleidoscope Career comes from Divine AssetManagement, a woman-owned firm advising individuals, families, and businessowners on long-term strategies that align wealth with values. Explore more at WorkWithDivine.com

Support for This Kaleidoscope Career comes from Gigi HudsonValley, an intimate trattoria where Chef and Owner Laura Pensiero has beenserving diners in the heart of historic Rhinebeck, NY for 25 years! TheMediterranean-style menu changes with the seasons. Gigi is open year-round forweekday lunches and dinners, and Sunday brunch. Its stunning, newly refurbishedprivate dining room is available for special events and celebrations. Inquireabout private events or reserve now at https://www.gigihudsonvalley.com/

Find written by or recommended by our guests at “Club TKCBookshop” at Bookshop.or

https://bookshop.org/shop/helenjonsenmedia

“This Kaleidoscope Career Podcast” is a production of helen jonsen media. Learn more at helenjonsen.com or email [email protected] 

TKC pod is edited on Descript. Learn more here https://descript.cello.so/u00D6MnPTT0

Are you a speaker or aspiring one? Join Helen as anInnovation Women member and join a supportive and knowledgeable community. Learn more here.

 ----------------------

Affiliate Disclosure: This content contains affiliate links. helen jonsen media will receive a small commission at no cost to you.

Here’s a preview of Season 5

interviews with Tony Roma’s, Mina Haque, and Ashley Ridgeway Washington, highlighting their multifaceted, nonlinear careers.

With an introductionto TKC sponsor, Dani Hughes from Divine Asset Management. She’s a transformational business strategy andwealth management consultant and founder of Divine Asset Management, who explains why she sponsors the show: it serves women business leaders,challenges the myth of linear careers, and parallels the non-linear nature ofinvesting. Danielle also shares her commitment to supporting women through collaborative,transparent “women’s capitalism.”

ABOUT HELEN JONSEN AND THIS KALEIDOSCOPE CAREER MEDIA

I’m Helen Jonsen, the founder of helen jonsen media and This Kaleidoscope Career

I have lived a kaleidoscope career built on decades ofexperience as a multi-platform journalist in front of the camera and behind thescenes, as a writer and author, and as an adviser to corporate, nonprofit andpublic leadership.

This Kaleidoscope Career gathers the real, unfilteredstories of women who’ve built careers that defied every template — women who’verisen, stumbled, reframed, and come back bolder. Like the kaleidoscope itself,every twist of the lens reveals a new pattern, a new image that couldn’t existwithout every shard, every color, every fragment that came before it.

After four decades as a journalist,writer, strategic comms pro and professional speaker, I have learned a lotabout how we communicate who we are and what we do. These are our stories and aframework to find your throughline and to share it with pride.

Check out my new book ThisKaleidoscope Career: Empowering Women to Build Unconventional Careers andRedefine Success (De Gruyter Brill) wherever you purchasebooks or click here. Seespecial offer – pre-order andreceive the Reframe Lens companion worksheet.

Save the date: Findlaunch events in September and October follow This Kaleidoscope Career on Facebook(This Kaleidoscope Career)& Instagram (kaleidoscope_career)

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61593336486158

Work with me! I ambooking exclusive keynotes, bookstore and book club appearances now. Email [email protected] or set a discovery call here at yourconvenience.

On This Kaleidoscope Career Podcast, I talk with inspiring women entrepreneurs and leadersacross various industries, nonprofits and other sectors about unlocking theirsuccessful kaleidoscope careers and helping them find new ways to express theirthroughline. If you would like to be a guest, apply here.

“This Kaleidoscope Career Podcast” is a production of helen jonsen media. Learn more at helenjonsen.com or email [email protected] 

Join the conversationat Substack and get behind the scenes insights at https://substack.com/@thiskaleidoscopecareer

Support for This Kaleidoscope Careercomes from Divine Asset Management, a woman-owned firm advising individuals,families, and business owners on long-term strategies that align wealth withvalues. Explore more at WorkWithDivine.com

TKC pod is edited on Descript. Learn more here https://descript.cello.so/u00D6MnPTT0

Join Helen as an Innovation Women speaker.Do you want to speak for a living? Join a community of speakers supported by aplatform. Learn more here.

Affiliate Disclosure: This content contains affiliate links. helen jonsen mediawill receive a small commission at no cost to you.

This is a mini-podcast to introduce you to the issues and topics that help create your kaleidoscope career - from major global disruptions, to micro-disruptions, and personal upheavals.

Sometime the thing that forces up to move forward is the thing we don't talk about. The event that hurts us or the one we think other people would have done differently.

In this episode we name those and we hear from other women with insights you might find valuable.

About Helen & This Kaleidoscope Career

I’m Helen Jonsen, the founder of helen jonsen media and This Kaleidoscope Career

I have lived a kaleidoscope career built on decades of experience as a multi-platform journalist in front of the camera and behind the scenes, as a writer and author, and as an adviser to corporate, nonprofit and public leadership.

Check out my new book This Kaleidoscope Career: Empowering Women to Build Unconventional Careers and Redefine Success (De Gruyter Brill) wherever you purchase books or click here.

Work with me! I am booking exclusive keynotes, bookstore and book club appearances now. Email [email protected] or set a discovery call here at your convenience.

On This Kaleidoscope Career Podcast, I talk with inspiring women entrepreneurs and leaders across various industries, nonprofits and other sectors about unlocking their successful kaleidoscope careers and helping them find new ways to express their throughline. Listen wherever you stream or here. If you would like to be a guest, apply here.

“This Kaleidoscope Career Podcast” is a production of helen jonsen media. Learn more at helenjonsen.com or email [email protected] 

TKC pod is edited on Descript. Learn more here https://descript.cello.so/u00D6MnPTT0

Join Helen as an Innovation Women member. Do you want to speak for a living? Join a community of speakers supported by a platform. Learn more here.

Affiliate Disclosure: This content contains affiliate links. helen jonsen media will receive a small commission at no cost to you.

Many of America's corporate leaders know the name Carol Evans.

It's synonymous with working mother. Carol is a woman I admire greatly. She has been a champion of working mothers, of working families, and of diversity andinclusion in the workplace and in the public sector. Carol has devoted time not just to running her businesses, but she has taken her energy to politics on a national stage working to elect the next woman president and fighting for Democrats.

In that time, Carol has twisted the barrel of her career morethan once.

And during that time, she suffered amother's heartache in losing her daughter.

In a conversation that ranges from the silly to thevery serious, Carol takes us through her remarkable kaleidoscope career. 00:00 Meet Carol Evans00:09 Champion for Working Families00:17 From Business to Policy00:28 A Kaleidoscope Career00:40 Loss and Resilience00:45 What to Expect00:54 Stay With Us

Recommended:

Carol's Book: This Is How We Do It: A Practical Guide for the Working Mother

Writer Sue Monk Kid

Theater: clubbed thumb | funny, strange, and provocative new plays

About Helen & This Kaleidoscope Career

I’m Helen Jonsen, the founder of helen jonsen media and This Kaleidoscope Career

I have lived a kaleidoscope career built on decades of experience as a multi-platform journalist in front of the camera and behind the scenes, as a writer and author, and as an adviser to corporate, nonprofit and public leadership.

Check out my new book This Kaleidoscope Career: Empowering Women to Build Unconventional Careers and Redefine Success (De Gruyter Brill) wherever you purchase books or click here.

Work with me! I am booking exclusive keynotes, bookstore and book club appearances now. Email [email protected] or set a discovery call here at your convenience.

On This Kaleidoscope Career Podcast, I talk with inspiring women entrepreneurs and leaders across various industries, nonprofits and other sectors about unlocking their successful kaleidoscope careers and helping them find new ways to express their throughline. Listen wherever you stream or here. If you would like to be a guest, apply here.

“This Kaleidoscope Career Podcast” is a production of helen jonsen media. Learn more at helenjonsen.com or email [email protected] 

Support for This Kaleidoscope Career comes from Divine Asset Management, a woman-owned firm advising individuals, families, and business owners on long-term strategies that align wealth with values. Explore more at WorkWithDivine.com

TKC pod is edited on Descript. Learn more here---

Affiliate Disclosure: This content contains affiliate links. helen jonsen media will receive a small commission at no cost to you.

From Host Helen Jonsen

Welcome to This Kaleidoscope Career with thoughts about how women are doing it differently. As the colors of a kaleidoscope shift and tumble to create amazing and unique images, our skills, talents, experience and passions can create unique careers that are anything but linear. After four decades as a journalist, writer, strategic comms pro and professional speaker, I have learned a lot about how we communicate who we are and what we do. These are our stories and the tools to celebrate them.

I have spent two years listening to women and researching the elements of this kaleidoscope career for my new book, This Kaleidoscope Career: Empowering Women to Build Unconventional Careers and Redefine Success, published by De Gruyter Brill to be released in Sept. 2026.

In this episode i share the key elements, discuss superpowers and then, walk through the step-by-step approach to reframing your career as you see it through its twists and turns.

Former guests remind us of important elements and why.

@Christine Koh and @Joan Garry.

Find the full episodes with Joan here

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0j8j6IQGmfJnnJO8R8N0VB

Find the full episodes with Christine here

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6ZaqKFiTAw0s519w2p4O5e?si=c345a0edb2e94fd8

About Helen & This Kaleidoscope Career

I’m Helen Jonsen, the founder of helen jonsen media and This Kaleidoscope Career

I have lived a kaleidoscope career built on decades of experience as a multi-platform journalist in front of the camera and behind the scenes, as a writer and author, and as an adviser to corporate, nonprofit and public leadership.

Check out my new book This Kaleidoscope Career: Empowering Women to Build Unconventional Careers and Redefine Success (De Gruyter Brill) wherever you purchase books or click here.

Work with me! I am booking exclusive keynotes, bookstore and book club appearances now. Email [email protected] or set a discovery call here at your convenience.

On This Kaleidoscope Career Podcast, I talk with inspiring women entrepreneurs and leaders across various industries, nonprofits and other sectors about unlocking their successful kaleidoscope careers and helping them find new ways to express their throughline. Listen wherever you stream or here. If you would like to be a guest, apply here.

“This Kaleidoscope Career Podcast” is a production of helen jonsen media. Learn more at helenjonsen.com or email [email protected] 

TKC pod is edited on Descript. Learn more here https://descript.cello.so/u00D6MnPTT0

Support for This Kaleidoscope Career comes from Divine Asset Management, a woman-owned firm advising individuals, families, and business owners on long-term strategies that align wealth with values. Explore more at WorkWithDivine.com

TKC pod is edited on Descript. Learn more here

Join Helen as an Innovation Women member. Do you want to speak for a living? Join a community of speakers supported by a platform. Learn more here.

Affiliate Disclosure: This content contains affiliate links. helen jonsen media will receive a small commission at no cost to you.

In conversation with Valerie Smaldone and host Helen Jonsen.

Valerie Smaldone is an unforgettable voice behind the micand in front of the camera. She is a 5-time Billboard Magazine Award winner and is well known for her unprecedented success holding the #1 on-air position in the New York radio market. She has hosted, produced and createdseveral nationally syndicated programs featuring in-depth interviews with top recording artists such as Paul McCartney, Celine Dion, Rod Stewart, Elton John and Mariah Carey, among others.

She co-founded Just Do Good Entertainment, producingcommunity-minded shows like “Divine Renovation” with Erik Estrada and “Finding Kindness,” plus a family book, while reflecting on caregiving, kindness after 9/11, and staying adaptable amid AI.

Valerie’s earlier credits include hosting and producing a nationally syndicated radio program, “America Weekend with Valerie Smaldone…and Friends,” distributed through the Envision Radio Network. 

As an actress on stage and screen, Valerie had a featuredrole in “Blue Bloods” on CBS, has been a recurring character in the Fox Television series, “The Following.” Other notable roles include Kara Angelo, a character she created in the play she co-wrote, entitled “Spit it Out!”  She has performed in several acclaimed Off-Broadway plays: “Spalding Gray: Stories Left to Tell” at the Minetta Lane Theatre, “Naked in a Fishbowl” at the Soho Playhouse, “Broadway’s Next Hit Musical” at The Triad, and “Girl Talk: The Musical,” among others.

This Episode:

00:00 Whiteboard Career Hack

00:31 Show Intro andMission

01:27 Meet ValerieSmaldone

02:27 Light FMBreakthrough

04:59 Acting AlongsideRadio

05:46 Leaving Radio in2008

06:54 Coaching andTransferable Skills

09:23 COVID Pivot to Producing

10:59 Thrown Into Directing

13:20 Divine Renovation Explained

16:12 More Projects and Distribution

20:03 Elder Care and Life Balance

22:13 Future Plans and AI

23:47 Why Kindness Drives It All

26:07 Fun Life andBroadway Loves

29:03 FinalReflections and Wrap

RESOURCES

https://valeriesmaldone.com/

https://www.justdogoodent.com/

Producer/Host, TELLY AWARD WINNING NEW SERIES-Finding Kindness

Producer/Director, Air Angels: Flight Helene

Just Do GOOD Entertainment Presents, Officer Erik and the Very Special Dad-InternationalImpact Book Award winner

Executive Producer, TELLY AND DAVEY AWARD WINNING Divine Renovation-The Series,hosted by Erik Estrada

Director/ExecutiveProducer, NY FILM AWARD, LA FILM AWARD, ROME PRISMA AWARD WINNING FILM,TheThursday Night Club, featuring Gloria Gaynor

www.justdogoodent.com

------

Support for This Kaleidoscope Career comes from Divine AssetManagement, a woman-owned firm advising individuals, families, and businessowners on long-term strategies that align wealth with values. Explore more at ⁠WorkWithDivine.com⁠

About Helen & This Kaleidoscope Career

I’m Helen Jonsen, the founder of helen jonsen media and ThisKaleidoscope Career

Check out my new book This Kaleidoscope Career:Empowering Women to Build Unconventional Careers and Redefine Success(De Gruyter Brill) wherever you purchase books or click here.

Work with me! I am booking exclusive keynotes,bookstore and book club appearances now. Email [email protected] or set a discovery call here at your convenience.

“This Kaleidoscope Career Podcast” is a production of helenjonsen media. Learn more at helenjonsen.com or email [email protected] 

TKC pod is edited onDescript. Learn more here https://descript.cello.so/u00D6MnPTT0

TKC pod is edited onDescript. Learn more here

Join Helen as an Innovation Women member. Do you want tospeak for a living? Join a community of speakers supported by a platform. Learnmore here.

Affiliate Disclosure: Thiscontent contains affiliate links. helen jonsen media will receive a smallcommission at no cost to you.

Welcome! This episode feels like sitting down with the smartest, funniest friend at the dinner table — the one who somehow makes you feel calmer and more ambitious at the same time.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Christine Koh shares the winding path behind her kaleidoscope career — from music cognition researcher and academic to pioneering blogger, creative director, strategist, podcaster, and trustedadvisor to mission-driven leaders.

She reflects on growing up in a Korean immigrant family, navigating a toxic workplace, becoming a mother, and ultimately choosing work that felt creative,meaningful, and deeply human. Along the way, Christine talks about launching Boston Mamas during the early blogging era, helping shape the future of influencer marketing through Women Online, and discovering her unique abilityto guide organizations through difficult conversations and moments of friction.

The episode is also filled with joyful sidebars — from baking elaborate cakes and learning tennis in midlife to gardening, activism, parenting teens, and why curiosity may be the greatest career skill of all.

00:00 Curiosity To Campaigns

00:50 Show Introduction

01:46 Meet Christine Koh

02:41 Life Today AndWork

04:07 From Scarcity ToPhD

06:31 Leaving Academia

07:13 Boston MamasBegins

10:08 Making the Leap

12:18 Design BusinessTwist

13:52 Books PodcastsConsulting

16:32 Women OnlineImpact

20:07 Next steps: DiplomatPractice

23:10 Motherhood andMeaning

28:42 Speed Round Fun

34:09 Activism andGiving Back

37:14 Advice for Others

Resources:

Where to find Christine https://www.christinekoh.com/

Podcast & Substack: Edit Your Life

Substack: There’s Always a Story

Recommended reading:

BOOK Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead: A Novel by Mai Nguyen

------------About Your Host

Helen Jonsen lives a kaleidoscope career built on decades of experience as a strategic adviser to corporate, nonprofit and public leadership, and a multi-platform journalist and speaker.

As a speaker: Helen is available for keynote workshops and firesides on This Kaleidoscope Career, including women’s leadership and empowerment, and on topics to help you strengthen your spoken message and deliver it with confidence. Learn more at helenjonsen.com or email [email protected].

Helen’s new book: This Kaleidoscope Career: Empowering Women to Build Unconventional Careers and Redefine Success will be published by De Gruyter-Brill in September 2026.

Listen: In This Kaleidoscope Career podcast Helen helps leading women reframe their nonlinear careers across various industries, nonprofits and government, and helps others who aspire to unlock a successful kaleidoscope career. “This Kaleidoscope Career Podcast” is a production of helen jonsen media. https://www.helenjonsen.com/#this-kaleidoscope-career

----------

Online Course: Command the Room: Develop Your Signature Remarks Toolkit for Leaders Hosted and written by Helen Jonsen in production with GenConnectU and LinkedIn Learning: A practical communication course for leaders who want to speak with clarity, confidence, and impact. Register here and use discount code: COMMAND15 for 15% off enrollment

TKC pod is edited on Descript. Learn more here https://descript.cello.so/u00D6MnPTT0

Join Innovation Women. Do you want to speak for a living? Join a community of speakers supported by a platform. Learn more here: https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=96435&awinaffid=2281255&ued=https%3A%2F%2Finnovationwomen.com%2Fjoin%2F

Affiliate Disclosure: This content contains affiliate links. helen jonsen media will receive a small commission at no cost to you.

On this episode, Helen Jonsen sits down with writer, public relations expert, and self-described California Girl, Lisa Woolery, to talk about her “kaleidoscope career.” From teaching middle school English in SoCal to shaping messages in politics, public service, and corporate PR, Lisa built a life around words—until life rewrote the script.

After relocating her family to Kansas for a quieter life, Lisa’s husband, Eric, died suddenly just months later. What followed was a season of grief, survival, and, eventually, a return to the creative work that had always been calling her. Lisa shares howloss led her back to writing—through her memoir The Widow’s Comeback, a daily grief calendar, and a growing community for widows—while opening the door to a new chapter as a literary consultant and novelist.

It’s a conversation about resilience and reframing, and what it means to find your voice again when everything changes.

00:00 Writing Through Grief

02:03 Early Dreams and Teaching

03:12 Politics and Public Service

05:20 City PR to Corporate Offices

09:39 Family Pressures and Leaving Work

12:27 Moving to Kansas and Finding Voice

15:00 Dream Interrupted

16:46 Adoption and Building a Family

20:09 The Day Eric Died

23:07 Memoir Spark and Purpose

25:33 Sponsor Break

25:56 Publishing TheWidows Comeback

28:05 Workbooks andWidow Community

32:38 Literary Coachingand New Fiction

37:21 Kids Update andResilience

40:49 Life Now and Closing Reflections

Thanks to our sponsor:

Support for This Kaleidoscope Career comes from Divine Asset Management, a woman-ownedfirm advising individuals, families, and business owners on long-term strategies that align wealth with values.Explore more at WorkWithDivine.com

About Helen Jonsen & This Kaleidoscope Career

Helen Jonsen lives a kaleidoscope career built on decades of experience as a strategic adviser to corporate, nonprofit and public leadership, and a multi-platform journalist in front of the camera and behind the scenes.

Helen is available as a keynote or workshop leader on This Kaleidoscope Career, and on topics to help you strengthen your spoken message to deliver it with confidence. Learn moreat helenjonsen.com or email [email protected].

Helen’s new book: This Kaleidoscope Career: Empowering Women to Build Unconventional Careers and Redefine Success will be published byDeGruyter-Brill in September 2026.

Listen:In This Kaleidoscope Career podcast Helen helps leading women reframe their nonlinear careers across various industries, nonprofits and government,and helps others who aspire to unlock a successful kaleidoscope career. “This Kaleidoscope Career Podcast” is a production of helen jonsen media. https://www.helenjonsen.com/#this-kaleidoscope-career

----------

Online Course: Command the Room: Develop Your Signature Remarks Toolkit for LeadersHosted and written by Helen Jonsen in production with GenConnectU andLinkedIn Learning: A practical communication course for leaders who want tospeak with clarity, confidence, and impact. Register here and usediscount code: COMMAND15 for 15% off enrollment

TKCpod is edited on Descript. Learn more here https://descript.cello.so/u00D6MnPTT0

JoinInnovation Women. Do you want to speak for a living? Join a community ofspeakers supported by a platform. Learn more here: https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=96435&awinaffid=2281255&ued=https%3A%2F%2Finnovationwomen.com%2Fjoin%2F

AffiliateDisclosure: This content contains affiliate links.helen jonsen media will receive a small commission at no cost to you.

Host Helen Jonsen welcomes marketing executive and radio/podcasting pioneer Liz Dolan, known for co-creating Satellite Sisters and for CMO roles at Nike, the Oprah Winfrey Network, and National Geographic. Liz describes her current multi-project life in Santa Monica, including work with Oregon Sports Angels, an investment group, a nonprofit program training young people for sports journalism, and her podcast The Lizness School. As a working woman throughout her career, she has made her home in New York, Oregon and Los Angeles.

01:56 Liz Today

06:11 Brown to NYC

08:30 Nike Leap

11:28 Satellite Sisters Origin Story

20:44 Community Legacy

24:09 From Oprah to Nat Geo

27:43 Sexism and Workplace Dynamics

29:50 Early Podcast Sponsorship Lessons

31:49 Stanford 3rd/Third Reset

34:36 Cohort Community Reflections

35:57 Launching Lizness School podcast

39:10 Health Habits and Speed Round

44:16 Olympics Gigs and Career Advice

Resources & Stuff We talked about:

Liz on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-dolan-1b90584/

Satellite Sisters https://satellitesisters.com/

LIZNESS SCHOOL podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/17EfCHxnfXRLVEQ97tGLQv

The Magic Boost (nonprofit) https://www.themagicboost.com/

Oregon Sports Angels (Investing) https://oregonsportsangels.org/

Co-Author:  You’re the Best 

https://bookshop.org/shop/liandolan

Satellite Sisters' Uncommon Senses

What’s Liz reading: Flesh by David Szalay

-----

About This Kaleidoscope Career

Hosted by Helen Jonsen, journalist, strategic advisor, author, and speaker.

The Kaleidoscope Career is a production of helen jonsen media. Learn more at thiskaleidoscopecareer.com

https://linktr.ee/kaleidoscope.career.podcast?utm_source=linktree_

Support for This Kaleidoscope Career comes from Divine Asset Management, a woman-owned firm advising individuals, families, and business owners on long-term strategies that align wealth with values.

Explore more at WorkWithDivine.com

---

This Kaleidoscope Career celebrates women who twist and turn their skills, talents, passions, and experiences to create new and brilliant iterations of their careers. We meet women across sectors and industries, including some in C-suites, on stage, in medicine, consulting, advocacy, nonprofits, and entrepreneurship. Each of their stories is unique, and each one is inspirational.

Helen’s book, This Kaleidoscope Career: Empowering Women to Build Unconventional Careers and Redefine Success, published September 2026 by global publisher De Gruyter-Brill. -- Invite Helen to be a guest speaker at your next event, conference , bookstore, library or book club! [email protected]

https://www.helenjonsen.com/#this-kaleidoscope-career

If you'd like to be a guest, apply here  https://forms.gle/KK7rrX5WaNTwJ3Qf7

MORE TO LEARN!

Command the Room: Develop Your Signature Remarks Toolkit for Leaders

Check this out: An online course from Helen Jonsen in production with GenConnectU and LinkedIn Learning:

A practical communication course for leaders who want to speak with clarity, confidence, and impact. Register here and use discount code: COMMAND15 for 15% off enrollment

-----

TKC pod is edited on Descript. Learn more here https://descript.cello.so/u00D6MnPTT0

-----

Join Innovation Women. Do you want to speak for a living? Join a community of speakers supported by a platform. Learn more here: https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=96435&awinaffid=2281255&ued=https%3A%2F%2Finnovationwomen.com%2Fjoin%2F

 -----------

Affiliate Disclosure: This content contains affiliate links. helen jonsen media will receive a small commission at no cost to you.

#thiskaleidoscopecareer

#StrongWomenLead

#leadership

#careers