Rebecca Ryan is a noted top 50 professional futurist, economist, best-selling author and entrepreneur.  She helps organizations consider multiple plausible futures, not just one! She tracks trends and figures out what the future is likely going to be and how we could be ready for the future. 

Many organizations create future-facing plans that are actually based on the past. Strategic foresight helps focus on what's coming. Looking a generation ahead, she outlines strategies in urban planning, economic development, and workforce development to ensure communities are well equipped for future trends and challenges. 
 
She is the founder of NEXT Generation Consulting through which she partners with private and public sector leaders across the country, such as Chambers of Commerce, economic development agencies, and a handful of do-gooder companies. Together with each organization, they anticipate and imagine brighter futures by going through specific steps and drilling down to what is actionable today to create those desired futures. 

In this episode, we talk about:

• her process with clients 
• tips for how we can be futurists in our own lives
• the history of futurists — they were in White House and Congress until 1981
• how to pursue a career as a futurist
• free resources for how you can learn about being a futurist and applying futurist principles

Rebecca is a graduate of Drake University with a certificate in Strategic Foresight from University of Houston. She is on the Executive Committee of the global Association of Professional Futurists.

Contact Info:
Rebecca Ryan - Guest
https://rebeccaryan.com/
Rebecca Ryan, APF (LinkedIn)

Julie Berman - Host
www.womenwithcooljobs.com
@womencooljobs (Instagram)
Julie Berman (LinkedIn)

Send Julie a text!!

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I absolutely LOVE being the host and producer of "Women with Cool Jobs", where I interview women who have unique, trailblazing, and innovative careers. It has been such a blessing to share stories of incredible, inspiring women since I started in 2020.

If you have benefitted from this work, or simply appreciate that I do it, please consider buying me a $5 coffee. ☕️

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/julieberman

Thank you so much for supporting me -- whether by sharing an episode with a friend, attending a LIVE WWCJ event in Phoenix, connecting with me on Instagram @womencooljobs or LinkedIn, sending me a note on my website (www.womenwithcooljobs.com), or by buying me a coffee! It all means so much. <3

If someone would've shared that there was an opportunity to be part of a podcast interviewing women who had unique, trailblazing, and innovative careers -- I wouldn't have applied. I literally didn't even know what a podcast was, nor did I know how to listen to one.

Fast forward, and I not only started that podcast, I've been doing it  and releasing an episode every other Wednesday, for 2 years nonstop. Why? Because it's fun, sparks me, and I get to have conversations with the smartest, feistiest, most epic women ever! Thank goodness I listened to that whisper. What have you missed out on because you gave yourself a "no" instead of letting yourself just see what happens and giving yourself a "yes"?

We often feel like we have to have 100% of the skills and experience to succeed at something. We discount ourselves-- our formal and informal education, our experiences and skills, the challenges we've overcome, our ability to learn, and our internal drive and motivation when we find something we love and that sparks us. 

This episode is all about giving ourselves more credit and following what sparks you, knowing that you can do it if you adopt a learner's mindset. Please help me celebrate my 2-year podversary by leaving a 5-star rating and writing a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Consider it a gift to the host, Julie!

Contact Info:

Julie Berman - Host
www.womenwithcooljobs.com
@womencooljobs (Instagram)
Julie Berman (LinkedIn)

Send Julie a text!!

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I absolutely LOVE being the host and producer of "Women with Cool Jobs", where I interview women who have unique, trailblazing, and innovative careers. It has been such a blessing to share stories of incredible, inspiring women since I started in 2020.

If you have benefitted from this work, or simply appreciate that I do it, please consider buying me a $5 coffee. ☕️

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/julieberman

Thank you so much for supporting me -- whether by sharing an episode with a friend, attending a LIVE WWCJ event in Phoenix, connecting with me on Instagram @womencooljobs or LinkedIn, sending me a note on my website (www.womenwithcooljobs.com), or by buying me a coffee! It all means so much. <3

Michele Galloway is the Automotive Fleet Manager at UPS (United Parcel Service) for the entire state of Utah. She runs the department that maintains and fixes all the UPS vehicles for the state.  She’s breaking ground for women in the automotive field, as she is the only female UPS Automotive Manager in the Western half of the United States. (Note: It's not because UPS doesn’t hire women, but because most women don’t see themselves in this type of work.) 

The Utah hub is considered the cross-roads to the West, and under her management, her team ensures that the best vehicles are transporting packages to other states.  Here are a few things we discuss:  

She runs a 24-hours-a-day operation. (Automotive is always there and needed.)

• She manages 54 employees and over 1200 vehicles every day.
• She does maintenance and repairs.
• She forecasts staffing and inventory needs.
• She ensures employees have proper training and oversight.
  
  

Contact Info:

Julie Berman - Host
www.womenwithcooljobs.com
@womencooljobs (Instagram)

Send Julie a text!!

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I absolutely LOVE being the host and producer of "Women with Cool Jobs", where I interview women who have unique, trailblazing, and innovative careers. It has been such a blessing to share stories of incredible, inspiring women since I started in 2020.

If you have benefitted from this work, or simply appreciate that I do it, please consider buying me a $5 coffee. ☕️

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/julieberman

Thank you so much for supporting me -- whether by sharing an episode with a friend, attending a LIVE WWCJ event in Phoenix, connecting with me on Instagram @womencooljobs or LinkedIn, sending me a note on my website (www.womenwithcooljobs.com), or by buying me a coffee! It all means so much. <3

Heather Maio-Smith is a visionary who had this beautiful goal of letting the children and adults of tomorrow be able to interact with and learn from those who came before them. She is the Chief Visionary Officer, Co-Founder, and President of StoryFile, which uses incredible video technology combined with artificial intelligence to support a 2- way conversation.  Instead of traditional one-way video, where you are just the listener, Heather helped bring technology to life that allows for video to respond and talk back! It mimics having a real conversation, because you can have an interactive conversation about an individual’s experience.

Heather thought of this idea, which turned into StoryFile, in 2010 when Siri didn't exist and right when Skype arrived on the scene. Technology had to catch up with her vision.

About the Company: StoryFile is revolutionizing the way we connect with each other by introducing conversational video with audio visual technology. Through the click of a button, StoryFile magically turns video into a conversation. This next generation of technology uses artificial intelligence to support video conversations on any device. It's the biggest audio-visual evolution since video was first created.

Contact Info:
Heather Maio-Smith - Guest
Heather's LinkedIn Profile
@storyfile (Instagram)
www.storyfile.com 

Julie Berman - Host
www.womenwithcooljobs.com
@womencooljobs (Instagram)

Send Julie a text!!

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I absolutely LOVE being the host and producer of "Women with Cool Jobs", where I interview women who have unique, trailblazing, and innovative careers. It has been such a blessing to share stories of incredible, inspiring women since I started in 2020.

If you have benefitted from this work, or simply appreciate that I do it, please consider buying me a $5 coffee. ☕️

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/julieberman

Thank you so much for supporting me -- whether by sharing an episode with a friend, attending a LIVE WWCJ event in Phoenix, connecting with me on Instagram @womencooljobs or LinkedIn, sending me a note on my website (www.womenwithcooljobs.com), or by buying me a coffee! It all means so much. <3

Kids love to try new personas and experiment with how it makes them feel. First, she’ll try on a lab coat and pretend to be a vet helping sick animals. Five minutes later, she’ll change into a  tutu and dance and wiggle around the room. There’s a permission here in this process to try on how different scenarios, skills, and characteristics make us feel. We can ask:

• Do we enjoy it and does it make us feel alive? 
• Do we get bored with it really quickly? 
• Can we imagine ourselves going through the actions of that particular person and that role?  

Dress up and experimenting without a fear of "Am I going to look silly?"  Or "Am I going to fail and fall on my face?" is natural to kids. We forget to do it as adults. Yet, this type of experimentation is just as important and applicable now as it was when we were little. 

So, now that you’ve learned how to interview women you admire with cool jobs and figured out what sparks you, the next step is to experiment and try new things. There are several ways you can do this:

Matching game: 

You figured out specifically what lights you up, makes you feel energized, and makes time fly by. You have the hard data about you to make really great, informed decisions  that you can use to shape your present and your future. Now, take a look at some women who you admire and their cool jobs. Whether you found her because you listened to a Women with Cool Jobs podcast, you talked to her yourself (go you!), or you have heard about her as an industry leader, you can write down some of the main parts of her job and see if those align or have commonalities with what sparks you! You’re going to look at the specifics and consider:

•  who she works with and in what environment, 
• what are her responsibilities, 
• what tools and resources and tech does she use,
• does she have a lot of authority to make decisions? 
• does she work in the office or at home? 
• does she travel? 

All of these factors matter, not just what’s in the job description. Thinking beyond the job description will help you find a job that sparks you! 

Events:

Going to in-person and virtual events, conferences, and workshops are amazing ways to explore new paths and meet new people. You could learn about details, characteristics, nuances, and other insights that you can’t learn from a textbook or job description. These events also lead to deeper connections with possible future colleagues, inspirational women, besties, and mentors. 

Send Julie a text!!

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I absolutely LOVE being the host and producer of "Women with Cool Jobs", where I interview women who have unique, trailblazing, and innovative careers. It has been such a blessing to share stories of incredible, inspiring women since I started in 2020.

If you have benefitted from this work, or simply appreciate that I do it, please consider buying me a $5 coffee. ☕️

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/julieberman

Thank you so much for supporting me -- whether by sharing an episode with a friend, attending a LIVE WWCJ event in Phoenix, connecting with me on Instagram @womencooljobs or LinkedIn, sending me a note on my website (www.womenwithcooljobs.com), or by buying me a coffee! It all means so much. <3

Here's a quick tutorial (& tips) for how to get clear on what sparks you and lights you up! 

Not sure what kind of cool job you want, but you know what you're doing now isn't cutting it? Like it totally doesn’t feel aligned? Or you're bored and need more of something, you just don't know what that something is or how to figure it out?

Maybe you're asking yourself tough questions like…

• What do I want to do with my life? 
• What is it that’s actually gonna make me excited about my life?

You want to feel like your work and life…

• is meaningful
• that it gives you a sense of purpose
• energizes and excites you
• allows you to drop into flow
• and let’s you fully express your potential and show up as your best self

FIRST --> Trust your inner compass !

Next, you can start by looking at 3 areas of your life and diving into the details:

• Present: 
  • Discovery: 7 Days of Awareness activity. What do you do now on the daily that energizes you and also drains you. What are you spending your time on?
• Past: 
  • How's Your Cup? What fills up your cup and makes you feel alive and inspired, and alternatively, what are the things that take effort and drain your cup?
    • Consider:
      • Work, relationships, leisure & life, education
• Future: 
  • History Reduces Mystery: Look to the past to help create the future.

Send Julie a text!!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I absolutely LOVE being the host and producer of "Women with Cool Jobs", where I interview women who have unique, trailblazing, and innovative careers. It has been such a blessing to share stories of incredible, inspiring women since I started in 2020.

If you have benefitted from this work, or simply appreciate that I do it, please consider buying me a $5 coffee. ☕️

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/julieberman

Thank you so much for supporting me -- whether by sharing an episode with a friend, attending a LIVE WWCJ event in Phoenix, connecting with me on Instagram @womencooljobs or LinkedIn, sending me a note on my website (www.womenwithcooljobs.com), or by buying me a coffee! It all means so much. <3

Explore how you can interview women with cool jobs, too! Here's a quick tutorial (& tips) for how to interview women in your own life who have cool jobs.

• Get curious 
  • Ponder what sparks you -- what makes time fly by, what makes you feel like you're living your purpose, what would you do for free if you could? Consider taking the free Sparketype test (www.sparketype.com) to learn more about what Sparks you!
• Go down a rabbit hole 
  • Do research and follow your heart on what sounds interesting. Then, keep going.
• Compliment and Connect 
  • Once you find someone, it's time to connect. You're reaching out because you admire her and her super cool job! 
• Show You Care by Prepping
  • Organize your thoughts and write specific topics or specific questions based on what you want to learn. Come prepared!
• Relax and Chat
  • Grab a drink, something to take notes with, and be yourself.
• Follow up with a Thank You! 
  • Let her know you were invested in the conversation and appreciate her generosity in spending time with you.

Send Julie a text!!

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I absolutely LOVE being the host and producer of "Women with Cool Jobs", where I interview women who have unique, trailblazing, and innovative careers. It has been such a blessing to share stories of incredible, inspiring women since I started in 2020.

If you have benefitted from this work, or simply appreciate that I do it, please consider buying me a $5 coffee. ☕️

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/julieberman

Thank you so much for supporting me -- whether by sharing an episode with a friend, attending a LIVE WWCJ event in Phoenix, connecting with me on Instagram @womencooljobs or LinkedIn, sending me a note on my website (www.womenwithcooljobs.com), or by buying me a coffee! It all means so much. <3

In this 50th episode of "Women with Cool Jobs" podcast, host Julie Berman and special guest cohost Jillian Speece chat about how you can turn your dreams into reality. We discuss how to find and tap into your vision and dreams, what to do when you figure out what they are, and how to get started taking action. Learn from these creators at different stages of the creative journey.

Jillian Speece is an award-winning American musician, filmmaker and entrepreneur. She is half of The Bergamot, an indie-folk-rock band with her husband Nathaniel Hoff. They've been been featured in People, USA Today, and Parade Magazine. She's been a professional musician for 12 years, and this year they finished their first documentary “State of the Unity”. They traveled in one vehicle to all 50 states and had people across the country sign the car in an act of unity. It is a film about spreading love and finding common ground through the power of art. "State of the Unity" took 6 1/2 years to make and was Jillian's first directorial debut. The film has gone on to win several prestigious awards and accolades, from  Sedona to Paris. Currently, Jillian and her husband are on a cross-country tour and will release a new album "Far Out" in Fall 2022.

Julie Berman is the host of the "Women with Cool Jobs" podcast. She has been podcasting for 2 years and is also a Certified Sparketype Advisor helping you find the sparks that light you up at work and in life. She is an experienced teacher and facilitator with experience in adult education and higher education.

Contact Info:
Jillian Speece
thebergamot.com
@jillianspeece (Instagram)
@thebergamot (Instagram)


Julie Berman - Host
www.womenwithcooljobs.com
@womencooljobs (Instagram)

Send Julie a text!!

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I absolutely LOVE being the host and producer of "Women with Cool Jobs", where I interview women who have unique, trailblazing, and innovative careers. It has been such a blessing to share stories of incredible, inspiring women since I started in 2020.

If you have benefitted from this work, or simply appreciate that I do it, please consider buying me a $5 coffee. ☕️

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/julieberman

Thank you so much for supporting me -- whether by sharing an episode with a friend, attending a LIVE WWCJ event in Phoenix, connecting with me on Instagram @womencooljobs or LinkedIn, sending me a note on my website (www.womenwithcooljobs.com), or by buying me a coffee! It all means so much. <3

Dr. Jennie Bever is a lactation consultant, also known as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), that supports mothers who currently are or plan to nurse their babies. She works with moms and their sweet little munchkins to help them on their breastfeeding journey, which is something very primal and important, but also something that is not necessarily intuitive or easy!

Jennie’s first child was born while she was still in graduate school, and the challenges she experienced during her 4th trimester inspired her to become an IBCLC and start a clinical lactation practice, the Arizona Breastfeeding Center. In addition to her private practice, Jennie co-founded 4th Trimester Arizona, a nonprofit with a mission to change the culture of parenting so no one has to do it alone and the vision that all families are embraced by their communities in their transition to parenthood.

Jennie's job involves inquiry and investigation, interacting with awesome moms and adorable babies, providing suggestions and resources, and more. This career choice is great for people who are interested in clinical or healthcare-related fields, as well as people who love children, but don't necessarily want to work in childcare or education. 

Resources

• Arizona Breastfeeding Center
• 4th Trimester Arizona

Contact Info:
Jennie Bever
http://www.azbreastfeedingcenter.com/
Jennie's LinkedIn Profile

Julie Berman - Host
www.womenwithcooljobs.com
@womencooljobs (Instagram)

Send Julie a text!!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I absolutely LOVE being the host and producer of "Women with Cool Jobs", where I interview women who have unique, trailblazing, and innovative careers. It has been such a blessing to share stories of incredible, inspiring women since I started in 2020.

If you have benefitted from this work, or simply appreciate that I do it, please consider buying me a $5 coffee. ☕️

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/julieberman

Thank you so much for supporting me -- whether by sharing an episode with a friend, attending a LIVE WWCJ event in Phoenix, connecting with me on Instagram @womencooljobs or LinkedIn, sending me a note on my website (www.womenwithcooljobs.com), or by buying me a coffee! It all means so much. <3

Any woman who willingly jumps out of planes for the purpose of saving people, their homes, and livelihoods is a rockstar and an incredible example of what is possible. This episode totally deserved a rebroadcast!

Smokejumper, Madison Whittemore, jumps out of airplanes and walks towards danger to put out wildland fires across the United States.  As a smokejumper, she is among an elite crew of highly skilled wildland firefighters. Along with her colleagues, she jumps out of an airplane in 100 lbs. of gear, parachutes down to the ground, and then heads towards the fire.

Madison is the epitome of a strong, driven, kick-ass woman who picked a highly competitive career  choice. She was laser-focused and did everything possible to prepare herself physically, mentally, and nutritionally.

Smokejumping is a Western trade that started in the 1940s and has not changed much since then. There are around 400 smokejumpers employed in the United States.

Episode Resources:

1. Smokejumpers StoryMaps
2. U.S. Forest Service Smokejumpers

Contact Info:
Madison Whittemore
@madwhits (Instagram)

Julie Berman - Host
www.womenwithcooljobs.com
@womencooljobs (Instagram)

Send Julie a text!!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I absolutely LOVE being the host and producer of "Women with Cool Jobs", where I interview women who have unique, trailblazing, and innovative careers. It has been such a blessing to share stories of incredible, inspiring women since I started in 2020.

If you have benefitted from this work, or simply appreciate that I do it, please consider buying me a $5 coffee. ☕️

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/julieberman

Thank you so much for supporting me -- whether by sharing an episode with a friend, attending a LIVE WWCJ event in Phoenix, connecting with me on Instagram @womencooljobs or LinkedIn, sending me a note on my website (www.womenwithcooljobs.com), or by buying me a coffee! It all means so much. <3