WiSPER LOUD

Join the Women in Seed Production Network for a candid conversation featuring Cheryl Werner, a site manager with 31 years of experience and an advocate for advancing women in leadership. Cheryl shares her non-typical career path, highlighting how prioritizing family led to spending 17 years at one location. A key realization was that she owned her career decisions, which shifted her perspective from feeling passed over to empowerment and motivated her to take diverse roles within that location. Cheryl advises young professionals to trust the process, take ownership of their careers, and use a career map to explore different paths, remembering that decisions for "now" are not "forever" as circumstances change. This thought-provoking first part of the conversation offers valuable insights into career navigation and work-life balance, with Part 2 coming next month! Make sure to stay tuned for even more from Cheryl!

Join the Women in Seed Production Network for an enlightening conversation with Debbie Holderman as she explores the transformative concept of the "Corporate Athlete." In this episode, Debbie delves into the principles outlined in the book "Corporate Athlete," highlighting how adopting the training mindset of elite athletes can empower individuals to effectively manage their mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional energy for sustained high performance in the workplace. Debbie shares her personal journey of embracing the "Corporate Athlete" philosophy and emphasizes the critical roles of both training and recovery in achieving a balanced life and successful career. She reflects on her evolving sense of purpose, sparked by profound questions that helped illuminate her core values. Additionally, Debbie introduces the concept of “energy leadership” and the seven levels of energy, illustrating how a deeper understanding of these levels can significantly enhance leadership effectiveness. She concludes the episode with an inspiring message about the importance of each moment in shaping our identities and the necessity of leading with genuine purpose, viewing every experience as an opportunity for growth. Don't miss this thought-provoking episode that promises to inspire and empower listeners to lead with intention and energy! 

Join the Women in Seed Production Network as we have a candid conversation with Danielle Smetana. Danielle talks to us about the shift in her passions from technical work to leading and developing people. Danielle delves into managing work-life balance while maintaining career momentum, particularly as a wife and mother, stressing the importance of open communication and mutual support. She also shares her passion for recruiting over the past decade and the joy of helping students find their path. With Danielle's positive and relatable insights, listeners will find an inspiring final message to trust in the support of friends and colleagues to help achieve their goals. This engaging conversation is full of encouragement and valuable takeaways on navigating career shifts, embracing leadership, balancing work and life, and discovering professional passion. Don't miss Danielle's wisdom! 

Join the Women in Seed Production Network as we have a candid conversation with Scott Baucum. Scott shares personal anecdotes about his upbringing and professional experiences, emphasizing the importance of mentorship, coaching, and receptivity in fostering allyship. He emphasizes the need to speak truth to power, avoid herd mentality, and making decisions with consideration for their consequences. Scott leaves listeners with advice on living with passion and having a strong personal code of conduct. Don't miss this engaging conversation full of encouragement and valuable takeaways! 

Join the Women in Seed Production Network as we have a candid conversation with Dr. Sheilah Oltmans-Deardorff. Sheilah reflects on her journey to earning her Ph.D. and the impactful professors who supported her along the way. She discusses the power of asking for help, the necessity of setting boundaries and shares practical advice for collaborating with global teams. With positivity and relatable insights, Sheilah leaves listeners with an inspiring final message and a thought-provoking quote to carry forward. Don't miss this engaging conversation full of encouragement and valuable takeaways!

Join the Women in Seed Production Network in a conversation with Dr. Magan Lewis. Dr. Magan joins us from Iowa with a passion in plant breeding and genetics, transformation, innovation, and education! She shares with us how her “why” has evolved, along with her family's love for STEM and their impact on the community. She brings vibrant energy and excitement to our listeners and shares tips on how we can get started living our own “why”!  Disclaimer: This episode does contain a story around the fear of a potential pregnancy loss while working in the fields. If you would like to skip this section it starts at minute 32 and ends around minute 34. Thank you. 

Join the Women in Seed Production Network for our latest episode with our guest, Jason Wildman. Jason is currently a Unit Lead for the North America Row Crop Cotton business residing in Lubbock, TX with over 25 years of experience in a wide range of areas including NA Row Crops Corn, Soy, and Cotton, Supply Planning, Crop Protection Manufacturing, and Global Operational Excellence. He shares with us pivotal moments, his leadership brand and advice for how to achieve psychological safety in the workplace. Jason also talks to us about the empowerment model and how failure can be a path forward. Whether you are a new leader, looking to become a leader or have many years of leadership experience, listen along with us as Jason takes us on a thought-provoking conversation.   

Join the Women in Seed Production Network in a conversation with Jacqueline Benson McRoberts. Jacqueline joins us from the Vegetable R&D organization where she currently serves as the Head of Data Stewardship and Digital Enablement. She shares with us her childhood that was full of travel, while supporting her father's time in the military. Health and wellness were instilled in Jaci at a young age, but personal and professional life changes got in the way of these priorities. She shares her journey back to a great mental state, offers advice on how to ask for help, and encourages all of us to know we are deserving. Come along!

Join the Women in Seed Production Network for another installment of our A Day in the Life Series! In this episode we talk to 4 individuals from across our seed production sites. The group joining us in this episode has a focus on field and plant operations. Listen as we discuss the challenges they face, what they love about their careers, and the things they do every day to help keep seed production sites and field operations running smoothly. Join us as we talk to Tatum Davis about her experiences in cotton field production. Blaire Britten gives us a look behind the curtain of a foundation corn operation in Othello, Washington. Dani Hartford discusses summer plant operations and Nancy Holmes shares advice on being well rounded in both field and plant operations. Let's jump right in with another installment of our A Day in the Life Series! 

Join the Women in Seed Production Network in a conversation with Lindsey Battle. Lindsey spent the first half of her career with a people focus in human resources. Currently, she leads new product launches and special projects for cotton and sugar beets. Lindsey has a passion for people and championing their success. She has been involved in diversity and inclusion initiatives since she started her career and is currently the US lead for her organization's Women's Network. In this episode, we celebrate National Women's Equality Day, discuss and share stories highlighting the successes and importance of business resource groups, and remind ourselves that we rise by lifting others.

Join the Women in Seed Production Network for Part 2 of our A Day in the Life Series! In this episode we continue our conversations with 3 more individuals from across our seed production sites. Listen as we discuss the challenges they face, what they love about their careers, and the things they do every day to help keep seed production sites running smoothly. Join us as we talk to Mark Witt about his cotton experiences and the unseen tasks in both safety and quality that keep everything moving. Tiffany Arizmendi talks to us about how technology has changed throughout her time and reminds us not to be afraid of change. Wrap up this episode by listening to Laura Wheeler talk about the importance of knowing your people and working together to improve safety. This episode isn't the last of our A Day in the Life series! We will be back in September when we will be joined by even more colleagues discussing their accomplishments and challenges throughout seed production. 

Join the Women in Seed Production Network as we talk to 3 different individuals from across our seed production sites about a day in their lives. Listen as we discuss the challenges they face, what they love about their jobs, and the things they do every day to help keep seed production sites running smoothly. Join us as we talk to Lexie Howe about how she helps mitigate downtime by using automation, Angie Dickmann about how she uses action items to hold herself and others accountable and Sherry Miller about how technology has advanced and her approach to getting everyone involved in the quality space. This episode is just the start of our A Day in the Life series! Stay tuned for part 2 coming later this month where we will be joined by even more colleagues discussing their accomplishments and challenges throughout seed production. 

Join the Women in Seed Production Network as we talk about parenthood and how to balance this role at and away from work. Our guest, Austin Thiel, brings a thoughtful perspective on how to be intentional with your time and being thankful for the ones closest to you. In this conversation, Austin gives us various angles and types of interactions he's experienced as it relates to working and family. From being an employee without children, to a new parent, and adding additional children into the mix, Austin shares just how important intentionality and time management can be. Austin will leave you with a moving message on the importance of appreciating your loved ones. Join us as we dive into work-life integration! 

Join the Women in Seed Production Network as we talk all things mental health with our special guest Carrin Carlson. Carrin has a diverse background in plant breeding and genetics, leading manufacturing operations, mentoring many different folks in all stages of life, all while supporting different BRGs and advocating for inclusion and diversity. In this episode, Carrin shares her journey with mental health, why it is so important to her, and tools she has learned and implemented in both her personal and professional life to create more balance, more mind/body experiences, and ensure she is managing her energy in the right places. Join us on this journey to mental health wellness!  

Join the Women in Seed Production Network as we talk with Lisa Gaines, Strategic Finance Business Partner. In this role Lisa is responsible for enabling new business models through the creation and analysis of business cases, monitoring of business and financial risks, and implementation of financial processes. Today she is shedding some light on the seed industry, giving us a financial perspective of the business. We talk about everything from the basics of business acumen to cyclicality, to business trends, to her learning mindset.  

Join the Women in Seed Production Network as we connect with Karen Williams, Transformation DSO Coach. Karen has over 16 years of experience in the industry across Crop Protection, Vegetable Seed, and Row Crop Production. She has a strong passion for creating opportunities for underrepresented talent as she often finds herself being in the minority in the room. She served on the Boys and Girls Club board and is the leader of the FOSSI program (Future of STEM Scholars Initiative)! Karen also prioritizes and constantly is working at work life balance and enjoys traveling, style, and skincare. Listen in as we get to hear Karen's perspective on the importance of diversity and importance of work life balance.

Join the Women in Seed Production Network as we interview special guest, Silvia Malaman, Silvia serves as a member of the Crop Science Product Supply Leadership Team. Based out of US, Silvia is responsible for facilitating the Strategy process from conception to deployment, engaging the organization towards the Product Supply Vision.  In this episode we explore Silvia's journey to the US, staying focused on her career, but most importantly how she navigates the tough conversations and decisions with her family at the fore front. Silvia reminds us she is human too. In fact, outside of her day job her favorite thing in life is being a wife and mother. In addition, she is a large advocate for bringing teams together, diversity and inclusion begins within. There is so much space to learn from each other, we need to use it. Come along with this on this unique episode!

Join the Women in Seed Production Network as we interview one of the creative minds behind this podcast! Our guest, Chelsea Hagan, is currently a North America Management Systems Manager within a Seed Production space but has a non-agricultural education. This chat is anchored in risk-taking, confidence, and growing a support system that allows you to reach your goals despite not having the obvious training or education. Chelsea gives us a different lens to use in terms of goal setting, one that will leverage your strengths. And as we dive deeper into conversation, Chelsea reminds us all that no matter the path we choose to take, we should leverage our support systems. We also get a first-hand look at how Chelsea has navigated conversations with her support system and has built confidence to take those leaps. Rounding out our chat, Chelsea reminds us anchor back into our good habits, remember to take care of yourself, and also be the support those around you need too. 

Join the Women in Seed Production Network as we interview Jarrett Kessel, an Operational Excellence Specialist. Jarrett's current role is heavily focused on facilitator development, teamwork, and cultural transformation; however, his unique background has led him to a wide range of experiences, making him the perfect person to discuss change. Throughout this episode, you will hear about how Jarrett has personally weathered change and the storm that can come along with it. To the table, he brings ideas for us to explore: mission, vision, brand. He gives us advice on navigating the various relationships you may encounter, reminding you to learn about those who are different than yourself and giving advice on how to foster those relationships. Also unique to this episode is the relationship Jarrett shares with one of our hosts, Cassidy. We get a front row seat to the pair exploring how their attempts at building a relationship with someone who has a different lens than yourself. Please listen in as Jarrett grounds us back to the reality that we are all people weathering the storms of change.  

Join the Women in Seed Production Network as we interview a familiar voice! In this episode, we chat with Abby Repp, a Global Project Lead for the Seed Production Innovation's Data Science and Solutions team and one of the creators of the WiSPER Loud Podcast. We catch up with Abby on various transitions she's gone through recently; from the addition of a new little one in her family, to the creation of a women's group in her community, to role changes. Abby allows us to see her through the lens of a guests on the podcast, a mother, a friend, a leader, and much more! In this conversation, we chat about how to balance the weight of many roles while maintaining your own individuality. Taking it one step at a time, she reminds us to not forget that we are ENOUGH while encouraging us to take personal relationships to a deeper level. Lastly, Abby explores motherhood, one of the roles she finds most important. She reminds us to educate yourself on the support provided to you, the community around you, and care of the people who surround you. Always assuming positive intent from those reaching out to help and having confidence in those who are supporting you can give you that peace of mind you desire as you take on the role of a parent. Please listen in as Abby inspires us to find that good balance through a supportive community, by listening to those around you, and making the choices that make sense to you individually! 

Join the Women in Seed Production Network as we interview Drew Yingling, Site Lead at a commercial soybean manufacturing facility in central Illinois. Drew shares with us his leadership philosophy as he paints a vivid picture of how he builds a positive culture, through the analogy of building a house. A house built on a foundation of respect with the walls and roof held up by trust. Creating business success through a safe, appreciative, and honest workplace. Drew shares his experience of being a sponsor of WiSP and how allies can be vulnerable and get involved. Come along with us as we unpack the tools to be a respected, trusted, and diverse leader!

Join the Women in Seed Production Network as we interview Denise Vitola, Vice President of Brand Integration PR, Social, and Influencer for Bayer Consumer Health. In this episode, we explore being vulnerable, staying true to yourself, and finding your passion. Denise brings breadth of experience to the table that will undoubtedly leave you with the drive to champion those ideas you've not yet explored. Together we discuss how to gain the confidence to take control of your own personal brand, how to show up as your best self despite other's opinions and utilize your personal champions to ignite your passion. Through this conversation we also discuss the meaning of a pivotal moment in history, now celebrated annually in August with Women's Equality Day. Denise shares insight on a personal meaning for this day, as well as advice on how to kickstart something bigger through your celebrations of Women's Equality Day. Please listen in as Denise shares her secrets to staying true to yourself and what is to come as you are in the pursuit of your own happiness.

Join the Women in Seed Production Network as we connect with Emily Elliot and Krista Koranda, founding members of the WiSP Business Resource Group.   In this episode we discuss the origins of the network, including the challenges faced by women in seed production. Krista and Emily discuss their own unique paths and learnings along the journey, encouraging us all to build up the people beside us and reminding us that we never know who we might inspire by being ourselves.  They highlight the importance of building a community of women across the organization, the impact of allyship, and why we need to advocate for others and celebrate the successes and accomplishments for one another.  Each of our journeys looks different and we are not always going to get it right, by listening to the discussion with Emily and Krista we hope you are reminded that you are capable of doing hard things, feedback is a gift, and it's okay to ask for help.

Join the Women in Seed Production Network as we connect with Hannah Neuenschwander, Brand Service Lead, as she shares her tips and experience with stepping into the unknown and answering the call for adventure. Hannah unpacks her tools for pushing the boundaries of what you think you are capable of and finding your fire. She reminds us to own our journey by leveraging those around us to see what we might not yet recognize in ourselves, explore the edges of our comfort zones, and focus on  measuring ourselves against who we were yesterday, and not those around us. Hannah shares some personal stories of growth, shifting her thinking, and shattering perceptions of herself. Come along with us in this conversation, likely to leave you feeling bold and brave, and ready to take on your next adventure!

Join the Women in Seed Production Network as we interview Jim Dowling, Western Regional Field Lead, for advice on leading with trust and demonstrating vulnerability. In this episode, we dive into learning from failures and moving forward while also gaining self-awareness along the journey.  As an ally, Jim leans into our questions and explores the importance of building relationships to help accomplish great things. He highlights some tactics for building trust, leveraging self and team assessment insights, and the importance of candor and feedback to further teamwork and ultimately the outcomes we seek. Jim reminds us that taking risks are necessary to push ourselves to grow, and even if we don't get it right, failures are essential building blocks towards a better future. We discuss how to utilize those building blocks as a new paved road, presenting greater opportunities for those that come behind us or guide us to new paths and experiences.   Jim is passionate about creating space for others to grow and thrive, so we hope you will enjoy the dialogue and insights he shares in this episode!

Join the Women in Seed Production Network as we interview Gwyn Schramm, Head of North America Human Resources. In this episode, we explore a variety of topics with Gwyn -- from challenges and trends in the agriculture industry, the value proposition for diversity, equity, and inclusion to the importance of being a continual learner, building your influencing skills, and intentionally focusing on your personal energy.  As a life-long learner, she reflects on risks she has taken across her career, the support systems that have been critical resources, and reminds us there is something to be gained from every interaction.  Gwyn encourages us to be bold and seek out new experiences, own our unique journeys, embrace change, inspire others to come along, and to remember to have fun along the way. So come along and have some fun with us, we hope you'll learn something new and embrace the opportunity to pause, reflect and lean into your core beliefs!

Join the Women in Seed Production Network as we interview Sarah Gillam, North America Soybean Western Manufacturing Director. In this episode Sarah shares great insights from her nearly 15-year career, specifically, how she has dealt with overcoming adversity while still gaining credibility with those she leads through different business functions. Also, Sarah gives our listeners a sneak peek into her personal operating system, and why she decides to do the hardest thing at the beginning of her day, something we all can learn from. Sit back, relax, and enjoy as Sarah takes our listeners on a journey of vulnerability, self-reflection and humble leadership. 

Join the Women in Seed Production Network as we interview Megan Chittick, North America Product Quality Specialist. In this episode Megan shares great insights from her nearly 20-year career, specifically how she has built her credibility and advice for establishing yourself in new teams and organization. She talks through the importance of always showing up, leaning into your strengths, and even gives some tips on how to apply your strengths in new spaces. Megan describes how she has been her own advocate, the approach she takes to building relationships, and the mindset of everyday leadership. A great example of a supportive team member and cheerleader, you don't want to miss this episode and be reminded the impact you can and do have on people in your everyday interactions!

Join the Women in Seed Production Network as we interview Becca Waller, Regional Business Lead for Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. Becca shares perspectives on career paths and moves -- from championing your own work, maintaining, and activating your 'hype team,' and reflecting on your accomplishments and motivations as you make these decisions. She also provides insights on the importance of being authentic and how she has overcome challenges in taking on new roles and navigating varying viewpoints as leader of business resource groups. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from Becca's diverse experiences and reflect on the importance of listening, assuming good intent, embracing challenges, and elevating our discussions as we develop and become better together!

Join the Women in Seed Production Network as we interview Anna Jahnsen, North America Product Supply Operational Excellence Lead. In this episode Anna draws from her experiences and learnings from implementing a lean manufacturing production system and how that has influenced her mindset and approach to servant leadership. Anna discusses her approach to developing others to gain confidence in who they are and how everyone can leverage their unique strengths to deliver results in their role. As someone who has a deep passion for people and harnesses the power of self-reflection, Anna shares great tips and advice -- tune in if you are in need of some inspiration and reflective coaching advice!

Join the Women In Seed Production Network as we interview Keith Merill, Plant Biotechnology Disease Projects Lead. Keith is an innovative scientist and enjoys working to try and sustainably feed a growing world through advances in plant breeding, genetics, and biotechnology. As a successful scientist, husband, and father of two he is also very passionate about allyship and advocacy. Acknowledging that everyone wants to matter, Keith walks us through his own allyship journey, opens up about how he has explored his privilege as a white middle-class male, what it looks like to get comfortable being uncomfortable (the essence of allyship), and the grace that one often experiences as they educate themselves, support others, and open space for under-represented populations as an ally. If you are interested in where or how to start as an ally, this is one you don't want to miss!

Join the Women in Seed Production Network as we interview Kate McQueen, Global Head of Seed Production Innovation Science and Engineering. Kate has had an extensive career across many different organizations including Manufacturing, Research and Development, Biotech & Chemistry, Regulatory Compliance and IT! Her immense leadership skillset has allowed her to mold many teams into successful groups thus far. Kate, also a mother, brings her perspective of creating work life balance and how to say "no" without closing the door forever. As someone who has transitioned though many roles in her career she gives advice on weighing your options in light of what you are truly searching for your career path.

Join the Women in Seed Production Network as we interview Jeff Medley, Organizational Readiness Lead. Jeff has had an impressive career in multiple manufacturing settings including most recently as a site lead at a commercial corn site in Northern Indiana. Jeff is passionate about creating strong and diverse teams while ensuring the inclusivity of all team members. He shares his experiences leading diverse teams, developing others through identifying transferable talents, fathering three daughters, and being surrounded by strong and successful women. He describes how having diversity on his teams has led to overall team success.

Join the Women in Seed Production Network as we interview Therese Mullins, Science Development Lead in the Seed Production and Innovation team in Missouri. Therese has 20 years of experience in Crop Science across the Innovation Pipeline and has had the opportunity to work across laboratory, greenhouse, and field in Research and Development and Product Supply collaborating cross functionally to enable the delivery of new and innovative products to the market. Therese is passionate about people development, mentoring others, and championing talent and is actively engaged in local, regional, and global Business Resource Groups. Therese shares her expertise as a team lead and gives advice to new managers of people and projects. She provides tips on how to build your career as a confident woman/ally while also knowing when to 'give yourself grace'!

Join the Women in Seed Production Network as we interview Cassidy North, a Senior Operations Specialist for the North America Commercial Soybean business. In this role she serves as a key support resource for internal and external soybean manufacturing operations and works with critical business partners to ensure business continuity, performance to plan, and pursuit of continuous improvement. Cassidy shares with us the power of self reflection and the importance it brings to your development. She also gives advice on how critical it is to own your career, stretch yourself to take opportunities, and build trust with those around you.

Join the Women in Seed Production Network as we interview Melissa Wienke, Site Lead at a soybean manufacturing plant in Missouri. Her educational background is in occupational safety and health and she began her career in the oil and gas industry. She joined the agricultural industry 5 years ago working in a few different positions and recently moved to her current role. Melissa shares her experience with transitions between different roles and also gives advice on how to advocate for yourself, step outside of your comfort zone, and the importance of setting boundaries.

Join the Women in Seed Production network in our next episode as we interview Paul Kirbach, Senior Operations Specialist for the North American Commercial Corn business and national culture lead for his company's LBGT+ Business Resource Group. Paul shares with us how being an ally and having allies has impacted his career. Paul discusses what it means to be an ally, and encourages us to be an ally to everyone.

Join the Women in Seed Production network in our next episode as we interview, Daniel Olivier, Head of North America Commercial Field Production for Bayer. Daniel joins us in this episode to talk about his career path, specifically those career changes and moves that impacted his family. Daniel shares advice on how to approach those conversations with your family, how to ensure the decisions you make are aligned with your personal and professional goals and being 100% in. We also touch on the topic around professional development and approaching career opportunities if you aren't looking to make a physical move to a new location. Stay with us through the episode as Daniel gives us a glimpse into what he hopes his young kids will look back on from their time living in another country and leaves us all wondering what perspective and advice we may hear from his wife if we were to interview her in a future episode!

Join the Women in Seed Production network in our next episode as we interview, Shannon Hauf, Senior Vice President and Head of Seed Production Innovation. Shannon shares with us what has inspired her career path while passing on life lessons and advice she received along the way from friends, colleagues, mentors and even her mother. These are all lessons we can all grow from as we work, are building our leadership skills and careers, as well as when we come together to solve challenges faced within agriculture and the world today. Stay with us throughout the episode as we learn what lessons Shannon inspires her kids with and to hear more about what Shannon means when she says, "She really is willing to do every job!"

Join the Women in Seed Production network in their first podcast episode as they interview Allegra Belknap, Global Operations Lead for Vegetables Seed Manufacturing. Allegra shares about her career path, how she maintains strong networks and provides thoughtful advice to us about advocating for yourself and others around you! She even provides a tidbit of trivia if you stick with us to the end!