Word to the Rise | A Career Advice Podcast

Kathleen Barber is a former attorney, incurable wanderer, and yoga enthusiast. Originally from Galesburg, Illinois, she is a graduate of the University of Illinois and Northwestern University School of Law. She now lives in Washington, DC, with her husband and son. Her first novel, Truth Be Told (Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster, August 2017, originally published as Are You Sleeping), has been adapted as a series for Apple TV+ by Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine media company. Her second novel, Follow Me, is forthcoming from Gallery Books on February 25, 2020.

When Matt Jaffe was working as a real estate associate at a law firm in Florida, he started selling a line of private label skincare products on Amazon with another one of the associates at the firm, who is now his partner. They loved it so much and had so much fun with it that they started helping some friends sell their products on Amazon, which has since turned into a thriving e-commerce consulting company, Amazon Growth Experts. In addition to running Amazon Growth Experts, Jaffe has a solo real estate law practice. If you're looking to make a new career move, pivot industries entirely or learn more about e-commerce and selling online, Matt Jaffe breaks down the best ways to get into this business. Tune in now and don't forget to rate, review and subscribe. 

Jess Moss is a Washington DC-based travel writer and photographer. Her work has appeared in Conde Nast Traveler, US News Travel, Fodor's Travel and more. She recently published her first book, Easy Weekend Getaways from Washington DC, which is a guide to escapes within about 3 hours of DC. Jess also works full-time at Marriott International, where she does editorial strategy for Marriott Bonvoy Traveler. We had an insightful conversation that included evolving with rapid change in content, how to walk away from your supposed dream job, and what it's really like to write a travel book.  If you're interested in a career related to content or travel, this episode is for you. Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe. 

At 26, Audrey Henson founded College to Congress, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is disrupting the pipeline of who becomes congressional staff by helping high-achieving, low-income students secure full-time internships in Congress and covering the true cost of an unpaid internship. Audrey was selected out of over 11,000 companies for a WeWork Creator Award and Echoing Green’s 2018 Social Impact Talent Report. Audrey Henson believes our democracy is only effective when it becomes the representative body it was created to be. She is dedicated to giving people from diverse backgrounds and life experiences a seat at the table, building a government that works better for everyone. We discussed finding your voice and confidence at a young age, how to own your story, harnessing the passion when faced with big challenges, and why it's vital to always stay true to who you are, no matter what. If you're looking to launch a big idea, this episode is for you. 

Tremayne B. Smith hails from Salisbury, North Carolina where he and his identical twin brother Dewayne were raised by their mother, Patricia Watkins.   A 2011 graduate of East Carolina University, he received bachelor’s degrees in Music Education and Political Science. He served for three years as the Head Drum Major of the Marching Pirates and was elected President of the Student Body and member of the University Board of Trustees. In 2016, he was a recipient of the “ECU 40 Under 40 Distinguished Alumni Award”.   In 2012, he began as Director of Bands at Rocky Mount High School in Rocky Mount, N.C where he grew the band’s membership by 500% in 3 years. His first year, he was named Rocky Mount Teacher of the Year, Nash-Rocky Mount School System High School District Teacher of the year and received the North Carolina Bandmasters Association Encore Award.   He is a 2017 graduate of The George Washington University, receiving his Master’s in Political Management.Tremayne has served in the offices of U.S. Senator Kay R. Hagan, (D-NC), Congressman G. K. Butterfield, (D-NC) and Congressman Conor Lamb, (D-PA). Tremayne is a national speaker for the Jewish National Fund (JNF) a non-political organization that focuses on the nation-state of Israel.   Currently, Tremayne is the Special Assistant to the President & CEO of the JPMorgan Chase Institute.   Website/social media links for where people can find Tremayne: Twitter: Tremayne_Smith Instagram: Tremayne_Smith  

Friends Omar Soliman and Nick Friedman turned a summer junk hauling business into an international franchise. Here's how two "college hunks" built a culture that grew their brand. It started out like many summer gigs: Childhood friends Omar Soliman and Nick Friedman were sitting around a table, figuring out how to make money while they were home from college. The duo and their friends had landed on the idea of hauling people's trash in a beat-up cargo van borrowed from Soliman's mother. "We were drinking beer and throwing out ridiculous, funny names, and my mom said, 'You're like college hunks who haul junk,'" Soliman recalled. "We thought, 'Hey, that's a cool name.'" Little did they know that this was the beginning of an international franchise, now known as College H.U.N.K.S. Hauling Junk & Moving. With a brand name and a solid concept, the rag-tag group of college students posted flyers around the suburbs of Washington, D.C. It didn't take long for the calls to start coming in, and the friends spent the next few months waking up at sunrise and driving the van around to haul garbage for local residents. They had earned more than $8,000. For the first time in their young lives, Soliman and Friedman had found their passion — not moving garbage, but being entrepreneurs. Noteworthy: Exponential Organizations Book Millionaire Matchmaker Episode with Omar and Nick Sapiens Book & Sequel   Where To Find Nick & Omar: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CollegeHunks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collegehunks/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CollegeHunksHaulingJunk/ Website: https://www.collegehunkshaulingjunk.com/

Shannon Bahrke Happe knows the meaning of hard work and dedication. Before she became a mother, a successful public speaker and an entrepreneur, she competed in three Olympic Games and took home two skiing medals for Team USA. It makes perfect sense, then, that Bahrke Happe chose to combine her passions for physical activity and public speaking into a thriving corporate wellness company, Team Empower Hour. With the help of her fellow Olympians, she offers inspiring keynote presentations and team-building activity sessions designed to help employees and leaders become more successful in the workplace. But Team Empower Hour has another purpose: It's a way for Bahrke Happe to support and give back to the Olympian community. We spoke to Shannon about making major life transitions, learning how to ask for help and knowing when to walk away from an unfulfilling job. Twitter: https://twitter.com/shannonbahrke Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shannonbahrke/ Website: https://www.shannonbahrke.com/

Kamari Guthrie (Kamari Chelsea) is a multi-hyphenate media expert, specializing in public relations and content creation. She has helped elevate the brand of many of this generation’s rising and established stars in entertainment, media, fashion, beauty, tech, and civic engagement. Her client roster has included brands ranging from Clairol to Coca-Cola, Vote.org to Honest Tea, and DJ Spinderella to Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment. After being named one of the Top 30 Under 30 PR Stars in the nation, she launched her creative production and consulting company, which produces her podcast The Truth Report and provides strategic content and marketing consulting to various start-ups.  Kamari has also been a leading millennial voice on issues at the intersection culture and the progressive movement. Her commentary has been featured in HipLatina, Refinery29, Buzzfeed, New York Magazine’s The Cut, and more. We got super real in our discussion about knowing your worth and professional boundaries, why confidence matters so much at work, how to identify your champion in the workforce and why being a thought leader is NOT the same thing as being an influencer. If you’re looking to take a stand and let your voice be heard, this episode is for you. Link is in the bio, don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe! #Wttrpodcast Instagram: @kamarichelsea Podcast Instagram: @thetruthreport LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kamari-guthrie-39ba648/

Today on the podcast we welcome Katie Urban a public relations professional and lifestyle blogger. Katie began her career in marketing for a DC-based real estate developer and handled everything from digital analytics to social media, graphic design, website design, copywriting and events. She earned a Masters at Georgetown in Public Relations and Corporate Communications, and she currently does PR at Capital One for the flagship consumer cards; she also runs a lifestyle blog called A Touch of Teal. We covered it all in our conversation, including ways to move from a small company to a global corporation and shift industries while doing it, how to use your community effectively while job searching and ways to travel like the bloggers do. If you’re interested in ways to blend your passion and profession, this episode is for you.  Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe! 

S1, E2 Word to the Rise is a podcast full of honest conversations with individuals achieving success in the modern working world. In this episode, we welcome Nate Andorsky, an entrepreneur who blends behavioral economics, data, and technology to help socially focused companies and nonprofits build and scale technology. Nate geeks out about the intersection of human behavior and technology and the ways in which it can improve human outcomes. We had a refreshing and insightful conversation about using your childhood interests to drive your career decisions, how to handle being fired with grace, and why mentorship isn’t always just from one person. Find out more about Nate: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nate-andorsky-16556a8/ Creative Science: https://creativescience.co/

S1, E1: If anyone knows about owning your own niche, it is Jasmine Smith.  As an event producer, wedding expert and founder and creator of D.C. Wedding Week, which she describes as "events and experiences for wedding creatives that activate diverse ideas, empower people and spark opportunities," Jasmine has not only carved out a niche in her field of expertise but in a niche industry! Jasmine's story is one of overcoming adversity, being your own biggest advocate in keeping your hand raised high and continuing to ask for what you want! Her Rise... Ambitious and hard-working Jasmine said she began working as a teenager and has always had some type of hustle. Jasmine's future would continue to look bright as she landed a dream internship her senior year of high school.  "...my story is a little different because I was also pregnant with my son my senior year of high school. I had already applied for this internship before I knew I was pregnant" "Life doesn't go the way you plan it," Jasmine said. "It never does," host Stephanie Arbetter said. "So, I went to college I worked full time during the day. I went to school at night. Sometimes my son would be in class with me at night. And so within three years, I got my bachelor's in marketing," Jasmine said.  In this episode, Stephanie gets real with Jasmine about what it takes to succeed as a freelancer, to honing in on your skill set, to finding a new passion and what it takes to build an empire in a niche industry. Find out More about Jasmine: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasminesmith1126/ Website: jasminesmithco.com   

Word to the Rise is a podcast full of honest conversations with individuals achieving success in the modern working world. Join us each week as we welcome a guest whose journey is worth sharing. We will dive into their past, present and future, providing career advice and inspiration along the way. Word to the Rise is hosted by Stephanie Arbetter and produced by Sadie Cornelius. If you're looking to take your career to the next level or learn more about how to navigate today's landscape, this podcast is for you.