Podcasts about For Jennifer

Check out Hammerstone! http://hammerstone.dev/Michele Hansen  0:00  Michele Hansen  0:00 Hey, welcome back to Software Social. This episode of Software Social is sponsored by Noko. https://nokotime.com/When you're bootstrapping on the side, every free moment counts. But do you really know how you're spending those moments? Which days you're most productive? If your product have time sinks that just don't pay?Here's one way to find out: Noko is a time tracker designed to help you learn from the time you track. And Noko makes it frictionless to give yourself good data, too — you can even log time directly from your Github commit messages. Try Noko today and save 15% off every plan, forever. Visit  Nokotime.com/SocialPod to start making your time work for you.Hey, everyone. So you may remember a couple of weeks ago, Colleen was facing a big decision about whether she should join an exciting project that some of her friends had started. So I'm here to tell you today that Colleen did decide to join that project. And we thought that you should hear about it from her and the team she's joining. So she is joining Hammerstone with our friends, Aaron and Sean. And you may remember Shawn from our episode a few months ago, where he was helping me learn how to market a book. So we thought we would let you listen to the episode that Colleen did on the Hammerstone podcast recently, where she's talking about joining the team. And after you listen, make sure to go subscribe to the Hammerstone podcast to get more updates about that really exciting project.Unknown Speaker  1:54  All right, we are recording. And we have three people here with us today. So the third person you want to introduce yourself.Colleen Schnettler  2:03  Hello, everyone. My name is Colleen and I have been working for Shawn and Aaron for about six months now. And this is my debut appearance on the Hammerstone podcast.Unknown Speaker  2:14  Welcome to the show. Thanks. So Colleen has been working, she said for us. But now Colleen is working with us. Colleen is a part of the Hammerstone team now. She's the third partner.Colleen Schnettler  2:29  Yes, I am super pumped. Super excited to join the team.Unknown Speaker  2:34  Yeah, so I guess we've been talking about this client for like, a year or more. And we've mentioned Colleen several times, I don't think it's been a secret. And she's the one that's been doing. She's the one that's been doing the rails side of the Refine product. And so, Shawn and Colleen have been working on this client for a long time. And the client has kind of been like, hey, what if we just keep doing this for a long, long time, we're like, great, we, that sounds good to us. And so Colleen is gonna continue working. But this client for they just, they just love Colleen, they just can't, they can't get enough of you. So, yeah, she's coming on as a partner and Hammerstone and she's gonna own the rails side of things. And I own the Laravel side of things. And Sean owns basically everything else. Kind of kind of a huge change, you know, in a whirlwind the past couple of weeks, but welcome.Colleen Schnettler  3:41  Thanks.Unknown Speaker  3:43  Yes, super cool. So speaking of owning all the other things, actually, can you guys hear me the sound just cut out weirdly for a second? We're good. You're okay. Yep. Yeah, so we, since there's three of us now, Aaron, and I have been, as I put it on the call with the lawyer yesterday, just yoloing it for the last year with our sort of like, operating agreement. So we got to hammer that out, you know, and actually do that properly given there's three of us, and that's an extra level of complication. So, the, the thing that we talked about with the lawyer, which I wanted to bring up with you guys was so first of all, I brought on my lawyer, Dalia who's awesome, and the best lawyer that I know. And I was like, Oh, yeah, I definitely want dahlias represent Hammerstone that Dalia immediately brought up that it's a conflict of interest of her because she's representing me. I'm planning for aliens. And I was like, Oh, well, I'll just find another lawyer for planning for aliens. And that's when I realized like last night, I was like, do I want to do that? Like it's, I want Dalia to represent Hammerstone but I also like kind of still want to have Dalia around for other shit for me. So I think that she had mentioned this as a possibility where like, she could represent us both. And then if there's a conflict of interest step aside, and it would go to me by default, I think is what she said. And then Hammerstone would have to find another lawyer. How does that sound to you guys?Colleen Schnettler  5:18  Yeah, so what I took from that conversation was exactly that, like, she can represent you, she can represent Hammerstone. But if the three of us as Hammerstone have a problem, she would then have to step back and then all of us would, like, if we're at the point where we all need our own attorneys, like something has gone terribly wrong, right? Like, we're probably just gonna want to Anyway, when we're talking about attorneys, that's all we're talking about is these horrible situations, right. So that is what we're talking about right now is a horrible situation that, you know, potentially could happen in the future. Get it? I'm not putting anything out of possibility. Like, I'm fine with that. I don't know, she had said something about how someone has to wait, like waive the conflict of interest. So you can ask her what that means. But I mean, I have no issues with this, because I just, I know, no one ever sees themselves in these situations, but I just cannot imagine a situation where that would happen. And if it did, then, I mean, you're so far gone by that point that, you know, I'm okay.Unknown Speaker  6:29  Yeah, I think I think I understand the same thing. So she'll represent planning for aliens, which is your holding Corporation. Shawn, shall represent planning for aliens shall represent Hammerstone. And should, Shawn Colleen and Aaron ever need representation against each other not as Hammerstone against each other as individuals, then that's when we have to say conflict of interest, or, you know, Colleen, and I get our own lawyers or whatever. Does that seem right? That's exactly it. Yeah. Yep. I'm on board with that. That's fine.Colleen Schnettler  7:02  Yeah, I'm totally fine.Unknown Speaker  7:03  She'll give us whatever papers to sign about that. And then Alright, cool.Colleen Schnettler  7:07  Sure. What I didn't understand from that call was the accountant thing. At the election, yeah, way into some tax law with a vesting schedule. For me, and that was kind of Whoosh. SoUnknown Speaker  7:24  So you got to talk to our accountant, like, so this is what we're talking about. We have our accountant, you could you could have your own, or you just use Aaron, I'm like, pushing, we just use the one accountant for all the stuff. I mean, it's not. He's an accountant. So I don't know if there's like, there's not like a conflict of interest, right? He's just gonna tell you like, what's the optimal thing to do?Colleen Schnettler  7:43  Right? This is how you should structure it. Yeah.Unknown Speaker  7:46  Yeah. And, and my understanding, I never thought about this before, I guess, because it's gonna be like a taxable event, that you could decide, take the taxes now or take the taxes later. And I think that'll probably all depend on your whole personal, you know, finance situation plus, like, what you think's gonna happen with Hammerstone, etc. So,Colleen Schnettler  8:06  right, so you guys have a Hammerstone accountant, who is also Aaron's personal accountant. It's my it's my personal accountant, but his name is Aaron is Aaron. Oh, hence. Yeah. Okay, so Shawn, you have an accountant named Aaron, who has been doing Hammerstone taxes and your personal taxesUnknown Speaker  8:30  and planning for aliens. Correct. And he's gone. Hammerstone he hasn't done Hammerstone taxes yet. We just had no money last year. So we just write ourselvesColleen Schnettler  8:39  and then Aaron, not you Aaron not accounting there. You then have your own accountant for your own stuff for your LSIUnknown Speaker  8:47  I Aaron am an account I forgot. Yeah, yeah. So it makes it worse. I'm a CPA, however, I'm not our CPA, and I'm not my own CPA. I have my own personal accountant. For Jennifer's and my taxes. And I have a I have an LLC called bits and things. And so she does, she does bits and things she does our personal stuff. She does. And I've recently switched because my old one was terrible. So yes, I have my own personal one as well.Colleen Schnettler  9:15  Okay, because I have an accountant, but I'm not totally crazy about him. So I don't know if it's easier to just switch like we're, I'm cool with that. We can talk about that more. But yeah, okay.Unknown Speaker  9:26  I think I felt like the advantage for me if having Aaron jado match to my@aol.com do my personal and LLC or an S corp actually needs the one that set that all up is that he knows like how to optimize both and they both writer and they both come into play and otherwise there's going to be a communication point between the two of you have two separate accountants or find like DIY, my personal account my personal taxes. So just for him to optimize things and be more, you know, fluid in that. It was easier to just have him do it. And then like as far as my recommendation of Aaron, like, I feel like I have a lot less problems with there. And then anybody else that I've ever talked to about their accountants and like I have, he saved me automatically a lot of money the first year that I hired him, and I have not been audited. I was audited prior to this prior to hiring him, and hadn't been audited said so. Anyway, that's, that's my pitch there.Colleen Schnettler  10:28  Yeah, not a pitch. It's really up to you. Yeah. But just not to get like two businesses. So like, my first accountant, had all these like, cool. I don't know if they're cool ideas, but he had a lot of ideas about how I should structure my LLC for like tax benefits. And then his wife died. And he retired and it was kind of dramatic. And then my new accountant who I've had for two years now, he's just not into that stuff. Like he doesn't provide recommendations. He like, I think he just puts everything in TurboTax and tells me what I owe. That's why old accountant Yeah, exactly. Nice guy. But I'm like, I can literally do that myself, like you are, you aren't advising me on like, structure anything. So I'm open to trying something new.Unknown Speaker  11:07  Yeah, so with Aaron, I do have to, like, I gotta push a little, like, if I do nothing, he'll just do what he's got sort of squared away from me. And I think he makes by default, good choices. And he's not just doing plug it into TurboTax stuff. Like he's thinking through all the various implications. And if he thinks there's something we need to talk about, then he'll generally bring it up with me. But like, I do have to, like, I wish he would provide me with like, a prompt of like, here are all the things that you should tell me, because these are the things that are gonna like impact, you know, the taxes or whatever. But I've had to kind of come up with my own list. Well, that sucks. But generally, if I'm doing something that's potentially having a tax implication, yeah, I mean, I've reached out to him, like we sold our house, I have this money sitting around from selling the house and like, what do I What do I need to do with this? etc? He's good at all that stuff? Yeah. Very cool. I still feel like space in our in our community for like, a really good accountant that like, actually does their job, like high level high touch could charge probably twice as much, you know, as mine does. And like they would be so busy. It would be ridiculous.Unknown Speaker  12:16  I agree. I think any any accountant that wants to book using savvy cow, I think you'd have a million customers. bootstrap customers, right? Oh, you you savvy Cal. You're not you're five years old. Colleen, is this accountant, the one that sent you like a 40? page? Yeah, organizer right here. Fill out all of your documents. And I said, you should just tell him No, I'm not going to do that. Is that this one?Colleen Schnettler  12:42  That's the that's the one. Yeah, I was like, What am I paying you for? Like, and again, he's a nice guy. But it was just like, like, I pay you. So I don't have to fill out the 40 page document. Like I might as well just do it in TurboTax. If this is what we're doing, yeah, yeah. SoUnknown Speaker  12:59  yeah. Any other accounting lawyering? So one sided? One thing? Yeah, the one thing that the lawyer was saying we need to talk to the accountant about is the 83 b election, which I think determines when the taxable event, like when you recognize the taxes of your new part of Hammerstone. So I think, you know, just for context, that's what she was talking about. But I don't know too much else about that. The other thing she mentioned, which I thought was interesting, is his colleagues portion of the company coming from Sean's and my portion, or is the company somehow magically expanding to have more shares? And that's something we'll need to figure out because I have no clue. I think that's also a tax base decision, basically. I think it is.Unknown Speaker  13:52  Yeah, but yeah, we're gonna have to explore all that cuz I totally get it either. Yeah, even though there was another Oh, go ahead.Colleen Schnettler  14:00  I was gonna say even stuff, like invoicing. Like we invoice the customer, the client? Do I invoice you guys? Ask us guys, US people, US people? Or do I from my LLC? Or do I take a distribution? Like how youUnknown Speaker  14:14  just did you just destroyed our bank account to yourself? Yeah. So we'll just invoice Amazon, you can just pay yourself?Unknown Speaker  14:22  Yeah, I think that's right. But I don't know, actually, we need to check because I don't know if, you know, Colleen takes that as an owner distribution. That doesn't. That doesn't offset our revenue. So like if Hammerstone makes, you know, let's say Hammerstone makes $10,000 but actually 9500 Oh, call is a good point. We need to recognize that as an expense otherwise, hammer stones pay $1,000 Yeah, so not an owner. Just contribution. No, we shouldn't do it that way. That's right. So let's not do accounting live on air because this is something that's definitely definitely one we'll need to get sorted. I don't think anything changes. You've been invoicing us, and we've been paying you and I don't think anything changes but wanting to double check that. Yeah, fun stuff.Colleen Schnettler  15:25  I know. It is like surprising. I'm sure we will be happy. We hashed all this out. But like at this point in the business, it feels frustrating, right? Because it feels like it's slowing us down. We have to have meetings, we haven't talked out lawyer to like, Oh my gosh, can we just do our work? Like, IUnknown Speaker  15:40  don't want to write tests. I just want to write the products like, this is this is the testing of business. You have to do all this stuff you don't want to do. Yeah, that's funny, though.Unknown Speaker  15:50  I don't mind it at all feels absolutely necessary. Really great. Yeah. That's wonderful. Oh, that gets a job that we have to do. I mean, got to do it.Colleen Schnettler  15:59  That's interesting. Yeah, I just I don't know. I'm just like, let's just skip all this. It's fine. But it's good to do it. You're absolutely right.Unknown Speaker  16:07  That's why we have you, Sean. So I think, you know, we have all this context. And this is actually a podcast, not just a Hangout. So I think it would be interesting to talk just quickly about how the three of us like how we ended up here. Because like Sean said, he and I have just been yoloing it and just like, yeah, we own 50% of the company. Let's shake hands. And that's because Shawn and I didn't just meet on the internet yesterday. And you know, bringing in a third partner is a big deal. But we didn't just, you know, meet Colleen off the street. So, Shawn, do you want to talk about how you and I met? And how long ago that was?Unknown Speaker  16:52  Yes. Before Isaac was born, so probably eight years ago. And I was I just quit my job to start writing sketchy CSS and I went to the bacon biz conference, right? Is that what it's called? bacon bits. Yeah, yeah. Amy hoy. And yeah, anyway, now pixelmon. The other thing. The first one, actually, right. wasn't the first one. Yeah. So yeah. And you shared a room with Josh Pigford on that.Unknown Speaker  17:18  Yeah, I did I share it with Josh Pigford. Because the way that I knew Josh Pigford was cuz I shared a room with him at micro comp. He was on. So micro comp and bacon bids were the same year that year, and he had posted on the micro comp thing like, Hey, does anybody want to share room I'm normal. That's like, I doubt you're normal. But I'll look you up. And I looked him up. And we had like a zoom call. And I was like, Yeah, sure. I don't have any friends there. And I need like, you know, when you when you go into a conference, and you don't know anyone, and it's terrifying and like you're in high school with no friends. That's how I felt. So I was like, Yes, I'll share a room with this guy. And then he went to bacon business. So we shared a room again. It's so funny that you remember that?Unknown Speaker  18:06  Yeah, I met you. I met buckbee. I met Barry. Hmm, I think there was there Pete was there. I was not there. No, no, no, Pete wasn't there. He wasn't there. He wasn't. No, no, I didn't meet Pete in real life for a few years. Oh, wow. Yeah. But Pete was working on his stripe book around that time. And then and then Andrew had. So Andrew had a company called churn buster, Andrew Culver, a mutual friend of ours. So he had this company called churn Buster and turn Buster had a HipChat support channel, which he just had it so he would invite people to hang out with him in there. And then every now and then, is it chat customers or be his churn Buster customers would pop in and ask questions. And we'd be like, well, Andrew is not here. But like, have you tried blah, blah, blah. troubleshoot the problem?Unknown Speaker  18:58  It was such a scam. We did all this support for him.Unknown Speaker  19:02  Yeah. And there was also briefly, same in that same HipChat room, there was Patrick Collison a like yeah, that's right. It was in the HipChat room with us. forgot about that. Yeah. We've had people graduate out of Yeah. Yeah, but that's what we all met was that room like buckbee invited us from that conference. And then we started hanging out together there and then meet in real life every now and then, you know, it's making this conferences etc. So we just have this little community which has been growing and changing over the years. Now, it's a Slack channel. It's not Andrews. How to intercept or gel anymore.Unknown Speaker  19:47  Yeah, eight years ago, and then Colleen, you met Andrew first. Is that right? Are you met Michelle?Colleen Schnettler  19:54  Andrew? No, I met Andrew first Sean actually. Put Michelle and I Touch I believe. So I met Andrew, I was going to the Ruby on Rails meetups in Virginia Beach. And there were like three people that attended these meetups like it was not. They were not well attended. But Andrew came to speak at one. And this was maybe four or five years ago, I don't remember. Andrew came to speak at one. And afterwards, we all went out to get drinks all four of us, because he and one of our mutual friends knew each other really well. And so Andrew told me so this is like back when I'm in my just want to launch a product phase kind of that, you know, in the beginning when you like have that really strong desire, but you're aimless because you don't have any contact salutely Yes, yeah, that's back in those days. So Andrew and I were talking about business ideas. So he told me about the slack group. So then I joined the slack group. And then I started having weekly lunches with the Virginia Beach people. And that's kind of how I got to know everyone. And then I met you guys will show that I had worked on and off together. Occasionally we were on the same contract. But we never really worked together. I feel like we were always we didn't really know each other, even though we kind of worked together. And then I met you two, what, two years ago, in real life. I think it was two years ago in the dc, dc. DC was the first time so before that I had never met Aaron and you were really active Aaron in the Slack channel. So I like didn't even know who you were. And Sean I kind of knew because he was like the React guy that worked on the same contract I worked on, but we've never really worked on together. Yeah. And then I met you guys IRL, as they say, yeah.Unknown Speaker  21:39  And we have another so obviously, we skipped the retreat last year. But we have another in person retreat coming up. Yeah, hopefully.Colleen Schnettler  21:49  Hopefully. Yeah. We'll see. I'm nervous. I'm nervous about it. Yeah, same. I will say though, good.Unknown Speaker  21:59  Saying that I feel nervous about it, too. I wasn't even thinking about it. But until recently, when all the sudden I've had to start having new, like, bubble conversations with my parents about like, Who's gonna watch Isaac if like, he has an outbreak in his class? And like, should we do the after school care for him where you guys want to commit to it? So he's not like with all these other kids? And I'm like, Oh, no, this is a retreat even gonna happen?Colleen Schnettler  22:22  Yeah, I hope so. We'll see. But I would say like going back to the three of us working together, we never really got to know each other. Well, I would say until we started working together recently, about, what, eight months ago now. I mean, I think that I don't think I any of us, and I can just speak for myself, you guys would not have invited me in to this company eight months ago, right? Like, we didn't have that relationship. I mean, we had no context on each other, we had never worked together. So I think like us forming a partnership has really grown over that working together almost every day, you know, over the extended period of time. Definitely.Unknown Speaker  23:00  Yep. I would absolutely agree. Yeah, I think. So. I think, just from my perspective, like the thing, the problem that we're working on, and maybe we should describe it, because I don't know that everyone has listened from Episode One, which you should. So the thing that we're doing is, it's like a visual Query Builder. So you know, when you go to, let's use ecommerce, because that's an easy example, when you go to an e commerce website, and you're like, I want shoes that are Nikes, in size 11, or 12, and are black and are under $100, and ship in two days. So like, you can build up your, you know, your perfect filter, just kind of like on the fly. We're building that as a component. So you can just drop it in to your Rails application, or you can just drop it into your Laravel application. And then the application developer can say, here are all the conditions that I want to offer my users, I want to offer them shoe size, and shoe color and price. And then Hammerstone, y'all figure out how do you show that on the front end? How do you do validation? How do you apply that to the database? How do you store that so that they can like, you know, generate a report and send it later. So that's like, that's the product we're building. And it's called refine, and that's what we've been working on for a long time. And I think, from my perspective, one of the reasons that I was like, Yes, we absolutely have to have Colleen is because you've spent like eight months or a year getting your head around this problem, which it takes that long, and I think you have an extremely good grasp on the problem space and it's like a very complicated problem. And you've got, like, you've got ideas on how to make it How to make it successful in the rails world, which I don't have, I don't have the context, I don't have the knowledge, I don't have the experience. And so somebody that has the whole problem set loaded into their mind and is really excited about it and wants to make it a Rails thing. I was like, Yes, let's do it. Bring her on. Absolutely.Unknown Speaker  25:23  Yeah, I think it makes sense. Because it makes sense. If we're, if we're just doing like a really small, like little project, that's gonna make a couple 1000 bucks a month. First of all, Aaron, you should just launch that without me. And then, but we're not like I think we have, I have at least a larger sort of thesis in mind for building a lot of different types of components like this. And we realized that like, we can build front ends that are compatible with different back ends, and we could build a Rails version level version of Python version, like, there's a choice for how we could like, expand our market, we could do, we could go down that route. There's other ways to do it. But like, that was a possibility. And here we are, we were presented with the opportunity to build a Rails version paid for by a client. And now we can have somebody take over that piece and own that, that's a no brainer for me. So it kind of commits us to the strategy of like, we're going for two different markets. And that's how we're going to, you know, like, increase our market size. But I also think that makes sense, long term. And it makes sense that Coleen run the run the rail side.Colleen Schnettler  26:38  I think so I have listened to your podcast, I think you guys are really, like, I feel like your excitement, I don't know, I know, you can kind of see the potential. But literally everyone I have ever worked for could use this query builder. So it's just I mean, when you describe it, Aaron, I think it's hard to describe it. Because someone asked me, he was like, What is this thing you guys are building that you're so excited about. And I was like, I don't know how to describe it concisely. But the power like when you guys first, when we first talked about this, I literally thought it was just going to be, you know, a couple scopes, right? Like, you're just like, Oh, I'm going to scope the model, and I'm going to send you the string. And you're just going to scope the model on it. And that's not what it is at. All right. So I just think, I think we can grow this business with just this product to, you know, larger than any of us have done before, like, This product is really spectacular. I mean, it's just so cool. And I think it'll be cool to like, approach it on different fronts, it'll be really interesting to see how it does in Rails versus, you know, Laravel, and just kind of see the growth trajectory. And both of those ecosystems. Yeah, it's gonna be cool.Unknown Speaker  27:47  Yeah. To get there, though, like, there's, there's some problems. You know, like, it's not, like, Yes, I definitely could, every entrepreneur could see how their product could be used everywhere. Like, that's 100% true of every entrepreneur who creates a product, like everybody should use this. But like, I think that for us, there's the obvious, like, low hanging fruit of, we're gonna get some sales from on the site, like you and Aaron are basically gonna do like dev rel, you're going to do like a little bit of content marketing, you're going to be building up the those relationships, and we'll get a few sprinkles of sales there. And those are going to be people that are going to buy it like because they're like, Oh, yeah, I was gonna build this, but instead, I'm going to buy it right. So they're already at that build versus buy decision point, then, and they already know, like, they need the thing. They already know, they need a query builder that they probably already, like, use that word or phrase even. So they're pretty far along in the process. In order for us to get out further and deeper into the market. That's where we have to start doing some convincing or pointing out to people that like, Look, you can, you could drop this into your product. Now you don't even see the need for it. But like, I could we then show can show the need for it. And I think that's a that's like another harder problem. So there's like, how far can we get on people that are going to make build versus buy decision? And how, how can we figure out systems to get in front of them right then? And then what's the next step, the next layer, like pulling in these other people that like you could add this into your app now. And it solves pains You didn't even know you had kind of situation, which is a lot harder. That's like a lot harder. A thing is possible. I mean, I've already had conversations with somebody who's interested, like they're just what are you doing? And I explained it to them. And then I explained it in the context of their app. And they were like, Oh, I need it. Right. So I know it's possible. But it's very hard. Which that's gonna be my job. Yeah, seriously.Unknown Speaker  29:48  Yeah. And I think like, Colleen, you've worked on a bunch of different clients. So you're not just looking out and being like, oh, the world needs this. You're looking back on your clients and being like, no, the people That I did work for in the app, they need this. Is that right?Colleen Schnettler  30:04  Yes. Yeah. And since they're my clients like I would, I mean, that's the nice thing about consultants. Right? I'd be like, you all need to buy this immediately. And they would. But yeah, to Shawn's point we how do we expand past our existing networks? Right? Like, that's basically, you know, we have we have pretty good networks of people in our community, people in the indie SAS community. How do you expand beyond that?Unknown Speaker  30:31  Huh? Yeah, exactly. That's, that's the hard part. But if we do that, then we definitely have a business. But that's like one of these things that we have to that's, that's the hard part. Yeah. My my movies a coupleUnknown Speaker  30:44  years, my move so far has not been expanding beyond my personal network, it's been expanding my personal network. So like I'm trying right now, to gather up more and more Laravel like connections and eyeballs. And the way I've been doing that, as you know, putting out either open source projects, or blog posts or torchlight is another great example, something that something that's not gonna make us rich, you know, independently, but is getting a lot of traction within Laravel the ecosystem of people saying like, Oh, this is really cool, let me you know, follow the story, follow this guy who's doing it or sign up and use it myself. And so that's been my move so far. But obviously, that only scales, that only scale so far, but it's definitely like, it's definitely step one, I mean, might as well start with the inner circle. SoUnknown Speaker  31:45  I think there's been me is another benefit of having Colleen was, like, takes it I was gonna have to do what Colleen is doing now, like on the rail side, like what you're doing in Laravel, I was gonna have to do that. And I am a Rails developer, but it's, I'm not as well connected in that community. And it's a bit of a stretch, I could get there. But like the learning curve was going to be large. I was trying to figure out ways to like hire contractors to like, kind of get me there and like, So this takes that off my plate entirely. And then like, focus on the hard problem. Which is like where I've been, I have gotten to the point where I have a business that is selling products, paying my bills, doing what you're talking about Aaron doing the devil stuff. And like having doing content marketing and that sort of thing. I've been there getting past that is a whole other thing that I want to figure out and do. And that's, like, that's the goal for me at least.Unknown Speaker  32:43  Well, I've never gotten to the point where I have a business paying my bills, like a product paying my bills. So I'm glad we have you beyond that, because you've been there I have not calling you haven't either, right? You have simple file upload, but it doesn't pay bills. And so to have your mind working on that issue, well, Colleen and I are doing other stuff, I think I think it's gonna work out quite just knowUnknown Speaker  33:10  for everyone. Like, I could just get you guys ahead of you and tell you how you're gonna feel a year from now. You're gonna be like, how do I make more money than this? I'm like, right on the cusp of like a real business. What do I do? Yeah. It's just the next step. Yeah. Well, hopefully you've got it all sorted out by then. Yeah, we'll have it all figured out. Yeah, perfect. I'll just have buckbee tell me what to do. Seriously,Colleen Schnettler  33:35  that usually works. Yeah, that does usually work. Alright, what else? Nobody, nobody, nobody. I'm good.Unknown Speaker  33:51  So we're gonna do, we're gonna do three people from now on, right? calling your game to join all of Yeah, yeah. Hope, right. That's great. Some, some weeks you and I can just talk technical the whole time. I think that's gonna be one of the fun things is, like, I've already picked up a lot of good stuff for the lair Val product from, like working with you. And I think that is going to expand beyond just the Refine, like, refine is the name of our product just beyond refine, into other, like, either open source packages or other products be like, hey, what? what exists in Laravel that doesn't exist in rails and vice versa. I think that'll be a fun, like cross pollination opportunity, either for content or for products. But I'm thinking right now, especially for content. Yeah. So, all right, well, so we just call it there.Colleen Schnettler  34:57  Sounds good. All right.Michele Hansen  35:00  Michelle again. That's all for software social for this week. You can go to Hammerstone dot dev to learn more about that project and listen to their past episodes. We'll talk to you next week.Transcribed by https://otter.ai

From motivation to mindset, personal branding to perseverance, you will learn tried and tested ways to generate leads, increase your sales and build a strong lifestyle business. Gary Das takes you on an entrepreneurial journey of education, inspiration, and motivation to help you become a Pro of your industry! In this episode Gary is with Jennifer Greer, Director at Athena Mortgages. Jennifer is one of his mentees who began her self-employed journey in 2020. Jennifer offers purchase and remortgage/ refinance advice on residential, buy to let and adverse mortgages as well as protection advice. For Jennifer it's very important to establish a way for clients to obtain the home they want - but also to ensure they are in a position to keep that home. She works with a number of referrals from estate agents, accountants and IFAs to help assist their clients with purchasing and remortgaging. What Is Covered In Today's Episode Of The Financial Pro Podcast: How Jennifer started as a mortgage advisor  How Covid affected her business and how she coped with it How Jennifer manages her customer journey and sales Why should you use a protection advisor? The importance of improving your admin Jennifer's future marketing plan How to structure social media planning Channels: Visit Financial PRO website www.financial-pro.com Follow Gary Das on Facebook and Instagram Connect with Jennifer Greer

When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. When I let go of what I have, I receive what I need. – Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu   In today's episode, I am interviewing a soul-sister, Jennifer Peterson, who is a hugely talented, goodhearted, award-winning producer/director, a passionate animal activist, and the host of the very successful podcast series, And Justice For Animals.  As a filmmaker, Jennifer has created award-winning content for top studios including Disney and Paramount; and she was recently a producer on the Hallmark Channel's American Rescue Dog Show. A graduate of the prestigious American Film Institute, Jennifer uses her film training as often as possible to create content that encourages positive change.  She wrote and directed three animal welfare PSA's, one of which won the nationally voted Humane Society of the United States People's Choice Award. A decade ago, Jennifer began organizing peaceful anti-puppy mill protests in Los Angeles, CA. These campaigns garnered nationwide attention for their effectiveness in helping close down several abusive pet stores, and in 2012 Jennifer was able to convince one of the largest mall developers in the country to stop leasing space to pet stores that sold dogs. Jennifer's production work often finds her interviewing A-list talent: Nicole Kidman, Justin Timberlake, Morgan Freeman are just a few who have sat across from her, and Jennifer's kindness and sense of humor create an environment where guests feel safe to open up. Creating the podcast And Justice For Animals was the natural next step for Jennifer, combining her love of in-depth conversation with her passion for helping animals.  Jennifer lives in Long Beach with her two rescue dogs and helps support local rescues with her real estate work. For Jennifer, it is not about what she does for a living but making sure whatever she does feels authentic and positively gives back to society.     This one is near and dear to my heart because I love animals so much and because the soul connection I feel with Jennifer as a fellow empath pulls at my heartstrings.    If you are feeling super insecure, left out, unloved, unaccepted, and constantly making “mistakes,” then this episode is for you. Jennifer makes me laugh, too!   Key Topics of Discussion: How Jennifer juggles wearing multiple hats and streams of income in her career in the entertainment industry, real estate, her animal welfare movement, and being open to shaking things up via change to manifest all her desires The definition of “happiness” and “success” in your 20s, 30s, 40s, etc. The power of CHOICE and how manifestations emerge because of it Overcoming thoughts of scarcity and limited beliefs after tragedy No, you're NOT crazy, you're empathetic, and you're needed in this world Identifying your own “compromise” cues because you want to feel accepted by others How surface-based “image” in society can be a disguise as “blessings” (ex: success, money, fancy cars, big houses, etc.) and what to do when you've realized all is not what it seems Lessons learned from Hollywood narcissists (yes, golden nuggets from them DO exist) How to obtain your power for the long-run and attract TO you for your long-term happiness and success (Write Into Reality as I call it) And, yes, we spill a little Hollywood tea! Her award-winning work with animals and why rescuing pets from shelters is crucial for your long-term benefits (and for your WALLET) over purchasing “designer” pets from breeders…we talk about our pups, too And I share with Jennifer how I manifested my version of Keanu Reeves!   For more information, please go to: And Justice for Animals Website: https://www.andjusticeforanimals.com  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AndJusticeForAnimalsPodcast IG: @andjusticeforanimalspodcast   Filmmaking  Website: https://www.jenniferpetersondirector.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferPetersonDirector   Real Estate  Website: https://www.SweetCaliforniaPads.com  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SweetCaliforniaPads IG: @JenniferPeterson_CaLiving     * On a side note: I would like to give a shout-out to ABC Channel 8 News (WFAA) for the adoption movements they give voice to on TV because they provide loving homes for both pets and children in Dallas, Texas. Thank you for what you do!   Want to manifest faster? Grab the best-selling books, "Don't Feel Stuck!" and "Don't Feel Stuck in Love!", available via Audible, Kindle, and paperback!   XOXO Jaclyn Manifest It!® Instagram: @themanifestit   This podcast interview was recorded using Zoom

Jennifer Sherwood, our guest today, brings a lot to our discussion, not only through her career, but also because of the reason why she redirected her employment journey. Women are the focus of her work, and you might be surprised to learn that families, friends, and work relationships all benefit and improve when women focus on their personal growth and happiness. Jennifer is laser-focused on helping women realize their contribution and self-worth. A California Bay Area native, Jennifer was the youngest child in a family of six and spent her childhood just trying to fit in and not stand out. She learned to remain “safe” by keeping quiet, not making waves and doing what was expected. As a result, she grew up feeling she'd lost track of her true voice. After studying audiology, she knew she wanted to make a difference in people's lives. Yet she was plagued by imposter syndrome from the beginning and even after landing a job at the prestigious Ear Institute at Stanford University. Jennifer then left for a new a new program in California to screen newborns for hearing loss, which reignited her passion in that field. That pivot lasted fifteen years. When her second child was born, the demands of motherhood collided with the demands of work, resulting in perfectionist tendencies that ultimately led to burnout. Jennifer defines what she means by “perfectionist” and how it's different from the common idea of someone with a perfect home and job. For Jennifer, the inability to admit her fears and shame around those feelings increased the belief that she was the only one who couldn't handle it all. Her next pivot came when she a realized what she loved most in her work: the speaking, teaching, and writing elements, and the concept of coaching.  When coaching made a huge difference in her own life, she decided to pivot again and become a coach herself. Today, Jennifer works with women to help them truly love and value themselves. She believes that trying to live up to imagined expectations of perfection is not only pointless, but a waste of our time that keeps us from reaching our true potential. It was a leap of faith that she is so glad she took. Beverly talks about the value of having a firm belief in our own decisions, whether or not people in our lives agree with our decisions. Jennifer's clientele are mostly women who've grown up feeling they need others' opinions to make decisions or feel validated. As Beverly points out, other people can't know what we truly need, so we should learn to trust our own inner voices when making decisions about our lives. It's important to learn to trust ourselves. The upshot for Jennifer is that she wants women to know they are not alone in their fears and self-doubts. She encourages them to realize that there is another way, and that they can have a life they love—not just a life to put up with. Since community is so important, Jennifer started her group, The GC, for women to connect with others, and see that they are not alone on this journey. How do clients find Jennifer? She talks about the different avenues that people use to find her. The key is to just “keep showing up” where people can see and hear you. She offers an entirely confidential, non-judgmental space for women where you can feel seen and heard. Finally, Jennifer offers her advice for anyone feeling unhappy with her life or work, whether from frustration, a sense of inadequacy and doesn't know what to do about it. Remember, you always have choices and the power to change your circumstances, even if you can't see it at the moment. There are always other options and women don't have to be stuck—they just need to be ready to make those choices. And when women focus on themselves, they can show up as better people. And then everyone around them benefits, too.   Check out Jennifer's group, The GC: https://www.jennifersherwood.com/thegc Jennifer's website: http://jennifersherwood.com Facebook and Instagram: @Jennifersherwoodcoaching           ching

Sometimes all you need to revamp your real estate strategy is to discover the tactics of others. On today's episode of The Real Estate Sales Podcast, Jimmy is joined by Jennifer Murtland, real estate agent at eXp Realty and co-host of the Real Estate Fight Club Podcast, to learn the secret to listing success. Be successful when knocking on doors. Jennifer's favorite part of sales has always been cold calling and knocking on people's doors. But how does she do it successfully? Well, Jennifer looks like a suburban mom. Ipso facto, she can knock on doors just about anywhere and nobody bats an eye.  When you approach a home, simply say you're a realtor, explain why you're there and ask what you need. More people will answer the door for a female than a man. Jennifer's tips for a male: Wear khakis and a polo, and carry a gift bag to store your flyers. What to do when the conversation starts: The ultimate success is gaining their contact information. So if someone is interested in the conversation, just simply ask for the best way to contact them.  Don't be passive. Instead, ask for what you want, and people will usually give it to you.  If Jennifer realizes someone has a  motivation to talk with her, she'll set the next step. Don't push for information from someone who doesn't want to talk or hear from you. Jennifer's Mainstays for Lead Generation: There are many shiny objects in real estate, and there are many ways to be successful. Jennifer's tip is to find two ways that work for you. For example, Jennifer values time efficiency. The most time-efficient way to generate leads is cold calling. Ergo, Jennifer likes cold calling. In this market, you can't wait for things to come on the market. So Jennifer uses tactics like circle prospecting and door-knocking to find houses before they're listed. Strengths and Weaknesses of Realtors Today: Math is many realtors' biggest weakness. But when you deal with a client's largest asset (AKA their home), they need and deserve an agent with math skills The biggest asset? Ability to communicate what's happening in the marketplace for their community. To know that, you need to ask questions. Use platforms that give good results. Jennifer recommends the lead generation platform Vulcan7. For Jennifer's coupon code for this platform, click here. If you want to contact Jennifer, give her a call or text at (513) 400-1691 and tune in to her podcast, The Real Estate Fight Club. Connect with Jimmy Burgess on LinkedIn and Facebook, as well as his YouTube channel.   If you like what you heard today, we'd love it if you'd share a rating or review and then subscribe to the podcast and tell others about it as well. You can find The Real Estate Sales Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Audible, and our website, The Real Estate Sales Podcast. with Jimmy Burgess on LinkedIn and Facebook, as well as his YouTube channel.   If you like what you heard today, we'd love it if you'd share a rating or review and then subscribe to the podcast and tell others about it as well. You can find The Real Estate Sales Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Audible, and our website, The Real Estate Sales Podcast.

Dogs are unspoken healers. For some, they offer companionship, to others they act as an essential lifeline. In this episode, two women living with chronic illness explore the joy and purpose dogs brought into their lives. Morgan was born with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy, while Jennifer developed debilitating autoimmune diseases. For Morgan, her service dog Dewey became her reason to get out of bed every day and gain more independence. For Jennifer, a desire to bring joy to others caused her to found Pile of Puppies, a non-profit that connects puppies to children living with chronic illness. The two discuss the remarkable abilities dogs have, and the times they've witnessed their comfort and healing firsthand. Dogs are the beautiful blessing that taught them that joy and light can always be found, even in hardships.

For Jennifer's final episode of the season, she has chosen a slightly different pick with the Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell. Tune in as she analyzes Campbell's theories on comparative mythology.The Power of Myth, by Joseph CampbellResources Jennifer used:Joseph Campbell has a rather robust wikipedia article, that also details and links some of the critiques leveled against him that you can check out. Like Jennifer mentioned in the episode, these are all pretty old at this point.Interview w/ the Curator of the Joseph Campbell Archive and Library gives some interesting perspective on Campbell’s career from someone who knew him personally.Another article published shortly after Campbell’s death on his works and legacy.Intrigued by our discussion? Purchase a copy of The Power of Myth for yourself.Paige Presents Fun with Comics: Descender by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen.Creative’s Corner: Paige serves another mythology knockout with YouTube channel Fortress of Lugh.Discussion QuestionsCampbell says, “We can’t have a mythology for a long, long time to come. Things are changing too fast to become mythologized” (38). Do you agree with this statement? If there is a modern mythology, what would it be?Campbell argues that there are four functions of myths, but that the fourth one is most important for us today: pedagogical. Meaning that myths teach us “how to live a human lifetime under any circumstances” (39). What do you think? What have myths taught you in your life?What do you think of the concept of the monomyth (the hero’s journey)? Is it truly as all-encompassing as Campbell made it out to be?Support the PodFind us on InstagramFind us on TwitterDon’t forget to leave us a review if you are enjoying the pod.If you are interested in being on the show, check out the Book Elder tier on our Patreon*Some of the links above are affiliate links and we will receive commission from any purchases made through them*Support the show (https://patreon.com/BigBookEnergy)

Our "What I Wish Someone Had Told Me" series continues with a different perspective on addiction. Jennifer Kiko, Director of Outreach for Congressman Bob Gibbs, joins Jodi Salvo to discuss her experiences with loved ones struggling through addiction. Jennifer lost her sister to addiction. She explains how, growing up, addiction and similar topics were not discussed within the family. It's all too easy for someone who doesn't understand addiction to say, "Why can't you just stop?" or "You just need to want to quit." For Jennifer's sister, the one person who connected with her and became her supporting person was their uncle. But when he passed away, Jennifer's sister was left alone, and that was the final push. Now, Jennifer is on a mission to help those struggling with addiction. She has spent many years learning and understanding addiction, and her message to the community is simple yet powerful: even if you don't understand addiction, you can still love people. And if you are someone struggling with addiction, please know that YOU matter, and your recovery matters. If you've listened to the previous episodes in this series, you've learned how crucial it is for recovering addicts to have a caring and supporting community around them. And if you're in recovery, you need to trust the people who want to walk alongside you and see you thrive. Visit https://my.captivate.fm/www.adctusc.org (www.adctusc.org) for all your information about the Coalition and different types of drug use and prevention. Listen at https://my.captivate.fm/www.getlevelpod.com/adc (www.getlevelpod.com/adc). Or find the podcast on Apple, Spotify, Google, and anywhere else you listen to podcasts. Watch on YouTube! HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW! Please help support the show at https://my.captivate.fm/www.glow.fm/adctusc (www.glow.fm/adctusc) Support this podcast

We talk about his film For Jennifer and how it's part of a series of films which is unheard of for Indie Films.

We talk about his film For Jennifer and how it's part of a series of films which is unheard of for Indie Films.

For Jennifer's final pick of the season she chose Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibañez. Tune in to hear about an amazing magical system in an unusual setting for a fantasy novel. Folio Facts: Lost Languages on Medieval ManuscriptsBBE Bookstore: Binti by Nnedi OkoraforCreatives' Corner: Story GraphYou can support BBE at patreon.com/bigbookenergy or through our bookstore at bookshop.org/shop/BigBookEnergy Support the show (https://patreon.com/BigBookEnergy?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=creatorshare)

TANGENTS EPISODE 202: AIRDATE 07/20/2020 This theme is tangents, as we all come together to talk about something that’s been on our minds. For Jennifer, it’s dreams. Emily delves into #freebritney, Bobby shares recorded moments during a boys camping trip, and we hear the next installment of Emily’s Dad Steve’s chilling mystery!

Life after divorce can be challenging. After grueling court proceedings and litigation, ex-partners—particularly women—may feel like it's the end of life as they know it. There's a lot to process and work through, with many left feeling hopeless and victimized years later. While this time is indeed one when you're probably the most vulnerable, raw, and emotional, it can still be the biggest opportunity to finally discover who you truly are. And, all it takes it to change your perspective and make a choice. In this episode of Divorce, Healthy! attorney and author Ashley-Nicole Russell, of https://anrlaw.com/ (ANR Law), is joined by love and transformation coach https://www.jennjoycoaching.com/ (Jennifer Butler) to discuss conscious uncoupling and how women can get back on their feet after divorce. Jennifer reveals what conscious uncoupling is and what the process entails, not just for women going through a divorce, but for those who are still stuck in their post-divorce environment. It's all about taking yourself out of a victimhood mentality and looking at things from the self as the source. Although difficult, the process also allows you to lean into grief and all the other emotions you're feeling. Jennifer stresses, the way out of anything is to walk straight into it, and allow yourself to come out the other side free and at peace. They also encourage using this time to move forward and level up – even taking baby steps is better than nothing. Ask yourself, what are you turning this grief into? Don't allow time to have its way with you, letting negativity to calcify inside your body. Jennifer also emphasizes the importance of protecting your space, being mindful of the energy you're allowing to enter. Consider finding or forming a supportive group as you go through the process and be open and available for the things in life that will serve you. For Jennifer and Ashley-Nicole, how you do one thing is how you do everything – and this also applies to divorce. The way you're handling this stage of your life can influence your kids in a major way. So, take a look at the choices you're making and determine whether you're growing, evolving, and expanding because of these. Show your children that you can still be the best version of yourself, even if you're going through something as awful as divorce.   Links mentioned in the episodehttps://www.jennjoycoaching.com/ (Jennifer Butler's Official Website) https://www.instagram.com/jennjoycoaching/ (Jennifer Butler's Instagram) https://www.jennjoycoaching.com/roadmap (Roadmap to Love Checklist) https://www.facebook.com/groups/1664727873806144 (Breakup to Breakthrough Facebook group)   To inquire about speaking engagements, purchase your copy of Ashley-Nicole's book “The Cure for Divorce Culture,” or to schedule your private orientation meeting, head to http://www.anrlaw.com (www.anrlaw.com). You can also find us on social media @ANRLaw. Find a better way forward, right here, on Divorce, Healthy!

Hey, everyone. Playing a little catch-up here, so I’ve got FOUR reviews/hot-takes for you: Armstrong Written/directed by Kerry Carlock and Nicholas Lund-Ulrich. Starring Vicky Jeudy, Shawn Parsons, and Jason Antoon.     Dark Light Written/directed by Padraig Reynolds. Starring Jessica Madsen, Opal LIttleton, and Ed Brody.       For Jennifer Written/directed by Jody Barton. … Continue reading Catch-Up Reviews →

At the time of this recording, there is a lot of talk of the upcoming recession and economic downturn. Regardless of what others may say, however, we believe that this time around is different than that of the 2008 Housing Market Crash. But at the same time, many of the strategies used to hedge against recessions still apply. That’s the big difference.   We welcome back our first ever guest Jennifer Beadles (see Episode 1) to talk about her strategies to protect her business, portfolio, and tenants against recessions.    Since the last time we spoke, a lot has happened in Jennifer’s business. She has grown her portfolio, grew her investing team, and has traveled all over the world. Many investors get caught up working really hard that they never give themselves the opportunity to scale because they want to do all the work themselves. For Jennifer, she takes multiple vacations a year for weeks at a time and somehow still manages to thrive in her business. How does she do it?   Jennifer explains that she is able to work from anywhere in the world because of the systems and teams she has created. These systems include training tenants how to contact her if they need something, having a trusted handyman to make on-call repairs, and leveraging the service of agents to bring her deals even if she’s out of the country, all the while being able to automate more and more of her work within her business as well as scale higher and higher.    Some key takeaways from our conversation with Jennifer: 1) Use data and get referrals. You can spend time conducting all your own due diligence, but what’s the opportunity cost for you in doing that? By getting referrals with trusted individuals, not only are you able to grow your team organically, but you are also able to leverage their expert, local opinions about any information you are trying to figure out. 2) Be strict and stick to your criteria. Many investors fail to achieve extraordinary results because they keep switching up their strategies and give up too soon. And they keep giving themselves excuses to make bad investment decisions. Jennifer has used the same set of criteria since she began investing a decade ago and it still serves her well. Because of it, she is confident to invest regardless of the economic climate.  3) Prepare for bad times. Many new investors try to time the market or get lucky investing when times are good. It is usually these investors who get wiped out when times get tough. Instead, make sure to plan for recessions by asking yourself if tenants can still pay rent if the market collapses, and if you can still pay the mortgage if tenants stop paying rent. Set yourself up for upside, don’t pay attention only to the downside. 4) Build relationships with small community banks. When people begin to fear the market, real estate goes on sale. That is when these local banks are there to help you the most. While other large, national banks have to abide by many guidelines and red tape, local banks can give you fast and quality service to help you get ahead in your business.  If Jennifer could go back and talk to her 16 year old self, she’d tell her, “Keep hustling!” An unexpected benefit of real estate investing, Jennifer said, was the ability to travel and have freedom with time and money. A piece of advice Jennifer would tell her friends looking to get started in real estate would be to “House Hack [and] start with a duplex.” Jennifer recommends using any podcast app so you can learn more about real estate investing.  She recommends reading Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss to help you learn more about how to succeed in your business.   If you’d like to get in touch with Jennifer, visit: www.agentsinvest.com

Who wants a double dose of bonus content!? First up, you'll hear an interview Gregg conducted with Sleepaway Camp star Felissa Rose and director James Cullen Bressack, who are both promoting their new film For Jennifer. After that is the audio from our Instagram livestream Q&A we held this past Saturday. We answer listener questions and a lot more.

Pop Art Painter Jamie Roxx (www.JamieRoxx.us) welcomes James Cullen Bressack, Executive Producer (For Jennifer, Film, Comedy | Horror | Thriller, 2018) to the Show!  iTunes: itunes.apple.com/ca/movie/for-jennifer/id1498882561IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt7332120 Tiffani Fest, Felissa Rose and Dominique Swain star in director Jody Barton’s exceedingly clever FOR JENNIFER, available now On Demand from JB Films. After a surprise horror themed birthday party, Jennifer gets a scare that leads to an accident. Jennifer is a horror blogger and huge horror movie fan. Her friends, to cheer her up after the accident, decide they could make a movie. They collect their gopro cameras and phones and begin to shoot. Soon, the discoveries of other low budget horror films similar to theirs begin to intersect with their own movie. This sends Jennifer on a journey to understand where these other "Jennifer" films came from. The journey leads to a discovery about the films she could never have imagined, and she realizes her participation has put her life, and the lives of her friends, in real danger. A danger they have to endure, whether by choice or not ... if they want to make a good horror movie.

This week,  the Dashing Duo welcome a couple of great guests to the podcast,  writer James Cullen Bressack, and actress Felissa Rose.  Both guests are on the podcast to discuss their latest indie film, “For Jennifer”, which leads to a great conversation about horror movies and a host of other fun topics.

Horror icon Felissa Rose and prolific filmmaker James Cullen Bressack about their new film For Jennifer available now on VOD! For Jennifer

Horror icon Felissa Rose and prolific filmmaker James Cullen Bressack about their new film For Jennifer available now on VOD! Tracks for this podcast - Original theme by The Tomb of Nick Cage and "A Case For Homicide" by Music of the Month Blackfrog --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/withoutyourhead/message

From being a 12-year-old fatherless child, To owning ‘’Here’s how’’, the glamorous bar in downtown Oakland. Jen shares the story of her life with us. She tells about her highs and lows and everything in between. Her childhood, her baby steps towards craftsmanship, and her extraordinary success story, everything feels like a movie script when written down.   After the death of her father, Jen rebelled against education. She stopped studying, despite her advanced placement, which consequently led to poor grades.   It was her history teacher who recognized her faltering potential.   One day, Jen’s history teacher took her to lunch. As Jen sat with her books and copies, ready to get a typical ‘’ motivation session’’ from her teacher, she was shocked when nothing of that sort happened. Her teacher treated 14-year-old Jen like an adult. She asked Jen about her life, how’s everything going and had a very cathartic conversation with Jen. They didn’t talk about homework, she didn’t bring up anything related to class or Jen’s poor grades. She basically showed up for Jen in a way that no other adult was. All she got previously were lectures from her teachers about how important it is to study and do well in life. But they could never really convince her. It was a pivotal moment that changed Jen's relationship with education and history forever and the trajectory of her life.   Jen still doesn’t like history but what it did to her was, it made ‘’cocktail history’’ relevant to her.   She finds it weird how she remembers so much cocktail history.   Creativity was ALWAYS ingrained in her. She looked for challenges from a very young age. When it was very normal for kids of her age to buy candies, she used to MAKE them herself. Not because of any other reason, but for the sheer pleasure of being able to make something. She used to make a lot of candies when she was young.   Imagine a small kid, 12 years old, going to the drugstore to buy glycerine for making salt water taffy. Making cocktails, developing bars conceptually, making furniture, making candy, making syrup, all of it fills the same CREATIVE NEED. Making anything creative keeps her happy. It doesn’t matter what it is, as long as it’s creative and has a purpose, it feeds her needs.   Coming back to her knowledge of cocktail history, she explains how Lachlan Rose, a man in the mid-nineteenth century used sulfur to create a non-alcoholic citrus juice to protect the British Royal Navy from scurvy while also providing refreshments. This is why modern-day lime has a kind of funkiness to it.   Lachlan Rose’s creation gave birth to preserved lime. Bottled lime juice isn't supposed to ‘’taste fresh’’. This is exactly why when you go to a bar and ask for a gimlet, what you're going to get is a gin akori. It's gin fresh lime juice and simple syrup. An absolutely delicious drink.   But that's not a gimlet, says Jen. Gimlet is made with a kind of cooked lime flavor and from the oils of the lime peels. The drink is royal. Jen’s team uses Navy strength gin. They use limes, lime zest, lime juice,  and lime sugar. They combine it in a couple of different ways and then they filter it. It takes a couple of days to get the combination to separate.   It’s a slow, tedious process.   They don’t use any advanced equipment. Jen’s team just runs it through coffee filters, takes the time that’s needed and then puts them in bottles.   And when you order a gimlet from Here’s how, they stir the bottled drink down to 25 degrees. Specifically because that drink doesn't have any added water due to the way they batch it out so it needs extra dilution. It's strong, it's sweet, and it's rich in the bottle.   As you can guess by now, Jennifer is not secretive about her recipes and cooking processes.   In fact, Jen offers to write down her recipes for you, if you want them from her!   ‘’Why?’’ You may ask. A good chef never gives away his secret recipes, a magician never reveals his secrets, then why does Jen give her recipes away so altruistically?   The answer is simple. To Jennifer, the magic of bartending is not in the recipes, not in the cocktails only. Jen believes that the magic of bartending is in the hospitality, the service that she and her team provides. Helping people have a good time, giving away recipes to people so that the customers always get something extra from her bar, that’s what she finds happiness in.   The respect that Jen has for the bartending industry goes beyond just good drinks.   Jen believes wholeheartedly that making good drinks isn’t that hard. She can sit and come up with interesting things to put together. She can step behind the bar and make a couple of versions of the drink, tweak the proportions and VOILA! It’s that easy for her. She doesn’t find it THAT interesting. The gimlet that you can get from Here’s how, is only made of three ingredients and it’s one of the best drinks that Jen has ever produced.   Jen has always been this creative. When she first started ‘’small-hand foods’’, she also taught woodwork at the crucible. In her words, you can’t buy lumber for how much it would cost you to buy a Finnish table at Ikea.  It always costs more to make a piece of furniture for yourself. But it gives Jennifer peace.    Jennifer tends to make big things. This one time, she got annoyed by her pillows falling off from her bed. So, she built a headboard! She was also a cabinet maker for a good period of time.    Jen is very detail oriented. She keeps emphasising on the fact that bartending is not only about remembering cocktail recipes. You need to draw a mental map. You need to know what needs to be done next.   How is she different from other bar owners? She takes in green people and nurtures them to become amazing at what they do. She never lets any of her workers do something that she’d never do.   She started off pretty slowly. When she first started making orgeat, she’d get whiskey bottles in return!   She gathered vast knowledge about this industry by reading books and researching online. Jen can also be termed as a bibliophile. The number of bookshelves in her house keeps  increasing very frequently.   She’s a learner. She knows all about the chemistry that works behind the scenes of syrup and cocktail making. Jen has a decent amount of knowledge which helps her know what ingredients to use, what the proportions should be, how to mix them and whatnot!   Jen did not have to wait for long to find her passion. Once she gathered enough knowledge, researched enough about cocktails, and combined these with her memory of all the historical cocktail tales, she knew that it was the right industry for her to step in.   It happened two years after she started small-hand foods. She just made a decision and hung on to it.   You’re never going to know if your decision is the right decision.   Jennifer knew she had a passion for making things. She wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do. But she did it anyway. Only because it gave her happiness.  She went to CCA (California College of the Arts). As she was going through the furniture program there, she realized how important it was to keep her audience’s preferences in mind. She learned the idea of ‘’concept’’. She took away something very important from her course there. If an artist or a sculptor decides to make a piece of art or furniture or painting, he needs to think about what his audience will feel when they interact with his piece.   If your audience doesn’t feel the way you want them to feel, then you have failed at your job as an artist.   This is how commerce comes into play with art. There’s a lot of people who hate this idea. People say that their art is all about themselves and they don’t need their work to be loved by others. But that’s just pure B.S. Jen says that if you want someone to pay you for your work, then you have to take that ‘’someone’’ into consideration. He needs to be fed what he wants. That does not make your work artless, neither does it make the art corrupt. It just means that you, as an artist, are having a relationship with the person who is giving you money for your art.   People who make art just for themselves are just jerking off. The best art considers its audience.   This is how Jennifer approaches her business, her bar. She doesn’t think about how she wants to make a drink or how she wants her place to look. The primary concern in her head is always about her audience. How are the guests going to interact with her bar or her drinks? How are they going to interact with Jen if she’s hand curving ice? These are the things that go through Jen’s mind whenever she thinks of approaching something.   When you step into ‘’Here’s how’’, you can literally see everything that’s happening behind the scenes, starting from cutting the ice, to making the drink. Jen wants you to witness all the magic that’s happening.   She wants her audience to feel like a part of her family.   She doesn’t like the approach that most of the bars have nowadays towards their guests. Bartenders tend to think of their drinks as the main attraction. But, in reality, that’s not the thing.   People go to bars for the experience.   But that doesn’t mean that you can’t make good drinks.   This is another thing she learned from CCA. California College of the Arts was formerly known as California College of Arts and Crafts. They changed the name to CCA while she was already studying there. When the college dropped the word ‘’Crafts’’ from their name, it gave rise to a lot of debate. Mainly because, it had been there for so long and the people in and around the Oakland campus were so good at crafts. The Oakland campus mainly featured all the crafty things like sculpture, textile, and printmaking. The problem with the word craft was that by that point it couldn’t get away from its connotations. It was like this very solitary thing that had to do with the maker and not about the receiver, not about the audience.   The ‘’craft’’ was already implied. People were being taught about long grain to long grain gluing surface. But the connotations to ‘’craft’’ wasn’t necessary.   The same thing applies in the bartending industry. In the case of bars, you’re obviously going to make good drinks, that’s implied. There’s plenty of knowledge out there on how to make good drinks. You need to step up and do something that makes your guests feel good about coming to your bar. This is what Jennifer took away from this incident.   You need to know that people have different taste pallets and different needs. You need to train yourself enough to make sure that your drinks are balanced, says Jen.   Jen always makes sure that she knows who on her staff is a supertaster, a normaltaster or an undertaster. She is nowhere near being judgemental. Jen does this just to create a sense of understanding within her team.   Jennifer is a supertaster herself. 10 different versions of martinis with different proportions of gins and vermouths sounds fascinating to her. But, that’s not a cocktail for everyone. And it’s very normal. Just because she likes it herself, doesn’t mean others will love it too.   Different people, different opinions (and taste pallets!)   For Jennifer, that’s the difference between her being a solitary artist and a conceptual artist. Jennifer is a conceptual artist. She takes her audience into account.   This is what she enjoys. To her, this is the magic of the bartending industry. Interacting with guests, keeping them happy, the comradery amongst co-workers- this what the bartending industry is supposed to be.   As a bartender, the rule of thumb is to make good drinks. Of course you’re supposed to make good drinks! That’s like the first brick of the platform. You’re not even supposed to open up a bar without crafting good drinks. Yet, many bars think this is what the whole game is about.   They couldn’t be more wrong. This industry is about crafting people’s experiences. Making good drinks is just the first step. Once you have your drinks ready, you need to be entertaining. You need to give your audience a purpose, an incentive to keep coming to your bar over and over again.   Personality and Persona can overcome a lot of things. Jen wishes that more people paid more attention to the experience of the guests, and not their experience as bartenders.   What brings people back is good service mixed along with good food.   Jennifer brings in green people to work for her. She teaches what it really means to be a great bartender. Her way of teaching is very simple and easy going. She says that she always used flashcards to remember drink recipes, but she also understands that flashcards don’t always work for everyone. She figures out a way to make her staff function properly within their own comfort zone.   What’s important for Jennifer is that her workers know how to make the drinks, And that they are really nice while making them. Other than that, she is ALSO in a book club with some of her staff.   Jen owns a syrup company. Consequently, she has been tapped to make non-alcoholic drinks for a lot of events. She has written a lot of mocktail chapters and articles for different books and publications.  Fun fact- Jennifer doesn’t drink much.    Not that she doesn’t drink at all. It’s just not a daily activity of hers. When she drinks, she either goes for tequila or wine.    Jennifer believes that one does not have to drink to have an enjoyable experience in a bar.  Jennifer talks at and goes to a lot of seminars. She has to deal with different audience every now and then.  When she goes to seminars that are for the bartending industry, she has to go with one approach. On the other hand, when she goes to seminars that are for home enthusiasts, she has to keep a different approach.    In seminars, she talks about real deep profitability spreadsheets, conceptual development, empirical dilution, ecology. She always meets people who ask for a conversation with her.  Naturally, it’s mostly women who want to know more from Jen and she’s also more inclined towards women. She wants to help people in every way she can.   Although it was never the intention, Jen ends up being many green people’s mentor. She feels like anyone can do what she’s doing. But she knows that women look at her as being a very successful and ideal woman in a male dominated field. She has made things easier for up and coming young women in this industry.  What Jennifer finds hard to accept is the bartending industry being insular. For four years, Jennifer was the only female night bartender.    People say that they’re just hiring the best applicant, doesn’t matter if it’s male or female. Jennifer disagrees with this and she feels like these people are having a very narrow definition of what best means. And there's a lot of things that are awesome about people who aren't like these sexist and racist bunch that affect their customer base in ways that they don't even know.   One of Jennifer’s friends who runs a bar did not realize how white her customer base was until she hired a black bar manager. She immediately noticed diverse her customer base turned into. How good it felt to have people of all castes and creeds in her bar.  All in all, Jennifer is an amazing employer, an altruistic bartender, and an innovative soul. She loves challenges. She loves helping her staff and being friendly with them. But most importantly, She loves and enjoys doing what she does.       If you’re in the Oakland area across the Fox Theater, you MUST stop by and pay a visit to ‘’Here’s how’’ and watch the magic happen right in front of your eyes. She has a totally open backspace where you can see them using centrifuges, cutting ice, and making these amazing drinks for you! If you’re interested in the bartending industry or if you’re wondering how Jennifer is living the life that almost EVERYONE wants to live, then -   HIT PLAY!     And hear all about her crazy journey!

Jenn Nangle is an actor and writer, but mostly an actor. She's known for Malvolia: The Queen of Screams, One Night, and Irrational Fear. She Won “Best Actress” award at The Massachusetts Drama Festival. She has been in numerous horror films including: Spirit Board, Demonic Attachment, Slit, 10/31, Irrational Fear, Lilith, For Jennifer, Ugly Sweater Party, Malvolia: The Queen of Screams, and numerous other horror films. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/thejhorton)

GUEST BIO: Jennifer Bland is a Senior Software Engineer, Speaker, Author, host and Google Developers Expert.  She is on the leadership team for Women Who Code Atlanta and she runs the websites in5days.tech and codeprep.io which provide technical training on JavaScript topics.  Jennifer is also the host of the CodePrep podcast. EPISODE DESCRIPTION: Jennifer Bland is Phil’s guest on today’s show. She is one of Google’s Web Technologies Developers Experts, who has had a long tech career. Over the years, she has been a developer, consultant and project manager. Now she works as a senior software engineer for Stanley Black and Decker. But, Jennifer also spends a lot of time and energy working in the community enabling under-represented groups to become successful in IT. She is a well-known speaker, podcast host and author, as well as a trainer. Via her two websites in5days.tech and codeprep.io she provides technical training for JavaScript related topics KEY TAKEAWAYS: (1.06) – So Jennifer, can I ask you to expand on that brief intro and tell us a little bit more about yourself? Jennifer starts by explaining that she is, currently, a senior software engineer for Stanley Black and Decker in Atlanta. She is very proud of being a member of one of the most active Women Who Code chapters in the world. Fairly recently, Jennifer has started to provide technical training for others. (1.55) – How did you get involved with Women Who Code? Jennifer discovered them while preparing to attend her first coding boot camp. In preparation, she needed to complete 6 weeks of pre-course material. To get the work done she attended one of Women Who Code’s Coding Jams. From then on she just kept attending their events and meetings. Today, she is on the Leadership Committee for Women Who Code Atlanta. (2.57) – Can you please share a unique career tip with the I.T. career audience? Jenifer says that is - “create a public presence”, something that is really easy to do using the internet. It could be as simple as creating your own twitter account and tweeting about tech. Blogging, Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook can all work too. Attending meetups and conferences is a good idea too. You can easily record a few videos while you are there and post them. When you do that, people will start seeking you out at these events. Normally, you will also start to be invited to speak. (4.48) – You mentioned Twitter, are there any other platforms you would recommend? – LinkedIn is an important one. It creates an opportunity for you to write articles and share them worldwide. Pinterest and Instagram can also work although they are more geared towards sharing content via pictures. YouTube is excellent too. (5.39) – Can you tell us about your worst career moment? And what you learned from that experience. For Jennifer it was not a single moment. It was a 6-month process that she went through. Basically, she had joined a company without working out what the work environment would be first. The company had reached out to her as a result of her public presence and offered her a great salary and benefits package. Initially, she said no. But, a few months later they asked again and she said yes. That meant leaving a company she was happy working at. Unfortunately, that was a big mistake. The work environment at her new firm was incredibly poor for the entire 6 months she stayed there. (7.18) how do you go about assessing the work environment in advance? Jennifer starts simply by googling them and talking to people who are already working there. She also tries to reach out and find out what their turnover rate is like. High turnover is a big red flag. (8.09) – Phil asks Jennifer what her best career moment was. Jennifer says that it was becoming a Google Developers expert, at the end of last year. Being one of the few picked out of a field of hundreds of thousands of developers was a huge achievement. To gain the award you genuinely have to be an industry leader and someone who contributes significantly to the community. Plus, to apply someone who is already a Google Developer expert has to nominate you. Then you go through multiple layers of interviews. Here in the USA, there are only 16 Web Technologies Google Developers. So, it feels especially good to be one of them. (10.11) – Can you tell us what excites you about the future of the IT industry and careers? Jennifer finds the pace of change to be very exciting. She reflects on the fact that she graduated before IBM introduced the PC and got her MBA before the internet became available. So, she has seen huge changes. This frenetic pace of change means that new doors are opening, all the time. As a result, an IT career is highly rewarding. (11.20) – Phil shares her enthusiasm for the rate of change. He goes on to ask Jennifer what she feels about the way in which the devices and software we are using is evolving so much. Jennifer agrees this is exciting too. In fact, the thirst for new devices is helping to drive change within the industry. The fact that people want Alexa style devices to do more, self-driving cars and other devices are pushing developers into new territory. (12.35) – What drew you to a career in IT? Jennifer explained that the first time she was drawn to an IT career it was using the Commodore 64 that piqued her interest. She spent months putting it together and learning how to do it. That is what got her into programming. At the age of 51, she retired and had not planned to return to work. But, she picked up a discounted JavaScript programming book in a bookstore. She read it and could not resist putting what she was learning into action. Once again, she fell in love with programming and decided to come out of retirement. (14.19) – What is the best career advice you have ever received? For Jennifer, that was, invest in yourself. In particular, invest in learning the skills that enable you to continually learn new things. The world of tech changes at a very fast pace, which means that you have to keep up. You need to be able to learn new languages fast, and be able to adapt to fresh implementation and working methods. You need to be able to ride the waves of change. (15.42) – If you were to begin your IT career again, right now, what would you do? Jennifer says she would focus on honing her ability to learn tech skills as fast as possible. Coding boot camps are an excellent way to do exactly that. You can learn to code in 3 to 6 months instead of spending 4 years getting a college degree. Taking the boot camp route also means that you avoid building up 50 to 100K in student debts. After just 6 months of participating in a camp you can get a job. Within a year, you will have created a brand new career and be about 3 years ahead of your peers. (17.14) – What are you currently focusing on in your career? Right now, Jennifer is focusing on try to get as many women and underrepresented groups into tech over the next 4 years, or so. Then she thinks she will retire again. She wants to help these groups of people to have the skills to earn good money. Working in IT makes it easy to find relatively secure employment, something that these demographic groups desperately need. (18.11) – What is the number one non-technical skill that has helped you the most in your IT career? For Jennifer that is easy. The ability to network easily has helped her enormously. It has opened many doors for her, which has, in turn, enabled her to open doors for many others. For example, she was able to give the resume of a lady she met at Women Who Code to her manager. That woman still works there today. That networking moment benefited everyone involved, for many years. (19.38) – Phil asks Jennifer to share a final piece of career advice with the audience. Jennifer says that if you want to work in the IT industry, you have to accept the fact that you are going to have to change jobs a lot. Very few successful IT professionals stay in a role for more than 5 years. To progress, you need to create the opportunities, which, most of the time means being willing to move to another company. BEST MOMENTS: (3.24) JENNIFER – "Take the time to create your own public presence. It will benefit you so much in the long run." (14.23) JENNIFER – "Invest in learning the skills that will allow you to learn these new technologies that are coming out." (15.21) JENNIFER – "Invest in yourself, this will enable you to ride the waves of change to new and secure better opportunities for yourself."  (16.32) JENNIFER – "If you complete a six-month coding boot camp, you can get a job." (17.07) JENNIFER – "I would definitely focus on learning tech skills as quickly and efficiently as I possibly could." CONTACT JENNIFER: Twitter: https://twitter.com/ratracegrad @ratracegrad LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ratracegrad/ Personal Website: https://www.jenniferbland.com/ Company Website: https://www.codeprep.io/ and https://www.in5days.tech

As a midlife woman, do you often want to travel to places you've never been but you can't seem to find a traveling partner? Have you had visions of traveling solo but were afraid to make that leap? On today's show, I chat with Jennifer Buccholz. Jennifer is a proponent of midlife women traveling solo . . . so much so that she built a business around it: Transform Via Travel.  For Jennifer, traveling solo was a game changer. In this episode, we chat about her philosophy on women traveling solo, the importance and advantages of traveling solo, and Jennifer gives great trips on how you can make the most out of your travel. ****** Midlife-A-Go-Go the podcast! Be sure to listen, download, subscribe and pass it along. For show notes, go to Episode 6. Visit Midlife-A-Go-Go.

Kicked out of church and private school in sixth grade for asking the wrong questions left Jennifer scrambling to make sense of her religious upbringing. Surrounded and supported by her family, they journeyed together to maintain that which was important to them in spite of what they had experienced. For Jennifer, now in her second year of college she believes God is broader and bigger than what she had originally believed but still ponders the reason for suffering and struggles to see this God she still believes in at work in the world today.

Jennifer Langille has been living and offroading in a Jeep, photographing and interviewing those impacted by cancer and finding parallels between the landscape she experiences on the road and the landscape navigated by those impacted by cancer. For Jennifer, you’ll hear that things came together over a couple of years, culminating with her decision to live and offroad in her Jeep for long stints at a time, and it’s this life on the road that has not only allowed her project to take place, but her perspective as a traveler has enriched the photography work she’s doing now. In this episode, you’ll hear: Why Jennifer decided to live out of her Jeep for her project, Photos That Unite How she got involved with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation The two experiences that showed her she could live full time on the road How Jennifer finds people to interview for her project Jennifer’s thoughts on the power of story-telling, especially tough stories The loneliness of being a cancer patient Jennifer’s insights on the parallels between wildfires and navigating cancer How Jennifer practices self care on the road About the book Jennifer is creating as a result of this project How this project has impacted her perception of doing things your own way Resources mentioned in this episode: Photos That Unite Learn how to support Jennifer’s book Follow Jennifer on Instagram - @jennifer.langille Jennifer’s portfolio site Breast Cancer Research Foundation Come see us in Taos at our first Women On The Road Gathering with Vanlife Diaries! Join the Women On The Road Podcast Facebook group Sponsor Websites & Codes Deuter Enjoy this episode? Rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. It’ll help other people find us. You can also share this podcast with a friend. Thank you for your support! Episodes air weekly on Fridays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode. Follow along with Laura Hughes on Instagram (@howsheviewsit) and see more of her work through her website, How She Views It. Music is by Drew Barefoot. Music is also by Josh Woodward and Hyson via Free Music Archive using a CC by A license. WOTR podcast cover artwork designed by Dani Opal.

We all need other people in order to help us grow! Whether you’re looking for a job, a contact, promoting a service or looking to collaborate, there are many ways to go about it. In today’s episode, Jennifer shares some thoughts and pointers on how to network by building and maintaining relationships with generosity and respect. Back in May, Jennifer tweeted about requests that she had received to work for free, which prompted her to synthesize some thoughts on the do’s and don’ts of networking. She talks about these communications and their underlying flawed assumptions about the value of one’s time and energy, and she lays out the following common situations that can benefit from her pointers: Job Hunting. Whether you’re a recent graduate or looking to make a change, tapping your network for opportunities means reaching out to key individuals. Jennifer talks about some of her early missteps on her journey to becoming a speaker and entrepreneur back in episode 7 of the Impact Makers Podcast as well some of the lessons she learned in the process. Questions and Curiosity. You may be looking for advice, tips, or leads from established professionals or individuals that you think might help you along in your journey. In our digital age, we are often both the sender and receiver of sales communications. Whether it be through a job, a startup or personal businesses, reaching out to individuals is part of the game. Audience Appreciation. Many people reach out to creators to let them know that the content they are producing is enjoyed and valued. Creating a connection this way can be difficult, as creators often receive many messages from a wide range of people. With these situations in mind, here are Jennifer’s 5 tips for reaching out and making connections: #1: Do Your Homework FIRST. Before you reach out, make sure you know exactly why you’re sending a message in the first place. What are your goals, what is your purpose and what specifically are you working on? Including this in your initial communication will streamline your exchange to get down to it. Ask yourself: "why am I reaching out to X or Y person?" Make sure that they understand why you think that they can help. Being specific in your request also simplifies things. The easier it is for them to say yes, the more likely they will do so. Jennifer tells a couple of stories about what catches her attention when people reach out to her. #2: Referrals from a Mutual Contact. Review your network to see if you know anyone who has a legitimate existing relationship (not just a LinkedIn connection) with the person you want to connect with. If your mutual contact is amenable to a name drop – or is willing to personally introduce you, all the better. #3: Emails, Voicemails and In-Person Requests. Regardless of communication medium, be clear with your question and provide very easy options for follow-up. Be flexible, willing to travel and be thankful! Show your appreciation from them taking time out their day to meet or talk with you. #4 Persistent and friendly follow-up. We all have busy lives. If you reach out and don’t get a response, err on the side of understanding. Who knows why they didn’t respond? For Jennifer, the maximum number of follow-up communications is 3. After that, it’s time to move on. #5 The Best Way to Get is to Give. Everyone wants to know that their work matters. One of the best ways to create connections is to champion the work of others. Sharing their work with your network and genuinely engaging with their content over time will help you stand out as someone who truly appreciates their efforts. You can also recommend them in a business context. Remember, these folks have to eat too! If you’re reaching out to someone with a service or resource you want to access, offer to buy it! Expecting someone to offer for free what they regularly get paid to do isn’t very respectful of their time and energy. There are no rules about who can learn from who. Another way to get noticed is to share what you’ve learned and what you’re working on, whether that be in a blog, on social media or in a publication. Resources & Links: Catalyst Sale Podcast #94 - Gender Pay Gap, Building Business Acumen, and Networking Catalyst Sale Podcast #60 - Jennifer McClure - Disruption & Innovation in HR & Sales Mike Simmons LinkedIn The tweet about networking that started it all… Impact Makers Episode 7 — How I Became A Speaker and Entrepreneur Michael Hyatt Amy Porterfield Community Made podcast with Jayson Gaignard Are you struggling with developing your personal brand? You can now download Jennifer McClure's Personal Branding Worksheet to help you ask and answer the right questions so you're making the best impression. Check out another trailblazing HR powerhouse! HR expert Laurie Ruettiman hosts a podcast called Let’s Fix Work where she speaks with a diverse array of people about how to change the way we think and work for the better.  Give us a hand getting the word out! Do you want to spend your personal and professional time making a lasting impact on others? Do you want to be the kind of leader people love? Subscribe today and we will bring you new ways to change the world every single week.

October 4, 2016 - For Jennifer and her husband Chris, and their 4 children, it was just a regular Tuesday. Up until around 8 pm that evening. Jen was driving home and she had their two daughters in the car, ages 12 and 4. Jen stopped at a stop sign, and then proceeded into the intersection without seeing the motorcycle that was approaching on her left. The motorcycle hit her car, and with that collision, the lives of two families were forever changed. David, the driver of the motorcycle, was taken to the hospital, where he died two days later. In my conversation with Jen, we talk about a lot of different aspects of what happened. She told me a little of what life was like before the accident, and she described what happened from the moment of impact and the hours and days that followed. We discussed her feelings of guilt at being responsible for the death of a person, her overwhelming sadness that it happened, her fear of what was going to happen to her from a legal or criminal standpoint, and what happened when she had a chance encounter with one of David’s friends. She also talked about what she’s doing today to help others who have found themselves in similar situations. There’s actually an acronym for someone who has gone through this. That person is called a CADI. That’s spelled CADI, and it stands for Caused Accidental Death or Injury. You’ll hear Jen use that acronym during our conversation so I wanted to let you know what it is ahead of time. For people that have caused the accidental death of a person, there are resources available and I’ll have those listed in the show notes for this episode, at whatwasthatlike.com/01. Also, a warning. Around 14 minutes into our conversation, you’ll also hear the actual recording of the 911 call that Jen made at the time of the accident. In the beginning she’s on the phone with the 911 operator, then she hands the phone to a man who was also on the scene, and he talks to the operator briefly. Following that is a second brief 911 call from a female. Again, this is about 14 minutes into our conversation, so if you might find the intensity of that audio to be upsetting, you can fast forward about 4 minutes to skip past that. One of the takeaways from this conversation is that it’s good to see things from a different perspective. You know we hear about accidents like this almost every day, and it’s really easy to assume that the person is just some selfish jerk who was talking on their phone, or texting, or just not paying attention, even though we really don’t know what actually happened. Sometimes those assumptions are true, but not always. Today we get to hear the other side of that story.

Jennifer Nappier entered the University of Maryland Baltimore County as a pre-med biology major, but she changed her path and graduated from law school eight years later. January 2017 marks her tenth year as part of the Maryland Bar Association. Jennifer started her career as a staff attorney for a non-profit, representing victims of domestic violence. She then moved to the Maryland Department of Labor, working with unemployment insurance appeal hearings. In October of 2015, she was appointed as an Administrative Law Judge for the Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings. Join us for some interesting insights! TWEET: “#Goals and #dreams are fluid and changing.” #JenniferNappier   From Doctor to Lawyer: Is there something you’ve “always wanted to be”? For Jennifer, it was being a doctor that dominated her childhood dreams, mostly because of her love of all things science. She was determined to be a pediatrician until she ran head-on into chemistry classes in college. After deciding she had suffered through enough, she took a law class, loved it, and completely changed her career path. Helping those who want to be heard: Jennifer’s extensive work with people who are “down on their luck” has taught her that acknowledging and hearing them means everything. As an ALJ, she works with people who have had bad experiences with the law and the court system. Jennifer operates within the premise that everyone deserves the chance to be appreciated, heard, and considered.  TWEET: “Everyone deserves to be appreciated, heard, and considered.” #Respect #JenniferNappier How Social Life Changes: Do you struggle to maintain social relationships? Does chasing your dreams sometimes mean leaving a social life behind? Jennifer says that the two concepts are not mutually exclusive. She shares how we need to find new ways to maintain relationships and face the challenges of keeping up with friends and family. Some people get lost in chasing their dreams, but it’s important to be there for friends and family and not being consumed by work.  TWEET: “Take a day off just for yourself.” #SelfCare #JenniferNappier   OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE: [1:45] Being an Administrative Law Judge [5:45] From pre-med to law [10:30] Don’t do it for someone else! [11:35] TV lawyers’ income: NOT the norm [14:41] Jennifer’s time at the House of Ruth [18:25] A planned career path? [24:40] New aspirations [26:35] Work/Life balance [32:52] Changing social life: keeping up with each other [34:03] Self-care [37:33] One action for dream chasers   TWEETS YOU CAN USE: “I realized I didn’t want to be a #doctor badly enough to suffer through more #chemistry classes.” #careerchange “Learn to say NO without being apologetic for it.” #Boundaries #Empowered

Jennifer Ho-Dougatz is an entrepreneur. She now owns United Tribe, Inc. a transformational coaching company focused on educating and empowering entrepreneurs to step outside the box in their life, business and community. Her clients have gone from startup to making 6 figures within the fist year. She also owns Hangar Studios, a podcast production company in the heart of Times Square, which creates a space for artists, companies and everyone in between to speak freely about their passions. Among her favorite pastimes is producing and hosting her own podcast "Big Girl Panties" where she shares a raw and intimate look into the rollercoaster of her life and the lessons learned from the ride. For Jennifer to be successful, she knew that she had to put on her big girl panties and start taking action on her own life. Check out her interview as she shares story about her struggles and how she has overcome them to be the person that she is today. Check out thetaoofselfconfidence.com for show notes of Jennifer's episode, Jennifer's website, resources, gifts and so much more.

In 2010, Jennifer Senior wrote a New York Magazine cover story about modern parenthood that triggered a firestorm of responses in the national media. Building on extensive research in such fields as psychology, sociology and history, as well as discussions with many parents “in the trenches,” Jennifer expanded her article to a book that explores how parenthood has changed in recent years, the impact of parenthood on everything from sleep to sex to life satisfaction, and the joy and awe parents so often express when they step back from the daily hassles to reflect on the overall experience of parenthood. In this week’s Mom Enough show, Jennifer joins Marti & Erin for a lively discussion you will want to listen to and share with family and friends!   In what ways do you think parenthood is different now from how it was for your parents or grandparents? In what ways are those changes for the better or worse? How does the “All Joy and No Fun” of the title resonate with your daily ups and downs and with your overall feelings about being a parent?   To read Jennifer Senior's cover story, click here. For Jennifer's website, click here.

Jennifer defines "awakening" as a terminal condition for which there is no outside cure. In fact, she writes, "seeking outside remedies might even retard the process. It is impossible to become what you already are. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with you".In a society in which judgment reigns supreme, everyone has to have something wrong with them. For Jennifer the antidote is not drugs, surgery or a visit to the shrink, but a good dose of awareness. "The problem is, we have to stop pushing against everything we think is holding us back. Stop healing all the problems you don’t have in the first place".Jennifer Schuitemaker is a visionary Mentor Author Speaker. Born in the United States and educated in Europe, Jennifer was imprinted with a natural affinity for new thought and ways of thriving. Studying the teachings of both past and present masters, Jennifer combines that knowledge with her life experiences to become a highly educated and certified visionary in her own right.See more at: http://www.mindbling.guru 

Jennifer defines "awakening" as a terminal condition for which there is no outside cure. In fact, she writes, "seeking outside remedies might even retard the process. It is impossible to become what you already are. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with you".In a society in which judgment reigns supreme, everyone has to have something wrong with them. For Jennifer the antidote is not drugs, surgery or a visit to the shrink, but a good dose of awareness. "The problem is, we have to stop pushing against everything we think is holding us back. Stop healing all the problems you don’t have in the first place".Jennifer Schuitemaker is a visionary Mentor Author Speaker. Born in the United States and educated in Europe, Jennifer was imprinted with a natural affinity for new thought and ways of thriving. Studying the teachings of both past and present masters, Jennifer combines that knowledge with her life experiences to become a highly educated and certified visionary in her own right.See more at: http://www.mindbling.guru