Podcast appearances and mentions of paul business journal

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Amanda Heyman. Amanda went from journalism to a career in law, driven by a mission to serve the public interest and champion social justice. Then, life took a surprising turn when she and her husband saw a golden opportunity in fantasy soccer. Moving to a venture-backed business focused on growth and profit was a major pivot. Together, they co-founded Starting 11, a fantasy sports app that combined her husband's 30,000-hour passion for fantasy sports with Amanda's network and startup savvy. But stepping into the world of capitalism brought new challenges, like pitching for venture capital, raising funds, and weighing their financial goals against their principles. Amanda shares how she navigated this shift in mindset, balanced personal values with business ambition and managed the unique pressures of being in business with her husband. Amanda is co-founder and Managing Partner of Tundra Ventures, a pre-seed venture fund investing in companies focused on health, wealth and resilience solutions with 1) exquisite founder-market fit and 2) unique insight into untapped markets and overlooked end users. Prior to founding Tundra, Amanda spent four years as a Founding Partner at Lunar Startups, a Twin Cities-based accelerator designed to supercharge high-potential startup companies founded by diverse CEOs. Amanda created her own proprietary system of business milestones linked to a curated digital platform that helped 75 Lunar cohort companies create a strong foundation for scale. Amanda has taken her proprietary system to Tundra Ventures, where it forms the backbone of Tundra's founder support platform. In addition to her 10+ years of experience as an attorney for startups, Amanda is a seasoned entrepreneur. She co-founded and served as General Counsel for a venture-backed global sports technology company; prior to that she co-founded a boutique law firm focused on natural food startup companies. Amanda further developed expertise in the food and agriculture sphere as an international expert on organic agriculture for the United Nations in Mauritius, a Fellow in Practice at the Vermont Law School Center for Agriculture and Food Systems and a staff attorney at a national nonprofit law firm serving family farm businesses. Amanda has also handled FEMA appeals for Hurricane Katrina survivors, managed an online news network at a Boston digital media startup (acquired by MTV) and won awards for her newspaper reporting in Wisconsin and New Mexico. Amanda has served as an advisor and board member to various startup support organizations, including Forge North, The Nice Center at NDSU and Minnesota Cup. She was named a 2021 and 2020 Minnesota Rising Star by Super Lawyers/Thomson Reuters, a 2017 MN Cup High Tech Division Winner and a 2015 Women in Business award winner by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. Amanda holds a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and earned a B.S. in Journalism and a Certificate in Environmental Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After many years living near the best lake in Minneapolis, she currently resides in the Bay Area with her husband and young daughter.

You know her as the Publisher and Market President of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal—make that former. While you were away over the summer, Kathy Robideau stepped into the role of Chief Growth Officer at Versique. It's a full-circle moment, as Versique CEO Tony Sorensen placed Kathy at MSPBJ 14 years ago and watched her rise from an advertising executive to one of the highest-profile business leadership roles in the Twin Cities. In this episode, Versique's President of Interim Solutions, Chris Dardis, welcomes Kathy to the team as she shares her passion for business—and, more importantly, for the people who make it happen.Connect with Versique

This week we interview Kristi Piehl. Kristi started Media Minefield in 2010 following a 12-year career as an Emmy Award-winning television news reporter. Media Minefield is a national award-winning, one-of-a-kind public relations agency with a Storycentric Marketing approach specializing in earned media, social media, digital advertising and crisis communications. She is dedicated to creating a unique workplace culture with policies that value families, flexibility and health. She has been honored to receive the 2024 PRNEWS Top Women Award, the 2023 PRNEWS People of the Year Award and be named one of Minnesota's 500 Most Powerful Business Leaders. Media Minefield has also won numerous awards including Best Place to Work by Inc., Fortune Magazine and the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal, one of the fastest-growing private companies in Minneapolis and was voted the Best Public Relations Firm in Finance & Commerce's 2024 Reader Rankings. Kristi is passionate about supporting entrepreneurs of all genders and ethnicities. She is a founding member of The 25 at Bethel University, a four-year cohort program to empower women to use their strengths and skills to uncover their potential. She is also a founding member of the Women in Entrepreneurship Institute at DePaul University. She believes strongly in the power of stories and launched the Flip Your Script podcast in 2020. She interviews people who faced a critical turning point in their lives and explores how they found the inspiration to move forward. Kristi is an experienced speaker for keynotes, executive teams and a Vistage Resource speaker. She is frequently interviewed on various local and national news outlets and is a contributing writer for Inc.

In this episode, Lauren McNamara, Senior Vice President of Business Management at SunOpta, discusses organic and specialty foods, her professional journey in the food space, serving on the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute's Board of Directors, and being named to Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal's 40 Under 40 list.

Guests: Jeff Macke and Neely TammingaJeff MackeFounder and President of Macke Asset ManagementFounding cast-member of CNBC's Fast Money (2006-2009)He has been writing about stocks and markets on and off-line since the mid 1990's. He worked for and has appeared on TheStreet.com, Yahoo Finance, the WSJ, the late Minyanville and just about everywhere else.Co-Wrote "Clash of the Financial Pundits" with Josh Brown.Started his career with Macy's (in the management training program...and sold suits and shoes back when you had to put them on men's feet!). Grew up in Target stores (his dad was CEO of what was then Dayton Hudson). Currently in-development on a new project with Herb Greenberg.Neely Tamminga Neely is the co-founder and CEO of DISTILL—a specialized advisory service for executive leaders and board directors on matters of the consumer economy. Prior to launching DISTILL, Neely worked for 20+ years on Wall Street covering the consumer sector where she advised institutional and private equity investors in their investment decisions. During her career, Neely led the consumer research practice as a managing director at Piper Jaffray (now Piper Sandler). Key career awards include top sell-side analyst in The Wall Street Journal Best on the Street analyst survey in 2006 and 2011 for coverage in broadline and apparel retailers. In 2007, Neely was named by Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal as a 40 Under Forty award winner. A frequent keynote speaker on matters of the consumer economy, Neely was included in the 2020 lineup of speakers for TEDxMinneapolis Host: Tracy Shuchart (@chigrl)Follow @micdropmarkets

It might feel crazy not to get involved in every operation of your business, but the more you let go, the better it performs. However, many entrepreneurs struggle with this bottleneck of hoarding and not letting go.     Nancy Lyons, who joins us in this episode, has been in business for over 22 years, and her exponential growth happened the moment she stopped being the bottleneck of the business. She shares with us how she managed that setback of letting go, the significant milestones as an effective leader in inspiring her teams to success and shares valuable tips for entrepreneurs.    Nancy Lyons has led employees and clients through thousands of business-teams, and work culture challenges. She is the author of "Interactive Project Management" and "Work Like a Boss," which provides a concise guide for individuals, highlighting actions, attitudes, and attributes crucial for improving the workplace for oneself and those around.     Nancy's remarkable contributions have earned her numerous accolades and recognitions, including induction into the National Association of Women Business Owners' MN Hall of Fame, recognition among the "100 People to Know" by Twin Cities Business, and acknowledgment as one of the "101 most influential people in the world of work, management, and career" by Ladder magazine. She has been honored as the "Most Admired CEO" by Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal and received the "Business Owner of the Year" award from the National Association for Women Business Owners.    Tune in.     Key Highlights from The Show  [03:05] Why Nancy Lyon feels crazy for not being involved fully in her business  [05:18] Major bottlenecks she encountered as an entrepreneur and how she managed them  [07:08] Entrepreneurship challenges she has faced  [10:11] Significant milestones in her 22 years of business  [14:52] Nancy's effective communication as the business CEO  [18:43] What's next for Nancy in the business career  [23:36] Reasons why Nancy became an entrepreneur  [29:46] Practical recommendations to other entrepreneurs based on her experience  [33:24] Best ways to reach out and connect with Nancy  [33:58] Wrap up and calls to action    Notable Quotes  ·        Adequate outside funding is critical to getting any product out of the ground.  ·        Success comes from knowing when to say yes or no. The more we narrow down things, the better and more successful we become.  ·        Embrace mistakes and failures. Failure in practice is how you get better.  ·        It might feel crazy to not get involved in every operation of your business, but letting go makes it grow exponentially.      Connect With Nancy Lyons  Personal Website: https://www.nancylyons.com/  Business: https://www.clockwork.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nylons/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancylyons/     ----- How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don't underestimate the bottleneck's impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now! 

Zealous advocate of LGBTQ+ issues who is the Founder and Owner of Zaylore Stout & Associates where he helps employers foster inclusive workplaces and represents HIV+ and transgender employees who have faced discrimination. The Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal recognized Zaylore Stout & Associates with their Business Pride award. He is an impassioned advocate for change in the communities in and around the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Leading by example, he serves as a board member with RECLAIM (an LGBTQIA+ non-profit) and volunteers with the LGBT Law Clinic. His first book Our Gay History in Fifty States has been awarded the 2020 Human Relations Gay Awareness Book of the Year, Foreword INDIES Book Award for the LGBTQ+ (finalist in the Adult Non-Fiction category), and 2020 Best Book Award through the American Book Fest. As an expert, he is sought after as a public speaker with experience on the local and national level. He's been an honored guest speaker to high-profile media outlets, Fortune 500 companies, law conferences, community activist meetings, and in government settings. Their range of experience, expertise, advocacy, and professional presence make them an attractive option for your story.Connect with Zaylore:Website: www.stoutslaw.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zaylore-stout-esq-sphr%C2%AE-shrm-scp-a867324/General Info: Need help with your law firm's digital marketing? Check out these case studies of some killer results we have gotten for law firms just like yours.Click here to review the case studies: https://lbmsllc.com/lp-attorneys/Click here for a free online presence report and marketing analysis. Connect With Us On Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lbmsllcInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lbmsllc/Twitter: https://twitter.com/lbmsllcLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/local-business-marketing-solutionsAlignable: https://www.alignable.com/fanwood-nj/local-business-marketing-solutionsConnect With Frank Directly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fdemming/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lbmsllc

Terri Lynn Soutor - CEO of ParentPowered - Empowering Family Engagement Digitally. This is episode 639 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Terri Lynn Soutor is the Chief Executive Officer at ParentPowered. An experienced C-suite leader and go-to-market strategist, Terri is skilled at building and growing education technology companies. In fact, she made the list of CEOs in The Real Power 50 by Minnesota Business and was a recipient of a Titan for Technology award from Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. Our focus is learning about ParentPowered - Supporting family engagement digitally to help students succeed in school.  Awesome talk! So much to learn! Before you go... You could help support this podcast by Buying Me A Coffee. Not really buying me something to drink but clicking on the link on my home page at https://stevenmiletto.com for Buy Me a Coffee or by going to this link Buy Me a Coffee. This would allow you to donate to help the show address the costs associated with producing the podcast from upgrading gear to the fees associated with producing the show. That would be cool. Thanks for thinking about it.  Hey, I've got another favor...could you share the podcast with one of your friends, colleagues, and family members? Hmmm? What do you think? Thank you! Okay, one more thing. Really just this one more thing. I mentioned in the opening of the show that you could hear me interviewed on Behind the Mic about my podcast Teaching Learning Leading K12. Click this link Behind the Mic: Teaching Learning Leading K12 to go listen. You are AWESOME! Thanks so much! Connect & Learn More: https://parentpowered.com/  https://www.linkedin.com/company/parentpowered/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/terrisoutor/  Length - 41:48

Alex Steinman is a seasoned professional in advertising and public relations, with a decade of experience in major agencies and as an independent senior communications strategist focusing on women business owners. Her career diversified following the birth of her first child in 2014, leading to the creation of Strong Like Mama, a blog dedicated to the experiences of working mothers. Steinman's expertise includes a wide range of skills such as leadership, crowdfunding, coaching, event coordinating, and project management, with a client list featuring White Wave Foods, Big Ten Network, TruTV, and others. Recognized for her inclusive work, she has been featured on Forbes' "Next 1000" and AMEX's "100 for 100" lists, and received the Mpls/St. Paul Business Journal's 40 Under 40 award and a 2019 Bush Fellowship. Passionate about storytelling and uplifting underestimated communities, Steinman's work is driven by her commitment to building equitable spaces and fostering diversity. The Coven is an innovative coworking community that champions the concept of belonging. With a network exceeding 1,000 members, collaborators, and partners, it brings together radical leaders from across the nation who are dedicated to making a positive impact in their communities. Distinctively, The Coven holds the title of being the world's first woman-owned coworking franchise, as recognized by industry experts. It offers a unique blend of essential leadership and insights focused on the future of work, emphasizing the creation of brave spaces that respect and celebrate diverse lived experiences. The Coven invites individuals to experience a sense of belonging by joining its vibrant community, either as a member, community owner, or collaborator, fostering an environment where everyone feels valued and empowered. Meet The Coven: https://www.thecoven.com/ Watch the Full Interview: https://youtu.be/oh5J8tZK0bk Unlock career success with "Riderflex Guide 2.0: Mastering Job Interviews." Over 30 years of recruitment expertise. Strategies for new graduates, seasoned professionals. Master virtual interviews,  and challenging questions. Get your copy today at: https://tinyurl.com/Mastering-Job-Interviews Listen to real stories from successful business leaders, CEOs, and entrepreneurs on the Riderflex podcast hosted by CEO Steve Urban. The Riderflex Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5NDLaxEqkMsnlYrc5ntAPw Trust Riderflex, a premier headhunter and employment agency based in Colorado, to recruit top talent for your team. Visit https://riderflex.com/ to learn more about our executive recruiting services. Podcast Sponsor: Kura Home Services, Air Duct Cleaning & Home Maintenance. For All your Home Maintenance needs!  https://www.kurahome.com/kura-home-services-colorado/ #AlexSteinman #TheCoven #EmpoweringCommunities #InclusiveLeadership #JoinUs #riderflexpodcast #careeradvice #Podcast #entrepreneur #ColoradoRecruitingFirm #recruiting #Colorado #National #Riderflex #TalentAcquisition #Employment #JobTips #ResumeTips --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/riderflex/support

A Zoom sit-down business and leadership conversation with Kelly McGrath, General Manager and Executive Director of the Xcel Energy Center, in St. Paul, Minnesota. Minnesota native Kelly humbly shares over the next hour with Duluth Pack's CEO, Tom Sega, about her hardworking childhood, which instilled a strong work ethic and drive for success, eventually leading her to longtime loyalty to her employer. As Kelly progressed in her professional career, ranging from Group Sales Manager at Ordway Center, to Account Executive at Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal, and eventually leading her to the Xcel Energy Center, Kelly emphasized in all facets of her career the importance of connecting to your customers and clients. Now at the pinnacle of her career and a leader in her industry, Kelly speaks about the business side of her profession and the importance of all moving parts in the organization, building up her team, and ultimately emphasizing their crucial impact on the customer's experience. The Xcel Energy Center has won 'Arena of the Year' 9 years total, hosts 150 live events per year (including the Minnesota Wild NHL team), and seats over 1.7 million guests annually. In addition, Kelly won the 'Women of Influence' award in 2020. Trust us; you will be incredibly inspired by her story. Enjoy this week's episode of Leader of the Pack, a podcast by Duluth Pack. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/duluth-pack/support

Networking is not solely about quantity but quality. Having a few strong, trustworthy connections is better than having an extensive network of superficial contacts. Approach networking with authenticity, sincerity, and a genuine desire to build meaningful relationships rather than treating it as a transactional activity. Cultivating these connections over time can lead to enduring, mutually beneficial relationships that support your personal and professional growth. Dr Marcia Ballinger is the Co-Founder and Principal of Ballinger|Leafblad, a national executive search firm located in St Paul, Minnesota. She specializes in executive job search, career planning, networking, interviewing, and nonprofit sector transitions, making her a sought-after writer and speaker. Her insights have benefited professionals seeking career advancement and transitioning into the nonprofit sector. Marcia has been recognized with numerous honors, including being named an Industry Leader by the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal, part of the "(Real) Power 50" by Minnesota Business Magazine, and a member of "50 Over 50" by AARP. Today, Marcia will talk about effective networking strategies and the importance of building meaningful professional relationships. Stay tuned! Resources Ballinger Leafblad Site Marcia Ballinger, PhD on Linkedin Marcia Ballinger's Books on Amazon

Professional Builders Secrets brings you an exclusive episode with Sven and Betty from the 141 Project, a charitable organisation that builds houses for families in need around the world. In this episode, we delve into the 141 Project's backstory and its global impact. INSIDE EPISODE 96 YOU WILL DISCOVER What the 141 Project is and its purpose The 141 Project's global impact How your donation helps those in need The importance of helping to fight poverty And much, much more. Listen to the full episode and learn exactly what the 141 Project is doing to aid those struck by poverty in underprivileged societies and how you can help. Every APB Member that renews their membership triggers a USD$100 donation to the 141 Project. For every 25 membership renewals, APB funds one home for a family in need. Learn More About APB's Contribution Hereassociationofprofessionalbuilders.com/our-contribution/ ABOUT SVEN GUSTAFSON Founder of the 141 Project and CEO of Stonewood LLC, Sven grew up the son of a home builder, learning the aspects of fine homebuilding from the bottom up. He has been recognized as 40 under 40 by Mpls. St. Paul Business Journal as well as Professional Builder Magazine. He also has developed and markets industry-leading construction project management software used worldwide by builders, remodelers, and commercial contractors. . Connect with Sven: linkedin.com/in/svengustafson/ ABOUT BETTY MERIDA Betty is the founder of Breaking Cycles, a ministry in Guatemala that works to break cycles of poverty, lack of education, and abuse through programs that meet needs of the community. Breaking Cycles runs a tutoring program for elementary and middle school students, teaches job skills, builds homes for families in need, and gives beds to children whose families attend educational workshops. TIMELINE 1:17 What the 141 Project is 3:44 The 141 Project's impact 8:34 How a donation transfers into real-world benefits 15:17 Sven's hands-on experience in Guatemala 21:15 Breaking the cycle of poverty 24:54 Why your contribution matters LINKS, RESOURCES & MORE APB Website: associationofprofessionalbuilders.com APB Rewards: associationofprofessionalbuilders.com/rewards/ APB on Instagram: instagram.com/apbbuilders/ APB on Facebook: facebook.com/associationofprofessionalbuilders APB on YouTube: youtube.com/c/associationofprofessionalbuilders Join the Professional Builders Secrets Facebook group for builders & connect with professional builders world-wide: facebook.com/groups/builderssecrets

About Lindsay:As the CEO of Simek's, Lindsey Hickey is on a mission to make mealtime a better time for all.Hickey joined Simek's in 2008 and became Co-Owner & President in 2010 to firmly established the company as a second-generation family-owned and certified women- owned organization.Under Lindsey's leadership, Simek's has grown from a local frozen food company to the fastest growing frozen lasagna brand and meatball brand in the US, while helping millions of people along the way. Lindsey has fortified strategic partnerships with key retail industry leaders, launched innovative new items, expanded distribution into new markets, donated millions of meals, and removed ocean-bound plastic from the environment. Her mission is to create a guilt-free mealtime with convenient foods that are crafted with quality ingredients and homemade taste, that also make an impact in our community, country and world. With her passionate expertise, Lindsey led the Simek's team to increase sales by 148% in 2022 as compared to 2021.Lindsey believes in using business as a force of good and proudly led the organization through their B Corporation certification in 2022, making Simek's the only women-owned frozen food brand in the US with this certification. She also led the launch of impact partnerships with Feeding America® and RePurpose, where every product purchased donates a meal locally and removes the same amount of plastic from the environment as used in the packaging and shipping of that product. In 2022, Simek's donated over 2.8 million meals and removed the equivalent of 26.3 million plastic bags from the environment, furthering their mission to provide great food for the greater good.Lindsey has been recognized for her outstanding leadership numerous times. In 2018, she was a Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal 40 under 40 recipient. Lindsey was recognized in 2023 with the Frozen & Refrigerated Women Achieving Remarkable Distinction (FORWARD) Award. She has also been featured in many national news articles, including Forbes.com and Frozen & Refrigerated Buyer, as well as local News channel's TV segments and articles, for her achievements at Simek's.Website: https://simeks.comInstagram: instagram.com/simeksFacebook: facebook.com/simeksfoodsSupport the showAbout Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH! We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

Sheletta Brundidge joins Henry Lake for another Feisty Friday, this time fresh off being honored by Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal as one of the business leaders in our community. 

PK Kriha is an employee benefits consultant with Marsh McLennan Agency. She works with employers to guide them on their total reward strategy, which means all of their group employee benefits, health insurance, dental life, disability, and everything in between. PK joins us today to share her expertise in well-being and wellness programs.PK shares the knowledge she has learned from her 20-year career journey. From how to say No gracefully, to work-life integration, and many more gems.Talking Points: {02:34} Why PK loves to lift up other women.{04:40} Building relationships with new clients{10:30} Part-time work and full-time mom{15:10} Principles that lead to consistency. {18:10} How to say “no” gracefully{22:50} Overcoming imposter syndrome.{34:20} How to bring people together successfully.PK Kriha Bio:PK Kriha is an employee benefits consultant with Marsh & McLennan Agency (MMA). She provides advice on health and welfare plans, wellbeing/wellness programs to a diverse base of corporate clients. She helps corporate leaders understand the full scope, implications and cost of various employee benefits strategies and potential plan design changes, not just the immediate line item expense. Along with her team, she also helps solve business challenges by deploying strategies that create better health care consumers and keeps employers current on regulatory issues, including those related to health care reform legislation. PK has a natural ability to make strong business connections, network with talented individuals, and match people to cultures. These talents and more have earned her a reputation of integrity and as a professional resource extending beyond employee benefits. PK joined RJF in 2002, where she quickly became a partner. Acquired by MMA in 2011, she continues to provide leadership in multiple areas within MMA. PK was honored with the Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal's 2020 Women In Business Award and also Employee Benefit Adviser's Most Influential Women in Benefit Advising for 2017. She has also been recognized for her extensive knowledge, customer service philosophy, and her involvement in leadership development and Diversity & Inclusion initiatives at MMA.She is involved in several community organizations including Giving WoMN, Benilde St. Margaret's School, the College of St. Benedict, Youth Frontiers, Family Enhancement Center, and Banyan, and she sits on the board of trustees for Washburn Center for Children. PK has two children and resides in St. Louis Park.Resources and Links:Website: https://www.marshmma.com/us/home.htmlBook Mentioned: The 20-min networking meetingLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pkkrihaConnect with Tom FinnLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/therealtomfinn/Instagram: https://instagram.com/therealtomfinnYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@therealtomfinnTiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@therealtomfinnTwitter: https://twitter.com/therealtomfinn/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therealtomfinnPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/therealtomfinn

On this episode I'm speaking with Cody Dietrich, Partner at Hayes Dietrich. Cody runs the development side of the company after spending his career specializing in multi-family residential development, including affordable, mixed-income, and luxury housing in the Twin Cities and Nashville markets. Overall, Cody has been involved in the development or substantial rehabilitation of over 2,000 multifamily units totaling in excess of $500M in total development costs. Currently, he is working on 700+ units entitled for his new company in Southern California and Minnesota. He started his career with Dominium working on new construction and acquisitions with substantial rehabilitations in the Twin Cities and Nashville markets. During his time at Dominium, the firm was one of the top 10 affordable housing developers and owners each year, according to Affordable Housing Finance. In 2016, Cody received the Dominium Executive Committee Award. Cody joined Doran Companies in 2017 and has helped lead several large developments, including a $140M 369 apartment unit development, Expo, which was completed in 2020. While at Doran, the company has consistently been recognized as one of the top developers by multiple local publications, including Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, Finance & Commerce, and Twin Cities Business Magazine. Related links for this episode: Hayes Dietrich - https://hayesdietrich.com/ Cody on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cody-dietrich-21503266/ Email Cody - cody@hayesdietrich.com 1500 Nicollet - https://www.1500nicollet.com/ Expo Minneapolis - https://expompls.com/ Twelve and a Half (book) - https://amzn.to/41UGedk Be sure to support this podcast by subscribing and reviewing! Get on the list at https://transformingcities.io for future announcements. Brought to you by Authentic: https://authenticff.com © 2023 Authentic Form & Function

Elizer Darris shares his empowering story of how he turned his life around, from serving a life sentence in MN prisons to becoming a recognized and celebrated leader in the Twin Cities, MN, community. Elizer is at the forefront of advocating for the Restore the Right to Vote bill and justice within the criminal and immigration systems. He is the Co-Executive Director at the Minnesota Freedom Fund and a former ACLU organizer; he was appointed by MN Governor Walz to the State Board of Public Defense and is the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Legal Revolution. Elizer talks about how the elders in prison and his organizing roles in the Nekima-Levy Armstrong Mayoral race helped transform his life and the bold steps he took in prison to make this possible.  Elizer is a recent recipient of the 2022  “40 under 40” recognition in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal and an Echoing Green 2022 Fellow.

Our guest this time is Sylvia Bartley. She grew up in England and, after college, entered a career in clinical research. Along the way she joined Medtronic where she held positions in sales and marketing. Later she became interested in deep brain stimulation which lead her to combine past clinical experiences with her sales and marketing knowledge.   You will get to hear Sylvia tell her story including how she moved through several jobs to a place where, as she will tell us, she transitioned more to a social orientation working to help different minority groups and, in fact, all of us to benefit from the medical advances she helped to bring about and introduce socially to the world.   Sylvia left Medtronic earlier this year. She will tell us of her plans and desires. I promise that Sylvia's time with us is inspiring and well worth your hearing. You can even visit her website where you can hear her own podcast. Enjoy Silvia and be inspired.     About the Guest: Sylvia Bartley is a health equity thought leader and influencer widely recognized as a neuroscientist, an advocate, and champion of social change, dedicated to advancing health equity through addressing barriers to care for minoritized communities and by addressing the social determinants of health. Sylvia's work is guided by a greater spiritual purpose rooted in mindfulness and intentionality.   She has dedicated most of her professional career to creating opportunities for individuals living with chronic diseases to receive access to medical technologies. For the last 20 years, Sylvia has worked for Medtronic, the world's leading healthcare technology company, where she has held roles in sales, marketing, physician education, and philanthropy. During this time, Sylvia has led global teams to disseminate best surgical practices, advanced techniques, and products to treat Parkinson's Disease and other movement disorders. Most recently, Sylvia helped Medtronic develop an enterprise-wide health equity strategy aligned with customer interests, challenging disease states, and patient needs.   As part of this work, Sylvia engages healthcare leaders, patients, and other stakeholders to uncover and address barriers patients face in receiving high-quality treatment for chronic illnesses. Her commitment to this effort promises to help transform how minoritized communities work with their healthcare providers to manage their chronic conditions.   Her dedication to reducing healthcare disparities extends to her civic engagement. She provides minoritized communities with information and resources to help them make informed choices about critical conditions linked with social determinants of health (SDOH), including education, housing, economic stability, and environmental factors. She employs multiple platforms to reach and support communities, including board memberships with the African American Leadership Forum, the Association of Black Foundation Executives, and The Johnson Stem Activity Centre. She is also an advisory member for the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering for Georgia Tech and Emory University and a Regent for Augsburg University in MN.   Sylvia took her work to a new platform when she published her first book, “Turning the Tide: Neuroscience, Spirituality, and My Path Toward Emotional Health,” which outlines the links between our brains and our souls while inspiring readers to change the world with that knowledge.   During her spare time, Sylvia hosts a long-standing weekly community public affairs radio show and podcast, The More We Know Community Show. She interviews change-makers who level the playing field for all minorities by breaking barriers in their careers, lives, and communities.   Sylvia has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Top 100 Most Influential and Powerful Black Briton awards, in 2022, 2021, 2020, and 2019. In 2021, she was awarded the Medtronic HR Stewardship Award and earned recognition for her service and commitment to the Twin Cities in 2020 with the African American Leadership Forum Community Award. Women in Business Award in 2017, and Diversity in Business Awards in 2013 from Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. Sylvia is also a 2014 Bush Fellow and AARP/Pollen's 50 over 50 award recipient.   Sylvia earned a Ph.D. in Neurophysiology from St. Barts and The Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry and holds a bachelor's degree in Pharmacology from the University of London.       About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.     Transcription Notes Michael Hingson  00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i  capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson  01:21 Hi, everyone, welcome to unstoppable mindset. Glad to see you wherever you happen to be. I am your host, Mike Hingson. And our guest today is Sylvia Bartley, who is a thought leader or neuroscientist. And I'm not going to tell you any more than that, because we're going to make her tell you her whole story. Sylvia, welcome to unstoppable mindset.   Sylvia Bartley  01:41 Thank you, Michael, it's a pleasure to be here with you today.   Michael Hingson  01:45 Well, I was reading your bio. And there is there is a lot there. I know you've done a lot in dealing with diversity and equity and so on. And we'll talk about inclusion and you are a neuroscientist, which is fascinating in of itself. But why don't we start Tell me a little bit about you maybe growing up just how you started and how you got kind of where you are?   Sylvia Bartley  02:06 Yeah, happy to. So where do I start? I think I grew up in the UK, born and bred. And born to two Caribbean parents, my parents are from St. Lucia and Jamaica. And they came to England in the 50s because of the promise of jobs and great access and opportunities. And so they came across they met and they had four children. And growing up in the UK, it was it was a fairly good experience. I won't say the experience racism, or any such thing directly. I was in a predominantly white neighborhood, I went to a very good Catholic school, where I received an excellent education. And I went on to work in the Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, where I became a research technician. And I worked there for 13 years. And during my tenure there, I did lots of research on the somatosensory cortex, looking at brain plasticity, and long term potentiation and memory and learning. And so this was a very new field. For me, this was not something I aspire to do. When I was growing up in school, I was very intrigued and very engaged in that particular area in neurophysiology, and I was surrounded by these phenomenal academics and teachers, that really taught me a lot. And during that time, that's when I got my first degree in applied biology specializing in psychopharmacology and my second degree, my PhD in neurophysiology. And again, my work was on the somatosensory cortex, looking at brain plasticity, in response to our experience, our innocuous experience. And I was very intrigued by that work. I'm very intrigued by the the kind of deep, intrinsic pneus of the brain and the function of the brain and obviously, how it really controls everything that we do. But I knew after I did my PhD that I wanted to do some more work that was more clinical facing. And so I left the academic environment and I entered into the medical device field, where I started off in cells, selling wires and stents, interventional cardiology, in the heart of London to the big cardiac centers. And then I quickly transitioned into Medtronic, the large the largest standalone medical device company in the world, and a solid themselves of intrathecal baclofen for B, and then quickly moved to a Furby called Deep Brain Stimulation. And there I was in heaven because that really married the work I did in kind of basic clinical science and, and medicine to the clinical application. And with this therapy And it was approved to be used for patients with Parkinson's disease dystonia, a central tremor. Now, it's for epilepsy OCD. And there's lots of research not approved yet in clinical depression, and other areas. So very taken up. And my work was literally to go to different hospitals that did deep brain stimulation, and train the neurosurgeons and the neurosurgical teams, how to do the DBS procedure, in particular, how to use the advanced technologies that Medtronic brought to this particular Furby. So it was a really fantastic job, it took me too many hours on it, you know, the fabulous surgeons are great minds out there, doing the work. And in addition to that, I met loads of patients and their families, particularly patients living with Parkinson's disease, and when he got to understand their pathway and their experience, and how this therapy really helped to alleviate their symptoms, so it could improve their quality of lives. And that role took me across the United Kingdom. And then, you know, it expanded to Western Europe. So every day, I'll get up and I'll get on a plane to a different country, a different hospital, a different neurosurgical team and spend the best part of my days in a while during a DBS procedure, working with the neurosurgeon and their teams to make sure we disseminate those best procedural practices using the technology. And one of the things I loved about that particular role is I could use the electrophysiological experience that I had in a medical school, doing the single cell recordings in vitro, and do that literally on patients with Parkinson's disease, to identify the brain structures in order for for the physician to locate the lead in an accurate location.   Michael Hingson  06:54 Well, tell me, tell me a little bit more, if you would about deep brain stimulation, what is it? What what do you do? And just kind of help us understand a little bit more about that, if you would?   Sylvia Bartley  07:05 Yeah, sure. So deep brain stimulation is actually a therapy where you apply an a very fine electrode into deep structures of the brain, and the structures that you implant the electrode, they have to be approved structures. So things under the FDA or the to have approval, and you apply chronic stimulation by a an implantable pulse generator that's implanted under the skin, in in the clavicle area. And it's connected by these electrodes and extension cord into that deep structure of the brain. So it's an internal system, it's a medical device that is in is implanted into the patient, and it stays in there. And basically, you control the device and the amount of current that you apply through the electrodes, through the battery through telemetry. And it's been around now for over 35 years. It's proven, particularly in the area of parkinson disease, as I mentioned earlier, it's using other therapy areas, but it really does alleviate the symptoms of these movement disorders. And these movement disorders, they're kind of de neurodegenerative, ie they get worse over time, primarily, not everybody, but most people. So you have the ability to adjust the settings remotely via to military to make sure you're applying the right stimulation. And it's really important that the lead is placed accurately. And that the stimulation is only stimulating that area, because it's surrounded by these other complicated structures. And if you stimulate those areas, you can get side effects that are not, you know, that makes it very uncomfortable and, you know, almost sometimes unbearable. So you've got to be precise in your location, and in your stimulation of parameters, and it's tailored to the patient. Now, this isn't suitable for every patient, there is a selection criteria, the neurologist, the movement disorder, numerologist plays the role in selecting the patients making sure they meet the selection criteria. And they also play the important role of managing the parameters and the stimulation parameters after the lead is implanted. So you're really kind of connected to this device for the rest of your life. It does improve the quality of your life, it's in the right area of the brain and the stimulation parameters are accurate, and you're a right fit for this particular therapy. And it's done all over the world in in many different countries literally, it's probably got approvals in in most countries. Now what I will say is the regulatory approvals are different in every country. So not every condition is approved. But typically, Parkinson disease dystonia is approved throughout the world.   Michael Hingson  09:59 You If so, when the electrodes and the devices is implanted, and you begin to use it, and I appreciate that, you need to clearly know what you're doing. And you need to be very careful. Other than let's take Parkinson's as an example where you are, the visible signs are that you're, you're changing the amount of improper movements or unwanted movements and so on. What is the patient feel?   Sylvia Bartley  10:31 Well, that's a great question. So clearly, before they come to us, they've reached a certain point in their pathway, where the medication is not working well for them, they probably get an imbalance of complications or side effects as opposed to clinical benefits. So it comes to a point in their journey, depending on how far the condition advances, that there is a surgical intervention. And there's many other surgical intervention like vagal nerve stimulation, but deep brain stimulation is one of them. And at the early stages, it was almost like the the very end like you have to be very advanced. But with all the technology, now it can be done kind of earlier in the pathway, but the patients are kind of in a in a bad way, when they get to the point of having deep brain stimulation. And so during the surgery, typically, not always, typically, because the procedure is done in so many different ways. But typically, the patient is awake, there are local anesthesia, Ebenezer daily, they're awake, and they're awake, because when you put the lead in the brain, during the procedure, then you ologists comes in and does what they call physiological testing. So they can apply stimulation during the surgery to make sure that it's really doing what it's supposed to do alleviate the symptoms, and not without any side effects. So they do a battery or test and application of different stimulation parameters. And the patient can respond directly to say, Well, yeah, you know, you can see if the tremors stop in or if the dystonia is, is been averted, but also the patient can tell you how they're feeling.   Michael Hingson  12:14 So they can say things like, and I don't know that you're anywhere near the part of the brain that does that. But you can say things like, I'm hearing a high pitched tone, or I'm hearing a noise or I'm hearing music, which, as I said, may not be anywhere near where you're talking about. But the point is, and I've heard about that before and read about it before, where many times during operations involving the brain, the neurologists would be asking a patient exactly what they sense because, in part, they're mapping different parts of the brain, but they want to make sure that, that they're either getting the results that they want, or they discover something new, which is always helpful.   Sylvia Bartley  12:52 Yeah, exactly. And they do map the brain. And that's why electrophysiological recordings is a good way of doing it. And now we have advanced technologies, there's multiple electrodes that can apply stimulation in different ways. So it really does advance the way in which we do the procedure. But you're absolutely right, we do them up and they make sure they don't get any side effects. For example, your vision, you're near the areas in the brain that is related to your optic nerve, and you want to make sure that they're not getting any double vision or their eyes are not moving towards their nose and sweating is another one. And you know, dystonia putting up the side of the mouth, it is another one as well. So these are very serious side effects that can impact their quality of life. So the goal is to improve it. So making sure that we get the best optimal outcomes. And that's why it's typically done away. But there's now lots of advancements in medical technology and there's lots of research and people looking into doing the procedure asleep. Because it is uncomfortable for the patient. They've got a stereotactic frame on their head, it looks like age, they've got four pins in their head, you know, someone's drilling a 14 millimeter burr hole in their scar while they're awake. So you know, I go to the dentist and having my teeth drilled under local anesthesia is very uncomfortable. So I can't imagine what it feels like when you're in your worst state because the patient is not on medication, because we want them to have the symptoms of Parkinson's. So when we apply this stimulation, and look at me saying we I am so used to saying I want to say they apply this stimulation, you want to see that it's been alleviated. So the patient is not very, not feeling very well anyway, and then they have to go through this procedure, which can last anything from two hours if it's done asleep and experience hand to seven, eight hours. And so it's a long time for the patient. So you know the but the patient is so relieved, grateful and just kind of elated. When the symptoms are alleviated, and their quality of life has been improved, so if I was to like dystonic patients as well, where they have very severe distortion as muscle contractions, and they're, they're in the most kind of painful positions. And it's almost like a miracle, I used to call it the miracle cure, even though it doesn't cure the illness, but it really does alleviate those horrific symptoms that really does impair their quality of life.   Michael Hingson  15:32 Does it have does it have an effect on longevity? If you're using deep brain stimulation? And if it's working, does it? I know, it's not a cure? But does it have any effect on the person's longevity?   Sylvia Bartley  15:46 To be honest, I'm not sure about the return, if there's any recent findings about this, but to my knowledge, no, it doesn't stop or slow down the progression of the condition, alleviates the symptoms. And I haven't looked recently into any research to see if that is different. But you know, for a very long time, there was no evidence to support that it slows it down just improves the quality of life by alleviating the symptoms.   Michael Hingson  16:13 Yeah, so it's dealing with the symptoms, and certainly not the cause. When the surgery is is occurring, or afterward, I'm assuming may be incorrectly but having gone through one just as part of a test many years ago, I assume that there are differences that show up when the brain is stimulated, that show up on an EEG. What do you mean? Well, so if I'm watching, if I'm watching on an electroencephalograph and watching a person's brain patterns, and so on, are there changes when the brain is being stimulated? Can you tell anything from that or is it strictly by watching the patient and their symptoms disappearing or or going away to a great degree?   Sylvia Bartley  16:58 Yeah, so primarily, it's watching the symptoms disappear by but then secondarily, there are new technologies, where we look at local field potentials. And the electrode is connected to an implantable pulse generator that has the ability to sense and monitor brainwaves during the chronic stimulation. And again, this is called local field potentials and sensing. And the idea there is, hopefully to identify when you can stimulate as opposed to applying chronic stimulation to do many things, one, if you can anticipate or identify a marker in the brain. And if you stimulate to reduce that marker, you can reduce the symptoms. And so it's almost like a closed loop, closed loop system. And that will also have an impact on the battery life. Because one of the challenges with deep brain stimulation is you've got to, obviously, it's driven by battery is an implantable pulse generator, we want to make it as small and as powerful as possible to to have clinical effect. And so battery life and longevity is something that's constantly being looked at. And this is a way of reducing the battery, we have rechargeables now, but still, after a period of time, like nine or 10 years, you still have to replace implantable pulse generator, because the battery, you know, life needs to be replenished or changed in one of the not not replenished. But you need to change the battery, because there's no guarantee that it can recharge at the rate that it could before.   Michael Hingson  18:40 So I asked, I asked a question only basically because being a physics guy, I love quantitative things as opposed to qualitative things. And that's why I was asking if there are ways to see differences in in brain patterns and so on. That may be a totally irrelevant question. But that's why I asked the question.   Sylvia Bartley  18:57 Yeah, no, no, not at all. Like I said, sensing is a thing now that they are monitoring and looking for biomarkers and looking at brain activities. While it's in the patient, and that's very advanced, because that hasn't been done before. So yeah,   Michael Hingson  19:13 yeah, it's definitely cutting edge. I'd use that term. It's bleeding edge technology. Yeah, absolutely. In a lot of ways.   Sylvia Bartley  19:21 Absolutely. But you know, I've been out of DBS now for, let's say, six years. So I may not be as common as I used to be. But that's that's the basis and the premise of it.   Michael Hingson  19:32 Well, people have called you a unicorn. What do you think about that and why? I had to ask.   Sylvia Bartley  19:39 And I love that question. And I think they call Well, what they tell me I'm a unicorn is that I have this very diverse background. There's not many people like me, that can talk about Deep Brain Stimulation at the level that I do and have that technical experience and reputation that I did globally to be there. DBS expert. And then secondly, you know, I am this corporate person that worked a lot in marketing and lived in three different countries, very culturally fluid and diverse, and known as a good leader of people, and definitely, with some strong business acumen, but then I think they call me a unicorn, because I'm very much engaged in community, particularly the black community. And as you know, there are many disparities in the black communities or communities of color. And I'm kind of driven, it's just within me to really work and use the skills and connections that I have to help create conditions that everybody thrives in communities, no matter who they are, the conditions they were born into, and their circumstances. And I really live that out, I really work hard in communities voluntarily, to really advance equity, whether it's education, health, or economic, economic wealth. And I do that very seriously. And I think that's really given me a reputation of being a community leader, particularly in Minnesota in the Twin Cities where I live for nine years. I love Minnesota, I love the community. And I really love working in the Twin Cities community to advance equity, because the Twin Cities has one of the largest disparities when it comes to all of those social determinants of health. And for many years, it was ranked the second worst state in the country, for African Americans to live based on the disparities in those social determinants of health. So there is a knowledge and an awareness and a propensity and willingness of many people from diverse backgrounds, to come together to try and solve that, to make Minnesota a great place for everybody to live, work and play. And so really got engaged in that in that arena. And I think that's what really got me my reputation of being not just a corporate leader, but community lead and very passionate about doing that work. And I've also heard that people find it difficult to do both my job was very demanding, it was a global job. I literally traveled globally, even when I was doing philanthropy, but, but when I came back home, just getting seriously engaged in a community and doing it at a serious level, and being very impactful on it. And that's why I think people call me a unicorn, because I have this passion for community, particularly advancing the minoritized communities together with, you know, being a corporate leader and doing that well. And that's my understanding why people call me a unicorn. But also I think, I don't fit into a box, I, when you look at my resume, you say, well, there's a lot on there, I've done a lot, but they're all very different. You know, I've got this passion for emotional Alpha got this passion for neuroscience, I got a passion for community, I've got a passion for philanthropy. I've done marketing and, and strategy and operations. And so you know, I like to blend all of those together, and do the work to advance equity, particularly, in particular health equity. But that is no cookie cutter cookie cutter role, you know, and so that's why I think I'm very kind of unique and different in that way. Well, it's   Michael Hingson  23:19 interesting, you clearly started out with a very technical background. And you have evolved in a sense, if you will, from that, or you have allowed yourself to diversify and to go into other areas, as you said, into marketing and such as that, how did that come about? And you because you, you clearly had carved out a great niche in a lot of specific technical ways. And you clearly have a great technical knowledge. And I'm a great fan of people who can take knowledge from one arena, and and use the skills that you learn from that elsewhere. Like, from being very technical. My master's degree is in physics. And I started out doing scientific things and then, through circumstances went into sales. So I appreciate where you're coming from. But how did you make that transition? Or how did you add that to what you do maybe is a better way to put it?   Sylvia Bartley  24:19 Yeah, I think I just want to go to path and purpose. I think it was just my path. And I was open unconsciously in following my path because I really did not have like a five or 10 year career goal, to say this is my trajectory. But what I did have was passion and love for certain things. And I love neurophysiology. I love working with physicians. I love being in a clinical setting. And I love working in a business environment as well. And I love teaching. When I was on the in the academic institution. I did a lot of teaching. The roles I did initially in a medical device industry was teaching as they call it a sales rep role, but when you're working with therapies, in medical device, you're teaching people a lot about the firm a lot about your devices, the science behind your devices, and you're bringing people together, you're, you're holding meetings. And in order to be an expert, you're constantly learning. And then you're also teaching. And so what I was doing the kind of technical role, I was also very strategic in that, you know, just imagine I was traveling around, let's just say, Western Europe at this point, different countries, and coming across different challenges in a procedure, and noticing, you know, talking to my colleagues that they had the same challenge, and we will problem solve together. And then every day, there's a new challenge, right? So every day, we went to a different procedure, every day, we learned something new because there was a new challenge or something appeared that didn't happen before. And so, in my mind, I wanted to go from a one on one teaching and improvement to how can I do this more strategically? So really thinking across Western Europe to say, how can we teach all these other folks that are also a specialist in these areas, about what we're learning and how to mitigate those challenges that we're having. So that transition for me having to been very technical, with great experience to being a leader of other technical people, where I put together trainings and programs for both staff that were experts, and also physicians, who were doing deep brain stimulation. So we developed a program in Western Europe that's still alive and well today and scaled significantly with young neurosurgeons on how to do the DBS procedure. And so working with physicians from across Western Europe to develop this curriculum, and execute it really well, that it's, again, serving and and really helping to train hundreds of neurosurgeons. You know, it just went from the doing the technical to the teaching, externally and internally, and then also being very strategic, to say, how can we work to improve all of these challenges that we're seeing, and it came, you know, with me moving to Switzerland, to be the procedure solutions, Senior Product Manager for Western Europe, where I really took on this role, and it was very much more strategic. And that's how I got into marketing. I never did an MBA, you know, I did some really great trainings with the Wharton School marketing fundamentals, etc. But I never did a dedicated like two year MBA, but I just learned through experience in and I and re exposure, great leaders to learn from, and it just evolved from there   Michael Hingson  27:45 in sales. What what specifically were you selling? What product   Sylvia Bartley  27:51 sells, so variety of product wise instance? So interventional interventional cardiology, stent, some wires, and that was that was probably the hardest sell, because it's a stent and a wire and there was many companies out there, are you very competitive? So you know, what differentiates yours from another? So I really cut my teeth on sales, selling that product in the Highlander that was highly competitive.   Michael Hingson  28:18 Did you did you? Did you ever have a situation where you were selling and working with a customer? And and I don't know whether this applies to you and what you sold? But did you ever have a situation where you discovered that your product might not be the best product for them? Or would that come up with what you were selling?   Sylvia Bartley  28:40 Um, I gotta say no, because what we what we were selling? No. So if I think about the whys instead, no, because it's a oneness den and anybody that needed to have that procedure, they needed one guy. Now, clearly, there were differences in sizes, and the type of stent, but our stents were very applicable to most situations as as long as we had the appropriate sizes. This would work in terms of intrathecal, baclofen and kind of capital equipment for deep brain stimulation that was very specific to the customer and their needs. And I will, I will say this on a podcast, I work for the best medical device company in the world, of course. And I still stand by that I believe our products are the best in the business, particularly when it comes to deep brain stimulation. We founded this Virpi alongside Professor Bennett bead in Grenoble, in France. In the 1980s. We were kind of the founders of this Philippian and a product we had a monopoly, but over 25 years, I'm not saying that makes us the best but we got the great experience the know how new technology, and I want to correct myself I keep saying we I no longer work for this company, but I've been there for 20 years. So get out of that same so I just want to be very clear to the audience. This is my past role, and I'm not longer work with with them. But again, it was a long time. And I did DBS for about 15 years. So it's very near and dear to my heart. But I do believe they have the best product still today, and are doing exceptionally well, alleviating those symptoms for those particular therapy.   Michael Hingson  30:15 You raise a good point, though, but habits are sometimes not easy to break. It's been 21 years since I worked well, 20 years since I worked for Quantum. And I still say we so it's okay. Thank you, we understand. And I asked the question, because we had products that I sold, that were similar to products from other companies. But there were differences. And sometimes our products might not meet a customer's need. Whereas other products had differences that made them a better fit. And I was just curious to see if you really found that and it sounds like you didn't really have that kind of an issue. And so you had to sell in part based on other things like the reputation of the company, the quality of the company, and other things like that, which, which is perfectly reasonable and makes perfect sense.   Sylvia Bartley  31:09 Yeah, I mean, there's also the kind of referral side of this. And that's where that's where the work is. And the decisions almost have been done, where you have to identify the right patient for the therapy. And then once that is done, and the patient is selected, then it's which device, you know. And at that point, our devices is suitable for all patients that knee deep brain stimulation.   Michael Hingson  31:31 Yeah. So you're, you're going at it in a different way, you need to find the people who had fits in that makes perfect sense. Well, what really caused you to have that? Well, let me ask you something else. First, I, well, I'll ask this, I started and I'll finish it, what would cause you to have the drive and the passion that you have now for more of a social kind of connection and moving into more dealing with social issues, as it were?   Sylvia Bartley  32:00 Well, you know, as a well, let me put it this way. When I was working, doing all of this therapy, traveling the world   Sylvia Bartley  32:12 1000s of DBS procedures, and working with lots of people, I didn't come across many people of color that were receiving these therapies, for whatever reason, and it kind of strikes me as odd. Because it, it shouldn't be a phobia for the privilege, it should be a phobia for everybody. And, you know, United States insurance, and access has a lot to do with that, and outside the United States. You know, I still didn't see it. So anybody, actually, I think I probably saw two black people receiving this burpee. So I've always been mindful of things like that. And obviously, as a black person, I'm very mindful and aware of disparities and discrimination. And I've always had a heart to address discrimination, or not discrimination, equity, as I mentioned earlier on in a discussion. So I've always looked at the world through that lens, in everything that I do. And I always try and do whatever I can, to to help or advance equity. It's just something that will never leave me. And so you know, even at the tender age of 27, when I was a single parent of two children, I got engaged in community, I became the Chair of a large nonprofit that provided subsidized childcare for lone parents. And I did that because there was discrimination in their practices against people of color. And I really wanted to help advance that work by helping to develop policies and programs and a culture, you know, was for everybody. And I worked with the NHS, the non executive team voluntarily, I was a lay chair for the independent review panel, looking at cases where people complained against the NHS for lots of things, including discrimination. But that wasn't the only kind of topic. And it's just work that I continue to do. And when I moved to United States, I just got deeply involved in that as well. So it came to the point after 15 years in in one kind of area of expertise, where I had my foot in both camps of foot in the community, working lots of nonprofits voluntarily to doing the work in a corporation. And really, you know, always wondering how I can marry the two or should I cross over and go deeply into community work. And five years later, here I am, I've left the corporation and I'm taking a little bit of a break, but I really want to get back into working for a nonprofit, close to community Either he's advancing equity, hopefully in health, or around those social determinants of health. So it's just something that's been a red thread throughout my career in life. And I really want to double down on it now, at this point in my career, this point in the world where everything is super crazy, and polarize, and really do whatever I can, and leverage my experience, in healthcare, in community in philanthropy, to advance equity for everybody.   Michael Hingson  35:29 So you mentioned NHS and NHS is what   Sylvia Bartley  35:32 I'm sorry, NHS is a national health service in the UK, it's valuable for data that provides a health service where you pay a nominal amount if you're working. I forget what the percentage is, but you pay a very tiny amount that comes out of your salary, you don't even notice it. And everyone has access to health care.   Michael Hingson  35:51 Got it? So when did you leave med tech?   Sylvia Bartley  35:54 I left my tech at the end of June this year to only recent, this recent Yeah. Hi, gosh.   Michael Hingson  36:03 So what are you doing now? Or are you are working for anyone or you just took a break for a little while to recoup and reassess?   Sylvia Bartley  36:11 Yeah, I've taken a little bit of a break. It's amazing how tired I've been I you know, I've been working really hard globally for the last God knows how many years 3030 plus years. So just welcomed a little bit of a break. Yes, I am looking for other opportunities again, in primarily in a nonprofit space to do the community poster community where wherever I apologize with advancing equity minoritized communities that hopefully, health equity. So I'm looking at doing that. And yeah, we'll just see what happens. But at the moment, I am volunteering at a fabulous nonprofit organization here in Atlanta, called the Johnson stem activity center. It's an organization that was founded by Dr. Lonnie Johnson. He's an inventor of the Super Soaker. And they run some phenomenal programs, robotic programs, computing, computer programs, egaming, coding, virtual reality for students, but particularly for minoritized communities. In this particular center, they give them access to equipment and resources and teams to really get engaged in STEM through these programs. And I just love working. Now unfortunately, I don't live too far away. I go there during the week, and I work with Dr. Johnson and Linda Moore, who oversee this organization together with other entities, and is really taken aback because it's a heart of Atlanta, it's very community driven. And they're doing some excellent work. And to see the young students, particularly those from minoritized communities, build robots and their eyes light up when they're talking about STEM, and what they want to be like an astronaut or cybersecurity, you know, it's just, it's just amazing. So that takes up a lot of my time together with networking, and, you know, socializing. So, and that's what I'm doing right now.   Michael Hingson  38:08 So are you in Atlanta or Minneapolis? Now, Minneapolis?   Sylvia Bartley  38:12 I've been here two years. Yes. Okay.   Michael Hingson  38:15 So you don't get to have as many snowball fights in Atlanta, as you did in Minneapolis. St. Paul?   Sylvia Bartley  38:20 Yeah. No. And it was too cold to have snowball fights. Yeah.   Michael Hingson  38:29 Well, you know, it's, it's one of those subjects worth exploring? Well, I have to ask this just because I'm, I'm curious and as you know, from looking at me a little bit, dealing a lot with with disabilities, and so on. So with the with the organization that you're you're volunteering with, and as they're creating games and so on, do they do anything to make the things that they do inclusive, accessible, safe for people who happen to be blind or low vision or have other disabilities? Has that been something that they've thought about or might be interested in thinking about? Because clearly, if we're really going to talk about inclusion, that's an area where we tend to generally as a society missed the mark.   Sylvia Bartley  39:14 Yeah, absolutely. Inclusion, you know, includes people with disabilities. It sure. Yeah, absolutely. So I think we are set up for that. I don't know we have any students that fall into that category, to be honest, because there's anything from 5000 to 10,000 students that pass through that center per year, but it's definitely something I will go back and ask them about, but I know the facilities itself is is accessible for everybody. So   Michael Hingson  39:48 well. Accessibility from a physical standpoint is part of it. Yeah, but but then you've got the other issues like documentation and other things for a blind person for example to read but the the reason And I'm bringing up the question is, a lot of times, and I'm not saying in any way that that's what you're experiencing, but a lot of times I hear when I talk to people about whether what they do is inclusive. Well, we've never had blind students, or we've never had a person with this disability or that disability. And the problem is, that's true. But you know, which comes first the chicken or the egg? Do you need to have the students before you make the inclusion happen? Or do you make the inclusion happen, and then tell people so that they will come because so often, most of us just don't pay attention to or even think about trying to pay attention to things where there isn't access, because we're just working hard to deal with what we can get some inclusion and accessibility out. Oh, so the other things never really get our focus. And it has to start somewhere. And typically, from my experience, it really happens best when somebody starts the process of making sure that there is inclusion, accessiBe that I worked for, that makes products that helped make websites more inclusive and available to persons with disabilities started, because it's an Israeli company where the law said you got to make websites accessible. And the guys who started it, actually, first work for a company well started a company that made websites. And then two years after they formed the company, Israel came along and said, You got to make our websites accessible. So then they started doing it. And the the population of customers for accessiBe has grown tremendously, because people recognize the value of doing it. And it's not mostly overly expensive to do. But it really starts better there than waiting for the demand. Because it should be part of the cost of doing business.   Sylvia Bartley  42:03 Yeah, absolutely. I agree with you. And JSOC, it's a it's a special place. Typically, people contact JSOC. And they say we want to bring our students here or run the programs in the facility. And so that's typically how kind of that kind of their programming works. You know, the programs are developed based on the partnerships. It is a smaller nonprofit. And we're trying to, you know, we're currently going to go into a capital campaign, so we can raise money to have staff, there's no staff there right now, it is all done by volunteers. And so you know, we really want to build the organization to have staff, so we can do better programming, we can scale and we can do more things that makes us more inclusive. Yeah. So yes, that's a really good point.   Michael Hingson  42:52 And volunteers are the heart and souls of nonprofits, and often really do shape the mission. And then it's, some of them become staff, of course, but it's up to the volunteers and the people to really shape the mission going forward. And then that's an important thing to do. So I'm with you.   Sylvia Bartley  43:13 Absolutely.   Michael Hingson  43:15 So where where is next for you? Do you have any notion yet? Or are you just enjoying what you're doing, and you're not yet overly concerned about some sort of way to get paid for what you do?   Sylvia Bartley  43:29 Right now, you know, there's a couple of irons in the fire was leave it at that, we'll see what pans out. I'm all about path and purpose and the universe, doing its thing. So we will see what happened there. But in the meantime, I'm continuing to do what I love, which is really getting involved volunteer, and, you know, network and do my podcast to go out to have a podcast. And that gives me more time to focus on that, because I'm purely doing that by myself. And making sure I get good guests and good topics and, you know, really providing information that can help our listeners make good decisions about their lifestyle. will tell us   Michael Hingson  44:08 more about the podcast about podcasts, because obviously we're on one now. So I'd love to love to learn more.   Sylvia Bartley  44:17 You know, podcasts is a way of getting information out there to to our listeners in a different way. Right? I think people are getting very tired or the traditional media outlets and podcasts is taken off. And my podcast is called the more we know, community show. Conversations cultivating change. And really again, it's focusing on addressing the social determinants of health by primarily for the black community. And I do that through storytelling, really having great guests that are changemakers leaders, really driving change either through their story of what they do, or you know, working with a nonprofit and also talking about equity and providing infant ation around health equity and what people need to know, in order to make good decisions about their health and their lifestyle. And it's all about information. And it's data driven information as well. And my guest often nominal third is, again, changemakers in their own right, and just very inspiring. And so I use this platform to tell them stories to tell their truths, to provide information. It's also a radio show in Minnesota on camo J, a 9.9 FM every Sunday at 12, noon, central time. So I got to produce this thing on a weekly basis. So that takes a lot as well. So now that I am not working full time, I've got time to focus on that and to develop it as well. So yeah, that's what I'm doing my podcast.   Michael Hingson  45:48 Well, that's pretty cool. And you're having fun producing it and learning to be an audio editor and all those things.   Sylvia Bartley  45:54 Well, I have something for me, I'm not going to attempt to do that. But I have to find my guest. And obviously, the content, and I review the edit in and I do the little marketing for it. So it's quite a lot, as you know, and I do it on a weekly basis. After the knock it out. Sometimes I do replays, but I gotta knock it out. And so I'm looking here to get some sponsorship, hopefully, so I can hire folks to do it, to do it for me, and, you know, do a better job on my social media. I'm not very good at that. It takes a lot of time. And I don't have the time to do all of that. So   Michael Hingson  46:31 it doesn't I used to put out a newsletter on a regular basis. And, and don't anymore just because the time gets away. Time flies, and social media is a great time sponge. So it's, it's easy to spend a lot of time doing social media, and there are only so many hours in the day.   Sylvia Bartley  46:49 Exactly, exactly. And there's so many talented people out there doing social media. I can't even even if I tried, you know?   Michael Hingson  46:56 Yeah. Yeah, some of us just have different gifts. Who are some of your favorite guests for your podcast?   Sylvia Bartley  47:05 You know, I've had so many gays I started doing this in 2015 under a different brand called the black leadership redefined. And primarily based in Minnesota. And so my guess had been anybody from Senator Tina Smith to Chief of Police, Rondo, Redondo to the Attorney General Keith Ellison, to nickimja levy Armstrong, who's a civil rights activist in the Twin Cities, to all of these phenomenal African American female coaches and leaders and ministers. I've had some deep, meaningful, moving conversations with people. But I think the ones that moved me the most are those that are telling their stories that kind of break your heart. And it doesn't move, make it it breaks your heart, but it moves me because they took their pain. And they transform that to something impactful, that really impacts and change the lives of many. And typically there are people whose spouses or, or siblings or loved ones has been murdered through to sex trafficking or at the hands of the police or at the hands of, obviously criminals. And what they did with that to really start nonprofits and provide refuge and help and support for other people. Those stories really touched me the most, you know,   Michael Hingson  48:33 yeah. You have written a book, or how many books have you written? I've just written one, just one so far. So far. That's enough.   Sylvia Bartley  48:42 That one's brewing at some point.   Michael Hingson  48:45 Well, Tom, tell me about your book, if you would.   Sylvia Bartley  48:47 Yeah, my book is called turn aside. Using spirituality and my path to emotional health. And the book I wrote, really, because on my interest in science, the brain neurophysiology and spirituality, and emotional health, and recognizing that the areas in the brain that are associated with all fear, those are areas that intersect at some point, or are the same areas. So that got me and then with my experience, working in the field of Parkinson's and movement disorders, we have all these wonderful experts from around the world and what I learned in their presence and by taking seminars, I recognized that there was a intersectionality between these three, and then I took my own experience, and wondered how I can use this information for the better right to help heal myself, someone living with depression, as well as helping giving back to community. And so I, you know, start the book off by doing a part by biography so the audience could connect with me and understand where I'm coming from, but then going deep into not really deep but going into the side Science, and making that connection, and how we can use that to really help improve our lives or the lives of others. And there's a lot in there about volunteering and giving back to my community. Because when I think about my living with my depression, at the time, it was pretty bad when I wrote the book. And, you know, I even wrote in a book that I saw it as a gift, because it really does help me to go deep internally, to connect to, you know, my spiritual path to really understand why I'm suffering like this emotionally. What am I supposed to do with it? And, you know, how do I help other people, and it kept me, I was like, getting me grounded. But it really did really get me to ask those deep spiritual questions, which has really helped me to evolve as a person, spiritually, emotionally and physically. And so, you know, the book really centered around that, and how we can use that knowledge, about intersectionality will free to really help other people's lives as well. And then not to mention talking, talking about depression is something that many people do, particularly those who are very visible and in senior leadership positions. But it was important for me to do so because I want to help normalize it. I want to get to a point where we can talk about depression, and people stop saying that you're brave, and you're being vulnerable. And you're being very courageous, because it, there's a high percentage of people that have depression, and not many people want to talk about it, because of the stigma, and the shame that unfortunately, is still associated with emotional health and mental wellness. So you know, I'm doing my liberal part to help break that stigma, and to get people to talk about it. Because once you talk about it, and you acknowledge it in my situation, it was a first step towards healing. And I lived with depression, undiagnosed for most of my life, being diagnosed in 2017, when I published my book, was just very cathartic. And it was a big weight off my shoulder because I didn't have to hide it. I didn't have to battle it behind closed doors, and for the first time, I got help, and then I could address it in a very mindful, holistic way that really has helped me. And I can proudly say, today, I feel the best I've ever felt in my whole entire life, emotionally, physically, and spiritually,   Michael Hingson  52:25 is depression, more of a physical or mental and emotional thing?   Sylvia Bartley  52:31 Well, it is a physiological it can be I mean, depression comes in many forms, and it's different for everybody. But there's absolutely a physiological component to some kind of depression with as a chemical imbalance, due to some over activity under activity, or certain areas in our brain, particularly the basal ganglia, which is your kind of seed of emotion. And so, you know, that's, that's definitely one of the causes, but not many people know, what are the like real cause of people's depression, because it's different for everybody. And sometimes it could be experiential, it could be any reaction to something very traumatic. And then hopefully, those situations it doesn't kind of last long. But if it is, neurochemical, then definitely people you know, need to get professional help for that outside of talk therapy.   Michael Hingson  53:26 Right. Well, in terms in terms of spirituality, how does that enter into and when you talk about spirituality? What do you mean by that?   Sylvia Bartley  53:38 So what I mean about that is I mean, looking inwards and looking like at the wider plan, knowing that I call it the universe, right? People will say, call it God, or, and I do believe in God, and I pray to God, right talk about universal timing and the power of the universal. And knowing that there is a bigger plan, greater than us, there was a life here before us, I believe, we chose up I believe we choose our parents, I believe, we come here with an assignment, everybody comes with an assignment. And I believe that by saying that, I believe we will have our path and our purpose. And my goal is to align with my path and my purpose so I can really live to my full potential in this lifetime. And that's what I mean about spirituality. So it's less about the external factors, less about striving to externally achieved but more to internally achieved, and that achievement is alignment with my spiritual path and purpose. And I believe once I do that, and when I achieve that, everything will fall into place, and I'll be at peace, and I will kind of live my full life and I'm and again, I don't know if I'll ever be fully on my path and purpose. I'm always seeking. I call myself a seeker. I'm always seeking I'm asking a question, but I feel I'm pretty much on the on track and it feels Good. And I know when I'm off track because it doesn't feel good when I'm doing things that doesn't sit right with me. And, you know, it's not it's very difficult for me to do and it's not what I'm supposed to be doing. And so I'm aware enough now to say, well, I'm going to submit that to the universe. And I'm just going to, you know, reset and redirect myself to make sure that I am on path so I can do it on put on this earth to do and as well. Yeah.   Michael Hingson  55:27 Whether you call it the universe, or God, do you believe that God talks to us,   Sylvia Bartley  55:33 I believe God talks us in many ways. Now, you know, you're not going to hear a voice or you're not going to see a burning bush either. But you're going to have signs some people do. That's not me. But you'll have signs you will have feelings. And you will hear stuff, it's not going to be a voice again, but you will hear messages. And and that will come maybe in your dreams, maybe through another person that you're talking to. But the important thing is, one has got to be in a place to be able to hear and receive, I believe this is of   Michael Hingson  56:04 everybody. And there's the reality of   Sylvia Bartley  56:07 it still. And this is where the mindfulness and the spirituality comes into it. Being sterile. Whether you're meditating or just being still and tapping into silence, this is when you're in a best place to receive and understand what it is that your assignment and your purposes, this is, when you're in your best place to receive those messages that you're so desperately seeking that you know, and to receive that guidance. And that's a big part of spirituality, together with doing things that prepares your vessel because we are physical matter, right. And our spirits live within us, we house our spirit, and we house our soul. And, you know, I focus on trying to keep my vessel as healthy as possible. So it's in a good strong place to house my spirit, and my soul is all intertwined. You know, it's very complicated, very deep. But that is a big part of it. So we are, you know, it, we're in a flamed body, we have inflammation due to the fact that we're eating foods that are inflammatory, and we have inflamed guts, and we're having, you know, inflamed neurons in our brain, because we're in flames that got inflamed the brain to I believe, and we're having a chronic illness, it's very difficult for us to do what we're supposed to do on this earth. And so, you know, our physical being, and health is obviously very important. And it ties closely with our emotional health, as well,   Michael Hingson  57:36 I think it is possible to hear a voice. But again, I think it all comes down to exactly what you said, we get messages in many ways, because God or the universe is is always trying to talk to people. And I think we have, oftentimes, selectively and collectively chosen to ignore it, because we think we know all the answers. And if there's one thing I've learned in 72 years, we don't necessarily know the answers, but the answers are available if we look for them. And I think that's really what you're saying, which goes back to being calm, being quiet, taking time to, to analyze, we're in the process of writing a book. Finally, for the moment, called a guide dogs Guide to Being brave, which is all about learning to control fear and learning that fear does not need to be blinding as I describe it, or paralyzing or whatever you want to call it. But that it can be an absolutely helpful thing in teaching you to make decisions, but you need to learn to control it. And you need to learn to recognize its value, just like we need to learn to recognize the value of pain or anything else in our lives. And, in fact, if we do that, and we we recognize what fear can really do for us by slowing down by analyzing by internalizing, we will be much stronger for it. And we're more apt to hear that voice that oftentimes people just call that quiet voice that we may not hear.   Sylvia Bartley  59:14 Mm hmm. Absolutely agree.   Michael Hingson  59:18 So it's, it's, it is a challenge because we're not used to doing that. We don't like giving up control, if you will. Yep,   Sylvia Bartley  59:26 yep. But once you know, and everyone will get there once we, for me, once I got there is a journey doesn't happen overnight. It can take years to get to that place. But you know, once you get there, it's so enlightening. And you just feel like it's funny, there's not there's not often a feel like I might directly on path and purpose. And I get a glimpse of it once in a while. And it feels so different. It feels so light, it feels so right. And that's where I want to be for, you know, a majority of my time that I have left in his lifetime, I want to feel that by the time so that is my, that is my goal.   Michael Hingson  1:00:05 And the more you seek it, the more of it you'll find. Yeah, hopefully, you will. It's it's all a matter of realizing it's there if we look for it, and it may not show up exactly the way we expected. But so the issue is really that it shows up, right?   Sylvia Bartley  1:00:24 It is. And yeah, I read somewhere that says, you know, just be open, just really try your best show up. Because people say, How do you know your own path and purpose? How do you know this is right for me, you know, you got to show up, you got to do your best. And you got to give it all you've got, and you got to let it go. Let it go to the universe and have no expectation for the outcome. But just be open to all kinds of possibilities and where that will lead you. Very hard to do. Yeah. And it's   Michael Hingson  1:00:53 always appropriate to ask the question, Did I do my best? Did I did I get the message? Am I missing something? And look for the answer? Yes, Sylvia, this has been a lot of fun. We have spent an hour and we didn't even have a snowball fight Darn. too hot for that. It's it's gonna be over 90. We're cooling down out here right now. We were over 100 for the last 10 days. So it's hot here in California. But I really enjoyed having you. How can people reach out to you or learn more about you?   Sylvia Bartley  1:01:30 Excellent. Thank you for asking that question. I think if you go to my website, I have a little website here. And it's sylvia-bartley.com. That is S Y L V I A hyphen, B A R T L E Y.com. And you can you know, just tell you a bit more about me. You can see my podcasts, my books, and there's a method of getting in touch with me if you want to.   Michael Hingson  1:01:57 Is the podcast available in a variety of different places? Or is the best website?   Sylvia Bartley  1:02:04 It's available on multiple platforms? Apple, Google, Spotify. And what's the community show with Dr. Sylvia? Conversations cultivating change? Do the   Michael Hingson  1:02:17 first part again. The more we know Community, the more we know. Okay.   Sylvia Bartley  1:02:22 Community show with Dr. Sylvia. Conversations cultivating change.   Michael Hingson  1:02:28 And I hope that people will seek you out. This has been for me very fascinating. I love learning new things and getting a chance to meet fascinating people. And I'll buy into the fact that you're a unicorn, it works for me.   Sylvia Bartley  1:02:46 Well, I'm just me, you know, but I appreciate the invite to be on your podcast, Michael. And thank you very much for providing this platform to share stories and information with your listeners too.   Michael Hingson  1:02:59 Thank you and we love stories and if people would love to comment, I really appreciate it if you would. I'd love to hear from you about this. You can reach out to me at Mic

The AGC Experience podcast features our AGC Talks speakers sharing their message in an audio podcast that you can listen to from anywhere. Listen in to our recent AGC Talks featured guest. Listen as Cheryl Anderson shares What I Learned from Cleaning the Lion Cage a motivational talk with AGC Minnepaolis December 2021.  Speaker Bio: CHERYL BEAL ANDERSON is recognized as a leader that is bold, perseveres through challenges and is action-oriented for excellence. Anderson is the Vice-President of Global Regulatory Affairs (GRA) and Drug Safety/ Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy at Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc., LLC in 2015. Anderson confidently led her team through merger & acquisitions by Sawai Pharmaceuticals, Inc, post-merger integration and remote work-from-home in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. She set a course for GRA to add strategic capabilities, increase productivity, establish key performance indicators and leading our FDA meetings. Anderson also led the Quality organization from 2017 to 2020, through change, and reorganization. In 2021, Anderson was moved to the Upsher-Smith Executive Team, being the only woman and first African-American.  Prior to Upsher-Smith, Andersons regulatory affairs roles were at Lundbeck (US), Eli Lilly and Company, Pfizer Global Research and Development/ Parke-Davis and Alcon Laboratories where she grew in responsibilities, expertise and leadership in the Neurology, Oncology, Cardiovascular therapeutic areas. Anderson was a faculty member and clinical researcher at the University of Illinois at Chicago and University of Texas, College of Pharmacy.  Anderson was recipient of the Pfizer Global Leadership Award; Eli Lilly & Company first Healthcare Businesswomens Association Rising Star; Achievement in Business Award, Center for Leadership Development. Anderson is a mentor in her profession, track-record of commitment to youth development. She is committed to encouraging minorities and girls to consider careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Andersons education and career have afforded her experiences in Texas, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and extended to Beijing, China, Dublin, Ireland, Copenhagen, Denmark, Osaka and Tokyo, Japan. She is a member of the Women Business Leaders for executives in health care. Anderson was selected as a 2021 Women in Business Honoree by the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal.  Anderson is an active member of The Links, Inc. Minneapolis St. Paul (MN) Chapter and serves as Co-Chair of the Services to Youth Committee. She is a member, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Delta Phi Omega Chapter, the Ways & Means Committee and the Coordinator for the 2021 Pearls of Prestige Debutante Cotillion and Scholarship, Program and Presentation. Anderson is member of Center for Healthcare Innovation, Inc., Board of Directors, and the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, National Board of Advisors.  Anderson has an MBA, Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing, St. Josephs University, Philadelphia, PA; Post-doctoral ASHP-accredited Residency in Psychiatric Pharmacy Practice; Doctor of Pharmacy, University of Texas and UTHSC at San Antonio; BS, Pharmacy, University of Texas; and BS, Biomedical Science, Texas A&M University.  Anderson and her husband Donnie have two adult children, Brittani, and Joshua. Donnie and Cheryl live in Maple Grove, Minnesota.  AGC Accelerated Global Connections is a business networking organization that helps connect business professionals globally through in person networking, motivational talks, and online social profiles. To learn more about AGC and membership in this growing organization.  Visit https://www.joinagc.com/ 

A recent report from Minneapolis St. Paul Business journal shows that the Minnesota Department of Transportation consistently misses goals for contracting with women- and minority-owned companies. Those goals are mandates set by the National Department of Transportation. With the details on that story and other business news from the Metro area, Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal reporter Kelly Busche joined Cathy for a conversation. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.   We attempt to make transcripts for Minnesota Now available the next business day after a broadcast. When ready they will appear here. 

Brianna Kelly covers the business side of restaurants and dining in the Twin Cities for the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal. She joined Jason for today's "DeRusha Eats"

Dr. Tignanelli is the scientific director for the Program for Clinical Artificial Intelligence at the UMN Center for Learning Health Systems Science, the director of UMN Center for Quality Outcomes, and the chair of the Health Information Technology (HIT) Committee for the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Tignanelli's work serving COVID-19 patients during the pandemic and advancing AI research earned him the title of “Health Care Hero” by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal in 2021. Follow us on Twitter @TheMaMLPodcast Guest: Christopher Tignanelli, @cjtign Host: Madeline Ahern, @maddie_ahern Producer: Kirsi Oldenburg Artwork: Saurin Kantesaria Music: Caligula - Windows96: Used with artist permission Notes: 01:00 tell us about yourself 04:00 critical care/acute care 06:30 COVID acute care 10:00 computer vision 14:00 rib fracture model 15:00 external vs internal validity 19:00 future of AI in medicine

This week on Maximum Mom, your host Elise Buie joined Leora Maccabee.Leora is a mom of 3 who is a partner at an award-winning #midlaw firm (of approximately 85 attorneys) in Minneapolis, building her business through relationships with women executives, in-house counsel, and businesses in various industries, including the medical device space. She is a thriver (not survivor) of divorce, and has channeled her personal story and lessons she has learned into pro bono work for low-income women seeking or responding to divorce and rebuilding their lives. Leora has been at her law firm for over 12 years and has established a track record as an effective but empathic litigator.Leora Maccabee is a trial lawyer practicing primarily in the areas of general business, product liability, and trust and estate litigation. In the business and product liability litigation side of her practice, she prides herself on offering exceptional legal service to businesses—from multimillion-dollar companies to startups—facing conflicts and challenges that at minimum threaten to distract from the products they are selling and services they are providing to our community, and at maximum are bet-the-company matters. Whether that means going to court, engaging in mediation, or conducting complex and large-scale written and deposition discovery and e-discovery to develop the factual record, she represents her clients aggressively, intelligently, and effectively, and with a keen eye toward their business needs. As a trust and estate litigator, Leora partners with other attorneys in Maslon's Estate Planning Group to handle contested matters in probate courts, representing her clients in disputes regarding the obligations of fiduciaries such as trustees, executors, conservators, and guardians as well as the interpretation of testamentary instruments.Leora was recognized as a 2016 40 Under 40 Honoree by Minneapolis/ St. Paul Business Journal, a 2015 Up & Coming Attorney by Minnesota Lawyer, and annually on the Rising Stars and Top Woman Attorney lists by Super Lawyers.1:15 generalist litigator5:45 very family friendly9:40 there's a very big difference13:38 I can go about my day18:20 it's not sanitary21:47 we have to be more vulnerable27:30 as mentors to other women31:27 we support the work you're doing35:20 you're going to do best in the spaces that you're happiest in39:08 I do think it's a dance43:07 life work integrationWatch the interview here.Subscribe to Maximum Mom on your favorite podcast player, so you never miss an episode!Sign up for the Maximum Mom newsletter!

Jeffrey is an Attorney with Chestnut Cambronne, P.A., practicing in the areas of business and securities law, real estate law, sports and entertainment law, and estate and business succession planning. He has significant experience with the formation of new businesses, particularly microbreweries and microdistilleries. Admitted to practice in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa. Named to Minnesota SuperLawyers "Rising Stars" list 2008-2012; Minnesota SuperLawyer since 2013. Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal 40 Under 40, 2014. MSBA Board Certified Real Property Law Specialist. Author of the blog "The Business Man's Lawyer.” Co-Host of The Business Forum Show. Voice of the "Legal Minute" on Minnesota Home Talk (1500ESPN) and regular guest on Justice & Drew, Minnesota Beercast, The BS Show, and News & Views. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreycobrien/ Chestnut Cambronne PA: https://www.chestnutcambronne.com/index.html Learn more about EmotionTrac and our AI-driven Emotional Intelligence Platform: https://emotiontrac.com/calendly/ https://legal.emotiontrac.com/

Jeffrey is an Attorney with Chestnut Cambronne, P.A., practicing in the areas of business and securities law, real estate law, sports and entertainment law, and estate and business succession planning. He has significant experience with the formation of new businesses, particularly microbreweries and microdistilleries. Admitted to practice in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa. Named to Minnesota SuperLawyers "Rising Stars" list 2008-2012; Minnesota SuperLawyer since 2013. Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal 40 Under 40, 2014. MSBA Board Certified Real Property Law Specialist. Author of the blog "The Business Man's Lawyer.” Co-Host of The Business Forum Show. Voice of the "Legal Minute" on Minnesota Home Talk (1500ESPN) and regular guest on Justice & Drew, Minnesota Beercast, The BS Show, and News & Views. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreycobrien/ Chestnut Cambronne PA: https://www.chestnutcambronne.com/index.html Learn more about EmotionTrac and our AI-driven Emotional Intelligence Platform: https://emotiontrac.com/calendly/ https://legal.emotiontrac.com/

In this episode of Avenicast, Scott sits down with our very own CFO of Avenica, Angie Swatfager to talk careers, goals, and motivations. Angie is a values-based financial and operational executive with expertise in innovative and high-growth organizations and was named CFO of the Year by Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal in 2018. 

FinTech is both an undeniable tech movement, as well as, an ambiguous buzzword that founders can use for caché. So what is it and how can startups truly utilize tools from the FinTech world to give their own companies superpowers. Our guest today, Joe Keeley, is the Co-Founder and CEO of JustiFi, a platform that allows Vertical SaaS companies to add sophisticated FinTech to their service offerings and how that can save companies in processing fees and give customers more flexibility in payments. We also discuss how startups should think about choosing third-party service providers when entering the embedded fintech arena and why it may not be the smartest choice to build your own in-house payments team from scratch. They recently announced a Seed+ round led by our good friends at Crosslink Capital aligned with existing investors Rally Ventures and Emergence Capital.About Joe Keeley:Joe is the CEO and Co-founder of JustiFi Technologies, a venture-backed fintech business providing payments and fintech infrastructure and strategy for vertical SaaS platforms.Prior to JustiFi, Joe founded and grew College Nannies, Sitters & Tutors (CNST), the nation’s largest in-home childcare and tutoring company. He led CNST to over 200 franchises in the USA and United Kingdom (a milestone less than 5% of franchisors achieve) and over 13,000 employees. In 2016, College Nannies, Sitters & Tutors was acquired by Bright Horizons Family Solutions (NYSE: BFAM), the largest corporate-sponsored childcare operator globally.He has been named the prestigious Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur of The Year”, the “Global Student Entrepreneur of the Year”, “Top 25 under 25 to Watch” by Business Week Magazine, “20 under 30 Who Will Change the World” by Citizen Culture magazine, one of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal’s “Young Entrepreneurs” and “40 under 40”, Glass Door’s Top 100 Companies to Work For, Minnesota Business 100 Best Companies to Work For, and Entrepreneur Magazine's top 100 Franchise concepts many years running.A word from our sponsor:At Ripple, we manage all of our fund expenses and employee credit cards using Jeeves.The team at Jeeves helped get me and my team setup with physical and virtual credit cards in days. I was able to allow my teammates to expense items in multiple currencies allowing them to pay for anything, anywhere at any time. We weren’t asked for any personal guarantees or to pay any setup or monthly SaaS fees.Not only does Jeeves save us time, but they also give us up to 3% cash back on our purchases including expenses like Google, Facebook or AWS every month. The best part is Jeeves puts up the cash, and you settle up once every 30 days in any currency you want, unlike some other corporate card companies that make you pre-pay every month.Jeeves also recently launched its Jeeves Growth and Working Capital initiative for startups and fast-growing companies to enable more financial freedom for every entrepreneur. The best thing of all is that Jeeves is live in 24 countries including Canada, the US and many other countries around the world. Jeeves truly offers the best all-in-one expense management corporate card program for all startups especially the ones at Ripple and we at Tank Talks could not be more excited to officially partner with them.Listeners of Tank Talks can get set up with a demo of Jeeves today and take advantage of our Tank Talks special with a $700 sign-on bonus and skip the waitlist that already has thousands of companies by visiting tryjeeves.com/tanktalks - Use Referral Code - TankTalks to get setup today!In this episode we discuss:02:42 Joe journey to creating CNST04:19 How Joe embraced technology as a solution for childcare and tutoring05:42 Why Joe’s first company was bootstrapped07:51 Why Joe and his co-founders decided to launch JustiFi11:21 Solving the processing fee problems for small business13:06 The history of FinTech and embedded FinTech16:05 How smaller businesses can benefit from embedded FinTech18:53 Why startups benefit from outsourcing FinTech tools21:02 How businesses should choose an embedded FinTech partner23:45 Choosing a generalist vs specialist service partner26:40 Why being the best at what you do is the most important thing as a startup28:32 Why Vertical SaaS is JustiFi’s current target market31:48 What lowering fees has meant to JustiFi’s customers34:12 How bigger is JustiFi’s Total Addressable Market35:58 Plans for JustiFi’s recent fundraiseFast FavoritesPodcastThe BBC MinuteNewsletter/BlogMorning BrewTech GadgetSonosNew TrendBack to officeBookThe Giving TreeLife LessonWork Hard and Be NiceFollow Matt Cohen and Tank Talks here!Podcast production support provided by Agentbee.Agency This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tanktalks.substack.com

How to lead and build culture while the world is becoming increasingly virtual.THIS WEEK'S TOPIC: Join us for a fun and insightful conversation with the Founder and CEO of Bold Orange Company, Margaret Murphy. Bold Orange is a customer experience company. Modern CRM, loyalty and digital experiences are their medium. They believe authentic human connections are the single most important driver of business and societal progress. Learn how this philosophy has carried their company, clients, and culture through the last two years as work has become increasingly remote. You'll also takeaway: Why leadership is an 'art'.And, why management is a 'job'. Understand why you learn the most when life gets hard. Why the little things matter, a lot. THIS WEEK'S GUEST: Margaret Murphy believes fostering authentic human connections is the single most important driver of business and societal progress. She is the founder and CEO of Bold Orange Company (BOCO), a leading customer experience agency focused on modernizing the way brands connect with their customers. In 2021 Bold Orange was named a "Best Place To Work" both nationally by Inc. Magazine and locally by MPLS ST PAUL Business Journal. Forrester has also named BOCO an agency to watch due to the measurable impact they are delivering for their clients. Prior to Bold Orange, Margaret was president and COO of Olson, Minneapolis' largest marketing agency. There, she quadrupled the company's revenue, greatly expanded its capabilities, and significantly diversified its employee base.Named a “Woman to Watch” and a winner of the “Top 40 Under Forty,” by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, her strength is in building cultures that foster empowerment, inspiration, growth, and scale.Support the show

Ken and Paul are joined by Ellie Krug. Ellie is a writer, lawyer, and the founder of Human Inspirations Works, LLC. She is the author of the book “Getting to Ellen: A Memoir About Love, Honesty, and Gender Change” and has presented on diversity and inclusion to Fortune 100 companies, law firms, nonprofits, and colleges/universities on more than 1,000 occasions. In 2016, she was named by Advocate Magazine as one of the 25 Legal Advocates Fighting for Trans Rights. In 2019, she received the Business of Pride Career Achievement Award from the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal and a Legacy Award from OutFront, Minnesota's largest LGBTQ advocacy organization.  This episode discusses Ellie's experience transitioning from male to female at the age of 52 and the work she has done for transgender inclusivity - and really, the inclusivity of all differences. Ellie provides examples of what we can do - including cisgender White men, specifically - in everyday life to support equitable workplaces and societies. Learn more about Ellie's work: https://elliekrug.com/ Sign up for Ellie's newsletter, The Ripple: https://elliekrug.com/newslettersmedia/  You can tune into her weekly radio and podcast show, Ellie 2.0 Radio, on AM950 to learn about how each of us can play a role in fostering positive change in the world: https://www.am950radio.com/events/ellie-2-0/ Watch the full conversation with Ellie on TMWM's YouTube channel, where you can watch all interviews with guests: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHiYVNqxYKmHkxvTwquc2KA Connect with The Modern White Man by subscribing to their newsletter at www.themodernwhiteman.com.

Joe Welu is the founder and CEO of Total Expert, the fintech software leader that launched the first customer experience platform purpose-built for modern financial institutions.  Since 2015, Joe has led Total Expert's vision, culture and growth to nearly 300 employees today.  The company powers RM, marketing and customer engagement for more than 150 companies-from leading community banks and credit unions, to 3 of the nation's top 10 banks, and 9 of the top 15 mortgage lenders.  Total Expert's growth has skyrocketed since its inception; in 2020 alone, it ranked #17 in the Inc. 5,000 Most Successful Companies in the Midwest, #3 in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal's 2020 Fast 50, and #82 in the Deloitte Tech Fast 500. Key Takeaways Is the level of service still the differentiator in financial services and banking? Why most financial service organizations and banks are still unable to bridge the gaps and capitalize on the full potential of a great customer experience How banks and financial institutions can leverage the huge amounts of data they receive into designing a customer journey mapCombining the C.X data, CRM data, and the leading data so that organizations can have a better customer lifetime value, whilst taking into account the dynamic ever-evolving nature of the customer's profileWhy companies should revisit their customer profile more often;How change has affected the customer's way of thinking, their behavior, and ultimately the way they interact with a product or a service, and that's Relationship building via quality communicationHow Joe and his team address the knowledge gaps or the process gaps present in an organization.  Connect with Joe LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-welu-4056726/  Website - https://totalexpert.com/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/TotalExpertInc 

In 2014, Zaylore Stout took a drive across the country. State line after state line, he found himself detouring to landmarks of the LGBT+ heroes and history in each new place. And so, like a travel guide through the LGBT+ past and present, Our Gay History in Fifty States was born.   Yes it's a book … but really … its an encyclopedia of facts and figures.  Encompassing all fifty states as well as Washington, DC, and island territories, Our Gay History in Fifty States documents the highs and lows of American LGBT+ history. In its pages, you'll learn about LGBT+ presidents and Two-Spirit warriors, the inclusive progression of the gay rights movement, iconic orange juice boycotts, and the true origin of vogue dancing. From the childhood homes of historical figures to the safe spaces of grassroots organizations, this book is filled with destinations for those on their own local or cross-country tours of the past.Zaylore serves as a fierce advocate on LGBT issues. Through his law firm, Zaylore Stout & Associates, LLC he's represented HIV+ and transgender employees who were discriminated against at work. He volunteers through the LGBT Law Clinic and serves on the board for RECLAIM, an LGBTQIA+ nonprofit. He also ran for City Council in St. Louis Park where he championed the call for the passage of a Gender Inclusion Policy to protect transgender and gender non-conforming youth in schools. In November 2017, he gave an impassioned speech at the Quorum's National Coming Out Day Luncheon alongside Judy Shepard. His law firm was recently selected by the Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal for their Business of Pride award, and he was also won a contest putting him on the cover of Lavender Magazine.Zaylore Stout & Associates - http://www.stoutslaw.com/Our Gay History in 50 States - https://www.gay50states.com/Project Implicit - https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.htmlSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TalesLGBTQ+)

Episode 4: Grab a pen and your notebook because in this episode we're sharing all the details from the infamous Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Party the night Whitney Houston died. The Beverly Hilton was buzzing with media and celebrities while Whitney's body was still upstairs. We find out who was in attendance, what was the mood, who performed, what was on the dinner menu, and why the party wasn't cancelled.Then  we introduce the most outrageous party guest yet: Raffles Van Exel, a celebrity hanger-on and member of Whitney's entourage. Buckle up because this is one wild ride: from "How To" Con videos, to sneaking into the Neverland Ranch, to finessing his way into owning part of a music icon's estate. You won't want to miss the story of Raffles.LinksChaka Khan, Clive Davis Party was 'Insanity." (YouTube 2012).Clive Davis On Why He Had Grammy Party After Whitney Houston's Death | Larry King Now. (YouTube 2013).Jennifer Hudson - I Will Always Love You (54th GRAMMYs on CBS). (YouTube 2012)Is Raffles Van Exel Really Serious (YouTube 2012).Roger Friedman Calls for Investigation into Raffles Van Exel (YouTube 2012)Who is Raffles Van Exel (YouTube 2012)ResourcesBruntjen v. Van Exel, 506 F. Supp. 3d 673 (D. Minn. 2020)County of Los Angeles. (2012). Coroner's Report (Case No. 2012-01022). Los Angeles, CA. Retrieved from abcnews.comFranciscan, Chris and Brittany Bacon. "ABC News Exclusive: 'If I Did It': OJ's Daughter's Idea. abcnews.com, 16 June 2007.Friedman, Roger. "Exclusive Notes From Clive Davis Grammy Party." Showbiz411.com. 12 February 2012.Jackson v. Stark, State Court of Minnesota. (2020)Reilly, Mark. "Prince estate fights even thornier with heir's death and will." Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. 23 February 2020.Seal, Mark. "The Devils in the Diva." Vanity Fair, June 2012.Shoemaker, Jessica. "Death of Prince heir prompts contested will." Missouri Lawyers Media. 28 February 2020. Simpson, Arnelle. Deposition. United States Bankruptcy Court S.D. Fla. 2007.Sisario, Ben. "Whitney Houston's Estate Plans Hologram Tour and a New Album." New York Times. 20 May 2019.Whitney. Directed by Kevin Macdonald. Produced by Lisa Erspamer Entertainment, Lightbox, Roadside Attractions, and Miramax. 2018.Whitney Houston & Bobbi Kristina: Didn't We Almost Have It All. Lifetime Television, 2021.

Sarah Moe started her career in Sleep Medicine in 2006 and is the Founder and CEO of Sleep Health Specialists, which provides sleep education to local businesses and corporations. She was also an Adjunct Professor in the Polysomnography (Sleep) Program at Minneapolis College. Sarah sat on the Board of Directors for the Minnesota Sleep Society and the Educational Products Committee for the American Association of Sleep Technologists. For her role in Sleep Education in our workforce, Sarah has been named to the Minnesota Business Magazine's "35 Under 35" 2016, "Most Likely to Succeed- Healthcare Division" finalist in 2017, "Women Who Lead" 2018, the Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal's "Women In Business" 2019, and the TeamWomen's "WaveMaker Award- Uncharted Territory" finalist, 2019.

Learn More about the Designing Your Life Program here Is it time to get creative? Consistent involvement in the arts offers multiple benefits, including for your health and well-being. Our guest, Teresa Bonner, Executive Director of Aroha Philanthropies, explains how creative pursuits in retirement can enrich your life. We discuss: Her mission in her encore career Gene Cohen's work at George Washington University on aging and creativity The range of artistic endeavors she sees people engaging with in mid-to-later life The challenges people face when they leave the workplace and how involvement with the arts is useful The benefits of intergenerational arts programs How getting involved with the arts can help caregivers Her advice for someone who doesn't think they're a creative person The benefit of being a novice in an artistic activity How to get started with a creative activity _________________________ Bio Teresa Bonner is a frequent speaker on philanthropy, most recently to California and Minnesota affiliates of the Family Firm Institute, estate planning councils and planned giving councils. For Aroha Philanthropies, Teresa leads the foundation and directs efforts to seed, develop, expand and advocate for creative aging programs across the country. She has created cohorts of arts organizations and senior-serving organizations that have developed creative aging programs and managed the evaluation of these programs nationally. Teresa has spoken about creative aging at conferences of Grantmakers in the Arts, Grantmakers in Aging, the American Society on Aging, the Gerontological Society of America, the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, the National Guild for Community Arts Education and other organizations. Prior to joining Family Philanthropy Advisors in 2008, Teresa was Senior Vice President and head of Business Development and Charitable Services for U.S. Bank's Private Client Group, where she oversaw new business development and services offered to high-net-worth clients, including private foundation services, grantmaking, endowment management and charitable services. In addition to her foundation management roles, Teresa has served as Executive Director of Milkweed Editions, an acclaimed nonprofit literary publisher, and as Executive Director of the Library Foundation of Hennepin County, where she directed planning and implementation of marketing, fundraising, promotional, programming, public relations, grant administration and volunteer functions for one of the country's largest library systems.  Prior to her work in the nonprofit and philanthropic sector, Teresa was a partner in the Minneapolis law firm of Lindquist and Vennum. Between 2001 and 2007, Teresa chaired the board of directors of MacPhail Center for Music, one of the country's largest community music schools, where she led the transformation of that organization's governance, successfully completed a major capital campaign for the creation of a new flagship facility, and chaired the Center's grand opening celebrations.  She has served on several other nonprofit boards and has been a frequent panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts.  Teresa won the “Woman Changemaker” award from the Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal in 2004. ______________________ For More on Teresa Bonner Aroha Philanthropies ______________________ Wise Quotes  On Creativity & Aging "Gene Cohen was such a proponent of the concept that as we get older our capacity for creativity increases. It doesn't decrease as so many of us were taught when we were younger. And so what he did working with The National Endowment for the Arts, [was] a major study on what happened to older adults who participated in some professionally run arts learning programs. And what he found was that there were a whole array of benefits - mental, emotional, and physical - that came from this kind of activity.

“Marketing is just hocus pocus and pixie dust” — does that feel familiar? Most of us are tired of wasting time and money on the latest marketing strategies that never seem to work. Jennifer Zick of Authentic Brand shares why one of her clients said this (and why it’s one of her favorite quotes of all-time) on today’s show. Not only did her company coin the phrase “Random Acts of Marketing,” Authentic Brand provides fractional chief marketing officer (CMO) services that get businesses back on track and making better marketing decisions for the long-term. Jennifer’s mission is to help bring big company marketing resources and planning to the middle market, so tune in to learn a few things about strategy and team alignment to achieve your sales and clientele goals particularly in the B2B space. We go over how to eliminate the random acts of marketing, including all the associated costs, headaches, and — most frustrating of all — lack of progress that comes with them. Authentic Brand’s unique approach combines marketers, methodology, and mindshare to deliver real revenue results for any business owner. What You Will Learn What makes an elite fractional CMO Why the key truths of marketing hasn’t changed with new tools and technology The questions you have to answer when marketing - and why they haven’t changed What random acts of marketing means and why most companies are doing that When to use an agency versus a marketing leader How marketing helps the long term view for all divisions in a business How sales is different from marketing and how they are similar How to identify proof points - how to know if a plan is working when community building How to budget for a community building plan that reaps its rewards years down the road What marketing investment strategies have in common with baseball Why it’s so important for your marketing leaders and resources teams to be focused on the main goals The ways people are pivoting their marketing strategy when the supply chains are all messed up Bio: With nearly twenty years of B2B marketing experience in innovative, entrepreneurial, and accelerated-growth companies, Jennifer brings a wealth of experience to B2B growth organizations. Jennifer’s career has included several leadership roles for high-growth B2B professional services organizations, primarily centered on sales and marketing innovation through digital and SaaS technologies. Prior to launching Authentic Brand, Jennifer led marketing teams and programs for Magnet 360, PwC, and Corporate Visions. Jennifer is Past-President of the Minnesota Chapter of the Business Marketing Association – a national non-profit business association focused on B2B marketing – where she also served a prior term as VP of Events & Development. In 2014, Jennifer was honored by the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal as the recipient of their “40 Under 40” award which recognizes young leaders who have been successful in business, while also making significant contributions to their communities. More recently, Jennifer has leveraged her network to create “two or more“- a grassroots community service movement that brings together business professionals from across the Twin Cities to volunteer, serve, and support local charities and social causes. Quotes: 11:13 - “[Our CMOs] know what it takes to be at ground level and build from there, as good stewards of those resources. Right? Because there’s not established brand and market share already that provides this assumed brand air cover.” - Jennifer Zick

“Marketing is just hocus pocus and pixie dust” — does that feel familiar? Most of us are tired of wasting time and money on the latest marketing strategies that never seem to work. Jennifer Zick of Authentic Brand shares why one of her clients said this (and why it’s one of her favorite quotes of all-time) on today’s show. Not only did her company coin the phrase “Random Acts of Marketing,” Authentic Brand provides fractional chief marketing officer (CMO) services that get businesses back on track and making better marketing decisions for the long-term. Jennifer’s mission is to help bring big company marketing resources and planning to the middle market, so tune in to learn a few things about strategy and team alignment to achieve your sales and clientele goals particularly in the B2B space. We go over how to eliminate the random acts of marketing, including all the associated costs, headaches, and — most frustrating of all — lack of progress that comes with them. Authentic Brand’s unique approach combines marketers, methodology, and mindshare to deliver real revenue results for any business owner. What You Will Learn What makes an elite fractional CMO Why the key truths of marketing hasn’t changed with new tools and technology The questions you have to answer when marketing - and why they haven’t changed What random acts of marketing means and why most companies are doing that When to use an agency versus a marketing leader How marketing helps the long term view for all divisions in a business How sales is different from marketing and how they are similar How to identify proof points - how to know if a plan is working when community building How to budget for a community building plan that reaps its rewards years down the road What marketing investment strategies have in common with baseball Why it’s so important for your marketing leaders and resources teams to be focused on the main goals The ways people are pivoting their marketing strategy when the supply chains are all messed up Bio: With nearly twenty years of B2B marketing experience in innovative, entrepreneurial, and accelerated-growth companies, Jennifer brings a wealth of experience to B2B growth organizations. Jennifer’s career has included several leadership roles for high-growth B2B professional services organizations, primarily centered on sales and marketing innovation through digital and SaaS technologies. Prior to launching Authentic Brand, Jennifer led marketing teams and programs for Magnet 360, PwC, and Corporate Visions. Jennifer is Past-President of the Minnesota Chapter of the Business Marketing Association – a national non-profit business association focused on B2B marketing – where she also served a prior term as VP of Events & Development. In 2014, Jennifer was honored by the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal as the recipient of their “40 Under 40” award which recognizes young leaders who have been successful in business, while also making significant contributions to their communities. More recently, Jennifer has leveraged her network to create “two or more“- a grassroots community service movement that brings together business professionals from across the Twin Cities to volunteer, serve, and support local charities and social causes. Quotes: 11:13 - “[Our CMOs] know what it takes to be at ground level and build from there, as good stewards of those resources. Right? Because there’s not established brand and market share already that provides this assumed brand air cover.” - Jennifer Zick

Since he was 5 years old, Scott Hamilton Harris spent his childhood inventing contraptions and experimenting on how to perfect a home. He was consumed with a fascination about the way things work and dreamed of becoming a builder. After following his calling and wining numerous awards for his work, at the age of 15, Scott's teacher's selected him for an experimental curriculum to immerse him in the world of architecture, construction and design.Following his passion at the age of 20, he earned his general contractor's license and launched his business building his client's home by day and designing them by night. Although his services were quickly sought after, he felt that a better understanding of design could elevate the final product. Scott temporarily put his clients on hold after he was hand-selected to study and work with one of the world's most influential designers, Barbara Barry. He focused for over five years learning the best-kept trade secrets of design, harmonies and mathematical proportions. He continued to gain even more valuable experience and further evolve his design insights while working at the prestigious Studio William Hefner.http://www.buildingcgroup.comMartin Keller is a former pop culture journalist, published author and unproduced screenplay writer, whose work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Leaders, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Final Frontier, Billboard, Utne Reader, Right On! the Star Tribune, the Mpls-St. Paul Business Journal, City Pages and many others, with appearances on “Today,” “48 Hours,” PBS, Public Radio and more. Keller also has written Hijinx & Hearsay: Scenester Stories from Minnesota's Pop Life and contributed to The Minnesota Series. For the past 25 years, he has worked as an award-winning public relations pro, including an adventurous stint for The Center for the Study of Extraterrestrial Intelligence (CSETI). The Space Pen Club is based, in part, on that period.https://www.thespacepenclub.comThe Douglas Coleman Show now offers audio and video promotional packages for music artists as well as video promotional packages for authors. Please see our website for complete details. http://douglascolemanshow.comIf you have a comment about this episode or any other, please click the link below.https://ratethispodcast.com/douglascolemanshow

Since he was 5 years old, Scott Hamilton Harris spent his childhood inventing contraptions and experimenting on how to perfect a home. He was consumed with a fascination about the way things work and dreamed of becoming a builder. After following his calling and wining numerous awards for his work, at the age of 15, Scott's teacher's selected him for an experimental curriculum to immerse him in the world of architecture, construction and design.Following his passion at the age of 20, he earned his general contractor's license and launched his business building his client's home by day and designing them by night. Although his services were quickly sought after, he felt that a better understanding of design could elevate the final product. Scott temporarily put his clients on hold after he was hand-selected to study and work with one of the world's most influential designers, Barbara Barry. He focused for over five years learning the best-kept trade secrets of design, harmonies and mathematical proportions. He continued to gain even more valuable experience and further evolve his design insights while working at the prestigious Studio William Hefner.http://www.buildingcgroup.comMartin Keller is a former pop culture journalist, published author and unproduced screenplay writer, whose work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Leaders, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Final Frontier, Billboard, Utne Reader, Right On! the Star Tribune, the Mpls-St. Paul Business Journal, City Pages and many others, with appearances on “Today,” “48 Hours,” PBS, Public Radio and more. Keller also has written Hijinx & Hearsay: Scenester Stories from Minnesota's Pop Life and contributed to The Minnesota Series. For the past 25 years, he has worked as an award-winning public relations pro, including an adventurous stint for The Center for the Study of Extraterrestrial Intelligence (CSETI). The Space Pen Club is based, in part, on that period.https://www.thespacepenclub.comThe Douglas Coleman Show now offers audio and video promotional packages for music artists as well as video promotional packages for authors. Please see our website for complete details. http://douglascolemanshow.comIf you have a comment about this episode or any other, please click the link below.https://ratethispodcast.com/douglascolemanshow

MARTIN KELLER is a former pop culture journalist, published author and unproduced screenplay writer, whose work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Leaders, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Final Frontier, Billboard, Utne Reader, Right On! the Star Tribune, the Mpls.-St. Paul Business Journal, City Pages and others, with appearances on Today, 48 Hours, PBS, Public Radio and more. Keller also has written Hijinx & Hearsay: Scenester Stories from Minnesota's Pop Life and contributed to The Minnesota Series. For the past 25 years, he has worked as an award-winning public relations specialist, including an adventurous stint for The Center for the Study of Extraterrestrial Intelligence (CSETI). The Space Pen Club is based, in part, on that period. Although many will not have heard of Keller he was involved in some of the biggest UFO stories of the last couple of decades. He spent 10 years placing his recollections in a new book called "The Space Pen Club." In our2+ hour interview we discuss his almost one decade as the public relation officer for CSETI where he got an inside look at such stories as the UFO briefing given to CIA Director James Woolsey, the Rockefeller Steven Greer story. Keller describes how he brought in Danny Sheehan and Edgar Mitchell to work with CSETI. We talk about NIDS, the briefing efforts with the Clinton administration, the writing of the "Best Available Evidence" manual put out by Laurance Rockefeller nuclear weapons and UFOs, the role of consciousness, and a host of other historical UFO stories. Finally, Keller goes through his own UFO experiences, the paranormal events he has experienced, and his near death experience. Then because Keller has done major journalistic stories related to music, we discuss UFOs and music, and Keller tells the story of a friend Curtiss A (Almsted), a musician and visual artist from Minneapolis, whose entire band may have been abducted many years ago. This is an amazing discussion. Don't miss it. Link https://www.amazon.com/Space-Pen-Club-Encounters-Consciousness-ebook/dp/B096PVBZHK

MARTIN KELLER is a former pop culture journalist, published author and unproduced screenplay writer, whose work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Leaders, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Final Frontier, Billboard, Utne Reader, Right On! the Star Tribune, the Mpls.-St. Paul Business Journal, City Pages and others, with appearances on Today, 48 Hours, PBS, Public Radio and more. Keller also has written Hijinx & Hearsay: Scenester Stories from Minnesota's Pop Life and contributed to The Minnesota Series. For the past 25 years, he has worked as an award-winning public relations specialist, including an adventurous stint for The Center for the Study of Extraterrestrial Intelligence (CSETI). The Space Pen Club is based, in part, on that period. Although many will not have heard of Keller he was involved in some of the biggest UFO stories of the last couple of decades. He spent 10 years placing his recollections in a new book called "The Space Pen Club." In our2+ hour interview we discuss his almost one decade as the public relation officer for CSETI where he got an inside look at such stories as the UFO briefing given to CIA Director James Woolsey, the Rockefeller Steven Greer story. Keller describes how he brought in Danny Sheehan and Edgar Mitchell to work with CSETI. We talk about NIDS, the briefing efforts with the Clinton administration, the writing of the "Best Available Evidence" manual put out by Laurance Rockefeller nuclear weapons and UFOs, the role of consciousness, and a host of other historical UFO stories. Finally, Keller goes through his own UFO experiences, the paranormal events he has experienced, and his near death experience. Then because Keller has done major journalistic stories related to music, we discuss UFOs and music, and Keller tells the story of a friend Curtiss A (Almsted), a musician and visual artist from Minneapolis, whose entire band may have been abducted many years ago. This is an amazing discussion. Don't miss it. Link https://www.amazon.com/Space-Pen-Club-Encounters-Consciousness-ebook/dp/B096PVBZHK

Kristi Piehl launched Media Minefield in 2010 following a 12-year career as an Emmy Award-winning television news reporter. With clients ranging from startups to billion-dollar brands, Media Minefield moves beyond traditional public relations with its innovative NewsabilityⓇ process. It is a one-of-a-kind full-service agency specializing in earned media, crisis communication, and social media (Positive Online PresenceSM). Kristi is passionate about supporting entrepreneurs of all genders and ethnicities. She is a founding board member of The Demon Angels, a diverse group of angel investors who support Chicago-based entrepreneurs. She is also a founding member of DePaul University's Women in Entrepreneurship Institute. Media Minefield is a WBENC-certified Women's Business Enterprise. Kristi is dedicated to creating a unique workplace culture with policies that value families, flexibility, and health. In 2020, Media Minefield took the #1 spot on the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal's Best Places to Work list in its category. Kristi was named one of Minnesota's 500 Most Powerful Business Leaders in 2020. In 2019, she was named a Women in Business honoree by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal and a Women 2 Watch nominee by Women Presidents' Organization. Kristi was Bethel University's 2015 Alumna of the Year and is on the Board of Trustees at Bethel University. Kristi is also a founding member of The 25 at Bethel University, a four-year cohort program that aims to empower women to use their strengths, passion and skills to uncover their potential. Kristi launched the Flip Your Script podcast in 2020. She is honored to host the show and interview people who faced a critical turning point in their life and explore how they found the inspiration to move forward and rewrite their own unique story. Where to Find Kristi Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kristipiehl/ (@kristipiehl) Twitter https://twitter.com/kristipiehl (@kristipiehl) Facebook https://www.facebook.com/KristiPiehlMediaMinefield (Kristi Piehl) LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristipiehl/ (Kristi Piehl) http://www.media-minefield.com/ (http://www.media-minefield.com/) SPONSOR This episode is sponsored by http://www.entireproductions.com/ (Entire Productions)- Creating events (both in-person and virtual) that don't suck! and http://www.entireproductionsmarketing.com/ (Entire Productions Marketing)- carefully curated premium gifting and branded promo items. Please Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I love Natasha and the Fascinating Entrepreneurs Podcast!”

PK, Chad, and I have a nice chat about collaboration in the workplace including effective strategies/tools for collaboration, differences in how men and women approach collaboration, and how technology has been instrumental in this area during the pandemic.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PK Kriha is Sr. Vice President of Employee Health & Benefits with Marsh & McLennan Agency (MMA). She provides advice on health and welfare plans, wellbeing/wellness programs to a diverse base of corporate clients. She helps corporate leaders understand the full scope, implications and cost of various employee benefits strategies and potential plan design changes, not just the immediate line item expense.   Along with her team, she also helps solve business challenges by deploying strategies that create better health care consumers and keeps employers current on regulatory issues, including those related to health care reform legislation. PK has a natural ability to make strong business connections, network with talented individuals, and match people to cultures. These talents and more have earned her a reputation of integrity and as a professional resource extending beyond employee benefits. PK joined RJF in 2002, where she quickly became a partner. Acquired by MMA in 2011, she continues to provide leadership in multiple areas within MMA.  PK was honored with the Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal's 2020 Women In Business Award and also Employee Benefit Adviser's Most Influential Women in Benefit Advising for 2017. She has also been recognized for her extensive knowledge, customer service philosophy and her involvement in leadership development and Diversity & Inclusion initiatives at MMA.  She is involved in several community organizations including Giving WoMN, Benilde St. Margaret's School, the College of St. Benedict, Youth Frontiers, Family Enhancement Center, Banyan and more. PK has two children and resides in St. Louis Park. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For more information about the Harvard Business Review article we discussed, "In Collaborative Work Cultures, Women Carry More of the Weight", please visit: https://hbr.org/2018/07/in-collaborative-work-cultures-women-carry-more-of-the-weight --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/beyondsmalltalk/message

Total Addressable Market is a key metric that VCs use to determine whether an idea is investable and one that some tech founders use to determine whether they're solving a large enough problem.  This begs the questions “how can you accurately assess the magnitude of a problem without having actually experienced the problem yourself?”.  This gap in problem awareness has created an incredible opportunity for underrepresented founders to build solutions that speak to the unique needs and build valuable solutions that improve the lives of overlooked populations.    In this episode, we sit with Maria Burns Ortiz, Co-Founder and CEO of 7 Generation Games.  Her team is building video games that close the math skills gap found in underrepresented communities.   Founder Bio: Maria Burns Ortiz is co-founder and CEO of 7 Generation Games, a video game studio making immersive educational games and interactive apps with a mission of breaking down barriers to success, one math problem at a time. Previously, Maria was a multimedia journalist and NY Times best-selling author. For her work at 7 Generation Games, she was an invited speaker at the 2016 White House: State of Women Summit, received the National Latina Business Women Association-Los Angeles' Rising Star in 2017 and named one of Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal's 40 Under 40 in 2021.   1:15  The many interesting facts about Maria Burns Ortiz's life 4:011  An atypical path to tech entrepreneurship |A career as an ESPN reporter 6:02  Reinventing your career| From reporter to video game developer 10:02  Operating as a cofounding team in the early days 11:29  What is 7 Generation Games and what problem it is solving? 14:22  The extraordinary value in serving underserved communities 15:45  The process of video game development 20:02  The importance of engagement UI/UX vs the tech itself 24:02  Building the first version of a gaming product 28:32  Testing your product with real world customers and getting traction 31:02  Finding the ideal customer for the product and communicating ROI to schools 35:02  How solving a problem in a niche creates a reputation of success 36:10  The promise of AI in EdTech | The personalization of the learning experience 40:13  Continue following 7GG at 7generationgames.com

“Success does not come without hardship.” - Ravyn Miller   Where are you in your career journey? Does imposter syndrome stop you from being your best professional self? Does showing up authentically in your career scare you out of your (most comfortable) work from home pants?   If so, today's episode is going to hit home. Failed it! Fam, grab your notebooks, and give a warm welcome to the most selfless, and authentic gal we've seen on LinkedIn, Ravyn Miller. She is a Senior Marketing Director at Medtronic with an impressive and unique background that spans from the boardroom to the pulpit. Listen in as she shares her own realization of how failing is part of the process, authenticity is her super power, and how you can lean into both. You'll leave wanting to become a truer, more real version of YOU.   In today's episode, Ravyn talks to us about:   How success is not linear   Why failing is a part of success, and why sharing those fails matters   The importance of being real and humble in your career journey   How failure drives innovation   Links from show discussions:   F Words at Work with improve it! Follow Ravyn on LinkedIn Listen to Ravyn preach on YouTube     About the guest: As the Sr. Marketing Director for Medtronic's High Power Global Growth team, Ravyn Miller is responsible for creating and executing strategies that accelerate access for patients appropriate for CRT and ICD indications. Upon graduating with a dual Master's in Business and Divinity from Vanderbilt University, she joined the company through their Leadership Development Rotation Program (LDRP). In her previous roles at Medtronic, Ravyn worked as the Commercial Marketing Director for Venous, led a cardiac and vascular group wide market development effort focused on reducing cardiac health care disparities for women and people of color, worked as a Health Policy Fellow in DC and was the National Implementation Leader for the Cardiac and Vascular Group (CVG) Strategic Solutions Organization.   During her tenure at Medtronic, she has earned several company recognitions, such as the Marketing Excellence Award, the Champion of Change and the Star of Excellence. In 2107, she was recognized by Diversity Inc. as one of the Top 100 Emerging Leaders Under 50 and in 2019, the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal named her as a Women in Business Honoree, which annually recognizes 50 of the region's most influential women in business and community. Prior to Medtronic, Ravyn was a Sales Representative with Johnson and Johnson DePuy in Houston, TX and Nashville, TN.   A selfless leader, Ravyn seeks opportunities to advocate on behalf of other people. As a member of Medtronic's African Descent Network (ADN) Leadership Team, she helps shape strategies aimed at creating a diverse and inclusive work environment for all employees. She also serves as an advisory for the company's Campus Leads for Vanderbilt University's Owen School of Management. Outside of work, Ravyn serves on the Board of Directors for Be the Match and sits on the Advisory Board of the following organizations: Odonata Health, National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF), the University of Minnesota's Venture Center Business Advisory Group and the Minnesota Orchestra's Young People's Symphony Concert Association. She is also a former member of the State of MN's Health Equity Board.   Ravyn is an ordained minister, a sought after speaker on topics ranging from leadership to health equity and proudly embraces her self-proclamation of being a “brunch enthusiast.”     About the Host: Erin Diehl is the founder and Chief “Yes, And” officer of improve it! and host of the failed it! Podcast. She's a performer, facilitator and professional risk-taker who lives by the mantra, “get comfortable with the uncomfortable.” Through a series of unrelated dares, Erin has created improve it!, a unique professional development company that pushes others to laugh, learn and grow. Her work with clients such as United Airlines, PepsiCo, Groupon, Deloitte, Motorola, Walgreens, and The Obama Foundation earned her the 2014 Chicago RedEye Big Idea Award and has nominated her for the 2015-2019 Chicago Innovations Award. This graduate from Clemson University is a former experiential marketing and recruiting professional as well as a veteran improviser from the top improvisational training programs in Chicago, including The Second City, i.O. Theater, and The Annoyance Theatre.   When she is not playing pretend or facilitating, she enjoys running and beach dates with her husband and son, and their eight pound toy poodle, BIGG Diehl.   You can follow the failed it! podcast on Instagram and facebook, and you can follow Erin personally on Instagram here. We can't wait to connect with you online!

Matt Norman discusses how to break the mental patterns that hinder our growth—and encourage healthier patterns. — YOU'LL LEARN — 1) The thinking pattern that saps our energy 2) Two questions to keep your thoughts from overwhelming you 3) How to keep criticism from fazing you Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep627 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT MATT — Matt Norman is President & CEO of Norman & Associates, which offers Dale Carnegie programs in Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota. Through Norman & Associates, he helps people think and work together more effectively. Matt's mentorship has helped Fortune 100 corporations, non-profits, and entrepreneurs change the way they engage with their employees and clients. Matt has been named to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal 40 Under Forty list and the Minnesota Business (Real) Power 50. • Matt's book: Four Patterns of Healthy People: How to Grow Past Your Rooted Behaviors, Discover a Deeper Connection with Others, and Reach Your Full Potential in Life and Business • Book website: FourPatterns.com • Matt's website: MattNorman.com • Matt's LinkedIn: Matt Norman — RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Book: How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie • Book: When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel Pink • Book: Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day Long by David Rock • Book: How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton Christensen • Book: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck • Book: Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen — THANK YOU SPONSORS! — • Rise.com. Build your team's learning library–the fast and fun way–with Rise.com/awesome.• Find Your Dream Job. Learn Ramit Sethi's pro-tips at IWT.com/podcastDJSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Great Pivot: A Conversation with Ben Vandenwymelenberg, Chairman & Founder, WOODCHUCK USA WOODCHUCK USA manufactures technology-driven wood products and specializes in customization. WOODCHUCK USA was founded with a simple mission: putting nature back into people's lives. Their passion is to be a daily reminder of our planet's vulnerability by using real wood products and planting a tree with every product sold. Their way of making a better world for future generations is us bringing jobs back to America while bringing quality products to our consumers.  Ben founded WOODCHUCK USA as an undergraduate senior at the University of Minnesota and is the true visionary behind the company. Ben graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2012 with a degree in Architecture and Landscape Architecture. He grew up on a small farm in Wisconsin and learned the importance of strong morals, hard work, and a deep love for nature, which he infuses into everything the company does today. Ben was named “40 Under 40” by the Minneapolis/ St. Paul Business Journal, “Power 50” by Minnesota Business Magazine, and “32 Under 32” by the Minnesota Ad Federation. For this episode of the Impact Report Series Producer, Katie Ellman speaks with Ben about entrepreneurship, learning from missteps and putting people and planet first in business.   ImpactReportPodcast.com      

Terri Soutor is a veteran in leading startups and building companies in the educational technology sector. She's motivated by the big picture to lead in this sphere with a passion for supporting teaching and learning as vital to our schools, our communities, our economy and our democracy. Terri joined FastBridge Learning as CEO and led the startup through a phenomenal period of growth from 2015-2019. The company was ranked as the No. 2 fastest-growing private company in the Twin Cities in 2018 by the Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal, and a 2019 Top Workplace by the StarTribune. Terri led the company through a successful exit and sale to Illuminate Education and remains on board as President leading a thriving integration and go-to-market strategy. Learn more about Terri here: www.terrisoutor.com.  

In this episode, Maria and Scott discuss:The myth of work-life balance and why it hurts your employees more than helps them.Why there is more than one standard organizational structure that can lead to a successful business - and why leaders who refuse to understand that will fall behind.Five workplace concepts that won't exist in five years - and how to prepare for them now. What type of culture makes a team successful and brings out the best in your employees.  Key Takeaways:Create the right culture and do all you can to unleash the potential of the people on your team - get the right people, make them feel empowered to do great work, make decisions, and work together. People will deliver more if they feel empowered. Research shows that annual reviews don't work and critical feedback rarely leads to better performance. Move toward real-time mentorship and coaching between the team members where the expectation of learning and improvement gets so ingrained that people will naturally seek and find experiences to help them close any gaps that they may have. Make opportunities more accessible at smaller increments. Give employees a chance to try something new, to stretch their skills, and learn and grow in many different ways.  "Right now, we are more aware than ever how fast things can change. Even though the pace of change at work was pretty quick before, we've run this giant global experiment that's going to leave us in a new place. It is important to capture the energy of a moment like this." —  Scott Burns About Scott Burns: Scott Burns is a leader in bringing data and technology to complex challenges. Back in 2000, he co-founded GovDelivery, the largest digital communications platform for the public sector, which served over 1,000 government agencies and enabled personalized communication with over 200 million citizens by the time it sold to another company in 2016. Currently, Scott is focused on using data and technology to make work better at both the individual and organizational level as the CEO and Co-Founder of Structural, a dynamic people directory and internal opportunity marketplace. Launched in 2017, Structural now serves tens of thousands of employees across ambitious organizations of all sizes.Scott has been recognized in Business Journal's 40 Under 40, Titans of Technology, and Federal Computer Week's Federal 100 list recognizing the most influential people in Federal Technology. Most recently, Scott was recognized as one of Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal's ten "Most Admired CEOs." Connect with Scott Burns and Structural:  Email: Scott@Structural.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smburns/Learn more about Structural: https://www.structural.com/Structural on Twitter: https://twitter.com/structuralaiStructural on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/structural-inc/ Connect with Maria: Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.comLearn more about Maria's brand strategy work and books: Red-Slice.comDownload a free guide: The 5 Business Benefits of Empathy: http://red-slice.com/business-benefits-empathyHire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-RossLinkedIn: Maria RossInstagram: @redslicemariaTwitter: @redsliceFacebook: Red Slice

In this episode, Maria and Scott discuss:The myth of work-life balance and why it hurts your employees more than helps them.Why there is more than one standard organizational structure that can lead to a successful business - and why leaders who refuse to understand that will fall behind.Five workplace concepts that won't exist in five years - and how to prepare for them now. What type of culture makes a team successful and brings out the best in your employees.  Key Takeaways:Create the right culture and do all you can to unleash the potential of the people on your team - get the right people, make them feel empowered to do great work, make decisions, and work together. People will deliver more if they feel empowered. Research shows that annual reviews don't work and critical feedback rarely leads to better performance. Move toward real-time mentorship and coaching between the team members where the expectation of learning and improvement gets so ingrained that people will naturally seek and find experiences to help them close any gaps that they may have. Make opportunities more accessible at smaller increments. Give employees a chance to try something new, to stretch their skills, and learn and grow in many different ways.  "Right now, we are more aware than ever how fast things can change. Even though the pace of change at work was pretty quick before, we've run this giant global experiment that's going to leave us in a new place. It is important to capture the energy of a moment like this." —  Scott Burns About Scott Burns: Scott Burns is a leader in bringing data and technology to complex challenges. Back in 2000, he co-founded GovDelivery, the largest digital communications platform for the public sector, which served over 1,000 government agencies and enabled personalized communication with over 200 million citizens by the time it sold to another company in 2016. Currently, Scott is focused on using data and technology to make work better at both the individual and organizational level as the CEO and Co-Founder of Structural, a dynamic people directory and internal opportunity marketplace. Launched in 2017, Structural now serves tens of thousands of employees across ambitious organizations of all sizes.Scott has been recognized in Business Journal's 40 Under 40, Titans of Technology, and Federal Computer Week's Federal 100 list recognizing the most influential people in Federal Technology. Most recently, Scott was recognized as one of Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal's ten "Most Admired CEOs." Connect with Scott Burns and Structural:  Email: Scott@Structural.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smburns/Learn more about Structural: https://www.structural.com/Structural on Twitter: https://twitter.com/structuralaiStructural on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/structural-inc/ Connect with Maria: Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.comLearn more about Maria's brand strategy work and books: Red-Slice.comDownload a free guide: The 5 Business Benefits of Empathy: http://red-slice.com/business-benefits-empathyHire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-RossLinkedIn: Maria RossInstagram: @redslicemariaTwitter: @redsliceFacebook: Red Slice

Overview The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for almost two years now.  This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR,digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession.  Today's special guest is Lynn Casey.     About Our Guest Lynn retired from Padilla at the end of 2019 following 18 years leading the employee-owned firm through multiple acquisitions and, in 2018, a sale to Canadian-based AVENIR GLOBAL. Prior to joining a predecessor agency in 1983, she was marketing communications manager for Burlington Northern (now BNSF) and developed Minnesota's first public relations campaign for foster care home recruitment. Active in the communication sector at a national level, she has chaired PRSA's Counselors Academy, served on the board of the Council of Public Relations Firms, and serves on the board of the Arthur Page Society. She has served on and chaired numerous nonprofit boards in Padilla's headquarters community of Minneapolis. Corporate board service includes a Fortune 300 electric utility and two private companies. Lynn was named Woman Business Executive of the Year by the Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal in 2011, was inducted into the Junior Achievement Hall of Fame in 2011 and into the Minnesota Business Hall of Fame in 2014, and was named to the PR Week Hall of Fame in 2018.

Selling Products at Local Pop Up Markets, Best Practices & The Future of Retail Hayley Matthews-Jones received her Foundation in Art & Design from Central Saint Martins, and her BA in Silversmithing & Metalwork from Camberwell College of Arts (both colleges of University of the Arts London). While pursuing her degree, she coordinated fundraisers and art exhibitions, and her career as an event planner was born. Hayley moved to Minneapolis from her native London in 2008, and in 2015 established Minneapolis Craft Market, adding Minneapolis Vintage Market in 2018. Between the two markets she hosts more than 120 events per year around the Twin Cities at venues including breweries, parks, farmers markets, music festivals and more. The vendor roster for the markets includes 1,000+ artists and 200+ vintage vendors, and annually her events provide more than 3,000 selling opportunities for these vendors all of whom are local small businesses and artists. Minneapolis Craft Market received Twin Cities Metro Independent Business Association's inaugural “Best Emerging Business” award in 2016, Twin Cities Business Magazine's “Most Likely to Succeed in Retail”, 2017. Minneapolis Vintage Market won City Pages “Best Fashion Event”, 2019, and Hayley was named one of Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal's 40 Under 40, 2020. Follow Hayley www.mplscraftmarket.com www.instagram.com/mplscraftmkt www.instagram.com/mplsvintagemkt Jenna Redfield is the founder of LeadJenna, a social media marketing education business, focusing on video classes & 1:1 coaching to share the latest social media strategy & advice. She is also the founder of Twin Cities Collective, the largest resource in the Twin Cities for bloggers, small businesses, entrepreneurs & creatives. YouTube Channel www.youtube.com/jennaredfield Free  Lead Generation Masterclass https://www.leadjenna.com/masterclass Gram Mastery Instagram Marketing Online Course https://www.masterthegram.com Join the Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/twincitiescollective Coaching https://www.leadjenna.com/intensive Find the podcast on all platforms https://www.collectivemarketingpodcast.com Follow us on Social https://www.instagram.com/twincitiescollective https://www.instagram.com/jennaredfield  

Jennifer Smith is recognized as a ‘culture innovator,' creating workplaces where people love to work and are inspired to make a difference. As the Founder and CEO of Innovative Office Solutions, Jennifer's mission is to inspire people to love what they do and who they do it with while living out the company's core values. Jennifer is proud that her team has helped them become the largest independent office solutions company in the Midwest and one of the largest in the Nation. Their contagious culture has been the secret to the Innovative success story. Employees are guided by a shared vision, set of core values and a brand promise that sets the tone for all interactions; and has helped Innovative, a women-owned company, be named “100 Best Companies to Work For” by the Minnesota Business Journal every year since its inception. Innovative has re-invented how they go to market, offering their clients new categories such as cleaning and facility supplies, educational supplies/furniture, workplace branding, managed print services and technology, along with office products and furniture and design. Jennifer is passionate about her community. She is on the Forum for the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) Board, Dealer Advisory Board of Essendant, Minnesota Vikings Women's Advisory Council, and the InSports Foundation, the charitable arm of Innovative Office Solutions. She is honored to have received many accolades, including EY Entrepreneur of the Year for the Upper Midwest, Most Admired CEO by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, The (Real)Power 50 by the Minnesota Business Magazine, 50 Fastest Growing Women Owned/Led Companies in North America, presented by the Women Presidents' Organization, 100 Best Places to work for seven consecutive years, and ranked for ten years on the Inc 5000 fastest growing privately held companies in America. Growing up in the small town, family-owned office supply business, her Mom and Dad taught her at an early age that relationships matter and that guides her today. What You Will Learn: Jennifer Smith's role as CEO of Innovative Office Solutions How IOS grew from $3M to $150M under her leadership The challenges associated with IOS's growth Why intentional culture and strong core values are important Why Jennifer did the opposite of everyone else when the recession hit How Jennifer is facing the decline of her industry and the rise of Amazon High-level problem solving as a team effort The evolution of Innovative Office Solutions Resources: Website: Innovativeos.com Twitter: @jennjsmith LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-smithin/ Core Values | Intentional Culture Intentional Culture and Core Values Jennifer Smith is a “culture innovator.” She has a track record of creating workplaces where people are inspired to make a difference. It is one of the many reasons her company, Innovative Office Solutions, has become one of the largest independent office solutions companies in the nation. Her team is guided by a strong vision and shared core values, putting IOS in the Women Presidents' Organization, 100 Best Places to Work for seven consecutive years. From $3M to $150M When I first spoke with Jennifer, Innovative Office Solutions was at $3M. Since then, it has grown to $150M, a size that female leaders rarely see. Inspiration, strong core values, and intentional culture are the main forces behind its success. Relationships matter and you have to treat your customers, your employees, and your vendors how you want to be treated. Every member of IOS understands the role they play in the big picture. It enables them to grow no matter how difficult things get. It might sound easy, but it is extremely difficult when you move past the $100M mark. Strong core values help scale the culture, but Jennifer has taken a lot of calculated risks to see ROL (return on luck). It helps to be in the right place at the right time, but you cannot take advantage of the opportunity if you are not ready for it to come your way. You also need to have the right people in place. Your Business is a Family When you grow your business, each milestone is something you haven't experienced before. Jennifer has experienced a lot of luck attracting talent to fill those gaps, hiring people with skills that she doesn't have. For so many of us, our businesses are like family when we start them. But when the family expands, there is an unwieldy feeling. It becomes difficult to maintain the family spirit. Even when you hire great talent, they have to be so aligned and so invested that it is almost like you're imparting yourself through them. Your culture and core values should be intentional because it will be easier to scale them as you grow. Growing Pains There are a lot of growing pains when you're working to achieve growth and scale, and when Innovative Office Solutions reached $15M, they had the same number of employees. That was a difficult scenario heading into the recession because there was nowhere to cut. With no options left, Jennifer decided to hire. She doubled the company size and increased revenue by 70%. She invested in her brand, her people, and her technology while everyone else was doing the opposite. The only way to preserve your core values and culture is by doubling down when the going gets tough. That is exactly what Jennifer did, and that is the type of leader she will always be.

Kristin Shane is the Chief Dream-Follower, Founder and CEO at Fly Feet Running. She spent most of her career running high profile businesses for Target, most recently as the Vice President Merchandise Manager of the $6.2B omnichannel beauty and personal care business. She started Fly Feet in 2016 to realize her own vision: to inspire people to chase the best version of themselves. Through a thrilling high-intensity workout, Fly Feet meets people where they are on their fitness journey and helps them make measurable progress. It's part of Kristin's lifelong pursuit of her personal best, from the boardroom to the fitness studio to the elite marathon circuit (she's completed 15, including Boston). Her passion is being a lady boss and building high-performing teams and businesses, so when she's not flying at Fly Feet, she is consulting in the beauty and retail space via her consulting practice, The Studio Eight. This year, she was the recipient of Women in Business Award by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Twin Cities in Motion. She also has an MBA, was a Peace Corps volunteer, and is an unstoppable mom to her three young children. What You Will Learn: How Kristin makes space for dreaming – and why you should too The thought process and plan that went into Kristin quitting a high-paying job and immediately starting a business What Kristin does to keep it all together and her most important tools for success Kristin's BIG announcement and how she made this life-changing decision Managing huge changes as a lady boss How outside feedback – and an expensive coach – helped Kristin realize the things she needs to work on Kristin's sources of inspiration and best practices for daily life Resources: Email: kristin.shane@flyfeetrunning.com Kristin's Websites: www.flyfeetrunning.com www.kristin.shane.com www.thecatalystcircle365.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flyfeetrunning/ My Website: www.sayyess.com/speaking Lady Boss | Running After Your Passions, with Kristin Shane Making Space for Dreams Kristin Shane spent most of her career running high profile businesses for Target, most recently as the Vice President Merchandise Manager of the $6.2B omnichannel beauty and personal care business. In 2016, however, Kristin did something very few of us have the bravery to do: she left a secure, high-paying job as a lady boss at Target to start her own business. A scary thought! With so much risk, especially when you're also raising a family, it's no wonder many don't have the guts to do what Kristin's done. The result? Kristin is now the CEO of Fly Feet Running, a group fitness studio dedicated to high-intensity workouts and personal transformations. Kristin's passion for running and pursuing her personal best was so strong that she wanted to pass it on to others, and the results have been amazing. She also has run 15 marathons, including the Boston Marathon, and owns a beauty consulting practice, Studio Eight. How DOES she do it? Kristin's most important advice for women is to make space for dreaming. Kristin does this by running, her retreat from daily life where she can clear her head and focus her thoughts on what she really wants in life. She also makes time when traveling to explore her destination and see how people live their lives, letting her mind be free to discover what speaks to her. These activities ignited her zeal for fitness and self-improvement. She was off to the races! Managing Big Changes It's not all fun and games; you have to do the work to get to the good stuff. Kristin's plan started on a napkin at Starbucks and blossomed into getting up at four in the morning every day. She spent her early days running, building her business plan, working with a branding agency, doing market research, securing funding, and launching a website. She stepped out of her role at Target directly into founding Fly Feet Running. Her transition, while taxing, was a master class on becoming a successful lady boss and business leader. She has never looked back. Well, that's not entirely true. Kristin has kept in contact with her longtime professional mentor, Stacia Anderson, who first hired her at Target in 2005. Stacia has been Kristin's rock for many years, and just when Kristin seemed to be settling into a stable existence at Fly Feet, Stacia sprung a big question: she wanted to know if Kristin would move to Scottsdale to run merchandising for Petsmart. Wow! This rocked Kristin's world in the best way. Kristin accepted the offer and is relocating to Scottsdale as you read this. She could not have done it without the support of her friends, family, and coworkers, who all cheered her on. While many entrepreneurs encounter “founder's syndrome” where their business is tied to their identities, Kristin built a sustainable company that she could trust to run thanks to the great staff she hired. She plans to continue working with Fly Feet as she can and may even open a branch in the Phoenix area. Stay tuned if you like running in the desert! Growing as a Leader One of the things I admire most about Kristin Shane is her adaptability and constant drive for improving herself. When it comes to being a lady boss and business leader, she's obviously top-tier. Many people would let that get to their heads. But not Kristin. Kristin is continuously reevaluating herself so she can be better every day. When it comes to facing big challenges, Kristin knows the things she can control. First, she knows that all she can do is her best. If things start to fall apart, Kristin knows she has to humble herself and ask for help. Last, but definitely not least, is that Kristin can control how she shows up every day. That last point is a doozy and requires great self-awareness. Kristin shared a story with me about how she was told that she's too direct in the workplace. Confused, Kristin hired a coach (for $1,000 an hour!) to help her understand this supposed flaw in her leadership style and get on the fast track to correcting it. She was shocked to see that they were right, and she and her coach got her going on fixing the issue. Since then, Kristin has been more self-aware, always checking herself and striving to be her best all of the time. For inspiration, Kristin looks to places like Oprah's SuperSoul Conversations podcast and keeps on doing what she loves: running. She gets her energy from a healthy diet, lots of water, journaling, and spending time with her lovely family. Kristin sets such a shining example of what it means to be a leader, and it was a thrill to get to talk to her.

Krista O'Malley has swum with Humpback whales, run marathons, and is known for her passion for the pursuit of excellence, enthusiasm, straight talk, and obsessive attention to detail. This is fitting for the CEO and Principal of cmnd+m, a Minnesota-based brand experience design firm, as all of these characteristics are necessary for best-in-class design and innovation in an industry tasked with perpetually creating what's next for brand-to-consumer experiences. The company was immediately successful with its inaugural project, not only bringing Google into the world of retail but also receiving an RDI International Design Award. Under Krista's leadership, the business experienced phenomenal growth, going from an unknown start-up to an internationally-operating company in less than 3 years. This amazing start resulted in Krista being recognized as a Midwest Finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Although a St. Paul native, Krista is a Badger at heart (go Bucky!) having graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Krista has recently started her own charitable foundation and is involved with several business organizations including WPO (Women's President's Organization) and the Committee of 200 (C200). Krista has received a Woman to Watch Award from the Mpls/St. Paul Business Journal, as well as multiple awards in other industries, including the MEDA CPP Partner of the Year Award. When she has free time, Krista enjoys professional-level shopping, paper arts, antiquing, and relaxing at the cabin. What You Will Learn: The path that led Krista from running a successful construction company to opening a brand experience design firm and making it thrive The “platinum rule” and how it applies to brand experience design What the grueling process of growing a business can be like and why it's so important to have friends and family to support you Finding respite amidst the chaos of being an entrepreneur Krista's love of creativity and how that applies to her life and work Krista's best advice and lessons for prospective female entrepreneurs Why you should surround yourself with people who challenge you and aren't afraid to disagree with you Resources: Email: komalley@cmndm.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/press_cmndm Personal: www.instagram.com/k11o/ Website: www.cmndm.com/ Maximizing Success Journal: Text JOURNAL7 to 44222 Female Entrepreneurs | Maintaining Your Sanity When Starting a Business, with Krista O'Malley Starting a Business While Running a Business As far as female entrepreneurs go, Krista O'Malley stands as one of the most impressive I've met. While running a construction company with her family, Krista caught the idea of opening an experience design firm and running it at the same time. Krista believed that having the infrastructure and momentum of already running a business makes it easier to start a new business. I don't agree, but I LOVE the tenacity required to do something like that. It wasn't easy. Krista shares deeply about how she was working seven days a week, 15 hours a day to get her experience design firm, cmnd+m, off the ground and up and running. Krista is a hard, hard worker, and she ran that business like an unstoppable engine. It wasn't until her voice of reason, her husband, told her that he was worried about her that she had an epiphany two days later in the parking lot of a gas station. What a place to learn that sometimes, even when running a business, you have to stop and let the engine cool off! Krista credits her success and remaining sanity to the generous support of her family. Because of them, she's always had a fallback plan, a couch to sleep on, and people to talk to. This is a lesson we can all follow better: use your support system whenever you need it. Creativity and Challenge We've all been taught from a young age to follow the golden rule: treat others how you would like to be treated. According to Krista, however, female entrepreneurs should do one better when working with clients and follow the platinum rule: treat others how THEY want to be treated. This is especially important in experience design and speaks to an intimate knowledge of your clients and what it is they want to get out of your services. Creativity fits in nicely here. Krista has always been a creative person, and the opportunity to flex those muscles and experiment with new, exciting ideas is an appeal that drew her to experience design in the first place. Oftentimes, that creativity can come out in the face of challenge. Surrounding yourself with people who challenge your ideas is a brilliant way to begin thinking in ways you wouldn't normally. Krista and I don't agree on everything, and yet our friendship continues to grow because of how much respect we have for each other. Lessons to Learn Krista has plenty of lessons to share to other female entrepreneurs from her path as a successful business owner. One of them relates back to avoiding burnout and staying on top of your game. Krista's best practices in this department include things like meditation, exercise, and taking a pontoon boat ride on a lake during a summer's day. She has found that activities like this help her to focus, relax, and center herself, making her more capable of tackling her many responsibilities. On the less relaxing parts of the journey, Krista reminds herself to have fun, be unafraid of difficult conversations, and remain a lifelong learner. The challenges of the day-to-day, paired with the challenges of being a successful entrepreneur, are just a little bit easier when you surround yourself with the right people and stick to being a student of life, for life.

Founder & CEO of Media Minefield Kristi Piehl launched Media Minefield in 2010 following a 12-year career as an Emmy Award-winning television news reporter. With clients ranging from startups to billion-dollar brands, Media Minefield is a one-of-a-kind agency specializing in earned media and messaging. Kristi was named a 2019 Women in Business honoree by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. She studied Professional Writing and graduated with honors from Bethel University. In 2015, Bethel named her Alumna of the Year. Kristi is a founding member of DePaul University's Women in Entrepreneurship Institute and a member of Women Presidents' Organization. allison@media-minefield.com www.instagram.com/kristipiehl www.twitter.com/kristipiehl Jenna Redfield is a digital content expert, focused on organizing, planning and creating content for marketing purposes. She runs her YouTube channel Jenna Redfield and works with people to help organize their digital lives!  Home: https://jennaredfield.com YouTube Channel www.youtube.com/jennaredfield Join the Facebook Groups https://www.facebook.com/groups/adhdandnotion https://www.facebook.com/groups/marketingandnotion/ Follow me on Social https://www.youtube.com/c/jennaredfield https://www.instagram.com/jennaredfield https://www.tiktok.com/@jennaredfield

In this episode of the TeacherCast Podcast, we sit down with Tony Skauge and Jamie Candee to showcase how teachers are using Edmentum to design engaging learning experiences for their students. Follow our PodcastThe TeacherCast Educational Broadcasting Network | http://www.twitter.com/teachercast (@TeacherCast) Follow our HostJeff Bradbury | http://www.twitter.com/jeffbradbury (@JeffBradbury) About EdmentumEdmentum, Inc., is committed to making it easier for educators to individualize learning for every student through simple technology, high-quality content, and actionable data. Founded in innovation, Edmentum's powerful learning programs blend technology with individual teaching approaches. Edmentum is committed to being educators' most trusted partner in creating successful student outcomes everywhere learning occurs. Built on 50 years of experience in education, Edmentum programs currently support educators and students in more than 40,000 schools nationwide. For more information, visit http://link.email.dynect.net/link.php?DynEngagement=true&H=tiMleQXvuhG3cVWUKKJFwgesMDniOk1PHbBHFzJ47RtQGrfqda%2FT%2FTRNHRe4oo%2BfkGgl6U5DPuq1YvywU6MvFqddoLvsptF3R5kMEbc9tGCYMJRyyRysVQ%3D%3D&G=0&R=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.edmentum.com%2F&I=20161003125215.000001a9636c%40mail6-08-ewr&X=MHwxMDQ2NzU4OjU3ZjI1NDc5MGU4NWI4NDA2M2RkNDQ1Mzs%3D&S=jnFIz8VOBGb6WB_y-QYkJ_W8hfpyHR51G9ziJZh7fEw (edmentum.com). Check out these great resourcesExact Path:https://www.edmentum.com/products/exact-path ( https://www.edmentum.com/products/exact-path) Study Island:http://www.edmentum.com/products/study-island ( http://www.edmentum.com/products/study-island) Reading Eggs:http://www.edmentum.com/products/reading-eggs-reading-eggspress ( http://www.edmentum.com/products/reading-eggs-reading-eggspress) Courseware:http://www.edmentum.com/products/courseware ( http://www.edmentum.com/products/courseware) About our GuestsTony Skauge, Services Program Manager, Edmentum Tony Skauge has worked in the field of education for over 10 years as an award-winning classroom instructor and as an Education Specialist at the Science Museum of Minnesota. He received his bachelor of science degree in Elementary Education from Minnesota State University Moorhead. Tony is currently the Services Program Manager at Edmentum where he worked on the ground with hundreds of schools districts and professional educators from across the country to successfully integrate online and blended learning strategies into the classroom with goal of helping each child be successful. Jamie Candee, President and CEO, Edmentum Jamie joined Edmentum in 2005 and began her career with the company in Human Resources, before working her way through nearly every department within the organization—serving as Director, Sales and Service Effectiveness; Vice President, Product Development; Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing; and Chief Revenue Officer during her initial tenure. Jamie rejoined the organization in 2017, to lead Edmentum's strategic vision and long term growth plan as President, CEO, and Board Director, bringing her successful record of accomplishment as an executive with extensive experience in education technology, private equity, and policy. Jamie was selected by Minnesota Business magazine as one of the 2015 (Real) Power 50, by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal as a 2017 Titans of Technology honoree, and 2017 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist. She sits on the board of directors for Project Success, a MN-based education non-profit and serves as an advisory board member for Bethel University's Department of Business and Economics. Jamie holds a Master of Business Administration from Bethel University and a Bachelor of Science in political science from the University of Wisconsin. Her ambitious personality, relentless commitment to serve educators and students, and strong leadership inspire her teams to build and implement education...

“We don't know how to do it. But, yes, we can do it.” Out Solutions, serves on the Schubert Club Board of Directors, co-founded Smart Factory, has spoken at Ignite Minneapolis and Giant Steps and was named one of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal's 40 under 40. “My parents left their country when they were in their 20s.” Jeff talks about his proclivity to get in over his head and how that's led to him running his own business. He talks about his openness and desire to try things he's never done before. And Jeff connects his willingness to take risks to the fact that his parents immigrated to the US from Taiwan in their 20s. Jeff also talks about how he got into making and working with technology, how he uses scientific thinking to solve creative problems, and how he balances running a company and being a father.

This on demand audio series is a part of the Executive Girlfriends Group Vignette Series. Chicke Fitzgerald interviews Sheila Ronning. The original live interview was 5/14/15. Long before women on boards was a hot topic, Sheila Ronning believed in women's ability to serve on corporate boards strongly enough to become the Founder & CEO of Women in the Boardroom. Today, as one of the nation's top leadership and board service experts, Sheila excels at connecting influential women executives and professionals with the people and tools they need to succeed in business and the boardroom by organizing executive and board coaching sessions, seminars and webinars. Sheila has built a strong track record over the years. Before founding Women in the Boardroom in 2002, she garnered more than 10 years of strategic marketing, sales management, and operations leadership experience with companies that range from Fortune 500 leaders to visionary start-ups.  Today, Sheila has thousands of powerful connections nationwide, which she uses to help other women achieve their goals. When asked her secret to networking, Sheila says, “Be fearless, sincere, honest, and frank.” Sheila received the Enterprising Woman of the Year Award from Enterprising Women magazine. She has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, ForbesWoman, Star Tribune, The Pioneer Press, and Chicago Sun-Times. The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal named Sheila in their prestigious “40 Under Forty” list for her entrepreneurial dynamism and reputation as a networking expert. The website is http://womenintheboardroom.com/ For more information about the Executive Girlfriends' Group see: http://www.executivegirlfriendsgroup.com