Business Lesbian: Recent Episodes
FM Podcasts
Today's conversation is packed with insight, wisdom, and a perspective that is so necessary at this point in history. On the show is Dr. Anjali Bhagra, who is a physician and clinical investigative internist at Mayo Clinic, as well as the Medical Director of the Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity! Our guest generously shares many of her thoughts on trust and bias, what is needed for meaningful allyship, and how to stand up for important issues in a professional setting. She also unpacks the goals she and the clinic have set for creating an environment of empowered belonging. We discuss curiosity and awareness, the power of acknowledging and apologizing in the process of repairing damages, and the power of numbers and data to convince folks. The last section of today's chat allows time to explore Dr. Bhagra's frameworks and some of the initiatives and events she is involved in.
Key Points From This Episode:
• A brief introduction to the positions that Dr. Bhagra holds at Mayo Clinic.
• How we form our ideas about trustworthiness and the impact of first impressions.
• Looking back on Dr. Bhagra's decision to pursue medicine and her career path so far.
• Dr Bhagra's memories of helping her grandfather at his neighborhood clinic.
• Choosing courage over comfort and transcending learned helplessness.
• Experiences as a mother and a professional; what has changed for women of color in the last two decades.
• Unpacking some of the leadership structures at Mayo Clinic and how Dr. Bhagra fits into these.
• The initiatives that have been rolled out at Mayo to combat social issues and inequality.
• Approaches to difficult conversations; Dr. Bhagra's strategies for the best outcomes in different scenarios.
• Healing hurts and offenses through acknowledgment and apology.
• Lessons in the power of data and stories for resolving conflict.
• Dr. Bhagra talks about the GRIT and RISE frameworks that she uses!
• The progress that has been made at Mayo Clinic in their equity project, and information on the Rise for Equity Conference.
• Closing comments from Dr. Bhagra on the work still to be done and how everyone can contribute.
Tweetables:
“It is striking to see how we trust somebody based on ability, even before we have spoken with them.” — @anjalibhagramd [0:07:22]
“Growing up, in my family, I always had a voice, I always found role models in my parents. I would say my mom is the biggest feminist I have known, and my dad supported that.” — @anjalibhagramd [0:15:27]
“Familiarity brings more empathy. Whenever we ourselves have gone through a situation, we can automatically connect with it at a different level, on a deeper level.” — @anjalibhagramd [0:22:29]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Dr. Anjali Bhagra
Mayo Clinic
Dr. Anjali Bhagra on Twitter
University of Minnesota
GLOW
GRIT Conference
RISE for Equity
Today's episode includes an interview with professional cyclist Emily Schaldach as well as a surprise crossover with Hannah Stelter/Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue and a debrief on the episode with dear chums Meagan and Molly. Tune in for 75 minutes of fun!
There is no one way to exist in the world, and our guest today is an example of someone who pursues her passions without being set on a specific career trajectory. Emily Schaldach is a professional cyclist, writer, and researcher and in this episode, we get insight into all three pursuits. Emily shares her cycling history, training tips, and her most memorable cycling stories, emphasizing the importance of keeping it fun! We discover how Emily got into writing and what she prefers to write about, before getting a glimpse into the structure of college creative writing programs. In terms of her work as a researcher, Emily breaks down the fascinating topic of her current research and her inspiring job-finding strategy that got her in the door. Tune in to hear everything from Emily’s experience of queerness in the cycling space to her heart-stopping encounter with a moose, and so much more!
Key Points From This Episode:
• Introducing professional cyclist, writer, and researcher Emily Schaldach.
• Emily reads the rules of engagement.
• How she feels she’s perceived by others.
• Emily’s training tips.
• Her relationship with adversity.
• Emily partakes in the “I’m a 10, but…” trend.
• Her relationship with social media.
• The structure of her work life and the fascinating topic of her research.
• Her job-finding strategy.
• The value of meaning over money.
• Emily’s cycling history.
• How her family influenced her, growing up.
• How to channel competitiveness in a healthy way.
• The best advice Emily received from her cycling coach.
• What motivates her to upgrade her equipment.
• The recommended mountain bike to start on.
• The longest ride Emily’s ever done!
• A recount of crossing paths with a moose on a cycle.
• Emily’s favorite race thus far.
• How she connected with Sarah Sturm.
• Emily’s trajectory as a writer and favorite content to write about.
• The structure of college creative writing courses, in Emily’s experience.
• Her experience of being queer in cycling and writing about it.
• Emily answers our rapid-fire questions!
Tweetables:
“You just have to do enough every day so that when you do want to do a lot, you’re able to.” — @emilyschaldach [0:03:55]
“I don’t need everything, I just need enough.” — @emilyschaldach [0:16:18]
“I’m always telling people, especially [those] who have kids, just keep it fun as long as you can.” — @emilyschaldach [0:30:14]
“I go through phases of having apprehension about talking about queerness but the more that I do it, the more fun it is.” — @emilyschaldach [0:54:35]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Emily Schaldach on LinkedIn
Emily Schaldach on Instagram
Emily Schaldach on Twitter
Emily Schaldach on Strava
Too Many Socks Newsletter
Sarah Sturm on Instagram
Business Lesbian
Meagan and Molly hop on the pod this spooky halloween to catch up and share about Halloweekend shenanigans, Molly's second (first?) Halloween as a mom, the transition of the seasons, "Jim-bouree" and marco polo as a way to stay close with friends when sustained real-time conversations are harder to chisel time for. Exclusive story regarding famous pilot Maverick Jim and his terrifying one-night-sand (not a typo) 1980 Miami Halloween romance.
Scribble ladies? check. Body positivity? check. The announcement of a second business venture from a self-identified "zillenial" artist who is absolutely crushing the game? check-but this time using a satisfyingly smooth glass pen that you will be able to buy at Hannah Stelter's "Scribble Lady Co" merchandise and art supply company. We got Molly back on the show to co-host the interview with Brittany, so this is a great episode! Can it get any better? Maybe if Brittany used the word "siiiiick" less, but like Hannah says-the best thing about this all is that everyone is "perfectly imperfect".
More about the episode: while shaking the art community and breaking all the rules, Hannah Stelter, the creator of Designed By Hannah, is here to discuss her embarking on a new business adventure, Scribble Lady! As a young entrepreneur, Hannah is embracing imperfection while she paves her way in the art world. While on this journey, Hannah explains how her art has helped her redefine beauty standards and why she is so passionate about promoting unapologetic self-love. We hear all about the ins and outs of owning and managing a small business and how Hannah deals with delegation, customer service, and outsourcing people to do the jobs she hates. Hannah is helping us rethink the way we look at creating art: different ways of thinking, the power of imperfection, and the importance of fun. From watercolor pallets to sketchbooks and glass pens, Scribble Lady will soon be the new place to shop all things amazing art supplies!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Designed By Hannah: the original LLC for selling her art.
- Hannah’s new art supply company, Scribble Lady!
- How Hannah sources her art supplies.
- Hannah’s goals for her new business.
- How to break conventional watercolor techniques.
- Why we need to embrace imperfection.
- How Hannah created her unique, signature art style.
- Why she enjoys using the glass pen.
- Why using Apple is synonymous with artists.
- “I’m a ten, but…”: Hannah's experience with the trend and online criticism.
- How She is growing her business.
- The progression of her business.
- Some learning curves from owning a small business.
- Hannah’s experience people with people management.
- When and why our guest is traveling around Europe.
- How Hannah ended up studying graphic design.
- Where did the Scribble Lady come from?
- How Hannah promotes body positivity and breaks beauty norms and standards.
- Hannah’s relationship with pole dancing.
- Artists that inspire Hannah.
- How to track your personal and business-related goals!
- Hannah’s daily doodle challenges.
Tweetables:
“The point of my new company is embracing imperfection and thinking about art in a different way: in a more approachable way, a less serious way, and in a way that is more fun.” — Hannah Stelter [0:05:10]
“I love the teaching I do now because I am teaching the people who want to learn exactly what I am teaching.” — Hannah Stelter [0:34:41]
“I keep the heads off [my drawings] because of the emotion coming out of the piece, but also because it's not about anything else. It is about the body. It is about looking at the body, which is something a lot of people aren’t comfortable with.” — Hannah Stelter [0:40:55]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Hannah Stelter
Hannah Stelter on TikTok
Hannah Stelter on LinkedIn
Hannah Stelter on Instagram
Hannah Stelter on YouTube
Hannah Stelter Email
Hannah Stelter Portfolio
Scribble Lady
Scribble Lady on Instagram
Michaels
TAG
Business Lesbian
Welcome back to the Business Lesbian! Today we have Natalie Reiter, owner, and founder of Prairieland Counseling Services, joining us in conversation, plus a little switcheroo in the episode layout with a nice debrief with friend of the pod, Molly Swanston.
Tune in to hear Natalie’s thoughts on the rules of engagement you hear at the start of every episode before sharing the details of the path that led her to work as a counselor today. She talks us through the therapy process and emphasizes the importance of building a relationship rather than applying a technique before giving listeners some ideas of what to look out for in the search for a counselor. We also discuss some warning signs that indicate that someone is not doing well and how to help someone find the help they need. We touch on where to find low-cost care, talk about what a sliding scale is, and Natalie shares what makes her feel luckiest to work in the mental health field. Tune in today to hear more.
Key Points From This Episode:
- An introduction to Natalie Reiter, owner, and founder of Prairieland Counseling Services.
- Important distinctions between counselors, therapists, psychologists, and social workers.
- Natalie reads the rules of engagement.
- What Natalie thinks of the rules of engagement and how they apply to other relationships.
- The educational path she followed before becoming a counselor.
- What the process of becoming a counselor looks like and why it is different for everyone.
- Advice on what to look for when you are choosing a counselor.
- An overview of the therapy process, starting with the first intake session.
- Why the relationship is more important than the technique or theory.
- The rewards of transitioning a client to a different therapist.
- Therapist credentials and what to look for.
- How being raised by parents who work in mental health inspired Natalie’s career.
- Warning signs that someone is not okay.
- What to do if you see these signs.
- How to navigate resistance to necessary care.
- Where to find low-cost care.
- What a sliding scale is and why it is always worthwhile to ask.
- Finding out what your insurance will cover in terms of mental health.
- Natalie weighs in on Megan Thee Stallion’s new song, Anxiety.
- How Natalie prioritizes self-care: through being creative and reading fiction.
- Why Natalie feels so lucky to do the job she does.
- The status at Prairieland: taking new clients.
- What Natalie loves most about her job.
- Her advice to listeners: give counseling a try!
Tweetables:
“Working with people across the lifespan spectrum gives my work a lot of worth and a lot of richness which I really appreciate.” — Natalie Reiter [0:02:27]
“The theory or technique that they use is not as important as the relationship you have. The relationship is the most important thing and having a foundation is imperative.” — Natalie Reiter [0:15:18]
“I feel incredibly honored to do my job. People come to me and tell me the hardest parts of their lives, and that to me is so honoring that I wouldn’t do anything else.” — Natalie Reiter [0:47:09]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Natalie Reiter on LinkedInPrairieland Counseling Services
Pacific Post Partum Support SocietyBad Bitches Have Bad Days Too
Business Lesbian
Adopt, don’t shop! Animal shelters nationwide are full to capacity, so when you choose to adopt from an animal shelter rather than buying from a breeder, you are saving two lives; the life of the animal you take home and the life of the animal who gets to take its spot in the shelter. While he was working as a Deputy Sheriff, Keith Benning became aware of the high volume of stray, mange-riddled, starving dogs that roamed the streets of his county. Upon discovering that the nearest animal shelter was a two-hour drive away, Keith took matters into his own hands and founded Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue (TMAR) which has saved over 7000 animals to date (mostly dogs and cats, but also some horses, llamas, pigs, and even chickens). Tune in today to hear what it takes to keep an animal shelter going (this work is not for the faint-hearted!), the process that each animal goes through when it arrives at TMAR, the expansion plans they have for their facility, and how you can support their incredible mission!
Key Points From This Episode:
- The number of animals currently being cared for by Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue (TMAR).
- People who make up the TMAR team.
- Keith shares the founding story of TMAR.
- The first animal Keith rescued.
- Advice for how to deal with a stray animal if you come across one.
- Examples of some of the many experiences Brittany has had with lost dogs.
- The importance of not making assumptions.
- How TMAR helps communities during disaster situations.
- The hard work that Keith and his team put into TMAR.
- Funding streams that keep TMAR running.
- Transparency as a value that TMAR upholds and how it has benefited them.
- The new TMAR facility that is currently being built.
- The process that an animal is taken through when it is rescued by TMAR.
- Circumstances under which TMAR will euthanize an animal.
- The types of animals that TMAR has rescued.
- Adopt, don’t shop!
- How you can support TMAR.
Tweetables:
“We’re not trying to stage anything or sugarcoat it. We’re just being honest about what it is and trying to educate people on what things are like behind the scenes.” — Keith Benning [0:21:37]
“A shelter can only save as many animals as people adopt.” — Keith Benning [0:37:53]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue
Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue on Facebook
Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue on YouTube
Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue on TikTok
Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue on Twitter
Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue on Instagram
Business Lesbian
Business Lesbian Email Address
Time for another ruminates mini episode as I generate some interview content! This 13 minute episode features the cool new BL theme song, me reflecting on the amazing community I'm grateful to be a part of, the ways I am trying to engage more within it, and then just some spitballing about COBRA health insurance strategies. V coo.
If you are struggling with your mental health, there is help. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is an incredible source of resources for help and they can be viewed at this link
Welcome back to the Business Lesbian podcast! This episode carries a content warning for suicidal ideation, as Brittany gets candid about her recent struggles with anxiety and depression. For the US National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, dial 988. For today’s show, Brittany is joined in conversation by her dear friend Molly Swanston of Swanston Equipment as she processes the end of her employment at her family’s business, Industrial Builders Inc. She explains why she chose to leave, why it’s so hard to leave, and what kind of work environment she’ll seek out in the future.
Brittany shares her experience of hosting this podcast thus far before the pair move on to business. We hear about the challenge of recruitment in the current climate, the phenomenon that is ‘quiet quitting’, and what employers can do to prevent it. We learn about Swanston Equipment’s branding journey and its success in terms of employee engagement. Keeping the chat impromptu, Molly and Brittany share their thoughts on everything from Taylor Swift to pay transparency. Tune in for this all-encompassing episode, and find out what Brittany does to manage her anxiety and depression.
Key Points From This Episode:
• This episode contains a trigger warning for suicidal ideation.
• The things that help Brittany with her anxiety and depression.
• Introducing Brittany’s good friend, Molly Swanston.
• The rules of engagement.
• Brittany opens up about her struggles with anxiety and depression in the past month.
• The definition of generalized anxiety disorder.
• Her feelings about the end of her employment at her family’s business, Industrial Builders Inc.
• Brittany’s experience of hosting the Business Lesbian podcast thus far.
• Molly’s take on recruitment and ‘stealing’ employees from other companies.
• The success of a recent Swanston Equipment recruitment.
• The phenomenon of quiet quitting and how to prevent it as an employer.
• The headstarts that Brittany has had in her career.
• Why she chose to leave IBI and what she’s looking for from a company culture standpoint.
• The scale of Molly’s business, Swanston Equipment.
• Swanston Equipment’s branding journey.
• What Brittany loves about Taylor Swift!
• Brittany shares her various creative outlets.
• What Molly finds challenging about writing.
• Info about the upcoming North Dakota Construction Leadership Council fundraiser.
• Our thoughts on pay transparency.
• What Brittany’s salary comprised of in the family business setting.
• Words of support for those battling anxiety and/or depression.
Welcome back to Business Lesbian with Brittany Diederich! Joining the conversation today is her aunt, Laura Diederich-Carley, to talk about Brittany’s grandma, Irene who was a trailblazer and business leader during her lifetime. Tune in today to hear Laura tell stories from her life, growing up with Irene, and working with her as an adult. Gain insight into the family business and Irene’s vocal and supportive approach, before hearing about traits Laura shares with Irene and how that translates to serving the business and the community. Laura recounts a touching memory of Irene’s unwaveringly calm support during a tornado when she was a child and tells us about her parents’ bustling social life around the Craps Table. Hear about this formidable woman’s impact on her family’s life, and how her legacy shines in her daughter and granddaughter’s lives today. Thanks for listening!
Key Points From This Episode:
• Hello and welcome to episode 5 of Business Lesbian where Laura Diederich-Carley talks about Brittany’s grandma Irene.
• Laura reads the rules of engagement for the Business Lesbian podcast.
• An introduction to Brittany's aunt Laura.
• Quiet quitting and why it is up to the company to make it worthwhile to give more to your business.
• The nature of a family business and why it is so closely tied to family life.
• Why it’s significant for Brittany to talk to Laura about Irene just before she leaves the company.
• The story of Irene and her husband’s early relationship.
• Laura’s role in the family business and what she worked on with Irene.
• Her position as Special Projects Manager.
• Some of the organizations that Laura has been part of; starting with her kids’ schools.
• The triangle of support that teachers need: administrative, student, and community support.
• Irene and Laura’s community work at the YWCA.
• A memory of Irene keeping extremely calm during a tornado when Laura was a child.
• Irene and her husband’s bustling social life.
• The story of how Irene was named chair of the Neuro Psychiatric Institute.
• Laura’s thoughts on the profound impact that her mother had on her father’s career.
• Board member relationships and why the Diederichs earned the right to have the most say.
• Irene’s commitment to doing what she wanted even if it wasn’t socially acceptable.
• The Las Vegas game and the Craps Table.
• Irene’s attitude to other people’s success which Brittany has inherited.
• How Irene lost her mom and supported Laura’s friends when they went through the same thing.
• The Norwegian influence in the Diederich family value system.
• Irene’s supportive and vocal approach to life, parenting, and her husband’s career.
Teachers (or “learning engineers” as they also go by) are literally raising our future generations and doing everything they can to turn their students into the best versions of themselves, and they deserve our utmost respect. Today’s guests are Carly Grandner (G), Alexa Johnson (Ms. J), and Gary Suchor (Mr. Suchor); music teacher, math teacher, and English teacher respectively. All three of them are palpably passionate about their work and their students. Sometimes, unfortunately, this passion can end up being a downfall because it is too often assumed that teachers will work for less because they love what they do. For this reason, amongst others, many teachers are changing career paths, with potentially catastrophic future outcomes. Tune in for this episode where we discuss everything from establishing boundaries, to politics being brought into the school environment, to the struggles of post-lockdown reality, and more!
Key Points From This Episode:
- G, Ms. J, and Mr. Suchor share their favorite memories from the summer.
- Each of today’s guests shares a brief overview of their upbringing and educational journeys.
- What the school environment provides to children.
- How to establish boundaries with children.
- The role of guidance counselors in a school environment.
- What G, Ms. J, and Mr. Suchor were like when they were at school.
- Hear the story of the projector on fire.
- Examples of books that children are into at the moment.
- How the current political environment in the United States is spilling into schools.
- Requirements for becoming a teacher.
- A major challenge facing school music faculties.
- The threat of privatization of schools.
- Average compensation that new teachers in the public school system receive.
- Why taking a day off as a teacher is a lot of work.
- Dealing with burnout as a teacher.
- Post-lockdown challenges in schools.
- The lack of support available to teachers.
- Why G, Ms. J, and Mr. Suchor don’t like ice-breakers.
- Some of the least hated ice-breakers.
- A creative approach to remembering students’ names.
- G, Ms. J, and Mr. Suchor each share what led them to become teachers.
- Traits in teachers that children think are cool.
- If you’re considering teaching as a profession, go for it!
- The importance of the teaching profession.
Tweetables:
“School is so much more than just learning.” — Gary Suchor [0:13:09]
“When kids reach out, they want stability and reassurance, and someone to listen to them. You can still support them in a way that’s clearly very different [from a friendship].” — Carly Grandner [0:15:30]
“My number one fear is that public education is going to die out because we won’t have enough qualified people to put in there.” — Gary Suchor [0:35:43]
“Math didn’t necessarily come easy to me but I do believe that having an understanding of numbers gives you power.” — Alexa Johnson [01:03:19]
This is a great episode where Brittany has the opportunity to pick the brain of Skyler Dutton, co-founder of Thunder Coffee, which started as a coffee cart and is now a coffee shop (with walls!), a roastery, and another location on the way.
Thunder Coffee was born out of a love of specialty coffee - because who doesn’t love specialty coffee? The business began as a mobile coffee cart in 2017, and despite the pandemic and a few other challenges, it is now a fully-fledged coffee shop situated in Fargo and run by Skyler Dutton, his brother Dexter, and his wife Nicole. Thunder Coffee is where Skyler gets his cup filled (in more ways than one) and it takes up a large portion of dinner time conversation. But Skyler is also a lot more than just the co-founder of Thunder Coffee. He’s also a father, a husband, a dog dad in denial, a lover of motorcycles, almost 10 years sober, and an all-around good human being. So, as you can imagine, our conversation is about a whole lot more than just business! Tune in as Skyler candidly shares the personal struggles that he has overcome, his approach to fatherhood, and what it looks like to be a professional pivoter!
This is the first "ruminate" episode, which is a short episode with just me reflecting on things in general. Recording with some exceptional guests this week and those episodes will launch sometime next week!
The Podcast launched about a week ago and I clarify what listeners can expect from the show and me as a host and then reflect on why it's hard to correct people on things that weren't meant to be offensive but why it's particularly important to do so.
This episode features Morgan Allora, a professional photographer in the Fargo Moorhead area who has an absolutley flourishing business as well as outlook on life. We talk about how to find what you're passionate about, the leap to making that your day job, and how to artfully prevent yourself from burning out. Hint-it's boundaries, clear communication, the support of amazing humans, and therapy.
Notes from the episode- I mention Olivia Julianna and her fundraising in the episode; in the one week since recording, that 200k has skyrocketed up to over 2.2 million dollars! Kickass!
A get to know you episode with two of my best friends/Business Lesbians: Molly Swanston and Meagan McDougall. Join us as we shoot the shit and have a nice conversation about being a good human, working for the family business, and how to be authentic in general. This is probably more skewed towards being a human than being a business person, but isn't that life in general?
This is not a real episode, this is me monologuing about what I hope the podcast is about for 4 minutes so that I can set up all the distribution. Listen or not, the choice is yours. First real episode is coming soon and I will be interviewing Molly Swanston and Meagan McDougall! It will be lit. Enjoy.