When You Grow Up Podcast: Recent Episodes
Kaitlyn Luboff
This podcast is a collection of interviews with regular folks like you and me, at various points in their personal and professional journeys. It's for anyone seeking inspiration to embark on a new career, finally start the project they've been thinking about, or pursue meaningful work outside their job. In each episode you'll hear common themes of the pursuit of financial satisfaction, emotional fulfillment, and personal/professional growth.
Jennifer Westbrook practiced corporate law for 12 years before devoting her expertise to helping small businesses succeed. Through her writing, web design, and guidance, she gives a voice to other entrepreneurs. She knows everyone she works with defines “thriving” differently and makes it a point to understand their goals from the beginning.
A few references you may be interested in reading more about:
- Jennifer’s website: https://www.jenwestwriting.com/
- The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate, book by Gary Chapman
- Spirit Controlled Temperament, book by Tim LaHaye
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career #careerchange #webdesign #smallbusiness #entrepreneur #personalgrowth #professionalgrowth #mentor #rolemodel #professionaldevelopment #writing
Just a few of the things I’ve learned from Bob Mina:
- Don’t wait–give that thing a try, because you don’t know what’s coming next
- Be present
- “You are more than your career; you are a person with a career.”
- The rough patches you persevere through will define you
Thank you to Bob Mina for taking the time to share your journey with me and When You Grow Up Podcast. Part 2 rounds out the standard episode questions.
A few references you may be interested in reading more about:
- What is Dragon Boat? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_boat
- Bob’s Instagram handle @hurricanebobm
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wygupodcast #podcast #career #personalgrowth #professionalgrowth #mentor #rolemodel #professionaldevelopment #dragonboat #careerchange #IT #Y2K #impostersyndrome
When I first spoke with Bob Mina to prepare for this interview, he said to me about his unexpected career journey, “You don’t necessarily end up where you’re aiming, so just be present where you are”. Bob earned 2 degrees in Psychology, and he’s now a Senior Information Center Analyst at Christiana Care Health System. In Part 1 of this interview, we talk about his professional journey, including how he reacted to getting laid off at 41. We also address imposter syndrome, and how it may actually help us.
Part 2 will include Bob’s responses to the standard WYGU Podcast interview questions. Check it out on January 15th, 2022.
A few references you may be interested in reading more about:
- Philadelphia Flying Phoenix dragonboat team, Against the Wind: https://www.philadelphiaflyingphoenix.org/about-us/first-slideshow/
- Lunarbaboon comics: http://www.lunarbaboon.com/comics/?currentPage=2
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If you’d like to connect on LinkedIn, send me a message to say hello and let me know if you liked this episode: www.linkedin.com/in/kaitlynluboff-pmp.
wygupodcast #podcast #career #personalgrowth #professionalgrowth #mentor #rolemodel #professionaldevelopment #dragonboat #careerchange #IT #Y2K #impostersyndrome
How important is our ability to speak well? How can past failures be an asset in a job interview? What’s the secret to answering interview questions and landing your dream job? Aletta Rochat is the co-Founder of Interview Survival Guide, an interview coaching duo offering online courses, from the fast-track to Mastery-level training. We talk about Aletta’s journey to becoming a master speaker, and how she came to be an interview and speech coach.
A few references you may be interested in reading more about:
- Interview Survival Guide, https://www.interviewsurvivalguide.com/
- Aletta Rochat on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/alettarochat/
- Speak Connect Succeed - Build your Reputation as you Speak, book by Aletta Rochat
- The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism, book by Olivia Fox Cabane
- https://www.innerlifeskills.com/
- The Offer Letter podcast, “E24 - Tell me something about you that is not on your CV”
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wygupodcast #podcast #career #personalgrowth #professionalgrowth #mentor #rolemodel #professionaldevelopment #publicspeaking #speechcoach #interviewprep #interviewskills #interview
Fred Tippet is a retired union electrician, and now drives with Uber to keep himself busy. In this episode I learn about the steps to becoming a tradesperson, the benefits to tradespeople of being part of a union, and what a parachute rigger is.
Fred Tippet and I were strangers until this summer, when my friends and I loaded up into his Uber during a bachelorette celebration in Delaware. Conversation was easy and I was surprised to hear that Fred plays World of Warcraft, a very popular computer game. I gave Fred my podcast card, and he emailed me later to set up this interview. Thank you to Fred’s wife, who encouraged him to participate!
A few references you may be interested in reading more about:
- What’s a parachute rigger? https://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/career-match/support-logistics/transportation-inventory/92r-parachute-rigger.html
- Learn more about Philadelphia deer culling, https://www.phillymag.com/news/2021/03/13/philadelphia-deer-culling/
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wygupodcast #podcast #career #personalgrowth #professionalgrowth #mentor #rolemodel #professionaldevelopment #trades #union #uber #retired #worklifebalance #electrician
Do you want to be able to be 100% yourself at work? Are you happy with a boring job? Why is there stigma around changing jobs frequently?
Antonia Landi works at AVIV Group as Senior Product Manager in Product Operations. We met through an event hosted by Product-Led Alliance, an organization I recently became aware of. Antonia spoke at the Product Ops Summit about the topic of building internal tools for your team. I was intrigued by her journey to becoming a Product Manager.
A few references you may be interested in reading more about:
- Antonia’s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/landiantonia/
- “CPO,” Chief Product Officer
- John Cutler, Product Evangelist
- Miro, digital whiteboarding tool, https://miro.com/
wygupodcast #podcast #career #personalgrowth #professionalgrowth #mentor #rolemodel #professionaldevelopment #networking #productops #productoperations
How did a certified dietician end up in sales? Is cold calling dead? What can we do to prepare ourselves now for potential challenges to our confidence later? Mike Tarnapoll is an account executive at HubSpot, but his journey there was different than you might imagine. He and I discuss what it takes to switch industries early on in your career, the value of an MBA in his context, and some excellent role models.
A few references you may be interested in reading more about:
- Dharmesh Shah, Chief Technology Officer at HubSpot, https://www.linkedin.com/in/dharmesh/
- Yamini Rangan, Chief Customer Officer at HubSpot, https://www.linkedin.com/in/yaminirangan/
- Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds, book by David Goggins
- Greenlights, book by Matthew McConaughey
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wygupodcast #podcast #career #personalgrowth #professionalgrowth #mentor #rolemodel #professionaldevelopment #sales #coldcalling #careerchange #education #settinggoals #fitness #health
What’s the difference between a coach and a mentor? Who would benefit from coaching, and how do you know it’s “working”? How do we manifest change in our lives? In Episode 28, I speak with Ashlee Braxton about the answer to these questions. I’ve never had a coach myself, and wanted to learn what it’s all about!
Ashlee is a creative career coach. Ashlee has been a leading executive in the music industry, a corporate professional in Paris and now an entrepreneur in Barcelona. She's never been afraid to always follow the intuition of her dreams. She is dedicated to helping people with creative careers take massive leaps in their lives.
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References:
- https://www.ashleebraxton.com/, Quantum Coaching, with Ashlee Braxton
- http://instagram.com/ashleebraxton
- The Journaling Techniques that Changed My Life, by Struthless on Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dArgOrm98Bk
- Oprah Winfrey, https://www.oprah.com/
- Hot Yoga Barcelona, https://www.hotyogabarcelona.com/
- Hot Yoga Philadelphia, https://hotyogaphiladelphia.com/
wygupodcast #podcast #career #personalgrowth #professionalgrowth #mentor #rolemodel #professionaldevelopment #networking #coach #careercoach #dreams #goals #goalsetting
Natalie LePera graduated from Temple University in the winter of 2019, just a few months before COVID-19 led to the loss of m`any job opportunities. She has since worked in a few different companies, finding the right opportunity for her. Natalie is gaining experience in pharmacy research, working her way to some day earning a graduate degree in neuroscience/neuropharmacology or neuropsychopharmacology, a very neat field! In this episode, Natalie and I catch up about what it was like to find a job in the throes of a pandemic, how to advocate for a raise, and what we get wrong about Gen Z.
A few references you may be interested in reading more about:
- Neurodegenerative diseases, https://medlineplus.gov/degenerativenervediseases.html
- Multiple myeloma, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/multiple-myeloma/symptoms-causes/syc-20353378#:~:text=Multiple%20myeloma%20is%20a%20cancer,crowd%20out%20healthy%20blood%20cells.
- Neuropharmacology: in depth in neuroscience, focus on how anything crossing blood-brain barrier impacts brain cells
- Neuropsychopharmacology, https://www.nature.com/npp/
- Atypical plasticity inducers: “research chemicals”
- Johns Hopkins psychedelics research, https://hopkinspsychedelic.org/
- R statistical software, https://www.r-project.org/
- PubMed, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
wygupodcast #podcast #career #personalgrowth #professionalgrowth #mentor #rolemodel #professionaldevelopment #networking #pharma #pharmaresearch #research #recentgraduate
What can you do to create safety while traveling? How might you plan a big trip with a new friend? In the continuation of the previous episode, Leena Desai tells me about her recent trip to Iceland, where she hiked the trail to see the ongoing flow from the Fagradalsfjall volcano; and shares her next travel destinations.
For the 25th and 26th episodes of When You Grow Up, I interviewed a dear friend of mine who inspires me to be a strong, independent and kind person. Leena Desai and I met several years ago when she was traveling for work. She is a Clinical Research Associate at Clinipace. She oversees clinical research for new drugs and treatments in hematology oncology.
I have changed so much since we first met, and have come to appreciate more and more the example she is for young people like myself. Not only is this episode special because it includes Leena, but we recorded an extended interview, which will be split into 2 segments. This is part 2.
A few references you may be interested in reading more about:
- Foraging, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foraging
- Drew Binsky, travel vlogger, https://www.drewbinsky.com/
- The Kingdom Fungi, book by Steven Stephenson
- Fagradalsfjall, volcano in Iceland, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fagradalsfjall
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wygupodcast #podcast #career #personalgrowth #professionalgrowth #mentor #rolemodel #professionaldevelopment #travel #clinicalresearch #solotravel
Have you ever traveled solo? Has discrimination impacted your job prospects? How do you face personal or professional challenges? For the 25th episode of When You Grow Up, I interviewed a dear friend of mine who inspires me to be a strong, independent and kind person. Leena Desai and I met several years ago when she was traveling for work. She is a Clinical Research Associate at Clinipace, where she oversees clinical research for new drugs and treatments in hematology oncology.
I have changed so much since we first met, and have come to appreciate more and more the example she is for young people like myself. Not only is this episode special because it includes Leena, but we recorded an extended interview, which will be split into 2 segments. This is part 1. You can catch the second part next Saturday, October 30th.
A few references you may be interested in reading more about:
- Types and Phases of Clinical Trials, https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/clinical-trials/what-you-need-to-know/phases-of-clinical-trials.html
- Happiness Is a Serious Problem: A Human Nature Repair Manual, book by Dennis Prager
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wygupodcast #podcast #career #personalgrowth #professionalgrowth #mentor #rolemodel #professionaldevelopment #travel #clinicalresearch #solotravel
In this episode of When You Grow Up Podcast, I’m interviewing another podcaster! Jeremy Cline produces the Change Work Life Podcast, which at the time of this writing has 109 published episodes. His podcast is for professionals in their mid-life, with 20-25 years left before retiring, who aren’t happy with their working life. He interviews people who’ve been through pretty radical career changes, or various types of coaches. I also ask Jeremy about the value of networking.
A few references you may be interested in reading more about:
- Change Work Life Podcast, by Jeremy Cline, https://changeworklife.com/
- Episode 96: Finding Opportunity Through Redundancy, https://changeworklife.com/finding-opportunity-through-redundancy/
- Bitlift, crypto currency resources & education, https://bitlift.com/
- Podmatch, site for podcasters to meet potential guests, https://podmatch.com/
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wygupodcast #podcast #career #personalgrowth #professionalgrowth #mentor #rolemodel #professionaldevelopment #careercoaching #networking
Have you ever struggled with imposter syndrome? Is growing up and growing old the same thing? Do we create better things when we do them for someone else? Stephanie Leishman and I talk about pride, love, and purpose. This may be one of my most vulnerable episodes yet and I’m so grateful to share it with you.
A few references you may be interested in reading more about:
- Apiarity, https://www.apiarity.com/
- Read Rowing Your Boat by Chieko Okazaki or watch/listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTE-A94xEw0
- The purpose of the Relief Society
- The Moral Obligation to Be Intelligent by John Erskine
- Book of Mormon online, get a free digital copy, or download it for free on your Kindle
- Understanding and Overcoming Pride: Context and Perception, sermon by Stephanie Leishman
- Why God Asks Anything of Me, sermon by Stephanie Leishman
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wygupodcast #podcast #career #personalgrowth #professionalgrowth #mentor #rolemodel #professionaldevelopment #MBA #networking #love #religion #creativity #education
Alex Kachurak studied public health and epidemiology at Temple University. She worked in the Center for Obesity Research and Education there for over 6 years under an excellent leader and manager, but she knew she needed to try something different in order to grow, so she took a chance on an unexpected industry for someone with her degree--she left the public health research world for a role in pharmaceutical research. Now, she and a colleague speak with other Temple University public health students about the opportunities for them in pharma.
A few references you may be interested in reading more about:
- COVID-19 Vaccines: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/keythingstoknow.html?s_cid=11629:what%20is%20the%20covid%2019%20vaccine:sem.ga:p:RG:GM:gen:PTN.Grants:FY22
- Center for Obesity Research and Education at Temple University’s College of Public Health: https://cph.temple.edu/departments-research/departments/social-and-behavioral-sciences/research/research-centers/center
- Kenneth “Ken” C. Frazier, Merck’s executive chairman of the board: https://www.merck.com/leadership/kenneth-c-frazier/
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wygupodcast #podcast #career #personalgrowth #professionalgrowth #mentor #rolemodel #professionaldevelopment #STEM #networking #research #clinicalresearch #observationalresearch #epidemiology #publichealth #cooking #nutrition #education #students #careerchange #templeuniversity
How can we possibly begin to solve the big problems we face today, like illiteracy, poverty, and underprepared young people?
I’m joined by Nathaniel A. Turner, author of Raising Supaman, It’s a Jungle out there, Stop the bus, and co-author of The Amazing World of STEM. Nate shares his perspective on parenting and its impact on the future for not only our children, but the community at large and policies that affect many people. He really got me thinking about the type of parent I want to be someday. We discuss Nate’s book Journey Forward, How to Use Journaling to Envision and Manifest the Life You Always Wanted. You can find it wherever books are sold beginning on October 1st, 2021.
Nathaniel's website: https://www.nathanielaturner.com/
"We Owe Generation Z an Apology Today | Nathaniel Turner | TedxHobartHighSchool: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5Y8W0OC9Jw&t=163s
Journey Forward, How to Use Journaling to Envision and Manifest the Life You Always Wanted, book by Robin E. Henderson-Wilson, Ph.D. and Nathaniel A. Turner, JD, MALS
Raising Supaman, book by Nathaniel A. Turner, JD
The Amazing World of STEM, book by Nathaniel A. Turner, JD, MALS and Naeem K. Turner-Bandele; illustrations by Keva M. Richardson
It's a Jungle Out There, Inspired by THE Lion King: Powerful Parenting Lessons, book by Nathaniel A. Turner, JD, MALS
Stop the Bus, book by Nathaniel A. Turner, JD, MALS
What Are We Gonna Do Today? book by Naeem K. Turner-Bandele, illustrated by Chrystopher Burns
National Novel Writing Month, https://nanowrimo.org/
IngramSpark, independent book publishing association
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wygupodcast #podcast #career #personalgrowth #professionalgrowth #mentor #rolemodel #professionaldevelopment #STEM #parent #networking #financialservices #journaling #education #students #author #writing #community
What does it mean for you to take risks in your career? What’s it like to work for Google?How can you best prepare for maternity leave from your job? Alina Ispas Montriand recently left SAP to join Google as a Global Solutions Manager for Google Workspace. She earned an MBA from Wharton. Alina is one of those people who is always looking to grow.
A few references you may be interested in reading more about:
- Google Interview Prep - I would note that 2&3 on this list have been combined since this guide came out. I can't find anything more recent that shows the combined list.
- Nationalities Service Center, how to donate money: https://nscphila.org/donate
- Nationalities Service Center, how to donate time or goods, https://nscphila.org/how-you-can-help
- Why Philly is a good place to get started in impact investing, article by Technical.ly Philadelphia, https://technical.ly/philly/2021/02/12/how-to-start-impact-investing/?utm_campaign=Philly%20Editorial%20Email&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=110862575&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_wDoMAvWgBVlCHys1sEG_JPNdQHX1exmZh-up7HJK_Zdwdaa8KHq3q_RXFR5kEhJjtQ6bICc4Xt1GNuGsDiDgUxd8oMg&utm_content=110862575&utm_source=hs_email
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wygupodcast #podcast #career #personalgrowth #professionalgrowth #mentor #rolemodel #professionaldevelopment #google #parent #networking #MBA #OKRs #curiousity #dreamjob #sap
Growth is good, but who typically gets left out when decisions about development are made? What does art have to do with equity? I loved this conversation about my hometown of Philadelphia; it broadened my understanding of issues faced by my and other communities, even beyond Philadelphia. Verónica Ayala Flores studied architecture at Temple University and is now Program Manager for the educational arm of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, called Citizens Planning Institute.
A few references you may be interested in reading more about:
- Citizens Planning Institute: https://citizensplanninginstitute.org/
- Citizens Planning Institute (CPI) Spring 2021 playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/72k8yLtmMFz8uz1aQsvcda?si=v_3p3Pe0Q_S460X-4k7fqQ&utm_source=copy-link&dl_branch=1
- Grace Lee Boggs, about: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Lee_Boggs
- The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism, book by Grace Lee Boggs
- The Death and Life of Great American Cities, book by Jane Jacobs, about the author: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Jacobs
- Spiral Q: http://www.spiralq.org/
- Adrienne Maree Brown: https://adriennemareebrown.net/
- Podcast: Getting to the Root of it with Venus Roots
- Organization: The Design Studio for Social Intervention
You can listen to each episode and access a glossary of references at our website: whenyougrowup.org
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wygupodcast #podcast #career #personalgrowth #professionalgrowth #mentor #rolemodel #Philadelphia #art #cityplanning #justice #equity #activism #communitybuilding #architecture #communitydevelopment
These shownotes reflect additional information provided by Verónica after the recording of this episode.
Verónica’s values:
- Justice
- Joy
- Love for other people
- Cooperativismo – Cooperation (Verónica believes we need to lead horizontally, through collaboratives across organizations, not just vertically, like being a CEO)
Verónica’s tips on gift giving:
- Keep a note on your phone with your loved ones names. Actively listen when they speak: for example, my friend recently was saying she was having hard time finding a cappuccino mug made by a local maker that she could afford. When their birthday comes around, you can reference the list!
Verónica’s definition of architecture: Architecture is the study of space! That definition helps [Verónica] broaden what architecture is understood as.
What’s the secret to finding work-life balance, whatever that means for you? Have you been missing travel? What can we do to become better than yesterday? Mani Vaithiyanathan shares his response to the #1 question he gets from mentees seeking guidance on professional development, and how he plans to meet his goal to visit 135 countries by the age of 50.
A few references you may be interested in reading more about:
- Ikigai, book, “Reason for being” a tool for finding your personal work-life balance
- Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands, book
- Your Brain at Work, book by David Rock
- Warren Buffet, how to be wise with your investments: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Buffett
- A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (late president of India, wrote the book Wings of Fire) Dreams transform into thoughts, and thoughts will result in good action: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._P._J._Abdul_Kalam
- Richard Branson, Founder of the Virgin Group: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Branson
- Japanese culture
- Drive & Listen, immersive travel experience site: https://driveandlisten.herokuapp.com/
- The World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals, Netflix show
- Yes Theory Travel:https://yestheory.com/
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wygupodcast #podcast #career #personalgrowth #professionalgrowth #mentor #rolemodel #professionaldevelopment #pmp #ikigai #lifelonglearning #PgMP #education #settinggoals #travel
What are the benefits of buying a franchise, as opposed to starting a business from scratch? David Sauer has worked for big name companies like GE Healthcare, Siemens Healthcare, IBM, and SAP, but always wanted to run his own business. We discuss what he learned from working in corporate America and serving in the Navy Reserve, and what it's been like to run every piece of his new business.
If you’ve dreamed of starting and operating your own business, have you considered buying a franchise? I’ve learned from David that it may offer many resources--like connections to the manufacturer, training and guidance--one doesn’t get when starting from scratch.
A few references you may be interested in reading more about:
- Home Advisor, online resource for service providers and customers to get connected
- The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy, book by Thomas Stanley and William Danko
- Six Sigma, tools and techniques for process improvement, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Sigma
- Bloomin’ Blinds, window coverings and repairs
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wygupodcast #podcast #career #personalgrowth #professionalgrowth #mentor #rolemodel #entrepreneur #franchise #corporateamerica #smallbusiness #business #military #settinggoals
What does community mean to you, and how do we create community? How can we support one another, and especially independent creators? Keisha Whatley shares her story of creating a community asset through the restoration of the Swain Building in the Philadelphia area, which will become a space for people to gather and interact with art, and for artists to learn and grow. Keisha talks about the importance of doing this work as a African American, Indigenous woman, and the paradox of getting media exposure but still needing support from the community to make it happen.
A few references you may be interested in reading more about:
- Germantown Arthaus website: https://gtownarthaus.com/
- Germantown Arhaus Events: https://gtownarthaus.com/events/
- Germantown Arhaus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gtownarthaus/
- Custom Arts Studio website: https://www.customartsstudio.com/
- Custom Arts Studio Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/customartsstudio/
- Artist Bank, “The Artist Bank's mission is to inspire creativity, growth and community through high-quality community arts, education and professional development programming”: https://www.theartistbank.org/
- Rotundo at University of Pennsylvania: http://www.therotunda.org/
- Mt. Airy Art Garage: https://mtairyartgarage.org/
- The Da Vinci Alliance: https://davinciartalliance.org/
- Zig Ziglar (Hilary Hinton “Zig” Ziglar): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zig_Ziglar
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wygupodcast #podcast #career #personalgrowth #professionalgrowth #mentor #rolemodel #Philadelphia #art #professionalartist #smallbusiness #community #communityart #communitybuilding
If you’ve ever clicked that little question mark icon in an application, read an instruction manual, or referenced a how-to guide, you’ve probably seen the work of a Technical Writer. In speaking with Deejay Ramundo, I’m reminded of the book The Giver by Lois Lowry because this role enables longevity and simplicity to complicated and complex processes. But, what happens when we’re not willing to ask questions to really understand?
I love the advice Deejay shared for those who are unsure what area of study to pursue, I think it applies to careers as well:
- Identify all the majors/jobs that interest you
- Print the list of required classes/job responsibilities for each, respectively
- Take a black marker and cross out all the classes/responsibilities that sound terrible
- Ask yourself, “Which list has the fewest black lines?”
The results may surprise you!
A few references you may be interested in reading more about:
- Amy Novinski, ballet instructor: https://www.amynovinski.com/, https://www.instagram.com/amynovinski/
- Lara Cantu-Hertzler, ballet artist: https://www.instagram.com/cantuhertzler/, https://laracantuh.com/home.html
- Knowledge Management: https://www.kmworld.com/About/What_is_Knowledge_Management
- Technical Writing: https://www.instructionalsolutions.com/blog/what-is-technical-writing
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What can folks who are looking to start their own business do to be more prepared to get started? How important is it to network as an artist? Tisha Taylor wants to share her story to encourage others to start their business. She says of participating in an entrepreneurship class, “There’s nothing like getting more organized..and being around other people that are doing the same thing. That’s number one. And 2, figuring out what you’re doing wrong and what you can fix, it’s helpful.” Prior to becoming a full time artist, Tisha had been balancing another full time job and painting “in secret” until she decided it was time to lean into her business.
I hear so often that recent graduates have a hard time earning the job they want because of limited experience. That didn’t slow down Tisha. She saw the opportunity to earn money as a face painter, and spent time face painting for free until she had the experience to earn a job with an established artist. Applying that to other industries, if you need experience for your ideal job after graduation, pursuing internships and apprenticeships, and volunteering are a great place to start.
This episode was a lot of fun to record, and I’m so grateful Tisha was willing to join me and share her story. This experience has taught me that opportunity to be inspired is everywhere--it’s in the people you meet on the street and it’s in artwork everywhere. Please thank your small business artists for sharing their talents!
A few references you may be interested in reading more about:
- Taylored Faces & Balloons, https://www.tayloredfacesphilly.com/
- The Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts, https://capa.philasd.org/
- Moore College of Art & Design, https://moore.edu/
- Power Up Your Business, program through Community College of Philadelphia, https://www.ccp.edu/business-and-industry/power-your-business
- Germantown ArtHause, https://gtownarthaus.com/
- Eric Weinstein, Live Balloons Party Entertainment, https://www.liveballoons.com/
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What does it take to transform a forgotten neighborhood park into an asset for the community? How do you figure out what you’re drawn to, and then become a part of that industry? Sara Hirschler is the Marketing & Membership Manager at Fairmount Park Conservancy, a non-profit in Philadelphia. Sara played a significant role in transforming Clemente Park & Playground into a welcoming space where the community wants to gather.
The Fairmount Park Conservancy is an organization I have admired for years. Since Sara started working there in 2013, when there were only 7 employees, the team has more than doubled. They even have a couple new opportunities open. Check them out at https://myphillypark.org/who-we-are/opportunities/!
Something I learned from my conversation with Sara is that commitment to your purpose, or something that draws you in, can lead to incredible experiences. Sara’s story about Clemente Park & Playground, the bootstrapping improvements she led, remind me that what you’re passionate about doesn’t have to be your job. However, if you do it with commitment and you do it well it certainly can be!
A few references you may be interested in reading more about:
- Fairmount Park Conservancy: https://myphillypark.org/
- 10-mile Broad Street Run training route mapped by Fairmount Park Conservancy in 2020, and the reason I contacted Sara: https://myphillypark.org/we-mapped-a-10-mile-route-through-fairmount-park-for-the-2020-broad-street-run/
- Local parks, Clemente Park & Playground and Liberty Lands
- Landmark self expression and leadership program: https://www.landmarkworldwide.com/
- Isa Does It, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz; that and more at https://www.theppk.com/
- The Oh She Glows Cookbook, by Angela Liddon: https://ohsheglows.com/the-book/
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Why might a brand use videos to capture our attention more so than pictures? How can someone in the spotlight manage to maintain a private life? Have you explored any Korean dramas lately? Sikemi Williams, PMP won a Mid-Atlantic Emmy in 2019 for her work on the CCPTV show Strange College. She’s a talented video producer with over 300 subscribers on YouTube. She is a Senior Project Manager at the non-profit organization Collaborative Solutions for Communities.
Sikemi taught me, in this episode, that amber filters in videos draw the viewer in, you can access a large repository of Korean films at viki.com, and the popular Korean actor Gong Yoo (have you seen the movie Train to Busan?) has a very active fan base but stays off social media himself.
Thank you to Sikemi Williams for joining me for this episode of When You Grow Up Podcast. We faced a couple technical issues along the way and this was by far the hardest episode to edit on my podcasting journey because of a number of recording drops. I have really appreciated Sikemi’s guidance during my experience on the PMI-DVC Marketing & Communications Committee, led by Frank Anbari.
A few references you may be interested in reading more about:
- Shechemee YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/c/OluwasikemiWilliams
- Strange College, CCPTV series: https://www.strangecollege.net/
- Collaborative Solutions for Communities: https://www.wearecsc.org/
- Issa Rae; producer, writer, director: https://www.issarae.com/
- Viki.com, free resource for watching Korean films
- Gong Yoo, popular Korean actor, fan Twitter account: https://twitter.com/Gong_Yoo_JP
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wygupodcast #podcast #career #family #personalgrowth #professionalgrowth #mentor #rolemodel #Koreanfilm #movies
Summary: Have you ever wondered what it’s like to work at a startup? Did you know that 1 in 8 women struggle with infertility, and 1 in 4 have a miscarriage? What can you learn working in the service industry that you probably won’t learn in school? Amanda Bukoski, Director of Operations at Dental Nachos, my friend and neighbor, discuss each of these.
I admire Amanda for sharing her story about struggling with infertility. Fortunately, when we recorded this episode, Amanda and her husband were well on their way to becoming parents. A couple weeks after this recording, they welcomed their beautiful, healthy baby to the world! Many congratulations to them!
Prior to being offered her full time gig at the startup Dental Nachos, Amanda worked as a nanny and was taking on more and more responsibility at the company. She has a natural aptitude for “making”, whether that be making sourdough or making systems work efficiently. I appreciate this transition story, and hope it inspires others to make the industry jump they’re looking to make, in whatever direction that is.
Something in particular that stood out to me in this episode was our conversation about education, and the life skills young people with access to higher education can gain outside the classroom.
A few references you may be interested in reading more about:
- Fertility resources and advocacy, resolve.org
- Tartine Bread, by Chad Robertson & Eric Wolfinger, sourdough bread baking book
- Dental Nachos, Dentists Helping Dentists, https://dentalnachos.com/
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wygupodcast #podcast #career #family #infertility #personalgrowth #startup #education #mentors #professionalgrowth
Summary: What would you like to do when you retire? Mark McClure retired last year from a career in IT, most recently as a solution consultant. In this episode, Mark shares his intentions for retirement, what it was like to travel solo at 23, and what he’s learned from digitizing thousands of his late mother’s photos.
What would you like to do when you retire? Mark McClure retired last year from a career in technology, most recently as a solution consultant. In this episode he shares how he’d now like to spend his time. We also talk about how Mark balances his data privacy concerns with his digital presence on Flickr, where he’s shared hundreds of his photos from his life, through the decades.
I admire Mark for his patient storytelling, and for what he’s looking to learn more about during retirement--you’ll have to listen to the episode to know more! Something that stood out to me personally was Mark’s commitment to using active transportation the last few years. I, too, am a public infrastructure geek, and try to walk, cycle, or run where I’m headed as often as I can.
A few references you may be interested in reading more about:
- Mark McClure’s bio: https://pnwphotowalks.com/about-mark-mcclure
- Mark McClure’s photos on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/memcclure
- Walkable City by Jeff Speck, book
- Active Transportation, https://www.transportation.gov/mission/health/active-transportation
- Flickr, online photo community, https://www.flickr.com/
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wygupodcast #podcast #career #family #retirement #personalgrowth #photography #activetransportation #professionalgrowth #mentor #rolemodel
Rob Madden, Chief Creative Officer at Coinflip Marketing, says he’s still learning. In this episode, Rob reflects on becoming a father at a young age, losing friends and colleagues during the terrorist attacks on 9/11, and his personal growth in pursuit of his many passions.
Rob Madden is the Chief Creative Officer at Coinflip Marketing, and pursues all of his passions without bias. He attended the United States Naval Academy and started his career in financial services right out of school. At 6’ 5”, Rob’s physical presence is matched by his personality and love for learning.
I admire Rob for his willingness to tell his story with gratitude and endurance for the challenges he’s faced. Something that stood out to me personally are the words he shared from the book The Four Agreements, which are “Be impeccable with your word, never take anything personally, never make assumptions, and always do your best”. These are simple to remember and hopefully simple to live by.
A few references you may be interested in reading more about:
- Coinflip Marketing, https://www.coinflipmarketing.com/
- The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday, book
- The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (A Toltec Wisdom Book) by Don Miguel Ruiz, book
- The Travis Manion Foundation, https://www.travismanion.org/
- Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor, https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/marcus-aurelius
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wygupodcast #podcast #stoicism #financialservices #career #family #reinventyourself #personalgrowth #professionalgrowth #mentor #rolemodel
What’s your plan? Niki Weiss serves up a dose of guidance about how to plan 2-5 years ahead, a story about reinventing yourself, and why you should always be learning.
Niki Weiss, PMP, SSM is Director and VP of Education on the Board of PMI-DVC, and a Senior Project Manager at Cigna Global. Among other roles prior to becoming a project manager, Niki was a massage therapist, in what she calls the healing arts. The breadth and depth of her experiences continues to expand as she pursues a Master of Legal Studies at Drexel University’s Thomas R. Kline School of Law.
I admire Niki for her perspective on continuously learning. She says that if your company is willing to reimburse for continuing education credits, “if you’re not taking advantage of that...it’s money being wasted.”
A few references you may be interested in reading more about:
- Dr. Ruth Westheimer
- Decision Trees, standard decision-support tool
- Westminster Kennel Club dog show, https://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/
- PMI-DVC, https://pmi-dvc.org/
- Khan Academy, free online courses, https://www.khanacademy.org/
- Udemy, online courses, https://www.udemy.com/
- LinkedIn Learning, https://learning.linkedin.com/
- Iditarod, dog sled race, https://iditarod.com/
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wygupodcast #podcast #continuingeducation #goalsetting #reinventyourself #professionalgrowth #personalgrowth #rolemodel #mentor #career
Summary: For Kevin Bloom, family is of the utmost importance. Kevin and I discussed the values his parents taught him and his siblings, ones he’ll teach his soon-to-arrive daughter. We talked about the opportunities he’s had in financial services and how his skillset is growing in that industry today.
Kevin is a Senior Internal Advisory Business Consultant & Team Lead at Cetera Financial Group. He graduated from University of Arizona with a BA in History & Political Science. When he was young, he wanted to be a basketball player or coach. That evolved into aspirations to work with baseball teams as he grew older. When that dream did come to fruition, Kevin realized it wasn’t ultimately a great fit for the lifestyle he hoped to have. Instead, he pivoted to pursue a career in financial services, and has found success at Cetera.
I admire Kevin for having pursued his ambitious goal of working for a baseball team, and being willing to make a significant career change when he realized it did not match well with his values. What Kevin said about supporting family, and sharing in one another’s success without being jealous really resonated with me.
A few references you may be interested in reading more about:
- Tae Bo and Billy Blanks, https://www.taebonation.com/
- Cetera Financial Group, https://www.cetera.com/
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Summary: Morgan Martin, CEO of CoApt Projects and Director of Operational Excellence at SCORE Mentors, and I discuss what it’s been like for her to build a business. She provides guidance on what to do if you’re looking to switch industries in your career, and how to prepare to start your own business, or spend time freelancing.
I continue to hear about the importance of patience on my professional journey. Morgan really put it into perspective when she mentioned building a “portfolio” of experiences we can draw from. Some folks choose to specialize early, and others will try jobs and industries that appear to be very different. Both can be equally fulfilling journeys on the road to growing up.
I admire Morgan for her drive to be a connecter of people. Morgan reached out to me on LinkedIn after a PMI-DVC event and I’m so grateful she did. She creates opportunities for others via her business (which matches businesses in need to skilled project managers), through her work at SCORE Mentors (which matches small business owners to one of over 10,000 mentors with business expertise) and by participating in groups like Ellevate.
A few references you may be interested in reading more about:
- CoApt Projects, Morgan Martin’s company, https://coaptprojects.com/
- SCORE Mentors, non-profit organization, https://www.score.org/
- Freelancing Females, https://www.freelancingfemales.com/
- Project Management Institute - Delaware Valley Chapter, professional organization chapter, https://pmi-dvc.org/
- Upwork, freelancing site, https://www.upwork.com/
- Ellevate, women’s networking group, https://www.ellevatenetwork.com/
- Nik & the Nice Guys, band, https://www.nikentertainment.com/bands/Nik-and-the-Nice-Guys/
- Reinventing Work, community, https://www.reinventing.work/
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wygupodcast #podcast #career #personalgrowth #professionalgrowth #mentor #rolemodel #professionaldevelopment #pmp #education #settinggoals #volunteering #bootstrapping #networking #freelancing #freelance #entrepreneur #solopreneur #womeninbusiness #reinventyourself #projectmanagement #recruiting #jobsearch
Indy Shome and I discuss his unique personal/professional journey, where his objective is to help cultivate more whole system-level thinkers to solve common problems in education and access to information. We talk about confirmation bias and the importance of hearing stories from a variety of perspectives.
Indy is disrupting traditional education in the program where he teaches at Murrell Dobbins Career and Technical Education High School. He describes the program as relationship-centered, and focused on real-life feedback and application.
A little bit about Indy Shome, written by Indy Shome:
Indy Shome is an interdisciplinary humanist who works with music, media, and education. His work over the last year has included scoring an indie film, releasing a collaboration album with a Moscow-based throat singing ensemble, building an e-commerce solution for a local business, developing virtual video journalism resources for WHYY, writing a screenplay, volunteering with a number of community organizations, and in September 2020, designing and launching Philadelphia’s first high school Career & Tech (CTE) program in Music & Media, which was recently recognized with a Lindy Award for education and neighbourhood development.
He was born in Calcutta in 1989, and grew up around India as well as in Hong Kong and Singapore before moving to the US for university and earning “EB-1” US Residency for his work in music. His formal education includes an independent interdisciplinary B.A. in “Music, Media, and Consciousness” from Brown University as well as certificates from Harvard Business School, New York Film Academy, and the City of Philadelphia’s Citizens Planning Institute.
A few references you may be interested in reading more about:
- CTE: Career Technical Education
- Hans Rosling, Anna Rosling Ronnlund, and Ola Rosling’s book Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World--and Why Things Are Better Than You Think
- Food Policy Advisory Council, https://phillyfpac.org/
- Participatory Action Research
- Soil Generation, urban agriculture, https://soilgeneration.org/
- Community Wealth, https://community-wealth.org/
- Grassroots Economic Organizing, https://geo.coop/
- YEAH Philly, youth organization searchable on Facebook, http://yeahphilly.org/
- B. Alan Wallace’s book Taboo of Subjectivity: Toward a New Science of Consciousness
Other community organization links:
- Philadelphia Citizens Planning Institute, https://citizensplanninginstitute.org/
- Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance, https://philadelphia.coop/
- Women's Community Revitalization Project, https://www.wcrpphila.org/
- [video] Michael O'Bryan — "Future Folklore"
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wygupodcast #podcast #career #professionalgrowth #personalgrowth #systemsthinking #education #mentors #yoga #community #career #technicaleducation #confirmationbias
Shahzad Khokhar and I discuss the many things that make up a person, including family, what fuels you, and how you deal with setbacks.
When you are open to learning from others, you will never be disappointed. Shahzad and I first connected in 2019 and hadn’t truly learned about one another until recently, when I asked if he’d join me as a guest on When You Grow Up. Thank you for your time Shahzad!
Shahzad Khokhar started his consulting company, araZach, in late 2019. He and his team are part of the Salesforce network of partners and offer a variety of services related to Salesforce implementation and use. In addition to building his business, he is an educator with the Boston University Online MBA Program, and inventor and co-founder of KloudSign digital signage.
I admire Shahzad for his style of being a role model for his daughter--which he shared with me is more about himself practicing the habits he wants her to have--and for his perspective on what emotional fulfillment means to him. So many elements of this discussion stand out to me, but in particular was Shahzad’s story about an experience he had with an executive coach after he said, “I want to be better than everybody else. How do I do it?” Listen at 22:23 to hear the answer he received.
Some of the things we reference in the episode that you may be interested in:
- araZach, https://www.arazach.com/
- BU Online MBA Program
- KloudSign, https://www.mykloudsign.com/
- John C. Maxwell’s book The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader
- RPA: Robotic processing analytics; Automation Anywhere and Blue Prism
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wygupodcast #podcast #professionalgrowth #personalgrowth #career #mentor #rolemodel #creativity #Salesforce #MBA #family #parenthood
Kelly Taylor Stoner and I discuss her ongoing journey to becoming an entrepreneur, the purpose of personal branding, and the importance of taking career risks in order to grow.
In this episode of When You Grow Up, I learn more about Kelly Taylor Stoner, PMP. Kelly graduated from Cabrini University with a BS in Marketing, then earned her Project Management Professional (PMP) certification in 2018 from the Project Management Institute (PMI). Kelly is taking on more leadership responsibility at 11outof11, works as a Freelance Project Manager + Marketer, and recently joined the Marketing and Communications Committee at PMI Delaware Valley Chapter as Director of Digital Marketing (Volunteer).
I admire Kelly for her drive to create opportunities for herself, willingness to share her marketing expertise, and pragmatic approach to risk taking.
A few references you may be interested in reading more about:
- Leadership Resources (program and resources) https://lrsuccess.com/
- Brene Brown's podcasts Unlocking Us and Dare to Lead: https://brenebrown.com/podcasts/
- Mark Brackett's book Permission to Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Our Kids, Ourselves, and Our Society Thrive
- HubSpot Blog: https://blog.hubspot.com/
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wygupodcast #podcast #projectmanagement #marketing #professionalgrowth #personalgrowth #career #mentor #rolemodel #creativity #brand #personalbrand
Sudha Suryadevara and I reflect on the personal and community impacts of volunteering, why she earned an MBA, and being open to new opportunities. Sudha graduated from Temple University in 2005, with a BS in Sport and Recreation Management, and earned her MBA from Arcadia University in 2011. Now, she's the Chief of Staff for Philadelphia Parks & Recreation.
A few references you may be interested in reading more about:
- Philadelphia Tree Tenders Program: https://phsonline.org/programs/tree-programs
- Philadelphia Love Your Park Week: https://loveyourpark.org/volunteer
- Philadelphia Streets Department Block Captains: https://www.philadelphiastreets.com/pmbc/become-a-block-captain/
- National Recreation and Park Association: https://www.nrpa.org/
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wygupodcast #podcast #MBA #career #personalgrowth #mentor #rolemodel #Philadelphia #parks #gardening #communitygarden #volunteering
When was the last time someone asked you what you want to be when you grow up? What would your answer be?
Welcome to the first episode of the podcast When You Grow Up. I’m your host, Kaitlyn Luboff.
I started this podcast to ask that question of as many people as I can, and share those stories with you. I’m interested in what folks choose to spend their time on, and how that changes over a lifetime. When do we really stop growing up anyway?
Something I’m learning that’s surprised me is that I’m not the only one who’s still figuring out what they want to be when they grow up. I’m hoping these stories will inspire all of us to take those risks we’ve been thinking about, whether that be starting a project, switching industries, or taking on more responsibility in your local community organization. I hope you find some useful nuggets in here that remind you no two personal and professional journeys are the same.
Check out our website at whenyougrowup.org, and follow me on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/kaitlynluboff-pmp to provide feedback on the episodes.
Thank you for tuning in!
Amy Saunders and I talk about alternative ways to respond to the question, "what do you want to be when you grow up," the power of affirmations, and re/connecting with people. I have always admired Amy for her perennial positivity, which permeates the groups she’s part of. Something in this episode that stood out to me personally was our discussion of how we decide where to spend our time, and not get stuck in the sometimes-toxic mindset that busy = productive.
A couple references you may be interested in reading more about:
- The Place We Find Ourselves (Adam Young, LCSW, MDiv) Episode 52, a podcast.
- WheezyWaiter, “We Complimented Each Other & Strangers Every Day for a Month, Here’s What Happened”, YouTube video.
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