On The Job: Recent Episodes
Express Employment Professionals
Welcome to Season 6 of "On The Job," a podcast about finding your life's work. This time, we're focusing on how people and businesses are getting back to work. Let’s call it "The Great Transformation." Employers need people to work more than ever, and we'll be hearing from people navigating this new normal for themselves as they find their life's work.
Former BMX bro Devon Lampman turned his two-wheel passion into a maintenance gig at Barton Springs Bike Rental & Tours - eventually becoming a co-owner of the Austin, TX mainstay. Now if he can just find some qualified employees willing to work during their heavy traffic periods: weekends and vacations.
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Career Fairs - which may feel like an anachronism in 2025 - turn out to be deceptively fertile places for employers and job hunters alike; we speak with an expert who has some helpful advice for first-timers and introverts braving these potentially intimidating events.
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When we first met Demeny Pollitt, the founder of Girlington Garage in Vermont, she was extricating her mom as her business partner and hiring more mechanics. On this episode, she faces new personnel challenges - and new opportunities - as she continues to run her successful, woman-focused garage despite the odds.
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Cody travels around as a carpenter for large stage productions. Recent events offered him an opportunity to step into a new, more senior role - leaving him in a quandary that is becoming more common these days.
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Corporate banker-turned-professional dating coach Grace Lee transformed her personal journey into a professional rebirth - and she's full of tips and tactics that can help anyone looking to make a match - with a new partner or a new job.
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With all the hoopla around AI as a hiring tool, we check in with two experts to understand the advantages - and disadvantages - of using machines to make hiring decisions - a fascinating discussion full of tips and insights for job seekers and recruiters alike.
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A former college athlete and QSR hourly wage-earner, Brian Garvey, Express Pros' youngest franchise owner, has transformed his trademark determination and reliability into a successful career helping others find their life's work.
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Scott Carey ditched his successful marketing career to launch his own butcher business. We check in to see how the meat trade is treating him as he transforms from processing to offering direct-to-consumer products.
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Author Adam Markel has learned the transformational power of making a professional pivot firsthand, and he shares his tips and tricks with us.
https://adammarkel.com
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Former offensive lineman - for a bunch of NFL teams - Pete McMahon applies gridiron grit to his Ames, IA Express franchise.
https://www.expresspros.com/amesia/
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For seasoned beer and hot-dog hawker Jonah Fialkow, perfecting his game-day salesmanship has helped pave the way to launching a rapidly growing reality TV-centric start-up.
https://bracketology.tv/
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Navy vet John Bethell starts over in a small town, yet finds himself in a familiar, and gratifying, role.
https://piedmontprintandframe.com
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Fly-fishing guide Erica Nelson is welcoming a whole new segment of folks into her outdoorsy paradise.
https://www.awkwardangler.com
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Mark Erlich, a former carpenter who is now a Fellow at Harvard, gives us a look at the jobs market, and the ascendance of the “toolbelt generation.”
https://clje.law.harvard.edu/team/mark-erlich/
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Brandon Dunn was born into rodeo royalty. And for twenty years he fulfilled his destiny -- until a tragic car accident ended his career. Or nearly ended it. Brandon tells his story of loss and rehabilitation, and welcomes us into the fascinating world of rodeo clowning. To see Brandon in action, check-out his page here. (http://www.roblittle.com/)
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Demeny Pollitt is an automotive technician and the founder of Girlington Garage, a female-run auto garage in South Burlington, Vermont. In operation since 2009, Pollitt’s business has not only survived, but thrived. Ms. Pollitt talks about taking the leap to entrepreneurship, entering a male dominated industry, and the joys/challenges of business ownership. Find out more about her business here (https://girlingtongarage.com/).
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Finding work in this economy doesn't have to be arduous. Tune in to hear from Olivia, an Express Employment Professionals Employment Specialist-turned-Operations Manager and one of her Associates, Leon, who she's helped place, to find out how the process has impacted both of their lives.
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Rob Little has a very enviable work calendar. As a cruise ship comedian with over 200 outings to his credit, Rob has seen places and ports most of us only dream of. But life aboard the ship isn't all laughter and sunshine. You can find out more about his comedy stylings here (http://www.roblittle.com/).
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Jake Wright is a self-described food carnie; a rambling pizza rover. After a failed attempt at a career in music production, Jake decided to combine the two things in life that most excite him: pizza and welding. Now, he tows his mobile pizza oven around Texas, making pizzas at music festivals, rodeos, and even his own wedding. To get your own mobile pie, check out his website (https://www.ohmypizzapie.com/).
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Meet Terri Weldon, who has been working for Express Employment Professionals for over 40 years. She shares her secrets to long term professional happiness - ones that can apply to any workplace.
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As a thrill seeker and born caretaker, Aysia Bly found her dream job as a pediatric flight nurse--where she performs her duties while soaring above Philly in a helicopter. But the job is inherently dangerous, and as a mom to a young son, Aysia must contend with that risk everyday. You can learn more about her at her Website.
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Economist, author and baseball fan Michael Walden gives us a macro look at an economy that has bounced back surprisingly well post-covid, and offers a generally favorable outlook about what is coming down the pike. You can purchase his 'economic thrillers' at this Amazon Author Page.
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Jessica Rowland started her own painting business without really knowing it. A champion of the gig economy, her new venture has thrived during the pandemic and shows no signs of stopping.
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In March of 2021, the shipping freighter Ever Given got stuck in the Suez Canal for six days and captivated the world. In this episode, we dive into what the event says about our economy, and what it says about us.
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Spencer Lanning lost his job during COVID, and is one of many people who were forced to face their demons in the isolation of the pandemic. Coming out the other side, he now protects Vermonters from hackers in his job as a cyber security analyst.
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Marcellie Bellinger cleaned up the streets of Yonkers, NY – literally. He takes his job as a Ranger seriously, and brings his infectiously optimistic work ethic everywhere he goes.
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Educator and software engineer Thierry Mugabo Uwilingiyamana knows what the stakes are when education isn't allowed to flourish – so he's dedicated his life to spreading knowledge and giving kids the tools they need to love learning.
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Scott Carey leaves his stable, decade-long career in marketing to make a risky move doing something he loves – being a butcher.
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General store manager Karen Banks perseveres through the turbulence of losing her employees, and the huge influx of customers coming into her small Vermont town.
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Brown University economist Mark Blyth sets the stage for Season 6 of "On The Job" by telling the story of how we got where we are today.
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On the season five finale of "On The Job," we meet Leonette. Her path to her career - she's a Law Clerk at the US Department of Education - had more than a few twists and turns. In fact, she started law school in her 30s, after realizing that she could help to address the yawning gap in African-American and female representation in the legal field. Now, she's using her degree to advocate for others who lack a voice: victims of predatory for-profit colleges. She's part of the DOE's Borrower Defense group, and is responsible for processing claims against these unscrupulous schools. Turns out that Leonette found her niche after all, and her work is helping others - many of them new to the country and to the English language - regain their footing so that they, too, may find their niches.
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Afua Bruce's career in data science and technology is dotted with a bunch of impressive acronyms: IBM, the FBI (!), even working for the POTUS (Obama) as Executive Director of the National Science and Technology Council. Now, she's taken on a new challenge as Chief Program Officer for Datakind, a global non-profit that harnesses the power of data science and AI in the service of humanity. Heck, she even has her own statue as part of the #IfThenSheCan women in STEM initiative (https://ifthenshecan.org). Tune in to hear an amazing story of a truly unique life path.
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Like so many food industry workers, Meg lost her job during the pandemic. And instead of going back on the job hunt in this historically challenging environment, she decided to gamble on herself. She launched Das Butterhaus (https://dasbutterhaus.com), named for her love of German pastries - and now she's baking in a local kitchen and selling her delicious concoctions for pickup and delivery. Learning how to be an entrepreneur - bookkeeping, marketing, etc. - at the same time she's standing up her new business has been all consuming, but she's relishing her newfound contact with her customers.
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If Kitty Hailey didn't exist, some enterprising author would have conjured her up. A well put-together woman of a certain age, she resembles a hip kindergarten teacher - a fact which has served her well in her actual occupation; she's a private investigator. Using the skills she's honed over decades of investigative work, Kitty has risen to a position of prominence in her field, evolving from the typical "cheating spouse" assignments to doing trial work that has had positive, life-changing impact for the folks she's worked with.
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During the height of the pandemic, unemployment peaked at around 15%. And many of the jobs lost, especially in industries that were already seeing disruption through automation and outsourcing, may never come back. Enter Benny Boas and the Burlington Code Academy. He and his co-founder Alex Horner have created a 'boot camp' to teach people new skills, primarily in software coding and interface design. BCA is a lifeline for folks trying to attain new, work-from-home friendly skills - especially single parents who are balancing raising children with making a living.
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Jaye Gardiner is about as perfect an example of a modern-day renaissance person as you can get. A first-generation American of Belizean descent, a scientist and cancer researcher, she spends what little free time she has creating and publishing aspirational comics to increase students' STEM literacy. She's a born teacher, capable of reducing complex science into simple and easy to grasp metaphors. You can check out her company, JKX comics, here (https://www.jkxcomics.com/).
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For the Calabrese family, based in Utica, New York, serving their community is a family tradition. In 2013, John Calabrese Sr. and his wife Lori embarked on a new career by opening up their own Express Employment Professionals franchise. Intrigued by the business, their son, John Jr., joined the cause and began doing the important work of matching candidates with companies and vice versa. Along the way, he noted that a lot of the area's unemployed were also veterans - many of them homeless and struggling. So he and his family launched the Veterans Supply Drive initiative, using two repurposed military vehicles to collect and distribute food and clothing, as well as monetary donations for like-minded charities. Twenty tons of donated food later, John Jr has received awards for his important and proactive work.
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How do you tap into your inner salesperson? For Chris Lundy, a late-bloomer and raconteur who takes pleasure in knowing that the medication he sells can change lives, it's all a matter of attitude. And after a stint in the PR department for the Philadelphia Eagles, his segue into pharma sales has provided him with plenty of championship moments.
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For those of us fortunate enough to be able to work from home during the pandemic, our new normal finds us juggling the pressures of work, family and health in ways we hadn't previously experienced. Imagine being responsible for 45 elderly folks spread across three bucolic residential homes during all of this? And not just accounting for them, but catering to their every need, honoring their extremely specific food requests, staging an elaborate Easter party and tending to their life and death medical needs in the face of an especially threatening virus.
For Josh Winn, it's not just a labor of love, it's a compassionate calling.
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Catering - and food service in general - is a challenging work in the best of times. And now, with public-facing events still mostly shut down, Heather Bublick and her business partner/chef/husband D'Andre Carter have found new ways to bring their gourmet comfort food to the masses via "Soul & Smoke." They're serving their delicious fare to school kids in need, unemployed hospital workers, nursing homes and "the populations that need us most" in their native Chicago.
You can make donations to them directly through Venmo (@feastandimbibe) or Zelle (team@feastandimbibe.com).
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Just about 200,000 of the estimated 3.5 million truckers on the road today are women - and that number represents a 65% increase over the last decade. Today we catch up with one of them, Ingrid Brown, a 5'2" 50-something grandma who's been driving a rig for over four decades. Calling from the cab of her truck, Ingrid, whose role has been deemed "essential" throughout the Covid-19 crisis, gives us insight into what keeps her happily rolling across the country as she surpasses the 4 million mile mark, looking forward to spending time with her family while simultaneously dreaming about her next journey.
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For Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), the coronavirus is only the latest chapter in a vocation that requires constant vigilance. Meet Kyle Robillard, an EMT/Fireman/Sports Doctor, who tells us how multi-tasking tends to be a way of life for emergency responders, even as the stakes become more personal.
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Wind turbines have changed the way our country operates and are only becoming more popular – creating highly skilled jobs along the way. In this episode, we talk to skilled technician Jim Slicer as he maintains turbines in Vermont.
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Teachers and school administrators have been navigating the new normal and attempting to continue doing what they've always done: enrich the knowledge and lives of students everywhere. In this episode, elementary school teacher Gail Campopiano shares the ways in which her approach to her role has changed, and the deeper connections that make teaching such a rewarding, if at times difficult, profession.
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How can you do your job better, advance in your career and unlock your potential? Listen along as Dr. Julie Gurner, Executive Performance Coach, shares how to identify and understand behaviors that allow people to level up in their careers and everyday lives.
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Meet Tom Harrison, a former park ranger turned cartographer, as he patiently navigates the world around him and turns his adventures into high-quality maps.
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Buat kamu yang lagi patah semangat hari ini, semoga dengan denger ini kamu inget kalau banyak temen yang kaya kamu juga kok!
How can a job become more than a job? Sometimes a job becomes an identity and a legacy through all the people your job touches. How you live on through the people you know and had an effect on. This is the story of an elephant trainer and activist, Jim Laurita, who died a few years ago. Jim was adored by the community and started an organization called “Hope for Elephants” to help rehab hurt elephants and educate the community. When he died mysteriously, the community was devastated. This story is told through Jim’s family, friends and fellow trainers - an extraordinary person doing an extraordinary job, and the legacy he left behind.
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Can a job lead to a life-changing relationship? In this episode, listen to several short stories of couples falling in love - on the job.
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How many jobs are there where you need to know and trust the person next to you, because there might be a time where your fate is in their hands and vice-versa? Meet Anna Nadler - a 27 year old civil engineer, and firefighter, from Massachusetts. Small in stature and sweet as can be, Anna got addicted to smoke-eating a few years back and is now one of the best firefighters on the force. By day Anna runs construction and engineering crews building bridges and roads. At night she is on call as a firefighter. Anna is a shining example of a young woman getting involved in a job that gives back to her community. She is also an example of a woman excelling in what is a traditionally macho work environment. She has many stories of life-threatening situations on the job, showing heroism in the face of them that only made her want to do it more.
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Avery Thompson is a funny, heartfelt and eccentric filmmaker and radio producer who has done almost every job under the sun. Like many 20 year-olds, he had big plans of what he was going to do with his life – he was determined to be the next Orson Welles. Unable to find someone to fund his creative endeavors and a portfolio of nothing more than a few zany student films, Avery took a summer job with a landscaping company in the Hamptons, determined he would meet the right people to eventually help him land his dream job in film. Surely Jerry Seinfeld would need a new walkway! Or Robert Deniro would need his roses cut! As the weeks went on, toiling away under the hot sun, Avery received the worst project he could think of – paint a fence in between overgrown holly bushes. But then a hilarious and chance run-in with Steven Spielberg helped set Avery on the path to what he was destined to do.
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Linda McKinney is an Italian woman in McDowell, West Virginia who runs the Five Loaves & Two Fishes food bank with her husband. In a down-and-out coal town, she is single-handedly responsible for feeding 150 families each week. An interesting and eccentric character, Linda McKinney is a wonderful example of the goodness of humanity against all odds. Linda does her job with humility and without a need for thanks – because she does it for the people she knows and cares about. Where you come from and what’s happening around you drives you to do the job you need to do.
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Jim Ellis is a master of a dying art. Meet this 80 year old blacksmith from Cape Cod who is committed to making sure one trade isn’t lost to time. What happens to an occupation like blacksmithing if the next generation doesn’t learn the skills needed to see it survive? What happens to these occupations when the ones who do them move on?
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What does it take to be a young farmer in a digital age? This is the story of two young brothers rising in the maple syrup industry in Vermont. Hear how important the Stewart brothers’ highly loyal and supportive community is to surviving and running a small agrarian business in 2019.
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Meet Yelitsa - a next-level, twenty-something entrepreneur who started her own company, Healthy Roots Dolls, to teach young black girls about natural hair. Listen to the emotional ride of starting your own company when you decide to put yourself out there, kick open doors, make connections and plant seeds.
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Merrily Grashin's career began in New York City, doodling images and writing clever puns about the world that surrounded her while waitressing and bartending. Encouraged by the people she met along the way, she used her natural skill as an artist to launch her own greeting card and print business.
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Enrique Santos loves his job as the popular host of 2 nationally syndicated radio shows. But his path to radio was not a traditional one. Listen to why Enrique devotes his career to remaining open to the opportunities often sitting right in front of him.
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Owning one’s own company is a dream for many. Listen to the incredible story of how a temporary position through the Express Employment Professionals in Hickory, North Carolina, set one man on the path toward ownership and the C-suite. We’ll meet this remarkable individual and learn what it takes to rise to the top.
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Liz Nichols had a checklist - she wanted to work outdoors, and make good money to support her family. After a few false starts, she found just the right fit as a concrete mason. Even though she was often the only woman on the job, she learned to navigate that new world with grace and will pass along to her son, the lessons that hard work and perseverance are rewarded.
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Chris Bruer joined the Army in 2006 with the hopes of helping others while serving his country. 10 years and 27 countries later, Chris was forced into medical retirement after suffering a devastating spinal injury. After a decade in the military, Bruer wanted to forge a new path forward and turned to Express Employment Professionals to help him continue his personal mission of helping people in need.
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Katelyn and Brendan Foley had enough of the corporate rat-race in New York City, so they packed-up and headed for the Hudson Valley to begin new lives as farmers. In just two short years, they started their own business, the Hoofprint Cheese Company, while still working day jobs to pay the bills. Follow along as this young couple works to turn the Hoofprint Cheese Company into their full-time dream.
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Jay Shupack wore many hats throughout the course of his professional life – actor, door-to-door insurance salesman, psychologist, and more. But nothing prepared him for his latest and greatest career move: becoming a Rabbi. After years of soul-searching and some unexpected twists and turns, Rabbi Shupack now believes he’s performing his life-long mission where the synagogue is his stage and the sermons his monologue.
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Mr. Song left his home in China and moved to Los Angeles after his wife passed away. He had plans to continue practicing his lifelong career of dentistry, but when things don't work out quite as he had planned, Mr. Song decided to switch gears by bringing the erhu, a traditional Chinese folk instrument, to his new American audience.
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A cattle rancher in rural Colorado is also a state representative. We learn about the two sides of her work life, and listen as she does chores on her ranch.
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We meet two women, one a caregiver, the other nearly a centenarian. We learn about what it takes to make their relationship work, and how the caregiver's job is central to the older woman's independence.
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We meet Terrica Ellis, a rental agent, and Mitch McNeal, an executive at a faith-based chain of assisted living facilities. Express Employment Professionals found them the perfect jobs for their next steps.
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One of public radio's premier producers finds out secrets from her mother's career.
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These motivated high school students spend half their days learning a trade. Some of them will go to college; other graduates will begin apprenticeships. But every student is taking full advantage of thousands of dollars of free technical education that will prepare them for high-paying careers.
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Watergate got Karen MacPherson interested in journalism. 9/11 made her rethink her priorities. Now she's doing the work she loves, as children's librarian in a small Maryland town.
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