First Hundred Days

The Notre Dame Alumni Association has over 100,000 living members, clubs all over the country, with the flagship in Chicago. Today we’re chatting with Dolly Duffy, the Executive Director of Notre Dame’s alumni association to learn what her first days and initiatives were like as director in 2011 after the previous director’s 30-year tenure.

Carley Gordon was diagnosed with a chronic illness, HYPER-Pots, in 2019 after 7 years and countless doctors' appointments. After finally receiving a diagnosis, Carley learned that she wanted to help folks through the medical journey and started peony health coordination, I’m excited to chat with her today about her first hundred days post-diagnosis.

Today we’re chatting with Jessica Lau - a 2008 Notre Dame grad who is currently a Doctoral Candidate of Education at the University of Pennsylvania. After graduation she worked for Deloitte and then eventually for an executive recruiting firm - I’m excited to chat with her today about what it was like to graduate into the recession and its parallels to today.

Dan Chmielinski is the composer and musical talent behind the original music of this podcast. He went to Juilliard for bass performance and now performs all around New York and the world and composes for various projects, most notably the movie Nectar out now. Today we’re going to chat about what the composing and collaboration process was like for this theme music - Chimy thank you so much for being with us today!

Today we’re chatting with Justice Robert Thomas. A former NFL kicker and recently retired justice of the Illinois Supreme Court. The Book about his life, A View From Two Benches, out now, talks about his time as both a practicing lawyer and NFL kicker from 1975-1986. While many leave the NFL and still work in sport, he pursued a robust career in law. 

Mama La’s Kitchen is the offshoot of the Kim Son restaurants affectionately known in the Houston Texas area. Mama La’s Kitchen offers their famous pho and egg roll recipes frozen and in various retail locations, including H-Mart on Jackson road in Chicago. Trent is one of Mama La’s grandchildren who now works in the family business and I’m excited to chat with him about his first hundred days moving back home to work alongside his dad and uncles.

Today we’re chatting with Justice Sheila O’Brien, who retired from the Illinois Appellate court in 2011. You may know her as the person who successfully petitioned for a special prosecutor in the Jussie Smollett case, but I know her as my mom. In 1985 at just 29 years old, she was appointed the first female judge in St. Clair County in Illinois and so I’m excited to speak with her about those first hundred days.

Part 2 of 2, we talk with Katin Martin about what the first days on the job look like and especially when you're a woman. Katie Martin is a firefighter for LA County’s fire department. She is a graduate of UCLA’s paramedic school where she taught for many years before joining the LA County Fire. She is one of 47 female firefighters in the county, was featured in VOGUE for being one of the many who fought the California wildfires, and also my cousin. Excited to chat with her not once but twice about all that's involved in the world of becoming a firefighter!

Part 1 of 2, we talk with Katin Martin about what it means to go through preparation and the Fire Academy before even getting accepted into a department/station. Katie Martin is a firefighter for LA County’s fire department. She is a graduate of UCLA’s paramedic school where she taught for many years before joining the LA County Fire. She is one of 47 female firefighters in the county, was featured in VOGUE for being one of the many who fought the California wildfires, and also my cousin. Excited to chat with her not once but twice about all that's involved in the world of becoming a firefighter!

Today we’re chatting with Jake Willrett, 6th generation of farmers on Willrett Natural Farm, a certified organic farm out in Malta. Illinois. They produce food-grade grains which means they grow grains that get eaten by American people when they’re shopping for organic foods. I am so excited to chat with Jake today about the first hundred days of a crop’s life cycle and all things farming because lord knows I’m a city slicker.

Today we’re speaking with Mary Kay Haben, former North American President of Wrigley, think gum, not the field. This was after her 27-year career at Kraft where she was president of multiple multi-billion dollar divisions. I’m excited to chat about her first hundred days transitioning into an executive role for a global company.

Today’s episode focuses on local politics and their elections. We are chatting with Chris Connolly, former Campaign Manager for Cathy Tuttle who ran for city council in Seattle the summer of 2019. Chris has a background in policy research and environmental advocacy, and I am excited to chat with him today about his first hundred days managing a local campaign.

This episode we’re speaking with Dr. Robert Kustra, president emeritus of Boise State University home of the famous blue turf football field. During his 15 year tenure at Boise State, he developed a college of Innovation and Design and a School of Public Service, won multiple bowl football games, and brought Doctoral research and PhD programs to the university among other things. I am so excited to learn about the goals he made and his first hundred days as president of Boise State University.

Today we’re chatting with Ge Wang, owner, founder, creative director of ESQ Clothing which makes bespoke garments aka really really beautiful suits for all sorts of events. This includes suits for the Notre Dame football team, Chance the Rapper, suits for the red carpet as well as custom wear for wedding days. But today I’m excited to chat with Ge about his first hundred days as a parent alongside being an entrepreneur. 

Check out the show notes to learn more about Ge Wang, ESQ Clothing, and more at:

On this episode we talk with Conor Hanney, a writer at Netflix, to talk about what the first hundred days of writing a Netflix show looks like. Amongst other things, we talk about the writers' room, Gilmore Girls, code words, and more. 

Original Music by Dan Chmielinski.

Today we’re speaking with Maddy Frey, Board President and founding member of the Premier Ultimate League which is a professional womxn’s ultimate league in its 2nd year of existence. The PUL, a 501(c)6, has expanded from 6 teams to 12 and even has a parallel league out on the west coast, called the WUL. We will be talking about what the vision is behind the league, their goals, and what was involved in the first hundred days of its formal existence. 

We are chatting with Newton Minow today, senior counsel at Sidley Austin in Chicago, though he is notable for his time as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, chairman of PBS, advocate for public television and so much more. We are excited to explore the time around his first Hundred Days as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission - also known as the FCC.

Welcome to First Hundred Days! In this episode we talk about the background behind the term 'First Hundred Days' in politics and talk to Rebecca Dunne, a consultant who specializes in CTO transitions. We learn if the first hundred days are really that important for your time in office and prep for our guests ahead.