How'd Her Career Get There?

This is a must listen! Lauren talks with Tracy L. Lawrence, the Founder and CEO of The Lawrence Advisory. Lawrence recently served as the first Executive-in-Residence at USC's Marshall School of Business, advising faculty, administration, and students on issues of diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. A Stanford grad, followed up with Harvard Business School is just the tip of the ice berg. MTV, Fox, ABC Family- all places where Tracy passed through on her way to starting her own business. Hear her story and be inspired!

Jump on this amazing journey with us as I talk with Rahel Bayar. Rahel is a former prosecutor turned entrepreneur, who started The Bayar Group. As a consultant, Rahel developed and delivered customized interactive workshops, lectures and trainings for K-12 schools, camps, sports organizations, media outlets, financial firms, law firms, global youth organizations, faith-based organizations and nonprofits across North America. Join us and hear how it started and her purpose behind it all.

On this episode, I talk with Jill Demby Guest about her path to becoming an Emmy nominated, multi-Award-winning producer, writer and director.  We talk about what influenced Jill as a kid and the moment that led her to make her new documentary, And Now, Love,  which is now streaming on Apple TV, iTunes, Amazon Prime, and other major streaming platforms.  Jill has worked with iconic companies like Disney and Warner Brothers, producing numerous documentaries for their DVD releases including “The West Wing,” “John Lennon: Imagine with Yoko Ono,” “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane” and “National Treasure.” She received a Promax Gold Award, and two Best Documentary Director and Best Documentary Awards at three film festivals.  Listen in and learn about her journey!

Check out this episode, where I speak with Gabrielle Welter about her career journey.  The path has a common theme- hustle and helping her customers.  Ranging from growing a book of business in insurance sales to specializing in reverse mortgages, the common thread of drive pours through.  The bonus in this episode is if you are interested in learning more about reverse mortgages, you get a crash course.  Learn more at https://myhousecounts.com

Listen to this episode where Lauren talks with Jennifer Aurianne DaRe, the Founder and President of ATN Entertainment. Hear Jennifer's story as she navigates the entertainment talent management space and hear from her, the significant role relationships play in growing a business.

On this episode, I am joined by Susan Ruddie Spring. We learn how Susan took her extensive experience in costume design and applied it to a totally new market- the wedding industry! Learn how she made the transition, what inspires her, and how following her passion led her to run her own business.

Get ready for this one because it is awesome! Felicite Moorman joins me to talk about her career, which included law school, and then finding and selling a company in the IoT space. Along the way, she raised capital, received multiple awards, including being named a recipient of Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur Of The Year Award. An active member of the community, Felicite is also a big believer of giving back. Her will and grit to get results are traits she's had since childhood and it continues to hold true.

This episode I talk with Theresa Leatherbury, President and CEO of Rachuba.  We talk real estate and Theresa's stepping in to run a long-standing generational family business.  She started her career as an actuary and then went a different direction to join Rachuba.  We talk about the delicate balance of being confident and asking for help and how Theresa learned the value of both on her journey.  Pushing that further, she learned that leadership isn't always about approval, but rather charting the course.

This is a must listen! Janis Milham joins me to talk about a journey, which led her from a small town in Kansas to Senior Vice President and Global Brand Leader where she led vision, strategy and execution for all facets of global brand positioning, strategy, product design, guest experience and marketing for seven of Marriott's 30 brands. Her energy is contagious and her passion now has her focusing on leadership development with Questage. She is a champion of women, diversity, and anyone with a drive to improve themselves and contribute to a larger purpose.

On this episode, I am joined by Beth McCart, Senior Recruiter for Ramsey Solutions based in Nashville. We talk about her journey, which led her to financial well-being, personal fulfillment, and a job she loves! She shares how her husband's near death time in the hospital led to financial piece of mind and ultimately served as the catalyst for her current job. Beth talks about the challenges starting a family and how it all intersects as a constant driver for her to show up everyday doing what she loves! Beth also co-founded WomenGetIT, a tribe for women in tech.

In Beth's own words-
"In 2016, my husband spend most of the year in a hospital bed fighting for his life. We were given a 20% chance that he would survive, but it would require several surgeries, blood transfusions, and a whole lot of prayer. I was a mess – we were over 70k in debt, medical bills rolling in every day, and on the verge of losing the house because the loss of income. Not to mention, I was looking at being a widow before the age of 30. I hit rock bottom.

Soon after, I found Ramsey’s financial material and decided that this was the one thing we could control in the world of chaos we found ourselves in. My husband and I started the program while I was interviewing with the company. In less than 14 months, we became debt free. We were no longer slaves to our lenders – we were free. And the weight that lifted off our shoulders was indescribable. My husband still has health challenges, but we are in a totally different place than where we used to be. We came out of survival mode into a place were we could have hope and dreams for our future.

In 2018, we found out that we were unlikely to start a family and our doctors urged us to try IVF before it was too late. Because of what Ramsey teaches, we were able to pay the $27,000 worth of fertility expenses with cash! After hundreds of injections, two egg retrievals, and a miscarriage – we were blessed with our miracle, Abigail. She was born on July 3, 2020."

Amanda Gianotti joins me and we talk about taking over and running a family business. A natural born sales person, Amanda's approach is customers first at Allogram. She observed and learned the value of hard work and education after watching her parents hustle and build a business. She followed suit and took over the business, growing it significantly! Beyond all this, Amanda's definition of success- happiness!

Join me as I talk with Dr. Lola Adeyemi.  We talk about her life in multiple countries and what that taught her as a child and into her adult life.  A doctor by trade, based on her own experience, she saw a gap in mentorship and therefore created Mentoring Her, an online platform designed to facilitate making meaningful connections with other women.  With degrees from Johns Hopkins (Go Blue Jays!) and Harvard, she is not only intelligent, but also deliberate in her approach to solving this mentorship challenge.

In this episode I talk with Jennifer Yang, whose career journey has taken her from consulting to entrepreneurship with overlaps in technology, event planning, and whiskey.  She was raised with the foundation of hard work and high aspirations.  The perceived sacrifices made as a child have paid off as she graduated from MIT and then jumped into her first job.  Hear how this self-proclaimed, risk-averse woman always remains open to possibilities and follows her passions, as she is guided by the mantra "always be honest with yourself."

Join as I talk with Gina Dubbe.  We talk about growing up in West Virginia and fast forward to her building and selling her first company.  She then co-founded a cannabis medical dispensary and she shares the wonderful parts and the challenges associated with starting that type of wellness business.  All this while raising 2 children.  Gina is wildly intelligent, charismatic, direct, and thoughtful in how she speaks.  This is a must listen if you are curious about the cannabis business or interested in hearing how a fantastic entrepreneur built businesses 2 times over.

This episode, we have a two-fer! I talk with Courtney Wandeloski and Laura Deimling, building on their longtime friendship, they decided to jump into business together. We talk about what led them to start their business and how they have had to make adjustments in 2020. This is a great episode if you are considering getting into business with a friend; hear how they divide and conquer, and leverage their individual strengths.

On this episode, I talk with Angel Johnson, who spans her career across multiple sectors including IT and real estate. Growing up in the heart of Philly, we talk about how her outspokenness and energetic personality weren't always viewed as a strength by outsiders, but fast forward and without a doubt have served her well in leadership roles. Her natural curiosity led her to IT, while she stumbled upon her love of real estate after seeing opportunity in an initial modest investment. Hear her story, as she talks about the value of family and finding joy in simply having the chance to try and experience new things!

She's energetic, smart, direct and she's this episode's guest on the How'd Her Career Get There? podcast.  Shana Cosgrove joins me to talk about her path to starting a Software Engineering and Data Science company, Nyla Technology Solutions.  We talk about the integration of life- at the office and at home, as well as what led her to start a business.  This is a must listen for any entrepreneur or software engineer who aspires to bring great products to the market.

In this episode, I talk with Deanna Steele about her path getting into digital technology, retail and e-commerce. In addition to her background, we touch on delivering for retail customers during the current economic climate and reinvigorating the customer relationship. A west coast girl at heart, she's made her way east as her career grew and now sits as an Executive of a publicly traded company.

I've met Deanna a handful of times and every time, her professional polish, intelligence, warmth and chic wardrobe stand out. This is a must listen for anyone in retail business, customer service, or looking to better understand the path of a C-level tech executive.

Heidi Hiller joins me on this episode to talk all things party! As the Owner and Creative Director of Innovative Party Planners, we talk about what it takes to make it in a competitive business and why she chose creating event experiences as her career. Her path wasn't planned, but when you have talent, it tends to pull you in directions not anticipated. Learn how she works to integrate work and family as business grows.

Tammie Monaco joins me on this episode to talk about following your own true path. An equestrian college riding program brought to her Baltimore from New York, where she eventually started a business. She recently acquired a second business and still maintains her love of photography and horses as her side hustle. As a self-admitted "not great employee," she knew entrepreneurship was her path.

From a publishing powerhouse to starting a healthy snack food company with her daughter, Nancy Becker talks with me about her career.  To tell you Nancy's energy is contagious would be an understatement.  She is smart, humble, and enthusiastic all rolled into one.  She and her daughter, Bridget Greaney, started 2Betties – a healthy snack food company based out of Baltimore.  Nancy and I talk about scaling a company, the shift to starting a business, and of course, what it's like working with her daughter (spoiler alert- Mom's proud!).  If you haven't tried 2Betties products, now is your chance.  Order online and use the code created for this podcast- 15OFF to get the tasty treats.  

And what's the name about? “Betty” means a confident chick or a best friend in some female circles.  This business has 2!

On this episode, I talk with the uber talented Loretta Stokes. Her path led her to be one of the most talented leaders in the Nashville technology community. Her accolades of being named a Women of Influence by the Nashville Business Journal and Emerging Leader of the Year by the Nashville Technology Council are just some of the recognition she has received for being a driving force for women in technology. Her work ethic and desire to encourage future generations to be great leaders are just a few of her underlying motivators. This is a must listen episode for anybody trying to find their way in the tech space.

This episode Annette Walter joins me to talk about her journey.  Annette is a kick butt entrepreneur who helped build and sell her first business, only to start and run two businesses simultaneously following.  If you've met her, you know her energy can fill a room.  Hear her talk about the challenges business owners face and tips to overcome common setbacks in the workplace.  She talks about the trends she sees most entrepreneurs struggle with and offers her advice on how to overcome those hurdles.  Family is beyond important to her; so much that she's found a way to incorporate both her sons into the business she and her husband run.

On this episode, the impressive Michele Eberle joins me to talk about a journey that takes her from east to west coast (and back again).  Her career started in healthcare, takes a turn into politics, and currently she is the Executive Director of the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange.  Her inclusive leadership style and approach to employee engagement is beyond impressive.  She also throws in a few must visit places for those that love to travel.  After all, her never ending appetite to learn has taken her around the globe.  

*To be accurate, there are two small corrections Michele pointed out after we spoke- meeting her friend who was a field director was actually for the state representative race and Mike Miller was from the Senate.

This episode I talk with Randi Pupkin, Founder and Executive Director of Art with a Heart.  If you don't know Randi, you should listen to this episode.  If you do know Randi, you should listen to this episode.  She talks about growing up in Baltimore and the leap from being a lawyer to starting a non-profit.  So, what's the connection between those careers?  Randi knew from a young age, she was born to make the world a better place.

This episode I talk with Deb Tillett about growing up "Mad Men" style and how her fearless drive to achieve led her to ETC Baltimore, with many glamorous stops along the way.  She unapologetically encourages entrepreneurs and everyone to assess your personal and professional vision... and go for it!  Deb wanted me to add that the book referenced is actually called "Strengths Finders 2.0" and on that My Fair Lady part-- it's George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion.  Now, who knew that?!