Curating Career Life Stories: How did I get here?

Join me for the career reflections of Beth Klepper, founder of Mainstream Video Production. Starting at an early age, she’s obsessed with movies and how they influenced her perceptions of what’s cool.

After a BA in Speech Communications and master’s in Film and Visual Cultures she lands at a national network (located in Denver!) producing reality shows, travel shows, celebrity gossip shows, etc. Then she's onto producing live concerts and music shows which came with lots of perks but also lots of stress. Prompting her to start her own business Mainstream Video Production where she’s created over 800 videos for her clients in a variety of industries.

What’s served Beth best is having a really good attitude when things don’t go your way. Her words of wisdom: “Don’t ask for a lighter pack, ask for a stronger back.”

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Join me for the career reflections of Jennifer Kenning, CEO & co-founder of Align Impact. Initially her dream is to be a sportscaster because of her love for competing in and watching sports, but then her interest in finance, investments and economics drives her career decisions.

An internship solidifies her love for investment banking, but then her first job is not a fit – way too much analysis and not enough people interaction. A serendipitous meeting leads her to her next role, company, long-time mentor and ultimately where she is today.

What’s served Jennifer best is discipline and always being able to speak up for injustice – both she started at the very early age of 5. Her words of wisdom are from a Howard Thurman quote: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

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Join me for the career reflections of Pattie Money, CEO of Pinnacle Leadership. Her journey starts with the pursuit of a music career but that gets diverted once she starts working at GE and finds she loves business.

Her first job out of college introduces her to recruiting/staffing where she ends up running a division of the staffing company. Ultimately, she transitions into HR leadership roles in manufacturing and technology, building her expertise in acquisitions and IPO’s -- a significant aspect of her coaching practice today.

What’s served Pattie best is her positivity and always believing we can make things better. Her words of wisdom: “What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail”, and “we can have it all, just maybe not all at one time.”

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Join me for the career reflections of Melinda Cross, communications specialist with an emphasis on book writing. A fellow storyteller, her journey is all about books and writing.

She finds her way with an internship in politics, then a master's degree leads her into advertising, where she finds her niche as a communications specialist. Initially she works for advertising agencies, then goes out on her own contracting on projects for a variety of companies and across industries. Ultimately she lands where she really wants to be, book writing.

Melinda shares two traits that have served her throughout her career: 1) Always doing her very best, taking great pride in her writing craft, and 2) being resilient. Her words of wisdom: “It’s how you do the little things that reflects how you’ll do the big things.” And, “Things aren’t always going to go your way, but if you keep your eye on your work and just do the best you can, you’re going to go places!”

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Join me for the career reflections of Mary Gaul, business strategy & focus coach. A journey of “can do” and the courage to raise her hand to learn new tools and skills to solve problems. Routinely resulting in promotions and increased responsibilities.

With urging from her coaches, Mary starts her own virtual assistant business and through her experience and exposure to helping so many entrepreneurs (plus some more encouragement from her coaches), she becomes the coach she is today!

What’s served Mary best: raising her hand when she saw a problem and offering solutions, which many times meant learning new tools and skills, so having the confidence in herself that she can learn new things and solve problems.

Her words of wisdom come from a quote she loves: “There’s two kinds of people in this life -- those who walk into a room and say ‘well here I am!’ versus those who say ‘ah, there you are!’” She tries to be the later, she’s here to connect, contribute and celebrate with people.

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Join me for the career reflections of Kacey Kingry, life coach & yoga teacher. A journey with seeds planted as a young person but that don’t fully develop until now when she’s in her forties.

A journey in pursuit of understanding the mind, body, spirit connection. Discovering that life is how you handle “getting dirty” and deciding to learn from the dirt rather than try to avoid it.

What’s served Kacey best is: being resilient; never, ever, ever, giving up on herself. Words of wisdom that have shaped her are from the Vietnamese Zen Buddhist Thich Nhat Hanh: “No Mud, No Lotus.” Her added wisdom: “All of us are going to get dirty, not everyone is going to learn & grow from it. Use the dirt to flourish and thrive!”

--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Join me for the career reflections of Debbie Thibault, IT Director with the Office of Information Technology for the State of Colorado. A journey shaped by being the youngest of three girls and not wanting to be left behind and by an insatiable appetite for learning and building new things.

She is exposed to early database tools and technology through a co-op program in high school in the early 1980s, prior to Microsoft products BTW, and figures out how to solve real business problems with them. Key bosses/mentors see her potential and keep giving her more things to learn, build and solve. She has the uncanny ability to manifest career opportunities for herself at start-ups and then her own consulting business, until 2008 when the financial crisis knocks her off course.

Recognizing the need for a more stable stream of income she lands at the State of Colorado where she continues to learn, grow & build solutions.

What’s served Debbie best is her gut, but she says can also be a double-edged sword. Her words of wisdom: “Being cause in the matter,” a definition of leadership that she has adopted and lives by.

--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Join me for the career reflections of Debbie Thibault, IT Director with the Office of Information Technology for the State of Colorado. A journey shaped by being the youngest of three girls and not wanting to be left behind and by an insatiable appetite for learning and building new things.

She is exposed to early database tools and technology through a co-op program in high school in the early 1980s, prior to Microsoft products BTW, and figures out how to solve real business problems with them. Key bosses/mentors see her potential and keep giving her more things to learn, build and solve. She has the uncanny ability to manifest career opportunities for herself at start-ups and then her own consulting business, until 2008 when the financial crisis knocks her off course.

Recognizing the need for a more stable stream of income she lands at the State of Colorado where she continues to learn, grow & build solutions.

What’s served Debbie best is her gut, but she says can also be a double-edged sword. Her words of wisdom: “Being cause in the matter,” a definition of leadership that she has adopted and lives by.

Join me for the career reflections of Lori Dubois, owner & chief storyteller at Marketing Troubadour, LLC.  A journey guided by curiosity and learning, driven by a desire to learn things from the ground up.

While she didn’t become a librarian after earning a master’s degree in library & information sciences, the skill set she learns is invaluable to her as a marketer.

What’s served Lori best is being curious and wanting to learn everything making herself more valuable to the companies she works for. Her words of wisdom are based a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt: “Do one thing every day that scares you.” Lori then adds her wisdom: “Being willing to do those things that scare you, you’re going to get someplace else.”

--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Join me for the career reflections of ME! -- Kathy Lawless, life story curator & podcaster. A journey that starts with always saying yes to doing more and taking on more responsibilities, then with experience & wisdom shifts to being more intentional about what’s next.

Kathy finds the structure and opportunities at a fortune 500 company fits well with her natural leadership abilities and work ethics -- until it doesn’t. Which happens to coincide with her 20-year anniversary at that company. Causing her to question “what do I have to show for 20 years of work?” Always one to celebrate the completion of projects and her team & colleagues’ contributions, she decides to start her own business helping people capture & celebrate their career and life stories.

Of course, transition is never easy. She talks about the challenges that most entrepreneurs face: having to do it all, knowing when you should be finished with something, dealing with the highs and lows of a new company, selling yourself, measuring success, sticking it out, etc.

What’s served Kathy best is: assuming positive intent, operating with a hand forward and hand back, and recognizing the difference between circumstances and what she is committed to. Her words of wisdom come from two Stanford professors who wrote Designing Your Life: “Be curious, talk to people and take action” – she adds her interpretation that: “you can only do it (figuring out what’s next) for yourself, but you can’t do it all by yourself (meaning, you have to get out of your head, talk to people and take action).”

--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app