Roads Taken

Last we spoke with Adam Medros, he had moved through a string of ever-more-interesting C-Suite roles. Not long after, he realized he needed to hit the pause button and embarked on a sabbatical of sorts. He filled the time with a number of pursuits, but none as sweet as his serious study of pastries—and not just as being a consumer of them but rather becoming quite the accomplished baker. (Amazingly, his telling of it made this our second episode featuring the word kouign-amann.) After a bit of time without a focus on anything more external to his home kitchen, however, he started getting the itch to hop back on the C-Suite track.In this episode, find out from Adam taking time to do nothing and some new somethings can help hit the reset…on Roads Taken Revisited with Leslie Jennings Rowley. About This Episode’s GuestAdam Medros, an experienced C-level technology executive, is currently CEO of Spark Networks, the parent company of some of the most recognizable online dating brands in the world, particularly for singles over 40 and those with strong faith traditions. Among others, the portfolio includes Jdate, Elite Singles, ChristianMingle, and SilverSingles. And, of course, he is quite the accomplished pastry chef. Here are pictures of Adam with some of his pastry creations and Adam filling donuts.For Adam’s first appearance on Roads Taken, listen to Disruptive Mindset.And for the first appearance of the word kouign-amann on our podcast, listen to Risk and Reward with Jamie Hansen. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings RowleyMusic: Brian BurrowsEmail the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com 

Last we spoke with Jeneen DiBenedetto Graham, it was summer 2020 and as the head of the upper school at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School in Southern California, she was still in the thick of the complexities of covid and retooling just about everything in anticipation of bringing students back in the fall. In the more than four years since, her ability to handle the unexpected has continued to be tested as she has faced fears, uncertainty, and a changing future.In this episode, find out from Jeneen how keeping service and growth at the center can keep things on track…on Roads Taken Revisited with Leslie Jennings Rowley. About This Episode’s GuestThat was Jeneen DiBenedetto Graham who is currently head of school at St. Margaret's Episcopal School in San Juan Capistrano, California. She previously was Upper School Principal from 2018 to 2023 and Academic Dean, 2012 to 2018, in addition to teaching AP psychology and serving on the Board of Trustees as a parent of two graduates of the school.For Jeneen’s first appearance on Roads Taken, listen to Independent Education and her special bonus episode about closing her school for covid lockdown and moving to online learning. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings RowleyMusic: Brian BurrowsEmail the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com 

With only two more episodes in this season of Roads Taken with Leslie Jennings Rowley, we are soliciting suggestions for future seasons. Are there any former guests you'd like to see featured on a Roads Taken Revisited episode? Or a voice who hasn't yet been featured who should be persuaded to share their story? Drop us a line through the Contact Us link at RoadsTakenShow.com. Let us know what you might be interested in hearing in a future season.(And for those Dartmouth '96 alumni out there, I hope you've put a save-the-date on the calendar for our 30th Reunion in Hanover, June 18 to 21, 2026. And if you're dying to get involved in any capacity with planning that event or with other class engagement, drop us a line through the show, too!)We are so appreciative for all of you who keep listening, week after week, season after season. Thanks so much! Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings RowleyMusic: Brian BurrowsEmail the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com 

In college, Jesse Israel knew that his major didn't really matter so much because he wanted to pursue a life in entertainment and media and early experiences landed him on the path right away. An out-of-season internship at NBC Sports landed him in the president’s office, with access to top executives and the inner workings of things. And when graduation coincided with the Atlanta Olympics, he had a job waiting, albeit a few flights down from the head office. With a career that saw him in every sort of producing role, eventually developing major star vehicles, he realized—in an industry that had transformed thoroughly since he began in it—that there might be another way to use the full range of skills he’d honed over two decades.In this episode, find out from Jesse how tapping into relationships and dealing with rejection can be quite transferable…on Roads Taken with Leslie Jennings Rowley. About This Episode’s GuestJesse Israel is a certified financial planner, wealth manager, and insurance expert, who currently advises at Capstone Partners Financial and Insurance Services in Los Angeles, where he previously spent a career in the entertainment industry that spanned two decades with stints at NBC Sports and Dateline, and development roles for numerous feature film deals. Being a very proud husband and father of two girls, he is cofounder of the Dad Club, which is just the coolest. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings RowleyMusic: Brian BurrowsEmail the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com 

Starting out as pre-med and a member of the development ski team, Dan Kashman changed courses a couple of times in college, first getting his ski time in as a ski instructor instead of on the team, then switching to economics. Right after graduation, he worked got an investment banking job but knew very soon he wanted to get his hands more dirty, or rather more snowy. He wrote to a number of consolidating ski resort companies and figured out how to use his Wall Street experience in a different way. Ultimately, he found that his interests and skills made the most sense in the world of marketing. Moving between smaller companies and larger shops with powerful tools, he learned to find the connections between data, technology, and creativity for companies of all sizes, including his own.In this episode, find out from Dan how changing course and pursuing longevity aren't always in opposition…on Roads Taken with Leslie Jennings Rowley. About This Episode’s GuestDan Kashman is an experienced Chief Marketing Officer and entrepreneurial executive with over two decades of experience in finding the connections between data, technology, and creativity for companies large and small. His marketing consultancy Tenth Mountain is a multidisciplinary marketing firm with clients in all sectors. But as a devotee of the health and wellness space, he is also the founder of Medo, which uses AI-powered health coaching to make preventative health optimization accessible to everyone. Check to get your free Sense Score and a holistic view of your longevity potential. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings RowleyMusic: Brian BurrowsEmail the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com 

As she began college, Annie Soutter Horton had a clear, singular identity: She was a swimmer. But something began feeling off and she had to make a change that left her in search of who she really was at core and how she could feel more whole. In following a path toward education, she saw others who might not be secure with who they were and what made them well. She continued to center the idea of wellness in her work. When an opportunity came to move her family across the world to New Zealand she leaned in and found ways to incorporate indigenous ideas of wellness into her academic studies and home life.In this episode, find out from Annie how quieting yourself to tune into the elements of wellness can bring you fill circle…on Roads Taken with Leslie Jennings Rowley. About This Episode’s GuestAnne Soutter Horton would tell you Three Sisters is her mountain, Metoliius is her river, Oregon is where she is from, Christchurch is where she lives, and her name is Annie. She is currently a lecturer in Educational Studies and Leadership in the Faculty of Education at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, where she teaches courses on child and adolescent wellbeing and health, as well as leadership. She is raising a brood of five children with college classmate Travis Horton and, in summer of 2024, competed in New Zealand’s South Island Short Course Championships and broke longstanding national records in her age group in the 400-, 800-, and 1500-meter freestyle. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings RowleyMusic: Brian BurrowsEmail the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com 

When we last spoke with Jonathon Stewart, known affectionately to us as Stew, he was in LA hitting his stride in the world of screenwriting and working on animated and live-action feature films. He has continued on this path with his long-time creative partner, depsite the ups and downs that have come in this period of redefinition for the entire film industry. In this Roads Taken Revisited, find out from Stew how now, with the perspective one gets in the middle stages of life, sometimes looking at the long game really just tracks with searching for the little things that make us human…on Roads Taken Revisited with Leslie Jennings Rowley. About This Episode’s GuestJonathon “Stew” Stewart is a screenwriter, producer, and consultant for business, education and content creators. With his long-time creative partner Eyal Podell, he has written for the likes of Pixar, Warner Brothers, Dreamworks, Paramount, Sony, and Netflix. He has two kids who will invariably feature in his future storytelling.For Stew’s first appearance on Roads Taken, listen to Character Study. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings RowleyMusic: Brian BurrowsEmail the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com 

When last we spoke with Pace Duckenfield, he was on the cusp of retiring from a long and decorated military career and he was weighing how he might use his skills and experience in the private sector. He parlayed the cybersecurity skills he gained in the Army into a stable day job, but he’s most passionate at this point about the business he has started with his brother through the Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) program. Though he kept his roots in Georgia for continuity for his wife’s job and community they have built for their daughters, he has still found ways to branch out through the new strategy consultancy.In this episode, find out from Pace how finding gratitude for one path ending and another beginning is the key to moving on…on Roads Taken Revisited with Leslie Jennings Rowley. About This Episode’s GuestPace Duckenfield is a retired Major from the U.S. Army who served four overseas tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, who is co-founder and CEO of DX3 Strategists where he leverages his extensive background in military intelligence and cyber security to guide and manage the firm’s overall operations and to assist its private sector and government clients. He lives in Georgia with his wife, two daughters, and bearded dragon, El.For Pace’s first appearance on Roads Taken, listen to Intelligence Quotient. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings RowleyMusic: Brian BurrowsEmail the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com 

Somehow, Michael Rigney always knew he wanted to work in the climate and energy space. So he studied engineering, but then wasn’t sure what the path would be. He figured the business side of that world would likely make the most sense for him, so he started out in consulting. But he was drawn to a life that would get him closer to the heart of things. In taking an early opportunity to start a business with his brother, the entrepreneurial bug bit him and after business school he worked in various start-up environments in a variety of fields. All the while, he worked on balancing his natural intensity with units of happiness and ultimately weaved all his experiences into a start-up of his own.In this episode, find out from Michael how many times the journeys that create the most meaningful things are the long ones …on Roads Taken with Leslie Jennings Rowley. About This Episode’s Guest// Michael Rigney is a serial entrepreneur and current CEO and co-founder of Cala Systems, makers of the world's first intelligent heat pump water heater for the residential market. The new company is the culmination of his decades of leadership experience in climate and energy start-ups combined with a background in building products and in thermal sciences.  Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings RowleyMusic: Brian BurrowsEmail the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com 

When we last spoke with Kira Lawrence, more than two years ago, she was taking a sabbatical from her tenured faculty position to work within New Jersey's Division of Clean Energy at the state’s Board of Public Utilities to try to make more direct impact on the climate crisis. Her time there made her think at length about how to best leverage her time and expertise and realized that—right now—she needs to be outside academia to have a chance to making the immediate impact she seeks. What she learns now about the skills necessary in the future, will hopefully help her return to higher education down the road to develop more people into the agents of change our planet needs. This is similar to the work she is doing to back others in the public sphere facing the broader topics of community diversity and equity.In this episode, find out from Kira how leadership is rarely about having the answers but motivating people from diverse backgrounds to take on the gnarly questions…on Roads Taken Revisited with Leslie Jennings Rowley. About This Episode’s GuestKira Lawrence is currently senior policy advisor for the board of public utilities for the State of New Jersey.For Kira’s first appearance on Roads Taken, listen to Better Environments. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings RowleyMusic: Brian BurrowsEmail the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com