Uncharted Journey

Hosted by Cathy McKnight

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Aug 2024

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About the show

Life is an adventure filled with great stories. This podcast captures and shares the adventures of amazing women, their careers, their success, and the secrets they learned along the way.

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60 recent

August 27, 202441 min

Episode 84 – Leslie Greenwood, Community Connector

Leslie Greenwood is a true force in the realm of community building and engagement. As the founder of Chief Evangelist Consulting and cofounder of Wednesday Women, she is known for her ability to craft innovative strategies for both formal and informal communities while bypassing the constraints of traditional structures.With more than 20 years of leadership in customer-facing roles, Leslie has mastered the art of community engagement. She always puts members first and proves that true connection is the heart of any thriving community. Her passion project, Wednesday Women, is dedicated to uplifting women leaders and entrepreneurs, fostering meaningful relationships, and celebrating their successes.Leslie's superpower lies in her ability to unite people through the power of evangelism, personal connections, and shared values. She consistently demonstrates that the "sticky glue" of genuine, value-driven engagement is what makes communities flourish. She has deep and valuable insights on how to create vibrant, connected communities without being bound by conventional methods.When she's not busy transforming communities, Leslie enjoys coffee, good chocolate, and advocating for diversity in tech—while wishing her dogs would be just a bit quieter.Leslie Greenwood on LinkedInWednesday Women on LIWednesday Women websiteListen to the full-length outro piece: Hollie Greenwood, CCÉ, Irish Traditions, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, plays a Reel – “Jenny’s Welcome to Charlie”More music from Hollie Greenwood on YouTube

August 13, 202444 min

Episode 83 - Ina Hadshiew, Serendipity Embracer

Dr. Ina Hadsciew is a seasoned dermatologist with an impressive career spanning over 30 years. Dr. Hadsciew's journey is anything but ordinary—she almost became a professional swimmer, but a pivotal conversation with her father led her to pursue medicine instead.Growing up in West Germany after her family fled East Berlin, she was deeply influenced by her strong and supportive parents and her grandmother, a professor of architecture. This early foundation instilled in her the belief that she could achieve anything, a mindset that has driven her remarkable career.Dr. Hadsciew's path has taken her from high school in the U.S. to challenging medical work in South Africa and ultimately to her current role in dermatology, where she blends cutting-edge research with compassionate patient care. Along the way, she’s faced difficult choices, like deciding to transition from oncology to dermatology, and she’s embraced every experience with curiosity, gratitude, and a commitment to kindness.But Dr. Hadsciew isn’t just about medicine—she’s a passionate traveler, a budding pianist, and dreams of one day exhibiting her black-and-white photography. She knows firsthand the impact of mentoring and carries it forward. and also deeply believes in the power of serendipity.Her best advice is to live life to the fullest and learn to balance a fulfilling professional life with personal passions. early on. And remember that with the right mindset, anything is possible.Dr. Ina Hadshiew on LinkedIn

August 6, 202441 min

Episode 82 - Meryl Evans, Accessibility Champion

Meryl Evans was born profoundly deaf, but that has never slowed her down or stopped her from making an impact as a renowned speaker, trainer, author, and accessibility consultant. A true champion of accessibility and inclusion, she is helping push progress in accessibility in education, marketing, advocacy, and product development.Meryl’s expertise helps organizations navigate the complexities of diversity, equity, and inclusion, ensuring they reach wider audiences, boost engagement, and foster a sense of belonging for everyone. Her dedication extends beyond her professional work—she’s a passionate volunteer and board member, recognized as one of the 50 Leading Women by the Plano Chamber of Commerce and honored by the North Texas Disability Chamber with an award named after her.As a sought-after speaker, Meryl has graced stages at LinkedIn, TEDx, and South by Southwest, and her insights have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Morning Brew, AdWeek, AdAge, and The Dallas Morning News. When she’s not advocating for accessibility, this proud Texan might be found immersed in a crochet project or rehearsing for a community theatre show.

June 25, 202442 min

Episode 81 – Kate Ertmann, Logic Driven Communicator

Kate Ertmann effortlessly moves between the worlds of business, math, and community service. Her expertise in Organizational Design is all about finding the sweet spot between humans and financials, helping companies and their teams thrive in the fast-paced 21st-century workplace.Kate’s Entrepreneurial journey began with Animation Dynamics, a 3D animation studio she led to success and sale in 2014. Firmly committed to building and being a part of communities, she holds board positions at Bradley Angle and Bitch Media, and she also served as President of the Rotary Club of Portland.In 2022, she launched "Kate Loves Math," a blog that demystifies math and offers practical insights. She’s also on the editorial board for the Mathematical Association of America's Math Values blog, bridging the gap between academics and non-academic types.Before her current roles, she had a vibrant career in entertainment, from acting in New York City to producing films and commercials. Her transition to 3D animation married her love for math and science with her creative skills.Today, Kate focuses on creating efficient operational structures that balance the well-being of companies and their people. Her mathematical approach to systems thinking and her dedication to community service make her a truly unique and inspiring figure. Driven to understand, her best advice is to “never leave the room without asking every question you have; that way, you and others have the answers you need.Kate Loves Math Kate on LinkedIn Kate Loves Math on Threads Kate Loves Math Instagram PJ Harvey's Man-Size video

June 18, 202438 min

Episode 80 – Nicki Traikos, Curious Creative Entrepreneur

Nicki Traikos is an inspiring, creative entrepreneur who has pursued her dreams and made a positive impact along the way. From a young age, Nicki had a deep desire to create beauty through art, but she allowed self-doubt and intimidation to hold her back. Everything changed when she turned 40. Finally, allowing herself to embrace her true calling as an artist, and she went all in on her curiosity-driven creative journey founding Life I Design, a platform that allowed her to fully dedicate herself to her passion for art and making while building a sustainable business.Nicki's approach to art is centered around making it accessible to all. Through her popular online classes titled "Watercolors Made Simple" and her recently published book of the same name, she invites artists of all skill levels to explore their creativity with freedom and joy. Her philosophy is straightforward but powerful: have the courage to try new things and find joy in the process of exploration.In addition to her artistic endeavors, Nicki is a firm believer in finding beauty in everyday objects. She encourages all of us to appreciate the world around us in a deeper way and find uplifting moments in our lives. As a mother to two grown children who are also pursuing creative paths, Nicki finds inspiration in watching them flourish and grow.When she's not creating beautiful artwork or teaching, she loves to travel and photograph new places, capturing moments that inspire her paintings, classes, and books. She embodies her advice of “find room to follow passion so that you can be your true self”. Life I Design WebsiteNicki on Instagram Nick on TikTokNicki on LinkedInPinterestLife I Design Youtube channel Check out Nicki’s BooksJoin Nicki on her Water Colour Retreat in France

June 11, 202434 min

Episode 79 – Mehda Wilson, Empowering Financier

As the Group Chief Executive Officer at MicroLoan Foundation, Medha Wilson has dedicated her career to alleviating poverty and creating sustainable change for underserved communities. Under her leadership, the foundation's assets have quadrupled in just five years, and the number of active clients has grown from 44,000 to over 90,000. This incredible growth has made a tangible difference for women and children across Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.Medha's journey is a testament to her remarkable blend of financial expertise and unwavering commitment to social impact. A Qualified Chartered Accountant with a degree in Econometrics and Mathematical Economics from The London School of Economics, she seamlessly navigates complex economic environments. She develops holistic strategies that drive sustainable change.London, UK-based, Medha is passionate about aligning her values, interests, and skills in everything she does. From her experience, she says, “When you combine persistence, stop fearing the unknown, and let passion drive you, you can make massive, positive impacts on the world and be fulfilled and successful at the same time.”Mehda Wilson on LinkedInMicroloan FoundationWays to donate to help empower women and children

June 4, 202440 min

Episode 78 – Karrie Sanderson, Adventurous Leader

Karrie Sanderson is the dynamic and accomplished founder and CMO at K.E.S. Consulting. With a wealth of experience in growth marketing, brand leadership and strategy, creative studio management, and strategic consulting, she is a powerhouse leader who knows how to drive success.Her desire to be a journalist, with a detour via an engineering degree, landed her in the sweet spot of marketing that allowed her to blend her creative side and appreciation for structure and process. Karrie's impressive career includes CMO roles at Typeform and Smartsheet and impactful stints at iconic brands like The Coca-Cola Company and Starbucks.As a mentor at Techstars Seattle and a member of Chief, Karrie is passionate about driving growth through research, strategy, brand building, and dynamic leadership. Her belief in the power of brand building and the importance of creating high-performance marketing teams is the cornerstone of her success. She embodies the philosophy that brand building is not optional and that a strong foundation is key to achieving greatness.Based in Seattle, Karrie enjoys life with her family—both two-legged and four-legged members. She loves the outdoors, sailing, travel, and adventure and is always ready for the next exciting challenge.Her advice for those starting out in their careers? “Say YES! Raise your hand for new and challenging opportunities when they come along.” And be sure to take others along with you on your journey to success.Karrie Sanderson on LinkedIn

May 28, 202442 min

E77 - Jessie Shipman, Transformative Teacher

Jessie Shipman has established herself as a pioneer at the intersection of education and technology, paving the way for a brighter future. As the CEO and founder of Fluincy, Jessie Shipman has blended her teaching and technological skills and fostered an environment where her team can make daily impactful contributions. This approach has helped their customers enable partner selling, transform processes, increase success, and improve the lives of their staff, all in equal measure.But let's rewind to her beginnings as a high school history teacher. Jessie wasn't your typical memorize-and-forget classroom—oh no! She taught her students the power of actions and decisions throughout history and how they shaped the world we live in today.When she took on systems administration, her teaching evolved. She became the go-to guru for JamF adopters, and then at Apple, she moved on to teaching the teachers. From curriculum development to onboarding sales teams, she showed everyone how the right tools, the power of technology, and a dash of encouragement can unleash creativity and revolutionize the learning experience.Parker, Colorado-based, is a mom and wife, snowboarder, mountain biker, entrepreneur, and WiFi Nerd in varying parts depending on the day. Donning her bootstrapping CEO-founder hat, her best advice is, even when you have what you think is a great idea, make sure "to validate idea has legs in the market", and "don’t quit your job without 12 months of runway in the bank".Jessica Shipman on LinkedIn

May 14, 202426 min

Episode 76 - Soundarya Balasubramani, Curious Maverick

Soundarya Balasubramani (aka Pooja) is not yet 30 but has already achieved so much. Since quitting that gig, an ex-product manager with Salesforce, she has added 2x author, creator of the online community unshackled.club, and founder to her list of accomplishments. She is a rare combination of writer, creator, and technologist.Curious by nature she aptly calls herself, and her website, Curious Maverick, as a reminder of the courage she found to quit her well-paying to veer off what she thought was her journey’s path to follow her big heart and even bigger imagination. Soundarya, who is based in San Francisco, has a master's degree from Columbia and sets a high barevery aspect of her life. She has learned that success comes from setting and then leaning into your own standards and expectations and ignoring others' definitions of success or failure. She for herself in believes that "Living by your own goals and expectations sets you free to focus on learning and growing from every new experience."Soundarya Balsubramani on LinkedInBook: AdmittedBook: UnshackledUnshackled communityBlog: Curious Maverick

May 7, 202441 min

Episode 75 – Beth Torrie, Strategic Advisor

Beth Torrie has an impressive 20+ years of experience in IT as an expert in industry analyst relations, marketing strategy, and media communications. She has fearlessly supported and driven AR programs for start-ups, midmarket, and large companies, delivering against aggressive goals, ensuring they meet, but often, with her guidance, exceed their business objectives.As a strategic advisor and analyst relations professional, Beth has played a pivotal role in building several well-regarded analyst relations programs for esteemed companies, including FatWire, RedDot, Cybage Software, Contentstack, Sitecore, and OpenText. Now, as the principal of her analyst relations firm, she is in demand as a trusted advisor, thought leader, and go-to resource for venture capital and private equity companies, providing invaluable guidance on growth strategies for software and services companies.Beth is a passionate music fan. She believes it to be the universal language and in its power to unify people and invoke positive change. She’s also learned as she moved out of early career survival mode to support great ideas wherever they come from, to help others in need, and to lift them up. Looking back on her career, she shared, “I've realized the impact of not having that support and the importance of providing it for others.”. Indeed, great advice.Beth Torrie on LinkedInTorrie Communications