I Want Her Job

Lynn Perkins was in a situation parents everywhere face. She was in need of a baby-sitter. It dawned on her that she could leverage her social network to find a sitter for her twin boys. It was during this moment that she realized the opportunity to leverage one’s social networks for finding short- and long-term childcare. A natural matchmaker, Lynn recruited three co-founders to join her in this initiative. Each had complementary strengths — in engineering, product and marketing. The business idea became UrbanSitter, a network that offers background-checked sitters and nannies nearby. Even better, it shows the baby-sitters and nannies who take care of the children of other parents in your social network. After signing up and paying a monthly or annual membership fee, you’ll gain access to 120,000+ active sitters and nannies in the company’s database. And, the site averages a response time of under three minutes. In episode #112 of I Want Her Job: The Podcast, Podcast Co-Founder Polina talks to Lynn about ho

We hope you and your family are safe. And for those of you struggling right now, or for those of you who are scared, we hope you are finding the support you need. With the events all around us right now you may be wondering, “Will I still have my job a week from now?” Or, maybe with this extra time to reflect you’ve been thinking your current role no longer fills your heart. If a career switch is on your mind, start creating your own career pivot plan. But first, download our ‘Career Quickie’ I Want Her Job The Podcast episode with Dr. Dawn Graham. Dr. Dawn is the author of, of Switchers: How Smart Professionals Change Careers and Seize Success and a coach for the Wharton School’s Executive MBA program. You also might have heard her on Sirius XM channel 132 where she hosts Career Talk.   An expert on career switching, Dr. Dawn’s advice is among the best we’ve ever heard. And although recent events can make our lives feel wildly out of control, we hope you’ll listen to this episode to get solid advice for work

Colombian-born Renata Black lost both of her parents in an airplane accident when she was a toddler. A tragedy of this type could devastate and stunt a life. But that is not Renata’s story. Instead, Renata shares how the loss of her parents, and her knowledge of the precious nature of life, became her competitive advantage. Renata was adopted by her aunt and uncle and was raised in Miami. She dropped out of school at 15 and returned to Colombia to stay with her grandmother. After moving back, she saw the differences between living in the United States and the poorest areas of Colombia. It gave her an early understanding of the vast differences in how people live. Later in her 20’s, when a dream job with MTV didn’t work out, Renata purchased a ticket to travel the world. In doing so, she expanded her perspectives regarding how fellow women live in various areas of the world. It was Renata’s world travels that gave her a deep motivation and burning desire to find ways to help other women rise through microfinan

Bethany Hamilton is unstoppable. Since losing her left arm at the age of 13 to a tiger shark, nothing has stopped her from living her life to the fullest. When Bethany returned to surfing just one month after losing her arm -- and two years later won a national surf title -- she became an inspiration for millions. The move Soul Surfer released in 2011, starring AnnaSophia Robb, shares that story. Bethany’s latest documentary, Unstoppable, offers a deeper, wider and more personal view into her life -- including her early childhood, competitive surfing career, marriage and motherhood. It also follows her into magnificent waves while she surfs Jaws and other breathtaking locations. In episode #109 of I Want Her Job The Podcast, Bethany shares how her values, family, faith and love for the ocean have guided her life path. If you need the courage to go after your deepest desires, you’ll be blown away by Bethany's mindset. Hearing about her life, and everything she has achieved, can seem impossible and too distant

When was the last time you were uncomfortable … purposefully uncomfortable? If you dread the feeling at all costs, then you have to hear our conversation today with Tania Katan, author of Creative Tresspassing.   Tania believes in mavericks. She’s a fan of getting messy. She believes you should face your fears. She wants you to be okay with being weird and unique. In the book, and in our conversation today, Tania shares her career story. She discusses the weight she felt in some of her previous jobs, and shares the moments that left her stifled and feeling alone. Tania also talks about how she began to flip those feelings upside down and by leaning in to her creativity to drive more value in her work. In episode #108 of I Want Her Job The Podcast Tania also talks about the viral women’s empowerment campaign she co-created called #ItWasNeveraDress. In the campaign, the classic female bathroom symbol was reimagined as a cape-wearing power woman. The campaign went global and was featured in Time, New York Times

Robyn Fisher really loves ice cream. As a kid, she and her family would have ice cream for those special moments in life – to bond, recover and really savor life. Fast forward to college. Robyn was in the middle of her studies and couldn’t find a decent ice cream in NYC. She recalled the fresh gelato she experienced in Italy and realized that while gourmet coffee was taking off, there was a gap in the market for fresh ice cream. This realization set her life path toward the founding of Smitten Ice Cream. After graduating from business school, Robyn found an engineer willing to work for equity for two years on creating a better ice cream machine, Brrr, a liquid nitrogen machine with six patents and a secret formula for gourmet ice cream. This led to the creation of the Today Smitten makes every ice cream batch to order. You read that right – nothing is frozen until the customer orders it. In this episode of I Want Her Job The Podcast, Robyn shares her motivations that led to Smitten and discusses how startin

Need some inspiration about getting involved with an issue you’re passionate about? You’ll find plenty in today’s interview with Shannon Watts. After the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Shannon was devastated. Like many of us, she assumed the horrific tragedy would provoke outrage and change. When legislative and social change didn’t appear, and the status quo remained solidly in place, Shannon channeled her outrage and grief by starting a Facebook page for her few dozen online friends. Almost 7 years later, that single page has evolved into Moms Demand Action – a political powerhouse and one of the largest grassroots organizations in the country. In today’s conversation, I Want Her Job The Podcast Host Polina Selyutin and Guest Co-Host Willow Older discuss Shannon’s new book, Fight Like a Mother, which is part memoir, part manual, and part manifesto. We talk about Shannon’s journey as an accidental activist and find out how Moms Demand Action is changing perceptions and creating unlikely allies in th

Sometimes we know from the moment we’re young people, just exactly what job we want to have when we grow up. When she was only 6-years-old, Jenni Kayne attended a fashion show with her mom. It was love at first catwalk spin. While still young, Jenni learned to sew. She continued to follow her heart throughout her years in a creative high school, and at only 19-years-old, Jenni launched her own design label, Jenni Kayne. Now, her California-inspired design line of effortless staples crafted to stand the test of time. Sometimes we know from the moment we’re young people, just exactly what job we want to have when we grow up. When she was only 6-years-old, Jenni Kayne attended a fashion show with her mom. It was love at first catwalk spin. While still young, Jenni learned to sew. She continued to follow her heart throughout her years in a creative high school, and at only 19-years-old, Jenni launched her own design label, Jenni Kayne. Now, her California-inspired design line of effortless staples craft

Have you ever wondered what it takes to make a career switch? Or, have you wondered what to do to make that career switch successful – and not a complete disaster? We sat down with a woman who wrote the book on the art of a career transition – literally. Dr. Dawn Graham is author of Switchers: How Smart Professionals Change Careers and Seize Success. She’s also a coach for the Wharton School’s Executive MBA program and host of Career Talk on SiriusXM channel 132. In today’s episode of I Want Her Job The Podcast Dawn answers your top career transition questions.  Questions discussed include: Should I go back to school? How do I pass an interview in a new career track? How do I know if my job switch is worth it? Today’s episode shares advice from Dawn that is practical and will help you think through your career switch. And with advanced degrees in counseling psychology, her training allows her to understand the fears, doubts or mistakes that can often block us from making the career switch our souls want us to

Making decisions is critical for any CEO. But today’s Leading Lady has a Master’s in the art. In this episode of I Want Her Job: The Podcast, Denyelle Bruno, CEO of Los-Angeles based health-conscious restaurant Tender Greens talks to us about the importance of ensuring that senior leaders understand how vital it is to ensure that decisions are received and understood throughout multiple levels of an organization. And, she would know a thing or two about this, because in addition to her current role, she previously served as president of retail operations for Drybar, where she led the opening of 55 locations. And if that wasn’t impressive enough, in addition to that, Denyelle also was one of only seven people who worked with Steve Jobs to open the first 25 Apple stores. Her career experience also includes roles as vice president of retail for PUREBEAUTY and at Peet’s Coffee & Tea in vice president roles focused on retail strategy and market expansion, as well as retail marketing and operations. The advice

Ever since she was younger, Laura Rutledge has been the living embodiment of the mentality “Can’t stop, won’t stop.” Growing up, she was a serious ballet dancer and focused on music. And, in a way, she says ballet and music were almost like her first job, because through them she was always working so hard to get to that next opportunity. Whether it was a scholarship or a professional job as a ballet dancer, they were her goals, so working toward them became her job.   Ballet requires a level of perfection, Laura tells us in today’s conversation. And it was a level that required her to stay focused on one goal at a time. She credits this thought process for benefitting her career today at ESPN. At the network, Laura is the co-anchor of morning show Get Up!, one of the lead reporters for the network’s college sports coverage, and the host of SEC Nation every fall on SEC Network. And, in August she debuted The Moment with Laura Rutledge, a new show on SEC Network about making sports fans’ dreams come true. Sig

Lydia Fenet undoubtedly has a dream job. In her role as managing director and global director of strategic partnerships at the famed auction house Christie's. Lydia’s role combines travel, strategy, art and social impact. In addition to living a life full of art and adventure, Lydia has raised more than half a billion dollars for over 400 non-profits worldwide as the leading benefit auctioneer in the country. In our conversation, Lydia reveals how she has used her work ethic and her unique skills of humor and persuasion to become a leading auctioneer. We also talk about her first book, The Most Powerful Women in The Room is You, where she shares the mindset and day-to-day tactics she used to land her first dream job as an intern. We also talk about the time Matt Damon accidentally called her Lindsey … and how one could possibly navigate that situation?! (With a classic response, of course.) Lydia also discusses one of her favorite events she’s worked on – leading a benefit with Bruce Springsteen at Madison S

We've all been through heartache and heartbreak, but today's guest on I Want Her Job: The Podcast has made a career of it.   Amy Chan is the Founder of Renew Breakup Bootcamp, a retreat that takes a scientific and spiritual approach to healing the heart. She is also the Editor-in-Chief of JustMyType.ca an online magazine that focuses on the psychology behind love, lust and desire. In our conversation, Amy shares how a painful break up led her to the idea for starting her thriving business focused on love and healing. We discuss how Amy’s research on love dating changed her life and set her on a mission to help others, while running a successful business.    You will love this episode if you are curious about different dating attachment styles, common mistakes, and the single most important thing each of us can do to get on a happier, and more loving path. After listening to Amy’s passion for how love and psychology are connected, it will be obvious why Marie Claire calls Amy, "A relationship expert whose work

The mission of Megan O’Connor’s company is empowering: We build educators into entrepreneurs. The company she co-founded, Clark, gives tutors and educators an online platform with tools for opening and managing an education business. For example, if you decided you wanted to start a side business tutoring, you could join Clark to automate scheduling, payment management, monitor student progress, find client leads, and get support from others with similar businesses. Clark also has added a content platform that facilitates sharing and collaboration among tutors on content ideas. Clark is the perfect example of technology enabling business owners to improve where they spend their time, and increase their revenue, impact and reach. Clark was even featured on Apple's Planet of the Apps, and as a result received venture funding and the opportunity to work with Gary Vaynerchuk to perfect their platform.  Some of the best startups are created when the founders are passionate about solving a problem. While growing up

Imagine that you are in a room in Silicon Valley. You think of your electrical engineering degree from Stanford, but you also think of the time you immigrated to the United States with only $43 to your name. Everywhere you look there’s men, but you’re a woman. And although setbacks are the norm for females in your industry, you’re proving yourself to be a force in venture capital. After all, you’re on the inside helping Marc Benioff build Salesforce – from the ground up.  This is the story of Magdalena Yesil. Magdalena and three other extraordinarily strong, ambitious women share their stories in Alpha Girls, the latest book from acclaimed New York Times best-selling author and Pulitzer Prize nominee Julian Guthrie. In Alpha Girls, Julian takes the reader into the rooms where deals, risks and decisions shaped some of Silicon Valley’s biggest industries. The Alpha Girls story is so damn, jaw-dropping good that there was a bidding war for the film and TV rights that included the likes of Amazon, Universal and

As the director of audience strategy and entertainment at HarpersBAZAAR.com, Julie Kosin oversees the news team, as well as topics ranging from movie and TV, to books, music and art. She’s been with the publication since graduating from Syracuse in 2014 as a magazine journalism major. Prior to her role at the publication she was an editor for College Fashionista. When Julie was younger and growing up in Scranton, Pa. – home of yes, The Office – visiting New York City was a special treat. She would look forward to seeing shows on Broadway with her family and visiting the Empire State Building. Now, with NYC as her new home, Julie gets the opportunity to interview A-list celebrities in her office, watch popular TV shows like Game of Thrones (and call it work!), and also plan website content that goes up every half hour on the site for the legendary fashion publication.  Julie always loved magazines and English classes and realized when she was a senior in high school that it could be a job for her. “I loved get

Esther Wojcicki is asked about parenting advice – sometimes over 10 times a day! In How to Raise Successful People: Simple Lessons for Radical Results, Esther shares the guiding principles she has used to raise her wildly successful daughters, as well as in her teaching of journalism to students at Palo Alto High School who affectionately call her Woj. Her parenting philosophy can be distilled into a combination of values and practices within an acronym called TRICK, which stands for trust, respect, independence, collaboration and kindness. In her book, Esther drills into each area, explaining why she believes each component to TRICK is critical. She also offers ideas for utilizing her TRICK philosophy with your children, and shares dozens of memorable stories. There is no doubt the book will be a best seller since Esther has had such tremendous success as a mother and teacher. Each of Esther’s daughters have phenomenal career achievements. Daughter, Susan Wojcicki is the CEO of YouTube; Janet Wojcicki is a

When Casey Clark’s national tour of Les Misérables ended after nearly two years, and it was time to find a new job, Casey realized she tired of living the ups and downs that come with professional acting. As she shares in today’s show, professional actors often face long stretches of unemployment – filling in gaps with survival jobs and temping in various roles to pay the bills, sometimes for months, or even years. One fateful day, Casey went on an interview that she thought was about singing coaching, and ended up being asked to teach speaking voice instead. Casey quickly fell in love with voice coaching and the opportunity to help women amplify their own voices. This session eventually led her to co-found Vital Voice Training. Around the same time Casey started voice coaching, she read a book called Half the Sky, which left her feeling angry at the depth and enormity of problems facing women in our world. The combination of entering the voice coaching world, and wanting to help women, convinced Casey her mi

Elisabeth Leonard was living in New York City and had her dream job working at Rebecca Minkoff. She’d worked her way up the company, from a position as a receptionist, to a job in the PR department. Then her life changed dramatically. And for the better! If you think it can’t get better than what Elisabeth had going for her in New York then keep listening. She moved to Santiago, Chile, a little over three years ago to be closer to her long-term boyfriend who had been living and working down there himself for a handful of years. Taking a leap from leaving the only city she had ever known, Elisabeth moved to Chile! And it gets better yet, because she still had the opportunity to work for Rebecca Minkoff, but this time on a remote basis leading special projects. Last fall, one of those special projects involved helping Rebecca launch the Female Founder Collective– a network of businesses led by women, supporting women. Its mission is to enable and empower female-owned and led businesses to positively impact our

At the age of 23 while serving in the Israeli army Adi Arezzini was feeling bloated, constipated and had a stomach that looked like she was carrying around a bowling ball inside. She was active and training soldiers, yet she had a very angry digestive system that left her feeling terrible with her own wellness and health. And eating the food the army provided wasn’t exactly helping … So, Adi tried a new avenue and got a colonic. It helped her for a while, but served more as a band-aide approach. It wasn’t until she got back to the United States and moved to Florida that she was able to cook her own healthy foods and finally help her stomach heal. And though her healthy eating approach was helping, it still didn’t fix her problem 100 percent.  At a fateful meeting at a friend’s house Adi met the person who would become her co-founder. With his background in coffee and tea, and her background in health and wellness, the two started to combine different loose leaf tea blends to find one that would help her stoma