Jazzed About Work

Municipal Court Judge Gayle Williams-Byers -- whose side gig is teaching other judges -- is determined to convince her colleagues that “self-care is not selfish.” In this episode, she explains that judges have one of the toughest jobs in the world. Not only do they have the pressure of leading people in difficult situations, but the kinds of horrible events they hear about, day after day, can leav...

Mark Miller, a journalist who often covers issues related to retirement and aging, writes three columns, including for Reuters, and his work appears in places like The New York Times and AARP Magazine. He is the author of The Hard Times Guide to Retirement Security: Practical Strategies for Money, Work, and Living. It’s a helpful book for anyone grappling with retirement options, and in this episo...

Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce has been quoted in hundreds of books, articles and blog posts. And she runs two top career websites: Job-Hunt. Org and WorkCoachCafe.com Susan is a prolific writer, and in her work she shares masses of excellent information about topics like how to create a modern resume, how to do well in a job interview and how to launch an effective hunt when it’s time fo...

Today’s guest is Julius Pryor III, a retired Navy captain and a certified Navy leadership instructor. He is widely known as an innovative, goal-focused executive, and a no-nonsense consultant. What really sets Julius apart is that he has succeeded as the Chief Diversity Officer at five global companies. In his book, THRIVING IN A DISRUPTIVE WORLD, Julius says that he’s driven by outcomes, and that...

Intel Chief Information Officer Paula Tolliver understands what it takes to transform a company or an industry. And she knows that IT savvy can be a key to career success, particularly because managing information is critical to forming and implementing a smart corporate vision. Today, Paula will share lessons from her in career technology, like how she learned to be “fearless.” She will talk abou...

Author, entrepreneur, workplace expert and 2006 college grad Dan Schawbel says that his mission in life is to support the work lives of people in his age group. Dan is a well-known expert on the millennial generation. And he has a savvy way of talking to young professionals, and offering them practical advice for building careers. This episode focuses on Dan’s new book: Back to Human – How Great L...

Tali Wenger is passionate about her job as a director of field operations for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. She’s proud of their work responding to disasters like hurricanes, floods and fires. And Tali also loves her side gig, as co-owner of Off Road DC, which operates two independent, community-focused cycling and fitness centers in Washington, DC. In this show, we discuss what it take...

In Episode 32, journalist Sara Schonhardt talked about how some young college grads are heading back to small towns to find work. That show was recorded in a small sound studio in the woods, by a stream, in rural Rappahannock County, Virginia. The studio is owned by Forrest Marquisee, who is finding ways to work as a musician in a county where the biggest town has fewer than 400 people. In this ep...

What do you do when you’re overwhelmed by work, you’re feeling exhausted and burned out, and you just don’t know how to start digging your way out of the hole? How do you know where to put your energy when everything feels like it’s just too much? And how can you get motivated to even try? Guest host Tom Hodson and career coach Bev Jones talk about ways to get your mojo back in this episode. If yo...

Karen Hough runs her own thriving consulting firm in Columbus, Ohio. But she started out as an actress. She did improv – where the actors appear on stage with no script or anything, and they have to make up their lines as they go along. In this episode, Karen says that a key principle in improvisational theater is saying: “yes… and.” And that same “yes” practice can transform the way you handle yo...

Media personality Kerry Hannon is a well known expert on career transitions, entrepreneurship, and finance. She was the guest on our popular first episode. And now on this show Kerry returns to talk about how to get started when you want to – or perhaps you have to – make a career shift. Kerry offers savvy advice about how to plan before you jump, how to launch your search, and how to overcome the...

In her day job, software developer Shannon Turner manages tech needs for a non-profit that supports women’s rights and social justice. In this episode, we focus on Shannon’s side gig -- she is the founder of Hear Me Code, a non-profit group with a creative approach to teaching coding to women who want to get into tech. Shannon started HMC with a few women sitting around her kitchen table. Today, w...

Kate White was the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine for 14 years. And in addition to being a busy journalist, Kate has written 12 mystery novels. But what this episode focuses upon is how Kate also has emerged as a career guru for women. She made headlines in the 90’s with her groundbreaking best-seller: Why Good Girls Don’t Get Ahead … But Gutsy Girls Do. Since then, although women in the...

Journalist and author Bob Deans is a wonderful writer and passionate speaker. These days, as director of strategic engagement for the Natural Resources Defense Council, he’s a frequent national media commentator on environmental issues. But Bob started his career as a newspaper reporter. He rose to the top of that profession, including a term as president of the White House Correspondents' Associa...

Mac Prichard, author of Land Your Dream Job Anywhere, has plenty of practical tips for anyone contemplating a career shift. He’s a respected job search expert, author and podcaster. And Mac’s List, his an online platform, is packed with helpful resources, including jobs listings for Oregon and Washington State. In this podcast episode, Mac describes how he has built two thriving businesses on the...

Journalist Sara Schonhardt has noticed how some young professionals are going back to their hometowns, or other smaller places, often to help revitalize communities. Sara started her career overseas, finishing her time as a foreign correspondent with a 3 1/2–year stint in Indonesia, as a reporter for the Wall Street Journal. Recently she returned to the States, and became increasingly interested i...

Annie Williams operates two physical therapy facilities in rural Virginia. And her places are special, serving as popular neighborhood gathering spots. Her clients hang out there, having fun as they learn about health and well-being. Beyond having therapy, they take classes, do exercise and find themselves engaged in activities they never expected, like dancing. On this episode, Annie talks about...

Louise Pearl is a savvy Canadian entrepreneur, a race car driver, and a woman who knows how to turn her problems and passion into a thriving business. On this episode, Louise explains that all her life she has loved good food, so it was a shock when 13 years ago she was diagnosed with celiac disease. Suddenly Louise found herself going from store to store to find the products she needed and could...

On this episode, guest host Tom Hodson talks with career coach Bev Jones about what it actually takes to feel jazzed about the work you are doing. Tom and Bev explore the elements of an engaging work life, like a sense of purpose, tasks and activities that are satisfying, and opportunities to talk and do things with people you like and respect. And they will offer tips about how you might generate...

Shoreen Maghame knows how to help people communicate in effective, strategic ways. She began her professional life as a broadcast and print journalist, and at a young age she found herself with a front row seat at the O.J. Simpson trial. Shoreen’s experience reporting on high profile stories was the foundation of her current role as a communications strategist and coach for major corporations. Now...

Professor Geoff Dabelko recently was awarded the prestigious Al-Moumin Award for Environmental Peacebuilding. Throughout his groundbreaking career, Geoff has been showing security and environmental groups how their objectives are often the same.  On this episode, he explains how tensions over shared or limited resources can be an opportunity for promoting peace and collaboration, rather than simpl...

Toby Haberkorn is a certified job search strategist and an experienced, savvy recruiter. And on this episode she’ll answer some of our questions about just what those headhunters may be looking for. Toby often works with mature job seekers, and she says that – even though age discrimination is real -- Boomers ARE finding jobs. She will explain about how older workers are continuing to succeed in t...

Columnist and broadcaster Clarence Page is one of the nation’s most insightful and respected commentators. When Clarence won the prestigious 2018 Kiplinger Award for distinguished lifetime contributions to journalism, the judges said that he has distinguished himself in every medium in a rapidly changing news environment, tackling the thorniest issues with good humor and humility. On today’s episo...

Retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Gretchen Dietrich climbed the ranks to become Commander of a Medical Support Squadron, located at NATO headquarters. Then she went to Washington, proud to be one of the leaders engaged in transforming the delivery of health services for military personnel and their families. When she retired from the Air Force with strong health credentials, Colonel Dietrich di...

The Foster Harris House is a lovely little inn, in the Virginia wine country. For the new owner, Klaus Peters, running the House is a post-retirement labor of love. Before his “boring” short-lived retirement, Klaus enjoyed a distinguished career managing top hotels, like the Watergate. But Klaus started his career in hospitality at the bottom, as a 14-year-old kitchen apprentice. Eventually he wor...