Athena Talks

Listen in as Katy sits down with Air Force veterans and attorneys Renee Cox and Martina Chesonis from Lowry Veterans Law for an insightful conversation packed with valuable information for veterans and their families. In this episode, they break down the VA disability claims process, clear up common misconceptions, and highlight important benefits and resources many veterans may not realize are av...

This week, Katy sits down with Emily Logan Stedman, commercial litigator and passionate mental health advocate for lawyers—to talk about the realities of life in Big Law. Emily opens up about her own journey: navigating the pressures of billable hours, questioning whether law was truly her path, and ultimately finding a healthier, more authentic way to work.  The conversation dives into strategies...

Katy sits down with Donnie Hasseltine, VP of Security at 2F, to explore his journey from VMI graduate and combat-tested Marine leader to Silicon Valley cyber-security executive. In this conversation, Donnie opens up about the challenges of leaving the military and the feeling of loss many veterans experience. “Don’t be so set on the path that you become blind to what else is out there,” he says, r...

In this episode, Katy sits down with Navy veteran Knight Campbell and Army veteran Tyler Van Horn, managing partners at Cairn Leadership, to explore the core principles of their business model and passion for getting business teams outside to improve their leadership capabilities. They dive into the transformative power of outdoor experiences in leadership development, emphasizing the role of inte...

In Episode 4 of Athena Talks, Katy welcomes Riley Tejcek, Marine Captain, US Olympic Bobsledder, and published author. Together, they explore Riley’s extraordinary journey from D1 athlete to Olympic hopeful, all while serving her country as a Marine officer. Riley shares the inspiration behind her book, If You Can Dream It, Be It, which encourages young girls and boys to see limitless possibilitie...

Join Katy this week as she talks with powerhouse lawyers Stephanie Niehaus and Meghan Quinn.  Stephanie is a trailblazing lawyer at Squire Patton Boggs who marched her way into Peloton Interactive and leads their litigation and investigation team. Meghan is Stephanie's mentee and has blazed her own trail as a brilliant trial lawyer at Squire Patton Boggs. Together, they take us on the twists...

What legacy do you want to leave in this world?  Sarah Shadonix has been intentional about creating a legacy of integrity, community, and empowering those around her to be successful.  Join Katy Spicer as she talks with Founder & CEO Sarah Shadonix about her decision to walk away from the comfort and stability of her career as a successful litigator to start the first clean-crafted wine club,...

Dreaming of starting a business and actually starting a business are two different scenarios.  It took a year-and-a-half to get Athena Talks off the ground, but it is finally here.  At the start line.  In this episode, co-founders Katy Spicer and James Collins share some of the high and lows of starting a partnership and how they stuck it out to get to this very moment.  Of course, much of it had...