Bound & Determined℠ with Meg McKeen

Liz Brock joins host Meg McKeen to share more about her decision to embrace her silver hair earlier this year. Together they reflect on some of the bogus advice Liz received earlier in her career the led her to start dying her hair - and the learning that has come from making a different choice today. Also on our minds? The (double) standard of beauty in our society - and how changing the color of...

Jenn Urso joins host Meg McKeen for a heartfelt conversation about the professional pauses we both took before starting our own businesses, and the lessons learned since then that inform the work Jenn does to support rising leaders in the insurance industry today. Throughout this conversation, we explore the complex relationships we have with money, with self, and with our own relationship with wo...

Mercy Komar - the Cyber Diva - joins host Meg McKeen to share the wisdom she's gleaned from her more than 40 years working in the insurance industry as a CSR, agency principal, and producer. As this one will show you, Mercy doesn’t shrink in hard conversations and her passion for supporting women, as well as seniors, in the insurance industry, is strong and evident in the way she’s showing up in t...

Alyssa Gambone joins host Meg McKeen for a candid conversation about her experience navigating her actuarial career in the insurance industry as a trans woman.  Meet Alyssa Gambone Alyssa Gambone has spent her entire 25-year career in the insurance industry with the last 19 years spent at Electric Insurance responsible for the reserving of the company.  She currently lives in Salem, MA with her wi...

Katie Tomaszewski joins host Meg McKeen for a candid conversation about sobriety. How does changing our relationship with alcohol influence our relationships with others - and ourselves?  Meet Katie Tomaszewski Katie is the founder of Deep Line Health Company and is a dedicated holistic health advocate who empowers individuals worldwide to achieve their well-being goals. With 15 years of experienc...

Tracy Cotton joins host Meg McKeen to answer her own question: “How do you navigate a season of waiting?” When your default mode has been striving for the next thing or adventure or experience, striving for deeper relationships with those we love - and ourselves - can be its own adventure. In this heart-filling conversation between friends, Tracy shares more about a new relationship in her life an...

As the owner of multiple high-impact businesses and an insurance professional with over 15 years of experience, Reghan Brandt has seen many changes and shifts in the industry. In this episode, Reghan joins host Meg McKeen to discuss the future of insurance and what it means for young professionals growing their careers in the industry. Reghan also shares her belief in the importance of interperson...

Melanie Parsons, the owner of Parsons’ Insurance Agency, joins host Meg McKeen to share more about her journey in the insurance industry. Melanie and Meg discuss navigating negativity - and the impact creating a positive corporate culture can have - and they also delve into the topic of financial awareness for women. Through Melanie’s stories, tune in to be inspired by this story of determination...

Misha Bleymaier-Farrish opens up to host Meg McKeen about her unique career path - and pivots - and finding fulfillment in the ebbs and flows of life. We honor the importance of celebrating achievements, the concept of "shiny objects" in entrepreneurship, and the outdated notion that work *must* make you miserable. Misha is an inspiring entrepreneur and author and you'll be glad you slowed to list...

This Mental Health Awareness Month, listen in for a heartfelt conversation between host Meg McKeen and guest Marissa Rutkowski as they talk about creating space for mental health discussions in the workplace, how it feels - literally - to consciously blur the line between “work” and “life,” and boundaries. Can we even have a conversation on this podcast without talking about ‘em? If you or someone...

Lemons and lemonade. Messes and missions. Blah, blah, blah. Alas, when will there be enough lessons for this life? In this episode, Saya Hillman joins host Meg McKeen to discuss the power of curiosity - and list making - in times of uncertainty, how to make doing different, seemingly disparate things make sense in your life and career, and so many of those a-ha moments that happen when we're livin...

Does a trailblazer even know she's a trailblazer? In this episode, Dr. Michelle Morkert joins host Meg McKeen for a candid chat about what makes a trailblazer, the realities we face as we navigate the systems we are part of, and what taking courageous action feels like. We also dig deep and share more about our inner critics - and what it feels like to hang out for longer than we might like in the...

On the brink of burnout, Renee Bruns made the thoughtful decision to leave her corporate role and embark on a year-long travel adventure. In this episode, Renee joins host Meg McKeen to share the "why" that fueled her decision and the way she's navigated her own relationship with risk in her travels - and life. Renee also shares two key lessons shes learned this past year and what's up next for he...

If you've ever felt like the *only* woman who has ever doubted herself, her capabilities, or her authority, let this conversation between commercial lines underwriting leader Danielle Morales and host Meg McKeen be the reminder that indeed, you are not.  In this episode, hear more about Danielle's experience with imposter syndrome, finding and leveraging her own leadership voice, and the changes,...

Whether it's advocating for more pay or making a complete pivot, career coach Andrea Yacub Macek joins host Meg McKeen for the most candid conversation yet about the transition so many women in insurance are in as we evaluate our relationship with work and what might be next. We talk about why it's so hard to talk about money and where we place flexibility on our priority list - not surprising, it...

Ashley Fitzsimmons: Millennial. Beyonce of Insurance. Director of Professional Development & autoimmune disease badass (both literally & figuatively). Connect with Ashley here on LinkedIn. To learn more about this podcast, and the work Meg McKeen does to support insurance professionals, visit  Adjunct Advisors . For fun stories and anecdotes, captured in her Dear #digitalnomad Diary series, head o...

Jody LaVoie, the founder of Widows in the Workplace, joins host Meg McKeen on this episode of Bound & Determined. Through the learning and healing experienced following the tragic loss of her spouse and partner, Jody now supports women navigating their own relationship with work, family, grief - and themselves. As many continue to evaluate the place "work" fits in our "life," Jody highlights the n...

Precious Norman Walton is a champion for education - and change - in the insurance industry. In this episode, Precious shares her wisdom about the skills we accumulate in our lives and careers - they're transferable, even if you can't see how - and what a less conventional career path might look like when we align those skills with our talents and beliefs. An expert storyteller, Precious and Meg c...

Together with host Meg McKeen, Jenn Walsh shares strategies for finding and using your voice in the workplace - a coach can help! - and what it looks like to take the lead with your clients, too. We chat through the agent/producer and service personnel dynamic and wrap up with a reflection on the unique opportunity service professionals have to succeed in a sales role. One of the smartest conversa...

Licensed therapist Lauren Martin joins host Meg McKeen for a candid conversation about burnout. If you’re feeling it, know you’re not alone. Since burnout can be sneaky - that you’re headed for it might not be so obvious to you or those you love. Lauren reminds us that navigating life with and after burnout can be tricky, and requires us to inventory our energy - and in some cases, redraw our boun...

Host Meg McKeen shares more about her digital nomad lifestyle, answering the questions she's asked most frequently. Have a listen to learn more about the logistics and the lessons she's learned in her nomad life. For fun stories and anecdotes, captured in her Dear #digitalnomad Diary series, head on over to Instagram and check Meg's stories there! To learn more about this podcast, and the work Meg...

Before we get started, a special shout-out to listener Wendy for her lovely feedback about the podcast and her financial support. Learn more here .  00:00 - 02:24 |  Welcome to Bound & Determined℠, Dustyne Bryant and Cat Ferris!  Dustyne and Cat are each one-half of the duo that hosts the podcast Awkward Insurance , sponsored by The National Alliance .  02:25 - 05:54 | Meg is checking from Denver...

00:00 - 03:29 |  Welcome to Bound & Determined℠, Carrie and Patty! Carrie and Patty are girlfriends - and the co-founders of Hello Again Products. In this episode, we're talking about menopause. Whether you're thinking ahead, in menopause, or on the other side of it, there's something for you here. We take a minute to celebrate that we are living in a time when open conversations like this can tak...

Before we get started, know that we'll be talking about infertility in this episode. If this is a topic that's a little too close to your heart today, please skip past this episode - and we'll see you next time. 00:00 - 03:24  |  Welcome to Bound & Determined℠, Jaimie Selwa! Jamie is no longer a woman working in the insurance industry, but that doesn't lessen the impact of her story.  03:25 - 06:2...

00:00 -  02:09 | Welcome to Bound & Determined℠, Abi Potter Clough! Abi has been so generous with her support of Meg and is again supporting her in this conversation on the podcast. Change is a constant and conversations like this are an important part of the process. 02:10 - 07:35 | Abi recently relocated from New York to Tampa, Florida. She shares more about the winding path she took to get ther...