The DooDoo Diva's Smells Like Money Podcast

In this episode of the Smells Like Money Podcast, we continue a timely and critical conversation on innovation, risk management, and the future of water and wastewater infrastructure. As pressures on public systems intensify—from aging facilities and workforce shortages to emerging contaminants and energy constraints—this discussion explores how engineers, utilities, and public agencies can respon...

In this episode of the Smells Like Money Podcast, we explore how the engineering and infrastructure community is evolving to meet the demands of a rapidly changing future. The conversation focuses on inclusion, leadership development, and innovation within the water and wastewater industry. We discuss a major shift within the American Society of Civil Engineers, where equal membership access is re...

In this episode of Doodoo Divas: Smells Like Money, we wrap up our three-part series on geothermal energy by shifting the focus to where the impact is accelerating fastest—the private and industrial sectors. This conversation explores the moment when cooling towers go quiet, and what that silence means for water conservation, operational savings, and the future of industrial infrastructure. As wat...

Water and wastewater systems are no longer just infrastructure—they are powerful, untapped energy assets hiding in plain sight. In this episode of the Smells Like Money Podcast, we explore the water–energy nexus and how thermal energy networks are reshaping the future of utilities, cities, and the electric grid. Building on our previous geothermal discussion, this conversation dives into how drink...

Wastewater treatment plants are hiding one of the most powerful renewable energy sources in plain sight—and it could change how cities power themselves. In this episode of The DooDoo Divas’ Smells Like Money Podcast, we explore how the consistent, year-round thermal energy flowing through wastewater systems can be captured and reused to heat and cool buildings, reduce operating costs, and create l...

What happens when an entire state unites around building the next generation of water professionals? In this episode of Smells Like Money, Suzan Chin-Taylor dives back in with Dr. Marissa Jablonski to break down one of the most ambitious and successful workforce development models in the water industry: The Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin. Designed to bring together 13 universities, 23 campu...

The water industry is changing fast — and the next generation is ready to change it even more. In this inspiring episode of Smells Like Money, Suzan Chin-Taylor sits down with Dr. Marissa Jablonski, global consultant and Director of the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, to explore how young professionals are reshaping the future of water, wastewater, and environmental work. From her hands-on...

Growing a service-based business is exciting — until rapid demand outpaces your team’s ability to keep up. In this episode, host Suzan Chin-Taylor sits down with Paty Rubio to uncover the real insights your employees wish they could tell you… but often won’t. If you’re hiring, promoting, or building a team, this episode will transform how you think about leadership, culture, and retention. Paty re...

AI is everywhere in the wastewater world right now — but how much of it actually works? In this episode of the Smells Like Money Podcast, host Suzan Chin-Taylor sits down with Chris Koch, CTO and co-founder of Palin, for an honest, behind-the-scenes look at what today’s sewer inspection AI can really do. Together, they break down the hype, the limitations, and the real benefits of AI-powered defec...

Artificial intelligence isn’t replacing sewer inspectors — it’s empowering them. In this episode of The DooDoo Diva’s Smells Like Money Podcast, host Suzan Chin-Taylor sits down with Chris Koch, Co-Founder of Pallon (Switzerland), to explore how AI-driven inspection data and human expertise are working together to transform the way we manage underground infrastructure. With Europe years ahead in a...

What Your Customers Aren’t Telling You: The Silence That Can Impact Your Bottom Line | Paty RubioWhat if your quiet customers are the ones most likely to leave you — without warning? In this episode of The DooDoo Diva’s Smells Like Money Podcast, host Suzan Chin-Taylor sits down with Patricia “Paty” Rubio, customer-insight strategist and founder of Customers Fit, to uncover the power of what your...

In this inspiring episode of the Smells Like Money Podcast, host Suzan Chin-Taylor continues her conversation with Dr. Farokh Kakar, founder of Blue College, to explore one powerful truth every water professional needs to hear — everything is a project. From treatment plant operations to capital improvements, reporting, budgeting, and daily problem-solving, project management skills are at the hea...

In this episode of The DooDoo Diva’s Smells Like Money Podcast, host Suzan Chin-Taylor sits down with engineer, educator, and innovator Farokh Kakar to expose the urgent cybersecurity threats facing water and wastewater utilities today. As cyberattacks on SCADA systems and public infrastructure continue to rise, Farokh explains why utilities must stay ahead of hackers—and how training, awareness,...

In this episode of the Smells Like Money Podcast, host Suzan Chin-Taylor sits down with Steve Selengut, investment veteran and author of Retirement Money Secrets, to reveal how Closed-End Funds (CEFs) can unlock steady, tax-efficient income for entrepreneurs, investors, and business owners.💰 Discover how to make your money work smarter — not harder — by shifting from speculative growth to income-...

In this powerful conclusion to our three-part series, host Suzan Chin-Taylor of The DooDoo Diva’s Smells Like Money Podcast sits down once again with Dr. Heather Fenyk, Rutgers University lecturer and President of the Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership, to explore how environmental justice, data-driven science, and green infrastructure can transform the way we manage water. 💧Together, they uncov...

In this episode of the Smells Like Money Podcast, host Suzan Chin-Taylor continues her insightful conversation with Dr. Heather Fenyk, Founder & Board President of the Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership. Together, they explore the fascinating world of historic hydrology—and how uncovering old maps and hidden waterways can help shape smarter decisions for today’s urban planning, stormwater man...

Welcome to another episode of the DooDoo Divas Smells Like Money Podcast! 🌊 In this conversation, host Suzanne Chin-Taylor speaks with Dr. Heather Fenyck, lecturer at Rutgers University and founder of the Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership. We dive deep into the world of watershed management, wastewater, stormwater, and green infrastructure—and how these issues directly impact our communities, h...

In this episode of The DooDoo Diva’s Smells Like Money Podcast, host Suzan Chin-Taylor continues the conversation with John Soulliere, former Director of the Desert Hot Springs Water and Sanitation District. John shares the behind-the-scenes story of how a groundbreaking community project transformed wastewater management through trust, transparency, and innovative funding. From navigating Proposi...

What happens when a small, economically challenged community faces a $70 million wastewater crisis? In this episode of the Smells Like Money Podcast, host Suzan Chin-Taylor sits down with John Soulliere to uncover how Desert Hot Springs turned an impossible infrastructure challenge into a success story.💧 John shares how his municipal career led him into wastewater management and the pivotal role...

What if one of the biggest threats to our sewer systems, public health, and city budgets was something we barely notice every day? In this episode of the Smells Like Money Podcast, host Suzan Chin-Taylor sits down with Eric DuPre, Founder & President of Texas Infragroup, to uncover the surprising role of the manhole cover in inflow & infiltration (I&I) and sanitary sewer overflows (SSO...

💡 Ever wondered how to get powerful publicity without spending a fortune on ads? In this special rebroadcast of The DooDoo Diva’s Smells Like Money Podcast, host Suzanne Chin-Taylor and Mary Shafer, PR & Content Director at Creative Raven, reveal insider strategies to unlock the true power of public relations. Discover why PR delivers one of the highest returns on investment in marketing, how...

💡 Today’s episode is a special re-broadcast of one of our very first episodes—an important, evergreen conversation that many may have missed when our podcast was just starting out. We’ve dusted it off because the message is just as powerful (and necessary) today as it was then. Profitability doesn’t happen by chance—it happens by design. In this episode of The DooDoo Diva’s Smells Like Money Podc...

Today on The DooDoo Diva’s Smells Like Money Podcast, Suzan Chin-Taylor sits down with Jim Aanderud, President of Permidian Technologies, to uncover why some contractors thrive financially while others struggle. Moving from a W-2 job into entrepreneurship is exciting—but without strong financial skills, profitability can be elusive. Jim, creator of the Profitability Playbook, shares why understand...

In this powerful episode of the Smells Like Money Podcast, host Suzan Chin-Taylor continues the conversation with Mike Hoffmaster, VP of OBIC Products, to expose a critical infrastructure issue hiding in plain sight—our aging and failing stormwater systems. With climate change accelerating extreme weather, storm drains across the U.S. are under immense strain. Mike shares how trenchless solutions...

In this episode of the Smells Like Money Podcast, host Suzan Chin-Taylor sits down with Mike Hoffmaster, VP of OBIC Products, to uncover how OBIC’s unique business model is transforming the trenchless infrastructure industry. From structural liners and industrial coatings to a real 10-year warranty and rigorous installer training, OBIC isn’t just meeting expectations—they’re raising the bar.🔍 Key...