Women with Cool Jobs

6 Years Recording. Every Other Wednesday. Countless Women with Cool Jobs. No sponsors. Just inspiration! Saying that this podcast has changed my life is an understatement. These women are trailblazing, innovating, and leading across industries, trades, and businesses. They have shared their stories with such passion, chutzpah, and the gift of a raw and unfiltered look at the behind-the-scenes and...

This interview features Rachel Miller and Letty Bejarano, two women excelling in trades like welding, sheet metal work, and crane operation.  They share their journeys, challenges, and advice for women interested in entering these fields, highlighting the importance of union apprenticeships, implementing boundaries, and overcoming workplace barriers. Letty is a a sheet metal worker, welder, and si...

Diane Strand, a former Hollywood producer and life-long arts participant and advocate, shares how mastering the art of storytelling through a producer's lens became the foundation for her career and her way to contribute to her broader community.  From navigating Hollywood’s glitz and glamour on shows like General Hospital and Friends, to building a seven-figure media company, actors studio,...

Edith Ponciano is a hospitality interior designer who transforms hospitality spaces,  such as boutique hotels, upscale restaurants, stadiums, and innovative sports arenas.  After working at one of the world's largest design companies for about a decade, Edith started her boutique design agency, EP Atelier. Together with a small and mighty team of professionals, they transform design aspiratio...

What do flip-flops and a box of scarves have to do with being an unforgettable storyteller?  In this episode, I share how everyday details unlock the real secret to powerful storytelling: Relatability .  You'll learn: The difference between vulnerability and relatability How everyday moments, emotions, and small details can turn a simple story into a powerful, relatable one you can use on pod...

Are you the gatekeeper? When I first started my degree in journalism  and PR, we often talked about the gatekeepers in traditional media… the publisher, the producer, the journalist, the editor.  Other people were in charge of deciding if your voice would be heard on television, in print media, or on the radio. The gatekeepers controlled the access. Podcasting allows you to share your story in the...

Whether you're sharing as a guest on a podcast, in your career, or with friends, mastering storytelling can change everything.  In this episode, I share how my middle son's Little League jersey reminded me of one of the most important tips for storytelling and how you can incorporate it into your own storytelling. This simple detail can turn your everyday experiences into powerful narrat...

Heather Moyse is a 2x Olympic gold medalist (who competed in 4 Olympics games), a three-sport national athlete, a World Rugby Hall of Famer, a motivational speaker, an author, and a coach. Heather started training just five months before her first Olympics at the age of 27 in 2-person bobsleigh, with her last Olympic competition at the age of 39. In this episode, she shares specific techniques and...

Brittany Christenson proves that you don't have work at a nonprofit to positively impact your community and beyond.  Brittany is the CEO of AidKit, a Public Benefits Corporation, that helps government agencies and nonprofits administer aid programs throughout the United States. She considers her role as chief executive as holding the compass...helping her team row in the same direction to rea...

When I started the podcast in early 2020, my goal with doing an audio format was two-fold:  So women could share their own stories in their own voice.  To avoid, at ALL costs, being on camera. Haha. Almost six years later, and I have found myself completely re-evaluating! I chat about the irony of now experimenting with publishing this podcast as AUDIO and as VIDEO on YouTube when that was the abs...

To look at Shirley Yang Crutchfield's gilded, 24k gold-leaf art portraits of women means you notice the details, the nuance, the shine, and the artistry. What you may not know is that up until a few years ago, she was in the tech world, not the art world.  After convincing master water gilders to teach her the ways of their art only 2 years ago, she has already been recognized for exceptional...

In this last episode of 2025, I wanted to share a tangible way that you can start 2026 intentionally.  Consider it a new tool in your tool belt! I share about using vision boards as an easy, actionable tool and provide some simple prompts to get you (plus, kids you know and love) thinking about what you want or don't want in 2026 and beyond.  Empower YOURSELF to step into the woman you want t...

Singing Facilitator, Fiona Maria, uses singing circles to help people reconnect with their voice... even when they're convinced they can't sing.  Fiona leads singing circles that help people release previous voice shame, calm their nervous system, and experience the joy and belonging that come from singing with others. She teaches the songs by ear, so no musical background is needed. The...

What if curiosity isn’t just a personality trait? In fact, it could be the compass that points us toward who we’re meant to become. In this special 5-year, podversary episode of "Women With Cool Jobs," my amazing friend and award-winning musician and filmmaker, Jillian Speece, joins me for a  deeply personal conversation about how this podcast came to life...and how curiosity has acted a...

If you’re questioning your next career move, feeling stuck in your job search, or wondering what else is possible for you… this episode is for you.  I’m sharing a widely overlooked (yet totally awesome!) career strategy that has changed the trajectory of my own life: Informational Interviews.  You’ll learn: ✨ Why informational interviews open doors traditional networking may not  ✨ How a simple...

I went to a great women’s event and was fine talking to everyone EXCEPT for one woman, who was intimidating to me because she did such cool things. She was empowering women by helping share their stories. When I got home, I reflected on why I felt so awkward and why the conversation didn’t flow as easily as with the other cool ladies I chatted with previously (whom I also admired.)  I came up with...

Chelsea Ross is the founder of Goddess Retreats, an award-winning wellness sanctuary in Bali that is a safe and supportive community for women seeking self-discovery and connection.  She launched the world's first luxury, women-only surf and yoga retreat in 2003, long before it became mainstream. At that time, men and boys were often the only ones participating in the sport of surfing. She pr...

Civilian Operational Psychologist, Dr. Amanda Alexander, is part of the U.S. Air Force 57th Rescue Squadron based in Italy where her job is to help these high-performing service members mentally prepare for missions.  The pararescue team's mission priorities are to conduct day and night personnel recovery operations in combat environments. The military personnel also support civil search and...

Dr. Cory Russo is the Chief Medical Examiner Investigator of the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner (OME). This means she supervises all of the OME investigations for the entire state of Utah, which is an almost 85,000-mile area.  She combines investigative medical, and legal skills to improve public health and also (Perhaps surprisingly!) to help the living. Dr. Russo manages a team of approxima...

Our decisions and pivotzz (spelling intended! *wink*) create our life. And as women, we are always evolving! We do it so innately that we don't always notice or give ourselves credit.  I share about my new business "Pivotzz" where I help 6- and 7-figure female entrepreneurs or small-business owners who know it's time for something new with words, visuals, and storytelling. Curi...

London Times best-selling author and poet, Jess Urlichs, captures the essence of motherhood in the most poignant, soul-filling ways that speak to the every-day experiences that are so hard to iterate in words.  Learn how she goes from realizing this is a childhood passion and talent to later sharing her heart with the world as she enters into motherhood and captures all of the beautiful nuances of...

If you're in a season of change and find yourself wanting to try new things, the idea of possible rejection and failure can stop you before you start. As I'm in a season of evolution myself, I've been thinking a lot about what it takes to start something new. I've also been reading Worthy by IT Cosmetics founder and entrepreneur, Jamie Kern Lima.  One of my absolute favorite le...

Beauty brand founder, Priyanka Ganjoo, created Kulfi Beauty with a mission to celebrate South-Asian culture and allowing room for embracing diversity, community, and joy.  In just a few years, Priyanka went from being on the corporate side of the beauty industry to launching the first South Asian-owned makeup brand in all Sephora stores across North America. She is driven by a mission to celebrate...

4 decades down, 100+ women with cool jobs, and (hopefully) MANY more decades to come...  It's my 41st birthday, and I was thinking about the rules we make for ourselves. Are there subconscious or unspoken rules you've made for yourself? Do you KNOW what they are? Have you realized you're doing them? How long have you been doing them for? How did you come up with them? Do you remembe...

Taylor Crisci is one of those women who immediately impresses you -- not only because she's smart, down-to-earth, and kind, but ALSO because she is (literally) going places and doing cool things!  Amongst her adventures as a merchant mariner, she's driven through the Panama Canal, fought off pirates, and circumnavigated the world. She currently works for a research ship out of Asia, the...