Advertise on podcast: J. Margaret Weaver Journal

Did you know it can take a year or more to go from a croquis or quick sketch of a design to delivering the final production order? While I remember learning about fast fashion giants in business school that can consolidate this timeline down into about six weeks (an interesting, though different business model); small batch, independent designers like J. Margaret Weaver take a different approach. Right now, I'm toggling between real life where it's Summer 2022 and work life where I'm preparing as far ahead as Fall 2023.  Planning so far ahead can be disorienting; while I have to envision timelines and events and demand for Spring and Fall 2023, I'm also reminded that it's still June 2022 when I want to sign a check with the wrong year. Coming from the healthcare industry, I had no idea how detailed and labor-intensive it was to bring a design to life.  That said, the process is always fresh and fun because it brings together creativity, functionality and inspiration with user feedback.  For those of you who have completed a design survey or tried on a sample, your feedback has been invaluable toward bringing an initial idea to fruition. If you're like me and curious how an idea ultimately becomes a piece of clothing in a store, listen here for the 411.

Join me as I talk to Lisa Caras, mom, wife, and marketing manager for her family-owned business - Jones Dairy Farm - about consulting, going back to business school, and keeping everything going at work, home, and in between.  Lisa holds a high degree of excellence and expectations for herself, and she shares advice and experiences she's had that have been instrumental in shaping her along the way.

A few months ago, I published a podcast episode that took a critical look at the saying and the philosophy that "your network is your net worth." This generated a lot of conversation and feedback, and I enjoyed hearing stories from people about their financial journeys, financial literacy, and sometimes the lack of education or transparency they had with respect to personal finances as they were growing up and some of the challenges this created later in life. One of my colleagues and friends, Adam Trafton, reached out and shared some of the details about his debt-free journey. It was such an inspiration to me, I asked if he would join me for an interview to share how and why he paid off his debt so quickly (he paid off $70,000 in five months!) as well as what he's learned about personal finances and some of the common pitfalls many people find themselves in. Finally, we wrap up with the fun that comes with building wealth and using that wealth to be outrageously generous with other people! We agreed that the best part of being financially secure was the ability to give to people and causes that are important to you without concern over whether or not you could afford to do so. Finally, I want to add a disclaimer that we are not giving any financial advice nor are we financial experts. Adam shares resources and a program that worked well for him, and encourages you to do the same. Everyone is at a different place in their financial journey, and this is an opportunity to hear how he changed his behaviors around spending and saving to reach specific financial goals. Your goals might be the same and they might be different, and I welcome productive, thoughtful dialogue and discussion.

I met Caitlin the summer before my freshman year of college on a long bus ride from Ashland, OH to Knoxville, TN.  She was on the University's cheer team, I was on the dance team, and we were headed to our respective cheer/dance camps at University of Tennessee.  While we didn't have time to get to know each other during the hectic, four-day schedule; as luck would have it, we were also both in the honors program and had been automatically enrolled in Heuristic Problem Solving together on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We bonded over logic problems, economic models, and a love of fashion.  Over the years, Caitlin has not only been a loyal friend she's also been a source of inspiration for me thanks to her incredible work ethic, high standards, and intellect.  She can tackle any obstacle or problem, make the best of a less-than-ideal situation, and positions herself for success through over-preparation. On this podcast episode, I interviewed Caitlin to learn more about how she started her career in politics and government, how she pivoted to a new role when her husband was posted overseas, and why she now relentlessly over-prepares for everything. Disclaimer: views expressed here are Caitlin's own and are not representative of the State Department or U.S. Government.

Around the beginning of 2022, I saw posts from a few friends and “social media influencers” stating that they were going to take a 30-day hiatus from Instagram.  After a busy first holiday season with J. Margaret Weaver and the sense that I was spending way too much time passively scrolling, I decided to follow suit and take a 30-day break from all of my personal social media. I planned to post to my business accounts, but to spend less time on it and to eliminate, as much as possible, mindless scrolling.

Feedback. Most everyone says feedback is important.  But what do we really mean when we say this?  Do we really want to hear about all the things we need to fix about ourselves? Are we willing to have tough conversations with people about something they could do better? Or are we more often soliciting positive comments and compliments under the guise of asking for feedback? Listen to my take, including research on feedback and ideas on how to better share or receive feedback.

At the suggestion of a few colleagues, I put myself in the “hot seat” and switched my role on the podcast from the interviewer to the interviewee.  Michelle McClay, my longtime colleague and friend who joined me for the first episode, was kind enough to act as the host and guided me through questions on how I approached my career planning, tools and habits I have found to be game-changers for performance, and techniques I have used to address low points of challenging situations in my life.

I had the pleasure of spending a Saturday morning with Dr. Piontek, (who goes by Libby) a friend of mine in Kansas City to talk to her about her career, how she developed a personal brand, and what she has learned about the business side of medicine.  While her experience is focused on practicing medicine, her recommendations are applicable to young professionals across industries and professions.

A few years ago, I was preparing for a recruiting trip at my alma mater, Miami University (Ohio), and had the opportunity to connect with Dr. Megan Gerhardt, one of the leadership professors in the business school.  After exchanging emails, we met in person and had the first of many conversations about leadership, navigating generational differences in the workforce, and why Millennials have gotten such a bad reputation.  She has also provided leadership training to a number of my colleagues through her consultancy, The Gerhardt Group, and I always learn a lot when I talk to her.  Today, we dive into a lot, including what it means to be “Gentelligent” - a movement that Megan started, how different generations view leadership, the positive side of Millennials, and what Generation Z has in store for us.

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal highlighted that 23% of women with children are considering quitting their jobs this year compared to 13% of men with children.  Today, we talk about the drivers of this trend that are noted in the article and the tactics that women can take themselves to solve for these challenges.

Today, we dive into the myth behind the popular saying "your network is your net worth".  Why has this saying become so popular, is it true, and is it just a play on words or is there a worldview associated with it that could impact how we steward our time and money?