Her Story of Success

Latest Episodes:

Amy Tanksley: From Boardroom to Barbershop Jun 26, 2018

Show notes

Amy Tanksley grew up thinking that risk was a four-letter word and that choosing a job in corporate America was following a safe path. But after a rough and tumble experience in the volatile oil and gas industry in Houston, she set out on a quest for risk she could control, and in 2008 opened Uncle Classic Barbershop, which now has 5 locations in Nashville. In today's episode, Amy discusses the wake-up call of almost starting her career at Enron, the challenge of finding funding for a startup, making room for both motherhood and entrepreneurship, and taking an idea from maybe to reality.

Erica Rains: Success Is Not A Number Jun 12, 2018

Show notes

Erica Rains has made a career out of constantly finding new ways to connect with people. After nearly two decades working in public relations, advertising, radio, and TV, Erica decided to seek out a new challenge by opening a restaurant and catering business, The Chef & I, with her talented chef husband, Chris. Erica and Chris celebrated the restaurant's new location, which offers cooking classes and a chef training program, in downtown Nashville.

In today's episode, Erica talks about the rewards of starting a business with her husband, the importance of making a human connection in our digital world, and the value of knowing when to strive for success and when to enjoy it.

"Success to me is not a number, or a number of years, or a certain word. It's just a feeling that you've done the best you can with what you have, and you've exercised all options to do good, to help others, to make your way."

Tonya Lewis: Trading Complacency for Courage May 29, 2018

Show notes

Five years ago, Tonya Lewis chose to leave a safe career in school counseling to open a business in one of the most risky and challenging industries: restaurants. But after a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, Tonya's coffee shop and café, The Post East, has blossomed into a neighborhood favorite for healthy eating, great coffee, and a community space for bringing neighbors and friends together.

In this episode, Tonya talks about the challenge of walking away from a career with certainty and routine to one of the most unpredictable lines of work, learning the importance of trusting her team, and realizing the happiness and fulfillment that taking risks can bring.

BONUS EPISODE - Kathleen Burns Kingsbury: Achieving Expert Status May 22, 2018

Show notes

In this bonus episode hosted by past Her Story of Success guest Rita Mitchell and recorded before a live studio audience at a women and wealth conference in Nashville, Kathleen Burns Kingsbury talks about how she made the journey from clinical psychology to financial empowerment counseling, becoming a published author with nothing more than a copy of "Writing for Dummies", and the overlap between self-esteem and financial success.

As a wealth psychology expert, Kathleen believes financial success isn't just about how much money you have in the bank. Just as important are our thoughts and feelings about money that shape our financial decisions. An internationally published author and speaker, Kathleen has devoted her career to empowering women and the financial advisers who serve them by training them to examine their money talk mindset and feel more comfortable talking openly about money. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, PBS News Hour, Money Magazine, TODAY Money, Forbes, and CNBC.

Thank you to First Tennessee Bank for letting us interview Kathleen during your conference and share the conversation with our audience!

Rita Mitchell: Overcoming the Nos May 15, 2018

Show notes

Rita Mitchell (IG: @ritapmitchell_oyp) summarizes her story with one word – determination. And her career proves it. A 35 year veteran of the financial services industry, Rita went from being told she didn't have enough experience to be a waitress at Red Lobster to a top executive at First Tennessee Bank, breaking barriers at every step along the way. In that time, she passed the Series 7 broker exam with a 6 month old baby, started her own financial advisory company, and left all of her doubters in the dust.

In this special live episode, Rita talks about the struggles of being an African-American female in a traditionally male-dominated industry, the value of recognizing your potential, and how the succession of "nos" she faced motivated her to teach other women to say yes to opportunity.

Courtney Whitmore: Turning a passion into a lifestyle brand May 01, 2018

Show notes

After finishing college, Courtney Whitmore (IG:@pizzazzerie) took a safe, secure job as a career counselor, but she soon realized she wanted something entirely different — a creative pursuit where she could be her own boss. Looking back on that time in her life, she says, "I knew I wanted to work for myself but I didn't know what that looked like." Since hosting dinner parties was a favorite activity, she decided to launch a website in 2010 to focus on entertaining and party planning. Today that website, Pizzazzerie.com, is the centerpiece of Courtney's expanding role as an entertaining expert, one whose food styling and tablescapes are in demand by companies from Target and HGTV to Lindt Chocolates.

In this episode, Courtney tells us about starting a job in an industry that doesn't exist yet, managing her brand's social media presence, the ways in which her definition of success has changed over time and the importance of what she calls the Monday Morning Test — "If what you are doing doesn't get you up and out of the bed on Monday morning, then you shouldn't be doing it.

Corbette Doyle: The career rewards of lifelong learning Apr 20, 2018

Show notes

Corbette Doyle describes herself as a "serial expert," one who consistently pursues new information and builds new skills. It was this career approach that brought her leadership roles at Aon, a Chicago-based consulting and risk management firm where she built a health care industry practice from the ground up and served as Chief Diversity Officer. Now a Senior Lecturer in Organizational Leadership at Vanderbilt University, Corbette says it's vital that women lay the groundwork for career advancement ahead of time by building new competencies. "You can't wait until you're ready for a change to create the opportunity for career change," she says. "We all have to be lifelong learners now."

In this episode, Corbette also tells us about the importance of corporate culture, why women need to let go of their stereotypes about men and what it was like to start a new job when she was seven months pregnant.

Ruta Sepetys: An acclaimed writer finds her voice Apr 19, 2018

Show notes

Ruta Sepetys (twitter:@rutasepetys) is one of the most admired writers in contemporary children's literature — with the bestsellers Salt to the Sea and Between Shades of Gray among her riveting historical novels for young readers. But it was only after a 22-year career as a music business manager that she finally found the courage to pursue her dream of becoming a writer. The turning point was a trip to her father's homeland in Lithuania, where she discovered a long hidden family secret. Though she had tried to write novels before, "It was only when I started harnessing my own story that people started to respond," she tells us.

In this episode, Ruta retraces her unlikely journey to becoming an internationally bestselling author and offers her thoughts on working with challenging clients, the importance of mentoring, the power of stories and the enduring value of failure.

Marcela Gómez: The joyful journey of a Latina entrepreneur Apr 18, 2018

Show notes

As a young single mother, Marcela Gómez (IG:@marcelagomez_1234) started a marketing firm in 2002 to focus on strategies for reaching the growing Latino community in the U.S. Launching her business was a turning point for Marcela, a native of Colombia who moved to North Carolina with her family as a teen. When she was laid off from her marketing job with a major Christian publishing house, she finally decided to take the reins of her own career. "I never wanted anyone else to have my destiny in their hands," she says.

In this episode, Marcela also shares her ideas on building a support network when you move to a new city, making the decision to leave a job that diminishes you, the myths of work-life balance — and why she goes to bed each night with "total peace of mind."

Britnie Turner: Using financial success as a force for good Apr 17, 2018

Show notes

Raised on a farm in South Carolina, Britnie Turner (IG:@britnieturner) was a beauty contestant (and Miss North Carolina) who showed her passion for helping the disadvantaged by doing mission work in Africa and Latin America. Today, at the age of 30, Britnie is the CEO of Aerial Development Group, a multimillion-dollar real estate business she started literally from the ground up to pursue her vision of helping others on a broader scale.

In this episode — recorded before a live audience in Nashville — Britnie tells us about living intentionally, thriving as a woman in a male-dominated industry and using the growth of her business to accomplish philanthropic goals. "Frustration is one of the best things you could ever have," she says, "because it means you have the vision of a higher standard."

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