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The Curious Middle — Business
The Curious Middle

We’re two San Francisco moms who got tired of pretending the obvious isn’t obvious.
Top 1.5% of podcasts globally not because we play it safe. We ask the questions people are thinking but won’t say out loud, on the topics that actually shape how we live: media, politics, culture, parenting, careers and what it means to defend common sense in a state that often ignores reality.
We’re two women who’ve earned our opinions through life, careers, raising kids and educating ourselves, Expect ideas that challenge what you think you know. Conversations that don’t wrap up neatly. And the occasional moment where one of us changes our mind on air, because that’s what actually curious people do.
Being “in the middle” isn’t about being passive. It’s about being grounded enough to question everything, open enough to learn from anywhere, and brave enough to push beyond comfortable assumptions. Expect conversations that challenge, entertain, and push you toward a more thoughtful, and wildly better life.

Follow us on Instagram @thecuriousmiddlepod or reach out at thecuriousmiddlepod@gmail.com

Latest Episodes:

Jenny Rustemeyer, Writer and Film Producer for Award-Winning Film Just Eat it Shares Her Career Story Oct 24, 2020

Show notes

Jenny Rustemeyer, a writer and producer with Peg Leg Films, shares her career path story and how she ended up as a documentary film producer. Jenny has produced This Mountain Life, The Clean Bin Project, and Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story which won multiple festival awards and took home the Leo for Best Feature Length Documentary. If you want to learn and be entertained at the same time without being overwhelmed, Jenny's films are infused with humor and information about a variety of environmental issues. When you want to watch a documentary but are not ready for a heavy dose of reality, Jenny's films are a perfect blend of documentary style information combined with reality based storytelling. In our conversation, Jenny shares how her film partnership with her husband, Grant Baldwin, evolved, and how they have turned their love for each other and the environment into entertaining, thought provoking films. Add these films to your must watch queue today!

Topics Discussed:

Clean Bin Project
Just Eat It
Chris Jordan's art
How Jenny made her first and second films: funding, filming distribution
The problem of food waste

Follow the podcast @iwhjpodcast

Wait Until 8th Founder Brooke Shannon Oct 15, 2020

Show notes

When Brooke Shannon realized the smartphone decision was coming for her three daughters, she felt she needed to wait, and she also suspected she was not aloe in dealing with the mounting pressures and questions surrounding kids and smartphones. Brooke created a website dedicated to waiting on smartphones and support from other families was instant. Today, the Wait until 8th organization, is a place where families can sign a pledge to wait until 8th grade until giving their kids a smartphone. By signing the pledge as a group of 10 families, both kids and families gain community support in their decision. Considering the peer pressure kids feel to get a smartphone, and the instantly addictive nature of a phone, this is likely one of the top decisions families are facing. In our conversation, Brooke shares her personal story and we discuss some of the reasons for deciding to wait on smartphones until 8th grade.

if you enjoy this episode, please share it with a friend , follow us @meantforit and leave us a review on iTunes.

You can you reach us at: contact@meantforit.com

Alexandra Kenin is Hiking and Writing Her Path to a Dream Career Oct 09, 2020

Show notes

When Alexandra Kenin realized her job was not allowing her to fully thrive, she found a way to combine her love of outdoor exploration with writing and crafted herself a dream career. Alexandra is the founder of Urban Hiker SF, Studio Chief and Senior Editor at Wordsmithie, and author of Urban Trails: San Francisco and Urban Trails: East Bay.

In our conversation, Alexandra shares how she made her career transition and the strategies she used to get her tour business started. Alexandra also shares the steps she took to quickly and successfully publish her first book. If you have considered trying an entrepreneurial idea, or if you are in the middle of a career transition, this conversation may give you the boost and tips you need for taking the next steps towards your dream career path.

Topics Discussed:

Career transitions
Hiking and exploring San Francisco
The power of business school networks
Marketing strategies for an outdoor tour business
Tips for publishing a non-fiction book: Unconventional Guide to Publishing by David Fugate

Follow us @iwhjpodcast

Making Motherhood Work with Caitlyn Collins Sep 21, 2020

Show notes

If you have ever wondered why motherhood in the US is so difficult, you don't want to miss this conversation with Caitlyn Collins, Assistant Professor of Sociology a Washington University and author of Making Motherhood Work: How Women Manage Careers and Caregiving. In her book, Caitlyn dives into the ways public policy shapes the lives of mothers in the USA, Germany, Italy and Sweden. By examining the different policies in each country, and through detailed interviews with 135 women, the book shows how public policy decisions deeply influence culture and drastically shapes the lives of parents.

This conversation is likely to leave you shocked, and, hopefully inspired by the possibility to reimagine options for supporting mothers and children with benefits such as paid parental leave and universal affordable, high quality childcare. As Caitlyn says, instead of blaming themselves, mothers in the US should consider that the current system just isn't working.

Follow us @meantforit and please share this episode with a friend.

From Jay-Z's Roc Nation to The Justice Dept., Jennifer 'JJ' Justice is Self-Made and Determined to Help Other Women Rise Sep 07, 2020

Show notes

Jennifer Justice started The Justice Dept. with a goal of making women as rich as men. The company is a female-focused advisory, consulting and law firm advocating for female founders, talent, execs and brands. Its vision is, "To accelerate the success of women, women-owned businesses and women -ocused brands to achieve equality and diversity in the market, workforce and workplace as it should be."

In this episode, Jennifer shares her path to entertainment law and the thought process behind some of the biggest decisions she's made in her life. As the first in her family to attend college, Jennifer had no help, financial assistance, or connections to aide in her career. She made it on her own. If you've ever doubted your abilities, or felt like reaching her level of success seems impossible, Jennifer is here with her story to boldly declare that it's possible. She knows. Because she did it.

Listen in to hear Jennifer share how her background has given her an edge in connecting with musicians and making independent, unconventional choices. And the same plays into her personal life – from having kids on her own to launching The Justice Dept. Named a "Game Changer" by Goop, as one of the "50 Badass Women Changing the World in 2020" by InStyle, and as one of Billboard's "Women in Power" list-makers three times, Jennifer is known for her expertise in entertainment law. Her client list has included Jay-Z, Beyonce, Outkast, Slipknot and Mark Ronson. She later worked as EVP and general counsel at Jay-Z's Roc Nation – helping it grow new avenues for revenue streams – from TV and film, to sports, branding and partnerships. She then worked as the president of corporate development at Superfly, a live experience company, and helped it grow revenue and raise more capital.

Jennifer understands how to structure and build successful businesses, and how to negotiate deals at the highest levels. Today's episode of I Want Her Job The Podcast will give you a taste of how she sees the world, her advice for growing your own revenue stream, and negotiating tips to consider for your next role.

Follow us @iwhjpodcast To contact the show reach out to: iwantherjobpodcast@gmail.com

Understanding Emotional Clutter Blocks with Tracy McCubbin Part 2 Aug 18, 2020

Show notes

Tracy McCubbin is a professional declutterer, but what she really does is help people manage their relationship to stuff. When Tracy realized she had a talent for helping people organize their stuff, she turned it into dCluttefly, a thriving business.

In our part 2 of our conversation with Tracy, we discuss the 7 emotional clutter blocks Tracy discovered while running her business. Tracy walks us through each emotional block and offers examples of how people use shopping or holding on to excess stuff as a way of avoiding their emotions or problems. We discuss some of the ways our society is rigged against our desire to buy less and how your home can become a more peaceful and joyful place when you remove the things that you don't need. Whether you are hanging on to the past, creating a fantasy life, feeling guilty about your purchases or feeling shame for not using the stuff you bought, Tracy can help. After 14 years helping people declutter their homes, Tracy has seen it all and can help people move past common emotional mistakes related to the things we own.

Tracy's book, Making Space Clutter Free: The Last Book on Decluttering You Will Ever Need

Follow us @iwhjpodcast To contact the show reach out to: iwantherjobpodcast@gmail.com

How to Declutter Your Home & Life With Tracy McCubbin Part 1 Aug 12, 2020

Show notes

Tracy McCubbin is a professional declutterer, but what she really does is help people manage their relationship to stuff. When Tracy realized she had a talent for helping people organize their stuff, she turned it into dCluttefly, a thriving business. Tracy decided to start a service that will help others start their own decluttering and organizing businesses. The $22B storage industry, Tracy's waiting list for her services, and the fact that most Americans cannot park in their garages due to excees stuff, is an indicator of the market size and need for people who can help us manage what we buy.

It is easy to feel overwhelmed with the problems of the world and unable to help, but there is a way to help: by making conscious choices to buy less things. In our conversation, we discuss the mental and financial impact to our health, our finances, the environment and our homes when we buy too much. In Tracy's book, Making Space, Clutter Free: The Last Book on Decluttering You'll Ever Need, Tracy outlines a range of 7 emotional blocks that people have related to stuff and offers advice on how to move past emotional blockers such as hanging on to the past or creating a fantasy lite. Does that sound familiar?

If you are feeling overwhelmed with the stuff in your home or if you want change your buying habits, Tracy breaks down the emotional triggers that create the urge to buy and hold on to the things that don't serve our needs.

To contact the show reach out to: contact@meanforit.com

www.meantforit.com

Linkedin Reboot Founder Katie Fogarty Shares Advice for Your LinkedIn Makeover Aug 06, 2020

Show notes

Our guest today Katie Fogarty is the founder of LinkedIn Reboot and Reboot for Business, Katie Fogarty's work helps people transform their LinkedIn profiles, personal brands and career opportunities. Katie's background writing for morning TV news, working for a global PR firm and even for a U.S. Senator has given her a perfect combination of skills to help others summarize their personal stories on their LinkedIn pages.

In our second conversation with Katie, we discuss key tips for helping job seekers update their profiles and make the most of out LinkedIn's latest features.

Our podcast with Katie fron 2019

To contact the show reach out to: podcast@iwantherjob.com

Follow us @iwantherjob

Sign up for our newsletter and find more interviews: www.iwantherjob.com

Jessica Jackson, Chief Advocacy Officer for Reform Alliance Jul 18, 2020

Show notes

Jessica Jackson is the Chief Advocacy Officer for Reform Alliance, an organization working to reduce the number of people in the criminal justice system by focusing on probation and parole. Jessica previously served as a Human Rights Attorney, Mayor of Mill Valley, California and National Director of #Cut50. Jessica is also getting attention for mentoring and helping Kim Kardashian with her law studies and advocacy for criminal justice reform. Kim has been studying 18 hours a week under Jessica's guidance as she pursues a legal degree.

In our third conversation with Jessica, we discuss the progress that has been made in reducing national incarceration rates and Jessica's current role with the Reform Alliance. Jessica's path to criminal justice reform came from a deeply personal story that impacted her family. Shortly after she was married and had a newborn, her husband was sentenced to almost 10 years in prison for a non violent offense. This experience completely changed Jessica's life and set her down a path to fixing the problems she witnessed in the criminal justice system. Listen to our conversation in episode #18 where Jessica shares her personal story of completing her law degree as a single mom, representing clients on death row and running for public office.

As someone who believes in turning anger into action, Jessica has devoted her career to public service. Listen in to hear her story and get insight into recent progress and work being done to improve our criminal justice system.

Listen to episode #18 where Jessica shares her career story.

Listen to episode #78 where Jessica Jackson shares how to get involved in your community and public office.

To contact the show reach out to: podcast@iwantherjob.com

Follow us @iwantherjob

Sign up for our newsletter and find more interviews: www.iwantherjob.com

A Sense of Home Founder and CNN Hero Georgie Smith Jul 14, 2020

Show notes

A random act of kindness to help furnish an apartment for someone who aged out of foster care altered the course of Georgie Smith's life. Georgie started receiving requests from others who needed the same type of assistance. When Georgie realized there were no organizations providing this help to set up homes for kids coming out of the foster system, Georgie decided to create a Sense of Home with a model that could be repeated by other non-profits. In our conversation, Georgie shares how furnishing an apartment can help to change the future for kids coming out of foster care. We discuss the story of starting a Sense of Home, its impact and the super hero resilience Georgie finds among those she is helping. Growing up Georgie's dad would ask her 'What are you doing to do about it' when she read stories of people struggling. This mindset and the example of generosity from her parents shaped Georgie's career and life path. This story will leave you hopeful, inspired and may encourage you to ask yourself what you are going to do about the problems that move you.

Jazmine's story and home creation
Testimonials capturing the love of strangers
A Sense of Home warehouse tour

Follow us @iwhjpodcast

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