The Curious Middle

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Sophie Kahn & Bouchra Ezzahraoui, Co-founders, AUrate, Exquisite Gold Jewelry for Half the Price Sep 21, 2016

Show notes

Imagine wearing a beautiful gold choker with black onyx cabochons on the end. It's on-trend, stunning … but wait, it's only $200? And it's real gold? Yes. Thanks to a dream of two best friends – Bouchra Ezzahraoui and Sophie Kahn – over a Sunday brunch, exquisite gold jewelry brand AUrate came to life. AUrate, which is "AU" for gold (thanks, chemistry class!) and is pronounced "OR-ate" (because, like an "orator" the brand tells a story), was launched in December 2014. Inspired by Warby Parker, what sets the brand apart is its ability to offer high-quality gold jewelry direct-to-consumer. By cutting out the middleman, the brand can offer customers stunning jewelry at up to 50-to-75% off typical industry prices. As Morocco-raised Bouchra says, "Gold is extremely expensive in the United States."

The duo, who met while attending graduate school at Princeton in 2009, built AUrate while holding full-time jobs, taking classes in design and hosting pop-up shops on the side. Beyond the hustle, what's so impressive about Bouchra and Sophie is their deep passion for educating consumers about the differences in gold and other jewelry, saying stores carry, "Fine jewelry or fashion pieces you'd pay a lot for, but are not really made out of fine materials." One example of that? Fashion jewelry that turns one's fingers green! Facing this problem themselves, after some digging, research confirmed what they had already known: In retail there was either affordable fashion jewelry or expensive fine jewelry. There was nothing in the middle, and a gap needed to be filled.

Others caught on and quickly agreed. Once the demand took off, the two decided to dive into the company full-throttle. While Sophie focuses on the fashion and design side of the business, Bouchra is drawn to the business side. In episode 24 of I Want Her Job: The Podcast, Editor and Host Polina Selyutin speaks with Bouchra and Sophie about the strategies they used that resulted in 400% annual growth, advice to other entrepreneurs, and combining their individual background in math and finance with design, art and social purpose. Go to www.iwantherjob.com for more show notes and links to topics discussed in the show.

Therese Huston, Author of How Women Decide Aug 19, 2016

Show notes

Meet Therese Huston, author of "How Women Decide: What's True, What's Not, and What Strategies Spark the Best Choices." In her book, Therese shares research that shows women and men are, however, actually equally skilled when it comes to decision making. And, as an expert on the topic of changing the conversation surrounding female decision-makers, In this episode, Polina and Therese discuss high-pressure decision making, the gender myth and also some tactical advice that may help you when you're stuck trying to make your own decisions. And for further reading on the topic, we highly recommend Therese's Harvard Business Review article that illustrates women don't always get the fair shake they deserve when it comes to how their decisions are perceived.

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

Jessica Jackson Sloan, Vice Mayor of Mill Valley, California & National Director of #Cut50 Jul 07, 2016

Show notes

Jessica Jackson Sloan is the youngest-ever elected official in the charming city of Mill Valley, California, located just 14 miles north of San Francisco. In her role as vice mayor of the city where she grew up, Jessica works on local politics. That would be enough of an accomplishment for many to be satisfied, but not Jessica, who has deep life experiences that motivated her to spend her time helping those less fortunate.

As national director of #cut50, a truly bipartisan initiative to end mass incarceration, Jessica works with her colleagues and a team of notable influencers (like Alicia Keys and Richard Branson) to cut the prison population in the United States by half within the next 10 years. The organization works to raise the issue in media and inform others that the issue has become massive – and not only is a huge resource suck in our society, but also one that has the potential for alternative options that would keep our communities safer.

Prior to her dual jobs, Jessica worked on death penalty cases, saying that when serving those on death row, "You see the worst of the worst of the system … Unfortunately the client pays the ultimate price … their life." It was this background that prompted Jessica to join politics in the first place, as she had a desire to move into policy work to broaden her impact.

In episode 18 of I Want Her Job: The Podcast, we hear about how Jessica's very personal story led her to law school and then her work on death penalty cases and eventually, at #cut50 and for the city of Mill Valley. Her story is one you'll want to hear.

TOPICS DISCUSSED IN TODAY'S SHOW:

On Campaign Fundraising: Despite her experience with nonprofit fundraising, Jessica says that raising money for her campaign felt harder. "You have to sell yourself. If it's an issue you're passionate [about] and you've already been sold on [it], then it's kind of easier to sell than to sell yourself, and brag on yourself, and ask close friends and family for money," she says.
Taking Action: One issue Jessica felt passionate about that she took action on as an elected official dealt with smoking in multi-family housing. While living in multi-family housing herself, Jessica's neighbor fell asleep – cigarette in mouth – and burned down the neighboring apartment, as well as half of Jessica's apartment – including her daughter's room. Fortunately, she and her daughter were gone at the time. In addition to her personal experience, Jessica pointed out that the complications of smoke for neighbors with conditions like asthma, and the fact that many of these units share central air made smoking a problem. The ordinance is now passed, and tenants of multi-family housing can no longer smoke.
On Thinking Local: "It feels like sometimes when you're working on bigger issues on a national or state scale, things take a really long time to get done. On the local level, there's an immediate return on your investment of energy," Jessica says.
Day In The Life: While Jessica attends official meetings on the first and third Monday of each month, she's called on throughout the week to attend additional meetings, including participation in additional boards she shits on and the democratic party. When not working on city politics, Jessica spends her time leading #cut50 and taking care of her family.
By The Numbers: The United States has 5 percent of the world's population, yet it comprises 25 percent of the world's incarcerated population. The U.S. is jailing people at a rate higher than any country.
Cost Versus Return: More than $80 billion is spent on the U.S. justice system in one year. "With that $80 billion a year, you would think that we're taking individuals and turning out Harvard grads … In fact, the majority of people who get out of the prison system end up back in within five years, with our recidivism rates around 70 to 80 percent," Jessica says.
On Cut50: Right now the nonprofit is focused on federal sentencing reform, Jessica says. The nonprofit has worked the past 18 months to call on Congress to pass comprehensive justice reform. Of the 2.2 million incarcerated individuals in the U.S. right now, only about 200,000 are in the federal system. Despite this, Jessica says that Cut50 decided to start at the federal level to send a strong message to states and governors.
How To Get Involved: Get informed by visiting cut50.org. You also can join more than 1 million other individuals and sign the petition for justice reform on change.org. Also, Jessica advises to start local – look at practices employed by your local Sheriff's Office and police. Vote for district attorneys and judges that align with reform.
Hitting Home: Jessica shares her personal story of dealing with incarceration. Her then-husband served more than three years in Georgia, right after her oldest daughter was born. "I saw firsthand how corrupt the system was, how they broke our family by charging excessive amounts for phone calls … the restrictions they put on visitation and whether or not I could bring the baby in … restrictions on even things like writing letters … All of this was because he had a drug problem, and he could have gotten help with rehabilitation, but instead he was incarcerated and never got that treatment he really needed," she says.
On Working Bi-Partisan: Running a bi-partisan organization can be tricky. But Jessica tells those on both sides of the aisle, "When it was my husband who was behind bars, and my child who was growing up without their child at home, I didn't' care whether it was a Republican who brought my husband home, or if it was a Democrat who brought him home, I just wanted him home."
Getting Into Government: Jessica's advice for women considering jobs in local government is to be brave, have the ability to laugh at yourself, allow yourself to make mistakes and then learn from those moments.
On The Topic: Podcast editor Polina recommends everyone read Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson to learn more about the issue of incarceration.
Connect With #cut50: You can show your support by following #cut50 on Facebook and Twitter and by donating here.

Chatbooks Marketing VP Rachel Hofstetter: Why You Should Eat A Frog, Sail A Ship Jun 02, 2016

Show notes

Many of us feel like we hit the lottery when we land our dream job. But today's podcast guest has held a handful of dream jobs for some majorly crush-worthy companies.

The last time we featured Rachel Hofstetter on I Want Her Job, her book about foodie entrepreneurs, Cooking Up A Business, was fresh off the press and stirring up quite the media buzz. She also had just launched guesterly, a memorable approach to introducing all of the special people at your special events – from weddings to bar mitzvahs – with her husband Lorne. Then last fall, guesterly was acquired by Chatbooks, makers of "super easy $8 photo books" and Rachel became vice president of marketing for the brand.

This veteran food editor of O, The Oprah Magazine also found the time to share what she learned about crafting that perfect pitch while working at the publication and launched PR School, an online course, with former Leading Lady Angela Jia Kim.

In episode 16 of I Want Her Job: The Podcast, Editor Polina Selyutin speaks with Rachel about pitching a business idea, managing a startup and her work/life balance philosophy.

TOPICS DISCUSSED IN TODAY'S SHOW:

On Testing A Business Idea: Rachel believes in starting as small as you can, because ideas shift and change so much.
That Work/Life Balance: "You can do anything for a season of life," Rachel says. By writing from 5:30 to 7:30 a.m. every day for eight months, this mindset was the secret that helped Rachel complete her book while still holding down a full-time job.
#HashtagInspo: Rachel coined 2015 her #YearOfHustle, and used that mentality to push herself – fully knowing that she was going to work harder than she ever worked before. Her other motivation tip? This defined time period helped give her the motivation to keep going.
Discover Utah: Her 2015 hashtag was so motivating that she decided to make 2016 the #YearOfUtah, which she says for her is all about loving the awesome thing about where you are. (Rachel is Utah-based these days.) She says she sees moving to another city as an opportunity to "game another world."
New York State Of Mind: Rachel's move to New York City at age 21 had a life-changing impact. Being surrounded by the doers and creators striving to make something and find out who they wanted to be made her who she is today. She advises moving somewhere when you're young and don't know anyone. "It will make you dream bigger and do more things," she says.
Give, Give, Get: Those three words will alter your whole PR strategy, says Rachel. She advises those seeking more PR to think about how you can create a win-win situation when reaching out to the media. Outlets want a great story, so think about how you can stand out in a big way. After all, she says, only a handful out of the 400 pitches she'd see in a day made the inbox cut.
On Landing Your Dream Job: Create the opportunity for yourself, and "chisel" into your dream job, Rachel says. Don't wait on others to give it to you.
Eat A Frog, Sail A Ship: Here's Rachel's secret to time management: Do the hardest thing first. (Eat the frog.) Then, "sail a ship," – put out new things every single day.
Favorite Resources: PR School, Daily Action Planner, The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni
Learn More: Connect with Rachel on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Chatbooks on Twitter and Instagram. And, find guesterly on Twitter and Instagram, too!

Bea Arthur, Startup Founder and Licensed Therapist, Was In Y Combinator And On Shark Tank, And Now She's Sharing Her Success Secrets May 03, 2016

Show notes

Bea Arthur knows a thing or two about making a pivot.

And no, just to be clear we're not talking about the same Bea Arthur who starred among the OG Girl Squad – the Golden Girls. This Bea Arthur, like the other, was a bad ass. But, unlike the Bea of nostalgia's past, this Bea Arthur has an entrepreneurial bug that bit her hard and never left – seeing her through two startups since graduating college in 2008.

Now, as for that pivoting, as a licensed therapist and startup founder, Bea has learned the importance of making nimble, not-so-easy decisions and has mastered the art of picking herself back up again. Her company, In Your Corner (formerly Pretty Padded Room), is a leader in using telemedicine to offer counseling and coaching services online through video and text. Her idea was so standout that it landed her an appearance on ABC's Shark Tank. Even without getting an investment from the sharks, Bea used their feedback to tweak her idea, and as Fast Company put it, she "turned her mistakes into assets."

Now, Bea is about to make a pivot again, and has decided to close the virtual doors of In Your Corner to make room for her next business venture in the online therapy space. But this time she's turning her attention to America's warriors – service men and women – and is launching an online resource for them later this year called Inside the Wire.

"[When you're in the military] you can't stop to think about your circumstances," Bea says. "You can't wallow and eat a burrito and watch Netflix. You have to keep your mind sharp. I got really into the idea of emotional endurance."

In addition to being a serial entrepreneur, Bea is a TEDx speaker who shared her ideas on the "Culture of Comparison" (which, we highly recommend you YouTube.) She also was the first African-American woman to be accepted into the prestigious Y Combinator accelerator program in Mountain View, Calif. She's also the co-host and co-producer of You're Not Crazy, a comedic show about mental health on YouTube. She is a first-generation American who was born and raised in Houston, Texas, by her parents who immigrated from Ghana in West Africa.

In episode 13 of I Want Her Job: The Podcast, Podcast Editor Polina Selyutin speaks with Bea about her college education at Columbia in New York City, her first startup fizzling out, her work helping domestic violence survivors and how the three have swirled together to give Bea business ideas that are helping to solve problems and assist others.

TOPICS DISCUSSED IN TODAY'S SHOW:

Ambitious In The Big Apple: Why Bea made the leap from working in real estate to her current field of therapy. "You eventually find your path," she says.
One Thing Leads To Another: How Bea's first company, Me Too, led her to start her second company, Pretty Padded Room.
Making Ends Meet: Bea says many therapists start out "making peanuts" as many get their start doing charity work, social work and grant work.
Brain Lifting: "Mental health should be as much of a priority as physical health," Bea says.
On Idea Sharing: Don't keep it to yourself, Bea advises. Tell as many people as possible as it will get you, "a lot further, a lot faster."
Do The Hustle: Bea discusses her cultural influences, including her parents whose hard work led to success and inspired her to work hard and hustle.
Mamma Knows Best: "My mom is a blue collar hero," Bea says. "It wasn't until my first company failed and I was heartbroken and lying on the floor, and my mom was like, "Did I ever tell you about the first two years of my company?"
Lessons Learned: The importance of knowing what you don't know when it comes to a startup. "Once you get to a certain growth stage, literally your job as CEO is to put out fires," she says.
Eyes Wide Open: Bea discusses the importance of "being awake while you are learning" and discusses how paying attention to patterns, noticing what is working and what isn't working are some of the therapy tools Bea has applied to her business.
Fertility Freeze: Bea discusses her decision to freeze her eggs until she's ready to start her family in two or three years. She recommends EggBanxx and is a brand ambassador for the company.
Parting Advice: "I'm not that special," Bea says. "The difference between successful people and people who don't make it is persistence."
Some of Bea's Favorite Resources:
Women 2.0,
Seth Godin's blog,
James Altucher,
Marie Forleo,
Gotham Gal
Learn More: Connect with Bea on Twitter and Her Website

Alisha Gaddis, Emmy-Winning Actress and Latin Grammy-Winning Musician Jan 14, 2016

Show notes

Alisha Gaddis is the consummate I Want Her Job Leading Lady. She's an actress, musician, author, comedienne, wife and mom. Not only does Alisha wear a plethora of hats, but she's also damn good at what she does. She is an Emmy-winning actress, to be exact, and along with her husband, Lucky Diaz, the two are the first Americans ever to win a Latin Grammy in the children's category for their music in Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band. In addition, the two lovable entertainers who are reminiscent of a modern-day, kiddo-friendly Lucy and Ricky, star in Lishy Lou and Lucky Too! on The Friday Zone on PBS. And with 26 episodes under their belt, Alisha and Lucky are set to film season two.

In addition, Alisha is an editor and author of multiple books, including Women's Comedic Monologues That Are Actually Funny, and the just-released book in the same applause acting series, Teen Girls' Comedic Monologues That Are Actually Funny. And Alisha knows a thing or two about being funny. She's performed comedy in top venues and on multiple network TV channels and has even opened for Ray Romano, Drew Carey and Sarah Silverman. Alisha also has an innate eye for design, and her Silverlake home with Lucky was even featured on Apartment Therapy – twice!

At I Want Her Job we adore Alisha so much. Since our interview with her three years ago, we've watched her career in awe, and consider her the ultimate Leading Lady. She's graceful, successful, kind, humorous and a champion of women. She even let us use her likeness for our "About" page. [Talk about nice!] Listen to our latest episode and you'll walk away a fan girl, too.

TOPICS DISCUSSED IN TODAY'S SHOW:

Her Music: How Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band came to life and to living rooms everywhere!
Success Sauce: Find out the secrets to Alisha's wild success. A hint? Alisha always says "yes" when opportunities appear and does not stop at rejection. For reals. She got her first literary agent after 250 rejections!
The Creative Process: Alisha discusses her self-study masterclass approach to teaching herself how to start new creative projects in music, theatre, TV shows and book publishing. "You have to know the structure of what comes before you in order to bust out and create your own work," she says.
Discovering Her Calling: "Be open to what the universe presents you," Alisha says.
The Art of a Deal: Despite an amazing opportunity with a big box store falling through, Alisha was determined a book was still in her future. Based on her inspiration by fellow female comedians, Alisha pitched her agent the idea for monologue series that's now five books strong. Find them on Amazon here.
In 5 Years: In an interview with our site five years ago, Alisha had just started out in her band. We asked her where she saw herself in five years. Her predictions, including winning a Grammy, game true! "Never let someone tell you your goals are too big or too silly," she says.
Family First: Alisha shares how her father, a successful football coach, and her mother, a kindergarten teacher, influenced her work ethic, ambition and joyful optimism.
Pursuing Comedy As A Career: "You can make people see more truth if you are making them laugh than if you are preaching to them," Alisha says.
Never Give Up: Alisha believes in pushing past rejection and has a mantra of "work wins!" She advises to never stop pursuing your dream because, "You could be just three feet from gold."
Additional Advice: Read more about Alisha and find out her advice for fellow women entertainers on her I Want Her Job interview.
Learn More: Get more information about Alisha Gaddis and her body of work here.
Connect: Follow Alisha on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Jane Mitchell, Co-Founder, Reset Foundation Dec 12, 2015

Show notes

Jane Mitchell's idea started out with an idea on a sticky note. It has since grown into The Reset Foundation, an organization set to buck convention for those incarcerated. The idea is simple, says the Foundation's website, "Instead of serving time in a dehumanizing prison environment, a sentenced young adult lives at Reset Campus, focused entirely on academics, career and healthy living." The goal of The Reset Foundation is to keep these young adults out of an ongoing prison/poverty cycle through a two-year program focused on training, counseling, education and career support. The United States has a higher incarceration rate than anywhere in the world -- with 2.8 million behind bars. Of these individuals, 68% are re-arrested within only three years. And while Jane has selected a career path that's far from glamorous, she loves her job, lives her faith and has an unmatched enthusiasm for keeping young people out of jail.

Dona Sarkar, Engineering Lead Microsoft, Fashion Designer, Author, Blogger and Brianne Perleberg, iwantherjob founder Sep 16, 2015

Show notes

Dona Sarkar is an Engineering Lead for Microsoft's HoloLens, a fashion designer, blogger and author of several books. We talk to Dona about her career in technology and how following your interests on the side can enhance your career.

Dona compares learning to coding to learning a new language, it takes time. We discuss online resources to start learning new skills, and the massive opportunity to build products for the 5 billion people who are currently underserved in the markets. "We keep going after the same 2 billion people over and over again in tech, but why, lets go after 5 billion."

Growing up in Detroit, Dona didn't have a lot of money or resources, so she made up her own stories and characters. Dona talks about how writing and the benefits of growing up with a need to constantly use her own creativity to entertain herself. Dona says "when you don't have very much, consider it your superpower". Dona also explain how a lack of resources can help you understand the 5 billion undeserved people in the market today.

Dona's Blog

Topics discussed In this show:

Tips for getting started in technology
Coding is just building things for people and how not to be scared when trying to learn technical skills
If you don't succeed at something, Dona suggests "do it again!"
Resources to learn new skills (skillfeed, udemy, youtube, Lynda, codeacademy)
Dona's time management secret
Dona talks about her book on eating disorders in minority women
We talk about the opportunity to make products for 5 billion people
How growing up with less can be your superpower
Dona's philosophy on staying away from non believers and negativity

We also speak with Brianne Perleberg, the founder of I want her job, about how the website was founded, and a lot more!

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