Life Unedited: Working Women Podcast

Life Unedited: Working Women

Alisa McCabe
Life Unedited: Working Women is a podcast hosted by Alisa McCabe, Managing Director of First Steps Financial. Our weekly conversation series focuses on women entrepreneurs and leaders - what drives them, what they have learned, and how they find ways to thrive. They commiserate, laugh, and curse a little, but they end up smarter and building camaraderie with each other and other Boss Women!
Talking with Special Guest Ka'Neda Bullock
Ka’Neda N. Bullock is president and founder of Master Plan Investment Group, based in Pennington, New Jersey. She is a wealth manager and corporate retirement plan advisor. Ka'Neda established Master Plan Investment Group in 2019 with a mission to serve clients by helping them clarify their financial goals, chart a course for success, and live a fulfilled life. She became a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) professional in April 2020. Currently, 3.7 percent of CFP® professionals are Black or Latino, and only 23.3 percent are women. Ka'Neda is committed to improving these statistics. She is a frequent speaker on money management, including retirement income strategies, investing, insurance, long-term care, financial planning, and general financial literacy.   [00:01 – 05:16] Opening Segment Only 23% of women become financial planners Ka’Neda’s tips on becoming a financial planner Recognize that finance is a great environment Be willing to ask for what you want   [05:17 – 19:21] Finance is an Interesting Space Finance doesn’t have to be boring How Ka’Neda’s mom helped shape her perspective on the roles of women in the workplace Take risks and make decisions that will take you to the direction you want to be with grace and support How to Teach Children Investing and Ownership Your career is an everyday decision Multigenerational Wealth Management Firms   [19:22 – 26:57] Closing Segment Taxes can be your biggest expense in retirement! Finance is an enjoyable language Ka’Neda’s Resources Good to Great by Jim Collins Detours by Tony Evans Life gets easier when you put it in perspective   Connect with Ka’Neda Website: www.masterplaninvestmentgroup.com LinkedIn     Tweetable Quotes   “Women [and parents] have great goals. I want you to prioritize yourself as well dream, we can figure out a plan.” - Ka’Neda N. Bullock
Jul 26, 2022
28 min
Talking with Special Guest Sally Bryant
Sally Bryant is President and CEO of Bryant Group, a leadership consulting firm specializing in executive recruitment, talent development, and leadership coaching. Sally is passionate about advancing great leadership to make a positive impact on the world. Serving clients internationally, Sally and the BG team have impacted thousands of leaders around the world in some of the most prestigious universities, healthcare systems, and other organizations that make a difference.   [00:01 – 11:56] Opening Segment Sally’s path to entrepreneurship is linked to her foundation of inspiration Sally shares what shaped her ideas about women in the workplace Changing peoples’ lives with great leadership   [11:57 – 24:09] Empathic Leadership Brings Success Leading with empathy versus sympathy The great resignation is a great opportunity Three Pieces of Advice from Sally’s Father Control versus no control Victor versus victim mentality Invest in yourself   [24:10 – 29:21] Closing Segment Thinking long term in a short-term world Personal and professional growth will reap rewards Sally’s Resources The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni Blitzscaling by Reid Hoffman The Power of Your Words by Robert Morris Who Not How by Dan Sullivan   Connect with Sally Website: www.bryantgrp.com LinkedIn (Bryant Group): https://www.linkedin.com/company/16185757/admin/ LinkedIn (Sally Bryant): https://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-bryant-598b598/     Tweetable Quotes   “I don't think it matters what women entrepreneurs do, because we could do anything.” – Sally Bryant   “I want to change people's lives with a positive impact. And that starts with great leadership.” – Sally Bryant
Jul 19, 2022
30 min
Talking with Special Guest Gena Graziano
In this episode, Gena Grazziano shares her experience as a stay-at-home mom who returned to work after seven years.  Gena is a QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor and a New Jersey State Notary Public. After being a stay-at-home mom for seven years, Gena returned to work at a small accounting firm, where she learned bookkeeping and fell in love with numbers. Before she was a stay-at-home mom, Gena managed her family retail business for 10 years.   [00:01 – 10:39] Opening Segment Everybody’s personal best Gena talks about her kids and her community mindset Growing up in businesses and finding her way after her studies   [10:40 – 19:56] Encouraging Women to be their Bestselves The Impact of Growing with Entrepreneurs Small business owners are unsung heroes Helping teenagers seek more opportunities Empowering and fostering women Listen to the unspoken cues   [19:57 - 27:59] Closing Segment Making teenagers heard and helping them gain more confidence You are capable and you can choose   Connect with Gena   Tweetable Quotes   “We should always be empowering, not only women but anybody for what choice they make.” - Gena Graziano   “Listen to the unspoken cues because women have a hard time saying I need help.” - Gena Graziano
Jul 12, 2022
27 min
Talking with Special Guest Meg Heim
Meg Heim has a strong leadership background in Medical Affairs, External and Public Affairs, Operations and Innovative Delivery system, as well as extensive domestic & international experience in Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and Health technology markets. A versatile leader, she has a reputation and consistent record of innovation for successful partnerships with Global and Domestic Corporate, Pharmaceutical, Biotech, Government, Advocacy and Academic groups to create consensus and build programs that create healthcare transformative change. She is a results-oriented strategic thinker who deftly bridges from strategy to implementation, utilizing her superior motivational & communication skills to build and lead top-tier global and domestic teams to achieve goals.   [00:01 – 06:18] Opening Segment Meg, a nurse turned entrepreneur for lifelong learning Different opportunities present themselves: Why Meg decided to be in corporate You can have it all, but not all at the same time   [06:19 – 13:20] Recognizing Opportunity Creates Balance and New Beginnings   Meg starts a business after 12 years in the pharmaceutical industry No path in mind just a love of learning and recognizing opportunity Ways to Support Women in the Workplace Recognize your own limitations Get training and learn to be a better leader Be present at the moment Look for replicable skill sets and help them amplify them Look at, recognize, and embrace generational diversity   [13:21 – 21:02] How to Be a Great Leader   Leaders make exceptional teams, exceptional teams make better leaders What makes disconnecting harder than connecting Alone time is not always the answer to making your soul grow   [21:03 – 25:02] Closing Segment Find where you can give the most impact Meg shares how she volunteers her time and expertise   Connect with Meg Website: http://heimglobalconsulting.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megheim/     Tweetable Quotes   “You really do need that leadership mindset as you're coming up in your career because you have the most control over your career at the beginning” – Meg Heim   “Everybody has to find their passion. You're going to work a long time and it can't be a nine to five job.” – Meg Heim
Jul 5, 2022
25 min
Talking with Special Guest Dr. Kimberlee Park
Our host, Alisa McCabe interviews Dr. Kimberlee Park, a board certified family medicine physician who has practiced medicine in the Philadelphia region since 1996, including 17 years at Crozer Keystone Health System in the Family Medicine department. Dr. Park graduated from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine where she received her D.O. degree and now practices with a foundational belief in the Osteopathic Medicine tradition of “hands-on” diagnostic and therapeutic science.   In 2019, Dr. Park founded Medicalm-PA, a medical practice dedicated to helping patients benefit from the new and evolving treatments now available with Pennsylvania’s compassionate medical marijuana legislation.  Visit her website at http://www.medicalmpa.com!   [00:00 – 11:00] Overcoming the Stigma of Medical Marijuana Alisa introduces Dr. Kimberlee Park Dr. Park discusses her background in family medicine and the events that led her to pursue a career in medical marijuana and became a certifying practice Dr. Park talks about the process for her patients – from meeting with their primary care doctor through certification as a medical marijuana patient.  Education of patients is an important component of her work. Qualifying conditions that can be treated with medical marijuana in the State of Pennsylvania.   [11:00 – 15:15] A Brave and Risk-Taking Approach to Medicine Dr. Park discusses the stigma and intimidation that some folks may feel and how that affects their willingness to seek out treatment. She talks about the populations who are open to treatment and seek out more information. Dr. Park discusses the success of her business.    [15:15  – 22:45] The Influences in Dr. Park’s Life As a child she was involved in a traumatic event.  As a result of car crash her grandparents were killed and she was unable to walk for six months. Her mother, tutor, and teachers (many of whom were nuns) helped her during her recovery. Dr. Park attributes her interest in medicine to the healthcare workers who put her back together after the accident. She talks about negative interactions with some male physicians during her training and being regularly mistaken for a nurse because she is a woman. The war in Ukraine has had a specific emotional impact on mothe
Jun 28, 2022
26 min
Talking with Special Guest Stephanie Bruneau
In this episode of Life Unedited: Working Women, Alisa McCabe interviews second-generation financial advisor, Stephanie Bruneau.  Stephanie spent seven years in global corporate marketing strategy and implementation before making the jump to the “family business” and becoming Vice President for Boston 128, a boutique wealth management firm.  In this conversation she and Alisa discuss how Stephanie’s background has helped her cultivate personal relationships with her clients. Stephanie tells us that her mom is the person that helped shape the way she thought of women in the workplace. She talks about how her mom is a “self-made woman”, who worked in a variety of human resources roles over the course of her career. In thinking about the way that she operates as a working mother, she credits her mother’s tremendous influence.  Visit the Boston 128 website at http://www.boston128companies.com   [00:01 – 07:50] Building Relationships and Achieving Goals Alisa introduces her special guest Stephanie Bruneau How Alisa met Stephanie Stephanie enjoys building relationships with her clients and helping them achieve their goals How her father played a role in her decision to return to their family business She said that it was the best decision she made in her life She is thrilled with the success she has achieved so far She found that she is a person to person relationship building type of role   [07:50– 13:46] How Her Mom Shaped The Way She Thinks About Women in the Workplace Stephanie tells us a story about her mother, who she describes as a “self-made woman” Her mom worked at two different private equity firms She has been a huge influence on Stephanie on how she operates her life Retired from her role as the global Vice President of Human Resources for a successful company Stephanie discusses what she went through with her divorce and how divorce is a different experience for women than men Women will often think about how they will care for their children after the divorce [13:47– 22:42] Acknowledging Women to Elevate and Propel Women Forward Stephanie talks about how the wealth management industry has changed in recent times, with more women owning firms and receiving more respect.
Jun 22, 2022
27 min
Talking with Special Guest Laura Pedrick
An experienced reporter turned photojournalist who covers state government and political campaigns before shifting her focus into an entrepreneur. In this episode of Life Unedited: Working Women, Alisa McCabe interviews photojournalist, Laura Pedrick on her journey as a reporter and transitioning into photojournalism during the recession. From photojournalism to pivot to become an entrepreneur to survive for her children. Laura Pedrick realized that she needed to pivot and become more of an entrepreneur to survive.  Laura is a photojournalist who for most of her career was assigned to cover New Jersey for The New York Times. She's a contributing photographer/writer for global destinations featured on the popular travel blog, Johnny Jet. Her Lambertville photo studio is dedicated to business and actor headshots and clients seeking personal branding. Laura found that becoming a mother has changed her perspective and made her more empathetic towards others. She talks about how she covered a story on children who were falsely accused of abuse which affected her emotionally that made her more empathic to the stories that she covered. Visit her website Laura Pedrick Photography at http://www.pedrickphoto.com   [00:01 – 13:18] Realities of a Photojournalist Alisa introduces her special guest Laura Pedrick Who inspired Laura Pedrick to become a journalist Her experiences being a photojournalist Dealing with dark subject matter as a journalist [13:19  – 17:35] The Empathy of a Mother  After Laura had her daughter, she became more empathetic when covering stories Realizing the different motivations of people The pivot she had to make during the recession How she started her entrepreneurship journey with politicians and in their brand [17:36 – 27:46] How To Connect with Laura Visit Laura’s website  http://www.pedrickphoto.com to learn more on her expertise on making her corporate, institutional, governmental and entertainment clients as well as entrepreneurs and authors look their best and most authentic self. Key Quotes:   “When I became more of an entrepreneur and saw myself as having a business, I didn't really think of my photography as being a business. It took me a long time to just figure it out where I fit in with that.” – Laura Pedrick   “As a photographer, you photograph some interesting characters but as far as relating to people, I think it's becoming a mother made me a better photogr
Jun 17, 2022
28 min
Talking with Special Guest Tara Gilvar
Find out how you can develop the determination necessary to pursue entrepreneurship. In this episode of Life Unedited: Working Women, Alisa McCabe interviews accomplished public speaker, Tara Gilvar who bring her B.I.G. message to women throughout the country. A natural-born connector, Tara Gilvar spent the early part of her career, after graduating from Boston College as a political science major, working in Boston politics and building national consumer brands at a national advertising agency.  Like many women, Tara left the workforce to raise her children.  After seeing a bumper sticker on a teacher’s car that read “Remember Who You Wanted to Be,” her life changed.  She knew she had to act.  An accomplished speaker, Tara enjoys bringing her passionate empowerment message to live audiences and on popular women’s podcasts and webinars. Tara helps women to take a stand and be brave, even if it means risking their lives. She adds that his bravery is something that needs to be spread to the next generation, and by example, women can help break the cycle of sexism and gender inequality.   [00:01 – 11:26] Tara Gilver: The Accidental Entrepreneur Tara shares a story about how she became an entrepreneur Losing your sense of self and you stop being who you are Tara’s grassroots helped her start her support groups Where B.I.G. found its mission   [11:27  – 16:07] How B.I.G. Changed its Perspective on Women in the Workplace Tara says that women need to understand their money A financial course is a pathway to all your smart decisions Making money affects how you make your decisions Tara introduces her webiste, B.I.G. website COVID was a blessing that allowed her to reach international women How B.I.G. changed its perspective on women in the workplace due to technology [16:08  – 26:11] Strong Women Leaders Shaped My Path Tara talks about how she was in corporate America and how it is difficult for women to pursue entrepreneurship Tara credit strong women in her life with helping her to figure out how to be successful in entrepreneurship She believes more women are starting businesses during the pandemic and corporations are changing their attitudes towards work-life balance [26:12 – 29:11] How To Connect with Tara Visit Tara’s website
Jun 7, 2022
30 min
Speaking with the Founders of Voice First World!
In many ways, the disparity between men and women in the workplace is manifested from the economical standpoint, societal expectations, and existing biases. How often do women apologize or minimize the importance of what they say in the workplace? This displays a lack of confidence and in order to combat that, empowerment must take place. In today’s episode, we have the founders of Voice First World. We tackle the way to success as women in business by being empowered and instilling confidence in ourselves. Jennifer Rettele-Thomas (she/her/hers) and Jen Vellenga (she/her/hers) are the co-founders of the virtual coaching company, Voice First World. They coach women to speak with presence to advance their careers in the digital age.   [00:01 – 10:07] Overcoming Challenges in Careers as Women Jennifer Rettele-Thomas and Jen Vellenga founded Voice First World in 2011 as a way to empower women to use their voices confidently in their careers How taking a risk can be rewarding, even if it's scary at first. How empowering women is a necessary step in order to help them overcome any challenges they may face in their careers [10:08  – 19:32] On the Way to Success through Empowerment Helping women become successful in whatever position of life they were in Finding solutions to the gender gap in leadership through empowerment The lack of diversity among leaders during the pandemic The path to overcoming challenges to start an academic career   [19:33  – 29:10] How To Deal With Rejection  The benefits of not holding yourself back because of gender Overcome the lack of confidence by using language that is more assertive The importance of using the right words to show your expertise   [29:09 – 32:06] How To Connect with Jennifer and Jen Work your way towards empowerment! Key Quotes:   “The decision to work with women was because of some of the bias that we had seen, that we faced as women in our positions. There were many stories of bias and things that got under our skin about how women were treated in the workplace. And we wanted to be part of the solution. ” - Jen Vellenga   “It [overcoming the lack of confidence] is the choice of vocabulary. And it's what you say and how you say it, and what we see at all levels… that could be adjusted to make them [women] even stronger.” - Jen Vellenga Connect with Jennifer Rettele-Thomas and Jen Vellenga
May 23, 2022
32 min
Talking with Special Guest Emily Lucking
Women have high levels of empathy - this is a fact that can turn out to be our superpower. In today’s episode, I interview Emily Lucking. She went from being an attorney to becoming an executive coach who empowers women toward personal and professional growth. Listen in as she shares her journey and the observations she had while working with women. Emily Lucking is the founder and executive coach of Power Center Coaching, based in Villanova, PA. Since founding her coaching company in 2018, Emily has developed a coaching practice serving entrepreneurs, executives, and high-net-worth individuals who desire self-improvement and business growth. Emily has helped clients double their incomes, start businesses, make career changes, recover from burnout, and release sabotaging mindsets and behaviors. Emily also provides bespoke corporate training ranging from stress management workshops to leadership development. Prior to founding Power Center Coaching, Emily was an attorney at KidsVoice, a Pittsburgh nonprofit that represents abused and neglected children, and a litigation attorney at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney. Emily resides in Villanova, PA with her husband and daughter.   [00:01 – 07:31] The Power of Mindset as Women in Business Emily went from being an attorney for abused and neglected children to being an executive coach working on her own terms The power of nuance and the need for an unbiased intake as a lawyer and a coach Bringing in conversations on wealth-building for women How guilt is a constant companion for women in business   [07:32  – 15:37] Understanding Who Your Are More Closely Figuring out your targets to curate your path Utilizing the Wheel of Life and StrengthsFinder. 2.0 to understand clients better Finding motivation in connecting with people and making an impact When people choose to examine their lives more closely   [15:38  – 23:30] How To Deal With Rejection  Do not deny yourself first - apply and see what happens Having kids teaches us about building grit and surrendering to the flow Being driven by connection with others and helping people stay accountable   [23:31 – 26:40] How To Connect with Emily Have a conversation with Emily and work through what's stopping you from achieving greatness Watch out for the next episode! Key Quotes:   “I think what women tend to be probably focused on and vocalize more guilt than my male clients do
May 22, 2022
26 min
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