Beyond 6 Seconds

In this bonus episode, organizational change and culture expert Karen Jaw-Madson (my guest from Episode 52) talks about finding and working with a publisher for her book “Culture Your Culture: Innovating Experiences @Work” – and why she describes her experience as a “soap opera!” She shares what she learned, the advice that helped encourage her through all the rejections, and her own advice for authors who are trying to get their books published. Find out more about Karen at www.designofworkexperience.com  and on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. You can also purchase Karen’s book on Amazon: Culture Your Culture: Innovating Experiences @Work.  We've also got a full episode with Karen Jaw-Madson, where she talks about Design of Work Experience (DOWE), which is the methodology she created and described in her book. DOWE combines organizational culture with design thinking to help people innovate and solve challenging problems at work. Listen to Karen's full episode here. Karen’s full bio: Organizationa

Karen Jaw-Madson is an organizational change and culture expert who enjoyed success as a corporate executive before pursuing a “portfolio career” comprised of research, writing, consulting, teaching/speaking, and creative pursuits. Her book "Culture Your Culture: Innovating Experiences @Work" was released in June 2018. This book is a guide for implementing the methodology she created -- Design of Work Experience (DOWE) – which combines organizational culture with design thinking, learning, appreciative inquiry and values-based leadership to help people innovate and solve challenging problems at work. Find out more about Karen and the DOWE methodology at www.designofworkexperience.com and connect with Karen on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. You can also purchase Karen’s book on Amazon: Culture Your Culture: Innovating Experiences @Work.  We've also got a bonus episode with Karen Jaw-Madson, where she talks about finding and working with a publisher for her book “Culture Your Culture: Innovating Ex

Natasha Nurse is a licensed attorney by trade who held various stints in the corporate world prior to making a foray into fashion, writing, media and entrepreneurship. Natasha started Dressing Room 8 to provide a web-based resource where women can gain personal and professional empowerment through her fashion and lifestyle focused blog, consultation and coaching services. She is also the Program Coordinator for Long Island Girl Talk, a Long Island community-based start-up program that teaches teenage girls of color how to produce, direct and star in their own television show about women’s issues in their communities. Recently, she partnered with her husband to create the podcast WokeNFree, where they have fun, informed and thought-provoking conversations on different topic each week. Natasha discusses the winding path of her career, starting with her interest in veterinary science, followed by graduating law school and working in document review, legal recruiting, legal education & sales -- and how realiz

Gina Marie Agderian is a New Jersey-based, independent author who self-published her first novel in April 2018 titled “The Letters in the Old House.” In her novel, a woman at a crossroads in her life discovers mysterious letters in her aunt & uncle’s Jersey Shore beach house, then goes on a mission to figure out the story behind the letters while learning about herself in the process. In this episode, Gina talks about how she finally stopped putting off her childhood dream of writing a novel, and shares her tips for getting started and staying focused on your own writing and other creative passions. She also describes what it’s like to self-publish a book, and how self-publishing through Amazon allowed her to write her first novel according to her creative vision. You can connect with Gina on her website www.gsellsseashells.com and on Instagram @gsellsseashells, and purchase “The Letters in the Old House” on Amazon.    

Esther Hofknecht Curtis is a blogger, writer, and content creator who established Parrot Content + Copy to develop her freelance business. She is also the creator of the #GuestBloggerProject, which she hosted in May and October 2018 to provide a platform for writers to share their stories and understand how the project impacts organic social media reach and SEO for the project's host. Based on her experience, she has written a short e-book called “Boost Your Blog with the #GuestBloggerProject: A proven plan to improve your blog's visibility, SEO, and following” to give people the tools they need to host their own #GuestBloggerProject. On this episode, Esther talks about what she learned from the #GuestBloggerProject, some of the inspirational and surprising stories that people have shared, and how blogging is a unique opportunity to learn more about the people around us. She also shares how this project can help both the host and the guest bloggers increase their online reach and amplify their voices.  Connec

When you don’t have the words, let your gloves say it for you! Flip ‘em the Bird, Inc. is a women-owned, Minnesota based start-up founded by Susie Moschkau and Natalie Buckman. While freezing at their office jobs and looking for some comic relief to combat the day to day challenges of corporate life, Susie and Natalie hatched their idea for Flip ‘em the Bird fingerless gloves! After 2 decades of friendship and the dread of turning the big 4-0, they decided it was time to take their hilariousness and sassitude to the masses and launched a brand that is uniquely funny and fashionable. On this episode, Susie and Natalie share how they got their idea off the ground, what they’ve learned about business, manufacturing, and social media marketing along the way, and how they give back to the social causes they care about through their “Swearing is Caring” campaign.  Check out the Flip ‘em the Bird fingerless gloves at www.flipemthebird.com, connect on Facebook, Twitter @flipem_thebird and Instagram @flipem_thebird, a

Professor Marcia McNair is the co-author of Sistas on Fire, an award-winning theatrical performance that addresses pressing social issues from an African-American female perspective.  On this episode, Marcia shares what inspired her to create Sistas on Fire about 10 years ago, and how it evolved from a collection of writings into a theatrical experience that incorporates the spoken word, music and dance. She also shares how Sistas on Fire has connected with people across race, class, gender, religion and cultures, and how it empowers the audience to think and take action about the social issues they care about. Sistas on Fire will be playing at the East Village Playhouse in New York City from February 22 – March 17, 2019. Buy your tickets at www.sistasonfire.com and visit the website or Facebook page to learn more about the show!   Marcia’s full bio: Marcia McNair, the mother of two sons, grew up in New Jersey and moved to New York shortly after her college graduation. She has lived in both Harlem and Queens,

Samantha Harris is an Emmy-winning entertainment journalist and TV host. Most of you may know Samantha from her eight seasons as the co-host of the hit show, Dancing with the Stars, or her many years as one of the hosts of Entertainment Tonight. In this podcast, Samantha shares her breast cancer story, which began when she trusted her instinct about a lump that she was told was “nothing.” Out of the emotional turmoil of her diagnosis, Samantha and her husband founded the online community Gotta Make Lemonade to help inspire positivity in the face of adversity. She continued to turn her cancer “lemon” into “lemonade” by writing her new book, “Your Healthiest Healthy: 8 Easy Ways to Take Control, Help Prevent & Fight Cancer, and Live a Longer, Cleaner, Happier Life,” which debuted as an Amazon bestseller.  With research-backed advice, “Your Healthiest Healthy” is a guidebook to identifying and removing toxins from all parts of your life, as well as boosting positivity to support your well-being. Learn about

Rhodes Perry helps business leaders, change agents, and visionaries at all levels cultivate workplace cultures of belonging through his leadership & management consulting firm. He is an award-winning social entrepreneur, best-selling author, and sought-after speaker. He is also a nationally recognized LGBTQ thought leader with two decades of government and nonprofit experience, having worked at the White House, PFLAG National, and the City of New York. In this episode, Rhodes shares what inspired him to pursue a career in diversity, equity and inclusion, his own personal diversity story, and how his book “Belonging At Work” empowers people to take action that will help them create inclusive cultures at their workplaces. For more information on Rhodes Perry Consulting, LLC, please visit www.rhodesperry.com Connect with Rhodes on social media: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Google+ Buy Rhodes' book “Belonging At Work” on Amazon February 2019: Join Rhodes’ 30 Day Belonging Challenge  Listen

This episode features Larry Sprung, the President and Founder of Mitlin Financial, Inc.  He also serves on the National Board of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP).  On this episode, Larry discusses the critical events in his life that shaped his career and advocacy:   How his mother’s long battle with breast cancer led him to a career helping people plan for critical financial events in their lives, and How the loss of his brother-in-law to suicide led Larry to become involved with AFSP and, along with his wife Denise, raise more than $1,000,000 for the organization through the Keith Milano Memorial Fund. The fund was created at AFSP in memory of Larry and Denise’s brother-in-law and brother, respectively. Larry also talks about some of the important work that AFSP is doing to help people “Seize the Awkward” by having potentially life-saving conversations with the people in their lives who may be suicidal, and AFSP’s Project 2025, which aims to lower the suicide rate by 20% by the year 2

Becky Curran is the Disability Equality Index (DEI) Director at Disability:IN, where she is responsible for managing the overall DEI program. Born with achondroplastic dwarfism, Becky talks about her life & career as an advocate for increasing disability inclusion, including:    Her childhood health challenges and experiences with social exclusion The importance of her support system of family, friends and doctor How she navigated through multiple challenges to forge her own career path in the media and entertainment industry, to improve the representation of disability in the media and advocate for actors with disabilities Why she started sharing her own story publicly, and the impact that her public speaking is having on individuals and corporations Why she’s comfortable with people coming up and asking questions about her appearance and about her life as a little person You can contact Becky on her website www.BeckyMotivates.com and learn more about her motivational public speaking and her story.   B

Mark Metry is the Host of Humans 2.0, a Top 100 podcast where he interviews billionaires, New York Times bestselling authors, and other legendary world-class human beings. He’s also the founder of VU Dream, a virtual and augmented reality marketing & advertising agency based in Boston. In this episode, Mark talks about his childhood as the son of immigrant parents, and how one of his entrepreneurial ventures as a teenager lifted his family out of poverty. Despite this financial success, he battled severe social anxiety and feelings of hopelessness – then one day, he decided to take responsibility for his life and health. By studying and adopting nutrition, meditation, and other life-changing practices, he started on his path to reaching his full potential, and created his current business and podcast.  He shares how he makes initial contact with his high-profile podcast guests, how his interaction with Seth Godin was a breakthrough moment, and how podcasting has changed his life. Listen and subscribe to t

In this episode, Beyond 6 Seconds host Carolyn Kiel is interviewed by her guest, Valerie Gordon, a 10-time Emmy award-winning television producer and owner of the career and communication strategy firm, Commander-in-She.  Carolyn talks about a time in her career when she felt stuck and what she did to get unstuck, then Valerie & Carolyn share practical tips and advice for getting unstuck, including how to: Take the time to identify what it is you like to do Use conflict and dissatisfaction to your advantage Expand your network Establish a cast of supporting characters Try new things Make space for creativity If you’re feeling stuck in your career, then you definitely want to listen to this entire episode! Valerie offers workshops and webinars that teach the storytelling skills necessary to help high-achieving women ascend the leadership ladder. You can learn more about her work at www.Commander-in-She.com , connect with her on LinkedIn and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @CommanderInShe. A

Andy Storch is a consultant, coach and facilitator who helps his clients turn strategy into action. Andy works with companies to accelerate leadership development, strategy alignment, business acumen and sales training. He also coaches individuals to help them improve their performance and achieve their goals, so they can do the best work of their lives. Additionally, Andy hosts two podcasts: The Entrepreneur Hot Seat (now called The Andy Storch Show), where he has interviewed over 100 CEOs and entrepreneurs, and the Talent Development Hot Seat, where he interviews interesting talent development leaders about their experience. In this episode, Andy shares how the book “Miracle Morning” by Hal Elrod inspired him to transform his life and career by building six habits for success: meditation, exercise, writing, reading, affirmations and visualizations. He also talks about the impact that hosting podcasts and attending conferences have had on growing his career and developing new business relationships. Connect

Erica Stanford got into the field of cryptocurrency as an investor in early 2017. She is now the co-founder of cryptocurrencysimplified.com - a project aiming to make crypto and blockchain be better understood and adopted by the mainstream public. On this episode, Erica discusses how she educated herself about blockchain technology and became fascinated by its current impact and potential to transform society and empower individuals in almost every industry worldwide. Inspired by the trial and error of her own learning experiences, she built an unbiased, reliable web resource to help people learn about blockchain and cryptocurrency that will include how-to guides and translate the technology into simple English. Erica also shares advice on how crypto investors can protect themselves against scams, hackers and fraud. Learn more about Erica’s work at www.cryptocurrencysimplified.com or via email at erica@cryptocurrencysimplified.com .

Cyd Alper-Sedgwick is a Feng Shui Master based in Cincinnati Ohio, with clients throughout the US and Europe. She has a passion for healing buildings, and consequently, the people in the buildings. A second generation Feng Shui Practitioner, she also brings her expertise as an Interior Designer into her consultations. On this episode, Cyd shares how she learned to practice Feng Shui from her mother at an early age, why she transitioned her practice from a hobby to a career, and how she makes people’s homes flow with positive energy and clears out negative energy. She also shares how Feng Shui can guide people in purchasing their homes, furnishing their houses, cultivating positive energy in their businesses, and clearing blockages within their hearts and minds. Learn more about Cyd’s work at www.harmonicprosperity.com or by leaving her a voicemail message with your name and phone number at (513) 315-6193.

Malavika Vivek is the cofounder of Girls Make Apps, a U.S. nonprofit she began as a high school junior in 2016. To date, Girls Make Apps has inspired hundreds of girls and women from middle school through college to enter the world of tech through free workshops, programs and hackathons across the country from New York to California, and has worked with educators to improve computer science education in public schools. Some of Girls Make Apps’ partners have included Spotify, Google and Microsoft. In this episode, Malavika talks about how Girls Make Apps grew from an 8-week Android workshop camp for girls into a national program that gives girls a positive first experience with technology, how her program breaks down stereotypes to show the diversity that’s possible in tech, and helps girls build the confidence to work in STEM through hands-on activities, creative work and collaboration. Learn more about Girls Make Apps at www.girlsmakeapps.org and @girlsmakeapps on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.   Full bio:

In this mini-episode of Beyond 6 Seconds, our host Carolyn Kiel shares her blog post about why she started podcasting and what she’s learned since publishing the first episodes at the beginning of this year. Check out her written post on the Parrot Content + Copy blog at https://www.parrotcontent.com/single-post/2018/10/30/Beyond-6-Seconds .

Deborah Tan-Pink is the Head of Content at SmartUp, an edtech startup focused on microlearning for corporate employees.  She spent a decade in publishing before deciding to venture into entrepreneurship and technology. On this episode, we talk about how Deborah built her resilience and grit during her school years, when she was bullied by both students and teachers – and how she used that resilience and grit to rise quickly from intern to Editor-in-Chief at Cosmopolitan Singapore, with skills and a mindset that helped her grow and pivot her career. She also shares her thoughts on how parents can support their children when they are dealing with bullies.  Connect with Deborah on LinkedIn!

Jake Melton is a keynote speaker, author and change expert who focuses on minimalism and simplicity. As the Founder of the J.B. Melton Group, LLC., he helps organizations streamline, improve people processes, find peace, reduce stress, increase organizational effectiveness, and embrace change in a demanding workforce. He also helps people minimalize their lives and find greater purpose and fulfillment in their businesses, families, teams, etc. by simplifying and "cutting the crap." In this episode, Jake shares how several difficult experiences at work started him on a mission to build healthy effective workplaces, what inspired him to write his book called “Minimalize to Maximize Your Happiness: Cut the Crap“ and about his experience as a public speaker with Tourette syndrome. Connect with Jake on LinkedIn and let him know that you heard him on the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast! You can also contact Jake at his website www.jakebmelton.com, on Instagram @jakemeltonb and on Facebook.