When Julie Berman started podcasting in February 2020, she had no idea what a podcast was or how to even open the podcast app on her phone. Almost 4 years later, Julie has interviewed more than 60 incredible, diverse women with cool jobs in industries that range from tech, to the arts, trades, and much more. In this episode, she shares the five unexpected lessons she learned from podcasting and how learning these can benefit you in your everyday life -- whether you podcast or not: I’m...

Jewelry Designer  Lia Valencia Key is the designer and owner behind Valencia Key Jewelry and a sought-after speaker. She is also a walking ray of sunshine, bringing her energy and love to all she meets!  She creates inspirational jewelry filled with meaning and intention.  It serves a beautiful, visual reminder to use light, joy, love, gratitude and peace as guiding stars. These principles allow you to unlock your strength and bravery. Lia is an entrepreneur with immense faith,...

Zibby Owens has so many cool jobs that all started from her love of connecting people to books. She's an author, podcaster, publisher, indie bookstore owner, CEO, and mother of four.  She was a stay at home mom for 11 years before starting the podcast “Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books” in 2018. Since then, she's gone on to create a book-filled empire, including becoming a(n):  Publisher at Zibby Books - 12 books a year in fiction and memoirAuthor of the novel Blank, that comes out March 1,...

Emmy® Award winner Cynthia Summers is a costumer designer who brings characters to life on TV and film through artfully and skillfully creating their costumes and accessories. With more than 60 credits (a.k.a projects) to Cynthia's name that range from fantasy to modern day and fashion-driven,  her cool job allows her to take a concept or dream and make it a reality on the screen.   While helping create the characters and building the worlds they live in, she collaborates and works with many...

Ati Williams and Jessica Banks are multi-talented and multi-passionate women in the trades and STEM...and also 2 of 4 cohosts of "Hack My Home" on Netflix.. They show us why it's important to NOT be defined by the "lower third," which in TV terms means the lower part of the screen where they include your title or job description. We can be multi-faceted and multi-talented women, which is exactly what they are.   Ati Williams is a licensed general contractor and  renowned design-builder, owner...

The representation of women has remained stagnant in the National Security field at about 20% across the board. Lauren Buitta, a national security expert, is on a mission to get more women into this field. She is the founder and CEO of Girl Security – the only organization dedicated to advancing girls, women, and gender minorities in national security through supportive pathways. There's a lot more to protecting America's interests at home than just considering intelligence and the...

It's the 3rd Podversary episode, and Julie is so excited to celebrate the 3rd anniversary of "Women with Cool Jobs"!!  To celebrate this milestone, Julie asked the award-winning filmmaker and musician, Jillian Speece, to cohost this episode with her. ( She also helped Julie co-host her 50th episode.)  To celebrate this occasion, you can also join Julie for the first in-person, live event on Saturday, October 7th, from 10:30 AM to 12:00 noon in Scottsdale, Arizona. The amazing Dr. Nika Gueci,...

What does it take to build a franchise with nearly 2,000 class locations, 1,850 instructors, and over 250 franchise owners across the United States? Lisa Druxman built a fitness empire that meets moms where they’re at, literally in their neighborhoods and physically to create health and wellness!  She is the Founder and CEO of FIT4MOM, which is the largest fitness program for moms in the United States. Plus, she's a noted speaker, author, and podcaster.  She initially created Stroller...

How do people make decisions? Is it based on facts, logic, emotions, or other factors? Jen Clinehens, a behavioral marketer, helps organizations large and small better understand the psychology and science behind customer decisions and opinions.  Jen has worked with brands like AT&T, McDonald's, Adidas, and Starbucks and is the Founder and Managing Director of Choice Hacking, a customer experience (CX) agency. Whether it's understanding why a customer is buying one brand's product...

It's back to school for kids and parents! It's a time of renewal, change, and getting back into a groove.  If you're a mom whose child has gone back to school and you're wondering about your next steps and if it's time to find full-time work,  it's essential to know about “returnships”. Returnships are an on-ramp for caregivers to get back into the workforce and find a full-time job. In this replay, Tami Forman, the former Executive Director of Path Forward shares her mission to bring...

If there’s someone you want to connect with, whether for podcasting, networking, or to make a new friend, there are some easy steps you can follow to initiate the connection.  In this episode, I share my process and tips that I've learned over the past 3+ years for how I've been able to connect with some of the coolest people. From the beginning, I have had a really great success rate for people responding to me. You'll get insight on how to write an email or direct message (DM) that...

Dr. Nika Gueci is the inaugural Executive Director of ASU’s Center for Mindfulness, Compassion & Resilience where the mission is “to change the world into a more compassionate and inclusive place by creating a mindful, welcoming culture of caring and belonging." Learn about how Nika found a job that lights her up, where she can be authentically herself, and that enables her to be a leader who is nurturing, supportive, and collaborative.  Hear how her career path includes several very...

What if you could leverage the WISDOM OF YOUR FUTURE SELF to guide your present choices? What would your older self say to your "young" self?    It's my birthday, and I'm reflecting! I'm going to be 39 this year, and it dawned on me that this is the last year of my 30s... a decade in which I've been growing a family, a podcast, a business.   It's the end of an era. What's the next phase going to be like?  What if you could USE YOUR OWN WISDOM from your future wise, experienced older self...

Are you considering a new career, but you're not sure how to figure out what to look for or what's next? Julie shares how to get more clarity on what you love and what you want for your career and life.  Better navigate career changes by understanding what lights you up and fulfills you, and on the flip side, what drains and stifles you. Not sure how? Start by taking the free Sparketype assessment at sparketype.com Did you know Julie is a Certified Sparketype Advisor (aka SPARKologist!!)?...

Lindsay Cordova, a site manager at UPS Integrad, is responsible for the overall operation of the McKinney, TX, facility that trains both new and experienced truck drivers who deliver and pick up UPS packages. The overarching goal of the training is to keep drivers and communities safe.   From overseeing the overall operations and logistics at the facility, to cultivating strong relationships with peers and colleagues, to rapping about safety, get a glimpse of what it's like to have a...

Karen Graci is a story editor working on an animated TV show at Disney Television Animation. As the story editor, she's the head of the writing department where she oversees the writers’ room, plus she works with the showrunners. In addition to editing, Karen also is actively writing. People often think of "grammar, punctuation, and spelling" when it comes to being an editor, but Karen gets to use her editing skills in such a creative, fun environment. Karen is currently working on an...

Aastha Gaur is the Director of User Experience at Google. She leads the experience design team that transforms customer engagement with Artificial Intelligence (AI). Her team has 120 people who design what solutions should look like and how they should act; Google's largest business is advertisers. Aastha says that you don’t need a tech degree to be a successful female leader in tech.  She says, "So many women, especially those who might not have a STEM background think they can’t work with...

Anna Petchell is a woman with not just one, but many cool jobs, including as a Sport Outside Broadcast Camera Operator & Super Yacht Crew Career Coach. The steps she has taken were often seldom paved by women in fields traditionally done by men. As a Freelance Sport Outside Broadcast Camera Operator, she films the big outside sports events, such as football, rugby, tennis, Formula One, lacrosse, hockey, and cricket. She especially loves women's football (a.k.a soccer here in the...

Emily Soloby is on a mission to advocate for and support women — physically with her safety boot company, Juno Jones, and in general — by normalizing the idea of women in nontraditional fields. From a high schooler known for her boots to now creating her own footwear company, Emily's varied career path has always included helping women.   She’s the co-owner of AAA School of Trucking, a trade school, and also the host of the Hazard Girls Podcast and Face Book community that helps move the...

Alisha Fernandez Miranda is an expert and leader in corporate philanthropy and social impact (a former CEO and current chair of a consultancy) who helps large companies and organizations spend their money well and in a way that aligns with their mission and goals. On the flip side, she helps nonprofits successfully raise more money so they can further their mission and make a greater impact in the world. Alisha’s also the author of My What If Year, an epic adventure during the pandemic of 4...

Karen Santucci is a veteran court reporter who is now the Director of the Court Reporting Program at Plaza College in Forest Hills, New York. Court reporters play an essential and required role in judicial proceedings, plus they do captioning work when requested in relation to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA.) It’s a cool way to get into the courtroom without being a lawyer or judge, or it allows you to learn about all sorts of things while doing captioning! According to the Bureau...

Ayse Birsel is one of the world’s leading industrial designers. She's designed everything from kitchen gadgets, to toilets, office furniture, concept cars, and so much more. (You’ve probably held or sat on something she has designed for Miller Knoll, Target, TOTO, Toyota, or IKEA, among many others.) She's earned awesome nicknames: Queen of Toilets, Queen Bee (for offices), and Design Evangelista. Plus, she's an author and her most recent book is called Design the Long Life You Love: A...

Pilar Flynn is a co-executive producer/showrunner at the Walt Disney Company where she's producing the animated TV series “Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur,” which is  based on Marvel's hit comic books. Pilar is involved in both the business side and the creative side of producing, which is rare. She's a Latina and mom of 2 girls that grew up in Chile and Ecuador. She dreamt of working in the entertainment industry and wanted to be a storyteller. Now, Mickey Mouse is her boss!  She...

Do you feel like you did all the "right" things? You checked all the boxes. Maybe you got that degree. You have the experience. You got married. Or you had 2.5 kids. But despite all these "right" moves, does something still feel like it's missing, not aligned, or just plain wrong? Julie shares her story of how she thought she was going the "right" direction, a big lesson learned, and 3 questions to ask yourself so you can figure out the best next "right" turn for you in 2023. Julie Berman...

Understanding your ability vs. your capacity can empower you to live a sparked life. You're living now with your current abilities that are based off everything you've done and the person you've been up to this point. Your capacity is what you are capable of doing and who you are capable of being in the future. Your capacity is infinite, which means you have the power to explore who you’re meant to be, what you’re meant to be doing, and how you're going to serve the world in your own special...