Diana Kander: Professional Af

Introducing Wonder Media Network’s first true crime show, I Was Never There. Thirty-four years ago, Marsha “Mudd” Ferber vanished without a trace from Morgantown, WV. Mother-daughter duo Karen and Jamie Zelermyer are going back to the land to figure out what the hell happened. Named a 2022 Tribeca Film Festival official selection for audio storytelling, I Was Never There is as much true crime show as it is an ode to Appalachian countercultural movements of the 1970s and 1980s. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. For archival photos, videos, and more, follow I Was Never There on Instagram. For more information on the show and to get in touch with the team, check out our website. Follow host Jamie Zelermyer on Instagram and Twitter. Follow Wonder Media Network:WebsiteTwitterInstagramI Was Never There is a Wonder Media Network production. It's hosted by Jamie Zelermyer and Karen Zelermyer. It's produced by Allie Wollner, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, and Liz Smith. It's edited by Jenny Kaplan and Liz

After working at and then leaving several jobs, Kenya Williams was feeling undervalued  in the corporate world. She tried a short stint as an entrepreneur before realizing that she liked the corporate world– she just needed to make some adjustments. On this week’s episode, Kenya shares the importance of managing expectations, asking for what you need, setting boundaries, and not taking things too personally. 1:19 Kenya’s ambidexterity2:09 How she got into her current career3:26 Burnout in corporate America6:13 What Kenya learned from her career coach8:49 Leverage when you come into a new role12:40 Checklist for not taking things too personally15:54 Doing your job versus managing your career 19:34 Speed roundHi, I’m Diana Kander and like you, I feel the call to grow. I'm a midwestern mom of two, balancing a career as a keynote speaker, and trying to leave the world a little bit better than I found it. Each week on The Growth League, I seek out the most remarkable women leaders and uncover their rules for growt

From music major to stock picker to CEO - Whitney Johnson has had quite the unconventional career path. But with a combination of self-advocacy and fearlessness, Whitney has become a successful author, business leader, and executive coach. In this week’s episode, she explains her method for starting new projects and how to approach those uncomfortable moments in your career.1:24 - Whitney’s transition from music major to stock picker3:14 - Advice for people making a major career change6:40 - The origin of Whitney’s advocacy for herself7:57 - Mini coaching session 15:20 - Advice on starting something new20:16 - SpeedroundHi, I’m Diana Kander and like you, I feel the call to grow. I'm a midwestern mom of two, balancing a career as a keynote speaker, and trying to leave the world a little bit better than I found it. Each week on The Growth League, I seek out the most remarkable women leaders and uncover their rules for growth. Whether you’re trying to get better at your presentation skills, get that next promoti

When she was growing up, Jayshree Seth wasn’t sure science was for her - now, with 70+ patents under her belt, she’s more certain. Over the course of her career, Jayshree climbed the ranks at 3M to become a Corporate Scientist, and in 2018 became the company’s Chief Science Advocate. In today’s episode, Jayshree talks about why she loves science, and how she solves big problems by finding the context.1:30 - Jayshree’s forray into music production, and trying new things3:30 - Jayshree’s work as Chief Science Advocate 6:10 - How Jayshree started out11:12 - How Jayshree ‘finds the context’ to solve problems15:48 - How Jayshree uses communication to manage up 19:12 - Speed round Hi, I’m Diana Kander and like you, I feel the call to grow. I'm a midwestern mom of two, balancing a career as a keynote speaker, and trying to leave the world a little bit better than I found it. Each week on The Growth League, I seek out the most remarkable women leaders and uncover their rules for growth. Whether you’re trying to get b

At the beginning of her career, Michele Promaulayko’s plan was to climb the ranks of the magazine industry and secure a corner office. But as the industry shifted, so did her plans. Now, Michele is a multi-hyphenate - author, podcast host, and editorial director - who has found the value in building her own brand. This episode, she shares advice on how we can all work to build our brands, along with other lessons she’s learned along her career journey. 1:13 - Michele’s experience with an energy therapist3:10 - How Michele got a corner office - then left it behind9:34 - Michele’s advice on building your own brand15:05 - Speed RoundHi, I’m Diana Kander and like you, I feel the call to grow. I'm a midwestern mom of two, balancing a career as a keynote speaker, and trying to leave the world a little bit better than I found it. Each week on The Growth League, I seek out the most remarkable women leaders and uncover their rules for growth. Whether you’re trying to get better at your presentation skills, get that ne

Jen Dudeck didn’t set her sights on being the Chief People Officer of a global software company when she first started her career. But when an opportunity presented itself, Jen took a leap of faith and didn’t look back. In this week’s episode, Jen details how following her instincts, recognizing the need for balance in her life, and most importantly leaning into what makes her unique led to her success today. 1:40 - How Jen finds balance5:58 - Jen’s career humbling moment7:52 - How Jen became Chief People Officer9:50 - Being opportunistic vs. being a planner13:48 - Jen’s career failure16:06 - How to think about your career 20:32 - Speed RoundHi, I’m Diana Kander and like you, I feel the call to grow. I'm a midwestern mom of two, balancing a career as a keynote speaker, and trying to leave the world a little bit better than I found it. Each week on The Growth League, I seek out the most remarkable women leaders and uncover their rules for growth. Whether you’re trying to get better at your presentation skills,

In this week’s episode, Diana talks with Kate Robinson about the importance of not only knowing the value you offer but also tracking it. Kate has incorporated this practice of documenting her value into her professional habits for growth, and she explains how it’s benefitted her professionally and personally. This practice in addition to her fearless approach to life has undoubtedly contributed to her success.1:15 - Why Kate got her motorcycle license2:40 - Kate’s most memorable professional failure 4:35 - How to communicate and track your value11:08 - Kate’s post-maternity leave experience20:34 - How Kate approaches negotiations 24:54 - The biggest oops of Kate’s careerHi, I’m Diana Kander and like you, I feel the call to grow. I'm a midwestern mom of two, balancing a career as a keynote speaker, and trying to leave the world a little bit better than I found it. Each week on The Growth League, I seek out the most remarkable women leaders and uncover their rules for growth. Whether you’re trying to get bette

Noelle Kim has worked in a variety of industries - from food to tech. But no matter where she's worked, she’s gotten ahead by delivering an incredible first impression. This episode, she gives her advice on how we can all get better at first impressions, how to build trust with your team, and what her various career pivots have taught her. 1:15 - How Noelle got a meat exporters license 2:25 - How Noelle started her career 4:30 - Noelle’s pivot into technology6:40 - The importance of building trust 12:20 - How to give a great first impression16:35 - Speed RoundHi, I’m Diana Kander and like you, I feel the call to grow. I'm a midwestern mom of two, balancing a career as a keynote speaker, and trying to leave the world a little bit better than I found it. Each week on The Growth League, I seek out the most remarkable women leaders and uncover their rules for growth. Whether you’re trying to get better at your presentation skills, get that next promotion or even do your first pullup, each episode will provide you

When Francoise Brougher took the job as the first COO of Pinterest, she never could’ve guessed that it would end in termination and a gender discrimination lawsuit.  This week, Francoise shares the details of her time at Pinterest, how she climbed the corporate ladder at Google, and what intentional reflection can do for your career. 2:45 - Francoise’s termination from Pinterest4:34 - How to operate in toxic work environments8:11 - How to give constructive feedback11:40 - Francoise’s experience at Google13:15 - What it means to be a good leader16:33 - The importance of reflection18:30 - Speed roundHi, I’m Diana Kander and like you, I feel the call to grow. I'm a midwestern mom of two, balancing a career as a keynote speaker, and trying to leave the world a little bit better than I found it. Each week on The Growth League, I seek out the most remarkable women leaders and uncover their rules for growth. Whether you’re trying to get better at your presentation skills, get that next promotion or even do your firs

This week, we’re joined by Melanie Bell-Mayeda, the Head of Strategy and Operations, Insights and Innovation at Google.  Melanie shares how zooming out and thinking about the bigger picture has helped her maneuver through challenges, how she approaches ‘designing’ her career, and how returning to dance has improved her professional life. 1:14 - How Melanie’s love of dancing translates to her professional life2:36 - How Melanie handles professional challenges by zooming out5:22 - Melanie’s decision to move toGoogle 9:29 - Melanie’s ‘reverse resume’ 11:51 - Speed roundHi, I’m Diana Kander and like you, I feel the call to grow. I'm a midwestern mom of two, balancing a career as a keynote speaker, and trying to leave the world a little bit better than I found it. Each week on The Growth League, I seek out the most remarkable women leaders and uncover their rules for growth. Whether you’re trying to get better at your presentation skills, get that next promotion or even do your first pullup, each episode will prov

To conclude our Women’s History Month series, we are joined by Jane Garvey, the first woman to serve as the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration. Jane is no stranger to being the first and because of that, she has never shied away from an opportunity. In this episode, Jane discusses the power of curiosity and flexibility and what that tragic day of September 11, 2001, looked like from the inside.3:10 - Transition from teacher to head of the highway department4:57 - Jane’s emphasis on hiring women5:56 - Jane’s experience on 9/1113:34 - Career setbacks and what she learned from them17:24 - Maintaining curiosity during hardship18:43 - Speed roundHi, I’m Diana Kander and like you, I feel the call to grow. I'm a midwestern mom of two, balancing a career as a keynote speaker, and trying to leave the world a little bit better than I found it. Each week on The Growth League, I seek out the most remarkable women leaders and uncover their rules for growth. Whether you’re trying to get better at your pre

This Women’s History Month, we’re spotlighting who were the first to do something big in their organization. This week, we’re joined by Sunayna Tuteja - the first ever Chief Innovation Officer at the Federal Reserve. Sunayna talks about how she handles setbacks, her approach to innovation, and her love of flying.2:16 - Sunayna’s pivot from pilot to banker5:27 - How she mastered public speaking7:32 - Sunayna’s ‘recover with flair’ philosophy11:44 - Her approach to innovation at the Federal Reserve17:47 - Speed roundHi, I’m Diana Kander and like you, I feel the call to grow. I'm a midwestern mom of two, balancing a career as a keynote speaker, and trying to leave the world a little bit better than I found it. Each week on The Growth League, I seek out the most remarkable women leaders and uncover their rules for growth. Whether you’re trying to get better at your presentation skills, get that next promotion or even do your first pullup, each episode will provide you with a New Rule for Growth to supercharge you

To continue our Women’s History Month series, this week we’re joined by Marie Watkins, the first female infantry commander in Missouri. Unlike many of us, Marie has always known what her dream job is. But the role didn’t exist for her. In this episode, Marie walks us through her rise to infantry commander despite many roadblocks and how important it is to use your voice to be an advocate for yourself. 2:50 - How Marie reconnected with her high school sweetheart 4:17 - Why she chose infantry7:27 - How Marie lead a unit of 200 men9:48 - What it means to be the first 14:01 - How Marie built her confidence19:10 - Speed roundHi, I’m Diana Kander and like you, I feel the call to grow. I'm a midwestern mom of two, balancing a career as a keynote speaker, and trying to leave the world a little bit better than I found it. Each week on The Growth League, I seek out the most remarkable women leaders and uncover their rules for growth. Whether you’re trying to get better at your presentation skills, get that next promoti

Happy Women’s History Month! This month, we’re spotlighting women who were the first to do something big in their organization. This week’s guest, Gillian Power, was the first person in her law firm to come out as a transgender woman. In this episode, Gillian shares the lessons she’s learnt while climbing the corporate ladder - including the importance of building an ‘army’ of supportive people, how she positions herself as an innovator in her firm, and how she found the courage to come out at work. 2:43 - Gillian’s ‘breakthrough’ career moment and the importance of building a network5:59 - How Gillian came out at work13:22 - Tools to prepare for a leap of faith14:32 - Gillian’s insights on how men and women are treated differently at work15:50 - Gillian’s approach to innovation17:47 - Speed roundHi, I’m Diana Kander and like you, I feel the call to grow. I'm a midwestern mom of two, balancing a career as a keynote speaker, and trying to leave the world a little bit better than I found it. Each week on The Gr

As a former collegiate athlete and consultant, Lexi Bohonnon hasn’t always valued the importance of sleep. Now at the executive level, Lexi emphasizes sleep as a crucial part of professional growth. But growth doesn’t come easy when you don’t have a plan. With a degree in philosophy and sociology, Lexi's career track wasn’t so clear cut. So how did she become the Executive Vice President at a global AI search company? In this conversation, Lexi and Diana discuss career advancement through the “leapfrogs and ladders” technique, what to do when there’s internal or external conflict, and how to continue growing when you’ve reached the top. 2:10 - Lexi’s career turning point of becoming a manager3:24 - Lexi explains “leapfrogs and ladders” and how she applies it to her own career7:15 - How Lexi approached not having a clear career plan after college9:15 - How to handle friction with internal team members and external customers14:18 - Implementing a sleep resolution for herself and her team20:34 - Lexi’s approach

Alicia LeBeouf’s career trajectory looks a little bit different than most. Why? She takes risks, thinks strategically, and jumps on the hard assignments. Whether it’s moving from North Carolina to Minnesota in the middle of winter to work at Target, moving laterally from corporate to retail, or switching things up again and working at Meta, she has learned what moves will bring her the skills she’s looking for. This episode, Diana and Alicia talk about that career strategy, receiving tough feedback, and Alicia’s shocking pregnancy experience.01:44 - Alicia’s experience joining Target and moving states04:43 - Receiving feedback as a leader. How did Alicia respond when she received unexpectedly negative feedback?09:18 - How Alicia grew so quickly at Target using strategy and “taking the hard assignments.”14:42 - Alicia’s difficult pregnancy experience and 10-week hospital stay. How did that change her?22:21 - What continuing to take the hard assignments looks like.26:00 - Speed roundCheck out The Juggernaut Int

Nicole Presperin always thought she was destined to be a CFO. But after not getting a big promotion, she reevaluated, and ended up pivoting into a business-facing role. In this episode, Nicole shares what she’s learned along the way - like the importance of taking stock of what matters in your life, and her realization that everyone has power, regardless of their title.02:22 - Nicole’s experience switching career trajectories - what strategies can we use to bring us closer to our long term goals? 07:12 - The story of Nicole’s son’s experience in Chicago children’s hospital, and how that led to Nicole’s involvement with the Ronald McDonald house15:20 - The origins of Nicole’s ‘you don’t need a title to be a leader’ rule 17:43 - How Nicole sponsors her colleagues - and encourages them to sponsor others  19:18 - Speed roundHi, I’m Diana Kander and like you, I feel the call to grow. I'm a midwestern mom of two, balancing a career as a keynote speaker, and trying to leave the world a little bit better than I found

Lisa Kolodny Johnson’s career has had its ups and downs. She was laid off during her maternity leave at one company. At another, she realized her workplace was abusive. These experiences helped her learn what feedback and experiences to take to heart, and what to leave behind. This episode, Diana and Lisa talk about how to figure out when feedback is useful and why women should start seeing themselves as the breadwinners.02:10 - Lisa’s experience getting laid off. What did she do, and what should others take away from the experience?08:04 - Learning to take useful feedback. How do we take what’s useful and leave behind what isn’t?14:04 - Lisa’s website, pretzelmom.com, work-life balance, and starting new creative growth projects19:48 - Why women should think of themselves as breadwinners22:18 - Lisa’s experience with emotional abuse in the workplace26:46 - Speed roundHi, I’m Diana Kander and like you, I feel the call to grow. I'm a midwestern mom of two, balancing a career as a keynote speaker, and trying to

Vicki Lin doesn’t believe in New Year’s Resolutions, because she doesn’t believe that tactical goals - like saying you’ll run five times a week, or have an empty inbox by the end of each day - actually lead to transformative change. Instead, she runs experiments. In this episode, Vicki and Diana discuss what that looks like - plus, her tips on how to be a stellar manager, and the importance of separating your worth from your job title.Hi, I’m Diana Kander and like you, I feel the call to grow. I'm a midwestern mom of two, balancing a career as a keynote speaker, and trying to leave the world a little bit better than I found it. Each week on The Growth League, I seek out the most remarkable women leaders and uncover their rules for growth. Whether you’re trying to get better at your presentation skills, get that next promotion or even do your first pullup, each episode will provide you with a New Rule for Growth to supercharge your efforts! The Growth League is more than just a podcast. It’s a community. To jo

We’ve heard about the antibodies in our body, but what about the antibodies in our lives - like the people who don’t think our ideas are worth following? Or old habits that hold us back from our goals? This week, Marie Rosecrans breaks down how she prepares for the detractors in her own life, how a bad case of stress-induced shingles caused her to reevaluate her priorities, and what being a working mom means to her. It’s an episode full of - as Marie’s teenagers might say - facts.  Hi, I’m Diana Kander and like you, I feel the call to grow. I'm a midwestern mom of two, balancing a career as a keynote speaker, and trying to leave the world a little bit better than I found it. Each week on The Growth League, I seek out the most remarkable women leaders and uncover their rules for growth. Whether you’re trying to get better at your presentation skills, get that next promotion or even do your first pullup, each episode will provide you with a New Rule for Growth to supercharge your efforts! The Growth League is m