Past the Profile

Ema Bryant on Courage, Self-Compassion, and Making a Difference Through Care

Host Liz Sweigart and Ema Bryant [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ema-bryant-b4b633187/] first connected through Liz’s writing on mental health—a message from Ema’s father turned into a friendship that has spanned continents, countless conversations, and a shared commitment to honesty about the hard parts of healing. In this deeply personal episode of Past the Profile, Ema—radiographer, healthcare professional, and self-described “work in progress”—opens up about her journey with depression and anxiety, the lessons learned in therapy, and how compassion and faith ground her work in patient care. She and Liz talk about the weight of invisible struggles, the courage it takes to keep showing up, and what it means to measure success by persistence, not perfection. Highlights * How it began: the blog post that connected two people on opposite sides of the world through words that made them both feel less alone. * Healing in healthcare: how Ema found purpose and empathy in radiography—and what her patients teach her daily. * The “jerk brain” paradox: learning that mental health challenges don’t cancel gratitude or privilege. * Self-care, real talk: ADHD, imposter syndrome, and redefining “the bare minimum” as a form of rest. * Future self: the wisdom in taking life a week at a time—and remembering that just being here is a victory.

Maya Zuckerman on System Shifts, Bridging Worlds, and Regenerative Leadership

Host Liz Sweigart first met Maya Zuckerman [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayazuckerman/] through the Holochain [https://www.holochain.org/] / Holo [https://holo.host/] project before teaming up again on Visvere [https://visvere.com]. In this episode of Past the Profile, Maya traces her journey from product and operations manager to ecosystem architect. She and Liz explore why culture hacking beats disruption, how regenerative principles can be embedded into technology from the start, and what it means to move from extraction to reciprocity in both business and community. Highlights * From film to futures → how early work in digital media opened a path to regenerative tech and organizational design. * Collective storytelling → why the stories we share become the scaffolding for movements and markets. * Regenerative lens → embedding reciprocity, diversity, and resilience into systems instead of treating them as afterthoughts. * Scaling trust → tools and governance that let communities grow without losing cohesion. * Bridging disciplines → what Maya has learned moving between entertainment, tech, and grassroots movements.

Hilary Turner on Finding Your People, Continuous Reinvention, and The Long Run

A three-chapter history connects host Liz Sweigart and Hilary Turner [https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilaryturner/]: dorm-mates at Rice University’s Wiess College, a wedding cameo years later, and—most meaningfully—a 2016 Facebook message that turned into miles and miles around the Rice loop. One Saturday run became a standing ritual, international half-marathons, and a friendship built on mutual encouragement and just the right amount of stubbornness. In this Past the Profile episode, Hilary—editor-turned-MBA-turned-librarian-in-training—traces her path from New York publishing (Wiley, Penguin) to UT Austin student services to tech marketing… and finally into the library and information world she now calls home (MSLS program, practicum with Georgetown’s business library, and a joyful plunge into the American Library Association community). She and Liz talk about making friends as adults, introvert–extrovert dynamics, the upside of social media serendipity, and why it’s okay to arrive by the scenic route. Highlights * The running years: frozen water fountains, international races (Edinburgh, Dublin), and how “enforced bonding” turns miles into trust. * Career throughlines: editing, research, and helping people—threads that made librarianship click in midlife. * Finding your people: discovering community among librarians and information pros (and showing up as your full self). * Making friends as adults: why it’s hard, why it’s worth it, and how a small “yes” can change everything. * Joy cameos: Murder, She Wrote, The Golden Girls, and Orson the rescue “chi-poodle” who brings effervescence to every room.

Claire Skillen on Climate-Aware Supply Chains, Human-Centered Processes, and Leading with Humility

A vulnerable LinkedIn post about mental health first connected host Liz Sweigart and Claire Skillen [https://www.linkedin.com/in/claireskillen/]. One cold DM turned into a long phone call—and a friendship built on systems thinking, honest reflection, and a shared belief that people belong at the center of every process. In this Past the Profile episode, Claire—newly appointed President & CEO of Planet-Based Foods Global (PBFG) [https://www.linkedin.com/company/planetbasedfoods/]—traces a pivot from “food products” to food systems: vertical gardens and drying units (PBF Tech), direct-trade supply chains, and community-first operations aimed at climate adaptation and food security. She and Liz dig into leading publicly while learning out loud and the everyday practices that make reflection possible when the calendar won’t slow down. Highlights * “Food alone isn’t enough” → why PBFG is becoming a holding company focused on resilient, human-centered systems. * Safer spaces vs. safe spaces → normalizing mistakes, modeling vulnerability, and using trust to let ideas bloom. * Bridging tasks to purpose → connecting a single tech profile or spreadsheet to water savings, farmer impact, and portfolio choices. * Boundaries & energy audits → what to say no to and five-minute resets (breathwork, journaling, water). * Measures of success → teams that speak up, align work to their own goals, and make space to integrate learnings.

Dritton Jemmalay on Family-First Leadership, Values-Driven Business, and Lifelong Learning

Host Liz Sweigart and Dritton Jemmalay [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dritton-jemmalay-b9a6142b/] met more than a decade ago serving energy clients across time zones—she in Houston, he in Brisbane—before finally connecting in person at a Shanghai conference. The friendship has since spanned continents, careers, and now kids. In this episode of Past the Profile, Dritton—global tax and structuring consultant and founder of the independent professional services firm TP Benchmark [https://www.tpbenchmark.net/]—reflects on becoming a husband and father, relocating to London to support his surgeon wife’s fellowship, and choosing a family-first operating system at home and at work. He and Liz explore an “early midlife” wake-up, the books and mindset that shifted him from black-and-white to shades of grey, and how team sports taught him to take feedback, learn from losses, and keep going. Highlights * Parenting as mirror — Modeling the behaviors you hope your kids will adopt. * Values → culture — Building a remote team across NZ, US, UAE, Italy, and Australia where the culture flows from strongly aligned values. * Mistakes as teachers — The family mantra: “Mistakes are OK… as long as we learn from them.” * From hyper-rational to human — How self-study and reflection reframed work, empathy, and the inner critic. * Sport → leadership — Thick skin, honest feedback, and winning as a team rather than 11 superstars. * Life-season strategy — Treating tradeoffs as temporary, and why this season is about time with his daughters.