024 - BUILDING TEAMS AT INSTAGRAM & BEYOND — Lessons on Leadership, Growth & Opportunity With Chief People Officer Angie Balfour

024 - BUILDING TEAMS AT INSTAGRAM & BEYOND — Lessons on Leadership, Growth & Opportunity With Chief People Officer Angie Balfour

What does it take to build and scale teams at some of the world's fastest-growing companies? In this episode, I sit down with Angie Balfour, a seasoned Chief People Officer who (among many impressive roles!) previously served as Head of HR at Instagram, to discuss her journey from a high school business competition to leading people strategy at high-growth companies. Angie shares how an early mentor helped her recognize her strengths, her first role after college, earning an MBA while working full-time, and the path that eventually led her to Meta. There, she helped scale Instagram's workforce from a few hundred employees to more than a thousand during a period of rapid growth. Since leaving Meta, Angie has served as Chief People Officer at multiple companies, including leading one through an IPO. We talk about how early-career choices can shape long-term opportunities, how to identify the right stretch assignments, lessons learned from failure, and the traits that make great leaders. We also discuss how Angie's personal life has intersected with her career. As a cancer survivor and caregiver to her mother following a Parkinson's diagnosis, Angie shares how she navigated stepping away from work during difficult seasons, returning to her career, and how those experiences now shape the way she supports employees facing health challenges and major life events. This episode is for anyone interested in people leadership, HR, career growth, navigating life's unexpected challenges, or building a meaningful career over the long term.

023 - FROM BAT HABITATS TO COLLEGE CLASSROOMS: A Career in Bat Biology & Wildlife Research

From studying bats in Belize to launching her own research as a new professor, Alyson's career has taken her across the country—and deep into the world of wildlife biology. Growing up surrounded by the forests of the northeastern United States, Alyson developed an early love for the outdoors that eventually led her to study biology. In this episode, she shares how she narrowed her interests over time, along with her journey pursuing specialized master's and PhD programs focused on bat research–and moving around the country for the school, fieldwork, and new opportunities that came with it. We talk about conducting research in places like the Pacific Northwest, Belize, and Panama, the path to highly specialized graduate programs, and why finding the right mentors can make all the difference when pursuing a niche area of study. Alyson also explains how complementary postdoctoral research experiences helped prepare her for a career in academia. Today, she's back near her hometown as a university professor in Pennsylvania. We discuss her first year of teaching, starting her own research, contributing to conservation organizations, authoring a book, creating educational content online, and balancing it all with life outside of work. If you've ever wondered what a career in wildlife biology or academia really looks like, this episode is for you. Connect with Alyson: 🎥: https://www.instagram.com/alyb_batgirl 🔗: https://www.alysonbrokaw.com/ Learn more about Bat Conservation! https://www.batcon.org/news/blog/

022 – RUNNING A FLOWER SHOP IN NEW ENGLAND: How Liz Turned a Love of Flowers Into a Thriving Business

Ever daydream about owning a flower shop in New England? 🌸 In this episode, I sit down with Liz, founder of Mellow Botanical, to talk about her journey from nannying and  marketing to becoming a self-taught florist and successful business owner. Liz shares how a love of flowers emerged during a challenging season of life as she navigated motherhood and divorce, eventually leading her to build a thriving floral business from the ground up. We talk about landing her first wedding, opening a storefront, surviving COVID as a predominately event-based business, marketing her services, hiring staff, and growing into a larger studio. She also gives a behind-the-scenes look at life as a florist today, including what a typical day looks like, how she found mentors in a field she entered without formal training, and her advice for aspiring florists and serious hobbyists alike. Whether you're dreaming of owning a floral studio, considering starting a creative business, or simply curious about what life as a florist is really like, this conversation is full of practical insights and inspiration. Connect with Liz & Explore Her Work: 💐 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mellowbotanical/ 🔗 Website: https://www.mellowbotanical.com/

021 - INSIDE THE WORLD OF INTERIOR DESIGN: Lisa Morton’s Holistic Design Journey, from Private Jets to Feng Shui

Ever wondered what it’s like to be an interior designer?  In this episode, I'm joined by Lisa Morton, a holistic interior designer, Certified Master of Feng Shui, author, and founder of Pure Living with Lisa Morton. Lisa shares how 20 years of industry experience took her from designing the interiors of private jets for clients around the world, to building her own business as a designer. We chat about the early days of breaking into the design industry, how she built her expertise, and what ultimately inspired her to step away from corporate life and launch her own business. Lisa shares how she found her first clients, grew her brand, discovered Feng Shui, and expanded her work into the world of holistic interior design through her signature Intuitive Home Method. We also dive into the process of writing a book, starting a podcast, and what a typical day looks like now—from Zoom calls with clients and recording episodes of her own podcast to finding moments of peace outdoors with her dogs. Whether you're curious about interior design, entrepreneurship, Feng Shui, or simply creating a career that's aligned with who you are, this conversation is full of inspiration and practical insights. Connect with Lisa: 🔗 Website: https://www.purelivingwithlisamorton.com/ 🎧 Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4N6pGTU3l1jGW5F2xdWygt?si=41ba0d064be6464f [https://open.spotify.com/show/4N6pGTU3l1jGW5F2xdWygt?si=41ba0d064be6464f] 📍Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/purelivingwithlisamorton [https://www.instagram.com/purelivingwithlisamorton] 📚 Book: https://www.amazon.com/Aligned-Home-Holistic-Restore-Well-Being-ebook/dp/B0FXHKDCPF [https://www.amazon.com/Aligned-Home-Holistic-Restore-Well-Being-ebook/dp/B0FXHKDCPF]

10 More Jobs, 10 More Stories – What 20 Career Paths Have Taught Me

In this recap episode, I’m reflecting on some of the biggest themes that came up across my last ten conversations (interviews 11-20!): unexpected career pivots, balancing passion with practicality, confidence, creativity, and the boundaries guests set to make the most of their careers and their lives. Whether you’ve listened to every episode or are just discovering the podcast, this recap is a chance to step back and look at the bigger picture emerging from the first 20 jobs we've discovered together. Links to all featured episodes are below: 011 – PLANNING LUXURY EVENTS IN THE HAMPTONS & BEYOND: A Glimpse Into the Life of a Media & Events CEO https://open.spotify.com/episode/34prjSG2Ou5D8eMOyoVtpb?si=kzt7abZ1TFO0lvB0-Gxprg [https://open.spotify.com/episode/34prjSG2Ou5D8eMOyoVtpb?si=kzt7abZ1TFO0lvB0-Gxprg] (Find Vanessa on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/vanessapgordon/ [https://www.instagram.com/vanessapgordon/])  012 – LIFE OF A SHOW(DOG): Building a Dog Grooming Business — From Local Clients to Competition Wins https://open.spotify.com/episode/3B8LuqyK1yHd2b8RMcawud?si=TwVhEDjhSSWFeOEdjVyTYw [https://open.spotify.com/episode/3B8LuqyK1yHd2b8RMcawud?si=TwVhEDjhSSWFeOEdjVyTYw]  (Find Ashleigh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allbreedashleigh/ [https://www.instagram.com/allbreedashleigh/]) 013 – A LITTLE WINING & DINING: What Work Is Like as a Woman (& Student!) in Telecom Sales https://open.spotify.com/episode/4fWsWyVuk0qL70NGRj1S6e?si=CiKmDrl2QdqjOM7ds4_uQA [https://open.spotify.com/episode/4fWsWyVuk0qL70NGRj1S6e?si=CiKmDrl2QdqjOM7ds4_uQA]  014 – WORKING AS A WOMAN: Building a Career in Workplace Research While Balancing Life at Home https://open.spotify.com/episode/4gC8LjmDONaKtMxsEXFuQA?si=70f45b28ea96478e [https://open.spotify.com/episode/4gC8LjmDONaKtMxsEXFuQA?si=70f45b28ea96478e] (Find Karina on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/corporate.homemaker [https://www.instagram.com/corporate.homemaker]) 015 – TYING SHOELACES CHANGES LIVES: The Path to Pediatric Occupational Therapy https://open.spotify.com/episode/37R5Vg2ATeQQYCJPZErsAf?si=M1Rp2yMZT6i9glNuNxTdnQ [https://open.spotify.com/episode/37R5Vg2ATeQQYCJPZErsAf?si=M1Rp2yMZT6i9glNuNxTdnQ]  016 – BUILDING AN ETSY BUSINESS: Scaling a “Side Quest” To Thousands of Sales https://open.spotify.com/episode/5H8N8JCQyam1I7Bm1pv0st?si=d98196e8be924057 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/5H8N8JCQyam1I7Bm1pv0st?si=d98196e8be924057]  017 – WOULD YOU LIKE TO BUY AN AIRPLANE? Behind the scenes of the International Business Development https://open.spotify.com/episode/2VbNp0tp8ODHH5PgS8I56y?si=22a6274201954d8d [https://open.spotify.com/episode/2VbNp0tp8ODHH5PgS8I56y?si=22a6274201954d8d]  018 – TEACHERS CHANGE LIVES: A Day in the Life of an Elementary School Teacher https://open.spotify.com/episode/4XwewUare95ZCYPFnFLSE9?si=96e86a0107ae41e8 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/4XwewUare95ZCYPFnFLSE9?si=96e86a0107ae41e8]  019 – JOINING THE FAMILY BUSINESS: Inside a Fourth-Generation Moving Company https://open.spotify.com/episode/1BwtOjP4bV3UrQ5fKjqqxO?si=f4ee2541eb694238 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/1BwtOjP4bV3UrQ5fKjqqxO?si=f4ee2541eb694238]  020 – SEMPER FI, LADIES: Basic Training, Deployments & 10 Years in the Marine Corps https://open.spotify.com/episode/49qK3J398YixX6j4mZlmgG?si=SKHpCqq7SD6-gh6wAEIe9Q [https://open.spotify.com/episode/49qK3J398YixX6j4mZlmgG?si=SKHpCqq7SD6-gh6wAEIe9Q]