Monthly Archives: November 2016

Episode 19: When Are You the Most Creative?, with Michele Stuart



Michele S. Stuart, PMP, has performed management improvement, cost reduction, systems and statistical analysis for over 35 years. With a Masters degree in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from Virginia Tech, Michele has an extensive background in project management, business process re-engineering, productivity and methods improvement, workspace/warehouse layout and redesign, inventory control, and staffing, scheduling and routing improvement.

She is President and founder of Efficiency Engineers, a consulting firm specializing in Business Optimization through Industrial Engineering and Information Technology formed in 1994.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

  • Michele’s recent Entrepreneur of the Year award given to her by the Society of Women Engineers, a global professional society representing 43 countries
  • How Michele decided to become an engineer as a kid, even when it was a very uncommon career choice for women
  • Talks Michele gives to get children interested in engineering
  • How she chose industrial engineering
  • How engineering has changed for women from when Michele started to today
  • Michele’s virtual company: how she created it and how she manages it
  • The unique question Michele asks people before hiring them
  • Why Michele’s only lost two employees in 22 years
  • What Michele learned as a “military brat” and why she loved growing up that way
  • What she learned about value over cost as a kid
  • How Michele’s parents treated allowance and the lessons she learned because of that
  • Why starting her business was the best and worst financial decision Michele ever made
  • How Michele and her husband have shared the load throughout her life
  • Why Michele has thought more about retirement in the last year than she ever has
  • The Biology teacher that was a huge influence in Michele’s life

Ways to contact Michele:


Episode 18: There Are Season in Every Aspect of Life, with Carrie Hartunian Smith



Carrie Hartunian works with business owners and entrepreneurs to develop accelerated growth strategies in highly competitive industries. She creates and executes strategic growth plans, directing integrations and marketing automation, as well as manages projects and establishes benchmarks for success. Her expertise in fostering winning cultures, increased productivity, and reducing costs in mission-driven environments are just a few of her recognized talents as a talented and accomplished leader.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

  • Carrie’s transition from entrepreneur to employee and back to entrepreneur
  • Carrie’s love for making a difference in people’s lives
  • How she tracks progress with her clients by tracking small wins and looking at the big picture
  • Carrie’s life growing up and her family’s big move from Connecticut to Arizona in the 70s
  • Carrie’s first real job as a hostess at age 14 and getting into retail during her home-ec classes
  • How Carrie realized she didn’t have to be good at school to be good at life
  • Carrie’s very unique first memory of money (underneath a water bed!)
  • The time when Carrie worked with her dad
  • How she deals with whatever threatens her financial security
  • Financial mistakes Carrie has made in the past
  • What Carrie’s future looks like, financial and otherwise
  • Carrie’s bad luck with the market

Ways to contact Carrie:


Episode 17: Be Patient with the Process, with Dr. Eliza Chin



Dr. Eliza Chin is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCSF. She has been actively involved in AMWA for over a decade, serving as President during AMWA’s 95th Anniversary Year. She has a particular interest in the history of women in medicine and the stories of women physicians during all stages of their careers. She is the author of, This Side of Doctoring: Reflections from Women in Medicine. Working with and collaborating with women physicians leaders is her passion and she is honored to be AMWA’s Executive Director, to serve the organization that has provided her with so much support. Dr. Chin is a graduate of UC Berkeley, Harvard Medical School, and Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health. She was Assistant Professor of Medicine at Columbia for many years before relocating to California where she continues to teach medical students and practice medicine part-time.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

  • What inspired her to become a physician
  • Dr. Chin’s passion for teaching
  • Why Dr. Chin tells young physicians (and future physicians) to choose wisely
  • Why it’s important to be patient with the process and not seek instant gratification
  • Why success looks different for everyone
  • The challenges of being completely present in every aspect of life — and why you have to be a hero to your loved ones
  • The wonderful Mother’s Day card she received from her daughter
  • Why Dr. Chin doesn’t think she will ever completely retire (and why that’s increasingly more common)
  • What Dr. Chin learned from her mother
  • How Dr. Chin takes care of herself
  • Why young women need to think about their finances really early on

Resources:

Part 1 of our interview with Dr. Chin is available here.


Episode 16: Balancing Career and Family, with Dr. Eliza Chin



Dr. Eliza Chin is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCSF. She has been actively involved in AMWA for over a decade, serving as President during AMWA’s 95th Anniversary Year. She has a particular interest in the history of women in medicine and the stories of women physicians during all stages of their careers. She is the author of, This Side of Doctoring: Reflections from Women in Medicine. Working with and collaborating with women physicians leaders is her passion and she is honored to be AMWA’s Executive Director, to serve the organization that has provided her with so much support. Dr. Chin is a graduate of UC Berkeley, Harvard Medical School, and Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health. She was Assistant Professor of Medicine at Columbia for many years before relocating to California where she continues to teach medical students and practice medicine part-time.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

  • How Dr. Chin is able to practice medicine part-time and balance everything else in her life
  • The different phases of Dr. Chin’s life where different aspects of her life were her main focus
  • Why Dr. Chin brought her kids to work — and how that impacted the lives of her children and her patients
  • The niche of medicine that she practices and the challenges and rewards that come with that niche
  • What it’s like working with patients at the end of their lives
  • The most memorable stories she learned from her elderly patients
  • Getting past feeling overwhelmed after the birth of her second child
  • Dr. Chin’s book “This Side of Doctoring: Reflections from Women in Medicine”
  • Why she decided — for a brief period of time — to take some time to be a stay at home mom
  • Why Dr. Chin moved around based on opportunities for her husband’s career (he’s also a physician) and why that was more than okay with her
  • Why she would love to move back to New York

Resources:

Part 2 of our interview with Dr. Chin will air on 11/16/2016.


Episode 15: Have a Long-Term Financial Plan, with Dr. Devona Williams



Dr. Devona Williams founded Goeins-Williams Associates, Inc., (GWA) a successful performance consulting business in 1986 to help organizations achieve greater productivity in strategic work environments. As President/CEO of GWA, Dr. Williams has contributed her talents to helping more than 50000 individuals in hundreds of organizations increase their performance and effectiveness. GWA focuses on People, Process and Performance™ and works with clients to develop solutions to meet organizational and individual objectives and achieve lasting results.

Williams is a frequent keynote speaker on business, diversity, leadership, motivation, and success willfully shares her philosophy strategies for overcoming obstacles in her career and personal challenges to live her dreams and deliver content to motivate and inspire others. Dr. Devona is author of The Intentional Consultant: How to grow a sustainable consulting business, and contributing author to the inspirational book, Remarkable Women and creator of the national best selling Spice of Life® Diversity Card training tool.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

  • How Devona has sustained her business for as long as she has
  • How Devona made the leap from being an employee to starting her own business
  • The services Devona’s business provides
  • Devona’s book
  • How Devona’s business survived 2008
  • What life was like growing up for Devona and how her entrepreneurial spirit was born in those days
  • How Devona earned and spent money as a child
  • Strategies for increasing the value of your assets long term
  • Marriage, having a child, divorce, and other defining moments in Devona’s life
  • What Devona learned as an executor for her mom’s estate
  • Why Devona doesn’t see herself retiring completely but is looking at making changes in the next couple years

Ways to contact Devona: