Northwestern Intersections

Tune in to hear some of the best insights from our most listened to episode of the year. You’ll hear Kellogg professor, venture capitalist, and author, Carter Cast '92 MBA, talk more about the five archetypes that most often derail careers along with other advice he has to share around finding a career that has meaning to you. You will also learn more about an opportunity to enter in for a chance to win a signed copy of Cast’s book, The Right-and-Wrong Stuff: How Brilliant Careers are Made and Unmade.   The following giveaway has now ended. Please provide your feedback for the podcast here. Enter for a chance to win a signed copy of The Right-and Wrong-Stuff: How Brilliant Careers are Made and Unmade by Carter Cast through filling out the form at www.northwestern.edu/intersections/cartercast. This Northwestern Alumni Association (1201 Davis Street, Evanston, IL 60208) promotion ends December 19, 2018, at 11:59 p.m. CDT. Forms filled out after the promotion period will not qualify. Each person will have the sa

Sam Kleiner ’09 went to law school after graduating from Northwestern. He has held a number of roles in the legal industry, but his story doesn’t end there. He spent countless hours researching and writing a book after discovering a trove of love letters from a WWII pilot. His book, The Flying Tigers: The Untold Story of the American Pilots Who Waged a Secret War Against Japan, was released in May 2018. Kleiner talks to the NAA about the stories behind his book and how this history impacts US-China relations today. He shares insights from both his career in the legal industry as well as from an author’s perspective. Tune into hear more about these intersecting worlds.

Linda Gartz ’70, ’72 MS didn’t start her career thinking she would become an author. Through the skills she learned through her years teaching and then producing documentaries, she gained the necessary skills to eventually write her book after she discovered hidden letters in her parent’s former home. “Redlined: A Memoir of Race, Change and Fractured Community in 1960s Chicago” is a story about both the personal, in terms of Gartz’s family history, and the political, in terms of racist lending policies in Chicago. Gartz shares insights gained through her career transitions and she discusses the power of building social skills to network and keep in touch with friends and other alumni. Don’t miss this engaging conversation with a new author who has advice to share.

Dino Gane-Palmer ’11 MBA is a British entrepreneur based in Chicago. Gane-Palmer moved from the UK to earn his business degree from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern with the goal of leveraging an MBA to launch a company. He tells the story of starting his company PreScouter, a platform that enables innovation professionals to get things done through utilizing a global network of scholars at top universities, all while in school and then growing it to a 100+ person company. Gane-Palmer talks about some of the challenges he faced in moving to Chicago as well as some of the things he is most proud of throughout his career. Don’t miss this conversation with a successful entrepreneur who has many insights to share with the Northwestern Network.

Carol Ross ’83, ’87 MS worked as an engineer for years before making a transition. Ross started working with her HR department to get experience working with and training colleagues as an engineer a few years before she was let go from her long-standing position. Through that experience, dabbling in training and facilitating, she was able to get an idea of what she would be good at, and even more importantly what she would enjoy, in a second career. Ross discusses the emotions of a career change from her personal perspective, as well as her work with clients in the midst of personal and professional change. Don’t miss this eye-opening discussion of something many people don’t consider when actively making a change in their lives – their emotions.

Greg Schwem ’84 started his career in print journalism after graduating from the Medill School of Journalism. He worked his way into the broadcast side of reporting through his ability to learn quickly what the story was. He transferred this skill again later in his career during his transition into corporate entertaining through comedy. He has been in the world of comedy for almost 30 years, finding his niche in performing stand-up comedy and humorous motivational speeches at corporate events worldwide. Schwem shares valuable insights and inspiration for alumni looking to make a career change themselves.

Dorothy Tucker ’78 knew that she wanted to be a reporter since she was 16 years old so she came to Northwestern for the program in radio and television. Tucker has been a reporter ever since she graduated from Northwestern, working her way back to the community she grew up with, in Chicago. She has been at CBS 2 Chicago since 1984. Tucker talks about having three children throughout her time as a reporter, along with the sacrifices she had to make on both ends. Now she is an empty nester, traveling across the country to see her children, and was recently promoted to an investigative reporter. Don’t miss her advice on advocating for yourself and having the courage to persevere. Also, Tucker is the Co-Chair of her 40 Year Reunion Committee. Homecoming and Reunion Weekend (October 11-14) are cherished traditions where alumni can share a toast to the past and a toast to the future. It is a time to come home to Evanston to celebrate, reconnect with classmates, and create new memories. Visit www.alumni.northwestern

Emily Farr ’03 went to law school after graduating from Northwestern not knowing exactly what she would do with that degree. Farr has since launched her own firm focused on corporate, employment, and health law. As she became a successful attorney she went looking for a women’s speakers bureau to get involved with. She couldn’t find what she was looking for so she started her own. Myra is Chicago’s all-female speakers bureau working to connect talented women to speaking opportunities and networking events. It may look like Farr has taken some risks in her career, but she doesn’t see it that way. Tune in for her perspective on putting in the work to figure out what you love. Also, Farr is the Co-Chair of her 15 Year Reunion Committee. Homecoming and Reunion Weekend (October 11-14) are cherished traditions where alumni can share a toast to the past and a toast to the future. It is a time to come home to Evanston to celebrate, reconnect with classmates, and create new memories. Visit www.alumni.northwestern.edu

Tune into a conversation with the Northwestern Alumni Association Board President, Samir Mayekar, as we discuss pivotal career concepts from the 2018 Northwestern Alumni Medalists. The Northwestern Alumni Medal is the highest honor given by the Northwestern Alumni Association (NAA). It will be bestowed this fall on two Fortune 500 CEOs, a movie studio executive, and a Smithsonian museum director. Louis A. Simpson ’58, (’96 P), Trustee, investment advisor and Fortune 500 CEO Johnnetta B. Cole ’59 MA, ’67 PhD, ’92 H, Smithsonian museum director and college president Douglas R. Conant ’73, ’76 MBA (’09 P), Fortune 500 CEO and New York Times bestselling author Courtney D. Armstrong ’93, ’97 JD, MBA, Warner Bros. Pictures executive

Ben Parr ’08 may not have found the perfect fit in his career right after graduating from Northwestern but he quickly transitioned to an organization where he thrived. Parr stayed at Mashable for over 3 years as it grew into one of the largest tech publications in the world. In the ten years since leaving Northwestern, Parr has been a journalist, investor, entrepreneur, and even an author of Captivology: The Science of Capturing People’s Attention. Don’t miss his insights on taking advantage of opportunities you didn’t even know where in front of you. Also, as a member of his 10 Year Reunion Committee, Parr shares what he is looking forward to most when he comes back to campus for Reunion Weekend.   Homecoming and Reunion Weekend (October 11-14) are cherished traditions where alumni can share a toast to the past and a toast to the future. It is a time to come home to Evanston to celebrate, reconnect with classmates, and create new memories. Visit www.alumni.northwestern.edu/homecoming andwww.alumni.northweste

Heather Foster ’03 joined the Obama Campaign early on in her career and she stayed with the Obama Administration for over ten years, growing her career throughout that time. She held a number of different philanthropic and political roles, where she both learned valuable skills and also left a lasting impact on this nation. Foster shares her perspective on the learning curve of making career changes and the importance of having your own board of directors to support your career decisions. Also, as a member of her 15 Year Reunion Committee, Foster shares more about what Reunion means to her. Homecoming and Reunion Weekend (October 11-14) are cherished traditions where alumni can share a toast to the past and a toast to the future. It is a time to come home to Evanston to celebrate, reconnect with classmates, and create new memories. Visit www.alumni.northwestern.edu/homecoming and www.alumni.northwestern.edu/reunion for more information.

Sarah Powers ’02 worked in restaurants after graduating from Northwestern so that she could pursue her passion in dancing. Although this may not be a stereotypically traditional career path, she became a successful dancer before moving into the corporate space where she was able to hone a different set of skills. She didn’t know it then but Powers’ combination of experience in a creative space as well as on the business side played into her successes as the co-host of The Mom Hour and the Creative Director of the Life Listened Podcast Network. As a business owner and mother of three, Powers shares her honest opinions on parenthood as well as valuable insights for alumni facing tough career decisions themselves.

Thaddeus Tukes ’16 came to Northwestern knowing that there wasn’t a program for what he wanted to do but he had the faith he could work with Northwestern to create one. Although it wasn’t always easy, Tukes worked with leaders at the Bienen School of Music to create a major that worked for him, just as he is now working with community leaders in Chicago to create a lifestyle that works for him. He has accomplished a lot in his two year career path, like performing the vibraphone and being showcased at Carnegie Hall and the Symphony Center in Chicago, among many other jazz festivals, but he is most proud of his work teaching young people to enjoy and love art. You won’t want to miss this conversation around transforming your perspective from finding a career path to creating a lifestyle.

Alexis Alexanian ’85 started her career in advertising before quickly moving into the entertainment space where her career took off. She is currently an independent feature film and television producer, production executive and consultant. She has accomplished a lot in her career from working on major feature films to becoming the Board Chair of New York Women in Film & Television, where she has enjoyed her work in mentoring the next generation of women in her industry. Alexis is excited to build on her mentorship of future women leaders through her new appointment on the Council of 100, a group of executive Northwestern alumnae formed to connect successful Northwestern women with recent alumnae to help launch their careers after graduation.

Peter Schoenke started his career in financial journalism in New York and has long since moved back to the Midwest after making a career shift. He launched a website in 1997 in the tech boom that later became a successful business, RotoWire.com, in an industry he didn’t originally know much about. RotoWire.com is the largest independently-owned fantasy sports website that syndicates content to espn.com, Sports Illustrated, and so on. In this episode, Peter shares advice for not only fantasy sports fans but also insights for alumni who are entrepreneurial in their own careers.

Amanda Litman went into politics right after graduating from Northwestern, starting out her career in the Obama Campaign. She may not be working in campaigns now, but her passion for politics has grown even stronger. After working for Hillary Clinton’s campaign in 2016 as the Email Director (the other emails, as she would say) she went on to start her own organization (runforsomething.net). Her mission is to help young people run for office and she even wrote a book about it, “Run for Something: A Real-Talk Guide to Fixing the System Yourself” where people can learn more about how to become a political candidate. Litman shares some great stories of mentorship throughout her work on high level political campaigns, and you won’t want to miss these candid career insights!

Dr. Don Martin ’94 PhD cherished his six years earning his doctorate at Northwestern, which played into him pursuing his passion for helping others find their personal fit in a grad school. But, before Martin discovered his passion for helping people through the grad school process, he became an expert in the fields of enrollment management, student affairs, and higher education administration at some of the top Universities in the United States. Whether you’re applying for a new job or to go back to grad school, throughout his twenty years in higher education and ten years in coaching prospective students, Martin has been able to evaluate some of the key characteristics that make students and professionals successful: don’t make assumptions, be persistent, and practice gratitude.

Natasha Lindor '09 MS, the daughter of parents who immigrated to the United States from Haiti for a better life, grew up believing that a world class education and her unrelenting work ethic would be the keys to her success. Lindor climbed the corporate ladder for years before coming to campus for her Masters in Integrated Marketing and Communications. She wanted to be a global brand manager but realized a few years after finishing her program that she was passionate about helping others through career and lifestyle coaching. As you can imagine, Lindor has a plethora of career insights for the Northwestern Network in this episode as we discuss advice for career changers and how success is built one decision at a time.

For the award-winning journalist and author, Jonathan Eig '86, his first job delivering newspapers on his bike throughout his neighborhood was only the beginning of his long career in journalism. From his junior high and high school newspapers to his most recent book, Ali: A Life, Eig has been writing for his entire career, including three New York Time's bestsellers. He spoke with us about moving from reporting to writing autobiographical books and the skills that are transferable from one to the other. Eig shared advice for budding journalists as well as stories from his reporting and writing days. He spoke about meeting Muhammad Ali himself and the emotional experience that turned out to be. Tune in for the career insights and thoughtful stories from Eig's personal career journey through printed media.

Apryl Schlueter started her career in IT consulting but later learned that her calling was in a completely different industry. Schlueter is now the Chief Energy! Officer of The Cheerful Mind, Inc. -- a happiness and productivity coach, speaker, and the author of Finding Success in Balance: My Journey to The Cheerful Mind. After years of working in various industries, Schlueter realized her true passion for helping people streamline their lives to make more time for more joy, balance, and ease. Listen in to our conversation about the importance of self-reflection in finding the work life balance that makes sense for you and learn from Schlueter how a positive mindset can help you tackle some of your personal career challenges.