Water In Real Life
by The H2duO
Award-winning communication professionals, Arianne Shipley and Stephanie Corso, aka The H2duO, chat with thought-leaders from both inside and outside of the water industry to serve as a resource for both personal and professional growth. Water in Real Life was created for water professionals who believe that if you desire to build the right relationships with your community, and thereby overcome many of the challenges you face, then your ability to connect with them through storytelling is essential.
Episodes
-
The Last Episode, The Next Episode
Thank you to each and every one of you for joining us on this incredible podcast journey. This is not the end, just a branch in a new direction. Please stay tuned. There's more to come!
-
EP119: Reimagining Collaboration and the Conference Experience
When was the last time you left a water conference session feeling moved by the dialogue and perspectives presented? Stephanie was fortunate to experience that rare conference high during both iterations of the Young Professional (YP) panel at UMC2021 in Atlanta and UMC2022 in Orlando. You can...
-
EP118: EPIC Solutions to the Lead Problem
Stephanie served as judge for the Environmental Policy Innovation Center's (EPIC) 2022 Water Data Prize. Submissions came form a diverse range of participants ranging from water utilities, to water tech companies, to professors and universities. Inventory, mapping, equity, and communications were...
-
EP117: Customer Service Reps - Your Greatest Untapped Resource and Ambassadors
Kathy made a post on LinkedIn that reminded us how absolutely necessary it is for the water sector to recognize the customer service staff in our utilities that have been walking side by side with our customers throughout a global pandemic. This episode is shout out to them and their stories. We...
-
EP116: Communication and Outreach as a Tool to Break Down Silos
Karyn A. Riley, Esq. first splashed into the water sector 7 years ago after landing on the government relations team at WSSC Water. Since then, she has emerged as a key voice on the sector’s role in leveraging its widespread impact in community engagement and equitable economic development. Join…
more -
EP115: State Revolving Funds: A Key to Unlocking Community Transformation
Top Takeaways: The top three issues concerning state revolving funds. Data and its role in shaping policy around affordability and equity. Communication and how it can be a tool to ensure no one is left behind in infrastructure planning. Ways that the state revolving fund conversation is…
more -
EP114: Communication in Water: Mastering the Marathon
"What you don't do with us, you do to us." This is a truth Trina shared with us about how our customers feel when we don't communicate with them the purpose, intention, and value of the work we do. Top Takeaways: Tips on how to use the infrastructure bill as a conversation starter with the...
-
EP113: The Water Squad's Guide to Using the Infrastructure Bill as a Communication Tool
Mae breaks down the details of the Infrastructure Bill specifically tailored to the water sector. We discuss actionable ways utilities can use this bill as a tool to open dialogues with all of their stakeholders including elected officials, advocacy groups, and customers. Check it out! Meet Mae:...
-
EP112: The Water Squad’s Guide to Working with Creatives
Mike has been schooling us on the rules of design and creativity for six years. These rules set up every project for success by building clarity and bridging the gaps between a client's vision and the best design/creative solution to solve the actual problem. Mike's insight helps non creatives be...
-
EP111: The Water Squad’s Guide to Data-Driven Communication
As entrepreneurs, we've learned to listen to our intuition and when something feels right Arianne says she feels it in her bones. However, intuition and gut feelings shouldn't drive your communication strategy. Dr. Coy Callison heads the research lab at Texas Tech University's Communication...
-
EP110: Innovation Inside and Out
Innovation is a buzzword beyond the water industry. We met with our innovation guru, Cristina Ahmadpour, and broke open the buzz to get to the nitty-gritty. We discussed concrete ways organizations can create cultures of innovation that result in increased deployment of innovative practices and...
-
EP109: The Business Case for Communications in Water
Watch the episode. Kelley and her team at Louisville Water Company are a dynamite case study in branding, public engagement, research for the sector. Get your pen/paper/note-taking app of your choice and get ready to take some notes. As fans of design thinking, Kelley's team also demonstrates…
more -
Bonus Episode: The State of Communication and Water, Tarot Card Edition
You can't say we're not down to try new things. This was a fun one. We can't promise you an eye-opening communication or leadership takeaway but we can promise some legit entertainment. Would you believe we did a tarot card reading for communication's impact in the water industry? Yes, our dear...
-
EP108: The Social Impact of Water: The Confluence of Data and Story
“Science informs sound-decision making. Storytelling inspires change. Science, not storytelling, should drive policy and management in the water sector, but we need both to ensure safe & affordable water.” - Manny Teodoro Join the H2duO and Manny Teodoro for this conversation about citizen-based...
-
EP107: Creativity’s Power to Unlock your Resiliency
Did you know that creativity plays a vital role in your resiliency? According to a study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology, creativity encourages positive emotions that unlock our inner resources for dealing with stress and uncertainty. Being "creative" regularly helps build your...
-
EP106: Mindfulness at work, what the pandemic taught us about ourselves
Stephanie recently attended her first in-person conference in 18 months. The question of the day - "How have you been?" The standard reply - "Good, busy." At our Virtual Catalyst 2021, our focus was on the communicator (the person) versus the end product they create. Why? Because when we're not...
-
EP105: Rebuilding Confidence: The Consumer Confidence Report’s Role in Public Trust
The H2duO chat with a panel of experts about ways to level up the annual water quality reports. Hear feedback from various stakeholder groups through the research conducted by the Environmental Policy and Innovation Center (EPIC) team. Seasoned communication and marketing professionals weigh in…
more -
EP104: The Adult Learner’s Journey, Leveling Up How We Teach Water
The H2duO chat with Doug about the biggest misconceptions people have about adult learning, ways to overcome those challenges, and tools to build clarity. Meet Doug Kueker, Co-Founder and Director of Learning Services at Vivayic. Doug is the steward of Vivayic’s Learning Solution Model™, which...
-
How might we solve the water sector’s most pressing challenges with design thinking?
Meet Chris Pacione, CEO and Co-Founder of LUMA Institute. He’s passionate about universal design literacy, and he’s a frequent speaker on the topics of design and innovation around the world. He is co-author of the LUMA System and the book “Innovating for People.” Learn why Chris believes all of…
more -
How might we solve the water sector's most pressing challenges with design thinking?
Meet Chris Pacione, CEO and Co-Founder of LUMA Institute. He’s passionate about universal design literacy, and he’s a frequent speaker on the topics of design and innovation around the world. He is co-author of the LUMA System and the book “Innovating for People.” Learn why Chris believes all of…
more -
Election in Real Life: What your vote means to the water industry with Mae Stevens
In this special #ImagineADayWithoutWater edition, the H2duO chat with Mae Stevens, Executive Vice President at Signal Group, about what the different possible #Election2020 outcomes mean for the water industry. We also chat about the incredible importance of knowing your audience and tailoring…
more -
100: Those Who Tell the Stories Rule the World—The H2duO in Real Life
The H2duO get real with their mentor Greg Wukasch (San Antonio Water System) when he turns the mic on them to talk about the H2duO in real life. Stephanie and Arianne talk about the entrepreneur rollercoaster, their friendship, and their own personal journeys. Please consider rating the podcast...
-
99: Water in Real Life Behind the Scenes with George Hawkins and Nathan Ohle
As we gear up to drop our 100th episode, we let George Hawkins (CEO/Founder of Moonshot Missions) and Nathan Ohle (CEO of Rural Community Assistance Partnership) turn the mics on us. It's been fun to do this a few times along our podcast journey, but having a candid conversation like this right...
-
98: Water Nerds Guide to Taking Public Education Virtual with Shea Dunifon
Shea Dunifon is the Education Coordinator for the South Cross Bayou Advanced Water Reclamation Facility in St. Petersburg, FL. Since 2017, she has led the education program’s facility tours, classroom presentations, and participation in regional STEM-based events. While the program interacts with...
-
97: The Value of Water in Real Life with Dr. Manny Teodoro
Dr. Teodoro personifies the value of water. He's been preaching the importance of affordability and rate structures in the water sector since 2005. His bold voice ensures the impact of the cost to do business in the water sector doesn't supersede the human right to water. We talk with Dr. Teodoro...
-
96: Story, comedy, and the art of tough conversations with Tom Kunetz
Tom Kunetz is the Immediate Past President of the Water Environment Federation. He is currently the Assistant Director of Monitoring and Research for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, and is also on the Board of Directors of the Water Research Foundation. He has over...
-
95: Let’s Get Rural Y’all
Nathan Ohle currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP), a national network of non-profits focused facilitating access to safe drinking water, sanitary wastewater disposal, economic development, and capacity building for rural and...
-
94: Time to DIGDEEP into the US Water Crisis: Closing the Access Gap with George McGraw
"If we're really going to close this water access gap in America, convince our Congress to reinvest in water infrastructure, have a water future that's truly hopeful, we're going to have to figure out how to fall in love with our water. How can we create a relationship with it, something that...
-
93: 2020 YP Summit: In Their Own Words
If you weren't at the 2020 YP Summit, we hate to say it but....you missed out. But never fear, we've got your covered. You already heard from Erin Mosley in EP089, we've got Tom Kunetz on deck, but we're REALLY excited for you to hear from the young professionals that were in the audience. We…
more -
91: Water Nerds Guide to Remote Working
The Rogue Water, LLC team has worked remotely for 2.5 years. They have customers across the country, but also a remote team spread out across multiple cities in Texas, San Francisco, and Wyoming. There are a plethora of resources about remote working available now because of the impacts of...
-
90: Water Nerds Guide to Communicating about Covid19
Samantha Villegas is a senior consultant with Raftelis, with more than 25 years of experience conducting public outreach for public works, in the areas of water, energy, and recycling. Samantha has assisted municipalities, water, and wastewater utilities with outreach, branding, reputation and...
-
89: Water Nerds Guide to Handling Stress, Comms, and Equity & Belonging with Erin Mosley
Erin (Pink) Mosley is President of a rapidly growing consultancy that provides innovation leadership and executive-style coaching to professionals and organizations. She has worked in the water sector for 25+ years and her clients include professionals at all levels of their careers, nonprofit…
more -
88: Troubled Water in Real Life with Seth Siegel
Seth Siegel is a Senior Fellow at the University of Wisconsin’s Center for Water Policy and author of the NYT bestselling book Let There Be Water: Israel’s Solution for a Water-Starved World and the new book Troubled Water: What's Wrong with What We Drink. His work has won praise from Tony Blair,...
-
87: Customers in Real Life with Reed Cohen, Part 2
Reed Cohen, MSc is Director of the Frontline Healthcare Workers Safety Foundation, Ltd. (a global NGO.) He is also the founder and owner of TRR Consulting, LLC. His biological safety instructional background includes curriculum design, instruction, management and evaluation on topics including...
-
85: Water Nerds Guide to WEF—Why You Need to Get Involved
We've always known Jackie was the real deal, but she showed just how cool she was when she let Stephanie instigate an impromptu breakdance battle in Jackie's Presidential Suite at WEFTEC2019. We covered a lot of ground in this chat including: Her biggest goals for her year as president. WEF's…
more -
84: Mazars Women of Water Event Mashup
We were so excited to get to speak with several of the panelists at the Mazars Women of Water Event that took place in Washington DC on January 9, 2020. We also got to hit the networking floor at the post-event gathering and get the "word on the street" takeaways from the event too! Our panelist...
-
83: Brave Blue World Hollywood Premiere Mashup
Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a one- or two-sentence review in iTunes or on Stitcher. This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. We give a shoutout to everyone who rates the podcast with 5 stars in future episodes. Give us some love…
more -
82: Water Nerd’s Guide to Design Thinking
Stacy Landreth Grau, Ph.D. is a Professor of Entrepreneurship & Innovation Practice at the Neeley School of Business and Director, IdeaFactory at Texas Christian University (TCU). Her specialty is design thinking/human centered design, where she has developed several courses and workshops at TCU...
-
81: Water Nerd’s Guide to the Art of Great Storytelling
Dr. Tobin Redwine grew up on a farm in Lazbuddie, a rural community in Northwest Texas. After serving as the Texas FFA President in 2003-2004, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Leadership and Development at Texas A&M University in 2008. While there he developed an affinity for ugly...
-
80: Water Nerd’s Guide to Leadership and the Power of Yes
Mark Poling is the Business Strategy and Performance Systems Director for Clean Water Services and has more than 35 years of experience working for utilities; serving in a management role for more than 25. Mark is a Past President of the Pacific Northwest Clean Water Association and currently...
-
79: Water Nerd’s Guide to Putting the Love Back in Gov
Dr. Sarah Martin is currently Director of Health Solutions at mySidewalk--a technology firm specializing in making local government data effectively inform policymaking. She was previously the Deputy Director of the Kansas City, Missouri Health Department where she oversaw the Department’s...
-
78: Water Nerd’s Guide to Communicating to Your Customers’ Lizard Brain
Karen DeBaker serves as Communications and Marketing Manager for Clean Water Services — the water resources management utility serving more than 600,000 residents of Oregon’s Tualatin River Watershed in the Portland-metro area. Karen joined Clean Water Services in 2000 and she has led the...
-
77: Water Nerd's Guide to Communicating Epic S***
Aaron Tartakovsky is co-founder and CEO of Epic CleanTec, a pioneering green technology start-up that is redefining urban wastewater. Aaron previously served as Director of Business Development and Marketing for CB Engineers, a San Francisco-based engineering design firm, where he also ran its…
more -
76: Water Nerd’s Guide to Engaging Young Professionals
Chris Caro is a project engineer in the AECOM Baltimore office, with 6 years of experience in the sewer project management field. He is currently a member of AECOM’s DC Metro+ DCS team. Chris’ responsibilities include planning, designing, construction, and commissioning water and wastewater...
-
75: Water Nerd Rockstar: Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro to Empower Women in Water Everywhere
Brianna Huber worked in the public health field for 13 years before exploring the environmental side of public health. She has been a licensed Class A chemist for the City of East Moline Water Filtration Plant for five years ago. Her tenure in the water industry may be short but her list of...
-
74: Water Nerd’s Guide to Making the Water Industry Sexy to the Next Gen of the Water Workforce
Adam Tank has over 10 years of experience in the water industry with a focus on business development, software, and engineering. As the Director of Digital Transformation, he has responsibility for client success related to Transcend Design Generator Software (transcendh2o.com). He works closely...
-
73: Water Nerd’s Guide to Gen Z: The Future of the Water Workforce
Ben Brugler holds the titles of president and CEO of akhia. He previously held the titles of president and vice president before being transitioned into his current position in 2018. Under Ben’s leadership, the agency has grown from 15 to more than 60 employees, earning a spot as a Top 100...
About this show
Award-winning communication professionals, Arianne Shipley and Stephanie Corso, aka The H2duO, chat with thought-leaders from both inside and outside of the water industry to serve as a resource for both personal and professional growth. Water in Real Life was created for water professionals who believe that if you desire to build the right relationships with your community, and thereby overcome many of the challenges you face, then your ability to connect with them through storytelling is essential.
Hosted by
The H2duO
Categories