Women Of Influence

Today we are joined by the Founder and Owner of Third Street Digital, Helen Speiser, to chat about her career journey, what inspired her to launch an agency of her own, and how she walks the walk as a people-first employer.Learn more at https://columbusbusinessfirst.comProduced by Crate Media.

Today's featured business leader is Heather Hiller, General Counsel and Senior Vice President at The Daimler Group.Heather illustrates her experience as a woman in a male-dominated field, surveys the shifting landscape of remote vs. office working, shares some great career advice and transports us to the new Downtown Columbus district that's earning favorable comparisons to the city that never sleeps.But first, we begin with Heather's introduction to The Daimler Group, its mission and culture—a connection with surprising roots on opposing sides of the courtroom.

Today we're joined by Brooke Minto, the Columbus Museum of Art's new Executive Director and CEO.With over 20 years of curatorial, educational, and fundraising experience all around the world, Brooke brings a fresh approach and big goals to the 145-year-old museum on East Broad Street.We talk about her early experiences in the city and in her role, what's in store for the future of the museum, and which surprising local sports team has made her transition to Columbus that much more comfortable.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Today's guest, Leah McDougald, works in the field of design research, studying our world and people in it on behalf of Columbus's biggest brands, to innovate better experiences, products, and services.It's wide-reaching work: even as she now runs her own business, Leah remains closely involved in the firm's projects, working on her business, and working in it, at the same time.She's also a newly-appointed board member for the Women's Fund of Central Ohio, a reader of non-business books, a Carolina Cabin vacationer, and an energized proponent for female mentorship.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Rehgan Avon felt the time had come to start her own company. She had been thinking about it for a while, reflecting on the ways artificial intelligence was impacting businesses and the unsolved issues she saw across industries.So she made the jump, putting in her notice and readying for her next phase in February of 2020. Of course, that's when the world changed. The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic made Rehgan one of scores of female business owners who took the dive into entrepreneurship during a seismic shift in the global economy.As part of our coverage of National Women's Small Business Month, we sat down with Rehgan to talk about her journey and her experience so far. The first thing I noticed when she walked into her office was something I had to ask about.She is, simply put, quite young, having graduated from college in 2016. I wanted to know if and how she deals with imposter syndrome.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Julie Granillo didn't expect to take the top job at Paul Werth Associates when she did. Her aunt and mentor, Sandy Harbrecht Ratchford, died this summer after decades running the family business.Just four years earlier, she'd suggested Julie, then living in Nashville, come back to Ohio and join her at Paul Werth. The Western native took her up on the offer and spent the ensuing years settling into a leadership role at the firm. Now she's running it, and while taking over came much faster than she wanted or hoped, Julie said she's excited about the team she has and the work they're doing.In prepping for my interview with Julie, though, I was struck quickly by one of our main similarities, a shared history in Music City, USA. We kick things off by talking through her journey from Nashville to Columbus.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

When Lisa Shuneson talks about accounting, it makes you want to be an accountant. Her passion for the industry is all the more notable given her path to it — while she studied accounting in school, she took a long break to have a couple kids before finally taking the CPA exam. But in the years since she’s risen quickly, and now leads Whalen CPAs as its CEO. Lisa recently visited our office to chat about her path, her role at the firm today and what people misunderstand about the industry she loves. Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Christy Farnbauch serves as executive director of the Contemporary Theatre of Ohio. If that name's not familiar to you, perhaps you might know the organization by its former brand: CATCO.The just-completed and revealed rebranding is one of the first major projects undertaken by Farnbaugh since she joined amid the uncertainty of Spring 2020.She recently visited our office to talk about that experience, what's on the schedule for this year, and much more.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Melody Birmingham was a bit of a “unicorn” early in her career. There weren’t many young Black women from the Midwest in management at the Rochester, New York car factory she started her career at after college. But while she did stand out during her time there and later in the utilities industry, that didn’t change anything about the way she approached her work. Today, Melody serves as executive vice president of Nisource. During a recent visit to our office, she talked about her experience with gender parity – and the lack thereof – in the utilities industry, plus a whole lot more.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Sarah Perez thinks people should be lawyers, if that’s what they really want to do with their lives. That might seem obvious, but talk to enough lawyers and you’ll hear plenty that discourage following in their footsteps. But Perez, who today leads Columbus law firm Perez Morris, says law school is the right path for someone who actually wants to practice law. But for those who go into the field with different aspirations in mind, it could be a mistake. On the latest episode of our Women of Influence podcast, Perez talked about her own journey into the law, and her experience taking over her father-in-law’s law firm, among other topics. Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

For the first time in more than 31 years, Darci Congrove isn’t spending this tax season doing taxes. The longtime Columbus CPA and managing director of GBQ Partners retired from the firm’s tax department at the end of last year. That doesn’t mean she’s not busy, of course; there’s still plenty to fill her schedule as managing director of Central Ohio’s sixth-largest accounting firm. But she’s no longer working the crazy hours tax professionals often find themselves doing this time of year. That said, neither are many team members at GBQ. In the latest episode of our Women of Influence podcast, Congrove talked about how the firm has found new ways to embrace flexibility and make tax season more bearable for employees at all levels. She also talked about GBQ’s international approach to finding enough staffers, the ways she makes decisions about community involvement and more.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Courtney Falato was used to being on the side of the table asking for money. She had spent much of her career in education research, often seeking out dollars to fund that work. But in early 2020, just as the world changed, she made her way to the other side of the table. She joined JPMorgan Chase as vice president and program officer for global philanthropy, a role in which she oversees grant deployment for Ohio and Kentucky. During a recent conversation for our Women of Influence podcast, Falato talked about the pros and cons of making that shift, as well as the ways JPMorgan Chase’s funding interests align with her passions. She also shared insight into how nonprofits can land some of the financial giant’s funds.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Today's guest is Jasmine de Gaia, Head of Customer Data Strategy for Wells Fargo. We talked about what her role entails, how she views working in male-dominated fields and how she cultivates vital mentorship relationships.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Jane Higgins Marx didn't spend her childhood dreaming of being a lawyer, but as she wrapped up college with an English degree in hand, she found herself searching for a way to apply it. An LSAT, law school and two decades with the same firm later, she now leads Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP as its managing partner, a job she started in early 2021.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

In some ways Kristina Johnson feels like she's just getting started at Ohio State University.She became president of the school–one of the largest in the country and the economic engine that drives central Ohio–in 2020. But the pandemic was still in full force back then, and its later waves and impacts have forced pivot after pivot in her brief tenure.But now a few months into the 2022-2023 school year, things are settling into something that looks a bit more like normalcy.Johnson joined Women Of Influence to talk all about her career path, her plans for OSU, and her early observations of football culture.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Megan Wood knows her Ohio history. She's been with Ohio History Connection for years, working in a variety of positions across the organization. This summer, she ascended to the top job at the nonprofit becoming the first female CEO in its history.She's overseeing the organization as it kicks off construction of a long awaited $17 million Collection Care Cear near the Ohio History Centers’s fairgrounds-area home, and as it watches economic conditions ahead of a potential recession. Megan joined women of influence just a few weeks into her tenure but already with plenty of ideas in mind for how she wants to shepherd the history-focused organization into its future.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

You probably remember Amy Acton from her daily press conferences back in the spring of 2020, when she used colorful language metaphors and a general sense of compassion to guide Ohioans through one of the most uncertain times in our history. But it was a challenging job for Acton, who left the role in June, 2020, and returned to her previous employer, The Columbus Foundation.Then, like many in the workforce over the past few years, she took a big career leap. Joining the newly launched Rapid 5 non-profit earlier this year as its first CEO. Acton is my guest this week, but she's not alone; she brought with her Jennifer Peterson, who likewise left her job as a Chief Executive at Easton, to join the organization as COO.The pair are just a few days apart in age, so the effort to better connect central Ohioans to the region's waterways fits their passions at this stage of life.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Ola Snow is plenty comfortable in front of a microphone.As chief human resources officer of Cardinal Health, Ohio's largest public company, she regularly has to communicate with an audience of tens of thousands of employees.It's a big job, one that got more demanding when the pandemic shook up all of our work lives. Snow joined me in our Columbus Business First studio recently to discuss how the company adapted to that shakeup and more.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Alison Marker didn’t grow up dreaming up working in construction.While that’s her family business, Marker herself was more interested in people than buildings. So she pursued degrees in women’s studies and psychology, starting her career as a social worker and later a psychotherapist.But eventually, the family business called. Alison visited our Women of Influence podcast to tell that story.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Amy Taylor has had an eventful couple of years.That’s true for most of us, pandemic and all, but Taylor’s list is likely longer. The Columbus Downtown Development Corp., where she serves as president, embarked on one of its most ambitious projects ever, the $500 million multi-phase redevelopment of the Scioto Peninsula.Then Covid-19 struck, sending workers home and raising questions about the future of the downtown area the organization works to keep vibrant.And amid all that, Taylor herself was hit with a cancer diagnosis.In the latest episode of our Women of Influence podcast, Taylor talked about how her loaded work schedule served as a “respite” from the shock to her personal life, as well as what she’s most excited about downtown today.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Freedom a la Cart just celebrated a big birthday.The nonprofit, which helps victims of sex trafficking build job skills and start new chapters in their lives, opened a downtown café in April 2021. This April, I sat down with CEO Paul Haines. She talked about the work of the organization, its goals, and her own unique career path.We also chatted about ways community members can get involved with Freedom’s mission — and why employers hungry for workers should pay attention.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

From Columbus Business First, it's Women of Influence, an interview series showcasing some of the most inspiring women in the central Ohio business community. Today, we're talking to Michelle Yeager-Thornton, Co-Owner and Chief Operating Officer of The Champion Companies. Michelle leads operational efforts and day-to-day actions of the company's portfolio of communities, which includes 5,000 apartment homes and assets totaling more than $750 million – no small task, so we're thrilled she's made time for us.Additionally, Michelle leads Champion’s philanthropic initiatives. The business is a five-time recipient of The Corporate Citizenship Award from Columbus Business First for its efforts in the community. In our conversation, we explore the diverse range of work Michelle leads at Champion and in the community, how she founded the company with her brother, and how it all relates back to softball. Batter up!Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Work looks a lot different today than it did three years ago.So, too, does mentoring.Traci Martinez, managing partner at Squire Patton Boggs' Columbus office, shared her thoughts on the evolving nature of mentoring relationships during our recent Mentoring Monday event. She also talked about her own unusual path to a legal career, taking on a new role amid an unprecedented global crisis, and how the law firm has supported working mothers through the challenges wrought by that crisis.Check out the full conversation, recorded live during the virtual event, to hear more from Traci.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Mary Auch, PNC's regional president for Central Ohio, ascended to her now top local job at the Pittsburgh-based bank following a nearly 30-year career with the organization.That's not necessarily what Mary thought things would look like when she was in high school.Mary shares how she got into banking, as well as PNC’s billion-dollar investment to help end systemic racism at the community level.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Jennifer Rittler sees architecture as designing for the future.But that doesn’t mean the present doesn’t have an impact.Check out the latest episode of our Women of Influence podcast to hear how the pandemic is changing the spaces the Moody Nolan senior associate designs. She also talked with us about the need for diversity in the industry, and how she melds creativity and math to design new spaces.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

This isn't Erandi De Silva's first epidemic.De Silva, co-founder of Grove City's Forge Biologics, grew up in Botswana. She watched as the public health community worked with the government to respond to the AIDS epidemic, and she was inspired. On our latest Women of Influence podcast, De Silva talked about that experience, and how she hopes the Covid-19 pandemic can similarly inspire the scientists of the future.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Nancy Matijasich wasn't looking for an IT job.She was supposed to meet with someone about a new job in the pharmaceutical industry, but her contact was running late to the job fair where they were supposed to talk. One case of mistaken identity and a different conversation later, a brand-new career path was born.Today Matijasich leads Manifest Solutions Corp., an IT consulting firm she founded nearly 30 years ago. In the latest episode of our Women of Influence podcast, Matijasich talks about her early days in the industry, what she learned from previous businesses that went wrong, and how she does things differently with her current venture.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Lara DeLeone didn't grow up dreaming of working in banking.It wasn't even where she thought she would end up when she graduated from college.The lifelong lover of the written word made her way from journalism to communications to government to lobbying to, as of this summer, serving as Columbus market president for KeyBank, the eighth-largest bank in the Columbus metropolitan area.She recently joined our Women of Influence podcast to talk more about her career journey and her plans for Key. Check out the full episode to hear more from DeLeone.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Cheryl Stauffer's business had it's best year ever in 2020. But, as with many companies, it looked a little different than the norm. Historically, Stauffer said, commercial clients represented the lion's share of Crimson Design Group's work. But as people settled in to a new normal of spending nearly every hour of every day at their homes, they realized those surroundings could be in need of an upgrade. "It was a crazy year for us. It was our best year by 30%," Stauffer said during the latest episode of our Women of Influence podcast. "Previous to last year commercial was obviously the largest part of our business and residential … was not as strong. But last year, it was half and half. People (were) spending so much more time at home. … And so that had a lot to do with the growth."Specifically, the Crimson team found itself helping clients with home offices and outdoor living space. But while Stauffer expects some elements of that to continue – outdoor furniture is still pretty popular – she thinks folks are ready to get out of their home offices and back into the working world. Check out the full episode to hear more from Stauffer on what design trends she's excited about, which one she's totally over, and how she's approaching the design of her own firm's new office. You'll also hear about her unusual childhood, and how it's influenced her professional approach. Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Moving, whether it be to a new house or a new office, is always overwhelming. Add in widespread business shutdowns amid a rapidly spreading pandemic, and you've got a recipe for some serious stress.That's what happened to Vickie Thompson-Sandy, who was wrapping up her first year as CEO of The Buckeye Ranch and readying to shepherd the nonprofit's move to a new headquarters when the coronavirus pandemic hit."The Buckeye Ranch had purchased a new building in Whitehall, and we were finishing the renovations of that. … We had everything in packing boxes and the movers were moving us that week when we got the executive order to close everything down," Thompson-Sandy recalled during a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast.Check out the full episode to hear how Thompson-Sandy and her team handled the disruption, and how they worked to continue delivering necessary services to the young people who rely on the organization. You'll also hear about her favorite and least favorite parts of her job, and find out more about what attracted the Michigan native south to Ohio.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

There were times, over the past few months, that Luconda Dager didn’t want to get out of bed.Dager is president of Velvet Ice Cream, and the Utica-based company was outsourcing ice cream production to three partners in the Midwest. The shift followed a listeria scare in April, discovered via the company’s routine testing. It’s also part of an effort to boost capacity after strong demand in 2020.It’s the right decision for the business, Dager knows, but it’s been a tough one, especially as it entailed some job cuts on the manufacturing side.Still, even on those days when the challenges of the past few months have seemed overwhelming, Dager knew she didn’t have the option of giving up.“You just have to get up and go in and be a fearless leader,” said Dager, who chatted with us recently for our Women of Influence podcast.Check out the full episode to hear more about Dager’s background, her experience rising through the family business, and what flavor of ice cream will always tempt her.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Lori Duncan wasn't exactly sure what to do with her fine arts degree from Ohio State University. So she went rafting. Professionally. Duncan spent her post-college years as a whitewater rafting guide in West Virginia, filling her time during the winter months working in the ski industry. After nearly a decade, she realized it was time to get a "real job," a decision that led her to Columbus' retail industry. But that's not where her journey ended. On the latest episode of of Women of Influence podcast, Duncan detailed the winding road that led to her current role as co-owner and operations manager at Powell's Nocterra Brewing. She talked about the impact the pandemic had on the still-young business, what it's like to start a business with your husband, and what lessons she's brought from the world of outdoor sporting to the craft beer space.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Early on in Robbie Banks' career, she grew used to being in rooms where she was the only woman, the only young person, and often, the only person of color. Banks, the new program director for diversity, equity and inclusion for the Columbus Partnership, is now helping Columbus' private sector build more racial equity inside their organizations. "My job essentially is to shepherd the work that is being done with our members that are the CEOS of our region's employers who have a strong interest and passion in moving our community toward being anti-racist," she said on our latest episode of the Women of Influence podcast. Banks said that she decided early on to embrace the role in which she found herself. "I soon recognized how valuable (it was) being in that space was and how I needed to embrace that," Banks said. "Not to look at it as a negative. How do I make sure that I speak up, that I advocate for things that are important to me and my work? I wanted to make sure I was listening more than anything, taking it in and being ready to add any input, ask questions when appropriate, so that I could make sure my demographic or my gender or whatever it may be, had a voice at the table." She comes to Columbus Partnership from Leadership Columbus, where she served as the program director for more than two years. She also spent five years before that working for Experience Columbus. Previously, she also served as the leader of Columbus Chamber's young professionals program. Banks said when she was younger, she decided to "just be a sponge in any room that I was in," soaking up leadership lessons. Now, as the result of her experience, she has realized the value of speaking up. And she feels much more confident doing so. "There was a time where I would kind of sit back and more or less listen," she said. There's a time and place for that. But now because of my experience people look to me to speak up. I don't always need to, but that is certainly the expectation that comes with being a leader and helping to advance this important work." She said that advancing diversity, equity and inclusion will require her to build a "sustainable strategy" that is executable over several years. It's not a quick process, she said. "My hope is for myself to continue learning to be a continuous learner and educating myself and being more aware," she said. "Self awareness is key in any leadership position, any position period. ... We need to work toward being at the forefront of having this be a sustainable strategy. That is something that takes a lot of learning and listening on my end."Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

When LC Johnson was thinking of launching her organization Zora's House, she was balancing two competing feelings. On the one hand, she was feeling burned out from years of being an entrepreneur, but being a relatively new resident to the city, she deeply desired to build a community for other Black women and women of color in Columbus. "I was really starting to look for community," said Johnson, in the latest episode of our Women of Influence podcast. "Where are the spaces I can go to dream and think through this transition, that also allow me to be centered and grounded in my identity as a Black woman? I wasn't finding those spaces. The idea for Zora's House was really born out of that." But did she really want to spend the energy, time and money on her dream? After wrestling with the idea, she remembered a conversation with a mentor, an activist. "I asked her, 'Why do you do this? It's so hard.'" The mentor replied: "It would be harder not to." "That was the thing that spurred me when it came to thinking about whether or not I was going to pursue the launch of Zora’s house," Johnson said. "The answer that kept coming back to me when it came down to deciding what that next step was going to be was (that) it would be harder not to do this." Johnson encouraged women in transitional moment in their lives or careers to think about that question. "Yes, it would be hard to go after what you think you’re being called to do," Johnson said. "But would it be harder for you not to do it? Are you at a place now where it’s harder for you to stay where you are than it is for you to make a big scary leap?"Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Elizabeth Martinez knows there's more to career growth than just rising through the ranks. "I think sometimes, we when we talk about growth, there is a disservice in the conversation to exclusively focus on vertical growth," Martinez, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio, said during a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast. "I'm a strong supporter of women climbing ladders within their organizations. But I also think it's really important to be thoughtful around how … we … add value in the spaces that we're in." Martinez shared her thoughts on approaching growth within an organization or a position during a special taping of the podcast, part of our recent Mentoring Monday event. Having been with Big Brothers Big Sisters for nearly 18 years – she's been CEO since 2016 – Martinez is experienced both in working her way up the ranks and growing within her positions along the way. She's also experienced the value of mentorship, both through the organization's work with young people in the community and in her own professional development. Check out our full conversation, recorded live over Zoom at the Feb. 22 event, in the podcast below, to hear more of her wisdom on how to create and grow an effective mentoring relationship and more.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Linda Swearingen didn't spend much time thinking about the fact that she was working with mostly men. She was early in her career, working for a real estate investment trust, and it wasn't that notable to her that out of 40 or so desks on the loan floor, only hers and one other were occupied by women. "Except one day, nobody was there," Swearingen recalled during a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast. "Where is everybody?" she said she asked, and was quickly informed that the nearly all-male workforce had stepped out for a Friday afternoon golf game. She knew immediately what she needed to do. "My husband taught me how to play golf," Swearingen said, and soon she found herself invited to play alongside her colleagues. "I just kind of acclimated," she said of her time in the male-dominated office. "I didn't see it as an obstacle. I just saw it as something I had to figure out." Today Swearingen serves as an executive vice president and partner with Columbus real estate power player Casto. The commercial real estate industry is still one where you're unlikely to find many women, something she says can be hard to explain. But she does have advice for young women who may be interested in the field, but uncertain about some of what the negotiation and sales components require. Women, she said, need to be OK with the "tough calls" that are required in striking a deal – and unafraid to draw on their ability to build personal relationships that can make those negotiations smoother.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Lauren Parker is no stranger to imposter syndrome. She questioned herself in her early days as an account executive in the high-stakes world of New York City public relations firms right out of school. Now in her early 30s and a little less than a year into her tenure as CEO of Columbus' FrazierHeiby, she's aware that she might not fit the profile of a top executive at a decades-old firm. "I have to look in the mirror every day and say, 'Am I old enough to do this? Do I have the experience to do this?'" Parker said during a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast. But she knows the answer to that question is yes, in part because she isn't doing it alone. Parker took over the firm at the start of 2020 in a leadership transition that also saw Ann Mulvany and Whitney Somerville, then vice presidents at the firm, join her as senior partners and co-owners. Together the three women have laid out "grand plans" for the firm's future, Parker said, plans that look a little different because of their relatively young ages. And they've adapted those plans as needed amid the unexpected challenges wrought by the pandemic, working together to keep the staff safe and clients happy. Check out the full episode of the podcast for more on how the unique leadership structure and open communication help Parker feel confident in her role, plus her takes on how she's melding her New York City experience with the opportunities and culture of a firm based in Columbus, Ohio.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

When Gina Heffner started her career, she was a typical consultant: a "road warrior," traveling all over the country week in and week out. She didn't mind and made it work, aided by the fact that her husband also traveled extensively and the couple didn't have children yet. But after a while, she found her way to Centric Consulting, a firm founded with the explicit purpose of bucking that industry norm. "Centric was started by three guys who said … 'We still want to do great work for great clients, but we want to work where we live,'" Heffner said. "And so 20 years ago, they founded Centric with the express purpose of getting consultants off the road." Heffner, who now leads the firm's Columbus office, said the different approach at Centric helped her identify what work/life balance looked like for her, even as she still spent plenty of hours helping clients. "If you ask 10 people what the definition of their work/life balance is, you're going to get 10 different answers, right? … I work lots of hours. I probably work … 50 to 60, sometimes 70 hours a week," Heffner said during a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast. "For me, work/life balance was always: I'm not getting on an airplane, and I'm here to put my kids on the school bus, I'm here to get them off the school bus. … I get to schedule my day, every day, based on what's important that particular day."Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Karen Hough has built her business around her improv background, but it came in handy in a way she never could have expected amid the challenges of 2020. "We proved to ourselves that we are truly improvisers," said Hough, founder and CEO of ImrovEdge, a Powell-based business that provides business training workshops "with an improv twist." Prior to the pandemic, Powell said, about 5% of the firm's clients had taken advantage of its services virtually. The arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic prompted a quick pivot. "We had to then go to our clients help them understand that we have the ability to provide the same services, the same programs we were already contracted for, but do it virtually on any platform they choose," Hough said. "So I have this amazing group of producers, you name a technology platform, they have mastered it. And so we literally went from serving 5% of our clients virtually to 100% of our clients in a space of about two to three weeks." Check out the latest episode of our Women of Influence podcast to hear more from Hough about how the company tackled that task – it required a lot of 20-hour days for the founder – as well as more on how she used her performance background to build an unusual business.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Janica Pierce Tucker has a solid job – she's the partner in charge at Taft Stettinius & Hollister's Columbus officer. Her income is steady, her family is healthy. On the whole, things are going pretty well for her. But that doesn't mean she can close her eyes to the racial justice conversations that exploded across the country this summer. "When I step out here on High Street, you don't know anything about me. All you see, is a African American female, that's all you see. You don't know any of these other things," Tucker said. "So therefore, I'm no different then somebody else who may be a victim of you know, police brutality or, you know, or violence." Tucker, chatting with Columbus Business First for our Women of Influence podcast, said the ongoing racial justice conversation has made for an "emotional" year, but she feels hope that it means things can change. "If I don't have hope, then I lose the momentum to keep going," Tucker said. "Because there are days that it just feels real dark." Check out the full episode to hear more about what gives Tucker hope, including conversations she's had with clients and the ways her own firms works. You'll also hear about her experience taking on the top job at the local office just a few months before the pandemic changes everything, and what type of questions clients are bringing to the attorneys as business continue to navigate the new world of work.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Heather Blair and her team have had plenty of work to keep them busy in 2020. Blair is the leader of JPMorgan's Columbus technology hub, a 5,000-person team that's responsible for creating seamless digital experiences for all the financial giant's customers. Those demands got bigger this spring as the coronavirus pandemic increased customer demand for ways to interact with their bank remotely – and as JPMorgan handled the onslaught of applications that came with the launch of the federal Paycheck Protection Program. "That was led out of Columbus as well, with all the great development to make sure that that was done digitally, for our customers very quickly, in a time with a pandemic, when they needed it the most," said Blair, who like the rest of her team has spent much of the past six months working from her home office. "From the time that a customer does does the application online through the processing and underwriting and approval and getting the funds, there's a lot of technology work that goes into that," Blair said. "So I'm just very, very proud of all the work that was done to get that in place for the customers in a very, very, very short period of time. And so it's a really great accomplishment that was led by the technology organization." Blair talked about her experience handling the demands of the pandemic and the changing nature of work during an interview for our Women of Influence podcast. Check out the full episode to hear more about her background, how she found herself in the world of IT and how JPMorgan seeks to build gender parity among its technology team.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

For a few weeks this year, Jenny Saunders felt a bit like a Disney princess. The lights in FCBank's headquarters are motion-sensitive. At the start of the pandemic, the bank's president was one of the few people working in the office, triggering the lights as she transitioned between rooms amid the largely empty space. Now more of the FCBank team is back in person, although Saunders said the work environment has become more "flexible" with people in and out regularly. But Saunders and her team are still grappling with the ongoing impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. Clients are starting to look for guidance on the forgiveness phase of the Paycheck Protection Program, while team members are navigating the complexities of their kids returning to school – or logging on from home – this fall. "How do you keep … your team going and helping them from an emotional and … mental aspect as well. It's not just your customers" dealing with the changing environment, Saunders said. "So you're trying to keep all of that going. It's a lot more to keep in mind than it's ever been before. And it's more important than ever." Check out the latest episode of our Women of Influence podcast to hear more from Saunders on how she's handling this tough team. You'll also learn about her somewhat unique path to the top of the bank's corporate ladder and hear her tips for developing an effective mentoring relationship.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Lece Lohr hasn't met much of the leadership team at Columbus-based Highlights for Children Inc. in person. That's because Lohr started her new job as the company's president of consumer business in April, just a few weeks after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic sent most of us home from our offices. "I was completely uncertain of how it would be becoming a new president via Zoom," Lohr said during a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast. She's met CEO Kent Johnson in person, as well as the company's head of human resources. But the remainder of her interactions have all been virtual – and she says they've gone well. "I have to say that the team did such a wonderful job of really setting up my onboarding for me to be successful," Lohr said. Her start date was pushed back slightly to give the team time to adjust to the new work-from-home world, and then her onboarding process was extended for three months in order to not "put too much of a burden on the team," Lohr said. "And everything was so well thought out in terms of how I would meet the team, how I would integrate into the processes and the business meetings," Lohr said. "So it was just really has been a really wonderful experience." Lohr comes to the children's media company from Columbus' retail industry, having most recently served as president of tween fashion brand Justice. Check out the full podcast to find out how her background informs the work she's doing today at Highlights, and what she hopes to accomplish during her tenure.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Few industries have been battered as much by Covid-19 as the restaurant industry. An estimated 11% of the state’s restaurants have closed for good and the fear is that number could rise if relief from operating restrictions, additional aid or both don’t arrive. Ohio Restaurant Association President and CEO John Barker spoke with Columbus Business First for this episode of crisis management. “People are feeling like they really want to get their business going again,” he said. But that’s easier said than done. Restaurants and bars are still dealing with capacity limits, while establishments with a heavy late night business are additionally “decimated” by Ohio’s 10 p.m. alcohol sales cutoff. And winter is coming, which will take away outdoor patio seating that’s been a benefit to businesses through the summer.Barker also sees a perception problem as his members feel the industry is getting an unfair share of blame for the virus’ spread. The issue is more complex than data alone, but the data that is available on outbreak investigations and enforcement actions support the assertion that while there are some bad actors, the industry overall is following the rules. “We don’t want anybody to lose their license, infringe on anybody’s ability to run their business,” he said. “But if you’re an outlier and you’re doing all these violations and that’s what’s causing the public perception, we have to correct that.”Bad actors should be punished, not the entire industry.“I’ve walked into dozens of restaurants and met with owners and walk those restaurants,” he said. “They’re working so hard to make sure that it’s as safe as it possibly can be and we got to protect them.”Barker talks about the push-pull between being a good and willing partner with the state and Gov. Mike DeWine, while also wanting to get a fair shake. He also shares updates on work toward increasing aid for restaurants including expanded unemployment benefits for workers, a new round of Paycheck Protection Program funding and an expansion of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits that could allow recipients to use those benefits at restaurants.

Rhea Cunningham was preparing herself for a busy fall, with the start of part-time law school adding to her already full calendar of a full-time job and a busy family life. Then, during a routine visit, her doctor asked if she'd noticed some swelling in her neck. It wasn't long before she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. “I never took on the diagnosis as a sign of defeat," Cunningham said during a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast. Instead, she told her endocrinologist her surgery needed to be scheduled so she'd be able to start law school as scheduled. “I was going to do law school well," Cunningham said. "Cancer was not going to get in my way.” Cunningham, who is healthy today, said her response to the diagnosis was part of her overall outlook on life and her career, which includes a "refusal to be denied." It's an outlook that's driven her to a career in finance and a pair of law degrees, and helped lead her to her current role as CFO and human resources director at Columbus-based roofing company Feazel.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Rhea Cunningham knows how it feels to be the only Black woman in the room. Cunningham is chief financial officer and director of human resources at New Albany-based roofing company Feazel, putting her in a leadership position in an industry that's not known for high levels of diversity. She and her colleagues have spent the summer listening and reflecting on how to grapple with the lack of diversity in the construction industry as customers and much of American society calls for a new approach to racial equity and social justice. In our latest Women of Influence podcast, Cunningham talked about how she's processed the summer's reckoning over race in America, as well as what her race and gender have meant to her own career. We'll share our full interview with Cunningham next week, but for now, check out our preview episode to hear some of what she had to say.

Jodie Bare started her new job as the Columbus Regional Airport Authority's chief innovation officer in early January.Her focus was simple: find ways to use technology to improve the passenger experience.Half a year later, the world looks very different – especially within a travel industry reeling from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. But Bare is still focused on finding ways to improve the passenger experience, even as the world has changed. "The pandemic just shaped that vision a little bit differently," Bare said. Bare shared examples of the way that vision is evolving during a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast. Check out the full episode to hear more about her work at the airport and her career.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

In the early days of her career, it wasn't uncommon for Jodie Bare to be one of if not the only woman in a room of her pers. "Men would look to me to be the one to take the notes in the meeting, or order lunch if it was a lunch meeting," Bare said of her early days in the technology industry. Bare, now the chief innovation officer for the Columbus Regional Airport Authority, recalled some of the challenges of working in a male-dominated field during a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast, now back after a brief hiatus. Our full conversation will run next week, but check out this preview episode to find out how Bare dealt with the environment back in the 1990s, and how she would handle things differently today with a bit more experience under her belt. You'll also get some reading recommendations from me, including this article on the disparate impact the pandemic is having on working mothers as compared to fathers (read more here: https://www.thelily.com/moms-are-working-dramatically-fewer-hours-than-dads-during-coronavirus-its-a-red-flag-for-whats-ahead/), plus some lighter reading recommendations if you're just eager for an escape.

Growing up, Joanna Pinkerton's parents always taught her that she could accomplish anything she set her mind to. "There just was an early emphasis put into my life by my parents that if there's something you want to do ... there's nothing stopping you," said Pinkerton, CEO of the Central Ohio Transit Authority.It was only later in life that Pinkerton, an engineer who was used to finding herself in male-dominated classrooms and workplaces, realized the playing field isn't always even. Not everyone gets the same support she did, while societal biases can make it even harder for women to succeed in fields like engineering, science and math. "We don't realize how much implicit bias we put on women at a very young age," Pinkerton said. Along with recognizing those barriers, Pinkerton said, it's been important for her to take steps that will help others overcome them now that she's in a position of power. "In my early years I would say I did not have the confidence nor did I give enough credence to explicitly supporting others who face racial or gender bias," Pinkerton said. "… Now that I've held positions of influence, I find it quite inspiring to be able to be a spokesperson and to create a safe place for other people." Check out the full episode to hear more about Pinkerton has shifted her thinking about addressing gender disparity, and what she's done as a manager and a mentor to make things different. You'll also hear the highlights of her first two years leading COTA, and her plans and hopes for how the organization can evolve even as it weathers the storm of the coronavirus pandemic.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

COTA CEO Joanna Pinkerton is always eager to pick up a new book. In fact, when she joined Columbus Business First's Women of Influence podcast a few weeks ago via Zoom, she said she was in the middle of four. Her interests vary from historical fiction to business books that get at the psychology behind performance, books like Questions are the Answer by Hal B. Gregersen. But Pinkerton's love of reading doesn't stop at her own nightstand. If she finds a book particularly insightful, Pinkerton holds on to, ready to share it with a colleague she thinks would enjoy it. "And then I bring into work and I pass them out," Pinkerton said. "I have my own little personal library here at work." Check out the latest mini-episode of Women of Influence to hear more about Pinkerton's love of reading plus other ways she's unwinding during this stressful time for all of us. You'll also hear some thoughts from me on a show I recommended a few weeks back, Mrs. America, and what a moment in history I never would've known about were it not for the show.