Fearless Careerist with Catherine Robert

Paul Osterhout, former Disney Imagineer and current public speaker, mentor, and pitch coach, is this week’s Fearless Careerist. Paul began his creative career with a passion for magic and a skill for sculpting. He moved from model making into production design and eventually held Vice President roles responsible for parks with Disney, Universal Parks, Contour Entertainment, and Century Media. He now speaks to audiences around the world on creative leadership, leadership for introverts, and how to craft the perfect pitch.For more information, see Paul’s profile at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulosterhout/Paul’s videos can also be found on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@paulosterhout1507To see Paul’s early set building work on the 1985 Wrangler commercials, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAwQt2qp_TkTo subscribe to our newsletter and receive updates, visit us at catherinerobertedd.com

Dr. Jeanne Gerlach, founding Dean of the College of Education at the University of Texas at Arlington, is this week’s Fearless Careerist. Jeanne spent her career researching and promoting both English education and Women’s Studies with the goal of both shining a light on the past contributions of early women leaders and to open pathways for future women leaders. She continues to serve women’s leadership causes through her board service for both Leadership Women and Texas Women in Higher Education (TWHE).For more information, see Dr. Gerlach’s profile at: https://leadership-women.org/page/JGerlach To learn more about Leadership Women, see: https://leadership-women.org/To learn more about Texas Women in Higher Education, see: https://www.linkedin.com/company/texas-women-in-higher-education-twhe/To subscribe to our newsletter and receive updates, visit us at catherinerobertedd.com

Catherine Robert, host of Fearless Careerist, discusses research that explains the multiple models of career paths and why these models don’t fit our understanding of the modern career. See the resources below for more information about the research highlighted in the episode:Feiler, B. (2021). Life is in the transitions: Mastering change at any age. Penguin.Selingo, J. J. (2016). There is life after college: What parents and students should know about navigating school to prepare for the jobs of tomorrow. HarperCollins.Vilela, NGS, & Casado, T. (2023). Career stages in management studies: a systematic review of scientific production from 2011 to 2020. Revista de gestão , 30 (1), 62-77. https://www.emerald.com/rege/article/30/1/62/369145To subscribe to our newsletter and receive updates, visit us at catherinerobertedd.com

Megan Livatino, co-founder of the Girls Play Sports and real estate agent in Chicago is this week’s Fearless Careerist. Megan worked in human resources and recruiting before finding a long-term match with a part-time role in Human Resource Information Systems that fit her family’s schedule. After years of working odd hours, raising a family, and co-founding an award-winning non-profit, Megan pursued a long-held interest in work as a real estate agent. She is a successful agent with @properties for Chicago and North Chicago area properties.For more information, see Megan’s website at: https://www.atproperties.com/site/meganlivatino. For information about Girls Play Sports, the nonprofit providing sporting opportunities for girls grades 3-8 in the Evanston area, see their website at  https://www.teamgps.org/.To subscribe to our newsletter and receive updates, visit us at catherinerobertedd.com

Susan Gold, founder of the Global Game Jam and host of the GGJ Podcast, is this week’s Fearless Careerist. A passionate advocate for democratizing gaming software for student use, Susan pioneered one of the first gaming technology education programs. In this episode, learn how she worked as a travel agent and in a museum before finding her true passion as an educator and curriculum developer who builds worldwide communities for human connection.For more information, see Susan’s Substack at: https://ggjpodcast.substack.com/The GGJ Podcast is available through Susan’s Substack and at: https://globalgamejam.org/podcastTo subscribe to our newsletter and receive updates, visit us at catherinerobertedd.com

Show Notes:Dr. Charity Gibson, author of The Working Homemaker, is this week’s Fearless Careerist. An English professor balancing family and work demands, Charity is fighting back against the definition of a homemaker as someone who does not work outside the home. In this episode, learn how she defines the term homemaker and her vision for working Christian mothers on not how they can have it all, but for how they can find balance in their lives.For more information, see Charity’s website at: https://charitygibson.com/To order Charity’s book online, see: https://tinyurl.com/4w7764hkTo subscribe to our newsletter and receive updates, visit us at catherinerobertedd.com

Show Notes:Joel Schwartzberg, author of Get to the Point and The Language of Leadership, is this week’s Fearless Careerist. A champion collegiate public speaker and public relations executive, Joel provides workplace communications coaching. In this episode, learn how he worked in PR and speechwriting roles that built a deep experience in workplace communications and eventually successfully combined both his skills and his passion for fulfilling work.For more information, see Joel’s website at: https://www.joelschwartzberg.net/To subscribe to our newsletter and receive updates, visit us at catherinerobertedd.com

In the first in our Foundations series, Catherine Robert discusses research that explains how and why we make our early career decisions. See the resources below for more information about the following topics:Career Identity - See Sharon Belden Castonguay’s TedX talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e6KSaCxcHsSocial Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) and Self-Efficacy - See Amanda DeDiego’s summary at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg34IDe93Nw and Robert Lent and Steven Brown’s (2019) 25-year review of SCCT at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0001879119300806?via%3DihubCareer Exploration - See Haenggli and colleagues’ (2025) study at:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001879125000442?via%3Dihub Career Competency - See Blokker and colleagues’ (2025) study of career competency profiles at:https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001879125000776?via%3DihubTo subscribe to our newsletter and receive updates, visit us at catherinerobertedd.com

Dario Hernandez, retired Marine and Purple Heart recipient, is this week’s Fearless Careerist. Dario retired from the U.S. Marine Corps and used his leadership training and communication skills to build success as a mortgage loan officer. This fall, Dario founded his own mortgage brokerage company that specializes in VA loans.For more information, email Dario from his website at veteransmortgagelending.com.To subscribe to our newsletter and receive updates, visit us at catherinerobertedd.com

Dr. Elizabeth A. Dale, President and Founder of Chilmark Nexus Advisers, is this week’s Fearless Careerist. Elizabeth advises leaders in turning innovations into reality through her executive coaching, building advancement teams within startups, and providing strategic guidance for allocating funding. For example, she has worked with CraniUS Therapeutics, a company bypassing the blood-brain barrier with their device to treat diseases such as Alzheimer's. In this episode, learn how her she worked her way up and throughout key positions in universities, building foundations, creating departments, and earning millions of dollars for universities along the way.For more information, see Elizabeth’s LinkedIn profile at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-a-dale/To subscribe to our newsletter and receive updates, visit us at catherinerobertedd.com

Dr. Kelly Cagle, host of the Parenting IQ Podcast, is this week’s Fearless Careerist. Kelly helps parents create workable strategies for raising children with ADHD. Her inspirational and practical advice stems from her research in schools, her career as an educator, and from her own experiences raising three children with her husband, Josh. In this episode, learn how her experience as a student new to the United States shaped her views on school; plus listen to  how she has carefully balanced family needs and work when making decisions about her own children’s schooling.Kelly’s podcast, courses for families, and coaching can be found at: https://www.drkellycagle.com/To subscribe to our newsletter and receive updates, visit us at catherinerobertedd.com

In this episode, Catherine provides an end-of-year recap on the podcast, talks about her progress on her forthcoming book, and discusses exciting developments for 2026.Visit Catherine’s website to sign up for our newsletter and receive podcast updates.Do you know a Fearless Careerist that we should interview? Complete the nomination form here.Contact us at: [email protected]

Today’s Fearless Careerist is Kristen Hermanson. Kristen has built an impressive LinkedIn platform by reaching out to 50 new people each week and provides thoughtful posts and commentary on our work lives. She is an experienced communications administrator with over 20 years of experience at Paramount Home Entertainment. In this episode, Kristen describes  her time since leaving Paramount. She has become a fearless cheerleader for other job seekers, has acquired new skills for the changing workforce, and shares valuable advice for others confronting a job search. To learn more about Kristen’s experience, check out her profile here.Visit Catherine’s website to sign up for our newsletter and receive podcast updates.Do you know a Fearless Careerist that we should interview? Complete the nomination form here.Contact us at: [email protected]

Today’s Fearless Careerist is Dr. Cindy Woody. Cindy has served at all levels of education as a teacher and leader throughout her distinguished career. When applying for hard to get jobs, she has successfully used hugs, apple pie, and eye contact and handshakes to introduce herself. She is currently an Assistant Professor in Educational Leadership at the University of Texas at Tyler where she trains new principals, advises doctoral students, and studies topics such as the role of hope in leadership and support for novice leaders.To learn more about Cindy’s work, check out her profile here. Cindy’s YouTube channel provides useful reviews, tips, and walkthroughs of Texas principal certification standards.Visit Catherine’s website to sign up for our newsletter and receive podcast updates.Do you know a Fearless Careerist that we should interview? Complete the nomination form here.Contact us at: [email protected]

Today’s Fearless Careerist (and first guest!) is Dr. Eilene Edejer. Eilene has developed learning experiences for all levels of students, all the way from pre-K through graduate students. She is a clinical associate professor in the School of Education at Loyola University Chicago. Through her scholarship and assessment and evaluation, leadership and teaching, she has maintained her passion for mentoring students and providing voices for underserved populations within educational spaces.In 2024, she won both the Outstanding Registered Student Organization Advisor of the Year and the Pedro Arrupe S.J. Faculty Award for Diversity Leadership.To learn more about Eilene’s work, check out her profile here.Visit Catherine’s website to sign up for our newsletter and receive podcast updates.Do you know a Fearless Careerist that we should interview? Complete the nomination form here.Contact us at: [email protected]

Here's a sneak peek of the Fearless Careerist podcast. I am so excited you are here. Remember, you are not alone on your career journey!