Talks with Dom

Meet Alfredo Ramirez, whose career has taken him from Accenture to Trilogy as one of their first 20 employees, to leadership roles at Evolutionary Technologies, and eventually into founding multiple companies—including Vitalz, later acquired by Oracle, and Vyopta Incorporated, recently acquired by HP. As a proud alumnus, he’s also spent years giving back to UT Austin. In this episode, we talk about hustle, entrepreneurship, and what it really takes to build a meaningful career.Want to connect with Alfredo? Find him on LinkedIn.

Meet Arielle Olfers — founder and CEO of The Southern Influence, a creative agency rooted in multi-dimensional storytelling. Named in Inc.'s 2024 Female Founders 250 list, Arielle has worked with brands like YMCA and Red Bull, and built her career from her early days at AOL StudioNow to becoming a creative director, producer, and brand strategist. We’re going to talk about her journey, her love of storytelling, and how she balances life as a founder with family, fashion, and food.Want to connect? Check out Arielle’s work on The Southern Influence website or find her on Instagram.

Meet Jessica Gibson — a powerhouse in real estate who worked in mergers and acquisitions, software sales, and more before coming home to her current job with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. She absolutely loves the fast pace of it all and is one of those people who always has a creative side project going — from helping coordinate parties to doing temporary tattoos with friends for fun. She’s smart, scrappy, and has such a refreshing take on what it means to hustle.Want to connect with Jessica? Find her on LinkedIn.

Meet Jon Brandi — a holistic wellness coach who supports others in accessing and embodying their inner wisdom to unlock their physical energy and vitality, to live at what he calls TRUE.0. His journey into this work began through navigating anxiety, depression, and hypothyroidism, experiences that reshaped how he understands health, resilience, and the mind-body connection. At his core, Jon believes wellness is less about perfection and more about presence, the courage to move through discomfort and trust the body’s innate wisdom to guide the way.Want to connect? Find Jon on his website https://jonbrandifitness.com/> or his Instagram.

Introducing Hunter Byrne! She went from working in finance and banking to owning her own boutique here in Austin called Apricot Lane. She talks with Dominique Ramirez about what led her to leave the corporate world, how she built Apricot Lane from the ground up, and how she’s learned to redefine success on her own terms.Want to connect with Hunter? Check out Apricot Lane’s Instagram and website!

Meet Austin Slade, a local music producer. He picked up the guitar at age nine, started teaching by nineteen, and studied everything from classical singing to audio engineering. After playing gigs and performing live, Austin started creating music for video games!Want to listen to some of Austin’s works? Check out the following:​Austin Slade Youtube Channel​Online Portfolio

Tune in to Host Dominique Ramirez being the guest this time around in her 1-year celebration episode. She's interviewed by a previous guest, Courtney Dickey, the Chief Legal Officer of ZenBusiness and Board of Directors Member for Make A Wish Central & South Texas. Learn what makes Dominique tick, her takeaways from this past year of podcasting, advice she's picked up along the way from her guests, her competitive nature, and more!Want to connect with Dominique? Follow this podcast to keep up with her and upcoming phenomenal guests as well as find her on social media:Instagram: @talkswithdomTikTok: @talks.with.domWant to be interviewed on Talks with Dom? Email [email protected] today!

Learn the story of Cassie Brandi, an incredibly talented vocalist and performer based in Austin. Cassie started performing at just six years old, studied music at Berklee, and has performed all over the world including Suntory Hall in Tokyo. She’s released her own music, works as a session vocalist on commercial projects, and has been sharing her passion for music and movement through vocal coaching and dance for the last 14 years.Want to connect? Check out the following:Website: https://cassiebrandi.com/ Instagram: @cassiebrandiLinkedIn: @Cassie Brandi

Meet Jorge Cardenas, the Chief Information Officer for the City of Brownsville, someone who’s helping shape the future of technology at the city level. Under his leadership, Brownsville recently took on a full-scale replacement of its IT infrastructure. In this conversation, we dig into Jorge’s journey into IT from the Marines, the lessons he’s learned along the way, and how he balances leading large-scale change with staying grounded in his values.Want to connect with Jorge? Find him on LinkedIn.

Introducing Lisa Lucero — a leader whose career and community service have left a lasting mark on Austin. Lisa is the former Director of External and Legislative Affairs for AT&T, and she’s dedicated much of her time to serving on boards including the Long Center, Dress for Success Austin, and Meals on Wheels Central Texas. Her work has even earned her the Game Changer Award from GirlStart for empowering young women in STEM.

Meet Eric Silverstein — the head chef and founder of The Peached Tortilla, a beloved Austin restaurant that began as a single food truck back in 2010. Eric earned his college degrees in finance, marketing, and law from Washington University in St. Louis, began his career at a prestigious law firm, and then took a leap of faith into the culinary world. That leap has since led to multiple successful restaurants, advisory roles in other food ventures, and a reputation as one of Austin’s most creative and driven entrepreneurs. Want to connect? Find him on Instagram as @projectpeached or on LinkedIn.Curious about trying out modern asian food from Japan to Texas? Purchase Eric’s Peached book on his website HERE.

Meet Christina Leipold, a seasoned customer success leader with over 15 years of experience, with Dominique Ramirez. She earned her degree in Government with a minor in Race, and Ethnic Studies from the University of Redlands and is now pursuing a Master’s in Risk and Compliance at Texas A&M University.Christina is the Director of Customer Success at the Austin Board of REALTORS today and an active member of the Junior League of Austin. In this episode, we dive into her career journey, why she’s pursuing her master’s now, and her insights on customer success.Want to connect? Find Christina on LinkedIn.

Dominique Ramirez interviews Gretchen Dubois, current VP of Media at Ad Results Media. Gretchen began building her career in New York City where she rose through the ranks at multiple ad agencies and helped enterprises across different industries. She studied Advertising and Economics at UT Austin and even spent time in Paris studying International Marketing.Gretchen’s known for her directness, drive, and leadership—and in this episode, we talk about her journey in advertising, her no-nonsense approach to work and life, and the legacy she hopes to leave behind.Want to connect with Gretchen? Find her on LinkedIn.

Get to know Jeremy Garcia in this episode with Dominique Ramirez. Jeremy is the new Head Coach of the women’s volleyball team at St. Edward’s University. He’s been dedicated to the sport since age 11 and has built an impressive coaching career with stops at The University of Texas at Austin, Penn State, and Duke University.In this episode, we talk about what sparked his love for volleyball, how he found his calling in coaching, and the kind of impact he hopes to make as a leader and mentor. If you’re into sports, coaching, or just great career stories, this one’s for you.Want to connect with Jeremy? Find him on LinkedIn or Instagram.

Meet Katie Whitehurst with Dominique Ramirez, a Biosystems Engineering graduate from Oklahoma State University and a licensed Professional Engineer. She currently works at Pape-Dawson Engineers, where she’s made her mark on major transportation projects across Texas.But Katie’s story isn’t just about roads and infrastructure—it’s about stepping into leadership even when it’s uncomfortable, staying deeply involved in her Catholic parish, and finding balance in a fast-paced world.Want to connect with Katie? Find her on LinkedIn.

Join Dominique Ramirez’s interview with Jackie Navarro, an enforcement attorney who earned her degrees from University of California, Berkeley as well as St. Mary’s University School of Law. From being the first person in her family to graduate from college to earning leadership roles in her professional life and faith life, Jackie holds herself to a high standard and encourages others to dream big, too, because why not!?Want to learn more about becoming a lawyer? Connect with Jackie via LinkedIn.

Meet Kevin Paul (KP) II with Dominique Ramirez and learn about how his career journey from sports, event planning, affiliate marketing has led him to higher education admissions today. He loves what he does and takes pride in his job and what he accomplishes in his personal life, both attributes we should all strive for ourselves! Take a listen to his story.Want to connect with KP? Find him on LinkedIn.

Join Dominique Ramirez’s interview with Nigel Pope, a Principal Technical Program Manager at Amazon, whose journey has taken him from the South Australian Police Force, and Australian Army Reserve, to leading major tech programs that help keep Amazon running smoothly.Want to connect with Nigel? Find him on LinkedIn. 

Listen in to Dominique Ramirez interviewing Fayth Murphy, a Registered Nurse with over six years of experience in some of the most critical and complex areas of healthcare—think Pediatric ICU, Cardiac Care, and Cardiac Cath Labs. She’s also a proud U.S. Air Force Veteran, a certified critical care nurse, and currently working as a travel nurse, taking her skills and heart for service across the country. In this episode, Fayth opens up about what it’s really like to be a travel nurse including how assignments work and adjusting quickly to new hospitals. 

Meet Lydia Suzanne, who was born and raised in France and moved to the United States after graduating with her Masters degree in Marketing. She has spent nearly a decade in Human Resources, but after having her two daughters, she felt the pull toward something more creative — photography. In 2024, she officially launched Lydia Suzanne Photography, a full-service motherhood photography business based right here in Austin. Her work is light, airy, and full of life — and her mission is simple but powerful: to support moms by capturing the real, raw, and beautiful moments of early parenthood.Lydia's Social Accounts: Instagram: @lydiasuzannephotographyFacebook: @Lydia Suzanne Photography, LLCPinterest: @Lydia Suzanne PhotographyWebsite: https://lydiasuzannephoto.com/ 

In this episode, join Dominique Ramirez interviewing Kristen Fuhrman, whose life journey has taken her from studying anthropology and working with bones to building a career in financial services. She's now helping women make confident, informed decisions about their money. The conversation revolves around how she made that pivot, what fuels her “why,” and yes — her love of travel (she’s been to six of the continents including Antarctica) — and the book club she proudly leads.Want to connect with Kristen for financial help? Find her on LinkedIn.Interested in joining Let’s Get Into It? Find them on Instagram.

Join Dominique Ramirez in this episode learning more about Austin Rife, a Software Development Manager at Amazon Web Services, and his journey to becoming an engineer in the space of artificial intelligence. Austin studied Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Alabama, then earned his Master’s in Financial Engineering, and has received much advice from mentors throughout his career.In this episode, we will talk about his path from student to engineer, why he chose to focus on AI and Machine Learning, and what he’s learned from leading innovation in secure, high-stakes environments. Want to connect with Austin? Find him on his social media:LinkedIn: Austin Rife

Meet Tori Leslie in this episode with Dominique Ramirez. She grew up in Florida and moved to New York for a full change of pace in life. From finishing college later than the social norm to landing her first job in sales, Tori's story is a powerful reminder that everyone’s path looks different. We’ll talk about navigating comparison, figuring out your strengths, and learning to put your ego aside. Tori also shares why she stepped away from social media, how astrology became a deeper part of her life, and what “being her own boss” really means, especially as she now has stepped into the role of an entrepreneur as an astrologist.Find and connect with Tori today!Website: https://www.torileslieastrology.com/ Discount code for a reading today: POD15Instagram: @torileslieastrology

Learn with Dominique Ramirez about Matt Pojman, a data scientist currently at Airbnb. His career has taken him through some of the biggest names in tech, including Meta and Roku; but before all that, he was a student right here in Austin, earning both his undergrad and master’s degrees from the University of Texas at Austin in business and professional accounting. He’s someone who’s always had a love for numbers and problem-solving—and in this conversation, we unpack what fuels that curiosity and drive.Matt and I actually met back in 2018 and over the years, I’ve watched him navigate career changes, global travel, and a passion for languages—especially keeping up his Spanish fluency so he can connect more deeply when visiting Spanish-speaking countries.So whether you’re a numbers person, a travel junkie, or just someone figuring out your next move, you’ll take away something from Matt’s story.Find Matt on his socials!Instagram: @digital.no_mattLinkedIn: Matthew Pojman

This episode’s guest is Lisa Moore, a former civil engineer who earned her degree from UT Austin, worked at TxDot, and then made the courageous decision to step away from her career to raise her children full-time. Today, Lisa has stepped into a whole new chapter as the founder of Lisa Jayne Florals, a floral design business born from passion and creativity. She’s already worked alongside some amazing names in the Austin floral scene, including Molly Copa at Flora Fetish, and she’s just getting started. I can’t wait for you to hear the wisdom, warmth, and inspiration she brings to this conversation.Want to connect with Lisa? Find her socials below:Website: https://www.lisajayneflorals.com/ Instagram: @lisa_jayne_floralsFacebook: Lisa Jayne Florals

Meet Marie Cohan in this episode with Dominique Ramirez! Marie is an absolute powerhouse in her field of IT with a passion for professional development and a career dedicated to making a difference. She was recently honored with the Outstanding Women in Texas Government Professional Development Award in 2024, a testament to her hard work and dedication.Check out all the different feats Marie has accomplished to receive the Outstanding Women in Texas Government Professional Development Award on her alumni website at UTSA (University of Texas at San Antonio).

In this episode, get ready to meet Dr. Virginia Bailey, a talented plastic surgeon who has built an impressive career in the field of medicine. Dive into her journey from studying biology at UT Austin to earning her medical doctorate at UT Health Houston, and how her experiences at her residencies shaped her into the surgeon she is today. Dr. Bailey shares what it was like to transition from being a resident and employed plastic surgeon to opening her very own practice–Bailey Plastic Surgery–and the challenges she has faced along the way. This conversation is all about growth, overcoming obstacles, and balancing work and life in such a demanding profession. Want to schedule a consultation? Check out Dr. Bailey’s website: baileyplasticsurgery.com

Meet John Mayo, an engineer, robotics enthusiast, and mentor who’s made some seriously impressive strides in the world of space exploration, robotics, and engineering. John’s journey began in mechanical engineering at Texas A&M University, which led him to earn his master's degree at MIT. From there, he landed a dream job at NASA as a robotics engineer, working on cutting-edge projects. John is also a key player in the world of Battle Bots, where he builds and competes with robots in thrilling combat challenges. On top of all that, he mentors the robotics club at Westlake High School, inspiring the next generation of engineers. He now works at Apptronik, a robotics company in Austin, where he continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in the field of robotics, too.Want to connect with John? Find him on LinkedIn.

Meet Matt Lara in this episode with Dominique Ramirez. Matt has called Austin home for over a decade, and in that time, he's made his mark as a Global Crisis and Issues Communicator. His job? To work behind the scenes, preventing potential disasters from hitting the headlines. But, as he likes to say, 'I know I’m doing my job right if nobody knows who I am.'Matt’s journey from serving in the Air Force to his current role in high-stakes communication is a testament to his ability of staying calm under pressure as well as being able to stay cool when everything around him seems to be on fire. And, of course, his way to decompress is scuba diving! Grab your headphones and this enjoy this episode.Want to follow Matt’s scuba diving adventures, find him on Instagram at @longhornsinparadise.

Listen in to this episode to learn with Dominique Ramirez about Jack Sweeney—a developer, creator, and mental wellness advocate. Jack is the creator of Coherence - Breathwork, an app that helps people with their breathing for anxiety, sleep, and more. But before Coherence, he dropped out of college after three years, created other apps, ran a YouTube channel with 25k subscribers, and even surfed a 13-foot wave!In this episode, Jack’s professional journey, his philosophy on mental discipline, and how he balances all of it with physical wellness practices like cold plunges and kickboxing will be shared.Download the Coherence - Breathwork app today via the Apple Store HERE.Want to learn more about Jack or connect with him? Find him on his website at www.jacksweeney.xyz*Note: Be aware, some explicit words are dropped in this episode.

Join Dominique Ramirez’s interview with Allie Thompson. Allie is passionate about giving back to the community and has a wealth of experience in the world of consulting, specializing in communications and change management. Dive into her journey—from earning degrees in Business Management, French, and Leadership, to building a successful consulting career that helps organizations navigate change. She also explores her role in Junior League and her commitment to empowering women in the workforce through Dress for Success. Get into the episode today!Want to connect with Allie about Communications or Change Management consulting? Find her on LinkedIn.

Learn more about Joseph Liu with Dominique Ramirez in this episode. Joseph goes into depth about his educational pursuits from National Taiwan University to Harvard and Texas McCombs School of Business as well as how he keeps his faith front of mind in everything he does. He also shares how he transitioned from working solely in the corporate tech world to focusing on angel investments not only here in Central Texas, but across the nation. Tune in to discover more about the investment world, how investors think, what Joseph has learned through his own investment journey, and more!Want to connect? Find Jospeh Liu on LinkedIn. 

Join Dominique Ramirez in this week’s episode interviewing Ashley Zapata, a Senior Marketer at Visit Austin. Ashley shares how her father instilled the importance of education, resilience, and hardwork to achieve success in life, and boy has she proven him correct! She studied at UT Austin and even though she originally went to pursue a degree in biology, she committed to communications and advertising and has been on the marketing route ever since!Want to connect? Find Ashley on LinkedIn.

In this episode, join Dominique Ramirez interviewing Pat Frost, a senior geoscientist. Pat lived all over the world growing up due to her dad being in the Navy, which allowed her mom to introduce her to all kinds of adventures in nature be it at the beach, mountains, or other. Today, she volunteers in her free time as a Capital Area Master Naturalist in the Travis Audubon Society and enjoys stargazing and visiting national parks. Take a listen to her story today!Want to learn more about geology? Connect with Pat today via LinkedIn.

Meet Amy Lohr in this episode, a fellow native Austinite! We’ve been friends since kindergarten, so it’s been fulfilling to watch her grow over the years from attending UT Austin, taking a gap year in Hawaii to re-discover herself, changing majors, publishing a book called Like the Sun at Midday, and becoming a Creative Director. Don’t miss hearing about her journey to finding out who she is and finding the right path for herself to pursue.Want some guidance figuring out your creative direction for your business, social media, or other? Connect with Amy via LinkedIn or Instagram (@amyinfullcolor).

Learn with Dominique Ramirez in this episode about David Galvin’s journey through school to his professional career. He was inspired by rollercoasters to pursue engineering and went to the University of Texas at Austin to study mechanical engineering. A wrench was thrown into his life plan with battling stage 4 cancer, but he beat it and ended up graduating with his degree and continued pushing forward toward his dream of being an engineer. Where he used to fill his free time with social events and more with his wife, he now steps up to the plate to be a dependable father for his children. Inspired by his story? Want to discover more about the semiconductor industry? Find David on LinkedIn and connect!

When you look up the definition of “energizer bunny” in the Webster Dictionary, you’ll find this episode’s guest’s picture right next to it! Montana Bruhl is a hard worker bouncing between occupations from coaching at OrangeTheory and Nike Running Studio to helping fellow Austinites find their next home. She studied business at the University of Texas at Austin as well as had multiple other jobs that helped lead her to where she is today, including nannying and taking care of marketing for broker companies. Listen to her story and find out how she broke into the Austin real estate industry, how she balances work with other fun activities, and how her father and family helped influence the person she became today. Hunting for a new Austin home or want to learn more about coaching in a community gym? Find Montana on LinkedIn.

Ashley Scroggs is one of the lucky few who has continued down the same path from her college days to what she does today! Discover with Dominique Ramirez how she studied Landscape Architecture at Texas A&M University, then began her professional career first as an intern and worked her way up the ladder to make Technical Director and Partner. She has many interests from Harry Potter, photography, and her new in-house sauna. Check her out now! Want to connect with Ashley? Find her on LinkedIn.

Learn more about Meghan Romere Dedear in this episode with Dominique Ramirez. She grew up in the Austin area and attended Texas A&M University for undergrad. She then extended her studies at UT Austin for her masters and achieved law degree status. She bounced between a couple of jobs to find the right fit where she works at today: the Silverleaf Legal Group. At the end of her college years, she helped bring awareness to sexual assault on college campuses and even made it to Congress to make process changes in the system with a group she helped co-found with other college women called 12th Women. Today, she is happily married with her first baby and is always giving her best each day. Check out her story! Want to connect with Meghan? Find her on LinkedIn. For people who want to learn more about how to prevent sexual assault, find a survivor support group, or need to report a situation, look into End Rape on Campus. 

Introducing Nick Moser, Dominique Ramirez’s childhood friend! Learn more about his academic career from getting his undergrad degree in mechanical engineering to pursuing his Masters degree in robotics. In terms of his professional career, he found his first job in Munich, Germany and now works at Contoro Robotics in the Austin area. He balances his lifestyle with reading, gaming, and leading D&D campaigns. Check out Nick’s story! Curious to learn more about robotics or moving to Germany for work? Connect with Nick via LinkedIn.

Happy New Year, everyone! Let’s start the year off right with high energy and positivity with this week’s guest speaker: Taylor Sheeran, a middle school English teacher in the AISD. Join Dominique Ramirez in learning what a person can consider doing to become a teacher (e.g., join Teach for America), how teaching today is similar and different to the Abbott Elementary show, the inner workings of training for a half marathon, and how faith keeps Taylor grounded. Listen in today!

Happy Holidays! Join Dominique Ramirez in this episode interviewing her cousin, Gio Estrada, and his outstanding life of travel, engineering, and current seminary school experiences. He goes into depth of how his love of math and science led him to planning oil companies' pipe systems, traveling from Singapore to Africa, as well as going to bible study which rejuvenated his Catholic faith years before discerning he could potentially become a priest. Don't miss it!

Courtney Dickey, Chief Legal Officer at ZenBusiness and President of the Junior League of Austin (2024-2025), is the honored guest for this week’s episode with Dominique Ramirez. Learn more about her career journey from studying law, moving to Austin, making connections through her sorority, leading an IPO process, and even being nominated President Elect for The Junior League of Austin (JLA)! Discover how she embodies the JLA motto of "Empowered Women Empower Women" in her everyday life. Want to connect with Courtney? Find her on LinkedIn today.

Learn with Dominique Ramirez from Lauren Overstreet in this episode about Lauren’s life lessons and experiences. She originally thought she would pursue a career in dermatology and ultimately decided to pursue a career in human resources, and hasn’t looked back since. She’s then worked her way up from HR Coordinator to HR Director. Throughout the years, she has helped mentor people as well as problem-solved issues that have risen from calming down fights to dealing with an employee who flashed her subordinates when they did a good job! If you're looking for advice on pursuing a new job, today's the episode for you to learn from Lauren the dos and don’ts of interviewing and preparing for a new job, too!

Join Dominique Ramirez interviewing Sam Austin, man of many talents. He studied marketing and Chinese back at Baylor University and took on the world to conquer sales and help others translate and understand different languages. Did you know he moved to Canada for 6 months and can speak multiple languages?!  Want to connect with Sam about languages or his career after the episode? Find him on LinkedIn.

It's a special week and what better way than Dominique Ramirez bringing back her sister, Bianca Ramirez, to the podcast to talk about family traditions, tattoos, and football rivalries! Listen in to what Dominique has learned about podcasting over the past few months, the upcoming Texas vs. Texas A&M game as well as some things they're grateful for during this season of gratitude.

Tara Sekerak is this week’s honored guest on Talks with Dom. Listen to her discuss with Dominique Ramirez her journey from getting her degree in education to diving headfirst into supply chain as well as how she has learned to become a leader, traits of being an elder sister, trials of being a Disney adult, and more! Interested in learning more about supply chain from Tara Sekerak? Find her on LinkedIn today.

This week, Dominique Ramirez interviews Rachel Thornton, the wizard behind the curtain for the Instagram page: @austinfoodstagram. Learn more about her career journey from studying to become a speech pathologist to becoming an Instagram influencer in the Austin area as well as how she shares her wealth of knowledge through consultations and mentorship at different organizations including the University of Texas at Austin. Want recommendations for food, activities, and travel in the Austin and Texas Hill Country area? Be sure to check out her content on Instagram: @austinfoodstagram

Here at Talks with Dom, we ran into some technical difficulties this week, so we pivoted and decided to give y'all an update of what to expect from the podcast the rest of the year, including the following interviewees: Rachel Thornton, the powerhouse behind the Instagram handle @austinfoodstagram. Tara Sekerak, a member of Junior League of Austin and a Senior Operations Manager at Arrive Logistics. My sister: Bianca Ramirez! We’re going to talk about different Thanksgiving traditions, football, Black Friday shopping, and of course—things I’ve learned about running this podcast over the past couple of months. It’ll be fun and a bit of a family reunion on air! Jonna Ramos, a sales representative for ClassPass and the head coach at Rumble Boxing South Austin. Courtney Dickey, Chief Legal Officer at ZenBusiness and President of Junior League of Austin for the 2024-2025 year.

This week features hostess Dominique Ramirez interviewing her college sorority sister: Katie. Katie is a lab technician who tests water samples, enjoys reading, goes scuba diving on the regular, and defeats mind flayers in her Dungeons & Dragons campaigns. Discover more about Katie’s experience studying biology and entomology at Texas A&M University, how sorority life helped her, and how she became a STEM woman today.