Thank you to each and every one of you for joining us on this incredible podcast journey. This is not the end, just a branch in a new direction. Please stay tuned. There's more to come!

When was the last time you left a water conference session feeling moved by the dialogue and perspectives presented? Stephanie was fortunate to experience that rare conference high during both iterations of the Young Professional (YP) panel at UMC2021 in Atlanta and UMC2022 in Orlando.

You can catch the summary in the April 2022 AWWA Journal article here. Stephanie was most impressed by the panel's ability to create a safe space where people felt comfortable enough to engage and have a genuine dialogue, even when there was disagreement.

Join us in this discussion about rethinking the way we conference and the ways we have conversations around difficult issues. We also dive into the very real discomfort of stepping outside of your comfort zone. We talk about why its' important to do so and ways to lean into the discomfort.

Meet Chelsea:

Chelsea Boozer is the Government Affairs Manager at Central Arkansas Water and serves on AWWA’s Young Professionals Committee. She was named to Arkansas Business’s 2020 list of 20 in Their 20s and Arkansas Money and Politics included her on its 2021 Power Women list. She holds an Executive Master of Public Administration degree from Syracuse University, an undergraduate journalism degree from the University of Memphis, and a reporting certificate from the Johannes Gutenberg Universitat in Germany. Chelsea has been published in Opflow and Journal AWWA, and regularly speaks at national and regional water conferences about public engagement and workforce development as it relates to young professionals. As government affairs manager, Chelsea works with government, community, and wholesale partners and stakeholders on policy, economic development, and regionalism efforts.

Robb Barnitt is the Founder and Chief Executive at Dropcountr, a water SaaS (software-as-a-service) company that transforms data into actionable information for utility staff and their customers.

Robb has spent his career working at the intersection of technology and sustainability in roles with Arthur D. Little, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and several Silicon Valley startups.  He holds a Masters degree in Engineering from Stanford and an MBA from UC-Berkeley.

Top Takeaways:

1. The water sector has amazing committed people. They want to do something meaningful. This extends to the technology-oriented folks–developers and engineers. For those young professionals that want to make a difference, there’s a lot to like about the water industry. 
2. Customers view water utilities on the same level as the other utilities they communicate with regularly. They expect a higher level of service and access such as real-time alerts regarding usage thresholds, leaks, and bill notification.
3. Access to information isn’t just about bill pay and water usage. It also provides utilities the ability to communicate about other areas of concern for customers such as hydrant flushing. Robb gives a case study on Dedham Westwood Water District outside of Boston. 
4. At the 2018 WaterSmart Innovations Conference: Dropcountr, Rogue Water and Alliance for Water Efficiency are teaming up to discuss the importance of communicating with your Spanish speaking population in your community. A more complete inclusivity requires delivery of information in a language that’s preferred by the customer. If you want to educate and develop that relationship then you need to be speaking the same language. Whether Spanish is a requirement or just a preference, it’s a pretty nice gesture. It’s more than a translated website, you can actively engage in the culture. 

“Strive to be more than a vendor, be an industry participant.” Robb Barnitt, Founder and Chief Executive at Dropcountr

Resources:

Water In Real Life co-hosts, The H2duO, aka Stephanie Zavala and Arianne Shipley, have received many questions from listeners about who they are, their relationship and their business, Rogue Water. During a recording of the Water Nerd’s Guide to Happy Hour episode, their pod was pirated by none other than the scallywag, Travis Loop. Blimey!! As a podcast host himself, the privateer (pirates who are sponsored by the government #fitting) took over as captain and made the duo walk the plank aka answer his questions. Note: this was recorded during a live happy hour–we suggest you listen with your favorite happy hour beverage as well. ARRR!!

Top Takeaways:

1. We break down ‘who is who’… Rogue Water, a consulting company, and the H2duO is our nicknames “water girls” and “dynamic duo” combined. Plus it’s easier to say (and less Twitter characters) than Stephanie Zavala and Arianne Shipley.  
2. The H2duO is to Rogue Water as Steve Jobs is to Apple. The best of friends lift each other up. Our relationship works because we’re very yin-yang, we learn from each other personally and professionally.
3. Stephanie reached out to Erin Brockovich about changing the utility communication game. Ms. Brockovich responded…
4. Embrace the haters. Let the haters fuel you. The greatest revenge is to continue the hustle and be the best we can be.

“Over time, I’ve matured or grown but am I gonna say that they never bother me, and they never upset me? But that’s what Jay-Z and whiskey are for.” –Stephanie Zavala

Resources:

Rogue Water, the H2duO’s public communication consulting company that helps

Open Letter to Erin Brockovich by Rogue Water

Dirt Off Your Shoulder by Jay-Z

Sponsor:

Master Meter Inc delivers game-changing results for you across Finance, Customer Service, and Utility Operations. They offer an array of products to meet your utility’s needs. Check out their free ebook on financing smart water solutions here.

Show notes:

[6:40] Who are the H2duO?

[] The story of how Rogue Water was born on a napkin.

[14:10] Our role. How do we control this two-headed monster?

[23:20] That time we talked for Erin Brockovich for 90 minutes

[25:00] The infamous Rogue Water Open Letter to Erin Brockovich blog

[32:25] Arianne talks raising livestock in Texas and that water connection

[38:15] Travis asks “What the deal with Texas?” and we talk water issues in Texas

[43:40] Haters gonna...

Todd Danielson’s social media information states his blood type is H2O positive because water is core to him, which is definitely important in his role as the Chief Utilities Executive for Avon Lake Regional Water. A 20-plus-year veteran of the industry and a professional engineer by training, Todd most enjoys asking, “what if,” and helping to implement better ways to serve the public, improve the environment, and spur the economy.

Top Takeaways:

1. Avon Lake Regional Water rolled out a residential combined sewer separation program, received feedback, and took action to work together with residents for implementation. In 26 months they’ve signed over 300 loan agreements with customers and committed well over 1 million dollars.
2. Sometimes it’s one person, such as Samantha Villegas (Episode 14), who help form a deeper understanding for the value of communication. Other times it’s first hand experiences such as a frazil ice event. Either way, the value of proactive and consistent communication is evident.
3. No matter what, you’re going to spend time and money communicating. An ounce of prevention, is worth a pound of cure. Put in the work up front and build that “relationship bank account” with your customers. 
4. “If you only have a hammer, everything’s a nail.” A utility is like a toolbox and each of the departments are different tools. Some jobs you’ll need a hammer, while other jobs you need many tools. By working together, tools can be complementary. It’s important to knowing what each “tool” of the utility does and how best to use them.
5. Recognize the importance of what a utility can do for the economy of a community. As George Hawkins, famously states, “water utilities support all jobs”. Many areas are actively promoting development through water availability and the resiliency of their system. 
6. Think business plan versus master plan. Incorporate other challenges utilities face such as fats, oils and grease, biogas, and energy. How does creating solutions for these challenges benefit customers, both residential and commercial?
7. Whether you’re in the industry or still in school, one thing is certain, we want to make a difference. Providing water and wastewater services has made a HUGE difference, but its the status quo. In order to make a difference, we must do more, such as partnering with schools, or becoming energy neutral, or reducing our carbon footprint. We must communicate what we’re doing to attract the younger workforce.
8. Utility affordability is a very real issue. What are the intended outcomes for an affordability program? Do customers need a hand out or a hand up? Water use audits, leak repairs, and bill payment counseling are options being implemented in many cities. Never discount the partnerships that can form from these types of programs.
9. Keep your customers in your community and keep the community thriving.

Bio: Tom Hickmann is a civil engineer with over 25 years’ experience in wastewater, stormwater, water supply, water rights, system design, hydraulic modeling, utility management, and utility master planning. Mr. Hickmann is the City of Bend Engineering & Infrastructure Planning Department Director focusing on oversight and implementation of all master plans and capital improvement projects.

He has been credited with bringing innovative ideas to the City, solving challenging issues and overseeing record infrastructure growth in one of the country’s fastest growing cities. He is noted for championing a unique approach to big-ticket infrastructure decision making and bringing these concepts to engineering audiences nationwide. He introduced hydraulic modeling techniques and implemented an enhanced modeling analysis which has been used as an example for assessing future infrastructure needs of growing communities.

We met Tom at the Utilities Management Conference in February 2018 and his presentation rocked us to our core. We had an incredible chat with him that we decided to break into two episodes. This is the second half of our conversation where we talk building a team that can implement community engagement, affordability, justifying technology, and the power of coffee (or beer) diplomacy. If you didn’t catch EP018 you’ll want to check that one out first.

Top Takeaways:

1. [6:00] How they use Strength Finders and the DISC assessment to ensure they have the right people on their team and on each project.
2. [7:50] “You have the best engineers in the world. Great—I’m glad you do. But I also need the best communicators in the world to get a project done and if I don’t have them I’m going to fail.”
3. [8:34] Transparency begins by admitting the bias you’re bringing to the table.
4. [13:40] New technology tools that can help with transparency.
5. [18:33] Overcoming the fear related to dealing with the negative criticism. It’s ok. Just be like an elephant. Don’t take these things personally. Don’t let them get to your core. Learn to realize that maybe they’re saying that, not to get to you personally. Learn to step back and understand the issue you’re bringing forward is contentious. Not you, personally.
6. [22:40] So you’ve embraced the need to communicate and engage—now what? How do you move you, your team, and your department forward? Tom explains “creative firing.” “Sometimes you have to help people move along. Sometimes that’s hard to do. Sometimes that takes a while but if you’re going to bring about change, you have to do it.”
7. [25:22] “Look, you’re driving to a cliff and you don’t even know it. I’m trying to tell you to push on the brakes. You’re not going to do that. I know that. So I’m going to step off the bus.”
8. [29:21] “Your job as directors is to raise leaders and you can’t raise a leader who isn’t operating in their strength.”
9. [31:38] The issue of affordability and how they realigned their utility master plan to align with their financial master plan to lessen the impact on rates.
10. [43:21] Justifying innovation in the water sector.
11. [50:55] Combining technology, with face to face, and a little coffee (or beer) diplomacy. The incredible story of how Tom turned his biggest opponent into his biggest advocate by investing in some old-fashioned face time.

Resources:

Bio: Tom Hickmann is a civil engineer with over 25 years’ experience in wastewater, stormwater, water supply, water rights, system design, hydraulic modeling, utility management, and utility master planning. Mr. Hickmann is the City of Bend Engineering & Infrastructure Planning Department Director focusing on oversight and implementation of all master plans and capital improvement projects.

He has been credited with bringing innovative ideas to the City, solving challenging issues and overseeing record infrastructure growth in one of the country’s fastest growing cities. He is noted for championing a unique approach to big-ticket infrastructure decision making and bringing these concepts to engineering audiences nationwide. He introduced hydraulic modeling techniques and implemented an enhanced modeling analysis which has been used as an example for assessing future infrastructure needs of growing communities.

We met Tom at the Utilities Management Conference in February 2018 and his presentation rocked us to our core. We had an incredible chat with him that we decided to break into two episodes. This is the first half of the conversation when we discuss how Tom set out on a mission to disprove the value of communication and public outreach through his thesis and ended up proving himself wrong. He then became not only a vocal proponent and advocate of public involvement in master planning, but also practiced what he preached and revolutionized the way his department conducts business.

Top Takeaways:

1. [12:14] Hear Tom tell us about how he set out to debunk the need for communication and public involvement, proved himself wrong, and transformed his career.

2. [14:40] “I realized at that point in my career that my skill set had run out….The engineering part is fun and easy. The hard part is finding the support, the financial backing that you’re asking these people to make investments in.”

3. [17:15] “I had an obligation to citizens to engage them and to give them, quite frankly, a voice in democracy and that was a game changer for me. To realize all of these investments are an extension of our democracy. Yes, it’s technical but, fundamentally, citizens have a right to have a say so.”

4. [22:16] Population growth impacts how cities communicate with the public.

5. [27:26] Tom explains the value in regularly surveying your constituency. The survey questions can’t be generic, you have to dig deep to get a real sense of public trust and buy-in. Surveys aren’t enough either. It’s best to pair them with focus groups and interviews.

6. [34:51] Bold leadership and what it takes. “Leadership is situational, it’s not individual. There’s times when our skill sets and our natural abilities align with the moment, align with the point to lead. A good leader realizes they aren’t always the best person to lead on every issue.”

7. [40:08] A case study on the project that transformed him and everything he understands and believes. Hear how lack of public involvement landed them in district court, and how creating true public involvement, in the beginning, could have saved the city the incredible amount of time and money spent in delays and legal fees.

Resources:

Dean Christopher P. Long is a Professor of Philosophy and Dean of the College of Arts & Letters at Michigan State University who is committed to expanding the transformative power of liberal arts research and teaching and creating new opportunities for collaboration among community partners.

He began his tenure as Dean on July 1, 2015. Under his leadership, several advances have been made including the creation of the Center for Interdisciplinarity. He has successfully established the College of Arts & Letters as a catalyst of innovation and collaboration at MSU through signature partnerships, such as the partnership with the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the College of Communication Arts and Sciences to advance a holistic approach to food research (Food@MSU).

He is the co-founder of the Public Philosophy Journal, an open forum for the curation and creation of accessible scholarship that deepens our understanding of issues related to public relevance, and editor of The Journal for General Education. He is an expert on both ancient Greek and contemporary continental philosophy and received his MA and Ph.D. from the New School for Social Research in New York and BA from Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio. Dea

Top Takeaways:

1. [21:27] The value of reverse engineering the metrics you measure by going back to your core values. “How are we living out the core values in a way that’s identifiable as showing that we’re actually making progress towards the vision that we share.”
2. [36:30] Millennials do not want to learn passively and we need to be raising the bar of our educational programs and institutions to meet their expectation and thirst for knowledge and impact.
3. [44:02] How using technology and a variety of mediums is the expectation of student learners today. 

Resources:

Kindred— By: Octavia Butler

Sponsor:

Master Meter Inc delivers game-changing results for you across Finance, Customer Service, and Utility Operations. They offer an array of products to meet your utility’s needs. Check out their free ebook on financing smart water solutions here.

Show Notes:

[6:30] The value in including the community at the beginning of the research stage, when the questions that are trying to be answered are formulated and

Mike McGill has spent his entire career as a communicator, having served as a leader in journalism and public relations.  Before founding WaterPIO, a communications firm specifically aimed at helping water and sewer operations, he served as a Director of Communications and Customer Service for water utilities for a dozen years including  Chief Communications Officer for Cape Fear Public Utility Authority in Wilmington, North Carolina; Director of Customer Relations and Communications for Loudoun Water in Loudoun County, Virginia; and Public Affairs Coordinator for the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC), a utility that serves nearly two million people in the Washington, DC Area. Mike is a graduate of Syracuse University and began his career as a news producer in CNN’s Washington bureau, and as the News Planning Editor for WUSA-TV in Washington, DC.

Top Takeaways:

1. [57:48] Capture your “gee-whiz” moments. Mike talks about how he turned a main break into a positive front page highlight of employees.
2. [19:24] The 2018 JD Power Water Utility Residential Customer Survey showed that even a modest commitment of time and resources will get you an exponential benefit.
3. [52:52] The importance of building relationships doesn’t only reside with the water provider/customer relationship. The most important relationship is between the communicator and the water provider staff so they understand what your ultimate end goal is–to protect the integrity of the invaluable service they provide to the community every day.

Resources:

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die – By Chip and Dan Heath

Power of Moments  – By Chip and Dan Heath

Rogue Water’s open letter to Erin Brockovich

Sponsor:

Master Meter Inc delivers game-changing results for you across Finance, Customer Service, and Utility Operations. They offer an array of products to meet your utility’s needs. Check out their free ebook on financing smart water solutions here. 

Show Notes:

[5:30] The story how Erin Brockovich brought Water PIO and Rogue Water together

[11:00] “We’re the defenders of public water.”The good people who work in water, they’re public servants and they don’t do it for the glory. They deserve to have their stories told and their actions defended.”

[18:00] How communication is the key building block to establishing trust.

[19:24] JD Power 2018 Water Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Survey

Erin Ruszkowski is a sophomore at the University of Alabama studying environmental engineering and policy and Spanish. Beginning in 7th grade she attended summer programs through Duke University TIP (talent identification program) program which helps gifted students discover their abilities, explore new academic challenges, and celebrate their accomplishments. Erin is a self proclaimed water nerd and has loved water since she was seven years old when she began asking her aerospace engineering parents questions about water and the environment. Erin is a presidential and engineering leadership scholar and also a member of the Alpha Phi sorority at the University of Alabama.

Top Takeaways:

1. As obvious as it seems that the millennial generation relies on social media, they understand better than most that it’s a place to connect socially, not the best way to get accurate information. Turns out they prefer to find reputable sources on Google.
2. Erin talks about her Water Nerd’s Guide to Millennials internship project. She focuses on how we can market and connect to them and why advocacy is an appealing option in their generation.
3. She drives home the message of using social justice and social action to bring people into the water industry, especially of her passion-driven generation.

Resource:

Ted Talk: “Why climate change is a threat to human rights” by Mary Robinson

Quote:

“It’s better to light one candle than curse the darkness”- Chinese Proverb

Sponsor:

Master Meter Inc: 

If there’s one thing I can be certain of when it comes to you, it’s that you love water. If you are a water utility looking to manage the water you love, then you’ll want to talk to our friends at Master Meter Inc. They understand that you can’t manage what you don’t measure. And smart water management begins with accurate measurement. Account for every drop produced and delivered because a utility’s progression towards smart cities and IOT begins here. We’re trying to be the game changers of communication and and our partner Master Meter is here to deliver game changing results for you across Finance, Customer Service, and Utility Operations. They offer an array of products to meet your utility’s needs. To determine which smart water metering solution is right for you visit mastermeter.com.

Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a one- or two-sentence review in iTunes or on Stitcher.  This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. We give a shoutout to everyone who rates the podcast with 5 stars in future episodes.

Give us some love on Twitter by tagging us @THE_H2duO or by using the #WaterInRealLifePodcast

If you know someone you think would benefit, please spread the word by using the share buttons on this page.

Thank you for sharing some of your time with us. We know how precious those minutes are. Share your story, you never know who needs to hear it and remember, “Those who tell the stories, rule the world.”

Samantha Villegas, APR is an award-winning communications strategist, committed to using her powers for good. For more than 20 years, Sam has worked to expand recycling, promote water conservation, increase investments in energy efficiency, enhance opportunities for veterans, foster immigrants’ rights to work, support common-sense gun legislation and much more.

Throughout her career, Sam has been an active volunteer in the Public Relations Society of America, the largest public relations association in the world, serving more than 20,000 professional members. In 2010, she served as Chair of the Mid-Atlantic District (representing 10 chapters). In 2013, she served as president of the Society’s largest chapter, the National Capital Chapter (1,500 members), where she expanded its volunteer service awards, revived its Hall of Fame award, and created a thought leadership initiative. In 2016, she was elected to the Society’s National Board of Directors, where she helps oversee operations and the Society’s strategic direction.

In addition to her service in PRSA, Sam volunteers locally, providing more than $25,000 worth of pro-bono PR counsel and support to social service organizations in Loudoun County, VA where she lives.

Sam was a 2017 Washington Women in PR “Woman of the Year” finalist. She holds a Master’s Degree in environmental policy from Johns Hopkins University and is accredited in public relations by PRSA’s Universal Accreditation Board.

Top Takeaways:

1. Ethics and public relations go hand in hand. Withholding information prevents your citizens from making informed decisions.
2. Water providers should brand themselves as if their customers have a choice in who they choose for their water service.
3. Employee engagement has to be rooted in reality. It can’t just be a catchy tagline. Truly invest in your employees and then create the campaign around what actually exists.

Book:

This Is Me: Loving the Person You Are Today by Chrissy Metz

Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman

The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals by Sean Covey, Chris McChesney, and Jim Huling

Sponsors:

Rocketbook Smart Notebook: Our friend Ryan Beltran got us hooked. It instantly connects and stores all your notes, ideas and doodles in the cloud with a free smart notebook app. Get 10% off your order of the Rocketbook Smart Notebook using the code: FromtheFuture

Audible is offering our listeners a free audiobook with a 30-day trial membership. Just go to audibletrial.com/waterinreallife and browse the unmatched selection of audio programs – download a title free and start listening.

Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars...

Alan Heymann is President of Blue Drop and the Chief Marketing Officer of DC Water. Blue Drop is the non profit arm of DC Water. Alan led the team that conceived, planned and launched Blue Drop in November 2016. At DC Water, Alan lead the utility’s effort to expand its revenue base by marketing products and services to new customers. Earlier in his career, Alan was a television reporter, producer and anchor in this native Illinois. He was previously Vice President of Communications for a large global advocacy organization and also served as Chief of External Affairs for DC Water, from 2010-2013.

Top Takeaways:

1. Water utilities may not be competing for market share but they are competing for mind share, the attention spans of our customers.
2. It’s important now more than ever to create leadership training for the next generation of emerging leaders.
3. How we as communicators, both inside and outside of the utility, can work together to duplicate products, not efforts.

Book:

That’s What She Said: What Men Need to Know (and Women Need to Tell Them) About Working Together by Joanne Lipman

Sponsors:

Audible is offering our listeners a free audiobook with a 30-day trial membership. Just go to audibletrial.com/waterinreallife and browse the unmatched selection of audio programs – download a title free and start listening.

Rocketbook Smart Notebook: Our friend Ryan Beltran got us hooked. It instantly connects and stores all your notes, ideas and doodles in the cloud with a free smart notebook app. Get 10% off your order of the Rocketbook Smart Notebook using the code: FromtheFuture

Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a one- or two-sentence review in iTunes or on Stitcher.  This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. We give a shoutout to everyone who rates the podcast with 5 stars in future episodes.

Give us some love on Twitter by tagging us @THE_H2duO or by using the #WaterInRealLifePodcast

If you know someone you think would benefit, please spread the word by using the share buttons on this page.

Thank you for sharing some of your time with us. We know how precious those minutes are. Share your story, you never know who needs to hear it and remember, “Those who tell the stories, rule the world.”

Storytelling has become buzzword that is even permeating the water industry conferences. It can conjure up memories of having a story read to you at bedtime. This episode provides legit cognitive facts that back up the way the human mind is hardwired to respond to and retain information from stories.

In their first installment of the Water Nerds Guide, the H2duO focus on the science behind storytelling. They’re going to discuss why we need to reframe the way we handle communication in the water industry, the science behind storytelling, and some things to keep in mind as your craft your own stories.

Books:

Story Proof by Kendall Haven

Story Smart by Kendall Haven

Sponsors:

Rocketbook Smart Notebook: Our friend Ryan Beltran got us hooked. It instantly connects and stores it all in the cloud with its free smart notebook app. Get 10% off your order of the Rocketbook Smart Notebook using the code: FromtheFuture

Audible is offering our listeners a free audiobook with a 30-day trial membership. Just go to audibletrial.com/waterinreallife and browse the unmatched selection of audio programs – download a title free and start listening.

Top Takeaways:

1. Learn how customer expectation are reframing our conversations.  
2. “Stories are up to 22 times more memorable than facts or figures alone.” Stanford Graduate School of Business
3. Stephanie introduces Kendall Haven author of Story Proof and Story Smart. His concept of the neural story net: the part of our brain that makes connections when there is missing information.
4. Kendall Haven also talks about four major concepts related to how to best deliver your story: engagement, transportation, relevance, influence
5. Readability is key. Poor readability causes: frustration, irritation, and suspicion.

Tom Ferguson is the  Vice President of Programming for Imagine H2O, charged with developing the accelerator model as well as building out the policy and leadership capabilities as they scale. Tom comes to Imagine H2O from strategy roles at Project Frog (a San Francisco green buildings company) and Tamar Energy (an AD network developed in London). Prior to business school, he spent three and a half years with ERM, the sustainability consultancy, where he was an engagement manager. Tom holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, and an MA in Politics from Edinburgh University.

You can check out our first interview with Tom on Episode 001. We were so excited to bring him back on to give us an unabridged version of his Catalyst presentation on the Seven Superpowers any organization can master to increase performance and productivity. There are a ton of nuggets and takeaways to be had. We suggest listening to this one with a notepad in hand. 

Takeaways:

1. When we get caught up too closely in our own work, we lose sight of the general, the simple, the basic principles that are the nonnegotiables to success. We need to learn to stop and take the time to really focus on the fundamentals.
2. Focus! It’s so simple but so often overlooked. Everyone has an “elephant” to eat. You have to master focus in order to tackle it one bite at a time.
3. Knowledge compounds. Imagine the potential for your organization if you made learning a priority and encouraged ongoing learning. Imagine if every person in your organization became 15% more knowledgeable because of it and that 15% compounded each year across every employee.

Resources:

If you’re like Arianne and don’t have time to read a book but are dying to expand your reading list, Audible is your solution. Audible’s selection of audiobooks, original shows, news, comedy and more is unmatched anywhere. Get a free audiobook with a 30-day free trial at http://www.audibletrial.com/WaterInRealLife

The Rocketbook Smart Notebook instantly connects and stores your notes, doodles and lists in the cloud with the free smart notebook app. Use the code: FromTheFuture and you’ll get 10% off your order!

Books

Big Mistakes by Michael Batnick

The Snowball: Warren Buffet and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder

Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a one- or two-sentence...

The H2duO recap the Catalyst Mastermind Summit in their first solo show. Stephanie and Arianne, co-founders of Rogue Water, their public communication consulting company, recently co-hosted Catalyst in San Antonio, TX.  Over sixty people attended the inaugural non-traditional summit. This summit literally traveled from a hotel ballroom, to a rooftop bar, to a jazz lounge and ending at a desalination plant.

Catalyst is a mastermind program for water educators and communicators. The goal is to empower water educators from across the state of Texas with the ABCs of water communication–assessment, branding, content, and strategy while also inspiring them through collaboration and case studies.

Together they break down some of their favorite takeaways for those who couldn’t attend and to reignite those who did.

Takeaways:

1. The vibe! From the get-go it was welcoming, energized, and exciting. The first night at the networking event gave us a strong sense of the tribal collaboration that would happen in days to come.
2. Greg kicking off the event with some gut-punching “why? But, why?”
3. Back to the basics. Nailing the basics: why, mission, values, is a powerful tool to move your programs, department, or yourself forward.
4. The Hawk (aka George Hawkins) landed… and dropped some serious inspiration! “Water is the cornerstone of modern day civilization, so essentially the future of civilization rests firmly on the shoulders of water educators and communicators.”
5. Tribal collaboration- yeah we took it locally, nationally and globally. Travis Loop (national level) broke down some do’s and don’ts of ways to message to people.
6. Using strategy from script writing and poetry to evoke emotion from your audience.
7. No one is a ‘social media expert’ because it changes so fast! Google Analytics is the best tool to see whos engaging with your content. Interns know the latest apps. Get inspired from what others are posting on your channels.
8. Videos are powerful tools to tell complicated stories.
9. Adults learn differently than kids. Megan Yoo Schneider teaches us brain-based learning and points out “death by powerpoints”.
10. Respectfully retiring, yourself? No, your programs.
11. Pebbles create ripples. Be a pebble.
12. Show the impact of your education programs using water bills. Dr. Rudi gave us both quantitative and qualitative ways to show ROI.

Resources:

If your like Arianne and don’t have much time to read a book but are dying to get a specific book, Audible is your solution. Audible’s selection of audiobooks, original shows, news, comedy and more is unmatched anywhere. Get a free audiobook with a 30-day free trial at 

Dr. Ruthanne “Rudi” Thompson is a UNT Distinguished Teaching Professor, Director of the Science Education Research Laboratory, and Director of the Dallas Environmental Education Initiative (EEI). Rudi worked as a high school Biology teacher, created and taught an AP Environmental Science course and co-developed the Elm Fork Environmental Education Center on the Campus of the University of North Texas.  All of these experiences culminated twelve years ago when the City of Dallas Water Conservation and Recycling divisions put out a Request for Proposals for the design, development, and implementation of an Environmental Education Initiative. UNT’s proposal was selected and in these 12 years since, the EEI science educators have provided direct, inquiry-based, resource conservation instruction to more than 229,200 learners, pre-k through 12th grade, within the City of Dallas.  

We met Dr. Thompson when she presented about the Dallas EEI program at a WENNT meeting earlier this year. WENNT is the Water Educator Network of North Texas meetings we attend monthly. We loved how she was able to show real impact for the program, both in dollars and gallons. She is looking for partners to spread her research! We’re hoping that by spreading the word about the success of the Dallas EEI program that she is able to gain new partners across the state, the country, and even the globe.

Top Takeaways:

1. Intergenerational transfer multiples the impacts of children learning about water conservation (Dr. Thompson says that’s just a fancy way to say kids guilt their family members into conserving water).
2. Learn how Dr. Thompson used quantifiable data to show that commitment to saving water was translating into actual water savings.
3. Research doesn’t always needs to be complicated. Sometimes all you need are some water bills and an Excel spreadsheet.

Resources Mentioned:

Social Marketing: Why Should the Devil have All the Best Tunes by Gerard Hastings:

Hands on Social Marketing: a Step by Step Guide by Nedra Kline Weinreich

Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a one- or two-sentence review in iTunes or on Stitcher.  This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. We give a shoutout to everyone who rates the podcast with 5 stars in future episodes.

Give us some love on Twitter by tagging us @THE_H2duO or by using the #WaterInRealLifePodcast

If you know someone you think would benefit, please spread the word by using the share buttons on this page.

Thank you for sharing some of your time with us. We know how precious those minutes are. Share your story, you never know who needs to hear it...

Lynne Christopher has been a youth educator in the San Antonio Water System’s (SAWS) Communications Department for ten years. Ms. Christopher coordinates school education programs for the company to include Impact, SAWS award-winning high school service learning program.  Her duties in addition to coordinating Impact, include classroom presentations, conducting field trips, curriculum development, managing the SAWS mini-grant program and teacher training.  

Top Takeaways:

1. Clearly defining your why, your mission, and your values are the first step to creating an organizational culture of impact. Only then can you move on to defining the core characteristics you hope to foster in those that participate in your programs.
2. Investing in effective water education programs that produce water literate citizens help create a water-centric culture in your city.
3. Measuring informal education is difficult. Surveys are beneficial but anecdotal evidence, stories, can be the key to measuring the impact of your programs.

Resources Mentioned:

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

The Big Thirst by Charles Fisherman

SAWS Impact Program

SAWS CORE

SAWS Rain to Drain

Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a one- or two-sentence review in iTunes or on Stitcher.  This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. We give a shoutout to everyone who rates the podcast with 5 stars in future episodes.

Give us some love on Twitter by tagging us @THE_H2duO or by using the #WaterInRealLifePodcast

If you know someone you think would benefit, please spread the word by using the share buttons on this page.

Thank you for sharing some of your time with us. We know how precious those minutes are. Share your story, you never know who needs to hear it and remember, “Those who tell the stories, rule the world.”

Megan is a bridge builder. Over the last 12 years, she has had the opportunity to work for a myriad of private sector consulting firms and for several public agencies. She has also served on several boards of directors, and she currently serves as the elected Director of Division 7 for the Municipal Water District of Orange County, in addition to her role as Policy Director to 5th District Supervisor Lisa Bartlett in Orange County.

Megan has also served on dozens of committees for the Water Environment Federation (WEF), the California Water Environment Association (CWEA), and the Santa Ana River Basin Section, in addition to several other professional associations over the last 14 years. Currently, she is the Vice-Chair and incoming Chair of the WEF Public Communications and Outreach Committee and the Chair of the CWEA Kirt Brooks Memorial Scholarship Committee. She’s organized over a hundred conferences, seminars, plant tours, presentations, community events, and more, and she is part of the inaugural graduating class of the Water Leadership Institute.

Megan’s company, Seven Management and Consulting, Inc., is also a partner with Blue Drop.

Top Takeaways:

1. Educating the youth not only impacts the adults of day through their parents, but also is growing the next generation of water ambassadors.
2. Brain-based learning is about finding the most effective way to teach adults, which is much different than the way children learn.
3. When ideas are created in a silo they only benefit the people in the silo. Collaboration creates solutions with more widespread impact.

Resources Mentioned:

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth

Podcast: Building your Dream Team with Shane Snow by EOFire

Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a one- or two-sentence review in iTunes or on Stitcher.  This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. We give a shoutout to everyone who rates the podcast with 5 stars in future episodes.

Give us some love on Twitter by tagging us @THE_H2duO or by using the #WaterInRealLifePodcast

If you know someone you think would benefit, please spread the word by using the share buttons on this page.

Thank you for sharing some of your time with us. We know how precious those minutes are. Share your story, you never know who needs to hear it and remember, “Those who tell the stories, rule the world.”

Jennifer Oliver Henderson is a marketing communication specialist with nearly 20 years of experience. Her professional achievements include “40 Under 40” awarded by the Fort Worth Business Press in 2008, Texas Wesleyan University’s Alumni Service Award in 2012, the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2014, Great Women of Texas in 2014, Top 20 Women to Watch in 2016 and alumni scholar of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses. She is also recipient of more than 100 local to international design and public relations awards. For fun, she runs Gallery 440, featuring a large collection of international modern art as well as local contemporary Texas artists.

Jennifer conveys the incredible value consistent public relations efforts has on building relationships with your community rooted in trust and transparency. We also discuss the world of art and the value art plays in evoking emotion and creating connection with our messages.

Top Takeaways:

1. An apology, when appropriate, goes a long way. Accountability and honesty is refreshing in a day and age filled with spin, misdirection, and the misperception of perfection conveyed on social media.
2. What someone else says about you, including reporters, is eight times more valuable than any advertisement you pay for.
3. Make your content relevant to your audience. Tell your story but through their eyes.

Resources Mentioned:

Coverage Book

Purple Cow by Seth Godin

All Marketers Tell Stories by Seth Godin

Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a one- or two-sentence review in iTunes or on Stitcher.  This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. We give a shoutout to everyone who rates the podcast with 5 stars in future episodes.

Give us some love on Twitter by tagging us @THE_H2duO or by using the #WaterInRealLifePodcast

If you know someone you think would benefit, please spread the word by using the share buttons on this page.

Thank you for sharing some of your time with us. We know how precious those minutes are. Share your story, you never know who needs to hear it and remember, “Those who tell the stories, rule the world.”

Ryan Beltrán, founder of elequa and the Make Water program, is an award-winning filmmaker and innovator with unique experience connecting DIY water technology, student collaborators, and creative storytelling. His early film experience included interning for Oscar-winning director Michel Gondry on productions with Kanye West, White Stripes, Conan O’Brien, Daft Punk and more. Over the years Ryan has taken his ideas to the White House Water Summit, Flint Michigan, and impoverished communities in Colombia.

So how does a filmmaker rubbing elbows with Kanye and Richard Linklater get involved in water? Sometimes you come across a story that just has to be told and water’s story spoke to him. Ryan shares with us his involvement as a mentor on the open source technology team for the teen Impact education program at San Antonio Water System.

Although he claims not to have a water “a-ha” moment where it all just clicked, he definitely felt drawn to water’s story through a culmination of experience around the world related to issues surrounding clean drinking water. This led him to his passion for electrocoagulation as a potential solution. As a true believer in collaboration, he shares all of the innovation and technology coming out of his company, elequa, by practicing open source technology via his involvement with maker spaces and his Make Water film series to be released beginning in 2018. You can check out the work of he and his high school Impact teams at makewater.org.

Resources Mentioned:

Make Water Project

Water, Texas Film Project

Republic of Makers Maker Space

San Antonio Water System’s Impact Program

Reply All Podcast

Gimlet Media Podcast

Rocket Book

Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a one- or two-sentence review in iTunes or on Stitcher.  This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. We give a shoutout to everyone who rates the podcast with 5 stars in future episodes.

Give us some love on Twitter by tagging us @THE_H2duO or by using the #WaterInRealLifePodcast

If you know someone you think would benefit, please spread the word by using the share buttons on this page.

Thank you for sharing some of your time with us. We know how precious those minutes are. Share your story, you never know who needs to hear it and remember, “Those who tell the stories, rule the world.”

Duke Greenhill has nearly 20 years of success as a global marketer, a widely published thought leader, and an award-winning filmmaker and screenwriter. He has held senior positions at some of the world’s most respected agencies in Manhattan and Washington, DC, and he founded Greenhill+Partners, a Manhattan-based boutique consultancy specializing in brand storytelling and luxury brands. He has worked with some of the world’s most respected organizations, too, including Levi Strauss & Co. (Dockers), Chanel, Adidas, MasterCard, Red Bull, Tiffany & Co., Ritz-Carlton, Ameriprise Financial, L’Oreal, the Government of Monaco and more.

As a widely published thought leader, Duke has written numerous articles on business and marketing for The New York Times, The Telegraph (U.K.), Fast Company, Inc., Entrepreneur, the Harvard Review and others. Duke has been honored to receive numerous industry accolades and ranks his graduate Academy Award nomination chief among them. He has a BA from the University of Texas at Austin and an MFA with honors from Columbia University. But, whether Duke’s working on digital media or traditional, moving images or still, strategy or creative, he brings a priceless skill set to the table: that of a steadfast storyteller.

Three Key Points:

1. “The human brain is hard-wired to react to certain structures that we call storytelling, beginning, middle, end.”
2. “If a conveyance of information, and we can call that story, is authentic to the world in which the story is taking place and the person who’s telling it, then it’s compelling.”
3. “In the context of a brand, the idea is connection. You don’t just want a customer or a supporter, you want a zealot. And that’s where you find them, when you’ve connected. Not just convinced, but connected.”

Resources Mentioned:

Pukka’s Promise by Ted Kerasote

Meditation by Osho

Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

Laudato Si by Holy Father Francis

Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a one- or two-sentence review in iTunes or on Stitcher.  This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. We give a shoutout to everyone who rates the podcast with 5 stars in future episodes.

Give us some love on Twitter by tagging us

Since 1998, Greg Wukasch has worked in the External Affairs Department with the San Antonio Water System, beginning as an Education Coordinator and now as the External Affairs Manager. Greg really considers himself more of a “story teller” putting together water stories for citizens across the city he loves. When not talking H2O, this self-professed water nerd also enjoys talking strategic planning and corporate culture.  

Greg and his team have developed impactful programs that have continued to create community between SAWS and the community it serves. These programs include the high school education program Impact.  

Three Key Points:

1. The whirlwind is never going to go away. The key is to find the tools to manage it to stay laser focused and on mission.
2. We accomplish more when we break down the silo mindset of departments i.e. engineering, education, customer service, etc.
3. Mentorship is not about just smiling and nodding. Real mentors aren’t afraid to have the tough conversations and will challenge you to be the better you every day.

Resources Mentioned:

Good to Great by Jim Collins

The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business by Patrick Lencioni

The 4 Disciplines of Execution by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, Jim Huling

Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a one- or two-sentence review in iTunes or on Stitcher.  This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. We give a shoutout to everyone who rates the podcast with 5 stars in future episodes.

Give us some love on Twitter by tagging us @THE_H2duO or by using the #WaterInRealLifePodcast

If you know someone you think would benefit, please spread the word by using the share buttons on this page.

Thank you for sharing some of your time with us. We know how precious those minutes are. Share your story, you never know who needs to hear it and remember, “Those who tell the stories, rule the world.”

You can't say we're not down to try new things. This was a fun one. We can't promise you an eye-opening communication or leadership takeaway but we can promise some legit entertainment. Would you believe we did a tarot card reading for communication's impact in the water industry? Yes, our dear friend and co-conspirator Duke Greenhill (episodes 4,65,105) took us on a journey. While tarot card readings are usually either punchlines or plot twists in movies, ours was actually pretty fun and meaningful to the work we do for the industry. Enjoy!

Travis Loop is the Director of Communication and Public Outreach for the Water Environment Federation. Professionally, he has nearly 20 years of experience in media and communications. Travis is the host of the WEF Words On Water podcast. He previously served as Director of Communications for the Office of Water at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and as the speechwriter and a communications manager for the Governor of Hawaii. Aloha!!  Travis also worked for eight years in the media as a newspaper reporter and editor in North Carolina; Washington, D.C.; and Hawaii.

Three Key Points:

1. Allowing others to tell our story adds credibility to the story we tell about ourselves.
2. Whether it’s crafting the content of your messaging or in media training, keeping a laser focus on what information your audience wants to hear is key. Write for them, not for you.
3. This industry can be stressful. Channel your inner duck–let it just roll off your back and just keep paddling forward.

Resources Mentioned:

Words on Water Podcast

Blue Mind: The Surprising Science that Shows How Being Near, In, On or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do By: Wallace J. Nichols

Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a one- or two-sentence review in iTunes or on Stitcher.  This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. We give a shoutout to everyone who rates the podcast with 5 stars in future episodes.

Give us some love on Twitter by tagging us @THE_H2duO or by using the #WaterInRealLifePodcast

If you know someone you think would benefit, please spread the word by using the share buttons on this page.

Thank you for sharing some of your time with us. We know how precious those minutes are. Share your story, you never know who needs to hear it and remember, “Those who tell the stories, rule the world.”

Tom Ferguson is the Vice President of Programming for Imagine H2O, a nonprofit organization empowering people to deploy and develop innovation to solve water challenges globally. Imagine H2O’s accelerator program picks 12 startup companies for over 200 applications from 36 countries. The chosen accelerator companies receive customer validation, industry visibility, investor access and mentorship opportunities.

Three Key Points:

1. Communication is incredibly important to the vitality of the water industry in today’s environment.
2. It’s ok to have fun with water. How a little bit of irreverence, showing you have personality and can have fun, can be a differentiating factor that allows you to cut through the noise.
3. A colorful elevator pitch for the value of water.

Check out Imagine H2O and learn about the twelve companies currently in the accelerator program that are truly changing the world of water. If you have the opportunity, consider attending the Imagine H2O Innovation Forum and Gala in 2019. Sign up to receive updates here.

Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a one- or two-sentence review in iTunes or on Stitcher.  This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. We give a shoutout to everyone who rates the podcast with 5 stars in future episodes.

Give us some love on Twitter by tagging us @THE_H2duO or by using the #WaterInRealLifePodcast

If you know someone you think would benefit, please spread the word by using the share buttons on this page.

Thank you for sharing some of your time with us. We know how precious those minutes are. Share your story, you never know who needs to hear it and remember, “Those who tell the stories, rule the world.”

Hey everyone, we are Stephanie Zavala and Arianne Shipley aka the H2duO. Thank you for joining us for the very first episode of Water in Real Life. Every Monday, we’ll be releasing a new episode. Our content will shift between interviews with thought leaders from inside and outside of the water industry, to solo shows or rather, conversations between Arianne and I that will highlight a resource we feel will benefit you as you work to tell your story to your customers.

Our first nine episodes will be interviews with the speakers from Catalyst. Catalyst is a mastermind summit we are co-hosting with the San Antonio Water System, the Texas section of the American Water Works Association, and the Water Environment Association of Texas. The event will take place June 20-22, 2018 in San Antonio. The speaker lineup is diverse and includes well known water rockstars like George Hawkins, former general manager at DC Water, now founder of his own company Moonshot. We’ll also be chatting with thought leaders from the marketing industry, film, and the academia world. To fit everyone in prior to the summit, we’ll be releasing two episodes a week, one on Monday and one on Wednesday.

In July, we’ll begin with our regularly scheduled weekly releases that will hit iTunes or your podcast player of choice every Monday.

In case you’re wondering “who are the H2duO” that would be me and Arianne. We both worked for municipal water utilities for ten years before we made the difficult decision to leave behind the jobs we loved and forge our own path in the industry. We’ve seen first hand the power of building relationships in the communities we serve and we measure this impact in stories.

We’re both passionate about the men and women that serve their communities in water utilities. Arianne and I share similar origin stories that include being inspired by the hard work they put in daily to ensure public health. Be sure to check out our stories and see how they compare to your own water story.

We encourage you to follow us on Twitter @THE_H2duO and Instagram the_h2duo. We believe in open source knowledge and we love to share the people, places, and resources that inspire, instruct, and incite us to action. To be a part of this sharing of knowledge, please subscribe to our mailing list.

Meet Chris Pacione, CEO and Co-Founder of LUMA Institute. He’s passionate about universal design literacy, and he’s a frequent speaker on the topics of design and innovation around the world. He is co-author of the LUMA System and the book “Innovating for People.”

Learn why Chris believes all of us are designers and how that empowers us to transform our mindsets to achieve greater impact for our communities.

Check out the video recording of our chat on the Rogue Water Lab YouTube channel. View EP103 here.

Meet Chris Pacione, CEO and Co-Founder of LUMA Institute. He’s passionate about universal design literacy, and he’s a frequent speaker on the topics of design and innovation around the world. He is co-author of the LUMA System and the book “Innovating for People.”

Learn why Chris believes all of us are designers and how that empowers us to transform our mindsets to achieve greater impact for our communities.

Check out the video recording of our chat on the Rogue Water Lab YouTube channel. View EP103 here.

Stephanie served as judge for the Environmental Policy Innovation Center's (EPIC) 2022 Water Data Prize. Submissions came form a diverse range of participants ranging from water utilities, to water tech companies, to professors and universities. Inventory, mapping, equity, and communications were the four award categories. The overall prize was awarded to the City of Newark, NJ and the engineer firm, CDM Smith.

During this chat, Jessie (EPIC) shares an overview of the submissions and takeaways gleaned from the proposed solutions. Kareem (Newark) and Sandy (CMD Smith) then break down the winning project, their approach, and advice for other communities working towards meeting the requirements of the Lead and Copper rule updates.

Meet the Guests:

Jessie Mahr is the Director of Technology at the Environmental Policy Innovation Center (EPIC) where she focuses on the data gaps and capacity needs in environmental agencies that could speed up environmental progress. Prior to joining EPIC, she worked on climate change and environmental issues across sections in the US from engineering firms, technology companies, state agencies and non-profits. Jessie holds a Master of Science in Water Resource Engineering and Environmental Policy from Tufts University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from The University of Texas.

Sandra Kutzing (Sandy) is a Professional Engineer and Vice President at CDM Smith in New Jersey with 20 years of experience in drinking water. Sandy is leading CDM Smith’s Lead in Drinking Water Practice with a focus in regulatory compliance, corrosion control optimization, distribution system water quality and developing and managing LSL replacement programs. When not thinking about lead, Sandy spends time traveling, spoiling her nieces and nephews, exercising, reading, and always learning.

Director Kareem Adeem is a Newark native who began working for Newark in 1991 in the Department of Engineering and has moved up the ladder in his field. In 2013, Director Adeem was elevated to Superintendent of Maintenance Operations, where he oversaw daily maintenance operations of the Department of Water & Sewer Utilities. He earned a promotion to Assist Director in 2016 and Acting Director position in 2018. In addition Director Adeem is a member of Water Supply Advisory Council of New Jersey and NJ Task Force on Lead. Director Adeem is credited with rebuilding and rebrand Water & Sewer Utilities. By upgrading the water and sewer infrastructure, the City works to replace every lead service line, Upgrade to its water treatment plant, and the Long term control program (LTCP). He is a dedicated public servant who has and continues to give back to his native community.

In this special #ImagineADayWithoutWater edition, the H2duO chat with Mae Stevens, Executive Vice President at Signal Group, about what the different possible #Election2020 outcomes mean for the water industry. We also chat about the incredible importance of knowing your audience and tailoring your message to them and the special bipartisan PAC she established with the goal of getting more candidates that will champion water issues elected.

Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a one- or two-sentence review in iTunes or on Stitcher. This helps elevate and amplify our podcast to new listeners to help us spread the mission of clean water for all. We give a special shoutout to everyone who rates the podcast with 5 stars.

Give us some love on Twitter or Instagram and tag us @roguewaterlab or by using #theh2duo

If you know someone you think would benefit, please spread the word by using the share buttons on this page.

Thank you for sharing some of your time with us. We know how precious those minutes are. Share your story, you never know who needs to hear it and remember, “Those who tell the stories, rule the world.”

The H2duO get real with their mentor Greg Wukasch (San Antonio Water System) when he turns the mic on them to talk about the H2duO in real life. Stephanie and Arianne talk about the entrepreneur rollercoaster, their friendship, and their own personal journeys.

Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a one- or two-sentence review in iTunes or on Stitcher. This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. We give a shoutout to everyone who rates the podcast with 5 stars in future episodes.

Give us some love on Twitter or Instagram and tag us @roguewaterlab or by using #WaterInRealLifePodcast

If you know someone you think would benefit, please spread the word by using the share buttons on this page.

Thank you for sharing some of your time with us. We know how precious those minutes are. Share your story, you never know who needs to hear it and remember, “Those who tell the stories, rule the world.”

As we gear up to drop our 100th episode, we let George Hawkins (CEO/Founder of Moonshot Missions) and Nathan Ohle (CEO of Rural Community Assistance Partnership) turn the mics on us. It's been fun to do this a few times along our podcast journey, but having a candid conversation like this right before such a major milestone was timely and fun.

We want to thank each and every one of our fans and followers for all of the support you've bestowed on us the past two years. We couldn't have done this without you.

Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a one- or two-sentence review in iTunes or on Stitcher. This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. We give a shoutout to everyone who rates the podcast with 5 stars in future episodes.

Give us some love on Twitter or Instagram and tag us @roguewaterlab or by using #WaterInRealLifePodcast

If you know someone you think would benefit, please spread the word by using the share buttons on this page.

Thank you for sharing some of your time with us. We know how precious those minutes are. Share your story, you never know who needs to hear it and remember, “Those who tell the stories, rule the world.”

Shea Dunifon is the Education Coordinator for the South Cross Bayou Advanced Water Reclamation Facility in St. Petersburg, FL. Since 2017, she has led the education program’s facility tours, classroom presentations, and participation in regional STEM-based events.

While the program interacts with over 40,000 citizens of the community each year, it is a popular resource amongst teachers and educators in Pinellas County. Shea holds a Master’s degree in the Crop and Soil Sciences from Virginia Tech and is the Vice-Chair of the Florida Water Environment Association’s (FWEA) Public Communications and Outreach Committee.

She is also the recipient of the 2018 Water Environment Federation’s (WEF) Public Communications and Outreach Program Award, Individual Category.

Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a one- or two-sentence review in iTunes or on Stitcher. This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. We give a shoutout to everyone who rates the podcast with 5 stars in future episodes.

Give us some love on Twitter or Instagram and tag us @roguewaterlab or by using #WaterInRealLifePodcast

If you know someone you think would benefit, please spread the word by using the share buttons on this page.

Thank you for sharing some of your time with us. We know how precious those minutes are. Share your story, you never know who needs to hear it and remember, “Those who tell the stories, rule the world.”

Dr. Teodoro personifies the value of water. He's been preaching the importance of affordability and rate structures in the water sector since 2005. His bold voice ensures the impact of the cost to do business in the water sector doesn't supersede the human right to water. We talk with Dr. Teodoro about his thoughts on affordability and rates, plus how utilities can drop the prevent defense model and adopt achievement cultures.

Dr. Manny Teodoro works at the intersection of politics, public policy, and public management. His research focuses mainly on U.S. environmental policy and implementation, including empirical analyses of environmental justice. In addition to academic studies, Professor Teodoro pursues a line of applied research on utility management, policy, and finance. He’s developed novel methods for analyzing utility rate equity and affordability, and works on these issues directly with governments and water sector leaders across the United States.

Professor Teodoro also studies public management and bureaucratic politics, emphasizing labor markets as political phenomena and predictors of organizational performance. His award-winning book, Bureaucratic Ambition (2011, Johns Hopkins), argues that ambition shapes administrators’ decisions to innovate and to engage in politics, with important consequences for innovation and democratic governance.

Professor Teodoro’s research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, Water Research Foundation, and Cascade Water Alliance, and has been published in the American Journal of Political Science, the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, Public Administration Review, Policy Studies Journal, Social Science Quarterly, Journal of Public Policy, AWWA Water Science, American Review of Public Administration, Water Security, Journal AWWA, and PS: Political Science & Politics. @mpteodoro

Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a one- or two-sentence review in iTunes or on Stitcher. This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. We give a shoutout to everyone who rates the podcast with 5 stars in future episodes.

Give us some love on Twitter or Instagram and tag us @roguewaterlab or by using #WaterInRealLifePodcast

If you know someone you think would benefit, please spread the word by using the share buttons on this page.

Thank you for sharing some of your time with us. We know how precious those minutes are. Share your story, you never know who needs to hear it and remember, “Those who tell the stories, rule the world.”

Tom Kunetz is the Immediate Past President of the Water Environment Federation. He is currently the Assistant Director of Monitoring and Research for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, and is also on the Board of Directors of the Water Research Foundation. He has over 35 years’ experience in the water sector as an environmental engineer. He is a registered Professional Engineer, a recipient of the Charles Walter Nichols Award for Environmental Excellence from the American Public Works Association, and a WEF Fellow.

Recap:

• The art of having difficult conversations. Tom talks us through the steps of having conversations with people who hold different beliefs and opinions than ourselves.
• The value of diversity in communication styles.
• Tom gives us part two of the WEFTEC 2019 story he told at the Opening General Session.
• We discuss why speaking "human" and speaking to the emotional level of people is so important when communicating about data.
• Second City's role in forging Tom's place in the water industry.
• We talk about Matt Damon, Brave Blue World, and how lucky we are to be the ones that get to solve the global water crisis.

Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a one- or two-sentence review in iTunes or on Stitcher. This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. We give a shoutout to everyone who rates the podcast with 5 stars in future episodes.

Give us some love on Twitter or Instagram and tag us @roguewaterlab or by using #WaterInRealLifePodcast

If you know someone you think would benefit, please spread the word by using the share buttons on this page.

Thank you for sharing some of your time with us. We know how precious those minutes are. Share your story, you never know who needs to hear it and remember, “Those who tell the stories, rule the world.”

Nathan Ohle currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP), a national network of non-profits focused facilitating access to safe drinking water, sanitary wastewater disposal, economic development, and capacity building for rural and tribal communities across the country. RCAP’s work in assisting some of the smallest rural communities in the US helps to build capacity and opportunity in every state and territory across the country, and reached more than 3.2 million people last year. 

Nathan previously served as the Senior Advisor at the US Economic Development Administration (EDA), and served on the White House Rural Council, leading the engagement in place-based initiatives across the Department of Commerce. Nathan was recently selected as one of 40 Under 40 Rising Stars in economic development internationally. 

Nathan is a member of the One Water Council and the National Rural Housing Coalition, alongside several other non-profit volunteer activities. Additionally, Nathan has earned two bachelor’s degrees from Michigan State University, and lives in Falls Church, VA with his wife and two kids.

Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a one- or two-sentence review in iTunes or on Stitcher. This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. We give a shoutout to everyone who rates the podcast with 5 stars in future episodes.

Give us some love on Twitter or Instagram and tag us @roguewaterlab or by using #WaterInRealLifePodcast

If you know someone you think would benefit, please spread the word by using the share buttons on this page.

Thank you for sharing some of your time with us. We know how precious those minutes are. Share your story, you never know who needs to hear it and remember, “Those who tell the stories, rule the world.”

"If we're really going to close this water access gap in America, convince our Congress to reinvest in water infrastructure, have a water future that's truly hopeful, we're going to have to figure out how to fall in love with our water. How can we create a relationship with it, something that doesn't exist right now? It's little things that can help us fall in love again." — George McGraw

"If we're going to serve these communities, and not only serve them but empower them, we have to enter that equation with a humility that can really only come from knowing exactly who the people in those communities are and where they're coming from." — George McGraw

Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a one- or two-sentence review in iTunes or on Stitcher. This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. We give a shoutout to everyone who rates the podcast with 5 stars in future episodes.

Give us some love on Twitter or Instagram and tag us @roguewaterlab or by using #WaterInRealLifePodcast

If you know someone you think would benefit, please spread the word by using the share buttons on this page.

Thank you for sharing some of your time with us. We know how precious those minutes are. Share your story, you never know who needs to hear it and remember, “Those who tell the stories, rule the world.”

If you weren't at the 2020 YP Summit, we hate to say it but....you missed out. But never fear, we've got your covered. You already heard from Erin Mosley in EP089, we've got Tom Kunetz on deck, but we're REALLY excited for you to hear from the young professionals that were in the audience. We chat with them about the biggest takeaways, how they've applied what they learned in real life, and how they think we each can change the world.

Young Professional Guests:

• Edward Jankun, P.E., Associate Civil Engineer, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
• Valette Saldanha, EIT, Project Engineer, AECOM
• Stephanie Hubli, Water Engineer, Woodard & Curran
• Chelsea Odle, Media Specialist, Central Arkansas Water
• Suparna Mukhopadhyay, Environmental Engineer, CDM Smith
• Tom Woodcock, P.E., Associate Senior Controls and Instrumentation Engineer, R.V. Anderson Associates Limited

Facilitator Guests:

• Kristi Steiner, Associate Project Manager, Jacobs
• Erin Mosley, President and Founder, Erin Mosley, Inc
• Tom Kunetz, Past President, WEF

Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a one- or two-sentence review in iTunes or on Stitcher. This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. We give a shoutout to everyone who rates the podcast with 5 stars in future episodes.

Give us some love on Twitter or Instagram and tag us @roguewaterlab or by using #WaterInRealLifePodcast

If you know someone you think would benefit, please spread the word by using the share buttons on this page.

Thank you for sharing some of your time with us. We know how precious those minutes are. Share your story, you never know who needs to hear it and remember, “Those who tell the stories, rule the world.”

Kathy made a post on LinkedIn that reminded us how absolutely necessary it is for the water sector to recognize the customer service staff in our utilities that have been walking side by side with our customers throughout a global pandemic. This episode is shout out to them and their stories.

We all need a regular reminder of how important customer service reps are to utility work. Most importantly, we can learn from Kathy about how to support customer service reps while they take care of our customers. 

Check out her first appearance on the Water in Real Life podcast in EP046, "Innovating the Water Conservation Conversation."

Meet Kathy:

Kathy Nguyen graduated from Berry College with a BA in Speech/Communications and a Graduate Certification in Environmental Management from the University of Maryland. She has been with Cobb County Water System for since 2001. In 2004 she became the Water Efficiency Manager, where she developed, implemented and managed the Nationally recognized, award winning Water Efficiency Program until 2018. In 2009 she became the Senior Project Manager for Water Resources. She is currently the Customer Service Division Manager. Some of the most meaningful recognitions she has been fortunate enough to receive during her career are: the George Warren Fuller Award from the American Water Works Association for lifetime contribution to the Drinking Water Industry in Georgia, The Alliance for Water Efficiency’s Water Star Award for Career contribution to the field of water conservation, and Communicator of the Year for the Georgia Green Industry. She is a member of numerous professional organizations including AWWA, and the Georgia Association of Water Professionals, where she currently serves as Vice-President for the association. She is an active community volunteer with Good Mews a Non-profit no-kill cage free cat shelter. She lives with her patient husband and 5 demanding feline "children."

The Rogue Water, LLC team has worked remotely for 2.5 years. They have customers across the country, but also a remote team spread out across multiple cities in Texas, San Francisco, and Wyoming. There are a plethora of resources about remote working available now because of the impacts of Covid-19. However, in true H2duO form, we wanted to give you our perspective in our own way. We are joined by Rogue Water's Chief Revolution Strategist, Nashelley Kaplan-Dailey.

Top Takeaways

1. Wear pants. Whether it's random knocks at the door, bored children or rogue animals, you never know why you might need to jump up from your seat.
2. Routine is your friend.
3. Place matters. Create your space.
4. Give yourself (and others) some grace.
5. Test tech in advance.
6. Try new tools. We love Slack.
7. Get organized. We use Monday.com.
8. Don't forget to have fun. It's not all about the meetings. Have team happy hours or movie nights.
9. Take breaks!
10. Take strategic breaks. Set time limits on TV and social.
11. Learn what makes your own "best day".
12. Specificity matters!
13. Food. Have a plan for the munchies.

Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a one- or two-sentence review in iTunes or on Stitcher. This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. We give a shoutout to everyone who rates the podcast with 5 stars in future episodes.

Give us some love on Twitter or Instagram and tag us @roguewaterlab or by using #WaterInRealLifePodcast

If you know someone you think would benefit, please spread the word by using the share buttons on this page.

Thank you for sharing some of your time with us. We know how precious those minutes are. Share your story, you never know who needs to hear it and remember, “Those who tell the stories, rule the world.”

Samantha Villegas is a senior consultant with Raftelis, with more than 25 years of experience conducting public outreach for public works, in the areas of water, energy, and recycling. Samantha has assisted municipalities, water, and wastewater utilities with outreach, branding, reputation and crisis management, as well as the execution of communications strategies to ensure positive positioning for rate increases, acquisitions, capital projects, and change management. Sam served in a lead communications role for both a public water utility and a large, investor-owned utility. She has helped develop a number of guidance docs fir the sector, including ones on lead communication, Legionella communication, and the CCR. Sam has previously presented at Catalyst, ACE, Virginia AWWA’s JAM conference, and SWANA’s Waste Expo. Sam has been actively involved in the American Water Works Association (AWWA), where she served on the Public Affairs Council, and in the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), where she was the National Capital Chapter president and now serves on PRSA’s National Board of Directors. Sam holds a master’s degree in environmental policy and is accredited by PRSA.

Top Takeaways

• Build trust by ensuring you keep these four factors in mind in your messaging: frequency, transparency, consistency, and honesty.
• Reframe the bottled water message. Don't use the same language about why tap is better than bottled. Talk about how using tap keeps bottled water available for true water emergencies.
• Give your digital audience the call to action to share information with community members that may not have access to digital information.
• Check out the PRSA infodemic infographic. Rogue Water will also have an infographic available about the CAP method from the Vincent Covello Risk Communication Center.

Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a one- or two-sentence review in iTunes or on Stitcher. This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. We give a shoutout to everyone who rates the podcast with 5 stars in future episodes.

Give us some love on Twitter or Instagram and tag us @roguewaterlab or by using #WaterInRealLifePodcast

If you know someone you think would benefit, please spread the word by using the share buttons on this page.

Thank you for sharing some of your time with us. We know how precious those minutes are. Share your story, you never know who needs to hear it and remember, “Those who tell the stories, rule the world.”