After a long career in Marketing and Communications at companies like NIKE, OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network and National Geographic, Liz Dolan is exploring what's next for her. Liz was also the long-time co-host of the award-winning podcast Satellite Sisters with her real-life sisters, so a new podcast seemed like a good way to do it! In Season 1, Liz is a Fellow at Stanford's Distinguished Careers Institute and taking classes all over Stanford. The goal of this year is to reconnect with herself, connect with similarly distinguished fellows (aka late career folks), and connect with Future Liz. In Season 2, Future Liz has to put herself out there. What's the plan? Tune in every other week for new episodes of Lizness School where she explores new choices and keeps her curiosity alive with her millennial mentor Leah Sutherland, who's in the messy middle of her own transitions.
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S2E16: Roberta Katz, Gen Z Explained and more Shrek
Season 2 · Episode 16
Thursday, July 9, 2026 • Duration 35:22
Today's guest is Roberta Katz, Liz's faculty advisor at Stanford last year. Roberta is so fun to talk to. She's a senior research scholar at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford and a PhD Anthropologist. She is the author of the book Gen Z, Explained, a project she describes to Liz as a "second glass of wine idea." Roberta also holds as a law degree, and was previously the General Counsel of McCaw Cellular Corporation (now AT&T Wireless) and then of Netscape Corporation. From 2004 to 2017, she served under Stanford University Presidents John Hennessy and Marc Tessier-Lavigne as the Associate Vice president for Strategic Planning at Stanford.
Intergenerational anthropological field work recommended by Leah!
Talk to a Gen Z or Millennial in your life, ask them what’s going on and how they feel about it. Tell them about the upheavals that you remember from growing up and how you felt and how you processed.
Find an activity that occurs on a semi-regular basis that you can join, like a book club or art class or whatever, that puts you around folks of all ages.
If you are new to Lizness School, we suggest you listen to Season 1 to hear all about Liz's year as a Stanford Fellow. Everything from Neuroscience and Chinese History to Pickleball! Plus a great community experience with her fellow DCI Fellows.
Season 2 is about how she puts her lessons to work in the wild with the help of her millennial mentor Leah Sutherland.
Today's the day Leah Sutherland finally presents her Shrek thesis. Is Shrek The Movie the voice of the millennial generation? And if so, why? At Lizness School, our academic standards are loose, but we do demand that your ideas be interesting AND entertaining.
Liz will evaluate Leah's today.
Our next episode will be our Season 2 Finale, a time of reflection by Liz on what, if anything, she's learned since her year at Stanford's Distinguished Careers Institute. She just got home from her DCI reunion in Palo Alto and has thoughts.
If you are new to Lizness School, we suggest you listen to Season 1 to hear all about Liz's year as a Stanford Fellow. Everything from Neuroscience and Chinese History to Pickleball! Plus a great community experience with her fellow DCI Fellows.
Season 2 is about how she puts her lessons to work in the wild with the help of her millennial mentor Leah Sutherland.
On Instagram, follow the show at and follow Liz at .
S2E21: Refresher Class!
Season 2 · Episode 21
Thursday, May 28, 2026 • Duration 40:55
Every course has a refresher class at the end of the year so Lizness School does, too. Today you'll get a set-up for the end of season 2 and a refresher for all of Season 1. Liz and Leah review what they learned when it comes to community, purpose and wellness. After this Refresher, there are two more episodes to go this year - the Shrekisode and the Lizness School S2 Finale which Liz will do after she gets home from her Stanford DCI Reunion. Be sure to Follow or Subscribe.
Until then:
If you want to connect with Tara James about her vision to provide free college counseling to high school students who need it, email us at liznessschool@gmail.com and we will forward.
We are still interested in YOUR side quests, so email us with the deets! Voice memos are welcome, too. liznessschool@gmail.com
To listen to all Lizness School episodes on Spotify, go here.
To listen to all Lizness School episodes on Apple Podcasts, go here.
To listen to all Lizness School episodes on Art19, go here.
If you are new to Lizness School, we suggest you listen to Season 1 to hear all about Liz's year as a Stanford Fellow. Everything from Neuroscience and Chinese History to Pickleball! Plus a great community experience with her fellow DCI Fellows.
Season 2 is about how she puts her lessons to work in the wild with the help of her millennial mentor Leah Sutherland.
Side Quests are a key pillar of Lizness School. Today on Season 2 Episode 20, 3 listeners share their side quest stories with us. Thank you to Corey DuBrowa, Mary Warwick and Tara James.
If you want to connect with Tara James about her vision to provide free college counseling to high school students who need it, email us at liznessschool@gmail.com and we will forward.
We are still interested in YOUR side quests, so email us with the deets! Voice memos are welcome, too.
S2E19: Moving Forward After Losing A Spouse
Season 2 · Episode 19
Thursday, April 30, 2026 • Duration 26:09
On today's Lizness School, we hear two stories from listeners whose big transitions were not by choice. First we talk to Kathy Douglass, who lost her husband Ron last fall. Since then, she's sold or packed or shipped everything and moved from Minnesota to a town in France she'd never even visited before. Then Liz reads from a message from Doris Matter, who shares what her life as a widow is like on what would have been her 50th wedding anniversary. There's no right way to adjust to losing a partner. There's only your way. Email us about your experience with a life-changing transition at liznessschool@gmail.com.
Also today, update from Leah who ran her half marathon! Woo hoo! And an advance look at the next few episodes including our special Side Quests episode coming up next.
If you are new to Lizness School, we suggest you listen to Season 1 to hear all about Liz's year as a Stanford Fellow. Everything from Neuroscience and Chinese History to Pickleball! Plus a great community experience with her fellow DCI Fellows.
Season 2 is about how she puts her lessons to work in the wild with the help of her millennial mentor Leah Sutherland.
Today Liz and Leah refresh the big themes of Season 2 and refire their specific goals for the Spring Quarter of Lizness School. Time to FINISH STRONG. Plus, another call-out for listeners who want to share their own Side Quests on the podcast.
Email us at liznessschool@gmail.com. Send Voice Memos if you can!
Today we discuss two big themes and the podcast guests who helped us develop them. Relisten to the episodes linked below.
Refirement: Excavating your heart and mind for goals, desires, wishes, and then setting clear benchmarks as you work toward those goals, desires, wishes. REFIREMENT works for anyone coming out of a transition who needs to get fired up about your life.
Also on this week's episode, we put out a LIZNESS SCHOOL CASTING CALL.
Lizness School is looking for listeners who are working on a SIDE QUEST.
We want to talk to you about it. It can be anything that is engaging you - creative project, community effort, long term plan, one-off adventure. Solo or group. You name it. What is your quest?
Tell us about it! Email us at liznessschool@gmail.com or DM us on Instagram @liznessschool. Voice Memos encouraged! .
Have a conversation about some of Lee's preliminary questions to kick off your own Intentional Life Planning.
S2E15: Jim Chi, Shark Tank + Oregon Sports Angels
Season 2 · Episode 15
Thursday, March 5, 2026 • Duration 27:46
Jim Chi is President of Oregon Sports Angels. This week, two of the company founders that he advises are on Shark Tank. So exciting for these two college seniors with a patent in materials science! Jim can't share the result yet (we had to bleep put him out at one point) but Tanvi and Madhav sent a great audio message describing the behind-the-scenes vibe at the Shark Tank taping. Congratulations to Tanvi Gadamsetti and Madhav Aggarwal of BRCE. More here on LinkedIn. More here on BRCE Shop. WATCH SHARK TANK March 4, 10PM ET on ABC.
On the episode, Jim talks about how after years as a leader in Product Management and Global Sourcing, he had not intended to focus on advising/mentoring/investing in new founders. Liz Dolan is also a founding member of Oregon Sports Angels and shares her perspective on advising young founders. Oregon Sports Angels is the only angel investing organization in the US devoted exclusively to sports.
S2E14: Lian Dolan, GenX-er, Novelist and New Mother-In-Law
Season 2 · Episode 14
Thursday, February 19, 2026 • Duration 40:11
Today's guest is Lian Dolan, Liz's youngest sister who went through a major life stage change on New Year's Eve. She became a mother-in-law for the first time! She also hosted the wedding at her home, which gave her a chance to try out all of the "how to throw a wedding" tips she learned researching her latest novel, Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding , a USA Today Bestseller. How did a real life wedding and transition to her first MIL gig compare to her fictional version? Listen and find out! Lian also shares tips today for how to start writing fiction for listeners who want get started.
S2E13: Phil Pizzo Reimagines Transitions For All Of Us
Season 2 · Episode 13
Thursday, February 5, 2026 • Duration 33:14
Today Liz Dolan interviews Phil Pizzo, the founder of Stanford's Distinguished Careers Institute, a deep thinker on transitions and lifelong learning. His career has taken him from pioneering pediatric oncologist to Dean of Stanford Medical School to rabbinical studies and chaplaincy training. He is a man who thinks a LOT about doing things differently.
If you are new to Lizness School, we suggest you listen to Season 1 to hear all about Liz's year as a Stanford Fellow. Everything from Neuroscience and Chinese History to Pickleball! Plus a great community experience with her fellow DCI Fellows.
Season 2 is about how she puts her lessons to work in the wild with the help of her millennial mentor Leah Sutherland.
If you are new to Lizness School, we suggest you listen to Season 1 to hear all about Liz's year as a Stanford Fellow. Everything from Neuroscience and Chinese History to Pickleball! Plus a great community experience with her fellow DCI Fellows.
Season 2 is about how she puts her lessons to work in the wild with the help of her millennial mentor Leah Sutherland.
If you are new to Lizness School, we suggest you listen to Season 1 to hear all about Liz's year as a Stanford Fellow. Everything from Neuroscience and Chinese History to Pickleball! Plus a great community experience with her fellow DCI Fellows.
Season 2 is about how she puts her lessons to work in the wild with the help of her millennial mentor Leah Sutherland.
If you are new to Lizness School, we suggest you listen to Season 1 to hear all about Liz's year as a Stanford Fellow. Everything from Neuroscience and Chinese History to Pickleball! Plus a great community experience with her fellow DCI Fellows.
Season 2 is about how she puts her lessons to work in the wild with the help of her millennial mentor Leah Sutherland.
If you are new to Lizness School, we suggest you listen to Season 1 to hear all about Liz's year as a Stanford Fellow. Everything from Neuroscience and Chinese History to Pickleball! Plus a great community experience with her fellow DCI Fellows.
Season 2 is about how she puts her lessons to work in the wild with the help of her millennial mentor Leah Sutherland.
A fascinating and funny account of a journalist's travels through some of the world’s most majestic, historic, and remote landscapes.
If you are new to Lizness School, we suggest you listen to Season 1 to hear all about Liz's year as a Stanford Fellow. Everything from Neuroscience and Chinese History to Pickleball! Plus a great community experience with her fellow DCI Fellows.
Season 2 is about how she puts her lessons to work in the wild with the help of her millennial mentor Leah Sutherland.
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