Women with Cool Jobs – Details, episodes & analysis

Susie Moore shares why good enough IS in her book, "Let It Be Easy" (one of my absolute favorite books)! Having a bias towards action AND being okay starting out imperfectly with something new are a powerful combination. 

**Welcome to "Shorties" -- quick episodes that help you discover more possibilities for how you approach life, in addition to learning the possibilities for cool jobs!

Send Julie a text!!

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I absolutely LOVE being the host and producer of "Women with Cool Jobs", where I interview women who have unique, trailblazing, and innovative careers. It has been such a blessing to share stories of incredible, inspiring women since I started in 2020.

If you have benefitted from this work, or simply appreciate that I do it, please consider buying me a $5 coffee. ☕️

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/julieberman

Thank you so much for supporting me -- whether by sharing an episode with a friend, attending a LIVE WWCJ event in Phoenix, connecting with me on Instagram @womencooljobs or LinkedIn, sending me a note on my website (www.womenwithcooljobs.com), or by buying me a coffee! It all means so much. <3

Kristyn Plancarte is a marine biologist and animal behavior expert with more than a decade of experience. She has worked with marine mammals like sea otters, sea lions, walruses, false killer wales, African penguins, and beluga whales. She ensures their health and welfare; trains them to perform specific actions like doing eye drops, giving a blood sample, or spraying the audience with water; and educates in person and on social media.

 
Kristyn shares all about how she helps the animals, funny stories and experiences she's had with the animals, the process for training them, how you can get into the field, and why she is so passionate about her marine mammal friends.

We also chat about her unexpected foray into the social media world and how she uses multiple platforms (TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, and Instagram) to educate, engage, and inspire people to care about the animals in our ocean. She became a content creator during the pandemic so she could share what she and her colleagues do and see at the aquarium, because so many facilities and resources were closed. Along with her community, she has raised almost $50,000 for conservation!

** Note. This is a Replay episode originally published 11-2-22

Contact Info:
Kristyn Plancarte - Guest
www.kpassionate.com
@KP_assionate (Instagram)
KPassionate (YouTube)
@k_passionate (TikTok)

Julie Berman - Host
www.womenwithcooljobs.com
@womencooljobs (Instagram)
Julie Berman (LinkedIn)

Send Julie a text!!

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I absolutely LOVE being the host and producer of "Women with Cool Jobs", where I interview women who have unique, trailblazing, and innovative careers. It has been such a blessing to share stories of incredible, inspiring women since I started in 2020.

If you have benefitted from this work, or simply appreciate that I do it, please consider buying me a $5 coffee. ☕️

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/julieberman

Thank you so much for supporting me -- whether by sharing an episode with a friend, attending a LIVE WWCJ event in Phoenix, connecting with me on Instagram @womencooljobs or LinkedIn, sending me a note on my website (www.womenwithcooljobs.com), or by buying me a coffee! It all means so much. <3

Actress Mimi Gianopulos shares about what it's like to be at the inflection point of  getting her career-defining role on the Disney sitcom “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place.” It's clear how much she loves her job, which she says  is professional make-believe!

Mimi knew as a young girl that she wanted to be an actress, and she was always chatty at school and loved making other students laugh. She attended Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama and graduated with a degree in Musical Theater. 

After 3 years of consistent work as an actress, the volume decreased and she got a few roles here and there -- nothing substantial, but enough to keep her going towards her dreams. 

Mimi’s previous television roles include playing Sue Mengers in the miniseries “The Offer,” Kaitlyn in the comedy series “Rutherford Falls,” and a recurring role as Morgan on “American Princess.” Gianopulos is best known for her recurring role as Angela in the Freeform series “Baby Daddy,” and was also cast in the lead role for the pilot of “Continuing Fred” for Freeform. 

Mimi's character is the mom, Giada Russo, in “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place,” which is the continuation of the beloved hit Disney Channel series “Wizards of Waverly Place." Selena Gomez and David Henrie were both actors in the original series and are now executive producers of this new show out in late October 2024.

Send Julie a text!!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I absolutely LOVE being the host and producer of "Women with Cool Jobs", where I interview women who have unique, trailblazing, and innovative careers. It has been such a blessing to share stories of incredible, inspiring women since I started in 2020.

If you have benefitted from this work, or simply appreciate that I do it, please consider buying me a $5 coffee. ☕️

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/julieberman

Thank you so much for supporting me -- whether by sharing an episode with a friend, attending a LIVE WWCJ event in Phoenix, connecting with me on Instagram @womencooljobs or LinkedIn, sending me a note on my website (www.womenwithcooljobs.com), or by buying me a coffee! It all means so much. <3

Latin American mompreneur Marjorie Spitalnik created award-winning plush dolls after realizing that her daughter's textbooks didn't feature enough female role models for kids to look up to, and she wanted to change that. As a result, Little Rebels includes a line of interactive, plush dolls that educate kids about iconic women such as Marie Curie, Amelia Earhart, Malala Yousafzai, and Mary Jackson. These dolls connect to an app and provide educational videos, trivia, coloring activities, and ebooks. 

Marjorie has always loved to play, yet she never imagined she would be an entrepreneur in the toy industry. She went from running a marketing and PR company to creating two different plush toy companies. Despite no previous experience in the industry, she has earned some major accolades for Little Rebels, including:

• Finalist for the Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards 2021 (competing against Baby Yoda)
• Winner 2020 Toy & Game International Excellence Awards (TAGIES) awards (the Emmy's of the toy industry)

Resources

• Women in Toys
• Good Toy Coach
• Mojo Nation
• The Toy Fair

Contact Info:
Marjorie Spitalnik
https://wearelittlerebels.com/
@mjspitalnik (Instagram)

Julie Berman - Host
www.womenwithcooljobs.com
@womencooljobs (Instagram)

Send Julie a text!!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I absolutely LOVE being the host and producer of "Women with Cool Jobs", where I interview women who have unique, trailblazing, and innovative careers. It has been such a blessing to share stories of incredible, inspiring women since I started in 2020.

If you have benefitted from this work, or simply appreciate that I do it, please consider buying me a $5 coffee. ☕️

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/julieberman

Thank you so much for supporting me -- whether by sharing an episode with a friend, attending a LIVE WWCJ event in Phoenix, connecting with me on Instagram @womencooljobs or LinkedIn, sending me a note on my website (www.womenwithcooljobs.com), or by buying me a coffee! It all means so much. <3

Carly Leisk is a cheesemonger, a merchant who specializes in cheese. As Carly points out, most delicious foods have one thing in common: cheese! Pizza, mac n' cheese, grilled cheese, fondue, nachos... Its ability to be transformed from a comfort food, to a simple meal, to a decadent experience is magical.

Carly shares that while she went to NYC to become an actress, she ended up realizing that she really loved everything about cheese and wanted to have her own place one day. She now  owns a cute shop with her husband in Brighton, Michigan, called Culture Beer and Cheese. They pair craft beers with fine cheese, and they offer: crepes, charcuterie plates, jams, gelato, and more. It's like a slice of heaven on Earth. (Get that cheesy joke?! "Slice" of heaven...*Insert cheesy smile here.*)

Episode Resources:

1. American Cheese Society
2. American Cheese Society Professional Certifications
3. The Cheese School of San Francisco

Contact Info:
Carly Leisk
www.culturebeerandcheese.com
@culturebeerandcheese (Instagram)

Julie Berman - Host
www.womenwithcooljobs.com
@womencooljobs (Instagram)

Send Julie a text!!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I absolutely LOVE being the host and producer of "Women with Cool Jobs", where I interview women who have unique, trailblazing, and innovative careers. It has been such a blessing to share stories of incredible, inspiring women since I started in 2020.

If you have benefitted from this work, or simply appreciate that I do it, please consider buying me a $5 coffee. ☕️

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/julieberman

Thank you so much for supporting me -- whether by sharing an episode with a friend, attending a LIVE WWCJ event in Phoenix, connecting with me on Instagram @womencooljobs or LinkedIn, sending me a note on my website (www.womenwithcooljobs.com), or by buying me a coffee! It all means so much. <3

Smokejumper, Madison Whittemore, jumps out of airplanes and walks towards danger to put out wildland fires across the United States.  As a smokejumper, she is among an elite crew of highly skilled wildland firefighters. Along with her colleagues, she jumps out of an airplane in 100 lbs. of gear, parachutes down to the ground, and then heads towards the fire.

Madison is the epitome of a strong, driven, kick-ass woman who picked a highly competitive career  choice. She was laser-focused and did everything possible to prepare herself physically, mentally, and nutritionally.

Smokejumping is a Western trade that started in the 1940s and has not changed much since then. There are around 400 smokejumpers employed in the United States.

Episode Resources:

1. Smokejumpers StoryMaps
2. U.S. Forest Service Smokejumpers

Contact Info:
Madison Whittemore
@madwhits (Instagram)

Julie Berman - Host
www.womenwithcooljobs.com
@womencooljobs (Instagram)

Send Julie a text!!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I absolutely LOVE being the host and producer of "Women with Cool Jobs", where I interview women who have unique, trailblazing, and innovative careers. It has been such a blessing to share stories of incredible, inspiring women since I started in 2020.

If you have benefitted from this work, or simply appreciate that I do it, please consider buying me a $5 coffee. ☕️

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/julieberman

Thank you so much for supporting me -- whether by sharing an episode with a friend, attending a LIVE WWCJ event in Phoenix, connecting with me on Instagram @womencooljobs or LinkedIn, sending me a note on my website (www.womenwithcooljobs.com), or by buying me a coffee! It all means so much. <3

Cassandra Bankson is a skinfluencer, medical aesthetician,  and entrepreneur with more than 10 years of experience as a skincare expert. She runs a YouTube channel where her content, skincare advice, and acne story inspire over 10 million viewers every month. She also has a social media following of more than 2 million people online.  

Cassandra is a pro at explaining incredibly complex concepts, terms and processes in an easily digestible and understandable manner. She is also an incredibly smart entrepreneur and charismatic business woman with a multi-pronged business model.  

She considers herself a positive influencer and encourages people to embrace beauty from the inside out. She posts educational and entertaining YouTube videos online, such as: 

• Reacting to celebrity routines, 
• ‘Before and after’ Instagram posts (that show how pictures are filtered and Photoshopped), 
• Q&A’s with other dermatologists and experts, and
• Skincare ingredient deep dives to help people choose the best products for their skin. 

Contact Info:
Cassandra Bankson
https://www.youtube.com/cassandrabankson
@cassandrabankson (Instagram)

Julie Berman - Host
www.womenwithcooljobs.com
@womencooljobs (Instagram)

Send Julie a text!!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I absolutely LOVE being the host and producer of "Women with Cool Jobs", where I interview women who have unique, trailblazing, and innovative careers. It has been such a blessing to share stories of incredible, inspiring women since I started in 2020.

If you have benefitted from this work, or simply appreciate that I do it, please consider buying me a $5 coffee. ☕️

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/julieberman

Thank you so much for supporting me -- whether by sharing an episode with a friend, attending a LIVE WWCJ event in Phoenix, connecting with me on Instagram @womencooljobs or LinkedIn, sending me a note on my website (www.womenwithcooljobs.com), or by buying me a coffee! It all means so much. <3

Nan Ponting had an exceptional career in the field of clinical laboratory medicine and is now retired. She started as a Medical Technologist working in a hospital clinical laboratory and ended her career as the Associate Vice President of Program Management (reporting to the Chief Scientific Officer) of one of the two largest clinical laboratories in the United States.

Over her 40-year career, she held the titles of:

• Medical Technologist
• Biochemical Genetics Department Manager for a genetics specialty lab
• Genetics Laboratory Site Manager
• VP Laboratory Operations 
• Associate Vice President of Program Management 

Her career path was the result of 4 things:  education, work ethic, ambition, and support from her family. 

Send Julie a text!!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I absolutely LOVE being the host and producer of "Women with Cool Jobs", where I interview women who have unique, trailblazing, and innovative careers. It has been such a blessing to share stories of incredible, inspiring women since I started in 2020.

If you have benefitted from this work, or simply appreciate that I do it, please consider buying me a $5 coffee. ☕️

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/julieberman

Thank you so much for supporting me -- whether by sharing an episode with a friend, attending a LIVE WWCJ event in Phoenix, connecting with me on Instagram @womencooljobs or LinkedIn, sending me a note on my website (www.womenwithcooljobs.com), or by buying me a coffee! It all means so much. <3

Lori Erickson is the Vice President of Casting at CBS Studios where she oversees the casting process for shows across several broadcast and streaming platforms. She currently oversees SWAT, MacGyver, NCIS, NCIS: LA, The Equalizer and Unicorn on CBS, Diary of a Future President on Disney+, and The Moodys on FOX. Plus, she is also working on some pilots.

Her responsibilities include:

• scouting for talent, 
• hiring casting directors (each show has its own), 
• guiding the process of securing top tier talent on time and on budget, 
• and ensuring that the many stakeholders in the projects have their needs met.

She also created and launched a program called the CBS Leadership Pipeline Challenge, a nonprofit-focused short film competition that empowers early-career storytellers to step into creative leadership positions. 

Contact Info:

Julie Berman - Host
www.womenwithcooljobs.com
@womencooljobs (Instagram)

Send Julie a text!!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I absolutely LOVE being the host and producer of "Women with Cool Jobs", where I interview women who have unique, trailblazing, and innovative careers. It has been such a blessing to share stories of incredible, inspiring women since I started in 2020.

If you have benefitted from this work, or simply appreciate that I do it, please consider buying me a $5 coffee. ☕️

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/julieberman

Thank you so much for supporting me -- whether by sharing an episode with a friend, attending a LIVE WWCJ event in Phoenix, connecting with me on Instagram @womencooljobs or LinkedIn, sending me a note on my website (www.womenwithcooljobs.com), or by buying me a coffee! It all means so much. <3

Rosie Chhun, an LA-based calligrapher and owner of Wander Crafter, has collaborated with luxury brands (such as Jay-Z, Netflix, Neiman Marcus, and Nordstrom’s) in addition to small organizations and individuals.  After truly defining her niche in 2020 ( engraving luxury perfume bottles and high-end lipsticks), she plans to make this her full-time career in 2021.  

Rosie first turned to calligraphy and engraving to get through pharmacy school (even making beautiful notecards with calligraphy to practice drug names.) She started Wander Crafter with her sister to pay off six-figure debt after graduating and becoming a pharmacist in a retail environment.  Rosie has more than 10 years experience in pharmacy-related roles and has loved it, but the more experience she gained creating memories through calligraphy and engraving, the more she realized that this is her true passion.  While being a pharmacist and calligrapher may sound like polar opposites on the career spectrum, Rosie's past skills and experiences are what contribute to her becoming a skilled and talented calligrapher. 

Contact Info:
Rosie Chhun
https://wandercrafter.com/ 
@wandercrafter (Instagram)

Julie Berman - Host
www.womenwithcooljobs.com
@womencooljobs (Instagram)

Send Julie a text!!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I absolutely LOVE being the host and producer of "Women with Cool Jobs", where I interview women who have unique, trailblazing, and innovative careers. It has been such a blessing to share stories of incredible, inspiring women since I started in 2020.

If you have benefitted from this work, or simply appreciate that I do it, please consider buying me a $5 coffee. ☕️

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/julieberman

Thank you so much for supporting me -- whether by sharing an episode with a friend, attending a LIVE WWCJ event in Phoenix, connecting with me on Instagram @womencooljobs or LinkedIn, sending me a note on my website (www.womenwithcooljobs.com), or by buying me a coffee! It all means so much. <3