I So Appreciate You!

Intentional Leadership Transitions

Many times, leadership transitions are unexpected, and if a succession plan is in place, the process is handled behind closed doors. In contrast, Jamie Millard, executive director of Pollen Midwest, is leading her own transition out of the organization she has been leading for the last nine years with a years-long, transparent and participatory transition process that can offer many organizations a new way to think about leadership transition.
Co-hosts Nadege Souvenir and Melanie Hoffert discuss the importance of having intentional conversations about leadership transitions, trust and transparency in the workplace with special guest Jamie Millard.
Links
Executive Transition Models - Harvard Business Review
Article referencing the quote from Jeanne Bell: What does an equitable executive leadership transition look like? - Race to Lead
Trading the Glass Ceilings for Glass Cliffs: A Race to Lead Report on Nonprofit Executives of Color - Building Movement Project
A Reading List on Nonprofit Executive Transition - Pollen
Pollen Midwest
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Follow Jamie on Twitter

Lessons in Heart-based Philanthropy

Episode 1 opens up with an introduction of new co-host, Chief Marketing Officer Melanie Hoffert, before she and co-host Nadege Souvenir dive into the episode’s topic. This week they discuss the importance of a heart-based approach to giving, with special guest Margaret Wurtele.
Margaret Wurtele has been giving and raising money for the arts for years. Her parents were also supporters of the arts. Margaret has worked for Walker Art Center, the Saint Paul United Arts Fund and Dayton Hudson Foundation (now the Target Corporation). She was a co-founder of Hungry Mind Press (now Ruminator Press). As a volunteer, she has served on many boards.
Margaret is also a vineyard owner and author. She wrote two memoirs: Touching the Edge: A Mother’s Path from Loss to Life and Taking Root: a Spiritual Memoir, as well as a novel, The Golden Hour. 

Season 2 Preview

Nadege Souvenir welcomes new co-host Melanie Hoffert to I So Appreciate You! with a few this or that questions revealing Melanie’s love of black licorice. The pair openly talk about their friendship, Melanie’s writing career and how they are forever bonded by Melanie’s new kitten Lucy Lake. Listen to learn the dual meaning behind Lucy Lake’s name (hint: it also has a connection to Melanie’s new book).

Bonus: Season 1 Wrap & What’s Ahead

In this bonus episode to close season 1 of I So Appreciate You!, co-hosts Nadege Souvenir and Pahoua Yang Hoffman reflect on the season and discuss Pahoua’s upcoming career transition as she leaves the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation.
 
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Inclusive Workplaces: How Do We Really Get There?

I So Appreciate You! co-hosts Nadege and Pahoua, along with special guest Christophe Beck, President and CEO of Ecolab, explain the concepts of “mirroring” and “bridging” and discuss how leaders, particularly white leaders, can create more inclusive workplaces.

Creating Space for BIPOC Leaders

I So Appreciate You! co-hosts Nadege and Pahoua explore what happens when organizations transition from white leaders to leaders of color in a thoughtful dialogue with special guest Duchesne Drew, President of Minnesota Public Radio.

Cultivating Your Career Path

In this week’s episode, ISAY co-hosts Nadege and Pahoua discuss the importance of intentionally creating learning opportunities and pathways that allow people to build knowledge and skills for roles that haven't been accessible to everyone. They are joined by Meredith Leigh Moore and Brandon Williams, who share their career journeys and discuss how people can own their career narrative and gain experience to ladder up into new roles.

Creating Workplaces that Value Age

ISAY co-hosts Nadege and Pahoua, along with special guest Philomena Morrissey Satre, Director of Diversity & Inclusion and External Strategic Partnerships at Land O'Lakes, explore aging in the workplace and how this unaddressed diversity and inclusion issue affects employees.

Reimagining The Workplace

Alex West Steinman, Co-founder and CEO of The Coven, and Melissa Muro LaMere, Partner at Maslon LLP,  join ISAY co-hosts Nadege and Pahoua to discuss their respective evolving workplaces during the pandemic, some unexpected silver linings, and how showing up as yourself at work is a game-changer.

Work + Caregiving: A Balancing Act

Co-hosts Nadege and Pahoua share personal experiences with giving and receiving care, including Nadege’s recent experience with breast cancer. Special guest Liwanag Ojala, former CEO of CaringBridge, joins to discuss the emotional weight of being a caregiver and what employers can do to better support their employees.  
 
Episode References:
Managing the Future of Work, Harvard Business School
Being Mortal, by Atul Gawande