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Heather illustrates her experience as a woman in a male-dominated field, surveys the shifting landscape of remote vs. office working, shares some great career advice and transports us to the new Downtown Columbus district that's earning favorable comparisons to the city that never sleeps.

But first, we begin with Heather's introduction to The Daimler Group, its mission and culture—a connection with surprising roots on opposing sides of the courtroom.

With over 20 years of curatorial, educational, and fundraising experience all around the world, Brooke brings a fresh approach and big goals to the 145-year-old museum on East Broad Street.

We talk about her early experiences in the city and in her role, what's in store for the future of the museum, and which surprising local sports team has made her transition to Columbus that much more comfortable.

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It's wide-reaching work: even as she now runs her own business, Leah remains closely involved in the firm's projects, working on her business, and working in it, at the same time.

She's also a newly-appointed board member for the Women's Fund of Central Ohio, a reader of non-business books, a Carolina Cabin vacationer, and an energized proponent for female mentorship.

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So she made the jump, putting in her notice and readying for her next phase in February of 2020. Of course, that's when the world changed. The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic made Rehgan one of scores of female business owners who took the dive into entrepreneurship during a seismic shift in the global economy.

As part of our coverage of National Women's Small Business Month, we sat down with Rehgan to talk about her journey and her experience so far. The first thing I noticed when she walked into her office was something I had to ask about.

She is, simply put, quite young, having graduated from college in 2016. I wanted to know if and how she deals with imposter syndrome.

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Just four years earlier, she'd suggested Julie, then living in Nashville, come back to Ohio and join her at Paul Werth. The Western native took her up on the offer and spent the ensuing years settling into a leadership role at the firm. Now she's running it, and while taking over came much faster than she wanted or hoped, Julie said she's excited about the team she has and the work they're doing.

In prepping for my interview with Julie, though, I was struck quickly by one of our main similarities, a shared history in Music City, USA. We kick things off by talking through her journey from Nashville to Columbus.

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We fielded 126 nominations, ultimately honoring 27 outstanding women in six categories: nonprofit leaders, community champions, entrepreneurs, trailblazers, mentors, and a rising star, along with Businesswoman of the Year, OhioHealth's Karen Morrison. We encourage you to check out our July 14th print edition for short profiles of each honoree and an extended Q&A with Karen.

During our July 12th awards event, I sat down for brief chats with three of our honorees:

Merry Korn, CEO and Founder of Pearl Interactive Network; Kari Jones, President & CEO of the Down Syndrome Association of Central Ohio; and Emily Foote, Area Manager for Bechtel Corp.

Listen on to hear what they had to say; and stay tuned for my onstage conversation with our keynote speaker, Bath and Body Works CEO Gina Boswell.

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Her passion for the industry is all the more notable given her path to it — while she studied accounting in school, she took a long break to have a couple kids before finally taking the CPA exam.

But in the years since she’s risen quickly, and now leads Whalen CPAs as its CEO. Lisa recently visited our office to chat about her path, her role at the firm today and what people misunderstand about the industry she loves.

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The just-completed and revealed rebranding is one of the first major projects undertaken by Farnbaugh since she joined amid the uncertainty of Spring 2020.

She recently visited our office to talk about that experience, what's on the schedule for this year, and much more.

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There weren’t many young Black women from the Midwest in management at the Rochester, New York car factory she started her career at after college. But while she did stand out during her time there and later in the utilities industry, that didn’t change anything about the way she approached her work.

Today, Melody serves as executive vice president of Nisource. During a recent visit to our office, she talked about her experience with gender parity – and the lack thereof – in the utilities industry, plus a whole lot more.

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That might seem obvious, but talk to enough lawyers and you’ll hear plenty that discourage following in their footsteps. But Perez, who today leads Columbus law firm Perez Morris, says law school is the right path for someone who actually wants to practice law. But for those who go into the field with different aspirations in mind, it could be a mistake. 

On the latest episode of our Women of Influence podcast, Perez talked about her own journey into the law, and her experience taking over her father-in-law’s law firm, among other topics. 

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The longtime Columbus CPA and managing director of GBQ Partners retired from the firm’s tax department at the end of last year. That doesn’t mean she’s not busy, of course; there’s still plenty to fill her schedule as managing director of Central Ohio’s sixth-largest accounting firm. But she’s no longer working the crazy hours tax professionals often find themselves doing this time of year.

That said, neither are many team members at GBQ. In the latest episode of our Women of Influence podcast, Congrove talked about how the firm has found new ways to embrace flexibility and make tax season more bearable for employees at all levels.

She also talked about GBQ’s international approach to finding enough staffers, the ways she makes decisions about community involvement and more.

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But in early 2020, just as the world changed, she made her way to the other side of the table. She joined JPMorgan Chase as vice president and program officer for global philanthropy, a role in which she oversees grant deployment for Ohio and Kentucky. 

During a recent conversation for our Women of Influence podcast, Falato talked about the pros and cons of making that shift, as well as the ways JPMorgan Chase’s funding interests align with her passions. She also shared insight into how nonprofits can land some of the financial giant’s funds.

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An LSAT, law school and two decades with the same firm later, she now leads Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP as its managing partner, a job she started in early 2021.

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She became president of the school–one of the largest in the country and the economic engine that drives central Ohio–in 2020. But the pandemic was still in full force back then, and its later waves and impacts have forced pivot after pivot in her brief tenure.

But now a few months into the 2022-2023 school year, things are settling into something that looks a bit more like normalcy.

Johnson joined Women Of Influence to talk all about her career path, her plans for OSU, and her early observations of football culture.

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This summer, she ascended to the top job at the nonprofit becoming the first female CEO in its history.

She's overseeing the organization as it kicks off construction of a long awaited $17 million Collection Care Cear near the Ohio History Centers’s fairgrounds-area home, and as it watches economic conditions ahead of a potential recession.

Megan joined women of influence just a few weeks into her tenure but already with plenty of ideas in mind for how she wants to shepherd the history-focused organization into its future.

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Then, like many in the workforce over the past few years, she took a big career leap. Joining the newly launched Rapid 5 non-profit earlier this year as its first CEO. Acton is my guest this week, but she's not alone; she brought with her Jennifer Peterson, who likewise left her job as a Chief Executive at Easton, to join the organization as COO.

The pair are just a few days apart in age, so the effort to better connect central Ohioans to the region's waterways fits their passions at this stage of life.

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As chief human resources officer of Cardinal Health, Ohio's largest public company, she regularly has to communicate with an audience of tens of thousands of employees.

It's a big job, one that got more demanding when the pandemic shook up all of our work lives. Snow joined me in our Columbus Business First studio recently to discuss how the company adapted to that shakeup and more.

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While that’s her family business, Marker herself was more interested in people than buildings. So she pursued degrees in women’s studies and psychology, starting her career as a social worker and later a psychotherapist.

But eventually, the family business called. Alison visited our Women of Influence podcast to tell that story.

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That’s true for most of us, pandemic and all, but Taylor’s list is likely longer. The Columbus Downtown Development Corp., where she serves as president, embarked on one of its most ambitious projects ever, the $500 million multi-phase redevelopment of the Scioto Peninsula.

Then Covid-19 struck, sending workers home and raising questions about the future of the downtown area the organization works to keep vibrant.

And amid all that, Taylor herself was hit with a cancer diagnosis.

In the latest episode of our Women of Influence podcast, Taylor talked about how her loaded work schedule served as a “respite” from the shock to her personal life, as well as what she’s most excited about downtown today.

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The nonprofit, which helps victims of sex trafficking build job skills and start new chapters in their lives, opened a downtown café in April 2021. This April, I sat down with CEO Paul Haines. She talked about the work of the organization, its goals, and her own unique career path.

We also chatted about ways community members can get involved with Freedom’s mission — and why employers hungry for workers should pay attention.

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Today, we're talking to Michelle Yeager-Thornton, Co-Owner and Chief Operating Officer of The Champion Companies. Michelle leads operational efforts and day-to-day actions of the company's portfolio of communities, which includes 5,000 apartment homes and assets totaling more than $750 million – no small task, so we're thrilled she's made time for us.

Additionally, Michelle leads Champion’s philanthropic initiatives. The business is a five-time recipient of The Corporate Citizenship Award from Columbus Business First for its efforts in the community. In our conversation, we explore the diverse range of work Michelle leads at Champion and in the community, how she founded the company with her brother, and how it all relates back to softball. Batter up!

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So, too, does mentoring.

Traci Martinez, managing partner at Squire Patton Boggs' Columbus office, shared her thoughts on the evolving nature of mentoring relationships during our recent Mentoring Monday event. She also talked about her own unusual path to a legal career, taking on a new role amid an unprecedented global crisis, and how the law firm has supported working mothers through the challenges wrought by that crisis.

Check out the full conversation, recorded live during the virtual event, to hear more from Traci.

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That's not necessarily what Mary thought things would look like when she was in high school.

Mary shares how she got into banking, as well as PNC’s billion-dollar investment to help end systemic racism at the community level.

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But that doesn’t mean the present doesn’t have an impact.

Check out the latest episode of our Women of Influence podcast to hear how the pandemic is changing the spaces the Moody Nolan senior associate designs. She also talked with us about the need for diversity in the industry, and how she melds creativity and math to design new spaces.

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De Silva, co-founder of Grove City's Forge Biologics, grew up in Botswana. She watched as the public health community worked with the government to respond to the AIDS epidemic, and she was inspired. 

On our latest Women of Influence podcast, De Silva talked about that experience, and how she hopes the Covid-19 pandemic can similarly inspire the scientists of the future.

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She was supposed to meet with someone about a new job in the pharmaceutical industry, but her contact was running late to the job fair where they were supposed to talk. One case of mistaken identity and a different conversation later, a brand-new career path was born.

Today Matijasich leads Manifest Solutions Corp., an IT consulting firm she founded nearly 30 years ago. In the latest episode of our Women of Influence podcast, Matijasich talks about her early days in the industry, what she learned from previous businesses that went wrong, and how she does things differently with her current venture.

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It wasn't even where she thought she would end up when she graduated from college.

The lifelong lover of the written word made her way from journalism to communications to government to lobbying to, as of this summer, serving as Columbus market president for KeyBank, the eighth-largest bank in the Columbus metropolitan area.

She recently joined our Women of Influence podcast to talk more about her career journey and her plans for Key. Check out the full episode to hear more from DeLeone.

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Historically, Stauffer said, commercial clients represented the lion's share of Crimson Design Group's work. But as people settled in to a new normal of spending nearly every hour of every day at their homes, they realized those surroundings could be in need of an upgrade. 

"It was a crazy year for us. It was our best year by 30%," Stauffer said during the latest episode of our Women of Influence podcast. "Previous to last year commercial was obviously the largest part of our business and residential … was not as strong. But last year, it was half and half. People (were) spending so much more time at home. … And so that had a lot to do with the growth."

Specifically, the Crimson team found itself helping clients with home offices and outdoor living space. But while Stauffer expects some elements of that to continue – outdoor furniture is still pretty popular – she thinks folks are ready to get out of their home offices and back into the working world. 

Check out the full episode to hear more from Stauffer on what design trends she's excited about, which one she's totally over, and how she's approaching the design of her own firm's new office. You'll also hear about her unusual childhood, and how it's influenced her professional approach. 

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That's what happened to Vickie Thompson-Sandy, who was wrapping up her first year as CEO of The Buckeye Ranch and readying to shepherd the nonprofit's move to a new headquarters when the coronavirus pandemic hit.

"The Buckeye Ranch had purchased a new building in Whitehall, and we were finishing the renovations of that. … We had everything in packing boxes and the movers were moving us that week when we got the executive order to close everything down," Thompson-Sandy recalled during a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast.

Check out the full episode to hear how Thompson-Sandy and her team handled the disruption, and how they worked to continue delivering necessary services to the young people who rely on the organization. You'll also hear about her favorite and least favorite parts of her job, and find out more about what attracted the Michigan native south to Ohio.

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Dager is president of Velvet Ice Cream, and the Utica-based company was outsourcing ice cream production to three partners in the Midwest. The shift followed a listeria scare in April, discovered via the company’s routine testing. It’s also part of an effort to boost capacity after strong demand in 2020.

It’s the right decision for the business, Dager knows, but it’s been a tough one, especially as it entailed some job cuts on the manufacturing side.

Still, even on those days when the challenges of the past few months have seemed overwhelming, Dager knew she didn’t have the option of giving up.

“You just have to get up and go in and be a fearless leader,” said Dager, who chatted with us recently for our Women of Influence podcast.

Check out the full episode to hear more about Dager’s background, her experience rising through the family business, and what flavor of ice cream will always tempt her.

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Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

An estimated 11% of the state’s restaurants have closed for good and the fear is that number could rise if relief from operating restrictions, additional aid or both don’t arrive.

Ohio Restaurant Association President and CEO John Barker spoke with Columbus Business First for this episode of crisis management.

“People are feeling like they really want to get their business going again,” he said.

But that’s easier said than done.

Restaurants and bars are still dealing with capacity limits, while establishments with a heavy late night business are additionally “decimated” by Ohio’s 10 p.m. alcohol sales cutoff. And winter is coming, which will take away outdoor patio seating that’s been a benefit to businesses through the summer.

Barker also sees a perception problem as his members feel the industry is getting an unfair share of blame for the virus’ spread.

The issue is more complex than data alone, but the data that is available on outbreak investigations and enforcement actions support the assertion that while there are some bad actors, the industry overall is following the rules.

“We don’t want anybody to lose their license, infringe on anybody’s ability to run their business,” he said. “But if you’re an outlier and you’re doing all these violations and that’s what’s causing the public perception, we have to correct that.”

Bad actors should be punished, not the entire industry.

“I’ve walked into dozens of restaurants and met with owners and walk those restaurants,” he said. “They’re working so hard to make sure that it’s as safe as it possibly can be and we got to protect them.”

Barker talks about the push-pull between being a good and willing partner with the state and Gov. Mike DeWine, while also wanting to get a fair shake.

He also shares updates on work toward increasing aid for restaurants including expanded unemployment benefits for workers, a new round of Paycheck Protection Program funding and an expansion of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits that could allow recipients to use those benefits at restaurants.

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Her focus was simple: find ways to use technology to improve the passenger experience.

Half a year later, the world looks very different – especially within a travel industry reeling from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. But Bare is still focused on finding ways to improve the passenger experience, even as the world has changed.

"The pandemic just shaped that vision a little bit differently," Bare said.

Bare shared examples of the way that vision is evolving during a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast.

Check out the full episode to hear more about her work at the airport and her career.

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"Men would look to me to be the one to take the notes in the meeting, or order lunch if it was a lunch meeting," Bare said of her early days in the technology industry.

Bare, now the chief innovation officer for the Columbus Regional Airport Authority, recalled some of the challenges of working in a male-dominated field during a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast, now back after a brief hiatus. Our full conversation will run next week, but check out this preview episode to find out how Bare dealt with the environment back in the 1990s, and how she would handle things differently today with a bit more experience under her belt.

You'll also get some reading recommendations from me, including this article on the disparate impact the pandemic is having on working mothers as compared to fathers (read more here: https://www.thelily.com/moms-are-working-dramatically-fewer-hours-than-dads-during-coronavirus-its-a-red-flag-for-whats-ahead/), plus some lighter reading recommendations if you're just eager for an escape.

"There just was an early emphasis put into my life by my parents that if there's something you want to do ... there's nothing stopping you," said Pinkerton, CEO of the Central Ohio Transit Authority.

It was only later in life that Pinkerton, an engineer who was used to finding herself in male-dominated classrooms and workplaces, realized the playing field isn't always even. Not everyone gets the same support she did, while societal biases can make it even harder for women to succeed in fields like engineering, science and math.

"We don't realize how much implicit bias we put on women at a very young age," Pinkerton said.

Along with recognizing those barriers, Pinkerton said, it's been important for her to take steps that will help others overcome them now that she's in a position of power.

"In my early years I would say I did not have the confidence nor did I give enough credence to explicitly supporting others who face racial or gender bias," Pinkerton said. "… Now that I've held positions of influence, I find it quite inspiring to be able to be a spokesperson and to create a safe place for other people."

Check out the full episode to hear more about Pinkerton has shifted her thinking about addressing gender disparity, and what she's done as a manager and a mentor to make things different.

You'll also hear the highlights of her first two years leading COTA, and her plans and hopes for how the organization can evolve even as it weathers the storm of the coronavirus pandemic.

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In fact, when she joined Columbus Business First's Women of Influence podcast a few weeks ago via Zoom, she said she was in the middle of four. Her interests vary from historical fiction to business books that get at the psychology behind performance, books like Questions are the Answer by Hal B. Gregersen.

But Pinkerton's love of reading doesn't stop at her own nightstand. If she finds a book particularly insightful, Pinkerton holds on to, ready to share it with a colleague she thinks would enjoy it.

"And then I bring into work and I pass them out," Pinkerton said. "I have my own little personal library here at work."

Check out the latest mini-episode of Women of Influence to hear more about Pinkerton's love of reading plus other ways she's unwinding during this stressful time for all of us. You'll also hear some thoughts from me on a show I recommended a few weeks back, Mrs. America, and what a moment in history I never would've known about were it not for the show.

She'd spent some time learning the ins and outs of social media, and speaking to audiences across the country about what it could do for their business. Confident in what she'd learned, Whaling approached the head of business development at the agency, and made a case for putting more manpower into the emerging sector.

"I thought I had found this great growth opportunity for the agency," Whaling recalled during a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast. "… He looked at me and said, "No one here is going to make money off of social media.'"

It wasn't the response Whaling wanted, but it turned out to be the "nudge" she needed. She decided the time was right to move back to Columbus, where she still had family, and launch her own firm: Geben Communication.

Check out our full conversation to hear what it was like for Whaling to launch a new business during the Great Recession – lessons that might be particularly relevant for entrepreneurs thinking of striking out on their own as the economy feels the impact of the coronavirus crisis.

You'll also hear her thoughts on emerging social media platforms, how she approached growing her firm over the years and how she and her team are adapting amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

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She spent the next 13 days with him in the NICU, hours away from her life in Columbus and the firm she had just recently founded, Geben Communication.

"It was the most stressful experience of my life," Whaling said.

But there were some stressors she didn't need to worry about: whether she would still be getting a paycheck, or have a job when she was ready to go back to work. As the founder of her firm she was in control of those things, but she knows not all parents are.

That's why Whaling is a passionate proponent of generous paid leave policies for new parents, something she talked about in a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast. We'll share our full conversation with Whaling next week, but for now, check out our preview episode to hear more about how her own experience shaped her company's policy, what that policy looks like and why she thinks it makes good business sense.

But after a little more than a decade with KPMG, Zavislak realized there was something else she needed to do: make her voice heard.

"You do have to advocate for yourself," Zavislak said, when asked to offer her best advice for young women entering the workforce.

Her other big tip?

“I think it’s really important to define what success looks like for you, and be content with that and not compare yourself to others,” she said.

Today Zavislak serves as a partner in the audit practice at KPMG, where she's worked for more than two decades. On the latest episode of our Women of Influence podcast, the Michigan native talked about how she finds balance in a career that requires extensive travel (under normal circumstances) and where you'll find her on a weekend – probably at one of her kids' sports games.

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Now most of us aren't even traveling to the office, let alone to another part of the country.

Still, even it takes several months – or maybe years – there will likely come a day when people like Kim Zavislak, a partner in KPMG's audit practice, once again find themselves on the road (or in the air) quite frequently for client meetings that just must happen in person.

On this week's Women of Influence preview episode, Zavislak shares her best advice for making regular business travel a little easier. You'll also get some pop culture recommendations from yours truly, who spent these weeks at home enjoying two female-centric television shows that I'm eager to discuss with anyone that's willing (from a socially appropriate distance, of course).

She was working for the chamber at the time, and was closely involved in the push to bring the team to Central Ohio. How did she feel, then, more than 20 years later, when it looked like the team might leave?

"I was sad about that, and a little bit angry, to be quite honest," Lyttle said during a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast.

Now an executive at Worthington, Lyttle said she "kept tabs" on the effort to save the team "from afar," and was aware fo the behind-the-scenes maneuvering to keep the Crew here. Now the power player who not only helped land the Crew but also helped launch the business office of what the Columbus Blue Jackets says she's excited to see all of Columbus' sports teams come together in the Arena District, once the Crew's new stadium is finished.

"We've always appreciated what sports can do for a city," Lyttle said.

Of course, sports aren't doing much of anything right now, as all the country's major leagues remain on hold amid the coronavirus pandemic. My conversation with Lyttle was recorded in late March, just a few weeks after most of us started working from home and not doing much of anything else.

Listen to the full conversation to hear how Lyttle is de-stressing during this unprecedented time, why she thought her first big job offer was a prank by her brother at first, and how she decides which opportunities to take on and which ones to turn down.

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Lyttle, whose job as Worthington's human resources chief is just one component of her wide-reaching influence in Central Ohio's business community, joined me for the first fully remote episode of our Women of Influence podcast. (She and I chatted about near the end of March, an important note to keep in mind as we talk about how long we've been turning our homes into our workplaces.)

We'll air Lyttle's full interview next week, but for now are sharing a snippet in which she talks about how she's managed the transition to working from home herself – and how Worthington is working to protect factory workers who can't make their dining room tables their command centers.

You'll also hear my own lessons and observations from nearly a month, now, of working from home. Spoiler alert: I've already failed to live up to one of the resolutions I set for myself in the episode, as the slight self-esteem boost of putting on makeup has not been enough to outweigh my at-home laziness.

It's easy to attend those types of events, resolve to take action based on what you've learned, and then quickly return to your normal daily routine without taking any steps to change things, Gillett said.

But that's not what she and her colleague wanted to happen. So they took out their calendars, booked a meeting, and sat down within weeks to talk about how they could establish a mentoring program for women at Kokosing.

“This program that we attended was so powerful," Gillett said. "We just felt so moved by the statistics we heard that day.”

That event and the subsequent meeting was the spark for W.I.S.E. – Women's Ideas and Strategy Exchange – a mentoring program within Kokosing that launched in 2018.

Gillett talked about that moment of inspiration during a recent live taping of our Women of Influence podcast, held as part of our annual Mentoring Monday event.

Check out our full conversation to hear more about how the program works, along with additional leadership insights from Gillett, who became CEO of Corna Kokosing last summer.

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Then the world changed. Within weeks of that event, the Arnold Sports Festival was partially canceled, schools were closed and people started working from home, as the governor issued orders to try and slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. In short: it'll be a while before we're able to hold an event like that again.

But that doesn't mean the sharing of wisdom has to stop. In this week's Women of Influence mini-episode, you'll hear a sampling of my conversation with Gillett, who talked about how she uses the "power of two" to make her voice heard as a woman in the workplace.

And you'll also hear what I've heard from professional women who are attempting to adjust to balancing their professional and personal lives in a way they've never had to before, as they try to get work done while their children are at home. As a non-parent, I don't have much personal wisdom (or frustration) to relate, but I chatted with friends, colleagues and the women of Central Ohio's business community to get a few thoughts to share.

That puts Lisa Courtice, CEO of the United Way of Central Ohio, in a tough spot: She must lead the organization's Columbus office as it identifies new ways to raise money and continue serving the community. Three years in, the progress its made toward that transformation is one of her proudest accomplishments.

"We are in a changing philanthropic landscape," Courtice said during a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast. "I am proud that we have made some bold changes."

Those changes include an increased focus on corporate and government grants, a pitch that emphasizes the organization's capabilities to leverage donations for greater community impact and an overall overall shift toward becoming "more nimble and lean."

Check out our full interview with Courtice to hear more about how she's overseeing that transition, what she's learned during her lifelong career in the nonprofit sector and more.

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But that's not what she sees today. According to Courtice, CEO of the United Way of Central Ohio, four-year degrees are one of the key differentiators between people who live in poverty in Central Ohio and those who don't. It's why her best advice to young people is – assuming they can find a way to do so affordably – to go get that four-year degree, and commit to continuing your education in whatever way is appropriate beyond that.

"I believe what's differentiated me in my career is my education," Courtice, who went to Syracuse University for her undergraduate degree and also has a master's and a Ph.D., said during a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast.

Plus, Courtice said, there's an intangible value that comes from bettering yourself through education.

"No one can ever take it away from you," she said. "They can take away your job, a spouse can divorce you. … Lots of things can be taken away from you.

"But the education is all yours, that you've earned, and no one can take it away."

Check out the preview episode of the podcast to hear more from Courtice about why education matters, and how her own advanced degrees have factored into her career.

You'll also hear my own reflections on the biggest story of the week in the world of women in leadership: Elizabeth Warren's withdrawal from the presidential race. While it can be tough to talk about politics as a journalist, the time seemed right to ponder question on many women's minds across America this week: Will we ever have a female president?

But with the limited worldview of a child, she had an unusual role model for what that might mean.

"As a child of the 80s, I really knew everything I knew from sitcoms," Heintz said during a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast. "And probably what I looked at the most was Alex P. Keaton from Family Ties.

With the iconic Michael J. Fox character in mind, Heintz went to college at the University of Michigan (you'll have to listen to the episode for her surprising take on Ohio State football fans) and tried out a few different areas of study before falling in love with chemistry.

Today, she serves as a technical fellow at Battelle, a position in which she sets the technical direction for material sciences work at the Columbus-based research giant.

Check out our full interview to hear more from Heintz about how she's handled working in a male-dominated industry, why she opted for a job at Battelle over seeking out a professorial gig in the world of academia and more.

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But that's not what Heintz wanted to do. The chemist and materials scientist had her sights set on a pair of recognitions within the company: Inventor of the Year and Distinguished Inventor, the latter of which requires 14 U.S. patents. So she eschewed the management path, stayed the course on the technical side, earning the Inventor of the Year recognition in 2016 and ultimately crossing that 14 patent-threshold.

Then she decided she wanted to do more. In 2018 she was named Battelle's first technical fellow, a position she herself had proposed. (The company has since added a second fellow and Heintz expects there will be more.) In her role, she sets the technical direction for the $5 billion research nonprofit's material science work, and is fulfilling her desire to "do something bigger."

Heintz talked about her career path during a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast while sharing her best advice for other women in their careers. It's important to know when the time is right for a new position or a potential promotion, she said, or when you'd be better served by staying where you are.

As we wrapped up our podcast interview at the company's new headquarters – just one piece of a $65 million project that represents a dramatic shift for the company as it readies to enter its second century – I asked Ingram to talk about her own future. Pulling out that most cliché of job interview questions, I asked Ingram: "Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"

Beyond remaining "gainfully employed at White Castle," Ingram said she's focused on raising her children to add value to the world, and continuing to give White Castle employees a place to work that makes them feel loved, challenged and provided with plenty of opportunity. Then she turned to the long history behind her.

"I just hope that I can make a difference," Ingram said. "When my great-grandfather started the company (in 1921) I don't know that he thought that … he was going to build an iconic American brand and really leave a legacy on fast food and history. And my whole goal is trying to figure out how do I continue his positive legacy momentum and create my little part of that legacy as well. And so I hope to be able to do that in all aspects of my life."

For more from Ingram, check out our full podcast interview.

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The company she leads, White Castle System Inc., is about four months into its tenure at its brand-new headquarters, part of the $65 million Reach on Goodale headquarters. The new building is completely open-concept, with even Ingram and her fellow executives sitting out on the floor without an office door to hide behind.

“I figured … if I’m going to going to say, ‘No, nobody’s having an office,’ I have to lead,” Ingram said, while hosting the Women of Influence team for our first remote podcast recording at that new building.

(For purposes of the interview, we made use of the building’s library, one of a few spaces in the building that do allow for private conversations and meetings.)

Check out the preview episode of the podcast to hear more from Ingram on how she’s adjusting to the new environment and for her reflections on the move and redevelopment as a whole.

Also, you’ll hear some of my thoughts on some of the most powerful women in music, including a Netflix documentary recommendation and a hot take on that Super Bowl halftime show.

Of course she wasn't yet Debbie Penzone at that point, she was just a girl from Springfield with a talent for making people look beautiful. When she expressed her dream to one of her teachers at cosmetology school, though, she was surprised at the reaction she got.

“Debbie, you’re a small-town girl," Penzone remembered her teacher telling her. "And I really don’t think you’d fit in there.”

It was a blow to the young stylist, who put that dream on the shelf and instead took a job at a place called Tangles on Bethel Road. Luckily for Penzone (and for her future husband and colleague, Charles Penzone), that's not where her journey ended.

Check out our latest Women of Influence podcast to hear how that "small-town girl" wound up running and ultimately rebranding the very salon chain her teacher didn't think would be a fit for her – and what the experience taught her about the importance of finding the right mentor.

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Why? Because she feels women are unfairly expected to pay high prices for salon haircuts from a stylist they loyally visit every six weeks. Having just booked my own high-priced salon haircut for early February, I felt personally affronted by Hayleigh's critique, even as I agreed with it.

That's why I decided to shake things up a bit on this week's episode of Women of Influence. Check out the episode, embedded below, to hear Hayleigh and I debate – or at least discuss – the expectations and judgements that plague professional women and their haircare regimens, why we make the choices we do and whether or not this all relates to the patriarchy and the so-called pink tax.

Fittingly, our next guest on the podcast is Debbie Penzone, president and CEO of Penzone Salons + Spas. I interviewed Penzone before Hayleigh made her Great Clips confession, but Penzone's commentary about her career in the beauty industry is still thematically relevant.

Our full interview with Penzone will air next week, but for now, we're sharing her comments about the pros and cons of working closely with her husband and what it was like to take over and, ultimately, rebrand the business he founded.

In short, James has a long resume and a lot of demands on her time. So when she came in for our Women of Influence podcast, I asked her how she keeps her plate from overflowing: How does she know when it's time to say no to something, and how does she say it?

Her answer? That's something she's still figuring out herself.

“I probably don’t say no very well," James said. "But I’m still learning. Because my preference is to say yes, and I if I have to say no, say, ‘No, not me, but here’s someone, or here are two or three people, that I think might be interested in doing this. Can I introduce you to them?’ And that has worked out very well.”

For more from James, check out the full interview

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Then she had a stroke.

"It was what the doctors would technically call a mini-stroke, but it didn't feel mini to me," James said during a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast.

James, who was only 49 at the time of her stroke, recovered, but she saw the medical scare as a reason to think about what the shape of her career should look like.

“It caused me to rethink. It was a moment for pause, and to say, ‘Ok, what is it I really want to be doing? What else do I want to do?’" James said. "And I knew I wouldn’t be able to figure that out if I kept doing what I was doing.”

Check out our biweekly podcast preview episode to hear more from James on her decision to leave Nationwide and ultimately launch her own business, Lardon & Associates.

You'll also hear some thoughts from me on one of the biggest stories of the week (think British royals) and how its relates to the question we ponder on this podcast.

"That's … the sort of thing that really just gets my ire up," Mitchell, president of Inspire PR Group, said during a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast.

In Mitchell's view, her line of work does involve working with reporters to share stories, but she can't "snap (her) fingers" and make a negative story go away, nor can she immediately place any positive one. The idea that she can is "frustrating," and something she works to educate her clients and others about regularly.

"There's no silver bullet," Mitchell said. "Marketing can't fix operations. … You can’t just fix something away with PR. You have to work through it."

In our interview for the podcast, Mitchell talked about the ways she helps clients work through crises, as well as how an internship got her into the field as a college student and still continues to impact her today. Check out the full conversation to hear more on those topics and more.

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But the Inspire PR Group founder has a simple reason for the reason her firm is currently entirely staffed by women: it's data, not just demographics. The women who Mitchell has hired on the people who've performed the best on what her team dramatically refers to as "the test."

"Anybody who wants to work at Inspire takes a five-part test," Mitchell said during a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast. It can take two to three hours, and forces candidates to demonstrate their abilities in the core functions of public relations work.

It's not the only part of the interview process, Mitchell said, but it is "the one objective thing we have to look at."

Check out this week's preview episode of Women of Influence to hear more from Mitchell and how and why the test is an effective hiring tool. You'll also hear my take on the biggest lessons I've learned from the interviews I've done for the podcast this year.

Now the associate vice president of local government and community relations at Ohio State University, Bartley's resume includes time spent with both city and state government, in the nonprofit world and in the private development community. She's been closely involved with Franklin County's Rise Together anti-poverty initiative and serves on several boards across the region.

In short, Bartley has made her voice heard in a variety of spheres that influence the future of Central Ohio. That's something she's never been afraid to do, as she shared during a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast.

Her educational path, which went from the Columbus School for Girls (where she was the first African American student) to Wellesley College(one of the Seven Sisters), instilled in Bartley a sense not only that her "opinion was valid," but also that it was important to make share whatever opinion she shared had purpose.

“I am a very observant person, I listen a lot, but I feel my opinion is as valid as any other woman or man," Bartley said. “I think that has really been very integral in my success moving forward, being diplomatic in what I say, but being impactful and intentional. … It’s not about chatter, it’s about making a difference.”

Check out the full episode to hear more from Bartley on how her childhood in Columbus, her parents' focus on education and her biggest failure ever helped make her the power player she is today.

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It didn't go exactly as planned.

"When I started with Diversified Development, that is when the recession hit,” Bartley, now a vice president with Ohio State University, said during a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast. “At that point in time the banks were not lending to anyone who didn’t really have a portfolio."

Although much of what the firm was working on then has since become a reality after the recession, working there made for a challenging couple of years for Bartley. She left after about two years, taking a job with the state.

For more on what that experience taught Bartley, check out our preview episode of our Women of Influence podcast. You'll also get to hear a bit of my thoughts on a group of arts organizations' efforts to preserve the home of local artist Aminah Robinson, a project we wrote about earlier this week.

That, in a nutshell, is how she decided to become executive director of the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation (previously the Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation) in 2011. And it changed many things about her daily life – including how people reacted to her when she approached.

"i used to be a litigator, so when people would see me coming down the hall they would turn and walk the other way, because I could be serving them with something or asking for something they didn't want," Lloyd said. "And then I decided to say yes and become the director of the foundation, and now that we give money away people come at me when I'm walking down the hallway."

Lloyd talked about her career transition and how it has and hasn't changed her daily life during our Women of Influence podcast. Check out the full episode to learn more about that, hear the harrowing story of how she decided to be a lawyer, and to find out what the Ohio Justice Bus does.

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She knew she wanted to help people, which is why she decided to join the Peace Corps. One day, while teaching English in Kenya, she found herself and her fellow faculty members detained by armed military personnel for 24 hours following the publication of banned content in her students' makeshift newspaper.

"It was discussed how you were not allowed to say things that were critical of the government," Lloyd recalled. "And I thought, 'Wow, I need a lawyer.'"

Lloyd, who today serves as executive director of the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation, shared that story during a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast. The full episode will air next week (early, ahead of the holiday), but check out our preview episode for a sampling of what's to come.

"The thing we need to focus on setting up for ourselves as much as mentorship is sponsorship," said Brilliant, who earlier this year became CEO of Columbus-based Diamond Hill Capital Management. "We need to make sure we are cultivating relationships with people who are in the room when decisions are being made about things like promotions and compensation.

"It's the people who … stand up for you when you aren't there that really help you take your career to the next level."

Brilliant shared her thoughts on the importance of those sponsorship relationships, something she said men are better at building than women are, during a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast.

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"I was more keep your head down and just do your best and I could be successful anybody else could too," said Brilliant, who became CEO of Columbus-based Diamond Hill Capital Management earlier this year.

But about seven or eight years ago, Brilliant changed her mind.

"I thought, ‘Well, if women had the equal opportunity to be successful in this industry, there would be more of us," Brilliant recalled during a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast.

Since then, Brilliant's researched the disparity between men and women in her industry, and thought extensively about proactive steps business leaders can take to correct pipeline challenges and identify talented people in other industries whose skills might translate to finance. We'll share my full conversation with Brilliant next week, but this preview includes some of her recommendations for how to increase gender parity and cognitive diversity, recommendations that can apply in any workplace.

Also during this preview episode, I talk a bit about the "broken rung," an issue identified by a recent report from McKinsey & Co. and LeanIn.Org as one of the biggest challenges hurting women's pursuit of leadership positions in corporate America.

"Not making enough mistakes," Cacchillo, chief experience officer at Safelite AutoGlass, said during a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast.

Early in her career, Cacchillo said, she was perhaps "more (of a) perfectionist than (she) need to be." She's since realized that it's important not only to take risks, but also to let go of some of the details that can hold back success. That's become even more important, Cacchillo said, since she took on her new role at Safelite this March.

"With the expanded responsibility I've had to learn to really trust my team, and to earn their trust, so I can help guide more and do less, and build their capability," Cacchillo said. "I probably held on to the details longer than I should have. … It's okay not to be in the details."

Check out the full interview to hear Cacchillo talk more about the ways she's learned to let go of those details as well as her career journey, which has included stops at Accenture and L Brands.

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That's what Cacchillo pointed to when asked about the best decision she's made in her carer, a career that's led her to her relatively new position, chief experience officer at Safelite AutoGlass.

"The thing that I did to be successful is I just took a piece at a time," Cacchillo said. "I didn't try to swallow it all or be all that the next day. It was: Where can I start … and incrementally make a difference?"

Cacchillo talked about her approach to risk-taking during a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast. We'll share our full conversation next week, but you can hear more from Cacchillo on how she approaches risk-taking in our biweekly mini-episode. You can also hear her advice to people just getting started in their careers, advice that dovetails closely with her willingness to take on projects she hadn't necessarily planned to.

"Don't try and plan it all out from day one," Cachillo said. "Some of us get so linear in our path and set so many timeframes that it actually puts pressure on ourselves."

On the subject of timeframes, my contribution to this week's episode is all about a personal marker that many people (self included) use to measure if they're keeping up with the plans they've laid for themselves: turning 30. I recently hit that particular milestone, and was aided in my introspection about it by a feature in The Lily, a Washington Post publication, titled "The Jessicas are turning 30."

For more on the rationale behind that headline (if you were in grade school in the 1990s you will certainly understand it) and why I think the piece is worth reading regardless of your relationship to the big 3-0, check out our podcast preview.

She’d left her job as a CPA with KPMG a few years earlier, as she realized the demanding travel schedule and hours required for work at that type of firm weren’t conducive to having young children. Instead, she started doing project-based work for a few clients, and within a year found herself with more business than she alone could handle.

It was time to decide: should she go back and get that “real job,” or should she turn her consulting practice into a real business.

“So I drafted a business plan, and had this grand plan for how I was going to serve large companies and grow into a big service firm,” Kaiser said during a recent interview for our Women of Influence podcast. “Everybody said I couldn’t do it.”

For a time, the pushback caused her to second-guess. Kaiser wanted to give employees a unique modeling of scheduling, wherein they could tell her how much they wanted to work and she would find projects to fit them. The people Kaiser brought her business plan to pushed back on that vision, telling her “big companies will not buy from you in the way that you want to provide services.”

“I decided I wasn’t going to let other people tell me what I could do,” Kaiser said.

Today, three decades later, Kaiser Consulting counts Cardinal Health, Nationwide, Honda, Express and Abercrombie and Fitch among its clients.

“I’m kinda thinking (the doubters) were wrong,” Kaiser said.

And while the unique scheduling model does change the way the company builds its culture and its team, Kaiser said she sees another benefit from it. People are eager to come work at the firm, giving Kaiser a leg up in a market where talent is increasingly hard to lure and keep.

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What they're looking for in a job interview, then, is more of an intangible quality.

"We tend to like people … that have batteries included," Kaiser said. "“They’re going to be out there at the client site, and they have to be a self-starter."

Kaiser, who launched her consulting business nearly 30 years ago and has since grown it to about 70 employees, shared her thoughts on hiring during a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast. Our full conversation will drop next Friday, but we're sharing a preview this week including Kaiser's thoughts on hiring and growth, plus her story of proving the naysayers wrong with her business.

Also in this preview: a few more thoughts on the interview process from yours truly, plus my favorite interview questions as shared by our 2019 C-Suite Award winners.

After realizing her nightclub ownership dream wasn't exactly realistic, Angel made her way to Columbus City Hall, first working on a few campaigns (including former City Council President Jerry Hammond's) and then snagging a job as a legislative aide for the council. It was then that she connected with "a young, brand-new council member named Michael B. Coleman," Angel recalled in a recent interview for our Women of Influence podcast.

That young councilman, of course, went on to become Columbus' longest-serving mayor, and Angel worked in his administration for two separate stretches, taking a 10-year gap in between to get to know the private sector. Today she leads the YWCA Columbus, a nonprofit that strives to eliminate racism and empower women.

For Angel, the job is a chance to effect change in areas that have long driven her passion, ash she brings to the Y to the table on conversations about housing, equity and more. Listen to our full conversation to hear more about the high-profile stops along Angel's career path, the reasons the Y's mission is meaningful to her, and the ways she's shaped and changed the organization in about two years at its helm. There's talk of the difference between the public and private sector, plus some reflection on how an organization like the YWCA thinks about its all-female board and largely female leadership team.

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Other times, you realize that you probably should go back to school and get that degree.

We’ve got examples of both in this week’s Women of Influence podcast preview, our off-week mini-episodes in which we share snippets of our full interviews with some of the most powerful women in Columbus’ business community, and I share some commentary on notable news of the week or other interesting factoids about women in business.

This week’s commentary is all about Phoebe Waller-Bridge, newly minted winner of multiple Emmys whose show, Fleabag, has won hearts and minds even as I myself haven’t quite been able to make myself watch it. As you’ll hear in the episode, Waller-Bridge’s now beloved television show began its life as a Kickstarter campaign for a theatrical performance just six years ago.

On the other end of the spectrum, our guest this week was gracious enough to share the story of a big dream she had that didn’t work out: opening a nightclub. Don’t worry, things still turned out okay for Christie Angel, the CEO of YWCA Columbus and an accomplished veteran of former Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman’s administration.

We’ll share our full conversation with the well-connected Columbus power player next Friday, but for now, check out our preview episode to hear how Angel found her way from aspiring nightclub owner to nonprofit CEO and community leader.

But then, last August, she ascended to the top job at the makerspace. Early in her tenure as CEO, though, she learned an important lesson about what it takes to be the "frontman" of an organization.

"I was still running into situations where'd I be, say, upstairs in our coworking space, chatting with people around some coffee and someone would say … 'Which business do you run?" McCarty recalled during a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast. Sheepishly, she would answer, "This one."

"So that's a lesson learned," McCarty said during our interview. "Even if your job description isn't necessarily out if in front, if you have career aspirations, you better make sure people know your face."

Check out our full conversation with McCarty for more leadership lessons and to learn more about how her background in criminal justice impacts the way she does her job today.

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"Who even is she?" McCarty said she imagined the (largely male) members of the makerspace saying when they saw McCarty, a neophyte to the world of the "maker" industry, trying to make necessary operational changes.

"I was just expecting all of this pushback," said McCarty, who joined the Idea Foundry as COO about eight years ago. "That's not what I encountered at all."

"The members … wanted it to be successful" she said. "All these anxieties about being in this overly male-dominated space didn’t end up coming to fruition.”

McCarty, now a year into her tenure as CEO of the makerspace, shared that memory in a recent conversation for our Women of Influence podcast. The experience taught her that there's not much to be gained from being nervous about entering a male-dominated space as a woman in leadership.

That's not to say, of course, that she's never encountered some "toxic sexism" in her work life. Check out the teaser below to hear how McCarty handles those issues, plus my own recap of some conversations about women in leadership that came up at this week's L Brands investor day.

As she advanced in her career, one of the biggest challenges Burger faced was figuring out how to break out of the accounting sphere and into the wider world of opportunities at the firm. Eventually, she said, she realized one action that could help get her where she wanted to go.

"When we had some big problems that needed to be solved, I raised my hand," said Burger, who now serves as chief control manager, managing director and Columbus location leader for the financial giant.

Burger's willingness to take on problems is perhaps best-evidenced by her work on JPMorgan's acquisition of Washington Mutual during the 2008 financial crisis. Check out the latest episode of our Women of Influence podcast to hear Burger talk about that experience and for more of the lessons she's learned throughout her career.

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The reason? They show you what not to do.

Burger, who leads JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s Columbus operation and also serves as a managing director and chief control manager for the financial giant, talked about her good and bad mentors during a recent taping of the Women of Influence podcast. She shared some of the worst advice she's ever received, as well as the No. 1 tip she'd give to others looking to follow in her footsteps.

Today's teaser also includes the first installment of a new feature I'm bringing the these biweekly episodes: some news you can use or otherwise interesting information related to women in business. This week, we're talking about Dolly Parton, because, well, shouldn't we all always be talking about Dolly?

Kate Finley, who founded the public relations firm in 2013, didn't necessarily set out to do that. Men have worked for the firm, and she's open to the idea and would make the necessary cultural adjustments if one joined. But there's another factor driving her as she builds her company.

"I love investing in women," Finley said. "There are not enough opportunities, still, for women."

In the latest episode of our Women of Influence podcast, Finley talks about how that female-dominated environment leads to a sisterly vibe, and how her team avoids the cattiness that some picture when envisioning such a group. The key, she says, is a philosophy called radical candor.

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But for Finley, that two-week trip made all the difference. And it taught her an important lesson: Even in a demanding field like public relations, there's advantages to be had from giving yourself time to recharge.

Finley, the CEO and founder of Belle Communication, shared that insight during a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast. The full episode will drop next week, but for now, check out the preview below for a sampling of what else Finley had to say.

Her partners in the business are longtime friends, defying the conventional wisdom that you shouldn’t go into business with friends and family. And they’ve built their IT business “from the heart” and “run it from the heart,” not putting emotions aside in the way Brock said many preach.

And on the whole, Brock said, “it’s been absolutely awesome.”

Brock, whose IT firm Leading Edje LLC is consistently one of the region's fastest-growing companies, shared more details on what it means to build a business with your best friends on the latest episode of the Women of Influence podcast. Check out the full episode to learn more about that dynamic, as well as to find out what job led a young Brock to lie about her age and where the "wacky spelling" in the company's name comes from.

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In 2009, after her marketing agency closed, she and a colleague decided to co-found their own special projects company – in the middle of a recession.

"But it felt almost less risky to go out on our own," said Apfelstadt. "Somehow we landed, even though it was really hard. Starting a business in the recession is no joke."

In this episode of the Women of Influence Podcast, we talk about co-founding a company, confidence, and how to deal with being a young female in the workplace.

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In fact, all of the leadership team at the special projects company are female.

"We have an all female leaderships team," she said. "And its not that we decided upfront that thats how it should be – it's just how it happened to be."

"I think that there is an area that can be brought on from having an all-female leadership team that creates a little more empathy and help and guidance from the idea of young working parents being a part of our team."

I recently chatted with Apfelstadt for Women of Influence, our bi-weekly podcast in which we hear from some of the most successful female executives in Columbus. Our full conversation will be released next Friday.

Until then, enjoy a preview of our interview and get the scoop on how Apfelstadt makes Treetree work as a family-friendly company, and how she puts herself in her employees shoes with company policies.

"But that's part of the exhilaration," she said. "The highs are really high, and the lows are really low."

Friedman, the founder and CEO of Tenfold, knows a lot about the highs – she's successfully launched and scaled a business that recently made the Inc. 500 Companies List – and the business itself is only five years old.

But she's no stranger to the lows, either.

Friedman said that unfortunately, Tenfold, the local strategy and creative firm, is only part of 12% of businesses in the Fortune 500 that are owned by women.

"That makes us proud, but also very concerned," she said.

In this episode of the Women of Influence podcast, Friedman talks about the hurdles of being a woman business owner, gives the rundown on whether or not an MBA degree is worth the cost, and also who inspires her most – her restauranteur mother and jelly factory owner grandmother.

"I think I learned from both my grandmother and my mother is that they were who they were," she said. "They weren't going to change who they were as a person, in whatever role they had – whether that role was boss or mom – and they did it in their own style."

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"Typically you aren't given opportunities you don't ask for," she said. "But if you're not willing to raise your hand and say 'I want this, what do I need to do to get it?' ... I think when you show that initiative, it almost never goes unnoticed."

Picazo calls it "setting the table for yourself" in your career.

"Don't wait to be asked for a seat at the table – set the table," she said.

In this episode of the Women of Influence podcast, Picazo also goes deep on what it's like to be a company founder, the work that's truly needed to start your own business, dealing with "mom guilt", and also gives some practical tips for all you future female entrepreneurs out there.

Take a listen to the episode to hear more career advice from Picazo, and follow our podcast page on Soundcloud or subscribe on iTunes to keep up to date on the newest episodes.

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Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf

Speaking up and being honest were what helped Campbell climb her way up the venture capital ladder to her C-Suite position she holds now within Rev1, the local venture capital firm.

At times, however, she said that she had to learn how to reign it in.

"Sometimes I can be direct and cut to the case," she said. "That's the thing I've had to adjust to the most ... (learning from) the wisdom of the team and not just the wisdom of one."

Campbell, our most recent guest on the Women of Influence podcast, sat down with us and told us about what got her involved in the startup world and how she managed to get to the top, while also making sure she was being herself – which she said can be a challenge for some women in the workplace.

The key, she said, is to be true to who you are – whether you're extroverted or introverted.

"You don't have to be a certain way to get to a certain point," she said. "Embrace the style you have, and push to be heard."

Take a listen to the episode to hear more career advice from Campbell, and make sure to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

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And Columbus City Councilwoman Liz Brown said she know what that feels like, particularly because she works a very public-facing job.

But she said she had to get to a place in her career where she had to just stop worrying about it – no excuses.

"It's hard. I choose to ignore it a lot," she said. "Because there really is nothing good that came come from someone who says that I have no business running for office because I'm pregnant."

"I'm probably not going to be able to change your mind through a Twitter battle," she said. “What I can do is try to kick ass in my job, and normalize women leadership.”

In this week's episode of the Women of Influence podcast, Brown sat down and talked with us about how she got started in politics and how you can, too – but that you need to do it for yourself and not because someone asked you to.

We also talk about what it's like growing up with Ohio Sen. Sharrod Brown as your dad, why she chairs the finance committee on council but hates math, and what the biggest misconceptions about being a female politician are.

To take a listen to our past episodes and be the first to know when we drop more in the future, subscribe to Columbus Business First on SoundCloud and iTunes.

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Griesmer went from wanting to be a journalist for Rolling Stone magazine, to being a trial lawyer for 15 years, to helping kickstart the $200 million nonprofit Peletonia to becoming the face of the largest foundation for women and girls in Columbus.

On this week's episode of the Women of Influence podcast, Griesmer talks the times in her career when that dreamer mentality and "warrior spirit" was met with enthusiasm.

But there were also times when it wasn't fully understood.

We also talk about the good stuff, like wearing a red pantsuit to an interview, taking career risks, the truth behind gender bias and how everyone should get a law degree – even if they never end up practicing law.

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Take the road less traveled. Wait tables. Seek out new adventures, even if it seems risky.

The executive director of the Greater Columbus Sports Commission knows a thing or two about it from personal experience. She moved to Columbus and waited tables for a few years at the Funny Bone comedy club before she really started to become a name in the travel and sports scene.

Now, she's up at the top. But it hasn't all been smooth sailing. She had to negotiate her way there, find her inner confidence and learn how to "create (her) own magic."

In this episode, Linda and I talk about what she had to do to become one of the most-known names in the city, and about a ton of other practical advice. Examples include when to talk about having kids with your boss, being a woman in the sports world and leaving our misconceptions about leadership at the door.

Interested in learning from the top women in the city? Subscribe to Columbus Business First on Soundcloud or wherever else you might get your podcasts.

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Enter Women of Influence, the newest podcast from Columbus Business First.

This bi-weekly podcast will feature in-depth interviews with some of the top women in Columbus. We'll be chatting about everything. From finding a mentor and negotiating for yourself to personal stories of trial and triumph, this podcast will cover it all.

Falon Donohue, CEO of VentureOhio and one of CBF’s 2019 40 Under 40 honorees, recently sat down with us and told us her story. From being in the military to becoming a recognized leader in venture capital, Donohue never stops showing up and letting her voice be heard.

In this episode, we also talk about the important stuff that every woman is dying to know about – like crying at work and how awkward networking can be for even the best of us.

Tune in to hear get the whole rundown from the CEO herself.

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