Professional Humans

In this episode of Professional Humans, Elli and Jenna sit down with Matt Stahl and Stiles Anderson, co-founders of Ascent Community. The conversation explores how their organization evolved from Studio E to become a holistic development program centered around four key elements: wellness, adventure, connection, and pursuit. Matt and Stiles share their personal journeys of realizing that traditional success wasn’t bringing fulfillment and how they created Ascent to help high-achieving individuals find balance through intentional practices, community support, and structured reflection. Their approach includes innovative “recalibrations” (not retreats!) designed to help members step back from the daily grind and reconnect with what truly matters. This episode offers valuable insights for anyone feeling stuck in relentless pursuit mode while neglecting other essential aspects of life.

Jenna & Elli, with their guest Amy Brown, explore how traditional work structures can stifle innovation and harm employee well-being, making a compelling case for prioritizing results and impact over hours logged. Through personal experiences and industry insights, they unpack the crucial role of trust in the workplace and challenge leaders to reimagine what success truly means. Whether you’re a manager looking to transform your team culture or an employee seeking more autonomy, this conversation offers fresh perspectives on creating workplaces that embrace diverse working styles while building more equitable and productive environments for everyone.

Jenna and Elli talk with Pablo Alejo as he delves into the art of building a meaningful professional network over his 25-year career. Pablo shares insights on moving beyond transactional networking by focusing on authentic human connections, stressing the importance of nurturing client relationships and understanding business needs in creative work. He candidly discusses his journey through industry changes, the value of specialization, and addressing network gaps when considering entrepreneurship.

elli and jenna dive into what it looks like to carve your own career path, however circuitous that may be, in order to honor the time and focus you have for your family. there are many barriers that get thrown into your career path when you become a parent - limited flexibility, less access to networking and on the job opportunities, biases and stigma, and of course child care costs....but what we focused on in this episode is risk taking as it relates to your career path.

Jenna and Elli dig into both the emotions and the tactical response to being laid off with guests Carrie Bucko and Clinton Forry. Great insights and advice not only for folks who have been laid off, but also some tips for those who might be anxious it could happen in their current role.

Join us as we welcome Dessa, a multifaceted creative force known for her work in music, writing, and public speaking. Explore her journey from childhood aspirations of business to becoming an artist whose career spans hip hop shows, orchestras, and even the BBC. Dessa shares insights into balancing artistic creativity with the demands of running a business, recounting her early influences, career milestones, and the administrative challenges she faces. Discover how language remains at the core of her diverse artistic endeavors and learn the importance of following your curiosity.

In this episode, Jenna and elli delved into the complexities of advocating for oneself in the workplace and what happens when it doesn't go the way you wanted. The episode highlights the importance of resilience, persistence, and viewing setbacks as a time to learn.

In this episode, Elli and Jenna discuss neurodiversity with former consultant and current student Emma. The trio explore what it means to experience and interact with the world in various ways, the concept of masking, and how understanding and perceptions of neurodiversity are evolving over time.

hosts Elli and Jenna chat with their long-time friend, Ben Steinbach, about something we've all faced: feeling totally overwhelmed. Ben shares his own story of hitting, and growing through, a breaking point and how he uses the analogy of 'the Gardener and the Flower' as a way to think about personal balance - sometimes we do the caretaking, and sometimes we need to be taken care of. The crew discuss how tough it can be to admit when we need help, why it's actually super brave, and some practical ideas on how to find personal, sustainable equilibrium.  If you're feeling like you're drowning in responsibilities or just want to hear an honest and earnest account of finding real balance (it's totally possible!), give this episode a listen.

It’s live episode time!! Elli and Jenna, a dynamic audience of Professional Humans, and Fathom Consulting CEO, Kate McRoberts, come together to celebrate the launch of Gray Cardigan and its founder, Mark Hines. Their discussion tackles the often-undiscussed topic of asking for help, delving into the value and the challenges that can present, especially in professional settings.  Listen in for an entertaining and enlightening conversation about into the importance of asking for help, practical tips to overcome the stigma, and how to build a supportive workplace culture.

In "What if you need a coach?", Elli and Jenna talk with the lovely and lively Alison Gretz about her journey from corporate design leader to launching her own coaching business. They delve into the essence of coaching versus traditional leadership, and Alison shares her more authentic spin on the 'fake it til you make it' adage: "embody it until you become it." Alison is committed to making coaching more accessible and creating workplaces where everyone feels valued and understood, and her tale is the journey of reinventing oneself, the value of real leadership, and the role of coaching in empowering people and shaping teams.

Elli and Jenna chat with Mark Hines (Gray Cardigan) and Robert Nelson (Soto Digital),  wonderful folks who've recently dived into different entrepreneurship ventures. They share their experiences making the leap, tackling everything from dreaming up ideas to drawing in clients and nailing down prices. It's all about the crucial choices they made early on and how they continue to quickly adapt to what the market wants and needs.

Elli introduces new host, Jenna Alden! And they talk about what's in store for the next era of the podcast! And they definitely do not talk about Oregon Trail.

As we wrap our series in partnership with the University of Minnesota about facing and addressing racism in the workplace, our guests share ideas for how to continue to normalize the behaviors that will drive more equity and less bias.

As we continue our exploration into how race and bias impact our work experience, we talk with Bruce and Ryan about their experience with typecasting themselves into the same roles repeatedly and how that might inhibit professional growth.

Aileen and Elli talk with Lynn Farmer and Terry Harris about the experiences they've had with mentors and allies. Lynn and Terry share great insights that will help anyone in a leadership role or early in their career.

In partnership with the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, we are honored to have hosted a virtual event on June 25th, featuring students of the Carlson School as well as professionals from our community to come together and share knowledge and experiences that we will all be able to learn from.

This week, our guest Eri O'Diah shares a few of her experiences of being the youngest and only black person at work early in her career. Today, she runs a marketing company that she founded - but she still carries some of the damage that was done by corporate abuse.

Elli chats with Aaron Keller, founder of Capsule Design in Minneapolis, about the importance and tactics of networking - especially if you can't meet in person.

Elli has a conversation with Jeff Gothelf, author of Lean UX and Sense & Respond. Jeff has a new book coming out called Forever Employable, and it's a timely subject as our unemployment rate continues to climb during the COVID crisis.