BPW Member Spotlight Questions

1- Can you please give us a brief introduction of who you are and your current Business.  Married with two grown children. Glad to be back in NC. Sr Mgr of Industry Strategy at American Express. 

2- Why did you join BPW?  I am new to Cary and want to meet Professional Women and learn their stories.

3- What are your favorite hobbies and interests outside of work?  We have so much fun  hanging out with my grown children, and I am  interested in art. Pictures are so interesting- how often do you get to see the world through some one else eyes?

4- What is your favorite Super Hero and why?  Moms - all Moms who manage competing priorities and make everyone feel loved ! Talk about a Super Hero!

6- What chores do you hate doing?   All chores are not my friends ! Lol

7- What did you want to be when growing up?  Gosh- I cannot recall an ambition. 

8- If you could learn to do anything what would it be?.  Voice Lessons, I would like to learn to read music.

9- How do you define Success?  People. The people feel valued and are contributing to the best of their ability. 

10- What can BPW do to support you in your Business?  I am really looking forward to meeting everyone and learning from you! 

Can you please give us a brief introduction of who you are and your current business? 

My name is Jill Badalati and I recently moved to Raleigh from Durango, Colorado to be closer to family. After years of managing and owning my own business, I founded Endurance Within. I'm a Resilience Coach specializing in sound therapy.  I work with individuals and group sessions. 

Why did you join BPW? 

I joined BPW to build friendships and network with like minded women. 

What are your favorite hobbies and interests outside of work? 
Trail running, cycling, powerlifting. My husband and I love the mountains so we like to load up our gear and two dogs in the campervan and explore. 

What is your favorite superhero and why? 
I would have to say Wonder Woman as she has great physical, mental and spiritual strength. She uses her strengths as power versus force to help bring out the best in people while being loving and supportive. 

What chores do you hate doing? 
I grew up on a ranch, so anything that requires a shovel or a rake. 

What did you want to be when growing up? 
Sports Agent

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be? 

Ice Climbing 

How do you define Success?
Success to me is living authentically and incorporating daily practices that help me become a better version of myself. 

Do you have a favorite quote or inspirational phrase? 

1. “And into the forest I go to lose my mind and find my soul”  John Muir

2.

Metta ( Loving-Kindness)

May I be filled with Loving-Kindness

May I be peaceful and at ease

May I be well and Healthy

May I be safe from inner harm and outer harm

May I be free

May I be happy

What can BPW do to support you in your Business?  
Continue to provide an environment to network, learn and share.

·       Can you please give us a brief introduction of who you are and your current business? 

·       Why did you join BPW?  

·       What are your favorite hobbies and interests outside of work? 

·       What is your favorite super hero and why?  

·       What chores do you hate doing?  

·       What did you want to be when growing up?  

·       If you could learn to do anything what would it be?  

·       How do you define Success?

·       Do you have a favorite quote or inspirational phrase? 

·       What can BPW do to support you in your Business? 

• Can you please give us a brief introduction of who you are and your current business?

• My name is Lauren Leggett… I am a North Carolina native, mother and learning and development professional with a focus on the insurance industry.

• Why did you join BPW?

• I was introduced to BPW by one of my best friends and current member. I view BPW as a way to build connections with other professional women in the triangle and get me outside of my comfort level a bit building connections and networking.

• What are your favorite hobbies and interests outside of work?

• Some of my favorite hobbies and interests outside of work would have to be spending times with family and friends, shopping, watching college basketball/football, a good brunch and beach day. Wow, I promise I’m not thattttt basic;-)

• What is your favorite Super Hero and why?

• I would say that my favorite super hero probably has to be my mom. I’m not well versed in all of the ‘true’ superheroes but she is one that I’ve always admired, appreciated, respected and wanted to emulate. She is strong and confident.

• What chores do you hate doing? 

• A chore that I really dislike doing would have to be either putting the laundry away OR washing my car. I love the outcome of both but finding that motivation is rough. BUTTT you put me in front of some dishes and it’s on ;-)

• What did you want to be when growing up?

• Growing up I wanted to be a meteorologist. I used to go to sleep watching the Weather Channel – weather on the 8’s. This probably lends to my fascination and slight obsession with the weather even today.

• If you could learn to do anything what would it be?

• If I could learn to do anything, it would likely be having some sort of musical or artistic ability. I admire art and music but give me a paint brush or microphone and you’ll run the other way.

• How do you define Success?

• I think each individual defines their own success. Success looks very different for many people. For some it’s money, some it’s status, some it’s having children, etc. For me success is better attained in smaller chunks – and for me specifically, sometimes that needs to be daily. Did I speak kindly to myself, did I complete the items on my to- do list, did I do something positive to impact someone else.

• What can BPW do to support you in your Business? 

• BPW can support me/my business by providing a way to connect with other strong professional women not only to grow in my professional development but also in my personal life as well. Hearing tips and tricks and success stories for what has worked for other ladies is a huge reason why I’m here.

• Can you please give us a brief introduction of who you are and your current business? 
•  I’m Jackie Flynn.  I work at MYCO Medical Supplies, Inc.   We’re a small but mighty team of people trying to reduce healthcare costs by bringing competition and innovation to healthcare with the products we supply.  I lead the supply chain and distribution teams.  I work with over 15 global manufacturers of medical devices helping introduce and launch their products in the US Market. 

• ·      Why did you join BPW?  
• I was invited by one of your members (Juwana Hancock) to attend a dinner meeting.  The topic was on point, but more importantly, I really enjoyed the interaction.  It was an incredible opportunity to listen to women speaking of their experiences in workplace/life that were similar to my own. 

• ·      What are your favorite hobbies and interests outside of work? 
•  Right now, all of my free time is devoted to my new puppies, Ferguson & Leonard.  I love to read and listen to music. 

•    What is your favorite super hero and why?  

• Hmmm..that’s tough.  I’m going to go with Flash because he can get things done faster and I would love to have that power.

• ·      What chores do you hate doing?  
• I absolutely cannot do dishes.  I can’t stand wet food.  I don’t even understand how people put their hands in water with foreign objects floating around in it.  That is a superpower. 

• ·      What did you want to be when growing up?  
• A lawyer like Grace Van Owen from LA Law.   I still do.

• ·      If you could learn to do anything what would it be?  
• Really play piano.  I still sound like my 14 year old self when I play.  

• ·      How do you define Success?
• I’ll let you know when I think I finally have achieved it!

• ·      Do you have a favorite quote or inspirational phrase? 
• “Weaknesses are just strengths in the wrong environment.” — Marianne Cantwell

• ·      What can BPW do to support you in your Business? 
• Continue to offer meetings with relevant content.  Foster a safe environment for women to share their experiences and learn from each other

• Can you please give us a brief introduction of who you are and your current business?
• • My name is Lauren Moock. I work for a property insurance company, serving roles as a project manager and team lead for a claims admin team
• Why did you join BPW?
• • I joined BPW after my first BPW meeting in 2021. We had our first in person meeting at my office and our CEO emailed out invitations. I really enjoyed the speaker; she spoke on how to handle receiving all types of advice in the workplace. At the end of the meeting, it was mentioned that a social chair position was open, and I thought – “I’m social! I could do that!” and I emailed Leslie the next week and expressed my interest. Here I am today!
• What are your favorite hobbies or interests outside of work?
• • My absolute favorite hobby and interest outside of work is spending time with my 8-year-old daughter, Nina. We spend our free time outside playing any and all sports, inside making arts and crafts, and cooking together!
• What is your favorite super-hero and why?
• • Storm from Marvel Comics is my favorite superhero for a couple of reasons. First, she is part of X-men, who fights for equal rights between humans and mutants. Second, Halle Berry did an excellent job playing her role, and Halle Berry is awesome!
• What chores do you hate doing?
• • Laundry. I hate laundry the most!!!
• What did you want to be when growing up?
• • Apparently, I wanted to be an actress that wore really fancy dresses. My mom found an old poem of mine from 4^th or 5^th grade where I wrote about how I was going to grow up, become an actress, wear long dresses, and drink from a coffee cup.
• If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?
• • Scuba dive. I’ve travelled a few places and snorkeled, but I think it would be really cool to explore an old shipwreck or something!
• How do you define success?
• • I believe if I am happy with my present day life, I am successful. I think we so easily define success for something we are seeking or a past accomplishment. Everyone has successful moments and not so successful moments. At the end of the day, if I’m happy with my life, I have success!

Can you please give us a brief introduction of who you are and your current business?

My name is Karen McCann. As an experienced IT Program Manager & Agile Scrum Master, I have led teams to develop the latest technologies for over 15 years within small companies, large corporations, and the US government.  I am currently networking to discover opportunities to increase the value of IT systems within new organization. My family and I relocated to Raleigh 6 years ago from Washington DC.

Why did you join BPW?

BPW is a dynamic organization where I expect to meet female leaders in new industries in Raleigh/Durham. BPW affords me opportunity to “give-back” by using my vast network of IT professionals, organizational skills, and project management techniques to enhance the group and its agenda.

What are your favorite hobbies or interests outside of work?

Spending time with my family.

What is your favorite super-hero and why?

Wonder Woman as she is a powerful role model for young girls.

What chores do you hate doing?

House cleaning.

What did you want to be when growing up?

An Astronaut.

What do you like to do on your days off?

Go on day trips with my family.

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?

Increase my technical knowledge in the areas of Artificial Intelligence (Deep Learning) algorithms and Quantum technologies.

How do you define success?

Success is working with AI technologies in a challenging position that fully utilizes my project management and team building expertise.

What can BPW do to support you in your business?

BPW is a great resource to network within the local business community and to reach companies that need expert IT project management. I would most appreciate warm introductions to organizations looking to improve their management of IT system development and operations.

Tell us a bit about yourself, Stephanie!
I'm Stephanie Ross, I'm a certified health educator and health coach, and I'm the owner and founder of Crown Wellness Coaching. I offer integrative health coaching and a lifestyle medicine program. I partner with physicians, corporations, and individuals to help improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs.

How have you engaged with BPW so far?
I joined BPW in order to network with other women. You know, before getting into the professional world, I'd been a stay-at-home mom for about 10 years. I built up a really good network there with other moms, but as far as stepping out into the professional world, I didn't really know anybody. So, BPW has been a good way just to help me meet other women; I've participated in some of the networking events so far.

Who has helped you most in your career?
I would say, actually, my husband. He has been really supportive. At the time, I was pregnant and just had a whole lot to keep up with, so he was really good about taking on additional responsibility there. And then, through all of the training for health coaching, he's been really supportive, and certainly in launching the business as well.

What are your hobbies or interests?
I really enjoy reading, so anything, of course, about health and lifestyle medicine. But as far as personal reading, I like mystery novels. My oldest daughter and I actually read Nancy Drew together a lot, so that's fun. I also like Reader's Digest Magazine -- I read that every month. I like traveling as well, when I get the chance... not so much now. And just spending time with family.

Which superpower would you choose?
I would probably say super speed, just because that would let me do some of the mundane things, like cleaning the house, just really fast, so that I could spend more time doing other things.

What's your favorite restaurant or food?
Favorite restaurant for sure is Sassool. It's a Mediterranean restaurant. I usually get a platter with samples of different things. My go-to is called veggie kibbeh. A sweet potato salad, a fava bean salad, and roasted vegetables: that's my favorite combination.

What has been your most interesting job?
I would say what I'm doing now. One of the programs I facilitate called CHIP stands for the complete health improvement program. It's a 10-week intensive lifestyle medicine program. It's holistic, so we cover nutrition, exercise, stress management, sleep, social connection, and substance use. Participants who go through that really see improved health outcomes, and so it's really... I really like being able to share all the information, because it's so comprehensive, and just seeing their participation in it and seeing improved health outcomes.

What can the BPW community do to support you?
I would say just continuing to hold networking events. I really just love to meet other women  and we can just bounce ideas off of each other, get to know each other.  It's really good relationship building.

Tell us a little about yourself, Retz!
I am the international portfolio manager for Islamorada Investment Management, and I'm also a wealth manager, helping people manage their finances. I'm also chair of the investment committee of the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, which is a scientific grant organization in the Research Triangle.

How have you engaged with BPW so far?
I belonged to the BPW of the Upper Key Century Club for seven years, and that was just such a great experience with making great colleagues and connections in the community, and I missed it a lot. We had the last presentation in Florida, I gave the last presentation in-person, actually, last January, and then we moved to Raleigh last July.

I was missing the BPW so much that I searched to find one that would be in this area, and in the beginning of January, I joined. I've just been in on a couple of the sessions and starting to meet people. I'm very excited about the cross-section, it seems, of the members. I look forward to the fellowship of the group, meeting people in person.

My experience with BPW--and I believe it will translate to the Triangle too--is that it's a diverse group of women, and sometimes men, who represent a whole bunch of different parts of the community, and they're an important part of the community, and that's what I hope to grow to be.

What are your hobbies or interests?
I play piano. I've switched my lessons to Zoom now, but I've been taking lessons for over  12 years. I like to study languages. So--it used to be--I would be traveling a lot overseas and would have to at least get around. When it's warmer, I like to swim and I like to hike in local parks. And read. We have two dogs, and dogs are hobbies and family and part of the family too.

What's your favorite travel spot?
Japan. I actually was supposed to go there for vacation last June but that got postponed. I've been there over 10 times to do research on companies.

I was there during the tsunami and earthquake, the rather large one at the beginning of last decade. And although I always loved going there because of the food and the culture, what really impressed me during that very scary event was the way that the local population not only took care of themselves during a really, really devastating time, but how they actually cared for even people like me to make sure that I was safe and got to where I had to be and to do what I had to do.

So I really, I love the landscape. I love the culture. I love the food. And I hope I get to go back.

What was your favorite TV show growing up?
The Mary Tyler Moore Show. It wasn't just a great comedy, it was the fact that she was a woman taking charge in a business-type situation that was not always kind to women.

What has been your most interesting job?
The one I have now is probably the most interesting, because everything I've done before in finance, I'm using now. It is a 2-person company. I'm doing the international work and the managing partner is doing domestic equities. And I'm doing everything from analyzing stocks and building portfolios to doing trades to talking with clients and putting things in databases. Hopefully traveling again too.

Which superpower would you choose?
Right now, flying. It's socially distanced, when it comes down to it. But it would be really nice to be able to to fly and go to different places. Even if it's just to wave into people's windows, to be able to see people that I haven't seen for a while and miss.

What can the BPW community do to support you?
Like my experience with BPW has been in the past, and I believe it will be in the future, is to become more integrated into the community. I don't know what all is here, I don't know what all the needs are. I think through BPW, I will get to find that out. Not just of financial needs, but about everything from charitable needs to social needs.

It's my experience, again with BPW, is that they're very integrated into the community. And having moved here recently, that's what I would like to have. Also, I'm just starting to learn what the skill set is of the members of this BPW, and I'm going to be needing some of those skills, so I really look forward to more and more interaction--even if it's just by Zoom now--and getting to know the members and what we can offer each other.

Earlier this month we exchanged holiday recipes. Feel free to add your own in the comments!

Cranberry Torte
shared by Marcy Stahl

Ingredients
1 bag of fresh cranberries (about 2.5 cups)
½ c sugar
½ c chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
1 c sugar
1 c flour
½ c melted butter
¼ c melted shortening
2 eggs

Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 10” pie pan (or 9x9 square pan).  Add berries.  Sprinkle with sugar and nuts. Beat eggs, gradually add 1c sugar and blend well.  Add flour, butter, and shortening. Mix well. Pour over berries, cook for 1 hr.  Top should be nicely browned and a knife inserted comes out clean.

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Chocolate Rum Balls via keyingredient.com
shared by Jami Yazdani

Ingredients
3 1/4 cups crushed vanilla wafers
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup rum

Instructions
In a large bowl, stir together the crushed vanilla wafers, 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, cocoa, and nuts. Blend in corn syrup and rum. Shape into 1 inch balls, and roll in additional confectioners' sugar. Store in an airtight container for several days to develop the flavor. Roll again in confectioners' sugar before serving.

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Cranberry Orange Bread via Betty Crocker
shared by Jami Yazdani

Ingredients
3 cups fresh or frozen (thawed and drained) cranberries
1 2/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons grated orange or lemon peel
4 eggs
3 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose or whole wheat flour
1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Instructions
Move oven rack to low position so that tops of pans will be in center of oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans, 8 1/2x4 1/2x2 inches, or 1 loaf pan, 9x5x3 inches.

Stir together cranberries, sugar, oil, milk, vanilla, orange peel and eggs in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into pans.

Bake 8-inch loaves 50 to 60 minutes, 9-inch loaf 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans and place top side up on wire rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.

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Eggnog
shared by Jami Yazdani

Ingredients
1/2 pint bourbon
1 pint heavy cream
4 pints milk
3/4 cup sugar
6 separated eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
pinch (optional) nutmeg

Instructions
In a bowl beat the egg yolks with the 1/2 cup of sugar until thick. In another bowl beat the egg whites with 1/4 cup of sugar until thick. In a third bowl beat the cream until thick. Add the cream to the yolk, fold in the egg whites, and add the milk, Bourbon, Vanilla, and a pinch of nutmeg if desired. Chill in freezer before serving.

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The Best Cinnamon Rolls via tasteoflizzyt.com
shared by Sandra Stowe