This episode’s guest is Sarabeth Berk, PhD. Sarabeth has pioneered a new concept called career hybridity, and recently published the book More Than My Title: The power of hybrid professionals in a workforce of experts and generalists. Through research and a deep understanding of the modern economy, Sarabeth deconstructs and rebuilds our notions of …

Ryan McCarty is the co-founder of Culture of Good. The philosophy of Culture of Good is this: When your employees and your customers rally to a common cause, good things, even great things, result. Today’s workers seek out workplaces that embrace a bigger cause. That means that if you want to attract, or even keep, your best employees, you might ne…

Welcome to Season 2 of Midwesternish, a podcast where we discuss philosophies of work, culture, and everything in-between. The first guest of season two is Brock Leach. Full of wisdom and life experience, Brock is a personal mentor to me. Brock worked at PepsiCo for nearly 30 years where he served at various times as CEO of Tropicana, CEO of Frito …

In this episode we explore the topic of promotions during a pandemic. With millions of Americans currently out of work, it can seem strange to discuss promotions. However, at several high-growth companies, promotions are still occurring. Such is the case for Spring Venture Group, which just announced a 400 person hiring surge due to increasing dema…

Our guest for Episode 3 of the Remote Leadership Series is Courtney Carpenter. Courtney is a sales manager at Spring Venture Group in Kansas City, where for months she has been leading a distributed workforce sales team pilot, the first of its kind for the company prior to the coronavirus pandemic. Join us as we talk about the future of remote work…

Cody Ball is a Senior Sales Director with Spring Venture Group in Kansas City. Join us as we discuss what it looked like behind the scenes to transition a company remotely overnight, the challenges leaders face in remote environments, what he’s learned about himself as a leader, and what he hopes to bring with him into his work moving forward.…

Hello everyone and welcome to the inaugural episode of Midwesternish: A Podcast, where we discuss the philosophies of work, culture, and everything inbetween. Tonight's first guest is Taylor Steinke, a Sales Manager at Spring Venture Group in Kansas City. Widely regarded as a culture guru with a heart for developing leaders, Taylor is an excellent …

Midwesternish listeners, we have a new podcast for you! KCUR's Suzanne Hogan brings you tales of the everyday heroes, renegades and visionaries who shaped Kansas City and the region. If these stories aren't told, they're in danger of fading into the past. The first episode drops February 6. Apple Podcasts | Spotify…

Minnesota wants to rebrand itself as "The North," because apparently they think they're different from the rest of the Midwest. So, is it time to break up? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher .由Gina Kaufmann, Suzanne Hogan

The Midwest has a reputation for being a bland, neutral, accent-free place. But experts say that simply is not true. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher .由Gina Kaufmann, Suzanne Hogan

We produce a lot of food in this part of the country, and some of it ends up as school lunch. But with every cafeteria tray comes a large helping of economics and politics. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher .由Gina Kaufmann, Suzanne Hogan

Singer Vanessa Thomas credits her idyllic childhood in a cozy Kansas town for her international success. But she ended up in that town through a set of dark circumstances. And her path forward hasn't always been a straight shot. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher .由Gina Kaufmann, Suzanne Hogan

Midwesterners are used to seeing squirrels all over the place - in the woods, in cuisine (really) and in their front yards. But some species are leaving the Midwest for the west coast and abroad. And they're not making friends easily. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher .由Gina Kaufmann, Suzanne Hogan

What's it like to be an icon in the Midwest? The tap-dancing McFadden Brothers tell the story of their coming up, and how they're carrying on a legacy for African American arts in the Midwest.由Gina Kaufmann, Suzanne Hogan

People have been intentionally destroying cars in demolition derbies for generations. It's like the Midwest's Colosseum. But the old school demo derby is running out of gas. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher .由Gina Kaufmann, Suzanne Hogan

When we talk about being from the Midwest, it usually comes with some familiar words. "Quaint" and "old fashioned" or worse, "close-minded" and "too slow." So are they true? Well - it's complicated. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher .由Gina Kaufmann, Suzanne Hogan

Ever been to a squirrel cook-off? How about the demo derby? Well ... that's ok. Here in the Midwest we eat all kinds of food, play all kinds of sports and maybe aren't exactly what you thought — particularly if you identify as a Midwesterner yourself. Midwesternish is a podcast that explores (and sometimes explodes) what it means to be Midwestern. …

Reporter Laura Ziegler reflects on what bringing her family and her father under one roof really meant. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher . Music: " Feathered ," " Silent Flock ," and " On Belay " by Blue Dot Sessions; all have been edited for length.由Gina Kaufmann, Matt Hodapp, Laura Ziegler, Sylvia Maria Gross

For his day job, he smoked ribs at a barbecue joint. But his secret identity was a playwright. Hear Nathan Louis Jackson's journey to becoming a writer for television and stage, including the Netflix series Luke Cage. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher . Music: " Set The Tip Jar ," and " Balti " by Blue Dot Sessions; all have be…

When you start a show called "Midwesternish," at some point there'll be an episode about The Wizard of Oz . If this film defines Kansas for the entire world, what exactly does it say and do we believe it? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher . Music: " Filing Away ," " In Passage " and " On Belay ," by Blue Dot Sessions; all have …

2015 was the most successful year since 1969 for the nation's largest cassette tape manufacturer. We meet the founder of that company, based in Springfield, Missouri, and try to figure out why people are returning to cassettes. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher . Music: " Pulsars ," and " Jetsam " by Podington Bear, and " Manel…

The Garden of Eden isn't as far away as you might think. It's in the small town of Lucas, Kansas and it's filled with art. On this episode, a grassroots art project and it's unexpected caretaker. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher . Music: " Home Home At Last ," " Drifting Spade ," and " City Limits ," by Blue Dot Sessions; all …

What happens when a state regulates a tradition practiced on stoops and living room floors for generations? Missouri hair braiders say you could end up disenfranchising a community. On this episode: African hair braiding in the Midwest. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher . Music: " Home Home At Last ," " Sunday Lights ," and " O…

It's one of the hardest conversations to have: the conversation about abortion. But what if we tried to just talk about it without all the politics. We sat down to hear two women share their stories, they stand on opposite sides of the issue, politically, but they've both had abortions. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher . Music…

Roger Thomas wants you to move to his hometown, Orrick, Missouri, in order to save a small town that's only getting smaller. But can he convice you to see what he sees in Orrick? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher . Music: " Milkwood ," " Paper Napkin ," " Algea Tender ," and " On Belay ," by Blue Dot Sessions; all have been edi…

The story of how one Kansas City man's DIY fireworks display got completely out of hand. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher . Music: Gentle Marimba by Alastair Cameron, The Stars And Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa由Gina Kaufmann, Sylvia Maria Gross

Can you imagine what it would be like to regain your sense of hearing after years of silence? Regaining the ability to hear isn't as simple as flipping a switch. Hear what Rob Jefferson heard as he relearned to hear with cochlear implants. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher . Music: " Dirtbike Lovers " by Blue Dot Sessions; it h…