Work Stew Podcast

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Whenever I see high-rise window washers, I always think of Roko Camaj, an Albanian immigrant who worked at the World Trade Center for 26 years, before he died in the 9/11 attacks on the towers. I didn’t know Mr. Camaj, although I happened to work with a relative of his; like millions of others, I learned about his life mainly by reading about him in The New York Times. One of the things that always came across in the profiles about him was how much he loved his work. Clipped in 1300 feet above the street, he reportedly found a freedom in it that gave him great joy.

Those two words, freedom and joy, don’t come up all that often talking to people who sit all day in desk jobs. I’ve started to think that physical labor might bring with it both a sense of light heartedness and a sort of deep satisfaction that office jobs rarely do; that was certainly one take-away from Samantha Cole’s essay about becoming a carpenter. I could never be a high-rise window washer—I’m far too afraid of heights—but I still feel like there’s something to be learned from people who are able to do this kind of work, so I sought out David Schmidt.

About David Schmidt: David Schmidt began working as a high-rise window washer in his twenties and went on to own his own window cleaning company. After nearly two decades in the window cleaning business, David sold his company and started a new venture: the Dutch Bike Company. His bike business now has two locations, in Seattle and Chicago, and is growing fast. But David still cleans high-rise windows from time to time—just because he loves it.

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One of the questions I’m looking to explore through Work Stew is this: is it possible to achieve a position where there is no significant dissonance between your personal beliefs and your professional roles? This is a question I’m eager to discuss with people in a wide range of jobs, but because I earn a living writing for various clients, I was especially interested to talk with Dan Gerstein. As a political commentator, Dan speaks for himself, but as a former speechwriter and the founder of Gotham Ghostwriters, he understands full well the dynamics of promoting someone else’s agenda. In the interview, we discuss some of the issues that writers for hire have to work through and, in a dizzying tour of current events, we also touch on Greg Mortenson’s ghostwriter, the Kardashian sisters’ publishing plans, and the statement that Anthony Weiner should have made.

About Dan Gerstein: Dan Gerstein spent 10 years as a speechwriter and communications strategist working in the U.S. Senate and for two presidential campaigns before becoming a political consultant and commentator based in New York City. He has become a national media figure as a contributing columnist for The Wall Street Journal and The Politico, and he regularly appears as an analyst on Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC. In 2008, Dan founded Gotham Ghostwriters, a firm that specializes in long-form writing such as books, speeches, op-eds, white papers, and corporate reports.

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On the last show, I wondered whether the answer to finding true job satisfaction is to have at least two jobs, one that pays the bills and one that’s a labor of love. But in this episode, I spoke with Nancy Slotnick, who found a way to build a successful business out of the activity she most enjoys doing: helping people to find the right life partner. Talk about a labor of love.

About Nancy Slotnick: Nancy Slotnick is a professional Dating Coach with hundreds of successful marriages to her credit. With a degree in Psychological Anthropology from Harvard and experience as a corporate headhunter, she decided more than 15 years ago that what she was most interested in was helping people with their personal relationships. In 1996, she built Drip, a coffee bar/dating service on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Several years later, she founded Cablight, a ‘lovelife management’ company that offers a range of products and services including coaching, classes, and other dating and relationship resources. Nancy has appeared on numerous television programs including Oprah, The Today Show, Good Morning America, and The View. Her work has also been featured in a wide range of publications including The New York Times, Newsweek, Time, and The Chicago Tribune.

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Erin Kane is the co-creator and co-host of Manic Mommies, a wildly popular podcast that was founded six years ago by Erin and her then-neighbor Kristin Brandt. I think this interview will be of interest to new podcasters like me, but the main reason I wanted to talk to Erin is that I think she’s part of a genuine trend—a trend in which people, both women and men, are wearing more and more work hats in order to satisfy the full range of their work needs.

In Erin’s case, she’s worked in the field of public relations for many years—and Manic Mommies, even as it has grown into a real and viable entity, continues to be something of a sideline. More than a hobby, but not quite a full-time job. I’m starting to wonder if this approach—balancing multiple jobs rather than looking for a single role that both pays the bills and is deeply satisfying—is the best way for many of us to crack the ‘What should I do with my life?’ conundrum for once and for all. I’m not sure, but I found my conversation with Erin to be interesting food for thought.

About Erin Kane: Erin Kane is a public relations professional who left a job in public television to start her own publicity agency. In addition to her PR work, she is also the co-founder, producer, and promoter of Manic Mommies, a resource for working mothers that has grown to include, in addition to the podcast: a robust online community, an annual retreat, and various other extensions. Erin also writes about work/life on a weekly basis for Real Simple’s Simply Stated blog.

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The subject of air traffic control has been in the news a lot in recent weeks, but many of the pundits weighing in on the issues are not people who’ve personally spent any time in the tower. So I asked veteran air traffic controller Bob Richards if he’d be willing to share his thoughts with Work Stew. In this special episode of the podcast, he fields a wide range of listener questions, including the inevitable: “Have you ever napped on the job?” He also shares his recollection of O’Hare’s famous UFO incident.

About Bob Richards: Bob Richards worked as an air traffic controller for 25 years; for 22 of those years, he was at the nation’s busiest airport, Chicago’s O’Hare International. Since retiring in 2007, Bob has written a book called Secrets from the Tower; he has also made many media appearances, and he serves as a part-time aviation consultant for various news organizations.

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This episode continues the conversation on teaching that I began when I spoke with Mary Egan, who switched careers from education to business and now has the top strategy job at Starbucks. The career path of Jane Viau has gone in the opposite direction: after 16 years in Finance, Jane left her investment banking job to become a high school math teacher. In the interview, Jane explains why she switched tracks; she also weighs in on the hot topics of teacher compensation and evaluation.

About Jane Viau: Jane Viau has been teaching at The Frederick Douglass Academy (FDA), a public school in New York City, for the past nine years. Before becoming a teacher, Jane worked in real estate finance and investment banking at MetLife, Fitch IBCA, and Merrill Lynch. At FDA, Jane currently teaches Statistics, Advanced Placement Statistics, and Advanced Placement Microeconomics. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Jane consults on AP textbooks and other teaching materials; she also serves on the Teacher Advisory Panel for the “Measures of Effective Teaching” project sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

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This episode features an interview with Mary Egan, who now heads up the global strategy function for Starbucks. I was interested to hear that Mary began her career not in a cubicle but in a classroom, as a middle school teacher in New York City. I wanted to learn what prompted Mary to switch from education to business, and I thought it would be interesting to capture this conversation alongside another interview I’ve arranged—with an investment banker who’s gone the other direction, leaving the world of finance to become a high school teacher.

About Mary Egan: Mary Egan joined Starbucks in 2010 as Senior Vice President, Global Strategy. Prior to joining Starbucks, she was a partner with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), where she was responsible for a wide range of consumer sector client projects. While serving commercial clients, Mary also led BCG’s New York City non-profit practice for five years. Mary began her career as a junior high math teacher in a public school in Harlem.

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This episode of the Work Stew podcast features an interview with Joe Hurd, who works at the U.S. Department of Commerce in a role focused on the National Export Initiative discussed in President Obama’s most recent State of the Union. I chose to interview Joe in part because he works for the federal government, and government employees have been a hot topic of late. But I was also interested in Joe’s story because he has spent most of his career in the private sector. I was curious to know what prompted him to switch gears.

About Joe Hurd: In October 2009, Joe Hurd was appointed Senior Director, Export Promotion and Trade Policy for the International Trade Administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce. (Better yet, he can actually explain what that means—check out the podcast to hear for yourself.) Prior to joining the Department of Commerce, Joe spent ten years in senior business development and international sales/operations positions for a number of Silicon Valley start-ups. Before Silicon Valley, Joe was responsible for business development in Tokyo and Sydney for America Online. He also practiced corporate and securities law in London with the British law firm Linklaters.

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The last lawyer I spoke to pursued a career in corporate law before becoming an entrepreneur. This episode showcases a very different path: a career in public interest law with one of the most high-profile and controversial organizations in the country, the ACLU.

About Ben Wizner: Ben Wizner is the Litigation Director of the ACLU’s National Security Project. He has litigated numerous cases involving post-9/11 civil liberties violations, including lawsuits challenging the CIA’s “extraordinary rendition” program, lawsuits challenging unlawful airport security policies, and, most recently, a suit challenging the government’s authority to use lethal force against U.S. citizens without due process. He has written widely on issues relating to detention, military commissions, state secrets, and accountability for torture. He has also appeared regularly in the media, testified before Congress, and traveled several times to Guantánamo Bay to monitor military commission trials.

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This interview was conducted in part to continue the conversation that Work Stew essayist Norman de Guerre advanced in his piece, “Calling Our Callings.” Whereas de Guerre writes that he has not yet found his calling, Google executive Gopi Kallayil says that he has in fact found a deep connection to, and deep satisfaction from, his work. In our conversation, Gopi suggests that fulfillment can be found in any job, provided you follow a few simple principles.

About Gopi Kallayil: Gopi Kallayil is a Group Product Marketing Manager at Google supporting the roll-out and adoption of Google’s advertising products. Before joining Google, Gopi held leadership roles at Silicon Valley start-ups Nextance and Allegrix; he also worked as a consultant with McKinsey & Co. Gopi is a frequent public speaker. He recently gave addresses both at TedX Berkeley and the Wisdom 2.0 Conference.

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