Work Stew Podcast

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Many amateur chefs dream of leaving their office jobs, enrolling at cooking school, and then going to work at one of the world’s best restaurants. But only a few follow through. After all, cooking school is expensive, and restaurant jobs are known for their grueling hours and low pay.

But Anette Kreipke did follow through: two years ago, she left her marketing job to study at the French Culinary Institute. She now works at Daniel, a three-Michelin-star restaurant in New York City. What I loved about my conversation with Anette was that she was so forthcoming: I came away knowing what cooking school costs and what jobs like hers pay. Best of all, Anette described what she actually does for twelve hours a day, six days a week (spoiler alert: it involves 400 pounds of chicken bones).

About Anette Kreipke: Before turning to cooking, Anette Kreipke worked in client services for Sapient Interactive, Razorfish, and Ogilvy Action Digital—all marketing agencies focused on developing digital advertising campaigns. Anette also has start-up experience, and, in earlier days, she put her Columbia MBA to use as an investment banker focused on privatization projects in developing markets including Mongolia, Ethiopia, Egypt, and the Balkans.

Photo credit: Eileen Miller

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A lot of new graduates, hoping that their work will contribute in some meaningful way to society at large, consider a career in the non-profit world. Similarly, many career switchers, tired of laboring long and hard in pursuit of narrow corporate goals, wonder if they might not feel more fulfilled taking their business skills to the non-profit sector.

I was interested in speaking with Jennifer Peters because her career path has gone in exactly the opposite direction: after working in the development sector for over 15 years, she decided to enter the business world. Savane Organic Skincare, the company that Jennifer co-founded with business partner Stephan Helary in South Africa, made its American debut earlier this year.

About Jennifer Peters: Jennifer Peters is an American citizen living in Johannesburg. For 16 years, she worked in the public health sector and focused primarily on programs concerning women’s reproductive health, malaria, safe water, and HIV/AIDS. She has worked in over 20 countries with a range of organizations including UNICEF, UNAIDS, and PSI. She continues to do public health consulting projects while working to expand Savane.

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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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