Uncharted Journey
by Cathy McKnight
Life is an adventure filled with great stories. This podcast captures and shares the adventures of amazing women, their careers, their success, and the secrets they learned along the way.
Podcast episodes
Season 4
Episode 81 – Kate Ertmann, Logic Driven Communicator
Kate Ertmann effortlessly moves between the worlds of business, math, and community service. Her expertise in Organizational Design is all about finding the sweet spot between humans and financials, helping companies and their teams thrive in the fast-paced 21st-century workplace. Kate’s Entrepreneurial journey began with Animation Dynamics, a 3D animation studio she led to success and sale in 2014. Firmly committed to building and being a part of communities, she holds board positions at Bradley Angle and Bitch Media, and she also served as President of the Rotary Club of Portland. In 2022, she launched "Kate Loves Math," a blog that demystifies math and offers practical insights. She’s also on the editorial board for the Mathematical Association of America's Math Values blog, bridging the gap between academics and non-academic types. Before her current roles, she had a vibrant career in entertainment, from acting in New York City to producing films and commercials. Her transition to 3D animation married her love for math and science with her creative skills. Today, Kate focuses on creating efficient operational structures that balance the well-being of companies and their people. Her mathematical approach to systems thinking and her dedication to community service make her a truly unique and inspiring figure. Driven to understand, her best advice is to “never leave the room without asking every question you have; that way, you and others have the answers you need. Kate Loves Math Kate on LinkedIn Kate Loves Math on Threads Kate Loves Math Instagram PJ Harvey's Man-Size video
Episode 80 – Nicki Traikos, Curious Creative Entrepreneur
Nicki Traikos is an inspiring, creative entrepreneur who has pursued her dreams and made a positive impact along the way. From a young age, Nicki had a deep desire to create beauty through art, but she allowed self-doubt and intimidation to hold her back. Everything changed when she turned 40. Finally, allowing herself to embrace her true calling as an artist, and she went all in on her curiosity-driven creative journey founding Life I Design, a platform that allowed her to fully dedicate herself to her passion for art and making while building a sustainable business. Nicki's approach to art is centered around making it accessible to all. Through her popular online classes titled "Watercolors Made Simple" and her recently published book of the same name, she invites artists of all skill levels to explore their creativity with freedom and joy. Her philosophy is straightforward but powerful: have the courage to try new things and find joy in the process of exploration. In addition to her artistic endeavors, Nicki is a firm believer in finding beauty in everyday objects. She encourages all of us to appreciate the world around us in a deeper way and find uplifting moments in our lives. As a mother to two grown children who are also pursuing creative paths, Nicki finds inspiration in watching them flourish and grow. When she's not creating beautiful artwork or teaching, she loves to travel and photograph new places, capturing moments that inspire her paintings, classes, and books. She embodies her advice of “find room to follow passion so that you can be your true self”. Life I Design Website Nicki on Instagram Nick on TikTok Nicki on LinkedIn Pinterest Life I Design Youtube channel Check out Nicki’s Books Join Nicki on her Water Colour Retreat in France
Episode 79 – Mehda Wilson, Empowering Financier
As the Group Chief Executive Officer at MicroLoan Foundation, Medha Wilson has dedicated her career to alleviating poverty and creating sustainable change for underserved communities. Under her leadership, the foundation's assets have quadrupled in just five years, and the number of active clients has grown from 44,000 to over 90,000. This incredible growth has made a tangible difference for women and children across Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Medha's journey is a testament to her remarkable blend of financial expertise and unwavering commitment to social impact. A Qualified Chartered Accountant with a degree in Econometrics and Mathematical Economics from The London School of Economics, she seamlessly navigates complex economic environments. She develops holistic strategies that drive sustainable change. London, UK-based, Medha is passionate about aligning her values, interests, and skills in everything she does. From her experience, she says, “When you combine persistence, stop fearing the unknown, and let passion drive you, you can make massive, positive impacts on the world and be fulfilled and successful at the same time.” Mehda Wilson on LinkedIn Microloan Foundation Ways to donate to help empower women and children
Episode 78 – Karrie Sanderson, Adventurous Leader
Karrie Sanderson is the dynamic and accomplished founder and CMO at K.E.S. Consulting. With a wealth of experience in growth marketing, brand leadership and strategy, creative studio management, and strategic consulting, she is a powerhouse leader who knows how to drive success. Her desire to be a journalist, with a detour via an engineering degree, landed her in the sweet spot of marketing that allowed her to blend her creative side and appreciation for structure and process. Karrie's impressive career includes CMO roles at Typeform and Smartsheet and impactful stints at iconic brands like The Coca-Cola Company and Starbucks. As a mentor at Techstars Seattle and a member of Chief, Karrie is passionate about driving growth through research, strategy, brand building, and dynamic leadership. Her belief in the power of brand building and the importance of creating high-performance marketing teams is the cornerstone of her success. She embodies the philosophy that brand building is not optional and that a strong foundation is key to achieving greatness. Based in Seattle, Karrie enjoys life with her family—both two-legged and four-legged members. She loves the outdoors, sailing, travel, and adventure and is always ready for the next exciting challenge. Her advice for those starting out in their careers? “Say YES! Raise your hand for new and challenging opportunities when they come along.” And be sure to take others along with you on your journey to success. Karrie Sanderson on LinkedIn
E77 - Jessie Shipman, Transformative Teacher
Jessie Shipman has established herself as a pioneer at the intersection of education and technology, paving the way for a brighter future. As the CEO and founder of Fluincy, Jessie Shipman has blended her teaching and technological skills and fostered an environment where her team can make daily impactful contributions. This approach has helped their customers enable partner selling, transform processes, increase success, and improve the lives of their staff, all in equal measure. But let's rewind to her beginnings as a high school history teacher. Jessie wasn't your typical memorize-and-forget classroom—oh no! She taught her students the power of actions and decisions throughout history and how they shaped the world we live in today. When she took on systems administration, her teaching evolved. She became the go-to guru for JamF adopters, and then at Apple, she moved on to teaching the teachers. From curriculum development to onboarding sales teams, she showed everyone how the right tools, the power of technology, and a dash of encouragement can unleash creativity and revolutionize the learning experience. Parker, Colorado-based, is a mom and wife, snowboarder, mountain biker, entrepreneur, and WiFi Nerd in varying parts depending on the day. Donning her bootstrapping CEO-founder hat, her best advice is, even when you have what you think is a great idea, make sure "to validate idea has legs in the market", and "don’t quit your job without 12 months of runway in the bank". Jessica Shipman on LinkedIn