3, 2, 1 iRelaunch Podcast

EP 249: Big Career Pivots: From Professional Dancer to Professional Chef with Steve Konopelski

Today we welcome Chef Steve Konopelski, a Broadway dancer turned pastry chef who is Chef Instructor with the prestigious Auguste Escoffier Culinary Institute. Steve explains how he successfully navigated his extreme career transition; starting with how he thought of his new career goal in the first place, to…

EP 248: Relaunch + Career Shift: Investor Relations to Hospital Administration, with Wendy Schlatner

Wendy Schlatner’s career started in investment banking and investment relations. She took a 16-year career break and then made a career transition when she relaunched in medical practice management. Her interest in the new field was peaked after spending several summers running the health office at her kids’ sleepaway…

EP 247: Discussing their New Book How to Leave the Law, with co-authors Liz Brown & Amy Impellizzeri

Liz Brown, a lawyer turned business professor, and Amy Impellizzeri, litigator turned novelist, are the co-authors of How to Leave the Law, a guidebook for lawyers considering a career change, that was released September 6, 2022. Listen in as we speak with Liz and Amy about their individual career…

EP 246: Returning to the Legal Profession After a 12 Year Career Break, with Kendra Johnson

Kendra Johnson is currently Senior Counsel/Manager, Management Liability Claims at the global insurance giant, Markel Corporation. Kendra had been out of the legal profession for over 12 years when she attended our Spring 2019 iRelaunch Return to Work Conference in metro Chicago, at a pre-Pandemic time when our conferences were…

EP 245: Returning to Work as a Salesforce Administrator, with Supermums Founder Heather Black

Heather Black is founder and CEO of Supermums, an organization that trains relaunchers and others to be Salesforce administrators. In 2010, Heather became an “accidental” Salesforce administrator for her non-profit, helping to establish their customer relationship management system (CRM). She loved it so much that two years later she…

EP 244: The Mental and Emotional Journey of a Career Break and Ultimate Relaunch with Steve Deeble

Steve Deeble is a Senior Technical Writer at Gurucul, a global cybersecurity company protecting data and information from insider threats and external cyberattacks. He has taken career breaks to care for his father following a stroke, and to transition back to a technical career after 12 years as a video…

EP 243: Relaunching at Lockheed Martin after a 20 year Career Break, with Jennifer Tufillaro

Jennifer Tufillaro is a Control Account Manager for the Radar Systems Engineering Group at Lockheed Martin. She initially joined Lockheed Martin after receiving her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Villanova University, and subsequently took a 20-year career break for childcare reasons. Jennifer returned to Lockheed Martin when she relaunched…

EP 242: The Career Journey from Military Spouse to Strategy Consultant, with Monique Garcia Rizer

Monique Garcia Rizer was a military spouse for 13 years to a reserve service member. She relaunched twice, first after her partner's deployment, and second, after a major life transition. Monique currently serves as Vice President of Freedman Consulting, a consulting firm focused on strategic planning and policy development for…

EP 241: How Persistence and Risk-taking led to a Partner Role in Silicon Valley, with Anita Rehman

Anita Rehman is a Partner at GSV in Silicon Valley who took a 2-year career break. Her experience encompasses roles as an entrepreneur, investor, and advisor to global companies in the Technology sector. Prior to GSV, Anita was an investment professional at Vantage Point Capital Partners where she invested in…

EP 240: Financial Decision Making When Reentering the Workforce, with Lazetta Rainey Braxton

Lazetta Rainey Braxton is the co-CEO of 2050 Wealth Partners, a financial planning firm. She is also the Founder and CEO of Lazetta and Associates, a consulting practice that helps financial services firms create culturally aware and hospitable workplace environments. Today we are focusing on financial decision making when returning…

EP 239: The Unexpected Path from Corporate to Becoming a Chocolate Sommelier, with Estelle Tracy

In 2015, Estelle, a French native, resigned from a career in proposal development at an ERP software company to meet the demands of mothering a child with special needs and a new baby. Shortly after, she turned published a food survival guide for French people in the US. Next, she…

EP 238: Relaunching after Challenging Life Events and Transitions with Kimberly Frost

Kimberly Frost is the Director of Public Sector Growth at Britton Industries, a circular eco solutions company, where she manages recycling initiatives throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania, tapping into her passion for creative repurposing and sustainable materials management strategies. Following a relocation and birth of her son, Kim took a…