In a Coma for 19 Days – 4 Life Altering Events That Have Tested Her Resiliency

Andrea Heuston is the CEO and Creative Principal of Artitudes Design, an award-winning creative agency. She has over 20 years experience in the design industry and has won several awards including Puget Sound Business Journal’s 40 under 40, the Annual Enterprising Women of the Year Awards for Enterprising Women Magazine, Cambridge Who’s Who, Key4Women Achieve Award, and more.

Andrea holds a degree in Communications and Design from the University of Washington. Apart from being an entrepreneur, Andrea is a speaker, author, and a volunteer who helps plan, purchase, prepare, and serve meals for the members of The Matt Talbot Center.

Andrea is also the host of the Lead Like a Woman Show

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Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

  • Andrea Heuston talks about how she ended up on a coma for 19 days
  • What is a lap band surgery, why Andrea decided to do it, and the positive results she observed post-surgery
  • Andrea recalls what happened during and after her surgery and how her husband sought get her treated 
  • Andrea talks about being put under medically-induced coma and her eventual recovery
  • The medical expenses the family incurred because of a rejected insurance claim before Obamacare
  • Andrea shares her realizations about the role of her family and friends in her recovery process and the lessons she learned
  • The need for a sense of resiliency, non-victim mentality, and optimism in life

In this episode…

Twelve years ago, Andrea decided to have a lap band surgery because she was unhappy with her body weight and wanted to get to her ideal body weight. What she didn’t know was that the positive results she experienced post surgery would be short-lived and that it would instead turn into a series of events that would require her to be placed under a medically-induced coma.

It was an experience that opened up her eyes to the importance of family and friends in a patient’s recovery process, and it also made her realize a few things about herself that she believes other people should be aware of as well.

In this episode of the Lead Like a Woman Show, Andrea gets interviewed by Dr. Jeremy Weisz of Rise25 in her own show about how her experiences as a coma patient impacted not just her life but the lives of the people she was closest to. Tune in as she talks about why she decided to get surgery,being diagnosed with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), being in a coma for 19 days, and the lessons learned from her experience.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

Sponsor for this episode…

This episode is brought to you by Artitudes Design by Andrea Heuston. Artitudes Design is an award-winning creative agency that has been creating visual communication for Fortune 500 companies for over 25 years. They have worked with notable companies such as Microsoft, Starbucks, Expedia, and have also served startups and nonprofit organizations.

They specialize in connecting speakers with audiences by creating visual value with presentations and through the creation of motion graphics, video, and content.

To learn more about Artitudes Design, visit their website today. Checkout their portfolio to see their previous projects, and contact them today to find out how they can help you bring your business a cut above the rest.

 

Fail Forward

Catherine Crosslin is the owner and CEO of Instar Performance, an internationally recognized personal and organizational development company. Catherine is an internationally respected leadership and organizational cultural consultant, executive coach, master facilitator and keynote speaker. Her engaging and interactive facilitation and coaching techniques help clients challenge and overcome deeply held beliefs and habits that inhibit growth, achievement and success. 

Prior to founding Instar Performance, Catherine dedicated 15 years to Gordon Graham & Co. Inc,where she led and developed for businesses in prison.

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Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

  • Catherine Crosslin discusses what it’s like running a leadership and organizational culture consultancy
  • How the automotive and sports industries tackle cultural issues, and how Catherine helps them stand out
  • Catherine talks about the similarity in human desire despite cultural influences
  • Catherine talks about working in male dominated fields and how she helps other women in the industry
  • How women can become more effective leaders and why it’s important for men and women to advocate for each other
  • Why having an abundance mentality is critical in uncertain times 
  • Catherine recalls her athletic career in highschool and college, why she started coaching, and what she learned in the process
  • Why Catherine believes women should fail forward and why young emerging leaders need leadership training and coaching 
  • Catherine shares the best pieces of advice she has received and how they helped her in her career

In this episode…

As more women take on leadership positions in companies and in different industries, the expectation to match men in order to achieve success can become overbearing. This is particularly true for male-dominated industries where the demand for women to behave just like men can be overwhelming .

But according to Catherine Crosslin, that shouldn’t be the case. Women can be more effective at work and they can achieve more if they stay true to who they are. By embracing their own uniqueness and working with who they intrinsically are, they will be able to accomplish more things. If things don’t go as planned, the best option is to fail forward and to continue pushing on. By treating their failures as learning experiences and mistakes as stepping stones for pivotal beginnings, women can open more doors of opportunities for themselves.

Join Andrea Heuston in this episode of Lead Like a Woman Show as she interviews Catherine Crosslin of Instar Performance about women in leadership and organizational culture. Join the conversation as Catherine talks about her experience and lessons learned while working in male-dominated fields, how women can be better leaders, what it means to fail forward, and the benefits of having an abundance mentality. Stay tuned.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

Sponsor for this episode…

This episode is brought to you by Artitudes Design by Andrea Heuston. Artitudes Design is an award-winning creative agency that has been creating visual communication for Fortune 500 companies for over 25 years. They have worked with notable companies such as Microsoft, Starbucks, Expedia, and have also served startups and nonprofit organizations.

They specialize in connecting speakers with audiences by creating visual value with presentations and through the creation of motion graphics, video, and content.

To learn more about Artitudes Design, visit their website today. Checkout their portfolio to see their previous projects, and contact them today to find out how they can help you bring your business a cut above the rest.

[Women of EO Series] Be Decisive

Jean ThompsonJean Thompson is the Owner and CEO of Seattle Chocolate Company, makers of the Seattle chocolate and jcoco fine chocolate brands. She has been running Seattle Chocolate for almost 18 years and has grown it from the ruins it was in after the Nisqually Earthquake in 2001 to the successful company that it is today. 

A native New Englander, Jean graduated from Bates College before embarking on a career in high tech. Prior to taking over the mantle in Seattle Chocolate Company, she was actively raising her two children in Bellevue, Washington and devoting her free time to nonprofit work. She had previously worked at Microsoft as a Corporate Communications Manager.

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Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

  • Jean Thompson talks about shifting from tech to chocolate, why she loves working at Seattle Chocolate, and how they’re adjusting to the pandemic
  • Jean talks about the changes in Seattle Chocolate since she took over and how she came up with their social cause branding
  • Jean talks about the ingredients she uses and the process of making their chocolate
  • What most people don’t know about Jean and what she wishes she knew when she started working in Seattle Chocolate 
  • Why businesses are personal for women and why having a quality business doesn’t equate to a fast-growing company
  • Jean gives her thoughts on the COVID-19 pandemic and what can be learned from it
  • Why being decisive is the best advice Jean has received, why it’s her business superpower, and the value of trusting experts
  • Jean’s tips on how to run a small company and what makes someone a good leader
  • Why lack of self confidence stops women from leading and how they can overcome it

In this episode…

With no experience in the chocolate industry, Jean Thompson found herself taking leadership of a small chocolate company in Seattle. She was the majority shareholder with a 95% stake after the Nisqually Earthquake of 2001, and it was her love for chocolate, her determination, and her willingness to learn and adapt which drove her desire to turn the company fortunes around. 

18 years later, Jean has learned a lot from running the chocolate company and she has evolved her company to have a social branding that impacts and touches many lives.

Andrea Heuston’s featured guest in this episode of the Lead Like a Woman Show is Jean Thompson, the woman behind Seattle Chocolate. Tune in as they talk about Jean’s transition from the tech industry to the chocolate industry, her shift from being a stay-at-home mum to becoming the owner of a chocolate company, the struggles and challenges women face in creating and leading companies, and why her decisiveness is her undeniable business superpower.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

Sponsor for this episode…

This episode is brought to you by Artitudes Design by Andrea Heuston. Artitudes Design is an award-winning creative agency that has been creating visual communication for Fortune 500 companies for over 25 years. They have worked with notable companies such as Microsoft, Starbucks, Expedia, and have also served startups and nonprofit organizations.

They specialize in connecting speakers with audiences by creating visual value with presentations and through the creation of motion graphics, video, and content.

To learn more about Artitudes Design, visit their website today. Checkout their portfolio to see their previous projects, and contact them today to find out how they can help you bring your business a cut above the rest.

[Women of EO Series] Be Fearless

Manon BuettnerManon Buettner is the CEO of Nuvalo, a company known for helping their customers with their IT modernization journey. She is an accomplished CEO, a mother, a former gymnast, and the co-founder of Cloud Girls, a not for profit community of female technology advocates and leaders. 

Manon is an expert voice on cloud enablement and IT business management, and she is also an infrastructure architect, data center and cloud analyst, strategist, and speaker with over 20 years of experience in the industry. She is a tireless advocate for women in technology and a leader amongst leaders. She is also a good friend.

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Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

  • Manon Buettner explains what IT modernization means and how she got into the field
  • Manon shares how she got into entrepreneurship and why she started her own tech company
  • How Manon delivers services to her clients in a male dominated field and how she empowers and elevates IT leaders
  • Things Manon wishes she knew as she was starting her company and her learnings from her biggest business mistake
  • How the COVID-19 pandemic is transforming the tech industry, the opportunities being created, and potential security risks that come with it
  • Manon discusses Cloud Girls and how the idea came about
  • Manon reveals why “be fearless” was the best advice she has ever received and why she advises the same to other women
  • The biggest challenge Manon has had to overcome in her business so far

In this episode…

In today’s rapidly changing world, people and companies are moving to a more application-centric economy. Businesses are migrating from hardware to a more subscription-based service which means more people are becoming more inclined to connect through cloud storage. Manon Buettner saw this opportunity as an opening for women to engage in a predominantly male-led industry.

In today’s episode of Lead Like a Woman, Manon Buettner, an expert in IT modernization, gets interviewed by Andrea Heuston about what IT modernization truly means and how she is able to provide cutting edge digital services in a male-dominated field. Tune in as she discusses her entrepreneurial journey, the reason behind Cloud Girls, and find out why she holds on to the best advice she has ever received: be fearless.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

Sponsor for this episode…

This episode is brought to you by Artitudes Design by Andrea Heuston. Artitude Design is an award-winning creative agency that has been creating visual communication for Fortune 500 companies for over 25 years. They have worked with notable companies such as Microsoft, Starbucks, Expedia, and have also served startups and nonprofit organizations.

They specialize in connecting speakers with audiences by creating visual value with presentations and through the creation of motion graphics, video, and content.

To learn more about Artitudes Design, visit their website today. Checkout their portfolio to see their previous projects, and contact them today to find out how they can help you bring your business a cut above the rest.

[Women of EO Series] The Power of NO

Dr. Kristin Kahle
Dr. Kristin Kahle, aka Dr. K, is the CEO and Founder of NavigateHCR, a full-service Affordable Care Act (ACA) and compliance technology company. In 2014 and 2015, she was awarded the “Most Influential Woman in Benefits” by Employee Benefit Advisor. More recently, Dr. K was nominated for the San Diego Business Journal Top Tech Award 2019, for the technology developed by NHCR. 

Highlighting her experience as a serial entrepreneur, speaker, coach, and mentor, Dr. K has published ‘NOtivation: Use the Power of NO to Make Your First Million Dollars‘, a transparent and honest guide to how she used the power of no to make her first and second and third million. 

Dr. K holds a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) from Argosy University, an MBA from the University of Phoenix, and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Pine Manor College.

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Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

  • What motivated Dr. Kristin Kahle to write her book, ‘NOtivation: Use the Power of NO to Make Your First Million Dollars’
  • Dr. Kahle shares the story of her brother Jason got diagnosed with leukemia and how it impacted her life
  • How Dr. Kahle embraces her femininity, owns her power, and how she interacts working in a male dominated world
  • Dr. Kahle talks about her mission of protecting American businesses and helping female business owners
  • Dr. Kahle discusses her work as a coach, mentor, and why she empowers other women business owners 
  • What Dr. Kahle wishes she knew as she was starting out and her 3 tips for running a successful business
  • How Dr. Kahle helps her team manage their time and the skills she looks for when hiring someone
  • Why being given a chance stuck to Dr. Kahle and how it affects her until today
  • Dr. Kahle talks about her creative side, being an includer, and why women should get rid of negative thoughts
  • Kristin explains what a ‘double-double’ means

In this episode…

At the tender of 5, Dr. Kristin Kahle was a strong willed little girl who wanted to save her brother’s life by donating her bone marrow. Jason had been diagnosed with leukemia and tests showed that Kristin was the perfect match. 

However, her family was not too keen on her being a donor, but she persisted despite repeatedly being told “No”, and her persistence paid off. This experience led her to become more determined and her strong will enabled her to be a great basketball player in college and eventually, she went on to become a successful entrepreneur. She set up and sold 3 successful businesses and now, she coaches and mentors other women business owners on how to create their own success story.

In this episode of the Lead Like a Woman Show, Andrea Heuston gets to interview Dr. Kristin Kahle about the power of ‘NO. Listen in as they discuss Dr. Kahle’s reasons for writing a book, how being able to say “NO” can motivate you to succeed, how she has thrived in a male-dominated field, and why Dr. Kahle believes it is important for women to put a stopper on negative thoughts. Stay tuned.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

Sponsor for this episode…

This episode is brought to you by Artitudes Design by Andrea Heuston. Artitude Design is an award-winning creative agency that has been creating visual communication for Fortune 500 companies for over 25 years. They have worked with notable companies such as Microsoft, Starbucks, Expedia, and have also served startups and nonprofit organizations.

They specialize in connecting speakers with audiences by creating visual value with presentations and through the creation of motion graphics, video, and content.

To learn more about Artitudes Design, visit their website today. Checkout their portfolio to see their previous projects, and contact them today to find out how they can help you bring your business a cut above the rest.