Is the Bible really relevant today? This is a real question for many of us in a world that can seem very different than the one the Bible was written in. And even if we do believe its relevant, many of us have a complicated relationship with the Bible and maybe even those who say they love it. If these questions resonate with you, you will not want to miss today’s episode with Lauren McAfee. Lauren has dedicated much of her life to researching why people, especially millennials, feel disconnected from the Bible and why it really is relevant today. That’s right. The Bible really is applicable in our current lives. Later on in the episode, our HQ team shares why they believe the Bible is relevant in their own lives.
Lauren Green McAfee works at the Hobby Lobby corporate office, and is the author of Only One Life (Zondervan, 2018) and Not What You Think (Zondervan, 2019). She is a speaker, connector, and coffee enthusiast and is currently pursuing a PhD in Ethics and Public Policy with Dr. Russell Moore as her supervisor.
Prior to her role with Hobby Lobby, Lauren worked for her father Steve Green as he founded Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC. During her time at the Museum, she served as Curator, Artifact Collection Manager, and Director of Community Engagement. While working at Museum of the Bible, Lauren finished two graduate degrees; a Master of Arts in pastoral counseling and a Master of Arts in theological studies. Lauren and her husband Michael live in Oklahoma City and enjoy reading and traveling together.
Connect With Lauren
Instagram: @laurenamcafee
Website: laurenamcafee
Stay connected with Polished by:
Attending a Polished event
Following Polished on Instagram
Joining the Polished Network
Starting a Polished chapter in your area
Do you ever wonder how to be authentic on social media? Let’s be honest. Social media and authenticity do not typically go together. In a world where we simply show a highly filtered highlight reel, the full story of our lives is often tucked far away from the Instagram world. And yet, sometimes we want to break through the curated scroll of perfection and show a little more of our true selves. Today’s guest, Chandler Hatchett felt this very desire and to her surprise, her authenticity resonated with her followers more than her typical posts. Chandler even found her online community to be a real sense of support through hard times in her life. Her take on our September theme of building authentic community will give you some hope in the often crazy world of social media. Wonder how what being authentic on social media looks like for you? Yeah, us too! Thankfully, Kat, Lindsay and Feleceia discuss what our relationship with being authentic on social media can look like as young professional women.
Chandler is an author, speaker and blogger here in Dallas, TX. She is also the founder and editor in chief of The H is For..., a media center and lifestyle brand that serves to encourage, inspire and equip women to live well in all aspects of life. Chandler believes that faith and wellness go hand in hand and is passionate about the modern woman and equipping her to be the best version of herself. She’s the author of A Proverb A Day - a month long devotional through the book of Proverbs, and her upcoming devotional 'Outfit of the Day - 40 Days of Getting Dressed in Truth' launches in October. Her favorite roles, however, are wife to Franklin and mom to Brooks (4) and Ainsley (1).
Connect With Chandler
Instagram: @chandler.hatchett
Website: thehisfor
Links From The Show
The Christian Life is the lifelong practice of attending to the details of congruence—congruence b/w ends and means, congruence b/w what we do and the way we do it, congruence b/w what is written in the scripture and our living out what is written, congruence b/w the a ship and it’s prow, congruence b/w preaching and living, congruence b/w sermon and what is lived in both preacher and congregation, the congruence of the word made flesh in Jesus with what is lived in our flesh.” Eugene Peterson, As kingfishers catch fire
Stay connected with Polished by:
Have you ever thought about what makes a really good friend? We all want them! But sometimes it can just be hard to know what to look for in a friendship. That’s why we are so grateful Dani shares about what she looks for in a friend and how her community keeps showing up for her in the midst of hard decisions. As a single mom, Dani knows how important it is to have strong and authentic relationships in her life. Later in the episode, Lindsay and Feleceia join Kat to talk about the friends in their lives who tell them the hard truth about themselves or a situation. We know. Those conversations are not the most fun to have with our closest friends, but they can sure be super helpful for us and our growth. You really don’t want to miss this episode on what authentic friendships really look like!
Dani is an HR Manager where she leads the recruiting, employee engagement and retention initiatives for hourly team members. A native New Yorker who calls Houston home, Dani is passionate about serving deep in her community. She co-leads a Be the Bridge group that is dedicated to advocating and promoting diversity, inclusion, racial justice, restoration and reconciliation. She recently strapped on her boots and volunteers with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, HR Houston Gives Back, as well as her church family, Bayou City Fellowship. When Dani first attended Polished as a guest, she remembered feeling an instant connection to exploring life, faith and work with a diverse group of professional women. Thrilled to dive in, Dani is now serving as the Co-Director of Polished Houston – Inner Loop with Kelsey and could not be more excited. Dani is a Mom to Ethan, the coolest teenager she knows, an avid curator of good music, and a traveler. At any given time she can be found searching for coffee, tacos, a place to hike and the score of the game.
Connect with Dani
Instagram: @dani_gantt
Stay connected with Polished by:
We know. EVERYONE is talking about the Enneagram. Maybe you are about all things enneagram or maybe you are ready to roll your eyes if someone even dares to bring it up one more time. In the midst of all of the enneagram buzz, Jenn’s perspective on using the Enneagram as a tool for gaining clarity in your professional relationships is both insightful and refreshing. And let’s be real. Who doesn’t need some practical advice for how to have stronger and more peaceful relationships with our co-workers and all of the other important people in our lives? Jenn’s conversation with Kat will help you understand the Enneagram in new ways and maybe even redeem it for you if you are totally over it.
Jett is a dreamer, a doer and a champion of risk takers. When she is not running her design business, she is encouraging & unleashing women through a gathering she hosts twice a year in Colorado called Camp Well – a place where dreamers and doers who are weary and overwhelmed can come and be reminded of who God created them to be, and walk confidently in their calling. Think summer camp for adults! Her personal story is one of redemption and hope and her desire is that through that story others would find freedom.
Her discovery and understanding of the Enneagram, in light of Gods Word, has been a powerful tool in her life that has helped her uncover and find confidence in her true God designed self.
Connect with Jenn
Instagram: @jenn_jett
Website: Jennjett.com
Stay connected with Polished by:
Has someone ever said something hurtful to you that just totally reflected your own insecurity? We have sure been there. We all have our own inner critic. You know what we are talking about. It is the little voice that tells you that you aren’t good enough for that raise, you aren’t pretty enough or that you are unlovable. All it takes it for someone to give that inner critic outside affirmation and you can suddenly end up spiraling downward. No one understands this cycle more than Nicoletta Bradley. In this episode, Nicoletta shares with Kat how one hurtful comment about her weight gave the lies she told herself enough power to derail her life with disordered eating. But her story doesn’t end there. Nicoletta’s story about how she changed her mindset about her body and learned to love herself exactly as she is will give you hope in your own life. The wisdom doesn’t stop there though. Our very own Lindsay Benedetto and Felecia Benton pop in with Kat to share their perspectives on Nicoletta’s powerful story and how our words really do have the power to impact peoples’ lives. We can fight our inner critic and the lies we tell ourselves when we celebrate and honor who God created us to be. Today remember that you are enough and you are deeply loved.
Nicoletta Bradley was born and raised in Santa Barbara, CA, and now lives in Fort Worth, Texas. After graduating from TCU with a degree in Communications and Psychology she discovered a passion for fitness and motivational speaking. She is a full-time fitness instructor working at Zyn22 as a cycle instructor as well as a personal trainer that leads boot camps in the DFW area. After recovering from a 12-year eating disorder, Nicoletta's biggest passion is encouraging women to love their body and love their lives. She believes that until you love your body where it is now, you won't love it ten pounds lighter. Her goal in life is to encourage and motivate women to accept and love what they see in the mirror rather than hate it.
Verses:
Connect with Nicoletta
Instagram: @nicolettabradley
Website: Nicolettabradley.com
Stay connected with Polished by:
Why do Christians struggle to talk about alcohol? Yes, we just went there. Don’t worry though. This episode is not about alcohol abstinence or rules. It is about having a conversation that is taboo in church and finding freedom in having a mindful approach to every area of our lives. Kat’s conversations with Jenn Kautsch of Sober Minded Sis and our very own Lindsay Benedetto and Feleceia Benton remove all of the stigma around this conversation and creates a safe place to have a healthy conversation about this typically hot topic. So let’s change the conversation! Instead of letting alcohol be such a loaded topic in church settings, join our healthy conversation about mindfulness in every area of our life.
Verses:
1 Peter 5:8 “Be alert and of sober mind”
Galatians 5:1 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free”
Connect with Jenn
Instagram: @sobersis
Stay connected with Polished by:
Attending a Polished event
Following Polished on Instagram
Joining the Polished Network
Starting a Polished chapter in your area
In the latest episode, Kat chats with Jen Smith about co-founding a non-profit consulting business with her husband, building a community and Polished Austin. In a world where loneliness feels all too common, Jen’s story about building friendships and loving others is so encouraging.
Jen Smith is the President and Co-Founder of Taft Advisory Group, a consulting company based in Austin that works with social enterprise, business as mission, and non-profit organizations. Jen is originally from Arlington, Texas and attended Texas A&M University where she received a degree in Marketing and International Business. Since college, Jen has had a variety of careers that have led her to where she is today. She worked in the White House for several years after graduation, then worked in non-profits and development events, and eventually moved into the field of education. After receiving her Masters in International Education from Harvard, she moved back to Texas to be closer to family and friends and started her consulting company. Jen loves living in Austin, traveling, cooking, hosting people in her home, and spending time with her husband, two children, and golden retriever.
In our latest episode, Kat talks with Nikki Lawrence about how a community of faith can support us through big changes in our lives and some practical tips about how we can reconcile our reality with our dreams when our lives don’t look exactly like we planned.
Nikki Lawrence is a connector by nature. Her warm personality leaves little room for anyone to be a stranger too long. This trait has fueled her pastime and helped Nikki charm audiences as a Mistress of Ceremony at women’s conferences, races and fundraisers all across the DFW Metroplex. By day, Nikki is a Director of Sales for a Fortune 500 Company with a nationwide sales team of over 30 people. She has been with her company for over 15 years and held a plethora of Sales and Marketing roles along the way.
Among her passions is the desire to see women from every walk of life reach their full potential. When she can combine her love for hosting and/or developing people with like causes, she is in her happy place.
Nikki lives in North Dallas and serves at The Village Church. In her free time, she can be found volunteering , daydreaming of home decor, or road tripping with friends.
In our latest episode, Kat chats with Polished Houston’s Chelsea Holden as she shares about navigating through immense loss, finding Polished Houston at just the right time and trusting God for guidance in her relationship with her husband.
Chelsea Holden is a real estate agent, wife, daughter, sister, auntie, dog-mom, and friend...and loves making others feel as comfortable as possible in any situation. In fact, she's never really met a stranger.
She's an advocate for all things local including local musicians, coffee shops, retail stores, and mom & pop shops. 'I believe we should strive to support our local businesses whenever possible. It's hard work being an entrepreneur and shopping local is an easy way for anyone to give back to our communities.'
Chelsea grew up in McAllen, TX and has lived in Houston since 2008. She and her husband, Ronnie, currently live in Spring with their two pups, Mack & Marley and spend their time going to see live music, traveling around Texas to music festivals in their Motorhome Gherty, visiting their one time residency of Denver, CO, or BBQing for friends.
Chelsea found Polished late 2017 shortly after losing their home to Hurricane Harvey and the death of both her mother-in-law and father. She understands all to well navigating tough times and trusting God to guide her way. When she learned the Houston Chapter needed help with Social Media, her forte, she immediately jumped on the opportunity to share in community and navigate her faith and career.
Follow Chelsea on Instagram at @laidbackrealtor
We switched things up in our latest episode and our Regional Director, Feceleia Benton, & Director of Development, Lindsay Benedetto put Kat Armstrong in the hot seat to talk all things about her first book, No More Holding Back, before it’s released next week! Not only does Kat share about her book, but Lindsay and Feleceia, both of whom are already knee deep in the book, share a little about what Kat’s message spoke to them. Plus, we have included a FIRST listen to chapter 6 of No More Holding Back exclusive to our listeners in this episode as well. We aren’t kidding. You will not want to miss this episode!
Local to DFW? RSVP today to join us for our Polished Give Back event celebrating the launch of Kat Armstrong's first book, No More Holding Back.
In the latest episode, Kat’s conversation with the one and only Dr. Cynthia Mickens Ross is one you won’t want to miss. Let us tell you. Dr. Cynthia Mickens Ross is the real deal. Sometimes we just need to hear from someone who is a little further along in life then we are and she is absolutely that person. No matter where you are in life, you will benefit from the wisdom shared in this episode.
Dr. Cynthia Mickens Ross is a Speaker, Author, Coach, and Teacher. Dr. Mickens Ross is the Senior Pastor of Path~Way to Life Center of Hope Church in Hutchins, Texas. She is also the creator and instructor of the Path~Way to Purpose® course. The copyrighted Path~Way to Purpose® course is specifically designed to coach women and men to discover and activate the greatness within. Dr. Mickens Ross recently authored her first book Path~Way to Purpose® Stories of Victory.
For over 25 years, through her obedience to God, Dr. Cynthia Mickens Ross has endeavored to be a community servant advocating for children, the elderly, and women. She has volunteered countless hours helping others by serving as Founder and CEO of Cynthia Mickens Ministries, Inc. and Senior Pastor at Path~Way to Life Center of Hope Church.
Dr. Mickens Ross is also the founding chair of the City of DeSoto Arts Commission. In 2016, Dr. Mickens Ross received the Leadership Dallas Alumni Outstanding Service of a Class Representative award. In 2015, Dr. Mickens Ross received the Outstanding Texan Award presented by State Representative Helen Giddings, Dallas Living Legend Award, Celebrating Life Foundation Vision Award and SheliaB Ministries Community Servant Award.
Cynthia is married to the love of her life, David E. Ross III. She is also mother to (Mrs.) Sherrell Warren and grandmother to Kennedy, Regan, and Jason Warren.
Today’s episode covers some of the topics that you, our Polished Podcast listeners, have told us you care about most! Mentorship, growing as a professional, and contributing to a healthy workplace environment all come up in our conversation with Monica Johnson—author, advocate, speaker, entrepreneur and coach.
On today’s episode, Monica shares about growing up in multiple homes, experiencing numerous abuses, and reclaiming her identity as an adult. “What you can do,” she says, “is take the things that have happened and cultivate them to become a something greater for the greater good.”
Monica has been cultivating herself and those around her to become something for the greater good for decades now. A business professional at the Fortune 100 company UPS for the past 27 years, Monica has expertise in cost, taxation, and operational management. She is the founder of the non-profit organization That Girl is S.M.A.R.T. (Successful. Magnificent. Authentic. Resourceful. Talented)—”a purpose-driven organization focused on transforming the lives of young girls from the inside out.”
Monica has given a TED talk entitled Can We End A Culture of Abandonment? and published her book Shift from Broken to Breathtaking: Don't Let What Happens to You Break You, Let It Break Open What Is in You!. She also started One Word Movement “to change lives by empowering individuals to be ignited, informed, and inspired with integrity for a lasting impact.”
You won’t want to miss Monica’s thoughts on the difference between a sponsor and mentor, her vibrant, hopeful outlook on life despite tremendous hardship, or her in-depth explanation of her SMILE method, which stands for:
Connect with Monica on Instagram and Twitter at @imonicajohnson.
In this week’s episode, Kat chats with Polished Houston’s Kelsey Aldinger about their mutual love for the ennegram, why Kelsey and her best friend started the Craving Connection podcast and a difficult season Kelsey recently went through.
Kelsey’s work as a speech language pathologist takes her from a private practice in Cinco Ranch working with pediatrics to home health all around Houston working with octogenarians. She serves a variety of patients treating speech, language, cognition, and swallowing disorders.
She is also the co-host of the Craving Connection podcast, a weekly conversation between herself and longtime friend that helps women feel a part of a community that sheds the weight of isolation and loneliness through their thoughtful and trivial conversations.
Kelsey is married to her husband Luke and spends her time being entertained by her two cats and one dog, watching all things Bravo, reading, and bringing friends together around charcuterie boards.
Does talking about money totally freak you out? Us too. You can take a deep breath though. In our latest episode, Kat’s conversation with Julia Lorenz-Olson helps remove some of the pressure we feel with managing money and Julia gives some super practical financial tips for young professional women. Julia also shares about working with her husband and her experience with postpartum anxiety.
Julia is a Swiss/Texan who was practically raised on the stage. Now, she adores using those talents to empower and inspire others to take charge of their own financial destiny through her company The Art of Finance. Spending several years in the mortgage industry gave her number-crunching confidence and a unique insight into investing. She’s also a self-professed foodie, budget-wizard, yogi, a vintage-clothing collector and has owned several of her own successful businesses. Her excitement for teaching people, especially other young women, about financial matters is matched only by her passion for figuring out who this Jesus-dude was, 60’s costume dramas and reading sci-fi.
Links from the show:
In this week’s episode, Kat and Nkem Okafor talk about what it means to bring your voice and full self to the table, even when you feel alone. Nkem also shares about her love of traveling and her passion for healthcare.
Nkem Okafor is a senior healthcare executive with experience in strategy, business development, program management, hospital operations, and consulting. She is the System Vice President of Strategy & Planning at Methodist Health System, a $1.5 billion, 9 hospital system in DFW. She oversees system-wide strategies and business planning, leads growth activities, and guides analysis for the company’s decision-making. She’s led numerous development projects, totaling over $160 million.
Nkem was named one of the Top 15 Business Women of Dallas by the National Diversity Council. She is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Leadership Dallas alumni, and member of National Association of Health Services Executives. She’s engaged in the community and serves on boards for City Square, Junior Players, Woman of Purpose, and Cynthia Mickens Ministries. Nkem enjoys traveling, dancing, performing arts, and having fun with family and friends.
Links from the show:
Are you searching for purpose in your current season of life? Do you ever feel like your life looks totally different than you expected it to? In the latest episode, Kat and Polished’s very own Director of Development, Lindsay Benedetto, dive deep into Lindsay’s story and how our callings can look different throughout our lives. Kat and Lindsay also discuss all things enneagram (any other threes out there?) and Lindsay’s work with Polished. With Lindsay’s humor, wit and authenticity, you will feel like you are right there with Lindsay and Kat as they drop truth bombs and encourage you no matter where you are in your life.
Lindsay is a coach’s wife, mom, and is passionate about serving her peers through Polished. With a bachelor’s degree in writing and a minor in theology, Lindsay loves that she gets to combine her skills with her work in a meaningful way. It is her greatest joy to share the stories of those impacted by Polished with others. Lindsay and her husband Tony live in Dallas, TX, with their 4 littles.
In the latest episode of the Polished podcast, Kat’s discussion with Michelle Attar gets vulnerable as Michelle talks about her decision not to have children, her husband’s struggle with mental health and her desire to step in and be the person that takes care of him for a season.
Has your career ever taken an unexpected turn? Michelle’s certainly did when her career took a 180 degree turn at a crucial time in her career. She knows that life presents challenges, but special relationships provide support in the journey. Michelle shares a ton of wisdom about what that turning point looked like for her career.
Michelle is the Pastor of Adult Ministries at Bent Tree Bible Fellowship in Carrollton, Texas. Her passion is personally encouraging and creating environments for people to take the next step on their journey with Jesus. Michelle also currently serves as the Vice President of Polished’s Board of Directors and one of the chapter advisors for Polished North Dallas.
Are you an innovator? How about a creative, storyteller, or activist? Do you make your way to South by Southwest every year, or lead discussions in your community or church, or practice law in order to ensure liberty and justice for all? Have you ever experienced trauma, or does your work bring you into contact with traumatized people?
If you check any or all of those boxes, you’re going to love this week’s Polished Podcast episode with Meagan T. Harding. And if this description doesn’t quite sound like you, give the episode a listen anyway. Meagan’s joy, wisdom, and zeal for the wellbeing of others will inspire you.
As a Senior Attorney at the Texas Civil Rights Project, Meagan practices law in order to correct systemic issues on a large scale. As a Founding Chief Community Curator, Meagan develops cohorts for Rosa Rebelion, a platform for creative activism by and for women of color recently featured at South by Southwest, where Rosa Rebelion presented REBEL + REST—a resistance conversation, workshop, rejuvenation zone, and storytelling booth led by Black activists, advocates, creatives and wellness practitioners.
As a founding member of “The Gospel And” (TGA) at Mosaic Church Austin, Meagan cultivated authentic conversations around difficult topics such as race, politics and community through curriculum, programming, and relationships. And as a guest on the Polished podcast, Meagan invites each of us, no matter our profession, skin color, or experience in the pursuit of justice, to join her in finding ways to elevate women of color—not so that other voices will be silenced, but so that those too often dismissed will be heard.
We hope that Meagan’s creativity, passion for her work, and commitment to the flourishing of all people encourages you in your own professional and personal pursuits today!
In this week's episode, you'll get to listen to an exclusive interview between our Executive Director, Kat Armstrong and Hallie Graves as they discuss some of Hallie's bold career moves, Polished Austin and all things foster care.
Hallie is a single, 30-something who wears many hats including lawyer, speaker, writer and foster mama. Hallie loves encouraging people to live fully in light of the grace and freedom of Jesus and to use every ounce of all they've been given in this life. She also loves advocating for kids and families in tough situations.
Connect with Hallie and follow her journey on instagram!
As the Manager for Corporate Engagement and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMNH), Aracely P. Muñoz leads the efforts focused on CMNH corporate fundraising for Children’s Health for more than 50 corporate partner brands in Dallas, Plano, and surrounding areas, raising more than 3.3 million dollars annually. Her role is to partner with corporate partners and like-minded individuals to elevate Children's Health as a cause of choice within the community. Aracely also leads the multicultural efforts for the Foundation, which includes collaborating with Hispanic/Latino leaders and influencers, through engagement, cause-marketing, and B2B initiatives.
Aracely joined Children’s Health in August of 2017 after working 11 years in Corporate Philanthropy and in the non-profit sector. Prior to working at Alcon, Novartis, Aracely worked for Buckner International as the director for organizational effectiveness.
Aracely serves on the board for Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation in Fort Worth, Texas, which gives college scholarships to 8th grades students in more than 20 school districts in DFW. She also serves on the Brown University Alumni Interviewing Committee which interviews 12th grade prospective students for Brown University.
Aracely is currently working on completing her masters of business administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Previously, she earned a master’s degree in global leadership from Dallas Baptist University, and her bachelor of arts in Latin American Studies from Brown University. Aracely is married and has two teenage step-daughters in high school and a one step-daughter at UT Dallas.
Psyche Terry was born on the south side of Chicago to a teen mom. Due to a lack of resources, her parents gave custody to Psyche’s great aunt. Based on the statistics of the community, Psyche was expected to be pregnant by 16, unwed, and working multiple low paying jobs to make ends meet. Her high school counselor told her that she would likely not go to college.
Psyche recognized patterns of bad habits and decisions early in life and was inspired and motivated to live her life differently. She earned a high school internship that led to a 12-year career at Whirlpool Corporation. It took Psyche only 3 years to graduate from Western Michigan University’s Hayworth College of Business and despite failing the entrance exam 3 times, she later graduated 2nd in her class from UNLV’s College of Business EMBA.
Psyche Terry is now blazing trails in the retail world as the Founder and CEO of UI Global Brands, a lifestyle brand that includes the Inspire PsycheTerry and Urban Hydration naturally inspired skincare, haircare, and lifestyle collections. She is the first African American female to successfully launch a line of lingerie that wholesales to the largest department, retail, off price, and beauty stores in the U.S. Psyche is an industry pioneer with an undeniable passion for women and entrepreneurship. A wife and mother of three children under the age of 8, Psyche leads marketing, design, and retail strategy teams for the thriving business, which she started with in 2009. Under her leadership UIGB experienced 700%+ sales growth in 2013 and in 2014 received a $40 million valuation. The company’s products are available at more than 8,000 stores nationwide and select retailers in South America and the Caribbean.
Psyche’s achievements as a businesswoman and motivational speaker have resulted in her being featured in top publications including Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Essence and Black Enterprise. She has also appeared on major television networks such as MSNBC, CNBC, ABC, CBS, and Univision. Psyche has appeared on NBC’s top rated Steve Harvey as a mystery millionaire on one of the highest ranked episodes of the year. Psyche recently had the distinguished honor of being requested as a White House speaker on young women entrepreneurship and to meet Oprah.
Psyche tells stories of how she cashed out her Whirlpool 401(k), maxed out several credit cards, and flew her entire family to Asia in hopes of landing manufacturing and sales contracts. She wins hearts of moms and millionaires alike when they hear of her stories of being 36 weeks pregnant and opening a 40-person skin care factory.
Psyche and her college sweetheart husband, Vontoba, have offices next door to each other as they continue to lead and grow their company and brands in a true business love story.
Natalie is the CEO and founder of StudioHop. She was born in Dallas and raised in Austin with her 3 siblings on Lake Austin. Natalie met her now husband Ryan in high school, and they have been married for 5 years and work quite literally side-by-side at their software company they co-founded. She graduated from Southern Methodist University with degrees in journalism and Spanish and currently lives in Dallas on the Katy Trail with her husband and their “Shichon” Annabelle. Natalie has a passion for fitness, health and wellness, cooking and has a consistently strong case of wanderlust.
Jennifer Paine currently serves as Director of Business Transformation Solutions—Operations within Southwest Airlines’ Corporate Delivery Department. In this role, Jennifer is responsible for providing Southwest’s Operational Departments with the appropriate solutions to meet their business needs, most of which utilize technology.
Jennifer joined Southwest in 2007 as Senior Manager, Enterprise Insights. Once the AirTran acquisition was announced, she moved to Senior Manager, AirTran Integration/Multi-Fleet and led the Technology integration of Southwest Airlines’ and AirTran Airways’ operational capabilities. In 2012, Jennifer was promoted to Director, Airport Ops and NOC and Multi-Fleet. In this role, she supported the Technology needs of Ground Ops and NOC and led the Team to support the 737-800, evolve the existing 737-700’s, and support Flag Operations, a project that allowed Southwest to fly outside of the continental United States to Puerto Rico.
In her current role, Jennifer is leading the organization through the Program for Reliable Operations (PRO), a program that delivers capabilities to improve the operational reliability of the airline, introduces the new 737-8 aircraft into the fleet, and replace many of Southwest’s operational systems, including the maintenance, NOC, and cargo systems.
Prior to joining Southwest Airlines, Jennifer worked at Neiman Marcus for seven years, where she managed Teams in the areas of application development and website technology.
Jennifer earned a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Texas A&M University. She is married to her husband, John, and they have twin sons, John and Jeffrey.