Joust About Careers Podcast

Brian Bratt

Welcome to the Joust About Careers Podcast. I’m your host, Brian Bratt, and I’m a career advisor and English teacher at Van Buren High School. I’ve seen too many people spend a lot of money and time working toward careers they don’t enjoy or that don’t help them achieve the purposes they have identified for their lives, and I want to make sure that doesn’t happen to anyone else, whether it’s a high schooler or someone approaching retirement. I hope that listening to these episodes will help you make better career decisions and lead to a fulfilling career journey.

  1. May 18

    Ep. 114 - Professor of Saxophone and Performer - Dr. J. Michael Weiss-Holmes

    Welcome back to the Joust About Careers podcast! I’m your host, Brian Bratt, and this week’s guest is 2000 VB graduate Dr. J. Michael Weiss-Holmes, who is a Professor of Saxophone and performer. In this episode, Michael shares how he developed the skills necessary to become both a performer and professor, why performers typically travel with their own instruments, how he doesn’t fall into the starving artist category, and much more. Whether you are interested in a career as a musician or professor or are still exploring your options, I hope that what Michael shares today will help all of you make better career decisions and have fulfilling career journeys. Enjoy the show!1:07 - A typical day for a professor of saxophone.2:30 - Performance and teaching are both a large part of Michael’s career as a musician.5:06 - Michael plays a variety of instruments and also sings.6:07 - Upon finishing high school, there were no plans to earn a doctorate degree.8:46 - Advice for those who want to go beyond a bachelor’s degree in the music industry.9:56 - Not all artists are starving, and there are many positions in the arts beyond teaching and performing.12:39 - Michael did spend some time working for music-related companies.14:46 - High school students can get involved with music associations before they graduate.16:55 - Traveling with a saxophone18:38 - The positives and challenges of a career as a saxophone professor and performer.22:44 - Many of Michael’s students have gone on to career success in the music industry.24:21 - What Michael knows now about careers that he wishes he had known when he was in high school.Questions?Connect with Michael on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/jmichaelholmes). Connect with Brian on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/brian-bratt/).

    28 min

  2. Apr 27

    Ep. 113 - Speech-Language Pathologist - Lydia Reineke

    Welcome back to the Joust About Careers podcast! I’m your host, Brian Bratt, and this week’s guest is 2018 VB graduate Lydia Reineke, who is a Clinical Fellow Speech-Language Pathologist. In this episode, Lydia shares how she is in the career field she chose to pursue during her junior year of high school, why she decided to double-major in Speech and Hearing Science and Spanish and how she uses both of those majors today, why she decided to earn her master’s degree at Arizona State University, and much more. Whether you are interested in a career as a speech-language pathologist or are still exploring your options, I hope that what Lydia shares today will help all of you make better career decisions and have fulfilling career journeys. Enjoy the show!1:11 - A typical day for Lydia as a Speech-Language Pathologist and Clinical Fellow.3:07 - Speech-Language Pathologists work with people who have had life-altering events that affect the ability for a person to swallow food.5:06 - Lydia figured out she wanted to become an SLP during her junior year of high school.6:13 - Double-majoring in Speech and Hearing Science and Spanish.8:24 - Still able to finish school in four years even with two majors.10:13 - The value of being able to speak Spanish with students and patients.13:01 - Bilingual SLPs are a bit hard to find where Lydia works.14:01 - The decision to attend Arizona State University.16:19 - SLP offers a lot of flexibility as a career.17:42 - What Lydia loves (and tolerates) about being an SLP.21:30 - People need to make their careers work for them to live the lives they want to live.Questions?Connect with Lydia on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/lydia-reineke-m-s-ccc-slp-269551366/). Connect with Brian on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/brian-bratt/).

    24 min

  3. Apr 13

    Ep. 112 - Outside Sales Representative, D-I Athlete - Tyler Arbaugh

    Welcome back to the Joust About Careers podcast! I’m your host, Brian Bratt, and this week’s guest is 2020 VB graduate Tyler Arbaugh, who is an outside sales representative and former Division I track & field athlete at the University of Oregon. In this episode, Tyler shares how his career path shifted from finance to sales, what it was like to be a student-athlete at the University of Oregon, how being a building science nerd helps him in his career, and much more. Whether you are interested in a career in sales or are still exploring your options, I hope that what Tyler shares today will help all of you make better career decisions and have fulfilling career journeys. Enjoy the show!1:13 - Every day is different for an outside sales representative - phone calls, visiting job sites, working on the computer, and more.2:39 - Tyler is based in an 84 Lumber store in Middlesboro, KY - some projects are over two hours away, and he occasionally has to travel back to Perrysburg, OH.4:00 - Tyler’s original career focus was finance.5:20 - Advice for college track athletes after competing for the University of Oregon.7:27 - Starting at Lowe’s as a Fulfillment Associate is what led to a sales career.8:42 - Training vs. Innate Ability (and competitiveness)9:18 - What people misunderstand about sales.10:51 - Sales skills are transferable to many other careers.11:44 - Even though he’s not in finance, Tyler still works with numbers a lot.12:59 - Is a degree necessary to be successful in sales?14:03 - Tyler had difficulty transferring credits from Oregon to the University of Findlay.14:43 - Effective communication, relationships, integrity, math, and a desire to learn are essential in sales.16:08 - Tyler describes himself as a “building science” nerd.17:21 - Living in Oregon and Tennessee18:49 - Don’t put yourself in a box when it comes to careers.Questions?Connect with Tyler on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/tyler-arbaugh/). Connect with Brian on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/brian-bratt/).

    21 min

  4. Mar 30

    Ep. 111 - Biocompatibility and Medical Device Expert - Amy Hoffmann

    Welcome back to the Joust About Careers podcast! I’m your host, Brian Bratt, and this week’s guest is 1994 VB graduate Amy (Kuhn) Hoffmann, who is a biocompatibility and medical device expert. In this episode, Amy shares how chemistry has play an important role in her career journey, how a wide variety of degrees can help a person get started in the medical device field, how her current employer, Project Medtech, started as a podcast, and much more. Whether you are interested in a career in biocompatibility and medical devices or are still exploring your options, I hope that what Amy shares today will help all of you make better career decisions and have fulfilling career journeys. Enjoy the show!1:12 - A typical day as a biocompatibility and medical device expert2:44 - Chemistry has played in almost all of the jobs Amy has had.3:44 - Pressure is part of this career, but it isn’t overwhelming.5:38 - Amy has worked on all kinds of medical devices.6:36 - Amy had a strong interest in biology and chemistry even in high school.7:11 - Co-op opportunities led Amy to the University of Cincinnati.8:55 - Detergents - not what you might think9:55 - A degree in a field doesn’t limit a person to working in that field.11:25 - Are advanced degrees needed in this field?12:49 - Working with clients (those creating medical devices like an insulin pump) is Amy’s favorite part of her career.14:26 - Keep your options open, and consider a more general degree if you want to enter this field.16:08 - Even when Amy was working with a device, she might not have known how it would eventually be used.17:05 - It can take years for a device to become available for use.17:55 - Amy helps people bring their products to market, find investors, etc.19:04 - More about Project Medtech - it actually started as a podcast.21:26 - People don’t need to know exactly what their career pathways will be when they graduate from high school.Questions?Connect with Amy on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/amy-hoffmann-4425659/). Connect with Brian on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/brian-bratt/) or e-mail (bbratt@vbschools.net).

    23 min

  5. Mar 16

    Ep. 110 - Certified Athletic Trainer - Alyssa Stewart

    Welcome back to the Joust About Careers podcast! I’m your host, Brian Bratt, and this week’s guest is 2020 VB graduate Alyssa (Potteiger) Stewart, who is a certified athletic trainer at Tiffin University. In this episode, Alyssa shares how her love of sports led her to become an athletic trainer instead of a physical therapist, how CCP classes affected her college academics and athletics, the wide variety of places where an athletic trainer can work, and much more. Whether you are interested in a career as an athletic trainer or are still exploring your options, I hope that what Alyssa shares today will help all of you make better career decisions and have fulfilling career journeys. Enjoy the show!1:10 - A typical day for a certified athletic trainer1:55 - What is “stunt?”2:38 - Alyssa definitely isn’t alone when she is working with the football team.3:41 - Alyssa’s responsibilities as an athletic trainer.4:55 - Sports Medicine Aide vs. Certified Athletic Trainer5:30 - Licensed vs. Certified Athletic Trainer6:33 - Alyssa originally thought she wanted to be a physical therapist7:00 - Her love of sports led her to become an athletic trainer.8:24 - 3 + 2 programs and College Credit Plus9:13 - Giving up a fourth year of college athletics - Alyssa’s experience10:23 - Balancing college athletics and academics11:30 - Positives and challenges of a career as an athletic trainer13:16 - Characteristics need to be successful as an athletic trainer14:40 - Work schedule as a trainer15:17 - What has surprised Alyssa most about being an athletic trainer15:55 - Alyssa’s future plans16:26 - Career options as an athletic trainer17:10 - Advice - research careers while in high school.Questions?Connect with Alyssa on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssa-stewart-mat-lat-atc-65a10b371/). Connect with Brian on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/brian-bratt/) or e-mail (bbratt@vbschools.net).

    19 min

  6. Mar 2

    Ep. 109 - Licensed Cosmetologist, Salon Owner - Silver's - Silver Viera

    Welcome back to the Joust About Careers podcast! I’m your host, Brian Bratt, and this week’s guest is 2010 VB graduate Silver Viera. In this episode, Silver shares how her education at The Ohio Academy helped her start in the cosmetology field, how it took time to build her customer base, why she values having her salon, Silver’s, in downtown Findlay, and much more. Whether you are interested in a career in cosmetology, want to own your own business, or are still exploring your options, I hope that what Silver shares today will help all of you make better career decisions and have fulfilling career journeys. Enjoy the show!1:12 - A typical day for Silver as a cosmetologist and entrepreneur1:48 - Silver’s typical hours2:32 - Silver provides a variety of cosmetology services, including for weddings.3:56 - The interest in a cosmetology career has always been there for Silver.5:00 - The decision to gain her education at The Ohio Academy.7:04 - Program options at The Ohio Academy7:48 - 1,500 hours were the minimum for Silver to become a licensed cosmetologist.8:51 - There are quite a few cosmetology schools in Ohio.10:40 - Moving to Cleveland after graduating from The Ohio Academy was a bit of a struggle.12:40 - Trust is a huge factor in this career because customers care about their hair.14:02 - Supporting downtown Findlay businesses is important to Silver because it is her community.15:49 - Silver is part of a retail association of downtown businesses.16:56 - Being her own boss is a great aspect of Silver’s career, but it does create a lot of responsibility.18:22 - There was limited business training at The Ohio Academy.19:11 - Salon owners must have licensure in addition to being a licensed cosmetologist.20:11 - Salon owners and cosmetologists need to have and exhibit confidence.21:50 - Creating a business plan is essential to anyone wanting to start a business, especially since there are over 50 salons in Findlay.Questions?Connect with Silver on Facebook or Instagram (@SilversFindlay). Connect with Brian on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/brian-bratt/) or e-mail (bbratt@vbschools.net).

    23 min

  7. Feb 17

    Ep. 108 - Assistant Head of House, Special Project Manager - IMG Academy - Karissa Brown

    Welcome back to the Joust About Careers podcast! I’m your host, Brian Bratt, and this week’s guest is former member of the VB Class of 2020 Karis Brown. In this episode, Karis shares how the multiple positions she holds at IMG Academy lead to plenty of variety on a daily basis, how adding a minor to her major in college helped when applying for jobs, how her experiences led to career opportunities, and much more. Whether you are interested in a career in education or still exploring your options, I hope that what Karis shares today will help all of you make better career decisions and have fulfilling career journeys. Enjoy the show!1:16 - Karis holds a variety of positions at IMG Academy (Assistant Head of House, Special Project Manager for Learning and Development, and Special Project Manager for Recruiting and Development, Assistant Head of Summer Camps), so she experiences variety every day.5:16 - IMG Academy is structured like a college, but it is a high school.6:58 - Karis’s post-high school plans did not include her current career, but she is still working with students.9:00 - Experiences have played a key role in Karis’s career journey, from a summer camp in Maine to teaching in Colorado.14:16 - A minor is usually not too much extra work beyond a major in college.16:08 - A sport management minor didn’t hurt when Karis was looking for a job at IMG.17:48 - There are challenges in Karis’s position–work/life balance can be difficult–but she appreciates the relationships she has been able to develop.20:02 - Characteristics of people who are successful in Karis’s position21:49 - A good personality, drive, and an ability to communicate open many opportunities for people to grow.Questions?Connect with Karis on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/karissa-karis-brown-b688831a5/) or reach out to me for her email.Connect with Brian on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/brian-bratt/) or e-mail (bbratt@vbschools.net).

    25 min

  8. Feb 2

    Ep. 107 - Medical Assistant - Katelyn DeVore

    Welcome back to the Joust About Careers podcast! I’m your host, Brian Bratt, and this week’s guest is medical assistant and 2010 Van Buren graduate Katelyn DeVore. In this episode, Katelyn shares how she became a medical assistant after working for ten years in another field, how perseverance has been invaluable on her journey to becoming a medical assistant, what she values most about her career, and much more. Whether you are interested in a career as a medical assistant or still exploring your options, I hope that what Katelyn shares today will help all of you make better career decisions and have fulfilling career journeys. Enjoy the show!1:08 - How a typical day looks for a medical assistant.3:50 - Katelyn works in a hospital.4:50 - When Katelyn graduated, she spent one year at BGSU but received her medical assisting certification through Blanchard Valley Health Center.5:58 - Working in housekeeping at the hospital for six months led to this opportunity.6:55 - Becoming a medical assistant required learning, but it was worth it.7:36 - Medical assistants are in high demand.7:55 - The training requires both classroom work and hands-on training.10:00 - Care coordinators, medical assisting, and other career opportunities are available, and Blanchard Valley offers many growth opportunities.11:40 - Certification vs. On-the-Job Training12:55 - Opportunities for advancement and tuition reimbursement13:30 - Katelyn felt she was in over her head when she started, but she is more comfortable now.14:40 - Katelyn works with multiple healthcare professionals daily.16:39 - The best parts of being a medical assistant.18:37 - The challenges of being a medical assistant.23:14 - Katelyn’s advice - take school seriously.Questions?Connect with Katelyn on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/katelyn-devore-37640a344/) or reach out to me for her email.Connect with Brian on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/brian-bratt/) or e-mail (bbratt@vbschools.net).

    26 min
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About

Welcome to the Joust About Careers Podcast. I’m your host, Brian Bratt, and I’m a career advisor and English teacher at Van Buren High School. I’ve seen too many people spend a lot of money and time working toward careers they don’t enjoy or that don’t help them achieve the purposes they have identified for their lives, and I want to make sure that doesn’t happen to anyone else, whether it’s a high schooler or someone approaching retirement. I hope that listening to these episodes will help you make better career decisions and lead to a fulfilling career journey.

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