Step into the Pivot

Theresa Conti & Ivana Polonijo

Welcome to Step into the Pivot where your hosts Ivana and Theresa talk to people just like you. We will have honest conversations with our guests about issues they have faced, how they had to pivot to address them and lessons learned that you can apply to your life.

  1. 6h ago

    Laurel Hardt - When One Door Closes, Another Door Opens

    A company gets sold and suddenly the career you built for decades is no longer yours to steer. That’s the moment our guest, Laurel Hardt, faced after 34 years in one organization, and it became the pivot that reshaped everything that came next. Laurel breaks down how she diagnoses the real problem behind missed deadlines and blown budgets: no development process, no clear architecture, and no shared way of working.  We close by connecting those same change management principles to today’s AI in the workplace conversation: how leaders can reduce fear, evaluate impact job by job, and use automation to free people for higher-value work. Subscribe, share this with someone facing a pivot, and leave a review with the biggest change you’re navigating right now. Guest Bio: Laurel Hardt began her career at Fred Meyer at age 18, eventually building a remarkable 34-year career that took her from cashier to Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer. Along the way, she became the youngest department manager in Fred Meyer history, developed strong teams, and helped create and lead several trailblazing roles that shaped how the company conducted business. After leaving Fred Meyer in 1999, Laurel spent 14 years consulting in areas including process improvement, leadership development, personnel development, performance management, and organizational development. Outside of work, she treasures her family, her 46-year marriage to George, time at the Oregon coast, creative projects, and her current study of Stoicism, which she connects to modern leadership and management wisdom. Connect with Theresa and Ivana: Theresa, True Strategy Consultants: tsc-consultants.com LinkedIn @treeconti, Insta @tscconsultants Ivana, Courageous Being: courageousbeing.com LinkedIn @ivipol, Insta @courbeing SITP team, Step Into The Pivot: stepintothepivot.com LinkedIn @step-into-the-pivot, YouTube @StepIntoThePivot

    Laurel Hardt - When One Door Closes, Another Door Opens
  2. Jul 17

    Susan Bradley - The Blind Spot of Transitions

    In today's episode, we sit down with Susan Bradley, founder of the Sudden Money Institute (SMI) and Financial Transitionist Institute (FTI), and a leader in financial transition planning.   Susan draws a sharp line between change and transition: change is the external event, while transition is the internal adaptation that can take years. If you’re navigating a major life transition, sudden money event, or a hard choice you cannot unsee, listen through and take notes. Subscribe, share this with someone in a season of change, and leave us a review with the one word guiding your next chapter. Guest Bio: Susan Bradley, CFP®, CeFT®  the founder of the Sudden Money® Institute which began 24 years ago as a community of practice seeking to better serve their financial planning clients by developing processes and tools for the personal side of money and for clients going through transitions. This Think Tank created the Certified Financial Transitionist® (CeFT®) designation and a division for training and certification called the Financial Transitionist® Institute. Susan has served on the FPA’s National Board of Directors, the National Football League’s Players Association’s Financial Education Advisory Board, and she serves as the Dean of Transitions for the Council of Deans of the Purposeful Planning Institute. She is seen and heard frequently in the national media, including NBC’s Nightly News, CNN, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. She is the author of Sudden Money: Managing a Financial Windfall (Wiley 2000), and she is also the recipient of the Insiders Forum Iconoclast Award 2017. Connect with Susan:  LinkedIn Connect with Theresa and Ivana: Theresa, True Strategy Consultants: tsc-consultants.com LinkedIn @treeconti, Insta @tscconsultants Ivana, Courageous Being: courageousbeing.com LinkedIn @ivipol, Insta @courbeing SITP team, Step Into The Pivot: stepintothepivot.com LinkedIn @step-into-the-pivot, YouTube @StepIntoThePivot

    Susan Bradley - The Blind Spot of Transitions
  3. Jun 19

    Tiffany Salzman - Share Your Shine

    A lot of careers look great from the outside while quietly feeling misaligned on the inside. We sit down with Tiffany Salzman, founder of Candor Concepts, to talk about a pivot that isn’t just a job change; it’s a decision to build a purpose-driven life and business where leadership, marketing, and community impact all point in the same direction.  We also talk Rotary, service above self, mentorship, and what it means to invite a new generation into community leadership. Finally, we use the Rotary Four-Way Test as a practical lens for decisions, boundaries, and burnout prevention, with a reminder to include yourself in “all concerned.”   Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: what pivot are you stepping into next? Guest Bio: Tiffany Salzman is the Founder and Chief Strategist of Candor Concepts, a women-led marketing collective in Portland, Oregon. With 25+ years of experience working with purpose-driven brands, she helps leaders build marketing momentum — and movements. She's also a longtime Rotarian, incoming District Governor for 2028-2029, and a firm believer that the best ideas happen when everyone grabs a marker and contributes to the big picture. Connect with Tiffany:  LinkedIn Connect with Theresa and Ivana: Theresa, True Strategy Consultants: tsc-consultants.com LinkedIn @treeconti, Insta @tscconsultants Ivana, Courageous Being: courageousbeing.com LinkedIn @ivipol, Insta @courbeing SITP team, Step Into The Pivot: stepintothepivot.com LinkedIn @step-into-the-pivot, YouTube @StepIntoThePivot

    Tiffany Salzman - Share Your Shine
  4. Jun 5

    Kevin Spaeth - Cherish Every Day

    This episode covers extremely sensitive topics. Listener discretion is advised. Please prioritize your well-being while listening. Your life can change in a single, absurd moment, and sometimes it’s the kind of moment nobody would believe if it weren’t true. We’re joined by Kevin Spaeth to talk about the day he was hit by a car while riding his bike… by his dentist. What follows is a story involving a subdural hematoma, a coma, emergency brain surgery, and a recovery that tests a teenager’s confidence in the most public way. Kevin explains how he learned to prize every day without living in fear, why he got back on a bike, and how “make hay while the sun shines” shapes his parenting and love of the outdoors in the Pacific Northwest. We even get to meet Bub, his beloved dog, and talk about savoring time when you don’t know how much you have left. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: what pivot are you stepping into next? Guest Bio: Since 1997, Kevin has dedicated his professional career to working with ERISA plans, focusing on helping small businesses help their employees prepare for retirement. Originally from New Jersey, he relocated to California in 2001. In 2017, he moved up to live on the Oregon/Washington border.  In his spare time, Kevin enjoys spending as much time as possible with his wife and three kids exploring the Pacific Northwest.  He's also a competitive chili chef with several wins under his belt. Connect with Kevin:  LinkedIn Connect with Theresa and Ivana: Theresa, True Strategy Consultants: tsc-consultants.com LinkedIn @treeconti, Insta @tscconsultants Ivana, Courageous Being: courageousbeing.com LinkedIn @ivipol, Insta @courbeing SITP team, Step Into The Pivot: stepintothepivot.com LinkedIn @step-into-the-pivot, YouTube @StepIntoThePivot

    Kevin Spaeth - Cherish Every Day
  5. May 22

    Zee Clarke: Reclaiming Your Flow

    That creeping thought of “I don’t belong here” can turn high performance into a nonstop stress sprint, and the bill eventually comes due in sleep, mood, relationships, and health. We sit down with Zee Clarke, a Harvard MBA and former corporate VP who knows that pressure firsthand, to unpack how imposter syndrome grows and why it so often leads to overworking, anxiety, and burnout. Zee shares her practical WebAV framework for countering self-doubt: welcome the voice, gather evidence, use breathwork to calm the nervous system, train the mind with affirmations, and visualize success so your body stops bracing for impact. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: what pivot are you stepping into next? Guest Bio: Zee Clarke is a Harvard MBA that went from leading teams at Fortune 500 companies to teaching mindfulness and breathwork. Trained in India, she is the author of the groundbreaking book, Black People Breathe. She helps companies like Google, Visa, and HSBC support their workforce in reducing stress, boosting productivity and prioritizing self-care. Zee has been featured in many leading publications including Oprah Daily, ABC, Fortune, Forbes, Good Day Chicago, CNBC, Ebony, Essence, and Fast Company. You can follow her on LinkedIn, YouTube, or @zeeclarkebreathes on Instagram and TikTok for weekly breathwork practices and tools. Connect with Zee:  LinkedIn Connect with Theresa and Ivana: Theresa, True Strategy Consultants: tsc-consultants.com LinkedIn @treeconti, Insta @tscconsultants Ivana, Courageous Being: courageousbeing.com LinkedIn @ivipol, Insta @courbeing SITP team, Step Into The Pivot: stepintothepivot.com LinkedIn @step-into-the-pivot, YouTube @StepIntoThePivot

    Zee Clarke: Reclaiming Your Flow
  6. May 8

    Tami Ledger and Ana Chavez: You Win or You Learn

    For our Mother’s Day edition, we’re joined by Tami Ledger and her daughter Ana Chavez, a mother-daughter duo who ended up building parallel careers in the retirement plan industry after a major life disruption forced Tami back into the workforce. If you’ve ever had to reinvent yourself, listen, then share this with someone who’s mid-pivot. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: what pivot are you stepping into next? Guest Bio: Tami Ledger is a Senior Retirement Plan Advisor with Mariner.  Tami works to help ensure quality retirement plan services are delivered to clients. She assists plan advisors and plan sponsors with annual investment, fee and plan reviews and other compliance with ERISA. She also works with plan sponsors to develop education strategies and participant communications. Ana Chavez is a Regional Sales Consultant in the Retirement Plan Division at Ameritas, where she has spent the majority of her four-year tenure supporting financial advisors across multiple territories. She is passionate about being a trusted resource to the financial professionals she works with and is dedicated to helping plan participants feel confident and prepared for retirement. Connect with Tami:  LinkedIn Connect with Ana:  LinkedIn Connect with Theresa and Ivana: Theresa, True Strategy Consultants: tsc-consultants.com LinkedIn @treeconti, Insta @tscconsultants Ivana, Courageous Being: courageousbeing.com LinkedIn @ivipol, Insta @courbeing SITP team, Step Into The Pivot: stepintothepivot.com LinkedIn @step-into-the-pivot, YouTube @StepIntoThePivot

    Tami Ledger and Ana Chavez: You Win or You Learn
  7. Apr 24

    Nina Greenberg: Lucky By Design

    You can spot the moment someone stops treating money as a mystery and starts using it as a tool, and that’s exactly what unfolds in our conversation with Nina Greenberg on Step Into the Pivot. Nina shares how early financial awareness, shaped by her parents, led her to save and build a life within her means, rather than chasing one beyond it.  A defining pivot came when she left academia in her early 30s and grounded herself in three core values, creating, helping others grow, and solving problems, which guided her into a more aligned career path.  Along the way, she highlights the importance of financial literacy, especially for women, intentional living, and the courage to make changes without needing certainty about the long term. Her perspective is simple and freeing: you do not need to commit forever, just for the next year. The result is a powerful reminder that meaningful change comes from aligning your life with your values, trusting both yourself and the right experts, and having the courage to move when something no longer fits.  If this helps you, subscribe, share the episode with a friend who’s mid-pivot, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show. Guest Bio: Every job, and none of them, led Nina to her career in healthcare advertising. As a junior lab tech, she spent a summer inoculating petri dishes with human, er, effluents. Next up? A whole lot of school, and a decade as an English professor, guiding young minds though classes like Feminist Readings of Race and The Body…and the (seriously scatological) Canterbury Tales.  It’s been a lifetime of cocktail party conversation killers…and purpose-driven work, ensuring that people get access to the healthcare they need. Still, the most joy has come from helping businesses and colleagues, especially those from non-dominant cultures, rise and meet their potential.  Today, Nina’s retired, happily exploring the people, art, food, and places in the world—and her hometown of NYC—that she only got brief glimpses of during her corporate era. She’s doubled down on causes that move her, like ensuring girls come into their power through menstrual health education via Zana Africa. And executive coaching folks from non-dominant cultures here at home.  Above all, Nina only needs 3 things: a problem to solve, a story to tell, and talented people to help thrive. Killer. Connect with Nina:  LinkedIn Connect with Theresa and Ivana: Theresa, True Strategy Consultants: tsc-consultants.com LinkedIn @treeconti, Insta @tscconsultants Ivana, Courageous Being: courageousbeing.com LinkedIn @ivipol, Insta @courbeing SITP team, Step Into The Pivot: stepintothepivot.com LinkedIn @step-into-the-pivot, YouTube @StepIntoThePivot

    Nina Greenberg: Lucky By Design
5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Welcome to Step into the Pivot where your hosts Ivana and Theresa talk to people just like you. We will have honest conversations with our guests about issues they have faced, how they had to pivot to address them and lessons learned that you can apply to your life.