Roads Taken

Leslie Jennings Rowley, Dartmouth Class of 1996
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Welcome to Roads Taken, the show that reminds us that you don’t have to know exactly where you’re going, you just need to be open to the adventure that awaits. In each episode, Leslie Jennings Rowley talks to her guests—all a quarter-century-plus after college—about who they were as they graduated, who they thought they’d be, and how they’ve traveled down various roads to get where they are today. Mid-life crises? Maybe. Exactly where they thought they'd be? Rarely. In the end, each of their stories shows us what Robert Frost was trying to tell us: It doesn’t really matter which way we turn….a full life awaits, regardless of the ROADS TAKEN.

  1. Green Grass of Home: Burns McKinney on looking at what else is out there and coming home

    2D AGO

    Green Grass of Home: Burns McKinney on looking at what else is out there and coming home

    As many of us do, Burns McKinney had a high school teacher who made things come alive, even in the dismal science of economics. With that fire, Burns knew what he wanted to study in college and sought out professors who had that same desire to go beyond theory to application and real-world significance. Starting in the investment banking world in New York City, this Texan learned the fundamentals and how to work hard, but found he would take a role and keep an eye out for what the other guys were doing. Not necessarily feeling their grass was greener, he was just open to the next thing that might be a better fit. When he found the fit in buy-side investment management and refined skills and connections in business school, he also wanted to grow a family. But he knew he wanted to do that closer to his roots. In this episode, find out from Burns how sometimes looking over the fence makes you realize the grass can be pretty green at home. About This Episode's Guest Burns McKinney is currently Senior Portfolio Manager at NFJ Investment Group, a global value equity manager in Dallas, where he's been for the last two decades. His two children are nearly grown, so you will probably find him in Dallas or traveling with his wife Barb to see live music or sporting events. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com   Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley Music: Brian Burrows Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

    25 min
  2. Educational Imagination: Ryan Carey on thinking like a historian and teaching uncertainty

    FEB 9

    Educational Imagination: Ryan Carey on thinking like a historian and teaching uncertainty

    With romantic visions of the life of an academic historian, Ryan Carey embarked on the journey he thought would lead him there. But reality was harder to replicate than the models in his mind's eye. After landing an initial position in a claustrophobic environment and putting more energy into his classroom teaching than publishing, his bid for tenure was unsuccessful and he moved away from the academy. He found a public history position in the museum world but found himself missing teaching. When a friend suggested he try teaching at a private high school, he resisted, blind to all the ways it was a perfect match. In this episode, find out from Ryan how sometimes taking a leap and going beyond the expected can bring you back to where you belong. About This Episode’s Guest Ryan Carey currently serves as Director of Experiential Education and Extension Programs at St. Margaret's Episcopal School in San Juan Capistrano, California. He holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of Texas at Austin, where he specialized in environmental history and the history of the American West, and is happy to be living, surfing, and soaking up the vistas back on that coast.  Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com   Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley Music: Brian Burrows Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

    49 min
  3. Differential Diagnosis: Thomas Fisher on focusing on community wellness and widening the lens

    FEB 2

    Differential Diagnosis: Thomas Fisher on focusing on community wellness and widening the lens

    After two decades in the ER, Thomas Fisher encountered a true emergency that seemed all-encompassing but was just the tip of the iceberg. Reflecting on his experiences on the front lines of one of America's busiest urban hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic, he realized that his community's literal and metaphorical ills--and those of much of America--are unlikely to heal themselves. In this episode, find out from Thomas getting to exhaustion and witnessing everyone else's can sometimes provide the energy necessary to take on new challenges. About This Episode’s Guest Thomas Fisher is an emergency medicine physician from the south Side of Chicago whose first book The Emergency: A Year of Healing and Heartbreak in a Chicago ER was named one of Time Magazine's "100 Must-Read Books" of the year. He is currently running for election to serve the people of Illinois' 7th Congressional District. You can find more about his campaign at thomasfisherforcongress.com. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com   Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley Music: Brian Burrows Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

    48 min

  4. JAN 26 · BONUS

    Season Eleven: Hey Roads Taken Listeners

    Hey Roads Taken Listeners. It's been a minute. But we’re back. On the run up to the 30th Reunion of Dartmouth's Class of 1996, host Leslie Jennings Rowley will be talking to more classmates about who they were as they graduated, who they thought they’d become, and how they’ve traveled down various roads to get where they are today. They’ve have had nearly three decades of post-college life and all the highs, lows, bruises, and accolades to prove it. The new season will begin on February 2, 2026. And just like Groundhog Day, all the pageantry and questions will feel familiar but you won’t quite be sure what the guest of honor will tell us. Will it be a medical doctor running for Congress? A non-profit director fighting to make sure people get what they need? An educator with lots of life lessons to impart? If you're hearing this, there's a good chance you're already subscribed or are following the show in your favorite podcast app. But if not, please do that now and make sure your auto download feature is turned on so you don't miss any new episodes when they start dropping soon with on Roads Taken. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com   Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley Music: Brian Burrows Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

    1 min
  5. Finding the Right Match: Adam Medros (redux)

    10/28/2024

    Finding the Right Match: Adam Medros (redux)

    Last we spoke with Adam Medros, he had moved through a string of ever-more-interesting C-Suite roles. Not long after, he realized he needed to hit the pause button and embarked on a sabbatical of sorts. He filled the time with a number of pursuits, but none as sweet as his serious study of pastries—and not just as being a consumer of them but rather becoming quite the accomplished baker. (Amazingly, his telling of it made this our second episode featuring the word kouign-amann.) After a bit of time without a focus on anything more external to his home kitchen, however, he started getting the itch to hop back on the C-Suite track. In this episode, find out from Adam taking time to do nothing and some new somethings can help hit the reset…on Roads Taken Revisited with Leslie Jennings Rowley.   About This Episode’s Guest Adam Medros, an experienced C-level technology executive, is currently CEO of Spark Networks, the parent company of some of the most recognizable online dating brands in the world, particularly for singles over 40 and those with strong faith traditions. Among others, the portfolio includes Jdate, Elite Singles, ChristianMingle, and SilverSingles. And, of course, he is quite the accomplished pastry chef. Here are pictures of Adam with some of his pastry creations and Adam filling donuts. For Adam’s first appearance on Roads Taken, listen to Disruptive Mindset. And for the first appearance of the word kouign-amann on our podcast, listen to Risk and Reward with Jamie Hansen. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com   Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley Music: Brian Burrows Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

    27 min
  6. Head of the Class: Jeneen DiBenedetto Graham (redux)

    10/21/2024

    Head of the Class: Jeneen DiBenedetto Graham (redux)

    Last we spoke with Jeneen DiBenedetto Graham, it was summer 2020 and as the head of the upper school at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School in Southern California, she was still in the thick of the complexities of covid and retooling just about everything in anticipation of bringing students back in the fall. In the more than four years since, her ability to handle the unexpected has continued to be tested as she has faced fears, uncertainty, and a changing future. In this episode, find out from Jeneen how keeping service and growth at the center can keep things on track…on Roads Taken Revisited with Leslie Jennings Rowley.   About This Episode’s Guest That was Jeneen DiBenedetto Graham who is currently head of school at St. Margaret's Episcopal School in San Juan Capistrano, California. She previously was Upper School Principal from 2018 to 2023 and Academic Dean, 2012 to 2018, in addition to teaching AP psychology and serving on the Board of Trustees as a parent of two graduates of the school. For Jeneen’s first appearance on Roads Taken, listen to Independent Education and her special bonus episode about closing her school for covid lockdown and moving to online learning. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com   Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley Music: Brian Burrows Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

    23 min

  7. 10/14/2024 · BONUS

    Suggestions for future seasons?

    With only two more episodes in this season of Roads Taken with Leslie Jennings Rowley, we are soliciting suggestions for future seasons. Are there any former guests you'd like to see featured on a Roads Taken Revisited episode? Or a voice who hasn't yet been featured who should be persuaded to share their story? Drop us a line through the Contact Us link at RoadsTakenShow.com. Let us know what you might be interested in hearing in a future season. (And for those Dartmouth '96 alumni out there, I hope you've put a save-the-date on the calendar for our 30th Reunion in Hanover, June 18 to 21, 2026. And if you're dying to get involved in any capacity with planning that event or with other class engagement, drop us a line through the show, too!) We are so appreciative for all of you who keep listening, week after week, season after season. Thanks so much! Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com   Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley Music: Brian Burrows Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

    1 min
  8. Entertaining Options: Jesse Israel on parlaying people skills in new territory

    10/07/2024

    Entertaining Options: Jesse Israel on parlaying people skills in new territory

    In college, Jesse Israel knew that his major didn't really matter so much because he wanted to pursue a life in entertainment and media and early experiences landed him on the path right away. An out-of-season internship at NBC Sports landed him in the president’s office, with access to top executives and the inner workings of things. And when graduation coincided with the Atlanta Olympics, he had a job waiting, albeit a few flights down from the head office. With a career that saw him in every sort of producing role, eventually developing major star vehicles, he realized—in an industry that had transformed thoroughly since he began in it—that there might be another way to use the full range of skills he’d honed over two decades. In this episode, find out from Jesse how tapping into relationships and dealing with rejection can be quite transferable…on Roads Taken with Leslie Jennings Rowley.   About This Episode’s Guest Jesse Israel is a certified financial planner, wealth manager, and insurance expert, who currently advises at Capstone Partners Financial and Insurance Services in Los Angeles, where he previously spent a career in the entertainment industry that spanned two decades with stints at NBC Sports and Dateline, and development roles for numerous feature film deals. Being a very proud husband and father of two girls, he is cofounder of the Dad Club, which is just the coolest. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com   Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley Music: Brian Burrows Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

    26 min
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About

Welcome to Roads Taken, the show that reminds us that you don’t have to know exactly where you’re going, you just need to be open to the adventure that awaits. In each episode, Leslie Jennings Rowley talks to her guests—all a quarter-century-plus after college—about who they were as they graduated, who they thought they’d be, and how they’ve traveled down various roads to get where they are today. Mid-life crises? Maybe. Exactly where they thought they'd be? Rarely. In the end, each of their stories shows us what Robert Frost was trying to tell us: It doesn’t really matter which way we turn….a full life awaits, regardless of the ROADS TAKEN.

Information

  • Creator
    Leslie Jennings Rowley, Dartmouth Class of 1996
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    193
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2020-2023 Leslie Jennings Rowley/RoadsTaken
  • Show Website
    Roads Taken