WiSPER LOUD

WiSPER LOUD
  • 4.8 (22)
  • CAREERS

With a vision to create an open dialogue through a network of strong women in agriculture, Women in Seed Production bring you WiSPer Loud. These episodes are candid chats about career progression, motivation, reservations, and tough decisions and moments faced by Women in Seed Production. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr., "Find a voice in a whisper!"

  1. Embracing the New and Unexpected Featuring Tracy McKay

    JAN 23

    Embracing the New and Unexpected Featuring Tracy McKay

    Join the Women in Seed Production Network for an exciting 50th episode to kick off 2026! Our guest in this episode is Tracy McKay, a seasoned leader with over 30 years of experience across the agriculture, automotive, and food industries. The central theme of this episode is Tracy's mindset of embracing discomfort, as she emphasizes that leaning into "scary" or "awkward" changes is often where the most significant learning and personal growth occur. To navigate these transitions, she advises professionals to be inquisitive and ask frequent questions, which demonstrates engagement and a desire to learn rather than a lack of ability. She encourages listeners to accept unexpected roles even if they do not meet every qualification, noting that transferable skills and unique perspectives are often more valuable than "checking every box" on a job description. Furthermore, she highlights the importance of balanced teams that blend "pro in-position" experts with versatile individuals who can "shake things up" across different functions. Tracy leaves listeners with advice for owning your own career by acting as your own advocate and treating networking as a "second job" to remain visible and competitive. Tune in to hear Tracy’s energizing and practical advice — you won’t want to miss it.

    22 min
  2. Shouts From the Rooftops: A Year in Review

    12/18/2025

    Shouts From the Rooftops: A Year in Review

    In this year-end episode we reflect on a season of candid conversations about career progression, tough choices, and motivation faced by women in seed production. We celebrate the WISP Network’s 10year anniversary and underscore the episode’s central message: the power of community and a strong professional network. Key themes included taking ownership of your career (insights from Cheryl Werner, Melissa Phillips, and Angie Black), redefining trust and leadership (including the idea that “trust is a choice”), and resilience and energy management (practical tips from Debbie Holderman and Dr. Sheilah Oltmans-Deardorff). Guests also highlighted mentorship, allyship, and concrete strategies like career mapping, building transferable skills, and scheduling recovery time. This episode wraps with the signature “shout from the rooftops” answers from this year’s guests — from “I am enough” to “keep swimming” — and a reminder to follow the podcast so you don’t miss next year’s conversation.

    19 min
  3. Lead with Action: A Veteran’s Shift from Prove It to Demonstrate It Featuring Angie Black

    11/21/2025

    Lead with Action: A Veteran’s Shift from Prove It to Demonstrate It Featuring Angie Black

    Join the Women in Seed Production Network for a candid conversation with Angie Black, a US Navy veteran and mother with 24 years of experience in agriculture, who shared profound insights on career progression and challenges faced by women in seed production. Angie detailed her career journey through two segments: the intense "prove it" phase, rooted in proving value by working long hours and constantly seeking visibility, and the current "demonstrate" phase, which focuses on the quality and how she delivers work. The transition from overextending herself and prioritizing work, even on vacation, was catalyzed by a health crisis that required her to implement "guard rails" and shift toward working smarter. A key lesson learned throughout her career is the necessity of securing partnerships over seeking universal approval and recognizing that time lost cannot be recovered. Angie strongly advocates for influential leadership, emphasizing that success in service organizations often comes from increasing one's scope of influence across the business rather than solely relying on managing direct reports. Ultimately, she encourages listeners to embrace the confidence that she now holds: the belief that "I am definitely enough".

    29 min
  4. Self -Reliance and Navigating Life's Curveballs Featuring Melissa Phillips

    10/23/2025

    Self -Reliance and Navigating Life's Curveballs Featuring Melissa Phillips

    Join the Women in Seed Production Network for an insightful conversation with Melissa Phillips, the North America Laboratory Research Lead. In this episode, Melissa shares her inspiring journey from working a seasonal part-time position while reevaluating her career trajectory, to earning her Registered Seed Technologist accreditation and pursuing advanced degrees in agriculture. She highlights how her drive for self-reliance spurred her on to continuous learning and helped her develop what she calls "back pocket information," or transferable skills that come in handy. Melissa also opens up about overcoming significant life challenges, including a cancer diagnosis, and how careful pre-planning along with a robust support system made navigating critical workplace decisions more manageable. As a "silent motivator," she provides valuable insights on guiding the next generation, addressing gender bias with her daughter in the traditionally male field of engineering, and raising her son to be a supportive ally. Finally, Melissa imparts essential advice for women in agriculture, stressing the importance of self-awareness, particularly regarding body language and approachability, and emphasizing the need to build a foundation for self-reliance. Don't miss this empowering episode!

    25 min
  5. Celebrating Progress: An Updated Discussion with Kate McQueen

    08/27/2025

    Celebrating Progress: An Updated Discussion with Kate McQueen

    Join the Women in Seed Production Network for another special podcast episode celebrating our 10-year anniversary featuring additional insights from Kate McQueen, VP of North America Row Crop Production, three years after her first appearance. This episode includes a re-listening to her originally aired podcast, now enriched with new content and reflections. Kate emphasized her fundamental message of avoiding the pursuit of perfection, encouraging listeners to recognize their strengths and values while collaborating with those who complement them instead of trying to be everything to everyone. Considering the current uncertainties in the agricultural industry, she urged women to embrace change, manage their mindset, and be proactive and engaged, prioritizing self-care through small daily practices. Kate also reflected on her journey of work-life integration, stressing the importance of establishing boundaries and evaluating balance over extended periods, such as monthly, to alleviate daily guilt. She openly shared her struggles with imposter syndrome, advocating for trust in one’s network, reframing negative thoughts, and approaching situations with humility. Her updated "shout from the rooftops" message inspires everyone to "be the person you want to be now" and embodies the change they wish to see in the world. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear Kate share even more incredible advice and guidance.

    48 min
  6. The Power of Connection: Insights from the WiSPER Loud Panel Featuring Cassidy North, Bella Jacobson, Christine Raczka, Jess Patterson and Chelsea Hagan

    08/20/2025

    The Power of Connection: Insights from the WiSPER Loud Panel Featuring Cassidy North, Bella Jacobson, Christine Raczka, Jess Patterson and Chelsea Hagan

    Join the Women in Seed Production Network as we commemorate the 10th anniversary of Women in Seed Production (WISP) by bringing together a vibrant panel of women. They will reflect on past episodes and delve into valuable advice and examples that have shaped their own journeys in career advancement and life within seed production. This celebration will not only honor our milestones but also explore how revisiting these discussions has enriched their experiences and provided actionable insights for navigating challenges in the industry. This episode emphasized the power of community and mentorship, showcasing how these relationships foster a supportive environment for personal and professional growth. A standout moment was Anna Jansen's inspiring quote: "do the best you can until you know better, then when you know better do better," which resonated deeply with the panelists. Jason Wildman contributed a valuable perspective, encouraging listeners to view failures not as setbacks but asopportunities to adopt a creative mindset. His insights reinforced the idea that embracing failure can lead to innovation and growth. While Jim Dowling’s analogy illustrated how "failure bricks" can be transformed into "stepping stones" for personal and team elevation, fostering a "fail forward" approach.  The conversation also highlighted Hannah Neuenschwander’s advice that there are no "wrong" decisions in one’s career path, encouraging listeners to embrace non-traditional routes. Drew Yingling emphasized the significance of building trust through respect and open communication, creating a safe space for honest feedback. The episode concluded with heartfelt reflections on whatthey would advise their younger selves, focusing on trusting the process and leveraging community. The Women in Seed Production Network is celebrating our 10th anniversary throughout the entire month, so be sure to subscribe to catch all the amazing content!

    55 min
  7. Celebrating a Decade of Connections, Confidence, and Empowerment Featuring Abby Repp, Allie Jack, Megan Reynolds and Alexis Myers

    08/13/2025

    Celebrating a Decade of Connections, Confidence, and Empowerment Featuring Abby Repp, Allie Jack, Megan Reynolds and Alexis Myers

    Join the Women in Seed Production Network as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of Women in Seed Production (WISP) by gathering former and current hosts to share their favorite clips and insights. We begin with a powerful selection by Allie Jack featuring Abby Repp, who inspires us with the reminder that "you are enough," promoting self-acceptance and resilience against the pressure to be perfect. Megan Reynolds has chosen a clip with Allegra Belknap, which underscores the importance of overcoming confidence barriers by utilizing your network and acknowledging transferable skills when faced with new opportunities. Abby Repp’s clip featuring Therese Montellano-Mullins calls for action to "take a seat, make a seat" at the table, advocating for bold self-assertion and the creation of opportunities for others. Additionally, Alexis Myers’ clip with Cheryl Werner imparts the wisdom to trust your journey, recognizing that career choices are often "for now, not forever," and encourages embracing various paths instead of getting caught up in "what ifs." Overall, the episode powerfully reinforces the critical role of connections and support systems within WISP, fostering self-worth, bravery, and the ability to write your own unique story. Looking for more roundtable discussions featuring former and current hosts of the WiSPER Loud Podcast? Stay tuned for next week, when we release a second episode with a new group of fantastic hosts! The Women in Seed Production Network is celebrating our 10th anniversary throughout the entire month, so be sure to subscribe to catch all the amazing content!

    36 min
  8. A Time to Be Bold: An Updated Discussion with Shannon Hauf

    08/05/2025

    A Time to Be Bold: An Updated Discussion with Shannon Hauf

    Join the Women in Seed Production Network for a specialpodcast episode commemorating WiSP’s 10-year anniversary. This episode features insights from Shannon Hauf, the North America, Australia, and New Zealand ProductSupply Lead, who returns four years after her initial appearance in the second episode of the podcast. We revisit her original episode, now enhanced with fresh content and reflections. Shannon discusses the significant progress andadvancements for women in the agriculture sector over the past four years, emphasizing that "women belong in agriculture." She underscores the importance of allyship, and the support women provide to one another in the industry, recognizing their contributions from the farmgate to boardroom tables. Key advice for women in seed production includes seeking out a supportive network, being bold and unapologetic in their roles, and fostering resilience in the cyclical agricultural landscape. Shannon Hauf's remarkable career trajectory illustrates the power of thorough preparation and steadfast confidence in leadership. This episode celebrates the strides made by women in agriculture and advocates for ongoing efforts in diversity, innovation, and collaboration to empower everyone and propel the industry forward.

    59 min
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4.8
out of 5
22 Ratings

About

With a vision to create an open dialogue through a network of strong women in agriculture, Women in Seed Production bring you WiSPer Loud. These episodes are candid chats about career progression, motivation, reservations, and tough decisions and moments faced by Women in Seed Production. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr., "Find a voice in a whisper!"

Information

  • Creator
    WiSPER LOUD
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    50
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © WiSPER LOUD
  • Show Website
    WiSPER LOUD