Listen Now

After a successful Season 3, which hosted our 120th guest, Roads Taken will take another brief hiatus. During the break, revisit the rich archive of past episodes at RoadsTakenShow.com and also nominate yourself or another storyteller to be on the show. We will do some interviews this winter and come back in the spring with a new slew of stories for Season 4.

Guest Peter Jastreboff had considered a variety of paths to travel at college, from politics to medicine. When he actually started, his interests remained varied, diverging from those early thoughts and staying seemingly scattered. He ended up melding computer science and psychology into a major to better understand neural networks and minoring in religion. Put those pursuits together with his extensive time at the college radio station and it’s clear that at the core of his interests lies a fascination with the nature of human interaction. Ultimately, after college, he found himself where technology and finance interact—first creating his own company with a college classmate and then taking on a number of technology management roles at financial firms large and small. Over time, though, he learned that it was the human side of the business that appealed as much as the technology. In this episode, find out from Pete how searching for a sense of belonging and listening to the nuances of culture can sometimes be the key to everything…on Roads Taken with Leslie Jennings Rowley.   About This Episode’s Guest Peter Jasterboff is a global technology leader who has spent a career in the finance industry. He is currently VP of Client Services at Talos, helping provide institutional-grade technology infrastructure for digital assets trading. Though he's been in all the world's financial centers, he’s recently moved with his wife and children to London.   For another story about moving around the world and finding the core meaning in what you’re doing beyond the industry, listen to our episode with Shuhei Sekiguchi. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley Music: Brian Burrows Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

Going along with the flow was the natural way for Jack Kolodny. He tended to stick with what he knew--particularly those things where there were cut-and-dried, right-and-wrong answers but he also followed his interests and things that other nice people were interested in and cultivated an interesting life in college. Upon leaving, he didn't change course so much, hearing from a friend that management consulting was fun and following nice people to a good firm. He characterizes this approach as being a leaf in a stream But at some point, around the time of attending business school, he realized that the people that were paddling all around him might be on to something and he started paying attention to how his skills and values pointed him on the right course. He wanted more skin in the game so worked at a hedge fund helping the newly acquired businesses run. Eventually he wanted even more of. say in the values that would underlie the decision-making so co-founded his own firm. He finally shifted from being a leaf in the stream to paddling his own course. In this episode, find out from Jack how getting the right people in the boat with you can make all the difference…on Roads Taken with Leslie Jennings Rowley.   About This Episode’s Guest Jack Kolodny is Managing Partner at Auxo Investment Partners, an operationally-focused private investment firm that specializes in investing in and growing founder- and family-owned industrial, manufacturing and business-services companies. He lives in one of the L.A. area canyons, growing wine grapes on his back slope. He's accompanied on his life's boat by his wife and their three children—one who envisions paddling toward far off oceans, one already blowing up Instagram with his fashion designs, and one who will figure it out in time.    For another story about centering other people in our lives, listen to our episode with Jonathon Stewart.  Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley Music: Brian Burrows Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

Guest Ben Brainard had cared for only a goldfish before getting to college but he somehow had the idea of becoming a veterinarian. He thinks it might have been on account of reading James Harriot’s tales of days spent bucolically going from farm to farm treating animals of all sizes. But even after doing the pre-med track and shadowing vets in Vermont he still didn’t have the full picture of what a diary animal doctor did. In vet school he discovered much of the reality of that work was caring for the farm rather than the individual animals and he realized he needed to switch gears. Going into critical care for people’s pets, he got to exercise his interests in both problem solving on the fly and communicating with people. Along the way he needed to negotiate with the person closest to him and ultimately decide on caring for his own. In this episode, find out from Ben how figuring out who we want to care for is often a path to contentment…on Roads Taken with Leslie Jennings Rowley.   About This Episode’s Guest Ben Brainard is currently Edward H. Gunst Professor of Small Animal Critical Care at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, where he is also director of clinical research. He is an expert in fish anesthesia, coagulation, and--as we heard earlier--dealing with primates of all sorts through the Great Ape Heart Project. Ben and his wife are raising their inquisitive daughter in Athens, Georgia. And though he seems to have put his basement band dreams to rest with Vegetative Propagation, he thankfully still wears bow ties.   For another story centered on caring for creatures great and small (and even our own), listen to ourepisode with Liz Rawson. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com   Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley Music: Brian Burrows Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

Guest Shilyh Warren was comfortable in college having uncomfortable conversations about inequality and gender and felt herself to be a bit of a ramble-rouser. She wasn’t exactly sure what her path would be like but she wanted to emulate the activists who went out and made a difference in the world dismantling systems. Her first job after college was doing political organizing, where she realized how hard that work was and the pace of change didn’t meet her expectations. After investigating a few more options, she decided to join a boyfriend’s dream to travel and work in South America. A twist in that story that made her take a look at what her own dreams held, led her to a few different kinds of adventure. Ultimately the cultural pieces that she was learning on the road intersected with the life of the mind she’d loved cultivating in the classroom. In this episode, find out from Shilyh out how casting a critical eye and reflecting deeply can manifest in different kinds of activism…on Roads Taken with Leslie Jennings Rowley.   About This Episode’s Guest Shilyh Warren is currently at the University of Texas, Dallas where she is Associate Professor of Visual and Performing Arts & Film Studies as well as Associate Dean of Graduate Studies in the School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology. Her research takes up debates in film history, feminist theory, documentary studies, and film theory. She and her writing, including her award-winning piece "Revolution is Another Climax," can be found @shelikeswhat on Twitter (if that's still a thing.)   For another story centered on finding an outlet for gender-related activism in the arts and the academy, listen to ourepisode with Erika Meitner. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley Music: Brian Burrows Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

Guest Chris McGee loved science--even lab work--but it was really the story behind the science that captivated him. He thought that probably meant being in the biotechnology industry, but wasn't exactly sure how that would manifest in his life right after college. In an early attempt, he realized he was too far removed from the impact of the work. At the next company, he was getting closer to the actual work, but it wasn't the kind of work I wanted to be doing. At that point, the suggestion from a friend to pack it up and take an adventure to Nepal provided the welcome break he needed. He extended his adventuring with another friend but finally decided to move across the country for both professional and professional reasons. In this episode, find out from Chris out how momentarily getting off the path you’re on—even the right one—sometimes lets you travel it more wisely…on Roads Taken with Leslie Jennings Rowley.   About This Episode’s Guest Chris McGee currently serves Portfolio and Project Management Team Leader at Pfizer, where he has worked in various capacities since 2006. While dodging potentially ill-advised adventure offers from friends, he has his own adventures with his wife and two children in Brooklyn. (207)   For another story centered on pharmaceutical development, listen to ourepisode with Drew Natenshon. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com   Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley Music: Brian Burrows Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

Guest Christopher Kelly spent many a night during his college career in a film screening, honing a knowledge and love of cinema. But even more than his abiding love of film was his passion for writing about it and reflecting on culture more broadly. It wasn’t immediately obvious, however, how to make a life’s work of that. After a few placements at magazines and a freelance career that could keep ends meet, he applied on a whim to an open film critic position at a newspaper in Fort Worth, Texas, and he got it. That remained the dream job for a few years and then he was ready for new opportunities, just as the two worlds on which his career was built—the film industry and print journalism—were undergoing complete transformation. In this episode,find out from Chris how staying attuned to the tastes of the audience and being open to change can help you navigate the critical junctures…on Roads Taken with Leslie Jennings Rowley.   About This Episode’s Guest Christopher Kelly is Vice President of Content of NJ Advance Media, overseeing all content for NJ.com and the Newark Star-Ledger. He is also a novelist, who won the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Debut Fiction in 2008 for his combination “coming-of-age and revenge story” A Push and a Shove. His second novel, The Pink Bus, was published in 2016, just before he found other ways to spend his free time with his husband and two kids.   For another story featuring a writer about culture and film, listen to ourepisode with Suzanne Leonard. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley Music: Brian Burrows Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com  

Guest Blair Seidler Hammond navigated her freshman year of college knowing that her mother was sick with cancer. Her mother died at the end of that year and when Blair returned after the summer break, she was still trying to process and understand what the purpose of life was. Feeling the answer was to live into every moment, she prioritized daily joys such as painting and sailing. Realizing her fatalism might be a little outsized, she started reevaluating what a well-lived life was, and was determined to final a vocation that felt full of purpose. The problem was, even though everyone was telling her she should be a doctor, she couldn’t stand the sight of blood. Eventually, she let her love of science manifest it in teaching and research but finally felt the pull back to the classroom and entered med school. When she found pediatrics, she realized she could live out the purpose-driven life imagined after all. In this episode, find out from Blair how leaning into joy and relationships can actually be the same thing as finding meaning…on Roads Taken with Leslie Jennings Rowley.   About This Episode’s Guest Blair Seidler Hammond is a board certified pediatrician at the Mount Sinai Doctors Faculty Practice where she founded the General Pediatrics Faculty Practice. She is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Mount Sinai, where she has received their Excellence in Teaching Award. Along with classmate Aliza Pressman, Blair is Co-Founding Director of the Mount Sinai Parenting Center, where she also serves as Director of Medical Education, helping to transform the way pediatric healthcare is delivered by maximizing opportunities to promote strong parent-child relationships and early childhood development within everyday healthcare interactions. She applies her work at home, too—living and parenting as she does with her husband and classmate Scott Hammond and their three children—in Westchester, New York.   For another story featuring the Mount Sinai Parenting Center that Blair discussed founding, listen to ourepisode with Aliza Pressman, the program’s co-founder. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley Music: Brian Burrows Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

Guest Heather McNemar experienced a taste of world travel while in high school, when her father took a sabbatical and the family visited many spots, including Siberia for a slightly extended stay. Heather was drawn to the language and the culture and knew she would study both in college. Later, as she was making her way into the world, she didn’t know exactly how she would use her skills but knew she wanted to help people. She got a job helping newly settled immigrants to the U.S. get jobs and realized that good language skills were key to their success. She began taking classes to teach English as a Second Language and landed a spot as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kazakhstan. While there, she met the man who would become her husband, also a Peace Corps volunteer but had his sights set on diplomatic work with the U.S. Department of State. In this episode, find out from Heather how finding your way in a new place can also help others do likewise…on Roads Taken with Leslie Jennings Rowley.   About This Episode’s Guest Heather McNemar is a former Peace Corps volunteer who has gone round this girdled earth a number of times with her family as her husbnad has been posted with the U.S. State Department. Her fluency in Russian and her expertise in helping others find their footing in new places and new careers has been helpful in many of her posts. She is currently in the middle of a stint in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and continues running, finding that it is often a great way to get to know a new place.    For another story about the peripatetic life that comes with a State Department gig, listen to our episode with Joey Hood. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com   Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley Music: Brian Burrows Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

Guest Kristen Calcagni Johnson pinned her early thoughts of being a doctor on her ability to stay calm when everyone else was stressing out. But even more core to her personality is her drive to experience many things, find joy in varied activities, and live into many facets of her identity and a balanced life. Since she was choosing colleges to today, she has always known that—while she takes her work and her activities seriously—she is willing to accept a little imperfection if it means that she will have more room in her life for different experiences and time for loved ones. She even finds it imperative to find room in her life to engage in activities she “is bad at”—like tennis—to balance out a work environment in pediatrics that demands more precision. In this episode, find out from Kristen how making space for being good at things and bad at things can help you bring a whole person approach to care-giving…on Roads Taken with Leslie Jennings Rowley.   About This Episode’s Guest Kristen Calcagni Johnson, as a friend once described her, is a woodworker, she sews clothes, she’s a big reader, she speaks Italian, by, the way, she’s a pediatrician. She practices with Core Physicians, affiliated with Exeter Hospital, in the New Hampshire Seacoast Region. She lives with her husband and two children there, where she was awarded the 2021 Exeter Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year, chiefly for her work on the front line of the pandemic, as a critical partner to the community and school district on health and safety issues. Had there been a furniture- or shed-building category, we are sure she would have come out on top of that one, too. For another story about making sure you make time for multiple activities, even ones in which you’re less than talented, listen to our episode with Stephanie Argamaso. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com   Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley Music: Brian Burrows Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

Guest Jenny Land Mackenzie grew up in Vermont and figured she would likely return there one day. However, her college career—filled as it was with all sort of creative explorations and outdoor adventures—set her up to delve into one passion only to have it lead her to another passion. This began when her interest in the history of clothing led her to an internship at a museum led by a mentor who would ultimately spark a passion for organic farming. The love of the land led her to other gardening adventures which led her to teaching adventures. Teaching led to a break for her own schooling, which led to more teaching and the development of a family life. Passion for her family ultimately led her to create the type of teaching and writing career that fills her soul.//In this episode, find out from Jenny how planting seeds for tomorrow’s bounty can sometimes nurture your own sense of place…on Roads Taken with Leslie Jennings Rowley. About This Episode’s Guest//Jenny Land Mackenzie lives in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom with her husband—with whom she teaches at St. Johnsbury Academy—and their twins. Along with having a soft spot for organic farming, hiking, singing and the history of fashion, Jenny enjoys the process of writing in all genres. She is the author of The Spare Room, a historical novel for middle grade readers, as well as the non-fiction volume Teaching Rules! 52 Ways to Achieve Teaching Success. In 2015, Jenny was the grand-prize winner for that year’s Reader’s Digest Poetry Contest for her poem “After the Death of Their Child,” inspired by the infamous Lindberg baby. The following year, she won another top honor, as her poem “Morning E.R.” was selected by the Telegraph newspaper as the winning entry in the poetry contest to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday. Read Jenny’s award-winning poem, “Morning E.R.” about Queen Elizabeth II.  And to see examples of the homemade Halloween costumes Jenny mentioned, see this year's dragon and gnome. For another story about being called to one thing and following another to find your way home, listen to our episode with Michelle Erickson Waters. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com   Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley Music: Brian Burrows Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

Guest Amel Ahmed ventured to college from an urban immigrant community and she spent much of her college career trying to figure out what was happening—academically, socially, culturally. She realized that she found comfort in embedding herself in the liminal spaces and really probing them, using the eye of an astute ethnographer and sleuthing historian. By the time she was ready to leave her undergraduate experience, she had a laser focus on continuing to study the Middle East and how ideals and systems of democracy could be spread there. In her first semester of grad school, however, a professor made a comment about the very notion of democracy that took her right back to asking what was happening and how that informs the way you approach the ideas that are at your core. In this episode, find out from Amel how asking the fundamental question of “what are we really doing here” is often the only way to know where we are headed…on Roads Taken with Leslie Jennings Rowley.   About This Episode’s Guest Amel Ahmed is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She specializes in democratic studies—approaching the work from historical and comparative perspectives, focusing on both Europe and the United States. She is particularly interested in elections, voting systems, legislative politics, party development, and voting rights.   Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com   Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley Music: Brian Burrows Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

Guest Luke Brown had a long-standing desire to become a professor. Though both English and physics seemed plausible at one point, he was pulled into the study of history through a classics course. His senior year of college, he thought he had it all figured out: he got engaged to his college girlfriend and he was applying to graduate school. He ended up getting married, but he also got rejected from every history graduate program to which he had applied. He got back on track a year later, but ultimately let go of the PhD he'd thought he'd been destined for. In pulling away from the program and academic life completely, he found himself in an identity crisis. He landed jobs that were enjoyable, but in a different field and not quite what he had in mind for himself. Of course, when he reflects on things—especially his wife of more than 25 years and three children—he recognizes that life isn’t all about one’s career. In this episode, find out from Luke how adjusting your expectations and giving yourself grace to find a new identity can take a bit of time …on Roads Taken with Leslie Jennings Rowley.   About This Episode’s Guest Luke Brown continues to hone an eclectic set of interests and currently lends his talents to help organizations use technology to operate more effectively. While he's continuing to figure out who he'll be when he grows up, he is working on putting his three kids on paths of their own. He lives with them and his wife in Minneapolis. (258)   For another story about career expectations being mismatched with reality, listen to our episode with John Strayer. Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com   Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley Music: Brian Burrows Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

Guest John Peoples had never considered himself a science person, let alone one to follow the pre-med track. He had only a sense that he was independent and wanted to help people. After an off-term spent caring for his ailing grandfather and hearing his grandmother's stories about caregivers in their family, he began to reconsider a career in medicine. He returned to school and fleshed out his history major with pre-med requirements. With not quite enough time to finish and take the MCAT before graduation, he enrolled in a post-baccalaureate pre-med program in New York. Not sure he wanted to commit to the long hours of the medical school and ultimate doctor life right away, he found a way to use both his growing medical interests and his Spanish language in a clinic in California. Ultimately, he set off to med school, perhaps later than most. And he found ways to incorporate his desire to work more directly with individuals, families, and communities in need of care. In this episode, find out from John how listening to people’s stories and coming to understand people's needs can sometimes lead to your calling…on Roads Taken with Leslie Jennings Rowley.   About This Episode’s Guest John Peoples is a bi-lingual board certified pediatrician who practices at Central Oregon Pediatric Associates in Bend, Oregon. When he is not working with families to build a strong foundation for children’s educational, developmental, and mental health needs, he is likely off hiking with his wife, son, and crazy dogs.     Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com   Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley Music: Brian Burrows Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com    

Guest Patricia Herrera was on the premed path, happily thinking of herself as a STEM person. A chance encounter with Latinx theater in a freshman seminar led her to take to the stage and realized she loved it. She infused her science studies with healthy doses of theater opportunities but always thought of those pursuits as a hobby. After a term-long immersion experience with peers who were thinking about the stage as a profession, she received advice from a counselor: You don’t have to do what others expect but rather what makes you happy. She changed majors to theater and what would now be termed Latinx studies, and had to “come out” to her parents with a new identity as an artist. As she gained experience in acting, directing, writing, and the academic side of things, she couldn’t decide which part of the theatrical enterprise most intrigued her. So she applied to graduate programs in all areas and found ways to keep active in the performing world while also analyzing that world in her academic studies. Ultimately, she found a landing spot where she could continue to do both. In this episode, find out from Patricia how centering your community’s stories in your work can help you give voice to your own…on Roads Taken with Leslie Jennings Rowley.   About This Episode’s Guest Patricia Herrera is a community-engaged artist whose mission is to create a more just world through theater and the arts. She is currently Associate Professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Richmond, which has been her academic home for over a decade. Her teaching, research, and community-based projects explore the social inequities experienced by underrepresented communities, especially in the places that she calls home. Find out more about her work at drpatriciaherrera.com.     Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com   Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley Music: Brian Burrows Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com  

Guest Joseph Marcheso was six or seven years old when he found out that being an opera conductor was something someone could do. From that moment, he knew he wanted to be one. So going to an Ivy League school was somewhat of an insurance policy in case he decided to let go of his dream. When his dream didn’t change, it became a bit of a liability as it disconnected him from the musical world for a number of years. Through persistence, he built the connections and skills that he needed by conducting at a smaller theater in New York and then participating in a master’s program in San Francisco. When he got the opportunity to conduct at Opera San José Opera he realized that he’d found the type of place he could call home. With that came the realization of other dreams that seemed even less likely to come true. In this episode, find out from Joe how matching your value to someone else’s needs and vice versa can keep you content if you let it…on Roads Taken with Leslie Jennings Rowley.   About This Episode’s Guest Maestro Joseph Marcheso is a world-class conductor most recognized for his affiliation with Opera San José, where he has served as Music Director since 2014. He has also been a member of the conducting staff at San Francisco Opera and boasts an extensive and impressive repertoire of over 60 operas. Though he still travels to many of the world’s opera houses, he lives in Berkeley, California, with his husband and their young son. Find out more about his latest musical adventures at josephmarcheso.com.     Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com   Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley Music: Brian Burrows Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

Guest Tiernan Sittenfeld had glimpses in high school of not only the grandeur of America's landscapes but also the degradation that was happening within them when she saw clear cuts up close. She was drawn to understand how we can best conserve these lands and the communities linked to them and took advantage of the first opportunity to earn an Environmental Studies certificate in college and take an international study program in Kenya. Those experiences, and a term spent working on a state senate race, made her see the overlap between conservation and politics. She began her career as an organizer leading student communities and expanded into more general audiences, exercising her public speaking skills and community building skills along the way. When she needed to decide whether to pursue a law degree, she realized she’d found a place where she could grow all sorts of skills and tackle bigger and bigger challenges. In this episode, find out from Tiernan how organizing and connecting with others can sometimes help you find your own voice…on Roads Taken with Leslie Jennings Rowley.   About This Episode’s Guest Tiernan Sittenfeld currently serves as Senior Vice President for Government Affairs at the League of Conservation Voters where she has worked for the past 17 years, tirelessly advocating for sound environmental laws and policies to help protect our planet and the communities that are most impacted by climate and environmental change. She lives in Washington DC with her husband and two sons, where she has been named by the National Journal as one of the top 50 people changing the game in Washington.   Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com For another story about making a career fighting for better environmental policy, listen to our episode with Kira Lawrence.   Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley Music: Brian Burrows Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

Guest Cameron Turner had come to college with a full-sized drafting table and a dream to become an architect. He had to build his own academic program, augmenting his studio art major with an engineering minor and internship experiences at a variety of architecture firms. Going through corporate recruiting, he got an opportunity to work at Microsoft and figured it would be an experience for a couple years. The company sought his design skills, however, to help make its productivity products more robust and elegant and put him on a path within product management and user experience design and those couple of years proved to be longer than he expected. After and MBA and a masters in statistics, he applied his skills toward his own businesses and pivoted toward the world of big data and AI. But his desire to remain close to the customer and approach their challenges with a design lens hasn’t changed from his days of dreaming of architecture. In this episode, find out from Cameron how creating new worlds is sometimes less about what you construct and more about how people feel at home in what you build…on Roads Taken with Leslie Jennings Rowley.   About This Episode’s Guest Cameron Turner is Vice President of Data Science for Kin + Carta, who acquired Datorium, one of the companies he founded. He is an executive data science leader, applied AI specialist, and serial entrepreneur with a track record of digital transformation and build out of new data-driven businesses. He and his family continue to soak in the sunshine in Palo Alto. (246)   For another story about making a career at Microsoft after thinking it would last only two years, listen to our epsiode with Keshav Puttaswamy.   Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley Music: Brian Burrows   Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com   Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

Guest Keshav Puttaswamy was excited to be able to dabble in the full liberal arts curriculum of college and found an interest in computer science. When he had the opportunity to intern at Microsoft in a rather new role of product manager he took it despite not knowing what it would entail. He ended up learning a lot about not only computer science but also how the business worked and had fun doing it. But it felt didn’t feel like a mainstream route for either a computer scientist or a business person so he thought about other roles in each field. Ultimately he decided to take the offer to work at Microsoft, but he figured it would be for only two years and then he’d get into something more “normal” in the business world. Those two years turned into twenty when it became clear that his skill set was well suited for product management and seeing how the variety of projects he got to work on was vast. But the desire to change came again when he thought about providing his children the opportunity to live abroad, as he had been afforded by his parents.//In this episode, find out from Keshav how feeling years to be long or short is sometimes related to the pace of change and sometimes to how right things feel…on Roads Taken with Leslie Jennings Rowley.   About This Episode’s Guest Keshav Puttaswamy is a near lifer at Microsoft. He spent the first 20 years there in product management leadership roles and currently leads the collaboration and workplace experiences there, helping to deliver transformational digital experiences for Microsoft employees that serve as a blueprint for customers’ own digital transformation journeys. During his family’s two years in Sydney he led the server and enterprise-focused data center products for Atlassian before boomeranging back to Seattle. In addition to the travel, Keshav also enjoys cricket, cooking, and cocktails. (307)   Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley Music: Brian Burrows   Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com   Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com  

Guest Suzanne Leonard joined the staff of The Dartmouth, but realized the pace of a daily paper didn’t give her time to spend with the stories or the words she was writing. A work-study job at the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine gave her a taste of a different pace that suited her better. A double English and psychology major, she found the perfect internship, working as an assistant at Psychology Today and left college convinced she would work in magazine publishing. Landing at Fitness magazine, she didn’t end up feeling comfortable with either the content or the paycheck. She took advice from her professor father that she might want to consider graduate school, applied, and found herself—and her people—in a master’s program in Wisconsin. Realizing she was better suited to write about magazines than for them, she pursued her PhD in literature and worked across a variety of media, ultimately concentrating in gender, media, and popular culture. When she realized that the winds of popular opinion were blowing in ideas about what constituted “appropriate” curricula for schools across the country and particularly her middle-class town in Massachusetts, she realized that she her knowledge of critical race and gender theory needed to be applied to the debate and she ran for an open seat on the school committee in her town. In this episode, find out from Suzanne how moving from doing what you know to casting a critical eye toward it can sometimes make more impact…on Roads Taken with Leslie Jennings Rowley.   About This Episode’s Guest Suzanne Leonard is Professor of English and the Director of the Graduate Program in Gender and Cultural Studies at Simmons University. She is on the board of Console-ing Passions, an organization devoted to the study of Television, Video, Audio, New Media, and Feminism. Her recent books include Wife, Inc.: The Business of Marriage in the Twenty-First Century (2018); and the edited volume Imagining We in the Age of I: Romance and Social Bonding in Contemporary Culture(2021). She is an elected member of the Winthrop School Committee in Winthrop, Massachusetts, where she lives with her husband and daughter. Mentioned in this Episode Suzanne wrote a piece, "Knowing the Dead," for the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine about her work-study job prepping class secretaries to write obituaries. Read the piece from the DAM archives.   Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley Music: Brian Burrows   Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com   Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com