Episode 103 - Exploring Career Paths with Margon Dillard
CPhT Connect The Podcast with Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv
Release Date: 06/17/2025
Episode 106 - Exploring Career Paths with Courtney Miller
CPhT Connect The Podcast with Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv
In this episode of CPhT Connect, hosts Mike Johnston and Ashleigh Smith sit down with Courtney Miller, the powerhouse founder of Pharm Techs Only, to explore her remarkable 30-year journey in the pharmacy field. From her start at CVS in 1997 to roles in long-term care and even providing care within the complex environment of Rikers Island, Courtney shares the highs, lows, and hard lessons learned throughout her career. She opens up about the unique challenges of working in a correctional facility—navigating intense security protocols and serving a highly diverse patient population—and how...
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Episode 105 - Exploring Career Paths with Ranisha Mangle
CPhT Connect The Podcast with Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv
Welcome to a new episode of CPhT Connect, the podcast for Pharmacy Technicians! Join hosts Mike Johnston and Ashleigh Smith as they explore the intersection of pharmacy and wellness with special guest Ranisha Mangle, CPhT. With over 20 years of experience and a degree in nutrition and wellness, Ranisha shares her inspiring journey from retail pharmacy to becoming a health educator and advocate for holistic care. In this episode, she dives into the benefits of vitamin D, the emerging “food as medicine” movement, and the role pharmacy technicians can play in promoting whole-person health....
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Episode 104 - Exploring Career Paths with Kevin Judeich
CPhT Connect The Podcast with Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv
Welcome to a new episode of CPhT Connect, the podcast for Pharmacy Technicians! Join hosts Mike Johnston and Ashleigh Smith as they welcome back Kevin Judeich, Licensing and Accreditation Specialist at Curexa Pharmacy, for an engaging conversation about career growth, specialization, and making an impact in pharmacy. In this episode, Kevin shares how his role has evolved—from a generalist technician to a regulatory specialist working with telemedicine providers and veterinary practices in a compounding and fulfillment setting. He breaks down what it means to become a “T-shaped employee,”...
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Episode 103 - Exploring Career Paths with Margon Dillard
CPhT Connect The Podcast with Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv
Welcome to a dynamic new episode of CPhT Connect, the podcast for Pharmacy Technicians! Join hosts Mike Johnstonand Ashleigh Smith as they sit down with pharmacy powerhouse Margon Dillard, a seasoned technician whose passion for people and innovation is redefining what it means to work in pharmacy. In this episode, Margon shares her inspiring career journey—from pharmacy school to roles in retail, 503B compounding, hospital pharmacy, purchasing, management, pharma sales, and more. She shines a light on the critical and often overlooked world of pharmacy purchasing, where she managed over 60%...
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Episode 102 - Taking the Lead: Pharmacy Leadership Essentials Pt 2
CPhT Connect The Podcast with Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv
Welcome back to CPhT Connect, the podcast for Pharmacy Technicians! We’re continuing our Season 7 kickoff with Part 2 of our powerful leadership conversation featuring Kelley Babcock and Terri Norvell—two dynamic leadership development coaches passionate about empowering pharmacy technicians. In Part 1, Kelley and Terri joined hosts Mike Johnston and Ashleigh Smith to introduce their Leadership Growth Formula and explore how leadership begins with mindset and behavior—not just titles. They encouraged techs to lead from where they are and to step confidently into their potential. In Part...
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Episode 101 - Taking the Lead: Pharmacy Leadership Essentials
CPhT Connect The Podcast with Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv
Welcome to the Season 7 premiere of CPhT Connect, the podcast for Pharmacy Technicians! Join hosts Mike Johnston and Ashleigh Smith as they kick off a brand-new season with an empowering conversation on leadership in pharmacy. In this episode, leadership development coaches Kelley Babcock and Terri Norvell share the Leadership Growth Formula, a transformative approach to developing leadership skills and confidence—no matter your title. With deep roots in both corporate and independent pharmacy, Kelley and Terri offer powerful insights into what it means to lead, how to align your values with...
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100th Episode Special: Behind the Scenes of CPhT CONNECT
CPhT Connect The Podcast with Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv
Welcome to a milestone episode of CPhT Connect, the podcast for Pharmacy Technicians! For this special 100th episode, Ashleigh Smith interviews the NPTA creative team and Mike Johnston to reflect on the podcast’s incredible journey and celebrate how far it's come. In this episode, Mike Johnston and Peter Fazon, Creative Director for NPTA, dive into the early days of CPhT Connect—how the idea started, the challenges they faced, and the vision behind it. Then, the spotlight turns to the creative team: Amber Taylor, Events and Marketing Design Lead; Precious Fazon, Social Media and...
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Episode 99 -Where Are You Going?
CPhT Connect The Podcast with Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv
Welcome to an insightful episode of CPhT Connect, the podcast for Pharmacy Technicians! Join hosts Mike Johnston and Ashleigh Smith as they dive into the topic of career advancement and professional growth for pharmacy technicians. In this episode, Mike and Ashleigh explore key strategies and frameworks to help technicians take control of their careers, including the Career Vision Framework, Career Compass, SMART Goals, IKIGAI, and the Career Lattice. They discuss how aligning your career with your values, interests, and strengths can lead to a more fulfilling and impactful professional...
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Episode 98 - Catch Me If You Can - Pharmacy Edition
CPhT Connect The Podcast with Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv
Welcome to a gripping episode of CPhT Connect, the podcast for Pharmacy Technicians! Join hosts Mike Johnston and Ashleigh Smith as they uncover the shocking case of Kim Thien Le, a pharmacy technician who successfully impersonated a licensed pharmacist for over 11 years at Walgreens. In this episode, Mike and Ashleigh break down how Le managed to fill over 745,000 prescriptions—including controlled substances—before being exposed in a routine California State Pharmacy Board audit. Walgreens faced intense scrutiny and ultimately settled with California authorities for $7.5 million, raising...
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Episode 97 - Exploring Career Paths with Lindsey Storm
CPhT Connect The Podcast with Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv
Welcome to an inspiring episode of CPhT Connect, the podcast for Pharmacy Technicians! Join hosts Mike Johnston and Ashleigh Smith as they sit down with Lindsey Storm, a seasoned pharmacy technician with 17 years of experience, including 13 at Vanderbilt Medical Center. In this episode, Lindsey shares her unique career journey, from studying pre-law to discovering her passion for pharmacy. What started as a job quickly became a career fueled by her curiosity and drive to grow. Now, she leads Vanderbilt's workforce-based Pharmacy Technician Training Program, which transitioned from a...
info_outlineWelcome to a dynamic new episode of CPhT Connect, the podcast for Pharmacy Technicians! Join hosts Mike Johnstonand Ashleigh Smith as they sit down with pharmacy powerhouse Margon Dillard, a seasoned technician whose passion for people and innovation is redefining what it means to work in pharmacy.
In this episode, Margon shares her inspiring career journey—from pharmacy school to roles in retail, 503B compounding, hospital pharmacy, purchasing, management, pharma sales, and more. She shines a light on the critical and often overlooked world of pharmacy purchasing, where she managed over 60% of a hospital’s budget, underscoring the influence and responsibility technicians can have.
Margon also introduces PharmFest, her exciting new event series designed to bring pharmacy and pharmaceutical professionals together through community, peer learning, and non-traditional education—all in fun, engaging environments. The first event was held at Dave & Buster’s, and the next one is set for October 24 in Houston.
Don’t miss this episode packed with career insight, innovation, and inspiration for pharmacy technicians ready to expand their impact and embrace new possibilities in the profession!
Registration for PharmFest: https://www.pharmfest.com/pre-register
Special discount code for podcast listeners NPTA30
https://www.linkedin.com/company/pharmfest/
https://www.instagram.com/pharmfest/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558663175188