How I Completely Reinvented Myself: Heather Marold Thomason - Founder & Butcher, Primal Supply Meats
Release Date: 07/14/2020
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Ellen Yin didn’t always love food. As a child in New Jersey, she was more into McDonald’s than her mom’s cooking. But when she did discover the magic of restaurants and the food they served, she was hooked. All through her time at the University of Pennsylvania, she dreamed of owning a restaurant. This was true even after she began working in advertising and hospital management. Today, she is owner and co-founder of High Street Hospitality Group, managing four restaurants in Philadelphia and one in NY
info_outline REINVENTORS: Alex Beyer, Pianist To Navy PilotSkip the Repeat
When I met Alex Beyer in 2010 at a piano competition in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, we struck up a conversation about his passion for soccer and his dream of becoming a NASA astronaut. Since then, he has gone on to win third prize at the Dublin International Piano Competition and the Queen Elisabeth Competition. And it was at the peak of his piano competition career that he pivoted, away from the life of a concert pianist. Today he is a Student Naval Aviator in the United States Navy.
info_outline REINVENTORS: Megan Moore, Opera Singer To Arts AdvocateSkip the Repeat
Megan Moore now tells students she speaks to, that a career doesn’t begin once they’ve won a job, competition, or role - it starts the moment they walk into music school. As an artist faced with the horrors of a once packed schedule disappearing because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Megan has thought much about what a career is to her, through her journey as a young operatic star to co-founding LYNX, a non-profit now working with people with nonverbal autism.
info_outline REINVENTORS: Katherine Balch, Aspiring Historian To ComposerSkip the Repeat
As a senior in high school, Katherine Balch focused on applying to dual degree programs, so she could study music and something else. She refused to pigeonhole herself into a career track, and has kept that same spirit well into her now-flourishing career as a composer - even with the awards and prizes she has received, she’s open to change, maybe even away from composition one day. Today she is the 2020 Elliott Carter Rome Prize Fellow.
info_outline REINVENTORS: Marcos Espinoza, Construction Estimator To Beef Jerky MakerSkip the Repeat
When Side Project Jerky was launched almost ten years ago, it was meant to be exactly that - a side project. Working as a construction estimator, Marcos Espinoza saw the beef jerky business as a more fun way to earn extra income than a rental property. But through the years his fascination with jerky has continued to grow, culminating in the decision to pivot and focus much of his efforts into the business after he was laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic.
info_outline REINVENTORS: Keegan Fong, Marketing Manager To RestauranteurSkip the Repeat
This episode begins with a reflection on what has been happening in this country in the wake of the murders in Atlanta and the sharp increase in hate crimes against Asian people.
info_outline REINVENTORS: John Geating, Aspiring Navy Pilot To WoodworkerSkip the Repeat
In high school, John Geating was dead set on becoming a Navy pilot. But because of a medical disqualification, he was forced to drastically alter his path. Through his numerous pivots, including becoming a janitor, working at a yogurt factory, and becoming a property manager in New Zealand, he’s taken the long road to where he is now. But perhaps the most devastating change was the loss of his dad. Today he is co-owner of the delightful Leeward Furniture.
info_outline REINVENTORS: Jason Sturgill, Record Label Founder To IllustratorSkip the Repeat
Friendships have been the most important aspect of opening doors for Jason Sturgill. From founding a record label, to a stint in telemarketing, to working at one of the big names in the advertising world, and becoming an illustrator, the serendipity and spontaneity that relationships bring have been central to his pivots. Today his list of clients include Nike, Muji, Teva, and Stumptown Coffee Roasters.
info_outline REINVENTORS: Steven Banks, Saxophonist To Advocate For DiversitySkip the Repeat
Steven Banks always felt that he was alone. As a classical saxophonist, no one looked like him or had a similar background - a fact that left him with what felt like a huge responsibility to represent all black people in classical music. That feeling fueled him to become an advocate for diversity and inclusion, as well as expanding into becoming a composer. He is the first ever saxophonist to win the Young Concert Artists International Auditions.
info_outline REINVENTORS: Jeannine A. Cook, Educator To Activist & Bookshop OwnerSkip the Repeat
As a nineteen year old college student, Jeannine A. Cook became pregnant. Initially fearing that her life and dreams were over, she eventually rose to meet those challenges, graduating and becoming an educator. Service has always been central to her ideas about what it means to be a human being - through her pivot and founding Harriett’s Bookshop, she is cultivating the next generation of activists.
info_outlineHeather Marold Thomason leaps first and thinks later. Heather and Kai talk about her previous life as a dancer and graphic designer (3:40), burning out in college (10:40), and how becoming friends with farmers came to change her trajectory (29:20). They also discuss apprenticing on a farm (43) and how her previous life as a dancer and artist shapes her life now (53:30).