The Dignity of Work
Welcome to the Dignity of Work, where we discuss best practices with leading workforce practitioners around the country, in order to help people increase their quality of life.
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E134: The Power of Executive Coaching: Unlocking Leadership Potential
04/26/2024
E134: The Power of Executive Coaching: Unlocking Leadership Potential
This episode of the Partners in Progress series features part two of a two-part conversation with Eva Marquette, owner of FreshVue, a strategic design and organizational development company based in Spokane, Washington. Cami Eakins, CEO of Career Path Services, and Eva discuss the immense value of executive coaching for leaders. Cami shares her personal experience working with Eva and how it has helped her grow as a leader, navigate challenges, and drive her organization's winning strategy. Eva emphasizes the importance of establishing trust, maintaining confidentiality, and understanding the client's business deeply to provide effective coaching. Cami and Eva also highlight the significance of strategic partnerships in addressing complex societal issues and driving positive change.
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E133: From Vision to Action: Lessons from FreshVue and Career Path Services' Partnership
04/09/2024
E133: From Vision to Action: Lessons from FreshVue and Career Path Services' Partnership
This episode of the Partners in Progress series features part one of a two-part conversation with Eva Marquette, owner of FreshVue, a strategic design and organizational development company based in Spokane, Washington. Eva joins Cami Eakins, CEO of Career Path Services, to discuss their transformative partnership. They explore how FreshVue helped Career Path Services develop their strategic framework called "Our Winning Strategy," enabling the organization to navigate challenges, foster meaningful partnerships, and work towards its mission of breaking the spirit of poverty through the dignity of work. Eva shares insights into FreshVue's unique approach to building trust, promoting vulnerability, and facilitating long-term organizational change. To learn more visit:
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E132: Employees as Partners for Change: Insights from Career Path Services REDI CT Team
03/21/2024
E132: Employees as Partners for Change: Insights from Career Path Services REDI CT Team
This episode of the Partners in Progress series features a conversation with John Dorrenbacher from Career Path Services as he discusses the organization's REDI CT team, which focuses on bringing race, equity, diversity and inclusion to the forefront of their work. John shares his passion for advocacy, his vision for expanding the REDI CT team's presence and impact throughout the organization, and practical advice for other organizations looking to start their own equity and inclusion initiatives. He also emphasizes the importance of starting small, changing language and behaviors incrementally, and approaching these complex issues with grace, compassion and a willingness to learn. Discover the crucial role that employees play as partners for change in this important work.
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E131: Developing an Enduring Workforce Partnership
02/15/2024
E131: Developing an Enduring Workforce Partnership
This episode of the Partners in Progress series explores the ingredients of an enduring, purposeful partnership between workforce development leaders Dawn Karber and Cami Eakins. Tracing their 20+ year alliance, Cami and Dawn reveal the trust, empathy, and shared passion that allowed them to successfully navigate tricky organizational dynamics and drive systems-level change. From coordinating services to managing crises, they model how to put people first while tackling complex performance requirements. Now pursuing innovative projects like SkillsFWD, Dawn exemplifies how genuine relationships outlast any single initiative. Their inspirational dialogue highlights professional generosity and wisdom gained from weathering major transitions shoulder-to-shoulder. Tune in for an uplifting model of partnership that emphasizes empathy, trust-building, and putting people at the center so collaborators can keep progressing together.
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E130: Coming Up: An Innovative Youth-Focused Partnership for Career Success
01/30/2024
E130: Coming Up: An Innovative Youth-Focused Partnership for Career Success
Tune in to our next episode of Partners in Progress to learn about an inspiring model of collaboration having a transformative impact on young lives. We’ll be spotlighting the Next Careers Consortium (NCC) - a purposeful alliance of Career Path Services, Career TEAM, Partners in Careers, Goodwill, and other regional partners leveraging over 170 collective years of workforce development experience in conjunction with The Workforce Southwest Washington Council to build a robust, integrated NEXT Youth Center. United by a shared vision and passion for expanding what’s possible for young people through education and employment, the NCC embodies the spirit of creative coalition-building we explore in this podcast. This is a partnership leveraging diversity of experience and perspectives among collaborators as a strength. With governance frameworks emphasizing transparency, performance evaluation, and quality improvement, each organization has a voice in the collective success of the consortium. While the NCC is in their first year of service delivery early results show - expanded reach, specialized programs for priority populations, and ultimately more youth empowered with the tools, training, and support to achieve their academic and career potential. Discover the possibilities when purpose-driven organizations come together in service of young people’s growth and empowerment. We’ll be digging into the inspiration fueling this unique collaboration advancing youth success across three counties and beyond.
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E129: Launching Careers: BankWork$® and CareerWork$ Medical® Programs
01/18/2024
E129: Launching Careers: BankWork$® and CareerWork$ Medical® Programs
Welcome to Partners in Progress, an uplifting podcast series dedicated to exploring the power of purposeful collaborations. We’ll be spotlighting diverse examples of innovative partnerships across sectors that come together creatively around a shared vision to drive meaningful community impact, from a job training partnership, youth center and workforce agency collaborating to serve young people holistically to a nonprofit investing executive coaching expertise from a consulting partner. By thinking outside the box, leading collaboratively, and working in genuine alliance anchored in trust, such partnerships unlock progress and possibilities that any single organization could not produce alone. Join us as we discover the inspiration and opportunity available when we invest in partnerships with the diversity to generate resilience, possibility, and positive change. In this first episode of the Partners in Progress series, Cami Eakins, CEO of Career Path Services is joined by Ranko Fukuda, Managing Director of Career Work$, to discuss two career training programs offered by Career Work$- BankWork$® and CareerWork$ Medical®. These tuition-free 8-week programs prepare participants for careers in banking and healthcare by teaching job skills, professional etiquette, resume writing and interview practice. The programs also facilitate partnerships with local employers who engage with students and often hire graduates. Cami also shares inspiring stories of program graduates who have launched successful careers, highlighting the over 5,000 job placements CareerWork$ has facilitated to date.
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E128: Cami Eakins Reveals Her Guiding Word for 2024
12/28/2023
E128: Cami Eakins Reveals Her Guiding Word for 2024
In this episode of The Dignity of Work, Cami Eakins, CEO of Career Path Services, reveals her word of the year for 2024. She also explains the meaning behind the word she chose and what it represents for her in terms of achieving inner peace, seeking balance, and extending goodwill. Tune in to find out what word Cami has chosen to guide her through the new year!
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E127: Equity and Awareness: Valuing Women’s Voices and Perspectives at Work
12/07/2023
E127: Equity and Awareness: Valuing Women’s Voices and Perspectives at Work
This episode features a conversation with Heather Woodruff, Program Operator for WorkSource Columbia Basin and TC Futures, as she explains the historical biases against women’s ideas in the workplace. Heather offers practical tips to improve meeting culture and amplify women’s voices, stressing that both male allies and personal awareness of communication styles are key to countering these subtle, often unconscious slights. Tune in for a conversation about leveling the playing field for women’s ideas and ensuring equitable attribution in the workplace.
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E126: Small Steps, Big Impact: Uplifting Minority-Owned Businesses
11/07/2023
E126: Small Steps, Big Impact: Uplifting Minority-Owned Businesses
This episode features a conversation with Landon Casassa, Commerce Program Manager at Career Path Services, about the importance of supporting minority-owned businesses. Landon shares surprising statistics about the racial disparity between white-owned businesses and minority-owned businesses. Learn innovative ways to be intentional about shifting more of your spending to minority-owned establishments, starting with small, simple choices. Landon also shares helpful suggestions for individuals and organizations wanting to celebrate diversity in their communities. Discover how to use your money to close racial wealth gaps and uplift minority-owned businesses.
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E125: Mental Wellness for All: Supporting Mental Health in Underserved Communities
10/17/2023
E125: Mental Wellness for All: Supporting Mental Health in Underserved Communities
This episode features a conversation with employment specialist Jasmine Sanchez as she discusses the mental health challenges faced by racial and ethnic minority communities. Jasmine discusses barriers to mental healthcare including lack of providers, language barriers, cultural stigmas, and distrust of systems. She provides insight into how employment specialists can be more aware of and sensitive to the mental health needs of minority clients. To learn more about Open Path (mentioned in the episode) visit: https://openpathcollective.org/
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E124: Advancing Disability Employment: Building Accessible and Diverse Workplaces
10/03/2023
E124: Advancing Disability Employment: Building Accessible and Diverse Workplaces
This episode features a conversation with Kendra Davenport, President and CEO of Easterseals, for a timely discussion about disability employment during National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Kendra discusses the strengths that people with disabilities bring to the workforce, the work Easterseals does to prepare people with disabilities for employment, and advice for employers looking to hire inclusively. Discover persisting disparities in disability employment rates, how the pandemic opened opportunities for remote and hybrid work, and resources available to help companies build more accessible and diverse workforces.
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E123: Work Well: Maintaining Mindfulness at Work
09/20/2023
E123: Work Well: Maintaining Mindfulness at Work
This episode is part of the series "Work Well: Bite-Size Tips for Wellness at Work." In this episode, you'll hear from a business consultant and coach about the importance of mindfulness and presence at work. Discover tips for taking brief mental breaks to center yourself, as well as planning and prioritizing tasks to maintain focus. You'll learn how mindfulness and humanity may become even more vital as AI takes over routine tasks.
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E122: Work Well: How to Connect to Your Purpose and Performance
09/12/2023
E122: Work Well: How to Connect to Your Purpose and Performance
This episode is part of the series "Work Well: Bite-Size Tips for Wellness at Work." Tune in to hear from leadership expert Chris Widener, who provides insightful and actionable advice to help you find the right job fit, company culture, develop your skills, and connect to your true motivations. Learn Chris's surprising perspective on the root of motivation and why he advises some workers to quit their jobs.
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E121: Work Well: Making Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion More Than a Checkbox
09/05/2023
E121: Work Well: Making Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion More Than a Checkbox
This episode is part of the series "Work Well: Bite-Size Tips for Wellness at Work." Tune in as we take a dive into the critical topic of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) with DEI expert Jeri Perkins. Jeri discusses the importance of creating safe spaces through student and employee resource groups, the role of social empathy, and why the responsibility for fostering a culture of DEI should not fall solely on marginalized groups or DEI consultants. Jerry also challenges us to look within ourselves, urging that individual self-work is the cornerstone of creating a truly inclusive and equitable workplace. Whether you're a leader or an employee, tune in for actionable insights on making your workplace a well, inclusive environment.
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E120: Workforce Development in the "Chaos Economy"- Part Three
08/30/2023
E120: Workforce Development in the "Chaos Economy"- Part Three
This episode is part of the series "What the Heck is Going on in Workforce" and features a conversation with Larry Robbin, Executive Director of Robbin and Associates, as Larry discusses how the workforce development system will have to adjust in the emerging economy. Larry dives into the heart of why workforce development organizations often struggle to keep pace with economic shifts, emphasizing the need for proactive alignment with economic development and business realms. He also provides a vision for a more agile, results-driven approach to workforce development that challenges traditional norms and embraces change in the pursuit of thriving amidst chaos.
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E119: Workforce Development in the "Chaos Economy"- Part Two
08/08/2023
E119: Workforce Development in the "Chaos Economy"- Part Two
This episode is part of the series "What the Heck is Going on in Workforce" and features a conversation with Larry Robbin, Executive Director of Robbin and Associates, as Larry discusses how the workforce development system will have to adjust in the emerging economy. In part 2 of the conversation, Larry reflects on his own journey and underscores the importance of acknowledging historical biases and systemic barriers while driving genuine diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
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E118: Workforce Development in the "Chaos Economy"- Part One
07/18/2023
E118: Workforce Development in the "Chaos Economy"- Part One
This episode is part of the series "What the Heck is Going on in Workforce" and features a conversation with Larry Robbin, Executive Director of Robbin and Associates, as Larry discusses how the workforce development system will have to adjust in the emerging economy. Larry reveals what he means by the "chaos economy" and identifies the qualities that workers will need to thrive in the future economy. Make sure to tune in as the conversation continues in part two!
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E117: Workforce Lessons from Easterseals
07/05/2023
E117: Workforce Lessons from Easterseals
This episode is part of the series "What the Heck is Going on in Workforce" and features a conversation with Crystal Odom-McKinney, National Director, Senior Community Service Employment Program at Easterseals. Crystal provides an overview of the changes she has seen over the past few years in the business environment and how Easterseals serves their customers. She also discusses how automation has impacted her organization and provides an overview of the current state of the workforce. To learn more, visit: To download the discussion guide for this episode, visit
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E116: Lower Your Anxiety with Lizard Brain Treats
06/21/2023
E116: Lower Your Anxiety with Lizard Brain Treats
This is the first episode of a new series, Work Well: Bite-sized Tips for Wellness at Work. Tune in as Dr. Kristen Allott discusses how to lower your anxiety and increase your performance with "Lizard Brain Treats," snacks that fuel your brain quickly and reduce anxiety, irritation and agitation. To watch the video referenced in the conversation, visit: To learn more about Dr. Allott and for more resources, visit: and
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E115: How AI is Impacting the Workforce System
06/06/2023
E115: How AI is Impacting the Workforce System
This episode is part of the series "What the Heck is Going on in Workforce" and features a conversation with Workforce180 CEO Mike Fazio. Mike reveals how he is using AI in his own work and discusses how AI will transform the workforce system and the world of work in general. He also shares advice for workforce professionals who may feel intimidated by this technology, and why it's so important for workforce professionals to embrace AI.
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E114: Workforce Lessons from Employ PG: With Walter Simmons
05/23/2023
E114: Workforce Lessons from Employ PG: With Walter Simmons
This episode is part of the series "What the Heck is Going on in Workforce" and features a conversation with Walter Simmons, President & CEO of Employ PG. Walter discusses the changes that have occurred in the workforce system over the past several years and shares how his organization has successfully increased its impact even during times of disruption. He also reveals what workforce professionals need to be thinking about to be prepared for the future and sums up the current workforce landscape.
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E113: Trends and Opportunities in Disability Employment
05/09/2023
E113: Trends and Opportunities in Disability Employment
This episode is part of the series "What the Heck is Going on in Workforce?" and features a conversation between Cami Eakins, CEO of Career Path Services, and Ty Lingo, Director of Ability Employment Services. Ty provides an overview of his organization and reveals how the pandemic has impacted employers' willingness to consider alternative labor pools. Ty shares some of the successes his organization has seen over the past few years and the workforce trends that he is noticing in 2023. He also reveals his thoughts about the impact of AI and automation on his work and sums up current workforce challenges and opportunities.
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E112: Changing Trends in Workforce Development
04/13/2023
E112: Changing Trends in Workforce Development
This episode features the kick-off of a new series on the Dignity of Work outlining changing trends in the economy and workforce system. Cami Eakins, CEO of Career Path services outlines the impetus for the series as well as her reflections from the 2023 NAWB Forum. She also shares her thoughts on what's different about this moment and why we need new solutions to meet the current challenges.
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E111: What's Happening in Workforce: With Mike Fazio, CEO of Workforce180
03/28/2023
E111: What's Happening in Workforce: With Mike Fazio, CEO of Workforce180
Tune in for an exciting and informative conversation between Cami Eakins, CEO of Career Path Services, and Mike Fazio, CEO of Workforce180. Mike reveals why workforce professionals need to invest in their own training and some of the biggest challenges facing workforce leaders. He also shares advice for workforce leaders about how to stay ahead of the curve and discusses the need for workforce professionals to embrace AI and digital communications.
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E110: Investing in Yourself- Part 3: With Tressa Dorsey, President & Founder of TAD Grants
03/07/2023
E110: Investing in Yourself- Part 3: With Tressa Dorsey, President & Founder of TAD Grants
This episode features a conversation with Tressa Dorsey, President & Founder of TAD Grants, as she discusses the importance of workforce development as a profession, and the need for workforce development professionals to invest in their own continuing education. Discover what supervisors can do to support the professional development of their staff. Tressa also shares her thoughts about how to create a culture of professional development.
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E109: Investing in Yourself- Part 2: NAWDP's Learning Resources
02/21/2023
E109: Investing in Yourself- Part 2: NAWDP's Learning Resources
In this episode, you'll hear about the training resources available to workforce professionals through the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals. Discover paid and free training resources and the importance of continuing education for workforce professionals. You'll also hear details about the Certified Workforce Development Professional (CWDP) certification.
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E108: Investing in Yourself: The Importance of Professional Development
02/07/2023
E108: Investing in Yourself: The Importance of Professional Development
In this episode, Cami Eakins, CEO of Career Path Services, is joined by Constance Green, Adult & Dislocated Worker Programs State Coordinator for Virginia’s Community Colleges – System Office for a conversation about why workforce professionals should invest in their own professional development. Cami and Constance discuss their journeys with personal development and discuss the difference between being in a performance zone vs. a learning zone. They also share takeaways and resources for investing in professional development.
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E107: Self Care: Taking Extended Time Off
01/03/2023
E107: Self Care: Taking Extended Time Off
In this episode, Cami Eakins, CEO of Career Path Services, discusses the importance of taking extended time off. Discover some of the barriers that leaders face when taking extended time to rest and recuperate. Cami also shares her thoughts about a new framework shared by the Surgeon General about workplace mental health and well-being. To learn more about that framework, visit:
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E106: Self-Care in the New Year
12/26/2022
E106: Self-Care in the New Year
Career Path Services CEO Cami Eakins shares her word for 2023, and the importance of being kind with ourselves and others. She also shares a new year's message for listeners! Below are the links to listen to the referenced episodes: E84: E87: E88: E97:
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E105: Using a Coaching Approach with Customers
12/20/2022
E105: Using a Coaching Approach with Customers
Phil York, Certified Life Coach and Life Skills Class Instructor for Career Path Services, joins the program to discuss the benefits of using a coaching approach with customers. Discover the difference between coaching and giving advice, the benefits of a coaching approach, and some examples of a successful application of coaching to help customers overcome personal and professional barriers.
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