Simon Says Inspire

John takes the podcast on the road again! This time, he is headed to Hawaii to visit his youngest granddaughter, Lucy Donnaway, to check in on her first year of college. His daughter, Shannon Donnaway, joins him.

We love these traveling stories.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are so excited to have Heather Boschke on this episode. We are raving fans of her books and her eye for marketing … looking forward to partnering with her on many things to come!

Heather Boschke is a marketing leader with experience ranging from Fortune 20 companies to non-profits. In 2021, she founded Vogel Venture, aiming to boost growth for small businesses. The name ‘Vogel,’ meaning bird in German, reflects her heritage and strategic marketing approach.

Heather teaches undergrad marketing at Metro State and serves on the board of Harley’s Hounds dog rescue.

Her love for birds inspired her to start drawing birds, leading to a children’s book series. Heather, known as “Heather Feather” since childhood, is driven by helping others discover what sets their soul on fire.

Here is how you can reach Heather:

www.vogelventure.com

www.buddhabirdie.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/boschke/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are so excited to have Jen Lindahl on this episode of the podcast.

Jen is the Strategic Development Director at Echo Search Group. She is a steadfast partner for clients, connecting the best people with the best opportunities, companies, and cultures. Jen strives to never lose sight of the relationship, offering clients and candidates honesty, transparency, and open communication. 

Prior to Echo, Jen held various roles in industries including golf, staffing/professional services, construction, signage, and technology consulting.  She has a natural ability to drive transformational change, which has allowed her to contribute to rapid growth at multiple companies. 

In 2021, Jen founded WIRED, which was born out of the desire to bring together like-minded women, providing a space where they can inspire and support each other’s dreams and ambitions, all while giving back to the community. In just two years, WIRED has successfully hosted 18 events, bringing together nearly 900 women and raising over $60,000 for local nonprofits.   

Jen’s superpower is connection. Her driving purpose is to feel connected to something greater than herself and to make a positive impact in every endeavor she undertakes. 

She lives in Hudson with her husband, and 3-year old daughter Vayda. 

To connect via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenlindahl/

Visit WIRED: https://www.wiredmpls.com/

Visit ECHO Search: https://echosearchgroup.com/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John and Rich Simon bring the podcast on the road during a Jan 2024 roadtrip. Rich shares his passion for Jeeping and John loved spending time on the road with him.

There might be a little road noise, but that’s part of the adventure!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are so excited to have Ashlee Walstad on the podcast!

Ashlee is a Senior Recruiter at Celarity. When you see her results, it’s immediately apparent that this isn’t her first rodeo. While she wasn’t born in a barn, growing up on a hobby farm in Orono, MN, she was definitely raised in one. After a childhood spent showing Quarter Horses and caring for sheep, goats, pigs, cats, dogs, ducks, and rabbits, it seemed almost inconceivable that this little filly would become a desk jockey.

After high school, she attended North Dakota State University and worked for a grocery store chain where she worked hard and received many promotions. Ashlee found herself working in HR and recruiting. When she moved back to Minnesota she worked for Jefferson Lines, where she met Dina.

With a desire to try agency recruiting, she moved to a staffing firm as a Technical Recruiter. Ashlee was named the top permanent placement biller in 2020.

In 2021, Ashlee joined the Celarity team, where she recruits marketing professionals for clients.

If you would like to know this amazing human, reach out!

Here is Ashlee’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashlee-walstad-7337a4143/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Dina and John Simon as they welcome Dr. Amelia Reigstad, PhD – Speaker, Author, and Facilitator. 

Dr. Reigstad, PhD is a passionate change agent, speaker, and facilitator with a passion and love for knowledge. With over two decades of experience, she enjoys sharing her expertise across a variety of industries and has designed communication and leadership training programs, facilitated workshops, and has led team members to success across North America. 

Amelia has spoken on a global scale at numerous conferences and events and has also taught a variety of university-level courses throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, and the U.K. Over the course of her career, she has authored numerous articles on gender, communication, leadership success, authenticity, and is also a published author.

As a Twin Cities Business Magazine Notable Women Entrepreneur 2022 and founder of The Women Empowerment Series, she inspires and encourages women to use their voice to initiate change through authentic communication.

Add how to get in touch with her:

Email amelia@ameliareigstad.com

Website www.ameliareigstad.com

Social LinkedIn

Grab a copy of her book Virtual Communication Skills

Notable Women Entrepreneur 2022 – TCB Magazine

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are so excited to have Jenni Severson on the podcast. Jenni has served on the Board of Directors for Simon Says Give over the last five years. Thank you Jenni for your contribution to the community.

Jenni Severson is the Vice President of People at Vivacity, Tech PBC, an EdTech company providing technology solutions to K-12 schools. With a sharp focus on fostering an exceptional employee experience, Jenni leads all HR functions for the organization, driving business outcomes through development of a high performance culture.

Her commitment to excellence extends beyond Vivacity, as she actively contributes her expertise as a Board member for TCSHRM and Simon Says Give, and serves as a committee member for Full Stack Saint Paul and the MN Chamber Education and Workforce Development Policy Committee.

Jenni holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota and certifications as a PHR-certified HR professional and an Insights Discovery Client Practitioner. Along with her husband Tim and two children, Jude (7) and Clementine (4), she attempts to tackle every fun activity the Twin Cities has to offer.

LinkedIn Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniseverson

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott Mikesh is an award-winning business leader and pioneer of the Mental Fitness Movement in the U.S., having started 4D Fit Mental Fitness in 2016 after twenty years of experience in applied psychology, including health and wellness, mentoring, marketing and communications, creative arts, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

In 2021, Scott published ‘MY BRAIN CAN’T POOP: A mental fitness guide for humans’ to raise awareness about the importance of brain health, mental function, and neurodiversity as fundamental factors in mental health, achievement, and well-being.

In 2023, Scott launched a 501(c)3 partner program MentalFitness4All to provide reduced-cost training sessions for income-eligible individuals and organizations.

Website: https://www.4dfit.net

Purchase his book “My Brain Can’t Poop” on Amazon

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottmikesh

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are so excited for Debbie Seeger to join us on the podcast this week. Debbie and John met back in 1986 when Debbie was a client of John’s. Their years of working together grew into an amazing friendship over the years.

Debbie retired from Modine Manufacturing after 41 years of service. In the podcast, Debbie will share how she was the first female supervisor for Modine who paved the way for many women to follow.

She and her husband moved from Racine, WI to Sayner, WI to be close to their son, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren.

Debbie volunteers and sits on many boards within her community. She also remains very active in the lives of her children and grandchildren.

Thank you Debbie for your years of friendship and for sharing your time with us on the podcast!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices