Episode 28 - Terri's 16 year old son, Adam Mead on overcoming fear and anxiety

Terri talks to her son Adam about how he struggled with being bullied in middle school and how this experience has shaped him.  He still suffers from anxiety and is afraid of the unknown but he is using his newly found empathy to help others who he sees struggling as well.  They talk about everything from what to expect from college, how you don’t have to have it all figured out, and that it’s ok to change your mind.      

Who is Adam Mead? 

Adam is Terri’s 16-year old son who is a junior at Woodside High in Redwood City.  He was born in San Francisco and moved to Redwood City when he was one.  He loves performing in plays and musicals and regrets not having played water polo his freshman year.  He is a reluctant academic achiever and is taking three AP classes this year along with drama, Latin and regular history.  He has a girlfriend, Alyssa, who is also in drama with him.  They enjoy hanging out playing video games and watching movies together.  All in all, he’s a good kid.   

Show Highlights 

• Adam talks about how his terrible experience in middle school has shaped him to be cynical, resilient and empathetic 

• Adam and Terri talk about the importance of lightening up and not being afraid of looking at colleges or life in general 

• Adam turned the table and asked Terri if having a stable job has made it easier to figure out what she wants in life 

• They talk about the fear of unknown and not being afraid of taking chances 

• Adam talks about how he’s dealt with some of his lowest points including having suicidal thoughts 

• Terri talks about how she continues to develop the tools to deal with new situations and how she doesn’t expect Adam to have it all figured out either  

• Adam talks about anxiety and fear of failure and how he is trying to cope with both 

• They talk about college in terms of what to look for in searching for one and what to expect from the experience 

• Terri talks about how you don’t have to have it all figured out when you go to college, get out of college and after and how she didn’t and used being an opportunist to get to where she is today 

• Adam would wave a magic wand to make food free and have economic freedom 

Terri’s Key Takeaway 

Having conversations like this with her son fills her heart and her soul.   

References in the Podcast 

• California State University, Fresno: http://www.csufresno.edu/ 

• California State University, Chico: http://www.csuchico.edu/ 

• California State University, Hayward (now East Bay): http://www.csueastbay.edu/ 

• University California, Santa Cruz: https://www.ucsc.edu/ 

Contact 

You can reach Adam through Terri at terrihansonmead@gmail.com.   

You can follow Terri on Twitter at @terrihansonmead or go to her website at www.terrihansonmead.com or on Medium:  https://medium.com/@terrihansonmead.  

Feel free to email Terri at PilotingYourLife@gmail.com. 

To continue the conversation, go to Twitter at @PilotingLife and use hashtag #PilotingYourLife. 

Episode 27 - Attending the Startup conference Slush in Helsinki in 2016

Terri talks about traveling to the startup conference Slush in Helsinki last year via the specially charted flight and how it is like no other startup conference.  She learned about digital health in the Nordics, operated on very little sleep, and was impressed by how well run the event is.  Terri is looking forward tosome new experiences at the event this year including moderating a panel on shifting demographics and the need to adapt to the shift in terms of investing.   

   

Who is Terri Mead? 

Terri Hanson Mead is President of Solutions2Projects, LLC, a consulting company that provides IT strategy and IT compliance services in the life sciences space in addition to expert witness consulting services.  She is also an active angel investor and former Vice President of Sand Hill Angels, regularly advises startups and in her spare time, flies helicopters.  She is passionate about supporting, and advocating for, female founders and investors and has created Class Bravo Ventures to more formally do so.  

Show Highlights 

• Terri talks about the chartered flight from SFO to Helsinki, Santa Claus visiting the flight,  the mannequin challenge and collecting her posse as she leaves the plane 

• Terri takes you through the various events including visiting the Swedish and US embassies in Helsinki  

• Terri hits a wall on day three of the event, gets a power nap and attends another US embassy event followed by dinner at the hotel to thank her concierge and driver 

• Terri talks about what she’s afraid on this trip including being in a bathing suit in a sauna in the winter and being disappointed  

• Terri, Stu and others get to the airport for the flight home in a sleep-deprived state 

References: 

• Slush Flight mannequin challenge video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnigL3ggyVU 

• Slush Helsinki: http://www.slush.org/home-2/ 

• TheVault: https://www.thevault.co/ 

• Hotel Kamp Helsinki: https://www.hotelkamp.com/en/ 

• Maria 01:  https://maria.io/ 

• Napue gin:  http://kyrodistillery.com/products/# 

• Roster Helsinki:  https://rosterhelsinki.com/ 

• Clue app:  https://www.helloclue.com/ 

• Ida Tin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ida_Tin 

Contacts 

You can follow Terri on Twitter at @terrihansonmead or go to her website at www.terrihansonmead.com or on Medium:  https://medium.com/@terrihansonmead 

Feel free to email her at PilotingYourLife@gmail.com. 

To continue the conversation, go to Twitter at @PilotingLife and use hashtag #PilotingYourLife. 

Episode 26 - Interview with Chris Brown on startups in Estonia, fighting against our own biology, and the importance of connecting as humans.

Terri talks to Chris Brown about his time in Estonia working with startups and how VCs invest in the same things because they are afraid of being wrong.   She also talks to him about how we must fight against our human biology in the way we make decisions and actively break down the walls that keep us from connecting as humans.   

Who is Chris Brown?

Chris has worked in multiple roles around the startup scene for past several years both in Europe and in the US. He's a passionate and driven connector and advisor, and over the last several years has worked in acceleration, VC, and startup/corporate collaboration. He believes unwaveringly in the power of technology to break down ancient barriers of business, politics, and culture, while in the process bringing the world closer together. 

Show Highlights

• Chris discusses how he ended up in Estonia, gives us a little history lesson on Estonia and describes how it has become a hotbed for startups and technology
• Terri and Chris talk about shifting demographics and demands and the opportunities in changing investment focus as a result
• Chris talks about how VCs invest in the same things because they are afraid of being wrong
• Terri talks about how more and more women are becoming investors and are looking at the investment opportunities through a different lens that are in alignment with their values
• Chris talks about how we need to fight against our human biology to shift our attention from outliers and waxes philosophical about how we make decisions as humans
• Chris would wave a magic wand to change our need for tribes that separate us as humans and break down the walls that keep us from connecting as humans

Terri’s Key Takeaway

While we need some of our delusions to survive, we need to challenge our beliefs to thrive.  

References in the Podcast

• Slush Helsinki: http://www.slush.org/home-2/
• Portfolia:  http://www.portfolia.co/

Contact

Chris an be reached via LinkedIn with a message about why you want to connect:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjbcreighton/

And on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/cjbcreighton

And on Twitter:  @cjbcreighton

You can follow Terri on Twitter at @terrihansonmead or go to her website at www.terrihansonmead.com or on Medium:  https://medium.com/@terrihansonmead. 

Feel free to email Terri at PilotingYourLife@gmail.com.

To continue the conversation, go to Twitter at @PilotingLife and use hashtag #PilotingYourLife.

Episode 25 Bubbly Bonus - Giving Thanks and Celebrating Accomplishments

Terri and her producer Jacqueline sit down over a glass of champagne to celebrate the accomplishments of the last year that are so clearly detailed in the new business cards Jacqueline designed for Terri. 

Show Highlights 

• Terri and Jacqueline celebrated their first discussion a year ago that prompted the work that is perfectly illustrated in Terri’s new business cards designed by Jacqueline 

• Jacqueline talks about personal branding and how she worked with Terri to define her brand that led to the creation of the website www.terrihansonmead.com released in Q1/2017. 

• Terri and Jacqueline started working on the podcast in April with the goal to release in June after Necker Island but missed that goal and ultimately released late September 

• They talk about how the podcast came together and the learnings from the podcast; Terri and Jacqueline continue to iterate on the podcast and weekly email as they receive great feedback and emails from listeners  

• Terri talks about the other changes in her professional life and the expansion of her services and experiences including expert witness work, speaking engagements, shifts in her investing, and international expansion in addition to the podcast 

• Jacqueline and Terri conducted a strategy session (with the help of wine or Dutch courage) to define their ambitions and goals for 2018 

• 2017 has been a rough year politically and Jacqueline introduced the concept of stubborn gladness that she heard about on a podcast and how we need to be stubbornly optimistic 

• Happy Thanksgiving! 

Call to Action 

Take a few hours with a friend who loves and supports you  (maybe with a glass of wine or champagne) to map out some goals (big or small) for 2018 and begin to define the tasks that will help you achieve them.  Think big.  Think positively.  Practice gratitude.  And be stubbornly glad and optimistic.   

References in the Podcast 

• Iron Horse Vineyards Wedding Cuvee:  http://www.ironhorsevineyards.com/product/2013-Wedding-Cuvee?pageID=709AE74B-BA4F-D99C-A5E2-1F62C09E374F&sortBy=DisplayOrder&maxRows=20& 

• Caitlin Roberson:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlinroberson/ 

• Julie Gordon White:  http://www.growatthewell.com/ 

• Jacqueline Steenhuis: http://www.jacquelinesteenhuis.com/ 

• Andrea Barrica:  http://www.terrihansonmead.com/podcast/2017/10/2/piloting-your-life-episode-8-andrea-barrica 

• Terri’s blog about the InTeaHouse event with links: https://medium.com/@terrihansonmead/rcl-accelerator-muru-du-founders-hosted-by-inteahouse-in-sf-11-16-17-bd82514a760c 

• Brazen Global: https://brazenglobal.com/ 

• Symposia:  http://symposiacon.com/ 

• 4YFN Barcelona: https://www.4yfn.com/event/4yfn-barcelona-2018/ 

• Slush:  http://www.slush.org/home-2/ 

Contact 

You can follow Jacqueline on Twitter at @jacquelineStee or find her on her website at www.jacquelinesteenhuis.com. 

You can follow Terri on Twitter at @terrihansonmead or go to her website at www.terrihansonmead.com or on Medium:  https://medium.com/@terrihansonmead.  

Feel free to email Terri at PilotingYourLife@gmail.com. 

To continue the conversation, go to Twitter at @PilotingLife and use hashtag #PilotingYourLife. 

Episode 24 - Learning not to be afraid of the darkness with Svetlana Saitsky

Terri talks to life coach and artist Svetlana Saitsky about learning to not be afraid of the darkness, the importance of acknowledging your inner saboteur and how asking for help is a sign of strength and not weakness.     

Who is Svetlana Saitsky? 

Throughout the last decade, Svetlana has worked with many corporations including Google, Apple, Lululemon, Great Place To Work Institute and YouCaring. Her expertise in culture building, coaching, and mindfulness are brought to life through interactive workshops, and speaking engagements targeting individuals and companies looking for transformation. She is also an artist whose work focuses on mental health awareness. Svetlana's work best supports creatives, entrepreneurs needing an extra push to achieve, and those going through massive career and life changes.  

Show Highlights 

• Svetlana talks about saying yes to an opportunity without knowing how she was going to make it work 

• Svetlana and Terri met over shoes at a Guild event (https://theguilded.org) 

• Svetlana talks about how it took her ten years to really decide to become a life coach 

• She reached her goal and realized it didn’t feel good and fell into a severe depression 

• She describes the importance of having a support team in place and the first step in getting help is recognizing you need help 

• She realized that it wasn’t all about inspiration and following your bliss and that you need to embrace the darkness 

• Terri and Svet talk about tall poppy syndrome in Australia and the imposter syndrome and embracing the saboteurs in our heads; stop resisting the resistance 

• We are more powerful than we can imagine 

• Svet would wave a magic wand to give everyone the courage to tap into their own creativity 

Terri’s Key Takeaway 

We need to continue to redefine our definition of success as we learn and grow and to appreciate the journey and not just the destination.   

References in the Podcast 

Beverly Ryle: http://www.beverlyryle.com/ 

The Geography of Bliss:  https://www.ericweinerbooks.com/books/the-geography-of-bliss/description/ 

InTeaHouse:  https://inteahouse.com/ 

Startup Catalyst: http://www.startupcatalyst.com.au/ 

TiE Global: http://tie.org/ 

Inside Out:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2096673/ 

Contact 

Svetlana can be reached via her website www.svetlandasaitsky.com or on Instagram and Twitter @jetsvetter.    

You can follow Terri on Twitter at @terrihansonmead or go to her website at www.terrihansonmead.com or on Medium:  https://medium.com/@terrihansonmead.  

Feel free to email Terri at PilotingYourLife@gmail.com. 

To continue the conversation, go to Twitter at @PilotingLife and use hashtag #PilotingYourLife. 

Episode 23 -Finding equilibrium in Motherhood, Working and Expectations from ourselves, and society

Terri talks about the importance of being vulnerable, to ask for help, and to trust others to build your tribe and that she doesn’t have it all figured out.   

Who is Terri Mead? 

Terri Hanson Mead is President of Solutions2Projects, LLC, a consulting company that provides IT strategy and IT compliance services in the life sciences space in addition to expert witness consulting services.  She is also an active angel investor and former Vice President of Sand Hill Angels, regularly advises startups and in her spare time, flies helicopters.  She is passionate about supporting, and advocating for, female founders and investors and has created Class Bravo Ventures to more formally do so.  

Show Highlights

Looking for equilibrium instead of balance

Women need to do a better job of supporting each other and not judging 

She kisses her hugs her kids as much as possible and makes sure they know she loves them 

Each day is a new day to do better 

Watching Deadpool with her 15 year old son was awkward 

Combatting unreasonable societal expectations  

Saving for therapy for her kids 

How the reality of becoming a mom didn’t align with expectations 

Contacts

You can follow Terri on Twitter at @terrihansonmead or go to her website at www.terrihansonmead.com or on Medium:  https://medium.com/@terrihansonmead 

Feel free to email her at PilotingYourLife@gmail.com. 

To continue the conversation, go to Twitter at @PilotingLife and use hashtag #PilotingYourLife. 

Kristina Jones continues the conversation about the power in knowing you can do whatever you set your mind to.

Terri and Kristina Jones of Court Buddy continue their conversations and talk about no longer needing permission, hearing no to get to yes, and the power in knowing you can do whatever you set your mind to.   

Terri continues her conversation with Kristina Jones of Court Buddy about coming out to California to be a part of 500 Startups, raising their round, how excited they are about growing the business, learning she doesn’t need to get permission to do what she needs to do, and how this is all impacting the way she is raising her daughter.   

Who is Kristina Jones? 

Court Buddy President and Co-founder Kristina Jones is a Los Angeles native and a Florida International graduate for both her Undergraduate and Master’s degree from The School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Kristina’s Master’s Degree from FIU was in tandem with Miami Ad School’s Art Direction Portfolio Program.  

As an Art Director, Kristina went on to work for Advertising Agencies in both California and Florida and had the honor of creating campaigns for San Diego Tourism, Disney, Greater Fort Lauderdale Tourism, SeaWorld, Walmart, Silver Airways, and Kaplan University to name a few. Kristina’s experience with these brands has allowed her to see how media and advertising effect the sales and growth of major corporations.  

Kristina was able to take the experience creating content for other brands to help her create her own brand Court Buddy with her husband James Jones Jr. Esq. Court Buddy’s website, courtbuddy.com, matches people with attorneys based on their budget. Court Buddy is helping to bring the legal system to people who previously did not have access to it. Kristina handles the company’s advertising, marketing and social media.  

Show Highlights 

• They had a great experience with 500 Startups and learned to split their time and how to successfully fundraise including introductions to investors 

• There is a lot to be learned by going through the process even if it gets you to a ‘no’ 

• Terri asks about whether they had trouble fundraising because they were a husband and wife team 

• They got validation from investors writing the first checks which helped get them complete their fundraising; some investors needed to see others say ‘yes’ for 

• Kristina talks about some of their biggest challenges in growing the company and supporting the clients 

• Kristina talks about what she is excited about in hiring people, growing into all 50 states and expanding opportunities within their customer base 

• She felt like she needed permission when they started the business and she has learned to just do it 

• Starting and growing Court Buddy has impacted the way she is raising her daughter and she is making sure that her daughter knows that she can set her own path and do whatever she sets her mind to 

• If Kristina could wave a magic wand, she would make it so that people don’t see color and make it so that people aren’t judged based on the color of their skin 

 
Terri’s Key Takeaway 

Asking for what we want and need means we will hear no and we need to get comfortable with this to get to the yeses.   

Contact 

Kristina can be reached at Kjones@courtbuddy.com.  Check out Court Buddy at https://www.courtbuddy.com/.   

You can follow Terri on Twitter at @terrihansonmead or go to her website at www.terrihansonmead.com or on Medium:  https://medium.com/@terrihansonmead.  

Feel free to email Terri at PilotingYourLife@gmail.com. 

To continue the conversation, go to Twitter at @PilotingLife and use hashtag #PilotingYourLife. 

Bubbly Bonus - a conversation about vulnerability and finding your tribe

Terri and Jacqueline address some of the responses they received from listeners regarding the Finding Your Tribe solocast and the importance of vulnerability and trust in friendship and asking for what you want or need.   

Terri and her producer Jacqueline sit down over a cup of coffee and not bubbly, to talk about the responses Terri received from the Finding Your Tribe solocast and discuss friendship, vulnerability, trust and the importance of asking for what you want or need.     

Show Highlights 

• Jacqueline comments on how important it is for us to be able to call the friend who holds that space for you without trying to fix you 

• Terri talks about being at events where everyone wants something from her and how draining that can be for her despite how much she enjoys them 

• It is important that we trust each other and not self-select out of conversations and relationships that we could benefit from and that we trust that we can handle whatever the responses will be 

• They talk about asking for something as simple as a discount or a meal customization without qualification.   

• Terri has raised her daughter Rachel to ask for help and often uses her to ask for what she wants.  

• Asking for something special is a something we all need to get more comfortable with.  

• If you get a no, it isn’t a personal rejection.   

Call to Action 

Ask for something special every day (outside of your comfort zone) and share how you asked for help or for something at PilotingYourLife@gmail.com. 

Contact 

You can follow Terri on Twitter at @terrihansonmead or go to her website at www.terrihansonmead.com or on Medium:  https://medium.com/@terrihansonmead.  

Feel free to email Terri at PilotingYourLife@gmail.com. 

To continue the conversation, go to Twitter at @PilotingLife and use hashtag #PilotingYourLife. 

Kristina Jones describes how being a creative problem solver led to founding Court Buddy with co-founder and husband, James.

 Terri talks to Kristina Jones about how being a creative problem solver and listening to her husband James talk about his experience in the court system led to the birth of Court Buddy, a software solution that provides people and businesses with access to an attorney when needed, regardless of their financial status.  This is part one of a two part interview.  

Who is Kristina Jones? 

Court Buddy President and Co-founder Kristina Jones is a Los Angeles native and a Florida International graduate for both her Undergraduate and Master’s degree from The School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Kristina’s Master’s Degree from FIU was in tandem with Miami Ad School’s Art Direction Portfolio Program.  

As an Art Director, Kristina went on to work for Advertising Agencies in both California and Florida and had the honor of creating campaigns for San Diego Tourism, Disney, Greater Fort Lauderdale Tourism, SeaWorld, Walmart, Silver Airways, and Kaplan University to name a few. Kristina’s experience with these brands has allowed her to see how media and advertising effect the sales and growth of major corporations.  

Kristina was able to take the experience creating content for other brands to help her create her own brand Court Buddy with her husband James Jones Jr. Esq. Court Buddy’s website, courtbuddy.com, matches people with attorneys based on their budget. Court Buddy is helping to bring the legal system to people who previously did not have access to it. Kristina handles the company’s advertising, marketing and social media.  

Show Highlights 

• Kristina grew up in Los Angeles and was a creative kid who left for Miami as soon as she graduated from high school 

• She started in marine biology in Miami but ended up in advertising after she did some soul searching in college and seeing what her aunt was doing in the advertising space; she wanted to provide creative solutions to problems and wasn’t doing well in her sciences classes 

• Once she realized that she could take inspiration from what has been done before to apply it to advertising and problem solving, and she credits her aunt for the advice that gave her freedom 

• Kristina was a Miami Heat dancer when she met her husband, James, at a party 

• James started his own law firm right after they got married and she had just started a new job 

• Kristina talks about how the idea for Court Buddy came from James noticing the number of people asking him for help before they went into court because they didn’t have representation; they didn’t think they could afford attorneys 

• They saw solo-practitioner attorneys looking for clients, too, which led them to research how attorneys could operate to provide services to people who needed representation and Court Buddy was born 

• They applied for 500 Startups in San Francisco and it took two tries to get in 

• Getting to their 500 Startups interview was a series of misadventures including a rainstorm, a mis-scheduled flight, a car that wouldn’t start, being stuck in an elevator, and a locked door 

 
Terri’s Key Takeaway 

Having an outside perspective combined with a deep understanding of a problem can lead to creative and disruptive solutions.  

Contact 

Kristina can be reached at Kjones@courtbuddy.com.  Check out Court Buddy at https://www.courtbuddy.com/.   

You can follow Terri on Twitter at @terrihansonmead or go to her website at www.terrihansonmead.com or on Medium:  https://medium.com/@terrihansonmead.  

Feel free to email Terri at PilotingYourLife@gmail.com. 

To continue the conversation, go to Twitter at @PilotingLife and use hashtag #PilotingYourLife. 

Episode 19- Finding your Tribe

Terri talks about the importance of being vulnerable, to ask for help, and to trust others to build your tribe and that she doesn’t have it all figured out.   

Who is Terri Mead? 

Terri Hanson Mead is President of Solutions2Projects, LLC, a consulting company that provides IT strategy and IT compliance services in the life sciences space in addition to expert witness consulting services.  She is also an active angel investor and former Vice President of Sand Hill Angels, regularly advises startups and in her spare time, flies helicopters.  She is passionate about supporting, and advocating for, female founders and investors and has created Class Bravo Ventures to more formally do so.  

Show Highlights 

• It’s ok to be vulnerable 

• You are worthy 

• Ask for help; learn to receive as well as you give 

• Friendships don’t need to be forever 

• Trust others 

• If you are feeling lonely, reach out your hand and someone will come running (modified from a song from Dear Evan Hanson) 

Contacts 

You can follow Terri on Twitter at @terrihansonmead or go to her website at www.terrihansonmead.com or on Medium:  https://medium.com/@terrihansonmead 

Feel free to email her at PilotingYourLife@gmail.com. 

To continue the conversation, go to Twitter at @PilotingLife and use hashtag #PilotingYourLife. 

Episode 18 -Martin Lynch

 Terri talks to Silicon Valley tech executive Martin Lynch about how his catastrophic bike accident in 2014 made him into a more empathetic man and how is determined to do another Ironman.   

Who is Martin Lynch? 

Martin is a Silicon Valley high tech executive and currently the COO of SunLink. He is an experienced tri-athlete and Ironman competitor and lives in Los Gatos, CA with his incredibly supportive wife Kelly and their teenage daughter. He had a catastrophic bike accident in 2014 that resulted in significant injuries that he continues to recover from and live with three years later.  He continues to work towards being able to compete (to his satisfaction) in another Ironman and is writing a book about his experience.   

Show Highlights 

• Martin describes the bike accident that changed his life in 2014 and waking up disoriented five days later in the hospital 

• Martin initial response was to conquer the situation and get back to normal as quickly as possible 

• Martin believes that the accident, recovery and long-term implications are much harder on his wife than on him 

• Martin was ignorant of the extent of the damage to his body and didn’t learn until later how catastrophic the injuries were and even signed up for a half Ironman for nine months after the accident only one month into recovery  

• His delusional / ignorant state helped him recover and he tried to maintain as much of a sense of normalcy as possible with his job 

• He learned a lot about himself and his family as he recovered, and he was blessed to have his marriage become stronger and deeper and more meaningful 

• He was able to stay positive by using his mind as a tool and move forward even if it was just a little bit 

• Martin talked about how the accident and recovery changed him and made him more empathetic and he understands his mind better; it made him a better listener 

• Did his athletic training help him in his recovery from a mental perspective?  

• He talks about the hardest part being the impact on his family 

• Terri asks about when he is going to write the book and suggests that he include his wife, Kelly as a voice in the book and that he done one now and another one later 

• Martin would like to wave a magic wand to get more people to listen more to each other to improve things in the world 

Terri’s Key Takeaway 

So much in life is mind over matter.   

Contact 

You can find Martin on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinilynch/ 

You can follow Terri on Twitter at @terrihansonmead or go to her website at www.terrihansonmead.com or on Medium:  https://medium.com/@terrihansonmead.  

Feel free to email Terri at PilotingYourLife@gmail.com. 

To continue the conversation, go to Twitter at @PilotingLife and use hashtag #PilotingYourLife. 

Episode 17 -Ask me Anything

Terri is joined by her producer, Jacqueline, and her dog, Violet, in the first Ask Me Anything episode where Terri answers questions posed by the Piloting Your Life listeners.   

Show Highlights 

• Jacqueline wants to know when Terri realized she was a connector and where the skill come from. 

• How has being a twin shaped you?  

• You have had an amazing life and journey, but no one is perfect. What would you correct with the luxury of hindsigh?  

• Terri’s brother BJ asks what her favorite childhood memory was with him and their sister Sherry. 

• When you are driving, what do you do?  Meditate?  Listen to the radio or podcasts?  Catch up on business or personal calls? 

• How do you keep up your passion and energy for all that you do through all trials and tribulations of work, home, investor ups and downs and manage to balance it all? 

• How do you do all that you do and stay motivated?  Your mom is exhausted just reading about your life.   

Contacts 

You can follow Terri on Twitter at @terrihansonmead or go to her website at www.terrihansonmead.com or on Medium:  https://medium.com/@terrihansonmead 

Feel free to email her at PilotingYourLife@gmail.com. 

To continue the conversation, go to Twitter at @PilotingLife and use hashtag #PilotingYourLife. 

Episode 16 -Diana Silva aka Molé Mama

Terri talks to Diana Silva aka Molé Mama about how being able to speak Spanish launched her global, technical career and how being ahead of her time prompted the creation of Molé Mama.   

Who is Diana Silva? 

Diana Silva has over 10 years of global digital marketing and eCommerce experience. She’s held senior management positions at Leapfrog, Walmart.com, SanDisk, Ancestry.com and Cisco Systems. Diana has extensive product marketing, eCommerce, digital merchandising, branding, public relations, and social media experience and has driven expansive revenue growth, successful product launches, and increased brand awareness and social media channel growth.  

Diana is also the founder of Molé Mama, author, video blogger and radio host. Her Molé Mama Recipes YouTube channel celebrates family recipes, cooking delicious meals at home and adding love to every recipe.  

Show Highlights 

• Diana talks about how speaking Spanish as a Latina got her into working on the internet in 1991 

• Diana was recruited by Intel and later by Walmart.com 

• Diana worked with the Rock (Dwayne Johnson) and Garth Brooks and Neo 

• Terri and Diana talk about how infrequently they are asked to speak on technical topics although they are asked to be on diversity and inclusion panels and how we need to become more visible to conference and panel organizers 

• Mole Mama is Diana’s brand and passion and how the idea came to her 10 years ago when she presented a white paper on an interactive food channel and it was rejected twice so she decided to do it on her own 

• Diana has been ahead of her time from a technology and brand perspective and was frustrated because she wasn’t heard at the time 

• Writing Molé Mama was incredibly healing for Diana after the loss of her mother, Rose 

• Diana started her radio show over a year ago but wanted to quit every week the first 6 months 

• Diana wants to help people from all cultures connect over food and the table to break down the barriers that lead to racism 

• In high school, Diana was in a beauty pageant in Santa Maria, CA and declared that it was the time to do away with sexism, racism, and ageism 

• If Diana had a magic wand, she would help people to understand that they are ‘enough’ 

 
Terri’s Key Takeaway 

Timing is everything.   

Contact 

To learn more about Diana and Mole Mama, go to her website at www.molemama.com 

You can follow her on Twitter at @mole_mama and watch her cook on her YouTube channel www.youtube.com/c/molemamarecipes 

Her book can be purchased from the website Molé Mama; A Memoir of Love, Cooking and Loss 

You can find her on Facebook at www.fb.com/molemama and see what’s for dinner at www.fb.com/groups/molemamawhatsfordinner 

You can follow Terri on Twitter at @terrihansonmead or go to her website at www.terrihansonmead.com or on Medium:  https://medium.com/@terrihansonmead.  

Feel free to email Terri at PilotingYourLife@gmail.com. 

To continue the conversation, go to Twitter at @PilotingLife and use hashtag #PilotingYourLife. 

Episode 14 -Cindy Ehnes

Terri talks with Cindy Ehnes about how she sees crisis as opportunity, how she insists on thriving not just surviving, and how she didn’t let losing her left hand at the age of 19 hold her back from becoming not only the first disabled professional skier but in being a champion for patients in the healthcare system. 

Who is Cindy Ehnes? 

Cindy Ehnes is the Executive Vice President of COPE Health Solutions, an attorney licensed in California and Colorado who served as Gov. Schwarzenegger’s Director of the CA Department of Managed Health Care for seven years, the author of The Prentice Hall ADA Compliance Advisor and was a world class ski racer.  She served for nine years as Consumer Representative and Chairman of Colorado's insurance plan for uninsured, high-risk individuals and was the Enforcement Director for the Consumer Affairs section at the Colorado Division of Insurance, where she oversaw passage of several patients' rights initiatives, including new rules for patients with chronic conditions and for newborns.  

Show Highlights 

• Cindy became a ski racer in the mid-west and got a ski scholarship to college  

• Cindy lost her hand in a meat grinder when she was 19 

• Cindy finds joy in the littlest things in life which is a major factor in her ability to face the challenges in her life 

• Cindy’s mom helped give her courage to continue with her life very quickly after the amputation 

• The importance of not transferring your fears as parents to your children  

• Cindy was selected by cosmetic company Bonnie Bell to ski with their national team and became the first person with a disability to be a professional in the ski industry 

• Cindy is a firm believer in not just surviving, but thriving 

• Cindy moved to Colorado, practiced law, had her two daughters, one with a severe medical issue and due to the medical issue, changed her life priorities 

• Cindy learned that her child, and others like her, were medically uninsurable which led to starting a grassroots effort that led to her work in healthcare 

• Cindy moved to California and was asked by then Governor Schwarzenegger to be the Director of Managed Healthcare 

• Cindy became inspired to begin the work on building the technical infrastructure in California to support integrated medical records from experience with Kaiser’s integrated medical record system while she had breast cancer  

• Terri and Cindy discuss healthcare in the US and the healthcare systems supporting it 

• Terri talks about the frustrations associated with having disparate medical record systems in managing her healthcare 

• Cindy used her power of being a regulator to help patients  

• Patients are expected to, with the high cost healthcare programs, to be empowered to make their own healthcare decisions but aren’t given the tools to do so 

• Terri talks about her increased optimism around healthcare with changes in the FDA  

• Cindy encourages those involved in healthcare to focus on the patient because that will simplify solving healthcare related problems 

• Terri talks about as investors, we can do well and do good and should be focusing on leaving the world a better place for our kids and grandkids and the importance of founders to develop products and services based on lived experiences 

• Cindy would wave her magic wand to change the president.   

Terri’s Key Takeaway 

If we as parents can give our children a sense of agency over their own lives, we have succeeded as parents. 

Contact 

Cindy can be found on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindy-ehnes-472a609/ 

Here’s a link to an interview she did in 2016.  https://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-dunn/women-in-business-qa-cind_b_11063826.html 

You can follow Terri on Twitter at @terrihansonmead or go to her website at www.terrihansonmead.com or on Medium:  https://medium.com/@terrihansonmead.  

Feel free to email Terri at PilotingYourLife@gmail.com. 

To continue the conversation, go to Twitter at @PilotingLife and use hashtag #PilotingYourLife. 

Episode 13 -Bubbly Bonus Part 2

Terri and her producer Jacqueline Steenhuis chat over the same bottle of Scharffenberger Brut as in the first Bubbly Bonus episode in part two of the conversation where we get to hear Jacqueline’s story beginning in science, leaving the workforce to stay at home with her two daughters, and gradually re-engaging in work outside the home as she continues to explore what she wants to do when she grows up.   

Show Highlights 

• Jacqueline shares her story beginning as a student in science and how some of her teachers attempted to limit her but she chose to embrace those limiting words and turn them into motivation to prove them wrong by pursuing her PhD  

• Jacqueline talks about how hard it was to shift from working full time to being a stay-at-home mom and how she missed the external validation and the mental game of being in science 

• Terri didn’t know that Jacqueline had a PhD in science when they first met as Jaqueline taught nature journaling to kids in elementary school and was and is an extremely talented artist 

• Jacqueline transitioned back into the workforce by working part time coaching for Weight Watchers  

• Jacqueline became a certified life coach in 2016 and how she is bringing together the work she has done at Weight Watchers into life coaching in helping people deal with their relationship with food 

• Terri talks about the importance of addressing underlying behavioral health issues when treating chronic health issues 

• They talk about beginning their  working together on various projects starting with Terri’s re-branding project 

• Jacqueline leveraged her life coaching experience to get to who Terri is and can be, used her artistic talent and applied it to the branding and website design, and her researching and problem solving skills to develop new skills to apply to the branding and website development project 

•  While Jacqueline appreciated the love and hugs she got from volunteering at the school, when she started getting paid by Weight Watchers, she realized that getting money makes you understand that you are economically viable 

• Jacqueline talks about how much she loves to solve a problem that has never been solved before and how much she enjoyed that when she worked at Stanford 

• Jacqueline now needs to decide what to do with her new skills and experience and Terri plans to keep her busy with more projects  

• Terri talks about the importance of having win/win situations in her work and her world right now and achieving ease in her work and life.  Jacqueline is choosing courage.   

Terri’s Key Takeway 

Don’t listen to what other people say to limit you unless you use it as a motivational factor. 

Contact 

You can follow Terri on Twitter at @terrihansonmead or go to her website at www.terrihansonmead.com or on Medium:  https://medium.com/@terrihansonmead.  

Feel free to email Terri at PilotingYourLife@gmail.com. 

To continue the conversation, go to Twitter at @PilotingLife and use hashtag #PilotingYourLife. 

Episode 12 The First Bubbly Bonus

Terri and her producer Jacqueline Steenhuis chat over a bottle of Scharffenberger sparkling wine and discuss the first seven episodes of Piloting Your Life, embracing who you are in the world, emotional labor, and the importance of taking risks to live a bold and beautiful life.   

Show Highlights 

• What is the Bubbly Bonus?  

• Terri and Jacqueline talk about bestie bestie wu wu friends and embracing vulnerability and femininity 

• Jacqueline emphasizes the importance of embracing who you are and how it adds to what you bring to the world 

• They talk about the interview with Mary-Jo Dionne:  perception isn’t part of the equation, it is the equation 

• Terri’s talks about her doubts and insecurities about angel investing and being a real helicopter pilot and no longer accepting others’ limitations 

• Terri decided that after reading The Feminist Fight Club that she would no longer adapt and accommodate to make other people feel better about themselves at her expense 

• Jacqueline talks about with sexism that we women tend to play small in the world  

• Terri and Jacqueline talk about how women de-escalate situations and the emotional tax paid by women also called emotional labor  

• The birth of a podcast, how sometimes you need to do something to improve, and learning as we go 

• They talk about the episode with Tyler Lynch:  how you can screw up and recover  

• Terri finally introduces Jacqueline and how they met 

Terri’s Key Takeway 

It is important to take risks to live a bold and beautiful life. 

Follow Jacqueline Steenhuis on Instagram @JacquelineSteenhuis or go to her website www.JacquelineSteenhuis.com

To find out more about the bubbly that livened our conversations check out http://www.scharffenbergercellars.com/ 

You can follow Terri on Twitter at @terrihansonmead or go to her website at www.terrihansonmead.com or on Medium:  https://medium.com/@terrihansonmead.  

Feel free to email Terri at PilotingYourLife@gmail.com. 

To continue the conversation, go to Twitter at @PilotingLife and use hashtag #PilotingYourLife. 

Episode 11 - Necker Island

Terri Mead talks about how she got to Necker Island to play tennis with Richard Branson.    

Who is Terri Mead? 

Terri Hanson Mead is President of Solutions2Projects, LLC, a consulting company that provides IT strategy and IT compliance services in the life sciences space in addition to expert witness consulting services.  She is also an active angel investor and former Vice President of Sand Hill Angels, regularly advises startups and in her spare time, flies helicopters.  She is passionate about supporting, and advocating for, female founders and investors and has created Class Bravo Ventures to more formally do so.  

Show Highlights 

• Necker isn’t a geographic location; it’s a state of being 

• Terri answers the question as to how she ended up on Necker Island  

• Terri was intimidated by the others in the group and suffered from imposter syndrome, not unlike the others on the trip as she found out later 

• Terri started to breathe and found herself among her people 

• Being a part of the Change Makers / Rule Breakers group and the various business activities 

• Terri hid on the tennis court because it was safe and comfortable and she wanted to play tennis with Richard Branson 

• Terri practically fell over a table into Richard’s lap on the first night at dinner 

• Why did Terri go on this trip?  What did she hope to get out of it?   

• Terri’s key takeaways from the trip 

• Terri takes a swim across the channel 

• Terri played tennis with Richard, as partners, and Richard got nailed in the chest with a tennis ball by our opponents 

• Coming home with a Necker glow 

Terri’s Key Takeaway 

Some things are not too good to be true and you need to take the chance and go for it 

Contacts 

You can follow Terri on Twitter at @terrihansonmead or go to her website at www.terrihansonmead.com or on Medium:  https://medium.com/@terrihansonmead 

Feel free to email her at PilotingYourLife@gmail.com. 

To continue the conversation, go to Twitter at @PilotingLife and use hashtag #PilotingYourLife

Episode 10 - Ahtziri Fonseca

Terri talks to Ahtziri Fonseca about setting the goal at an early age to be the first in her family to go to college and how she is looking to pursue her MD / PhD while working at Stanford on the Project Baseline clinical trial.   

Who is Ahtziri Fonseca? 

Ahtziri is the daughter of immigrants from Mexico who came into the US in the 90's. She was raised in Sonoma, CA and is the oldest of three.  Her mom, as a single mother, worked her way up from fast food jobs to working in a hospital. Her mom’s story served as inspiration for her to go on to be the first in her family to graduate from college in 2015 with a Neuroscience degree. Since then she has been involved in neurosurgical clinical research and is now working at Stanford as a member of Project Baseline.  

 
Show Highlights 

• Ahtziri talks about how she set a goal for herself to go to college and her mom was an inspiration for her in that she came to the US from Mexico 

• She felt supported and encouraged at school and was internally motivated to be the first in her family to go to college 

• When she finally got to college, she felt lost after having left her family and been so focused on getting to college 

• Ahtziri leveraged the resources at school, including the Chicano/Latino Association and with many calls to her mom, she was able to finish college 

• She got into college starting with a pre-college program in middle school and a college prep high school and participating in extra-curricular activities and getting excellent grades 

• Ahtziri was encouraged by her mom to apply for the $50K scholarship from a Latino music award show which she won; only one was awarded in the US 

• Once in college, she felt like a small fish in a big pond and felt unsupported which made her feel like she wasn’t good enough to do research 

• She had a Chicano/Latino Association advisor who saw her potential and encouraged her to apply for a neuroscience research program where she learned that she could do research and truly enjoyed it 

• After college, she did neurosurgical clinical until the principle investigator moved to Ohio and she had the opportunity to move back to the Bay Area where she got involved with the Stanford Medicine on the Project Baseline clinical study where Terri met her 

• Terri talks about Project Baseline, being a part of the clinical trial, and leveraging data and technology to flip healthcare on its head 

• Ahtziri plans to pursue her MD and PhD and has encouraged her siblings to pursue their studies and who are currently attending college 

• Ahtziri knows that too much fear is limiting and you need to find a way to eliminate the blocks 

• If Ahtziri could wave a magic wand, she would make sure that people are given the opportunities to reach their full potential.   

Terri’s Key Takeaway 

You don’t have to know how to get there; set a vision, know what you want, and start taking the steps 

Contact 

You can find Ahtziri on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahtziri-fonseca-b471439a/ 

You can follow Terri on Twitter at @terrihansonmead or go to her website at www.terrihansonmead.com or on Medium:  https://medium.com/@terrihansonmead.  

Feel free to email Terri at PilotingYourLife@gmail.com. 

To continue the conversation, go to Twitter at @PilotingLife and use hashtag #PilotingYourLife. 

Piloting your Life Episode 9 -Becoming an Entrepreneur

Terri Mead talks about how she became in an entrepreneur when she started her consulting company in 2005 but only recently acknowledged actually being an entrepreneur.  

Who is Terri Mead? 

Terri Hanson Mead is President of Solutions2Projects, LLC, a consulting company that provides IT strategy and IT compliance services in the life sciences space in addition to expert witness consulting services.  She is also an active angel investor and former Vice President of Sand Hill Angels, regularly advises startups and in her spare time, flies helicopters.  She is passionate about supporting, and advocating for, female founders and investors and has created Class Bravo Ventures to more formally do so.  

Show Highlights 

• Why Terri chose to start a company and not just hang a shingle until she found another job 

• What Terri did to start the business in terms of creating an LLC, a business plan, a marketing plan, and a professional website and set up the administrative functions 

• How Terri’s prior experience starting at the age of 9 led to the creating and running of her own business 

• Terri talks about how not everything went according to plan  

• Terri enjoys the diversity of the work that she does and the wearing of many hats but can often feel like an outsider 

• Terri finally admits she is an entrepreneur after looking up the definition of the word 

Terri’s Key Takeaway 

If opportunity knocks on your door a second time, make sure to open that door! 

Contacts 

You can follow Terri on Twitter at @terrihansonmead or go to her website at www.terrihansonmead.com or on Medium:  https://medium.com/@terrihansonmead 

Feel free to email her at PilotingYourLife@gmail.com. 

To continue the conversation, go to Twitter at @PilotingLife and use hashtag #PilotingYourLife.