More often than not storytelling and science coincide with the importance of humanities success as a civilization and a species. Our inherent desires to know and be known, as well as to be loved and to love are often cited as where our civilization began.
In this episode Sarah Elkins and the accomplished scientist Jens Madsen discuss the importance of science and storytelling, and how the two more often than not go hand in hand to convey emotions and experiences to your audience.
Indulge in this engaging conversation with Sarah Elkins and Scott Hanton, Editorial Director for Lab Manager Magazine and former Industrial Chemist and business leader for 30 years. They explore the beginning of his interest in becoming a chemist, as a young 13-year-old listening to a random man share his work stories, a moment that would instill a life-long passion for him.
The moment I saw Bejanae's face on my Zoom screen, I was filled with relief, comfort, and absolute certainty that she would entertain, add insight, and bring much needed light to my day.
The conversation began with an explanation of her unusual, melodic name, shifted to a discussion about the program her agency sponsored for students in the Atlanta, Georgia region, made its way to the difference between STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math), and STEAM (add Art in there), and back to Bejanae's pivotal moments in her career, which includes the story about the program we discussed earlier in the show.
An introvert. That's how Jeff sees himself, despite being a successful salesman, and that's part of the reason his first career path led him to a biology degree and a research position.
He realized at some point that spending all day every day in a lab, mostly by himself, didn't bring him as much satisfaction and stimulation as he thought it would. His colleague found her outlet as a bartender on weekends, and he realized he wanted to do something similar to bring some social activity into his life. Thanks to a few introductions from friends, he found himself training and then working as a DJ on weekends.
Not only did he enjoy the opportunity to get out on weekends, he liked the extra cash he earned. On top of that, he realized that despite his introverted tendencies, he was really good at engaging an audience and getting people to step out of their comfort zones.
After a few years of his Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde life of research scientist by day, wild DJ at night, he started to feel that sense of dissatisfaction again. He realized he felt split, like he was living two completely different, separate lives, and he wanted to be able to bring his whole self to his whole life. That's when he started to explore other options in his field, and found a great fit as a salesman.
How many of us have started down a career path with interest and passion, only to realize the choices we made might not really satisfy all aspects of our character?
The question, then, is how to transition into something that's a good fit?
Jeff Bissen shares his story here, in the hopes that others will see themselves in his story, and make the necessary changes so they, too, can find satisfaction by finding a fit that allows them to bring their whole selves to work.
Are you enjoying listening to episodes of this podcast? Are you wondering how you can help me sustain this project, to support and encourage the sharing of important stories?
Here are a few ideas!
1) Leave a rating and comment on your favorite podcast service like iTunes or Stitcher
2) Share a link to the show and tell people why you like it
3) Become a sponsor (for as little as $2/month) by going to Patreon
