Episodes

  • Interview of Tonya Powers, Executive Director, Franklin County Industrial Building Authority

    Interview of Tonya Powers, Executive Director, Franklin County Industrial Building Authority
    May 15 2024
    Episode Summary: In this episode of the InPowered Women Podcast features Tonya Powers, the Executive Director of the Franklin County Industrial Building Authority. They reflect on how they met through shared interests and Senator Frank Yen. Tonya discusses her journey from the solar energy industry to economic development. She emphasizes the importance of mentors and relationships in her career, highlighting her role in bringing businesses to Franklin County. Tonya's proactive approach, despite initial self-doubt, led her to success, showcasing the power of mindset in achieving goals. Tonya reflects on difficult times in her career, including facing opposition and panic attacks, yet finding strength and resilience. She discusses collaborative efforts in economic development, particularly in attracting businesses from other countries. The conversation shifts to workforce development, highlighting partnerships with educational institutions and the importance of mentorship. Finally, Tonya introduces a new project called "WOW" (Women of the Workforce), aimed at empowering women from diverse backgrounds by providing access to resources and opportunities. Sharon Lee Sharon Lee is an accomplished entrepreneur and marketing expert dedicated to empowering female leaders. With a diverse background in sales and marketing across industries like advertising, magazine publishing, and solar energy, Sharon's journey showcases her versatility and determination. As the principal of Pinnacle Strategic Advisors, she assists businesses in enhancing their marketing strategies. Sharon's entrepreneurial spirit led her to establish her own consulting firm, reflecting her commitment to excellence. Alongside her professional pursuits, Sharon co-founded the InPowered Women's networking group, fostering mentorship and support for women in business. Through the InPowered Women Podcast, Sharon will share stories of resilient female leaders with listeners encouraging them to pursue their aspirations fearlessly. Tonya Powers Tonya Powers is a dynamic force driving economic development in Franklin County. With a background in the solar energy industry, Tonya's journey to becoming the Executive Director of the Franklin County Industrial Building Authority is marked by determination and resilience. She's not just about bringing in new businesses; Tonya understands the power of relationships and mentorship, which she credits for much of her success. Despite facing challenges like opposition and panic attacks, she remains undeterred, focusing on collaborative efforts to uplift her community. Tonya's latest project, "WOW" (Women of the Workforce), reflects her commitment to empowering women with access to resources and opportunities. With her proactive approach and infectious energy, Tonya is making waves and inspiring others to do the same. Insights from this episode: Emphasis is placed on the need for follow-up after providing information or resources, ensuring that individuals leave with clear next steps and accountability mechanisms in place.Tonya highlights the significance of collaboration and mentorship in her career journey, underscoring how these relationships have been instrumental in her success.Resilience of a proactive mindset is emphasized. Despite facing challenges such as opposition and panic attacks, Tonya demonstrates resilience and a proactive mindset, focusing on solutions and pushing forward in her endeavors.The importance of the role of education in empowering individuals, particularly women, by fostering partnerships with educational institutions and providing access to resources that facilitate personal and professional growth.Discussion surrounding a focus on economic development and workforce initiatives ensues: Tonya's work centers around economic development and workforce initiatives, aiming to bring businesses to Franklin County and empower women through projects like "WOW" (Women of the Workforce).The importance of personal wellness and self-care is discussed, highlighting activities like running and spending time outdoors as crucial for maintaining mental well-being and productivity. Quotes from the show: “I remember saying that no matter what happens, no matter what my mindset is, no matter what is what I'm facing in the community, no matter what opposition I'm up against, I cannot let that impact like how I see what I do and how I know that I know that I know what I'm good at and it may not be a lot but what I am good at, that's what I'm gonna use, right?” – Tonya Powers, InPowered Women, Episode #5“And so, you know, there's, there's, there were, there were long stretches of times where I was like, I don't have any wins right now in my mind. But when I stepped back and I looked like collaboratively at like everything, the big picture, everything that was going on. I was like, it took that day and it took that day and it took that day and invite them all together. Now we've got this great ...
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    42 mins
  • Interview of Dana Clare Redden, Founder, Solar Stewards

    Interview of Dana Clare Redden, Founder, Solar Stewards
    Apr 15 2024
    Episode Summary: In this episode of the InPowered Women Podcast, Dana Clare Redden, founder of Solar Stewards, and Sharon discuss solar energy's profound impact, particularly in marginalized communities. Dana recounts founding Solar Stewards in 2016 to align corporate renewable goals with local projects, touching on topics like Renewable Energy Credits, involvement in the Georgia Solar Energy Association, and legislative victories such as House Bill 57. They delve into the current solar energy landscape in Georgia, addressing challenges like rising power rates and the importance of accessibility, especially for marginalized groups. Dana underscores the economic benefits and career opportunities in the clean energy transition, while emphasizing the significance of diversity, inclusion, and mentorship in the industry. Despite obstacles, they express optimism about the future of renewable energy and highlight the role of entrepreneurship. The conversation concludes with Dana sharing her interests outside of work and encouraging listeners to connect with Solar Stewards for further information and resources. Sharon Lee Sharon Lee is an accomplished entrepreneur and marketing expert dedicated to empowering female leaders. With a diverse background in sales and marketing across industries like advertising, magazine publishing, and solar energy, Sharon's journey showcases her versatility and determination. As the principal of Pinnacle Strategic Advisors, she assists businesses in enhancing their marketing strategies. Sharon's entrepreneurial spirit led her to establish her own consulting firm, reflecting her commitment to excellence. Alongside her professional pursuits, Sharon co-founded the InPowered Women's networking group, fostering mentorship and support for women in business. Through the InPowered Women Podcast, Sharon will share stories of resilient female leaders with listeners encouraging them to pursue their aspirations fearlessly. Dana Clare Redden Dana Clare Redden is a visionary leader in renewable energy, known for her commitment to sustainability and social equity. Founder of Solar Stewards, she bridges corporate goals with underserved communities, notably in Georgia. Her journey began with a realization of the need for solar projects in overlooked areas, leading to the establishment of Solar Stewards in 2016. Dana advocates for inclusive policies like House Bill 57 and fosters industry growth through initiatives like the Georgia Solar Energy Association. A strong proponent of diversity and mentorship, Dana's leadership inspires positive change in the renewable energy sector, driving towards a brighter, more equitable future. Insights from this episode: Dana discusses the implications of policy impact on solar accessibility, specifically of a 12% power rate increase approved by Georgia Power, juxtaposing it against incentives for solar energy, which highlights the increasing accessibility of solar power despite rising rates.Conversation surrounding the disproportionate impact of rising energy costs on marginalized communities, particularly in Atlanta, where high energy burdens exacerbate existing income inequality, emphasizing the urgency to address these disparities.Dana advocates for empowering communities through technology by leveraging technology to not only lower energy bills but also create economic opportunities within communities, suggesting that the clean energy transition could spark new career paths and alleviate financial burdens.The influence of macroeconomic factors like inflation and supply chain issues on energy costs, stressing the importance of shielding vulnerable communities from the adverse effects of such trends is recognized by Dana and Sharon.Dana highlights entrepreneurship as a driving force behind the clean energy transition, emphasizing its role in job creation, economic growth, and community development, particularly for historically excluded groups.Emphasis is placed on the importance of women's leadership and mentorship in the renewable energy sector, advocating for collaborative spaces where women can support and empower each other.Discussion surrounding the significance of mentorship in navigating challenges within the industry, emphasizing the importance of experienced professionals supporting and guiding newcomers.Despite challenges, Sharon and Dana, express a collective optimism about the future of renewable energy, highlighting the progress made through collaboration and collective action, while encouraging listeners to engage in the clean energy movement. Quotes from the show: “Well, you know, me from those days starting out at in Georgia doing distributed generation solar and just taking a look around the market, it became obvious that some of the projects in the communities that I know that we care so much about those historically excluded communities, those low and moderate income communities, you know, really needed additional help in ...
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    32 mins
  • Interview of Stephanie Choury, Enterprise Account Manager, Buckman

    Interview of Stephanie Choury, Enterprise Account Manager, Buckman
    Mar 15 2024
    Episode Summary: In this episode of the InPowered Women Podcast, sponsored by Superior Water Services, host Sharon Lee speaks with Stephanie Choury from Buckman Digital Water. Stephanie shares her journey from history major to enterprise account manager, breaking barriers in water treatment. We explore her involvement with Women of Water, discuss Cheryl Sandberg's "Lean In", and reflect on pivotal moments of resilience. Sharon Lee Sharon Lee is an accomplished entrepreneur and marketing expert dedicated to empowering female leaders. With a diverse background in sales and marketing across industries like advertising, magazine publishing, and solar energy, Sharon's journey showcases her versatility and determination. As the principal of Pinnacle Strategic Advisors, she assists businesses in enhancing their marketing strategies. Sharon's entrepreneurial spirit led her to establish her own consulting firm, reflecting her commitment to excellence. Alongside her professional pursuits, Sharon co-founded the InPowered Women's networking group, fostering mentorship and support for women in business. Through the InPowered Women Podcast, Sharon will share stories of resilient female leaders with listeners encouraging them to pursue their aspirations fearlessly. Stephanie Choury Stephanie Choury is a leader in industrial water treatment, known for innovation and empowering women in male-dominated fields. With 15+ years in water treatment, she advances digital solutions and diversity. Initially a history student, Stephanie transitioned to water treatment, driven by her passion for technology and chemical engineering. Currently an Enterprise Account Manager at Buckman Digital Water, she drives digital innovations, enhancing efficiency and performance. Stephanie actively supports women in water treatment through mentorship and advocacy, promoting diversity and inclusion. Outside work, she enjoys family time and socializing. Stephanie's dedication to excellence and empowering women has made her a trailblazer in the industry. Insights from this episode: This podcast episode highlights unstoppable female leaders and expresses gratitude to the sponsor, Superior Water Services.Discussion of Stephanie’s role as an enterprise account manager at Buckman Digital Water, focusing on digital 4.0 initiatives to enhance water treatment efficiency.Discussion surrounding the benefits of Buckman's digital solutions for water treatment efficiency.Stephanie's involvement in the Women of Water committee and the aim to support women in leadership roles in the water treatment industry, is highlighted.Emphasis is placed on the importance of mentorship, both from men and women, in career development. Quotes from the show: “...Dedicated to protecting their customers equipment against scale correct and biological fouling, ensuring optimal performance and longevity and sponsors like Superior Water Services that allow us to continue bringing you empowering stories of women in leadership positions and fostering a community of support and mentorship.” – Sharon Lee, InPowered Women, Episode #3“And that's where the acumen software platform can ingest as well as store data that these water treatment sites use daily but more efficiently with the data being in one location and not only showcasing data points but also gaining a team of experts who help triage their alarms, looking at notifications and summarizing where their sites can focus on their next site service. With this, we allow water treaters, the capability to customize all of this data in one report as well as one platform.” – Stephanie Choury, InPowered Women, Episode #3“This is a very inclusive group and our goals are to support women in their knowledge and skill set, encourage women to pursue leadership roles within the Association of Water Technologies, placing their knowledge in their employment, pursue their leadership there, creating a sense of belonging to the association as well as the industry itself.” – Stephanie Choury, InPowered Women, Episode #3“We can only continue to grow if we include each other and help to find and shape the next chapters.” – Stephanie Choury, InPowered Women, Episode #3“Women are collaborative by nature.” – Sharon Lee, InPowered Women, Episode #3“Some of the things that stood out was performance bias, skill sets being viewed differently between a man and a woman and really feeling comfortable with being uncomfortable, understanding that it's OK to own our achievements, allowing ourselves to not doubt our abilities, but also showcase that there are going to be some of those performance biases. But understanding it and recognizing it bringing to the table, a lot of the things that we offer to our organizations.” – Stephanie Choury, InPowered Women, Episode #3“There's lean in circles that you can implement within your own professional organization as well as you can take it as far as your own personal group, ...
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    18 mins
  • Interview of Annie Lu, CEO and Co-founder of H2Ok Innovations

    Interview of Annie Lu, CEO and Co-founder of H2Ok Innovations
    Feb 20 2024
    Episode Summary: In this episode of the InPowered Women podcast, host Sharon Lee interviews Annie Lu, CEO of H2Ok Innovations, a company revolutionizing industrial liquid management. Annie shares her journey growing up in a manufacturing family and co-founding H2Ok Innovations with her brother, driven by a passion for improving the industry. They discuss the company's focus on data-driven decision-making, utilizing IoT technology for real-time insights and efficiency gains. Annie emphasizes the importance of being prepared and building a solid infrastructure to support growth, highlighting the significance of working on the company, not just in it. She also addresses the unique challenges she faces as a female leader in male-dominated industries and underscores the value of authenticity and diversity in entrepreneurship. Annie delves into the power of mentorship and her commitment to supporting other women founders, advocating for collaborative partnerships to drive sustainability. Additionally, she shares her passion for Formula One (Motorsports) and pageants, highlighting the lessons learned in teamwork, authenticity, and branding. Sharon praises H2Ok Innovations' culture of empathy and problem-solving, predicting continued success in driving innovation and sustainability within the manufacturing sector. Sharon Lee Sharon Lee is an accomplished entrepreneur and marketing expert dedicated to empowering female leaders. With a diverse background in sales and marketing across industries like advertising, magazine publishing, and solar energy, Sharon's journey showcases her versatility and determination. As the principal of Pinnacle Strategic Advisors, she assists businesses in enhancing their marketing strategies. Sharon's entrepreneurial spirit led her to establish her own consulting firm, reflecting her commitment to excellence. Alongside her professional pursuits, Sharon co-founded the InPowered Women's networking group, fostering mentorship and support for women in business. Through the InPowered Women’s podcast, Sharon will share stories of resilient female leaders with listeners encouraging them to pursue their aspirations fearlessly. Annie Lu Annie Lu, CEO of H20k Innovations, is a visionary entrepreneur and advocate for authenticity, navigating the male-dominated realm of venture capital with determination and empathy. Rising above bias, she champions diversity and empowers others to embrace their uniqueness. Through her leadership at H20k Innovations, Annie fosters a culture of creativity and empowerment. Beyond her business ventures, Annie is a dedicated mentor and philanthropist, supporting aspiring entrepreneurs, especially women and girls. Her passion for sustainability drives her collaborative efforts to address environmental challenges. Insights from this episode: Introduction of the podcast by Sharon Lee, focusing on sharing insights and stories from female business leaders.Introduction of Annie Lu, CEO and co-founder of H2Ok Innovations.Discussion about Annie's background in manufacturing and her passion for improving the industry.Explanation of why H2O K Innovations focuses on industrial liquids and fluids, highlighting the lack of data and decision-making based on real-time information.Explanation of Internet of Things (IoT) and its role in H2Ok's system, involving sensors, data processing, and machine learning for optimization.Discussion on how H2Ok's solution helps save resources, improve efficiency, reduce waste, and enhance quality in manufacturing processes.Overview of how H2Ok's technology addresses challenges in the manufacturing industry and contributes to sustainability goals.Discussion on security measures implemented by H2Ok to protect data and ensure the reliability of their solutions.Strategies for scaling and managing the business, including building infrastructure, empowering the team, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.Discussion of navigating male-dominated industriesEmphasis on embracing authenticity and empathy, especially the importance of caring about people's real problems and unique perspectives in problem-solving.Discussion surrounding the power of mentorship: Annie acknowledges the crucial role of mentors in her journey as a founder and actively engages in mentorship herself: supporting college women, elementary school students, and other women founders, aiming to pay it forward.Discussion surrounding the role of businesses in addressing environmental challenges and the misconception that sustainability doesn't make business sense. Quotes from the show: “And so this is why we are really excited to be in this space because not only are we helping our partners through technology, be able to help them meet their sustainability goals and their same target, so making social impact as well as driving efficiency, ultimately improving the bottom line, improving the top line… And for us really, our focus is sustainability and ...
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    34 mins
  • InPowered Introduction

    InPowered Introduction
    Feb 13 2024

    Episode Summary: Get ready to dive into the vibrant world of unstoppable female leaders with the InPowered Women's podcast! Hosted by Sharon Lee, principal of Pinnacle Strategic Advisors, this debut episode kicks off with infectious energy and enthusiasm. Sharon shares her own journey through the wild and wonderful realms of sales and marketing, donning various hats from advertising to solar energy systems sales. But her ultimate leap into entrepreneurship with her own marketing consulting firm sets the stage for this thrilling podcast adventure. As Sharon reveals her passion for helping businesses tell their stories effectively, she invites listeners to join her in celebrating the incredible women leading the charge in male-dominated industries. From manufacturing facilities to technology companies, each story is a testament to resilience, innovation, and the power of community. With a sprinkle of fun and a dash of inspiration, the InPowered Women's podcast promises to be a joyous ride through the triumphs and transformations of fearless female trailblazers.

    Sharon Lee

    Sharon Lee is an accomplished entrepreneur and marketing expert dedicated to empowering female leaders. With a diverse background in sales and marketing across industries like advertising, magazine publishing, and solar energy, Sharon's journey showcases her versatility and determination. As the principal of Pinnacle Strategic Advisors, she assists businesses in enhancing their marketing strategies. Sharon's entrepreneurial spirit led her to establish her own consulting firm, reflecting her commitment to excellence. Alongside her professional pursuits, Sharon co-founded the InPowered Women's networking group, fostering mentorship and support for women in business. Through the InPowered Women’s podcast, Sharon will share stories of resilient female leaders with listeners encouraging them to pursue their aspirations fearlessly.

    Insights from this episode:

    • Introduction to host, Sharon, and the Inpowered Women’s podcast
    • Discussion of Sharon’s entrepreneurial journey beginning with diverse roles in sales and marketing, spanning industries such as advertising, magazine publishing, and solar energy systems sales, culminating in the founding of her own marketing consulting firm.
    • Emphasis the purpose and goal of the podcast: to help businesses effectively tell their stories. It delves into the journeys of remarkable women leaders, particularly in male-dominated industries, highlighting their climb to success and the challenges they overcome.
    • Sharon concludes with a call to action by encouraging listeners to embrace their ambitions fearlessly, inviting them to join the journey of empowerment and inspiration.

    Quotes from the show:

    • “I decided to take a leap and start my own marketing consulting firm… You see there are countless marketers out there. What would set me apart? And then I realized something crucial, anyone willing to invest in my services would likely already have a website, social media presence, maybe even a dedicated marketing team. But here's the thing, having a presence in the marketplace doesn't necessarily mean you're telling your story effectively. That's where I come in. My role is to help with the sizzle the extras to help you bring your story to life. So, launching this podcast is an extension of that idea.I want to hear about the incredible companies that women are leading.” – Sharon Lee, InPowered Women, Episode #1
    • “​​As we embark on this podcasting journey together, you'll get to know not only the amazing women we feature but also the person behind the microphone. Me, I'm excited to learn right alongside you to be inspired by these remarkable stories and to foster a community of empowered women who support and uplift each other.” – Sharon Lee, InPowered Women, Episode #1

    Sharon Lee

    Email: sharon@pinnaclestrategicadvisors.net

    LinkedIn: Sharon Lee

    Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Spotify, PodBean, and Listen Notes.

    This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.
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    5 mins