Her Intentional Reset

From Wall Street trader to fashion entrepreneur, Jen Van Wart moved from New York to Madison, WI, on September 11, 2001. While coping with the events of that day, Jen identified a need in her new city — and a vision for what to do next. So she did what a former day trader would do: she trusted her gut, moved quickly, and built it herself.Jen, Founder & President of Twigs, an elevated, fashion boutique, will discuss how she built this career pivot on instinct and discipline, how she's kept the business strong through pandemics and recessions for two decades, the importance of prioritizing your people, and what she's learned about building both a career and a life that fit.ABOUT THE GUEST:Twigs is an independent women's fashion boutique with locations in Madison and Brookfield, WI, with a nationwide online presence at shoptwigs.com. Jen opened Twigs on January 2002, drawing on the economics degree she earned at Columbia and a career as a money market trader at Citigroup. In 2012, Elle Magazine recognized Twigs as one of the best boutiques in America.What make’s Twigs stand the test of time is Jen’s approach to curation: a thoughtful mix of contemporary clothing, jewelry, and accessories for three generations of women — carefully pulling together pieces that are worth your time and attention. What keeps customers coming back is the Twigs team's ability to cultivate a community while providing exceptional customer service and attention to the little details.WHAT YOU WILL LEARN:08:49 — Spotting a need in a field you didn't come from — and deciding to act on it11:52 — How Jen uses her background as a trader to assess risk and make fast decisions when the business needs to pivot13:32 — The "big enough and small enough" philosophy that has shaped how she's grown — staying nimble while building real durability through a pandemic and a recession24:04 — When to take the leap to expansion — and how a candid conversation with another retailer helped her say yes to a second store34:25 — Jen's leadership style and why appreciating her team is the foundation of everything39:13 — The art and joy of curating — how Jen finds designers, edits a collection, and curates for three generations of women49:08 — What it takes to keep a business healthy over the long haul, including the team and the benefits that have kept her people with her50:55 — Jen's honest advice for any woman thinking about a real industry jump56:11 — Learning to take care of yourself in order to be there for othersGUEST LINKS: Website: www.shoptwigs.comInstagram: @shoptwigsEmail: [email protected] RESOURCES:"The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron, Amazon link here. Note, by using the link HIR will receive a small affiliate link compensation.CONNECT WITH SPONSOR: Roots & BloomInstagram @rootsandbloom_studioListener promotion: Roots & Bloom 20% off plant purchase — mention “Her Intentional Reset” at checkout/to Ciera CurtisCONNECT WITH HIRInstagram @ herintentionalreset.coFacebook @ Her Intentional Reset.coWebsite: www.herintentionalreset.comIf HIR has been valuable to you, you can support the show here: Kofi Support The ShowNo pressure — just making it easy for listeners who want to say so.Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):https://uppbeat.io/t/hemlock/the-way-forwardLicense code: RVGOVVHKDJFBKVJC

You've got a hobby you can't stop doing. But between the caregiving, the family, the life that's already full, you're not sure there's room for it to become anything more — or if you're even allowed to find out.A gentle note before you listen: this episode includes Jenny's experience with postpartum depression and suicidal thoughts. If that's a tender topic for you, please take care with this one. Support resources are linked below.ABOUT THE GUEST: Jenny Huynh is the baker behind Wildflower Macarons, a home-based small business in Eden Prairie, Minnesota that she started in 2020 during a postpartum she didn't yet have a name for. Five years in, she's grown it from a kitchen hobby into a custom-order business known for intricate, hand-painted novelty macarons inspired by her Southeast Asian heritage — all while being the primary caregiver for her father-in-law and raising her own son. Her story is a real look at what it takes to grow a small business in midlife when life keeps adding to your plate, not subtracting from it.WHAT YOU WILL LEARN:[00:02:20] How a birthday party started a business — with zero initial plan[00:05:33] What postpartum looked like for Jenny as a new mom, and why we all need to share our experiences[00:13:20] Going from kitchen hobby to officially licensed cottage food business — and why it was easier than she expected[00:16:06] The sandwich generation reality: raising her son and caregiving for her father-in-law while running a business[00:21:00] How she used her macarons to raise money for community rent during ICE raids — and why every role matters, no matter how small[00:30:01] The strength her husband sees in her that she didn't see in herself[00:31:53] The advice she'd give her younger self: why she's "more than enough"GUEST OFFER: Wildflower Macarons is generously offering Her Intentional Reset listeners 10% off first-time customer order. Reach out and mention Her Intentional Reset podcast. All details below.GUEST LINKS: Instagram: @wildflowermacarons Website: wildflowermacarons.com10% off first-time customer discount code — "Welcome10"CONNECT WITH SPONSOR: Instagram @rootsandbloom_studioListener promotion: Roots & Bloom 20% off plant purchase — mention “Her Intentional Reset” at checkout/to Ciera CurtisCONNECT WITH HIRInstagram @ herintentionalreset.coFacebook @ Her Intentional Reset.coWebsite: www.herintentionalreset.comCOMMUNITY CAUSESPROP (People Reaching Out to People): https://propfood.org/ADDITIONAL LINKSPostpartum Support International: postpartum.net | helpline 1-800-944-4773If HIR has been valuable to you, you can support the show here: Kofi Support The ShowNo pressure — just making it easy for listeners who want to say so.Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/hemlock/the-way-forwardLicense code: RVGOVVHKDJFBKVJC

Returning to work after a career break? Here's what stay-at-home moms get told: the years home don't count, you'll come back at a lower title, and you should take whatever salary is offered. Leah Tilstra rejected all three — and walked back into engineering at Abbott with a senior title and a sign-on bonus after twelve years raising four kids.How did she pull it off? She refused the apologetic part-time re-entry, used one old work relationship to land the right R&D team at Abbott, and walked into salary negotiations with a clear number and the willingness to be told no. The mantra she carries into every high-stakes interview: "They didn't know me yesterday, but they'll remember me tomorrow."ABOUT GUEST: Leah Tilstra is a mechanical engineer and senior R&D engineer at Abbott, working on artificial heart valves in the TAVI space. Early in her career, she climbed quickly through medical device roles then made the intentional decision to step away for twelve years to raise her four children and support her family's move from Texas to Minnesota. During her career pause, she didn't just stay at home. Leah ran a nonprofit preschool, built a sewing business, coached middle school athletes, and led a moms' community group.WHAT YOU WILL LEARN:[00:14:10] The pharmacy wake-up moment that pushed Leah from "testing the waters" to returning to work full-time[00:21:29] The networking move that helped a stay-at-home mom return to engineering after a 12-year career break[00:37:13] How to negotiate salary and a sign-on bonus after a long career pause — even when the company offers less[00:38:57] The one-line confidence script she repeats before any high-stakes room or interview[00:27:10] The "Sift My Wife Does" Google Doc that names the mental load every working mom is carryingGUEST LINKSInstagram: @illegallyblondieFacebook: @illegallyblondLinkedIn: Leah TilstraCONNECT WITH HIRInstagram @ herintentionalreset.coFacebook @ Her Intentional Reset.coWebsite: www.herintentionalreset.comIf HIR has been valuable to you, you can support the show here: Kofi Support The ShowNo pressure — just making it easy for listeners who want to say so.Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):https://uppbeat.io/t/hemlock/the-way-forwardLicense code: RVGOVVHKDJFBKVJC

You spent 20+ years building real expertise — the kind you can't fake — and now you're staring down a layoff, a restructure, or just a quiet voice asking if this is really it. What if the skills you've spent two decades building are the exact foundation you need for something that's finally yours?ABOUT GUEST: Courtney Reimer is the founder and principal strategist at Sounds Great, a podcast strategy company, and the host of the podcast Talking the Talk. After two decades as a senior executive at Spotify, Audible, MTV, and Discovery — including executive producing Archetypes with Meghan Markle — she was laid off and started her own business. In this conversation she walks through the real mechanics of a midlife career change: the "you're not your job" reframe from her husband, the moment she realized her expertise was worth paying for, the under-pricing trap, and why being 52 is an asset rather than a liability.WHAT YOU WILL LEARN:[00:09:59] How Courtney decided to bet on herself and start consulting after a layoff[00:11:03] The signal that tells you your 20 years of expertise is worth paying for[00:14:06] The five-word mantra her husband gave her: "You're not your job"[00:26:08] The practical and financial considerations of starting your own business[00:28:33] How to set your consulting rates when you're starting out[00:31:17] Why 52 is a credibility marker, not a liability, in a midlife career changeGUEST OFFER:Sounds Great — Launch Podcast Accelerator — to find out more, email Courtney at: [email protected]: https://www.soundsgreatstrategy.comPodcast: Talking the talkAdditional Guest ReferencesDeb Boulanger podcast: Life After CorporateThe Artist's Way by Julia CameronSPONSOR: Roots & Bloom -- follow on InstagramMention Her Intentional Reset for 20% off code of plant purchase.CONNECT WITH HIRInstagram @ herintentionalreset.coFacebook @ Her Intentional Reset.coWebsite: www.herintentionalreset.comIf HIR has been valuable to you, you can support the show here: Kofi Support The ShowNo pressure — just making it easy for listeners who want to say so.Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):https://uppbeat.io/t/hemlock/the-way-forwardLicense code: RVGOVVHKDJFBKVJC

The universe doesn't always shout — sometimes it whispers for years before it knocks. And if you keep ignoring the knock, eventually it hits you over the head with a frying pan — and for Molly, that frying pan had a name: layoff.ABOUT GUEST: If you're a woman in your 40s or 50s sitting with a quiet voice that keeps asking is this really it? — this episode is your origin story too. Her Intentional Reset host Molly Wipperfurth shares the real timeline behind her own midlife career change: the slow burn that started long before the layoff, the personal detour that clarified everything, and the decision to treat job loss as an invitation for genuine career exploration alongside her search for what's next.WHAT YOU WILL LEARN:[00:58] The whisper, knock, and frying pan framework — how to recognize which signal the universe is sending you about your midlife career change[06:09] How a deeply personal detour became the unexpected catalyst for Molly's second act career exploration[13:15] What the first minutes of a layoff call actually feel like — and the inner voice that whispered "this is it, this is your time"[17:19] The exact moment Molly committed to her career pivot for women like her — out loud, unrehearsed, and terrified[20:19] What stepping back from the corporate ladder really costs you to unlearn: ego, job titles, lifestyle creep, and the $36 bottle of wineTHIS EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY ROOTS & BLOOM 🌿 Roots & Bloom is a mobile plant shop now popping up across the Twin Cities, founded by Ciara Curtis. From painting and planting to plant bingo, Roots & Bloom turns plants into a full self-care experience. Follow @rootsandbloom_studio on Instagram to see where the mobile shop is popping up next — and mention Her Intentional Reset for 20% off any plant purchase. Because taking care of yourself is always worth it.CONNECT WITH HIRInstagram @ herintentionalreset.coFacebook @ Her Intentional Reset.coWebsite: www.herintentionalreset.comIf HIR has been valuable to you, you can support the show here: Kofi Support The ShowNo pressure — just making it easy for listeners who want to say so.Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):https://uppbeat.io/t/hemlock/the-way-forwardLicense code: RVGOVVHKDJFBKVJC