Is your career path a straight line or a patchwork quilt?

Kristi McFarland explains why she intentionally seeks out "challenging and messy" problems to solve. Alice Tang dives into how a non-traditional career path—spanning HR, Marketing, and Strategy—can lead to a million-dollar milestone and a deeply fulfilling life.

Key Takeaways:
• Challenge the Status Quo: Why the "good stuff" is hidden in complex problems.

• Sailing Toward Success: Why your journey doesn't have to look like anyone else's.

• Investing in Innovation: How Kristi supports women entrepreneurs and local art.

• The Friday-to-Monday Jump: Graduating and starting a new chapter under pressure.

Connect with Alice Tang for more insights: https://www.askalicetang.com/

How much is your reputation actually worth? Join Alice Tang as she speaks with Shari Dunn, author of Qualified, about the "millions of dollars" sitting in your current network. Shari reveals her transition from nonprofit leadership to hitting seven-figure revenue in her second year of consulting. Learn why showing up consistently as your authentic self creates a financial backstop for your future and why Shari believes in sharing the "secrets" of success with everyone.

In this episode, you'll learn:
The Network Asset: Why your professional history has a specific financial value that can power a new business.

The Publishing 80/20 Rule: Why 80% of a book's success depends on business strategy rather than the writing itself.

Ownership Oversight: The necessity of maintaining oversight on every aspect of your business, from websites to financials.

Breaking the Scarcity Mindset: Shari's move from a paycheck-to-paycheck community to understanding wealth generation.

Key Moments
00:00 – Network as an Asset: Shari explains why your reputation is worth millions.
01:52 – Transition to Consulting: Starting a business after 25 years in law, policy, and journalism.
03:00 – The $1M Milestone: Reaching seven-figure revenue in the second year of business.
05:45 – The Ultimate Backstop: Why business owners must review everything themselves.
07:08 – Bite-Sized Resilience: Managing the overwhelm of business by focusing on "now, now, now".
08:42 – The Business of Books: Shari reveals the shocking investment required to promote a book.
10:01 – Traditional Publishing Hurdles: The critical role of agents and the auction process.
13:00 – Cashing in Credibility: Realizing that her New York network had a hidden financial value.
14:34 – Mentorship Renewal: Why conversations with students re-energize the mentor more than the mentee.
15:35 – Scarcity Mindset: Coming from a working-class background and finding the courage to save early.
17:15 – Broad Legacies: Using time and board service to preserve nature and support workforce access.

Motherhood should not be a professional obstacle, yet many women face a "pregnancy penalty." Jigna Kapadia joins Women's Million Dollar Conversations to discuss the raw reality of losing up to two years of career momentum with each pregnancy. Jigna shares anecdotes about office "rumor mills" and managers who assumed she wouldn't return to work after having kids. Discover her tactical advice on standing up for yourself without being abrasive, and why she is now openly discussing menopause in the workplace to normalize real-life experiences for senior leaders.

In this episode, you'll learn:
Authentic Styling: Why a "nurturing" leadership style can be just as effective as an aggressive one.

The Immigrant Tax: Understanding the financial burdens of early-career immigrants supporting global families.

Identifying Assumptions: How to confront and correct managerial biases regarding pregnancy and commitment.

End-of-Life Planning: The emotional and physical importance of preparing for later-life transitions to free your future generations.

Key Moments
01:38 – 24 Years in the U.S.: Jigna reflects on her life as a first-generation immigrant and her transition from engineering to marketing.
02:50 – The 20-Year Save: Why Jigna's road to the first million was long due to family obligations in India.
04:31 – Dual Biases: Facing skepticism about technical skills as a woman and creative skills as an Indian immigrant.
05:52 – Rumor Mills and Assumptions: Tracing office gossip back to a manager who assumed she wouldn't return after pregnancy.
07:05 – The Pregnancy Penalty: Calculating the loss of career pathing time with each child.
08:43 – Normalizing Menopause: Why senior leaders should speak openly about hormonal transformations in life.
10:15 – Pitying the Aggressive: A pivotal lesson from a senior woman leader about being "labeled" in a sea of men.
11:55 – Don't Change: Jigna's core advice to remain perfect in your authentic style.
13:53 – The Ohana Way: Introducing a new venture focused on compassionate end-of-life and aging transitions.
15:10 – Tactical Transitions: Addressing the needs of 10,000 people turning 65 every day.