Available Worldwide

By: Lauren Steed and Stephanie Anderson
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  • Summary

  • An interview-style podcast by, for, and about the accompanying partners of the US Foreign Service. In each episode, we’ll talk to diplomatic spouses who have discovered superpowers they never knew they had and found success in unlikely places. We highlight voices that will inspire and encourage you as you explore what it means to be “available worldwide.”
    Hosted by Lauren Steed and Stephanie Anderson

    foreign service, diplomacy, diplomat, trailing spouse, EFM, expat, abroad,
    Copyright Available Worldwide
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Career Success Economics
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Episodes
  • Laura Jennings | LVL-Up CSO & Co-Founder

    Laura Jennings | LVL-Up CSO & Co-Founder
    Nov 5 2024
    Laura Jennings has navigated her share of twists, turns, and transitions, from starting her career in publishing to successful stints in marketing and communications. She's a passionate and accomplished business developer, having built a portable Pilates business and taken it to five posts. Now as Chief Strategy Officer at LVL-Up Strategies, she continues to advocate for EFM career progression as co-founder of a business staffed entirely by partners of the US Foreign Service.

    In this interview, we learn that Paris isn't hard, but walking away from a career certainly is. We also discuss the mental component of identity and why Laura believes an important aspect of self-care involves embracing our potential to contribute to society. Listen in to learn more!
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    BIO

    Laura Jennings enjoys bringing folks with aligned objectives together and empowering all parties to achieve their vision. Her ability to guide clients and her team toward their purpose or vision while recognizing their own particular ecosystems creates a culture of trust and lasting relationships primed for growth.

    Laura's 20+ years in communications, strategic partnerships, project management, and planning combined with 7+ years launching and building her own business, both nationally and internationally, led her to her purpose—connecting others and lifting them to their next level.

    As part of a Foreign Service family, having a career in the traditional sense was not an option. Laura continued to maintain relevance whether as an entrepreneur, working in government, or serving the diplomat community and host country through programs that give back. Her ability to quickly evaluate situations, develop strategies, and implement initiatives with a positive impact ensured her success from country to country.

    Laura has lived in five countries and has a working knowledge of four languages. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Language, Writing, and Rhetoric from the University of Maryland, College Park. She recently served on the Move2Learn Board of Directors and loves spending time with her husband and two girls as they adventure through this amazing life.
    https://www.lvlupstrategies.com/team-members/laura-jennings
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    27 mins
  • Amy Parker | Nonprofit Fundraising & Strategy

    Amy Parker | Nonprofit Fundraising & Strategy
    Oct 23 2024
    When there's an EFM who has turned what seems to be a location-dependent career into something globally portable, you know you'll eventually meet them here on Available Worldwide.

    In this episode, Amy shares what it was like to unexpectedly dine with some global power-players, how she made the tough decision to quit a portable job without the guarantee of something new, and what things are really like in the sub-basements of some of America's iconic buildings. Talking with her felt like listening to an old movie trailer, "You'll laugh, you'll cry, but you'll never regret...."

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    Amy Parker is passionate about the power of philanthropy to serve the public good and improve people’s lives.

    A strategic leader with more than twenty years of director-level fundraising experience, Amy has worked for iconic institutions including the Wikimedia Foundation, Smithsonian Institution, The New York Public Library, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In her time as a fundraising consultant, she’s provided services to clients and spoken at conferences across four continents.

    Some of Amy’s career highlights have been raising funds for projects such as the official portraits of Barack and Michelle Obama for the National Portrait Gallery, renovation of the historic façade of the New York Public Library’s flagship building at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street, and the launch of an endowment fund that supports Wikipedia, the world’s largest compilation of human knowledge.

    Amy has been part of several record-setting fundraising campaigns, including the Smithsonian’s first-ever comprehensive campaign, which raised over $1.8 billion, and the $2 billion Carolina First Campaign, which was one of the 5 largest campaigns in US higher education at the time. She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and has held the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential since 2009.
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    41 mins
  • Melissa Dokurno, Esq. | Building Skills to Thrive

    Melissa Dokurno, Esq. | Building Skills to Thrive
    Oct 8 2024
    Charting Her Own Course: Building the Right Skills to Thrive at Post

    Melissa Dokurno's career has taken quite a few twists and turns since her spouse joined the Foreign Service, and even before he was officially on board. While they've both made sacrifices for each other's careers, they've kept their family strong even when physically separated.

    In this interview, Melissa tells the story of their difficult decision to live in different countries to take advantage of career opportunities. She also shares her recipe for success: be open to what's available!
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    BIO

    Melissa Dokurno, Esq. is a career public servant and proud mom. Over the past decade, she has strived to find the necessary work-life balance to both thrive as an EFM and build a career she is passionate about.

    Melissa began her career as a local prosecutor in Long Island, NY, serving for 3 years to help victims find their voice in an often daunting criminal justice system.

    Capitalizing on an opportunity to test-run EFM life, she and her 2-year-old daughter took a leap of faith to join her husband in El Salvador while he worked as a third-party contractor for U.S. Embassy San Salvador.

    In life’s twists and turns, Melissa returned to Washington, D.C. to work as a Staff Attorney for Bread for the City Legal Clinic representing low-income and marginalized clients facing unlawful evictions; she served in that role until she departed Washington to officially begin her new life as an EFM.

    Melissa has also lived in Matamoros, Mexico, and Bangkok, Thailand, and used these opportunities to pivot her career to become an Investigative Analyst for Diplomatic Security.
    Building on that wealth of knowledge, Melissa finally joined the Civil Service in 2024 where she continues to serve as an Analyst while her family is posted in D.C. for the next two years.

    Melissa remains ready to discover new and enriching career opportunities while also enjoying where life takes her!
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    AW Sponsor
    This episode is sponsored by the Available Worldwide Network. AWN is a community-led private social network – i.e. not on Facebook – providing professional development, personal connection, and social support for the accompanying partners of the US Foreign Service.


    We all contribute a small fee to fund the platform, but right now in October 2024, you can check us out for free using coupon code FALL24.

    If you’re a motivated EFM or MOH looking for connection in an empowering community, we invite you to join what we’re building together!

    We know the challenges of trying to build and maintain careers both at home and abroad. But making friends in a safe and supportive community like AWN can make life a little easier and a lot more fun.

    Check out all the FAQs and find the coupon code FALL24 on our website: https://availableworldwide.net/awn/
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    29 mins

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