B Student Podcast
B Student Podcast
Podcast Description
The B Student Podcast is hosted by Betsy Gardner, the President and CEO of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce. The podcast focuses on exploring the "B side" of influential and dynamic professionals.Just like the B-side of a record, where deeper, more personal passions often live, this podcast highlights the less publicized yet deeply impactful aspects of these individuals' work and lives. Betsy brings her extensive experience as a CEO, speaker, consultant, and executive coach to dive into conversations with experts from diverse fields.The goal is to provide listeners with actionable insights, strategies, and inspiration to help them succeed and create meaningful impact in their own careers and communities. Each episode introduces listeners to unique perspectives and lessons on topics like leadership, emotional intelligence, community building, and personal growth—empowering the audience to "be" more successful and impactful in their own lives.About the host:Betsy Gardner is a dynamic leader with a diverse professional background. Since January 2017, she has served as the President and CEO of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce, where she has been instrumental in modernizing the organization and implementing innovative programs to support local businesses and the community. Under her leadership, the chamber has received national recognition, including the North American Chamber Innovation Grand Prize, surpassing larger chambers such as Greater Boston and Vancouver. Before her tenure at the chamber, Gardner co-founded Longwave Apparel Ltd. in London, a company specializing in luxury UV-protective swimwear. She also served as the Director of Business Development for Mentore Consulting Ltd., focusing on mentoring programs for women in leadership roles. A native of Winter Park, Florida, Gardner holds a degree in History from the University of Florida, where she was recognized for her leadership and academic achievements. She is passionate about community development and has been involved in various initiatives, such as "Relaunch: Career Re-entry for Professional Women," which assists women returning to the workforce. She is also known for advocating for important issues and her efforts to make the chamber's programming more inclusive and relevant.Her leadership style is characterized by a strong bias toward action, strategic clarity, and a commitment to driving transformative revenue growth and innovation. She is dedicated to building diverse and inclusive teams and is recognized for her ability to energize cross-functional teams to consistently outperform targets.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast explores vital themes such as leadership, emotional intelligence, community building, and personal growth. Episodes include conversations like 'Secret Ingredients of a Successful Salesperson' with Tim Lesnick, highlighting strategies for sales success and the importance of developing sales skills across various roles, and discussions focused on impactful community initiatives.
The B Student Podcast is hosted by Betsy Gardner, the President and CEO of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce. The podcast focuses on exploring the “B side” of influential and dynamic professionals.
Just like the B-side of a record, where deeper, more personal passions often live, this podcast highlights the less publicized yet deeply impactful aspects of these individuals’ work and lives. Betsy brings her extensive experience as a CEO, speaker, consultant, and executive coach to dive into conversations with experts from diverse fields.
The goal is to provide listeners with actionable insights, strategies, and inspiration to help them succeed and create meaningful impact in their own careers and communities. Each episode introduces listeners to unique perspectives and lessons on topics like leadership, emotional intelligence, community building, and personal growth—empowering the audience to “be” more successful and impactful in their own lives.
About the host:
Betsy Gardner is a dynamic leader with a diverse professional background. Since January 2017, she has served as the President and CEO of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce, where she has been instrumental in modernizing the organization and implementing innovative programs to support local businesses and the community.
Under her leadership, the chamber has received national recognition, including the North American Chamber Innovation Grand Prize, surpassing larger chambers such as Greater Boston and Vancouver. Before her tenure at the chamber, Gardner co-founded Longwave Apparel Ltd. in London, a company specializing in luxury UV-protective swimwear. She also served as the Director of Business Development for Mentore Consulting Ltd., focusing on mentoring programs for women in leadership roles.
A native of Winter Park, Florida, Gardner holds a degree in History from the University of Florida, where she was recognized for her leadership and academic achievements. She is passionate about community development and has been involved in various initiatives, such as “Relaunch: Career Re-entry for Professional Women,” which assists women returning to the workforce. She is also known for advocating for important issues and her efforts to make the chamber’s programming more inclusive and relevant.
Her leadership style is characterized by a strong bias toward action, strategic clarity, and a commitment to driving transformative revenue growth and innovation. She is dedicated to building diverse and inclusive teams and is recognized for her ability to energize cross-functional teams to consistently outperform targets.
If you’ve taken a break from the workforce, you’ve probably worried about how to explain the empty space on your resume. But do career gaps actually hurt your chances of getting hired, or could they be the exact thing that makes you stand out?
In this episode of B Student: Summer School, Ashley Billings hosts a live panel discussion with Central Florida employers – including The Mayflower at Winter Park, Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies, Florida Blue, and The Bar Method Winter Park – and hiring leaders to pull back the curtain on modern workforce trends. As artificial intelligence changes how businesses operate, recruiters are looking for the exact human skills that technology can’t replicate, like emotional intelligence, adaptability, and resilience.
The panel shares honest feedback on why a career pause to raise children, care for family, or navigate a major life transition doesn’t diminish your professional value. In fact, it often builds the exact leadership experience today’s companies are looking for.
What we discuss in this episode:
- The shifting reality of how hiring managers view resume gaps
- Why soft skills and emotional intelligence matter more than ever in an AI world
- Turning volunteer work and life transitions into professional leadership experience
- How to build confidence and own your story when returning to the workforce
- Behind the scenes of the Relaunch mock interview experience
- Actionable advice for women and younger professionals entering a competitive job market
Time Stamps:
-00:00 – Why Career Gaps Are More Valuable Than You Think
-02:35 – Meet the Employers Behind the Panel
-05:12 – What Stands Out in Today’s Hiring Process
-07:48 – Why Initiative Matters More Than Resumes
-10:15 – The Soft Skills Employers Want Most
-13:08 – What AI Can’t Replace in the Workplace
-15:52 – How Career Pauses Build Leadership Skills
-18:40 – Volunteer Work as Professional Experience
-21:25 – What Employers Love About Relaunchers
-24:10 – The Confidence Advantage of Life Experience
-26:58 – Inside the Relaunch Mock Interview Experience
-29:12 – Advice for Younger Professionals Entering the Workforce
-31:35 – Why Relaunch Changes Lives
-33:18 – What Employers Really Think About Career Gaps
-34:45 – Final Encouragement for Women Returning to Work
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Listen to more episodes of The B-Student Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.
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Connect with our Guests at:
Taylor Womack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylor-mckenzie-womack-855b68b5/
The Mayflower at Winter Park: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-mayflower-at-winter-park/
Joshua Montemayor: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-montemayor-647a7a24a/
Orlando Health: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orlando-health/
Karl Davis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karl-davis-b7489b84/
Florida Blue: https://www.linkedin.com/company/florida-blue/
Karen Moreno: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-moreno-59317735/
The Bar Method Winter Park: https://barmethod.com/locations/orlando-winter-park/
Learn More about Winter Park Chamber of Commerce: https://www.winterpark.org/
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Podcast produced by Hi Hello Labs: https://www.hihellolabs.com/
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