The Millennial PhD: Creative Survival at Work & Beyond

Jessica L. Groves-Chapman, PhD. is a storyteller and poet that uses neuroscience to demystify the stories of our lives, one line at a time. Jessica completed her PhD in neuroscience at the University of Georgia and was previously an Assistant Professor at Centre College. She’s also a former small business owner.

During the Covid-19 pandemic she was faced with the challenge of small business operation in the health and wellness secto...

The days are getting shorter and the weather in the Northeast U.S. is getting  grey. Mela talks through reorienting and reclaiming this season as a time of transformation - shedding what no longer serves us to make room for new growth. Plus, four tips for practicing creativity and pursuing our goals in times of turbulence and transformation.

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Interested in starting your own podcast? I host The Millennial Phd on Buzzsprout and I...

Mela talks with Bridget Thorpe, the Founder of values-based brand SOL VAE. In this episode Bridget talks actionable tips to infuse environmental sustainability into your brand. If you've been missing our entrepreneurship focused episodes, this one is for you.

Bridget kindly shared a 15% discount for anyone interested in SOLVAE apparel. You can view and purchase here.
*This is NOT an affiliate program. I don't...

Mela talks intimacy, affect, and embodied care with the incredible Dr. Kimberly Rose Pendleton, who shares her story of leaving academia and starting her own business as an intimacy coach (and so much more).

If you're interested in creating new ways to share your knowledge, this deeply inspired episode is for you!

Kimberly is the creator of UNCOVER, a global movement and community of women dedicated to the he...

This ANNIVERSARY episode is jam packed with creative ideas and inspiration that hit home over the last year. We got us! And this gathering of collective creative wisdom showcases that.

This episode features samples from:
Episode 2, ft. Dr. Nikita T. Hamilton
Episode 6, ft. Angelica Beliard
Episode 8, ft. Alyson Cadena
Episode 21, ft. Fitgi Saint-Louis
Episode 33, ft. Dr. Christine Koh

The Creat...

So often in academia we critique problematic depictions in the media; but, what does it look like to get on the other side and create new representation? Filmmaker Lisa Rideout talks about her journey leaving academia to make documentary films.

When she started talking about putting post-its on the wall to plan and visualize her projects, I knew we were going to get along. 😂 

Lisa shares great insight & advic...

If you've ever asked yourself: 

•  Do I deserve to have dreams so big? 
• Am I good enough?
• Am I allowed to fight for the life I want to live? 

This episode is for you.

So often we get stuck in a habit of asking permission to pursue our dreams. Of shrinking in the face of others' opinions. What if, instead, we expanded into our full creative humanity, and by extension made space for others to do the same?

Ready to make room in your life for clarity and inspiration? Dr. Christine Koh talks about her journey from brain scientist to multimedia creative (+ the host of the awesome Edit Your Life podcast), and how to forge your own path forward. An amazing conversation about following your intuition, making a professional pivot, and building what you want to see in the world.

Connect with Christine @drchristinekoh on Instagram or...

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Interested in starting your own podcast? I host The Millennial Phd on Buzzsprout and I love it because, for me, it was the easiest and most user-friendly podcast hosting site. Follow this link to sign up, and you'll automatically get a $20 Amazon gift card included in your sign up; plus, it helps support The Millennial PhD. Happy podcasting!
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Support the show

Dr. Carmela Muzio Dormani - aka your host, Mela - is a sociologis...

What is quiet quitting? What does it mean to set boundaries in our work and personal lives? Is there such a thing as anticapitalist work practices? Is quiet quitting one of them? Love it or hate it, the phrase "quiet quitting" is firmly in the popular lexicon. And now that the fall season of settle-down-and-hustle has arrived, it's a great time to talk about setting boundaries and making room for our full creative hu...

Breaking down student loan debt relief + methods for building toward financial freedom. Cindy Zuniga-Sanchez from Zero-Based Budget talks about her journey becoming a lawyer, paying back over $200,000 in student loan debt, and eventually launching her own business to support others working to achieve financial freedom.

In this episode we cover:

• Taking the leap into entrepreneurship
• Important details about the recent stud...

The season is changing and the transition into fall is upon us. Wrapping up summer goals, projects, and activities and preparing for busy autumn can be challenging. In this episode we talk through some affirmations for this moment of transition, and launch into a new season of our own: SEASON THREE. With a new focus on imagining pathways forward and building what we want to see around us, we are sliding into the most informative an...

What's the deal with SMART goals? How can we challenge the idea that our worth lies in our productivity and re-imagine new pathways forwards? What does strategic planning with a community-care mindset look and feel like? Mela wraps up Season Two with a discussion of tips and strategies for overcoming academic overwhelm and pushing back against the hyper-productivity mindset that's so pervasive in academia and other workpl...

What does it mean to be a "successful" academic? A "professional" dancer? A "deserving" consumer of fitness education?

Artist, entrepreneur, and former academic Kyle Georgina Marsh talks with Mela about breaking down and re-contextualizing our definitions of worthiness and success. A lifelong student of movement,  Kyle is the co-founder of True II Form Pilates and Wellness, an online Pilates-b...

What does it look like to build alternatives within academia? In this episode I talk with music historian and DJ Alex La Rotta, PhD about readjusting expectations for what academia can look and feel like for our generation.  Great conversation about everything from tejano music to classism within the academy to charting our own paths.

Connect with Alex on IG at @alarotta.

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Interested in starting your own podcast? I hos...

In this episode Mela talks about processing the academic years that's ending & shares affirmations for those who are leaving and those who are staying.

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Email Mela at themillennialphd@gmail.com or DM me on Instagram @melamuzio with feedback, questions, or comments at any time. I love to hear from you!

Follow @melamuzio to connect with me (Mela) and for fun creative content + free resources.
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Creative joy and revolution is the name of the game. In this episode, artist and scholar Angélica Becerra talks with The Millennial PhD about bridging academia and the arts and building space for resistance in both.

Angélica is a Latinx queer immigrant artist, podcast producer & scholar of political graphics, and current postdoc at Washington State. She received her Ph.D. in Chicana/o  and Central American Studies at U...

Here it goes, the age old question...or the brand new question on everyone's mind: Is it time to quit academia?

Whether you think the Great Resignation is more of a reshuffling or a revolution, academia is experiencing a major shift, with tons of academics at all levels reconsidering their options. Dr. Carlos Camacho and Dr. Omar Ramadan-Santiago come on to talk through the complicated conversations around saying good...

Who knew the transition from academia to marketing could be...fun? Alyssa Wells talks about her transition into marketing work at game company, Sporcle. She also talks us through  strides some corporate environments are making to create more humane workplaces and the skills she used to pivot to a new career trajectory.

Connect with Alyssa on twitter @alymadeerah. She is happy to talk or connect you with someone else!

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