Mara Zepeda – See the need. Fill the need. Live the dream.

In this episode of the DREAM. THINK. DO. podcast, Mitch Matthews talks with Mara Zepeda, Co-founder and CEO of Switchboard HQ, an engagement platform connecting students and alumni to create success. Mara’s passion project would eventually draw her away from a successful career in journalism, where she had worked for the Boston Globe and NPR, and into the world of entrepreneurship. She tells how she navigated some major life decisions and what the inspiration behind Switchboard. Listen To The Podcast: Have you ever seen a problem and thought… “There has to be a better way to do THAT!” “Why hasn’t somebody created a product for THAT?” “Somebody should invent something to fix THAT?” DREAM THINK DO guest Mara Zepeda had those same questions while she was serving on the alumni board for Reed College. She was an award-winning reporter for NPR, but she saw a need. Reed was looking for better ways to connect alumni with current students.  She started to dig into the problem… like a reporter would.  But as she did… she started to see this issue at other schools too.  So she reached out to a friend and they started to create a solution.   That solution turned into a product.  The product led Mara to start a company.  (She’s now CEO.) Mara Zepeda shares how she navigated all of this and turned her passion project into something more. Maybe your struggle isn’t deciding whether to dive into entrepreneurship...but whatever it is, Mara’s story will inspire you. In this episode, you will… Hear Mara’s inspiring story Listen in as she started to identify a problem that turned into a passion project Hear how she used collaborators to reach her goals (and how you can too) Learn to recognize the clues that are leading us Gain insight into navigating your own life decisions Learn about one specific strategy no other DREAM THINK DO guest has ever brought up Episode Resources: Switchboard MitchMatthews.com/137 DREAM. THINK. DO.