How To: Set Up A Science Experiment

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Last week, we heard from Dr. Erin Warshaw, scientist and dermatologist extraordinaire, who also moonlights as my mother. She shared her love of science with us and how her favorite book growing up, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle, inspired her to have a lab off her kitchen where she could set up experiments to her heart’s content. Today, she has authored over 207 peer-reviewed publications about experiments of all sorts. Below, she shares with us best practices for setting up an experiment. Scientist or not, Dr. Warshaw’s insights provide a wonderful framework for all of us to nurture our curiosities!

  1. Have an Idea: “The most important thing is coming up with an idea: A really important question that is novel. And it can come just from daily life. Come up with a really compelling, interesting idea.” What is something in your daily life that you’re curious to investigate? Make a list. Pick one that speaks to you!

  2. Develop your Hypothesis: “Then, determine what the main hypothesis is: so either it works or it doesn’t.” What is your gut feeling about the question at hand? Pick a side, for science’s sake.

  3. Define Change: “Figure out how to tell that difference. So, for example for one of the studies we did... if we expect the difference to be 15%, we need 300 patients to detect that difference.” Determine a framework for monitoring change, and be sure your sample size or time observing is ample enough to generate results.

  4. Write Rules and Stay Accountable: “Then, you have to write the protocol and go to the institutional review board who reviews the protocol and makes sure that it’s ethical and makes sure that patients are being treated fairly.” Write your own guidelines for your experiment if you don’t have plans to take it to an institutional review board. Share your hypothesis with friends and family and take their suggestions into account.

  5. Collect Resources:  “And then, once you get that approval, then hopefully you can get funding for the project.” What supplies do you need to execute your vision? Ask for help and apply for grants if your idea could benefit!

  6. Gather and Synthesize Data: “Then you advertise for patients, they enroll in the study, you collect all the data, you enter it in the computer, and then afterwards you analyze all the data, you type it all up in a manuscript.” Have a clear way of gathering your data, be it a new special notebook or an easy to follow spreadsheet. Write about what you’ve discovered!

  7. Get a Second Opinion: “You submit it, you get reviewers that give you all sorts of comments and suggest you do things in different ways which you can’t because you’ve already done the experiment so you just have to explain and spin it to get it published.” Ask for a second opinion (or three or four!) about your conclusion.

  8. Share Your Findings: “And then hopefully it makes a difference and advances science!” Shout your discovery from the rooftops! You’re officially a scientist.

Thanks again, Dr. Warshaw! Tune in next week to hear from another amazing woman on Okay, But What Do You Do?!.


How To: Listen To Yourself

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Last week, we had the pleasure of speaking with Jennifer Meng, founder of LA-based jewelry line Ready-Made. This week, she’s back to share with us her top tips on listening to yourself, even if goes against what everyone around you is promoting. Read on for her helpful advice!

1. Notice the early signs
You know that feeling of looking at your to-do list, only to scroll down to your monster task, the one you’ve been avoiding for a while, that has made it through to a third re-write of your to-do list because you’re avoiding it so much? Well, that might be one way your gut is talking to you. Jennifer says, “When you find yourself procrastinating a lot, like when I was applying to law school, when [I had] to write a personal essay, I really couldn’t write it. I felt like I was being really dishonest. That’s a major indicator that something’s up.” So, before judging yourself for not checking something off your list, take a moment to think about why you’re dreading it.

2. Take the time you need.
It’s so easy these days to feel like everyone around you is finding success immediately, even the kids that never helped out in class projects. Meanwhile, you’re in line at Chipotle deciding whether you can afford the guac. It’s at those moments when you feel you must double down and turn your ten-year plan into a five month one that Jennifer suggests otherwise: “People say ‘Hurry up and develop your career,’ but that’s so not true. You have plenty of time. It’s ok to wait a year or two years to figure out what you want. If you really feel uncertain, what’s wrong with waiting? That’s something you have to give yourself permission to do.”

3. Prepare as best you can for people’s reactions.
Once you’ve made the tough but honest choice that your gut was suggesting this whole time, you have to tell people about it. Jennifer explains that “It’s really hard. When I told everyone that I was going to start a jewelry business, no one took me seriously. My parents were very upset. They were like, “What’s wrong with being a lawyer?” It might be hard, and reactions might not be as gentle as you’d hope, but keep your eye on the long-term outcome.

4. But don’t forget you’re in charge of the narrative
Jennifer goes on to give encouraging advice. As difficult as it might be, you have some control over how you communicate your choice, so exert your power through tactful thought. Jennifer says, “A lot of the work is on you. When you tell people about these big moves you’re going to make, how are you going to tell people? And that really sucks, because why should [you] even be considering how [you] talk to people about these transitions? But if you start the conversation with ‘I’ve put thought into this. I know this is how I feel, and I’m going to go with it, I just need you to support me,’ people will back off a little bit, even if they’re strongly opposed to it.” In other words, now that you’ve heard and followed your gut, stand up for it!


Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom, Jennifer! Readers, after you’ve taken the time to check in with yourself, come back next week for an interview with a doctor who runs her own practice.

How To: Start A Podcast

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Last week, we had the pleasure of speaking with Katie Philo. She’s a Londoner living in New York and her day job is working as the social and content manager at Britbox. But on the side, she also hosts her own podcast, When I Grow Up. We’re big fans of the podcast ourselves, so for her how-to, we wanted to ask all about the nitty gritty behind launching it. If you’ve ever thought about starting your own podcast, check out Katie’s 10 steps below!

1. Have an idea. “I think the first part is really just the idea, the motivation to commit to making something. You don’t need it to be 100% set in stone and if that idea starts to change as you get going that’s ok. But you’ve got to have an idea that, at its core, you’re fully behind.”

2. Choose a name. “I think everyone gets really tripped up coming up with a name. My best advice is do a big brainstorm and put everything down on a page. Then give yourself a few weeks to ruminate on this list. Make it snappy and memorable. You should be able to read it and get a general gist of the idea of the podcast.”

3. If it’s a guest-based podcast, start reaching out. “I have three lists on the go at any given time: ‘Dream List’ (unlikely, but a girl’s gotta dream),  ‘Wishful Thinking List’ ( (people who are slightly more accessible but still ambitious), and then a ‘Hopeful List’ (people I know personally or through friends). Then you have to start emailing. Always try and go directly where you can. If you can’t find an email address, try Twitter or Instagram. My biggest advice is do your research on the guest. Don’t just send an impersonal email. Be thoughtful and take the time to articulate why this would be of interest to them.”

4. Get your equipment sorted out. “I use the Yeti USB Mic, and I also use a pop shield, which gives the sound a little bit more depth. I use a Skype audio recorder and I always tell the person on the other end to put in headphones with a mic. Then [for]in-person [interviews], I have a Zoomrecorder.  You don’t really need expensive equipment though. You could even record straight onto your phone or GarageBand. Never let equipment stop you from getting started, it doesn’t need to cost you a thing.”

5. Design your artwork. “You want it to sell the podcast and also give a feel for what it’s about. I think having a simple, distinctive color palette is a good idea, not over-complicating it. When audiences see your cover on mobile,  the smallest it will be is the size of a postage stamp. So you need to consider: Is the text legible? Does it stand out? I commissioned an illustrator to make my artwork, but don’t be afraid to make it yourself.”

6. Choose a format. “There are a few things to think about here: do you want it to be really kind of clear format where you have the same questions or parts every time or is it just free flowing conversation? Have a think about how you want it to play out and be consistent.  Do lots of research. If you’re prepared, you will feel less nervous.”

7. After recording, edit. “Once you’ve recorded,, the next step is editing the audio. I use Adobe Audition, but there are loads of free tools like Audacity online. Your decided format will determine the level of editing required. For example, if your podcast is a long-form interview, you might only need a bit of tweaking. If you’ve never edited before, take your time and use online tutorials. The Internet is your friend when it comes to learning this stuff. You’ll get faster over time, trust me.”

8. Choose a title and description. “Make sure your episode title is clear and punchy. Think of it like a headline. Does it reflect the episode well? Will someone want to click on it? A good description is like a film synopsis explaining what audiences can expect and gives them a reason to listen. From an SEO perspective, make sure you include key words, search terms and people.

9. Distribute it. “In terms of distribution, there are lots of different platforms to host your podcast.  I use Audioboom. I upload my audio directly and the platform makes it easy to syndicate to the places people get their podcasts such as Stitcher, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. There are lots of other podcast hosts, including Podbean, Buzzsprout and Soundcloud. Do you research and figure out which will work best for you. Remember, there are requirements for audio, such as file type and volume levels. I’d recommend checking out the FAQs on iTunes Connect as it has some easy to follow explainers.  Whichever platform you chose will have listening stats. Keep an eye on them as you’ll be able to see which episodes particularly engaged audiences.

10. Keep going and have fun! “Be open to feedback and take it on board. When you’re doing everything on a project, it’s easy to miss areas you can improve on. Never feel pressured to stick to an unrealistic release schedule and find a format that works for you. Don’t worry about the listener numbers at the beginning. The most important thing is that you enjoy yourself and have fun with it.”

Thank you for the great advice, Katie! We love your podcast, and appreciate all these tips. Readers, when you’re done getting started on Step #1, come back next week for an interview with a woman who is great with money.