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PODCAST

Despite Impossible

Community Financial

I am Tansley Stearns, and this is Despite Impossible. I am a long-time credit union executive leading Community Financial as president & ceo. I have always admired and been inspired by people whose passion is boundless and who don"t comprehend the word impossible. This show focuses on their stories.

society & culture personal journals

All Episodes

12:14

Rewind Episode: MacKenzie Isabelle Stearns

Despite Impossible ·

2025/12/04

Today’s guest is MacKenzie Isabelle Stearns. MacKenzie is an adventurer, a dedicated athlete, someone who deeply enjoys music, she is full of energy, and her friends describe her as someone incredibly fun to be around. MacKenzie is a first-year high school student, where she is deeply committed to walking with people going through stuff. She is also my kind, generous, creative, courageous, disciplined, and bold daughter. This is MacKenzie’s story.

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21:46

A Thrid Fork Q&A

Despite Impossible ·

2025/11/24

Today’s episode of Third Fork centers on audience questions they’ve never seen before. No prep. No scripts. Just real talk. Tansley and Ryan dig into the messy middle of career growth. How to build skills when you’re not sure where you’re headed next, what it looks like to advance without a perfectly mapped-out path, and why starting your day early might quietly be the most underrated power move in the workplace. They also get candid about impostor syndrome (yes, it still pops up) and share h...

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15:23

Season 4 Episode 11: Dr. Missy Stults

Despite Impossible ·

2025/11/20

Today’s guest is Dr. Missy Stults. Missy exudes high energy; she is a mom, a relentless problem-solver, an avid puzzler, and an upcoming speaker at HERd 2026 on February 20th. She is also the Director of the City of Ann Arbor’s Office of Sustainability and Innovation, which works with all city operations, residents, businesses, the University of Michigan, nonprofits, and others to make Ann Arbor one of the most sustainable and equitable cities in America. This is Missy’s story.

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23:29

Season 4 Episode 10: Dr. Gretchen Moran Marsh

Despite Impossible ·

2025/11/13

Today’s guest is Dr. Gretchen Moran Marsh. She is driven, loves Michigan summers and dancing, and is ensuring mental health has the attention it deserves and that we reduce stigma to support people fully. She is also a is a clinical psychologist specializing in the assessment and treatment of anxiety and depression related disorders in teens and adults. She completed her undergraduate work in psychology at the University of Michigan, followed by her master’s degree and Ph.D. in Clinical Psych...

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14:20

Career Myths: The Ones Worth Busting (and Keeping)

Despite Impossible ·

2025/11/10

This week, Tansley and Ryan unpack the biggest career myths we’ve all been told. From “follow your passion” to “climb the ladder.” Ryan shares why chasing passion might actually lead you in circles and diminish the joy you find in a hobby you are passionate about. Tansley challenges the idea of perfect work-life balance, arguing instead for a life filled with what truly fuels you. Together, they explore why lateral moves can spark just as much growth as promotions, and why “sales” isn’t a dir...

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11:16

Of Diet Coke and Falling Asleep to Bad Television:...

Despite Impossible ·

2025/11/07

Of Diet Coke and Falling Asleep to Bad Television: Building New Habits at Work and at Home To access this article and subscribe to the weekly newsletter, visit Tansley Stearns' Curiously Driven Newsletter page.

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27:04

Season 4 Episode 9: Jerry Paffendorf

Despite Impossible ·

2025/11/06

Today’s guest is Jerry Paffendorf. Jerry is an artist, a Yooper, a skateboarder, and someone who enjoys a sauna. He is also the Co-Founder & CEO at Regrid with a mission to map out how the world is subdivided, owned, inhabited, and used in the form of land parcels, and help people put that data to work. This is Jerry’s story.

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18:46

Worth the Ask: Negotiations 101

Despite Impossible ·

2025/11/03

Negotiating pay can feel like walking a tightrope in dress shoes. Ryan’s been on both sides of the table, coaching candidates and now extending offers, and he’s seen how the script changes depending on your role, your leverage, and your timing. Tansley admits she once didn’t even know salary negotiation was a thing. The two unpack what compensation really means beyond the paycheck. From knowing how to start the conversation, to understanding how to collect enough information to ma...

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25:34

Season 4 Episode 8: Vince Paul

Despite Impossible ·

2025/10/30

Today’s guest is Vince Paul. Vince is an artist, a Detroiter, and boasts an alter ego, Tenacious V, who makes an appearance once a decade. He is also the President and Artistic Director of the Detroit Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts. Having dedicated decades to the arts, Vince spent most of his career in New York City or touring globally with theater, music, or dance productions. When the opportunity arose to lead the Detroit Music Hall, Vince knew it was an incredible chance to mak...

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15:24

Buzzword Bingo

Despite Impossible ·

2025/10/27

In this episode of Third Fork, Tansley and Ryan take a playful jab at the language of work. Those buzzwords and phrases that fill meetings, memos, and Teams/Zoom chats everywhere. From “innovation” to “synergy,” they unpack how jargon shapes culture, signals belonging, and sometimes hides the lack of actual doing. Ryan asks his favorite question: Will my future self roast me for saying this? Tansley reminds us that saying the right thing isn’t the same as doing the right thing. Th...

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26:07

Season 4 Episode 7: Michael Randall

Despite Impossible ·

2025/10/23

Today’s guest is Michael Randall. Mike is passionate about community development. He is an independent filmmaker, someone who enjoys a walk around the block, and crafting small cities out of cardboard. He is also the Executive Director at Grandmont Rosedale Development Corporation, where he leverages his passion and expertise to strengthen his community for the benefit of his family, neighbors, and the broader city. Mike’s goal is to “expand our work and impact the lives of our neighbors whil...

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9:04

Season 4 Episode 6: Maddie Farris

Despite Impossible ·

2025/10/16

Today’s guest is Maddie Farris. Maddie is outgoing, empathetic, and someone who enjoys keeping up with her little sister. Maddie also plays forward and defense for the University of Michigan Women's Ice Hockey team. Maddie is from Northville, MI and is a junior this year. Maddie wears jersey #20 for the team and she also previously played for Honeybaked AAA. This is Maddie’s story.

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10:48

Season 4 Episode 5: Mariana Ceballos

Despite Impossible ·

2025/10/09

Today’s guest is Mariana Ceballos. Mariana is an adventurer, a hiker, and someone who puts effort in everything she does. She also plays defense for the University of Michigan Women's Ice Hockey team. Mariana will be representing the Wolverines in jersey #29 for the 2025-26 season. She’ll be double majoring in Computer Science and Economics as part of the 2026 class. This is Mariana’s story.

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13:55

On Being Human at Work: Leading When It’s Heavy

Despite Impossible ·

2025/10/06

Some days hit different. You wake up and something’s off, maybe it’s you, maybe it’s the air. The inbox feels louder, the faces in meetings blur together, and your usual spark is just… missing. We all have experienced them. Sometimes it’s work, sometimes it’s life, sometimes it’s both tangled up together. What matters isn’t pretending you’re fine, it’s learning how to move through it without dropping what makes you, you. Ryan shares, ‘Err on the side of vulnerability, and be cautious about wh...

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12:41

Removing Spinach from Our Teeth: From Potential to...

Despite Impossible ·

2025/10/03

Removing Spinach from Our Teeth: From Potential to Human Impact To access this article, and subscribe to the weekly newsletter, visit Tansley Stearns' Curiously Driven Newsletter page.

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9:03

Season 4 Episode 4: Julia Lindahl

Despite Impossible ·

2025/10/02

Today’s guest is Julia Lindahl. Julia is driven, passionate, and empathetic. She is also a forward for the University of Michigan Women's Ice Hockey team. She’ll be graduating as an architect as part of the 2026 class. This is Julia’s story.

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18:32

Season 4 Episode 3: Lauren Hood

Despite Impossible ·

2025/09/25

Today’s guest is Lauren Hood. Lauren is an expander of boundaries, someone who elevates what’s possible, and is always trying to maximize her potential. She is also an educator, a writer, a city planner, and a community developer with a focus on the imaginative capabilities of the arts. In 2021, she founded the Institute for AfroUrbanism (IAU), a research organization dedicated to strategic development and the ideation and enrichment of Black communities. This is Lauren’s story.

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14:02

Butterflies on Day One: Welcoming Leaders with Intention

Despite Impossible ·

2025/09/22

Behind the title and the resume is a human being stepping into new territory. Behind the title and the resume is a human being stepping into new territory. Culture is felt in the little things: an intentional lunch invite, a personal story about values, or a structured check-in from a peer. This episode of Third Fork highlights the art of onboarding leaders with heart. Ryan poses the question of what those first 90 days should look like, while Tansley offers a grounding reminder: every leader...

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24:36

Season 4 Episode 2: Jesse Thistle

Despite Impossible ·

2025/09/18

Today’s guest is Jesse Thistle, who is a dedicated father and swimming cheerleader to his daughter Rose, a skilled pancake chef, and an avid writer. Jesse is also the author of “From the Ashes,” the winner of the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize for Nonfiction, Indigenous Voices Award, and High Plains Book Award, and a finalist for CBC Canada Reads, and an assistant professor in Humanities at York University in Toronto. Jesse won a Governor General’s Academic Medal in 2016 and is a Pierre Elliot Tr...

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12:14

Season 4 Episode 1: MacKenzie Stearns

Despite Impossible ·

2025/09/11

Today’s guest is MacKenzie Isabelle Stearns. MacKenzie is an adventurer, a dedicated athlete, someone who deeply enjoys music, she is full of energy, and her friends describe her as someone incredibly fun to be around. MacKenzie is a first-year high school student, where she is deeply committed to walking with people going through stuff. She is also my kind, generous, creative, courageous, disciplined, and bold daughter. This is MacKenzie’s story.

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216 results

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