THE ALEUTIAN ATLAS PODCAST

Elise is the host of the Aleutian Atlas Podcast, where she brings her perspective as a leader, advisor, and storyteller to conversations about skills, careers, and navigating change.

For more than 20 years, she has led teams, advised business owners, and guided organizations through big transitions—from preparing companies for IPOs to building accounting teams from the ground up. Along the way, she’s seen what it really takes to thrive at work: not just technical expertise, but the adaptability, self-advocacy, and mindset that open doors to new opportunities.

Outside of the podcast, Elise serves as Co-Chair of the Accounting Advisory Board at Utah Valley University, mentoring the next generation of professionals. When she’s not behind the mic, Elise enjoys life in Arizona with her husband and their three kids.

Upcoming Workshop: Power Skills & Relationship Building Fundamentals | October 25 in SLC, UT

In this episode, Annie & Michelle go into detail about what to expect at the upcoming Aleutian Atlas career workshop. 

Ready to go beyond transactional networking and design a career path that's authentically yours? 

On October 25, 2025, from 9 AM to 2 PM, the Career Workshop: Power Skills & Relationship Building Fundamentals at the Daybreak Community Center (South Jordan, UT) is crafted just for professionals like you.

What you’ll gain:

• Discover your core skills and strengths

• Learn how to communicate them with confidence

• Build authentic connections that move your career forward

Big career moves don't happen by accident—they happen when you know your skills AND connect with the right people.

Episode 7: Growth Without Burnout: How to Grow Your Skills Without Draining Your Energy 

If you’ve ever felt like you’re sprinting on the career treadmill—constantly pushing to level up while running on empty—this episode is for you. Hustle culture can feel motivating in the short term, but when the pace isn’t sustainable, burnout is inevitable.

Elise, Annie, and Michelle get real about what it takes to thrive in your career and life. They share lessons learned from navigating high-intensity seasons of work, and why it’s equally important to honor slower seasons where growth looks different.

You’ll hear strategies for:

• Recognizing when hustle is crossing into burnout territory

• Giving yourself permission to downshift without guilt

• Balancing ambition with rest, health, and personal priorities

The takeaway: growth isn’t about grinding endlessly — it’s about building a rhythm that keeps your energy, creativity, and career moving forward for the long run.

Episode 6: Skills, Not Titles: Building a Career That Fits You

The Aleutian Atlas founders debunk the idea that job titles and promotions are the only measures of success. In this episode, Annie, Michelle and Elise share personal stories about stepping off prescribed career tracks, discovering transferable skills, and finding more fulfilling paths.

Listeners will get practical advice on how to identify skills worth investing in, use current roles to grow for future opportunities, and navigate the identity fears that come with career pivots. Visit AleutianAtlas.com for more resources and events.

Episode 4: Think Fast, Speak Smart—Sharpening Your Verbal Communication Edge

In professional environments, your ability to think on your feet and articulate ideas clearly can make or break opportunities. 

In this episode, we dive into the practical side of developing sharp verbal communication skills—especially when you're put on the spot. Whether you're navigating unexpected questions in meetings, pitching ideas to leadership, or contributing to high-stakes discussions, you'll learn strategies to stay composed, speak with clarity, and sound confident (even when you're not totally sure what’s coming next). 

We'll share some examples of learning these skills through trial-and-error that will give you the confidence to try, knowing that even missteps along the way can grow verbal communication skills.

Episode 3: Skills & Professional Networking through Volunteer Work

How To Intentionally Identify Opportunities for Specific Skills and Relationship Building

When most people set out to build a professional network, they imagine awkward mixers, stiff small talk, and collecting LinkedIn contacts that end up forgotten by the time a month passes. But here’s the truth: some of the best connections you’ll ever make don’t come from formal events—they come from rolling up your sleeves and doing meaningful work. Volunteering is one of the most underrated ways to grow your professional network while actually doing something that matters.

Resources

• Aleutian Atlas Insights: How Volunteer Work Can Supercharge Your Network

• Multiple Locations - Habitat for Humanity Young Professionals

• Multiple Locations - DECA

• Multiple Locations - National Urban League Young Professionals (NULYP)

• Multiple Locations - Red Cross Young Professionals Council

• Chicago - Female Strong

• Los Angeles - Empower Institute

Episode 2: Remote Work

Annie, Elise and Michelle discuss both leading and participating professionally on a remote team.

The ability to lead a team into a sense of unification and shared goals might seem elusive, or appear to be a set of personality traits someone is innately born with. But that type of leadership is skill based and can be learned. Even if you aren’t a formal leader, developing these leadership skills will help you perform at a higher level and grow your career in a production role within a company. You’ve interacted with groups – even if you don’t have a lot of work experience yet. You might have been on a dance or sports team, student council, or been part of a student-lead group in college. Even a high school class or family relationship usually has a leader that drives the energy of the group and can – sometimes with what looks like little effort to an outsider – shift the direction of an activity or inspire others in the group to give more. This type of leadership is professionally valuable to traditional face-to-face teams, and it is even more crucial to remote teams. In this episode, we discuss skills that create successful remote leaders:

Skills - Caring, Organization, Communication, Creating Professional Team Rituals, Building Intentional Group and Private Communication Channels, Delivering Highest Quality Work

Episode 1: Aleutian Atlas: This is Us

In our very first episode, Annie, Elise, and Michelle come together to share the story behind Aleutian Atlas and why we started this podcast. We talk about our own career journeys — the twists, pivots, and lessons that shaped us — and how those experiences inspired us to create a space for honest conversations about skills, work, and navigating change. You’ll hear about the mission of Aleutian Atlas, the values that guide us, and what you can expect from future episodes. Think of this as both an introduction and an invitation: get to know us, our perspectives, and the path we’re walking alongside you.