​Roman Eggenberger​, is a man living many lives, who is good with numbers and likes to talk. At 15, he entered the banking industry as an apprentice in his home country of Lichtenstein, where he was introduced to the world of work while completing his secondary education. Like many young people who completed apprenticeships and opted not to go to university immediately, Roman went abroad to improve his language skills. Unlike most of his friends who went to English-speaking countries, he went to France to study French for four months and returned to Lichtenstein to work in banking in Lausanne, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. (For those of us in the US, this would be comparable to living in New Jersey and working in New York… well, sort of, kind of!)

Over the next several years, Roman worked in banking elevating his roles into the global markets and relocating to Hong Kong and Singapore. His travels also took him to New Haven, CT, Vancouver, Canada, and Nicaragua for different purposes, but you will need to listen to our interview to learn more about that part of his adventures.

Roman has carved distinct paths wherever he has gone in his career, and the arenas he has worked in are pretty varied. Yet he has navigated his journey with an internal compass that many of us might not be able to comprehend. Along the way, he earned a university degree, took Seth Godin’s alt-MBA program, and attended a five-day fool’s workshop that was a personally and professionally transformative experience.

After working in several large global banking institutions, Roman explored various other avenues, including the hemp business, bread baking, coffee farming, coffee and pastry service, oat milk business, agriculture, and many more entrepreneurial ventures. His takeaway message points to the importance of relationships, curiosity, and adaptability. Roman's story is a testament to the value of continuous learning and the impact of personal relationships on professional fulfillment.

In this week’s ​Work From The Inside Out podcast,​ learn more about Roman’s journey:

• Roman involved his whole family, including his children, in his decision to transition from a more traditional career path to his entrepreneurial pursuits.
• He has co-produced a traveling exhibition on discrimination throughout Lichtenstein. More than a thousand schoolchildren have attended the program.

Learn more and connect with Roman here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/romaneggenberger/

​Robin Merle​ is an accomplished fundraising executive and the author of ​Involuntary Exit: A Woman's Guide to Thriving After Being Fired​. A book aimed at helping unemployed professionals navigate the challenges of a sudden job loss, she shares her experiences working at the top of billion-dollar organizations, stories of accomplished women who were suddenly severed from their organizations, and how they navigated their way back to success. Robin examines the struggles of separating one’s identity from one's career and how one can rediscover and reconnect with one's value after job loss.

Robin shared her journey from an early tough childhood in Philadelphia to a successful career in fundraising for institutions like NYU, Rutgers, and a leading New York hospital. She discusses the emotional and professional impact of job loss and the importance of maintaining one’s personal value and identity independent of one's career while offering insights on effective career reinvention. Robin provides practical strategies for anyone facing career transitions, emphasizing the importance of curiosity and continuous learning. She frequently speaks at national conferences on fundraising and women’s leadership.

In this week’s ​Work From The Inside Out podcast,​ learn more about Robin’s journey:

• Robin has served as a board member for three nonprofits in New York City, including the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), New York City Chapter; the New York Women’s Agenda; and Women In Development, New York (WID).
• Her short fiction has been published in various literary magazines. Involuntary Exit is her first nonfiction book.

Learn more and connect with Robin here:

https://www.theprofessionalguide.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-merle-cfre-30b88536/

https://www.facebook.com/robinmerle/author/

https://www.instagram.com/robinmerletpg/

Odd fact: I was the sports editor on my high school newspaper for a time. One assignment I had was to interview and write an article about a classmate who was emerging as a top boxer, headed for the Junior Golden Gloves competition.

Fast forward 45 years later, the subject of said article, ​Chris Seeger​, tells me he almost skipped the interview because he felt unsure about doing it. I’ll admit that I felt intimidated because Chris seemed like a pretty tough guy and we hung out in very different crowds.

The article won an honorable mention at the Columbia Scholastic Journalism Conference and it gave Chris a confidence boost in ways neither of us could ever have imagined. Gathering at our 45th high school reunion this past October, I learned that Chris was going to be installed in our hometown of Bay Shore, NY’s Hall of Fame for his achievements as a highly innovative and accomplished plaintiff attorney.

After high school, Chris worked as a carpenter and continued to pursue boxing, but stopped competing in his early 20s. Working in New York City, he walked by Hunter College regularly. Chris decided to take a class, did well and decided to enroll as a degree granting student, discovering capabilities he never realized he had. Law school followed immediately afterward.

Chris started his law career as a corporate defense attorney representing the interests of big business. Struck by the imbalance of power between corporations and the individuals harmed by them, he left to become a plaintiff attorney. A founding partner of ​Seeger Weiss​, Chris is known for multidistrict mass torts and class actions involving drug injury, toxic injury and personal injury. His practice also handles product liability, property damage, antitrust, third-party payer litigation, and consumer, insurance, and securities fraud.

Chris has led complex litigations in the U.S. representing plaintiffs and achieving landmark settlements in cases including the 3M Combat Arms Earplug Litigation, National Prescription Opiate Litigation, NFL Players’ Concussion Litigation, Volkswagen “Clean Diesel” Litigation, Vioxx Litigation, and Syngenta AG MIR 162 Corn Litigation.

In this week’s ​Work From The Inside Out podcast,​ learn more about Chris’s journey:

• Chris is regularly quoted in the New York Times, Wall St Journal, Washington Post, LA Times, USA Today, AP, Bloomberg, Reuters, ABC, CBS, NBC, NPR, CNN, and ESPN.
• Whether working on a class action involving thousands of people against a multinational conglomerate or an individual case protecting one client’s rights, Chris fights with the same passion and conviction.

Learn more and connect with Chris here:

https://www.seegerweiss.com/team/christopher-a-seeger/

https://www.facebook.com/seegerweisslawfirm

https://www.linkedin.com/company/seeger-weiss-llp/

https://twitter.com/SeegerWeiss