Roads Taken

About Roads Taken

Welcome to Roads Taken, the show that reminds us that you don’t have to know exactly where you’re going, you just need to be open to the adventure that awaits. In each episode, Leslie Jennings Rowley talks to her guests—all a quarter-century-plus after college—about who they were as they graduated, who they thought they’d be, and how they’ve traveled down various roads to get where they are today. Mid-life crises? Maybe. Exactly where they thought they'd be? Rarely. In the end, each of their stories shows us what Robert Frost was trying to tell us: It doesn’t really matter which way we turn….a full life awaits, regardless of the ROADS TAKEN.

Publisher

Dartmouth Class of 1996, Leslie Jennings Rowley

Category

business · health & fitness · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

1 Jun 2020

Latest episode

16 Mar 2026

Latest episodes

5 of 197 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   16 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT

   The Science, Art and Gift of Teaching: Anna Kontos on listening to your heart and passing it on

   From very early on, Anna Kontos knew to listen to her heart and intuition to lead her. When her heart told her education was her path, she leaned in. But she also knew that intuition—or the art of teaching— can take you only so far and that being the best resource to kids would require more science. Find out how mixing science, art, and a very special sauce can create the alchemy needed to excel.

2. 

   9 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT

   The meaning of home: Matthew Wiltshire (redux)

   Last we spoke with Matthew Wiltshire, he had returned to his beloved Nashville with an eye toward serving the people there. He was doing that in economic development and housing and then a bigger opportunity appeared. He took a shot and learned through the process that there are many ways to serve. Find out how sticking with what seems most pressing can provide some of the best payoffs.

3. 

   2 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT

   A Suitcase Full: Maryam Kia-Keating (redux)

   Last we spoke with Maryam Kia-Keating, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and a mom of two, she was already a full professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in its school of Education’s Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology. Nearly four years later, she still has all her skills and expertise and desire to empower individuals, families, schools and communities. She’s just walked through some unexpected doors. Find out how making decisions based around potential impact can open up all sorts of potential.

Inside a recent episode

The Science, Art and Gift of Teaching: Anna Kontos on listening to your heart and passing it on

Published 16 Mar 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] She and I have shared many students over the years, whether they started with me and then I realized I think they could really have a real deep, heartfelt therapist work with them and I've referred them to her or vice versa. They needed help academically and she'd refer them to me and then we decided to formalize that. […]

Who has been a guest on Roads Taken

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Adam Medros
• Jeneen DiBenedetto Graham
• Jesse Israel
• Dan Kashman
• Jonathon Stewart

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

35 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

3 ratings