THE LAST WORD

Love Rutledge

PHOTO COURTESY OF LOVE RUTLEDGE

Love Is On the Air

BY MARY ANN BARTON

Public Service Recognition Week is May 2-8, and in addition to Alexandria's local public servants, there are many state and federal employees who make their home here. In fact, Virginia ranks third in the nation for its number of federal employees, at more than 150,000, just behind Washington, D.C. and California.

Thousands of them tune in to hear what Alexandria resident Love Rutledge, host of her podcast FedUpward, has to say. A water cooler of sorts, it’s where federal civil servants can find inspiration, motivation and practical tips to survive the bureaucracy.

Rutledge has been a public servant herself for 21 years, currently working as an analyst at the GS-15 level at the Department of Defense.

She has lived in Alexandria since the summer of 2000. Originally from Stockton, Ala., near the Gulf Coast, she graduated from Tulane University with a degree in communications. “I was hired into a federal jobs program as a GS-7,” she said. “I came in as a ‘newbie’ and had to work a part-time job to cover my bills and worked my way up over time.”

She got the idea for her podcast “during my pregnancies to find resources for leave planning, doctor’s visits, parking and all of the things that go with being a first-time mom and mother of two,” said Rutledge, who makes her home in the Mount Vernon area with her husband Josh Drumwright and their two children, who are now ages 3 and 5.

Although “everyone at work was super supportive, I needed a one-stop practical resource for everyday problems,” she noted. While other federal employee resources are out there, “they don’t hit on the practical day-to-day stuff that federal employees might need.”

In 2019, knowing “absolutely nothing” about creating a podcast, she listened to “a lot of podcasts about podcasting," she said. She learned the basics, and with help from her “more tech-savvy” husband, she launched her first podcast in the fall of 2019. By January 2020, she started airing weekly podcasts, added sponsors and now has more than 85 episodes under her belt.

Where does she get her ideas from? “When I started, it was things that drove me crazy and it was very selfishly motivated. And now, thankfully, enough people listen and I get a lot of suggestions from folks.”

Each podcast is about 15 to 20 minutes long and listeners can find her at FedUpward.com or on Apple, Spotify and iHeartRadio. She records her podcasts in a guest bedroom in the late afternoons, before it gets too hectic with dinner and the kids’ baths. A freelance editor adds an intro and the sponsor messages.

The most popular topics so far have been about performance management, “always a hot topic in federal government,” she noted, and resume writing.

And we couldn't let Love Rutledge get away without finding out about her interesting moniker. “It’s a family name, it’s actually my middle name,” she said. “My full name is Augusta Love Rutledge. People usually ask if my parents were hippies or were bad at tennis!”

FAVORITE SPOTS IN ALEXANDRIA:

Mischa’s, Fibre Space and Penny Post. There's nothing better than a new notebook.

WHERE IS YOUR DREAM TRAVEL SPOT?

We’re dreaming about travel a lot these days, but anywhere with a bright and sunny beach.

YOU'D BE SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT I:

Used to take belly dancing classes.

I'M MOST PROUD OF:

My children

MY FAVORITE WAY TO RELAX IS:

With a good book and a great cup of coffee.

FAVORITE PODCAST:

I love listening to NPR, their whole suite of podcasts is really great.

THREE PEOPLE I'D LIKE TO HAVE OVER FOR DINNER:

My dad passed away several years ago and having both my parents together at dinner with me would be the most amazing thing, along with my daughter, who he didn't get to meet.”

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