Some of the best career moves we'll ever make come from opportunities we didn't foresee. In today's episode, I share why that's the case and how we can find more inspiration in our careers. Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please subscribe to “The Not Your Parents' Workplace Show” and rate and review wherever you get your …

Four years ago I left a comfortable job at a great company (LinkedIn) to join DoorDash, a Series C startup that had ~250 people. I want to reflect on lessons learned during this period. In this episode I discuss the top four that stand out: 1) Optimize for learning and impact, 2) Your limits are far beyond what you think they are, 3) Set boundaries…

In this episode, I interview Kevin Delaney and dive into his book, A Life Worth Living: Finding Your Purpose and Daring to Live the Life You've Imagined. Kevin is a VP at LinkedIn where he leads Learning and Development. Prior to that, he was an HR exec at VMware and several other companies. He's a former colleague of mine, and someone I consider t…

Several years ago, someone who I thought I could trust did something that hurt me. I was frustrated and angry. I was hurt. This person's actions blindsided me and I wasn't able to focus or be productive for the rest of the day. Wisdom from the Stoics--Marcus Aurelius in particular--got me back on my feet. In this episode, I discuss how a simple ste…

Before publishing my book I was overwhelmed with imposter syndrome. I kept thinking, what am I doing? Who am I to write a book? In this episode, I discuss how a specific act of kindness had a dramatic impact on me and share how we can have a similar impact on others. Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please subscribe to “Th…

When COVID hit, Kyle Fackrell had to hit pause on the musical he was creating. Thankfully, this gave him space to make Space Race, the hit musical series now available on YouTube. Space Race is literally a one-man show where Kyle did all the writing, composing, singing, acting, and editing. In this conversation, Kyle discusses his creative process,…

Stories are incredibly powerful and have a significant impact on what we do and who we become. In this episode, I share why stories matter and how you can tell yourself stories that serve your purpose.Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please subscribe to “The Not Your Parents' Workplace Show” and rate and review wherever yo…

Back in Episode 8, I shared a simple tool to control your own anger. But what do you do if others are mad at you? How can you neutralize that anger and get them to a more rational state of mind so that you can solve the problem? In this episode, I share how you can do just that. Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please subs…

In this episode, I share my personal story of a very small thing that prevented me from achieving an important goal. I also explore why hard work and increased effort may not be the best solution. Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please subscribe to “The Not Your Parents' Workplace Show” and rate and review wherever you ge…

In this episode, I share the story of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, and how having too little discretion led to Hamilton's death and too much discretion destroyed Burr's career. I also discuss what we can learn from this tragedy and the importance of discretion in our own lives. Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please…

The days of going to school, getting a degree, and being done with your learning at graduation are long gone. If you’re banking on what you learned in high school or college to carry you throughout your career, you’re in for a rude awakening. The workplace is more dynamic than ever and new technology is accelerating that change. To thrive in today’…

Too often we avoid having difficult conversations because we tell ourselves it's just not worth the effort. Nothing will change. We tell ourselves that our manager or whoever’s involved doesn’t care about us and that there’s no point in speaking up. Often it’s easier, and quite frankly safer, to believe these things rather than to take action. Whil…

Anger is something we all feel at times but left unchecked it can cause irreparable damage to important relationships and harm our career. I've found that a simple tool—what I call an "unsent angry letter"—can help prevent raw emotion from getting the best of us. Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, and countless others have mastered the art of the …

The most popular career advice out there is that you should follow your passion. Do what you’re most passionate about! Find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life! You hear it all the time. While well-intended, I’ve found this to be the worst career advice that's out there. In this week's episode, I'll explore why, and discuss thre…

Mentorship is critical to career growth and the benefits of mentorship include faster promotions, salary growth, and increased job satisfaction. But finding the right mentor can be challenging and it's not always clear how to build an effective mentoring relationship. In Episode 6 of The Not Your Parents' Workplace Show, I cover why mentorship matt…

I don't know about you, but for much of this COVID period, I've been in survival mode, learning on the fly how to cope with this new reality. But recently, I was challenged to look at things from a different perspective. Rather than merely survive during this period, what if it were possible to truly thrive? What if it were possible in one year to …

In 2012 I read a book that had a profound impact on me and shifted how I think about my career. That book is The Start-Up of You by Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha. In my latest episode, I share the three critical questions you need to answer to build a competitive advantage and how answering these questions inspired me to make a career pivot. 5 year…

Being bold is important in all aspects of our lives, but it’s especially critical in our careers. I learned this lesson firsthand when my friend Ned’s boldness and creativity helped him find his dream job. In Episode #3 of the Not Your Parents’ Workplace Show, I walk through why fortune favors the bold, share the story of how Ned landed the job, an…

What comes to mind when you hear the word "networking"? If you're like many, you think of an extreme extrovert at a cocktail party or networking event, glad-handing and dishing out business cards to everyone in sight. Ughh. We know networking is important, but does it have to be so painful? In the second video, I share tips on how to network in a m…

5 years ago I published the career strategy book, Not Your Parents' Workplace. In it, I share the challenges I faced and the lessons I learned during the 2008 financial crisis and beyond. Within a year of graduating college, I worked at three companies, enduring the largest bankruptcy in history at one and getting laid off by another. It was a brut…