#508: We're delving into the profound topic of reinvention, exploring how to pursue our passions, even when it means taking a leap of faith.

In today's interview, I had the privilege of sitting down with Roger Osorio, a remarkable individual who embodies the essence of reinvention. We unravel his personal journey from a corporate job to becoming a math tutor and eventually a teacher. Roger shares his insights into the transformative power of finding fulfillment and happiness in one's work, even if it means diverging from the conventional path of financial success.

He stresses the importance of taking small steps and running experiments in our lives to test different paths. Roger encourages us to discover what brings joy and fulfillment, emphasizing that it's okay to challenge societal norms and redefine success on our own terms.

Throughout the conversation, Roger advocates for considering our unique circumstances and values when making decisions about our careers and overall happiness. His wisdom resonates as a guide for anyone seeking a more meaningful and fulfilling life.

So, without further ado, let's dive into this enlightening conversation with Roger Osorio on reinvention and the pursuit of passion.

But before we do, make sure to learn more about Roger and his incredible journey by visiting his website at https://rogerosorio.com/. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/rogerosorio/.

#486: How do you get yourself to do hard things that you don’t have to do? We all want to make big changes, but we often falter with the execution piece. Whether that’s changing careers, losing weight or or completing our first triathlon. I think this is the central problem everyone who’s ever attempted to start a side hustle faces. You want to do something new, but you don’t HAVE to.

My friend Kathleen Elkins know a little bit about this problem. Kathleen’s job as a correspondent at Insider, covering investing and the path to financial freedom is to get the stories behind every day people who gain financial independence. And to get to that point, you gotta do some hard things whether that’s buckling down on debt, starting a side income stream or investing in real estate without knowing anything about it.

Also, Kathleen recently completed her first Ironman triathlon with a friend. Completing an Ironman is a master experience in getting yourself to do really hard things. Since I love Ironman, I wanted to have Kathleen on to detail her experience and what she’s learned about herself and about the habits of everyday people who put themselves through the race to financial independence. I hope you enjoy this masterclass on embracing the process with the one and only Kathleen Elkins.

She started her career as an editorial intern at Business Insider in 2015, covered personal finance at CNBC Make It for four years, and returned to Insider in 2021.

She graduated from Williams College in 2014 and currently resides in Los Angeles.

#435: One of the biggest lessons I learned as a trader is that great traders, gamblers and investors only play - or only bet big - when they have an advantage.

Sometimes they win, and sometimes they lose, but over the long term, if they adequately understand their advantage, they will win.

Taken to personal development, the key to investing in yourself is understanding where your competitive advantage lies, then using that advantage for growth.

It needs to be your life’s mission to understand your advantage, no matter how small, and press it.

Tune in to learn more!

#426: Success is a tricky subject. Life, health wealth, family. I’m not going to define it here, other than to say, for me, all of it matters. That’s why I’ve rejected the corporate ladder and 9-5 rat race. But no matter how you define success, there’s really only a handful of things that ever make up the lions share of progress. I’ve found there’s only 3 levers that determine your ability to succeed in any way you define success. If we focus on these three levers, understand how they work and how they work together, we can succeed at anything we want.

Tune in to learn the 3 levers that determine success! 

#474: What does it feel like to bet on yourself? In this episode, we will discuss: 

• How it really feels to bet on yourself
• The psychology of why it feels scarier
• My big announcement on the future
• How you can participate in our vision

#399: In this episode, Michael Gardon chats with S. Chris Edmonds. S. Chris Edmondshelps leaders create and sustain purposeful, positive, productive work cultures. He is a speaker, author, and executive consultant who is the founder of The Purposeful Culture Group. He's one of Inc. Magazine’s 100 Top Leadership Speakers and was a featured presenter at South by Southwest.

Chris is the author of the Amazon bestseller The Culture Engine and is co-author of the new title, Good Comes First. Chris' blog, podcasts, and videos are at DrivingResultsThroughCulture.com.

Chris’ short, rich Good Comes First and Culture Leadership Charge video episodes can be found on YouTube.

#465: 

This episode at a glance: 

• The only thing holding us back from having the life we want is the errors in how we view our own reality
• These errors are called Cognitive Distortions in psychology
• Understanding them and mitigating them is key to making better decisions, being happier and having better relationships
• Listen to the end to find a helpful tool I've used to get over my own distortions

Laura Garnett, of Garnett Consulting, and author of The Genius Habit, started off in the corporate world, working at companies like Capital One, Google, and IAC, before transitioning into corporate consulting and writing. She has given a Ted Talk, and been featured in popular media outlets like Time, Inc, and Forbes. 

In this interview, Justin and Laura get into the nitty gritty of something that Laura calls “The Zone of Genius,” which she discusses in her book. Together, they dive into the art of finding a career path that you’re comfortable with by identifying what works well for you, and what doesn’t. They also touch on being able to diagnose what’s wrong with your current career if you're unhappy, and finding a good mentor.

#447: In this podcast episode, we are discussing the number 1 factor that separates long-term success from failure that I've learned the hard way. We will also cover how to build your belief flywheel. Tune in to learn more! 

#434: In this episode, Mike Gardon chats with Joel Bein. Joel Bein is passionate about self-driven learning, creativity, personal growth, and human consciousness. Joel is the CEO at Career Hackers and Founder of New Orleans Chamber Players.

#418: In this episode, Mike Gardon chats with Mike Podesto. Mike Podesto is the CEO & Founder of Find My Profession, Inc. After years in sales and recruiting roles, Mike knew that it was time to begin his journey with Find My Profession. On October 3rd, 2015 Find My Profession was born. The inspiration came from a lack of satisfaction in the recruiting industry and the huge need for help on the job seeker side. Having job candidates come second and hiring managers come first always seemed backward. With more “recruiting rules” than ever, Find My Profession evens the playing field by using their recruiting knowledge to benefit job seekers. With the job seeker in mind, Mike quit his job as a recruiting manager to devote his full attention to providing a solution exclusively for job seekers.

#461: In this episode, we are talking about how each of us is a unique intersection of ideas and experiences. Your ability to see that intersection and provide your POV is a superpower. But, uncovering that intersection is the hard part. Tune in to learn more! 

Aggie Pulfer (@YourCoach_ie) is an experienced career, life, and business coach with over 500 coaching hours in both individual and group settings. She holds a Master’s Degree in Personal & Management Coaching which she completed at University College Cork. In addition to coaching she also makes various speaking appearances to touch on everything from personal branding to job seeking techniques and strategies. 

Justin and Aggie not only give practical advice on how to prepare a job interview, and what to prepare for, they also get into the psyche that goes into the job searching process, and what separates the haves from the have nots. You can learn more about Aggie, or contact her on her website, https://yourcoach.ie/ - They’re Kickstarter campaign, which is discussed in their interview is linked below.

492: Imposter syndrome. We all know it. I know it too well. In a nutshell, it's the (irrational) feeling that sets our own limits.

It tells us we don’t belong. We’re not worthy. Why start? There’s someone else out there ahead of us. What’s the use?

And we retreat to our nice little comfortable box. We stop trying to do heroic things. In this episode, we chat about how I broke 25 years of Imposter Syndrome. 

#509: 

I thought a lot about how we can build our capacity to take action towards what WE want.

That can seem scary because we fear what other people will think, and we think we are RISKING a lot.

After all, if what we want is different than our peers, doesn't that make us an outsider? Weird? A loner?

We've all heard the expression “no risk no reward.”

But if you’re not learning to take risk, you’re missing out on much more:

No risk no confidence.

No risk no growth.

No risk no learning.

No risk no momentum.

No risk no change.

No risk no freedom.

No risk no happiness.

Somehow our society has stripped away our ability to do bold things.

Helicopter parents

Politicians

Professors

Bosses

“Advisors”

Counselors

They’re all well meaning, but conditioned by their own programming. Still reliant on their evolutionary brain: avoid danger at all cost.

“Do the first job for the money, and the second job for the passion” - Bobby Davis Jr. (@ctBobbyDavis)

Serial entrepreneur Bobby Davis Jr. started his first software consulting company in 2002 when he founded Core Techs. He has since gone on to launch Advanced Fraud Solutions, which operates in nearly 1,000 companies across 48 states, and finally Coder Foundry, a coding bootcamp which he and Justin focus on in the interview. Bobby is also the author of the book, Breaking The Code, which walks you through five steps to obtaining a life changing software development job. 

If you’re in the midst of a job search, you may have seen ads for coding bootcamps near you. If you’re interested, this episode should answer any questions you may have. Bobby and Justin get into the benefits of being a coder, how to break into the industry with no experience, why diversity plays a critical role in problem solving, and many other topics about the longevity of a successful career as a programmer.

#458: All productivity hacks are just noise. Nothing comes even close to the output you get when you align who you are with what you do. NOTHING.

Alignment means becoming who you were meant to be (your purpose). It’s deep, but it is really simple. There are only 4 big questions. Discovering how to systematically answer the questions is the difficult part.

No one ever taught you how. “Find your passion” isn’t good enough. There’s no roadmap.

In this episode, I’m going to show you what the 4 big questions are, and how I answer them with clients.

#475:  I’ve gotten a lot of questions recently about people needing to switch roles or career tracks. Lots of uncertainty out there that people are grappling with.

But being nimble and adaptable are key skills to living a life of resilience, and ultimately carving your own unique path to success.

Building experience in a new field is daunting.

The BREAK framework makes it incredibly simple.

So here’s how I have built experience in a new field and how I advise others do the same.

In this episode, we will discuss: 

• How do you build experience in a new field?
• You need to think outside the box and demonstrate how you learn
• Use this process to do it

#421: Investment in loss simply means that we often need to take a step back in order to make a giant leap forward, and that step backward is an investment. 

Keep listening to learn more!

#427: In this episode, Mike Gardon chats with Barry Shore. Known as the “Ambassador of JOY,” Barry Shore is a mental wellness activist, philanthropist, multi-patent holding entrepreneur, speaker, author, podcaster, and former quadriplegic who is now swimming around the world!

After a rare disease paralyzed Barry from the neck down, he created the JOY of LIVING Community™, The Keep Smiling movement that has reached multiple celebrities and distributed millions of “Keep Smiling” cards worldwide, and a philanthropic platform featured in Oprah’s Magazine.

#444: Alexis Grant is founder & CEO of They Got Acquired, a media company that helps entrepreneurs sell online businesses.

Previously, she was EVP of Content at The Penny Hoarder, a personal finance media brand, where she worked alongside the founder as the third employee to scale the company’s content operations. She also founded The Write Life, an online community for writers she sold in 2021.

Lexi began her career as a reporter at the Houston Chronicle and U.S. News & World Report, before growing a boutique content marketing agency, which was acquired by The Penny Hoarder in 2015. She lives with husband and two young kids in Harpers Ferry, WV.

#422: In this episode, Mike Gardon chats with Grant Baldwin. Grant made a career change when his wife was 5 months pregnant with their first child. It was scary, but he set himself on an unmistakable path toward a meaningful and rewarding career.

As founder and CEO of The Speaker Lab, Grant Baldwin has helped thousands of people build successful and sustainable speaking businesses.  Over the last 15 years, Grant has become a sought-after speaker, podcaster, author, and accomplished entrepreneur. Featured on the Inc. 5000 list, Forbes, Inc. Entrepreneur, and The Huffington Post, he has committed his expertise and insight to equip others to share their meaningful message with the masses. His leadership and dedication to creating a one-of-a-kind organizational culture are evidenced by the impact of the team he leads. Grant lives near Nashville, Tennessee with his wife, Sheila, and their three daughters.

“Assume for now that this will be the status quo for another year” - Tara Haelle (@TaraHaelle)

Freelance journalist, Tara Haelle has been published in just about every major media outlet. Her specialties include vaccines, pediatric and maternal health, parenting, public health, mental health, medical research, and the social sciences. She has authored two books, The Informed Parent and Vaccination Investigation (linked below), and even given a Ted Talk.

Almost every episode on Career Cloud Radio leaves you with practical advice on how to successfully gain employment. But if you’re too tired, or you can’t focus enough to execute the strategies you’ve learned, what good is the advice?

If you’re searching for a job, you’re either out of work, or not happy where you are currently. Many people are experiencing the same dilemmas and frustrations. So if you take away nothing else from this episode, know that you’re not alone. The bad news is that, whether you like it or not, the constant thoughts, fears, and doubts associated with gaining employment will stack the deck against you over time. They crop up, and slow you down. Sprinkle in a global pandemic, and you’ve got a horrendous period in history that is exponentially worse for job seekers. 

The good news is that there are ways to cope, which is precisely why we wanted to have Tara on the show. Her background aligns perfectly for this topic and if you listen, you will leave with a much better understanding of what you’re experiencing and what you can do to feel better. 

The first six minutes of this episode are a preface by Justin reflecting on how your well being is being affected by the pandemic and an introduction to Tara’s article which this recording focuses on: Your ‘Surge Capacity’ Is Depleted - It’s Why You Feel Awful.

Chrisa Boyce is an Executive Coach at Handel Group, a renowned corporate consulting and life coaching company. Her experience building brands, working alongside executives from a variety of different sectors, and managing large teams have helped Chrisa to serve as an executive coach at Handel where she leads workshops and corporate retreats, and works privately with individuals and teams.

In part II, Justin and Chrisa get into the three actions people take when they experience fear, and how they adapt to it. Chrisa also discusses goal setting by answering ‘how high do you want to set the bar’ when you look back on your life? And once you have laid out what you think are achievable goals she discusses the proper steps to take in order to fulfill them. 

“I get to help people figure out how to reframe change and how to act in spite of being scared” - Chrisa Boyce

Chrisa Boyce is an Executive Coach at Handel Group, a renowned corporate consulting and life coaching company. Her experience building brands, working alongside executives from a variety of different sectors, and managing large teams have helped Chrisa to serve as an executive coach at Handel where she leads workshops and corporate retreats, and works privately with individuals and teams.

In this part 1 of this two part episode, Chrisa talks about two words that happen throughout many people’s careers: react and pivot, and how you should be navigating accordingly. Adapting your career to the pandemic, dealing with diversity in the workplace, and coping with change are also highlights. 

In this episode, Michael Gardon chats with Rachel Neill. Rachel is an entrepreneur and co-founder of Carex Consulting Group, Shenanigan Kids (The Figgy), and Talent Bandit. She is passionate about the startup space, scaling companies, raising capital, and women in tech.

Karen Tiber Leland has three names but 1 main expertise- Personal Branding.  Karen is a frequent guest expert on personal branding, CEO branding, executive presence for radio, television, print, and online media.  She has been interviewed by The Today Show, MSNBC, Fortune, Inc, Fast Company, NPR, CNN, Bloomberg, Oprah, and others. 

So you get people to your LinkedIn profile. But will they convert? As a job-seeker, we need to think about the desired goal of our media presence. If you don't think you have a media presence, then you need to listen to this episode. 

“You’d be surprised at how many leaders you can engage with, directly ” Steve Kahan 

If you’re looking for a job in the startup world, look no farther than Steven Kahan. Steve is a serial entrepreneur and author who has successfully helped to grow seven startup companies from early-stage development to going public or being sold, resulting in a total value of more than $3 billion. You can tell he’s passionate about what he does and and if you listen to this interview, his passion and excitement will rub off on you.

In this interview we learn about Steve’s background, and why he favors working at startup companies compared to large organizations. If working at a startup is of interest to you, he lays out several different ways to go about seeking employment at one. It is different to gauge how successful or secure a startup may be, so he also talks about ways to see whether or not a startup is worth applying to. 

Enjoy!

#445: In today’s issue, we’re picking my Advantage Mapping System up again starting with the second source of advantage: Your Personality.

#461: Last week we talked about how a lot of our excuses are simply lies. That was a big perspective shift for me when I really took it to heart.

That got me thinking about how powerful a perspective shift can be, and how one sentence, one phrase or one book can completely BREAK your path and change your life.

In this episode, I’m detailing the 5 perspective shifts that completely exploded how I viewed my self and the world.

Carma Baughman is a business, career, and life coach that helps ambitious people move forward. She’s led numerous workshops and seminars to help individuals do just that. A seasoned podcast guest in her own right, Carma was nice enough to spend some time with Justin, diving into her process. 

Carma’s interview is jam packed with advice for people who might feel a professional void in their life. She goes into detail about how she analyzes people at different stages in their careers and helps them to make decisions on where and how to go about making a change. With a background in software, and a passion for impactful coaching, Carma makes a point to encourage listeners to “live life by design,” and she tells us exactly how and why.

#439: In this episode, Mike Gardon chats with Adam C. Bandelli. Founder & Managing Director of Bandelli & Associates, Dr. Adam C. Bandelli is an organizational psychologist and seasoned leadership advisor with over twenty years of corporate consulting experience. Adam's calling and purpose in life is to help the leaders identify, embrace, and unleash their true authentic selves. In his latest book Relational Intelligence, he details the five essential skills he has found to create life-changing relationships.

#481: Today I’m going to show you the three step, cycle of change you can use to make a habit out of changing yourself to hit your goals and transform your growth.

#428: You don’t need to make a major change today. You just need to be open. Start thinking of your income source as revenue, and a world of possibilities will open up.

#484: I talk a lot about risk and uncertainty, but one of the most counterintuitive lessons I learned from my time in finance, entrepreneurship, and design is that there is an upside to uncertainty.

Sometimes chance encounters we never would have expected break our path and launch us in a better direction. These are our happy accidents.

Dennis Geelen is an accidental solopreneur.

After being laid off from his corporate job in 2018, he decided to bet on himself and launched a business consulting company, Zero In. Through Zero In, Dennis helped companies ‘solve indifference’ by implementing strategies to build a more customer-centric and innovative organization.

Author of the best-selling book ‘The Zero In Formula’, Mr. Geelen has worked with companies in several industries, spoken at countless events, conferences, workshops, and webinars, with dozens of guest appearances on international podcasts.

And now? Dennis also helps other solopreneurs get started. His latest book, ‘The Accidental Solopreneur’, and online course ‘The Solopreneur Playbook’ provide strategies and tactics for success.

Dennis is also the author of the Happy Accidents weekly newsletter and co-founder of the Solo Creator Summit. The Solo Creator Summit will take place September 20-21.

#470 - I have a secret . . . I’ve been stuck more times than I care to count or remember.

I’ve had weeks and months go by with no progress, and worse, not knowing what I should even do. It’s a terrible feeling of helplessness.

So, I’ve been dedicating a lot of my time thinking about momentum, how we start to change and how we build belief to deal with uncertainty in life, but particularly at work.

In this episode, we will discuss how to get unstuck by working on your life force. 

#472 - What happens when you start to notice the invisible scripts that tell you the keys to “success” are be good in school, get a good job, work hard and chase status and accomplishment?

Most people continue to push for those things on the default path. But when you start to notice and question these scripts, you can create a wildly different and more fulfilling path for yourself. But you have to acknowledge the uncertainty, and actually decide how you want to live.

My guest today is Paul Millerd. Paul was a studious management consultant on the “Default Path”, but he started to question that path and ended up opting out entirely. Paul gave up a $150,000 salary at the prestigious McKinsey consulting company in NYC, to travel the world and make ends meet through freelancing.

Then he wrote a book about it, self-published and that book has sold over 20,000 copies in the last 12 months!

I devoured his book, The Pathless Path on Audible over the course of a week in the car rides home from dropping my kids off at school or practice.

It is an absolute masterpiece on taking control and living a life on your terms, not anyone else’s. I’m extremely proud that I got to talk to Paul and bring our conversation to you today. I hope you enjoy this episode on taking The Pathless Path with Paul Millerd.

#404: In this episode, Mike Gardon chats with Patrick Tannous. Patrick is the co-founder and President of Tiesta Tea Company. Tiesta Tea is a tea company inspired by a passion for great-tasting loose leaf tea beverages. Tiesta Tea was started in 2010 while Patrick and Dan Klein (CEO & Co-Founder) were seniors in college. Since starting the business, Tiesta Tea has become the fastest-growing company in the specialty tea industry with over 8000+ points of distribution (according to Nielsen). In 2018, Patrick and Dan were featured by Inc. Magazine as 30 Under 30 Rising Stars. In 11 years at Tiesta Tea, Patrick has worked with or currently works with companies like Costco, Safeway, Target, Meijer, Amazon, Office Depot, Walmart, Kroger, Whole Foods and many other Fortune 500 companies. Patrick has secured four rounds of equity financing totaling $5.2mm. Patrick is a people-focused business person and believes in doing business with high respect, morals, and values. He has a strong passion for entrepreneurship and loves helping other people chase their dreams. Patrick believes anyone can do anything if they truly care and put the effort into it.

#503: I am beyond excited for today's conversation. We've got a guest who's not only a fantastic individual but has an inspiring journey to share.

I want you to meet Paul Dircks. Now, Paul and I go way back. We connected earlier this year when he reached out for some coaching during a pivotal moment in his life. Today, we're going to dive into his transformative journey and discuss how he navigated some tough decisions, ultimately leading to where he is now.

For those of you curious about personal transformations, career pivots, and the nitty-gritty of making life-altering decisions, you're in for a treat. Paul's story is packed with insights, inspiration, and a sprinkle of motivation that could very well be the push you need.

Now, here's a sneak peek: Paul embarked on a health journey that saw him shedding over 50 pounds, and trust me, the lessons he learned along the way extend far beyond the gym. We'll touch on the parallels between health and career, those breakthrough moments that catalyze change, and the nitty-gritty details of what it takes to redefine your path.

But before we dive in, let me remind you that you can learn more about Paul on his website. And hey, don't forget to connect with him on LinkedIn. There's so much more to discover, and I can't wait for you to hear the wisdom Paul is about to drop.

“When we go to talk about tough issues our first goal is to put the other person at ease if we want the conversation to go well” - Ana Marvales

Ana Marvales is the author of Creating A Drama Free Workplace, and operates the company thera-rising.com where she teaches companies how to create the namesake of her book though keynotes, seminars, and conflict resolution projects. She has been featured in MSNBC, Forbes, The New York Times, and many other media outlets for her work.

In this episode, Ana and Justin get into the nitty gritty of what Ana does, by relating it to the job searching process. Ana offers a fresh perspective on the interviewing by talking about the mindset you need throughout the search all the way up to the interview by talking about ways you can truly connect with people.

#494: In this episode, I am sharing the tactics I implored to not only gain some separation, but carve out autonomous time to design my way out of corporate altogether.

If you want to change the trajectory of your career, you need to get some space first. 

This is Pillar 1 in my ​Advantage Mapping Foundations​ course - Detach from work.

“It’s all about putting yourself in their shoes and how you make them look good” - Beth Handler - Grunt (@bhgrunt)

Beth Hendler-Grunt is a career coach that specializes in helping recent college graduates gain employment. Her resume includes consulting across the gamut; from start-ups to the fortune 500, so it is safe to say that she knows how to ‘wow’ in a job interview. Beth’s company, Next Great Step has helped hundreds of recent college grads successfully gain employment, and have been featured in several major media publications throughout the country. 

Given this trying time, Beth talks about the hurdles recent college grads are facing as they are entering the job market, and gives examples of what you can do to cope with the fast changing job search environment, as well as what you can do to prepare and successfully execute job interviews.

She also discusses the role parents have taken to assist in the job search process. This is a terrific interview from someone who has their finger on the pulse of job searching strategy in 2020.

#451: Most of us:

1. don’t know where we are - we’re lost
2. know where we are but don’t know where to go
3. know where to go, but don’t know how to get there

I’ve been in all three stages - too many times for me to even count, but I’ve managed to find my way again.

I’ve navigated change, not through blind trial and error, but through a systematic process of feedback.

Your path is not set. Your destiny is not fixed. You don’t have to choose the default path laid out in front of you.

You can chart a new course to a destination you don’t even know exists yet.

Are you ready to become a career wayfinder?

#429: In this episode, Mike Gardon chats with Matt Doan. Matt Doan is the Founder and CEO of Transcendent Media. He’s passionate about helping people live “Uncaged,” which means taking control of your work situation to unlock your dream lifestyle. He does this as a coach, course instructor, and content creator.

Before becoming an entrepreneur, he spent over 15 years consulting with executives at Global 2000 companies and national security agencies on their technology and cybersecurity strategies. His writing has appeared in Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, and The Atlantic. He’s also the host of the Uncage Yourself podcast and a frequent speaker.

#518: 

I dove headfirst into finance for one reason.

Money.

As a 20 year old I simply neglected who I was, and looked to go to the place I could make a lot of money.

How ignorant.

I ignored my real talents.

Despite natural skills in writing, speaking, and presenting, I chose the expected path.

Here’s the truth: Our system, from college to career, often buries our genuine strengths under a pile of “shoulds.” It took me too long to listen, to unearth those dormant skills, and truly embrace them.

Why share this? Because you, too, have untapped potential, overshadowed by what you’ve been told to pursue.

Let’s challenge that. It’s time to dig deep, uncover our real talents, and redefine our paths.

#476: So I made a new friend. We’re kindred spirits. My new friend is called the fairy godmother of career breaks and sabbaticals.

Katrina McGhee is a Career Break and Sabbatical Expert, creator of the Break Blueprint and the author of the upcoming book, Taking a Career Break for Dummies. As a certified master coach with an MBA, Katrina helps mid-career professionals create happier, more fulfilling lives by designing bold and transformational breaks. Her clients return from their breaks recharged, inspired, happily-employed and forever changed. On their time off, her 60+ clients have traveled the world, launched a business, changed careers and more.

Katrina's work was inspired by her own 20-month career break where she saved $40,000 in just 18 months to quit her corporate job to travel the world. She's now an enthusiastic world traveler and digital nomad. Her advice on career breaks, money, and travel has been shared across various outlets including Forbes, Smarter Travel, Thrive Global, and Yahoo.

We obviously jammed on this idea of a career break and how we both come at that word from different points of view. Katrina has an amazing life story spanning heartache and triumph, and she shares it all.

I look forward to having her on again when her book comes out, but for now, I hope you enjoy this episode with Katrina McGhee.

In this episode, Mike Gardon chats with Kara Kaplan. Kara is currently the CEO of Moonrise. Prior to Moonrise, Kara spent her early career working in finance at Mesirow Financial and at Angel Street Capital (a boutique private equity and Investment Banking Firm). She then helped to spearhead the Business Development efforts at ShopTalk, a $30M venture-backed start-up delivering a direct marketing voice portal with 500,000 users. She also co-founded Giftbar, the largest high-end, semi-closed loop digital gift card marketplace representing thousands of SMB’s in 27 markets across the country until it was acquired in 2016. Kara resides in Chicago with her husband and three children.

#392:

In this episode, Michael Gardon chats with Raman Chadha. Raman is a Founder and Managing Partner of The Junto Institute, which has been in business since 2012. Junto is the only place for bootstrapped companies to get flexible, affordable, and high-impact training and development for their remote workforce. Membership includes live weekly roundtables, women-only discussions, leadership mentoring, and emotional intelligence coaching.

Prior to Junto, Raman was founding director of a university entrepreneurship center where he was also on faculty. He holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a BA from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. A native Chicagoan, Raman is now a digital nomad, exploring wide open spaces like rural towns and the mountains. He is a highly devoted father of two adult daughters, and passionate about longevity, solitude, personal growth, and emotional intelligence.

“When you’re solid on your commitments, it makes decision making easier”

Going from “stuck to unstoppable” is what Tracy Timm specializes in, and she speaks from experience. Now a successful career coach, and author, Tracy realized she wasn’t being fulfilled early on in her career and decided to take a step back so she could find out what would. 

This interview is enlightening because it probably resonates with the majority of people who listen to it. You often hear the term “follow your passion,” and Tracy explains how this is easier said than done. She breaks down exactly what "follow your passion" means and gives actionable advice and examples how to find out what will really do it for you. This is difficult, and often scary for many who are seemingly be at a crossroads in their life, but it's comforting to hear that others have been faced with the same dilemma.

Claudia has helped job seekers advance their careers or secure job offers for new roles. The right preparation can lead to a big raise or salary that is 20%-40% bigger than their previous salary. In this episode, we talk job interview preparation mindset and get into some topics around the career path. Listen now to hear why you should be changing jobs/employers every two years. Host Justin Dux. Editor RJ A production of CareerCloud.com

#453: We all have a voice that is calling us to be a hero. We all have a voice that is telling us why we can’t be one. Who are we going to listen to?

#419: Right now we’re experiencing the highest inflation in 40 years which is impacting our wallets, our companies’ profit margins and our jobs.

Technology changes fast rendering entire industries obsolete. The stock market is in the tank.

But we can still succeed - and that’s not coming from a natural optimist.

How?

By adapting and methodically setting up our lives to weather the storm. Keep listening to learn more!

Have you ever wondered what it would take to go from a corporate job to freelancing? In this episode, Laura Gariepy shares how she transitioned from corporate HR to a freelance content writer. If you dream of more freedom, this episode is one you need to hear!

#396: Peter Economy has written over 100 books and his latest is a field guide to toxic coworkers. He offers some great advice on how to deal with this toxicity and move into a new job quickly to out-maneuver these bad actors in your career. 

Peter has written over 11 books in the for dummies series, but he's no dummy when it comes to identifying a toxic coworker, handling the situation or person, and consequences these people have on a company and your career. 

#475: What is it like to turn a debilitating weakness into your life’s work?

Ty Hoesgen grew up on a farm in Canada where the closest town was only 800 people. He was terrified to talk to other people, but once he got his first job, he realized that communication was a huge weakness that needed to be overcome. So he made communication his life’s work.

Today, Ty is a top communication coach, #1 best-selling author, and the Founder of Advanced Growth Institute. He helps professionals from around the world communicate with confidence, charisma, and clarity — so they can get more respect, become stronger leaders, and advance their careers.

Motivated by his past struggles, Ty has spent many years and thousands of hours researching, practicing, and experimenting in order to master the world of communication.

Determined to make others’ journeys less painful than his own, he’s dedicated his life to figuring out the success formula for communication skills.

Ty now uses this formula to help people make progress as quickly as possible — introverts, extroverts, and professionals of all skill levels. With an ever-growing list of client success stories, more people are becoming elite communicators every day!

When he isn't working, Ty enjoys lifting weights, playing piano, experimenting with breathwork, and seeing how long he can last in saunas and ice baths.

#438: In this episode, Mike Gardon chats with Sara McElroy. Sara McElroy is an ex-chief marketing officer and former hustle culture devotee who reinvented her career and reimagined the way she works after unexpectedly becoming The Wall Street Journal’s poster girl for pandemic burnout. 

Tune in to leanr how to quit a job that's taking more than it's giving! 

#401:

In this episode, Justin Dux chats with Noa Shaw. Noa Shaw is a certified life coach who guides his clients to become better versions of themselves by helping them identify and understand their purpose and achieve what they want in life. Whether you’re searching for more meaning or fulfillment in your personal life and relationships, or seeking to establish the confidence and accountability to realize your business, career and leadership goals, Noa can help you chart your path and develop the tools you’ll need to grow. With over 20 years of experience working in addiction treatment and helping clients rebuild their lives in the aftermath of trauma, Noa specializes in helping guide his clients from the depths of darkness into a life filled with beauty and light.

Ashley Stahl is one of the more accomplished career coaches we’ve had on Career Cloud Radio. She offers both private coaching and online courses through her website, ashleystahl.com, in addition to a continually updated blog, and podcast. She’s been featured on just about every media outlet and even given a Ted Talk. As of this writing she has 516,000 subscribers to her weekly email, over 6,300 clients spanning 31 countries, and 341+ private clients. 

In this interview, Ashley breaks down the job interview into four parts: story, cuff, skill, and goal. If you’ve got a job interview coming up, this is an episode you’ll definitely want to listen to in preparation. By giving numerous examples from her own life, as well as hypothetical ones, Ashley gives practical advice like being able to tell an employer “what your superpower is” and or how to successfully explain gaps in your resume.  

If you listen to this episode you won’t be nervous going in for a job interview, you’ll be excited for it!

#500: Today's conversation is all about belief and purpose, two essential elements on our life's journey. But first, let me share why this topic is so important. When I first reached out to today's guest, I realized how much his journey resonated with my own experiences.

Many people, like me, sometimes struggle with finding our true purpose and building belief in ourselves. The journey can be a winding road, filled with ups and downs. In today's conversation, we'll explore how to build that belief, even if it doesn't come naturally.

I'll also reflect on my own upbringing, the challenges I faced, and how I began to discover my purpose. It's a journey that many of us can relate to, filled with twists and turns that ultimately shape who we become.

But before we dive in, I encourage you to connect with our guest, Danny Miranda, on LinkedIn and Instagram. His social media profiles are packed with inspiration and valuable insights. You can follow him to learn more about his incredible journey and stay updated on his thoughts and experiences.

So, without further ado, let's delve into the world of belief and purpose, and see where this conversation takes us on The Break podcast.

How we view failure is intricately linked with how we view uncertainty. Our normal view of failure tells us that it is something to avoid. Everybody in that control room should be angry, crying frustrated, mad or whatever, but that wasn't the case, right?

Whatever you think about Elon Musk, in this particular example, is great a lesson in how he relates to failure, and how he's pushed that view into the culture of the company.

#514: 

You can do anything, but you can’t do everything. You must choose your path with the best odds.

Look there's 2 places people start when creating options:

1. "I have no options. I can't imagine what else I could do."
2. "I can do anything! How do I choose?"

It's work to realize that neither starting point is reality, but once you do you begin to see that the path to creating options starts with thinking about our odds.

#501: Our conversation today revolves around life-changing moments and the remarkable power of personal transformation. Get ready to be inspired as we introduce our guest, Justin Brey, who has a remarkable story to share.

On December 19th, 2020, Justin faced a life-altering decision. He had driven out to the mountains with a suicide note, ready to end it all. But at that pivotal moment, a text message from his brother-in-law changed the course of his life forever. We'll delve into the details of that message and how it had a profound impact on Justin's perspective.

Justin's story is a testament to the strength of the human spirit. It's not just about hitting rock bottom; it's about finding the courage to climb back up. We'll take a deep dive into his journey, discussing the struggles he faced, the battle with addiction, and the arduous path to healing. This conversation may get intense at times, but it's filled with hidden gems and valuable lessons that can inspire all of us.

Before we embark on this compelling dialogue, I encourage you to connect with Justin Brey on various social media platforms. Follow his journey and gain insights from his experiences – it's time well spent.

Now, let's journey into the world of personal transformation, resilience, and the profound impact of discovering one's purpose in life. Join me in this eye-opening conversation with Justin Brey on The Break podcast.

In this episode, Mike Gardon chats with Jim Butman, President and Chief Executive Officer at TDS Telecom. Jim has been with TDS Telecom since 1985. During his tenure with TDS Telecom, Jim has held numerous leadership positions including Chief Operating Officer and Group President of Marketing, Sales & Customer Operations. He also served as president of TDS Metrocom, which became a $250 million business under Jim’s leadership. Jim earned a Master of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire.

Stephan Aarstol, founder and CEO of Tower Paddle Boards built a company with over 30M in sales. But we're not here to paddle around the topic. He implemented a 5-hour workday for all of his employees and we get to ask him how it went.  Ditch your 9-5 for a 10-3 the 8-hour workday might be a thing of the past in 20 years. Or will it? Listen now to find out how his experiment turned out when it came to employee retention and employee engagement. Host Justin Dux

#466: What happens when you’ve reached “the top”, but you find it isn’t everything you thought it would be? How does being in the C-suite change the way you think about success, achievement, and happiness?

My guest this week is Clint Murphy. Clint rose to the top and became CFO of a large real estate development company based in Vancouver Canada. But I found Clint not in real estate circles or financial accounting circles, but rather, we connected around personal growth, entrepreneurship, and yes, career breaking.

The past few years, he’s been building out his future path, which is on its way to transition from a CFO to a full-time creator, coach and consultant and PE | RE investor and owner.

It's about teaching people how to get to the top in one area, to realize what their true passion and path is and how to move from one to the other without burning the boats or taking a ton of risk.

After all, Clint is first and foremost a husband and father to two young boys, now 14 and 11.

What does his Pivot look like? He started taking content creation seriously in August 2020, and now has over 270,000 followers on Twitter and a combined 300,000+ followers across all his social media platforms.

Clint is also the host of The Growth Guide Podcast, which he started as a hobby in 2020 during the COVID pandemic, and will be celebrating his 100th episode in 2023.

Most recently, he started the weekly Growth Guide Newsletter in February 2023, and already has 7,000 avid readers.

Clint is a lifelong learner and growth fanatic with a goal to help 1 billion people be better, achieve more, and become financially free. He does this by sharing lessons from millionaire mentors, expert authors, and his own life.

#464: For those of us who have zig-zagged our careers, we often feel misplaced, misunderstood, and feel like we come across as scattered. But the truth is there’s magic in our intersections, and the key is excavating the unique value that comes from your intersection.

This has worked wonders for me as I now describe my own intersection as a coach who uses principles from human-centered design, investing, and entrepreneurship to help people unlock creative career paths that make them come alive.

My next guest says instead of shunning your disparate interests, embrace them and learn to live a Portfolio Life. HMMM, that portfolio phrase is something I very much ascribe to!

A self-described “human Venn diagram”, Christina Wallace has crafted a career at the intersection of business, technology, and the arts. She is currently a Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School, where she teaches entrepreneurship and marketing. Her most recent book is The Portfolio Life: How to Future-Proof Your Career, Avoid Burnout, and Build a Life Bigger Than Your Business Card (Hachette, 2023). 

A serial entrepreneur, Christina has built businesses in ecommerce, edtech, and media. She also co-authored New To Big: How Companies Can Create Like Entrepreneurs, Invest Like VCs, and Install a Permanent Operating System for Growth (Penguin Random House, 2019) and was the co-host of The Limit Does Not Exist, an iHeart podcast with millions of downloads over 3 seasons and 125 episodes.

In her free time, she sings with various chamber choirs, embarks on adventure travel, and is a mediocre endurance athlete. She lives in Cambridge with her husband and their two children.

“The longer you avoid your salary negotiation, the higher your price goes and you can drive away your competition” - Ellis Chase 

Career Cloud Radio is filled with advice on how to 

1. Find jobs
2. Apply to jobs
3. Interview for jobs

It’s definitely a process and in some cases, can get quite lengthy and stressful. 

There is, however, one topic that is often overlooked in the job search stratosphere, that people tend to skip over because it makes them uncomfortable, and that topic is salary negotiation. 

Enter Ellis Chase, who could be one of the most experienced and distinguished guests we’ve had on the show. At ellischase.com you can see what he’s done, what he’s doing, and what others have said about working with him. 

His site is quite minimalist in nature and is actually a nice break from the bells and whistles we have become accustomed to online. 

Every episode is different, and the best ones generally sound more like a conversation than an interview, and that is exactly what we have here. If you listen to this episode in its entirety you will leave with four main takeaways: how to deal with the anxiety that almost everyone experiences during this stage in the hiring process, what to do, how to do it, and perhaps most importantly, what not to do. 

Ellis mentions during the recording that he loves what he does, and it shows. 

#469: If you’ve ever wondered how a teacher stuck in a classroom making $40k per year can transform into a world-roaming remote nomad making over $100k inside 12 months, well you’re in the right place.  Taylin Simmonds was a music producer and college educator who broke his career and now helps founders and leaders of high-growth companies grow their personal brands.

And he does it while traveling the world. In fact, we recorded this episode while Taylin was in Panama where he has decided to live for a few months. I just love connecting with young folks like Taylin who are thinking hard and deep about their future and taking bold steps to transform their lives to work with purpose.

If you have doubts that you can make a gigantic change to your circumstances in a short amount of time, you need to tune in to this amazing episode with my new friend Taylin Simmonds.

#517: Welcome, everyone, to another episode of The Break podcast, where we delve into the depths of resilience, flexibility, and overcoming life's obstacles. I'm your host, Mike, and today's conversation promises to be nothing short of enlightening.

Today, we're exploring a topic that resonates with each and every one of us - setbacks. Life's unexpected twists and turns can knock us off course, but it's how we respond to these challenges that defines our journey forward.

You know, we often envision our paths as linear journeys, guided by societal norms and expectations. But what happens when life throws us off course? That's where our resilience truly shines. And today, we have a special treat for you - a glimpse into the world of setbacks and how they can propel us forward.

Our guest has authored a captivating book titled "The Setback Cycle: How Defining Moments Can Move Us Forward." Through her extensive journalism career, she's discovered a common thread among leaders and founders - the ability to rise from setbacks with renewed vigor.

So, what exactly is a setback? It's not just a bump in the road; it's a reversal of progress, a check on our journey forward. But it's within these setbacks that we find the fuel for growth, the resilience to navigate life's twists and turns.

Today, we'll explore the concept of setbacks with our guest, delving into the neuroscience, psychology, and real-life stories that illuminate the setback cycle. From the squiggly, misshapen S of our journeys to the realization that success isn't always a linear path, we'll uncover the secrets to becoming unbreakable in the face of adversity.

So, buckle up and get ready to embark on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment. Because after today's conversation, you'll see setbacks not as obstacles, but as stepping stones toward a brighter, more resilient future.

If you want to connect with our guest, Amy Shoenthal, you can find her on Instagram and LinkedIn.

#480: Sometimes all it takes for a break moment is a conversation with an old friend.

Gabe Marusca, was born in Romainia, and started on a typical life. Low paying job, dreaming about doing something else. Then a friend shared his entrepreneurial knowledge and changed broke Gabe path and changed his life forever. Now Gabe is known as The Nomad Solopreneur, was a freelancer for nearly 6 years. In 2016, inspired by a new outlook, he started his solo web design business, Digital Finest, becoming a solopreneur.

For over 4 years, Gabe has managed his business while exploring the globe.

He has lived in 10 different countries and visited 26, giving him a unique perspective on remote work, which he believes is the future of work.

Gabe's mission is to help 10,000 freelancers escape the "time-for-money" trap. He shares actionable resources on that through his social media channels and weekly newsletter. In January 2023, he launched The Nomad Solopreneur Show. A podcast where he challenges his guests to find solutions to freelancers' everyday challenges.

#402: In this episode, Michael Gardon chats with Dr. Amy Beacom and Sue Campbell.

Dr. Amy Beacom is the Founder and CEO of the Center for Parental Leave Leadership, the first consultancy in the US to focus exclusively on parental leave. Drawing on over 25 years in executive leadership development and coaching, Amy consults with Fortune 100 companies, international organizations, and working parents, transforming the way our companies and our country engage with the parental leave transition.

Amy created the first evidence-based parental leave transition coaching model and distilled it into this book, the first of its kind to provide step-by-step guidance for navigating this complex life transition. She has trained and supervised parental leave coaches both in the US and Australia and the manager-focused training program she created can be found in over 80 countries around the world. She regularly appears on expert panels, conferences, and podcasts and has been quoted in such publications as the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Working Mother. Amy holds a BA in Sociology/Anthropology with a minor in Gender Studies from Lewis and Clark College, an MA in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University, and a doctorate, also from Columbia University, combining Organizational Psychology, Women’s Leadership, Work/Family, and Applied Anthropology. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and their son and daughter.

Sue Campbell is a writer, author, and coach who has worked with the Center for Parental Leave Leadership since its early days, helping to communicate the transformative impact of their core mission. Her professional background includes twelve years in public service, seven of those as a business systems analyst leading projects and teams to deliver process improvements through technology. Her writing, often focused on issues important to parents, has been published in many outlets, including Prevention, Good Housekeeping, Scary Mommy, and Mamalode. She is also the author of, The Cat, the Cash, the Leap, and the List, a novel for middle grade readers. Sue lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and two children.

#495: We've got an incredible guest in the house – a friend from the past who's has broken himself on purpose, and undergone an extraordinary journey of reinvention. But before we dive into this conversation, don't forget to hit that subscribe button and share our podcast with your friends and family. We've got a lot of inspiration coming your way.

Let me set the stage for you. Sean Sweeney and I go way back. We attended high school together, shared memories, and then life took us on separate paths. For over 25 years, we didn't cross paths, until one day, Sean's intriguing Twitter feed caught my eye. He'd reinvented himself multiple times, and that got me thinking. What led him down this transformative road?

Today, many know Sean as a successful real estate developer and Twitter influencer. More on that later. But we're not delving into real estate. No, today, we're talking about how he went from a 23-year-old actor to receptionist at 27 to becoming a big real estate developer with over $200M portfolio. I’ll give you a hint as to how he did it  – he overcame the same mental roadblocks and hurdles that can hold you back from realizing what your true purpose is. 

You can check out more of what Sean is all about by following him on Twitter (@SeanDsweeney) and checking out his substack called The Bright Build. A weekly design-driven and community-focused newsletter mapping the moves and mindset that are crucial for both the seasoned and aspiring real estate developer.

I hope you enjoy this episode with Sean Sweeney.

#519: Amy L. Riley is an internationally renowned speaker, author and leadership development consultant. She’s worked with organizations such as Deloitte, Cisco Systems and Aon Hewitt and has over 20 years of experience working with leaders at all levels.

Amy earned a Masters of Science in Training and Development (MSTD), with an emphasis in Organization Development (OD), from Loyola University in Chicago, Illinois. She is a Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst (CPBA), a certified Tiara International LLC Coach and certified in the Meyers-Briggs Type Instrument. Amy’s second book, The Courage of a Leader: How To Inspire, Engage and Get Extraordinary Results, was released on March 3, 2021 and immediately reached #1 international best-selling status.

#443: In today’s issue, we’re going to explore the most underrated approach to solving a career decision:

Inversion.

I'll show you how looking at a problem backwards is often more effective than trying to solve it forwards, and I'll show you how I used inversion to define my Break path. You’ll be able to immediately apply it to whatever you do.

Let’s dive in.​

#455:  Imagine being a pudgy, bullied high school dropout going nowhere, then miraculously, building a successful business, selling it, and then going on to coach thousands of high-performing executives and entrepreneurs on fitness and energy.

How did he do it all? Dan’s remarkable story starts with one simple decision - his BREAK moment. He decided to get in shape, and little by little Dan transformed the way he looked, but more importantly, he transformed how he thought of himself and what he was capable of.

Dan is now THE fitness coach to high-achieving entrepreneurs. He's spent the past 20 years coaching thousands of clients, helping them lose over 100,000+ pounds while growing one of the most successful gyms in Toronto. In 2018 he left the gym world to help high-achieving entrepreneurs improve their health and build world-class bodies.

This episode is packed with wisdom on getting in shape and transforming your psychology. I was particularly keen to ask Dan about the parallels between getting in shape and career performance.

#425: In this episode, Mike Gardon chats with Manoj Jonna. Manoj Jonna is the Co-Founder & CEO of Ramped, a skills-based hiring platform that is revolutionizing the job search. Prior to Ramped, Manoj served as Chief Strategy Officer of Reservations.com and as Vice President and Founding Team member at YayPay. Before YayPay, he worked as an investment banker at Deloitte Corporate Finance where he focused on mergers & acquisitions. Manoj holds a JD from Georgetown Law School.

Our journey to find meaningful work. Our journey to find a meaningful life. Most of us have been climbing the wrong mountain. Sometimes it seems like the harder we climb, the further we rise, the less we have. There’s a better way. Author Scott Shute walks us through his journey and others as the Head of Mindfulness and Compassion Programs at LinkedIn. Scott makes mindfulness mainstream and has to tools to operationalize compassion.

Scott Miller is the Executive Vice President of Thought Leadership at FranklinCovey, a consulting and training company that focuses on lasting changes in human behavior. He’s been with the company for 20+ years and in that time he has become a seasoned speaker, podcaster, and author. His podcast, On Leadership With Scott Miller, is the world’s most subscribed to and largely distributed leadership podcast. He’s also a frequent contributor to Inc. Magazine.  

It is the book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, that birthed FranklinCovey and a lot of the methodologies in the book are discussed in this interview. Particularly, Scott sheds light on what “thought leadership” is and identifies different traits that go into becoming a good leader. Specifically these traits are listening, and recognizing your need to interrupt people in conversations and how to correct that need. Managing emotions, minimizing conflict, and making decisions are also discussed. This interview is perfect if you’re looking to become a better communicator with your colleagues or looking to become a more effective manager.

Kelly Hensler is a design leader and workplace strategist at the global architecture firm BWBR in Madison, WI. She is an NCARB certified and registered architect, and holds a masters of architecture degree for University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign. She was recently appointed as an honorary fellow at the center for design and interior culture for her innovation and dedication to the future leaders at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, where she also received her bachelor degree in interior design. She sits on the UW -Madison interior architecture advisory board, along with intermittently teaching design studio courses there. 

In this episode, Michael Gardon and Kelly get into how this COVID situation is impacting the future of workplace design, and whether or not there will ever be a time where we have to go into the office again. They also discuss how design thinking, and the skill related to design thinking are critical to all of us as we pursue our careers now, and into the future.

#515: 

Heyooo,

So The World Economic Forum recently released their top 10 "skills for the future of work."

Guess what made the list: flexibility, adaptability and resilience.

Why are those so important to the WEF?

Because the WEF knows that the future is changing rapidly, and companies need employees who can thrive in a rapidly changing environment.

The job market and the world at large are changing quickly, and what served you yesterday likely won't serve you in the future - especially if you're already thinking about how you can make a change NOW.

I talk about being unbreakable as a state where you are ready, or at least ready to handle, anything that comes your way.

So I created a free 5 day mini crash course on how to become unbreakable. Right now all new subscribers are getting it, so I wanted to kick it out to everyone here for a chance to check it out as well.

#454: Last week I wrote about the Hero’s Journey I think we are all on, and how it is in The Unknown that anything worth doing resides.

The Unknown is risky. But what most people miss is that The Known is also risky. How can that be? Because most of what we think is certain, actually isn’t.

Your career is riskier than you think. Learn how you can manage it. 

457: How do you find passion? What's the difference between passion and purpose? In this episode, we will walk through a simple 4-step process to help you find your purpose. We will also share how Advantage Mapping can increase your odds of finding your purpose. 

#398: In this episode, Michael Gardon chats with Mark Babbitt. Mark S. Babbitt is President of WorqIQ, a community and change management consultancy that helps organizations understand leadership's impact on culture and the company's collective level of Workplace Intelligence (WQ).

Mark is also CEO and Founder of YouTern, a career-focused community enables college students, recent graduates, and young professionals to find their first or next internship or job with the right organizational culture for them. In addition to writing the upcoming Good Comes First (September 28, 2021 | Matt Holt and BenBella Books), Mark co-authored the bestseller A World Gone Social: How Companies Must Adapt to Survive. Followers also find Mark's advice in Entrepreneur, Inc., Forbes, and many other publications. An in-demand speaker, Mark was named one of Inc. Magazines' Top 100 Leadership Speakers.

#432: In this episode, Mike Gardon chats with Tareka Wheeler. Tereka Career & Mindset Strategist that helps ambitious Women of Color and Working Parents advance in their careers, and learn how to discover their defined natural abilities to level up professionally while achieving work life harmony.

#416: In this episode, Mike Gardon chats with David Kline. Dave is a former Chief Operating Officer of several different divisions at Bridgewater Associates, the worlds largest hedge fund with over $200M of assets under management headed by Ray Dalio, whose book Principles is a must read.

I met Dave on Twitter (@dklineii) and was fascinated by his career pivot. He successfully transitioned out of the high stress world of high finance, and is currently the owner of Skillscouter, a website that helps people find the best courses for upskilling their abilities. Dave also teaches cohort classes for growing managers. Having hired, trained and managed hundreds of high performers in the high stakes jobs of finance, Dave has seen it all, and he’s codified his management principles in what he calls the Management Accelerator.

#406: In this episode, Mike Gardon chats with Matthew Kennedy Stewart.

Matthew is co-founder and CEO of National Service Group (NSG), which operates College Works Painting, Empire Community Construction, Home Genius Exteriors, and SMJJ Investments. NSG has grown from a small Southern California-based business into an international company located throughout the United States and Canada.

#491: Dakota Robertson (@WrongstoWrite on Twitter) bet it all on himself and went from Dominos delivery driver to the internet's pre-eminent ghostwriter in under a year. He has an incredible story of transformation and resilience to share. 

If you remember Dakota’s name, it's probably because a previous guest, Taylin Simmonds, credits Dakota with single-handedly changing his life.

So now it's time to get the master’s story.

He hails from Kelowna, Canada, a place that seems to have an uncanny knack for nurturing remarkable creators and innovators, as you'll soon discover.

Dakota grew up with drug addicted parents, and lost his mother to the addiction at a pivotal age. Despite his childhood, or maybe because of it, Dakota knew he was destined for greatness, but hadn’t a clue where it would come from. Sound familiar?

One of Dakota’s BREAK moments came on September 24th, 2020, a date that he's not only marked in his journal but has also proudly displayed on his Twitter banner. It was a pivotal moment in his life when he made a life-altering decision which we get into.

In just three short months, Dakota transitioned from a college student with a part-time job at Domino's Pizza to someone fully immersed in the world of entrepreneurship. He made a bold choice to leave college, quit his job, and start fresh on Twitter. This decision was fueled by a burning desire for something more, a fear of living an average life, and the realization that life was too short for regrets.

Dakota's journey is a testament to the power of resilience, self-belief, and the incredible transformations one can achieve when they are driven by purpose and a deep desire for change. In our conversation today, we'll explore his upbringing, the challenges he faced, and the pivotal moments that led him to where he is today.

We'll delve into the power of belief and how small wins can set the stage for significant life transformations. We'll also discuss the importance of self-awareness and the role that community and mentorship played in Dakota's journey.

So, without further ado, let's jump into this incredible conversation with my new friend with an old soul, Dakota Robertson.

“I encourage clients to go back through their careers and think about where they felt  they belonged” - Ben Anderson

Ben Anderson is the second coach we have had on from The Handel Group and brings a wealth of experience to the show. A native of New Zealand, Ben is the only Career Cloud Radio guest who has successfully started, and brought a company public (wow). 

Ben primarily works with executives, so this interview is littered with examples from executive job search processes so you can get an idea of what it’s like on both ends of the spectrum (both getting hired and hiring). Ben breaks down exactly what he does with his clients in order to help them find the proper career path, as well as prepare for interviews. He also discusses the landscape of digital communication, and how it continues to evolve. Exercises, examples, and anecdotes, it’s all in this interview, and we’re sure that you will enjoy it.

https://bit.ly/careercloudradio-IU is the Inner.U link referenced in the show. 

#431: Theres a natural progression in how we frame choices or “options” as I tend to call them (it’s the finance guy in me).

Welcome to decision overload, or what I call option overload.

In the context of any change, option overload is a killer zapping your mental energy, motivation and limited willpower.

The ones who make it through option overload, and successfully navigate a BREAK from traditional work learn how to manage the Paradox of Options.

Tune in to this episode to learn more!

Brenda Bernstein, Founder and Senior Editor at The Essay Expert LLC, is the author of How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile, a book that held #1 best-seller spot on Amazon for 2 years (Business writing Skills category). Former lawyer that got her start helping other lawyers apply to law schools now is a sought after certified resume writing master. Host Justin and Brenda discuss how LinkedIn is different than a resume you might submit online as well as go into other tips regarding the recent changes to the LinkedIn platform. 

#507: Our guest, Arun Gupta, brings a unique perspective to the table, one that challenges conventional notions of purpose and profit in one's career.

We're about to dive into a topic that could reshape how you think about your own professional journey. But before we get into that, I want to share a thought-provoking student testimonial from Arun's website, which perfectly sets the stage for our conversation. It goes like this: "Rather than thinking about your career decisions as a series of trade-offs between profit and purpose, look for mission opportunities where you can have the most catalytic impact."

This approach challenges the traditional binary thinking that many of us have been taught, where you're either doing good in the not-for-profit sector or making money in the private sector. Arun believes there's a middle ground, a space where you can align purpose, profit, and mission in a for-profit way.

Arun Gupta is a venture capitalist, Lecturer at Stanford University, and Adjunct Entrepreneurship Professor at Georgetown University. He is CEO of NobleReach Foundation, which is focused on catalyzing and inspiring a renewed spirit of national service through innovation. 

So, without further ado, let's jump into this fascinating conversation with Arun Gupta and explore how a mission-driven career can redefine success.

“In order to get any job it’s experience and education, but one thing people miss is the initiative you can take”- Nissar Ahamed

Nissar Ahamed owns and operates a website called careermetis.com, a site that aims “to be the primary destination for job-seekers and freelancers to find useful advice, insights, resources and inspiration for starting & growing their professional and freelance careers.” 

In this episode Nissar and Justin touch on just about everything someone going through a job search can relate to. You’ll find a lot of practical advice and examples from Nissar’s own life and career transition, as well as inserts from Justin that talk about how the topics of the podcast relate to the current pandemic we are experiencing. careermetis.com

#483: Learn about how a laugh may have broken Mark Twain's suicide attempt and how this applies to you. 

#424: I’m in constant re-evaluation mode. Stuck floating between seeing the field and playing on the field.

At least every 6 months I hit a "reset" moment where I question everything I'm doing.

Here are the 5 questions that you need to ask to take ownership of the changes that you want to make.

#417: Learn how to network with the people you admire! Your network determines your level of success - your ability to find a better job, pivot careers or find clients. Tune in to learn how to network with anyone on the internet! 

“Your doubts and hesitations will affect your execution” - Ronan Kennedy (@KennedyRonan)

Ireland based Ronan Kennedy is a career coach who has worked with thousands of professionals at just about every level - from interns to CEOs, and everywhere in between. Because of this, Ronan has been able to develop a unique set of skills to help just about anyone get results from their job search. 

In this episode, Justin and Ronan discuss the career path that Ronan took, and as we learn, it was a journey that could (and should) instill hope for you as you embark on your own career. They touch on job seeking in Ireland vs. the U.S., and the difference between the two cultures as it relates to the business world. They wind down the interview by talking about both emotional and gender intelligence.

If you’re thinking about hiring a career coach, this is a perfect episode for you, because it serves as a taste of what it is like to work with one. Ronan gives plenty of examples of clients he’s worked with as well as actionable tactics you can use to help in your interview process.

#512: 

I got fired in the middle of a meeting. Well, I was told the next day, but it happened in that meeting.

I knew it.

What a terrible feeling. I was up all night, walking the streets of Seattle in the dark by myself.

My mind racing between panic and planner modes.

I need a job

Can I even get a job?

Why did this happen?

Who do I reach out to?

How much runway do I have?

What do I tell my wife and kids?

Fortunately, my terror was short lived and I pivoted into a FT, highly paid consulting role within 30 days.

Because I was ready and flexible.

Here’s how to pick up on the signs you’re about to be laid off and how to pivot with precision.

#462: Welcome to the new members of The Break! I’m in Florida this week on Spring Break with my family.

In between chasing kids on the beach, playing catch and having some nice meals, I’m thinking a lot about that feeling.

#459: In this episode, we are diving into the biggest lie that is holding you back from the path you want.

In this episode, Michael Gardon chats with Joel Bein. Joel Bein is passionate about self-driven learning, creativity, personal growth, and human consciousness. He is a content marketer and job hunt coach at Crash.co, a startup on a mission to help people discover and do what makes them come alive. He is a writer for The Daily Job Hunt newsletter, host of the Career Crashers Podcast, host of the Exponentially Empowered podcast, and, as a classically trained musician and conductor, he is Founder and Artistic Director of the New Orleans Chamber Players.