Career Rocket!

Today’s guest: Sue Hallen has forged a career as a proven leader of technology teams, engineers, IP teams, discuss insights, ideas, and advice from a career spanning structural engineering at CBI, nuclear engineering, automated mapping tech, SAP & program management, and product leadership. She's a world class athlete in three sports, a deep expert in IP, and thought leader in many areas. The lessons and stories from this winding road are well worth the listen!

Today’s guest: Jayant Khadilkar, who is a serial entrepreneur of several successful startups, shares some of his thoughts and secrets on ‘networking.’ He has built up a wealth of relationships over the years and does not use any systems or tools to keep nurturing his communications with them. How does he do this? He claims he is not intentional about ‘networking.

Career Rocket episode 10. Former VP at Brooks Brothers and CEO of a startup, Cindy Dunkley shares her advice and stories. One of her top recommendations for those starting out a career is time management, which is a bit different from the advice given by other guests. Cindy has a magnetic personality and you will enjoy listening to how naturally conversations flow for her.

Career Rocket episode 9. Data scientist and leader Matt Gardner walks us through his childhood in England, his innate drive for learning and how that has led him on a course to prestigious positions in companies like eBay, Walmart, and Chegg. Listen in on his practical career tips through various stages. One of his top advice is to optimize for your passion over money and prestige. Hear how he lives that out in this podcast.

Career Rocket episode 8. Marketing rock star Amber Sundell from IBM shares her career journey, which has taken her to places like Australia. She is a huge advocate of the importance of having mentors and shares tips on how to make those connections.

Career Rocket episode 7. Kenya Davis. A leader in A/B testing and analytics, a passionate artist, and a tremendous role model for women, Kenya shares a ton of practical advice on how to accelerate your career trajectory. We also get into diversity issues that plague our work environment.

Career Rocket episode 6. Dan London. Marketing guru.

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Career Rocket is a joint collaboration between Empathetic Machines and DURMCTarget audience for this episode: aspiring digital analytics professionals seeking career tipsToday’s guest BIO: my friend Geoff Lewis who is ridiculously smart, humble, funny, and a total hipster who rides his bike to workBackground. Undergraduate degree in Statistics. Spent 8+ years working for small consulting firms whose solution relied heavily on data / quantitative techniques. Left Chicago to attend NC State’s Masters in Analytics program. After grad school went to work for ShareFile. At the time the company was ~25 employees and seven years later was a ~900 employee company. Now at Pendo for the last 3 years spending more time on management, operations, and strategy. He has been married for 10 years to a wonderful wife and three young kids. Right now really into running.How many people have you managed (includes direct reports and their teams) over your career? 15For each career stage, please share the most important characteristics to have in the field of digital analytics. (4:01)Entry level: 1-3 years. Curiosity. Having a natural desire to understand and solve problems rather than waiting around for someone to point you in the direction.Mid career: 3-5 years. Presentation. Presenting anything - specifically technical findings can get real boring real fast for the audienceMgr/Directors: AuthenticityLooking back, please share what you feel have been your biggest drivers to a successful career? (21:58) Having managers that understand the value of my work. Timing & good luck. I just happened to be working in a field that blew up. Embrace ambiguityIf there was one thing you would like to tell someone earlier on in their career that you wish someone had told you, what would it be? (25:15) Focus on solutions not problemsLooking ahead, where do you think are the upcoming hot spots in careers around your discipline? (26:20) Despite the growth in analytics, I think we’re still scratching the surface even in innovative industries. I think there will be opportunities to apply analytical techniques to slower adopting industries for years to comeWhat are the interesting challenges you anticipate will be coming up in your discipline in the coming years? (27:27) Automation will certainly present a challenge. Of the 3 main skills: Data, Analysis, Interpretation - I think automation will impact analysis the most. Not only do you have a successful professional career, you seem to be genuinely grounded and happy. What does living abundantly mean to you and how have you carried it out? (28:51) Having many interests and living them out. I have never considered that career ultimately defines my success. Tip: ride your bike to work.

Career Rocket is a joint collaboration between Empathetic Machines and DURMCTarget audience for this episode: aspiring digital analytics and optimization professionals seeking career tipsToday’s guest is my friend Reid Bryant who is ridiculously smart, kind, and authentic. He was the first person hired for which I did not have a specific open role. However, he was so technically smart, driven, and grounded that I convinced our company at the time to make a spot for Reid. Background. Liberal arts UNC business administration background. Worked in real estate finance type roles for 7 years out of undergrad. NC State friends joke that he went back to NC State's Institute for Advanced Analytics to get a technical masters degree in order to be able to do something useful. Worked at two smaller digital experience consulting firms for 6 years with most of that experience focused on building and leading teams in a VP of Analytics type role. Currently at Red Hat serving as a Director of Marketing Analytics. Married to the perfect woman, proud dad to two crazy but awesome kiddos and a big UNC basketball fanRoughly, how many people have you managed (includes direct reports and their teams) over your career? Current and past totals about 40.For each career stage, please share the most important advice you can offer people in the field of digital analytics. (4:18)Entry level: 1-3 years. Focus on breadth of training, rather than depth, especially early in a career. Mid career: 3-5 years. Understand your 'value over replacement' related to peers in the workplace Senior level: 6+ years. The paradox of success is that what made you successful in the past won't likely make you successful in a new role with larger responsibilities. Mgr/Directors. Never forget that the higher you go the less connected you become with daily work. Looking ahead, where do you think are the upcoming hot spots in digital careers, specifically around analytics or optimization? (21:36) Data architects and data engineering. Individuals that have those niche skill sets, when combined with a general understanding of analytics, should have bright futures ahead of them.Looking back, please share what you feel have been the biggest drivers of your successful career? (25:18) I remain committed to discovering opportunities. You must foster emotional intelligence. What are habits you have built over the years that have contributed to your success? (29:37) Being open to change. Surround yourself with people that will challenge you.What does living abundantly mean to you? (32:55) The One Thing book would suggest that we must first define a life purpose and how work contributes to give us space to live abundantly. We all juggle balls for work, family, friends, health, etc. Most folks view all those balls as glass, but in reality if done well work is rubber. Self prioritization and contingency plans put into place by leadership should make it like a rubber ball. If there was one thing you would like to tell someone earlier on in their career that you wish someone had told you, what would it be? (34:35) No one really knows anything, be careful of those that act like they have it all figured out.

Career Rocket is a joint collaboration between Empathetic Machines and DURMCTarget audience for this episode: digital analysts looking for career tips in various stages of career milestones ranging from just starting out through senior and director level positions.Today’s guest: David Bacon. Digital analytics and optimization leader with a really fun background. David was a military brat (the child of a serviceman) and moved around quite a bit. He attended 5 different 3rd grade schools in 4 states in one year! In addition to being a blackjack dealer and a nationally published cartoonist, he finally settled down and pursued Internet sales and marketing. He has worked most recently for Verizon Wireless leading all digital prepaid sales with record year over year results. He accepted a new opportunity to manage all digital testing and optimization for SunTrust Consumer Digital and is now leading the digital testing, optimization and personalization program for InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG). He has been married for over 20 years and has two teenage daughters.How many people have you managed (includes direct reports and their teams) over your career? 35In your opinion, what characteristics defined the exceptional players vs the not so exceptional? Leadership skills, specifically the ability to see the bigger picture and make decisions consistent with the overall goals not necessarily what benefits the group or the individual. Let’s break down your top advice by career stages:Entry level: 1-3 years (7:35). Consider this the on-the-job training part of your career. Mid career: 3-5 years (14:25). Start to evaluate job breadth (should I continue to acquire new skills to augment my existing job) and/or job depth (how can I apply these skills to reach the next stage of my career)Senior level: 6+ years (14:25). This is the time when you may have to make decisions not only about your career, but also about how you manage your priorities in life. Mgr/Directors: (22:30). Lead, don’t just manage. Get your hands dirty. Teach. Learn. Empower your people.What are habits you have built over the years that have contributed to your success? (29:35). Ask questions. Be bold.What does living abundantly mean to you? (34:26). Living abundantly is being rewarded professionally, personally and spiritually based on these values and how they have shaped my life.If there was one thing you would like to tell someone earlier on in their career that you wish someone had told you, what would it be? Differentiate between noise and what is truly important

Career Rocket Series is done in collaboration with DURMCTarget audience for this episode: aspiring folks, from just starting their careers through senior managers, working in the consulting world.Today’s guest: William Thomas. Consultant and thinker of big things. I wanted to bring William on because of his work experience, career path and his big picture perspectives can be of value to the listeners and readers.Career background: 20 years in IBM strategy and transformation consulting working on large scale projects with the Global 2000. A recent assignment was the North American Lead for thev Apple+IBM Alliance. Currently, WIlliam is working on creating transformational thinking, white papers, and a podcast with Empathetic Machines and NextCurve.com.How many people have you managed (includes direct reports and their teams) over your career? Up to 12 direct reports for career. Smaller and larger teams across strategy, technical development & implementation, transformation, functional experts, and creatives over the past two decades.In your opinion, what characteristics defined the exceptional players vs the not so much? Another way to think about it. What propels certain people forward in their career faster than others? Note, the first bullet point in bold is the point that William picked as the most important one of all.Entry level: 1-3 years (7:35)Use this time to determine which mountain you want to climb. The danger is you are so determined to move up that people can start climbing the first mountain that comes their way and later on find out it’s the wrong mountain. They end up falling backwards only to climb another mountain.A big challenge William has seen for people just starting out on a consulting team is finding the right balance between the desire to move up and desire to experience where you are and learnAt this level, you have more time to experiment different avenues. Enjoy this time to soak it up and learn as many different things as possible.Find something that you can own, even if it’s a small aspect of the project and own it. Become an expert in that and use that as your currency.Mid career: 3-5 years (14:25)Become an awesome operator in teams. Ex: developer must have exceptional technical skills as well as how to work well in teamsFind great mentors. Challenge you, guidance and advice on your career, someone you can be open with, someone well respectedPermalink