Millennial Exec

In this episode, Brock & Jeremy discuss non-linear career growth. Sounds sophisticated, we know, but it's really not. There is no one path to achieve career goals. Some CEOs arrive in their role as the highest or longest-serving executive in the C-suite, the CFO or Chief Revenue Officer. Some CEOs arrive in their role by having the best combination of skills, experience, and luck. We'll discuss navigating a career path in your current role as well as discussing it with your leader or boss. We'll walk through 4 steps to ensure you are on the right track.1. Self-awareness2. Vision3. Own your experience / Do not overreact to any one step4. Be comfortable with your narrativeBrock recommends understanding the why to get at your overall goals. He recommends tracking down Chris Voss's books if you want to understand more about how to think about career negotiation. Lots to follow-up on and looking forward to our next episode already.

This week Brock & Jeremy had a chance to speak with Mapate Diop. Mapate is a co-founder & entrepreneur of WearDiop.com, a custom clothing line. Mapate is an alum of Venture For America, like Brock. His co-founder Evan and Mapate were both in Venture For America when they decided to launch Diop. Mapate provides his insight on why gathering experiences is important to entrepreneurs and leaders. In his career, he had focused on internships and jobs to better understand a variety of industries. During that time, he noted the sea changes of tech and the financial crisis as playing a big role on how he viewed his career.Mapate was earlier than his peers to things like computer science and startups, relying on both formal and informal networks throughout his career. Beyond a network, we discuss one of the most important aspects of being first - defining success. Once you know what success means, you can fail and quickly recover and try again. Some practical advice for anyone leading a team or trying to start a business, Mapate has interviewed over 300 of his own customers to better understand his business. His framework is 1). Know your customer 2). Understand what the thing is they want 3). Why they buy 4). What will ensure they come back.It's not all about the bottom line at Diop. Mapate and his co-founder, Evan, have made over 100,000 masks for frontline workers during the COVID-19 response. Diop has also donated over $75,000 to non-profit organizations in the past few months using the proceeds from mask sales.Mapate is an inspiring leader. Follow his progress and get some clothing at WearDiop.com.

In this episode, Brock and Jeremy are joined by James Chapman, Founder & CEO of Plain Sight. James talks about his experience as an entrepreneur, founder, and coach to other entrepreneurs. Achieving our goals is hard even when someone has all the opportunities and breaks. James, Brock, and Jeremy discuss supporting other entrepreneurs, especially people of color that have not gotten the same opportunities and breaks. James has talked with entrepreneurs at all stages of the process. From the beginning when an idea is all assumptions to the last step of the process - successful investment. Instead of looking for money, the question founders should be asking is how much risk can I afford to take? Some of us are more privileged and able to take risks. As a result, we have a responsibility to make opportunities for others. We discussed the steps:1. Speak up 2. Be fair in equal opportunity3. Asking questions of each otherWe will be talking to James again soon. Check out James at his homepage. Follow James on Twitter @iwrotethehustle. His business Plain Sight is now available.

In this short episode, Brock and Jeremy discuss the murder of George Floyd and some of the questions raised by how companies are responding. Though we're not always the best at articulating it, this is a topic we're looking to continue to discuss on Millennial Exec. We can't focus on career development, hiring practices, and diversity in our companies until Black lives matter in every community and every company in our country. Our podcast is dedicated to learning from each other across our generation. We know the time is now to listen, learn, and take action to make change happen.We recommend Episode 3 with Kristen Messerli, the Founder of Cultural Outreach, where we discuss both her personal experience but also the goal of Cultural Outreach to support diversity and inclusion in the financial services and real estate industries. We could have done a better job explaining how and why this is such an important issue, but the good news is that we'll have plenty of time in the future to explore this. Today's episode is just step 1 in recognizing our privilege and making the commitment continue to address racial inequity and systemic inequality in business, tech, and career opportunities.We must do better. We want to do better. We will take time to read, research, and listen, specifically to our future guests who will provide their experience firsthand.Links and recommendations:8 Can't Wait: Specific policies every police department can adopt today to save livesJeremy's post on his response to the murder of George Floyd."Corporate America has failed Black America," Sunday Business, The New York Times, June 6, 2020. This article questions whether companies like Amazon or others are just capitalizing on the moment or having a genuine desire to change their practices to address systemic racism. Please check it out.Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s The Other America speech

In this episode, Jeremy and Brock talk to Nicholas Hinrichsen and Chris Coleman the co-founders of Carlypso, a company that simplified the process of buying and selling used cars. Niki and Chris attended Stanford Business School and launched Carlypso on the advice of Stanford professors. After launch, Carlypso was accepted into Y Combinator and eventually sold to Carvana.Nicholas and Chris discuss the experience leading each of them to Stanford Business School and the process of building & selling a company. While at Stanford Business School, the founders attended class with Andy Rachleff. Professor Rachleff studied and wrote extensively on product-market fit. During our conversation, Hinrichsen and Coleman talked about gaining experience before and after cofounding a company together. Both Chris and Niki discuss focusing on the long-lasting result of creating a company. Chris framed entrepreneurship as less making the right decision and more as limiting the wrong decisions. In fact, all of the decision-making can be framed as the practice of limiting wrong decisions. The rabbit hole of what's possible only gets deeper. Managing it is the key. First-time founders struggle with product. Second-time founders struggle with distribution. If you are curious about the reality of a company's start, ask the founder about the first 3 months, it might be the best way to found out the real story. It's a question we'll be asking of founders in the future.Recommendations:Blitzscaling by Reid Hoffman Andy Rachleff's perspective

This week Brock and Jeremy interviewed Brian McMillan, Regional Director, EdOps about his career path including several big moments where a memorable conversation with a trusted friend or partner altered his course. There was so much to talk about we'll definitely be inviting Brian back for a Part 2.Brian talks about the types of decisions we all face - where to work after college, how to find purpose in what you do, and how to navigate a career when life intervenes with personal choices. As we think about these decisions, Brock, Jeremy, and Brian discuss the power of mindset as a catalyst for producing results in athletics or work. Brian has had multiple opportunities to test his approach and authenticity in a variety of environments.Brian was a Divison 1 basketball player, a successful business consultant, an elementary school teacher, a business school student & intern and now a leader in the education field. We discuss how being authentic is crucial to show colleagues, students and the community that you are looking to earn their trust. Valuable lessons about how to consider experience and create buy-in with leadership will be applicable to anyone making a career decision or focusing on growing in their current role. Further, we consider how perceptions are so important in different workplaces like an elementary school classroom or in cities like Oakland and Detroit. Brian is a thoughtful and inspiring guest that we'll talk to again. Thanks for listening.Recommendation's this week:Brian recommended the Jocko Willnick's podcast. Jeremy recommended Tali Sharot's TED Talk about how to use information to change behavior.We wanted to feature two programs that mean a lot to us. Teach for America and Venture for America.Venture for America is a fellowship program supporting college graduates to experience the world of entrepreneurship. Teach for America is a diverse network of leaders who confront educational inequality by committing to participate in the school's that need the most support serving as educators. Though the two programs are not affiliated, Venture for America was built to model the structure of Teach for America. Brian participated in Teach for America in Oakland, CA. Brock participated in Venture for America in Detroit, MI.

In Episode 11, Brock and Jeremy discuss college education and debate the question of what we'd do in a virtual college environment. Looking back at our college experience, we talk about what aspects continue to inspire and what might change in the future. We discuss the tough choices facing a lot of college and graduate students right now. College students are being asked to consider attending a virtual year of classes. We debate what we'd choose to do faced with the same choice.Considering the options, we talk about the risks of taking chances. The benefits of trying or being willing to try new ideas generally outweigh the cost of those choices. Many college students worry that each choice will advantage or disadvantage them for the rest of their careers. In reality, being willing to take chances on a gap year or internship will be just as valuable, if not more so, when you explain it to decision-makers like college admission officers and hiring managers. Too often we assume we're supposed to respond with "the right answer" when most people just want to hear your story. Often, just telling the story of the year off or the internship will be the difference-maker in an interview process. Try it!Recommendations and references this week:David Brooks's Commencement Address to an empty stadium.Tim Ferriss on the alternative MBA.

Brock and Jeremy pick up on a thread from Ep.9: What Role Patience? discussing loyalty within organizations and loyalty to individuals. One major variable in everyone's career path, and in our lives, is people. Since companies are collections of people, evaluating company culture, opportunity and role is key. On this episode, Brock and Jeremy walk through some of the considerations and factors that can change throughout the onboarding and growth process.Many millennials have been criticized for "job hopping" because average time at a company is decreasing overall. Gone are the days of working for 1 company your entire career. At the same time, reflecting on career choices and opportunities regularly does not make you disloyal. In fact, loyalty is strengthened when it is obvious to both sides how important and deep the relationship is. Company culture is one critical piece to the puzzle. The other is self-awareness. One extreme example that we bring up is Zappos. Link: Zappos paid employees at the end of orientation to quit as a way to ensure that only those who understood the role and company goals remained. Whether thinking through a major career decision or simply spending some time considering a good day or bad day in your current role, we suggest some steps to avoid making a rush to judgment. Observe and understand the organization, leaders and team where you entered the companyDon't overreact to a bad day. Allow for a meaningful sample size of good days and bad days.Be honest and decisive once you determine what is best.Bring a positive approach to everything. Be part of the culture you want to enjoy. One final thought, learn, learn, learn. We only go around once so make sure any company or role is helping you grow.To reflect on these topics, Jeremy recommended Solitude & Leadership by William Deresiewicz for self-awareness.

This week Brock and Jeremy discuss one of the topics that has come up in various ways on previous episodes - patience and ambition. Millennials are often criticized as being too ambitious (as if that's a bad thing) or too entitled. We discuss balancing career velocity with experience and, specifically, how to know when it's time to push harder or farther.One important aspect in any career path is people. Companies are just collections of people. Mentors, leaders and teams can be instrumental in how we succeed. Creating trust and being willing to discuss career advancement helps anyone, Millennials included, have more information about key decisions. More information usually means better decisions too. Even without an immediate decision-point, part of career planning is thinking through goals and strategies. It's too easy to dismiss the role of patience or timing of making a move as "case-by-case" as if there's no preparation or analysis that can inform your choices. We disagree. We talk through ways to approach self-assessment and decision-making that lead to better outcomes.Our recommendations this week range from Elon Musk's biography to the movie Little Miss Sunshine. Check out the episode for a fun conversation about our "dream dinner" with leaders, CEOs and authors we look up to.

This week Brock & Jeremy talk to Christopher C. Rogers, writer, showrunner and executive producer. Chris lives and works in Los Angeles creating television and writing movie scripts. When Chris and Jeremy attended the University of Mary Washington together, Chris thought he would go to law school and Jeremy thought he never world. Now look.Chris describes his thought-process to embrace his desire to be a writer and follow that to LA. Working for Architectural Digest and Disney, he went to UCLA screenwriting class at night. The key for exploring personal passion is having sneaky projects on the side to fuel big dreams. A writer is anyone who writes every day. After 10,000 hours, writers and executive producers are just getting started. We talk about narrative (our own) and mentors (each others) to continue to move forward with our goals. Whether starting a company, leading a product or running a writer's room, leaders must create a safe environment for each person to contribute. Being vulnerable is important so that everyone can celebrate the idea instead of who proposed it. Chris provides an image - concentric rings - for how to build trust from the inside out. Leaders who trust each other create teams that execute so that the best product is delivered to the viewer (or customer). Brock and Jeremy learn how to apply the lessons of creativity and the entertainment industry to our careers and our businesses. Thanks, as always, for listening and support the show. Be sure to sign up at our website, MillennialExec.com, to get notified of all episodes and news.Chris's EndorsementsDifficult Men by Brett MartinThe Revolution Was Televised by Alan SepinwallJeremy's EndorsementsHalt & Catch FireThe Cost of These Dreams by Wright ThompsonBrock's EndorsementsIt's Time to Build by Marc Andreessen

This week we discuss how to think about what content to consume and share. The conversation includes the popularity and usefulness of podcasts compared to other mediums, as well as the proliferation of very niche content. In fact, we believe that as more podcasts are produced they get more niche. In the era of an endless stream of news, we also take time to consider the depth of different mediums, evaluating books versus podcasts versus articles in terms of depth. Brock specifically mentions that he often gets the most value from very detailed industry newsletters. Jeremy also talks about the value of taking advantage of the opportunity to consuming very different content than others in your industry or on your career path. Finally we jump into specific content creators we do listen to, some of our favorites include Tim Ferriss, Gary Vaynerchuck (more for motivation than specific lessons), Jack Welch, and Ryan Holiday. Thanks, as always, for listening and support the show. Be sure to sign up at our website, MillennialExec.com, to get notified of all episodes and news.Jeremy’s EndorsementsSaturday Cup of Joe - Jeremy's Newsletter (published over 200 Saturdays in a row!)Brock’s EndorsementsStratechery – Tech/Startup NewsletterThe 4 Hour Workweek – Tim Ferris

This week Brock & Jeremy talk to Ezra Duplissie-Cyr, Head Brewer at First Mile Brewing Company. Ezra left his hometown in rural Maine to try and find a career. Turns out, his career was back home all along. Brock and Ezra grew up in neighboring towns and both attended Bowdoin College. From Bowdoin, Ezra explains how we explored his curiosity while trying to find a job that made him happy. Our conversation with Ezra highlights a tough decision for anyone looking to make a career change - how do I balance stability with contentment? Beyond contentment, how do I find happiness in what I do? Ezra's path included Denmark and Sacramento, CA until some timely advice led him back home to Maine. Ezra's story will resonate with anyone searching for a job that doesn't feel like an obligation but instead an exploration. Ezra explored a variety of academic and corporate jobs before choosing to pursue his career as a Master Brewer. Within a mile of Canada, Ezra inspires with his perspective on decision-making, happiness and the future. Who among us hasn't considered opening up a brewery or pub or distillery? Hear from someone who actually lives it. Ezra will infuse some energy and perspective to help you find your way to your next career or at least your next pint.Thanks, as always, for listening and support the show. Be sure to sign up at our website, MillennialExec.com, to get notified of all episodes and news.Ezra's EndorsementsThe Complete Joy of Homebrewing - Charles PapazianHow To Brew - John Palmer (free PDF)The Unbearable Lightness of Being - Milan KunderaThe Nine Nations of North America - Joel GarreauaWatership Down - Richard AdamsJeremy's EndorsementsThe Moment with Brian Koppelman (podcast)Brock's EndorsementsThe 10X Rule - Grant CardoneSmartcuts - Shane Snow

This week Brock & Jeremy discuss how to think about work, career and life during the self-quarantine protocols in response to COVID-19, the novel coronavirus. As we record, the US has passed China for the number of confirmed cases across the global and we're bracing for the surge to hit our healthcare system. Given those facts, it can be hard to know what to talk about and whether thinking about your career or your business is appropriate right now. We believe it is and talk through that tension.We discuss how we have changed our daily routine, our home offices and leadership. One of the biggest challenges is how to have perspective on internal projects and workflow when there's a global threat impacting so many families and people. We discuss what Millennials and leaders can be doing to reinforce a positive approach and be strategic within our companies. One of the biggest lessons of leadership - be honest and vulnerable - has never been more apparent or more needed right now. We also discuss how we believe things will change after this. Knowing that predictions can be risky since we have no idea how the next few weeks will play out, we talk a little bit about how we anticipate people will exert control in the coming months.Thanks, as always, for listening and support the show. Be sure to sign up at our website, MillennialExec.com, to get notified of all episodes and news.Jeremy's EndorsementsCat's Cradle - Kurt Vonnegut Jr. McChrystal Group series on Leadership during CrisisBrock's EndorsementsP.A.i.L.S: 20 Years From Now What Will You Wish You Had Done Today? - Chris BradyMerlin (series) on Netlfix - drama, history and myth of King Arthur and LancelotNote: For kids, Jeremy mentioned The Kid Who Would Be King - also about King Arthur and the sword in the stone but set in modern day Britain. Everyone's And No One's EndorsementTiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness

Hailey is a trial attorney at Connecticut Trial Firm representing victims of personal injury, professional injury and other forms of harassment. Prior to joining Connecticut Trial Firm, Hailey has been in house counsel for mortgage companies and lenders. Her most recent in-house role was General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at a mortgage company. Her expertise in Dodd-Frank Act compliance and consumer protection law now serve her in private practice. She has previous experience in established companies, in the start-up world, and in the courtroom. Hailey is an advocate and voice for victims, clients and women. We talk with Hailey about “having all the jobs” as she put it. Hailey has switched careers once or twice and discussed the thought process around each one. She provides some valuable advice on how to approach hard work, opportunity and creativity. “Every decision has consequences” is just one of the many quotes you’ll take away from this episode. If you’ve ever thought about law school, considered switching jobs or contemplated an entire career change, this episode will speak to you. Hailey’s endorsement:Simon Sinek’s Starting with Why - https://simonsinek.com/product/start-with-why/Brene Brown’s The Call to Courage - https://www.netflix.com/title/81010166Brene Brown’s Books - https://brenebrown.com/books-audio/Jeremy’s endorsement:Starting Greatness with Mike Maples Jr - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/starting-greatness/id1488560647?i=1000458416917Brock’s endorsement:Remote: Office Not Required by Jason Fried and DHH - https://amzn.to/2UdTNnmJason Fried’s Twitter - @jasonfriedJason Fried Q&A - https://www.pscp.tv/w/cUbYgzQ0NjU5OTJ8MU1ZR05renpOcFhKdyGsoaxXlIymQ9So1MMJDihrYdSqqJ4dECcJWA_z9sBL?t=1m1s

Kristin is the founder and CEO of Cultural Outreach. Cultural Outreach is a consulting firm helping companies understand generational, diversity and inclusion values and trends. Kristin brings experience in her background as a social worker to financial services, real estate industry and consumer products companies. We talk with Kristin about leadership, decision-making and having to stand up for your values in a competitive landscape. Kristin grew up in New Mexico graduating early from high school, attending college (Texas Tech) and graduate school for MSW and MPA. Kristin has experience with entrepreneurship, consulting and growing a small business. Kristin shares the struggles of having challenging bosses and clients while maintaining values, vision and optimism. She shares personal experience with mentorship, public speaking and advising women in their career path. Everyone will find value and inspiration in this conversation.Kristin's endorsement:Dr. Meg Myers Morgan - TedX TalkDr. Meg Myers Morgan - Everything Is Negotiable: The 5 Tactics to Get What You Want in Life, Love, and WorkDave Asprey, GameChangers: What Leaders, Innovators, and Mavericks Do to Win at Life (Bulletproof) David Brooks (Article In The Atlantic) , Nuclear Family Was a MistakeBrock's endorsement:Sequoia Capital's RIP Good Times Jeremy's endorsement: The Atlantic, Addiction to Technology is Killing Capitalism Continued success and continue to answer well.

Welcome to episode 2 of Millennial Exec, where Brock interviews Brian Yormak, Founding Partner of Story Ventures, a new venture capital firm in New York City. Brian takes us all the way from his first jobs in high school to his first venture in college to launching a growing venture fund in New York City with his partner and brother... with plenty of stories along the way. His background in everything from investment banking to autonomous car technology makes for a really wide-ranging career conversation.Story is an early stage venture fund based in NYC. They invest in entrepreneurs with big visions that leverage technology and improved data processing capabilities to change the way people interact with the world. Sectors they target include cybersecurity, critical infrastructure (telecom, IT, finance), vertical AI/machine learning, and intelligent mobility, among others. The general approach is to invest across the data landscape from creation (e.g. sensors) to infrastructure (e.g. pipes/tubes of IT) to application (e.g. AI/ML).Episode topics include: venture capital, economics, investment banking, college entrepreneurship, breadth vs. depth in skills, and career risk taking. Brian's RecommendationsVenture Deals: Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist - Brad Feld and Jason MendelsonThe Fountainhead - Ayn RandWhere You Can Find BrianStory VenturesLinkedIn

Welcome to our debut episode of Millennial Exec, the podcast that focuses on helping our generation accelerate our careers by learning from one another. Meet your hosts, Brock Cassidy and Jeremy Potter, as they discuss their own backgrounds, goals for the show, and what's coming next. BrockLinkedInBio: I have spent four years in a wide variety of roles focused on growing Rocket Homes into an industry-leading real estate tech company. Since leading due diligence in our 2018 acquisition of ForSaleByOwner.com I have led the integration effort and now the overall For Sale By Owner division of Rocket Homes. Prior to that I worked on our Executive Team as a Director of Strategy on key product launches, industry strategy, and corporate development.My background includes some venture capital experience, business intelligence reporting and strategy, and software product management for products with 25,000+ B2B users and 2,000,000+ monthly consumer users.I graduated from Bowdoin College with Economics and Government majors and completed the Venture For America Fellowship, which originally matched me with a position launching a new division at Rocket Homes. Recommendations:Smartcuts - Shane SnowThe Hard Thing About Hard Things - Ben Horowitz Crime and Punishment - Fyodor DostoevskyJeremyLinkedInMediumBio: Driving innovation through new products, new services and new ideas: proactive in our pursuit of solutions, articulate in our approach and focused on tangible value. Thoughtful yet adaptable. Communicate. Collaborative. Connect. Impact the outcome.Interested in digital mortgage, digital marketing, marketing lead generation, fintech, marketplace lending, online lending policy and regulatory risk management.Specialties: Mortgage credit policy, consumer credit products and services, real estate finance, housing policy, Fintech, administrative law, statutory interpretation, regulatory law, Dodd-Frank, Consumer Finance Protection BureauRecommendations:One L: The Turbulent Story of a First Year at Harvard Law School - Scott TurowMeasure What Matters - John DoerrEgo Is The Enemy - Ryan HolidayGeneral Magic (Documentary)FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.buzzsprout.com/790889/episodes/2444399-1-welcome-to-millennial-exec