The Career PROgressions Podcast

How well is the company you’re working for setting you up for success in your current role and preparing you for roles that could be a great fit for you in the future? On the other hand, what are you doing to position yourself for professional growth? Professional development is one of the five career drivers we emphasize all the time and is a cornerstone of long-term career success. It’s not just about advancement; it’s about continuously learning, adapting, and positioning yourself for future opportunities. Career development is more than just a buzzword. Statistics show an astounding 94% of workers would stay longer with an organization if it invested in their development. In fact, companies that prioritize employee development see a 58% boost in retention rates, proving that growth isn't just beneficial for individuals but also for the organizations they serve. Someone who has been a champion for helping organizations develop their employees is this episode's guest Julie Winkle Giulioni. Julie is one of Inc. Magazine’s Top 100 speakers, she’s the author of Promotions Are So Yesterday, Help Employees Thrive, and the co-author of the international bestseller, Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go. Julie is a regular columnist for Training Industry Magazine and SmartBrief, and contributes articles on leadership, career development, and workplace trends to numerous publications including Fast Company and The Economist. On this episode, she’s joined us to share some wisdom about making professional growth an important pillar of your career.

The movie True Grit was number one at the box office in 1969 with John Wayne in the lead role and once again when the story was adapted in 2010 with Jeff Bridges reprising the role of gritty Rooster Cogburn. Although the movie’s title suited the grizzled and hard-drinking US Marshall, it wasn’t really about him. Instead, it was about the young 14-year-old Mattie Ross who was determined to bring her father’s murderer to justice.  Of all the qualities that make people successful, I don’t think grit gets the due it deserves. It’s a quality that isn’t universally shared by all. Still, as rare a quality as it is, I think it can be refined by anyone who truly seeks to add it to the arsenal of values they bring to potential employers.  On this episode of the Career PROgressions Podcast, I’m honored to have the gritty entrepreneur Jamie Noe with me to have a conversation about facing your career with true grit. Since 2014 his company, Insurance Group of America, has had organic 35% growth year over year with a 97% employee retention rate. Can you imagine the grit it takes to accomplish something like that?! Listen in to find out.

Legendary NBA coach Phil Jackson led the Chicago Bulls to six championships and the LA Lakers to five. Do you know what was a fundamental key to his teams’ successes? MINDSET. Jackson would have his players participate in group meditations and focus on visualizing successful plays and outcomes. This practice helped the players develop a calm, centered mindset, allowing them to perform under pressure and maintain their composure during critical moments in games. You can’t argue with the results! So, what about you? What benefits could there be from you preparing your mindset more before crucial conversations and interviews? That’s the focus of this episode of the Career PROgressions Podcast. To help us get in the right mindset, I’ve invited Craig Gomez. Craig is a seasoned leadership coach and the founder of Positive Paradigm. With an extensive background in senior HR leadership, he has held prominent positions at major companies including Chobani, Boston Scientific, CoStar, PepsiCo, and GE Capital. His work at Positive Paradigm focuses on leadership development, executive coaching, and strategic visioning. For years, he has coached professionals from executive leaders to youngsters just starting their careers about establishing the right mindset throughout their careers. Now, he’s going to help you with your mindset!

What do Tom Hanks, Michelle Obama, Ryan Reynolds, Lady Gaga, and Albert Einstein have in common? All of them have stated publicly at some point they felt like an imposter. In other words, they felt inadequate or unworthy of their success or position. People suffering with imposter syndrome are all around you. The list includes many well-known business people and very likely many of the successful people around you. On this episode of the Career PROgressions Podcast, marketing guru and executive career coach, Gary Frey, joins us for a conversation about his new book Silence the Imposter. He's going to offer you seven weapons you can use to exorcize the impostor inside of you!

Imagine you’re at a crowded industry conference, a little unsure where to start or whom to talk to. You spot someone alone at a coffee stand and decide to say hello. Lo and behold, that brief interaction leads to a job offer, a career change, or maybe a lifelong mentorship. It's the power of networking – transforming a simple moment into a significant opportunity. On this episode of The Career PROgressions Podcast, we’ve invited Dr. Marcia Ballinger to help us explore how short, focused conversations can shape your career in ways you might never expect. Marcia is not only a co-founder of a national executive search firm based in St. Paul, but she’s also an acclaimed author and a respected voice in the world of executive search. With a robust background that spans corporate search, human resources, and board leadership, Marcia brings a treasure trove of insights and strategies to the table. Marcia’s groundbreaking book, “The 20-Minute Networking Meeting,” has helped countless professionals revolutionize their networking skills just 20 minutes at a time. I hope you'll join us for this conversation!

Do you remember the age of the "good old boy" network? At the time it was a staple of the workplace culture, often characterized by exclusivity and informality. This network was known for its power to boost careers and open doors—but only for a select few. Despite its negative aspects, the network's core feature was its strong advocacy and protection for its members. Ironically, if the fundamentals of the “good old boy” network could be applied universally to today’s workplace, it could go a long way toward improving employee development and diversity in the office place because the primary strength of the network was its ability to mobilize resources and opportunities swiftly and effectively. If we just strip away the exclusivity, we'd find a model of active sponsorship that can be incredibly powerful. Join us for this episode of the Career PROgressions Podcast. Our conversation with Dr. Lisa Toppin will help you learn how to find sponsors for your career and become a career sponsor for others the right way. Dr. Toppin has been an HR leader and champion of diversity for multiple Fortune 500 companies for over 20 years. She has helped business leaders advance inclusion, diversity, equity, and innovation in every aspect of their organization. And, oh yes... she has sponsored and been sponsored throughout her career. I hope you'll reserve some time for a word from our sponsor! Want to learn more about career sponsorships? Check out these resources: Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor by Sylvia Ann Hewlett The Sponsor Effect by Sylvia Ann Hewlett

In a world where job searches can often feel like a compromise, perhaps we need a reminder about the power of staying true to our core beliefs. When values matter, success and employee satisfaction flourish. On this episode, we’re going to immerse ourselves in values. Mark is joined by Daniel Aronson, the founder of Valuetis, which specializes in creating value through sustainability and responsibility. He's also the creator of the Value of Values Model, and the author of the book The Value of Values. He holds an MBA from MIT and a BA with High Honors from Berkeley. On this episode, he's going to use his expertise to bring value to our conversation. (See what I did there?)

It’s no secret I’m a huge believer that the first thing a career-minded professional needs to get clear about is how they bring value and what truly motivates them about their work. Being clear on this is imperative if they want to pursue a career that allows them to operate at their very best. On this episode of The Career PROgressions Podcast, Rebecca Fleetwood Hession joins us for a relevant conversation about your value and impact in the workplace. Rebecca is not only a celebrated author but also a renowned coach, consultant, and keynote speaker with over three decades of experience. She has held a coveted spot in Franklin Covey's President's Club for 15 years, and her professional journey is nothing short of inspiring. Her bestselling book, "Write Your Own Story," and her engaging TEDx talk showcase her profound belief in the power of authenticity, the human element in business, and the dangers of comparison and striving. She's joined us to share her wisdom on thriving in your career by being unapologetically you.

Emotional intelligence is becoming a highly sought after skill in the workplace. The ability to recognize, understand, manage, and reason with one’s own emotions and those of others is incredibly valuable. Often, the ability to be successful doing this relies on one’s ability to say the right things at the right time in the right way. On this episode, our guest is author, speaker, and CEO of Let's Grow Leaders, Karin Hurt. Together, we're going to discuss powerful phrases that can energize your job search and career.