Career Hacker Secrets: Recent Episodes

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Welcome to the Career Hacker Mini Series. These are really short episodes that get straight to the point and tackle real-world challenges among career hackers in less than 10 minutes. 

In this episode, we're taking a bite out of Going All In. We go through the 7 steps you'll need to build the conviction to do whatever it takes to break into a top company, break into a top leadership role, or pivot into the job of your dreams. 

This is for anyone looking to take their skills, career, or life to the next level. 

Timestamps

• 01:32 - The three levels of commitment
  • 01:37 - Level 1: I’ll try
  • 01:48 - Level 2: I’ll do my best
  • 02:08 - Level 3: Whatever it takes
• 02:47 - Seven steps to improve your level of commitment
  • 02:58 - Step 1: Start with the end in mind
  • 03:22 - Step 2: Define your goal
  • 03:41 - Step 3: Find your Why
  • 04:42 - Step 4: Identify your Dream 100
  • 05:17 - Step 5: Reach out to your Dream 100
  • 05:33 - Step 6: Make a decision
  • 05:46 - Step 7: Define a Game Plan
• 06:00 - Quick overview

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Welcome to the 11th episode of the Career Hackers Secrets Podcast. Today we welcome Dominik Mertens, a mother of 3 who, after running events in higher education for 15 years, lost her job due to Covid.

Despite her fear of not knowing what was next, she didn't settle. She didn't lose sight of her goal, and she managed to pivot into an incredible new career. Today Dominik is Chief Customer Officer at Bond, a platform that assists schools and organizations with digital transformation and virtual community building.

In today’s episode, we will discuss job hunting, preparing for interviews, and negotiating a salary. We will also touch on why you shouldn’t assume you don't have the skillset for a new industry and field and why you are never too old to pivot.

Finally, we will discuss the importance of knowing and advocating for other priorities in life, such as being a mom.

This is an inspiring story, and I hope this episode will inspire as much as it inspired me. So if you are someone who recently lost your job and is looking to bounce back and redefine your career, this episode is for you.

TimeStamps

00:00 - Introducing Dominik Mertens

03:04 - Dominik’s background: From Belgium to Barcelona and traveling all over the world

05:00 - The new job: Sales and building relationships

05:20 - Bond’s mission: Education and private community engagement

06:17 - Being let go due to Covid and bouncing back

08:40 - What inspired you to make this pivot? Focusing on the next step

10:40 - What options did you have available? Looking for jobs and filling out my Linkedin profile

12:18 - How long did the search take, and how did you approach it? Keep your energy up and be realistic

14:50 - What was the thing that helped you move forward? Believing in myself: If you want something to happen badly enough, it will happen

16:30- The three levels of commitment

17:41 - How did you determine this was a good opportunity? Because of how the job was described: Humanizing technology and sales as building relationships / Don’t assume you don't have the skillset for a new job, since a lot of skills are transferable

20:42 - Were there some skills you didn't have? How did you bridge the gap? Acquiring digital knowledge / Setting clear expectations about what soft skills you have and what hard skills you need to learn

23:04 - How did you prepare for interviews? Googling, looking at the competitors, thinking about what would you reply to questions, and showing interest

24:59 - The five C's: A framework to identify blind spots in a company

25:50 - Read the company’s website and focus on your strong areas

26:35 - Negotiating your salary when you are starting: Let them make the first offer and know your priorities (family first)

30:50 - Being a mom and a career woman

32:29 - Why do you think you got hired over other candidates? Being authentic, knowing your value, and being humble

34:14 - What advice would you give to someone who wants to pivot? Think about what are your transferable skills. You are never too old because experience is worth gold

37:17 - Any last words of wisdom? Don't worry if you don't have a clear path, new opportunities come.

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Welcome to the tenth episode of the Career Hackers Secrets Podcast. Today we chat with Selma Chang, a rock star product marketer who pivoted from sales.

I met Selma at LinkedIn in San Francisco a few years ago when she was passionate about pivoting into product marketing.

You'll hear specifically how Selma overcame imposter syndrome and how she overcame mental breakdowns to pursue her dreams. She hired a life coach to help build confidence while is making that pivot to product marketing.

There are many excellent takeaways, and so I'm not going to spoil them, but let me just tell you this: If you're someone looking to pivot into your next play, have that negative self-talk, or you're battling imposter syndrome, this interview is for you.

Whether you're looking at pivoting into tech or pivoting within tech, you'll walk away feeling energized and more compassionate with yourself so you can move forward swiftly towards your career.

Timestamps

00:00 - Introducing Selma Chang

02:45 - Working at LinkedIn and exploring what's next: From sales to product marketing

05:37 - Transitioning: Scared but ready for a change

07:14 - What inspired you to pivot? Coffee chats, being confident, and working on side projects during weekends

09:22 - How to find side projects

11:03 - Working with a nonprofit: A place that usually needs extra hands on deck no matter what your experience level is

13:09 - What was the most challenging part of making the switch?

15:15 - Picking up new skills before becoming a product marketer

16:03 - Taking on PMM side projects, landing interviews, and hiring a life coach

18:21 - Having a breakdown

19:20 - Applying for a new job

0:40 - Getting interviews: Leverage your network and position your resume correctly

23:27 - Preparing for interviews: Understand the language of your new position, tell your story right and take on more experience

27:41 - Negotiating your salary when you are starting: Find the right mentor and leverage your knowledge

30:35 - Landing the job and learning about yourself

34:50 - Preparing for the new position

36:55 - How has the new position been so far?

39:07 - What’s next

41:03 - What advice would you give your past self?

42:06 - Where to find out more

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review. We’d love to hear from you!

If you’re looking to pivot into your next big role, make sure to subscribe to our member community. You can find us at www.careerhackeracademy.com/community.

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Welcome to the Career Hacker Mini-Series. These are really short episodes that get straight to the point in real-world challenges among career hackers in less than 10 minutes.

In this episode, we're taking a bite out of the reasons Why LinkedIn Premium is Worth It. You cannot afford to miss out on LinkedIn Premium, regardless of if you're job searching or not. Premium gives you access to valuable information, data, and expands your reach, all things that we will talk about in this episode.

This is for anyone at any level looking to pivot into a new industry, break into a leadership role, or simply level up in their career.

Looking for tips on how to improve your LinkedIn profile? Get the Linkedin Cheatsheet Mini-Guide below.

Timestamps

• 00:46 - Is it worth it to have Linkedin Premium?
• 01:02 - Deeper analytics
• 01:52 - Wider Network
• 02:05 - Who viewed your profile?
• 02:31 - In-mail
• 02:41 - Access to LinkedIn Learning
• 03:12 - Conclusion

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review. We’d love to hear from you!

If you’re looking to pivot into your next big role, make sure to subscribe to our member community. You can find us at www.careerhackeracademy.com/community.

Here is the link to the mini-guide: www.careerhackeracademy.com/10-steps-linkedin-profile-miniguide

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Welcome to the sixth episode of the Career Hackers Secrets Podcast. Today we welcome Latrice Barnett. Latrice was once a band musician touring the world, and now she is a Senior Director at Salesforce in Silicon Valley. We'll get into the details of how she decided to completely change her life after 9/11 when she quit her very lucrative job to become a full-time musician.

Latrice learned a lot about becoming an artist, becoming comfortable on stage, and connecting with an audience. Then, utilizing these skills, she pivoted into a project management role in a creative agency and later into tech.

As always, we dig deep into the challenges and behind-the-scenes struggles. Latrice successfully transitioned from being a night owl to being back in a corporate setting, all while dealing with impostor syndrome and being a black woman in tech.

If you are looking to see how your current skills can help you pivot into a new opportunity in a top tech company from an incredibly different type of job or lifestyle, this episode is for you.

Timestamps

00:00 - Introducing Latrice Barnett

04:34 - Latrice’s background: Moving abroad, joining a band, and studying literature

07:10 - Coming back to the States, doing tech and quitting to being an artist full-time

11:02 - Pivoting into tech and project management: From landing an opportunity as a project manager and producer to joining Salesforce

14:13 - The most challenging part of transitioning from being a musician on the road to being in an office

15:16 - How did you approach landing interviews to break into different jobs? Understanding who your audience is and what do they want

17:12 - What skills did you feel you didn't have? Book smarts vs. experience, and having the freedom to fail

19:15 - Being open during the interviews process: The similarities between the music business and small businesses

21:04 - The experience at Salesforce so far: Carving out a place for yourself at a larger company

23:33 - What do you wish you would have known before getting into tech? The challenge of being a black woman in tech / The brainpower of many is more valuable than the brainpower of one

25:34 - Advice for coping with impostor syndrome: Listen to your gut and look for people who can help you

28:02 - Don't be afraid to reach out and connect with other people

29:44 - Where to find out more about Latrice

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review. We’d love to hear from you!

If you’re looking to pivot into your next big role, make sure to subscribe to our member community. You can find us at www.careerhackeracademy.com/community.

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Welcome to the Career Hacker Mini series. These are really short episodes. I get straight to the point and tackle real-world challenges among career hackers in less than 10 minutes.

In this episode, we're discussing the 10 Steps to Create a Killer LinkedIn Profile. An optimized LinkedIn profile will ensure that you get noticed over and over again with opportunities coming your way 24/7.

This trick is by far one of my top secrets. And it’s one of the main reasons I have not applied for a job in over seven years. Anyone on any level looking to attract recruiters, hiring managers, or even investors get actionable steps to improve your profile.

For those that would like to get more details or simply get a visual, we created a mini-guide. Find the link below.

Timestamps

• 01:00 - How to Create a Killer LinkedIn Profile
• 01:32 - Ten Steps
• 01:38 - Step 1: Profile Picture
• 02:06 - Step 2: Tag Line
• 02:45 - Step 3: Summary
• 03:37 - Step 4: Work Experience
• 04:04 - Step 5: Multimedia
• 04:35 - Step 6: Education
• 05:06 - Step 7: Side/Volunteering Projects
• 05:33 - Step 8: References/Testimonials and asking for Recommendations
• 06:23 - Step 9: Skills Endorsement
• 06:53 - Step 10: URL
• 07:22 - Quick Review

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review. We’d love to hear from you!

If you’re looking to pivot into your next big role, make sure to subscribe to our member community. You can find us at www.careerhackeracademy.com/community.

Here is the link to the mini-guide: www.careerhackeracademy.com/10-steps-linkedin-profile-miniguide

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In this episode, I introduce speaker Angel Gonzalez, and we talk about how he went from an accounting major unsure of where he was going to a product marketing manager at Linkedin. This company hires less than 1% of all applicants.

Angel was a man on a mission. He shares about his process of figuring out what he wanted and then how he got it. And just a teaser, it involved Y-combinator, but not in the way you would think.

Timestamps:

• 00:00 - Intoducing Ángel González
• 03:25 - Ángel’s background: From accounting to product marketing
• 04:40 - What inspired you to pivot? Being intentional
• 07:23 - From sales to product marketing
• 09:28 - Finding the right path in your career: Balancing logic and intuition
• 10:11 - Leveraging sales tactics to advance your career
• 12:11 - Going through the toughest moments and being humbled
• 14:44 - The next step: A strategy to grow your portfolio
• 17:40 - How to prepare for interviews: Develop and pitch your experiences
• 20:25 - Positioning yourself to negotiate your salary when you are starting off: Leverage your network
• 22:20 - How to build your network: Don’t assume, just reach out
• 25:05 - Getting the job: Be stern with what you want
• 28:01 - Handling the new position: Soaking up all the information and getting a mentor
• 29:21 - How to find a mentor
• 31:00 - Be in a position where you are learning
• 32:15 - What’s next
• 32:44 - Advice for people who want to pivot
• 35:06 - Where to find out more

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review. We’d love to hear from you!

If you’re looking to pivot into your next big role, make sure to subscribe to our member community. You can find us at www.careerhackeracademy.com/community.

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Welcome to the fifth episode of Career Hackers Secrets Podcast. Today we welcome Lisa Francoeur, entrepreneur, female leader and world-renowned motivational speaker. Lisa is the CEO at Fancyfied and a consultant devoted to scaling empowerment globally. She is also the cofounder of Crypto Tutors, an educational platform which is all about simplifying cryptocurrencies through eLearning and one-on-one tutoring.

After 10+ years of experience as a business development executive in tech, working for companies like LinkedIn, brokering partnerships with Twitter, AirBNB, Amazon, Microsoft and consulting brands like McKinsey, Lisa made the shift to full-time entrepreneurship as the founder of Fancyfied, an empowerment consultancy where she teaches strategies on how to operationalize motivation and inspiration.

Today Lisa will be sharing her full story, from fashion stylist, to tech, to business owner. We will talk about the importance of being aligned with your purpose and getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. We will also touch on how to leverage your experience and commoditize your expertise in order to navigate through different opportunities. All this and much more, up next.

Time Stamps:

• 02:56 - Lisa’s background: of Haitian descent, born and raised in New York / Coming from a disruptive and revolutionary culture
• 05:23 - Pivoting from fashion stylist to tech, to business owner / What pivotal moments inspired you to make those changes?
• 08:31 - If the career direction that you choose is not aligned with your purpose, you're going to question whether or not this is right for you
• 09:50 - A great question to ask yourself: Think about your natural skills and what you can do / How being able to get into clubs led to a career change
• 11:47 - If you want better answers, ask better questions / If you are looking for monetary gains, what can you do to generate that result with the skills you have?
• 14:41 - Jobs as a mean to a financial end vs Jobs as a form of education: Strive to always be learning new things
• 16:45 - Breaking into tech: In order to go where you've never gone, you've got to be willing to do what you've never done
• 19:30 - Taking a chance and stretching yourself: Learning and growing
• 20:21 - From cutting your teeth in a startup to working at Linkedin, and becoming the only black person on the account executive team
• 22:59 - The ability to see opportunity
• 25:05 - What was it like preparing for interviews? Why your network is your net worth / Standing out during an interview / Negotiating your salary / Asking questions
• 30:34 - Struggling with impostor syndrome: Objectivity vs subjectivity / Rising to the occasion / You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take
• 33:32 - Creating an inclusive culture and increasing representation of people of color / The next pivot: From Linkedin to leaving everything behind
• 37:37 - What’s next? From startup to 7-figure business in 12 months
• 40:27 - Keep on moving: Resigning, becoming a motivational speaker and diversifying / Fancyfied
• 44:10 - Crypto Tutors, Lisa’s newest endeavor: Simplifying cryptocurrencies
• 45:07 - What advice would you give to someone who wants to pivot? You are the company you keep
• 46:38 - Sometimes you have to lose everything to gain everything / Having a strong support structure
• 47:56 - What would you do if you knew you could not fail? The value of your imagination and metacognition
• 50:34 - Where to find out more about Lisa

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review. We’d love to hear from you!

If you’re looking to pivot into your next big role, make sure to subscribe to our member community. You can find us at www.careerhackeracademy.com/community.

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Welcome to the Career Hacker’s Mini Series.

In this episode, we're taking a bite out of the 11 Secrets of Career Hackers. These are the principles, tips, and strategies that define a Career Hacker and set them entirely apart from other top candidates.

This is for anyone at any level who is looking to get the edge, mindset, and insights to have an amazing and fulfilling career.

As a heads up, we're crunching a lot in 10 minutes. We created a mini-guide for those who would like to get more details or simply see a visual. Just click on the link below to download the guide. Let's get started.

Timestamps

• 00:54 - Dare to dream big. Make sure you have a vision that is scary but also exciting at the same time
• 01:08 - Don’t apply to jobs. Bypass the system
• 01:38 - Don’t reinvent the wheel. Someone has already done it before.
• 02:00 - Don’t work alone. Leverage third-party networks.
• 02:30 - Don’t ask for a job. Ask for advice.
• 03:06 - Interview to win. There’s no second place. You either get the job, or you don’t.
• 03:50 - Level up. Always continue to engage and learn to improve.
• 05:08 - Ask for what you want.
• 05:50 - Focus on inputs, not outputs.
• 06:30 - Know what you are worth.
• 07:16 - Don’t stay in an environment you’ve outgrown. No fear.

If you've enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review. We'd love to hear from you!

Are you looking to pivot into a top tech company? Subscribe to our member community to access industry experts, participate in live workshops, get answers to burning questions, and meet like-minded people. You can find us at www.careerhackeracademy.com/community.

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In this episode, I introduce speaker Dan Savage, and we chat about his journey from joining the army to transitioning into tech at LinkedIn and the prestigious VC firm, Sequoia. Now he is a VP at Shift.org, where he helps fellow veterans pivot into their new civilian careers.

Dan gets real with us and talks about the anxiety of not knowing what is next. He walks us through how he figured out the next move at the multiple crossroads he found himself in.

Timestamps

• 00:00 - Introducing Dan Savage
• 03:35 - Dan’s background and current role at Shift
• 04:51 - The identity challenge that comes from pivoting from the military back to a civilian life
• 06:28 - Being purpose-driven and wanting to do good
• 07:00 - Becoming Chief of Staff at Syracuse University
• 08:28 - A new growth opportunity: Leading the military program at LinkedIn
• 10:43 - The toughest part of transitioning: The ambiguous freedom of civilian life vs. the clear path in the military
• 14:16 - The importance of having mentors, teachers and being curious
• 20:16 - Learning a new skill as a civilian: Storytelling
• 24:14 - Transferring a skill from the military: Assessing ambiguity and the bias for action
• 30:19 - What makes a good leader - extreme ownership
• 34:09 - Advice for people who want to pivot
• 40:36 - Don’t keep your goals to yourself
• 44:47 - Be a part of a community of people you admire
• 50:15 - The Career Accelerator

Stuff from the episode

• Shift’s Career Accelerators - Break into in-demand roles and build lifelong connections with our multi-week career prep programs designed specifically for veterans.
• Matchmakers: The New Economics of Multisided Platforms by David S. Evans, Richard Schmalensee
• Prediction Machines: The Simple Economics of Artificial Intelligence by Ajay Agrawal, Joshua Gans, Avi Goldfarb
• Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win by Jocko Willink, Leif Babin
• Designing Your Life: Build a Life that Works for You by Bill Burnett, Dave Evans
• Y Combinator's How to Build the Future series with Elon Musk
• Stanford Ignite - a program for innovators

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review. We’d love to hear from you!

If you’re looking to pivot into your next big role, make sure to subscribe to our member community. You can find us at www.careerhackeracademy.com/community.

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Welcome to the Career Hackers Mini Series.

These are really short episodes that get straight to the point and tackle real-world challenges among career hackers. The objective is to get the most essential advice you need in less than 10 minutes.

In this episode, we're taking a bite out of the Six steps to pivot into your dream job. These are precisely the steps I've taken in my career, taking me from a sales manager at Dell to a product marketer at LinkedIn and now to the Global Director of Product Marketing at one of Europe’s top 40 startups. Typically, these types of moves take at least a decade. I did it in just 5 years.

As a heads up, we are crunching a lot in 10 minutes, so we created a mini-guide for those who would like to get more details. Just click on the link below. Let's get started.

Timestamps

• 01:10 - Step 1: Think like a Career Hacker.
• 02:00 - Step 2: Model successful people (don’t try to reinvent the wheel).
• 02:48 - Step 3: Close the gap (as quickly as you can).
• 03:35 - Step 4: Build a Lead Generation Machine (Inbound, Outbound, and Strategic Partnerships).
• 04:25 - Step 5: Interview to win.
• 04:56 - Step 6: Close the deal.
• 05:12 - Quick review

If you've enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review. We'd love to hear from you!

Are you looking to pivot into a top tech company? Subscribe to our member community to access industry experts, participate in live workshops, get answers to burning questions, and meet like-minded people. You can find us at www.careerhackeracademy.com/community.

--->> Get the mini-guide here: www.careerhackeracademy.com/download-6-steps

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Welcome to the 1st interview on the Career Hacker Secrets podcast.

Today we welcome Jeremiah Clark, a black man from Atlanta, Georgia, who grew up in a single-parent household. It hasn’t been without any struggle, but Jeremiah managed to break into LinkedIn, pivot into Pinterest, and later pivoted once more into venture capital in the most competitive markets in the world - Silicon Valley.

Today Jeremiah leads Business Operations for GGV Capital - a Venture Capital and private equity firm that manages $6.2 billion in capital across 13 funds.

In this episode, we talk about how growing up in a single-parent household shaped him, how he broke into Silicon Valley and pivoted from Sales Ops to venture capital. We also discuss his five principles for preparing for interviews, owning your narrative, and learning scalable skills.

If you're someone looking to pivot into your next play but concerned about any possible disadvantages, this episode is for you. Jeremiah will give you the inspiration to dream big by breaking goals into small steps and start moving one action at a time.

Timestamps

00:00 - Introducing Jeremiah Clark

03:23 - Jeremiah’s background

06:45 - How growing up in a single-parent household shaped you?

08:10 - What inspired you to make those pivots? Identifying your true want

12:25 - The next pivot after LinkedIn: Getting into sales operations

16:07 - The next pivot: Joining Pinterest

17:55 - Preparing for interviews: The five principles

20:20 - Owning your narrative

21:10 - How to move through the most challenging moments in pivoting

25:03 - The next pivot: Getting into venture capital

29:48 - How to go about the interview process

32:29 - Jeremiah’s current role at GGV Capital

35:00 - The next projects

35:55 - Learning Chinese to work abroad

39:10 - Advice for people who want to pivot

40:35 - Where to find out more

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review. We’d love to hear from you!

If you’re looking to pivot into your next big role, make sure to subscribe to our member community. You can find us at www.careerhackeracademy.com/community.

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My name is Yannick Kpodar. I'm a former Product Marketing Lead at LinkedIn, a Top 100 Product Marketing influencer, and current Global Product Marketing Director at a top 40 Startup in Europe. 

I'm on a quest to interview ordinary people pivoting into incredible jobs in top tech companies. From a fashion stylist to a seven-figure enterprise account executive at LinkedIn, from musician to a senior director at Salesforce, from a US Army infantry officer to a VP at a startup, from a black man who grew up with his mom earning $24k a year to now leading business operations at venture capital and private equity firm in S.F. -- You'll learn all the tips and strategies they used so you can take your career to the next level.

If you're someone looking to pivot in your career, break into a top tech company, or simply get to the next level -- this podcast is for you. If you know someone who needs inspiration, help, guidance, or just a friend, please spread the love. See you next week for our official launch episode! You can find us at www.careerhackeracademy.com

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My name is Yannick Kpodar. I'm on a quest to interview ordinary people pivoting into incredible jobs in top tech companies. From a fashion stylist to a seven-figure enterprise account executive at LinkedIn, from musician to a senior director at Salesforce, from a US Army infantry officer to a VP at a startup, from a black man who grew up with his mom earning $24k a year to now leading business operations at venture capital and private equity firm in S.F. -- You'll learn all the tips and strategies they used so you can take your career to the next level.

I was once a struggling business graduate who couldn't find a job. BUT through trial and error, I learned the career hacking secrets to leapfrog in my career. 

SINCE then, I broke into B2B Sales at a Fortune 100 company, then pivoted into Product Marketing at Linkedin in San Francisco, 3x'd my income along the way, and THEN jumped 3 positions up to a global director at a TOP 40 startups in Europe. 

I'm now listed as one of the top 100 most influential Product Marketers in the world. I tell you all of this, so you know what's possible. 

If you know someone who needs inspiration, help, guidance, or just a friend, please spread the love. See you in a couple of weeks for our first episode. You can find us at www.careerhackeracademy.com