As those of you who listen to the podcast regularly know, I seldom have guests on the podcast – and only when they are fantastic and will add value to you listeners. Today’s guest, Amy Green Smith, is a perfect example of this. We’re talking about People Pleasing – something many of you are very familiar with. Amy tells us when it is okay to people-please in the workplace – and how to know if you’re doing it for the right reasons. She gives several scenarios to help us understand people pleasing, when it’s right, and when it isn’t.

Today, I am speaking with Ahmed Wasfy, an engineering manager with such giants as Microsoft, Google, and Amazon. In addition to his day job, he provides coaching services to help managers become effective leaders through his company, the Thriving EM. Ahmed explains the purpose of a project manager, the skills and qualities needed to be an effective project manager, and how to break into the field. We also discuss the PMP – Project Management Professional – designation, and whether that credential is necessary to enter into project management work.

Today, a return guest – and one of my favorites! Previously, Katrina McGhee was on the podcast to talk about taking a career break. Today, we talk about leveraging a sabbatical before taking on a bigger role. Whether with your current employer or accepting a position with another company, you may need a break before taking on even more responsibility and challenges. Katrina talks about the signs that this break may be more of a need than a want and how to ask for the break. We also talk about re-entry strategies after the break is over.

My guest today is Dr. Amy Mednick, a New York City psychiatrist who specializes in the overlap between the humanities in neuroscience. Today, Amy and I talk about Zoom fatigue — what is it, why is it so prevalent, and the warning signs you want to pay attention to. We also talk about how to make Zoom meetings more humanizing if you are in charge.

This week, I have a return guest — Robert Jordan. Robert is CEO of Interim Execs, which matches interim, project, and fractional executives with opportunities. Today, we’re talking about the role of an interim executive — and who is the right fit for these types of opportunities. Robert shares the characteristics he looks for in interim executives and how you can best present yourself for these roles.

My guest this week is Robert Jordan, and we’re talking about the four leadership styles his team has identified. Robert shares how to make sure you land in a “leadership match” position – and how best to leverage your leadership style once you are in your new role.

My guest this week is Tracy Hooper, and we’re talking about words to use and words to lose in your next job interview. Tracy gives us techniques for identifying the less-than-ideal words we may be using and how to replace them with better word choices.

Mac Prichard, of Mac’s List, is a third-time guest on the podcast! In this episode, we do a deep dive on how to conduct an informational interview, including the three things you MUST do during this conversation.

My guest today is Matthew Mottola, author of The Human Cloud. We talk about The Freelance Economy, what it means to be a freelancer, and the good and bad reasons for entering The Freelance Economy. Matthew also gives tips for ways to start working as a freelancer – and how to make yourself indispensable as a freelancer.