Lifetime at Work: Career Advice Podcast

Episode 56. There is the typical way to advance in a law career, and then there’s the approach Niki Avraam took.

Niki is a legal entrepreneur, speaker, and the co-founder of Howat Avraam Solicitors. When she saw room for societal growth and change, she decided to pivot from focusing on commercial law towards employment and discrimination. Her approach to her legal career is different than most. Instead of the traditional, she has focused on the future.

Niki is working on answering some important questions: How do we shape the workforce of the future, how do we ensure people feel significant within their organization, and how can leaders support that? She’ll share why she’s so passionate about the work she does, plus where her desire to encourage agency in the workforce comes from.

Key Takeaways and Discussion

• Niki’s career background and the many hats she wears now.
• How Niki came to build employment and discrimination departments.
• The power of autonomy and how having a personal stake changed her career trajectory.
• The difference that serving clients with empathy can make.
• Why becoming an entrepreneur in the legal space felt natural for Niki.
• The importance of operating outside of traditional perceptions in your work.
• Niki’s desire to make an impact and how that’s informed her professional growth.
• The evolution of the workplace and why it’s important to remember to be of service.
• What the research shows about what actually brings us joy.
• What we can do to prepare for the integration of artificial intelligence in the workplace.
• Niki’s struggle with the work-life balance and how she manages to make it work.
• Why it’s important to bring your individuality to your industry.
• The interesting way you can go about building your leadership mindset.

Episode 55. Have you ever thought about the concept of a 4 day work week? Would it work with your job and the way you work? The question might force us to explore the idea of work, what we’re trying to accomplish, productivity and our daily motivation.

In this episode, guest Joe Sanok talks about his book Thursday is the New Friday, which is all about helping you transition to the four-day work week—whether the power to make that transition is in your hands or if you need guidance convincing the powers that be. Joe is also a trained therapist who brings a wealth of knowledge and thorough thinking to our jobs, careers and life around them.

Joe identifies as “95% dad” and doesn’t jive with the hustle culture. There is so much information—science, research, and stories—explaining why working less days of the week is a no-brainer. This book brings all these ideas together in a coherent way to spread the message of the four-day work week.

Key Takeaways and Discussion

• The educational path Joe took and the side hustle that grew into something more.
• How he entered the world of podcasting and the work he does in that area now.
• Why Joe decided to start his podcast and how he used it to his benefit.
• The natural phases of business and why it’s important to move away from the hustle.
• Why Joe was inspired to write Thursday is the New Friday and what it’s about.
• Why you should consider exploring the four-day work week.
• How you can find your productivity sweet spot.
• What neuroscience says about slowing down, and how to best get things done.
• The value we give money and when we tend to hit diminishing returns with it.
• The difference between the book The 4-Hour Workweek and Joe’s book.
• How a four-day work week might look different across industries.
• How a team can approach experimenting with a four-day work week.
• The benefits early adopters of this type of work schedule will reap.
• Why you should question what you really want instead of letting your default take over.

Episode 54. How’s your resume looking right now? Have you revisited it in a while? Good, because this episode is all about getting the job, resumes, interviews, positioning yourself and everything else that goes with getting the job you want.

Guest Matt Warzel is a career coach and resume writer, bringing over 10 years in human services and career advancement experience to help his clients secure roles with higher pay.

Matt doesn’t need to understand every industry to be a great career coach. He understands the process of hiring and knows what employers are looking for, and helps his clients connect the dots to meet the criteria of the role they really want. Matt shares tips for standing out to recruiters along with strategies for perfecting your resume and nailing an interview.

Key Takeaways and Discussion

• Where his career started and how he learned about staffing and recruiting.
• How Matt started writing resumes and what was different about it back then.
• The five pillars of his business and how he serves his clients.
• What kind of career coach he’s not and who is the best fit for him.
• How to effectively highlight the value you have for potential employers.
• Why you should always start the job hunt with your resume first.
• How Matt helps his clients reverse engineer their resumes.
• Red flags that recruiters keep an eye out for.
• Why LinkedIn is important, plus tips for optimizing your profile so it gets noticed.
• When it’s right to reach out to a recruiter personally and when it’s not.
• What makes a great interview and the key to getting it right.
• What a resume is actually for and why you should avoid acronyms and filler stuff.
• The best place to find a job if you’re looking right now.

Episode 53. Frank Hanna started his career in his family’s restaurant at 12 years old. His dad has his life planned out and that was in the family business. But, after almost two decades working alongside his family, he left it behind because the stress and overwhelming nature of a family business were too high.

In this episode with host Greg Martin, Frank describes what he had to do to make it on his own. He ended up in the world of finance and wealth management eventually leading to founding his own company, RevolutionX Asset Management in 2021.

It wasn’t easy for Frank to step away from his family business—in fact, it was the scariest thing he’s ever done. He left without a plan B and strained the relationship with his dad. After becoming an entrepreneur and hitting his career stride, it’s all been worth it to find something he is truly successful at.

Key Takeaways and Discussion

• Why he left his family business and the resulting fallout.
• The “punch-you-in-the-face” reality check he had in his new career.
• His approach to financial advising and the focus of his business today.
• What Frank thought he would do after college, and what happened instead.
• What Frank gave up when he left the family business.
• Why he couldn’t afford to fail in his new career and when it became easier.
• The early learning experiences he had in his financial advising career.
• The unique niche RevolutionX has in the marketplace.
• How learning financial literacy now can help you years down the road.
• Why being an entrepreneur is not for everybody (but fits perfectly for Frank).
• Frank’s perspective on whether or not his kids should work for him someday.
• Why it’s never too late to make a move if you’re not happy where you are.

Episode 52. Nick Goblirsch started his career in the HR (Human Resources) industry. He was in charge of hiring people and building organizations. Over time he became more successful by doing the jobs other people didn’t want to do, like driving efficiencies and layoffs. Then one day he decided he needed to do something completely different and quit.

Today Nick is the owner of I Heart Painting LLC, a house painting company. If that sounds like a big switch, well it is, and the full story is even better. Today, Nick inspires others as a speaker and coach of change, guiding others towards happiness and fulfillment through career transformation. Nick emphasizes that changing careers isn’t always easy, but it’s worth it to find your purpose and become happier in your everyday life.

Key Takeaways and Discussion

• Nick’s original ambition while he was at school and how he ended up in HR.
• What lessons he learned during his experience in sales.
• What inspired Nick to start a podcast and what it’s about.
• How he found his passion for painting and what made him jump into it as a career.
• What originally turned Nick off from entrepreneurship and how he changed his mind.
• What he would tell himself if he could go back in time.
• What happens when people lose their purposes, and what to do about it.
• How to overcome anxiety and get out of a rut in your professional life.
• The importance of servant leadership and what makes someone a good fit for HR.
• How powerful it is to validate yourself versus seeking validation from others.
• The question his son asked that helped him dig himself out of career uncertainty.
• How to find your worth and communicate it to your clients and customers.

Episode 51. Rick Jordan is a keynote speaker and podcast host of the All-In podcast with Rick Jordan. He is the CEO & Founder of ReachOut Technology, a cybersecurity firm that recently went public. He’s been featured on TV segments with all the majors channels - ABC, NBC, Fox, Bloomberg and more.

Rick started his career at the bottom, without much of an education and only his drive. Over the years he was able to build a personal brand which helped build a company that’s a platform for all the more he wants to achieve.

With host Greg Martin the two discuss his journey, how to enjoy your job, branding, education and lots of advice for everyone in their career.

Key Takeaways and Discussion

• The industry Rick works in and his previous job roles.
• Why he decided to go public with his IT consulting firm.
• The importance of having a personal brand and emphasizing your values.
• The 30/70 rule Rick tries to live by and how it improves his efficiency.
• How perfection is actually an ego problem.
• What his first career choice was and why he decided to pivot to tech.
• What you should be doing in your twenties (and what to avoid).
• Why you need to be “findable” and what that means in today’s world.
• Why it’s important to be all in when you decide to do something.
• How opportunities will show up for you in real life if you’re open to them.
• The goal of Rick’s podcast and what his mission is as a host.
• How he approaches his goals and why it’s the best way to actually accomplish them.

Episode 50. For a special 50th episode, host Greg Martin shares his story of his early career in investment banking, through entrepreneurship and to today. He then covers some of the major takeaways from his own career and from his experience interviewing guests on the podcast.

Throughout the episode he shares the journey beginning his career at Genuity Capital Markets, through the acquisition by Canaccord Genuity and starting the boutique firm Origin Merchant Partners. He then discusses the founding of Farm’r, the farm to table restaurant and catering business, through to rejoining Origin Merchant Partners after the pandemic.

The lessons learned cover tips and ideas for how to start your career (and know where to start), along with some general takeaways around having a fulfilling career and how to enjoy your job more.

Key Career Takeaways

• Advice for starting a career. Where do you start?
• Is investment banking a good place to start a career?
• Career as a form of self expression
• Moving forward at all times
• The value of money
• Being passionate about the job
• What to do if you feel stuck in a job or career
• Personal attitude at work
• If you hate your boss, know that you probably can’t change them
• Advice on taking a big career leap into something new

Episode 49. What are the options for starting a career in marketing? What are the options across in-house, agency and everything in between?

In this episode, host Greg Martin interviews co-founder of Wild Coffee Marketing, Amy Anderson. Amy began her career working in New York in media and an account executive in the early days of digital media. She continued with a few in-house marketing roles before co-founding her current firm which today handles everything for their clients strategy to execution.

Amy loves that marketing allows her to merge creativity with data-driven decisions, and co-founding her own company has made space for greater flexibility with her family. During the episode, she gives her tips for being successful in today’s marketing space and what really matters when it comes to metrics.

Key Takeaways and Discussion

• How she’s utilized her education background in art history and English in marketing.
• The part of marketing Amy found was really important to her and why.
• How marketing owns the whole digital experience in today’s world.
• The catalyst that led Amy to decide she was going to start her own business.
• The diversity of skills required to be successful in marketing today.
• How the agency model can be cost-prohibitive for small or mid-size businesses.
• The secret to standing out in today’s marketing space.
• What you need to know first about your leads before you can hook them.
• The mistake Amy made early on in her career and what she learned from it.
• The boundaries set at Wild Coffee Marketing to promote a healthy work balance.
• Where innovation comes from and how company culture can support it.
• How the approach to leadership has changed, especially after the pandemic.

Episode 48. Lots of what determines whether we’ll be happy with our job and thus our career, is tied to attitude. When you listen to this week’s guest, you’ll see she has a positive energy that makes “work fun”. Nicole Greer is an executive coach, consultant, and recruiter, but what's really interesting is her journey of finding work, taking a long break to raise her kids, and then coming back into the business world. She’s got a lot of energy, which she credits for landing her in leadership positions.

In this episode, Nicole and Greg explore the strategies and systems designed to help you thrive professionally and enjoy the journey. She explains the importance of balancing strengths and weaknesses, plus the need to harness the six vital energies: physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, social, and financial.

Key Takeaways and Discussion

• Why harnessing the six vital energies is the key to success.
• How a healthy work culture impacts employee satisfaction and productivity.
• The role of leadership, adaptability, and maintaining a positive mindset amidst the pandemic.
• Why post-COVID job hunting requires strategic resume building and maintaining a "victor mentality."
• The significance of networking and content promotion in the digital age.
• How a positive attitude, extra effort, and energy can lead to career advancement.
• Why balancing strengths and weaknesses is crucial in leadership roles.
• How harnessing vital energies can attract opportunities and create a positive vibe.
• The impact of culture on employee satisfaction and productivity in the workplace.
• The necessity of a positive attitude and proactivity in finding a fulfilling job.
• How a circa vitae transforms your resume for career success.
• The role of self-awareness and confidence in your resume.

Episode 47. Knowing who we are today helps us figure out the future, how we grow, and what our future holds. Iliana Oris Valiente is a futurist who heads innovation at Accenture Canada and is well-versed in the world of blockchain and AI. Her career accomplishments have been grand, but she truly learned about herself in 2021 when she suffered burnout, forcing herself to assess who she was and what she needed to succeed in her career.

In this episode, Iliana shares her journey with host Greg Martin about today, where she understands how to embrace her personality to enjoy her working life. She has lots of advice on AI, how we can embrace the future, the future of work and how all this can help us become the person we want to be.

Key Takeaways and Discussion

• Why her background and career trajectory are non-traditional.
• What she thought when she entered the world of blockchain and cryptocurrency.
• How her travel experiences influenced her interest in cryptocurrency.
• How her perspective as a CPA influenced the way she viewed crypto.
• Why Iliana always thought she would become an engineer and why she didn’t.
• What led Iliana to burnout was the moment she broke down as a result.
• The importance of prioritizing your mental health and why it really matters.
• Why she describes herself as more of a “potted plant” than a “digital nomad.”
• How the “potted plant” analogy helps individuals find where they can truly thrive.
• The unique and exciting AI project Iliana is a part of right now.
• How Iliana sees the future of work and what’s going to matter years from now.
• Why it’s important in her role to be comfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity.
• How organizations are responsible for preparing their teams for the future.