To The Top: Inspirational Career Advice

Jay Williams was a prolific college basketball player at Duke where he played for the legendary Coach K. He was drafted #2 in the NBA Draft to the Chicago Bulls. A tragic motorcycle accident ended his career early -- and Jay found himself bed ridden for months with a shattered pelvis and torn ligaments. He drove himself to regain his strength and developed mental resilience. His memoir is titled, Life Is Not an Accident. Jay became an analyst for ESPN and now he's one of the most regarded voices in sports and pop culture. In his new NPR podcast, The Limits with Jay Williams, he uncovers the blueprints from some of the most known and unknown figures in sports, business, and entertainment. 

In this episode we cover:

-Who Jay was when he wrote his book

-His preparation process for a great interview

-How to strike work/life balance and more..

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Gihan is a tinkerer who began making his own gear at the age of 13. He's had a knack for problem solving for efficiency through the lens of science. He's the co-founder and president of an innovative apparel brand, Ministry of Supply, where they produce high quality clothing engineered to be both comfortable and presentable. He earned his chemical engineering degree from MIT and was recognized as Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2015. In 2018 he cycled across America wearing a Ministry of Supply Nasa-derived polo shirt. Gihan holds several patents and Fast Company recognized MOS as one of the most innovative companies in 2021. 

In this episode we discuss:

-How his parents nurtured his curiosity

-How he approaches habit stacking to be super efficient

-Why you should think of vacations as fueling vs rest

-How he prepared for his Ted Talk and more..

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Tony Horton is the creator of the world's most popular home-fitness program, P90X. He is a world-class motivational speaker and the author of top-selling books “Bring It”, Crush It!” and his latest book, “The Big Picture” 11 Laws that will change your life. He has appeared on countless television programs as a fitness and lifestyle expert to promote healthy living through exercise and proper nutrition.

In this episode we discuss:

-What life was like after P90X launched

-What new perspective his illness gave him

-His transition from Beach Body and his focus now

-His favorite fitness gadgets, and more..

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Joe Vernachio is currently the Chief Operating Officer at Allbirds. He was previously the President of Mountain Hardwear, one of the leading mountain sport brands in the world. Joe is a seasoned retail industry veteran where he began working at Patagonia in the late 1980s and he spent over a decade at Nike. In this episode we discuss:

-Commonalities of the best leaders he's worked for

-How he earned his real life MBA working at Nike

-How he's tried to balance his ambitious career while being a present father and husband

-Why "being a pro" is one of the most important principals he leads with, and more..

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Aly Orady is a computer engineer by trade, graduating from Stanford. Early on in his career he worked at HP and Sun Microsystems. One of the companies he founded was acquired by Samsung. He's a tech veteran who followed his passion when he wanted to re-focus on his health and well-being which is why he founded Tonal. It's coined as "the world's smartest home gym" where the weights are powered digitally. If you're considering investing in smart at-home fitness equipment it should be part of your evaluation. Aly shares the importance of strength training and why you should be sure to incorporate it into your fitness regiment (not just cardio) and more.

Check out Tonal www.tonal.com

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Scott Weiss is the Partner and Principal Recruiter at Makena Partners where he primarily recruits candidates for some of the leading roles in technology. He shares a wealth of advice in and around the interview process, branding yourself properly, and ultimately how to best position yourself for your dream job including:

-The benefits creating a failure resume

-The #1 advice for your next interview with a hiring manager

-The truth about about designer looking resumes

-How to approach getting the interview

-When experience trumps potential

-LinkedIn profile best practices to standout to a recruiter and more..

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Scott Galloway is a professor of marketing at Stern NYU, an entrepreneur, and author of three books including Post Corona: From Crisis to Opportunity. His YouTube videos on the Algebra of Happiness and The Future of Education have both gone viral. He's widely known for his views on the intersection of technology and politics. 

In this episode we discuss:

-The aftermath of the pandemic

-The future of education

-The pandemic affect on mental health

-Solicited parenting tips, and more..

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Troy Bigby, along with his brother, co-founded Devil's Reef, a cinnamon spiced rum. His background has spanned technology, music, and spirits. After earning his computer science degree from NYU in the mid 1990s, he joined Roc-A-Fella Records where he helped promote and tour with Jay-Z which led to the height of his career -- arguably the most successful hip-hop star of all-time.

Troy's technology career has led him from Goldman Sachs to Moody's and BlackBerry, where he orchestrated some of the largest mobile device deployments in the world. He's recently partnered with his brother (a former Super Bowl champion) to craft and launch a unique flavor of spiced rum that is being distributed around the country. 

In this episode we discuss:

-Some of the most important lessons from his parents

-How he used his computer science degree in the real world

-The most important lesson from his experience working with Jay-Z

-The inspiration behind Devil's Reef and more..

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Dan Sheridan, EVP and Chief Operating Officer of Brooks Running, shares a treasure trove of life and career lessons from his 20+ years at the company. Dan has also experienced the turnaround of the organization through the leadership of their CEO, Jim Weber. Dan shares the lessons he's learned leading the organization before and after the pandemic and how it's positioned Brooks for a bright future. 

In this episode we also discuss:

-The impact of finding the right CEO

-How Dan and his team approach diversity, equity, and inclusion

-Traits of the best leaders

-How Brooks positioned themselves as a market leader in performance running/training

-The upside of working for Warren Buffett and more..

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Dr. Srini Pillay is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist and brain researcher who has published multiple books on how to address anxiety and how to unleash your full potential. His recent book, Tinker Dabble Doodle Try is about how to create periods of un-focus in your day to re-fuel your brain.

In this episode we discuss:

-the unconscious mind

-a unique approach when feeling overwhelmed with uncertainty

-tips to re-fuel your brain during the day to be more productive

-ways to boost confidence, relieve stress, and more..

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