All tagged Career Advice

Tom Peters: "If Today Was Your Last Day"

Tom Peters: "If Today Was Your Last Day"

Melinda Byerley
Podcast Episodes

Arguably the first ever “thought leader” to make a tangible impact on the business world, Tom Peters burst onto the scene with the immensely-influential book he co-wrote in 1981: In Search of Excellence. A purveyor of what he calls “extreme humanism,” Tom’s career journey has given him a vantage point few can equal. In this episode, Tom returns to discuss life—and his new book, Tom Peters’ Compact Guide to Excellence, a collection of quotes he developed in collaboration with iconic designer Nancye Green.

Wagner James Au: "Virtual Reality"

Wagner James Au: "Virtual Reality"

Melinda Byerley
Podcast Episodes

When Linden Lab’s Second Life debuted in 2003, few anticipated just how much it would popularize the concept of the metaverse. That’s certainly true for James Au, a freelance tech writer who was hired by the company to report on the platform and its users shortly after its launch—by becoming an avatar within the virtual world himself. Listen as he recounts the early days of the platform, how it foreshadowed many of today’s toxic social media issues, and why so many have returned to it during the pandemic.

Rachel Chalmers: "Three Horses"

Rachel Chalmers: "Three Horses"

Melinda Byerley
Podcast Episodes

A veteran of Silicon Valley for 25 years, Rachel Chalmers is certainly at home in the world of tech—though her first home is continents away. As the Head of Corporate Services at AlchemistX, the Corporate Services division of Alchemist Accelerator, some of the world’s most innovative companies rely on her insights when charting their paths. Listen as she discusses how enterprises can stay curious, how to fight burnout, and what she means by saying she prefers gardening over strip-mining.

Shireen Mitchell: "You Can't Stop the Girl" Part 2 of 2

Shireen Mitchell: "You Can't Stop the Girl" Part 2 of 2

Melinda Byerley
Podcast Episodes

Shireen Mitchell is well aware of the issues facing minority women in the tech industry. Founder of Stop Online Violence Against Women, she fights to protect women from unrelenting sexism and harassment online. In part 2 of our time with Shireen, hear her insights on topics from ineffective social media abuse policies and diversity hiring practices to the marks of true allyship and the prevalence of disinformation.

Shireen Mitchell: "You Can't Stop the Girl" Part 1 of 2

Shireen Mitchell: "You Can't Stop the Girl" Part 1 of 2

Melinda Byerley
Podcast Episodes

Born and raised in 1980s Harlem, Shireen Mitchell is an award-winning woman of color in tech. Her story is filled with overcoming a number of challenges—the same ones she helps other women overcome. And she’s not done. In this first of two episodes, you’ll hear Shireen share candid insights on what women are still facing in tech today, revisit the early days of building BBS boards, and recall stories from her childhood that positioned her to be where she is today.

Kara Goldin: "I Won't Back Down"

Kara Goldin: "I Won't Back Down"

Melinda Byerley
Podcast Episodes

After leaving a career in tech to focus on being a mom, Hint Water’s Kara Goldin probably didn’t envision starting a new company just a few years later—especially in an industry she had no experience with. But as always, her curiosity and willingness to take risks won out. And it worked. In this episode, Kara recalls her early career adventures in NYC, what prompted her move to Silicon Valley in the 90s, and why being curious and trusting your gut can often be more valuable than straight experience.

Heidi Williams: "History Repeating"

Heidi Williams: "History Repeating"

Melinda Byerley
Podcast Episodes

When Heidi Williams entered the tech world in the 90s, she was mostly focused on developing the latest offerings from a major software company. If only things would’ve remained that simple. In this episode, Heidi recounts her experiences learning the industry’s business side in the most difficult circumstances, what it’s like to have a flagship product killed off practically overnight, and tips on navigating through substantial changes in a tech company.

Bob Alberti: "You Can Go Your Own Way” Part 2 of 2

Bob Alberti: "You Can Go Your Own Way” Part 2 of 2

Melinda Byerley
Podcast Episodes

While the ability to send data across the earth in seconds has completely changed our civilization, it’s also had some profound consequences that are nowhere near being settled. In this second of two episodes, Bob Alberti continues an enlightening conversation about the progression of the internet he himself had a key role in shaping and where it stands today. Listen as Bob discusses the difficulties of data security and combatting disinformation and closes by offering a helpful bit of career advice.

Bob Alberti: "You Can Go Your Own Way” Part 1 of 2

Bob Alberti: "You Can Go Your Own Way” Part 1 of 2

Melinda Byerley
Podcast Episodes

Ever wonder what the internet was like before it was, you know, the internet? It was actually more similar to today than you may think. Chat rooms, emails, multiplayer network games, search queries—those all existed in the 1970s. And Bob Alberti was right there in the middle of it all, helping to craft it into the version we all use now. In the first of two episodes, hear Bob talk about what computer tech was like during the earliest internet days, and how Minnesota was home to the original Silicon Valley.

Rand Fishkin: "Start Me Up”

Rand Fishkin: "Start Me Up”

Melinda Byerley
Podcast Episodes

What if your plan for 2020 included launching a new (very cool) Audience Intelligence platform, just as the world unexpectedly changed under a pandemic? In this Season 4 opening episode, we welcome back Rand Fishkin, founder of Moz and co-founder of the new SparkToro, to discuss how SparkToro found innovative ways to not only launch a new product during 2020 but also help people and other businesses on a variety of levels in the process. Bonus: hear Rand’s top 3 ideas for what marketers should be doing right now during this crisis.

Rand Fishkin: "Humble and Kind”

Rand Fishkin: "Humble and Kind”

Melinda Byerley
Podcast Episodes

Rand Fishkin has dramatically opened up the field of SEO for the average marketer as the founder of Moz. Now he tells Melinda about co-founding SparkToro (in beta now) and his recent book shedding light on what it’s really like to be a founder. Plus, enjoy Rand’s candor as he describes what he believes makes for a healthy corporate environment (hint: see the title of this episode).

Laura Yecies: "Good Life"

Laura Yecies: "Good Life"

Melinda Byerley
Podcast Episodes

Laura Yecies has an extensive career in Silicon Valley and has been the CEO of two venture-backed startups, currently of SyncThink, a brain health platform focused on eye-tracking technology. Laura offers advice for managers, supportive words for females in tech, and wisdom for married couples trying to nurture two careers at once.

Geoff Donaker: "Instant Karma"

Geoff Donaker: "Instant Karma"

Melinda Byerley
Podcast Episodes

Geoff Donaker has seen every stage of a start-up—from going public to having to close the doors. Now he is on the VC side as founder of Burst Capital, bringing his expertise to investing. Meet this former COO of Yelp and hear his advice for founders and new companies on how to avoid common problems like stagnant prices or becoming untethered from your customers.

Joe Meyer: "It Don't Come Easy"

Joe Meyer: "It Don't Come Easy"

Melinda Byerley
Podcast Episodes

Joe Meyer has a long history in tech as an entrepreneur and big thinker. Joe shares with us his perspective on the New York tech scene, and why it just may be better to be in tech in NYC than in Silicon Valley (gasp!). Joe tells about the inspiration for starting ExecThread, the job sharing platform specifically for successful execs looking for those hard-to-find executive positions, and how it opened his eyes to matters of diversity and privilege.

Avinash Kaushik: "Curious"

Avinash Kaushik: "Curious"

Melinda Byerley
Podcast Episodes

A sense of awe runs throughout this episode with Avinash Kaushik, one of the godfathers of web analytics. Avinash is a data visualization expert and Digital Marketing Evangelist at Google and takes a step back with us to wonder at the magic of the Internet while delving into how data can better serve businesses.