Stories of women letting go to get ahead
Why, when, and how to reinvent your career.
Lauren Strayhorn: How to Get Comfortable with the Startup Founder Identity
Lauren Strayhorn is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Notedd, a digital media company that helps women of color stay informed, connected, and authentically themselves. Lauren left a consulting career in a big four firm to become a Founder and entrepreneur. We talk about Lauren’s motivation to make that pivot and, as a self-proclaimed introvert, what it’s like stepping into the high-visibility role of Founder. Lauren also shares what Black women are missing in the media and Corporate America and how Notedd is building a coalition of players ready to change.
Sophia Matveeva: The Non-Techie Tech Founder
Sophia Matveeva is the CEO & founder of Tech for Non-Techies, an education company and consultancy helping corporates upskill their teams for digital transformation and teaching non-technical innovators how to bring their ideas to life. Sophia’s career has had twists and turns–from PR to private equity to entrepreneurship. We talk about finding the “connecting thread” across your career, why women so frequently ignore their greatest strengths, and what helps non-techies get into the Tech world.
Jackie Morales: Pivoting at the height of your career
Jackie Morales was at the height of her career in the Insurance industry when she decided to leave her safe, predictable corporate role to enter the startup world. We talk about the advantage of pivoting later in your career, why her career story makes her proud, and the advice she has for other women navigating career shifts. Plus–how her childhood growing up on a farm influenced the way she sees gender.
Mari-Anne Chikerema Chiromo: Career pivots and entrepreneurship as a single mom
Mari-Anne Chikerema Chiromo has built a dynamic career spanning big law firms, big tech, big 4 consultancy and also entrepreneurship. Her career path is fluid, but her mission is steadfast: as a single mom, to build a legacy and future opportunity for her son. Mari-Anne and I talk about her identity as a single mom, immigrant, and woman of color and its impact on her career and decision to launch entrepreneurial side hustles. Plus why the corporate world can be exhausting for people who are visually different and what advice she has for those who feel fed up.
Nicole Sahin — The many pivots toward CEO
Nicole Sahin has pivoted from anthropologist to yoga instructor to Founder and CEO of a billion-dollar company. I talk with Nicole about the value of following your intuition, how women can muster the courage to jump to something new, and her one regret in her career.
Lizzie Jones — From recruiter to viral career coach
Lizzie Jones pivoted from a traditional recruiting career to launch Hey Lizzie Ann, a career coaching company helping BIPOC women land and thrive in tech companies. Along the way she grew a loyal LinkedIn audience with more than 8M annual views of her practical career advice. Lizzie and I talk about how being a first-generation college student impacted her career journey and how, within minutes, she can tell who will succeed at their career pivot.