How I Got Here: Our best career lessons

Compilation of advice from 30+ interviews and the launch of Season 2!

MIT Sloan’s Ideas Made to Matter recently featured us in a post where we synthesized the top pieces of advice that we’ve discovered since launching the How I Got Here podcast. We couldn’t be more excited to share it with you all!

For those you who have been long time listeners, our 10 takeaways may sound familiar:

• Diversify your passion portfolio

• Chase the real air, minimize the fake air

• Be open to changing definitions of success

• Remember that planning makes perfect

• And yet, don’t underestimate the power of acquaintances and serendipity

• Take action first; confidence will follow

• Choose your company wisely

• Don’t let a crisis go to waste

• Careers are long; take the time to explore

• Ask yourself, “Am I going to be excited to tell my grandkids what I did?”

You can read the whole article here to learn more.

Did we miss a favorite takeaway that you’ve had since listening to How I Got Here? Leave us a response in the comments or reply directly to this email!

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We’re also happy to officially kick off our 2nd season of the podcast with Natalie McCullough, President and Chief Commercial Officer at Guild Education!

A common career trope we hear constantly is to pick something, anything really, and focus entirely on it from the earliest age possible. Work 10,000 hours and you'll achieve success, or something of the like. Range, by David Epstein, pushes back on this advice. He argues that having a diverse set of experiences actually makes us better in the modern working world. In fact, it's important to explore and sample, because if you stick with something you don't like, you'll end up not only unhappy, but failing to achieve your full potential.

Natalie kicks off our season with an amazing case study of this exploratory approach. Although she’s a leader in the business world now, Natalie’s first job out of college was as a geologist, doing environmental assessments on groundwater contamination. In this episode, Natalie shares her winding career journey from geologist, to bike guide, to management consultant, to finally where she is today: an executive business leader at a mission driven company, helping frontline employees get more education affordably.

Listen to our full interview with Natalie McCullough here.

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