Push Pull Podcast

Design’s New Differentiator: Moving Upstream in the Age of AI (with Stephen Patterson) I talk with design leader Stephen Patterson about what still matters for designers as AI makes “good enough” interfaces easy to generate. We discuss the growing sameness across digital products—similar fonts, grids, and Tailwind/Bootstrap-like aesthetics—and how hiring managers look for taste, originality, and t...

Helen Huang on Trove, Behavioral Identity, and Building an Authentic Life in the Age of AI On today’s episode, we speak to Helen Huang, a product leader and two-time founder building Trove, a “behavioral identity layer” that helps people understand and represent themselves through what they do rather than what they say. Helen recounts immigrating from China to Canada, studying earth science at Wat...

Building Change Capacity: Jillian Reilly on Permission, Automation, and Portfolio Careers Earlier this year, I interviewed Jillian Reilly, author of The Ten Permissions: Redefining the Rules of Adulting for the 21st Century about why people change (or don’t). And how “permission” and agency shape behavior more than resources, training, or workshops. In part two of my conversation with Jillian Reil...

Earlier this year, I interviewed Jillian Reilly, author of " The Ten Permissions: Redefining the Rules of Adulting for the 21st Century ," about why people change (or don’t). And how “permission” and agency shape behavior more than resources, training, or workshops. She recounts leaving a prescribed path and law school plans to go to South Africa during the of apartheid, followed by two...

The Trust Tax: Reframing Your Story and AI Layoff Narratives Today I unpack a LinkedIn post about declining trust in ourselves and each other, showing how it appears in job searches and in how companies explain AI-driven change. Drawing on Stephen M.R. Covey’s The Speed of Trust, I argue trust is has a tangible impact across our careers and the broader economy. I share a coaching conversation I ha...

Empathy at Scale: James Warren on Building SEEQ, Trust, and the Emotional Data Behind Work This week, we continue our conversation with James Warren, who left a successful corporate career and built Share More Stories (SMS) alongside an investor/partner through a decade-long, sometimes exhausting dual-company arrangement that required relinquishing control, building trust, and personal growth. Jam...

We kick off Season 2 of the Push-Pull Podcast, we widen the lens from career transitions to how people build durable careers amid rapid change. In this episode, I interview James Warren, founder and CEO of Share More Stories, who is a storyteller committed to helping organizations understand their employees’ and customers’ experiences. James recounts early storytelling and entrepreneurial interest...

Announcing Season 2 of the Push Pull Podcast. In the world of rapidly evolving AI tools, and the expectations and market disruptions that come with them, ignore the losers trying to scare you. Find what matters to you and be the champion of your own story.

The past few weeks I soft-launched a hiatus, and today I'm making it official. Keep your eyes peeled for Season 2 of the Push Pull Podcast!

Today we revisit a couple of “near misses” — where a combination of solid preparation and luck led my guests to thrive or pivot quickly in the face of turmoil in their organizations. Omar Dinar discusses joining Lehman at the onset of the financial crisis, and the impact of the bank's bankruptcy on his career. Being in the real estate division allowed him participation in the acquisition nego...

Navigating the Ups and Downs: From Consulting to Startups and Facing Burnout Today I revist discussions where my guests faced significant adversity in their work lives.  Shalini Chander talks about pivoting to the startup world — and while she gained valuable industry knowledge, the experience was marred by financial instability and unethical practices by the company's founder. This difficult...

In this episode I continue my conversation with Dr. Jess Mendoza, cognitive psychologist and UX researcher. Upon wrapping up Dr. Mendoza's transition from academia to UX research, we explore her efforts building community within her new company, and her advocacy for AI literacy across the org. Jess shares insights on the role of critical thinking and communication in prompting, the importance...

Today I interview Dr. Jess Mendoza, a cognitive psychologist turned UX researcher. Dr. Mendoza shares her inspiring story of being a first-generation college student, pursuing a doctorate, and eventually transitioning into the tech industry. We explore her academic journey, including conducting social experiments and presenting research globally, to making the leap to user experience. Key topics i...

Today I revisit some of my early converations on the podcast and the incredible insights of my guests. Samir Jain discusses the importance of combining technical skills with the ability to sell and influence. Theresa Freet shares her personal experience of turning a passion into a career and advises caution against it. Finally, Rajan Trivedi talks about his bold career decision to move to Nairobi...

Today I speak to Julia Levina about her multifaceted career journey. Julia shares her experiences as a counseling psychologist in Ukraine, a CFO of a family-owned pharmacy chain, a business consultant, and now a behavioral scientist and business intelligence analyst at Headversity in Canada. She delves into the challenges she faced during the war in Ukraine and how she transitioned her career mult...

Today I discuss my thoughts on the concept of “fit” between employer and employee. Gallup found in 2023 that disengaged employees cost the world $8.8 trillion in lost productivity annually. I introduce Andre Martin's book 'Wrong Fit, Right Fit,' which emphasizes the importance of finding the right fit at the point of hire rather than adjusting organizational culture post-hire. I ela...

In this episode, I reconnect with Ashwin Aravind, Head of Operations at Lightyear. Ashwin has been a high-octane performer all his life, spanning school and career. Starting with his undergrad years at UC Berkeley, where Ashwin majored in Molecular and Cell Biology as well as Business Administration, we follow his forays into consulting and law school before ultimately transitioning to the tech se...

Today I discuss my personal journey of leaving prior jobs in search of greater fulfillment. I compare my experience to what I learned in 'Job Moves' by Bob Moesta, Ethan Bernstein, and Michael B. Horn, highlighting how people's motivations for staying in or leaving jobs often go beyond compensation and job features. This book deftly expands to the role of employers in fostering empl...

In this episode, I delve into the emerging concept of the “Great Detachment.” We discuss the impact of team dynamics, job longevity, and fulfillment on employee engagement and performance. Referencing recent Gallup surveys, I highlight issues like disruptive changes in organizations, hybrid and remote work challenges, and declining employee engagement. I ponder how I may shift the podcast's f...

In this episode of the Push Pull podcast, we continue our conversation with Omar Dinar, diving deeper into his career journey. Omar shares his experiences transitioning from aerospace engineering to finance, joining Lehman Brothers during the financial crisis, and later getting integrated into Barclays post-acquisition. He details his ascent into a management role, his pivot back to an individual...

Today I interview Annalyn Cruz, a dream life and embodiment coach and the CEO of Grounded in Wisdom, LLC. We discuss Annalyn’s career journey from higher education in student affairs to learning and development in the corporate world, and back to higher education. With each transition, we revisit her commitment to empowering others, and the role of strong personal relationships in building trust a...

In this episode of the Push Pull podcast, we explore the fascinating career journey of Omar Dinar, currently a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch. Omar transitioned from an engineer working on military helicopters to working in financial services, starting his finance career in the aftermath of the subprime mortgage crisis at Lehman Brothers. Omar shares insights into the challenges he faced, the...

I just picked up the book 'Job Moves' by Ethan Bernstein, Michael B. Horn, and Bob Moesta! I haven’t gotten far into it yet but my bells are already ringing. Listen to me appreciate how much I already love the message. Also hear me betray my mixed feelings about how people smarter and more famous than me have concurrently came to the same conclusions I have. 00:00 Introduction to the Pus...

Today I reflect on some key lessons learned from my initial work on this podcast. In particular, I’ve received feedback about how challenging it is to detail push factors for three reasons:  They’re often emotional before we place logic to them They may not be flattering to share publicly, and Reframing them diplomatically feels disingenuous  I give you my take on why the process of fleshing out y...

Such a pleasure to reconnect with Marshall Robins after several years. Starting off in construction, pivoting to finance and then tech sales, to come all the way back around to financing construction projects — Marshall’s story is a master class in taking chances on something new and committing fully to seeing it through. We had an honest discussion about burnout, recovery, and how the balance bet...