Around the Ladder

In this episode of Around the Ladder, Erika Steinberg sits down with financial planner Haley Gray to unpack one of the most emotionally charged parts of career change: money. Haley shares how financial planning intersects with fear, freedom, identity, and the very real practical concerns that come with leaving a stable job or starting something new. Together, they discuss what people are most afra...

In this episode of Around the Ladder, host Erika Steinberg sits down with Shabnam Irilian for an honest conversation about what happens when a career that once felt right starts to feel misaligned. Shabnam shares her experience of stepping away from a successful, linear career after realizing that burnout, exhaustion, and a lack of fulfillment had taken over. Together, they explore the emotional w...

What happens when your career looks good on paper, but still feels off? In this episode of Around the Ladder, Erika Steinberg talks with Alex McCann about career pivots, the pressure to “have it figured out,” and why so many people are questioning the old rules of work. Alex shares the through line behind his own shifts from engineering to music to marketing and now to founding Rumbo: curiosity, e...

In this episode of Around the Ladder, Erika Steinberg sits down with licensed clinical social worker Laura Guy to explore what can surface when high-achieving professionals step off the traditional career path and start building something of their own. What often looks like freedom on the outside can also bring up a surprising amount of uncertainty on the inside, especially for people who have lon...

In this conversation on Around the Ladder, host Erika Steinberg talks with Teah Iosebashvilli and Aleena Abrahamian about what happens when work, health, and identity begin to shift at the same time. Both guests share candidly about burnout, perimenopause and menopause, and the decision to build careers that support their energy, wellbeing, and priorities instead of working against them. Their con...

In this episode of Around the Ladder, Erika Steinberg speaks with Caitlin Harrison, founder of Firmly Studio, about what it means to build a career without a traditional ladder. Caitlin shares how her path through small design companies, print publications, and digital work led her to launch her own business in 2020. What began as a leap during an unstable season turned into a clearer vision for t...

In this episode of Around the Ladder host Erika Steinberg sits down with fractional COO and operations strategist Ariana Tenine to talk about what happens when your business is “working” yet you feel maxed out mentally and emotionally. Ariana shares how she accidentally discovered operations as her zone of genius and how she now helps multi six and seven figure visionaries cut their day to day dec...

In this episode of Around the Ladder, host Erika Steinberg sits down with storyteller and founder of Super Heumann Creative Steven Heumann to unpack what happens when “safe” stops feeling right and comfort starts to feel like a trap. Steven shares how he spent 15 years in television rising from intern to senior producer then realized the growth he wanted would only come if he took a risk on himsel...

In this episode of Around the Ladder, host Erika Steinberg sits down with legal recruiter and author Jennifer Gillman to talk about what it really takes for lawyers to move from “surviving” to truly thriving in their careers and lives. Drawing on years of conversations with law firm partners and rainmakers plus insights from her new book The Happy Rainmaker, Jennifer shares a practical framework f...

In this Episode media strategist and former academic turned Wall Street analyst, nonprofit leader and legal PR pro, Janet Falk has built a career by refusing to climb a single ladder in a straight line. In this episode, Janet joins host Erika Steinberg to talk about control in media relations, the six Ws every communicator should use, and why you are always in the “business of your own name.”​ In...

In this episode of Around the Ladder, host Erika Steinberg talks with Beth Wanner, an accomplished marketing leader turned accidental entrepreneur who founded Mother Cover, the first-of-its-kind agency focused on covering parental leave and other temporary absences. Beth shares how a successful 15-year career in tech and supply chain marketing collided with infertility, layoffs and pregnancy discr...

In this episode of Around the Ladder, host Erika Steinberg talks with Charlie Birch, founder of Humanized Collective and creator of Brand IDQ, about what it really means to grow a founder-led business without burning out or getting stuck as the bottleneck. Charlie shares how a childhood spent watching her parents build and sell a healthcare consulting firm, combined with her background in dance, s...

In this episode, Raychel explains how growing up in a small coastal village, feeling out of place, and craving something bigger led her to apply to Barry University in Miami almost on a whim, and how that bold move reshaped her life. She describes the early career false starts, visa struggles, and financial stress that left her washing dishes in a bathroom sink and rummaging for gas money before a...

In this episode, Erika talks with Bradley Girard of BGS Connect, a multidisciplinary creative with 30+ years of experience in design, photography, video, podcasting, and marketing who has built a rich career entirely off the “traditional” path.​ Bradley shares how growing up in a big, creative family and watching his brother’s design career set the stage for his own journey from teenage catering g...

In this episode of Around the Ladder, host Erika Steinberg sits down with Jennifer Gillman, former lawyer turned legal recruiter and the founder of Gillman Strategic Group. Jennifer helps rainmaking lawyers and law firm partners design careers that align with both their values and their lives. Her signature Six Pillars of a Happy Rainmaker framework has guided countless attorneys to rediscover mea...

In this episode of Around the Ladder, host Erika Steinberg welcomes Sarah Pew, founder of Sarah Pew Consulting, for a conversation about entrepreneurship, authenticity, and operational clarity. Sarah has built her consulting practice on helping small businesses thrive by turning chaos into clarity, through systems, scalable processes, and strong messaging. Together, Erika and Sarah dig into how to...

In this new episode of Around the Ladder, host Erika Steinberg welcomes Laura Green, a growth strategist and founder of Impact Vector, who helps entrepreneurs and creative leaders build, grow, and protect the businesses they love. Together, they explore what it really means to design a business that serves both your vision and your life. Laura shares her journey from educator to entrepreneur to st...

In this episode of Around the Ladder, host Erika Steinberg sits down with Rose Moran, Chief Revenue Officer at ICVM Hawk, to talk about her unconventional path from entrepreneurship to legal marketing leadership, and what every law firm marketer needs to know about AI search visibility. Rose shares how her journey “around the ladder” took her from fashion marketing to founding her own business, Cr...

In this latest episode of Around the Ladder, host Erika Steinberg chats with Danielle Hughes, Chief Personality Officer of More Than Words Marketing. Danielle’s journey from art school to soap operas, from corporate copywriting to founding her own business—is anything but linear. And that’s exactly the point. Danielle shares how she discovered her passion for helping people express their authentic...

In this episode of Around the Ladder, host Erika Steinberg welcomes Elise Holtzman, former practicing attorney turned executive coach, consultant, and founder of The Lawyer’s Edge. Elise shares her unconventional journey from pre-med student to Big Law associate, and ultimately to a thriving career helping lawyers become confident leaders and rainmakers. With humor and candor, Elise opens up about...

In this episode of Around the Ladder, host Erika Steinberg sits down with Sean Gelchion, Senior Manager of Talent, Operations, and Innovation at the law firm Beveridge & Diamond. Sean’s career path is anything but traditional. Starting in federal law enforcement, moving into public investigations and consulting at Deloitte, Sean ultimately found his calling in legal operations. Sean shares how...

In this inspiring episode of Around the Ladder, host Erika Steinberg sits down with Elisa Cruickshank, an instructional designer and founder of EC Designs for Learning, to explore a career path that zigzagged from banking to entrepreneurship. Elisa shares how her early experiences creating cheat sheets and coaching teams laid the foundation for her passion: turning complex ideas into simple, human...

In this episode of Around the Ladder, Erika sits down with seasoned brand strategist Stacy Thal, whose career journey has been anything but linear. From a dramatic “I quit” note in a San Francisco high-rise to becoming an “accidental entrepreneur,” Stacy has navigated PR firms, Silicon Valley giants, and the volatile world of startups—emerging with a nimble, MVP-style approach to brand strategy. T...

In this inspiring episode of Around the Ladder, host Erika Steinberg chats with entrepreneur and wellness marketing expert Jessica Campos, whose unconventional career journey proves that success isn’t always a straight climb. From growing up in Puerto Rico and becoming a lawyer, to launching a wellness-focused marketing agency and creating community-driven impact in Austin, Jessica shares how resi...

In this episode of Around the Ladder, host Erika Steinberg sits down with Meg Pritchard, founder of Create Communications, to explore what it truly means to build a career “around the ladder” rather than climbing it. Meg’s journey takes us from her early days as a litigation associate, through unconventional choices shaped by circumstance and self-awareness, to her current role leading a boutique...