Career Sessions

Why does work feel so overwhelming, even when you're getting everything done? In this episode, leadership expert and bestselling author Liane Davey explains why the problem isn't your workload—it's your thought load: the hidden combination of cognitive demands, emotional burden, and depleted energy that makes work feel harder than it should. In this episode, you'll learn: Why working harder won't...

Anxiety is often treated as something to overcome. But what if it’s also one of the forces driving your success?   In this episode, JR speaks with Morra Aarons-Mele , author of The Anxious Achiever and host of Harvard Business Review’s popular podcast of the same name, about the complex relationship between anxiety, achievement, leadership, and performance.   Morra argues that anxiety is...

Most teams don't fail because they lack talent. They fail because they're not having the conversations that matter. In this episode of Career Sessions, Career Lessons, I sit down with workplace culture expert, consultant, and author Gustavo Razzetti to discuss his new book, Forward Talk . Gustavo argues that the biggest threat to team performance isn't conflict—it's silence. When concerns go unspo...

Most people spend a huge portion of their lives at work. So why do so many of us dread it? In this episode, JR speaks with Debbie Lovich , Senior Partner Emerita at Boston Consulting Group and author of Make Work Work , about why employee engagement has remained stubbornly low for decades despite billions spent on leadership training, culture initiatives, and workplace transformation programs. Deb...

Most people see careers as ladders to climb. Mohamed Isa sees them as mountains to explore. In this episode, Mohamed shares his remarkable journey from working as a cleaner in a bank to becoming the youngest CFO of a publicly listed company in Bahrain. Along the way, he learned that success isn't about following a predetermined path—it's about taking calculated risks, continually reinventing yours...

Most people think overwhelm is a productivity problem. Corrie LoGiudice argues it’s something much deeper.  In this episode, JR speaks with Corrie LoGiudice, author of The Five Overwhelm Culprits , about why so many high performers feel exhausted, disconnected and stuck — even when their lives look successful on paper. Corrie explains why burnout is often misdiagnosed as a time-management iss...

Most companies don’t fail because they’re outcompeted. They fail because they succeed. In this episode, JR speaks with Eric Ries, author of The Lean Startup and Incorruptible , about why successful organizations so often lose their mission, values and long-term vision. Eric explains how modern corporate systems incentivize short-term extraction over long-term value creation and that the problem is...

Most people think success comes down to talent, timing, or even luck. But Kyle Austin Young suggests it could be a numbers game. In this episode, he explains how to think about success through the lens of probability so you can actively improve your odds over time. JR and Kyle explore: Why your goals have hidden probabilities attached to them How to reduce the likelihood of failure The power of re...

We often talk about burnout, quiet quitting and disengagement at work, but underneath these trends is something deeper: loneliness. In this episode of Career Sessions, Tracy Brower joins JR to unpack the growing crisis of disconnection at work and why it’s affecting everything from performance to mental health. They cover: Why loneliness is rising in the age of remote work and social media Why wor...

Most productivity advice skips right past the most obvious lever: sleep.   In this episode, JR speaks with Nathalie Walton who leads growth at Better Sleep, the app that's become the go-to sleep tool for 65 million people around the world.   Nathalie's path here wasn't linear. It started with her own experience during pregnancy where she came to realize that there was a frustrating gap i...

In this episode of Career Sessions, Career Lessons, JR Lowry sits down with Gabriel DeSanti and Alex Dworsky , co-founders of Staj , a platform built around a simple but powerful idea: What if you could experience a career before committing to it? They explore why traditional career decision-making is often based on limited information and how that leads many people to feel misaligned years into t...

In this episode of Career Sessions, J.R. Lowry sits down with author, speaker, and culture expert Greg Hawks to tackle one of the biggest challenges facing organizations today:   Why are so many people disengaged at work—and what actually changes that?   Greg introduces the concept of the “ownership mindset,” a powerful shift in how individuals approach their work and how leaders build e...

In this episode of Career Sessions, JR Lowry sits down with coach, speaker, and bestselling author Mary Olson Menzel to explore a question many professionals wrestle with: What does it really mean to build a career that lights you up and is it realistic to do so? Mary challenges the conventional wisdom that playing it safe is the responsible path. Drawing from both personal experience and her work...

In this episode of Career Sessions, JR Lowry speaks with behavioral scientist Jon Levy to explore what actually makes teams effective and why the answer isn’t what most people think. Drawing on research across psychology, business, and even sports, Jon breaks down the hidden dynamics behind high-performing teams, including the overlooked role of “glue people” – those who quietly elevate everyone a...

Why do so many successful leaders feel burned out, misaligned, or unfulfilled? According to Raj Sisodia and Nilima Bhat , the issue isn’t a lack of skill or intelligence, but rather a lack of healing. In this episode of Career Sessions, JR Lowry sits down with Raj Sisodia, co-founder of the Conscious Capitalism movement, and Nilima Bhatt, leadership coach and author, to explore the deeper emotiona...

What’s really holding leaders back? According to executive coach Muriel Wilkins , it’s often not skills, strategy, or experience -- it’s hidden beliefs. In this episode of Career Sessions, JR Lowry sits down with Muriel Wilkins, executive coach to senior leaders, host of Harvard Business Review’s Coaching Real Leaders, and author of Leadership Unblocked. Drawing from more than 20 years of coaching...

What does it take to walk away from a successful global executive career to pursue a deeper purpose?   In this episode of Career Sessions, Career Lessons, JR Lowry sits down with Christopher Williams , former global executive and author of the new book C.O.U.R.A.GE., to explore how courage shapes our careers, leadership decisions, and personal growth.   Born in Sierra Leone and educated...

What does it take to go from sending 1,000 unanswered resumes to building a platform used by millions of job seekers worldwide?   In this episode of Career Sessions, Career Lessons, J.R. Lowry sits down with Andrei Kurtuy , co-founder of Novorésumé , to unpack the hard lessons he learned navigating rejection, building a global resume platform from scratch, and studying what actually gets cand...

Curiosity isn’t a soft skill. It’s a strategic advantage.   In this episode of Career Sessions, Career Lessons, JR chats with Dr. Debra Clary , author of The Curiosity Curve: A Leader’s Guide to Growth and Transformation Through Bold Questions, and explores why curiosity is the missing link in leadership, engagement, and high performance. Drawing on four decades of corporate leadership experi...

What do Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers really want from work, and how can leaders navigate a multi-generational workforce without falling into stereotypes?   In this episode of Career Sessions, Career Lessons, JR Lowry sits down with Dr. Candace Steele Flippin to explore generational differences in the workplace, evolving leadership expectations, and how employees can future-proo...

If you’re a product manager, founder, executive, or even an individual contributor navigating OKRs, AI, and innovation pressure, this episode of Career Sessions, Career Lessons offers a practical reframing of how great products and meaningful work actually get built. Host JR Lowry sits down with Radhika Dutt , author of Radical Product Thinking , to unpack why traditional goals, OKRs, and performa...

The journey from individual contributor to effective manager is often called the most significant transition of a career—a shift not just in responsibilities, but in identity. Yet, the foundations of great leadership often start with a more personal, foundational practice: curiosity and continuous self-improvement. In this deep-dive interview, we sit down with leadership expert and podcast host, R...

The term executive presence shows up constantly in professional feedback—but what does it actually mean? For many ambitious professionals, especially women, this vague phrase becomes a frustrating barrier that leaves them overlooked and unsure how to advance. Today, we unpack executive presence with former tech executive and executive coach Katy McFee . She shares how she bridged the gap from dire...

If we are forever in survival mode, unlocking and unleashing our full potential would be impossible. Jon Rosemberg , Co-Founder Of Anther , reveals what it takes to achieve your thriving mode. He joins J.R. Lowry to talk about his newest book A Guide To Thriving , as well as what it takes to feel a greater sense of control over the things happening in your life. Jon delves into the idea of giving...

If you learn how to live with intention, you can lead with purpose and manifest all of your goals in life. This is exactly what Bianca D'Alessio did, which led to her becoming the number one real estate broker in New York City. She joins J.R. Lowry to share all about her journey centered on authenticity, leading with lasting impact, and discovering gratitude even in her biggest failures. Bianca al...