Career Sessions

Change presents many opportunities, but it also strikes fear and doubts in the hearts of many. For  Mpume Ncube-Daka , she took change as a chance for personal and professional growth, which allowed her to build a successful business coaching career. She sits down with J.R. Lowry to share how she jumped to a number of industries before landing on the one she truly loves. Mpume shares the skil...

The pandemic put the entire live entertainment industry at a full halt. Audiences cannot attend concerts, public gatherings, and speaking events in person. This global crisis directly impacted Jim McCarthy 's discount ticket site Goldstar, but he chose to be versatile than lay down in defeat. He joins J.R. Lowry to share how pandemic restrictions inspired him to start Stellar. Live, leveraging the...

Veering away from formal education to pursue a particular career direction is a pretty risky move. But with the right motivation and a clear purpose, you can ultimately achieve your own idea of success. Dan Petrozzo postponed going to college to work at Bell Labs and write a book when he was 20 years old, and these decisions set the course for his many achievements along the way. Sitting down with...

What does it take to become a successful CEO? Martin Hunt is a venture and private equity investor, published author, and is currently the CEO of Swanlaab USA Ventures . In this episode, he shares his journey and ascent into entrepreneurship. Martin has had a rich and colorful career in tech and business with some valuable lessons from his experiences which he shares in his chat with host J.R. Low...

Most serial entrepreneurs have interesting back stories, but few can match that of Wade Myers . There was no single point in Wade’s life since he was 6 years old that he was ever held down to only one job. His entrepreneurial bent allowed him to weave his way out of childhood poverty in the Badlands to joining the Army, holding several key sales positions at Mobil, being sent to the Gulf, going to...

It doesn't matter what level or role an individual has in their professional life. We all need the same kind of handholding and career coaching to get ahead successfully. You don't have to take the hard route. Here to share how she found her purpose in career coaching and helping others succeed is Michelle Perchuk . She is an ICF-certified leadership, career, and business coach and is the owner of...

Serving in the military and teaching history leads to a truly fulfilling and highly patriotic career. These are the pillars of Beth Hillman 's journey, a woman who started as a US Air Force officer and is now appointed as President and Chief Executive of the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York. She joins J.R. Lowry to talk about the different roles she handled between these two positions...

From working in telecom to firefighting to being a lawyer to being a corporate executive,   Stacy Belf  always put service to others above anything else. She didn’t necessarily even have to have the experience for some of those jobs, but she put in the effort. She did her research well before the interview and talked to people in the business. Her passion for helping people is what drove...

Talent search and the hiring process have evolved through the years where sometimes, you don't even have to go out looking for the perfect job because the job now has a way of finding you. It's only a matter of building up your credentials and creating a good precedent for your reputation. And to set you up better for success,  Anna Auerbach , Consultant and Co-Lead Product Officers Practice...

If your job is to make investment decisions that involve billions of dollars, then you need the power of data to help you. Just like in Moneyball, you need to do more of what you're good at and less of what you're not good at. Identify the behaviors that are adding or destroying your value. Essentia Analytics can help you with that with a little bit of technology and machine learning.   Join...

You should know how to manage opportunities when they are presented to you if you aim for continuous improvement. Listen to your host J.R. Lowry as he talks with Charley Cooper about taking these opportunities, recognizing passion, and focusing on what matters. Charley shares his incredible journey covered with obstacles and wins. He discusses how he didn’t have to give up law school to be a speec...

In a world where so many chase money and power, losing sight of what's truly important in life can be easy. For many people, the decision to become a teacher is about more than just a paycheck. It's about making a difference in the lives of others. It's about having a positive impact on the future. Andrew Ting , a lawyer, professor, and start-up veteran tells the story of how he finds his purpose...

Moving up the ranks in any industry also means earning new responsibilities. Leading a large organization is one of those. Today’s guest is  Kevin Barry , the President of Workplace Investing at  Fidelity Investments . He joins host J.R. Lowry to share his career journey from majoring in Government to having executive roles in the field of finance. Kevin discusses the importance of havin...

Are you weighed down by limitations and think you are not good enough to take on life's challenges? This is the podcast for you! In this episode,  Jim Gibbons  talks about how he overcomes the barriers of disabilities and made a mark as President and CEO across multiple organizations and now as CEO of  ImmutriX Therapeutics  and Founder of Forward Impact Enterprises, LLC. Jim s...

Public policy-focused non-profits have an essential role in a society dealing with all kinds of issues and challenges. Their financial services have become integral in helping people get through the pandemic. J.R. Lowry dives even deeper into these organizations with Janine Hirt , CEO of Innovate Finance . Janine talks about giving aid to people in the UK to address challenges brought by increased...

No two career paths are identical, and it’s up to you to carve that way to your future. Today’s guest went from traveling around the world taking on expat assignments to now becoming the CEO of his own business. Andrew Hecker  is the CEO of Concept Machine Tool . Before that, he held management positions in various manufacturing companies and handled many M&As. Andrew emphasizes the inten...

We have come a long way with diversity in the workplace, but the fight is not yet over. The CEO Of  NextUP ,  Sarah Alter , is all about advancing all women in business by creating opportunities for women leaders. In this episode, she shares her journey from her humble beginnings as a truck dispatcher, being in sales, getting her MBA from Harvard, going into consulting, being a CEO of a...

In today's fast-paced and ever-changing landscape, leaders know that it takes speed and agility for a company to succeed. Yet many are frustrated that their organizations aren't moving fast enough to stay competitive. In this episode, J.R. Lowry talks to  Jim Whitehurst , a Senior Advisor at  IBM  and Special Advisor to the private equity firm,  Silver Lake . Jim is the former...

There isn’t one right path because life gets in the way, and you have to work around that. J.R. Lowry introduces Yolanda Taylor , an Investment Manager, Small Business Owner, and Author of Take Me Back to Redway . Yolanda talks about the importance of hard work and determination. Even if you’re scared to take the next step, do it anyway. At the end of the day, your life and career are a series of...

Many of us worked through multiple jobs before finally ending up with our dream. Erol Munuz  has the journey that provided him with hard-won wisdom he has learned for the rest of his life. In this episode, he shares how he went from being an actor in New York to working in corporate marketing, PR, and communications executive. Now, Erol is currently the Senior Vice President for Content, Prog...

The joy and fulfillment we get from doing the things we love are immeasurable and greater than random work. Becca Carnahan  always loved sports marketing, so she started her career as a sales representative for the Boston Celtics. Now, Becca has her own business, which focuses on helping parents find more fulfilling jobs that they love without giving up the flexibility that they need as part...

Every single little detail counts for your customer. If you're managing IRONMAN triathlons, the athletes expect you to have everything lined up. They've been training for months, and they expect to have a smooth experience all throughout. Join J.R. Lowry as he talks to  Andrew Messick  about the  IRONMAN Group  and how he manages customer experience. Andrew is the CEO of the Ir...

Going beyond the administrative duties of HR is what you need to do in strategic HR. Tracy Keogh has done just that. She got into the mindset of reinvention and reinvented everything from culture to management. She placed people front and center. Tracy has worked with and supported many great CEOs and helped develop world-class leaders. She worked for Sapient, Analog Devices, Hewlett Packard, and...

When it comes to the marginalized youth, many doctors or clinicians, unfortunately, don't have the skillset to relate with them. However,  Dr. Rob Garofalo  is different. He experienced many challenges in his life, including surviving cancer. Dr. Garofalo is a pediatrician, researcher, activist, author, ally, and leader. He also founded the charity  Fred Says , which raises money fo...

We get too caught up in getting ready and don't notice that we've left the most important things behind. And, most often than not, we find ourselves stuck in a situation where we cannot access health and wellness products when we need them.  Robina Verbeek  and  Susanna Twarog , co-founders of the innovative start-up  SOS , join J.R. Lowry to share how their vision was formed....