The Career Evangelist

After nearly 30 years building a powerhouse career in communications — including serving as a Chief Communications Officer — Geoff Curtis lost the professional identity that had defined much of his life when his role became redundant following an acquisition. In this candid conversation, Geoff joins host Bola Alabi to unpack what he calls "professional identity purgatory": the uncomforta...

What happens after you finally get the promotion? Many professionals spend years preparing to get the opportunity but fail to prepare for the leadership expectations that come with it. In this episode of The Career Evangelist Podcast, Bola sits down with Navid Nazemian, executive transition coach, bestselling author of  Mastering Executive Transitions , and former multinational executive with 26 y...

How do you become a better leader when every person, challenge, and situation is different? In this episode of  The Career Evangelist Podcast , Bola Alabi sits down with Sam Schriver, Executive Vice President at the Center for Leadership Studies, for a powerful conversation on the principles of situational leadership. With more than 45 years of experience studying and teaching leadership, Sam shar...

What happens when military discipline meets modern business leadership? In this episode of The Career Evangelist Podcast, I sit down with Chris Hallberg, a leadership expert, original Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) implementer, entrepreneur, and founder of Business Sergeant. Chris shares how lessons learned from the battlefield can transform the boardroom — from building resilient teams to...

In this inspiring episode of The Career Evangelist Podcast, Bola Alabi sits down with leadership expert, executive coach, author, and corporate executive Jennifer Doty. After spending more than two decades leading teams inside Fortune 100 companies, Jennifer shares the mindset shifts, leadership principles, and career strategies that helped her transition from a traditional executive career to bui...

Most professionals aren't held back by a lack of skills or ambition; they're held back by conversations they're not having. In this episode, Bola sits down with culture strategist and author Gustavo Razzetti to unpack one of the most expensive problems in the modern workplace: conversational debt. Drawing on 25 years of facilitating high-stakes conversations with Fortune 500 leaders at...

The future of work is changing faster than ever, and the rules for career success are evolving with it. In this episode of The Career Evangelist Podcast, Bola Alabi sits down with workforce futurist, bestselling author, and former advisor to the U.S. Department of Labor, Alexandra Levit, to discuss how professionals can future-proof their careers in the age of AI. Alexandra shares powerful insight...

What does it take to stay relevant in your career for nearly three decades in a constantly evolving industry? In this episode of  The Career Evangelist Podcast , Bola speaks with digital marketing veteran and co-founder of 415 Digital, Borja Cuan, who has spent over 27 years navigating disruption, competition, client loss, AI transformation, and leadership challenges in the world of performance ad...

On this episode of The Career Evangelist Podcast, Bola sits down with Nikki, an entrepreneur, bestselling author, board director, and global keynote speaker, to discuss how professionals can thrive in the rapidly changing world of work. With over 25 years of experience helping Fortune 1000 leaders and entrepreneurs navigate transformation, Nikki shares practical insights on career reinvention, lea...

In this powerful episode of the Career Evangelist Podcast, Bola Alabi sits down with former Chief Diversity Officer, author, and leadership expert Celeste Warren to unpack the real meaning of equity in the workplace and why so many professionals misunderstand it. Celeste shares practical insights on career growth, self-advocacy, mentorship, sponsorship, and navigating workplace barriers with confi...

Millions of people are asking a critical question:  Do I really need a college degree to succeed anymore? In this episode, I sit down with author and career design expert Kathleen deLaski to unpack one of the biggest shifts happening in education and the workforce today. We break down: Who should still go to college—and who shouldn’t Why experience is now more valuable than degrees The rise of “mi...

In this episode of  The Career Evangelist Podcast , Bola sits down with Dr. Deepak Bhootra, global sales leader, entrepreneur, and founder of the Rise Up platform, to unpack one of the most overlooked career killers: the post-hire gap. After decades of experience across four continents, Dr. Deepak reveals why landing a job is just the beginning—and why most professionals quietly fall behind within...

What if your employer could help you become a homeowner? In this episode of The Career Evangelist Podcast, Bola Alabi sits down with Larry Salazar, founder of NestSTEPS, to explore a bold new idea transforming workplace benefits: employer-supported homeownership. Larry breaks down how housing benefits can help employees reduce financial stress, build long-term wealth, and improve career stability—...

What if executive presence isn’t about speaking louder, acting tougher, or pretending to be confident? In this powerful conversation, I sit down with Bianca Riemer—former Morgan Stanley top-ranked analyst turned executive coach to CEOs, CFOs, and senior leaders—to unpack the hidden force behind leadership influence: nervous system regulation. We discuss: Why executive presence starts internally, n...

In this powerful episode, Bola sits down with leadership expert Hanna Bauer to unpack what truly drives sustainable success in leadership and business. Hanna shares a defining moment in her career when key leaders walked away, not for better pay, but due to a toxic culture. That experience forced her to rethink leadership beyond personal growth and focus on transforming environments. From her jour...

In this episode of  The Career Evangelist Podcast , I sit down with global executive advisor and author Louisa Loran to unpack what it really takes to grow into leadership, before you ever get the title. Louisa shares insights from her work advising top organizations like Google, Maersk, and Diageo, and introduces her powerful framework: the four behaviors that drive career success—envisioning amb...

In this episode of  The Career Evangelist Podcast , Bola sits down with leadership expert, CEO, and bestselling author Chris Dyer to unpack what it really takes to thrive in today’s evolving workplace. From mastering remote work to building powerful organizational culture, Chris shares actionable insights drawn from decades of leadership experience. He breaks down the  7 pillars of a great workpla...

What truly separates successful leaders from those who struggle in a new role? In this episode of  The Career Evangelist Podcast , Bola sits down with executive search experts Neill Marshall and Kurt Mosley to unpack what really happens in a leader’s first 90 days—and why it can define the trajectory of an entire career. Drawing from decades of experience placing over 600 executives and interviewi...

In today’s workplace, one of the biggest threats to career growth and organizational success isn’t lack of skill; it’s the  “us vs. them” mindset . In this episode of  The Career Evangelist Podcast , Bola Alabi sits down with global trust strategist  Laura Kriska  to unpack how this hidden dynamic silently damages collaboration, trust, and performance. Laura shares powerful insights from over 30 y...

In this episode of The Career Evangelist Podcast, Bola Alabi sits down with Neil Thubron, executive coach, global sales leader, endurance athlete, and bestselling author. Neil shares powerful insights from his journey—from leading a 450-person sales organization across 38 countries to completing the grueling 300-mile Yukon Arctic Ultra. During the conversation, Neil reveals his 7P Formula, a frame...

Is executive presence an innate gift, or a skill that can be mastered? In this episode, we sit down with Johns Hopkins experts and co-authors of  The Presence Principle , Dr. Alexa Chilcutt and Dr. Carl DuPont. They break down the science of "human skills"—from the neuroplasticity that allows us to change our communication habits to the 200-practice-run secret behind the world’s best TED...

In today’s workplace, employee engagement is at a historic low. Many leaders feel like they are constantly pushing their teams uphill—trying to motivate people who simply show up to do the minimum. But what if the problem isn’t motivation… it’s  buy-in ? In this episode of  The Career Evangelist Podcast , Bola Alabi sits down with leadership expert and author  Dave Garrison  to discuss the growing...

What does it really take to build predictable career growth — especially during uncertain times? In this episode of The Career Evangelist Podcast, Bola Alabi sits down with Javier Lozano Jr., a former world champion turned fractional CMO, who built and exited a successful business and later helped scale a company from $1 million to over $20 million. Javier shares practical, real-world career lesso...

Success in your career isn’t just about working hard—it’s about making the right decisions, building the right skills, and positioning yourself for growth before the opportunity arrives. In this episode of  The Career Evangelist Podcast , Bola Alabi sits down with Rich Smith, co-founder of Vojomo and former Chief Marketing Officer for seven companies, to share practical career strategies every wor...

Change is accelerating — and what worked yesterday may already be obsolete. In this episode of  The Career Evangelist Podcast , I sit down with  Allister Frost , former Microsoft Digital Marketing Strategy Leader and creator of the  Future-Ready Mindset , to unpack how professionals can stay relevant, confident, and in demand in the age of AI. We explore why most workplace change programs fail, ho...