Your Unapologetic Career® Podcast

The episode focuses on the concept of dynamism in academic medicine and public health, with Kemi introducing four distinct types: the builder, the traveler, the maintainer, and the adapter. Each type brings unique value to academia, challenging conventional judgments about career paths.  Join in as Kemi explores the characteristics, contributions, and potential misconceptions of each type, sharing...

Are you tired of empty promises and unfulfilled commitments in academic medicine and public health? In this episode, Kemi challenges the prevailing culture of "BS-ing” in academia, naming the superpower that will set you apart. This skill is the key to standing out, fostering collaborations, achieving high-impact publications, and accelerating promotions. Whether you're a seasoned profes...

Welcome to the first episode of 2024!  In this insightful and reflective episode, Kemi discusses end-of-year traditions, challenges in academic medicine, and advocates for a balance between work and reflection. Tune in and kick off the new year with a renewed perspective on progress, creativity, and personal well-being. And if you'd like to learn more foundational career navigation concepts f...

On this special year-end episode of the "Your Unapologetic Career" podcast, Kemi takes a nostalgic journey through the top 10 episodes of 2023 and shares her own growth, challenges, and the collaborative effort behind creating each impactful episode.  Tune in to celebrate the highs, reflect on the lessons, and gear up for another year of empowering career insights. Happy Holidays and Hap...

In this episode, we embark on an illuminating journey through creating a lucrative career alongside academic medicine.  Tune in as Kemi and Dr. Shirlene Obuobi share their personal experiences, challenge the boundaries of conventional thinking and debunk the myth that hobbies and passions should remain separate from one's professional identity.  Dr. Shirlene Obuobi is a Ghanaian-American phys...

How do high-achievers foster truly reciprocal friendships? Many of us don’t believe they exist because of how often we are doing most of the giving. This episode is your “how to" guide for engaging in high-quality friendships that nurture your own growth.  This is a conversation between Kemi and Monique R. Shields. Monique is an executive coach for women in the C suite, founders, entrepreneur...

Join Kemi as she shares a real-life scenario of unexpected childcare loss and how it prompted her to document the day on Instagram. What started as a glimpse into her life quickly turned into a powerful conversation about productivity, success, and the misconception that high achievers don't face disruptions.  This episode isn't just about managing chaos; it's a deep dive into takin...

In this episode, Kemi addresses an untapped skill: quitting! We have often given ourself jobs that we don’t consciously realize – and these roles can wreak havoc on your productivity, focus, and ability to make steady career progress. Today, Kemi talks about: The Cleanup Crew, The Happiness Committee, and the Voluntary Accounting Service. Listen in as Kemi challenges us to resign from these jobs A...

It's not sexy to talk about sacrifice these days, but we’re going there anyway. In this thought-provoking episode, Kemi shares her personal journey and relationship with sacrifice along her unusual and impactful career journey. She discusses navigating unpopular decisions both as a traditional academic medicine trainee and later as a non-traditional academic faculty. Taking us behind the scen...

Dr. Edwards is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine (BUSM). She maintains a clinical practice in hematology at Boston Medical Center (BMC) with a specific research interest in plasma cell disorders such as systemic immunoglobulin light chain (AL) amyloidosis. She is committed to improving the care of vulnerable patient populations using her translati...

As high achievers, we are driven by an automatic need to meet external expectations while balancing the pressure to prove ourselves with a NARROW margin of error. In this episode, Kemi emphasizes the importance of disentangling our intrinsic desires from the checkboxes and expectations set by others. She encourages us to embark on a journey toward a more fulfilling and sustainable career. To do th...

Welcome back to the show! Listen in as Kemi explores a fascinating topic—building self-trust. You may be very familiar with the tension between not wanting to succumb to external pressures and the innate desire for collaboration and connection with like-minded professionals as this is a journey that resonates deeply with many in academic medicine and public health. In this episode, Kemi offers a u...

In this eye-opening episode, Kemi passionately addresses the prevalent toxic culture in academic medicine and public health. Drawing inspiration from the book "Burn It Down," she unearths how the pursuit of success often leads to tolerance of toxic behavior in the name of results, creating a cycle that normalizes poor management skills, lack of organization, and inadequate communication....

This episode serves as a valuable guide for anyone seeking to optimize their career journey, find balance, and achieve long-term success! Tune in as Kemi delves into the concept of "patching the leaks" in your career. Using a metaphor of filling a pitcher, Kemi encourages us to examine our workloads, assess our energy drains, and make intentional choices to improve our career experiences...

Dr. Karlene Cunningham is a health psychologist and clinical associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at Brody School of Medicine. In the department, she wears several hats, including being the interim co-director of the Behavioral Medicine Division, the vice chair of diversity inclusion for the department, and the chair for all of the departments at the School o...

In this week's episode, Kemi continues her exploration of the faculty researcher and PI journey, focusing on a critical yet often overlooked aspect—the challenging seasons. With a mix of personal anecdotes and coaching insights, she reveals the normalcy of these tough phases and urges us to acknowledge that we are not alone in facing them. The episode emphasizes the importance of recognizing...

Calling all PIs and aspiring PIs – this episode is a must-listen. Tune in as Kemi walks us through the four essential phases of executing a project. You’ll hear her discuss the importance of not letting regret lead us to disrespect our prior efforts. Instead, we explore how to honor our work like a treasured keepsake, even if it's time to put it on the shelf. Remember, the end of one project...

Welcome back to the show, folks! You are in for a frank and enlightening conversation about a common scenario that many of us have found ourselves in. You know the situation: a friend rambles on about someone being head over heels for them, while you can see all the red flags waving. Well, it's time to apply the same scrutiny to our institutions. It's that awkward dance when someone or s...

Say goodbye to overwhelm and hello to focused success! In this episode, Kemi reveals the surprising path to productivity. Tune in as she takes us on a transformative journey through the power of intentional choices by sharing how this "choose less, do more" approach can lead to astonishing results, where quality work and fulfillment become the norm. And if you'd like to learn more f...

Dr. Sheila Rajagopal received her M.D. at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, during which she also received an M.P.H. in quantitative methods with a focus on genetic epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. She completed her internal medicine residency training at the University of Pittsburgh, a fellowship in hematology/oncology, and an additional fellowship year...

On this week's episode, Kemi reflects on a recent coaching group's quarterly gameplan call, revealing how high-achieving women of color in academic medicine and public health consistently navigate setbacks and emerge stronger. Listen in as Kemi shares the game-changing approach to setting goals, aligning intentions, and achieving meaningful milestones that drive your career forward. Read...

This week we are continuing our conversation on the significance of setting standards to achieve sustainable success aligned with our career mission. Don't miss out on this empowering discussion as Kemi shares how to discover the keys to recognizing toxic mentor relationships, embracing change, and achieving sustainable success in your career journey. If you missed Part 1, be sure to catch up...

In this episode, Kemi discusses the significance of setting standards to achieve sustainable success aligned with our career mission. She explains that the key to effective mentor relationships lies in honesty and clear communication. By being specific about their needs and expectations, mentees can assess the quality of the relationship and ensure it supports their growth. This is also true for m...

This episode is all about the intersection of motherhood and ambition, particularly for high-achieving Black women! We are so excited to welcome Dr. Tamorah Lewis to the podcast! Dr. Lewis is a physician-scientist (MD PhD), Division Head for Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology at SickKids in Toronto, Canada and is a proud mother of three children, Quinton (13), Lydia (10), and Elijah (6).   Liste...

We are naturally in professions where the culture is that the “ends justify the means.” We actually prize people who will put their comfort, their sleep, their family secondhand, and just work, work, work, work, work. This can be a very noble characteristic, but it's not sustainable. To get to a point in which our work is sustainable and very much aligned with our career mission, we simply ca...