Best Financial Repression Authority Podcasts (2025)

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What if Grammar Stopped Being Brussels Sprouts and Became Birthday Cake? Patty McGee on our Need for Great Grammar 26:08

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13d ago26:08

26:08

Patty McGee never cared for how grammar was taught to her at school. “It was always so strict, rigid, and not interesting at all.” After years as a teacher, Patty pledged to make grammar interesting for the kids she taught at school. From seeing such great results and children loving her approach, she co-wrote a book on grammar, one which we can ap…

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Female Mavericks Co-Founder Beth Mazza on AI Images, Women Founders, and Creative Potency 37:21

27d ago37:21

37:21

Co-Founder of Female Mavericks, Advisor, Coach and Cheerleader to Solopreneurs Beth Mazza joined the Sage Sayers the week before Thanksgiving, and I'm so glad she joined our show. Our paths crossed from her intriguing LinkedIn post which highlighted that AI searches of images of female founders often yielded images of men. As a mother of three daug…

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"Creativity is Everyone's Superpower." A Conversation with Wiley Author and CEO Advisor Leslie Grandy 43:18

1M ago43:18

43:18

Award-winning author, speaker, and CEO advisor Leslie Grandy guides teams, companies, and product leaders to leverage their creative thinking to elevate their organizations. She's worked across the entertainment, retail, and IT industries for the big giants whose names you'd know (including Amazon, Oracle, and Apple.) Although her book, "Creative V…

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"Life, Writing, and LinkedIn are just a series of Experiments." Content Creation Coach Cynthia Trevino on the confidence that comes from daring to stand out 32:57

2M ago32:57

32:57

Not often do I meet a fellow writer, entrepreneur, and problem solver like Content Creation Coach Cynthia Trevino. We met via LinkedIn after she liked something wild I put out there (a hype video for a workshop). I noticed her pithy, powerful title and headline she'd wisely crafted and invited her in for a chat. I love that Cynthia has reinvented, …

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Steven Puri on Finding our Flow, Meeting Management, and Connecting with Remote Audiences 30:23

2M ago30:23

30:23

Entrepreneur, almost new dad, and tech leader Steven Puri knows a lot about remote teams and work. He's led remote teams across multiple huge companies (including Fox, DreamWorks, and Sony) for 20 years. He's a daily yogi, an almost new dad, and also launched the Sukha Company helping remote workers focus, finish faster, and feel healthier. We disc…

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Actor, writer, and technologist Patrick Chou on improv as an antidote to public speaking fear in any conversation 28:52

3M ago28:52

28:52

My guest this episode is Patrick Chou. His career path has included a PhD from MIT and a thriving Silicon Valley career in the optical telecom business where he understands both the technology and business of pluggable optics. Patrick's also a writer and actor, which helps feed (along with his technology work) a quest to better understand how human…

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"There will always be someone who can't see your worth. Don't let it be you." Neeraj Juneja on storytelling and getting teams and leaders to connect 22:37

3M ago22:37

22:37

One thing I love about being a coach? Meeting other coaches, who are often just the loveliest, upbeat people--and thoughtful too. Coach Neeraj Juneja is a favorite new coaching friend this year who has already taught me so much. For ~20 years, Neeraj has worked at American Express, BCG, NatWest, and Axis Bank and has coached leaders for the last 6+…

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Consuelo Amat on state repression, developing civil society in authoritarian regimes, and showing empathy for those who emerge from them 27:44

4M ago27:44

27:44

My guest this week is John Hopkins University professor Consuelo Amat whose research interests include state repression, armed and unarmed resistance, political violence, and developing civil society in authoritarian regimes, with a focus on Latin America. In a delightful conversation, a first-time meeting, Consuelo tells us what started her on thi…

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How to be Brief With Your Brag 20:44

4M ago20:44

20:44

Requests for updates on our work can startle and befuddle us as communicators. Much pressure exists: We must be brief, clear, and on point with what the requester of information needs and wants. Communications strategy and self awareness on why we feel unconfident in that moment helps. This week’s episode shares all of that, including a framework f…

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58 and Unapologetic. Jacqueline Freeman on living her best years and rising up against ageism 39:41

5M ago39:41

39:41

My guest this week is Jacqueline Freeman, a New Zealander TV industry insider, a media strategist, and the unapologetic voice behind a platform thats rewriting what relevance looks like after 50. After her posts speaking out against ageism went viral, reaching 1 million views (and counting) her podcast interview with the Sage Sayers is her first af…

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Polly Leung on savings, financial planning, and cross-cultural learnings from Hong Kong and California 27:46

5M ago27:46

27:46

Polly Leung has long loved conversations on finance. She enjoys getting us talking and thinking about our money and planning ahead so we can enjoy our lives when retired, taking that time to travel. Her lesson on money came from growing up in Hong Kong and then starting over in her teens in California, US, moving here with her mother and siblings—a…

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College Sharks Lee Norwood on being ourselves, standing out, and not worrying about application videos 21:07

6M ago21:07

21:07

Business owner of College Sharks Lee Norwood helps break down the complexities of college admissions for thousands of college students. And she loves the lessons the teens teach her on humility, storytelling, grit, determination--all which they need to enter a college that will take them places. In a lively, unscripted interview, Lee shares her seg…

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Ease, flow, and public speaking fear 30:56

6M ago30:56

30:56

A recent live, online workshop I hosted reminded me of the power of grounding in our bodies, one sense at a time—-and with nature, my favorite tool and companion. A documentary essay of my last few hours before going live. Your show host, D G McCullough is a former reporter for the Guardian, the Economist, and the FT of London. She runs Hanging Roc…

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“My daughters remind me not to take myself too seriously” Nirav Patel on fatherhood, childhood lessons, and podcasting 29:46

7M ago29:46

29:46

British Marketing and Product GTM Leader, Nirav Patel, rejoins us on the Sage Sayers for an update on his life since our earlier episode. He’s now a podcaster, like me, five episodes into his show Unwinding Pursuits, and has learned a lot from his rich conversations with his guests. He’s still thriving as a leader and on Father’s Day weekend, refle…

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The gifts and folly in employing AI for your writings. A conversation with Mark DeSantis 23:55

7M ago23:55

23:55

Experts tell us AI writing adoption's now mainstream with 82% of businesses using AI tools for creating content. Good news for the AI market, now projected to reach a $1.8 trillion global AI market by 2030. And yet we know AI's not perfect at writing. In fact, partners I team with, like Maven, a popular platform for cohort-based learning where I'm …

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"I want women with endometriosis to feel less alone." Dr. Elise Wilkerson on endometriosis, truth, and loss 18:27

7M ago18:27

18:27

My guest this week is Dr. Elise Wilkerson, a culture champion in the workplace, an evaluator, educator, and researcher. Dr. Elise is also a woman eager to share her story with endometriosis, a condition impacting 1:10 women of reproductive age globally—an estimated 190 million. Its symptoms can cause pain and potential infertility, and yet what Eli…

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It’s not bragging if you can back it up 11:36

8M ago11:36

11:36

“It’s not bragging if you can back it up.” So said Muhammad Ali — the late boxer, social activist, and cultural icon known as The Greatest. He was right. And yet, too many of us shy away from bragging in our self-appraisals and self-assessments. We can default to vague, corporate language, light on specifics. Gems — the crowning achievements — get …

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“If you can’t tell a good story, you ought not be in leadership.” Mark DeSantis on storytelling and slide decks 35:43

8M ago35:43

35:43

You don’t get great at entrepreneurship without being an amazing storyteller. And Mark DeSantis, an entrepreneur whose robotics company was acquired by Kubota Corporation, is truly excellent. But not everyone embraces the opportunity of storytelling or knows they can bring these skills they use with their kids, those they love, or friends to work. …

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Baritone Stephen Lancaster: “Be thankful for your voice. Nobody else has it. Let the world hear it.” 25:50

9M ago25:50

25:50

My guest this week is Stephen Lancaster. He’s a vocal artist, baritone, and teacher who has performed song recitals in New York, Paris, Berlin, and Gstaad. Media like Fanfare Magazine describe him as “varied in tone and alive to feeling,” and having invited him to the Sage Sayers, we fully agree. In our delightful conversation, Stephen, who is also…

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Ask like a boss. Mastering the art of asking powerful questions 11:08

9M ago11:08

11:08

Listening well goes beyond silent, bobbing heads and affirming mm-hmm's. If we really want to listen deeply, we must ask powerful questions that invoke and invite reflection, eureka moments, and pause. We've not an exhaustive list here; but in this week's episode I'm offering up my top ten tips to asking questions that help create space, inspire ne…

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Why (and how) I interrupt others less 12:57

10M ago12:57

12:57

Interrupting others before they’re done with their conversation turn brands us poorly in most situations. Coaching has shown me just how much I interrupt and for surprising reasons that bring pink to my cheeks. Sometimes it’s arrogance, thinking I’ve a better or grander idea. Sometimes it’s sloppy coaching and a poor habit I’ve cultivated from bein…

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Fashion model Gina Magro on pulling ourselves together in a cinch 29:32

10M ago29:32

29:32

Select Model Management fashion model, Gina Magro, never cared much for fashion growing up. Like your show host, she enjoyed casual clothes and exploring more than prancing. “I placed a lot of value on comfort so I could climb and move with freedom,” she recalls. Today (with both Select Milan, Paris, and Chicago, and ELITE NYC) she graces runways i…

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Listening in deeper ways reminds me of roaming New Zealand’s hills as a girl: Freedom 18:37

11M ago18:37

18:37

Two weeks ago, I coached and listened in deeper ways that will stay with me forever. I felt deeply connected to my coachee. And she to me. I slowed things down. As did she. I poured in very little. In fact, I only asked questions. I mirrored back. I got deeply curious. I noticed inconsistencies between her non-verbal cues and her words, but without…

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Entrepreneur Mark DeSantis on Brevity, Storytelling, and Captivating vs Selling Audiences on LinkedIn 32:48

11M ago32:48

32:48

Few LinkedIn bios are as concise as Mark DeSantis whose title alone sits within one word: Entrepreneur. Of course, he is so much more. Mark teaches entrepreneurship at Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business. And his robotics business, Bloomfield Robotics, got on the radar of Kubota Corporation, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of farm …

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Know your strengths. Boost your confidence. Why Lindsay Moskovitz loves Clifton Strengths 20:05

12M ago20:05

20:05

We've oodles of assessments available to understand our strengths; but People Development Strengths Coach Lindsay Moskovitz loves Gallup's Clifton Strengths assessment because the clarity that the report reveals feels pretty "spot on" and profound. She's even built her coaching career around helping teams harness the wisdom from the assessment to e…

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My comfort with strangers. Musings from my girlhood travels 14:59

1y ago14:59

14:59

I once took a 20+ hour journey from New Zealand to Malaysia at age 11 with minimal assistance aside from a sibling, the occasional airline chaperone, and then my Mum from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur. It felt very defining then as it feels today and brings me fodder on how and I why I grew so comfortable speaking with and being around strangers. I’m r…

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Why and how do I podcast? Musings from Coaches Anita Rodriguez, DG McCullough, and Dotun Ayeni 37:13

1y ago37:13

37:13

Many of us listen to eight podcasts a week and three to four million podcasts exist globally (depending on how you define them). I host two bi-weekly podcasts: the Sage Sayers and Competency No 5. Both bring me joy, help me keep my ad hoc presentation skills fresh, and allow me to interview really interesting people—giving them the spotlight. In th…

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Bringing Londoners together. Meet Coach Amy and Coach Malvika, founders of the Coven 28:57

1y ago28:57

28:57

When London-based coaches Malvika Joshi and Amy Outterside went on independent travels, they both struggled reconnecting with friends upon their return. “Many had moved on— and I too had changed,” Joshi recalls. And yet few places to meet like-minded people (beyond pubs) existed, even though London’s huge. With few trusting one another at work eith…

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Meet Coach Xhoni Mimillari, the LinkedIn Coach helping you build your brand (and business) via LinkedIn 27:59

1y ago27:59

27:59

LinkedIn boasts over 1 billion users across 200+ countries and 220 million of those exist in the US alone. But many super smart and articulate professionals struggle building their business or brand there. I get to hear all kinds of blockers from my clients: Fear of seeming stupid, fear of hatred or scorn, fear of seeming 'showy' or smart aleck-y, …

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Jon Arnold: “I’ve bad moments, but no more bad days. Any day alive’s a good one.” 21:24

1y ago21:24

21:24

Almost 50% of U.S. military experience one or more injury each year, according to the Defense Health Agency, and injuries result in 2,000,000 medical encounters annually across military services. The most extreme, deployment-related amputations, are harder to track; but since 2001, the Department of Defense has cared for over 63,000 beneficiaries o…

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How (and why) to say “no” to unnoticed favors—and any work way beyond our remit 12:21

1y ago12:21

12:21

I hear you, dear friends, coachees, and community. Too many requests upon you. Not enough time to get stuff done. And certainly not enough time for the work that really sets you apart. In this week’s Sage Sayer’s podcast, learn tips and tools to say ‘no’ vs. ‘yes’ to the things that bog you down and get in your way of your greater legacy work and y…

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Barbara Reveron on heritage, parental lessons, and confidence 22:40

1+ y ago22:40

22:40

How do we build our confidence as leaders when our heritage and lessons from our elders don’t quite align with the confidence we need and see around us? Marketing consultant, Barbara Reveron, ponders on this idea when reflecting on how her Puerto Rican parents raised her to do well at work. It’s a delightful conversation which chronicles Barbara’s …

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End your meetings early. Listen actively 10:43

1+ y ago10:43

10:43

Meetings can drain most of us. New leaders tasked with connecting and growing their teams endure endless 1:1’s with their team and peer leaders. Without blocked off time for thinking and tasking, empty slots on shared calendars attract invitations like mosquitoes at a nudist beach. Many find that active listening can help; meaning, listening with a…

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Leadership and life lessons learned from taking a 4-week break: Jessica Pelegio 23:46

1+ y ago23:46

23:46

Like most professionals, PTO brings up mixed feelings for NY-based Head of Technical Program Management, Jessica Pelegio: fear of falling back, fear of burdening others, or fear of a deluge of of work when coming back. The Pew Research Center tells us many professionals in the U.S. do not take their full paid time off for these very same reasons, B…

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Introduce ourselves in less ho-hum ways. Reporting tools to the rescue 11:51

1+ y ago11:51

11:51

Professionals all over wonder how to introduce themselves, especially to new bosses, teams, or a recruiter — even to new friends. Introductions (done well) become conversation starters, build connections, even elevate our personal brand. But how do we talk about our work — and life — in ways that stand out and align with our personality and values?…

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“Connect technology to peoples' daily life. They'll get it.” CTO Advisor Suhail Syed on demystifying jargon and daring to dream 29:15

1+ y ago29:15

29:15

When Silicon Valley-based CTO advisor Suhail Syed tells his dear mother back in India about his work helping companies grow business revenue through using products in the cloud, she looks up to the sky. "She's wondering what’s there," Suhail recalls. This sweet story reminds us of the need to clarify any jargon we use and stay audience centered, to…

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A short story about my New Zealand grandmother rescued my otherwise abysmal presentation 21:24

1+ y ago21:24

21:24

Fear of public speaking has certainly intensified. I first knew this point because my clients kept telling me so. I confirmed the phenomena for sure when I allowed myself recently to feel that intense fear once more, presenting on active listening to a live audience, with a story and a live coaching session within. My essay and musings on being kno…

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“If I see others struggle, I build a bot to help them” Marketer, Builder, and Innovator Simone Morellato on the joys of AI 25:25

1+ y ago25:25

25:25

My guest today is marketer, builder, and innovator Simone Morellato, an Italian born technologist and marketer based in the Bay Area, California. Having long worked as a marketer for some of the world’s largest IT firms, Simone’s become expert at many things: communicating and demystifying tech for high-stakes audiences, launching beautiful product…

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“Football has built me into a leader.” Defensive Lineman Nicholas McCullough on getting into Harvard 16:39

1+ y ago16:39

16:39

With some bias perhaps, I think Muskego Highschool’s varsity footballer here in Wisconsin, Nicholas McCullough’s, an impressive teen. He’s the youngest captain in the Muskego Warrior’s team history. He coaches and mentors younger kids on leadership, and is ranked best in his state for his age and position. The bias comes from him being my son and I…

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Kenza Fourati on challenging brands and finding joy and learning from her Tunisian shoe business 22:21

1+ y ago22:21

22:21

My guest this week is Kenza Fourati, a Tunisian fashion model in New York, U.S. who’s co-launched a shoe business that’s done very well, teaching she and her co-founders many lessons along the way. The business employs local Tunisian shoemakers, helping keep a craft alive, repurposes leather that would otherwise go to waste, and brings comfortable,…

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“You build your brand by getting in front of people.” Hyacinth Tucker, Owner of the Laundry Basket 21:26

1+ y ago21:26

21:26

Hyacinth Tucker always loved people, enterprise, and community when growing up in Jamaica. Here in the states, she’s found a way to channel that love through her new venture, the Laundry Basket, an on-demand mobile laundry and dry cleaning delivery company in Maryland, U.S. In a short time, she’s scaled, gained a considerable client base, and gaine…

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What fashion models can teach us about leadership and stage presence 10:57

1+ y ago10:57

10:57

I'm still swooning over the delightful Chicagoans I met on a recent April visit. (They're the nicest and most open people ever!) In another ad-hoc interview, we learn from Gina Magro, a fashion model adorned in an $8.5k leather Carolina Herrera gown, on how to focus when on stage. She's also expert on seeming open, calming our mind, and showing neu…

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“A great communicator really understands their audience.” Product leader Nupur Thakur on demystifying tech 20:55

1+ y ago20:55

20:55

My guest this week is product, strategy, and operations leader Nupur Thakur who has spent a greater part of her career ensuring that leaders and customers understand her technology well. In a lovely conversation from her Bay Area, SF base, she unpacks what’s helped her understand her audience and how she breaks down and demystifies technical topics…

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“I’m married to my violin” John Chang on the gifts from music and managing audition jitters 22:27

1+ y ago22:27

22:27

John Chang moved to the U.S. from a balmy part of China with one core goal: To perform violin for orchestras. His practicing’s intense and rigorous as are his auditions. We spoke a few days after auditioning for Chicago’s opera where he and other players must perform their excerpts to faceless judges separated from the musician by a black curtain. …

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“My dad’s my first coach.” Abhijeet Patil on heritage, leadership, and writing 30:35

2y ago30:35

30:35

North Carolina-based executive architect Abhijeet Patil has long led complex hybrid cloud initiatives for Fortune 500s and loved the challenge. A recent self-generated challenge to write in the public space—his “writing spree”— has helped him discover the joy, clarity, and courage that comes from expressing ourselves in the written word. He’s also …

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“I find joy in improving people’s health” Jill Staudacher on pharma, alternative medicine, and sisterhood 26:18

2y ago26:18

26:18

Jill Staudacher has spent the best part of her career in pharmaceutical sales; but since COVID she’s felt drawn additionally to alternative ways to heal—both herself, her family, and friends as well. In this timely interview, from my Muskego, Wisconsin base, Jill shares her journey into a powerful career selling excellent medicines to finding a gro…

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How to make the important words fit. 10 cruel but powerful résumé edits 14:48

2y ago14:48

14:48

If you’ve reworked your resume recently via Resume IO, Canva, or (my favorite platform: My Perfect Resume.com) you’ll see the creative challenge in describing our work efforts, skills, and triumphs within a few words. The summary section on Resume IO rations a cruel 200 characters. The work experience for each role? Three bullets, each worth 200 ch…

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“You know when it’s time for career change. Listen for it. You know.” Rebecca Perreault on changing our work, outlook, and life 19:15

2y ago19:15

19:15

My guest this week has reinvented herself multiple times through multiple life stages—even focuses of her study, career, and the way she chooses to live her life. Her name’s Rebecca, and after several decades in the corporate world—most recently in a high-powered supply chain role—she’s decided to step down, change her focus, and move away from the…

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How (and why) to hook and compel your audience in a minute—or less 15:25

2y ago15:25

15:25

As we rise closer to the top-tier audiences of the companies where we serve, hooking and compelling our audience in our opening sentences feels vital. I know, because I’ve needed to cut to the chase when interviewing experts and executives for articles I’ve written — or anyone with power and visibility. I find this audience more rushed than rude an…

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How Do We Share Our Successes When Data is Scant? 12:28

2y ago12:28

12:28

Job seekers and those on the rise within their org need data. Numbers and trends within those numbers quantify how we excel at our craft and trade, become proof, and help paint a story — a vision — of success we can bring our future employer or team. But at least 50% of the coachees I coach struggle here because not enough time has passed to show t…