To The Top: Inspirational Career Advice

Ryan Hawk is widely known as hosting the most dynamic leadership podcast where he's interviewed 350 of the most forward thinking leaders. He's published a new book titled Welcome to Management which is the guide book he wishes he had when he was promoted from an individual contributor to a management role. Admittedly, he was ill prepared. His book should be handed to new managers and would be a great asset to those thinking of management or existing ones wanting to compare notes. --- This episode is brought to you by Anker, the leading provider of chargers, cables, and power banks. (www.anker.com) --- Text START to 345345 to join my newsletter for the latest updates --- Send questions/comments to omaid@omaid.me

Bryan Barr is the President of SC30 Inc. where he partners with Stephen Curry and oversees his brand, investment strategy, and philanthropy. He and Stephen were college roommates while they played basketball at Davidson. In this episode we discuss: -We unpack the lessons Bryant learned while working at Nike, The Stanford Graduate School of Business, and founding his own startup -The added pressure of being Stephen Curry's best friend and being the president of SC30 Inc. -We discuss their investment in Palm and how they are aiming to create a new category of devices to keep people connected to their phones, but not consumed -We also talk about the things Bryant does to be more mindful and present around the people that matter most --- This episode is brought to you by Timbuk2 bags (www.timbuk2.com) --- Text START to 345345 to join my newsletter for the latest updates --- Send questions or comments to omaid@omaid.me  

Chris Herren's story was publicized in 2011 through an ESPN 30 for 30 documentary titled Unguarded. It was the story of his rise and sudden fall of his professional basketball career due to substance abuse. The film also shows how Chris turned his life around. Over the years, Chris has been telling his new story. The First Day is the evolution of that talk where he weaves in his experiences but truly makes it about the students he's speaking to and about their struggles. His superpower is the ability to connect with these students -- and everyone should watch this film. In this episode: -Chris and I discuss why he made The First Day film and the impact he believes it can make -Jonathan Hock, the producer of The First Day, and I discuss the backstory of this documentary and the initial film he produced about Chris titled Unguarded -Watch the trailer for The First Day  --- This episode is brought to you by HANDL New York (www.handlnewyork.com) ---  Text START to 345345 to join my newsletter for the latest updat

Mike Tyson is the former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and also became the youngest boxer to win the title at 20 years old. His career had a resurgence after the movie The Hangover a decade ago. Later, he partnered with Spike Lee where he starred in his autobiographical Broadway show titled Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth. In this episode we discuss: -How his mentor impacted his life -How he prepared for big matches -His self talk prior to a fight and more.. --- This episode is brought to you by HANDL New York (www.handlnewyork.com) ---  Text START to 345345 to join my newsletter for the latest updates --- Send questions or comments to omaid@omaid.me  

Scott Galloway is a professor of brand strategy at Stern NYU and an entrepreneur. He successfully sold his last company, L2, to Gartner. He's recently published two books, one of them titled The Algebra of Happiness with the subtitle Notes on the Pursuit of Success, Love, and Meaning. In this episode we discuss: -Why some people with all the resources fail to lead a meaningful life -The number one thing in a person's life that can predict unhappiness -The two most significant attributes of entrepreneurs  -Why nothing truly great will happen unless you take risks -Whether or not you should go to business school and more.. --- This episode is sponsored by Timbuk2, a San Francisco-based creator of stylish and highly functional bags. www.timbuk2.com --- Send questions or comments to omaid@omaid.me    

Julie Zhuo is the VP of Design at Facebook. She started her career as an intern and became a rookie manager at 25. At the time, she felt unprepared for her new role. She published a book titled The Making of a Manager which is a practical guide that new managers can use to apply the tools and confidence they need to lead a great team. Seasoned managers can also compare notes by reading this book with one of the leading designers in Silicon Valley. In this episode we discuss: -How you know whether or not you want to manage people -How to evaluate the health of your team as a manager -The hardest path to becoming a manager and more.. --- This episode is brought to you by Timbuk2, a San Francisco-based creator of intuitive, stylish and personalized bags who have been creating bags in the heart of the Mission District since 1989. Check them out online at www.timbuk2.com  --- email comments or questions to omaid@omaid.me

To football fans Ricky Williams is known as a Heisman Trophy Winner and two-time All American at Texas. He's scored many touchdowns during his 12-year career in the NFL. In 2004, he retired at the peak of his career. He returned to the NFL with his future in mind and treated his work as his craft to set himself up for his next career. Ricky is becoming well-known for his work as a holistic healer, a journey that began nearly 15 years ago after his first retirement from the NFL. He has immersed himself in the study of evolutionary astrology as well as other healing modalities including Ayurvedic medicine, cranial sacral therapy, meditation, pranic healing and yoga. Ricky is currently pursuing his doctorate in Chinese medicine and continues to help people around the world gain a deeper understanding of their lives through his evolutionary astrology practice.  In this episode we discuss: -Parenting & relationships -How he redefined his careeer -Ricky reads my astrology chart --- email omaid@omaid.me with com

To football fans Ricky Williams is known as a Heisman Trophy Winner and two-time All American at Texas. He's scored many touchdowns during his 12-year career in the NFL. In 2004, he retired at the peak of his career. He returned to the NFL with his future in mind and treated his work as his craft to set himself up for his next career. Ricky is becoming well-known for his work as a holistic healer, a journey that began nearly 15 years ago after his first retirement from the NFL. He has immersed himself in the study of evolutionary astrology as well as other healing modalities including Ayurvedic medicine, cranial sacral therapy, meditation, pranic healing and yoga. Ricky is currently pursuing his doctorate in Chinese medicine and continues to help people around the world gain a deeper understanding of their lives through his evolutionary astrology practice.  In this episode we discuss: -What led him to retire from the NFL in 2004 -How he defines success and who he believes in the most successful professional h

Karla Starr has written for O, The Atlantic, Slate, Popular Science, the Guardian, and the Los Angeles Times, and appeared on CBS Sunday Morning as an expert on luck. The recipient of a Best Science/Health award from the Society of Professional Journalists, she lives in New York and spends an inordinate amount of time lifting heavy things. Her first book, Can You Learn to Be Lucky? Why Some People Seem to Win More Often Than Others, was published by Penguin in 2018. She has since co-authored The Hilton Effect with Made to Stick co-author Chip Heath. Starr currently helps organizations foster lucky traits in their employees and business practices. In this episode we discuss: -How to nail a first impression -The benefits of going last in an interview -Tips to become the safe choice in a job search -Networking advice for introverts -Why it’s important not to outshine the hiring manager -When beauty can be a liability in your job hunt -How to cultivate more confidence -How to embrace your inner Kanye West -Why it

Scott Shute is at the heart of LinkedIn's quest to create a culture of compassionate leadership, serving as the Head of Mindfulness and Compassion Programs. The programs are in service to the employees, building characteristics like emotional intelligence, resilience, and a better sense of well-being. This ultimately translates to a better experience for LinkedIn's customers. As a mindful leader, he has cultivated his mastery of meditation and awareness from his early days farming with his family in rural Kansas to leading thousands in meditation in Silicon Valley and beyond. Scott's journey has led him from an engineering degree, to sales leadership, impacting thousands of employees at LinkedIn, all weaved in with his love of photography.  In this episode we discuss: -Why it's important to have a mindfulness practice and how you can develop one that works for you -How to think about work-life integration vs work-life balance -His advice for a first time manager of people -Ideas to lead better meetings and mo

Laura Vanderkam is the author of several time management and productivity books. Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done(Portfolio, May 29, 2018) explores, through more than 900 time diaries collected on a single March day, why some busy people feel relaxed about time, while others do not. I Know How She Does It: How Successful Women Make the Most of Their Time (Portfolio, 2015) tackles the question of how women combine work and life through an analysis of 1001 days in the lives of women with demanding careers and children at home. What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast (Portfolio, 2013) profiles prominent people who use time creatively to achieve their goals. 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think (Portfolio, 2010) argues that time is best approached from the holistic perspective of a week (168 hours) rather than any single day. Laura is also the author of a time management fable, Juliet’s School of Possibilities, which will be released by Portfolio in early 2019. Another nov

A.J. Jacobs is a renowned NYC author, journalist, lecturer and human guinea pig. He has written four New York Times bestsellers that combine memoir, science, humor and a dash of self-help. He is also editor at large at Esquire magazine, a commentator on NPR and a columnist for Mental Floss magazine. He immerses himself in experiences and lives to tell about it. His book The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible has over 1,000 reviews on Amazon.  He has given several TED talks, including ones about living biblically, creating a one-world family, and living healthily. He recently published Thanks A Thousand: A Gratitude Journey which is about his quest to thank everyone who had something to do with creating his cup of morning coffee including the farmers to the lid manufacturer and everyone in-between. This is a story about gratitude and there are many important lessons through his journey. --- Email comments or questions to me at omaid@omaid.me and join

Mike Grossman has been a CEO in Silicon Valley for over 25 years. He's built companies from the ground up, had successful exits, while having to make potentially compromising decisions.  The stakes were high early on, Mike was in a predicament where the only way an investor fund his company was if he fired his best friend and business partner. At the time, Mike just had a baby and he was living off his savings. These are the kinds of decisions and stories Mike shares during his career.  In this episode we discuss: -The traits of the best leaders -How his mentor helped shape him to become a CEO -Critical decisions he's faced as a CEO in Silicon Valley and more.. --- email questions or comments to omaid@omaid.me and sign up for the newsletter for the latest updates at www.omaid.me   

Coach Ron Nash has worked with thousands of people to help them gain clarity and to show them the secret strategies on LinkedIn they need to land a job. He's certified in Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) and has been executive recruiting for 20 years. He's also published several books and developed courses to help people maximize LinkedIn and to find their dream job. In this episode we discuss: -How to leverage LinkedIn to network -Coach Ron's six step framework for your career -How to networked on LinkedIn to develop a partnership with Cesar Milan, The Dog Whisperer --- Sign up for my newsletter for the latest updates and inspirational career advice at omaid.me and email questions/comments to omaid@omaid.me

Calvin Chen is an executive leadership coach who specializes in emotional intelligence for high performance, leadership, and happiness. He used to work for Tony Robbins and then launched his own coaching business. Calvin is a renaissance man. He earned a BS in Bioinformatics from UC San Diego and he has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. His coaching has also yielded a first-round knockout in the UFC. With over ten years of coaching experience and a certification in NLP and other coaching certifications -- Calvin works with professionals to achieve peak performance. In this episode we discuss: -What he's learned from having immigrant parents -Why he decided not to pursue science -How he worked for Tony Robbins -The qualities of the most successful achievers he's coached and more.. --- Email questions or comments to omaid@omaid.me and visit www.omaid.me to sign up for the free newsletter for the latest updates

Kirsten is the Chief Marketing Officer at Convey Inc. which is a supply chain software company based in Austin, TX. She was formerly a Gartner analyst where she advised marketing executives across the country. She has held executive roles at Hubspot, Solar Winds, and many other technology companies. Kirsten attended Cornell and earned her MBA from MIT, which is one of the difficult and technical schools in the world. In this episode we discuss: -Why she decided to attend MIT -How she positioned herself to change industries (and you can too) -Habits of high performers -Career advice she'd give to a young professional and more.. --- Questions and comments email omaid@omaid.me and visit www.omaid.me for the latest episodes  

Martin Kihn is an accomplished writer and one of the most in-demand marketing experts in the field of advertising. One of his books was titled House of Lies based on his experience as a management consultant which was turned into a TV show on Showtime and starred Don Cheadle. Marty received his Bachelor's from Yale and his MBA from Colombia. He was also the head writer for the popular MTV show, Pop-up Video. He recently spent the past 5 years as a marketing analyst at Gartner, and he's currently the VP of Research at Dentsu Aegis Network. In this episode we deconstruct many career lessons from Marty's multi-dimensional background. We also discuss: -How to view your career over time -How his first book, House of Lies, became a hit TV show  -How he sold his second book for a half million dollars to Warner Bros -How to avoid burnout and more.. --- For comments or questions please e-mail me at omaid@omaid.me and visit www.omaid.me for the latest episodes  

Michael Mina is an award-winning chef based in San Francisco who has built an empire with over 40 restaurants around the world. He was the executive chef at AQUA from 1993-2002 and his flagship restaurant, MICHAEL MINA is a Michelin two-star establishment. He has been a featured guest chef at the James Beard House numerous times; cooked for three U.S. presidents: Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama; and has been a guest speaker at C.I.A. in Hyde Park and at other culinary institutes in California.            We discuss: How Michael's persistence led to his big break How he was able to get Andre Agassi to become his investment partner The highs of being awarded two Michelin stars and the lows of losing one How he has mentored and partnered Ayesha Curry Advice he has for surrounding yourself with a great team and more.. ---  Email questions or comments to omaid@omaid.me

Ryan Hawk is the host of The Learning Leader Show which is a world class podcast where he's interviewed 250 of the most thoughtful leaders including Simon Sinek, Seth Godin, Adam Grant, and Kat Cole.  Ryan currently heads up the Leadership Advisory team at Brixey & Meyer. His background in sales leadership and management make him the perfect guest to discuss how to best transition into a management or leadership position. ----- e-mail questions or comments to omaid@omaid.me

Phil Jones is a world-class sales trainer and best-selling author. He began a career in sales at a young age and eventually developed his own sales training workshop. Fast forward and he's delivered thousands of keynote speeches and published two incredible books. Phil and I dig deep into his book titled "Exactly What to Say" and he provides his insight around other questions I ask such as how to build trust and how to disarm decision makers during the sales process. ---  e-mail questions or comments to omaid@omaid.me