The Blind Ambition with Jack Kelly
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The Blind Ambition with Jack Kelly provides a candid look into the top companies in business and tech. Go behind the scenes with industry and workplace leaders and explore work culture, what it takes to land a role at these companies, and how to build, scale and thrive in your career. Hosted by Jack Kelly and Rick Chen and presented by the professional social network Blind.
119 Episodes
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Valerie Beaulieu, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at The Adecco Group
Valerie explains her secret to a remarkable career journey, what she calls her "career backpack," which landed her in the c-suite and on the boards of various public companies and organizations.
We look at when Microsoft was a startup and what it was like working in the tech industry when everyone was unsure if it would go anywhere.
Valerie explains how she became the chief marketing officer at Microsoft and the international moves and career pivots along the way. She also explains the skills and relationships she had to build and how we can replicate her career path today.
This episode of "The Blind Ambition with Jack Kelly" is brought to you by our sponsors, MobSquad and BetterHelp.
If you were unsuccessful in the H-1B visa lottery, MobSquad can help. Learn more at mobsquad.io/blindambition.
BetterHelp offers affordable online therapy on a flexible schedule. Visit betterhelp.com/teamblind for 20% off your first month.
https://bit.ly/blindpodcast
Senior Director, U.S. Business Acceleration and Integration at RBC
Annette tells us how to communicate with executives and what it takes to influence them and drive impact. She also shares how to get started, including everything from networking and meeting CEOs and other c-suite executives at your own company to what to say when you want to get their attention.
We also find out what it was like as the first in her family to graduate from college and make a career in the finance industry. Annette shares the support and mentorship opportunities available for newcomers to the finance industry and her top recommendations about how to get noticed by some of the top hedge funds and Wall Street firms, like Citadel and Goldman Sachs.
This episode of "The Blind Ambition with Jack Kelly" is brought to you by our sponsors, MobSquad and BetterHelp.
If you were unsuccessful in the H-1B visa lottery, MobSquad can help. Learn more at mobsquad.io/blindambition.
BetterHelp offers affordable online therapy on a flexible schedule. Visit betterhelp.com/teamblind for 20% off your first month.
https://bit.ly/blindpodcast
Ben Morss, Product Manager at Zocdoc
Ben shares his nontraditional career path, from studying computer science and music to working as a software engineer, developer advocate, and now product manager.
Ben also reveals that many of his colleagues at Google had nontraditional work experience or had to apply multiple times before landing a role at the Internet giant. He shares their common traits and professional experiences. Next, we also explore how to get matched to different teams and business units at Google and how he practiced to pass the Google product manager interview.
This episode of "The Blind Ambition with Jack Kelly" is brought to you by our sponsors, MobSquad and BetterHelp.
If you were unsuccessful in the H-1B visa lottery, MobSquad can help. Learn more at mobsquad.io/blindambition.
BetterHelp offers affordable online therapy on a flexible schedule. Visit betterhelp.com/teamblind for 20% off your first month.
https://bit.ly/blindambitionpodcast
Ginnie Carlier, Americas Vice Chair, Talent at EY
Ginnie reflects on the best professional advice she's ever received: You need to have an adventurous mindset. We explore how adventure and a willingness to step outside your comfort zone can unlock new career opportunities. Ginnie explains how she put the advice into practice and how it landed her hot roles in Silicon Valley, working on high-tech IPO transactions and getting international experience in a new role in the Middle East.
We also discover what it takes to stand out as a candidate at EY. Ginnie recalls her best interview and why it was with someone with a non-traditional background for a "Big Four" firm. She breaks down the application and what turned the resume into a must-read and must-interview, which is especially important as EY received more than 1 million applications worldwide last year!
This episode of "The Blind Ambition with Jack Kelly" is brought to you by our sponsors, MobSquad and BetterHelp.
If you were unsuccessful in the H-1B visa lottery, MobSquad can help. Learn more at mobsquad.io/blindambition.
BetterHelp offers affordable online therapy on a flexible schedule. Visit betterhelp.com/teamblind for 20% off your first month.
https://bit.ly/blindpodcast
The Honorable Mark Takano of the U.S. House of Representatives
Congressman Mark Takano recently introduced a bill called the Thirty-Two-Hour Workweek Act, which would amend the definition of the workweek in the federal Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. If passed into law, it would require overtime pay for anyone who works more than 32 hours in one week, down from the current 40.
Congressman Takano explains why we might have AI, the COVID-19 pandemic and JPMorgan Chase chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon to thank for the U.S. being closer than ever to a four-day workweek.
The Democrat from California also shares how a 32-hour workweek might work in practice and how it could lead to the creation of more jobs, higher pay, and unexpected economic activity. Finally, he outlines what's needed for everything to become a reality.
https://bit.ly/blindpodcast
Jack Kelly and Rick Chen react to news that Glassdoor wants your real name. We explore the company's privacy practices and whether company reviews and other information posted to Glassdoor are really anonymous.
Jack explains the real-life repercussions of being outed about posts made on Glassdoor and social media and why anonymity matters. Finally, Rick gives Glassdoor some PR advice about how they could rebuild trust with their users and other professionals.
This episode of "The Blind Ambition with Jack Kelly" is brought to you by our sponsor, MobSquad. If you're unsuccessful in the upcoming H-1B lottery, MobSquad can help. Learn more at mobsquad.io/blindambition.
https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/mhe5kscq
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackkellywecruitr
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chenrick
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/03/glassdoor-adding-users-real-names-job-info-to-profiles-without-consent/
https://www.wired.com/story/glassdoor-wants-to-know-your-real-name/
Rick Chen, Senior Director, Head of Public Relations at Blind
Rick never set out to work in public relations or communications. Instead, he took his teachers' feedback about disrupting class and combined it with a willingness to take on the tasks and jobs few others want to do.
We explore how Rick became a PR executive from the very beginning when he taught himself how to write a press release for the first time to build trust with CEOs, executives, and other principals in his coaching. He also shares why a humble approach and willingness to defer gratification can pay off in your career. Finally, we find out how executives and the busiest people might respond to your cold email asking for advice, an informational interview, or even a sale.
This episode of "The Blind Ambition with Jack Kelly" is brought to you by our sponsor, MobSquad. If you're unsuccessful in the upcoming H-1B lottery, MobSquad can help. Learn more at mobsquad.io/blindambition.
https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/d2qia9ct
Disha Patel, Head of Shopping Product at Cash App
Disha explains why finding a craft and refining it over time is essential. It's how she's evolved her career, first as an engineer and then as a management consultant and a product head. We dig into what practicing a craft looks like and how to know if you have the right network and role to thrive.
Disha also shares how she earned her most challenging promotion. We break everything down, including who her manager was, what she did in her role before the promotion, the impact she demonstrated, and why a focus on landing a promotion or pay bump wasn't the catalyst for the big career move.
https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/1zhwur04
Heather Inocencio, Founder and CEO of The Product Consult
Heather is a sought-after product management consultant with more than 30 years of product management experience at large public companies and high-growth consumer startups, including The RealReal and HauteLook. We got her to share the details about how the product management discipline has evolved and what it was like to be a product manager as the internet blew up to what it is today.
Heather shares what many CEOs and startup founders get wrong about product management and what it really takes to succeed as a product manager. She explains how to find product manager-company fit and why a company with product-market fit might not have one. We also explore the common reasons product managers fail or leave companies and the secret that the best product managers have that can take them to the c-suite.
https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/cwmx8fu5
Jack Kelly, Founder and CEO of Compliance Search Group
In this episode, we flip the script and interview our co-host, Jack Kelly!
Jack did not always know he wanted to be a recruiter. Instead, he stumbled upon it after visiting a recruiting agency and having a friend recommend he meet someone in the business.
We look into the economics of recruiting and how many recruiters get their jobs. Then, we explore how Jack started recruiting for Wall Street banks, hedge funds and investment management firms when it was not always obvious it would be lucrative to do so and the work needed to start your own business. Finally, he shares his best tips on how you should approach your pay and why demonstrating passion in your next job interview might be what you need to land the offer.
https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/8buc7blo
Jack Kelly and Rick Chen explore what happened with Google's well-publicized blunders with its Gemini AI model. Rick explains what likely happened behind the scenes that resulted in the image generator creating odd illustrations and distorting the reality of historical events.
Next, Jack asks if Big Tech and the "Magnificent Seven" group of stocks—Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla—might be in a stage of complacency as growth in their share prices continues. Rick shares how some verified Nvidia professionals on Blind are getting paid and why some are already coasting.
https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/mhe5kscq
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackkellywecruitr
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chenrick
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/02/22/google-gemini-ai-image-generation-pause/
https://www.businessinsider.com/nvidia-employees-rich-happy-problem-insiders-say-2023-12
https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/booming-stock-and-sky-high-pay-nvidia-is-silicon-valleys-hot-employer-e4fb6c20
Arvind Jain, Founder and CEO of Glean
Arvind spent more than 10 years at Google, going from one of the company's first engineers when it was a startup to becoming a distinguished engineer. We find out just how he earned the promotions and what it took to land the title fewer than 1% of all engineers ever earn, including the tips and tricks many senior engineers try to take and why they might not work.
We also explore why Arvind decided to leave Google and start different companies. Arvind shares his best advice on when to leave a comfortable job and the necessary insight you might need to launch a startup and lead it to a successful exit or meaningful business as its founder.
https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/5f1uzgkp
Justin Zhu, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Stand with Asian Americans
Michelle Lee, Counsel at Stand with Asian Americans
Asian Americans make up a large proportion of the U.S. professional workforce, but often, they are one of the least represented groups at every leadership level. Justin and Michelle describe how Stand with Asian Americans is fighting back and advocating for Asian Americans in the workforce and daily life.
We also explore how Justin and Michelle transitioned to political advocacy from their prestigious jobs as a unicorn founder and CEO and Big Law attorney, respectively, and how their experiences with racial discrimination shaped their work today.
https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/gd91j9u0
Bonnie Dilber, Manager, Business Recruiting at Zapier
Bonnie leads the business recruiting team at Zapier, focusing on roles in the finance, sales, marketing, people, operations, support, legal and leadership teams. We dig into her untraditional background and why teachers might make the best recruiters and business leaders.
Bonnie also shares her hot takes and best tips about how to get hired at some of the leading companies, even in a tough job market. She explains that sometimes it's best to apply for jobs when others aren't, like around holidays or the end of the year. We also get her to reveal some "red flags," which you might want to look out for when reading a job description or talking to a recruiter to ensure that the opportunity doesn't turn out to be a bad one.
https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/bhp05pp8
Mark Dixon, Founder and CEO of IWG
When Mark founded Regus, now known as IWG, he was the first to offer co-working space on a large scale. We explore how workplaces, offices, and even commercial real estate have changed since he started in the company in 1989.
Mark explains how companies are increasingly choosing hybrid or flexible work schedules, which mix working from home and in-office time, resulting in a $2 trillion total addressable market opportunity. We look into how trends like remote work and urban policy are impacting what it's like to work in major cities around the world and why on-premise or in-office work will never go away, even with the latest trends and changes in tech.
https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/qgieaq5h
Neil Dhar, Vice Chairman, Co-Head of Consulting at PwC
We explore the secrets and advantages of longevity in the professional services industry, focusing on the advisory and consulting profession.
Neil has spent more than 30 years at PwC and has held various leadership roles across the firm's different service lines—everything from M&A deals, risk assurance, advisory and consulting. We learn why he's stayed and how the "Big Four" firm keeps things fresh for its more than 364,000 professionals worldwide.
Neil shares his framework for career growth, including how to stay intellectually curious, the value of keeping an open mind and the role of mentorship. Notably, we look into how anyone can build a network of mentors, sponsors and advocates and take a behind-the-scenes look into Neil's own network and the feedback they gave him.
https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/b39wxd28
Katya Laviolette, Chief People Officer at 1Password
Katya gives us a sneak peek into how recent mass layoffs in the tech, banking and finance industries have impacted the job market. She reveals that 1Password receives as many as 12,000 resumes every month and job postings for internships can add another 20,000.
We ask Katya to break down how to polish your resume and improve your candidacy to stand out in the hiring process and land the job offer. Notably, we dig into whether it's necessary to have domain experience in an industry like cybersecurity and why the secret just might be listening in a job interview.
https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/39uiaz33
Michelle Gonzalez, Corporate Vice President and Global Head of M12, Microsoft's Venture Capital Fund
Michelle explains how to really network and why most people think it's so artificial, transactional, or even cringe-inducing. She tells us about the cold emails she would send to entrepreneurs, investors, professors and other notable figures and what it was like to have dinner with Sam Altman and the founders of Lyft before they became household names.
Michelle then teaches us the importance of taking risks to develop professionally. She shares how to get on the radar of some of the busiest and most influential people and how building relationships and seeking regular feedback, even from people you've just met, can pay off.
https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/qfyopjuj
Gleb Yushin, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Sila Nanotechnologies
Gleb has long been sought out for his background in materials sciences and physics background. Now, he's taken his expertise to clean energy and industries as diverse as connected devices and electric vehicles. We explore how Sila Nanotechnologies was born and how Gleb transitioned from his life in academia as a professor at Georgia Tech to the founder and CTO of a startup designing integral components for Mercedes-Benz and its iconic G-Class SUV or "G Wagon."
Gleb gives us a walkthrough of the hardware industry and how he navigates the pace of product and technological innovation. We also dig into how the culture at a hardware startup differs from one focused on software. Gleb also shares insight into how Elon Musk and other tech pioneers think about complex problems, such as climate change or working with government agencies like NASA. Finally, we get tactical advice about how technologists and senior professionals can advance their careers by finding impactful professional opportunities.
https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/r39xf01y
Jack Mardack, Co-Founder of Oyster
Jack began his career as an "accidental" marketer before working in banking and finance. Then, he had enough and decided to move to the San Francisco Bay Area to join the startup scene. There, he met like-minded, smart people who shared his interests in entrepreneurship and finding a way to create a human-centric sustainable business that aligned its business model with a positive impact.
We explore why Jack and his co-founders decided to tackle global employment, local benefits and payroll. He shares how companies have started to use business as a force for good and what sets Oyster apart. Finally, we dig into what it means to be a certified B Corp and how Oyster achieved a $1-billion private valuation to become a unicorn startup.
https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/mhe5kscq
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