ATL Career Journey

My guest for Episode 30 is Kacie Lett Gordon, who is happily taking time off right now! I met Kacie when she led the strategy team at Three Five Two, which is an innovation and growth firm. Kacie's LinkedIn bio describes herself as a connector and problem solver and I can't agree more. She's smart, professional, a great servant leader, and can read the room as well as anyone. I was lucky enough to have her interview me for one of their Off the Record events and today I have the privilege to interview her in return! She just launched her own podcast F*** It All that explores the challenges women have while trying to have "it all".

Learn more about Kacie on LinkedIn or listen to her podcast.

My guest for Episode 29 is Trenton Carson, who is the Owner/President of TC Productions. I met Trenton last year at a Buckhead Business Association event and struck up a conversation. We talked about his journey from studying film production in college to working for others to starting his own business. We discussed the importance of networking, being aware of your strengths, and finding mentors. We also talked about some important social issues and how to be an ally for change. I really enjoyed my conversation with Trenton and hope you do too!

You can learn more about Trenton on LinkedIn or his company TC Productions. 

My guest for Episode 28 is James Ray, who is Managing Director, Dragonfly Growth Partners. James and I worked together at Manheim in their online services division. I valued his professionalism, business ethics, and the ability to think strategically while maintaining focus on the customer. He always kept his cool in high pressure situations and am eager to hear how he cultivated that demeanor throughout this career. We talked about the importance of life lessons, learning from failures, and being honest with yourself. James has excelled in multiple industries from startup to enterprise level organizations and I was glad to have him on the podcast.

You can learn more about James on LinkedIn.

My guest for Episode 27 is Steve Woodcock, who is a Principal Partner at SOF-ONE. Steve and I worked together at Sprint over 20 years ago when he just retired from the Navy. He immediately made a big impression on the team with his calm demeanor, leadership, and can-do attitude. He talked about his initial career phase in the financial services industry but something led him down a different path to serve our country. Steve talked about his transition back into the private sector, the advantages of large versus small companies, and what his new venture is focused on. We also discussed the value of traveling abroad and how embracing diversity and other cultures can provide valuable insights to your personal and professional life. I have appreciated Steve's friendship over the years and really enjoyed our conversation. 

You can learn more about Steve on LinkedIn or his company SOF-ONE.

Welcome to Episode 26 of the ATL Career Journey. My guest is Jessica Cohen, Senior Customer Success Manager at Slack. I worked with Jessica at Macys and was always impressed with her analytical approach to solving complex problems. We shared a common passion for technology solutions and she has worked for some great companies to help customers work smarter. She also started off her path studying geology with a dream of working for NASA. As life offered up alternate opportunities, Jessica turned her focus to organizational behavior and customer experience. We talked about the valuable lessons of living overseas as well as recognizing those "change moments" that can take your career in unexpected directions. I hope you enjoy this podcast as much as I did!

You can learn more about Jessica on LinkedIn or her company Slack. 

My guest for Episode 25 is Bonny Block, who is the Co-Founder of Wripple. Bonny is passionate about the new path forward and helping clients, talent and agencies alike with digital marketing and experience solutions. Wripple is the answer to bringing more transparency and efficiency to a broken industry model … and she’s determined to make sure you know it. Bonny has employed her deep expertise in the digital space to get to the heart of innovative, results-driven solutions for her clients. As such, she not only leads client relationships, account strategy and growth, she also mentors a team of professionals that provide the highest caliber of overall client satisfaction. She and I discussed the need to be agile with your career and the ability to work through your fears to achieve success.

You can learn more about Bonny on LinkedIn or her company Wripple.

My guest for Episode 24 is Rob Phillips, who is an Enterprise Solutions Architect at Atlassian. Rob has been passionate about Agile Development and Business Agility since we met at Equifax. We both have Georgia Tech backgrounds and he's taken on some interesting roles with agile since Equifax. Rob is a rare Georgia native and we talked about growing up in this football-passionate state, his path to Georgia Tech, and the value of enjoying your college experience. His journey took him from a co-op student to consulting before landing in the financial services industry. Rob discusses his best practices for success which including a bias for action, learning from your setbacks, giving back, and enjoying the ride that life presents. I hope you enjoy this episode!

You can learn more about Rob on LinkedIn or his company Atlassian.

My guest for Episode 23 is Kevin Abel, who is a consultant as well as a former candidate for the United States Congress. I've known Kevin for over 20 years and have enjoyed collaborating with him on technology ideas to solve business problems. Kevin is smart, has a gift for strategic vision, he definitely has a bias for action, and has always been willing to give back to the community. He shared his journey from growing up in South Africa to moving to Dallas, Texas and how he wound up in Atlanta. He's always had an entrepreneurial spirit and explained how taking risks, pursuing interests, and being adaptable to what life puts in front of you. I also learned about the similarities between running a business and running a political campaign! I hope you enjoy this episode!

You can learn more about Kevin on LinkedIn.

My guest for Episode 22 is Garry Capers, who is General Manager of Cloud Solutions at Deluxe Corporation. I met Garry at Equifax when we worked together in their commercial division of the company. Garry has had a very successful career, first as a consultant and then made the transition to industry work. I have always been impressed with Garry's intelligence, analytical decision making, and his ability to stay calm in high pressure situations. He shared some of his steps to success, including knowing your strengths, being patience, and then taking action when the situation presents itself. We also talked a little bit about today's social issues and Garry offered up some advice on being an ally for positive change. I enjoyed our conversation and I hope you do as well!

You can learn more about Garry on LinkedIn or his company Deluxe.

Today's guest is Paulette Corbin, who is the Founder of Corbin Executive Coaching and Executive Director of ChapterTwo. She's had an extraordinary career in the airline and executive coaching industries. Paulette first got her start at Delta Air Lines and worked her way up from in-flight to reservation sales to ultimately starting up Delta Express (the airline within an airline). She has always been passionate about customer experience and that has been a key driver to her success. Paulette shares how communication, honesty, and creative problem solving can resolve even complex issues. We also talked about the importance of networking, personal branding, and being curious. I highly respect her both personally and professionally and hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did!

You can learn more about Paulette on LinkedIn, her coaching website, or her company ChapterTwo.