ATL Career Journey

This week's guest is Cindy Peterson, who is a Leadership and Business Agility Consultant at Peerless Partners.  She and I worked together at Macy's Technology and she was one of the best managers that I've had in my career.  She has that rare ability to see the big picture as well as dig into the details and make data-driven decisions.  I enjoyed hearing about the underrated benefits of world travel and following a non-linear path in your life.  We discussed the advantages of passion versus curiosity and how to determine what culture works best for each of us. 

You can learn more Cindy on LinkedIn or at Peerless Partners.

Cooper has led an amazing life over the 40 years that I've known him.  Since our time at Georgia Tech, Cooper has been an active learner at every phase of his life.  From private attorney to legal consultant, he has been successful through every professional transition.  On this episode, Cooper shares his experiences and strategies as well as the mindset needed to recognize new opportunities when they may not be obvious.  We also discuss the power of identifying and leveraging your strengths and how that can elevate your personal life and professional career. 

You can learn more about Cooper on LinkedIn, his website, or at Cartography Consulting.

Dorothea is a fascinating person and truly a citizen of the world.  Born in New York City to French and Italian parents. Her Father’s passing caused her family to move to Europe where she became somewhat of a nomad. She has lived in Italy, France, Germany, Japan, Sweden, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom. She studied neuro-linguistic pathology and artificial intelligence to become a hostage negotiator.  It is no wonder her journey has taken her from polyglot global law enforcement strategist to working with Fortune 500 brands in her own strategic digital & social media marketing firm. Dorothea has served as a subject matter expert on CNN and CBS. She is also an avid skateboarder who tweets to relax.

You can learn more about Dorothea on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter.

Terrence has always been one of my favorite people to work with.  He has charted an amazing journey in the Olympic world as both a marketer and a bid committee consultant.  Sharp, driven, and a quick wit have been his trademarks and was demonstrated on this episode.  Terrence talks about his spending his early career at Delta Air Lines and how hard work and attention to detail set him up for success with the Olympic movement.  His ability to define "why" cities should host the Games was a huge shift from the past and paved the way for many successful bids.  His advice for the young listeners is to be bold and don't be constrained by social norms.  We also agree on the benefits of world travel and how that can make us all better humans!  I enjoyed this interview with Terrence and I hope you do too. 

You can learn more about Terrence on LinkedIn, his company, or his blog.

Sugra has been a constant presence on the Atlanta technology landscape and I'm glad to call her my friend.  I first met her at a Women in Technology (WIT) event and always admired her work ethic and bias for action.  I've watched Sugra move from business development to business owner to her current role as a senior sales executive.  She has managed her career transitions with professionalism and a "can-do" attitude.  On this week's podcast, Sugra shares her work experience as well as successful strategies for charting your own career path.  I really enjoyed chatting with Sugra and hope you like the podcast! 

You can learn more about Sugra on LinkedIn.

Vicki is an amazing technology leader and is currently a strategic engagement manager at Akamai. I worked with Vicki almost 15 years ago at EarthLink when we helped build out municipal wireless networks for various cities. She has that rare combination of deep technical knowledge with keen business sense. I enjoyed hearing about her life journey starting in Uzbekistan to her present location in Atlanta. She walked me through her progression from programmer right out of college to online product manager to strategic leader. Vicki also shared some of her secrets to success, including continual learning, being bold in trying to approaches to solutions, and remaining customer focused. I could have talked with Vicki for hours but I hope you enjoy this first session with her!

You can learn more about Vicki on LinkedIn.

Judy is an accomplished financial executive who has demonstrated her abilities to adapt and thrive.  I worked with her at Equifax and was always impressed with her leadership and ability to connect with her team.  She was kind enough to sit down with me to share some of here tools for success.  Visualization, believe in yourself, learn from your mistakes, and adapt quickly.  Judy is also a master at leveraging social media and building her personal brand.  She has always enjoyed paying it forward and creating opportunities for others.  I enjoyed our talk and hope you do as well!

You can learn more about Judy on LinkedIn.

This week's guest is Tonya Haswell. In addition to being Mike's better half, I have actually known her longer than Mike. Although her formal training and early work experience was in graphic design, she has made a big impression in the local film industry doing set design. Her career journey has been a fascinating one and I really enjoyed talking with her about it. I hope you enjoy it as well!

You can learn more about Tonya on IMDB, Tannery Row Artist Colony, or Instagram.

My guest this week is Mike Haswell, who is an executive from the insurance industry. Mike and I have known each other since our college days at Georgia Tech and we've maintained our friendship for over thirty years. I respect him a great deal both personally and professionally. He has been a leader in the insurance industry and I really enjoyed our conversation as the inaugural guest on ATL Career Journey. I hope you enjoy!

You can learn more about Mike on LinkedIn or at Storing Treasures.

Are you not sure what your next steps are beyond high school or college? Have you started your career but are thinking about a potential change? If so, then welcome to the ATL Career Journey podcast! I'm Paul Varnedoe and I started this podcast to help Atlanta-based individuals connect with successful professionals and learn practical mentoring advice. Whether you are college, military, or trade school bound, this podcast will help share life lessons and experience that can help you succeed in your personal career journey.

I hope you enjoy it and would love to hear your feedback!  You can learn more about me on LinkedIn or at ATL Career Journey.