Welcome to another enlightning episode of Beyond the Thesis With Papa PhD!

This week, I delve into the intricacies of fear and courage with my guest, Mary Poffenroth. During this discussion about navigating the fear of change, especially relevant for graduate students and early-career professionals facing uncertainty about the future, Mary shares her rich experiences, from studying at Imperial College London to her groundbreaking work on fear and bravery, which has graced the pages of major publications like Forbes, Time, and National Geographic. In this episode, you’ll discover practical “neurohacks” designed to help manage fear and anxiety—tools that are accessible to everyone, whether you’re dealing with stage fright or the unpredictability of the job market. Additionally, Mary emphasizes the importance of face-to-face networking, finding your niche, and the often misunderstood relationship between fear and courage.

Tune in to hear actionable insights, gripping personal stories, and how you, too, can reframe challenges as growth opportunities, all while making fear a less taboo subject. Whether you’re navigating academic pressures or career transitions, this episode offers invaluable advice on building resilience and embracing change.

Dr. Mary Poffenroth is a scientist, professor, and fear expert who has spent her career researching how we can all live more courageously, every day. From being adopted at birth to being the first – and only – family member to attend college to her first day at NASA and beyond, Mary has dedicated her life to understanding how best to do scary things. Her work has been featured in publications such as Forbes, TIME, Science, TED, Entrepreneur, the Wall Street Journal, SUCCESS Magazine, and Fast Company. Mary has three master’s degrees (biology, psychology, science communication) and a PhD in psychology. Mary shares some of her best stories and strongest courage building, fear fighting neurohacks in her book Brave New You (Hachette, October 2024).

🔗See the resources section below for Mary’s links!

If you enjoyed this conversation with Mary, let her know by clicking the link below and leaving her a message on Linkedin:

Send Mary a message on Linkedin!

Click here to share your key take-away from this interview with David!

Sara Thompson – Out of the Box Careers Post-PhD

Jessica Schleider (Rerun) –Dealing With Mental Unrest

Andrew Ceperley – Building Fulfilling Academia Adjacent Careers

Alessandra Wall – Positioning Yourself Outside Academia

Welcome to another thought-provoking episode of Beyond the Thesis With Papa PhD! 

I took some time in the middle of my family vacations to record a very short minisode and send you my 2025 wishes of a year full of enriching conversations!

Listen through and you will also find a great reading recommendation for this coming year and a call for listener 2025 wishes!

Welcome to Beyond the Thesis with Papa PhD, the podcast that delves into the diverse and impactful roles scientists can play beyond the lab. With me, David Mendes. Hi. David Mendes here and I hope you’ve had a great holiday break and that 2025 is starting, in the best way possible for you. I’ve been on break with my family. My kids are still on vacation and so I’m taking a little time to say hi, to wish you a happy 2025 full of the best projects, full of the best results and also to share my wish for you for this coming year. I myself am betting heavily this year on really investing in networking, in meeting and talking with more people outside my, let’s say, my comfort zone, outside my immediate circle, and I really, really hope that you can do the same. It’s really easy to go through a year so fast and talk to the same, you know, dozen people who are around us in the lab.

But it is really, really important for you who are a burgeoning scientist, a burgeoning researcher to expand your network. And meaning also, not only to expand your network in your domain, but to expand the the diversity that exists in your network. Meet people from government, you know, from policy, meet people from industry, get to know how they got the job they got, get to know how you can contribute. It’s gonna be more and more important for you to be able to know what’s happening outside the walls of university because those places are probably where you are going to eventually land professionally and you really want to land there knowing the terrain or at least having some knowledge of the terrain already. And there’s no better way of doing it than talking with people who are who are there, who’ve been there 5 years, 10 years, who have the same or or whoever Jason, Jason profiles to yours scientifically and to hear their stories of how they got there. I am going to I’m not at the same stage buying, but I’m going to try and do the same, with the podcast, for example, And I I really, really wish for you that this year that’s that’s starting is gonna be filled with surprising, interesting, enriching, and real and human conversations that will lead you to have a better and better grasp on what is out there professionally for you, but more importantly, where you feel that you are going to fit once you get your degree or or where you’re going to fit once you you, you know, finish whichever professional pivot you are in right now. For me, one of the ways I’m going to do this is to get closer to you, the listener. And the first way that I’m doing this, I’ve just created at the end of last year, a community on Skool.com. It’s easy to find. You go to skool.com/paphpd and the community is there. It’s a burgeoning, small community of people like you trying to figure out their, you know, the next chapter for their career, be it because they’re finishing a degree or because they’re pivoting after a first or second job after their their degree. But like I said, my goal with the community is to be able to talk directly with you, and that’s why one of the things I do on school is to have regular live sessions, each week, 3 times a week. So you you get to talk directly with me, with other people if they’re there too, but you get direct access to me. But also, the other thing that I’m doing there is I’m creating some free courses that I’m publishing there and there only, plus the community is going to have priority in accessing other training or mentoring that I am going to be rolling out this year. So that’s one thing you can do, get on the Skool community with me. And the other recommendation I have is a book.

David Giltner, past guest of the show, recommended this reading to me and I really really loved it. It’s by Seth Godin. It’s called Lynchpin and you should read it. It’s a book about how to imagine yourself and and position yourself professionally in spaces where you’re not naturally, let’s say, you’re not naturally a candidate or, you know, you need to kind of create your path. It’s also important because now that we’re in this AI tsunami moment, it’s really a book that’s gonna help you understand what your value is and how to put that forward, in whichever career conversations you have going forward. So, Linchpin by Seth Godin, read this book in 2025 and find where you can be the linchpin next in your professional journey and finally, I’d really love to hear what your wishes are for 2025, and it could be to do with what you’d like to hear, on the podcast, guests, subjects, you know, how I can make this podcast better for you, but it can also simply be what you in your academic, in your professional life would like to see happen and come to fruition in 2025. And then, if you send me a message and tell me, whether you want it to be anonymous, I can make it anonymous. If you tell me that I can share your name, I will share your name. Just send an email with your wishes to [email protected], and I will share your wishes in a future episode. So that’s it. I won’t take more of your time, in this beginning of 2025. I hope you are still celebrating and you’re still, recharging your family and friend batteries and that you are ready and pumped for what’s coming. So thanks for being a fan. Thanks for listening and see you around in 2025. Thank you for listening to episode 20 of the 6th season of beyond the thesis with Papa PhD, the first one of 2025.

Don’t forget, I will be expecting your wishes for this coming year. Send them to [email protected], and it’ll be a pleasure for me to read them and to share them in a future episode. Also, remember, if you want to join me on the school community, it’s simply skool.com/papaphd, and it’s really, really easy to join. See you there soon!

Sara Thompson – Out of the Box Careers Post-PhD

Tony Stubblebine –Build Authority By Finding An Audience

Andrew Ceperley – Building Fulfilling Academia Adjacent Careers

Alessandra Wall – Positioning Yourself Outside Academia

The holiday season is here and you may be struggling with anxiety, the fear of evaluation, or just feeling overwhelmed and far from your family or friends. You’re not alone.

Join host David Mendes with special guest Dr. Jessica Schleider, asociate psychology professor at Northwestern University, as they dive deep into the mental health challenges faced by graduate students around the world, today, in one of the most powerful episodes of Season 5.

Jessica L. Schleider, PhD, is Associate professor of psychology at Northwestern University, where she directs the Lab for Scalable Mental Health. Schleider completed her PhD in clinical psychology at Harvard University, her doctoral internship in clinical and community psychology at Yale School of Medicine, and her BA in psychology at Swarthmore College. Her research on brief, scalable interventions for youth depression and anxiety has been recognized via numerous awards, including a National Institutes of Health Director’s Early Independence Award; the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) President’s New Researcher Award; and Forbes’s “30 Under 30 in Healthcare.”

Cultural Nuances – David and Jessica explore the diverse experiences of international graduate students and their impact on their feelings of unrest and of agency.

Empowerment through Single-Session Interventions –practical strategies to reclaim autonomy  and agency amidst spiraling anxieties and overwhelming challenges.

If you enjoyed this conversation with Jessica, let her know by clicking the links below and leaving her a message on Linkedin:

Send Jessica Schleider a thank you message on Linkedin!

Click here to share your key take-away from this interview with David!

Sheena Howard – How to Leverage Academic Branding

Amal Abuzeinab – Flourishing in Your PhD and Beyond

Melissa Gismondi – The Power of Graduate Internships

Tony Stubblebine –Build Authority By Finding An Audience

As always, if you find value in Papa PhD and in the content I bring you every week, click on one of the buttons below and send some of that value back to me by becoming a supporter on Patreon or by buying me a coffee 🙂

Welcome to another thought-provoking episode of Beyond the Thesis With Papa PhD! 

In this episode I delve into the art of building authority by finding your audience with Tony Stubblebine, CEO of Medium, who brings a wealth of experience in helping academics and professionals reach broader audiences. During our conversation, we explored the transformative power of blogging as a low-barrier method to share expertise and enhance writing skills.

We discussed the importance of taking breaks to avoid burnout, how to change and update beliefs over time, and practical strategies for handling public scrutiny and criticism. Tony shared his personal career evolution, emphasizing the value of communication skills and the unique benefits that public writing platforms like Medium offer for academics.

We also touched on the significance of having control over your content, the need for effective communication, and how a well-curated portfolio can outshine a traditional resume. Join us as we break down the steps to not only capture but also engage a meaningful audience, ultimately building your professional authority. 

Whether you’re an academic looking to broaden your impact or a professional aiming to refine your writing, this episode is packed with invaluable insights to help you on your path. Let’s dive in!

Tony Stubblebine is the CEO of Medium. Previously, he was the owner of some of Medium’s largest publications, including Better Humans, and is the co-founder and former CEO of Coach.me. He lives in New York.

🔗See the resources section below for Tony’s links!

If you enjoyed this conversation with Tony, let him know by clicking the link below and leaving him a message on Linkedin:

Send Tony a message on Linkedin!

Click here to share your key take-away from this interview with David!

Sara Thompson – Out of the Box Careers Post-PhD

Anca Bodzer –From PhD to Project Management

Andrew Ceperley – Building Fulfilling Academia Adjacent Careers

Alessandra Wall – Positioning Yourself Outside Academia

Dans cet épisode d’Au-delà de la thèse, j’accueille Alexandra Gellé, première scientifique en résidence au sein du comité consultatif sur les changements climatiques du ministère de l’Environnement.

Ayant récemment terminé son doctorat en chimie verte, Alexandra partage son expérience fascinante dans un poste qui allie recherche, politique publique et communication scientifique. Avec Alexandra, on a parlé des défis qu’elle rencontre, de son rôle diversifié au sein du comité et de son engagement envers des résultats concrets, particulièrement dans le domaine des bâtiments durables et de l’énergie.

Prépare-toi à découvrir un parcours inspirant qui démontre l’importance d’intégrer des scientifiques dans les sphères gouvernementales pour une prise de décision fondée sur des preuves. Sois des nôtres pour ce voyage au cœur de l’intersection entre la science, la politique et la société!

Si tu veux en savoir davantage sur les programmes « Scientifiques en résidence » des Fonds de Recherche du Québec, rends-toi sur :

Bonne écoute et bonne exploration !

Hyppolite Dansou – Être scientifique en résidence dans le municipal : PapaPhD.com/horizon-hyppolite-dansou/

Horizon PhD – Le consiel scientifique dans un ministère : PapaPhD.com/horizon-phd-darine-ameyed

Horizon PhD – Résidence scientifique dans les représentations du Québec à l’étranger : PapaPhD.com/horizon-phd-representations

Horizon PhD – Le conseil scientifique aux villes avec Julie-Maude Normandin : PapaPhD.com/horizon-phd-municipalites

Executive coach, speaker, author, psychologist, and founder, Dr. Alessandra Wall has been coaching top leaders to success for over 20 years.

As a women leadership expert, she specializes in supporting senior executives in high-impact, male-dominated industries to lead powerfully and impactfully without compromising their values, career fulfillment, or quality of life.

Her work has transformed the lives of hundreds of executive women in the US and Europe and changed workplaces for the better at scores of companies ranging in size from agile start-ups to Fortune 100.

🔗See the resources section below for Alessandra’s links!

If you enjoyed this conversation with Alessandra, let her know by clicking the link below and leaving her a message on Linkedin:

Send Alessandra a message on Linkedin!

Click here to share your key take-away from this interview with David!

Sara Thompson – Out of the Box Careers Post-PhD

Anca Bodzer –From PhD to Project Management

Andrew Ceperley – Building Fulfilling Academia Adjacent Careers

Paulina Cossette – From Faculty to Editing

Bienvenue à ce nouvel épisode d’Au-delà de la thèse avec Papa PhD !

Dans cet épisode intitulé “Le doctorat : une odyssée émotionnelle,” David Mendes reçoit Estefania Dominguez, formatrice et docteure en didactique des langues et cultures.

Forte de son expérience diversifiée, de vendeuse à universitaire, Estefania partage les hauts et les bas de son parcours doctoral, y compris l’isolement, le syndrome de l’imposteur, et la recherche de soutien.

Ensemble, David et Estefania discuteront de l’importance du mentorat, de la gestion du temps, et des initiatives collectives pour surmonter les écueils de la thèse. Stephania nous parlera également de son projet “Ma Coach de Thèse” qui offre un accompagnement précieux aux doctorants en quête de guidance et de ressourcement émotionnel.

Restez avec nous pour une conversation enrichissante sur le voyage émotionnel que constitue le doctorat et sur les stratégies pour naviguer à travers cette aventure exigeante.

Formatrice et docteure en Didactique des langues et des cultures (Université Sorbonne Nouvelle), Estefania crée « Ma coach de thèse » pour proposer l’accompagnement qu’elle aurait aimé avoir pendant son doctorat.

Elle considère que le vécu émotionnel de la thèse mérite d’être mieux considéré. Estefania accompagne au quotidien des doctorant.e.s de toutes disciplines et leur offre un espace où leur doutes, difficultés et émotions ont toute leur place.

En séances individuelles, lors d’ateliers au sein de sa structure ou des écoles doctorales, elle guide les doctorant.e.s et les masterant.e.s dans leur cheminement pour qu’ils.elles finissent leur recherche sans y perdre leur santé mentale. Les thématiques abordées sont transversales : procrastination, manque de motivation, gestion du temps, organisation, page blanche, émotions, compétences développées en recherche, etc. Quand on définit et on respecte son propre rythme : l’action et la clarté sont au rendez-vous!

Pour écouter l’épisode complet et en savoir plus sur Estefania Dominguez et son initiative “Ma Coach de Thèse”, suivez les liens ci-dessous ! 🎧👇

#Podcast #Doctorat #RédactionDeThèse

Si cet entretien avec Estefania Dominguez t’a plu, fais-lui en part en laissant un commentaire sur ta plateforme d’écoute préférée. Je le lui transmettrai avec plaisir.

Tu peux aussi laisser ton commentaire sur X en utilisant ce lien !

Si tu trouves de la valeur dans le contenu que je t’apporte chaque semaine, clique sur l’un des boutons ci-dessous et renvoie-moi l’ascenceur 🙂

Boucar Diouf – Le doctorat – un passeport vers la créativité : PapaPhD.com/Boucar-Diouf

Martin Carli – La vulgarisation grand public : PapaPhD.com/Martin-Carli

Olivier Bernard – Déboulonner la pseudoscience : PapaPhD.com/Olivier-Bernard

Mathilde Maillard – Le doctorat – et après ? PapaPhD.com/mathilde-maillard-2-adt/

Welcome to another episode of Beyond the Thesis with Papa PhD, the podcast that explores unconventional career paths for PhD graduates.!

In today’s episode, titled “Outside-the-Box Career Paths Post-PhD,” our host David Mendes sits down with Sara Thompson, a seasoned public speaking coach and nonprofit professional. During the conversationm, Sara shares her inspiring journey from academia to the nonprofit sector, shedding light on the challenges and transitions faced by PhD holders when academic roles are limited.

Sara’s story is a testament to the power of transferable skills and the importance of expanding your network beyond the academic bubble. From her initial aim to enter arts administration to discovering her role at Habitat for Humanity through a serendipitous meeting, Sara illustrates how unexpected connections can lead to rewarding career opportunities. Together, David and Sara delve into strategies for overcoming imposter syndrome, the value of viewing your PhD as versatile training, and the crucial role of presentation skills in career development.

Whether you’re considering a career shift or looking for inspiration on how to use your advanced degree in new ways, this episode is packed with insights and practical advice. Tune in to hear how Sara’s experiences can help you rethink your career trajectory and embrace new possibilities. Don’t forget to share your thoughts and join the conversation on LinkedIn and YouTube. Now, let’s go beyond the thesis!

Sara Thompson has a decade of professional experience working with others to help them reach their public speaking goals. While completing her Ph.D. in Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Maryland, she realized that academia wasn’t the right path for her and started exploring other options of what she could do with her doctoral training.

While at Maryland, she taught her department’s oral communication course and soon discovered that helping people find their voices was her passion. It wasn’t long before she began her private consulting practice. After completing her PhD, she spent 5 years working in the nonprofit field while coaching and consulting on the side. In November of 2023, she went all in on That Presentation Coach, and has been self-employed ever since.

Sara has taught hundreds of people of all ages and from fields as varied as business, law, academia, the sciences, information technology, medicine, and the humanities. No matter what your background or public speaking experience is, she can help.

Uncovering Hidden Opportunities: Sara emphasized the importance of expanding your network beyond the academic circle. Believe it or not, a casual conversation about dog walking led to a pivotal job opportunity for her.

Focusing on Transferable Skills: Whether it’s research, critical thinking, or public speaking, the skills you develop during your PhD are incredibly valuable in various industries. Sarah’s journey to nonprofit management and public speaking consulting is a testament to this!

Embracing the Journey and Self-Belief: The transition from academia can be challenging, and imposter syndrome is real. However, adopting the “yes and” mindset from improvisation can lead to unexpected and rewarding opportunities.

🔗See the resources section below for Sara’s links!

If you enjoyed this conversation with Sara, let her know by clicking the link below and leaving her a message on Linkedin:

Send Sara a message on Linkedin!

Click here to share your key take-away from this interview with David!

Aditi Paul – Figuring out immigration during graduate school

Anca Bodzer –From PhD to Project Management

Andrew Ceperley – Building Fulfilling Academia Adjacent Careers

Paulina Cossette – From Faculty to Editing

Cette semaine, j’ai le plaisir de partager avec toi ma récente conversation avec Darine Ameyed dans le cinquème épisode épisode de la série spéciale “Horizon PHD”.

Au cours de notre conversation, Darine, qui est actuellement cheffe intelligence artificielle et automatisation au Ministère des transports et de la mobilité durable (MTMD), partage son parcours académique et professionnel riche et ses perspectives sur l’impact de la science au-delà du milieu académique.

Ensemble, nous avons exploré l’impact tangible que peuvent avoir les projets IA sur la communauté qui nous entoure et l’importance de la collaboration intersectorielle dans ce type de projets.

Si tu veux savoir comment tu peux innover et transformer le secteur public avec tes compétences scientifiques, ne manque pas cet épisode inspirant!

Si tu veux en savoir davantage sur les programmes « Scientifiques en résidence » des Fonds de Recherche du Québec, rends-toi sur :

Bonne écoute et bonne exploration !

Hyppolite Dansou – Être scientifique en résidence dans le municipal : PapaPhD.com/horizon-hyppolite-dansou/

Horizon PhD – Résidence scientifique à la bibliothèque de l’assemblée nationale : PapaPhD.com/horizon-phd-ban

Horizon PhD – Résidence scientifique dans les représentations du Québec à l’étranger : PapaPhD.com/horizon-phd-representations

Horizon PhD – Le conseil scientifique aux villes avec Julie-Maude Normandin : PapaPhD.com/horizon-phd-municipalites

Dans cet épisode d’Horizon PhD, je m’entretiens avec Hyppolite Dansou, scientifique en résidence à la ville de Sherbrooke. Avec lui, je découvre comment se passe une journée typique pour un scientifique en résidence et Hyppolite explique comment son profil de PhD l’a préparé à ce rôle en raison de sa formation passée et de son expérience avec les municipalités.

On a aussi discuté de la richesse des interactions d’Hyppolite avec divers acteurs du milieu ,unicipal et de l’importance d’adapter son travail aux priorités politiques locales.

Ne manque pas cette plongée fascinante dans le quotidien d’un scientifique en résidence au service des municipalités et découvre comment cette expérience peut enrichir ton parcours, tant au plan professionnel qu’au plan académique.

Si tu veux en savoir davantage sur les programmes « Scientifiques en résidence » des Fonds de Recherche du Québec, rends-toi sur :

Bonne écoute et bonne exploration !

Rémi Quirion – Projeter les jeunes chercheur.e.s dans des carrières d’avenir : PapaPhD.com/carrieres-davenir-remi-quirion/

Horizon PhD – Résidence scientifique à la bibliothèque de l’assemblée nationale : PapaPhD.com/horizon-phd-ban

Horizon PhD – Résidence scientifique dans les représentations du Québec à l’étranger : PapaPhD.com/horizon-phd-representations

Horizon PhD – Le conseil scientifique aux villes avec Julie-Maude Normandin : PapaPhD.com/horizon-phd-municipalites