What's more valuable at work, being good at your job, or looking like you are?

Diana reconnects with longtime friend and guest Sarah Gallagher, President of The Persimmon Group and creator of the popular LinkedIn newsletter Big Dumb Questions. They dive into a lively, honest conversation about why confidence often outpaces competence in career advancement and why that might not be a bad thing. They also unpack Sarah's career journey, her sobriety story, and how she's redefining leadership on her own terms.

• Where the idea for Big Dumb Questions came from

• Confidence vs. competence at work

• Career growth myths and when they break

• Sarah's journey from Middle Eastern Studies to PM consulting

• Why project managers are not product managers

• Navigating sobriety, leadership, and life balance

• What leaders actually need from their teams

• Creating a job instead of waiting for one

⏳ Timestamps 02:18 The origin of Big Dumb Questions 07:06 PM vs BA vs Product Manager – untangling the mess 15:00 Career lessons from real-life project experience 21:30 Sarah's unconventional career path 30:30 From Gantt charts to consulting: how she made the leap 34:40 Becoming president… days before the pandemic 38:30 Sobriety and leadership: getting real 43:50 Why outside outlets matter when you lead 47:48 Work-from-home as a leadership strategy 49:00 Confidence vs. competence in promotions 54:00 What leaders can do to counter hiring bias 59:50 Final thoughts on creating work that fits

💡 Take action 🔥 Subscribe for future episodes → https://www.youtube.com/@dianaalt 📖 Grab my Resume Don'ts Guide → https://www.dianaalt.com/resumedonts ❌ Avoid these common job search mistakes → https://www.jobsearchmistakes.com 🚪 Wondering if it's time to walk away? → https://www.isittimetowalk.com 💼 Work with me → https://www.dianaalt.com

📢 Connect with Sarah Gallagher 🌐 The Persimmon Group → https://www.thepersimmongroup.com 🔗 LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahgallagher

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