Finance Guys In Tech

“In a world that’s going so fast, if you can find the space in yourself that can truly slow down than everything else you’ll find is a lot clearer.”

In this episode Sid and I got a rare chance to sit with our friend Ryion Pun while he was with us in Seattle from the Singapore office. Ryion is the Finance Director of Data Center Operations for the APAC region here in AWS infrastructure.

Today we talked about quieting the mind, keeping life uncluttered, and learning to use the least amount of force to have the biggest impact possible – straight from the school of Bruce Lee.

This was the inspiration we needed for a cleansing of the mind. Find a quiet place, grab yourself a warm chamomile tea and please enjoy!

2:26 | Ryion’s fitness regimen & meditation

4:45 | Ryion growing up – learning to ride a 2 wheeler in secret

8:45 | Coming to the US for undergrad, studying info. systems at UW – a compromise from Computer Engineering & Business

10:35 | First gig – managing the music database for Real – ripping CD’s! and making a music website!

14:50 | Amazon (re)origin story – talking to a mentor and an opening in Singapore

19:15 | What makes a good candidate? - Integrity

20:20 | Tip for helping people to speak up in meetings – be the ice breaker. Come in, say hello up front, the rest of the meeting it will be easier to speak up

25:40 | Thoughts on finding a mentor – there are different types of people for different situations

27:50 | Biggest ways you’ve changed your mind over your career? – Calmer, listen more

28:30 | Studying The philosophy of Bruce Lee’s (Wing Chun martial arts: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wing_Chun) – least force for most impact

31:45 | What does Ryion like to read? Things that make you think, how the brain works // Current Book - The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind (light reading!) https://www.julianjaynes.org/resources/books/ooc/

35:00 | Ryion’s philosophy in life – keeping life simple, minimalism, reducing clutter in life and in your head

37:20 | Favorite movies –Disney! Saturday morning cartoons!

38:55 | Lunch with 3 historical figures: Only 2 - Bruce Lee & Kobe Bryan – people who have put 110% into perfecting something

41:10 | Life advice – none, be yourself, have fun, enjoy it, find a thing you want to be really good at  

Ryion on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryion-pun/  

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CONTACT THE SHOW:

Website | https://www.charleskunken.com/podcast

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/financeguyspodcast/

Email | [email protected] (Hit us up! Questions, comments, requests for guests, etc)

Sid on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhodi/
Charlie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleskunken

Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.charleskunken.com/subscribe 

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Theme music by Good Baby. ‘Rose Colored’.  You can peep the full music video here: https://www.goodbaby.band/musicvideos

“THE SECRET IS SIMPLE…DO THE STUFF EXACTLY HOW YOUR MAMA USED TO TELL YOU, DRESS CLEAN, BE HONEST, BE ON TIME, DO YOUR WORK, BE RESPECTFUL….IF YOU DO THAT EVERYTHING WILL FALL INTO PLACE”

Today Sid and I got to sit down with our friend Dalmar Sheikh, the leader of the APAC Data Center Expansion Strategy team and an eight-year Amazonian to boot.

Dalmar tells us his awesome story about growing up in (at least) seven different countries (I lost track). Yemen, Somalia, Uganda, Italy, Iran, Nigeria, Sudan…I think there was some China in there….France? So cool. We talk about how it ties into his current superpowers that he deploys at Amazon, how he leads his team, and a little bit about the importance of negotiating with respect, which can vary by culture.

Ultimately, Dalmar leaves us with the wisest of words: listen to your mother. Dalmar, thank you. We’re calling home right now. This was a ton of fun, please enjoy!

2:25 | Growing up around the globe

5:30 | Dalmar as a youth – the skill of assimilating with all types of different groups from a young age

8:10 | Goals for after school – business, something international, which leads to 18 years in Japan

10:40 | Getting involved in the Data Center space very early, circa ~1999

12:00 | AWS origin story, joining in 2012, early days

13:40 | Biggest difference – the magnitude and speed of decision making

19:10 | Leadership philosophy – helping & teaching his team to make critical decisions with limited information and communicating well

22:40 | What is your leadership philosophy? Help the team get the job done while enjoying their work.

25:55 | On the culture of negotiating – it’s not about being aggressive and demanding, it’s about showing respect

28:30 | Dalmar’s superpower – being able to read people’s emotions

30:50 | Outside of work? – spending time with his boys, going to basketball games

32:30 | What content do you consume outside of work? Loving movies, Bollywood!

35:15 | A leader’s responsibility – excite the team, give responsibility, trust, training, growth

38:10 | Life philosophy – do the stuff your mama told you 

Dalmar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalmarsheikh/

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CONTACT THE SHOW:

Website | https://www.charleskunken.com/podcast

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/financeguyspodcast/

Email | [email protected] (Hit us up! Questions, comments, requests for guests, etc)

Sid on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhodi/
Charlie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleskunken

Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.charleskunken.com/subscribe 

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Theme music by Good Baby. ‘Rose Colored’.  You can peep the full music video here: https://www.goodbaby.band/musicvideos

The music video to the theme music for the show: ‘Rose Colored’ by Good Baby

“Do stuff anyway, even if people tell you no…just keep going.”  

Today Sid and I got to talk with our friend Valery Gross, the inspirational Head of Data Center Demand Planning here in AWS Infrastructure and a 9 year veteran of Amazon.

This was a great episode about many things but especially getting to talk about women in business. We talk about the founding of the WIFI, (the Women In Finance Initiative affinity group at Amazon), the long term game of networking, and waking up at 4:30am to hit the gym.

As fathers of daughters, Sid and I took copious notes. The truth is we were recording things we want to start doing ourselves! Please enjoy!

3:45 | A regimen for success…a 4:30am alarm! 

8:00 | Currently on audible: ‘Call Sign Chaos’ a book on leadership by James Mattis

10:30 | Growing up, wanting to be an astronaut, gravitating towards engineering

13:30 | Career pivot via B-school at UW go towards finance, Amazon after UW

17:10 | On mentorship and coaching people – helping others on their path

18:50 | Leadership philosophy – giving autonomy and rewarding initiative - bring solutions don’t bring problems

21:30 | The founding of WIFI – Amazon’s Women In Finance Initiative

24:00 | Unconscious Bias – Being aware is a big step for inclusion

27:20 | What you can do (and what men can do) – being an ally, speaking up when unconscious bias is occurring, actively seeking input from all voices

33:10 | Advice on finding mentors – first, what qualities do you want to emulate? Seek those whose style feels authentic and comfortable to you

39:45 | Advice for someone starting out in their career? Try different things…don’t be afraid to jump

40:30 | Message for girls – do stuff anyway, don’t worry who says no

41:30 | Advice to someone in the middle of their careers? – Invest time in building relationships. Up, sideways, and down

42:30 | The long term game of networking really is helping others and being friendly

47:20 | Other interests outside of work – snowboarding, teaching kids to ski, travel

48:40 | Some recommended books: on leadership – Stephen Covey (‘The 7 Habits…’ guy)/ for new leaders & managers: study the principle of ‘Situational Leadership’ – the best theory and practical guide/ Good crime fiction: ‘The Naturalist’ / Good memoir: ‘Educated’ by Tara Westover

51:55 | 3 people to meet for lunch: Michelle Obama, her grandmother, Warren Buffet 

Valery on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valery13/

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CONTACT THE SHOW:

Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.charleskunken.com/subscribe 

Website | https://www.charleskunken.com/podcast 

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/financeguyspodcast/

Email | [email protected] (Hit us up! Questions, comments, requests for guests, etc)

Sid on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhodi/
Charlie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleskunken

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Theme music by Good Baby. ‘Rose Colored’ (instrumental version).  You can peep the full music video here: https://www.goodbaby.band/musicvideos

“Be conscious of your tradeoffs…if you’re perpetually doing things not aligned with your priorities, that’s a recipe for unhappiness.”

Today Sid and I got to sit down with our friend Brent Holley, Senior Finance Manager of Data Center Construction here at AWS Infrastructure.

This episode was like a fireside chat (a campfire actually). Brent talked to us about adding value as a finance partner and shared his philosophy on being conscious about how you spend your days. He told us a about a recent vacation too – no, not Cabo. Try, getting dropped off in the middle of the Alaska wilderness by a plane.

We left much wiser than we came! This is truly valuable. Please enjoy!

2:40 | Getting dropped off in the wilderness above the Arctic Circle

5:40 | a chemist business guy makes his way to Malaysia

8:30 | Life in Malaysia

12:20 | Returning to the states, MBA at Texas A&M, a good fit for finance

13:30 | What does finance do? Act like a business person with a broad perspective.

16:00 | Brent’s Leadership philosophy – empowerment

20:45 | First years at Amazon (2016). Learning & scaling the finance team for AWS

23:15 | 4 years experience in the role – investing in understanding the business, thoughts on rotating versus staying in one position: what do you want out of your career?

25:30 | Long term view of career & post-career life – being deliberate about how you want to spend your time

29:00 | Making transitions – you’ll figure it out

31:00 | Career philosophy – work from the end backwards, think about the future. Don’t kid yourself, you can only be in one place at a time, prioritize and be conscious of your tradeoffs.

34:55 | Focusing on ‘what’s next’, not spending time dwelling

36:30 | A culture of humility at Amazon is really useful

37:50 | Consuming content outside of work – Altering between Intense & Goofy. History (A cool recent book, “Empire of the Summer Moon”), sports, funny movies (‘Shawn Of The Dead’, ‘Hot Fuzz’)

41:30 | Big groups vs. small? Small.  

Brent on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brent-holley-357692/
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CONTACT THE SHOW:

Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.charleskunken.com/subscribe 

Find us online: https://www.charleskunken.com/podcast or email the show with any questions, comments, requests for guests, etc: [email protected]

Sid on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhodi/
Charlie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleskunken

The blog | https://www.charleskunken.com/blogsummary (weekly posts exploring creativity & mindset)

Insta |  https://www.instagram.com/cbkunk/ for #WritinAndRidin, a weekly 1 minute TV show
fb | https://www.facebook.com/cbkunk

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Theme music by Good Baby. ‘Rose Colored’ (instrumental version).  You can peep the full music video here: https://www.goodbaby.band/musicvideos

“Life’s what happens when you’re planning other things.” John Lennon via Lincoln Booth  

Today Sid and I get a rare opportunity to sit down with one of our business partners, Lincoln Booth, a Global Expansion Manager for data center supply who has recently relocated from Singapore to Dublin.

Linc and his team are the people who make sure Elastic Cloud Compute is actually elastic. Today we talk a little about that magic behind the cloud, we talk about Linc’s awesome story about how he’s made health and fitness a priority, both on the road and at home and how life really is just one big adventure.

This will get you off the couch, it certainly got us moving! Please enjoy!

3:00 | Making ‘Elastic Cloud Compute’ actually elastic

4:30 | Getting into cloud computing – to finance backpacking adventures

8:30 | Amazon origin story – from submarine cabling to AWS

10:00 | Growing too fast to only hire cloud computing ‘lifers’, and that’s good!

11:55 | What will make people successful here?  - willingness to learn & grow, come with solutions

14:15 | Biggest surprise about Amazon – the amount of autonomy combined with the scale

15:15 | A massive health transformation amidst the bus-dev lifestyle – losing 30 kilos (60 lbs!)

17:15 | The moment of transformation & the formula: no alcohol, all plant-based, exercise

20:15 | The fitness aspect – High intensity interval training & boxing

22:30 | Bringing the healthy lifestyle on the road – you can do it, swapping the hotel bar for the gym

24:45 | Linc asks a few questions

28:45 | What does Linc like for fun outside of work – Adventures with his boys, and letting them come up with the ideas

31:20 | Parenting tips – just listening, being present and giving them responsibility

34:05 | consuming content – documentaries

35:35 | The historical figure question – John Lennn

37:15 | Linc’s general life philosophy – Do it. “Life’s what happens when your planning other things”

38:50 | Advice to younger self – don’t be so serious and be open to any adventure

Lincoln on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lincoln-booth-1880094/

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CONTACT THE SHOW:

Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.charleskunken.com/subscribe 

Find us online: https://www.charleskunken.com/podcast or email the show with any questions, comments, requests for guests, etc: [email protected]

Sid on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhodi/
Charlie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleskunken

The blog | https://www.charleskunken.com/blogsummary (weekly posts exploring creativity & mindset)

Insta |  https://www.instagram.com/cbkunk/ for #WritinAndRidin, a weekly 1 minute TV show
fb | https://www.facebook.com/cbkunk

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Theme music by Good Baby. ‘Rose Colored’ (instrumental version).  You can peep the full music video here: https://www.goodbaby.band/musicvideos

“THERE ARE NO RULES, ONLY THE ONES YOU SET FOR YOURSELF.”

Today Sid and I sit down with…ourselves. Sid flipped the script and peppered me with a few of the typical questions we usually ask our guests.

We chat leadership, hacking the Amazon recruitment process, and a little story about driving to the Arctic Ocean from New York via Mexico.

We thought that could tied you over until we come back next week with some new guests. We hope you enjoy!

8:00 | Sports + being a nerd growing up

13:45 | Being social vs. social media…a paradox?

17:45 | Thoughts on school

22:30 | Thoughts on Leadership – Employee Obsession

31:15 | Hacking the Amazon recruitment process, there are no rules

38:30 | Coming to AWS Infra

41:15 | NYU B-school application – an overland driving trip from New York to Mexico to the Arctic circle, and back…coming back different

Charlie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleskunken/

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CONTACT THE SHOW:

Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.charleskunken.com/subscribe 

Find us online: https://www.charleskunken.com/podcast or email the show with any questions, comments, requests for guests, etc: [email protected]

Sid on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhodi/
Charlie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleskunken

The blog | https://www.charleskunken.com/blogsummary (weekly posts exploring creativity & mindset)

Insta |  https://www.instagram.com/cbkunk/ for #ThePlazaOfTruth, a daily 1 minute TV show
fb | https://www.facebook.com/cbkunk

—

Theme music by Good Baby. ‘Rose Colored’ (instrumental version).  You can peep the full music video here: https://www.goodbaby.band/musicvideos

“ALWAYS BRING YOUR WHOLE SELF TO WHATEVER IT IS YOU’RE DOING.”

Today Sid and I sit down with our old friend, Bunmi Omotowa, Finance Manager on the Insights, Planning, Analytics, & Technology finance team for AWS. Simply put, they tell the C-suite what’s going on in AWS daily. I told you we’ve got important friends.

We get to dig in today to see how Bunmi learned to embrace fear and she shares with us an operating philosophy that would serves us all to heed.

Very fun and very wise! Please enjoy.

 4:04 | Some things that made for a great team

 6:20 | Bunmi’s role giving insights to executives, strengths you need to have

9:00 | If you’re taking on a job that feels like a stretch you’re on the right track

12:25 | Why fear is not a bad thing

16:50 | Amazon origin story

22:30 | Advice on work – work should be fun, right for you, and don’t settle for less than your best self

26:30 | The extra Leadership Principle – How we treat each other

28:50 | Bunmi’s leadership philosophy – know what your team members are passionate about

30:40 | Learning new things from some recent biographies – Michelle Obama, Tiffany Haddish, seeing the world through different lenses

35:10 | Bunmi’s movie breakdown: some great stories for families - Malificent 2, Kingsman

37:45 | Bunmi in 5 years

39:22 | Bunmi’s philosophy on life – Always bring your whole self to whatever it is you’re doing

Bunmi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bunmi-omotowa-4b13b617/

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CONTACT THE SHOW:

Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.charleskunken.com/subscribe 

Find us online: https://www.charleskunken.com/podcast or email the show with any questions, comments, requests for guests, etc: [email protected]

Sid on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhodi/
Charlie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleskunken

The blog | https://www.charleskunken.com/blogsummary (weekly posts exploring creativity & mindset)

Insta |  https://www.instagram.com/cbkunk/ for #WritinAndRidin, a weekly 1 minute TV show
fb | https://www.facebook.com/cbkunk

—

Theme music by Good Baby. ‘Rose Colored’ (instrumental version).  You can peep the full music video here: https://www.goodbaby.band/musicvideos

“Make progress every day…even one small win can be enough.”

Today Sid and I interview Oisin Hughes, Head of Global Data Center Portfolio Management here in AWS Infrastructure.  

Oisin has a really unique history. Long story short he once traveled around the world…on his motorcycle. That was his 2nd major overland trip on a bike, the first being the entire length of the Pan American highway. He is the author of 2 books documenting each adventure and made a documentary on Youtube about the last.

This was a ton of fun and we know you’ll enjoy! Here are the links to all of Oisin’s adventures:

Book 1: ‘That I May Die Roaming’ https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/0991489411/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Book2: ‘Not Dead Yet’ https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/099148942X/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwLW2IWJq4FES_no7MmpkjA

Episode Timestamps:

1:05 | Studying electronics ‘to get a few quid into me pocket’

1:56 | 15 years at Intel and then…the inspiration for a motorcycle journey around the world

3:00 | 2 adventures, in summary

6:00 | Writing book 1 in Columbia while on trip 2

7:55 | How did that 1st trip change you? …. Getting used to being on your own

9:40 | Why did you go on the 1st trip?

11:00 | The peaks and valleys of solo travel

13:04 | The difference between being alone vs. being lonely

17:15 | The adventure in uncertainty

19:25 | A moment when you felt like you would die?

23:30 | Turning off your phone…because no one was checking in

25:10 | A partnership breaks up

27:30 | Some characters you meet on the road

31:35 | Amazon origin story

35:00 | On the return to the work force - ready to build something big

36:28 | What makes someone successful at Amazon: starting fast, tolerance for ambiguity, self-starter

37:40 | Oisin’s leadership philosophy: honesty (with compassion)…and good hiring!

40:30 | Advice to your younger self: be an expert, get on with people, get results

42:30 | Life philosophy from the road? “Make progress everyday.”

46:45 | Should everybody go on a trip?

47:40 | You don’t have to make a perfect decision…take a baby bite

49:50 | Parting words - on karma

Oisin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oisin-hughes-0971a4198/

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CONTACT THE SHOW:

Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.charleskunken.com/subscribe 

Find us online: https://www.charleskunken.com/podcast or email the show with any questions, comments, requests for guests, etc: [email protected]

Sid on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhodi/
Charlie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleskunken

The blog | https://www.charleskunken.com/blogsummary (weekly posts exploring creativity & mindset)

Insta |  https://www.instagram.com/cbkunk/
fb | https://www.facebook.com/cbkunk

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Theme music by Good Baby: https://www.goodbaby.band/musicvideos

“Lifelong learning is important…go find something (with a plan!)...follow your passions.”

Today Sid and I interview Sr. Finance Manager, Andrew Wilson here at AWS Infrastructure. Andrew also happens to be….our manager. Best behavior! (not really)

Today Andrew talks about his lifelong pursuit of curiosity and explains how riding to work on a unicycle is a perfectly good way to read the newspaper.

Please enjoy!
  

1:45 | On riding a unicycle to work (while reading the paper)

4:05 | Choosing a path in undergrad, learning & being curious from the beginning, looking for answers to WHY

5:50 | An accidental path to finance

9:55 | Starting a solar startup from the halls of Intel

15:00 | Startup life & Solar IP

19:25 | 3 career lightning strikes: Intel, startup life , AWS

20:10 | Amazon origin story: perseverance + networking

22:20 | Advice for someone looking for a job at Amazon (or anywhere) – find a human to talk to

23:20 | Biggest surprise starting at Amazon – where’s the data!

25:50 | Andrew’s take on the Leadership Principles – Amazon walks the walk

30:30 | What LP could we add? Fun, balance

34:15 | Situational Leadership- a model for managing

38:55 | 3 historical figures for lunch: Einstein, Richard Feynman, da Vinci

40:40 | Sid negotiates for the conference room

42:20 | Consuming content: podcasts

44:10 | For fun outside of work – on 2 wheels & exploring the Pac NW

45:50 | Andrew’s philosophy for life – lifelong learning is key 

Andrew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abwilson1/

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CONTACT THE SHOW:

Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.charleskunken.com/subscribe 

Find us online: https://www.charleskunken.com/podcast or email the show with any questions, comments, requests for guests, etc: [email protected]

Sid on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhodi/
Charlie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleskunken

The blog | https://www.charleskunken.com/blogsummary (weekly posts exploring creativity & mindset)

Insta |  https://www.instagram.com/cbkunk/ for #ThePlazaOfTruth, a daily 1 minute TV show
fb | https://www.facebook.com/cbkunk

—

Theme music by Good Baby. ‘Rose Colored’ (instrumental version).  You can peep the full music video here: https://www.goodbaby.band/musicvideos

“If you’re not having fun then you probably need to find something else.”

Today Sid and I interview our very own Finance Director here in AWS Infrastructure, Gretchen Stephenson.  

Today Gretchen drops some sage advice about shaping a career in tech finance. We also chat about Texas, baseball, and why the ideal dinner party involves Barbra Bush, Lenny Kravitz, and The Rock….can you smell what The Rock is cooking?

This was a really fun show, we hope you enjoy!

3:18 Growing up around education & enrolling at Texas A&M
6:25 Early days at PricewaterhouseCoopers
8:50 Startup culture at Compaq into more structure at HP
11:00 Gretchen's Amazon origin story...a reminder of Compaq early days
14:00 On moving to Seattle from Texas
18:55 Gretchen's leadership style - showing the team trust, understanding, support
19:50 Leadership influences from Compaq & HP, both the good & the less good
21:55 Cool under fire
23:40 Guidance for new analysts - feel comfortable asking questions
26:15 Advice for career progression - look for the balance of what you know and what you can learn
30:40 Have comfort with failure
36:40 A trait of successful people - willingness to ask for help
40:05 For fun outside of work - getting into nature, Texas sports
43:00 THE ULTIMATE DINNER PARTY :) Barbara Bush, Lenny Kravitz...and The Rock
48:15 Career advice - being open to different experiences
49:55 When Gretchen grows up...living in different cities
51:00 Parting philosophy - we're here to have fun.

Gretchen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchen-stephenson-02393813/

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CONTACT THE SHOW:

Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.charleskunken.com/subscribe 

Find us online: https://www.charleskunken.com/podcast or email the show with any questions, comments, requests for guests, etc: [email protected]

Sid on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhodi/
Charlie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleskunken

The blog | https://www.charleskunken.com/blogsummary (weekly posts exploring creativity & mindset)

Insta |  https://www.instagram.com/cbkunk/ for #ThePlazaOfTruth, a daily 1 minute TV show
fb | https://www.facebook.com/cbkunk

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Theme music by Good Baby: ‘Rose Colored’ (instrumental).  Full music video here: https://www.goodbaby.band/musicvideos