LET'S GO WITH JULIO

In this first episode, I confront the emotional armor I developed to survive a turbulent childhood. My ambition led me to my first job at Apple, a formative experience and rare opportunity to learn about the Apple brand from the inside. But I struggled to make an impact or feel heard by my manager, and my insecurity and frustration got the best of me. Reflecting on these events, I can take responsibility for my part and share lessons from my first real leadership test.

Theme song: “Breaking Out” by ⁠Nick Deutsch⁠

Produced + edited: ⁠Rikki Gunton⁠

Connect: Follow the journey on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠LinkedIn⁠

Want to bring this kind of real talk to your company or stage? Book Julio to speak, coach, or consult at ⁠letsgowithjulio.com⁠

(0:00) Intro – How Do You Get Fired Four Times?

(3:50) Childhood – Learning to Armor Up Early

(7:37) Mom – Struggling With My Dad's Parenting

(9:13) Leadership – My Way of Coping With Chaos

(11:04) Mom – Noticing My Natural Leadership Early On

(14:20) Running From Rejection Into Overachievement

(17:23) Mom – Going Into Protection Mode

(20:04) Landing the Apple Job

(20:45) Insecure Around My Roommate Eric

(23:22) Learning About Apple From the Inside

(24:17) Teresa – Having Empathy for the Customer

(28:38) iPad Launch – Steve Jobs on Getting Uncomfortable

(30:14) Feeling Unfulfilled Even at Apple

(31:32) Frustrations Got the Better of Me

(32:24) Teresa – A Very Hush Hush Departure

(37:02) Reflection – I Could Have Handled It Better

(38:35) Riding the Emotional Rollercoaster

(39:10) Keeping the Truth a Secret

(39:31) Eric – Failure, Discernment and Moving On

How do you get fired from a dream job…four times in a row? Join me for Braving Big Tech—a 5-part audio series where I take you behind the scenes of my time working at Apple, Google, Tumblr, Airbnb, and Lyft. Through raw, unfiltered conversations with friends, family, and former co-workers (including people who hired and fired me) you’ll hear the real story and timely lessons on leadership, healing, and resilience.

In a world moving faster than ever—where AI, layoffs, and disconnection are reshaping work—how do we lead with courage right now? How can we find our way as leaders in these uncertain times? Tune in, and together we’ll slow down, re-define failure, and bring humanity back into leadership. Let’s go!

Subscribe to the LET’S GO WITH JULIO Podcast. 

Season 02 begins March 16th. 

In the meantime, stay in touch on Instagram or on LinkedIn or visit www.letsgowithjulio.com to learn more.

Music credit: The song is “Breaking Out” by Nick Deutsch, a brave elementary school music teacher and singer songwriter. Find him wherever you stream music.

Happy New Year — and welcome to the last episode of Season 1! 

We’re going to set ourselves up for a strong 2024 in this episode with clear steps to help you build the life you want. That means going easy on ourselves, doing the work to heal, clarifying our intention, connecting to something greater than ourselves, and more. 

My wish for you is that you find wisdom and tools that help you weather whatever this year has in store.

And stay tuned — we’ve learned so much these last 20 episodes and we’re hard at work on Season 2. Can’t wait for you to hear it! 

In the meantime, stay in touch on Instagram @letsgowithjulio or on LinkedIn. I will be sharing content for leaders there in preparation for the next season.  

Resources mentioned in this episode:
Dr. Kristin Neff on Self Compassion
Lighter by Young Pueblo
Build the Life You Want by Arthur Brooks & Oprah Winfrey

In 2018, watching old reruns of the Oprah Show, I learned about the still, small voice that is always speaking to us. Our work is to get quiet enough to hear that voice, and follow its guidance. In this episode I share the story of what first led me to Oprah, how I applied this teaching to my life, and the recent opportunity I got to spend the day with her and Gayle!

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How can you give yourself permission to be more creative in your life? That’s what our guest Grey Jacks is here to help us with. As a creative coach and recording artist, he has helped leaders (like me) tap into our innate creativity, deal with doubt, and stay curious along the creative journey. Grey explains what it’s like to be in creative flow, how to nourish a creative seed, and his experience with creative partnerships. I hope this conversation gets your creative juices flowing and gives you the inspiration to see yourself more creatively.

Connect with Grey on LinkedIn

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Holidays are here — and this is your invitation to approach the season with kind boundaries, clear expectations and lots of gratitude. In this episode I share actionable tips for managing stress, taking time off, predicting triggers, and staying resilient. Take notes and share with others who may benefit as we all prepare for the holiday!

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On October 28th I had the privilege of giving a talk at TEDx Harlem. In this episode, I tell the story of how I got my spot on the TEDx stage, my creative process at the one month, one week, one day and one minute marks, and my key takeaways. I share tips for overcoming fear and remind us of the importance of moving with the flow of life. 

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Aaron Hurst is a serial social entrepreneur and a leading expert on the science of purpose and fulfillment at work. He is the founding CEO of Imperative, founder of the Taproot Foundation, and bestselling author of The Purpose Economy. In this episode, I talk with Aaron about what purpose is and isn’t, the importance of quiet, and surviving burnout. Aaron explains the importance of reflection for meaning making, how to know if you’re coachable, and how to ask for, and offer, help. 

Get in touch with Aaron

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Did you know that the most compassionate leaders are also the most boundaried? This episode will empower you to set boundaries for yourself. We go through the steps to identify, communicate and maintain boundaries as well as help you get clear on where there may be an opportunity for boundary-setting in your life. Try the tools on and establish that kind clarity in your life! 

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After attending this year’s Out & Equal Summit, the largest LGBTQ+ and Allies workplace conference in the world, I’m reflecting on the business of belonging. In this episode, I share five lessons from the conference to inspire leaders to create a more inclusive, empathetic, and loving work environment.

To learn more about Out & Equal, visit: http://outandequal.org/

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