We welcome John Connolly into the Organized Chaos Cafe! He's an accomplished project manager, author, consultant, and educator with over 15 years of experience.

He his shares insights from his work, including his focus on organizational leadership, knowledge retention, and project management but also how his experience in librarianship has bridged his work in project management and the importance of institutional knowledge within organizations and PMOs.

Then we dive into the heart of the conversation about the deep into the nuances of work-life balance, exploring how to find meaning in work and set boundaries to avoid burnout.

Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion on the interplay between work, life, and meaning.

Connect with John on:

• LinkedIn
• Scaling Strategies

00:00 Introduction

01:27 Current Projects and PhD Journey

04:31 Exploring Knowledge Management

12:23 Work-Life Balance Insights

17:42 Philosophical Perspectives on Work

25:30 Practical Advice for Finding Meaning

34:52 Conclusion

Empowering Quiet Achievers with Linda Rayner.

In this episode of the Organized Chaos Cafe, Linda Raynier joins me in the cafe to tell us all about her new book 'The Quiet Achiever’!

Linda shares insights into redefining confidence, communication, and leadership for introverted professionals. With an impressive social media presence and a background as a CPA and career strategist, Linda discusses the challenges and strengths of 'quiet achievers,' offering practical advice on overcoming self-doubt and societal expectations.

We conversation explores the importance of mindset, the concept of the 'bamboo ceiling,' and strategies to foster self-worth and authentic leadership.

We'll also discuss the different frameworks in addressing fear-based beliefs and overcoming these fears!

Listen to the end so you can learn about the exciting bonuses for her book's pre-orders as we discuss how we can help introverted professionals unlock their potential and excel in their careers.

Pre-order 'The Quiet Achiever' here! (www.lindaraynier.com/book)

To find out more about Linda, you can visit her on LinkedIn or YouTube

00:30 - Welcome and Guest Introduction

01:48 - Defining the Quiet Achiever

03:20 - Challenges Faced by Quiet Achievers

06:07 - Overcoming Fear-Based Beliefs

08:34 - Cultural and Societal Expectations

10:27 - Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling

15:29 - Building Confidence and Value

27:35 - Practical Tips for Quiet Achievers

32:54 - Book Launch and Final Thoughts

Are you ready to face the dungeons and dragons of your project? My guest this month is Ann Campea where she discusses her passion of Role-Playing Games (RPGs) and how it can be used as a metaphor and thought tool for how we can unlock the potential of our teams in project management!

Coming from a seasoned strategic operations and project management background, she shares her journey and learnings from companies like Apple and Amazon!

We'll dive deeper into into comparing project management to role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) and highlight how you can better support your team despite the stats and luck that might be stacked against you!

We chat about building your team character profiles while leveraging the strengths of a diverse team!

Grab a coffee and tune in to learn how the principles of role-playing games can offer valuable insights into improving your project management practices.

01:38 Journey into Project Management

04:19 Role Playing Games and Project Management

08:15 Understanding Role Playing Games

18:04 Building Effective Teams

24:50 Handling Challenges and Luck in Projects

38:51 Key Takeaways for Project Managers

Want to get in touch with Ann?

Connect with Ann Campea on LinkedIn

You can also check out her podcast, The Everyday PM

AI in PM and the ethics around it. Are you prepared to be able to use AI effectively AND ethically? This is a really deep topic that I hope to explore a bit deeper. Unfortunately for this episode, I've been bogged down in so much of my work that I've invited to AI experts into the discussion to talk about AI's use in the PM space and the ethical concerns it brings up.

My special guests Harry Dingleschmidt and Hillary Sweat will dive into the details, nuances, and pitfalls of AI and it's concerning impact in the PM space. Come join this conversation and let's debate!

In this episode of the Organized Chaos Cafe with Ben Chan, we welcome Mark Rozner, a project management expert with over four decades of experience in healthcare, financial services, and corporate environments.

Mark shares his unique journey from aspiring chef to leadership roles in project management and we shift our conversation into personal and emotional topics, focusing on managing grief.

We discuss how he applied project management principles to navigate these difficult experiences, highlighting the importance of stakeholder management, decision frameworks, and servant leadership.

While this is a hard topic, we hope that this episode provides some insight for those looking to understand and manage their own grieving process or helping others navigate through theirs.

Connect with Mark Rozner on LinkedIn

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

02:24 Mark's Journey into Project Management

03:36 From Chef Aspirations to Healthcare Programming

06:58 Core Philosophy in Project Management and Mentorship

12:38 The Intersection of Project Management and Grief

14:03 Personal Experiences with Grief and Caregiving

19:07 Practical Tips for Managing Grief

29:12 Supporting Others Through Grief

Does Project Management sometimes feel lonely? With new emerging technologies and industries, (and even with existing ones) it can like no one understands your struggles.

In this episode of the Organized Chaos Cafe, Galen Low, co-founder of the Digital Project Manager (DPM) community joins me on the podcast to shares his journey with project management and community creation!

From accidental project manager to digital transformation specialist, Galen highlights the challenges he faced and lessons learned along the way.

We then dive into the essence of the DPM community, its mission to support digital project professionals, and some of our own thoughts on the dynamic between generalist and specialist PM roles.

Come listen to our light-hearted talk on building a supportive network and how the importance of relationships and shared knowledge in navigating the ever-evolving digital landscape is key for PMs to thrive!

You can find Galen Low on LinkedIn.

Go check out the The Digital Project Manager here: https://thedigitalprojectmanager.com/

01:30 Welcome to the Organized Chaos Cafe

02:53 Galen Low's Journey into Project Management

04:27 Overcoming Challenges in Project Management

07:39 The Birth of the Digital Project Manager Community

14:50 Defining the Digital Project Manager

19:01 Specialist vs. Generalist Project Managers

21:21 Curiosity and Problem-Solving in Engineering

22:52 Challenges in Project Management

22:18 The Crisis in Project Management Roles

25:50 The Value of Community Support

28:42 Sustaining a Community

31:54 Adapting to Rapid Changes in Project Management

31:52 Success Stories from the Community

In this episode of the Organized Chaos Cafe, we welcome Daniel Zitter, partner at PMZone, where he shares his journey of transforming project management training through interactive board games!

We'll talk about the inception and development of a project management board game as a PM learning experience and hear about thethe challenges faced, the unique dynamics of the game, and how it incorporates both fun and serious elements crucial for effective project management!

Daniel and I also discuss the differences between their Agile and Waterfall game versions and outlines how these tools can help project managers enhance their skills in a practical, engaging environment.

Tune in for insights on innovative project management learning and the story behind PMZone’s popular board games.

For more information, check out:

• Daniel Zitter on LinkedIn
• The PMZone Board Game

01:05 Meet Daniel Zitter: Project Management Enthusiast

01:20 The Journey to Creating a Project Management Board Game

06:05 Challenges and Insights in Game Development

11:25 Understanding the Game Mechanics

28:57 Agile vs. Waterfall: Different Game Versions

Let's get networking!

In this episode of the Organized Chaos Cafe, Christina Somerville shares her insights on building professional connections

Christina, who has over a decade of networking experience, provides valuable advice on how to leverage networking for career development and job opportunities.

The discussion covers starting with familiar connections, the importance of giving before asking, and how to navigate networking both virtually and in-person. Christina also shares her personal journey of moving back to the U.S. after taking an eight-month sabbatical, and building a robust network that accelerated her career as a project manager. Tune in to learn actionable tips and strategies for effective networking!

Want to connect with Christina and get your networking tips?

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinasomerville/

Website: https://www.christinasomerville.com/

00:30 Introduction and Guest Welcome

01:57 The Importance of Networking

03:13 Christina's Sabbatical Journey

04:54 Building a Network from Scratch

07:52 Effective Networking Strategies

22:38 Virtual vs. In-Person Networking

27:11 Networking for Project Managers

29:52 Conclusion and Contact Information

The Organized Chaos Cafe podcast has Busayo Onifade join us as a content designer, writer, and owner of UX Scribe. We'll walk through her journey into UX and UI on digital projects, starting from her initial role at eBay where she transitioned into the field, and her passion for making technology and information accessible.
See how her love for creativity meets execution and discuss more about the importance of user research, strategy, and continuous improvement in UX/UI design as well as the challenges of onboarding users, budget constraints, and the need for empathy in design to reach real project success.

We explore a bit of AI's role in design while providing tips for project managers to collaborate effectively with UX/UI designers. Busayo underscores the significance of a well-thought-out strategy and active user engagement to create impactful digital experiences.
You can reach her at:
Website - https://www.busayo.design/
LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/in/oluwabusayo-onifade

Build Your Brand with Sabahat Naureen!

On this episode of Organized Chaos Cafe, we welcomes Sabahat Naureen, founder of Audacious Strategy where she shares her journey from engineering consulting to leading brand strategies for C-suite leaders and founders.

We dive into the importance of personal branding in today's market, the concept of founder-led marketing, and key strategies to build a compelling personal brand.

Discover insights on how a strong personal brand can drive business success, the balance between personal and corporate branding, and common pitfalls to avoid.

00:30 Introduction to Audacious Strategy

01:39 Sabahat's Journey from Engineering to Strategy

04:02 Defining a Trailblazer

05:36 The Importance of Personal Branding

07:49 Challenges and Opportunities in Personal Branding

15:48 Personal Branding in the New Year

18:32 Identifying Your Target Audience

19:16 Building Your Personal Brand

20:50 Common Mistakes in Personal Branding

22:38 The Importance of Personal Branding

28:19 Navigating Personal Branding Challenges

32:47 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Connect with Sabahat: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabahatnaureen/

Bold Hearted Podcast:

https://open.spotify.com/show/5X4XYC8pkufAcuCkhWJdbh?si=6328f401c6f3461d&nd=1&dlsi=73e2a97ee3be4af4