On this episode of Promoted, Pamellah shares her journey of navigating a new country, learning a new language and culture, and finding her way into the job market. She talks to her former Merit America Career Coach, Bekah Thompson, about the challenges of starting over, her process of building confidence, and how she advocated for herself in her job search. She also shares how leveraging her network, staying persistent despite setbacks, and keeping her family and long-term goals in mind helped her land a role where she can help and advise others.

Learn more about Merit America here.

CREDITS:

Host: Bekah Thompson

Guest: Pamellah Mirembe

Creative Directors: Brittany Davis-Green, Anne Keenan

Executive Producer: Deshani Semaan

Created by Merit America

This is a Maed in India production

Head of Production: Mae Mariyam Thomas

Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome

Producer: Ruchi Sawardekar

Director and Video Producer: Jishnu Guha

Junior Producer: Devanshi Chandak  

Sound Editor & Mix Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni, Lakshman Parsuram

Visual Design: Alika Gupta

Support Merit America here: https://meritamerica.org/our-supporters/.

Tanesha Washington, a Merit America career coach, explores how AI is shaping today’s job search and what it means for telling your story effectively. Learn the pros and cons of using AI tools, how they can refine your materials and highlight your strengths, and where they risk making your story sound less authentic. From sharpening resumes to preparing for interviews, Tanesha shares practical ways to use AI as a supplement—not a substitute—so you can stand out with confidence and keep your voice at the center of your career journey.

Learn more about Merit America here.

CREDITS:

Host: Tanesha Washington

Creative Directors: Brittany Davis-Green, Anne Keenan

Executive Producer: Deshani Semaan

Created by Merit America

This is a Maed in India production

Head of Production: Mae Mariyam Thomas

Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome

Producer: Ruchi Sawardekar

Director and Video Producer: Jishnu Guha

Junior Producer: Devanshi Chandak  

Sound Editor & Mix Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni, Lakshman Parsuram

Visual Design: Alika Gupta

Support Merit America here: https://meritamerica.org/our-supporters/. 

On this episode of Promoted, Marion shares her journey of rewriting her career—transitioning from years in retail to a mental health nonprofit — where she was recently promoted! Marion reflects on how she communicated her career change to employers, highlighting her agility, transferable skills, and ability to get things done. She also emphasizes the importance of staying connected to her network, noticing opportunities in her community, and leveraging those connections to grow professionally, do meaningful work and get personal fulfillment.

Learn more about Merit America here: https://meritamerica.org/promoted-podcast/. 

CREDITS:

Host: Tanesha Washington

Guest: Marion Abernathy

Creative Directors: Brittany Davis-Green, Anne Keenan

Executive Producer: Deshani Semaan

Created by Merit America

This is a Maed in India production

Head of Production: Mae Mariyam Thomas

Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome

Producer: Ruchi Sawardekar

Director and Video Producer: Jishnu Guha

Junior Producer: Devanshi Chandak  

Sound Editor & Mix Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni, Lakshman Parsuram

Visual Design: Alika Gupta

Support Merit America here: https://meritamerica.org/our-supporters/. 

Damisi Fawole, a Merit America career coach, delves into how perfectionism is a real barrier to both your well-being and career success. Discover what perfectionism really is, why it can undermine your progress, and how to recognize perfectionist habits. From spotting patterns to taking steps forward, Damisi shares practical and actionable strategies to help you face perfectionism with confidence.

Learn more about Merit America here.

CREDITS:

Host: Damisi Fawole

Creative Directors: Brittany Davis-Green, Anne Keenan

Executive Producer: Deshani Semaan

Created by Merit America

This is a Maed in India production

Head of Production: Mae Mariyam Thomas

Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome

Producer: Ruchi Sawardekar

Director and Video Producer: Jishnu Guha

Junior Producer: Devanshi Chandak  

Sound Editor & Mix Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni, Lakshman Parsuram

Visual Design: Alika Gupta

Support Merit America here: https://meritamerica.org/our-supporters/.

On this episode of Promoted, Kenisha (Kenie) Griggs talks about her career journey - from working as a massage therapist and marketing manager to building a career in UX design, and doing it all while raising a family. Kenie talks to her former Merit America career coach, Damisi Fawole, about how she began to doubt whether she was qualified for new roles after taking a break to focus on raising her children, especially when experience requirements felt out of reach. She explains how perfectionism often slowed her down, but learning to trust herself and take action eventually helped her gain momentum in building her new career.

Learn more about Merit America here.

CREDITS:

Host: Damisi Fawole

Guest: Kenisha (Kenie) Griggs

Creative Directors: Brittany Davis-Green, Anne Keenan

Executive Producer: Deshani Semaan

Created by Merit America

This is a Maed in India production

Head of Production: Mae Mariyam Thomas

Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome

Producer: Ruchi Sawardekar

Director and Video Producer: Jishnu Guha

Junior Producer: Devanshi Chandak  

Sound Editor & Mix Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni, Lakshman Parsuram

Visual Design: Alika Gupta

Support Merit America here: https://meritamerica.org/our-supporters/. 

In this episode of Promoted, Coreea Allen, a Merit America career coach, dives into how building your personal brand with authenticity can help you stand out in a crowded job market. She breaks down what a personal brand is, why it matters, and how it can reflect both your skills and your values. From defining your story to presenting it on LinkedIn, your resume, in interviews, or through your network, Coreea shares practical strategies for bringing your brand to life—helping you show up with confidence, and leave a lasting impression.

Learn more about Merit America here.

CREDITS:

Host: Coreea Allen

Creative Directors: Brittany Davis-Green, Anne Keenan

Executive Producer: Deshani Semaan

Created by Merit America

This is a Maed in India production

Head of Production: Mae Mariyam Thomas

Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome

Producer: Ruchi Sawardekar

Director and Video Producer: Jishnu Guha

Junior Producer: Devanshi Chandak  

Sound Editor & Mix Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni, Lakshman Parsuram

Visual Design: Alika Gupta

Support Merit America here.

On this episode of Promoted, Nathan shares how being authentic helped him move from low-wage work to becoming the first HR and staffing coordinator at his company, building the role from the ground up. He reflects on how staying driven by personal motivation, knowing his worth, and rejecting the pressure to fit into a box helped him create a career that truly reflects who he is. Nathan highlights the importance of speaking up, owning his story, and staying open to learning.

Learn more about Merit America here.

CREDITS:

Host: Coreea Allen

Guest: Nathan Parris Alford

Creative Directors: Brittany Davis-Green, Anne Keenan

Executive Producer: Deshani Semaan

Created by Merit America

This is a Maed in India production

Head of Production: Mae Mariyam Thomas

Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome

Producer: Ruchi Sawardekar

Director and Video Producer: Jishnu Guha

Junior Producer: Devanshi Chandak  

Sound Editor & Mix Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni, Lakshman Parsuram

Visual Design: Alika Gupta

Support Merit America here.

Promoted is a podcast about how to leave low-wage work for good, produced by Merit America, a national nonprofit organization that creates fast, flexible pathways to well-paying careers for Americans stuck in low-wage jobs. In season 2 of this series, we join Merit America’s career coaches to chat with their former learners about key challenges they overcame in moving from low-wage work to careers they love–and show how you can, too.

Luiz Mattos tells Merit America career coach Masha Finn about how he transformed a personal interest in technology into a career he loves. They talk about the importance of identifying one's passions, breaking down big problems into smaller steps, and adapting to new roles. Luiz tells Masha about how he now gets to do something that truly excites him every day, and hopes to help others do the same.

Learn more about Merit America here.

CREDITS:

Host: Masha Finn

Creative Directors: Brittany Davis-Green, Anne Keenan

Created by Merit America

This is a Maed in India production

Head of Production: Mae Mariyam Thomas

Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome

Producer: Ruchi Sawardekar

Junior Producer: Saakshi Samant

Editorial Assistance: Aishwarya Patil

Sound Editor & Mix Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni, Lakshman Parsuram

Visual Design: Alika Gupta

Donate to Merit America here.

Maisy Adams, a Merit America coach, talks about the various barriers faced while moving from one career to another and shares practical strategies for overcoming them.  She shares how a positive outlook, a strong support system and clarity of your goals can effectively help you navigate career transitions.

Learn more about Merit America here.

CREDITS:

Host: Maisy Adams

Creative Directors: Brittany Davis-Green, Anne Keenan

Created by Merit America

This is a Maed in India production

Head of Production: Mae Mariyam Thomas

Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome

Producer: Ruchi Sawardekar

Junior Producer: Saakshi Samant

Editorial Assistance: Aishwarya Patil

Sound Editor & Mix Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni, Lakshman Parsuram

Visual Design: Alika Gupta

Donate to Merit America here.