In this episode, I interview Theresa Freet, a Strategy & Operations leader with over 12 years of experience in the ed-tech field. Before her rise as an operator, she traveled internationally and immersed herself in the food industry, exploring the world and ruling out alternative career paths. Theresa emphasizes the importance of finding the right overlap between personal fulfillment and career growth, being comfortable with uncertainty, and effective delegation in management. Her experiences highlight the importance of recognizing what truly 'lights you up' and trusting the journey, even through transitions and unexpected shifts.

00:00 Introduction to the Push Pull Podcast
00:20 Meet Theresa Free: A Journey in Ed Tech
00:50 Early Career: Embracing Travel and Passion
03:29 The Madrid Experience: Unlocking Fearlessness
05:42 Teaching in Bogota: A Year in Colombia
06:52 AmeriCorps and the Path to Japan
09:25 JET Program: Life in Rural Japan
14:58 Discovering a Love for Cooking in Ireland
17:36 Exploring the Food Industry in New York and California
28:58 Transitioning to Tech and Volunteer Work
32:22 Joining IIN: A Return to Education
36:11 Incredible Team and Unmatched Benefits
37:06 Optimizing Systems and Project Management
38:04 Frustrations with Leadership
40:56 Transition to Thinkful
43:22 Growth and Challenges at Thinkful
46:45 Managing Remote Teams
58:07 Joining Polygence
01:04:55 Navigating Cultural Shifts
01:08:24 Exploring New Opportunities
01:13:50 Final Thoughts and Reflections

In this episode, I interview Samir Jain, Sr. Director of Product at Medidata Solutions, discussing his career journey and key transitions. We discuss how relationships, sales skills, and increasing levels of responsibility factor into career growth. We also explore what informed Samir's transitions: emphasizing the importance of mission alignment and finding the right kind of ownership (i.e. executing on the solution vs. defining the problem) in each Product leadership opportunity.

Introducing the Push-Pull Podcast! 

I'm Varun Rajan, a Product Manager and Career Coach. I'll be interviewing mid- to senior-level professionals about their careers to share their stories.

If you’re looking to make a meaningful change in your professional life — contemplating a switch in your role, company, or industry — or if you’re just curious about how others chose their paths…

I hope you pick up something useful or inspiring from my guests and their hard-earned wisdom.