This week we talk to one of our dreamiest dream jobbers yet! It only took us 20ish episodes, but we’re finally talking to a real, live #googler.

Not just any Googler - not the designer of the famous nap pods (yes, those are a thing); nor is it the lead chef designing Google’s Michelin-worthy cuisine (yes, three meals a day on campus were a thing, pre-COVID); nor are we even talking with the gal or guy who brought you Google Plus (remember when ‘Circles’ were a thing? Neither do we). 

We’ve got you one better - today we’re elevating the conversation with Nick Cain, a leader in Google.org, Google’s philanthropy arm aiming to ‘bring the best of Google to help solve some of humanity’s biggest challenges — combining funding, innovation, and technical expertise to support underserved communities and provide opportunity for everyone.” They work with nonprofits, social entrepeneurs, and civic organizations across topics ranging from economic empowerment to equitable access to learning.

Our conversation touches on what a career in philanthropy looks like day-to-day, and how that’s different and special in the Google context. We discuss Nick’s path to Google.org, including stints with multiple cause-driven organizations. And we discuss some of the benefits and tradeoffs of philanthropy under the umbrella of a large tech company.

That's right, we said the dreamiest of dream jobs :-) we weren't lying...

Google.org
Philanthropy.com podcast on Google.org

It's our 20th episode! According to something we may have read once, 95% of podcasts don't make it past 7 episodes. And according to a recent listener poll, 95% of Dream Job listeners think 7 of  our 20 episodes have actually been pretty decent. 

But either way, we're using this nice, round number to look back, to look in, and to look ahead to all the things we've learned (and the things we've willfully ignored) about dream jobs through this little podcast of ours. We share four of our favorite takeaways from the dream jobbers we've talked with so far. We entertain the possibility that your dream job may have more to do with YOU than it does with the job. And Onnie tries his best (and mostly fails) to help Kent be less of a cynical bastard.

If you like having "lessons learned" meetings, postmortems, and debriefs dropped onto your work calendar without your permission then you're going to LOVE this episode. Join us! #backtowork

FREE CHICK-FIL-A FOR EVERYONE!!!

Not really. But now that we have your attention, checkout our conversation this week with Julian Hollar, Owner/Operator of the Chick-Fil-A at I-405 and Jefferson in Los Angeles, CA. From having direct, unmediated access to his customers to working alongside coworkers who are (mostly) too young to remember 9/11, there's a lot that sets Julian's job apart from many of the previous guests on the #DreamJob. But from finding meaning through serving others to connecting his 9-5 with a personally meaningful impact on the world, there is much that he shares in common with #dreamjobbers everywhere. 

Join us as Julian talks about the challenges of launching one of the 5 busiest locations in the entire franchise and stick around long enough to hear Kent's story about the most awkward interaction he had during his stink Assistant Managing a Target store. #BackToWork #ItsOurPleasure

• Julian on LinkedIn
• Chick-Fil-A at 405 and Jefferson on Facebook
• More info on Chick-Fil-A franchise opportunities

The last few months have you itching for some hasty and politicized scientific claims? Spoiler alert: you won’t be happy with this pod, as we interview David Howell, a PhD researcher on concussions in sports. 

Prior to the interview, we check in on our working definitions of dream jobs -- 18 episodes in -- and how we’d self-grade ourselves. Then join us as we go deeper than Will Smith in ‘Concussion’ to learn about the state of concussion research (hint: we’re decades out from firm conclusions), just what it means to be a professor and clinical researcher, and the details for how David went from the sideline and lab at the University of Oregon to one of the top researchers in his field. Throughout, we touch on topics like the importance of credibility/expertise in finding your dream job, being attuned to when you’re ‘resonating’ in a role/job and how that can be a hint toward your dream job journey, and some of the challenges/frictions you’ll face, even in a dream job (grant proposal rejections!). 

If you enjoy the episode, follow-us, share us, and write a review. And if you want updates on the state of concussion research, follow David: @howellDR on Twitter

• Dave’s faculty page
• Concussion
• Oregon losing the 2011 National Championship (sorry Dave)

Author, Entrepreneur, Speaker, Pastor, Executive, and Social Influencer.

That could easily be a complete list of someone's Top 6 dream jobs. But it's also the list of the six jobs that Nona Jones is working currently. So if you happen to be working less than six jobs right now. For real...#backtowork.

As the Global Head of Faith-Based Partnerships at Facebook, Nona works closely with some of the largest ministries in the world to help them level up their use of technology and re-imagine their use of social media as a strategic tool for ministry. She's also the author of five books, a sought after speaker and pastor, the mother to two kids, and a veteran of 13 half-marathons. Nona joins us on the pod this week to talk about risk taking, finding her voice, rising above the difficulties of her childhood, and what it feels like to be an outspoken Christian in Silicon Valley. It's a fascinating conversation. Check it out! And then check Nona out at any of the links below. 

• Nona on Facebook
• Nona on Instagram
• Nona's Website
• Success From The Inside Out (her book)
• From Social Media to Social Ministry (her newest book)
• Open Door Ministries (her church)

What if your job culminated in euphoria for thousands of screaming fans? Or even if, at a minimum, what you loved doing most with your time was how you made a living? While our podcast hasn't reached these milestones (yet!), join us as we take inspiration from professional musician Robert DeLong, and learn more about his creative process, his  journey from teaching drum lessons and playing in 6-8 bands at a time to a headlining professional musician, and what it's like to play 5 shows in 3 days across North America. We also touch on the impact of notoriety/celebrity, which parts of a career in music aren't so dreamy, the emergence of the 'musician middle class', and Robbie's advice for those trying to make it in music: "work hard, be nice to people, and have a good attitude." :-) We hope you'll check it out! #backtowork #dreamjobpodcast #robertdelong

What if the only "To Do" on your list for today was to write a blog post titled "6 Household Items Dad Is Currently Feuding With." Or what if your boss sent you a calendar invite for a whiteboarding session for an interactive piece of content titled "You're a Single-Celled Organism. Can You Evolve Into A Duck?" Well...then you might be a staff writer at Clickhole.com. And the aforementioned boss might be our guest on the podcast this week, Steve Etheridge, Editor-In-Chief at Clickhole.

While Steve and his crew technically do write jokes for a living, producing daily comedy for the internet-consuming mob is no laughing matter. We talk to Steve about his creative process, how the site has changed in recent years, and how he keeps the internet from destroying his soul. We even learn more about ClickHole's recent acquisition by Cards Against Humanity. (Yes, really. That's a thing that happened.) It's a great conversation. We hope you'll check it out. #BackToWork

• ClickHole
• Steve on Instagram
• Steve on Twitter
• The Onion
• Cards Against Humanity

Three months in, with Kent and Onnie's #impostersyndrome at an all-time high, they decided it was time to call in a true professional on meaning and #dreamjobs, interviewing Matt Rusten (Executive Director, Made to Flourish, a non-profit dedicated to integrating faith, work, and economic wisdom).

After a brief detours on the classic 'Zoom screen tilt' to hide your home clothes, whether Father's Day should actually be a holiday, and the overall 'muted' nature of work in the Covid context, they chat with Matt on Made to Flourish and its mission. The interview discusses how to think about meaning at work, and more. Matt started his career at Microsoft, then served in pastoral roles at two churches. He has a Masters of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

#backtowork

• Made to Flourish
• Father's Day

If a Crossfitter (Crossfit-ist?) does a burpie but doesn't post it on Instagram, can they still get their gym's logo tattoo'd on their bicep? That answer and other dispatches from the front lines of your cubicle-mates favorite fitness cult when Reid Worthington (Founder, Owner, and Head Coach of Crossfit Lumberyard in Anaheim, CA) joins the podcast this week. 

After returning from a year of playing football overseas with no clear career direction except that he loved coaching and he didn't want to work in an office, Reid founded Crossfit Lumberyard in 2014. With no facility, clients, or business background, and with barely enough money for a set of dumbbells, Reid faced long odds (and even longer hours) in the early years but has since built Lumberyard into one of the premier gyms in Orange County with 200+ members and a sterling reputation. Come along as we talk about Lumberyard's early days, the importance of mentorship, and how Reid responds when he hears the "C-word." (aka: cult) #BackToWork

• Crossfit Lumberyard on the web
• Crossfit Lumberyard on Instagram
• Reid on Instagram

Sometimes it takes a step back to take two steps forward, and that couldn't be more true than in today's conversation with Brandon Doll, an executive with the Las Vegas Raiders. Brandon was an officer in the Navy - leading 'men and material' - before joining the Raiders as an intern; the beginning of his 6-year meteoric rise to Senior Vice President of Business Development and Strategy.

Join us as Kent and Onnie explore the yawning chasm between their at-work and at-home effectiveness, before diving deep with Brandon on his work with the Raiders (including the time he got chewed out by John Madden on his birthday!), details on his leadership helping to monetize the Raiders new $2B stadium in Vegas, how he practically prioritizes his time, and how he followed in his grandfather's footsteps to work in the NFL (Don Doll was a stud cornerback). 

Caveat: like other episodes before this one, the interview was recorded prior to the COVID outbreak, and the more recent protests following the killing of George Floyd. While it may feel slightly 'out of touch,' think of it as a 'time capsule' of sorts, back when there were actually sports! Hope you enjoy.

• Las Vegas Raiders
• Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
• Allegiant Stadium Live Cam!