In this episode, I sit down with Gary Strauss, a seasoned digital sales professional whose impressive career has spanned groundbreaking moments in the media industry. Gary was a key player in the pioneering days of digital advertising as part of the initial outside sales team at DoubleClick, a company whose acquisition by Google in 2008 was pivotal to shaping the tech giant’s dominance in the ad tech space. 

Gary’s career highlights include being part of two companies that went public and contributing to successful acquisitions, one of which culminated in a sale to Epic Games—the creators of Fortnite. Most recently, he led Business Development at Kidoodle TV, a free, kid-safe streaming service featuring premium content such as Dude Perfect.

Throughout our conversation, Gary shares invaluable insights on building a fulfilling and impactful career in sales. He underscores the importance of preparation, persistence, and adaptability in the face of challenges, offering practical advice for navigating the professional landscape. Key takeaways include:

 • Sales as a career path: It’s not just about selling a product but solving problems and building trust. Likeability and strong client relationships are the cornerstone of success.

 • Entrepreneurial spirit in sales: Sales professionals often run their own “mini-business” within larger organizations, making it an ideal path for those with a knack for innovation and initiative.

 • Career strategies: Take jobs for the education, not just the paycheck. Understand the company culture, and choose environments that nurture talent and align with your goals.

• Giving back:  Gary shares his involvement with the amazing Tom Deierlein Foundation. To learn more, click here TDFoundation.org

Whether you’re exploring sales as a career or looking for inspiration on how to grow professionally, Gary’s story and advice will leave you motivated and ready to tackle your goals!

LAUNCH Career Strategies was founded by Karen Elders and Elyse Spalding. We help young professionals launch a successful career path with expert coaching services. Reach out today for an initial FREE coaching session.
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In this episode, I'm thrilled to welcome Brian Lawler, a Senior Sales Manager, Amazon Ads with an impressive career in the advertising industry. Brian has held senior roles at top companies, including LinkedIn, AOL, DoubleClick, and News Corp, and has spent over seven years at Amazon. Known for his exceptional sales skills and leadership qualities, Brian is highly respected by customers and colleagues alike.

A proud graduate of Providence College with a degree in Marketing, Brian is passionate about developing and mentoring emerging talent. In our conversation, he shares his personal work experiences and learnings that listeners can apply to their own careers, including:

• Interview Preparation: Learn how to align with a company's mission and values, and prepare for behavioral interviews using the STARR method to articulate your story and impact (plus, learn what the extra "R" is for!)
• Continuous Learning: Discover the importance of understanding the deeper purpose of your role and how to expand your skill set, while adopting the "raising the bar" mentality and embracing feedback as a gift.
• The Magic Loop: Brian explains this concept developed by Ethan Evans, emphasizing the importance of performing your job well, supporting your manager's success, and aligning your contributions with your career goals.
• Amazon Leadership Principles: Gain insights into key principles established by Jeff Bezos, including the importance of speed, curiosity, grit, and earning trust, and how these can influence your career trajectory.

Whether you’re looking to enhance your interview skills or navigate your career path, this episode with Brian Lawler is packed with practical advice and inspiration. Tune in to learn from one of the best in the business!

Links to amazing books mentioned in this episode:
Radical Candor by Kim Scott (and here Kim breaks it down on YouTube)

LAUNCH Career Strategies was founded by Karen Elders and Elyse Spalding. We help young professionals launch a successful career path with expert coaching services. Reach out today for an initial FREE coaching session.
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Meet Teddy Fuller, Account Executive with Oracle NetSuite. Teddy is a 2021 graduate of the University of Denver and has spent the past 2.5+ years selling for NetSuite. Teddy shares his experience breaking into a top tech sales team. Hear about the undergrad courses and skills he developed that helped him get his first role as a BDR (Business Development Representative) and make the jump to an AE role.  Learn about the interview process and the day-to-day of a BDR and AE. Plus, other career path options to take the BDR experience.  This episode is chock full of career advice and direction for anyone interested in tech and/or sales. 

LAUNCH Career Strategies was founded by Karen Elders and Elyse Spalding. We help young professionals launch a successful career path with expert coaching services. Reach out today for an initial FREE coaching session.
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Join me and my talented intern, Christina Klinoff (BC '24), as we co-host this exciting episode that brings together sports entrepreneurship, mentorship, and college athletics.

This episode is perfect for a variety of listeners:

1. Are you an aspiring college athlete or a current college athlete?
2. Are you an aspiring entrepreneur?
3. Are you interested in sports, NIL, and/or AI?
4. Are you interested in being motivated by super bright, hard-working, D1 athletes?

Yes to any of the above Q's? Then this is the episode for you! 

Hear how Sean Woods and Ryan Hetrick met and co-founded CGM Sports or Chasing Greatness Mentorship - a platform that provides advice and mentorship to aspiring college athletes, helping them navigate club teams, prep schools, and the whole college recruiting process. Through entrepreneurship programs at both MIT and Harvard Business School, Ryan and Sean launched CGM and began their entrepreneurial journey.  Learn how Ryan and Sean found their Northstar and how their military backgrounds equipped them with the grit and discipline to stay focused on their shared vision.

Additional links and information from this episode:

• MIT: Martin Trust Center for Entrepreneurship
• Building an Entrepreneurial Venture (aka "GSD") - MIT Sloane biz school entrepreneurship accelerator, project-based course - getting an idea to market
• Harvard Innovation Labs - Summer Accelerator program
• Sean's HBS professors mentioned:
   Mark Roberge's book: The Sales Acceleration Formula: Using Data, Technology, and Inbound Selling to go from $0 to $100 Million
  Lou Shipley, Senior Lecturer, Harvard Business School

LAUNCH Career Strategies was founded by Karen Elders and Elyse Spalding. We help young professionals launch a successful career path with expert coaching services. Reach out today for an initial FREE coaching session.
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Communication: The "Swiss Army Knife" major

Check out my conversation with Christine Caswell, Director, Internships & Career Readiness at Boston College.  Christine guides 800+ Comm majors as they navigate getting an internship and their first "real" job.  Hear about Christine's journey as a broadcast journalist - where she started out and the grit and determination that led to her award-winning success!  A few of the many highlights from our conversation:

• Learn about the many career paths Comm majors can pursue
• What skills will you develop as a Comm major and how to use them professionally
• When and Where to find internships? 
• When will positions open up for me to apply?
• The importance of finding an organization that aligns with your goals

LAUNCH Career Strategies was founded by Karen Elders and Elyse Spalding. We help young professionals launch a successful career path with expert coaching services. Reach out today for an initial FREE coaching session.
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Your credit score is your adult GPA!
In part two of my conversation with Ann Garcia, Certified Financial Planner, we focus on helping young professionals understand some simple ways to set themselves up for financial success.  Ann shares many easy steps to make the most out of the money you're making today while also beginning to build a safety net for the many expenses at different stages of our lives. 

Topics covered include understanding your credit score, managing credit cards, taking advantage of 401K and other investments, setting a budget, and more!

This is a quick hit of info - about 15 minutes of amazing and useful tips and advice!

Show notes:
I Will Teach You To Be Rich (Ramit Sethi) - Book on personal finance for 20-35 year olds
Round up your purchases for easy saving: Acorn's Investing
 XYPN - Fee-only financial planning and advice
Ann Garcia's book How to Pay for College: A complete financial plan for funding your child's education

LAUNCH Career Strategies was founded by Karen Elders and Elyse Spalding. We help young professionals launch a successful career path with expert coaching services. Reach out today for an initial FREE coaching session.
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Want to balance living your best life today and financial security tomorrow?

Check out my conversation with Ann Garcia, also known as The College Financial Lady to find out how it is possible.  Ann is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and managing partner of Independent Progressive Advisors, a financial advisory firm based in Portland, Oregon.  Ann got her nickname of The College Financial Lady by specializing in college financial planning - she’s helped thousands of families save a ton of money on college. Ann has been featured in the New York Times, US News & World Report, CNN Money, and many other publications and she recently wrote the book How to Pay for College: A complete financial plan for funding your child's education.

This is a double dip episode - learn about Ann's path to becoming a CFP and top tips on saving for your child's education!

Don't miss PART TWO of my conversation with Ann where she'll give a great "financial planning 101" for young professionals - releasing next week!

Show notes and links:

• Ann's book How to Pay for College: A complete financial plan for funding your child's education
• Ann's website Howtopayforcollege.com
• FAFSA (Federal Student Aid application website)
• Student Aid estimator tool - use this to see if you might qualify for aid
• Net Price Calculator - Find this on college websites to get a sense of how much that school will cost
• Collegedata.com  and College Navigator - Check out these websites to see data on the percentage of students that need aid and the percentage that was met
  
  

LAUNCH Career Strategies was founded by Karen Elders and Elyse Spalding. We help young professionals launch a successful career path with expert coaching services. Reach out today for an initial FREE coaching session.
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Join me as we dive into the fashion industry when I speak with the mother-daughter dynamic duo, Alison Bruhn and Delia Folk, co-founders of The Style That Binds Us, a next-gen media company focused on style and fashion.
Hear about each of their unconventional entrees into the world of fashion and the relationships and skills they developed. Delia shares how she got her first opportunity with an internship at Versace and her first role upon graduation at Barneys New York on the buying team.  After studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology, Alison became a national style and image consultant.  Alison and Delia talk about what helped them become successful in the competitive fashion world and how their media company The Style That Binds Us is connecting their shared love of fashion and culture with their audience.

Don't miss this episode if you're looking to work in the fashion industry  - or, just love fashion and style!

Additional Show Notes and Links:

Click here to DOWNLOAD the Core Wardrobe Checklist

A few retailers to check out when building your core wardrobe:
J. Crew
M.M. LaFleur
Ralph Lauren
Ann Taylor
Poshmark

Article on the science behind dressing and how we're perceived and how we perform:  Research Shows That the Clothes You Wear Ac

LAUNCH Career Strategies was founded by Karen Elders and Elyse Spalding. We help young professionals launch a successful career path with expert coaching services. Reach out today for an initial FREE coaching session.
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Show up. Be curious. Show you're hardworking.

If you're interested in a career in advertising or media but also might love a tech sell - this is the episode for you.  Today we're switching gears over to the digital media and advertising technology space.  My guest is Lauren Benedict,  SVP, Enterprise Sales at MNTN, the leading connected TV performance advertising platform.   Lauren is a recognized and award-winning ad sales leader whose career has included leadership roles at NBC Universal, Hulu, and Disney Media & Entertainment.  Hear about Lauren's early career pivot and how she was able to lean into her ability to build relationships and thrive in a team culture. Lauren gives a great overview of what MNTN does and the advertising technology that enables advertisers to reach consumers while they stream content.  Lauren shares some great career advice including this mantra to always strive for: Show up. Be curious. Show you're hardworking.

A few key notes and links from this episode:

"Readers are Leaders" - Lauren credits her past boss Peter Naylor with sharing this quote, originally made famous by Harry S. Truman: "Not all readers are leaders but all leaders are readers."  So up your reading game!
She Runs It - NYC-based organization paving the way for more women to lead at every level of marketing, media and tech.  Membership includes access to extensive networking, cutting-edge content, mentoring programs, education loan relief, career development, and more.
Chief - the only private membership network focused on connecting and supporting women executive leaders
SXSW 2023 - South by Southwest celebrates the convergence of tech, film, music, education, and culture.

LAUNCH Career Strategies was founded by Karen Elders and Elyse Spalding. We help young professionals launch a successful career path with expert coaching services. Reach out today for an initial FREE coaching session.
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Interested in commercial real estate, investment banking - or both? Check out my conversation with David Genovese, CEO of Baywater Properties. David's stellar career includes senior leadership roles with Credit Suisse First Boston and Bankers Trust Company.  Learn about David's career path and the early pivot he had to make. Plus, David shares an overview of the commercial real estate landscape, what the main entry points are, what skills are needed, and how to set yourself up for success. Enjoy the listen!

Hosted by Karen Elders of Launch Career Strategies

LAUNCH Career Strategies was founded by Karen Elders and Elyse Spalding. We help young professionals launch a successful career path with expert coaching services. Reach out today for an initial FREE coaching session.
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