We all live in some version of the Matrix — where we take our situation as given. But what would it look like to wake up? To see more clearly and direct your life? This episode is about awakening to the limitations you've subconsciously accepted in your career and doing something about it: creating freedom. Listen in to discover your real potential.

Go deeper with the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter.

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TAKEAWAYS

The Matrix movie trilogy suggests that everyone is capable of making the choice between the real world and an artificial one.

Career-wise, we're taught to choose from an existing corporate system, and just make the most of it.

Betting your livelihood solely on "gutting it out" in corporate will leave you miserable.

John Marty suggests we deploy a "dual-path" strategy: Utility (corporate) + Authentic Self.

Sometimes we're climbing the wrong hill, and we need to have the guts to walk down and start another climb.

You can create more freedom in your life if you start embracing self-reliance.

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TIMESTAMPS

[1:34] What the Matrix teaches us

[2:31] How this plays out at work

[3:47] The dual-path strategy

[7:20] How Matt is pursuing both paths

[9:10] Are you climbing the wrong hill?

[10:15] Our real aim: a sense of freedom

***

RESOURCES

Related episode (#17): Self-Reliance

John Marty's "dual-path" video

Connect w/ Matt on LinkedIn

Follow on Twitter @MatthewRDoan

Check the show on YouTube

Subscribe to the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter

OVERVIEW

We're joined in this episode by Elayna Snyder, Founder of Indigo Collectiv. She focuses on helping thought leaders fuel their strategy by being their authentic selves. She delivers a masterclass on harnessing your individuality. Her premise: your knowledge and ideas need an outlet, and that outlet should create an impact.

Improve your LinkedIn game: How to Build Your Hidden LinkedIn Funnel™ in 3 Easy Steps (resource from Elayna)

Tired of being "stuck" in your tech career? Try the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter.

***

TAKEAWAYS

Our "authentic self" changes based on the context that we’re in.  

There are many roads to a destination, but they differ in timeline and effectiveness

You must make decisions that align with who you are on the inside.

A well-shaped personal brand helps you scale your ideas, build meaningful relationships, and create the impact you crave.

An established personal brand isn’t a prerequisite to contributing and getting to know the community you want to build or contribute to. 

LinkedIn is NOT a glorified resume platform or virtual conference; it's a place to be social and create a world of opportunities.

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TIMESTAMPS

[6:30] Transcending your credentials

[9:09] Client creation

[11:25] Applying your “fire” (corporate & side hustle)

[13:25] Personal brand: greatest long-term asset

[18:00] Shaping your personal brand

[19:17] Why & how to harness LinkedIn

[21:25] Building your community

[24:03] Serving your tribe (& monetizing)

[26:55] Your forcing function for growth

[28:25] Elayna on the hot seat

***

RESOURCES

How to Build Your Hidden LinkedIn Funnel™ in 3 Easy Steps (resource from Elayna)

Connect w/ Elayna on LinkedIn

Connect w/ Matt on LinkedIn

Follow on Twitter @MatthewRDoan

Check the show on YouTube

Subscribe to the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter

OVERVIEW

We're joined today by Shiv Singh, Founder of Emerge Management Consulting. Shiv is a compelling example of what it means to "look inside" and figure out what you've been put on this planet to do. We hear a lot about "find your why," but Shiv demonstrates how to put the concept into action — even if it requires going against societal norms. Lots to learn here, from both a career and life perspective.

Tired of being "stuck" in your tech career? Try the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter.

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TAKEAWAYS

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TIMESTAMPS

[2:12] Pillars of life

[8:12] Associating academic & career success

[13:23] Striving for never-ending external validation

[17:15] Taking a leap of faith “on myself”

[22:20] The forcing function for your growth

[26:28] Don’t obsess over goals; one meaningful step at a time

[32:44] Joys & hardships of being on your own

[34:38] The Pathless Path

[37:09] Reconciling your professional & personal selves

[41:10] Mental health in management consulting

***

RESOURCES

Related episode (#17): Self-Reliance

Connect w/ Shiv on LinkedIn

Check out Shiv's business: Emerge Management Consulting

Connect w/ Matt on LinkedIn

Follow on Twitter @MatthewRDoan

Check the show on YouTube

Subscribe to the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter

OVERVIEW

We're joined today by Ben Dundee, VP and Head of Data Science at Dekeo. Ben delivers sharp advice on how to become influential with data — changing hearts and minds across an organization. Empathy and community are key elements of his personality and success. Lots of lessons in this one! 

Tired of being "stuck" in your tech career? Try the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter.

***

TAKEAWAYS

Don't let your past define your future; learn to say "thank you, next."

Product Management is a great space to learn what the business cares about (you gain diverse perspectives).

A data leader's role is often to ensure all people (technical and non-technical) believe in the value of the data effort.

Don't waste time on data perfection (objective truth) — a simple model that's 80% correct is often the key to success.

"Dance with fear" — embrace discomfort; this is how you build a great career and life.

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TIMESTAMPS

[2:15] The self-branding journey: Physics PhD to Data Science VP

[11:35] Using business knowledge and relationships as leverage to create impact

[16:27] The mysticism of data science 

[20:35] Skills for the mid-career tech professional

[26:53] The worst advice to follow

[31:34] Ben's advice to his younger self 

***

RESOURCES

Related episode (#19): You Don't Need an MBA

Connect w/ Ben on LinkedIn

Connect w/ Matt on LinkedIn

Follow on Twitter @MatthewRDoan

Check the show on YouTube

Subscribe to the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter

OVERVIEW

For decades, there's been an assumption that you need an MBA to be a business leader. This creates a challenge for rising digital leaders — those that come from technical backgrounds and feel a desire to be an influential force within the organization. Do they need to sink their time and money into nabbing this credential? Today, Matt argues why an MBA isn't necessary for tech professionals while getting to the essence of what we're really after.

Go deeper with the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter.

***

TAKEAWAYS

We've been lulled into thinking an MBA is a "must do" for reaching the highest realms of business leadership.

What people really want with an MBA: Mastery, Badges, Attention.

“We’ve reached the post-content age. Content is no longer scarce in education. It’s either free or low-cost, and it's abundant.”

Millennials and Gen Zs place significant value on community, which will transform the future of education.

EdTech platforms, such as those enabling Cohort-Based Courses, are opening faster and cheaper alternatives to the MBA — with similar benefits. 

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TIMESTAMPS

[3:30] Why people really chase an MBA

[5:15] Mastery, badges, and attention

[6:55] The problem of self-motivation

[8:56] Power of new education models

***

RESOURCES

Connect w/ Matt on LinkedIn

Follow on Twitter @MatthewRDoan

Check the show on YouTube

Subscribe to the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter

OVERVIEW

Does technology really make life better? Not necessarily. While digital technology is inevitably at the core of your organization's mission, we must be careful how we adopt it. We can’t look at any piece of technology as a silver bullet. We can’t let ourselves fall in love.

Go deeper with the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter.

***

TAKEAWAYS

Technology trends don't have to be as inevitable as they might appear.

“Our inventions are [nothing more than] improved means to an unimproved end.” — Thoreau

Culture always pays a price for technology.

There are always winners and losers in technological change.

Technological change is not additive; it is ecological.

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TIMESTAMPS

[2:29] The insanity of silver bullets

[3:16] Change happens on the inside

[4:44] Neil Postman's 5 ideas on technological change

***

RESOURCES

"Five Things We Need to Know About Technological Change" by Neil Postman (1998)

Connect w/ Matt on LinkedIn

Follow on Twitter @MatthewRDoan

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Subscribe to the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter

OVERVIEW

Today, Matt talks about one of his life’s greatest influences: the American philosopher and writer Ralph Waldo Emerson. We cover the importance of Emerson’s 1841 essay "Self-Reliance" and how to adopt these principles as a modern tech professional.

Go deeper with the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter.

***

TAKEAWAYS

When it comes to a thriving career, self-reliance is the key. It's about taking control to create a life of wealth and freedom (however you define that).

American Transcendentalism believes that individuals can transcend the physical world of their senses into a more profound spiritual experience through free will and intuition. This elevates your career perspective.

By exploring your innermost self during times of solitude, you learn how to trust yourself more. Trust thyself!

In the tech world, it’s easy to walk in line with everybody else. But self-reliance requires that you don't conform. ("Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.")

Others will act as if they know your duty better than you. But it’s your life; march to your own beat! Greatness appeals to the future. It’s what pulls you forward.

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TIMESTAMPS

[3:35] Emerson’s awakening

[5:43] Trust thyself

[7:18] Nonconformity

[9:10] Determine what you must do

[10:02] Embrace your voyage

***

RESOURCES

"Self-Reliance" by Ralph Waldo Emerson (1841)

Connect w/ Matt on LinkedIn

Follow on Twitter @MatthewRDoan

Check the show on YouTube

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OVERVIEW

Politics is about more than nasty conversations between two political parties. Humans resolve conflicts and move forward through politics. In this episode, learn why aspiring digital leaders need to have their eyes on this skillset. We discuss how to enter the organizational politics arena and the key skills for elevating your career.  

Go deeper with the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter.

***

TAKEAWAYS

Politics stems from a diversity of competing interests, which must be resolved in some way. 

You not taking an interest in politics doesn’t mean politics won't take an interest in you.

The 4 types of organizational politics: Weeds, Rocks, Highground, Woods.

People in tech are perceived as merely serving the organization and not leading it. That’s wrong! We must lean in and engage.

We cover 10 ways to start building your political muscle.

***

RESOURCES

Connect w/ Matt on LinkedIn

Follow on Twitter @MatthewRDoan

Check the show on YouTube

Subscribe to the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter

OVERVIEW

Technical skills have known ceilings. In turn, writing is every digital leader's boundless career multiplier. After covering how writing and influence are intertwined, Matt discusses the benefits of cultivating a writing habit and how you can steadily go from bad to good to great.

Go deeper with the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter.

***

TAKEAWAYS

In tech, we obsess about scaled impact. Writing is the key to scaling your personal impact. 

In our knowledge economy, your creativity reigns supreme. Your ideas are your biggest potential return on investment.

Writing forces you to sharpen your thinking in a way that you can't do through other means.

Writing is the most scalable professional networking activity.

Strong writing makes you intellectually battle-ready.

Neil Strauss on editing: (1) Write for yourself, (2) Revise for the reader, (3) Fine-tune for the critics.

Writing keeps you young, fresh, and always relevant. 

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TIMESTAMPS

[3:15] Leverage at your fingertips

[4:14] Writing sharpens your thinking

[6:08] Getting battle-ready

[9:02] Don't go to conferences; write and ship

[11:17] Writer's block is defeatable

***

RESOURCES

Connect w/ Matt on LinkedIn

Follow on Twitter @MatthewRDoan

Check the show on YouTube

Subscribe to the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter

OVERVIEW

We all have a dark side. Repressing it only creates internal pain and limits your potential as a leader. In this episode, we learn how tech leaders can understand their "negative" traits and harness them to become a more dynamic and impactful force in their organization. 

Go deeper with the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter.

***

TAKEAWAYS

We all have a dark side, but great leaders take the time to understand and use it to their advantage.

We're taught as children that letting out negative emotions is bad. This repression compounds over time and stunts our growth as adults. 

The dark side has its value. Just like the Roman leader Cicero and the entertainer Josephine Baker, we can channel it toward positive outcomes.

Become the "integrated human" requires (1) identifying, (2) embracing, (3) exploring, and (4) revealing your dark side.

We need to give our subconscious a chance to surface — otherwise, we risk career regret, lost opportunities, and creative suppression.

***

TIMESTAMPS

[2:12] Our dark side is hardwired

[3:30] The great repression (longing for play)

[5:01] The impossibility of “golden” leaders

[7:26] There’s always a hero & a villain

[8:24] 4 steps to harnessing your dark side

***

RESOURCES

Book mentioned: The Laws of Human Nature (by Robert Greene)

Connect w/ Matt on LinkedIn

Follow on Twitter @MatthewRDoan

Check the show on YouTube

Subscribe to the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter