Project Zero – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Host Alex Tuck interviews Tom Cooper, a program consultant at Rhino Healthcare Solutions. Cooper traces his path from JPMorgan operations and trading into software and project management, then into a Chicago-based green roofing startup driven by city stormwater mandates. His “Project Zero” involves excavating and repairing the King County Bus Terminal roof-park after barbecuing caused membrane leaks, then mitigating cybersecurity risk when their DOS-based leak detection system became a vulnerability, pivoting toward BACnet and a cloud-based alert process while persuading client IT teams and suppliers. He later moved into healthcare via hospital roof gardens, earned his PMP, joined TennCare after an ACA implementation lawsuit through a cold letter, and worked on pharmacy benefit management and data governance. Cooper emphasizes clear, adaptive communication, probing stakeholder “pain,” and AI tools improving requirements and prompting. 

00:00 Season Two Kickoff  

00:43 Tom’s Origin Story  

02:43 Green Roofing Pivot  

05:14 Project Zero Leak Crisis  

08:10 Selling Risk Mitigation  

09:44 Breaking Into Healthcare  

12:13 Cold Letter Career Move  

15:00 Big Healthcare Programs  

17:09 Top PM Skill Communication  

24:03 AI In Project Management  

25:43 AI Beyond Work  

29:16 Future Of Healthcare  

31:35 Wrap Up And Contact 

Connect with Tom Cooper 

• Company Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rhyno-healthcare-solutions-inc/ 
• Personal Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasocooper/ 

Connect with Alex Tuck 

• Personal LinkedIn: Alex Tuck 
• Website: www.tuckconsultinggroup.com 
• Company LinkedIn: Tuck Consulting Group 

Email: alex@tuckconsultinggroup.com

Host Alex Tuck interviews Shane Dixon, founder of Essix Consulting and managing partner at Corbeau. Dixon describes shifting from rescuing troubled in-flight projects to helping organizations mature their project management and prevent recurring failures through stronger PMO capability. He shares a “legacy PM” career path from scheduling assistant and coordinator to PMO leader, crediting continual learning and detailed schedule knowledge as advantages. Dixon’s Project Zero was a manufacturing program developing ground-engaging tools, where cross-functional coordination across engineering, foundry, marketing, and operations made project leadership “click.” He emphasizes trust-building through curiosity, adapting communication for factory environments, and names empathy as the most important PM skill. On AI, he says it boosts efficiency (e.g., drafting charters) and may reduce coordinator/schedule analyst roles, raising pipeline and training concerns; he cites video generation as impressive and frightening.  

00:00 Season Two Kickoff  

00:33 Shane's Consulting Mission  

01:18 From Firefighting to Prevention  

03:32 Career Path Into PM  

06:02 Structure for the Disorganized  

07:43 Learning Through Scheduling  

10:53 Defining Project Zero  

11:44 Manufacturing Program Story  

14:30 Curiosity Builds Trust  

19:29 Factory Floor Communication  

22:00 Empathy as Top Skill  

25:29 AI's Impact on PM Roles  

29:29 Future Talent Pipeline Questions  

32:20 Coolest AI and Risks  

34:46 Wrap Up and Contact Info 

Connect with Shane Dixon  

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanemichaeldixon/ 

Connect with Alex Tuck 

• Personal LinkedIn: Alex Tuck 
• Website: www.tuckconsultinggroup.com 
• Company LinkedIn: Tuck Consulting Group 

Email: alex@tuckconsultinggroup.com

Host Alex Tuck kicks off season two of Project Zero with Stan Ponder, Director of Product Management at Safety National, to explore project leader journeys and AI’s impact on the industry. Stan shares his path from fifth-grade teacher and elementary principal into learning and development, where he unknowingly practiced project management before moving into product management and building a product organization. He recounts two “Project Zero” lessons: overcommitting a team with no buffer (“building a boat with a hole in it”) and taking on work outside the team’s expertise, underscoring the value of instincts and early course correction. Stan highlights communication and transparent status reporting as the top skill, and discusses using AI agents to automate admin work like analysis and status reports so leaders can focus on relationships and removing roadblocks.  

00:00 Season Two Kickoff  

00:31 Meet Stan Ponder 

 01:50 From Teacher to PM  

04:04 Born Organized  

05:45 Project Zero Setup  

06:20 Capacity Planning Wakeup  

09:26 Trust Your Instincts  

11:34 Big Wins in Finance  

16:21 Top Skill Communication  

20:12 AI for PM Workflows  

24:38 Cool AI in the Wild  

27:53 Advice to Younger Stan  

29:45 Connect and Wrap Up 

Connect with Stan Ponder 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stanponder/ 
• Email: stanponderpm@gmail.com

Connect with Alex Tuck 

• Personal LinkedIn: Alex Tuck 
• Website: www.tuckconsultinggroup.com 
• Company LinkedIn: Tuck Consulting Group 

Email: alex@tuckconsultinggroup.com

From Care Coordination to Health Tech: Jordyn Seri on Project Zero, Process Automation, and AI in Healthcare PM In this episode of Project Zero. Jordyn Seri, PMP is a healthcare Project Manager who turns operational friction into streamlined systems. With a background in public health and a process optimization mindset, Jordyn specializes in bridging the gap between technical developers and frontline clinicians. Known for her successes in improving operational efficiencies and database development, she is a firm believer in servant leadership and the power of asking "why." In this episode, Jordyn shares her path from studying psychology and public health at Brandeis to working across multiple levels of healthcare, including nonprofit Medicaid programs, health plan network management, and contracting with a health tech startup serving stakeholders like pharma companies, clinical researchers, and clinicians.  

00:00 Welcome to Project Zero Season Two  

00:27 Jordyn Seri: Background in Healthcare and Product/Project Management  

02:40 How Jordyn Transitioned Into an Official Project Manager Role  

04:35 Early Career in Care Coordination and Building Excel Dashboards to Track Medicaid Deadlines  

07:10 College Experience: Public Health Fellowship Project and Event Planning  

09:20 Personal Organization Style and “Spreadsheet Friend” Habits  

10:45 Project Zero (Success): Automating Medicaid Claims Documentation to Eliminate 3,500 Manual Claims Annually  

13:10 Driving Adoption: End-User Collaboration Group, Communication Plan, and Training Rollout  

15:20 Project Zero (Challenge): Attempted Integration into Existing Software That Couldn’t Meet Program Complexities  

18:05 Key Lesson: Be Wary of Easy “Yes” Answers and Validate Technical Feasibility; Escalation and Project Pause  

20:25 Core PM Skills: Embrace Non-Expert Status, Ask Relentless Questions, and Stay Curious  

22:05 Career Advice: Don’t Wait for Permission to Fix Broken Processes; Earn a Seat at the Table  

23:25 AI in Jordyn’s Work: Staying Current via Superhuman Zane Newsletter and AI Daily Brief Podcast; Building a Prompt Library  

25:10 Favorite AI Prompts: Finding Blind Spots and Risks, Translating Technical Documents into Plain English  

26:40 AI Use Case in Medicaid: Consolidating Fragmented State Reporting Data into Dashboards for Operational Decision-Making  

29:00 Advice for Early-Career PMs: Talk to Experienced PMs and Map Transferable Skills  

30:35 Contact: How to Connect with Jordyn! 

AI Resources Mentioned:  

• Superhuman Zain Newsletter: https://www.superhuman.ai/subscribe 
• Jeff Su’s Website: https://www.jeffsu.org/ai/ 
• AI Daily Brief Podcast Website: https://aidailybrief.ai/ 

Connect with Jordyn Seri, PMP

• LinkedIn: Jordyn Seri
• Email: hello@jordynseri.com 

Connect with Alex Tuck 

• Personal LinkedIn: Alex Tuck 
• Website: www.tuckconsultinggroup.com 
• Company LinkedIn: Tuck Consulting Group 

Email: alex@tuckconsultinggroup.com

In this episode of Project Zero, host Alex Tuck interviews Russ Parker, founder of Forty-Four Risk PM. Russ shares his unique journey from the Marine Corps to becoming a project manager and risk management expert. He delves into his accidental entry into project management, the influence of his wife’s PMP certification, and his transition to the financial sector. Russ emphasizes the importance of risk management in project planning and the evolving role of AI in simplifying administrative tasks for PMs. This episode offers valuable insights into leveraging lessons learned and the critical role of risk management in successful project execution. Russ also shares anecdotes about his early project experiences in Iraq and the impact of thorough planning. 

00:00 Welcome to Project Zero Season Two 

00:40 Meet Russ Parker: From Marine to Project Manager 

02:09 The Accidental Journey into Project Management 

09:42 Project Zero: A Defining Moment in Iraq 

16:50 The Importance of Risk Management 

22:50 AI in Project Management: The Future is Here 

28:50 Lessons Learned and Final Thoughts 

Connect with Russ Parker 

• LinkedIn: Russ Parker  
• Website: 44RiskPM.com
• YouTube: 44RiskPM
• Email: Russ@44rickpm.com

Connect with Alex Tuck 

• Personal LinkedIn: Alex Tuck 
• Website: www.tuckconsultinggroup.com 
• Company LinkedIn: Tuck Consulting Group 

Email: alex@tuckconsultinggroup.com

In this episode of Project Zero, host Alex Tuck welcomes Vidura Stich, a healthcare management consultant from Freed Associates. Vidura shares his journey into project management, starting from his early career and the pivotal moments that led him to where he is today. He discusses the importance of structure and people skills in project management, as well as the impact of mentorship on his career. Vidura also provides insights into how AI is transforming the project management landscape, emphasizing the need to adapt and leverage AI tools for greater efficiency. The episode wraps up with advice for aspiring project managers and a look at the future of AI in the industry. 

00:00 Welcome to Season Two of Project Zero 

00:16 Meet Vidura Stitch: Healthcare Management Consultant 

01:27 Vidura's Journey into Project Management  

09:35 The Impact of Mentorship 

10:56 Project Zero: A Defining Moment 

16:58 Reflecting on Early Projects 

17:29 The Thrill of Big Projects 

19:14 Key Skills for Project Managers 

21:46 The Impact of AI on Project Management 

27:05 Innovative Uses of AI in Projects 

32:17 Final Thoughts and Contact Information 

Connect with Vidura Stich 

• LinkedIn: Vidura Stich 

Connect with Alex Tuck 

• Personal LinkedIn: Alex Tuck 
• Website: www.tuckconsultinggroup.com 
• Company LinkedIn: Tuck Consulting Group 

Email: alex@tuckconsultinggroup.com

In this season one finale of Project Zero, Alex celebrates the show's success and shares memorable moments and favorite highlights from past episodes. The episode features insightful interviews with project leaders whom Alex met at PMI (Project Management Institute) Global. Guests include Marc Verbist discussing the intersection of music and project management, Tanya Boyd on her gumbo recipe metaphor for business success, Shawn Harris on AI integration in project management, and Alex Monroe on agile transformations in a marketing agency. We've brought you an extended episode, packed with valuable insights, practical takeaways, and reflections on the PMI Global conference. Enjoy the final episode and the diverse perspectives from PMI Global attendees. 

00:00 Season One Finale Kickoff 

00:14 Highlighting Top Episodes and Insights 

01:57 Special Guests from PMI Global 

04:03 Interview with Mark Verbist 

16:52 Interview with Tanya Boyd 

32:11 Interview with Shawn Harris 

33:45 Exciting Developments in Remote Work and AI Integration 

35:21 Insights from PMI Global Conference 

36:05 The Role of AI in Project Management 

37:53 Practical Applications of AI and Project Management 

40:33 Shawn's Project Zero Experience 

44:55 Alex Monroe's Journey in Project Management 

59:50 Reflections and Future Directions 

Connect with Marc Verbist  

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcverbist/  

Connect with Tanya Boyd:  

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanya-boyd-pmp-project-personality/  
• Listen to Tanya’s Full Project Zero Episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2504123/episodes/17516816  

Connect with Shawn Harris:  

• Email: shawn@coworked.ai  
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnharris/  

Connect with Alex Monroe:  

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-monroe-pmp-a3131224/  
• Gorilla76: https://www.gorilla76.com/  

Connect with Alex Tuck 

• Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alextuck/ 
• Website: www.tuckconsultinggroup.com 
• Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tuckconsultinggroup/ 

Email: alex@tuckconsultinggroup.com

In this episode of Project Zero, host Alex Tuck speaks with Galanda Brooker, Alex Morgan, and Martin Quatt about business process mapping. The discussion kicks off with introductions and highlights the importance of this method in improving organizational efficiencies. Martin explains the basics of business process mapping, starting from leadership acknowledgment of the need for change to gathering stakeholder input and creating iterative drafts. The guests share their favorite mapping tools and practical examples of successful implementations, detailing projects for organizations like CCL and St. Michael's College. The conversation also touches on adoption strategies and the value of thorough planning. Tune in for actionable insights on streamlining your company's processes and achieving substantial time and cost savings. 

00:00 Introduction to Project Zero 

00:09 Meet the Guests: Galanda, Alex, and Martin 

02:08 Understanding Business Process Mapping 

04:30 Favorite Mapping Tools 

07:04 Real-World Examples of Process Mapping 

07:43 Client Success Stories: CCL and St. Michael's College 

13:36 Implementing Process Maps with Clickup 

17:26 Project Timelines and Stakeholder Involvement 

25:03 Ensuring Adoption of New Processes 

27:37 Conclusion and Wrap-Up 


Connect with Galanda Brooker 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrooker/ 

Connect with Martin Quatt 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-quatt/ 

Connect with Alex Morgan 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderdmorgan/ 

Connect with Alex Tuck 

• Personal LinkedIn: Alex Tuck 
• Website: www.tuckconsultinggroup.com 
• Company LinkedIn: Tuck Consulting Group 

Email: alex@tuckconsultinggroup.com

In this episode of Project Zero, host Alex Tuck interviews Cathy Matosky, a strategic program manager for a digital advertising company and a consultant in operational excellence. Cathy shares her journey into project management, starting from her initial career in medical technology to her current roles. She discusses the importance of focusing on both technical execution and people management, the value of certifications like PMP and Prosci, and how AI is reshaping project management. Cathy emphasizes active listening and curiosity as crucial skills for project managers and advises continuous learning and mentorship for career growth. 

00:00 Welcome to Project Zero 

00:20 Meet Cathy Matosky: Strategic Program Manager 

00:49 Cathy's Journey into Project Management 

02:04 The Importance of Certifications 

02:57 Embracing Change Management 

05:51 The Cyclical Nature of Projects 

07:44 Project Zero: Cathy's First Major Project 

13:00 The Impact of AI on Project Management 

16:02 Essential Skills for Project Managers 

18:29 Advice for Aspiring Project Managers 

22:22 Defining Project Success 

25:07 Conclusion and Contact Information 

Connect with Cathy 

• LinkedIn: Cathy Matosky 

Connect with Alex Tuck 

• Personal LinkedIn: Alex Tuck 
• Website: www.tuckconsultinggroup.com 
• Company LinkedIn: Tuck Consulting Group 

Email: alex@tuckconsultinggroup.com

In this episode of Project Zero, host Alex Tuck interviews Alec Jacobson, an ESG consultant and co-founder of AB Power. Alec shares his unique career journey from a freelance journalist and nonprofit founder to his current roles at TetraTech and AB Power. He discusses the skills he developed along the way, including project management as a journalist and leadership lessons learned at Booz Allen. Alec also elaborates on his Project Zero experience, founding a nonprofit news group, and the crucial lessons he learned about communication, giving feedback, and team leadership. They also touch on how AI could impact project management tasks and the importance of junior roles in the professional pipeline. 

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome  

00:42 Alec's Background and Career Journey  

02:22 First Encounters with Project Management  

03:46 Lessons from Booz Allen  

06:31 Project Zero: Founding a Nonprofit News Group  

09:05 Key Lessons Learned  

 15:45 Advice for Aspiring Project Managers  

 17:46 The Future of AI in Project Management  

 24:10 Career Reflections and Final Thoughts  

 27:11 Conclusion and Contact Information 

Connect with Alec Jacobson 

• LinkedIn: Alec Jacobson 

Connect with Alex Tuck 

• Personal LinkedIn: Alex Tuck 
• Website: www.tuckconsultinggroup.com 
• Company LinkedIn: Tuck Consulting Group 

Email: alex@tuckconsultinggroup.com