Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Push Pull Podcast

In this episode, I reconnect with Ashwin Aravind, Head of Operations at Lightyear. Ashwin has been a high-octane performer all his life, spanning school and career. Starting with his undergrad years at UC Berkeley, where Ashwin majored in Molecular and Cell Biology as well as Business Administration, we follow his forays into consulting and law school before ultimately transitioning to the tech sector. Ashwin reflects on the proactive and strategic nature of his career decisions, consulting mentors, and evaluating trade-offs, only to recognize in retrospect how some choices didn't align with his true motivations.

We wrap this conversation with him finishing law school, foregoing the bar, and returning to consulting. Stay tuned after this discussion for Part 2, where we discuss his transition to tech and operations.

00:00 Introduction to the Push-Pull Podcast
02:27 Meet Ashwin Aravind: A Journey Through Education and Career
14:11 Early Career Decisions and Consulting
15:31 The Law School Decision
29:35 Experiences at Stanford Law School
35:38 Questioning the Law School Grind
38:07 Exploring Other Interests at Stanford
41:01 Internships and Realizations
46:05 The Consulting Pivot
51:13 Navigating Post-Law School Decisions
01:00:16 Final Decision: Consulting Over Law

Today I discuss my personal journey of leaving prior jobs in search of greater fulfillment. I compare my experience to what I learned in 'Job Moves' by Bob Moesta, Ethan Bernstein, and Michael B. Horn, highlighting how people's motivations for staying in or leaving jobs often go beyond compensation and job features. This book deftly expands to the role of employers in fostering employee growth and satisfaction, the potential for flexible role designs in the workplace, and the benefits of understanding what truly excites and motivates employees.

00:09 Personal Career Reflections
02:53 Features vs. Experiences in Job Descriptions
03:58 Common Beneath-the-Surface Push and Pull Factors
05:38 The Importance of People Development
07:30 Crafting a Role That Fits
09:45 Building a Team Your Employees Want to Rehire
13:40 Flexible Role Designs and the Future of Work
16:38 Final Thoughts and Call to Action

In this episode, I interview Rajan Trivedi, a seasoned product leader who has made significant transitions across various industries. Rajan shares his unique framework for career transitions, focusing on the utility of making switches focused on either industry or function. He delves into his journey from consulting to the public sector, a startup in Kenya, and finally to product management roles at Prudential and Chegg. Rajan also discusses his changing risk appetite, the nuances of being a people manager, and the critical role of data in driving product decisions. Don’t miss this in-depth discussion on career growth, adaptability, and leadership.


00:00 Introduction to the Push-Pull Podcast
02:16 Interview with Rajan Trivedi Begins
03:06 Rajan's Early Career and Education
03:46 Consulting Experience and Public Sector Work
05:51 Evaluating Career Options and Transition to Public Policy
12:38 Working in the Obama Administration
13:33 Millennium Challenge Corporation: Mission and Impact
19:40 Transition to a Startup in Nairobi, Kenya
24:04 Joining M-Changa and the FinTech Journey
29:24 Reflections on Grad School and Career Clarity
33:14 Unique Path to Product Management
33:52 Grad School Experience and Thesis
36:11 Breaking into Product Management
38:07 Journey at Prudential
49:01 Transition to HomeLight
53:45 Joining Chegg and Career Growth
59:39 Reflections on Risk and Career Transitions
01:04:33 Current Endeavors and Final Thoughts

Shoot thoughts, questions, ideas, or intros to varun@pushpullpodcast.com!

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.

In this episode, I delve into the emerging concept of the “Great Detachment.” We discuss the impact of team dynamics, job longevity, and fulfillment on employee engagement and performance. Referencing recent Gallup surveys, I highlight issues like disruptive changes in organizations, hybrid and remote work challenges, and declining employee engagement. I ponder how I may shift the podcast's focus towards research on organizational changes, team morale, and building trust within companies to foster long-term employee commitment and growth.

00:00 Introduction
00:56 Shifting Focus: Job Longevity and Fulfillment
01:56 The Great Detachment: Employee Disengagement
02:45 Impact of Disruptive Changes
03:44 Challenges of Hybrid and Remote Work
04:54 Performance Management Issues
06:24 Decline in Employee Engagement
09:08 Addressing Employee Fulfillment and Growth
11:00 Future Directions for the Podcast

Articles referenced in the episode:

https://www.gallup.com/workplace/653711/great-detachment-why-employees-feel-stuck.aspx

https://www.gallup.com/workplace/654911/employee-engagement-sinks-year-low.aspx

In this episode of the Push Pull podcast, we continue our conversation with Omar Dinar, diving deeper into his career journey. Omar shares his experiences transitioning from aerospace engineering to finance, joining Lehman Brothers during the financial crisis, and later getting integrated into Barclays post-acquisition. He details his ascent into a management role, his pivot back to an individual contributor role to stay connected with markets, and his eventual leap into wealth management. Omar reflects on the importance of aligning work with personal values, the complexities of managerial roles, and the impact of setbacks like being passed over for a promotion. He also discusses the challenges and rewards of building a client base in wealth management and emphasizes the significance of long-term planning, taking well-calibrated risks, and finding work-life balance.

00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview
00:22 Omar Dinar's Transition to Barclays
01:58 Challenges and Growth at Barclays
03:45 Management Insights and Hiring Philosophy
14:45 Transition to MUFG
20:56 Setbacks and New Beginnings
26:44 Pivot to Wealth Management
36:01 Reflections and Advice
39:37 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Today I interview Annalyn Cruz, a dream life and embodiment coach and the CEO of Grounded in Wisdom, LLC.

We discuss Annalyn’s career journey from higher education in student affairs to learning and development in the corporate world, and back to higher education. With each transition, we revisit her commitment to empowering others, and the role of strong personal relationships in building trust and self-confidence.

00:00 Introduction
03:09 Interview Begins
05:05 Early Career and College Experience
08:17 Discovering a Career in Higher Education
18:17 Graduate School Experience
20:26 First Job in Higher Education
22:46 Challenges and Growth at San Jose State
26:55 Exploring New Paths: Recruiting, Bartending, and Makeup Artistry
33:25 Returning to Higher Education at UC Berkeley
38:46 Career Progression and New Challenges
39:14 Inherited Team Dynamics and Struggles
41:20 Emotional Vulnerability and Team Shift
47:10 Transition to Semester at Sea
48:28 Pivot to Learning and Development
50:32 Taking a Step Back for Future Growth
58:59 Corporate Experience at EA
01:03:22 Starting a Business and Balancing Roles
01:10:59 Coaching Focus and Final Advice

In this episode of the Push Pull podcast, we explore the fascinating career journey of Omar Dinar, currently a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch. Omar transitioned from an engineer working on military helicopters to working in financial services, starting his finance career in the aftermath of the subprime mortgage crisis at Lehman Brothers. Omar shares insights into the challenges he faced, the impact of the macroeconomic environment on his career path, and how he leveraged his education and networking opportunities to pivot successfully. Omar's story of resilience, adaptability, and relationship-building offers valuable takeaways for anyone navigating career transitions.

00:00 Introduction to the Push Pull Podcast
00:38 Meet Omar Dinar: From Engineering to Finance
01:55 Navigating the Financial Crisis
04:47 Early Career and Mentorship
09:49 Transitioning to Finance
19:52 Pursuing an MBA for Career Growth
24:51 Navigating Multiple Internships
25:41 Philosophy Behind the MBA Program
28:27 Choosing the Right MBA Program
30:19 Final Internship Experience
30:36 Joining Lehman Brothers
32:15 The 2008 Financial Crisis Unfolds
38:50 Life After Lehman: Transition to Barclays
41:05 Understanding Risk Management
44:09 Settling into Barclays
45:02 Conclusion and Future Insights

I just picked up the book 'Job Moves' by Ethan Bernstein, Michael B. Horn, and Bob Moesta! I haven’t gotten far into it yet but my bells are already ringing. Listen to me appreciate how much I already love the message. Also hear me betray my mixed feelings about how people smarter and more famous than me have concurrently came to the same conclusions I have.

00:00 Introduction to the Push Pull Podcast
00:49 Exploring the Book 'Job Moves'
02:17 Defining Pushes and Pulls
05:11 The Four Categories of Job Changers
06:27 Progress Over Perfection
07:34 Understanding Past Motivations
09:22 Wrapping up

Today I reflect on some key lessons learned from my initial work on this podcast. In particular, I’ve received feedback about how challenging it is to detail push factors for three reasons: 

1. They’re often emotional before we place logic to them
2. They may not be flattering to share publicly, and
3. Reframing them diplomatically feels disingenuous 

I give you my take on why the process of fleshing out your push factors help you better understand yourself and make empowered career decisions.

00:00 Introduction to the Push Pull Podcast
00:18 Reflecting on the Podcast's Thesis
01:01 Emotional vs. Logical Push Factors
02:23 Hesitation in Discussing Push Factors
03:17 Reframing Push Factors Positively
05:35 The Importance of Self-Empowerment
08:12 Conclusion

Such a pleasure to reconnect with Marshall Robins after several years. Starting off in construction, pivoting to finance and then tech sales, to come all the way back around to financing construction projects — Marshall’s story is a master class in taking chances on something new and committing fully to seeing it through.

We had an honest discussion about burnout, recovery, and how the balance between social pressures and his internal compass helped him navigate a healthy dynamic with his work life.

00:00 Introduction to the Push Pull Podcast
00:15 Meet Marshall Robbins: A Journey from Construction to Finance
00:40 The Power of Mentorship and Networking
01:07 Understanding Sales Roles and Industry Jargon
01:56 Marshall's Early Career Struggles and Realizations
05:04 Transitioning from Construction to Community College
05:56 The Decision to Pursue Higher Education
13:12 Finding Direction and Mentorship in College
19:33 Internship Experience in Private Equity
21:49 Challenges in the Job Market Post-Graduation
24:16 Pivoting to a Business Development Role
27:53 Joining Looker: A New Opportunity
30:42 Transitioning to Inbound Sales Development
31:28 Progression to Account Executive
31:47 Reporting Structure in SDR Roles
32:21 Mentorship and Career Decisions
34:09 Challenges and Opportunities in Account Executive Role
36:09 Impact of Google Acquisition
42:31 New Beginnings at Mixpanel
43:35 Burnout and Career Reflection
43:57 Taking Time Off and Finding Balance
51:46 Joining Herzer Financial
54:11 Current Role and Future Aspirations
58:20 Final Thoughts and Reflections

Today I interview my cousin Shalini Chander, Director of Product at Align Technologies. Shalini shares her journey from consulting in pharmaceutical manufacturing to becoming a software product leader. We track her career progress through process, storytelling, relationship-building, and advocacy. Shalini also emphasizes the importance of building visibility and sharing learnings within a company for advancement.

00:00 Introduction to the Push Pull Podcast
03:05 Meet Shalini Chander: Career Overview
04:03 Early Career in Pharmaceutical Consulting
12:01 Transition to In-House Roles and Grad School
16:43 Business School Experience and Lessons
19:50 Post-Business School: Consulting and Startups
22:41 Challenges in Startups and Learning Experiences
30:56 Joining Abbott: Product Management Journey
35:21 Navigating Career Changes at Abbott
38:15 Balancing Career and Motherhood
40:30 Transitioning to Genetics and Startups
45:29 Challenges and Successes in Product Management
55:00 Advancing in Product Management at Align
01:04:44 The Importance of Storytelling in Career Growth
01:07:15 Final Thoughts and Career Advice