Career Slay – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, host Kelly Poquiz Burke interviews marketing and sales executive Jenny Parrish. Jenny shares her inspiring journey from a challenging childhood as the daughter of an immigrant mother to a successful career in the corporate world. She discusses the impact of her mother's work ethic, her early career experiences, and the challenges she faced, including a personal tragedy that shifted her perspective on life and work: the sudden loss of her brother, who died in a car accident alongside actor Paul Walker.

Now as the VP of Sales at Division-D, Jenny discusses the evolution of programmatic advertising, the rise of influencer marketing, and the importance of finding purpose in one's career. Our conversation highlights the importance of resilience, personal growth, and balancing career ambitions with family and emotional well-being.

Enjoying the show?

Please consider subscribing, leaving a rating, and sharing to help us #slaythefearincareer. And if you're looking for one-on-one career coaching, connect with Kelly:

• Website: careerslay.com
• LinkedIn: Kelly Poquiz Burke
• Instagram: @careerslay

You don’t need a perfect résumé to land your dream job. You need a powerful story.

In this episode of Career Slay, career development advocate, resume writer, and speaker Steph Gillies joins me to talk about how to make your career path make sense, even if it hasn’t always been linear.

We discuss the importance of exploring various career paths, the role of resumes in job transitions, and how to show up authentically in job applications.

Whether you’ve jumped industries, taken time off, or feel like your experience is “all over the place,” this conversation will help you connect the dots and step into your next chapter with confidence. It’s an inspiring reminder that your career is all about the unique journey, not just the destination of a dream job.

Enjoying the show?

Please consider subscribing, leaving a rating, and sharing to help us #slaythefearincareer. And if you're looking for one-on-one career coaching, connect with Kelly:

• Website: careerslay.com
• LinkedIn: Kelly Poquiz Burke
• Instagram: @careerslay

In this episode of the Career Slay Podcast, host Kelly Poquiz Burke sits down with Simon Rurka, founder and CEO of The Simon Assessment, for a powerful conversation about boldness, authenticity, and unlocking potential. From a supportive childhood in London to studying at Cambridge to leading a $9 billion business at Intel, Simon shares the pivotal moments that shaped his leadership journey. He opens up about the challenges of corporate culture, how organizations often unintentionally shrink high-potential employees, and why our unique boldness should be preserved—not tamed—as we grow in our careers.

Simon also introduces The Simon Assessment, his latest venture designed to help companies identify and eliminate stagnation, while creating environments where people can truly thrive. This episode is filled with insight on leading with authenticity, taking risks, and celebrating the differences that enhance team performance.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re trying to fit into a box, this conversation is your call to take the risk, lead with heart, and remember: your edge is your superpower.

Enjoying the show?

Please consider subscribing, leaving a rating, and sharing to help us #slaythefearincareer. And if you're looking for one-on-one career coaching, connect with Kelly:

• Website: careerslay.com
• LinkedIn: Kelly Poquiz Burke
• Instagram: @careerslay

Have you ever felt like you were destined for greatness?

In this episode, host Kelly Poquiz Burke interviews Tara Wilson, CEO and founder of Tara Wilson Agency. Tara shares her inspiring journey from a small town in Arkansas where she fostered an entrepreneurial spirit as a child to becoming a successful founder of an experiential marketing agency. Her career evolved from finance to event planning to experiential marketing, demonstrating how you can reinvent yourself multiple times. Tara talks about finding your passion and recognizing your transferable skills to successfully make a pivot. She emphasizes the importance of leadership, core values, and empowering women through her platform, FierceLab. We touch upon on overcoming doubts, embracing risk, and finding joy in leadership. Through the twists and turns, Tara’s career journey showcases the power of owning your destiny.

Enjoying the show?

Please consider subscribing, leaving a rating, and sharing to help us #slaythefearincareer. And if you're looking for one-on-one career coaching, connect with Kelly:

• Website: careerslay.com
• LinkedIn: Kelly Poquiz Burke
• Instagram: @careerslay

The Career Slay podcast is back and I’m thrilled to interview my friend, Dr. Emmanuel Bello-Ogunu — principal cybersecurity engineer, lifelong superhero fan, and real-life defender of our digital world. Emmanuel opens up about his journey from shy big brother to cybersecurity expert at MITRE, where he helps protect critical infrastructure and national security. We talk imposter syndrome (yes, even PhDs get it), mission-driven work, mentorship, and finding purpose in your career. Whether you're in tech or just navigating your next step, this conversation will leave you inspired to lead with courage and be the superhero of your own career journey.

To hear more about Emmanuel’s story, listen now on all platforms and please consider subscribing, leaving a rating, and sharing to help us #slaythefearincareer

🎧 Listen now on https://www.careerslay.com/podcast

#CareerSlay #Cybersecurity #TechCareers #ImposterSyndrome #Leadership #Mentorship #PurposeDriven #Podcast

Approved by MITRE for Public Release; Distribution Unlimited. Public Release Case Number 24-3927.

The author's affiliation with The MITRE Corporation is provided for identification purposes only, and is not intended to convey or imply MITRE's concurrence with, or support for, the positions, opinions, or viewpoints expressed by the author.

Enjoying the show?

Please consider subscribing, leaving a rating, and sharing to help us #slaythefearincareer. And if you're looking for one-on-one career coaching, connect with Kelly:

• Website: careerslay.com
• LinkedIn: Kelly Poquiz Burke
• Instagram: @careerslay

How do you find the courage to break the rules?

In this episode of Career Slay, my guest, Ivonne Kinser spent the first half of her career learning the rules so she could spend the second half breaking them. As the CEO and Founder of Vantage Creative Group, she helps challenger brands grow with the mission of solving the hardest marketing challenges by infusing untamed creativity and leveraging the power of technology. Her journey started in Venezuela and followed an unconventional path, from top advertising agencies to senior leadership roles in multiple corporations, including Avocados From Mexico and Hoplark Brands, plus some entrepreneurial ventures in between. She’s received multiple industry accolades and was the first Latina to win the DFW American Marketing Association Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2023, she published her best-selling book ‘THINK: The Manifesto for Creative & Critical Thinkers.

As a trailblazer & innovator, Ivonne’s career is a true testament of how to break the rules and challenge the status quo.

Enjoying the show?

Please consider subscribing, leaving a rating, and sharing to help us #slaythefearincareer. And if you're looking for one-on-one career coaching, connect with Kelly:

• Website: careerslay.com
• LinkedIn: Kelly Poquiz Burke
• Instagram: @careerslay

What does it take to build a company from the ground up?

In this episode of Career Slay, Kelly Poquiz Burke interviews owner and founder, Mark Lowery, the President & CEO of Lowery Property Advisors. LPA is a commercial appraisal and consulting firm completing a wide range of office, retail, and industrial projects throughout the southwest. We talk about his entrepreneurship journey from starting his own business with limited resources, to scaling it to a 60-person organization. We also discuss what it takes to be an authentic leader, build a strong company culture, and bet on yourself.

Enjoying the show?

Please consider subscribing, leaving a rating, and sharing to help us #slaythefearincareer. And if you're looking for one-on-one career coaching, connect with Kelly:

• Website: careerslay.com
• LinkedIn: Kelly Poquiz Burke
• Instagram: @careerslay

How do you use creativity for good? On this episode of Career Slay, Kelly Poquiz Burke interviews Pedro Lerma, CEO of LERMA/ Agency. Pedro shares his amazing career journey that started with his humble beginnings to now leading an award-winning ad agency with the mission, “Creativity For Good.”

Pedro emphasizes the importance of gratitude as a key theme that weaves throughout his career. He discusses the distinction between management and leadership and advocates for a vision-driven approach that inspires others. Pedro's leadership philosophy is deeply human-centered, valuing personal growth and relationships. We also talk about the need for brands to make genuine long-term commitments to social progress, and how he aspires to leave a legacy of channeling creativity for good by fostering unity and joy through their work.

Enjoying the show?

Please consider subscribing, leaving a rating, and sharing to help us #slaythefearincareer. And if you're looking for one-on-one career coaching, connect with Kelly:

• Website: careerslay.com
• LinkedIn: Kelly Poquiz Burke
• Instagram: @careerslay

How do you respond to obstacles in life? Do you let them define you or do you redefine them? In this Career Slay episode, host Kelly Poquiz Burke dives deep into the obstacles she’s faced and how those have shaped her career. Kelly shares how she overcame $80K in student loan debt, learned how to walk again after multiple hip surgeries, and beat breast cancer while pregnant during a global pandemic. In this vulnerable episode, she gets real about the challenges of working motherhood, why she decided to take a career break, and what she’s up to next. If you’re looking for inspiration on how to get through a hard time, you don’t want to miss this. 

Enjoying the show?

Please consider subscribing, leaving a rating, and sharing to help us #slaythefearincareer. And if you're looking for one-on-one career coaching, connect with Kelly:

• Website: careerslay.com
• LinkedIn: Kelly Poquiz Burke
• Instagram: @careerslay

How do you manifest your “dream job?”

In this podcast episode, I interview Michelle Wong, the CMO of Sprinkles Bakeries & Picnik Restaurants. Michelle shares about her culinary background, how creativity led her to a career in advertising, and how her combined passions have manifested into the role she has today - her dream job.

We discuss the challenges she faced early on particularly when it came to representation and visibility. Michelle also shares her advice for young women of color starting their careers and emphasizes the importance of mentorship and finding meaning in your work. We also talk about work-life integration and the sacrifices that come with building a successful career. Michelle embodies how to be a fearless and authentic leader and shows us that achieving your dream job is totally possible.

Enjoying the show?

Please consider subscribing, leaving a rating, and sharing to help us #slaythefearincareer. And if you're looking for one-on-one career coaching, connect with Kelly:

• Website: careerslay.com
• LinkedIn: Kelly Poquiz Burke
• Instagram: @careerslay