Explore every episode of the podcast Chasing Waves

There's a version of your career that actually excites you on Monday mornings, and it's closer than you think. But if you're holding onto a safe job long after it stopped feeling right, you might be trapped by "job hugging." True career clarity isn't just about what you say yes to. It's about what you're ready to walk away from.

In this episode, host Joanna (former executive at Meta and Spotify) shares the exact framework that gave her the clarity to pursue her true alignment. She breaks down the Japanese concept of Ikigai, the intersection of what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs, and what you can get paid for, and shares real-world stories of professionals pivoting from finance and sales into roles that actually energize them.

What we cover in the episode:

* What "Job Hugging" Is: Why we stay in safe corporate roles long after we've outgrown them

* The 4 Circles of Ikigai: How to map your natural strengths, values, and passions onto a profitable career path

* The 10-Year Test: A powerful reflection question to bypass overthinking and give yourself permission to dream again

* Signs Your Ikigai is Shifting: How to recognize corporate exhaustion that sleep simply cannot fix

* Actionable Testing: How to start testing new career paths without quitting your day job first

🔗 Grab the free Ikigai Mapping Worksheet linked below.

• Hosted by Joanna, former exec at Meta and Spotify.

Resources Mentioned:

• Free Map Your Move Worksheet: https://chasingwaves.kit.com/findingikigai – The exact mapping exercise mentioned in the episode to help translate your circles into real-world career moves.

Connect with Me!

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Chasingwaveswithjo

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannawong-chasingwaves/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chasingwaveswithjo/

Loved this episode? You can buy me a coffee ☕️ It’s a small way to show your support and means more than you know.buymeacoffee.com/chasingwaves 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This show is usually about career strategy. But this episode is about something bigger.

A few weeks ago my daughter had a health scare. And in the middle of it, I caught myself thinking about work. That moment made me ask honestly: what am I actually optimizing for?

Because we only ever track one type of wealth. Financial. But there are actually five. And you can be winning at one while the other four quietly decline without you noticing.

In this episode I'm sharing the framework that woke me up and the 10-minute tool I now use to stay off autopilot.

In 15 minutes, you'll learn:

• Why ambitious people keep hitting milestones without ever feeling like they've arrived
• The 5 types of wealth most high achievers are quietly neglecting
• How to calculate the number of visits you have left with the people you love most
• The 10-minute wheel of life exercise that shows you exactly where you've been drifting

📚 The 5 TYPES OF WEALTH by Sahil Bloom: You can get the book through my affiliate link here: https://amzn.to/4uaojwZ

FREE EPISODE GUIDE & THE WHEEL OF LIFE TOOL (Takes only 10 minutes.) https://chasingwaves.kit.com/wheeloflife

Loved this episode? You can buy me a coffee ☕️ It’s a small way to show your support and means more than you know.buymeacoffee.com/chasingwaves

Connect with me: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannawong-chasingwaves/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chasingwaveswithjo/ 

Enjoyed the show? Hit "Follow" and leave a review to help others find us!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever find yourself awake at 2:00 AM wondering if you’re actually cut out for leadership? You can have every management book on your shelf, but the day-to-day reality of leading a team is rarely what they teach you in an MBA.

In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on people management with 10 honest lessons I wish I had known before managing global teams across 12 countries.

From escaping the "delegation trap" to why you should stop trying to win everyone over, we’re moving past the corporate jargon to talk about what it actually takes to lead with impact.

In the next 15 minutes, we discuss:

• The Answer Myth: Why your job isn't to be the smartest person in the room.
• The Delegation Trap: How to stop doing your "old job" with a new title.
• Healthy Conflict: Why avoiding hard conversations is actually a disservice to your team.
• Hiring Secrets: Why you should never hire a "mirror image" of yourself.
• Imposter Syndrome: Why it doesn’t go away as you get more senior (and how to handle it).
• The Art of Quitting: Recognizing when you or your team members have outgrown a role.

Whether you are a new people manager or a seasoned executive, this episode is a reminder that leadership is messy, human, and ultimately, incredibly rewarding.

✨ FREE RESOURCE: Don't worry about taking notes! I’ve created a downloadable cheat sheet of these 10 lessons for you to keep at your desk. Download it here: https://chasingwaves.kit.com/10managerlessons

SUPPORT THE SHOW Loved this episode? You can buy me a coffee ☕️ It’s a small way to show your support and means more than you know. buymeacoffee.com/chasingwaves

CONNECT WITH JOANNA 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannawong-chasingwaves/  📸 Instagram: @chasingwaveswithjo

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You know you’re ready to lead people. Maybe you just got the promotion or maybe you’re building toward it. But nobody hands you a manual. In this episode of Chasing Waves, I’m getting into the part of management nobody really prepares you for. Not the strategy, not the targets, but the people.

I’ll show you how to lead with an empathy-first approach that actually gets results, without going soft on expectations or losing your authority.

In just 15 minutes, you'll learn: 

• What's really driving your team's behavior, and how understanding it changes everything

• Five things that will change how you lead starting this week

• How to lead with empathy without lowering your expectations

• The five most common team personalities and exactly how to bring out the best in each one

• Real scripts and lines you can use in your next one-on-one 

Grab the FREE REFLECTION & ACTION GUIDE that has the framework, the scripts you can use. (scroll to the bottom of the page)

Loved this episode? You can buy me a coffee ☕️ It’s a small way to show your support and means more than you know. buymeacoffee.com/chasingwavesConnect with me: • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannawong-chasingwaves/ • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chasingwaveswithjo/ Enjoyed the show? Hit "Follow" and leave a review to help others find us!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thinking about a career change? I thought the hardest part of switching careers would be taking the first step. It's not.

It's what happens after.. when there's no roadmap, no validation, and no one telling you if you're doing it right.

In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on what a major career transition actually feels like. Not the highlight reel, but the real truth of leaving corporate to find your own path.

I share my WAVES framework: five things nobody warns you about when you make a big leap, built from my own experience pivoting from Spotify to launching Chasing Waves. 

In this episode, we dive into: 

• [00:00] The Myth of the First Step: Why the "messy middle" of a career pivot is the part no one prepares you for.

• [01:50] W: Watch Yourself: Why you might become the "worst boss you’ve ever had" and how to stop the high-achiever burnout.

• [04:10] A: Anchor: Navigating the loss of professional identity and community when you strip away your corporate title.

• [06:05] V: Vulnerability: The "independent woman" trap and why asking for help is a career growth strategy, not a weakness.

• [07:25] E: Evolve: How to survive the ego hit of going from industry expert to total beginner overnight.

• [08:45] S: Spark: Finding the unexpected joy and freedom that makes the career uncertainty worth it.

• [11:15] Success Update: What happens when you keep going (How Chasing Waves hit #2 on the Apple Podcast charts!).

If you are navigating a career change, or quietly wondering "is it supposed to feel this lonely?"... this one is for you. 

Loved this episode? You can buy me a coffee ☕️ It’s a small way to show your support and means more than you know. buymeacoffee.com/chasingwaves

Resources & Links: 

• Connect with Joanna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannawong-chasingwaves/

• Follow the Journey on Instagram: @chasingwaveswithjo 

Enjoyed the show? Hit "Follow" and leave a review to help other career changers find us!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it actually take to leave a big tech career and bet on yourself?

In this episode, I sit down with Maritza Bonano, Co-Founder of ChangePath and former leader at Meta, where she helped scale a new business line to over a billion dollars in revenue. Maritza has navigated four major career changes, from Deutsche Telekom to early-stage startups to Meta, and now back to founder mode. Her story is about more than a pivot. It is about knowing your non-negotiables, staying flexible on everything else, and having the courage to move even when the market is telling you to stay put. 

We’ll cover: 

• How she made bold career moves without having all the answers 

• The real reason high performers stay stuck in jobs they’ve outgrown 

• What actually goes through your mind when you leave a “safe” job 

• Why most people struggle to make a career change, and what to do instead 

• The mindset and tools that help you move from confusion to clarity 

Learn more about ChangePath here: https://www.changepath.ai/en Discover the career path and job that truly fits YOU with this pocket self-coaching app. Connect with Maritza on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/maritzabonano/ 

Connect with your host:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannawong-chasingwaves

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chasingwaveswithjo/

Enjoyed the show? Hit "Follow" and leave a review to help others find us!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You know that colleague who makes every conversation feel complicated? The one who changes their mind constantly, or the stakeholder who drops last-minute requests that derail your entire week?

In this episode, I'll show you how real influence can turn those "impossible" moments into wins—without authority, positional power, or compromising your sanity.

In just 15 minutes, you'll learn:

- Why most "difficult" people aren't actually difficult (and how that insight alone can lower resistance instantly)

- How to build real influence even when you don't have authority, a big title, or final say

- The 3 most common work personalities that drain the most energy, along with exact lines you can use to set boundaries

- The tiny pause between what happens and how you respond is where your real power lives

I break down the psychology behind "difficult" behavior and give you word-for-word scripts you can start using today. From the “Change Request Champion” to the “Last Minute Requester”, you'll learn how to navigate these personalities with confidence. 

DOWNLOAD THE FULL CHEAT SHEET AND REFLECTION GUIDE HERE (including bonus personalities like the Vague Visionary and Radio Silent Stakeholder)

Loved this episode? You can buy me a coffee ☕️ It’s a small way to show your support and means more than you know. buymeacoffee.com/chasingwaves 

Connect with me:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannawong-chasingwaves/ 

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chasingwaveswithjo/

Enjoyed the show? Hit "Follow" and leave a review to help others find us!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Struggling to get promoted or recognized for your work?

Your performance might not be the problem. Your visibility is. Most high-performers think hard work speaks for itself. But the truth? Promotions and recognition go to people whose impact is understood, remembered, and advocated for.

Research shows 71% of high-potential employees attribute their promotions to being noticed by senior leaders—not just performing well.

In just 15 minutes, you'll learn:

• The Personal Brand Sweet Spot: How to find the intersection between what you're great at and what leadership actually needs right now

• The 3 Harmful Myths: Why "my work will speak for itself" and other beliefs are keeping high performers stuck and invisible

• Strategic Visibility Tactics: Practical ways to increase recognition without doing more work—the dos and don'ts that actually move the needle

• The Psychology of Promotions: Why certain names come up when leaders are handing out promotions, high-visibility projects, and opportunities.

Stop working harder. Start working smarter with strategic visibility.

[DOWNLOAD THE FREE EPISODE GUIDE HERE]  packed with an episode recap along with the reflection & action guide to help you catch the wave.

Loved this episode? You can buy me a coffee ☕️ It’s a small way to show your support and means more than you know. buymeacoffee.com/chasingwaves 

Connect with me:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannawong-chasingwaves/ 

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chasingwaveswithjo/

Enjoyed the show? Hit "Follow" and leave a review to help others find us!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If the word "networking" makes you cringe, you're not alone—but you can't ignore it. I know it feels awkward, transactional, and maybe even fake.

But here's why it matters: 85% of jobs are filled through networking, not because those people are more qualified, but because they're more connected. In this episode, I'm sharing how I landed seven of my eight jobs through my network—and more importantly, how you can do the same without feeling salesy or uncomfortable.

In just 15 minutes, you’ll learn:

• How to overcome the 3 most common networking dreads that keep high performers stuck

• Why your next big break might come from someone completely outside your industry

• The exact conversation starters and follow-up scripts that get responses without sounding desperate

• How to turn every meaningful conversation into 1-2 more connections

• The biggest mistakes that make networking fail (and how to avoid them)

[DOWNLOAD THE EPISODE WORKSHEET & CHEAT SHEET HERE] 

Loved this episode? You can buy me a coffee ☕️ It’s a small way to show your support and means more than you know. buymeacoffee.com/chasingwaves

Connect with me:

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannawong-chasingwaves/ 

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chasingwaveswithjo/ 

Enjoyed the show? Hit "Follow" and leave a review to help others find us!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is the version of you that’s braver and bolder, that is just a few decisions away? 

Whether you’re eyeing a career pivot, a move abroad, or a leadership leap, the biggest barrier isn't a lack of talent, it’s the "panic" that mimics productivity. In this debut episode, I’m sharing the exact framework I used to move from New York City to Germany and eventually to Asia (where I became a marketing exec for Meta and Spotify). I’ve spent my life chasing big waves, and now I want to help you chase yours.

In under 15 minutes, you’ll walk away with strategies to:

• How to stop fear from making the final call.

• The “Agility Rule of Three” that saved my career. 

• The networking mindset that opens doors you didn’t even know existed. 

Stop waiting for the "right time" and start building a plan that’s stronger than your panic. [DOWNLOAD THE EPISODE WORKSHEET & CHEAT SHEET HERE]

Loved this episode? You can buy me a coffee ☕️ It’s a small way to show your support and means more than you know. buymeacoffee.com/chasingwaves 

Connect with me: 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannawong-chasingwaves/ 

• Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/chasingwaveswithjo/ 

Enjoyed the show? Hit "Follow" and leave a review to help others find us!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is where your boldest dreams meet actionable next steps – Chasing Waves helps you to manage career changes from multi-cultural perspectives, and gives you the advice you didn’t even know you needed.

It's all about real people, real stories, real advice. I’ll be sharing my point of view alongside CEOs, celebrities and experts from all over the world, about the bold moves and honest hard-won lessons behind their success. 

This podcast is the guide to silence your inner critic, master executive presence, and accelerate your career.

Let's go chase that wave.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.