That Pivotal Moment of Change

Ryan Leffel
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  • Updated weekly

"That Pivotal Moment of Change" podcast uncovers the winding paths that shape our careers. Each episode explores diverse journeys, spotlighting pivotal moments that define personal and professional growth. Guests share stories of success, failure, and the lessons learned about resilience, decision-making, and seizing unexpected opportunities. Through these transformative experiences, we aim to inspire listeners to embrace change as a catalyst for growth and discovery.

  1. 30/07/2025

    Episode 25: To the Foosball Table - Emerson Taymor on Building with AI, Learning through Experiments, and Investing in Relationships

    Emerson Taymor has worn many hats: designer, founder, investor, and entrepreneur exploring the intersection of design, product, and AI. In this episode, Emerson reflects on his path from scrappy freelance gigs in high school to co-founding the agency Philosophy, which grew into a 50-person consultancy before being acquired. He shares honest lessons from the trenches, including the grind of building momentum, the sting of layoffs, and the challenge of keeping quality high as you scale. Emerson also opens up about the power of partnership, the magic of foosball-fueled conflict resolution, and how staying resilient and curious has helped him navigate every pivot. From helping early-stage startups find traction to crafting toolkits that build trust in AI-powered products, his story is packed with practical wisdom. Whether you’re early in your career or a seasoned leader, Emerson’s perspective on experimentation, momentum, and making space for chance encounters offers a refreshing take on career growth in a rapidly changing world. References: AI-Powered Product Development PlaybookDesign-led AI ToolkitFigma Templates for Design-Led AI

    Episode 25: To the Foosball Table - Emerson Taymor on Building with AI, Learning through Experiments, and Investing in Relationships

  2. 09/07/2025

    No Holds Barred: Grit, Growth & Design Leadership with Andy Vitale

    In this episode, we go ringside with Andy Vitale - yes, literally. From professional wrestler to powerhouse design leader, Andy’s career path is anything but predictable. He shares how his early days in the ring taught him lessons in storytelling, empathy, and reading an audience—skills that now fuel his human-centered approach to design. We explore Andy’s journey through big-name companies like Office Depot, Rocket, and Truist, and unpack his perspective on mentorship, measuring design's impact, and the future of our craft in the age of AI. Along the way, Andy gets candid about being laid off, leaning into fractional work, and finding steadiness through uncertainty. Whether you're navigating a career pivot, leading through ambiguity, or just trying to make sense of design’s evolving role, Andy’s insights are real, relatable, and refreshingly grounded.

    No Holds Barred: Grit, Growth & Design Leadership with Andy Vitale

  3. 02/07/2025

    Episode 24: Michelle Parsons on Building Beyond the Swipe

    Michelle Parsons, Chief Product Officer at Lex and former product leader at Kayak, Spotify, Netflix and Hinge, joins That Pivotal Moment of Change for a wide-ranging conversation on product, leadership and personal growth. She shares the story behind Lex’s bold pivot from a dating app to a thriving LGBTQ+ community platform—and what it really took to make that shift stick. From spotting early user signals to staying grounded in brand values, Michelle unpacks the decision-making behind a major product transformation. We also explore the lessons she’s picked up throughout her career: The power (and risk) of product pivots Making room for growth, not just growth metrics What she learned from taking on too much, too fast Why great PMs focus on human connection, not just conversion Whether you're early in your product career or leading at scale, Michelle’s insights are both practical and inspiring.

    Episode 24: Michelle Parsons on Building Beyond the Swipe

  4. 18/06/2025

    Episode 23: Seth Carpien on Unintentional Mentors, Personal Growth, and Product Mindsets

    In this episode, Seth Carpien - Chief Growth Officer at Tricon Infotech - shares how “unintentional mentors” helped shape his career from finance to sales to product leadership. He reflects on the moment a colleague challenged his thinking and sparked a complete mindset shift - one that led him to embrace failure, stay humble, and treat his career like a product: something to test, learn from, and constantly improve. We talk about navigating career pivots, leading remote teams, building cultures of curiosity, and why effort often matters more than talent. Whether you’re early in your journey or rethinking what comes next, Seth offers practical, candid insight on finding your path - and growing through the uncomfortable parts.

    Episode 23: Seth Carpien on Unintentional Mentors, Personal Growth, and Product Mindsets

  5. 11/06/2025

    Episode 22: Jose Coronado on Reinvention, Risk, and Leading as Your Full Self

    In this episode of That Pivotal Moment of Change, I sit down with design and operations leader Jose Coronado to talk about the moments that shaped his approach to leadership, growth, and building high-impact teams. Jose shares why he said yes to building a design operations practice from scratch - despite never having done it before, and how that risk became a defining moment in his career. We explore the importance of hiring for culture add instead of culture fit, the power of reinvention even without changing roles, and how intentional networking can start with something as simple as one conversation. Jose also reflects on a year-one failure that almost derailed everything - and the leadership lessons it taught him about patience, visibility, and scaling with purpose. Most of all, we talk about what it means to show up fully as yourself - and why authenticity, not assimilation, is key to building lasting impact.

    Episode 22: Jose Coronado on Reinvention, Risk, and Leading as Your Full Self

  6. 20/05/2025

    From Research to Reinvention: Prayag Narula on Startups, Setbacks & AI Innovation

    In this live episode recorded at UXDX NYC, Prayag Narula - cofounder and CEO of HeyMarvin - joins That Pivotal Moment of Change to share how a career rooted in research led to an unexpected but impactful journey through entrepreneurship. From building a demand generation startup without any sales background to founding Marvin, an AI-powered research repository that helps teams analyze and activate insights, Prayag reflects on the lessons, pivots, and hard truths that shaped his path. He opens up about the realities of leadership - how it’s more about showing up and doing the work than holding a title—and how being “pushed out” of his first company became the catalyst for building something more aligned with his values. The conversation dives deep into the evolving role of researchers in an AI-driven world. Prayag discusses why bias can’t be removed but should be transparently addressed, how synthetic users can be powerful tools in the right context (though never a replacement for real people), and why AI isn’t coming for your job - but might be coming for the entry-level stepping stones that teach judgment and taste. With sharp insight and refreshing candor, Prayag offers a thoughtful look at what it means to lead, adapt, and stay human in the age of automation.

    From Research to Reinvention: Prayag Narula on Startups, Setbacks & AI Innovation

  7. 07/05/2025

    Episode 20: Lorraine K. Lee on Showing Up, Standing Out, and Speaking with Impact

    What does it take to build a personal brand that opens doors—and still feels authentic? In this episode of That Pivotal Moment of Change, Lorraine K. Lee shares her journey from editorial leader at LinkedIn and Prezi to keynote speaker, LinkedIn Learning instructor, and author of Unforgettable Presence. We talk about navigating pivotal moments like layoffs, embracing the power of introversion, and making the leap from middle management to senior leadership. Lorraine offers powerful frameworks like EPIC (Experiences, Personality, Identity, Community) and RAVE (Relationships, Appearance, Visibility, Expertise), and opens up about the mindset shift that changed her career: becoming the CEO of your own growth. Whether you're early in your career or leading a team, this episode is packed with actionable advice, empowering stories, and sharp insights on how to show up more intentionally in your work.

    Episode 20: Lorraine K. Lee on Showing Up, Standing Out, and Speaking with Impact

  8. 23/04/2025

    Episode 19: Roger Rohatgi on Hustle, Heart, and Human-Centered Innovation

    In this episode, Roger Rohatgi shares the remarkable journey that led him from designing rave flyers and producing an award-winning film to becoming Chief AI Officer at Chai. Roger opens up about how building an app to help children with autism sparked his entry into the AI space, and how he’s stayed grounded in empathy and purpose while leading design at scale for companies like BP, Objective Edge, Ministry Brands, and more. He talks about launching the first social television network in the U.S. after pitching a wild idea just weeks into a new role, and why curiosity, confidence, and an ever-present hustle have guided him through each chapter of his career. We also explore the rise of synthetic users, the future of UX in an automated world, and the simple but powerful mantra that’s kept him going: “Change is the only hope you have.” Whether you're a designer, technologist, or someone navigating transformation, Roger’s story is a masterclass in embracing change—and shaping what comes next.

    Episode 19: Roger Rohatgi on Hustle, Heart, and Human-Centered Innovation
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About

"That Pivotal Moment of Change" podcast uncovers the winding paths that shape our careers. Each episode explores diverse journeys, spotlighting pivotal moments that define personal and professional growth. Guests share stories of success, failure, and the lessons learned about resilience, decision-making, and seizing unexpected opportunities. Through these transformative experiences, we aim to inspire listeners to embrace change as a catalyst for growth and discovery.

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