Project Zero

Alex Tuck
  • 5.0 (9)
  • CAREERS

From first steps to best practices — stories that shaped project leaders. Project Zero is a podcast for project managers — and the PM-curious — who want more than frameworks and certifications. Each episode features a project leader, highlighting first projects and the pivotal lessons that shaped their approach to leadership, collaboration, and delivery.   From unexpected missteps to breakthrough moments, these conversations reveal what it really takes to grow into a confident, competent project manager. It’s honest, insightful, and designed to help you lead better — whether you're managing your first task or your hundredth milestone.

  1. 12H AGO

    S2 Episode 13: Understanding Empathy in Diverse Project Landscapes with Shane Dixon

    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

    36 min

  2. APR 30

    S2 Episode 12: Project Management Practice on the Line to the Lead with Tyler Norman

    Host Alex Tuck introduces Tyler Norman, Director of Strategic Programs at Scholastic and a frequent PMI speaker, who shares his 17-year PM journey from construction and energy into supply-chain transformation programs like warehouse robotics and tech-stack upgrades. Norman’s “Project Zero” comes from working as a teenager in a small-town bar and grill, where he identified a fryer bottleneck, quantified lost revenue, built a rough business case for a second fryer, coordinated installation, and validated benefits, later recognizing it as early project management. He discusses limited formal PM education in undergrad, multiple PMI certifications, and current work toward CPM AI. Norman highlights practical AI value in automating admin work (emails, Excel, decks, meeting summaries) to free time for stakeholder engagement, argues layoffs are often broader business context, and emphasizes empathy, stakeholder management, and business value as key PM skills.   00:00 Season Two Kickoff   00:25 Meet Tyler Norman   02:18 From Construction to Books   04:24 Transferable PM Skills   06:16 Defining Project Zero  07:00 Fryer Bottleneck Story   11:01 PM Education Path   12:53 Certifications and CPM AI   14:36 AI for PM Workflows   21:50 AI Job Impact and Upskilling  25:02 Most Important PM Skill   27:40 Career Advice and Wrap Up    Connect with Tyler Norman  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-norman/ Website: navigatewithpurpose.com   Connect with Alex Tuck  Personal LinkedIn: Alex Tuck Website: www.tuckconsultinggroup.com Company LinkedIn: Tuck Consulting Group Email: alex@tuckconsultinggroup.com

    31 min

  3. APR 23

    S2 Episode 11: Coaching the Next-Gen Project Managers with Orlando Sequera

    Host Alex Tuck welcomes listeners to season two of Project Zero, with a greater focus on AI’s impact, and interviews project manager and PMP coach Orlando Sequera. Sequera shares how he fell into project management after years in IT, including an early asset inventory project that failed due to neglected scope and lack of formal PM discipline, motivating him to pursue a master’s in project management at Boston University and earn the PMP. He contrasts structured PMP training (35 hours of PMI-required content) with coaching that builds the mindset and critical thinking needed for evolving, more situational PMP exam questions, including AI topics. Sequera emphasizes leadership and emotional intelligence as key PM skills, servant leadership in practice, and AI’s role in automating documentation, meeting notes, and change management while keeping PM accountability with the human.   00:00 Season Two Kickoff  00:38 Orlando’s PM Journey   02:37 Trainer vs Coach 05:19 Mindset for the PMP     07:31 First Project Failure 10:37 Learning Scope and Structure     12:05 Formal Education and PMP     14:53 Why PMs Matter     17:10 Top PM Skill Leadership     20:53 Servant Leadership Stories     24:05 AI in Project Management   31:09 Advice to Younger Orlando     33:16 Connect and Closing  Connect with Orlando Sequera   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/orlando-sequera-3414478/ Website: www.mydynamicpm.comConnect with Alex Tuck  Personal LinkedIn: Alex Tuck Website: www.tuckconsultinggroup.com Company LinkedIn: Tuck Consulting Group Email: alex@tuckconsultinggroup.com

    36 min

  4. APR 16

    S2 Episode 10: The Secret to Perfect Project Timing with Claudia Wright

    Host Alex Tuck welcomes IT program and project manager Claudia Wright to Project Zero season two. Wright shares her 25+ year path from data entry and administrative work at the EPA to database management, then coding (COBOL/DB2) at BellSouth, where frustration with “work thrown over the cubicle wall” pushed her toward business analysis and requirements. She became a project manager at a global grocery retailer, where her “Project Zero” involved enterprise work supporting store planograms and related systems, learning end-to-end delivery (resource planning, production turnovers, failback plans, signoffs) under a mentor, Cindy, who helped standardize templates and lessons learned. Wright’s key PM skill is “know your place,” adapting to organizational perceptions and leadership priorities, and she views AI as helpful for efficiency (e.g., note-taking) but not a “magic pill,” requiring planning and verification. 00:00 Season Two Kickoff 00:34 Claudia Career Origins 04:01 Finding Project Management 05:42 Sewing Meets Structure 07:02 From Coding to Leading 12:07 Technical Edge and Estimates 15:08 Project Zero Story 18:59 Mentorship and Lessons 20:50 Know Your Place 26:19 AI Is Not Magic 29:37 Wrap Up and Connect Connect with Claudia Wright  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudiawright-mba-pmp-cisa/  Connect with Alex Tuck  Personal LinkedIn: Alex Tuck Website: www.tuckconsultinggroup.com Company LinkedIn: Tuck Consulting Group Email: alex@tuckconsultinggroup.com

    30 min

  5. APR 9

    S2 Episode 9: What CEOs are Actually Looking for in a Project Manager with Zack Tembi

    On this episode of Project Zero, host Alex Tuck welcomes Zack Tembi, CEO of Single Fin, a startup that supports the cybersecurity and infrastructure needs of Fortune 500/1000 companies. Tembi recounts his path from Roanoke College to early roles at Netuitive and as an early Splunk employee through its growth and Cisco acquisition, then founding Single Fin to prioritize customer outcomes and cut through AI “noise.” His “Project Zero” occurred during COVID while launching a major video game, during which a PM succeeded by calming stakeholders, code-switching between executive and engineering audiences, aligning technical work to strict uptime/capacity metrics, and unifying goals. Tembi describes Single Fin’s internal use of named AI agents with role-based access to scale operations, urging PMs to build skills by testing tools and exercising agency to implement practical AI use cases. 00:00 Season Two Kickoff 00:29 Meet Zack Tembi 03:06 Startup Roots and College 04:28 Early Career Lessons 06:01 Splunk Growth Story 07:08 Founding Single Fin 08:35 AI Hype and Reality 10:54 Project Zero Story 12:18 Great PM Traits 18:28 AI Agents for Work 23:31 Cool AI Use Cases 28:22 Where to Connect 29:46 Closing Thanks Connect with Zack Tembi  Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/single-fin-enterprises/ Weekly Newsletter Signup: https://ciosurge.beehiiv.com/subscribe Newsletter Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ciosurge/  Connect with Alex Tuck  Personal LinkedIn: Alex Tuck Website: www.tuckconsultinggroup.com Company LinkedIn: Tuck Consulting Group Email: alex@tuckconsultinggroup.com

    31 min

  6. APR 2

    S2 Episode 8: Building an AI Coworker for Project Managers with Shawn Harris

    Host Alex Tuck interviews Shawn Harris, CEO and co-founder of Co-Worked/Creative Harmony. Harris recounts his early career in technology at IBM while still an undergrad, later formalizing project management at TJX amid tight retail delivery windows and PMI-style rigor. His “Project Zero” centers on leading TJX’s migration of credit transaction processing from an outsourced provider to an in-house data center, emphasizing extensive cross-functional planning and cutover execution; he also contrasts enterprise delivery with consulting, where project control ties directly to profitability. Harris argues PMs benefit from entrepreneurial methods to build credibility and authority. He introduces Harmony, an agentic AI project manager that embeds into Microsoft 365, coordinates work across existing tools, follows up on tasks/risks, and generates status outputs so PMs can lead from “the balcony.”   00:00 Season Two Kickoff   00:40 Meet Shawn Harris   01:54 Early Career at IBM   03:18 Retail PM Rigor at TJX   06:21 Tech Upbringing and Gadgets   09:10 What Project Zero Means   09:40 Project Zero at TJX Cutover   16:20 Consulting vs Enterprise PM   20:57 Top Skill Entrepreneur Mindset   25:08 Harmony Agentic PM Overview   31:31 Why Tools Aren’t the Work     Connect with Shawn Harris  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnharris/ Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/coworkedai/ Company Website: https://coworked.ai/  Connect with Alex Tuck  Personal LinkedIn: Alex Tuck Website: www.tuckconsultinggroup.com Company LinkedIn: Tuck Consulting Group Email: alex@tuckconsultinggroup.com

    34 min

  7. MAR 26

    S2 Episode 7: Clearly Communicating Ambiguity as a Healthcare Consultant with Nigisty Lulu

    Host Alex Tuck welcomes healthcare project management consultant Nigisty Lulu to discuss her career at the intersection of public health, healthcare operations, and health technology, and the season’s increased focus on AI. Nigisty shares how she was “thrown into” project management after college at Emory University’s neurology department, supporting healthcare initiatives and a telehealth launch that helped scale what became the Marcus Stroke Network. Her Project Zero centered on heavy stakeholder coordination, aligning differing expectations, and overcoming adoption resistance by improving change management through training, on-site support, office hours, and 24/7 access. She emphasizes that top PM skills include creating structure in ambiguous environments and understanding the “why” behind tasks. Both discuss AI automating logistics while elevating human judgment, prioritization, negotiation, and real-time strategy; Nigisty highlights using AI to build roadmaps and timelines.   00:00 Season Two Kickoff   00:37 Meet Nigisty Lulu   02:22 How She Became a PM   03:51 From Pre Med to Public Health   05:45 Born Organizer Mindset   07:18 Defining Project Zero   07:53 Scaling Emory Telehealth   11:35 Mentors and Learning Fast   13:17 Change Management Resistance   16:58 PM Skills and AI Future   23:34 AI Roadmaps and Prompts   26:47 Career Advice and Wrap Up  Connect with Nigisty Lulu  LinkedIn: Nigisty Lulu  Email: nikki@tuckconsultinggroup.com Connect with Alex Tuck  Personal LinkedIn: Alex Tuck Website: www.tuckconsultinggroup.com Company LinkedIn: Tuck Consulting Group Email: alex@tuckconsultinggroup.com

    29 min

  8. MAR 19

    S2 Episode 6: From Nonprofit Coordination to CRM Innovation with Megan Newman

    Megan Newman on Building Humanitru, High-Stakes Healthcare Projects, and AI-Driven Customer Support Insights Host Alex Tuck opens season two of Project Zero with Megan Newman, co-founder and COO of Humanitru, to discuss her career shift from healthcare to nonprofit SaaS, the importance of systems and organization, and the evolving impact of AI. Megan explains how fragmented data systems in both EMRs and nonprofit fundraising tools inspired Humanitru’s integrated CRM and shares two “Project Zero” moments: coordinating complex care for a newly quadriplegic patient and building a startup from scratch, including demos, onboarding, implementation, and scaling operations after rapid hiring. She highlights critical thinking as the key skill for product managers, translating customer needs into technical specs, and describes an AI initiative using Google Gemini to improve support, surface ticket-driven product insights, and strengthen customer interest.     00:00 Season Two Kickoff     00:32 Meet Megan Newman     01:20 From Healthcare to Nonprofit Tech     03:23 Born Organized Systems     06:36 Corporate to Startup Shift     09:46 Defining Project Zero     10:26 Care Management High Stakes     14:17 Building Humanitru Playbooks     18:44 Product Managers Critical Thinking     21:44 Fundraising Data Prioritization     24:24 AI Support and Customer Insights     30:17 Wrap Up and Contact    Connect with Megan Newman  LinkedIn: Megan NewmanConnect with Alex Tuck  Personal LinkedIn: Alex Tuck Website: www.tuckconsultinggroup.com Company LinkedIn: Tuck Consulting Group Email: alex@tuckconsultinggroup.com

    31 min
See All (38)

5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

From first steps to best practices — stories that shaped project leaders. Project Zero is a podcast for project managers — and the PM-curious — who want more than frameworks and certifications. Each episode features a project leader, highlighting first projects and the pivotal lessons that shaped their approach to leadership, collaboration, and delivery.   From unexpected missteps to breakthrough moments, these conversations reveal what it really takes to grow into a confident, competent project manager. It’s honest, insightful, and designed to help you lead better — whether you're managing your first task or your hundredth milestone.

Information

  • Creator
    Alex Tuck
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    38
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Project Zero
  • Show Website
    Project Zero

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