Next In Line

Next In Line Podcast
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Business
  • Updated Biweekly

Next in Line is a podcast about what it really takes to lead and why it's time to pay it forward. Hosted by Cesar Jimenez, Founder/CEO of Prosource IT and Founder/Board Member at myBasePay, and co-hosted by Karina Jimenez, Founder of Social Kraft, each episode features unfiltered conversations with executives who’ve built, failed, and learned the hard way. They’re not here to impress; they’re here to share the truth with the next generation of leaders coming up behind them.

  1. 4d ago

    Ep. 92: Samuel Baker, Founder of Persevere Gear, on Faith, Youth Entrepreneurship, and Turning Setbacks Into a Brand

    Samuel “Sammy” Baker, the youngest guest to join Next in Line, sits down in person with host Karina Jimenez to share how he turned one of the hardest periods of his life into Persevere Gear, a clothing brand he launched at just eleven years old. After facing health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and struggling to earn playing time on his travel basketball team, Sammy created the brand as a reminder to keep going. He shares how Persevere Gear grew from an online business into in-person pop-ups and how connecting face-to-face with customers taught him the value of building genuine relationships around the mission behind the brand. Sammy also opens up about balancing entrepreneurship with school, varsity basketball, leadership responsibilities, and his faith, while leaning on a strong family support system to stay grounded. He shares how James 1:12 has guided his approach to perseverance and why surrounding yourself with people who share your drive can make a difference when pursuing something ambitious. For the next generation of young entrepreneurs, Sammy’s message is to trust the ideas you feel called to pursue and to keep moving forward through every obstacle by remembering three things: pray, plan, and persevere.

  2. 6d ago

    Ep. 91: Tamecka McKay, Chief Information Officer (IT Director) at the City of Fort Lauderdale, on Disaster Leadership, Imposter Syndrome, and Leaning Into Who You Are

    Tamecka McKay, Chief Information Officer (IT Director) at the City of Fort Lauderdale, joins host Cesar Jimenez to share how some of the most challenging moments of her career reshaped the way she leads. Within her first eight months on the job, she faced three back-to-back disasters, including a historic flood that shut down critical systems at City Hall. With an infrastructure modernization plan already in place, Tamecka was able to accelerate the roadmap and accomplish in roughly two years what she estimates would normally have taken five to seven. She also reflects on the shift from technical contributor to leader, why listening became one of her most important leadership skills, and her experience navigating imposter syndrome in a field where she rarely saw herself represented. Tamecka and Cesar also explore how the CIO role is evolving in the age of AI and why she believes technology leaders need to pay just as much attention to the people experiencing change as the technology driving it. She shares how “seek first to understand before being understood” guides the way she builds trust across an organization and why embracing what makes you different can become a strength rather than something to suppress. For the next generation of technology leaders, her message is to lean into those differences, listen before leading, and recognize the value of bringing your full perspective to the table.

  3. Sep 24

    Ep. 90: Leslie Alore, Chief Marketing Officer, on Adaptability, Lateral Moves, and Leading Through Influence

    Leslie Alore, Chief Marketing Officer, joins host Karina Jimenez to share the unexpected career journey that took her from dreams of becoming a fighter pilot and studying engineering to finding her path in marketing. She reflects on the difficult feedback that changed the way she thought about leadership, including a humbling 360-degree review that taught her to adapt her communication style without compromising who she is. Leslie also shares how she builds trust by understanding the different working styles on her team and why some of the most valuable moves in her own career were lateral ones that gave her new skills and perspectives. Leslie and Karina also explore how to decide which career feedback is worth acting on, why imposter syndrome can surface during periods of growth, and the importance of taking ownership of your development rather than waiting for someone else to define the next step. For the next generation of leaders, Leslie encourages staying open to opportunities that may not look like obvious promotions, proactively building the skills needed for where you want to go, and learning to lead through influence. Adapting how you communicate isn’t about changing who you are. It’s about understanding how to bring others along with you.

  4. Sep 22

    Ep. 89: Tricia Ferreira, Senior Vice President, Technology Product Management at World Fuel, on Reinvention, Attitude Over Aptitude, and Leading Through Change

    Tricia Ferreira, Senior Vice President of Technology Product Management at World Fuel, joins host Cesar Jimenez to share the unexpected decision that took her from an accounting scholarship to computer science and eventually into GE’s IT leadership program and a career in technology. She reflects on the leadership lessons that shaped her along the way, from valuing attitude over aptitude and treating failure as part of learning to continuously reinventing yourself instead of becoming attached to a title. Tricia also shares why she sees career growth as a journey built around impact, where a sidestep can sometimes create more opportunity than the obvious next move. Tricia and Cesar also explore what technology leadership looks like today, why technology strategy can’t be separated from business strategy, and the value of leaders who can speak both business and tech. They discuss AI as another tool in the toolkit, the importance of keeping humans involved, and a future workforce where people and digital workers operate together. For the next generation, Tricia encourages saying yes to opportunities before you feel completely ready, finding a leadership style that is authentically yours, and staying open to the moves that may not look like progress at first but can ultimately set up your next leap.

  5. Sep 17

    Ep. 88: Luke Leinberger, Global Head of Social Media at Gravity Global, on Authenticity, AI-Driven Discoverability, and Leading With Care

    Luke Leinberger, Global Head of Social Media at Gravity Global, joins host Karina Jimenez to share how a background in creative writing led him into social media at a time when the channel was still considered a “nice to have.” From growing a boutique agency’s social offering to leading a full global practice after the agency’s acquisition by Gravity Global, Luke has spent the last decade watching social move from an afterthought to the center of how brands reach their audiences. In this episode, Luke shares the mentorship lessons that shaped how he leads today, from being given the space to make mistakes early in his career to learning that leadership means adapting your style to each person rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach. He also opens up about a philosophy he lives by: there is no failing, only winning or learning. Luke and Karina also dig into how AI is reshaping social media from behind the scenes, from streamlining reporting and social listening to navigating a new reality where audiences question whether even authentic content is AI-generated. They discuss why content guidelines have to stay living documents rather than fixed rules, and why the shift from SEO to AEO is changing what it means for a brand to be discoverable at all. For the next generation of leaders, Luke’s advice is to lead with genuine care for your team, understand that team success is what defines your own, and recognize that leadership itself isn’t the right path for everyone.

  6. Sep 15

    Ep. 87: Maurizio Carano, VP of Global Marketing at MCC Label, on Career Pivots, AI as a Thought Partner, and the Power of Perspective

    Maurizio Carano, Vice President of Global Marketing at MCC Label, joins host Karina Jimenez to share the unconventional career journey that took him from chemistry and academia into product management and global marketing. He reflects on how curiosity, openness, and a willingness to pivot shaped his career, while sharing why the best leaders listen with the intent to understand and genuinely consider what is best for the people around them.  Maurizio also explores how AI is changing product marketing and why he approaches it as a thought partner that can challenge assumptions, introduce new perspectives, and strengthen decision-making while keeping human authenticity at the center. For the next generation, he emphasizes practicing new skills, seeking feedback, staying curious, and remaining open to perspectives different from your own. His final reminder is that adapting to change does not mean changing who you are, but learning how to evolve the way you show up.

  7. Sep 10

    Ep. 86: Andy Wang, Former VP of Marketing at CDW, on AI, Adaptability, and Why Great Leadership Still Comes Down to People

    Andy Wang’s career in marketing started in an unexpected place: his family’s small business. What began as an opportunity to learn how a business operates from the ground up eventually led him into digital marketing, MarTech, customer experience, demand generation, and enterprise leadership at CDW. Through it all, one lesson has remained constant: people are at the center of every successful business. In this episode, Andy joins Karina Jimenez to explore what leadership and marketing look like in a time of rapid transformation. He shares how navigating organizational change shaped his empathy as a leader, why our careers shouldn’t define our self-worth, and why adaptability and an entrepreneurial mindset can help leaders thrive even when there’s no established playbook. Andy also dives into the future of AI in marketing, from reimagining the customer journey and orchestrating AI agents to creating governance that evolves alongside the technology. Rather than viewing AI solely as an efficiency tool, he challenges marketers to think bigger about how it can reshape entire organizational models and how humans can become the orchestrators behind that transformation. For the next generation, Andy’s advice is to experiment, stay curious, think bigger, and have the courage to step into unfamiliar territory. Most importantly, don’t forget the relationships you build along the way because, as his own career has shown, success ultimately comes back to the people you bring with you.

  8. Sep 8

    Ep. 85: Sarah Handlos, Director of Brand, Video & Design at Q2, on AI Governance, Brand Integrity, and the Future of Creative Leadership

    Sarah Handlos, Director of Brand, Video & Design at Q2, joins host Karina Jimenez to share how a high school graphic design class sparked a career that has spanned small advertising agencies, boutique design studios, and nearly 13 years building creative strategy at Q2. Along the way, mentors taught her to never be afraid to ask a question and to fall in love with the problem rather than the solution. In this episode, Sarah shares how her team uses AI to compress weeks of production time into days, from generating interactive floor plans and 3D booth models to building cost calculators for major events. She also opens up about a challenge many creative leaders are facing: AI-generated work can still drift from brand guidelines even after being trained on them. Sarah and Karina also discuss why “human in the lead” is a better framework than the popular “human in the loop,” how a trained creative eye catches what AI consistently misses, and why generic thinking leads to generic brands. For the next generation of designers and marketers, Sarah’s advice is to master foundational design principles before leaning on AI, stay curious enough to explore new tools before committing to one workflow, and never stop asking questions.

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Next in Line is a podcast about what it really takes to lead and why it's time to pay it forward. Hosted by Cesar Jimenez, Founder/CEO of Prosource IT and Founder/Board Member at myBasePay, and co-hosted by Karina Jimenez, Founder of Social Kraft, each episode features unfiltered conversations with executives who’ve built, failed, and learned the hard way. They’re not here to impress; they’re here to share the truth with the next generation of leaders coming up behind them.

Information

  • Creator
    Next In Line Podcast
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    94
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Next In Line Podcast
  • Show Website
    Next In Line