Aligned Ambition with Pooja V.

Pooja Venkatraman
  • 5.0 (6)
  • CAREERS
  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

Hi! I’m Pooja – I’m a double Harvard grad, ex-BCG consultant, and now a writer, thought leader, and executive coach. I help high achievers tackle stress productivity, performance and purpose so they can fulfill their biggest ambitions and unleash their fullest potential… …without sacrificing their sanity, their relationships, their authenticity, or their paychecks. Let’s build the life and career you actually want – one that feels as good on the inside as it looks on the outside. Book a free consult call to discuss working together: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact

  1. 5D AGO

    484. How to do something you don’t want to do

    Have you ever made a grand plan to do a big project over several days…only to find yourself scrambling at the last minute to get it done? Or told yourself you’ll get up early to work out…only to hit snooze six times the next morning? Or even promised you’ll stop working late in the evenings and spend more time with your family…only to find yourself writing ONE last email before you log off? This week’s episode is all about what to do in that moment.  This week’s episode is all about what to do in that moment. When you’ve made a plan that you genuinely WANT to do… But the time has come to execute… And your brain is rebelling and saying, “I don’t want to!” You don’t have to give in and give up. And you don’t have to use willpower and discipline to MAKE yourself do it. Instead, do what I tell you to do in this episode :)  And if using this tool makes you realize – “Hang on, I actually DON’T want to do these things…” Book a Free Career Audit with me and let’s figure out why you have a career full of things you don’t want to do – and what you’re going to do about it: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact  You'll walk away with: A simple diagnosis of what’s working + not working today A clear game plan for what to do next An objective assessment of whether 1:1 coaching could accelerate your progress And email me anytime with thoughts, feedback, and topics you’d like to see covered on the podcast! ⁠⁠pooja@poojavcoaching.com⁠⁠

    23 min

  2. MAR 30

    483. How to know when it’s time to invest in a coach: a 7 point checklist

    This week, I’m making something publicly available for the very first time. Normally, you have to get on a consult call with me to hear about this… But I decided to release it out into the world for everyone to see. It is: My 7 point decision making checklist for whether or not to invest in a coach. And I wanted to make it publicly available because, too often, when something is off in our lives…  We deliver ourselves into the arms of an expert and relinquish all control. You go to a doctor, a therapist, a financial advisor, a personal trainer, a coach… And you throw yourself at the feet of their expertise and say, “I don't know what’s going on. I’m stumped. I’m confused. You tell me what to do.” And even though it’s often easier to make a sale when someone does that… I actually don’t want you to do that. I want you to feel EMPOWERED, in control, and fully in the driver’s seat of your own career. EVEN when things feel off. EVEN when you’re stuck. EVEN when you’re not sure what to do next. I want you to bring in support like a CEO brings in an advisor. Not like a student with low grades sheepishly hiring a tutor. This decision making checklist is designed to help you do exactly that: Make a powerful, in-control decision about what kind of support you want at this point in your career. It’s a simple series of questions to help you get back in the driver’s seat again. Listen in to hear all about it. And then book your Free Career Audit with me, and let’s talk about exactly what feels off in your career right now, pinpoint the root cause, and build a simple game plan for closing the gap: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact  And email me anytime with thoughts, feedback, and topics you’d like to see covered on the podcast! ⁠⁠pooja@poojavcoaching.com⁠⁠

    31 min

  3. MAR 23

    482. What if it’s just not possible to build the career you want?

    I want you to imagine all the elements of your A+ career. The title. The compensation. The trajectory. The hours. The day-to-day work. The location. The fit with the rest of your life. Chances are, within 3 seconds of even STARTING to imagine that A+ career… Your brain shut you down and said, “That’s not possible.” And guess what? You’re right. It might not be possible. But in today’s podcast episode, I give you 3 reasons why it’s still worth it to try. 3 reasons why you’ll be BETTER off if you try, than if you don’t. Even if you fail. Even if it’s not possible. Listen in to find out. And then book your Free Career Audit with me, and let’s map out exactly where your current career is falling short of A+ and how we can close the gaps: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact And email me anytime with thoughts, feedback, and topics you’d like to see covered on the podcast! ⁠⁠pooja@poojavcoaching.com⁠⁠

    28 min

  4. MAR 16

    481. How to declare a major in your career (especially if you’re a generalist)

    Many high achievers hit a point in their career where they feel the need to “declare a major.”  They’ve done a variety of things so far. They feel like a general problem-solver. But they also feel like, as they progress in their career, “I’ve done a lot of things, and I can do anything!” is not the most compelling pitch. It feels like people prefer to hear, “I can do this SPECIFIC thing. That’s my specialty.” So how do you “declare a major” in your career – without picking the wrong one, or closing doors too early? That’s what this week’s podcast episode is all about. Want to go in depth with me to figure out exactly what major YOU should declare?  Book a Free Career Audit and let’s deep dive into your strengths, dreams, and past experiences – and build the game plan for choosing the right major for you and building your career around it: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact  And email me anytime with thoughts, feedback, and topics you’d like to see covered on the podcast! ⁠⁠pooja@poojavcoaching.com⁠⁠

    31 min

  5. MAR 9

    480. How to emotionally survive a stretch opportunity

    The only way to progress in your career is to do things you’ve never done before – aka, sign up for stretch opportunities. Stretch roles and projects are the rocket fuel that can power your career forward…and the trial-by-fire that can burn you out. Whether you’re holding yourself back from asking for one (and knowing it’s holding your career back too)... Or whether you’re actively in one, and trying not to let your imposter syndrome eat you alive… The 3 skills in this episode are what you need to survive, thrive, and grow in the stretch zone. Want to take this to the next level with a custom game plan for your situation? Book a Free Career Audit and let’s do a deep dive: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact  Want to learn the specific stretch opportunities you need to secure a C-suite role? Register for my workshop, Charting Your Course to the C-Suite: www.hbswa.org/csuiteMar2026  And email me anytime with thoughts, feedback, and topics you’d like to see covered on the podcast! ⁠⁠pooja@poojavcoaching.com⁠⁠

    33 min

  6. MAR 2

    479. Why high achievers feel MORE certain in their career paths when they’re younger, and less certain when they’re older

    There’s this common (but rarely spoken about) phenomenon that a lot of high achievers experience partway through their careers. They USED to have so much clarity, certainty, and conviction about their career path. They thought hard. They tried different things. They did all the assessments.  And they figured out what they wanted to do. Amazing! And now, several years down that path… With real success and real progress behind them… For some reason, they’re starting to feel uncertain again. Is this really what I want? Do I still have conviction that this is the right path for me? What if I’m on the wrong path? AND they beat themselves up for that uncertainty.  What’s wrong with me? Why am I suddenly losing conviction? Have I lost my ambition? Am I going backwards??  When this (extremely common!!) phenomenon happens… DON’T force yourself to just keep marching down the path you’re on. And DON’T rush to find your alternate path asap. What you need is an uncertainty audit.  Ideally with me – because they’re really hard to do by yourself. Book yours here! https://poojavcoaching.com/contact  What we’re going to do together is slow down and dig into your uncertainty.  Find all its ingredients and components.  And then use those to develop your diagnosis and game plan. You’ll walk away with a simple diagnosis of WHY you’re feeling this way. (Spoiler alert: Nothing is wrong with you.) And a clear game plan of what to do next. (If I can help, I’ll tell you how. And if I can’t, I’ll point you toward the resources that you need.) Today’s podcast episode gives you some examples of what a diagnosis and game plan could look like. But you won’t know yours until you talk to me. There’s no simple 3 step plan that applies to everyone. But there IS a simple plan that applies to YOU. So let’s develop it together. Book your uncertainty audit today: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact  And email me anytime with thoughts, feedback, and topics you’d like to see covered on the podcast! ⁠⁠pooja@poojavcoaching.com⁠⁠

    35 min

  7. FEB 23

    478. Don’t celebrate your success. Analyze it.

    Most high achievers are allergic to celebrating their successes. At best, celebrating feels corny and fake.  It feels like something you “should” do, like your gratitude journal. (And then you feel kind of bad for not doing it.) At worst, celebrating feels dangerous.  Resting on your laurels will make you arrogant and complacent…  Pride goeth before the fall…  The moment you relax is the moment the other shoe is going to drop… And yet, there is GOLD waiting for you inside your successes. Gold that you are MISSING because your brain is so busy focusing on the 1 thing that didn’t go well. 80% of my success (at least!) has come from extending and deepening WHAT’S WORKING – not fixing what’s not. So in today’s episode, I give you a simple way to extract and apply your Success Gold without feeling corny and without triggering your fears. If you’re a female HBS alum, come to my monthly roundtable this Thursday Feb 26, and we’ll work together to extract your own success playbook AND you’ll get to grab from the success playbooks of others. Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/845yKxNERTqy5jQXI6UZRQ#/registration And if you want to go beyond extracting just one success playbook and make building on your strengths and extending what’s working a core part of how you operate day-to-day and how you set your career strategy overall… Book a free coaching consult and let’s talk about working together: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact  That’s exactly what I do with my clients. And that’s exactly what I use my own coaches to do for me.  Because building around your strengths is way easier when you have an objective third party to help you identify them and time set aside to strategize and make it happen. And email me anytime with thoughts, feedback, and topics you’d like to see covered on the podcast! ⁠⁠pooja@poojavcoaching.com⁠⁠

    33 min

  8. FEB 17

    477. 5 terrible reasons to aim for the C-suite

    Tomorrow (Feb 18), executive coach Megan Porter and I kick off a three-part series for the HBS Women’s Association called Charting Your Course to the C-Suite. Register here: www.hbswa.org/csuiteFeb2026 But before you get busy charting your course to the C-suite… I want you to make sure that you actually want to be there. And so, this week’s podcast episode is all about 5 TERRIBLE reasons to aim for the C-suite. Listen in and see if any of them apply to you. (It’s okay if they do. I also tell you what to do to adjust your reasons so they support you instead of working against you :) And then once you’ve gotten your reasoning for aiming for the C-suite strong and clear… Come to our three-part event series, where we’ll help you: ✅ Survey the landscape of C-suite roles ✅ Define the C-suite role that’s right for you ✅ Make a plan to land it – and crush it in the role Register here: www.hbswa.org/csuiteFeb2026 If you’re not a female HBS alum, or the event is already done, but you’re still interested in what we shared, shoot me an email at pooja@poojavcoaching.com and I’ll see what I can do! And if this podcast episode made you realize that you’re not quite sure WHAT you want, and you want some help getting clear and confident on your path… Book a free consult call with me, and let’s talk: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact

    43 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Hi! I’m Pooja – I’m a double Harvard grad, ex-BCG consultant, and now a writer, thought leader, and executive coach. I help high achievers tackle stress productivity, performance and purpose so they can fulfill their biggest ambitions and unleash their fullest potential… …without sacrificing their sanity, their relationships, their authenticity, or their paychecks. Let’s build the life and career you actually want – one that feels as good on the inside as it looks on the outside. Book a free consult call to discuss working together: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact

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