Next In Line

Next In Line Podcast

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. 5d ago

    Ep.99: Elizabeth DeFeo, Head of Partnerships and Activation on Career Pivots, Adaptive Leadership, and Building Diverse Teams

    Elizabeth DeFeo, Head of Partnerships and Activation joins host Karina Jimenez to share the career journey that took her from traditional advertising into experiential marketing, international sports sponsorships, and leadership. She reflects on how an unexpected layoff helped her discover work she was passionate about, why taking a pay cut to enter a new industry became a defining career decision, and how leading teams across different cultures taught her to adapt her communication style to the people and environments around her. Elizabeth also explains why she builds teams with different perspectives, backgrounds, and skills rather than surrounding herself with people who think just like her. Elizabeth and Karina also explore how career growth does not always follow a straight line, why every role can be valuable when it teaches you something new, and how leaders need to evolve as AI changes the way teams work. Elizabeth shares why she prioritizes human skills such as strategic thinking, communication, and relationship-building while remaining open to new technology and learning from younger colleagues. For the next generation, her advice is to develop transferable skills, try new things even when the path is unclear, and focus on what brings you joy rather than comparing your progress with someone else's.

  2. Oct 22

    Ep. 98: Ian Colley, CMO at DeepIntent, on AI, Privacy, and Commercializing Pharma’s Next Generation of Treatments

    Ian Colley, Chief Marketing Officer at DeepIntent, joins host Karina Jimenez to share the career journey that took him from public relations agencies in the UK to more than a decade at IBM, followed by a transition into advertising technology at The Trade Desk and eventually pharmaceutical marketing. He reflects on what drew him to the healthcare industry and why its unique challenges create opportunities for data-driven advertising and AI. Ian also explains how pharmaceutical marketing differs from traditional consumer marketing, from reaching highly specific patient populations to navigating the complexities of healthcare access, and how AI is helping companies make drug development and commercialization more targeted and efficient. Ian and Karina also explore how AI is transforming pharmaceutical marketing, including DeepIntent’s agentic marketing platform, Cora, which brings together complex data to accelerate campaign planning and decision-making. They discuss the importance of responsible AI adoption in a highly regulated industry, protecting patient privacy, and adapting to changing consumer behaviors as more people turn to AI platforms for information. For the next generation of marketers, Ian encourages thinking strategically rather than focusing only on individual tasks, staying curious about emerging technologies, and seeking opportunities outside your comfort zone. Above all, he emphasizes the importance of storytelling as a skill that remains essential no matter how much technology changes.

  3. Oct 20

    Ep. 97: Alan Wizemann on Entrepreneurship, Digital Transformation, Building High-Performing Teams, and the Future of AI

    Alan Wizemann joins host Cesar Jimenez to share the unconventional career journey that took him from writing software at just nine years old to building startups and leading digital transformation at companies like Target, lululemon, and Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. Without following a traditional college path, Alan built his career through curiosity, experimentation, and a willingness to challenge established ways of working. He reflects on his entrepreneurial experience building ShopIgniter and how that journey eventually led him to Target, where he helped develop Cartwheel, an application that reached millions of users and demonstrated how large organizations can embrace the agility and innovation of a startup. Alan and Cesar also explore why successful digital transformation depends as much on people and organizational culture as it does on technology, from recognizing overlooked talent and overcoming resistance to creating environments where teams can experiment and learn from failure. They discuss how AI is reshaping the future of work, why traditional organizational structures may need to evolve, and the importance of empowering employees to drive innovation. For the next generation of leaders, Alan encourages embracing unconventional opportunities, learning through experience, recognizing potential in others, and having the courage to question the status quo rather than accepting that things must always be done a certain way.

  4. Oct 15

    Ep. 96: Miguel Zorrilla, Senior Vice President, Marketing at Central Garden & Pet, on Career Reinvention, Legacy Brands, and Leading the Next Generation

    Miguel Zorrilla, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Central Garden & Pet, joins host Karina Jimenez to share the career journey that took him from internships at MTV and Island Def Jam to an unexpected role in HR at Mars Wrigley, where he discovered his path into brand marketing. He reflects on his experience working with iconic brands like Snickers, Twix, and Butterfinger before making the intentional leap into the pet care industry. Miguel also shares his approach to keeping legacy brands relevant, including how his team reimagined Butterfinger’s classic campaign through the “Butterfinger Investigators” concept, preserving what made the brand recognizable while finding new ways to connect with consumers. Miguel and Karina also explore why leadership requires adapting to different personalities, generations, and working styles, and how creating team charters can help build stronger collaboration. He reflects on the importance of taking ownership of your career, stepping outside your comfort zone, and finding mentors and advocates who can offer perspective along the way. For the next generation of leaders, Miguel encourages building a diverse skill set rather than chasing recognizable brands, staying curious, and developing genuine relationships throughout your career. Above all, his advice is to follow your passion and remember that success is just as much about enjoying the journey as it is about reaching the next milestone.

  5. Oct 13

    Ep. 95: Steve Arentzoff, CMO, on Cross-Industry Marketing, AI Disruption, and Building a Differentiated Value Story

    Steve Arentzoff, Chief Marketing Officer, joins host Karina Jimenez to share the career journey that has taken him across multiple industries, giving him a unique perspective on what drives successful marketing regardless of the sector. He reflects on why understanding the customer’s challenges and communicating a clear, credible value proposition matter more than the product itself. Steve also shares his approach to joining companies at critical growth stages, from identifying gaps across the go-to-market strategy and finding early wins to building stronger alignment between marketing, sales, and customer success teams around shared business outcomes. Steve and Karina also explore how AI is reshaping the buyer journey, why traditional search strategies are evolving, and the growing importance of understanding how large language models interpret and present a company’s content. He discusses the need for clear AI guidelines across teams and why differentiation becomes increasingly important when competitors are making similar promises. For the next generation of marketing leaders, Steve encourages developing a strong understanding of both the product and the customer, gaining experience across different marketing disciplines, and staying focused on the fundamentals that remain essential regardless of how technology evolves: building trust, solving real problems, and communicating meaningful value.

  6. Oct 8

    Ep. 94: David Jost, Vice President of Cybersecurity at Amplix and Founder of The Cyber Resilience Tour, on Reinventing Yourself, Leading with Curiosity, and Staying Human in the AI Era

    David Jost, Vice President of Cybersecurity at Amplix and Founder of The Cyber Resilience Tour, joins host Karina Jimenez to reflect on a career spanning media, software, technology, growth, and cybersecurity, connected by a constant attraction to change and transformation. David shares why he believes in disrupting yourself before comfort turns into stagnation, how curiosity can turn uncertainty into excitement, and why some of the most valuable ideas come from taking what you have learned in one environment and applying it somewhere new. He also explains how his philosophy that “how you do anything is how you do everything” shapes the way he leads, builds relationships, and pays it forward to others. David and Karina also explore what leaders need to preserve as AI becomes more embedded in how we work, from authenticity and human judgment to the ability to challenge technology instead of simply accepting its output. He shares why responsible AI adoption should begin with the problem or outcome rather than the technology itself, and why guardrails matter as AI agents become more capable. For the next generation, David’s advice is to avoid overscripting your career, ask better questions, stay open to reinvention, and be real. The uncomfortable moments, unexpected turns, and things you have not figured out yet may be exactly what lead you toward what comes next.

  7. Oct 6

    Ep. 93: Chantell Ghosh, CMO, on Reinvention, Failure, and Staying Human in the Age of AI

    Chantell Ghosh, CMO, joins host Karina Jimenez to share the deliberately nonlinear career that took her from practicing law to founding a communications agency focused on crisis storytelling and reputation management, and eventually into full-funnel marketing leadership. She reflects on why she never saw leaving law as losing what she had built, but as creating space for what could come next, and how every skill and experience continues to compound throughout a career. Chantell also opens up about reframing her relationship with failure, learning to separate fixable inconveniences from true tragedies, and why reinvention should be an ongoing practice rather than something we wait for a crisis to force upon us. Chantell and Karina also explore her approach to criticism, including her “no seagull policy,” and how she is using AI and immersive technology as tools that support rather than replace human creativity. They discuss why real-world connection, serendipity, and even friction are becoming increasingly important in a world shaped by screens and technology. For the next generation, Chantell encourages taking on the projects others overlook, consistently pushing beyond your comfort zone, and staying open to learning and reinvention throughout your career, because it is never too late to become good at something new.

  8. Oct 1

    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.

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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
    101
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Next In Line Podcast
  • Show Website
    Next In Line