Figure It Out

Maxine Denis

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Careers

“Figure It Out” dives into the real stories behind careers — how people got there, what their work looks like day to day, and what advice they’d give to anyone curious about following a similar path. It’s your inside look at how others figured it out — and how you can too.

Jun 1

The Unfiltered Guide to an Engineering Career

Kim Porter runs a community called the Engineering Exchange and has seen every version of "I think I want to be an engineer but I have no idea what that means." So we sat down and talked through all of it — the different types of engineering (there are more than you think), how to figure out if this is actually the path for you, what makes people genuinely good at this work, how to write a resume that doesn't get immediately trashed, and what separates a good engineer from a great engineering leader. No fluff, no gatekeeping. Just the stuff you actually need to know before you go all in on this career.
Mar 19

From McDonald’s to Private Chef: Where You Start Doesn’t Define You

He started at McDonald’s. Then a local pizza shop. Turned down the chance to run his dad’s company… and followed the path that actually felt right. In this episode, we sit down with a Twin Cities private chef and caterer to break down what his career has actually looked like—from fast food shifts to running high-end private dinners with his wife. We talk about the adrenaline of kitchen life, the leap into catering, what separates a home cook from a professional chef, and the reality of building something from scratch (including long hours, multiple jobs, and not a lot of free time). If you’ve ever felt like your starting point defines your future, this is proof it doesn’t.
Jan 12

Career Deep Dive: Forensic Accounting

What does a forensic accountant actually do all day and how do you even end up in a job like that? In this episode, I sit down with Melissa, a forensic accountant who walks us through her real path into the field, what her day-to-day work actually looks like, and the differences between working in the public versus private sector. We talk about following curiosity over comfort, why persistence matters more than having a perfectly mapped career plan, and what it’s really like to walk away from a job that pays well in order to build something that pays off even more in the long run. If you’re someone who’s good at a lot of things, questioning whether you’re on the “right” path, or trying to figure out how people land in careers you’ve never heard of until now, this conversation is for you.
Jan 6

How You Build a Life in Sports Without Being an Athlete

What does it actually look like to build a life in sports if you’re not the one on the field? In this episode, I sit down with Derek Sharrer, President of the St. Paul Saints, to talk about his decades-long career in minor league baseball. We get into what the work really is, how careers in sports actually start, what keeps people in the industry long-term, and the unglamorous realities no one tells you upfront. This conversation is less about highlight reels and more about: • career longevity • leadership behind the scenes • loving the work, not just the brand • building a meaningful career one season at a time If you’re curious about careers in sports, operations, leadership, or just how people build lives doing work they care about, this one’s worth your time.
Jan 6

Dave Freeman - Wilderness Guide Extraordinaire

Join Dave and I in our conversation about what it is like to be a wilderness guide, the ebbs and flows of life, what it takes to spend years outside, and how to talk to your parents about what you want to do!
11/12/2025

Figure It Out with Brianna Oseland of Urban Boatbuilders

Bri has had a lot of life experience, and talking with them about traveling abroad, working in youth development and how they came to love woodworking are highlights of this episode.
11/05/2025

Figure It Out with Mary LaGarde - Executive Leadership

Today I sit down with Mary LaGarde, the Executive Director of the Minnesota American Indian Center here in Minneapolis. We dive into what got her interested in non-profit leadership, what keeps her going when she feels burnt out and some of the challenges she's overcome along the way.
10/23/2025

Figure It Out Episode #1 - Introduction with Maxine Denis

A deep dive into my own career path, all the twists and turns that lead me to where I am today!

8 Episodes

“Figure It Out” dives into the real stories behind careers — how people got there, what their work looks like day to day, and what advice they’d give to anyone curious about following a similar path. It’s your inside look at how others figured it out — and how you can too.

Creator

Maxine Denis
Years Active

2025 - 2026
Episodes

8
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© Maxine Denis
Show Website

Figure It Out