Next In Line

Next In Line Podcast
  • 5.0 (2)
  • 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. 2d ago

    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.

  2. 4d ago

    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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. Sep 3

    Ep. 84: Jose Benitez, CEO & AI Lead at Garnier Miami, on AI as an Amplifier, the Future of Creative Work, and Adapting to Change

    Jose Benitez, CEO & AI Lead at Garnier Miami, joins host Karina Jimenez to share how nearly three decades in advertising and a lifelong curiosity for technology led him to become an early adopter of AI and an advocate for its role in the creative and marketing industries. Today, he applies that experience not only with clients and his agency, but also in the classroom, helping creatives understand how to use AI more intentionally. Jose explains why he sees AI as an amplifier rather than a replacement for creativity, allowing leaner teams to move faster while shifting repetitive, operational work away from people so they can focus on higher-value creative thinking. He also explores how AI is transforming everything from agency operations and content production to media optimization, ideation, and even coding. They also discuss why experience and human judgment become even more valuable as AI-generated output improves, the importance of using these tools ethically, and why understanding human connection remains at the core of great marketing regardless of how much technology changes. For the next generation of creatives, Jose’s advice is to embrace not only change, but the speed of change: keep learning, experiment without fear, and don’t limit yourself to a single lane.

  6. Sep 1

    Ep. 83: Christina Shuffield, CIO at Speedcast, on Leading Through Change, AI Governance, and the Skills That Define Great CIOs

    Christina Shuffield’s path to the CIO seat was anything but traditional. She began studying psychology before discovering an unexpected aptitude for technology, eventually building a career across ERP, enterprise applications, product development, transformation, cybersecurity, and global IT leadership. Along the way, she learned that the skills that move technology leaders forward aren’t always the most technical ones. In this episode, Christina joins Cesar Jimenez to unpack what it really takes to lead technology through constant change. She shares why communication, business knowledge, adaptability, and stakeholder trust are essential at the CIO level, and why successful change management starts with bringing people along for the journey. Christina also dives into the realities of leading in the AI era, from using AI to multiply productivity to building governance, protecting company data, managing risk, and creating guardrails that can evolve as quickly as the technology itself. Her approach: don’t wait for perfection. Put the right foundations in place, learn, mature, and pivot as needed. For the next generation of technology leaders, her message is simple: keep learning, strengthen your communication skills, stay open-minded, and commit to seeing things through.

  7. Aug 27

    Ep. 82: Rachel Hutter, Former EVP of Operations at The Walt Disney Studios, on Betting on Yourself, Leading with Ownership, and Building the Next Generation

    After 29 years at Disney, Rachel Hutter joins host Karina Jimenez to reflect on a career that began with a childhood dream and ultimately took her from engineering and theme park operations to serving as Executive Vice President of Studio Operations across Marvel, Lucasfilm, Pixar, Disney Animation, 20th Century, Searchlight, and more. Rachel shares why some of the most important career decisions come down to choosing the right leader, not just the right company, and why great leaders create opportunities for people to stretch beyond their job descriptions. She also opens up about learning to give and receive honest feedback, navigating her career as the first woman in several technical leadership roles, and why leaders have an obligation to take ownership when their teams make mistakes in good faith. Ultimately, Rachel reminds the next generation to stay curious, admit what they don't know, learn from mistakes, and bet on themselves. Because if you have a dream no one has pursued before, that may be exactly the reason to go after it.

  8. Aug 25

    Ep.81: Etter Hoang, Former Chief Data & Analytics Officer at Tampa General Hospital, on Challenging Assumptions, Building High-Performing Teams, and the Future of AI in Healthcare

    Etter Hoang, former Chief Data & Analytics Officer at Tampa General Hospital, joins host Cesar Jimenez to share the unconventional career journey that took him from medical school to becoming a data and analytics leader in healthcare. Along the way, Etter learned to view every experience as a transferable skill and to continually seek opportunities that challenge him to grow. Etter shares why turning data into action starts with storytelling, how getting “boots on the ground” can transform change management, and why he looks beyond credentials when building teams to find people with curiosity, passion, resilience, and a willingness to learn. They also discuss creating a culture where people feel safe to fail, balancing innovation and risk in healthcare, and how AI is lowering technical barriers and changing who can become a problem solver. Ultimately, Etter reminds the next generation to keep challenging themselves, treat people well, and find work they genuinely enjoy.

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 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
    89
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Next In Line Podcast
  • Show Website
    Next In Line

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