Your Career, Unscripted

Jane Cortez
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Join Columbia MBA grad, writer, and former actor Jane Cortez as she interviews business leaders and rising professionals on their career paths. She shares stories and advice to inspire you to build a career on your terms, and not anyone else's. @janecortezmba

  1. Gideon Spitzer-Williams - Canva - I refuse to be in a job that doesn’t bring me joy

    ٢١ أبريل

    Gideon Spitzer-Williams - Canva - I refuse to be in a job that doesn’t bring me joy

    This week on Your Career, Unscripted, I spoke with Gideon Spitzer-Williams, Global Experiential Marketing Lead, B2B at Canva, someone who gave me thoughtful advice years ago when I was trying to break into marketing. What stayed with me most was Gideon’s overall honesty and his intentionality about building a career rooted in joy. Gideon walks through his journey from Snapchat, Tinder, Archrival, Red Bull, and Canva and what each chapter taught him. We also get into the differences between product, brand, and experiential marketing, his ambition to become a CMO, how he spends his time in his role at Canva, and practical advice on standing out in the application and interview process. I highly recommend this episode for anyone looking for inspiration on creative careers! If there’s one idea that you leave with, it's to follow your own joy - wherever that authentically leads you.

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  2. Carla Stickler - Spotify - From Elphaba to Engineer

    ٢١ فبراير

    Carla Stickler - Spotify - From Elphaba to Engineer

    How do you go from performing as Elphaba in Wicked on Broadway to becoming a web engineer at Spotify? And then what happens when you get all the things you wanted, but then you realize you still want more ? On this week’s episode of Your Career, Unscripted, Carla Stickler details her career pivot, the growing pains she experienced, what gave her courage to step outside of performing and into tech, and advice to artists on making career changes. It was a joy to commiserate with another artist about the challenges of identifying with your art form, and the difficulties of even envisioning doing something new, let alone taking the steps to do so. If you’re an artist with even an inkling of interest (or fear) of trying a different path or someone looking for an inspiring story about courage to make a big change, this episode is for you! Thanks Carla for the laughs, relatability, honesty, and vulnerability - it was such a joy to learn from you! Follow me on LinkedIn and Instagram to stay posted and subscribe to the show here to stay posted on future episodes! Did something about this episode inspire you? Send me a DM, I'd love to hear from you. janecortez.com

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  3. Isaac Sundsted - Samsung - Love your story

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    Isaac Sundsted - Samsung - Love your story

    Isaac Sundsted took an unconventional path into tech and gaming. In this episode of Your Career, Unscripted, Isaac shares his journey from sign language interpreter in courtrooms and emergency rooms to strategy consulting at Accenture, business development at Xbox, and now leading gaming partnerships at Samsung. We talk about career pivots, learning to navigate corporate environments, building resilience in the face of rejection, clever job search strategies, and what it really means to do zero-to-one business development inside large organizations. Isaac also breaks down what business development actually looks like day to day, how to think about scale and impact, and why owning—and loving—your non-linear story is one of the most powerful career advantages you can have. Follow me on LinkedIn and Instagram for more career stories and advice! janecortez.com

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  4. Sarah Bond - President of Xbox - The only person you can ever beat is your younger self

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    Sarah Bond - President of Xbox - The only person you can ever beat is your younger self

    Sarah Bond is the President of Xbox, and I am beyond honored to have her as this week’s guest on Your Career, Unscripted! For some context: when I was brainstorming dream guests, Sarah immediately came to mind. I had seen many of her talks on gaming, leadership, and empathy, and found them deeply impactful. Reaching out felt like a stretch, but I’ve learned it’s always worth pushing yourself to try to make a connection anyway. Huge thanks to Shawn Layden for the intro—and to Sarah for graciously joining me to share her story. Sarah discusses: How the only person you can ever beat in life is your younger selfThe lightbulb moment she had after her daughter was born—and how it drove her to impact the world her daughter was walking out intoThe importance of recognizing that every single day, you re-earn credibility with your teamHer experience getting the Activision Blizzard King deal confirmed—how she led the team through the process, wrote them a note before the decision came out, and ensured the sentiment of their work would persist no matter the outcomeA moment with Satya Nadella that influenced her leadership styleCareer advice on taking up space I learned so much from Sarah before I ever met her—and had a lot of self reflection and sharing to do after we spoke. I highly recommend listening to this episode if you’re looking for career inspiration, advice on self-confidence, stories on leadership and negotiation, and insight into the different chapters of her career—alongside so much unique and helpful advice. Sarah - thank you for the kindness, time, inspiration, and advice. It was an honor. Listen below and follow me @Jane Bernhard for more career stories!

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  5. Jill Furman - Theatrical Producer - I was in the room where it happened

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    Jill Furman - Theatrical Producer - I was in the room where it happened

    Hamilton hits theaters this Friday! On this week’s episode of Your Career, Unscripted, I spoke with Broadway Producer Jill Furman, who was there from the very early days of Hamilton. She shared what it was like recognizing Lin-Manuel Miranda’s genius early on in 2003 when she saw an early version of In the Heights for the first time, to the beginning days of Hamilton, to the unforgettable White House moment with Chris Jackson as George Washington singing to President Obama in his final term in office. This interview was a bit surreal for me. Hearing the personal stories behind the creation of my favorite shows—and getting advice on career uncertainty, confidence, and pushing beyond your comfort zone—from Jill - a person whose career I could not admire more - meant so much. 🎧 Listen to hear her story, the journeys behind In the Heights and Hamilton, and career wisdom from a truly generous, authentic, and compelling voice - who was in the room where it happened.

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  6. Suba Vasudevan - Mozilla.org & Mozilla Corp - The best leadership is deeply human

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    Suba Vasudevan - Mozilla.org & Mozilla Corp - The best leadership is deeply human

    Suba Vasudevan is COO of Mozilla.org and SVP at Mozilla Corp - and I am honored to have interviewed her for Episode 16 of Your Career, Unscripted and to share her story and career advice! With 22+ years of global leadership across technology, AI, trust & safety, and advertising, Suba Vasudevan is responsible for leading Mozilla’s operational strategy to bring better, more relevant products to new audiences. Suba spent well over two decades leading small and large teams in strategy, operations, analytics, customer support and trust & safety. She has nurtured and expanded critical global organizations within Meta (formerly Facebook), driving innovation and trust. Prior, she advised clients across industries at KPMG’s Advisory Services and began her career as a journalist in India, exploring the intersection of technology and business. She has a Master’s degree in Information Systems from Texas A&M, and a Bachelor’s in Computer Engineering from Mumbai University. For several years, Suba served as a Board Member for Mainspring Schools, a local non-profit in Austin, Texas for children from underprivileged families, leading their Strategic Planning Committee and demonstrating her commitment to community and inclusion-focused initiatives. Listen to her talk about: why she used to think leadership meant having the answers, and how she now sees it as creating the conditions for others to ask better questionsher work evolving Mozilla from a 25-year-old legacy organization into a future-ready company—while staying true to its open-source rootshow to handle feedback you don’t like (or don’t agree with)what really gets people promotedthe power of accountability, honesty, and proactively seeking feedbackThank you Suba for the opportunity to learn from you and collaborate! Be sure to check out Suba’s Substack If you'd like to support, please like, comment, and share this with your network! To set up a career consulting session with me, message me on LinkedIn @Jane Bernhard, MBA

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  7. Chris Melissinos - AWS - Nobody builds anything great by themselves

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    Chris Melissinos - AWS - Nobody builds anything great by themselves

    Chris Melissinos is the Principal Evangelist for Video Games and Immersive Technologies at AWS, where he helps influence the next generation of game technology and offerings from AWS while also acting as a developer advocate, ensuring that the needs of game developers are met. Prior to AWS, he was the Chief Gaming Officer at Sun Microsystems, Inc., creator of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s “The Art of Video Games” exhibition, Executive Director of Media and Entertainment for Verizon, and a founding board member of the Video Game History Foundation. Honored to have interviewed Chris on this week’s episode of Your Career, Unscripted! Listen to learn about… The different chapters of Chris’s career—from making copies for the sales team at Sun Microsystems, Inc., to leading games and immersive technology at AWSHow he got his foot in the door being an assistant, and used his time to propel his career forwardThe bold moment early in his career when he brought an idea straight to the CEO, was told the company was going in another direction, and pushed back—explaining why they were making a mistake. A month later, he was called to corporate to be the games person at Sun Microsystems, Inc. He later exited the company after 16 years as the Chief Gaming Officer and Chief EvangelistHow he’s learned to push to the limit—without overstepping itWhy he believes video games are a reflection of society, artists, and ourselvesA personal challenge in his career that has required real work to overcomeHis advice for breaking into the games industry todayWhat I appreciated most about this conversation was Chris’s commitment to learning, his drive to make the games industry better for artists, and the stories that shaped his path. Thank you, Chris, for giving me the opportunity to share some of your story and wisdom! Follow me @janebernhard for more career stories and advice! janebernhard.com

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  8. Yvoire S. Whittaker - Nike - I’m chasing my own happiness

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    Yvoire S. Whittaker - Nike - I’m chasing my own happiness

    Very excited to share my interview with Yvoire S. Whittaker on this week’s episode of Your Career, Unscripted! Yvoire is a Brand Marketing Lead at Nike. I met Yvoire when we were classmates at Columbia Business School - and I have always been inspired by her authenticity, kindness, creativity, generosity, and drive to learn and connect. Born in Plano, Texas, raised with the richness of her Ghanaian roots, and shaped by world-class institutions and elite boardrooms—our guest is a force. She’s a first-generation Ghanaian-American woman who carries both her heritage and ambition with equal grace. She began her career solving complex problems as a human capital strategy consultant at Deloitte, then took a bold step—choosing to realign her path with her passions. That led her to Columbia Business School, where she pivoted into the world of brand marketing. And today, she’s not just in the room—she’s shaping the narrative.  She's a Brand Marketing Manager at Nike—one of the most iconic brands in the world—where she gets to fuse creativity, culture, and strategy at the highest level. But beyond the titles, she is someone who inspires through intentionality, cultural insight, and an undeniable drive to build brands that move people. Listen to learn about: How Yvoire let go of a path that didn’t feel true to her and reconnected with her passionsHer journey pivoting to business school and brand marketing at NikeHer advice for finding your next steps when you’re unsure of where you want to goHow and why she is building a career rooted in fashion, storytelling, and cultureHer Ghanaian roots and her passion for creating opportunity and giving backWhat life looks like now at Nike — and what she’s excited for nextHow to take the moments that bring you joy and translate it to a careerFavorite quote from Yvoire “My definition of success is listening to myself, trying new things unapologetically in the way that looks authentic to me, and chasing my own happiness - whatever that looks like.” Thanks Yvoire for sharing your story, advice, and heart - I learned a lot - and I am sure others will too! Follow me on LinkedIn and Instagram and subscribe to my Substack to support my work in sharing these storieshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-bernhard-mba/https://www.instagram.com/janebernhard/https://substack.com/@JANEBERNHARD

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Join Columbia MBA grad, writer, and former actor Jane Cortez as she interviews business leaders and rising professionals on their career paths. She shares stories and advice to inspire you to build a career on your terms, and not anyone else's. @janecortezmba

المعلومات

  • صناع العمل
    Jane Cortez
  • سنوات النشاط
    ٢٠٢٤ - ٢٠٢٦
  • الحلقات
    ٢١
  • التقييم
    ملائم
  • حقوق النشر
    © 2026 Jane Cortez
  • موقع البرنامج على الويب
    Your Career, Unscripted