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. há 12 h

    Traci Saulsberry - Author - Your worth is not dependent on belonging to anyone other than yourself

    In this week’s episode of Your Career, Unscripted, I spoke with Traci Saulsberry, Author of This Is How You Love Her. Traci Saulsberry is a senior communications executive, leadership coach, and writer. At twenty-seven, she became one of the youngest Black executives at NBC, where she spent fourteen years shaping narratives at the highest levels of entertainment. She later built and led the communications team at Peacock, managing a team of more than thirty people during the platform’s launch and growth. I was honored to have this conversation after reading her new book. I loved the depth of her thinking and stories and I was struck by the honesty with which she writes about having a career that looked incredibly successful from the outside while feeling very different internally. We talked about what it means to be “successful on paper” while still feeling lost, the realities and hidden costs of career success, the tension between thriving professionally and struggling personally, and Traci’s intentional journey to finding her way back to herself. We also talked about Traci’s experience of learning to spend time alone, “dating yourself,” journaling, and building a deeper sense of trust and connection with yourself. One of the biggest takeaways for me was the idea that one of the most important parts of any career journey is how connected you feel to yourself along the way. I’m so grateful to Traci for sharing so openly about her career, her experiences, and the lessons she’s learned - and I highly recommend this episode (and Traci’s book) to anyone who feels like they’re working on autopilot, overwhelmed by career stress, or looking to reconnect with who they really are. Favorite quote "be a leader not a follower because your worth is not dependent on belonging to anyone other than yourself."

    Traci Saulsberry - Author - Your worth is not dependent on belonging to anyone other than yourself

  2. 7 de jun.

    Kimberly Hairston-Hicks - CMO - I am a champion of celebrating diverse beauty

    I interviewed Kimberly Hairston Hicks, CMO of Gold Bond Co., on this week’s episode of Your Career, Unscripted! I first heard Kimberly speak on a panel at The Female Quotient’s SXSW event this year. I was inspired by her ethos and drive to champion diverse beauty narratives. I immediately asked her to be a guest on my show, and was so excited when she said yes. Listen to learn about Kimberly’s career storylessons from being both an entrepreneur and an intrapreneurthe women who helped her get to where she is nowthe woman who tapped her on the shoulder to tell her to stop playing small - and that there was something bigger she could doher day to day life as a CMOhow the pressure to be small in broadcast journalism led her to pursue a different pathadvice to young women on confidence and standing in your light.Favorite quote: “Don’t say no before you show up. Don’t tell yourself no. Show up. Let someone else tell you. You are capable and you are enough.” Thank you Kimberly for being so generous with your time. I am positive your words and advice will help many, they’ve already helped me!

    Kimberly Hairston-Hicks - CMO - I am a champion of celebrating diverse beauty

  3. 21 de abr.

    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.

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

  4. 21 de fev.

    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

    Carla Stickler - Spotify - From Elphaba to Engineer

  5. 16 de jan.

    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

    Isaac Sundsted - Samsung - Love your story

  6. 12/11/2025

    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!

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

  7. 03/09/2025

    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.

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

  8. 22/07/2025

    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

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

Informações

  • Criado por
    Jane Cortez
  • Anos de atividade
    2024 - 2026
  • Episódios
    23
  • Classificação
    Livre
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Jane Cortez
  • Site do podcast
    Your Career, Unscripted