In today's episode of Real Talk: Leadership Lessons fromthe Field, I am thrilled to introduce Dr. Kristine Lombardozzi and Jaime Barajas to discuss transitioning into that first job out of college and looking ahead towards a future career.

We talked about the importance of staying open-mindedearly in your career and trying as many new things as possible. As Kristine put it, “Go all in where you are and trust that you will find the right path.”

We discussed the importance of identifying specificskills and competencies that you want to develop and seeking out opportunities expand your skill set and demonstrate a growth mindset. We also talked about takingnote of the things that you are not interested in and using those lessons to help hone your career path.

Kristine and I could both relate to Jaime’s feeling ofbeing overwhelmed with all the options ahead of him and trying to figure out the right steps. We both remember being in our first jobs and wanting to have it all figured out but reassured Jaime that he has plenty of time to discernhis future.

Many thanks to Jaime and Christine for this importantconversation!

In this episode of Real Talk: Leadership Lessons from theField, I am excited to introduce Matt Kueker, CEO of Kenway Consulting, and Apurva Bhagali, Program Manager at Microsoft.

Matt and Apurva are both immersed in the technology field in different ways, which enabled a robust conversation about the various paths that rising leaders can take in their careers. Matt and Apurva have had very different career trajectories, demonstrating how each of us can find our own way and end up exactly where we're supposed to be.

Beyond the discussion about working in the technology field,Matt and Apurva provided helpful insights into key strategies for rising leaders from any industry. They shared their approaches to networking with other leaders, their strategies for choosing how to focus their time, and the steps they take to develop themselves and others.

We also discussed the benefits of working in small andmid-size versus large enterprise organizations. Each has different advantages that rising leaders should consider when determining the type of organization that is the best fit for them.

Take a listen to hear about these topics and more, includingMatt's view on the importance of humility in leadership and Apurva’s thoughts on being authentic and on demonstrating your value.

Many thanks to Matt and Apurva for sharing these valuablelessons!

In this episode, I am thrilled to introduce Brenda Asare, President and CEO of The Alford Group and Chanita Jones, who identifies as a Teacher, Speaker, Liberator, and new Entrepreneur. They both have unique stories and career trajectories that illustrate uncommon options that rising leaders should consider when exploring their own career paths.

Brenda spent 10 years working her way up at The Alford Group before ultimately buying the company from its previous owner. She brings a unique perspective to leadership development, and we had a candid conversation around practicalities of business ownership as well as differences between leading and owning a company.

I have known Chanita as an exceptional special education leader and powerful public speaker, and I was thrilled to see her expand into owning her own business as well. She is leveraging her leadership in special education to push for changes that need to be made to best serve diverse learners.

Both Brenda and Chanita are largely driven by their passion and commitment to making a difference in the community. They also share a love of learning and a growth mindset that have served them well in their careers.

Take a listen to hear about these topics plus learning to recognize when leaders should let their teams operate without them and options for funding a company launch or purchase.

Many thanks to Brenda and Chanita for sharing so many important insights!