Your Next Big Thing

Hello listeners, Neil here. I need to warn you that this episode contains a description of intimate partner violence. Listener discretion is advised.
If you or someone you know is at risk in the United States, or you'd like to volunteer or donate: https://www.ywca.org/what-we-do/domestic-and-sexual-violence-services/Europe: https://ec.europa.eu/justice/saynostopvaw/helpline.html
Worldwide: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-women

This season, I hope you've realized that Your Next Big Thing is about more than careers and there is a human being underneath that armor. I'm especially grateful for guests willingness to share their dreams, setbacks and wisdom with our audience. With this in mind, I hope you enjoy this episode.

My guest today is MJ Pham. We spoke about her approach to career re-invention. Her impressive career arc spans from Fortune Magazine in New York, to serving in Cambodia, Saudi Arabia and Washington with the US State Department, to her current career in Communications and Marketing @ Google. MJ is an entrepeneur and founder of the Silk Tea Co where she crafts powerful tea blends that make a social impact.

MJ is a two-time winner of U.S. national journalism awards and was selected for the prestigious Pickering Fellowship in US Foreign Affairs. Moonlighting as a gastrodiplomacy scholar, her work has been cited by the Museum of Modern Art in New York, The Yale Review of International Studies, and Public Diplomacy Magazine.

During her current tenure at Google, her communications portfolio included responsible innovation and AI principles, including an event for AlphaGo, the first computer program to defeat a professional human Go player, and the first to defeat a Go world champion.

Anyone with an interest in reinventing their career, starting their own business, breaking into big tech or heeding the call for public service will benefit from this episode. I hope you enjoy it!

Welcome to our Season 1 finale!
My guest today is David Dennis. David is the son of a successful software entrepeneur, and he originally went in a totally different direction than Dad. David studied Sociology and Political science and his first job was teaching in public schools.
During the dot com heyday of the early 2000s, David found himself experimenting with web development. In his free time, he started building websites for schools, and soon David co-founded a tech startup.
These experiences led him to a 20 year tenure at Microsoft, where he is currently a Principal Product Manager for Microsoft Outlook.
That's not the end of David's story. In this episode, you'll see how David experimented with novel projects, marquee events and well-placed mentors to create more fulfillment and balance in his career. For more about this approach to career progression, see my 5 Pillars Method.
He's also Co-Founder at Ventana Surfboards & Supplies, providing adventurers from Santa Cruz and around the world with hollow-framed, reclaimed wooden surfboards; bodysurfing handplanes; eco surf apparel, and sustainable surf supplies.
Anyone with an interest in bridging their passion with their day job, or struggling to decide between one path or another will benefit from this episode.

Have you found success in your field, only to find curiosity leading you to your next big thing? Nassima Filali (Paris, Berlin) went from founding a fashion startup with her best friend, to joining Europe's largest fashion unicorn, leading teams and signing multi-$MM partnerships.
So why did Nassima choose to change?
"I reflected on how I need to learn something new every day and have an even greater impact for my clients. A sign it was time for a new path."
Nassima recalled her early career with two exciting and challenging years selling an AR-powered beauty mirror. She realized she had been following trends in the niche field of AR/VR for years, for fun and during her spare time. It was time to build a bridge (back) to her next big thing.

Special episode alert! I had the chance to be interviewed by Deborah Sgro (Global Mentorship Director, Women in Big Data). For the first time, I share:

-Why I went solo
-How you can launch a solo business
-How to succeed faster

This was recorded for the Women in Big Data Solopreneuer cohort program.
Book recommendations:
Escaping the Build Trap by Melissa Perri: https://www.amazon.com/Escaping-Build-Trap-Effective-Management/dp/149197379X
The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau: https://www.amazon.com/The-100-Startup-Chris-Guillebeau-audiobook/dp/B0081CDIGW

Join us for a special year end wrap-up! My guests are big tech heavyweights, Ugur "Mik" Catmak (Founder, Lean High Performance Academy) and Ümit Uludag (expert on lifelong learning).
We talk creating and claiming value in career conversations, self-paced learning, and why we can't forget to decompress!
Takeaways:
Value Creation: how to create and claim value from your work
Personal Branding: strategies for building and leveraging an authentic, meaningful personal brand
Developing through disruption: how lifelong learners adapt with AI
Follow Mik and Ümit:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ugur-mikail-catmak-mik-123226b0/
https://www.instagram.com/ugur_mikail_catmak/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/uemit-uludag/