How to Be Awesome at Your Job

1030: Building a Career that Lights You Up with Mary Olson-Menzel

Feb 6, 2025

Mary Olson-Menzel, a bestselling author and executive coach with over 30 years of experience, shares her insights on building a fulfilling career. She discusses how to discover what truly lights you up and the Japanese concept of 'ikigai' for aligning passions with work. Mary offers effective LinkedIn networking strategies and emphasizes the importance of storytelling in interviews. She also covers evaluating job offers, negotiating salaries with gratitude, and the crucial first days in a new position to maximize long-term success.

33:56

Episode guests

Mary Olson-Menzel

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Identifying your passions and aligning them with career choices can significantly enhance job satisfaction and overall happiness.

Networking strategically with organizations that reflect your values can uncover opportunities and insights crucial for career advancement.

Deep dives

The Importance of Doing What You Love

Finding what truly inspires and excites you is crucial for career success. Pursuing your passions leads to faster hiring, promotions, and increased income, whether measured in money or personal fulfillment. Mary Orlson Menzel emphasizes that fulfillment in work can significantly impact overall happiness, advocating for a life where professional roles align with personal passions. The process of aligning career choices with what lights you up can lead to a more rewarding and enjoyable work life.

Intro

1min

Igniting Passion in Your Career

5min

Navigating Career Growth and Networking

14min

Navigating Job Offers and Negotiations

5min

Maximizing Your First Days in a New Job

3min

Embracing Opportunities and Discovering Passion

2min

Empower Your Personal Development

4min

Mary Olson-Menzel reveals her strategies for aligning your strengths with career opportunities that excite you.

— YOU’LL LEARN —

1) How to discover what truly lights you up

2) Effective LinkedIn outreach approaches

3) The key thing that grows careers

Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1030 for clickable versions of the links below.

— ABOUT MARY —

Mary Olson-Menzel, bestselling author of What Lights You Up?, is a career expert and executive coach with 30+ years of leadership experience. As CEO of MVP Executive Development, she helps individuals and organizations unlock their potential through her compassionate, results-driven approach to “Humane Leadership.” A member of the Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coaches Community, Mary is dedicated to guiding leaders toward greater success and fulfillment.

• Book: What Lights You Up?: Illuminate Your Path and Take the Next Big Step in Your Career

• Company: MVP Executive Search

• LinkedIn: Mary Olson-Menzel

• Website: MaryOlsenMenzel.com

— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW —

• Book: Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson

• Book: Leading with Gratitude: Eight Leadership Practices for Extraordinary Business Results by Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton

• Book: The Let Them Theory: A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can't Stop Talking About by Mel Robbins

• Past episode: 556: What Drives Your Career Growth with Korn Ferry’s Gary Burnison

— THANK YOU SPONSORS! —

• Earth Breeze. Get 40% off your subscription at earthbreeze.com/AWESOME

• BambooHR. See all that BambooHR can do at bamboohr.com/freedemo