To The Top: Inspirational Career Advice

Alex Ikonn is an entrepreneur who co-founded Luxy Hair which provides high quality hair extensions. He helped grow the Luxy Hair YouTube channel to one of the most visited channels which has over 421 million views. Alex has the drive and creativity to build beautiful products. He's also the co-founder of Intelligent Change (intelligentchange.com) where he's helped create The 5-Minute Journal which helps you be mindful about planning your day.  He also has a Vlog on YouTube (www.youtube.com/user/AlexIkonn11) where he posts great behind the scenes videos about his business, family, and other things that inspire him. --- e-mail comments or questions to tothetoppodcast@gmail.com    

Ayesha Curry is literally catching on fire. The mompreneur of two has been coined the Martha Stewart for millennials. Following the recent success of her cookbook, The Seasoned Life (available on Amazon), she has a cooking show on The Food Network (Ayesha's Home Kitchen) and recently launched a meal delivery kit service (www.cookhomemade.com). If that wasn't enough, she's opening a new restaurant in San Francisco and launching her own cookware line in Target. How does she do it? Listen to our interview and follow her on Instagram (@ayeshacurry) to find out. --- E-mail questions or comments to tothetoppodcast@gmail.com

Ernie Johnson, Jr. is one of sport’s most respected and loved personalities. The three-time Sports Emmy Award winner and host of TNT’s “Inside the NBA” has helped audiences break down games and belly laugh for decades. Maybe more impressive than his professional fame and recognition is Ernie’s innate ability to connect with people on a human level. His willingness to discuss topics such as the adoption of his and his wife Cheryl’s children, including their special needs son Michael; the death of his father and best friend, iconic sportscaster and pitcher Ernie Johnson; and his own battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma has endeared him and given hope to millions . We discuss the experiences he's shared in his autobiography Unscripted: The Unpredictable Moments That Make Life Extraordinary.  ---- Send comments or questions to tothetoppodcast@gmail.com

This is a special episode where Ryan Hawk, the host of The Learning Leader Show, interviews one of my favorite authors, John Kralik. His book, A Simple Act of Gratitude, greatly impacted my life. John was going through a turbulent time in his life and it's about the story of how he began to notice the things in his life he should have been thankful for. I loved this interview so much that I wanted to share it on my podcast. Not only does John share his story, but I liked how Ryan helps us put the power of gratitude into practice. I highly recommend getting a copy of the book on Amazon, it's actually the book I gift the most to the guests on my podcast. I interviewed John myself a couple of years ago and I wrote an article about how his book impacted my life. I've shared a link to the article below: https://www.forbes.com/sites/omaidhomayun/2015/09/13/how-this-simple-act-of-gratitude-can-impact-your-life/#61d0f24c5c3e Check out Ryan's other interviews at http://learningleader.com/ ---- Send feedback or questions to tothetoppodcast@gmail.com

A groundbreaking approach to succeeding in business and life, using the science of resourcefulness We often think the key to success and satisfaction is to get more: more money, time, and possessions; bigger budgets, job titles, and teams; and additional resources for our professional and personal goals. It turns out we’re wrong. Using captivating stories to illustrate research in psychology and management, Rice University professor Scott Sonenshein examines why some people and organizations succeed with so little, while others fail with so much. ----- Email questions or comments to tothetoppodcast@gmail.com

A mainstay in feature films and television, Dany Garcia (@DanyGarciaCo) has quickly become a powerhouse in Hollywood. As CEO and founder of The Garcia Companies, a talent and media management company, she oversees talent such as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Henry Cavill. In addition, she serves as co-founder of Seven Bucks Productions with producing partner, Dwayne Johnson. As Johnson’s producing partner, Dany has worked unwaveringly to create his multi-billion-dollar box office, constantly generating opportunities that elevate all aspects of his career—as an actor, producer and businessman. She has produced television shows such as Ballers on HBO and the upcoming Baywatch film starring Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron. --- E-mail comments or questions to tothetoppodcast@gmail.com

Ryan Estis has more than 20 years of experience as a top-performing sales professional and leader. As the former chief strategy officer for the McCann Worldgroup advertising agency NAS, he brings a fresh perspective to business events. As a keynote speaker, Ryan is known for his innovative ideas on leading change, improving sales effectiveness and preparing for the future of work. He was recently recognized as one of “the best keynote speakers ever heard” by Meetings & Conventions magazine alongside Tony Robbins, Bill Gates, Colin Powell and Mike Ditka. Check out Ryan's work at www.ryanestis.com --- Get updates about new podcast episodes by subscribing to the newsletter at www.howtofindajobin10days.com and e-mail questions to tothetoppodcast@gmail.com

Stephen Chen (@petnostics) is the founder of Petnostics, a company that makes a line of at-home urine tests for pets to make healthy living easier for pets and their families. They've extended their product line to include tests for other chronic conditions. Stephen, a Harvard MBA graduate, pitched his company on Shark Tank and landed $300,000 from Laurie Grenier and Kevin O'Leary in exchange for a 20% stake in his company. Check out their amazing products at www.petnostics.com In this episode we cover: -How he accidentally tried out for Shark Tank -The value he received from his Harvard MBA -Most valuable lessons from bootstrapping his company, and more.. --- Get updates about new podcast episodes by subscribing to the newsletter at www.howtofindajobin10days.com and e-mail questions to job10days@gmail.com    

Oren Klaff is the author of Pitch Anything which is a book that uses neuroscience to help position new ideas. Klaff is an investment banker by trade and he's used this methodology to raise over $400 million from financial institutions. Whether you're selling ideas to investors, pitching a client for new business, or even negotiating for a higher salary, Pitch Anything will transform the way you position your ideas. According to Klaff, creating and presenting a great pitch isn't an art--it's a simple science. Applying the latest findings in the field of neuroeconomics, while sharing eye-opening stories of his method in action, Klaff describes how the brain makes decisions and responds to pitches. With this information, you'll remain in complete control of every stage of the pitch process.   --- Get updates about new podcast episodes by subscribing to the newsletter at www.howtofindajobin10days.com and e-mail questions to job10days@gmail.com

Dan Portillo is a talent parter at Greylock, Silicon Valley's leading venture capital firm that manages over $2 billion in investments. He helps build the teams for the startups in their portfolio companies which include AirBnB, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Prior to Greylock, Dan has led HR and recruiting at many startups including Mozilla, where he helped scale the company from 20-300+ employees. Dan has a progressive approach to management, leadership, and how to build your career over an extended period of time. In this episode we discuss: -How you should think about your career goals -Your tenure at your job -3 questions everyone should ask themselves -Why you should be worth more than you cost  -How to assess a company, leadership, culture, and more.. --- Get updates about new podcast episodes by subscribing to the newsletter at www.howtofindajobin10days.com and e-mail feedback to job10days@gmail.com