Career Sessions, Career Lessons
JR Lowry, PathWise.io
Each of us has a unique career story to tell. For the lucky few, their career trajectories are like rockets heading for the stars, with no turning back. More typically, our career paths are more like a game of Chutes and Ladders, with advances and setbacks along the way. On this podcast, guests from a range of industries and backgrounds share their career journeys and the lessons they've learned. Hear from C-level executives, leading academics, entrepreneurs, mid-level leaders, ex-military members, leadership coaches and other career experts, non-profit workers, and gig economy participants. Each guest shares their unique story and career insights to inform and inspire your own path. Career Sessions is part of PathWise.io. Whether you’re just a few years out of school or well into your professional life, PathWise helps you live the career you deserve. PathWise provides comprehensive career and professional development coaching, content, courses, and community, backed by a group of leading coaches and career management experts. Career Sessions’ host, James (J.R.) Lowry, has had multiple careers of his own and learned countless lessons along the way. A Duke engineer by background, he spent the early part of his career as an officer in the US Air Force . From there, J.R. earned an MBA from Harvard Business School to accelerate his transition into the private sector. Following grad school, he spent over a decade with the consulting firm, McKinsey and Company, working with clients across a range of industries and business situations. He then made a second career shift into financial services, spending time at Fidelity Investments and State Street Bank. Most recently, he joined Janus Henderson Investments as their Chief Operating Officer. Multiple leadership development programs honed his skills, advanced his career, and fueled his desire to help others with their professions. He hosts this podcast in a personal capacity, and any views expressed are his own and not those of his current or any former employer.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Aug 28, 2022 • 45min
Stacy Belf - Former Federal Prosecutor Turned Corporate Executive
From working in telecom to firefighting to being a lawyer to being a corporate executive, Stacy Belf always put service to others above anything else. She didn’t necessarily even have to have the experience for some of those jobs, but she put in the effort. She did her research well before the interview and talked to people in the business. Her passion for helping people is what drove her to accomplish all these great things. Join J.R. Lowry as he talks to Stacy about the many different career paths she took in her life. Right now, Stacy is the Head of Consultant Relations for State Street. But before that, she worked in telecom and as a firefighter. Then while being a firefighter, she went into law school to become a federal prosecutor. Discover how she used all the skills that she learned to further excel in her job. Start mastering all your skills today!
Aug 23, 2022 • 50min
Anna Auerbach - Co-Lead, Product Officers Practice At Search Firm Egon Zehnder
Talent search and the hiring process have evolved through the years where sometimes, you don't even have to go out looking for the perfect job because the job now has a way of finding you. It's only a matter of building up your credentials and creating a good precedent for your reputation. And to set you up better for success, Anna Auerbach, Consultant and Co-Lead Product Officers Practice for Egon Zehnder, shares insights into their talent search process. She gives tips on what to do when you get that call from a search firm or an executive finder, along with what to expect and prepare for to get an edge. If you are looking to advance your career, don't miss out on this episode!
Aug 15, 2022 • 42min
Clare Flynn Levy - CEO Of Essentia Analytics
If your job is to make investment decisions that involve billions of dollars, then you need the power of data to help you. Just like in Moneyball, you need to do more of what you're good at and less of what you're not good at. Identify the behaviors that are adding or destroying your value. Essentia Analytics can help you with that with a little bit of technology and machine learning. Join J.R. Lowry as she talks to the Founder and CEO of Essentia Analytics, Clare Flynn Levy, about how fund managers can improve their investment performance. Essentia Analytics uses technology to help investment professionals identify their decision-making biases to adapt accordingly. Learn more about behavioral analytics and how it affects decisions. Discover Clare's Moneyball techniques so that you can find the best decisions every time. Start changing with the world today!
Aug 8, 2022 • 49min
Charley Cooper, Chief Communications Officer For Block Chain Firm R3
You should know how to manage opportunities when they are presented to you if you aim for continuous improvement. Listen to your host J.R. Lowry as he talks with Charley Cooper about taking these opportunities, recognizing passion, and focusing on what matters. Charley shares his incredible journey covered with obstacles and wins. He discusses how he didn’t have to give up law school to be a speechwriter and how he also used that skill in law school. You don’t have to sacrifice what you’re passionate about to excel professionally. In this episode, he shares the concept of soft and hard skills and how you can seize things that are meant for you. He also shares fresh insights on cryptocurrency, politics, government service and banking. Tune in!
Aug 2, 2022 • 43min
Andrew Ting - Lawyer, Professor, Growth Company Veteran
In a world where so many chase money and power, losing sight of what's truly important in life can be easy. For many people, the decision to become a teacher is about more than just a paycheck. It's about making a difference in the lives of others. It's about having a positive impact on the future. Andrew Ting, a lawyer, professor, and start-up veteran tells the story of how he finds his purpose in teaching. Andrew is the Chief Legal Officer at Panorama Education, where they support positive outcomes for more than 15 million students in 21,000 schools and every state in America. They provide teachers, school district leaders, and families with tools to help students improve their academic progress, social-emotional development and well-being. Join Andrew as he talks about his professional journey and how he finds value and purpose in the teaching profession.
Jul 18, 2022 • 45min
Kevin Barry, President of Fidelity Workplace Investments
Moving up the ranks in any industry also means earning new responsibilities. Leading a large organization is one of those. Today’s guest is Kevin Barry, the President of Workplace Investing at Fidelity Investments. He joins host J.R. Lowry to share his career journey from majoring in Government to having executive roles in the field of finance. Kevin discusses the importance of having management systems and why they should be tailored depending on the kind of team you’re leading. The two also get into the effects of the pandemic on organizations, discussing topics such as remote work, work-life balance, and how companies can stay competitive to attract talent. Plus, Kevin shares insights on how saving behavior has changed with inflation and offers financial tips for our audience. Don’t miss out on this jam-packed episode.
Jul 12, 2022 • 41min
Jim Gibbons, CEO of ImmutriX Therapeutics and Founder of Forward Impact Technologies
Are you weighed down by limitations and think you are not good enough to take on life's challenges? This is the podcast for you! In this episode, Jim Gibbons talks about how he overcomes the barriers of disabilities and made a mark as President and CEO across multiple organizations and now as CEO of ImmutriX Therapeutics and Founder of Forward Impact Enterprises, LLC. Jim shares his story of losing his sight from childhood, how it affected him later on in life, and how he pushed through his goals and led through influence rather than position. Tune in and be inspired by how he excelled as a leader and a visionary, even in the absence of sight.
Jul 4, 2022 • 38min
Janine Hirt, CEO of Innovate Finance
Public policy-focused non-profits have an essential role in a society dealing with all kinds of issues and challenges. Their financial services have become integral in helping people get through the pandemic. J.R. Lowry dives even deeper into these organizations with Janine Hirt, CEO of Innovate Finance. Janine talks about giving aid to people in the UK to address challenges brought by increased cost of living, changing government, and a market full of uncertainties and instabilities. She also shares her realizations and lessons from her past careers and jobs that shaped her into the resilient leader she is today.
Jun 27, 2022 • 37min
Andrew Hecker, CEO of Concept Machine Tool
No two career paths are identical, and it’s up to you to carve that way to your future. Today’s guest went from traveling around the world taking on expat assignments to now becoming the CEO of his own business. Andrew Hecker is the CEO of Concept Machine Tool. Before that, he held management positions in various manufacturing companies and handled many M&As. Andrew emphasizes the intentionality behind how he came to this point in his career. How? Listen to his conversation with host J.R. Lowry to learn more about how you can take control of your career and create your path to success.
Jun 20, 2022 • 46min
Sarah Alter - CEO Of NextUP, Which Is Focused On Advancing Women In The Workplace
We have come a long way with diversity in the workplace, but the fight is not yet over. The CEO Of NextUP, Sarah Alter, is all about advancing all women in business by creating opportunities for women leaders. In this episode, she shares her journey from her humble beginnings as a truck dispatcher, being in sales, getting her MBA from Harvard, going into consulting, being a CEO of a non-profit organization, and taking on the digital world through the podcast, Advancing All Women. Sarah then shares insights on how you can find the right company along with the role that enables you to maximize your potential, helping you have not only a successful career but also a fulfilling one.
