Coffee With Convery

Welcome back to Coffee with Convery, where wecaffeinate your curiosity with bold stories, actionable insights, and fresh takes on how we define and design success.Today’s guest Steve Jaffe is a seasoned advertisingand marketing executive, author, and resilience advocate. Steve’s book The Layoff Journey: From Dismissal to Discovery is reshaping how we think about job loss, recovery, and renewal.Steve’s professional career spans decades in advertising,media, and marketing leadership. But behind the polished campaigns and successful boardroom pitches, Steve—like many of us—faced unexpected career turns, including layoffs. Rather than letting those setbacks define him, he reframed them intodiscovery. His book draws directly from those lived experiences, offering a deeply personal yet practical roadmap for navigating job loss.The Layoff Journey walks readers through the seven stages of grief—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance, reconstruction, and renewal—reminding us that careersetbacks are not just about losing a paycheck, but about losing identity, routine, and stability. Through relatable stories, actionable strategies, and real-world exercises, Steve shows how each stage can be transformed into astepping stone toward growth.If you’ve ever wondered how to move from dismissal todiscovery, from grief to growth, and from uncertainty to renewal—this episode is for you.

Welcome back to Coffee with Convery, where wecaffeinate your curiosity with bold stories, actionable insights, and fresh takes on how we define and design success.Today’s guest, Vijay Rajendran, is a venture builder, founder, UC Berkeley Certified Executive Coach, and author of TheFunding Framework: Secure Startup Funding with Confidence. Vijay helps leaders scale not only their startups but also themselves. Vijay has spent over 20 years at the intersection ofentrepreneurship, venture capital, and leadership. From building fintech and ecommerce startups to leading portfolio value at 500 Global — a venture capital firm with $2.7 billion under management — to mentoring founders in over 80countries, his career has been about helping great ideas find the leadership they need to thrive.Whether you’re a student dreaming of your first startup,a job seeker eager to break into venture, or a professional ready to turn your vision into reality, this conversation will give you the roadmap to start.

Welcome back to Coffee with Convery, the podcast where purpose meets passion, and every episode serves up a hot dose of inspiration for students, emerging professionals, and leaders navigating the future of work and life. Now, today’s episode is truly something special. If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like to blend decades of corporate leadership with down-to-earth entrepreneurship—or how a childhood in New Jersey can turn into a mushroom-powered mission in Texas—then you’re in for a treat. My guest today is Keri Hissim, a dynamic executive leader who’s driven multi-billion-dollar business growth, innovation, and high-performing teams at one of the world’s most recognized companies—AT&T. But that’s only part of the story.Keri is also the co-founder of Millbrook Mushrooms, a premium mushroom farm she built alongside her husband and high school sweetheart, Kyle. From Lion’s Mane toKing Trumpets, they’re growing gourmet fungi that fuel everything from fine dining to cognitive health. She’s a mom, a mentor, a marketer, a mushroom whisperer—and one of the most grounded and inspiring leaders out there. Keri’s journey is a beautiful blend of faith,family, and fearlessness, and today we’re digging into how she did it all—and what advice she has for you.

Welcome back to Coffee with Convery, where we caffeinate your curiosity with bold stories, actionable insights, and fresh takes on how we define and design success. Today’s guest Aidan Brannigan is not your typical founder, not your typical marketer, and definitely not your typical career story. He is the creative force behind No Boring Brands, the agency making memes and skits forsome of the biggest B2B brands in the world, generating over 1 million organic views a day! Aidan has built a career that mixes comedy, content, and a little bit of chaos. He’s spoken at SXSW about memes, helped grow The Marketing Millennials to a million-plus followers, run campaigns for brands like Palo Alto Networks,ClickUp, Semrush, and even Gillette—and somewhere along the way, he lost $500k in crypto, lost a spam-eating contest to Joey Chestnut in front of 14,000 people, and got doxxed for launching a fake software called LayoffBot that actually turned into a lead magnet. But here’s the kicker—Aidan’s story is one of making your own lane. He’s proof that you don’t have to wait for the perfect job posting, the perfect timing, or the perfect title to make a name for yourself. Whether you’re a student, a newgrad, or a job seeker wondering how to stand out, this episode is packed with lessons on creativity, resilience, and building a career that doesn’t just pay the bills—but gets people talking.

Welcome back to Coffee with Convery, where wecaffeinate your curiosity with bold stories, actionable insights, and fresh takes on how we define and design success.Today’s guest is known as The Food Professor — aglobal authority on food distribution, policy, and supply chains. Please welcome Dr. Sylvain Charlebois Senior Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, professor, award-winning researcher, and trusted voice in thefuture of food systems.For over nine years, Sylvain has been advancing foodtraceability, security, and sustainability through research that doesn’t just stay in the lab — it influences policy, empowers industry, and helps consumers make better choices. He’s been recognized with international awards, advised oncritical challenges in food systems, and continues to mentor the next generation of leaders in the food and agriculture sectors.Whether you’re a student wondering where food innovationcareers are headed, a professional curious about how analytics and policy shape what ends up on our plates, or just someone fascinated by the future of food, this episode has something for you.

Welcome back to Coffee with Convery, where wecaffeinate your curiosity with bold stories, actionable insights, and fresh takes on how we define and design success.Today’s guest is a dynamic legal mind, mentor, andaward-winning thought leader in appellate and judicial review litigation. Please welcome Marco Falco — Partner at Torkin Manes LLP, distinguished University of Toronto alumnus, and champion for diversity and mentorship in thelegal field.Marco is more than a lawyer — he’s a storyteller whotranslates complex legal battles into compelling narratives that resonate inside and outside the courtroom. As Chief Editor of Torkin Manes LegalWatch, his insights have shaped conversations on civil and appellate litigation nationwide. Recognized as a Lexology Legal Influencer multiple times and winner of the Mondaq Thought Leadership Award in Public Law, Marco’s influence extends far beyond his cases.Equally important is his dedication to the next generation. Through his mentorship roles at the University of Toronto and his leadership in diversity and inclusion initiatives, he is opening doors for students, emerging professionals, and underrepresented voices in law to thrive.Whether you’re a student exploring law, a young professional navigating your early career, or someone curious about the impact of appellate advocacy, this conversation promises to inspire and inform.

Welcome back to Coffee with Convery, where wecaffeinate your curiosity with bold stories, actionable insights, and fresh takes on how we define and design success.Today’s guest is a talent acquisition powerhouse, diversitychampion, and connector of people and possibilities. Please welcome Jessie Penman—Talent Acquisition Advisor at BDC, passionate advocate for inclusive hiring, and living proof that empathy can be a competitive advantage.Jessie doesn’t just fill roles—she builds futures. With acareer spanning financial services, business development, and recruitment at some of Canada’s most recognized organizations, Jessie has made it her mission to create safe spaces where every candidate feels valued, respected, and free from judgment. And as someone living with an invisible physical disability, she brings a personal perspective to breaking down barriers and driving change.If you’ve ever wondered how empathy, transparency, and asharp eye for talent can transform careers and companies—this episode is for you.

Hey everyone! Welcome back to Coffee with Convery—your go-to podcast for real talk, bold ideas, and human-first career stories that inspire the next generation of talent.Today’s episode is going to blow your mind—literally. Joining me is someone who’s made it his mission to help people understand how we think, how we decide, and how we unlearn bias in the workplace and beyond. He’s a social scientist, a trainer, a speaker, a former EMT, and an all-around force for good. He’s facilitated workshops for over 60,000 people around the globe, hosted one of the most thought-provoking radio shows on work culture,and is currently studying Cognitive Neuroscience at George Mason University—all while leading Electric Cow, his company that delivers science-backed workshops to make workplaces more inclusive, equitable, and psychologically safe. But before all that, before the research, the radio waves, and the radical change work—he and I actually walked the same halls at the University of Hartford. So this conversation is not just exciting for me as a host, but personal.

Welcome back to Coffee with Convery, where we caffeinate your curiosity with bold stories, actionable insights, and fresh takes on how we define and design success.Today’s guest is an international business strategist, persuasion expert, and brain science trailblazer. Please welcome Dr. Thomas Trautmann—founder of HappyBrains, certified business coach, and creator of the “Make Me Great” system.Thomas doesn’t just help companies sell more—he helps leaders connect at the deepest, most decision-driven levels. Whether he’s guiding executives with his EthicalPersuader System or helping couples through his NeuroCouple method, Thomas proves one thing: when you speak the brain’s language, you unlock real, lastingimpact.If you’ve ever wondered how neuroscience can improve your relationships, your brand, and your bottom line—this episode is for you.

Welcome back to another caffeinated convo on Coffee withConvery, where career clarity meets personal purpose—and success isn’t just defined by titles, but by trailblazing, tinkering, and tenacity.Today, we’re about to pour a double shot of inspirationwith someone who is part strategist, part disruptor, and ALL in on helping diverse voices get funded, seen, and heard. Meet Laura Scarlett Martin—Top 0.1% LinkedIn Influencer, Venture Partner, Fractional CMO, Global Finance ThoughtLeader, and yes… stand-up comic. She’s coached hundreds of founders, scaled startups from sketchpad to seed round, and is on a mission to make VC more inclusive and tech more human.From boardrooms to the comedy stage, Laura is redefiningwhat leadership looks like—and helping Gen Z and Millennial dreamers define their own version of success in work and life.Whether you’re a student founder, a tech-savvy creative,or someone still figuring it all out, this episode is for you.