Podcast · Business

Career Sessions

Career paths rarely unfold in a straight line. Some careers accelerate quickly, while others take unexpected turns, requiring us to adapt, reinvent ourselves, and seize new opportunities along the way. On Career Sessions, host J.R. Lowry sits down with accomplished leaders, entrepreneurs, ac

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 33 min
Latest: 12 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

12 Oct 2026 · 28 minNew

Stop Following Someone Else’s Career Playbook, with Andy Paul

You may not think of yourself as a salesperson, but every day at work, you’re selling something—an idea, a proposal, your capabilities, or even yourself. In this episode of Career Sessions, J.R. Lowry sits down with sales expert, author, and longtime podcast host Andy Paul to explore what the rest of us can learn from great salespeople about influence, curiosity, and human connection. Andy explains why the best way to persuade someone isn’t to push harder, but to understand what matters to them. He shares how asking better questions and truly listening can strengthen relationships, why…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

E222 · 5 Oct 2026 · 34 min
Success Isn’t Enough: Building a Work Life Worth Living, with Jeff Westphal
What if you achieve everything you thought you wanted in your career, and still find yourself wondering if that's really all there is? Former Vertex CEO Jeff Westphal joins host J.R. Lowry to discuss how you can build a Work Life Worth Living when traditional status isn't enough. Jeff Westphal spent two decades as CEO of Vertex, helping grow the company from roughly 75 employees to more than 1,000 and increasing its value fortyfold. Along the way, he started asking deeper questions about purpose and why listening can be far more powerful than having all the answers. He shares how an intense…
E221 · 28 Sep 2026 · 42 min
Why You? How to Stand Out in a Crowded Market, with April Dunford
Most professionals assume great work speaks for itself, but solid Product Positioning proves that value never communicates automatically. When competitors offer flashy feature checklists or when crowded markets blur real differentiation, buyers and hiring managers get confused quickly. Host JR Lowry sits down with April Dunford , leading positioning expert and bestselling author of Obviously Awesome and Sales Pitch, to unpack why building something valuable is only half the battle. They walk through actionable frameworks to move past surface features, clarify unique value themes, and align…
E220 · 21 Sep 2026 · 32 min
The Real Job Of A Leader, With Dave Ulrich
What's the real job of a leader? According to Dave Ulrich, it isn’t having all the answers, building your own reputation, or even telling a compelling story about where you’re going. Great leaders help the people around them build their stories—and create value for others. In this episode of Career Sessions, J.R. Lowry sits down with Dave , one of the world’s most influential thinkers on leadership, talent, and organizational effectiveness, for a wide-ranging conversation about what great leadership looks like in a rapidly changing world. They explore why many of the fundamentals of…
E219 · 14 Sep 2026 · 30 min
Why Hiring Feels Broken—and How to Get Hired Anyway, with Lorena Prego Ojeda
Finding a job has never been easy, but today’s hiring process can feel particularly frustrating. Hundreds of applicants compete for a single role, AI is reshaping how candidates are screened, and qualified people often struggle to get noticed. At the same time, employers insist they can’t find the talent they need. So what’s really going on? In this episode of Career Sessions, J.R. Lowry talks with Lorena Prego, founder and CEO of Prometeo Talent, who has spent two decades in recruiting and helped companies make more than 5,000 hiring decisions. Lorena takes us behind the scenes of the…
E218 · 7 Sep 2026 · 36 min
How to Stay Valuable in the Age of AI, with Liat Ben-Zur
AI can already draft, summarize, analyze data, write code, and find patterns faster than most of us. So as these capabilities become increasingly commonplace, what will make you valuable? In this episode of Career Sessions, J.R. Lowry talks with Liat Ben-Zur, former senior executive at Microsoft, Qualcomm, and Philips and author of The Bias Advantage, about how AI is changing the skills that matter most—and why some of the experiences that once made your career harder may actually have prepared you for what's coming next. Liat argues that the answer isn't trying to compete with AI at what it…
E217 · 1 Sep 2026 · 37 min
How To Stay Human In The Age Of AI, With Johan Roos
AI can write, analyze, summarize, code, and create—and its capabilities are advancing at a remarkable pace. So as machines become more intelligent, what will keep humans indispensable? Johan Roos believes the answer lies in what he calls “human magic”: the distinctly human capabilities that technology can support, but never replace. Johan is an internationally recognized strategy scholar, former business school dean, co-creator of LEGO Serious Play, and author of Human Magic. In this episode of Career Sessions, Johan and J.R. explore why our advantage in an AI-powered world comes not from…
E216 · 24 Aug 2026 · 34 min
Why Great Teams Work Differently, with Ron Friedman
Why do some teams consistently outperform while others—with equally talented people—struggle with endless meetings, constant interruptions, and burnout? In this episode of Career Sessions, JR Lowry sits down with organizational psychologist and bestselling author Ron Friedman to explore what separates exceptional teams from average ones. Drawing on research involving more than 6,000 workers for his new book, Super Teams , Ron reveals that only about 8% of teams qualified as “super teams”—and that what distinguishes them often runs counter to conventional wisdom about productivity,…
E215 · 17 Aug 2026 · 30 min
The Rise of Disposable Workers, with Paul Osterman
For decades, a good job meant stability, career development, and a long-term relationship between employers and employees. But according to MIT Sloan professor Paul Osterman, that social contract has fundamentally changed. In this episode of Career Sessions, JR Lowry sits down with Osterman to discuss the ideas behind his new book, Disposable Workers, and why more than one-third of today's workforce now falls into employment arrangements designed for flexibility rather than long-term investment. Together, they explore what's driving this shift, why it extends well beyond the gig economy, how…
E214 · 10 Aug 2026 · 35 min
Why Smart People Get Financially Stuck (and How to Break Free), with Carrie Joy Grimes
Most people were never taught how to manage money. Yet they're expected to navigate rising housing costs, student debt, investing, retirement planning, and an economy that often feels stacked against them. In this episode of Career Sessions, Career Lessons, JR Lowry sits down with Carrie Joy Grimes , founder of WorkMoney and author of the USA Today bestselling book The Joy of Money , to explore why financial success has far more to do with psychology than spreadsheets. Carrie explains why shame and avoidance keep so many people financially stuck, how small behavioral changes compound into…
E213 · 3 Aug 2026 · 32 min
The Hidden Risk of a Great Career (And a Different Path to Financial Freedom), with Jon Ostenson
What if the biggest financial risk in your life isn't the stock market—but your paycheck? Most professionals spend years building successful careers, yet their entire financial future depends on a single employer. In today's world of layoffs, AI disruption, and economic uncertainty, that's becoming an increasingly fragile strategy. In this episode, JR Lowry sits down with Jon Ostenson , founder of FranBridge Consulting and author of Non-Food Franchising, to explore an alternative that more professionals are beginning to consider: business ownership through franchising. Forget fast food. Jon…
E212 · 27 Jul 2026 · 34 min
Why Talent Isn't Enough: The Discipline That Separates Top Performers, with Dre Baldwin
Most careers stall because professionals wait for permission, confidence, or the right timing rather than taking action. In this episode, host J.R. Lowry sits down with former professional athlete and entrepreneur Dre Baldwin to dissect why professional discipline outperforms raw motivation every time. Baldwin reveals how he translated lessons from overseas sports courts into scalable business frameworks centered on mindset, strategy, systems, and execution. They explore actionable ways to build true executive presence before you get the promotion, navigate career reinvention, and develop…
E211 · 20 Jul 2026 · 33 min
The Leadership Lesson I Learned By Becoming My True Self, with Katherine Dudtschak
What if becoming a better leader has less to do with learning new management techniques and more to do with becoming more yourself? In this episode, former RBC executive and HomeEquity Bank CEO Katherine Dudtschak shares a deeply personal journey that transformed not only her life, but also her philosophy of leadership. After publicly affirming her gender while leading thousands of employees, Katherine discovered that vulnerability, compassion, and authenticity weren't leadership liabilities. In fact, they became her greatest strengths. In this episode, you'll learn: Why success and…
E210 · 13 Jul 2026 · 40 min
Why Experience Is Becoming Your Biggest Career Advantage, With Dan Pontefract
Everyone talks about AI as the future of work. But what if the bigger story is something we're overlooking? In this episode, JR speaks with leadership strategist and author Dan Pontefract about why experience—not youth—may become one of the most valuable assets in tomorrow's workplace. As workforces age and labor shortages grow, Dan argues that organizations must rethink how they hire, develop, and retain talent—or risk losing decades of knowledge and expertise. In this episode, you'll learn: Why demographic change may have a bigger impact on work than AI What "age debt" is—and why…
E209 · 6 Jul 2026 · 39 min
Why You're Overwhelmed At Work (And How To Fix It), With Liane Davey
Why does work feel so overwhelming, even when you're getting everything done? In this episode, leadership expert and bestselling author Liane Davey explains why the problem isn't your workload—it's your thought load: the hidden combination of cognitive demands, emotional burden, and depleted energy that makes work feel harder than it should. In this episode, you'll learn: Why working harder won't solve the problem of overwhelm The difference between workload and thought load How constant context switching and emotional stress drain your performance Why attention is your most valuable…
E208 · 1 Jul 2026 · 33 min
How to Turn Anxiety Into a Leadership Advantage, With Morra Aarons-Mele
Anxiety is often treated as something to overcome. But what if it’s also one of the forces driving your success? In this episode, JR speaks with Morra Aarons-Mele , author of The Anxious Achiever and host of Harvard Business Review’s popular podcast of the same name, about the complex relationship between anxiety, achievement, leadership, and performance. Morra argues that anxiety isn’t necessarily a weakness to be fixed. For many high performers, it fuels preparation, creativity, empathy, and ambition. The challenge isn’t eliminating anxiety—it’s learning how to understand it, manage it,…
E207 · 24 Jun 2026 · 33 min
How To Overcome The Conversational Debt That Holds Teams Back, With Gustavo Razzetti
Most teams don't fail because they lack talent. They fail because they're not having the conversations that matter. In this episode of Career Sessions, Career Lessons, I sit down with workplace culture expert, consultant, and author Gustavo Razzetti to discuss his new book, Forward Talk . Gustavo argues that the biggest threat to team performance isn't conflict—it's silence. When concerns go unspoken, tensions remain unresolved, and difficult issues are avoided, organizations accumulate what he calls "conversational debt." This conversation explores why people often stop speaking up, why…
E206 · 15 Jun 2026 · 34 min
Why Work Feels Broken (And How to Fix It), With Debbie Lovich
Most people spend a huge portion of their lives at work. So why do so many of us dread it? In this episode, JR speaks with Debbie Lovich , Senior Partner Emerita at Boston Consulting Group and author of Make Work Work , about why employee engagement has remained stubbornly low for decades despite billions spent on leadership training, culture initiatives, and workplace transformation programs. Debbie argues that making work better doesn't require another grand strategy or organizational overhaul. Instead, it comes down to a handful of daily leadership behaviors that create more human,…
E205 · 10 Jun 2026 · 30 min
From Cleaner To CFO (and Beyond): Lessons On Reinvention And Risk, With Mohamed Isa
Most people see careers as ladders to climb. Mohamed Isa sees them as mountains to explore. In this episode, Mohamed shares his remarkable journey from working as a cleaner in a bank to becoming the youngest CFO of a publicly listed company in Bahrain. Along the way, he learned that success isn't about following a predetermined path—it's about taking calculated risks, continually reinventing yourself, and creating opportunities where others see limitations. JR and Mohamed explore: How a cleaning job became the foundation for an extraordinary career Why taking career risks can accelerate…
E204 · 1 Jun 2026 · 32 min
How To Escape Overwhelm And Redefine Success, With Corrie LoGiudice
Most people think overwhelm is a productivity problem. Corrie LoGiudice argues it’s something much deeper. In this episode, JR speaks with Corrie LoGiudice, author of The Five Overwhelm Culprits , about why so many high performers feel exhausted, disconnected and stuck — even when their lives look successful on paper. Corrie explains why burnout is often misdiagnosed as a time-management issue, and why the real causes of overwhelm usually stem from deeper problems like misalignment, lack of clarity, weak support systems and chronic self-neglect. Their conversation covers: Why overwhelm is…
E203 · 26 May 2026 · 33 min
Why Success Can Destroy A Company, With Eric Ries
Most companies don’t fail because they’re outcompeted. They fail because they succeed. In this episode, JR speaks with Eric Ries, author of The Lean Startup and Incorruptible , about why successful organizations so often lose their mission, values and long-term vision. Eric explains how modern corporate systems incentivize short-term extraction over long-term value creation and that the problem isn’t necessarily bad leaders, but structures that slowly corrupt organizations over time. Their conversation covers: Why “shareholder value” became the dominant philosophy How companies like Costco…
E202 · 18 May 2026 · 32 min
How Successful People Actually Think About Risk, Failure, And Opportunity, With Kyle Austin Young
Most people think success comes down to talent, timing, or even luck. But Kyle Austin Young suggests it could be a numbers game. In this episode, he explains how to think about success through the lens of probability so you can actively improve your odds over time. JR and Kyle explore: Why your goals have hidden probabilities attached to them How to reduce the likelihood of failure The power of repeated attempts When to power through to achieve your goals, and when to pause Why differentiation is critical in today’s market This conversation reframes success as something you can engineer.…
E201 · 11 May 2026 · 34 min
The Hidden Cost Of Loneliness At Work, With Tracy Brower
We often talk about burnout, quiet quitting and disengagement at work, but underneath these trends is something deeper: loneliness. In this episode of Career Sessions, Tracy Brower joins JR to unpack the growing crisis of disconnection at work and why it’s affecting everything from performance to mental health. They cover: Why loneliness is rising in the age of remote work and social media Why work is still the #1 place people build friendships How leaders can create belonging The need for both strong ties and weak ties How to build a network that actually leads to opportunities Simple ways…
E200 · 4 May 2026 · 31 min
Why Rest Is the Original Performance Tool, With Nathalie Walton
Most productivity advice skips right past the most obvious lever: sleep. In this episode, JR speaks with Nathalie Walton who leads growth at Better Sleep, the app that's become the go-to sleep tool for 65 million people around the world. Nathalie's path here wasn't linear. It started with her own experience during pregnancy where she came to realize that there was a frustrating gap in support for women's health. That led her to found Expectful, a platform for fertility, pregnancy, and early motherhood, and eventually to Better Sleep, where she's helping scale something that genuinely changes…
E199 · 27 Apr 2026 · 32 min
How To Explore Careers Without Guesswork, With Gabe DeSanti & Alex Dworsky
In this episode of Career Sessions, Career Lessons, JR Lowry sits down with Gabriel DeSanti and Alex Dworsky , co-founders of Staj , a platform built around a simple but powerful idea: What if you could experience a career before committing to it? They explore why traditional career decision-making is often based on limited information and how that leads many people to feel misaligned years into their careers. Drawing on Gabe’s experience trying nearly 200 different jobs and Alex’s background in corporate America, they discuss how career exploration can shift from guesswork to intentional…
E198 · 20 Apr 2026 · 30 min
How To Act Like An Owner: Building Engagement, Accountability, And Meaningful Work, With Greg Hawks
In this episode of Career Sessions, J.R. Lowry sits down with author, speaker, and culture expert Greg Hawks to tackle one of the biggest challenges facing organizations today: Why are so many people disengaged at work—and what actually changes that? Greg introduces the concept of the “ownership mindset,” a powerful shift in how individuals approach their work and how leaders build environments where people feel invested, accountable, and motivated. Drawing on decades of experience working with organizations, Greg explains why most employees start with energy and intention—but often lose it…
E197 · 13 Apr 2026 · 32 min
What Actually Gets You Hired and Promoted, With Mary Olson Menzel
In this episode of Career Sessions, JR Lowry sits down with coach, speaker, and bestselling author Mary Olson Menzel to explore a question many professionals wrestle with: What does it really mean to build a career that lights you up and is it realistic to do so? Mary challenges the conventional wisdom that playing it safe is the responsible path. Drawing from both personal experience and her work with clients, she argues that ignoring what energizes you can come at a much higher cost over time. They discuss: What Mary calls your “light” and why it’s a real competitive advantage Why…
E196 · 6 Apr 2026 · 32 min
What Leaders Get Wrong About Performance And Teamwork, With Jon Levy
In this episode of Career Sessions, JR Lowry speaks with behavioral scientist Jon Levy to explore what actually makes teams effective and why the answer isn’t what most people think. Drawing on research across psychology, business, and even sports, Jon breaks down the hidden dynamics behind high-performing teams, including the overlooked role of “glue people” – those who quietly elevate everyone around them. They discuss: Why emotional intelligence matters more than IQ on teams The surprising reason too much talent can hurt performance What “glue players” do differently and how to spot them…
E195 · 30 Mar 2026 · 36 min
Why So Many Leaders Burn Out And What It Takes to Heal, With Raj Sisodia And Nilima Bhat
Why do so many successful leaders feel burned out, misaligned, or unfulfilled? According to Raj Sisodia and Nilima Bhat , the issue isn’t a lack of skill or intelligence, but rather a lack of healing. In this episode of Career Sessions, JR Lowry sits down with Raj Sisodia, co-founder of the Conscious Capitalism movement, and Nilima Bhatt, leadership coach and author, to explore the deeper emotional and psychological dimensions of leadership. Drawing from their new book Healing Leaders , they argue that many leadership challenges stem from unprocessed trauma, unconscious patterns, and a…
E194 · 23 Mar 2026 · 32 min
The Beliefs Holding Leaders Back And How to Break Through Them, With Muriel Wilkins
What’s really holding leaders back? According to executive coach Muriel Wilkins , it’s often not skills, strategy, or experience -- it’s hidden beliefs. In this episode of Career Sessions, JR Lowry sits down with Muriel Wilkins, executive coach to senior leaders, host of Harvard Business Review’s Coaching Real Leaders, and author of Leadership Unblocked. Drawing from more than 20 years of coaching C-suite executives and analyzing hundreds of leadership cases, Muriel explains how deeply and often unconscious beliefs can quietly limit how leaders show up, make decisions, and work with others.…

About Career Sessions

Career Sessions is a English business podcast from JR Lowry. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: JR Lowry
Language: English
Category: Business
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 33 min
Latest episode: 12 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1609669307

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