Do you want to know a secret? The corporate world is a game: one laden with cleverly hidden and unspoken rules that most employees don't know they are playing. On this show, we help you peek behind the curtain to understand the corporate game and set yourself up for accelerate growth and progression.
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June 15, 2026Episode 14334 min
143. Your Career Is Bigger Than One Bad Job with That Corporate Lawyer, Henry Nelson-Case
Sometimes the job is not the problem. The problem is that we let one role become our identity, our confidence, and our entire sense of security. Henry Nelson-Case, who shares workplace and legal humor online as That Corporate Lawyer, joins me to talk about career confidence, workplace mental health, and why leaving a bad job can feel so terrifying. If you feel stuck, over-attached to your title, or afraid to advocate for yourself at work, this one is for you. Inside this episode • Why your job should not become your identity • How to know when you have stayed too long • Why being hired once means you can get hired again • How to advocate for yourself before burnout hits • Why a side hustle can create emotional freedom • How leaders can better support junior employees What's one "corporate game" rule you've learned the hard way? 🎯 Take the full Level Up Leadership Course: https://stan.store/thatcareercoach/p/get-started-with-my-play-the-corporate-game-course About Your Host: That Career Coach, Kendall Berg Kendall Berg is a career coach and creator, helping ambitious professionals master the unspoken rules of corporate life. Through Secrets of the Career Game, she shares honest conversations and practical tools to help you communicate clearly, lead confidently, and navigate work with strategy — not stress. ☕️ Want personalized career advice? Book a free 15-minute Coffee Chat with me — let's talk strategy, leadership, or your next move. Book your Coffee Chat → https://calendly.com/thatcareercoach/15-min-follow-up Want to know more about Kendal Berg, that career coach? Follow her on Instagram: @thatcareercoach_ Check out her courses on the website: https://thatcareercoach.net/ Watch on YouTube:@thatcareercoach_
June 8, 202630 min
142. My Husband Spent 13 Years in Corporate Sales — Here's What He Taught Me About the Rules No One Share
Most professionals think selling yourself at work means bragging. A career sales executive says that's exactly wrong. Kendall Berg sits down with her husband, David Berg, a sales executive with 13+ years at AT&T, to break down how to play the corporate game, build executive presence, and communicate your value without feeling fake. In this episode: • Why "selling yourself" is actually about listening, not talking • The 9-box framework leaders use to evaluate you (and where you land) • How to reverse-engineer a career conversation so it lands where you need it to • Why storytelling builds more credibility than any credential • The scariest career move David ever made — and why it paid off This episode is for ambitious corporate professionals who want to get promoted, build leadership presence, and stop being the best-kept secret at work. Play the Career Game On Your Terms: https://stan.store/thatcareercoach/p/3-months-of-group-coaching What's one "corporate game" rule you've learned the hard way? About Your Host: That Career Coach, Kendall Berg Kendall Berg is a career coach and creator, helping ambitious professionals master the unspoken rules of corporate life. Through Secrets of the Career Game, she shares honest conversations and practical tools to help you communicate clearly, lead confidently, and navigate work with strategy — not stress. ☕️ Want personalized career advice? Book a free 15-minute Coffee Chat with me — let's talk strategy, leadership, or your next move. Book your Coffee Chat → https://calendly.com/thatcareercoach/15-min-follow-up Want to know more about Kendal Berg, that career coach? Follow her on Instagram: @thatcareercoach_ Watch on YouTube:@thatcareercoach_
June 1, 2026Episode 14130 min
141. Why Quitting Your Corporate Job Might Be the Worst Way to Start a Business with Mike Shannon
There is a very loud version of entrepreneurship online right now: quit the job, burn the safety net, go all in, and figure it out later. I get the appeal. I also think that advice can get expensive very quickly, especially when the business has not been validated yet. Mike Shannon joins me to talk about the much messier, smarter side of starting a business. Mike has built multiple companies, appeared on Shark Tank, worked in AI, and wrote Sweaty Equity, a book about the unglamorous middle of entrepreneurship. His story is not the polished founder myth. It is Shark Tank one day, Chicago Bulls laundry room the next, then years of pivots, investor pressure, customer discovery, and learning how to actually build something that works. If you are a corporate professional, side hustler, first-time founder, or future entrepreneur wondering whether you should quit your job to start a business, this conversation is your reality check. We talk about why keeping your day job can create runway, why "build the thing, sell the thing" matters more than startup hype, and how to use messy action without blowing up your career stability. Inside this episode • Why quitting your job too early can create unnecessary founder pressure • How Mike Shannon went from Shark Tank with Mark Cuban to the Chicago Bulls laundry room • Why business validation matters more than investor validation • The simple startup framework: build the thing, sell the thing • How customer discovery helps you avoid forcing the wrong idea into the market • What Sweaty Equity reveals about the messy middle of entrepreneurship What's one "corporate game" rule you've learned the hard way? 🎯 Take the full Level Up Leadership Course: https://stan.store/thatcareercoach/p/get-started-with-my-play-the-corporate-game-course About Your Host: That Career Coach, Kendall Berg Kendall Berg is a career coach and creator, helping ambitious professionals master the unspoken rules of corporate life. Through Secrets of the Career Game, she shares honest conversations and practical tools to help you communicate clearly, lead confidently, and navigate work with strategy — not stress. ☕️ Want personalized career advice? Book a free 15-minute Coffee Chat with me — let's talk strategy, leadership, or your next move. Book your Coffee Chat → https://calendly.com/thatcareercoach/15-min-follow-up Want to know more about Kendal Berg, that career coach? Follow her on Instagram: @thatcareercoach_ Check out her courses on the website: https://thatcareercoach.net/ Watch on YouTube:@thatcareercoach_ About Mike Shannon Prior to Impruve, Mike co-founded and served as CEO of Packback, which pioneered "instructional AI" for the compliance-heavy Higher Education market with a product suite that scales the teaching impact of PhD college professor clientele. Packback's software earned the trust of the 600 largest institutions and was named one of TIME's Most Innovative Companies in Education. Throughout 12 years, Mike led it from a scrappy startup to $20M in ARR, 100+ employees, and a $50M+ all-cash acquisition by a leading private equity group — earning recognition from Inc. 500, Fast Company, Forbes 30 Under 30, and the Chicago Innovation Awards along the way. But his path wasn't linear. After shaking Mark Cuban's hand on ABC's Shark Tank at a young age, Mike clocked in for his next shift folding towels as a "ball boy" in the Chicago Bulls locker room; a fun tale that culminated in Mike's comedic entrepreneurship memoir, Sweaty Equity: A Ball Boy, A Billionaire, and the Bonkers Startup Tale You've Never Heard, which Mark Cuban described as "a wildly entertaining story!" Nowadays, Mike enjoys coaching Little League and spending time with his two young kids and wife. He co-hosts Momentum Mode, a podcast featuring private equity-backed CEOs, founders, & investors. He also serves on the board of national entrepreneurship education non-profit Future Founders, where he dedicates yearlong mentorship hours.- www.impruve.com/about
May 25, 202611 min
140. Your Schedule Is Full But You're Getting Nothing Done — 3 Time Management Tips That Actually Work
I will be the first to admit I am pretty good at managing my time. But here is the part nobody wants to say out loud: you still cannot do everything. Every goal, every career move, every family priority, every business idea, and every "quick thing" on your calendar has a tradeoff. Productivity is not about cramming more into your day. It is about deciding what actually deserves your time — and having the structure and support to protect it. I believe real-time management starts with identity, not your calendar. Who are you at your core? What do you actually believe about your life, your career, and your priorities? Once you know that, you can build a week that reflects your real goals instead of letting your schedule become a dumping ground for everyone else's urgency. If you are a high achiever trying to balance work, family, career growth, and maybe one peaceful cup of coffee without multitasking through it, this one is for you. In this episode: Why real time management starts with identity, not a better calendar How to clarify your priorities before you plan a single thing Why ambitious people still cannot do everything — and what to do instead How to build an ideal weekly calendar that protects what actually matters Why your productivity has a ceiling without a support system and a village How to grow your career without burning down the rest of your life Play the Career Game On Your Terms: https://stan.store/thatcareercoach/p/3-months-of-group-coaching
May 18, 202630 min
139. You Keep Canceling on Yourself and Calling It Productivity with Dr. Shannon Burge
I know what it feels like to have a "productive" day that somehow leaves you completely disconnected from yourself. You made every meeting, answered every email, handled every priority, and then realized your own health never made it onto the calendar. That is the part of ambition we do not talk about enough. Dr. Shannon Burge joined me on Secrets of the Career Game to talk about what happens when high-achieving women keep putting health, fitness, and self-care on the back burner until their body forces the conversation. Shannon spent 15 years in Fortune 500 executive leadership, earned her PhD, became an IFBB figure pro athlete, and now helps executives and professionals reclaim their wellness through mindset, nutrition, movement, and community. This conversation is for the women who are excellent at showing up for everyone else, but keep canceling on themselves. If you are trying to grow your career, lead well, avoid burnout, and still feel like a person outside of your job, this one will hit. Inside this episode • Why high-achieving women often put health last • How to treat your wellness like a real calendar priority • Why self-care does not mean you are less committed at work • The four wellness pillars Shannon uses with busy professionals • How discipline at work can translate into better health habits • Why fulfillment matters when you are redefining success Play the Career Game On Your Terms: https://stan.store/thatcareercoach/p/3-months-of-group-coaching Connect with Dr. Shannon Burge: Website: www.nodefeat.co Instagram: @shannon_burge Nonprofit: www.nodefeatwarrior.com
What if success isn't the problem — it's that you've outgrown it? Lauren Kerr introduces the concept of "unbecoming": shedding who you were to step into who you're becoming — without burning out in the process. Lauren Kerr is a bestselling author and high-performance coach who helps high-achieving women lead with clarity, recover from burnout, and redefine success — without blowing everything up to do it. If you've hit every goal and still feel like something's off, this is the episode that names what you've been feeling. What we get into: → What "unbecoming" actually means — and why it's not about starting over → The silent handbrake keeping ambitious women stuck in a version of success they've outgrown → Why the drive that built your career may now be working against you → What feminine leadership looks like in practice (empathy isn't a weakness) → The "feather or the truck" — why ignoring small intuitive nudges leads to bigger crises → Time audits, Parkinson's Law, and how to design a week that actually fits your life → Lauren's personal goal this year: just enjoying motherhood (and why that had to be a written goal) What's one "corporate game" rule you've learned the hard way? 🎯 Take the full Level Up Leadership Course: https://stan.store/thatcareercoach/p/get-started-with-my-play-the-corporate-game-course About Your Host: That Career Coach, Kendall Berg Kendall Berg is a career coach and creator, helping ambitious professionals master the unspoken rules of corporate life. Through Secrets of the Career Game, she shares honest conversations and practical tools to help you communicate clearly, lead confidently, and navigate work with strategy — not stress. ☕️ Want personalized career advice? Book a free 15-minute Coffee Chat with me — let's talk strategy, leadership, or your next move. Book your Coffee Chat → https://calendly.com/thatcareercoach/15-min-follow-up Want to know more about Kendal Berg, that career coach? Follow her on Instagram: @thatcareercoach_ Check out her courses on the website: https://thatcareercoach.net/ Watch on YouTube:@thatcareercoach_ About Lauren Kerr A Best-Selling Author, Mother, and High-Performance Coach for women leading companies and teams who want to create more income, freedom, and fulfilment. With over a decade of experience in Psychology and Coaching, and having built a 7-figure global business reaching the top .05% of her profession, Lauren specialises in helping women optimise and simplify how they think, work, and lead through the lens of feminine leadership. www.itslaurenkerr.com www.babesinbusiness.net https://www.instagram.com/itslaurenkerr/
April 27, 2026Episode 13611 min
136. Most Candidates Waste the First 5 Minutes of Their Interview — Here's What to Do Instead
Hiring managers decide who they want within the first five minutes of an interview. If your answer to "tell me about yourself" sounds like everyone else's, you are already behind. In this episode, I break down how to lead with your personal brand, handle small talk strategically, and explain your experience in a way hiring managers actually remember — so you stop losing offers to people with the same qualifications. In this episode: personal branding in interviews · how to answer tell me about yourself · interview communication strategy · how to talk about your accomplishments confidently What's one "corporate game" rule you've learned the hard way? 🎯 Take the full Level Up Leadership Course: https://stan.store/thatcareercoach/p/get-started-with-my-play-the-corporate-game-course About Your Host: That Career Coach, Kendall Berg Kendall Berg is a career coach and creator, helping ambitious professionals master the unspoken rules of corporate life. Through Secrets of the Career Game, she shares honest conversations and practical tools to help you communicate clearly, lead confidently, and navigate work with strategy — not stress. ☕️ Want personalized career advice? Book a free 15-minute Coffee Chat with me — let's talk strategy, leadership, or your next move. Book your Coffee Chat → https://calendly.com/thatcareercoach/15-min-follow-up Want to know more about Kendal Berg, that career coach? Follow her on Instagram: @thatcareercoach_ Check out her courses on the website: https://thatcareercoach.net/ Watch on YouTube:@thatcareercoach_
April 20, 2026Episode 13527 min
135. You're Qualified But Still Getting Overlooked — Here's Why with Nicholette Hemingway
You're qualified. So why does it feel like no one notices? The problem usually isn't your experience. It's how you talk about it. In this episode, I sit down with career coach, Amazon best-selling author, and self-proclaimed "interview ologist" Nicolette Hemingway to unpack one of the most costly — and completely fixable — mistakes professionals make: assuming their work speaks for itself. Spoiler: it doesn't. And that belief alone could be what's standing between you and the job, promotion, or recognition you've already earned. Nicolette brings over 25 years of experience across every level of government, military service, and a career coaching practice built on one thing: helping talented people finally get seen. In this conversation, we go beyond generic interview advice and get into the real reasons qualified professionals get overlooked — and exactly what to do instead. What we cover: Why 98% of people fail interviews — and it has nothing to do with their resume How to tell your professional story in a way that makes hiring managers lean in The difference between listing tasks and communicating impact (and why it matters) Three questions that will completely change how you talk about your accomplishments What thank you emails actually signal to a hiring manager How to track your wins so you're never caught off guard in a review, interview, or promotion conversation Why staying in the background is quietly killing your career growth If you've ever walked out of an interview feeling like you didn't do yourself justice, or watched someone less qualified get the opportunity you deserved, this episode is for you. What's one "corporate game" rule you've learned the hard way? 🎯 Take the full Level Up Leadership Course: https://stan.store/thatcareercoach/p/get-started-with-my-play-the-corporate-game-course About Your Host: That Career Coach, Kendall Berg Kendall Berg is a career coach and creator, helping ambitious professionals master the unspoken rules of corporate life. Through Secrets of the Career Game, she shares honest conversations and practical tools to help you communicate clearly, lead confidently, and navigate work with strategy — not stress. ☕️ Want personalized career advice? Book a free 15-minute Coffee Chat with me — let's talk strategy, leadership, or your next move. Book your Coffee Chat → https://calendly.com/thatcareercoach/15-min-follow-up Want to know more about Kendal Berg, that career coach? Follow her on Instagram: @thatcareercoach_ Check out her courses on the website: https://thatcareercoach.net/ Watch on YouTube:@thatcareercoach_ About Nicholette Y. Hemingway Nicholette is the founder of Nike H Speaks LLC, where she helps professionals with interview preparation, résumé writing, and career coaching. She is an Amazon #1 best-selling author, a retired Commander in the U.S. Public Health Service, and has spent more than 20 years serving on interview panels. Through her workshops and coaching, she helps military service members, students, and working professionals show up with more confidence in high-stakes career moments. Learn more at http://www.nikehspeaks.com/
April 13, 2026Episode 13421 min
134. How to Plan a Job Search Before You Burn Out and Make the Wrong Move
Too many people wait until work becomes unbearable before they start looking, and that is how smart professionals end up making desperate career moves. I have seen it happen over and over again. A toxic boss, a role that stopped fitting, a project that drains you, and suddenly you are trying to escape fast instead of thinking clearly. A strong job search starts long before you hit that breaking point. I walk through how to define what actually matters to you, how to build your personal brand, how to identify target roles and target companies, and how to use networking and internal mobility to create better options. The goal is not just to get out. The goal is to make a smarter move. This is for anyone who knows something at work is off, but does not want to panic quit and end up in the same situation somewhere else. If you want a more strategic job search, a clearer career direction, and a better way to evaluate your next opportunity, start here. Inside this episode How to know you are waiting too long to start a job search Why your personal brand matters before you apply anywhere How to define your passion statements and unique value Better interview questions to test company culture and job fit Why networking is the most important part of a job search How internal mobility can help you leave a bad role faster What's one "corporate game" rule you've learned the hard way? 🎯 Take the full Level Up Leadership Course: https://stan.store/thatcareercoach/p/get-started-with-my-play-the-corporate-game-course About Your Host: That Career Coach, Kendall Berg Kendall Berg is a career coach and creator, helping ambitious professionals master the unspoken rules of corporate life. Through Secrets of the Career Game, she shares honest conversations and practical tools to help you communicate clearly, lead confidently, and navigate work with strategy — not stress. ☕️ Want personalized career advice? Book a free 15-minute Coffee Chat with me — let's talk strategy, leadership, or your next move. Book your Coffee Chat → https://calendly.com/thatcareercoach/15-min-follow-up Want to know more about Kendal Berg, that career coach? Follow her on Instagram: @thatcareercoach_ Check out her courses on the website: https://thatcareercoach.net/ Watch on YouTube:@thatcareercoach_
April 6, 2026Episode 13334 min
133. You're Not Bad at Interviews, You're Preparing the Wrong Way with Irina Posan
Qualified professionals are getting rejected for jobs they should absolutely be landing. That's why I wanted to chat with fellow career coach Irina Posan. We've both seen too many smart, ambitious professionals treat interviews like a memory test instead of a strategy exercise. Irina knows this world well as a former HR director and the host of the Career Cravings podcast. In our conversation, we get into why overpreparing can actually hurt your interview performance, how candidates lose clarity under pressure, and what it really takes to stand out in a crowded job market. We also talk about the mindset shifts that matter before you ever apply, including how to get clear on the right role, how to communicate your value without sounding rehearsed, and why hard work alone is not enough if you want to get promoted. Irina shares her Top Five Story Method for interview preparation, plus a powerful reminder that career growth often comes down to visibility, advocacy, and relationships. If you are job searching, preparing for interviews, or trying to position yourself for your next promotion, this is the kind of career advice that can change the way you approach your next move. In this episode, we discuss: • Why do qualified candidates still fail interviews? • How can I stand out in a competitive job market? • What is the best way to prepare for interview questions? • Why does overpreparing make interviews worse? • How do promotions really happen at work? What's one "corporate game" rule you've learned the hard way? 🎯 Take the full Level Up Leadership Course: https://stan.store/thatcareercoach/p/get-started-with-my-play-the-corporate-game-course About Your Host: That Career Coach, Kendall Berg Kendall Berg is a career coach and creator, helping ambitious professionals master the unspoken rules of corporate life. Through Secrets of the Career Game, she shares honest conversations and practical tools to help you communicate clearly, lead confidently, and navigate work with strategy — not stress. ☕️ Want personalized career advice? Book a free 15-minute Coffee Chat with me — let's talk strategy, leadership, or your next move. Book your Coffee Chat → https://calendly.com/thatcareercoach/15-min-follow-up Want to know more about Kendal Berg, that career coach? Follow her on Instagram: @thatcareercoach_ Check out her courses on the website: https://thatcareercoach.net/ Watch on YouTube:@thatcareercoach_ About Irina Posan A career coach with 15 years of HR experience, including leading Recruitment and Talent Management teams. She brings insider insight into what it really takes to get hired, earn promotions, and succeed in leadership roles. From securing highly coveted job offers to advancing within competitive organizations, she helps ambitious professionals navigate every stage of career growth. Website: https://www.irinaposan.com/ Instagram: @careercoachirina Podcast Produded by Daniela Albertina
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