Join me, Karen Medina, on the Super SMART Women Podcast as I sit down with Deborah Kaminetzky—attorney-turned-tech project manager, lifelong learner, certified PMP/Scrum Master/Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, owner of DeFacto PM, LLC, and mother of three thriving adult children. In this inspiring conversation, Deborah reveals how she leveraged curiosity and confidence to leap from a successful law career into the fast-paced world of technology—and how her passion for serving and mentoring others became the secret sauce behind every bold pivot.
In This Episode You’ll Hear:
- The power of purposeful mentorship
- and why great mentors aren’t afraid when their protégés surpass them.
- Building transferable skills
- How “de facto” project management in law prepared Deborah to lead multi-million-dollar tech projects, plus her playbook for earning the PMP, CSM, and Green Belt without being overwhelmed.
- Teaching that sticks
- From ADA-compliance workshops to CLE “courtroom skits,” Deborah shares creative tactics that teach and applaud learners of every style (yes, even the post-lunch slump!).
- A life-saving PSA
- As a 15-year colorectal cancer survivor, Deborah serves the wider community with candid, light-hearted reminders to get screened early—and explains how advocacy weaves into her SMART pillars.
- Advice to your 13-year-old self
- Why confidence trumps perfection, and how to ignore the naysayers when you feel called to pivot.
Throughout the episode, Deborah embodies all five SMART pillars—Serve, Mentor, Applaud, Reflect, Teach—and proves it’s never too late to reinvent your career, your learning style, or your impact.
Deborah’s Resources
- LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahkaminetzky
- Book: The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson – https://a.co/d/euCtp5a
- Podcast: Mel Robbins Podcast – https://linktr.ee/melrobbins
- Podcast: Project Management Happy Hour – https://pmhappyhour.com
- Colon Cancer Screening Guidelines – https://www.cancer.org/healthy/find-cancer-early/cancer-screening-guidelines.html
Learn more about Super SMART Women at www.SuperSMARTWomen.com
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