Your First Job

Leilani Brown interviews Paul Nasrani, CEO and founder of Adirondack Creamery, about his journey from CFO to ice cream entrepreneur. Nasrani discusses the creation of unique flavors like Black Raspberry, inspired by political unity, and Kashmiri Kawa, based on a traditional Kashmiri drink. He emphasizes the importance of community and social impact, donating half of the profits from Syrian Date and Walnut to the International Rescu...

Adam Lowry and the host discuss Adam's career journey, emphasizing his transition from chemical engineering to climate impact consultancy. Adam, President of Lowry Climate Group and co-founder of Method, highlights his work at the Carnegie Institute for Science, where he managed a climate model predicting climate change impacts. He shares the story of co-founding Method to create sustainable cleaning products, which was lat...

Leilani Brown and Kerry Chandler discuss Kerry's career journey, emphasizing the importance of first jobs and the value of unexpected opportunities. At her first job, she learned the significance of employee relations and the impact of company culture. She stresses the importance of aligning with a company's values and being an advocate for employees. Kerry advises job seekers to be honest about their employment transitions and to ...

Bill Kennard, former FCC Chairman, joins YFJ to reflect on his trailblazing career in law, policy, and business. He shares his experience leading the E-Rate program under the Clinton administration, tackling the challenge of expanding internet access to schools and libraries. Kennard discusses the ongoing digital divide, including the “homework gap” that left 17 million students without broadband during the pandemic. He also explor...

Parker Harris, CTO and co-founder of Salesforce, joins YFJ to share his journey from a liberal arts background to co-founding one of the world's largest CRM platforms. He highlights Salesforce's evolution, emphasizing the importance of AI and the need for retraining to adapt to technological changes. Harris also addressed the shift to hybrid work post-COVID, noting the challenges of remote work on collaboration and early-career dev...

YFJ host Leilani Brown announces the release of her new book, Your Next Giant Steps: 25 Practical Tips For Job Search Success. The book offers practical tips and a journal for job seekers. She emphasizes the importance of applying with intention, leveraging AI tools, and turning rejections into learning opportunities. Brown highlights that her previous book, "From Campus to Career," focuses on job retention, while this ne...

Wanji Walcott, Chief Legal and Business Affairs Officer at Pinterest, joins Your First Job to discuss her journey from law school to Lockheed Martin to the world’s largest visual search engine. She recounts her early days when a mentor inspired her to pursue the role of General Counsel. Walcott also highlights Pinterest's mission to inspire people and its initiatives like inclusive search features and the Youth Mental Health Corps.

Brooks Reitz, a Charleston-based entrepreneur and restaurateur, joins host Leilani to discuss his entry and ultimate success in hospitality. Reitz emphasizes the importance of storytelling in his restaurants, drawing parallels to his early love for theater. He also shares insights on the challenges of running a restaurant group, including maintaining operations during the pandemic. Stay tuned and even get some early intel on Brooks...

Host Leilani welcomes Shari Hubert, Associate Dean of Admissions at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business to the podcast. Hubert discusses her career journey and the evolving landscape of graduate admissions. She also reflects on her early career in pharmaceutical sales, where she learned resilience and advocacy. This episode comes on the heels of the Fuqua School achieving gender parity in its full-time MBA program.

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Host Leilani reconnects with longtime friend Dolly Chugh, a social psychologist and NYU professor. They discuss her career journey from investment banking at Morgan Stanley to academia. Chugh emphasizes the importance of self-awareness in choosing a career path and highlights the generational differences in workplace dynamics. She stresses the significance of good bosses in fostering growth and happiness and advises listeners to ...

Host Leilani is joined by Mychal Threets, a librarian, literacy ambassador, and mental health advocate. Threets discusses his journey from a homeschooled library kid to Spirit Halloween employee, to his current role as PBS’ resident librarian. Mychal emphasizes the importance of libraries as community hubs, providing resources for job seekers, including computer access and job fairs. He advises aspiring librarians to volunteer and ...

Host Leilani interviews talent professional Alec Fox to explore his experiences on Google’s People team during times of rapid growth. They delve into the challenges of maintaining a consistent recruitment message while fostering relationships across multiple generations of employees. Alec reflects on his early job experiences, which shaped his understanding of how recognizing the unique needs of various teams and employees is key t...

Leilani Brown interviews Francesca Hogi, aka "Dear Franny," about her career journey from law to dating expert. Francesca shares her experiences on Survivor, including being the first person voted off twice, and how it taught her to not internalize others' opinions. She discusses her transition to matchmaking and coaching, emphasizing the importance of self-love and mutual respect in relationships. Francesca also high...

On the premiere episode of Your First Job, Leilani catches up with Orlando Ashford, Chief People Officer of Fanatics, Inc - a leading digital sports platform specializing in licensed merchandise, trading cards, and sports betting. Their conversation takes place just before Fanatics Fest, the company's inaugural event in NYC set to attract over 100,000 fans. Orlando shares insights on mobilizing talent to pull off such a massive...

YFJ host Leilani M. Brown shares her personal experiences working in various entry-level jobs, including cashier, retail art gallery worker, and Red Lobster server! Through these experiences, she emphasizes the importance of adaptability, resilience, and observation skills in shaping future careers.

Alsoooo, it’s Leilani’s birthday! Share your birthday wishes by subscribing to YFJ. And show your love on Instagram at LeilaniMBr...

Have you ever wondered how successful and happy people got their starts? 

Every success story begins somewhere, often more humbly than you'd expect.

I’m Leilani Brown, host of "Your First Job: The Podcast.”

On each episode, I talk to extraordinary people about their ordinary beginnings, taking it back to where it all began. 

You'll hear inspiring, unexpected, and sometimes hilarious stories from corner-office executive...