Career Downloads
Manuel Martinez hosts the Career Downloads podcast where he interviews a different guest each episode to learn about their individual and diverse backgrounds, job history, and techniques they use to manage their career. So plug in and download the knowledge.
Episodes
December 23, 2025 • 68 mins
Episode Information
Show NotesSometimes the best careers are the ones you never planned.
Aakin Patel went to school for geology. He spent years studying plate tectonics and doing computational modeling. The plan was academia.
But grad school revealed something important. The academic life he imagined wasn’t the reality he wanted.
So he pivoted. He took his Unix skills from graduate research and landed a job as...
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December 16, 2025 • 83 mins
Episode Information
Show NotesFrom Age 7 to MSP Owner: Simon Robert’s IT Journey
Simon Robert’s IT career started earlier than most, at just 7 years old, he was already fixing computers his father brought home. Now, as President of Novbox in Las Vegas, Simon runs a managed service provider that helps businesses stay secure and operational.
In this episode, Simon shares the honest reality of running an IT busin...
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December 9, 2025 • 77 mins
Episode Information
Show NotesTechnical skills land you the job. People skills determine everything that comes next.
Yvette Durazo brings conflict resolution expertise to Silicon Valley tech companies. As a professional mediator and coach, she helps technical professionals navigate the transition into leadership roles. She teaches at universities and works with companies to build conflict intelligence throughou...
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December 2, 2025 • 73 mins
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Show Notes
What happens when you combine curiosity, willingness to take chances, and genuine interest in people? You get Bob Leek’s career story – a journey from a small town in North Carolina to becoming CIO of Clark County, Nevada.
Bob didn’t start with a master plan. He got an accounting degree, landed in retail finance, and complained about IT systems so much they moved him to technology. His path through ...
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November 25, 2025 • 83 mins
Episode Information
Show Notes
Episode Summary:
Vika Nevmyvakova’s career path looks nothing like she planned.
She arrived in the US from Ukraine at 20 with law school dreams. No resources to make it happen. No network. No connections.
She took whatever jobs paid bills. Call centers. Customer service. The work most people see as stepping stones, she turned into skill-building.
That’s where she discovered she loved talking to pe...
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Episode Information
Show NotesJazmin Diaz’s career story dismantles the myth that you need perfect credentials to succeed in technology. Her path from middle school administrative assistant to Chief of Staff at a cybersecurity company demonstrates how curiosity, authenticity, and strategic relationship-building can accelerate professional growth.Episode Highlights:Jazmin shares her unique background growing up b...
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September 2, 2025 • 86 mins
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Show Notes
Episode Highlights:
Join host Manuel Martinez for an inspiring conversation with Rishma Khimji, the pioneering CIO of Harry Reid International Airport. Her story begins with constant movement – nine cities across two countries – and leads to managing technology systems that serve millions of travelers annually.
Rishma’s career trajectory breaks conventional wisdom about climbing corporate ladders. S...
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August 26, 2025 • 78 mins
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Show NotesEpisode OverviewAngie Cosca’s career journey challenges every assumption about traditional tech career paths. Starting with no formal computer science education, she taught herself HTML using Notepad, worked her way up through help desk support, and eventually became CIO of a major healthcare organization – all while staying with the same company for 23 years.Her story demonstrates ...
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August 19, 2025 • 78 mins
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Show NotesIn this episode, Manuel Martinez interviews Dr. Doreen Galli, Chief of Research at TBW Advisors, about her remarkable career journey through the technology industry. Dr. Galli shares candid insights about her path from academic overachiever to holding senior executive roles at companies like IBM, Microsoft, AT&T, and DHL.Guest Background: Dr. Doreen Galli is currently Chief of Resea...
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August 12, 2025 • 91 mins
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Show Notes
Clinton Lee’s career journey reads like a masterclass in adaptability. What started as dreams of becoming a teacher transformed into a successful path through IT infrastructure, customer-side technical roles, and ultimately sales engineering leadership.
Currently serving as a Director of Sales Engineering, Clinton shares the pivotal moments that shaped his career, from his first encounter with VMwar...
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August 5, 2025 • 75 mins
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Show Notes
Jeramie Brown’s career journey proves there’s no single path to technology leadership success. Starting as a radio and television broadcaster in the Air Force, Jeramie spent 24 years learning storytelling, communication, and adaptability while gradually building technical expertise. Today, he serves as Chief Information Officer for a Nevada public agency and President of the Las Vegas AITP chapter.
E...
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July 29, 2025 • 68 mins
Episode Information
Show NotesWhat does it take to go from a curious kid tinkering with an Apple IIe computer to leading cybersecurity at a major university? Vito Rocco’s journey offers a masterclass in career development, strategic thinking, and the power of continuous learning.Currently serving as Chief Information Security Officer at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Vito brings a unique perspective shaped...
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July 22, 2025 • 34 mins
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Show Notes
What happens when the interviewer becomes the interviewee? In this special episode, John MacGugan flips the script and puts Manuel Martinez in the hot seat to uncover the real story behind Career Downloads.
Episode Summary:
Manuel gets candid about building a podcast from zero experience – sharing everything from his early days relying on a professional studio (the “production limo” era) to learning...
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July 15, 2025 • 83 mins
Episode Information
Show NotesWhy it matters: John MacGugan built a 25-year satellite technology career without a college degree, proving that curiosity and initiative can overcome traditional barriers.The journey: Starting in a phone company mail room in 1989, John worked his way up through voicemail systems, satellite installation, and business ownership before landing at DirecTV as a traveling engineer.Key tu...
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Show NotesWhat if moving 18 times before your 18th birthday could become your greatest career asset? In this conversation, Jessica Parker reveals how early life challenges shaped an unshakeable approach to career resilience that’s kept her employed for over three decades.Jessica’s path from aspiring computer scientist to elementary educator to tech consultant illustrates the power of strategi...
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Show Notes
What does it take to transform from a farm girl in rural Mexico to a cybersecurity solutions engineer at a leading tech company? In this episode, Estela Baca shares her remarkable journey of defying expectations, overcoming setbacks, and building a thriving career in technology.
Estela’s story begins in Teziutlán, Mexico, where she grew up with her grandmother in a family where education wasn’t expe...
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Episode Information
Show NotesIn this episode of Career Downloads, host Manuel Martinez interviews Paola Mendiola, a promising digital forensics student at CSN who shares her journey into technology and cybersecurity.Episode SummaryPaola takes us through her tech journey, beginning with the transformative moment when her father brought home their first computer. This experience allowed her to connect with family...
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May 13, 2025 • 69 mins
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Show Notes
Episode Summary
In this enlightening conversation, Manuel Martinez sits down with Jason Frame, Chief Information Officer at Southern Nevada Health District, to explore his remarkable journey from typing code from magazines as a child to leading critical technology initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jason shares candid insights about career progression in technology, developing leadership skill...
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Show NotesEpisode SummaryJeremy Jakubowicz’s path to becoming president of multiple AI companies is far from conventional. After struggling with learning disabilities throughout his education, Jeremy carved out a unique career trajectory through film, education, casino promotions, and tech software before landing in his current role. His story demonstrates how challenges can become stepping s...
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April 29, 2025 • 64 mins
Episode Information
Show Notes
In this enlightening episode of Career Downloads, host Manuel Martinez sits down with Sean Leu, a senior IT manager who transformed his career from working as an electrician apprentice to leading development teams in the financial technology sector. This conversation offers invaluable insights into navigating career transitions, developing leadership skills, and embracing continuous learning in the e...
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