Description

In this conversation, McKinley Culbert, Product Marketer at Sync Computing, shares her experiences and insights from her career journey. She discusses childhood influences, including her identification with the cartoon character Angelica from Rugrats. McKinley talks about quitting a job and the lessons she learned from failure. She shares her thoughts on books that have shaped her perspective, including her dislike for certain self-help books. McKinley also highlights the impact of a mentor in her career and emphasizes the importance of empathy in leadership. The conversation explores the themes of empathy, the impact of the economic climate on the tech industry, personal decisions shaping one's trajectory, balancing career and personal life, accomplishments, and rejecting hustle culture.

Takeaways

• Identify with childhood influences and explore how they shape your personality and aspirations.
• Embrace failure as a learning opportunity and use it to grow and pivot in your career.
• Be discerning when it comes to self-help books and find ones that resonate with your values and experiences.
• Seek out mentors who believe in your potential and provide guidance and support. Empathy and kindness are essential in personal and professional interactions.
• The economic climate has had a significant impact on the tech industry, leading to layoffs and a lack of empathy.
• Personal decisions, such as divorce, can shape both personal and professional lives.
• Balancing career and personal life is a challenge, and priorities may shift over time.
• Accomplishments should be measured by personal satisfaction and happiness, rather than external recognition.
• Rejecting hustle culture and prioritizing rest and well-being is important for overall success and happiness.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Childhood Influences

02:56 Early Career and Quitting a Job

07:59 Books That Shaped Perspective

11:04 Lessons from Failure

16:01 Recommended Book: Bad Blood

25:58 Empathy in Leadership

28:13 Empathy and Kindness

29:11 Impact of Economic Climate on Tech Industry

30:10 Personal Decisions Shaping Trajectory

31:38 Balancing Career and Personal Life

33:32 Accomplishments and Priorities

39:56 Rejecting Hustle Culture