Shows
Career Coaching With JohnEpisode Nineteen - Let's Get Him Back into It Rebuilding - Confidence After Job LossWe open this episode with a side note on Raymond Chandler — a writer who reinvented himself when the world shifted beneath him. Out of job, out of structure, he disciplined himself to write and, in doing so, created Philip Marlowe — a character who could move through uncertainty with purpose.That thread runs through this conversation.In this episode, I sit down with Vince Ciarlo, a communications professional and educator who has watched his industry change rapidly. Immigration policy shifts impacted enrollment in Ontario colleges. Academic hours dried up. Digital media reshaped expectations. He retrained. He comp...
2026-02-1354 min
Career Coaching With JohnEpisode Eighteen: Your Path in Life with Luca Volentir - Part FourIn Part 4 of the Your Path in Life series, Johncontinues his coaching conversations with Luca — and runs head-first into something unexpected.This episode isn’t about a breakthrough moment or a tidyrealization. It’s about what happens when the framework doesn’t land the way you thought it would, and when the coach’s expectations start getting in the way.Using a personal “needs” exercise, Luca identifies four coredrivers:Make it happenConsistencyHonestyClarityBut instead of pointing outward toward an ideal workenvironment or future role, Luca turns the exercise inward — focusing almost entirely on personal account...
2026-01-161h 00
Career Coaching With JohnEpisode Seventeen - Your Path in Life Part ThreeIn Part Three of Your Path in Life, John continues his ongoing coaching conversation with UK-based podcaster Luca Volentir, turning the focus toward discomfort, intention, and where real value actually comes from—in work, creativity, and conversation.The episode opens with a reflective side note on Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space, and the quiet tragedy of what happens when someone is celebrated, preserved, and prevented from evolving. From there, the conversation becomes deeply personal and practical: how expectations shape outcomes, why comfort can quietly stall growth, and how unspoken needs distort collaboration.Together, Jo...
2026-01-0745 min
Career Coaching With JohnEpisode Sixteen - Your Path in Life Part TwoIn this second part of the Your Path in Life series, we pick up the conversation with UK-based software developer and podcaster Luca Volentir, host of Path in Life.We start with a detour into the alien abduction story behind Fire in the Sky — what happens when people invent a more comfortable reality instead of facing failure, fear, or unmet needs. From there, we dig into Luca’s own story: his podcast, his personal brand, and the tension between structure, success, and genuine emotional connection.This episode is less about “how to podcast” and more about authenti...
2025-12-0557 min
Career Coaching With JohnEpisode Fifteen — Your Path in Life, Part One - with Luca VolentirJohn opens with the Voyager missions and Carl Sagan’s Golden Record — a reminder that all of us send signals into the world, hoping someone understands who we are and what we’re trying to do.This episode launches a four-part collaboration with Luca Volentir, host of Path in Life. Part One is about getting to know him: his move across the world at 19, the intention that guides his choices, and the mindset that keeps him learning instead of becoming bitter. It’s also where John introduces the idea of career heartbreak — the moment when your hard...
2025-11-2859 min
Career Coaching With JohnEpisode Fourteen - From Setback to Story: Finding Your Voice Again with Laura BarbanteShow Notes:What happens when the story you’ve been telling yourself about your career no longer fits?In this episode, John speaks with Laura Barbante, amarketing professional in Australia whose career path took her from government work to unemployment—and back again with a renewed sense of purpose. Together, they explore what it means to rebuild a professional identity, create authentic personal-brand content, and navigate an industry being transformed by AI.John opens with a reflection on Taylor Swift—how sheturned imperfection into identity and made vulnerability her brand. Later, he shares a story...
2025-11-1454 min
Career Coaching With JohnEpisode Thirteen: Growing from the Poison Soil: Confidence, Environment, and Intuitive Coaching with Elaine YuenWhat if confidence isn’t something you earn through titles, promotions, or endless hard work? What if the real shift comes from stepping into the right environment — the soil where you can actually grow?In this episode, John explores the idea of place and purpose — from Josephine Baker finding her stage in Paris, to Jimi Hendrix breaking through in London, to Jackie Robinson building his strength in Montreal before entering the major leagues. Sometimes, confidence comes not from “toughening up” but from changing where, and how, we plant ourselves.John is joined by Elaine Yuen, Intuitive Confi...
2025-10-0651 min
Career Coaching With JohnEpisode Twelve - Kasikornbank, Cost-Cutting & AI in the Workplace: This is Freedom 55Synopsis:Remember the Freedom 55 dream? Retire early, live free, enjoy the good life. In Thailand, Kasikornbank has reimagined that dream — except now the cut-off is 45, and it’s not about freedom, it’s about AI and spreadsheets. What looks like early retirement is really a story about cost-cutting, technology, and assumptions about age and value.In this episode, John breaks down what KBank is doing, pushes back on the easy narratives, and explores what it really means when work, technology, and human value collide. Along the way, he challenges the assumptions we make a...
2025-09-0423 min
Career Coaching With JohnEpisode Eleven - Let's Declare Ourselves Emperor - Relationship Building, Networking and Personal Branding with guest Sharon SecondusLet’s Declare Ourselves EmperorGuest: Sharon SecondusTheme: Networking, Personal Brand, and Building Your Empire From ScratchEpisode SummaryIn this episode, we explore what it really takes to build a network and personal brand—especially when you’re starting from scratch. Whether you’ve moved cities, changed industries, or simply feel stuck and underappreciated in your current role, this conversation is for you.Inspired by the strange and bold story of Emperor Norton I—a failed businessman who reinvented himself into a San Francisco...
2025-08-2252 min
Career Coaching With JohnEpisode Ten - My Own Personal GuruEpisode Ten: My Own Personal GuruWhat do you do when the biggest obstacle in your business… is you?In this episode, I put the Good John in front of the Bad John—the version of me that avoids, delays, and quietly convinces himself that effort is pointless. Along the way, we talk gurus, comfort zones, and a little New Age weirdness. (Yes, Sai Baba makes an appearance.)I’m joined by career coach Abdelaziz Bourassi, all the way from New Caledonia, for a conversation about alignment, ambition, and getting out of your own wa...
2025-07-0539 min
Career Coaching With JohnEpisode Nine - When Hard Work Stops WorkingYou can lift it. But should you? This episode explores the hidden cost of capability—how strength, hustle, and good intentions can trap us in outdated versions of success. Featuring utopian French socialists, Romanian dictators, and one very tired admissions officer, we look at the shift from doing the work… to defining the work.Music:Theme: Smooth Chill Jazz by AllWorldMusic from PixabayIntermission: Jungle Waves by DIMMYSADfrom PixabayOutro: Vintage Rock byDIMMYSADfrom Pixabay
2025-06-1923 minCareer Coaching With JohnEpisode Eight - Here for a Good Time, Not a Long TimeEpisode 8: Here for a Good Time, Not a Long TimeWhat if the job you’re in isn’t forever—and that’s okay?In this episode, John explores the value of temporary work, misaligned roles, and contract gigs that aren’t your dream job. From polishing cars at the auto show to managing a bike shop, to listening to Trooper blast from a truck stereo—this one’s about showing up, experimenting, and knowing when it’s time to move on.You’ll hear about:Why “low-stakes” jobs are the perfect place to take...
2025-06-0223 min
Career Coaching With JohnEpisode Seven - Scarcity in a land of plenty - Part TwoEpisode Seven: The Demographic GridlockIn Part Two of Scarcity in a Land of Plenty, we shift the lens from tech to demographics — and ask why, in a world that claims there's a labour shortage, so many people still feel stuck.From Baby Boomer capital preservation to Millennial risk aversion, this episode explores how wealth, leadership, and opportunity have gotten tangled across generations. We talk about politics, anger, and the Charlton Heston end-of-the-world trilogy you didn’t know you needed.Because this isn’t just an economic story — it’s a story about movement, about why...
2025-05-1424 min
Career Coaching With JohnEpisode Six - A Shot Across the BowWhen a talented employee reaches out across her company to explore new possibilities, her initiative is met with silence, control, and suspicion. In this episode, we explore what it means to be micromanaged, misunderstood, and stuck in survival-mode leadership — and how to reclaim your power anyway.We begin with the story of Frank Farian — the voice behind Boney M and Milli Vanilli — and draw a surprising parallel to a modern-day workplace dilemma.This episode is about power, perception, and what happens when people refuse to stay small.Show notes at johnfi...
2025-05-0222 min
Career Coaching With JohnEpisode Five - The Myth of the Job BoardIn this episode, we start with the radical Oneida Community—a group that rejected the rules of the modern economy—and use their story to examine why today’s job boards fail so many of us. We explore how technology has transformed hiring, why unemployment is often a systemic mismatch—not a personal failure—and what both job seekers and employers can do to find alignment in a confusing market.It’s time to stop waiting to be picked. Start thinking like an entrepreneur.Visit johnfialkowski.com to learn more.
2025-04-2421 min
Career Coaching With JohnEpisode Four - The Trap of Being the Best (and completely miss the point)We open with a reflection on Yevgeny Prigozhin—the mercenary boss who flew too close to the sun—and what his downfall says about loyalty, usefulness, and power. From there, we dive into something closer to home: the trap of being the best at your job. Especially in customer service, hospitality, and retail, being the go-to person can sometimes mean you never get the chance to grow. You're too valuable where you are.In this episode, we talk about how being excellent isn’t always enough, and how performance without power or direction can leave you stuck....
2025-04-1130 min
Career Coaching With JohnEpisode Three - Maybe it's not them - Maybe it's me!Feeling out of place at work? If you're the only one struggling while everyone else seems fine, the problem might not be the workplace—it might be misalignment. This episode explores how to recognize when a job just isn’t the right fit and what to do about it. We also compare a the struggles of a 19th century British General, with the modern struggles of today. For more on Career Coaching with John - johnfialkowski.com
2025-04-0525 minCareer Coaching With JohnEpisode Two - IntentionIn this episode, we’re talking about how to take control of your career—no matter where you work. It’s not just about having an entrepreneurial mindset; it’s about setting an intention and using it to guide your actions. I’ll break down how to define what you actually want, track your progress, and turn any job (even the ones you don’t love) into a stepping stone for something bigger. Because no matter who pays you, you work for yourself. Let’s get into it.#intention #careerchanges #careergrowth
2025-03-2820 min
Career Coaching With JohnEpisode One - What does it take to think like an entrepreneur?Hate your job? Feel like you're being pushed around, undervalued, or stuck in a toxic environment? Quitting might seem like the only way out, but there’s another option—shifting your mindset. Thinking like an entrepreneur, even while working for someone else, can help you take back control, make your job more bearable (or even better), and open doors to new opportunities.
2025-03-2809 min