How do you find the courage to break the rules?

In this episode of Career Slay, my guest, Ivonne Kinser spent the first half of her career learning the rules so she could spend the second half breaking them. As the CEO and Founder of Vantage Creative Group, she helps challenger brands grow with the mission of solving the hardest marketing challenges by infusing untamed creativity and leveraging the power of technology. Her journey started in Venezuela and followed an unconventional path, from top advertising agencies to senior leadership roles in multiple corporations, including Avocados From Mexico and Hoplark Brands, plus some entrepreneurial ventures in between. She’s received multiple industry accolades and was the first Latina to win the DFW American Marketing Association Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2023, she published her best-selling book ‘THINK: The Manifesto for Creative & Critical Thinkers.

As a trailblazer & innovator, Ivonne’s career is a true testament of how to break the rules and challenge the status quo.

Enjoying the show? Please consider subscribing, leaving a rating, and sharing to help us #slaythefearincareer. And if you're looking for one-on-one career coaching, visit careerslay.com to learn more.

What does it take to build a company from the ground up?

In this episode of Career Slay, Kelly Poquiz Burke interviews owner and founder, Mark Lowery, the President & CEO of Lowery Property Advisors. LPA is a commercial appraisal and consulting firm completing a wide range of office, retail, and industrial projects throughout the southwest. We talk about his entrepreneurship journey from starting his own business with limited resources, to scaling it to a 60-person organization. We also discuss what it takes to be an authentic leader, build a strong company culture, and bet on yourself.

Enjoying the show? Please consider subscribing, leaving a rating, and sharing to help us #slaythefearincareer. And if you're looking for one-on-one career coaching, visit careerslay.com to learn more.

How do you use creativity for good? On this episode of Career Slay, Kelly Poquiz Burke interviews Pedro Lerma, CEO of LERMA/ Agency. Pedro shares his amazing career journey that started with his humble beginnings to now leading an award-winning ad agency with the mission, “Creativity For Good.”

Pedro emphasizes the importance of gratitude as a key theme that weaves throughout his career. He discusses the distinction between management and leadership and advocates for a vision-driven approach that inspires others. Pedro's leadership philosophy is deeply human-centered, valuing personal growth and relationships. We also talk about the need for brands to make genuine long-term commitments to social progress, and how he aspires to leave a legacy of channeling creativity for good by fostering unity and joy through their work.

Enjoying the show? Please consider subscribing, leaving a rating, and sharing to help us #slaythefearincareer. And if you're looking for one-on-one career coaching, visit careerslay.com to learn more.

How do you respond to obstacles in life? Do you let them define you or do you redefine them? In this Career Slay episode, host Kelly Poquiz Burke dives deep into the obstacles she’s faced and how those have shaped her career. Kelly shares how she overcame $80K in student loan debt, learned how to walk again after multiple hip surgeries, and beat breast cancer while pregnant during a global pandemic. In this vulnerable episode, she gets real about the challenges of working motherhood, why she decided to take a career break, and what she’s up to next. If you’re looking for inspiration on how to get through a hard time, you don’t want to miss this.

Enjoying the show? Please consider subscribing, leaving a rating, and sharing to help us #slaythefearincareer. And if you're looking for one-on-one career coaching, visit careerslay.com to learn more.

How do you manifest your “dream job?”

In this podcast episode, I interview Michelle Wong, the CMO of Sprinkles Bakeries & Picnik Restaurants. Michelle shares about her culinary background, how creativity led her to a career in advertising, and how her combined passions have manifested into the role she has today - her dream job.

We discuss the challenges she faced early on particularly when it came to representation and visibility. Michelle also shares her advice for young women of color starting their careers and emphasizes the importance of mentorship and finding meaning in your work. We also talk about work-life integration and the sacrifices that come with building a successful career. Michelle embodies how to be a fearless and authentic leader and shows us that achieving your dream job is totally possible.

Enjoying the show? Please consider subscribing, leaving a rating, and sharing to help us #slaythefearincareer. And if you're looking for one-on-one career coaching, visit careerslay.com to learn more.

Can storytelling change the world for good? On this episode of Career Slay, I interview Meg Griffiths, co-founder of Universe Creative, a documentary production company, and director "Impossible Town."

We discuss Meg's career journey, including her transition from photojournalism to Teach For America to filmmaking and the challenges she faced as a woman in a male-dominated field. Meg also shares her insights on parenting while pursuing a demanding career, the importance of relationships and community in her work, and the power of storytelling to create understanding and catalyze change.

Don't miss this inspiring conversation with a talented and passionate storyteller.

Enjoying the show? Please consider subscribing, leaving a rating, and sharing to help us #slaythefearincareer. And if you're looking for one-on-one career coaching, visit careerslay.com to learn more.

Have you ever been curious about a career in social media?

In this episode of the Career Slay podcast, I sit down with Varun Jindal, a brand partnerships manager at TikTok, about his career journey in social media. Varun discusses his experience co-founding a South Asian media company, Bollyshake, and the dedication it took to grow an Instagram community of nearly a million followers without any outside funding. We talk about the secret sauce for building a successful social media career including the importance of authenticity and representation, engaging your community, and diversifying your income streams for aspiring entrepreneurs and social media influencers. Varun also shares his perspective on balancing creativity and commerce and his passion to help small businesses and creators navigate the social media landscape.

This episode is sure to be #bussin.

Enjoying the show? Please consider subscribing, leaving a rating, and sharing to help us #slaythefearincareer. And if you're looking for one-on-one career coaching, visit careerslay.com to learn more.

How do you turn a neighborhood bakery into a beloved brand?

In this episode of Career Slay, I interview Maricsa Trejo, the owner of La Casita Bakeshop. Maricsa shares her journey from working in professional kitchens to building a successful James Beard-nominated bakery with lines around the corner. She gives her advice for anyone who is trying to turn their passion into their full-time gig and emphasizes the importance of surrounding yourself with good people, setting boundaries, and not being too hard on yourself. We also talk about her recent success, the challenges of being in the spotlight, and the excitement of being nominated by the James Beard Foundation. Get ready for some sweet career advice!

La Casita Bakeshop is open to the public every weekend in Richardson, TX.

Enjoying the show? Please consider subscribing, leaving a rating, and sharing to help us #slaythefearincareer. And if you're looking for one-on-one career coaching, visit careerslay.com to learn more.