Career Blast in a Half

You’re Not Undervalued. You’re Underselling Yourself | Carlos M. Garcia

This week, we're framing the executive job search through a sales lens.I sat down with my friend and sales trainer Carlos M. Garcia to unpack why most executives stall. It's not because of the market, but because they refuse to see the job search as a sales process.Sales isn’t persuasion. It’s decision friction removal. The same skill that closes deals is the skill that earns trust, momentum, and offers in a career transition.Executives who avoid this reality stay stuck.Key Takeaways (Read These First)• The job search mirrors a sales pipeline. Hope is not a strategy.• Sales fails when friction is high. Job searches fail for the same reason.• Corporate language kills clarity and trust.• Relatability beats credentials in high-stakes conversations.• Rejection is feedback, not identity damage.
Follow Carlos M Garcia
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/exceedsales/Website: https://exceedsalestraining.com/
If this episode hit close to home, pass it along.Leave a rating and review.And subscribe so you don’t miss the next Career Blast in a Half.
Subscribe to Career Blast in a Half
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/career-blast-in-a-half/id1670977528
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3b3kSamj8RbTNNgOg5E5oi?si=5fea15335a744e73
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpGM7j8croBkkZ4bLqN7DOQ/
 
About Career Blast in a Half
A third of our lives is spent working. Career Blast in a Half is your 30 minutes of weekly simple, powerful, and actionable career fuel to keep your success track no matter where you are in your career or what's to come next. Hosted by career strategist Loren Greiff.
 
Work with Loren
Join the 30-Day BLAST Program: https://www.portfoliorocket.com/our-programs
 
Connect with Loren
Website: https://www.portfoliorocket.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorengreiff/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/portfoliorocket/
 
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and let us know what career topics you'd like us to cover!

The Hidden Cost of Being “Easy to Work With” | Julia Korn

Being easy to work with sounds like praise.For many women, it’s actually the beginning of a ceiling.
In this episode, Julia Korn unpacks the hidden cost of being agreeable, likable, and low-friction at work, and why those traits so often cap women’s power, visibility, and earnings.
We talk about the moment “working hard and keeping your head down” stops working.The subtle signals that tell you you’re losing influence.And why women are still punished for personality traits that have nothing to do with performance.
This is not about becoming abrasive or difficult.It’s about owning your leadership brand before someone else defines it for you.
If being “easy” is costing you influence, opportunity, or momentum, it’s time to rethink the strategy.
The takeaway is simple and uncomfortable:
If being easy to work with is costing you influence, visibility, and opportunity, it’s not working.
You don’t need to be abrasive.You don’t need to be someone you’re not.But you do need to stop shrinking.
Follow Julia KornLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliakorn/ Website: https://juliakorn.com/
If this episode hit close to home, pass it along.Leave a rating and review.And subscribe so you don’t miss the next Career Blast in a Half.
Subscribe to Career Blast in a Half
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/career-blast-in-a-half/id1670977528
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3b3kSamj8RbTNNgOg5E5oi?si=5fea15335a744e73
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpGM7j8croBkkZ4bLqN7DOQ/
 
About Career Blast in a Half
A third of our lives is spent working. Career Blast in a Half is your 30 minutes of weekly simple, powerful, and actionable career fuel to keep your success track no matter where you are in your career or what's to come next. Hosted by career strategist Loren Greiff.
 
Work with Loren
Join the 30-Day BLAST Program: https://www.portfoliorocket.com/our-programs
 
Connect with Loren
Website: https://www.portfoliorocket.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorengreiff/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/portfoliorocket/
 
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and let us know what career topics you'd like us to cover!

2026 Truth Bomb I The Quiet Math Decision Makers Are Doing On You

While you're preparing for your 2026 big move, decision makers are running a new calculation.
 
Not "is this person qualified?"
But "will this hire move the needle in 12 months?"
 
The 2026 bounce-back didn't happen. 
The market shifted instead.
 
In this episode, I break down:
→ Why 2025's playbook is now a liability
→ The shift from headcount to precision hiring
→ What boards are really measuring (it's not your experience)
→ How one exec repositioned herself from "qualified candidate" to "strategic lever"
→ The new question you have to answer before you walk in the room
 
Plus — a thank you to everyone who made this community what it is, and what's coming in 2026.
 
If you're in transition and wondering why qualified isn't converting to hired, this one's for you.
 
Subscribe to Career Blast in a Half
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/career-blast-in-a-half/id1670977528
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3b3kSamj8RbTNNgOg5E5oi?si=5fea15335a744e73
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpGM7j8croBkkZ4bLqN7DOQ/
 
About Career Blast in a Half
A third of our lives is spent working. Career Blast in a Half is your 30 minutes of weekly simple, powerful, and actionable career fuel to keep your success track no matter where you are in your career or what's to come next. Hosted by career strategist Loren Greiff.
 
Work with Loren
Book a Signal Review https://meetings.hubspot.com/loren-greiff/signal-review-cbiah 
Connect with Loren
Website: https://www.portfoliorocket.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorengreiff/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loren.greiff
 
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and let us know what career topics you'd like us to cover!

Why Recruiting Doesn't Work (And What Might Actually Fix It)

The resume has been broken for 200 years.
AI just made it worse.
I sat down with Matt Alder—25 years in talent acquisition, 11 years hosting The Recruiting Future Podcast.
He didn't sugarcoat it.
Here's what we unpacked:
Resumes and interviews are the 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 effective way to predict job performance (science says so)
Only 20% of companies are using AI strategically—the rest are just automating bias
LLMs are writing job descriptions with built-in discrimination nobody's catching
The "apply now" button didn't fix recruiting. It broke it faster.
 
The uncomfortable truth?
AI isn't the problem.
It's an accelerator on a system that was already failing you.
 
Recruiters are overwhelmed.
Hiring managers are biased.
And job seekers are being blamed for "gaming the system" while employers do the same thing.
 
Matt's take on what actually works:
Stop trying to hack the ATS.
Start representing your skills in a way humans can understand.
Build relationships before you need them.
Know what makes you different—because standing out is the only strategy that scales.
 
The future he's optimistic about?
Assessment-first hiring.
AI that fills in gaps instead of filtering people out.
Technology that makes human connection 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 valuable, not less.
 
We're at a fork in the road.
One path: robots making decisions, candidates never talking to humans.
The other: a system that finally matches people to opportunities they deserve.
 
Subscribe to Career Blast in a Half
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/career-blast-in-a-half/id1670977528
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3b3kSamj8RbTNNgOg5E5oi?si=5fea15335a744e73
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpGM7j8croBkkZ4bLqN7DOQ/
 
About Career Blast in a Half
A third of our lives is spent working. Career Blast in a Half is your 30 minutes of weekly simple, powerful, and actionable career fuel to keep your success track no matter where you are in your career or what's to come next. Hosted by career strategist Loren Greiff.
 
Work with Loren
Join the 30-Day BLAST Program: https://www.portfoliorocket.com/our-programs
 
Connect with Loren
Website: https://www.portfoliorocket.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorengreiff/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/portfoliorocket/
 
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and let us know what career topics you'd like us to cover!

The Truth About PIPs: Why HR Is Not Your Friend & How to Negotiate Your Exit | Dan Goodman (Recast)

Most executives think a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) is a lifeline. It’s actually a tombstone.
They believe if they just work harder, hit the impossible metrics, and play nice, they can turn the ship around.
But here’s the cold reality: A PIP isn't designed for your improvement. It’s a paper trail designed for your termination. It’s a paid interview period—and the clock is ticking.
 
Why this matters
There is a dangerous gap between what corporate policy says (HR is here to help) and how the game is actually played (HR protects the company). When you are being managed out, your natural instinct is to defend your performance or seek mediation.
That instinct is wrong. By the time you spot the signs—nitpicking, the "cold shoulder," or a sudden shift in responsibilities—the decision has likely already been made. If you treat a PIP as a genuine coaching moment, you lose your leverage.
If you don't know how to document the "buckets of wrongdoing" and build a counter-narrative, you walk away with damaged confidence and the bare minimum severance. But if you know the playbook, you can turn a forced exit into a negotiated victory.
 
In this episode, we unpack:
Why the "Performance Improvement Plan" is almost never about performance.
The exact signs that you are being managed out (and why a new manager is the #1 red flag).
Why HR is not your friend—and why going to them too early destroys your leverage.
The "Buckets of Wrongdoing" framework: How to document toxic behavior to build your case.
The "At-Will" employment trap: Why it’s a one-way street that benefits the employer.
How to negotiate a severance package even when they try to offer you nothing.
The mental toll of gaslighting and why validation is the first step to recovery.
 
A real transformation
A professional facing a "Me Too" situation involving a CEO, dating back 20 years. She was wrongly terminated and then gaslit for seven months. Her family and friends told her she was crazy, urged her to drop it, and warned she was damaging her reputation. She felt isolated and powerless.
 
She partnered with Dan Goodman to stop playing the victim and start building a case. They refused to accept the silence. They documented the timeline, identified the inconsistencies, and presented a "scathing, reputationally damaging" narrative back to the employer.
 
After months of being ignored, she received a $50,000 offer out of the blue. But more importantly, the gaslighting stopped. The employer acknowledged the liability through their wallet. She moved from feeling "crazy" to being fully vindicated—and the negotiation is still ongoing.
 
Timestamps
(0:00) — Intro
(2:16) — Why you should never go to HR expecting a solution
(5:20) — The PIP reality: It’s a paid interview period
(8:35) — How to spot when you are being managed out (The "New Leader" Red Flag)
(10:24) — The financial motivation behind making you quit
(14:40) — How to leverage "Buckets of Wrongdoing" for severance
(19:00) — Preparing for the worst: What documents you need to gather now
(24:00) — Using HR vs. Being played by HR
(29:40) — The "At-Will" employment scam and why it’s one-sided
(36:30) — The mental health cost of carrying workplace trauma
 
The takeaway
Blind loyalty is a career liability.
If you are put on a PIP, the company has already broken up with you; they just haven't moved their stuff out yet.
Don't internalize the gaslighting. Document the dysfunction.
Turn their desire to get rid of you into your capital to walk away paid.
 
About Dan Goodman
Dan Goodman is the founder of Evaluationz and a fierce advocate for employees facing toxic workplaces, unjust PIPs, and termination. He helps professionals interpret the "game" of corporate employment, document wrongdoing, and negotiate severance packages that respect their dignity and tenure.
 
Connect with Dan
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-goodman2001/
Website: https://www.evaluationz.com/
 
Subscribe to Career Blast in a Half
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/career-blast-in-a-half/id1670977528
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/06a3ec936ca4e0c
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpGM7j8croBkkZ4bLqN7DOQ/
 
About Career Blast in a Half
A third of our lives is spent working. Career Blast, In a Half is your 30 minutes of weekly simple, powerful and actionable career fuel to keep your success track no matter where you are in your career or what's to come next. Hosted by career strategist Loren Greiff.
 
Work with Loren
Join the 30-Day BLAST Program: https://www.portfoliorocket.com/our-programs
 
Connect with Loren
Website: https://www.portfoliorocket.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorengreiff/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/portfoliorocket/
 
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and let us know what career topics you'd like us to cover!

Stop Being the "B Word": The Science of Status and Influence | Alison Fragale (Recast)

Do you believe that to be a badass, you also have to be the "B-word"—that you cannot be effective and liked at the same time? Many leaders chase power, thinking it comes from controlling resources—like holding the "car keys" to get what they want. But power and status are not the same thing; power is what you control, but status is how much you are respected. And in the long run, resources follow respect.
 
Why this matters
If your audience doesn't value or respect you, it is nearly impossible to be influential, regardless of your title. Most professionals treat influence as a transaction, only focusing on their network when they need a job or a favor. But human judgments are not random; people instantly categorize you as "friend or foe" based on your warmth and competence. If you aren't intentionally building your "status bank" when you don't need anything, you won't have the leverage when the stakes are high.
 
In this episode, we unpack:
The Power vs. Status Split: Why power controls valued resources, while status is respected and valued by others.
The "Car Keys" Trap: How holding resources (like budgets or authority) creates temporary influence but fails to build lasting respect.
The Podium Coaching Gap: Why women consistently ask different questions about negotiation and promotion than their male counterparts.
The Friend or Foe Radar: The two distinct dimensions—Warmth (intent) and Competence (ability)—that our brains use to judge every leader.
The "Latte" Rule: Why the absolute best time to build your network is when you are content and simply ordering a coffee.
Navigating Hotspots: How to execute tough decisions, like layoffs, with both assertiveness and warmth to protect your professional reputation.
Authenticity vs. Strategy: Why being "likable" isn't about faking a personality—it's about strategically demonstrating that you care about others' outcomes.
 
Timestamps
(0:00) — Intro
(1:47) — The differentiator between Influence, Power, and Status
(3:00) — Guest Intro: Alison Fragale and the Likable Badass framework
(5:00) — The "Podium Coaching" moments: What women ask that men don't
(11:11) — Power is holding the car keys: Controlling resources vs. earning respect
(14:45) — Status defined: Why resources follow respect
(16:40) — Friend or Foe: The science of Warmth and Competence
(24:00) — The "Latte" Metaphor: Networking when you don't need a favor
(28:00) — How to handle "bad guy" moments (layoffs, tough calls) while keeping status
(34:10) — The Authenticity Trap: Can you "fake" likability?
 
The takeaway
Power is controlling resources. Status is being the resource.
 
Resources follow respect.
 
Stop choosing between being liked and being effective. Be both.
 
About Alison Fragale
Alison Fragale, PhD, is an organizational psychologist and a professor who specializes in behavioral science to help women excel. She is the author of Likable Badass, a book dedicated to helping women get the success they deserve by mastering the science of status.
 
Connect with Alison Fragale
Website: alisonfragale.com
Book: Likable Badass
Newsletter: The Upper Hand (Substack)
LinkedIn: Alison Fragale, PhD
Instagram: @alisonfragale
 
Subscribe to Career Blast in a Half
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/career-blast-in-a-half/id1670977528
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3b3kSamj8RbTNNgOg5E5oi?si=5fea15335a744e73
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpGM7j8croBkkZ4bLqN7DOQ/
 
About Career Blast in a Half
A third of our lives is spent working. Career Blast in a Half is your 30 minutes of weekly simple, powerful, and actionable career fuel to keep your success track no matter where you are in your career or what's to come next. Hosted by career strategist Loren Greiff.
 
Work with Loren
Join the 30-Day BLAST Program: https://www.portfoliorocket.com/our-programs
 
Connect with Loren
Website: https://www.portfoliorocket.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorengreiff/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/portfoliorocket/
 
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and let us know what career topics you'd like us to cover!
 

Ask Better Questions, Land Better Jobs | Brenden Kumarasamy (Recast)

Forget preparing better answers.
The fastest way to stand out in interviews, networking, and executive conversations isn’t what you say —it’s what you ask.
Most professionals rely on generic questions.And then wonder why they’re forgettable.
In this episode, Brenden Kumarasamy — founder of MasterTalk — breaks down the 100, 200, and 300-level question framework and explains why the quality of your questions is one of the clearest predictors of how you’ll perform before you’re ever hired.
This isn’t about sounding impressive.It’s about signaling judgment, preparation, and future value.
Why this matters
Every interview ends the same way:
“What questions do you have for me?”
Most candidates waste that moment.
And that moment is often the only part of the conversation that actually differentiates you.
Weak questions don’t just stall momentum —they quietly tell decision-makers how you think.
In this episode, we unpack:
Why 100-level questions instantly put you in the “everyone else” category
How 200-level questions create rarity and make people lean in
What makes a 300-level question so powerful it changes how you’re evaluated
Why hiring decisions are made on future contribution, not past experience
How great questions act as a proxy for judgment, preparation, and leadership
The moment Brenden realized time mattered more than money — and how that shifted his career
How to build leverage whether you stay corporate or move into entrepreneurship
 
Timestamps
(0:00) – Intro(2:43) — How competitive case competitions became a communication business(6:08) – Why the quality of your questions shapes your career(10:29) – 100-level vs 200-level questions and why most people blend in(13:07) – 300-level questions and how they change how you’re evaluated(19:27) – Why questions predict performance better than résumés(21:25) – The moment time became more valuable than money(26:30) – Building leverage whether you stay corporate or leave
 
The real takeaway
Your résumé explains where you’ve been.Your questions forecast who you’ll be inside the company.
And executives know exactly how to read the difference.
 
Connect with Brenden
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendenkumarasamy/Website: https://www.mastertalk.ca/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MasterTalksInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/masteryourtalk/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastertalkyt/Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/masteryourtalks
Free Communication Workshop:https://www.rockstarcommunicator.com/
Connect with Loren
Website: https://www.portfoliorocket.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorengreiff/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/portfoliorocket/
Work with Loren
Join the 30-Day BLAST Program: https://www.portfoliorocket.com/our-programs

The Room Where It Happens: Why Group Coaching Beats Going Solo | Cecilia Aviles

Most C-suite executives resist group coaching.
They think it's beneath them. That they need one-on-one attention. That the cool kids don't do groups.
But here's what they're missing: The executives landing fastest aren't going it alone - they're in rooms with other sharp leaders who push them, connect them, and amplify their momentum.
Group coaching isn't about splitting attention. It's about multiplying force.
The hidden math of going solo
One coach. One perspective. One set of connections.
Versus:
One coach + 10-15 C-suite peers from different industries + guest experts + cross-pollinated networks + collective negotiation intel + real-time market intelligence.
That's not diluted support. That's exponential leverage.
In this episode:
Why the job market playbook from 10 years ago (or even last year) is obsolete
The real reason networking doesn't work - and what to do instead
How LinkedIn went from "nice to have" to non-negotiable visibility engine
Why referrals make up less than 10% of applications but 40% of hires
The hidden talent economy: roles created for people before they're ever posted
What separates executives who land in 60 days from those still searching at month 9
The power of micro-networks (clusters) over massive, generic connections
How to build your own digital power circle in 3 steps
Who should NOT be in a group program (and why that matters)
A real transformation
Before:
A 20-year healthcare executive. Over a decade at one company. LinkedIn follower count: under 1,000. No active presence. Outdated job search strategies. No idea how to navigate the new hiring landscape.
Then:
Joined Portfolio Rocket's group coaching program. Learned to build a voice on LinkedIn. Showed up authentically. Shared vulnerable stories (like iPhone rules for her daughter). Connected with peers across industries - education, design, marketing, advertising.
After:
14,000+ LinkedIn followers. A viral post picked up by Angela Duckworth. Global reach. Podcast invitations. A negotiation expert from the cohort coached her through her package. Introductions to Oprah's network within 24 hours. And a career ecosystem that breathes, responds, and remembers.
That's not luck. That's the compounding power of being in the room where it happens.
Timestamps
(0:00) - Intro
(1:17) - Why Cece joined group coaching after 10+ years out of the job market
(5:00) - The first piece of armor to drop: building a voice on LinkedIn
(8:11) - Why job searching today is fundamentally different than even a year ago
(10:50) - The hidden job market and roles created before posting
(14:30) - Networking is dead. Clustering is alive.
(16:40) - Times Square vs. the Sahara Desert: where do you want to be?
(19:03) - How to tap into micro-networks and digital power circles
(21:28) - The exponential effect: classmates become colleagues, friends, connectors
(22:00) - The intangibles: mindset, structure, guardrails, and optimism
(25:08) - Who should NOT be in a group program
(26:30) - October: 5 people landed. November: still counting.
The takeaway
Your next role isn't waiting in a job posting.
It's being shaped in a conversation you're not part of yet - with people who don't know your name.
Unless you're in the room where it happens.
Group coaching isn't a compromise. It's a catalyst.
Stop going solo. Start going exponential.
About Cecilia Aviles
Cecilia Aviles (Ceci) is a healthcare executive and nurse leader with over 20 years of experience in healthcare leadership roles - from nurse to manager, director, VP, COO, and CEO - at large health systems and federally qualified health centers. She holds an MBA and is passionate about patient experience, quality care, and developing the next generation of healthcare leaders. Cecilia is a fierce advocate for authenticity, transparency, and lifelong learning.
Connect with Cecilia:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceciliaaviles/
Subscribe to Career Blast in a Half
🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/career-blast-in-a-half/id1670977528
🎵 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3b3kSamj8RbTNNgOg5E5oi?si=a66a3ec936ca4e0c
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpGM7j8croBkkZ4bLqN7DOQ/
About Career Blast in a Half
A third of our lives is spent working. Career Blast, In a Half is your 30 minutes of weekly simple, powerful and actionable career fuel to keep your success track no matter where you are in your career or what's to come next. Hosted by Loren Greiff.
Work with Loren
Join the 30-Day BLAST Program: https://www.portfoliorocket.com/our-programs
Connect with Loren:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorengreiff/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/portfoliorocket/
💬 Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and let us know what career topics you'd like us to cover!

STOP Networking. Start Clustering | Loren Greiff

The old idea of “networking” is collecting connections, going wide, showing up everywhere is dead.
Everyone is visible. Everyone is accessible.And when everyone blends in, no one stands out.
What the market rewards now isn’t reach. It’s resonance.The tight, intentional circles where trust moves faster than volume and where opportunity spreads long before the job posting ever appears.
If you’ve been trying to meet more people instead of the right people, you’re playing the wrong game.
The real problem with traditional networking
Your network might be huge… but it’s flat.People know you, but they don’t think of you. You’re a name in a feed, not a person in their mental roster.
Clusters flip that completely.
Clusters are purposely small, high-trust groups where your story doesn’t need a 15-minute explanation.People understand you, advocate for you, and amplify you ...  organically.
In this episode:
• Why traditional networking is losing power in the digital age• The rise of micro-communities and why they outperform a huge network• What sociologists discovered decades ago about “weak ties” and why it matters more today• The difference between visibility and resonance (and why resonance wins)• The hidden math: why referrals drive almost 40% of hires with less than 10% of the volume• A step-by-step process to build your own cluster from scratch• Why generosity is your strongest currency in a curated network
A real before/after transformation
Before:An executive with thousands of connections but no traction. Their visibility was high, but their resonance was low. No one truly understood their value.
Then:They shifted focus from audience size to relationship depth — identifying 8–10 people who shared goals, challenged their thinking, and naturally advocated for them.
After:Their “network” became a power circle.Referrals increased, opportunities accelerated, and they moved from pushing their story out to having opportunities pulled toward them.
That’s the compounding force of a cluster:Small, intentional, and exponentially more effective than a wide but disconnected network.
Timestamps
(0:00) – The truth about job security(0:56) – Why most executives stay too long(1:20) – The myth that “visibility is enough”(2:00) – The death of the generic network(3:05) – What a cluster actually is(4:06) – “Weak ties” and how opportunity really spreads(5:16) – Why the 30-Day Blast exists(6:13) – How micro-communities create built-in trust(7:07) – How to identify your future cluster(8:02) – The referral math that changes everything(9:07) – Final takeaways: Small is big
The takeaway
Stop collecting contacts.Start collecting believers.
Your next opportunity won’t come from a crowded feed — it’ll come from a curated circle that sees your potential long before the rest of the world catches on.
Small is big.Clusters beat networks.Build the group that amplifies you next.
Connect with Loren
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorengreiff/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/portfoliorocket/
Subscribe to Career Blast in a Half
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/career-blast-in-a-half/id1670977528Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3b3kSamj8RbTNNgOg5E5oiYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpGM7j8croBkkZ4bLqN7DOQ/
About Career Blast in a Half
A third of your life is spent working.Career Blast in a Half is your weekly 30-minute hit of simple, powerful, and practical career acceleration — built for executives over 40 who want smarter moves, faster wins, and work that finally feels aligned.
Work with Loren
Join the 30-Day BLAST Program: https://www.portfoliorocket.com/our-programs
 

The Career Ladder Is Dead. What Actually Gets You Hired Now | Raina Gandhi

Forget the old playbook. The linear career ladder — degree, loyalty, promotions, retirement — is gone for good.
Today’s market doesn’t reward tenure, job titles, or waiting your turn.It rewards adaptability, strategic width, and leaders who can go deep without staying narrow.
If you’re still measuring success by promotions instead of progress, you’re playing a game that no longer exists.
 
The real cost of staying ladder-minded
Three years. That’s the average tenure of a C-Suite leader today. The skills that got you hired five years ago? Already trending obsolete. And in a market moving this fast, the only real job security is the kind you build yourself — through range and relevance.
 
In this episode:
• Why the old equation “progress = promotion” is keeping leaders stuck• The rise of the T-Shaped leader — and why depth alone is now a liability• How adaptability replaced tenure as the top hiring metric• The difference between strategic width and being a generalist• Why projects, not positions, drive credibility in a skills-based market• How to communicate your value on LinkedIn in seconds — the new résumé reality
 
A real before/after transformation
Before:A seasoned executive with deep expertise and a standout vertical — but no visible width. Their experience ran deep, but it looked narrow from the outside.
Then:They reframed their story around strategic width, showcasing cross-functional experience, adjacent skills, and project-based wins.
After:They moved from being overlooked as “too specialized” to being the standout candidate who could bridge data, strategy, tech, and communication. Their search accelerated — and so did their offers.
That’s the power of becoming T-Shaped: not more skills, but the right adjacent ones.
 
Timestamps
(0:00) – Intro(1:13) – Why skills-based hiring is a different market entirely(3:37) – What killed the traditional career ladder(5:20) – Ladder vs. lattice: why upward-only thinking no longer works(8:09) – Depth + breadth: the new definition of progress(10:02) – What a T-Shaped leader actually looks like(14:01) – Strategic width vs. generalist thinking(19:18) – How to show your T-Shape on LinkedIn(21:52) – Projects that signal adaptability(26:41) – The 3-question audit for staying relevant(28:48) – How to strengthen and deepen your T-Shape
 
The takeaway
The market doesn’t reward ladder climbers anymore. It rewards leaders who stay sharp, multidimensional, and adaptable.
The ladder is dead.The lattice won.Build the shape that gets you hired next.
 
Connect with Today's Guest, Raina Gandhi
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rainagandhi/
Website: https://www.rainagandhi.com/
 
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About Career Blast in a Half
A third of our lives is spent working. Career Blast, In a Half is your 30 minutes of weekly simple, powerful and actionable career fuel to keep your success track no matter where you are in your career or what's to come next. Hosted by career strategist Loren Greiff.
 
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