Career Blast in a Half

The Widening Pay Gap for Women and What to Do About It | Cindy Gallop

Forget “closing the gap.” It’s widening — for the first time since the 1960s.
And if you’re waiting for the system to fix it, you’ll be waiting forever.
Because as Cindy Gallop says: no one’s coming to save us.
 
Cost of waiting: Every underpaid year compounds the gap — not just in salary, but in wealth, opportunity, and ownership.
This episode isn’t about leaning in. It’s about taking over.
Cindy Gallop — entrepreneur, speaker, and founder of MakeLoveNotPorn.tv — joins Loren to dismantle outdated rules and lay out a new playbook for women who are done asking for permission.
 
In this episode:
Why women must unapologetically set out to make a “god-fcking-sht-ton of money” — and why that’s a good thing
The mindset shift from “safe jobs” to self-ownership and wealth creation
How to spot (and escape) the workplaces that quietly drain your confidence
A simple rule for asking for your true value — and getting it
Why starting your own business is the fastest path to power and equality
The They Got Acquired mindset: why anything you build has value — and how to cash in on it
How women can build their own financial ecosystems by funding, supporting, and hiring each other
 
Timestamps
(0:00) – Intro: Why this pay gap is different
(1:05) – Meet Cindy Gallop: The unapologetic truth-teller on money and power
(3:00) – Patriarchy, pay, and why she’s done explaining the “why”
(5:20) – Make a god-fcking-sht-ton of money — and help other women do it
(9:45) – Start your own business: the fastest path to equality
(13:10) – The corporate dilemma: how to ask for your worth and when to walk
(18:30) – Radical simplicity for confidence and negotiation
(23:50) – How to network like a pro (Cindy’s Dear Cindy method)
(27:45) – Reinventing after layoffs and ageism — your next move starts now
(31:30) – Final takeaways + Loren’s 30-Day Blast invitation
 
Mic-Drop:
No one’s coming to save you.
So stop waiting for equity — start creating it.
 
Loved the episode?
Support Cindy’s work:
Dear Cindy Substack
Cindy Gallop on LinkedIn
MakeLoveNotPorn.tv
 
Ready to own your next career move?
Join Loren’s 30-Day Blast — the fast-track program that helps executives land roles and raise compensation by 40%–100%.
Book your free 30-minute clarity call: https://www.portfoliorocket.com/contact
 
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Layoffs | The Hardest Thing No One Tells You About

Let’s be honest — the call hits harder than you think it will.
One moment, you’re leading teams and driving outcomes.
The next, your screen goes blank, and so does your sense of identity.
But here’s the truth no one tells you: the hardest part of a layoff isn’t the job loss.
It’s the identity freefall that follows.
 
And if you don’t pause long enough to process it, you’ll start reacting — applying, rewriting résumés, chasing anything that feels like control — instead of rebuilding with purpose.
 
This solo episode is about what happens after the call.
The silence. The confusion.
And the quiet chance to begin again — on your own terms.
 
In this episode, you’ll hear:
Why “apply harder” keeps you stuck in survival mode.
How to stop the spiral and regain your footing fast.
The 10-minute reset that rebuilds calm and clarity.
What the 30-Day Blast really is — and why it works.
How a no-pitch, 30-minute clarity call can change everything.
 
The Mic Drop
This isn’t the end.
It’s a reset.
And what you rebuild from here will be stronger — because it’ll be built on purpose.
 
Timestamps
(0:00) – Intro(0:58) – The silence and the identity freefall(2:15) – Rebuilding with intention, not reaction(3:55) – The clarity call that resets your footing(4:45) – The 30-Day Blast: clarity, confidence, results
 
Follow Loren & watch the show:
LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/lorengreiff
Instagram – @portfoliorocket
YouTube – Portfolio Rocket
Book your free 30-minute clarity call: https://www.portfoliorocket.com/contact

The Lie We’ve Been Sold About Work: Jessica Weiss on Why Happiness Is the Real KPI

Let’s get one thing straight: happiness isn’t the “perk” at the end of success. It’s the precondition for it.
Jessica Weiss — Happiness Expert, corporate strategist, and author of
Happiness Works: The Science of Thriving at Work — dismantles the myth that happiness is soft, fluffy, or found in a corner office.
Spoiler: it’s measurable, trainable, and completely within your control.Jessica spent 15 years advising the world’s biggest brands — Coca-Cola, J&J, AmEx — before realizing something startling: she’d hit every career benchmark and still wasn’t happy. That revelation sparked a decade of research into what truly makes people thrive at work.
What she discovered is not another feel-good formula. It’s science. It’s structure. And it’s a radical call to rewire how we define success.
In this episode, you’ll find out
Why the “dream job” is a myth — and how to create happiness, not wait for it.
The five pillars shared by people who flourish instead of flounder: connection, resilience, optimism, progress, and trust.
The neuroscience behind joy — how writing down three good things literally rewires your brain for happiness.
How psychological safety (not ping-pong tables) predicts performance and innovation.
Why progress is more powerful than promotion — and what that means for your team.
How to spot (and stop) burnout using the “antidote” Jessica calls strategic optimism.
The Mic Drop
Happiness isn’t a mood. It’s infrastructure.
It’s not about balance — it’s about design.
And it’s not waiting somewhere outside of you. You build it — one relationship, one mindset shift, one meaningful moment of progress at a time. (edited)
Timestamps
(0:00) – Intro: Why job security is outdated
(1:25) – When success doesn’t equal happiness
(4:22) – The 5 levers of real workplace happiness
(7:08) – Strategic optimism over toxic positivity
(9:25) – Building your dream job from where you are
(11:52) – Return-to-office without losing joy
(17:29) – Two metrics that predict thriving at work
(21:38) – The neuroscience of happiness & burnout
Pre-order Jessica’s book: Happiness Works: The Science of Thriving at Work — out 11/11
Connect with Jessica: jessicaweiss.com | LinkedIn
Follow Loren & watch the show:
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorengreiff/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/portfoliorocket/
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpGM7j8croBkkZ4bLqN7DOQ/
30-Day Blast — the fast, focused system for today’s market.

What Your Kids Learn When You Lose Your Job | Alyssa Smith

Forget being the unshakeable parent. Your kids don’t need perfection — they need to see recovery in real time.
Because when layoffs hit, routines collapse, or rejection stings… your response becomes their blueprint for resilience.
Every career setback is a parenting masterclass — if you let it be.
Cost of silence: a generation that confuses failure with danger.Cost of honesty: courage passed down in motion.
In this episode, parenting coach and educator Alyssa Smith joins Loren Greiff to talk about what happens when career chaos collides with home life — and how to turn breakdowns into the best lessons your kids will ever see.
You’ll take away:
Why protecting your kids from every hard moment teaches fear, not safety
How to “name the hard, model the hope” when life hits sideways
The one line every parent crosses — and how to replace guilt with ownership
What happens when your kids see courage in motion
The quiet power of modeling self-care, boundaries, and bounce-back
From breakdown to breakthrough:Alyssa shares how years in Montessori classrooms — and a string of personal losses — reshaped her idea of what real strength looks like. Today, she helps parents trade chaos for calm and power struggles for connection, even when life (and work) don’t go as planned.
Because what your child remembers isn’t your job title.It’s how you rise when things fall apart.
Mic Drop: Courage isn’t static — it moves. Show them how.
Loved the episode?Learn more about Alyssa’s upcoming masterclass, The Pushback Paradox, and The Parent Reset: Love Your Kid Louder and follow her on LinkedIn
Follow Loren on LinkedInWatch Career Blast in a Half on YouTube

2025 Played It Safe. 2026 Pays the Disruptors I Loren Greiff

2025 was the year of playing not to lose.
2026 belongs to the ones willing to break the system.
 
Safe is the new stuck.
If you’re still polishing your résumé, chasing recruiters, or applying like it’s 2015, you’re invisible.
 
This isn’t motivation—it’s a warning.
The market no longer rewards experience; it rewards relevance.
 
Inside:
 
The lies you’re still buying: “Keep applying.” “Keep tweaking.” Stop.
The Wisdom Dividend: scars and judgment beat jargon and polish.
Keyword karaoke is dead. 2026 hires storytellers with proof, not buzzwords.
AI isn’t your threat—it’s your amplifier. Use it to think faster and prove value before you walk in the door.
Remote work is a privilege. Presence is power.
 
Stop waiting to be found. Get in their ear, and their circle.
 
You don’t wait for the next wave. You are the wave.
Play it safe, and you’ll drown.
Disrupt—and you’ll own the tide.
 
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The Death of Corporate Loyalty I Nick Passarelli — Chief Compliance Officer, Risk Whisperer, Truth Teller

Loyalty used to earn you a pension.Now it earns you a pink slip.
Nick Passarelli has protected billion-dollar companies from risk—and realized the biggest one was believing loyalty still mattered. From Wall Street to crypto to fintech, he’s watched good people blindsided for playing by outdated rules.
This isn’t about layoffs. It’s about liberation.Stop renting your security from a company that can revoke it overnight.
You need to listen if you’ve ever said:
“I’ve been here forever.” “They’d never let me go.” “I’ll just ride it out.”
Because:
If you’re “just holding on,” you’re already replaceable. Loyalty = Liability.
Hard Work ≠ job security and doing your job won’t protect it.
Just because you made the loyalty deal. The company didn’t. Reciprocity Is a Myth.
So how do you trade false loyalty for real leverage. It’s all in here.
Loved the episode? Subscribe!
Follow Nick here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-passarelli-9777454/
Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorengreiff/
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/portfoliorocket/
Watch my podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpGM7j8croBkkZ4bLqN7DOQ/
 

Urgent. Expensive. Unfair. The Question That Unlocks Everything I Loren Greiff

Executives over 40 are polishing themselves into irrelevance. New résumé formats. AI-ing to death, noodling over every tweak and keyword hack. Titles that don’t matter.
 All distractions. And none of it wins interview momentum or the offer
Here’s the only question that does knowing this: “What urgent and expensive problem do you have the unfair advantage to solve?”
That’s not theory—it’s survival math.
Not urgent? You’ll wait months.
Not expensive? They’ll nickel-and-dime you or label you as overqualified
No unfair advantage? You’re one of too many, and the offer goes to someone else. 
But when urgency, expense, and unfair advantage collide—you’re the bullseye. That’s where hiring budgets unlock. That’s how offers land.
In this episode you’ll hear:
Why companies don’t pay for passion or polish—they pay to stop bleeding.
The 3 filters every executive must pass before they’re taken seriously.
How to flip the script from “what job do I want?” to “where’s the fire, who’s paying, and why am I holding the hose?”
My own urgent + expensive + unfair advantage—and how it changes the game.
If your search feels like quicksand, if your severance is dwindling, if you’re sick of being overlooked—this is your pivot point.
Because polish is dead weight. The bullseye is the only target that matters.
 
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Being “Qualified” Won’t Get You Hired I Gina Riley

Being “Qualified” Won’t Get You Hired I Gina Riley
This week, Gina Riley isn’t pulling any punches – teasing out the highlights of her new book,  Qualified Isn’t Enough.
We leave nothing behind, cracking open with the truths most executives don’t want to hear—but need to:
Why résumés are an illusion – receipts, not strategies.
The blind spots that sabotage even the best pedigrees.
Why thought leadership, not passion, is the new differentiator.
Why the final round is where most leaders fail.
Gina has sat inside the boardroom, trained execs, and built a system to move you from overlooked to undeniable.
If being “qualified” was enough, you’d be hired. This episode explains why you’re not—and how to address it.
 
Connect with Gina:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginariley/
Book: https://amzn.to/3Kih0Bt
 
Loved the episode? Subscribe to it!
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My Severance Is Running Out. Now What? Three Moves That Matter

My Severance Is Running Out. Now What? Three Moves That Matter.
Most people treat severance like a parachute. Safe. Cushioned. Time to drift.
Wrong. Severance isn’t a parachute—it’s a timer. And when it hits zero, panic sets in, options shrink, and desperation takes over.
This episode is about flipping that script. Turning panic into power with three moves that matter:
Stop polishing, start positioning. Resumés don’t win offers. Urgency does. Companies hire to stop the bleeding—find the problems only you can solve.
Treat networking like oxygen. 70–80% of hires happen in the hidden job market. That’s not a throwaway stat—a survival law. Block time daily, lead with curiosity, and end every conversation with “Who else should I talk to?”
Future-proof while you hunt. Smart execs don’t just chase the next paycheck. They build their next platform. Learn, share, and be seen—or fade into irrelevance.
Inside, you’ll also hear how to:
Spot neon signs of company pain—layoffs, compliance fines, churn, failed integrations.
Turn Glassdoor complaints from gossip into gold.
Use your unfair advantage to filter out noise and zero in on where you’re needed most.
If your severance clock is ticking, this episode gives you a sharper aim, stronger network, and a strategy that turns countdown into launchpad.

The Truth About PE Jobs: High Stakes, Hidden Rules, and Hard Lessons I Kit Lisle

The Truth About PE Jobs: High Stakes, Hidden Rules, and Hard Lessons I Kit Lisle
Private equity looks glamorous—fast money, big titles, big exits.
But the glossy promise hides a brutal truth: most execs flame out before they ever cash out.
Step into a PE-backed role and three things hit you at once:
Culture shock. The rules change overnight. Acronyms fly. Resources vanish.
The stamp. Survive a deal and you’re branded a pro athlete of business—faster, sharper, battle-tested.
The clock. From day one, it’s ticking. No 90-day ramp. Deliver value now.
In this episode, Kit Lisle—Army intelligence officer turned M&A strategist and founder of TheOperators.pe—pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to get hired into PE:
The myths that kill execs in interviews.
The red flags that get you crossed off instantly.
Why EQ matters more than spreadsheets.
And why job boards are useless when real opportunities live in relationships.
PE isn’t just another job. It’s a sprint, a test, and for those who make it, a career-defining badge of honor.
Thinking about a private equity role? Listen now. Because the truth isn’t in the job description—it’s in the hidden rules Kit Lisle reveals.