In this episode of Clocking Out, we meet Carla Stickler, a former Broadway actor who once brought Elphaba to life in Wicked and now writes code as a web engineer at Spotify. After landing her first big tour right out of college, Carla returned to New York expecting stardom. Only to find herself waiting tables, battling rejection, and facing the hard truth that talent alone doesn’t guarantee success. That humbling chapter forced her ego to take a back seat and ultimately reshaped her definition o...
Jul 23, 2025•56 min•Season 4Ep. 1
In this episode of Clocking Out, we meet Dakota Barker, a former medical professional who once believed her future was in hospitals and healing. For years, she poured her heart into caring for pediatric cancer patients, driven by a deep passion for helping others. But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the cracks in the healthcare system widened, and the emotional toll became impossible to ignore. Burnout crept in until it became overwhelming. Dakota found herself crying before shifts, questioning ...
Jul 09, 2025•59 min•Season 3Ep. 15
In this episode of Clocking Out, we meet Rachel Humphrey — a former trial attorney who once believed she'd spend her entire life arguing cases in court. But after two decades in law and a major cross-country move, Rachel found herself at a crossroads: unfulfilled and reevaluating her life’s direction. When her longtime nanny unexpectedly resigned, Rachel made a bold decision — she quit her job without a backup plan, determined to rediscover what truly fueled her. That leap led her somewhere she ...
Jun 25, 2025•1 hr•Season 3Ep. 14
In this episode of Clocking Out , we meet Haley Pollack — a former academic and educator whose life took a dramatic turn when she was diagnosed with Stage III colon cancer at age 37. A mother of two, including a six-month-old at the time, Haley found herself navigating not only a devastating diagnosis but also the emotional complexity of parenting through it. Haley’s career began in academia, with a PhD in U.S. history and a deep passion for teaching. After a decade in the adjunct “rat race,” sh...
Jun 11, 2025•53 min•Season 3Ep. 13
In this episode of Clocking Out, we meet Lynne Thompson — a former lawyer who spent over 20 years in the legal world before answering a call that had echoed since childhood: poetry. Lynne pivoted from litigation to literature, ultimately becoming Los Angeles’ 4th Poet Laureate, a nationally recognized advocate for the power of poetry, and the author of four acclaimed collections, including Blue on a Blue Palette. A native Angeleno and daughter of Caribbean immigrants, Lynne grew up in where book...
May 28, 2025•48 min•Season 3Ep. 12
In this episode of Clocking Out, we meet Simon Rinne, a former government worker who spent years navigating traditional career paths before realizing his deeper purpose was to support others in their healing. Now a mental health social worker and founder of Mindful Men, Simon helps men break the silence around mental illness, drawing from his own lived experience with undiagnosed OCD, depression, and anxiety. Simon grew up in a working-class, hyper-masculine household in northern Adelaide, where...
May 14, 2025•50 min•Season 3Ep. 11
In this episode of Clocking Out, we meet Sarah Dale — a woman who spent years excelling in the world of media and advertising, helping brands like The Wall Street Journal and Fortune grow and thrive. Raised in a driven, adventurous family in New Jersey, Sarah learned early on that anything was possible — a mindset that carried her through multiple career pivots. After building early career success and pursuing a new job opportunity, Sarah decided to take a much-needed break and traveled to Monta...
Apr 30, 2025•56 min•Season 3Ep. 10
In this episode of Clocking Out, we sit down with Jeremy Schifeling, founder of The Job Insiders and author of the Amazon best-seller LinkedIn and ChatGPT for Job-Seeking. Growing up in the working-class city of Buffalo and dreaming of playing for the Chicago Cubs, Jeremy learned early on how to hustle, adapt, and punch above his weight. Jeremy shares how his early days substitute teaching in Brooklyn classrooms—often a trial by fire—helped him discover his true passion: empowering others throug...
Apr 16, 2025•44 min•Season 3Ep. 9
In this episode of Clocking Out, we meet Christopher Chin, a former data scientist turned communication coach who’s helping people transform information into impact. Chris grew up in Queens, New York, in a household led by immigrant parents—both doctors—who encouraged him and his brother to follow traditional paths. But Chris had other ideas. His first bold pivot came in college, when he left pre-med to study music composition, turning a lifelong passion into a creative career. After working as ...
Apr 02, 2025•49 min•Season 3Ep. 8
In this episode of Clocking Out, we dive into the inspiring journey of Amber Williams, a Brooklyn native with deep Caribbean roots. Growing up in a vibrant immigrant community, education and ambition were ingrained in her from a young age. Though she initially aspired to be a lawyer, a pivotal summer program introduced her to the world of television, setting her on a path toward media and storytelling. Amber studied Film & Television at Hobart College, gained hands-on experience through inte...
Mar 19, 2025•56 min•Season 3Ep. 7
In this episode of Clocking Out, we explore the incredible career journey of Ronald H. Braver, a financial crime investigator who transitioned from government service to private sector success. Ron grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and was fascinated by James Bond and dreamed of pursuing a career in investigative work. He followed that passion, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and later a Master’s in Taxation from DePaul University. After college, Ron embarked on a remarkable 25-year ca...
Mar 05, 2025•39 min•Season 3Ep. 6
In this episode of Clocking Out, we sit down with Casey Brown, a bold entrepreneur and founder of Boost Pricing, who walked away from the corporate world to help businesses sell at higher prices—and to give sales teams the confidence they need to succeed. Growing up in a hardworking blue-collar town in Ohio, Casey was shaped by the values of persistence and education, instilled by her parents. With a dual degree in chemical engineering and Spanish, plus an MBA from Case Western Reserve Universit...
Feb 19, 2025•46 min•Season 3Ep. 5
In this episode of Clocking Out, Raymond welcomes Ginny Palmieri, a powerhouse leader who has mastered the intersection of HR, business strategy, and entrepreneurship. With a distinguished career spanning executive roles at Independence Blue Cross, Commerce Bancorp, and Bank of America, Ginny has built a reputation for driving transformation and inspiring growth. Now, as the CEO and Co-Founder of MyNextory, she’s on a mission to revolutionize career development through innovative, scalable solut...
Feb 05, 2025•45 min•Season 3Ep. 4
In this episode of Clocking Out, Raymond is joined by Dr. Fiona Jamison, a seasoned leader in people analytics and organizational research. Fiona’s remarkable career spans over 25 years and includes exiting and selling her company Spring International. Fiona was born in the UK and moved to the US after college. With a Ph.D. in Human Resource Management from the University of Bristol, she’s a true expert in transforming complex data into actionable insights that drive business performance. Fiona’...
Jan 22, 2025•53 min•Season 3Ep. 3
In this episode of Clocking Out, Raymond is joined by Aurelie Foucart, the founder of Affirmed Leadership, a company dedicated to executive coaching and leadership training. Born and raised in Paris, France, Aurelie's early life was filled with a love for writing and playing the piano, but she ultimately followed her mother’s advice to pursue a more traditional path and earned a law degree. Aurelie’s career took a fascinating turn after spending over a decade in management consulting, working in...
Jan 08, 2025•42 min•Season 3Ep. 2
In this episode of Clocking Out, Alice Rush, a certified Master Career Counselor, shares her inspiring journey from starting her career as a sales leader to becoming a leading expert in career coaching and counseling. Born in Palo Alto, CA, her father spent 30 years at IBM as an engineer and her mother was a concert pianist and entrepreneur. Alice learned early on the importance of both stability and the pursuit of passion. After working in a sales job at NCR with a grueling daily commute, Alice...
Dec 18, 2024•40 min•Season 3Ep. 1
In this inspiring episode of Clocking Out, Kate Lingoni, shares her amazing story of being a researcher, entrepreneur, actor, mom, and business owner whose career journey has been anything but conventional. Born in Metairie, Louisiana, Kate went to Archbishop Chapelle High School and later graduated from Louisiana State University. Kate’s early aspirations were rooted in a desire to serve others, initially wanting to become a police officer, but she later shifted her focus to Forensics and ultim...
Dec 11, 2024•50 min•Season 2Ep. 15
In Episode 29 of the Clocking Out podcast, we hear the inspiring journey of Wes Ehnert Carfi, a former sales leader who made a bold leap from a successful career in advertising sales to embracing his true passions for coaching, music, and comedy. Born and raised in New Jersey to a large Italian family with over 40 cousins, Wes was an entertainer at heart from an early age—whether it was through music, comedy, or sports. He was inspired by his mom’s unique ability to make people laugh. After deca...
Dec 04, 2024•39 min•Season 2Ep. 14
In Episode 28 of Clocking Out, Raymond sits down with Sairan Aqrawi, who shares her inspiring journey of transformation and self-discovery. Born in Iraq, Sairan left her home country in 1997 to pursue the American Dream. Influenced by her father, she chose a career in Civil Engineering, dedicating herself to the field and excelling in systems integration and project delivery. But despite her success, Sairan found herself drawn to a new path—one that would allow her to tap into her true passion f...
Nov 20, 2024•50 min•Season 2Ep. 13
In Episode 27 of Clocking Out, Raymond Lee sits down with Kayla McDaniel, a tech leader whose career journey has taken unexpected—and ultimately rewarding—turns. Originally set on becoming a nurse, Kayla pivoted to pursue degrees in computer science and international business. Her path wasn’t without challenges; a trio of layoffs pushed her to reconsider her career trajectory, eventually leading her into software client success, where she has thrived by applying her technical expertise and leade...
Nov 13, 2024•42 min•Season 2Ep. 12
In this episode of Clocking Out, host Raymond Lee sits down with Tammi Marks, a seasoned healthcare professional who recently took a bold step toward fulfilling her lifelong passion. After a 30-year career spanning clinical roles and healthcare IT, Tammi found herself at a crossroads when she was unexpectedly laid off from her position at Common Spirits. Rather than letting this setback define her, she embraced it as an opportunity to "clock out" of her former role and dive into something she ha...
Nov 06, 2024•50 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Ila Edgar is a firm believer that trust is the foundation of all relationships, including the one we have with ourselves. Her extensive experience in progressive leadership roles across diverse industries led her to establish Big Change Inc., a consultancy dedicated to partnering with leaders and teams to identify and overcome relational obstacles that impede their success. Through her expert guidance, clients forge stronger relationships and implement meaningful changes within their teams and o...
Oct 30, 2024•53 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Bianca Sibiya is a passionate, value-driven digital marketer, speaker, and culture leader with over 20 years of experience in Tech, Fintech, Broadcast, Fashion, and Film across Sub-Saharan Africa. She develops future-state B2B and B2C strategies for brands and agencies, helping them better leverage social platforms, build community content ecosystems through shared interests, scale social selling, and integrate culture to shape impactful marketing strategies. After building the operations at Tik...
Oct 23, 2024•58 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Danielle Smeltzer is an advocate for trauma-informed leadership and progressive workplace well-being. As the founder of Awarely Embodied Leadership, she's on a mission to help leaders reclaim their well-being as they rise while challenging organizations to consider more sustainable paths to growth. By drawing on her 16+ years of leadership expertise and over 500 hours of training in trauma-informed practices, coaching, mindfulness, and somatics, she inspires high-performing women and organizatio...
Oct 16, 2024•40 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Please welcome Vanessa Karel to the Clocking Out podcast. Vanessa Karel, is a second-time Founder, Serial Entrepreneur, Storyteller, and Creative Producer. She was named as one of the 100 rising Latinx Startup founders to watch by Inicio Ventures and a Latinx to watch by Hispanic Executive through her work founding Greether; a travel startup that helps women travel safer. Most recently she was the most voted entrepreneur creating impact in Mexico by ASEM . Vanessa is also currently leading Girls...
Oct 09, 2024•48 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Please welcome Angela Pointon to the Clocking Out podcast. Angela Pointon is a fractional Chief Marketing Officer and revenue strategist who helps B2B companies get their marketing on a solid foundation and is focused on growth. She has over 25 years of marketing experience, and also successfully exited and sold an award-winning marketing agency, 11outof11, in 2023. Angela is a speaker, podcaster and author of the book, "Stop Blending In". Angela serves as committee co-chair of women's initiativ...
Oct 02, 2024•45 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Please welcome Chris Baer to the Clocking Out podcast. Chris Baer is the founder of the Mandala Institute , an organization that helps leaders create humanistic and innovation culture in teams and companies. He is an expert on innovation strategy, engaging and growing talent through coaching, as well as design methodologies.Chris is also a co-founder of Sunstone Therapies , an early-stage medical company dedicated to alleviating emotional distress in patients through trial psychedelic therapies....
Sep 25, 2024•41 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Please welcome Rasagna Holt to the Clocking Out podcast. Rasagna Holt was born and raised in a small rural town in India, where her family has a strong tradition of entrepreneurship and musical excellence. Her father is a medical doctor, and her mother, both an entrepreneur and a renowned singer, serves as the Dean of a Women's University. In addition to running a training institute for students, Rasagna’s mother was an All India Radio artist, TV performer, and lead singer in a cover band. Her g...
Sep 18, 2024•43 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Please welcome Deanna deBara to the Clocking Out podcast. Deanna deBara is a writer whose work has appeared in Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Men's Health and more. She is also a content marketer with almost a decade of experience working with brands to elevate their content, connect with their target audience, and drive real, measurable results. Following a period of professional stuckness, Deanna recently launched Season of Stuck, a podcast about the all-too-human experience of feeling stuck: how and ...
Sep 11, 2024•47 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Today, Romain Sestier joins the Clocking Out Podcast! Romain is originally from a small town in France and has such an interesting career journey. He is currently the co-founder and CEO of StackOne, a unified integration platform that helps HR Tech SaaS companies to add dozens of integrations to their products in days. Prior to founding StackOne, Romain was a Product Manager at Google where he led the creation of a 0 → $1bn product, was VP of Product and Services at Yieldify (acquired by Publici...
Sep 04, 2024•46 min•Season 2Ep. 2
