Podcast Highlights – Curious Monica (Episodes 1-4)
Curious Monica is all about understanding how and why people love the way they work. Hosted by Monica Kang, creative workplace expert and founder of InnovatorsBox, this podcast lets you in on authentic conversations with experts, and innovators in various industries. Every episode should remind you of how you can find meaningfulness in any work you do. Plus, we’ll learn about jobs we didn’t even know existed together! Join Monica on her curiosity journey.
Episode 1: People Operations & HR
Published: March 25, 2021 – 32 Minutes
A role that has a lot of impact that people often don’t understand is HR & Operations professionals.
There are a lot of negative connotations with HR: that they are overly-compliance orientated, they “always say no,” or are seen as the office “police.”
But HR professionals are key problem solvers and if engaged effectively, can help organizations unlock a lot of potential.
“The premium on the employee experience has never been higher. People expect a good experience working with you. You need smart partners navigating that, a multifaceted skillet in an HR professional. HR should be one of the first things you invest in.”
So what do HR professionals actually do? To dig deeper, Monica talks to several HR professionals and experts to express the diverse business, interpersonal, and even analytical skill sets of the role.
In the episode, we hear from HR professionals who show that you can walk into HR from all walks of life – even engineering, or sales. We also talk about how HR professionals can take care of themselves and embrace a positive, growth mindset
Key Question: How will you take action to learn about a new role?
Guests From Episode:
- Mimi Wang, Head of People Services, Gosh Enterprises
- Claire Kennedy, Vice President, People Operations, Axios
- Elyse Neumeier, Chief People Officer, EverQuote
- Enrique Rubio, Founder of Hacking HR
Episode 2: Connecting the Dots Between Product Managers and Product Marketers
Published: April 1, 2021 – 27 Minutes
Product managers and marketers are two of the most popular jobs today but only 26% of product managers have clarity in their role and strategy. In this podcast, Monica explores how you can thrive in a role that is constantly changing.
Product managers/marketers oversee the development of the product to ensure it meets customer needs and the larger business objective. They are specialists and generalists at the same time.
Learn from experts on how they developed their passion for project management and some lessons we can learn from their journey.
What we can learn from project managers & marketers:
- We may not even know our dream job exists yet, or perhaps they don’t exist yet!
- Build a niche within your expertise
- “Algorithms of oppression,” or built biases in our data, is something companies need to consider in building in marketing products
- Focus on what is going to stay as much as you focus on what is going to change
“Build a solid T-Shape: there’s foundational things you are good at, and then you can build different verticals off of that.”
Key Question: How will you choose to take your “unclear role” and build meaningfulness out of it?
Guests From Episode:
- Kushan Shah, Senior Growth Marketing Associate, Livongo
- Anne Griffin, Chief Product Officer & Founder of Griffin Product & Growth, Creator of Attract Your Dream Job
Episode 3: Food With Purpose: Chef and Food Business
Published: April 9, 2021 – 30 Minutes
Food means many things: culture, nourishment, happiness — but to many people in the industry, it also means making social and environmental impact.
In this podcast, Monica dives into what happens behind the scenes in the food industry (besides a LOT of paperwork). After all, there’s a big difference between the restaurant business and cooking!
In this episode, we discover how food industries are tackling the refugee crisis, charity & youth development, gender equality, food literacy & education, and making food accessible to all. We also learn about how experts have successfully pivoted their business during the pandemic through digitization and delivery.
“One of the missing pieces in our education system is our food knowledge. We leave school knowing how to use calculus, but not knowing to make dinner. That's a little bit goofy.”
The experts here actually inspired us to launch Innovator’s Kitchen, check out our new show where we pair food with leadership lessons.
Key Question: What does food mean to you?
Guests from Episode:
- Ian So, Co-Founder of Chicken and Rice Guys
- Eliza Martin, Head Chef at Culinary Artistas and ElizaTheChef
- Diego Rhoger, Chef, CEO of StartupZ and WePolymath
- Manal Kahi, Co-Founder of Eat Off Beat
#Reimagine Career Advice on Possibilities
Published: April 15, 2021 – 9 Minutes
Since you were young you’ve heard the question: What do you want to be when you grow up?
#Reimagine is a series where Monica shares bite-sized tips for innovators to encourage you in your journey. This podcast is all about career goals and how you get to enjoy your work.
In the episode, Monica takes us through what she learned from the beginning as a clumsy college student pursuing public policy, who was told she shouldn’t pursue business. The “you are not good at this” voice made she ask herself “Why? What if I DID want to pursue business?” Today, she does sales every day and is continuing to develop her skill-sets.
“The world is changing and so are we each day. How limiting is to judge the tree when it’s a seed?”
Key Question: Who do you want to be and why?
Guests from Episode:
Julia Smith, Coach at InnovatorsBox
Coaching 20 billion industry study
Kapor, designs coaching programs in federal government
Ted Talk: How to tame your advice monster
Sherri Arihuscn, worked in electrical engineering and nonprofits
Kashal Guru, coach at innovatorsbox, worked at Stanford
Jennifer Hart, coach at InnovatorsBox
Carfe, Malaysian Coach, @coachcarfe on Instagram
Episode 4: Unlocking People’s Potential: Coaches
Published: April 22, 2021 – 24 Minutes
The coaching industry is fast growing and also massively misunderstood. It’s not just a privilege for the c-suite. But what exactly do coaches do and how do they make a difference? How do you know who is good or not?
Coaching is facilitating someone else’s thinking, unlocking what’s in their head that they didn’t even know was in there – including how to facilitate conflict.
As Monica shares in the episode, some people think “Why am I talking to someone if they’re gonna listen and not give me an answer?” But coaching is more about clearing the space so you can identify the problems better yourself.
Coaches help leaders step back and learn how creatively empower their team, especially across cultures. We also explore the skill-sets needed to be a coach, which includes being prepared for anything. Ultimately, coaching is about mastering yourself and finding your confidence.
“Pure coaching is ‘I am helping you to grow as a human being so you can solve your own problems.’”
Key Question: How often do you feel like you can be yourself without people sharing their own agenda?
Guests from Episode:
- KarFei Cheah, Peak Performance Coach & Founder, Life Redesigned Coaching
- Vik Kapoor, President of Extra-M Coaching and Consulting
- Sherry Ezhuthachan, Owner/Coach at Hatch & Bloom LLC
- Julie Smith, InnovatorsBox Coach
- Kasia Gurgul, InnovatorsBox Coach
- Jennifer Hart, InnovatorsBox Coach
About the Author
Kree Pandey
Kree Pandey is a Content Strategist and Digital Marketer powering growth goals for brands with purpose. Founder and CEO of ShiftCreatives Digital® and Co-Founder of No Names Digital, Kree's work and passion collide at the intersection of 'Brand' and 'Impact'. After working with numerous clients across sectors like Real Estate, SaaS, Education, Retail, Finance, Sustainability, HR and many more, Kree has found that her niche isn't any particular industry, but it's brands that are seriously driven by impact, understand the value of brand equity, and aren't dabbling.
At InnovatorsBox®, Kree's main focus is augmenting its digital presences, the SEO, and some content strategy.
Kree is also a mom to a 2 year old, and losing hair fast!
