It's My Job

Ever wonder what a venture capitalist actually does?  Or how one becomes one? In this episode, we discuss all that at more with Collaborative Fund founder Craig Shapiro.

How does a museum art exhibit come together?  Dina Deitsch, the Director and Chief Curator of the Tufts University Art Galleries, tells us how she finds artists, arranges space, deals with staff administration, and also writes the text that appears on the wall.  

David Nam is an architect with Frank Gehry partners and has worked on iconic buildings around the world. In this episode, we ask David what drew him to architecture, how collaboration and critique works in his office, how he deals with opinionated clients, and what it's like to work with a world-famous architect.

Have you ever wanted to interrupt a conversation with "I object"? Shamita Etienne-Cummings does that as part of her job, but also works for some of the largest companies in the world on their most sensitive intellectual property disputes.  In this conversation we cover litigation, big firm practice, building your network, and finding satisfaction in a demanding job.

David Nam is a partner with Frank Gehry Architects, and has had a hand in crafting some of the most iconic buildings in the world. Do they really start with a napkin sketch? What if the client has "bad" ideas? And how does one person navigate everything from design to engineering to construction to client relationships? And are the hours really as crazy as advertised?  David tells us all that and more!  

We depend on software for so much, but how does it get written? What does it even mean to write code? And what impact will Generative AI have?  Ed Peters, Executive Distinguished Software Engineer at Capital One, tells us!

How confident do you feel ordering a glass of wine?  You're not alone. Bill Jensen's job is to make ordering wine fun and judgment free. And he's great at it. This podcast is fruit forward with a long finish.

Data science is one of the fastest growing professions, in part because it is one of the newest. But what do they do (other than run regressions)? Alex Smolenskya, of head of data science at Able, tells us about her work.

Making people laugh is amazing, but getting paid to do it is no easy feat! In this episode, Bevil and Michael are joined by Ophira Eisenberg, frequent host of the Moth, former host of Ask Me Another, and veteran stand up.  

They don't teach you how to run a college in college. That's because it takes an array of skills that go well beyond the academic: you have to be good at leading, communicating, fundraising, and, of course, educating. In this episode, we speak with the President of Trinity College, Joanne Berger-Sweeney, who tells us how it's done.

There are so many professions that are interesting and fulfilling but that we don't hear of until much later in life.  Physical therapy is a perfect example of that.  In this episode, Michael and Bevil speak with Ethan Gramstad, a physical therapist, to understand how he got there and what he does.  

You've probably heard of lobbyists, but do you know what they do? Or how you become one? In this episode, Bevil and Michael talk to Israel ("Izzy") Klein about being a lobbyist, whether we need lobbyists, and why Chuck Schumer is the hardest working man in politics. 

What’s it like to go to a funeral a week?  Which is harder to officiate, a funeral or a wedding?  More important, how do you decide you believe enough to become a religious leader? (And can it be done while having small children?) We learned that and more in a truly searching conversation with Rabbi Aaron Alexander. 

There's more to anthropology and archeology than Indiana Jones! In this episode, Rice University Professor Mary Prendergast tells us about working in remote Tanzania, explains why poop is such an exciting find, and wonders if she should have been a vet.

What does it mean to be a coach? Michael Melcher, the founder of M2 Leaders, and the author of "Your Invisible Network" and "The Creative Lawyer" is here to tell us.  There's also a meta layer to this conversation because this podcast is all about career choices and experiences.  Who better to discuss that with than someone who guides people through their careers professionally!

Have you ever wondered how television is actually made? In this episode, Michael and Bevil talk with Jordan Reddout, the showrunner for Hulu's "The Other Black Girl." Jordan shares what it's like to be inside the writer's room, what it means to be a showrunner, and also shares some stories about how Hollywood is not for the faint of heart.

All of us have been to the doctor, but what is it like to actually be one?  Clay Ackerly, a primary care physician, tells us what it's like to balance caring for patients, staying up on the science, dealing with insurance, and managing burnout.

"Get out your notebook, there's more." Michael and Bevil talk with New York Times Technology reporter Cecilia Kang about what it's like to be a journalist. Cecilia shares how she got into journalism, how she crafts stories, and Bevil learns that a "nut graph" is does not have an x and y axis.

Have you ever wondered how television is actually made? In this episode, Michael and Bevil talk with Jordan Reddout, the showrunner for Hulu's "The Other Black Girl." Jordan shares what it's like to be inside the writer's room, what it means to be a showrunner, and also shares some stories about how Hollywood is not for the faint of heart.

All of us have been to the doctor, but what is it like to actually be one?  Clay Ackerly, a primary care physician, tells us what it's like to balance caring for patients, staying up on the science, dealing with insurance, and managing burnout.