Chan with a Plan

How to overcome career obstacles and achieve your career goals

EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Andrea Yacub Macek, founder and CEO of AYM Consulting, a career coaching company. We discussed 2 significant career curveballs she had to face in her career that were both a blessing in disguise as each curveball helped give her career clarity and guidance needed to move her career in the right direction. The main message she wants to provide is that linearity does not equal success and as long as you are making moves that helps you get one step closer to discovering what you truly want, that's all that matters.
QUOTES
“[When looking for signs a layoff is coming] In my experience with myself and with clients, typically it’s a reorganization, a leadership change, a budget reason most of the time.” - Andrea Yacub Macek [16:54]
“[When I got laid off from my job] I was very relieved and I know that’s not always the emotion that people feel, rightfully so when they get laid off but I was at a place mentally, emotionally with that job that it was not healthy anymore.” - Andrea Yacub Macek [29:58]
“Sometimes these unexpected events like a layoff will happen to you, if you’re already looking for something else, you aren’t sure what you want to do, I hope for you, it’s going to push you in the right direction, cause it’s done that for me multiple times in my career.” - Andrea Yacub Macek [33:39]
TIMESTAMPS
[0:33] Meet Andrea
[2:19] The 2008 recession (1st career curveball) and its impact it had on Andrea as a soon to be Masters Graduate trying to enter the workforce
[7:09] Andrea’s networking strategy to land a higher education job opportunity and advice to professionals trying to network to advance their career
[11:14] Common misconceptions of the job search that Andrea had as a recent graduate looking for her first corporate role
[13:12] How much should you tinker your resume when you are already getting a consistent amount of interviews but aren’t landing that job
[14:35] Getting laid off (2nd career curveball)
[16:25] Additional signs a layoff is coming at your company
[17:25] How Andrea knew she was being let go on her first day back at work, coming back from her honeymoon
[19:52] Discussing how performance plays a factor in who gets laid off in an organization
[21:31] Signs at an interview that this company is not right for you
[23:46] Accepting a less than ideal job because you need the money and what you need to do to plan your next move after
[25:08] Perspective on job hopping
[28:05] What happened after the layoff conversation Andrea had with her former company and what she did short term to adapt to this change in her life
[32:57] Job searching after layoff and what led her to start her own career coaching business
[35:53] How Andrea landed her first client for her career coaching business and her current business strategy to grow it
[37:27] Difference between employee and employer that Andrea realized as she started her own business
[39:14] The difference between the 2008 recession and COVID-19 pandemic when it comes to how it affects someone’s career
[41:00] A major roadblock that Andrea had faced and what she did to overcome it to move her career forward
[43:59] Contacting Andrea
[44:27] Outro
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Andrea Yacub Macek on LinkedIn
Chan With A Plan
Max Chan on LinkedIn

How to launch a product successfully

EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Nicole Andani, VP of International Sales & Marketing at Northern Response, a company that reaches 90 countries worldwide. We go in depth on product development and product marketing, from finding the right product to build, finding key subject matter experts to help you with your launch and marketing your product effectively to your target market. 
QUOTES
“I always say when something is in the market and successfully selling, it’s proof of market, it is selling and so if you can capture just a piece of that pie by having just a unique spin or twist on those types of things, then you can make a good living for yourself.” - Nicole Andani [6:16]
“Everything is Google searchable now, you will be surprised how many resources are online and how many angel investors want to invest in this process [of building a product].” - Nicole Andani [27:03]
“One of the biggest mistakes [entrepreneurs make] is not planning and giving yourself enough time for a product launch.” - Nicole Andani [58:48]
TIMESTAMPS
[0:30] Meet Nicole
[3:07] Popular product categories you should build in 
[6:07] Building a product in a category that already has a lot of competition
[8:36] Finding and researching the right product to start your business and understanding the marketing fundamentals in order to have a successful product launch
[17:42] How much should one plan before starting to invest in a prototype and how to acquire funding
[27:37] Finding resources to help build your design and build your product if you don’t have that expertise
[29:10] The use of focus groups to ensure you are building the right product for your target customer, finding your unique value proposition and the consequences if you do not do proper customer research
[34:30] Discussing whether it’s better to build a test product first or to do a fundraiser to see the demand and use the money from the fundraiser to build the product
[38:14] Key subject matter experts you need to work with in order to build a successful product
[45:13] Defining your product’s price to generate a healthy margin in order to be profitable
[47:53] Marketing your product and finding the right channels to market your product effectively
[53:28] Evaluation of whether your product is successful
[58:06] Common mistakes that entrepreneurs make when starting their product creation journey
[1:03:15] A major roadblock that Nicole had faced and what she did to overcome it to move her career forward
[1:06:00] Contacting Nicole
[1:06:40] Outro
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Northern Response Company Website
Nicole Andani on LinkedIn
Chan With A Plan
Max Chan on LinkedIn

Taking career risks to help you land bigger opportunities

EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Lindsay Issler, an entertainment industry veteran currently a Brand Director at CBS. We go in depth with Lindsay’s career journey from getting her start in the entertainment industry and taking risks in her career in order to get to where she is today. Lindsay also provides advice for aspiring entertainment professionals that want to get into the industry themselves and what they need to do in order to be successful in the industry in the long run.
QUOTES
“Dig your well before you’re thirsty, and take advantage of being a student and get yourself out there and start building relationships and planting seeds everywhere you can at these companies that you’re interested in.” - Lindsay Issler [8:16]
“I know that it’s a really personal thing, but I’m not really big on counter offers for a number of reasons, mainly that I felt like I was done with that experience at Lionsgate and I had outgrown it and I was already too far down the rabbit hole interviewing with other companies, that it wouldn’t have made sense for me to stay.” - Lindsay Issler [26:06]
“Taking risks and doing challenging things that scare you, put you out of your comfort zone and just make you feel like you have to rise to a challenge are important to have, like those are the types of experiences that you have room to grow.” - Lindsay Issler [33:54]
TIMESTAMPS
[0:25] Meet Lindsay
[1:09] Lindsay’s thoughts on the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the entertainment industry 
[4:23] How Lindsay got her start in the entertainment industry
[7:42] Advice for soon to be grads and recent grads on how to break into the entertainment industry 
[9:57] Knowing your why when it comes to wanting to get into the entertainment industry
[16:59] The future of new movie releases as the COVID-19 pandemic dies down
[18:22] Advice on getting promoted in the entertainment industry
[21:56] Evaluating her opportunity with Fox and the risk of joining a company that was going through being acquired
[27:37] Lindsay’s next move after Fox and what she needed to do to get to the next step of her career
[33:39] Advice on taking calculated risks to further your career
[35:51] What Lindsay looks for in her next hire for her team during the interview process
[41:27] Discussing whether it’s a good time right now to try to pivot into entertainment as the industry is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic
[44:06] A major roadblock that Lindsay had faced and what she did to overcome it to move her career forward
[45:51] Contacting Lindsay
[46:43] Outro
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Lindsay Issler on LinkedIn
Chan With A Plan
Max Chan on LinkedIn

From crippling debt to debt free and growing a 6 figure net worth in 5 years

EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Amanda Henry, founder of Lady Boss Finance, a platform created to equip young professionals with the blueprint for navigating the corporate workplace and their personal finances to live abundant lives. We go in depth with Amanda’s story of how she graduated from an ivy league school with $65K in debt, paying it off quickly and going into detail in her investing strategy to build a 6 figure net worth to set herself up for long term financial success.  
QUOTES
“It is true when they say you can only decrease your expenses by so much, and I’m not even somebody who had a legit social life and so, I can only imagine how hard it is if you’re more you know out there person.” - Amanda Henry [29:40]
“[When it comes to investing] One of the things I’m really thankful for in terms of understanding your benefits package and just for any professional out there, make sure you understand what all is available to you, like companies do want to invest in your well being and in your success and there’s likely some sort of benefit that you are not taking advantage of.” - Amanda Henry [44:42]
“At the end of the day, personal finance is personal, it is not my place or anyone else’s to tell you what’s going to make the most sense for you and your family because we all have different things we’re trying to achieve and on different timelines.” - Amanda Henry [56:17]
TIMESTAMPS
[0:24] Meet Amanda
[9:03] Advice for students wanting to juggle a job and school in order to pay off some of that student loan
[13:42] Differences between working in an educational environment and working in a corporate environment
[15:32] Learning lessons when Amanda started to pay off her student loan
[22:07] The importance of negotiating in your career 
[24:15] Amanda’s experiences on moving to a new city for her new job at Google and why she decided to leave her current job at the time
[25:40] A walkthrough of Amanda’s financial strategy in paying off her debt from her start at Verizon to her current tenure at Google 
[32:36] Thoughts on investing while you’re paying off your debt 
[34:00] The logistics of your 401K when you move to another company
[35:45] How Amanda calculated the right amount for her emergency fund
[38:46] Amanda’s journey getting into Google
[44:28] Amanda’s investing strategies in building her 6 figure net worth and learning lessons along the way
[1:02:41] Career advice for recent grads in finding the right work environment for them to start their career
[1:06:15] How Amanda started Lady Boss Finance and the future of the brand 
[1:16:36] A major roadblock that Amanda had faced and what she did to overcome it to move her career forward
[1:21:11] Contacting Amanda
[1:22:01] Outro
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Lady Boss Finance on Instagram
Lady Boss Finance on TikTok
Lady Boss Finance on Twitter
Amanda Henry on LinkedIn
Chan With A Plan
Max Chan on LinkedIn

How companies hire and what you need to know to achieve job search success

EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Joseph Kim, the Director of Talent Acquisition at Kira Systems where he has led growth efforts to scale the company by more than 500%. We talk about job search strategies in general and what recruiters look for in selecting a candidate from 1st round screening to sending out that coveted job offer. In addition, we also dive deep into Kira Systems’ hiring process to get an inside look at how his company evaluates candidates so you can get an idea of what companies such as his, looks for in a standout application to increase your odds of engaging with more companies that want you as their next hire. 
QUOTES
“I’ll tell you right now, many Talent Acquisition professionals are very biased towards you having done the role before, or the job before, unless you are applying for an early career job, they will want to have seen you do something similar in capacity as opposed to taking a chance.” - Joseph Kim [23:57]
“[When it comes to finding proper salary information] I think what you need to be doing is asking other professionals in your network who are in a similar role, if I want to be let’s say a senior accountant on a finance team what’s the kind of compensation I should expect to ask, or what I should be expecting in terms of compensation.” - Joseph Kim [1:01:17]
“[When it comes to reaching out to recruiters] I feel like a lot of people send those notes without doing the leg work involved to prepare for those conversations or do the work that makes me want to engage with you.” - Joseph Kim [1:28:01]
TIMESTAMPS
[0:05] Meet Joseph
[4:44] Difference between a 3rd party/agency recruiter compared to an internal company recruiter
[10:01] The importance of LinkedIn as part of your overall job search strategy and what to do to optimize your LinkedIn profile to increase messages sent to you from recruiters for potential job opportunities
[16:24] An overview of the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and what it does as part of a company’s recruiting process
[20:01] The process of creating a job ad for a new role
[23:16] How close of a match you need to be with the job ad in order to apply and have a good chance at getting an interview
[26:38] Discussing if ATS systems auto-reject resumes that don’t fit a certain criteria outlined by the recruiter
[28:53] How much time on average does a recruiter spend looking at a resume
[32:28] Joseph’s tips on writing a good resume to increase your response rate for online job applications
[37:44] Does Kira Systems emphasize on cover letters for their online job applications and Joseph’s opinion on cover letters for your job search
[39:22] Additional documents you should upload as part of your online job application to strengthen your candidacy
[41:45] Resume tips for recent grads 
[47:31] Average amount of candidates that get selected for a 1st round screening at Kira Systems
[50:33] Reference and Background check process at Kira Systems
[54:29] How Kira Systems competes for top talent against the big companies that everyone knows and wants to work for
[59:12] How compensation is crafted at Kira Systems and why some companies ask salary expectations at the 1st round screening call
[1:00:58] Finding good accurate salary information for a role you are interviewing for to not eliminate yourself out of the running for an opportunity
[1:04:23] Discussing Kira Systems interview process and what they look for in a candidate 
[1:14:24] Joseph’s thoughts on thank you notes and follow up Emails from candidates
[1:15:57] If a candidate doesn’t get the role at Kira Systems that they interviewed for, is it ok to apply to another role in the future, how soon can you apply again and how many can you apply to at once
[1:17:47] Would Kira Systems be proactive in reaching out to a candidate that’s on file that didn’t get the job they apply for to apply for another role at the company
[1:19:09] Joseph’s thoughts on 1 way video interview screenings 
[1:20:53] Joseph’s opinion on professionals job hopping for a better opportunity
[1:23:04] The advantage of being a referral candidate for a job opening compared to going in completely cold and tips from Joseph on how to network properly to get that referral
[1:27:17] Best practices when wanting to reach out to the recruiter who posted the job ad on LinkedIn
[1:32:06] Joseph’s opinion on sending your LinkedIn profile as part of your online application if you apply to a company’s job through LinkedIn directly
[1:33:04] A major roadblock that Joseph has faced and what he did to overcome it to move his career forward
[1:35:08] Best practices on how older workers can collaborate and work well with younger professionals that are part of the Gen Z and Millennial generation 
[1:38:03] Contacting Joseph
[1:38:48] Outro
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Kira Systems
Joseph Kim on LinkedIn
Chan With A Plan
Max Chan on LinkedIn

How to write a killer resume to land more interviews and get you hired

EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Virginia Franco, a multi-certified Executive Resume and LinkedIn Writer, Coach and Storyteller. Virginia discusses how writing a resume isn’t a one size fits all solution, as your strategy will change depending on where you are in your career. She also discusses other important resume best practices such as length of bullet points, addressing work gaps and common mistakes you should avoid when writing a resume. We end the conversation more on the business side of resume writing such as when is it best to hire someone to write it for you, the expected price range and what questions to ask the resume writer to ensure they are an ideal fit for you.
QUOTES
“When it comes to writing your resume and writing your LinkedIn profile [for the next level up], you need to go through job postings and compare a manager role to a director role and see the differences.” - Virginia Franco [3:52]
“[When writing a resume to pivot industries] what I try to do is often times I can dig into someone’s history and uncover where they’ve actually worked at different industries but maybe that stuff doesn’t show up until page 2, so someone doesn’t recognize it so when someone is looking to make an industry pivot, sometimes I will list the industries they worked at, in the branding paragraph at the top, so that the reader can go, oh well he’s clearly been able to jump from industry to industry.” - Virginia Franco [10:54]
“A big error that I see is that people are still writing these [resumes] as if the only way we look at them is by printing them out, resumes are by in large read online, they do get printed out but usually doesn’t happen until a little bit later down the road so you really have to write for the online read.” - Virginia Franco [19:36]
TIMESTAMPS
[0:18] Meet Virginia
[3:33] Writing a resume to land you a role that is the next level up
[6:43] How close of a match you need to be with the job ad in question as it pertains to your experience and skill level to land an interview for that role
[8:01] Essential framework of a good resume
[10:22] Drafting a resume to transition to another role and/or industry
[11:35] Crafting effective resume bullet points for your roles on your resume
[14:15] Writing an effective resume as a new grad with no to limited work experience
[17:32] Difference in writing a resume the higher you are in the corporate ladder
[19:00] Common mistakes professionals make when writing a resume on their own
[22:38] Difference between writing your resume and writing your LinkedIn profile
[25:14] Virginia’s thoughts on the importance of cover letters for online job applications and her strategy on how to write a standout cover letter
[27:28] Mentioning work gaps on your resume
[30:10] Virginia’s thoughts on the future of the resume and what part it will play in the overall job search process
[32:23] Why and when should you hire a resume writer to write your resume
[33:46] The average online application to job interview ratio
[34:44] What a resume writer does not do for you
[35:18] How much should a resume cost for a professional
[38:54] Choosing the right resume writer for you and questions to ask them
[40:49] Virginia’s story on overcoming a major roadblock in her life and what she did to overcome it
[42:51] Contacting Virginia
[45:08] Outro
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Virginia Franco Resumes
Job Search Secret Weapon
Virginia Franco on LinkedIn
Resume Storyteller with Virginia Franco Podcast
Chan With A Plan
Max Chan on LinkedIn

How to interview with confidence to help you land your dream job

EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Linda Evans, a strengths-based career coach, speaker, and writer who specializes in personal branding. Linda provides various tips and strategies to help you ace your interview and land your dream job. From discussing how to predict what types of questions the company will most likely ask, to how to strategize when you are interviewing for multiple people at the same time compared to 1 on 1 and what companies are really looking for as you go into the deeper rounds of their interview process.
QUOTES
“[First round screening calls] only last 10-15 minutes, it really is to screen out people who can’t talk professionally, can’t represent themselves clearly.” - Linda Evans [2:26]
“[When it comes to deeper interview rounds] that’s where they are really looking for the fit and I know that is becoming a controversial thing, like looking for a cultural fit, personality fit, but people hire other people that they want to work with.” - Linda Evans [8:15]
“The biggest clues you have [when it comes to practicing interview questions] are in the job description, so make sure you read it many times and highlight it, take notes and understand what they are looking for.” - Linda Evans [12:45]
TIMESTAMPS
[0:13] Meet Linda
[2:04] How to prepare for the 1st round screening call with a recruiter
[5:13] Preparing for 1 sided video interview screenings
[7:27] Preparing for deeper rounds in a company’s interview process and the difference compared to the 1st round screening 
[10:11] Common mistakes candidates make at interviews
[11:25] Linda’s rule of thumb on how long an interview answer should be 
[12:35] What questions to expect in a company’s interview process and how to prepare
[14:51] How to handle an unexpected question at your interview
[16:31] Pre interview prep to lower nerves and increase confidence
[23:07] How much of an advantage do you have in an interview if you came in via referral
[23:39] Advice for recent grads who are going through the job search/interview process for the very 1st time, or professionals that are in the job search game for the 1st time in years
[25:27] What type of questions you should ask in an interview and what type of questions to avoid asking at this stage
[28:37] Strategy for effective interviewing at an 1 on 1 interview vs interviewing with a hiring panel
[31:05] Managing post interview anxiety
[32:32] Advice on making a good 1st impression at your new job
[34:06] Linda’s perspective on what the interviewer wants the interviewee to know about them and what the interviewee wants the interviewer to know about them to make the interview process as enjoyable and pleasant as possible for both parties 
[35:27] 1 of Linda’s biggest obstacles she has faced, and what she did to overcome it
[37:10] Contacting Linda
[37:43] Outro
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Launched By Linda Website
Linda Evans on LinkedIn
Linda Evans on Facebook
Chan With A Plan
Max Chan on LinkedIn

Building a tech startup from $0 to $20 million dollars in revenue per year

EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Bryan Clayton, CEO and co-founder of GreenPal, an online marketplace that connects homeowners with local lawn care professionals. Bryan discusses key business lessons when it came to growing GreenPal to what it is today such as why you should be focused and deep when you start, why outsourcing initially is a bad idea and when to consider expanding and scaling your business. 
QUOTES
“When you're starting a tech company, the first inclination is two things, get a co-founder, and raise money and I think you don’t need to do either. I think you can bootstrap and I think you can do it by yourself.” - Bryan Clayton [11:44]
“[When it comes to expansion] it wasn’t until we knew that we could predictably deliver the service on a consistent basis and by that I mean, homeowner signs up, they get 3 or 4 quotes, they can read reviews, they hire somebody to mow it on Tuesday and the person they hire actually shows up on Tuesday and mows it and does a great job. As simple as that sounds, it took us 3 years to get that right.” - Bryan Clayton [26:05]
“The bootstrap self-funded way is harder, it’s slow and low, but your chances of success, I think, are better, so long as you aren’t willing to give up. The raising outside capital path is kind of like, those guys are selling you 1 thing and it’s rocket fuel, and if you try to put rocket fuel in a Ford Taurus, it’s going to blow up.” - Bryan Clayton [44:28]
TIMESTAMPS
[0:07] Meet Bryan
[2:12] Bryan’s 1st business and how he knew lawn mowing was a problem he could solve for homeowners
[4:27] Soft skills Bryan built at his first company that he was able to utilize at GreenPal
[7:01] Bryan selling his 1st business and when he knew it was time to sell
[9:48] How the idea of GreenPal came about
[11:20] How Bryan chose his co-founders
[14:07] Bryan’s evaluation of GreenPal and why he kept going even when GreenPal only made $10K of revenue in the 1st year
[17:36] Focusing on only 1 marketing channel to start when growing your business 
[22:15] Bryan’s reaction when he started getting consistent customers on the app 
[23:56] Getting buy-in from lawn care companies to join the app
[26:01] Factors in deciding to scale and expand into other cities and states
[27:49] Initial issues with customer retention and how it was resolved
[31:06] Learning lessons on the failure of outsourcing development of the 1st iteration of the app
[38:10] Keeping your personal expenses low to re-invest more into the business
[40:04] Balancing family and running a Startup  
[44:15] Discussing bootstrapping vs raising capital for your startup
[45:46] Bryan’s tips on creating your initial business plan
[48:10] What is a Fractional Expert and the benefits of hiring one 
[52:28] The importance of having multiple ways for customers to contact you when you are starting out
[55:28] 1 of Bryan’s biggest obstacles he has faced, and what he did to overcome it
[58:16] Contacting Bryan
[58:42] Outro 
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
GreenPal Company Website
Bryan Clayton on LinkedIn
Bryan Clayton on Twitter
Bryan Clayton on Instagram
Chan with A Plan
Max Chan on LinkedIn