Chan with a Plan

My $8,000 Investment in Online Certifications: Was it Worth It?

EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of Chan With A Plan, Max shares his personal experience of spending $8,000 on various online certifications to advance his career. He discuss the reasons why he decided to make this investment and what he hoped to gain from it. He will also provide a detailed breakdown of the different certifications he obtained, the time and effort required to complete them, and the cost involved.
Moreover, he talks about the challenges he faced along the way and how he overcame them. He also reflects on the value of these certifications in terms of career growth, job opportunities, and salary increases. Finally, He provides his honest opinion on whether or not this investment was worth it, and offer some tips and insights for anyone considering pursuing online certifications for career advancement.
TIMESTAMPS
[01:16] Max’s first time investing in a online certification program
[01:33] Pivoting into marketing
[03:08] Padding the resume
[03:54] Getting into Digital Marketing
[04:40] From marketing to product management
[06:07] Building his career coaching business
 
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Chan With A Plan
Max Chan on Social Media

How to Spot the Signs that Your Boss Wants You Gone

EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of Chan with a Plan, Max Speaks with Jasmine Escalera, Career & Confidence Coach for Women of Color.During this conversation Jasmine discusses signs that your employer is managing you out and what tactics they use to make it happen, so you can be on the lookout and know what next steps you need to take to continue excelling in your career. 
QUOTES FROM JASMINE
“I don't like that sort of nomenclature. So, I remember working in nonprofit organizations mainly was where I worked in my career. And nonprofit organizations often call themselves like scrappy startup culture.”
“I love mentoring. I love coaching. It truly is one of the best things that I've had the blessing to do in my life. And so it started from really figuring out what my strengths were and you know, coming into my story.”
“It is hard for you to move around. You don't have the same access to resources as you did before, whether that be people, teams, things. So those are the big signs there that you may be getting pushed out.”
 
TIMESTAMPS
[01:08] Growing an audience on LinkedIn
[03:09] Starting her coaching business
[06:38] Following your gut but still ending up in a toxic place
[07:55] Common red flags usually ignored
[11:34] Getting kicked out of a job
[14:32] Tactics used to get you to leave
[20:31] Getting what you want from your career
[24:16] Taking the entrepreneurship leap
[25:31] Being a woman of color in the workplace
[29:59] Navigating job uncertainty
[33:21] One big career challenge Jasmine has faced
 
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Jasmine Escalera on Social Media:LinkedIn
Chan With A Plan
Max Chan on Social Media

Are You Sabotaging Your Success? 5 Reasons Why People Fail

EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of Chan with a Plan, Max explores the common reasons why people struggle to achieve their career goals. Join us as we discuss the 5 most prevalent factors that contribute to failure and explore the root causes behind them. 
 
TIMESTAMPS
[01:20] Not putting in the work
[02:22] Don’t be indecisive
[03:00] Timing will never be perfect
[04:15] Taking risks
[04:53] Lacking self confidence
[05:30] Summary
 
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Chan With A Plan
Max Chan on Social Media

The Portfolio Life: A Blueprint for Future-Proofing Your Career

EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of Chan with a Plan, Max Speaks with Christina Wallace, an author, and Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School.During this conversation Christina discusses her journey of living the portfolio life, using four pillars to build your portfolio, and how to practice failure.
QUOTES FROM CHRISTINA
“The idea of the portfolio life is simply that you can and should build a portfolio for your career, your hobbies, your community, your commitments that is diversified.”
“The challenge there is if you identify as your job. Your identity can be taken away from you, whether you're fired or you're laid off, or your entire industry disappears. If who you are is what you do, who you are is at risk.”
“Part of my identity was I am someone who succeeds. And the problem with that mentality, that narrative, is that if I am someone who succeeds and there's a chance that I might fail at something, I'm probably not going to try.”
 
TIMESTAMPS
[02:08] The Portfolio Life
[03:28] Christina’s journey
[08:31] Four pillars to create the portfolio life
[12:47] Failure can be good
[17:50] Building your narrative
[20:40] Business model for your life
[25:02] Having a well balanced portfolio
[32:03] Seeking your board of directors
[34:40] Director vs Partner
[36:23] Crafting your story
[39:19] Preparing for the future
[41:17] Adapting to AI
[43:55] Key takeaway
 
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Christina Wallace on Social Media:The Portfolio Life
LinkedIn
Chan With A Plan
Max Chan on Social Media

Mastering the Art of Answering ”Why Do You Want to Leave Your Current Job?” in a Job Interview

EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of Chan with a Plan, Max gives you the steps to answer, “Why are you looking to leave your current job?” Max will address why this question is asked, provide you tips on answering it, and even sample answers.
TIMESTAMPS
[01:15] Why are you looking to leave your current job?
[02:00] Try to avoid being negative about your current job
[02:14] Highlight your career goals
[02:31] Stay professional
[02:47] Be concise
[03:17] Sample answer 1
[03:34] Sample answer 2
[03:55] Sample answer 3
[05:05] Summary
 
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Chan With A Plan
Max Chan on Social Media

The Psychology of Money: How to Change Your Money Mindset for Success

EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of Chan with a Plan, Max Speaks with Brandon Neely, cash flow specialist at Wealth Wisdom Financial.During this conversation Brandon discusses his journey in financial field, how to improve your financial decisions, and why mental health is more important than money.
QUOTES FROM BRANDON
“Well, I think one thing is it's good to be an optimist. That's helpful, but also realize that volatility happens. The reality is life is messy. Things happen. Things happen big like covid.”
“Start building the healthy habits that are going to impact you in so many other ways, psychologically, mentally, emotionally.”
“The numbers tell me do I deserve it or not? That's why I love Profit First. That's why I love thinking about the envelope system. The numbers are going to tell us if we can do it or not. And not just say, ‘I'll just use a credit card. That's my emergency fund.’ That's not healthy.”
 
TIMESTAMPS
[01:20] Brandon’s journey into finance
[04:08] Save smartly
[06:48] Preparing finances in case of a layoff
[09:02] Common mistakes causing you to live paycheck to paycheck
[11:14] Power of the envelope system
[15:22] Finances and the housing market
[17:41] Instant gratification delays long term wealth
[18:39] Stay the course without getting distracted
[20:20] Mental health obstacles and finances
[26:07] Getting couples on the same page with finances
[28:34] Take away action steps
[30:31] Don’t look at the dollars, look at the percentages
[32:22] One big financial challenge Brandon has overcome
 
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Brandon Neely on Social Media:LinkedIn
Chan With A Plan
Max Chan on Social Media

The Ultimate Guide to Writing Thank You and Follow-Up Emails for Job Seekers

EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of Chan with a Plan, Max gives you the 2 emails you need to remember to write during the interview process. Max will explain these 2 emails, why it is important to follow up, and why forgetting to send these emails could be detrimental in your job search success
TIMESTAMPS
[01:08] Why the thank you and follow up emails are important
[01:42] When to send the thank you email
[01:53] Tips for a great thank you email
[02:08] Thank you email template
[03:25] The follow up email
[03:35] Tips to a great follow up email
[03:51] Follow up email template
[05:32] Summary
 
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Chan With A Plan
Max Chan on Social Media

Transform Your Life with Better Decision Making: Top Strategies for Accelerated Success

EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of Chan with a Plan, Max Speaks with Jim Loehr, serial author and expert in making better choices.During this conversation Jim discusses his journey in writing 17 books, how to improve decision making, and the obstacles he had to overcome along the way.
QUOTES FROM JIM
“If you really want to figure out, you know what you should be doing now, you really should be looking at where you want to end up. Stephen Covey said, start with the end in mind, and he was a hundred percent correct, so we take people to the end of their life.”
“Parents don't really have a clue about how to teach their kids how to make good decisions. They just assume that's going to come by osmosis, you know?”
“Your inner voice is your coach. The way you speak to yourself is closest to what I call your command center.
 
TIMESTAMPS
[01:02] Jim’s background
[03:44] Different factors and making better decisions
[09:53] Using our gut vs. proper decision making
[24:15] Questions to identify values to help make decisions
[27:54] The state we are in determines our decisions
[31:34] The Yoda Framework
[36:43] Stress and its impact on our decision making
[42:51] What is one big career challenge Jim overcame
 
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Jim Loehr on Social Media:LinkedIn
Chan With A Plan
Max Chan on Social Media