109: Find the Rocket Fuel for Your Career with Loren Greiff

In this episode, Dan connects with career strategist, ex-recruiter, host of the Career Blast in a Half podcast, and President of Portfoliorocket.com, Loren Greiff. A career trailblazer in her own right who rose to the highest levels of ad agency leadership before embarking on a second career in recruiting and career management, Loren experienced the recruiting world from all angles - and concluded that the current model is fundamentally broken, somewhat inhuman, and rigged against job seekers. To fix it, she founded Portfolio Rocket - a career curriculum that uses a radical approach to helping professionals level up their careers and discover how to uncover the hidden job market.

She and Dan dig deep into the challenges facing job seekers; the almost criminal lack of career education and the resulting reactive, shallow approach to career management; the importance of mindset and of exploring your “why;” and much more. There’s something in this episode for anyone who has ever had to manage their career (which means pretty much everyone).

Listen in and hear…

Fatal flaws that today’s recruiters are making and how to overcome them.
The potentially dangerous impact of living an unfulfilled professional life.
The professional lightbulb moment that sparked something in Loren.
Where the recruiting industry gets it all wrong and how you can get it right.
Why job searching is actually a life skill.
The importance of embracing the gift of desperation.
Why job seekers don’t have to start their search from scratch.
The trickle-down impact of an executive departure.
The debilitating concept of “Landline Thinking.”
The length of time your resume warrants and how to overcome it.
Why your resume is only a piece of your job-seeking arsenal.
The new, revolutionary mindset that every job seeker must have.
Problem-solving and alignment with the needs of potential employers.
Understanding your professional why.
The Coffee Strategy and the Essence of the Hidden Job Market.

Notable Quotes:

“I’m very much the challenger, I’m very much the person that’s seeking to find the information, I also can be the informant.” – (6:20) - Loren
“Our careers, they don’t live in some compartment. They run alongside you as your partner in your professional life.” – (8:47) - Loren
“Career management should be a skill set.” (26:22) - Dan
“Robots might take your job, so now is a great time to start thinking about the skill set you need to manage your career.” – (33:50) – Dan
“Please stop asking yourself, ‘what do I want to do next?’ and replace it with ‘what problems do I love to solve?’” – (38:27) – Loren
“Networking is always about the quality.” – (55:58) – Loren
“What keeps me up at night is the unbelievable roadblocks that come in so many mental formats.” – (1:10:22) - Loren

Loren Greiff’s Links

Dan Nestle’s Links

Key episode highlights (courtesy of Capsho):

00:00:00 - Introduction to the Dan Nestle Show,
00:03:02 - The Power of Genuine Connections,
00:05:58 - Loren Greiff's Journey,
00:09:30 - The Disconnection Between Job and Personal Life,
00:13:57 - Finding Success in Recruiting,
00:16:08 - Making a Career Change,
00:19:04 - A Crisis of Integrity,
00:21:04 - The Challenges of Recruitment,
00:23:25 - The Sad Reality of the System,
00:28:12 - Embracing Change,
00:33:35 - Rapid Technological Changes and Career Implications,
00:35:16 - The Problem with Landline Thinking,
00:38:00 - Shifting Mindset and Identifying Problems,
00:40:51 - Reconnecting with Purpose,
00:46:32 - Niche and Career Management,
00:49:52 - Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile,
00:51:59 - Building a Pipeline of Networking Conversations,
00:52:58 - Treating Your Career Like Your Health,
00:54:32 - Quality Networking vs. Superficial Connections,
01:00:38 - The Hidden Job Market & Creating Opportunities,
01:07:17 - Lively and Spicy Conversation,
01:08:13 - Embracing Change in Your Career,
01:09:31 - Balancing Curiosity and Focus,
01:10:31 - Roadblocks to Career Success,
01:13:26 - Portfolio Rocket and Career Management

Timestamped summary of this episode (courtesy of Capsho):

00:00:00 - Introduction to the Dan Nestle Show,

Dan Nestle introduces the podcast and his guest, Loren Greiff. He highlights the importance of finding meaningful opportunities in the world of work and teases the unique approach Loren has taken to help executives and senior leaders discover hidden job opportunities.

00:03:02 - The Power of Genuine Connections,

Dan and Loren discuss the narrow approach people often take when it comes to career and job searches. They emphasize the importance of making genuine connections and tapping into the secret job market to find careers that truly light people up.

00:05:58 - Loren Greiff's Journey,

Loren shares her journey from being a marketer in New York City to transitioning to a client-side role in Chicago. She talks about the challenges she faced and how she eventually found her calling in recruiting. Her experience with anxiety and burnout led her to a path of helping others navigate their careers.

00:09:30 - The Disconnection Between Job and Personal Life,

Loren reflects on her experience working in financial services and the disconnect she felt between her job and personal life. She emphasizes the importance of aligning career choices with personal priorities and needs.

00:13:57 - Finding Success in Recruiting,

Loren discusses her transition into the recruiting field and how she excelled in sourcing and understanding the needs of creative professionals. She shares her passion for reading through job descriptions and helping companies find the right candidates.

00:16:08 - Making a Career Change,

The guest describes her decision to leave her high-level role in finance and pursue a career in recruitment without much deliberation. She felt a level of certainty and alignment in her decision and enjoyed the work for a long time.

00:19:04 - A Crisis of Integrity,

The guest shares her realization that she was out of integrity with the recruitment industry. She didn't feel morally or ethically at peace with the way the system worked, especially when it came to the overflow of candidates who didn't get the job.

00:21:04 - The Challenges of Recruitment,

The guest discusses the challenges of being a recruiter, particularly the pressure to find the right candidates for clients and the lack of support for candidates who don't get the job. She expresses her concern about not having a solution for these candidates and not wanting to breed dependency on her.

00:23:25 - The Sad Reality of the System,

The guest and the host share their frustrations with the recruitment system, where candidates who can't get a job through the system are often overlooked and not given another chance. They highlight the importance of teaching people the skills needed for a successful job search.

00:28:12 - Embracing Change,

The guest reflects on her decision to leave the industry and emphasizes the importance of reaching a point where you understand that no one else will save you or change the situation for you. She encourages listeners to embrace the gift of desperation and take control of their own careers

00:33:35 - Rapid Technological Changes and Career Implications,

The guest discusses how rapid technological changes, like the development of Chat GPT, can disrupt careers at all levels. She emphasizes the need to adapt and acquire skills that are either robot-proof or enable individuals to work alongside robots.

00:35:16 - The Problem with Landline Thinking,

The guest introduces the concept of "landline thinking" and compares it to using a landline phone in today's mobile and connected world. She highlights how traditional approaches to job searching, like relying solely on resumes, may no longer be effective.

00:38:00 - Shifting Mindset and Identifying Problems,

The guest advises against asking oneself, "What do I want to do next?" and encourages focusing on the problems one loves to solve instead. By identifying their contribution and impact, individuals can align their skills and interests with organizations that need their problem-solving abilities.

00:40:51 - Reconnecting with Purpose,

Loren emphasizes the importance of reconnecting with one's why and using a simple formula: contribution + impact. She suggests revisiting one's purpose every six months to ensure it still aligns with personal values and passions.

00:46:32 - Niche and Career Management,

The guest discusses the concept of finding a niche in one's career and how it relates to career management. She highlights the importance of identifying a target audience and catering to their specific needs and desires, especially for individuals looking to make a significant career change.

00:49:52 - Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile,

Loren discusses the importance of using LinkedIn as a landing page that converts and drives activity. She emphasizes the need to network and move online connections offline, sharing her "coffee strategy" of scheduling two networking calls per day, resulting in 40 connections each month.

00:51:59 - Building a Pipeline of Networking Conversations,

Loren explains how consistent networking leads to a pipeline of conversations, highlighting that one out of every 15 referrals lands a job. She emphasizes the importance of quality over quantity and recommends coming prepared with three referrals for each networking call.

00:52:58 - Treating Your Career Like Your Health,

Loren compares treating one's career to maintaining good health, emphasizing the need for consistency and taking proactive steps. She highlights the importance of networking even when not actively job searching, and encourages reaching out to old contacts and making genuine connections.

00:54:32 - Quality Networking vs. Superficial Connections,

Loren discusses the difference between simply connecting with people on LinkedIn and building genuine connections. She emphasizes the need to invest time and effort in getting to know individuals before asking for favors or opportunities.

01:00:38 - The Hidden Job Market & Creating Opportunities,

Loren explains that the hidden job market extends beyond unposted positions and includes creating or augmenting roles. She emphasizes the value of understanding a company's needs and offering unique solutions. She also highlights the importance of making relevant and genuine requests when reaching out to potential connections on LinkedIn.

01:07:17 - Lively and Spicy Conversation,

The conversation on the podcast is described as lively and spicy. Swearing is allowed to keep listeners engaged. The focus is on debunking faulty beliefs and staying up to date with the ever-changing landscape.

01:08:13 - Embracing Change in Your Career,

Mark Herschberg's "career toolkit" concept is mentioned, highlighting the importance of embracing change and being a futurist in one's career. Reading and staying informed are emphasized as ways to explore new opportunities and expand one's skill set.

01:09:31 - Balancing Curiosity and Focus,

The speaker discusses the risk of being distracted by bright shiny objects and emphasizes the need to find a balance between exploring new interests and staying focused on one's current job. Personal experience and curiosity play a role in shaping one's career path.

01:10:31 - Roadblocks to Career Success,

The main challenge mentioned is the roadblocks that hinder career progress, such as fear, imposter syndrome, and other mental barriers. Overcoming these obstacles requires transparency, support from others, and a flexible learning mindset.

01:13:26 - Portfolio Rocket and Career Management,

The guest, Loren Greiff, introduces Portfolio Rocket as a solution for career management and highlights its focus on building a supportive community. The importance of mindset and owning one's career management is emphasized.

*Notes were created by humans, with help from Capsho, my preferred AI show notes assistant.

109: Find the Rocket Fuel for Your Career with Loren Greiff

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