Government Episodes

Malia Cohen discovered when she was a child that she wanted to serve in government. She visualized herself in her dream job and then made it happen. Today, she has moved on from that role and sits on the California State Board of Equalization and serves as President of the San Francisco Police Commission, the first African-American woman in both of these roles. So how has she powered forward to make her goals a reality in spite of many obstacles along the way? On this episode, she shares her sto...

Gabrielle Bosché became addicted to achievement at an early age. Her incredible drive helped her achieve early success (including publishing her first book at 17!), but it came at a cost to her health and relationships. The unlock in her career journey was connecting her work to her life purpose. She intentionally crafted a career centered around her passions and founded two companies in the process – The Millennial Solution and The Purpose Company. She continues to share her learning with other...

What if you’re on one path – it’s a path you always thought you should be on – when an experience excites you about something totally different. Do you make the leap? Our guest, Jason Elliott, did just that. Since graduating college in 2008, Jason has worked in government and politics, currently serving as Senior Counselor to California Governor Gavin Newsom for Housing & Homelessness. This isn’t what he thought he’d be doing when he was getting started in his career. He grew up thinking he'd be...

Is it possible to make your voice heard around important issues of our day, like healthcare, water resource management and climate resiliency? Our guest, Susan Leal, has done just that in both the public and private sectors. She's worked as a lawyer for the US House Energy and Commerce Committee, been an elected official, and been a founding leader in a successful health care startup. She then became an expert in water management and now consults on water and waste water issues related to climat...

How do you take opportunities and experiences early in your life and use them to shape your career so you can make an impact? And how important are the relationships you form along the way? On this episode, Wade Crowfoot, California's Secretary for Natural Resources, takes us through his curvy journey from early roles as an intern to where he is today, leading 19,000 people responsible for natural resources across California. His fascinating story is full of insights and lessons that extend far ...

Suppose you step away from work for awhile for personal reasons. Does this have to set you back? The answer is NO! It actually can propel you forward. On this episode, Hydra Mendoza shares how she used time away from work to develop skills, cultivate a new passion, and find her voice. All of these, especially her ability to speak truth to power, led to big opportunities she never dreamed of for herself. Meet the Guest Hydra Mendoza has served Mayors Gavin Newsom and Edwin Lee in San Francisco, a...

Some people have a passion from an early age that they want to turn into a career. In this episode, we hear from someone who successfully did this. Jon Moscone discovered as a teenager that the theater was a place where he belonged and chose to pursue this as his career. He consciously made decisions to "just get in there" and prove what he could do, decisions that ultimately allowed him to be a theater director and producer, as well as an engaged civic leader. In our conversation, Jon shares th...